10-20-2018, 04:48 PM
Joint effort from the Red Empire. Might seem a bit odd that it's CD only for a match with title implications, but Scarlet's handler and I are still having some difficulty figuring out a way to approach facing more than one person/team at a time that either of us feel comfortable with. Maybe that'll come with more experience hopefully.
***
The pieces were starting to come together, and right now that was all the Red Empire could truly ask for.
Breakdown had been very beneficial to the tandem to say the least. Even though Ruby had perceived her victory over Konrad Raab as a foregone conclusion, it was still a win to help turn things back into their favor after a fairly hit-or-miss run the past couple of weeks. Even greater news, however, was the fact that she and Scarlet were finally announced as one of the remaining open slots in the chamber match that would determine the number one contenders to the tag team titles, meaning another opportunity was before them and this time they had to make the most of it, regardless of the fact they were entering into a match that was infamous for how dangerous it was and their lack of experience inside such a structure was going to play heavily against them. On the plus side, the vast majority of the competitors involved were in the same boat, so at least they had that working for them. A match like this boiled down to who would have the best plan for survival, and it was painfully clear who had the edge when it came to planning.
Of course, there was something else of note from Breakdown that only half of the tandem was aware of.
Some time after Ruby's win, Scarlet had taken it upon herself to seek out the object of her affections for the past few months, and in a surprising move given her actions in that time frame, she seemed to finally accept that Aaron just wasn't interested and wanted to try and part ways with him on civil, if awkward, terms. What he didn't realize, however, was the mistake in letting her get that close to him because now she was in possession of his phone, and with it everything she could ever need to know about her “competition” for Aaron's affections. This was something Ruby was currently unaware of, no doubt because she was more concerned with the impending task at hand, but in Scarlet's mind she was as set as she could possibly be to move forward on her terms, not on Aaron's.
Unfortunately, considering what Ruby had in her possession that Scarlet was unaware of, these revelations were on a collision course that had the potential to end very badly.
Ruby's study had become the very definition of a “war room” as it was a mess of plans and statistics and monitors playing footage from previous chamber matches within SCW, although the severe lack of ones revolving around tag teams was a bit of a roadblock to that endeavor. Still, Ruby had busied herself with trying to map out every possible scenario that could happen in the chamber and forming a plan around it. Call it extreme, but the idea of losing out here was one that was not sitting well with her. After all, the last time the Red Empire had the tag titles within their grasp and failed, it led to a meltdown on Scarlet's end that saw the tandem vanish for quite some time, and the idea of losing a match where a strategy for surviving was the greatest key to victory was an insult to everything she was. She would not allow the chamber to slip through her fingers, and she was going to make sure Scarlet played along this time no matter what it took. After all, her end goal for all of this should be everything Ruby needed to get even her most unpredictable piece into its proper place on the board.
Amarant: Scarlet's more than intelligent enough to see where I'm coming from this time. I don't think she'll object to doing things my way this once. And even if she does...
Ruby glanced over to the edge of the table where she had her “secret weapon” sitting. Trying to view them in that light and what they could mean for making sure everything went the way it was supposed to helped Ruby to forget about how she'd obtained these photos, because the last thing she wanted to concern herself with right now was the games of the man she knew she'd have to try and deal with sooner rather than later, and before he began making any sort of move that could complicate things just to make sure she kept her end of the deal. As long as Scarlet had an idea of what she was up against for her “other battle” then maybe she'd be content enough to let it rest long enough for everything to play out the way it was in Ruby's head.
Feeling the need to take a break from her scheming and wanting to make sure the Scarlet variable was dealt with before she went any further, she scooped up the photos and neatly stacked them before making her way over to the bedroom, where she had a feeling she'd find Scarlet. Sure enough, the more voluptuous of the pair was wearing absolutely nothing as she posed in front of a mirror, phone in hand as she seemed to switch her gaze back and forth between in and her own reflection. It was simple behavior that annoyed Ruby, but a simple clearing of her throat was enough to put a stop to it and get her partner's attention.
Grey: Oh, hey Rubes!
Amarant: Scarlet, do you mind if we discuss a little business for a bit? I know you're busy no doubt trying to create more 'art' perhaps for Aaron's interest, but I need to make sure we're on the same page for-
Grey: Sorry to cut you off, but I'm actually not going on a selfie spree, even if the thought is very tempting right now. After all, what better gift to give Aaron than some one-of-a-kind pics whenever I give his phone back.
Ruby went to respond, but her annoyance at being cut off by Scarlet while she was in 'not serious' mode was lost when she heard those words, and carefully observing the phone in her partner's hands confirmed it was not her crimson-colored cell phone she possessed, but rather one that looked like it had a unique case that would definitely be the calling card of the artist she claimed it belonged to. Seeing Ruby's puzzled expression, Scarlet decided she should probably come clean about what she was actually doing, the very idea making her giddy with delight.
Grey: If you're really interested, I was in the middle of confirming what I already knew and reveling in it. Like any good boyfriend, Aaron's got pics of this girl on his phone and they're 'togetherness' is all I need to know she's who I've been looking for. And go figure, I truly am an upgrade compared to this chick. By the way, is it sad that aside from him needing a better way to lock this phone that he doesn't even have anything of her that's more revealing? Some relationship...
Ruby could practically hear the sound of her plans starting to fall apart in her head already as Scarlet proudly showed her just one of the pictures on there. Sure enough, the girl she saw on the screen was a perfect match for the one in the pictures she'd gone through Ivan to get, and since Scarlet had gone through the trouble of obtaining this information on her own and succeeding, it made Ruby's risky dealing utterly pointless now. Scarlet's amusement quickly began to fade as soon as she saw the change in her partner's expression, and it wasn't long before Ruby threw the pictures she was holding into the air and stormed out of the room in frustration. While initially confused, she bent down and grabbed one, and seeing that it looked like Ruby had been prepared to give her exactly what she'd just obtained for herself, it only took a fraction of a second to put two and two together to see the problem, even if she was unaware of the full situation behind it.
Quickly throwing on the first pair of clothes she could find without caring that she was “going commando” beneath it in order to look presentable while she hoped to smooth things over, Scarlet set Aaron's phone aside and took one of the pictures with her as she made her way to the study. Thankfully, in Ruby's frustration she hadn't taken the time to properly close and lock the door, giving her a chance to peek in and almost immediately feel overwhelmed by what she saw when it came to the insanely detailed work that had been put into trying to prepare for the impending trip into the chamber. She glanced around in awe before she found Ruby seated at her desk, fingers tangled in her crimson locks as she looked on the verge of a potentially long overdue breakdown of her own.
Amarant: ...I should've showed those to her before Breakdown, then maybe she wouldn't have felt she needed to strike out on her own. Now she's got something that I didn't need to get after all, and I'm stuck having to go through with my end of the deal to Ivan when it was all for naught. Maybe I should just give this all up right now... just surrender everything I've worked so hard to rebuild for myself and go back to being his prized little bitch to parade around as a sign of his mental superiority and not put up with everything salacious and disgusting that makes him the monster the public never gets to see. If I try to turn him back now, it'll only get her involved and I can't have her be dragged into my mess.
Grey: Too late for that, but it sounds to me like you found a loophole if nothing else.
Ruby quickly turned around in shock to realize Scarlet had been listening in, and a look of absolute horror seemed to consume her. Before Ruby could do anything drastic, Scarlet quickly held out the photo she'd discarded almost as a peace offering, and when Ruby took it with trembling fingers she found herself pulled out of her seat and into a comforting hug, something Scarlet rarely gave out with actual sentimentality behind it which made it all the more effective in this situation. Slowly but surely Ruby seemed like she was calming down, but Scarlet kept her close regardless. She was going to get answers out of this woman now or never, and even if she didn't get much she wanted enough that filled in enough of the blanks that she could make her next move accordingly.
Amarant: ...how much of my inane rambling did you hear?
Grey: I walked in about the time you said you should've showed these to me before Breakdown. To be fair, even if you had I probably would've still gone through with my own little plan, because I have many more uses for that phone while I have it other than comparing myself to that nobody keeping Aaron's heart all chained up from me. I... might have also caught the part about this Ivan guy-
Amarant: Don't, Scarlet. I don't care what you heart, Ivan is my problem and-
Grey: I'm not accepting that this time Ruby. I don't care how little about yourself you're willing to share with me... if this guy's exactly what you said he is, then I'm not letting you anywhere near him again, not on your own. If he made you feel worthless, then as far as I'm concerned he's better off dead in a ditch somewhere, forgotten and alone because he doesn't deserve you.
Amarant: But I... we had a deal-
Grey: You made that deal to help me by the look of things, and I acted of my own accord to get exactly what he did with I'm guessing far less resources, which as far as I'm concerned means Scarlet: 1 Ivan: 0. You should know that every deal always has a loophole out of it, and I don't think you can justify anything for him if HE went through all this trouble for nothing, not you. You didn't know what I was up to, and if what he gave you doesn't help then as far as I see it, you don't owe that scumbag a damn thing. And if he wants to take it up with you... well, if you're so worried about him, we can see how good he is at outsmarting the both of us.
Scarlet made it all sound so simple, and Ruby wished that were truly the case. Then again, she did seem to be on to something, and there was some truth that she could hardly justify that Ivan had 'kept his end of the deal' if it didn't accomplish the goal. She knew he wouldn't make it that easy, the price she would pay for daring to go through him once more, but like it or not she seemed to have someone in her corner for that battle even if she feared for Scarlet's well-being against such a manipulative megalomaniac.
Amarant: Why Scarlet? Why would you...?
Grey: You know me well enough by now Ruby, and you even stated so when you were putting that stupid snowman guy or whatever in his place. If I want something, I'll get it somehow and nothing is going to stop me. Yeah, Aaron's going to learn that the hard way and eventually he'll find himself here learning the benefits of spending time with someone like me, but I'm not too keen on losing you that easily if I can help it... occasional meltdown aside. I don't like the idea of sharing you, not with a guy that sounds like he'd make me want to empty my stomach even if he turns out to be the best looking guy on the planet. You've put up with my desires to get Aaron to be all mine this whole time and even offered to help... the least I can do to return the favor is help you out of this jam whether you want it or not. After all, how bad can this guy break someone many already consider kind of broken to begin with when they see whatever I do?
Ruby wanted to argue, she truly did, but no words could form that would make any sense on that front. Slowly, Ruby tightened the hug, almost as though she were clinging to Scarlet for dear life, and Scarlet let her. Even if Ruby didn't fully see her as such, Scarlet considered her a friend, and a very close one at that. Scarlet had entrusted herself to Ruby's care even when the two barely knew anything of each other and still don't have all the answers to several questions about one another. But Ruby tolerated her and helped her even when she didn't have a reason to, and the least Scarlet could do was pay her back.
That was why Scarlet was hellbent on making this Ivan guy pay for this newfound information.
This was why the Red Empire was going to upend the tag division and walk out of the chamber victorious.
This was why Scarlet Grey and Ruby Amarant would soon be ruling over SCW, no matter how much anyone thought they'd be able to stop them.
After all, Scarlet always got what she wanted, and a focused Ruby was an unstoppable force of nature that would never be outsmarted.
***
The pieces were starting to come together, and right now that was all the Red Empire could truly ask for.
Breakdown had been very beneficial to the tandem to say the least. Even though Ruby had perceived her victory over Konrad Raab as a foregone conclusion, it was still a win to help turn things back into their favor after a fairly hit-or-miss run the past couple of weeks. Even greater news, however, was the fact that she and Scarlet were finally announced as one of the remaining open slots in the chamber match that would determine the number one contenders to the tag team titles, meaning another opportunity was before them and this time they had to make the most of it, regardless of the fact they were entering into a match that was infamous for how dangerous it was and their lack of experience inside such a structure was going to play heavily against them. On the plus side, the vast majority of the competitors involved were in the same boat, so at least they had that working for them. A match like this boiled down to who would have the best plan for survival, and it was painfully clear who had the edge when it came to planning.
Of course, there was something else of note from Breakdown that only half of the tandem was aware of.
Some time after Ruby's win, Scarlet had taken it upon herself to seek out the object of her affections for the past few months, and in a surprising move given her actions in that time frame, she seemed to finally accept that Aaron just wasn't interested and wanted to try and part ways with him on civil, if awkward, terms. What he didn't realize, however, was the mistake in letting her get that close to him because now she was in possession of his phone, and with it everything she could ever need to know about her “competition” for Aaron's affections. This was something Ruby was currently unaware of, no doubt because she was more concerned with the impending task at hand, but in Scarlet's mind she was as set as she could possibly be to move forward on her terms, not on Aaron's.
Unfortunately, considering what Ruby had in her possession that Scarlet was unaware of, these revelations were on a collision course that had the potential to end very badly.
Ruby's study had become the very definition of a “war room” as it was a mess of plans and statistics and monitors playing footage from previous chamber matches within SCW, although the severe lack of ones revolving around tag teams was a bit of a roadblock to that endeavor. Still, Ruby had busied herself with trying to map out every possible scenario that could happen in the chamber and forming a plan around it. Call it extreme, but the idea of losing out here was one that was not sitting well with her. After all, the last time the Red Empire had the tag titles within their grasp and failed, it led to a meltdown on Scarlet's end that saw the tandem vanish for quite some time, and the idea of losing a match where a strategy for surviving was the greatest key to victory was an insult to everything she was. She would not allow the chamber to slip through her fingers, and she was going to make sure Scarlet played along this time no matter what it took. After all, her end goal for all of this should be everything Ruby needed to get even her most unpredictable piece into its proper place on the board.
Amarant: Scarlet's more than intelligent enough to see where I'm coming from this time. I don't think she'll object to doing things my way this once. And even if she does...
Ruby glanced over to the edge of the table where she had her “secret weapon” sitting. Trying to view them in that light and what they could mean for making sure everything went the way it was supposed to helped Ruby to forget about how she'd obtained these photos, because the last thing she wanted to concern herself with right now was the games of the man she knew she'd have to try and deal with sooner rather than later, and before he began making any sort of move that could complicate things just to make sure she kept her end of the deal. As long as Scarlet had an idea of what she was up against for her “other battle” then maybe she'd be content enough to let it rest long enough for everything to play out the way it was in Ruby's head.
Feeling the need to take a break from her scheming and wanting to make sure the Scarlet variable was dealt with before she went any further, she scooped up the photos and neatly stacked them before making her way over to the bedroom, where she had a feeling she'd find Scarlet. Sure enough, the more voluptuous of the pair was wearing absolutely nothing as she posed in front of a mirror, phone in hand as she seemed to switch her gaze back and forth between in and her own reflection. It was simple behavior that annoyed Ruby, but a simple clearing of her throat was enough to put a stop to it and get her partner's attention.
Grey: Oh, hey Rubes!
Amarant: Scarlet, do you mind if we discuss a little business for a bit? I know you're busy no doubt trying to create more 'art' perhaps for Aaron's interest, but I need to make sure we're on the same page for-
Grey: Sorry to cut you off, but I'm actually not going on a selfie spree, even if the thought is very tempting right now. After all, what better gift to give Aaron than some one-of-a-kind pics whenever I give his phone back.
Ruby went to respond, but her annoyance at being cut off by Scarlet while she was in 'not serious' mode was lost when she heard those words, and carefully observing the phone in her partner's hands confirmed it was not her crimson-colored cell phone she possessed, but rather one that looked like it had a unique case that would definitely be the calling card of the artist she claimed it belonged to. Seeing Ruby's puzzled expression, Scarlet decided she should probably come clean about what she was actually doing, the very idea making her giddy with delight.
Grey: If you're really interested, I was in the middle of confirming what I already knew and reveling in it. Like any good boyfriend, Aaron's got pics of this girl on his phone and they're 'togetherness' is all I need to know she's who I've been looking for. And go figure, I truly am an upgrade compared to this chick. By the way, is it sad that aside from him needing a better way to lock this phone that he doesn't even have anything of her that's more revealing? Some relationship...
Ruby could practically hear the sound of her plans starting to fall apart in her head already as Scarlet proudly showed her just one of the pictures on there. Sure enough, the girl she saw on the screen was a perfect match for the one in the pictures she'd gone through Ivan to get, and since Scarlet had gone through the trouble of obtaining this information on her own and succeeding, it made Ruby's risky dealing utterly pointless now. Scarlet's amusement quickly began to fade as soon as she saw the change in her partner's expression, and it wasn't long before Ruby threw the pictures she was holding into the air and stormed out of the room in frustration. While initially confused, she bent down and grabbed one, and seeing that it looked like Ruby had been prepared to give her exactly what she'd just obtained for herself, it only took a fraction of a second to put two and two together to see the problem, even if she was unaware of the full situation behind it.
Quickly throwing on the first pair of clothes she could find without caring that she was “going commando” beneath it in order to look presentable while she hoped to smooth things over, Scarlet set Aaron's phone aside and took one of the pictures with her as she made her way to the study. Thankfully, in Ruby's frustration she hadn't taken the time to properly close and lock the door, giving her a chance to peek in and almost immediately feel overwhelmed by what she saw when it came to the insanely detailed work that had been put into trying to prepare for the impending trip into the chamber. She glanced around in awe before she found Ruby seated at her desk, fingers tangled in her crimson locks as she looked on the verge of a potentially long overdue breakdown of her own.
Amarant: ...I should've showed those to her before Breakdown, then maybe she wouldn't have felt she needed to strike out on her own. Now she's got something that I didn't need to get after all, and I'm stuck having to go through with my end of the deal to Ivan when it was all for naught. Maybe I should just give this all up right now... just surrender everything I've worked so hard to rebuild for myself and go back to being his prized little bitch to parade around as a sign of his mental superiority and not put up with everything salacious and disgusting that makes him the monster the public never gets to see. If I try to turn him back now, it'll only get her involved and I can't have her be dragged into my mess.
Grey: Too late for that, but it sounds to me like you found a loophole if nothing else.
Ruby quickly turned around in shock to realize Scarlet had been listening in, and a look of absolute horror seemed to consume her. Before Ruby could do anything drastic, Scarlet quickly held out the photo she'd discarded almost as a peace offering, and when Ruby took it with trembling fingers she found herself pulled out of her seat and into a comforting hug, something Scarlet rarely gave out with actual sentimentality behind it which made it all the more effective in this situation. Slowly but surely Ruby seemed like she was calming down, but Scarlet kept her close regardless. She was going to get answers out of this woman now or never, and even if she didn't get much she wanted enough that filled in enough of the blanks that she could make her next move accordingly.
Amarant: ...how much of my inane rambling did you hear?
Grey: I walked in about the time you said you should've showed these to me before Breakdown. To be fair, even if you had I probably would've still gone through with my own little plan, because I have many more uses for that phone while I have it other than comparing myself to that nobody keeping Aaron's heart all chained up from me. I... might have also caught the part about this Ivan guy-
Amarant: Don't, Scarlet. I don't care what you heart, Ivan is my problem and-
Grey: I'm not accepting that this time Ruby. I don't care how little about yourself you're willing to share with me... if this guy's exactly what you said he is, then I'm not letting you anywhere near him again, not on your own. If he made you feel worthless, then as far as I'm concerned he's better off dead in a ditch somewhere, forgotten and alone because he doesn't deserve you.
Amarant: But I... we had a deal-
Grey: You made that deal to help me by the look of things, and I acted of my own accord to get exactly what he did with I'm guessing far less resources, which as far as I'm concerned means Scarlet: 1 Ivan: 0. You should know that every deal always has a loophole out of it, and I don't think you can justify anything for him if HE went through all this trouble for nothing, not you. You didn't know what I was up to, and if what he gave you doesn't help then as far as I see it, you don't owe that scumbag a damn thing. And if he wants to take it up with you... well, if you're so worried about him, we can see how good he is at outsmarting the both of us.
Scarlet made it all sound so simple, and Ruby wished that were truly the case. Then again, she did seem to be on to something, and there was some truth that she could hardly justify that Ivan had 'kept his end of the deal' if it didn't accomplish the goal. She knew he wouldn't make it that easy, the price she would pay for daring to go through him once more, but like it or not she seemed to have someone in her corner for that battle even if she feared for Scarlet's well-being against such a manipulative megalomaniac.
Amarant: Why Scarlet? Why would you...?
Grey: You know me well enough by now Ruby, and you even stated so when you were putting that stupid snowman guy or whatever in his place. If I want something, I'll get it somehow and nothing is going to stop me. Yeah, Aaron's going to learn that the hard way and eventually he'll find himself here learning the benefits of spending time with someone like me, but I'm not too keen on losing you that easily if I can help it... occasional meltdown aside. I don't like the idea of sharing you, not with a guy that sounds like he'd make me want to empty my stomach even if he turns out to be the best looking guy on the planet. You've put up with my desires to get Aaron to be all mine this whole time and even offered to help... the least I can do to return the favor is help you out of this jam whether you want it or not. After all, how bad can this guy break someone many already consider kind of broken to begin with when they see whatever I do?
Ruby wanted to argue, she truly did, but no words could form that would make any sense on that front. Slowly, Ruby tightened the hug, almost as though she were clinging to Scarlet for dear life, and Scarlet let her. Even if Ruby didn't fully see her as such, Scarlet considered her a friend, and a very close one at that. Scarlet had entrusted herself to Ruby's care even when the two barely knew anything of each other and still don't have all the answers to several questions about one another. But Ruby tolerated her and helped her even when she didn't have a reason to, and the least Scarlet could do was pay her back.
That was why Scarlet was hellbent on making this Ivan guy pay for this newfound information.
This was why the Red Empire was going to upend the tag division and walk out of the chamber victorious.
This was why Scarlet Grey and Ruby Amarant would soon be ruling over SCW, no matter how much anyone thought they'd be able to stop them.
After all, Scarlet always got what she wanted, and a focused Ruby was an unstoppable force of nature that would never be outsmarted.