Selena Frost vs. Tommy Valentine

[Konrad Raab]

2 RP limit for singles

*NEW ROLEPLAY RULES IN EFFECT* - 3500 word max per RP

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Wednesday, August 25, 2021

[Thomas Valentine]

OOC: I intended this one to accompany my second rp for RTG but didn't get the time. Good luck! Always a pleasure!

Friday the 23rd of July
The Valentine Residence
Santa Barbara

Today was the day.

Today was the day that Kandis and I threw the party to end all parties in order to simply allow us to kick back, have fun and suitably unwind before we went to war in order to take the Tag Titles back where they belonged. I wasn't normally one to get super paranoid about something as straight forward as party preparations, but I seemed to be making an exception for this one. Perhaps it was simply because we hadn't really hosted that many parties and this one in particular was special as it was the first party we had hosted at our house… Then again it probably added a tiny amount of pressure that it was the first time both our individual and collective friends and family were going to be in the same place. I mean it was surely good for me to be wary with the rogues gallery attending, right? Thomas Watson… Gable Winchester… And of course Ashley himself were all going to be in attendance, the latter taking his sweet time of course to let us know that he would "Probably" be attending… Throw Kandis' cousin Sydney and my girls recently discovered sister, Coral into the mix then it's certainly a potential powder keg given the way Ashley and Sydney broke up unexpectedly and the 'extrovert' that was, Coral to the point it was almost like having two Kandis' around and all I had to ask myself was what could go wrong?

I'd not long since finished checking that Thomas Watson had arranged for enough alcohol to be delivered from the Starmaker when the guests had slowly started to trickle in. I walked outside and looked at the individuals that had arrived when I spotted one of them that I was more than curious about, given our last conversation at the meeting I'd held at Ante Up to invite everyone I could summon. I grinned as Gable Winchester spotted me a few moments after I'd seen him and we approached one another, shaking hands. "Hey Gibbles! Glad you could make it!" I exclaimed after we'd shook hands.

He nodded and smiled. "Thanks again for the invite man, this is the first time I've visited your place surprisingly… And it's incredible!" He said, even as he was still looking up at the house and then the yard with blatant admiration written all over his face.

"Glad you like it my friend!" I said, grinning proudly as I watched the look of awe on his face for a few more moments.

After a few seconds, his expression suddenly switched to one that was a bit apprehensive if I had to describe it the best I could. "So yeah, about my plus one…" he started as my grin widened upon hearing the words.

I looked around expectantly before fixing him with a smirk. "Oh yeah, where is she? Knowing your taste in women I know she'll be a knockout" I exclaimed as the look of apprehension remained firmly on his face which I was beginning to think was a bit strange.

There was an uneasy smile on his face as he replied to my comment. "She's just gone to ask Kandis where the bathroom is and for somewhere to get changed as we were running a bit late" Gable said as I frowned and looked towards where Kandis was now and saw there was only Thomas and Tory in the vicinity.

Thinking I'd just missed the mystery woman I looked at him curiously. "Ah cool… She could have just asked me…" I retorted, insinuating that I was really thinking this was odd when I was pretty much the first person Gable had seen since they got here, I assumed.

That troubled look hadn't left his face as Gable looked even more nervous somehow. "Yeah…" he said trailing off as he was now gazing over my shoulder.

Before I could even turn around, I heard a voice that I hadn't heard in a while… A voice I hadn't WANTED to hear ever again to be honest. "Gable? I brought you a beer to save you the trip" I turned around to have my suspicions confirmed as Harmony fucking Fisher was now stood in front of me, a skimpy bikini on and two beers in her hands. She cast me a disinterested look before walking past me and holding a beer out to The Man Of Win.

"Um thanks…" Gable said, looking everywhere but at me.

All I could do was look between the two of them in complete disbelief that this was really happening. "What… The… FUCK!?" I almost shouted as my stare zoned in on Harmony.

"Hello to you too, Tommy" Harmony said as I noticed an amused smirk on her face that was gone before I could comment on it.

Folding my arms I glared at Fisher. "What the hell are you doing here, Harmony!? Did Kandis invite you or something?" I demanded to know as she just stood there next to Gable and took a sip of her beer.

"Erm dude…" Gable murmured as I held a hand up at him, saving the man from having to make excuses for the bitch that was somehow in my yard.

Scoffing in Harmony's direction I looked at Gable "Look, I filled you in on what happened Gable… No need to play the White Knight this time, she doesn't deserve it!" I exclaimed as a few of the people nearby looked over in our direction as I raised my voice.

"It's not that-" Gable said hesitantly as I was caught somewhere between angry and confused at this set of unforeseen events.

My glare was then turned on Winchester. "Then what is it?" I demanded as I looked at him expectantly.

"I invited her…" he said quietly as my eyes almost popped out of my skull in that moment I was that shocked.

Laughing with no humour, I shook my head. "For a second there, I could have sworn you said that YOU invited her…" I declared as Harmony sighed and Gable just looked downright sheepish.

"I…" he attempted to say before Fisher rolled her eyes and stepped closer to him.

The cogs started whirring in my mind and then it all suddenly clicked into place and the horrid reality hit me. "Wait a minute…" I mumbled before looking between them. Once again Harmony sighed and then slipped her hand in his, confirming my worst fears for the conclusion to the conversation. "No, surely not… SHE'S your plus one?!" I yelled indignantly, once again causing a few people to look our way, Kandis must have been out of earshot as she would certainly have been asking questions about my outburst if she HAD heard. "Fuck" I hissed as I looked between the two of them.

Gable shook his head and looked at me almost imploringly. "I'm sorry if it felt like I tricked you or something, man… But yeah she is" He admitted, his voice lowering towards the end of the statement but there was no hint of regret or anything like that in his voice.

I tried to think of something to say, but just ended up shaking my head. "I'm speechless" I managed to say finally.

Once again, Harmony scoffed and folded her arms. "Makes a change" she sneered as she looked me up and down once more with disdain.

Winchester turned to her, his eyes narrowed. "Harm…" he said, probably urging her to stop being a first class bitch to the host of the party I was suddenly regretting inviting him to.

In turn, Harmony stared at her… Boyfriend? Yeah guess that's what this was; and then sighed, tilting her head back. "What? I get that the two of you are bosom buddies or whatever, but this is ridiculous" she exclaimed haughtily.

"You got that right" I muttered as Gable looked between the two of us helplessly.

"Look, we'll go. I don't want us to create an atmosphere" he finally said after probably scouring his brain for something to say and more than likely drawing a blank.

At first I was on board with the idea, but then I figured that we needed to somehow get past this mammoth in the room, otherwise it would taint our working relationship. "No… Stay" I found myself saying against my better judgement.

Both of them looked at me wide eyed but it was Gable who broke the awkward silence between us after what I'd said. "You sure?" He asked me carefully as he could probably feel Harmony's animosity towards me for everything I'd done in the last year, radiating from her very core.

Letting out a massive sigh of my own, business nodded. "Yeah, you're my guest… guests apparently. I'm not going to revoke the invite for something so petty" I responded, though the last bit was said through almost gritted teeth.

To his credit, a look of relief had washed over Gable's face after I hadn't given them both their marching orders. "Well I appreciate it, we BOTH do" he said, glaring pointedly at Harmony who half turned away from me.

"Whatevs" she declared as Winchester looked at me almost apologetically. If he thought this was going to be one of the worst outbursts that woman was going to have now we were all reacquainted… He was in for the shock of his life… But it wasn't my problem now, not in the slightest.

Sighing again for the millionth time, I smiled at Gable. "Beers are in the kitchen as Harmony already knows, and I'm sure there's enough stuff to create some cocktails too" I stated, trying not to let my look at Harmony give away just how pissed I was… For the sake of keeping the peace of course.

Gable smiled and patted me on the shoulder. "Thanks dude, we'll let you mingle with the other guests since they're starting to flood in now" he announced, looking around as I realised he was telling the truth. In that small amount of time, a fair few of the guests had arrived. I smiled and nodded as Tish waved over at me as she sat down on one of the loungers we had by the pool and I finally caught sight of Kandis as she was doing her own mingling with the guests.

I managed a slight smile before nodding towards the both of them. "Enjoy yourselves" I said as they walked away. I heard Gable murmuring something to Harmony and her irate response before I shook my head and once again folded my arms. Not the greatest start I could think of to the party but it wasn’t the end of the world, right?

I shook my head slowly once again before running a hand through my hair. The guy usually had great taste in women, but something must have gone wrong in his head in recent years… First Autumn who used and abused him once a presumably better offer came along, now Psycho Barbie? Jesus Christ!

"Well that wasn't awkward at all…" A sultry voice purred from behind me and almost made me jump out of my skin as I was immediately dragged from my thoughts.

I turned around to see Kandis’ sister stood there, complete with skimpy bikini that I couldn’t help but notice was almost identical to Kandis’ own choice in swimwear. In the brief moment we were looking at each other I couldn’t help but wonder if she was now deliberately starting to imitate her sisters look or whether it was a coincidence that they had similar tastes in fashion or whatever. Immediately after that thought entered my head, I began to wonder if she’d randomly done something to her hair that made it look eerily similar to Kandis’. Trying not to let my puzzlement show for too long, I smiled warmly. "Coral? Hey, when did you get here?" I asked her, my question being two pronged as I had no idea how much of the exchange between me and Gable, as well as Harmony; she had heard.

She looked me up and down in a weird way before locking eyes with me and smiling as if she was in possession of a juicy secret that I had no idea about. "Here as in your place, or here to witness that tense exchange?" she asked me innocently, though her specific retort to my question said she must have heard enough to develop somewhat of an opinion on the matter.

Not running the risk of falling into any potential traps I smiled politely once again. "The former" I replied, giving my answer in this volley of questioning.

She smirked and then shrugged. "Well I got here a little while ago, my GPS went crazy so it ended up making me late" she said in way of response and it made a bit more sense that she wasn’t here from the start like she’d told Kandis she would try her best to do.

"Ah cool, well you better make up for lost time then in that case" I said, suddenly in the mood to try and remove myself from this particular conversation. I started to walk away from her, ready with my excuse that I needed to go and greet some friends when she put a hand on my chest.

I could have sworn she let her hand run up and down ever so slightly on my chest before Coral smiled at me, once again locking eyes with me. "Oh I intend to… Was she an ex?" Kandis’ sister asked me, cocking her head to the side curiously.

Realising I had fallen into the trap after all, I went to my fallback… Feigning ignorance to what she was talking about. "Huh?" I said, narrowing my eyes in what I hoped was my best confused look.

"The girl that was with that stud" Coral said, tightening the net around me in the trap she’d laid out, intentionally or not. I figured that throwing her off the scent was my best option at that point.

"Ah… It's complicated" I said, shrugging as nonchalantly as I could and once again started to walk away from her.

Once again, Coral surprised me and stopped me from walking away once again with her words. "So you fucked then" she said, the matter-of-fact way she said it was quite unsettling, given the fact we weren’t exactly well acquainted outside of a visit to see her sister and where she lived a little while ago.

I shrugged once again, despite the fact that it hadn’t worked beforehand. "As I said, it's complicated" I repeated and this time didn’t bother trying to walk away as I knew it would probably fail once more.

Coral smiled to herself and then arched her eyebrows. "My my… Just when I think you can't get any more intriguing, you go and prove me wrong" she purred as my eyes narrowed with confusion. Was it that intriguing that I have a past?

Pasting another polite smile on my face, I shook my head. "I have no idea what you're talking about" I replied carefully, understanding that this was merely a token gesture. She knew that I was well aware of what she was talking about and wouldn’t settle for anything other than me admitting she had hit the mark so to speak with her guess.

Coral pouted and then the pout formed into a smirk before she nodded slowly. "Of course you don't… Well I'm always happy to listen to you vent if you need an impartial ear…" she said before the smirk turned into a knowing smile. I wouldn’t exactly call her impartial, but then again it wasn’t as if there was much I needed to talk about, not to Coral anyway.

I nodded and then smiled again, this time it was a genuine one borne of politeness. "I'll… Keep that in mind. Anyway mi casa su casa and all that" I said, attempting to get away once again.

"And I'll keep that in mind" Coral replied with a curious look on her face as I had no idea what she meant but not wanting to find out in any way, shape or form.

I nodded and then flashed her a smile. "Excellent, now I've just gotta go and make sure the alcohol is topped up, I'll see you later" I said before walking off in the direction of the house, not wanting her to stall my getaway any longer.

"See you later, Tommy" Coral said right after I passed her and I was lucky enough that she didn’t follow me to pursue the topic of why my mood had already taken a nosedive. It wouldn’t have been so bad if Harmony had even displayed a little bit of decorum or just a bit of civility since it was my damn house she was visiting… But an attitude like hers wasn’t going to be quashed simply for the sake of being polite.

"Harmony fucking Fisher…" I murmured to myself as I made my way into the kitchen and downed a whole bottle of beer in a few gulps.

I sighed with some contentment as I figured that the best way to forget about the drama was to consume much more of the good stuff! It was as I was cracking open a second beer that a voice spoke from behind me. "Hey boss, you okay?" Relief flooded through me as it wasn’t another unwelcome surprise, but Kandis’ friend and my General Manager at Ante Up, Tish Crossley who had spoken this time.

I smiled sheepishly as I clutched not only the bottle I had opened but another one, ready to the follow the first. "Hey, Tish… And yeah I'm good. Just suddenly have the urge to get blind drunk" I said, chuckling as I held up both beers.

To her credit, Tish smirked and held up a cocktail that she seemingly had just made for herself. "Well this IS a party" she exclaimed before pointedly draining some of the colourful cocktail in her glass.

"No shit haha… I'm gonna go dig out the Tequila" I said, deciding in that moment that since I had been a good boy and done all the adulting in the lead up to this evening, including ordering a metric fuck tonne of pizza so no one would have to go home hungry… And of course save yours truly or my beautiful partner from cooking anything; that I was going all out to really not have to think about much on this night that was all about fun.

Tish nodded and then a grin spread across her face. "Onto the hard stuff already? Wow… Well I'll keep you company for a bit since Kandis is playing the hostess with the mostest" she replied much to my surprise, I’d expected a lot of responses but not the ACTUAL one she had given… This woman certainly had hidden layers to her!

Figuring that Tish was a safe bet as far as not being one that pried in others business, I figured that having a few measures of Tequila with someone was a lot more sensible than being on my own where I would have been much more likely to finish the bottle… For some reason that thought made me feel a tinge of pride at making such a good decision… As far as drinking irresponsibly goes anyhow..."Sounds good to me, let's do it!" I declared as I rooted through all of the spirits in the kitchen until I found exactly what I was looking for. One of the most popular brands of Tequila I stocked at the Starmaker. I then unearthed a couple of shot glasses then gestured for Tish to follow me into the Lounge where we could do shots in comfort.

Hey… It hadn’t been the greatest of starts to a party that I’d ever had, but factoring in good company along with some potent spirits… The evening was looking more and more like it was saved… I’m sure Kandis was having a good time so after all the messing around I’d done to make sure this thing went by without a hitch, surely I deserved a tiny break. I mean what’s the worst that could happen?

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: Back in business! So excited to get back into the swing of things with SCW!

Project: Black Ice

”The Dream Goes On…”

Selena and Deanna’s home
Manhattan, New York
August 22nd, 2021
10:23pm

Selena stood leaning against the doorway, feeling the wooden sturdiness of the structure against her shoulder as her eyes stared into the room. How long she had stood there, she wasn’t sure, but that didn’t really matter to her. 

She was enjoying the sight far too much. 

Before her, just a few feet away, lay Deanna, resting against the sturdy, wooden headboard of the bed -their bed. She was dressed in a lime-green night gown, not quite as long as the ones Selena often wore and certainly not in the colors the Snow Queen usually preferred. Her red mane of a hair was held back by gravity and the headboard as the younger Frost rested her head against it, her eyes scanning the words on the page as she continued to read her book – the title of which Selena could not see from where she stood.

The wrestler inhaled and exhaled – was that a ‘dreamy’ sigh she had released? Like some lovesick teenager? Forlorn and whimsy?

Why was it so surprising? How long had she been having these moments with her wife? Even before Rise to Greatness? How many years had she had these moments of utter adoration, utter disbelief that Deanna was hers and she belonged to Deanna. There was no other way to put it, and Selena didn’t care how it sounded to the on-looker. She embraced the notion that she belonged to the little redhead lying on the bed, reading her book. She cherished it. 

For a moment, Selena’s head turned back towards the stairs that winded down from the second floor, where the bedrooms were, to the main-floor, housing the large family room and kitchen and balcony of their Manhattan home, her memory flying back to – strangely enough – that weird day of filming just before RTG. SCW had called her with, what Selena could only define as, the strangest of ideas.

We want to film you and Deanna in your kitchen for the next PPV commercial tag.

On its face, the whole thing sounded like some funny joke that Selena wasn’t privy to, and the Snow Queen had initially been against the whole idea. First, she didn’t have time for it. She had Rise to Greatness just a few weeks away. Second, at the time, she and Deanna were setting up to go to Nome to confront Malcolm Scythe, unaware of the events that would spiral from that decision. Lastly, for what it was worth, Selena adored her privacy. Yes, she had explained some things about her life with the world, but she rarely went into great detail – the biggest exception was her discussing Deanna’s incarceration. Why not? Enough people clearly knew, if her matches with Holly Adams and Asher Hayes in the past were any indication. 

But a commercial, as the SCW management had put it, “showcasing a typical day for Selena and Deanna…with an added twist” in their own home… it had made Selena beyond uneasy. And while she acknowledged the weirdness of her feelings regarding facts like her wife being her manager and her filming promos in certain areas of her own home (like her office in the basement), she still hadn’t been able to ignore her feelings on the matter either.

Deanna, on the other hand, had been right on board and had jumped at the chance to ‘do some acting’ with Selena! Of course… The redhead had even thrown some ideas into the mix for suggestions –

”Can we try the fun little ‘like play house’?”
“How would we do that?”
“Easy… you come home from a hard day of work and I greet you-”
“This isn’t a drama, Deanna. It’ll probably be less than 30 seconds.”
“Okay... What about-“

It had gone on like that – a list of ideas from Deanna - for a few hours. For the younger Frost, it was a welcome distraction from her struggling to find ‘entrance ideas’ for Rise to Greatness for Selena. Long story short, Selena had eventually gone along with it, filming what the commercial director asked for (despite Deanna’s slight disappointment). The children had behaved rather well, though David had been ‘super-curious’ about the cameras and if ‘he could be on TV too!’ and how jealous it would make his friends!

The whole process had been simple and, when it was done, the SCW crew had packed up and left with few words, as if they were never there. But for Selena, the reality had hit her – SCW management choosing not only her (the SCW World Champion) but immediately including Deanna in the decisions…

They were seeing her and Deanna as a pair. One did not come without the other. Her realization at that that day had filled her with a warmth and strength that had propelled her through the days of hell in Nome and through Rise to Greatness… and stayed with her since…

Quietly, her eyes turned to the only “work photo” she had in the house beyond her office (though her office had a copy of it too). A collage of photos framed and linked together stood on the wall. In a clockwise fashion, Selena saw the events that had filled her head for the last few weeks – moments she had replayed over and over again:

Signing autographs at the FanAccess with Deanna sitting beside her, also signing stuff.

Their entrance – how Deanna had come up with the idea of a giant snowglobe AND pulled it off, Selena had no idea. But the photo showed Selena sitting on the icy throne with her wife sitting on her lap, like a lover to a royal Queen – and how Deanna was smiling so brightly while Selena was only half-smiling due to her focus on the match.

Selena down on the mat, having taken some kind of attack from Ace Marshall (she couldn’t remember them all), the camera angled to show her from the side to the right and Deanna (standing outside the ring) reaching out for her on the other side (outside the ring) and slapping the mat with her other hand, urging her beloved on.

Selena pinning Ace Marshall just after nailing him in the head with the Defying Gravity, the move and pin that had sealed her victory.

Her sister, Regan Street, and Mikalea Street cheering and shouting from the luxury boxes.

A shot of Selena holding up the world title with Deanna beside her, the Snow Queen’s arm wrapped around her shoulder.

The four of them: Selena, Deanna, Regan and Mikalea backstage posing together for a grand celebration.

All these photos circled around the center picture, which Selena’s eyes quickly found. In the center, the largest photo, Selena smiled at she saw herself standing in the ring with Deanna, an arm wrapped around Deanna’s shoulders while the other (holding the SCW World title) remained at her side in front of the camera). The redhead’s hands clasped the front of Selena’s wrestling attire, making it unclear who had initiated the passionate, sweet kiss the two were sharing in the photo as the fireworks and pyro were expertly captured behind them.

Sapphire eyes continued to gaze at the photo, the smile never leaving her face, even when she realized that she was now the one being observed as emerald eyes were focused on her. Turning her head fully, Selena merely tilted her head to rest against the wooden frame of the door again, the loving smile still on her face.

Deanna said nothing, though her smile was as bright as Selena’s. A quick, cursory glance of emerald eyes scanned Selena’s body, taking in the black running shorts and gray t-shirt that was baggy at the bottom, covering up most of the black training bra the Snow Queen wore. Quickly, Deanna’s eyes shifted, turning to the clock on the nightstand that told the time – late to be sure.

“Please be careful…” she spoke, effectively shattering the silence between the two. 
“I will.” Selena promised, pushing herself off the frame to stand on her own. “I’m just going to run the main roads.”

Of course, the seasonal vacation of SCW post-RTG had allowed a sense of calm and peace (work-wise) to come to the Frost family, as well as plenty of time to celebrate, but Selena had refused to be too idle. If anything, retaining the World title had instilled in her the desire/obligation mix to be ready for the new season of SCW. New expectations, new ideas, even new rules (if Rise was any indication) – all were possible and she wanted to be ready. Her workouts had continued immediately following her win and she had taken to running at night, when it was far cooler during the heat wave Manhattan was experiencing. The added heat (even at night), to her, was a ‘endurance test’ of sorts – draining her and forcing her to push herself further.

Still, she knew why Deanna was worried, though neither Frost woman wanted to voice that reason. It was why Selena stayed on the main roads. She refused to live in fear, but she wasn’t going to be stupid either.

With a smile, Deanna brought two of her fingers to lips, kissing the fingertips before turning the hand towards Selena, flexing the fingers as a little wave of sorts. Offering one more smile to her, Selena turned and was out of sight, making her way down the stairs, slipping on her running shoes at the front door, opening said door, and immediately jogging out into the night.

She felt the concrete of the driveway under her feet as she ran, letting her body get warmed up and use to the demand she was encouraging before breaking into her full ‘running pace’. The houses moved past her in her vision, her neighbours, most of whom were asleep at this hour. She felt the streetlights on her, circles of light that she dashed too, her eyes shifting from light to shadow and back again instantly. She quickly checked the Fitbit on her wrist, ensuring it was working and the numbers were accurate.

Still, it did not take long for her mind to wander as she ran along the sidewalks of her neighbourhood – and, of course, they went back to Rise to Greatness – to the photos that hung in her and Deanna’s room. She had begged and pleaded for the perfect photos of that night after she had had time to settle. She had gone through hundreds of images and screen-captures from the SCW technical team until she had picked the ones that now stood in the collage. But the center one? Of her kissing her wife amidst the fireworks? She had never expected to find it. But when she had – buried in the sea of other photos – she had immediately cried tears of joy before showing Deanna, her reaction the same as Selena’s. 

More tears… Selena thought, shaking her head as she slightly picked up her running pace, her breathing coming in deep and heavy breaths. She had done so much crying in the last few months. Tears of pride at her wife for so much - standing by her side without hesitation, taking down Christy Matthews, in Selena’s war with Syren, defending her platinum-blonde wife, though she was inexperienced, in a damn tag match against Asher and Holly, being by her side when Selena had won the world title, looking out for her when Ace and Lexy had tried their schemes – and then… Rise to Greatness… Oh yes, Selena had spent most of her months in tears of joy for all they had done and all they had survived together.

Part of her mentally chastised herself for being such a crybaby. The other part of her laughed at the first part. Who said World Champions couldn’t cry? Who said ‘strong women couldn’t release tears of joy’? She shook her head. Cid Turner had chastised her about crying if she won the world title… and the insult seemed childish now – what if she did? Did that make her less of a wrestler? Did that make her less of a wife? How could it after all she and Deanna had gone through?

This…this was it. 

A soft sigh escaped Selena as she recalled the center photo. That had been her dream. That moment – how long had she wanted it? How many years had she yearned for it? And…there it was – frozen in eternity thanks to the expert photographers and their quick fingers, as well as the expert videographers, who had offered screen-captures of the event for this collage. 

Rise to Greatness
The Unbelievable Main Event
Winning it with her family – her sister and children – watching
Winning the biggest main event of the year with her wife by her side

The proof was there in her room and countless online posts on social media. Hell, even SCW had mentioned it in some capacity… A laugh-huff came from Selena as she remembered one online user’s particular comment she had spied. “Now THAT’S how you kiss your wife!”. Selena wasn’t sure if it was a male user or a female user – but either way, she had laughed at it. And the weeks that had followed, her time off with her wife and children…

She didn’t want to say it aloud, but the thought came to her of its own.

I’m happy… Despite herself, the thought brought a few stinging tears to her eyes. Odin help me… but I am.

Again, the implications of that thought – what made Deanna uneasy of her wife running at night – came to Selena, and this time, the platinum-blonde couldn’t stop them. 

Killjoy.

Selena had done all that the skulled-bastard had ‘told’ her to do. Become World Champion, move back into hers and Deanna’s home in Manhattan, headline Rise to Greatness, experience more joy and love with Deanna and their family, and win the main-event at Rise…

She had done it… knowing full well what awaited her at the end.

Lifting her head a little, Selena stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide as she stood in the center of a street light. For there, standing before her, under the very next streetlight, bathed in its off-amber glow, was the leather-jacket-wearing, black-skulled Killjoy!

Selena opened her mouth to scream – or was it to threaten and curse the bastard – she wasn’t sure. No sound came out. Her heart pounded insider her chest, fear and cardio working the organ over double-time. She had tried for weeks to push this to the back of her mind. Tried so hard to fill each day with the joy that she had been blessed with. Her wife, her children, Rise to Greatness, being the World Champion – but he had always been there. Always there in the dark parts of Selena’s mind, a presence reminding her that “time was running out” for the Snow Queen.

“I don’t…” Selena tried, finding her voice. “I don’t regret it.” Her voice was barely able to cross the difference. Her enemy gave no reaction, merely standing his ground. 

“What I did.” Selena pressed. “Even knowing I was doing everything you wanted… I don’t regret any of it. Because you… you can’t take those from me.” She felt a small surge of strength filling her. “You can’t take away how good it felt – how happy I was. You can’t take away the memory of Deanna in my arms as I kissed her under those fireworks! You can’t…you can’t erase history. You can’t unmake what she and I did! THAT will stand for all time!”

Biting her lower lip, the Snow Queen slowly held her arms out. “So do it!” she dared. “Try and take it all from me… because even if I’m alone… even if you kill me… I will still have those memories! And you’ll NEVER take those from me!”

Killjoy tilted its head left and right slowly, its ‘eyes’ never leaving Selena. “Are you at your happiest?” it asked in its familiar, altered voice.

“What?” Selena asked. 

“Are you at your happiest?” The vile creature repeated, its tone the exact same as before.

The platinum-blonde stood there, eyes refusing to leave their lockdown of the villain. “I…” she laughed at the question. “I don’t know.” She answered. Maybe it was the aspect of her impending doom that was causing a bout of hysterics – hence her laughter – but Selena didn’t fight it. “You keep talking about that. ‘Happiest’. Like I’m supposed to know when I’m there. It’s not an achievement or-“ her mind raced wildly. “-or a damn orgasm. How can I possibly know? I don’t know what lies ahead. I don’t know how to compare now to the past! So I can’t…I can’t say yes and I can’t say no.”

Again, Killjoy tilted his head left and right at his quarry. 

“Why did you take Deanna and I to Rebecca?” Selena asked without meaning to, the question coming from her without thought. “It wasn’t just to mess with my head. And it wasn’t just to introduce yourself. You…” she was hesitant on revealing too much. “You wanted me to know about Scythe and Rebecca. You wanted me to tell him and see his face. You wanted me to know…something-“

“And do you?” Killjoy asked.
“I know…” Selena’s voice trailed off. She wasn’t sure what she knew. She had seen the panic and fear on Malcolm’s face during their last interaction, and he sure as hell knew something about all of this – which of course he was refusing to share with the Frost wives. “I know he knows something.”

“And?” mocked Killjoy.

“And… and I don’t know what it is.” Selena answered.

“Then perhaps…” Killjoy looked away for a moment, as if in thought and – for a second – Selena contemplated sprinting back to her house, using the shadows to her advantage… the though quickly evaporated as Killjoy turned back to her, its hand moving in its jacket quickly to pull out the gun – Selena’s gun! – the one he had tried to use on Selena and Deanna a month ago in Nome.

“Perhaps I am wasting my time.” Killjoy mocked, cocking the gun with his thumb.

RUN! FOR FUCK’S SAKE RUN! her mind screamed, but like a deer caught in the headlights, Selena couldn’t move her legs. Couldn’t will them to go… Instead, she simply closed her eyes, preparing for the bullet that Killjoy surely wouldn’t miss. In her mind, she saw her children playing and laughing: Amiliah, learning her first words and growing so fast. David, the ‘man of the house’ or trying to be, perhaps. And her darling Elsianna, her snowflake, becoming a young woman so quickly…

The images flashed quickly before focusing on Deanna – on holding her and, as she swore to Killjoy, the memory of Rise to Greatness. Embracing her, kissing her, that moment of pure joy and bliss. The moment of doing the impossible… together.

Never forget, Deanna… Selena thought, as if trying to will the messages to her wife, so near yet so far away. Would she hear the shot? Selena hoped not. She might come running and then Killjoy would have an easier time to get to her… Just don’t find out… Stay inside…

She held onto the last image of her wife – in the ring, embraced – with all her might as the seconds slowed to hours, an eternity passing until Killjoy’s shot hit its mark.

But no shot came.

Opening her eyes slowly, Selena realized that she was alone. There was no sign of Killjoy. On instinct alone, Selena ran towards the light he had been standing, as if that would give her a better view of things. Even there, there was no sign of the skulled-being. He was gone, as if…

As if he was never there to begin with… came the mocking voice in Selena’s mind.

Feeling her heart beating wildly in her chest, Selena released several long breaths. “Great…” she whispered. “He’s either fucking with my head… or my head is fucking with me…”

Despite the frustration at the lack of certainty of either scenario, Selena still felt a sense of relief wash over her. Perhaps she was still on borrowed time… but it still meant that her end was not today. She could have at least one more day with her family, with her wife, with being in SCW and being the World Champion.

“You won’t win.” Selena whispered, not sure if she was talking to Killjoy or the visions her mind had conjured. Did it really matter? “You can’t win.” She added. “We…Deanna and I… we’re too strong for you. And I’ll never let you get her again. I swear it….”

Nothing but shadows and dark, combined with the sounds of nature and urban life replied. With a long breath, Selena sprinted off, heading back the way she came. Back to her home…

Her beautiful, amazing wife was waiting for her.

[SnowQueenSCW]

The Royal Letter

The camera opens to the inside of a training area. Specifically, one for a wrestler. This is clear by the single ring that takes up the center and majority of the room. Sitting in the ring, so much like in her Frozen Central segments, sits the SCW World Champion, Selena Frost. She wears a dark green, long-sleeve shirt and dark blue jeans. Sitting cross-legged, her thumb drags along the center plate of the World title as she holds it over her shoulder, deep in thought.

It’s funny. she breathes, inhaling and exhaling slowly, a smile growing from her lips. I’ve had four weeks to put my thoughts together. About thirty or so days to contemplate the last thing SCW – what we – went through. A month to think about what I was going to say as we begin this incredible new season for SCW… Reaching up with her free hand, Selena scratches her scalp gently.

But, as the weeks went by, and as I sit here now… I just can’t find the words. she gives a little shake of her head, the hand holding the World title tightening, before she sighs.  I mean, how can I? 

How can I encapsulate that magical moment into words? Standing in the ring, with the pyro, hearing all of your joy and faith, my Deanna in my arms… Closing her eyes for a moment, Selena seems to be reliving that moment in her memory, the smile on her face. The emotions are not clear – joy, accomplishment, utter contentment, or perhaps a combination of all of them – but there presence are without question.

I can’t… I can’t put it into words. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to. Moments like that, they come around so rarely in our lives. And I will always be grateful to my wife, to SCW – even Ace and Lexy – and to all of you for helping me get there and for sharing in it. Slowly, Selena pushes herself to her feet, keeping the title over her shoulder. Because, in Inglewood, that wasn’t just my win. It was Deanna’s. It was SCW’s. It was each and every one of yours. she gestures towards the camera with her free hand.

Ever since this year began, I have had a chip on my shoulders, I’ll admit it. I was tired of how “the standard” was being represented. And you all heard Ace – for the one time he got off his lazy, drunken ass and did a promo – ‘everybody in the roster does it’, ‘everyone takes the easy way out.’, ‘everyone eventually turns their back on SCW’, and that everyone else knows how things, quote, “really are”… with a scoff, Selena shakes her head.

And Ace thought that I was fighting so hard because I refused to admit that. That I was delusional because I didn’t believe that he was right… she bites her lower lip as she gives another shake of her head. But that wasn’t why I was fighting with all I had. I was fighting with all I had because I knew he was right. Looking around the ring, so much like the SCW ones she had wrestled in for nearly a decade, Selena rests an elbow on the nearby ropes.

Nearly eight years I’ve been here, no lull, while Ace Marshall came and went when it ‘got too tough’ or ‘he got bored’ or maybe someone threw a shiny dime and he chased it right out of SCW… and in those near eight years, I saw just what Ace thinks that I didn’t see or refused to acknowledge.

Turning her head, Selena’s sapphire eyes are on her audience. I mean, how could I miss it? The line is a long one: Cid, Bree, Syren, Sienna, hell, James Evans cut the chains of an elimination chamber just to get back at Syren and take her out. Everywhere you turn, controversy thrives in this business. Thrives to the point where if you don’t have an army with you? Then you’re going nowhere right? That’s what’s become the ‘standard belief’ in SCW.

There was the Beauty Factory, The Beauty Network, Infamous, The Wonderland, and now we’ve got The Jackals running around, setting houses on fire! Frustrated, Selena runs a hand through her medium-length, platinum-blonde hair.

I’m not an ostrich. I don’t bury my head in the sand and pretend that things aren’t happening around me. I don’t plug my ears and go “LA LA LA LA” to drown out the truth. That’s the tactics of those groups and those individuals that keep needing to lie to themselves. Like when they can’t figure out why I beat them when they face me. Like it’s some “Da Vinci code” rather than simply “Selena Frost was better than me that match”. 

It’s not like I am hard to figure out. The reason I fought like hell more than ever before against the likes of Syren, Cid, and Ace Marshall is because I KNOW what constitutes ‘part of the norm’ in SCW and I hate it… 

Hate is a strong word, I know, but it’s the only word that fits. I hated watching people tell the world “aspire to be me” and then cry and whine for help and handouts when things got tough. I hated watching people tell the world to ‘be jealous’ and then need an army to beat one person! I hated seeing someone coast through this business on whims and then say “because I won one match, I’m the greatest in the world!”. Her eyes turn a little towards the title on her shoulder.

That’s what this title had come to represent for so long. Ambushes, onslaughts, underhanded tactics, outnumbering your enemy, hurting people and destroying lives…and I hated it. Because people would use this to justify some of the most heinous things this profession has ever seen! Families destroyed, innocent people hurt, destruction on a scale that would be considered criminal… all to get this title. 

And yet, every so often, I would see people like David Helms, Chris Cannon, Glory Braddock, and, at one point, Owen Cruze… people that fought not with an army but with their heart and soul. People who pushed the envelope of what wrestling and being World Champion meant. People that didn’t become World Champion because they had to “break the rules” or “screw with their opponent” or “set their house on fire” but because they rose to the occasion - rose to greatness - and surpassed their opponent and were the better wrestler…

And for those moments, whether it was for a few months or for a few seconds, I saw a glimpse of what this title – what this federation – could truly represent! And THAT is what I believed in. That is what I continue to believe in! Again, Selena’s eyes turn from the title to the camera, to her audience.

That is what I fought for – not a myth or a delusion like Ace said. Not because I ‘couldn’t see how things were’ but because I believe SCW could be that – that this title could be that – DESPITE ‘how things were’! she adjusts the title on her shoulder before shrugging.

And I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but nothing worth having in this world ever is. We all struggle. We all fight for what we want and what we believe in. I’m no different than the person fighting for a job promotion or fighting to make enough money for his kids’ college fund or maybe you want that vacation trip with your spouse… Your struggle is as significant and as hard as mine. And I wanted to use this-she gestures to the ring she stands in, followed by placing a hand on her world title. And this to not only bring SCW to something better but also as a platform to inspire and encourage all of you to keep fighting for what you want and what you believe and NEVER settle for shortcuts. NEVER settle for cheats! Earn every inch! her hand slams on the center title plate in emphasis to her last statement before she lowers the arm back to her side.

And standing under those lights and pyro a month ago, with Deanna and all of you with me, I… she smiles. I truly felt that glimpse again – like I did with the other world champions I mentioned in goodness. I felt that this… this wasn’t a fluke. This wasn’t a flash in the pan like my other world title reigns were. This was the beginning of something special. Something wonderful. Something that could change the landscape of SCW forever!

Slowly, a knowing smile comes to the Snow Queen’s lips. And just as that thought came to me, reality came back to me too. If this truly was “the beginning of something…” then standing in that ring at RTG, winning the Unbelievable Main Event, couldn’t be ‘the end’, could it? Selena tilts her head.

I said it a month ago – I live by the notion of “Step up or step aside” and that while there have been a number of superstars to step up to me, no one has been able to keep up with me. And those two words: “keep up” sums it up so nicely for me. 

Because if last month was SCW’s “Rise to Greatness”, then I realized that I need to be here to make SCW “Keep at Greatness”. I can’t start this season with a smile and a shrug and a “oh! I’ve done what I wanted! Now I can relax”. The second I do that is the second that this title… she gazes at the strap of golden plates. …this title falls back into the hands of someone like Ace or Cid or Syren. And just like that…she snaps her fingers, the sound echoing in the room. We’ll be back to square one. All the months of hard work, all the months of you wishing for more, for better… it all disappears. The standard returns to what it’s been for so long with this title and this belt – rather than meaning “you are the best in the world”… means nothing. And that is something I am not prepared to deal with.

Her focus is back on her audience. So, what do I do about that? How do I keep that from happening? Well, really there’s only one thing I can do. Hit the ground running and show the world that what we all did – what we all set as the standard at Rise to Greatness – was not a ‘one-night only’ thing like Ace Marshall. That this standard of excellence – passion, hard-work, and skill over the underhanded tactics – will not only encompass my time as World Champion, it will BECOME the standard and representation of this championship and this business!

Releasing a huff of a laugh, Selena rolls her shoulders and shakes her head. And boy, oh boy, what better way to start that than to take on one of the biggest, most-entitled people I’ve ever faced this coming Breakdown: Tommy Valentine!

The name alone would be enough for a scowl to come across Selena’s features, yet the Snow Queen remains somewhat impassive. 

And just like before, I am not sure where to start with you. I guess congratulations are in order – you became Tag-team champion again, right? Took you about a year after Regan and I beat you at Rise in 2020, but I can’t deny you are one half of the World tag-team champions, which makes this a champion vs. champion match at Breakdown. 

That, in and of itself, would be a hell of a thing to talk about. The Hall of Famer vs. the Face of SCW, right? The World Tag-Team Champion vs. The World Champion? Hell of a first main-event for the new SCW season, am I right?

But with you and me, Tommy, it goes a bit deeper than that, doesn’t it? And it’s not just ‘Regan and I beat you at RTG and took the tag-titles from you’, is it? Slowly, knowingly, Selena tilts her head.

Because, for so long, you have looked down on me as if I wasn’t worthy of anything in this business. You, Tommy, looked at me and at my sister, Regan, and told us that we were ‘unworthy’ to be World Tag-team champions. You told the world that you were the… how did you put it?... the guardians? The vanguards? The pillars of tag-team wrestling, right? And we were the invaders? The ‘unworthy’? 

Thing is, I really should thank you for that mentality, because it only made us want to win those titles all the more and prove you wrong… which we did… but you seemed to do it again all by yourself. As seems to be the case with you, Tommy, your words only hold until you feel like it, right? Because what happened when we beat you? What happened to the supposed ‘saviors of the tag-team league’ when you were eliminated early on from the tag-league while Regan and I fought our way till she was injured? Hmmm?

Selena doesn’t wait too long for an answer. Just like that… you didn’t give a damn about the division and called you and Kandis ‘spoilers’… Really? That’s what you went with Tommy? You couldn’t rise to the occasion that the Tag-League brought out so you tried to ruin it for those that worked harder than you? But now that you FINALLY managed to get back as the tag-team champions, you’re back to the whole ‘savior-mode’? 

I can’t tell if it’s just a switch you flick on and off in your brain or your ideals are as thin as Kandis' tights from overstretch, but I got a newsflash for you, Tommy. The SCW Universe didn’t buy that act a year ago and they’re not buying it now. Because where were you when the titles were basically ‘handed off’ by Cid and Asher to the Golden Boys? Where were you when Allocco was stumbling around drunk, that belt around his waist? 

Selena shrugs expectantly. Tell me, ‘savior of the tag-team division’. Because, if I was going to sum up the tag-teams this year that have made an impact on this division, you and Kandis would not even be close to the top 5 compared to Cid and Asher, Cannon and Knight, the Psychonaughts, Frozen Hell, or even, Odin forgive me, the Golden Boys. So, where were the so-called ‘saviors’?

Slowly, Selena shakes her head. See, Tommy, if you want to be a ‘savior’ then you better be willing to do the work of one. I don’t call myself that because, quite frankly, I can’t be. I’m not a saint. I’m not some perfect being or ‘holier than thou’ person. I don’t think I’m ‘amazing enough’ to solve every problem SCW has. And I sure as hell am not ‘perfect enough’ to think that way. I make mistakes. I say the wrong thing – I say dumb things. I come up short – I flat out fail… 

But, unlike you, I own up to every mistake and every failure and I learn from them. I’ve learned how to be a better wrestler and a better champion by accepting my shortcomings and striving to be better the next time around. She points a finger towards the camera.

And unlike you, winning the title that I hold was not just some ‘wait for my turn’ nonsense. I earned it by beating everyone that came in front of me. By fighting people that pushed me further and further. Who tested my resolve. She holds the pointed finger up.

And that’s the keyword that’s always separated us, Tommy. Resolve. Regan and I wanted to become tag-team champions and make history? We did by beating the best teams there were. I tried to become World Champion after Regan’s injury and I did. Headline RTG? Did that. Retain? Did that. Now, I want to beat the hell out of you… the Snow Queen smiles knowingly.

You? You make idle promises and then, when those fail, you make excuses. You blame someone else. You hold everyone else accountable but yourself. You couldn’t compete at the level of everyone else in the tag-league, so you adopted this grand ‘conspiracy’ against you. And, despite you bragging to be “all about the tag-team division unlike Selena and Regan”, you were the one who jumped at the chance to become World Champion again when you fought Bree Lancaster. And now, just as you did with Helms' and again with Pinnacle, rather than stay relevant through talent and hard work, you hitch your wagon to whoever’s making the loudest noise and sticking it to SCW at the same time.

The Face of SCW scoffs, thinking over her words before speaking again. A year ago, Tommy, you were a bitter, desperate man, willing to do anything to keep himself relevant. Ever playing the role of victim of some conspiracy or as some savior of the tag-team division when deep down, you were just scared of anyone stepping up to you. A year later, you’re singing the same songs and, as you showed us with Christy Matthews, you’ve got no problem being just like so many others when the time comes.

The world champion tilts her head with a knowing smile. Oh, did you think I missed that? You scurrying to her, offering her help to “secure” the Interim United States Championship – now, I’ll admit Christy stunned me when she didn’t use that. As someone that has fought her and had to deal with interference or rule-breaking from her every single time, that shocked me. But you? Oh you would have come running if she had, wouldn’t you? Because THAT’s who you really are, Tommy. Not a savior. Not someone that cares about the tag-team division.

You’re a parasite. Someone that is out for himself and his own advancement – not giving a damn how he gets it. The smiles is gone from Selena’s face, replaced by a cold stare.

So, how about we get to the real question about this match, Valentine? And it’s not really, who’s going to win – though it should be that. It’s when should I expect Kandis and the other dogs to come running to your aid? she gives a shrug.

What? Am I supposed to not know about this, Tommy? Am I supposed to not know that the Jackals will be watching? Am I supposed to pretend to not know that they’re going to get involved? That Kandis won’t get involved?

Last time I ‘believed’ in fair play with you? You attacked me from behind backstage with Kandis and threw me head-first into steel steps. And that was just to get to Regan. Now that I have this? She holds out the world title towards the camera. 

But you see, Tommy… a bit of a refresher, because I’m honestly just expecting little more than the same one-liners you threw at me last year. I’ve spent years and, especially the last seven or eight months, dealing with groups like The Jackals. Infamous, the A/C Blondetourage Unit, LexyMania or whatever she was calling it… and I survived. That’s what happens, Valentine, when people like you try and bend or break the rules to get ahead and they fight me. 

I dig deeper.
I push myself harder.
And I win. Ask Syren. Ask Cid. Ask Ace.

Because I refuse to allow myself – to allow SCW – to continue to be the place where those tactics are the ‘way to go’! I refuse to be beaten and broken by mere numbers! I’m better than that! SCW is better than that!! THIS- she holds up the world title. Is better than that!

Lowering her arm, Selena’s voice is calm again, but the cold glare in her eyes remains. I want you to know how this will end, Tommy. Because you’re not fighting “Regan’s sister” like you did last year. You’re not fighting someone that’s trying to make Regan’s dreams come true this time. You’re fighting the SCW World Champion. You’re fighting the winner of the Unbelievable Main Event. You are fighting someone that is going to take everything you can throw before they get back up and beat you down.

And I will beat you down, Tommy. I will beat you down until you throw up the sign or call for help. Then, as your Jackals inevitably come running: Konrad, Minerva, Kandis, and the rest… I am going to keep beating you down despite them! And, despite them and despite you, I am going to BEAT you!

A daring promise, but there is no shake in Selena’s voice or stance. Because, as I said, this is the new standard of SCW. Where we defy the odds. Where we overcome the low-bar you and those like you and the Jackals have set! Where we redefine what the words Supreme Championship Wrestling mean!

Slowly, Selena lifts the world title above her head. Believe it, Tommy! And welcome to the NEW standard of SCW!

The camera focuses on Selena as it fades to black.

[Thomas Valentine]

"If You Leave Your Thoughts To Me, BELIEVE; I'll make sure That You See"