A view of the field...
Fade in: Larry Tact walks down the steps of an apartment complex, onto the streets of New York City. The camera follows him via side profile, passing by some commonly seen storefronts in the process: a pizzeria, deli, Starbucks, barber shop, flower shop, Starbucks, bar, bakery, Starbucks... you get the idea. Tact has on a leather coat over his casual wear, along with a Steelers cap and sunglasses. He slings a duffel bag across his chest and over a shoulder while walking.
Tact: It's strange that Mephisto and Blue Cat have yet to respond again. Not because I expect them to respond, but... well... how can I put this...
Tact stops and turns, looking puzzled with a hand on his chin, then shrugging.
Tact: I thought there was more interesting stuff TO DO in the GRAND REALM of Mephisto. I mean, doesn't he have all those machinations and dismal-looking facades to feature? Aren't there HORRORS beyond HORRORS in that place, not to mention Blue Cat with quite possibly a silver bullet in its... his... her... its belly? And by 'silver bullet,' I of course mean a Coors Light can. Or am I overrating the quality of the real estate and its inhabitants?
Tact shrugs again, continues walking, the camera catching him from behind this time.
Tact: Or maybe Mephisto's shown too much already? Perhaps there's only SO MUCH horror that one world can be exposed to in a given period of time? (chuckles) And I was ALMOST starting to be amused by it, too...
Tact stops at a crosswalk. The camera comes around to face him, hands in his coat pockets.
Tact: Maybe it's for the better though? After all, WFW needs to keep SOME integrity. There's nothing more telling than the story of a match, and yet, there still need to be people interested in taking seats at the arena if those stories are to be told. We can't have the gutter freak show turning away the fans who are actually interested in seeing WRESTLING... as in, the product that's being advertised for by WFW? Yeah, THAT wrestling. The kind that I put on in a night-in, night-out basis. Not the garbage we'll probably all witness in half the matches at Great Expectations.
The crosswalk sign is still on "Don't Walk" and a whole light cycle has gone through. Tact smacks the pole and crosses anyway.
Tact: Stupid things. Half-assed performances, like these city lights, are what bring down companies. I hear they even let in Thirteen and Pitt Symphalyous? A man with no sense and a thing who thinks he has too much sense. Combined, I guess they almost equal a whole person. But one is already raving, about me strangely, though I've never even faced the kid. The other is having trouble grasping onto why L.O.V.E. is going to beat the tar out of them. ALMOST a whole person. Combined.
Tact turns at a corner, walking past the grafittied side of a building.
Tact: You've got the Dan Ryans, Beasts, Wells, and Reds, thinking they're going to breeze through the rounds because they're something special. Bull****! There's no telling what can happen in a tournament of this magnitude, and this format. Otherwise, I wouldn't even be paying attention to Mephisto and Blue Cat. I don't WANT to watch their B-movies, but I do it anyway, becauee I'm smart. I prepare. I don't just walk in thinking half effort is good enough. Get your heads out of your asses and GIVE a little. Most of these guys are afraid they'll lose and need an excuse. That's about the only preparation they're concerned with. Damage control for they're ****ing egos. What a joke.
Passing the outskirts of a park, Tact looks at the kids playing basketball and kickball on courts and fields set up.
Tact: Most of the entrants of this tournament are almost worse than school kids. Using lines like "not caring about this tournamnet" don't mean jack**** here. We're all in it, and that's the way it is. It means NOTHING if you want to or don't want to be in this tournament! Did I say I wanted to be entered? I see it as an opportunity. Because that's what it is for everyone, a chance to accomplish something. You all would rather be a bunch of close-minded ***ks. Immature. Ignorant. Undeserving. You make people like Mephisto look GOOD. At least he has a purpose going into this tournament.
Tact enters the park through its gates, walking down the path. Camera catches the side profile.
Tact: You all make Jean Rabesque look good, and he's an egomaniac if I EVER saw one. But at least he cares enough to try. Of course, he's in a similar situation as I in this opening round, a rarity in itself. But that's just another way this tournament opens up different opportunities. And here's something else that I'll say, directly to you, Jean...
Tact stops and turns again, facing the camera.
Tact: GOOD LUCK. I hope you and Johnson advance to the second round.
Tact smiles.
Tact: Then, when I knock you out of ANOTHER tournament, you won't be able to say you didn't have a decent partner this time. He's a wrestler, after all-- a National Champ, for what it's worth... not a SUICIDAL KILLER or anything. (smirks briefly) You know, Jean? But I expect seeing you in the second round. You'll see how CAPABLE a wrestler I still am. And you'll regret wondering, you bastard child of Canada. We aren't done.
Tact turns and continues walking. Side profile.
Tact: Of course, I won't be knocking anyone out of this tournament alone. In fact, I've been dropped into something resembling FAMILIAR territory, regarding my current partner. Familiar in that, 'I've come to know you like the back of a book' kind of way That's sort of how it was been between us in GLCW, wasn't it Nemesis? I know, you're Robbie Wright now, but old habits die hard. Besides, just like Savoy, the name may change but the man is still the man. I'm not going to lie, we're both changed some from when we last shared a ring. We're both moving on. We're also both on the same side now, for the time being. But hey, I can deal with it if you can. Let's leave all the talk about chemistry for later. Like I said, we know each other fairly well. After all the beatings we've given each other, it's an inevitable side effect. (shrugs) For now, let's focus on what we both would rather do, and that's get our fresh start going positively. I don't think either of us expected to be a team, but as far as I'm concerned, we could take either of our opposition on solo. As long as we don't beat ourselves, we can yield the same results as a team.
Tact walks out the other side of the park, stops, and faces the camera.
Tact: This might be the only round people can half-ass things and still escape with a win in their match. I'm not one of those people. I don't expect you to be, either, Nemesis, and despite the FUNHOUSE OF DOOM... I don't expect our opponents to be dragging their feet come match time. Which means the rest of WFW can watch and learn, because we're going to show how it SHOULD be done. You might want to take notes... you too, Ohio Jean.
Tact flashes a malicious grin and takes hold of the duffel bag strap, heading towards a gym across the car-congested street. Fade out.
