Promo: Reminiscing

[Guest kelloggs]

Edwin MacPhisto sits contemplating recent event as the chair behind his desk twirls back and forth in five-second or so intervals. The familiar room is a standard office, nothing too out of the ordinary except for a couple of framed pictures on his desk. Two easy chairs, some Midnight Carnival shot glasses on a small bar table and two swivel chairs behind and in front of an old oak desk. Everything the same as it always was. It’s the office of the current Junior Leagues commissioner and SWF World Heavyweight Champion. The fun lovin’ face with some serious issues to deal with. His stare off into space lets you know that he’s been in deep thought for some time now. With all that has happened…the reemergence of Nathan…both Chris’s…

 

** Clink **

 

The shinny copper object skitters off the oak desk once…twice…into his chest and to a stop in his lap. Edwin blinks and looks down picking up the circular coinage.

 

“What the hell…” mutters a quizzical Mac Daddy snapping out of his pensive mood.

 

Edwin looks up from his lap and just shakes his head as the visitor stands a strawberry daiquiri in hand. As he takes a seat in the unoccupied swivel chair Edwin rubs his eye with his thumb in a sign of annoyance.

 

“You don’t like my gift?”

 

“You’re an asshole?” answers Edwin with a question of his own.

 

Francis chuckles. “Funny till the end…would you prefer a quarter…I know you like the bigger paydays but I thought what’s twenty four cents in the scheme of thing.”

 

“I’m REALLY not in the bloody mood kid.” States MacPhisto after drinking from the cup just given to him.

 

“I am.”

 

“Don’t you have a match to get ready for today son?”

 

“It’s funny…”

 

Edwin’s head swivels to the right and an audible sigh can be heard escaping his lips as the chair behind his desk rotates to face him. He goes back to his daiquiri mixing not even acknowledging the young mans presence for the time being.

 

“You say your office is always open but…”

 

Although briefly annoyed at the thought of a Junior Leaguer propping his feet on his desk Edwin continues to mix his drink.

 

Edwin: “Don’t you have a match to get ready for today son?”

 

“Matches aren’t as important as spending quality time with your commissioner. Nothings as important as that…”

 

Edwin finishes mixing his drink and slowly paces towards the desk still not acknowledging the intruder. He waits for the person expectantly but the figure just stares at a picture on the desk. Edwin points to his feet and starts to speak…

 

Edwin: “Do you mind? You’re sitting at the adults table and the kiddies table’s over there.”

 

The figure takes his wheat timberland boots off the desk and stifles a chuckle before turning dead serious.

 

“Have a seat.”

 

Edwin: “You don’t want me to mix you up a daiquiri? I know you might not be over the legal age to drink but most people have drunk something before they’re twenty-one.”

 

“Sit the FUCK down!”

 

Edwin shakes his head a little while snickering and sits taking a sip from his new snifter. He grabs a coaster and places the cup on top of it. Mak Francis looks on at the scene with a superior smirk.

 

Edwin: “Well this is a surprise. I expected Poisyn to come by but not you.”

 

Francis: “Poisyn’s having a discussion with a few people about some things but I thought that you and I could have a heart to heart.”

 

Edwin: “Because…”

 

Francis: “Because you’ve been holding the sWo down and you’ve been holding me down for to long.”

 

“Hmmm…we went through this once before remember. I said something like “Matches aren’t as important as spending quality time with your commissioner. Nothings as important as that…” and then you said…”

 

“It’s been awhile since then and you’ll forgive me if I say that I couldn’t give two craps about what you said.” States Edwin interrupting Mak mid sentence.

 

“Well after some witty banter I told you that you couldn’t hold me down forever. I knew my talent would come to the surface and prove just how good I really am. And it’s finally happened.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes really!” snaps the self proclaimed Franchise. “Since we last had one of our heart to hearts I was the TV champ. But I moved on to bigger and better things. Can you believe it? The man you tried to hold down became one of the elite, a TV/Euro Champion. A Double Champion!”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes REALLY!” screams Francis who quickly calms himself. “And after everything you did to stop me I made it to the top of mountain. I am the number one guy in this company. Not Mikey, not Thor and especially not CIA. I dumped that crowd whore on his head and raised the World title belt for all to see. It all seems so long ago. But the past is catching up to me. My first world title shot was a Triple threat cage match you know.”

 

“Really? That’s nice.”

 

“YES GODDAMMIT REALLY!” shrieks Francis at his ends wit. “Everyone’s trying to end my reign. I have enemies in front of my face and friends stabbing me in the back. You’d know a lot about that with all this Raynor stuff right? But even you and all your booking wisdom can’t stop me from getting my place in the history books.”

 

Edwin just leans forward in his chair staring Francis right in the eyes.

 

“Well this was a long time in the making. My World Title reign - ”

 

And suddenly Edwin gets up from the table slamming his drink down as he moves. Francis looks taken aback but continues on with his diatribe shaky voice and all.

 

“Do you know that I’ve held this belt for a month?”

 

Edwin stops walking and turns around. “I’m not impressed if that’s what you want.”

 

“I’m the fucking Champ why do I need you to be impressed?”

 

“Then why’d you come in here?”

 

Francis sits and ponders on that a little before changing the subject. “Uh…I still can’t get over what you did on that tape. I mean…Wow the way that that chair continued to make that dull thud. Silence and then -”

 

“Don’t change the subject. I told you once before you can’t manipulate me junior. You’re not Wilson. Now do you need anything from me?”

 

“I don’t need anything from you!”

 

“Then I’ll be on my way…”

 

Edwin turns back around to leave.

 

“NO!”

 

“What now Mak?”

 

“You get back here and sit the FUCK down!”

 

MacPhisto turns around again facing a now standing Francis. “NO YOU SIT DOWN!” yells Edwin for the first time. Francis stumbles back into his chair caught off guard by MacPhisto.

 

“I’m not stacking the deck against you. CIA and Thor are deserving and if you have a problem with the sWo or you have problems with each others big egos then deal.”

 

“And if you must know I thought that you’d get where you are but you can never be sure. You had the drive Mak, you had the skill, but you just weren’t ready up here.”

 

While speaking the last few words Edwin pokes Mak in the forehead on each syllable. Francis swats away his finger as the two men have what some could consider a really twisted mentor protégée moment.

 

“I’m tired of this. I’m tired of you and Myers and the whole sWo thing. Your non-stop bitching and pestering. The only thing that was holding you back was YOU! You want to know what I’m thinking. You want to try and compare yourself to me. Well yeah everything gets harder when you’re the champ. People come after you mentally and physically and some times…some times…”

 

And suddenly Edwin has a thought. “You want to know what I remember. I remember a conversation I had with Axis about a month ago when we were calling a match between two kids with all the potential in the world. He asked me if it’s worth it…”

 

“Both men are half dead with CIA taking two count ‘em two swan dives off a cage and a swan dive into a f’n pool. It is down right unbelievable that he’s even alive much less wrestling. And Francis’s probably no better with a head wound that’s been reopened in two of his last three match and a possibly broken hand, that has been getting picked apart on a regular basis.” Says Axis as he states all the ailments like a checklist. “The real question is…is it worth it?”

 

“And I told him the truth…”

 

“If you want the title of the best in the Smarks Junior League enough it’s worth it.” says Edwin in a serious tone. “Being a World Champion takes a lot, it pushes you to the breaking point…and some may say it’s not worth it…”

 

Edwin pauses and looks at the two young men in the ring as Francis rotates back into a side headlock.

 

“It can be a joy of unfathomable potential when you become number one or a curse that you would wish on no one…”

 

He looks again as CIA drives himself and Francis into the ropes and sees the similarity between himself and the masked Junior Leaguers situation.

 

“Because everyone is chasing after you…coming at you from all sides. And you either give in to the physical and mental pain, ending your strife or live up to the expectations any way you can…”

 

“That sometimes…sometimes…things just seem like they’re too much. But you just have to push through it and move on. Stop living in the past and just live! That’ s where Wilson and I are different. That's where he is wrong and that’s what you need to do Mak. It's what I’ve done. None of your off hand comments about Silent can change that. And him turning Chris against me can’t change that either.”

 

And with that Edwin turns on his heels and walks towards the door. But he's stop by the serious tone of Mak Francis.

 

“When you were sitting there earlier while I was making the daquiris I asked you a question but you never answered.”

 

Edwin wonders just how long Francis was in the room before he got his attention but continues to walk out of the room and opens the door about to exit the portal when Francis speaks up.

 

“Penny for your thoughts Edwin.”

 

He turns around at the sardonically toned question meant to raise his ire and looks to his clenched hand. He’d almost forgotten about that penny. And just like that he tosses the penny back to Francis who catches it.

 

“Consider that some free knowledge then.”

 

"I don't care what you say, you and Mr. Wilson are the same. The only difference is he's not ashamed of it."

 

And only silence comes back from the Junior Leagues commissioner, who's already out the door. He leaves Mak in the room with his own thoughts to reminisce on.

[Guest Ace309]

Very nice... builds the whole character, well-written and reminds us of some of the things from the past that are likely to be important again.

[Guest midnight_burn]

Me like very much. As always Mak produces a top quality promo, kept me interested from start to finish.

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

Hi, my name is Mak Francis, and I just elevated the world title a million bazillion times in the course of an awesome promo.

 

Superb work, flat-out brilliant.

[Guest Rabbi_wilson13]

Who rocks the house? Mak Francis rocks the house. And when Mak Francis rocks the house...well, he makes Edwin look insecure at the hands of a JLer.

 

Mak's like the ten times better, actually got the world championship, JL version of me, and he's totally awesome. When he gets bumped, Edwin better hope he's got his twisted Carnie and Silent problems dealt with, because the Franchise will be looking for him.

 

Excellent, excellent work, and not caring about the outcome of this match, CIA and Mak need a one-on-one, 2 outta 3 falls JL finale before they get bumped. They're...*sniff*...they're just growing up so fast...

[Guest Powerplay]

Sweet Jesus, that was good. There is little doubt why you are World Champ in my eyes. I'm simply amazed at how you could remember those quotes from so long ago and use them so well. Bravo!