OOC: Selena’s first roleplay.
Project: Black Ice
”What Will Be Done”
Frost ‘Forever Home’
Manhattan, New York
January 8th, 2022
4:51pm
“You cannot be serious!”
The declaration was so loud that Selena’s hand flew up to her headphones, pulling one of them away to ease the loudness against her ears. She had been dealing with this varying degrees of loudness for the past two hours, adjusting the volume constantly to try and listen to every word – to the people speaking normally – and the one person that seemed to grow louder with each declaration.
Hardly the behaviour of someone wanting to be mayor someday… she mentally teased, quietly taking delight at seeing her former fiancé throw something so close to a tantrum.
Not that she could really blame him, for the news had stunned her as much as it had him – though the Snow Queen was doing a far better job of concealing it.
She stared at the six faces on the screen of the Zoom call, which included her own. With SCW altering it’s ‘scheduling plans’, moving Breakdown from Thursday to ‘a special episode on Friday’ (something it was repeating next week as well), Selena had been unable to get to Nome, Alaska, for today to attend the reading of Malcolm Scythe’s will. Fortunately, Talia and Gavin had arranged for the conference to take place via Zoom link video conference, which allowed Selena to attend electronically, as she was now.
Taking a quick measure of everyone’s different backgrounds, which included different colored wallpaper and furniture, the Snow Queen surmised that everyone, even the married couple of Ryan and Talia Scythe, were attending the video call in different locations.
Perhaps Talia knew Ryan would react like this… the platinum-blonde thought to herself.
“There’s a mistake.” The eldest Scythe son, Ryan, declared. “You’ve misread it, Peter!”
“No mistake, Mr. Scythe.” The elder man, Selena assumed was the family lawyer, slowly shook his head. “Though I can read it again, if you insist.”
Clearing his throat, Selena felt her hands tighten around the armrests of her chair, her body growing tense at the idea that this would all be revealed as some sort of prank or joke – a big ‘gotcha’ like Ryan had pulled at Malcolm’s memorial service last month. Still, despite her nerves going off, the suited gentleman read the paper in front of him.
“Section 7, Paragraph 4. In the matter of my finances, I, Malcolm Henry Scythe, do bequeath the following amounts to the following groups/individuals. To the Pilgrim Springs Orphange… 500 thousand dollars. To the Nome “Homes for Homeless” Foundation…. 1 million dollars-“
“We’ve heard all that.” Growled Ryan. “It’s the last part that makes no sense!”
“The last part, Mr. Scythe?” Peter asked, raising an eyebrow.
“If I may…” came the accented, smooth voice of Jean Black, who had stayed quiet throughout the entire proceedings. “I believe Mr. Scythe is indicating the lines regarding Malcolm Scythe’s grandchildren, David and Elsianna.”
“Ah, I see.” Peter replied slowly before returning his attention to the papers, his gray eyes scanning down the paper. “Hunting grounds…Preservation grounds… Memorial Center…”
For a moment, Selena could only tilt her head, somewhat awed that a ) the deceased, former mayor of Nome had such resources and b ) was giving so much back to the town and…
“Grandchildren Elsianna and David Frost, care of Selena and Deanna Frost…” Peter found. “5 million dollars each, to be held in accounts under care of Mrs. and Mrs. Frost until the children are off age.”
“RIDICULOUS!” roared Ryan – had he expected the line to miraculously change between the first reading and second reading?
“Ryan…” Talia tried from her own screen. “They are his grandchildren-“
“And MY…” he bit back his response. “That’s ten million dollars that was meant for my campaign!” he countered. “They don’t even need that money with what she makes-“ he gestured to the screen and Selena assumed, correctly, that he was indicating her.
Still, while she did have a large fortune amassed from her years of wrestling in SCW, ULW, and IWC, as well as her father’s gold mine, ten million dollars was nothing to sneeze at! In one swoop, the children would have enough to live comfortably for the rest of their lives, though Selena wasn’t sure that kind of dependence was a good thing – something she would have to discuss with Deanna later.
“Be that as it may, Mr. Scythe.” Peter spoke sternly. “I cannot disregard the contents on the will based on such opinions. It is as I have read it.”
“Perhaps Malcolm felt like he needed to do more for his grandchildren.” Came the calm, negotiating voice of Gavin Scythe, the younger son trying to offer some insight. “After all that he had been responsible for.”
“All that he
and you were responsible for, Ryan.” Jean Black added sharply, eyes ‘focused’ on Ryan Scythe.
The jabbing comment caused Ryan’s jaw to clench.
“How can you support this, Gavin?” Ryan tried, altering his tactics. “Next to that, he left us next to nothing! I was counting on those resources for my campaign!”
“Which I am glad you brought up, Mr. Scythe.” Came Peter’s voice. “There is a clause to both yours and Gavin’s inheritance on page 14.” He cleared his voice. “While this money can be used for various means, it IS NOT to be used in any political endeavours. Any violations of this will lead to forfeiture of the inheritance, effective immediately.”
If Selena had thought she’d seen Ryan Scythe angry when her children had been named inheritors to a large portion of Malcolm Scythe’s fortune, she had seen nothing at that moment. Hearing the clause, the oldest Scythe’s mouth hung open, her former fiancée stunned into silence for what felt like a good twenty minutes.
“Son of a bitch…” he finally growled, pushing himself to his feet, smartly muting his microphone… though he failed to remember that, while Talia was in a different room while she took this call, she was still in the same house. From her microphone, the sound of loud cursing was heard, Selena imaging that Ryan’s face was turning as purple as those suits he always wore.
Still, to say that she was stunned to near speechlessness would have been untrue. After so many years of being her greatest enemy, she had offered Malcolm a modicum of happiness in letting him spend a day with Elsianna and David – was that really worth ten million dollars?
Maybe to him it was… she thought to herself.
“I’m sorry.” Talia tried, apologizing for her husband’s behaviour. “We were just…he was counting a lot on that inheritance.”
“I am sorry to hear that.” Peter offered lamely.
“Perhaps…” Gavin sighed before shaking his head. “Nevermind.”
“What is it?” Selena finally spoke, earning his attention, as well as his surprise. “I’m sorry I haven’t spoken much.” She gave an apologetic shrug. “I’m just as confused as you all are by these events. But please say what’s on your mind, Gavin.”
“Well, it’s just…” the younger Scythe held his fingers to his scalp, nervously scratching his head. “Remember what Ryan said at father’s memorial service? About him being a ‘self-made man’ and all that?”
Selena gave a nod, as did Jean and Talia.
“Well, father didn’t have a dime when he came here but worked his way up to become mayor. I won’t pretend to be ignorant by saying it was all ‘decent’ or ‘kind’ but he did do it off his own work. Maybe…” he gave another nervous shrug, his hand clutching his arm. “Maybe he felt that, if any of us wanted to succeed him, we would have to earn it like he did. Off our own back…”
For a moment, Selena’s eyes widened in surprise, her mind wondering when the bitter, immature boy that had bullied and abused her throughout her childhood and teenage years had transformed into such an insightful, calm young man. It was almost unreal and yet, Selena could not help the smile that came to her at the thought.
“Well…” Selena offered teasingly, trying to break the tension. “I did take that leather jacket off your own back.”
Hearing that remark, Gavin’s eyes widened. “You still have that?” he asked with stunned smile.
“It still fits!” Selena stated. “Why throw away a good coat!”
“She wears it on TV.” Talia added, trying to ignore more cursing that seemed to come from within her abode from another room. “I’ve seen it in some of her segments.”
“Like I said.” Selena shrugged. “It still fits. And I’m not giving it back. I earned it.”
“Fair enough.” Gavin laughed, seemingly grateful at the breaking of tension. “Wouldn’t have fit me now anyway.”
“I will add.” Came the old lawyer’s voice. “That should any of you have issues with this, you can contest the will.”
It was at that moment, almost unfairly so, that Ryan’s face once more occupied the screen, his microphone unmuting. “Which is exactly what I intend to do.” He stated sharply.
“Done with your little temper tantrum, I see.” Selena shot back. “I was surprised you knew so many cursive words. Thank goodness my children were not in the room.”
“I muted-“
“Your wife is also in on this call.” Jean Black fired back. “Or did your forget that?”
For a moment, Ryan was silent, taking a few breaths to avoid a repeat performance of his cursing vernacular. After a moment, he slowly spoke. “I will be contesting the will.”
“Under what grounds?” asked Jean a split-second before Peter did as well.
“Under the grounds that my father was not in the proper mental capacity when he wrote that will!” came the response, earning a loud sigh from Talia.
“Ryan…” she tried.
“Come on, Talia! Think about it!” Ryan stated. “First, he quits being mayor – out of the blue. Then shuts himself up for how long? Weeks? Months? Then, when he finally emerges, all he wants to do his see his grandchildren, whom he’s had nothing to do with most of their lives. And on top of that, soon as he does, he rewrites the will just before he is murdered? Come on!”
If anyone else had suggested it – the series of events and the resulting allocation of assets – Selena might have entertained the notion. But coming from the purple-suited man, it sounded so much more desperate, especially as he turned his eyes to the screen and she felt said eyes on her.
“Why else would Selena have been so buddy-buddy with him? She planned this! I’ll go as far as to say she knew Malcolm was going to be murdered, maybe even-“
“Wait a minute!” Selena tried, but another voice cut her off.
“I’ll remind you, Mr. Scythe.” Jean Black’s voice loomed in darkly. “That I am Mrs. Frost legal advisor and I still have my licence to practice when the need arises. And the direction you are going is tantamount to slander, which, if you continue, could be liable to a lawsuit all its own.”
“Figures the old coot would say that.” Ryan scoffed.
“Ryan, you’ve got nothing to go on.” Gavin tried. “You just have conjecture. Whether or not Selena knew of the new will is meaningless. The money doesn’t benefit her, only her children.”
“But she’d do anything to screw over our family!” Ryan countered. “Right, Talia?”
For a moment, the dark-haired woman sighed, reaching up to massage her temples with her hands, clearly not wanting to be part of this argument.
“Ryan.” Selena spoke, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. “I had no idea that Malcolm had done any of this. In truth, I’m as stunned about this as you are. But Gavin had a point while you were gone.”
“What point?” Ryan asked bitterly.
“Malcolm was a self-made man. He believed in that – you said so yourself at his memorial.” Selena started, only to be scoffed at by Malcolm.
“He was also a bastard that didn’t care about how many necks he stepped on or how many people he crippled to get what he wanted. Your point?”
“My point is that maybe Gavin was right. Maybe Malcolm wanted his sons, you and Gavin, to succeed or fail on your own. Maybe he believed that you two could do it on your own without needing his money to do so.”
“Well, put that on a piece of paper and you have a nice Hallmark card!” Ryan laughed bitterly. “And meanwhile, you walk away with ten million dollars.”
“I don’t walk away with anything!” She countered. “I wouldn’t want it if it was for me. But it’s for David and Elsianna, remember?”
Her sapphire eyes bore into the screen, straight at Ryan – or she hoped he saw that – the implication very clear.
Your biological children!
Sadly, for the Snow Queen, the implication seemingly had no effect on Ryan, who shook his head. “This whole thing is bullshit.” He stated. “And I refuse to believe he just suddenly ‘chose his bastard children’-“
“Watch it!” Selena warned.
“- over his sons!” He ignored the platinum-blonde’s warning, once more on a rant. “That’s he’d endanger the legacy of our name over a ‘lesson’!”
“So does this mean that you intend to contest the will?” Peter asked. “I will point out one more clause, Mr. Scythe, if you proceed with this.”
“What clause?” Ryan scoffed. “Does Selena get his house as well?”
“No, that was assigned to Ms. Talia Bridge, also known as Talia Scythe, independent of her marriage to you.”
“What’s the damn clause?” Ryan barked, not wishing to hear of another asset he believed he had been screwed out of.
“That, while you are free to contest the will, you will do so at your own risk, relinquishing your right to any inheritance in the current version of the will. If, however, the will is found to be valid and free of any issues-“
“In other words, if you call ‘foul’ and are proven wrong.” Jean Black translated.
“Precisely… should that occur, you will not be reincluded into the will and, having relinquished your inheritance, shall receive nothing.” Peter concluded.
“Meaning if you want to try and screw over Elsianna and David…” Selena stated, again with that tone that reeked of implication. “It will be a costly gamble.”
“And not just financially.” Black added, playing with his cane as he spoke from his screen. “Such a massive issue would certainly become news in Nome – that the prospective mayor is trying to undo his father’s final wishes.”
“I’m undoing a clear mistake-“
“And should it come out that he’s screwing over his own biological children to do it-“ Black added darkly.
“Jean!” Selena stated darkly, trying to stop him.
“What?” Jean shrugged. “Malcolm didn’t make me promise not to tell anyone.”
“You wouldn’t.” Malcolm threatened. “I’ll make your life a living hell.”
Jean’s dark eyes narrowed. “Better me than Elsianna and David, boy.”
There was a moment of silence shared by all until Ryan’s video suddenly went dark, the prospective politician having left the conference.
“I see.” Peter sighed. “Well, if he submits anything, I shall inform everyone here.”
“Thank you.” Selena replied. “I’m sorry things have become so… strange.” She added, casting her gaze to the videos of Gavin and Talia. “Especially for you two.”
Gavin held up his hand. “I’m glad father had a plan for Elsianna and David. I’d rather they be safe than me just having more money. They are my niece and nephew after all.”
Bidding a quiet farewell, Gavin was the next to depart from the conference, followed by Jean and Peter, who quickly explained what papers he would be submitting for Selena to claim the inheritance for her children and how to safely deposit it in savings for their use when they came of adulthood.
With only Talia and Selena remaining in the chat, Selena released a sigh almost at the same time Talia did.
“Is it okay that we talk?” Selena asked her former best friend, earning a nod from the lawyer.
“Ryan stormed out of the house a couple of minutes ago. I heard the door slam.”
“I’m sorry, Talia.” Selena quickly spoke. “I didn’t expect things to go this-“
“Trust me, I know.” Talia sighed. “But I did.”
“What? You knew?” Selena asked in surprise.
“I was the one that helped him write it and submit it. There’s a reason I was named, in the will, as handler of his archives and past ventures. Peter is just the family lawyer.”
“But…” Selena shook her head. “Why? Why didn’t you stop him? If not for Ryan’s sake than your own.”
“Because…” the lawyer ran a hand through her hair. “I hate the idea of Ryan becoming mayor.”
Sapphire eyes widened. “You do?”
“It scares me, Selena.” She admitted. “I don’t know when it started, but he’s becoming so much more ruthless and angrier than his father.”
“Are you safe?!” the wrestler quickly asked. “You don’t need to stay there if you’re not!”
“I’m okay.” Talia assured. “I’m not sure where he and I stand, but I think he does love me.”
“I wish I could see that.” Selena sighed. “All I see is him not caring who he steps on to get where he is… and you’re the closest thing for him to step on.”
“Even so... I appreciate the escape plan if I need one. And…I agree with Gavin. I think Malcolm was in the right mind when he chose Elsianna and David. I think it may have been one of the few good things he ever did, which is what really infuriates Ryan.”
The Snow Queen gave a nod, allowing a moment of quiet to pass before speaking again. “Talia…there is something I need to ask you.”
“What is it?” Talia asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I…” for a moment, Selena’s mind flashed back to that time in the cemetery when she had confronted Killjoy for a second time, making her debate how much she could tell Talia. “There is something that I think Malcolm would have wanted me to do.”
The lawyer gave a tilt of her head, prompting Selena to continue.
“I think he wanted me to find out who this killer is. Because I think they will be coming after me as well.”
“So you DO think he was murdered.” Talia asked, earning a nod from Selena.
“I think Ryan’s theory about me is fucked up… I think Malcolm knew he was going to die before he did. And I think he knew who was going to kill him.”
“Did he say as much?” Talia asked.
“In a way…” Selena tried to explain, though she refused to endanger Talia by revealing too much. “At the Serpentine Springs, he talked about being happy and enjoying what little life was left – I don’t know, it just felt like he knew that something was going to happen. And with him quitting as mayor, it just… I think he knew and I think he left a way for his killer to face justice.”
“So where do I come into this?” Talia asked.
“I want to research Malcolm’s past with you. Go through his files and his ventures. Try to find anything that can give us a solution.”
Find anything that can tell me what ‘Project: Black Ice’ is…
“Selena…” Talia huffed with an amused expression. “It’s gigabytes of forms and papers. Terabytes of conferences and interviews…”
“I believe that.” Selena sighed. “But I…I need to do this. And I know Jean and Zelda will helps us if we include them.”
The lawyer seemed to think about this for a moment before sighing and nodding her head. “I’ll send them to you – encrypted – in the next few days. Anything else?”
“Yeah…” Selena thought, her mind jumping to one last thing – unrelated to everything that had occurred today. “Suppose you wanted to do some team-building exercises for a new partner at work… what would you do?”