Deanna Frost vs. Polly Pingotti

[Konrad Raab]

Shot of Adrenaline Tournament

2 RP Limit for singles

3500 Word Per RP

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET FRIDAY, November 21, 2025

[SnowQueenSCW]

Frost No More

”Rebuilding What Was...”

Streets of NYC
New York City, New York
November 17th, 2025
8:12am

Morning had always been hit-and-miss for Deanna Frost. On one hand, she could remember so many magical mornings waking up next to Selena, feeling the taller woman wrapped in her arms, gently sleeping (and sometimes snoring). Mornings where her children would rush in, wanting breakfast, or even just the sun stealing in through the curtains to wake them up – she always treasured such mornings.

But, on the other hand, there were mornings of waking up in an unknown place – kidnapped by the Scythes. Mornings waking up in a prison cell. Mornings waking up alone... without her wife. Locked away because the world saw her as mentally fragile and unstable. Some of them still think that...

Yes, mornings were, indeed, hit or miss for the redhead, but so was much of her life. She could be riding the highs one second, then taken down into the lows the next. From the Trios Tournament fiasco – definitely a low – to everything that had happened at the Shot of Adrenaline tournament so far. She sighed at that a little, her heart racing a bit more as she jogged along the bricked-layered path, keeping her pace as even as possible and avoiding any pedestrians as she ran through the trails of Central Park. She had lost track of how many paths and laps she had done since she started her cardio session this morning, only that she would stop when she was done. That was the only request made by her trainer – meaning it was up to Deanna to decide when ‘enough was enough’.

Basically... how much can you take? the wretched voice of The Heart whispered in her mind. Not much I imagine...

It was enough motivation for the young woman to go further, her body burning a little, but she ignored it. Even a few more steps, a few more kilometers, a few more minutes enduring – it was going to make all the difference in her remaining SoA matches: now more so than ever!

With her victory over Kimberly Williams, Deanna now sat at six points within the SoA tournament. While it wasn’t enough to take the lead, she had remained undefeated in the tournament. More importantly, however, it meant that she was one win away from practically guaranteeing her spot in the semifinals! Sharper and Knots had already announced that for Dexter Grant, who had amassed eight points with his matches already – which meant if Deanna could do it...

She felt her heart skip a beat at the thought. There was no guaranteeing that she would get a chance at the Adrenaline title with Grant defending it every match. In fact, with him doing so against Chris Lawler this week – an incredible athlete that took everything Deanna had to get past – and with Deanna fighting more and more opponents, the likelihood of her getting a shot at the title like most of the others had gotten seemed less and less. Hell, there was a chance that the title might not even make it to the semifinals if someone got it off Grant. Which would change the tournament into a number one contender affair.

Seems quite less of a reward for all that hard work, doesn’t it? Deanna tried to ignore the voice. It was just how the rules worked. There was always that possibility. Anything could happen. All she could do was keep focused on winning enough matches to get into the semifinals and hope either she’d face the champion before then and/or the title made it into the semifinals.

Out of the corner of her eye, Deanna saw grassy parts of the park shimmering with morning dew and her nose took in the faint smell of cut grass. It all helped her refocus her attention on her pace, the chill of the morning getting her even through her track pants and dark-green t-shirt. The wind caught a bit of her dark-red hair, tied in a tight ponytail, though it moved more from her running. Even with her thick-rimmed sunglasses on, her eyes stung a little from the morning sun. In short, Deanna was taking all the morning had to offer and using it as motivation to keep her legs going. Keep herself moving. Don’t stop till you reach your goal... she reminded herself. This is for me. Not Selena. Not SCW. Not the fans. Just me.

She knew there were detractors. People claiming that Deanna was just ‘copying’ her wife’s – ex-wife’s, whatever! – copying Selena’s path. The Snow Queen had made the SoA tournament hers back in 2016, using it to propel herself to main-event status. Deanna being part of its return – there had been comparisons almost instantly. She was certain her next opponent, Polly Pingotti, given her history with Selena, would draw several such comparisons. Even so, while the redhead could acknowledge the irony, the similarities, all of it... She just... couldn’t feel it that strongly. Sure, Selena had won the tournament years ago, but this... this felt different.

She had been back in SCW for almost six months (five if the off-season wasn’t counted), and yet, she had never felt like she was truly back. Nothing had screamed to her “this is my job. This is my place! I belong here!” like it had before she had been taken off the active roster. Not even the United States Championship she had tried to regain – the very title she had held longer than most champions – had felt like hers coming back, or even at Rise to Greatness. She had just wanted to ‘fix the issue’ with that title, which she felt she had helped with that. There was no more doubt or controversy surrounding it, which was what mattered. But even so, she still yearned for that old feeling of purpose – of belonging. Of Saying ‘this is mine’!

And even with the comparisons being drawn between her and Selena – The SoA tournament... it felt like hers. And I’m so close to making it...

“Morning.”

The redhead suddenly stopped as she heard the voice, not realizing till she heard it that someone had started running beside her. As her feet halted their movement, the person beside her did the same...

“I did not see you there.” Deanna admitted lamely.

Before her stood her trainer, Akina Monroe. She was a bit taller than Deanna – but shorter than Selena, Deanna always remarked to herself. Akina’s blonde hair was pulled into a sleek braid, which did remind the redhead of Selena moreso, but what didn’t? What set Akina apart from the Snow Queen right from the onset?

Those violet eyes—actual violet eyes. Deanna had never met someone with such eyes. They weren’t as beautiful as Selena’s sapphire ones – Biased much? – but they were rare, which added to their allure. As for the rest of the woman: her frame was toned and curvy and she wore tight, black leggings that only emphasized that, along with a black t-shirt with some kind of design on it.

“I’m good at quiet.” Akina shrugged at Deanna’s words. “Serves me well with work.”
“Training people? Deanna asked.
“And other stuff.” Akina answered vaguely. “I have other jobs too.”
“Sounds busy.” Deanna shrugged, a little guilty. “I can barely handle the one.”
“Hey, if one paid all the bills.” Akina laughed. “I’d only have one as well.”
“Yeah...” Deanna shrugged again. “Still feel a little guilty.”
“Don’t be.” laughed Akina. “The joys of capitalism!” she added with a little raspberry sound coming from her tongue and lips. “Least it lets me train rich folk like you.”

“Yeah,” Deanna nodded, inhaling the brisk morning air. “Thanks again for agreeing to the morning sessions. I know it’s early.”
“Early? Frost… please.” Akina tilted her head with amusement. “This is sleeping in. I usually start at five.”
“Five?!” Deanna echoed, horrified.
“Yeah. That’s when the day hasn’t learned to be a dick yet.”
Deanna snorted. “Okay, I’m stealing that.”
“You can borrow it.” Akina teased.

The pair started walking down the path together, Akina eyeing Deanna’s posture. “Good.” she remarked. “Your posture is better.”

“Thanks.” Deanna smiled. “I know it’s only been a few weeks, but... I’m feeling it. Does that make sense?”
“Even if it doesn’t or it’s all in your head. Who cares? Is it working for you? Making you happy?”

“I...” Deanna thought for a moment. Everything except hiding this from your lover like a bad secret... – “Yes. Yes it does make me happy mostly.”
“Than who cares?” Akina smirked. “Life’s too short to not be doing what makes you happy!”
“So cliche.”

“And yet, so true.” the blonde stuck her tongue out at Deanna before beginning to pick up the pace. “Ready to go again?”

Deanna gave a nod before the two started a slow easy rhythm through the paths. “You take the lead.” Akina instructed. “I’m following you to watch your form.”

“So you can stare at my ass and legs?” Deanna teased without thinking. “Sorry, Akina, but I’ve got a wife. A REALLY hot one.”

“That’s the spirit!” Akina laughed. “Use that energy to run! Move it!”

Putting on a burst of speed, Deanna began running again, adapting back to her pace as she ran out of the park down the broader streets. Occasionally, Akina would catch up with her, then fall back to evaluate her trainee’s style and posture, then she’d catch up again, then fall back. How long this occurred, Deanna lost track, but eventually, she heard her trainer’s words as Akina jogged beside her.

“So... Wrestler. Mother. Married to a legend. Shot of Adrenaline contender. And training… secretly.”
Deanna winced. “That sounds shady when you say it like that.”
“It’s not shady...” Akina replied. “Just unusual.”
“Is that your polite way of saying ‘weird’?”
“No,” Akina replied, smiling slightly. “If I thought it was weird, I’d say weird. I definitely know weird. Bout as well as I know shady.”
“Which is?”
“Quite well.” Akina threw a dark, knowing, almost sultry look at Deanna, catching the redhead off-guard for a second.

Despite curious to know more, Deanna did not ask. Instead, she focused on jogging out of people’s way, ensuring she ran into no one. “I want something that’s mine,” she slowly replied to Akina’s earlier assessment. “Selena… my wife, I mean... She’s incredible, you know?” she almost lost her focus thinking about the platinum-blonde. “And I love her more than anything. But standing next to someone like her—it’s easy to feel like the supporting act. Even when she doesn’t intend for that to happen.”

Akina did not reply, thankfully, though she maintained her jogging beside Deanna, allowing the redhead to continue quietly. “I want to succeed on my own terms. Not because people think I’m supposed to be great by association. I want to believe in myself without borrowing her confidence.”

The trainer gave a not. “That’s not weird or selfish.” she assessed. “That’s necessary.”
“You think so?”
“Of course.” she nodded, not even sounding winded from the run. “We all deserve to have our own place in the world. Even if we share that world with someone we love.”

They finished the rest of the next mile in comfortable silence, Akina only giving a few instructions here and there as needed. They gained another two miles before Akina slowed to a walk, motioning for Deanna to do the same.

“You run well,” the taller woman reported. “Solid stride. Good breathing. But your shoulders are doing half the work your hips should be doing.”

“Really?” Deanna eyed her narrow shoulders. “My shoulders are?”
“Yep.” Akina remarked. “But we’ll train them out of their bad habits.”

They walked a bit more in silence, though it wasn’t nearly as long as when they had been running. “So,” Akina said after a block or so, “you didn’t tell your wife about me.”

It wasn’t judgment, which was a relief to Deanna. Simply a statement of fact.

“No,” Deanna admitted. “I didn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because if she knows, she’ll want to be involved. She’ll want updates. She’ll want to help. She’ll want to show up to sessions and watch and cheer and—” Deanna’s breath caught, unable to fully sum up her words without sounding ungrateful. “I love her for it. But I need… space. I need to feel like my growth came from me.” she shook her head. “I still feel guilty about it.”

A sigh came from the blonde. “Frost—wanting something that belongs only to you doesn’t mean you’re betraying someone. It means you’re human.”

“Is one of your jobs a counsellor or therapist?” Deanna asked good-naturedly.
“Maybe.” Akina replied with a shrug. “They do make good money...”

Allowing herself to enjoy the moment, Deanna laughed a little at that, the slower pace of cardio allowing her to take in her surroundings a bit better. The quiet houses around them—white, brick, pale blue— all with people that were waking up to the morning now. There were raked piles of autumn leaves on some of the yards, others with none at all, and for it all, Deanna felt the familiar rhythm of the route she was on with Akina tugging at her memory… but she dismissed it initially.

Until they turned left. And her chest squeezed as she saw the hill leading up.

They were close to Black Arrow.

Her feet slowed. She didn’t consciously decide to stop; her body made the choice before her mind caught up. It was a small thing, but Akina noticed it instantly. “Frost?”

Deanna inhaled a little. “This area… is close to where I used to live.”
“The house that burned?” Akina said softly.
Deanna nodded, her legs acting on their own as they moved her.

Up the hill, another turn, another block, and suddenly the air felt so familiar. The houses were so familiar. The sidewalks? So familiar.

Akina followed the redhead slowly. “Talk to me.” she whispered. “Last thing I want is you having some sort of attack on my watch.”

“I haven’t been back here...” Deanna whispered. “Not since the fire. Selena and I decided to wait. We said we’d go back together.” Yet, she kept walking, her feet having a mind of their own, until they just stopped...

Before her, she saw the iron bars of the gate, the fence to her own property. She couldn’t bring herself to look beyond them, despite them being open wide.

“Do you want to go in?” Akina offered.
“I don’t know.” Deanna’s breath trembled. “Yes. No. Maybe.”
“Very decisive.” Akina nodded. “One of those for sure!”

Biting her lower lip, Deanna knew she had to make a call. Here and now. She could either turn around and go back... or push forward...

She stepped through the open gate. Past the old mailbox David once decorated with chalk. Past the curve in the road where Amiliah had wiped out on her scooter years ago. Past the large stone that Elsianna would sometimes sit to read during good weather.

Her house... Her ‘Forever Home’... it was still there. Reconstruction scaffolding speared upward where the porch had been. Fresh beams framed several parts and bright new wood took up the majority of the house’s exterior frame.

Deanna felt her knees shake a little, and not from the running. The house looked nearly complete. It looked so close to what it used it, something she never believed was possible. Like shattering a plate. You can glue it together, but you can’t ever have it be the same again. She had believed that of her home – and of herself. And yet... it looked so beautiful and familiar.

“It looks real now,” Deanna murmured. Her throat tightened a little at that.
Akina’s voice softened. “Take your time.”

Stepping up the plywood ramp, Deanna felt her heart hammering. Her breath stilled as she walked in, past the door-less opening when she saw the hallway and living room space opening before her.

She wandered deeper still, each room looking so familiar. A little different, yes, but the potential? She could see it in every board, every frame, every thing that wasn’t completed yet. The kitchen frame stood stark and skeletal but unmistakably the Frosts’. She knew exactly where the oven would go. Where the island would stand once more. Where Selena had once dropped an entire tray of muffins and spent ten minutes pretending she meant to make “crumbled muffin bowls.”

She smiled through the ache, turning to see Akina patiently following her.
“It’s a nice place.” the trainer remarked, causing Deanna to nod.

“It was Selena’s gift to me when I was pregnant with our second child.” she bit her lower lip, eyes stinging a little with unshed tears. “She called it our ‘Forever Home’. Where we’d raise our kids, grow old together...” she shrugged sadly. “Then eventually die.”

“Who says you can’t?” Akina asked. “Still plenty of time.”

Deanna shook her head. She couldn’t tell THAT to Akina. She couldn’t share how little time she actually had. She was on the clock, Selena simply waiting for the next off season to... to...

Off herself?

The redhead pushed herself towards the back, where the unfinished dining space was... wanting to not panic on that remark. Or get angry. Wanting a distraction – ANYTHING!

“MEW!”
Deanna suddenly stiffened. “What-”
Akina straightened as well. “What was—”

“Shh,” the redhead tried, straining her ears to hear...

There it was again. A fragile mewl. Soft. High. Desperate.

Instinctively, Deanna moved towards the sound, crouching near a stack of unused drywall panels, leaning in slowly as she drew closer still.

Then a small head peeked out...

“MEW!”
“Oh…” she breathed, air rushing out of her lungs in shock.

Before her was, what only could be described as, the smallest kitten in the world! Tiny, dust-coated, probably six or seven weeks old. Stark black coat, aside from the splots of dust and powder that covered him. It stepped out on shaky legs, mewing again as if begging someone—anyone—to help it.

Akina blinked. “Oh wow.” she managed to say.

Deanna couldn’t even do that. Instead, she slowly reached out her hand. The kitten sniffed the outstretched fingers... before it pressed its head against her knuckles with surprising trust.

“She’s so little,” Deanna murmured. “Where’s your mom, huh?”

She strained her ears to listen for any other sound. Anything that would indicate another cat in the nearby area. There was nothing.

Choice time again... the redhead’s mind raced. You can either turn around and go back... or push forward...

Biting her lower lip, Deanna slowly scooped the kitten up carefully. It curled up immediately against her chest, purring like a tiny engine.

Akina’s eyebrows rose. “Think you just answered your own question.”
Deanna laughed a little that, still stunned by it all. “She’s so warm…”
“She’s underweight,” Akina noted. “Probably looking for shelter.”

The redhead’s next words came out before she could even stop them. “I want to keep her.”
Akina laughed instantly. “Of course you do.”
“But I have three kids,” Deanna protested weakly. “And we don’t have the house ready. And Selena—”
“Frost,” Akina cut in gently. “Don’t overthink it.”

Deanna looked down at the kitten again, feeling the soft vibrations against her ribs, and melted again.

“…Okay, little one,” she whispered. “You’re coming home.”

They began to leave the house slowly, but Deanna paused at the open doorway to take one final, long look back. “We’re coming back.” she whispered, holding the small kitten closer to her. “All of us... I promise.”

When they stepped into the sunlit street again, Deanna felt like her chest had been cracked open and filled with something new and fragile and fierce all at once. Akina walked beside her quietly before saying, “You did something important today.”

Deanna shook her head. “I trespassed and stole a kitten.”

Akina laughed. “Well, yeah, but technically it’s your property and I don’t see a collar on her. And possession being nine-tenths of the law. So possession of house where possession of cat took place -ergo...”

Deanna’s throat tightened. “I think you’re going to give us both a headache.”
“Or you’re dehydrated.” Akina tried. “Sorry. Trainer-mode still.”

The rest of the run back was reduced to walking, Deanna not wanting to move too fast with the little furball in her arms. The journey took so much longer to get back to Central Park where the two had met, but neither minded or made a fuss.

When they reached the park again, the sun had risen fully, covering the grounds and streets of New York with gold and amber colors.

Slowly, Akina turned to Deanna, eyeing both her client and the new addition. “Same time tomorrow?” she asked, expecting a negative given the cat.

“Earlier.” came the answer.
Akina blinked in surprise. “Earlier?”
“Yeah.” Deanna grinned knowingly. “I want to meet before the day starts being a dick.”
Akina laughed, shaking her head. “Okay, Frost. I’m in.”
A moment’s pause before Deanna spoke again. “Thank you. For coming with me.”
For her part, Akina merely waved her off. “Text me later, okay? I want to know how the little one’s doing.”
“I will.”

Deanna held the kitten closer, feeling its tiny heartbeat flutter against her as Akina jogged off. Looking down at the little ball of black, the redhead could only smile, even though the dreadful thought in her head kept invading.

Wonder what Selena will say...

[Jay Gold]

Season 7 / Episode 17 / The Goddess Of Gaming (Part 3 - Symbolic)

[Jay Gold]

Season 7 / Episode 18 / The Goddess Of Gaming (Part 4 - Entitlement)

[SnowQueenSCW]

Frost No More

”Cat Out of the Bag...”

Eyrie Tower
New York City, New York
November 19th, 2025
9:54am


Deanna Frost had never carried anything more carefully in her life during that walk back to the apartment. This included all three of her children when they were babies, her first SCW championship belt – the Television title - and even the handmade glass ornament Amiliah had insisted was “unbreakable” before immediately dropping it...

Ah, gravity – my mortal enemy... she recalled with a roll of her eyes.

Thankfully, Selena had not been home by the time she had returned from her workout/excursion, making the present-situation the easier to manage. She had chosen the farthest guest room to house the kitten. She kept visiting the room to take care of the kitten, taking her for her shots, to the groomers to be cleaned in the days that followed, and making sure the small one was happy.

With the children at school and Selena constantly training or going out at nights to clear her mind, the only hard part over the last few days was when the family was home, Deanna’s ears on constant alert in case a stray mew had made its way down the hall and down the stairs and heard by the children or – Odin forbid – Selena.

Alone, again, Deanna sat on the couch, the kitten curled against her collarbone, tucked cozily against her, its little head rested against Deanna just enough so that the soft vibrations of its tiny purr buzzed against her throat.

If only her thoughts were so calming and simple.

Selena is going to murder me.
But look at this face.
No, really — murder.
But the face.

It hadn’t been a total waste. In the last few days, the redhead had talked herself into at least seventeen different approaches for confessing the situation to Selena. She had since discarded sixteen of those ideas, and the seventeenth because it involved starting with, “Selena, don’t freak out,” which when the history anything from sitcom to wrestling segment had that approach ended well?!

Quietly sighing, the former champion softly petted the top of the kitten’s head. “I’ll think of something...” she whispered, though she wasn’t sure she entirely believed it.

“Deanna?”

The voice shocked the redhead to the core, Deanna flinching so hard the kitten squeaked in its sleep! She was up on her feet, scrambling left and right and, yet, making no real difference in her present location.

“De?” Selena’s voice floated from the kitchen, making Deanna’s heartbeat sprint a mile a minute – something she didn’t think she’d have to deal with unless she made it to the finals of Shot of Adrenaline!

“H-h-hey!” Deanna called out, keeping her back to where the voice sounded from as she gently stuffed the kitten into the front pocket of her hoodie. “You’re home early!”

She turned around just in time to see Selena standing in the entranceway, an eyebrow raised at the younger woman’s assertion. “It’s almost ten.”

“Oh.” Deanna’s eyes flew to the clock on the wall, the hands indicating the platinum-blonde’s correct observation and her... well, just sounding guilty. “Well, guess I lost tract of the time... lot on my mind, I guess.”

She was on the move, walking past her lover and into the kitchen. Selena, simply followed her, standing by the island counter in leggings and a loose tank. Her platinum-blonde hair was pulled into a messy ponytail but her icy blue eyes suddenly lifted immediately as a white, furry creature came bounding into the kitchen, making a beeline towards Deanna... and the hoodie pocket.

Deanna froze as their dog, Oberon, barked at her, even jumping back on his hind legs to sniff and nuzzle his nose against the front pocket.

“What’s in your hoodie?” Selena asked, her head tilting to the side.
Deanna swallowed hard. “Nothing.”
“Really? Because Oberon seems to disagree. So he’s either gone coo-coo or- ”
“MEW!”

The sound caused Oberon to jump back, though not as much as Selena did, her sapphire eyes flying to the hoodie pocket before going to Deanna.

Alright... Idea seventeen it is!

“Okay...” she started, biting her lower lip nervously. “Don’t freak out.”
Selena crossed her arms. “Seriously?”

Before Deanna could panic further, another mew broke the moment, once more surprising the large sayomed, causing him to bark again at Deanna.

“Traitor.” Deanna called down to the white fluff.

Selena pushed off the counter with slow, deliberate grace. “Deanna... What did you bring into the house?”

Deanna sighed before she slowly wedged open the front pocket of her hoodie.

Two tiny ears emerged.
Then big, blinking eyes.
Then a soft mewl.

And before Deanna’s eyes... The Snow Queen’s entire expression melted. “…Oh.”
“Oh?”

It took a second, but, eventually, Selena stepped closer, hands hovering near the kitten. “It’s… tiny.” she remarked.
“I know.”
A pale hand finally found the little one’s furry head. “And it’s warm.”
“I know.”
“And it’s… soft.”
“I know.” Deanna laughed at the last one.

The kitten let out a tiny purr and head-butted Selena’s hand, causing Selena’s breath to catch in her throat. Oberon nosed closer, sniffing frantically. The kitten mewled again and booped him gently on the snout.

Selena choked on a laugh. “He’s been smitten for three seconds and the kitten already hit him.”

Deanna laughed a little, more so relieved, before she scooped the kitten fully into her hands. “So… don’t freak out?”

Selena’s eyes lifted. “Where did you find her?” she asked quietly.
Deanna hesitated. Then said gently, “At our house.”
Selena’s breath stilled. “Our… house? You mean here?”

“No...” Deanna shook her head before sighing. “I meant... at Black Arrow.”

A long moment stretched between them. “You went?” Selena whispered, her voice akin to surprise and a little dismay.

Deanna nodded. “I went running without really paying attention and… I ended up near the gate. And I just…” she sighed. “I needed to see it.”

There was a moment of silence between the two before Selena reached out and touched the redhead’s arm. “Are you okay?”

With a wave of relief hitting, perhaps from processing the last few days of events, Deanna slowly nodded her head. “Yeah. Actually… yeah. More than I thought I’d be.”

“Good.” Selena nodded before gesturing back to the furry bundle. “And the kitten?”

“She was hiding in the construction stuff. I couldn’t just leave her.”

“Of course you couldn’t.” Selena sighed knowingly. “So, you brought her home.”
“For the last few days.”
“The last few days?!” Selena asked, more in surprise than frustration. “How have you managed that?”
“The far guest room on the west side. No one uses it and, well... she’s actually really quiet most of the time.”
“Apparently.” Selena noticed. “Oberon’s barked at it several times and all she’s done is bop his nose.”
“You’re not mad?”

“I’m—” Selena rubbed her forehead with her right hand. “I’m surprised. And maybe concerned. But mad?” She shook her head. “No.” As if understanding, the kitten pressed its head to Selena’s palm again, this time purring loudly. “And she seems to like me, which is a relief.”

“Everyone likes you.” Deanna tried lamely.
“That is a damnable lie.” Selena deadpanned.
Deanna laughed — bright and unguarded. “Well, small animals love you.”
“Thank god something does.”

Oberon barked indignantly, causing Selena to point at him. “You do not count. You’d love me if I came home covered in mud and beef jerky!”

The kitten reached forward and placed its tiny paw on Selena’s thumb.

“Don’t give me that look...” Selena tried.
“Mew!”
“Fine!” Selena sighed. “We’re keeping her.”
Deanna blinked in surprise. “Wait — really? That easy? I thought you’d need convincing.”

Selena cupped the kitten with gentle hands. “Well…” She glanced at Deanna, voice softening. “If she came from our house… then, technically, she’s ours already, right?”

Deanna’s heart clenched. Hard. Oberon woofed impatiently, nudging Selena’s leg.

“Oh gods,” the platinum-blonde muttered, rolling her eyes. “He wants to meet her properly.”

In response, Deanna knelt beside him, placing the kitten on the floor between them. Oberon lowered himself until his massive, fluffy head was level with the tiny bundle of fur. He sniffed once. Twice. Three times.

The kitten lifted her paw again and, again, gently tapped him on the nose. Oberon wagged his tail so hard his entire body wiggled.

“Obi’s got a little sister now.”
“Apparently,” Deanna said, smiling.

Oberon lay down protectively around the kitten, forming an immediate, fluffy, loyal barrier of warmth.

“He’s going to adopt her,” Selena said.
“He already has.”

The kitten curled against Oberon’s thick coat, kneading softly, while Selena leaned into Deanna’s side. “So what are we naming her?”

Deanna thought for a moment. She could think of a dozen names based on its fur color alone. Soot, Night, Noir, Sidian, Midnight...

“Midna?” she wasn’t sure why that name stuck out to her, but it did. And once it had formed in her mind, Deanna couldn’t shake it.

Selena tossed the name in her head a bit, tilting her head this way and that. “Midna Frost... I like it.”
Deanna, hearing that, smiled brightly as she gazed down at the little creature. “How about it, Midna?”

The kitten looked up at the redhead, its eyes wide. “Mew!” was all it said.

It wasn’t much, but in that moment, with Selena and Oberon, and now Midna, with her... it was more than enough for Deanna.
_________________________________________


So.... where do we start?

Do I start off yelling at the top of my lungs? Cheering for how we are one step closer, critters, to what could a ‘comeback’ that rivals some of the biggest ever done? Do I start of quiet, confiding in all of you my fears, my truths, and me insecurities? Do we meet somewhere in the middle, and I repeat myself or I go back on what happened? Or do I go forward?

I have asked myself that question time and time again for months now. Do I look back and try and find the Deanna I was? Or do I accept what has happened and push forward? And while the Frost name continues to have a mixed reaction one way or another, I chose the second option and I pushed forward. I carried my doubt, my unease, my question, my insecurities, and I pushed forward. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to.

Because I didn’t want a fire and a failure to be my last moments here in SCW. That isn’t what made me fall in love with this place. No! What made me fall in love with this place was the men and women both in front of the camera, behind it, and all the fans of the SCW Universe living their dreams, even if it was just for a moment of being part of a live show or headlining a pay-per-view, or becoming World Champion.

What made me fall in love with SCW was the mentality of pushing forward. When people tried to buy it outright? SCW pushed forward. When stables tried to take it down? SCW pushed forward. When people tried to take it over? SCW pushed forward! And that would not be possible without the SCW Universe and all the fans.

And, it’s taken me longer than I wanted it to, but I remembered that some time ago. I remembered that THAT was the reason I wanted to be more than just a manager. I wanted to ‘be better’ and ‘live my dreams’ like all of you do, critters. I wanted to inspire all of you like you inspire me. I didn’t just want to be a manager managing champions. I wanted to BE a champion. I wanted to BE a superstar.

Old song, I know, but it needs to be said, because for weeks now, I have had a singular goal. It wasn’t to win the world championship, it wasn’t to play off of my wife’s glory or history or choices. It was to forge my own path and be better than I ever was before. And that path, to me, had only one course. The Shot of Adrenaline Tournament.

At the last supershow, KABLAMia!, however, something different happened. Something that I didn’t expect to happen in Kablamia of all places. In a show with strippers, nudity, adult content, I felt so ‘out of my element’, more so than I ever felt before, fighting someone that was very IN her element in Kimberly Williams. And with all the jokes, the adult content – hell, I got hip-tossed into a pool during my match. I got so soaked to the bone, my wrestling boots were flooded!

And yet, in the most unlikely of places, I found something I’ve not felt since I came back...

And that should be something that terrifies you, Polly. Because while I have watched you come from highs and lows, while I have watched you take wins and losses – both small and big in both categories –  I have also seen you become something that I don’t want to be and that is stagnant.

You say you have been given nothing in the form of opportunities and what few you’ve had, you were screwed out of? Since before I came back to SCW, you have been begging SCW to give you opportunities, Polly! You’ve begged SCW for chances to rise up in the ranks – more than that, you’ve wanted to ascend to the top tier. And it wasn’t nothing that you ‘got’, Polly. It was ‘nothing’ you were able to achieve!

Because let’s think about those opportunities just while I was gone! Multiple title matches, Scaffold Scramble, you just HAD an Adrenaline title match! And yet for all of that – through some big wins and big losses – you’re still where you were when I had to leave. Begging for more opportunities and unable to capitalize for so many of them and all the while blaming someone else.

Case in point. You are on the chopping block for this tournament, with losses to your name and points behind me. I don’t say that to disrespect you, Polly. I say this because it makes me aware just who I am dealing with. The last several weeks, I have seen you lose your temper against people. You suckerpunch my wife, you assault Dexter Grant after your match with him, you are getting more and more angry with each passing week and, more than that, you are getting desperate!

You’re desperate to get back on track and be as good as your friends, as Marissa, even Selena, have said you are. And I’m not here to disagree with them, Polly. I know you’re good. You’re amazing, in fact. But that doesn’t erase what I see when I watch you. You’re desperate to hang on and make a name for yourself to the point you’ll do whatever you have to make that happen and you call that ‘motivation’. And you add that this match between you and me isn’t just an SoA match, but a match for your Television Title?

And you are risking more than losing a match, Polly. You are risking losing EVERYTHING! You lose this match? Your title goes away. Your place in the tournament is all but gone and you stay where you have stayed for months and months.

I paint this picture, Polly, because I can’t afford to take you lightly. I can’t afford to use stupid lines like “I beat the people that beat you!” or whatever. I have to look at you for who you really are, Polly, and that is a threat. A person that could end my momentum in a second! A person that could stop me dead in my tracks! A person that has never stopped working and never stopped punching the wall, trying to break through!

But where you keep trying to break that wall, Polly? Blaming people for losses and missed chances and wondering what it will take to break through? I am done hesitating to take my own shot at that wall!

I WANT to take a shot to break through that damn wall!

Because, like I said, something happened in KABLAMia, Polly. It wasn’t just me winning a match and getting another two points to my name. It wasn’t staying undefeated in this tournament, no. What it was... was something I had lost long ago.

I have been fighting my own demons and PTSD and doubt for so long... that I was drowning. And it took a Queen of Chaos to LITERALLY dunk my head under the water to chance that. It took me being beaten down, tossed into a pool, dunked underwater, factors thrown at me that I couldn’t predict – completely out of my element... and yet still win for me to wake up and feel something I haven’t felt in months!

And as I stood there, soaking wet, Polly, do you know what I felt? For the first time since I came back? In a word: Confidence.

For the first time, I actually felt – I actually believed – that maybe, JUST maybe, I could do it. I believed that there was a chance that I could win this tournament, become the Adrenaline Champion and accomplish something great! For the first time, after having everything thrown at me, my match coming off the rails and still finding a way to win and stand tall? I actually believed in myself.

Not because of my friends like Amelia and Luz, not even because of the SCW Universe or Selena. I love all of them and am more grateful to them than I can say. But this was the missing piece of the puzzle I so desperately needed, Polly! I believed in myself for the first time in so long because I couldn’t ignore what was happening around me anymore! The doubt in my head was a little less loud. A little less drowning!

That’s what you should be terrified of, Polly. You’re not fighting the Deanna Frost that hesitates. You’re not fighting the Deanna Frost that was full of doubt. You’re fighting the Deanna Frost that believes that not only can she, maybe, beat you... she can, maybe, beat Dexter Grant. Maybe, she can win this whole damn tournament. Maybe... she can become the SCW Adrenaline Champion!

A Deanna Frost that believes in herself, Polly? That is someone you should be scared to death of. Because it was me believing in myself that made me put a chamber up and fight my way through it, where I pinned you and won the whole match, remember?! It was a Deanna Frost that believed in herself that took on you and your Playgirls and beat them over and over again! It was a Deanna Frost that believed in herself that broke through the wall you’ve been punching for so long when she became United States Champion!

That is who you should be afraid of, Polly, because THAT Deanna Frost? That Deanna will not settle for being stagnant! That Deanna? Won’t waste this opportunity and blame someone for it! That Deanna? Is going to take all your skills, all your desperation, all you want to throw... and get back up with more grit than ever before!

Because I am THIS close to securing a spot in the semifinals, Polly! I am THIS close to getting to the end and possibly winning this tournament and possibly becoming the Adrenaline champion and that – and ONLY that – is my focus! You can add the tagline “Television title match”. I respect what that title means, I respect what you’ve done with the title, Polly, but I don’t give a damn! What matters to me is the line under our names: “SHOT OF ADRENALINE MATCH” because each one of those I have? I am one step closer! One step closer to proving to myself that their belief in me? The ones saying this is my tournament to win? It actually could be true!

So there you have it, Polly! Tonight, Breakdown, you can come at me and say some lines about Selena and about me. You can prove me right with words of a desperate wrestler, I respect that. But if you think that I don’t get you or I don’t understand or I can’t comprehend what I am about to face? No, Polly, YOU are the one that doesn’t know who they are about to face.

You want me to be complacent. You want me to rest on my laurels because I have more matches I could win to get my spot? That isn’t my way, Polly. It never has been. It never will be. I am simply a fighter. A fighter that doesn’t know how to stop fighting with all she has!

And tonight, nothing is going to stop me from fighting till my last breath. Nothing is going to stop me from securing my spot in the semifinals and beating you in the ring for the whole world to see!

Tonight, Polly? You CAN blame me for taking an opportunity from you... but you’ll be too busy looking at that ‘wall’ of yours – or what’s left of it... because I am knocking it down to the ground! And you along with it!

Checkmate, bitches!