Deanna Frost vs. Amelia Blythe

[Konrad Raab]

SCW United States Championship Tournament Semi-Finals

2 RP Limit for singles

3500 word max per RP

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET THURSDAY, May 18, 2023

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: Part 1 of Breakdown series.

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

The Witches of Alden

”Silent”

Black Arrow Neighbourhood
Manhattan, New York
May 12th, 2023
6:38pm


The room was unbearably silent; almost to an uncomfortable degree for Deanna’s ears. It created an awkwardness that gripped her spine, urging her to speak up and shatter it, but too afraid that it would only make matters worse. For while the silence was, indeed, awkward and disturbing, it was a better alternative that confrontation, which was what she feared.

Without a word, she shifted her emerald eyes as quietly as she could around the large table. She took in her three children: Amiliah to her left, her small, adorable face quite animated as she ‘chomped’ away at her peas, Elsianna beside her, who silently ate (the poor child not having said much since her grounding), and David, who was poking at his grilled chicken breast with his fork.

Selena sat at the other end of the table, the platinum-blonde silent as she cut her own chicken with her knife and work, eating the small pieces and drinking her glass of water, which was filled with more ice-cubes than Deanna, privately, thought necessary (though she said nothing about it).

Again, the redhead felt the unbearable weight of the silence. It had been that way since they had returned home from Breakdown. No… it had started before, at the actual event. While the Snow Queen had had the week off to study and prepare for her semi-final match with Ace Marshall, which Selena seemed less than enthused about (preferring to have faced Xander Valentine over the cheating Ace Marshall – which Deanna could understand given recent events) – Deanna had had to fight her first match of the United States Championship tournament against the former world champion, Glory Braddock.

I still can’t believe I won… Deanna thought, her eyes temporarily lost in their dreamish-state as she stared into her pile of untouched mashed potatoes. She had never faced a former world champion in her entire career and come out of it as the victor. Adam Allocco, Owen Cruze, those were the only ones she had faced one-on-one that she could recall off the top of her head. The first had, infamously, pegged stuck with her as “The Five Moves of Doom Match”, which she had still been unable to shake desperate her best efforts in the Elimination Chamber late last year and the other match… truly, it had started all of this. Her wife’s discord with the SCW owner, O. D., the Snow Queen’s growing frustration.

Despite herself, Deanna released an almost inaudible sigh, but it was enough sound for her to look up in concern over it. She spied her wife gazing at her with a raised eyebrow. Immediately, the younger Frost fed herself a forkful of mashed potatoes, immediately throwing a flash of a smile to her wife in response.

It wasn’t that she disagreed with Selena. Far from it. There were a lot of serious problems in SCW. Problems that were mounting like the lack of integrity and desire for ‘pandemonium’. The “Chaos Match” and the PPV tag-title match that had seen the complete end of the House of Frost’s reign as the tag-team champions was proof of that. Yes, there was A LOT of things wrong with SCW that they were trying to fix…

But last Breakdown had been… special for the redhead. She had defeated a former world champion for the first time! She had been so happy, surprised, even the mixed reaction from the audience hadn’t deterred her like it had at the pay-per-view. She had won on her own merit. No tricks, interferences – nothing! Only her skill and resilience – her grit, which is what it had to have been because Glory had, clearly, outwrestled her with her many years of experience over Deanna. She had been so happy that she had rushed backstage, wanting nothing more than to share in a small celebration with her beloved wife, not only for her victory but that they were one step closer to Selena’s prophecy of the two of them winning their respective tournaments and The House of Frost standing in SCW with the two top titles in SCW!

My first with a top-tier title… Deanna thought, the nervous stewing in her stomach and making the simultaneous action of digesting her dinner a little more difficult. However, a mini-celebration of smiles and maybe some ‘intimacy’ Deanna had wanted with a shower in their locker-room was not in the cards.

As she had run through the halls, she had spied her wife before the Snow Queen had spied her, which was why she had seen Selena barking at D.… again. At first, Deanna had been stunned. Had something happened? Had something occurred while her match had been going on like it had a few weeks ago, when D. had insulted Deanna’s credibility? Had there been more developments regarding the sale of SCW? Had something happened that she wasn’t aware of regarding the tournaments? A million ideas had raced through the redhead’s mind as she had continued jogging towards the pair…

And boy bananas had she guessed wrong on all of them! Selena hadn’t been yelling at D. about ANY of that. No, her beloved wife had been complaining – whining – about Deanna’s entrance having a glitch and starting too early. A simple mistake! Nothing more! How many times had the crew of SCW been so spot on in their entrances? Even the grandiose ones like Rise to Greatness that had seen Selena riding a dragon?! Deanna had lost count how guys like Mike, Hailey, Sheila, and Tom had stepped up time and time again… but a crew hand had warned Deanna that it might happen. That they were experiencing technical problems all day! Yes, it had thrown her off to see her leaves way ahead of her during her entrance, her routine of dance/focus off-whack, as it were, but it could have been much worse if no one had told her! She might have overthought it too much and then lost to Glory!

Stealing a glance upward, Deanna eyed her wife, seeing the woman take a small drink of her cold water. It was the first time Deanna had… had disagreed with her wife’s actions in SCW. It wasn’t D.’s fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault and it certainly wasn’t some form of disrespect like Selena was so quick to assume. It just… it happened.

There’s so much pressure on her… Deanna thought sadly, her eyes still on her wife. And it’s all getting to her…

Deanna had begun to suspect this weeks ago when Selena had to disappear all the way back to Nome in order to ‘clear her head’ and ‘get her mind right’, ultimately, according to the platinum-blonde, a fruitless endeavour. But to see her snapping at O., who deserved a good yelling at some days, Deanna was the first to admit – but not that time. Not because of some technical error. It was… it was unfair.

She keeps so much of it bottled up inside… the thought came to the younger Frost wife as she watched Selena, her mind racing with thought after thought on how to fix this. Selena needed to be focused. If she could win the World title again, not only would she be in a great position to make some real changes in SCW, she’d be able to head to Rise to Greatness in the main-event again. Even with everything going on, Deanna believed, without a question in her mind and heart, that SCW needed “The Face of SCW” in that main-event, especially with a new owner on the way for the company. Someone that defined the integrity of SCW.

Maybe that’s what’s bothering her as well… Deanna thought. That she knows how close she is… but she has Marshall and then Kandis or Allocco – boy, those are lousy options. Least I have Amelia and, maybe, Bree…

Despite herself, Deanna smiled at the thought. Where her wife was besieged with controversy/controversial figures in her tournament, Deanna was – she admitted – friggin’ lucky! She not only had Amelia, a woman she respected beyond measure for their tag-match at Retribution, but if Bree got past Polly Playtime and Deanna beat Amelia, the redhead would have another former world champion to fight against! A woman with a great past with Selena!

What a couple of matches that will be! She bit her lip, her whole way to conceal her excitement over the possibilities. Why couldn’t they have talked about that after her match with Glory, instead of trying to get Selena to see the rashness in her yelling at the boss over an entrance-error?

Regardless, the situation had caused the Snow Queen to further draw into herself, emotionally speaking. If Deanna could relate it to anything, the Snow Queen was acting more like their eldest, Elsianna, but Elsa’s silence was a response to her guilt over her actions in sneaking out of the house. Maybe it was also guilt Selena felt…

That’s it! Deanna thought boldly, taking a chomp from her chicken breast. This train is leaving the station! Silence wasn’t going to help any of them! Time for a tension breaker!

“So…” her voice sounded almost foreign to her as it passed her lips, a little off from lack of use over the last few hours. “Kids… did you tell mother what happened in school on Friday?”

It was a lame question, but it was enough to get Selena to lift her gaze from her dinner and turn her head towards the kids. “Something happened?” she asked, eyeing all three of them. They, in turn, cast their confused glances at Deanna, who merely leaned closer to them to whisper.

“Mrs. Fields made the announcement? Something to do with ‘flowers’?” she hinted.

“I KNOW!” Amiliah declared, her face suddenly bright. “Mrs. Fields said that we’re making ‘flower crosses’ for Memorial Day!” she seemed to bounce a little in her chair. “We’re going to cut out flowers out of cardboard and then the best ones from each class get to present them in an assembly!”

“Each class?” Selena asked.

“Every class is doin’ it.” David grumbled, nowhere near as enthusiastic as his younger sister as he stabbed at his remaining chicken with his fork.

“Elsianna?” Selena tried. “Your thoughts?”

The oldest child shrugged. “Asuna and I are working during class on ours. She wants to use some rainbow colors around the boarder to support the LGBTQ2S+.”

“I like that idea.” Smiled Deanna, though she could only hope the teachers were okay with it. The school, overall, had been very open with such things, partly the reason the Frosts had chosen it for their children, but still… “It’s a great idea, right, dear?” she asked Selena, trying to get the troubled former world champion more involved. It wasn’t much, but Selena did offer a smile and a nod of her head.

“I hope mine gets picked.” Amiliah added, still excited. “I’m going to fold the flowers so they pop more when they’re on the cross.”

Deanna gave a nod at the young girl. “What about you, David?” she tried, as if she could get the whole family enthusiastic and out of this funk.

“I don’t know.” David shrugged. “Whatever they tell me to.”
“Oh come on.” Deanna teased. “You can – I don’t know – may the poppies into shapes of hearts? You can make rainbow-boarders like your sister? There’s tons of options!”

“Who cares?” David asked in a huff, surprising both Frost wives.
“Well…it’s important.” Deanna tried, Selena’s expression more surprised than anything else.

“It’s a bunch of dead guys that died years and years and years ago. Who cares?” David retorted.

“Those dead ‘guys’-“ Selena stated through a tightening jaw. “and women are those that gave their lives in the armed forces protecting our freedoms.” She tried to explain. “It’s honoring their sacrifice.”

“By making a bunch of cardboard flowers and crosses?” David asked. “What good does that do? We’re just making trash!”

“No we’re not!” Amiliah retorted. “We’re making pretty things! They’ll like pretty things!”
“They’re dead!” David spat back at his little sister. “They can’t like anything!”

“David!” Deanna gasped. “What has gotten into you?!”

“School’s about lessons and playing sports! Not arts and crafts for dead people! It’s stupid!”

The word caused a shocked-silence between the other Frost members, all four women staring at David in disbelief.

“David said a swear!” Amiliah said in shock.

Immediately, Selena was on her feet, grabbing her son by the arm. “Get up, mister.” She growled, tugging the boy to his feet and pulling him out of the kitchen.

“Selena!” Deanna tried, pushing herself out of her chair and following the two, hearing Selena’s voice along the way.

“I don’t care what you think about it! You don’t use that kind of language in this house!”

“You do!” she heard David spat back and Deanna could see the boy struggling in her mother’s one-handed hold on his arm. “I’ve heard you use it and other words too! You said ‘shit’ and ‘crap’!”

Deanna’s feet stopped at the boy’s tirade, missing a step as she stood on the middle of the stairway, stunned by her son’s use of such words.

“Stop that!” Selena ordered. “You are not allowed to use those words! You know better!”

“SHIT! CRAP! SHIT! CRAP!” David spat in rebellion. “And FUUUUUUCKKKK!” he yelled at the top of his lungs but was silenced at the sound of a smacking sound that was deafening in Deanna’s ears! She was up the stairs before she realized it.

Before her, Selena stood there, glaring down at her foul-speaking son. David’s expression, however, had changed from defiance to absolute shock as his small hand cradled his cheek.

“SELENA!” Deanna yelled in disbelief as she watched David’s eyes begin to mist with tears. Quickly, the redhead marched between the platinum-blonde and David, kneeling down and promptly picking up the boy. Without a word, she carried him into his room, placing him on the bed as she begun to hear his soft cries.

“You stay in your room until I say otherwise.” She ordered sternly. “You know better than to say bad words! Do you understand?” she watched him meekly nod his head before the cries overtook him, the boy choosing his pillow to muffle them out.

Getting back to her full height, Deanna turned around and left the room, closing it behind her. She spotted Selena still standing there, the utter anger and, even, rage on the Snow Queen’s face.

It paled in comparison to Deanna’s.

Without a word, the redhead gripped her wife’s forearm and pulled hard, yanking the former world champion down the stairs, past the main-floor (Deanna shouting a ‘finish your dinner’ to her daughters as she passed) and down the basement steps, through the hall and into the study where Selena filmed many of her ‘Royal Letters’. There, Deanna jerked Selena into the room before closing the door behind her. Without much effort, Selena stopped herself, the platinum-blonde turned around to face her wife.

“I can’t believe he used that kind of language in our house-“

WHACK!

If Selena’s slap was loud, then the one that came out then was like thunder, Deanna’s hand smacking the pale cheek of her wife with the force she normally used on her wrestling opponents! Selena’s head jerked to the side, the Snow Queen crumbling to the floor from the shock. By the time she looked up towards the standing Deanna, the younger Frost could see the red mark her hand had left on the woman’s cheek.

“What the-“

“What the hell?!” Deanna shot back. “YOU HIT OUR SON!”

Angrily, Selena pushed herself to her feet. “Did you not hear him-“

Another shot rang out as Deanna’s hand found Selena’s cheek again. This time, however, the Snow Queen remained standing, though the sound was nowhere less thunderous in the room.

“STOP IT!” Selena barked. “Or I’ll slap you back!”
“I don’t fucking care!” Deanna roared back. “You slapped our son, Selena!”
“He wouldn’t stop!”

“That doesn’t give you the right to hit him!” Deanna shot back, her anger making her blood boil. “He’s barely seven!”

“He knows better!”

“And he learned it from listening to you!” the redhead countered. “I don’t care how you rationalize it! You’re wrong! You know you’re wrong! I don’t care what you say! You do NOT strike OUR children!”

She could see the storm, the rage, in Selena’s eyes; the sapphires looking more like a torrent-at-sea than the calm jewels Deanna had always recognized and loved. She wasn’t afraid. Selena could hit her back for all she cared. But her wife was NOT going to get away with this!

Before her, Deanna watched Selena’s expression morph. From rage, to anger, to pain… to a slow, dawning, crippling realization. As if waking up from a dream or reality crashing down, Selena’s eyes shifted towards the exit of the study, as if seeing the path where she had just travelled – her son’s room, a dawning horror taking hold. Slowly, the young woman glanced down at her hand, the same hand she had used on the poor boy.

“I…” she breathed, almost a wisp of air. “I hit him.”

She sounded like she almost didn’t believe, and if Deanna hadn’t seen it all with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have either. But she had, and so she could not simple be kind and understanding now.

“Deanna…” Selena lifted her head, her face a mixture of shock, disbelief, and anguish. “What did I do?”

“You hit David.” Deanna growled, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t care how frustrated you are with all of this. I’m not defending you. I’m beyond angry and ashamed of you. I don’t – I haven’t-“ she huffed angrily, at a loss for words. “I’ve always maintained to anyone what a great mother you are! To anyone that asked me, or wondered about two mothers raising a family. And I’ve never doubted that we could… but fuck you, you just made me question it all!”

“I…” she could see her wife beginning to tremble, Selena’s jaw start to shake as she still held out the offending hand. Tears began streaming down her cheeks. “I didn’t mean to…I was so angry-“

“You can’t just explain this away, Selena!” Deanna spat. “I’m not so desperate for you that I will just forgive you for this!”

“I’m not… I don’t want you to…I didn’t-“ Selena fumbled with her words over and over again, breaking apart piece by piece before Deanna’s eyes until the Snow Queen collapsed to the floor, sitting against her sturdy, dark-wood desk, staring down at her hand. “Help…”

The word was a whisper, a mumble that Deanna could not make out. “What?” she asked harshly, refusing to lower herself to the floor, though part of her wanted to in order to hold her wife.

“Help…” Selena cried. “I can’t control this anymore. I can’t do this by myself. I can’t fix this – I don’t know how to fix this… I don’t know how… I don’t know what to do… I’ve tried everything…”

“Oh for Odin’s sake.” Deanna shook her head. “Start by growing up!”

That seemed to get Selena’s attention, the Snow Queen lifting her head up to gaze, tear-eyed, at her wife. “You’re an adult, Selena! Older than me! Start acting like that! Stop crying and whining and losing it and act like a damn adult! Stop losing your temper over all that shit over at work and leave it there!”

Selena said nothing for several minutes, merely looking up at her wife as her eyes pushed out a few of those tears.

“I fucked up…” she whispered.

“You think?!” Deanna huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Ace Marshall could have told you that!”

She saw her wife’s jaw clench at the name, so she spoke quickly.

“You will go upstairs right now and you will apologize to David and you will talk this through with him! You will apologize until he forgives you. And then you and I are going to see a therapist.”

“A therapist?” Selena asked in disbelief. “I…We…”
“No, WE don’t.” Deanna’s eyes narrowed. “But YOU do. I didn’t say much when you lost it unfairly towards D. last Breakdown, but this? There is no excuse for this. You are coming with me to see a specialist-therapist. Do you understand?!”

Selena opened her mouth to speak before slowly closing it.

“Do you understand?!” Deanna pressed, narrowing her emerald eyes at her fallen wife. Slowly, she saw the platinum-blonde nod her head and, even slower, pull herself to her feet, standing taller than the redhead. Quickly, she wiped her eyes of any tears. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it quickly, as if thinking better of it, before excusing herself from the room.

Alone in the study, Deanna tried to breath out the anger she felt towards her wife. Towards everything that was turning her beloved soulmate into…whatever it was she was becoming.

“No title… no tournament… no job… no company is worth this…” she whispered to herself before angrily slamming her fist against the desk, feeling it sting against the wood.

Despite all her anger, all her frustration and sadness over everything… she could not deny how truthful that statement felt in her very soul. And how close she was, in that moment, to leaving it all behind…

[Wisteria Waltz]

Blythes do not get rattled or lose their composure.

It was one of the many lessons drilled into Amelia's head by her parents growing up and she had no doubt that if they saw Breakdown tonight, they'd be ready to scold her for “showing such weakness” in the face of what happened... assuming she'd ever answer a call from them, of course.

In her defense, how was she supposed to react to seeing what had happened to James Evans during their match?

Amelia went into that match focused and determined to fight her way into the semi-finals of the U.S. Title tournament, and she'd also admit that maybe the thought of teaching James a lesson and having him be the one choked out for a change was an enticing one given how he'd approached her and Luz last week after her girlfriend's match. Actually injuring James was never in her plans... you'd had to have gone well out of your way to give her any reason to want to go beyond simply outwrestling you in the ring and not even James had reached that point. Even still, the whole thing had been an accident, much like the way she landed years ago after Bison Jones had powerbombed her out of the ring that put her out of commission for a good while.

The whole experience still shook her to her core, though. Even if it was an accident, someone had still gotten hurt in a match against her. It wasn't how she wanted to win that match or advance in the tournament and it certainly wasn't something she wanted associated with her name. She was here to compete, put her best foot forward and prove herself worthy of being part of one of the most talented rosters in the entire world. But even with Luz trying to reassure her after the incident, deep down she knew that whenever James returned he was personally going to hold this against her, as if he didn't already convince himself that the couple were a problem purely because Amelia supported her girlfriend as opposed to turning her back on her all over the concept of wrestling philosophies.

The religious nutjob yelling at her over it backstage didn't help her mindset any, but he was hardly the first one they've ever come across considering they never hid what they identified as. Luz had already vowed to shut him up the first chance she could get him in the ring, which could potentially be Taking Hold of the Flame at this point.

Trying to think about anything else other than the sight of James's arm bending at an unnatural angle on the replay and him needing to be escorted to the back by trainers only shifted her thoughts toward the reminder that her father had been present in Salt Lake City and had no doubt seen this all in person. That was a fact Amelia hadn't shared with Luz mostly because she wanted to keep her focus on the match at hand and not let her father's presence affect her. She wanted to hope that, at the very least, the man had failed in trying to get any sort of meeting with Mr. D considering how busy he had been throughout the night. Still, the concern of crossing paths with him and dealing with his reaction to this only had her spiraling even further.

“Todo estará bien, mi amor. Just take deep breaths for me, alright?”

Amelia subconsciously latched onto the voice of her girlfriend and followed her instructions, taking deep the way they usually did whenever one of them was slipping. Slowly but surely, she managed fight her way free of the haze clouding her mind and ground herself in reality once more, the realization of feeling Luz's hand tightly gripping her own serving as the anchor she managed to tie her focus to. It took a few moments, with Luz quietly comforting her in Spanish the whole way, but she finally felt emotionally coherent enough to try and continue on with her night. Taking in her surroundings, Amelia came to a realization.

“This isn't the locker room...” she said once it became clear that she and Luz were back in their hotel room and she'd been sat down on the edge of their bed.

“OK, so maybe you were in your own head again for longer than I thought...” Luz stated with clear concern, drawing Amelia's full focus back onto her. “What's the last thing you remember doing? After what happened in the ring.”

Amelia took a moment to try and gather her thoughts. “I... I remember bumping into that preacher weirdo backstage after it all happened.”

“He'll get his own lesson in the ring soon enough...” she heard Luz mumble under her breath.

“After that,” Amelia continued, “I know we went back to our locker room and tried to tune it out by watching more of the show. I think the last thing I remember from there was seeing Deanna Frost win her match and realizing she's my next opponent. After that, it gets kind of blurry.”

“OK, yeah, you were definitely starting to spiral a lot sooner than I thought,” Luz nervous told her. “So, I know I saw you looking like something was off and figured we'd be good to just come back here since we learned who you'd be facing next round and I thought you'd appreciate just getting away from the arena after what happened. You at least got changed and I got our car loaded up and I thought you were alright and just being a bit quiet... then after we pulled out of the parking lot you started having a full blown meltdown in the passenger seat and I got scared and tried to get us back here as fast as I could without violating every traffic law in the book. I'm starting to think I should've started trying to ground you once I got the car parked but I thought you'd prefer if I got you back in here first and I think I messed up for not noticing sooner and-”

Luz found her panicked rambling cut off as Amelia reached up to grab her shirt before yanking her into a desperate kiss, not caring that the luchadora had landed right on top of her and was now being held there. It took a moment before her brain managed to catch up but as soon as it did she was returning the kiss, the couple just losing themselves in the feeling of their little makeout session as all their worries melted away in those few minutes. It didn't go any farther than that, but it was clear to the both of them that it had been a good while since they'd lost themselves in the intense positive feelings of even that level of love and intimacy considering how often they found themselves consumed by the negative fog that had constantly hung over their heads for months now since a lot of the mess with The Empire had really gotten out of hand. After a good few minutes, they finally detached their lips from one another but kept their tight embrace on one another.

“I... damn, I can't tell you how much I needed that...” Amelia admitted through deep breaths.

“Agreed,” Luz replied with her trademark grin. “Also, now that I think we're in a better place to... well, you know, talk...” She stopped for a moment to clear her throat, her face turning red with embarrassment beneath her mask. “I'm sorry I've been a bit distant over the past week... I know it was wrong and we agreed that communication was the key to solving all our problems, but... I just didn't want you to worry about me so you could focus on the tournament. And yet, you still went out of your way to stand in front of a camera and promise James and the whole world that I'd make a worthy champion someday.”

“I meant every word of that,” Amelia firmly told her as one of her hands moved to cup Luz's cheek, ensuring their eyes would remain locked with each other. “I could tell you were taking that Underground Title loss hard Luz, and I don't blame you... I know you well enough to see the signs that if I do somehow pull this off and become U.S. Champion that'll be two singles titles to my name while you feel like you've barely proven anything, even though I think you've proven plenty with what you've pulled off that you're trying to discredit because they were tag matches. And before you start saying anything to that, let me preemptively respond with this: you are not a burden, you are not holding me back, and anyone who thinks they can throw that at you clearly doesn't know you as well as I do and are just grasping at straws hoping it'll break us apart.”

Luz just looked at Amelia in awe as she let that sink in. It was as Amelia had told Ivy days ago: getting Luz to remember what she'd just told her and still believe it was easier said than done, given the immense self-confidence issues the other woman still carried to this day. It truly made Amelia wish she knew where to find all the people who had bullied this amazing woman and pushed her into this constant struggle so she could strangle every last one of them for creating all these issues that plagued her light for so long.

“OK, um... wow... I don't deserve you, hermosa,” Luz managed to say in response before she seemed to find her composure again. “But we can talk more about my problems later, and I'm going to preemptively respond this time with a promise that yes, I mean actually talking about my problems and not just using this as an excuse to duck that much-needed conversation. Right now I think we need to focus on you because tonight's clearly still affecting you.”

“I mean... how can it not?” Amelia huffed, trying to sound more amused than she actually was. “It was a freak accident, you and I both have our own experiences with that in this business. But it doesn't change the fact that James still got seriously hurt while wrestling me. I hate that this is how I advance in this tournament, and I hate that this is something that's going to be a topic of conversation about me for who knows how long to come. Adam and Bison got away with that two years ago because that's just how the former clearly still conducts his business, but because we're trying to stand for a brighter future you know people are going to be chomping at the bit to shove this back in my face.”

“If this is about-” Luz tried to respond, but Amelia quickly cut her off.

“Forget that Wright guy!” Amelia shouted, causing Luz to flinch back a bit before she quickly regained her composure before she scared her ray of sunshine any further. “I just... I'm trying to convince myself that it was all an accident and that as much as it sucks I shouldn't keep trying to hold it against myself, but I don't know how. I honestly don't know where you're getting the strength to try and be my rock right now Luz!”

Luz gently shushed Amelia as she held her tighter, letting the woman bury her head into her shoulder as tears threatened to spill once more. She knew exactly what Amelia was talking about, and truth be told, she was struggling to form a response because she truly didn't know where she was finding this strength either. While what happened to James earlier tonight hadn't been anywhere near as severe thankfully, watching it happen still caused her mind to flash back to the night where she'd watched the awkward landing her father had taken from a botched move and how all the breath had been sucked out of her lungs as her entire world felt like it was falling apart before her very eyes. Seeing any sort of serious in-ring accident after that night... she could understand how Amelia was struggling to comprehend their positions right now considering she was the one with the trauma related to such an incident and yet she was somehow the more composed and understanding of the two.

“...I wish I had an answer for you, Ames,” she finally said. “But the truth is... I don't know how I'm holding it together right now. Yeah, I felt like my soul left my body when I saw all the officials and trainers start checking on James, but... I don't know... somehow my first thought once I got my thoughts back on track was worrying about how you were taking it.”

“Please Luz...” Amelia pleaded. “Please don't feel like you have to suppress your issues to focus on me. We've talked about this so many times... your feelings are just as valid as mine.”

“I know... as much as I need to be reminded of that every now and then, I do know...” Luz confirmed. “It's just... after I watched my dad die in the ring because of an accident, as painful as it was... after I mourned his loss I became determined to follow in his footsteps and honor his memory. When I threw myself back into training to become a wrestler, it was almost like I became... I don't know... numb, maybe, to what had happened to him? It still hurt to think about, and it definitely led to a lot of second guessing on some of my riskier moves when I was starting out, but I felt like I had a handle on things because my determination to honor my father's memory in the ring overtook all else. That feeling is what was driving me after James was helped to the back... it hurt like hell to see, but I'd endured bearing witness to it before. I don't think you have, and given how you were raised and trained I think I just had a feeling that you'd take this as hard as you are. I know how hard you've been working over the years to prove to yourself as much as everyone else that you're not the kind of person you used to be, that this is the real you and you finally have the freedom to show that off. An incident like this... it feels like a setback, doesn't it?”

Amelia quietly nodded, stunned at what her girlfriend had revealed to her. It was amazing insight on her part that showed just how well she'd come to know the former heartless wrestling machine, but the revelation of exactly how she'd dealt with her father's death had the gears turning in her brain as she thought more and more about the issues Luz had with her mother in the wake of that accident that took her father and Camila's husband from this world.

“Luz...” she jumped in before her girlfriend could keep going. “Thank you... I know my struggles over the years haven't been easy, but you've never given up on me no matter what sort of crisis of faith I have. But I have to be honest, and I apologize if I sound like I'm speaking out of turn here... as much as I understand, the way you handled your father's death doesn't sound like the healthiest decision. Everyone grieves differently so far be it for me to tell you how you should've handled it, but... while it's nice that you're trying to honor his memory, it also kind of sounds like you threw yourself back into wrestling as an escape from losing him. Kind of like how I'll admit to devoting a lot of my focus to trying to send some sort of message to my parents through what I can accomplish in the ring without them looming over me... it's not a healthy mindset, yet it exists every time I step into that ring and leads to me pushing myself too hard to succeed while sticking to our morals.”

Luz was quiet for a moment, and Amelia glanced up to see the gears turning in her own head. After a few moments, Luz pulled away from the hug and stood up from the bed, moving to make sure the curtains in their hotel room were closed  and the door locked. Amelia sat up, concern coating every inch of her face, but before she could call Luz's name she paused as she watched her beloved slowly reach up and gently pull her mask off, revealing the beautiful face that Amelia was one of a very select few to ever get to see and know.

“It sounds to me like we both still have a lot to think about and a lot of work to do,” she told Amelia as she moved to lay back down on the bed, pulling her girlfriend close and allowing her bare cheek to make proper contact with Amelia's for a change. “You might be right on some of the unhealthy aspects of how I've handled my father's death, and I'm sure he's looking down on me right now ready to tell me that I should listen to you more often. Thankfully, we can make that part of our future we can work towards together.”

Amelia suddenly pulled away and looked at Luz in shock, which had the latter concerned for a brief moment.

“Sorry, sorry,” Amelia quickly apologized. “It's just... you're thinking of a future with me Luna?”

Luz started to reply about how obvious it was, but she cut herself off as her exposed face went red once she realized that the two of them hadn't really discussed this in-depth before. It almost existed as an unspoken assumption that unless something catastrophic happened that tore them apart, it had become natural to assume they would have a life together, though exactly what form that would take had never been addressed before. Luna sputtered for a moment as she quickly tried to slam her train of thought back on track.

“I, um... I mean... is that alright?” she carefully asked. “I know we never really talked about it and just kind of assumed this was meant to be, but... I'd be an idiot to ignore just how much we've helped each other grow and tackle our problems together, and I just know that I want you by my side going forward and-”

Luz, for the second time tonight, found herself being cut off by a passionate kiss from Amelia as the two of them cuddled closer on the bed.

“You know...” Amelia whispered once she and Luz had pulled apart for air after a few minutes. “I think Amelia Nevado kind of has a nice ring to it... just saying...”

Amelia watched as her beloved Luna had a mental blue screen moment at that, giggling over how flustered those few words had made the woman she absolutely wanted to spend the rest of her life with, especially if she got to punctuate it by permanently shedding the Blythe name that has served as the last link tying her to her parents and their long-desired family legacy. More importantly, it was the hope she needed to squash her fears about not having a future where La Pequeña Luz was her wife, giving her hope that a proposal on the horizon wouldn't just be seen as an act of defiance against a group that was attempting to arrange a marriage for her without her consent or involvement.

While there was still a lot that needed to be addressed, for now Amelia could rest somewhat peacefully in the knowledge that she had her light by her side and always would. They knew how much communication was needed to navigate the storms on the horizon, and they could overcome it all and be exactly who they wanted to be... together.

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: Part 3 of Breakdown series.

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

The Witches of Alden

”Drug”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Damian.” Deanna answered automatically.

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

“I get it.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

_______________________________________________________________

The Guard Tower

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Checkmate, bitches! And good luck, my friend!

[Wisteria Waltz]

When one finds themselves in Las Vegas, they can expect a veritable host of colorful locations to catch the eye. Fancy hotels, casinos, theaters, water parks... you name it, it exists somewhere in Las Vegas under a marquee of colorful flashing lights and sounds of excitement and revelry. Surely it would make sense that one of these locations would easily be at the top of the list for what you'd expect to find when SCW comes to town and the wrestlers are ready to say what's on their minds going into the upcoming Breakdown? After all, if not the Thomas & Mack Center itself, then why not something that proudly displays the very heart and soul of what earned the city its infamous nickname of Sin City?

Except... that's not exactly what we find before us. The sight itself still has some presence, albeit in the form of an admittedly beautiful view of the city skyline at night when all the marquees are lit the brightest. That is the view through the large window at the back of the room we currently occupy, which adds a bit of life that otherwise feels sorely lacking from this scene. The remaining walls in the room are bare and this place almost looks vacant, but perhaps that makes it the perfect setting for a woman who appears to be troubled and in need of some rare peace and quiet in this city to organize her scrambled thoughts. Sitting backwards on a chair that's been placed in the center of the room, arms draped over the backrest, is Amelia Blythe. Her gaze is locked on the concrete floor of the room as she sits in silence for a moment, looking to be deep in thought. When she finally speaks, her gaze remains locked to the floor and her voice carries a more somber tone to it.

“I don't deserve to be here... not like this...

Last week, I walked into the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, knowing that I was going to have a heck of a challenge waiting for me. I was going to put my skills to a test against James Evans... a former World Champion, a man who's made a name for himself in this company and a man who had given me every reason to try and teach him a lesson after criticizing mi novia for pursuing an opportunity that she had earned and trying to suggest that I hate her for doing so. And why? Because she was given a chance to back up a claim to the Underground Title that she rightfully had. She broke no rules, she adapted as best as she could to the environment she was fighting in, she came out of that match the exact same La Pequeña Luz who went into it... but James dared to question who we are all because of his anti-violence agenda.

He gave me every reason I could ever need to be motivated for our tournament match. He wanted to match me hold-for-hold because that's the way he believes every match should be? Then I was going to make my mark by beating him at his own game and eliminating him, making a statement in the process.

I never intended to seriously hurt him...”

Amelia pauses for a moment, sighing heavily through her nose as she very slowly lifts her gaze to us, hints of tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“I swear to you, on my life and with whatever gods you believe in as my witnesses, that all I wanted out of that match was to outwrestle James and score the win fair and square. Intentionally causing injury just to try and get ahead... maybe that would have been part of the gameplan for an Amelia Blythe that hasn't existed in years and SCW will never see so long as Luz and I can help it, but that's not the kind of wrestler I truly want to be. That's why what happened last week has stuck with me like a specter haunting my every waking thought. I beat James Evans and moved one step closer to potentially becoming U.S. Champion... not because I earned or proved anything, but because of an incident that I have to constantly remind myself was an accident and not truly my fault. All I wanted was to throw James out of the ring, just like so many people will be aiming to do in the battle royal at Taking Hold of the Flame in a few weeks, to create some space and have a moment to adjust my gameplan. His arm got caught and bent at an awkward angle, and the next thing I know, trainers are calling the match because he'd been hurt.

I know full well that accidents can happen and serious injuries can spawn from them... my first stint in SCW was ended partly because of a neck injury from one such accident because I landed wrong after being hurled from the ring, after all... anyone who knows the wrestling lineage that Luz comes from knows of the accident that took her father from this life, though that is her story to tell if and when she's ready...

No matter how many times I tell myself it was an accident, no matter how many times Luz or one of my other friends tries to remind me of that or how many times I watch the footage back just to have visual proof that it wasn't my fault, it doesn't change the fact that James is going to be on the shelf now at my hands... and that thought makes me sick. I didn't want that to be a result from our match, even when he tried to make it personal. Just as painful is the fact that our of the four competitors still left in this tournament, I'm the only one who cannot honestly stand here and say that I rightfully earned the opportunity to advance.

Bree Lancaster won her match fair and square... Polly Playtime actually won her match fair and square... Deanna Frost won her match fair and square...”

Amelia stiffens at the mention of her semi-final opponent, her thoughts going back to the last time they met in the ring and the promise made in the aftermath of the Retribution classic for the World Tag Team Titles. She takes a shaky breath and goes to speak again, but she's struggling to form words at this point. It's not long before we see Luz step out from behind the camera and quickly move to be by Amelia's side, and this is where the video suddenly cuts to black.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ames! Can you hear me?” Luz calls out once she's by Amelia's side, which seems to grab her attention.

“Luz?” Amelia replies once she's somewhat snapped out of it. “What are you...?”

“I asked Gage to stop the video,” Luz tells her, motioning to where he, Ivy and her siblings are standing behind the camera. Gage even gives a thumbs up to confirm that the recording has stopped for the moment. “I'm sorry sweetheart, but I could tell you were about to spiral again and I couldn't let that happen.”

“No Luz, I'm the one who should be sorry,” Amelia responds. “I know that how I got here in the tournament isn't my fault, I've said it in front of a camera and I'll keep reminding myself of that for the next few weeks probably. It's just... is Deanna going to see it the same way?”

Luz suddenly understands why Deanna's name triggered this latest mental barrier that Amelia was struggling to move past. Ever since their loss to the Frosts back at Retribution and the vow they made face-to-face with them the following Breakdown, every match they've had carried the extra weight of not just proving to themselves that they were ready to take that next step up, but proving that to two women who they deeply respected to the point that they had placed their future as a tag team solely in their hands.

“Amelia...” Luz began after a moment, gently taking the other woman's chin and tilting it up so they could lock eyes. “I know this is difficult for you, especially since it's been a little while since we had that match with her and Selena. But trust me when I say that Deanna isn't the kind of person who would hold this against you. It was an accident... yeah, it rattled us, but the whole point of what we did was to take the Frosts' words to heart and prove that no matter what setbacks we face or how much we struggle, we're not going anywhere and we can overcome this storm to be the team we want to be, that they want us to be. They were willing to put that faith in us after Retribution... as far as I'm concerned, you owe it to them as much as you owe it to both yourself and me to prove that you can accept that this happened and keep moving forward.”

Amelia took a few deep breaths with Luz gently massaging her shoulders to help her sort through the torrent of thoughts in her mind. Her girlfriend had a point, in a way... while it didn't seem healthy at first glance, as long as they communicated with each other and helped with matters like this outside the ring, they had all the tools they could ever need to accept that things like this beyond their control happen sometimes, and Deanna would want her to show up to Breakdown accepting that so she was in the right headspace to give her the battle she deserved.

“You're right Luz,” Amelia finally said. “Deanna would want me to try and put this behind me and forge ahead, not let it drive me into a downward spiral of self-doubt like we fell victim to before. These things happen... I can't change how I got here, but I can give James the match he deserves once he's fully healed and I can prove myself against Deanna that I can bounce back and deserve to go to the finals if that's how this plays out.”

“That's the spirit, mi amor!” Luz cheered, punctuating it with a kiss on the cheek that had Amelia feeling much better.

With a nod of Amelia's head, Luz made her way back behind the camera so she wouldn't be in the way, letting Amelia have the undivided attention once more. After taking a moment to make sure she was ready to keep going, Amelia gave the signal to Gage to start recording again.

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After a moment, the video resumes. There is no sign of Luz anymore, presumably having moved back out of the shot, but however much time has passed seems to have helped as Amelia is looking noticeably more composed. It's not enough to say that she looks like her head's fully in the game, but she's focused enough to at least be able to continue.

“Deanna, I wish I could say that it's an honor to be able to meet you in the ring again, but I can't say those words with any sincerity. That has nothing to do with you though... when people look back at Retribution and the tag match we put on with our respective partners, they see a potential match of the year between two teams who truly care for this business and accomplished the mission we set out to do on that night by stealing the show with nothing but an honest, hard-fought match. You and Selena proved that Luz and I just weren't ready yet... that's why we approached you the following Breakdown, before any of us got involved in Kim's chaos, both to honor Selena's request to prove that we were here for the long haul this time and to ask that the both of you be the ones to decide when you believe we're truly ready to step up and take that mantle. We have fought, to the best of our abilities, to make that case, testing ourselves against anyone who wants to face us while doing our part to resolve issues in the ring like the wrestlers we're all supposed to be.

In that regard, I would say Luz is doing a better job than I am... yeah, she couldn't replicate what you did last year in stepping outside of her comfort zone and dethroning Kim for the Underground Title, but at least she fought within the Underground Rules premise to the best of her ability and made her actually prove she deserved to hold that title again with an honest defense. Me... I never actually beat James Evans, and I'm woman enough to sit here and admit that to the world. I proved nothing last Breakdown and moved on because of an unfortunate accident... I don't deserve to be one win away from the finals of this tournament and I'm certainly no closer to proving to you that I deserve your blessing to be worthy of carrying the responsibility of being a champion in SCW on my shoulders.

That said... as much as I hate the fact that I'm the only person in the semi-finals of this tournament that didn't truly earn her place here, I know that the greater insult to you would be to let it consume me to the point that I don't make you feel like you've truly earned your place in the finals should you win this Thursday night.”

At that, Amelia slowly rises to a stand and moves the chair aside, taking a deep breath before she continues. As she does, something is suddenly thrown to her from behind the camera, likely Luz's doing. As she catches it and takes a moment to examine it, we can see that it's the same Luz-style mask that Amelia normally wears for her entrances, her own little piece of her beloved to remind her that she's never fighting alone at any point, no matter what. As a smile starts to grace her lips for the first time tonight, she looks back up at us while she holds the mask tight.

“You and Selena wanted us to prove that we weren't going to crumble in the face of setbacks again... that we could take moments like this on the chin and push ourselves to keep fighting so that we can do more, be more for SCW. What kind of Light In The Darkness would I be if I let this unfortunate accident get to me this bad? Refocus, rebuild... that's what I need to do, and this match between us Deanna is the perfect place for me to start regardless of the outcome. Win or lose, I need to walk away from this match knowing that I gave you everything that I have, everything that you deserve to see from me as my opponent.

We can both attest from personal experience that injuries are an unfortunate part of this business, and as much as I can stand here and beat myself up over what happened even if I need a constant reminder that it wasn't my fault and certainly not my intention last week, I can't let what happened hold me back or cause me to doubt myself. You don't deserve anything less than an Amelia Blythe who is physically and mentally at 100% for this contest, and I need to walk away from this match proving to you, and to myself, that I can bounce back from this mental setback and be the kind of wrestler that I need to be for SCW, that SCW needs me to be for its future.

To James Evans... I'm sorry about what happened last week, and I owe you a proper match whenever you return.

To Deanna Frost... I swear to you that I will have my head in the game when that bell rings and if I still have a ways to go before I'm where I need to be in your eyes, then I owe it to you to make you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you earned a win over me and you deserve to be in the finals and one win away from becoming United States Champion.

To SCW as a whole... don't write me off just yet. With every setback we face, with every obstacle thrown in our path, Luz and I will both continue to grow and evolve as athletes and the day will come where we will be the beacon of hope lighting the way for SCW going forward. I will prove it in this match with Deanna no matter the result, we will prove it by stepping up to defuse any incidents that can be settled in that ring where all of you can get your money's worth for the wrestling you paid to see, and the day will come when no one will be able to doubt that we can live up to our namesake.

If this Thursday night in Las Vegas brings me one step closer to achieving that goal... then I'll have proven everything that I needed to this time around, and that's all I could ask for.”

At that, Amelia nods her head to us before she steps out of the shot, leaving us to linger on the gorgeous view of Las Vegas in the distance through the window at the back of the room before the scene properly fades out this time.