Manor Challenge Submissions/Final Challenge Announcement · 8:26am May 8th, 2016
Last time, on the OC Apprentice. The two finalists: Coalstone and Reneigah discovered presents on their beds from Gob. Here, they open them.
Now, I present, part one of the OC Apprentice Finale!
Candle Light was exhausted. She had spent the whole day looking for her co-manager to only be left even more confused and lost. She went to every possible place she'd think Gob would be hiding. From his Summer home in Hawaii to his winter home in Alaska, to his second Summer home in France, and his fifth Spring home in Switzerland. Yet, he was nowhere to be found. She tried to think of people who would know where Gob would be, but the only person she could think of was Eternal, and she had no way to summon or communicate to Eternal like Gob did. So she was on her own. Not only that, she hasn't seen Barrel Roll in a while, and that worried her. Unless she was out sick or on holiday, Barrel Roll always came to work, and when she was supposed to be out, Candle would have known by now. Something was up and Candle was going to figure it out.
But no matter how much she wanted to look or investigate, she had one big responsibility to look forward to and that was the big wrestling event she was going to hold for the finalists. In Gob's notes, the final challenge was supposed to be them picking a rookie fighter and coaching them up to fight Mark Henry and Beth Phoenix. But Candle wasn't about to let them off scot-free. She believed those two brats needed to pay for what they said to Gob! This, as far as she could see, was probably the best punishment. A good ass whooping.
Candle strolled in Gob's large office, eyeing his little artifacts, and decor. While he didn't have much of a style, what was in his office did seem to fit well. It resembled somewhat of an art deco with a pure white interior, a large white leather chair and Gob's old, but shined hickory desk that contrasted from the white office. It was his most prized position, saying he won it off a pretty influential person back in the early 1900's. Candle didn't care enough to really listen to Gob's many stories. But she did care enough to let him talk to her so he had somebody to really talk to, and boy did that man talk. She remembers him telling stories of war, like how he was drafted into WWII. On the Soviet's side, but was released after a week of service for committing war crimes. Specifically, the burning of a German hospital housing wounded Nazis and civilians and leaving only the yellow starbursts for the rest of his troops. Obviously, one crime was worse than the other and Gob was said to be put to death. But being the extravagant god he is, he made the execution more of a magic show and surprised everyone there. How was Gob drafted? Why was he drafted? Candle didn't know, but she did know one thing, and that was Gob technically being a WWII veteran.
Candle slowly sat in Gob's chair and sighed. She cared for her co-worker. Not that she loved him in that sense, but she cared about him for being who he was. Ever since she became a goddess, she knew Gob was a ticking time bomb. He was a lunatic, a psycho, a wild card, and he had complete control. Whether it be the power driving him to madness or he has been mad ever since his creation, Candle knew she had to keep him somewhat calm or else things could get very bad very fast. She knew he was still emotional, and he still had some feelings as numb as they could be and what worried her more was his weird Spanish moments. Where he'd keep proclaiming he needs to get home, or he's lost, or he killed a god. If a man that lost in the head were a god, obviously somebody needed to keep check, and Candle gave herself that task. She knew it would be hard, she knew it would be tricky, but she knew she had to do it.
As she sat quietly, she heard a faint knock at the large window behind her. Turning around, she spotted Gob's closest friend; Hermes, the former god of messengers and trickery. Candle smiled hoping for some good news as she opened the window to speak to the flying god.
"Hello, Mr. Hermes. Any luck on finding Gob?"
"No, ma'am. Unfortunately, I could not find him anywhere I think he would be."
"Not even the strip club in the middle of Death Valley?" Candle asked disappointed.
"I checked their twice! That, and Disneyland I checked twice... Okay, I checked Disneyland five times... Okay, I only visited Disneyland and that strip club! I got bored quickly and I thought he'd be at one of those two places!" Hermes defended.
"Oh, Hermes you're useless sometimes! No wonder why Gob fired you from your job as God of Messengers and Trickery!" Candle stomped her foot.
"I'm sorry, Miss Light, but speaking frankly, even if I put the effort into the search, I couldn't find him! He took most of my power away! All he left me was the ability to never age and die, and the ability to fly really fast. Beyond that, there's nothing else I can do." Hermes said as he flew and landed inside Gob's office.
"You're right. It's not entirely your fault. I'm just..." Candle stopped. All the anxiety and nervousness was getting to her and she began to feel emotional.
"Oh don't worry, Miss Light, everything is fine. I know you care for him as I do, but really there's not much either of us could really do. My father doesn't wish to assist in the search and aside from a few choice members of my family such as Athena and Hephaestus, nobody else wishes to help look for him. Have you tried asking Jesus or God?" Hermes asked.
"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't Gob was really the only one who could make contact with those two. You and a few other religions are all I can get."
"Have you tried asking the Egyptians for help? As much as it hurts to ask, but did you ask any of the Romans to help? Ech, I even hate that word... Roman. What a despicable phrase and culture might I add!"
"Yes, and yes. Neither of them could find anything! I expected the Egyptians to find SOMETHING being that he and their leader are on good terms. But they've found nothing." Candle admitted. Finally, she broke down. Worried and scared for Gob. Not that she was worried he would get hurt or anything, but she worried this would affect him so much he wouldn't be the same even if she found him. Having nobody else to fall on, Candle held Hermes who internally panicked. His whole family was built off incest more or less. For him to embrace any other woman aside from his kin, it was very different. But he did his best and patted Candle's back.
"There, there..." Hermes offered awkwardly. While it wasn't much, it was enough to calm Candle and even make her nestle into Herme's comforting hug, making the former god even more confused.
'Just pretend it's Athena, pretend it's Athena, pretend it's Athena...' Hermes thought as he held Candle, hoping she'd let go so he could leave and find time to think. But that wouldn't happen until at least two minutes later when Candle sniffled and wiped away her last tears.
"Sorry about that, Hermes. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable..." Candle apologized.
"I didn't feel uncomfortable... It's all good." Hermes tried to play it off cool, but Candle could tell.
"I could tell you felt uncomfortable, Hermes. Your body temperature rose when I hugged you. Especially in your chest and face." Candle informed with a faint chuckle. Hermes' eyes widened and he frowned.
"Whelp! Gotta go! Good luck looking for Gob!" With that, Hermes zoomed off, leaving Candle alone in Gob's white and silent office once again.
~***~
"You know, I don't usually have the gratitude of talking to another being. Especially one who is actually receptive. All the workers here are faceless zombies. I mean, I'm not saying I'm not either, at least, I'm not a zombie. I know I have no face, but trust me, I have a personality. Unlike those... Husks who work for Vanessa. But I can't blame her. I'd do the same if I owned a company. It's cheaper, you know." Stacey spoke to the tied up Sentinel. Vanessa had told Stacey to keep an eye on Sentinel, learning the former contestant was a guard, she needed to make sure he wouldn't escape.
"In fact, how do I even talk? I don't have a mouth! Hm... Audible thoughts, perhaps? What do you think, Prisoner?" Sentinel didn't answer on account of the tape over his muzzle. "Oh, I forgot, your bindings won't allow you to speak. Well, since we're in the broom closet in the dark and creepy hallway, I guess I can let you talk this once. It's not like anybody will hear you... Or care really. Unless it's a business order from me or Vanessa, the workers won't respond at all." Stacey ripped off the duct tape from Sentinel's muzzle, electing a long and painful scream.
"Owwah! That hurt, lady!" Sentinel exclaimed.
"I know, I know, I'm sorry! But I can't help the pain caused by duct tape. Only duct tape can, and duct tape doesn't care because duct tape has no feelings because it's an inanimate object." Stacey rambled.
"Whatever, could you please just let me go! I promise I won't cause any trouble when leaving. I'll be on my merry way!" Sentinel tried to convince Vanessa's secretary, but it proved useless. Although Stacey seemed to be this bubbly girl, she was loyal to her boss.
"No can do, Prisoner! Not unless Vanessa tells me otherwise." Stacey said.
"So you're not letting me go?"
"Nope! Veggie's orders!"
"You respect Veggie, don't you?" Sentinel knew this would be a long shot, but he needed to at least try.
"Why yes, she's my boss. Of course, I respect her." Stacey responded.
"Are you sure she thinks the same? Does she respect you?" Sentinel thought maybe he could sweet talk his way out. Butter the girl up, convince her to let him go, and then he leaves.
"I mean... Maybe so. Why are you asking these questions!? Are you trying to get into my head!?" Stacey accused.
"No, no! I'm just making sure Veggie's best and only non-hypnotized worker was properly respected."
"Well, I assure you, she is!" Stacey said with her arms crossed.
"I don't think so..." Sentinel said.
"W-what do you mean, Prisoner?"
"I think in her eyes, you're just another worker. Nothing more than a sentient secretary."
"No! You're wrong! I'm her friend and she's mine! We respect one another and that's that!" Stacey defended. This was perfect, Sentinel just needed to dig a little deeper to reach that threshold of emotions to work off of.
"Weird, because I overheard her talking smack when you left the office after letting her know about the sports event," Sentinel said.
"What? Were you awake for that? I thought you were knocked out!"
"I'm a guard, it's my job to stay alert. It's not easy, but I managed to stay somewhat aware during that little meeting of yours. Yeah, she was talking as though she was talking to me. Saying how you were nothing more than a measly worker."
"No! You're wrong! That's not her... W-What else did she say?" Stacey asked as she turned her faceless head towards Sentinel.
"Oh, just how she has countless replacements for you, how she's using you as a tool. Heck, she hates the fact you're sentient. She said something like 'All the brainless workers are far more superior to that silly secretary! They get the job done, they cost less, and they hardly ever ask for days off!' It was pretty brutal, I admit." Sentinel fibbed. He never heard her say anything like that. He had only heard about the sports event and as far as that goes, his knowledge was limited.
"She said all that? How do I know you're not lying?" Stacey asked.
"Well, I managed to guess the topic correctly. What says I wasn't able to hear her little monolog after you left?" Sentinel shrugged. Although she lacked the facial expression to tell, Sentinel could see the disappointment in Stacey.
"I thought... I thought me and her..."
"She doesn't care, Stacey. She only cares about herself."
"Y-You know my name?"
"Yes, Stacey Green, was it?" Sentinel questioned sarcastically.
"So you did hear everything... So you're not lying." Stacey fell into a seated position and curled her legs up and hugged them tight to her chest. Although this was for the greater good, Sentinel couldn't help but feel a little bad. "I thought she and I were friends. Why would she say things like that? Was it something I did? Did I forget to do a job, and she's angry with me? I must ask her-"
"No! Don't ask her! She'll only lie to you! If she's been lying to you this entire time, what makes you think she'll tell the truth now?" Sentinel convinced Stacey to sit back down in defeat.
"Nobody else here cares about life or personality. They're all zombies, and I thought Veggie was the only one who did care. Who was aware of personality and life. Knowing she said that... Is it even worth it to be really 'alive' anymore?"
"Uh... What?" Sentinel asked. He hoped he didn't go too far.
"I mean, really, she was my everything. My closest friend and trustworthy ally. I was grown and raised here in the building. I've never left and my knowledge of the world only goes until it reaches the front doors of the building. I was the smartest sprout out of my patch, she personally chose me to take under her wing... I thought maybe... She actually cared about me personally. I thought she... She..."
"She, what?"
"I don't know... I'm not sure what really to call it other than 'cared about.' Is there another word for it?" Maybe she didn't know much. While she was intelligent enough to speak and think for herself, Stacey seemed to be uneducated on basic things like love and relationships.
"Love. Love is the word you're trying to think of."
"L-L- Love? Is that what that is?" Stacey's faceless head tilted to the side to signify confusion and wonder.
"Yeah... You thought she loved you. Like a mom or something." Sentinel said.
"Oh... What's a mom?"
"A mom, or mother, is... Someone who has birthed you. Who created you and raised you since you were a baby." Sentinel answered, feeling like a dictionary and less of a guard.
"Yes... Then she was like a mother to me. She picked me from my patch. Out of everyone else, she chose me because I was different from the others... I had shown signs of speech and she took notice of that. Maybe that's the only reason why she picked me. Because I was smarter than the others. Not because she thought I was special, but because I was most useful... But, then she thinks I'm as useful as the rest... So which is it?" Stacey crawled over to Sentinel's side of the closet and lied down next to him, nestling into his tied up body as she entered a state of deep thought. Sentinel, on the other hand, was confused and slightly embarrassed. In the hopes he could convince her to untie him and let him free, he made her an emotional mess.
"Uh... Stacey?"
"I don't get it at all? Why would she say such things? Doesn't anybody care? She's the only one I thought cared, but knowing now that she doesn't... Then who does? Why should I be able to think and speak? Would it be better if I were like my brothers and sisters if I just stayed silent and do whatever I was told without protest or even a response?" Stacey took hold of the captive Sentinel and pulled him closer to her, the two now basically spooning, with Stacey being the big spoon. Sentinel groaned. Knowing this was the outcome, he deemed this a bad idea.
"Stacey?"
"Can't I just have one calming moment, please? I was just told my only... Mother, was it? Mother figure never saw me as unique or loved me! I'm trying to make myself feel better, so please don't talk!" Stacey demanded. Minutes of silence followed as Stacey cuddled Sentinel. From Sentinel's position, he thought she fell asleep, but the increasing but gentle tightness and nestling proved she was still awake. Moments later, he heard her comment something he wasn't too sure how to respond to.
"You're very warm..." Sentinel blushed. Why did she say that? He didn't know whether to feel confused, flattered, or scared. "I like that... I like that about you... I wonder if the others are warm like this. Probably not, they're lifeless, but you, you have something inside of you that's warm... Is this love? Is that what it is, Prisoner?" Stacey asked as she burried her head into the back of Sentinel's neck.
"I can't really tell at the moment..." Sentinel shivered.
"Well... Would it be wrong of me to think of it as love?"
"I mean... I don't know you all that much, Stacey... Perhaps just affection or comfort would be more suitable?" Sentinel offered.
"No. Love. I say this is love." Stacey turned Sentinel to face her faceless head, scaring him a little. Close up, he noticed her skin was much like that of a stem of a flower. With little hair things growing off her face, she, at first, terrified Sentinel. Suddenly, he felt those little hairs brush against his forehead and stay there for a little while.
"What?" Sentinel asked, confused for the moment. Was that her version of a kiss? Did she even know what a kiss was? If she didn't know what love was, then she couldn't have known about kisses yet... But if she knows about cuddles, then maybe she knows about nuzzles? Suddenly, a faint pop sounded from Stacey's head. A little bud-like thing seemed to have sprouted from Stacey's head, which confused and scared Sentinel even more, it seemed to confuse Stacey as well.
"Oh? What's this?" Stacey asked poking at the bud. "Hm. None of my brothers or sisters have had this happen. I think I should get it checked out... Excuse me, Sentinel, while I'd love to continue making love, I must see what this little bud is all about." Stacey said as she turned towards the door.
"Wait, making love!? You mean sex!? Did we just have sex there?" Sentinel asked.
"What? What is sex? No, I thought we were making love. Is that not how love is made? By cuddling and nuzzling? Maybe you'll have to give me another lesson sometime soon. For now, I have to focus on something. Bye-bye, Prisoner." With that, Stacey left leaving the royal guard still tied up and more confused as ever.
"You know... Being just a normal guard wasn't all that bad now that I think about it. At least then I didn't need to worry about overgrown plants 'making love' with me in a broom closet!"
~***~
Coalstone and Reneigah sat around the living room. The two friends were napping on their own respective sofas. Everything was quiet and dull until some sort of magic took them from their living room and dropped them in the middle of a familiar office. They shook the sleepiness from their minds and stood straight as if they were cadets in the military. Yet instead of meeting Gob, their commander, they met his co-manager, Candle Light.
"Welcome! The two finalists! How exciting!" Candle exclaimed, concerning the two finalists. Usually, she's the one who's calm and collected. But instead, she was acting more like Gob. Heck, her attire changed as well. Instead of her white collared shirt and black skirt, she wore a bright lava red sports coat and pants with a white buttoned shirt beneath it.
"So, I'm sure you both watch television, but in case you're two cavemen from the stone age, I'll show you anyways." She turned the television on the wall to their left on to a news report about an upcoming sports event. A wrestling event hosted by Gob himself, however, he wouldn't be there.
"That's where I come in!" Candle announced as she presented herself with her arms out. "I'll be hosting the main event while Gob is... Out." Her act seemed to crack when she mentioned Gob, but she quickly switched the topic.
"Now, what do I have in store for you? Well, what if I told you that you two will be getting a little workout!?" Candle then presented Coal and Reneigah's two challenges. A large dark skinned man and a similarly large woman with lighter skin and blonde hair stood beside Candle. Their eyes lifeless and white and the two shared an aggressive look. "Coalstone and Reneigah, meet the World's Strongest Man, Mark Henry!" Suddenly, music began playing and on the television, it showed footage of this man Mark Henry beating the living hell out of past opponents.
Coalstone looked calm and collected on the outside, but on the inside, he was much like a scared child on his way to kindergarten for the first time.
"And Reneigah, meet the Glamazon, Beth Phoenix!" Reneigah's eyes turned to the television screen that premiered a song and video of Beth Phoenix. The song might have been her theme song.
The zebra's eyes widened. This woman was at the peak of physical strength when it comes to females. Reneigah slowly turned back to the Glamazon herself and cringed, imagining being beaten by the strong woman. Nearly bringing her to nervous urination.
"Now, you two might be wondering how this could be any worse. Well... I've injected them with a little cocktail of toxins that will make them as strong as tanks, ignore pain, and give them the main goal."
"What goal is that?" Reneigah asked shivering.
"To end you both... But do not worry. I've only juiced them up enough so they won't kill you on the spot. They'll at least play with you and weaken you before they kill you two off. Giving you enough time to wear them down. Although they ignore pain, they can still feel it, it just takes much more to take them out than it would take before when they were normal."
"My word... You've made them killing machines..." Reneigah muttered.
"You monster." Coalstone hissed.
"Hey! What did we say about name calling? Now, take these and get suited up in the bathroom over there. We have a show tonight and I don't want to keep the audience waiting!" Candle stated as she threw them two plastic bags with wrestling gear inside.
"So we just put these on and-" Coalstone began to question.
"Yes yes, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out! You'll put those on and fight these two wrestlers here tonight! Now go to the bathroom and change! Oh, which reminds me!" Candle flicked her fingers and the two finalists became human once more. "You'll need to be humans for this last job. If they see these two fighting ponies, PETA will be on all of our asses! So go, get dressed!" Candle shooed them towards the bathroom. Coal awkwardly stood by and let Reneigah in first, but this didn't seem to sit right with Candle.
"Oh for goodness sake, we have no time for politeness! Just get dressed together!"
"Uh, no, that's just wrong! I'll let her have her privacy and you-" Coalstone was then lifted with Candle's magic and thrown into the bathroom with Reneigah. The bathroom door then locked, forcing the two to get dressed in the same bathroom.
"Do you think we can just wait her out in here? Surely the event follows normal time rules, maybe we can be late?" Reneigah asked Coalstone. Suddenly Candle's voice on an intercom answered her question.
"The bathroom will be filled with tear gas if the both of you don't come out within ten minutes."
"Dammit!" Coalstone hissed.
"Don't worry about it, Coal. Let's just get this part over with." Reneigah said as she began lifting off her top revealing her bra and busty figure. Coalstone couldn't help but watch Reneigah as she undressed. "Well go on you perv and let's get dressed for the show." The zebra joked, snapping Coalstone out of his trance.
"Right... Sorry." Coalstone reluctantly lifted his shirt and the rest of his clothes. On Reneigah's side, she couldn't help but admire Coal's muscular and toned physique. She thought it was very impressive and pretty alluring. But she returned her focus to getting dressed. As Coalstone pulled up his wrestling trunks, he made the grave mistake of looking up at a completely nude Reneigah, startling her as she caught him staring. Coalstone stumbled back into the shower, hitting his head on the tiled wall behind him.
"Oh my gosh, Coalstone are you OK?" Worried Reneigah who quickly covered herself with her uniform, holding what seemed to be a wrestling uniform with zebra print (how original) to her breasts.
"Yeah, yeah, I've had worse, just, get dressed will you? Kind of in the wrong uniform to get aroused at the moment and I'd like not to make us both uncomfortable!"
"Right, right, I'll hurry." Reneigah did exactly that as Coalstone respected her privacy and averted his eyes from her naked body. Yet the memory still stayed and dammit he'd be lying if he said it wasn't attractive. Finally, she gave the OK for him to look. Her wrestling gear were a pair of black boots, a wrestling uniform with zebra print, and two elbow pads.
"Do I look OK?" Reneigah asked.
"Yep, definitely..." Coalstone stuttered, still remembering the image from before.
"You look good too." Reneigah complimented. Coalstone's gear was much different from hers. Instead, he wore light gray wrestling trunks with a design resembling the pattern of a cracking or broken rock or pavement with the words 'Stone Cutter' printed on the back of his trunks in big white bold letters. His boots were white, nothing extravagant and unlike Reneigah, he had no elbow pads or knee pads. Reneigah helped Coalstone up and the two exited the bathroom carrying their normal clothes in their arms.
"You two look like a million dollars on death row! Now, we're going to teleport to the stadium this place is being held at, which is in Chicago, Illinois." Candle informed.
"Wait, what's so special about this Chicago place?" Coalstone asked.
"I mean, it was the first place I picked from a hat so... Yeah, Chicago, it was." Candle answered dully. "So, everyone ready?" She asked. Coalstone and Reneigah both glanced at each other and nervously grasped each other's hands to show some support for one another. They turned to Candle and nodded without saying a word, knowing full well this final contest would be their most dangerous. With a quick snap of Candle's fingers, the three began to fade away to the AWA Chicago Stadium.
Okay, so this is the big one, guys! Now here's how everything will work:
You will have the option to either write about your character getting beaten by your opponent, or your character eventually overcoming their opponent to end up beating them. Now I want to say neither of these choices will alter your chances of winning the actual contest, both will grant you an equal chance of winning, it's how you write these stories, and how much effort and work you put into them. Which is why I'm giving you until the first of June to submit your work. I want top quality writing, and I believe you two finalists can do it! If you're able to submit early, that's fine too. Now if you're not clear of who you were assigned, here is the list.
Coalstone Vs. Mark Henry
Reneigah Vs. Beth Phoenix
Now here's what the submissions MUST include:
-Description of the inside of the stadium (audience, reaction to approaching the wrestling ring, etc.)
-Pre-Match Preparation (this means character interaction, development or mental growth.)
-Theme song for the characters (every wrestler has a theme song, so feel free to add yours. it doesn't matter which one you pick as long as there is one or at least a description of one.)
-Description of the action (fighting moves, reversals, grapples, etc.)
-Character must mention the lack of Gob's presence
-Character either beating or losing to their opponent (by losing, I mean about to lose because about to lose means your character is about to die)
Optional Bits (stuff that can be added. Note: This may or may not add to your chances of winning)
-Use of weapons (steel chairs, sludge hammers, tables, ladders, etc.)
-Description of Candle and her reaction to the action as she watches the fights
-Describe an original finisher move (this means to describe the main wrestling move of your character. If you don't know what that is, google WWE Finishing Moves)
So remember those guidelines! They are extremely important! Especially the mandatory ones! Now, you have until June 1st. Good luck, to the both of you finalists. If you have any questions, come to me.
I feel like Jesus would have been GOB's reluctant college roommate.
Just imagine that playing out...
3929920 That would be great.
This is good stuff. I look forward to seeing how it all closes.
3930017 I'm in the same boat as you are...
(Lowkey shipping Stacey and Sentinel)
3930031 Fine with me. Better than many things that could have happened to him, but I don't see their relationship blossoming much with her being a plant.
P.S. that flower scares me, all the things it could be, and none of them are good for me.
3930039 Kind of ironic now that I think about it... But hey, isn't ironic romance the best kind of romance? I think so.
3930091 I can agree with you there.
3930098 "Yes my wife Stacy and I met in a closet when I was kidnapped! Isn't that great? Turns out she learned that day just how unloved she was!"
3936797
Oh damn, it's been a whilie.