Post by Johanna Krieger on Feb 10, 2019 4:55:42 GMT -5
Ich sagte dir, ich brachte die Hölle mit mir(I told you, I was bringing hell with me)
She was never meant to be this. A rough, harsh and cold professional wrestler. No, her dream was to be like her father. A strong, smart, and caring man. He was a police officer, Johanna had memories of him coming home and her mother smiling wide, gathering the children to greet him. Unlike so many others in this world, Johanna’s upbringing was not filled with [ain and abuse. Or privilege. She had a normal happy life. A loving mother and father, fun siblings and dreams in her native Germany. When she grew up she realized that original dream. To be a police officer like her father. She studied, she worked, she tried it all but it never felt right. It never felt like she could make a difference.
Johanna always wondered if there was something more. She watched those who had little to no regard for laws, those who wanted to bring the world into chaos go free. And it was then that Johanna realized if she couldn’t prevent chaos and anarchy, if law and order were simply jokes to the general public, she would become an agent of chaos. And she would enter a world that was different. A world she watched on television when she was a child. One that her brother and father had drawn her into while her younger sister played with dolls. The world of professional wrestling.
“I told you all, I was bringing hell with me.”
A small smile, her lips colored in black and red twist and turn as she looks up slowly through a few strands of white blond hair that dangle down from over a black bandana that is tied backward with the knot over her forehead. Showing a kind of gothic pin-up look. Her voice was deep but still feminine. Her voice had only a small hint of an accent as she continued.
“And here in Union Battleground, the first victim is chosen. When I was a little girl, I sat in front of my papa’s chair and I watched professional wrestling. I watched the men and women on the screen with an awe and wonder. But, I never dreamed I would ever become one. The world was so foreign to me and so impossible.I watched IWO and in the late, late nineties Carnage. I could never believe my eyes. But then, when I started training, I found to be very adept. Like a natural for this line of work. And I loved it. For the last few years I have traveled, I have worked and learned my craft. I moved to New York, I trained at Wolfslair. And now after signing a contract here, I’m ready to go. I’m ready to show you all why I am the next big star.”
“I know, so many others have said these things.”
“But, there is the problem. How does one, with very little proof on a large stage, prove themselves?. Simple. Destruction. Pain. Dominance. You go into every conflict without fear and knowing. Not thinking. Knowing, you’re better. Some call that arrogance, some confidence. Others even have the gall to refer to it as foolish. But the attitude and feeling that I have will lead me to where I need to be. Where I deserve to be.”
Her eyes close slowly, a long deep breath in and out. The exhale being accompanied by that same wicked grin. This time her bottom lip curls up as she lightly bites it. Her hand drifts up to her hair grabbing the end as her eyes burn forward. Her pale skin covered with the black lines of war paint she usually has ready inside the ring. Her upper body is covered with a black T-Shirt from the band As I Lay Dying and a black leather biker jacket, her hands grip the inside of it as she tilts her head.
“Now, this is where it gets tricky. See unlike others here who seem to know the ins and outs of each others lives I have no clue about my opponent. If you asked me about some of the others here like Elena DeDraca, Finn Whelen, Mikey Svarro, Kira Izumi, Kimitzu Zombie or even Michael Kelly...congrats on the birth of your child by the way, Mr. Kelly. I would be able to tell you past matches, championships and moments. In or out of Union Battleground. But, my opponent Nathan Turner, the “everyman” is a mystery to me aside from the small snippets I was able to find. The thing is the measure of a man’s past never really shows his future. People change over time, people grow and get better, or degrade and get worse.”
“What I do know of Mr. Turner is that he is bigger than me, likely stronger, older and probably more experienced. But, he has been inactive. Sitting at home away from the fires of war, not in the trenches, in battles of heart and attrition. Truth is, Nathan Turner may be a talented, tough human being, but he hasn’t been forged in the same fire as myself for the last few years. You look at me and see a little blond haired, blue eyes, heavily tattooed german girl. I’m five foot five, a hundred and thirty pounds and I don’t have a large resume from anywhere of note.”
“What I do have though Mr. Turner, is a killer instinct and a will to succeed. I’m vicious in and out of the ring and I am ready to step on anyone to get to my dreams, to my future, to my destiny.”
The word destiny seems to spit from her lips with venom as her teeth clench together, her blue eyes bulge wide as the black iris seems to almost envelop and engulf her eye. Johanna steps forward and licks her lips getting excited as the anger rises.
“I am the German snowstorm, the agent of anarchy. I am a warrior queen looking for her fucking throne. And you. Look at you. You are a six foot two. Two hundred and forty pound, more experienced almost 20-year veteran, despite the few years off. Who calls himself an “Everyman”. A romantic concept. How sweet and heartwarming. You are a man of many faces and a man chasing a dream. And in all the storybooks and fairytales we have a hero, a protagonist who will be a man pure of heart, a good man who has to fight for his dreams. A man who will battle with his sword drawn, covered in blood with injuries and pain racked through his body.”
“The man will fight, the man will win, and the man will be a legend and live happily ever after.”
Krieger stops for a moment. Letting the silence hang in the air a little as the words are left hanging. The concept is weighed and measured. Then coming from deep down inside a chuckle. Evil and condescending in its intent and purpose. Johanna tilts her head again with a grin.
“Something I learned long ago. In my previous life of Law and Order. Is that reality will hit you, like a fucking truck. Average in this world gets you nowhere. Average gets you a small position of affection from the unwashed masses who will see themselves just like you. But then in the long run, as the stories are passed down and the history books are written, average is forgotten, average is left beaten, and bloodied in a ditch. Average is just that Nathan. Average. I aspire to be more than the average woman, more than the average wrestler. When I have my dreams they are in reach, close to my fingertips. Yours creep further and further away.”
“Then again, maybe “Everyman” is just a name, a moniker given to empower you and push you towards the common man. But the issue is that the names we give ourselves are a reflection of self. The name that you are given at birth is just that. One at birth. But those that we give ourselves?. They hold true meaning because that is the reflection we see in a mirror. And Mr Turner, when I look in a mirror I told you what I see, what I feel. And who I am. But you?. If you look in the mirror and see just that...an “everyman” then you have already lost. I will see you in the ring at Crown of the king cobra. And this snake...bites with real venom…”
Johanna’s voice is a hush as the grin turns to a smile and a full laugh again as we fade to black.
Post by Nathan Turner on Feb 16, 2019 13:06:58 GMT -5
[OOC NOTE: I’ve come from a long line of eFeds where everything that is written is considered “on-camera”. Since then, I’ve learned to write everything as being “on-camera” or “during a scene”, so you won’t see any denotations between something being “on-camera” or “off-camera”.]
A MAN’S PERSONAL HELL The Everyman Chronicles Vol. I vs. Johanna Krieger @ CROWN OF THE KING COBRA
“I remember the first time I stepped foot in the wrestling ring. From the promotion, to the venue, down to my opponent. Hell, I even remember what the fans in the front row looked like. That moment is forever blazed in my memory. It’s there, burned behind my eyelids so that every time I shut my eyes, it’s the only moment I can see. Not the birth of my son. Not my wedding day. My first wrestling match.”
“People around this business would think that is something to hold onto, something to look forward to. Not me. I think back to that moment, and how a seventeen year old kid had just dropped out of high school to pursue his dream of wrestling on the big stage. Stars in his eyes, clutching onto a dream, ready to be ‘the next big thing’ in professional wrestling. Then, as it so often does, life made sure to slap my ass back to the ground after I tried shooting for the stars.”
The night was cold as Nathan pulled into the parking lot of his small apartment complex. He sat there for a moment, his wrestling gear in a bag beside of him. For a moment he sat with his still-taped hands on the steering wheel, the tape job from his last few hours spent training at the gym. He didn’t have time to fully tear down his training gear, leaving on his knee and elbow pads, along with the tape around his wrists and ankles. Instead, Nathan had to rush home so that his babysitter wouldn’t have to stay too long over.
After spending a few quiet minutes to himself, there in the parking lot, he turned the ignition, grabbed his gear, and headed up the small set of stairs to his apartment. He was met with the voice of his babysitter, Sarah, as soon as he had finished locking the door behind him.
“How was he?”
“Oh, the little guy? He was fine, as always. He wanted to order pizza, but I told him that we had some frozen ones instead.”
Sarah stood in the entrance way towards the kitchen. She had been Nathan’s neighbor since he had moved into this place, thus he had watched he grow from an awkward adolescence to an even more awkward college student. But, above that, Nathan trusted her with Jake. That was something he couldn’t say for every person he came in contact with.
“If I could be so rude, Nate, you look like shit.”
Nathan laughed. A rough sound, like sandpaper against dry leaves. It was something that he had not done much of these past few years.
“Yeah? I definitely feel like it.”
“I don’t just mean physically… You want to talk about it?”
Nathan thought about that for a minute. Maybe talking about it was something that he needed to do. Maybe letting someone in on the maelstrom of Nathan’s life would help matters. Most likely it would just lead Sarah to thinking she had to help someone carry his burden. Like Atlas, it was Nathan’s burden alone to bear the weight of the world.
“Nah, I’m good. Just gonna have a beer and relax for a little bit.”
Sarah nodded. She was used to seeing Nathan like this.
“Well, if you need anything, let me know. I’ll be glad to help out.”
“I know. Thanks Sarah. You’re one of the good ones.”
The Everyman ducked through the entrance way to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and grabbed himself a cold beer. He returned to his couch, a beat-up number that he had picked up from the local Goodwill for pennies on the dollar. Sure, it smelled a tad funny, but it was better than dropping big dollars on the same thing at an Ikea. Sitting down, he noticed Sarah lingering towards the door, obviously trying to say something but not finding the courage.
“Yeah? What’s up?”
Sarah bit her lip, obviously trying to place the right words.
“Nate, I just wanted to say… It’s just that, I know wrestling has been your dream for as long as I can remember. Hell, when you first moved in, I remember my dad and you having a conversation about your match with some crazy masked wrestler from the early parts of the decade. He was such a big fan of yours…”
Nathan didn’t really know how to answer that. A long, pregnant pause filled the space between the two of them. Finally, Sarah looked up.
“I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into this time. Jake is a good kid. A really good kid. He’s had a lot of shit thrown at him the last few years, and honestly, he doesn’t deserve it. With his mom and… Just… Well, what I’m trying to say is… If you’re going to do this, make sure you do it this time. Don’t give up.”
“I bring all of this up, Johanna, because I feel like it’s important for you to know about me. I hear you when you say you’re ready to bring hell to Union. I felt like that once. Like, no matter what happened, when I stepped foot inside of that ring, there would be nobody in the damn building that could hold a candle to my raging inferno. I was a fucking blue star once, Johanna, burning down entire promotions around me as I left havoc and destruction in my wake.”
“I call myself The Everyman because I can relate to those out there who have given their all to try and achieve their dreams. To call me average is to call everyone in the world average, and that is a mistake. Every single person out there is unique, and special, and truly capable of doing what they want as long as they put their minds to it. That’s why I’m The Everyman, Johanna. Not because I’m trying to relate, but because I’m trying to achieve my goals, and trying to fight to survive.”
“Honestly, I was a lot like you. Young, brash, bold. But most of all, like you Johanna, I was naive. It was that naivety that led me to think that I could stand on a soapbox and shout out any and all opponents in the company I currently worked for. It was that same lack of experience that showed me that, no matter what, life has different plans, plans that will eventually douse your burning flames and leave you sitting on your ass out in the cold.”
“I find it fitting that you and I square off on one of the biggest stages that Union has to offer. Sure, neither of us are in the King Cobra Tournament, but that doesn’t mean that our match is any less important. I’d even say that our match is the most important of the night, taking place first on the card, showing the world what the two of us are capable of… It’s something that every wrestler works their entire life for, to see their name on the marquee, ready to put on the greatest fucking show possible for the fans. It’s the chance of a lifetime.”
“That’s why, when you and I step foot into the ring together at King Cobra, know this. I’ve had my chance slip through my fingers before. I’ve been on the top of the mountain, only to be caught up in an avalanche all the way to the fucking bottom. My life’s mission has been to climb out from underneath that landslide, and climb my way back up that mountain, even if it means my body will be destroyed by the time I get back up to the top. But, Johanna, make no mistake, I will climb back up that mountain, and I will use you as the first foothold on the way back up.”
