Post by CJ Phoenix on Sept 19, 2021 7:56:39 GMT -5
?: Well hello there! It's about time you made it here.
?: You've got some nerve making us wait this long, mortal. I was convinced that you wouldn't make it.
Phoenix: Where am I?
?: Inside your mind of course.
?: Whis, are you SURE this guy has what it takes?
Whis: Well, Lord Beerus, he's gotten this far. At the very least, it's not impossible.
Beerus: That's not very assuring.
Whis: It's worth a shot.
Beerus: .....fine, but I'm not training him.
Whis: We likely won't have to for a while...unless he manages to progress at an even more unprecedented rate. For now, we're just overseeing his training with the others.
Phoenix: Sooooo when do I get to know what's going on?
Whis lets out a lighthearted laugh.
Whis: You wanted to reach your full potential, right?
Phoenix: Yeah.
Whis: That's what we're here for. The biggest problem that you've had aside from the temporary alexithymia from the car accident has been your unnaturally high self-hatred. While you seemed to have recovered from the former, the latter is still an issue. The first step in walking this path required you to face what's held you back the most and wrestle control of your thoughts from it. I must warn you, it's going to get a lot tougher from here on out. The hatred will intensify. More and more of your peers will want you to fail. There may be times where things feel flat out hopeless. It's all a part of your training.
Beerus: Take those ankle biters Striker and Beefer for example. They seem to have taken a disliking towards you.
Whis: Considering the credibility that both you and Jill Park had built as strong competitors, there was a chance that the winner would have been in line for a World Title shot sooner rather than later.
Beerus: Instead, you both got swarmed by outsiders, causing the match to be thrown out. Being upset about that is expected, but you really should be happy that it happened.
Phoenix: Why?
Whis: Remember when you first came back last year and how you didn't have anyone with animosity towards you? They didn't see you tapping into your potential the way that you have been recently. You were simply going with the flow. However, now that you've set your sights on the richest prize in Action Wrestling, you're no longer going where the wind takes you. You're driving against it.
Beerus: You've become a threat because of your ambition and a target because of your potential. Let me ask you this, mortal. If you were handed the World Title tomorrow, would you feel satisfied, or would it feel unearned after everything you've been through?
Phoenix: Unearned, obviously.
Beerus: Right. You don't want to be the guy that makes everyone else on the court step back and say "Let him shoot!". Where's the despair in that? Isn't it better to be the one that everyone took their best shot at stopping...just for it to not matter in the end because you reached your goal anyway?
Phoenix: Of course it is.
Whis: Then make the most of this opportunity. I know it may be difficult working with others considering who you used to associate with, but good can still come out of it. You and Damian have a common enemy, so why not take advantage of this opportunity to work together. It'll fix your pest problem faster, and get you even more connected with the people. The better your connection, the more despair they're willing to give you. Consider this your training for the week. Making the most out of your interactions with others. It's time to wake up. Good luck!
CJ Phoenix sits in front of a campfire late at night. There are two torches behind him and a pack of marshmallows in front of him. One of the torches is lit.
Phoenix: I'd be lying if I said I couldn't handle these clowns on my own. As annoyingly pestering as they are, Team Piss Stream's constant interference proves what we already know. They're shameless, spineless, and trying to be famous by proxy. They lack the will to learn and the skill to improve. All they do is whine about opportunities and successes that they couldn't even dream of having. I could pick a pair of marshmallows out of this bag and they'd be more threatening than Beefer and Striker combined.
The Luminary of Despair sighs, disinterested by the thought of the existence of his so called "opponents".
Phoenix: It would be one thing if it was just me getting ready to stomp these roaches until they're unrecognizable. However, they have also turned their attention towards Damian Kaine.
CJ grabs the unlit torch and uses the fire to light it.
Phoenix: As distant as we have been, I do not mind calling him a brother. He's a lot more talented than Striker and Beefer are and they know it. I'm honestly glad he's here. It makes decimating these two insults to the term "wrestler" entertaining. I don't think the people at home realize how offensive it is to see Thing 1 and Thing 2 backstage. To the fans that only have to see them one night a week, you're all the lucky ones. Do you know how ridiculous it is to show up to house shows and see Beefer and Striker EXISTING while far more talented and entertaining people sit out in the crowds, clawing at any opportunity to get in a ring that they can get? They're so incompetent and ineffective that it almost passes as mildly impressive. Damian Kaine doesn't even need me for us to win this match. I could put a Monokuma plushie in DK's corner while I do commentary and the result would not change. Hell, I could put two there so Kaine can join me on the mic and we'd STILL be victorious. Know what the cherry on the shake is? Damian and I haven't been on the same side in around half a decade. We haven't really kept up with each other. Despite this, we're gonna show more cohesion and efficient teamwork in one match than those ankle biters ever will in their lifetimes. Oil and water would make a better team than them.
CJ Phoenix starts roasting marshmallows on the torches.
Phoenix: Monday's gonna be a showcase. A reunion of former Brotherhood members. What better way to celebrate such a rare moment than by beating down a couple of mascots masquerading as wrestlers? Get your marshmallows ready, folks. It's gonna get uglier than Team Piss Stream's winning percentage out there. They're about to be put out of commission because of their own jealousy. Damian Kaine pops up on Clash and already he's more relevant to the show than they are. Their desperate quest to take out a high value target blew up in their faces, shattering their already fragile egos. Instead of being viewed as a serious threat that put all of Action Wrestling on notice, they just added to their ever-growing list of blunders. They should've just quit while they were behind. Unfortunately for them, it's too late.
The Next Morning
CJ Phoenix knocks on the door of a hotel room. He's carrying a large drink in his hand as he waits. Nearly a minute goes by and the door is opened. On the other side is Vanessa. She's not at all like how she normally is. Her bright, cheerful smile is gone. It has been replaced by a look of sorrow and despair. Her face shows exhaustion along with a layer of dried tears on top of it. A tiny spark of joy returns to her when CJ hands the drink over.
Phoenix: It's Boba tea.
Vanessa: My favorite...thanks...even though I don't deserve it.
Phoenix: Nonsense. You deserve it.
Vanessa sighs as she leads him inside of the room. She sits at the foot of her bed and takes a sip of her drink. Silence fills the room for a moment. Vanessa quietly takes a deep breath before talking.
Vanessa: I'm sorry...
Phoenix: Hm?
Vanessa: I let you down. I let CruiserClash down. I let...everyone down.
Phoenix: You didn't let anyone down.
Vanessa's eyes start filling with tears.
Vanessa: Yes I did. They were waiting on me. They were actually looking forward to seeing me, but I wasn't there. All of those people had their hopes up...for nothing. I couldn't even face them to apologize. I failed them. I-I let them down. I'm not supposed to do that...ever. I can't even make it up to them because I likely won't see any of them ever again. I couldn't even sleep last night.
Phoenix: You were that stressed out?
Vanessa: Horrified. There's nothing I've ever feared more than failure.
Phoenix: Atychiphobia.
Vanessa: Yeah. I heard a doctor tell me I have that. I just can't stand the thought of disappointing others. I get nightmares about it. Plus, sad faces hurt my feelings. That's why I try to prevent them as often as possible. I don't even know why I'm saying this right now. I'm sure you have a lot to deal with. I don't want to add to your stress by piling mine on top of it.
Phoenix: Venting your troubles doesn't stress me out.
Vanessa: Are you sure?
Phoenix: Absolutely. You're being way too hard on yourself. You don't owe anyone anything. That pre-show of yours is something that brings you joy because it gives you a chance to give other people joy. You're always willing to give your happiness to others in order to uplift them. Just remember that you deserve to feel happy as Well. Even the most kindhearted people can have rough days. That doesn't make you a failure.
Vanessa silently sips her tea as she processes his words. CJ sits on the bed next to her. She turns her head towards him while his eyes gaze at the ground.
Phoenix: .....I haven't forgotten the conversation we had after Havoc. I was a lot like you are now. Unhappy. Hating myself for not achieving what I set out to do that night. I felt like I let a lot of people down, but none more than myself. You had a lot to deal with, and yet you still made time to try to cheer me up. I haven't reached my main goal yet, but that talk was part of the reason I'm still pursuing it. Well, that and I'm stubborn.
A smile finally grows on Vanessa's face as she lets out a light laugh.
Phoenix: I guess you can say I'm returning the favor.
Vanessa: Thank you. I really appreciate that.
Phoenix: Don't give up on yourself. You're doing a lot better than you think.
Vanessa nods. Then, she yawns.
Vanessa: Great. Now that I'm less stressed, I'm even more tired.
CJ laughs as he stands up.
Phoenix: Get some rest. You deserve it.
Vanessa: Will do.
The scene ends with CJ Phoenix exiting the room.
?: You've got some nerve making us wait this long, mortal. I was convinced that you wouldn't make it.
Phoenix: Where am I?
?: Inside your mind of course.
?: Whis, are you SURE this guy has what it takes?
Whis: Well, Lord Beerus, he's gotten this far. At the very least, it's not impossible.
Beerus: That's not very assuring.
Whis: It's worth a shot.
Beerus: .....fine, but I'm not training him.
Whis: We likely won't have to for a while...unless he manages to progress at an even more unprecedented rate. For now, we're just overseeing his training with the others.
Phoenix: Sooooo when do I get to know what's going on?
Whis lets out a lighthearted laugh.
Whis: You wanted to reach your full potential, right?
Phoenix: Yeah.
Whis: That's what we're here for. The biggest problem that you've had aside from the temporary alexithymia from the car accident has been your unnaturally high self-hatred. While you seemed to have recovered from the former, the latter is still an issue. The first step in walking this path required you to face what's held you back the most and wrestle control of your thoughts from it. I must warn you, it's going to get a lot tougher from here on out. The hatred will intensify. More and more of your peers will want you to fail. There may be times where things feel flat out hopeless. It's all a part of your training.
Beerus: Take those ankle biters Striker and Beefer for example. They seem to have taken a disliking towards you.
Whis: Considering the credibility that both you and Jill Park had built as strong competitors, there was a chance that the winner would have been in line for a World Title shot sooner rather than later.
Beerus: Instead, you both got swarmed by outsiders, causing the match to be thrown out. Being upset about that is expected, but you really should be happy that it happened.
Phoenix: Why?
Whis: Remember when you first came back last year and how you didn't have anyone with animosity towards you? They didn't see you tapping into your potential the way that you have been recently. You were simply going with the flow. However, now that you've set your sights on the richest prize in Action Wrestling, you're no longer going where the wind takes you. You're driving against it.
Beerus: You've become a threat because of your ambition and a target because of your potential. Let me ask you this, mortal. If you were handed the World Title tomorrow, would you feel satisfied, or would it feel unearned after everything you've been through?
Phoenix: Unearned, obviously.
Beerus: Right. You don't want to be the guy that makes everyone else on the court step back and say "Let him shoot!". Where's the despair in that? Isn't it better to be the one that everyone took their best shot at stopping...just for it to not matter in the end because you reached your goal anyway?
Phoenix: Of course it is.
Whis: Then make the most of this opportunity. I know it may be difficult working with others considering who you used to associate with, but good can still come out of it. You and Damian have a common enemy, so why not take advantage of this opportunity to work together. It'll fix your pest problem faster, and get you even more connected with the people. The better your connection, the more despair they're willing to give you. Consider this your training for the week. Making the most out of your interactions with others. It's time to wake up. Good luck!
CJ Phoenix sits in front of a campfire late at night. There are two torches behind him and a pack of marshmallows in front of him. One of the torches is lit.
Phoenix: I'd be lying if I said I couldn't handle these clowns on my own. As annoyingly pestering as they are, Team Piss Stream's constant interference proves what we already know. They're shameless, spineless, and trying to be famous by proxy. They lack the will to learn and the skill to improve. All they do is whine about opportunities and successes that they couldn't even dream of having. I could pick a pair of marshmallows out of this bag and they'd be more threatening than Beefer and Striker combined.
The Luminary of Despair sighs, disinterested by the thought of the existence of his so called "opponents".
Phoenix: It would be one thing if it was just me getting ready to stomp these roaches until they're unrecognizable. However, they have also turned their attention towards Damian Kaine.
CJ grabs the unlit torch and uses the fire to light it.
Phoenix: As distant as we have been, I do not mind calling him a brother. He's a lot more talented than Striker and Beefer are and they know it. I'm honestly glad he's here. It makes decimating these two insults to the term "wrestler" entertaining. I don't think the people at home realize how offensive it is to see Thing 1 and Thing 2 backstage. To the fans that only have to see them one night a week, you're all the lucky ones. Do you know how ridiculous it is to show up to house shows and see Beefer and Striker EXISTING while far more talented and entertaining people sit out in the crowds, clawing at any opportunity to get in a ring that they can get? They're so incompetent and ineffective that it almost passes as mildly impressive. Damian Kaine doesn't even need me for us to win this match. I could put a Monokuma plushie in DK's corner while I do commentary and the result would not change. Hell, I could put two there so Kaine can join me on the mic and we'd STILL be victorious. Know what the cherry on the shake is? Damian and I haven't been on the same side in around half a decade. We haven't really kept up with each other. Despite this, we're gonna show more cohesion and efficient teamwork in one match than those ankle biters ever will in their lifetimes. Oil and water would make a better team than them.
CJ Phoenix starts roasting marshmallows on the torches.
Phoenix: Monday's gonna be a showcase. A reunion of former Brotherhood members. What better way to celebrate such a rare moment than by beating down a couple of mascots masquerading as wrestlers? Get your marshmallows ready, folks. It's gonna get uglier than Team Piss Stream's winning percentage out there. They're about to be put out of commission because of their own jealousy. Damian Kaine pops up on Clash and already he's more relevant to the show than they are. Their desperate quest to take out a high value target blew up in their faces, shattering their already fragile egos. Instead of being viewed as a serious threat that put all of Action Wrestling on notice, they just added to their ever-growing list of blunders. They should've just quit while they were behind. Unfortunately for them, it's too late.
The Next Morning
CJ Phoenix knocks on the door of a hotel room. He's carrying a large drink in his hand as he waits. Nearly a minute goes by and the door is opened. On the other side is Vanessa. She's not at all like how she normally is. Her bright, cheerful smile is gone. It has been replaced by a look of sorrow and despair. Her face shows exhaustion along with a layer of dried tears on top of it. A tiny spark of joy returns to her when CJ hands the drink over.
Phoenix: It's Boba tea.
Vanessa: My favorite...thanks...even though I don't deserve it.
Phoenix: Nonsense. You deserve it.
Vanessa sighs as she leads him inside of the room. She sits at the foot of her bed and takes a sip of her drink. Silence fills the room for a moment. Vanessa quietly takes a deep breath before talking.
Vanessa: I'm sorry...
Phoenix: Hm?
Vanessa: I let you down. I let CruiserClash down. I let...everyone down.
Phoenix: You didn't let anyone down.
Vanessa's eyes start filling with tears.
Vanessa: Yes I did. They were waiting on me. They were actually looking forward to seeing me, but I wasn't there. All of those people had their hopes up...for nothing. I couldn't even face them to apologize. I failed them. I-I let them down. I'm not supposed to do that...ever. I can't even make it up to them because I likely won't see any of them ever again. I couldn't even sleep last night.
Phoenix: You were that stressed out?
Vanessa: Horrified. There's nothing I've ever feared more than failure.
Phoenix: Atychiphobia.
Vanessa: Yeah. I heard a doctor tell me I have that. I just can't stand the thought of disappointing others. I get nightmares about it. Plus, sad faces hurt my feelings. That's why I try to prevent them as often as possible. I don't even know why I'm saying this right now. I'm sure you have a lot to deal with. I don't want to add to your stress by piling mine on top of it.
Phoenix: Venting your troubles doesn't stress me out.
Vanessa: Are you sure?
Phoenix: Absolutely. You're being way too hard on yourself. You don't owe anyone anything. That pre-show of yours is something that brings you joy because it gives you a chance to give other people joy. You're always willing to give your happiness to others in order to uplift them. Just remember that you deserve to feel happy as Well. Even the most kindhearted people can have rough days. That doesn't make you a failure.
Vanessa silently sips her tea as she processes his words. CJ sits on the bed next to her. She turns her head towards him while his eyes gaze at the ground.
Phoenix: .....I haven't forgotten the conversation we had after Havoc. I was a lot like you are now. Unhappy. Hating myself for not achieving what I set out to do that night. I felt like I let a lot of people down, but none more than myself. You had a lot to deal with, and yet you still made time to try to cheer me up. I haven't reached my main goal yet, but that talk was part of the reason I'm still pursuing it. Well, that and I'm stubborn.
A smile finally grows on Vanessa's face as she lets out a light laugh.
Phoenix: I guess you can say I'm returning the favor.
Vanessa: Thank you. I really appreciate that.
Phoenix: Don't give up on yourself. You're doing a lot better than you think.
Vanessa nods. Then, she yawns.
Vanessa: Great. Now that I'm less stressed, I'm even more tired.
CJ laughs as he stands up.
Phoenix: Get some rest. You deserve it.
Vanessa: Will do.
The scene ends with CJ Phoenix exiting the room.