You stand there staring for a good moment despite your hasty resolution to not do just that. As you watch, Xerxes drops the medicine ball and starts scanning the room for another piece of equipment. His eyes lock on the kettlebells and he makes a move towards it. It's that motion that shocks you out of your stupor. If this is an opportunity, it might just slip away from you while you stand and do nothing.
So after wiping your palm on your gym shorts, you make your way over to him. He's still scanning the kettlebells, trying to settle on which weight to go for, when you get to him. Xerxes looks up at your approach and moves over to make way for you to get to the bench.
His eyes widen slightly in surprise when instead of grabbing a weight, you stop and extend a hand to him. "Um, excuse me, sir?" you say, fighting with all of your willpower not to stammer like a fucking schoolgirl. "My name's Tommy. I'm sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to say that I'm a huge fan."
The surprise is wiped from the Persian Punisher's face as he takes your hand, expression relaxing into warmth. "Nice to meet you, man. Good to see a fan out there."
You manage to not hold onto his hand too long like an idiot only by the skin of your teeth. "Yeah." you agree before shaking your head. That was a stupid thing to say. "Your series with Church was one of my favorites; it made me lock people in armbars for weeks before the teachers suspended me."
His smile becomes something a bit more honest and he laughs, lines around the corners of his eyes deepening. "Hah! That's a new one. But Lenny was great to work with. A real class act." Xerxes looks like he could say more, but he cuts himself off. "Anyway, nice to meet you Tommy. If you don't mind though, I gotta finish my core and-"
You wave hastily. "Yeah, yeah, of course! Don't let me stop you. But before you get back to it, I just wanted to ask. I'm actually a wrestler myself. Just starting out; finished training last month and had my fifth match yesterday. I was wondering if you had any advice you could give out a rookie like me- after you're done your sets of course."
As you talk, his face slowly changes from polite impatience to genuine interest. He looks you up and down a few times, eyes lingering on your shirt. "That where you trained?" he asks.
You nod. "Yeah, over at Horizon with Daybreak. She-"
Xerxes snorts loudly, drawing some attention. Heedless of the eyes on him now, he lets out a peal of laughter. "That ol' bitch is training people?" he asks, delight clear in his voice. "Well fuck. Should've known she wouldn't just be able to leave it behind."
You're not sure how you feel about anyone- even the Persian Punisher- calling your trainer a bitch. That's something only people who've suffered under her should be able to do! But he says it with such obvious fondness that you let it go. It sounds more like when you call Jack a bastard than anything borne out of any real malice.
"This I've got to hear." he goes on. "I've got about an hour left. You gonna be here after that?" You nod quickly, and he smirks. "Sweet. How about we meet up after that? You tell me what it's like to train under ol' Luce and I'll see if I can drop some knowledge on you."
And that's how, an hour later, you find yourself buying overpriced coffee for yourself and Omid 'Xerxes Attar' Muhsin. It's just the two of you unfortunately; Jack had nearly cried when you told him who you were meeting, but he had to get into work. But frankly, you can't bring yourself to care all that much. More talking time for you.
"So," you ask as you slide some kind of mocha-frapa-latte-riffic in front of him. "You know Daybreak?"
"Know her?" he chuckles. "She fucking hated me! Well, at first."
You lean forward, interested beyond all description. Omid chuckles at your eagerness and goes on. "Yeah, I got brought in to WPW because I was with Candy at the time- you'd know her as Candace Striper." You nod once and make a small sound of recognition. Candy Striper- subtle name- had worked a seductive nurse gimmick for a few years to some middling success. "Anyway, Lucy hated the fuck out of Candy and hated me too. Guilty by association and all that."
"Eventually me and Candy split and she got canned real quick after that. Turns out it doesn't matter how well you can pole dance if you're trashing hotel rooms. Lucy still hated me for a while, but it was kind of a form thing. She always hated me, so she'd continue to hate me."
"How'd you guys get friendly then?" you ask. There's no doubt in your mind they did; the way Omid is talking isn't the way you talk about an old enemy.
"I like to think that I won her over with my boyish charm," He answers, "But she probably just got sick of spending the energy on it. She just decided one day that I was alright and stopped putting shit in my bags. We rode together for a few loops and she helped me out of a bind once or twice. We kinda fell out of touch when I took the deal with UWC though."
"Anyway, what's she up to these days? Last I heard she was about to pop out a kid. What's it like training under her?"
Omid sits in rapt attention as you talk about your own experiences with the bosslady. He laughs at some of her lessons, tells you a few things about where she got a few of her speeches, and even tells you where she picked up one of 'Daybreak's Commandments'- the one about putting a thumb over your beer. Apparently Omid wasn't as careful as he could've been one night and, well, he doesn't go into any more specifics.
"Anyway," he says, still grinning from your description of Daybreak's gauntlet. "You didn't come here to tell me stories. You came to hear some."
You nod eagerly, and he sticks out his hand. "Let's see em."
What? You open your mouth to ask what he's talking about, and he raises an eyebrow in answer. "Come on. Let's not bullshit me here. It's the twenty-first century. You've got at least one of your matches on your phone there."
This time it's your turn to chuckle. "Do I really strike you as the kind of guy who'd carry around his own shit at all times to stare at?"
"Yes. Now fork em over." Defeated, you pull out your phone and pull up your videos. There's a perfectly good reason for you to have your matches here! It really helps you study to watch your own tape and figure out what you could've done differently! It's not that you stop and watch yourself do cool stuff every once in awhile as a pickmeup. Definitely not that!
Omid plucks the phone out of your hand and picks one of your clips at random. The sounds that blast out immediately let you know which one he's gone for; the match against the Birds of a Feather and Kenny Corruption. You hold back a wince. Definitely not your best showing.
He watches it all with a thoughtful look on his face, one hand on his chin, hiding his mouth. You've got nothing to do while he looks it over so you sit in silence, studying your coffee. The sounds die down and he glances up at you again. Before you can say anything he hits another one; the music from THUNDERPUNCH starts to blare. You hold in a groan; if that one was bad, the Tech Support match was a disaster. And your coffee's empty too!
By the time you're back from getting a refill, he's done watching. Omid hands the phone back to you and you glance at it out of habit. One new text. Hm. Apparently Jack lost his goatee in an accident involving mice, bleach, and a ceiling fan. You click it closed and turn your attention back to Omid.
He stares at you closely. "You said you just had your fifth match, right? What number were those two?"
"Three and then four." You answer.
Omid nods slowly. "You're not awful for being green as gooseshit." He says bluntly. "But there're definitely some things you need work on. First, your finish. It was the spear, right?"
You nod and he shakes his head. "Needs work. A finish has got to be a move that everyone else on the card isn't going to be using. Vary it up a little. Figure out a different way to hit it; maybe whip the guy into the ropes first and do it confusion style or maybe, I don't know, cross your arms or something. Whatever it is, it's got to stand out. If you can't think of something then just pick a different finish."
Hm. Confusion style. Whipping a guy into the ropes and then following them, bouncing off the same rope a second after they do to throw them off. Most people do it for lariats, but you can see doing it for a spear.
"And your basics are, well, basic. I saw at least six tackle-dropdowns in those two matches. It's a fundamental for sure but you don't need to break it out three times a match. Maybe you should try this…"
For the next several minutes, Omid goes into some detail about some things he saw in your tapes that he thinks you need to work on. You soak up the criticism like a sponge. Eventually the conversation turns into his rookie days and he starts telling stories of his own. You laugh so much that soon, you forget to be nervous and are ribbing him like you do everyone else.
It's only a couple hours later, when he pulls out his phone to show you a video of one of his early matches, that he stops and stares at the time. "Shit," he breathes out. "I was supposed to be on the road thirty minutes ago."
"Fuck. Sorry." You say. He waves off your meaningless apology and stands up, throwing on his coat. "What're you in town for anyway?"
"I live down in Annapolis." he relies. "Starting a quick loop through the Mid Atlantic and Northeast. I've got a show in Wilmington in three hours!"
Omid pauses before he rushes out the door. "By the way, Tommy, in a couple weeks I'm running a workshop. Nothing too advanced, but if you want to come, I'd waive the fee. Be good to see how you are first hand."
You pause for a second and hold in your gobsmacked expression. "Ye- I mean, sure dude. If I can wrangle it. Can I bring my friends? My partners in those matches." You explain at his questioning look.
"Don't see why not." he shrugs. "Just don't tell the others I'm letting you in for free or my ass is getting fucking lynched."
You mime zipping your mouth shut, and he smirks. The two of you slap hands. "Sweet. I'll text you the address after my show tonight. Hope you don't mind I stole your number when you were getting coffee."
Fuck no you don't mind.
Omid hops in his car and drives off, one had raised in a salute out the window. It's only after he's out of sight that you pump your arms in victory. That went better than expected.
But you can't rest on your laurels now. You've got shit to do.
You have 1 expense remaining (0+1(Work)). Rent is 2 expenses, due in one week.
Upcoming Bookings/Opportunities: SWF Hardline (Booking) on Week Six. Seminar with Xerxes Attar (Training) on Week Five.
Pick Seven (7) Three (3) actions that Tommy will perform this week. After all actions are completed, Tommy will return to Maine for a few days.
GM's Note: You can make a plan if you so choose, but please make sure each line is X'd off. Tally will be done by item.
Personal Actions
[] Explore the city- You haven't seen much of Baltimore before, but you're told it's a great place. Or at least, certain parts are. You want to look around and see what you can find. You never know when you'll find a good chinese place or something that really inspires you. (DC50 check. If passed, Tommy finds something cool. If failed, Baltimore remains as boring as a major metropolitan city can be.)
[] Look for a Car- You need wheels. With public transit, you can get to very local shows without much trouble, but you'll struggle to get to anything outside of Baltimore itself. With a cheap used car, you get mobility. (Cost: Varies. DC 50 check. On success, a car that suits Tommy's price point and needs is found, and Tommy can haggle with the guy on a price. If negotiations fail, Tommy at least knows the car exists. On failure, Tommy doesn't find anything that suits him. Action wasted.)
[] Look for Furniture- This shithole you live in can do with some decoration. You'll hit some thrift stores and see what's available to put in your room and the apartment as a whole. (Cost: Varies. DC20 check. On success, some decent, bug free, furniture is found and you can decide whether or not to buy it. Possible Encounters. On failure, Tommy can't find anything that's not infested with some new roommates. Action Wasted.)
[] Maintain Your Online Presence- At the end of the day, you run a small business that has exactly one employee. What do all small businesses need? Accessibility and advertising, and there's nothing better for that then the internet. You've got your twitter @HoleCard, a facebook, and a blog you've been making little entries in. Keep it up! (Cost: None. DC 80 check. On success, enough people notice Tommy's online presence that he gains a bit of notoriety. On failure, nothing happens, but Tommy maintains his footprint.)
[] The Wrestling Times- The Wrestling Times is the premier source of wrestling news and gossip in the world. Coming out bimonthly, it's really the best way to keep up to date on the whole wide world of wrestling. It's not cheap, but it's worth it. (Cost: 1 Expense, monthly. Cannot be failed. Does not count against your action limit for this week.)
[] Veg and Relax- The outside world is overrated. Every now and then you need to relax and putter around your apartment while doing absolutely nothing. You'll do a bit of cleaning, try and scrub that color off the toilet, and just take some time to yourself. (+1d20 Resilience as Tommy recovers. Apartment becomes more livable.)
Social Actions
[] Hang out with Allie- Your punk friend is right at home here, which is just great; you could use the help. You'll set aside some time and go do some shit together. New experiences are always better when shared. (DC40 check. If passed, Tommy and Allie go out and do something cool, with possible encounters. If failed, both Allie and Tommy are too busy to hang. Action wasted.)
[] Hang out with Jack- Jack's been working himself to the bone at his new cleaning job and could no doubt use a night out to relax. You'll go out for some beers and shoot some pool; it'll always be a good time as long as you laugh at that pale spot on his face where his goatee used to be. (DC40 check. If passed, Tommy and Jack go out and do something cool, with possible encounters and a possible relationship increase. If failed, both Jack and Tommy are too busy to hang. Action wasted)
[] Hang out with Leah and Caleb- You've gotten the phone numbers for two more of your former classmates at Horizon, the overly-friendly Caleb and the young, but businesslike, Leah. They've put out a standing offer to hang whenever you'd like and you might as well take them up on it. If nothing else, maybe they've found another place to work. (DC40 check. If passed, Tommy heads over to Caleb and Leah's place and they do something together. If failed, both of them have plans for the week. Action wasted.)
Training Actions
[] Figure out a gimmick (Team)- You're with Jack and Allie for a reason. Not only are they your friend and cost-reducers, they're your team. You've already got one gimmick, but the best thing a wrestler can have is versatility. (Cost: 1 Expense+ (can grow with more complex gimmicks) for proper tights and boots. A design-a-gimmick choice will come in a later update if this is chosen)
[] Figure out a gimmick (Solo)- Anyone can wrestle in plain white boots and plain black tights, but you want to be a goddamn pro. You've already got one gimmick, but the best thing a wrestler can have is versatility. (Cost: 1 Expense+ (can grow with more complex gimmicks) for proper tights and boots. A design-a-gimmick choice will come in a later update if this is chosen)
[] Get back to Horizon Academy- You've graduated from wrestling school. But who says you can't go back? Daybreak. Daybreak is who says you can't go back. But you're sure you can weasel her into letting you at least use the basement and the tapes. (DC20 Check. If passed, +1d20 in two In-Ring, Performance, or Physical skills of your choice (select when voting), interaction with Daybreak and Delilah. If failed, Daybreak wants you the heck out of her house for now. Action wasted.)
[] Hit the Gym- You're a professional athlete now, and you're going to need to maintain yourself and improve your body. There's nothing better for that then heading to the gym. A membership'll cost you a little a month, but it's well worth it. (Cost: 1 Expense per month. Results: +1d20 for power and cardio. Possible encounters.)
[] Talk to the Man in the Mirror- The actual act of wrestling only makes up a portion of what professional wrestling is. The rest of it is all words and charisma, and luckily your apartment has just acquired a shiny, full-length mirror. You'll spend some time in front of it and practice your promos. (+1d20 Microphone, +1d20 Charisma)
[] Tweak a Gimmick- You've got a gimmick for now, but nothing is perfect. You're going to brainstorm some new things and some new changes to you in-ring persona that will hopefully make everything pop just a little. (Cost: 0+ expenses (Depends on changes made). Tommy will tweak his gimmick in a later vote.)
[] Watch Some Tape- After some pleading and more than a few threats, you've finally managed to get a half-decent internet connection. You've got some of your own matches to study now up online, and the wide world of YouTube open as well. Time to watch some matches. (DC40 Check. If passed, +1d20 to two Out-Of-Ring or Gimmick skills of your choice (select when voting). If failed, Tommy was unable to find anything worth studying online.)
[] Yoga for Beginners- You've recently discovered Selina's Natural Breathing, a yoga studio for beginners. It's a lot more fun then you had originally thought; you get to take in some incredible views and work on your flexibility training at the same time! (Cost: 1 Expense per month. Results: +1d50 Athleticism. Possible encounters. Interaction with Selina.)
Work Actions
[] Design a T-Shirt- Selling merchandise is a great way to get your name out there, and to actually get some money in your pocket. The only problem: right now you don't have any. So you'll whip up a design and place an order for a small batch. (Cost: 1 Expense. DC20 Check. For every 10 the check succeeds by, the design is of better quality. Enables Tommy to work the merch tables at shows.)
[] Go to Work- You're now gainfully employed as a… whatever-the-hell-you-do at UR Shipping. Archie, your boss, seems nice, and your only coworker seems like… she exists. Get over there! It's time to make that money. (No check. +1 expense. Possible gains with Archie and Charley. If not taken, DC80 check must be passed to avoid being fired.)
[] Look for Work (Normal)- You've got to face it; you're almost flat broke. If you want to be able to keep supporting the rich lifestyle which you're surely about to become accustomed too, you need a regular job to pay the bills. (DC40 Check. If passed, you find and interview for a job. The higher the roll, the better your job. If failed, employment has nothing for you.)
[] Look for Work (Wrestling)- You're calling yourself a professional wrestler. In order to keep doing that, you need to, you know, wrestle. Professionally. (DC60 check. If passed, Tommy gets some leads and might be able to talk his way onto a show. If failed, nothing Tommy does pans out, at least for now.)
