Deanna Frost vs. Amelia Blythe

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: Part 3 of Breakdown series.

DISCLAIMER: The following is a work of fiction and not to be confused as complete or accurate representation of any beliefs, religions, etc. Please refer to research/articles by experts for that.

The Witches of Alden

”Drug”

Frost ‘Forever Home’
Manhattan, New York
May 15th, 2023
8:42pm

Deanna gazed out the window of the smaller building, her emerald eyes taking in her ‘Forever House’. Specifically, she saw the lit window on the second floor – her daughter’s room. It was a single light, the soft amber creating an equally soft glow. Without a word, she watched the light as she stood inside the gym/pool house located down the path into the wooded area of their property.

Gerda had not hesitated to spend the night in their home, watching the children, thank Odin. Of course, Deanna had to confide in her the situation (keeping the catalyst of today’s activities out of it for Selena’s sake). While the elder woman was against the use of drugs, as Deanna still was, there was enough explanation from Selena to get her consent to at least watch the kids in order to take the stress off of Selena.

That’s what’s important. Deanna reminded herself. Keeping her calm.

Dresdin Flynn, the therapist that had, inadvertently, suggested the ‘witchcraft drug’ (which was what Deanna had settled on calling it because the name was WAY too long and hard to pronounce), had given Deanna clear instructions and details on what her ‘part’ in this little ‘experiment’ was. Her wife would undergo the ‘session’ and the results could not be precisely known. What was known was that certain effects were par for the course, including hallucinations, and the more stressed a person was, the greater chance there was for a ‘bad trip’. And after Selena’s failed attempt at Nome, that was the last thing Deanna wanted for her wife – even if it would result in Deanna proclaiming “I told you so!”.

She saw the light from the bedroom window go out, causing a sighing-exhale to escape her nose, a breath she did not know she had been holding, and her head to give a slight nod. She felt the porcelain teapot, still warm in her hands – the brewed/boiled witch-plant ready. She had refused to let Selena get anywhere near it without her there. Beside her, sitting on the table, was a large, porcelain teacup, one she would take from Selena immediately in case the woman dropped another drink to the floor – the redhead not wishing to have any shards of porcelain within reach of her, soon-to-be, drugged wife.

That had been the other thing Dresdin had warned her about. ‘Keep her in a safe place. Free from any kind of weapons or things she could use to hurt herself’. Quickly, Deanna turned her head to scan the entire room. She had moved the chairs inside the gym and then locked the gym door with the passcode-interface to block access. She had activated the coverings on the pool. Before her was, simply, a large desolate pool-room, devoid of anything that wasn’t bolted down or painted on the walls.

She felt her breath hitch as she returned her gaze to the outside, where she spied the woman walking down the trail. The wind picked up her platinum-blonde braid, moving it a little as she walked. From the dim lights of the pool-house porch, Deanna could see the black bag the woman had slung over her shoulder and the large, blue recycling bin with the garbage bag lining it that she carried with her other hand.

Quietly, Deanna moved the few steps to reach the door, one hand clutching the teapot while the other reached out to pull open the door for the Snow Queen, allowing the taller Frost to enter far more easily.

“Thanks, dear.” Selena whispered automatically, instinctively leaning down to kiss Deanna’s cheek before moving further into the pool room, Deanna closing the door, locking it, and following her wife. Before her, she saw the maroon nightgown – Selena’s most comfortable and favorite nightwear – as Deanna had instructed her to do (“Dress into your favorite, most comfortable clothes”) to further relax the Snow Queen. To answer her wife, the redhead gave a slight nod as Selena continued to set things up within the large room. She placed the bin near a ‘sitting spot’ and the black duffle bag near that before taking a slow breath to calm herself. “Okay…” she sighed. “That’s everything, I think.” She turned to look at her wife, seeing the redhead’s eyes on the blue bin. “In case I can’t make it to the bathroom.” She explained.

Again, Deanna gave a nod, her hands back to clutching the very warm teapot close to her chest, feeling the warmth seep through her own dark-green nightgown and warm her skin.

“Deanna…” she heard Selena’s voice but didn’t quite look up to meet her gaze, even when she heard and, eventually, saw her wife walk the few steps to stand before her. “It’ll be okay.”

Breathing slowly, Deanna couldn’t help her head from shaking left to right. “I don’t like this.” She reminded the Snow Queen, her eyes finally finding Selena’s.

Opening her mouth to speak, Selena slowly closed it, giving a nod of her head. Despite her misgivings, Deanna was still there with the tea/drug. Still going through with it.

“I know.” Selena settled on saying. “But I-“ She took a moment to find the right words, stepping away to cast her eyes out of the same window Deanna had: to observe their home. “I don’t have any other options…”

“You keep saying that.” Deanna stated, her hands re-clutching the teapot, as the soft sound of thunder was heard outside in the distance. “But I don’t see this as an ‘option’. It’s a stupid risk.”

With a sigh, Selena’s head gazed up at the ceiling. “You don’t understand how lucky you are.”

“Lucky?!” Deanna remarked. “How am I lucky in this?”

“No… not this.” Selena shook her head, turning to gaze at Deanna. “SCW.”

The assessment was odd and almost caught Deanna off-guard, the Snow Queen continuing. “Glory Braddock? And now Amelia? And then maybe Bree? You have a path that is nothing but honor-filled matches to showcase your talent and how good you can be! It’s so… so amazing…” her voice broke a little. “I would kill to have my tournament be like that. To know that I’m facing such amazing talent like Amelia! Knowing there are no plans for subterfuge or cheap tricks. I would kill to know that, if I make it to the finals, the odds are heavy that I’m facing a former world champion in another such match! No thinking of every possible way I’m going to get screwed out of this tournament! And then…”

Again, she wiped at her eyes. “This whole thing started with SCW. And I’m… I’m slipping, Deanna. The lack of control – I can’t stand it. I’m losing it over there. I’m losing it here… and I’m losing it in myself. I can feel it little by little every day. I won’t get what you have this Breakdown. I won’t. If it’s not Lexy, it’ll be Ravyn. If it’s not Ravyn, it’ll be that new guy – what was his name?”

“Damian.” Deanna answered automatically.

“Damian. If it’s not him, then it’ll be Konrad. If it’s not him, it’ll be Allocco looking to ‘hedge his bet’ like he did with Syren months ago. If it’s not him-“

“I get it.”

“I’m…” Selena tried. “I’m just so tired. I want to enjoy this like you are. I want to enjoy being in the ring and fighting for integrity like you are. With opponents that want to like Amelia and Glory and Bree. I want to…” she shook her head. “If I can’t figure that out… then I’ll just keep slipping, until I just…”

She gestured with her hand, the word unspoken but loud in Deanna’s mind. Fall.

Deanna was silent, watching her wife stand there in the dim lights. It was true – all of it. She could hear the envy in Selena’s voice. And she didn’t envy her wife’s position on the matter. She WAS excited to be facing Amelia. At the prospect of possibly facing Bree – another former world champion! She was excited about… about so much with this tournament now that she had gotten through the first round. But Selena? Selena was the opposite. Every round seemed harder. More impossible – especially now with her facing Ace Marshall.

“I won’t let you fall.” Deanna tried weakly.

Sadly, Selena smiled, the love for the redhead beyond clear in her face and eyes. “You may not be able to stop it.” She answered. “You can’t always be there with me. My hand-“ she looked down at her right hand, an act she had been doing all day. “-moves a lot faster than you.”

Deanna shuddered. “You think it will come to that?”

“No.” Selena shook her head. “I won’t let it. Because if this doesn’t work? And if I fail to stop him…” she sighed, once more choosing not to utter the finish.

With a slow nod of understanding, Deanna stepped closer to the window and her wife. Reaching out, she cupped the Snow Queen’s face, drawing her in for a lingering kiss before she broke away, her hands moving to pour the warm tea into the waiting cup. With a long breath, she handed it to Selena, the Snow Queen eyeing it.

“Wait…” Selena held up a hand before marching over to her duffle-bag. “Dresdin said that we needed something to focus on. A symbol or relic of our stress or something like that.”

“Right.” Deanna sighed, mentally cursing herself for forgetting that step. “What did you-“ her words dropped as she beheld the black item Selena pulled out. “Where the hell did you get that?!” she asked, shock and, a bit of that familiar anger, raging through her.

“In Nome.” Selena admitted. “It sort of found me.”
“No! No way! We-“
“Deanna!” Selena pressed. “We’re doing this.”

Desperately, Deanna’s emerald eyes flew from the Snow Queen to the black-skull-helmet she held in her hands, the platinum-blonde placing it in front of herself as she sat down in the safe space near the blue-bin. “Please…” the voice, a plea, came out as she held her hand out.

Slowly, hating every step she took, Deanna walked towards Selena, once more (with a shake in her hands) offering the cup to the Snow Queen. Pale hands, trembling also, took the concoction, sapphire eyes never leaving emerald ones.

“No matter what happens… what I say or see…” she whispered, fear laced in her voice. “I love you more than anything in this world.”

“I…” Deanna tried, lowering herself to a sitting position before her wife. “That’s not how you say it, Selena.”

Slowly, a genuine, grateful smile formed. “Maybe…” Selena breathed. “Maybe I love you.”

“Maybe I love you.” Deanna whispered back as she watched Selena slowly lift the drink to her lips, the liquid pouring into the Snow Queen until the cup was empty.

“Alright…” Selena sighed. “Here we go.”

_______________________________________________________________

The Guard Tower

So… I did something last week… What have you guys been up to?

I know. I know. Not the most graceful start to a promo, right? No jumping up and down. No screaming “I did it! I did it!” or running around the room or whatever. Just me… reflecting on… stuff.

But let me make it clear, little Gritters! Last Breakdown was a huge night for me. It was more than just my first win against a former world champion. That, in itself, means the world to me, but last week was so much more than that. It was the ultimate test of whether I should even be in the United States Championship tournament in the first place! It was a test to prove that I was more than just a ‘throw-in’ or a ‘substitute’ because ‘Selena was already tied up in the World-title tournament’.

Last week was my test! It was my statement! A statement that I am here as more than just a name. More than just an association. I am here to win the whole darn thing!

And to fight a former world champion – a multiple-time world champion – in Glory Braddock. A woman with all the reasons and motivation to take the tournament by storm and become the new United States Champion? To fight such a force and prevail?

And I heard the people. I heard the commentators, Adam and Jonathan. That it was an upset. That it was, maybe, luck or a fluke? That it wasn’t supposed to happen.

You’re damn right it wasn’t supposed to happen! It wasn’t supposed to happen but it did anyway! Was it an upset? You’re damn right it was an upset! Because everything I’ve said up to this point has been true. The perception of me: my skill, my heart, everything I am – it has all been under a microscope since I began wrestling a year and a half ago. Everything I’ve said, believed, done – broken down, analyzed and measured against a measuring stick that few can truly compare to in my wife. That isn’t a slight on the great men and women here, but rather the heart and passion of my Selena. The ‘Face of SCW’ casts quite a massive shadow…

It's a tough act to follow, and as I said last week, Ravyn’s words hung heavy in my head and in my heart. Not because they were rude or wrong, but because they were true and I didn’t want them to be true. I didn’t want to ‘not be ready’. I didn’t want to be the person that stayed in the ‘middle lane’ or the ‘mid-card level’. I wanted to hit that accelerator. I needed to break that glass-ceiling. I needed to prove that I could be more than what I have been associated with. More than “Selena’s wife”. More than the ‘support’ of The House of Frost.

And as much as I am grateful to Glory for giving me all that she had and more… As much as I respect what Glory did for me, I am not as jubilant as I could be because, I know, deep in my heart, that the work has only just begun. That a victory, even one like this, isn’t enough for me.

It isn’t enough to break the glass ceiling. It isn’t enough to debunk the detractors. It isn’t enough to step out of the shadow of Selena and, instead, stand by her side. It isn’t enough to turn the notion of ‘an upset’ into ‘a believed conclusion’. No disrespect to Glory, but it is not enough!

Last Breakdown, for all it was to me, was merely the first step. This Breakdown? I take the second step as I face Amelia Blythe.

And you and me, Amelia – hi, by the way! Hope you’re well! – we know each other rather well. And with you, I am beyond excited to be facing you! Just the idea? THAT could have me running around the room with giddiness. Because last time we faced? You, Luz, Selena and I? We tore the roof off the house and showed what the tag-team division was all about! I’m sorry we can’t be in that division now to watch Light in the Darkness grow, but I truly hope, if it is you that gets a crack against Marshall and Ravyn before Selena and I do, you show us how it’s done! Because I know you can! More than that, I know Light in the Darkness can be SCW World Tag-Team Champions!

But…I’m back to being a cheerleader, looking to the future – and that isn’t what’s happening so soon on Breakdown, is it? It’s me being a wrestler, facing you for a chance to take the finals at Taking Hold of the Flame. And I’m not like my wife, Amelia. I’m not going to tell you “You’re not ready” for this, because, gods, boy, are you ever ready!

I mean, I can say I beat a former World Champion, Blythe. But so did you! You beat James Evans! Let that sink in: you beat a former world champion just like I did. If I proved that I belong in this tournament, you did too! And I know, just like at Retribution, you and I are going to steal the show tonight! They won’t be talking about Bree vs. Polly or even the World title rounds – no siree! – they will be talking about Deanna Frost vs Amelia Blythe! They will be standing and cheering for that match like they did back in Dallas, Texas! We will set the bar for how the rest of the tournament matches should go or should have gone!

But let me tell you where I stand now, Amelia, because my wife has often told me that ‘perception determines your reality’. At Playing the Wildcard, I lost a lot of my confidence. I lost a lot of my focus. In my attempts to rise above the accusations and declarations that have been plaguing me since the start of my career, I lost focus and, in a grand clustermuck – yes, I said clustermuck – just like when I lost my focus in that ‘chaos match’ and got knocked through that door, I got caught. I got beat. I lost what I had earned.

So, when I entered this tournament, it was about more than a promise or even a prophecy that Selena claimed in the middle of the ring when this whole thing began. It was about regaining that purpose. Regaining a focus that I had lost and knowing what was next for me – and as I held Glory’s shoulders to the mat and heard the three count after I hit her with The Burnout, I tell you, Amelia… I never felt so focused or saw things so clearly.

Because in that moment, I knew what I could do. I knew what I had to do. It wasn’t revenge on Ace and Ravyn. It wasn’t doing what I know, in my heart, you and Luz, Amy and Simon, even the Playgirls and One and Kinneck can do. No, what I had to do – what was next for me – was standing on the pedestal where Owen Cruze and O. D. had left it.

The United States championship. A tournament that has already seen the elimination of not one, but two former world champions. The new talent rising above for a claim to that beautiful championship. You have to understand, Amelia, that this isn’t just a ‘semi-final’ for me. This isn’t just a Breakdown match for me. This isn’t just a sort of ‘rematch’ from Retribution.

This is a necessity for me. This is the path that I need to take. The path that I have to take. Which means, unlike you, I can’t afford to hesitate. Because I know that you are bothered by James Evans getting injured during your match. I watched it happen. I was bothered about it too for a moment. Injuries… they happen, I know you can attest to that. I can attest to that – I’ve got the scar on my arm to prove it. But the difference between you and me is that I don’t have the time to hesitate or show fear or let ‘what ifs’ of an injury stop me here! I can’t let the risks of a repeat of your last match cause me to lose focus or hesitate!

Because one win, even against a former world champion, as I said, is not enough. No, I need to keep going. I need to see this through. I need to keep fighting and get past you and then go to Taking Hold of the Flame. I need to keep fighting against either the odds-on favorite, Bree Lancaster, or the wildcard in Polly Playtime. I need to keep fighting until there is nothing left in my body, nothing left in my heart. I need to keep fighting with the passion and grit that overcomes the fear and uncertainty that may falter you tonight!

I need to keep fighting until I hear the words that have filled my dreams and filled my heart with excitement, dread of failure, but also filled my being with faith… with belief.

And those words are: “Here is your winner… and the NEW SCW United States Champion… DEANNA FROST!”

A championship of my own.
A division of my own.
A journey – a venture – of my own.

So, Amelia, I know I will have your best. I know we will have a 5-star match that will raise the bar not only in this tournament but in this entire division that we wish to champion. But when it is all said and done, you won’t just be looking at the winner of our match. You will not just be looking at the woman with more grit, passion, and more drive than you – even if it is only the most minute difference. You won’t just be looking at the finalist of this tournament.

No, Amelia Blythe. You will, undeniably, be looking at the NEXT United States Champion of SCW!

Checkmate, bitches! And good luck, my friend!