Ace Marshall vs. Selena Frost

[Konrad Raab]

SCW World Championship Tournament Semi-Finals

2 RP Limit for singles

3500 word max per RP

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

[Lt. Erect]

I will not be able to roleplay this week. Been mostly bedridden for the last several days and just can't focus enough to get anywhere with having a killer headache.

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: Part 2 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

”Treatment”

Forest Hills Neighbourhood
Queens, New York
May 15th, 2023
4:07pm

Selena quietly adjusted an imaginary wrinkle on her white pants as she sat on the couch. The blood-red cushions were soft, reminding her of her family room where she would often nap. She had lost track of how many times she had fallen asleep there, only to be awakened by either Deanna’s kisses, her children running around or even her dog, Oberon, seeking some love and attention.

Still, despite the comfort, she refused to relax, instead reaching up with her hand to adjust her dark blue blouse, her hand playing at an already done-up button nervously. Beside her Deanna sat. She was dressed in a black dress/jumpsuit mix with silver floral designs. It was cute, but Selena refused to break the silence at this point.

In fact, she had said very little over the last few days beyond what was necessary. Answering questions, talking to her children, answering phone calls, that was it. And whatever Deanna had needed over the weekend, or her children had needed, she had done. Cleaned the house? Done. Game night? Done. Ordered a pizza for the kids? Done.

The term was ‘being in the doghouse’ and Selena wasn’t just ‘in it’. She was the goddamn mayor!

Seeing her hand still adjusting the button on her shirt, Selena lifted it out to study it. The same thing had happened when she had knocked on the front door of this small, homely house: disgust instantly filling her stomach at the pale limb.

She wanted to cut it off! To saw it off and throw it in the trash! As if the very fingers, thumb and palm were cancerous and if she didn’t remove it, the evil would spread from her hand further into her entire body. Again, she couldn’t tear her sapphire eyes away from the soft-skinned palm.

The same hand she had used to strike her own son, David.

She felt her eyes sting at the thought, the disgust immense as it curdled in her stomach. How the fuck could you do this? her mind yelled at her. He’s our son… Deanna’s words followed next, echoing in the Snow Queen’s mind.

And truthfully, she didn’t know how. It had all happened so fast. She had been so mad at David calling Memorial Day stupid and then yelling at her? Cursing like that? Being disrespectful to his own mother? In HER house? Refusing to stop cursing and yelling at her – what had happened to her sweet prince? – as if she had no control in the situation as one of the mothers of the house.

Just like in her life.
Just like with her boss.
Just like with her fans.
Just like with SCW…

Her hand had flown then – her vision turning red – Selena’s eyes slammed shut at the rest of the memory, stopping at the same spot it always did, her pale hand clenching into a fist.

This was worse than the shame she had felt yelling at Mr. D. over a stupid matter of a technical snafu – whining like some little brat… like Lexy Chapel had been doing for how many months with her ‘conspiracy theories’? How many times had Selena mocked that in her battles with Ace Marshall or the Farmstead Friends, the Snow Queen pointing out the obviousness of the woman’s inability to accept that her ‘clients’ were not as ‘unstoppable’ or ‘unbeatable’ or ‘the best’ as she bragged them to be. That all clients in Lexy’s little world, save perhaps Syren now, were little more than cowards and thieves desperate for titles and money and settling for the path of least resistance. It was almost comical, in an embarrassing way, when Selena would watch the daughter of CHBK whine and cry and steal titles and blame some mythical conspiracy over other people – harder-working people like Owen Cruze – simply being better and more deserving in their victories?

And yet, there she had been, instantly jumping to some kind of ‘vendetta’ that O. D. had against her and her wife. Immediately assuming, as she had when O. had allowed Kimberly to enter Deanna’s match with Owen Cruze months ago, that it was some sort of ‘issue’ or ‘lack of care’ over The Frost family. And perhaps, on some level, it still was. Perhaps O. saw nothing more in the Frosts – in Selena, herself. But to make such a claim on so fickle of evidence?

Deanna had been right. None of this was like her. She was supposed to be smarter than this – better than this. She didn’t make accusations without evidence! She didn’t believe in conspiracy theories! And she sure as hell didn’t strike her own children!

Yet, she had done all of that, and only a few days from her match with Ace Marshall for the semifinals of the tournament. Gods… her mind ached. Why did it have to be him? Why couldn’t Xander have won? At the very least, Xander could have helped her… Strange as it sounded, the Executioner had some form of ‘integrity’ in his own way, that being a belief that he did not need others to win his battles. He was enough. Dangerous enough. Strong enough. Deadly enough. And were it not for the Executioner and his wars with the Snow Queen, Selena would never have been ready to ascend to the World title picture once more as she had. Xander had, in many ways, broken her – taken her apart – only for Selena to pull herself back together and rebuild herself better than before, transforming from ‘The Shadow of SCW’, as Xander had called her, to the undeniable ‘Face of SCW’ once more.

She felt an ache for such a match – such a reminder of who she was, who she needed to be – and an ache in the knowledge that she would never get such a match this Breakdown against Ace. The man had never given her a fair and decent match in his life. Had always brought ‘others’ to get involved and others to play his game. What was Playing the Wildcard than proof of that? Without hesitating, he had made the first move, sneaking under the ring during the tag-title match and using a chair against Deanna!

No, the semi-finals would hold no such integrity on his end. It would be tainted, dirty and disgusting and Selena, like with her son a few days ago, would have no control over it and she knew it. But if she failed… if she failed…

She felt the small hands clutch her clenched one, her eyes flying open to see Deanna sitting beside her.

“Relax.” She whispered as they waited in the lounge. The room, like that of their teacher, Mrs. Winthrop, who actually lived just down the block, was opulent and, yet, cozy. It was filled with a Victorian-design - of elegance. Selena even spied a suit of armor standing in the corner, polished and pristine.

A Winter’s Knight…

“I can’t relax.” Selena whispered. “Simple therapy isn’t going to help here. I need to-“
“You are not running back to Nome.” Came the quiet hiss from the redhead. “You tried that already and, clearly, it made things worse.”

“I…I know…” Selena sighed dejectedly. So much of her wanted to just run away and hide. Hide from her family that she had shamed and the fans she had shamed and the company she was failing. It had taken her striking David to realize that. Not yelling at D. or even seeing Killjoy’s ‘ghost’. No, it had been being slapped by her own wife – twice – and seeing the shocked and hurt expression on her little prince’s face. Selena knew she needed help. But simply ‘talking’ about it? She wasn’t sure it would be enough.

Out of the corner of her eye, the platinum-blonde spotted a familiar crest hanging on the wall behind the suit of armor. The crest of the Aldens. She was about to say something but stopped from jumping to conclusions. It made sense that this was a member of the Alden charter. It had been Mrs. Winthrop that had recommended this man to Deanna, even saying they were ‘old friends’.

The door opened at the other end of the room and the old man who had greeted them at the door swiftly stepped inside. “I am so sorry.” He spoke quickly, yet brightly, his voice more accented than Selena’s and with more of a ‘British tone’. True, she could do a standard American accent if she focused, but she wanted to be herself everywhere she went, which meant speaking how she was taught by her stepmother. “Accents are elegance…” Anastasia DeCarlo had said, drilling out any ‘Americanisms’ in Selena’s speech at a very early age.

The man, dressed in a simple set of black pants and off-red dress shirt, smiled at the wives. His hair was neatly combed, showing off the black and white of his aged hair. His face was wrinkled but his features were kind, like his tone.

“Can I get you ladies something to drink.” He gestured towards the mini-fridge near the large desk behind them. “I have some cold water or iced-coffee.”

“Nothing for us, Dr. Flynn.” Deanna answered, standing up to quickly offer her hand to the man, which he took gently.
“Dresdin, please.” The man corrected before spying Selena. “And this must be Selena.”

Immediately, the Snow Queen shot up, automatically offering her hand the way Deanna had done. However, when Dresdin took it, she could not stop the pulse of shame that struck her at seeing that damned hand of hers again. She felt her whole body stiffen, causing Dresdin to tilt his head at her a little: not judging… assessing.

“Thank you for seeing us on such short notice…” Selena tried, pulling her hand away quietly.
“Abigail is a dear friend.” Dresdin explained.
“Are you retired as well?” Deanna asked.
“For the most part.” Flynn nodded. “I do see some clients, mostly through a reference of some kind like this one. Less stressful.”

“Well, that’s why we’re here.” Deanna shrugged. “Lots of stress, doc.”
“So, I can gather.” Again, he eyed Selena. “Are you sure I can’t offer you something?”

“Actually…” Selena bit her lower lip. “An iced-coffee would be great.”
“Coming right up!”

With a grin, Flynn moved over to his desk to prepare the drink. Deanna, meanwhile, could not help glancing nervously at her wife. “Selena…” she tried gently. “Do you think it’s wise to have coffee when we’re about to talk with-“

“Now, Deanna.” Dresdin called out, the iced-coffee in his hand and offering it to Selena. “I encourage partners to speak for themselves. And coffee, while a stimulant, can also be a relaxant.”

“Thank you.” Selena whispered, sipping the drink and feeling the coldness fill her, offering her a modicum of calm.

“Now then.” Dresdin moved towards a second couch in front of the one the Frost wives had been sitting on. “Where shall we begin?”

“I…” Selena tried, but could not say another word. Nervously, she held her coffee in her hands as she sat back on the couch. “I really don’t know what to say here.”

“Just what’s on your mind.” Flynn offered gently. “Deanna, you too.”

“Are you an Alden?” the question came from Selena, catching the doctor off-guard. “I just saw the crest.”
“Well…yes, I am.” Smiled Dresdin.
“I’m just surprised…” Selena sighed. “Most of them don’t like us. Mrs. Winthrop was the only one that agreed to teach us.”

“Many of us live in this neighbourhood.” Dresdin explained. “And as for that…well, I would be a hypocrite if I used the whole ‘Sins of the father’ concept.” He waved his hand. “A story for another time.”

“Right…” Selena sighed, struggling, before turning her head towards Deanna. “I… can’t find the words, Deanna. Do I just…” she gestured with one hand. “Do I just come out and say it?”

Biting her lower lip, Deanna eyed her wife for a moment before turning her head to Dresdin. “Selena is having difficulty with her temper these days. The stress in her life keeps mounting more and more and she’s been…having difficulty getting rid of the anger and it’s… it’s lead to some problems at home.”

“I see.” Dresdin nodded, his eyes on Selena. “Only for you, Selena?”
Selena nodded. “Deanna’s been…” she felt the phantom-sting of Deanna’s slaps. “Dealing with it, like putting out fires. I just…” the words suddenly were there in her mind. “I don’t know who I am anymore.”

“Care to elaborate?” the old man invited gently, earning a slow nod from Selena.

“Everything used to make sense. I was this… this representation of integrity. I wanted my workplace to be about hard-work, passion, fair-play, fairness in general. I wanted the company to stand for something great. And I knew my place in it. I was happy with my place in it. Even before I had the big company title on my shoulders. But ever since…” her mind went back, trying so hard to recall when things truly started to slip. “Last July, I think. Or was it August?”

“Almost a year ago?” Selena nodded at the doctor’s assessment.

“Ever since then, no matter what I try… no one will listen. No one seems to care. They’re all – just cheating or lying or stealing or hiding things... And everything I’ve worked for keeps falling apart and it’s like…” she eyed her coffee. “It would be like me trying to hold this in my hands without the cup. It just keeps slipping through my fingers…”

“And all you want is to be proud of the place you work?” Dresdin asked, one leg crossed over the other. His question earned a nod from Selena. “And this loss of control – has created a struggle that has bled into your private lives?”

“Yes.” Deanna answered with a sigh. “Things sort of boiled over a few days ago.” She quickly shot a reassuring glance towards Selena. “But we’re not ready to talk about that. I’ll just say that Selena has been more…”

“Volatile?”

“Rash.” Deanna corrected Selena. “She used to be so calm and smart and calculating, never letting anyone get to her like this…” Deanna smiled a little. “It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with her. She was… so brave when I watched her.”

For a moment, Selena stole a glance at Deanna, who’s focus was on Dresdin.

“And how has your marriage been affected?” Dresdin asked slowly. “If you don’t mind me asking.”
“It’s…” Deanna sighed. “It’s difficult. We haven’t really made love in awhile-“
“Deanna…” Selena gasped. “We…uh…”

Slowly, Deanna shook her head. “Angry sex is not the same thing, Selena.” She sighed. “It just… it hurts.”

“It hurts?!” Selena’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I couldn’t help you.” Emerald eyes began to mist with unshed tears. “Even…even in our bed. I couldn’t just take you away from your problems. I thought… I thought it would help if I was just there for you. However you needed me.” Their voices had dropped to lower whispers but still audible in the room.

“But…” Selena’s jaw shook as it hung open. “Last week… after Breakdown… when I tried to help you celebrate?”

Again, that sad shake of Deanna’s head. “You were still so angry. It just…” she breathed, almost ashamed of the answer. “It just hurt.”

The redhead saw her wife crumble before her very eyes, Selena’s expression morphing into utter dismay. At first, nothing was said, the Snow Queen just staring at her wife.

“Selena?” Dresdin called out to her. “This is not to hurt you or Deanna. We are here to solve problems. Not bring you down.”

Again, no words came from the Snow Queen. She couldn’t form them. Her eyes just stayed on her wife.

First David… Now Deanna… her mind raced. Damn these hands!

CRASH!

The sound of something falling suddenly filled Selena’s ears, as well as exclamations of her name. She saw Deanna spring off the couch but she didn’t know why. She saw Dresdin do the same from his seat. They both rushed towards her, pulling her up and away and a few steps further into the room. It was only when Selena turned around that she saw the ice-coffee cup on the wooden-floor, its contents spilled - it all having slipped through her fingers.

Reality caught back up with her, the Snow Queen looking around wildly between her wife and this therapist. “I am so sorry!” she tried. “I didn’t mean to-“

“It’s alright.” Dresdin assured, ushering Selena onto his couch. “Are you alright?”

“Selena?” Deanna tried, guilt ridden all over her features.

“I…” she looked back and forth between the two before settling on the doctor. “Fix me, please.” The words came out like a plea, desperate and broken. “I can’t keep living like this.” She felt her eyes sting with tears.

A slow sigh escaped Flynn before he gave a nod of his head. Moving away, he quickly gathered a mop from the nearby closest, cleaning up the mess while, simultaneously declining Deanna’s offer to do so.

“Tell me, Selena.” He asked, while moping. “What would constitute a ‘fix’ for you? I can meet you regularly – which I recommend for both of you to discuss these problems. I can offer insight on your problems-“

“What about medication?”
“Selena!” Deanna gasped, jerking her head towards Selena. “You know you can’t!”

“I have to try something.” Selena’s voice cracked. “Nothing else is working. I can’t do it on my own! Nome didn’t work! Father’s gold-mine didn’t work! I’m seeing ghosts again!”

“Ghosts?” The question seemed to stop Dresdin, turning his head to eye the Frost wives. “Can you explain please?”

Taking a slow deep breath, Deanna nodded her head. “All her life, Selena’s mind has conjured up these… hallucinations. She calls them her ‘ghosts’.”
“And you believe them to be ghosts?” Dresdin asked, earning a shake of her head from Selena.

“I know they’re not.” Selena sighed. “At least, I do now. Took me a few years to figure that out. It’s some kind of innate coping mechanism or something.”

“I see…” Dresdin pondered the information as he continued to mop. “You know… the witches use to say that was a sign of the ‘gift’ of communicating with spirits. They used to go on these ‘guides’ and ‘journeys’ as a sort of…” he waved his hand. “Enlightenment, as it were.”

“Sounds like a drug trip.” Selena shot.
“That’s because it was.” Laughed Dresdin. “But Aldens do it every now and then. For guidance and such. I even did it a few times.”

Selena’s eyes widened. “Guidance?” she asked, earning a nod from Dresdin. “What would it entail?”

“Well…” Dresdin mused. “It’s called ‘Ayahuasca’. And you boil it into a liquid and drink it like a tea-“

“Dresdin, stop.” The order came from Deanna, who had turned to look at Selena, who had begun listening with more and more attention. Firmly, the redhead sat down beside her wife. “Selena, no.”
“But what if it helps?” Selena asked.
“What if you get addicted to it?” Deanna countered. “You know how you are with drugs.”
“That’s actually okay.” Dresdin answered matter-of-factly. “The Aldens and other witches use it because of its very low chance of dependence.”

“Deanna!” Selena remarked, hope bouncing into her eyes. “He says it’s safe.”

“No.” Deanna shook her head quickly.

The moping complete, Dresdin moved the mop bucket away to deal with later. Selena, meanwhile, grasped Deanna’s hands tightly.

“Deanna…please look at me.” She begged, earning her wife’s full attention. “I’m out of options. I’m desperate. I… I hit our son.” She reminded, the shame and disgust evident on her face. “And if I can’t get past Ace Marshall and the finals – if I have to sit and watch him fight with Kandis or, gods forbid, Adam Allocco… I… I don’t know what I’ll do. If THAT is the future of SCW and its integrity… Please…” she felt those unshed tears finally fall. “I need to try something, anything… to get me back to normal.”

The redhead stared at her wife for several minutes, Dresdin merely standing in the room, giving them their peace. Slowly, a sigh escaped Deanna. “I stay with you.” She ordered. “Through the whole thing. You don’t do anything without me. And I control where, when, and how much. Understand?!”

Quickly, Selena nodded her head, the Queen’s Guard taking command of the situation as she turned to Dresdin. “Where can we get this thing?”

With a patient nod, Flynn left the room, leaving the Frosts for several minutes before returning with a plastic bag of green leaves and brown roots. Carefully, he handed it to Deanna. “Boil these into a tea.” He instructed. “Keep her in a safe place away from anything dangerous or heavy. With her level of stress and anxiety…” he stole a glance to Selena. “She may have a bad trip.”

“I won’t let anything happen to her.” Deanna promised, Selena watching them. Part of the Snow Queen mocked her, wishing Ace Marshall could see her now. Another part of her chastised her, asking her what her children would think of her.

The last part of her… the loudest part of her, however, kept saying the same, truest statement of all.

Fuck your ego… because we are out of options…