Dirge stands and holds out his arm as the tailor measures the length of the sleeve, checking to be sure that it is correct. Finding that the length is correct he measures around the sleeve but notices that the seams are splitting due to the size of Dirge’s massive arms. He slides the jacket off of Dirge as his assistant takes the proper measurements. The two men walk off to make the necessary alterations as Dirge reaches down and pulls a small glass of Brandy from the stool that sits next to him. He takes a drink and smiles with pleasure at the flavor then places the glass back down. He stands silently for a second looking at himself in the mirror, the reflection and his own dark piercing eyes staring back at him. The look on his face slowly changes from an even and relaxed expression to his confident smirk as he admires the quality of the white button down dress shirt.
Dirge: Obviously this match easily qualifies as the biggest event of their less than spectacular careers. Kahuna is right about one thing…while I don’t respect or consider Grier, Sinner or Hackett threats in this match I won’t overlook them either. Only a fool dismisses an opponent out of hand as not being in some way a potential problem and while I consider the three of them an equitable trade for a bag of fertilizer that doesn’t mean I’ll ignore them. Obviously Grier thinks that mocking my name, impersonating performers from other promotions and blabbering on and on that no one understands me when I speak is the way to go when it comes to earning him some cheap brownie points with the fans and his ad hoc assemblage of team mates. You think I’m embarrassing myself and my teammates ? If I’m not mistaken, and I rarely make mistakes, we’re not stuck next to your name on the match marquee. That would embarrass me kid.
Dirge places his hand on the sleeve and runs it up and down, admiring the quality of the silk. Finally he stops and puts his hand behind his head, pulling his hair back into a ponytail. He holds it for a few seconds as he just looks himself in the eyes. He lets out a short laugh as something comes to mind along the path of his upcoming return match.
Dirge:If anyone needs to get his life in order Grier it’s you, not me. You obviously talk a great game and if the match were to be won by sticking one of you in a cheerleader uniform, handing you pom poms and team cheers you guys would win hands down. After all, if last trite bundle of slobbering idiocy is any indication of what I should be expecting from you on Sunday I might as well bring an arm chair and a copy of the New York Times crossword to keep myself awake because you sure as hell won’t succeed at that. It amuses me that you have the temerity to mock what myself, Baggs and Jarek have achieved when you yourself have made absolutely NO impact on this promotion. What have you done that makes you worthy of sharing a ring with us ? You claim that you’re going to show us how the game is played, that you’re going to be the lone survivor. I’d hate to tell you kid, but I’ve seen talents far greater than you go into equally as challenging situations as the one you face on Sunday with a confidence level that would make yours seem miniscule by comparison…
Dirge’s smirk increases and is accompanied by a vile gleam in his eyes.
Dirge:They fell to the same crushing defeat that you will and they were never the same. Somehow I don’t see you as the type of man who possesses the strength to overcome a blow that will cut so deeply into your ego and walk out of it as a better man for the experience. Do yourself a favor kid and quit while you’re ahead, because for all the piss and vinegar you spewed in that bush league attempt at a promo that I had to sit though I saw nothing that would indicate that you possess enough ability to carry your team to victory. Your leader is Kahuna. Be a good little soldier and listen to what he has to say. He knows me more than anyone else in RAWF does and he is your best chance for getting by me, the Establishment and Apocalypse. Oh…and don’t think that we don’t have any surprises in store for you and the rest of RAWF because you just never know.
The tailor and his assistant return with the modified jacket and hold it up to Dirge with a smile on his face. The jacket is a shiny midnight black with silver buttons on it and two shoulder lapels. The seams are tight and strong and the buttons shine like stars in the light of the private room. The tailor holds the jacket up and stands on the stool, assisted by his assistant who holds him by the back to make sure that he doesn’t topple over onto the floor. The man slides the jacket onto Dirge by his arms and stands silently as Dirge slides it all the way on and pulls it into a comfortable position. He stands and looks at it for a few moments, admiring the craftsmanship of it. He looks up into the mirror and holds his hand down for the glass. When he doesn’t immediately get it he looks into the mirror to the tailor and his assistant and scowls. The two men turn white as sheets and hand it to him. He takes a sip and smiles, looking at the dress jacket again. He nods at the men and they both grin, taking the coat from him. The assistant drapes it over his arm and the two men walk out of the changing room and disappear.
Dirge:Of course placing you and the phrase “you don’t know” in the same statement is more than a colossal understatement. It borders on prophetic.
He pauses and takes another drink, taking his gold watch from his pocket and checking the time. He nods his head and places it back in his pocket then takes another shot from the glass and swirls the ice and liquid around in it for as he speaks.
DirgeNow...Hackett, Sinner you boys both surprise me and please me at the same time. Oddly enough you two have managed to do both through the same action...or lack there of. You both show incredible foresight by your conspicuous absence leading into this month’s Pay-Per-View. I don’t know what the reason for this is and honestly I couldn’t give a damn less. Maybe you both decided upon seeing the card that you’d do a much more rewarding and memorable service to humanity if you left RAWF and found jobs at the local deli or Subway shop making sandwiches for hungry people. Maybe a team of scientists are using you two as guinea pigs to study the medicinal values of blandness in conquering insomnia. Maybe they’re using you two to study the brain patterns of the terminally brainless as a way to conquer the genetic intellectual shortcomings of the human race. Whatever the reason for your extended silences is it’s the safest route the two of you could take coming into this Sunday’s Pay-Per-View. Do yourselves a favor and continue it until long after the show is over and your paychecks come and go. Just enjoy and appreciate having the opportunity to share the ring with men like the Elite Establishment on a theoretically level playing field. Even in defeat you might manage to make yourselves look like you’re worth something. I doubt it...but stranger things have been known to happen in the history of man.
He pauses to take another drink before setting the glass down and pulling his cell phone out. He flips it open and punches a few buttons then listens to his messages. He makes a mental note of them and flips the phone down, placing it back in the waist cradle.
Dirge:Before I wrap things up by responding to what Kahuna had said I suppose I could to a tremendous favor to the boy who would be king, that “boy” of course being you Croc. It would seem to me that you missed the entire point of what I was trying to tell you. Instead of focusing on the instructions that I gave you, you chose to obsess about the few criticisms that I leveled in your direction. What’s the matter lad…did I hurt your feelings ? Is the almighty and perfect Croc, the man who sees himself as the quintessential example of what a man should be, whimpering like an angry child because the person he openly professed to look up to sternly chastised him for his childish behavior ? It sure as hell looks that way. Of all the things I had thought you were not beneath doing I figured that you’d never stoop to those insipid and moronic homosexual innuendos. Come now Croc…even you can do better than that. If you want to use my injury as a transparent attempt at humiliating me go right ahead and do so as much as you like, it really doesn’t matter. The facts alone speak well enough of me to destroy that argument.
Dirge pauses for a moment and smirks, his amusement at everything Croc has said very obvious. He looks back into the mirror and just stares silently into it, his gaze intense. As he speaks his voice is thick with disgust. It’s beyond obvious that he’s talking down to Croc, making it a point to patronize and insult him.
Dirge:If you seriously think that I’m washed up it’s you who’s deserving of pity, such grandiose idiocy makes you no better than children like Grier and Matt Higgerson. I don’t need your pity Croc. The pity of the deluded isn’t worth the breath that was wasted in spewing it forth. You call the Establishment a joke when your own group has accomplished less than the so called “New Blood” ? Personally I’d say you’re losing your perspective on things…that is if it isn’t already a long time gone. If you’re three times the man I ever was that makes you something that few men will ever be lucky enough to accomplish because to even be half the champion and talent that I am is a daunting enough task for most mere men like yourself. It would be a sad day for me if I had to use your foul name to get myself over with anyone, thankfully that will never be the case. If I recall correctly it was you who first invoked my name in the hope that it would get you noticed and not the other way around as you seem to want everyone to think. It’d be best for you to keep your history straight boy because right now all you’re serving to do is look even more an ass than most people already think you do. Do yourself a favor and find the rock that you crawled out from under, dig yourself down nice and deep into the earth and never emerge from it again because threatening me is well known to be career suicide. You might think yourself the greatest athlete and champion that this promotion has ever seen, but until you capture the World Title and use it to carry the promotion like I did for the first five months of its renewed existence than you aren’t even worthy of scouring the sweat stains out of my jock strap after the show. Crawl back into your hole little man and don’t come out until you’ve learned that it takes more than a cute catchphrase and a surly attitude to come close to equaling what I’ve done in and for RAWF because like it or not you’re a long way from even being equal to me.
The shot focuses on the reflection of Dirge’s eyes in the mirror and his voice takes on that icy tone that is becoming so familiar as of late.
Dirge:And we both know it.
The shot moves back out to Dirge again and his tone relaxes, it passes from icy and hostile to almost bored and disinterested, as if what he’s about to say is so absurd a notion that he’s only saying it because it’s true and needs to be said.
Dirge:Should you manage to beat Shawn for the World Title at Philadelphia Freedom it will be a very dark day for RAWF and wrestling as a whole. Just remember Croc that putting a gold belt around the waist of an ass doesn’t make it a saddle and putting a gold belt around the waist of a Croc doesn’t make it anymore than a glorified snake. Remember that well because both statement apply very well to you.
Dirge relaxes for a second and moves the Brandy glass, holding it in his left hand as he sits down. He lifts it to his mouth and tips it back, draining the remains into his gullet and placing the now empty crystal glass on the floor. He stays seated on the stool and folds his massive arms across his chest, showing some of his assortment of tattoos through the sleeves of the dress shirt. He looks up on the hanger and admires one of the tailor made dress shirts that he’s had made for him, smiling in appreciation of it’s beauty. He stops and takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly and closing his eyes for a few moments. When he resumes speaking he leaves them closed.
Dirge:With those punks out of the way for at least another promo I can finally address the one man in this match whom I respect that isn’t a team mate of mine. Yes Kahuna, I actually do respect you and despite what your pea brained manager said I didn’t issue a “thinly veiled” challenge. I don’t “thinly veil” and you know it so tell your manager to pay attention to what he’s saying before he starts shooting off at the lip. He should try thinking with his brain instead of using it for a seat, its worth more that way. Speaking of brains Kahuna you should talk to the children on your team, it seems that Grier suffers from a permanent case of mush mind and the other two are lost in another world somewhere. They could use your guidance to find out how to become real wrestlers and not just a trio of loud mouthed low card curtain jerkers.
Dirge opens his eyes and grins at this, the camera focusing on his reflection in the mirror again. The grin stays in place as he continues speaking, his tone taking on a amused air.
Dirge:Any time you want to pull that gigantic monkey off your back by trying to beat me Kahuna I’m certainly happy to oblige. If it’s for a Title that would be even better but if it’s just for the joy of once again mixing it up with you that would great too. As far as your team goes you might want to take another look at them. Sinner may have won the TV strap, but he didn’t do much of a job holding it. Grier is just a kid with too big a mouth and too little respect. As far as Hackett goes the kid seems like he decided that it was better to fall on his axe rather than get his head removed by it. Personally of the low level “talent” in this match Hackett is the smartest one on your team. My suggestion for Sunday is this Kahuna…we let my boys beat the holy hell out of your boys in one ring while you and I steal the show in the other one. It’s already a foregone conclusion that Magnum and Baggs can handle those three by themselves and with that kid Apocalypse in there it’ll all be over but the shouting before you and I even get out there. After all Kahuna you and I are the biggest draws in this entire promotion and everyone knows it. We were the ones who built up the World Title with the biggest feud since the promotion got started up, we carried the promotion on our backs…me with my World Heavyweight Title and you with the reign you had with the Ironman Title that turned it into the number two title in RAWF. One thing is for certain, with you and I involved in this match it’s got a very good chance to outsell the Main Event…after all Shawn is a great champion but that other guy...well, they’ll hire anyone these days.
The scene fades out as the two men return to the dressing area with two garment bags. One of them they hang over a hanger and the other they open up and place the hanging dress shirts in. Dirge pulls his Gold card out and hands it to the proprietor of the store, sending him scurrying off to attend to the bill. The assistant pours Dirge another glass of Brandy and Dirge adjusts the collar of his shirt and takes another pull from the glass.
