Brand Loyalty: VWF vs TFWF

[Alex Smiley]

This is the place where the burritos--I mean roleplays--go.

Hype: The VWF and TFWF were two of the biggest promotions in history, and yet never quite crossed paths...until now. While the feds may be closed, Trippy and Ace Andrews do battle with Domingo Cruz and Crazyman to prove once and for all what the better brand was...

RP Deadline: May 27, 2018 - 11:59PM Eastern

[Domingo]

Knock Knock

"It's open!" Oliver Jordan yelled out, his focus still intently on the paperwork in front of him. He had way too much to coordinate and hardly enough time to finish it all. Something expected if you're running a wrestling promotion on your own.

The camera focused on a pair of black sneakers and jeans coming through the now open door. As the shot panned upward, it caught sight of a light blue button up shirt that was left unbuttoned and a white wifebeater underneath. Above that? A clean-shaven face that matched perfectly with the top of the man's head.

Oliver Jordan? Domingo Cruz.

Domingo Cruz? Oliver Jordan.

"Oh, it's you." Jordan managed to utter out, coming face-to-face with the man that, alongside the One Ring Circus, terrorized the TFWF and generally caused havoc for anybody that crossed his path. A man that he hoped and prayed would not be doing that very same thing in his promotion. Cruz had a reputation for being a nuisance, destroying public property, ending careers, and leaving a path of destruction and terror in his wake.

"Me."

"Charming, Domingo. Have a seat, would you? I'd like to keep this to the point and not have to reach for my stash of Vicodin to zone out."

Shrugging his shoulders slightly, Cruz did as he was told and pulled up a chair. Watching the furrowed eyebrow of Oliver as he put both hands on the desk, Domingo couldn't help but chuckle softly under his breath. Jordan caught it immediately.

"Is something funny?"

"Well," he started. "After talking on the phone I wasn't expecting you to look like a damn Ken doll. From the sound of your whiny, nasally voice, I figured you...uh...how can I put this as nicely as possible...you had no sack. "

"You know, if you want to pursue a career in stand-up, I can easily kibosh your contract right here and now and give you the number of Cleto Rodriguez. I'm pretty sure he could get you a spot on his next show...or should I continue?"

Domingo waved a hand dismissively, allowing Jordan to proceed.

"Mr. Cruz, I'm many things, but stupid is not one of them. I'm perfectly aware of who you are, what you've done, and how many migraines you've caused other promoters. You've had time to go over the terms of your contract. You sign, you start next week. Any questions?"

"Yeah, one little insignificant, minute, unimportant detail, sir." Domingo flipped through the documents until he jabbed a finger into a page somewhere in the back. "What's this shit about me being a face?"

Jordan smiled.

"Oh yeah, that. Well, Domingo, as many people as you've pissed off and as many atrocities as you've committed...I figured you could use a change of pace, try something new for a change. Right now, River City Wrestling's in the middle of an upswing and we've got some great young talent that are all still learning the ropes. And with somebody of your vast knowledge..."

"You want me to play Roy Rogers for a bunch of half drunk, jobless bastards at the local bingo hall your shows are in?" Domingo scoffed. "I don't think so."

"It's part of the terms and conditions of your contract, Domingo. Sign it or you don't get in, it's that simple. We could use a man with your expertise and name value to really fill the seats at our shows, but you need us a hell of a lot more."

"Whatever, Jordan, I'm done." Cruz got up and turned on his heel, ready to walk out and look elsewhere.

"Think about your financial situa..."

"YOU KNOW NOTHING!" He shouted back, now fuming and ready to leap across the desk to strangle Oliver. If he wasn't getting a job, he certainly had nothing to lose. Jordan put up both hands defensively and tried his best to get Domingo to calm down.

"I'm not unprepared, Domingo." Jordan took hold of the contract once again. "I know you think there should be promotions like the VWF or OSW blowing up your phone right now, despite the fact you have a very negative reputation. Sure, you may be able to have some one-off appearances here or there for low-budget feds that won't care about anything but putting your name up on the card, but how long will those last? Do you think they'll sign you permanently, knowing what you've done? And think about your personal life for one second. I'm offering you a golden opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start over." He held out the contract and waved it in Domingo's direction. "Think about it."

Letting each word sink in, Domingo folded his arms and didn't take his eyes off Oliver. The RCW owner thought for sure that Cruz was going to strangle him with his own bare hands, rather than sign the contract. His fears may have been realized when he approached the desk with an aura and intent to kill. He may have even flinched a little bit.

Then he heard the fast scribbling of a pen.

"NEVER," Domingo tossed the pen and contract in front of the desk. "EVER mention a word of...my 'situation' to this roster or anyone else or I walk."

"Fine." Oliver stated coldly, taking the contract and tucking it away. "I'm going to set you up for a meeting with my assistant, Rose. She'll let you know more about the gimmick we have planned. El Santo Blanco is going to be your saving grace, Domingo...don't screw it up."

Grumbling under his breath, Domingo balled up a fist and managed to utter a few words through clenched teeth.

"I can't wait."

He looked like he'd been forced to admit he enjoyed One Direction, but he'd forced the words out before turning on his heel and walking out of the office. Jordan simply shook his head and snorted.

"He's gonna mess it up."

=  =  =  =  =  =  =  =

"Why come back?"

The words don't just echo out from the darkness. Instead we're greeted by the top of a freshly shaven head dripping with sweat, a towel draped around the neck of the man wrestling fans haven't seen in quite some time. He lifts his head and stares into the camera with a slight grin.

"Why do any of us come back?"

For those unfamiliar or too young to remember the TFWF, we apologize because you missed one hell of a show. For those that do recall the man that wreaked havoc alongside the greatest stable ever formed...welcome back to the show.

"One of the strangest obsessions in life is our fascination with the dead, which just so happens to be what my career in this business is at this point and time."

Domingo Cruz pulls the towel up over his head, wiping away the perspiration that had started to streak down the side of his face.

"Still, here I am walking around like a damn zombie, fumbling around with no idea as to why I just cannot let go of the past...why I can never walk away from this business. You can take one look at me and realize that I am, and always have been, infected."

The grin slowly melts into a smirk as Cruz stands up. He tosses the towel into an open locker to his left, reaching in and grabbing a Cruz San Antonio Spurs jersey with the number 20 on it. He pulls it over his head, adjusting it around his waist before closing the locker.

"As much as I look around and see the dust building up on my memories of winning, as much as I hear the echoes of ghosts crying out for me to just let go. I cannot bring myself to do it. You see, the adrenaline I get when I step between the ropes replaced the blood in my veins a long time ago, and like a feind willing to do anything for his next fix I jumped from local promotion to local promotion like a dancing chicken. Hell, I even tried to play the role of hero for a hot minute. Fans tend to eat that shit up...being a hero. But after all the crap I pulled in the TFWF, no one was going to be cheering for this bad guy."

Domingo shakes his head before lowering himself back on the bench he was sitting on when this all began.

"Someone thought a mask would be the answer. We went all out and made it white with metallic gold trimming...I even had a matching fucking cape, but no matter how hard I tried or what I was wearing...the past always managed to find me. Forever marked as a cancer in the locker room after my time with the One Ring Circus."

He chuckles softly under his breath.

"I guess the real question is whether I was a product of the company I kept, or the demons of my past that I keep locked away in the back of my mind?"

A beat passes as the wrinkle of a smile that graces his lips slowly straightens.

"Honestly, that could be the one question that no one really gives a damn what the answer is. Would it really change the way people feel about me, and at this point would I even care?"

The answer would be no, obviously. Still, he shakes his head once before pressing a finger to his chest.

"I've accepted who I am."

The shit eating grin he was known for makes a triumphant return!

"I'm not here to recapture the glory of my past, or plow through a roster of promising talent to once again prove my dominance."

Extending his left hand to the camera, he gives a finger wag Dikembe Motumbo would be proud of.

"For one night only I'm going to step into the squared circle alongside one of the craziest son of a bitches I've ever known, and prove that the TFWF roster had no equal when it came to talent. Looking at the garbage that is left, I doubt it ever will."

Yes, that grin stretched a bit more.

"But still, Crazyman and I are going to sift through the rubble of what this place once was...what Siberia used to represent. We're going to carry the VWF's best attempt to compete against us, in a match fans of the Experts will be talking about for years to come. Not because I give a damn about the fans, but because it is simply what I do...what I've always done."

A brief moment passes as he leans forward.

"Why am I coming back? Truth be told, I don't think for a second that my name sells anymore. There's always a shinier, newer model...another whore to crawl into bed with. No, I've come back because like any other addiction, I can never get tired of the adrenaline coursing through my veins."

He looks at himself briefly.

"I also have no doubt I'm not the man I once was, that maybe I have a little more rust on me after competing against a lower level of talent than I was used to. Thing is, now that I've come to terms with who I am and always will be. Now that I have realized that all I ever needed to do was be myself, and I'm no longer trying to be a man I wasn't meant to become. Well, now I can stop holding back...I can finally open up the doors in my mind that I tried to keep closed and let the cards fall where they may."

Cruz stands up and opens the door of the locker he pulled his jersey from, pulling something white out and holding it in front him. It's a white mask with gold trimming around the holes that are cut out for the eyes and mouth.

"I'm not a hero...I never was. It was just a mask I put on, trying to run away from a past I should have embraced."

Domingo tosses the mask aside.

"I'm not running away anymore, because now it all makes sense. I really am just an asshole at heart."

If this was a vaudeville show, Cruz would be twisting the tip of his mustache.

"I would take the time to apologize to Trippy and Ace for what is about to take place, but I honestly doubt I am going to feel bad for what I'm going to do to them."

A smirk creeps across the left side of his face.

"Let the countdown begin..."

[AlexiaFrost]

In a modest home in the Hamptons, Trippy stood in her bedroom. There were a few bags on the bed and scattered piles of clothes. Trippy was packing for her family of four. She and Ace were off to the Experts Invitational in Siberia tomorrow, while her parents would be arriving tonight and whisking her daughter and son off to a vacation adventure of their own. There was a smart TV on the wall across from her and an image from Trippy's phone was projected up onto it. She was on a video chat with Alexia while she folded and packed luggage for her family.

"Lexi, you're so lucky you only have to worry about you when you travel. The kids can't pack and Ace could but he just shoves it all in his bag and has it ironed later." She said as she folded one of Ace's shirts.

Alexia shrugged, "I mean, I do now. I used to take Cerb with me everywhere, but..."

"Oh Lexi, I'm sorry. I know the wound is still fresh."

"It's been two years, I still can't bring myself to get another dog. I will one day. For now I take comfort with Saraneth."

Trippy shivered, "I never saw how you could like a giant snake like her!"

Alexia laughed, "She's not that big.... Tripp....Why are you putting Skye's swim suit in Ace's luggage?"

Trippy froze and looked at what she was doing, blinked and laughed. "Oh good lord I am exhausted! Can you imaging Ace opening up his gear bag only to find a little girl's swim suit?"

It was Alexia's turn to cringe, "I just pictured him wearing it, and it wasn't a pretty picture. I just saw the neon suit ala Borat and threw up in my mouth a little."

Trippy shrieked with laughter and placed her daughter's suit in her pink and purple suitcase before growing serious again. "Lexi..."

"Yeah babe?"

"What can I expect there?"

"Are you worried?"

"I mean, I'm not leaving there fully traumatized, am I?"

"Sage, the worst thing you have to worry about is possibly being separated from Ace while in the cells, shitty ass food, and the cold on the drive there and back. People say it's hell, but it really isn't. It is however, a hell hole. It's fine. It's also a relatively small invitational, there won't be as many people there as there were the first time, and all of them are wrestler, not hardened criminals and thugs. It'll be fine. And if anyone makes a move who should, break their fucking face and remind them who you are."

Trippy gave Alexia a patient look that a mother gives a kid when she is silently saying 'you know better.' "Lexi...."

"Or if you won't then I will. But you'll be fine."

"I've never left the kids for so long."

"Stop worrying. Skye is far old enough for you to start cutting the umbilical cord, and Xander is his sister's shadow. Both kids are spoiled rotten and well loved by your parents. They will be fine in Hawaii for a few weeks."

Finished with the kid's bags Trippy zips them shut and moves onto her own. "I've made it very clear to the kids that they won't be able to call at night for a while, like they usually do, but We'll call before we leave the hotel and call again as soon as we get back to it. I just don't think they really understand."

Alexia shrugged as she typed away on keyboard, Trippy could hear the keys through their video chat. "Every kid has to learn how to miss mom and dad at some point. It is high time the Andrews children learn this. You're borderline over protective my dear. Will they be allowed to watch?"

Trippy shook her head, "They can watch the footage after we know what happens. They know what mommy and daddy do but I don't want them seeing us in that place until I know what actually happens."

"OH MY GAWWWDDD TRIPP!" Alexia exaggeratedly rolled her eyes and feigned an exasperated collapse onto her desk. Then she threw her head back and said to the sky "OVEEERRRRR PROOTEEECTIIIVE!"

"Yeah, yeah I know. Okay you're done. Goodbye Lexi. See you in prison!"

Alexia laughed, "See ya in hell!"

Trippy ended the call, looked at the shirt in her hand and tossed it aside in favor of a different one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trippy's smiling face with her bright green eyes appears on the camera. She's live feeding from her phone. Everything is jostling around, and the sound of an engine can be heard. She is bundled up, with a head band pulled down over her chestnut brown hair to cover her ears. She waves and gives an even brighter smile.

"Hi guys! So here we are. I'm live streaming from the road to the prison. Feel free to send in your questions and I'll answer them as I go. But I'm really excited for this! It's been a while since I've been in a full match and I get to tag for VWF again so that'll be great! I feel all of the old excitement I used to feel leading up to a match! Okay here's a question."

She's silent for a moment before speaking, "You want to know how I'm streaming from out here.? I have a signal booster here connected to my phone." She turned the camera and showed a black box with an antenna on the seat next to her then turned it back on herself. "So that's how I can do a live feed right now. Of course once I am in the system, I can't until after I leave. Okay next question... Where's Ace?"

She laughed, "He's sitting up front. I wanted the back seat to myself. Next question popping up... Do I feel honored to be chosen to represent VWF? Of course I do! Wrestling was my first love, and VWF was a place where I not only could do what I had to, but I was able to be there with Ace, and they even didn't have a problem with me bringing our daughter backstage with us. I always hated leaving her behind when there was no reason she couldn't stay in the room with Ace or Alexia while I was in the ring. VWF gave me a place to call home. I am flattered and honored that I was asked to represent my old stomping grounds!"

She paused for a moment to look outside the window and then look back to the camera. "We're getting close now, I am sure of it. This ride has been so long I can't wait to stretch my legs. What's next for questions, lets see here....Do I have any opinion on the TFWF representatives, or their fed? Hmmm."

She's silent, her brows knit as she thinks of her answer.

"You know? Not really. I don't know them. I've never heard of them. I truly believe them to be very capable wrestlers or they wouldn't have been invited to the invitational. I'm pretty sure TFWF was even bigger than VWF but I could be wrong. I do know it was a place that had a lot of great wrestlers. I have no reason to doubt that Domingo Cruz and... Crazyman? ...are any different considering the caliber of talent that I know TFWF put out.

Okay, next up...." She goes quiet then reads, "It seems to me that Trippy and Crazyman would get along based on their choice of ring names. What do you think about that Trippy?"

She threw her head back and laughed, "HAHAHAHAHA! Oh man, I didn't even think about that! That is funny though. I would hope we do. It's always better if you can get along with your opponents, and I like to think of this match as a good-natured sort of match. Yes, we're wrestling for the honor of our respective brands, but that doesn't mean we have to hate one another. Yeah guys, based on names alone I like to think I might get along very well with Crazyman."

She grins, "That being said, VWF will win. People seem to think that when Ace and I are together I can be used against him. I can't. I can't because I am not weaker, and I am not to be protected, we are equal partners and Ace knows this. I can and will take care of myself, and anyone who thinks they can play that game are sorely mistaken. What better chance does VWF's brand have at victory than a best friend team up; than significant others who know exactly how the other thinks? In a case like this, we are the perfect team. I mean what I say about this being a good-natured match, but that doesn't mean I will not be giving as good as I get in the ring. And I know I can speak for Ace when I say he will be too. TFWF will need to keep their wits about them, because VWF is bringing it."

The movement on the camera jerked to a halt and Trippy looked up then back down at her phone.

"It seems we have arrived. Thanks for watching everyone and thank you for all your questions! See you on the other side!"

Her hand appeared at the bottom of the screen as she hit the button on her screen to cut off the feed.

[Ace]

The scene opens up on a shot of a big flat-screen TV. Playing on it right now is the Las Vegas Golden Knights versus the Winnipeg Jets. The action is fast and fierce, both teams desperate to win. But as the scene pans out we see that two men are watching this game on a sofa, one man has his platinum blonde hair slicked back, and is wearing a Golden Knights shirt, and scarf. He is leaning forward and thumping at the sofa every few moments as the excitement builds and the time draws close. This man is Ace Andrews. The other man is looking at his watch and seems nervous. Occasionally glancing back at the door and then over at Ace, his hair already gray though he barely seems a day over 30. He is dressed impeccably in a suit, and he looks over at Ace again. This man is Rhys Lemington, Ace's long time confidant, best friend, and second-in-command at Wildcard Enterprises. Rhys looks back at the door again and then over at Ace.

"Ace, we really should....."

Ace doesn't turn to look at Lemmy and instead just waves a hand furiously at him, his eyes glued on the screen.

"Zip it, Lemmy! Two minutes left! Whatever you have to say can wait for two mi---YES! THATS HOW YOU DO IT NOSEK! COME ON VEGAS!"

Lemmy rolls his eyes at his boss's exuberance, but keeps his mouth shut as the puck gets stopped for a face-off. Ace lets out a deep breath and then turns to Lemmy and shakes his head.

"Look, I know. I'm getting back into wrestling, and I'm headed to a prison in Siberia. And you don't know what to do about it. But I shouldn't need to tell you anything, Lemmy. I trust you. Just, don't sell my stakes in the Knights. Don't let me company go bankrupt. And try not to let Williams play around you too much. Alright?"

The two share a look for a moment and then Lemmy nods and smiles.

"You know Trippy would kill you if she knew you were watching Hockey instead of talking business, like you said you would be."

"Nah. She knows I'm watching the gam—MORRISSEY I'LL HAVE YOU KILLED I SWEAR TO GOD!"

"I think everyone in the Hampton zipcode knows your watching it by now."

"Their used to it."

Ace grins and finally sits back in his seat, eyes glancing over at Lemmy with a grin.

"Look.....Trippy knows I'm going to watch the game. She can't stop that. She's tried. I just find ways around it. So now there's an unspoken arrangement. I come up with an excuse to hide in the study. Later on she 'discovers' I was watching the game. She gets to tell me off, and I have to make it upto her with a nice dinner, or buying her something pretty."

"Marriage is a lot simpler then it seems."

Ace shakes his head and turns to shoot Lemmy a look.

"Marriage is hard work. Always. But thats how we do it. We work at it. We talk about it. And we get around everything. Its the only way it works."

Lemmy nods and Ace happily gets back to watching his game, fist-pumping as the final siren sounds and Vegas are into the Finals. Turning off the TV, he turns to look at Lemmy smiling.

"Well, Finals here they go. And if I need anything while you're in Siberia?"

"I'll be incommunicado. Their orders. But I trust you, Lemmy. Just look after my shit, alright?"

Lemmy nods and the two men head for the door. Opening it, they see Trippy standing there and glaring in at Ace. Ace manages to smile and then tilts his head slightly.

"i'm thinking.....Dalmatian?"

Trippy stares at him for a moment longer but then smiles and steps in to kiss his cheek, before turning to leave. Ace looks over at Lemmy and gives a slight shrug.

"Like I said. Hard work."

Lemmy merely shakes his head and heads off and the scene cuts out.

---

The scene cuts back in on a shot of Ace Andrews looking into the camera. He's rugged up, with a big thick beanie on his head, and a nice wool jacket on. He's clearly live-streaming from his phone as he glances around at the airport he's at and then back at the camera.

"Hey All. So.....ya know, here I am. Siberia. We're waiting for the buses now, and Trippy's just run off to check on them. Because thats what Trippy does. She always checks on things. Its one of a million different reasons why I love that woman. But I've got a few minutes to spare, and I figured why not....ya know, do that whole vlogging thing. Give you all an idea of whats going on over here."

Ace lets out a breath and it fogs up in the air as he jogs on the spot a little. Turning to look back as he sees a baggage man bringing over some luggage, he looks back at the camera and smiles.

"Okay so.....first off, its fucking cold here. Don't let me being rugged up take away that illusion. If I was any colder, I'd be Alexia's heart. But there's also a sense of....excitement. I mean, yeah. Prison. Not looking forward to that. But it's a nice little pre-warning I can run back and give to Donald of what its like, so.....but this is Experts. And everyone we've seen, their nervous and tense, but excited. Because we all know its going to be.....you know a once in a lifetime thing."

Ace grins and then looks over the camera at something off-screen.

"Alright, I'll be here."

Ace glances back down and smiles into the camera.

"Trippy's found our luggage. She's just making sure it gets to the buses alright. Where was I.....oh right. Experts. So, ya know, getting that letter and being invited here.....that was a big thing. I've really been enjoying my retirment. Just focusing on keeping out of trouble, and being the best father and husband that I can be. And Skye? Xander? Never doubt for one second that Daddy LOVES you. With everything I have. You are my entire world. MWAH!"

He blows the camera a kiss and then chuckles.

"But to me....its almost surprising to be representing VWF. I was there on and off a bit, but I'd never really considered myself a VWF guy. But I am proud to be repping the Vikings. As long as I get into Valhalla because that sounds like a bitching party place in the afterlife. But on the flip side, I can't say I know much about TFWF. But uhhhh......I'm looking forward to this match. I get to wrestle alongside my wife. And we get to kick ass together. And we haven't done that in a while, so its going to be good. And...."

Ace stops and looks off camera for a moment listening before speaking again.

"Okay. Just one sec, I gotta...."

Suddenly into the screen pops Trippy, her head popping under Ace's arm, and she hugs Ace while smiling at the camera.

"We have to go guys. Buses are about to leave!"

"Guess we're going. Domingo.....Crazyman.....Prepare to be Aced!"

And with that he shuts it off and we go to black.