07-25-2025, 11:45 PM
OOC: Events occur as indicated. Royal Letter occurs shortly after the events here and is private and sent only to recipient (not publicly aired). Posted in two parts due to length.
Eyrie Tower
New York City, New York
July 29th, 2025
5:45am (approx. 15 mins till sunrise)
“Not much longer now…” Selena breathed against the night as it continued to fade away, the day growing closer and closer to beginning. She would face it – the coming dawn – and the sun would hit her first, then her castle and everything behind her.
That will be when I do it. she reminded herself, turning her head as she stood against the rails of the balcony. Her eyes spotted the balcony table there, the heavy cast iron still covered in shadow, unaffected by the light that had yet to come from the sun. On it, however, Selena spied the gold there, the metal acting as a paper weight to hold down the note she had written so it wouldn't blow away and be lost.
She wanted to wait. Wait till that piece of gold would be alight with the new dawn. So she could see it shine once more – so that that could be the last thing she saw before she acted. She breathed a sigh as she returned her focus to the slowly waking city below her.
“No one’s coming.” She whispered with a knowing smile. “Watch me…” she whispered/half-sung, watching all the world below her. “I’m a bird… A little snowbird…” She held her arms out to her sides like wings.
“Watch me fly…
Watch me fly…
Watch me fly…”
****************************************
Nome, Alaska
November 2nd, 1995
3:43pm
“Can’t catch me, grandma!” the five-year old ran for all she was worth, laughing as her feet propelled her across the ground, a mixture of green grass and snow meeting her small boots with each step. Her arms were outstretched as if she was pretending to be a plane, gliding on the familiar, cold winds of Nome. Her hair, a lovely blonde that bordered on white (a trait in her family, she had been told) like wisps trailing a bit behind her. “Watch me! I’m a bird! A little snowbird! Watch me fly! Watch me fly!” she pursed her lips and blew, imitating the sound of wind that was billowing under her 'wings' and all around her.
“Slow down, child.” The older, more tired, but no less mirthful voice trailed after her, filling the girl’s ears and causing her to laugh to the skies.
“No no! Fast! I go fast! Fast I fly!” she kept saying, kept repeating as she ran in no particular direction or destination. You didn’t need a place to ‘go to’ when you could ‘fly anywhere’. You never had to fear falling or fear the ground or fear what stood on it – waiting for you with its laughter and finger-pointing and ‘Look! It’s the crazy miner’s daughter! Pretending she’s a bird!’ – none of that existed in the skies. Just the clouds that could be your friends and the other birds that could sing with you and fly with you.
She wanted that so badly – if her and her daddy could fly away… And Grandma, too! she thought, throwing a look back in time to see the elder woman running after her, the wind moving her long, dark-blue skirt that had snowflakes decorating it. Grandma had promised to make one for her soon enough – maybe for Christmas or her upcoming birthday! – she had promised.
It excited Selena. She loved that hip skirt – her grandmother had called it a ‘sarong’... which sounds like ‘sah’ and ‘wrong’ put beside each other. It looks SA-RIGHT! Selena had said with a smile when she had first seen it, earning a laugh and, thus, the promise of her own one day.
“Slow down, dear.” Irena Frost called out to her grandchild, the laughter still in her voice. “I’m not as young as you are. Not as fast.”
Deciding to give her a break, Selena slowed her random running to a stop, stopping by a large tree – Grandma had called it a ‘willow’ or ‘weeping willow’ tree, though it didn’t look at all sad to Selena – and leaning against the trunk. “You’re slow, grandma!”
“Oh…” Irena wheezed a little, reaching her granddaughter and bracing herself with her hand against the trunk near her. “I know, dear. I know. But…” she breathed a long inhale of cold air, Nome’s chill filling her lungs and, seemingly, calming and revitalizing her. “Back in the day… I was quite the runner.”
“Back in the day?” Selena asked. “As in yesterday?” she shook her head. “Nope, you were slow last week too!”
The older woman – who truly had hair as white as snow – gave a knowing shake of her head before reaching towards her neck to pull at the gold chain around the pale, wrinkled skin there. Carefully, she removed the whole necklace before kneeling down to be at Selena’s level of height. Before the child’s sapphire eyes, her grandma pried open the heart-shaped locket to reveal a pair of pictures. Both were black and white but one was that of a woman in a white dress (at least it looked white in black-and-white) and the other was a man in ‘gray’ suit.
“Way back when. When I was closer to your age – plus or minus a decade or two.” She mused, holding the picture before the young girl. “See how thin I was?”
“That’s you?” Selena asked, studying the picture before studying her grandma’s face. “You don’t look the same.”
Again, Irena laughed. “That’s what sixty years will do to you.” She stated before turning her gaze back towards the picture. “I use to run around all the time… like you.” She smiled at Selena. “I was quite fast.”
Selena, however, was too entrance in studying the picture. The woman in the picture certainly looked pretty with the white veil on her head and the flowers in her hands. “Who’s that?” she asked, pointing to the other picture beside it.
“That was your grandfather.” Irena answered, her smile growing a little sad, though that was unobserved by the five-year-old beside her. “Your father’s father.” She further explained. “My husband. You don’t remember him, do you?”
Selena shook her head honestly, which did not seem to affect Irena. “Well, that’s what he looked like. Handsome, right?”
The child gave a shrug. “I guess. Where is he now?”
“Ah…” came the inevitable sigh from the pictures’ owner. “I’m afraid he passed away not long after you were born.”
“He was here in Nome?”
“Oh, yes.” Irena nodded, thankful for the quick change via question. “He was one of the first people to hold you after you were born. You should have seen him smiling. Oh!” she gestured to the material of her sarong. “He bought me the materials so I could make this.”
Selena eyed the long cloth. “I love when you wear that, grandma.” She admitted.
“I know…and…” she eyed with a knowing smile. “I happen to know someone’s birthday is coming up. Who knows?”
She gave a shrug, ignoring the pleading look from Selena’s face to say more. Instead, she merely kept her eyes on the locket as Selena, eventually, turned her attention back to it.
“Why are you both dressed so funny?” the platinum-blonde asked. “Are you going to church?”
“Well… in a way.” Came the knowing smile. “Do you know what a ‘wedding’ is?”
Selena nodded. “The prince always marries the princess in the movies.” She stated matter-of-factly.
“Well, that’s what your grandpa and I are doing in these pictures. Getting married.”
“Oh!” Selena nodded. “He was a prince?”
What could Irena do but smile again, a mixture of sadness, happiness, and love. “He was to me.” She answered in a whisper, gazing longingly at the locket-picture before closing it and placing it back in its place around her neck. “Someday, you’ll find a prince of your own and-“
She stopped as she turned her head, surprised to see no sign of her grandchild. “Selena?” she pushed herself up, walking around the large willow’s trunk, but catching her no sight of her, her surprise turning instantly to alarm. “Selena?” she called out again, a bit louder and more worried. “Sel-“
“Back to flying!” Selena called out, her voice coming from not around the tree, but above! Instinctively looking up, Irena spotted the small girl already up several branches and out-of-reach. “Going to fly to the top of that tree! Maybe build a nest like a bird!”
“Selena!” Irena called out. “Come down from there!” she ordered as gently as she could, the concern rich in her voice.
“Nah! Nah!” Selena called back as she continued her climb. “Can’t catch me!” she threw towards the ground, resuming her earlier game that the ‘rest by the tree’ had paused. “Going to live with the clouds!”
“Selena!” Irena called out but it was no use! The child would not be stopped. She continued to climb higher, using her arms and legs to pull herself up branch after branch, growing smaller and smaller as she weaved around the smaller branches and ‘weeping’ parts of the willow’s leaves and stems. Still, Irena continued to call out the child’s name until she heard a loud SNAP of a branch and the rustling of leaves, following by a loud scream!
Above her, she saw a small black mass in the branches, no longer crawling higher or moving. “GRANDMA!” came a crying voice from above. “HELP! I CAN’T GET DOWN!” the words were mixed and broken with cries and sobs as Irena looked from below.
“Oh gods…” she whispered, looking around. The two of them were far from the bustling sections of population! This was a basic walking trail off the beaten path than most traffic. She could see anyone nearby or travelling close. Who knew when someone would?!
“I…” she breathed, before taking a solid deep breath. “Hold on, child, okay? I’m coming to get you!”
Bracing herself with a solid breath, the woman placed her withered hands on the trunk and slowly tried to pull herself up, using her closest foot to further propel her. It felt so strange, climbing a tree, but… part of it felt familiar. Like she had climbed things like ladders and beams when she was a child living with her parents on that farm in Poland… before THEY came… Quickly, she shook her head to dispel such thoughts. She needed to focus. She pushed herself further, grabbing another branch and pulling herself up, her whole body shaking under the strain. Still, she did not stop. It didn’t matter how slow she was going! She kept going up, spurned on by her granddaughter’s cries. Every few branches, she would throw a remark to the child. Either that she ‘was coming’ or ‘don’t be scared’ or to ‘keep her eyes closed’. Something to sooth the poor girl as Irena climbed onward and upwards…
Selena, meanwhile, had long since shut her eyes tight, hanging onto the trunk of the willow for dear life. She didn’t want to let go! She didn’t want to fall! She wanted to fly! That’s all she wanted! She didn’t want to fall!!
The sobs continued to wrack her frame, threatening to loosen her grip on the tree-trunk. How long she held onto it, she wasn’t sure. She couldn’t see the sun anymore because her eyes were closed. She could barely feel the wind because she was too scared to feel anything other than fear.
“Selena…” still, she heard her voice, though just barely. “Selena!” the voice came again, this time she heard it. “Open your eyes, dear.” To which she shook her head quickly, too scared to. “Please, sweetheart.” She knew the voice – it was her grandmother. The recognition was enough for her to try. Slowly, she cracked open one eye… and there she was – her grandmother! Just a little ways below her, no more than a few feet. She could reach out and touch her if she wasn’t so scared to.
“Gr-Grandma…” The five-year-old cried. “I’m stuck!”
“No, you’re not, my dear.” Irena, winded, managed to get out. “You’re not stuck. I’m going to get you down, okay?”
Slowly, Irena reached out a hand to the trembling child. “Reach for my hand.”
Seeing it, Selena quickly shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can!” Irena urged. “You can! Just reach out and take my hand and I’ll guide you down!”
“I’ll fall!”
“You won’t fall, dear!” the elder woman promised. “You’ll be just fine.”
“I won’t wanna fall!” Selena cried in response. “I wanted to fly!”
“You’ll fly someday, my love.” Irena smiled nervously, beyond scared for where they were but her desire to save her grandchild outweighing it. “I promise!”
“Promise?” Selena heard her, her cries softening to sniffles.
“Above the clouds!” Irena nodded. “And you’ll see so many wondrous things!”
“Will you and daddy go with me?”
“Of course we will!” Assured the woman, keeping her wrinkled hand out towards the child. “Everywhere you go, we’ll be there!” she reached a little further. “Take my hand and I’ll ‘fly’ you down right now.”
Her gentle smile, her kind eyes – Selena knew that look… knew her grandmother couldn’t possibly be lying. She could fly! She’d teach Selena how! And then her, and daddy, and grandma would fly away from this place to other exciting places! Where there were castles and princes and princesses! Grandma promised it! So it has to be true… I have to… have to believe it…
Slowly, Selena reached her hand out towards her grandmother, biting her lower lip to fight back the tears and fear she felt clutching her. Closer and closer, millimeter by millimeter, she inched her way towards Irena’s hand.
A little closer…
Closer to her hand…
Closer to flying…
Closer to this all being over…
Closer to being free…
SNAP!
It all happened in slow motion…
First, the sound filled Selena’s ears.
Then, she saw her grandmother suddenly move away… down… the hand that had been offered to her was now growing more and more distant as Selena watched her grandmother.
Her grandma was falling – no! That couldn’t be it! She was flying! She just had forgotten to grab Selena! Slowly, Irena went further and further down, her eyes and face (a serene smile) never leaving Selena’s as she went further down the willow, through branches and leaves until… until…
Until she was gone. Selena could no longer see her through the thick foliage.
“Grandma?” Selena called out to the leaves and twigs and branches, her voice barely a whisper, unable to see past the curtains of leaves to the ground below. “Grandma!” She called out again, louder. “You forget to take me too!” she whispered once more. “You forgot to take me with you!” her volume switched as she yelled out again, her voice fluctuating between her frightened whispers and screaming in complete lack of control. “GRANDMA!” her voice roared out of the tree. “Come back! You left me behind! You promised we’d fly together! You promised to fly me down! GRANDMA!!!”
How long she remained there, screaming one minute, crying another, and whimpering another still, she was not sure. She was too scared to look down again. She could barely look ahead, out of the leaves and branches of the willow towards the horizon. She could hear the birds chirping as if nothing was wrong – of course not. They could fly, little snowbirds. But they wouldn’t help her. Would anyone?
Grandma will… she kept telling herself. She just flew away to get some help!
Keeping her gaze away from the ground below (focusing on the sky and sun), Selena could imagine the other kids now. If they saw her like this. How they would laugh and point and say she belonged up there. She deserved to stay ‘stuck up there’. ‘Crazy miner’s daughter thinks she’s a bird or a squirrel!’ Some of them would probably throw rocks and pinecones at her for fun – like they had when she had been playing during recess earlier this week… just because she was… she was…
She actually didn’t know why they did it to her, other than they saw it as fun. Sniffling a little, Selena tried to release one hand from the bearhug she had around the trunk of the tree to wipe her nose but her arms didn’t seem to want to obey her – her body still too scared to let go or climb down. Clumsily, she leaned her head down as best she could, wiping her nose on the shoulder sleeve of her coat. Perhaps staying up here wasn’t such a bad idea. At least no one could make fun of her or her papa. No one could call her crazy or ugly or stupid or de…de… what was that other word? Demented? Was that it?
The child sniffled again, using her other shoulder sleeve to awkwardly rub the tears out of her eyes. What had she done that was so wrong that had made all of Nome hate her? What had her papa done? He was a good man! She knew that much! And all she wanted was to be like him – to be… what had he said?
“Be honest. Be happy. Be kind.” She whispered to herself. That was all she wanted. To be like her father. To believe in something with all her heart and do good for people – for everyone! How could people hate that? It didn’t make sense to her. It seemed… wrong. The poor child wasn’t sure how long she dwelled on that thought, yet as the sun’s light began to turn amber, orange, and gold as it descended and the skies darken to bring in the night, her fear was reignited.
I’m going to be late for supper… Mom is going to kill me!
The child visibly gulped at the yelling and…hitting… that she was certain was headed her way. Her mother was so strict and so… she made papa and her so sad some days. Why couldn’t she ever be happy? Selena couldn’t recall a moment where her mother truly smiled. Smiled like she did when making a snowman or running the field or the way papa did when he had given the little golden nugget to Selena.
The young girl suddenly felt her hand on her collar, feeling the hard-stone pendant under her shirt. How had she moved her hand? When had she been able-
Her ears were suddenly filled with the sound of sirens and red and blue lights danced around the tree, barely reaching the top from where they were on the ground. A moment passed and she could hear voices! Different kinds of them! She opened her mouth to speak but suddenly stopped herself. What if it was the people that hated her? What if it was the people that would have loved to throw things at her – or make her fall?
“Hello?!” came the voice but it was instantly cut off.
“Out of the way!” came the gruff, authoritative tone. “Kid?! You up there?!”
She recognized the voice immediately. “Uncle Liam?” she didn’t, however, recognize her own voice. It was hoarse and raspy, having screamed and yelled for help for so many hours.
“It’s me, kid!” Liam called out in relief.
“I’m stuck!” Selena yelled out. “I can’t get down!”
It was all that needed to be said as the people below set to work – doing what, she was not sure, but she heard commands and movement. It continued for some time until she heard, above it all, someone moving closer to her, climbing the tree up to her. Despite the dark, the figure was illuminated by the colorful ground lights. He wore an officer’s uniform and had a kind smile.
“Hello, Selena.” He offered. “Your uncle sent me up to get you.” He spoke slowly, carefully reaching out a hand as he drew closer to Selena. “Can you take my hand?”
Most of Selena’s body still couldn’t move, no matter how hard she tried or how close the officer was now to her. But the hand that HAD moved – the one holding her golden nugget…
She felt that hand reach out and take the forearm of the climber, who carefully, with said hand and arm, guided Selena to climb over onto his back, the child’s arms wrapped tight around the man’s neck for safety (though not enough to choke him).
“Okay, Selena.” The man spoke in an assured voice. “We’re going to climb down now. Would you mind closing your eyes real tight and hanging out just as tight? I’ll let you know when it’s safe, okay?”
“O…Okay…” Selena whispered, her voice still rough but obeying the commands. She felt her world move in the ‘darkness’ but it was downward at a slow pace. The climber continued to speak to her, assuring her that everything was alright and that she was being ‘very brave’ and ‘doing great’. As (even with closed eyes) she saw the lights growing brighter, she heard the voices of people grow louder as she drew closer to them. Nevertheless, she barely had time to recognize the thud sensation of feet meeting the ground before she, once more, heard her Uncle’s voice.
“Here, give her to me.” He said, almost sounding like a plea. Gently, Selena felt herself being lifted off the back of the man and into a pair of large arms that held her like she weighed nothing. “Keep your eyes closed, sweetie.” Came the familiar voice, flooding Selena with relief. “I’m gonna get you home, okay?”
“How did you find me, Uncle Liam?” Selena asked clinging close to her uncle. “Did Grandma send for you?”
“She uh…” Liam’s voice faltered a little, but he recovered quickly. “She sure did, pumpkin.” He assured. “But let’s worry about getting you home, okay? Your dad’s been worried sick.”
Selena nodded, keeping quiet as she felt herself be placed in a car, that car starting, and moving. It wasn’t until a few minutes later that she was told she could open her eyes. Turning her head back, the girl could just make out the tree she had been stuck in and the lights dancing along its bottom, growing farther and farther from her sight.
Next time I see grandma… she promised herself. I’ll ask her to teach me to fly so I don’t get stuck ever again!
It was something the girl would never be able to learn… for she would never see her grandmother again after that day…
****************************************
Eyrie Tower
New York City, New York
July 13th, 2025
8:51am
She could hear so many sounds below her despite being so many feet above, the platinum-blonde at her favorite spot, overlooking the city. The beeping horns from cars and, especially, buses could reach her ears if she stood out there on the balcony, thunder and rain during storms, planes that flew higher above. It was gentle noise, different than anywhere else she had lived in her life.
Manhattan – specifically Black Arrow – was a community, but still quiet, neighbourhood, and Nome was… Nome was…
Selena shook her head. She had been thinking about home more and more, replaying her past in her mind. “Grandma…” she exhaled, her latest memory filling her ‘mental senses’. She could still hear her, see her, as if she was still waiting up in that tree, waiting for her to fly back or for her uncle, or anyone, to climb up and bring her down, the idea causing a sad smile to cross her features as she looked down once more to the streets below, hands gripping the rails tightly.
“No one’s coming.” Selena whispered. It wouldn’t matter how much she screamed. How much she called out for someone. No one was going to climb up this tower, this castle, to come get her this time. Just like no one was going to stop her in SCW.
No one was strong enough.
She felt the hollowness fill her at the correlation between the two. She should have been elated over her last match. She had FINALLY been pinned. FINALLY suffered a loss in the singles category. It had taken nearly a year to see the Snow Queen’s shoulders pinned to the mat for a three count. Nearly a year of goading every challenger on – screaming at them to ‘take her out’ or ‘shut her up’ or ‘prove her wrong’ – she had demanded it in so many different ways – with so many people stupidly seeing it as her ‘burying’ talent, including Asher Hayes. She sighed at that. Gods, she was sick of hearing that stupid remark.
Can’t they see what I am trying to do?
She knew the answer despite her mind screaming the question. No. Nobody did. Nobody saw it – nobody understood what she was trying to do or be, except maybe her friends like Amelia and Luz. ‘The villain SCW needs’… But losing – that was supposed to be the change of all that! Supposed to be the beginning of people listening and understanding the message. Of stepping up and… and…
But it hadn’t. It hadn’t happened that way. Because it hadn’t been because of skill, or talent, or ability that she had been taken down. No! She couldn’t even LOSE with some semblance of integrity! No, Xander had taken THAT from her too! Him and Cid, yes, but it had been Xander that had gotten in the shot!
Trios Tournament finals– Blake Mason piledriving her
Taking Hold of the Flame – Cid sneaking up from behind to eliminate her
Breakdown – Xander Valentine sneak attack with that damn ‘Valhalla has Fallen’.
Why couldn’t they just let her lose with some fucking dignity! Couldn’t they – couldn’t HE – at least give her that! After all she had given him?! Selena wanted to scream. To drown out the noises with her own voice. A respectable end – one more thing that had been taken from her. Like her mom, like her grandma, like her father, like her daughter…
But Xander had taken that from her. Not even the most cynical of her critics – surprisingly enough, that being Adam Sharper – could deny it. The match had been referred to as ‘unfair’. ‘Not right’. And it had been a breeze to turn it around and throw shade on it as ‘The World-Ruler’. To walk away from it still seemingly untouched and unfazed. Oh, of course she had lost! It was 3-on-1! Of course she had been pinned! Xander had dragged Asher on top of her! Oh, of course! Of course! Of course!
The list was a mile long on the “yeah…but…” BS she could hear from the SCW Universe over that loss. They may have loved seeing her lose, but no one with an IQ higher than that of a pancake could call it ‘fair’ or ‘legitimate’. And that was the problem.
He ruined my defeat…
Another sigh came from her, this one hurting a bit more, because it only had driven the point further home to the Snow Queen.
Burying talent.
Hogging the spotlight.
Craving the world title.
Nobody ever talked about seeing her light up when someone like Ryan LeCavalier stepped up to her. Or when Glory Braddock came out and got in her way over the royale announcement. Or when Collen MacDonald stepped up to her in their match. Or pride for her friends, Light in the Darkness, winning the tag-team championship and becoming THE tag-team of SCW. Or Polly making a statement by sucker-punching her in the face. No… nobody saw that. Just like they didn’t see what she was TRULY saying with her words.
“Because nobody can…” Selena sighed as she gazed down to the roads of New York. “The villain has to go down…” she whispered to the winds.
But nobody could do it. If her match with Asher had proven anything, it was that nobody could take her down. Nobody could stop her, end her. They could beat her, at least some could if the conditions were right – but who could stop her?
Allocco?
Kandis?
Hudson?
Where were they? Gone or back to the mid-card, while she was still at the top of the mountain. Still in the Rise to Greatness main-event – her FIFTH in a row! The rest? They couldn’t keep up - not for long. Not one of them. Just like she had predicted each and every time she had been in this same spot. Nobody could just… stop her. And this past year? No one had even come close. What had her loss to Asher prove? That three men were needed to take her down?
“Bra-fucking-vo!” she growled quietly. She had seen Xander lose the world title to such odds. Saw Giovanni lose such matches to less odds – including to her – same with Cid. She was basically unstoppable unless a mob went after her – her three ‘defeats’ this year proof positive of that. And sure, any other superstar would be thrilled at such a place within the SCW roster…
She despised it.
In the end, she heartbreakingly admitted, “Your still that little girl screaming – begging – for someone to take you down…” She whispered to herself. For someone to reach up and not just reach the heights she was at, but bring her down from that damned tree… and nobody could. They could touch the same branch she was on… but climb up and stay with her, talk to her, then come take her down from it…
Nobody could… not Blake, not Kristen, not Syren, not Glory, not Gio, not Cid… “Not Xander.” She whispered to herself, feeling tears sting her eyes. She was alone at the top. Alone with no one able to bring her down…
One more exhale, allowing her ears to take in the noise of NYC for a moment longer before Selena turned away from it, walking across the balcony/veranda and into her penthouse-castle, where a new series of sounds filled her ears. She heard a shower running from upstairs, some noises of feet running around, a few children yells… the morning routine she had, somewhat, grown accustomed to in her castle. She was interrupted from her thoughts as Oberon, hearing a ‘new person’ enter the suite, rushed towards her, immediately seeking pets and affection, which Selena gave with half-smile, despite how it lightened her heart for a moment. “Love you too, boy.” She whispered, hearing the Samoyed pant happily at such affection. A few more belly-rubs and hugs and kisses and that was enough to satiate the boy, the dog rushing off to, once more, flop onto the hardwood floors and lay there.
Selena envied him a little. All Obi needed was love, food, and shelter. So simple. Something she could provide with ease. How long ago had she been so similar? Eleven years ago, was that it? Eleven years ago, all she had wanted was a real home – not some rundown one missing a room and a roof in Nome – real food, not what scraps she could afford on a waitress’ wages at a Bar and Grill, and real love – not the corrupt, tainted, toxic shit her stepmother, Anastasia DeCarlo, had given her or the warped, near-insane love she had given to a pile of snow in a cooler box.
Eleven years ago… SCW had given her that. And then, all she had wanted was to do right by SCW. To show up for work, do her best, train and get better. She didn’t care for fancy titles or main-event accolades or tournament-trophies – none of that. They had just come her way.
The tag-titles after being chosen by Dawn Lohan.
The Adrenaline title after beating Thomas Watson three times in a row.
The Shot of Adrenaline and Best of the Best trophies.
The world championship – her first – at the End of the Year.
It all had just… happened over time. But all she had wanted was still those three things. Do right by SCW, train and get better.
Walking down the hall between the lounge and the kitchen, Selena spotted the full-body mirror hanging on the wall, her own reflection staring back at her and, for a moment – she could almost see that girl from ten years ago – if only to see the contrast as her own reflection/reality took hold. She was thinner and leaner than she had been back then, better eating and training at her disposal. Her clothes were higher-quality, no longer rags and things from thrift stores. She was trimmer, capable of fighting with men like Xander and Vixen Cain and the Alloccos. Strong enough to knock out anyone with a single kick! Or choke them out with her whole body! But still… despite physically being at her peak…
Her eyes looked tired.
Her body didn’t stand up to its full height unless she consciously forced it.
Her hands looked more skeletal, the bones in them rather prominent against her thin skin.
Her hair – did it look whiter than before? Was it still considered ‘platinum-blonde’ or was it just ‘white’ now?
For a second, just a brief one – as if waking from a dream – Selena didn’t recognize herself, her brain giving her a shock of confusion wondering how she had come to look like that! So tired and ragged and haggard and… unhappy. But a sigh from Selena and a close of her eyes to recenter brought her back to reality before she opened those sapphire orbs and gazed at her reflection once more.
She could explain it all. Her change had been mandatory. She had to get stronger as the years went by. Because she didn’t WANT to be like those that had reached her heights and then fallen from the ‘tree’. She didn’t WANT to be like Kandis or Adam or Hudson. Someone that snuck into the main-event this time of year, stole the spotlight and the world title for a moment and then never saw it again. She didn’t want to be like them – a bright flash that never lasted. She needed to be stronger to survive. To beat people like that and Xander and the Brand and so many others, yes, but also to survive when she failed. To get back up and get back to the top time and time again. She could explain all that away! The years of training while the ‘others’ only did a few months before slacking off. The nonstop studying and work she did behind the scenes while the others slacked off during the early-mid seasons. The pain she endured while others would ‘take a break’ or claim it as ‘debilitating injuries’.
Eleven years ago, the Selena she had been wouldn’t have gotten this far. Wouldn’t have done this much. Wouldn’t have lasted or accomplished all she had. But neither would she be this tired… this unhappy… this…
She sighed again, her mind flashing back to that young girl – the one holding the world title for the first time. The one standing at the altar waiting for her love to walk down the aisle. The one that had held her daughter for the first time, and her son, and her second daughter. Those girls all had the same smile. The same look of joy, of relief, of completeness… of wholeness. The same look her grandmother had given her as she fell to the earth.
Gazing up, Selena studied her own lips and mouth, trying to smile yet only managing a slight smirk. Where had that smile gone? Where had that relief gone? Where had that joy gone? Why did she want this? Why did she have to have this all be her way? The way she had planned – waited for - for a full year? Again, a mere blimp in her mind, a moment of memory-loss that was dispelled by a simple inhale and exhale. And as she looked up at her tired eyes, the joy missing for so long now, she remembered why. And it was enough for her to turn and leave her reflection trapped in the mirror, taking more steps further down the hall into the kitchen area.
The first stop was there. The kitchen always held the biggest garbage bag, which she fished out from under the sink counter, lifting the heavy bag carefully so as not to rip it. She could feel come of the contents shift and, from one side, she saw the plastic of a container poking through one side.
Dammit… she groaned, recognizing the clear-plastic of a ‘grab n’ go’ from the grocery store. I told them about recycling…
Being as careful as possible, Selena held the bag with one hand as she moved around the house, stopping at the various rooms to pick up the smaller garbage bag there. They all would fit inside the larger kitchen one – it made it easier for the garbage shoot (less trips). First was David’s room on the second floor. She knocked three times, calling out ‘garbage collection’. It only took seconds for the door open and for David to hand the small, white bag that lined his black receptacle.
“Thanks.” She smiled at the young boy, stuffing the smaller bag into the larger, black one. “What are your plans for today?”
The second-child of the Frost family gave a shrug. “Probably just chill. It’s too hot outside.”
The remark caused Selena to laugh a little. “Yep, you’re my kid.” She shook her head. “Let me know if you want to hit the pool on the 12th floor, okay?”
“Really?” The boy’s eyes went wide.
“Sure, why not?” Selena laughed. “It’s the weekend after all. Not like I have plans.”
She really didn’t. Aside from Breakdown, she had flat-out refused any extra ‘appearances’ for SCW to promote Rise to Greatness. Why not? If Cid could skip shows for ‘holidays’ and Xander could skip Breakdown to ‘train’ and Gio was… well, Gio… why couldn’t she? Why was she the one that needed to carry the workload for the promotion of a match? Why was she the one that had to make the effort for ticket sales when “the standard” and the “Cinderella Story” – the favorite of the fans – and the damn ‘world champion’ weren’t doing shit?
Least, that’s what she had told the management. In truth, she just didn’t want to fall behind the others. Things had to end a certain way and she wasn’t going to achieve that if she slacked off on her own training. If they were training to prepare and she wasn’t because she was doing THEIR job as the fan-favourites and the world champion. She had even contemplated going back to Nome, like she had in the past for such big matches. To go hiking and camping in the cold winds and snowy mountains – to re-establish her roots and the driving force to overcome such a match that was on the horizon.
But she hadn’t gone back. She had stayed here in her castle, training diligently each day without fail and studying most nights after the children had gone to bed.
She wasn’t the same ‘Selena’ like the one that went to Nome. She was ‘the villain’ and in her ‘castle’ was where she needed to be. Staying the wildcard, staying feared – which was why Cid and Xander had jumped her in the first place rather than give Cid’s best friend Asher the chance to do something worthwhile in beating her.
Some heroes… she thought to herself, scoffing at the idea as she stopped by Amelia’s room. Giving the usual three knocks, the door opened as the seven-year-old poked her head out from the door as it was opened. “Garbage collection, fireball.” Selena stated, holding up the bag. Unlike David, however, Amelia handed her mother the whole receptacle (hers being a blue, plastic one), which Selena poured the contents into the large bag before returning it to Amelia. “Your brother wants to go swimming today. You want to?”
“In the pool?” Amelia asked, a smile growing on her face.
“Yep.” Selena nodded.
“Okay!”
“Alright.” The platinum-blonde laughed. “I’ll let you know when to get ready.”
“Okay! I wanna finish level seventy on Flippy Bird.”
“Excuse me?!” Selena asked, surprising the youngest Frost child.
“My game, mom.” Amiliah explained. “Flippy Bird.” She repeated, walking over to her phone and showing her mother her screen.
“Oh… FLIPPY bird.” Selena breathed in relief. “I thought you said ‘flip the bird’.”
“What’s that?”
“Never mind!” Selena stressed, again surprising her daughter. “Don’t do it. Play your game but don’t do THAT.”
“How do you even flip a-“
“Nope! Nope!” the former world champion urged, shaking her head. “You think Elsa’s grounding is bad? You do that and trust me… yours will be much worse. Trust me!”
“Do what?”
“Exactly!” Selena stated. “Mom’ll tell you when you’re older!” she added, walking away from the door and further down the path of the second floor.
“I just turned seven!” she heard Ami call out.
“Yep.” Selena called back. “You’re already halfway there!”
She received no other words from her daughter as she continued her ‘garbage-seeking trek’, stopping in front of her last child’s room and knocking on the door like the other ones. “Garbage collection, snowflake.” She called out. When she received no reply, Selena opted to turn the door handle with her free hand, pushing the door open to see her daughter, dressed in black like Selena was (though hers was more of a dress while Selena’s was jeans and a shirt), sitting but her computer with her headphones on. The eldest child paid Selena no mind – didn’t even seem to know she was there – as Selena walked behind her, gathered the garbage from the room’s receptacle, and emptied into her bag. As she did, however, she spied the full hamper of clothes by the corner of the room, even smelling the whiff of smoke again as she did, causing her to sigh in frustration.
She felt guilty. The house fire had started on the side of the house that the children’s room had been on, and while the majority of the rooms had not been full damaged (the walls taking the brunt of it), Elsianna’s clothes still smelled of some traces of smoke. Selena had tried countless times over the weeks to wash it out with scented fresheners, deodorizers, even scrubbing the clothes clean in the tub with powerful soaps meant to neutralize odors. The smell of smoke persisted. It had frustrated her so much that the Snow Queen had offered – partially as an extending an olive branch to her daughter with the grounding as well – to throw out the clothes and take her shopping for new ones. But with the aforementioned grounding still in play, Elsianna had refused and Deanna had flat-out forbade Selena from simply “going out and buying new clothes for her”.
She’ll come around… Deanna had said. And that will be the chance to mend the bridge…
A month or so later… they were STILL dealing with clothes that smelled of smoke. The Snow Queen sighed. “I really wish you’d let me take you shopping for new clothes, snowflake.” She said, turning her head back to the back of her daughter’s head. “This can’t be healthy with all they’re saying of second-hand smoke and whatever.”
Again, no reaction, which caused Selena to stop her actions and peer over her daughter’s shoulder. The computer screen before her was some kind of Wikipedia article on…
Selena raised an eyebrow, awareness capturing her in a split second. “Hey.” She poked Elsianna’s shoulder with her finger a bit sharply, causing the girl to turn her head.
“What?” Elsianna asked, removing her headphones. “I’m just reading an article.” She stated.
“An article, huh?” Selena leaned over. “Flooding in Texas?” Selena asked, reading the title again.
“I wanna start some kind of charity for them. Maybe ask people for donations.” The girl explained with a shrug. “Maybe go back home and go door to door or something.”
For Selena, she only was half-listening, though she understood what was being said. Instead, she was scanning the bottom taskbar or Elsianna’s computer, eyes taking in the different browsers and tabs. “Hmmm, well that is definitely a worthwhile endeavour, sweetheart.” She replied. “Maybe the family can do something after Rise to Greatness. You know mom will have a lot of free time in August before the new season…” she didn’t finish her sentence as she spied the tab on the far right. In flash, Selena pulled the headphones off Elsianna’s head-
“HEY!” Elsianna cried out, trying to stop her mother, but failing, allowing Selena to press the large bud to her ear, just in time to hear.
“I can still hear her, Elsa…” come from it.
“And now I can hear you.” Selena said flatly, instantly recognizing the voice and staring straight into the screen. She was deliberate to move her hand over to the mouse and trace the cursor over the tab she had spotted, revealing the Zoom call function. A quick click of the button and the wrestler was suddenly staring at the shocked expression of the young girl on the other side of the video call. “Hey, Asuna.” Selena addressed flatly. “Your parents know you’re doing this?”
“I… that is…” the girl stammered. “Y-yes, Mrs. Frost?”
“Oh good.” Selena nodded. “Then there shouldn’t be a problem when I call them and let them know.”
The line immediately went dead, the video call being terminated and disappearing from the screen shortly thereafter. That done, the platinum-blonde slowly leaned back and away from the computer and her eldest daughter.
She said nothing at first, merely sighing, as she watched Elsianna’s jaw clench, fits tightening, but nothing being said.
“I’ll be talking to mom about this.” Selena stated as she turned back to get her garbage bag, hearing no words from Elsianna. “Your brother and sister want to go swimming in the pool down below. Make sure you’re ready to go.”
“I don’t want to go swimming.” Elsa replied simply.
“That’s nice. You’re still going.”
“Why?” the young girl asked in frustration, causing the older woman to turn back to her.
“Because clearly I can’t trust you when you’re by yourself!” she snapped back. “Not if you’re STILL sneaking behind our backs like this!”
It was enough to stun the girl into silence and enough for Selena to turn and exit the room. “I better not see you talking to her when I leave.” She threatened as she moved out of the room and up the stairs to the third floor, reaching the biggest guest bedroom and entering it without her usual three knocks. She could hear the shower running still, as it had since before she had returned from the veranda.
“Deanna!” Selena called out, moving throughout the room to reach the private bathroom it held and standing in the doorway. “Deanna!” she called out again, this time getting a response as the shower curtain was pulled back a little to allow the called-for woman to poke her wet head from it.
“What?” she asked surprised but still smiling. “Change your mind about joining me? The offer still-“
“I just caught Elsianna video chatting with Asuna.” Selena stated, ignoring her ex-wife repeating of the offer she had made earlier this morning before Selena had gone out on the balcony.
The news, hearing it, cause Deanna to sigh sadly. “Selena…” she tried. “She’s been good for weeks now.”
“Except she hasn’t!” Selena countered. “How long has this been going on? How long as she deliberately defied us like this? No contact means no contact!”
“I wasn’t in favor of that and you know it.” Deanna reminded. “Yes, no more dates for awhile, but zero contact? Selena, that was just asking for trouble.”
The platinum-blonde stood there, slightly taken aback. “You can’t be okay with this.”
“No…” Deanna shook her head. “That she’s hiding things and lying to us? No, I’m not okay with that. But I’m also not okay with cutting her off cold-turkey for so long.” She added. “It’s been about a month.”
Selena’s only response could be a huff of frustration.
“What is even the goal here, Selena?” Deanna asked, reaching behind her to turn the water off. “Is it for our daughter to be miserable?”
“No.” Selena shook her head. “I was in favor of her dating Asuna, remember? But… she needs to learn to obey her parents and not hide things. What am I supposed to do? Let her get away with it?”
“No.” Deanna shook her head. “But we need to talk to her. We need to figure this out.” She urged. “Otherwise she’s going to just keep trying to hide things, not to get what she wants, but because she’s scared of you.”
“Scared of me?” Selena almost recoiled at the idea. “I’ve had her since she was five! There’s no reason for her to be scared of me.”
“No?” Deanna tilted her head. “She knows what you’re capable of. She’s watched SCW. And in one month, you yelled at her and grounded her like I’ve never seen before. Remember? Did you yell at her now too?”
“I…Yes, but…”
“She’s going to be afraid of you if you keep this up.” Deanna sighed. “She’s going to resent you if you don’t try and actually listen to her.”
“And she’ll walk all over me if I just let her do whatever she wants.”
"Do you want her to see you like you saw Anastasia?"
The comment stopped Selena in her tracks cold, the shock radiating off her in waves. With a sad sigh, Deanna shook her head at her ex-wife. “I'm sorry I had to go there." she apologized. "But there has to be a middle-ground here. A compromise.” The redhead urged. “Why don’t…” she paused, biting her lower lip. “Why don’t we invite the Grays to David’s birthday party?” came the offer. “Let Asuna and Elsa catch up and enjoy the party. Then, afterwards, we talk with them and Dorian and Sybil and we figure out a better plan to patch things up?”
“That sounds so…” Selena sighed, looking around, catching her reflection again, this time in the bathroom mirror – the same but now holding a large garbage bag. Selena the garbagewoman… she mused. Maybe she’s happy… “That sounds almost too compromising, pet…” she stated, inadvertently using then nickname for Deanna that she hadn’t used in so long. It wasn’t until she saw Deanna smiling brightly at her that she even realized she had said it.
“Selena, think about it.” The redhead explained. “We let them meet up and enjoy the party, let them get their thoughts and feelings out, then we can establish something we all can agree on. Everyone wins.”
The former world champion gave a sigh as she gave the idea some thought. She didn’t want to reward bad behaviour. It was like Cid bringing weed into SCW. Management didn’t want that shit and neither did she in her company or her family. Still, there was some validity to Deanna’s idea. She was tired of fighting with her daughter. She wanted things… like they were. Where her daughter looked up to her and respected her and was honest with her. Was that such a bad thing to want? Was that so impossible?
“Selena?” the inquiry broke her concentration for the moment, Selena turning her gaze back to Deanna. “Your bag is ripping a bit.”
In alarm, Selena’s eyes flew down to see that plastic of the container poking more out of the big bag.
“Ah, shit!” she cried out, immediately on the move, as she held the bag with both hands now. “I told those kids about containers with sharp edges!”
Her movement was a mixture of grace and speed, though it looked utterly ridiculous, as she moved down the stairs, both flights, and back onto the main floor of the suite, down the hall, past Oberon, and to the elevator. The garbage chute was one floor down on the other high-end rooms, meaning she had to wait for the elevator to come up to her floor. It didn’t take too long, thankfully, and the young woman was heading down to the proper floor in seconds. Once there, she popped out of the opened door and moved down the hall and turn until she spied the metal handle leading into the wall and the chute.
As she reached out, however, to pull the handle open, her other arm lifting the bag up for the up-and-over drop, she miscalculated the distance, the metal of the hatch catching the bag just right to split it open and-
“FUCK!” Selena cried out as the contents of the bag fell… and fell… and fell… until they hit the floor. David’s bag, Amiliah’s basket contents, and Elsianna’s few things that had been tossed. For a moment, Selena just stood there, letting the frustration wash over her as she stared at the ceiling, the only sound her inhaling and exhaling. Slowly, she took the remains of the bag and tossed it into the chute, watching it fall, fall, fall – until it was out of sight. How far down it fell, she wasn’t sure. Was there a secondary ‘chute landing’ this high up to avoid terminal velocity or something? She didn’t know, nor did she really care. She just liked the idea that the trash was falling all the way down to the ground floor. Unstopped, unfettered.
She began picking up the pieces of trash and tossing them down the chute next, not really caring about the “Please put all trash into a bag before sending down chute” sign that was nearby. She did not have the energy to deal with that – a rule everyone else had broken, she was sure.
SCW was the same. The only person that seemed to still care about the damn rules was her and look where things had gotten. She sighed in frustration, but let the thought pass for now as her eyes scanned the floor for any remaining items. Of course the plastic container that had started this whole mess was there and she was eager to grab it and shove it down the chute…
But as she did, however, the container revealed something, no longer covered by said container. To Selena’s confusion, she tilted her head as she eyed the item, disposing of the container as planned before slowly reaching out and picking up the small box.
Carefully, she turned it in her hands, studying the label and rereading the words printed on it over and over again. Because it didn’t make sense why something like this would be here, in her trash. Nobody else had access to her suite. And nobody had access to her trash!
Which meant one of two things… either someone had manifested the cigarette box in her trash…
“Or someone brought it into my home…”
_______________________________________________________________
Villain of the Year
”When You Look From High Above…”
Eyrie Tower
New York City, New York
July 29th, 2025
5:45am (approx. 15 mins till sunrise)
“Not much longer now…” Selena breathed against the night as it continued to fade away, the day growing closer and closer to beginning. She would face it – the coming dawn – and the sun would hit her first, then her castle and everything behind her.
That will be when I do it. she reminded herself, turning her head as she stood against the rails of the balcony. Her eyes spotted the balcony table there, the heavy cast iron still covered in shadow, unaffected by the light that had yet to come from the sun. On it, however, Selena spied the gold there, the metal acting as a paper weight to hold down the note she had written so it wouldn't blow away and be lost.
She wanted to wait. Wait till that piece of gold would be alight with the new dawn. So she could see it shine once more – so that that could be the last thing she saw before she acted. She breathed a sigh as she returned her focus to the slowly waking city below her.
“No one’s coming.” She whispered with a knowing smile. “Watch me…” she whispered/half-sung, watching all the world below her. “I’m a bird… A little snowbird…” She held her arms out to her sides like wings.
“Watch me fly…
Watch me fly…
Watch me fly…”
****************************************
Nome, Alaska
November 2nd, 1995
3:43pm
“Can’t catch me, grandma!” the five-year old ran for all she was worth, laughing as her feet propelled her across the ground, a mixture of green grass and snow meeting her small boots with each step. Her arms were outstretched as if she was pretending to be a plane, gliding on the familiar, cold winds of Nome. Her hair, a lovely blonde that bordered on white (a trait in her family, she had been told) like wisps trailing a bit behind her. “Watch me! I’m a bird! A little snowbird! Watch me fly! Watch me fly!” she pursed her lips and blew, imitating the sound of wind that was billowing under her 'wings' and all around her.
“Slow down, child.” The older, more tired, but no less mirthful voice trailed after her, filling the girl’s ears and causing her to laugh to the skies.
“No no! Fast! I go fast! Fast I fly!” she kept saying, kept repeating as she ran in no particular direction or destination. You didn’t need a place to ‘go to’ when you could ‘fly anywhere’. You never had to fear falling or fear the ground or fear what stood on it – waiting for you with its laughter and finger-pointing and ‘Look! It’s the crazy miner’s daughter! Pretending she’s a bird!’ – none of that existed in the skies. Just the clouds that could be your friends and the other birds that could sing with you and fly with you.
She wanted that so badly – if her and her daddy could fly away… And Grandma, too! she thought, throwing a look back in time to see the elder woman running after her, the wind moving her long, dark-blue skirt that had snowflakes decorating it. Grandma had promised to make one for her soon enough – maybe for Christmas or her upcoming birthday! – she had promised.
It excited Selena. She loved that hip skirt – her grandmother had called it a ‘sarong’... which sounds like ‘sah’ and ‘wrong’ put beside each other. It looks SA-RIGHT! Selena had said with a smile when she had first seen it, earning a laugh and, thus, the promise of her own one day.
“Slow down, dear.” Irena Frost called out to her grandchild, the laughter still in her voice. “I’m not as young as you are. Not as fast.”
Deciding to give her a break, Selena slowed her random running to a stop, stopping by a large tree – Grandma had called it a ‘willow’ or ‘weeping willow’ tree, though it didn’t look at all sad to Selena – and leaning against the trunk. “You’re slow, grandma!”
“Oh…” Irena wheezed a little, reaching her granddaughter and bracing herself with her hand against the trunk near her. “I know, dear. I know. But…” she breathed a long inhale of cold air, Nome’s chill filling her lungs and, seemingly, calming and revitalizing her. “Back in the day… I was quite the runner.”
“Back in the day?” Selena asked. “As in yesterday?” she shook her head. “Nope, you were slow last week too!”
The older woman – who truly had hair as white as snow – gave a knowing shake of her head before reaching towards her neck to pull at the gold chain around the pale, wrinkled skin there. Carefully, she removed the whole necklace before kneeling down to be at Selena’s level of height. Before the child’s sapphire eyes, her grandma pried open the heart-shaped locket to reveal a pair of pictures. Both were black and white but one was that of a woman in a white dress (at least it looked white in black-and-white) and the other was a man in ‘gray’ suit.
“Way back when. When I was closer to your age – plus or minus a decade or two.” She mused, holding the picture before the young girl. “See how thin I was?”
“That’s you?” Selena asked, studying the picture before studying her grandma’s face. “You don’t look the same.”
Again, Irena laughed. “That’s what sixty years will do to you.” She stated before turning her gaze back towards the picture. “I use to run around all the time… like you.” She smiled at Selena. “I was quite fast.”
Selena, however, was too entrance in studying the picture. The woman in the picture certainly looked pretty with the white veil on her head and the flowers in her hands. “Who’s that?” she asked, pointing to the other picture beside it.
“That was your grandfather.” Irena answered, her smile growing a little sad, though that was unobserved by the five-year-old beside her. “Your father’s father.” She further explained. “My husband. You don’t remember him, do you?”
Selena shook her head honestly, which did not seem to affect Irena. “Well, that’s what he looked like. Handsome, right?”
The child gave a shrug. “I guess. Where is he now?”
“Ah…” came the inevitable sigh from the pictures’ owner. “I’m afraid he passed away not long after you were born.”
“He was here in Nome?”
“Oh, yes.” Irena nodded, thankful for the quick change via question. “He was one of the first people to hold you after you were born. You should have seen him smiling. Oh!” she gestured to the material of her sarong. “He bought me the materials so I could make this.”
Selena eyed the long cloth. “I love when you wear that, grandma.” She admitted.
“I know…and…” she eyed with a knowing smile. “I happen to know someone’s birthday is coming up. Who knows?”
She gave a shrug, ignoring the pleading look from Selena’s face to say more. Instead, she merely kept her eyes on the locket as Selena, eventually, turned her attention back to it.
“Why are you both dressed so funny?” the platinum-blonde asked. “Are you going to church?”
“Well… in a way.” Came the knowing smile. “Do you know what a ‘wedding’ is?”
Selena nodded. “The prince always marries the princess in the movies.” She stated matter-of-factly.
“Well, that’s what your grandpa and I are doing in these pictures. Getting married.”
“Oh!” Selena nodded. “He was a prince?”
What could Irena do but smile again, a mixture of sadness, happiness, and love. “He was to me.” She answered in a whisper, gazing longingly at the locket-picture before closing it and placing it back in its place around her neck. “Someday, you’ll find a prince of your own and-“
She stopped as she turned her head, surprised to see no sign of her grandchild. “Selena?” she pushed herself up, walking around the large willow’s trunk, but catching her no sight of her, her surprise turning instantly to alarm. “Selena?” she called out again, a bit louder and more worried. “Sel-“
“Back to flying!” Selena called out, her voice coming from not around the tree, but above! Instinctively looking up, Irena spotted the small girl already up several branches and out-of-reach. “Going to fly to the top of that tree! Maybe build a nest like a bird!”
“Selena!” Irena called out. “Come down from there!” she ordered as gently as she could, the concern rich in her voice.
“Nah! Nah!” Selena called back as she continued her climb. “Can’t catch me!” she threw towards the ground, resuming her earlier game that the ‘rest by the tree’ had paused. “Going to live with the clouds!”
“Selena!” Irena called out but it was no use! The child would not be stopped. She continued to climb higher, using her arms and legs to pull herself up branch after branch, growing smaller and smaller as she weaved around the smaller branches and ‘weeping’ parts of the willow’s leaves and stems. Still, Irena continued to call out the child’s name until she heard a loud SNAP of a branch and the rustling of leaves, following by a loud scream!
Above her, she saw a small black mass in the branches, no longer crawling higher or moving. “GRANDMA!” came a crying voice from above. “HELP! I CAN’T GET DOWN!” the words were mixed and broken with cries and sobs as Irena looked from below.
“Oh gods…” she whispered, looking around. The two of them were far from the bustling sections of population! This was a basic walking trail off the beaten path than most traffic. She could see anyone nearby or travelling close. Who knew when someone would?!
“I…” she breathed, before taking a solid deep breath. “Hold on, child, okay? I’m coming to get you!”
Bracing herself with a solid breath, the woman placed her withered hands on the trunk and slowly tried to pull herself up, using her closest foot to further propel her. It felt so strange, climbing a tree, but… part of it felt familiar. Like she had climbed things like ladders and beams when she was a child living with her parents on that farm in Poland… before THEY came… Quickly, she shook her head to dispel such thoughts. She needed to focus. She pushed herself further, grabbing another branch and pulling herself up, her whole body shaking under the strain. Still, she did not stop. It didn’t matter how slow she was going! She kept going up, spurned on by her granddaughter’s cries. Every few branches, she would throw a remark to the child. Either that she ‘was coming’ or ‘don’t be scared’ or to ‘keep her eyes closed’. Something to sooth the poor girl as Irena climbed onward and upwards…
Selena, meanwhile, had long since shut her eyes tight, hanging onto the trunk of the willow for dear life. She didn’t want to let go! She didn’t want to fall! She wanted to fly! That’s all she wanted! She didn’t want to fall!!
The sobs continued to wrack her frame, threatening to loosen her grip on the tree-trunk. How long she held onto it, she wasn’t sure. She couldn’t see the sun anymore because her eyes were closed. She could barely feel the wind because she was too scared to feel anything other than fear.
“Selena…” still, she heard her voice, though just barely. “Selena!” the voice came again, this time she heard it. “Open your eyes, dear.” To which she shook her head quickly, too scared to. “Please, sweetheart.” She knew the voice – it was her grandmother. The recognition was enough for her to try. Slowly, she cracked open one eye… and there she was – her grandmother! Just a little ways below her, no more than a few feet. She could reach out and touch her if she wasn’t so scared to.
“Gr-Grandma…” The five-year-old cried. “I’m stuck!”
“No, you’re not, my dear.” Irena, winded, managed to get out. “You’re not stuck. I’m going to get you down, okay?”
Slowly, Irena reached out a hand to the trembling child. “Reach for my hand.”
Seeing it, Selena quickly shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can!” Irena urged. “You can! Just reach out and take my hand and I’ll guide you down!”
“I’ll fall!”
“You won’t fall, dear!” the elder woman promised. “You’ll be just fine.”
“I won’t wanna fall!” Selena cried in response. “I wanted to fly!”
“You’ll fly someday, my love.” Irena smiled nervously, beyond scared for where they were but her desire to save her grandchild outweighing it. “I promise!”
“Promise?” Selena heard her, her cries softening to sniffles.
“Above the clouds!” Irena nodded. “And you’ll see so many wondrous things!”
“Will you and daddy go with me?”
“Of course we will!” Assured the woman, keeping her wrinkled hand out towards the child. “Everywhere you go, we’ll be there!” she reached a little further. “Take my hand and I’ll ‘fly’ you down right now.”
Her gentle smile, her kind eyes – Selena knew that look… knew her grandmother couldn’t possibly be lying. She could fly! She’d teach Selena how! And then her, and daddy, and grandma would fly away from this place to other exciting places! Where there were castles and princes and princesses! Grandma promised it! So it has to be true… I have to… have to believe it…
Slowly, Selena reached her hand out towards her grandmother, biting her lower lip to fight back the tears and fear she felt clutching her. Closer and closer, millimeter by millimeter, she inched her way towards Irena’s hand.
A little closer…
Closer to her hand…
Closer to flying…
Closer to this all being over…
Closer to being free…
SNAP!
It all happened in slow motion…
First, the sound filled Selena’s ears.
Then, she saw her grandmother suddenly move away… down… the hand that had been offered to her was now growing more and more distant as Selena watched her grandmother.
Her grandma was falling – no! That couldn’t be it! She was flying! She just had forgotten to grab Selena! Slowly, Irena went further and further down, her eyes and face (a serene smile) never leaving Selena’s as she went further down the willow, through branches and leaves until… until…
Until she was gone. Selena could no longer see her through the thick foliage.
“Grandma?” Selena called out to the leaves and twigs and branches, her voice barely a whisper, unable to see past the curtains of leaves to the ground below. “Grandma!” She called out again, louder. “You forget to take me too!” she whispered once more. “You forgot to take me with you!” her volume switched as she yelled out again, her voice fluctuating between her frightened whispers and screaming in complete lack of control. “GRANDMA!” her voice roared out of the tree. “Come back! You left me behind! You promised we’d fly together! You promised to fly me down! GRANDMA!!!”
How long she remained there, screaming one minute, crying another, and whimpering another still, she was not sure. She was too scared to look down again. She could barely look ahead, out of the leaves and branches of the willow towards the horizon. She could hear the birds chirping as if nothing was wrong – of course not. They could fly, little snowbirds. But they wouldn’t help her. Would anyone?
Grandma will… she kept telling herself. She just flew away to get some help!
Keeping her gaze away from the ground below (focusing on the sky and sun), Selena could imagine the other kids now. If they saw her like this. How they would laugh and point and say she belonged up there. She deserved to stay ‘stuck up there’. ‘Crazy miner’s daughter thinks she’s a bird or a squirrel!’ Some of them would probably throw rocks and pinecones at her for fun – like they had when she had been playing during recess earlier this week… just because she was… she was…
She actually didn’t know why they did it to her, other than they saw it as fun. Sniffling a little, Selena tried to release one hand from the bearhug she had around the trunk of the tree to wipe her nose but her arms didn’t seem to want to obey her – her body still too scared to let go or climb down. Clumsily, she leaned her head down as best she could, wiping her nose on the shoulder sleeve of her coat. Perhaps staying up here wasn’t such a bad idea. At least no one could make fun of her or her papa. No one could call her crazy or ugly or stupid or de…de… what was that other word? Demented? Was that it?
The child sniffled again, using her other shoulder sleeve to awkwardly rub the tears out of her eyes. What had she done that was so wrong that had made all of Nome hate her? What had her papa done? He was a good man! She knew that much! And all she wanted was to be like him – to be… what had he said?
“Be honest. Be happy. Be kind.” She whispered to herself. That was all she wanted. To be like her father. To believe in something with all her heart and do good for people – for everyone! How could people hate that? It didn’t make sense to her. It seemed… wrong. The poor child wasn’t sure how long she dwelled on that thought, yet as the sun’s light began to turn amber, orange, and gold as it descended and the skies darken to bring in the night, her fear was reignited.
I’m going to be late for supper… Mom is going to kill me!
The child visibly gulped at the yelling and…hitting… that she was certain was headed her way. Her mother was so strict and so… she made papa and her so sad some days. Why couldn’t she ever be happy? Selena couldn’t recall a moment where her mother truly smiled. Smiled like she did when making a snowman or running the field or the way papa did when he had given the little golden nugget to Selena.
The young girl suddenly felt her hand on her collar, feeling the hard-stone pendant under her shirt. How had she moved her hand? When had she been able-
Her ears were suddenly filled with the sound of sirens and red and blue lights danced around the tree, barely reaching the top from where they were on the ground. A moment passed and she could hear voices! Different kinds of them! She opened her mouth to speak but suddenly stopped herself. What if it was the people that hated her? What if it was the people that would have loved to throw things at her – or make her fall?
“Hello?!” came the voice but it was instantly cut off.
“Out of the way!” came the gruff, authoritative tone. “Kid?! You up there?!”
She recognized the voice immediately. “Uncle Liam?” she didn’t, however, recognize her own voice. It was hoarse and raspy, having screamed and yelled for help for so many hours.
“It’s me, kid!” Liam called out in relief.
“I’m stuck!” Selena yelled out. “I can’t get down!”
It was all that needed to be said as the people below set to work – doing what, she was not sure, but she heard commands and movement. It continued for some time until she heard, above it all, someone moving closer to her, climbing the tree up to her. Despite the dark, the figure was illuminated by the colorful ground lights. He wore an officer’s uniform and had a kind smile.
“Hello, Selena.” He offered. “Your uncle sent me up to get you.” He spoke slowly, carefully reaching out a hand as he drew closer to Selena. “Can you take my hand?”
Most of Selena’s body still couldn’t move, no matter how hard she tried or how close the officer was now to her. But the hand that HAD moved – the one holding her golden nugget…
She felt that hand reach out and take the forearm of the climber, who carefully, with said hand and arm, guided Selena to climb over onto his back, the child’s arms wrapped tight around the man’s neck for safety (though not enough to choke him).
“Okay, Selena.” The man spoke in an assured voice. “We’re going to climb down now. Would you mind closing your eyes real tight and hanging out just as tight? I’ll let you know when it’s safe, okay?”
“O…Okay…” Selena whispered, her voice still rough but obeying the commands. She felt her world move in the ‘darkness’ but it was downward at a slow pace. The climber continued to speak to her, assuring her that everything was alright and that she was being ‘very brave’ and ‘doing great’. As (even with closed eyes) she saw the lights growing brighter, she heard the voices of people grow louder as she drew closer to them. Nevertheless, she barely had time to recognize the thud sensation of feet meeting the ground before she, once more, heard her Uncle’s voice.
“Here, give her to me.” He said, almost sounding like a plea. Gently, Selena felt herself being lifted off the back of the man and into a pair of large arms that held her like she weighed nothing. “Keep your eyes closed, sweetie.” Came the familiar voice, flooding Selena with relief. “I’m gonna get you home, okay?”
“How did you find me, Uncle Liam?” Selena asked clinging close to her uncle. “Did Grandma send for you?”
“She uh…” Liam’s voice faltered a little, but he recovered quickly. “She sure did, pumpkin.” He assured. “But let’s worry about getting you home, okay? Your dad’s been worried sick.”
Selena nodded, keeping quiet as she felt herself be placed in a car, that car starting, and moving. It wasn’t until a few minutes later that she was told she could open her eyes. Turning her head back, the girl could just make out the tree she had been stuck in and the lights dancing along its bottom, growing farther and farther from her sight.
Next time I see grandma… she promised herself. I’ll ask her to teach me to fly so I don’t get stuck ever again!
It was something the girl would never be able to learn… for she would never see her grandmother again after that day…
****************************************
Eyrie Tower
New York City, New York
July 13th, 2025
8:51am
She could hear so many sounds below her despite being so many feet above, the platinum-blonde at her favorite spot, overlooking the city. The beeping horns from cars and, especially, buses could reach her ears if she stood out there on the balcony, thunder and rain during storms, planes that flew higher above. It was gentle noise, different than anywhere else she had lived in her life.
Manhattan – specifically Black Arrow – was a community, but still quiet, neighbourhood, and Nome was… Nome was…
Selena shook her head. She had been thinking about home more and more, replaying her past in her mind. “Grandma…” she exhaled, her latest memory filling her ‘mental senses’. She could still hear her, see her, as if she was still waiting up in that tree, waiting for her to fly back or for her uncle, or anyone, to climb up and bring her down, the idea causing a sad smile to cross her features as she looked down once more to the streets below, hands gripping the rails tightly.
“No one’s coming.” Selena whispered. It wouldn’t matter how much she screamed. How much she called out for someone. No one was going to climb up this tower, this castle, to come get her this time. Just like no one was going to stop her in SCW.
No one was strong enough.
She felt the hollowness fill her at the correlation between the two. She should have been elated over her last match. She had FINALLY been pinned. FINALLY suffered a loss in the singles category. It had taken nearly a year to see the Snow Queen’s shoulders pinned to the mat for a three count. Nearly a year of goading every challenger on – screaming at them to ‘take her out’ or ‘shut her up’ or ‘prove her wrong’ – she had demanded it in so many different ways – with so many people stupidly seeing it as her ‘burying’ talent, including Asher Hayes. She sighed at that. Gods, she was sick of hearing that stupid remark.
Can’t they see what I am trying to do?
She knew the answer despite her mind screaming the question. No. Nobody did. Nobody saw it – nobody understood what she was trying to do or be, except maybe her friends like Amelia and Luz. ‘The villain SCW needs’… But losing – that was supposed to be the change of all that! Supposed to be the beginning of people listening and understanding the message. Of stepping up and… and…
But it hadn’t. It hadn’t happened that way. Because it hadn’t been because of skill, or talent, or ability that she had been taken down. No! She couldn’t even LOSE with some semblance of integrity! No, Xander had taken THAT from her too! Him and Cid, yes, but it had been Xander that had gotten in the shot!
Trios Tournament finals– Blake Mason piledriving her
Taking Hold of the Flame – Cid sneaking up from behind to eliminate her
Breakdown – Xander Valentine sneak attack with that damn ‘Valhalla has Fallen’.
Why couldn’t they just let her lose with some fucking dignity! Couldn’t they – couldn’t HE – at least give her that! After all she had given him?! Selena wanted to scream. To drown out the noises with her own voice. A respectable end – one more thing that had been taken from her. Like her mom, like her grandma, like her father, like her daughter…
But Xander had taken that from her. Not even the most cynical of her critics – surprisingly enough, that being Adam Sharper – could deny it. The match had been referred to as ‘unfair’. ‘Not right’. And it had been a breeze to turn it around and throw shade on it as ‘The World-Ruler’. To walk away from it still seemingly untouched and unfazed. Oh, of course she had lost! It was 3-on-1! Of course she had been pinned! Xander had dragged Asher on top of her! Oh, of course! Of course! Of course!
The list was a mile long on the “yeah…but…” BS she could hear from the SCW Universe over that loss. They may have loved seeing her lose, but no one with an IQ higher than that of a pancake could call it ‘fair’ or ‘legitimate’. And that was the problem.
He ruined my defeat…
Another sigh came from her, this one hurting a bit more, because it only had driven the point further home to the Snow Queen.
Burying talent.
Hogging the spotlight.
Craving the world title.
Nobody ever talked about seeing her light up when someone like Ryan LeCavalier stepped up to her. Or when Glory Braddock came out and got in her way over the royale announcement. Or when Collen MacDonald stepped up to her in their match. Or pride for her friends, Light in the Darkness, winning the tag-team championship and becoming THE tag-team of SCW. Or Polly making a statement by sucker-punching her in the face. No… nobody saw that. Just like they didn’t see what she was TRULY saying with her words.
“Because nobody can…” Selena sighed as she gazed down to the roads of New York. “The villain has to go down…” she whispered to the winds.
But nobody could do it. If her match with Asher had proven anything, it was that nobody could take her down. Nobody could stop her, end her. They could beat her, at least some could if the conditions were right – but who could stop her?
Allocco?
Kandis?
Hudson?
Where were they? Gone or back to the mid-card, while she was still at the top of the mountain. Still in the Rise to Greatness main-event – her FIFTH in a row! The rest? They couldn’t keep up - not for long. Not one of them. Just like she had predicted each and every time she had been in this same spot. Nobody could just… stop her. And this past year? No one had even come close. What had her loss to Asher prove? That three men were needed to take her down?
“Bra-fucking-vo!” she growled quietly. She had seen Xander lose the world title to such odds. Saw Giovanni lose such matches to less odds – including to her – same with Cid. She was basically unstoppable unless a mob went after her – her three ‘defeats’ this year proof positive of that. And sure, any other superstar would be thrilled at such a place within the SCW roster…
She despised it.
In the end, she heartbreakingly admitted, “Your still that little girl screaming – begging – for someone to take you down…” She whispered to herself. For someone to reach up and not just reach the heights she was at, but bring her down from that damned tree… and nobody could. They could touch the same branch she was on… but climb up and stay with her, talk to her, then come take her down from it…
Nobody could… not Blake, not Kristen, not Syren, not Glory, not Gio, not Cid… “Not Xander.” She whispered to herself, feeling tears sting her eyes. She was alone at the top. Alone with no one able to bring her down…
One more exhale, allowing her ears to take in the noise of NYC for a moment longer before Selena turned away from it, walking across the balcony/veranda and into her penthouse-castle, where a new series of sounds filled her ears. She heard a shower running from upstairs, some noises of feet running around, a few children yells… the morning routine she had, somewhat, grown accustomed to in her castle. She was interrupted from her thoughts as Oberon, hearing a ‘new person’ enter the suite, rushed towards her, immediately seeking pets and affection, which Selena gave with half-smile, despite how it lightened her heart for a moment. “Love you too, boy.” She whispered, hearing the Samoyed pant happily at such affection. A few more belly-rubs and hugs and kisses and that was enough to satiate the boy, the dog rushing off to, once more, flop onto the hardwood floors and lay there.
Selena envied him a little. All Obi needed was love, food, and shelter. So simple. Something she could provide with ease. How long ago had she been so similar? Eleven years ago, was that it? Eleven years ago, all she had wanted was a real home – not some rundown one missing a room and a roof in Nome – real food, not what scraps she could afford on a waitress’ wages at a Bar and Grill, and real love – not the corrupt, tainted, toxic shit her stepmother, Anastasia DeCarlo, had given her or the warped, near-insane love she had given to a pile of snow in a cooler box.
Eleven years ago… SCW had given her that. And then, all she had wanted was to do right by SCW. To show up for work, do her best, train and get better. She didn’t care for fancy titles or main-event accolades or tournament-trophies – none of that. They had just come her way.
The tag-titles after being chosen by Dawn Lohan.
The Adrenaline title after beating Thomas Watson three times in a row.
The Shot of Adrenaline and Best of the Best trophies.
The world championship – her first – at the End of the Year.
It all had just… happened over time. But all she had wanted was still those three things. Do right by SCW, train and get better.
Walking down the hall between the lounge and the kitchen, Selena spotted the full-body mirror hanging on the wall, her own reflection staring back at her and, for a moment – she could almost see that girl from ten years ago – if only to see the contrast as her own reflection/reality took hold. She was thinner and leaner than she had been back then, better eating and training at her disposal. Her clothes were higher-quality, no longer rags and things from thrift stores. She was trimmer, capable of fighting with men like Xander and Vixen Cain and the Alloccos. Strong enough to knock out anyone with a single kick! Or choke them out with her whole body! But still… despite physically being at her peak…
Her eyes looked tired.
Her body didn’t stand up to its full height unless she consciously forced it.
Her hands looked more skeletal, the bones in them rather prominent against her thin skin.
Her hair – did it look whiter than before? Was it still considered ‘platinum-blonde’ or was it just ‘white’ now?
For a second, just a brief one – as if waking from a dream – Selena didn’t recognize herself, her brain giving her a shock of confusion wondering how she had come to look like that! So tired and ragged and haggard and… unhappy. But a sigh from Selena and a close of her eyes to recenter brought her back to reality before she opened those sapphire orbs and gazed at her reflection once more.
She could explain it all. Her change had been mandatory. She had to get stronger as the years went by. Because she didn’t WANT to be like those that had reached her heights and then fallen from the ‘tree’. She didn’t WANT to be like Kandis or Adam or Hudson. Someone that snuck into the main-event this time of year, stole the spotlight and the world title for a moment and then never saw it again. She didn’t want to be like them – a bright flash that never lasted. She needed to be stronger to survive. To beat people like that and Xander and the Brand and so many others, yes, but also to survive when she failed. To get back up and get back to the top time and time again. She could explain all that away! The years of training while the ‘others’ only did a few months before slacking off. The nonstop studying and work she did behind the scenes while the others slacked off during the early-mid seasons. The pain she endured while others would ‘take a break’ or claim it as ‘debilitating injuries’.
Eleven years ago, the Selena she had been wouldn’t have gotten this far. Wouldn’t have done this much. Wouldn’t have lasted or accomplished all she had. But neither would she be this tired… this unhappy… this…
She sighed again, her mind flashing back to that young girl – the one holding the world title for the first time. The one standing at the altar waiting for her love to walk down the aisle. The one that had held her daughter for the first time, and her son, and her second daughter. Those girls all had the same smile. The same look of joy, of relief, of completeness… of wholeness. The same look her grandmother had given her as she fell to the earth.
Gazing up, Selena studied her own lips and mouth, trying to smile yet only managing a slight smirk. Where had that smile gone? Where had that relief gone? Where had that joy gone? Why did she want this? Why did she have to have this all be her way? The way she had planned – waited for - for a full year? Again, a mere blimp in her mind, a moment of memory-loss that was dispelled by a simple inhale and exhale. And as she looked up at her tired eyes, the joy missing for so long now, she remembered why. And it was enough for her to turn and leave her reflection trapped in the mirror, taking more steps further down the hall into the kitchen area.
The first stop was there. The kitchen always held the biggest garbage bag, which she fished out from under the sink counter, lifting the heavy bag carefully so as not to rip it. She could feel come of the contents shift and, from one side, she saw the plastic of a container poking through one side.
Dammit… she groaned, recognizing the clear-plastic of a ‘grab n’ go’ from the grocery store. I told them about recycling…
Being as careful as possible, Selena held the bag with one hand as she moved around the house, stopping at the various rooms to pick up the smaller garbage bag there. They all would fit inside the larger kitchen one – it made it easier for the garbage shoot (less trips). First was David’s room on the second floor. She knocked three times, calling out ‘garbage collection’. It only took seconds for the door open and for David to hand the small, white bag that lined his black receptacle.
“Thanks.” She smiled at the young boy, stuffing the smaller bag into the larger, black one. “What are your plans for today?”
The second-child of the Frost family gave a shrug. “Probably just chill. It’s too hot outside.”
The remark caused Selena to laugh a little. “Yep, you’re my kid.” She shook her head. “Let me know if you want to hit the pool on the 12th floor, okay?”
“Really?” The boy’s eyes went wide.
“Sure, why not?” Selena laughed. “It’s the weekend after all. Not like I have plans.”
She really didn’t. Aside from Breakdown, she had flat-out refused any extra ‘appearances’ for SCW to promote Rise to Greatness. Why not? If Cid could skip shows for ‘holidays’ and Xander could skip Breakdown to ‘train’ and Gio was… well, Gio… why couldn’t she? Why was she the one that needed to carry the workload for the promotion of a match? Why was she the one that had to make the effort for ticket sales when “the standard” and the “Cinderella Story” – the favorite of the fans – and the damn ‘world champion’ weren’t doing shit?
Least, that’s what she had told the management. In truth, she just didn’t want to fall behind the others. Things had to end a certain way and she wasn’t going to achieve that if she slacked off on her own training. If they were training to prepare and she wasn’t because she was doing THEIR job as the fan-favourites and the world champion. She had even contemplated going back to Nome, like she had in the past for such big matches. To go hiking and camping in the cold winds and snowy mountains – to re-establish her roots and the driving force to overcome such a match that was on the horizon.
But she hadn’t gone back. She had stayed here in her castle, training diligently each day without fail and studying most nights after the children had gone to bed.
She wasn’t the same ‘Selena’ like the one that went to Nome. She was ‘the villain’ and in her ‘castle’ was where she needed to be. Staying the wildcard, staying feared – which was why Cid and Xander had jumped her in the first place rather than give Cid’s best friend Asher the chance to do something worthwhile in beating her.
Some heroes… she thought to herself, scoffing at the idea as she stopped by Amelia’s room. Giving the usual three knocks, the door opened as the seven-year-old poked her head out from the door as it was opened. “Garbage collection, fireball.” Selena stated, holding up the bag. Unlike David, however, Amelia handed her mother the whole receptacle (hers being a blue, plastic one), which Selena poured the contents into the large bag before returning it to Amelia. “Your brother wants to go swimming today. You want to?”
“In the pool?” Amelia asked, a smile growing on her face.
“Yep.” Selena nodded.
“Okay!”
“Alright.” The platinum-blonde laughed. “I’ll let you know when to get ready.”
“Okay! I wanna finish level seventy on Flippy Bird.”
“Excuse me?!” Selena asked, surprising the youngest Frost child.
“My game, mom.” Amiliah explained. “Flippy Bird.” She repeated, walking over to her phone and showing her mother her screen.
“Oh… FLIPPY bird.” Selena breathed in relief. “I thought you said ‘flip the bird’.”
“What’s that?”
“Never mind!” Selena stressed, again surprising her daughter. “Don’t do it. Play your game but don’t do THAT.”
“How do you even flip a-“
“Nope! Nope!” the former world champion urged, shaking her head. “You think Elsa’s grounding is bad? You do that and trust me… yours will be much worse. Trust me!”
“Do what?”
“Exactly!” Selena stated. “Mom’ll tell you when you’re older!” she added, walking away from the door and further down the path of the second floor.
“I just turned seven!” she heard Ami call out.
“Yep.” Selena called back. “You’re already halfway there!”
She received no other words from her daughter as she continued her ‘garbage-seeking trek’, stopping in front of her last child’s room and knocking on the door like the other ones. “Garbage collection, snowflake.” She called out. When she received no reply, Selena opted to turn the door handle with her free hand, pushing the door open to see her daughter, dressed in black like Selena was (though hers was more of a dress while Selena’s was jeans and a shirt), sitting but her computer with her headphones on. The eldest child paid Selena no mind – didn’t even seem to know she was there – as Selena walked behind her, gathered the garbage from the room’s receptacle, and emptied into her bag. As she did, however, she spied the full hamper of clothes by the corner of the room, even smelling the whiff of smoke again as she did, causing her to sigh in frustration.
She felt guilty. The house fire had started on the side of the house that the children’s room had been on, and while the majority of the rooms had not been full damaged (the walls taking the brunt of it), Elsianna’s clothes still smelled of some traces of smoke. Selena had tried countless times over the weeks to wash it out with scented fresheners, deodorizers, even scrubbing the clothes clean in the tub with powerful soaps meant to neutralize odors. The smell of smoke persisted. It had frustrated her so much that the Snow Queen had offered – partially as an extending an olive branch to her daughter with the grounding as well – to throw out the clothes and take her shopping for new ones. But with the aforementioned grounding still in play, Elsianna had refused and Deanna had flat-out forbade Selena from simply “going out and buying new clothes for her”.
She’ll come around… Deanna had said. And that will be the chance to mend the bridge…
A month or so later… they were STILL dealing with clothes that smelled of smoke. The Snow Queen sighed. “I really wish you’d let me take you shopping for new clothes, snowflake.” She said, turning her head back to the back of her daughter’s head. “This can’t be healthy with all they’re saying of second-hand smoke and whatever.”
Again, no reaction, which caused Selena to stop her actions and peer over her daughter’s shoulder. The computer screen before her was some kind of Wikipedia article on…
Selena raised an eyebrow, awareness capturing her in a split second. “Hey.” She poked Elsianna’s shoulder with her finger a bit sharply, causing the girl to turn her head.
“What?” Elsianna asked, removing her headphones. “I’m just reading an article.” She stated.
“An article, huh?” Selena leaned over. “Flooding in Texas?” Selena asked, reading the title again.
“I wanna start some kind of charity for them. Maybe ask people for donations.” The girl explained with a shrug. “Maybe go back home and go door to door or something.”
For Selena, she only was half-listening, though she understood what was being said. Instead, she was scanning the bottom taskbar or Elsianna’s computer, eyes taking in the different browsers and tabs. “Hmmm, well that is definitely a worthwhile endeavour, sweetheart.” She replied. “Maybe the family can do something after Rise to Greatness. You know mom will have a lot of free time in August before the new season…” she didn’t finish her sentence as she spied the tab on the far right. In flash, Selena pulled the headphones off Elsianna’s head-
“HEY!” Elsianna cried out, trying to stop her mother, but failing, allowing Selena to press the large bud to her ear, just in time to hear.
“I can still hear her, Elsa…” come from it.
“And now I can hear you.” Selena said flatly, instantly recognizing the voice and staring straight into the screen. She was deliberate to move her hand over to the mouse and trace the cursor over the tab she had spotted, revealing the Zoom call function. A quick click of the button and the wrestler was suddenly staring at the shocked expression of the young girl on the other side of the video call. “Hey, Asuna.” Selena addressed flatly. “Your parents know you’re doing this?”
“I… that is…” the girl stammered. “Y-yes, Mrs. Frost?”
“Oh good.” Selena nodded. “Then there shouldn’t be a problem when I call them and let them know.”
The line immediately went dead, the video call being terminated and disappearing from the screen shortly thereafter. That done, the platinum-blonde slowly leaned back and away from the computer and her eldest daughter.
She said nothing at first, merely sighing, as she watched Elsianna’s jaw clench, fits tightening, but nothing being said.
“I’ll be talking to mom about this.” Selena stated as she turned back to get her garbage bag, hearing no words from Elsianna. “Your brother and sister want to go swimming in the pool down below. Make sure you’re ready to go.”
“I don’t want to go swimming.” Elsa replied simply.
“That’s nice. You’re still going.”
“Why?” the young girl asked in frustration, causing the older woman to turn back to her.
“Because clearly I can’t trust you when you’re by yourself!” she snapped back. “Not if you’re STILL sneaking behind our backs like this!”
It was enough to stun the girl into silence and enough for Selena to turn and exit the room. “I better not see you talking to her when I leave.” She threatened as she moved out of the room and up the stairs to the third floor, reaching the biggest guest bedroom and entering it without her usual three knocks. She could hear the shower running still, as it had since before she had returned from the veranda.
“Deanna!” Selena called out, moving throughout the room to reach the private bathroom it held and standing in the doorway. “Deanna!” she called out again, this time getting a response as the shower curtain was pulled back a little to allow the called-for woman to poke her wet head from it.
“What?” she asked surprised but still smiling. “Change your mind about joining me? The offer still-“
“I just caught Elsianna video chatting with Asuna.” Selena stated, ignoring her ex-wife repeating of the offer she had made earlier this morning before Selena had gone out on the balcony.
The news, hearing it, cause Deanna to sigh sadly. “Selena…” she tried. “She’s been good for weeks now.”
“Except she hasn’t!” Selena countered. “How long has this been going on? How long as she deliberately defied us like this? No contact means no contact!”
“I wasn’t in favor of that and you know it.” Deanna reminded. “Yes, no more dates for awhile, but zero contact? Selena, that was just asking for trouble.”
The platinum-blonde stood there, slightly taken aback. “You can’t be okay with this.”
“No…” Deanna shook her head. “That she’s hiding things and lying to us? No, I’m not okay with that. But I’m also not okay with cutting her off cold-turkey for so long.” She added. “It’s been about a month.”
Selena’s only response could be a huff of frustration.
“What is even the goal here, Selena?” Deanna asked, reaching behind her to turn the water off. “Is it for our daughter to be miserable?”
“No.” Selena shook her head. “I was in favor of her dating Asuna, remember? But… she needs to learn to obey her parents and not hide things. What am I supposed to do? Let her get away with it?”
“No.” Deanna shook her head. “But we need to talk to her. We need to figure this out.” She urged. “Otherwise she’s going to just keep trying to hide things, not to get what she wants, but because she’s scared of you.”
“Scared of me?” Selena almost recoiled at the idea. “I’ve had her since she was five! There’s no reason for her to be scared of me.”
“No?” Deanna tilted her head. “She knows what you’re capable of. She’s watched SCW. And in one month, you yelled at her and grounded her like I’ve never seen before. Remember? Did you yell at her now too?”
“I…Yes, but…”
“She’s going to be afraid of you if you keep this up.” Deanna sighed. “She’s going to resent you if you don’t try and actually listen to her.”
“And she’ll walk all over me if I just let her do whatever she wants.”
"Do you want her to see you like you saw Anastasia?"
The comment stopped Selena in her tracks cold, the shock radiating off her in waves. With a sad sigh, Deanna shook her head at her ex-wife. “I'm sorry I had to go there." she apologized. "But there has to be a middle-ground here. A compromise.” The redhead urged. “Why don’t…” she paused, biting her lower lip. “Why don’t we invite the Grays to David’s birthday party?” came the offer. “Let Asuna and Elsa catch up and enjoy the party. Then, afterwards, we talk with them and Dorian and Sybil and we figure out a better plan to patch things up?”
“That sounds so…” Selena sighed, looking around, catching her reflection again, this time in the bathroom mirror – the same but now holding a large garbage bag. Selena the garbagewoman… she mused. Maybe she’s happy… “That sounds almost too compromising, pet…” she stated, inadvertently using then nickname for Deanna that she hadn’t used in so long. It wasn’t until she saw Deanna smiling brightly at her that she even realized she had said it.
“Selena, think about it.” The redhead explained. “We let them meet up and enjoy the party, let them get their thoughts and feelings out, then we can establish something we all can agree on. Everyone wins.”
The former world champion gave a sigh as she gave the idea some thought. She didn’t want to reward bad behaviour. It was like Cid bringing weed into SCW. Management didn’t want that shit and neither did she in her company or her family. Still, there was some validity to Deanna’s idea. She was tired of fighting with her daughter. She wanted things… like they were. Where her daughter looked up to her and respected her and was honest with her. Was that such a bad thing to want? Was that so impossible?
“Selena?” the inquiry broke her concentration for the moment, Selena turning her gaze back to Deanna. “Your bag is ripping a bit.”
In alarm, Selena’s eyes flew down to see that plastic of the container poking more out of the big bag.
“Ah, shit!” she cried out, immediately on the move, as she held the bag with both hands now. “I told those kids about containers with sharp edges!”
Her movement was a mixture of grace and speed, though it looked utterly ridiculous, as she moved down the stairs, both flights, and back onto the main floor of the suite, down the hall, past Oberon, and to the elevator. The garbage chute was one floor down on the other high-end rooms, meaning she had to wait for the elevator to come up to her floor. It didn’t take too long, thankfully, and the young woman was heading down to the proper floor in seconds. Once there, she popped out of the opened door and moved down the hall and turn until she spied the metal handle leading into the wall and the chute.
As she reached out, however, to pull the handle open, her other arm lifting the bag up for the up-and-over drop, she miscalculated the distance, the metal of the hatch catching the bag just right to split it open and-
“FUCK!” Selena cried out as the contents of the bag fell… and fell… and fell… until they hit the floor. David’s bag, Amiliah’s basket contents, and Elsianna’s few things that had been tossed. For a moment, Selena just stood there, letting the frustration wash over her as she stared at the ceiling, the only sound her inhaling and exhaling. Slowly, she took the remains of the bag and tossed it into the chute, watching it fall, fall, fall – until it was out of sight. How far down it fell, she wasn’t sure. Was there a secondary ‘chute landing’ this high up to avoid terminal velocity or something? She didn’t know, nor did she really care. She just liked the idea that the trash was falling all the way down to the ground floor. Unstopped, unfettered.
She began picking up the pieces of trash and tossing them down the chute next, not really caring about the “Please put all trash into a bag before sending down chute” sign that was nearby. She did not have the energy to deal with that – a rule everyone else had broken, she was sure.
SCW was the same. The only person that seemed to still care about the damn rules was her and look where things had gotten. She sighed in frustration, but let the thought pass for now as her eyes scanned the floor for any remaining items. Of course the plastic container that had started this whole mess was there and she was eager to grab it and shove it down the chute…
But as she did, however, the container revealed something, no longer covered by said container. To Selena’s confusion, she tilted her head as she eyed the item, disposing of the container as planned before slowly reaching out and picking up the small box.
Carefully, she turned it in her hands, studying the label and rereading the words printed on it over and over again. Because it didn’t make sense why something like this would be here, in her trash. Nobody else had access to her suite. And nobody had access to her trash!
Which meant one of two things… either someone had manifested the cigarette box in her trash…
“Or someone brought it into my home…”
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![[Image: hffOaUZ.png]](https://i.imgur.com/hffOaUZ.png)
SCW Supreme Champion
6x SCW World Champion
4x SCW World Tag-Team Champion
2x SCW United States Champion
3x SCW Adrenaline Champion
SCW Television Champion
Longest Reigning SCW World Champion (234 days)
Winner of Shot of Adrenaline Tournament (2016)
Winner of Best of the Best Tournament (2016)
Winner of Trios Tournament (2018)
Winner of U.S. Championship Tournament (2020)
Winner of World Championship Tournament (2023)
Winner of Tactical Warfare (2014, 2019)
Winner of Elimination Chamber (2015, 2024)
Winner of Roofed Cage Match (2019)
Winner of Last Person Standing Match (2019)
The Unbelievable Main Event (2021-2025)
Winner of Double Jeopardy Match (2022)
Winner of EOTY Invitational (2023)
Winner of EOTY Invitational (2023)
Winner of Ironman Match (2024)
Wrestler of the Year (2016, 2021, 2022, 2024)
Tag-Team of the Year (2020 - w/ Regan Street)
Match of the Year (2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024)
Feud of the Year (2014, 2019)
Shocking Moment of the Year (2024)
![[Image: 34zetxl.png]](https://i.ibb.co/SnpvD5T/34zetxl.png)