An offer that Christian can't refuse?

Christian Wheeler's theme song

Stepping through the curtain, Christian Wheeler’s face tells the whole story. Eyes darting from place to place, taking in the sights. The landscape around him, the trees, the buildings. But then, it all centers on what lies ahead. The ring.

Inside of him, the feeling he’s been bottling up finally lets loose. A child-like thrill courses through him, as he gapes in awe at the scenery around him. However, a few moments later, the stinging sensation of reality pricks at him, and turns that sense of dream-like wonder into sheer anger. After all, that’s all this is, isn’t it? A mere dream. Another source of mockery, a reminder of what he’ll never accomplish.

“What… What a sick joke! How did my brain even come up with this? Better yet, WHY did it come up with this?! Making me think I was kidnapped, making me fear for my job, my sense of security. All just to remind me of… Of this?! What the hell is wrong with me? Why can’t I just let this dumb dream go-”

Abruptly cutting off his own deluge of thoughts, a burst of pyro erupts around him, pillars of flames erupting from beneath the stage. The rush of heat startles him out of his reverie, as it courses throughout his body. Leaning further into it, Christian can see the flames flickering before his eyes, and it’s that sensation of both fear and awe that causes it all to sink into his brain. This is real. This stage, this pyro, the ring that is just a couple yards ahead of him. All of it is real. This is where he was taken to. Whoever or whatever it was that kidnapped him, this is where they decided to take him.

Christian tries to growl in annoyance, wanting nothing more than to lash out at his potential captors, but something keeps him from doing so. Finding his mouth refusing to budge, Christian snaps to attention once more, and tries to turn around, wanting to return to the dark room before this. Again though, there’s something preventing him from acting how he desires. A form of paralysis keeps him from turning away. Instead, once the pyrotechnics cease, he automatically begins walking down the ramp, heading towards the ring, heading closer to his own source of mockery.

As he is **** to continue walking, Christian is at least able to turn his gaze towards the crowd, only to find it vacant. Turning his gaze towards the other side of the arena he finds himself in, there is not a single soul seated in attendance, and yet the applause that had welcomed him continues on, nearly a seamless loop of sound from start to finish. It’s almost maddening, in a way, having an imaginary audience cheering on his arrival to a place he has no interest in being at. In fact, the only thing keeping him from snapping is whatever is compelling him to now head towards the steel steps, taking them one at a time, before he steps through the ropes, and enters the ring.

Only when he is inside the squared circle does he recognize that there is another person he’s currently sharing the ring with. Trying not to stare, Christian averts his eyes as the tall, leggy brunette clad in lavender makes her way over to him. Upon reaching her hand out towards him, Christian recoils backwards. Yet she merely laughs this off, placing a hand onto his shoulder in the process. Upon feeling her touch, his body relaxes, almost completely so. While finding comfort in it at first, it soon becomes overwhelming, as Christian struggles to stand, his legs attempting to give out from under him. Just as he is about to fall, though, he finds that the other person in the ring is there to catch him, helping him back to a steady vertical basis, whilst also somehow ridding him of the nauseous feeling that had taken over in the process.

“Well, Christian? What do you think? Awesome introduction, don’t you think?” The brunette asks.

“Introduction?” Christian asks, his brain trying to comprehend the meaning of her words. “An introduction to what? Where am I? Who the hell are you?!”

“Oh, hold on a second, my mistake-” Suddenly, her hand is upon him again. This time, the relaxing sensation courses through his brain, slowing his thoughts down near-completely. As he tries to mentally trudge through a sea of sludge the length of the Atlantic Ocean, the woman seems to realize that things might have been slowed down a bit too much. She lightens up her touch, bringing Christian’s mind back to a normal, if somewhat relaxed pace. “There we go, sir. That should fix things properly this time. Would you mind taking a seat? A man like you shouldn’t be **** to stand this whole entire time.”

At first, Christian looks confused, having already noted the lack of any chairs in the ring upon entry into the squared circle. However, before his brain can even process it, he finds himself seated in what physically looks to be nothing more than a standard metal folding chair. As Christian sits down in it, however, the material begins to shift underneath his form, transforming into a lavish loveseat fit for a king, which Christian can’t help but let himself sink into. As his body relaxes, Christian’s eyes dart towards the brunette, who in turn sends a coquettish smile his way.

“Alright, now that you’re nice and comfy, allow me to explain. You, my fine sir, have been chosen to receive the opportunity of a lifetime, in more ways than one. My name is Serenity Titanne, and you are at the palace here at Harem Hotel! The grandest stage of them all, where all your fantasies come true.” Serenity gives him an award-winning grin, but as the applause begins anew, she quickly cuts it short, much to Christian’s relief. “Okay, okay, enough. Enough of the applause. Please, just… Allow me to explain to our Master what’s going on here, okay?”

Serenity glares out towards the non-existent audience, giving Christian pause. He turns to look, confused by her actions, but when he finds there’s no one there, his gaze returns to Serenity. By the time he turns around, though, Serenity is right there, staring directly at him. Before he can cry out in shock, another wave of relaxation hits him, which also prevents him from speaking.

“OKAY! So, you, Christian, are here on Harem Hotel! A show where, normally, several women compete against one another for your affection, and to try and become a part of your harem. Yes, you are getting a harem. No, it is non-negotiable, moving on. Normally, they’re simply competing for placement, and to avoid elimination from the show entirely. This season, though, I decided to do things a bit differently, in order to try and make you the happiest, most fulfilled Master the show has ever seen!”

With that barrage of information, Christian’s brain sputters, attempting to process everything he’s just heard. Serenity, however, isn’t quite finished.

“In fact, I don’t just want you to be the happiest Master by the end of this season. I want to put on the single best season of this show! I want the viewers tuned in at home to come back to this season time and time again, knowing that it's not just the best season there is currently, but also the best season there ever was, and the best season that there ever will be!”

Pulling away from Christian, the lack of her touch gives him the opportunity to try and respond properly, yet still finds himself floundering at the host’s grandiose statement. Of course, the applause is there once more, killing any chance of him giving a more verbal response, but it’s not as if Serenity gives him enough time to formulate a true response, anyhow.

“Now then, you’re probably wondering to yourself just how I’m going to do that.” A moment later, Serenity dismissively waves her hand Christian’s way. “I mean, not you, my sweet Master, but you, the wonderful people at home. And to answer that, allow me to ask a question of my own.”

In a flash, Serenity is eye-to-eye with the Master, giving him no space of his own, her lips almost up against his own. Instead of closing the distance, however, they instead part ways, so as to ask Christian the question that he never thought would be asked, yet one he still dreaded all the same.

“Tell me, Mr. Wheeler, how would you like to own your own professional wrestling company?”

…

.....

......

Christian’s mind goes blank, as he stares into Serenity’s eyes. This time, it’s not due to any sudden relaxation, but quite the opposite, in fact.

“W-Wha…” Christian’s soft stammering elicits a soft giggle from Serenity.

“It’s not a difficult question, Christian. Just a simple yes or no answer. All of this - the ring in which you sit, the commentary desk, the entrance stage, the championships, the pyro. All of it. All of it can be yours, Christian. All you have to do is say yes.” Serenity’s smirk widens by just a smidge, while the distance between her and Christian closes by about the same distance. “So what’s it going to be, hmm? What do you say?”

Faced with a **** response, Christian takes a deep breath.

...

.....

“Is this some type of sick joke to you?”

“...Huh?” Serenity squeaks, confusion taking over her features.

“I asked you a question, Serenity." Christian's expression hardens, transforming into a glare. "Is this some sort of sick joke? An awful prank? Do you have any idea how hard it was to cut ties with… With all of this?” Christian asks, gesturing to the arena around him. He continues on, not giving Serenity a real chance to respond. “Do you have any idea how difficult it was for me to walk away from what I thought was my lifelong dream? How many nights I spent feeling sorry for myself, crying because my trainer told me I didn’t have a future in this industry? I had to isolate myself from almost all of my friends, because the only friends I had were other fans of pro wrestling!”

“W-Well, that’s… Uh, I mean, I… I feel sorry for you, Master, but-”

“But what?!” Christian jolts out of his seat, standing up in order to look down upon the host. “You think feeling sorry for me makes this any better? I don’t even know where I am right now!”

“B-But… Y-You do!” Serenity insists. “You’re on Harem-”

“Hotel - yeah, you said that before!” Christian cuts in, this time causing Serenity to step away from him. “That still doesn’t explain where I am, or how I’m supposed to get out of here. So unless you want to explain that, then just… Stop talking.”

A silence lulls over the arena at that, Christian folding his arms in anger, while Serenity looks on, visibly upset. After a few seconds, Serenity takes a deep breath, and meets Christian’s gaze.

“...You’re not.”

“What?” Christian asks, trying to make sure he heard her correctly.

“I said that you’re not leaving.” Serenity repeats, her tone firm. Non-negotiable. “Not without my help, and not without your harem, and this company, both in your possession.”

“The hell I’m not!” Christian calls out, brushing past Serenity. “I’m not staying here just to have some sick joke played on me.”

“You… You think this is a joke?” Serenity asks, her expression as if she was just slapped across the face.

“How could I not?! You kidnap me from my apartment - probably costing me my current client for my editing gig in the process - and for what? To bring me out to the middle of nowhere just to offer me some… Some made-up, non-existent, morbidly twisted joke of a professional wrestling company?” Christian points out towards the entrance ramp, back where he first came from. “There isn’t even a real crew, or a roster, or… Or anything back there! There was only this weird void of pure emptiness! And you’re trying to pretend like this is all okay? Tell me, Serenity, how exactly am I supposed to be able to afford to run my own wrestling company, huh? I can barely afford my own apartment, as is!”

While Serenity remains stunned, Christian’s outburst continues. He glares back at Serenity, catching her eye once more.

“How am I supposed to take anything you say or do seriously, when all that you’ve done is taken some… Some dumb, foolish, worthless childhood dream of mine, and dangled it in my face like a set of jingling keys.” Christian shakes his head, furious. “I don’t know who the hell you work for, or who it was that put you up to this, but you… You disgust me, Serenity.”

At this, the host recoils backwards, visibly distraught.

“So just send me back home already, alright? I have to try and make sure I haven’t already lost my current client, because of you.” Christian spits out, turning away to exit the ring.

As the prospective Master of this season finishes off his explosive tirade, however, Serenity remains completely stunned. After a few seconds, her smile completely vanishes. The canned audience goes completely quiet, and even the open air becomes a touch more stale. The once-pleasant breeze that was shaking the surrounding palm trees comes to a sudden stop. A moment later, Christian takes notice.

Pausing in his exit Christian looks around the surrounding area, before he continues on out the ring. Before he’s able to step through the ropes, Serenity lunges towards him. Her hand reaches out, grabbing onto his shoulder. As he goes to brush it off, her grip tightens. It’s not enough to cause any harm, but it’s enough to keep Christian from leaving, allowing Serenity the opportunity to forcibly drag him back into the ring.

Before Christian can try to argue, Serenity seats him back into his chair. He goes to speak once more, but upon meeting Serenity’s gaze, he falls completely silent. Her mere presence is enough to overwhelm him, and judging by her expression? It seems as though she’s taken what Christian said directly to the heart.

“Look, Christian.” Serenity growls. “I put a LOT of my time and effort into perfectly crafting this very season, specifically because I wanted you to be the first Master I play host for. I am not going to let you walk out of this ring, just because you think that all this work I’ve put into here is nothing more than A MERE JOKE!”

Placing both hands on either shoulder, Serenity holds Christian firmly in his current place. He shudders in her grasp, but that’s not enough for the host. She leans in forward, wanting to make sure that she gets her message across.

“Do you know how much work I had to put into this gig? Just to get my own season? Do you know how much time I had to spend researching and studying the business of pro wrestling? All of it just to appease you, and try to make you happy. I spent months on this setup, doing everything I could to make it exactly what someone like you would normally dream of. I am not going to let all of my hard work simply go to waste. I am too goddamn deep into this season already for me to simply step aside and write it off as a failure! I am NOT going back to doing work as an extra! You understand what I am saying, Wheeler? I AM NOT GOING BACK TO BEING AN EXTRA!””

Upon finishing her own tirade, Serenity moves a hand to the collar of Christian’s shirt, pulling upwards upon it, in order to more forcibly match their gazes to one another.

“So you can either sit right there and act like a good Master for me, while I hand you your childhood dream on a goddamn silver platter. Or, you can keep on working against me, and I’ll be sure to make this season the single most must-see season of Harem Hotel, just for those sick fucks out there on interdimensional cable who pay rather good money to see how miserable it can be for someone like you! For someone who just wants to take their ball and go home, without even trying to enjoy what there is around them.”

Finally stepping away from Christian, Serenity lets go of his shoulders, letting him sputter for breath. She herself is panting, as if she tired herself out just by going on that rant. Her pendant momentarily gleams, only for it to quickly fizzle out, with Serenity turning towards him.

“So what’s it going to be, champ? Are you willing to play ball? Or am I going to have to go with plan B, instead?”

It doesn’t need to be said verbally for Christian to get the message. He still hears it in his mind regardless. "Because remember, Christian: There’s always a plan B." After a couple of seconds, he looks up at Serenity, and shakily nods his head.

“O-Okay! Okay!” Christian blurts out, before catching his breath. “I… I’ll play along. I’ll let you have your show.” Almost immediately upon giving his answer, Serenity’s face brightens back to its cheerful smile. “But… You’re not going to threaten me anymore, okay? If I play along, you don’t resort to ****.”

At this stipulation, Serenity merely laughs. “Oh, you thought that was violent?” Serenity’s chuckling continues, lasting a solid minute before stopping. “Master, even if I wanted to harm you, I’m contractually obligated to do nothing of the sort. Admittedly, grabbing your collar was a bit of an overstep, but I’ve seen other hosts do plenty worse than I have, and they did it on their first seasons, too so I’d imagine the producers will let me have that one little mistake~. Long as I don’t do it again, there’ll be nothing for me to worry about!”

The two lock eyes once more, Serenity’s smile turning into more of a cunning smirk. “Buuuuut, as long as you play along, I promise not to threaten you, alright? Definitely no more **** on my end. And no more threatening, either. Does that sound fair, Master?”

Serenity outstretches her hand, and for a moment, Christian hesitates. After a couple seconds of internal debate, however, he accepts the handshake, to which Serenity cheers.

“Al~right! Wonderful~!” Serenity breaks the handshake between them. “Alright, I’ll let the producers know to cut the last couple minutes, and put a commercial break in-between our conversation. Once we come back from break, I’ll pitch you the same question, and you’ll give me the right answer, okay?”

“From break?” Christian asks himself, before the reasoning slaps him across the face. “Right… Reality show. It’s just a show, Christian. Just a show...”

“Okay. Yeah, that… Sounds fine. Just let me know when we’re-”

Before he can speak any further, the wind picks up once more. Christian finds himself forcibly thrown back into position, matching his exact pose to where it was prior to the ‘commercial break’. Not long after, the sound of artificial applause fills the air anew, and the lights once again shine down on the duo that currently are sharing the ring together.

“Welcome back!” Serenity grins, addressing the audience once more. “Sorry for the commercial break, everyone, but I’m sure you didn’t mind! After all, I’m sure that all you lovely viewers out there were waiting with bated breath for our Master’s answer to the question that I asked. For those who missed it, however, It would be rather remiss of me not to give you a recap.”

At this, Serenity turns to face Christian, smiling all the while.

“So then, our prospective Master, I ask you once again: How would you like to own your very own professional wrestling company, with just a few little strings attached?”