Post by chaos lite on Dec 8, 2012 23:43:25 GMT -4
”we want the world
and we want it... now”
and we want it... now”
dec.8.twelve12:54pm
The first time I met Aubrey J. Parker, I think it took me all of thirty minutes to decide exactly how I felt about this girl.
Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I suppose I should tell you why you should give a damn why I care, considering we’ve never been properly acquainted.
My name is Rose Alwell. If you see me sitting in this giant room, twenty-seven stories in the sky, surrounded by glass and expensive materials that belonged to a suit that I would never meet in my life, sitting in front of these two camera-men and you assumed I was an interviewer then you’d be correct... But that’s a little contrived, isn’t it? You probably had no idea. I’m giving myself too much credit.
No! Confidence.
Oh, who was I kidding? I considered bleaching my black hair when I found out I had this interview, because I didn’t want to risk having the same hair or hairstyle as Aubrey and looking like a poser.
The door opened and I swear, my heart stopped momentarily as one of the members of APW’s production crew poked his head in the door. An older, kinder gentleman... He gave me a small smile and beckoned me forward.
”Ms. Alwell? Ms. Parker just entered the building. We’d like you and one of the camera-men to begin shooting and meet her at the top of the elevator in five.”
He held up five fingers to emphasize this and backed out. I turned to the one camera-man I knew... A kid that was maybe a year or two younger than myself, Pete. He already had the camera pointed right at me, smirking as he squinted at me from behind the lens.
”Nervous?”
I nodded at him after a couple of seconds’ hesitation.
”A little, I think.”
”Ha, what the heck for?”
”She ‘doesn’t do interviews.’ I don’t know why she asked for this.”
He gently shrugged. He didn’t have anymore idea than I did, but the time to be nervous was over. I was just the interrogator. I was the one asking the hard hitting questions. Parker; she was the one who ought to be frightened, all things considered.
1:01pm
The elevator doors slid open and I put the biggest, most impressive smile imaginable on my face. She stepped out into the hallway and looked at me pleasantly. A young man, probably around my age was about one pace behind her and looked on, curiously.
”Good afternoon! I’m Rose-- Rose Alwell.”
I extended a hand to her, still smiling, praying to God that it wasn’t too much or too creepy. She didn’t hesitate to give me a gentle handshake, beaming back at me. It was a good sign, so far.
”Hey, Rose. I’m Aubrey.”
She turned slightly and gestured to the young man that accompanied her, who looked (somehow) less imposing than the petite woman that was standing beside him.
”Welcome to Cleveland! Hopefully we’ll be able to get a lot of things accomplished today.”
We did.
1:30pm
Our web broadcast went live at 1:30 on Saturday afternoon.
”Thanks for your time today. I understand that you don’t usually provide the press with time like this so it’s really, really appreciated.”
Pete warned me about this a few hours ago-- coming off as submissive. I wouldn’t notice it until I reviewed the broadcast later, but I subconsciously straightened my posture immediately after, to correct my own mistake. Parker may or may not have caught it. I couldn’t decipher that smile she wore.
”No need to thank me. I think this is a very necessary exception, wouldn’t you agree?”
”I think the World Heavyweight Championship is great reason to break the personal no-press rule. And I think your opponent, Sally Talfourd is another great reason, regardless of whether a championship is involved.”
This is when I noticed it. This... may be when I made up my mind.
Aubrey’s smile faded only for the slightest couple of seconds when I said Sally Talfourd and was replaced with what I would call the early stages of a scowl. She was swift, though. The plastic smile was back on her face within seconds and she answered the way a professional would.
”This match means a lot to me for many reasons and I think I wanted to be able to speak up about a lot of things before Sally and I go out there and put on Asylum’s most important main event... ever.”
”Then tell me, right now, exactly how you feel about Sally Talfourd.”
I was going to get to the bottom of this immediately.
”Don’t leave anything out.”
Again, her smile faded. She didn’t grimace or scowl this time but she gave me a smirk. There were a few seconds of silence, and I was almost positive that I wasn’t going to get a response from her. At one point she shot a glance over at Josh Cantor, the boy that came with her to the studio, but her eyes were back on me in an instant and she replied.
”I don’t feel anything about Sally Talfourd. She has the World Heavyweight Title, and I want it. Sally and I aren’t friends. I’ve never talked to her. I’ve never reached out to her and she’s never reached out to me. We’ve had a few exchanges on Twitter, at the expense of other people, but aside from that...
No feelings.”
”So there’s nothing you hold against Sally Talfourd? There’s no... underlying animosity or distaste for the World Champion?”
Once again, she stared at me for a few seconds. She smiled after a little and looked away toward her friend.
”Nope.”
She turned back to me, waiting patiently for me to continue.
”Alright. Well... what do you feel about some of the things Sally said about you this morning?”
”Specify.”
”About you not being the woman she believed you were. Sally referred to you as naive and said that you were-”
”Looking too far ahead.”
”...Yes. Sally’s concerned that you’re preoccupied with Christmas Chaos, and possibly still concerned with Meltdown and, I quote, Plan B’s.”
Aubrey leaned back in the chair and looked toward the floor, a finger curled against her lips as she sat in thought for a few seconds.
”You know, I wonder if it ever occurred to Sally that Phil Atken plays just as pivotal a role in this match as I do. I’ve said numerous times in the past that my one and only goal is to beat my opponent, but when you have an official in the ring that may not bring an unbiased opinion with him, saying ‘I’m only concerned about beating you’ isn’t going to cut it.
Regardless of who the better competitor is tomorrow night, it’s up to Phil Atken to do the right thing and call a fair World Title match. He’s not a referee. Reginald isn’t going to fire him for ‘making a mistake’ calling this match. And as I’ve said before, it doesn’t benefit Phil Atken to face two people at Christmas Chaos.
Call me judgmental, and sure, I could be wrong. Phil could call it right down the middle... but I’ve considered every possible outcome and scenario. I guess that’s more than the champ can say.
I have a Plan A. And a Plan B. And a Plan C. The situation calls for it, and I’m not naive enough to believe that I know my opponent OR the referee well enough to go out there with one game plan.
She says she’s smarter than me in the ring? Please. If anybody is naive, it’s her. She’s extraordinarily good, but since she’s been on Asylum, she’s never really faced anybody as good-- or better than her. She’s tricked herself into thinking she doesn’t need a backup plan because Sally Talfourd always gets it right the first time. Sally’s that damn good.
And she’s fooled herself brilliantly.”
”So you think you’re better than Sally Talf-”
”Is that exactly what I said?”
This time it was me that smirked, looking over at her calmly.
”In so many words.”
She laughed at that for a moment.
”I think I represent a lot of things that Sally doesn’t. She showed you the Four Pillars’ war room earlier today and told you that a lot of change and revolution was going to happen in there. That’s fine. I respect her for that.
But I’m going to make change and revolution happen out in the ring in Cleveland tomorrow night. Sally will make an excellent general, going into war, but when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, I’m confident in my own skills. I’ve got no reason to believe I can’t keep up with Sally.”
”People might say that you’re not ready for this match. You’ve spent so long at the top on Meltdown that you’ve grown accustomed to that level of competition... a level that comes nowhere near Sally’s.
Does that give you reason to believe you can’t keep up?”
”No.”
The smile faded again. I felt that I struck a nerve...
Good.
”I did what I had to do on Meltdown. I did my time, and there’s a reason that I did so well in the main event on Mondays.”
She shrugged.
”I went to Overdrive and I dominated in my first match over there too. No, I won’t compare either of those experiences to wrestling Sally Talfourd. In all honesty, I don’t know what’s in store at Asylum. I can only prepare to start from the bottom as the rookie. Again.
...Except this time, the rookie gets a World Title shot on day one. This time the rookie has to fight like it’s life or death.”
”Can you say that’s exactly fair to people like Anthony Bailey and Michael Callahan who many think are far more deserving of this title shot?”
”No, it’s not fair. But how fair are my chances in this match?”
”Just about as fair as Sally’s, technically.”
”Technically...”
”You really think that Phil Atken’s goal is to-”
”Excuse me, Rose. I’ve been in situations like this before. I was just in this situation three weeks ago. Look at what happened in that match and you’ll see exactly why I’m skeptical.”
”Well, pardon me but I don’t think you should let your paranoia rob everybody of a spectacular World Title match.”
She looked at me for a few seconds and hidden behind the smile was distaste. She didn’t like me. It took a little while to discover it, but I had confirmation.
”That’s not what’s happening. The world has high expectations of Sally Talfourd versus Aubrey J. Parker and the world’s going to get its five star main event.”
”If you win, the World Title match at Christmas Chaos becomes a triple threat elimination match.”
”That’s right.”
”And if you lose... I assume you move right to the back of the line.”
Daggers.
”What makes you assume that?”
”Well... you said it yourself. It’s not fair that you got this match in the first place. If you win, Reginald has no reason to feel that he made a mistake. But if you lose-”
”A lot of people have been running their mouths over these past few weeks, Rose.”
Her eyes... they didn’t leave mine. She was sitting upright, stiff in her chair, and in those few moments, I suddenly wished there were a few more feet of distance between us.
”There are a lot of people that think this will be a great match but there aren’t actually too many that think I can do it.
I get the words of encouragement; the stereotypical I believe in you, kid and good luck out there but how many of them do you actually think I can beat the great Sally... the Last Magician?”
”I’m guessing not many, in your eyes.”
”I want the title and I want it right now.
I know the old saying goes... the faster the rise, the harder the fall, but I’ve made a habit of sticking the landing. There are a LOT of people that want to see me crash and burn with a shot like this, and a lot of people that are ticked off that I’m even in the main event in the first place. I’ve accepted that. Everybody doubts me. Nobody thinks I’ve done anything to warrant this shot.
I don’t know if I’d be the ideal World Champion. I certainly know I don’t look like it... but I’ll never know if I don’t win it. Make no mistake that my intention is to walk into Christmas Chaos with that belt around my waist.”
”What are you willing to do to win it?”
She smirked.
”I want the title.
I want it right now.”
I glanced toward the camera, toward Pete, and then over toward her friend Josh who was looking with just as much curiosity as myself... and a smile that boasted as much confidence as Aubrey. I turned back to her.
”So you’d do anything?”
Nothing. No answer.
”You don’t like Sally Talfourd... Do you?”
She smiled at me, and her eyes pierced right through mine. I didn’t back down and I don’t think I showed any sort of weakness there. Maybe it was my earlier confirmation that she didn’t like me, but I felt a chill. It wouldn’t have mattered if she answered.
”Would you try to hurt Sally Talfourd if given the chance?”
”Yeah.”
”And... if Atken gave you a clear advantage in this match, would you take that?”
She grinned.
”Ha.”
She opened her mouth as if she was going to answer but closed it and smirked. I was prepared to ask her for closing comments, but she was a step ahead. She jolted ahead of me before I could get a word in.
”I think this was a fantastic interview, Rose. We’re about of time, right?”
I glanced over to Pete, who was indeed signaling that we had to end it.
”Yes. Thanks for your time, Aubrey. Good luck to you tomorrow night.”
”I appreciate that.”
She smiled at me, but I knew better. I saw those smiles in high school. Those bitches from the cheerleading team would give me those smiles when they passed me at pep rallies or in the cafeteria.
We stood, and I shook her hand. She didn’t say anything else to me before she left along with the young man, Josh.
I’d wished her luck, but I had plenty of confidence in her. She was cold.
Calculated.
Inquisitive.
I decided a little while ago that I didn’t entirely like Aubrey J. Parker. I didn’t know much about her, and I was sure everybody else had differing opinions. She seemed nice enough, but everything seemed off about it. I’m sure things would be told differently from her point of view though... I’m sure it was all a matter of perspective.
fin.
