Telethon.
This will be my only roleplay. I'm too lazy to bother writing another one. =P
Somewhere, in a city that maybe in fact exist somewhere on the outer reaches of your mind, there existed a studio.
It was less of a studio and more of a warehouse that had been abandoned by a company many years ago and had since been occupied by some of the local rabble who dressed alternatively as either superheroes or film makers. Ever since the occupants chose the latter profession, the building became known only as "the Job Studio", and served as the nesting ground for ultra low budget films.
Today, however, was a day in which an ultra low budget film would not be made. Instead, the Job Studio was seemingly alive with more people in its confines than had ever existed before. Even the residents of the Studio were surprised as the turnout. In fact, one of them, who looked strangely Mexican, looked all bug-eyed at the crowd sitting in the bleachers. Another one, a white guy who looked like he was going to be a virgin forever, was charging five bucks a seat and an outrageous sum more for refreshments.
In front of the makeshift bleachers installed in the studio for that day lied a set that was very much akin to a telethon set. There was a booth on the left side where a bunch of bored-looking people were "busilly" answering phone calls. In the middle was what appeared to be a large "wheel", which was to say that it was the type of wheel seen on the Price Is Right. Only, rather than prices and numbers being listed on the wheel, it instead had names of the many competitors involved in the TV title battle royale at NFW's Wrestlestock 2 pay-per-view.
On the right side of the studio was a large, flat-panelled monitor. It displayed... well, actually, it was displaying the exact same picture we have now, ad infinitum.
Standing right in the center of the studio, with what had to have been the fakest smile in the world, was a tall, well-built man. His once blonde hair had long since been dyed brown. He wore what could only be described as "business casual" wear, a collared blue shirt and a pair of khaki slacks. He looked very suburban despite his size. Standing next to him with an even faker smile was a small, black-haired girl wearing a lone-sleeved white shirt underneath a short-sleeved "NFW" T-shirt, and a short pink skirt. She seemed uncomfortable partially because of her skirt and the high heels she was wearing with them. In fact, she turned to the man in front of him, and without removing her smile on her face, whispered to him.
GIRL: (whispering) Steve, which one of you decided that I had to wear girly clothes?
The man, Steve Knox, did not even turn to look at her. Instead, he also spoke through his smile without removing it from his face.
STEVE KNOX: (whispering) It was Beef. Beat him up *after* we get through this, alright, Alexandria?
Alexandria Malone, the girl who was perpetually stuck with either Mega Job or the Codemaster, fought through her urge to tear off her shoes and stab the director of this debacle in the eyeballs with the heels. Instead, she addressed the camera.
ALEXANDRIA MALONE: And, we're back!
STEVE FOX: That's right! Welcome back to the Steve Knox For Television Champion Telethon!
A sign just above Steve Knox and Alexandria Malone lit up. It read "Applause". Below that, another sign lit up, which read as if it was continuing the above statement, and thus, it read, "Applause, Damn You!".
The crowd applaused, as if compelled by some strange force. Or they just followed what the sign said.
ALEXANDRIA MALONE: We've had quite a day so far, haven't we Steve?
STEVE KNOX: That's right, Alexandria! Thus far, we've had many calls from New Frontier Wrestling fans, almost begging that a new Television Champion be crowned at the upcoming Wrestlestock pay-per-view. Let's listen to one such call!
On television, a graphic was displayed below Steve and Alexandria. It read "On The Line: Lady Beeferina".
VOICE: Oh, hello.
The voice sounded suspiciously like Beef the Slightly Annoyed would if he suddenly developed a faux British accent and sounded like a woman. In fact, the voice didn't even bother trying to hide that idiotic gravelly sound in their voice.
VOICE: I do say, I find that Joe the Plumber guy to be simply dreadful. It would appease me greatly to see Mr. Knox win the Television Championship. Only a man like him can possibly satisfy my... womanly... urges. Oh, yesssss. I dare say, were I not a married woman of twenty-six years with seventeen children, I would jump all over that gorgeous hunk of a man in a second.
The color on Steve Knox's face slowly faded over the course of the voice's talk. He quickly turned his head off-camera and gave a motion to cut the audio feed, almost exasperatedly. The audio was cut, and Steve turned his head back to the camera. Still with his fake smile on his face, but clearly annoyed, Steve whispered to Alexandria.
STEVE KNOX: (whispering) Leave enough of him alive so I can strangle him to death.
ALEXANDRIA MALONE: (whispering) Nooooo promises.
STEVE KNOX: (speaking clearly) One thing is true, loyal NFW fans. The voices of the people are clear, and they are loud. They want to see me, Steve Knox, go into Wrestlestock and come out as the Television Champion. And sure, maybe you think I'm a relative unknown, that I'm a nobody. But as a second generation wrestler, the son of the legendary wrestler and actor Earl Knox... I assure you that I am no nobody. With that in mind, let's talk to some of the people taking calls, to gauge the reactions of the NFW loyal!
Steve and Alexandria walked over to the area where people were taking phone calls. He walked up to one man taking phone calls, who looked suspiciously like someone possibly familiar to some people. Even if he should've died off permanently four years ago.
STEVE KNOX: Hey, Kenny... how goes the calls!
The man looked less like a human and more like one of those zombies you see in movies. He has open wounds all over the place, and looked like he'd survived quite a few fatal wounds. Including dismemberment. He was somebody who defied several laws of biology and in some cases, physics.
His name... was Ken War.
KEN WAR: i am hardkorr!!!111
And Ken War was "hardkorr".
Steve unconsciously took a step back, blinked, turned to an equally stunned Alexandria, and then turned back to Ken War.
STEVE KNOX: Ex... excuse me?
KEN WAR: u hoo r teh knocks... i am teh hardkorr!!11 i shuld b teh chumpeion!!!11 cos i am kne wer an i am hardkorr!!111
Steve blinked, and now, with no logical reason as to why he should even maintain character, drops his smile and turns to Alexandria with an almost frantic and incredulous look on his face.
STEVE KNOX: Who made this guy a telephone answerer?!
Off to the side of the camera, a man raised his hand.
MAN: I did!
Steve and Alexandria shot a cold glare at the man, who sulked and dropped back out of sight of the camera. Steve then turned to Alexandria.
STEVE KNOX: (muttering) We are definitely going to kill him.
ALEXANDRIA MALONE: (also muttering) Hopefully slowly and painfully.
They resumed their smiles, but Steve was quick to signal for someone to go and take Ken War away. A couple of orderlies came and captured Ken War in a great white net, and haul him off. Off-camera, there's many sounds of Ken War dying. Painfully. But nobody cared. Shrugging, Steve moved on to the next person in the booth, a young, disinterested, blonde valley girl who was more interested in her fingernails than in whoever it was she was talking to.
STEVE KNOX: Hello, how goes the response from the NFW faithful?
VALLEY GIRL: Um, like... what's a Eneffdub? Is it, like, totally a new style of shoe? `Cause, my friends, we were like, soooooo into these cute little pink shoes that we, like, saw in the mall. And I have this outfit that, like, totally matches.
Steve Knox said nothing in response. Instead, he simply signaled to some people off screen. The orderlies came and took away the valley girl, too, despite her loud complaints that she might break a nail. Steve decided that perhaps that should be the end of talking to the people answering the phones, and turned his attention to the wheel.
STEVE KNOX: Well, folks, I guess now is the time to spin the wheel.
Alexandria perked up, because she thought the wheel was very, very nifty. In fact, she was jumping up and down, all excited.
ALEXANDRIA MALONE: Ooh! Ooh!
STEVE KNOX: (raising an eyebrow) Yes, Alex?
ALEXANDRIA MALONE: Can I spin the wheel? Can I? Can I? Pleaaaaase?
STEVE KNOX: (shrugging) I don't see why not...
ALEXANDRIA MALONE: Yay!
Steve walked over to the wheel, while Alexandria, very excitedly, skipped over to the wheel and stood by, waiting for the word to spin it.
STEVE KNOX: Now, for those of you who are new to the Steve Knox For Television Champion Telethon, when we spin this wheel, we will talk very briefly about the wrestler or wrestlers listed. Alexandria, if you would b--
The moment she heard her name, Alexandria gave the big wheel a monster push, interrupting Steve. The wheel began to spin rapidly, almost as if it would come off of its hinges and come barrelling towards the people in the crowd, killing hundreds. However, finally, the beast of a wheel slowed down and eventually stopped... on "Joe The Plumber".
STEVE KNOX: My my. Joe the Plumber, eh? Okay.
Steve looked down, and held his microphone to his face.
STEVE KNOX: Joe. I'll be honest. You need a little work to pull through. If I may be so bold to say, your in-ring work is a mess of lucky breaks and violence with little actual substance. Now, I can give you some advice on how you can perhaps retain your championship for longer than even the year you've held it for. My best advice is... lose the gut. I mean that in the "getting in shape" sort of way. You're slower than mud in the ring and you wheeze so much that the first five rows of every building you wrestle in are deprived of oxygen. If you can fix that one problem, Joe, you'll simply be made for better things.
Yes, Steve was giving his opposition some constructive criticism. Hey, some people tell their opponents to **** off and die, some people try to offend the masses, and then some people offer constructive critcism. Steve looked up at the camera, a (fakey) smile on his face.
STEVE KNOX: That's all I have to say. Next?
Alexandria spun the wheel. Idly, Steve wondered if the residents of the "Job Studio" had properly bolted in that wheel when they installed it earlier in the day. The wheel finally stopped, and it landed on the name "Uganda".
STEVE KNOX: ...Uganda?
ALEXANDRIA MALONE: That's what it says.
STEVE KNOX: Huh.
ALEXANDRIA MALONE: I don't get how we can have an entire country wrestling in this match, myself.
STEVE KNOX: (to Alexandria) I don't think that's quite accurate, Alex. (turns to the camera) Uganda, I commend you for being able to retain your movement despite being grossly overweight for your height. Much like Joe, though, I believe you might be better if you can... lose some of your excess baggage so that you may have more mobility. I'm just helping out here.
Steve turned to Alexandria, who spun the wheel again. After a while, it landed on one name.
Dirk Dickwood.
Steve, with a serious look on his face, offered his advice on Dirk.
STEVE KNOX: Drink milk. Lots of it.
It spun. It landed.
Sars the Clown II.
STEVE KNOX: ...
ALEXANDRIA MALONE: ...
STEVE KNOX: Spin it again.
ALEXANDRIA MALONE: But you didn't say anythin--
STEVE KNOX: Not worth talking about. Spin it.
Alexandria shrugged, but was all too happy to make the spin. After a while of spinning, it came up with one last name.
James Varga.
STEVE KNOX: Ah, yes. "Evil" James Varga. If I may be so bold to say, the only thing evil about you is your ignorance. When you talk, you just decide to turn off the brain-mouth filter and assume that everything you say will be sunshine and lolipops. You fail to grasp the basic properties of your opponents and just assume that because you've got talent, you can make it. It's not that simple, winning around here takes knowledge and strategy, not just talent and... ahem. Evil.
Steve pauseed to reflect, before he offered up a smile, something quite self-confident rather than the fakey one he'd been flashing earlier.
STEVE KNOX: I'm not selling you short. You've got skill. I'll admit that. I have something of a bit of skill, too. However, I'm willing to wager that the quality of what I can do will far exceed what you can do. You get in the ring with me, and I'll straighten out the definition of "evil" for you.
Steve then brought up his fakey smile again.
STEVE KNOX: Alright, let's go to the phone people to see how much support we've garnered towards this campaign!
Quick cut to El Janito, who had somehow become a member of the phone crew. He smiled a big, El Janito-like smile.
EL JANITO: We just got five bucks!
STEVE KNOX: (sarcastically) That's great.
EL JANITO: But then I spent it on some chips. I was hungry.
Steve Knox groaned.
STEVE KNOX: So, how much have I earned for this thing?
EL JANITO: Hmmm... (thinks about it) I'd say you actually owe about fifty bucks, now.
STEVE KNOX: ... (glare)
EL JANITO: ... (whimper)
STEVE KNOX: (turns to Alexandria) Alex.
ALEXANDRIA MALONE: Yes?
STEVE KNOX: You can have the director. I'll beat up the Mexican.
ALEXANDRIA MALONE: Okie-day.
BEEF: (off-camera) Steve, turn the camera off. Now!
STEVE: HIM?
Alexandria began marching towards the camera was, after having taken her shoes off. She now wielded them as if they were for killing people. Steve Knox, in the background, began to march towards El Janito.
BEEF: No! You! The Steve we all know!
Alexandria reached the camera.
Static.