09-14-2019, 10:58 AM
09-20-2019, 08:50 PM
OOC Really wish I could do more with this, but here it is...
“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Gavin Taylor and I am the victim here!
The seeds of my victimhood go back to the finale of EMERGE Season One. I was scheduled to defend my RUSH Championship against a random opponent in a random match. In the end, that opponent was Kandis and that match was falls count anywhere, anything goes. That was it. There wasn’t any caveats. There was no “except water”. Nothing dictating that I had to use my God-given talents to overcome the challenge. I was told that anything goes. So, in the course of the match, we end up in the kitchen and I use the closest thing to my grip to ward off one of Kandis’ ass attacks: it happened to be hot water. I ended up winning the match, retaining my Championship and remaining the Top Guy in EMERGE.
Fast forward eight months, and here I am turning up in SCW. I thought to myself “You know what would be a laugh? How about throwing a bit of water on Kandis? For old time’s sake”. See, I had no intention of permanently disfiguring her, but even if I did, let’s be honest. Kandis doesn’t sell herself on her face. “Thirsty Thursday” has nothing to do with keeping properly hydrated like I do when I use brisk, refreshing Powerade, available wherever beverages are sold. To be frank, it’s about her ass. So even throwing water in her face? Maybe her pounds of makeup run a bit. Boo freakin’ hoo, right? After I do this, I find myself victimized by Supreme Championship Wrestling. I have my Championship opportunity - one which I earned by being Gavin Taylor - interrupted by Kandis, Tommy Valentine, Ryan Watson, the 52nd Airborne, Toby from Human Resources… fucking anyone who could get their meaty paws on me. It was an embarrassment for this company to have an athlete… an A-T-H-L… um… E-E-T… of my caliber be treated in such a vile and heinous manner. And yet when I lodge a formal, LEGITIMATE complaint against these individuals… ESPECIALLY Toby… what do I hear?
Sasha Dracula tells me that I’M the villain here. Excuse me? Because the way she presented it, my water attack back in EMERGE was indicative of a pattern? Like somehow my doing whatever it took to WIN… what Gavin Taylor DOES… was frowned upon? What Kandis fails to tell anyone was that if our roles were reversed, she would have done the exact same thing, and that would have been worse because MY good looks would have been tarnished by it! I actually make money from magazine covers NOT named “Ass-aholics Anonymous”. So no… I don’t appreciate the idea that I’M the bad guy here, because while I made a cute debut here, I was victimized by the potential of three-on-one attacks. I was told that I would have to face the former World Tag Team Champions and I would have to find a partner. Well, being the superstar that I am, I knew that I had to find a partner worthy of teaming with me.
But it didn’t end there, because a week later I had a second chance at a debut match, and again had my moment STOLEN from me, this time by Tommy solo… and how exactly do referees justify counting me out KNOWING that a third-party was seeking to jump me from behind ILLEGALLY? I had that victory STOLEN from me, and make no mistake - my agent is going to be filing papers to have that defeat EXPUNGED from my record. But I got the last laugh there… because my partner for Apocalypse… dark and dreary name, don’t ya think?... decided to make her presence known.
Funny, isn’t that? Turn your back on your friends and your friends will find new friends… better friends… All Star friends. And while the obsession with attacking me, the complete irrational attacks perpetrated against me continue onward, I have the edge here, because I have one of the most deadly women in wrestling as my partner. You saw what she did to Fatfuck Von Pinkcoat at Breakdown. That’s only a TASTE of what she can do. And I promise you… in time, this alliance will make sense. And I am a man of my word… I might be the most honest man in SCW. I’m not without my flaws… I know some people take my honesty as jackassery, but there’s only one Jackass in this story, right Tommy?
Kandis, we both know when it all comes down to what counts… you may have beaten me in a non-title contest, but when the gold was up, you did like you do and choked, and not in the fun way you would have preferred.
You want to know what makes Gavin Taylor tick? You will.
You want to know why I did what I did? You will.
You want to watch Someday’s Greatest Professional Wrestler of All-Time in the ring doing what he does best? Watch Apocalypse.
You want to scare me away and use me as a victim? You will learn what victimization is about.
Oh… and you’ll learn that one thing I firmly believe in… is that real men use lariats… and All Stars shine forever!”
The preceding message was brought to you by Powerade.
“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Gavin Taylor and I am the victim here!
The seeds of my victimhood go back to the finale of EMERGE Season One. I was scheduled to defend my RUSH Championship against a random opponent in a random match. In the end, that opponent was Kandis and that match was falls count anywhere, anything goes. That was it. There wasn’t any caveats. There was no “except water”. Nothing dictating that I had to use my God-given talents to overcome the challenge. I was told that anything goes. So, in the course of the match, we end up in the kitchen and I use the closest thing to my grip to ward off one of Kandis’ ass attacks: it happened to be hot water. I ended up winning the match, retaining my Championship and remaining the Top Guy in EMERGE.
Fast forward eight months, and here I am turning up in SCW. I thought to myself “You know what would be a laugh? How about throwing a bit of water on Kandis? For old time’s sake”. See, I had no intention of permanently disfiguring her, but even if I did, let’s be honest. Kandis doesn’t sell herself on her face. “Thirsty Thursday” has nothing to do with keeping properly hydrated like I do when I use brisk, refreshing Powerade, available wherever beverages are sold. To be frank, it’s about her ass. So even throwing water in her face? Maybe her pounds of makeup run a bit. Boo freakin’ hoo, right? After I do this, I find myself victimized by Supreme Championship Wrestling. I have my Championship opportunity - one which I earned by being Gavin Taylor - interrupted by Kandis, Tommy Valentine, Ryan Watson, the 52nd Airborne, Toby from Human Resources… fucking anyone who could get their meaty paws on me. It was an embarrassment for this company to have an athlete… an A-T-H-L… um… E-E-T… of my caliber be treated in such a vile and heinous manner. And yet when I lodge a formal, LEGITIMATE complaint against these individuals… ESPECIALLY Toby… what do I hear?
Sasha Dracula tells me that I’M the villain here. Excuse me? Because the way she presented it, my water attack back in EMERGE was indicative of a pattern? Like somehow my doing whatever it took to WIN… what Gavin Taylor DOES… was frowned upon? What Kandis fails to tell anyone was that if our roles were reversed, she would have done the exact same thing, and that would have been worse because MY good looks would have been tarnished by it! I actually make money from magazine covers NOT named “Ass-aholics Anonymous”. So no… I don’t appreciate the idea that I’M the bad guy here, because while I made a cute debut here, I was victimized by the potential of three-on-one attacks. I was told that I would have to face the former World Tag Team Champions and I would have to find a partner. Well, being the superstar that I am, I knew that I had to find a partner worthy of teaming with me.
But it didn’t end there, because a week later I had a second chance at a debut match, and again had my moment STOLEN from me, this time by Tommy solo… and how exactly do referees justify counting me out KNOWING that a third-party was seeking to jump me from behind ILLEGALLY? I had that victory STOLEN from me, and make no mistake - my agent is going to be filing papers to have that defeat EXPUNGED from my record. But I got the last laugh there… because my partner for Apocalypse… dark and dreary name, don’t ya think?... decided to make her presence known.
Funny, isn’t that? Turn your back on your friends and your friends will find new friends… better friends… All Star friends. And while the obsession with attacking me, the complete irrational attacks perpetrated against me continue onward, I have the edge here, because I have one of the most deadly women in wrestling as my partner. You saw what she did to Fatfuck Von Pinkcoat at Breakdown. That’s only a TASTE of what she can do. And I promise you… in time, this alliance will make sense. And I am a man of my word… I might be the most honest man in SCW. I’m not without my flaws… I know some people take my honesty as jackassery, but there’s only one Jackass in this story, right Tommy?
Kandis, we both know when it all comes down to what counts… you may have beaten me in a non-title contest, but when the gold was up, you did like you do and choked, and not in the fun way you would have preferred.
You want to know what makes Gavin Taylor tick? You will.
You want to know why I did what I did? You will.
You want to watch Someday’s Greatest Professional Wrestler of All-Time in the ring doing what he does best? Watch Apocalypse.
You want to scare me away and use me as a victim? You will learn what victimization is about.
Oh… and you’ll learn that one thing I firmly believe in… is that real men use lariats… and All Stars shine forever!”
The preceding message was brought to you by Powerade.
09-21-2019, 10:50 PM
OOC: All guests appear with permission. The development all takes place on the same night and overlaps with a part of the Kandis offering. Enjoy and good luck!
"The Talk"
"The Talk"
09-21-2019, 10:56 PM
OOC: Appearance with permission, as Ash said this goes along with his CD. If you really want the most impact from the whole story though, you should probably read James Evans' RP first, then Tommy's, then this one. But these make sense on their own. Enjoy! Oh and uh... maybe hold on to your seat.
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Apocalypse 2019
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Apocalypse 2019
09-21-2019, 11:39 PM
ooc: So this might seem a bit messy and awkward, but to some degree in addition to trying to make up for my lack of ideas for CD stuff in my last few matches, partly due to where Scarlet stands now in the wake of what went up for RTG and not knowing where I completely want to take her right now, I tried to make this resemble my honest confusion at this turn of events. Granted, I know Scarlet and Kandis have been disconnected since the Katya stuff ended months ago and maybe I was blindly assuming something for the character that wasn't actually there, but i guess I'm trying to play this in a way that fits with being legit baffled at Scarlet's role in helping a character out of the blue like this against someone she was once allied with and keeping options open since i honestly have zero idea where this is going or where I'd even want it to go. I apologize that even this doesn't sound coherent, but I'm just being honest about being lost in how this came about at least on Scarlet's end and want to try and play it as somehow playing into the delusions the character is prone to having at times when put under enough pressure
Something didn't feel right, and Scarlet knew it.
It was hard to put into words though, and that made it all the more frustrating to try and figure out at the end of the day.
Ever since Rise to Greatness, nothing seemed to feel the same to the woman. Sure, she could easily chalk it up to what she knew that the rest of the world didn't quite yet, but despite her own reservations to it she was ultimately at peace with the situation at hand.
While it was true Ruby was nursing her ankle after reinjuring it in the match with Ryan and Autumn, it didn't change the fact that she had moved on to rejoin an old friend, though her devotion to Scarlet's goals remained and they did still communicate with one another even though Scarlet once again had her “cyber mansion” all to herself now. Scarlet was still calmed from having another mental breakdown in the wake of the last attempt the Red Empire would seem to take at tag team glory for the time being, accepting that Ruby would still be there for her in some form or another even if it wasn't via direct association anymore, and that at least kept her around unlike the last time such a meltdown threatened to rear its ugly head.
Still, it was hard for her to look back on the return of SCW's programming and fully understand what she was doing even though she'd obviously done it. The footage was clear as day and everything, but there was a strong part of her that simply refused to believe it. Somewhere along the line, in the blur of things, she'd apparently decided to join up with Gavin Taylor to stand against someone she still honestly believed was a friend, even if there was evidence to the contrary. She was apparently well enough aware of the situation at hand that she'd tried to resist actively engaging Kandis and Tommy directly, even though it certainly didn't look good on her end to be helping Gavin with sneak attacks, and yet she couldn't deny that to some degree she was actually proving she was on a different level mentally than most would've considered before now, having successfully lured people into traps.
She just wished she truly knew what the endgame here was.
It may sound strange that she found herself sitting in a park in Baltimore with the sun beginning to set on the eve of Apocalypse, but it felt like the right thing to do to truly get her thoughts in order. It might seem strange that Scarlet wasn't fully aware of whatever game she was playing, but if you actually knew the state of her mind it wouldn't sound as unbelievable as you might think. Between the potential for voices and other personalities, for all she knew another 'version' of herself could've been pulling the strings and playing to her wishes. It would've been no surprise if her goal was a little 'alone time' with Gavin just to say it happened, but was it really worth opposing someone she really didn't want to fight if she was being honest with herself?
“You look confused, Scarlet.”
Scarlet whipped her head around, and to only mild surprise she found a familiar cloaked figure standing behind her, the feminine voice trying to sound soothing while maintaining an air of mystery. It had felt like quite some time since she'd truly seen her 'guardian angel' but it was a meeting she simply wasn't interested in, plain and simple.
Grey: Is there something I can help you with?
“Angel”: I am only here to help you come to an understanding, just as I always have. I'm sorry that I was ultimately right about Ruby...
Grey: hardly. We parted on good terms and it's a relationship that hasn't truly ended.
“Angel”: Give it time. The more she stands alongside someone else, the more she'll forget about you. That was the case with Kandis, was it not?
Scarlet reached out, but the figure quiclky stepped back into a position where the woman would have to stand and pursue if she wanted to get her hands on them, and Scarlet didn't seem too keen on doing that right now.
“Angel”: Was Kandis even ever your friend? You like to think so, but perhaps part of you doesn't truly agree with that. I mean, she did practically abandon you for someone with something between his lesg the first chance she got.
Grey: Maybe she was, maybe she wasn't. Believe me, I would give anything to actually have a conversation with her to know for sure. But the team wasn't meant to last, and I think we both knew it. Part of me didn't want it to end, but Katya threw us together because she needed tag title contenders and Ruby was on the shelf-
“Angel”: A convenient excuse.
Grey: -because of me. It was no excuse, I saw the x-rays. I got too lost in my emotions and it cost me. It... it always seems to...
Scarlet's gaze moves down to her feet, pondering back to the main reason why she's been the way she's been. Maybe Kandis saw the writing on the wall from the get-go? Maybe Ruby simply couldn't take it anymore? Scarlet knew full well she wasn't the most mentally put together person in the world, despite being able to hide it at times, but did that really mean she had to function solo for the rest of her life?
“Angel”: I haven't abandoned you Scarlet-
Grey: Because you keep stalking me for whatever reason. I don't even know how to address you, for fuck's sake! You won't give me a name, you always pop up in this creepy fashion when I don't want to see you or thought you were just another figment of my screwed up mind, and all you ever seem to do is antagonize me and push me in whatever direction drives me further and further away from any sense of normalcy. Just because of what I've lost that you probably had a hand in, I can barely remember anything I've truly done this past month or why I am where I am now!
Scarlet shoots up to her feet, glaring at the cloaked figure as a strong silence overtakes the situation. There's a clear tension, not helped by the surprising lack of people around that would at least be able to truly confirm this being wasn't some distorted fragment of her imagination bothering her like any other voices that spring up from time to time.
“Angel”: Scarlet, you have a purpose far greater than anything you truly understand, and I'm simply doing what is necessary to help you achieve the being you should truly be. If I were to spell it out so clearly, I know you wouldn't be so inclined to realize that this is what needs to be done.
Scarlet scoffs at this, but before she goes to respond she hears the familiar sound of her phone going off. Silently thankful for the distraction to delay this bizarre conversation any further, she sees that she's gotten a text message to meet up with someone, though whether that's Gavin or another person entirely will be left to your imagination to enjoy as you will.
Grey: I have somewhere I need to be, and if you even think about following me I won't hesitate to kick your teeth down your throat.
Scarlet quickly walks away at a brisk pace, the figure not following but watching as she makes her way towards the street and well out of sight. They can only sigh and shake their head.
“Angel”: This isn't easy, but I have to stay the course. The less she knows and the more she's left to be completely alone, the faster this will go at the end of the day.
*
Our scene slowly begins to fade in, but clearly not fast enough to give you any immediate idea as to why we can hear the sound of a woman moaning. Hopefully you didn't get your hopes too high, though, because if you were expecting to catch something that would've had SCW in deep trouble, then clearly you're playing into the same games as many others in SCW have so far. The moans belong to Scarlet Grey, who we find laying on a bed in a fairly lavish hotel room wearing only a t-shirt at first glance. She's on her stomach, lazily kicking her legs in the air as she grins towards the camera with a look in her eyes that almost make her seem like she's daydreaming about something, or perhaps someone.
Grey: I have to say... it feels good to finally be getting some recognition again. How long has it been since I've been acknowledged for what I'm capable of? I mean, my efforts towards becoming a tag champion seemed to go largely unnoticed, no matter how close the Red Empire came or how quickly another partner of mine seemed to move on to achieve that very goal with someone else without at least giving me a chance to remain friends if nothing else. People still remember and talk about my exploits with a certain artistic soul who still doesn't seem to get that he'd have been much better off with someone like me to be his greatest muse, but that was last year and he's clearly trying too hard to put that all behind him by punching way too high above his weight class now. Even the talk of Ruby and I “shocking” the Trueloves at Rise to Greatness has all but disappeared with Ruby unfortunately out of commission again and the fact that we didn't end up going all the way like we'd hoped.
Grey: Sure, maybe it's not a giant step in the right direction, but does what I'm doing now really have to be? I'm not trying to make a leap I know I can't land by, say, trying to lure our world champion out of his innocent little comfort zone again. And who knows? Maybe there's one last tag title opportunity to be found if I play my cards right. Or even a little “insurance policy” the next time I find singles gold in my crosshairs. The possibilities are endless, and all I had to do is agree to be a partner when someone else needed one. My services are quite open to those in need, after all, and I don't ask for too much in return.
Scarlet winks at the camera, intentionally leaving a lot vague to let us decide exactly what she's talking about. After all, she's proven quite well as of late that the most obvious of answers may be nothing more than a red herring, no matter how obvious she makes it seem otherwise. She proceeds to roll off the bed and to a stand, not only revealing that she's at least wearing a red thong as far as her lower half is concerned, but the shirt in question she has on happens to be one of Gavin Taylor's old EMERGE t-shirts, albeit maybe a size too small. Perhaps that explains why there's a large slit cut into the chest of the shirt that intentionally exposes a good amount of cleavage. Scarlet can't resist lifting her arms up to stretch, tearing that slit even further as her ample chest starts forcing its way through the opening before she stops.
Grey: I know everyone is simply waiting with bated breath to hear exactly why I decided to be Gavin's partner when he was forced to find one to stand against Kandis and Tommy on Sunday, even though I'm pretty sure I've made my reasoning quite clear. Then again, how does anybody know if I've told the whole story? I mean, I certainly don't believe I'm lying when I said on Breakdown that I tie myself to people who know how to make an impact, and I know I speak the truth when I tell you all that I'm aiming for the top regardless of how I need to get there. But everyone is also starting to figure out that there may be more to what I say and do that meets the eye at first glance. I mean, Tommy certainly seemed interested in what I had to say before Gavin struck, and even Kandis bought into my games despite standing by my side once upon a time.
Grey: You know... in hindsight, if we removed the Gavin part of this equation, maybe there could've been something to the idea of a threeway that Tommy could happily shove down everyone else's throats while the two clearly most attractive women in the locker room got to have something else fulfill that role. If only, right?
Scarlet winks and giggles to herself.
Grey: Then again, maybe Kandis doesn't like the idea of sharing her conquests? Perhaps that's why she decided that she was better off leaving behind what we had to go add to her own little list. She's the only one who could answer that question, but I do want to make it clear that this isn't anything personal against her. As much as I miss our little tandem, I never held a grudge over the fact we went our separate ways. After all, we both know we were thrown together when we tried to help Katya because Ruby was on the shelf and she believed the two of us would make for a great team. Considering we almost became tag champs, I'm inclined to agree with that assessment. But Ruby didn't stay on the sidelines for long, and once everything fell apart for the boss we all wanted it's no surprise we all drifted apart.
Grey: I still considered us friends though Kandis... sure, maybe we didn't stay in contact as much as friends should, but we both have our own personal lives and maybe we aren't too keen on sharing them with too many other people. Hell, I'd still like to consider us friends even now, despite how this whole narrative has been spun about me stabbing you in the back just because I saw an opportunity and took it. I get it, you don't like Gavin because he decided boiling hot water was his ticket to a win over you, but can we be honest for a second? This has been the M.O. We've both followed for how long now? Use any opportunity to get ahead no matter who it is we link ourselves to... that's why you hooked up with Tommy and succeeded in becoming a tag champion, and I'm sure you would've been more than happy to hook up with Gavin just like I did if he'd stayed true to his word about “clean slates” and all that should you feel there was something there that Tommy couldn't provide you.
Grey: We're women who know a perfect opportunity when we see one Kandis. It's at least half of the reason why all eyes are always on us.
Scarlet's lips slowly form into what looks like a genuine, sincere smile at those words, though it's hard to tell how sincere it truly is when you also realize she's slowly running her hands along her body to illustrate the other reason why all eyes would be on her just like they would be on Kandis.
Grey: As much as this is personal between you and Gavin, I don't consider any of this between us to be personal, and I would hope you'd feel the same once you stop and think about it for a moment. I mean... would it have been personal if Ruby and I happened to be the ones to win that little tag tournament and challenged you and Tommy for the belts the next night at Rise to Greatness proper? Maybe you would've seen it as such just because I decided to entice Ryan the way I know you probably have from training under him for the business, or maybe it would've been a fun contest for the gold much like what you did have with Ryan and Autumn. You're the only one who can answer these questions Kandis, but I could also see the gears turning that I could be pulling some kind of ruse like I've been doing up to this point. Get you to lower your guard by wanting what we used to have to return to us and then strike when you least expect it. It does sound pretty obvious when you think about it, doesn't it?
Grey: Then again... how do you know you and Tommy are the ones being played here?
Grey: Bear something in mind, my old ample assed associate: have I actually engaged in combat with either of you before the bell is set to ring for this tag match at Apocalypse? Sure, you and I have had a staredown or two that probably caused many tents to suddenly be pitched, and I did entice Tommy a little bit the week prior, but Gavin's been the one actually getting the jump on you up to this point. True, I've been helping to set him up, but surely even you remember Kandis that sometimes, a partnership is only a means to an end until you get everything you desire out of it. I always thought that with us, the only “means to an end” was a friendship, and that's something that doesn't get destroyed that easily. What I have with Gavin? Well, I've laid out my intentions for that pretty clearly, and everyone around me is now left to ponder where the truth lies there. I will say that I've gotten what I wanted out of our little arrangement, and once that bell rings I'll be fulfilling my end of the deal. What happens next? It's best phrased as me doing whatever I know will ultimately benefit me first and foremost, for the glory of my Red Empire regardless of whether or not I'm the only one left to fight for it.
Grey: Kandis, Tommy... even you Gavin, you're all free to make of that what you will. The only promise I WILL make about Sunday, though? At least between me and Kandis, no matter what does play out... we'll be able to truly show why this PPV is better off being renamed to ASSpocalypse.
With a wink, Scarlet slowly turns to show her ass for the camera, and almost immediately we take notice of a lipstick mark on the opposite cheek from where Kandis' identical tattoo happens to be on her own behind. Whether or not she decided to get a matching tattoo at some point or it's simply painted on for effect is unknown for the moment, but it doesn't stop her from kissing her palm before smacking her ass and letting the viewers become hypnotized by the jiggle to serve as the last thing we see before fading out.
Something didn't feel right, and Scarlet knew it.
It was hard to put into words though, and that made it all the more frustrating to try and figure out at the end of the day.
Ever since Rise to Greatness, nothing seemed to feel the same to the woman. Sure, she could easily chalk it up to what she knew that the rest of the world didn't quite yet, but despite her own reservations to it she was ultimately at peace with the situation at hand.
While it was true Ruby was nursing her ankle after reinjuring it in the match with Ryan and Autumn, it didn't change the fact that she had moved on to rejoin an old friend, though her devotion to Scarlet's goals remained and they did still communicate with one another even though Scarlet once again had her “cyber mansion” all to herself now. Scarlet was still calmed from having another mental breakdown in the wake of the last attempt the Red Empire would seem to take at tag team glory for the time being, accepting that Ruby would still be there for her in some form or another even if it wasn't via direct association anymore, and that at least kept her around unlike the last time such a meltdown threatened to rear its ugly head.
Still, it was hard for her to look back on the return of SCW's programming and fully understand what she was doing even though she'd obviously done it. The footage was clear as day and everything, but there was a strong part of her that simply refused to believe it. Somewhere along the line, in the blur of things, she'd apparently decided to join up with Gavin Taylor to stand against someone she still honestly believed was a friend, even if there was evidence to the contrary. She was apparently well enough aware of the situation at hand that she'd tried to resist actively engaging Kandis and Tommy directly, even though it certainly didn't look good on her end to be helping Gavin with sneak attacks, and yet she couldn't deny that to some degree she was actually proving she was on a different level mentally than most would've considered before now, having successfully lured people into traps.
She just wished she truly knew what the endgame here was.
It may sound strange that she found herself sitting in a park in Baltimore with the sun beginning to set on the eve of Apocalypse, but it felt like the right thing to do to truly get her thoughts in order. It might seem strange that Scarlet wasn't fully aware of whatever game she was playing, but if you actually knew the state of her mind it wouldn't sound as unbelievable as you might think. Between the potential for voices and other personalities, for all she knew another 'version' of herself could've been pulling the strings and playing to her wishes. It would've been no surprise if her goal was a little 'alone time' with Gavin just to say it happened, but was it really worth opposing someone she really didn't want to fight if she was being honest with herself?
“You look confused, Scarlet.”
Scarlet whipped her head around, and to only mild surprise she found a familiar cloaked figure standing behind her, the feminine voice trying to sound soothing while maintaining an air of mystery. It had felt like quite some time since she'd truly seen her 'guardian angel' but it was a meeting she simply wasn't interested in, plain and simple.
Grey: Is there something I can help you with?
“Angel”: I am only here to help you come to an understanding, just as I always have. I'm sorry that I was ultimately right about Ruby...
Grey: hardly. We parted on good terms and it's a relationship that hasn't truly ended.
“Angel”: Give it time. The more she stands alongside someone else, the more she'll forget about you. That was the case with Kandis, was it not?
Scarlet reached out, but the figure quiclky stepped back into a position where the woman would have to stand and pursue if she wanted to get her hands on them, and Scarlet didn't seem too keen on doing that right now.
“Angel”: Was Kandis even ever your friend? You like to think so, but perhaps part of you doesn't truly agree with that. I mean, she did practically abandon you for someone with something between his lesg the first chance she got.
Grey: Maybe she was, maybe she wasn't. Believe me, I would give anything to actually have a conversation with her to know for sure. But the team wasn't meant to last, and I think we both knew it. Part of me didn't want it to end, but Katya threw us together because she needed tag title contenders and Ruby was on the shelf-
“Angel”: A convenient excuse.
Grey: -because of me. It was no excuse, I saw the x-rays. I got too lost in my emotions and it cost me. It... it always seems to...
Scarlet's gaze moves down to her feet, pondering back to the main reason why she's been the way she's been. Maybe Kandis saw the writing on the wall from the get-go? Maybe Ruby simply couldn't take it anymore? Scarlet knew full well she wasn't the most mentally put together person in the world, despite being able to hide it at times, but did that really mean she had to function solo for the rest of her life?
“Angel”: I haven't abandoned you Scarlet-
Grey: Because you keep stalking me for whatever reason. I don't even know how to address you, for fuck's sake! You won't give me a name, you always pop up in this creepy fashion when I don't want to see you or thought you were just another figment of my screwed up mind, and all you ever seem to do is antagonize me and push me in whatever direction drives me further and further away from any sense of normalcy. Just because of what I've lost that you probably had a hand in, I can barely remember anything I've truly done this past month or why I am where I am now!
Scarlet shoots up to her feet, glaring at the cloaked figure as a strong silence overtakes the situation. There's a clear tension, not helped by the surprising lack of people around that would at least be able to truly confirm this being wasn't some distorted fragment of her imagination bothering her like any other voices that spring up from time to time.
“Angel”: Scarlet, you have a purpose far greater than anything you truly understand, and I'm simply doing what is necessary to help you achieve the being you should truly be. If I were to spell it out so clearly, I know you wouldn't be so inclined to realize that this is what needs to be done.
Scarlet scoffs at this, but before she goes to respond she hears the familiar sound of her phone going off. Silently thankful for the distraction to delay this bizarre conversation any further, she sees that she's gotten a text message to meet up with someone, though whether that's Gavin or another person entirely will be left to your imagination to enjoy as you will.
Grey: I have somewhere I need to be, and if you even think about following me I won't hesitate to kick your teeth down your throat.
Scarlet quickly walks away at a brisk pace, the figure not following but watching as she makes her way towards the street and well out of sight. They can only sigh and shake their head.
“Angel”: This isn't easy, but I have to stay the course. The less she knows and the more she's left to be completely alone, the faster this will go at the end of the day.
*
Our scene slowly begins to fade in, but clearly not fast enough to give you any immediate idea as to why we can hear the sound of a woman moaning. Hopefully you didn't get your hopes too high, though, because if you were expecting to catch something that would've had SCW in deep trouble, then clearly you're playing into the same games as many others in SCW have so far. The moans belong to Scarlet Grey, who we find laying on a bed in a fairly lavish hotel room wearing only a t-shirt at first glance. She's on her stomach, lazily kicking her legs in the air as she grins towards the camera with a look in her eyes that almost make her seem like she's daydreaming about something, or perhaps someone.
Grey: I have to say... it feels good to finally be getting some recognition again. How long has it been since I've been acknowledged for what I'm capable of? I mean, my efforts towards becoming a tag champion seemed to go largely unnoticed, no matter how close the Red Empire came or how quickly another partner of mine seemed to move on to achieve that very goal with someone else without at least giving me a chance to remain friends if nothing else. People still remember and talk about my exploits with a certain artistic soul who still doesn't seem to get that he'd have been much better off with someone like me to be his greatest muse, but that was last year and he's clearly trying too hard to put that all behind him by punching way too high above his weight class now. Even the talk of Ruby and I “shocking” the Trueloves at Rise to Greatness has all but disappeared with Ruby unfortunately out of commission again and the fact that we didn't end up going all the way like we'd hoped.
Grey: Sure, maybe it's not a giant step in the right direction, but does what I'm doing now really have to be? I'm not trying to make a leap I know I can't land by, say, trying to lure our world champion out of his innocent little comfort zone again. And who knows? Maybe there's one last tag title opportunity to be found if I play my cards right. Or even a little “insurance policy” the next time I find singles gold in my crosshairs. The possibilities are endless, and all I had to do is agree to be a partner when someone else needed one. My services are quite open to those in need, after all, and I don't ask for too much in return.
Scarlet winks at the camera, intentionally leaving a lot vague to let us decide exactly what she's talking about. After all, she's proven quite well as of late that the most obvious of answers may be nothing more than a red herring, no matter how obvious she makes it seem otherwise. She proceeds to roll off the bed and to a stand, not only revealing that she's at least wearing a red thong as far as her lower half is concerned, but the shirt in question she has on happens to be one of Gavin Taylor's old EMERGE t-shirts, albeit maybe a size too small. Perhaps that explains why there's a large slit cut into the chest of the shirt that intentionally exposes a good amount of cleavage. Scarlet can't resist lifting her arms up to stretch, tearing that slit even further as her ample chest starts forcing its way through the opening before she stops.
Grey: I know everyone is simply waiting with bated breath to hear exactly why I decided to be Gavin's partner when he was forced to find one to stand against Kandis and Tommy on Sunday, even though I'm pretty sure I've made my reasoning quite clear. Then again, how does anybody know if I've told the whole story? I mean, I certainly don't believe I'm lying when I said on Breakdown that I tie myself to people who know how to make an impact, and I know I speak the truth when I tell you all that I'm aiming for the top regardless of how I need to get there. But everyone is also starting to figure out that there may be more to what I say and do that meets the eye at first glance. I mean, Tommy certainly seemed interested in what I had to say before Gavin struck, and even Kandis bought into my games despite standing by my side once upon a time.
Grey: You know... in hindsight, if we removed the Gavin part of this equation, maybe there could've been something to the idea of a threeway that Tommy could happily shove down everyone else's throats while the two clearly most attractive women in the locker room got to have something else fulfill that role. If only, right?
Scarlet winks and giggles to herself.
Grey: Then again, maybe Kandis doesn't like the idea of sharing her conquests? Perhaps that's why she decided that she was better off leaving behind what we had to go add to her own little list. She's the only one who could answer that question, but I do want to make it clear that this isn't anything personal against her. As much as I miss our little tandem, I never held a grudge over the fact we went our separate ways. After all, we both know we were thrown together when we tried to help Katya because Ruby was on the shelf and she believed the two of us would make for a great team. Considering we almost became tag champs, I'm inclined to agree with that assessment. But Ruby didn't stay on the sidelines for long, and once everything fell apart for the boss we all wanted it's no surprise we all drifted apart.
Grey: I still considered us friends though Kandis... sure, maybe we didn't stay in contact as much as friends should, but we both have our own personal lives and maybe we aren't too keen on sharing them with too many other people. Hell, I'd still like to consider us friends even now, despite how this whole narrative has been spun about me stabbing you in the back just because I saw an opportunity and took it. I get it, you don't like Gavin because he decided boiling hot water was his ticket to a win over you, but can we be honest for a second? This has been the M.O. We've both followed for how long now? Use any opportunity to get ahead no matter who it is we link ourselves to... that's why you hooked up with Tommy and succeeded in becoming a tag champion, and I'm sure you would've been more than happy to hook up with Gavin just like I did if he'd stayed true to his word about “clean slates” and all that should you feel there was something there that Tommy couldn't provide you.
Grey: We're women who know a perfect opportunity when we see one Kandis. It's at least half of the reason why all eyes are always on us.
Scarlet's lips slowly form into what looks like a genuine, sincere smile at those words, though it's hard to tell how sincere it truly is when you also realize she's slowly running her hands along her body to illustrate the other reason why all eyes would be on her just like they would be on Kandis.
Grey: As much as this is personal between you and Gavin, I don't consider any of this between us to be personal, and I would hope you'd feel the same once you stop and think about it for a moment. I mean... would it have been personal if Ruby and I happened to be the ones to win that little tag tournament and challenged you and Tommy for the belts the next night at Rise to Greatness proper? Maybe you would've seen it as such just because I decided to entice Ryan the way I know you probably have from training under him for the business, or maybe it would've been a fun contest for the gold much like what you did have with Ryan and Autumn. You're the only one who can answer these questions Kandis, but I could also see the gears turning that I could be pulling some kind of ruse like I've been doing up to this point. Get you to lower your guard by wanting what we used to have to return to us and then strike when you least expect it. It does sound pretty obvious when you think about it, doesn't it?
Grey: Then again... how do you know you and Tommy are the ones being played here?
Grey: Bear something in mind, my old ample assed associate: have I actually engaged in combat with either of you before the bell is set to ring for this tag match at Apocalypse? Sure, you and I have had a staredown or two that probably caused many tents to suddenly be pitched, and I did entice Tommy a little bit the week prior, but Gavin's been the one actually getting the jump on you up to this point. True, I've been helping to set him up, but surely even you remember Kandis that sometimes, a partnership is only a means to an end until you get everything you desire out of it. I always thought that with us, the only “means to an end” was a friendship, and that's something that doesn't get destroyed that easily. What I have with Gavin? Well, I've laid out my intentions for that pretty clearly, and everyone around me is now left to ponder where the truth lies there. I will say that I've gotten what I wanted out of our little arrangement, and once that bell rings I'll be fulfilling my end of the deal. What happens next? It's best phrased as me doing whatever I know will ultimately benefit me first and foremost, for the glory of my Red Empire regardless of whether or not I'm the only one left to fight for it.
Grey: Kandis, Tommy... even you Gavin, you're all free to make of that what you will. The only promise I WILL make about Sunday, though? At least between me and Kandis, no matter what does play out... we'll be able to truly show why this PPV is better off being renamed to ASSpocalypse.
With a wink, Scarlet slowly turns to show her ass for the camera, and almost immediately we take notice of a lipstick mark on the opposite cheek from where Kandis' identical tattoo happens to be on her own behind. Whether or not she decided to get a matching tattoo at some point or it's simply painted on for effect is unknown for the moment, but it doesn't stop her from kissing her palm before smacking her ass and letting the viewers become hypnotized by the jiggle to serve as the last thing we see before fading out.