PROMO: "Happiness."

[Guest Fire and Knives]

PROMO: “Happiness.”

 

 

For a long time now, I’ve been trying to forget the reason I’m fighting. I’ve made so many things important when they didn’t need to be…I’ve done so much to convince myself that I had higher aims, loftier goals than I did seven years ago. Yuuichiro told me once that blood was the currency of any fight. I didn’t take him seriously at the time, of course – it was just before our Last Man Standing match. I wanted to dismiss him as delusional, desperate, grasping at straws to salvage some meaning in his life.

 

But he was right about that, if nothing else. Blood is all that matters now.

 

Your blood.

 

When I saw you on the monitor, I was so happy. I hadn’t seen you in so long – you’ve changed, more than I expected. I almost wish I’d kept the red hair, now. I might go back to it, just to see your reaction. I sat there and watched you play to the crowd, watched you plead with Damien and Mark, watched you smile, watched you laugh. I smiled with you, then; I thought about how long I had waited for this. It’s almost been a year, and now…now I have my chance. I wanted to come out and talk to you. I wanted to know what was so important to you that you’d risk coming back.

 

So what did you do?

 

You ran.

 

You ran away, you piece of shit.

 

I should’ve expected it. I really, really should’ve expected it. You’ve only been doing it for seven fucking years. Whenever I get too close, you pack up and go. You’re a thief in the night, my friend, nothing more. You disappear and reappear with a new name, a new story, a new buffet of lies for whoever’s foolish enough to give you the time of day. And these people love you for it. They love believing in you. It’s like Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny. They know it’s a lie. They’ve seen the tape. They watched you at Genesis last year. They know it can’t last. But they want to believe that the magician really CAN pull a rabbit from his hat, so they buy into the mystique of Edwin MacPhisto every time you open your mouth.

 

But not all of them buy it, Jimmy. Not all of them.

 

Zenon knows better. Raynor knows better. King knows better, and so do I. I’ve finally learned to be totally honest with myself about you, and about why I do what I do. Everything – the Clan, Battleground, Janus, Thoth, Angel, all of it – everything is a smokescreen I’ve thrown up to keep myself from thinking about the truth of it all.

 

I wrestle because I hate you, Jimmy. I absolutely fucking despise you.

 

This isn’t about Jessica anymore. This isn’t about my fucking neck. Phoenix is over and done with; there’s nothing to be saved, there’s nothing to be redeemed. This is about me and you. I’m way past wanting simple revenge. I mean, I’ll get it. That’s just part of the process. But the actual pursuit…that’s something else. I didn’t chase you because I wanted to, don’t you see? I chased you because you FUCKING RAN. It could’ve been over; it could’ve been settled. But you can’t be responsible. You did this. You made me. You are responsible for Silent, no matter how hard you try to bury him. But he won’t be forgotten, Jimmy. He won’t be misled by the smoke and mirrors you rely on to get you through the day. I won’t be fucking forgotten. Not by anybody. Not after I’m done with you.

 

Because blood is the currency of the fight, and blood is what I’m owed. I’ve shed mine already. My God, I’ve bled more than you can imagine. I never see you bleed. You never pay that sort of price for what you do. It’s a rare thing to see you fight that hard, invest that much. To pay for your crimes with your blood. I don’t think I’ve seen you bleed more than once in seven years.

 

But that will change.

 

I want a cage match, I think, or at least something with a cage involved in it. The steel against your face, the cold wire and the hot blood…I get chills just thinking about it. I want to rub that smug smile of yours all along the cage. I want to peel the skin off of your bones with it. I want to slam your head into the door of the cage over and over and over again – so close to escape, but so far. I want to see you scream. I want to hear the fans scream – at me, at you, at themselves. I want to cut you and laugh. I want you to feel what it’s like to fall down and not be able to get back up again. I’m going to enjoy bleeding you dry, Jimmy. I want to be able to just sit and ponder your blood, watch it drip from your face and fall to the canvas, steaming, cascading down your cheeks like rain. Like tears. I cried that first night in the hospital – that first night I tried to move and I found out I couldn’t walk. You’ll cry too, Jimmy. If it takes me another seven years, the world will see you cry blood.

 

It’s not about my rematch, though it’s something I deserve. It’s not about beating Edwin MacPhisto, though it’s something I’d like to do. It’s not about breaking your neck, though I’m certain it’s going to happen anyway. It’s about seeing you pay what you owe for once. Seven years of back payments on a fight one night in Phoenix….there may not be enough blood in your body to cover the interest alone. Blood is the currency of every fight, and everybody pays it. Thoth, Yuuichiro, Nathan, Silent, Jimmy, Edwin. We all have to pay someday, and your day is finally here. All the blood on your hands will mingle with all the blood on mine, and together we will create something truly horrendous and wonderful and tragic and spectacular. I lie awake at night thinking about it sometimes; thinking about what it will be like to be covered in blood. In mine, in yours.

 

Drink from this cup, for this is my blood. Know me and live forever.

 

Oh, God. We’re really almost there.

 

Seven years.

 

And still so much blood between us.

 

I honestly can’t tell you just how happy I am.

 

 

END.

[Thoth 0]

I love the recurring blood is the currency of the fight. I swear that was used before, but for the life of me, I cannot remember.

[the.weej 0]

Well, I have to say, I'm happy you didn't just post the original first draft like you'd planned. Because hoooooooooooooooooly shit that sucked.

 

Yeah, so a draft later and a few edits with my help, Happiness comes out like this. And it's worthy of another holy shit, but just for all the right reasons this time. Definitely the best promo you've written since Face to Face, and effectively tosses a gallon of rocket fuel on the MacPhisto/Kibagami fire. Yow.

 

As mentioned, I think it would've worked even better as a descriptive opposed to a monologue, but c'est la vie.

 

-Z

[Justice 0]

What DID you change, besides the one line? I'm looking at the original and it looks damn close. But meh, I'm not good with this sort of stuff anyways. Fantastic stuff as always: The monologue thing is just your promo, man, and I love the intensity and hate that it just exudes.

 

Edit: Ah, the crying blood part. Yes, that was nice.

[Crowe 0]

I don't know.

 

It's a great promo, and it's good to see a change in style, but I don't know, I found it more difficult to disgest. I'm reading it, and I see nothing in my head, there was no visual impact that can make things come across better and much stronger. Some imagery could have made it more powerful.

 

Nevertheless, it builds a lot heat for Edwin/Silent and I assume that was the purpose of this promo, so bravo, it works out well. (Y)

[Guest Fire and Knives]

Z voiced similar concerns before I posted this, but I've been trying to steer Kibagami away from talking at length recently, and I had a lot of exposition that needed to be included here. I decided a more nebulous, thought process-style approach would be more true to the character I'm trying to get back to. I actually had half-done descriptive version of this promo that became the King's office promo from Lockdown, btw.

 

K.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Man, you say such mean things. Poophead.

[Ace309 0]

It was indeed hard to digest, but I think the different style, combined with Kibagami's character, gave it a sort of bone-chilling effect. It can't be used often, but this was one of the very few times I can see it working.

[Guest Suicide King]

To be completely honest, I generally prefer more traditional, actually happening on camera promos. That said, this was a very good read and more than adequately captured the mood of the violence of the Edwin/Silent feud for those who may have missed its first running.

[Guest TheAntipop]

This is without a doubt the best promo of all time.

[janusd 0]

This promo tells a story, a story of blood and how just what's going to happen at Genesis came to be.

 

I like it.

 

<obligatory>Holy SHIT</obligatory>

[TheBostonStrangler 0]

Nice promo, Silent. I agree with Thoth, as the "blood is the currency of the fight" line is great. Sounds like something out of Fight Club or something. This was very good, but what I really want is a recap of the history of this feud. I know there are quite a few people who don't know what happened back then, and I wouldn't mind a refresher myself, to see what I've forgotten. Overall, however, it established Nathan's current feelings towards Edwin, which is definitely a necessary thing.

[chirs3 0]

This promo tells a story, a story of blood and how just what's going to happen at Genesis came to be.

 

I like it.

 

Holy SHIT

Ditto. Indigestion be damned, this was great.

[5_moves_of_doom 0]

...Well I digested it quite fine.

 

One of the best ever, Sir Kibs. Good work.

[Above Average 0]

A change of pace from your last few promos, which had more to do with 'history' and in my opinion weren't all that emotional. It finally seems like Kibagami is moving forward, by admitting that it was all about the chase. It's a real blood feud now... get it. I'm funny, laugh.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

This is truly the first time I've ever seen a promo exactly like this in SWF, and I think it is a style that should be used more often to hype up feuds. In reality, we already know most of the storyline that goes along with this; those magnificent promos so long ago set the scene, and the buildup -- while it had died for so long -- was perfectly brought to the forefront by this little piece.

 

The words felt truly venemous and believable; the sheer fact that Kibs is a heel is brought a little farther into the background here, and not for a lack of venom and hate in your words. It's simply the fact that you can almost see his side of it, and you just want to see more. He's so pissed, he's irrational.

 

Marvelous job, Kibs. Look forward to reading s'more of that shit.