Yeniköy, Turkey
“Carter, you’re being safe, yes?” It was the voice of Joanna McKinney that voiced her concerns for her only son and by extension, her future son-in-law, Miles Kasey who was currently in the shower following a grueling morning jog. Even in this city, Miles was not one to forgo a chance to work out, and even managed to get Carter to join him in his early morning run habit that Carter fully blamed the Baltasarsson brothers for kick starting.
And it was from inside his and Miles’s suite at the Kas Kekik Apart hotel where Carter was currently engaging in a video chat with his mother via Face Time, despite the extensive difference in hours between Turkey and Seattle, Washington. True, Carter was known for keeping regular contact with his Mom and Grams no matter where he was touring in the world; it had become daily ever since his and Miles’s arrival in Turkey. Joanna had done her research on the country of Turkey and their outlook toward the LGBTQ community and discovered it was less than favorable compared to so many other nations in the world.
“Mom…” Carter sat back in the chair that was positioned in front of the desk against the far wall of the suite. “You ask me that every time I call you ever since we arrived in Turkey. We’re fine.”
“Well you can't fault a mother for being concerned for the safety of her only son.” Joanna pointed out, and it was far more of a statement than it was a question. She raised her eyebrows over the rim of her glasses. “Can you?” She asked.
“No,” Carter smiled, despite himself. He knew well enough the risks as a gay man traveling in nations such as this. “I guess I can’t. How’s Grams?”
“Concerned, just like me.” Joanna spoke openly, adding, “Although you know your grandmother. She hides those feelings behind sass and humor.”
“Oh is that who I got it from?” Carter jested to which Joanna mocked his smirk with a brazenly fake laugh of her own. “Must be.” She answered, adding, “I know I’ve been driving you crazy but this is the first time you’ve gone to a country that didn’t favor your lifestyle.”
“Yeah because America has been overly progressive these past eight years towards the gays.” Carter jested but it was one of sarcasm for how backward things seemed to have gone for the LGBTQ community since 2016. Only recently have things even begun to recover.
Joanna stressed, “Limited as America has been lately, it’s still a world above many other countries for men and women like you sweety.”
“I know.” Carter smiled. “But I just want you to know we’re safe. Nothing bad has happened.”
Although Carter’s assurances were not accurate. Not entirely. For the most part, the citizens of Turkey were wary but welcoming, starving for the excitement that the Superstars and Bombshells of SCW were bringing to them this coming weekend. But unfortunately, there was always the possibility for there to be at least one rotten apple in the bushel filled with ripe and enticing fruit. And Carter had experienced that evidence firsthand just yesterday when he and Ariana had taken some time to go out for a bit of shopping for souvenirs for their friends and loved ones back home. Carter had tried to entice (IE drag) Miles along but shopping wasn’t Miles’s favorite of pastimes so while his fiance kicked back with Francisco and Malachi at the hotel, Ariana and Carter, along with Bella Madison, hit the waterfront shops for a simple, relaxing day of shopping and coffee, planning to meet the boys later for dinner.
And it was in an open shop called Kusadasi Leather, where everything from bags to jackets and beyond crafted of the finest leather materials was sold - that Carter came to a startling discovery. Celebrity did not always matter in the face of bigotry.
While Bella and Ariana were inspecting a display of some of the finest made leather boots they had ever had the pleasure of laying eyes upon, Carter had gone in search of a clerk. He had found a leather jacket that he wanted to buy for Miles as a surprise but there were none in Miles’s size, so Carter sought an employee that could perhaps help locate one.
And Carter did indeed find a middle aged male working behind the counter, but every time Carter tried to attract his attention, the man all but blatantly ignored his very presence. Carter, his head in the clouds, did not understand yet what he was facing until he tried for a third time to get the man to assist him and the man spun to face him with the ugliest expressions on his face.
It was a good thing Bella and Ariana were so far from the counter as they could not hear the words the clerk was saying, but it was clear by the pained shock on Carter’s face that the words were vile indeed. The clerk looked him up and down in disgust while pointing toward the open door and the streets beyond, and only then did Carter finally understand and his heart broke just a little.
Satisfied, the clerk turned away from him once again to resume his “work” and a heartbroken Carter quietly walked over to where Bella and Ariana were choosing their boots. Bella looked up first and asked, “Did they have one in Miles’s size?”
Carter just shook his head in a silent answer, trying to keep a straight face to ward off any suspicion or concern on the part of his shopping buddies.
“No.” he said weakly. “I’m just going to wait outside.” He smiled and turned and left the store without giving either young woman a chance to say anything, theory only response being a shared glance between one another.
Besika Burnu
Two kilometers South of the modern village of Yeniköy in the Ezine district of Çanakkale Province, Turkey, lies Besika Burnu. And only a short distance inland at a tumulus known as Besiktepe is what some historians and many enthusiasts of tales of the ancient world would tell you to be the location of the Tomb of Achilles. Achilles - the central character in Homer’s Iliad, Achilles was known to be the son of the sea goddess Thetis and thought of as history’s greatest warrior. The hero of the Trojan War. But if it was his lust and expertise in warfare that made him well known, it was his undying love for his close friend and as some historians believe - lover - Patroclus, that made him world renown for well over two thousand years.
And while few, if any, believe the demigod Achilles was real, many believe that there indeed was a powerful warrior and his loyal lover and friend who both died on the battlefields of the Trojan War, sparking the tales we now know and revere. Thought to have lived in the time of 400-350 B.C. Achilles was one of the few warriors in history to be openly respected and even revered by the man who became known as Alexander the Great. Alexander thought so highly of Achilles that he considered him both a hero as well as his greatest rival, longing to outdo the legacy of the famed Greek warrior. And in the year 334 B.C., Alexander paid reverence to the Tomb of Achilles, running naked to the Tomb itself where he laid a wreath upon his grave. And mimicking the love Achilles and Patroclus had for one another, Alexander's close friend and love Hephaistion did the same at the mound that was thought to be the grave of Patroclus.
Since then, many have tried and failed to follow the footsteps of Alexander to locate the lost Tomb of Achilles, but the one place that is most agreed upon to be the exact location was where we found ourselves to be now. The bus had slowed to a crawl on the country road, the doors sliding open and the first to emerge was a Turkish male of middle years wearing a tanned, collar shirt and white slacks with moccasins on his feet. He surveyed his surroundings and once satisfied, he beckoned those inside and soon to be followed was a respectable large group of tourists and history buffs who could not resist the chance to visit such a location. Of course, given the distance between the mountain and Yenikoy was just over a mile, it could have easily been walked in roughly thirty minutes' time, but the experience of the bus ride was just an additional part of the touristy package.
There were men and women both, young and old. But perhaps most prominent was a contingent of stars from Sin City Wrestling; notably Miles Kasey and his fiance Carter McKinney. Harper Mason. Bella Madison and her husband, and self-professed history buff - Malachi. All present looked around until their eyes fell upon the fabled mountain of Besiktepe. The scope of the mountain was easy to attract the attention of everyone present as it stood an impressive 5200 feet above sea level.
The heavens above the mountain were cloudy, a gray overcast with the lightest of rains sprinkling down from so very high above their heads. Still, the less than perfect weather was no detriment for those that traveled here from nearby Yeniköy where in a matter of days, the latest edition of SCW Climax Control would be held. And while the weather was wet, there was still a humid warmth behind it which allowed those present to don comfortable clothes of loose shirts and shorts if so desired. However a protective Miles Kasey had insisted that Carter wear something a touch more … substantial, all the better to prevent a relapse from his previous bout of bronchitis from a couple months previous. And while Carter complained and protested, ultimately he yielded to his future husband’s demands with the compromise of wearing jeans rather than shorts and a long sleeved albeit loose shirt. It would be warmer but safer because Miles was well aware that once someone experienced bronchitis, it was all but guaranteed to remain with them throughout the remaining years.
That being said, the tour guide called to the group and beckoned them to follow him and the hike began toward the base of Besiktepe. Of course they were not going to attempt to reach the summit, as there was not enough time in the day nor were any of them prepared. And besides, it was not the reason behind this group’s scheduled tour to be fair. That reason became all too clear within the hour as the group hiked diligently over stream and moor until they reached the approximate base of the mountain. And while the winds had been blowing harder than average for this time of year, here? The winds had strangely calmed down at this exact location, as if the gods did not want to disturb this final resting place of one of their greatest of demigods.
And while there was a well worn path that would lead to a trail further up the mountainside, it was the arrangement of rocks as if fashioning a precise monument that drew them near, where flowers had grown despite the rocky outcrop, a further testament toward whom they believed to be laying here. A tribute from the gods themselves? Yet not all of the flowers were grown naturally; some had been left here as gifts and offerings for the Greek warrior Achilles and his soulmate Patroclus.
Many of the tourists had spread out, looking to their heart’s leisure, including those of our own SCW crew. Malachi was strongly desiring to travel further up the mountain and explore, perhaps hoping to be the one to catch a glimpse of history and where exactly Achilles had been laid to rest but Bella had held fast to his arm to keep him from wandering off too far from her. Harper had walked closer toward the base of the mountain to afford herself a closer glimpse at the various flowers and offerings left by tourists and nature alike.
And Carter and Miles? The two lovebirds had stood back, perhaps wanting to stay somewhat discreet given Turkey’s views on the LGBTQ community but that did nothing to dissuade Miles from wrapping his muscled arm around Carter’s shoulder to hold him close.
“Thank you.” Carter spoke softly as he laid his head for a brief moment on Miles’s shoulder.
Miles asked, “For …?” To which Carter just shrugged and smiled, “For just being here with me.”
This only drew a broader smile from Miles as he snuggled his man in even more so against his upper body.
But while the majority of tourists continued to look around or take pictures - the younger majority taking those ridiculous selfies complete with “duck lips,” Carter took a step forward and reached into the large canvas bag he was carrying over his shoulder. His touring companions noticed this but it was Malachi whose curiosity got the better of him and he nodded his head in Carter’s general direction.
“What are you up to?” Malachi asked, his eyes rising from the bag to meet Carter’s own. “What is that?”
To which Carter answered - not with words but by a simple action as he took out a wreath, fashioned in classic style from combinations of ivy, laurel and myrtle. All eyes were curious but it seemed it was Malachi who understood enough and nodded, saying simply, “Understood.”
“What?” Harper asked, eyeing the wreath before looking between Malachi and Carter. “What is it?”
“This mountain is considered to be the Tomb of Achilles and burial site of Patroclus.” Carter said simply, his cheeks taking on a charming flush as if he was trying to prepare himself should any present make light of his proposed actions. He shrugged his slim shoulders and said, “Would seem a shame to visit and not leave an offering.”
Malachi’s expression was unreadable - big surprise. But Bella and Harper both smiled genuinely at his thought process. But it was Miles who stepped forward and he opened the canvas bag on his man’s shoulder wider and peered inside, saying, “There had better be a second one in there for me.”
And Carter did not even have to answer as Miles reached in and indeed took out a second wreath. Inspecting it closely, Miles then casually smiled and looked at his fiance and said, “I guess this makes me Achilles and you Patroclus, hm?”
“Actually,” Carter said. “If historians are to be believed, it would be the other way around. I’d be Achilles and you would be Patroclus.”
“What?” Miles asked, caught only remotely off guard by this outlook. “Why?”
“Well,” Carter began to explain. “If they parallel our lives? Patroclus was the older of the two so according to ancient Greek custom, Achilles was the receiver and Patroclus was the…” It was then Carter realized what he had just said in front of everyone and their eyes stared at him and he blushed an even darker shade of pink and said, “I know, I know! TMI!”
And he moved forward to lay the wreath at the base of the mountain, Miles snorting back a laugh to do the same while Malachi just looked heavenward and rolled his eyes.
Troy of Turkey
By now, the sky had cleared as had the weather. The rain had long since passed and the sun had managed to fight its way through the overcast sky, but it had occurred late enough within the day that the transition between day and night had passed by quicker than rain and sunny skies. And it was here at the entrance to the location of Troy in Turkey where a perfectly reconstructed Trojan Horse. The tale of the Trojan Horse was as famous as the stories about the Trojan War itself. After a seemingly endless war that lasted for over ten years, the Greeks built a huge wooden horse with a contingent of men hidden inside. The Trojans, thinking of keeping it as a victory trophy, pulled the horse inside the city. At night, those inside crept out and opened the gate for the rest of the Greek forces, allowing for the siege of Troy to be a foregone conclusion.
And now here stood the replica of the famed Trojan Horse, standing twenty five feet tall and illuminated by the laps stationed around the black, wrought-iron fence. Some tourists still lingered in the vicinity, none wishing for their evening to end, but there was one person in particular who sat on a bench, his eyes staring straight ahead at the courtyard, and the famed Horse itself. None other than Carter McKinney, aka Helluva Bottom Carter.
“Miles was right. There are perks to being an SCW Superstar that others don’t get to enjoy that we do, and sometimes maybe even take for granted. This…”
Carter nodded toward the Horse and the ruins of Troy that could still be seen beyond.
“...Is one of them. The Iliad was always one of my favorite stories, the tale of the Trojan War always fascinated me. I was always the opinionated sort, even as far back as my school days and I can remember the time my history teacher assigned us to do a report on any historical event, fact or fiction, and I chose the Trojan War. I admit I think I caught my teacher off guard by how unforgiving I was in my report. So many people that had read the Iliad seem to think of Hector of Troy as the true hero but I gave so many differing opinions to those of even the teacher that he had almost failed me were it not for my presentation that swayed him and a few classmates to my way of thinking.”
“Hector was no hero. I mean, what kind of hero is on the field of battle and turns tale and runs when the Greeks’ greatest warrior is seen running toward him, ready to kill him for killing his love? Of course that warrior was Achilles and he was out for blood for killing Achilles’s friend and lover, Patroclus. And who wouldn’t have turned tail and ran like a bitch if an enraged Achilles was coming for you? But it wasn’t just that. I reported everything from Paris being a cowardly little weasel and Helen was a cheating whore. In fact, I blamed the entire war and every death suffered at the feet of those two in particular. Because were it not for Paris having an affair with Helen and spiriting her away to Troy, none of it would have happened.”
“But more so than the story of the war itself, it was the story of Achilles and Patroclus that had always captured my heart and soul. What can you say about a love between two friends and lovers that has remained an epic tale for over two millennia? That is what I call relationship goals! Of course, my bestie Ariana would tell everyone it was Brad Pitt as Achilles that made me love the stories so much, but that is a secret I will take with me to my grave.”
Carter smiled as he leaned back on the bench, his eyes briefly scanning the sky overhead before gazing back to the Trojan Horse.
“But I didn’t come to give everyone a history lesson or talk about a gay romance that historians still debate between fact and fiction. The stories of Troy and Achilles that I have loved all these years are the reason I practically begged Mark Ward and Christian Underwood to find me a match, any match, and let me compete on the same battlefields that fascinated me since childhood. And they came through in a way that I never expected. I would have been happy being in the opener against anyone, but what did they give me instead? They gave me an early Christmas and birthday gift combined because for the first time ever, I get to team with my man, my love and future husband - Miles Kasey.”
“And as if the fact alone wasn’t thrilling enough, then we find out our opponents are two men who are as familiar with one another as Miles and I. And I am speaking of the last remaining remnants of probably the biggest threats as far as wrestling stables go in SCW - the Saviors. Goth and Peter Vaughn.”
Carter blinked, seemingly perplexed with his hands held out.
“I mean, what can you really say about either Goth or Peter Vaughn when it comes to their records and reputations inside of the ring, both here in SCW and elsewhere? I don’t mean to make Goth feel old by any means but when I was a kid, I was watching that man fight the likes of ‘Bulldog’ Bill Barnhart and Chris Shipman in some of the most epic and bloody clashes down in the AWA, Asylum Wrestling Alliance! In fact, I think it was the respectful rivalries between those three men and the clashes between them that were the first spark of a shining beacon that guided me to follow my path, my dream.”
“Goth is a former champion everywhere he has gone. World title, regional or tag, it didn’t seem to matter. When he set his sights on a championship, you had to feel sorry for whoever the poor sap was that was defending that championship because you knew it was on borrowed time. When Goth wanted to be a champion, he became one. That is his legacy in the sport! That is why he is a multi-time inductee in the Hall of Fame in SCW, AWA and probably a number of other places I don’t even know. He is THAT damn good! He is THE living legend and I am proud to say that I have been inside the ring against him more than once, and I am DAMN lucky to have walked away with a win under my belt at his expense! Not everyone can say that, especially if you’re like me and still in the relatively early stages of your in-ring career.”
“So Goth, please allow me to say this. Let me get the sappy part of this promo out of the way so that we can step inside of the ring one last time and kick it in the ass! I know this is just the lead up to your retirement match at Into the Void XIII, and I find no shame in admitting that I was heartbroken to hear about your impending retirement. But man, if anyone has earned the right for a rest, it’s you. And I believe I speak for everyone that the world of professional wrestling will be lesser without you in it.”
Carter then looked up and there was a somewhat more serious expression on his face as he stared hard into the camera.
“Which brings us to the other half of the Saviors, and Goth’s tag team partner, Peter Vaughn. The raining Internet champion, well… at least until we arrive at Pearl Harbor for Into the Void XIII and Miles writes a wrong and becomes a two-time Internet Champion.”
Carter shakes his head.
“Peter, I never really had anything against you. I mean aside from this in ring rivalry that you had with my fiance, absolutely nothing. I mean realistically speaking, you picked up some of the biggest wins against some of the best talent since you've arrived in Sin City Wrestling. Including myself! And while I'd like to think that I gave as good as I got, the fact remains that it was your arm that got raised when I challenged you for your Roulette Championship. Saying anything otherwise would be both a lie as well as hypocritical. I want respect inside of the ring, so who am I to deny it to somebody else who has more than earned it?”
“Which leaves me to ask the most obvious question, what happened to you? That last championship match that you had when you challenged Miles for the Internet Championship, damn man! That match is the stuff of legends! You know damn well that when it comes time to vote for Match of the Year, that one is going to be right up there high on the list of finalists! At least until you went and ruined it with how you picked up the win.”
Carter snorts back in disgust.
“Seriously Petey, you and Miles had that entire crowd in the palm of your hands! Everyone watching from the arena and on the webcast were leaning on their chairs, white knuckled on the armrests, captivated one hundred percent! So that begs the question, why did you do it? Why did you throw out all of that to get such a cheap win?”
“I suppose in true savior's fashion, it becomes the logic of a win is a win, especially when a championship is at stake. But from the way that match was going from start to finish, I expected more. I expected better, and so did everyone else! Miles deserved better! Is that why you did it? Is that why you took such a shortcut to end his Internet title reign? Because it looked like for the first time between the two of you, that he was about to end things in his favor? You just couldn't handle that thought, could you? The idea of not having a clean sweep over the man was too much and you decided to end it at a desperation, by any means necessary.”
“Well that's what this matches all about this coming weekend. Not just a chance for us to say our final goodbyes to your tag team partner, but also a chance to address and write a wrong that you committed. Oh don't get me wrong, peter! The respect is still there except for that one action. I don't like what you did, I like what you've become even less. And this weekend?”
Carter slowly stood up from the bench, now looking down into the camera.
“I'm going to make damn sure miles picks up that win against you, the one win that you've been dreading since the two of you first locked up.”
That being said, Carter tucked his hands into his jacket pockets and slowly started to walk away, the sound of his heels on the pavement echoing into the night until the camera slowly faded out.
