Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2017 11:30:21 GMT -6
June 2nd.......the day he was born now 29 years ago. To think, that several years ago he was just being born in a hospital in his hometown of Boston, and then 23 years afterwards he was already making his first move into professional wrestling 6 years ago. Now fast forward those 6 years, and he had already decorated himself with championships and other awards. Yet, what he showed himself to be in the ring, was completely different compared to the outside, and what he was like in reality.....
Leaving the hotel room, he opted to start going for a walk around the city in order to browse what it held. Upon stepping outside the hotel, he looked up towards the sky, where dark grey clouds swirled overhead and looked as if the city would be plunged into darkness for the rest of the day.
"Great, possible rain on my birthday.....fantastic......"
Letting out a sigh, he commenced his walk. It was something of a hobby that he enjoyed doing ever since he was in high school. Strolling about by himself, taking in the surroundings of where he was at, and at best let him clear his mind of any stress that he had. Yet, it was always his birthday that he could not shake free from. Ever since he was around the age 25, he really had no one to celebrate it with. In years before, there was of course his family and childhood friends, but of course that went away when he was traveling on the road so much that he barely had to time to come home. Yet, he had some people between 2013 and 2014 to celebrate with, which included his agent at the time who was also a family man, but that soon faded out after the company closed in July. It made his heart sad to see such a great community he had been with for a solid year of his life just get split like that.
Nowadays, he often just celebrated in silence by himself because he knew no one would really care in the end. However, this was just an aspect of himself: loneliness. He wasn't full of friends like everyone else around him. The people he followed on Twitter, the people he worked with in the ring, they had a good deal of people to be with outside of the ring. Himself? Little to no one is all he could think.
Continuing to pace down the sidewalk, he looked up at one of the buildings that now shadowed him: The Florence Cathedral. The architecture alone amazed him, but he felt no need to enter it except gaze at its exterior. The way the stonework was laid, the dome top, and the pinnacle itself really intrigued him. However, standing there, that's when it began:
*Drip, drip, drip*
He blinked rapidly, before craning his head up to the sky. The dark clouds that were swirling overhead, had now isolated themselves over the entirety of Florence.
"Rain......why now......"
He grimaced at the fact that the sky itself was now weeping its tears onto the city, but shook his head as he pulled his suit jacket over his head to act as his protector from the rain. He slowly paced himself in the rain as it gradually became a downpour, soaking his suit jacket, but it really didn't bother him that much. Most other people were already sprinting in the streets, whether it was to get to their designated building or car in order to take shelter from the rain, but he was one of the people who opted not to hide from it. Instead, the rain only symbolized his tragic flaw even more, and he accepted its weight on his shoulders as his gaze shifted downcast to the sidewalk. As he rounded the next corner, a voice called out to him:
"Mio amico, cosa stai facendo sotto la pioggia?"
He looked up in the voice's a direction. A rather young Italian man was halfway out a doorway looking off in his direction. Storms could only stare in bewilderment since he knew very little Italian himself but he uttered a response, albeit in a different language:
"Que?"
The young man chuckled at the response before walking towards Storms, umbrella in hand, opening it up above the two to shield them from the heavy downpour.
"I see you're not a native here, but your suit says otherwise. Come, come, the cafe I work in will give you shelter from the rain."
While the man's accent was somewhat heavy, Storms understood what he said regardless. Slightly nodding his head, he followed the man back to the door that he exited from.
Entering the cafe, the atmosphere instantly changed. Compared to the gloom and dreariness of the current outdoors, the interior of the cafe was well-lighted, clean, and dry. There were a few other patrons inside as well, but Storms chose to ignore what they were saying since it was all in Italian. Sitting at a table by the window, he draped his rain soaked jacket on the chair as he sat himself down with a heavy sigh. The Italian stood at the side of the table, still brimming with positive energy.
"Anything I can get you amico? Food? Drink?"
"A black coffee will suffice. Just sugar though, no cream."
The waiter nodded, smiling as he turned his attention towards the counter.
"Salvatore!"
"Che cosa, Ezio?"
"Un caffe nero, solo zucchero, nessuna cream!"
"Inteso."
Nodding, Salvatore immediately went to work prepping the drink as Ezio sat himself across from Storms, who at this point was checking his phone.
"So, amico, tell me, what brings you here to the, uh, well usually beautiful city of Florence?"
"Business. Company I'm with had me fly over here."
"Ah, business trip. Always nice when you get to travel, isn't it?"
Storms shrugs at the question.
"It has its benefits."
A few seconds later, Salvatore appears with a white cup and saucer in hand as he sets it down in front of Storms.
"La sei amico."
He turns to Ezio.
"Paghi per questo, Ezio?"
"Si, Salvatore."
The two nod to each other and Salvatore returns to the counter as Ezio looks back at Storms who's just taking his first sip of the coffee.
"How's the taste?"
"Not bad at all. Probably some of the best I've had in awhile now."
"That's good to hear. So, not to really pry, but what sort of business trip are you doing here in Florence?"
Setting the cup back down on the saucer, Storms leaned his elbows up on the table.
"Wrestling, to be exact. I've been doing it since I graduated high school back over in America. Haven't really regretted it since."
"How long have you been doing this profession?"
Storms thinks for a minute.
"About six years now. Started back sometime in 2011 with a company a few close friends of mine are now working in. It wasn't the most pleasant stay, but it had its rewards while I was there."
"Ever been a champion?"
"Of course I was. Two time world champion at best, but sadly each reign was short. I still blame management for it. I was working those matches exhausted and never got time to recuperate."
Ezio chuckles to himself.
"Traveling on the road is never an easy task. It takes time and patience to understand it and work with it."
"At the time, I wasn't really able to, but these days I'm able to fair better."
"Any idea on where you're headed next?"
"Monday morning I'm flying out to England for another show with another company based there."
He takes another sip of coffee as Ezio interjects.
"Wow, traveling Europe. Many people dream of doing that, you know? I think most are lucky to even travel to one country here in Europe, but the fact that you're practically traveling the continent amazes me."
"Well, after the show in England I'm flying back to the states for some recuperation. I usually have a week to relax, but I still have to train from time to time during the week."
He finishes the rest of his drink, setting the now empty cup on the saucer and pushes it to the side of the table. He looks out the window, where the rain now appears to have lightened up.
"Seems the downpour has now passed..."
"Indeed. Weatherman said it was supposed to pass around this time."
Ezio stands up from his seat, taking hold of the cup and saucer.
"Suppose I shouldn't keep you at bay much longer since I know you probably gotta prep for that show. Don't worry about paying for the drink, I've covered it for you. Also, if you want to do a bit more sight seeing, I recommend visiting the Ponte Vecchio. Nice bridge that spans over the Arno River with some shops built into it."
"Thanks. I'll make sure to check it out."
Rising up from his seat, he grabs his still dampened suit jacket. It wasn't as soaked as before, but he figured he'd carry it over his shoulder anyway.
Conversing with Ezio, somewhat brightened his mood, but it would never replace his flaw of being a loner. It was something he himself couldn't escape himself unless he tried, but he made no effort. He was more accepting of it than resisting it.
After a long walk, he eventually came across the Ponte Vecchio as Ezio described it. Shops were built into its sides, and below it ran the river that he told him about. It was rather light, compared to his expectations of it being crowded at this time. Trekking further in, he continued to browse the stores lined along the sides. One vendor was selling art, another souvenirs, but the one that caught his attention was a jeweler and the necklaces and pendants that were on display. Entering it, a middle aged Italian greeted him with a beaming smile.
"Benvenuto signore. Come posso aiutarti oggi?"
He seemed to ignore her greeting as his gaze was focused on a pendant that sat on the far left. It was a circular design that held a wolf within, and it was howling up to an image of the moon just behind it's head in the design. His heart ached at the image, but he shook off the feeling as pointed down at the pendant. The woman seemed perplexed at first, but understood and saw what he was pointing at.
"Settanta euro."
He seemed to understand what she meant by the amount and pulled out what he had on him in order to pay for it. Graciously, the woman neatly wrapped the pendant up in silk paper, handing it over to Storms.
"Buona giornata."
He bowed in response before turning heel and exiting the shop. Unwrapping the paper, he looked down at the pendant as it glistened in the lightning in the Ponte Vecchio. The silver color definitely had some luster to it, but it wasn't any serious shine. It didn't matter to him as he put it around his neck. It hung loosely, but comfortably around it and he felt somewhat happier about today. Talking to Ezio made him feel not so alone, and this pendant would now serve as the reminder of how his celebration of his birthday went down in Florence. Whatever loneliness sat in his heart for today, felt sort of uplifted in a sense but even he knew it was temporary as it would just return to normal the next day. For now though, he would enjoy whatever time left he had to spend on his birthday in Florence...
Leaving the hotel room, he opted to start going for a walk around the city in order to browse what it held. Upon stepping outside the hotel, he looked up towards the sky, where dark grey clouds swirled overhead and looked as if the city would be plunged into darkness for the rest of the day.
"Great, possible rain on my birthday.....fantastic......"
Letting out a sigh, he commenced his walk. It was something of a hobby that he enjoyed doing ever since he was in high school. Strolling about by himself, taking in the surroundings of where he was at, and at best let him clear his mind of any stress that he had. Yet, it was always his birthday that he could not shake free from. Ever since he was around the age 25, he really had no one to celebrate it with. In years before, there was of course his family and childhood friends, but of course that went away when he was traveling on the road so much that he barely had to time to come home. Yet, he had some people between 2013 and 2014 to celebrate with, which included his agent at the time who was also a family man, but that soon faded out after the company closed in July. It made his heart sad to see such a great community he had been with for a solid year of his life just get split like that.
Nowadays, he often just celebrated in silence by himself because he knew no one would really care in the end. However, this was just an aspect of himself: loneliness. He wasn't full of friends like everyone else around him. The people he followed on Twitter, the people he worked with in the ring, they had a good deal of people to be with outside of the ring. Himself? Little to no one is all he could think.
Continuing to pace down the sidewalk, he looked up at one of the buildings that now shadowed him: The Florence Cathedral. The architecture alone amazed him, but he felt no need to enter it except gaze at its exterior. The way the stonework was laid, the dome top, and the pinnacle itself really intrigued him. However, standing there, that's when it began:
*Drip, drip, drip*
He blinked rapidly, before craning his head up to the sky. The dark clouds that were swirling overhead, had now isolated themselves over the entirety of Florence.
"Rain......why now......"
He grimaced at the fact that the sky itself was now weeping its tears onto the city, but shook his head as he pulled his suit jacket over his head to act as his protector from the rain. He slowly paced himself in the rain as it gradually became a downpour, soaking his suit jacket, but it really didn't bother him that much. Most other people were already sprinting in the streets, whether it was to get to their designated building or car in order to take shelter from the rain, but he was one of the people who opted not to hide from it. Instead, the rain only symbolized his tragic flaw even more, and he accepted its weight on his shoulders as his gaze shifted downcast to the sidewalk. As he rounded the next corner, a voice called out to him:
"Mio amico, cosa stai facendo sotto la pioggia?"
He looked up in the voice's a direction. A rather young Italian man was halfway out a doorway looking off in his direction. Storms could only stare in bewilderment since he knew very little Italian himself but he uttered a response, albeit in a different language:
"Que?"
The young man chuckled at the response before walking towards Storms, umbrella in hand, opening it up above the two to shield them from the heavy downpour.
"I see you're not a native here, but your suit says otherwise. Come, come, the cafe I work in will give you shelter from the rain."
While the man's accent was somewhat heavy, Storms understood what he said regardless. Slightly nodding his head, he followed the man back to the door that he exited from.
Entering the cafe, the atmosphere instantly changed. Compared to the gloom and dreariness of the current outdoors, the interior of the cafe was well-lighted, clean, and dry. There were a few other patrons inside as well, but Storms chose to ignore what they were saying since it was all in Italian. Sitting at a table by the window, he draped his rain soaked jacket on the chair as he sat himself down with a heavy sigh. The Italian stood at the side of the table, still brimming with positive energy.
"Anything I can get you amico? Food? Drink?"
"A black coffee will suffice. Just sugar though, no cream."
The waiter nodded, smiling as he turned his attention towards the counter.
"Salvatore!"
"Che cosa, Ezio?"
"Un caffe nero, solo zucchero, nessuna cream!"
"Inteso."
Nodding, Salvatore immediately went to work prepping the drink as Ezio sat himself across from Storms, who at this point was checking his phone.
"So, amico, tell me, what brings you here to the, uh, well usually beautiful city of Florence?"
"Business. Company I'm with had me fly over here."
"Ah, business trip. Always nice when you get to travel, isn't it?"
Storms shrugs at the question.
"It has its benefits."
A few seconds later, Salvatore appears with a white cup and saucer in hand as he sets it down in front of Storms.
"La sei amico."
He turns to Ezio.
"Paghi per questo, Ezio?"
"Si, Salvatore."
The two nod to each other and Salvatore returns to the counter as Ezio looks back at Storms who's just taking his first sip of the coffee.
"How's the taste?"
"Not bad at all. Probably some of the best I've had in awhile now."
"That's good to hear. So, not to really pry, but what sort of business trip are you doing here in Florence?"
Setting the cup back down on the saucer, Storms leaned his elbows up on the table.
"Wrestling, to be exact. I've been doing it since I graduated high school back over in America. Haven't really regretted it since."
"How long have you been doing this profession?"
Storms thinks for a minute.
"About six years now. Started back sometime in 2011 with a company a few close friends of mine are now working in. It wasn't the most pleasant stay, but it had its rewards while I was there."
"Ever been a champion?"
"Of course I was. Two time world champion at best, but sadly each reign was short. I still blame management for it. I was working those matches exhausted and never got time to recuperate."
Ezio chuckles to himself.
"Traveling on the road is never an easy task. It takes time and patience to understand it and work with it."
"At the time, I wasn't really able to, but these days I'm able to fair better."
"Any idea on where you're headed next?"
"Monday morning I'm flying out to England for another show with another company based there."
He takes another sip of coffee as Ezio interjects.
"Wow, traveling Europe. Many people dream of doing that, you know? I think most are lucky to even travel to one country here in Europe, but the fact that you're practically traveling the continent amazes me."
"Well, after the show in England I'm flying back to the states for some recuperation. I usually have a week to relax, but I still have to train from time to time during the week."
He finishes the rest of his drink, setting the now empty cup on the saucer and pushes it to the side of the table. He looks out the window, where the rain now appears to have lightened up.
"Seems the downpour has now passed..."
"Indeed. Weatherman said it was supposed to pass around this time."
Ezio stands up from his seat, taking hold of the cup and saucer.
"Suppose I shouldn't keep you at bay much longer since I know you probably gotta prep for that show. Don't worry about paying for the drink, I've covered it for you. Also, if you want to do a bit more sight seeing, I recommend visiting the Ponte Vecchio. Nice bridge that spans over the Arno River with some shops built into it."
"Thanks. I'll make sure to check it out."
Rising up from his seat, he grabs his still dampened suit jacket. It wasn't as soaked as before, but he figured he'd carry it over his shoulder anyway.
Conversing with Ezio, somewhat brightened his mood, but it would never replace his flaw of being a loner. It was something he himself couldn't escape himself unless he tried, but he made no effort. He was more accepting of it than resisting it.
After a long walk, he eventually came across the Ponte Vecchio as Ezio described it. Shops were built into its sides, and below it ran the river that he told him about. It was rather light, compared to his expectations of it being crowded at this time. Trekking further in, he continued to browse the stores lined along the sides. One vendor was selling art, another souvenirs, but the one that caught his attention was a jeweler and the necklaces and pendants that were on display. Entering it, a middle aged Italian greeted him with a beaming smile.
"Benvenuto signore. Come posso aiutarti oggi?"
He seemed to ignore her greeting as his gaze was focused on a pendant that sat on the far left. It was a circular design that held a wolf within, and it was howling up to an image of the moon just behind it's head in the design. His heart ached at the image, but he shook off the feeling as pointed down at the pendant. The woman seemed perplexed at first, but understood and saw what he was pointing at.
"Settanta euro."
He seemed to understand what she meant by the amount and pulled out what he had on him in order to pay for it. Graciously, the woman neatly wrapped the pendant up in silk paper, handing it over to Storms.
"Buona giornata."
He bowed in response before turning heel and exiting the shop. Unwrapping the paper, he looked down at the pendant as it glistened in the lightning in the Ponte Vecchio. The silver color definitely had some luster to it, but it wasn't any serious shine. It didn't matter to him as he put it around his neck. It hung loosely, but comfortably around it and he felt somewhat happier about today. Talking to Ezio made him feel not so alone, and this pendant would now serve as the reminder of how his celebration of his birthday went down in Florence. Whatever loneliness sat in his heart for today, felt sort of uplifted in a sense but even he knew it was temporary as it would just return to normal the next day. For now though, he would enjoy whatever time left he had to spend on his birthday in Florence...