Author Topic: FENRIS vs BROTHER DAVID SHEPHERD  (Read 2005 times)

Offline Christian Underwood

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FENRIS vs BROTHER DAVID SHEPHERD
« on: May 10, 2021, 10:09:43 AM »
Post all roleplays for this match here.
Limits: 1 roleplay per week, per character, 10,000 limit.

Good luck!


“To err is human - but it feels divine.”
? Mae West

Offline The Good Shepherds

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Re: FENRIS vs BROTHER DAVID SHEPHERD
« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2021, 04:44:38 PM »


The Origin Story (Part 5)t
Church of the Good Shepherds; 5/9/2019



”We’re finally ready”

Those three words changed so much for me the moment they left my father’s lips.  I looked around to Father Gerald, Mother Mavis, and Sister Esther.  I saw Sister Virginia Mae and Andrew Borg applauding us, waiting for their turn.

And I saw the buxom blonde in the corner, giving Sister Esther her praise.  She looked the most out of place here with her many necklaces and bracelets, like a young girl who just stepped out of a mall, had it not been for her wrestling gear.

Mother Mavis looked the most proud of us all as she applauded for the rest of those deemed ready.  For the first time since the beginning of the church, she smiled, and that smile was real, a glimmer of her former self shining through.

Brother Andrew approached me and patted me on the back, offering his congratulations.

Andrew:   I told you from the beginning that you could do it.  You’re about to make your dreams come true, David.

I thought about it for a moment.  Letting the words truly sink in.  But I just couldn’t shake the sound of insincerity in his voice, and before I knew it was coming, I spoke up.

Me:  Please, spare me the motivational speaker shtick, would you?  I’m not some guy in the audience who knows he will never be worth the dust from the rocks he kicked when his life turned into a bad country song.

Andrew looked at me and smirked.  He shook his head as he walked along to take Esther’s hand, speaking his congratulations to her.  Instead, it is Ginny who approached next, giving me a hug.

Virginia:  I knew you would be among the first wave of us to enter.  You are his son, and his blood runs through your body.  Congratulations.

Me:  Thank you, Sister Virginia Mae.  I can’t lie that I had my doubts.  I mean, Andrew’s skills in submission are bar none the best of any of us.  I’ve fallen to his Rear Naked Choke many of times.

Ginny patted my shoulder and giggled.  I knew this giggle, and at the time, it made me sick to my stomach.  I could’ve told her that her mother was a wretched whore who was choking on Satan’s… ya know… and the reaction would have been the same.  Still, I forced a smile.  Until she spoke again.

Virginia:  The familiarity of the situation lulled you.  You know, having a man with his arms wrapped around you, his legs wrapped around you, behind you.  I imagine it’s comforting until you realize that he’s choking the life out of you.

She ran her hand down my arm, admiring the muscle tone.  Her green eyes dancing across every inch of my bare flesh, she let me know that this was less of an insult, and more of a desire.  But, in the presence of God Himself, she couldn’t leave it as such.

Virginia:  Perhaps one day, bound by the sacred bonds of marriage, I will be able to experience that same feeling, minus the sodomy, of course.

She let those sickening words linger in the air as she walked over to Mother Mavis to congratulate her.  I can’t help but let my eyes rest on the shy girl in the corner, staying to herself.  Until Esther approached and gave me a playful shove.

Esther:  You actually did it, big brother.  You found a way to catch Father’s eye so that he would let you join us on the march.

Me:  Why is everyone so surprised?  I match Father on almost every level, and surpass him on many others.  I could lead this charge if I wanted to.

Esther rolled her eyes and snickered.

Esther:  Yeah, I’m sure.  Look, I was only trying to work you up.  You’re my brother, and I’ve seen you put up with a lot.  You’re the second strongest person I know, and you’re going to do great things.  Just don’t let that one sink her claws into you.

Esther glanced over at Ginny, though I didn’t need the reference to understand who she was talking about.  I nodded my head along with her.

Me:  I’m trying to resist.  Each advance she whispers makes me more and more sick.

Esther leaned in and whispered to me.

Esther:  She’s a homewrecking bitch, and sooner or later, one of us is really going to hurt her.  You’re going to break your heart when you reunite with Dax, and I’m going to break her damn neck.

I looked into her eyes, and the wickedness shining back let me know that she was only along for the spiritual ride out of necessity.  I wanted to drop to my knees and pray for her right then and right there, so that God could reach down and slap some sense into her.  But that last bit of weakness still sat inside of me when it came to my little sister.  All of the horrors we endured growing up, and she did what I was unable to do.  She twisted what Father forced her into, and she turned it into a mask, and a quite convincing one at that.  Her wicked smile faded into a sweet one as she wrapped her arms around our Father, and embraced him tightly.

Esther:  Thank you so much, daddy!  This was the greatest news I could have ever received!

Gerald:  By God’s good grace, we were given an offer of four to start, and what better lineup could I have put together than this one?

Father looked over to me and smiled with pride.  He pulled me into a hug.

Gerald:  Son, I do hope the embrace of another man doesn’t bring on old urges.

Me:  You’re my dad.  Even in the eye of that wretched storm, it wouldn’t have inspired anything.  This isn’t ancient Greece, or Game of Thrones.

He looked at me, not quite understanding the references.  And right there, his true nature showed itself to me for the first time.  He was taunting me, toying with me, in front of everyone.  And in my position, all I could do was pretend to laugh it off, even though the anger was boiling inside of me.  Esther knew it, and she watched with joy and hope that it would boil over.  I did not give her the satisfaction.

Me:  So, what is this place like that we will be wrestling in?  Is it close?

Esther:  I hope not!  I would love to spread His Holy Word beyond Tulsa, and see the world.

Me:  Are there any big names there?  Will be truly be challenged inside of the ring?

Esther:  It better be an Angel Kash company!  There’s like 80 of them that she fights in.  Ohhhhh! I bet it’s EPIC! Please tell me it’s EPIC!  Oooooooh, or One Wrestling Movement!

Father loves this kind of adoration.  He knew what we didn’t, and that power over us was an exciting thing for him.

Gerald:  No, yes, yes, and no.  It’s not entirely too far away.  It’s based in Las Vegas.

Me:  Disgusting!  I can’t believe you would even consider that.

Esther:  I think it will be fun to punish all of the sinners.  The more to punish, the less bored we’re going to get.

Father patted Esther on the head, letting us know that she had the right attitude about it.  Of course I didn’t.  I was somewhere between his greatest joy and his greatest failure.  Always.

Gerald:  That’s right, my little angel.  And it should make you happy that Angel Kash will be present there, along with many other big names for us to crush.

Esther:  I KNEW IT!  OHHHHH! I can’t wait until she tries to buy me out, and then I’m like “Sorry, I don’t serve money.  I serve the Lord.” and then SALVATION SLAM!

Gerald:  Tomorrow, I will fly out to Las Vegas to meet with a couple people to sign the paperwork.  Of course, I’ll have my lawyer look at every detail before I agree to sign.  But then, we will be flying out to Las Vegas weekly to compete for Sin City…

Esther:  WRESTLING!!!  Oh my Heavens, I just knew it!  Ohhhhhh, daddy, I love you so so so much!

Gerald… Underground… Sin City Underground, the developmental brand for Sin City Wrestling.

Me:  That place is for the weak…  Why in God’s name would we ever want to even dip our big toe into that cesspool of forgotten humanity?  It is beneath those who fight there, let alone the Church of the Good Shepherds.  You’re aiming too low, Father.  I...

Gerald:  On the contrary, child.  It allows us to start at the foundation.  It’s a chance to recruit others like us, and when we have the numbers, we can work our way into Sin City Wrestling and truly begin our work.  Of course, I will lead this charge, but I know we are more than capable of doing this.  You just need to have faith.

I knew what he was saying, and on some level, I agreed with him.  But on another level, I did not, and I needed that voice to be heard.

Me:  Who are we going to convert to our side?  Helluva Bottom Carter?  Alex Rush? Kelli Torres?  None of those heathens are capable of ushering in the new wave of sin eradication.  No one there is.  And do you really think that it’s wise for us to wander into Las Vegas, given the level of moral decay and corruption there?  Especially in my state of recovery.

Gerald:  Pardon me for saying, but does wrestling not already pose that risk for you?  You’ve been redeemed, son, and now it’s time for you to prove to us, and most importantly, yourself, that you can do this.  Like I said before, you need to have faith.  Now, if you don’t have faith, then you have a problem and we need to work on that quickly, because there’s a form that needs your signature immediately.  And while Ginny, Andrew, and Skye wait to be finished with their training, we need you at your best.

His words sunk in, and while I was still riddled with doubt, there’s nothing like looking into the eyes of a parent who is telling you that you’re stronger than you believe you are.  I felt weak, anxious, and pretty well unraveled by the idea.  I knew I would spend any time not working out, eating, or sleeping, in a state of constant prayer and vigilance.  I had to live up to the expectations of my father, and I wouldn’t let him down for anything.  I would pray for that level of conviction that my father had.  I would ask our Heavenly Father to give me armor comparable to that of the Archangels to prepare myself for this battle.  I made a promise to myself and God most high, that I would do all of these things once I signed those papers.  And I did.  Day in, day out, until the day we stepped foot into Sin City Underground, all the way until today.  And plans to continue on tomorrow through eternity.




Revelations (Part 4)t
Into The Void X Supercard Kickoff Event; 5/21/2021



It is clear that I had been gaining popularity, from those who enjoy the bad guys, of course.  But, it is helping to raise funds for my mission through this limited meet and greet.  Of course, with the times, there was no shaking of hands.  It is all about fist bumps and lots of hand sanitizer.  I feel the difference in this very moment, that we weren’t quite out of the clear with COVID-19 just yet.  But, I hold on to certain parts that resemble the past.  I am uncharacteristically in a great mood, almost carefree.  It is a cool 65 with a light breeze, but full sun.  The kind of day that I imagine would be in the Garden of Eden should Eve not have forced her sin upon the first of men.  I opted to forgo the shade of an umbrella, instead basking in this glorious day.  Come to think of it, it’s likely the vitamin D talking.

I have pretty well coasted until this very moment.  Like I said, fist bumps, hand sanitizer, and autographs.  I did catch wind that a fan referred to my smile as “oddly effervescent”. And I took it as a compliment, even though it was meant as a mockery of my good mood.  It isn’t until I catch a glimpse of a picture on a t-shirt of a white wolf that my mood changes.  I look up to see a chunky, early twenties, zit faced overzealous fanboy standing in front of me with a signed picture of our promotional picture.  He sneers at me as I look up at him, glaring.

Fanboy:  I was wondering if you could sign the bottom of this picture for me.  Fenris already signed it too big, so you’re gonna hafta find a way to squeeze it in.

Without a word, I take the picture from him and scribble my signature onto it, overlapping with Fenris’ signature.  I slide it back across the table, not dignifying his attitude with any verbal response.  He scoffs as he looks at the picture.

Fanboy:  Great!  Now it’s ruined, you idiot!  You couldn’t even do that one simple task! Not that any of us do, but how the fucking hell do you expect to beat Fenris?  Do you expect divine intervention?

I glare at him longer as he is holding up my line.  But he refuses to move out of the way.  A member of security is paged by Esther, who is standing by, along with Andrey Azarov.  Not booked anywhere on the program, they decided to stand by in case any situations arise.  I hold a hand up as the security approaches.

Fanboy:  What’s wrong?  “White Wolf” got your tongue?  I paid good money to interact with the stars and bombshells of SCW, and I intend to get my money’s worth.

Me:  I assure you, the full service buffet has plenty of greasy, inedible food to fill your disgusting gullet with.  I know walking is an inconvenience you’re not open to dealing with, so for a nominal fee, you can rent a sterilized motor scooter to haul every ounce of that fat ass over to the buffet to get you money’s worth!

The crowd laughs and cheers, because even they know this guy is being obstinate just to get my goat.  More and more of the crowd gather as the fanboy looks completely distraught by my words.

Fanboy:  Fat shaming is so twenty years ago in civilized cities.  But, you wouldn’t know anything about that, you confederate flag waving, Trump supporting, sexist, homophobic elitist!  Why don’t you go grab your sister by the pussy, since you seem to support that kind of shit!

Andrey walks over to the young “man” and gets as close as the security will allow him to.  His eyes indicate a sadistic smile under his mask.

Andrey: Kak naschet togo, chtoby nachat' s togo, chto skhvatil tebya za vaginu, nevynosimyy kusok der'ma? (How about I start by grabbing your vagina, you intolerable piece of literal shit?)  People don’t hate you because of fatness.  They hate bad attitude you are having…

Fanboy:  You’re in America!  You need to speak English you commie bastard!

I can’t help but chuckle at this.

Me:  Ha!  You truly are a Fenris fanatic!  Double standards.  Liberal. Crybaby.  “You’re in America!” Now who sounds like a Trump supporter, big guy?  Here, let me do you a favor…

I pick up a photograph of the promotional banner for my match against Fenris, and I put my face down to it.  I sign my name in the most teeny, tiny way that I can, to where it looks like a couple dots to the naked eye.

Me:  Why don’t you go over to the table where this nastiness is tolerated, and have him re-sign it for you.  And get the ever-loving heck outta here you literal waste of space…

Cool, calm, and collected, the words deceive their meaning due to the tone they are spoken and the faint smile they are delivered with.  And before he has the opportunity to rebut against my wishes, I pull his ragged ten dollar bill out of my jar, and I reach past the plexiglass to shove it right in his mouth.

Me:  Get him out of my sight!

Security obliges as they usher him away, practically kicking and screaming.  Andrey walks to the front of the line and asks for patience while I take a break, even though I don’t think I need one.  Esther hands me a bottle of water and urges me out of my chair silently.  After a few seconds, I oblige and get up to walk behind the curtains.

Esther:  You know, you don’t have to deal with assholes like that, and after what you and dad have done to Fenris over the last few months, you’re going to get way more than that.

I turn to her and the anger is present upon my face.  I just know it with that distinct burning in my cheeks, and the tightness of my jaw.  It takes much extra effort to speak, but the adrenaline helps make it just a bit easier.

Me:  You have no idea what I’ve been going through these last few months to cause this.  What has been going through my mind.  What I’ve held back on.  Any of it! You have no freaking clue!

She looks at me with those green eyes, and maybe because she’s my sister, she can read me like a book.  It’s almost like some kind of witchery or something, because she speaks the truth.

Esther:  You’ve been thinking about Dax again.  He was a special guy, and nobody has gotten to know him the way our family did.  And a lot of what he’s gone through is because of our family.  But he’s a changed man.  Deep down, you know it.  You love the old him, and you think it’s completely wrong.

Me:  Because it is!  It’s explicitly in The Good Book that man shall not lie with another man.

Esther:  Then find at least one more, because it says nothing about a man lying with multiple men.

She hoped to clear my mood with a joke, but it doesn’t work.  It doesn’t even really register with me in my fit of rage.  It slips through one ear and out of the other.  I push my hands through my hair and keep them on the back of my head.

Me:  Every urge that I feel every single day of my life is wrong, and I’m forced to fight them every day, because I believe in father’s cause.  I’m not going to abandon him just because it’s easier that way.  I’m not going to run off and marry someone I don’t even know, who is so against God’s way that it’s not even funny!

Esther takes this verbal lashing.  She doesn’t get mad.  She doesn’t try to make excuses, or to justify what she’d done, despite the very obvious hint that I’m talking about her.  Instead, she puts a hand on my shoulder.

Esther:  Who says it’s wrong?  Dad?  He’s not this pillar of virtue that he tries to make himself out to be.  I love him, and I will respect him, and I will damn sure fight for him.  But don’t you make the mistake of thinking that I agree with everything that he says, because I don’t.  I never really did.  I just didn’t have a choice but to go along with it until Andrey came into my life.  You, mom, dad, and the rest of the church thought it was wrong.  And even for a minute, I thought it was wrong.  But it felt so right, and it still does.  I never really understood how you felt with Dax until my relationship with Andrey grew to what it is now.  And now, my heart hurts for you, brother.  Put aside all the bratty, bitchy stuff, I really am sorry that you lost the love of your life.

If I were a normal person, I would have cried at least a little, because that speech really tugged on the heart strings.  But no, I can’t, and I won’t.  I stuff it all down with anger.

Me:  Dax was a mistake.  He was a dirty bum, sent by God to test me, and I failed.  I failed hard.  And I won’t make that mistake ever again.  You can bet on that, sis.  I wasn’t happy.  I was ignorant.  I was blindly following exactly what the devil wanted while enjoying the sins of the flesh.  And I think you know more about that than anyone else I know.

Again, she takes it.  I’ve been a real jerk to her in the past, but this conversation takes the cake.  And yet, she refuses to try to hurt me back.  The first real conversation we’ve had since she left GRIME Wrestling to rejoin our family in the Good Fight, and I’m seeing that she’s a different person.  Numb.  Godless.  Yet fearless.

Esther:  Deflect the issue all you want, but it doesn’t change the facts.  There’s more to this fury that you’re directing at Fenris.  And I think, deep down, that you know it.

Me:  Bullshit!

Esther:  Look here you little bitch!  You can fool a lot of people, but you can’t fool me David Ezekiel Shepherd!

Me:  You’re delusional! Downright crazy.  I guess that’s what happens with the Russian Meat Injections you’ve been taking over the last year, huh?

She shrugs her shoulders.  She turns and walks away just as we hear footsteps approaching.  She was meant to be my protection, yet someone is approaching me, and she abandons me?  Not like I don’t deserve it, but still.  I turn, ready to fight, but it’s not a fight that is headed for me.

Rocky:  Hello Brother David.  You’ve got quite the line outside, but I was wondering if I might be able to get an interview with you to play over the Sin City Tron set up outside for the All Access Passholders and members of the Sin City Network?

I clench my teeth as I stare at her, because, really?  Right now?  Of all the times.  I have two choices.  One is to run her off.  The other is to seize the opportunity to say what is and has been on my mind for a long time now.  I nod, and Ms. Rocky Mountains calls for the live stream.

Rocky:  Ladies and gentlemen and inbetween.  I am lucky enough to be able to catch a few minutes with Brother David Shepherd, who will be taking on “The White Wolf” Fenris, in just two short days.  Their feud has seen some big surprises, and is one of the most anticipated grudge matches at Into the Void X.  I was wondering if I might get your thoughts on the match?  But let’s start off with the obvious question.  Why Fenris?

It doesn’t take me but a second to start answering this one.

Me:  Have you not watched any of my promotional packages over the last month or so?  I’m not going to give you a boring rehash, but I was raised to answer what is asked of me in a respectful manner, and you haven’t ticked me off yet.  The answer is simple as it gets.  Fenris is everything that me and my family are against.

Rocky:  Let me just say that I’ve kept up with everything you’ve done back to your SCU days.  I am asking for new fans who might not be up-to-date.

I roll my eyes, even though I don’t mean to.  But, I take a deep breath and try to work past the annoyance of the situation.

Me:  Then I’ll say this.  Fenris is every single deadly sin rolled into one.  His pride might be rivaled by many in this business, but it is ever present.  His gluttony goes hand in hand with his pride and his lust, which I’ll get to in a moment.  His sloth is newer, but still very much at the forefront.  He lacks ambition and goals.  He captured the top prize in a matter of months, and he’s become lazy.  Yet, he envies others for being more disciplined than him.  He acts on his rage to cover up the fact that he has nowhere else to go in this company.  He’s a slouch, yet he’s greedy for more accolades.

Rocky:  You can easily say this about anyone on the roster.  There are many accomplished stars and bombshells who find new ways to improve their art and skill to accomplish even more.

I lick at my bottom lip, because she just opened this up for me… like, wide open…

Me:  And Fenris envies them, because he’s not creative enough to go anywhere else.  His arrogance, ahem, pride… made it so that he went right for the top prize.  I’ve been told by many of the recruiters and talent agents that I could have done the same.  But I didn’t want to.  I didn’t even intend on staying in Sin City Wrestling.  But, once I saw my mission was clear, and I already had the Roulette Championship under my belt, I figured I had a clear path to being a rising star instead of a star that burns out as fast as it is visible.

Rocky:  Although I don’t agree, I can see where you are coming from with this.  Now, you said something about his sin of lust.  I think I know where this is going.

I smirk and nod my head.

Me:  And that’s because it’s that obvious.  Fenris makes no bones about it either.  As a matter of fact, he wears his sins like medals of honor.  While his lust might not be the forefront of his “honors”, it is certainly the one that has caught my eye.  Unrelenting, unapologetic.  Those were words I have used to describe it.  But it is more like tasteless, heathenous, and downright disgusting, parading around with every Tom, Dick, and Harry.  Openly defying the Lord with it, along with his religious practices.  He might as well join up with Le Coven so that those two can find the courage to come out as a couple! They can cast hexes and be defilers all they want, and maybe they’ll stop forcing it on us.

Rocky:  I can see that you’re very passionate about this.  Is there any particular reason that his personal life affects you so much?

Me:  What kind of idiotic question is that?!  He openly acts against the very being that I believe in.  Every explicit rule given by God, he repeatedly breaks.  He’s unrelenting!  He’s literally an abomination, and I’ve come to stomp out that fire before it spreads.  And in Sin City, there’s plenty of kindling, so it will spread faster than a Southwestern wildfire!

Rocky:  But, you’re here to compete.  What doesn’t affect you personally should not affect the way you fight.  It creates wonderful drama for television, but this isn’t just TV.  It’s personal.  Why?

I can’t respond to this as fast as I would have liked.  The question angers me because it is such a simple answer.  But… it doesn’t feel that simple for some reason.  I look back to the cameras and I just open my mouth to speak so that it might come to me.

Me:  It does affect me in so many ways.  My mission is that of my Father.  And that of his Eternal Father.  The wisdom Father Gerald preaches is one of justice and redemption.  It may not seem like it, but it’s also about mercy… for those who deserve it.  Don’t you want to live in a world that is akin to the Garden of Eden?  Do you not want to live in eternal glory, where your sins just melt away? That can only happen in the afterlife, and can only happen once your soul has been saved.  I’m here to save souls and usher them into the Eternal Heavenly Light.  That requires repentance and work.

Rocky stares at me, blinking as if I just told her there was a pig on her nose.

Rocky:  So, you’re trying to save Fenris?

Me:  God, no!  I’m trying to end his time here in Sin City.  I’m trying to drive him back to whatever ice cave he crawled out of!  Let him become a Swedish philosopher, or whatever he is.  Let him find a career in singing to those in the icy hell he calls home, sounding like the male Bjork.  Let him do literally anything as long as he’s confined to a wheelchair back in Iceland, I think it is.  He’s beyond redemption.  He just needs to be eradicated from the roster so that the healing might begin.

Rocky:  Well, we’re just about out of time, but…

Me:  I’M NOT FUCKING FINISHED! …

I cover my mouth, having slipped with profanity.  I gulp down the embarrassment and continue.

Me:  I’m not finished yet.  Fenris can wear his sins like badges of honor.  He can revel in his sin.  He can parade around, seducing men or attacking them from behind, since that’s the only position his kind understand.  He can go around doing all of that… for the next two days.  Because come Into the Void X, he will meet his reckoning.

I step closer to the camera so that I am the only thing it focuses on.  I move in even closer so that Fenris can read my lips.

Me:  Fenris.  I hope you’re listening.  I hope you have the volume on your device turned all the way up.  And I hope you’re close enough to the speakers of the Sin City Tron to hear this carefully.  I’m coming for you.  That much is obvious and clear.  I have plans, and you’re not gonna like any of them.  You’re gonna fight.  Heck, you might even beat me.  But that reckoning I spoke of.  It’s not based on me or my ego to need to fulfill it.  That’s simply the mission I’m on, and that mission comes straight from Yahweh, Our Heavenly Father, God of Justice and War.  I’m going Old Testament on you, but it may not be me.  But trust me when I say that sooner or later, God’ll cut you down. See you on Sunday, His day…

And while the camera in front of me cuts off, and Ms Rocky Mountains moves away to set up her next interview, I know I’m still being focused on.  I’ve said all that I need to say.  However, my opinions cut into my line as I see people stepping away, even as I poke my head through the curtains.  Esther pulls my seat out, and I continue doing what I’ve done since this video started, and I sign autographs, take pictures, and give out fist bumps.  Apply hand sanitizer.  Repeat.
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Offline Fenris

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Re: FENRIS vs BROTHER DAVID SHEPHERD
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2021, 07:27:33 PM »

May 7, 2021 -
Las Vegas, Nevada


It was later than expected, well after the events of the 300th edition of Climax Control had reached its conclusion. But Las Vegas was slowly returning to some semblance of normalcy, and where Fenris and many other stars of SCW were concerned, that meant a little post-show party and giving themselves into excess. And even though the bars and casinos along the Strip remained open pretty much 24/7, there were limits to even the indulgences of the “White Wolf” Fenris, if you can believe that or not. His routines remained the same, always. If you asked his friends, they would think him OCD where his training was concerned. Ask his brother Aron, who this very day he teamed with for the very first time, and he would say that brother of his was absolutely anal. The hour was well after 2am, and although obviously inebriated, Fenris would get up within four hours, hangover or not, and begin his training regime.

But for now, Aron had his hands full.

The door slowly opened and it could be seen why, as Aron struggled to half-carry Kristjan through the open door frame, the elder of the two having over-indulged. He’d regret it soon enough, but for the next two weeks he’d most likely cut back on his alcohol intake as he prepared to face David Shepherd at Into the Void X in a grudge match that had been building in intensity over the past six plus weeks. Kristjan COULD walk, but it was with slow and awkward steps as he stumbled and Aron had his right arm draped around his neck, supporting his brother’s weight so he didn’t fall and do himself a mischief.

Aron propped Kristjan up along the edge of their snow-white sofa as Kyssa came running along to sniff at her master and receiving a blind ear scratch for her just reward, while the younger sibling took the time to close the door behind them and secure its lock. Only when he turned around did he see that his brother was staring him down through glassy, bloodshot eyes. His eyes narrowed as his body wavered, and Aron couldn’t quite tell whether that was a smile on his face or not. But as he walked past his brother, young Aron couldn’t help but to quip, “You know, red really doesn’t go with the blue of your eyes.”

He placed a hand on the larger man’s shoulder and forcibly sat him down on the sofa, the white Siberian Husky crawling up onto his lap for a much desired rubdown. Aron then made for the kitchen to fetch Kristjan some water to fend off the hangover effects as best he could, but quickly found his brother’s hand clamped tightly around his wrist and he pulled him down onto the sofa along with him.

“What?” Aron exclaimed, once he righted himself from his landing. A moment’s pause followed, as if Kristjan was trying to find the right words without slurring them (much), and he asked, “What do you think you were doing tonight?”

Aron stared at him without comprehension. He had a couple of beers, but that was all. Not the multiple drinks that the other had, one right after the other. Aron side-eyed him and shook his head, “K, what are you…?”

“I had everything under control.” Kristjan wavered, finally resting against the back of the sofa but his eyes never straying from the confrontation, one in which had obviously been on his mind. He just obviously was waiting until the two siblings were not in public.

“Ah…” Aron closed his eyes and nodded. “I was wondering if this was going to come up. Under control… that’s how you see it?” He waited for a brief moment until Kristjan nodded, and then said, “If by ‘under control,’ you mean having your ass handed to you, then yes. I would agree.”

Kristjan sat upright quickly with a sudden frown etched on his face. To say something like that, something that even remotely insinuated that he had not been in complete control was sacrilege. But before he could utter a word of protest, Aron held up a hand to forestall him and quickly amended himself, stating, “K, you did great. But face facts! They took control, and even you can’t fight two men. Especially when they were willing to tag each other and you were not.”

The last bit was added with a strong tone to the words, driving home Aron’s point.

“It was a tag team match, K.” Aron said matter-of-factly. “Key word being ‘team,’ and you didn’t make me feel like I was part of it, not wanting to tag me in like that.”

“I didn’t want…” But before he could finish, Aron interrupted him and said, “I know. You didn’t want me to get hurt. That’s what you always say when you cut me out of these moments. That’s why you ‘fired’ me. But don’t you get it?” He shook his head and poked himself in the sternum with a forefinger. “I wanted this, K! I wanted to be able to say that I got to team with my big brother! And when I DID tag in, was I, or was I not, able to handle myself?”

Kristjan, however, did not answer. He just turned his head aside and away from Aron, which told the younger one all he had to know. When Kristjan was right, he’d let the world know it. When he was wrong, he’d clam up and not say a word to admit so.

“I don’t need you to protect me like some baby bird, K.” Aron said, and Kristjan turned to him with a frown, and what he thought was a stricken, hurt reflection in his eyes.

“I’m not saying I don’t need you, K.” Aron smiled. “You’re my big brother. I’ll ALWAYS need you. And if some guy like Mercer wants to get cute, well then have at it! I’m just saying -- you can relax a little with me, okay?” Still, Kristjan didn’t speak as he turned away from him again to take in the words. Whether or not he’d remember them in the morning was still entirely up for debate.

Aron finally rose from the sofa and walked into the kitchen to retrieve two bottled waters, but when he returned to pass one along, he found his brother sound asleep on the sofa. Aron sighed gently, then set the waters down. He gently laid Kristjan back on the sofa and drew the pearl-white afghan that their aunt had crocheted for them from the back of the sofa and draped it over him as Kyssa watched protectively. Aron then picked up his bottle and with one last glance at his brother, and watching Kyssa curl up at the base, he called it a night and went to bed.



Reykjavik, Iceland -
September 2018


The last several days had been turbulent for Kristjan Baltasarsson. The world had discovered a secret that he had held steadfast against prying eyes for years; the fact that he was homosexual. (Don’t you dare use the term ‘queer’ where he was concerned! Accepted by most or not, he hated that word and would swing at any who dared use it in reference to him!) The only person who was privy to the secret had been his beloved Jokull from years past, his lost love. And of course, Kris Ryans, the very one he had been caught with and what had started this domino effect of his own self destruction. And had it not been for his brother Aron and his trainer in Gabriel Stevens, he may very well have went past the point of no return. And while he knew he would be facing an onslaught of public opinion and backlash from not just his and Kris’s public tryst in an elevator, but simply from narrow minded ‘fans’ reacting to the big, bad “White Wolf” being gay.

Such a thing in the world of MMA was unheard of.

But for now, he was here; in his native town of Reykjavik, self recuperating with his family sans Aron who remained in Las Vegas. The previous night, the entire family met him with a heart-to-heart intervention, assuring him that while his sexual preferences mattered to none of them, some of his recent destructive behavior did. But that was last night.

It was still early the next day, and Kristjan’s father Benedikt had managed to corral his son after breakfast and his morning run; none of them unable to get him to break away from any of his training regime. Once finished, the father took the son out of the house and Kristjan soon found himself in the passenger seat of the family car, a gray Toyota Prius, traveling down the road. He figured in his mind that his Mom had sent Benedikt out on some weekend errand and his dad simply wanted the company, when instead they found themselves at…


Reykjavík's city pond, Reykjavíkurtjörn. One of Kristjan’s favorite spots in his native city. In fact, the very location where he had his morning run that very day. This was the precise moment when Kristjan realized that this was not just some errand that they had been sent on; his father had something else in mind. Something that Kristjan was not entirely certain he wanted to partake in, especially given the discussion they had last night. That had involved the entire family, but this? This was Benedikt, his father. The man he had looked up to and idolized for as long as he could remember. Benedikt had parked the Sedan across the road, and father and son found themselves walking silently along the edge of the pond, Benedikt conspicuous by the paper grocery bag he held in his hand.

“Should I be concerned?” Kristjan finally found his voice. “I mean, is there a reason why we’re here?”

“I thought you enjoyed Reykjavíkurtjörn?” Benedikt said, more a statement than a question.

“I do.” Kristjan answered. “But you haven’t brought me here since I was a boy. I would usually just wander down here by myself to feed the swans or to watch the tourists…” He paused, as indeed the pond was flocked by what tourists there were at this early morning hour. He then turned to resume the walk his father was leading him on, when instead he saw Benedikt slowly taking a seat at the edge of the bond, on the stone wall. He watched and a silent pang tore through him as he saw his dad struggle, just a bit. Benedikt had arthritis in his right knee ever since a skiing accident years ago, and it hurt to even think of his father as anything but perfect to his own eyes.

Then he saw what his dad carried in the paper bag, as he removed a thawed out bag of frozen peas, presumably to feed the swans. Kristjan arched a brow as he walked over and took a seat at his side.

“Now I know something is going on.” He said, to which Benedikt answered back, “So something has to be going on for a father to spend some time with his son?”

“Under most circumstances, no.” Kristjan shook his head. “But after what’s been going on and the talk last night? You can hardly blame me for being suspicious.” Kristjan waited, but no answer to the accusation came forth. Instead, Benedikt smiled as he opened the bag and took out a handful of the thawed out veggies and gave them a gentle toss into the water. Kristjan turned from his dad to watch as the swans slowly made their way over to where the offerings originated from and they ducked their long necks into the water to retrieve the bounty. It was a gentle sight of nature that Kristjan never tired of. Indeed, even he wore a smile as a few other tourists did the same, and Benedikt threw a few more morsels into the water for the swans.

“Did mom put you up to this?” Kristjan finally asked, and Benedikt answered, “No, this was entirely me. I just promised your mother I wouldn’t keep you out too long. Since you’re leaving tomorrow and your visit was so short, she wants to spend as much time as possible with you. Your mother just had her say last night. This is my turn.”

Kristjan just nodded, turning his head away to watch the swans in the water, and the light of the morning sun dancing off of the surface. A hard knot started to form in his stomach as he had hoped that last night’s family discussion would be the end of it, but such was not the case apparently. Finally he found his voice and said, “You’re disappointed, aren’t you?” He waited for a moment as his dad turned to him finally and he added, “In my being gay? Liking men?”

“No, son…”

“Or the fact that I won’t be giving you grandchildren?”

Benedikt snorted and paused from taking another handful of the peas and withdrew his hand before he turned to his son, “It may have escaped your notice, son, but you are not your mother’s and my only child. What parent doesn’t want to have grandchildren to spoil when they get old? But if that’s not part of your path in life, so be it. Your mother and I spoke last night and we understand.” Benedikt then gave him an impish, fatherly smile and added, “Although your mothers till thinks you might meet some nice fella to make an honest man out of you and give her grandchildren anyway.”

This time, it was Kristjan who snorted and he shook his head, saying with a resigned tone, “No, when I said not, I meant it. I know I am not the father type.”

Benedikt watched him for a brief moment before he turned back to watch the swans and the water, much like his son. For a while, neither spoke a word until he finally asked, “Can I ask you something?” Kristjan didn’t answer verbally, he simply yielded with a silent nod. Benedikt then said, “You and Jokull….?”

And there, Kristjan closed his eyes. What he felt for his dead lover even after all of these years? It was epic. As was the pain he lived under every time his name was brought up, and the blame he shifted on himself for the accident that took his beloved Jokull away from him and his family. Benedikt was aware, and that was why he didn’t push. He had asked, and if his son chose not to answer, that was, of course, his own prerogative.

Kristjan finally opened his eyes and turned his head enough to look to his dad and ask, “Was it that obvious?”

“That you loved each other? Oh yes.” His dad nodded. “That it went beyond friendship to the romantic?” He then shook his head. “No. You boys hid that well enough, even if you didn’t need to.” Another deep regret Kristjan had come to realize; that if his and Jokull’s families had known and accepted it, then all could have and would have been well. If his family had ever discovered that Jokull’s own parents had discovered their little secret? He wasn't sure he wanted to know how that little revelation would have gone over. Benedikt went on, “Your mother and I didn’t know. I mean, after he passed, we suspected, maybe ‘wondered’ would be the better word, given how much pain you were in, but we didn’t say anything. We didn’t want to pry.”

“And now?”

“Now…” Benedikt went on. “Your mother and I just want our boy to be happy. I’m sure your brother and sisters will give us the grandchildren your mother wants so badly. You? You can adopt one of those Himalayan whistle kids, or one of those Yorkshire terriers… whatever it is you men do.”

Father heard a supressed snort, and he turned back to his son and saw Kristjan with eyes closed and his lips clamped shut, shaking hard to not laugh at his father’s creative manner to soothe things over. He finally opened his eyes, his face flushed from the held back laughter, and he shook his head.

“You’re an ass.”

“Yes, well…” Benedikt held the bag out to him. “Like father, like son.” Kristjan reached in and took a handful of the peas and gave them a toss into the water, his father doing likewise...



Las Vegas, Nevada - Now

Fenris walked calmly into the bedroom of his shared condo at the Turnberry Towers, reaching over to turn on the lights, immediately flooding the room in a soft, golden illumination. But he then turned the small dial beside the light switch, and the result was the overhead track lighting dimmed to where it was just light enough to see throughout. Not that the city lights from the famed Strip did any less through the open patio window. He then walked barefoot over the plush, white carpeting and entered his walk-in closet, a space big enough some might think it an apartment all unto its own. Yet Fenris did not take down any of his wardrobe from where they hung, or remove a bottle from the wall rack gifted to him from Ben Jordan for his own private collection - of which he had many.

No, instead he walked to the very end wall of the closet where a simple table rested, and a single statue of the Norse god Baldur stood. Almost ten inches in height, it was a wondrous piece of art, one of which Fenris treasured as a dedicated Ásatrú practitioner. Behind the statue, on the wall, an oil painting of the very same deity. Both gifts to him from his family. While they did not practice the same faith, they respected and supported his own choice to do so.

“Hvíldu einn, því brátt munt þú rísa.” He said before he exited the closet and slid the door closed once again. He then walked over to the open patio and paused briefly, eyes closed, and luxuriating in the Vegas night. The air was pleasantly cool for the season, and he slowly removed his button up shirt so his bare, upper body could feel the gentle wind across his lightly tanned flesh. He then opened his eyes and his gaze roamed across the city before him.

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions running around that narrow mind of yours David, chief among them you're probably wondering what the point was behind all of this. Why did I choose to open the door for everyone out there, you especially, to get a look behind the iron curtain which is my life. Under most circumstances, I don’t let anyone in on my personal life. Or I try not to, but you know how some people are; they think just because you’re in the public eye, then everything about you and those close to you must be as well. People will stalk a celebrity with cameras, violating their personal space and their family. They will perform stakeouts to take pictures of a star without clothes on and sell them to the highest bidder, and if that upsets said star? They just claim the public has a right to know. They will dig through garbage to try and find something, anything, that could be used as leverage or gossip in one of those filthy websites or newsstand tabloids, and justify their every action. I call bullshit! The only business people have a right to know is what I do inside of that ring! Anything else? My business, and mine alone. I have had fans come up to me when I’m eating out with friends and family and play the role of victim when I refuse to interrupt this time alone with pictures and small talk. I even had one asshole tell me that it was my duty since he paid my salary. I told him to fuck off, because the ONLY thing anyone pays me to do is to wrestle, so whatever I do OUTSIDE of the ring? That’s my call, and mine alone! I’m a private person. Always have been. I won’t lie and say I don’t get an ego boost when people ask for an autograph or to take a picture with me but… time and place.”

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way. I learned that the hard way a few years ago when some nosey bastards decided the world needed to know Fenris, the scary MMA and professional wrestling star, preferred the company of men. That was a door I could never close again, and I’ve never forgiven them for stealing away what should have been MY decision! MY moment! Just thinking about that violation pisses me off, but I have to admit that the end results worked out in my favor. I’m surrounded by people who have been nothing short of supportive.”

“Ever since then, I’ve been extra careful to shield my private life and my family from the wandering eyes of reporters and fans. My family has been here in Las Vegas to visit time and again but I will be damned if I let them fall prey to these sharks who just want a look for no other reason than to be fucking nosey! It’s a risk they still try to take; they ask me something about my family or my personal life? They get told to ‘fuck off’ and then they act all butt hurt entitled little bitches. But this time tonight?… This was special. This was for you, David. There is a method to my so-called madness. If there weren't, even my own family members and those closest to me wouldn't refer to me as cerebral. I did it because I wanted to show the more important differences between David Shepherd and myself. And I am not talking about the differences between us INSIDE of the ring. Those are self evident - or at least, they WILL be.”

“Inside of the ring? David, those are the differences between night and day! While you and your own were down in SCU, wallowing in self pity and being humiliated by a fucking rhino of all things, I was here! Topside on the main roster, reminding everyone why I was a goddamn force of nature! I was winning, having five star matches with the likes of Ben Jordan, while you? You were losing matches left and right to that twink, Carter! Really, how embarrassing for you!”

“No, this time I’m talking about the differences between us where it REALLY matters. Everything you saw? That is the backbone of who and what I am. My family. My friends. I am man enough to admit that I would not be HALF the man that I am today if it weren’t for those closest to me! My Mom and Dad? They have been my heart and soul ever since I was a kid! Sure I did things that upset them, maybe even disappointed them. But I also did things that made them happy and even proud, and never - not ONCE -have they ever turned their backs on me! Even when they found out that I had a thing for men?”

He shook his head with a soft smile.

“They didn’t give a damn. They were always believers that a parents love should be unconditional. I have been very lucky in that regard.”

His eyes gifted sidelong toward the camera.

“Can you say the same? Afraid not. I’ve sat back and watched from afar and I’ve seen the way Gerald treats you. You’re not a son to him. You are little more than Daddy’s Little Soldier, and he treats you well enough -- so long as you act the role of a good son and do as you're told. Defy him? Well I’m sure all hell breaks loose. Part of me can’t blame you, really. I’ve met your dad. I’ve talked with him - or rather, he spoke to me. Can’t deny the man has a way with words that almost charms you and makes you want to do as he wishes. I suspect enough years of that would be enough to turn someone like you into a brainwashed robot, but that fault lies with you for being so damn desperate to want to please and to belong. You fight so hard just to be accepted that you lost all sense of your own self. It’s not just sad. That’s fucking pathetic.”

“The Lord Is My Shepherd, I Shall Not Want.”

“Give me a fucking break!”

Fenris almost looked heavenward and rolled his eyes.

“I have to be honest with you David. I do admit that I admire the fact that you hold onto your faith with as much passion as you do. The one thing that I’ve noticed about so-called Christians is the fact that they are so only one day out of the week, and only for a couple of hours that day. After their church service is over, they go out to restaurants where they mistreat the servers. They go have a glass of wine (or three), and give in to excess. (other examples) These people will look you in the eye and accuse you of being evil and think you are disgusting. They will pick apart everything about your life and in doing so, will tell you about how you are going to burn in the fires of Hell. And when you call them on it and throw back in their faces ‘Judge Not Lest ye Be Judged,’ their response?”

“‘Oh I’m not judging you!’ - Even though that was exactly what they were doing! These people, yourself and that family of yours included, you search your passages and pick apart the Bible to fuel your hatred and bigoted viewpoints. You twist the so-called Word of God to your own ends and completely ignore the same book and its teachings that pick apart your own sins! I just find it funny that you and the rest of the Good Shepherds have made yourselves famous for preaching against the sins of others while very conveniently ignoring your own. Your sneak attacks. Your underhanded tactics during matches. Your harsh words, judging others who don’t believe the same as you.

Look at that priest a few years back that said he would set himself on fire if gay marriage were made legal by the United States Supreme Court. Well it was, and where is that priest now? Did he follow through on his ‘threat?’”

Fenris closed his eyes and shook his head in the negative.

“He was just the perfect example. So many people do the same, trying to dictate how the rest of the world should live according to their own beliefs. Telling the world that gays shouldn’t be allowed to marry because it’s against your religion. That would be like telling me that I can’t eat a pizza because YOU’RE on a diet! Different concept, same point!”

“But not you. David. No. With you, it’s a matter of what you see is what you get. You believe with all your heart everything that your father and mother has taught you about the church and your God. Or that’s just the programming they instilled into you. It’s an admirable parent to teach their child values, but it’s a cruel one that brainwashes the child into thinking like them and not allowing them to develop any traits or beliefs of their own. While you have a mother and a father, I have a mom and a dad. And that might not sound like much, but there is a world of difference in what I have in my corner, in my life, compared to what you have in yours!”

“But that’s okay David, it’s alright. Either way, you hold onto that faith of yours. You believe in the church and your god. The conviction you hold to in your path in life is admirable. It’s just woefully misguided. Like your parents, like most church goers, they don’t even think about the origins of their own teachings!

“The Bible you cling to, and everything in it? Yeah, those stories were passed down for hundreds of years by word of mouth by illiterate souls before they were ever transcribed to the written word! And you DO know what happens when any story gets passed along like that? Details get exaggerated. Facts get embellished. Stories get added on to. That book you hold to so dear? That’s not even the complete version! There are entire passages and texts that were removed for no other reason that it didn’t fit with the way the Church wanted the people to think! The Book of Enoch a perfect example! Biblical ‘facts’ about fallen angels mating with humans? Well the Church can’t have stories like THAT passed around, can they? Then Christians might get it in their heads that angels aren’t a perfect being! And if angels weren’t perfect, what would that say about their Creator?”

“I could go on but talk about religion bores the fuck out of me. I could mention how the Bible doesn’t ACTUALLY say a word condemning homosexuality or gay marriage, despite what religious leaders want you to think. I could go on about how hundreds of years ago, they burnt women at the stake for witchcraft as it was a sin, yet there Solomon was, using a witch to perform necromancy and contact the dead. Oh! Or how Christians look to King David as a shining beacon when he had his own man killed so he could take his wife for his own.”

He shrugged, and stepped away from the banister of the patio and turned back to the open door.

“Look around you, then take a look around me. I have everything a man could want or need, and you? You have nothing. My parents. My siblings. My friends. They all have my back where the people you surround yourself with would just as easily stab you in yours for not believing what they believe.”

"I've heard rumors that you disapprove of my practice of Ásatrú. Of how I look to Odin and the fallen Baldur for guidance in my life. Well we can't all be like you, David. Placing our faith in the salvations of our soul in a 2000 year old dead carpenter. Face facts, David! My gods existed for literally thousands of years before yours was ever even a blip note in history! In fact, your religion, your god, wouldn't even exist if it wasn't for a single Roman emperor converting. One man."

"The only thing you should be concerned with is praying to your God to save not your soul, but your ass because all this? It’s on you! You started this shit between us, David! Your big mouth, and that little bitch ass attack six weeks ago! I’ve waited long enough. In a matter of days, it’ll all be over. So don't preach to me. Do not bestow upon me the virtues of your Bible, your faith. I'm almost thirty. I've outgrown fairy tales.”

Fenris stepped inside and slammed the patio door behind him with a hard finale.
>
"Where wolf's ears are, wolf's teeth are near."
~ Volsunga Saga, c.19

World Heavyweight Champion - 1x - current
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