Post by J on Dec 25, 2020 17:37:20 GMT -5
(( Off Camera))
“Festive Nights”
Reno Nevada
December 24th 2020
After Midnight
At the tail end of what has been somewhat of a global disaster of a year known as 2020 it was nice to do things to help others, and what truer form of selfless effort is to give some of the best to those who have the least. So Mr. and Mrs. Thunder volunteered lowkey at a local soup kitchen’s in the area in the guise of Mr and Mrs. Clause, helping out with the less fortunate families in one of the not so well off neighborhoods. Gifts, food and a hefty anonymous cash donation on their exit. The smile on the faces of people from young to old when they expected for nothing and got a whole lot more, was energizing.
Getting back to their lodgings Luther was more than happy to get out of the Santa gear, glancing a few looks at his wife, if she had put on some holiday or quarantine pounds, he didn’t notice, she always looked good to him, better than good if you asked him. Yet the idea that they were out in Nevada and not at their usual stomping grounds made things weird.
“She’s going to be fine, stop worrying” Esme said without even looking at him.
“I wasn’t..how did you even..gah! I should give her a call at least.”
He had left his kid sister Tara in charge of operations back home and while he did trust her, of course he did, she was family but it was something he had usually done himself and had Esme at his side.
“It’s midnight, put the damn phone away.” She said, half chuckling have grumbling.
“I’ll just call her and wish her a Merry Christmas I swea--”
“Luther Marcellus Thunder, if that phone is not off your hands when I turn around, I swear in the name of everything I believe in that..”
She turns around and sees him standing there sheepishly with his phone on the bed. Screen still had light on, so he had tossed it there mere moments before.
“Luther, your sister is not a buffoon. She is perfectly capable of handling things back home. After all you did for her, saving her from the clutches of the abyss, do you really think she would dare mess things up, get herself into trouble? She idolizes you. She knows what she owes to you, proverbially. She could never bring herself to let you down, because she believes in you. She believes in what you say, your mission. We all do. The only person who ever doubts anything you do is you, yourself.”
Luther arched an eyebrow at that, causing his wife to smile.
“Oh come on. Stop being all brooding. Fretting about Tara, you’ll be fretting about Tirri next. And that would be absurd.”
“Don Tirri is a veteran, a tough competitor, and...”
“Don Tirri isn’t shit on your shoe. “
The matter of fact way she said this caught the big man off guard.
“This championship match coming up... this is the biggest match of his entire life. For years and years, he’s been a nomad, showing up wherever he can get a paycheck and a bottle of whiskey, with more “retirement matches” than a poncho wearing Texan. Face facts Luther, he has everything he’s ever wanted riding on this match.”
“That makes him dangerous.”
“That makes him DESPERATE. He loses to you? It’s another failure in a legacy of failure. Face facts Luther, he hasn’t had that big win because he doesn’t know how. He doesn’t have the stones, the cojones, he doesn’t have what it TAKES to defeat Luther Thunder. You are a LEGEND of this business, and the reason for that is because when Luther Thunder steps out onto the BIGGEST stage, in the BIGGEST matches for the BIGGEST prizes... Luther Thunder WINS. No ifs, no buts. Company after company. Championship after championship. You are a proven WINNER. And if you even consider for a second that a jumped up indy wannabe like Don Freakin’ Tirri is even in your league... then you’re not the man I fell in love with. The Luther Thunder I fell for all those years ago, he was CONFIDENT. He was RUTHLESS. He ended matches, careers with not a moment’s hesitation because not one person in this business was going to stop him from being the ABSOLUTE BEST. So when this little three way dance rolls around against the stupid Finn and his pet dragon... you are going to make a STATEMENT. I want you to put the fear of GOD into that man, because in UPRISING wrestling... YOU... ARE.... GOD!”
He stands there and over the course of her speech she could see his eyes light up, the jovial and fun loving man who had made people of all ages feel like they mattered all day long was turning into something far more sinister and dangerous. A devil in the form of a man.
“He is a dangerous man to a degree, because he has been the proverbial workaround guy his career and he’s been in more places that most kids these guys could even dream of but his overall time in the companies pales in comparison when it is counted by times spent under contract. He’s burned more bridges than he could count. However even he realizes there’s only so many times he can start anew, UPRISING is the place that has treated him as something besides a troublemaker. He has been making money betting on the matches, why would he do that? You think Don Tirri is big on investments and hedge funds? Fuck no, he is trying to gather himself a nest egg so he has at least something left when his career is done. So if he has nothing to lose, that gives him the time spread wisdom and knowledge to the people who don’t know that there are literally rosters worth of people who wouldn’t ask him what time is it let alone career advice.. This three way match with Kalinda, him talking that stuff with Mosh, talking to Lewis, talking to Kalinda. He still makes sure to mention me now and then, talking about our past and how he hasn’t forgotten about me. It’s not like we send each other christmas cards for god’s sake. He is trying to get into my head, he is trying to get a edge on me, this three way match is his best way of getting a feel of just what shape I am in currently. Because he’s seen my matches, of course he has and while he talks a mile a minute about his own matches. I’d be a fool to thinkhe hasn’t studied my matches picking holes and ways to get over..This may look like a throwaway match that came down when Mosh jumped up to have a fit, it may look like Jax caved in and gave him a way out but Bradley Motherfucking Jackson doesn’t even tie his shoes without planning how the knot is tied first!”
“Language!” She barked at him and he bit his lip in frustration before going on.
“Sorry, but you know why this guy is doing this. I know it and anyone who knows anything about Don Tirri and his past knows what he is going for in this. He will get a big payday out of this despite the outcome, he might bet on winning and losing to make sure he gets some extra cheese, but if this habitual hazard of the business manages to nab a win over me, my first loss in this company AND get his first big title. That will be the epitome of his career, who cares how many titles I have won and who I beat to get them or how badly ..as long as he can cling to the fact that he beat Luther Thunder AND became UPRISING’s first champion. His little pals would be cueing up around the block for shots and a chance to pat his back and me..I’d be outdone by a guy who’s pride and joy is insulting people on Twitter on his off hours. He loses nothing if he loses to me, not a damn thing..no one would think less of him if he didn’t get past me, but me? If I lose to Don Tirri and miss out on a chance to be THE first one to win a championship in this company..”
He stood, there brooding, while she sashayed over, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“..you’d have to answer me. You think Don Tirri could ruin you? Lover, you don’t want to see what I’d do to you if you come back from Coronation empty handed.”
He smiles pulling her in close.
“I love you Mrs Claus.”
She chuckles and pinches his ear.
“Love you too Mr Claus. Merry Christmas..time for you to unwrap your own present now”