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Climax Control Archives / Arguments and Airplanes
« on: November 04, 2016, 10:57:46 PM »
October 29th, 2016
Los Angeles, CA
Kristopher Halich’s Loft
[Off-Camera]
Heather opens the oven and enjoys the wafting smell of her lasagna. It had been a while since they had a family dinner. Before it had been difficult given that Kris and Vi were not speaking to one another, and, of course, Xandor’s very straight forward approach to expressing his thoughts often caused rifts with just about everyone. However, Vi and Kris had buried the hatchet and Phillip was happy if his spitfire of a wife was happy. Tragically, Xandor’s death had been nearly a year ago, but everyone seemed to have turned out better for it. Surprisingly it was not at all awkward to see the oldest Cooper girl with Parker Wayde now. More than likely, anyone that had the pleasure of holding very adorable daughter would agree. The food, however, still needed a few more minutes, meaning the hosts were once again keeping everyone waiting, as per the tradition of every time they got together. Kris pushes his way through the door and into the room, rubbing his hands together in front of his mouth, wide-eyed.
Kris: “Lots of kids, and lots of people that I guess are technically family in there. How did I get to this point?”
He crosses the room to his pregnant wife, and places a hand on her lower back as she continues to work to get everything ready.
Kris: “Tell me that there is something that I can help with in here so that I can make an excuse to get away from all of the love in the other room.”
Heather rolls her eyes, and leans back against the counter next to the oven.
Heather: “Are Vi and Phillip still making goo-goo eyes? It's almost too sweet, like it's an act but I know it's not.”
She smiles, but shakes the image of them out of her head before it brings back the morning sickness.
Heather: “You can tell me how pretty I am, that always helps.”
He shivers lightly. It was more of a mental reaction that a physical one.
Kris: “You are insanely pretty. I still maintain that you are the best looking of all three Cooper girls, and that includes being pregnant. You have not lost the top spot. And you can trust me on that. I was just in there with the other two. They are fresh in my memory.”
He motions back towards the doorway.
Kris: “As for the people out there though, I do not know which couple is more strange. Violet and Phillip are so in sync that they are like one person. Which is weird considering that she is actually a few people all on her own. Parker and Amanda though, it is like they know how they feel about each other, but do not necessarily have to show everyone. It is like both ends of the relationship spectrum out there. Then again, you know Parker, so that should not surprise you.”
Heather smiles again, not being thrown off guard by Kris backhandedly bringing up their past relationship.
Heather: “Parker is more reserved and as much as we had chemistry, I think in the end I would have probably stabbed him in his sleep. He is the definitive boy scout of your group of friends. Amanda is the mature one, so it kinda fits. Parker was so sweet when X died. Everything...”
She puts a hand, not realizing it, to her small rounded belly.
Heather: “...happens for a reason.”
She moves forward, into him, putting her arms around his neck.
Heather: “As much as people have criticized our relationship. Given us both grief for the things we've done to finally be with each other, no one could compliment me the way you do. Arguably we are blind leading blind but on the other hand, you just... get me. In a way no one else but another addict could truly understand.”
She leans her forehead against his.
Heather: “It is all pretty easy to understand when you have been there yourself. I don’t think that it is just that though. We have both been through rough spots as kids, and as adults. We are haunted in eerily similar ways. We have the same kind of sense of humor. And we can occasionally blow up at each other, and understand that it doesn’t have to destroy everything.”
Kris nods in agreement with her, but gestures back towards the door.
Kris: “Then again, I am pretty sure that everyone out there could say the same thing about their relationships. I kind of wish that Jay was here to balance the equation. He can kind of play moderator to all of the couples with his drive to fly solo. It has been like two years since he and Haley separated, and he shows no sign of wanting any of the things that all of us have.”
Heather narrows her eyes, picking up on the way his voice changed as he neared the end of his sentence. It was eerily close to what happened when he was lying. Almost a dead giveaway that he was not telling the whole truth instead.
Heather: “What's in Boston though? He mentioned going there when I talked to him last week. He likes to check on me and the pregnancy.”
She then smiles, rubbing her belly again. Kris’ eyes widen a bit in surprise. He was caught in the net, and if he tried to wiggle out of it, her mother instincts would pick up on it immediately and she would rip him apart while the rest of the family listened and laughed at his misfortune.
Kris: “I was not actually sure that he was going to be going. And, try not to mention it out there. Violet might break things, because of the family ties. It is Jules’ birthday thing. He threw her a huge party for her 18th a couple of years ago. Then they kind of hung out for a while. I don’t exactly know what did or did not happen there. I guess that means he is leaving the house for once. Impressive.”
Heather giggles at the speed at which the near-confession comes out of his mouth. Despite the words, she had been around long enough to read through all the bullshit and hear the real story.
Heather: “Wow. I know you mentioned that he seemed to have more than a ‘brotherly’ relationship for her but you know what, good for him. And Jules isn't so bad. Kahlan’s the one with the temper.”
Kris shrugs, knowing that this time he could blow off the conversation without sounding like he was lying. If his brother was notorious for one thing, it was playing all of his cards very close to his chest.
Kris: “I do not presume to know how Jason feels about anyone other than myself. That dude is a puzzle, inside a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, locked inside a rubix cube, and kept inside Pandora’s box. I have no interest in trying to solve or open any of those things, let alone all of them. He is like the polar opposite of me.”
He does let out a heavy sigh though.
Kris: “I mean; the dude is 30. This is her 20th birthday. It is weird enough without him paying attention to what anyone else thinks about it, and that includes me, but he still sounded undecided about even going this morning when we talked.”
He seems to reconsider his line of thinking though.
Kris: “I was invited, but had to decline. Not that Jules probably even wanted me there. Probably thought it would be easier to get Jay there if I showed, but we had these plans for a while now. Parker and Amanda had already driven down. No point in ruining everyone’s night. Plus, I will see him soon enough either way.”
He surveys the kitchen full of food that is now starting to be close to finished.
Kris: “So, need help carrying this stuff into the other room? At this point, I assume that everyone in there is thinking we snuck away to have sex. Or maybe just bailed on them entirely.”
He seems to think over his words though.
Kris: “Which neither of those things seem like a bad idea. Think you could fit the pregnancy belly out the window in order to get down the fire escape?
Heather smirks, running her hand down his chest.
Heather: “Ummmmm… no. But, maybe the second of those two things could be possible before dessert. I might need help with the pie.”
He laughs for a split second, but then his eyes read hers to gauge if she is being serious or not.
Kris: “Don’t play with me woman. You know I will hold you to it.”
She reaches up with her palm and smushes it against his face without a response before turning to check on the food in the oven again. He moves away from her and to the food on the counter.
Kris: “What should I take in first?”
Heather: “The garlic bread. I gotta take the lasagna out of the oven and I will follow. I think everything else that we need is out there already.”
He grabs the two baskets containing the bread in one hand, and moves towards the door back into the dining area while muttering.
Kris: “Hopefully with sharp enough knives to end the night swiftly….”
Before he pushes through though, he grabs two bottles of wine off of the counter.
Kris: “Just in case….”
He pushes through the door into the dining area packed with members of the rest of the family. Parker and Amanda were sitting on the far side, with Phillip and Violet closest to Kris, albeit with their backs to him. He reaches between the two of them to drop the bread on the table, and then nods to Parker before tossing a bottle of wine across the table that Parker catches without effort.
Kris: “Food is coming. Then again I did just leave a pregnant woman alone with lasagna, so maybe it isn’t, and if not you’re all chipping in for pizza.”
Amanda shakes her head from the opposite side of the table.
Amanda: “Don't let her hear you say that; she'll probably kick your ass.”
She reaches forward to grab two pieces of bread, putting one on Parker's plate. She smiles.
Amanda: “You don’t want to wait until she comes in or it will all be gone. This is her mother's recipe and it's amazing.”
She gives Violet a wink and the other red head laughs loudly. Phillip immediately shifts in his seat when he notices that Kris has stopped, and is standing right behind him. He looks back over his shoulder to the co-host of the get together.
Phillip: “Do we really have to play this game every time we see each other?”
Kris fakes total innocence, and tries hard to focus on opening the bottle of wine in his hand. Parker, on the other hand, has popped the cork on the bottle he was handed and fake coughs to get Kris’ attention. Kris looks up, and then tosses the second bottle to Parker over Phillip’s head, which makes him even more uneasy.
Kris: “Relax Phil, I am not going to stab you or anything. You can trust me.”
The shortening of his first name grates on him for a moment, but he lets it pass. He had become slightly more accepting of it now that he hears it over and over again from Jason, Parker and, most often, Kris.
Phillip: “Trust you? And end up drugged and on a bus to middle America again?”
Kris shakes his head disappointed.
Kris: “I thought we chose to forgive and forget, huh? Why do you always have to try to hurt me?”
Heather: “Okay, okay boys.”
Heather enters carrying the pan with oven mitts.
Heather: “Play nice or not at all.”
She sets down the perfect pasta dish in the middle of the table, and beams.
Amanda: “It looks perfect Heather; you really have grown up.”
Amanda gives her sister a motherly smile.
Violet: “Yeah, I remember when she used to burn everything and set the place on fire, so good job.”
Kris cannot help but give a chuckle, and even joins in on the jokes.
Kris: “She has to set multiple timers, in multiple rooms, every time the oven is on, or we would be eating some unrecognizable black mush from outside on the curb while firefighters tried to save people from the building.”
This brings an even wider smile to Kris’ face.
Kris: “Maybe that would be a good thing for Parker though. Looks like you packed on some baby weight there, dark chocolate.”
Parker does not miss a chance to fire back at the man who was practically his little brother, despite the fact that Kris was older by more than two years.
Parker: “You one to talk? Jay told me about your little comeback tour together. If you want to pull that off without looking like an idiot, you need to lose some of that sympathy baby weight.”
Phillip, who was learning how to play this game pretty well decided he could also chime in.
Phillip: “And you cannot really turn to drugs to shave off the pounds quickly. You will have to do it legitimately this time.”
The whole room seems to freeze in shock, everyone’s eyes moving back and forth between Phillip and Kris. Phillip turns in his chair to face Kris with a smile on his face, which deflates all of the tension in the room. Kris cannot help but smile, and points a finger at Phillip.
Kris: “You only get one of those a night. One more and I am going to hug you.”
The room erupts into laughter; however, one person remains stonily focused on Parker. Heather clears her throat.
Heather: “Comeback tour?”
Parker looks up to lock eyes with Heather, and then over to Kris who very gently shakes his head no. Parker looks over to Amanda, who eyes him, perfectly able to tell if the next thing out of his mouth is a lie, because he is terrible at it from lack of practice doing it. Violet turns from Parker, to Kris, knowing she could get any information she needed off of his face. Phillip sinks in his chair, suddenly wanting to be anywhere other than in between everyone. Parker stutters over a few words before finally spitting out the truth, unwilling to throw himself under the bus to save Kris.
Parker: “SCW, right Kris? You and Jason are planning on kicking the dust off of Jet City. Or at least that is what he was trying to tell me before he got called for boarding the plane this afternoon.”
Before Heather can turn to see his reaction, Kris mouths some very curse-ridden threats at Parker as he speaks. Violet seems to catch part of them and they bring a slight smile to her lips before she presses it away. She could have stayed quiet to watch it play out, but instead chooses to poke a little bit.
Violet: “So I guess no one told Heather huh?”
Vi leans back in her seat, an air of smugness as she crosses her arms over her chest. She then leans into her husband, linking her fingers with his, in silent reassurance that he does not need to panic over the situation. Heather locks eyes momentarily with everyone, working her way around the group before getting to, and stopping on, Kris.
Heather: “So they all knew? Everyone knew and nobody said a damn word to me about it? You told my sisters before me, Kristopher?!”
She stood, shaking her head she drops her napkin on her still empty plate and storms off. The sound of the bedroom door slamming rattles pictures on the walls. Amanda is the first to break the silence.
Amanda: “Should we... leave?”
Kris moves around the table, holding up his hands to everyone.
Kris: “Nah guys, I will go talk to her. We have all this food though. No use in all of you leaving. Go ahead and start without us. I don’t want anything to go to waste. I will be right back.”
He announces he is leaving the room, but oddly does not make for the door. Instead he rubs the palms of his hands together, and moves around the table until he is within striking distance of Parker and quickly slaps him in the back of his head. Parker turns in his seat and shoves Kris backwards with one arm. He stops short of rising from his seat, as they both break into laughter. It actually draws a chuckle from Phillip, who seems to take Kris’ side.
Phillip: “I actually heard from Violet that it was happening.”
Kris eyes Violet next, who says nothing, but points across at Amanda. Following the path, her eyes lead him right back to Parker, who had announced getting the information from Jason in the first place. Kris points around to all of them, with a kind of ‘told you so’ look on his face.
Kris: “And you people wonder why I never tell you anything. You are the most gossiping mother fuckers I have ever met.”
He shakes his head, and now does move towards the door,
Kris: “Damage control time…”
He pushes the door open with his back, but stops, as Parker is still looking at him.
Kris: “And don’t think you were just getting off with the one slap. Imma beat your ass.”
Parker: “Keep dreaming Q-Tip.”
Parker waves him away, as Kris exits and the four remaining in the room try to get on with the evening. Kris moves through the loft, to the master bedroom, and tries the handle, only to find the door locked. He had no idea why she still bothered doing so. He quickly produces a paperclip from the top of the door frame and twists it into the lock, pushing on the single cylinder that works the lock and then turning the handle. He makes sure to put the paperclip back on top of the door before slightly cracking it, so she does not see it.
Kris: “I would just like to point out the fact that I did not tell any of them anything, and would appreciate not being hit with any flying objects when I open the door. Deal?”
Heather: “Fine, whatever.”
He can hear the sob in her voice when it cracks though. He pushes the door open and steps through, sitting on the end of the bed whereas she has taken post at the top, with a pillow on her lap.
Kris: “I have not mentioned anything to you, because nothing is set in stone. If you recall, not even ten minutes ago I told you that I was talking to Jason this morning. That is what we were talking about. We were kind of tossing around ideas, but it is not anything more than that right now. It would be at least a week before anything solid happened. Plenty of time for us to discuss it before any papers get signed.”
Heather: “How is it that this information got around my family this quickly yet neither of my sisters said a word to me? Do all of you still think I'm so fragile? I would never dream of breaking sobriety, pregnancy or not.”
He shrugs, and tries to find words to blame the people outside of the room, and even on the other side of the United States. He slams his mouth closed though, knowing that it will all boil down to it being his fault in the end anyways. He should have said something, and hadn’t, but it was not without reason. Instead of making excuses though, he sits down next to her, and says the only two words that she needed to hear from him right now, and he knew them well.
Kris: “I’m sorry.”
She puts her head on his shoulder. Before the start of this year, she would have never to expected an apology without a fight, or excuse first. That alone was worth letting him skate.
Heather: “Why didn't you mention it anyway? Even if it was just an idea? I'm not upset that you want to go back in a ring. I'm upset that you didn't even mention you thinking about it. You know I support you no matter what.”
He wraps his arm around her shoulders and then rests his head on hers.
Kris: “Honestly, I was not even really thinking about it until Jason started pushing for it. He kind of gave me this idea that it would be good for my recovering. I put myself out there just to get a rise out of people, and a paycheck. I didn’t care about the quality of what I was doing, or putting on a good show. I was messed up two-thirds of the time I was out there. Jason started telling me about how I have worked to fix so many of the mistakes that I have made, and this is just one more that I could atone for.”
He lets out a light sigh.
Kris: “Plus, with another baby coming. Waverly being around whenever we can get him. It would be kind of nice to bust my ass doing this so that we could not have to worry about lack of income. I could make things right with the world, make some money, and then put it all behind me for good this time. No regrets.”
He gives her a nudge to sit up, so that he can look her in the eyes.
Kris: “I also didn’t want you thinking that being here with you was not enough and I needed an escape from it all. That could not be further from the truth. I want to kind of stay local as much as possible. And even have you come with me as often as you can.”
She brings a hand up to either side of his face.
Heather: “Just please, next time, even if it's just a musing. Tell me first. Especially when it comes to our blended family. I would rather hear it from you first so we can talk about it.”
She nods, silently prompting him to do the same. When he does, she offers a smile, and a threat that comes out almost sweet.
Heather: “Or I will blame pregnancy hormones and stab you in your sleep.”
She leans forward to kiss him. He meets her halfway, so she does not have to lean over her growing belly. When they separate, he tries to ease any hesitation that she might be hiding, given her initial reaction.
Kris: “The moment that you think my doing going back is making being married, or being parents too hard, I walk away from it. You know I get short-sighted and can easily get so focused on one thing, that I don’t notice things going wrong in other parts of my life. The first time my going back to this negatively impacts you or the kids, and I am done with it. Deal?”
She gives him a soft smile and a nod, both of which he returns.
Kris: “Now, I believe we have food to go eat, and at least four gossipy family members to murder. Do you think that you are up for that?”
Heather: “If there is anything left. This is a family of vultures I swear!”
==============================================================
==============================================================
November 4th 2016
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Municipal Airport
[On-Screen]
Kris and Jason Halich step off of their charter plane, and start to move down the steps, Kris talking over his shoulder to Jason, despite the cameras not picking up what is being said. Jason promptly reaches forward and slaps Kris in the back of the head, which draws only a laugh from the younger brother as he reaches the bottom of the stairs. As the two find their feet on the ground for the first time in a few hours, they are swarmed by a handful of interviewers. It was all Jason’s doing, as he had to greenlight people even being let through security, and had probably offered them big news that they simply did not have. Since suing Cody Taylor, and taking back all of the money invested into the failed company known as Pride Pro Wrestling, Jason had become sort of a public figure. It did not help that the two were flying around on the former co-owner’s plane, and, in doing so, appearing to live well beyond their means, or really even most people’s means who worked in this business.
Kris continued walking as they got to the ground, heading towards the car that was picking them up to take them to their hotel, but Jason was swarmed with camera flashes and little microphones shoved in his face. He quickly worked his way through them, and put his hand on his brother’s shoulder, stopping him from escaping and spinning him around to face the camera. Some of the interviewers tried to squeeze in another word, but Jason cut them off.
Jason: “Ladies and gentlemen, for twenty-seven long years, I have had the genuine displeasure of knowing the man to my right. I have seen him in diapers. I have seen him shit himself. I have seen him graduate from high school. I have seen him win a championship in the company we step into this Sunday. However, I have only seen one of those things happen this week.”
Kris elbows his brother and shrugs his shoulder, pushing Jason’s arm out from around him. The interviewers enjoy a laugh at Kris’ expense, but Jason cuts it off short by continuing to speak over them until they stopped attempting to talk.
Jason: “Truth be told, Jet City coming to SCW is not the big news of the week that I told all of your bosses that I was going to give. Namely because, that was all bullshit. I have nothing at all to tell any of you, and if any of you so much as ask me about a personal relationship, or my recent trip to Boston, I have been told by all of your employers that they will erase any tape of me feeding you a camera against your will.”
The interviewers start to chatter amongst themselves, likely considering leaving due to the fact that there was no big scoop here, but Jason shoves Kris forwards towards the grouping.
Jason: “That is not to say that my very own pants-shitting little brother does not have something that all of you should listen to as it regards Ryan Keys, SCW, and our future plans.”
Even the people turning to leave seem to stop as Kris is shoved forwards. He pulls his Clippers hat off of his head, and throws his sunglasses into them before handing it off to Jason. The interviewers seem to make a circle in front of him, not seeming thrilled but not wanting to have made the trip down for nothing. Kris was known to get himself into trouble in front of a camera, so for all they knew, there could be a story after all. He sighs, and throws his head back, being well out of practice of doing this kind of thing, and then licks his lips before starting.
Kris: “I made a little bit of a splash last week by announcing that I was going to be returning to the only company that I have ever won a championship in. However, the person that I did not credit with putting that idea into my head, was the man you all actually came to see. Now, regardless of if he convinced you to come under false pretenses or not, the fact that you are all here says something about what his coming back to this business means. We were able to put together a couple of wins in a small company a year ago before it closed. Then we put our names on a contract that never got processed in another company that closed. Truth be told, we didn’t show up here back then because neither of us thought that I was going to be allowed back through the doors. I have a terrible track record with SCW. That is something that I have owned up to, and even apologized for last week when I announced I was going to be back. I am a flake. I am unreliable. I am a former drug addict that has been documented as having done this job under the influence. So, when I see the majority of the people excited to see my brother is back, but disappointed that my name, and Jet City is attached to it, I understand. It is a normal, and valid reaction.”
He offers a shrug to everyone standing in front of him, and anyone watching from home on the cameras.
Kris: “I have apologized. I have explained myself. Last week I listed the reasons for my turn around, and laid out exactly why I was back. To rehash that for all of you would be a waste of your time and that is something that I said that I was not going to do anymore. For those of you expecting to see some kind of cookie-cutter, polite, version of me make a return and push the thoughts of the old me out of your mind, you are going to be very disappointed. I assume any of you thinking that didn’t bother to pay attention on Sunday when Jet City made their first real appearance for SCW. I am not going to promise to be a better person, or less of an asshole. The only thing that I promised the world, this company, and my brother is that I was actually going to give a shit about what I showed up to do, for the first time in my life. Believe me, I have taken a lot of beatings in my life, but the very worst of them, have almost exclusively come at the hands of the person that is my tag team partner these days. I wouldn’t dare waste his time, regardless of whatever horseshit lie I was feeding the rest of the world. The fact that he is standing her behind me should make one thing very obvious: this is serious.”
An interviewer moves forward, breaking the almost perfect half-circle that they had formed in front of the two brothers. Before he can get a word out, Jason steps forward and smacks the microphone out of his hand and then points a finger at the man.
Jason: “Shame on you! Back in line.”
Kris shakes his head at his brother and leans into his ear, exchanging a few words that are not picked up. Jason disagrees with whatever it is, and gestures towards the camera for Kris to continue.
Kris: “The first thing that I did when I put my name on the contract was ask SCW for some information. See, they have people that transcribe whole shows, and all of those files are kept by the company. It is pretty easy to run a search for references to an individual. The things that I found, were not surprising. In the time I was away, I paid no attention to this business. The last couple times that I did bother to show up, I did little more than suit up, work a match, and bounce. I had no idea the things that were said about me back then, and I wouldn’t have really cared to even find out. There was only one thing that mattered to me back then, and it definitely wasn’t any of this. If you want to look at some of the bad decisions, look no further than my knocking up Liz Smalls. Anyone dumb enough to saddle themselves with that woman for the next 17 years of their life couldn’t have been thinking clearly, am I right?”
This draws a chuckle from the interviewers, and lightens the overall tone of Kris’ voice. Up until now it seemed like he was listing off things that he was being forced to say, but at this point, his face starts to light up, and his demeanor is a lot less rigid, ala the Kris everyone knew.
Kris: “The roster has gone through a lot of changes since I was last here. There are a lot of new names and faces. Apparently I blew past people last week that I had no idea who they were, and they are kind of a big deal now. To those people, sorry not sorry. Get better and maybe you will be worth paying attention to. I cannot apologize for your lack of being a face worth knowing. For those that are still here from the last time I was, but not holding a championship right now: What the fuck have you even been doing? If you aren’t a success by now, maybe it is time to hang it up. After all, I have been gone for almost a whole year. If you are in the same place now as you were then, all while using my name as a punchline for the promos you drone on in before you go out and lose, what are you even still doing here other than collecting a paycheck?”
A few of the interviewers seem to cover their mouths, not wanting to be caught by other cameras either laughing or acknowledging their agreement with his words.
Kris: “I can’t really fault them though. I was once here to collect some money, piss people off, and be on my way. To ridicule them further would be the pot calling the kettle black…”
Kris turns to ask his brother another question that does not get picked up, and Jason nods to him before Kris turns to continue.
Kris: “After conferring with my brother, we have decided that I am allowed to say “black” because the majority of SCW is pretty monochromatically white so it clearly is not a race issue.”
Jason leans forward over Kris’ shoulder and interrupts.
Jason: “Remember kids, racism is wrong and the heat it generates is temporary so basically a waste of time.”
Kris again shrugs his shoulder and glares at Jason and he holds up both of his hands in innocence before taking a step back.
Kris: “I guess that just leaves me Ryan Keys to talk about, right?”
He turns back to Jason for confirmation, who looks down at the palm of his right hand. He holds up an index finger for Kris to give him a moment, before reaching down and producing a pen out of his pocket. He starts to make little checkmarks next to things he has written down, and then puts the pen away and his hand down. He gives Kris a silent, stone-faced nod. Kris turns back around, appearing annoyed as he does, but almost immediately turning on a large fake smile of genuine excitement.
Kris: “There is not a whole lot that I can honestly say about this kid. Honestly, he probably has a better shot at getting under my skin than I do at getting under his. I researched the guy, only to find out that he has lost a lot of matches. I watched some of his promos, and read back a lot of the transcripts to find a lot of staged bullshit that he tried to pass off as luck of the draw. He actually played 21 with himself, and dealt cards to all of his opponents, only to have a perfect speech drawn up at exactly the moment their cards were displayed. Color me unimpressed by your attempt at sounding off the cuff. Other than that there were a lot of keyhole references, I guess meant as a fun play on his name. At one point he said something about a key doubling as a gun, I don’t know I got confused by it all.”
He looks down and shakes his head for a moment.
Kris: “At the end of the day, there is a lot more that he can say about me than I can say about him. My time here is storied, and most of it does not paint me favorably in the least. The best thing that I can say for my benefit is that when I had the chance to win a title, I took it, and I won it. I even defended it once. It seems that this kid comes up short more than he has his hand raised. Despite it, he seems to have started with the attitude that I was lacking the last time I was here. In his own words, he is a fighter that wants to put on a good show. If you paid attention to anything that I said last week when announcing my comeback, you will hear me utter basically the same words.”
He holds up his hands, as to stop people from thinking that they are similar.
Kris: “Do not get me wrong. That is about where the similarities die. I know what it takes to win here, and to win big. I know what it is like to take a beating from people, and still manage to have a title to raise at the end of the night. In one of his promos he even apologized for cheating. Now all of you know that is not my style at all. I am never going to apologize for wanting to win, and not giving a shit what I have to get away with to do so. If you aren’t cheating, then you are damn sure not doing everything in your power to win. If you are dumb enough to get caught and disqualified, well then rest assured that you are not smart enough to compete against me on any level, let alone inside a ring, between a couple of bells, and for a few thousand people to watch.”
Kris nods, with a smile on his face, proud that he had not lost the ability to turn a phrase in his time away.
Kris: “Ryan, you are just a first step on my road to professional recovery sir. No amount of being the crowd favorite, poorly executed cheating, or even whipping it out and helicoptering it in front of me and everyone in attendance is going to stop me from winning this match. I could be wrong, because memory for me is awfully foggy at most points, but I do not think that I have ever lost a match in a debut, or a return. You will not be the person to change that. This is my--”
Jason again leans over Kris’ shoulder, this time to correct him.
Jason: “Our!”
Kris again shrugs his shoulder to push his brother off of him, and corrects himself without acknowledging his brother.
Kris: “Our time…. And I am pretty sure that there is only one more thing to say. In two days, someone needs to call an ambulance….”
Jason hands Kris back his hat and glasses, that he returns to the top of his head and face respectfully before offering a wide smile.
Kris: “There’s gonna be an Accident.”
Los Angeles, CA
Kristopher Halich’s Loft
[Off-Camera]
Heather opens the oven and enjoys the wafting smell of her lasagna. It had been a while since they had a family dinner. Before it had been difficult given that Kris and Vi were not speaking to one another, and, of course, Xandor’s very straight forward approach to expressing his thoughts often caused rifts with just about everyone. However, Vi and Kris had buried the hatchet and Phillip was happy if his spitfire of a wife was happy. Tragically, Xandor’s death had been nearly a year ago, but everyone seemed to have turned out better for it. Surprisingly it was not at all awkward to see the oldest Cooper girl with Parker Wayde now. More than likely, anyone that had the pleasure of holding very adorable daughter would agree. The food, however, still needed a few more minutes, meaning the hosts were once again keeping everyone waiting, as per the tradition of every time they got together. Kris pushes his way through the door and into the room, rubbing his hands together in front of his mouth, wide-eyed.
Kris: “Lots of kids, and lots of people that I guess are technically family in there. How did I get to this point?”
He crosses the room to his pregnant wife, and places a hand on her lower back as she continues to work to get everything ready.
Kris: “Tell me that there is something that I can help with in here so that I can make an excuse to get away from all of the love in the other room.”
Heather rolls her eyes, and leans back against the counter next to the oven.
Heather: “Are Vi and Phillip still making goo-goo eyes? It's almost too sweet, like it's an act but I know it's not.”
She smiles, but shakes the image of them out of her head before it brings back the morning sickness.
Heather: “You can tell me how pretty I am, that always helps.”
He shivers lightly. It was more of a mental reaction that a physical one.
Kris: “You are insanely pretty. I still maintain that you are the best looking of all three Cooper girls, and that includes being pregnant. You have not lost the top spot. And you can trust me on that. I was just in there with the other two. They are fresh in my memory.”
He motions back towards the doorway.
Kris: “As for the people out there though, I do not know which couple is more strange. Violet and Phillip are so in sync that they are like one person. Which is weird considering that she is actually a few people all on her own. Parker and Amanda though, it is like they know how they feel about each other, but do not necessarily have to show everyone. It is like both ends of the relationship spectrum out there. Then again, you know Parker, so that should not surprise you.”
Heather smiles again, not being thrown off guard by Kris backhandedly bringing up their past relationship.
Heather: “Parker is more reserved and as much as we had chemistry, I think in the end I would have probably stabbed him in his sleep. He is the definitive boy scout of your group of friends. Amanda is the mature one, so it kinda fits. Parker was so sweet when X died. Everything...”
She puts a hand, not realizing it, to her small rounded belly.
Heather: “...happens for a reason.”
She moves forward, into him, putting her arms around his neck.
Heather: “As much as people have criticized our relationship. Given us both grief for the things we've done to finally be with each other, no one could compliment me the way you do. Arguably we are blind leading blind but on the other hand, you just... get me. In a way no one else but another addict could truly understand.”
She leans her forehead against his.
Heather: “It is all pretty easy to understand when you have been there yourself. I don’t think that it is just that though. We have both been through rough spots as kids, and as adults. We are haunted in eerily similar ways. We have the same kind of sense of humor. And we can occasionally blow up at each other, and understand that it doesn’t have to destroy everything.”
Kris nods in agreement with her, but gestures back towards the door.
Kris: “Then again, I am pretty sure that everyone out there could say the same thing about their relationships. I kind of wish that Jay was here to balance the equation. He can kind of play moderator to all of the couples with his drive to fly solo. It has been like two years since he and Haley separated, and he shows no sign of wanting any of the things that all of us have.”
Heather narrows her eyes, picking up on the way his voice changed as he neared the end of his sentence. It was eerily close to what happened when he was lying. Almost a dead giveaway that he was not telling the whole truth instead.
Heather: “What's in Boston though? He mentioned going there when I talked to him last week. He likes to check on me and the pregnancy.”
She then smiles, rubbing her belly again. Kris’ eyes widen a bit in surprise. He was caught in the net, and if he tried to wiggle out of it, her mother instincts would pick up on it immediately and she would rip him apart while the rest of the family listened and laughed at his misfortune.
Kris: “I was not actually sure that he was going to be going. And, try not to mention it out there. Violet might break things, because of the family ties. It is Jules’ birthday thing. He threw her a huge party for her 18th a couple of years ago. Then they kind of hung out for a while. I don’t exactly know what did or did not happen there. I guess that means he is leaving the house for once. Impressive.”
Heather giggles at the speed at which the near-confession comes out of his mouth. Despite the words, she had been around long enough to read through all the bullshit and hear the real story.
Heather: “Wow. I know you mentioned that he seemed to have more than a ‘brotherly’ relationship for her but you know what, good for him. And Jules isn't so bad. Kahlan’s the one with the temper.”
Kris shrugs, knowing that this time he could blow off the conversation without sounding like he was lying. If his brother was notorious for one thing, it was playing all of his cards very close to his chest.
Kris: “I do not presume to know how Jason feels about anyone other than myself. That dude is a puzzle, inside a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, locked inside a rubix cube, and kept inside Pandora’s box. I have no interest in trying to solve or open any of those things, let alone all of them. He is like the polar opposite of me.”
He does let out a heavy sigh though.
Kris: “I mean; the dude is 30. This is her 20th birthday. It is weird enough without him paying attention to what anyone else thinks about it, and that includes me, but he still sounded undecided about even going this morning when we talked.”
He seems to reconsider his line of thinking though.
Kris: “I was invited, but had to decline. Not that Jules probably even wanted me there. Probably thought it would be easier to get Jay there if I showed, but we had these plans for a while now. Parker and Amanda had already driven down. No point in ruining everyone’s night. Plus, I will see him soon enough either way.”
He surveys the kitchen full of food that is now starting to be close to finished.
Kris: “So, need help carrying this stuff into the other room? At this point, I assume that everyone in there is thinking we snuck away to have sex. Or maybe just bailed on them entirely.”
He seems to think over his words though.
Kris: “Which neither of those things seem like a bad idea. Think you could fit the pregnancy belly out the window in order to get down the fire escape?
Heather smirks, running her hand down his chest.
Heather: “Ummmmm… no. But, maybe the second of those two things could be possible before dessert. I might need help with the pie.”
He laughs for a split second, but then his eyes read hers to gauge if she is being serious or not.
Kris: “Don’t play with me woman. You know I will hold you to it.”
She reaches up with her palm and smushes it against his face without a response before turning to check on the food in the oven again. He moves away from her and to the food on the counter.
Kris: “What should I take in first?”
Heather: “The garlic bread. I gotta take the lasagna out of the oven and I will follow. I think everything else that we need is out there already.”
He grabs the two baskets containing the bread in one hand, and moves towards the door back into the dining area while muttering.
Kris: “Hopefully with sharp enough knives to end the night swiftly….”
Before he pushes through though, he grabs two bottles of wine off of the counter.
Kris: “Just in case….”
He pushes through the door into the dining area packed with members of the rest of the family. Parker and Amanda were sitting on the far side, with Phillip and Violet closest to Kris, albeit with their backs to him. He reaches between the two of them to drop the bread on the table, and then nods to Parker before tossing a bottle of wine across the table that Parker catches without effort.
Kris: “Food is coming. Then again I did just leave a pregnant woman alone with lasagna, so maybe it isn’t, and if not you’re all chipping in for pizza.”
Amanda shakes her head from the opposite side of the table.
Amanda: “Don't let her hear you say that; she'll probably kick your ass.”
She reaches forward to grab two pieces of bread, putting one on Parker's plate. She smiles.
Amanda: “You don’t want to wait until she comes in or it will all be gone. This is her mother's recipe and it's amazing.”
She gives Violet a wink and the other red head laughs loudly. Phillip immediately shifts in his seat when he notices that Kris has stopped, and is standing right behind him. He looks back over his shoulder to the co-host of the get together.
Phillip: “Do we really have to play this game every time we see each other?”
Kris fakes total innocence, and tries hard to focus on opening the bottle of wine in his hand. Parker, on the other hand, has popped the cork on the bottle he was handed and fake coughs to get Kris’ attention. Kris looks up, and then tosses the second bottle to Parker over Phillip’s head, which makes him even more uneasy.
Kris: “Relax Phil, I am not going to stab you or anything. You can trust me.”
The shortening of his first name grates on him for a moment, but he lets it pass. He had become slightly more accepting of it now that he hears it over and over again from Jason, Parker and, most often, Kris.
Phillip: “Trust you? And end up drugged and on a bus to middle America again?”
Kris shakes his head disappointed.
Kris: “I thought we chose to forgive and forget, huh? Why do you always have to try to hurt me?”
Heather: “Okay, okay boys.”
Heather enters carrying the pan with oven mitts.
Heather: “Play nice or not at all.”
She sets down the perfect pasta dish in the middle of the table, and beams.
Amanda: “It looks perfect Heather; you really have grown up.”
Amanda gives her sister a motherly smile.
Violet: “Yeah, I remember when she used to burn everything and set the place on fire, so good job.”
Kris cannot help but give a chuckle, and even joins in on the jokes.
Kris: “She has to set multiple timers, in multiple rooms, every time the oven is on, or we would be eating some unrecognizable black mush from outside on the curb while firefighters tried to save people from the building.”
This brings an even wider smile to Kris’ face.
Kris: “Maybe that would be a good thing for Parker though. Looks like you packed on some baby weight there, dark chocolate.”
Parker does not miss a chance to fire back at the man who was practically his little brother, despite the fact that Kris was older by more than two years.
Parker: “You one to talk? Jay told me about your little comeback tour together. If you want to pull that off without looking like an idiot, you need to lose some of that sympathy baby weight.”
Phillip, who was learning how to play this game pretty well decided he could also chime in.
Phillip: “And you cannot really turn to drugs to shave off the pounds quickly. You will have to do it legitimately this time.”
The whole room seems to freeze in shock, everyone’s eyes moving back and forth between Phillip and Kris. Phillip turns in his chair to face Kris with a smile on his face, which deflates all of the tension in the room. Kris cannot help but smile, and points a finger at Phillip.
Kris: “You only get one of those a night. One more and I am going to hug you.”
The room erupts into laughter; however, one person remains stonily focused on Parker. Heather clears her throat.
Heather: “Comeback tour?”
Parker looks up to lock eyes with Heather, and then over to Kris who very gently shakes his head no. Parker looks over to Amanda, who eyes him, perfectly able to tell if the next thing out of his mouth is a lie, because he is terrible at it from lack of practice doing it. Violet turns from Parker, to Kris, knowing she could get any information she needed off of his face. Phillip sinks in his chair, suddenly wanting to be anywhere other than in between everyone. Parker stutters over a few words before finally spitting out the truth, unwilling to throw himself under the bus to save Kris.
Parker: “SCW, right Kris? You and Jason are planning on kicking the dust off of Jet City. Or at least that is what he was trying to tell me before he got called for boarding the plane this afternoon.”
Before Heather can turn to see his reaction, Kris mouths some very curse-ridden threats at Parker as he speaks. Violet seems to catch part of them and they bring a slight smile to her lips before she presses it away. She could have stayed quiet to watch it play out, but instead chooses to poke a little bit.
Violet: “So I guess no one told Heather huh?”
Vi leans back in her seat, an air of smugness as she crosses her arms over her chest. She then leans into her husband, linking her fingers with his, in silent reassurance that he does not need to panic over the situation. Heather locks eyes momentarily with everyone, working her way around the group before getting to, and stopping on, Kris.
Heather: “So they all knew? Everyone knew and nobody said a damn word to me about it? You told my sisters before me, Kristopher?!”
She stood, shaking her head she drops her napkin on her still empty plate and storms off. The sound of the bedroom door slamming rattles pictures on the walls. Amanda is the first to break the silence.
Amanda: “Should we... leave?”
Kris moves around the table, holding up his hands to everyone.
Kris: “Nah guys, I will go talk to her. We have all this food though. No use in all of you leaving. Go ahead and start without us. I don’t want anything to go to waste. I will be right back.”
He announces he is leaving the room, but oddly does not make for the door. Instead he rubs the palms of his hands together, and moves around the table until he is within striking distance of Parker and quickly slaps him in the back of his head. Parker turns in his seat and shoves Kris backwards with one arm. He stops short of rising from his seat, as they both break into laughter. It actually draws a chuckle from Phillip, who seems to take Kris’ side.
Phillip: “I actually heard from Violet that it was happening.”
Kris eyes Violet next, who says nothing, but points across at Amanda. Following the path, her eyes lead him right back to Parker, who had announced getting the information from Jason in the first place. Kris points around to all of them, with a kind of ‘told you so’ look on his face.
Kris: “And you people wonder why I never tell you anything. You are the most gossiping mother fuckers I have ever met.”
He shakes his head, and now does move towards the door,
Kris: “Damage control time…”
He pushes the door open with his back, but stops, as Parker is still looking at him.
Kris: “And don’t think you were just getting off with the one slap. Imma beat your ass.”
Parker: “Keep dreaming Q-Tip.”
Parker waves him away, as Kris exits and the four remaining in the room try to get on with the evening. Kris moves through the loft, to the master bedroom, and tries the handle, only to find the door locked. He had no idea why she still bothered doing so. He quickly produces a paperclip from the top of the door frame and twists it into the lock, pushing on the single cylinder that works the lock and then turning the handle. He makes sure to put the paperclip back on top of the door before slightly cracking it, so she does not see it.
Kris: “I would just like to point out the fact that I did not tell any of them anything, and would appreciate not being hit with any flying objects when I open the door. Deal?”
Heather: “Fine, whatever.”
He can hear the sob in her voice when it cracks though. He pushes the door open and steps through, sitting on the end of the bed whereas she has taken post at the top, with a pillow on her lap.
Kris: “I have not mentioned anything to you, because nothing is set in stone. If you recall, not even ten minutes ago I told you that I was talking to Jason this morning. That is what we were talking about. We were kind of tossing around ideas, but it is not anything more than that right now. It would be at least a week before anything solid happened. Plenty of time for us to discuss it before any papers get signed.”
Heather: “How is it that this information got around my family this quickly yet neither of my sisters said a word to me? Do all of you still think I'm so fragile? I would never dream of breaking sobriety, pregnancy or not.”
He shrugs, and tries to find words to blame the people outside of the room, and even on the other side of the United States. He slams his mouth closed though, knowing that it will all boil down to it being his fault in the end anyways. He should have said something, and hadn’t, but it was not without reason. Instead of making excuses though, he sits down next to her, and says the only two words that she needed to hear from him right now, and he knew them well.
Kris: “I’m sorry.”
She puts her head on his shoulder. Before the start of this year, she would have never to expected an apology without a fight, or excuse first. That alone was worth letting him skate.
Heather: “Why didn't you mention it anyway? Even if it was just an idea? I'm not upset that you want to go back in a ring. I'm upset that you didn't even mention you thinking about it. You know I support you no matter what.”
He wraps his arm around her shoulders and then rests his head on hers.
Kris: “Honestly, I was not even really thinking about it until Jason started pushing for it. He kind of gave me this idea that it would be good for my recovering. I put myself out there just to get a rise out of people, and a paycheck. I didn’t care about the quality of what I was doing, or putting on a good show. I was messed up two-thirds of the time I was out there. Jason started telling me about how I have worked to fix so many of the mistakes that I have made, and this is just one more that I could atone for.”
He lets out a light sigh.
Kris: “Plus, with another baby coming. Waverly being around whenever we can get him. It would be kind of nice to bust my ass doing this so that we could not have to worry about lack of income. I could make things right with the world, make some money, and then put it all behind me for good this time. No regrets.”
He gives her a nudge to sit up, so that he can look her in the eyes.
Kris: “I also didn’t want you thinking that being here with you was not enough and I needed an escape from it all. That could not be further from the truth. I want to kind of stay local as much as possible. And even have you come with me as often as you can.”
She brings a hand up to either side of his face.
Heather: “Just please, next time, even if it's just a musing. Tell me first. Especially when it comes to our blended family. I would rather hear it from you first so we can talk about it.”
She nods, silently prompting him to do the same. When he does, she offers a smile, and a threat that comes out almost sweet.
Heather: “Or I will blame pregnancy hormones and stab you in your sleep.”
She leans forward to kiss him. He meets her halfway, so she does not have to lean over her growing belly. When they separate, he tries to ease any hesitation that she might be hiding, given her initial reaction.
Kris: “The moment that you think my doing going back is making being married, or being parents too hard, I walk away from it. You know I get short-sighted and can easily get so focused on one thing, that I don’t notice things going wrong in other parts of my life. The first time my going back to this negatively impacts you or the kids, and I am done with it. Deal?”
She gives him a soft smile and a nod, both of which he returns.
Kris: “Now, I believe we have food to go eat, and at least four gossipy family members to murder. Do you think that you are up for that?”
Heather: “If there is anything left. This is a family of vultures I swear!”
==============================================================
==============================================================
November 4th 2016
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Municipal Airport
[On-Screen]
Kris and Jason Halich step off of their charter plane, and start to move down the steps, Kris talking over his shoulder to Jason, despite the cameras not picking up what is being said. Jason promptly reaches forward and slaps Kris in the back of the head, which draws only a laugh from the younger brother as he reaches the bottom of the stairs. As the two find their feet on the ground for the first time in a few hours, they are swarmed by a handful of interviewers. It was all Jason’s doing, as he had to greenlight people even being let through security, and had probably offered them big news that they simply did not have. Since suing Cody Taylor, and taking back all of the money invested into the failed company known as Pride Pro Wrestling, Jason had become sort of a public figure. It did not help that the two were flying around on the former co-owner’s plane, and, in doing so, appearing to live well beyond their means, or really even most people’s means who worked in this business.
Kris continued walking as they got to the ground, heading towards the car that was picking them up to take them to their hotel, but Jason was swarmed with camera flashes and little microphones shoved in his face. He quickly worked his way through them, and put his hand on his brother’s shoulder, stopping him from escaping and spinning him around to face the camera. Some of the interviewers tried to squeeze in another word, but Jason cut them off.
Jason: “Ladies and gentlemen, for twenty-seven long years, I have had the genuine displeasure of knowing the man to my right. I have seen him in diapers. I have seen him shit himself. I have seen him graduate from high school. I have seen him win a championship in the company we step into this Sunday. However, I have only seen one of those things happen this week.”
Kris elbows his brother and shrugs his shoulder, pushing Jason’s arm out from around him. The interviewers enjoy a laugh at Kris’ expense, but Jason cuts it off short by continuing to speak over them until they stopped attempting to talk.
Jason: “Truth be told, Jet City coming to SCW is not the big news of the week that I told all of your bosses that I was going to give. Namely because, that was all bullshit. I have nothing at all to tell any of you, and if any of you so much as ask me about a personal relationship, or my recent trip to Boston, I have been told by all of your employers that they will erase any tape of me feeding you a camera against your will.”
The interviewers start to chatter amongst themselves, likely considering leaving due to the fact that there was no big scoop here, but Jason shoves Kris forwards towards the grouping.
Jason: “That is not to say that my very own pants-shitting little brother does not have something that all of you should listen to as it regards Ryan Keys, SCW, and our future plans.”
Even the people turning to leave seem to stop as Kris is shoved forwards. He pulls his Clippers hat off of his head, and throws his sunglasses into them before handing it off to Jason. The interviewers seem to make a circle in front of him, not seeming thrilled but not wanting to have made the trip down for nothing. Kris was known to get himself into trouble in front of a camera, so for all they knew, there could be a story after all. He sighs, and throws his head back, being well out of practice of doing this kind of thing, and then licks his lips before starting.
Kris: “I made a little bit of a splash last week by announcing that I was going to be returning to the only company that I have ever won a championship in. However, the person that I did not credit with putting that idea into my head, was the man you all actually came to see. Now, regardless of if he convinced you to come under false pretenses or not, the fact that you are all here says something about what his coming back to this business means. We were able to put together a couple of wins in a small company a year ago before it closed. Then we put our names on a contract that never got processed in another company that closed. Truth be told, we didn’t show up here back then because neither of us thought that I was going to be allowed back through the doors. I have a terrible track record with SCW. That is something that I have owned up to, and even apologized for last week when I announced I was going to be back. I am a flake. I am unreliable. I am a former drug addict that has been documented as having done this job under the influence. So, when I see the majority of the people excited to see my brother is back, but disappointed that my name, and Jet City is attached to it, I understand. It is a normal, and valid reaction.”
He offers a shrug to everyone standing in front of him, and anyone watching from home on the cameras.
Kris: “I have apologized. I have explained myself. Last week I listed the reasons for my turn around, and laid out exactly why I was back. To rehash that for all of you would be a waste of your time and that is something that I said that I was not going to do anymore. For those of you expecting to see some kind of cookie-cutter, polite, version of me make a return and push the thoughts of the old me out of your mind, you are going to be very disappointed. I assume any of you thinking that didn’t bother to pay attention on Sunday when Jet City made their first real appearance for SCW. I am not going to promise to be a better person, or less of an asshole. The only thing that I promised the world, this company, and my brother is that I was actually going to give a shit about what I showed up to do, for the first time in my life. Believe me, I have taken a lot of beatings in my life, but the very worst of them, have almost exclusively come at the hands of the person that is my tag team partner these days. I wouldn’t dare waste his time, regardless of whatever horseshit lie I was feeding the rest of the world. The fact that he is standing her behind me should make one thing very obvious: this is serious.”
An interviewer moves forward, breaking the almost perfect half-circle that they had formed in front of the two brothers. Before he can get a word out, Jason steps forward and smacks the microphone out of his hand and then points a finger at the man.
Jason: “Shame on you! Back in line.”
Kris shakes his head at his brother and leans into his ear, exchanging a few words that are not picked up. Jason disagrees with whatever it is, and gestures towards the camera for Kris to continue.
Kris: “The first thing that I did when I put my name on the contract was ask SCW for some information. See, they have people that transcribe whole shows, and all of those files are kept by the company. It is pretty easy to run a search for references to an individual. The things that I found, were not surprising. In the time I was away, I paid no attention to this business. The last couple times that I did bother to show up, I did little more than suit up, work a match, and bounce. I had no idea the things that were said about me back then, and I wouldn’t have really cared to even find out. There was only one thing that mattered to me back then, and it definitely wasn’t any of this. If you want to look at some of the bad decisions, look no further than my knocking up Liz Smalls. Anyone dumb enough to saddle themselves with that woman for the next 17 years of their life couldn’t have been thinking clearly, am I right?”
This draws a chuckle from the interviewers, and lightens the overall tone of Kris’ voice. Up until now it seemed like he was listing off things that he was being forced to say, but at this point, his face starts to light up, and his demeanor is a lot less rigid, ala the Kris everyone knew.
Kris: “The roster has gone through a lot of changes since I was last here. There are a lot of new names and faces. Apparently I blew past people last week that I had no idea who they were, and they are kind of a big deal now. To those people, sorry not sorry. Get better and maybe you will be worth paying attention to. I cannot apologize for your lack of being a face worth knowing. For those that are still here from the last time I was, but not holding a championship right now: What the fuck have you even been doing? If you aren’t a success by now, maybe it is time to hang it up. After all, I have been gone for almost a whole year. If you are in the same place now as you were then, all while using my name as a punchline for the promos you drone on in before you go out and lose, what are you even still doing here other than collecting a paycheck?”
A few of the interviewers seem to cover their mouths, not wanting to be caught by other cameras either laughing or acknowledging their agreement with his words.
Kris: “I can’t really fault them though. I was once here to collect some money, piss people off, and be on my way. To ridicule them further would be the pot calling the kettle black…”
Kris turns to ask his brother another question that does not get picked up, and Jason nods to him before Kris turns to continue.
Kris: “After conferring with my brother, we have decided that I am allowed to say “black” because the majority of SCW is pretty monochromatically white so it clearly is not a race issue.”
Jason leans forward over Kris’ shoulder and interrupts.
Jason: “Remember kids, racism is wrong and the heat it generates is temporary so basically a waste of time.”
Kris again shrugs his shoulder and glares at Jason and he holds up both of his hands in innocence before taking a step back.
Kris: “I guess that just leaves me Ryan Keys to talk about, right?”
He turns back to Jason for confirmation, who looks down at the palm of his right hand. He holds up an index finger for Kris to give him a moment, before reaching down and producing a pen out of his pocket. He starts to make little checkmarks next to things he has written down, and then puts the pen away and his hand down. He gives Kris a silent, stone-faced nod. Kris turns back around, appearing annoyed as he does, but almost immediately turning on a large fake smile of genuine excitement.
Kris: “There is not a whole lot that I can honestly say about this kid. Honestly, he probably has a better shot at getting under my skin than I do at getting under his. I researched the guy, only to find out that he has lost a lot of matches. I watched some of his promos, and read back a lot of the transcripts to find a lot of staged bullshit that he tried to pass off as luck of the draw. He actually played 21 with himself, and dealt cards to all of his opponents, only to have a perfect speech drawn up at exactly the moment their cards were displayed. Color me unimpressed by your attempt at sounding off the cuff. Other than that there were a lot of keyhole references, I guess meant as a fun play on his name. At one point he said something about a key doubling as a gun, I don’t know I got confused by it all.”
He looks down and shakes his head for a moment.
Kris: “At the end of the day, there is a lot more that he can say about me than I can say about him. My time here is storied, and most of it does not paint me favorably in the least. The best thing that I can say for my benefit is that when I had the chance to win a title, I took it, and I won it. I even defended it once. It seems that this kid comes up short more than he has his hand raised. Despite it, he seems to have started with the attitude that I was lacking the last time I was here. In his own words, he is a fighter that wants to put on a good show. If you paid attention to anything that I said last week when announcing my comeback, you will hear me utter basically the same words.”
He holds up his hands, as to stop people from thinking that they are similar.
Kris: “Do not get me wrong. That is about where the similarities die. I know what it takes to win here, and to win big. I know what it is like to take a beating from people, and still manage to have a title to raise at the end of the night. In one of his promos he even apologized for cheating. Now all of you know that is not my style at all. I am never going to apologize for wanting to win, and not giving a shit what I have to get away with to do so. If you aren’t cheating, then you are damn sure not doing everything in your power to win. If you are dumb enough to get caught and disqualified, well then rest assured that you are not smart enough to compete against me on any level, let alone inside a ring, between a couple of bells, and for a few thousand people to watch.”
Kris nods, with a smile on his face, proud that he had not lost the ability to turn a phrase in his time away.
Kris: “Ryan, you are just a first step on my road to professional recovery sir. No amount of being the crowd favorite, poorly executed cheating, or even whipping it out and helicoptering it in front of me and everyone in attendance is going to stop me from winning this match. I could be wrong, because memory for me is awfully foggy at most points, but I do not think that I have ever lost a match in a debut, or a return. You will not be the person to change that. This is my--”
Jason again leans over Kris’ shoulder, this time to correct him.
Jason: “Our!”
Kris again shrugs his shoulder to push his brother off of him, and corrects himself without acknowledging his brother.
Kris: “Our time…. And I am pretty sure that there is only one more thing to say. In two days, someone needs to call an ambulance….”
Jason hands Kris back his hat and glasses, that he returns to the top of his head and face respectfully before offering a wide smile.
Kris: “There’s gonna be an Accident.”