Promo - Family Affair

[Crowe 0]

Note: This is a piece conceived and written by myself and Janus. Read and comment, please.

 

 

---

 

 

...

 

The traffic light turns red.

 

The sound of a car engine gets closer with every second that passes. A progressive slam on the brakes can be heard with a slight squeak as a metallic grey Honda Integra pulls up to the lights. The tinted windows restrict our vision into the automobile and everything remains quiet for a moment. This is, until the sunroof is opened and smoke wafts out. The stars are sparkling in the late summer sky and no wind is blowing, which makes for a nice, peaceful environment... but also a very hot one.

 

"Fuck, it's hot."

 

A familiar voice is heard from inside the vehicle.

 

"Put your window down, would ya, darlin'? The air con is a bit fucked right about now."

 

A small hum from the windows soon follows this statement and slowly, it is revealed that the voice is of none other than Markus, better known as the Antichrist Superstar, Crow.

 

"Nah, that's it! I'm taking this goddamn jacket and shirt off," says Markus, obviously irritated.

 

Jessica places her head in her hand, "Why must you be so difficult? Especially tonight."

 

"Settle down, babe! I'm a hot-blooded Italian and I get flushed very easily," responds a slightly offended Markus. After disposing of the jacket and shirt by throwing them in the backseat, he then reaches over Jessica to open the glove box and yanks out a deck of cigarettes. He pulls out a cigarette and lights one, then mumbles "Don't worry... I'm sure your parents will be all chilled."

 

"That's what you think," is Jessica's troubled reply, "Just... try not to swear and smoke in front of them. They're paying a lot of money for tonight and I don't want you to disrespect them."

 

Crow continues to smoke his cigarette as he cocks his eyes over to Jessica, seeing the worry on her face. "Disrespect? Ya gotta be jerking me? I dun get it... I mean, I know they are ya adopted parents, so it's a bit different, but... did they treat you badly or something? You’re edgy, girl."

 

"Can you just drive, Mark? I really don’t want to get into it," is Jess' stern reply. The Antichrist Superstar is a little stunned at his girlfriend, but is smart enough to know when not to push a woman. So on he drives, smoking his cigarette.

 

The red light finally turns green, prompting a "Fucking Sydney..." from Mark as he turns right into the Kings Cross district. It's the red light district of Sydney, so to speak, so there are many junkies getting high off their smack and smoking crack down the alleyways. Markus shakes his head at such a rundown area of town; he likes his hometown of Adelaide much more. But unfortunately, he must travel through this place to get where he is going... a high quality, expensive restaurant... odd, isn’t it? And so the journey continues along past the Sydney Opera House. Crow hasn't seen that place for the longest time and thinks it’s unfortunate that presently, there is no time to stop and visit.

 

Minutes later, the Honda Integra pulls up into a car park and drives around for a moment or two searching for a parking spot. One is found and the car is stopped. The driver and passenger both step out of the car and stretch their muscles... it's been a long drive. Markus, out of force of habit, immediately lights a cigarette and searches his pockets for a joint. Jessica immediately rushes over, slaps the cigarette out of Crow's hand and crushes it with her shoe.

 

"What the fuck!?" yells Markus, "Why the fuck did you do that for?"

 

"I told you... no smoking around my parents! Why can’t you just do what I ask you to do for once!? Now put your goddamn shirt and jacket on! You look like a fucking bum!" Jessica answers, looking like she was ready to tear her boyfriend a new rectal passage.

 

The young woman storms off into the restaurant as Crow is left behind to put his clothes back on. Markus shakes his head as he leans into the car to grab the jacket and shirt.

 

"Must be that time of the month."

 

-----

 

At this hour the restaurant is rather packed with people, but Cirillo finds himself guided by the hand of his girlfriend. Pausing at the entrance to talk to the waiter who finds them their seats, the pair are led to a table where a man and a woman sit. They're eloquently dressed in neat and formal attire, and the female - obviously Jessica's adopted mother - rises to greet them both.

 

"Jessica, it's so nice to see you again. And this fine young man is..."

 

"This 'fine young man' looks like a rat in a tuxedo," Jessica's adopted father grumbles. Opening his mouth for a retort, Markus catches his girlfriend's eyes and bites back his insult.

 

"My name is Markus, and it's a pleasure to meet you both" he spoke after a moment, shaking both their hands before taking a seat next to Jessica. As he quietly peruses the menu to avoid having to speak to her adopted parents for a moment, the Antichrist Superstar notices an empty chair.

 

"So... Markus," Jessica's father murmurs. "What do you do for a living?"

 

"A living...uh..." Cirillo shrugged relaxedly. "I used to be a wrestler, now I'm living off the retirement pay cheque."

 

"A wrestler?" Jess's mother replied. "Well, at least you'd be well-built."

 

"Yeah, but now he's bumming around without a job living off the pay check. He's become another flamin’ dole bludger."

 

"Oh, come ON Dad." Jessica grumbles. "Markus is a fine upstanding man, aren't you?"

 

Jessica elbows her boyfriend, and the Antichrist Superstar flinches as he takes his arm out of his coat, where he'd been subconsciously reaching for a cigarette. He nods his head in agreement to Jessica's statement and as the waiter comes to take their order, Jessica's mother leans to the side a little and peers at the door.

 

"Well, Jessica,” she begins, noticing a large, tall figure, “It looks like your other guest has arrived."

 

"Other guest?" Markus blinks, starting to turn his head, and Jessica puts a hand on his arm.

 

"Yeah... I invited my closest relative... my big brother."

 

"Amazing you're related." her adoptive father mutters. Things begin to slide into place in the Antichrist Superstar's head as Jessica rises to her feet to hug the seven foot figure standing next to the table in a white tuxedo.

 

"Big brother," she smiles and looks up.

 

"Little sister," Terrence Bailey responds with a bemused look, before taking the empty seat to Cirillo's left. Markus and Terrence glance at each other for several moments.

 

"Hi, Markus."

 

"....Uh...hi, Terrence."

 

Inside the Gothic Avian's head, the gears are spinning at a million kilometres an hour. He'd come here with Jessica to meet her adopted parents, only to find she'd invited her brother too. Terrence Bailey, or as he'd also known him - Janus. While Markus tries to comprehend this surprising revelation, the giant politely shakes the hands of his sister's adoptive parents. Snapping Cirillo out of his haze by hugging his arm, Jessica wakes her boyfriend from his thoughts long enough to order a meal.

 

"Uh... I'll take the calamari... with marijuana seasoning."

 

Both of Jessica's adoptive parents lift their brows at the words, and a little bit more seeing the not so subtle elbow Jessica jams into the Antichrist Superstar's ribs.

 

"Ow!"

 

And then the waiter goes away, and a slightly awkward silence falls over the table. It's broken by a deep, amused chuckle from Terrence, who claps Cirillo on the shoulder lightly.

 

"You haven't changed, Markus."

 

"I think the question is, Terrence, have <i>you</i>?" his fellow Australian responds with a bit of sharpness, edgy from his lack of sinful delights.

 

"I am still employed by the SWF" the giant responds with a slight twitch. "So I think the answer would be yes."

 

Cirillo opens his mouth, only to see Jessica giving him a positively evil look. Shutting it again, he looks between the displeased expression of his girlfriend and the blank face of his seven foot friend. With a nervous little shrug, he chuckles and addresses Jessica's adoptive parents.

 

"Old argument... never gets resolved."

 

The nervous chuckling seems to ease the tension at the table a bit, as everyone seems to breathe out. As Jessica's adopted mother sets to interrogating Markus Cirillo about just when they'll be expecting offspring, her father starts a similar interrogation of his adoptive daughter, about keeping herself protected and other things. In the middle of it all, Terrence watches with a bemused expression. However as he looks at Crow, a little tinge of red starts to appear in his eyes... the memory still remains and someone is talking. Terry will not allow it though, so he shakes his head, it needs to clear and murmurs under his breath...

 

"...quiet, Janus...”

 

----

 

"Good night, Jessica dear! It was good to see you again! I want some grandkids soon, Markus! Enjoy your career, Terrence!"

 

"It was great to see you again, Jess, and you watch your tongue around her, young man! Terrence, you're alright."

 

As the car that houses Jessica's adoptive parents pulls out of the parking lot, Markus watches them go with an eagle's eye. The moment they're out of sight, he yanks a cigarette from his pocket, whips out his lighter, and takes a long drag on the nicotine stick with a sigh.

 

"Fuuuuuuuck, that's better."

 

"At least you looked proper for them tonight." Jessica sighs.

 

"Hey, babe, I always look proper. Hey, Terrence! Where you going?"

 

The Anti-Heel Machine pauses in his long stride, glancing over his shoulder through black and white hair, and points to his car. Taking another drag, the Antichrist Superstar shakes his head and waves him back.

 

"Come back here man, I wanna have a bit of a chat. Jess, could we discuss some MANLY things in private?"

 

"Oh, please." his girlfriend replies. "I do NOT need to hear you comparing dick sizes with people again."

 

As Jessica heads towards the car she and the Gothic Avian arrived in, Crow takes a long drag of his cigarette. Still clad in his white tuxedo, Terrence comes up next to him and tilts his head slightly, as he always did.

 

“What, Markus?”

 

Mark takes another drag and breathes out smoke as he talks, “I watched Lockdown a couple of nights ago... and fuck man, good work on taking down those dangerously wild motherfuckers.”

 

“Thanks,” the giant says with a smile, “It was a tough match, we did it and I couldn’t be happier to pull it off for the Trinity.”

 

“Word, you managed to do what ol’ Dante and me couldn’t!” laughs Crow.

 

“Well, you and Dante weren't built like...." the giant pauses, and cracks a slight smile, "....a brick shithouse."

 

The Antichrist Superstar cocks an eyebrow in shock, “...Dude, did you just swear!?”

 

"I guess I did." the giant responds, as bland as ever. "Full blame lies on Dace's shoulders - if you think you swear, you should have seen him after losing to Toxxic."

 

“What? He lost to a rookie!? Ahaha... I shouldn’t laugh, I lost to a woman,” cacks Markus as he hangs his head.

 

"Toxxic rose faster than Atlas, Markus," Terrence responds, making Cirillo's jaw drop for just a moment.

 

"Jesus, I'm going to have to come back sometime and teach him a lesson."

 

“Ha... maybe you should,” Terrence smirks, “Anyway... speaking of Dante... how has he been? I saw him around the locker room for a while following your retirement, but he's upped and vanished like Fugue's career.”

 

“...who?”

 

“Right, point taken. Well?”

 

“Yeah man, Dante’s trekked back to Adelaide to settle things with his ex-wife. They’re getting back together, I think...”

 

“Really? Well, that’s great.” Terrence responds with a cheerful chuckle.

 

“Oh fuck no!” hollers Crow, “Have you met his wife!? Sure, she’s got the geeky hottie look down-pat, but she is a bitch! She got problems, man.”

 

A huge bellowing laughter escapes from the Anti-Heel Machine's’ lungs and it catches the attention of Jessica who hangs her head out the car to call out.

 

“Will you guys hurry up!? Markus, we have to get back to the hotel. Wink wink, nudge nudge and all that!”

 

Terrence looks back at his sister with a glare, obviously not approving of her screaming out her craving for sex, it seems. The Gothic Warrior has a huge grin on his face, but quickly wipes it off once Terrence turns his attention back to him.

 

“We’ll just see how it goes, he may be back... you never know,” continues Markus.

 

“We can hope,” replies the seven-footer. He then opens his mouth to say something else, but he hesitates, obviously trying to think of the best way to say it. An awkward silence creeps over the conversation until Crow simply asks...

 

“What, man?”

 

“I don’t know how to say this exactly, but... when are you coming back? You’re really missed in the locker room. Annie especially misses you... if you can believe that.”

 

The smile quickly fades off Markus’ face, “I can’t answer that, dude.”

 

“Don’t give me that lip, Crow,” the Anti-Heel Machine rumbles, deliberately calling him by his ring alias, “Do not try to lead me to believe that you don’t miss it. Because I know you do. Wrestling is in our blood.”

 

Markus butts out his cigarette, pulls a joint out of his pocket and lights it before responding. “That may be true, but my body has healed. I’m feeling healthier than I ever have before... I’m afraid if I step into the ring, I’m going meet some crazed fuck like and almost get killed.”

 

Terrence twitches and grabs the joint out of Markus’ hand, “You’re killing yourself with this shit.”

 

“Don’t get me fucking started,” retorts Crow, slightly pissed off. He grabs it back and keeps smoking it. “Look, I fucking love the ring and I love wrestling, I love talking to the fans, I love everything about the motherfucking federation... but I don’t know it’s right for me... at least now, anyway.”

 

The motions are subtle, a change in position to look more ominous, a slight curl of the lip, and a narrowing of the eyes.

 

"You know it's in your blood. You're just more cowardly. The Antichrist Superstar, once respected and feared for his resilience, now nothing more than a pot-smoking gothic wannabe..."

 

“Hey, you watch your FUCKING mouth, Terrence! Respect who you’re fucking talking to.”

 

"I’m sorry... but Terrence is not here at the moment, can I take a message?" is the growled reply.

 

“Fucking settle! Ok, fine! I’ll put some thought into it, but not now! Hey, why the fuck don’t you tell me how you’re doing! How is that head of yours working?” angrily queries an irritated Antichrist Superstar.

 

“Well enough,” the big man mutters, slightly evasive, still obviously annoyed.

 

“What? That dumb fuck of a psychopath running around in your head again?” shouts Crow. After completing his sentence, he turns his back to the giant – realising what he just said.

 

“Don’t push me, Crow. Please... do not push me.”

 

Silence.

 

The two men, whilst very good friends, still have issues unresolved. As a sign of peace, Terrence places his hand on Crow’s shoulder and speaks, “Look... we have a long and troubled past, just give me this, a handshake here and now.” Markus turns his head back, looks at the giant, smiles, and shakes his head before turning around to extend his hand. A connection and a handshake...

 

Friends once again, as they used to be.

 

"One last thing..."

 

"Yeah?"

 

Terrence looks down at Markus, white strands of hair hanging down in his face. "You're a good friend, Markus, and I like you a lot. But... he won't like you and he never will. Just... remember that, ok?"

 

"Ok" Markus laughs, voice amused but eyes serious, “I’ll see you around.” The two men turn and walk their separate paths, Terrence to his car and off to his home, whilst Crow to his girlfriend and to his hotel room. Mark opens the door to his door, only to get taken back by a cloud of smoke

 

“What the fuck?” he asks, bemused. He looks inside and sees a Jessica with a joint in her mouth and with a glazed look in her eyes. “Ahahahah, now what would your mother say, Jessica?”

 

Jessica giggles, “That you’re a bad influence on me,” they both laugh, “Now take me home, hon, I want some TLC.”

 

Markus starts the car and begins to drive away. He looks at his girlfriend and smiles widely. He loves her and she loves him... it’s a beautiful thing. A traffic light turns red and it’s at this moment that his mind has one final thing to say...

 

“Ah, the joys of the family affair. I think I might get drunk.”

 

Fade out.

[Lightning Flik 0]

I really like how it all played together. No contrasting styles or that, it meshed very well.

 

Hope to see ya back soon Crow.

[Dace59 0]

So much history. Hope to see you back soon Crow, you and Janus haven't lost your touch together. And I can see a lot of stuff coming from this.

[Guest Aecas]

Another cracker of a promo

 

*cuts through the sudden air of nostalgia with a machete*

[Toxxic 0]

Even though I have only vague notions of the whole storied history between Terrence and Crow - that promo rocked. A lot. REALLY good interplay, and everyone knows I dig Terrence's MPD thing anyway. It's always good to be put over in a completely unrelated promo as well...

 

...of course, it sounds like that if Crow returns there's gonna be ANOTHER person trying to kick my backside. But then I am a heel, so I think that's a good thing. Isn't it?

 

*starts playing Stone Roses' 'I Wanna Be Adored'*

*realises it's a shit song and trashes the stereo*

[AnnieEclectic 0]

*applaudes*

 

 

bravo my man!

 

-Annie

[crusen86 0]

Good promo, lads.

 

But an Integra? Ahaha.

[the.weej 0]

Good promo, although I'm more influenced by the fact it means that Crowe's probably returning within a few weeks more than anything else. It builds on the dynamic relationship between Janus and Crowe, which is deeper than most people probably realize, but is also buried under months of seperation and the fact it was formed through the JL.

 

Not without its flaws, though. The dinner scene came off flat, for what it was, the dialgoue between Jessica and Crowe seemed... forced? Flat? I'm not sure what the word I'm really looking for is. Jessica is also little more than a plot device, which makes the sentimentality really hard to buy. Also, I saw some tense changes in there, which is unusually sloppy of something Janus had a hand in. However, the point was to re-establish the connection between Janus and Crowe, and that's exactly what was done. Good work.

 

-Z

[Crowe 0]

Thanks for the comments, people. I agree about the dialogue coming off a little flat... I'm guilty of not developing the character of Jessica more in the past so I'm still not sure how to write her! I do hope to dedicate more time to her in the future and develop her character more off the basis of this promo. The tense changes... yes, I noticed that too a couple weeks ago and meant to correct it, but it slipped my mind when I finished the promo last night. (Yes, it too me that long to actually finish it!) Personally, I liked the cuteness of the dinner scene and would have liked to expand on it, but the focus of the promo was the history and connection between Crow and Janus... and it was already too long.

 

More comments from everyone, please.