ooc: Joint effort from the Red Empire... been a while since I've gotten to say that. I was originally planning a solo piece this week but my partner thought this was the better approach, and after a few compromises to keep both things we're doing going forward I'm kind of glad that's what we decided to do this time around.
The Red Empire...
An intriguing concept all it's own, to be honest, even though some of the thought process behind it is rather simple upon closer inspection. Never mind the fact that it is no empire proper at the moment, just two women who happen to have the color red in common, but what it is supposed to accomplish is rather fascinating in my opinion.
While many out there now will know the Red Empire in regards to the wrestling business, the concept itself has been Scarlet Grey's little pet project for as long as I've known her, and perhaps for far longer than that as well. At its core, the basic goal is your typical comic book cliché of “conquering the world” with Scarlet being the ruler. The exact means to this wend are always changing, primarily because that woman's interests are changing all the time. A tag team in wrestling is only the latest incarnation... there's been at least plans to be a business entity at some point with no clear decision on exactly what kind, there was at least one attempt at our own television network that never got off the ground primarily because of Scarlet's choice of “programming,” and I could go on and on all day, but I won't bore you with the details like some would only be too eager to do.
Why would I be interested in such nonsense, you may ask? Trust me when I say that it's a question that I have asked myself time and time again, but the ultimate conclusion I've come to lies in the fact that despite how she comes off to everyone... Scarlet has far better intentions than everyone might give her credit for. I may not know what goes on inside her head half the time, as much as I make the effort to try and piece it all together no matter how much she tries to hide it, but there are times when the ideas this woman has are truly brilliant. I'm not just talking that one-in-a-million good idea for just the right occasion, but concepts and plans that could truly revolutionize the world, and perhaps trying to unite it all under her solitary rule is her way of trying to force a species that even I can only shake my head at constantly in disappointment to wake up and realize what could be.
Of course, it would be easier if she could keep her own thoughts in line more often, and maybe that's why I feel this need to stick around even when empathy is something I certainly lack.
Despite everything that we have been through and my suspicions that even Scarlet is truly aware of how hollow I feel and act when it comes to anything we do together and simply never says anything, I know she would do everything in her power under the influence of a stable frame of mind to keep from losing me. As much as she claims to lack the ability to love or truly comprehend its meaning, deep down I don't believe that to be the truth anymore. I hypothesize that she's been lonely for quite some time, though for what initial reason that could predate the woman whose insanity can be a turn-off to many I cannot say for certain. What I can state, however, is that she's desperate for people by her side and the idea of “ruling alone” isn't truly what she wants. That's why she desperately tries to retain my company and declare me her “partner” in the endeavors of the Red Empire, why she's come to deeply value this newfound friendship she has with Kandis and why I have no doubt that even Autumn Valentine is seen as a close ally to her despite the minimal interaction so far and most of our alliance being due to the Kandis and Scarlet friendship as well as the struggle for power gripping the company at the moment.
If she were to rule the world and do as she pleased, Scarlet would want to have us by her side to truly call it everything she could ever want.
Ruby could only glare at the mark that ended up in the notebook she'd been keeping courtesy of the loud noise that sounded through the hallway. With some peace and quiet with Scarlet saying she had some things she wanted to do on her own for the moment, she'd decided to return to the project of reflecting back on what brought her to this point in the first place. At first she'd attempted to dive straight back into her childhood, which was an appropriate starting point after the brief introduction to it all she'd written prior to the tournament, but the more she thought it over the more she began to realize exactly how long it'd been since her constant journey of self-reinvention started, as the details of the distant past had become too foggy to be able to decipher even in the confines of her personal study. To that end, she'd settled on a different monologue to open up another chapter, this one reflecting on the Red Empire as a whole and where it stood now... fitting as the team was joining up once again to compete on Breakdown even despite Scarlet's seemingly newfound decision to give Ruby a chance to do some things on her own. Teaming with Autumn, who'd been part of this little alliance they'd formed along with Kandis since Katya came into power, certainly made things much more interesting this time around.
Still, a lot of questions needed to be answered before she could say she was truly comfortable right now.
With Katya no longer holding all the power for booking and especially in light of the recent revelation of her being given a spot on the board with her father, who'd been trying to play the neutral party in this sibling rivalry, deciding he'd be stepping down, uncertainty was suffocating every member of the SCW roster right now. Those who opposed Katya's reign were so taken aback by Mr. D's decision that they're scrambling to try and somehow talk him out of it, while those who supported the young woman and her ideas were left wondering if they could continue on as they had been for the past month or two or if things were going to change in a way that they weren't going to like. There were far too many variables in Ruby's mind to truly feel comfortable in any situation, so for now perhaps it was for the best to get the job done in the ring and hope everything else falls into place the way they'd like.
Trying to clear her own head of those thoughts to focus on the task at hand probably would've gone smoother if she could keep writing, but at least this time she wasn't interrupted mid-sentence.
It would be so easy to simply ignore the noise that had taken hold of her attention and return to her chosen task, but doing so would mean continuing to leave Scarlet be in whatever it was that had caused it in the first place. Considering the sound had no semblance of passion she could pick up on, it had nothing to do with any sort of “fun” she could be having and she wasn't aware of any house guests as it was, so the quicker she defused whatever was going on before she potentially hurt herself the more she could at least reassure herself that Scarlet wouldn't do anything in the tag match that could risk losing Autumn as an ally. Even if they didn't stand together because of Katya, Ruby wasn't going to ignore the tactic of strength in numbers if they needed to be a united group, official or not.
To say that Ruby was in disbelief when she found the source of the noise would actually be an understatement, believe it or not.
The large throne room, which had initially been set up as a means of helping to fulfill one of Scarlet's fantasies and even share it with the SCW audience for her pleasure and amusement, was serving a different purpose as the floor was almost completely covered with red mats to prevent any injury upon hitting the ground, and the monitors were all synced up to be used like one large screen as they seemed to be showcasing one of the SCW matches from the past. After examining the footage carefully, the only competitor of interest in retards to current events would be Kelcey Wallace. Sure enough, wrestling around with a fully flexible dummy on the mats was Scarlet, trying to imitate Kelcey's every move from this replay to the point of actually attempting to perfect it. That alone would've had Ruby raising eyebrows, but further selling this seen as one of the most bizarre things she'd ever walked in on Scarlet in the middle of was the fact that her long crimson locks were done up in the same ponytail style Kelcey wore when in action, only because Scarlet had once admitted to Ruby she prefers to let her hair flow freely and only ties it up when absolutely necessary. At least she also wasn't wearing a replica of Kelcey's gear while doing this, even if she knew from the tournament she possessed one for the bottom half of the attire.
Amarant: I think I know why, but I'm going to refrain from asking because I'd prefer to hear it from you.
Scarlet had been in the middle of charging at the dummy to strike it with Kelcey's Perfect Ending palm strike when Ruby's voice got her attention, and in trying to shift her focus back and forth she ended up whiffing the strike and tripping herself up, faceplanting on the mats as her ass ended up in the air, an invitation Ruby wasn't interested in acknowledging right now to help her “feel better.” Scarlet climbed back to her feet and shook this off before approaching the doorway where her partner stood, getting some “revenge” at least by bumping her hip against the dummy to knock it over as she walked past it.
Grey: I thought you were busy with... whatever it is you wanted to do with some alone time.
Amarant: Kind of hard to focus on what I was working on when I hear the sound of something crashing. If there's no moaning along with it, then usually it's worth being concerned over.
Grey: Sorry, I might've gotten a little carried away with the dummy and missed the mats once with one of the moves. I didn't think it was that loud, but then again this is the closest room to your study I guess.
Amarant: It still doesn't give me the answer I was originally looking for.
Scarlet shot Ruby an annoyed look, which was admittedly a rare role reversal for the two, but the strategist remain stone-faced. Her eyes briefly drifted over to see the match on the monitors end only to immediately transition into the start of another one, which was proof that Scarlet was really making sure this endeavor had all its flaws ironed out at least, but she still waited patiently until Scarlet finally caved and revealed to her what she already knew.
Grey: Alright, since you won't drop this until it actually leaves my lips: I'm working on imitating Kelcey Wallace. I know you saw what I did for trios and I'm not even mad that Syren forgot the fact that I was on her side since I've seen how heated she can get about trying to win these things. That's just the beginning though.
Amarant: Is it really worth it though? Don't get me wrong, I won't argue against a good round of mind games and you're taking quite a shot at Peyton by imitating her trainer, but what happens once she's in the rear view mirror?
Grey: Oh, messing with Peyton is just the bonus really. The real endgame is Chris Cannon.
Ruby wasn't surprised by this revelation in the slightest, knowing there had to be more to this than just trying to really throw off one of SCW's newer stars for a moment of amusement. She at least pretended to be a bit for Scarlet's sake, which got her to keep going.
Grey: Consider this: Kelcey is Chris's wife, and we know that Sienna bitch who's been trying to hog the main event spotlight wants him as well, probably just to spite her old rival more than anything else. The fact of the matter is that I KNOW I'm a better catch than the both of them put together and even if you threw Peyton into the mix as well. They're all those model types that starve themselves to basically be walking store mannequins that are all style and no substance, and seeing them basically try to shove this down the throats of everyone makes me sick! I'm what a REAL woman should look like, same with Kandis and you and Autumn too. Our beauty is natural, not enhanced and not forced through self-torture that should probably have several people involved arrested, yet we're just supposed to be ignored and mocked because some women hit the genetic lottery better than others?
Ruby was about to say something, but Scarlet's rant continued which did legitimately catch her off guard a bit. She knew from past experience this was a bit of a touchy subject for her, but she'd never seen Scarlet get this heated about it.
Grey: You can say what you want about my failed attempts to claim Aaron, but as much as I still attest his girlfriend doesn't stack up to me at least I can stand here and say what she has is real, though what she can offer with it is definitely another story. You think Chris would actually care for Kelcey or Sienna beyond their looks since that's all they've ever made themselves about like Aaron's claimed to in his relationship? Hell no! Even Kelcey's whole “redemption” thing was a farce but everyone bought it hook, line and sinker anyway like they always do! Hell, look at the bullshit with Regan from the last show to see that problem's still ongoing. Yeah, maybe I'm one to talk about an actual relationship, but at least with me that man knows he's getting everything he deserves that's real and honest, not something that might as well be an oversized Barbie doll.
Amarant: So, let me see if I have this straight: the main point of this whole thing is to get to Cannon by basically being a more “real” version of his wife, and the bonus is trying to shove that in Sienna's face as well as bury Peyton's career before it really starts as well?
Grey: Well if I don't save SCW from Kelcey Wallace 2.0, who will?
Ruby took a moment to process this, mostly because she was admittedly impressed by the reach Scarlet had thought about on this one but conflicted on whether or not it was beneficial right now. True, continuing with it would give them a psychological advantage to exploit on Breakdown when they put down the team of Peyton and the Stewards, but Scarlet taking her eye off the ball to do her own thing had been known to cause problems in the past, and she could think of any one of them aside from her recent ankle injury to use since even she was tired of holding that over this woman's head. Then again, as long as she could hold it together to cause no direct detriment to her and especially Autumn, maybe there was nothing to worry about.
Grey: I knew you wouldn't really understand her plan...
Ruby snapped out of her thoughts and raised an eyebrow at Scarlet, who didn't catch it because she was already walking over to reset the dummy and resume her exercise. It wasn't so much the accusation that she didn't understand because she would admit to have taken maybe a little too long to process this, but more the mention of a “her” that set off a few alarms in her own head.
Amarant: Who? Kandis?
Grey: No! Forget it, you wouldn't understand. It's not like you could talk to her unless she really wanted to see you anyway.
Eyes narrowing, Ruby marched over to Scarlet as she attempted and succeeded this time in flattening the dummy with Kelcey's Perfect Ending, though not without shaking her hand as she tried to get used to using the move. This allowed Ruby to grab her by the hand to keep her close as she looked at her partner right in the eyes, though right now all she could see was the same Scarlet Grey she'd come to know after all this time.
Amarant: Scarlet, who else have you been talking to? The last thing I want to see happen to you is-
Grey: Don't get your panties in a twist Rubes, it's not something you should be concerned with. Just consider “her” my little secret... I have to have at least one to counter all the secrets you've been keeping from me.
Amarant: I keep them secret because-
Grey: I don't care what the reason is, a secret's a secret. If you're afraid it's going to drive me off or something, then I would've turned you away in the first place for being so secretive around me.
Amarant: Scarlet... I keep those secrets because even I don't really know how to deal with them, alright? I'm not exactly...
Ruby was silenced by Scarlet putting a finger on her lips, and the look between them made it clear no more words needed to be said. They weren't going to get any further and Ruby got the answers she wanted to hear to her initial questions, so there was no reason to continue. Perhaps a silent agreement was being made in the understanding they seemed to share in that moment to start coming clean about all these secrets at some point, but it would certainly be waiting until after Breakdown.
After all, business had to be taken care of, and considering they were both in need of an in-ring pick-me-up, that needed to be top priority.
*
It feels like some time has passed since we could open up and see the Red Empire standing as a unit, and yet it feels just as familiar ti find Scarlet and Ruby standing side by side, though quite a few eyebrows might be raised at the fact that while Ruby's in her usual attire, Scarlet's got on the same black pants she wore for the trios tournament as well as one of the old Kelcey Wallace t-shirts that used to be sold as SCW merchandise, a large slit cut into it from the neckline down to expose a very generous amount of cleavage, not to mention cut through Kelcey's face. Scarlet's grinning like she's well aware of who's probably taking careful notice of that fact, but Ruby is just as cold and emotionless as usual as she kicks things off.
Amarant: I think it's safe to say a number of people were hoping to celebrate after the last Breakdown went off the air, and I don't blame them. A lot of things seemed to go wrong with Katya's final night in power, and once the clock struck midnight everything was supposed to go back to 'normal.' And yet, what we got instead was the announcement that Katya still has power in her hands to give those who have been held down the opportunities they truly deserve and it is the big boss himself who is opting to bow out of the proceedings. True, not even I would've predicted this to be the outcome, but one thing it makes clear to you all is that you're not out of the woods as much as you think you might be.
Grey: And it goes without saying that there are some very hungry wolves still on the prowl right now, namely us. True, maybe you don't see us as much of a threat since this hasn't exactly started off like the year we wanted to have for the most part, but the persistence of the Red Empire should never be questioned. We've stuck it out for this long no matter what's been put in our way, so sooner or later we're going to be enforcing the kind of change we're hoping for whether you like it or not. The pieces are all there, so it's only a matter of time before SCW as you know it is being painted red.
Amarant: And if you still don't believe us, which I know you won't because you all lack the ability to see threats sleeping right under your noses out of sheer ignorance, then consider the fact that we've evolved since entering into 2019. True, the Red Empire itself is still just the two of us, but now we also stand beside others who understand and respect what we all bring to the table and why it shouldn't be cast aside and forgotten about just because we aren't who you all wish to see hogging that precious spotlight every single night. Consider the kind of athlete Kandis is, despite having nothing to her name only because the former head of EMERGE had no idea what she truly had.
Grey: Or Autumn Valentine, who seems to always be forgotten about despite the fact she was just as valuable within the ranks of Dark Fantasy as Syren and Ravyn were, or the fact that she's still one-half of one of the longest reigning tag champs in this place's history. Seriously, what right do you people have to forget that Autumn exists just because of everything Syren and Ravyn have done when she's just as talented and dangerous as them? Never mind the fact that she's also got Ryan Watson looking out for her, a guy that certainly knows what he's doing and can hold his own if need be. And you wonder why the four of us knew whose side we needed to pick when the SCW roster basically turned into a war draft.
Scarlet just shakes her head, almost in disgust at the fact that everything that was just said is dripping with facts that no one can dispute but people will go ahead and try anyway. Clearly the thought of being ignored and cast aside is one that doesn't sit well with her, and Ruby can be seen putting a hand on her shoulder despite her expression never changing or leaving the camera.
Amarant: People just don't understand what they have sometimes, it's one of those sad facts of life. Perhaps that's why whoever does have the power to call the shots now decided to make this match: to try and see what they've got and go from there. Maybe Katya booked it to help Autumn and the two of us regain lost momentum, or Sasha could have done so thinking she could give some of her little friends the big break to keep their delusions of grandeur alive. Maybe there's some hope that Peyton Rice might be able to exact a little revenge on Scarlet for the stunt she pulled at trios-
Grey: For the record, I'm not apologizing for what I did and she's got nobody to blame but herself for taking her eye off the ball. Maybe she should've tried a little harder to get the job done like her mentor would have.
Amarant: Regardless, we know there will be many of you who will tweet and voice your hopes that our team fails miserably just so you can feel better about 'the bad guys' losing when we've been the ones struggling to get that spotlight that's been purposely kept off of us for so long. Do you think any of the three of us in this match or even Kandis would've been in the discussion right now had none of this happened? Of course not, you'd all be busy praising Peyton to the moon and back because she's your brand new Kelcey Wallace, little miss perfect with the kind of attitude that everybody loves as you all fawn over how 'pretty' she is and not just because she's so egotistical she had to make it her official nickname. You'll discuss how she is still, to this day, the only person who held EMERGE's top title and keep trying to put her on the same pedestal you had her mentor sitting on for so long just because you're blinded by nostalgia, even forgetting that she's already suffered defeats since choosing to move up which makes her nowhere close to the 'perfection' Kelcey had going for her for so long.
Grey: Let's be honest for a second Peyton: you're trying to overcompensate with this idea that you're a friend to the entire roster and everyone should bow down and kiss your ass because you'll be this magical rainbow that will make all their lives better. Nothing can hide the fact that you're no different than the likes of Kelcey and Sienna, trying to promote this idea that you are the kind of girl everyone should strive to be in life because everything you had was earned through 'hard work'. I didn't realize trying to pretend to be just another life-sized Barbie doll trying to make the world as plastic and carefree as you are constituted hard work. At least I'm real, and at least I know what I want and how to get it. You've been stumbling around trying to get attention just because you were such a big deal down in EMERGE yet haven't found anywhere close to that level of success in SCW just yet, and it keeps coming at the expense of people like us just trying to forge our own path. Hell, if anyone should be glad Mr. D's gone it's you since he basically called you out for what you are: a plain old cookie cutter cheap knock off of the woman who gave you that golden ticket into this business because you have no idea what else to be. At least with Breakdown you can finally start to understand what REAL perfection looks like.
Scarlet can't resist pushing her chest out a bit as her finger signs the word “PERFECTION” across her breasts to help try to make her point clearer, feeling much better now that she's gotten that out of her system. Ruby, however, doesn't seem satisfied just yet, and that's probably because there's another part of the equation that needs to be dealt with.
Amarant: But of course, who better to pair up with Peyton than Giovanna and Madision Steward, the rejects who have lost their way because their so-called 'goddess' abandoned them to pursue her own interests once again despite the ever-mounting evidence that her time has long since passed around here. What else makes for a better comeback story to try and show that Peyton could've gone farther in trios had Scarlet not been her partner and perhaps Maddy should get some credit despite being the woman who effectively cost her partners everything right at the finish line. She's even under this belief now that Katya has some sort of vested interest in her when I seem to recall a tag match not that long ago where Kandis was in my place and she was just as quick as Gigi to express how corrupt and twisted Katya is for trying to screw them over.
Grey: Or how about Gigi thinking that a win means she and Maddy will get a tag title opportunity even though we all heard last Breakdown that Bree and Andrew decided that's what they were going to take even though they have no business being a team or thinking they deserve anything for Retribution? If having to crush these two twice already taught me anything it's the fact that the only quality a Steward truly possesses is the ability to lose themselves in their own little worlds to remain ignorant to the fact that they simply aren't good enough to keep going. Maybe that works to remain ignorant to the truth no matter how many times it's thrown in their faces, but to forget something that was even made explicitly clear on Breakdown or think the woman who you vilified now suddenly thinks you might be her diamond in the rough? Can someone find some anesthesia, because I think Rubes, Autumn and I are going to need to do a pair of lobotomies on Breakdown to correct this issue.
Amarant: I doubt it will help them that much Scarlet, although it might make them more tolerable to listen to. Regardless, I think it's clear that whatever the reason for this match, the odds of you three ladies walking away victorious is fairly slim. True, you may have something to prove, but so do we, and I can promise you all we want it so much more than any of you. Between the Stewards barely knowing what's going on half the time and Peyton just going through the motions we've all seen so many times before from her mentor, it's painfully clear which team is more deserving of the momentum from this win. But please, keep indulging yourselves in false hopes to help you sleep better at night, because all that blissful ignorance will be necessary to try and move beyond the nightmare that awaits you all come Breakdown.
Grey: Just try not to think about it too much, because maybe then it won't hurt as bad by the time the three of us are finished turning you into our stepping stones back up into the bigger picture.
Scarlet chuckles to herself as she winks to the camera, trying to pose herself to continue drawing attention to her cleavage even as she taps her head with her finger, perhaps trying to get someone specific watching to “think about it.” Ruby just shakes her head, partly at her partner's antics and partly because she knows her warnings will fall on deaf ears when the bell rings. That's nothing new though... just another day of fixing the problem at hand and putting the Red Empire along with their newfound friends back where they truly belong.
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