<img align=left src= "http://www.geocities.ws/scwmaterial/Pictures/Fenris01.jpg" height=311 width=360>Las Vegas, Nevada - the previous Sunday
All Kristjan Baltasarsson wanted to do was shower, change, and get the fuck out of the building as fast as possible. Grab something to eat, or more preferably, get a few drinks in him and just pass out and try to forget this night had ever happened. Or at least, forget that it had ended the way that it did. But then he had to go and get accosted by Tits McGee, or whatever the hell her name was, about what had just happened out there in the ring! He spoke openly, he responded honestly, but then after he had concluded the interview, he realized it did him little good. He had verbally vented in his native Icelandic without giving his younger brother the chance or option to translate for anyone watching who didn't understand -- which would probably account for 99.9% of everyone watching. Save for Gabriel.
Maybe.
But the door to the shared men's dressing room was thrown wide open and Fenris stormed inside, followed closely by his brother who just narrowly avoided the impact of the door's back swing before the younger Baltasarsson calmly latched it shut behind them. Being the opening match had just finished and the second had yet to begin, the dressing room had a fair number of men inside of it, getting prepared for the night's events and festivities. Some had matches to get psyched for, others were friends or former colleagues visiting old and familiar faces. The space was limited for so many bodies, and ears were all over, hence why Fenris and Aron had without words spoken between them, agreed almost subconsciously to have this talk in their native tongue.
Rude? Some might say, but then again, so is listening in on other peoples' conversations. But that is the entire point of a roleplay, now isn't it? So everything you are about to hear? Or read -- Icelandic...
"What is your problem?" Aron asked as he followed his brother across the locker room floor to the far corner where Fenris had been assigned the rookie's position in a room that had otherwise been filled with more experienced Superstars, and thus they had more prominent spots for their gear and belongings. True, Fenris was much experienced in the caged Octagon, but his past reputation gave him no perks once he made that transition into professional wrestling where he would have to prove himself on an entirely new stage.
Which he did, but not to hear him tell the tale.
Aron continued as Fenris grabbed the towel he had brought and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead before they reached his eyes. Fenris threw the towel on his bench and Aron frowned. His brother was always a hot head, and severely hard to please, but this was a new one. "Why are you so upset?" His brother asked. "You won."
Fenris stopped his digging through his gym bag to retrieve soap and shampoo for the post-match shower and looked at the younger sibling strangely.
Fenris asked, "Are you kidding me? Did you watch the match?" He waved a hand in wonder. "At all?"
"Of course I did!" Aron responded a little heatedly. "I was watching on that monitor by the ape position."
"Gorilla." Fenris corrected. "Gabriel said it's called the Gorilla position."
"Whatever." Aron said as he waved off Fenris's correction. "Same thing, dumb name."
"Then explain to me how you watched the same match I was in and in any way, think I won?"
"Uh, because your partner got the other woman to submit and your team advanced?" Aron replied with wide eyed sarcasm. "You win."
"No, she won!" Fenris said as he turned back and retrieved his soap, shampoo and threw his towel over his shoulder to free a hand. "Gabriel gave me one task, and I blew it because that fucking pussy ran and tagged out!"
"Is that what you're upset about?" Aron asked, a smile creeping its way onto his young face. Never minding that a few of the Superstars nearby could sense the tension between the brothers, despite the fact that neither was speaking English. "You're pissed because the girl won and not you personally?"
Grabbing the waistband of his simple, black spandex trunks, Fenris pulled them off right there in the center of the locker room, in the middle of all those men, without a care. Some guys averted their eyes, others were surprised and/or uncomfortable at the free spirited nature the rookie had towards his own body and its nudity. But what they did not realize was this;
In Iceland, public nudity was actually quite the legal thing. They are not as insecure or prone to the hiding of their naked bodies as people in this country are. So Fenris saw no harm in removing his clothes, especially in an all-male locker room -- even though the general tradition was to do so once they were already behind the wall of the shower. Not just to stand there, stark naked in front of a room full of strangers, without a care.
Aron did not react either, as he too was from Iceland and as used to his own naked body on display as anyone else from his home country might be. Plus, he was Kristjan's brother. In such a small home, chances were siblings saw each other without clothes on before and did not bat an eye.
Fenris said, "I am not pissed because Courtney won. She kicked ass and earned it. Fucks sake! She made Cross's partner submit in her debut! That's fucking unheard of! I just never wanted to be in this event in the first place were it not for Gabriel's convincing. But Quinton has been such an over bearing, loud mouthed BITCH, I just fucking wanted to do what Gabriel asked and rip his god damn arm off and give it to Lucas to play softball with!"
"Well you'll get the next one." Aron offered, crossing his arms.
"I don't want the next one, A!" Fenris replied hotly, turning toward his brother to face him and thus 'displaying' himself in full view of anyone (un))fortunate enough to have turned a blind or roaming eye towards the brothers' direction. "I wanted this one! I wanted Cross in the ring and I wanted to make the fat bitch cry!"
Aron just smiled at how hot Kristjan was making himself over this social media rivalry with a man who was claiming or pretending to be what his brother had proven himself at being. He said, "Well considering the level of heat you two already built up, I'm pretty sure your bosses won't let a chance like this pass by without booking you in a straight up match against him. Too much shit's been talked between you to settle it in one match. Especially this match."
"You better be right." Fenris turned and mercifully (for any on-lookers) walked into the showers to get cleaned up. From somewhere behind him in the crowded room, someone said aloud, "Good job God!"
Aron blinked and turned around but could not see who had just called aloud the approval to his brother's ... well, you know.
-------------------- An hour latter --------------------
Fenris had indulged himself in the shower, simply standing beneath the scalding water to relax his muscles and his mind. The muscles worked better than his mental frustrations, but he also realized that his brother had been correct; Mark Ward would most likely see to it that a one-on-one match against Quinton Cross would be on the cards at some point in the near future, so all he had to do was be patient and wait. Not an easy task for one who wasn't known for being the patient type. So after a proper scrubbing and shampoo to wash off the sweat and grime, he emerged and got dressed as quickly as possible so he could get out and go get something to eat.
Or better yet, something to drink.
"Are you sure you should be leaving?" Aron frowned as the two brothers left the dressing room -- and again leaving behind a befuddled room of men when Kristjan had again taken his time in getting dressed, showing no shame or embarrassment at his naked body being on display.
"Why should I hang around?" Fenris asked as he nonchalantly shoved his bag into his brother's arms, using his sibling as a literal porter. Aron answered, "Gabriel said that it was normal for everyone to stay until the last match was over. And Evie's match is happening now, isn't it?"
"So?"
"So, don't you want to stick around to see if she wins?" Aron suggested. "Maybe congratulate her if she does? She is your teammate..."
"She was trained by the same man who trained me." Fenris turned to address his brother briefly before resuming his trek. "That does not make her my teammate." They continue on, with Fenris muttering beneath his breath but just loud enough for Aron to hear, "Woman is fucking hot headed. Can't fucking stand people like that."
"Yeah." Aron murmured, literally rolling his eyes from the safety of behind his brother's back. They trailed down the hallway and stepped foot out into the lobby of Sam's Town which would lead to either the bar of the Casino, or the upper level parking garage. Random eyes turned in their general direction, some merely showing a healthy curiosity at the men emerging from where it was known there was a professional wrestling show taking place that would be on live iTV. Others recognized the wrestling/MMA star upon sight, yet still chose to maintain their distance given his antagonistic nature.
Simply put; Fenris was not the easiest of sports entertainment celebrities to approach. For most, that is. There were exceptions, and the rookie wrestler was about to discover that as he and Aron reached the hotel and casino's Mystic Falls courtyard to find here they could grab a beer (or three), when a voice called out to them.
"Oy! You lot!"
Both knew the voice, although only one understood the words. The tone, however. Both got the gist of that as they spotted Gabriel making his way through the crowd of people milling about, tourists and locals alike, with an extremely annoyed look on his face.
"Where the bloody hell do you think you two are going!?" He asked heatedly, his eyes roaming between the pair as he arrived at their side to confront them.
The siblings exchanged a look and Aron answered, "Kristjan wanted to get a beer and call it a night?"
Gabriel turned his attention toward Fenris and looked at the man as if he had just sprouted a second head on his shoulders. Then to give Aron a break, and to better express his own annoyance at the given situation, Gabriel used what lessons he had taken in Icelandic to confront his newest trainee.
Gabriel's brows rose, "You think just because your match is over, your work is over for the night?"
Fenris frowned at the tone being used by his trainer, but felt confident enough to shrug and answer right back, "Well, yeah?"
"Yeah." Gabriel started to nod, then shook his head in the negative. "How about no. You still got work to do, contacts to be made, reporters to talk to. Move yer arse!" And that being said, Gabriel turned his back to them and weaved back through the throng of people without a further word, expecting nothing less than for the pair to follow him, no questions asked.
"Fucking A..." Fenris looked helplessly toward Aron as he moved to follow Gabriel, but what could his brother do? Nothing but follow in both men's footsteps, that's what. They moved back into the Sam's Town Live! stage where Climax Control was currently underway, all the while Gabriel wondering aloud...
"Fucking... leaving before the show is over! It's just a damn good thing Despy saw you two leaving and got curious or else I'd never have..." He shook his head in disbelief, but tried to put it past him. The Baltasarsson brothers were fairly new to the states and entirely new to the business. Maybe it was different in MMA? No. He shook his head. Fenris was just completely used to getting his way and it carried over into the current stage of life.
Or at least he expected it to. If that was the case, he was in for a grand disappointment. Fenris said something undertone to Aron but Gabriel caught it and called back over his shoulder, "What was that?"
Fenris's eyes left Aron's and found them on Gabriel as Aron answered, "He asked what you could need him to stay for when his match is over and there are at least five matches to go."
Gabriel turned around as they had made it to the backstage lobby of the show where there were merchandise retailers and such peddling their wares to the fans who were eager to walk away with an SCW souvenir. He answered in Icelandic, "Four. Evie's match just ended and you would have known that had you stuck around since technically you two are members of the same team! It's called respect, Kristjan. You should show it to others every once in awhile rather than just expect it all to be reaped on you instead!"
Fenris colored at the words being thrown at him, completely unused to being spoken to in that manner by -- well, anyone. Knowing this, and not wanting any hostility to brew between a young man he knew had anger issues for untold reasons, Gabriel then offered an olive branch by explaining...
"Look," He held his hands up. "There are always people to talk to. This was your debut and you made impressions. You just leave without talking to negotiate matches or express interests, then bridges are going to be burned. People will think you believe that you're too damn good to hang out with the boys, have a drink, talk to the bosses..." He raised his eyebrows. "Does that make sense?"
Fenris frowned as well and huffed through pursed lips. He wasn't the most sociable of people. he had little use for people most of the time, and here he was being expected to completely do an about face or how he felt and what he believed. Still, he could compromise. Somewhat.
"Fine." He muttered.
"Good." Gabriel said as he turned around and started walking past some of the merchandise tables and went on, "Besides, there's someone who asked to meet you personally."
"Who?" Fenris asked as he followed. "Another promoter or manager?"
Gabriel smiled. "Not quite." And he came to a stop and held his hand out in presentation. Fenris followed the motion and looked to a table where a small child sat on a chair, no older than perhaps seven or eight years of age. Sporting an over-sized SCW shirt, the little boy had an oxygen tank near to him and the hose inserted into his nostrils to help maintain his breathing. His hair was gone, signs of leukemia perhaps, but the fact that stubble could be seen was a positive note that it was being successfully treated and or was in remission.
But it was the light in the boy's eyes and the smile on his face when he looked up at the "White Wolf" That practically froze the Icelandic Superstar in place.
"This is Jay." Gabriel introduced the child to the brothers. Aron smiled as was his nature, but Fenris still seemed frozen in place both physically and mentally. He then turned to the boy and winked, "Jay? You know who this is?"
The child looked at Fenris in what could only be open hero worship. A fan from his professional MMA days? Or simply an SCW fan who took an immediate liking to the White Wolf? The answer did not come but the boy was practically glowing as he nodded, and a proud, strong voice spoke, "Yes. Fenris!"
Aron thought for a moment he was going to have to give his brother a nudge to break him from his trance. Gabriel was ready to grab the man by the arm and move him forcibly when they were both caught unaware. Fenris moved past the two and approached the child, kneeling down in front of him so they could be at eye level. Resting his gym bag down, Fenris broke his own rule and started to try to talk to the child in broken English, when Gabriel stepped up to Aron's side and whispered,
"I think we found your brother's Achilles heel."
That was then, this is now. We did warn you that the story of the White Wolf would continue over time, and if that meant the random flashbacks into what was to help us better understand what was to come, then so be it. It was now five days after that emotional day, and we were now less than an hour away from SCW's home territory of Las Vegas, at the locale for the next edition of Climax Control; Primm, Nevada. If you want to be more specific, Primm's Star of the Desert Arena, a location used in SCW's past and one that always drew a capacity crowd.
The backstage staff of Sin City Wrestling were already hard at work, setting up both the ring as well as the rows upon rows of chairs on the building's floor to accommodate the number of wrestling fans that would in two days, be swarming this site to be a part of Climax Control and the intense and always entertaining showcase of the Superstars and Bombshells.
One such Superstar who was already in attendance was the White Wolf aka Fenris, who was seated clear up in the top row of the bleachers, gazing down at the floor far below, watching as the ring crew went about their business. He saw it with an almost childlike fascination, having never witnessed it or seen how it was put together. From the very basic frame work, to the mats and ring ropes, it was an entirely new experience. And as before, while Fenris spoke to us in his native tongue, subtitles at the bottom of the screen aided in our understanding.
"I told Courtney we would do it, and we did. And she was the one who got us past this tournament's opening round and into the quart-finals. I can give praise where it is due, but I would also like to point out that had Quinton Cross not turned tail and ran, I would like to think it would have been me making my respective opponent yield like a candy ass bitch. But that's neither here nor there."
"This place, Primm, is where I make my own mark. It's where I return the favor to Courtney and get our team one more round closer to the championship finals. Unfortunately, it has to be against two people who are not on our bad sides as was the case last week. On the contrary, this week we're up against two who both have rather respectful reputations in Samantha Marlowe and Caleb Storms."
He relaxed back in his seat, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"Of course, I have little to worry about in Samantha Marlowe. That is who Courtney will have to focus her full attention on and deal with. And considering Samantha is a champion currently, it will really put my partner to the test. Can she do it?"
He shrugged nonchalantly.
"I would like to think the confidence I have in my partner is well met. But anytime you're in there against a champion, your work is cut out for you. So long as the Girl Scout of SCW does not attempt anything during my time in the ring with Caleb, then we'll get along just fine."
Fenris's eyes shift toward the left, aiming at the camera.
"Of course, that does bring us to you, Caleb. It doesn't seem to matter to Gabriel how confident I feel in my own abilities. It's yours that he wants me to show concern for. If it means anything to you, Gabriel has stated that he has not seen such an aerial artist in the ring since Despayre hung up his boots and retired as a full-time wrestler. And when I watched that little guy at Gabriel and Odette's gym, I asked him what I will ask you now."
He frowned and shook his head.
"Why would you put your body on the line with such insanity, just to HOPEFULLY walk away with a win, when there are more fitting and effective ways to cutting an opponent down to size? Ways that I am pleased to announce that you will experience first hand, Caleb. You yourself would enjoy diving off of the top rope and sail through the ropes, risking breaking your body into pieces, and it may not even pay off in the end afterwards? I don't get it! It makes no damn sense to me when you could kill yourself and have nothing to show for it in the end! Why take such risks when you could not promise it would be your own hand raised after that final bell?"
He raised his eyebrows and shook his head.
"And make no mistake about it Caleb; it won't be your hand raised. Courtney had her moment in the spotlight last week, and this week?"
He tapped a forefinger to his own chest.
"It's my turn. It's a simple battle of nature's great will, Caleb, when you and I have our dance. I have often taken pride in stating that in nature, I am the wolf. And I can see quite clearly that where you are concerned, you are a bird. And the best way to keep a birdy grounded, is by simply clipping it's wings. I get a lot of satisfaction, tying the man I'm in there with up into knots and applying just the right amount of pressure until I hear that sweet 'snap' -- or until he taps. Whichever comes first but between us?"
He looked around as if about to share a secret. He beckoned the camera closer and it obliged for a moment. Fenris leaned in.
"They always tap first. Always. Twist the ankle, bend the leg -- the end result would be the same, each and every time. My opponents aren't dumb."
He glanced upward as if in contemplation, thinking.
"Well, aside from the ones who actually want to climb into the ring against me. They know full well what I'm capable of, once I get my hands locked onto them. The rest? It's just a formality. So no offense intended, Caleb. No harm, save for what you bring upon yourself by stepping into my yard. Wolves, they are very territorial animals, and we brook no trespassing. When Caleb steps into my turf, then it becomes a matter of wolf versus bird."
Fenris smiled.
"Does anyone have any doubt as to the outcome?"
The camera faded out.
