Making Connections [Axton Gunn, Dominick Strife]
Sept 8, 2020 14:51:33 GMT -5
mystifyingoracle, mac, and 1 more like this
Post by Axton Gunn on Sept 8, 2020 14:51:33 GMT -5
Nursing a vanilla iced coffee in a tall glass, Axton scanned the sidewalk again from behind his reflective Ray Bans; he’d picked a quiet little indie coffee shop not too far from the Carnage arena, hoping to have some space to talk. The conversationalist in question was a new talent at Carnage like himself, and one that had caught his eye right away during the last show. Something about the guy just… resonated with him. Like they might be on the same wavelength… and he was aching for some decent company. Or, at least, some company that didn’t want him executed after his little in-ring stunt on Silvio Leon.
Like anyone knew the whole story. Psh.
Dominick Strife was talented--that much was obvious--so it had come as a surprise to Axton when he’d read that the guy might not be returning to Carnage full-time. It seemed like such a waste… and he couldn’t help but think the man was being denied a good opportunity. Delivery was a steady business, albeit not particularly lucrative, so if he could give the guy a leg-up...
“You see him yet?” he asked aloud; the two Aussie Shepherd dogs, their leashes tied to the patio fence, panted in the warm September sun and kept a vigilant watch. Axton reached down, rubbing their ears.
The loud noise of an old pickup's backfire all-but startled the pooches as it struggled by. The rusty chariot looked like it was about twenty years too late to a junkyard, but someone had fixed it up and spray painted a company logo on the door. Ever struggling, the truck passed the coffee shop and took a hard right turn and disappeared behind the row of buildings into a nearby sidestreet.
Moments later, Dominick Strife appeared on foot after rounding the corner from that same sidestreet. After all that he had been through lately (with blowing his big shot to be the first ever Chaos champion) he was already looking to move on. He was anxious to meet Axton in person, having only known of him by name and by the reputation alone. Ever curious as to what Axton would possibly want from the local native, Dom kept his hands in his cargo short pockets and his chin on his Strife Delivery t-shirt as he approached. He wasn't sure what would come of this meeting, if there was to be one at all. But he soon realized that the Rockstar was serious about the encounter when he saw the Golden Boy seated right out front on the sidewalk.
His nervousness heightened. He pulled his hands from his pockets so that he could push his own, much cheaper sunglasses up and away from his eyes. Dominick wasn't exactly a guru to music, but like many other rock and roll stars he knew that this was no fake, fraud, or phony sipping away at a Baltimore latte.
"Holy shit," Dom swallowed hard. "It really is you… the Axton Gunn."
Axton perked up at the sound of his voice, turning to look up at him. Both dogs started wagging their stubby tails, tongues lolling from their mouths in excitement.
“Call me Ax,” he chimed, taking his sunglasses off with a grin. “Grab a seat, Dominick! Can I call you Dom? I’m stoked you actually came. I got you an iced coffee but I asked for the vanilla on the side, if you like it sweet.”
Dominick pulled out his chair and sat across from the former frontman of The Broken Brash. As he sat down the two Shepherds moved to greet him and to see just where he's been.
"Absolutely," Dom replied, while he tried to both pet the dogs and secure his coffee. "Thanks Ax. No offense intended but It's not everyday that someone like you wants to meet up and talk business with somebody like me. I'd be crazy for me not to come."
It was hard not to see that Axton was basking in the attention his fame brought him--after all, it was definitely an ego boost to know that he was known not just outside of California, but all the way over on the east coast. It was one thing to see it online, but coming out in person and being recognized? That felt good.
“Don’t sweat it,” he said through a grin, taking a sip of his iced coffee. “I’m taking a year off from the music scene since my tour got canceled… thought I’d indulge a bit in an alternative path I might’ve taken if the band hadn’t worked out back then. I was really into amateur wrestling back in high school--heh, the brown one is Huey and the Tri-colour is Irwin, by the way.” He gestured to the Aussies, who were happily sniffing at Dom’s hands and cargos. “They love people.”
"They're adorable," Dom replied as he focused back on Ax.
Ax beamed with pride. “They’re good boys.”
Dom nodded his head and poured half of the vanilla into his coffee.
"So this is what you really would have done, hmm?" Dom took a sip. "Interesting. I've… been doing this for a while now. Wasn't my first choice. But I did a little amateur in high school too. Some friends got me started in the indies cause I heard a lot of the local places pay a few bucks for like, what… ten, maybe fifteen minutes of work a show? Ya know, it's not really a bad gig, all things considered, as long as you get used to the pain afterwards."
“For sure,” Axton agreed, stirring the ice around in his cup as he sat back. He had a very relaxed, casual demeanour about him, as though nothing in the world could bother him. “If you’ve got the skill you oughtta make the most of it. And dude,” he laughed, eyes lighting up again, “you’ve got it! Not just your last match, but I went back and watched that crazy debut in the triple-threat, where you not only got jumped from behind and came back, but then kicked that Scot’s ass at the end! I swear to god, man, the belt match on the last show? He won by a fluke. You’ve literally proved you can hand the guy the contents of his own kilt.”
Dom chuckled and almost blushed.
"Well, thank you." His nerves fired and felt like the tips of needles poking his arms. "I'm not sure that I kicked his ass. Lot of people 'been saying that I was the one that just got lucky. I dunno. Maybe I did and maybe I didn't. Who knows? Hampton's good though. Better than a lot of people give him credit for… but yeah."
Dom sighed.
"It was tough," he continued. "I didn't want to come so far just to lose that one… but what can ya do? I still got paid… got the truck running and some food in the pantry… not to mention the exposure for myself and for my business too. The indies will probably pay double now when I go back-"
“But not as much as Carnage, I’m guessing,” Axton mused, taking another thoughtful sip of cold caffeine.
“I’m just thinking… what if you could stay? I know it’s hard keeping your own business afloat, especially these days, so pretty much everybody has a side-hustle. Hell, before I went solo I used to supplement my band’s income with warehouse jobs, after I fell off my parents’ insurance. I’m not gonna pretend I didn’t get lucky, but even with that luck there’s tough spots. Being able to rely on a position like this would take a load off, for sure.”
Axton sat forward, scratching his jaw.
“Is that why you didn’t get a contract? The title loss?”
Dom was surprised. He had assumed that everything came easy for Axton Gunn. From an outsider's perspective it sure seemed that way. He realized that there was a lot about Ax that he didn't understand. Namely how similar their upbringings and the circumstances surrounding them are.
Dom shifted his weight in his chair. The Huey and Irwin across from him were sitting calmly on the concrete, and suddenly, sitting in front of a coffee shop with the Rockstar just seemed like a normal day.
"I don't know why they don't want me. Maybe it's because I tried to steal that last win, too." Dom shrugged. "Carnage has a lot of new guys… and with JC and Michaels coming back… Prydor… plus people like Levi and Knox… maybe I was too raw or they just didn't need me right now. I admitted to poking Harry in the eye but I didn't think I was doing anything that anyone else in my position wouldn't do… with so much on the line. I guess… I guess I just didn't earn it in their eyes."
Axton scoffed, playing with the ice in his cup using his straw. “Not sure I buy that. You've done as much, if not more than some of the new blood coming in. At least from where I'm sitting.”
The blonde tapped the table in front of him with a painted black fingernail. “You know what those guys have that you don't? Connections.” His hand moved up to the ‘call me’ signal with a little shake. “They know people in the company, they have money, they're old names putting on new gear and pretending we can't see the dust collecting in their crow’s feet. They have clout. But guess what?”
He grins, wagging a finger. “So do I. That's why I'm here. I wanna make you an offer, Dom.”
Dom's eyes widened. His eyebrow raised.
"You, want to make me, an offer?" He didn't want to come off as insulting. Dom just couldn't understand Ax's interest in him. "I don't know what to say. "
“Well, yes, hopefully.” Axton laughed, resting his elbows on the table. “You were great out there. I came out here by myself, excluding Huey and Irwin who can’t legally wrestle… and I really prefer working alongside people I like. I’m working on a little project to take on Silvio Leon’s little deck of cards… and I’d like you on board.”
He grinned, obviously excited about the idea. “I can secure your spot in the company, no problem. If you’re on my team, they need to sign you on. We can roll as a tag team to begin with, but the idea is that eventually we’ll build up speed and make something bigger. Something that could blow the top off this tent. And hey, you don’t have to stick with it if it’s not your jam… go do your own thing with the contract under your belt. But I know where you’re coming from and I feel like it could really work.”
"Silvio, hmm?"
Dom rubbed his chin.
"Well, you know, joining's not really my thing. I tried it a few times in the real world… but I don't really work well in group settings."
Dom sat back in his chair.
"But you know what? I've never been in a tag team, much less in one with a legit star like you. And if you would have told me that at the beginning of all this, with that tryout match and everything, that I'd end up less than two months later getting an offer to join a tag team from Axton Gunn himself? Man, that's just too crazy."
Dom extended his hand.
"Too crazy to pass up. I might not be the best team player, but the way this year has been going… I can learn. I'm in."
The musician’s face lights up with obvious joy, clasping Dom’s hand with enthusiasm.
“Hell yeah!” He can't wipe the grin from his face--his emphatic voice was contagious to the dogs, who started pacing and panting with excitement. “Glad I can help, dude. People like us lose great opportunities all the time for dumb reasons--if I can make it work for one more of us you bet your ass I'm gonna try.”
He released Dom’s hand, sitting back down. “If you got places to be I get it, but I'm down to relax here a while if you wanna shoot the shit. It'd be cool to hear more about your biz and your indie circuit stuff.”
Dom smirked.
"Well, where do I begin?"
Like anyone knew the whole story. Psh.
Dominick Strife was talented--that much was obvious--so it had come as a surprise to Axton when he’d read that the guy might not be returning to Carnage full-time. It seemed like such a waste… and he couldn’t help but think the man was being denied a good opportunity. Delivery was a steady business, albeit not particularly lucrative, so if he could give the guy a leg-up...
“You see him yet?” he asked aloud; the two Aussie Shepherd dogs, their leashes tied to the patio fence, panted in the warm September sun and kept a vigilant watch. Axton reached down, rubbing their ears.
The loud noise of an old pickup's backfire all-but startled the pooches as it struggled by. The rusty chariot looked like it was about twenty years too late to a junkyard, but someone had fixed it up and spray painted a company logo on the door. Ever struggling, the truck passed the coffee shop and took a hard right turn and disappeared behind the row of buildings into a nearby sidestreet.
Moments later, Dominick Strife appeared on foot after rounding the corner from that same sidestreet. After all that he had been through lately (with blowing his big shot to be the first ever Chaos champion) he was already looking to move on. He was anxious to meet Axton in person, having only known of him by name and by the reputation alone. Ever curious as to what Axton would possibly want from the local native, Dom kept his hands in his cargo short pockets and his chin on his Strife Delivery t-shirt as he approached. He wasn't sure what would come of this meeting, if there was to be one at all. But he soon realized that the Rockstar was serious about the encounter when he saw the Golden Boy seated right out front on the sidewalk.
His nervousness heightened. He pulled his hands from his pockets so that he could push his own, much cheaper sunglasses up and away from his eyes. Dominick wasn't exactly a guru to music, but like many other rock and roll stars he knew that this was no fake, fraud, or phony sipping away at a Baltimore latte.
"Holy shit," Dom swallowed hard. "It really is you… the Axton Gunn."
Axton perked up at the sound of his voice, turning to look up at him. Both dogs started wagging their stubby tails, tongues lolling from their mouths in excitement.
“Call me Ax,” he chimed, taking his sunglasses off with a grin. “Grab a seat, Dominick! Can I call you Dom? I’m stoked you actually came. I got you an iced coffee but I asked for the vanilla on the side, if you like it sweet.”
Dominick pulled out his chair and sat across from the former frontman of The Broken Brash. As he sat down the two Shepherds moved to greet him and to see just where he's been.
"Absolutely," Dom replied, while he tried to both pet the dogs and secure his coffee. "Thanks Ax. No offense intended but It's not everyday that someone like you wants to meet up and talk business with somebody like me. I'd be crazy for me not to come."
It was hard not to see that Axton was basking in the attention his fame brought him--after all, it was definitely an ego boost to know that he was known not just outside of California, but all the way over on the east coast. It was one thing to see it online, but coming out in person and being recognized? That felt good.
“Don’t sweat it,” he said through a grin, taking a sip of his iced coffee. “I’m taking a year off from the music scene since my tour got canceled… thought I’d indulge a bit in an alternative path I might’ve taken if the band hadn’t worked out back then. I was really into amateur wrestling back in high school--heh, the brown one is Huey and the Tri-colour is Irwin, by the way.” He gestured to the Aussies, who were happily sniffing at Dom’s hands and cargos. “They love people.”
"They're adorable," Dom replied as he focused back on Ax.
Ax beamed with pride. “They’re good boys.”
Dom nodded his head and poured half of the vanilla into his coffee.
"So this is what you really would have done, hmm?" Dom took a sip. "Interesting. I've… been doing this for a while now. Wasn't my first choice. But I did a little amateur in high school too. Some friends got me started in the indies cause I heard a lot of the local places pay a few bucks for like, what… ten, maybe fifteen minutes of work a show? Ya know, it's not really a bad gig, all things considered, as long as you get used to the pain afterwards."
“For sure,” Axton agreed, stirring the ice around in his cup as he sat back. He had a very relaxed, casual demeanour about him, as though nothing in the world could bother him. “If you’ve got the skill you oughtta make the most of it. And dude,” he laughed, eyes lighting up again, “you’ve got it! Not just your last match, but I went back and watched that crazy debut in the triple-threat, where you not only got jumped from behind and came back, but then kicked that Scot’s ass at the end! I swear to god, man, the belt match on the last show? He won by a fluke. You’ve literally proved you can hand the guy the contents of his own kilt.”
Dom chuckled and almost blushed.
"Well, thank you." His nerves fired and felt like the tips of needles poking his arms. "I'm not sure that I kicked his ass. Lot of people 'been saying that I was the one that just got lucky. I dunno. Maybe I did and maybe I didn't. Who knows? Hampton's good though. Better than a lot of people give him credit for… but yeah."
Dom sighed.
"It was tough," he continued. "I didn't want to come so far just to lose that one… but what can ya do? I still got paid… got the truck running and some food in the pantry… not to mention the exposure for myself and for my business too. The indies will probably pay double now when I go back-"
“But not as much as Carnage, I’m guessing,” Axton mused, taking another thoughtful sip of cold caffeine.
“I’m just thinking… what if you could stay? I know it’s hard keeping your own business afloat, especially these days, so pretty much everybody has a side-hustle. Hell, before I went solo I used to supplement my band’s income with warehouse jobs, after I fell off my parents’ insurance. I’m not gonna pretend I didn’t get lucky, but even with that luck there’s tough spots. Being able to rely on a position like this would take a load off, for sure.”
Axton sat forward, scratching his jaw.
“Is that why you didn’t get a contract? The title loss?”
Dom was surprised. He had assumed that everything came easy for Axton Gunn. From an outsider's perspective it sure seemed that way. He realized that there was a lot about Ax that he didn't understand. Namely how similar their upbringings and the circumstances surrounding them are.
Dom shifted his weight in his chair. The Huey and Irwin across from him were sitting calmly on the concrete, and suddenly, sitting in front of a coffee shop with the Rockstar just seemed like a normal day.
"I don't know why they don't want me. Maybe it's because I tried to steal that last win, too." Dom shrugged. "Carnage has a lot of new guys… and with JC and Michaels coming back… Prydor… plus people like Levi and Knox… maybe I was too raw or they just didn't need me right now. I admitted to poking Harry in the eye but I didn't think I was doing anything that anyone else in my position wouldn't do… with so much on the line. I guess… I guess I just didn't earn it in their eyes."
Axton scoffed, playing with the ice in his cup using his straw. “Not sure I buy that. You've done as much, if not more than some of the new blood coming in. At least from where I'm sitting.”
The blonde tapped the table in front of him with a painted black fingernail. “You know what those guys have that you don't? Connections.” His hand moved up to the ‘call me’ signal with a little shake. “They know people in the company, they have money, they're old names putting on new gear and pretending we can't see the dust collecting in their crow’s feet. They have clout. But guess what?”
He grins, wagging a finger. “So do I. That's why I'm here. I wanna make you an offer, Dom.”
Dom's eyes widened. His eyebrow raised.
"You, want to make me, an offer?" He didn't want to come off as insulting. Dom just couldn't understand Ax's interest in him. "I don't know what to say. "
“Well, yes, hopefully.” Axton laughed, resting his elbows on the table. “You were great out there. I came out here by myself, excluding Huey and Irwin who can’t legally wrestle… and I really prefer working alongside people I like. I’m working on a little project to take on Silvio Leon’s little deck of cards… and I’d like you on board.”
He grinned, obviously excited about the idea. “I can secure your spot in the company, no problem. If you’re on my team, they need to sign you on. We can roll as a tag team to begin with, but the idea is that eventually we’ll build up speed and make something bigger. Something that could blow the top off this tent. And hey, you don’t have to stick with it if it’s not your jam… go do your own thing with the contract under your belt. But I know where you’re coming from and I feel like it could really work.”
"Silvio, hmm?"
Dom rubbed his chin.
"Well, you know, joining's not really my thing. I tried it a few times in the real world… but I don't really work well in group settings."
Dom sat back in his chair.
"But you know what? I've never been in a tag team, much less in one with a legit star like you. And if you would have told me that at the beginning of all this, with that tryout match and everything, that I'd end up less than two months later getting an offer to join a tag team from Axton Gunn himself? Man, that's just too crazy."
Dom extended his hand.
"Too crazy to pass up. I might not be the best team player, but the way this year has been going… I can learn. I'm in."
The musician’s face lights up with obvious joy, clasping Dom’s hand with enthusiasm.
“Hell yeah!” He can't wipe the grin from his face--his emphatic voice was contagious to the dogs, who started pacing and panting with excitement. “Glad I can help, dude. People like us lose great opportunities all the time for dumb reasons--if I can make it work for one more of us you bet your ass I'm gonna try.”
He released Dom’s hand, sitting back down. “If you got places to be I get it, but I'm down to relax here a while if you wanna shoot the shit. It'd be cool to hear more about your biz and your indie circuit stuff.”
Dom smirked.
"Well, where do I begin?"
[Thanks for the collab Dom! This was fun to put together!]