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Post by Rated R on Sept 6, 2022 15:40:34 GMT -5
Man I loved everything about this total fever dream of a RP. The contrast between EBR’s most basic want of a nights sleep so he can watch some tape and the total fever dream of a night he has getting there really worked for me and despite the length I never felt like I was ready for it to end, totally up for seeing what came next.
There aren’t many pieces I can remember seeing here that are all set over such a tight timeframe yet every scene informed us more of E’s psyche, how his new need to be the good guy is damaging his confidence and playing up on the self-doubt caused by the success of those around him. It’s an intriguing contrast on what I remember of the E of old as this confident alpha male type and I dig the introspection.
On top of that you continue to have the knack for turning any and every scene into something fun and brimming with potential, there’s a dry humour to every interaction and a comedic timing that’s hard to nail down in prose writing yet you do it so perfectly. I think it works to really make every piece of dialogue, even in a long piece like this, feel needed because I dig every moment of it.
You’ve left E in a really fun place where win or lose there are so many possibilities and I personally can’t wait. Loved it mate, good stuff.
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Post by Rated R on Sept 6, 2022 11:54:23 GMT -5
For me I think this is an example of something that could've been really, really great only to be hampered by the feeling that it could've done with a reminder that quantity can sometimes derail quality. Individually every scene was well written, I've said before I think you're a great prose writer and that's true here, your narrative is solid, there's plenty of interesting story points that you weave in and out and expand on in the right moments, the dialogue is good albeit still a bit too heavy handed and straight forward with not quite the subtlety needed to feel natural, but by the time I got to the end of it I felt a little like I was ready for it to be done, which isn't what I'm looking for.
I thought the letter was good, and Josh's method for dealing with that, basically ignoring the message of it and then lying about the reasons for Mary leaving, really says a lot about where his character is heading and how he has these clear flaws that he doesn't quite want to acknowledge. The interview with Deirdre was good as well, and I think it's always fun to give a character a chance to speak his mind in a sort of censored environment, because any time that we're talking and we know it's going to go out into the world we're never quite honest, we're always trying to paint the picture we want people to see. That's how media and publicity works, and I think you kind of sold that idea perfectly. I also liked how we saw more of Josh's insecurity, it's clear he's got this chip on his shoulder about being seen as second best, it's also clear that he's looking outwards for the reasons for this instead of considering himself as a problem in any way, so all of that was really great stuff.
If that was the full RP I think this would be top class, but then there was so much extra that I just could've done without. The cut to the sports therapy session did nothing for me, it didn't tell me anything that the rest of the RP didn't do better and it was the perfect example for people saying things that would never normally say. It was laying things out for a reader that you need to trust they'll pick up from character interactions and behaviour. Then there was one too many monologues which kind of said the same thing as each other and was covered elsewhere, I think cutting one of them would've aided the flow of the piece. I feel like if you'd cut some of these scenes then you'd have had a more concise and snappy piece of writing that would've not only not lost anything you were trying to do but would've delivered the same message in a stronger and more impactful way.
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Post by Rated R on Sept 5, 2022 4:14:21 GMT -5
So I'm obviously very late to the party here but I thought it was important to read this before delving into your S&S piece like I did with E, so here we are. There was a lot to like here. I think you're a good writer who has a great handle on your character, and you did a good job of examining where he stands going from the biggest victory of his career to suddenly being a king without a castle. The contrasting relationships he has with Kash and Abadi were demonstrated well and I thought your use of formatting, however simple, to flip between scenes was a good touch to really build up that contrast. I wasn't around for much of the Kris Kash stuff so his work didn't do a lot for me on a personal level but it makes sense you wanted to put a cap on it.
I think the path you've put Josh on is interesting, and I'm a sucker for anything McGurk given my connection to the characters so that story intrigues me. I do think you could've done more with EBR and how Josh feels essentially being considered second best to him and Drakz even though he's the champion. It was sort of touched on but felt a bit brushed off, whereas most people would have some serious reflection on that because people naturally don't like the idea of being looked down on for any reason, so a bit more on that would've worked wonders I think and informed more about Josh's mindset and motivations beyond wanting to be champion because he think he deserves it.
On the flip side I sometimes feel like I'm not necessarily reading about real people when I read your stuff, because everyone is very straight forward and says whatever pops into their head. There's no real subtext there, no subtlety, I know exactly what everyone means and feels because they outright say it, whereas real people barely ever say what they mean, you have to work it out from tone, body language, knowledge of the person etc. People out and out saying what they mean feels a bit shallow when it comes to character exploration because things not only don't feel real, they also don't feel earned. You have the benefit of being a good narrative writer and I'd like to see you use that skill a bit more to really earn your payoffs and to make Josh and his supporting cast feel a bit more rounded.
Of course there's only so much you can do with your first piece back, and again I did enjoy this and I found a lot to like, and maybe as we continue on we'll get that character work a bit more, because I personally think that'll take you up a notch. Good stuff though, and I'm now officially pumped to see what the two of you have put out for the big show.
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Post by Rated R on Sept 4, 2022 9:43:42 GMT -5
So before I read yours and Josh’s S&S RP’s I wanted to make sure I’d given your prior pieces the attention that they deserve and I’m glad I did. This was a fantastic reintroduction into the psyche of a man who up to this point in the reboot has only been seen through the lens of the on-screen product and I like getting the context of what’s going on behind that lens.
The content as expected was fantastic and very entertaining. I’ve always thought your writing style was superbly suited to turning the most run of the mill moments into something special through the elegance of the prose and the way you weave these moments in that pay off repeatedly such as the repetition of SHE. On top of that the back and forth of the dialogue is always very snappy and reads like a breeze.
I enjoyed the supporting cast a lot and think they provide good foils for EBR, these aren’t people who have any real respect for what he does, their not there for him in any real way and I think that provides a nice contrast to EBR who clearly thinks that he is doing this great thing for the world by simply being a ‘good’ person. The fact that his reasons for this are both genuine in his own mind but also stink or narcissism in a lot of ways gives him a real depth. I think you did some great work here and I enjoyed every minute of it. Great stuff.
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Post by Rated R on Sept 1, 2022 12:15:31 GMT -5
Trace Demon Presents Enemies At The Gate
“You know in all the years that I’ve known, or knew I suppose I should say, Trace Demon I’ve heard plenty of names thrown around to describe him, some kind but most… well, considerably less so. In all that time though there was one word I never really associated with him, at least not until towards the ends. Looking back I think my view on that was tainted because of how I feel about Trace, about my personal connection to him, you never want to think of someone close to you as being anything other than the best version of themself, even if that couldn’t be further from the truth. The word I’m talking about is a simple one.
Irredeemable.
Trace Demon has done an immeasurable amount of harm over the years to an unimaginable number of people, but I always wanted to believe that it was a means to an end, that he did it to build a life for his family, for the people he cared about. But that simply isn’t true, because the truth is Trace Demon does what Trace Demon wants, and if you’re on the right side of that then good for you, but if you’re not then you can’t imagine the potential pain heading your way. Trace Demon is not a good person, he is not a good father, a good husband, a good friend or a good sibling, because the truth is that he would give it all away if it was getting in the way of something that he wanted, and he’d find a reason that in his own mind would make it all make sense.
It’s odd then, isn’t it, that we think of Trace as some sort of gripping figure, somebody entertaining, somebody who people support or at least follow because of the terrible things he does. He isn’t a hero, I don’t think anybody would call him that, but what does it make of you or me that we can’t wait to see what Trace Demon will do next when the last thing he did was throw a fireball in the face of an innocent woman?
Ask yourself, why would you support somebody like that? Why would I? I hope you can think of a better answer than me, because I’ve been coming up empty for a long time now.
I wish that I could say that the worst had happened, that there is no possible way that he can stoop any lower, but then I’d be lying, because the things that are to come in the coming months… well, I’m sure you’ll soon begin to question just how long that you can follow a man like Trace Demon before realising that he truly is irredeemable. The saddest part is though by the time you realise that it might be too late.
It’s certainly too late for him.”
< *** >
Then Weeks Ago
02:32
The pieces are all in place, and we’re nearing show time. I hear Shuggy won’t be in attendance for the big moment, which is such a shame, but Eddie tells me he’s doing an interview of his own from home, that he’s going to be watching the show with his and Poppy’s little girl and he’s gonna do a little video promo. The whole thing just gets better and better.
02:24
Do you ever wonder whether you’ve gone mad, whether you’re taking something too far? No, me neither.
01:58
Driver: Just pulling in now Mr. Demon.
Trace Demon: Do another lap round the block.
Driver: Excuse me Mr. Demon? You sure, you not meant to be out there soon?
Trace Demon: Just do another lap!
01:23
Phone rings, send it to voicemail.
Eddie Myers: Where you at Trace? You’re meant to be on air in five minutes and nobody has seen you. Come on, give your boy Eddie a call back would ya, I got questions I can’t answer unless you let me know what’s going on.
01:17
Driver: Mr. Demon, you want me to pull in yet?
Trace Demon: Just keep driving until I tell you to stop.
Driver: Sir if you don’t mind me asking-
Trace Demon: I do. Keep driving.
01:01
2 new voicemails.
1st new voicemail.
Eddie Myers: Right they’ve pushed back the interview to after the next match, so now would be a wicked good time to call your pal Eddie and let him know when you’re getting here.
2nd new voicemail.
Eddie Myers: You are getting here, right?
00:49
You ever wonder, if God is real how you’ll be judged when your time is up? Whether the very worst things you’ve done will be just that little bit too far for the all-forgiving God to forgive, or is he just a smug smite-loving b*****d? Yeah, me neither.
00:35
1 new voicemail.
Eddie Myers: Look man, they’ve said they can push the interview back a bit longer but you need to give me something. Call, text, email, snail mail, carrier pigeon, y’know we’ve not really spoke about your preferred method of communication so if you wanna fill a golden chalice with blood and do some ritual and speak to me that way, well whatever works best y’know. Just give me something.
00:29
One ring, two rings, thr-
Eddie Myers: Trace? That’s you right? Thank god mate, I thought you’d vanished like, well, half the people who were meant to be on this tour. Look, spoken to the producers, if you get here in the next ten then we can still get your interview in before the last match and-
Trace Demon: The main event.
Eddie Myers: Yeah, right, before the main event and -
Trace Demon: No, I want it, the main event. I’m going on last.
Eddie Myers: I don’t think that’s an option mate.
Trace Demon: Good thing I’m not giving you options, I’m telling you what’s going to happen. I get the closing segment, or I don’t show up at all. You go ask them if they’ve got something to fill the time if I don’t show.
Eddie Myers: Trace I-
End of call.
00:17
1 new voicemail.
Eddie Myers: You’re on Trace, if you get here in time then you can go on last. Hope you’re proud of yourself because they are not mighty pleased with me right now I’ll tell you that. Reminds me of that time in Sunday school when the nun caught me with my hand in-
Let’s cut that right there shall we.
Trace Demon: Now.
Driver: Excuse me sir?
Trace Demon: I’m ready, let’s head in.
Driver: Thank god for that, fuel’s expensive right now.
I glance down at the bottle sat beside me.
Trace Demon: You’re not wrong.
00:13
We pull up in the loading bay of whatever s**t tip of a venue the once mighty WFWF have gotten their hands on this time. There’s a camera crew watching and that woman who’s always hustling the ring crew is stood with a microphone. It’s nice to know that your attempts to hold the show hostage are being noticed, you know what I mean?
00:11
Eddie’s waiting in the corridor, his face looking extremely punchable as per usual. He’s fidgeting so much that he’s almost hopping from one foot to the other, clearly the effect of too much caffeine on such an incapable man.
Eddie Myers: You really like the drama don’t you man, had me feeling a little hot under the collar I’m not gonna lie, but don’t you worry I got you sorted, got you the headline slot just how you like it.
I walk right past him, and he walks after me, still talking the entire time. This has nothing to do with Eddie, I knew this new WFWF regime wouldn’t have anything lined up to replace me if I didn’t show. They’ve proven that over the past two shows, whenever somebody doesn’t get a flight or makes some poor excuse they just brush it off with a line or two and cut the show shorter. It’s rookie s**t, but it works for me tonight.
Eddie Myers: So look Poppy’s just headed out there so she’s gonna run a little recap of what happened with DGX and Shuggy then call you out. That work for you?
We’ve reached the curtain that separates people like me from the ungrateful masses that come to watch this s**t show. I could burst out there, just do what I’m here to do, but I can’t help myself, I’m a showman, if you’re going to do something you’ve got to make it memorable, otherwise what’s the point?
Eddie Myers: You alright man, anything I can help with?
I glance at him and shake my head in disbelief, after a few years away you forget about the assortment of misfits and freaks that the WFWF seems to pull into its orbit. A few moments later and I hear my music hit, and I ready myself to step out through the curtain.
Eddie Myers: You want me to take your bottle or something?
Trace Demon: I’m taking it out with me, feeling parched.
00:07
I’ve never been the type of person to ignore when somebody is good at their job, and while that kind of talent is in short supply around here right now I’ll admit, Poppy is good at her job. That’s why it’s such a shame that she’s such a poor judge of character. Still, I suppose we’ve all lowered our standards once in a while, Poppy must’ve just thrown hers out the window and got unlucky by letting the wee Scot knock her up.
Trace Demon: Tell me Poppy, do you respect me?
Still, just because you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time doesn’t mean you aren’t there, and so Poppy has found herself caught up in something she couldn’t possibly have thought she would when she made such poor life decisions.
00:02
Poppy Yates:As a competitor, yes, I do, but...
Trace Demon: Do you know who doesn’t respect me Poppy? Your best friend Shuggy. See that wee Scot seems to have gotten it into his head that he’s more important than he really is, that he doesn’t need to show respect to the people that paved the way for the likes of him, namely me. And the more he disrespects me without being put in his place the more other people are going to think that’s acceptable, do you think that’s acceptable?
I shouldn’t judge, I’ve made plenty of bad decisions of my own, spent years barely knowing what was real and what wasn’t because I was too drugged up to know the difference. Even now, at this very moment, I don’t know whether returning to this hovel was a good idea or not. I spend every moment I’m here bubbling with rage over the lack of respect I’m shown, having to waste breath talking to the likes of Eddie Myers, or to the fans, or dealing with people like Shuggy. I spend my time questioning what it was about this business I ever found enjoyment in.
Poppy Yates: I…
Trace Demon: Of course it isn’t, so something needs to be done, a message needs to be sent. Poppy, do you remember earlier tonight I said that me shoving Shuggy was part of what he deserved?
Poppy Yates: I do y...
Trace Demon: I said part because it wasn’t close to being everything. You see Poppy, Shuggy needs to learn his lesson, in fact all of you need to learn the lesson, and it’s a simple lesson to learn. You do not disrespect Trace Demon. Poppy, did you know that I personally requested to be on your little interview show tonight? Don’t worry Pops, I’m not asking you to send Shuggy a message.
00:01
But then, as I unscrew the lid off of the bottle and feel the vile bitter taste of the ethanol solution I got from a very shady former acquaintance fill my mouth, I feel a familiar chill run over me. As I flick the contraption in my jacket sleeve and see the flame flicker out I feel a buzz that I’ll never get used to. As I spit the ethanol out and watch it ignite, engulfing Poppy’s face in a cacophony of pain and burnt skin, I can’t help but remember that this is where I belong. And as her screams fill my ears like the most beautiful music I could ever imagine and the smell of charred flesh fills my senses I know that right now…
00:00
Trace Demon: You are the message.
I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
< *** >
Then Weeks Ago
Plenty of things have changed over the past few years and between the coma and the recluse from society bit I had going on for a while I can’t say I’ve paid all that much attention. The one thing that hasn’t changed however is that if you’re rich enough and white enough you can bet that you're going to get favourable treatment from the police.
Given what happened you’d think I’d have been thrown in one of the holding cells with the rest of the common folk, but money talks so instead I get to wait inside a nice cosy little holding office, feet propped up on the table, eyes closed, savouring the memory of Poppy’s scream, of the horrified look in the faces of the crowd, the fury of all those nobodies from the back trying to get their hands on me as I was ever so kindly and safely escorted out of the building. And yes Alex Sean, I’m including you on that list of nobodies, makes a lot of sense they stuck you in section C now given you’ve had the most depressing return imaginable.
Me however, well three shows into the WFWF’s great big return and there’s not one person in or out of this company that won’t be talking about Trace Demon. All publicity is good publicity baby, and I’ve got a damn good publicist on my payroll. I also have a moderately passable lawyer in my contacts who happens to work for the WFWF legal department, one who also is well aware of the clause in my contract that states the WFWF accepts all culpability for any actions that occur inside a WFWF ring as long as it involves a contracted WFWF employee. Poppy Yates is employed and insured by the WFWF so, some legal mumbo jumbo later and I’m pretty sure I’ll be out of here any second-
Cop: You’re free to go.
Now.
Trace Demon: So soon officer, I was just getting comfortable. Oh well.
He scowls and I get the feeling he isn’t much of a fan. I hop up out of my seat, approaching the cop. He bares a glaring resemblance to Erik Estrada, which is not a reference I thought I’d be taking in 2022 but here we are.
Trace Demon: There a problem officer?
He says nothing, but makes a point of not making eye contact as he stands holding the door open for me to pass.
Trace Demon: Oh come, I can tell you’ve got something to get off your chest. Confession is good for the soul.
Officer Ponch: Just ain’t got time for no man who puts their hands on a lady.
Trace Demon: Well that’s sexist officer, equality is all the rage now, and if you don’t recognise that then I’m afraid you just aren’t woke enough.
His scowl doesn’t fade and it’s a shame that I have to end my day being disappointed in the NYPD’s lack of belief in equality, but that’s the world we live in nowadays. You just can’t throw a fireball in a woman’s face without the incels coming out to b***h about it. Thankfully I don’t have to spend any more time with this sexist as I walk past him and march triumphantly through the police station and right out the front door.
I’m expecting to find my ride waiting for me outside, and while I do find a white man with bad dress sense and an insufferable need to be useful there waiting for me it isn’t the same white man with bad dress sense and insufferable need to be useful that I was expecting.
Trace Demon: Where’s Anders? I told him to pick me up.
Eddie Myers: Oh, he was kinda busy.
I look at him, my eyes piercing into his twitchy little soul.
Eddie Myers: Okay, he said he didn’t want to be anywhere near you and since I’m your talent representative it kinda fell on me to come and get you.
Trace Demon: I’d rather walk back to the hotel.
Eddie Myers: Well, here’s the thing, the boss man was a little bit concerned that if you were wandering the streets after what you did that somebody might recognise you and maybe form some kind of angry mob.
Always with the angry mobs nowadays.
Trace Demon: Fine, you can drive me back to the hotel.
Eddie Myers: Well, about that, Mr. Abadi also thought that if certain members of the roster found out where you were staying that there might be some kind of altercation-
Trace Demon: Which I would win.
Eddie Myers: -and that it would look extremely bad for the WFWF and given that the whole Poppy Yates business is probably gonna bring some pretty rough publicity that we should avoid anything else.
Trace Demon: So?
Eddie Myers: So I’ve been told to take you straight to the airport for an early flight, all paid for obviously.
What’s the world come to where you can’t throw one tiny fireball into a woman’s face without having to get whisked away to the airport to escape the city? Still, I’m nothing if not a company man and I would hate to do anything that would look bad for the WFWF so I accept defeat and let Eddie drive me to the airport.
I regret it almost the moment we’re on the road, because if there’s one thing I’m swiftly learning about Eddie Myers it’s that he does not know how to shut up.
Eddie Myers: So that was pretty intense tonight eh? They did warn me, they said taking Trace Demon on was a risky play, unpredictable they called you, among other things, but I thought no, Trace Demon’s a star, and if I’m the guy handling him, so to speak, then that’d mean a big payday.
Trace Demon: What’re you talking about.
Eddie Myers: What? You thought it was just blind luck that ol’ Eddie here was assigned to bring you back into the fold. No man, I volunteered. Nobody wanted ya, y’know? But I’ve watched wrestling for years, and I know that controversy creates cash, and who brings more controversy than Trace Demon?
I’m surprised at the thought that maybe Eddie isn’t as stupid as he seems. He’s certainly annoying, and I want nothing more than to rip his tongue out so I don’t have to hear him speak, but maybe there might be some use for him after all.
Trace Demon: So that’s why you do… whatever job it is you do, for the money?
Eddie Myers: I mean money, success, that’s what life’s all about right? The big house, the nice cars, the girls, I get the whole saying that money can’t buy you happiness, but it can certainly buy you a whole lot of stuff and in my experience, stuff can bring you plenty of happiness, and if I do a good job being the in-between man for the WFWF and you, well not only is that good money but I figure I’m line for some bonuses, right?
Trace Demon: So you don’t care about what I did to Poppy Yates, that’s not putting you off working with me?
Eddie Myers: Man you’re Trace Demon, I get that you’re gonna do some crazy s**t sometimes, but I don’t got to agree with it to make money off of it. That’s what capitalism is all about. And look, I get the feeling that we maybe didn’t get off on the right foot, y’know, not everyone reacts well to people climbing through their window I guess, but if you’ll work with me, I’ll make us both a lot of money.
Trace Demon: I already have more than enough money.
Eddie Myers: Well you name it, you tell me what you want, what you need more than anything, and we’ll make it happen. You work with me, and I’ll work with you, so what’ll it be, what do you need from your pal Eddie?
Trace Demon: Legacy.
He glances at me from behind the wheel of his s****y rental car, confused.
Trace Demon: I didn’t come back for the money, or the love of the business, I came back because there’s too many people who think it’s okay to disrespect me, and I can’t have that. I came back to cement my legacy, to ensure that there is no future in which you can talk about the WFWF without talking about Trace Demon. That’s the only thing I’m interested in, don’t matter to me who gets caught in the crossfire on the way to it.
Eddie Myers: Legacy, huh? Never thought much about that, but if that’s your thing then that’s what we’ll do. You get your legacy, I make my money, everyone wins. We got ourself a deal?
It’s rare to find someone so stupid that they offer themselves up to a deal with the devil, but if Eddie Myers is willing to go all in just for the sake of making money then he might be useful.
Trace Demon: You’ve got yourself a deal, just know that I’m not about to let anything get in my way. I’m going to cement my legacy…
…or I’m going to die trying.
< *** >
Then Two Months Ago
It should come as little surprise that I have no love for hospitals. There are few good things that ever happen in such a sterile, haunting environment, and none of them have ever happened to me. Well, there was the birth of my daughter, but then even that’s a little bit debatable sometimes. Oh don’t judge me until you get puked and s**t on at the same time alright, there’s plenty of people that’ll pay for that kind of s**t, like Obo for instance, but I’m not one of them.
And then there was my last trip to the hospital, you know, that classic time I got my head bashed in by a barbed wire bat and was in a coma for six months? And you know the worst part about all that? It happened in America, so I had to pay a not so small fortune for people to keep me alive when they didn’t even ask if that’s what I wanted in the first place. Land of the free and home of the brave my Canadian ass.
That’s why I go private.
Trace Demon: So are you gonna sign this thing so I can get the f**k out of here?
Doc Brown has been my personal doctor for years. He keeps telling me that’s not his real name but for the amount I pay him he can get it legally changed or stop complaining about it. Right now he doesn’t look very amused, which is nothing new.
Turns out when you have such a severe injury people won’t just take your word for it when you say that you’re good, they make you go get all these tests and s**t to prove it. So for the past week I’ve been in and out of hospitals, Doc Brown’s office and seeing all sorts of other specialists all for the sake of getting a box ticked and a signature to say I can get back in the ring.
Doc Brown: Trace, we spoke about this… what, two years ago now? About the long-lasting repercussions of such a serious injury? You remember that, yes?
Trace Demon: Doc, I’ve not got any memory loss if that’s what you're worried about. I remember you saying a load of pretty depressing s**t but it’s been two years and I’m perfectly fine. Fit as a f*****g fiddle.
Doc Brown: Would you mind not swearing so much, there are other doctors and patients in the practice it isn’t just us.
Trace Demon: Wait, these offices aren’t sound proof?
He shakes his head.
Trace Demon: Wow, so me and your secretary the last time I was here…
He nods his head.
Trace Demon: I apologise for that.
In my defence surely she should’ve known better?
Doc Brown: Look, Trace, I’ve gone over all your test results and while you are for the most part physically fine-
Trace Demon: That sounds good.
Doc Brown: We need to talk about your brain.
Trace Demon: That sounds less good.
Doc Brown: I warned you when you first came out of your coma that there would likely be a lasting impact to the injuries you suffered. During the… assault, I suppose is the best way to describe it, you suffered severe damage to your skull as well as swelling and fluid on the brain. While the brain is a miraculous thing and can heal itself of many terrible injuries there are some things that leave lasting scars.
Trace Demon: I’ve already heard this speech Doc.
Doc Brown:And yet here you are, trying to get medically cleared to return to the same sport that put you in that situation in the first place.
Trace Demon: You’re signing off my physical well being Doc, not my mental well being.
Let’s be honest here, if the WFWF was concerned with peoples mental health then the majority of the roster wouldn’t even be allowed near a wrestling ring.
Doc Brown: What I’m trying to say is that while your injuries have healed there is still clear scarring on your brain due to the attack you suffered. And while this wouldn’t cause me any immediate concerns in a normal patient it is a major red flag for anybody who wants to be involved in any kind of contact sport or other heavily physical activity where the head is at risk.
Trace Demon: I mean I don’t intend to get my head caved in again if that’s what you’re worrying about.
Didn’t exactly plan on it the first time either.
Doc Brown: You’re not listening to me, due to your history any serious impact to the head has the possibility of exasperating the harm already done.
Trace Demon: What are the odds?
Doc Brown: The brain is such a complex creation that I couldn’t possibly predict that, it could be as little as one in a million, it could be as much as ninety-nine percent, but in my medical opinion which might I add you value enough to pay me for, the risk you run getting back into professional wrestling is enormous. We are talking memory loss, potential paralysis, even brain death.
Well s**t, that’s not what you want to hear.
Doc Brown: I’m not clearing you, and you’d be hard pressed to find any doctor in the country with any sense who would. My advice to you is to let this go and-
I don’t hear anything after that, because what he’s talking about it quitting. It’s retiring with the last true image of me being laid out in the middle of the ring, a mess of blood, flesh and skull fragments. Is that my legacy? A decade of pain and success and what? Now just nothing? I sit at home and I let the next generation move on up? That’s what he wants me to do?
Doc Brown: Did you hear what I said Trace?
Trace Demon: Sign the paper.
Doc Brown: Excuse me?
Trace Demon: Doc, we both know that this wouldn’t be the first… shall we say dishonest thing you’ve done for me? I’m not stupid, I keep records, meetings, deals, the lot, you think the medical board won’t want to investigate you letting me into a patients room to threaten them? Or that you won’t get caught up in the scandal when I let it out the bag that your partner in this place runs a steroid ring? Hell, you think I don’t pull my funding from you if you don’t do what I want? Sign the papers and let’s just keep going on with our lives.
Doc Brown: If I sign that paper your life will be considerably shorter than you’re planning on. Is it worth it?
I have a lot of things going for me in my life, and that isn’t me trying to boast, it’s just a fact. I have enough money that I don’t need to do this anymore, a beautiful daughter, the freedom to do whatever I want, but does any of that matter if I’m in the ground with no real legacy? People will remember the WFWF, and they’ll remember me, but I won’t have that memory tarnished by my end being at Tyler Draven’s feet.
Trace Demon: We’re all gonna die someday Doc, just sign the damn papers, alright?
He does, because what choice does he have. He’s making the logical decision to put his own life and comfort ahead of mine, and I won’t blame him for that because it’s the exact same thing I’d do. We all do what we have to do to survive and thrive, anyone stupid enough not to be on board with that are the type of people sitting on the internet b******g and moaning about the people that are.
Doc Brown: If you start noticing anything unusual about your behaviour, hallucinations, aggressive behaviour, memory loss, anything like that, then I need you to come in for further tests, understand?
Trace Demon: I’m gonna be honest with you Doc, everything you’ve just listed, it’s all just a normal week for me.
He slides the papers across to me and I check them over. All signed off, I’m officially medically cleared to compete inside the WFWF ring again.
Trace Demon: Nice doing business with you again Doc.
Doc Brown: Are you really going to risk your life for the sake of stepping foot back inside a wrestling ring of all things?
Trace Demon: Oh come on, don’t you know who you’re talking to? I’m now Shawn Malakai Doc, I’m not some dead man walking. I’m Trace Demon, I’m f*****g invincible.
Doc Brown: If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this job it’s that death catches up to everyone eventually Mr. Demon, and with a brain like yours I fear that it is going to be sooner rather than later.
Trace Demon: Let it try.
< *** >
Now
Lila Sleater: You know I actually liked Poppy.
I don’t usually do pillow talk, even with women that I actually like, and I most definitely do not like Lila Sleater. F**k, when you really look into it the only reason I had my head caved in and my brains permanently f****d up was because she got inside Tyler Draven’s head, and who knows where else. Yet here she is, getting dressed at 2am in my bedroom and not for the first time.
Trace Demon: It’s not like she’s dead you know.
Lila Sleater: Oh sorry, did you somehow miss the fact that you threw a fireball into the face of a woman who works on national television.
Trace Demon: I’d hardly call it national anymore, let’s be honest.
She sighs, and I can tell that she hates herself for doing this even more than I do. Over two years back she thought she’d sorted her life out, that all her demons were out of the bottle, and then she lost someone close to her and she started hitting the bottom of one. Somehow that led her to me, and whatever the f**k this is.
Lila Sleater: You know I actually hired her, back before everything happened, I’m the person who brought Poppy Yates into the WFWF.
Trace Demon: Are you trying to make me feel guilty because you’re doing a s**t job of it.
My excuse? Take your pick. Hate f*****g is fantastic, I like the power trip, I want to punish myself in some way or form, there’s a dozen more reasons where they came from.
Lila Sleater: I’m not stupid enough to think you’re even capable of experiencing guilt Trace, or most basic human emotions if I’m honest. I’m just saying that I liked Poppy, and that I hate you for what you did to her.
And yet she hates herself more for still coming over here, even if she did manage to hold off for a month to make herself feel better about it.
Trace Demon: And I hate that you got my head bashed in, yet here we are. Funny how the world works.
Lila Sleater: You deserved it, Poppy didn’t.
It’s a funny concept, that only people who deserve it deserve bad things to happen to them, because who gets to decide that? You? Do you think you’re God, or are you just a judgmental piece of s**t?
Trace Demon: It’s called collateral damage, think you should probably be used to hearing that in America by now, should be your slogan.
Should write that down, I could make another T-shirt. Sales were sky-high on the last one, oddly all from Canada and overseas.
Lila Sleater: Have you ever considered not being a sociopath?
Trace Demon: I think you’ll find sociopathy is a recognised mental health condition so what you’re actually doing by asking that is being ableist.
Lila Sleater: Why am I doing this to myself?
Trace Demon: Because you’re lonely and have nowhere else to go.
She glares at me and I shrug because I’m not wrong. I sit up at the edge of the bed, pushing my sweat-soaked hair back. It’d probably slick up real nice right now.
Lila Sleater: You’re one to talk about being alone. Don’t exactly see people flocking to be close to you. Doesn’t it bother you that you’re public enemy number one?
Trace Demon: Why should I care who likes me and who hates me? I don’t care about people Lila, their tools, what happens to them doesn’t matter, what happens to people I don’t care about doesn’t effect me in any way. People destroy the planet and vote in f*****g Nazi’s, you can’t trust people.
Lila Sleater: You’re still as alone as me Trace.
Trace Demon: There’s a difference between being alone and being lonely, such as the fact that I don’t care.
Lila Sleater: Even if you did you wouldn’t have a choice in it Trace, people don’t like being around you and it isn’t even because of your personality or how self-absorbed you are, it’s because everyone who knows you knows that sooner or later being close to you means getting hurt, physically, mentally, emotionally, and usually it’s because of some purposeful decision you’ve made to advance your own twisted agenda.
Trace Demon: Again, you directly caused me to get my brains splattered inside a wrestling ring.
Lila Sleater: It’s called a public service, I should’ve got a f*****g medal.
I laugh at the thought as she pulls on her jeans.
Lila Sleater: Oh you think that’s funny? Answer me this Trace, how many people do you think would care if you were gone? More importantly, how many people would jump at the chance to make that a reality? Because I promise you the numbers on the latter get higher every single time you pull a stunt like you did to Poppy.
I leap out of bed, anger bubbling up. I realise how damn easy it would be for Lila Sleater to just suddenly not exist, right here, right now, and nobody would ever know.
Trace Demon: A stunt? You think that was a stunt? No, that was important, that was something that needed to happen so that Shuggy and everyone else could-
Lila Sleater: Learn their lesson? I’ve heard the speech Trace, time and time again. We all have, because all you ever do is repeat yourself, over and over and over, all about how disrespected you are, about how people have to learn, it’s the same old s**t every single time and guess what? You’ll never change, because you’re too damn self absorbed to realise that nobody cares about what you think the same way you care about what everybody else thinks.
We stare at each other, just for a moment, and then she grabs her shoes and heads for the door.
Lila Sleater: Oh and next time you want to argue with someone put your f*****g c**k away.
Trace Demon: You wouldn’t ask Jimi Hendrix to put away his f*****g guitar!
She storms out the bedroom door and downstairs and I follow into the hallway, forgetting that sound travels. As the front door slams shut I turn to see Kady, the live-in nanny I hired to look after my little girl, staring at me with shock from her now-open bedroom door.
Trace Demon: Oh f**k off!
I storm back into the bedroom and slam the door shut, realising that I’ll need to get dressed and go downstairs to set the alarm system. As I bend down to pick up my boxers something drips onto the carpet at my feet. A familiar red viscous liquid I’m all too familiar with. I wipe the blood from my nose and quickly realise that it isn’t stopping.
That can’t be good.
< *** >
There’s been a lot of talk the past few weeks, and the focus seems to be on making me out to be the bad guy in this whole situation. That somehow it was my fault that Poppy ended up in the hospital feeling a little hot under the collar, what can I say, I have that effect on people. So I’m here to set the record straight, was I the person who threw a fireball in the face of Poppy Yates? Sure, of course, I’m not going to lie about it, am I? But was I responsible for that? Is it my fault that Poppy ended up screaming in agony? No, it’s not, there are plenty of people to blame for the state that Poppy Yates ended up in, and I’m not one of them.
You however are. All you snivelling little rats who call yourselves fans, all the people in the back who think they know how to run a wrestling company, all the press and wannabe journalists who claim to have the latest scoop, and yes, even the rest of the roster. You walk around acting like you care about this company, that wrestling means something to you, but when you’re faced with a living legend like Trace Demon what do you do? You show nothing but disrespect for a man who has done everything there is in this business. How do you justify that? How do you call yourself a wrestling fan when you refuse to acknowledge the very basic detail that I am the most important professional wrestler in this business?
And then there’s the person who is most at fault, the person who represents all you common people, Shuggy. See Shuggy makes out that he’s all angry and filled with a white hot rage for what happened to Poppy, but that’s simply because he can’t accept that he’s responsible for it. Shuggy, you disrespected me at the press conference, then you disrespected me again on the very first night of the new WFWF, but I could’ve overlooked all that as the folly of youth, not to mention your clear stupidity. But no, then you had to get involved in my business, in my first match back no less. You brought that band of drunks with you knowing full well what they would do, how they like so many before them would try to make themselves famous. You did that without so much as considering the impact that it would have on me, you did that without even caring about how it would quite clearly spoil my moment. Either that, or you did the whole thing on purpose.
Not sure which idea p****s me off more, but the end result is the same, you’ve disrespected me, you cost me a clear victory over DGX, and therefore retribution needed to be taken. And sure, I could’ve taken it out on you, it would’ve been easy, but then would you really have learned your lesson? Would the world have learned it’s lesson? No, I don’t think so, I think for this lesson to truly sink in it needed that emotional connection, and that’s what Poppy provided. But what is it enough? Have you learned to show the proper respect for a man of my calibre? I suppose we will see, won’t we. If you haven’t… well, there’s other messages that can be sent, other people in your life who can and will suffer from your stupidity. Lovely little girl you got there, shame about her dad but I know as well as anyone you can’t pick your parents.
Now I’ve seen the talk online. Why is Trace Demon vs. Shuggy not on the Scars & Stripes card, and the answer is simple, because I said no, because I think it’s only fair to give Shuggy the opportunity to be a man and apologise before things really get out of hand. And also… it’s simply not worth my time. See my contract does indeed say I have to wrestle to get paid, but it doesn’t say anything about wrestling two matches in one night, and there are far more important things for me to contend myself with when I step foot in that arena. I am of course talking about the Scars & Stripes Rumble, and my path back to my rightful place as WFWF World Champion.
See as far as I’m concerned it’s a damn travesty that EBR, a man I can’t help but respect for the pure willpower it must’ve taken to drag the likes of Alex Sean, DGX and even Dan Bennett to relevancy, to be challenging for the World title in such a tarnished fashion. Come on, you can’t believe for a second that EBR, or anyone else for that matter, can be proud of the fact that the title is hold by Josh Dean, a man whose title win actually led to the WFWF folding financially because of how damn bad it makes the company look. Not since the days of Dex has there been such a poor excuse for a champion, and now he’s going to headline the first pay-per-view of this so called new era? It’s laughable, hell, it's down right offensive, and something needs to be done about it.
Now I recognise that this is the WFWF, and that just because we’ve got a grand reboot doesn’t mean that anything is going to change, the man in charge is still gonna play favourites, he’s still gonna make stupid decisions like let Josh Dean keep the WFWF World Championship or headline the debut show with Mr. Section C and Handlecatch. No, it’s all gonna stay the same, so I’ll just have to do what I’ve always done and change it myself, take matters into my own hands. See at Scars & Stripes thirty men are going to step foot in that ring and they’re all going to want to win, they’re all going to attack anything that moves, but unlike the rest of them I’m used to that, after all I’m public enemy number one, right?
I’m under no illusions that when I step foot inside that ring that everybody and their f*****g dog is going to want a piece of me with ideas of being some avenging angel, but let’s face it, everybody here has done terrible things, I’m just man enough to own them, so I’m not going to worry about what everybody thinks is right and wrong, or what they’re planning to do. I’ll step foot in that ring with one intention and one intention only, and that’s to outsmart, outmanoeuvre and outfight everyone in my way en-route to winning the rumble and earning my rightful shot at the WFWF World Heavyweight Championship, at earning my shot to save this company before it crumbles again. And then I’m going to take that title, and I don’t care whether I have to take it from an actual wrestler like EBR or a joke like Josh Dean, it’ll be mine.
Being public enemy number one isn’t new to me, it’s not something that phases me, I’m built to be the bad guy, I was made to be the villain, I am The Final Boss of the WFWF. So line them all up, bring every person you can find who has an axe to grind because I’m sure the list is long and I’ll go through them, because that’s all they are to me, obstacles, things in my way. I don’t care what I’ve done to them, I don’t care how they feel about me, they’re nothing, nobodies, they don’t matter, so bring them all and I’ll end the lot of them so I can take back my title before anyone else can ruin this company, because as far as I’m concerned the only man who gets to kill the WFWF is me.
And I will kill it, when I’m ready, when I’m done with it, I’ll burn it all down to the ground. After all, I’m pretty good with fire.
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Post by Rated R on Jul 18, 2022 6:45:33 GMT -5
I wasn't going to say it, but I think it's worth saying, I was little put out that Sleater appears as she did in this RP, after I made her such a central part of my last few RPs before our lay off. I mean she was in Drakz's corner in the SB main event. Drakz practically saved her from her self destruction. I don't have an issue with her banging Trace, but if I ever decide to bring Drakz back in, I now need to ret-con that pretty integral part of his story, or at least work around it. Which again I don't mind doing, but I would have appreciated at least a heads up before hand so we could have hashed out the details of where she's at as a character. It feels like a dumb thing for me to take issue with, as she was an on screen character, not one of my own creations, but yeah. I guess maybe you didn't read those last few RPs etc anyway as you weren't around at that point I don't think? I didn’t read those RP’s no as I wasn’t active at that point. However what I will say is that while Lila was an on screen character she was initially created by me and introduced in my RP’s as a character foil for Trace, and continued to appear in my work with Trace and Draven even after she became the on screen figure. So likewise if someone was going to give them such drastic development in their own work I would have appreciated that heads up on my end. Simply lack of communication I think.
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Post by Rated R on Jul 13, 2022 15:43:00 GMT -5
Before I start I'd like to point out that your sad picture of a cat did nothing to make me read this aside from make me pity how much you need my validation. I considered cutting my reply here but then you'd probably turn up at my door wanting reassurance and we'd have a whole conversation over how you found where I lived, and I've not got time for that.
Anyway...
A lot of what I was going to say has already been said. You've got a great way with words and your dialogue is first class, it feels the right mix of real along with classic 'TV-style' entertainment with the pacing and back and forth. The way Al bounces off of side characters is particularly pleasing, and I'd say that was easily my favourite part of this. I could read interactions with King Kraig all day. You also did a great job of getting inside the mind of Al and setting him up as that guy whose best days might just be behind him, and he's trying to cling onto his fame any way he possibly can. It works well, and provides great entertainment because you really buy into Al as this sad sack living on past glories.
However I finished up this piece feeling somewhat lacking, because unless let's be honest here, was this really a WFWF piece? You didn't mention the fed anywhere, there wasn't the slightest hint of how it's return affects the man that Al has become, which I kept thinking this was leading to and then we never got there. Is that my fault for expecting it? Possibly. But I think it was a missed opportunity because it would've fitted right into this piece, and that final scene could have worked so much better if it was Sean about to step out through the curtain for his big WFWF return, literally with 80% of the same descriptors and dialogue. Obviously this was a showcase match, so there was room to play the way you did here, but I can't say I didn't come away a tad bit wanting.
Again, a very fun piece of writing for what we got, and I look forward to reading what you do when you've got a competitive opponent to further explore the story of Alex Sean.
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Post by Rated R on Jul 13, 2022 8:06:25 GMT -5
There's a time and a place for deep dark emotional gut wrenching pieces, and then there's a time for pure entertainment, bordering on art. Thoroughly enjoyed.
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Post by Rated R on Jul 13, 2022 7:10:36 GMT -5
I think E really hit the nail on the head with saying that your scenes feel a little bit underdeveloped. I don't know if that's solely because of the lack of scene description, I think it certainly plays a part though, I get that it can be difficult to write that kind of narrative description if you can't visualise it yourself, but it doesn't need to be cut and dry stage directions exactly. The way I try to set my scene is purely in the context of what's important to Trace here, what's he noticing, what's he paying attention to, how are the other characters responding to what he's paying attention to, or what he isn't which can be just as important sometimes. I think factoring stuff like that in, the scene, body language, expressions and the like, it adds an element of humanity to the work, rather than it simply feeling like words on the page. You manage to get a sense of emotion out of your dialogue and the internal thoughts as well, but not building on that with the scene itself risks making your characters feel a little two-dimensional.
On the flip side you do a fantastic job of making Shuggy likeable, and not just in a 'oh this is entertaining' kind of way, but in that he's easy to get behind, he's believable as the good guy, and that's a lot harder to do than to write someone who is entertaining but an out and out terrible person (finger pointed firmly at myself there). There's tons of room to work with a true face, and it gives you a narrative edge that other writers won't necessarily have because Shuggy feels like a real person, someone who if you actually ran into in real life would be easy to support. I think if you dig into that while continuing to add layers to him in terms of his motivations and the like then you're onto a real winner.
Overall some solid work man, there's room to grow sure, but what you've got is a real interesting character who is really set apart from anyone else in the WFWF, good stuff.
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Post by Rated R on Jul 12, 2022 15:45:04 GMT -5
Thanks for the feedback. I’ll be honest the podcast presenters is purely a formatting error with find and replace that I’ll fix this evening in post-production, not sure how I missed it, I’ll blame the ring rust, haha.
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Post by Rated R on Jul 10, 2022 14:33:44 GMT -5
Trace Demon Presents The Final Act
“And so the end comes. As we always knew it would. But don’t shed tears for me child, For the story means little without the promise of an ending. Once, when I was young, I dreamt of forever, Now, as I lay dying, I look back glad that our time is finite. For without that it would mean little. I have but one true regret that I hope you do not repeat. That I did not appreciate the chance that I was given, Until it was too late to truly savour it.”
< *** >
Begin
“When was the last time we saw each other? Me and you, the nameless, thankless narrator and his privileged, lucky audience? I suppose that isn’t the way we do things usually, is it? No, I guess not. It’s always been more of an inner thoughts kind of thing with our dear Trace Demon, right? Only natural, I suppose, when you really think about it. What else would a narcissistic sociopath do but spend their life talking to themselves, narrating their own experiences through witty banter and snide comments?
Making themselves out to be the hero, or the big villain, or a genius, or a family man, or anything else that he wanted you to see him as at any given time?
What? You thought that Trace Demon was a reliable narrator? Oh, far from it. I mean yes, he didn’t outright lie to you, he didn’t fabricate events, but if you were stupid enough to listen to him all these years then you’d actually believe that he was redeemable, that there was a shred of humanity to his actions, when the truth is that he was only ever doing whatever it is that he wanted, and forget about the rest of the world.
Strange though, that I’m here, telling you this. Strange that it isn’t him, with all his bluster and bravado. Why is that? What happened to the once great Trace Demon that has brought you here to me?
Something horrific, I would imagine.
How about we take a look? Let’s return to our fearless antagonist and see what brings him to this point, to the point where he doesn’t have a voice of his own. Just a warning though my friend, this isn’t exactly the Trace Demon you remember.”
< *** >
Then Two Months Ago
It’s days like these that I struggle, two years since I woke up in that hospital bed with the kind of headache that made me wonder if I’d relapsed and gone on the most magnificent bender of all time. You know the type, the kind films are based on, the kind bards write great epics about, the kind that people found a religion too solely so that they can begin traipsing around the world to spread the gospel of.
The great Tuesday hangover. We’ve all had them. You know the type.
But of course this was nothing to do with booze, pills or girls, which have always been three of the four great weaknesses of my life. No, it was the fourth. Violence.
As it turns out waking up from having your head bashed in by a barbed wire baseball bat at the hands of your protege feels a lot like the great Tuesday hangover. The only difference between the two? The recovery time. It’s a lot easier to sleep off a hangover than it is to learn to think again, or talk, or even walk. But here we are, two years later, and I can do all of the above and a hell of a lot more.
Just ask your mom.
And yet despite that what am I doing with my time? With this second chance at life? Am I out living, laughing, loving? No, I’m sat alone, doing nothing. Sure, I’m doing that in a rather luxurious mansion that cost somewhere in the region of too expensive for any of you, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m sat here alone, doing absolutely f**k all.
It’s difficult, being a man of such great drive with nothing to channel it towards. It’s even more difficult doing it sober, which is why on days like today, when my darling daughter in his school and the maid and nanny are out doing whatever it is they do when they’re not working, I consider how easy it would be to grab a taxi down to the nearest dive bar and drink myself into oblivion.
Y’know, like the good old days.
But, like every time before this, I don’t call that taxi. I could tell myself that it’s because I have a daughter to look after, even though the truth of that is that the nanny is more of a parent to that kid than I am, but no, the truth is that I don’t call that taxi because I can’t even muster up the motivation to do that.
How the f*****g mighty have fallen, am I right?
It’s here, on his couch, in this quite frankly embarrassing state, that I first hear the knocking of knuckles on glass.
Trace Demon: The f**k is that?
Fair question, because if you don’t know how mansions work, and let’s be honest you probably don’t given the current financial climate, they are usually surrounded by big walls and security systems and all sorts of stuff that are there for the sole purpose of keeping poor people like you out.
And yet there, at the window of all places, is some guy knocking. Given that he hasn’t started taking photos yet he’s probably not paparazzi, not that those camera-toting vultures take much interest in me anymore, so what then? Just a fan? A weirdo stalker? I wouldn’t mind so much if it was some girl in her early-twenties looking for a ride on the King’s staff, but no, this is a man, in his thirties, now waving at me because he’s realised I’ve seen him.
Trace Demon: The f**k are you?
I pull myself up off of the sofa, which takes more effort than it probably should, and head for the window. The guy points to the latch, signalling for me to open the window and… what? Let him in? Either he’s the most brazen damn thief I’ve ever laid eyes on or this guy is a a whole sandwich short of a lunchbox.
I consider the options. I could call the police, there’s a local patrol that would be there in less than five minutes because the majority of their funding comes from the rich asshats that live in this suburb. I would like to clarify that I do not consider myself one of their kind because I know what its like to work hard for a living, unlike those reality star sisters that live down the road.
Thing is, calling the police would mean not getting to bash somebody’s head in, and that isn’t the Trace Demon way, so instead I open the window, and immediately feel like an idiot for doing so.
Trace Demon: The f**k are you?
At least this time I’m not just speaking to myself.
Random Guy: You know, you’re a hard person to get a hold of. You mind if I-
He signals for me to let him in, via the window might I add.
Trace Demon: Are you being serious?
Random Guy: What d’you mean?
Trace Demon: Are you actually asking me whether you can break into my house?
The guy looks at me, spots the clueless expression on my face and then he starts to laugh. I seriously consider grabbing the nearest heavy object and dropping it on him.
Random Guy: Oh my god, you actually don’t know who… wow, girls in the office said you really don’t pay attention to your emails but they actually meant it.
The hell is this guy talking about? Which girls? Which office? The guy looks up at me, trying to stifle further laughter.
Random Guy: Look man, the name’s Eddie Myers. Here.
He digs into his pocket and for a brief moment I wonder if I’m about to get shot up. Unfortunately all he pulls out is his wallet, of which he pulls out a business card and hands it to me through the window. Wait a minute, did I just consider the lack of bullet holes riddling my body unfortunate? I should dive into that later.
Trace Demon: Eddie Myers, WFWF talent manager. You work for the WFWF? Wait a minute, are you the guy who’s emails I’ve been ignoring?
Less ignoring, more putting straight in the deleted folder without reading on purpose.
Eddie Myers: Wow, that hurts man, why would you want to ignore ol’ Eddie here? May I?
He doesn’t give me time to tell him to f**k off, instead grabbing onto the frame of the window and clambering up, pulling himself into the house and landing in a heap on the floor. He pops back up, wiping the dust off of his garishly bright shirt. This was the man the WFWF had sent after me? I almost feel insulted.
Eddie Myers: Wow, that was effort man, I really need to get back down to the gym. Ol’ Eddie isn’t in the shape he used to be, y’know?
I most certainly do not know, strange man who has just let himself into my house. Should’ve kept the window closed.
Trace Demon: The hell are you doing in my house?
Eddie Myers: Right now? Wishing you’d answered the front door when I knocked. Also, think I might have broken your front gate when I pushed it open with my car, hope that’s not too big of a problem for you?
Trace Demon: You’ve got ten seconds to tell me what you’re here for or I’m going to throw you out the same window you came in, only I’m going to make sure to close it first.
Eddie Myers: Ouch, sounds sore. Well Trace, can I call you Trace?
Trace Demon: No.
Eddie Myers: Well Trace, I’m gonna call you Trace, I work for the WFWF talent department. I’m sure you’ve heard about the big takeover.
I have, but I’ve struggled to find the energy to care. Everybody and their dog has owned the WFWF at some point, including me. Hell, at one point it was literally owned by a group called The Shadow Conglomerate. So sue me if there’s a lack of excitement over the whole thing.
Eddie Myers: Well Mr. Abadi’s obviously investing a lot of money in all aspects of the company, he’s a good guy, I’m sure you’ll like him.
Seems unlikely.
Eddie Myers: But the one thing he needs more than anything else is the talent. That’s where you come in.
Trace Demon: So that’s what this is about, you want me to come back and work for the WFWF. You want me to wrestle again.
Eddie Myers: What’d you think we were chasing you up about?
Trace Demon: Honestly, I don’t know, I figured you were trying to get me to go to one of those conventions, y’know the ones, where people dress up all weird.
This coming from the man who used to pull tight spandex over his ass before walking out in front of an audience.
Eddie Myers: Take it they aren’t your thing?
Trace Demon: Do I look like the broken shell of Alex Sean?
Eddie Myers: Well f**k man, I hear they put his ass in section C nowadays.
Trace Demon: Figures, that’s where you dump the trash.
I’ve had something of a turbulent history with Alex Sean over the past decade and a half. That’ll happen when somebody throws a fireball in your face and steals the XWA World Heavyweight Championship, I suppose.
Eddie Myers: Either way man, we both know you’d be section A, which is why the boss man wants to make sure he’s got you locked up for the big WFWF return.
For most people, this would be a dream scenario. Going back to the place that made you famous, that made you a star, especially after a few years of doing a whole lot of nothing. It would be just the thing that I need to get me out of this funk, and more importantly to get my ass off of the couch because seriously, when an indent starts to appear it means you’ve probably sat there too long.
Trace Demon: Not interested.
Luckily I’ve got the money to buy a new couch.
Eddie Myers: Oh they said you were a joker, said you were a right funny guy.
Nobody has ever said that about me, not even me.
Trace Demon: Who are they exactly?
Eddie Myers: You know, the girls in the office. Kate, Sandra, Maeve, the lot of them.
Trace Demon: I think you just made all those people up. Either way, I couldn’t think of anything worse than having to surround myself with whatever losers Bibidi has convinced to join him in this terrible idea.
Eddie Myers: It’s actually Abadi, and trust me, this isn’t some half-assed effort, we’ve got the big dogs back.
Trace Demon: You’ve got Drakz?
Eddie Myers: Well no-
Trace Demon: Kyzer?
Eddie Myers: Also no but-
Trace Demon: Hobo Schneider?
Eddie Myers: I mean we’re not actually sure if he’s still alive.
No chance we’re that lucky.
Trace Demon: Basically, what I’m hearing is you’ve got nobody? Hell, you’ve probably just got the likes of Mash and Dax Shephard, don’t you?
Eddie Myers: Do you mean Mesh and Dex?
Trace Demon: I don’t think it matters.
Eddie Myers: I mean we do have Mesh, but we also have Scarlett Quinn, Reverend Shadow, and get this, we’re in talks with EBR and DGX. How’s that for some big boys?
Trace Demon: I mean you’ll be lucky if Rev actually gets on the plane, and as appealing as it sounds to f**k with McGurk’s baby girl again I’ve been there already. DGX is all hype, no bite. EBR actually means something, but until he’s signed on the dotted line I’m not gonna believe it. Either way, doesn’t matter, because you ain’t got me, and if you ain’t got me, you ain’t got a company people are gonna want to watch. I’d say sorry, but I’m not, now let me show you the door or would you rather go out the window?
Eddie pauses, murmurs something to himself under his breath. I wonder how easily it’d be to take that duck-covered tie he’s wearing and strangle him with it.
Eddie Myers: Look man, truth is, you’re kinda already under contract.
Trace Demon: Excuse me?
Eddie Myers: When you sold up the WFWF the last thing you did was sign yourself to a golden contract. I’m sure you remember, can’t be fired or suspended, could do anything you wanted, honestly, genius move, even meant you got paid for the last four years even when you’ve not actually been doing anything.
I mean I did spend nearly two of those years in a coma.
Eddie Myers: Thing is, our guys checked over that contract and it kinda specifies that its valid for as long as you’re active in the WFWF, and the thing is the last four years you’ve not exactly been active. Now Mr. Abadi is perfectly happy to honour that contract, and forget all about the last four years where technically you’ve been paid when you shouldn’t, if you’re willing to come back and wrestle.
Anger bubbles up inside me at the mere thought that this wannabe used car salesman thinks he’s got one up over on me.
Trace Demon: And what if I don’t care if you don’t pay me? If you’ve not been paying attention you don’t buy a place like this with WFWF money, even with that golden contract you’re talking about.
I was smart enough to invest my WFWF money over the years in a number of business ventures, not all of them exactly above board. I might not be the man running those anymore, but I still get the benefits of all the money with none of the hassle, so money isn’t exactly something I worry about anymore.
Eddie Myers: Right, I didn’t exactly think that through. Look man, do a friend a favour here-
I’ve literally just met you and quite frankly I don’t like you very much.
Eddie Myers: We’re doing this big press conference, all the talent’s gonna be there, Abadi’ll be there, we’ll fly you out to it, first class obviously, you come down, you meet the team, maybe you change your mind. Maybe it reignites some passion or something like that.
Trace Demon: And what if it doesn’t? What’s in it for me then?
Eddie Myers: What?
Trace Demon: If I come to this press conference and it does what you say, well then in your mind I get my passion back or some s**t, right? But what if it doesn’t, what do I get out of it then? Because having some reunion with a bunch of people I don’t like isn’t it.
Eddie Myers: Um…
Trace Demon: I wanna punch you in the face.
Eddie Myers: Excuse me?
Trace Demon: That’s the deal. I come down to your press conference and if I don’t leave agreeing to step back in the ring then I get to punch you right in your punchable face.
Eddie Myers: You’d travel all the way down there just for a chance to punch me? Why not just punch me now?
Don’t think i’ve not considered it.
Trace Demon: Satisfaction. I want you to know that when I punch you it’s been your own fault, I want you to spend the next week knowing that I’m going to knock you out. So, just how important is getting me back to your boss?
He barely even waits to consider his options, or to consider just how hard I can punch, before holding his hand out.
Eddie Myers: Deal.
Trace Demon: I’m not shaking your hand you freak, now get out of my house.
Eddie Myers: You got it man, and let me tell you you’re not gonna regret this, just you wait, you’re gonna feel it.
Trace Demon: For the sake of your face, you want to hope so.
By the time I’ve finished talking he’s already climbing back out through the window. He could’ve just taken the door.
I’m gonna enjoy punching him in the face.
< *** >
Now
Alexa, open “Ringside Rants” podcast.
Ringside Rants; Episode 049 Summary: Today’s episode features a look ahead at WFWF’s second show since their big return including a sort-of interview with WFWF star Trace Demon, as well as a preview of our upcoming retrospective on the XWA, an interview with veteran wrestler Gruff McConnors and all the usual news and musings on this weeks wrestling scene.
Play.
Danny Groff: Ladies and gentleman welcome to another episode of Ringside Rants, I am as always Danny Groff alongside my co-host Maxine Halloway and today we-
Alexa, skip forward to 23:18.
Danny Groff: So we were meant to have Trace Demon on today’s edition of the Ringside Rants podcast to talk all about his big main event with DGX, however before going live today we had a catchup with Trace to kind of discuss our talking points and, well, to say it didn’t go to plan would be an understatement.
Maxine Halloway: Well I’m sure our listeners already know all about the kind of man Trace Demon is on-screen, and let me assure you it turns out he’s exactly the same off of it as well.
Danny Groff: Luckily for you all we were recording that interaction, and we’re going to play it for you right now.
Maxine Halloway: Listener discretion is very much advised.
Static, then the cut in.
Danny Groff: Thanks for joining us for this pre-call Trace, we thought you’d like a heads up on some of the questions so you could put some stuff together for it.
Trace Demon: More of a shoot from the hip kind of guy, but whatever.
Maxine Halloway: Right, well, essentially the way this’ll work is we’ll go back and forth for a bit, then edit the footage later and-
Trace Demon: I know how podcasts work, I’m not Yukio Blaze.
Danny Groff: So what we’d like to do is obviously ask you some questions about the show, and about your history with DGX.
Trace Demon: Whatever.
Danny Groff: We’d like to focus on how it feels to step into the ring with a legend of the WFWF, in his return match no less.
Maxine Halloway: Really focus in on how different he is compared to when you faced off in the past, you know? Discuss how big of a challenge he’s going to pose with all that experience and this drive to cement his legacy.
Danny Groff: And we want to talk about how notable it is that you’re the first person he called out, so we’re going to ask you what you thought when you heard that challenge, were you nervous, were you excited, were you flattered?
…
Danny Groff: Trace, you still with-
Trace Demon: This is a joke, right? You’re messing with me, because you sure as hell didn’t invite me onto your podcast just to talk about how [censored] glorious you think DGX is.
Maxine Halloway: Um, we signed off on these questions with the WFWF media team.
Trace Demon: So you thought you’d invite me onto your podcast and just show me as much disrespect as you could possibly [censored] muster? Is that it?
Danny Groff: No, Trace that’s not-
Trace Demon: If you wanted to talk about DGX so much why didn’t you just invite DGX onto the show?
Danny Groff: I mean we did but he declined the-
Maxine Halloway: Danny shut up!
Trace Demon: I will not be disrespected by a bunch of nobodies who think they’re important just because they watch wrestling and know how to use some [censored] audio equipment, do you understand me? This match isn’t [censored] about [censored] DGX, DGX doesn’t [censored] matter! I’m the one who [censored] matters, I’m the [censored] one you should want to talk about, and I won’t be [censored] disrespected by two [censored] [censored] who [censored] think their [censored] opinions matter in any [censored] way, do you [censored] understand what I’m [censored] saying?
Danny Groff: Um, yeah we-
Trace Demon: Oh [censored] off the pair of you.
Static, cut out.
Danny Groff: As we said, viewer discretion advised there, but you can certainly tell that Trace Demon is feeling the pressure.
Maxine Halloway: How could he not facing somebody of DGX’s calibre?
[Censored].
< *** >
Then One Month Ago
I always hated crap like this. Everyone gathering together, rushing around, and for what? So people can go up on some stage and talk to a bunch of idiots who don’t actually appreciate it? What’s the bloody point?
I had considered not showing up, in truth there are plenty of people I could punch in the face and some of them would likely pay for the pleasure of it, so it’s not like punching the car salesman is all that much incentive. However I must admit the idea of reviving the WFWF when half of its stars are either out of shape, dead, in prison or otherwise indisposed makes me feel the same way as witnessing a car crash. There’s a beauty in the disaster of it all.
Yet here I am, hanging around backstage while a bunch of unfamiliar faces rush about to get ready for the press conference to kick off. I’m pretty sure I spotted Kurt Burton at one point, which really doesn’t fill me with any semblance of confidence for this supposed relaunch.
?: I didn’t expect to see you here.
I turn to the familiar voice to find the shiny bald dome of Jason Anders staring back at me. He must have chucked some polish on that thing because it nearly blinds me, and it isn’t even that sunny today.
Trace Demon: That goes both way. You working for this lot again?
Jason Anders: A man has to make a living, we can’t all wander about boasting about how rich we are.
Trace Demon: Well when you have money it’s hard not to. You here on your own or-
Jason Anders: Don’t even ask about her, alright? As far as you’re concerned you and any member of my family are total and utter strangers.
I mean I don’t make a habit out of f*****g strangers but… oh wait, no, I take that back, yes I do.
Trace Demon: Whatever you say Anders, I’m more than happy to leave the past in the past. So you’re back in legal, I take it?
Jason Anders: I am.
Trace Demon: You wouldn’t have had anything to do with bringing up the fine print of my little golden contract to a certain wannabe talent manager, would you?
If there was anybody who would know how to try and exploit that contract it would be the man who helped me put it together. Still, I can’t imagine Jason Anders would want to do anything that would lead to me showing my face in the WFWF again given how we left things.
Jason Anders: I think we both know I’d want nothing to do with that. You’re talking about that Eddie Myers idiot, aren’t you?
Trace Demon: See Anders, this is why we got along for so long, before all the unpleasantness, and I’m going to pretend I didn’t see you roll your eyes there. But yes, if that is the name of that brightly clad idiot then I am talking about him, I can’t be sure though because beyond his punchable face I can’t actually remember his name.
Jason Anders: I’d heard he got assigned to you, he was down asking questions about your contract to one of the other legal guys the other week, clearly trying to find some angle to bring you in. Clearly he said something to do the trick, since you’re here and all.
I begrudge the mere insinuation that anything that idiot said or did had any bearing on getting me here today. I’m half tempted to smack Jason across that shiny chrome dome of his but I resist, I have to save my energy for knocking Myers teeth out later.
Trace Demon: I don’t even know why I’m here, this whole thing just screams waste of time.
Jason Anders: Honestly Trace, Mr. Abadi seems like he’s on the level, and he’s got a plan to bring the WFWF back to its former glory. Now obviously plans have a tendency to go a little bit awry when wrestlers are involved but I think if you met the man you’d probably change your tune, he can be pretty inspiring.
Trace Demon: Inspiration is for losers who spend their time doing f**k all with their life, not for people like me who… does plenty of stuff, alright. I’m doing stuff constantly. Just f**k off will you Anders, you’re harshing my vibe.
Jason Anders: Look Trace, if you’re going to even consider coming back, and I’m hoping that’s a big if, then at least go in with an open mind. Y’know, more constructive, less destructive. Speak to Abadi, he’s literally right over there and-
I see where Anders is pointing and spot Bobby Abadi. What? I’m not stupid enough to show up here and not google the guy so I know what he looks like first. I walk off from Anders while he’s in mid-sentence, I’m sure he wasn’t going to say anything interesting anyway, and take off across the grounds towards where Bryan Bibidi stands surrounded by a horde of people coming and going, all doing what I’m sure are very important jobs. I’m also sure none are as important as I am.
Most people move aside as they see me coming, a glint of fear in their eyes. Clearly these are the people who have either worked for the WFWF before or actually know the product. The rest of them, who I can only assume to be the new blood, get shoulder barged clean out of the way. Pretty sure that guy was holding a very expensive laptop, oh well, shouldn’t have got in the way.
Within moments, and several people getting at the minimum a grazed knee, I find myself a step away from Bibidi himself.
Trace Demon: I think you probably want to talk to me.
He turns to look at me, and the mere moment of hesitance as he doesn’t instantly recognise the most prized talent the WFWF has ever had nearly earns him a knife in the throat. He’s just lucky I don’t have a knife.
Then the realisation comes and he’s guy smiley all of a sudden, arms outstretched as he steps in and wraps them around me. Is this grown ass man hugging me? The hell is happening right now? Can’t even get my hands up to push him off, is it bad form to headbutt him? I’m going to headbutt him. Headbutt incoming oh wait he’s backed off.
Bobby Abadi: Trace Demon! I had been informed that you would be attending today, how exciting. However I don’t remember seeing your name on the run list for the press conference, we must get that amended. I’m sure people will want to hear from you.
Trace Demon: I’m not here to talk, I’m here to tell you-
Bobby Abadi: What was that?
He’s not talking to me, but somebody in his ear through an earpiece, like he thinks he’s important or something.
Bobby Abadi: Sorry Trace, but the press conference is about to get underway and I’m needed on stage. But stick around, talk to one of the crew about that schedule and I’m sure we can get you a couple of minutes on stage. Sound good? Great, looking forward to working with you.
And then he’s gone, walking off in the opposite direction towards the stage, and suddenly I’ve never felt so angry in my life. The utter disrespect. The absolute, utter fu-
Timid Assistant: Um Mr. Demon sir?
Who dares interrupt me when I’m about to go on an epic internal rant?
Trace Demon: What do you want?
She’s young, nineteen, twenty, blonde, the kind of doe eyes that remind me of a deer with a truck hurtling for it at speed, and holding a clipboard. Is this bring your daughter to work day? Has a responsible adult actually thought about the consequences of bringing such an impressionable youth to a place filled with the likes of Alex Sean and DGX, men of notoriously low morals? Has anyone checked to make sure King Kraig isn’t about because he is definitely the type of guy you wouldn’t give planning permission for a basement to.
Timid Assistant: Mr. Abadi mentioned putting you on the schedule? I thought maybe we could put you near the end? Use you as a warmup for EBR’s big surprise return?
Trace Demon: You want to use me as a god damned fluffer? I am nobodies warmup act, especially not for any of those f***s from Rated X, you understand? In fact the only thing I’d be willing to do before any of them step foot on that stage is throw a f*****g fireball in their face, you got it?
The girl just nods, over and over, like she’s just hearing the 1981 classic Working for the Weekend for the first time. What? I’m Canadian, f**k off. While all this is going on I can hear Bobby Abadi’s words echoing out through the speaker system, and the introduction of some guy called Shaggy. I knew this thing was going to be a mess but I didn’t expect Mr. Boombastic himself to show up.
Trace Demon: F**k this hole.
As I storm off all dramatic like I realise that it isn’t multiplatinum selling recording artist Orville Burrell on stage, but someone speaking with the most messed up accent I’ve ever heard, and I’ve been to Pittsburgh.
Shuggy: unintelligible Scottish… Excited I am… are those words he’s saying? thing for one second that something about his daughter I think… how long it’s gonna last, but I’m… seriously I’ve heard Montreal Canadiens fans make more sense than this… hear from the EBRs, the Josh Deans, the DGXs… oh this is the bit where he namedrops all the legends, classic the likes of Drakz… he’ll be saying my name any second now, just for a cheap pop… Kyzer… any second now… Phillip Schneider… the f*****g f**k is this f*****y?!
My blood boils, how dare this nobody, this boy who speaks no sense, claim to name the legends of the WFWF and leave my name off of that list? Is this what I’ve become, is this what I’ve made myself, somebody people think can be disrespected? I will not have this, I will not allow it!
Stagehand: Sir, you can’t go-
Before I even realise it I’m storming the stage, shoving a stagehand over in the process. I see Shuggy coming towards me, and I know I could obliterate him here and now, teach him a lesson for his display of disrespect, but the boy can wait, it’s time for the world to remember who I am.
It’s time for the whole world to remember Trace f*****g Demon.
< *** >
Now
How did it come to this, lying here, next to her, just days away from a return to the ring? I hate the woman lying next to me, and I curse whatever primal part of the human brain that makes hate f*****g so damn good. I should kick her our right now for breaching the no sleeping over rule, who does she think she is, suddenly thinking she’s good enough to fall asleep in my bed, in my house, under the same roof where my child sleeps?
The audacity of the woman.
Maybe I would be less irritated if I could actually manage to sleep, but sleep hasn’t come so easily the past few days, as the realisation truly sets in of what I’m going to do, and the risks that that entails. Of course I could lie here dwelling over medical advice all I want, but where would that get me? So instead I roll out of bed, slip on my boxers and quietly, purely because I have no interest in discussing anything with this stain of a woman, exit my bedroom.
Without thinking I find myself to the door of my private study. I used to spend days on end here, watching tape, going over strategies, developing game plans and backup plans. It’s what I was known for, my mind, having backup plans for backup plans. But now? I haven’t stepped foot in this room for nearly two years.
I push the door open and step inside. There’s no need for a light, the moonlight shining in through the window illuminating the room. It’s just how I left it, the TV on the wall, the desk in the corner, papers still strewn across it. I rest my hand on the seat in the middle of the room, the one I’d sit in when watching footage, and my eyes rest on the wall where rows of shelves hold up the many championship belts I’ve won. They give you a personalised replica when you win a title, a trophy of sorts, to remember your past glories. I’ve got plenty of them, but right now there’s only one that matters, only one that my eyes settle upon as I set down.
I don’t know how long I’m sat there staring at it when I hear familiar footsteps approach the door. I’d hoped that if she woke up and realised I’d gone that she’d get the message and get the hell out of my house, but I’ve been trying to give her the boot from my life for years with little success, why would she possibly start playing ball now?
Her: What’re you doing in here, getting all weepy over past glory? Not like you’ve had any recently to celebrate.
I don’t give her the dignity of an answer as she pulls out the wooden chair from my desk and sits on it. I realise she’s wearing one of my old t-shirts, which irritates me further. She's getting far too comfortable.
Her: Oh I get it, you’ve got your big return in a few days, right? And the whole reason for this match is that title.
The WFWF World Heavyweight Championship, the first of two that I won, back in 2010. I don’t remember a lot about that time, I was on a whole cocktail of drugs and booze back then, but I do remember that feeling of holding that title for the first time, of being declared the best the WFWF had.
Her: If you’re gonna sit here in silence I’m just going to keep talking, you know that right?
Trace Demon: Oh f**k off.
Her: Finally, he speaks. So what’s this all about, you trying to remind yourself how great you are, tell yourself how you beat DGX once so you can beat him again?
Trace Demon: What’s everyone’s obsession with thinking that this match has anything to do with DGX for me? Like he matters at all?
Her: I mean it’s DGX, he’s always kind of been a big deal. Plus you’ve got history.
Trace Demon: We’ve fought one-on-one once, and I won. All that stuff in the XWA? That wasn’t anything to do with him, not really, that was all about Rated X thinking they ran the place, that they were better than everyone else. Well look what happened to them, Alex Sean’s stuck doing to convention circuit, I’m still living rent free in DGX’s head eleven years later and EBR? He’s gone the whole returning hero route because he’s got f**k all else going for him personality wise. So no, believe it or not I don’t much care about the fact this is me and DGX, if anything he’s the only person who has shown any sense because at least he’s smart enough to remember who the f**k Trace Demon really is.
And just like that I know I’ve over shown my hand.
Her: Ah, right, I get it.
Trace Demon: You get what?
Her: This, this whole thing, you in here thinking about past glory. But it isn’t the glory you’re thinking about, is it? It’s the fear, and the respect, and the memory of how people used to talk about you. You’re getting all soppy because you think they’ve forgotten about you.
Trace Demon: I carried the WFWF on my back for over a decade. While everyone else came and went, including the likes of DGX, I was eternal. And yet all anybody wants to speak about is EBR, or DGX, or even Drakz and Kyzer-
Her: Who aren’t even coming back.
Trace Demon: Exactly! Where’s my respect, eh? I broke bones, bled buckets, gave it everything I had for the WFWF and sure, half the time I was trying to tear it down but still, I risked my life for this company time and time again and yet I’m still somehow second best? Unacceptable.
Her: So that’s why you’ve gone back, to remind people who you are? That’s always been your MO Trace, everything you’ve ever done, all the times you tried to end or save the WFWF, it was all so that people would talk about you, this isn’t any different.
Oh trust me, it’s going to be different. This time it’s simple, either I get the respect I deserve or I finish the one job I never finished.
Her: I’m going back to bed.
And what job is that, you might be asking yourself?
Trace Demon: I never said you could sleep over Lila.
Well it’s pretty simple, if you ask me.
Lila Sleater: I don’t really care what you did or didn’t say Trace.
Either the WFWF shows me the respect I deserve, the respect I’ve earned.
Trace Demon: You will.
Or I kill it dead, once and for all.
Trace Demon: You all will.
Either way, I will have my legacy, in either gold… or in blood.
< *** >
Well it’s certainly been a while, right? I’ll need to remember how to do this exactly.
So the WFWF is back, because some things just can’t stay dead, right? And we’ve got a new big boss, Bobby Bibidi himself, and from what people tell me he’s quite the businessman, and a good guy to boot. Now I can’t speak for the latter, because I’ll be honest with you he’s not really made the effort to speak to me, which is strange, don’t you think? That the big boss hasn’t tried to personally get in touch with his star attraction?
The former though, him being a good businessman, now that I can speak to, because I think we’ve already proven that that isn’t true. I think Bibidi’s actions so far are more than enough evidence for us to determine that that is a bare faced lie, because how could a good businessman buy a wrestling company, put on a big return show… and then not put the best damn professional wrestler in the world in the main event? I mean did you see that main event? How’re you gonna launch a wrestling empire on the back of Mr. Section C himself Alex Sean, when that is the level of performance he’s gonna give you?
But fortunately for all you lot out there this week you get a main event worth talking about, because you get Trace Demon going one-on-one with DGX for only the second time in history. That’s a pretty big deal. And you are talking about it, don’t worry, I’ve heard and I’ve seen all the chatter. My only problem though is what you’ve all chosen to focus on. Even the preview for the show seems to think that this match is all about seeing whether DGX can rectify his one black mark and continue on with establishing some legacy for himself.
This match seems to have been set up with the idea that DGX is the star of the show. Well I’m here to correct that misconception. You see Trace Demon doesn’t play second fiddle, he isn’t a supporting act, I’m not stepping foot in that ring with the intention of making DGX look good as he tries to cement his legacy, because I’ve got a legacy of my own, and it’s a legacy bathed in blood and broken bodies, including DGX. In 2010, when I beat DGX and became the WFWF World Heavyweight Champion… I wasn’t half the man I became, I was still young, and learning, but even then, even before I became the man I am now I had more than enough about me to beat DGX fair and square in the middle of that ring.
So D, I’m afraid that this is one black mark that ain’t coming out in the wash, this is one loss that you aren’t going to be able to avenge. And it isn’t because your passed your prime, it isn’t because you’re the man you used to be, it’s simply because I am better than you. I was better than you in 2010, I was better than you in the XWA in 2013 and we both know that if you didn’t have your pathetic crew in Rated X you never would’ve come close to me, and I’m better than you now. The simple fact is that it doesn’t matter who owns this place, it doesn’t matter who books it, this is my house that I built with my bare hands, that I raised on my very broad shoulders, and you know it.
And if everyone wants to see this as the DGX show then more fool them, but I’m more than happy to play spoiler, believe it or not I kinda enjoy it. And when I’m through with you DGX and you’re flat on the mat looking up at me for the second time, I won’t even say I told you so, because you knew it all along. I am Trace Demon, I am better than you, I am the WFWF, I am not the first hurdle on the way to you cementing your legacy. You are simply the first to fall as I cement mine. But don’t worry, I’ll do you one favour.
I’ll make sure you get a nice little footnote in the book of Trace Demon.
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Post by Rated R on Jul 8, 2022 8:48:03 GMT -5
Wrestler's Name.Trace Demon NicknamesThe King of Demons The Maestro of Madness The Sickest Man in the Business Titles WonWFWF World Champion x 2 (01/02/09 - 06/01/10, 180 Days; 12/15/2013, 130 Days) WFWF International Champion (08/16/12 - 09/28/13) WFWF Tag Team Champion (09/14/09 - 04/13/10, 207 Days) WFWF National Champion (06/30/08 - 09/27/08, 70 Days) WFWF Hardcore X Champion (07/14/07 - 08/05/07, 25 Days) 2009 Survival of the Fittest Winner WFWF Triple Crown Holder WFWF Grand Slam Holder XWA World Heavyweight Champion (01/25/13 - 09/28/13) XWA Hardcore Champion (02/05/12 - 02/04/13; 365 Days, Relinquished Undefeated) XWA International Champion (02/22/12; Unified with Hardcore Championship) 2012 XWA (WU) King of Xtreme Winner AlignmentHeel HometownHamilton, Ontario, Canada Weight230 lb Height6 ft, 3 in Age34 BiographyComing Soon StyleWorks a methodical technical style that focuses on outwrestling his opponent. He particularly likes to work away at a body part before locking in one of his many submission holds. He is highly athletic, making up moves on the fly and often hitting moves out of nowhere. While he has abandoned the style in recent years Trace is actually a very adept brawler and his high tolerance for pain makes him a threatening opponent. Appearance In-Ring Attire: Shirtless. Black elbow pads. Jeans (black on the one half with red writing “KoD”, red on the other half with white writing “TRACE”). Black boots.
Out Of Ring Attire An extremely expensive black suit, white t-shirt and shades, black trousers and black shoes.
Entrance
Entrance Music "Seizure of Power" by Marilyn Manson
Previous Entrance Themes: “Destabilise”, Enter Shikari; “Dance With The Devil”, Breaking Benjamin; “Death Before Dishonor”, Breaking Benjamin; "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", Metallica.
Moves
Finishing Moves
Uber Finisher
Hellfire Overdose (Extremely dangerous. This is a big time match finisher and usually reserved for his toughest opponents. When it’s pulled out the match is finished. There is no getting up.) Trace grabs hold of his opponent and lifts them up into a torture rack position. He holds them there for a moment before lifting them up into the air and promptly planting them to the mat full force head first.
Main Finishers
Demonstration of Hell A sitout double underhook powerbomb. Trace faces a bent over opponent and double underhooks their arms. He then lifts them up, flips them in mid air and then drops the opponent to the mat back first, Trace himself falling into a sitting position, often into a pinning position.
Paradise Lost A rear guillotine choke with body scissors, usually preceded by The Judgment.
Signature Moves
Busaiku Knee Lift Running single leg high knee strike.
Demon Elbow Rush Multiple Elbows to the side of the skull, topped off by the rolling elbow.
D.I.E.D. A suplex lift flipped into a double knee backbreaker.
The Judgment Red Mist that both blinds and burns the face of an opponent.
Other Moves
Impact
Burning Lariat Cutter Leg Lariat Multiple Supex Variations, Including: - Fisherman’s Suplex - German Suplex - Snap Suplex - Tiger Suplex Release Powerbomb Step-up High Knee to a Cornered Opponent
Aerial
Diving Crossbody Diving Elbow Drop Missile Dropkick Suicide Dive
Strikes
Back Elbow Dropkick Enziguiri Martial Art Type Kicks Rolling Elbow Superkick
Submissions
Ankle Lock Octopus Stretch Sharpshooter Triangle Chokehold
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Post by Rated R on Jun 16, 2022 15:17:44 GMT -5
Personally I always look for a piece of writing that has something to it beyond just what's on the surface level. Give me a great story, a great theme, an interesting writing style or a format that I've never seen before, there's a lot of different ways to get my interest but essentially what I want is something that I'm going to remember by the time I've read all the RP's for the show, rather than when I get asked about it later I have to go back and check to see which one it was. With that said, I'd always urge someone to take a risk, if you've got some idea that you think is going to differentiate you, then go for it, because the worst thing that happens is it doesn't land properly but then you know for next time.
When it comes to the talking about your match bit, I think it's subjective. I think it's important that you include the WFWF in your work, because quite frankly it's a big part of your characters motivation so why wouldn't what was happening in the fed come up in some way or form? That being said, how you go about it is completely up to you, as is the extent of it. If you've got a major title match main event then yeah, I'd expect that to be a focal point, whereas if it was a squash match then maybe your character isn't all that concerned, and other fed-related events are the focal point instead. Again, how you do it is completely flexible, and there really is no clear cut solution.
I always liked to write the dialogue only promo because I've always enjoyed watching those promos where the likes of Moxley and Kingston paced about ranting in a car park. Those kind of promos were always my thing, and I liked how I could get emotion across in those promos, but over time they became less important and I started to focus more on the fed in my actual scenes, because that's what I became comfortable doing and it's what I liked to write, which at the end of the day is what we're here to do, right? Enjoy ourselves.
All of this is a long winded way of saying write whatever you want, just consider what your trying to say thematically and what the story is, what about what you're writing is going to grab people, which part of your writing is going to speak to people, which part of it speaks to you? All of these are questions that you should be asking yourself, but don't let them deter you from trying something new and most importantly having fun.
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Post by Rated R on May 19, 2022 15:03:23 GMT -5
Why the hell not, sign Trace up.
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Post by Rated R on Apr 6, 2022 6:34:01 GMT -5
I'd just come back for what I intended to be my final run when the whole place went dead, and while I only have a fraction of the time I did ten years ago plus when I started this I'd like to see what time I can make to see the character out. I wouldn't want to commit to anything just yet but I'd be happy to be part of the conversation of getting the place up and running again just because I know what writing here did for my abilities as a writer and I think others deserve the same shot.
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Post by Rated R on Jun 24, 2021 16:55:44 GMT -5
I'll be doing a segment.
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Post by Rated R on Jun 21, 2021 17:34:20 GMT -5
I mean I've run the place, twice, and yeah it's thankless work sometimes, but to just up and quit without even telling the person you run the place with? Well, I think Drakz put it best.
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Post by Rated R on May 8, 2021 11:49:16 GMT -5
Who TF let Trace Demon come back the second Drakz had both feet out the door? The crimes committed here, I tell ya. It was obvious he'd lose the moment I came back. The man's just scared I tell you.
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Post by Rated R on Apr 26, 2021 13:59:23 GMT -5
Also very hyped to see Trace back in the fold! Just in time to watch Drakz retire. Makes sense the moment I come back you run for the hills. Also, s'up all, excited to be back.
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Post by Rated R on Jun 21, 2019 14:54:03 GMT -5
With a tear in my eye, I moved Kyzer, Draven, and Priceless to the alumni thread. Can I get a moment of silence for their departure? A ten bell salute? I mean it's not like I'm dead or 'retired' or anything, I just don't know when or if I'll feel inspired to write for this place again.
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