Post by Andrew Jacobsen on Feb 9, 2013 22:40:40 GMT -6
We open on Andrew Jacobsen sitting next to Danielle Chase as she lies in a hospital bed. Andrew’s head is in his hands, and Danielle’s half-asleep, barely noticing his presence in the room. Andrew still bears the battle scars from his match at Metamorphosis: healing cuts, bruises, what the pretty EMT with the Australian accent had warned might be a cracked rib, the one that bothered him every time he breathed…but none of it mattered. The only injury he could think about was the one that had put him in this room, watching over her. He chuckles bitterly to himself, shaking his head. This rouses Chase, who glances over groggily.
”Whassofunny?”
He shakes his head, exhaling slowly and looking over at her with nothing short of a mournful expression.
”Here I am, looming over you and acting like I’m some sort of guardian angel…I couldn’t protect you there, what makes this any different?”
She rolls her eyes, managing to regain some of her cool, sarcastic demeanor even in her current state. Chase tries to sit up in the bed, and manages a few inches of extra height. She uses this to stare over at Andrew, forcing an eyebrow up in disbelief.
”Oh, so we’re going the martyr route already? I knew the risks of accompanying you down there. I wouldn’t have said yes if I weren’t ready to take them. And besides, it was supposed to be a one-time deal.”
Andrew shakes his head, standing up and beginning to slowly pace back and forth around the room.
”I shouldn’t have put you in that position. I know how…how they work. I should have known they’d do something…and if I hadn’t ducked, you wouldn’t have gotten hit. Danielle, I’m sorry, but nothing you say is going to make me not feel like I’m responsible for what happened here.”
She throws her hands up in surrender, wincing a bit as the sudden motion jerks her head around, and drops them back into her lap, muttering in disgust before fixing him with an angry glare.
”Jacobsen. Look at me.”
He continues to look away, feeling shame eating away at him from within. Danielle snaps at him, fed up with his act already.
”JACOBSEN!”
After a second, he looks back at her silently. She beckons him closer, and he obliges, moving in. She’s about to open her mouth again, but Andrew cuts her off, speaking quietly but forcefully to her.
”Danielle, there’s a reason I always feel like this after anything happens to the people in my life. I always put them first, because I don’t want to be one of those people who puts themselves first and lets it go to their head like some egomaniac. And no matter what, people keep getting hurt. Either in spite of what I’m doing or because of it…and I don’t know the difference anymore. Danielle, I’m going to do something selfish and stupid right now. Don’t lose your mind.”
She rolls her eyes, crossing her arms and looking up at him expectantly.
”And what would that be?”
Andrew sighs, sitting down, and rubs the bridge of his nose, glancing away. He starts speaking while looking away, his voice nonetheless clear enough for her to hear it.
”I’ve been lying to you…and to myself. I wanted to tell myself that anything we’d done was me…trying to play a part. But that meant I was playing you…I was USING you. And that just wasn’t something I could live with. But…the more I thought about it, and especially after that match…I realized that it wasn’t a coincidence. The rationalization might have been based on something that wasn’t…but there was something real at its core. The truth is, Danielle…I know I haven’t always acted like it, and…I sent signals to the contrary…but I’m tired of suppressing it for my nerves’ sake: I care about you, Danielle. I care about you like I don’t think I have before. I’m seeing everything slip away. I don’t want you to walk away too.”
She blinks, in shock. Danielle shakes her head, trying to make sense of what he just said.
”Okay, you can’t have just said what I thought you said. Because…Andrew, look, I…I want you to give this some time. Think about it.”
He shakes his head, looking up at her almost pleadingly.
”Please, Danielle. I’m begging you. Don’t go.”
Danielle stares him down for a few seconds, shaking her head a few seconds later as she leans back.
”I’m not going to be in much of a traveling shape for a while, Andrew…but I’ll do what I can. Just…I want you to think about what you said. I don’t want you saying things to make me feel better, okay?”
Andrew grins sheepishly.
”Not even if I said I’d run out and get you chocolate? I know how bland hospital food can be…”
Chase pauses, looking at him for a few seconds. Andrew grins at her, and she can’t help but smile back at him. Chase rolls her eyes, sighing melodramatically, and nods.
”Okay, fine. You can do that. But nothing else, you hear?”
Andrew grins, standing and offering a salute to her.
”Yes ma’am. Now you get some rest…that’s an order.”
Danielle chuckles, returning a weak salute as she lays back, closing her eyes.
”Aye, sir.”
Andrew smiles, watching her for a moment before turning and slipping out the door. We fade to black on the slightly ajar door swinging closed.
”Some people say that we fall so we can learn to get back up. Everything we lose means we gain a life lesson, or some other benefit. Misery builds character, right? Well, if that’s the case…”
”I’ve got enough character for this entire company.”
“The Ace managed to get the job done. It took a bloody, brutal war in the Dragon’s Den and assistance from Judas Danielson, but he is the three-time, three-time, three-time National Champion. An honor he shares with Joe Everyman. Unlike Joe, who, while a good guy, doesn’t seem to quite know who he is, The Ace’s very sure of who he is. He’s the king. He’s got all the cards. And me? I was fated to fail…to keep on lying. I’m no liar. I fully expected that I could have won that match. And who knows? Maybe if I had caught those brass knuckles, I would be the one who could gloat. But I’m not, so I won’t gloat. I’ll recover. I’ll rebuild. I’ll evolve.”
“I’m sick of fighting and getting nowhere. It’s not enough to fight fair and lose…I need to win. I need respect. And if I need to bend the rules a bit to get that done, then I’ll do whatever it takes. I’m not going to abandon who I am…but I’m going to have to take a look at what I need to do to survive. And part of that is finding some way to put my demons to rest.”
“One way to take that step down the road is to put down the overgrown carbon copy that is Xander Famularo. He might act like he’s different from his father, but when I look at the two I just see one man. You use the same tortured bathroom humor jokes, you both show zero respect, and you both believe that you’re the greatest thing to ever step into the squared circle. Xander, you haven’t had that reality check. You still think you’re a demigod, not helped by the tremendous hype job you’ve received throughout your entire career. You still need the other shoe to drop.”
“Allow me to oblige you.”
“You’ve done so much for me, in your infinite wisdom. You’ve been so vigilant to remind me of “my place” in this company. You’ve tried to press that damn hierarchy down on me again and again. Tell me that my accomplishments mean nothing. That I mean nothing. You try to break my soul just like everyone else has…and all I can say to you is that I won’t rest until I burn this corporate system to the ground. I won’t rest until men like you are ripped from your pedestals, smashed upon your own hubris and greed. I want to tear your image apart…and remind you that you’re just as mortal as men like me.”
“So The Ace can crow and strut, polishing that title. Xander can dismiss everyone else as peons beneath his notice. And Mike…you can act like you’re still deserving of a fourth World Title shot in a row. But the fact of the matter is, this company is suffering from a bloat of ego. You have so much respect for yourself that you can’t spare it for anyone that crosses your path. You need to bleed some of that off…alleviate the pressure on your brains. Maybe then, your heads will clear and you’ll see the truth.”
“We’re all human. Some of us just have the strength to admit it.”[/i]
”Whassofunny?”
He shakes his head, exhaling slowly and looking over at her with nothing short of a mournful expression.
”Here I am, looming over you and acting like I’m some sort of guardian angel…I couldn’t protect you there, what makes this any different?”
She rolls her eyes, managing to regain some of her cool, sarcastic demeanor even in her current state. Chase tries to sit up in the bed, and manages a few inches of extra height. She uses this to stare over at Andrew, forcing an eyebrow up in disbelief.
”Oh, so we’re going the martyr route already? I knew the risks of accompanying you down there. I wouldn’t have said yes if I weren’t ready to take them. And besides, it was supposed to be a one-time deal.”
Andrew shakes his head, standing up and beginning to slowly pace back and forth around the room.
”I shouldn’t have put you in that position. I know how…how they work. I should have known they’d do something…and if I hadn’t ducked, you wouldn’t have gotten hit. Danielle, I’m sorry, but nothing you say is going to make me not feel like I’m responsible for what happened here.”
She throws her hands up in surrender, wincing a bit as the sudden motion jerks her head around, and drops them back into her lap, muttering in disgust before fixing him with an angry glare.
”Jacobsen. Look at me.”
He continues to look away, feeling shame eating away at him from within. Danielle snaps at him, fed up with his act already.
”JACOBSEN!”
After a second, he looks back at her silently. She beckons him closer, and he obliges, moving in. She’s about to open her mouth again, but Andrew cuts her off, speaking quietly but forcefully to her.
”Danielle, there’s a reason I always feel like this after anything happens to the people in my life. I always put them first, because I don’t want to be one of those people who puts themselves first and lets it go to their head like some egomaniac. And no matter what, people keep getting hurt. Either in spite of what I’m doing or because of it…and I don’t know the difference anymore. Danielle, I’m going to do something selfish and stupid right now. Don’t lose your mind.”
She rolls her eyes, crossing her arms and looking up at him expectantly.
”And what would that be?”
Andrew sighs, sitting down, and rubs the bridge of his nose, glancing away. He starts speaking while looking away, his voice nonetheless clear enough for her to hear it.
”I’ve been lying to you…and to myself. I wanted to tell myself that anything we’d done was me…trying to play a part. But that meant I was playing you…I was USING you. And that just wasn’t something I could live with. But…the more I thought about it, and especially after that match…I realized that it wasn’t a coincidence. The rationalization might have been based on something that wasn’t…but there was something real at its core. The truth is, Danielle…I know I haven’t always acted like it, and…I sent signals to the contrary…but I’m tired of suppressing it for my nerves’ sake: I care about you, Danielle. I care about you like I don’t think I have before. I’m seeing everything slip away. I don’t want you to walk away too.”
She blinks, in shock. Danielle shakes her head, trying to make sense of what he just said.
”Okay, you can’t have just said what I thought you said. Because…Andrew, look, I…I want you to give this some time. Think about it.”
He shakes his head, looking up at her almost pleadingly.
”Please, Danielle. I’m begging you. Don’t go.”
Danielle stares him down for a few seconds, shaking her head a few seconds later as she leans back.
”I’m not going to be in much of a traveling shape for a while, Andrew…but I’ll do what I can. Just…I want you to think about what you said. I don’t want you saying things to make me feel better, okay?”
Andrew grins sheepishly.
”Not even if I said I’d run out and get you chocolate? I know how bland hospital food can be…”
Chase pauses, looking at him for a few seconds. Andrew grins at her, and she can’t help but smile back at him. Chase rolls her eyes, sighing melodramatically, and nods.
”Okay, fine. You can do that. But nothing else, you hear?”
Andrew grins, standing and offering a salute to her.
”Yes ma’am. Now you get some rest…that’s an order.”
Danielle chuckles, returning a weak salute as she lays back, closing her eyes.
”Aye, sir.”
Andrew smiles, watching her for a moment before turning and slipping out the door. We fade to black on the slightly ajar door swinging closed.
”Some people say that we fall so we can learn to get back up. Everything we lose means we gain a life lesson, or some other benefit. Misery builds character, right? Well, if that’s the case…”
”I’ve got enough character for this entire company.”
“The Ace managed to get the job done. It took a bloody, brutal war in the Dragon’s Den and assistance from Judas Danielson, but he is the three-time, three-time, three-time National Champion. An honor he shares with Joe Everyman. Unlike Joe, who, while a good guy, doesn’t seem to quite know who he is, The Ace’s very sure of who he is. He’s the king. He’s got all the cards. And me? I was fated to fail…to keep on lying. I’m no liar. I fully expected that I could have won that match. And who knows? Maybe if I had caught those brass knuckles, I would be the one who could gloat. But I’m not, so I won’t gloat. I’ll recover. I’ll rebuild. I’ll evolve.”
“I’m sick of fighting and getting nowhere. It’s not enough to fight fair and lose…I need to win. I need respect. And if I need to bend the rules a bit to get that done, then I’ll do whatever it takes. I’m not going to abandon who I am…but I’m going to have to take a look at what I need to do to survive. And part of that is finding some way to put my demons to rest.”
“One way to take that step down the road is to put down the overgrown carbon copy that is Xander Famularo. He might act like he’s different from his father, but when I look at the two I just see one man. You use the same tortured bathroom humor jokes, you both show zero respect, and you both believe that you’re the greatest thing to ever step into the squared circle. Xander, you haven’t had that reality check. You still think you’re a demigod, not helped by the tremendous hype job you’ve received throughout your entire career. You still need the other shoe to drop.”
“Allow me to oblige you.”
“You’ve done so much for me, in your infinite wisdom. You’ve been so vigilant to remind me of “my place” in this company. You’ve tried to press that damn hierarchy down on me again and again. Tell me that my accomplishments mean nothing. That I mean nothing. You try to break my soul just like everyone else has…and all I can say to you is that I won’t rest until I burn this corporate system to the ground. I won’t rest until men like you are ripped from your pedestals, smashed upon your own hubris and greed. I want to tear your image apart…and remind you that you’re just as mortal as men like me.”
“So The Ace can crow and strut, polishing that title. Xander can dismiss everyone else as peons beneath his notice. And Mike…you can act like you’re still deserving of a fourth World Title shot in a row. But the fact of the matter is, this company is suffering from a bloat of ego. You have so much respect for yourself that you can’t spare it for anyone that crosses your path. You need to bleed some of that off…alleviate the pressure on your brains. Maybe then, your heads will clear and you’ll see the truth.”
“We’re all human. Some of us just have the strength to admit it.”[/i]