Sin City: The House Always Wins
Nov 17, 2019 23:24:49 GMT -5
T.F.K. and Quixote Della Torre like this
Post by Teo Blaze on Nov 17, 2019 23:24:49 GMT -5
“You know, you only ever seem to call me when you have a problem.”
“What, you’re saying you want to go out for drinks? Catch the World Series?”
“Really? Baseball jokes? Low blow, man.”
“Look, I’m not in a mood to go back and forth, I just want to know if you’ve heard anything. You’re probably the only other person on the roster who remembers when I wore that mask.”
“What I remember is that you began acting like a lunatic. Talking to yourself, getting distracted by the slightest little things, obsessing and wallowing in self-pity- it was rough, and frankly I’m surprised you want to go back to it.”
“I don’t want to go back to anything! There’s someone on the roster who is trying to get under my skin, and I don’t understand how they’re doing it. I checked the security cameras, nobody went in or out of that locker room. How did that trophy get in my bag, Kyle?”
“Stop asking me like I know anything. Look, I’m starting to think you just need someone to talk to, but let me get straight to the point. I’ve got my own problems to worry about, so while I appreciate the call, I don’t need the distraction, alright?”
“...”
“I’m getting off the phone now. Hope it works out, man.”
*click*
With a heavy sigh, Teo looks down at the phone in his hand. Though he is clearly alert, his appearance is different from the typical appearance most would expect. Dark circles under his eyes giving away a lack of sleep, and a layer of chin stubble on his normally clean-shaven face is one of several hints that hygiene has not been a high priority.
But as he sits on the dilapidated motel bed, the thought nonetheless occurs to him that someone is after him, someone is trying to get to him, and the more Teo reflects on possibilities, the less sense the whole situation makes. He had no enemies in Action Wrestling, at least none that hated him on a personal level. Plenty of rivals, but none who would go so far as to sabotage his property or taunt him with a relic of a regretful past.
But then, who? It was a riddle that presented no possibility for solution, an enigma that concealed itself from even the slightest exploration.
But the worst part? The damned timing. He had been given time off to recover from the Trios tournament, doctor’s orders, and during a time where he should be in the weight room or the swimming pool, he was sitting on a bed at three in the morning, staring at a lifeless phone.
More than anything in the world, more than sleep, more than even food, his mind expressed a yearning, a desire unlike anything he had felt before. He needed something to take his mind off of the question, off of his faceless stalker. Every moment, every second was a reminder that there was something in his life that was out of control.
And it was at that instant, that brief feeling of utter helplessness...when the phone buzzed.
“Vacation’s over: You’ve got Johnny Stylez this week.”
That was all. But even as he looked down, a smile crept onto his face for the first time in nearly two weeks.
As distractions went, that could do the trick.
The scene has now shifted dramatically- the floor of the Slickie T Casino, known up and down the Vegas Strip as the place to go for anyone looking to lose a lot of money in not a lot of time- but in that good way that only Vegas provides. Empty pockets aside, no soul has ever left one of Slickie’s establishments without feeling like they got something out of the experience, and on the casino floor the celebration of empty pockets continues with a chorus of ringing machines and falling chips.
Bright neon lights advertising every vice and sin that a lost soul could ask for, well-dressed dealers flipping cardboard chance at both heaven and hell. The way to prosperity and the road to perdition both pass through Las Vegas, and so it is for the men and women who sit at a slot machine.
And perhaps fittingly, something peculiar catches the eye of any paying attention. For near the back of the floor, there sits a row of slot machines, whirling dervishes of fame and fortune shouting out neon promises in electronic voices. And upon these one-armed bandits sits a familiar face, in a sequined dealer’s jacket, laying on his side atop the row of machines, a small deck of cards flipping between his palms is the man himself, the one and only Teo Blaze. Behind his red and gold lenses (one on each side) there is a twinkle, a glimmer of the man who sits behind there, a mischievous grin upon his face as he takes in the cavalcade of vice and sin.
Teo Blaze: Have you ever seen such a beautiful sight in your life? A collection of men, women, and all sorts come together by a shared dream. Fame. Fortune. Wealth. Some might even call it freedom.
But in a place like this, there is only one rule, one sacred thing that all must abide by. When you place a bet, you live with the consequences.
It’s the reason the system works, after all! I mean, if you could simply renege on a wager the instant something didn’t go your way, then what’s to stop anyone from simply walking away from a losing wager on a whim? If you can take things back as easily a library book, then why not make any wager you want? I mean can you imagine the lack of moral fiber, the lack of honor that it would take to place a bet, to put something on the line, and then just...try to pretend like it never happened? To wipe the slate clean?
The devilish grin has returned to Teo’s face, and as he flips over yet another card in his hand, it is immediately clear what he is referring to.
Teo Blaze: So tell me, fine folks of the world, why it is that I am going up against one LA Johnny Stylez this week? Correct me if I’m wrong, Action Faithful, but wasn’t our dear Johnny Boy the subject of a particular wager?
He flips up a card, the two of hearts, and turns it over in his hand, eyes rolling absentmindedly as he feigns ignorance as to the events that transpired mere weeks ago.
Teo Blaze: Ah yes, I remember, it was a loser leaves town match! Johnny made a bet and put his career in Action Wrestling on the line that he could win, and got his sorry ass kicked out of the company for the effort!
And so now I’m faced with a conundrum. This can’t be the same LA Johnny Stylez. After all, if it were in fact the same drug-addled lunatic whose brain wouldn’t go for fifty cents on Craigslist, that would mean that on top of every single well-deserved and vicious criticism I could make against him, that on top of each and every scathing remark about his hygiene, his failings in the ring, his basic lack of anything even resembling human decency, that on top of everything else, that dear old Johnny Stylez is a liar?
Teo clasps his hands to his cheeks and drops his jaw in a mock look of shock, cocking his head to the side condescendingly.
Teo Blaze: Noooo...that would mean that not only is Johnny one of the most pitiful examples of humanity on the face of the planet, not only did he willingly volunteer to be Alex Richards’s punching bag, not only is he the kind of laughing stock that would not look out of place on a top ten list of most embarrassing wrestlers, but that on top of that he has demonstrated to the world just how much of an untrustworthy, gutless, honorless coward he actually is.
I mean what can I even say about Johnny at this point? The man is a walking punchline dunked in dollar store hair gel, and the only reason that he manages to maintain a contract with the company is because of some turgid soap opera affair with the Preston’s! Because that is apparently what the high water mark is for a career, that you are able to put on performances more at home on “Days of our lives” than anywhere in a wrestling ring.
But I get it, I do- you’re thinking that it is an act, that perhaps, just maybe, I am taking too much at face value, that I might even...dare I say it, be underestimating our dear Johnny?
A valiant theory, certainly, and one which I must say I have considered. After all, I have always championed the notion that overconfidence is the enemy of success. But, dear viewer, here’s the rub, and listen very carefully as I explain my thoughts on this particular notion.
It is not humanly possible to underestimate Johnny Stylez. Let me repeat, impossible. You see, it doesn’t matter how little credit you give the man, no matter how far down you look at him, no matter how hard you squint, no matter how much you look past him, Johnny will always. Always! Find a way to sink to expectations. I could walk to the ring with a blindfold on! And I guarantee Johnny will have found a way to blind himself with industrial chemicals on the way to the ring.
I could tie my hands behind my back; he would walk to the ring in handcuffs.
I could tie my shoelaces together; he would come to the ring in a straight jacket.
It is impossible to put yourself at a disadvantage against Johnny Stylez, because quite frankly he has mastered the art of failure. He is a black belt in humiliation, an innovator in embarrassment! If scientists came together in a lab and combined all of history’s laziest, self-centered, arrogant, and incompetent humans into one being, and then shook the vials just to make sure things were all mixed up, they would only realize that they had wasted years of research, because Johnny Stylez would make their creation look like Jonny Fly.
Do you start to see where I’m coming from yet? Are my words getting through?
Johnny had a chance, he had a moment to redeem himself. Even though he lost his career, he had the opportunity to walk out with his head held high, to say to the world that even though he was nothing more than a joke for the majority of his career, that at least he would end it on his terms.
But just like any other comedian, he had to come back for the encore.
He had to slip on one more banana peel, to get that last laugh.
Well I have bad news for Mr. Stylez...this is Las Vegas. And you know what they say about what happens in Vegas, right?
So let me explain what is about to happen. The Johnny Stylez comeback tour is about to come to an abrupt and very bitter end. He thinks that by taking back his wager that he has managed to escape with his career intact! That even though he lost the bet, he gets to keep his wager like nothing happened!
Oh Johnny, johnny johnny…
Teo shakes his head, a “Tsk” coming from between his crooked smile.
Teo Blaze: Didn’t anyone tell you? This is my house.
And Johnny...the House always wins.
Teo turns over the deck of cards one final time in his hands, then smiles as he flips the deck, with a twist of his fingers, the deck goes flying into the air, cards falling like snowflakes over the neon casino as the screen slowly fades to black.
“What, you’re saying you want to go out for drinks? Catch the World Series?”
“Really? Baseball jokes? Low blow, man.”
“Look, I’m not in a mood to go back and forth, I just want to know if you’ve heard anything. You’re probably the only other person on the roster who remembers when I wore that mask.”
“What I remember is that you began acting like a lunatic. Talking to yourself, getting distracted by the slightest little things, obsessing and wallowing in self-pity- it was rough, and frankly I’m surprised you want to go back to it.”
“I don’t want to go back to anything! There’s someone on the roster who is trying to get under my skin, and I don’t understand how they’re doing it. I checked the security cameras, nobody went in or out of that locker room. How did that trophy get in my bag, Kyle?”
“Stop asking me like I know anything. Look, I’m starting to think you just need someone to talk to, but let me get straight to the point. I’ve got my own problems to worry about, so while I appreciate the call, I don’t need the distraction, alright?”
“...”
“I’m getting off the phone now. Hope it works out, man.”
*click*
With a heavy sigh, Teo looks down at the phone in his hand. Though he is clearly alert, his appearance is different from the typical appearance most would expect. Dark circles under his eyes giving away a lack of sleep, and a layer of chin stubble on his normally clean-shaven face is one of several hints that hygiene has not been a high priority.
But as he sits on the dilapidated motel bed, the thought nonetheless occurs to him that someone is after him, someone is trying to get to him, and the more Teo reflects on possibilities, the less sense the whole situation makes. He had no enemies in Action Wrestling, at least none that hated him on a personal level. Plenty of rivals, but none who would go so far as to sabotage his property or taunt him with a relic of a regretful past.
But then, who? It was a riddle that presented no possibility for solution, an enigma that concealed itself from even the slightest exploration.
But the worst part? The damned timing. He had been given time off to recover from the Trios tournament, doctor’s orders, and during a time where he should be in the weight room or the swimming pool, he was sitting on a bed at three in the morning, staring at a lifeless phone.
More than anything in the world, more than sleep, more than even food, his mind expressed a yearning, a desire unlike anything he had felt before. He needed something to take his mind off of the question, off of his faceless stalker. Every moment, every second was a reminder that there was something in his life that was out of control.
And it was at that instant, that brief feeling of utter helplessness...when the phone buzzed.
“Vacation’s over: You’ve got Johnny Stylez this week.”
That was all. But even as he looked down, a smile crept onto his face for the first time in nearly two weeks.
As distractions went, that could do the trick.
Part 2:
Slickie T Casino and Sports Bar
Las Vegas, Nevada
Slickie T Casino and Sports Bar
Las Vegas, Nevada
The scene has now shifted dramatically- the floor of the Slickie T Casino, known up and down the Vegas Strip as the place to go for anyone looking to lose a lot of money in not a lot of time- but in that good way that only Vegas provides. Empty pockets aside, no soul has ever left one of Slickie’s establishments without feeling like they got something out of the experience, and on the casino floor the celebration of empty pockets continues with a chorus of ringing machines and falling chips.
Bright neon lights advertising every vice and sin that a lost soul could ask for, well-dressed dealers flipping cardboard chance at both heaven and hell. The way to prosperity and the road to perdition both pass through Las Vegas, and so it is for the men and women who sit at a slot machine.
And perhaps fittingly, something peculiar catches the eye of any paying attention. For near the back of the floor, there sits a row of slot machines, whirling dervishes of fame and fortune shouting out neon promises in electronic voices. And upon these one-armed bandits sits a familiar face, in a sequined dealer’s jacket, laying on his side atop the row of machines, a small deck of cards flipping between his palms is the man himself, the one and only Teo Blaze. Behind his red and gold lenses (one on each side) there is a twinkle, a glimmer of the man who sits behind there, a mischievous grin upon his face as he takes in the cavalcade of vice and sin.
Teo Blaze: Have you ever seen such a beautiful sight in your life? A collection of men, women, and all sorts come together by a shared dream. Fame. Fortune. Wealth. Some might even call it freedom.
But in a place like this, there is only one rule, one sacred thing that all must abide by. When you place a bet, you live with the consequences.
It’s the reason the system works, after all! I mean, if you could simply renege on a wager the instant something didn’t go your way, then what’s to stop anyone from simply walking away from a losing wager on a whim? If you can take things back as easily a library book, then why not make any wager you want? I mean can you imagine the lack of moral fiber, the lack of honor that it would take to place a bet, to put something on the line, and then just...try to pretend like it never happened? To wipe the slate clean?
The devilish grin has returned to Teo’s face, and as he flips over yet another card in his hand, it is immediately clear what he is referring to.
Teo Blaze: So tell me, fine folks of the world, why it is that I am going up against one LA Johnny Stylez this week? Correct me if I’m wrong, Action Faithful, but wasn’t our dear Johnny Boy the subject of a particular wager?
He flips up a card, the two of hearts, and turns it over in his hand, eyes rolling absentmindedly as he feigns ignorance as to the events that transpired mere weeks ago.
Teo Blaze: Ah yes, I remember, it was a loser leaves town match! Johnny made a bet and put his career in Action Wrestling on the line that he could win, and got his sorry ass kicked out of the company for the effort!
And so now I’m faced with a conundrum. This can’t be the same LA Johnny Stylez. After all, if it were in fact the same drug-addled lunatic whose brain wouldn’t go for fifty cents on Craigslist, that would mean that on top of every single well-deserved and vicious criticism I could make against him, that on top of each and every scathing remark about his hygiene, his failings in the ring, his basic lack of anything even resembling human decency, that on top of everything else, that dear old Johnny Stylez is a liar?
Teo clasps his hands to his cheeks and drops his jaw in a mock look of shock, cocking his head to the side condescendingly.
Teo Blaze: Noooo...that would mean that not only is Johnny one of the most pitiful examples of humanity on the face of the planet, not only did he willingly volunteer to be Alex Richards’s punching bag, not only is he the kind of laughing stock that would not look out of place on a top ten list of most embarrassing wrestlers, but that on top of that he has demonstrated to the world just how much of an untrustworthy, gutless, honorless coward he actually is.
I mean what can I even say about Johnny at this point? The man is a walking punchline dunked in dollar store hair gel, and the only reason that he manages to maintain a contract with the company is because of some turgid soap opera affair with the Preston’s! Because that is apparently what the high water mark is for a career, that you are able to put on performances more at home on “Days of our lives” than anywhere in a wrestling ring.
But I get it, I do- you’re thinking that it is an act, that perhaps, just maybe, I am taking too much at face value, that I might even...dare I say it, be underestimating our dear Johnny?
A valiant theory, certainly, and one which I must say I have considered. After all, I have always championed the notion that overconfidence is the enemy of success. But, dear viewer, here’s the rub, and listen very carefully as I explain my thoughts on this particular notion.
It is not humanly possible to underestimate Johnny Stylez. Let me repeat, impossible. You see, it doesn’t matter how little credit you give the man, no matter how far down you look at him, no matter how hard you squint, no matter how much you look past him, Johnny will always. Always! Find a way to sink to expectations. I could walk to the ring with a blindfold on! And I guarantee Johnny will have found a way to blind himself with industrial chemicals on the way to the ring.
I could tie my hands behind my back; he would walk to the ring in handcuffs.
I could tie my shoelaces together; he would come to the ring in a straight jacket.
It is impossible to put yourself at a disadvantage against Johnny Stylez, because quite frankly he has mastered the art of failure. He is a black belt in humiliation, an innovator in embarrassment! If scientists came together in a lab and combined all of history’s laziest, self-centered, arrogant, and incompetent humans into one being, and then shook the vials just to make sure things were all mixed up, they would only realize that they had wasted years of research, because Johnny Stylez would make their creation look like Jonny Fly.
Do you start to see where I’m coming from yet? Are my words getting through?
Johnny had a chance, he had a moment to redeem himself. Even though he lost his career, he had the opportunity to walk out with his head held high, to say to the world that even though he was nothing more than a joke for the majority of his career, that at least he would end it on his terms.
But just like any other comedian, he had to come back for the encore.
He had to slip on one more banana peel, to get that last laugh.
Well I have bad news for Mr. Stylez...this is Las Vegas. And you know what they say about what happens in Vegas, right?
So let me explain what is about to happen. The Johnny Stylez comeback tour is about to come to an abrupt and very bitter end. He thinks that by taking back his wager that he has managed to escape with his career intact! That even though he lost the bet, he gets to keep his wager like nothing happened!
Oh Johnny, johnny johnny…
Teo shakes his head, a “Tsk” coming from between his crooked smile.
Teo Blaze: Didn’t anyone tell you? This is my house.
And Johnny...the House always wins.
Teo turns over the deck of cards one final time in his hands, then smiles as he flips the deck, with a twist of his fingers, the deck goes flying into the air, cards falling like snowflakes over the neon casino as the screen slowly fades to black.