Supreme Championship Wrestling

Anyone can enter!

Winner receives $250 000* and 2024 Aston Martin DB12** and bragging rights***

*This cash prize is completely fictional and only for the purposes of character development
**This, too, is completely fictional and only for the purposes of character development. We'll try not to destroy it on the show.
***This is probably the only legit prize of this thing

WORD LIMITS (3500 words per roleplay) WILL BE IN EFFECT.

To enter, you just have to post a roleplay, simple as that.

Eliminations are by pinfall or submission.

2 RP Limit
Deadline: Friday, December 29, 2023 at 11:59:59 pm ET

1 of 2 for Angelica Jones

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December 18th, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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Transitioning from a very full and active life to a semi-retired, laid back, and relaxed lifestyle can be easy for some people.  Many like the thought of waking up without a care in the world and not having to do anything for the rest of the day.  The thought of no longer being bound by the same nine to five routine is appealing to many people.  Yet there are also those who still feel the need to have a purpose in life, to have something to do.  This is especially true for professional wrestlers.  The idea of traveling all over the country, even the world, to packed arenas or even just simply semi-packed arenas, competing in front of the crowds against other wrestlers each and every week for damn near every week of the calendar year becomes commonplace for a professional wrestler.  It becomes all that they know, it becomes part of their identity.  The transition from this very active and very busy schedule into semi-retirement is not that easy for a professional wrestler.  This is true for Angelica Jones, because wrestling was not just a career for her, it was so much more than that.  Wrestling, quite literally, saved her life.  She had lost her parents, her family, everything.  But she managed to regain it all through wrestling.  She regained a sense of purpose through wrestling.  She supported herself and rebuilt herself from the ground up through wrestling.  What started as a very unlikely career became a massive success, winning thirteen world championships and being inducted into four separate wrestling Halls of Fame.  Angelica has had a career that anyone would be envious of and a career that she should be able to retire happily knowing that she was a success.

Retirement hasn’t proven easy for The Dragon.  Shortly after formal retirement she announced she was taking a job as general manager of the Fever brand in Global Championship Wrestling. Later she would begin to manage her own daughter’s, Kimberly Williams, career in Supreme Championship Wrestling. Then she took on part time wrestling contracts in smaller promotions.  Angelica quickly realized the transition into retirement would be difficult if not downright impossible for her to achieve.  The Golden Goddess cannot seem to force herself into full retirement.  She cannot find it within her to stop doing this job that she is so passionate about. Whether she is managing someone’s career, booking a show, or wrestling part time, Angelica Jones just cannot and will not permanently exit the squared circle.

Its a Monday morning in Boston, Massachusetts.  The morning mass at Our Lady of the Annunciation Catholic Church has just come to an end and the worshipers are exiting the main worship area and making their way into the transitional space between sacred and secular, the narthex, an area where the priest stands greeting the parishioners as they exit mass and leave out the front doors for their cars.  Religious artwork and flickering candles line the walls.  It creates quite the lovely atmosphere.  Angelica Jones typically enjoys this artwork and beauty but she isn’t paying much attention to it this morning.  Her head is in a different space right now despite her body physically being present here at this church.  Jones is wearing an ankle length maxi black skirt, black high heel pumps, and a crimson red blouse.  She is so out of it right now that she passes right by the priest without even a word, which is unusual for the very religious Jones.  Instead, Angelica just exits through the front door and into the outside Boston air.  She cannot help but worry if she is making the right decision or if she is being selfish.

“Sister Angelica?” The familiar voice snaps The Dragon out of her trance. Very few people alive today recall the very brief period in Angelica’s life when she herself was a nun, when she did answer to the name Sister Angelica. And only one person still calls her that to this day despite Angelica’s protests against it. The redhead turns around and finds a nun.  This particular Sister is just a few years younger than Angelica.  She is wearing a black and white tunic, her habit, and a veil covering her face.  She removes the veil and Angelica immediately smiles warmly.

“Oh, hi Sister Maria…”

“It is nice to see you this morning.  Though I must admit it was a little surprising to see you.”

“Surprising, huh?” Angelica laughs quietly. “The Church may frown upon my lifestyle but I am still very much a dedicated Catholic, much like our President.”

“I do not question your dedication to the faith, Sister Angelica, I just know your routine and as dedicated as you are, you almost never attend weekday masses.”

“Well I can’t be at every service, y’know?” Angelica shrugs her shoulders. “I wish I could be here more often.  This church is one of the few places where I can put my mind at ease, where I can just relax and meditate.  If I could be here more often I would.  But I’m too busy.”

“Something must be bothering you very much to make you want to attend this morning.  Correct?” Maria asks. Angelica sighs.

“Not necessarily…” despite the denial, her own voice betrays her. Angelica’s voice is quiet and troubled.  Sister Maria can detect her voice cracking.  She approaches her friend and places her hand on Angelica’s shoulder.

“What’s troubling you?”

“Sister Maria, you and I have been so close for so very long.  There are very few people outside of my family who know me as well as you do.” She shakes her head. “But I’m not sure even you would understand my problem.”

Sister Maria and Angelica go way back.  They met when during Angelica’s brief stint as a nun in the Catholic Church.  Maria’s family, for all intents and purposes, forced her into the religious life.  Angelica helped her to cope with the change and to not only survive but to thrive.  Maria might not have survived had it not been for Angelica’s guidance.  Angelica and Maria were so close that she named one of her daughters after her.  Even after leaving the convent, Angelica still kept in contact with her friend Maria.  To this day they meet regularly to talk about the goings on in one another’s lives and they still have proven to be reliable help to one another when necessary.  Sister Maria takes Angelica by her hand.  Angelica looks into her eyes and sighs.  She relents and nods her head.  Angelica allows herself to be guided by the nun off to the side where there is a black rod iron bench.  They sit down on the bench and Maria looks into Angelica’s eyes.

“So tell me, Sister Angelica, what’s wrong?”

“You know me, Maria.  You know that professional wrestling has defined me and defined my life ever since it saved my life decades ago.  I joined the convent because I thought I had nothing else in my life.  I thought I had lost everything, I thought I had lost my entire family, but then when I discovered that my baby sister was still alive and competing as a wrestler?” Tears form in her eyes and a smile forms across her face as she recalls this fond memory. “I had to leave the convent.  I had to leave religious life behind so I could reunite with what little family I had left.  That was my motivation to entering the crazy world of professional wrestling; so that I could be with my family.” Maria hands Angelica a tissue.  Jones uses it to wipe the tears from her eyes. “It was a wonderful turning point in my life.  So many other good things started happening to me after that.  I had to give my own children at birth in order to avoid scandal within the church.  Wrestling provided me with a good financial base to support myself.  I met my husband, Andreas Lasiewicz.  We got married and had a child.  I also was able to regain custody of my first child…” she sighs “...well, one of my first children, Marie.  I had assumed Kim was dead.  But at least I had a family, I had my children, and I was damn good at my job.  I won thirteen world championships in my career.  And later in my career I would reunite with Kim.  Everything seemed so perfect.”

“It certainly does sound like quite the fairy tell ending.” Sister Maria states. “So what is the problem?”

“Yes, it does seem like a fairy tell.” Angelica nods her head. “And that’s just it, it IS just a fairy tale.  The reality is that I have been very selfish.  My own greed and desire to be the best drove my husband away.” Jones chuckles. “The church frowns on divorce, yet I have been married and divorced three times now.  And each time my selfishness, my desire to put my career ahead of my family drove them away.  I may be on good terms with Kim now, and we may have a wonderful bond as mother and daughter now, but when we first were reunited she wanted to kill me.  Literally.  And who can blame her?  I gave her and her sister up at birth.”

Sister Maria pats Angelica on the back to comfort her. “No one can blame you for making mistakes.  You were young.  You were a teenager when you had Marie and Kim.  How can anyone judge you for that?  Besides, you said it yourself, you are on good terms with them.”

“Are we on good terms?  Really?” Angelica seems skeptical. “All I know is that I feel responsible for much of what has gone wrong with my life and my children’s lives.  Kim has overcome her difficulties and I do feel good that I played a role in helping her overcome it.  I feel good knowing that I still help her out in SCW to this day.  But what about Marie?” Jones shakes her head. “I fear that my own madness has been passed down to her.” Angelica buries her face in her hands.  Her emotions become overwhelming and she starts to cry.  Sister Maria pats her on the back.

“What do you mean?”

“She left!”

“Where did she go?”

“She left the family…she left her own son…she’s joined a cult…” Angelica’s voice trails off. Maria can see the very real pain etched across her face “...and I can’t help but blame myself.”

“It isn’t your fault.” Maria says sternly. “We are all responsible for our own actions.”

“I know this.” Angelica sighs and shakes her head. “But I cannot help but wonder, would things have been different had I not been selfish?  Would things have been different had I not pursued wrestling out of greed?”

“Sister Angelica…” Maria laughs lightly “...you are silly.”

“Silly?” Angelica asks incredulously. “How the hell do you get off calling me silly?!”

“Forgive me, but you said it yourself, you became a wrestler not so that you could become a big celebrity, not to make money, and you didn’t become a wrestler to win championships.  Your primary purpose in becoming a wrestler was to reunite your family.  You did that.  You found love, you found your sister, you found your children.  That’s what you wanted from wrestling and you got it.  So what if some other opportunities happened to fall into your lap along the way?  That isn’t selfishness on your part.  That’s a gift from God.”

Angelica’s fierce anger at being called silly slowly turns into a happy, warm grin.  She slowly realizes that her longtime friend, Sister Maria, is right.  This has nothing to do with selfishness or greed.  And in truth, while Angelica has made mistakes along the way, all in all she has done quite a lot to make up for those mistakes and she has done her best to be a good mother to her children.  She embraces the nun in a tight hug.

“Thank you, Sister Maria.  You always seem to know the right words to say.”

“Don’t mention it, Sister Angelica.” She winks. “You had to calm me down once before, if I recall. I am merely returning the favor.”

“And you’re right, wrestling has been very kind to me.  Which I suppose is why I find it so difficult to let it go.”

“Do I detect another problem, my friend?” Maria asks. Angelica sighs.

“Maybe.  About two years ago I announced my retirement.  Yet I still haven’t completely retired.  I’m very busy in the wrestling business whether its as my daughter’s manager, as a promoter, and sometimes as a part time wrestler.” She shakes her head. “I just cannot find it in myself to step away.”

“And who says you have to step away?” Maria asks. “If you feel you still have something left to give, then by all means, continue to do this job that you love.  Just make sure that it is for the right reasons.  Make sure your motives are pure.  You got into wrestling for the right reasons; to save your family.  As long as your motivation to continue this business is pure, I see nothing wrong with continuing.”

Yet again more wise words come from Sister Maria.  Angelica Jones does feel like she has more to offer this business, she feels as if she can still give more to the fans who helped make her the success that she is today.  And with the year 2023 drawing to a close, Angelica has the perfect idea of where she can go to give back to the business that has given her so much.

2 of 2 for Angelica
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December 19th, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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It is Tuesday, just a little under a week away from Christmas. Angelica Jones enjoys Christmas, it is one of her favorite times of the year, and she really brightens the mood up in her lavish Boston home with decorations galore. A Christmas tree towers in her opulent living room twinkling with an array of blue, red, green, and yellow lights as well as elegant ornaments hanging from its limbs. Four velvet stockings hang from the mantle of her fireplace, each stocking has a different set of initials embroidered on it; MJ, KW, JL, and KM, each representing the initials of her four children. The stockings are surrounded by gold ribbon and green garlands. Christmas themed pillows and rugs replace the standard pillows and rugs that typically adorn the furniture in this home. Traditional Christmas music is heard playing in the background. But the decorations and the music isn’t the most important thing to Angelica Jones this time of year. The one thing more important to Jones than anything else in her life is her family. Her family is what keeps her going. Her family is what motivates her and drives her to do the very best she possibly can with whatever she is doing each and every week, whether it is wrestling, promoting, or training. Everything she does is for her family. Getting into the wrestling business in the first place was for her family. Family is and always will be her number one priority. Thus it should come to no surprise to anyone that the favorite part of this day isn’t the music or the decorations, instead it is the individual sprawled out on the plus comfortable leather sofa in the living room; her daughter, Kimberly Williams.

“Hey, mom!” Kim exclaims. She is dressed in torn denim jeans and a black ‘Queens of Chaos’ logo t-shirt. “Where’s the juice?!”

Angelica chuckles softly as she enters the living room. She is carrying the aforementioned ‘juice’, that is to say, two glasses of red wine, Merlot to be precise. In a stark contrast to the attire of her daughter, Angelica is wearing a strapless form fitting red dress and red high heeled pumps. The Dragon approaches the sofa and hands Kim one of the glasses of wine. She starts to sit down but notices that her daughter refuses to move. Angelica sighs and rolls her eyes.

“Do you mind?”

“Possibly.”

“Kim!”

“Oh alright!” Kim whines. Kim swings her feet over and sits up. Angelica then sits down next to her on the sofa. Kim then sniffs the wine and look up at her mother. “Grape juice?”

“No, you smartass.” Angelica smirks. “I pulled a Jesus and turned it into wine.”

“Wow! I didn’t know you could do that!” Kim remarks cheerfully. “You should so do that at SCW sometime. Everyone walking to their match hammered would be so damn hilarious!”

“Not gonna happen.” Angelica shakes her head as she sips on her wine. “Besides, shouldn’t you be focusing on more important SCW matters? Like, say, regaining the Underground Title?”

“Don’t worry.” Kim taps the side of her head. “I got a plan!”

“Good. Because as you know I cannot fight your battles for you. I can be your advocate for you backstage, I can make sure you are dealt a fair hand by CHBK, but that’s it. You have to do the fighting for yourself.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” Angelica nods her head.

“I’ve had to fight Jimmy and his little cult all on my own for God knows how long. Why can’t you convince CHBK to fire those idiots?”

“I’m not a miracle worker, Kim.”

“But you just literally turned grape juice into wine.”

“You know what I mean, silly.” Angelica chuckles. “Besides, I did a good job on that front too. In all honesty you probably should have been fined for trying to maim Datura, Pain, and Mordred. But you got away with not even a slap on the wrist. That was my influence. You’re welcome.”

“Thanks?”

“Don’t mention it.” Angelica sips on her wine. “I don’t exactly subscribe to chaos like you but James has gone too far. At this point you can do whatever the hell you want to that asshole. End his career for all I care. What he’s doing is beyond insane. He’s dead to me.”

“I can make him dead to everyone!” Kim says hopefully. Angelica gives her an evil eye and shakes her head.

“Let’s not go that far.”

“Party pooper.” Kim says, sticking her tongue out. Angelica lets out a small laugh and then sips on her wine again. She turns and looks back at her daughter who just smiles back at her. Angelica sighs.

“Kim…”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t mind…do you…”

“Of course I mind James and his stupid cult and…”

“Not that!” Angelica shakes her head. “I mean, do you mind me returning to the ring.”

“You mean for the End of the Year Battle Royal thingy?”

“Yes, that.” Angelica nods her head. “It’s just for one night. I wouldn’t think of trying to overshadow you or anything. If you don’t want me to wrestle, if you would rather I stay backstage, just say the word and…”

“Mom…”

“What?”

“Shut up.” Kim says with a knowing grin. “Just shut up. We’ve been over this dozens of times already. I’m not some of these other uptight clowns I work with. I’m comfortable in my own skin and I do not need to hold you back to keep me from feeling good about myself. If getting in that ring and cracking some skulls will make you feel good then by all means, have a ball.” Kim grins. “I’ll even let you borrow Wasley!”

“No thanks.” Angelica laughs. “I think I would rather win this my way. You know? I mean, I see so many people who thought their careers were over…Amy, Simon, Lucas, and so many others…and I see them getting back into that ring and competing. Why couldn’t I do that? Why couldn’t I get back into the ring and still be as good as I ever was?”

“No reason why you can’t.” Kim says as she sips her wine. She then starts to gag. “This crap tastes like alcohol.”

“Because it IS alcohol.”

“I thought it was grape juice.”

“Oh Kim…” Angelica laughs again “...I do love having you here for Christmas.”

“Enjoy me while you have me.” Kim grins. “Tomorrow I’m catching a flight to St. Paul.”

“Right, you have to prepare for Crystal. I’ll be there in St. Paul too. But I’ll be traveling later. I still have some things to do here before I leave.”

“Like what?”

“Find my old wrestling gear. Or have some new gear made. I’d rather not compete in this.”

“I dunno…” Kim studies her mother intensely “...you look kinda fierce.”

“Right…” she rolls her eyes “...I’m definitely getting new gear. And I need to hit the gym before traveling to St. Paul. I’ll be with you, Kim, every step of the way just as I promised. Then its off to the End of the Year Battle Royal. And I intend to win it.”

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December 24th, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
On Camera
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I have noticed many trendy fads come and go in my Hall of Fame career as a professional wrestler. Some of those trendy fads tend to fade away and return. I recall fighting my own fair share of megalomaniacs who claimed to be a prophet, messiah, god or what have you. I remember when it was cool to be a badass biker or a Texas cowboy. And I cannot begin to count the number of so-called unstoppable monsters that I have come across in my day. In fairness, most of them lived up to the moniker of monster but there were a few who were just full of hot air and I enjoyed bursting their bubbles. Power crazy authority figures in wrestling promotions? Yeah. I’ve run across those. Wrestlers who thought it was cool to be besties with said power crazy authority figures? Yeah, I remember when that fad was cool too. Hell, I was guilty of playing a part in that fad. So maybe I shouldn’t have brought that one up? Oh well.

Recall the trend of anti-authority anti-establishment figures? Yep. I remember that all too well. It became so trendy that being anti-establishment turned into THE establishment. It became THE norm. But me? That’s one fad I never fell into. I never went the route of anti-authority anti-establishment rebel rouser. I always just went into the squared circle and fought whoever was put in front of me. I fought them tooth and nail with every damn fiber of my being. I left it all in the center of the ring. And I didn’t do it to try and change the system or to upset the established order of things. I did it because I was a competitor and I wanted to be the absolute best to ever do this job and to prove that you are the best in the world you had to beat the best in the world.

I can honestly say that my daughter Kim is a much better human being than I ever was. She does what she does not for glory or for wealth. She does it for the fans because she loves the fans. I can honestly say that I didn’t really do this for the fans. If the fans loved and cheered for me? Great. If they hated my guts? That’s their prerogative. I had two goals, two motivations, one was to be the best…and the other thing driving me, pressuring me to compete at the very best level I could…was my family.

You don’t see much of that, do you? My mind may be slipping but I do not recall anyone who did this for their family. That wasn’t trendy or a fad because it wasn’t cool. It wasn’t hip. And in fairness, I never once made a big deal about doing this for the love of my family. But from the moment I started learning the ropes to this very moment right here and now, all of it has been for the sake of my family. All of it has been to either protect them or keep them safe. Those of you who are really close to me and know my story, you know exactly what I mean by that. The rest of you probably don’t want to be bothered hearing my life story again so I will wait and let you buy my autobiography, if I ever decide to write one.

But do you wanna know of one trendy fad that has always been around wrestling circles? I hear it all the time. The people who say that they “love wrestling”. Better yet, those who haughtily declare that they are “wrestlers NOT entertainers”, as if somehow saying that offends someone or pisses someone off. Now to those who are sincere when they utter those words, I am not talking to you. Because I, too, am passionate about wrestling. I, too, love wrestling. I won’t go into detail, but wrestling has quite literally saved my life. So I can understand why some people find it hard to put away those wrestling boots and retire for good. For some that decision is made for them when they suffer a career ending injury. My cousin, you know her as Glory Braddock, her father…my uncle by marriage Glenn Braddock…he suffered a career ending back injury. He had many lofty goals he had hoped to achieve but never got to complete his story. His story was cut short.

Amy Chastaine thought her story had been cut short and yet she has returned to Supreme Championship Wrestling. She was competing in an Underground Rules Match at Fatal Fortunes. Many thought Simon Lyman would never set foot inside of a wrestling ring due to his condition. Some probably wish he hadn’t. But regardless of what you may think of him personally, he did manage to make it back into the ring. He has once again begun to compete at the highest of levels in this sport. That is admirable. As a human being he may be acting like a complete jerk right now, but that’s beside the point. My own sister, Kayla Jones, who was SCW World Tag Team Champion with me, she had retired briefly after suffering a severe neck injury. And yet she made a tremendous comeback and still competes in Global Championship Wrestling.

Is it the love of wrestling that keeps people like Amy, Simon, and Kayla going? I can’t speak to their motives. I can’t read their thoughts. But I know that the love of wrestling, the passion for this sport, as cheesy and campy as it may sound, does drive a great many people in this sport. And for me, after wrestling gave me my family back, after wrestling gave my family a safety net, after I got everything I NEEDED out of wrestling, all I ever wanted was to give back to this sport that has given so much to me. And when I see people like Amy and Simon and Lucas still doing this. When I see that jackass James Evans of all people reinventing himself and still doing this. When I see that, I think to myself…

….why the hell can’t I climb back into the ring?

Yes, I am my daughter’s manager, her advocate if you will. And I intend to remain her manager. But for one night only, for the End of the Year Open Invitational, I will return to the SCW ring as a competitor. Why? Because I am passionate, because I love this sport, because I love SCW, and because I see some of what is going on right now in this company, I see this action, this chaos, and I want a piece of it.

SCW has what, for all that I can tell, is a supernatural entity known as The Enigma driving everyone crazy. My former friend turned jackass James Evans has started his own cult. Selena Frost is hated and gone, Kandis is now the beloved hero. Simon has lost his damn mind. Seriously, what kind of mixed up bizarro world have I fallen into? What the hell happened to the SCW that existed when I was still a full time competitor? And is a lot of this my daughter’s fault? Because if so, to those who are bothered by this new SCW, I deeply apologize. My bad.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not bothered by the changes in this new SCW. Quite the contrary. I am excited about the talent and competition in this new SCW. I look forward to testing myself against anyone who accepts the invitation to this open invitational. And yeah, in case you haven’t figured it out yet, The Dragon has officially accepted the open invitation to the SCW End of the Year Open Invitational. I am going to enter and burn the whole son of a bitch to the ground. I am going to remind everyone just how good I am.

Most importantly, I am going to remind myself just how good I am.

See, I need this. There was an old saying back from my days, “what have you done lately?” Lately, I haven’t done much except manage my daughter’s career. My matches lately have been few and far between. I haven’t had a match in SCW in years. So can I compete at the highest level? I believe I can. Damn it, I KNOW I CAN! And I am going to prove it. I have to prove it.

I have to win.

OOC: One of two I plan to do for Ivy Plume, a character some might be familiar with if they've been keeping up with my LITD CDs. I'll be putting her bio up shortly.
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Supreme Championship Wrestling...

To Ivy Plume, it felt as though such a level of competition was just beyond her reach. Despite how hard she'd pushed herself, it had only been about two years since she'd finally set foot in the ring and began her wrestling journey, seeking to prove herself by becoming a force of nature with one specific goal in mind... a goal she would obtain, in a way, through completely different means than she believed would ever be possible again. She wanted to argue against the old adage of “never say never” but considering that she, herself, had ultimately given wrestling another shot after she swore it off for good, she had no ground to stand on.

In hindsight, she doesn't regret how things have played out over the course of 2023, especially since her entire world has been turned upside-down in the best possible way.

That chance encounter in the Bay Area with Amelia Blythe and La Pequeña Luz would open several doors she previously thought were forever locked, and the more she dug into what her former friend had been doing while Ivy had adhered to her admittedly self-destructive mantra of “out of sight, out of mind,” the more surprised she was at what she later realized was Luz's handiwork in just how much Amelia had changed for the better, seemingly returning to the girl that Ivy had befriended and known growing up before that fateful day where she completely cut her out of her life. The fact that Amelia was also so willing to open up about herself and her life in front of a camera for all to see made it nearly impossible to keep hating her, even if she was well within her right to do so. Knowing what she knows now, she should've guessed that Amelia's parents were behind what had happened because it had all come from seemingly nowhere, but she was still justified in disliking how Amelia ultimately went about it.

With 2023 coming to a close, however, that bridge had been repaired, and while they would never go back to the way things were, Ivy couldn't argue that the friendship she and Amelia had now was a breath of fresh air as she'd embraced the mindset that constantly drove her and Luz to greater and greater heights. The things that couple had achieved in their first full year back under SCW contract had been nothing short of inspiring, and Ivy had let that motivation drive her to a few championships of her own to help build herself up. Even then, SCW had still felt beyond her, knowing full well that Luz and Amelia had gotten on their radar after several more years of experience and pushing themselves through a rigorous multi-country schedule where they'd accomplished just about everything, all to pull themselves out of the shadows of their respective parents for different reasons. That goal still drove them even today, and it was hard to argue they'd proven themselves in terms of the second-generation talents that SCW had heavily emphasized back when they first signed years ago.

Ivy had none of that going for her... just a new take on her drive to prove that she was no longer 'weak' or 'worthless' to those who still had it out for her, especially as Amelia and Luz had helped her to expand her horizons beyond the power game she'd been working with since she took another shot at this.

Honestly, she owed Luz thanks for the idea she'd pitched, even if she'd been a bit apprehensive about it at first. The open invitational match at the End of the Year Special, on paper, did seem like the perfect opportunity to take a shot and show what she could do on a stage she wasn't sure she'd honestly get to compete on for a very long time, if ever. She didn't need an SCW contract, and while there was no guarantee she'd face anyone on the current roster, there was still a good chance of facing some stiff competition who likely had the same thoughts she did. A prize of $250,000 and a 2024 Aston Martin DB12 weren't too shabby, either... nothing she felt she honestly needed, but the car especially could be a nice trophy of sorts. Being able to prove herself and maybe make a case to ultimately join her friends in wrestling for one of the biggest companies in the entire world was the ultimate end goal, and winning with all those eyes on her would be the greatest message she could send to people like Amelia's parents about how 'worthless' she was with that kind of accolade under her belt.

Perhaps that was why she'd seemed extra motivated with the match she had won last night in emphatic fashion, the final match she would have for the decent little indy fed she currently called home before taking this shot.

Still feeling the rush the following morning, Ivy had wasted no time in throwing herself into her morning workout, being one of the first ones to show up at one of the local gyms in Detroit where her recent booking had taken place and definitely catching some attention from anyone who came in after her with the admittedly absurd amount of weight she was doing reps with. Something about building up her body like this, even when she'd put a pause on her powerlifting aspirations to take another crack at wrestling, always put her mind at ease as she could just shut off her thoughts and focus only on proper technique and the burn that coursed through her muscles after a good workout. It had been a surprisingly great coping mechanism from high school onward in dealing with that painful memory of her best friend's betrayal, and it was still helpful even to this day despite all the positives that she had going for her now.

Things weren't perfect, after all... Caleb White and his Empire were to blame for that.

The memory of their group's last encounter with the religious cult was still fresh in her mind despite being well over a week ago at this point. The desperation that had led Aleister Blythe and some Empire goons to actually hold them at gunpoint in the hope of forcing Amelia, and Luz to a lesser extent, to comply with their twisted demands. It wasn't lost on her how close she had come on that night to potentially dying had two of their members not turned out to be NCA agents in disguise that apprehended them, but she had stood defiant against them and had been willing to risk her life to make it clear that The Empire was not going to have their way no matter what they tried or who they sent. In a way, Ivy was making amends for that moment in her childhood where she'd allowed her and Amelia to be forced apart because Amelia's parents were elitist snobs who only saw her as an extension of themselves and their family legacy, and she'd be damned if she lost her a second time or even lost Luz because some deranged lunatic believed it was all part of some 'grand plan' to save humanity from itself somehow.

After finishing her current clean and jerk set, Ivy found her thoughts turning towards the other victim in this whole mess, that being Caleb's nephew Henry White... assuming White was even his actual last name and not something Caleb basically grafted onto him when he was still too young to comprehend everything. Maybe it was having gone through a similar experience of having her entire life seemingly ripped away from her because of what happened between her and Amelia, maybe it was the fury she still harbored knowing what happened to her old friend at the hands of her parents once Ivy was out of the picture... maybe it was something else she couldn't quite comprehend just yet, but something about knowing the truth behind Henry's life infuriated her to no end and sparked a desire to get the poor guy away from his uncle by any means necessary.

She remembers back to their encounter after Under Attack, how she had shown him kindness that seemed foreign in his eyes, reassuring him that he could trust her regarding the documents Ryan Lumis had put together about his uncle because she had no reason to deceive him, even if he saw her as his enemy. She also remembers the brief conversation she'd had with Darius and Evie after they had arrested Aleister, how Darius had filled her in from their undercover work posing as members of The Empire that Henry had been secretly doing some digging into his own past and they had subtly encouraged it, believing that Henry breaking free of Caleb's grasp on his own would be a more fatal blow to the cult than if they intervened and gave Caleb a reason to hunt him down and bring him back. Luz and Amelia had been lucky so far through their own counter-planning and having friends like her to watch their backs, but Henry had no one.

“That needs to change,” she quietly told herself as she set up some battle ropes for her next routine. “Somehow, someway, we're going to get Henry away from that bastard so he can choose his own path, just like we all did.”

“If only my uncle made it that simple...”

Ivy had just started her rope whip reps when she heard it, and the moment she did she dropped the ropes and assumed a fighting stance. To her surprise, she found the familiar scarred face of Henry sitting on a bench nearby, doing some light curls with a pair of dumbbells. Seeing him in something other than his wrestling gear or Empire attire was not only surreal, but it painted a disturbing picture in her mind at how scrawny he truly looked, in no way resembling a wrestler at first glance. It was eerily reminiscent of how she remembered Amelia looking the first few times she saw her competing after she'd debuted, and it only stoked the flames of her desire to help this poor guy.

“I'm not here to fight...” he said in an almost solemn tone as he finished his reps and set the dumbbells on the floor. “We may need to just so I can go back to my uncle with a believable story, but I know I can't outmatch you.”

“...what are you doing here?” Ivy asked cautiously, her eyes darting around under her glasses for any other potential Empire members hiding in plain sight. Since she'd gone out to do this workout bright and early, she'd forgotten until now about the fact that she was all alone in case anything happened.

“I'm alone,” he reassured her as he rose to a stand, putting his hands up to try and make it clear he wasn't a threat. “And, as weird as this might sound... I was hoping to talk with you.”

“OK? You know you could just approach us and-” Ivy started, a bit confused.

“With my uncle watching you all like a hawk?” Henry cut in, shaking his head. “Too risky, especially if he perceives it as you guys kidnapping me. The only reason we're in the clear now is because he's busy trying to weed out any more moles in The Empire... and... I convinced him that I could do this on my own.”

“Do what on your own?” Ivy asked, a dangerous edge to her voice as Henry looked a bit panicked at giving off the wrong idea.

“I... I told him I'd try to catch you off guard and bring you back,” Henry carefully said, watching his tone. “The idea was to make him think I could make you join us to try and force Luz and Amelia into following suit, but I swear on my life I have no intention of actually going through with it. I just... I needed to deceive Caleb into believing I could do this on my own so he'd focus elsewhere, especially since he and the Blythes didn't get their 'holy wedding' between me and Amelia on Christmas Day.”

Ivy was still suspicious, but she could tell Henry was at least trying and a lot of his awkwardness was likely due to a lack of social interaction that Caleb was no doubt responsible for. She took one more look around and realized that no one else in the gym was even paying attention to them, even subtly, which felt like a good sign Henry was the only Empire member here. That said, she needed to completely put her mind at ease about him truly being here just to talk, and that's when an idea formed that would guarantee she could trust him.

“Spot me?” she suddenly said, catching Henry off guard. He raised an eyebrow at this until Ivy nodded her head toward the squat rack, something she'd been ignoring without someone she could trust to spot her, just in case.

“O-Oh... oh! Y-Yeah, sure!” Henry answered, his eyes widening as he seemed to pick up on her plan, though she wasn't expecting his face to go red in the process. A few confusing ideas ran through her mind, but she quickly banished them before focusing on getting her bar set up, Henry's jaw dropping once he realized just how many plates she'd stacked on each side.

“That's... that's at least 300 pounds!” he exclaimed.

“Well, yeah,” Ivy giggled. “That's just a light starting set.”

Henry's face clearly resembled someone who's brain had just crashed trying to process this, knowing from The Empire's tracking that Ivy was powerful, but not this powerful. He audibly gulped as Ivy made sure the weights were set before easily stepping back with the bar over her neck and shoulders, waiting for Henry to get into position before she began her reps. She could tell that Henry was struggling to comprehend what he was witnessing, which she admittedly found cute in a way and-

Wait... cute? Where had that thought come from?

“So...” Ivy began, trying to clear her head as she went through her first set of reps and give Henry the conversation he'd been wanting. “What was that earlier about needing to fight for a believable story?”

“I, uh...” Henry seemed taken aback by the engagement of conversation, but he managed to refocus while still doing the task she'd asked of him. “If... if I come back without any signs of a struggle, my uncle will never believe that I came out here to catch you off guard and bring you back with me. If I'm going to supposedly fail in that task, I need roughed up a bit so he'll believe you overpowered me even with the element of surprise.”

“I don't want to hurt you though,” Ivy admitted as she finished her last rep and walked the bar back before turning to face him once it was off her shoulders. “If you'd actually done something by now or given any hint that this was a trap, that'd be a different story, but if you honestly just want to talk then I don't feel right-”

“It's OK!” Henry tried to claim, though whether he was trying to convince her or himself at this point was hard to figure out. “I'm already jumping through so many ridiculous hoops to keep him from getting suspicious about what I know now, so what's one more?”

“So... the documents...?” Ivy carefully asked.

“I looked them over thoroughly in secret,”Henry quietly admitted. “I did some more digging on top of that too, looking through some archives my uncle had locked away so that only he could see them... you all were right. He killed my father—his own brother—and my mother just because he felt betrayed over something that's... that's... just stupid! He's tried to mold me into his 'perfect successor,' acting like I'm supposed to be the reincarnation of Jesus or something so he can play God and 'fix' the world. Sure, it's not perfect, but I don't even think it needs fixed, to be honest! But... I have to at least pretend... if I step out of line, he...”

Ivy watched as he reached up and shakily traced along the jagged scar that cut from the bridge of his nose all the way down to the right side of his jaw, her fists clenched tightly as she struggled to keep her anger in check at the implication.

“It's why I've been going along with this whole thing with Amelia and Luz,” he continued. “I've been... questioning a lot of things my uncle's told me, but even if I'm still trying to figure out this whole sexuality thing for myself and why some people make such a big deal out of it... I'm just not interested in someone like Amelia and can't see a marriage with her actually working even if she was straight. And Luz... I've seen how happy Valentina is being her stepsister now... maybe it sounds weird given how my uncle wants to perceive it, but I kind of want something like that too... preferably without all the Empire stuff tied to it.”

“You don't have to go back to him Henry,” Ivy firmly told him as she reached out and took his hand into her own, locking eyes with him. “You have a way out, right here, right now. I can cut my workout short, we can go back to the others and explain-”

“I'm sorry Ivy.” He suddenly pulled away, looking remorseful. “My uncle... despite all the setbacks, he's got big plans for next year, plans that he guarantees will get him everything he's ever wanted, plans that will 'right' all the 'wrongs' of the world and fix everybody's way of thinking. I don't know what exactly he's up to... but I do know things are going to get a lot worse for you all, and I refuse to add to it. If he knows I'm with you guys, especially willingly... I shudder to think about the warpath he'll go on and who will get hurt in the process.”

“Henry...” Ivy pleaded, hoping that she could somehow prevent him from having to go back to that monster, especially now that it's become clear he's started to see through the lies and form his own opinions.

Before anything else can be done, however, they both hear a buzzing sound and Henry pulls out his phone, scowling at the message he just received.

“I'm being summoned,” he stated. “Uncle wants me to abandon my mission because he's apparently setting up for something and needs me. If I don't come back, all hell will break loose.” He then gives her a small smile. “Thank you, though... for this talk, and for helping me see the truth and believing in me. I don't know how well I can do it, but I'll find a way to help you all out from the inside and keep you one step ahead of him.”

“I'd rather you not even have to take that risk given what kind of monster he is,” Ivy lamented.

“I know...” Hunter solemnly replied. “But right now, playing along is my best bet to avoid things getting worse for all of us. Just... keep trusting in me, please.”

“...it's going to be hard, knowing what he does to you, but I'll try.” Ivy said, concern clear in her voice as she slowly extended her hand, only to be surprised as Henry threw himself at her in a hug that she returned after a moment once she recovered from the surprise of it.

“S-Sorry...” he finally said after pulling away, his face burning red. “I should've asked first... I- I promise I'll pay you back somehow for all of this. Good luck in SCW's open invitational!”

Ivy wanted to say something more, especially knowing now that Henry—and likely The Empire by extension—knew she was going to be competing for SCW in this invitational match, but he quickly rushed off and she was hesitant to stop him lest his tardiness incur the wrath of Caleb. It may not have seemed like much, but it did spark some hope in her heart that Henry could find the strength to escape and reach out if he needed to, and once she shared this development with the others she knew they would be all on board with helping Henry just as they'd helped Valentina.

For now, though, Ivy refocused on her workout, thinking that perhaps she now had another reason to make a powerful statement on an SCW stage as she sought to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

***Saber EOTY Rumble RP

Saber: It is time to ring in the new year, and for the Clown Prince of Wrestling to instill fear…

***Mitch Sanders EOTY Rumble RP

Mitch Sanders: I’ve never won a battle Royal. I’ve tried to win this shit and Taking Hold of the Flame more times than I care to admit. But now that I’ve abandoned my wife and kids for the twelfth time, it’s time to toss my name in the hat once again. I need money. I need a car. Hell, I need a reason to brag. And this…this is the only way i know how.”

***Beard EOTY Rumble RP

[B]This goes out to my fan out there…

It’s the End of the Year rumble,
Gonna make my opponents stumble,
Watch ‘em crumble
My star is gonna grow bigger,
2023 gonna out with a bang so watch me pull the trigger,
2024 Beard is gonna be that N…”

(pauses)


Beard: I’m sorry yall. I stopped myself.

OOC: 2nd of my two for Ivy Plume
----------------------------------

We open up to find ourselves in a gym, although this time feels a little different. Maybe it's the fact that this is a different gym, one that we can assume is in Toronto where SCW's End of the Year Special will be held based on the Canadian flag we can see flying proudly through the window and off in the distance, and yet it raises a few questions considering that, as far as we know, the two individuals we're used to seeing aren't booked and haven't hinted at any plans for the event. We do see Amelia Blythe and La Pequeña Luz in workout attire, though... however, they don't seem to actually be working out at the moment. Instead, we seem to have caught them doing some joint spotting of a woman who quickly catches our attention purely because of the absurd amount of weight she's in the middle of bench pressing with only a small amount of difficulty. Our visual estimate based on the number of plates stacked on each side is maybe around 350 pounds, but regardless of whether or not that's true it doesn't take away from the incredible sight of this woman's fluid reps, the end coming sooner than we've expected as she keeps the bar held high so Luz and Amelia can help guide the bar back into place. After a moment, the woman sits up, a grin on her face as she wipes some sweat from her forehead and takes a moment to clean the glasses she's wearing so she can see.

Luz and Amelia glance in our direction and notice our presence, taking the opportunity to lean down and say something to the woman who nods before the two of them walk off, the fact that we're leaving them to their own workout today a sign that The Light In The Darkness isn't who we're actually here to see for a change. Instead, it's the woman who's now grabbing a drink of water before rising to a stand, and to call her imposing would be an understatement. Her frame may be on the stocky side, but there's no hiding her muscles that mesh perfectly with that figure to make it clear this is all natural, the raw power she exudes almost able to be felt even through the screen you're watching this from. Her green eyes offer a familiar kindness and sense of honor that we've grown used to seeing from the SCW World Tag Team Champions, but there's a notable sense of warning in her gaze that's hard to ignore. She takes a deep breath to recompose herself, and finally we hear her speak.

“Hello, SCW. You don't know me, and for all I know this may be the only time I get to do this in front of the eyes of your fans, but you've definitely gotten to know my two closest friends especially over the course of this past year. Your eyes weren't deceiving you... that was, indeed, Amelia Blythe and La Pequeña Luz you saw spotting me a moment ago. Beyond wrestling, they have quite a few friends who have helped support them and give them extra strength for some time now whenever they've needed it, and they have been more than happy to return the favor. Among those friends, some of us also happen to be wrestlers... I'm going to apologize in advance if I don't do this as well as they do, because competing for a place like SCW is one of those things I just never thought would happen. Luz and Amelia built themselves up for years, proving themselves all over the world and getting on SCW's radar. Given what they've accomplished in this past year since coming back from the injuries that cut them off the first time around, I think it's safe to say they've more than proven they belong on one of the most elite rosters in the entire world.

I'll be honest... I'm not sure if I've earned that right just yet, even if they keep reassuring me that I have. Wrestling never came easy for me when I was growing up and wanting to break into the sport alongside my best friend... turns out the typical European grappling style just wasn't a good fit for me even if my friend took to it so well she practically became a wrestling machine. It also didn't help when said friend ended up cutting all ties with me because I was 'too weak' to do this... granted, I finally found out the truth earlier this year and know she was being forced to do so for the dumbest of reasons, but for the longest time I had nothing but my doubts holding me back from seriously considering this sport. But I'll admit: the call of the wrestling ring is too strong to ignore when you know you have something to prove, and even if I no longer have the same reason I once did for doing this, I can still use my past struggles as motivation to keep pushing forward and getting stronger.

I guess I should properly introduce myself, huh? My name is Ivy Plume... I was Amelia's best friend growing up, until her parents pushed us apart because they saw me as a threat to their plans of forcibly molding her into what they wanted her to be and not who she wanted to be, a story I know she's had no problem sharing with you all herself. By pure chance, I happened to cross paths with her and Luz near the start of this year, had an opportunity to not only get to know Luz but see the good she's done for my old friend, and... what they've said is true guys, sometimes all it takes is some proper communication to fix the majority of your problems. We didn't rebuild that bridge right away, and our friendship isn't what it used to be, but I like what we have now... especially since those two have been a huge help to improve my own wrestling game and suggest I take a chance on this opportunity in the first place, and in return, I think you can guess who's had a hand in opening the door for some of the feats of strength they've displayed in some of their recent matches.”

Ivy can't resist lifting both of her arms into a flex, her physique somehow looking even more impressive and intimidating as she gives us a moment to take it all in before slowly lowering her arms, chuckling to herself at how clearly she could break many people in half if she truly wanted to.

“I don't know how many of you pay attention to the smaller promotions out there, because those are the people who might recognize me the most. To SCW, I know I'm an unknown right now. I don't have a family legacy to catch people's attention or tons of championships from all over the world to prove what I'm capable of. Heck, I only just shifted from being a champion powerlifter to training for the wrestling business again a few years ago, so I definitely don't have the experience that my friends do. Thankfully, it seems that on New Year's Eve at their End of the Year Special, SCW opens the door to everyone regardless of whether you're under SCW contract or not. All those things that might be taken into account for whether or not you've earned a contract here don't apply, all they want are those looking to take a shot even if it's for one night only as a belated Christmas gift of sorts. Considering the winner gets $250,000 and a sleek new car, who wouldn't be tempted by such a prize and show up to showcase their stuff?

If I can be completely honest for a moment... I... honestly don't need either of those prizes. They'd be nice, don't get me wrong, and I'd gladly accept them if I end up winning this thing, but they aren't the reason why I'm doing this. As I said earlier, my main goal for giving wrestling another try and trying to build myself up was initially to prove to the woman I thought had betrayed me that I wasn't as 'weak' and 'worthless' as she thought I was. The thing is, though... I've already proven that to her, and not in the way I had intended. Sometimes, things change, and you have to be willing to change with them in order to keep up. Luz and Amelia have proven that time and time again in the time they've been with SCW, and it's only right if I prove the same now that I have my best friend back and so many more friends supporting me as well.

So why is Ivy Plume doing this, then? It's simple... to prove myself. I may not have a reason to try and prove what I'm capable of to Amelia anymore, but I can keep proving myself to each and every one of you while showing the world that I'm every bit as capable as her and Luz and anyone else that is on the SCW roster for that matter. I've spent so much time thinking that maybe I haven't proven myself yet... maybe I'm not ready... but when Luz pitched the idea of me doing this, she told me that I would never know if that's true or not unless I actually take the shot. Who knows? Maybe I'll actually win this thing, or even if I don't, maybe I'll make enough of a statement that I'll show up on SCW's radar and find myself competing here more often down the road. The only way I'll ever know for sure is to stop standing in front of that door and just bust it down to see what awaits me.”

Ivy starts walking, motioning for us to follow her. After a moment, she stops and turns to us, knowing full well that in the background we can see Luz and Amelia in the middle of a joint workout. Ivy smiles, knowing that even when they actually have a bit of a break her friends will keep pushing themselves to get better, always wanting to be prepared for anything.

“These two behind me? Despite the rocky history I've had with them at first for understandable reasons, they've inspired me in ways that I could've never believed. There's a lot of things going on outside the ring that they've been dealing with, and I've been helping them to the best of my abilities because they truly deserve their chance to shine. They mean the world to me, which is why it means so much that they've flipped the script and encouraged me to do this, knowing that one day I want to be right there with them at the highest level, earning the respect of all you SCW fans and feeding off that energy to fight my way to the top just like they did. They may have New Year's Eve off, but they're looking ahead to the challenge they gave themselves, always being ready to defend the gold they have against all comers. That's the kind of wrestler I want to be: always prepared for any challenge, always looking to get better and learn from my mistakes, always ready to support the people who are important to me and help them just as they've helped me.

As much as I'm doing this for myself, I'm also doing it for the people who helped me get here, as my way of paying them back for everything.

This year's taken so many twists and turns that I never would have expected, but I don't regret a single one of them. How can I when I have my best friend back, another best friend who's always willing to motivate me to tackle bigger challenges, and the chance to potentially test myself against some SCW talent as well as talent from so many other places to see how well I stack up? Legends, veterans, champions, rising stars... I say bring them all on, because I can promise you I'm not like anything you've ever faced before and I'll gladly bring my A-game just to give everyone a taste of what I'm capable of.

After all, I can be best described as a flower... a sight to behold when I'm in full bloom, but dangerous to those who underestimate me because they don't know what I can do.”

Ivy smiles and nods her head, feeling that she's gotten her message across well enough. She's surprised when Luz and Amelia have since taken a break from their workout and are suddenly standing on either side of her, a hand on her shoulders as they nod in approval and start affirming that they think she did great for her first time speaking to an SCW audience. Ivy clearly gets a bit of a confidence boost from this as we watch the three of them move to get back to their workout as we fade out and leave them to it.

Date: 12/28/2023
Location: Newport, NC

The screen comes in and we find ourselves upstate New York, namely the "Apocalypse Academy" located in Newport, North Carolina on this cloudy, gray day as we then slowly pan around the outside of the building before we cut to the interior where we find the large expansive area in full motion with various classes going on where wrestlers from the past couple couple of decades such as Devon Slayton in one ring showing the advanced students some more effective ways to transition into various submission holds while Alex Marik showcases one of the beginner classes, along with his wife and Joshi Mariko, how to properly take their first bumps.

However in one ring set aside from the others is where we find current SCW/NFW wrestler David Striker currently working out with part-time AA trainer in the form of former ECWF World Trios champion Robert Armstrong as the tattooed striker currently is putting the younger wrestler through his paces as Armstrong seems to be trying to instruct Striker on something as the two men work out while a third man with shoulder length blonde hair that is hanging loose at the moment watches the interaction between the two in the ring which soon ends with both men out of breath and moving to sit on the edge of the ring apron.

"You're improving, Dave. But you still aren't cinching in tightly enough when you have got me locked in. I can understand the need for resistraint but it's part of the reason why you weren't able to capture the Genesis title from Otto the other week." Armstrong explained before he took a swing from his water bottle.

"To hear other people say it, Otto is just simply better than I am, Robbie." David said to which Armstrong snort disgustedly before spitting out his water.

"Fuck.THAT!" Armstrong said while shaking his head. "That's nothing more than some of Jaime Austin's bullshit being fed through the strainer that Tarah Nova is some kind of wrestling diety that we should all be in awe of or something when she isn't. I will give her credit in that she did accomplish a couple of things or two, but that by no means gives her the excuse to treat any of the younger talent the way that she did."

David nodded slowly, "True, but she is a hall of famer though."

Armstrong nodded, "Yes, but you saw what she was doing to people before she started her retirement. She refused to work with anyone who she deemed wasn't on her level or her quote "good friend" because she was sure that they wouldn't just put the great Tarah Nova over. I just hope that Otto doesn't fall into that fucking trap because it has ruined one too many really talented wrestlers over the decades. But guys like your dad, Alex Marik, Devon Slayton, Kevin Maverick, and others...they know how to stay humble and hungry which is always a better than then being some rinky dink Hall of Famer right. I mean look at the main difference between Tarah Nova and Devon Slayton. Both are Hall of Famers but Devon's still right there in the trenches while Nova is sitting pretty in her mansion somewhere."

David couldn't help but blink a few times in surprise before he could finally find his voice again, "Wow...that's pretty strong stuff there man."

In return, Armstrong simply shrugged. "Can't help it, Dave. I was brought up by my parents that if you ever allow your ego to over take you, then you're basically being carjacked on the road of life." and when he saw the look of slight curiousity on his younger friend's face, Armstrong continued with "It's like this. From the day that we are able to understand things and walk, we start on our own road of life with each and every experience, both good and bad, being like a monument that we encounter."

"Kind of like that giant ball of yard or something in that old computer game that my dad loves so much?"

Armstrong chuckled for a moment as he nodded, "Yeah, something like that and you get the general drift of it by now right?"

David nodded, "Yeah. You're the odd one in the group which makes you a perfect fit to work with David and Patrick Slayton." he teased.

Armstrong could not help it but hang his head in mock shame before turning it to look at his friend before the two rolled back into the ring to resume their workout.
=================================================

{The screen brightens up and we find outselves outside of the wrestling school, David has his street gear on which includes a Kaya Parker t-shirt which is evident from his battered and well loved brown leather jacket that he is currently wearing}

David: You know the strangest things cause you to have the strangest times to have deep thoughts about something and I'm not different. When I first debuted in this sport, I did so under the name of "Kyle Valentine" and I busted my ass to try and be the complete opposite of my older brother Jacob. I even went out and won the Project Honor World Tag Team championships with DJ Hunter there, but in the end I let my anger and frustration get the better of me when I joined Coastal Empire Wrestling...then promptly had my ass handed to me by Kaya Parker...I mean in my first year as Kyle, I ended a man's tweleve year long career in a very bloody battle over in Pro Wrestlign Nova just to keep my dreams blazing hot...and yet here I was, a wrestling prodigy and she easily handed me my ass with my head firmly stuck up it.

Talk about your first stage wake up calls, huh?

So I went back to square one, to the very school where I trained, and started all over from scratch because in the end, just as my older brother Jacob is known for always saying, I was born to do this...professional wrestling is my *life* and for a short while between Gamma Pro Wrestling and Coastal Empire Wrestling I was denying who the fuck that I was...and in the end, it really didn't matter because it took a family friend dying for me to see the reality of what I was doing.

So in the end I took Devon Slayton up on his offer and joined his Phantom Troupe in NFW, those were the first steps on a much bigger road that I was starting down...a road that lead me here to Supreme Championship Wrestling...a place that I feel that I can truly get me on the right path to where *I* want to go in my career.

Which in turn is why I'm throwing my...hat...

{David steps aside with a teasing smile as he indicates his signature cardboard box}

David:...as it were into the ring for the Supreme Championship Wrestling Twenty Twenty Four End of the Year Special Open Invitational.

But you see, while a lot of you folks on the roster with me will be in it for those bragging rights...and yeah, I would really like the car to that I won't lie...I'm doing it mostly because it's time to see if the fire that's burning inside of me since I started taking these steps towards improving the kind of fighter that I am has been worth it or if I need to simply keep fighting on like the wrestlers that inspired my brother and I. I mean anyone can *brag*...but can you brag about your improvement, about how you need to see where your own internal fires from hell are burning so that you can find out if it's the right hell or the wrong hell that you're burning for....

...of if you simply need to take a step back and see if you need to start the fire again.

Either way, I'm starting off the new year with a real bang in the best way that I know how.

By keeping it short, sweet, and Chaotic.

See you all in the ring.

{David then walks out of the camera's view as the screen cuts to black}

Jaina Lancaster

-------

A few months ago


It was a nice Saturday afternoon, a few weeks following Jaina's mom's return from rehab, and the day she yelled at her at Aunt Bree's house. Jaina had picked Loki up from home to spend a few hours together, as the sister and brother do every so often ever since Jaina moved out. Today, they were walking the trail at Lafreniere Park, as the weather had started to cool just enough to be comfortable spending a significant amount of time outside. As Jaina drove them to the park, they caught up with small talk – Loki and his girlfriend, Jaina and work. Out here on the trail though, the natural surroundings tend to lead conversations down a deeper path.

“So... how's it going at home?” Jaina asks softly.

“What do you mean? Like... Mom and Dad?”

Jaina still wasn't used to the deeper sound of Loki's voice, even though the tone change had leveled out months ago. Her 'baby brother' was closing in on sixteen and was now taller than her by a few inches.
“Yeah. How are they? Mom doesn't talk about anything much when we travel for work.”

Loki shrugs. “Okay, I guess. I mean, they're doing Mom's counseling thing. That's why she doesn't say much about it, the doctor had them both agree not to talk about things with other people.”

“That's dumb We're their kids.”

“I guess they're just supposed to work it out between themselves? I don't know. All I really know is what I see, and accidentally overhear. Dad's still in the other bedroom. Sometimes things seem almost normal, and others it's super tense. I can tell they're trying to not let me see that, but it's not hard to tell.”

“That sounds awful.”

“It's not great. I try to spend a lot of time with Carly, or Justin.” The girl was Loki's girlfriend, and the boy was his best friend from the BJJ class he's been taking for a few years now.

“You know, you could always come stay with me when I'm home.”

Loki laughs. “What, and interrupt whatever you and Marie might be doing?”
Jaina shakes her head at her brother, thinking about the nature of her relationship with Marie Caedes.

Marie lives with Jaina now, and their relationship could best be described as a Friends with Benefits situation. Marie had been involved with Spencer Pryce, the young man who turned out to be a previously unknown son of Simon Lyman. When he got a little too aggressive with his old man, SCW fired him.... and he promptly left town, not telling anyone he was leaving not even Marie. He'd called her from Beaumont once he arrived at his brother's place. Marie had been hurt, she felt betrayed after she had trusted him, slept with him, and even took his side about his father. Maybe he had been right about his father being an asshole, if what Jaina heard second-hand could be believed, but so was Spencer. Marie was broken up over it, and Jaina did what any best friend would do – anything she could to support and comfort her friend. One night they'd had drinks – which was rare for Jaina to do, but Marie had wanted some. Their conversation spiraled into relationship and sex and Jaina's preferences, and they'd ended up in bed together. Marie moved in shortly afterwards. These days, Marie has sworn off men completely. She keeps her own bedroom at Jaina's condo, but they have fun occasionally. Well, maybe more than occasionally. Jaina wonders what would happen if either her mom or Marie's mom knew. But no one does, other than Loki, and maybe Aunt Bree had guessed, but if she had, she hadn't said anything.

Jaina forces her attention back to her brother.
“You wouldn't be in the way. Ever.”

“I feel like I am at home, why should staying at your place with her there be any different?”

“Uh, well... me and Marie aren't in the middle of a major life crisis?”

Loki shrugs. “I guess that's true.” They walk a few steps in silence before Loki asks, “So... are you still mad at Mom?”

“When was I mad at Mom?”

“That day at Aunt Bree's.”

“Oh.” Jaina wasn't very proud of the day she yelled at her mom in her aunt's backyard.

“Mom was super upset when she got home. She asked me if I thought Dad was doing the right thing. With her.”

“What? Why would she ask that? What did you tell her?”

“I don't know. To see if I agreed with you? I told her no. I think Dad is being too hard on her. He's, like... cold. It's fucking weird.”

Jaina stops walking and turns to her brother. “Wait, what? You think he's being too hard? How can you think that? We grew up in the same house with her, do you not remember everything she put us through?”

“Not as much as you do obviously, but yeah, I remember. But I also remember how even with her problems, Mom always tried the best she could for us. Even when she barely had energy for herself, she used what she had for us. She'd do anything for us, Jay. You know that. She'd never leave us, or Dad. So why would he even think about leaving us... her?” Loki tried to cover up that 'us' but Jaina caught it.

“Oh. I get it. You're worried if he does, he'll forget about you.” Loki said nothing, but he didn't have to. He'd already been abandoned by one father. Being afraid of losing another was reasonable. “That's not gonna happen, Lo. He loved me before he knew I was his kid, and he always treated you like his son, even when your father still pretended to give a shit.”

Loki sighs, and leans against the rail along the path where they'd stopped. “Okay, you're right about that. But what about Mom? You always wanted them together, even when they weren't. You were happier than anyone else at the table for your birthday when they told us they'd got back together.”

“Yeah, I was. But I was also fifteen, and Mom hadn't been to rehab the first time yet.”

“I'm fifteen, what's your point?”

“Point is... a lot has happened since then. You don't get it, you can't see it from my side.”

“Explain it to me.” Loki crosses his arms, waiting.

“Okay. Do you remember Mom's overdose?”

“Some parts. Like waiting at the hospital forever, with Granny and Aunt Bree. And your friend Katie. Oh, and how Dad had yelled at me to go upstairs. That was the first time he ever yelled at me. I heard when he broke the door.”

“Right. You weren't there. You didn't see Mom. I did. I literally thought she was dead. The way she was just limp when he carried her out of the house.” Jaina shakes her head clear of the memory. “I will never understand how after that, she can still do the shit that caused it.”

“Do you understand being sick?” Jaina rolls her eyes. “No, seriously. Because Dad does. He stayed after that. They had those few months apart when he lived in Shreveport but he's been here since. Why does this have to be different? Why would he threaten to leave instead of trying to help her again?”

Jaina sighs as she leans on the rail next to her brother. “I don't know. Maybe it is helping. If she doesn't realize how serious her shit is and what it could cost her, she'll never fix herself. It's the only threat he can make that she's afraid of. I just don't know if it's worth all the energy.”

“Well, he hasn't left yet, so maybe it is. Mom's been doing everything he and the doctor asks. She has this new sponsor lady who's real nice, she comes over sometimes. You should meet her.”

“I did. I liked her.” Jaina had met the lady Velvet once, and she was being honest, she did like her. Loki nods acknowledgment. “So, you think things are really getting better?” Jaina sounds hopeful.

“A little bit. I mean, its slow. But they talk to each other more now than when Mom first got back from that place.”

“Okay, so maybe Dad's threat is actually doing some good.”

Loki looks down at his feet, and sighs heavily. He doesn't like that Jaina is right. “Yeah. Maybe.” Loki looks up, worry in his eyes. “Do you think he'd really do it, though? Leave?”

Jaina shrugs. “He has before.”

“They weren't married then.”

“True, but... I don't know. I'm just tired of it. I've seen this too many times. Her fuckups, the going back to drinking... growing up with Mom was hard, you can't say otherwise. I know she loves us, but the fact is she's a shit parent.”

Loki pushes himself off the rail, now angry. It was like his eyes clicked, rather than transitioned, to the darker emotion. It reminded Jaina way too much of Loki's real father, in a bad way.
“Yeah, it was hard. I won't argue that. I saw her mistakes too. But you know what else I saw? Mom always tries. After every mistake she always did her best to make up for it, make it right. She's doing that now. Maybe you think she's a shit parent, you don't know anything about shit parents. I do. Compared to my father, Mom is a fucking saint. She cares. She tries. That's what I see, and what I choose to focus on. Maybe you should think about that instead of just keeping score of mistakes.”

Jaina hadn't heard her brother sound so angry in a long time, and she had to admit, he had a point. Mom wasn't the best, but Loki's father, Dustin? He was literally the devil. She has nothing to say, so Loki goes on.
 “I mean, are you perfect?”

Jaina's memory brings up a flash of her laying on a table in an abortion clinic, with Aunt Bree at her side.
“No.” Her voice came out smaller than she intended.

“Then maybe don't expect Mom to be. Dad has a right to be fed up with things, but I think he's being too hard on her. You both are.”

“Maybe.” Still quiet. “I guess I can try to see things from your perspective.”

“Try hard.”

Jaina brushes her hair back out of her face, a tick she inherited from her mom. “To be totally honest with you, I do want them together. You're right, I always have. But I also want this up and down to stop. Just... pick one! Stop putting everyone through this.”

“I agree with you there. It's exhausting. But let's try to be positive and back them both up, instead of expecting the worst and going off for no reason.” Jaina nods. She'd long been a pessimist about Mom's ability to stay healthy. Maybe she needed to be verbally smacked across the face by her brother. “You should apologize to Mom. She won't admit it, but she was really hurt that day.”

“It wasn't my best moment, I'll give you that. I'll think about it.”

“Jay.”

“I have to figure out what to say, okay?”

“Okay.”

They look at each other a moment, then hug. After Loki pulls away, he grins at Jaina. “So, about this staying with you some time... how about tonight?”

Jaina smiles. “Of course.”







Okay, guys. I get it. I know I haven't really wrestled all that much in a long time. I meant to do more, but... well, life kept getting in the way. Most of you don't know this, but when my mom and aunt went back to VWA when they reopened again, I went, too. I wanted to show the people I grew up around that I could do this, too. I... had no idea what I was getting into. I haven't won a match yet. They don't take me seriously, and honestly why should they? They know I hold a mic way more than I run ropes. They, and you, all know I can get in the ring and handle myself pretty well for someone who doesn't do this regularly. But, maybe I want to.

Maybe I'm tired of not being taken seriously.

So, I signed up for Fatal Fortunes. I didn't tell Mom or Aunt Bree I did it. They were... shocked, to say the least. When I was drawn into my match, against Aries, I hear I shocked a lot of people by keeping up and ending with that draw. Impressed a lot of people, even. But here's the thing.

I was disappointed.

I don't want people to be impressed that I fought to a draw. I didn't lose, but I didn't win either. I know I can be better, if I just push myself harder.

So, here we are. New Year's Eve in SCW means the End of the Year Battle Royal. Sure, the tangible prizes are fantastic. Cold, hard, cash and a sweet new car. I even really like the model they chose this year, much better than that SUV last year. But as cool as it would be to walk away with those prizes, there's something else on the line here much bigger and more important than that.

Pride. Self-respect.

People shouldn't be impressed with me for keeping up. They should expect more of me, because I expect more of myself. What I want... is to get better and better at this every time I get inside the ropes. To pick up actual wins instead of just surviving.

I know the odds are against me. No one knows how many people are entering this thing, or who will show up. People like to give Taking Hold of the Flame all the glory, but I think this battle royal is much harder to prepare for, for those reasons. On top of that, you're not just dumping bodies over the top rope. You have to pin or submit them to eliminate them. That might sound easier, but I don't think it is. Not only do you have to wear someone down long enough for a three count, but you have to do it while hoping no one else in the ring decides to fuck with you and break your count.

But I'm coming out for this. I'm no stranger to facing challenges that seem over my head. I've been doing that my whole life. To most of you I'm a young woman, not too far removed from a kid... but I honestly can't remember the last time I felt like a kid. Maybe before my brother was born? I don't know. I'm not looking for sympathy by saying this either, I'm just telling you my experience. Don't let my physical age fool you. Mentally I've been an adult for longer than a lot of people on this roster, and I'd go as far as to say some of you... are still mentally children.

But, that's not the point in Toronto. That's something to dig into some other time. The point here, is to get in the ring, pin as many other people as possible, and be the last one standing.

If I can do that? Then everyone will have a real reason to be impressed with me.