Post by Craven on Aug 28, 2015 20:10:11 GMT -6
Warrick Craven had been asked to do many things since coming to the attention of the men running the Pleasure Dome. He’s been asked to watch people closely, guard people, go after people and multitude of other things that all go with working in a security office in Las Vegas. Now, he’d been called away from babysitting duty to something he’d never been asked to do before…
Play poker...
As he walks up to the door of the back room, he punches in a code on his phone. The door chimes and opens to show him a room with a big table where the Silver Baron, Fraser Freeman, and two other guys who work at the Pleasure Dome, makeup artist, “Neon Deon” Plunkett and former boxer turned bartender, “Sugar Ray” Williams.
Silver Baron: Finally, we can start!
Freeman shakes his head.
Fraser Freeman: Everything all set, then?
Craven nods as he pulls up a chair.
Craven: Rocket’s in the big chair, we’re able to contact him and he us at a moment’s notice.
Freeman nods approvingly.
Fraser Freeman: And Ember?
Craven nods, lifting his radio.
Craven: Rocket?
Merlyn “Rocket” Harper’s voice crackles back.
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: Yeah, Dub?
Craven nods, pleased to hear such a quick response.
Craven: Are they all still with you?
After a momentary pause, Rocket’s voice crackles back again.
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: Yeah, Ember’s trying to help get Brittany up for the performance. Just promised her she’d be watching to try and get her spirits up. Sounds like there’s gonna be a party tonight after.
Craven glances at Freeman, giving him the “satisfied?” look and Freeman nods right back in response even as Baron sits at the proverbial head of the rounded table, impatiently tapping his fingers.
Fraser Freeman: Is Rogers up there?
Craven nods, looking a bit puzzled.
Craven: Yeah...
Freeman grins.
Fraser Freeman: Then tell Rocket to get his arse down here and play!
The Baron’s head droops almost without delay.
Silver Baron: Aw goddammit!
Freeman just shoots their boss a knowing look.
Fraser Freeman: What, Daniels is late and we need a guy in the sixth chair!
Looking across the table at the empty chair, Baron nods.
Silver Baron: Fine...
Craven grins.
Craven: Yo, Rocket, tell Rogers to locate and then dropkick Daniels and then get your ass down here and play some.
Rocket’s voice crackles back over the radio, a note of excitement entering his tone.
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: You got it, Dub.
Baron shakes his head.
Silver Baron: We’re never gonna get to play at this rate!
Freeman and Craven, both completely used to Baron’s impatience, just smirk while Deon and Ray look at them, then to each other before looking back across the table.
"Neon" Deon Plunkett: Oh, Dear...
"Sugar Ray" Williams: Something we should know about?
Craven just shakes his head while Freeman nods to Baron.
Fraser Freeman: The Boss just really want to get his game on, Lads.
Craven nods.
Craven: Knowing him, he wants us to play for more than money too.
Deon and Ray’s eyes both wide, Deon’s with excitement, Ray’s with worry.
"Neon" Deon Plunkett: Ooh, that could be fun.
"Sugar Ray" Williams: Now wait a minute, here…
Craven shakes his head.
Craven: Is that how he ended up naked in the mascot’s head that time?
Freeman chuckles.
Fraser Freeman: No, that was just a bloody dare, is all.
A second later, a crunching sound can be heard as Baron starts eating Lay’s really loudly.
Fraser Freeman: Bloody hell, Vega, do you have to have crisps now?
Baron looks up in annoyance.
Silver Baron: They’re chips!
Fraser Freeman: Crisps!
Silver Baron: Chips!
Fraser Freeman: CRISPS!
Silver Baron: CHIPS!
Ray and Neon watch them go back and forth and Craven raises a hand to try and calm them down.
Craven: They do this all the time, they like it.
Just then, Rocket arrives and takes the sixth chair.
Silver Baron: Thank God…
Baron starts dealing.
Silver Baron: Five card stud, two dollar buy-in, ante up!
All six throw in their first two dollar chips and Baron tosses cards around.
Silver Baron: Neon Deon has a lady, Sugar Ray, a six, Rocket, a two, Craven, a five, Freeman gets a Jack and I get a ten…
"Neon" Deon Plunkett: Five…
"Sugar Ray" Williams: Fold…
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: Five and five more.
Craven: Call.
Fraser Freeman: I’m in.
Silver Baron: Call.
"Neon" Deon Plunkett: Call.
He deals some more.
Silver Baron: Two, no help for the lady, Rocket’s got a start of a straight with that three, Craven, pair of fives, Freeman, damn, pair of jacks, and I get, an ace. Here’s ten for ya, Boys.
"Neon" Deon Plunkett: Fold.
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: I’m in.
Craven: I’m in.
Silver Baron: Ten and ten…
Freeman: I’m in.
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: Too rich…
Craven: Call.
Baron deals.
Silver Baron: No help for Craven, Freeman, gets a lady on top of his pair, and I get, oh, second ace. All in…
Craven: Fold.
Fraser Freeman: Oh yeah, Mate, I’m in.
Baron nods and deals the last two cards.
Silver Baron: I get a second ten, for two pair, aces and tens and Freeman gets a four.
Baron flips over his cards to show he had a three under there. Freeman flips his to show a third jack.
Silver Baron: Damn!
Freeman laughs and Baron stands up.
Fraser Freeman: You’re gonna buy yourself in again, aren’t you?
Silver Baron: Damn right!
He does just that and three hours, and several bottles later, both Deon and Ray have been cleaned out and sent packing. The four remaining all have five cards sitting in front of them.
Silver Baron: Ok, here we go, one hand, winner takes all!
Fraser Freeman: You know full well you ain’t got equal to what we do.
Baron shakes his head.
Silver Baron: Fine, fine, I’ll put in… “favors” to add it up.
Freeman grins.
Fraser Freeman: Like winner gets to pick things if it isn’t you, then?
Baron nods.
Fraser Freeman: Better hope it ain’t me then, Mate.
Craven shakes his head.
Craven: Have mercy…
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: Uh-oh, I’ve seen that look before…
Craven shrugs.
Craven: We should make this interesting, we all put a favor in, Vega just has to over three.
Silver Baron: I’m in.
Freeman nods.
Fraser Freeman: You’re on.
Rocket shrugs.
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: Spose I’m in anyway?
Craven: You ain’t gotta if you don’t wanna, Merl.
Rocket nods and they start flipping over cards.
Silver Baron: Three Jacks!
Fraser Freeman: Sorry, Mate, three Queens.
Craven shrugs.
Craven: Pair of Eights, damn…
Rocket slowly flips his over and everybody gasps.
Silver Baron: Shit!
Fraser Freeman: Kid got a straight flush, two through six…
Craven smirks.
Craven: Congrats, Rocket, you win.
Rocket stands up and shakes hands with the guys before leaving for the big room.
Fraser Freeman: Good kid.
Silver Baron: Do we really ALL owe him favors now?
Craven nods.
Craven: It was your idea, Bossman.
Fraser Freeman: He’s got you there.
Baron shakes his head.
Silver Baron: Damn.
As Baron sits there in his own realizations, Freeman and Craven both nod to him.
Fraser Freeman: You ready for war on Monday then, yeah?
Baron nods almost automatically.
Silver Baron: They’ll all be there, what’s to worry about?
Craven: If Michael runs…
Baron raises a hand.
Silver Baron: I get it.
Freeman nods.
Fraser Freeman: Right… to war it is, then!
An hour later, Craven’s sitting in his car outside with his little vocal recorder turned on.
Craven: It’s amazing really how sometimes the weirdest things bring on realizations.
He pauses and watches the people walking in front of him towards the entrance.
Craven: So many people in UWA all try to be something they're not, like how Kyle Travis says he's a monster but he's really just a working stiff family man just working for a living here. He does himself a disservice because he’s so caught up in who he used to be, who he THINKS he used to be, he won’t let himself be who he really is. He doesn’t seem to realize that if he was really the bad ass monster he swears up and down that he is, that he wouldn’t have to tell people and yet that’s pretty much what he does. He tells people over and over and over again.
As he shakes his head, a sad chuckle escapes his lips.
Craven: If he’d just stop telling me how I should feel about him, I’d probably actually look up to him because he is who I always wanted to be when it comes to having the nice house with the loving wife and kids inside. It’s sad…
A pause and he pops a pill.
Craven: But then again, he’s not the only one. Vince Jones does it too. He says he's this unstoppable beast but has to resort to duplicitous means and really, that’s who he is. He’s not the top line talent that he apparently used to be, he’s the new Ric Flair that way. He’s who used to be a top talent that did things because he could, now he does them because he has too but he still talks like it’s the other way around. The saddest part is that he’s probably wrong in that he doesn’t NEED to do those things. He probably still could be the guy who got by on talent but he refuses to work for it. Again, it’s sad considering how much work he put in to get this far…
He shakes his head as he watches a specific guy walking into the building. He presses a button on the radio and the guy is met by other security guys.
Craven: They’re not even close to the only ones, Sentinel tried to not be the honorable badass and it didn't work because it wasn't who he was... and in the end, look at us, we keep fighting who we are, all of us. Fraser, you tried to run away from it completely, Vega, you keep trying to say Oblivion is who you are over Vega the Baron...
He shrugs as he watches the guy get dragged out and taken around the side alley.
Craven: I wanted to act like I could just be regular rookie when I was never a regular anything. Fraser couldn’t be the Protector he is from afar so he came back and vega, you can’t pretend to be what you’re not…
Closing his eyes to let the pill kick in, he leans back against the seat.
Craven: Michael Rivers is the other way around. He tried to just be Michael Rivers but he can't...
He sighs sadly.
Craven: Because he's not... he IS Carnage... whether any of us... or even he, himself, likes it…
Shaking his head, he opens his eyes.
Craven: Man, I've of mixed thoughts on how it would be to be the masked people in that promo. On the one hand, you have trod on the one place you shouldn't have and dredged up the devil himself's "better nature." This is usually grounds for him to step up and go really slowly..."to the pain." On the other, you did him a favor in dredging up this nature and made him realize things about himself so maybe you won't get torn to pieces. it's kind of a... "You have violated the sanctity of our lair... for this we should grind your bones into powder, however you do pose an interesting proposition, therefore; heads, we accept and tails, we blow your damn head off!" and even he don't know which way the coin is gonna land.
A second pill is popped into his mouth.
Craven: And he was hardly the only show we were given, was he? Cole and Artemis both made sure we saw other things, notably Jade and some more of our own inside the Pleasure Dome. Jade just looks…
He swallows hard.
Craven: I don’t know what you’ve done to her but you both know damn well we miss her and we want her back! Fraser is ready to kill but I think, not only do you know that, but that’s what you want. You want Fraser and Baron both in that headspace because they’ve shown that’s how to beat them. You get them all riled up and they forget their heads and boom, down they go. I’m sure the same could be said for me but this week, you’ve at least made one bad bet. You got us all to buy into the game this week…
He lifts the recorder up as he glares out at the street.
Craven: So it’s time, ante up!
[/font]
Play poker...
As he walks up to the door of the back room, he punches in a code on his phone. The door chimes and opens to show him a room with a big table where the Silver Baron, Fraser Freeman, and two other guys who work at the Pleasure Dome, makeup artist, “Neon Deon” Plunkett and former boxer turned bartender, “Sugar Ray” Williams.
Silver Baron: Finally, we can start!
Freeman shakes his head.
Fraser Freeman: Everything all set, then?
Craven nods as he pulls up a chair.
Craven: Rocket’s in the big chair, we’re able to contact him and he us at a moment’s notice.
Freeman nods approvingly.
Fraser Freeman: And Ember?
Craven nods, lifting his radio.
Craven: Rocket?
Merlyn “Rocket” Harper’s voice crackles back.
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: Yeah, Dub?
Craven nods, pleased to hear such a quick response.
Craven: Are they all still with you?
After a momentary pause, Rocket’s voice crackles back again.
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: Yeah, Ember’s trying to help get Brittany up for the performance. Just promised her she’d be watching to try and get her spirits up. Sounds like there’s gonna be a party tonight after.
Craven glances at Freeman, giving him the “satisfied?” look and Freeman nods right back in response even as Baron sits at the proverbial head of the rounded table, impatiently tapping his fingers.
Fraser Freeman: Is Rogers up there?
Craven nods, looking a bit puzzled.
Craven: Yeah...
Freeman grins.
Fraser Freeman: Then tell Rocket to get his arse down here and play!
The Baron’s head droops almost without delay.
Silver Baron: Aw goddammit!
Freeman just shoots their boss a knowing look.
Fraser Freeman: What, Daniels is late and we need a guy in the sixth chair!
Looking across the table at the empty chair, Baron nods.
Silver Baron: Fine...
Craven grins.
Craven: Yo, Rocket, tell Rogers to locate and then dropkick Daniels and then get your ass down here and play some.
Rocket’s voice crackles back over the radio, a note of excitement entering his tone.
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: You got it, Dub.
Baron shakes his head.
Silver Baron: We’re never gonna get to play at this rate!
Freeman and Craven, both completely used to Baron’s impatience, just smirk while Deon and Ray look at them, then to each other before looking back across the table.
"Neon" Deon Plunkett: Oh, Dear...
"Sugar Ray" Williams: Something we should know about?
Craven just shakes his head while Freeman nods to Baron.
Fraser Freeman: The Boss just really want to get his game on, Lads.
Craven nods.
Craven: Knowing him, he wants us to play for more than money too.
Deon and Ray’s eyes both wide, Deon’s with excitement, Ray’s with worry.
"Neon" Deon Plunkett: Ooh, that could be fun.
"Sugar Ray" Williams: Now wait a minute, here…
Craven shakes his head.
Craven: Is that how he ended up naked in the mascot’s head that time?
Freeman chuckles.
Fraser Freeman: No, that was just a bloody dare, is all.
A second later, a crunching sound can be heard as Baron starts eating Lay’s really loudly.
Fraser Freeman: Bloody hell, Vega, do you have to have crisps now?
Baron looks up in annoyance.
Silver Baron: They’re chips!
Fraser Freeman: Crisps!
Silver Baron: Chips!
Fraser Freeman: CRISPS!
Silver Baron: CHIPS!
Ray and Neon watch them go back and forth and Craven raises a hand to try and calm them down.
Craven: They do this all the time, they like it.
Just then, Rocket arrives and takes the sixth chair.
Silver Baron: Thank God…
Baron starts dealing.
Silver Baron: Five card stud, two dollar buy-in, ante up!
All six throw in their first two dollar chips and Baron tosses cards around.
Silver Baron: Neon Deon has a lady, Sugar Ray, a six, Rocket, a two, Craven, a five, Freeman gets a Jack and I get a ten…
"Neon" Deon Plunkett: Five…
"Sugar Ray" Williams: Fold…
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: Five and five more.
Craven: Call.
Fraser Freeman: I’m in.
Silver Baron: Call.
"Neon" Deon Plunkett: Call.
He deals some more.
Silver Baron: Two, no help for the lady, Rocket’s got a start of a straight with that three, Craven, pair of fives, Freeman, damn, pair of jacks, and I get, an ace. Here’s ten for ya, Boys.
"Neon" Deon Plunkett: Fold.
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: I’m in.
Craven: I’m in.
Silver Baron: Ten and ten…
Freeman: I’m in.
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: Too rich…
Craven: Call.
Baron deals.
Silver Baron: No help for Craven, Freeman, gets a lady on top of his pair, and I get, oh, second ace. All in…
Craven: Fold.
Fraser Freeman: Oh yeah, Mate, I’m in.
Baron nods and deals the last two cards.
Silver Baron: I get a second ten, for two pair, aces and tens and Freeman gets a four.
Baron flips over his cards to show he had a three under there. Freeman flips his to show a third jack.
Silver Baron: Damn!
Freeman laughs and Baron stands up.
Fraser Freeman: You’re gonna buy yourself in again, aren’t you?
Silver Baron: Damn right!
He does just that and three hours, and several bottles later, both Deon and Ray have been cleaned out and sent packing. The four remaining all have five cards sitting in front of them.
Silver Baron: Ok, here we go, one hand, winner takes all!
Fraser Freeman: You know full well you ain’t got equal to what we do.
Baron shakes his head.
Silver Baron: Fine, fine, I’ll put in… “favors” to add it up.
Freeman grins.
Fraser Freeman: Like winner gets to pick things if it isn’t you, then?
Baron nods.
Fraser Freeman: Better hope it ain’t me then, Mate.
Craven shakes his head.
Craven: Have mercy…
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: Uh-oh, I’ve seen that look before…
Craven shrugs.
Craven: We should make this interesting, we all put a favor in, Vega just has to over three.
Silver Baron: I’m in.
Freeman nods.
Fraser Freeman: You’re on.
Rocket shrugs.
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: Spose I’m in anyway?
Craven: You ain’t gotta if you don’t wanna, Merl.
Rocket nods and they start flipping over cards.
Silver Baron: Three Jacks!
Fraser Freeman: Sorry, Mate, three Queens.
Craven shrugs.
Craven: Pair of Eights, damn…
Rocket slowly flips his over and everybody gasps.
Silver Baron: Shit!
Fraser Freeman: Kid got a straight flush, two through six…
Craven smirks.
Craven: Congrats, Rocket, you win.
Rocket stands up and shakes hands with the guys before leaving for the big room.
Fraser Freeman: Good kid.
Silver Baron: Do we really ALL owe him favors now?
Craven nods.
Craven: It was your idea, Bossman.
Fraser Freeman: He’s got you there.
Baron shakes his head.
Silver Baron: Damn.
As Baron sits there in his own realizations, Freeman and Craven both nod to him.
Fraser Freeman: You ready for war on Monday then, yeah?
Baron nods almost automatically.
Silver Baron: They’ll all be there, what’s to worry about?
Craven: If Michael runs…
Baron raises a hand.
Silver Baron: I get it.
Freeman nods.
Fraser Freeman: Right… to war it is, then!
An hour later, Craven’s sitting in his car outside with his little vocal recorder turned on.
Craven: It’s amazing really how sometimes the weirdest things bring on realizations.
He pauses and watches the people walking in front of him towards the entrance.
Craven: So many people in UWA all try to be something they're not, like how Kyle Travis says he's a monster but he's really just a working stiff family man just working for a living here. He does himself a disservice because he’s so caught up in who he used to be, who he THINKS he used to be, he won’t let himself be who he really is. He doesn’t seem to realize that if he was really the bad ass monster he swears up and down that he is, that he wouldn’t have to tell people and yet that’s pretty much what he does. He tells people over and over and over again.
As he shakes his head, a sad chuckle escapes his lips.
Craven: If he’d just stop telling me how I should feel about him, I’d probably actually look up to him because he is who I always wanted to be when it comes to having the nice house with the loving wife and kids inside. It’s sad…
A pause and he pops a pill.
Craven: But then again, he’s not the only one. Vince Jones does it too. He says he's this unstoppable beast but has to resort to duplicitous means and really, that’s who he is. He’s not the top line talent that he apparently used to be, he’s the new Ric Flair that way. He’s who used to be a top talent that did things because he could, now he does them because he has too but he still talks like it’s the other way around. The saddest part is that he’s probably wrong in that he doesn’t NEED to do those things. He probably still could be the guy who got by on talent but he refuses to work for it. Again, it’s sad considering how much work he put in to get this far…
He shakes his head as he watches a specific guy walking into the building. He presses a button on the radio and the guy is met by other security guys.
Craven: They’re not even close to the only ones, Sentinel tried to not be the honorable badass and it didn't work because it wasn't who he was... and in the end, look at us, we keep fighting who we are, all of us. Fraser, you tried to run away from it completely, Vega, you keep trying to say Oblivion is who you are over Vega the Baron...
He shrugs as he watches the guy get dragged out and taken around the side alley.
Craven: I wanted to act like I could just be regular rookie when I was never a regular anything. Fraser couldn’t be the Protector he is from afar so he came back and vega, you can’t pretend to be what you’re not…
Closing his eyes to let the pill kick in, he leans back against the seat.
Craven: Michael Rivers is the other way around. He tried to just be Michael Rivers but he can't...
He sighs sadly.
Craven: Because he's not... he IS Carnage... whether any of us... or even he, himself, likes it…
Shaking his head, he opens his eyes.
Craven: Man, I've of mixed thoughts on how it would be to be the masked people in that promo. On the one hand, you have trod on the one place you shouldn't have and dredged up the devil himself's "better nature." This is usually grounds for him to step up and go really slowly..."to the pain." On the other, you did him a favor in dredging up this nature and made him realize things about himself so maybe you won't get torn to pieces. it's kind of a... "You have violated the sanctity of our lair... for this we should grind your bones into powder, however you do pose an interesting proposition, therefore; heads, we accept and tails, we blow your damn head off!" and even he don't know which way the coin is gonna land.
A second pill is popped into his mouth.
Craven: And he was hardly the only show we were given, was he? Cole and Artemis both made sure we saw other things, notably Jade and some more of our own inside the Pleasure Dome. Jade just looks…
He swallows hard.
Craven: I don’t know what you’ve done to her but you both know damn well we miss her and we want her back! Fraser is ready to kill but I think, not only do you know that, but that’s what you want. You want Fraser and Baron both in that headspace because they’ve shown that’s how to beat them. You get them all riled up and they forget their heads and boom, down they go. I’m sure the same could be said for me but this week, you’ve at least made one bad bet. You got us all to buy into the game this week…
He lifts the recorder up as he glares out at the street.
Craven: So it’s time, ante up!
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