The One & Nicole Kinneck vs. The House of Frost

[HardyGirl]

SCW World Tag Team Championship
The One & Nicole Kinneck vs. The House of Frost (Selena & Deanna Frost)


Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Saturday, February 4, 2023
2 RP Limit for singles; 2 RP Limit PER CHARACTER for tag (no word limits in play)

[TheOne]

Note: I had a second scene planned, but between losing a member of my family, and the stomach bug making the rounds in my house, I don't want to just rush it together.  Looking forward to working with Nicole more!

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{JUDGES: Chapter Three}

Everyday I spend more and more time creating and developing my own "compound within the compound," the more and more power I feel like I am gaining.  The scariest part of the whole ordeal is that I am truly beginning to enjoy it.  What I'm also enjoying is the rumors, the mystique, the lore, everything that is surrounding the compound among the people of the community, as it becomes less and less capable of being hidden from the public.  Too many patrons, too many "ins and outs," people have begun to take notice and the comparisons to "compounds" of history have begun.

The rumor mill isn't a mystery to me either.  I hear the people saying that we are secretly another form of an FLDS or Branch Davidian cult.  I hear the rumors that children are harmed, that we have caches of weapons, and are preparing to fight and die for our beliefs.  The reality is, there is no massive stockpile of weaponry.  The Prophets have a couple hunting rifles that they use to hunt on the property when nobody is around, and use the meat for special meals and events, and yes, I possess a tazer, on the off chance things were to go awry.  But this idea that we have some arsenal and are preparing for war, to me, is just a comedy in and of itself.  But this rumor mill has created a definite sense of fear among the masses, and in turn has led me to having to develop more and more security protocols just to ensure that there is no risk of any kind of outbreak of violence on my watch.

But the one thing I haven't done, and I still never will, is impose that kind of martial law on the kids.  For them, I've continued to everything to keep my promise and keep my word.  I have done everything to keep the young ones oblivious for now, and enjoying their time, and for the elder kids who know the truths, keep them in the same boat... Not feeling like prisoners, but instead as patrons themselves.  Why?  Because I remember where I came from.  I remember that feeling of captivity.  I've created a greater expanse of area for them to roam around and enjoy themselves in.  I've tried to make sure they realize I'm not my predecessor, but someone who has a heart, and understands them much better than anyone else on the premises.

Having said that, though... There has to be the other side of The One...

Because I do wield such power, there are times when I have to exact power and authority.  I have to be the security figure that I took over being.  And I have to be willing to get my hands down and dirty should the situation, or The Prophets, call for it.

Inside the "Compound" of The One, a day of relaxation and normalcy quickly is thrown off when The One receives a call from the main building.  Surprisingly, it's from The Prophets themselves.  They request her presence at their offices inside the main Compound facility.  The One is quick to jump up, and knows that this is typically an indication they they need a very specific errand or situation handled in a very specific way.

As she arrives at the main building, she simply walks in and goes through the various rooms toward the back, where the offices of The Prophets reside.  Without hesitation, and upon arriving at the border of their entry way, The One knocks.

Male Prophet: Come in... Come in...

The One promptly opens the door and sees both Prophets at their respective desks.  She walks up to right between them both, looking at each.

Male Prophet: Please... Have a seat... We have some important business to discuss...

The One pulls a chair up from the back of the room and sits between the two desks.

The One: Everything OK?

Female Prophet: Unfortunately no...

Male Prophet: We've been made aware that there is apparently a mole inside our ranks...

The One's eyes go wide, completely blindsided by the idea of someone having infiltrated The Compound under her watch.

The One: Seriously?  How is that even possible?  I've PERSONALLY cleared every, single, person, since they day I came on duty...

The Prophets quickly wave their hands, trying to calm The One down.

Female Prophet: No no no... This person has been here since your predecessor ran things.  He's the one who allowed this person to slip the through the cracks...

Male Prophet: But to give him at least a little credit, this person had come with plenty of relevant documentation to make him a believable patron.  Everything he had checked out with our background screenings and he's been a regular ever since.

The One: Then how did we find out they existed?

Female Prophet: Turns out this agent has a big mouth.

Male Prophet: Yeah... See he didn't understand how far our reach within the city really was, and thought the local authorities were on his side.  He made a couple stupid statements to reveal himself, thinking he could be trusted, and ultimately our insiders got word back to us that he existed.  They also brought us a photo of him...

The male Prophet pulls the photo from his desk, and hands it over to The One.  The One looks at the man and immediately recognizes him as one of the older, and in her opinion, more creepy patrons she sees go in and out.

Male Prophet: ... From what he said, and what we now gather, this agent is gathering inetl on us for his agency, so they can try to move in and raid us, eventually.  I'm sure you've heard the rumors about what we supposedly do here, versus the reality?

The One: I'm assuming you mean the Kool-aid drinking death cult rumors?

Female Prophet: Pretty much!

Male Prophet: The good thing is, we have our own set of intel on the guy, now.  Not only do we have a photo of him, we know where his apparent base of operations is out of.  Our informant followed him to the local Microtel, and saw him enter into a first floor room.  And of course, we want to know what he has, what he's after, and why he thinks we are something more than what he's obviously experienced himself.

Female Prophet: My only assumption is he thinks of us what he does based on The Oracle.  Yet I'm sure we have records of him financially benefiting as well.

Male Prophet: I can almost guarantee he's not as clean as he tries to portray... But nevertheless, we want to know what he's trying to bring us down on.  And that is where you come in...

The One slowly turns her head in the male's direction and stoically looks at him, as if an agent herself, receiving orders from her superiors.

Male Prophet: What we need from you is simple.  Find out everything you can.  Get us the answers we need.  Shut him and his investigation down at ALL COSTS, so he is out of our hair, but understand this... And I'm going to be direct, OK?

The One: I'm listening...

Male Prophet: ... You getting this information CANNOT give him more cause to move in on us faster.  That means, no "strongman" tactics, no threats of violence to him or his family, none of that.  But you're smart enough to find ways to get him out of the big picture so it's one less thing for us to worry about, am I right?

The One nods.

Male Prophet: Good...

The One: What else do you have on this guy and where he is?

The Prophets hand over the rest of the information they were provided by their informant within the local authorities.  The One takes a brief scan, and says she's going to go back to her quarters to begin sifting through anything else she may have that may prove beneficial to her in pulling this off.  The Prophets excuse her and she makes her way back to her facility, where she is quick to pull the man up, including all of the documents he forged to pass the old background checks they used to run before she took over.  She sees he does have a fingerprint on file, and based on what she knows from interactions plus the data they have logged, she begins to create an idea of the "profile" of the man in her head, and knows exactly what her next steps will be.

How could this have happened, or continued to happen on my watch?  How could someone have infiltrated and continued to infiltrate my defenses that I put up?  I don't care that he did it before I was in charge, I should have been able to root him out with the protocols I put in place.  What it tells me is this isn't some yokel who is trying to make a name for himself, but someone who has been studying The Prophets, the other patrons, and even me, this whole time, and because of that, he may very well have a leg up on me and anything I can do to counteract the measure.

But that's part of being The One...

Adversity is possible at any moment...

This guy has now pushed me and my ability to call myself The One to a brink where I have to step up and take him out of the equation before anything further happens, and try and destroy his advantages before he can use them against us.  If I don't succeed, I risk everything.  I open myself up to challengers who see weakness in my abilities.  But if I succeed, I cement my legacy as The One who ensured the safety of those who allow me to live a "high life" in return for safety, security, and anonymity.

A couple of days after The Prophets gave the information to The One, this man in question walks down the corridor of the local hotel in which he was suspected of staying.  He approaches a door on the first floor, and casually looks around before using his key and entering his room.  He quickly does, as anyone should, and locks the door behind him.  The curtains are still pulled shut and the room is barely lit by that of his laptop, which immediately is something that he recognizes as wrong.  He looks in its direction and single red line painted down the screen, resembling the mark going down the eye of The One.  Behind the paint he sees a command prompt executing command after command, doing things too fast for any naked eye to discern.

His eyes go wide in fear.

He quickly makes a move toward the device, when out of the shadows, from behind where the device sits, a figure emerges, staring him down, obviously showing him he's not alone, and in the presence of The One.

The One: I would highly advise you to stop right there, and make no more movements toward your device... And if you play your cards right, and are smart, nobody will be getting physical or getting hurt today...

Agent: How?

The One: How what?

Agent: How'd you find out?

The One smirks.

The One: Sometimes it's not WHAT you know, sir, it's WHO you know.  And you know, I would think, for a special agent like yourself, trying to get all of this information on us, you'd keep it a little closer to the vest... Much like your CAC [Common Access Card] Card... It's just not the brightest of ideas, is it?

The One holds the card up.

The One: I mean... The wrong people could get ahold of it, and be able to access some sensitive information, you know?

Agent: What do you mean?

The One smirks again.

The One: Don't play dumb with me, not now...

The computer chimes as the black box vanishes from the screen and returns to his desktop.  The One then reaches down and pulls out a USB drive, and throws his CAC card onto the desk.

The One: ... And besides, now everything you've worked for is now, POOF, gone.  Everything you had on your computer and on your agency's servers are basically on the verge of becoming fully corrupted and unreadable.  It's as if you never found out anything with us.  So I would highly suggest you begin practicing the kissing of asses up the "food chain" because your world is about to get mighty ugly.

Agent: You really think you got everything?  We have redundancy.  We have backups.  We have everything protected from people and tools like what you probably used...

The One chuckles.

The One: Oh I know.  I saw everything on the backup drives as well.  I was surprised that nothing like tape backups were used because it was easy to find them all and ensure they slowly became injected with the code as well.

The agent looks a bit unnerved.

Agent: What did you do?

The One: I just made sure that The Compound, once again, became a thing of legend and lore, rather than something anyone had anything concrete on.  I made sure we continued to live as rumors, and nothing definitive.  I didn't mess with anything else, because I didn't need to.  And thankfully you're simplistic manner of saving files made that easy for me.  You made it easy for me to make life difficult for your agency, and the files to be unrecoverable.

Agent: We have protections against all of that...

The One: Heh... Yeah... Sure you do...

She holds up the USB drive and waves it at him.

The One: It's amazing what power one little USB drive can wield over the bigger threat, isn't it?

As she says those words, the agent's cell phone rings and The One smirks.  She sees his eyes go wide and knows that he just saw his entire world begin to spiral out of nowhere.  The One then says she will see herself out, and suggests that he really keep his loose lips moisturized because of the large amount of sucking up he will have to do in order to save his job.  She walks by him as it keeps ringing and chuckles as she opens the door, and leaves, as she can hear the agent answer his phone and begin pleading immediately.

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{PROMO}

Along the banks of the river splitting her hometown down the middle, The One sits, with the moonlight illuminating the water, and a defined chill in the air.  For the first time ever, she isn't alone, flanked on the bench by a woman, identified from her past just as "Hailey."  The One stares out, knowing that there is a camera slowly zooming in on her from apparently the river itself, but able to hear her every word.

Isn't it amazing how things continue to change within the world of Supreme Championship Wrestling?  Isn't it amazing how the sunlight looks a little bit brighter, for the first time in several years?  And isn't it amazing that someone, like me, with no experience, has walked into the pinnacle of this industry and not only turned heads before I even debuted, but then won gold, and stepped up to the challenge of teaming with two individuals whom I shared no relationship with, and was able to find that common ground to achieve the ultimate SCW "Golden Ticket?"

And I've done it with my back PERMANENTLY against the proverbial wall...

When I first showed up, I made it clear what I was here to do.  I made it clear what I was out to achieve.  It wasn't about the W's and L's or accolades, but the riddance of those who had created a shadow of gloom and doom in a place that was once revered for its competitive roster, and true ability to create new talent.  I wanted to bring that allure back.  I wanted to clear the skies of the darkness.  I wanted to show the world that you don't get to just succeed if your from one specific family, or only friendly with specific people.  It was time for the underdogs to be able to shine once again.  It was time for the surprise victors to take their spot in the limelight.

Days were gone where you only got to travel along a certain "Street" in order to be a champion, or consider yourself "Infamous."

The days of carbon copy creations and single family championship reigns were going to be a thing of the past...

And let's be real, that attitude caused a lot of people to immediately label me a problem, a cancer, a bad person, and someone who could ultimately "hurt" SCW.  I heard the gossip.  I have ears in places people don't understand.  And I let the gossip motivate me further.  I let it be my guide because I went out there and I hurt people.  I went out there I began to put people to sleep.  I began to do WHATEVER it took in order to get the attention of those I planned on making a statement out of.

And let's be real... It didn't earn me much in the way of praise...

I was booed... I was jeered... I was put into a category that many consider "disliked" among the fans and my peers because of my brash commentary and unbridled disdain for so many who had brainwashed others in order to become "beloved."  But I expected it.  I expected that reaction.  I expected to initially be seen as the enemy.  It is that visceral reaction that I was given that is part of human nature.  You don't like someone coming in and telling you everything that you have come to believe, accept, and acknowledge as factual is false.  You don't like being told that what has made you "happy" has all be an illusion, fabricated by people who ONLY have their own personal interests in mind.  You don't like finding out that your mind is not as strong and instead, far weaker than you ever believed.

And yet, things around you are changing.  Those changes are ones you can only deny for so long.  They are ones you can only attribute to being "temporary" for so long, before they start to become "everyday."  It's then you are given the open-mindedness to actually take a second and start to question things.  It allows you the RIGHT to wonder if you have been wrong all along.  And it makes the boos, the jeers, the hatred, it makes it all begin to become quieter and quieter because you finally realize someone isn't trying to play you for a fool, but instead allow you to begin to find yourself and make your OWN opinions.

It's that ability that led me to realizing that sometimes in order to get to the "head" of the creature you're trying to slay, you have to tickle the tail, and make it turn around toward you... It's why I started with Beard in SCW, and used those closest to him to get his attention.  I made those people carry my message.  And then when the Chamber came, I saw the next moment where things could begin again, and I could begin to send a message, this time, directly to one of those individuals who represented the past that need to be TAKEN OUT of SCW, once and for all, Selena Frost...

The One goes to continue, before looking at Hailey, who smirks at her, and she smirks back.

I'm sorry, were you expecting me to say Deanna Frost?  Were you expecting me to say she has been the target all along?  Deanna Frost is a mere pawn in the larger picture here because it's been Selena Frost and her long history in SCW that has, in my opinion, fallen into the category of "the same" as those others I mentioned before.  This is one of those "families" who just are expected to be "given" greatness, rather than earning it all on their own.  And when it clicked that Selena was the "Head of Medusa" that needed to be severed in order to take out the entire Frost family, I began to look and find what her weakness was.

And her weakness is one that, I'll be honest, many of us have... Family...

You see, in that Chamber Match, when she saw Deanna, writhing in pain, screaming for help, on the cusp of begging for their mommy to come and save them, she reached in and tried to help her herself.  She reached in and tried to grab Deanna's hand.  She tried to pull her to some kind of safety.  And the problem was, she failed.  She didn't save her sister.  Her sister has been favoring that arm since that day, and any time I have had an opportunity to further that pain, I've done so.  And I've done to continue to get under the skin and in the head of Selena.

Why?

Because her being part of the darkness that is slowly fading away from SCW, I can tell you exactly what motivates her, and it's greed...

So I knew I needed to begin to nip at her heels.  Make her begin to turn her own head, and eventually turn around and have both she and Deanna facing me together... Which leads me to answer the question that many are wandering right now... Why Nicole Kinneck?

To many, my choice in partner is one that makes me look like I am going for a wacky and unpredictable individual.  It makes me look like I'm going for someone who has been around, and knows the Frosts well.  Only half of that is true.  Yes, she knows the Frosts well, but I didn't get anyone wacky.  I am not walking out there teaming with someone is silly or kooky, or even timid in nature.  Instead, I went out and chose someone who, yes, knew the Frosts, but could handle them like I plan on handling them... Like a "Pro."  See, many of you don't know this woman like I can promise I do.  I can tell you that what you have seen is something far different from what you and the House of Frost will see when the bell rings.  They won't see a girl skipping around the ring, being silly, and trying to throw them off their game.  They won't see a woman afraid to fight them tooth and nail.  They'll see someone like The One, who isn't afraid of fucking with the status quo, and wanting to throat punch a bitch at a moment's notice...

And the best part about this "Pro" is simple... She doesn't trust me, and quite honestly, I don't trust her...

Trust is an overrated aspect.  Trust is something that people break on a whim.  But what she and I have in this matter is a common desire to take on those who we see as problematic in the world.  We want to be the type of people who SHAPE SCW, and not simply be the ones who conform to its current or past identity.  That's stronger than trust.  The DESIRE to not become those people of the past, who never became anything, and just kissed the rings of those who were "handpicked," is not in our repertoire or vocabulary.

OUR DESIRE is to make the House of Frost fall the way of the "'Streets' of Rage" or the "Infamous Mobb..."

The One grins.

How does that feel you two thawing bitches?  How does it feel knowing that there is someone of the days of yore in SCW and the days of the future, BOTH, looking at you as a cancer and a detriment to the success of SCW down the road?  It should read true, and should read fearful.  You should understand that two people, representing the "Days of Future's Past," have set their sights on you, and everything you crave.  And we know that is those championships around your waist.  We know that it is what you both feel DEFINES you and your success in the annals of SCW.  We know that it is ALL you base your careers upon...

You two are THAT petty...

For you it's all about the accolade, it's all about the title.  For "Pro" and I, we look at it from a much different mindset because of the fact that we know if we take those championships from around your waists, you will be forced to reconcile that you have nothing left.  You will have nothing to rest your laurels on.  You won't be able to say how great your family lineage on because it's ONLY been defined by title belts, and you would have just lost them to someone brand new, and someone who has greatly reigned herself in.

The fact is, Deanna and Selena... "Pro" and I have found ourselves as equals in a battle for something BIGGER than ourselves.  We have found that there is something out there that will give us greater joy, greater happiness, and a greater HISTORICAL REMEMBRANCE, than what you two have done.  And we will have shown the world that we know how to exploit and defeat those who have tainted the pool of talent in this place, and ultimately led it to where it is now.  And you two won't have anywhere to run...

You won't be able to make excuses...

You won't be able to claim you were robbed...

Your entire careers have been spent resting on the belts which you now wear, and that's it.  Nothing more.  You haven't defined your career by anything more than being one of the "four families" of the late 2010s, that drove away many of those who helped SHAPE SCW, and create a FUTURE for people who wanted to enter the business, like me.

And I want to put you out like Old fucking Yeller, and ensure that there is one less group who holds that kind of power...

And you may think it's because we want it... You may think it's because we want control... No... I'm sorry you two dumb bitches.  I'm sorry you look at it from such a simple mindset.  Power isn't everything, nor is it the only thing.  In fact, it carries far less weight than the two of you may believe.  What carries weight is lore.  What carries weight is CHARACTER.  What carries weight is the road you pave behind yourself.  What you two have done have simply made more "Streets" in SCW.  They may be icier than the original, but they still are the same thing underneath.  What we are striving for is to build the "Interstate."  We want to build something bigger, and longer lasting, that people don't look on with disdain.  And when "Pro" and I finish the House of Frost off, and show the world that it wwas nothing more than a glorified icicle, you two will get to make the decision of a lifetime...

Join us in rebuilding the infrastructure of SCW... Or forget the snow tires and skid off your own road, and be another "victim of ice..."

The decision is yours.  I don't personally care.  I don't think my partner does either.  In fact, I personally wouldn't mind seeing you both disappear into oblivion, and allow SCW to once again grow itself anew, and become exactly what it is SUPPOSED to be in 2023, rather than what you wish it could remain, so only you could benefit...

And if you doubt that's the case... I say this... It IS as much the TRUTH as death, taxes, and THE ONE!

The One looks down, and Hailey reaches over and pats her on the back, rubbing it gently as someone who cares would.  The One takes an obvious deep brath, as the camera slowly zooms out and fdes to black.

[SnowQueenSCW]

The Witches of Alden

”Sapphire”

Tony’s Di Napoli
New York City, New York
February 1st, 2023
8:43pm

They were back at Tony’s, once again Selena, herself, being the one who insisted. Ever since the new year, with things in SCW getting more and more hectic (something that had repeatedly been on her mind) and with her presence in the wrestling world growing with the supershows across the world with companies like XWF and TIA requesting her – and her desire to promote SCW on a greater worldwide scale – the Snow Queen had desperately wanted to maintain some semblance of a private-life. That is to say, she wanted to keep things as they were meant to be to her.

That she was a wife and mother first and a wrestler second. Deanna’s injury had made that difficult, as her beloved redhead had been hellbent on focusing on her recovery in order to return to the ring as quickly in the new year as possible, partially out of living up to her previous year as “Rookie of the Year” and partially out of spite towards The One.

That was another reason Selena had insisted on these ‘date nights’ every few weeks. From simple things like walks through the parks of New York and Manhattan while enjoying the street-vendor foods to larger-scale dates like this, the platinum-blonde had insisted on some kind of moment of ‘escape’ for the two of them. A night every week or two where they could just be themselves, a married couple enjoying each other’s company.

Still, work always found a way to be strung into the conversation and neither was foolish enough to think that wouldn’t happen on these dates. Sure, there were their children, their school, PA meetings, neighbourhood events/people, but it inevitably circled back around to SCW and wrestling in some way.

And gazing at her wife, Selena knew it would inevitably happen again tonight. Still, she said nothing as she watched Deanna sitting across the square table from her, the younger woman stabbing at her steak and baby potatoes with her fork but not eating, a look of quiet sadness flashing across the redhead’s features.

For a moment, Selena’s eyes scanned the quiet dining room. Tony’s was a simple Italian dining-restaurant and had been their first true date and a place where the two of them were now regulars. It was one of the “Frost’s date locations” to the point where most of the staff, from maitre d to the full-time servers to even the kitchen staff knew them. Knew that such appearances were special, or ‘da-ate night!!’ – Selena couldn’t do the accent the host would always do whenever he saw them. She spied the stone arches above her and Deanna and she heard the soft music that played on the corner where live-entertainment was sometimes a thing. Eventually, her sapphire eyes settled back on her wife, who was rolling a baby potato back and forth on her plate with her fork.

“Thinking of starting a new career as a soccer player?” Selena asked with a tilt of her head, not truly surprised when Deanna gave no sign of hearing her as she continued to roll her potato in an almost hypnotizing fashion. “Deanna?” Again, no response.

With a quiet sigh and an idea forming in her head, Selena bit her lower lip before quietly moving herself out of her chair, stopping only to check that her wife hadn’t noticed her movements. She hadn’t. Carefully, despite it being rude thing to do in a restaurant (and one she strongly discouraged her children to ever do), the Snow Queen pried out a single ice-cube from her empty glass of water before sneaking around the table one step at a time. Smiling mischievously as she weighed the frozen water in her head, the former world champion stood behind her wife for a few seconds, watching the redhead continue her fork-potato game of to and fro! She eyed Deanna’s hair, curled and free flowing like an auburn waterfall. This was going to be the tricky part, she knew, as she gently reached out to move the waves of hair just enough to expose the back of Deanna’s neck – again, the seated woman too occupied in her thoughts to notice anything…

Until the shard of ice was pressed into her skin!

The reaction took only a second, but Selena saw her wife suddenly tense up, her head snap up and just as she was about to gasp, the platinum-blonde swooped in, covering her wife’s mouth with her own, her hand cupping the back of Deanna’s neck, thus continuing to press the ice-cube into the soft skin of her beloved. The sound she heard from her wife, which echoed into her own mouth and throat, was a mixture of a sigh and a whine, Deanna’s body still tense before she suddenly went slack as the kiss continued, as if she was just losing herself to the mix of sensations the older woman was employing.

Eventually, the need for air became too great and Selena slowly slipped her head away from Deanna’s, waiting for the redhead’s eyes to flutter open and gaze into hers. “Hi.” Selena smiled. “Something on your mind?”

It took a moment before Deanna’s hand flew up to swat at the one Selena had on her neck. “Mean.” She remarked, reaching with her free hand to grab the napkin on her side of the table to wipe at the melted water on her skin.

“I know.” Smiled Selena knowingly as she took her seat on the other side of the table. “But I tried getting your attention.” She sighed, watching her wife continuing to dab her own neck with the napkin. “Pretty sure you drowned your potatoes.”

“I what?” Deanna asked before casting her eyes down, seeing the little, round potatoes drowning in the gravy that had covered some of her mashed potatoes. “Oh…yeah.” She sighed, reaching up to scratch the top of her head.

“Breakdown?” Selena asked without really needing an answer. She knew it was about that. Since her match with Owen Cruze, Deanna had been rather morose… No, it was not just that. She had been upset, but it didn’t seem stemmed on the actual loss, per say. But Deanna had remained quiet for the last few days since. It was partly why Selena had insisted on a ‘date-night’ tonight – with the Pay-Per-View just a few days away.

They needed to get their heads clear of all of this. Yes, Deanna knew The One in terms of fighting and such, and Selena knew some elements of Nicole Kinneck and her ‘alters’ in that regard, but together? As a tag-team? It was a relative unknown, even a dangerous one. And with Deanna being so – was mopey the right word? No… sullen? Selena wasn’t sure – but the Snow Queen had been worried enough to try and snap her wife out of it. Training hadn’t worked, neither had approaching her about it at home – Deanna simply replying she as ‘fine’, which, if the potatoes were any indication, she wasn’t. So, Selena was trying for date-night to bring some of these issues out.

“We’re not really supposed to talk about work.” Deanna recalled, shrugging her bare shoulders, which moved the emerald-dress wrapped around her small frame from the bust down. It was a nice contrast to the stark white Selena wore, the Snow Queen having let her thick hair down and leaned more into her paler features to look like some ‘enchantress of snow’.

“And yet we inevitably do.” Selena smiled knowingly. “Come on, Deanna.” She tried, reaching out to take her hand, only for Deanna to pull away, emerald eyes narrowing at Selena.

“Are you holding another ice-cube?” she accused, earning a light chuckle from Selena before the older woman opened her offered hand, revealing it to be empty. With a huff, Deanna nodded her head. “Fine.” She added before reaching out to place her hand in Selena’s.

“What’s going on?” Selena asked. “Is it because you lost?”

“Not exactly.” Deanna finally sighed. “I mean, yeah, it sucked. I really wanted to beat him… just to say I was good enough to do it.”

Selena kept her mouth shut. She knew she couldn’t tell Deanna how close the match had looked to her, or how there were moments where she was sure Deanna was getting the win. Anything like that would have just come off as pitying or patronizing. A wife coddling her partner to make her feel better. Instead, she waited for Deanna to continue.

The redhead shook her head for a moment before lifting her eyes up to Selena. “Why did he do it?”

“Who?” Selena asked immediately, racking her brain for understanding. “Owen? Throwing the chair? I mean… it was a strategy. Or maybe it was desperation? Maybe to get an opening – I really don’t-“

“No. Not him.” Deanna shook her head. “D.…”

The name sort of caught Selena off guard, but Deanna was already pressing on.

“I mean… I’ve been thinking about this since it happened. All that talk about stopping meddling and people just getting involved, and then he allows that to happen. It just doesn’t make sense.”

“Deanna…” Selena tried. “Losses happen and-“

Emerald eyes shot up to meet Selena’s in what the Snow Queen could only describe as a simmering rage. “I don’t care that I lost, okay?” Deanna tried. “I accepted the new terms and came up short. Fine! I have a long way to go, I’m the ‘weak-link’ of the House of Frost, I’m the one falling behind – I get it.”

“I never-“

“Selena, come on.” Deanna sighed. “You beat the Adrenaline champion, one of the considered contenders for both the United States and World title and the next guy in line with Adam. Tell me your stock didn’t take a much-needed rise in the ‘singles’ department from that.”

With Deanna’s eyes narrowing at her, Selena couldn’t deny the truth. Not only had the Snow Queen won her last singles match, but she had pinned Adam Allocco to do it, which, she had to admit, was beyond satisfying after the months he had used her to boost his own ego. Now, she had one on him for every time he yelled “I beat Selena Frost” – a win she could take delight in and let last Rise to Greatness go.

“It’s all I’m going to hear this week. ‘Damaged goods’…” Deanna used her fingers for the air-quotes. “Bullseye on the arm, I’ve been around enough to know that much about how things are going to go. But fine, we have you, we’re going to get through this best we can and do all we can to retain the titles. I’m not worried about that.”

“You’re not?”

“No!” Deanna glared at her wife. “I have you. I’m not scared of anything when we’re wrestling together. Even in the chamber, when you were outside it, I wasn’t really ‘scared scared’, you know? Nervous, sure, but with you- and when we’re tagging together-“ her thoughts were becoming jumbled as she tried to get her thoughts together. It was often endearing, but in this case, it was also worrying Selena, who tightened her hold on Deanna’s arm.

“But…” her eyes found Selena’s again. “Why did Mr. D. allow Kim to do that? Why couldn’t he have just let the match be a normal match and let me see if I was good enough to beat Owen? It just feels so… like he doesn’t believe in me or he doesn’t care about my career or growth or he just wanted to push Kim and Owen and… I don’t know… it just feels so opposite of what he promised.”

And Selena was ashamed that she hadn’t given such things much thought. In truth, Deanna had asked her to stay backstage for that match, but when Kim had started throwing weapons in the ring, Selena had immediately wanted to get to the ring and get involved out of fear of Deanna’s arm – only to be stopped by the SCW crew telling her that Mr. D. had allowed this alteration in the match.

But, hearing her wife now? There was a definite truth to it. What was meant to be a fulfilling match of skill and integrity had eroded to a game by Kimberly for the sake of the main-event at the Pay-Per-View. To push something that had nothing to do with the House of Frost.

“It felt like…” whispered Deanna, returning to poking one of the baby potatoes with her fork. “Like with Adam Allocco and those ‘5 moves of doom’. Like I didn’t matter and was just the stepping stone. Like D. didn’t really care about me or what the match meant to me.”

Again, hearing the words, Selena couldn’t help the spike of irritation she felt. Because part of it was true. Earlier, D. had remarked on ‘meddling having consequences’ and even giving Deanna props as ‘having potential’. So why the hell DID he alter the match and allow Kimberly to get involved? She didn’t believe the Underground Champion’s excuse for a second. ‘Preparing for Pro’? It was the weakest excuse she had ever heard, including that time David had lied about putting a hole through the basement drywall by blaming being scared by a ghost!

The tag match wasn’t underground rules. If One or Pro tried to act like Kimberly had or tried to make Owen and Deanna act, then they would be disqualified. So Kim’s ‘reasons’ for ‘preparing for Pro’ made no sense! And if Selena could see that, the Snow Queen was certain D. could too.

So why HAD he allowed it? Why had he taken away the chance for Deanna to prove herself after giving such opportunities to Owen and others?

With a shake of her head, Selena did her best to dispel such thoughts, taking a moment to take a nibble out of her Caesar salad.

“You don’t really have an answer, do you?” she heard Deanna say dejectedly, causing the Snow Queen to shake her head just in time to see a passing waiter refill her glass of water, allowing her to take a sip to clear her mouth of the salad, crotons and dressing.

“I don’t.” she answered honestly. “But it could be a number of things, sweetheart. He was worried about Owen being in an underground match, and you were the former Underground champion- You were also the Rookie of the Year… It could have been practice for him to stay sharp.“

“But what about me-“ Deanna tried but Selena held her hand up.

“Sweetheart…” she tried. “It could also be he wanted to test your toughness after your injury or maybe he just wanted to push the main-event of the pay-per-view, like a boost in views and sales. It is a business.”

“But that’s…”

“I know it is.” Selena sighed. “But…” she tried to choose her words carefully. “Hunny, it can’t always be fair. And it can’t always be about us on the show. When I lost the world title, Allocco rode that to high-heaven and management all went with him. Remember how I was slotted for ‘third last’ in the End of the Year awards presentations, despite breaking Syren’s record? Even the Match of the Year went before me. But damn, they put Allocco right front and center. He was their ‘poster boy’ now and there was no place for me.”

“But what does-“ Selena waited till the redhead had noticed her own interjection before quietening herself.

With a sad smile, the platinum-blonde continued. “Maybe you weren’t considered in all of that. Maybe it was just ‘one of those things’ where you were overlooked. Maybe it’s something we’re missing in the mindset of Mr. D.. The point is that we won’t know, even if he tells us, we’ll analyze it and question it and whatever. It happens to everyone. I’m sure Owen would tell you how he felt overlooked when I beat him before Rise to Greatness in the build up to it. Kimberly could give you stories, I’m sure… In the end-“ again, she reached out to take Deanna’s hand into hers warmly. “Let’s just be grateful that you weren’t injured again. And let’s focus on what’s ahead of us.” She gave the hand a squeeze. “You’ll get another chance like that. I promise.”

Slowly, Selena saw the focus in Deanna’s eyes go fuzzy, the younger Frost, seemingly, retreating into her own thoughts. Without distracting her wife, Selena gently released the woman’s smaller hand (at least with Selena’s fingers being longer and thinner) and returned to nibbling on her salad.

She truly did feel for her wife. If it had been her, she would have understood now. SCW needed viewers and the main-event needed to be pushed. Was it fair what O. had done? No. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Deanna had trained and worked her ass off to be ready for a singles match and D. had, essentially, screwed that over for her. But what was done was done and the reasons could very well have made sense to the SCW owner, but they couldn’t focus on that now. She was certain that her wife, even if Deanna couldn’t see it, would get another chance to prove herself as an independent woman.

Maybe I should talk to Tim about putting her on some of the supercards… the Snow Queen considered. Get her more experience and exposure – not to mention she wouldn’t have to worry about being compared to me as much as in SCW. That part was enticing. Aside from the World Series of Wrestling, she was rather ‘new’ in the grander world of wrestling, having only competed in now defunct federations outside of SCW like IWC and ULW for a time. Still, where such growth had happened organically, Selena couldn’t deny that such a thing for her wife felt more ‘forced’ than anything. No, Deanna just wanted to be more respected and stand on her own in SCW, not anywhere else yet.

With a sigh, Selena continued nibbling at her salad with sips of water in-between. This is not how I wanted tonight to go… she quietly thought to herself. She had wanted to have a good night with her wife, get her in a good mood with a good dinner, maybe some late-night lovemaking to finish it off to aid in that mood, so they could head into the pay-per-view and steal the show. That was Selena’s desire.

With her win over Adam Allocco, Bree Lancaster, and Glory Braddock – not to mention pinning Allocco in the process of it all – and the House of Frost getting billed as the second main-event of the pay-per-view under only the world title in the listing, she had truly felt that the shadow of her RTG loss was behind her. She had effectively reminded everyone that she was still a force to be reckoned with after months of being barely mentioned for it by SCW management and she had proven, even at his ‘best’, if he could call it that, she was skilled enough to beat Adam Allocco. Now? She wanted to concentrate on The One and Nicole Kinneck… and whatever alter the woman brought to the table.

For herself? Selena was semi-alright with the options. She had handled Nicole, Ducky, and Pro before and, while skilled and dangerous, there was a sense of competition there that she felt she could handle – whether it was Kinneck’s latest ‘craze’ of biting and scratching or Pro’s typical style of harsh moves and damage. Even Luna, though Selena quietly prayed that that alter stayed locked away for good in Nicole’s mind as Selena wasn’t sure she could still find a taser under the ring if she showed up again.

Because she had no desire for Luna to emerge and target Deanna. If she had learned anything from the last few months of being tossed this way and that between other people’s feuds like Ravyn/Nicole and Deanna/One, it was that Luna was someone that not even The One could deal with it. Talk about biting the hand that feeds… Selena sighed quietly, casting a quick glance to her still-pondering wife, who at least was eating a bit of her lovely dinner. If Luna showed up, the match would be over in disqualification, controversy, or worse within seconds and that was something The Snow Queen wanted to avoid.

She wanted to highlight the tag-division and continue on her mission of raising the bar throughout SCW. Why not? After 20 years, didn’t SCW deserve that kind of reputation? To be known for integrity rather than gimmicks and controversy?

Again, such thoughts slowly drifted back to Mr. D. and last Breakdown, moreso thanks to Deanna’s questions, but the platinum-blonde mentally slammed the breaks on that before it got too far. What mattered this weekend was The House of Frost retaining the tag-titles. What mattered now, however, was them enjoying their night and getting on a good page together.

Boldened by that, Selena pushed herself out of her chair, her eyes finding the source of the music that had been playing the soft jazz music of piano, bass, and saxophone since before they had arrived. The small platform of performers were busy playing, all smiles as some of the restaurant’s customers were already dancing on the spot in the small space with their partners. Taking Deanna’s hand gently, Selena carefully guided her wife to stand, regaining the redhead’s attention. Without a word of explanation, the older woman pulled Deanna to the space of other dancers, finding a spot for them before turning around swiftly, her pale hands immediately finding their place on Deanna’s waist and in her hand for the Snow Queen to lean. Still silent, Selena began guiding Deanna into a slow ballroom step – simple and on-the-spot, basically rocking back and forth. Easily, Deanna adapted her posture and stance, taking the hand that held hers while placing the other on Selena’s shoulder.

They said nothing. They didn’t have to. There was something just…warm and nice whenever they danced together, forced to focus on one another but also wanting to? Did that make sense? And they also felt like they fit perfectly together. It was a closeness that, along with their moments of tenderness and lovemaking, the outside world could just melt away for a short time – something Selena was banking on. She wanted to free her wife of the burdens of SCW and see the excitement of it!

They were the defending world tag-team champions! In the throngs of their first reign together! Yes, focusing on singles victories and titles was also important and she hoped Deanna would have more while Selena, herself, continued to overlook and ‘set a standard’ to the World title and its contenders. But there was so much they could do with the tag-team title division! Already, the division was filling back up with new teams like Light in the Darkness and Bree Lancaster and Datura. Part of Selena, the part that felt like she was living the dream with tag-teaming with her wife, which she knew Deanna shared in that delight, wanted to up the bar a little.

Being the second main-event of the pay-per-view was a great start, but when was the last time that the tag-titles had been at the main-event level? The last card on a pay-per-view over the world title? Was it when A/C Unit had won it? Perhaps, but that was more out of the world title being in the picture as well. On that note, when was the last time the tag-titles had been defended in something classic and iconic like a cage or a ladder match! Selena almost hummed at the thought. Nearly ten years in SCW and she had never been in a ladder match! Cages and chambers? She was sure she held a record in the number of those she had fought! Scaffold? Check! Submission? Check! Ironwoman? Check, but she was aching for another of those. Last-Person Standing? Check. Of all the still-relevant matches that existed, the ladder was the only one that escaped her, but there were so many possibilities to bring the tag-titles to new heights, LITERALLY. Had they even been defended in a scaffold match before? What about the Elimination Chamber? The possibilities were endless and it excited her – partially on doing something new but also in keeping the other world title (the world championship) on notice. Cause of the World tag-team titles were operating at a standard and even overtaking the World title in main-events, what did that say?

And I can do that with the woman I love more than anything… she turned her sapphire-gaze down in time to see Deanna gazing at her. With a smile, Selena twirled the woman slowly, waiting for the redhead to twirl back into her waiting arms. She could feel the warmth of her wife’s body through the emerald-green dress Deanna wore and the white gown Selena had on, not to mention the soft curves and points of the redhead’s body.

Slowly, she let the thoughts of SCW fade from her mind, focusing on that feeling of closeness as Deanna rested her head against Selena’s shoulder and neck, letting the taller Frost guide them. How long they danced like that, Selena wasn’t sure. She sort of lost track of the time as they swayed this way and that. She wasn’t even sure if the music had stopped and changed songs – was that an ending with the notes going ‘dut dut dut’ before immediately continuing? Did that count as ‘one song’? She wasn’t really sure. It didn’t fully matter to the Snow Queen. All that mattered was the woman in her arms.

How Selena wished she could give her ‘the world’ in SCW. Let her face whoever she wanted, fight however she wanted. Gods, if she could, Selena knew she wouldn’t hesitate to put Deanna on a pedestal and make her world champion. What an accomplishment that would be! To be in SCW with Deanna being the world champion in her own right - Suo Jure… Selena thought quietly – except Deanna would never want that. It was partially what had made her so attractive to Selena when they had first met. The two were alike in so many regards and different in others but what they always agreed on was the notion of ‘success being earned, not given’. Working for achievements rather than whining for them. And Deanna had earned every success she had had.

She had amazed Selena with her skills to become Selena’s manager.
She had pushed her way for years to be trained and toughened up to become a wrestler.
She had shocked the world and earned every championship, even being the one getting the pin in some of their tag matches, like the last one they had with the Farmstead Friends.

Whatever was going to happen, Selena knew, Deanna was going to do all she could to earn things her way.

Gently, Selena release her wife from her hands, sliding them up in time to catch Deanna’s lifting face. She held the soft cheeks of her wife, taking only a moment to gaze into her eyes before moving in to kiss her-

“Alright, dear patrons of Tony’s…” came the voice from the raised-platform of a ‘stage’ where the musicians were playing, effectively ripping the Frost wives back to reality before the kiss could commence. Smiling amused but also a little disappointed, Selena turned her head, keeping her face in contact with Deanna’s at least as the two gazed to the stage. The large, suited matre-d greeted everyone with a smile. “We have a very special treat for you tonight. When I learned that he was returning to his hometown of New York, I had to get him to perform here like he used to in so many fine establishments like this one-“

A good-natured patron yelled. “So, McDonald’s was closed?”

A laugh came from the group, even from the speaker. “Alright, alright. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the world-touring lounge-singer… Asmodeus!”

There was a polite applause from the crowd, some a little louder as they clearly recognized the name. Still, Deanna merely cocked her head to the side.

“Did he say ‘Asmodeus’? Weird name, I never-“ she stopped as she suddenly felt the arms around her become tense. Quickly, the redhead threw her gaze back towards the woman holding her. “Selena?”

“Oh no…” Selena whispered as a new person, a singer, took the stage, his dark-skin and even darker suit a contrast to the white walls of the restaurant. “Not him…” came the breath of Selena’s voice in a whisper as she slowly backed away from the ‘dancing area’, even turning to march back to her table with Deanna in tow.

“Thank you, Tony.” Came the smooth, velvety voice of the man throughout the room. “For those of you that don’t know, the name is Asmodeus, and for a bit tonight, I will be your entertainer of-“ he suddenly stopped as if spotting something in the crowd. “Why I recognize that hair anywhere! One of a kind! Selena Frost! Is that you?!”

_______________________________________________________________

The Royal Letter

The camera opens up to reveal a familiar looking office with a large bookshelf behind it – the office belonging to Selena Frost, the Snow Queen and ‘Face of SCW’. Her hair is in its iconic braid and she is wearing a sleek black pant suit as she sits in a dark-green faux leather wingback chair, one leg elegantly crossed over the other.

Dear True Believers of the SCW Universe… she starts, her pale hands resting in her lap.

Fame, notoriety, ‘celebrity-status’, being ‘known’… it isn’t an easy thing. I know, some of you will laugh at that and talk about the ‘money’ and ‘status’ and, yeah, that is wonderful, and I’m beyond blessed to have such a life that I have thanks to SCW and years of working my ass off- but what I mean is that, in this business of wrestling, actually I think in any business, to be of any kind of status means two things… she holds up two fingers.

First, looking ahead to the next big thing for you. For me? Outside of being the World Tag-Team champion and raising the division out of the jokes and controversy it was swimming in thanks to Lexy Chapel, it’s also keeping the standard of World titles, cause there are two of them in SCW, held high. Holding that level accountable. And I believed I proved that in my last match to the point where if I hear Adam Allocco say he’s the “only choice” for a contender for the world title, I might just laugh right in his face. Cause if that was so, why would he need to use his Trios to get his rematch? Why would Kandis and Glory be spoken of in the same breath as his name? Why, if he was so amazing, would he need to try and take down Syren outside the ring or outside a match to ‘hedge his bet’? Why, if he was so amazing, could I beat him in the ring?

Point is, looking forward, whether it is what I do as the World tag-team champion or what I do as a singles superstar, I will continue to raise the bar for world titles in SCW!

That said, the Snow Queen leans a little more back into her chair. But, I did say there were two things to being of any kind of ‘fame’ or ‘level’ or ‘success’ in SCW. And while the first is ‘looking forward’, the ‘second’ is – you guessed it – looking back.

Cause it doesn’t matter who you are, where you work, what you do. If you rise up through the ranks and achieve success? There’s always someone behind you wanting that success. Wanting what you’ve got. Wanting to be what or where you are. It could be that new-hire that wants to be a manager. That term that wants your spot as ‘permanent fulltime’ and all the benefits that go with it. That substitute teacher wanting your spot for tenure and security!

People covet other people’s success. They want it and while some will work harder and better to get it, otherwise will do whatever they need to to get it. Take a look at the history of any title in SCW and you will see what I mean.

She takes a slow breath. And, for me? I personally took that as a challenge. If the person was working hard, I had to work harder to stay at the level that I was setting. If someone was a cheater and a coward, I had to work harder and be smarter in order to keep integrity in SCW. I had to keep reinventing my strategies and styles to try and stay ahead of those behind me and adapt to those ahead of me…

I suppose you could consider this the ‘thrill’ of the competition, and I would agree to an extent.

However, every so often, there comes someone that doesn’t want to simply ‘replace’ you as the status quo. Doesn’t want to simply have the success you have. Sometimes, someone comes along and wants you GONE from this business. True Believers, tell me if you heard of this. A co-worker spreading lies to try and get you fired? A rival framing you to get you demoted or kicked out? Or, in may case, a person seeking the removal of the House of Frost altogether.

Sapphire eyes narrow.

See, One, this is where I address you. Because you have made it adamantly clear for months now that that is your goal. To remove the ‘old guard’ with something ‘new’. And if this was just you wanting to make a name for yourself by beating us, I might just respect it. Why not? Owen Cruze did it in his path to becoming the world champion for the first time. The Brand tried it for months in trying to take the world title away from me. After nearly a decade here, I get it – I’m a rocket-ship to instant fame. Beat Selena and you get noticed! I could understand it if that was all this was.

But it’s not, is it? You’ve made it far more personal than that. But that’s for Deanna to discuss. I want to do what I do rather well in talks like these…

Hold my opponent to ‘the standard’.

A slight grin crosses the Snow Queen’s features.

So let’s talk, One. You say that you’re here to ‘change the landscape’ for the better, right? That you’re after ‘change’ in SCW to ‘make it better’, right? To give ‘new people’ opportunity, that right? You ask what The House of Frost has done in that regard? Accused us of doing all that we do for our ‘egos’ and whatever?

Well let me start off with that, One. I don’t need my ego inflated. Neither does Deanna. Case you forgot, The House of Frost took Rookie and Female Wrestler of the Year by vote of the fans. What did you get? I held the world title longer than any other person ever has in SCW’s near 20 years of existence. What the hell did you do? Deanna captured three titles in her first year as an SCW superstar. What the hell did you do?

So, if this was about egos, One, Deanna and I wouldn’t have been out on Breakdown and special events making open challenges to superstars and giving away title shots. No! We’d have done what you’ve done. Show up, walk out on the ramp, stare and then walk away. We’d only show up when we were paid to show up. We’d only attack our opponents from behind. We’d only compete when there was something in it for us like the Trios contracts or when we had to. If this was about ‘egos’, One, we would have protected ours by breaking your arm in return by ambushing YOU backstage in a 2-on-1 assault. And trust me, I know you’re tough, but you’re not Deanna and you’re sure as hell not me.

She paused, adjusting her braid with her hand.

But you want ‘change’ in SCW? You want things to be ‘better’ in SCW, One? You want newcomers to get opportunity…

You mean like how we tried to give two talents a tag-team title shot at End of the Year? Or how us winning the tag-team titles brought back Light in the Darkness? Or how Bree Lancaster and Datura are targeting the tag division now that we are at the top of it?

When the tag-division was seen as a joke being run by guys in costumes – talented as one of them is – Deanna and I didn’t just sit around and look at it. We didn’t just ‘promise change’ and do nothing, One. No! We went there and we shook things up! We did what no other tag-team in SCW could do. We fought the controversy. We fought the low standard and gimmicks and we became the world tag-team champions! We put the division back on notice so other teams wanted in like those I mentioned.

Selena shrugged. Hell, you want to talk about ‘giving opportunities to newcomers’, how the hell did you even get in this match, One? Aside from Trios, what kind of tag-team experience have you had in SCW? Deanna and I wrestled together on and off and then beat the former number one contenders to get our shot, but we are GIVING you a shot at the world tag-team titles!

Selena shrugs. So let me break your little mission statement down – of all your promises:

Make the division ‘better’? Check.
Bring in new talent or teams? Check.
Give opportunities to new and unknown talent? Check and check.

See, you can claim your ‘goals’ all you want, One. But, unlike you, The House of Frost have done exactly what you claim to be all about, except we are doing it while you just ‘talk’ about it week after week and then do nothing.

The Snow Queen knowingly shakes her head. It’s because you’re not really interested in making SCW better like I have been for years or how Deanna’s been risking her body and health over and over again for, are you?

No, One, that change that we were bringing in wasn’t good enough for you, was it? Giving talent opportunities wasn’t good enough for you, was it? Because, at your core, you’re no different than the dozens of people I’ve faced in SCW over the near decade. A person that promises ‘change’ or ‘betterment of SCW’, but ultimately? Is really only in it for themselves. A person that lies about change and denies its existence because it doesn’t benefit them.

That’s what this is really about, isn’t it, One? It’s not about change or opportunities or bringing in new talent cause YOU have done none of that. YOU have not done a damn thing for SCW despite your promises. No, what you’ve done is lie, assault and injure innocent people. You have denied people opportunities simply because it wasn’t you getting them! You have kept ‘change’ from happening in SCW – or at least slowed it down – simply because it wasn’t about you, was it?

The stare in Selena’s eyes is ice-cold. You will only accept ‘change’, One, if it’s you at the top. If it’s you that’s the star. The center of attention… The one.

And maybe that COULD be something I respect, One, because I fit parts of that. I WANT to be the best in SCW. I want to be the best wrestler in the world. I want the House of Frost to be one of the best tag-teams SCW has ever seen. I’ve spent ten years going from a rookie with no experience, to being ‘unbelievable’. But the difference between you and me? Aside from the fact that I fought for integrity and bettering SCW along my way? And you can check if you don’t believe me: every person I faced? Every person I took on? I looked them straight in the eyes and told them “I’m going to fight you! I’m going to beat you! And I am going to be better than you!” to get to the top and make change happen! To make integrity the standard in SCW!

You?

You don’t have the guts to do that! You don’t have the guts to persevere through the chamber. You don’t have the guts to overcome the challenges. What you do, One? You try and eliminate those you can’t beat in the ring! You try and eliminate those that are in your way. You try and backdoor your way to opportunities by making this personal. You try and justify your actions against my wife and against Valeria and The White Knight by being a martyr!

Taking a slow breath, Selena tries to calm herself at the memory of One’s actions. You want to talk about change, One? How bout this for change? How about an SCW where you aren’t in it?

Sapphire eyes narrow once more as the implication is beyond clear.

How about an SCW where superstars don’t have to worry about you attacking them from behind like a damn coward or trying to break their arms or put them in hospitals because you’re bitter and jealous? How about an SCW where someone like you is exposed for the liar and fraud that you are? How about that?

Because, I gotta tell you – after spending weeks watching my wife in pain, watching her fight back tears in the hospital because she was trying to seem tough for me or because she was scared that her career would be shortened? After seeing her endure weeks of hellacious rehab? I gotta tell you, One, I’m BEYOND tempted to give THAT kind of change to SCW and TAKE YOU OUT OF IT!

The growl in Selena’s voice is heard at the end of that declaration. I am beyond tempted to lock you in the Frost Bite and break your arm and put YOU in rehab for a few months. But that’s not the kind of change I want to be responsible for in SCW. I actually want this place to keep getting better. The House of Frost wants this place to keep getting better because we LOVE this place! We are home here! SCW is our home!

A slight pause comes from The Face of SCW.

But that doesn’t mean you’re getting off Scot-free, One. See, I – we, Deanna and I? – you want change in SCW? You want to change things? Deanna and I are giving you that chance at Body, Heart and Soul, but understand something here.

Now? It’s put up or shut up. You want to change things here? You want to keep a promise? You better come in guns blazing and with everything you’ve got! Because this will not be a match that you can walk away from! This will not be a match where you march to the ramp, look at us for the umpteenth time and then high-tail it! No! You, One, with or without Nicole Kinneck working in your favor, are going to be held accountable for everything you have done! I may not try and put you out of SCW for good, but I sure as hell am going to make sure you, far more than Nicole, get a beating at the hands of me and Deanna!

Because, as I addressed your ‘core’, One, at MY core? I am still human. I am a person that loves, hates, makes mistakes, and learns from that. And at my core? There are only two things I love more than SCW and wrestling, One. My wife and my children. And there have only been a few people that have dared mess with that particular element of my life. And if you want to know what happened to them?

Ask Xander Valentine.
Ask Ravyn Taylor.
Ask Giovanni Aries, wherever he is.
Ask Vixen Cain, if you can find him.

You have entered into a realm of ‘personal’ that few have dared go with me and for good reason. Because there are consequences beyond professional that come with it. And at Body, Heart and Soul, you’re going to experience those consequences. Because I am going to make sure that you, One, regret what you did to Deanna, Valeria, and White Knight. I am going to make you regret every BS and lie you’ve spouted out of your disgusting mouth. I am going to ensure that you NEVER even THINK about doing that to my wife again.

Slowly, Selena leans forward, eyes glaring at her intended target. And I won’t ask you what the hell you’re gonna do about it, One. Because like your time here in SCW, there is absolutely nothing you will do about it! Except for one thing… and ONE thing alone…

You will believe it!

The camera slowly fades on Selena before going entirely to black.

[Ducky]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MBHy...1Lnwg/edit

[SnowQueenSCW]

The Witches of Alden

”Emerald”

Tony’s Di Napoli
New York City, New York
February 1st, 2023
8:54pm


Deanna kept staring at her steak, mashed potatoes and baby potato entrée, as if the gravy and baby potato she was playing with with her fork held the answers to the thoughts going on inside her head. She barely heard the noise of the other customers as she glumly played with her food – partially chastising herself for it after telling her children over and over not to at the dinner table. She wasn’t even worried about the gravy potentially getting on her emerald-gown. Her eyes cast down to spy the material that covered her skin elegantly. She loved wearing this dress – well, dresses in general, because she liked how attractive they made her feel, especially with how Selena always looked at her.

Selena…

This was supposed to be their ‘date night’ and here she was, unable to get out of her funk. For a moment, the young redhead gazed from out of her peripheral vision to catch the white of Selena’s gown. She had loved how Selena was dressed tonight – having eyed her as Selena had driven them here in the AXTGRIFF, the vehicle Selena had won in the World Series of Wrestling last year. The white gown with her hair having a bit of volume and wave to it as it flowed freely like her own, but less curly. Still, despite knowing all of this, the younger Frost just couldn’t get out of her thoughts on SCW and Breakdown.

She had lost… again. As far as ‘records’ were for 2023, she didn’t really feel like she was living up to her name as ‘Rookie of the Year’, having won one match thanks to interference by too many people to count and then losing to Owen Cruze, but that was only half of the equation.

What occupied her thoughts more than anything was her own confusion. Breakdown was supposed to have been a match to test her skill. A chance for her to have the match of, perhaps, her career against the current world champion. If ever there was a time to show the world what she was capable of outside of being “Selena’s wife”, to show The One exactly what she was in for when Deanna FINALLY got in the ring with her, that match had been it!

Instead, Kimberly had made the match into an absolute joke! A farce of what skill was and just using weapons and getting in as many shots as possible! If the chair hadn’t been in the ring, Owen would have had nothing to distract the redhead in order to land that heart punch of his! Maybe she still wouldn’t have won but at least she could have lived with that!  Losing to a more talented person on skill and ability alone. Instead, she felt the same feeling of loss when she had missed her chance to face Owen in the chamber when Allocco had pinned her and again when Hairless Penguin had been chosen for the End of the Year title shot over her. That feeling of having an opportunity ripped from her hands.

But what bothered her about that most of all was who was responsible – and no, it wasn’t entirely Kimberly this time.

Deeper, Deanna went with her thoughts, unable to feel the sensation of her hair being tucked back from a pale hand. Why had he interfered? Why had he changed things like that and ultimately ruined- HOLY CATS! her brain screamed as her neck suddenly felt like it was being frozen! She felt the piece of ice press into her skin but as she snapped her head up to gasp, her fork dropping onto her plate with a light clang, but her sounds were suddenly swallowed whole by the mouth covering hers!

The wash of emotions: shock, surprise, cold, stunned, all leading to realization, comfort, a familiar softness even if the cold in her neck lingered as the ice was held there. The redhead was suddenly awash with these emotions as she felt her wife kiss her deeply, Deanna’s own arms eventually simply going slack from the pure barrage of sensations.

Eventually, she felt the platinum-blonde lean her own head away from Deanna’s, allowing some sense of sanity return to the younger woman. Opening her eyes in a bit of a flutter, Deanna spotted the sapphire-eyed beauty gazing at her patiently, a playful smile on her face. Gods… she’s beautiful… Deanna thought, a hand reaching up to pet the wrist of the hand that was grasping her neck with one finger, the ice still melting slowly down her neck.

“Hi.” Selena smiled. “Something on your mind?”

It took a moment before Deanna’s senses fully returned, and the redhead’s hand flew up fully to swat at the one Selena had on her neck. “Mean.” She remarked, though she could not stop the smile that was playing on her own lips from her wife’s playfulness. Reaching with her free hand to grab the napkin on her side of the table, Deanna quickly wiped at the wet skin at the nape of her neck. Part of her, she felt, deserved this little playful trickery at the behest of her wife. She HAD been ignoring the Snow Queen with being lost in her thoughts and all.

“I know.” She heard Selena reply, her tone apologetic to the redhead’s ears as her wife returned to her seat. “But I tried getting your attention. Pretty sure you drowned your potatoes.”

“I what?” Deanna asked in curiosity before casting her eyes down, seeing the little, round potatoes drowning in the gravy that had covered some of her mashed potatoes. When had that happened? She hadn’t even realized she had been doing that for that long. Had she been so lost in her thoughts – well, obviously she had if Selena had managed to get out of her chair RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER, sneak around her and ice her as she had done. “Oh…yeah.” Deanna sighed, feeling the tinge of embarrassment blossom physically with the modest blush in her cheeks, reaching up to scratch the top of her head and cover some of her shame.

“Breakdown?”

The question came from across the table, Selena patiently watching her and, seemingly, not really needing an answer from her tone. Again, that familiar feeling of guilt came back to Deanna, as the redhead lowered her arm down to her lap, giving a slight shrug as she kept her eyes away from her wife.

“We’re not really supposed to talk about work.” She reminded, shrugging again.

“And yet we inevitably do.” Selena replied knowingly, causing Deanna to gaze back up to the patient smile on her wife’s face. “Come on, Deanna.” The taller Frost tried, reaching out to take her hand, only for Deanna to pull away on instinct, emerald eyes narrowing at Selena.

I’m not falling for that again!

“Are you holding another ice-cube?” Deanna accused, keeping her distance from her wife’s offered hand. It was enough to earn a light chuckle from Selena before the older woman opened her offered hand. It was empty.

Okay… With a huff, Deanna nodded her head. “Fine.” She remarked, reaching out and placing her hand inside of Selena’s, immediately feeling the warmth of it as it closed around hers, always comforting.

“What’s going on?” Selena asked. “Is it because you lost?”

Oh gods… if only! Deanna thought. She wished it was so simple. Losing sucked, especially when your partner was doing so well on her own. In that regard, it felt like Deanna was falling behind in her part in being an ‘equal partner’ to her wife when she was either losing or winning due to interference while her wife was cleaning house against champions and number one contenders. But oh, simply being grumpy over losing would have been SO much preferred over what she was feeling and mulling over in her head these days. “Not exactly.” Was all she was able to say at first, her reply coming out more as a sigh/whimper than anything else. “I mean, yeah, it sucked. I really wanted to beat him… just to say I was good enough to do it.”

Still, it took a moment for Deanna to get to the heart of the matter, lifting her head to gaze at Selena again. “Why did he do it?”

“Who?” Selena inquired, Deanna seeing the confusion in her wife’s eyes. “Owen? Throwing the chair? I mean… it was a strategy. Or maybe it was desperation? Maybe to get an opening – I really don’t-“

“No. Not him.” Deanna shook her head, dismissing the world champion’s part in her thoughts for now. What had Owen done but his very best to survive and stay in some form of momentum – which he desperately needed with his world title defense on the horizon. No, it wasn’t about Owen at all.

“D..” Deanna answered in a near-whisper to the point she wondered if Selena had even heard her, which caused her to speak up a little. “I mean… I’ve been thinking about this since it happened. All that talk about stopping meddling and people just getting involved, and then he allows that to happen. It just doesn’t make sense.”

“Deanna…” Selena tried. “Losses happen and-“

“I don’t care that I lost, okay?” Deanna replied without thinking, feeling the irritation and even a spike of anger inside her. “I accepted the new terms and came up short. Fine! I have a long way to go, I’m the ‘weak-link’ of the House of Frost, I’m the one falling behind – I get it.”

“I never-“

“Selena, come on.” Deanna sighed, really not wanting to be coddled right now as she pulled her hand away from Selena’s. “You beat the Adrenaline champion, one of the considered contenders for both the United States and World title and the next guy in line with Adam. Tell me your stock didn’t take a much-needed rise in the ‘singles’ department from that.”

Before her eyes, Selena immediately clamed up, unable to deny anything Deanna had just said, because it would be a bold-face lie, which only caused Deanna to sigh knowingly at that. “It’s all I’m going to hear this week. ‘Damaged goods’…” she used her fingers for air-quotes. “Bullseye on the arm, I’ve been around enough to know that much about how things are going to go. But fine, we have you, we’re going to get through this best we can and do all we can to retain the titles. I’m not worried about that.”

“You’re not?”

“No!” Deanna glared at her wife, somewhat surprised the veteran hadn’t figured this out. “I have you. I’m not scared of anything when we’re wrestling together. Even in the chamber, when you were outside it, I wasn’t really ‘scared scared’, you know? Nervous, sure, but with you- and when we’re tagging together-“ it was hard to keep her thoughts straight when so many were racing through her head. She wanted to talk about D.. She wanted to talk about her faith in Selena and in them as a tag-team. She wanted to express her frustrations at her shortcomings as a singles wrestler. She wanted to- her mind stopped as she felt Selena’s hand on hers again, giving it a light squeeze as the Snow Queen sat near her.

“Why did Mr. D. allow Kim to do that? Why couldn’t he have just let the match be a normal match and let me see if I was good enough to beat Owen on my own? It just feels so… like he doesn’t believe in me or he doesn’t care about my career or growth or he just wanted to push Kim and Owen and… I don’t know… it just feels so opposite of what he promised. “It felt like…” she felt her voice drop to a whisper as she turned her head away, pulling her hand away from Selena while the other hand grasped her fork to poke at one of the gravy-covered baby potatoes. “Like with Adam Allocco and those ‘5 moves of doom’. Like I didn’t matter and was just the stepping stone. Like D. didn’t really care about me or what the match meant to me.”

After what felt like several minutes, Deanna lifted her head away from her plate to gaze her emerald eyes at her wife. Selena merely sat there, nibbling at her Caesar salad.

“You don’t really have an answer, do you?” the redhead shook her head knowingly at her wife.

“I don’t.” she answered as the waiter passed, refilling her water and letting her take a sip from it. “But it could be a number of things, sweetheart. He was worried about Owen being in an underground match, and you were the former Underground champion-“

Who never got her rematch. Deanna thought bitterly.

“You were also the Rookie of the Year… “

Who can’t win a match on her own, it seems.

“It could have been practice for him to stay sharp.“

“But what about me-“ Deanna half-blurted but silenced herself as she saw Selena lift her free hand up.

“Sweetheart…” she tried. “It could also be he wanted to test your toughness after your injury or maybe he just wanted to push the main-event of the pay-per-view, like a boost in views and sales. It is a business.”

“But that’s…” Deanna tried. She wanted to say the word ‘unfair’. Was she not trying hard enough? Had she just put in the weeks of rehab and hours and hours of training to get ready in short time just to be considered ‘practice’ for Owen Cruze? Was that all she was worth in the eyes of SCW management? Like how it was when she had faced Adam Allocco? Were her efforts worth so little to everyone except Selena?

“I know it is.” She heard Selena say, the older woman able to understand what the redhead was conveying. “But… Hunny, it can’t always be fair…”

Deanna listened mostly as Selena tried to explain everything to her. They talked about the ‘fairness of SCW’, Selena’s own struggles, and to her wife’s credit, she tried to show validity in Deanna’s concerns about being ‘overlooked’ and ‘dismissed as a mere stepping-stone’. Throughout it all, Selena would occasionally take Deanna’s hand again and squeeze it in comfort. It was helpful enough that Deanna could at least eat her dinner rather than play with it, but her brain still kept tumbling things around inside her noodle, getting lost in her thoughts during the silences they shared at the table. Yes, her wife was right. Deanna knew that. She had not been prepared for a semi-Underground-match with Owen Cruze and it could have easily gone much worse for her.

What if her arm had been reinjured?
What if Owen had gone after her arm or The One/Kinneck had gotten involved?
What if things had spiralled so out-of-control like they had a few weeks ago that Body, Heart and Soul was ruined for the House of Frost?

Worse case scenario? They’d have to be stripped of the world tag-team titles due to her not being able to compete.  Another bad scenario? Fighting The One and Nicole Kinneck with a bad arm, and while Deanna had barely managed to take on Bear and Hairless Penguin with Selena by her side, she was certain, despite her limited time fighting Nicole Kinneck, that The House of Frost would not have survived a tag-match with The One if she was firing on all cylinders while Deanna was back to wrestling with a handicap.

So, there was some comfort in that, Deanna had to admit upon hearing her wife. Comfort that she should be grateful for. But again, not one of those scenarios would have been even possible if D. hadn’t altered the match in the first place! Gods, she hated having to keep returning to that fact but it was upsetting her the more and more she thought about it. Even with Selena’s explanations, the Snow Queen wasn’t even sure why things had happened as they had last Breakdown – and she knew the boss and respected him! One of the few people that had stayed around the last ten or so years that still did! Kelcey was gone, Regan was out, Owen was hit and miss in his loyalties – the only person that had never wavered in her faith in the SCW and the owner was Selena herself, and even she didn’t quite know why he had turned the match from something amazing into a gimmick on the fly!

She was ripped out of her thoughts as she felt herself being lifted out of her seat by Selena taking her hand. Without a word, her wife guided her towards the space of other customers dancing – Deanna had seen this happen a few times in the other instances they visited Tony’s. First-date people taking a chance or people just getting lost to the music and the moment. Or her… feeling a slight flutter at what she realized her wife was trying to do. Finding a spot for them before turning around swiftly, Selena’s pale hands immediately found their place as the lead, the taller Frost instantly, and gently, guiding Deanna into a simple shuffle-step. Deanna adapted her posture and stance, taking the hand that held hers while placing the other on Selena’s shoulder automatically – the common stance they took whenever they were truly dancing and not just playing within their ‘Forever Home’.

Despite her thoughts, Deanna couldn’t help the small smile that formed. Since the cast had been removed, yes, they had resumed more physical activities like training together, swimming and having sex, but dancing hadn’t really come up. For Deanna, so many other things had been on her mind – her obsession to not fall any further behind her wife as a wrestler. Of reaching a standard and ability where she was an even better defending champion. Bringing the fight to The One in their feud!

Dancing just hadn’t fit into it and part of her was ashamed of that. Ashamed that she had not taken more time to enjoy such things, made possible by  not having your arm wrapped in an air-cast for weeks and weeks.

She almost felt a purr of contentment escape her when Selena pulled her closer, letting her rest her head over the Snow Queen’s shoulder and a bit into her neck. She loved how she felt when Selena held her like this – like she was meant to be with her with how perfect they fit together. Destiny is the perfect word for such moments…

That’s what Deanna wanted more than anything. She didn’t just want to be a tag-team champion with Selena. She wanted to be the perfect companion for the Snow Queen. The perfect companion piece. Someone that stood on her own and in her own right but complimented Selena at the same time. Someone that was part of a great picture of talent and ability and legacy – a picture that involved Selena. She wanted to be as perfect to her as she felt right then and there in her arms.

Which meant she needed to deal with The One herself. Not in a way that cost The House of Frost the tag-team titles, but this was HER battle. One had fractured her arm, not Selena’s, and ruined the match Deanna had set up during End of the Year after receiving her award. This whole thing? It had started with her and Selena, being a good wife and partner, had stood by Deanna’s side through it all, but… Deanna sighed as she felt Selena hold her… she was the one that needed to make her statement at the pay-per-view. Whether it was taking down One to allow Selena to get the pin or taking the pin herself, she needed to make it clear that this was HER battle more than Selena’s and that she, the Queen’s Guard, was going to end it on her terms this time around, not The One’s.

I just hope Selena understands…

They continued to dance, Deanna slowly losing herself to it until she felt Selena release her, pale hands moving up her frame to hold Deanna’s face.

“Alright, dear patrons of Tony’s…” came the voice of the maitre-d just as Selena was leaning in. Dammit!/i] Deanna thought. [i]I was gonna get kissed! she pouted a little as they turned their attention to the stage, Selena leaning her head against Deanna’s to maintain some level of contact. “We have a very special treat for you tonight. When I learned that he was returning to his hometown of New York, I had to get him to perform here like he used to in so many fine establishments like this one-“

“So, McDonald’s was closed?” someone yelled, Deanna wasn’t sure who, but people were laughing, so it was okay.

The large man on the platform-stage grinned. “Alright, alright. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the world-touring lounge-singer… Asmodeus!”

I’m sure I heard that name wrong. Deanna stated with a tilt of her head, trying the name on her tongue. “Did he say ‘Asmodeus’?” she asked, trying it out. “Weird name, I never-“

It was then that she suddenly felt her wife’s arms, which had moved to around her waist, suddenly grow tense. Quickly, the redhead threw her gaze back towards the woman holding her, seeing the absolute shock and despair in her wife’s sapphire eyes. “Selena?” she asked, her voice worrisome.

“Oh no…” she heard the platinum-blonde whisper as someone took the stage, a black man in a black suit. “Not him…” came the breath of Selena’s voice in a whisper as she slowly backed away from the ‘dancing area’, even turning to march back to her table with Deanna in tow.

“Whoa…hey…” Deanna tried, confusion racing through every part of her. “Selena, what’s going on?”

“Thank you, Tony.” Came the smooth, velvety voice of the man throughout the room via the sound-speakers. “For those of you that don’t know, the name is Asmodeus, and for a bit tonight, I will be your entertainer of-“ Deanna heard him suddenly stop but she didn’t really pay attention to what was behind her until she heard. “Why I recognize that hair anywhere! One of a kind! Selena Frost! Is that you?!”

She suddenly felt Selena stop, the redhead almost running into her! It was only then that Deanna cast a glance back at the man on the stage. He had strong, solid facial features, with short, black hair and a very trimmed, black heard. He was of a strong, firm built. Aesthetically, he was a very gorgeous man, Deanna might have appreciated that more than a mere glance if she wasn’t too busy wondering what the hell was happening to her wife.

Slowly, she felt Selena turn back around to face the man on the stage, who’s smile widened to- well, to Deanna, he almost looked like the Big Bad Wolf in that moment, which unnerved her.

“Well, well! Of all the restaurants in the world – you had to walk into mine… Or Tony’s I guess.” He tried, a lame paraphrasing of Casa Blanca, but the other customers seemed to like it. “Well, for the others, Sel is an old friend of mine-“

Again, she felt Selena tense up at the use of that name, but now Deanna, herself was feeling it within herself as well. Nobody calls her that but me! she felt the protective spike reach her as she stood in front of Selena, reaching down to grasp her hand tightly. As for the singer, Asmodeus, he swiftly and smoothly segued from that into a song, singing a smooth, deep jazz of a tune that captured everyone else’s attention.

Forgotten for the time, Selena quickly marched away from the space and around the room until she was back at the table. Quickly, she began rifling through her purse.

“Selena?” Deanna tried, keeping up with her. “Who is that? How do you know him?”

For a moment, the Queen’s Guard wasn’t sure her wife had heard her, but as Selena pulled out the wallet from her purse, she managed to speak.

“From my past.” She sighed. “Just before I met you.”

“From-“ Deanna’s voice trailed off for a moment, literally a dozen or more possibilities running through her head. What did that mean? Did they know each other from Nome? SCW? Wrestling? Where they l…lovers? Despite their marriage, Deanna knew about Selena’s previous affairs with the opposite gender. Yes, she considered herself a lesbian now, but there were always exceptions in Selena’s world. Had this Asmodeus been an exception in the earlier years of Selena’s life?

“What-“ she stammered a little, trying her best not to show her unease. “What kind of past are we-“

“Dammit.” Selena growled before clipping her purse shut, effectively silencing the readhead. “I don’t have enough bills to pay for the meal tonight.”
“So?” Deanna shrugged. “I’ll pay with my card.”
“You didn’t bring any bills either?”
“No.” Deanna shook her head. “I only have a few for emergencies and not enough for a full meal like this – why?”

“Because I want to leave.” Selena stressed. “But now we have to wait for the waiter with the debit machine.” She looked around nervously, running a hand through her long hair, trying to get the attention of one of the staff to assist them, but they all were busy serving their respective tables to notice her.

“Selena…” Deanna tried, reaching out to take her wife’s outstretched hand into her own, gaining her wife’s attention. “What is going on? Who is that guy? Part of your past before me?”

Deanna heard the applause from the other room, but mostly tried to ignore it, trying instead to calm her wife’s fidgeting. Carefully, she ushered Selena back to her seat, handing her the platinum-blonde’s glass of water, which had, again, been refilled at some point during their dancing.

“Calm down, Selena, please.” She urged. “You’re going to have a panic attack.” She watched Selena drink the cold water, which seemed to calm her nerves. “Whatever or whoever this guy is, he can’t be as bad as Killjoy, right?” she tried.

“Oh gods no.” Selena shook her head. “No, there is nothing illegal about-“

“There you are!” Came the deep voice from the archway that lead to the ‘stage’, and before the two Frosts stood the black-suited man, with that wolfish smile on his face. “Selena Frost.” He added with calm recognition as he moved closer.

“Oz.” Selena steadied herself with a calming breath. “Been a while.”

“How long? I’ve lost track.” Asmodeus replied with a smile before his eyes settled on Deanna, specifically her auburn hair. “And who is this red candy apple?” he offered a hand to Deanna, who hesitantly took it. “Asmodeus. Singer.”

“Deanna Frost.” Deanna answered back. “Wrestler.”

“Frost?” Asmodeus eyes widened, shifting over to Selena. “Selena, you didn’t tell me you had a sister…”

“She doesn’t.” Deanna answered sharply.
“I don’t.” Selena stated at the same time as the redhead. “Asmodeus. My wife, Deanna.”

“Wait… was that the same girl that you-“
“Yes.” Selena answered quickly, causing a stunned grin, filled with white teeth, to form from the singer.
“Well, I’ll be!” he remarked.

“I’m sorry.” Deanna stressed, removing her hand from Asmodeus’ firm grip. He was suave and a bit intimidating, but she had faced monsters and giants inside the ring! She had dealt with people like Kimberly Williams in her own game of Underground for Odin’s sake! So, she stood her ground, doing what she felt to be her duty. Guard the queen… “But you’re clearly making my wife uncomfortable, so would you mind returning to your show or at least, for my sake, telling me how you two-“

“Uncomfortable?” the smile left the man’s face in a split-second as he turned his head to Selena. “Is that true, Selena?”

The Snow Queen merely shrugged. “You might as well tell her how we know each other, Oz.”

For a moment, the singer gazed at the two wives in a bit of surprise before giving a shrug and pulling up one of the empty seats to sit down.

“Well, to put it simply… when Selena first came to New York as part of her job with SCW, she was struggling to find a place and a proper agent. Someone to properly represent her. At the time, I was working as a multi-facet proprietor. Lining up talent with representators and such.”

“What does that mean?” Deanna asked.

“It means he worked both agencies and strip-clubs.” Selena stated flatly, effectively cutting through the embellishments and ‘double-speak’ Asmodeus was clearly employing. “And the only reason he noticed me was because he saw me walking on the street and wanted me in the latter.”

Deanna’s head jerked towards him, stunned not even the right word to express her shock. “You wanted her to be a stripper?”

Asmodeus shrugged. “At the time, a lot of people would have paid top dollar for a lap dance from ‘Elsa’.” Deanna saw her wife shudder at the thought. “And a lot more for more, to be blunt. But once she told me that she was trying to be a wrestler and already had a job in the works with that company- what was it called?“ he snapped his fingers, trying to remember.

“SCW.” Selena stated.

“Right.” He continued with a smile. “Anyway, I told Selena that I also worked as a proprietor of agents for athletes.”

“And I was young and needed someone who understood that jargon of contracts.” Selena explained, her eyes cast down at her hands. “I didn’t… I had never really looked at a contract before, and I just wanted money so I could live in a place and provide for-“ she caught herself before she had said the last part, though the redhead knew she was referring to her ‘snow child’ Elsianna – the snowman she had kept in a icebox for so many years.

“You were the one that introduced her to Roy Veers?” the redhead asked as the pieces clicked into place in her mind, naming Selena’s first manager before Deanna had come along, and feeling the disgust that came from a name she had not said in years.

Still, she was surprised to see the look on Asmodeus’ face. One not of smugness or machismo or whatever it was he had been showing for most of the time the Frost wives had seen him. No, Deanna recognized his look as one of shame.

“Yeah…yeah I did.” He sighed. “And it’s almost ten years too late, Selena, but I am sorry for that.”

Selena’s eyes went wide. “You are?”

“Of course I am!” he answered incredulously. “I didn’t know what he was doing – the shady shit he was doing to his clients. Cutting off their paychecks at a higher percentage to line his pockets. Overpricing. Blacklisting. I didn’t…” he sighed a little as he slowed down, perhaps in honesty to himself and those around him. “I was too busy living the good life to know and care about the individuals. I was young and I was stupid. Too stupid to care. And I’m sorry for that. I’ve had to do a lot of apologizing over the years for the people that I screwed over by employing the wrong managers.”

The three sat in silence, Selena too stunned by this confession to say anything, Deanna merely taking it in, and Asmodeus refusing to tear his gaze away from his former client.

“I…I was not expecting this.” Selena stated honestly, Deanna noticing her shoulders relaxing visibly. “I was expecting the Oz that was-“

“Snarky? Inappropriate?”

“That’s putting it mildly.” Selena stated simply, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Well…” the dark singer shrugged. “You can thank my better half-“ he stopped before his eyes wandered across the room, his expression morphing back to a wide smile. “Speaking of which…”

Selena and Deanna turned around just in time to see the tall, thin woman walk into view, the wispy white gown covering a rather thin figure and yet, she was gorgeous in her own way. She had spied Asmodeus first and was keeping her eyes on him.

“Oz…” her voice was strange, different than what Deanna expected but she kept silent. There was something enchanting about this woman. “Sorry, I’m late. The shoot ran longer than I planned. Did you get a chance to sing-“ she stopped as she turned her head towards the seated Selena, both women’s eyes widening along with their smiles.

“Stallis?” Selena asked.
“Selena?” the woman remarked in recognition.

It was all they needed to say before Selena was out of her chair, embracing the woman tightly, who held her equally as tightly to released a squeal of laughter and delight at the Snow Queen. Deanna, for her part, could only watch in surprise, casting a confused glance towards Asmodeus.

“Don’t worry.” The singer smiled. “We can explain.”

“Good.” Deanna offered quietly. “Because right now I’m more confused than anything.”
__________________________________________________

[/i]

The Guard Tower

Slowly, the camera fades into the interior of the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, the site for the first SCW pay-per-view of the new year: Body, Heart and Soul. However, unlike other segments belonging to the House of Frost involving the interior of arenas, the camera does not settle on the ring for “Frozen Central”. Instead, the shot spans upward towards the rafters that hang over the arena, to the quiet redhead sitting on the catwalk, her legs wrapped around one of the guard rails as she calmly looks down at the ring, which appears much smaller from so high up.

A pawn… the voice of Deanna Frost is soft but there is a pain to it as she eyes the arena below her. That’s what you called me, One… That all of this. Everything I’ve been through. Everything I have suffered through… all along was just a way to get to my wife, Selena…

She takes a moment to process the words that were exclaimed in The One’s promo that recently aired, her hands tightening their grip around the iron of the support-rail.

You know – as insane as this sounds – for all the crap I went through and all the pain I had to endure and how much I hated being so beaten down and in that damned cast, there was a small part of me that, crazy enough, was excited for all of this. Not for what One did to The White Knight and Valerie or to Konrad Raab or several others or even to me, but I mean… after over a year here, I was excited because I FINALLY got myself a real feud!

I know that sounds silly, guys, but really, in my year here, most my matches were thrown together, you know? Kimberly at the Pre-show of RTG, the random Television title matches, being part of Selena’s war with the Brand or Adam Allocco – I mean, aside from fighting Jenni Anderson, I never really had a feud like the many my wife had. I had always wanted one! Like the ones she had with Xander or Vixen Cain. A battle across the weeks and months – across Breakdown and pay-per-view – something that was too big for one show or one match to contain…

She gives a shrug. I mean, there’s even an award every year for it, right? ‘Feud of the Year’? And, really, all I had of anything like that last year was Jenni Anderson hiding from me over and over again. The only reason that fight extended as long as it did was because she refused to face me, you know? I never really had a ‘feud’ with someone before.

She gives her head a shake, her red hair moving with her head. But then Under Attack happened, and I achieved something no one believed I could. I eliminated the most superstars. I lasted longer than half the combatants. I had my arm fractured and I kept going as long as I could, no matter how much pain I was in. And as the weeks passed, and my rehab began, all I wanted was to get back in that ring and wrestle again. More than that, I wanted to wrestle the person that had forced me into that cast. And yes, most of that has been for revenge and to show that I couldn’t be stopped for long even with a busted arm, but, again, a part of me was excited to have an actual feud with someone! Something that people would talk about! Something to show what I was capable of! Something that was… that was… Deanna Frost gives a sigh. Something that was mine. Not Selena’s, but mine. And while tonight is about The House of Frost standing tall against the One’s desperate antics, as well as defending the World tag-team title and growing the division – which neither One or Kinneck seem to care about beyond their own personal needs - I always believed that this was just the first step for me! That I was entering into a war against a dangerous woman in The One. A war that could not be contained by one match or one pay-per-view, and even if it could be, it would end emphatically on my terms because it was about me vs. The One…

And it wasn’t just me! Selena believed that too! She wants to see it! I know all the Gritters and True Believers want to see it! And, all this time… I thought you felt the same way, One. I thought that I was good enough to be the target of your attacks, whether it was jealousy that I eliminated you from the chamber or me being chosen as the Rookie of the Year over you, or maybe that I had a far more successful 2022 than you did, winning more titles, headlining more events, and instituting real change in SCW while you just whined and complained night after night. I thought you actually saw me for all the hard work I put in – as a challenge worthy of your time and efforts. That the reason you went to such lengths to fracture my arm was to make a statement through Deanna Frost – through me.

Biting her lower lip, Deanna’s whole body tenses up as she takes a slow breath.

But now? You’re telling me – you’re telling the world and the SCW Universe - that everything I went through: all that mentioned rehab and pain? All the heartache I felt because I couldn’t hold my kids or my wife with both arms? Trying to groom myself with one hand? All the doubt I faced and overcame regarding if I COULD come back at 100% and be better than I was before? You’re telling me that all along… it was all for nothing because I wasn’t even the real target?

Her voice shakes a little, though it is unclear if it is despair or growing anger. Her words are slow.

You’re telling me, One, that all along, the real reason you tried to end my career before my first year was even up – the real reason you broke my arm… - was just so that you could get your hands on my wife, Selena.

There is a moment of silence as Deanna looks over the expanse of the empty arena, seeing the empty chairs and ring. When all of a sudden, a piercing scream escapes her! AAAAAAAAHHHH!!! one that echoes throughout the arena like deafening thunder!

Are you kidding me, One?! Are you…are you… are you fucking kidding me?! All of that hell because you want to fight Selena over me? All you did to me, put me through, and I’m not ‘good enough’ to be more than a pawn? A ‘stepping-stone’ to get to the Snow Queen?! AHHHHHHHH!!

Another scream comes from the Queen’s Guard, this one also echoing but sounding rawer in tone. The echo slowly dies as Deanna stands to her feet, leaning over the rail.

Her voice slowly returns to it’s dead-calm tone. I am so sick of this! I am so sick of people using me just to get to my wife. I am so sick of people coming after me because they don’t have the guts to call out my wife with integrity!

You want to talk about Selena, One? I actually didn’t agree with her assessment of you. I thought you were smart and a little gutsy in messing with us – messing with me week after week – but if all you did was just done to get Selena in the ring, then I take it back! My wife was right! You are damn idiot and a coward! Because you could have just gone down to the ring and challenged her to a damn match! You could have called her out! Selena has never backed away from a challenge! That’s who she is! You’d have had your match!

Or better yet? You could have used your damned TRIOS CONTRACT to get a match with her! You still could! But instead of challenging her or saying anything, you came after me? You broke my arm… AH! The frustration of the redhead is beyond obvious, the feud she had hoped for being reduced to nothing more than the same crap she had dealt with throughout 2022.

Gods! I could have gone after the United States title or the Adrenaline title! I could have made my own challenge against someone that WANTS to feud with someone like me! But you…

Oh! And now that you laid all your cards on the table, One, I’m supposed to just take it? I’m supposed to be a ‘good little pawn’ and get swept off the board so you can dance with the greatest wrestler SCW has seen in the last decade?

Deanna clenches her jaw, the muscle visibly working under her skin as she takes a breath before speaking again. That isn’t going to happen, One. That isn’t going to happen because you made one fatal mistake in your ‘plan’ to get to Selena. You came after me. And anyone will tell you, I don’t do well with ‘following orders’ or ‘standing aside’ when there’s a fight. I get into the trenches and go all out. And you may be ‘done’ with me, One, but I sure as hell am not down with you!

Cause you may think you know me. You may think you know The House of Frost, but if your last promo has proven anything, it’s that you know absolutely nothing! You want to talk about ‘rising through the ranks’? Of working for opportunities? Remind me how you got this shot. Who did you beat? Not ‘beat-up’. Beat in the ring. You want to talk about Selena and I being handed opportunities? Look in the damn mirror, bitch! You were handed Television Championship title matches. You were handed a chance at the Underground title – which you lost! Hell, you were handed this match! But you want to say The House of Frost was handed opportunities?

Selena and I? We’ve had to scrape and claw our way to every single opportunity we have every had! We have had to beat each and every challenger – her more than me in nearly ten years! – Hell, if either one of us had half the opportunities some people around here had, our accolades would be so much bigger – oh wait! That’s title talk and you don’t like that because all you’ve got to brag about is less than two months with the Television title, right?

Releasing a huff, Deanna shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head. You know Selena and you know me about as well as you know Nicole. Because, again, One, you think you can control Nicole? You think you can keep ‘Pro’ in the driver’s seat? You think that you know her better than the woman that fought so many of her alters like Selena did? You think you know her better because why? You chatted her up a little over a week or two ago?

You think that Nicole cares about ‘change’ like you say you do? Nicole just wants the tag-titles to get to the Farmstead Animals. Again, she could just CHALLENGE them to a match in the ring if she wanted that, but like you, she’s going a long walk for a short drink of water. Difference is? When she does it, it’s the kind of crazy that makes sense from her! You are just an idiot!

Again, Deanna shakes her head in irritation. Yeah, One, I’m angry. I’m angry because you promised change and I thought a feud with me could either prove or disprove that. I thought it could be something no one had seen of me yet. Something special! But you’re not changing anything, are you? You’re just like every other person that’s faced me. Looking past me towards the woman I’m married to. Denying me an opportunity at a real feud because they want the spotlight of fighting “The Face of SCW”… You’re no different than Jenni Anderson, who refused to face me till Selena faced her!

Releasing a long breath, Deanna stands on the catwalk with arms out like a shield. Well, One, I say ‘so be it’. If you want Selena Frost, One, you’re going to HAVE to go through me. Yeah, you want to ‘destroy’ me? You couldn’t do it in the chamber, so I dare you to try again! Try it, One! Try and take me out of SCW permanently! I DARE YOU! I DOUBLE DARE YOU! I TRIPLE DARE YOU!

Her voice echoes a little, her pinch ringing a little in her defiance. Because if you think I am just going to stand in that ring down there while you go after my Selena, if you think I can just be knocked off the board now that you’re done with me, than you are in for a really rude awakening. Cause I’m not your ‘pawn’. I’m the pawn that got promoted by the Snow Queen and the SCW Universe from a manager into a Queen of my own. I’m the pawn that became the Queen’s Guard and if you want Selena Frost, it’s going to be over my DEAD body!

Slowly, she lowers her arms. And if I’m not going to get my feud out of you, One, then I’m at least going to pay you back for busting up my arm. Because even with a busted arm, I still beat your ass inside the chamber, didn’t I? So imagine what I’m going to do to you when I’m at 100%.

A knowing smile crosses her face, though her cold glare remains. Listen carefully, One, cause this is where I hit you with the truth. You’re an obnoxious, entitled little brat that thinks the world revolves around her, when in reality, you’re rookie, just like me but far more delusional. The reason you won’t get Selena is because you’re not GOOD ENOUGH to fight Selena Frost on your own. You’re not good enough to take her out of SCW and I’m talking from experience here. You’re no Xander Valentine and you’re no Regan Street. But you think you can do what they couldn’t do. Why? Because you cheap-shot me and broke my arm? All you did, One, was light a fire under me and now? I’m not going to stop until I burn you with it! Because I am done listening to people like you mouth of as if I am worthless beyond a stepping-stone. I am done being seen as the pawn. I am done being seen as nothing more than a way to get to Selena!

Emerald eyes cast down towards the ring. Tonight, in Nashville, One, you’re gonna find out just how little you know about the House of Frost as we dismantle you and show you what tag-team wrestling is truly about. What change in this federation is truly about! And you and me? I’m not going to stop until I’ve put you down. I’m not going to stop until I’ve given you such a beating, that you will never want to go near Selena Frost again. Not because she’s better than you, which she is, but because you know that I will be on your ass the second that you try!

Tonight, One, I stop being your pawn, and you start being my bitch! Cause I am going to beat your painted face black and blue all over Nashville!

And THAT, One, is as much the truth as death, taxes, and The One getting her stupid ass kicked by Deanna Frost!

Checkmate, you bitch!

The camera fades off of Deanna before going entirely to black.