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X-treme Wrestling Federation »   » Archives » Leap of Faith 2020 PPV
Mastering My Own Mind
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thewizard Offline
Wizard, The



XWF FanBase:
Kids, disabled people, casual fans

(fighting the odds; helps others; disliked by most adult male fans)


#1
07-15-2020, 11:17 PM

“I have an order for Shawna. One large white mocha for Shawna!” I remained seated, staring across the table at Shawna. Our two-week romance had given me something I never knew existed. I was enraptured. My soul riddled with love. “Shawna! Large white mocha for Shawna!”

She shot me an anxious look, “Aren’t you gonna go get it for me?”

“Hold on.” I sat back.

“Shawna? Shawna! One large white mocha for Shawna!”

I leaned forward, “I just love hearing your name.” Her face reddened. She did her best to suppress a smile – but muscles can only hide so much.

Standing, I towered over the rest of the crowd, snaring my girl’s drink. Handing it to her, I bent down, giving her a peck on the cheek before returning to the chair across from her. This was the very definition of bliss.

Starbucks had become our favorite hangout. It made sense. It’s where we met after that first day of training when Mof forced an introduction. At the time, I was angry. But I grew to realize there wouldn’t be enough thanks to properly reward him for what he’d given me. In my mind, he had introduced me to my future wife.

An aggressive sip that produced a slight dribble on her bottom lip caused Shawna to stutter over her words. Once cleaned, she proceeded, “Sorry. What’s your plan for the rest of the day?”

“Might head to the gym and watch some Mastermind footage. I feel like I’m this close to taking the next step in being able to master my opponent’s mind.”

“You sure do like this Mastermind guy,” she commented, wiping the rim of her cup, “is he THAT good?”

Knocking on the tabletop with my knuckle, I delivered a sentence injected with sincerity, “He’s the best. The absolute best.”

She smiled, “Well, you’ll have to show me some of his matches.”

“I can’t wait.”

---

Huddled against the edge of a corner, the hot breath of an intoxicated, disheveled female threatened the previously sanitary halls of the local hospital. They belonged to The Wizard’s #1 fan, Fantasia – or Fanny, for the purposes of brevity. A wall and window, the end of a wing had her trapped from behind. Peering around this edged corner, she watched hospital staff come and go, waiting for an opportunity.

There was just one, simple problem...she had no idea where she was going. She’d followed Mof in the elevator…

[flashback to Mof pouring whiskey in his coffee. Behind him, huddled in the back left corner is FANNY. The doors open, Mof exits...Fanny waits a few moments before scurrying out, on all fours, performing the most fucked up, hideous looking leopard crawl in the history of its existence].

So, yes, she’d been able to, somehow, sneak her way onto The Wizard’s floor.

But...which room? Her leopard crawl hadn’t moved near fast enough to keep up with Mof’s brisk pace.

The clock on the wall read: 7:30am.

It wouldn’t be long before the hospital would become too busy to navigate. She had to hurry.

A close (but not too close) examination of Fanny’s face reveals dark, black makeup running down both cheeks. Her hair strewn about via stress and anxiety. The look in her eyes was that of desperation. She’d heard the news (obviously)...but how dire was it? She had to find out. She needed to be there for her favorite wrestler – The Wizard.

Finally, opportunity struck. An empty hallway. Performing her now-infamous leopard crawl, Fanny shot around the corner, scurrying down the hall as quickly as her shitty form would allow. Doors, on booth sides, were left in her proverbial dust. Feeling comfortable, she shifted toward the middle of the hallway.

SUDDENLY

A door to her right opened. HOLY SHIT. She tumbled forward and dove to her left, finding temporary and shoddy sanctuary on the bottom level of a pushcart. And, no, there was no blanket or cloth to hide her identity. She would rely completely on the hopefully oblivious demeanor of the pusher.

Luckily for Fanny, low-level employees aren’t as heavily vetted as their upper echeloned comrades. This dude snared the handle while producing a yawn that said, “I shouldn’t have stayed up so damn late.” And, with heavy eyes, pushed the cart down the hall. In doing so, he paused at each door, checking the name on a list provided.

Curled in the fetal position, Fanny’s eyes moved left and right, listening carefully. She began to shake...was it nerves or withdrawals?

“Who the…” the employee uttered, finding the name unfamiliar. Then, it hit him, “Oh yea, this is that Wizard guy. Nope, nothing to drop off here.”

Fanny’s eyes shot open. She tumbled to her right, out from under the pushcart. The tired employee didn’t notice. He kept strolling down the hallway, dead to the world in all manners with which his job mattered. Reaching up, Fanny snared the door handle and yanked down, sneaking into The Wizard’s room.

Mof, asleep in his chair, snoring loud (but not TOO loud) unveiled an amenable situation for Miss Fanny. We’ll assume it’s Miss, anyway. Doubt anybody would have locked this one down.

Rising like COVID-19 numbers, Fanny reached her feet, in between Mof and his tray table. The Wizard resided, prone, in front of her. She gazed down upon the Wizard with maddened excitement. Her hands reached for his body...until, something tickled her olfactory radar. Turning, she stared down at Mof’s still, slightly steaming cup of whiskey injected java.

Licking her lips, Fanny snared the coffee and chugged. Heat be damned, she’s had a thirst...an addiction that needed soothing.

The sharp movement stirred Mof. Fanny, with half the drink down, hurried away...she found the bathroom and quietly shut the door, locking herself inside.

Mof, in his chair, squirmed around, rubbing his nose. He suddenly released a loud, violent cough. It didn’t wake him. It, obviously, didn’t wake The Wizard. It just filled the room with germs.

---

That damned, horrid face stared down at me from its lofty thinking chair. Quivering, I awaited what felt like the next in a series of trials. Once upon a time, a hardcore gamer, I knew the drill. My own personal Mastermind pursed his lips together and blew…

It sounded like a sneeze.

What emerged was the most powerful gust of wind I’d ever experienced. And, it never relented. Wind...wind...MORE WIND.

I looked toward my persecutor, but his image had vanished. Yet, his aura remained.

My body began to slide. Soon, it started to hover. I reached, desperately. I needed something to hold onto, otherwise, my perfectly crafted package of skin and bones would bounce around the smooth, yet unforgiving walls like a ping pong ball. Nails scraping against the walls, feet kicking like a dog paddling to safety, body wiggling like a worm frying on hot cement...there was nothing...NOTHING I could do.

The wind had me floating 2-3 feet off the ground, sliding against the walls, slamming into the surface at each turn. It hurt. An uncontrollable centrifuge meant to destroy what was left of my mind.

“Let it go, Wizard. Let it go,” his voice coasted across the turbulent breeze.

It all happened so fast I barely had time to react. Instead, my body twisted, twirled, and slammed at the mercy of my own Mastermind’s hot, putrid breath. My mind remained as blank as a mind could – I didn’t want to give my tormentor any ammunition.

THUD

Ugh, that hurt. I gasped for air. The wind compressed my body against the wall, trapped in the corner. I was both relieved to be motionless but terrified at the building pressure. Over my shoulder, I spotted my escape – the door. If I played my cards just right I could kick off the wall, snare the handle, and pull myself to safety – or whatever was on the other end of that damn thing.

“Haha,” my own Mastermind’s hideous laugh responded to my inner dialogue that played like an open book. Fuck it. I was going to try. It was better than getting whipped around that stupid room for all eternity.

THRUST

I shot from the wall using both legs to push away. The wind caught me and threw me toward the door. I remained in a straight line...if I twisted or tumbled I’d be knocked off course. Looking upward, I saw the handle...I reached for it.

AL.MOST THERE…

WHOOSH!

A sudden gust from underneath shot me over the door.

“SHIT!” my voice cut through the wind. I was suspended halfway up the room, shoved around like Bilbo in the center of a mosh pit at a Slipknot concert. It was rough. I felt I might hurl.

“Face it, Wizard. I’m in your head and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

He was right. I was at his mercy. Looking down at that door, so far away...the possibility of reaching it had turned into a hope fading into a dream teetering on the edge of becoming fantasy.

---

Few moments in life shine brighter than that last image of happiness before calamity. If only we held the knowledge our future selves are burdened to shoulder...maybe then we could avoid impending disaster or, at the very least, soak every last ounce of that final moment before it all comes to a devastating end.

But, we can’t. That’s life.

There was a knock at the door. I knew who it was which made getting up an option I didn’t feel like exercising. So, I remained on the couch with Shawna curled into my side. The TV was blank. We didn’t watch it much. We spent most of our time hanging out, creating.

I held a notepad, it served as the manuscript for my ode to Mastermind. Lyrics dedicated to the greatest professional wrestler that ever lived.

The lock jiggled. Mof entered. He found us, as close as ever. It produced a smile, “Boy I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see the two of you getting along so well.”

“We owe it to you, Eddie,” I replied without looking up, my eyes were too busy going over the lyrics.

Ed placed a package on the kitchen counter before returning to the apartment living room, “What ya working on there?”

“A song.”

“Oh? Creating your own entrance theme?”

“Not really.”

“Well…” he sat down and leaned forward, as curious as the situation could allow.

“It’s a song dedicated to Mastermind.”

“MASTERMIND?!” his voice cracked what had been a solid moment. Shawna startled, sitting up. I was unmoved. It wasn’t the first time Edward reacted violently to my fandom of Mastermind. He just didn’t get it.

Mof eyed the two of us. We were both sporting Mastermind t-shirts. I had Mastermind socks on. Shawna had a Mastermind cup, full of white chocolate mocha. A Mastermind poster was stapled to the wall behind us. And, a Mastermind pillow resided on the edge of the couch. Those weren’t the only pieces of Mastermind merch we owned...just the ones I could remember.

Upon observing all of this, Mof stood up and began to bark orders, “We’re going to be late if we don’t leave right now.”

“I know, I know,” his attitude was wrong, but his message was right. It was time to leave for training. I closed my notepad and gave Shawna a kiss.

“Good luck today...my future Mastermind,” she said, giggling. I can’t describe how great that made me feel. Standing, I was ready to conquer the world.

Mof pointed at the package he’d placed on the counter, “I want you to go through that after practice. It’s about time you learned the truth.”

“The truth?”

“Just…” he wanted to tell me. But, I don’t think he had the stomach to do it in person. “Just go through it after practice. We can talk once you’re finished.”

“Kind of ominous, but okay.”

We left for practice. Inside the car, I began to hum my new song.

Mastermind, he’s the greatest!
Always taking down the latest!
You’d better be kind
Or he’ll master YOUR mind!
Yea, yea, Mastermind!
Oh yea, Mastermind!
An Icon like no other
I wish he were my brother
The very be…

Annnnd...Mof cranked the radio up to a thousand. Country music nearly shattered the speakers along with both our eardrums.

“I THOUGHT YOU HATED COUNTRY MUSIC” I screamed.

Mof didn’t reply. But I got the feeling something trumped his hatred of that particular genre.

---

The bathroom door crept open. Fanny poked her head out. The clock read 10:17. She’d been in there quite a while. No idea what she did to occupy all that time – not really even interested in finding out, to be honest.

Boredom had created movement. A quiet room provided comfort. She stepped out, like a wild animal eking its way from the forest, into a clearing. Very carefully, ready to bolt at any moment, she neared The Wizard’s bed. For the first time, she got a good look at the man behind the hood and beard.

Reaching out, she appeared eager to touch his face – stroke his curly, blonde hair. Her fascination with XWF’s fastest rising star pulled attention away from the critical machines next to the bed. A foot getting caught in a cord later, and The Wizard’s pulse began to drop.

Fanny yelped. She turned, looked down, spun around...tried to find what had come undone. But, and this shouldn’t come as a shock, Fanny had no medical training – so she was lost. Edward slowly opened one eye, the disturbance poking at his subconscious enough to cause a random check-in.

Horror is what he found.

“What the...WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?” He lept from his chair, pointing at Fanny. Instinctively, he reached for his drink – it was gone. His eyes widened, “Did you...DID YOU TAKE MY COFFEE?”

“Sorry, but I…” Fanny was as guilty as original sin. She stammered, doubled over...tried backing her way into the bathroom. “I just...wanted to, you know, see him.”

Mof scowled. His eyes found the descending heartbeat, “ROCK OF GIBRALTAR...he’s fuckin dying! Did you do this?”

Fanny knew the truth could aid in saving The Wizard’s life. It would also put her in a shit load of trouble. She bit her bottom lip and shook her head, “Nope.”

Edward ran for the door, yanking it open. He screamed down the hall, “WE NEED HELP! HURRY!”

---

The winds began to die down. Even my own personal Mastermind appeared perplexed. I smiled. Finally, a break.

Only, not the one I hoped would come. The winds died out completely, causing me to plummet to the hard surface beneath my levitated body.

“FUCKING OW!” my voice shouted.

“What has happened?” my own personal Mastermind’s voice asked. His eyes attempting to penetrate my Wizardly soul. I tried to play coy.

“I’ve beaten you, Mastermind.”

But, he read me like a man reads a chick attempting to play cards. “Nice try, Wizard.” An arrogance bloomed around his face, “You can’t trick me. This little hiccup was not your doing...but something from out there.”

Holding my tailbone, I rotated onto my knees before hitting all fours. Looking up at my own personal Mastermind, I asked, “What do you mean, out there?”

He scoffed, “You’re weaker than I thought. Fucking pleb.”

I felt the wind beginning to pick back up. Fuck THAT. I hobbled to my feet and sprinted for the door...a hobbled sprint. It hurt like hell. But the idea of returning to my previous state of suspension drove me through the pain.

My legs begin to lift. I added extra pressure to keep them grounded. I was on the verge of lift-off. “C’mon, man...get to that fucking door!” my voice urged. I dove for the handle, out of desperation.

GOT IT!

Yanking down, I used every muscle I had (and some I didn’t realize existed) to force that door open and slither through a crack just big enough to allow my frame. It slammed shut.

Leaning up against it, I kept a grip on the handle. My chest heaved. My lungs refueled.

“Please...please...please…” my voice begged with the room. For once, during this entire ordeal, cut me a fucking break.

If I held onto that handle, maybe that would prevent it from disappearing.

Darkness once again surrounded me. The handle remained. The surface seemed similar. But, without any light, it was impossible to tell. I peered. I winced. I did everything I could to expand my pupils. Nothing worked. I was staring into the soul of a sociopath.

Absolute darkness. An infinity of confusion.

---

“There ya go! Yea! Alright!” I cheered Mastermind on while lacing up my final boot. “Fuck yea! Another win for MASTERMIND!” I was alone in the locker room. But, I didn’t care. Watching Mastermind dominate his opponents never got old. The dude was a fucking wizard in the ring.

OUTSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM

An agitated Ed Mof was giving the trainer what for. “You’re fucking with his mind on purpose, aren’t you?”

“What the heck are you talking about?”

“Showing all those Mastermind videos in the locker room. That’s a big rib, isn’t it?”

The trainer was nonplussed. “What Mastermind videos?”

“The ones playing on the tv in there. Every fucking day we come in here. It’s got him thinking Mastermind is the greatest wrestler of all time.”

The trainer scratched his head. The benevolent student who never failed to help Wizard deal with his injuries, spoke out, “Boss. He’s talking about the Mastermind Greatest Hits Tape.”

“Oh...OH,” he paused. “So THAT’s why he loves Mastermind so much?”

“Yes.”

The entire facility guffawed. Knee slapping, jaw-dropping, moon howling laughter. Faces were red. Spit was flying. Oxygen was suddenly in desperate need.

It was a hilarious joke. Albeit, one that was lost on Mof. The benevolent student moved to explain, “Awhile back somebody made a VHS tape showing all of Mastermind’s biggest wins. He thought it’d be hilarious to slip it into the VCR and have it airing on TV when everyone came in to get dressed.”

“So...why is it still playing?”

The student shook his head, “Turns out the joke was on all of us, including him. It got jammed in the VCR. We haven’t been able to get it out. So it’s just been playing over and over again.”

“Are...are you fucking serious?”

He nodded.

“You mean to tell me my client is obsessed with Mastermind because of a prank gone awry?”

The room quieted. Absolute silence.

“Eddie, what are you talking about?” The Wizard, dressed out and standing in the door to the locker room asked.

Mof’s eyes shut. His gut dropped. He dipped his head and turned around, “Kid. I’ve got to tell you something.”

---

A sullen, burdened Fanny paced the hallway. She awaited the news. Not the kind of news a person enjoys awaiting. Even the best-case scenario is, oftentimes, not very great. Mof exited, rubbing his arms.

“He isn’t…”

Mof shook his head, “He’s alive. Kind of. They don’t really know what’s going on. They say it isn’t anything physical but...if he doesn’t come out of it soon…” Mof couldn’t finish his sentence.

Feeling guilty, Fanny blurted out, “I didn’t mean to step on the cords. This is all my fault.”

She rushed, hugging Mof. A little weirded out by this and not really desiring to become a victim of the #MeToo movement, Mof slowly pushed her away. “It’s fine. They reconnected it. Didn’t really have much to do with his condition, anyway.”

Fanny was relieved. “Is there anything I can do?”

Mof wanted to say she’d done enough. But, realizing she was genuine AND just about the only true fan The Wizard had. He took a higher road, “You could go out and maybe gather some support for him. If it’s mental...I don’t know. Perhaps hearing people rooting for him might help.”

Light sparkled from Fanny’s slightly sober eyes, “I’ll do it!”

She hurried down the hallway. Hospital employees darted to avoid being trampled by the super eager, perhaps overzealous fangirl. Mof raised both eyebrows with an exasperated expression. Turning around to head back into the room, his face met the broad chest of a man.

A priest.

“Excuse me...is this where The Wizard is located?” The man’s regal voice asked.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Father Thyme. I’m here to administer last rights.”

“We didn’t order any last rights. I’m not even sure he’s religious.”

“But still. Allow me to do this. I’m also a fan.”

Edward was using his body as a shield. He mulled the weird situation over. And, much like his previous encounter with Fanny, he didn’t see the harm in allowing Father Thyme the opportunity to administer last rights. Plus, it was another fan. Didn’t want to drown out the crop before it had a chance to grow.

Father Thyme entered. The nurses tending to The Wizard had that ‘wtf’ look on their faces. But, they departed – nothing more to do, really.

Standing over The Wizard, Father Thyme removed some thyme from his pocket. He located The Wizard’s special styrofoam jug of water, removing the lid. Dipping the thyme in the water, his weighty expression turned to Mof.

“Is that really how this…” Mof got out before being told to hush.

Father Thyme took the soaked piece of Thyme and thrust it at The Wizard. Droplets of water sprang from the fresh piece of produce, sprinkling The Wizard’s calm, emotionless face. A low volumed encantation followed.

---

A droplet of water hit me. Was that rain? I gripped the handle even tighter, expecting some form of disaster.

But then...the handle vanished.

“Shit.”

I scrambled, crawling across the slick floor. I tried feeling out what it was made of...it didn’t take long to grasp. The more I crawled, the colder it became. The sound of my cloth-covered knees sliding against the surface gave it away – metal.

I was in some sort of metal box.

POOF

Was that...please don’t tell me...not a fireplace. Not another fucking chair...please...please...please…

I didn’t want to. I half-believed I could refuse doing so. But, I did.

Turning my head, I spotted the THINKING CHAIR.

And the back of that dreaded head.

[Image: chairfirst.jpg]

“DON’T YOU TURN AROUND! LEAVE ME ALONE, MASTERMIND! YOU’VE DONE ENOUGH! LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!”

[Image: chair1.jpg]

“Welcome back.”

Before I could respond with something that wasn’t as witty as I hoped, a deluge of rain poured from the ceiling. I tried covering up, but it was no use. This was the monsoon to end all monsoons. Inches accumulated on the floor. The water began to rise. Soon, I was floating.

Looking over, my own personal Mastermind disappeared...but his aura remained.

“This is the end for you, Wizard. Third time’s a charm.”

Ha, third time’s a charm. Classic Mastermind speak.

But, he was right. I didn’t see any way out of this room.

OOC: Thanks to Fanny and Father Thyme for agreeing to take part in this roleplay.

BASK IN MY AURA

Released from Prison. Currently residing in Hell aka mentoring troubled teens.

[Image: o92j5tuA.jpg]
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