"To Second Chances"

[Johnny]

THE NIGHT OF: Magnum’s rebirth
1/1/2014


The following clips you are about to see were made possible by our friends at BStudios. Everything you may see that may challenge reality, was brought to life in their luxurious Berkeley, California studio by a disgruntled employee slaving away behind a computer.
Enjoy.

The martyr rises from the ash-colored sheets of his twin sized bed, pushed in the corner of a small, dark room, lit only by the specks of moon and star light that penetrate the thin cloth makeshift-drapes that shield the solitary, small window above the bed. The man stares blankly into space. His long, shaggy dirty blonde hair hangs on his bare shoulders and hide most of his emerald green eyes. A scruffy beard covers half his face, which he reaches up to scratch, and then runs his fingers through his dirty, oily hair. He rises to his feet now and rips the sheet from the window allowing the moon to illuminate his entire being. 

A wolf-like snarl permeates the man’s otherwise depressing demeanor. It’s only then that this mans identity becomes clear. Johnny Magnum, retired professional wrestler, stands before us. Last seen by audiences biting a tough loss to his former best friend, (a loss that, mind you, banished him from every competing in a professional wrestling match again), Magnum has sense become a ghost. Tales here and there of his comeback have arisen, but never have the come true... until now, evidently. However, as Magnum once radiated with youth, he now appears rather dull and tired. A loud crack on the window pulls Magnum’s attention away from the nothingness and he snaps his neck toward the window.

Who goes there?

Magnum proceeds with caution, slowly tip-toeing towards the window, which has been blown open. He places his fingers around the window-frame and slowly pulls himself up to peer over, but is suddenly thrown back by a gust of wind! Magnum flies off the bed and lands with a loud THUD! Rubbing the back of his head and cursing, Magnum sits up and looks towards the window. A small woman, half the size of a footlong ruler, buzzes around the window. 

Who the f-...

Hi, my name is Olivia the Fairy of Redemption! Pleased to be at your service, Mr... err... Magnum, it is! Pleased to be at your service, Mr Magnum!

Magnum stares, bewildered.

You... what... who are you? Get out of my house!

No, that is not how this works. I am at your service, but not your servant. I’m here to help you, Johnny, I assure you. 

Help me what?

Olivia cocks here eyebrow up and gives Magnum a knowing look.

You can’t hide from us, Johnny. We know. We know your pain and anguish and we have your cure. I can relieve you of your burden Johnny, don’t you want that?

Magnum closes his eyes painfully, when he opens them again they’re redder than they were before.

I made a promise. I signed an oath with my own blood... I can’t go back on that. I’m an honest man and I intend to keep to my word... it’s all I got these days.

Oh, but Johnny, loopholes! There are always loopholes!

No. No, I’m not interested. Just leave me to my own misery. I’ve brought it upon myself, I must endure it by myself.

Olivia looks at Magnum desperately.

Oh, Johnny, what’ll it be I have to do to show you the light...

You’d literally have to turn back time, Olivia, to convince me of any-

And with an interrupting snap of her fingers, the walls of Magnum’s confined space fall away. New walls build around the scene. Surrounding the hero and his fairy now are thousands of screaming fans. Magnum surveys them wearily then turns to have his worst fear confirmed. He’s looking into the wrestling ring where a younger, more clean-cut version of himself is eating his final defeat. He stares into his own defeated eyes and lets out a devastating, blood-curling scream. The him of yesterday, nor any of the fans in the arena, notice he’s there. But he is, he knows he is, he feels it all too well.

Why...

I needed you to remember what it felt like.

With another snap of her fingers, the scene falls away much like the last and the world around Johnny crumbles into itself and erupts in a blinding white light. Johnny Magnum finds himself, alone, in an infinite space of whiteness.

If you can dream it, you can make it...

The fairies voice echoes throughout the white and then leaves Magnum to his own devices.

He stands motionless for a while and then, as a smirk crawls on his face, he scans around the white with malicious intent as a wild scene bursts to life. Like an artist on canvas, the scene unfolds around him; stroke by stroke, piece by piece.

The fans come back. As does the wrestling ring and the stage, the announce team, the barricade. It all comes back to him. This time, however, he stands alone in the ring. And by the resounding “WELCOME BACK” chants, they seem aware of his presence.

Magnum looks around, awe-struck. His beard and unkempt hair are suddenly cleaned up, he looks infinitely healthier. He bounces off the ropes, somersaults in the ring, stands on the turnbuckle... the sights, the sounds, the feel, they all rush over him. He bites his quivering lip and brings a microphone up to mouth-level.

I... I’m sorry...

And like that, a familiar gust of wind thrusts Magnum’s body backwards. He hits the canvas and breaks through it and falls in a juxtaposing infinite blackness... that turns to nothingness... that turns to... the hardwood floor of Magnum’s room.

He rubs his head and sits up, looking around. He’s back to the old, miserable Magnum he was just before embarking on that strange journey... was it real or was it a dream... or was it something else? Magnum rubs his head again.

Where are you? Olivia? OLIVIA!!!

Magnum turns to the clock. 6:09 AM. Must’ve been a dream. Magnum stands and looks and sees the window is in fact open. Maybe it was real. He sits in a tattered arm chair in the corner of the room and thinks for hours on end. Eventually, Magnum scratches his beard... he looks down at it and laughs.

Magnum stands before a mirror, an electric razor in his hand and he cleans up his beard, laughing. He walks down the street, and into a barber shop and gets his mop trimmed, laughing. And as he walks back to his apartment, still laughing, an advertisement on a telephone post catches his eye.

‘DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE THE NEXT PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING SUPERSTAR?’

With a smirk, Magnum rips a tab off the bottom of the ad and flips it around in his fingers. Magnum spins around on his heels and walks down the street, a restored swagger in his step as he walks cooly into the rising sun.

THE NIGHT OF: Magnum’s debut

4/30/2014

An attractive blonde interview stands front and center in front of a large WFWF banner. She grips a WFWF branded microphone in her sweaty palms and nervously smiles into the camera.

Good evening ladies and gentleman, my name is Blondie and I am joined by one of the newest acquisitions to the WFWF Roster: Johnny Magnum.

The complete image of Johnny Magnum steps into view. Wet, dirty blonde hair streaking down to his shoulders. An intense glare in his emerald eyes. And his signature attire: a very stylish, very flashy white leather jacket complete with studs and zebra print and his matching white trunks and kick pads- the gunslinger has returned.

Hello Johnny and welcome to the WFWF Family! How do you feel on your first night?

There’s a dramatic pause.

Well, first... first let me tell you this. Not even six months ago it was the end of the world as I knew it and I felt fine. Now it’s as if flowers are blooming for the first time and I feel great.

What’s that mean?

Blondie, a friend of mine of mine once said this, he said... I’m a dangerous man when I’ve got nothing to live for. Imagine how much more dangerous I become when I’ve everything... to live for.

Blondie looks at Magnum uneasy.

In other words... there’s never been a better time to be alive if your name is Johnny Magnum. I’m stronger than I was before, I’m faster than I was before, I’m smarter than I was before and hey, Blondie, I reckon I’m even better looking than I was before, what do you think?

Magnum gives Blondie a flirty look, but she seems uninterested and unamused.

Mhm. Well, you certainly have more confidence. Last time fans saw you you were on your back with tears in your eyes.

As if a bandaid were pulled from a fresh wound, Magnum winces, but quickly regains his composure.

Blondie! Why’d you have to go and mention that, dear? Why did you...

A look of complete comprehension creeps across Magnum’s face.

No, no I’m glad you did because... well, because redemption! Rebirth! The name of the show, Blondie!

The last anyone saw of Johnny Magnum he was good as dead. He was on his deathbed. They built a grave for him. It’s no use, they said. He’s as good as dead...

Except I wasn’t. No, Blondie, as much as even I wished I was, I wasn’t dead. It wasn’t until I saw the last rays of hope fall beyond my sight... that I truly died. But through the fire and the flames that engulfed the world rose a phoenix and I, Johnny Magnum, was REBORN!

Magnum’s voice booms throughout the scene and he stands, almost like a superhero, next to Blondie who now looks on admiringly.

Wow that’s quite the feel good tale there, Johnny. You seem to be in quite the zone tonight.

Magnum simply nods while jumping back and forth and warming up his arms by shaking them loosely.

But... needn’t I remind you, you’re in an 8-man tag team match tonight. How do you think you’ll fare in such a chaotic match where you don’t even have to be pinned to lose?

Magnum ponders the question.

Listen - sometimes in life, you draw the short end of the stick. But you gotta roll with the punches, or get knocked out. And while I can’t promise that this will be an even fight in that, 4 on 4 brings certain chaos, I can promise I won’t go down without a fight. It’s not often we’re given a second shot at things, but I was given that gift. Tonight I make the most of it. Tonight I go out there and put on a show the likes of which a WFWF audience has never seen! I’m a magician- a spellbinder, baby- and tonight I go out there and do what I do best!

And what I do best isn’t very nice, but it is oh so magnificent to behold! I don’t care who it is, Montel O’Neal, Davey Sanchez, Hendrix, or Tyler Crowe... if you step in my path, I will shoot you down, you will look down a long cold barrel and you will beg me, BEG ME, for a mercy you know you won’t be granted and I will END your career, I will END your LIFE just like that!

Magnum claps his hands together swiftly and with great force, causing a thunderous bang to ricochet around the scene. Blondie jumps.

And the same goes for the other three... Pepe Le Plucha... Will Hesse... Jakob Hale. Tonight we fight united but one step out of line and I won’t hesitate to show you what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a nerve-splitting Sharpshooter.

Magnum stares fiercely, but then lightens up with a chuckle.

But tonight boys, we fight for a common cause! So he is to that cause! Here’s to second chances!

OOC - It's been a long time since I've written one of these. I usually don't write RPs like this, this is pretty experimental for me. I know it's a bit goofy at times, hopefully it didn't come across as too awkward, though. Feedback much appreciated. Hopefully it doesn't take too long to get back into a grove with my character, this RP was intended to push him in the direction I want to go.

[CM Poor]

I don't know if you're a returning guy or not, so I'm going with not, and that means I'm going to applaud you for a decently strong first showing.

The bit at the beginning was weird - I found myself straining to discern whether it was intended to be figurative or literal, or some sort of hallucination. A little bit more work on that, and something like that will pop.

Your dialogue, for a newcomer, is surprisingly not awful. I don't even hate the "show interview" angle, 'cause against so many new cats, a number of which didn't even bother to play, what are you really to do? I actually liked this better than the "check the profile, and pop at the hip against some character traits" bit that so many newcomers due.

Only advice right now? Dig around the board - we have a few NPC characters with names - ring announcers, interviewers and such, that are free for use in rp settings, so long as they're not immensely harmed or killed.

Good luck, and welcome aboard!

[Rated R]

Based on the content I take it you've got some experience, either here or elsewhere, but I'm not sure what level you're coming in at or how long you've been out. Either way I'm impressed, this is a solid debut / return piece, it's a little bit all over the place, there's not enough to draw everything in and inform the reader about what's going on beneath the surface, such as in the opening scene, but I often find that is the kind of thing that comes later and grows as you figure out who your character is and how the world around him functions. Work on your dialogue somewhat, it's already better than a lot of stuff I've read from debutantes, and learn how to link the entire thing together through a single strand and you'll be one to watch, if you're not already.

[Markw]

Yeah I was pleasantly surprised reading this. The opening was a little odd and I was skeptical at first, but this ended up being a pretty neat introductory RP. Have a look at some of the other RPs that are up for this and the last show, just to get a feel for the WFWF and the characters we've got here, and other than that just keep it up. Nice work.