Post by Lord Hastings on Jul 16, 2019 12:00:05 GMT -5
It is a mostly dark room, save for the light from an oddly shaped heat lamp that stands adjacent to Donovan. Seated at a table across from Donovan is Todd the Intern, who shifts uncomfortably in his chair. Donovan drums his fingers on the table for a few moments as they stare at each other.
Hastings: ...well?
Todd: Well what?
Hastings: Do you have nothing to say for yourself?
Todd: You haven’t asked me any questions.
Hastings: QUIT PLAYING GAMES WITH ME!!
Todd is startled by the sudden exclamation, and a second time as Donovan slams both fists on the table and stands up.
Hastings: WHO ARE YOU WORKING FOR???
Todd: What? I work for Director Ooley!
Hastings: And you expect me to believe that?
Todd: Yes?
Donovan turns away, pondering for a moment.
Hastings: No, it’s wrong, it’s all wrong.
Todd: Can I go now?
Donovan sighs.
Hastings: I guess we’re going to have to do this the hard way.
Todd: The hard way?
Donovan turns the lamp around, revealing it is actually Forewell Boding, UGWC’s resident detective. Forewell adjusts the light on his head so that it is facing Todd again.
Todd: ...Forewell? How are you tolerating having that thing on your head?
Boding: I’ll ask the questions, thank you very much!
Todd: It looks very hot.
Forewell glances at Donovan.
Boding: That’s what they would have you believe.
Todd: That the lamp is hot?
Hastings: He’s wasting our time.
Forewell leans forward, squinting his eyes as he glares at Todd.
Boding: Who shot Kenzi Grey?
Todd: I don’t know!
Boding: A peculiar statement, to be certain. So many possible meanings. Are you trying to tell us that you don’t know, but someone else does? Or perhaps you don’t know, but you have some suspicions or clues to share?
Todd: I don’t know!
Boding: That wasn’t an option. You’re here, aren’t you? You must know something.
Todd: He told me he could get my ring back!
Boding: Who?
Todd: Him!
Todd points at Donovan, who squints his eyes.
Hastings: Who???
Todd is exasperated.
Todd: Lord Hastings!
Boding: That’s quite an accusation. Let’s set it aside for now. What can you tell us about...Boss P?
Donovan scoffs.
Hastings: Like Danny could be capable of this.
Boding: Danny?
He turns to look at Donovan, inadvertently blinding him with the lamp. Forewell reaches up and rotates the lamp back toward Todd, as Donovan rubs his eyes with irritation.
Boding: Sorry, you were saying?
Hastings: Kenzi didn’t get taken out by Danny DiVito in a penguin costume.
Boding: Okay, we’re not going to get caught up in silly conspiracy theories.
Forewell looks back at Todd, this time taking care to hold the lamp in place so it stays focused on him as he turns his head.
Boding: Now, somebody snipered Kenzi with a bean bag with the intention of sabotaging her chances of winning the Semicircle Title as well as her ability to officiate the main event of Day Three. We’re lucky she wasn’t sequestered to a tennis judge chair for the final match! She’d have had to sit up there with a megaphone calling directions to Bobbi London while she refereed the match on her behalf, and I have to ask you, Todd the Intern, had that come to pass…who benefits!?!?!
Donovan is now staring at Forewell, his eyebrows raised.
There is a loud thump at the door.
Todd: Director Ooley!
Boding: No, that doesn’t make sense.
The door to the office is kicked open and Ooley storms in, flicking on the lights.
Ooley: What in the fuckiest of fucking fucks are you shitheads doing in my office!?!
Hastings: He did it.
Donovan turns and scowls as he discovers that Forewell has already vanished and is nowhere to be seen. It doesn’t matter as Ooley is glaring at Todd.
Ooley: Ol’ Bob is sure he did. Hamstrings, you can show yourself out. Toss and I are gonna chat.
Donovan slinks past Ooley, pausing to point at his hand.
Hastings: Look, your ring is back.
Ooley looks at him and raises his bat, but Donovan slips out of the office. Todd shifts uncomfortably in his chair as across the room a vase tiptoes towards the door.
The office of the Sports Entertainment Executive…
Hastings: We should fine Forewell. Can we fine him?
Donovan is talking between throwing a tennis ball against the wall, as he reclines in a chair.
Peterson: Fine him for what?
Hastings: I don’t care.
Peterson: Then no.
Donovan throws the ball off the wall again, catching it on the return.
Peterson: Can you not do that on this wall? It was just painted.
Hastings: This was my wall.
Peterson: It was, yes.
Another throw and catch.
Peterson: Don’t you have a match to actually prepare for?
Hastings: So you told me earlier.
Peterson: Against the WrestleStock Cup winner, no less. You don’t exactly have the best track record with those.
Hastings: I haven’t the faintest idea what you mean.
Peterson: Remember when you lost to Jesse Williams?
Hastings: No.
Peterson: The year he won the tournament he went on to win the Cross-Hemisphere Title and defend it against you at Battleground.
Hastings: Sun was in my eyes.
Peterson: It was indoors.
Hastings: And the Battleground cell was hanging above the ring and it’s highly reflective.
Donovan throws the ball off the wall again, but on the return it hits off the tip of his finger and rolls away. Donovan looks at Owen and points at it, but Owen just shakes his head, prompting Donovan to roll his eyes.
Hastings: I don’t know what you want. This Sloane girl is a flash in the pan that won a tournament in which she didn’t beat anybody that’s proven themselves here in UGWC.
Peterson: Robbie Bourbon had beaten Vain.
Hastings: Because Travis Pierce found a way to be relevant and did the hard work for him. There is a big difference between winning the WrestleStock Cup and getting in the ring with a 5-Time UGWC World Heavyweight Champion.
Peterson: Could be quite the tune-up for her if she plans on using her shot to face the current World Champion. Or maybe she plans on finding herself a partner and she’s using this week to scout half of the team she is going to challenge.
Donovan scowls and points at the ball again. After a moment’s hesitation, Owen rolls his eyes and goes and gets it, tossing it back to Donovan.
Hastings: Who in their right mind teams with a rookie and expects to win championship gold?
Peterson: Didn’t Fear do it once?
This interrupts Donovan in mid-throw, and he turns to glare at Owen.
Peterson: I read about it in his journal one of the times that you stole it.
Hastings: We won the LWF Tag Titles twice, I’ll have you know.
Donovan resumes throwing the ball.
Hastings: Besides, who would even want to team with her to face us? Kenzi and I have cleared out the division. Who could she get?
Peterson: Word is Gabby and the Crimson Ghost are both returning.
Hastings: I could see them being their own wacky team, they’re not going to want anything to do with Sloane.
Peterson: Maybe she brings in SEB, they seemed to have a good connection during the festival.
Hastings: The poor man’s Killian King? I’ll dispatch him the same way I did his countryman years ago. And not for nothing, if I wasn’t worried about the WrestleStock Cup winner, why am I going to worry about somebody she beat along the way?
Peterson: He almost beat Roxy.
Hastings: Well good, that gives Kenzi an axe to grind and that’s when she is at her best.
Peterson: Maybe she picks Sarah.
This freezes Donovan in mid-throw again.
Hastings: She wouldn’t do that to Kenzi.
Peterson: How sure are you? She wants her away from you, had no problem sidelining you for their big statement attack on the Saviors after you beat them.
Hastings: Well I didn’t mind that, had enough lizard blood on my boots already.
Donovan runs his fingers through his hair and thinks a moment.
Hastings: So we deal with Sloane on Monday, make sure she knows to sniff someplace else for her title opportunity.
Peterson: And how do you plan on doing that?
Hastings: She fancies herself the Queen of the Sky, doesn’t she?
Peterson: Right.
Hastings: She’s about to get grounded by the Lord of Pain.
Hastings: ...well?
Todd: Well what?
Hastings: Do you have nothing to say for yourself?
Todd: You haven’t asked me any questions.
Hastings: QUIT PLAYING GAMES WITH ME!!
Todd is startled by the sudden exclamation, and a second time as Donovan slams both fists on the table and stands up.
Hastings: WHO ARE YOU WORKING FOR???
Todd: What? I work for Director Ooley!
Hastings: And you expect me to believe that?
Todd: Yes?
Donovan turns away, pondering for a moment.
Hastings: No, it’s wrong, it’s all wrong.
Todd: Can I go now?
Donovan sighs.
Hastings: I guess we’re going to have to do this the hard way.
Todd: The hard way?
Donovan turns the lamp around, revealing it is actually Forewell Boding, UGWC’s resident detective. Forewell adjusts the light on his head so that it is facing Todd again.
Todd: ...Forewell? How are you tolerating having that thing on your head?
Boding: I’ll ask the questions, thank you very much!
Todd: It looks very hot.
Forewell glances at Donovan.
Boding: That’s what they would have you believe.
Todd: That the lamp is hot?
Hastings: He’s wasting our time.
Forewell leans forward, squinting his eyes as he glares at Todd.
Boding: Who shot Kenzi Grey?
Todd: I don’t know!
Boding: A peculiar statement, to be certain. So many possible meanings. Are you trying to tell us that you don’t know, but someone else does? Or perhaps you don’t know, but you have some suspicions or clues to share?
Todd: I don’t know!
Boding: That wasn’t an option. You’re here, aren’t you? You must know something.
Todd: He told me he could get my ring back!
Boding: Who?
Todd: Him!
Todd points at Donovan, who squints his eyes.
Hastings: Who???
Todd is exasperated.
Todd: Lord Hastings!
Boding: That’s quite an accusation. Let’s set it aside for now. What can you tell us about...Boss P?
Donovan scoffs.
Hastings: Like Danny could be capable of this.
Boding: Danny?
He turns to look at Donovan, inadvertently blinding him with the lamp. Forewell reaches up and rotates the lamp back toward Todd, as Donovan rubs his eyes with irritation.
Boding: Sorry, you were saying?
Hastings: Kenzi didn’t get taken out by Danny DiVito in a penguin costume.
Boding: Okay, we’re not going to get caught up in silly conspiracy theories.
Forewell looks back at Todd, this time taking care to hold the lamp in place so it stays focused on him as he turns his head.
Boding: Now, somebody snipered Kenzi with a bean bag with the intention of sabotaging her chances of winning the Semicircle Title as well as her ability to officiate the main event of Day Three. We’re lucky she wasn’t sequestered to a tennis judge chair for the final match! She’d have had to sit up there with a megaphone calling directions to Bobbi London while she refereed the match on her behalf, and I have to ask you, Todd the Intern, had that come to pass…who benefits!?!?!
Donovan is now staring at Forewell, his eyebrows raised.
There is a loud thump at the door.
Todd: Director Ooley!
Boding: No, that doesn’t make sense.
The door to the office is kicked open and Ooley storms in, flicking on the lights.
Ooley: What in the fuckiest of fucking fucks are you shitheads doing in my office!?!
Hastings: He did it.
Donovan turns and scowls as he discovers that Forewell has already vanished and is nowhere to be seen. It doesn’t matter as Ooley is glaring at Todd.
Ooley: Ol’ Bob is sure he did. Hamstrings, you can show yourself out. Toss and I are gonna chat.
Donovan slinks past Ooley, pausing to point at his hand.
Hastings: Look, your ring is back.
Ooley looks at him and raises his bat, but Donovan slips out of the office. Todd shifts uncomfortably in his chair as across the room a vase tiptoes towards the door.
~
The office of the Sports Entertainment Executive…
Hastings: We should fine Forewell. Can we fine him?
Donovan is talking between throwing a tennis ball against the wall, as he reclines in a chair.
Peterson: Fine him for what?
Hastings: I don’t care.
Peterson: Then no.
Donovan throws the ball off the wall again, catching it on the return.
Peterson: Can you not do that on this wall? It was just painted.
Hastings: This was my wall.
Peterson: It was, yes.
Another throw and catch.
Peterson: Don’t you have a match to actually prepare for?
Hastings: So you told me earlier.
Peterson: Against the WrestleStock Cup winner, no less. You don’t exactly have the best track record with those.
Hastings: I haven’t the faintest idea what you mean.
Peterson: Remember when you lost to Jesse Williams?
Hastings: No.
Peterson: The year he won the tournament he went on to win the Cross-Hemisphere Title and defend it against you at Battleground.
Hastings: Sun was in my eyes.
Peterson: It was indoors.
Hastings: And the Battleground cell was hanging above the ring and it’s highly reflective.
Donovan throws the ball off the wall again, but on the return it hits off the tip of his finger and rolls away. Donovan looks at Owen and points at it, but Owen just shakes his head, prompting Donovan to roll his eyes.
Hastings: I don’t know what you want. This Sloane girl is a flash in the pan that won a tournament in which she didn’t beat anybody that’s proven themselves here in UGWC.
Peterson: Robbie Bourbon had beaten Vain.
Hastings: Because Travis Pierce found a way to be relevant and did the hard work for him. There is a big difference between winning the WrestleStock Cup and getting in the ring with a 5-Time UGWC World Heavyweight Champion.
Peterson: Could be quite the tune-up for her if she plans on using her shot to face the current World Champion. Or maybe she plans on finding herself a partner and she’s using this week to scout half of the team she is going to challenge.
Donovan scowls and points at the ball again. After a moment’s hesitation, Owen rolls his eyes and goes and gets it, tossing it back to Donovan.
Hastings: Who in their right mind teams with a rookie and expects to win championship gold?
Peterson: Didn’t Fear do it once?
This interrupts Donovan in mid-throw, and he turns to glare at Owen.
Peterson: I read about it in his journal one of the times that you stole it.
Hastings: We won the LWF Tag Titles twice, I’ll have you know.
Donovan resumes throwing the ball.
Hastings: Besides, who would even want to team with her to face us? Kenzi and I have cleared out the division. Who could she get?
Peterson: Word is Gabby and the Crimson Ghost are both returning.
Hastings: I could see them being their own wacky team, they’re not going to want anything to do with Sloane.
Peterson: Maybe she brings in SEB, they seemed to have a good connection during the festival.
Hastings: The poor man’s Killian King? I’ll dispatch him the same way I did his countryman years ago. And not for nothing, if I wasn’t worried about the WrestleStock Cup winner, why am I going to worry about somebody she beat along the way?
Peterson: He almost beat Roxy.
Hastings: Well good, that gives Kenzi an axe to grind and that’s when she is at her best.
Peterson: Maybe she picks Sarah.
This freezes Donovan in mid-throw again.
Hastings: She wouldn’t do that to Kenzi.
Peterson: How sure are you? She wants her away from you, had no problem sidelining you for their big statement attack on the Saviors after you beat them.
Hastings: Well I didn’t mind that, had enough lizard blood on my boots already.
Donovan runs his fingers through his hair and thinks a moment.
Hastings: So we deal with Sloane on Monday, make sure she knows to sniff someplace else for her title opportunity.
Peterson: And how do you plan on doing that?
Hastings: She fancies herself the Queen of the Sky, doesn’t she?
Peterson: Right.
Hastings: She’s about to get grounded by the Lord of Pain.