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+--- Thread: Deanna Frost vs. Marie Jones (/showthread.php?tid=3743)
Deanna Frost vs. Marie Jones - Konrad Raab - 02-20-2024
Just over a week before she defends her US championship in a Last Woman Standing match, Deanna Frost takes on Marie Jones. Marie will be looking to keep redeeming herself, but one wonders if there’s a bit of a spark here given Deanna and Kimberly Williams’s history. Nonetheless, Marie Jones also wrestles a style similar to Polly and so it could be a good test for Deanna, but also a notable threat as Marie Jones is a former US Champion herself.
2 RP Limit for singles
3500 word max per RP
Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET FRIDAY, February 23, 2024 *NOTE THE DEADLINE*
RE: Deanna Frost vs. Marie Jones - The Matt - 02-20-2024
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February 17th, 2024
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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Marie’s journey towards redemption in Supreme Championship Wrestling began a few weeks ago when she fought Aisling. Jones earned a victory over the former Playgirl and now looks towards her next opponent; none other than the United States Champion Deanna Frost. It is almost like being dropped right into the deep end of the pool before you even learned how to swim. Marie knew she would eventually have to face Deanna. It was inevitable, it would be poetic, even. She just never expected it to happen this quickly. Marie, on the last day when she walked out of her SCW contract, was scheduled to tag with Kimberly to face Deanna and Selena Frost. Now The Phoenix must go face to face with Deanna Frost one on one. Symbolically, she must face down her past. Yet, as much as she does want to redeem herself in the eyes of her fans and of the entire SCW universe, she recognizes that the bigger, more arduous journey is at home with her blood relatives, with her family.
It has been two days since Breakdown and “The Phoenix” Marie Jones finds herself back in Boston, Massachusetts, back at what used to be her home, her luxurious home that is now occupied by her identical twin sister Kimberly Williams. Why doesn’t she live here? If you ask Kimberly, this is about Marie proving herself. Marie spent months away from the family, months in a cult, neglecting her own son; Marie needs to prove that she is back to her old self again and that the old life of recklessness and irresponsibility is behind her. Only then can she get her own home back and her son back. But for Marie, this takes on a whole different meaning. It is all part of a penance she feels that she must pay for the sins she committed against her own family. She turned her back on her family and her own son in favor of a cult and its leader who never cared about her. Marie does feel, in a way, that she deserves to be punished. She also knows that she must prove herself to her family, much like how she must prove herself to the SCW fans and roster that she is back for the long haul and will never again betray them.
Jones sits comfortably on her plush leather sofa in the immaculate, elegant living room. Marie wears a knee length black floral print skirt, black sheer stockings, a red silk blouse, and black high heeled pumps. This certainly feels normal for her. Marie has always preferred living the luxurious lifestyle. She can only imagine how Kimberly is holding up. She detests this lifestyle; yet Kim has remained here ever since Marie ran off with the Inner Peace cult. Kim has stayed her to take care of Sean, Marie’s son, to attempt to give him sone semblance of normalcy while Marie herself was gone. The Phoenix cannot help but admire Kim for doing this, for taking on a responsibility that was never hers to begin with, and she also cannot feel guilty for burdening Kim with this responsibility. Jones longs to return to normal. She longs to return to her son Sean. But she knows that it will be a long time before that happens. Therefore she will treasure these few moments she has.
“Hi diddly ho twin sisteroonie!” Marie turns at the sound of the voice. It’s almost like looking into the mirror as she watches her twin sister, Kimberly Williams, entering the living room, having exited the kitchen area. Kimberly is wearing torn denim jeans, is barefoot, and is wearing a “Queens of Chaos” logo t-shirt. The reigning SCW Underground Champion is carrying two glasses of wine, one in each hand. A playful grin is etched across her face which makes Marie wonder about what Kim has on her mind. The eccentric Kim approaches and holds both wine glasses out to Marie. “Now we’re gonna play a game!”
“A game?”
“Uh-huh,” Kim nods her head “see, one of these is actually wine, the other is Welch’s Grape Juice.”
“Seriously, Kim?”
“Dead serious.” Again she shoves both drinks at Marie. “Now you must choose…but choose wisely…for while the true grail brings life, a false grail will take it from you!”
The Phoenix looks at both drinks closely. Then up at Kim. She smirks. “You’ve obviously been watching Indiana Jones.”
“And the Simpsons, twin sisteroonie!”
“Right.” Marie rolls her eyes. “So we’re really playing this game, huh? I gotta pick.”
“Yup!” Kim nods her head insistently. Marie sighs and takes the drink from Kim’s right hand.
“Well, here’s to eternal life, I suppose. Bottom’s up.” Marie takes a sip. She sighs and smiles pleasantly. “Great. Wine.”
“They’re both wine, actually.” Kim smirks as she offers Marie the other glass as well. Marie takes it and shrugs her shoulders.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, you can have both. I planned it this way. I’d rather you be good and drunk before you leave.”
“Gee, thanks.” Marie rolls her eyes as she sets the other glass on a table next to her. Kim then sits down on the sofa, sitting right next to Marie. “How are you holding up after Breakdown?” Marie asks.
“Oh you mean ol’ Davey Crockett Striker?” Kim smirks devilishly. “I have big plans for him!”
“Do I even want to know?”
“Don’t worry, sis. I have nothing BAD planned. Hell, I kinda like him, if I’m honest with ya! Maybe I finally found someone worthy to take up the Underground mantle? I mean, I love being Underground Champion and all, and as crazy as I am, even I know that nothing lasts forever.”
“This is true.” Marie says and she sips her wine. “Well, good luck with you and Striker and…well…whatever it is you have planned…”
“Right.” Kim points at Marie. “So, how does it feel to be back in ol’ SC Dubya?”
“Honestly? It’s definitely been an experience, one I didn’t expect. I mean, I didn’t think mom could pull the strings to get me signed to a new contract to begin with; but then to get the reception I had from the fans…”
“Quite a few cheers.” Kim points out.
“...and a few boos. But the cheers, yeah, that was surprising. I went on to beat Aisling. And now, I hear who I’m facing next…”
“Selena Frost for the SCW World Championship!” Kim declares. Marie sighs and shakes her head.
“Wrong Frost.”
“Deanna Frost for the United States Championship!”
“No title is on the line, Kim!” Marie exclaims. “Just a straight up one on one match!”
“Y’know, I could let you walk out with the Underground Title.” Kim begins. “Deanna may THINK its me and offer to defend her title and…”
“No!” Marie shakes her head vehemently. “No games. I need to redeem myself and that means no shenanigans, no tricks.”
“I know, I’m just messing with ya.” Kim pats her on the back. “I know how important this is to you. Especially this particular match. The night we walked out on SCW was the night we were supposed to face The House of Frost.”
“Yes and you paid your fine and went back. You also went on to face Deanna at Rise To Greatness. You paid your debt.” Marie shakes her head. “I never did. This is my shot at redemption. I need to make this count.”
“You will.” Kim says reassuringly. “Look, I’m a wacko, so ignore my random, crazy comments. Just remember that facing Deanna isn’t about winning or losing, necessarily. I mean, obviously you want to try and win. But the match itself is just about redemption. In a way, this is the match you walked away from. Just go out there, give it your all, and hold your head high throughout the match and at the end of the match, win or lose.”
“You know, Kim,” Marie smiles as she takes in the heartwarming words Kim just spoke “you really know how to say the right words when you need to.”
“Eh, I kinda had to take on the role of ‘responsible adult’ after you left.” Kim shrugs her shoulders. “Which reminds me, you need to hurry up and get better because I hate being a responsible adult.” Kim folds her arms over her chest and pretends to pout. Marie sighs and shrugs her shoulders.
“Sorry…” Marie’s voice trails off. Kim grins and then pats her on the back.
“Don’t worry about it, sis! Remember? I like to mess with ya!”
Marie nods her head acknowledging what Kim just said. But Marie is worried that Kim secretly harbors some resentment towards her. Kim has been the most forgiving human being she has ever known but surely Kim has limits. Marie embarrassed her by walking out on her SCW contract and convincing Kim to go along with it. Marie left Kim alone in SCW to survive on her own. Marie ran off to rejoin the Inner Peace cult, forcing Kim to step up and raise Marie’s son Sean. Does Kim hold a grudge? It is possible.
“So, how are ya handling yourself living with mom again?” Kim asks, suddenly breaking Marie’s thought process.
“Huh? Oh…I am supposed to be independent, on my own, not living with my mother.” She shrugs. “But I do need help getting through this difficult time in my life. I allowed myself to be used and manipulated by a cult. I betrayed my fans, my friends, and my family. I burned bridges in the process. It will take a lot of time to heal and rebuild everything. But our mom has been through all of that. Everything I just endured, every mistake I have made and now the consequences I have to pay, she has gone through it all.” Marie smiles. “If anyone can help me get through this, it’s our mom.”
“See? There is a method to my madness!” Kim exclaims, patting herself on her head. “I know staying with mom for awhile might not have seemed ideal at first but trust me, it is the best way to get past whatever demons you have. I know. I needed her help to overcome my own demons once upon a time.”
“Yeah, well, hopefully these inner demons of mine will be easily taken care of.” Marie then finishes off the last of the wine from her first glass. She looks at the second glass, still full of wine, and then back at her twin sister Kim. “Before I move on to my second drink, I’d like to see Sean. I want to see my son…” she pauses for a moment “...if it’s ok.”
“Of course it’s ok.” Kim says. “You know where his room is.”
Marie nods her head. It feels odd to have to ask permission to see her son. And while Sean hasn’t legally been taken away from her, she would not dare fight this arrangement made between her and Kim and their mother. Both Kim and Angelica agree that after Marie rejoined the Inner Peace cult and abandoned her son, that Marie needs to prove herself worthy of being a parent. Marie also knows full well that the state of Massachusetts would probably agree with them and social services would no doubt take Sean from her legally if Marie did anything. This is a large part of the reason why Marie is willing to jump through these hoops. She wants her family back, her son back, her entire life back. The Phoenix rises up off of the sofa and walks out of the living room. She immediately is met by the familiar sight of the staircase. She ascends the staircase to the second floor, where her son Sean’s room is. Marie gets to the top, rounds a corner, and immediately finds Sean’s room; his door is already open, as if he was expecting her. Marie pokes her head in and sees him sitting up in bed reading a comic book.
“Sean?”
“Huh?” Sean puts his comic book down and smiles upon seeing his mother standing there. “Oh, hi mom.”
“May I come in?”
“Sure.”
Jones wasn’t sure if she would be ready for this moment, but the moment is here. She finally gets to see her son. He no doubt has many questions, tough questions that she isn’t sure she is prepared to answer. Marie enters the room and approaches his bed. She sits down on the edge of the bed.
“So, how has it been living with your Aunt Kim?”
“It’s been alright.”
“Only alright?” Marie asks with an arched brow. “I thought Aunt Kim was the fun aunt?”
“She is!” Sean says with a slight bit of laughter. “She is fun! But…”
“But what?”
“...I missed you.”
Those words are like daggers through the heart of Marie Jones. She hurt her son. Mentally, emotionally she hurt him. She fights hard to hold back the tears. She nods her head.
“I missed you too, Sean.”
“Aunt Kim said you were sick.” Sean states. “What was wrong, mom?”
“I was sick. But I wasn’t physically sick. I was sick up here…” she points to her head “...I haven’t been well, Sean. I haven’t been well mentally or emotionally lately. But that is no excuse for what I did to you.”
“You don’t need to apologize for anything.” Sean insists. “If you are sick you need to get better.”
“I do need to apologize because I haven’t been the parent that you deserve.”
“You did the best you could.”
“No,” Marie shakes her head “I could have done a lot better. And I promise you, Sean, I swear on everything I hold dear, that I will be the best possible mother I can for you one day. I will get better, I will be back, and I will make everything better again.”
Marie can no longer hold back the tears. She starts crying as she leans forward and embraces her son Sean in a tight hug. This is why she must fight to redeem herself. This is why she cannot fail. She wants her family back. After a long, tense moment she breaks the embrace and kisses Sean on his forehead.
“Be good for your Aunt Kim, ok?”
“I will, mom.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too.”
Marie turns and exits her son’s room, gently shutting the door behind her. She can only think about her son as she descends the staircase and makes her way through the hall and back into the living room. She finds Kimberly sprawled out on the sofa. Marie approaches and Kim looks up at her.
“Oh, I wasn’t expecting you back.”
“Nice. Love you too, Kim.”
Kimberly swings her feet over and then moves over, making room for Marie to sit back down. Kim.
“You look awful. Was it that bad?”
“I haven’t seen him in months. You tell me.” Marie sighs and wipes some of the tears from her eyes. “And it’s all my fault.”
“Yeah, it is.” Kim states, once again getting more serious with the tone she is taking with her sister. “You gave all of this up…this nice home, your son, your career…you gave all of it up and for what? Raul? Inner Peace?”
“I was wrong, Kim.” Marie insists. “But I am going to fix this. I am going to fix myself.”
“I know you are.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“Because I beat this once before. And if I can beat it, so can you, because you are damn sure a stronger person than me.”
Marie shakes her head. “No, you are stronger. Face it, I grew up in the lap of luxury. Kim, you had to fight for everything. You had to bite, scratch, and claw for everything. I was handed everything and yet I still managed to screw it all up.”
“Why not let’s just agree that we’re both screw ups and leave it at that?” Kim smirks knowingly.
“F…fair enough…” Kim’s light hearted humor does manage to get a laugh out of Marie.
“But most importantly…” Kim places a hand on Marie’s shoulder “...you are not alone. Me and mom, we’ll help get you through this. Ok?”
“Yeah, I hear you.” Marie nods her head.
This journey of redemption will continue to be trying and difficult. She has already passed a few tests but more remain. One big test comes on Breakdown when she faces the woman she walked away from, Deanna Frost. She has other tests, bigger tests, coming up. Those tests make the upcoming match seem like child’s play. She will have to win back the trust of her friends and her family. She must prove herself worthy of being a mother to Sean. That is the endgame for this redemption journey. And that is one test she cannot afford to fail.
RE: Deanna Frost vs. Marie Jones - The Matt - 02-21-2024
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February 19th, 2024
Worcester, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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Redemption is never easy. Redemption is never a simple and easy uphill climb back to where you want to go. Redemption is full of ups and downs, highs and lows, and plenty of bumps in the road before receiving the full redemption that one seeks. Marie Jones, having gone down this path of redemption before, knows it all too well. She knew that this latest attempt to redeem herself in the eyes of not only her wrestling fans and peers but also in the eyes of her family would be quite difficult and would not go without the occasional misstep. The Phoenix already expects her first major misstep in her SCW redemption story to come up this week on Breakdown when she faces the United States Champion Deanna Frost. She knew facing Deanna was something she had to do. After all, she was scheduled to face Deanna in tag action the night Marie chose to walk out on her SCW contract. It only makes sense that eventually she would have to come face to face with Deanna Frost. Facing Deanna in any normal circumstance would be a challenge. She has come into her own as a wrestler from the last time Marie saw her. Deanna went from being simply Selena Frost’s devoted wife and biggest cheerleader to being a former Television Champion, Tag Team Champion, Underground Champion, and current United States Champion. Can Marie even defeat Deanna Frost? She thinks she can. She knows she has the ability to get the job done. Marie herself is a former Television, Tag Team, and United States Champion. She knows she can defeat Deanna Frost. But does a victory really equal redemption? Or does Marie need to achieve something far greater and far deeper than a mere victory in order to achieve the redemption she seeks? Is it the respect of her fans, her peers, and more importantly the respect of Deanna Frost that she needs to earn on Breakdown? And if respect is what she needs to earn, will it be possible?
Her personal family redemption isn’t going any easier for The Phoenix. Marie has been separated from her home and her son. Marie has nowhere to go and is forced to live once again with her mother, Angelica Jones. She knows that she alone is to blame for all of this. She is solely responsible for getting herself into this mess and she has to earn the trust of her family in order to restore normalcy back to her life. Yet Marie continues to make mistakes and missteps along the way. She continues to stumble and fall off the wagon. Just like with alcoholics or drug addicts, the temptation is too great. She knows what she is doing is wrong…or at least she thinks that it is wrong…but she just doesn’t care. What exactly is she doing that makes her think she is tempting fate? She has continued her romantic relationship with Julianne Buchanan, the woman who twice before convinced Marie to join the Inner Peace cult.The sheets rustled and the mattress dipped as the two women, one named Marie Jones and the other Julianne Buchanan, shifted positions in the bed. Their bodies were entwined, the soft curves of their stomachs pressing together, the warmth of their skin intermingling. They were both wearing silk negligees, the material flowing over their bodies like liquid gold, accentuating their feminine curves. The room was dimly lit, casting a warm glow across their naked flesh, and the air was thick with anticipation and desire. The sheets rustled and the mattress dipped as the two women shifted positions in the bed. Their bodies were entwined, the soft curves of their stomachs pressing together, the warmth of their skin intermingling. They were both wearing silk negligees, Marie’s a bright red and Julianne’s pink; the material flowing over their bodies. The only light in the room came from the sun that was shining in through the window.
Marie can feel Julianne’s breath upon her. She doesn’t dare move in fear of disturbing her lover. She is also feeling pangs of guilt. But why should she feel guilty? This is love and love is normal. At least, if this is truly love. Marie has been a victim of heartbreak far too many times in her life. Her first boyfriend was Damian Daniel Toole, a drunk with an awful temper who often took his frustration out on Marie. Then there was Arthur Pond, whom she had given her entire heart to and thought everything was perfect; until Arthur committed suicide. Then there was Tommy, who seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth. After so many failures with love, it is easy to understand why Marie might second guess herself with Julianne. Is this romantic relationship with Marie truly love or is it just lust? But the real reason for the guilt at this time is the fact that Marie has kept this relationship a secret from Kim and their mother Angelica. Marie knows that they would not approve of Marie continuing this relationship. Not because they disapprove of Marie seeing another woman; but because Julianne led her astray twice before.
Her thoughts are broken with a gentle kiss on her cheek. “You awake yet, Annabelle?”
“Yeah…” Marie answers with a bit of a yawn “...I’ve been awake for a bit, actually.”
“I hope I didn’t disturb you with my tossing and turning.” Julianne kisses her again. “If I did, I know just how to make it up to you.” She grins with a bit of mischief written across her face. Marie knows all too well what Julianne means. The blonde’s sexual appetite is nearly insatiable.
“You already know I can’t.”
“Was I too much for you last night?” Julianne asks playfully.
“Maybe.” Marie snickers. “But honestly, you were lucky to get me for an overnight stay to begin with.”
“Oh I know.” Julianne yawns as she swings her legs off the side of the bed and then stretches, getting her bearings before standing up. “Its been way too long since we had a night like last night. Y’know? It was…”
“It was wonderful.”
“Yeah, it was.” Julianne agrees with a nod of her head. “I was half-expecting your meddlesome family to still be keeping you on a tight leash. Y’know?”
“I know.”
“Your sister and your mom have had you locked down tight lately. How did you convince them that this was ok?”
“That’s the thing.” Marie smiles sheepishly. “They don’t exactly know I’m here.”
“Oh really now?” Julianne smirks. “So you lied to them?”
“They think I went early to Vancouver to do promotional stuff for SCW.” She shrugs her shoulders. “I mean, what else was I gonna do? There was no way in hell they would have let me come here and spend the night with you. They don’t even know I’m still dating you, let alone sleeping with you.”
“You got that right.” Julianne says, sounding a bit annoyed. “Especially that brat sister of yours.”
“Kim means well.”
“She trapped me in a freaking net!” Julianne exclaims angrily. Marie can’t help but laugh a little bit, which only further angers Julianne. “What’s so funny about that?!”
“Nothing, sorry! But seriously, my sister does mean well. She cares about me and only wants what’s best for me.”
“You’re fooling yourself, Annabelle.” Julianne says as she approaches Marie and sits back down on the bed next to her. “You know damn well Kim would never approve of our relationship. Neither would your mother.”
“I know what you’re thinking and it’s not that.” Marie shakes her head. “It’s the nature of our relationship…I mean, face it, you did introduce me to Inner Peace, and after I left you convinced me to rejoin. Now I left again. I imagine they would be worried about you getting me caught up in another scandalous cult.”
“Say what you want but they are hateful towards me and they do NOT want what’s best for you.” Julianne reaches over and runs her hand through Marie’s long red hair. “Let’s just go back to the way things were. Just the two of us. How about it?”
“No.”
“Why not?” Julianne asks, taken aback by Marie’s refusal.
“Things cannot be the way they once were. You should know that, Julianne. We were both conned, manipulated, and taken advantage of by Raul and his Inner Peace cult. We do share that common experiential bond. And yes, I do care about you, I do want to make this work out between us, but it has to be the RIGHT way. I want my family to approve of this.”
“They never will.” Julianne insists, shaking her head.
“Can you blame them for having doubts? We’ve both screwed each other up, TWICE, we both have a lot to prove to them, to a lot of people.”
“You’re wrong.” Julianne stands up. “We do not have to prove a damn thing to anyone. Hopefully you will understand that one day.”
Marie Jones watches as Julianne walks away. A twinge of guilt washes over Marie. She feels guilty for lying to her family about this, but now Julianne is making her feel guilty for not fully embracing their relationship. Is Julianne yet another person on the long list of people she has wronged and who now she has to redeem herself? So many questions, very few answers for The Phoenix.
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February 21st, 2024
Vancouver, BC, Canada
On Camera
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Right out of the frying pan and into the fire. Thomas More has one of the earliest recorded uses of this now common phrase. I thought returning to Supreme Championship Wrestling would be difficult enough as it was, considering the fact that myself and the company did not part ways on a positive note, AND considering my interference in a match at Body Heart & Soul got me kicked out of the arena that night. But I walked into Breakdown my first night back, I soaked in the reaction from the SCW fans…there were those who accepted me back with open arms, willing to forgive and forget. There were others who showered me with the boos that I probably deserved. Fair enough. I had it coming. But I took that reaction, I accepted it, but then I put it out of my mind as I took on Aisling. I have to give credit where credit is due, Aisling is one tough cookie to crack. I worked over that back as much as I could but she wouldn’t tap out, not even to the Angel’s Arch. And she returned fire, dishing out just as much punishment as she was receiving. But in the end I managed to drop her on her head with a good old fashioned Ave Maria and I pinned her shoulders to the mat for the one, two, three. That return to SCW was very difficult for me but I met that challenge head on, I faced it and I didn’t back down. Most importantly, I took my first giant step forward in my journey towards redemption.
This is where that old phrase of Thomas More’s comes into play. Right out of the frying pan and into the fire. I go from facing Aisling…one of the Playgirls…to facing the current United States Champion. And oh if this were just a case of me facing a current champion then I wouldn’t be worried one iota. I mean, look at David Striker. He managed to pull off an upset in an absolute war with my sister Kimberly in an Underground Rules Match. Now THAT was impressive. Could I pull off that same feat? Could I upset the United States Champion? Damn right I could. And pulling off that kind of upset would definitely slingshot me right back into the thick of things. Imagine it, I pin the champion’s shoulders to the mat, or make her tap out, and immediately CHBK has to at least consider yours truly The Phoenix to be a potential top contender to that very same championship. And me, having JUST returned to SCW, I would have everything to gain and absolutely NOTHING to lose. Right? Am I right?
No, I’d be wrong. Dead wrong. You see, I AM facing the SCW United States Champion but the champion happens to be you, Deanna Frost, which is precisely WHY this is akin to me jumping from the frying pan and into the fire as part of my redemption journey.
Now the SCW hype machine wants to focus on two things in particular. First, YOU are about to defend that United States Title against Polly in a Last Woman Standing Match at Retribution. And apparently Polly’s in ring style is similar to my own. Could it be a nice way to test yourself and prepare yourself for that title defense? Sure. But honestly, Deanna, how much more preparation do you need? You’ve faced her down on a couple of occasions. At least one occasion ended in your victory, albeit in controversial fashion, but the fact remains you should know Polly by now. Do you really think fighting ME is going to give you a leg up against Polly? The other thing SCW wants us to talk about is your history with my sister Kimberly. And yes, it’s true, you definitely have a history with Kim. You are one of the few who entered into her world of the Underground and beat her at her own game at Rise To Greatness. Let me tell you something Deanna, Kim respects the hell out of you and so do I, quite frankly. And if you want my advice, if you REALLY want to prepare for a Last Woman Standing Match against Polly, its KIM you should be talking to, not me. But that’s beside the point. The point is that your history with my sister…well…it goes deeper than what happened between you two at Rise To Greatness in the Underground and you and I both know it.
So let’s address the elephant in the room, let’s address why, for me at least, this is truly going from the frying pan and right into the fire of my redemption journey. April 1st, 2022…April Fool’s Day, ironically enough…The House of Frost was supposed to face Twin Magic in a tag team match. But I walked out on my contract that night and I convinced Kimberly to come with me. To her credit, Kim returned to SCW. She returned and she flourished, she prospered without me by her side. Kim did the right thing and immediately faced the consequences of her actions. But me? I stayed away and my career suffered because of it. Now I don’t know if this event even crossed your mind when you saw you drew my name as your opponent tomorrow night. You may not care one iota about this. After all, you, like my sister, have flourished since that event. Television Champion, Tag Team Champion, Underground Champion, and now United States Champion. You’ve done very well for yourself.
But I do care…I care because that was the time I did wrong by you, by Selena, by the fans of SCW, and by SCW itself. I even did wrong by my own sister for tarnishing her reputation by convincing her to go along with me. I knew that sometime someday before this redemption story of mine concluded I would have to face you. For me to feel that this redemption was over, I knew that I would have to face you. Does it mean I have to defeat you on Breakdown? Not necessarily. Hell, at this point I’m not even sure I can beat you. Face it, you have been consistently active, fighting anyone and everyone SCW puts in front of you. But me? Ever since I walked out on our match I haven’t had nearly the amount of ring time as I used to get. Maybe the walk out earned me a bad reputation, one that promoters weren’t willing to take a chance on?
How do I finish my redemption journey? How do I turn that bad reputation around? I do it through respect. I need to give it where it is earned and I need to EARN it through hard work and busting my ass in the ring each and every time I lace up the boots against whoever I face. I do it by facing down any opponent and earning their respect by giving them the absolute fight of their lives. I knew you would be on that list of opponents whose respect I would have to earn. You just had to be. I walked out on our match, poetically speaking, it makes perfect sense that I end up facing you sometime during this journey. I just never expected it to happen this quickly, just my second match back and already I’m facing Deanna Frost, the woman who symbolically represents that moment in time that haunts me.
Right out of the frying pan and into the fire, am I right? But you know what? I am The Phoenix and as I have said time and again, this Phoenix WILL rise, but a Phoenix cannot rise without a little fire. And Deanna, I believe that you and I are going to light things up in a big way in Vancouver for Breakdown. And I will give you everything I have tomorrow night. Every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears in my body. You’re going to get hit with every bit of offense I have available to me. Because this match, even though it is oh so early in my comeback, it means everything to me. This is more than just a mere opportunity to prove myself against a reigning champion. This is my chance to keep my redemption story going, to earn the respect of my peers, of my fans, of each and every person who ever supported me.
I need this, Deanna. I need it more than anything. Ave Maria…This Phoenix will rise…
RE: Deanna Frost vs. Marie Jones - SnowQueenSCW - 02-22-2024
DISCLAIMER: The following is a work of fiction and not to be confused as complete or accurate representation of any beliefs, religions, etc. Please refer to research/articles by experts for that.
The Witches of Alden
”Dress”
Frost ‘Forever Home’
Manhattan, New York
February 20, 2024
2:12pm
The redhead could not stop the surge of giddiness as she stood before the large mirror that was bolted against the wall, the dark black iron that made up the frame contrasting the near shimmering glass that seemed to slightly reflect the sunlight that came from the nearby windows. In the same way, she adored the way the red of her hair, curly and flowing down her bare shoulders, contrasted the dark, emerald-green of the dress that hugged her form just right. It began with the snug top with part of the material folded right at the bust line before flowing down into the gown seamlessly, pooling out at her hips to give an elegant look.
But it was the sparkling embroidery that caught her eye most of all. Shimmering silver in a gorgeous pattern flowed up from the bottom to the top like a river or vines, covering all sides without taking away from the green.
Biting her lower lip, Deanna daring spun on the spot again, allowing herself to be a little enamored with how she looked. She felt so…so… special.
It wasn’t the first time the young woman had worn dresses before. That would be silly. Since her marriage to Selena and her debut into the world of Supreme Championship Wrestling as a manager, Deanna had, more times than she could even recall, attended parties. There was the Hall of Fame ceremonies every few years, for example, and that said nothing to the romantic dates, birthday parties, and such that came with her life with the Snow Queen.
Still, even with all of that, this felt different.
It’s for… it’s for me.
Well, not exactly. The dress was for the upcoming gala-ball-party that was being held by the Aldens to commemorate this year’s graduating class of ‘witches’. In the same room that she had taken on this challenge on behalf of the Alden family, Deanna would be recognized as a graduate… a witch she thought to herself as she admired her reflection once more.
Of course, it wasn’t just her. The ballroom would be filled with graduating students, each on with the same ‘status’ as her. Still, she felt giddy. Because… as Raphael Alden had said… she was the ‘star’.
It was true. As the student with the highest grades, Deanna had achieved a rather prominent status in the class, chosen by the teacher, Mrs. Winthrop, and the Alden-council to give a graduating-ceremony-speech to commemorate the occasion. As Raphael had said it, ‘it makes you the belle of the ball’…
Her… DEANNA Frost… the most important person at such a party?
A slight mew of excitement escaped her, causing Deanna, on instinct, to cover her mouth with her hand in shock, her reflection mirroring her without fail. It was amazing and so wonderful, she couldn’t deny. She had graduated high school back in Kentucky in defiance to the bigots and haters of her town, letting herself be despised simply because of her sexuality. It had been empowering, and yet, part of her had wanted – standing on that stage at the age of 17 – to merely be accepted by her home. It was not meant to be and she had forced herself to move on.
Still, that desire had not left her. Maybe it had manifested itself slowly as she had transitioned from student to manager to wrestler in SCW. That desire to be accepted and treated with respect by the outside world, not just by the family that loved her. In many ways, she had that in SCW, but it was still a tough battle. Her credibility was constantly questioned, though not as much as her morals and ethics, especially with Selena returning as the “Blue-Eyed Devil”.
The thought of her wife caused a spike of guilt and sadness to hit her, temporarily tainting the jubilation she had been feeling today. She knew that, while she had been invited and would be the ‘center-of-attention’, she could not share such a proud moment of her life with Selena, no matter how much part of her desired to.
Selena hadn’t been invited.
There was no mistake about that. Deanna had received her invitation months ago, as well as her invitation to be the speaker weeks after once her grades had been finalized. But Selena’s invitation… had never arrived. At first, the young redhead had thought that there had been some mistake. She was certain Selena had passed all her exams just like she had. A phone call to Mrs. Winthrop had confirmed as much. That left one other option, with Deanna calling Raphael shortly after.
It was in the conversation that she had learned the issue. There had been no mistake. The platinum-blonde had purposefully been left off the guest list, along with a good number of students. According Raphael, the ball was meant to honor ‘the elite’ of the each class, those that passed with the highest grades, made the most ‘effort’, and showed true ‘promise’ of becoming outstanding members of the Alden-community.
Selena was not such a person… but Deanna was.
Reaching up, Deanna tucked a few strands of curly, red hair behind her ear. It was depressing, and yet, Deanna had chosen not to say anything to Selena. First, she was sure that her estranged wife wouldn’t care over such a thing. Second, it wasn’t like they were sharing anything these days. Not their free-time, not a bed, nothing since her wife had left the family to pursue her return and ‘revenge tour’ throughout SCW. That was the second thing. Her wife was consumed with that tour, living the high-life or whatever it was she was doing – another sigh escaping Deanna had the thought.
Her wife was… Deanna wasn’t sure what the woman was at this point. It was like she had changed in some way. In many ways, she was still ‘Selena’, if that made any sense. The way she spoke, the way she carried herself, it was all ‘Selena’ in some way or another. But living in that Eyrie Tower? That was the most glaring thing. It was leagues above their own home, but it was too much. Too opulent. Too high-class for Deanna.
It all felt… she sighed… being in that penthouse for the first time and seeing Selena there, Deanna hated to admit that she had felt the same way she had felt on that day of her high school graduation. Not in respects to being ‘hated’, she still believed with all of her heart that Selena did not hate her. But the belief that she was ‘better’. That Selena was a ‘higher class’ than her.
That’s the real reason I don’t want her there…
Her mind fired the thought unprovoked through her, causing the champion’s body to stiffen. Yet, the more she held the thought, the more honest it felt. She didn’t want her wife there… to look at her with that look of ‘I’m better than you’, even if Selena didn’t mean it. She didn’t want her wife to scoff and sneer at the Aldens over this ‘slight’ or even to act unfazed and nonchalant. Any of that… and the night, HER night, wouldn’t be as special to Deanna. It would be tainted. It would be ‘less’.
And she… she didn’t want to feel that. She wanted to stand proudly before her peers. She wanted to talk about her journey throughout all of this. She wanted to see them smiling and applauding her afterwards. She wanted to talk to members of the Alden family, be welcomed and respected.
None of that, sad as it was, circled around Selena – her mental image of the woman conjuring no such positive feelings or earlier ones of ‘giddiness’. And, thus, it only further cemented the choice she had made in her mind.
She didn’t need Selena for this, just like she didn’t need Selena in SCW. She had her own direction, just like CHBK had alluded to (though she felt guilty about taking so long and having to watch a replay of the scene on YouTube to truly get his meeting) – her own path to walk with the United States Championship! She had granted Polly another title match – one the woman deserved after their last match ended the way it did – and had even pushed it up to a Last Woman Standing Match. On top of that, she was going to be facing a rather game and unpredictable Marie Jones this upcoming Breakdown, the send-home episode before Retribution!
She gave herself a nod, watching her reflection do the same. She didn’t want to play games like Selena was doing with Kandis. She didn’t want to have all this drama and whatever hanging over her head. She wanted to just wrestle. For her actions in the ring to do the talking rather than contract signings and demands.
It was simple logic. Polly deserved a second chance to get the United States Championship. Deanna had fought to get her one.
Marie Jones wanted a match to prove herself in SCW. Deanna was going to give her one.
No tricks, no nothing.
A second nod and Deanna had turned from the large mirror in the dining room, walking the few steps to enter the sitting room of her house. Within a few steps, she spotted the older woman waiting patiently on the couch, the white hair and dark skin contrasting with the black of the furniture. Biting a lower lip to combat the nervousness, Deanna slowly cleared her throat, immediately getting the attention of her mother-in-law, Alejandra VanHohenheim. It took a moment for the older woman’s eyes to take in the sight of her before a wide grin split across her features, Alejandra almost jumping to her feet and rushing over to Deanna, her hands reaching out to take Deanna’s into them.
“My goodness…” she said, the pride and joy undeniable in her voice. “You look incredible, my dear.”
“Thanks, mom.” Deanna managed to squeak out, the familiar feeling of joy filling her once more. “It’s so beautiful…” she admired the gown she wore.
“Say what you will about Raphael.” Alejandra sighed. “The man has good taste.”
The instigator of this whole thing, Raphael Alden, had not hesitated in shifting his stance months ago, offering support and understanding to Deanna amidst her marital troubles – though she still did not entirely trust him. Still, he had taken it upon himself to personally contact the redhead with the news of her upcoming ‘speech’ and, to further his point, had provided the beautiful dress Deanna now wore. They had even met to further discuss the details, and to calm what had been Deanna’s aggressive ‘nerves’ about giving a speech. Sure, she gave promos and all that, but…but that was different…
My promos don’t even have a name to them! She thought to herself in slight amusement. Still, the member-in-good-standing amidst the Aldens - How am I kidding? He’s a power player! Deanna corrected herself – had patiently listened to her and given any and all advice he could. Even Mrs. Winthrop, the elder teacher, had become a second… or third?... mother-like figure to Deanna over the past year and change, sharing her own past marriages and experiences to assist the young Frost.
Winthrop. Raphael. Caius and Sage. Even some of the other Alden members… Deanna had met and made some friends in her venture to clear Alejandra’s family of any wrongdoing. She…she had made a little community in her own little world – something that could be hers, especially with Selena focusing only on rushing through it and being done with it.
And now? She was going to celebrate all of that in a few days…
“You nervous?” she heard Alejandra ask, earning a quick series of nods from Deanna.
“Not as much as before but still, yes.” Deanna slowly released her mother-in-law’s hands. “I don’t really want to screw up the speech or step on people’s toes or cause a scene or spill punch or-“
“Set the place on fire, break every window in the ballroom, inadvertently cause everyone to start doing the ‘macarena’?”
Deanna stopped her rambling upon hearing Alejandra, turning her head to see the teasing smile the woman was giving her. “If I could make everyone do the macarena, that would be awesome!” she defiantly shot back. “Could measure it on the Richter-scale!”
A quick laugh and a shake of her head and Alejandra was turning away from Deanna to take her place back on the couch. “I’m just saying…” She explained, “That you cannot control everything. Just focus on you.”
“I know…” Deanna sighed. “But I just… I’ve never really had something like this happen for me before.”
“You’ve never been to a party?” Alejandra raised an eyebrow. “I find that hard to believe.”
“I didn’t say that.” Deanna shrugged her bare shoulders. “But I’ve never had a party where I’m…sorta…kinda…”
“The focus?” Alejandra smiled. “What about your wedding?”
“Ha!” Deanna laughed. “Selena was the celebrity. All eyes were on her.”
“Not hers…”
“No…” Deanna sighed, again feeling that twinge of sadness. “Not hers.”
The pair sat in silence for a moment, merely letting the emotional weight settle. “Anyway…” Deanna tried to change the topic. “You, Margaret, and Raphael have helped. I think I was on my fourth or fifth draft of my speech before I came to you guys.”
“Margaret?” Alejandra asked.
“Mrs. Winthrop.”
“Oh! Okay! I always loved her when she taught me.”
“Well, she’s been wonderful too. A lot of people have…”
With a sigh, and some difficulty, Deanna arranged herself on the couch, sitting beside the slightly taller Alejandra. “Is…when all this is over… what happens?” she asked without thinking.
“Well… nothing.” Alejandra shrugged. “The family debt is clear. Matters are resolved. Everything goes back to normal, I suppose.”
“No… I mean… what happens to the graduates?”
“They go back to their lives. Most of them are teenagers, so they’ll go to post-secondary or family jobs. I really don’t understand what you’re asking.”
“It’s just…” Deanna sighed. “Is that it? All the work and training and it’s over? I never see anyone again?”
The question slightly surprised Alejandra, who moved her head back a little to study her daughter-in-law. “What do you mean?”
Nervously, Deanna’s hands fiddled inside one another. “I mean, the lessons, the festivals, the balls, all of it… and then everyone that’s been so helpful and nice to me.” She gave a shrug of her shoulders. “I started feeling like…. I don’t know… like I could belong there.”
“As an Alden?”
“I don’t know.” She sighed again, a bit more forcefully. “But I was happy studying and learning and meeting these people. I don’t want all of that to just go away because I graduated.” Not like in Kentucky…
She had disappeared from them the second Selena had given her a way out and, not once, looked back. Her sister, Amy, had even turned on her after a few visits – looking at her and seeing a stranger… the same way Deanna was seeing Selena some days. Great! Now I’ve got THAT in my head!
“Deanna…” Alejandra tried, reaching out to take Deanna’s hands into hers once more. “The Alden community – the coven – it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, you know. I know you’ve seen some of the beautiful parts and the glamour but… there is a dark side to it as well.”
“I know.” Deanna nodded. She had witnessed that ‘dark-side’ in the beginning of all this. How the Aldens had tracked Alejandra down, what they had done to her in her childhood… Deanna’s very presence in that ‘world’ was a direct result of that ‘darkness’.
“Still…” Deanna sighed. “I don’t want it all to go away.”
“Well…” Alejandra shrugged. “It doesn’t have to.” She offered. “If you really want to, you can keep learning and join them as a more involved member.”
“I can?”
“Yeah, I suppose.” Alejandra shrugged nervously. “Look at Raphael. He’s heavily involved with their business, even with the elders. I’m sure he and Winthrop can give some pointers. Just…” the older woman but her lower lip, as if she was trying to choose her words carefully. “Just be careful, Deanna. There’s a reason I had to run away from them. And I don’t want you to lose your family to their ways like I lost mine.”
“I…” She couldn’t keep her eyes away from the sad expression on her mother’s face. “I won’t.” she settled on answering, before the next thought rambled out. “The rate things are going, I’ll lose her for entirely different reasons.”
Her eyes widened as she realized the remark that had slipped out, but when she turned her attention back to her wife’s mother, she saw only patience.
“Have you tried-“
Deanna shook her head at that immediately. “I’ve tried every way to talk to her. To get her to come back home. I told her that I’d be understanding. I told her that I’d stop talking about work. Nothing worked. In the end…” she sighed. “I think we’re bound to fight one day.”
“Fight?!” there was alarm in Alejandra’s voice, which only got a nod out of Deanna.
“One day.” Deanna repeated. “It seems to be where we are headed. She’s the villain in SCW. I’m… Well, I don’t know what I am but it’s not her devoted follower anymore.”
“But you still love her.”
“Of course I do.” Deanna felt her voice break a little at that. “I love her more than ever before, and more each day. But she believes she can’t be what she needs to be in SCW with me around her. I’m…” a huff of frustration escaped her. “I don’t know what I am to her at this point.”
“But this weekend-“
“I haven’t told her.” Deanna admitted, still feeling only sadness at that truth. No guilt. “I don’t want her to be there when she’s like this. It just… it would make things worse… Better that she not know.”
“But she-“
Alejandra never got to finish her sentence as there was a sudden sound from the front door – one of the door being unlocked. Instinctively, Deanna jumped to her feet - an impressive move considering the dress she wore – her mind now a frenzy of thought.
Was that Selena with the children?
Why was she back so early?!
She was supposed to have them till the evening!
Those thoughts and various forms of them ran rampant in Deanna’s mind during the five to ten seconds it took for the door open. Immediately, she saw her son, David, bolting into the house, kick off his shoes and rush upstairs - to his room to play video games, no doubt – followed by Elsianna and Amiliah. The oldest Frost-child, managed to spy her mother out of the corner of her way, her jaw dropping as she took Deanna in.
“Mom, you look so pretty!” she smiled, holding little Amiliah in her gloved hands.
“Pretty! Pretty!” Amiliah added with childish delight, pointing a small finger at Deanna, the girls’ actions causing an unstoppable smile to break through Deanna’s features.
Though that smile faltered as Elsianna turned her head to the last woman that entered the house, closing the door behind the three of them. “Doesn’t she look gorgeous, mother?”
And slowly, as Deanna lifted her head from her daughters to the taller woman, she stared into the sapphire eyes of her wife, Selena merely standing there and gazing at her.
“She does indeed.” The Snow Queen remarked with a smile and a tilt of her head. “Very gorgeous.”
RE: Deanna Frost vs. Marie Jones - SnowQueenSCW - 02-24-2024
DISCLAIMER: The following is a work of fiction and not to be confused as complete or accurate representation of any beliefs, religions, etc. Please refer to research/articles by experts for that.
The Witches of Alden
”Dress”
Frost ‘Forever Home’
Manhattan, New York
February 20, 2024
2:23pm
Selena was silent as she stood there, her eyes locked onto Deanna and the green, sparkling dress she wore. It made the redhead feel like she was under a microscope – the admiration and…desire… clear in her wife’s sapphire eyes (She still knew enough about her wife to recognize such subtle gazes)… and she wasn’t sure if she liked the feeling or not at that moment.
Quietly, Selena scooted Elsianna and Amiliah away, telling the two girls to go play. It was enough of a distraction for Deanna to quickly jerk her head to the side and cast a glance at her mother-in-law, Alejandra VanHohenheim. The dark-skinned woman could only give a sympathetic tilt of her head and apologetic half-smile to the redhead in response.
It was kind, but it did little to help to remove the dressed woman’s nerves. Deanna felt so exposed right now. Standing there in a dress that was anything but ‘casual’. She felt every inch of her exposed shoulders tingle – again, unsure if it was a good feeling or a bad feeling. Every fibre of her screamed to rush back to her room and change back into her casual clothes of jeans and a t-shirt, but her legs would not move. Instead, she could only stand there as the platinum-blonde turned her gaze back over to Deanna, leaning up against the frame of the entryway.
“Hot date tonight?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. “What’s her name?”
“Selena.” Alejandra chastised, glaring daggers at the Snow Queen.
In response, the older Frost shook her head, a gentle smile crossing her features. “I was joking, mother.”
“It wasn’t funny.” Alejandra remarked, keeping her cold glare on her daughter.
For a moment, Selena’s eyes flashed across to Deanna, the redhead simply listening to this short exchange. Upon seeing her wife’s eyes on hers, however, she squared her shoulders and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear once more. “I’m going to go change.” She stated, turning on the spot and stepping out and past Selena to reach the stairs that lead upstairs to their…her…bedroom.
“What’s the occasion?” the voice caught in Deanna’s ear and stopped her at the first few steps of the stairs. Turning around, she saw her wife now standing at the balustrade, leaning on the wooden structure with one arm. She was dressed so differently than Deanna was, wearing black dress pants and a purple blouse with a moderately low cut, where matching tinted shades hung. Her hair was in its iconic braid and she seemed to be studying Deanna’s every move.
“I thought you had the kids till the evening.” Deanna settled on answering.
“David threw up at the park and Amiliah was getting tired.” Selena replied, her expression instantly morphing to serious. “They’re all fine. They just wanted to come home.”
“You’re sure?” the redhead asked, casting a glance upstairs.
“Yeah.” Selena answered. “I think it was a corndog or something he ate. He’s fine now.” She rolled her shoulders back. “You going to answer my question now?”
“About what?”
To answer, Deanna watched as Selena’s eyes ran up and down the younger woman’s form. Again, that mixed feeling of desire and repulsion filled Deanna, the woman fighting both down without giving any sign of discomfort.
“I asked you what the occasion for the dress was.” Selena repeated, her tone far more serious than it was before.
“It’s for an outing.” Came Deanna’s answer. “I’m going out to meet friends this weekend.”
“This weekend?” Selena asked with a raised eyebrow. “Where are you headed? Seeing a show or something?”
“No.” Deanna replied. “It’s just a little night-out. I don’t expect to me good company after the pay-per-view, so this weekend is the only free time I have.”
“Of course.” Selena nodded. “Last Person Standing matches are tough. Take it from me.”
“I know.” Deanna shot back. “I’m the one that took care of you afterwards.”
“That a subtle jab?” the platinum-blonde asked with a tilt of her head.
“No.” the United States Champion shook her head. “I don’t need you to look after me.” She stiffened her posture before adding. “I’ll be fine.”
“I’m sure.” Selena sighed, giving a shrug of her shoulders. “So… who you going out with this weekend?”
“Why do you care?” Deanna asked, the frustration growing in her voice. “I have friends you know!”
“Not if one of those friends is Raphael Alden.”
The cold remark from the Snow Queen practically froze Deanna in place. Selena, meanwhile, had shifted her stance to fully standing, her arms crossed as she glared at Deanna.
“Think I didn’t figure it out?” she asked accusingly. “Big party? Me not being invited?”
The redhead took a shaking breath before adopting her wife’s stance, arms crossed over her chest. “You weren’t invited.”
“But you were.” Selena shook her head. “You don’t think that’s odd?”
“Not really.” Deanna shrugged. “It’s meant for the top students in the classes. Last I checked, that wasn’t you. Especially when, for the majority, I was doing your homework for you.” She didn’t need to add the last part in, but she would be lying to herself if she didn’t admit to feeling a slight sense of satisfaction. In response, Selena merely scoffed at her wife.
“You couldn’t have told me that?” She asked.
“No.” Deanna answered honestly. “Because I…” she had to be honest. “Because I don’t want you there.”
For a moment, Selena’s eyes widened, the shock evident on her face.
“This is important to me, Selena. I’ve worked hard for this while you complained about it. I’m… I’m proud of this… and the last thing I won’t is you going all ‘Blue-Eyed Devil’ on everyone like last time!”
They were silent, but only for a second, with the platinum-blonde rolling her shoulders, clearly irritated by this turn of events. “So you’re going to some elitist party to just bask in how much ‘better’ you are than everyone else?” the world champion remarked with a scoff. “Maybe it’s a good thing I wasn’t invited.”
Despite the mild truth about that statement, Deanna still felt the pang of anger at the insult towards her accomplishment. In the span of a second, she remembered all the hard work and sleepless nights she had put in to study and projects of the Alden-ways of witchcraft. True, she wasn’t really going to use any of it, but she had worked hard, dammit! And for Selena to say that!
“I’m not going to really listen to that when it’s coming from you. Which one of us is living in a penthouse on a castle tower?”
The remark caught Selena off-guard, the platinum-blonde narrowing her sapphire eyes at Deanna, which only prompted Deanna further. “And which one of us walked through SCW and demanded a world title match on her first match back above everyone else? Oh, and correct me if I’m wrong, but who then used her ‘status’ to demand Aaron Demitria as their official? Sure wasn’t me.”
Selena’s jaw clenched and, for a moment, she was silent, filling Deanna with a, guiltily, sense of satisfaction.
“You really don’t get anything.” The older woman eventually remarked.
“Maybe not.” Deanna countered. “But you’re the one casting stones when you’re the one living in a glass house, Selena.”
The two stared at each other, glaring at one another but too driven to back down-
“For goodness sake, you two!” came the chastising voice as Alejandra stepped back into the conversation, moving to stand beside her daughter at the bottom of the stairs. “Acting like little children.” She shook her head. “Selena.” She focused on the woman beside her. “Deanna is not your property. She’s allowed to go where she wants and do what she pleases, just like you have done! Maybe if you hadn’t walked out, you’d be her plus one and you could go to. But that’s your choice!”
Turning her head to regard her mother, Selena was left with no other choice but to swallow her words and back down, allowing Alejandra to turn her head towards Deanna.
“Deanna, you have every right to be proud of this invitation, but throwing your ‘work’ into Selena’s face is not the way to do it.”
“But she said-“
“She’s worried about you. Anyone can see that! She’s doing it in a weird way, but she is as worried about you as I am. What she does at work, that’s her business. Remember, you were the one pushing her to return to that place.”
“Yeah…but…” Deanna tried but her voice fell flat.
“No buts.” Alejandra barked out. “You two have three children together and you both have told me that you don’t want to divorce.”
“No!” Both Selena and Deanna shot the word out at the exact same time, shocking one another to shoot their gazes at each other.
“Clearly.” Alejandra gave a small, almost imperceptible, knowing smile. “But if you both are going to be this way, then you both need to let the other do what they want to do. Stop judging, stop interfering.”
There was a moment of silence between the trio, one that lasted longer than Deanna would have liked. Still, to her surprise, it was Selena that finally broke it.
“Fine.” The world champion shrugged. “Do whatever you want, Deanna.”
“I’d say the same to you.” Deanna remarked. “But you already have.”
It was immature and she would, later on in the day, regret her choice of words, but not in that moment. Instead, she merely watched Selena glare at her before the taller woman was heading towards the door, opening it and exiting their ‘Forever House’ without another word.
Alone with Alejandra, the dark-skinned woman turned her head towards the dressed woman. “You might pay for that later.” She warned.
“Probably.” Deanna sighed. “Selena was never one to take a defeat very well.”
I suppose… that’s one thing she and I will always have in common.
_______________________________________________________________
So… where do we start?
Do I start off my apologizing? Do I start off by saying that a mistake was made and that I am responsible?
Because that has been hanging over my head for weeks now. The controversial finish – the uncertainty that hangs in the air. The missed observation from the official. The answers not given, the questions still persisting. Haunting me like a bad ghost.
And it’s doubly so when you consider how things have been since the start of the year…
The last match I had to end 2023, I had a chance to do what many people thought I could never do. The chance to become the SCW World Championship. A championship that has become synonymous with the ‘Frost’ name but not with my name. A chance to take the ‘next step’ in carving out a path for myself, a journey that was mine and mine alone. A chance to end what had been one of the best years in my wrestling career on the highest of notes.
That didn’t happen. I didn’t get it done. I got close, as Sharper would say, but I didn’t get it done. Worse than that, I was injured from it and not medically cleared to compete at the next pay-per-view. And for someone like me, someone that makes a point to stand by her grit and determination – of rising above the pain and the obstacles to achieve victory, being told ‘you cannot wrestle’ is a serious blow. It is like telling a fish that it cannot swim. A bird that it cannot fly. It is taking away something so natural to one’s very being.
But I respected the medical team’s wishes – and those guys need more respect, because nobody truly understands how much they give and take for all of us and how often they get reamed out when they have to give bad news like that. I took the time off from in-ring action that I was told to take, missing Body, Heart and Soul while others thrived and left their mark in SCW and continued forging their own paths – writing their own stories.
Fast-forward a bit and I finally am allowed to wrestle again. Better yet, I get the chance to makeup for my lost time and start fresh. Not only in working back up the ranks towards that ‘main-event’ position that the SCW universe gave the chance to participate in last year, but to defend the championship that has meant the world to me – the title I couldn’t defend at the last pay-per-view. And since the word has been tossed around quite a bit by my upcoming opponent this Breakdown, I’ll use it now: this was redemption for me. Because I wanted to prove that I hadn’t lost a step, that one loss was not going to unmake the progress I had made in my journey. That one loss was, simply, a bump in the road, not a derailment!
Like before, I gave it everything I had, but, again, things did not go that way and I find myself still dealing with doubt. Still dealing with uncertainty. Still trying harder than ever before to prove my place here in SCW!
That is why I understand what you are going through, Marie. I understand your desire to forge a path, have redemption, change the perspective, I understand it all. I’ve lived it for over a year – changing controversy to certainty. Changing ‘what-if this happens’ to ‘what will happen’. Changing my defining feature from being my last name to being about my ‘grit’.
And that’s something you missed, Marie. You can prattle off my accomplishments just like I can list off yours. You take away your ‘iconic move’ of ‘Twin Magic’ and Marie Jones is STILL, without a doubt, an accomplished wrestler. Zero denial from me in that regard. But the moment that bell rings and we stand in the ring, all of that fades away. The titles, the accolades, the nicknames, all of it vanishes and all that is left – all that it comes down to - is two women fighting for… something. A fight that comes down to who has more to give and who can take more in order to achieve it.
But like I said, you missed what makes me me, Marie. You missed talking about my ‘grit’ and that is what will be making the difference when we finally get our match this Breakdown. Because you want to talk about the past. About walking out on a tag match against Selena and I nearly two years ago. You talk about making that ‘wrong’ into a right and I respect you for that. I wish I could share with you how I was haunted by missing that tag match with you and your sister, but I would be lying. At the time, I saw it as, if you weren’t willing or desiring or brave enough to face me in this ring, then I would find someone who was. And I did. I found challengers, many more challengers as the years went on and I accomplished more and more. More than what most would believe me capable of.
So, for you now to stand there and say you WANT to face me - you ‘NEED’ to face ‘more than anything’, Marie? Well, then perhaps it all worked out for the best, didn’t it? For me to go from ‘not being worth your time’ to being ‘necessary’ and ‘needed’ in this ring, am I right?
That is what I am trying to accomplish! To go from ‘undesirable’ to ‘undeniable’! To be sought out by others like Polly and you. To be challenged by any and everyone and to stand there victorious as I work my way through the best of SCW!
That is my ‘need’, Marie. My journey. Because redemption is valid and it is wonderful, but it’s not enough. You need more than just pretty words to change perception. More than catchphrases to change minds and prove something. You need to work and work at it until it is proven. Until it is an undeniable truth!
And I need my truth back! I need my truth back that I am, heads and shoulders, the hardest working wrestler in SCW! The truth that you don’t need a faction, a manager campaigning for you, contract dealings, or backstage politics to succeed here! You just need the heart, the passion, and the will to never give up!
So, when you say that a win for you is ‘not necessary’, Marie. When you say that you ‘might not beat me’. When you say that I’d be ‘better off facing Kim’ – you are simply proving my point. Because you won’t hear such remarks from me. You won’t hear me say a win isn’t necessary or that I might not beat you because those thoughts never enter my mind!
Because a win here IS necessary for me. Beating you IS necessary for me! And it is something I not only know I can do, it’s something I HAVE to do!
Because I am not simply fighting for the United States Championship these days. I am fighting to prove all I have said. I am fighting to prove my grit and I am fighting to prepare for one of the most dangerous matches of my career! I am fighting to erase doubt and make my truth in this business!
And nothing short of a win will make such a statement clear, Marie. Nothing short of me outlasting an incredible future-contender for this title will do. Nothing short of an undeniable, devoid-of-controversy win will do for me.
A win to show that I am ready. That I am who I say I am. That I am, undeniably, going to be the last woman standing at Retribution.
So I will meet your blood, your sweat and your tears, Marie, and I will overflow that offering with all of that and my grit until you are overwhelmed and beaten. You asked for a fire for your little phoenix, I will give you much more than you can handle. I will give you a fire the likes of which you have never seen. A fire so intense and so long-lasting that you will not have a chance to ‘rise’ over me, Marie. No… the only option you will have this Breakdown… with this fire, my friend… is to burn out.
Checkmate, bitches!