Chapter 10 - Carnage

[Dave Rydell]

Post Synergy

Dave Rydell is backstage with his Co-Op Title slung over his shoulder. He has his gym bag on the other shoulder and is leaving the arena. Tim, or Ted…that one interviewer from before catches him before he exits.

Tim, yeah, it’s Tim: Mr. Rydell! A quick word before you leave for the night?

Dave: Sure thing Ted.

Tim: It’s Tim. Anyway, how do you feel getting a huge win over the UGWC World Champion and the #1 Contender in your match tonight, successfully retaining your titles with Angie Vaughn?

Dave: Look, Ted. It was a team effort. We have made this known before it doesn’t matter who gets the win. Whether it’s me, or whether it’s Angie…we are a team. And the TEAM did phenomenally tonight. I’ve never been happier. We have two successful defenses under our belts. We are both moving forward to amazing nights at Horizons. She has a chance to become the new #1 contender for the World Title and I wish her all the best int he world. I, however, have a more grueling challenge in a physical sense. The Carnage match I have a chance to become a double champion here for the first time in my time here.

Tim: Well I wish you the best of luck, Mr. Rydell.

Dave: Thanks Ted. Catch you next week. I’ve got to run.

Dave walks off before Tim can say anything. Fade out.

——

December 7, 2018 - Resolutions

Most of you sit there and wonder, why aren’t we seeing a whole week of cats and bars like we normally do with Dave and Angie? I’ll tell you, this is going to be a bit different. See, with the closing of the year I want to go ahead and bring up things that people normally do around this time. Resolutions for the new year. Many people say they’re going to go to the gym. Get that membership they’ve put on the back burner for so long. Then they do it, and they go for about a month. The gyms are packed. They get tired. And by March, empty wastelands. Why? Because those resolutioners only go to not re-rack the weights. They don’t know proper gym etiquette. Regardless. This is my list of resolutions.

My first resolution of the new year. I want to be a better father. I have a teenage daughter. She is my light. She is an incredible kid, and I am so thankful that she understands what I do for a living. I bring this up because I want to be a better father so she doesn’t turn into a sniveling asshole like one person I will spend next Monday with. Travis Pierce. Listen, man. You have gotten the best of me in certain situations. You have gotten the best of many people. But the thing you fail to realize is that you have been bested more times than that. Hell, even I have beaten you. That’s right, Dave Rydell…the laughing stock of this company has beaten you. Yet all you did was cry and complain and make false accusations at me. Well, Travis, they did not come to be. So now, you get a chance to get stuck with me inside that grueling carnage match. A match that I have been in before. A match that I know allllllll too well. Travis Pierce, your days of being this “triumphant icon” are completely numbered.

My second resolution is to instill fear in my opponents every week in 2019. Fear. What a fun word, is it not? The definition of fear, as defined by google is: an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Which brings me to one of the other competitors of this match. Fear himself. Horizons has not been good to you, old friend. Hell, just last year you lost to me. It was one of the most competitive matches we have had against each other. Through and through. Yet a few weeks ago, I slipped up and you got me. Yet here we are just a few days from Horizons. I do know that one thing is for certain. You will not ever win at Horizons. And that is your single biggest fear.

My third resolution is to potentially find love. Not the kind of love you find at a bar on a random week night. No sir. The kind of love that finds you pining for each other day after day. Finding that ever lasting person to spend your life with. I could easily go to a bar and find someone like say….Roxy Cotton. A busty blonde dullard who thinks she’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. Not a chance. Those days are over. Roxy, while you have a great in ring skillset, you are not cut out for the Carnage match. You have bested me one on one. But when the gold is on the line, you don’t stand a single chance. Case and point, go back and rewatch Battleground. The gold was on the line. You had all the reasons to have a ruthless offense against us. And yet you came up short. Just like you will at Horizons.

My fourth resolution is strictly for me. Continue defending the Co-Operative titles with my phenomenal partner, Angie Vaughn. I want to kick off 2019 as one half of the UGWC Co-Op Champions and the UGWC Chaos Champion. That is my resolution to me.

My fifth and final resolution. Bring order back to this company. Stop the nonsense title reigns. Stop the unworthy competitors from holding a prestigious title, which let’s face it…that is all of the belts here in this company. I started with my partner Angie Vaughn. She is going to continue with the World Title. And I am going to start this Monday with the Chaos Title. That’s right, Bordy, I’m coming for you and that belt. You aren’t as great as you may think. Your days as the Chaos Champion are absolutely numbered. And at the end of the night, Dave Rydell will stand tall with the UGWC Chaos Championship for the second time.

Monday. Horizons. The dawning of a new era.

——

December 9, 2018

Dave is standing outside of his house in Chicago. He pulls out his phone and makes a call.

Dave: Hey, Angie. I know you’re probably busy. But I just wanted to see if you could set me up on another date with your mom. I know that’s weird to ask but…I had a blast the other night. Talk soon.

End.

[Zane]

This wasn't bad. It wasn't your best work lately, but it was solid. I do like that he was direct and to the point about his resolutions. I think that style works well for Rydell. If I could make one critique, I'd say that occasional references to his expressions and body language would have helped. There's no need to go hog-wild with it, just enough to add a little bit more depth to Dave in the moment.

This was a solid work. Good luck!

[Roxy Cotton]

I do think you did a good job working the resolutions stip. I think it was a tougher one than it might seem because it's such an odd thing to try and work into a RP organically. This worked.

I would have liked to see more, though. The shoot was nice and to the point, the story section just felt kind of... extra? I don't know it just wasn't connected, imo.

I did enjoy reading this though. I've really been surprised since Dave and Angie became a thing how much fun it's turned into. I didn't see that coming.

[angelicavaughn]

After having written together for quite a while now, I gotta say I looked forward to seeing another solo outing by Dave. The stipulation was done well and some of the resolutions were typically to-the-point and no-nonsense, while others a bit more surprising. A good mix of both. Interesting ending too, one that I also referred to in my own rp.
Angie will certainly be looking on with great interest as this match unfolds. Her BFF, her taggie, her evil secret stepmom... Gonna be a good one!

[Gabriel Baal]

I know over the years I've been quick to make "Dave Rydell" jokes, but I've talked to you about it before - I do it because I like you and I like your character. All of it's iterations. This last six months or so, I've seen you so focused and so intense in being better than you've been before and it's really shone. The work you've put in and the relationships you've created have been invaluable.

I mirror Ad - this wasn't your best, but it's by no means of low quality. Granted, I'd hoped for a little more from you at our biggest show of the year. But that's a testiment to how much we've all enjoyed your work in the last six months or so.

Personally, I want to thank you - it was around this time three years ago that Dave Rydell invited a very green Gabriel Baal onto his podcast and gave him a chance. I really appreciated it then, and I still do now.

Thank you, from me and Gabriel. Good luck in the future, and Merry Christmas.