Guess what? I own nothing, Tecmo owns everything, and now on with the chapter.
P.S.
Anyone who drinks Budweiser will hate me in about ten seconds, sorry.
Chapter 14: Strong man, Frightened heart
Phil sighed as he stared down into his beer. After only a few sips he realized that the beverages here were not quite the same as back home. Leon slammed down his fifth shot of sambuca and wiped his mouth.
"What's the matter?" the large Italian asked. Phil smirked and placed his beer down on the table they sat at.
"Ah nothing, just had my hopes too high." Leon nodded and analyzed the bottle.
"Yes, I hear you have some strong stuff up North." Phil leaned back in his chair.
"Not really strength I look for, but this tastes like water man, king of beers my ass." Both men shared a chuckle for a few moments. "So what are you going to do now?" Leon sighed and stared down at the row of empty shot glasses, then over his shoulder at the monitors that showed the other matches currently happening elsewhere.
"I'm going to stay around here for a while, I have nothing else to go to. I guess it's back to training until next year." Phil leaned forward with his elbows on the table.
"What do you mean you have nothing else to go to?" Leon shook his head.
"You wouldn't understand."
"What, do I have to buy you some more shots to get you to talk about it?" Leon looked Phil in the eyes.
"What is it to you?" Phil raised his hands showing no offense was meant.
"Just curious, sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Real smart Phil, put alcohol in this guy then make him mad. Leon sighed and nodded.
"This tournament is my life, at least until I win."
"Then what?" Leon paused at Phil's words.
"What do you mean, 'then what'?" Phil looked at Leon seriously.
"Exactly what I said, what will you do after you've won? Once you have proven you are the best, then what?" Leon was motionless again.
"I never thought that far ahead." Both men were silent as the bar of the lounge began to draw some more combatants. Phil took off his hat and let his hair hang down and mingle with his chin.
"Why do you fight Leon? What pushes you to devote your entire life to this tournament?" Leon looked uncomfortable, even angry.
"I..." he stuttered, sighed, and continued. "My wife, Rolande. I lost her long ago, her dying words to me were 'The man I love is the strongest man in the world.'... Until I win this damn tournament, I haven't proven myself worthy of her love." Phil looked down at the shot glasses, then back up at Leon.
"Leon, you can throw another human being like a lawn dart, you're a damn strong man, you've already proven that." Leon closed his eyes and leaned his face into his fists. "Dude, your bicep is as big as my waist, you have don't have to convince anyone of your physical strength." Phil saw a thin tear escape behind Leon's fists. Careful Phil, you do not want to make this man snap. "Leon, you are a strong man, but there are other strengths instead of your body." Leon looked up from behind his fists, red circles around his eyes. "You know what impresses me the most about you, Leon? You lost the one you obviously love more than life itself, but instead of sitting around moping, you did something with yourself, you went on with your life." Phil paused to clear his throat and took another sip of the vile beer, he needed a sip of water to clear his throat anyways. "And you've kept living your life every day, but is this all that you think Rolande wants you to do with your life? Just beat people up?" Leon closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "Leon, you still have your life, and obviously the drive to do what you put your mind to, why not use that to live life to the fullest?"
"I must honour Rolande."
"What do you think will honour her more? Seeing you fight in a tournament year after year, letting this rage just eat you, or going on with your life and spending the time you have left in this world to the fullest? Don't you think she wants to see you happy?" Leon's eyes were dry now and he hung on Phil's words. "Granted, I have never experienced the heartbreak you have, but I think wherever she is now, she's looking over you. You will see her again someday Leon, until then, why not live life to the fullest for both of you?" Leon was motionless for minutes, until finally he smiled, another tear managed to squeak past his eyes.
"You're right, she wouldn't want me to be this... person I am today." Phil smiled back. "I've been so angry for so long, I think I forgot the joy she gave me when she was alive. Thank you, starting today, I'm going to live for both of us." Phil nodded and poured another pair of sambuca shots and they toasted each other.
"To Rolande." Phil announced, Leon nodded.
"To life." They clinked glasses and slammed back the shots.
Aww Leon was just a big teddy-bear after all... okay that's enough of that, the story continues so read on, the big plan is upon us.
P.S.
Anyone who drinks Budweiser will hate me in about ten seconds, sorry.
Chapter 14: Strong man, Frightened heart
Phil sighed as he stared down into his beer. After only a few sips he realized that the beverages here were not quite the same as back home. Leon slammed down his fifth shot of sambuca and wiped his mouth.
"What's the matter?" the large Italian asked. Phil smirked and placed his beer down on the table they sat at.
"Ah nothing, just had my hopes too high." Leon nodded and analyzed the bottle.
"Yes, I hear you have some strong stuff up North." Phil leaned back in his chair.
"Not really strength I look for, but this tastes like water man, king of beers my ass." Both men shared a chuckle for a few moments. "So what are you going to do now?" Leon sighed and stared down at the row of empty shot glasses, then over his shoulder at the monitors that showed the other matches currently happening elsewhere.
"I'm going to stay around here for a while, I have nothing else to go to. I guess it's back to training until next year." Phil leaned forward with his elbows on the table.
"What do you mean you have nothing else to go to?" Leon shook his head.
"You wouldn't understand."
"What, do I have to buy you some more shots to get you to talk about it?" Leon looked Phil in the eyes.
"What is it to you?" Phil raised his hands showing no offense was meant.
"Just curious, sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Real smart Phil, put alcohol in this guy then make him mad. Leon sighed and nodded.
"This tournament is my life, at least until I win."
"Then what?" Leon paused at Phil's words.
"What do you mean, 'then what'?" Phil looked at Leon seriously.
"Exactly what I said, what will you do after you've won? Once you have proven you are the best, then what?" Leon was motionless again.
"I never thought that far ahead." Both men were silent as the bar of the lounge began to draw some more combatants. Phil took off his hat and let his hair hang down and mingle with his chin.
"Why do you fight Leon? What pushes you to devote your entire life to this tournament?" Leon looked uncomfortable, even angry.
"I..." he stuttered, sighed, and continued. "My wife, Rolande. I lost her long ago, her dying words to me were 'The man I love is the strongest man in the world.'... Until I win this damn tournament, I haven't proven myself worthy of her love." Phil looked down at the shot glasses, then back up at Leon.
"Leon, you can throw another human being like a lawn dart, you're a damn strong man, you've already proven that." Leon closed his eyes and leaned his face into his fists. "Dude, your bicep is as big as my waist, you have don't have to convince anyone of your physical strength." Phil saw a thin tear escape behind Leon's fists. Careful Phil, you do not want to make this man snap. "Leon, you are a strong man, but there are other strengths instead of your body." Leon looked up from behind his fists, red circles around his eyes. "You know what impresses me the most about you, Leon? You lost the one you obviously love more than life itself, but instead of sitting around moping, you did something with yourself, you went on with your life." Phil paused to clear his throat and took another sip of the vile beer, he needed a sip of water to clear his throat anyways. "And you've kept living your life every day, but is this all that you think Rolande wants you to do with your life? Just beat people up?" Leon closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "Leon, you still have your life, and obviously the drive to do what you put your mind to, why not use that to live life to the fullest?"
"I must honour Rolande."
"What do you think will honour her more? Seeing you fight in a tournament year after year, letting this rage just eat you, or going on with your life and spending the time you have left in this world to the fullest? Don't you think she wants to see you happy?" Leon's eyes were dry now and he hung on Phil's words. "Granted, I have never experienced the heartbreak you have, but I think wherever she is now, she's looking over you. You will see her again someday Leon, until then, why not live life to the fullest for both of you?" Leon was motionless for minutes, until finally he smiled, another tear managed to squeak past his eyes.
"You're right, she wouldn't want me to be this... person I am today." Phil smiled back. "I've been so angry for so long, I think I forgot the joy she gave me when she was alive. Thank you, starting today, I'm going to live for both of us." Phil nodded and poured another pair of sambuca shots and they toasted each other.
"To Rolande." Phil announced, Leon nodded.
"To life." They clinked glasses and slammed back the shots.
Aww Leon was just a big teddy-bear after all... okay that's enough of that, the story continues so read on, the big plan is upon us.