Taking Hold of the Flame Battle Royal

[Konrad Raab]

OOC: A shoutout to Matt for allowing me to use his Glory Braddock character for the second scene. This was a tough RP to do, I must say, but at the same time, I realise that I need to take risks at times and I think I did that with this. I also will say it's the first time I've truly felt confident in this one piece I've done in SCW. Good luck and may the top RPer win.





An agonist threatening Konrad Raab part 4. Anaheim, California. Thursday, 23rd May. (Off camera)

After coming back from Ottawa, Canada, while Konrad did drive back to Anaheim, he didn't go straight home like he usually does, Konrad heads straight to a local pub, hunching over as if he's chocking down a sob, pressing a fist to his lips and the weakness in his knees. He parked his car and heads in the pub. After he had a couple of beers to drain down the pain he's suffering from, Konrad gets in his car to drive back home.

Konrad knew Fizz would yell and shout at him for going down the pub, but he was feeling so much pain of what's about to hit him, especially he prays Fizz and his kids were safe. Of course, they knew their kids are safe as they were in Seattle, Washington at the moment, being protected in case the worst does happen. Fizz was another story as he still has tears on his face even before seeing her.

He gets out of the car and locks it up before he goes in the garage and closes it behind him and he runs straight to the living room, and he sees Fizz sitting, sighing in relief from her being alive as he kisses Fizz and says this.

Konrad Raab: "Thank goodness your alive."

Fizz Raab: "Same here after what you've been doing to yourself, heck, I can smell it on your breath and your clothes."

Konrad Raab: "Like what?"

Fizz Raab: "Don't act like I'm stupid. I know you've got yourself pissed the last two nights and then you went out drinking before you came home. What did I tell you not to do? You went and done it anyway."

Konrad Raab: "Because I wanted to remove pain from hell we are going through. It freaks me out that I have to work, while you're in danger of being killed at home. I don't want to wrestle at the moment to be honest, even with the rumble coming up. I want to protect you."

Fizz Raab: "Drinking alcohol isn't going to protect me from thugs breaking in the house, is it?"

Konrad shamelessly drops to his knees in front of Fizz, being in tears right in front of her due to his fears and worries about the attack that could happen sooner than later. Fizz shakes her head and repeats the question.

Fizz Raab: "Is it?"

Konrad Raab: "No."

Fizz Raab: "Let me tell you something, Konrad. I have cried and feared for my life as well, every day. I'm not drinking alcohol to kill myself because of our children. Don't you care about them or myself?"

Konrad ran towards Fizz and hugged her tight as Konrad so choked up on the thought of him not caring about his children. It's hard for Konrad to be stable in and out of the ring when the kill on Fizz could happen at any time. He didn't know what to say, nor did Fizz at this point as they feared for their life, even if Luca and Oskar had nothing to do with Fizz. It was clear he wanted their blood, and she says this.

Fizz Raab: "Markus has seen the letters. He came over last night, and he made sure I was safe."

Konrad Raab: "Really?"

Fizz Raab: "Yes."

Konrad Raab: "I can't just depend on him all the time. Like the PPV for an example. I know Markus and Samuel have matches a day after the PPV so of course, they can't be here to protect you. I don't know anybody else who'd protect you. Not even wrestlers in UGWC can be here to protect you."

Fizz Raab: "What about Jake?"

Konrad hit himself in the face as he completely forgot about the other Raab member of the family who could be here and protect Fizz from being killed, while away wrestling on the road. Konrad nodded, not even thinking about his cousin, but he has questions about it.

Konrad Raab: "I didn't think about Jake, but what if he's wrestling on that Sunday as well as Markus and Samuel do? I'm gonna panic and make myself sick in fear of you being dead when I come home."

Fizz Raab: "It's worth to contact him to protect me. It'll be great if he doesn't wrestle next Sunday, but if it comes to the worst, I'm afraid I may have to leave you and be with the kids."

Konrad Raab: "No, you can't leave me here by myself. I can't even trust myself, being on my own."

Konrad did have a point, with Konrad's alcohol problem, he wasn't able to be trusted on his own, but she knew the truth of the situation and said this.

Fizz Raab: "I only said that because I need to be safe as well. I know you feel you'd be in danger, but you can toughen up and defend yourself."

Konrad Raab: "Not with wrestlers telling me I need to get rid of my Black Ice Mask, I can't. I'm completely defenceless without it. I'm already losing myself respect as it is with SCW wrestlers."

Fizz Raab: "Because you're letting the Luca situation get in the way of achieving success. That's why you lost the match to Regan. You lost focus. Also, you allowing Gio and Damien to treat you like crap and you haven't done anything about it."

Konrad Raab: "I can't when they are telling the truth about my lack of happiness in wrestling, but Glory's right when I'm already regretting everything I'm doing and Regan hit me home when she said I'm throwing away my legacy. It's because of the fear and anger of you, our kids if Oskar and Luca attempt to find them and me losing our lives. It's too much for me to take and I can't make decisions on the spot."

Konrad crouches on the floor for a while, beating his head with his fist, repeating he's a useless and a horrible person as Fizz gets concerned with Konrad's trying to beat himself psychically and mentally. She says this.

Fizz Raab: "No, you're not."

Konrad Raab: "I am. Everyone in the entire world hates me. I hate myself, I'm going to die, and nobody will care I'm gone because I've treated everyone in SCW like garbage."

Fizz Raab: "I believe they care, especially when you need to tell somebody in SCW about this. You haven't been talking to anyone, due to your fear of people not wanting to know or care about your issues. I know for a damn fact Glory is worried sick about you. Why do you think she comes out to save you?"

Konrad Raab: "You honestly think after attacking her that she wants to hear me out? I don't think so. Why would she care?"

Fizz Raab: "Because she needs to know, simple as and then maybe, just maybe she'll understand the hell you're going through and why you act the way you do in the ring."

Konrad nods, Markus told Konrad to go and tell somebody in SCW, Fizz said the same, only with Glory being mentioned. While at least for the time being they gotten over that topic, Fizz holds up the envelope with German writing and the large printed urgent read. It was also sent via special delivery this time around. Fizz says this as Konrad got off his knees.

Fizz Raab: "Don't open it if you don't know who it's from."

Konrad Raab: "It's exactly like my eldest daughter's handwriting. I should know my daughter's handwriting by now thank you, Fizz. Now, let me open it in peace."

There was a slight rudeness from Konrad, but he wasn't able to help himself when Fizz knew Konrad's not feeling well mentally. He was feeling weak and vulnerable from what he's going through, especially it's about to get a whole lot worse when he found out, it was from Luca again, and he says this.

Konrad Raab: "Son of a bitch."

Seething through his breath after reading it wasn't from his eldest daughter at all as he decides to read it anyway and does so with a red pen used on white paper as he reads this.

Konrad.

Hope you haven't forgotten about the threats I've been giving you. How much fun it is to watch you lose your mind and get angry because of me and Oskar. It cuts through you, doesn't it when wrestlers in SCW see through your bullshit? Especially Glory you attacked, hm? We've been watching you get weaker and weaker because of me and Oskar.

I didn't tell you in the last letter, but we're going to live with Oskar's friend in Anaheim, California to track you and your whole disgusting family down consistently causing you nothing, but hell because you and them must die from the face of the earth. Nobody will care if you get killed by Oskar and me; we love making you upset and angry. It's going to be so much fun to throw grenades at your family and then fuck your wife with my massive dick and give her pain until I whip out the knife and stab her.

As for you, I'm going to shoot you in the fucking head. I'm coming down to that rumble PPV so you will remember my face, someone you will not run from. After all, nobody is going to protect you from me coming backstage and beat the fuck out of you. You're pathetic to the human world, and it's all because of me, even Gio and Damien controlling you that it's causing you to be confused and a weak, broken man who has no place in the wrestling business and I'm going to enjoy watching you lose once again.

See you on Sunday 2nd of June in Montreal, Canada; you blooded bitch.

Luca.

It was almost to the point that now, Konrad needed time as he says this immediately.

Konrad Raab: "I can't explain what he wrote. It makes m................"

He pent up so much anger that he vomits all over the living room floor, because of an anxiety attack from the letter and Fizz was immediately concerned,

Fizz Raab: "We need to discuss this when I come back from the bathroom. However, you clean up this mess you've made."

Konrad nods as things did need to be said on what was written as his vomit was everywhere in the living room floor. He got some kitchen roll and cleaned it up which luckily for them, it was on a wooden floor, so it was easy to clean. Fizz came straight down and saw Konrad, shaking and seething with him making a fist and says this.

Konrad Raab: "Luca's coming to the PPV next Sunday. He wants me to remember his face and beat me down. Fuck, nobody is going to protect me if I'm being beaten."

Fizz Raab: "I suggest you bring your Black Ice mask, just for protection."

Konrad Raab: "No, I've ditched that mask for good. I will be wearing a mask to the Rumble match, but it's a mask I need to show you, something I received from Gio and Damien I need to explore and feel it in me."

Konrad unzips his bag with the concern of his wife as he shows a red, green and blue mask, leaving his wife without anything to say until she realised something from the show yesterday.

Fizz Raab: "So, was that why you were calm?"

Konrad Raab: "Yeah. I need to wrestle with it on, one time to know more about it."

Fizz Raab: "I understand, but I'm concerned like Glory is you're going downhill with everything going on. Please, don't do things you'll regret for the rest of your life."

Konrad Raab: "I can't promise you anything that whatever happens with that mask in the rumble on Breakdown, happens, even if the entire roster wants my head. I need to be sure if it'll go down well or not. If not, I will ditch it as I have with my Black Ice mask."

Fizz nods at Konrad, understanding about having to use his red, blue and green mask for the upcoming rumble match, especially it was for every person themselves, so it was perfect for him to give it a go. Konrad at times had to learn to take risks, even if he doesn't feel this mask talks to him, but it could also as he only wore it a couple of times that weren't very long at all, just five minutes if that.

Konrad Raab: "I need to have time on my own for a bit. I need to smoke cannabis, and I need to let my anger out as I feel angry inside. Then when I come back, we'll have some loving time together."

Fizz Raab: "Alright. I love you."

Konrad Raab: "Love you too."

Konrad hugs Fizz tight, and they kiss each other before Konrad goes down to his special room to have his own space away from Fizz and smokes a couple of cannabis cigarettes he needed for his medication. After that, he goes to the gym area, and Konrad puts on his boxing gloves on before he punches on a punching bag, letting his anger out for almost three hours after the letter he received from Luca. 

As he takes his gloves off, he closes his eyes and breathes in and out a few times before Konrad heads up to the bedroom to see Fizz waiting for him as he thought about telling her about Luca and Oskar moving to Anaheim with their friend. However, he decides to leave the topic for tomorrow, and they closed the doors with them moaning and making noises, even some screams a bit late on before they head off to sleep half an hour later.

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Discussing problems at home. Brooklyn, New York. Thursday 30th May (Off camera)

It's one of those times where Konrad needed to talk to someone besides his family and his mental trainer about things escalating more than it should in the ring. It felt like Konrad was giving up on himself to a point he resorted to doing the one thing that helps him take the feeling of the pain away, drinking beer. There are three empty glasses with Konrad, feeling lost in his mind, feeling he couldn't do anything.

There was commentary on a baseball game, making a lot of noise with a few people in the bar, drinking happily. He's sitting on a table, expecting somebody to show up as the barman brought two more pints of beer to place on the table. All of a sudden, as he was finishing his fourth beer, his expected visitor arrived. A visitor who was standing at the door, but discusses the arranged meet up. It turns out the visitor was Glory Braddock who came to sit with Konrad and says this while he starts drinking on the fifth beer.

Glory Braddock: "I got to be honest with you, I nearly didn't come this afternoon because of how your behaviour has been the last few weeks in the ring. Not only that, but I know you're getting yourself way too upset lately."

Konrad Raab: "How do you know?"

Glory Braddock: "For starters, you've had four glasses, even attempting to drink six beers and two, I saw you last Wednesday night, urinating in the alleyway, falling over as you walked, shouting some random nonsense, you honestly think I'd be that daft to not know about that?"

Konrad Raab: "I guess not, but I needed to drink because I want to remove pain, and when I drink beer, I feel better."

Glory Braddock: "What's wrong with you, mate? Do you not care about your kids? Do you not care about anything?"

What Glory said to Konrad crushed him, he places his head down in shame, barely able to speak to her, although it was he who arranged the meeting. Glory puts the two glasses of beer on another table, and she says this.

Glory Braddock: "Well, what did you want me here for? Because I'm sure you didn't send me here to watch you get all angry at the world again."

Konrad Raab: "I know we've not had the best of starts in terms of getting to know one another, but there's a lot of things I'm going through right now."

Glory Braddock: "Just tell me one thing, mate. One thing; why haven't you gotten rid of Black Ice?"

Konrad Raab: "Because my family and I are going to die."

Konrad shouted from the top of his lungs and then he places his face down on the table with tears appearing on the table with everyone looking at him. It only made him want to drink beer as he looks up with tears coming down from his eyes, but Glory shakes her head. Glory sees everyone, looking at them while stating to everyone to continue with their drinking and that she'll talk to him about it as she says this with the people in the pub continue to watch the game.

Glory Braddock: "Talk to me more about it, Konrad. What's going on at home?"

Konrad Raab: "I've been getting death threats by letters from a bully at school named Luca and Oskar in Germany. They want to use guns, knives and grenades on my family and me to kill us and rape my wife while I wrestle every Wednesdays who said they have no problems killing my family before me. They know where I live and what my house looks like. I can't defend myself and my family without The Black Ice mask."

Glory Braddock: "I understand why you're so scared and angry, I can't imagine how difficult it is to control yourself when these guys from the sounds of it can find a way in your home and murder your family, especially when you're away from them. Have you gone to the police about it?"

Konrad Raab: "No, because the letters are coming from Germany, well for now. They know a friend who lives in the same area as me, and they said in the letter before I came here that they are planning to live in America with that friend."

Glory Braddock: "But surely, you must recognise the writing from Luca."

Konrad Raab: "I wish I could, but he writes in many different styles, even the time he wrote the letter when I got home from Breakdown last week, it was exactly like my eldest daughter's from my previous relationship's handwriting."

It was worse than expected with Glory, being in shock of Konrad not being himself. It was also clear he needed someone to talk to as well of him feeling alone, not been able to keep in touch with anyone. The waiter asks if everything is alright and Glory reassures them it is and Glory's request for water.

Glory Braddock: "Do you know what the friend's name is or where they live at all?"

Konrad Raab: "No."

Glory Braddock: "Well, maybe when you find out their friend's name and where he lives, you can report it to the police so they can protect your family and yourself."

As Glory receives her water, she thanks the waiter and drinks some of it, she says this, while acknowledging Konrad's feeling of pain.

Glory Braddock: "I wish you came to me a lot earlier about the family situation at home."

Konrad Raab: "Yeah, well, after everything I've done to you, I thought you wouldn't want to see me."

Glory Braddock: "After hearing you out, I'm glad I did. It was clear you were hiding something but didn't know what."

Konrad Raab: "It's not something I want to tell you in front of SCW wrestlers or even in public now, is it?"

Glory nods at Konrad, now knowing why he got himself pissed every single night and trying to get himself pissed now, although this time around, it failed, and she says this.

Glory Braddock: "No, of course not. I also know from the nonsense you've ranted you've put yourself down badly, saying you're a horrible person because you attacked me. Do you feel guilty about attacking me?"

Konrad Raab: "Yes."

Glory Braddock: "A wrestler has a lot of weapons at his disposal, mate. Those weapons are deadly and can cause trouble if you cannot control those weapons, if you cannot control your own self. That was the one lesson my father stressed more than anything else. Control and appropriate use of your weapons. I think what you have to understand is everyone makes mistakes, but you are out of control with your anger, mainly because of Luca and Oskar threatening to kill your family."

Konrad Raab: "I keep owning up to what I've done to you, but I keep repeating it, and I don't like hurting you. I want Gio and Damien to leave me alone. I wanted SCW management to get them out of my matches, but I guess they didn't listen."

Glory nods, fully understanding why Konrad wasn't able to stop attacking people from out of nowhere, even Damien and Gio are getting affected too, and Konrad tried to reach for the beer, but Glory shakes her head as she gets to the situation with Konrad's tears dried up.

Glory Braddock: "You are being controlled; that's another reason why you're out of control. That's why I come out to stop you. It might feel like I want to hurt you, but it's more to stop you from doing things you shouldn't. You acted differently after the match like you were calm."

Konrad Raab: "That mask is something I need to figure out and wrestle with in the rumble. I have to as I want to find out more about it, what benefits me and what doesn't as I never really experienced it properly in the match."

Glory could understand that he was given a new mask and wanted to explore it and if he didn't like it, he could always forget about that like Konrad's done with The Black Ice mask he's ditched. Glory says this about the drinking situation.

Glory Braddock: "I understand, but the drinking thing, it will lead you nowhere except down a dark path that you may not be able to come back from. It won't solve your problems. Taking action by informing the police once you find out where the friend lives in advance will, not attacking me and others and keeping in control of yourself will. I know you think I hate you, but I don't. Hate is a strong word and I'm not sure there's I truly hate. I just want to help you, Konrad. That's all."

Konrad Raab: "Really? You don't think I'm a horrible person?"

Glory Braddock: "No, you aren't. I always keep an eye out on you. Please whatever you do, contact me if you ever feel down so we can talk and don't drink any more beer. You don't need it and protect your family at all costs and do the best you can to do that, even having a family member with you, like your brother."

Konrad Raab: "I will. Thank you for talking to me."

They stood up from the table, leaving the empty pints of glasses on the table as Konrad hugs Glory for a bit and he lets go from Glory and walks away from the table. However, because of her knowing about Konrad's drinking problem, Glory watches Konrad leaving the pub, in case he goes to have a drink once again, and she stands outside of the pub until Konrad walks back to his hotel. A guy Konrad knew places his arms around him, putting his thumbs up at Glory. Once that happens, Glory leaves the pub also to head back to her hotel room.

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Needing to proving myself more than ever before to win Taking Hold Of The Flame Rumble match youtube.com shoot. (On camera)

“I won't deny things have gotten way out of hand lately, in regards to my actions. I'm a big target in the match where everyone will get their hands on me, and I deserve that. I also deserve to get my head smashed against the ring posts because of my mistakes. I don't want to be a horrible person, doing bad things to people. I've not coped with it at all, and it's not just Gio and Damien either. I'm also having a lot of trouble back home as well, things I can't discuss because it's so severe. That's the main reason why I've not made my own decisions or had any focus on my matches because I'm more concerned with what's going on at home than in SCW.

The problem is Gio and Damien aren't wrong, I have been unhappy with my career and make me want to change, being more aggressive. Also Glory and everyone else, you haven't been wrong either, I am letting Gio and Damien control and playing sick games with me. I even demanded to SCW to keep Damien and Gio out of my match with Regan so I can give her my best, so I can prove I'm capable of fighting them myself, but that wasn't to be.

At the same time, I do want to be more aggressive; I want to change my attitude to crave for winning and seeking more SCW title opportunities than just being a guy who only targetted the TV title. I don't agree with what Gio's doing with the title, tarnishing it after the hard work Selena's done for the belt. He isn't a rightful champion because he doesn't even want the US title to begin with. I can't deny Selena, Regan and Glory are the main threats to me in the match, showing passion and dedication to SCW, consistently, due to what I've done to them lately.

Although Regan always saw me as a guy who doesn't care for being the top wrestler in SCW. I wasn't wrong when I said before the title match, I haven't earned or deserved the shot for the SCW title, more so now with my actions and wanted to win the Adrenaline and US title before capturing the SCW title. You demanded me to change to be more aggressive towards my goals, allowing nothing to stop me. Now you want me to be the guy from last year who didn't show any sort of care for wanting to be in the rumble, a guy who allowed Jason Helms to poke fun at me for his games and majority of SCW roster laughing and joking with him? No, I refuse to be that guy again because I got sick of it and this is what I needed, at the same time of me, still wanting to destroy Gio and Damien out of SCW.

I'm slowly able to realize things in a new way now. Thanks to this multicolour mask, I'm accepting of my anger, letting out when I need to, but in a controlled environment that I don't lose it at wrong wrestlers like Glory, Selena and Regan lately who don't deserve what I've done to them. I have to own up to my mistakes, even if I repeat them.

I'm not apart of Wonderland, I never needed to be because I seek for glory, I've busted my ass to be prepared for this THOTF rumble that I announced my entry at the end of the year rumble to prove the entire world wrong. Do I have conflicting arguments of what all of you say? Yes, but I'm not allowing rubbish to get to me and being my own man to do everything possible to win this rumble. 

I'm going to throw out everyone that's left in the ring and be the last man standing to overcome everything that's stacked against me, realising it's every person for themselves out there. It's something I've never had any confidence with, and you're right if you say I still don't, but better than I had last year. I'm a threat to everyone, but I'm going to be aggressive and angry because I want to win badly, needing and wanting to prove that I became a target from everyone for the right reasons.

I go to Rise To Greatness to face either Syren who has no dedication, pride or loyalty for SCW or the belt she holds as of late, faking an injury we all knew was a load of rubbish and Sienna, taking full advantage of Kelcey's health to a point, she'd turned Chris into a monster. I will be the last person standing in the ring and go to capture the SCW title that's in front of me, a situation I've never been in my four years of wrestling here. Prepare to be Iceinated by the Ice rainbow who will be the number one contender for the SCW title.”

[SnowQueenSCW]

I of the Storm

“The Secret of the Wonderland”


”Owen!” she called out as she rushed down the hall, trying to duck and weave her way through the people that stood there – watching the aftermath of the carnage. It was hard enough to run along the cold floors while she was still in her bear feet – she hadn't been allowed to replace the shoes she had broken the heels of earlier – but with each wrestler simply standing in the way – it was like an obstacle course for the platinum-blonde. 

Be that is it may, however, she could still see the bright red stretcher that was being wheeled down the hall a few yards ahead of her – long as she kept that in her sights, she could keep track of Owen...

Keep track? You sound like you care about him. How is that possible when you did nothing? her thoughts mocked bitterly, but she did her best to push them to the side. Yes, she had accepted that it was her fault that this had happened – but what could she do about it now? 

Angrily, she picked up the pace of her march, feeling her feet stinging with each step. She had done as she was told – been in Owen Cruze's corner tonight as he had challenged for the World title against Syren. And for the shortest of time, Selena had believed that Owen was going to succeed and actually pull off the upset. He was certainly in the position to, and Selena had known he had the talent for it-

But the Wonderland was not so kind – or at least Wonderland Championship Wrestling. The moment the young boy had something set up? Well, what was a loss when the title stayed in place? Dark Fantasy's philosophy and Selena had had to watch it unfold, starting with Crowe, then Ravyn, then CHBK and, finally, Christy Matthews, all coming out at different times to add in the assault on Owen, even after the bell was rung.

She felt the bile rising into her throat, the burning sensation migrating from her stomach, past her chest, to settle there, keeping her voice horse and in pain. All CHBK and Ravyn had had to do to keep Selena in line was wag their fingers and remind her that the boss had given her an order – she could watch but she could do nothing to get involved.

”Don't want to be fed to the Creature of the Wonderland, do you?” Ravyn had mocked. The brilliant psychopath had been one of the bigger names that had thrived under this new regime of disorder – mostly because it was how she had tried to function in SCW, so it wasn't much of a stretch or transition for her. Especially when it was getting her everything she wanted for her wife. Probably why she was the first person to sign up for Taking Hold of the Rabbit...

Biting her lower lip to realign her focus, Selena was just in time to spy the stretcher carrying the young Owen turn a corner. Aside from the few gasps of pain from him, the secretary had not heard much from Owen. Did he blame her for not jumping into the ring to help him when he was being mauled and ambushed? Did he understand that she didn't have a choice and that, by not getting involved, she was actually sparing him a far more dangerous encounter from Xander Valentine? Yes, it was sad Owen was not the World Champion – he deserved it, and if this were SCW, Selena was certain that he would have at least gotten a fair chance at the title. But this wasn't SCW – something even she found herself wishing wasn't true every day. Her job – even if it often got her in trouble - was to try to keep as many people alive as possible – keep people from snapping like James Evans or breaking like Konrad Raab... 

And maybe Owen would need an injury leave like Sienna – but at least he'd be safe from the Wonderland for a little bit. Safe from Giovanni.

The stretcher slowed as it reached the parking lot, the medical staff waiting until the back doors to the large ambulance parked there opened. Once they did, and as Selena finally caught up with them, she saw them lift everything – Cruze, stretcher, and all – into the back. “I'm sorry, Owen!” she was able to blurt out as she stood there. 

There was no reply. Either he hadn't heard her or he simply didn't want to. He has to understand... Selena thought, perhaps the most determined she had had on this horrible of days. He has to keep his hope...

But as she reached for metal bar that lined the inside of the back, and currently opened, door, wanting to pull herself in and go to the hospital with Cruze so she could tell him everything, her pale hand was snatching, painfully, by another who ripped the platinum-blonde away form the vehicle with a swift jerk.

“Where the hell do you think you're going?!” the voice was sharp, full of authority, but it was a voice Selena instantly recognized as fake in power – empowered only by her association with Giovanni Aries. She believed herself untouchable, much like Syren and the rest of Dark Fantasy. 

“I'm going to the hospital to look after Owen.” Selena replied coldly, yanking her hand away from the brunette. “I did what I was told, the show is over, so I am leaving, Sam.”

“Oh really?” the former valet/manager, turned partner/associate of the boss of WCW laughed, clearly amused. “I don't recall Giovanni giving you permission to leave.”
“I don't recall needing it when there's no more show.” Selena countered. “My free time is my free time.”

“Oh, and what are you going to spend that free time on?” laughed the shorter woman. “You got a family to go home to?”

The brunette always went this route – the nerve that irked the platinum-blonde. She knew – hell, everyone knew, thanks to Giovanni's tweets and promos where he slandered “failings” like Selena – that the young Frost had no family. No partner, no children, only SCW – and Giovanni delighted in the knowledge that he had even taken that from her.

For Selena, she hated being reminded of it – not so much that it was true, but rather... it didn't feel true. I mean, when you're single – you know it. You feel it. When you're alone, you know it. You feel it! she had often thought to herself. But Selena had never felt that way. Not entirely. To her, it felt like there could be a family out there for her. There could be someone out there for her. She had spent all her time here in SCW, but she was still conscious enough to recognize when she was attracted to someone – but quiet “rendezvous” with various superstars – men and women (as Selena had discovered about herself) – could only scratch an itch. She knew there had to be more.

Problem was, every time she tried to leave work. Every time she tried to go away for a time, there would always be the Wonderland, ready to pull her back in. While others were being driven out of the beautiful home that was SCW – now the wasteland of WCW – the Snow Queen found herself unable to leave it.

“You're just mad that I have standards.” Selena countered. “And my 'wonderland' is one you'll never visit, Sam.” reaching up, she pulled her glasses down to give the assistant a teasing wink, which earned a look of disgust from Sam.

“Right...” she pointed her finger inside her mouth, simulating a vomiting sound at Selena's antics.
“Catching something?” Selena tilted her head. “Maybe it's fatal! Wouldn't that be great?!”

She heard the doors to the ambulance slam shut behind her, quickly turning around, feeling the tight bun of her platinum hair barely shift. “I'm going.” she stated.

“No, you're not.” Sam countered. “Because Gio has more work for you to do.”
“He can't do that.” Selena stated. “My contract-”
“You want to take that up with him? Maybe this is for the new network he's got planning. Some 'extra bonus feature' for the Youtube channel? But, hey! If you're that worried about the kid, I can have Xander visit the hospital for you and give you updates on Owen's condition...”

Selena closed her eyes at that, taking a sad, deep breath. It was always the same threats from them – but why would they change when it always worked? And as she opened her eyes, the platinum-blonde could see the smug smile on Sam's face, the shorter girl equally as sure that she had won the argument.

“What is it he wants?” Selena asked, readjusting her fake glasses to their formal position on her face. It was only when Sam moved her one arm that was behind her back that Selena had realized it had been there the whole time. Yet, as Sam did, Selena was surprised when she spied what was in the woman's hand.

“Alice needs her exercise.” Sam stated flatly.

In her hand, a stark-white rabbit looked up at Selena and, immediately, the secretary could see the sapphire eyes, filled with fear as it beheld her.

“You've got to be kidding.” Selena huffed.
“Hardly.” shrugged Sam. “She's going to need to be in great shape for the big Pay-Per-View match.”

The stupidest match idea I've ever heard! Selena's mind roared. Like everything else in SCW, Giovanni had taken the notion of the Taking Hold of the Flame Battle Royale – something that had been symbolized as the epitome of stamina, talent, luck and strategy (defining characteristics of SCW) – and twisted it until it was a damn joke! Now, the match was “Taking Hold of the Rabbit”, where, for an hour, superstars would run around the ring and even the arena (if necessary), trying to catch this poor creature. The person holding it at the end of the hour was declared the winner. Course if the rabbit died from being trampled or if no one was holding the title, well... Giovanni wasn't afraid to have no one be the number one contender for the World title. Not like he owes the fans anything... Selena thought bitterly.

“Doesn't he have any respect for the royale?” She suddenly blurted out. “For Odin's sake, he won it last year! Doesn't that mean anything to him?!” 
“Yeah, that's why he's made it better!” Sam countered with a smirk before thrusting the poor creature into Selena's hands. Fortunately, the young Frost was quick to take him, but it was only when the rabbit was being held by her that she could feel it's small form – and how much it trembled.

“Poor thing is scared to death!” Selena balked. “What did you do?”
“Nothing.” Sam shrugged in reply. “He's Gio's pet.”

Biting her lower lip, Selena looked away. “Where's her leash?” she asked.
“What leash?”
“The one that allows me to take her on a walk so she doesn't run away.” Selena replied, annoyed.
“Pfft! No leash.” Sam laughed.
“What if she runs?!” Selena asked in disbelief.
“Better catch her then. No rabbit, no match... think of all the people you'll let down... because I'll be sure to tell them who's to blame.”

“You guys are unbelievable...” Selena huffed.
“Believe it!” Sam teased, her mouth hanging open in a wide smile. “And think of it as practice! Cause Giovanni signed you up to take part in the pay-per-view match!”

“He what?!” Selena's spine went stiff and her mouth hung open for a moment before her anger regained control. “I don't want to be in it! I don't want to be in the main-event at Rise to Grea- Wonderment.” she quickly corrected herself, knowing what trouble a slip of the tongue could get her. 

“You don't want to be World Champion?” asked Sam.
“No!” Selena spat.

Deep down, she only wanted to be the SCW United States Champion. It had been her dream to hold that title, a dream that she had finally achieved a few weeks before Giovanni took over – now? There was no United States Title. It had been abolished and destroyed by Gio and Selena turned from Snow Queen to Snow Secretary. All to hurt her – the supposed 'general' of the Lizard king army.

“Well, too bad.” Sam shrugged before turning on her foot and skipping away. “Have fun!” she offered insincerely before she was out of sight.

“Son of a whore...” Selena growled under her breath, wanting nothing more than to plant some kind of wrestling move on that woman – something painful like her old “Frost Bite” submission. Her body tensed, but she forced her hands to remain loose, due to the small creature in her hands.

With that thought in her mind, sapphire eyes met sapphire eyes as Selena looked down at the small bunny. The little thing was so small, it could almost fit inside Selena's one hand. It was curled up in a ball, still shaking, and terrified.

“Poor thing.” Selena whispered, lowering her head to give the bunny a small kiss on the head, if only to try and tell it that she wouldn't hurt it. The bunny, Alice, shifted a little but otherwise didn't move. “I guess we're both prisoners here, huh?” Selena offered before she started to walk, her feet still stinging from walking barefoot all night. She remained silent as she walked throughout the arena, only making a sound when a step hurt a bit too much and made her wince. 

“Sorry.” she whispered to the bunny. “I'm usually faster on my feet- AH!” she gave a short cry as she felt a shooting pain in her arm. When had she injured her arm?! No one had laid a hand on her. Not even Dark Fantasy during Syren's match with Owen Cruze – they hadn't needed to. Still, there was no denying aching pain that gripped Selena's right arm, causing her drop to a knee and her sore arm to go limp...

Sadly, it was the arm that had been holding the bunny, and whether Selena had been kind to it or not, the creature was not going to throw away a chance at freedom! With barely a look at Selena, the white furball scampered off, running down the hall and down the stairs – having no idea where it was going, just knowing it needed to escape.

“No!” cried out Selena! She couldn't let the bunny escape! Who knows what Gio would do if that happened! And not just to her, but to anyone else that was still here that Selena cared for! Taking a deep breath to steady herself against the sudden pain in her body, the secretary pushed herself up and gave chase to the creature. “Alice! Get back here!” she called out, running as fast as her sore feet would allow, but it was like the rabbit was mocking her. It would dash a few yards ahead of Selena, look around a bit before putting on a burst of speed to regain it's distance from the platinum-blonde, forcing Selena to keep running nonstop after it.

How long she chased that damn rabbit, Selena was not sure – enough time for her to make a dozen or so Elmer Fudd references, that was for sure. In fact, she had switched to Wile E. Coyote by the time she had realized that she was, once again, backstage in “the depths” of the arena. “Super genius...sure you are...” Selena huffed, mocking herself as she looked around, her eyes desperately seeking any flash of snow-white that wasn't her hair. 

Fortunately, she spotted Alice scampering over some wires and under a skyjack, which Selena rushed too just before the creature slipped under the skyjack and out the otherside, going down another hall... which lead to a dead end.

“Oh, thank you.” Selena whispered, now standing at the hallway's exit, effectively cornering the white bunny. “Okay, Alice.” Selena huffed. “No more games – I'm taking you back to Giovanni.”

The rabbit seemed to look at Selena for a moment before turning its head to look behind itself. Seeing its focus elsewhere, Selena followed Alice's gaze to the pair of wooden doors – the same ones she had fled from earlier today.

“No...” Selena warned, holding up her hand as she slowly approached the bunny. “Alice...don't even think about it...”

But it seemed that Alice was done thinking about it. In a flash of white, she had, somehow, slipped under the door, using the space between it and the floor.

“Dammit!” Selena yelled in a panic, rushing over to the doors that had that same snake-thing put into it. “Alice!” she called out, banging on the wood. “You come out of there this second! You understand!”

No answer.

“I'm not kidding around, Alice!” she warned again. “You think I'm coming in there after you? Hell no! You want to get eaten by 'The Creature of Wonderland', then be my guest!”

Again, no answer and, for a moment, the platinum-blonde feared that the poor bunny had been eaten by 'The Creature'...

Not that Selena had any idea what the creature ate... in fact, there was little known about the creature, other than it was the ultimate punishment for those that defied Giovanni and The Wonderland. A creature supposedly more terrifying than Xander and – well, Selena had heard enough rumours and tales from the roster, staff and even Giovanni – enough for her to believe that there was a chance Alice was part of a rabbit-stew (speaking of Looney Tunes).

“What do I do?” she thought in dismay. She couldn't go in there! No one ever went there! But if she didn't, there would be no PPV main-event. The roster that was here would kill her and Giovanni... what the hell would he do to Owen? To Regan when she came back?

Frustrated, she wrung her hands together till her fingers hurt from the twisting of her digits. “Dammit!” she muttered. “Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!” she continued to mutter under her breath-

Come back to me...

The voice wasn't hers... but it was the same voice she had heard the last time she had passed this door!

“Great...now I know I'm crazy.” she sighed, resting her head against the cold iron of the door handles, which were black rings attached to the door. Perhaps it was that “insanity” that spurred her next move: as she pulled one door open with all her strength (for it was heavy). 

There was nothing before her that she could see. Only darkness.

“Alice?” she called out from the doorway, hoping the bunny would see the light from the door and come scampering out. But when she didn't, Selena slowly took a bare-foot step into the room and into the darkness. “Come on, girl.” Selena called out, her eyes desperately trying to adjust to the dark room. Reaching out, she kept her hand along the side of the wall, sticking to the outline as she continued to move further inside. With each step, she felt her heart leaping into her throat.

Slowly, her eyes began to adjust to the darkness, but what she saw...baffled her.

Nothing. First and foremost, the room was massive, like a section of an underground parking lot – in fact, that was what the space reminded her of most, with the pillars near her and off in the vast distance and a concrete ceiling that looked like both the ceiling for her and the floor to the level above. Was this room the shortcut to the parking lot of the arena? Selena had been sure she already had passed that space earlier.

Still, she was able to take a calmer breath before taking actual steps into the full interior of the room, her eyes scanning the ground for any sign of white. It made sense that this room was empty – wasn't it Giovanni's M.O to play to people's fears and uncertainties? He had broken people like James and Konrad by making them doubt their place in SCW – and it had been enough to amass a force that had gained him control... 

Thanks to my mistake... Selena sighed glumly, running her hands through her platinum hair. As she did, however, her eyes spotted the bolt of white that scampered across the floor, darting past her foot and heading right for the doors! “Hey!” she called out, spinning around just in time to see the white rabbit take what, she guessed, was a left turn at Albuquerque and was gone from sight – not because the bunny had slipped down another hall, but because as Selena ran towards it, the doors slammed shut in front of her!

“Hey!” she yelled out, banging on the doors before reaching down to check for the same rings that had been on the other side. There weren't any. Nothing she could grab and when she pushed against the door, it would not give. “Sam?!” she called out. “Anyone?!”

There was no answer – except for:

Come back to me... but this time, Selena didn't hear it in her head. She heard it right behind her, as if the words were being breathed on her very neck, causing the small hairs on her skin to stand on edge. Almost as if... as if there was something behind her...

The panic and fear she had initially felt before entering this room was back with a vengeance, almost winding her. Slowly, she turned herself around -

“Oh gods...” she barely squeaked at the creature that seemingly appeared before her. It was so beyond anything real that she had to shut her eyes – but it was like someone was pulling her eyes open to flash a light into them, for the creature's glare went right through, blinding her for a few seconds.

“Conceal... Don't feel...” she whispered desperately to herself, trying to calm nearly out of control heartbeat. Her hands were clenched into fists at her side and all rational thought was put into repeating her mantra.

Yet, after a minute of nothing happening to her, one thought slowly emerged in the platinum-blonde's brain. Why hasn't it eaten me yet? even the bright lights that had been blinding her from its gaze were dimmed.

Slowly, she cracked one eye open. It was still there, looking at her – and it hadn't really moved, but then again... it hadn't really moved. Opening the other eye, Selena was able to see all of the thing before her. That's all she could call it – a thing. Not to be rude or anything but because there was no animal that even remotely resembled it.

It had a muzzle and a gilly fan that surrounded its face, like a catfish meeting a samurai-fish, if that made any sense. It had the longest neck she had ever seen and a round, almost plumb body with wings that were strapped to its form by long straps. Looking beyond it, she could see a rather long tail twisting left and right as it sat there, its emerald-green eyes locked on her. But the one thing that stood out to Selena were the massive claws that the creature held in front of it. The digits were long, but slender and sharp-looking and each one was connected to the next by some kind of webbing that ran up to just below the first knuckle of each claw. The two claws both looked like they could hold her entire frame within – deadly weapons not of this world...

“What the hell are you?” her breath hitched as she whispered, the creature tilting its head at Selena's voice. 

Come back to me...

It was that voice again – and Selena could not hear the softness in it, the allure of it, the same allure she had felt to go into this room the first time she had stumbled upon the doors earlier today after her meeting with Giovanni and his horde. “Was...was that you calling me?”

The creature merely rolled its head as an answer – what that meant, Selena had no idea. But again, she heard that voice say the same thing. “Come back to you?” she asked, hesitantly taking a step closer. “What do you mean? I've never been here before.” she stated. “And we've never met.”

A huff and what sounded like a cry came from the beast as it leaned closer to stare at Selena, causing the young woman to almost jump back to the wall. If she had, however, she might have missed the shimmer of light that bounced off the tears that were running down the creatures face. Selena had seen a similar look before – on the face of Alice, the bunny, that had scampered away.

“Are...are you trapped here too?” Selena asked. “Is it Giovanni? Xander?”

The creature turned its head, motioning towards the straps that wrapped around its back before turning back to look at Selena. While the space was certainly big enough for her, she saw that the creature – though she was unsure where it had come from when she had seen this room empty moments before – could barely fit within its heights. It had to remain on all fours to keep itself from banging its head on the ceiling.

What...what do I do? she thought to herself. Do I... do I let it go?
Oh there's an idea! Then it can eat you as a 'thank you'!
If it wanted to eat me, it could have done so with those claws and teeth!
Come on! This is 'The Creature of the Wonderland'! There's a reason Gio had this thing locked up! 

Despite the inner way within her mind, Selena's legs seemed to move of their own volition as she walked around the creature, her hand shaking as it reached out slowly to place itself on the creature's side. The beast didn't move or even stir as Selena felt its, surprisingly, soft skin. Yet, as she did, there was something oddly familiar about it – as if she had felt this skin before. 

Come back to me... the voice urged, but Selena heard no measure of coaxing from the voice. Rather, it sounded urgent, as if it needed Selena to return to it – as if it couldn't live without the Snow Queen... almost like a...like a...

Like a lover... Selena's heart swelled inside her chest. Was that it? Was this voice the missing piece she had longed for outside this damned Wonderland? Was that what this creature was trying to show her?

Casting her eyes away from the creature's face, Selena spied the straps entrapping the creature's wings, limiting its ability to – Selena assumed – fly. For a second, the platinum-blonde scanned the straps, looking for a release or harness. The buckles of bronze and silver were not hard to find against the creature's green and brown colored skin. 

The second you do what you think-

She silenced the voice with a mean shake of her head, inadvertently undoing her hair bun and freeing her braid. She felt the long hair tumble out and she almost trembled and wept at almost forgotten feeling of her platinum-blonde hair swishing against her. Yes, she was taking a gamble, risking everything... but what was left for her here? Her destiny denied day after day? Watching those she cared for suffer? A life alone? 

Risking it all... that's what SCW had meant before Giovanni. That's what Taking Hold of the Flame meant before Giovanni! Risking everything for a single shot at something incredible! Something... something of greatness! 

“And I'm...” Selena said with a shaky breath before ripping at the strap buckles. “I'm taking it!” she roared as she yanked the straps loose, undoing them and hearing the leather fall to the floor with an odd sound. Immediately, the massive wings, once confined, stretched out to fill a large section of the room, the creature turning its head and body to squarely look at Selena. It bore its emerald-green eyes straight into its liberator.

“N-n-now what?” stammered the Snow Queen as she stood there. But her question did not immediate receive an answer as there was a loud banging on the door.

“Selena!” she recognized that voice. It was Giovanni. “The hell are you doing in there? Where's my bunny?!”

There were a few more strong bangs on the door causing Selena jerk back – startled. Quickly, she turned back to the creature, her own eyes pleading. “He's going to kill me – maybe you -” she said. “That's what he does. He doesn't care if this place burns or thrives. Long as he's ruling it!” she tried to explain. “Please if...if you're that voice... take me with you!”

The creature shook its head from side to side before it lowered it to stare into Selena's eyes – emerald meeting sapphire. But the way the creature's eyes were – so beautiful to the young woman – she could see wisps of white, like stars there, and...and something else... the white mixing together to form a face and form...

“Look, I don't care why you did it.” the beautiful redhead pleaded. “I don't care if you were stupid. I don't care if you have to do it again! I don't care if you have to get revenge! I don't care if we have to delay the wedding. I don't care if you have use a wheelchair to go down the aisle because you're so stupid and stubborn and loving and caring that you'll just do it anyway rather than cancel it – I don't care! I just wish you could come back... Just please... Selena... come back to me...”

Wedding?
Aisle?
Loving and caring?

Selena's eyes widened as suddenly, as if pulling one's head out from the mist, she remembered – she knew where she had met this creature before... what she had been trying to come back to.

“Deanna...” Selena whispered. She had been trying to get back to Deanna! Her wife! The thought filled her with a mixture of need and rage just as the door was kicked open, the fur-coat wearing Giovanni Aries storming in.

“SECRETARY!” he roared, holding out his LSD cigarette. “I gave you a job-”
“Where is she?!” Selena roared back. “Where's Deanna, you son of a bitch?!”
“Who?” Giovanni asked.
“My wife!” Selena spat.
“How the hell should I know?” the owner asked with a shrug of her shoulders. “I didn't think you had a wife – or swung that way...” he teased. “But it seems you've lost my bunny!”
“But I found your little secret.” she pointed her thumb at the creature that had been beside her.

Giovanni, however, turned his head to look before looking back at Selena. “What secret, Selena? There is noone here but you and me.”

Turning her head, Selena was shocked to see that the winged beast was gone – not a trance of it remained. The entire room was empty except – as the boss had pointed out – for him and her. And my memories...of her... Selena thought as she took a deep breath and turned her head back to her 'boss'.

“I quit!” her voice caught him off guard.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“Yeah, I heard you. I just didn't think I'd ever hear 'The Face of SCW' quit it. Oh, this is amazing!” he rejoiced. 

A sad smirk graced Selena's lips. “Yeah, I quit being the Face of SCW – because you made me realize there was something I needed to be more than that?”
“Oh?” grinned Giovanni. “And what exactly is that?”

It was the last time Selena would see the man grin like that, for in less than a second, she had lunged towards the bastard that had taken so much from her – that had stolen everything but her love for Deanna – pinning him to the wall with one arm while the other cocked back, preparing to strike. Before her eyes, she saw Giovanni – the bastard that had smiled at the destruction of Mr. D. and laughed at the fear of her darling wife... 

Now, for the first time, it was his eyes that were showing fear, their gaze locked onto Selena's cocked arm. Following his gaze, Selena was shocked to see not the pale-white skin of her arm, but a green and brown claw with webbing between each digit. She flexed the claw that was her appendage before turning back to Giovanni.

“What is that, you asked?” she smiled. “What do I need to be more than The Face of SCW? I'll tell you...” she whispered. “The Destroyer of Wonderland!”
“Let go of me! I order you!” Giovanni roared, trying to use his authoritative power to control Selena.

“Jibber jabber...” Selena whispered, flexing her claw. “Jibber jabber – it's all jibber...it's all jabber..”

Those were the last words as she gave in, and struck the damn bastard – far more evil Vixen Cain, far more egotistical than Sienna Swann, far more dangerous than Red Rayne – 

She gave in and released her claw upon him before her vision went black.
__________________________________________

Hennepin Healthcare Clinic – Patient Resting Rooms Wing
June 15, 2019
2:22am

Sapphire eyes shot open and Selena almost ripped herself up to sit. But a staggering pain ripped through her entire body. Her arms, her back, her legs, nothing felt safe. Nothing felt good. She wanted to scream at such pain but there was no voice in her throat. She felt something there, silencing her, as if it was rammed in there, filling her lungs with air to keep her alive! 

Fear gripped her. Where was she? What the hell was going on? Desperately, she reached up within the dark room – the only illumination coming from the streaming moonlight from a nearby window – to try and feel the thing that was stealing her voice and filling her throat - 

And she almost screamed at what she saw. For in that moonlight, her own hand looked twice as big! It had thicker fingers and something between each one!

Is it still here?! she asked. What had happened to the WCW? Had she lost to Giovanni? Had the weapon from that creature – the claw that had morphed itself onto her hand – failed her? Was she to become a broken one like Konrad and James or join those that had failed like Owen and Sienna and be put on injury leave?

Wait... her mind snapped. That last part didn't happen... Owen is fine!

And as she thought that, staring up at her altered hand, her other senses – at first overwhelmed by the pain she was in, came back. And she could feel a warmth on her 'deformed' hand, as part of it moved and flexed, the webbing revealing to be another set of fingers that squeezed her hand tightly before drawing it back to the bed. Selena watched its journey, fascinated, as her hand lowered to be held tightly by the sleeping woman beside her, the glowing moonlight showing the bright red of her hair.

Selena's eyes widened. Deanna! her mind screamed. She tried to speak the name but could not. With that name, though, came the flood of memories – the events of what had happened. She had been falling, heading to the ground, thrown off the scaffold by Giovanni – meaning she wasn't the United States Champion anymore... Selena didn't allow herself time to morn that, instead focusing on what her thoughts had been as she had crashed to the earth.

Xander...attacking my bus... going after Deanna...

Carefully, Selena lifted her hand that Deanna held in her sleep, using it to stoke her wife's cheek. At first, Deanna only stirred a little, but as Selena continued, her young wife seemed to blink her eyes open. “Stop moving.” she moaned, taking Selena's hand back into hers. “I just want to hold you.”

Selena would have giggled if she could have. Deanna, meanwhile, needed a second to fully awaken and understand what a moving hand from Selena would mean. The redhead's head shot up – emerald eyes meeting sapphire eyes.

“Selena!” Deanna gasped, pulling herself up out of the chair by Selena's bed to lean over it, her hands cupping Selena's face. “You're awake!”

Desperately, Selena's hands cupped Deanna's as well, the platinum-blonde checking every part of her wife's face that she could see. She tried to speak, but could only get a few groans and moans out from the tube. She wanted to rip it out! Angrily, with hot tears stinging her eyes, she tried to speak through it, but again, got no where, causing more tears.

“Easy...easy...” Deanna tried, taking Selena's shoulders to secure her to the bed. “Hold still and still relaxed.”

Despite herself, Selena closed her eyes and obeyed, breathing deeply to try and calm herself. At first, nothing happened, but suddenly, she felt her wife's gentle hands graze her face before the cord that was clogging her throat was pulled out, as gently as possible, in as swift a movement. Selena felt her throat burn and she immediately turned her head to cough and gag a little, but her stomach, fortunately, did not release its contents. She felt a small hand rubbing soothing circles on her back as her breathing calmed and the shock of having the breathing tube removed left her.

Turning herself back to lie on the bed, the Snow Queen gazed up at the redhead leaning over her, caressing Selena's face. “D...Deanna...” she whispered, her voice horse. “I'm so...so sorry...”

“For what?” Deanna asked in alarm. “I'm just glad you're okay.”
“I put...” her voice cracked a little causing Deanna to quickly reach over the nightstand to grab pitcher of water and paper cup. She poured a little into the cup before cupping the back of Selena's head with her free hand to help her. 

“Drink slowly.” she told Selena, aiding her as Selena sipped the water. A few cups later, Selena nodded her head and was set back on the pillow – though she used what strength she had (despite it hurting to move) to shift as far to the side of the bed as she could, hoping her wife would notice. Throwing the paper cup in the garbage, Deanna turned to see her wife... and the new space that was available on the bed. “Subtle.” she teased before crawling onto the bed. “I don't want to hurt you.” she suddenly said in alarm.

Instead of a spoken answer, Selena reached out to gently pull Deanna down to snuggle beside her, the bruised wrestler wrapping her arms around her wife as best as she could. 

“I put you in danger.” she finally said. “I'm sorry.”
She felt Deanna shake her head. “You didn't do that. Xander did.”
“Did...did he hurt you?” she felt a rage fill her at the question.
“No. Staff and Regan made sure he never got close.” Deanna whispered. “Just scared me.”

Instinctively, though it hurt a little, Selena squeezed her wife tightly. “I'm going to kill him.” she stated through her horse voice.

There was a moment of silence before she heard Deanna's voice. “I hope you do.” she admitted. “He's a monster...”

It was that word that made Selena re-remember her dream, lifting her right hand to gaze at the slender fingers and pale skin, feeling her wife drift back to sleep. You have no idea what a monster is, my love... she thought as she leaned down to kiss her wife's crown, her last thought a dark one as she, too, drifted back to sleep – this time away from her fears of a Wonderland company. 

But they all will know... soon enough...

_________________________________________

The Royal Letter

The camera opens up to the sound of bells chiming loudly as they tell the hour. They ring loudly from where the camera is, which is actually quite close. These are the bells of the Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal, Quebec, which stands by a few yards away from the nearby Maisonneuve Monument, the camera catching several different shots of the fountain/statues and the basilica. Yet, as the bells toll, another sound is heard, that of woman singing. 

Now... here is a riddle to guess if you can... sing the bells of Notre Dame...

The camera doesn't focus on the source of the song right away, but rather on two of the four mascarons, sculpted, chimera faces, and the faces of Charles Le Moyne, Lambert Closse and finally, of Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve... the words synching to their display.

What makes a monster and what makes a man?

The camera changes, finally, to a shot of the singer as she sits on the edge of the fountain, her gaze is towards the basilica and she wears a pair of tight blue jeans, a white, flowing blouse with long sleeves, and her hair is in its iconic braid. 

The bells of notre dame...

The singer, Selena Frost, takes a deep breath, before turning her head towards the camera. I know it's not much of a stretch. Me, singing a tune from Disney. But, given the weeks I've had, it's been something that's been running through my mind. And with tonight being...well Taking Hold of the Flame and being here in Montreal, Quebec, home of the Notre Dame Basilica... it seems almost... fitting? Destiny-based, perhaps?

The Snow Queen sighs.

I imagine many people are expecting me to make the same promise as everyone else, right, just in my own way? Vow to win the royale? Go to Rise to Greatness? Take on the World Champion? Throw my own little spin on it like 'The Unbelievable Main-Event'? The thing that I've wanted to do for years? Almost as much as I wanted to be United States Champion...

For a moment, Selena looks around the space surrounding her. Yeah, I'm not that anymore. After about five months of defending that title in every match I was in – being the workhorse of SCW – I'm not the champion anymore. It's funny because, you'd think that would be what motivates me to move on. Because, let's face it, I defended the title against former world champions. Hell, I defended the title more than anyone else, including the world champion, Syren. Yeah, while she was hiding with Ravyn in some hole, I was there doing my job – being the Face of SCW. 

And there are...so many issues now surrounding the U.S. Title that I don't even know where to start. The rage, the anger, the frustration of seeing what's happened to it? I won't repeat what my wife said – and if you're wondering if I put her up to that, I didn't. But do I stand by her words? One-hundred percent! And I think it's 'cute' that Giovanni wants to preach about 'freedom of expression' and then subtly tweets that my wife is going to be punished for her opinions. What happened to non-violence, Gio? 

Or does that only apply when it benefits you? Like every other 'ruling' and 'decree' you've made thus far?

Selena shakes her head. You know, I look at this – the past few weeks and I have to admit, this is the first time this year that I've been at a loss. I mean, start of the year, I hit the ground running. I became United States Champion, exposed Bree Lancaster for the whining, cowardly, egotistical brat that she is, and then just keep doing my thing in retaining the title. But now? After everything that's happened – I'm not sure where to after tonight. Part of me wants to go after Gio, get back the United States title. Another part of me...

Closing her eyes, Selena sighs. What makes a monster and what makes a man?

I mean, in the story, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, it was simple – especially the Disney version. Quasimodo was the person that looked like a monster but was truly a man underneath, while his 'master' Frollo looked like a man but was truly an evil bastard underneath. Simple really. At least from where the movie was concerned. But life isn't really that simple, is it?

I mean... I listen to all of you, the SCW Universe. I said it last time – some of you like Giovanni Aries. You like the Wonderland notion and you cheer along. I'm not saying you're wrong, but that is the luxury of being the audience. Of having the power that you deserve to have as the SCW Universe. You don't have to worry about your spouses being attacked by that mad man or his henchmen. You don't have to lie awake and relive those horrifying moments over and over again. You don't have to see your life flash before your eyes as you fall twenty feet into gods know what to break your fall – or break you...

Closing her eyes again, Selena looks a little lost in thought, as if reliving the memories of that horrid night a few weeks ago. She gives her head a little jerk before opening her eyes again. And because of that, I can't be on the same page as some of you. I can't see Giovanni or the Wonderland as something entertaining or joyous. I can't see his group as just a 'group of misfits' like what Jake Starr did years ago or some kind of fraternity like “Greatnerity” apparently was or even some kind of ruling body like “Monarchy” became.

All I can see is the evil being done. The people that have been hurt. And I'll direct this at Giovanni, but it's a question maybe the SCW Universe deserves to answer to.

Did Deanna deserve that, Giovanni?

Selena glares into the camera. 

You preached about how Mr. D. deserved the beating he got from Xander Valentine when the SCW creator simply wanted to leave with dignity and respect – which he has more than earned. What about my wife? What did she do? Despite my silence on social media, I did read Twitter. I saw Mikalea take you to task. And you, in typical coward fashion, couldn't give her a straight answer. You ducked and dodged the question on whether my wife deserved to be harassed like that. What was it you said? “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”?

The Snow Queen shakes her head. So you condone Xander's actions. That actually makes this a hell of a lot easier. Because I was already mad that you were willing to look the other way on Xander because you prospered by his distraction, but now that you're siding with him, further showing your happiness at what he's done to an innocent mother of three? It's made my decision a hell of a lot easier.

Because I'm not interested in making false promises about an “Unbelievable Main Event”. The Snow Queen takes a deep breath. It's true! There's forty superstars, only one can win. Most of them are airing promos going on tangents over “how they'll win” and I know someone as arrogant as Bree or someone from Dark Fantasy is going to proclaim it as “destiny”. Well, if everyone does that and there can only be one winner – do the math! It means thirty-nine people are going to be liars.

Do get me wrong. I would love to headline Rise to Greatness. You kidding me? Last year, I was in the top five. A previous year? I was the last person eliminated. I've come close practically every year to winning it but have always come up short. I would LOVE to stand tall and put that little check on my resume – that I finally won the Taking Hold of the Flame Battle Royale. That, after years of promising that “Unbelievable Main Event”, I can finally deliver on it...

She shakes her head. But I'm not going to do that. Because I'm not here, in Montreal, to be that woman... the wrestler that so many of you have cheered for. Not tonight.

I'm not here to “take hold of the flame” like everyone else is going to claim. I'm here...to be the fire that burns it all to the ground...

There is a moment of silence, the only sound being the wind that blows Selena's braid a little.

And while Giovanni is hiding away in a hole somewhere, though he has 'promised' a platform to make a statement, I can say that I don't mind that tonight. I want him to see, rather than experience this.

Because you were right about something, Giovanni. You kept telling the world how I cared deeply about the narrative of things. How I had to have things my way... and you were right. Yeah, I did – part of me still does. I don't want to be hated by SCW. I want to support them and I want to be an inspiration to them. I want to help build its future! And I can handle my name being dragged through the mud by roster members, like you've tried to do – not very original when you see my history. Your propaganda has nothing on Christy Matthews and Autumn Valentine when they were declaring me a 'traitor' for not 'doing enough for SCW'. I'd go as far as to say Regan Street and Sienna Swann did a better job of painting me in a harsh light.

But I will admit, hearing the fans cheer for your Wonderland, which condoned Xander Valentine's attack on Mr. D.? Condoned your attacking the board members back in August of last year? It unsettled me. But the more and more I have thought about it, the more and more something came to my mind...

Selena casts her gaze towards the basilica of Notre Dame. You know there are some people that believe the Devil in Christianity is the good guy while God is the bad guy? Yeah, hard to believe – maybe not for you because one of the people – one of your 'weapons' that you hide behind is “The Devil” Damian Angel – but for the rest of us, it's odd, right? I mean, this beautiful church, build out of inspiration and devotion to the supposed master of the universe – the notion that “God is love”. That things like marriages – like when I married Deanna – was done under some form of reference to God/gods... and yet, according to certain people's stories, he's the bad guy...

Like I am the villain to you and your Wonderland...

Selena clicks her tongue inside her mouth as she repeats. What makes a monster and what makes a man...

I think it's perspective. A person may be a traitor to one land but a hero and idolized in another. It's how you look at them and at yourself. Is that how you validate your choices, Giovanni? Is that how Xander Valentine is validating his actions? Justifying his rage against me and my family?

Because if it's as simple as that, then I can freely say... go ahead... see me as the villain of your Wonderland – I will gladly take on that role!

A pained smile breaks across Selena's face. You want me to be the villain in this story Giovanni? You want me to be your “lizard” whatever? I'll do you one better. I'll be the villain – I'll be the monster - that you've been too scared to talk about. Christianity has Lucifer and the multi-headed Cerberus in Revelations. And your Wonderland has one too. You've mentioned your tea-parties and your rabbits and let's not forget you, Mad Hatter, with the Cheshire grin... but one dark secret you've kept locked away? One secret of the Wonderland that you've neglected to tell us about?

It's not the Lizard King.
It's not the Lizard people.

It's the monster you've made me into – you and Xander. A monster I've come to know by name: The Jabberwock!

A second of silence passes as Selena stands to her feet, her eyes blazing. 

And as in uffish thought he stood, 
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, 
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood 
And burbled as it came!

A year ago, being such a creature would have terrified me. How could I be a fighter of good or inspiration to the SCW Universe to fight for what you believe in if I became such a creature? And yet... Selena turns her head back towards the basilica. Look at the Cathedral this work was based off of. The original Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris burned... years of tradition and work, destroyed in mere hours...

And yet... Paris did not break. The World did not break. They rallied together and prayed and are working to rebuild the Cathedral... because they believe in it. Believe in its beauty. Believe in its greatness...

Reaching up, Selena runs a hand along her braid. Which is why your Wonderland will never destroy SCW. You can burn us, break us, hinder us, execute us with your dog Executioner, Gio, but always, we will rise and come back and rebuild. Because you can destroy our bodies. Destroy our titles in fire, but like Notre Dame, the ideals cannot be so easily destroyed! The beliefs cannot be so easily shattered!

And if SCW can survive such fires... then I can be the Jabberwock and burn your Wonderland to the ground – even if I'm hated for it – because I believe SCW will survive and regrow and rebuild better than ever!

So...Giovanni, I hope you get it now. Understand the picture of what you've unleashed. Because tonight, I'm not looking for greatness or the spotlight. I'm coming for you, for Konrad, for Damian... but most importantly...

Selena's eyes narrow. I'm coming for you, Xander. Yes. I warned you that a price was going to be paid by you. See, you've been around long enough, you know the score. You know what we should do and what we shouldn't. I've forgiven a lot of people in my past that have done wrong to me or the people I've cared about – because I've made mistakes and been forgiven too. Regan, Kennedy, Rachel Tatum, Kelcey – I could go on. But I forgave people and they forgave me.

But you? You crossed the line, Xander. One that only one other person has crossed. I suggest you talk to him and see what happened to him before you two meet in the royale – his name is Chris Cannon – after he put his hands on my wife. Believe me, after all he's done, I'm hoping I can get a few good hits on him before I get to you.

Because make no mistake about it, Xander, I may have signed on to the royale, at first, to achieve my dream of “the unbelievable main-event” but now? After everything? I'm willing to burn right through that dream to get my hands on you. Because what you did? Endangering my wife?!

I have no forgiveness for you. And if I burn alongside you for it, then so be it! But Deanna? She deserved NOTHING of what you did to her. She deserved NOTHING of the fear you put in her. Her screams were the last thing I heard as I fell from the heavens into hell below. And they've been filling my ears and my nightmares ever since. The only thing that has kept me sane these last few weeks has been my mission to make you and Giovanni pay for it all. And while Gio can hide... you can't.

Because monsters don't hide, do they, Xander? That's what you want right? Me to fear you? SCW to fear you? Your mantle back? Selena shakes her head. You're not going to get it hiding in your house, having your messages delivered to us by video. You're going to get it by getting in the ring and fighting me. I can assure you that, even if I draw the first number, I WILL be there when you finally come out. And I won't rest until you are carried out!

Selena takes a deep breath, her eyes softening a bit. But to Regan, Kennedy, Glory, and... a small smile graces her lips. Rachel Tatum...I'm so happy to see you back... I wish it was under better circumstances. But tonight, I can't – no... I won't be the woman you all know. I won't be the sister you know, Regan. I won't be the wrestler you've seen me as, Glory. I won't be the Snow Queen you've known for years, Kennedy. I won't be the girl you knew, Rachel...

Not tonight. she shakes her head sadly, silently apologizing to the women she has come to see as friends and, in some cases, sisters. Regan, you know Deanna – you know what she means to me. You, too, Kennedy. Rachel as well. You know there are only two things in this world I love more than SCW – and that's her and my family. I'm NOTHING without her. 

And Xander was ready to take that away from me... and he and Gio are laughing at how close he came to doing it...

I can't... I won't be a wrestler tonight, my friends. I can't be “The Snow Queen” tonight. I need to be me: Selena Frost. A woman that's had the love of her life threatened. I need to avenge my wife, protect her, and punish that bastard that tried to hurt her! And I know all of you can understand, but Regan... you most of all... if it was David – your David...

Selena takes a deep breath. I pray one of you makes it to the end and headlines Rise to Greatness. You all deserve it. But until I am done, all of you... I am going to be burning out of control! I will be the blizzard that freezes, the fire that burns, and the Jabberwock that kills! So point me in the right direction and the get the hell out of my way. I'm saying that because I love you all and I can't promise that I'll not burn any of you tonight.

Reaching up, Selena wipes a tear from her eye before taking a breath to calm herself.

As for you, Xander, Gio and the Wonderland... she smirks a little, her voice a little darker. 

Beware the Jabberwock, my son! 
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Reaching up her right hand, Selena flexes it until it resembles something of a claw. Tonight, I will catch you, Xander. I will Frost bite you – and when your screams of pain and cries for mercy, from you 'oh great monster and executioner' – when your cries have silenced the memories of my wife's screams of terror, then, and ONLY then, will I dump you out of the ring... dump you at the feet of your master, Giovanni!

And after that – I hope to celebrate with the royale winner. 'O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'

Despite the joyous words of the poem, Selena's tone is still cold and dark.

Believe it, Giovanni... Believe it, Xander Valentine. And sing the bells of notre dame...

Once more, Selena flexes her hand like a claw. For tonight...and tonight only. I am NOT SCW!

The camera fades from the avenging wife – her path, dark as it may seem – all too clear...

[Kennedy Street]

OOC: Couldn’t finish the CD, so decided to just post a shoot. Sucks but is what it is.  



The Views Expressed by Your Sexy Flawless Diva Are That of Her Own and Do Not Reflect Those of the Publisher. Viewer Discretion Is Advised.

A FLAWLESS FLAME

(Click Title)

[HardyGirl]

OOC: Appearances with approval. Really enjoying this arc and where it will lead heading into RTG. Enjoy and good luck everyone!
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Taking Hold of the Flame #2

[Regan Street]

OOC: Big Turn For The Hellcat as we ride into RTG Season. Good Luck everyone.


Warning: The Comments and views expressed in this promo are those of Regan Helms and do not reflect that of the publisher. Viewer Discretion Is Advised.

A HELLCAT REBORN CHAPTER 8:
ENDGAME

(Click Title)

[Alistaire Allocco]

2 of 2: https://scwglorious.wordpress.com/2019/0...the-table/

[Rachel Foxx]

Being empathetic had never been one of Cassidy Carter’s strong suits. It was probably not at all surprise to most people, but to those who believed her uncaring and aloof nature was simply a character that she portrayed in the ring, they would be disappointed to find that it was her reality.  Cassidy had always been the kind of person who would step over a homeless person without a thought, or if she did give it thought, it was annoyance at the fact that they were in her way.  She wasn’t phased by stories of sick children or injured puppies. The first time she watched Old Yeller with the family, she laughed at the ending.  During her teenage years, she had been known to tear down missing pet flyers, or worse yet, call the owners to give them false hope, then laugh as she watched them waiting with eager anticipation for the return of their pets that would never happen.  She lived for the moment where their faces turned from excited anxiety to depression.  When forced to go to church each week, she made overt attempts to turn priests away from their vow of chastity.  The thought of ruining innocence was a sublime pleasure, and she was determined to be the dirt and filth to corrupt the pure white snow.  

As she grew older, the desire to corrupt weakened. It never truly went away, but she started to realize that not attending church at all was much more fun than trying to corrupt men of the cloth.  Her desire to corrupt any purity left in the world seemed to slowly dissipate.  There was a part of her that hoped this would be accompanied by a blossoming of empathy, but that never seemed to manifest.  She still had an air of apathy and coldness about her that allowed her to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others.  She was never the shoulder to cry on, and she despised anyone who came to her with their problems.  

The only exception to her rule of never allowing herself to take on the problems of others was Austin.  Somehow, he had managed to elicit feelings of affection and love from her icy heart, and a part of her resented him for it.  Austin was the only person whose problems she took to heart, though her usual solution was to punch something or somebody until those problems were gone.  For him, she would be a shoulder to cry on, and a listening ear to lighten his load...though, there was only so much she would take.  Over the course of their friendship and eventual marriage, they had developed a tenuously symbiotic relationship.  She allowed him to air his grievances, but he seemed to understand that there was a finite limit to what she would tolerate.  It wasn’t that she didn’t care, it was just that she was unfamiliar with this role.  In return for allowing him to unburden himself, she received some gratification at the thought that he needed her.  

The relationship between Austin and Cassidy was much like that between a shark and a remora.  At first glance, it would seem like the remora is the only one who benefits from the pairing, feeding off the shark’s scraps, hitching a ride through the ocean.  But, upon closer review, you learn that the relationship truly is symbiotic.  The remora also feeds of parasites that would attach themselves to the shark, and keeps them healthy.  The unseen benefit of her relationship with Austin, is that he seemed to humanize Cassidy.  He made her feel things that she thought she was incapable of, which seemed to ease her mind.  She would probably never be the person to stop and give money to a homeless person, but she at least knew that she was capable of feelings.  

But now, flying across the country, far from the filth and familiarity of Las Vegas, on a quest to check on her older sister’s wellbeing, she felt...annoyed.  While she had developed the ability to emote and feel, it seemed that ability did not extend past Austin...did it?

The plane ride gave her time to reflect on this...time to wonder if she was truly as heartless as she hoped she was.  The truth of the matter is, she could have always ignored the phone calls from her parents.  She knew why they were calling, she had seen the not-so-cryptic tweets from Cailey...everyone had.  She had even used them to engage in one of her favorite pastimes, picking on Simon Lyman.  She truly did hate him, from the moment that her sister lowered herself to the insufferable wannabe Superman’s level.  Cassidy had always thought that Cailey was better than him, and she hated her sister for allowing herself to be ensnared by such a horrible bore.  Cassidy hated the air of self-righteousness and altruism that always emanated from him, and she made no attempt to hide this feeling at family functions.  She constantly picked on him, showing her absolute disdain for him.  Simon, to Cassidy’s absolute frustration, seemed to brush it off as hazing and teasing.  He seemed to have this annoying belief that they were friends, and that she was just teasing her sister’s partner as most sisters would.  He constantly invited Cassidy and Austin to double dates, and sent them Christmas cards.  

Cassidy had never taken the time or effort to consider where this hatred came from.  She had always assumed it was her belief that Simon was a phony.  No one was as nice as he liked to present himself.  If life had taught Cassidy anything, it was that there was a darkness in everyone.  Those who smiled the biggest held the fiercest monsters at bay, struggling against the bonds of phony smiles and generosity.  She saw Simon as the king of the frauds, hiding his selfishness and cruelty behind a veil of altruism and chivalry.  He rode around like a white knight, constantly looking for those he could save, but she believed it was not because of his love of saving people, but his lust for killing monsters.  What better way to mask your cruelty than through service to the greater good.  

He was a fraud, and she was the only one who saw it.

But...was that the only reason she hated him? Was it truly just her disdain for anyone who swooped in like a superhero, or was it something else?

Did she truly love her sister? Was she worried about her older sister’s wellbeing?

Again, she could have always ignored the calls.  She could have refused her parents’ request, casting the responsibility on the shoulders of her other 2 older sisters.  Carlysle and Cassandra should have known that their youngest daughter had little to no capacity for empathy and warmth.  They couldn’t have sent her because of her unveiled hatred for Simon...they had fallen for him hook line and sinker, just like everyone else.  They had even offered to throw a belated birthday for Simon’s daughter at one point.  They loved Angelina, even after meeting her only once.  He had fooled them the same way he fooled everyone around him.  

So, if this wasn’t the reason they sent her, then why?

The thought that she was allowing even more people into her heart absolutely disgusted her.  Cassidy reached up, ringing the flight attendant button over and over until a flight attendant, clearly trying to mask her annoyance behind a professional smile arrived.  Cassidy ordered as much alcohol as they were willing to give her, and she spent the majority of her flight trying to drink the thought away.

Two flights, and an annoying Uber ride later, Cassidy arrived in Martha’s Vineyard.  She couldn’t help but be disgusted by all of it as she was driven across the island.  Insufferable assholes playing badminton and croquet, douchebags sailing massive yachts around the island, morons in boat shoes and sweaters EVERYWHERE!! The further into the island she got, the more Cassidy wanted to burn the whole thing down.  Eventually, the driver turned down a relatively secluded road that darted through a wooded area before coming to a stop at the beginning of a driveway that led to a massive gray estate.  Cassidy tried to hide her amazement, turning back to the Uber driver.

CASSIDY: “Well?”

DRIVER: “Well what?”

Cassidy rolled her eyes.

CASSIDY: “You going to take me down the driveway?”

DRIVER: “That’s not how we do things here.  Most residents of the island prefer we don’t go on the property.”

Cassidy sighed in annoyance.

CASSIDY: “What if I told you this is my sister’s house, which means I’m a part owner of the property.”

DRIVER: “Forgive me ma’am, but...you don’t seem like the Vineyard type.”

She wanted to hit him, but she decided to take his words as a compliment.  Not being the type of person who would live on this insufferable island was a good thing. She thought about harassing the driver a bit more, but decided against it.  She thanked the driver, who reminded her to give him a 5 star rating, before popping the trunk so she could grab the small backpack she had brought, containing 5 pairs of what Cassidy called “emergency Louboutins,”  and began making her way down the driveway.  She pulled her phone from her pocket, and made sure to give her driver a single star rating as he drove off down the wooded road.  

As Cassidy made her way up the driveway, she couldn’t help but look around the property. The house itself was absolutely massive, far too much house considering it was just Simon and Cailey who lived there...or...just Cailey now. The house was a massive gray and white monstrocity with 7 bedrooms, 8.5 bathrooms, a home gym, multiple porches, a breathtaking sunroom, a pool, and as if that wasn’t enough, a private pond.  It was the type of property most people aspired to, and it made Cassidy absolutely sick.  It wasn’t just the fact that she hated this kind of overcompensatory display of wealth, it was the fact that it all felt like a gilded cage, meant to keep her sister imprisoned.  There was no doubt that he made it seem like the house was a gift to her, and that he was just trying to make her happy, but it felt to Cassidy like he had bought her a new gilded cage, and found a subtle way to assert his dominance over her.  The house was way more than Cailey could have afforded on her own.  It was meant to keep her tied to him.  Cassidy despised the entire thing immediately.  As she arrived at the front door, she considered knocking, but decided against it.  She turned the knob, and found the door unlocked.   She pushed the door open, and barged into the house, yelling as she did.  

CASSIDY: “HONEY, I’M HOME!!!!!”

There was no reply.  She looked around and found the house was absolutely immaculate which worried her.  To most people, this would not have even warranted any kind of reaction.  They would have looked around and complimented the cleanliness of the property.  But, Cassidy knew this was a bad thing.  Whenever Cailey was truly upset, she turned to cleaning, and not what most people thought of as cleaning, a once over with a mop and a few rags. No, when Cailey was truly upset, she cleaned as if she was trying to clean the impurities out of her own soul.   Looking around the house, it looked as if it had been staged by a realtor.  Nothing was out of place, not a spoon, not a napkin, not a speck of dust, nothing.  The house was immaculate.  Cassidy felt something tugging at her heart.  She thought about turning around, walking out, bumping her flight up and flying the hell back home, but her feet refused to turn around.  Instead, she began walking slowly through the house, calling out to her sister as she did.

CASSIDY: “Cailey?”

She moved through the kitchen and into the dinning room, where the table was set as if there was a dinner party planned.  Plates, napkins and silverware were set out with absolute precision, lined up on each side of the table perfectly.  The tugging at her heart got stronger as she called out again.  


CASSIDY: “Cailey?”

Still no response.  Cassidy pushed further into the house, somewhat scared, and yet somewhat amused that she might find her sister’s rotting corpse, displayed in some overdramatic last display.  As she moved, there was only the sounds she made, the creaking of a few loose floorboards, and the sounds of the birds chirping outside.  She continued moving through the house, checking each room she came across until she finally came to the master bedroom.  She tapped lightly on the door, calling out again.

CASSIDY: “Cail…”

On the king sized bed she saw a lump in the sheets, that did not move, even as she made noise.  Before she knew what was happening, Cassidy bolted into the room, hopped on the bed and started pulling at the blankets.

CASSIDY: “CAILEY!!”

She continued to pull until her sister’s weary, tear soaked eyes looked up at her. Cassidy felt a wave of relief as her sister started moving.  She stepped back from the bed and looked around the room.  The walls were absolutely barren, as multiple large framed photographs sat on the floor, facing the wall.  

So, the rumors were true...the old man had left her.  There was probably no one in the world who was happier about this than Cassidy, but she could see her sister was hurting, so she tried her best to bottle her excitement.  Cailey struggled to keep herself from crying again, then turned away from her sister, burying herself in her blanket.  Cassidy hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke.  Her voice wasn’t the usual boisterous holler, instead it was soft and hesitant.

CASSIDY: “So...I guess the rumors are true then.”

Her sister didn't reply, and the silence hung awkwardly between the two. Cassidy was not used to being in this side of one of these moments. As much as she pretended to despise her older sister in public, she had come to count on Cailey to be there in her times of need. She would always push her away of course, you can never tip your hand in a situation like that, but she was always relieved to have her. Now, she needed to pay back all of that support and love, and she didn't know how. In her heart, she truly wanted to help, but she wasn't used to this kind of thing. Nothing proves that more than the words that escaped her lips next.

CASSIDY: “Weird to think I am the one with a functioning marriage...huh?”

Fuck!!! No response again as she kicked herself internally. She had thought a nine might possibly lighten the mood. Unfortunately, she didn't realize how harsh the joke was until she heard it out loud. Again, awkward silence hung in the air.  

CASSIDY: “I’m sorry. I’m...I’m not very good at this kind of thing.”

Cassidy began to look around the room, taking in what she saw as the ridiculousness of it all.  The room had a king-size bed, a night stand, an accent chair, and a desk on each side of the bed, and yet there was still a ton of room.  Cassidy moved quietly to the on-suite bathroom, and found it to be not as over the top as she thought it would be.  It was a nice bathroom, with a huge bathtub, but there was no ridiculous gold accents or anything that she had expected from this ridiculous house.  She sighed in disappointment, and was about to pop her head out when something caught her eye.  It couldn’t be what she thought it was.  Cassidy took a step into the bathroom, looking down into a small trash can. It would have been easy to miss, easy to brush off as nothing, to ignore and move past, but Cassidy’s attention went right to it.  Sitting alone in the garbage can, was a single used pregnancy test.  She told herself to ignore it, but still found herself reaching down and picking it out of the trash.  The first line was dark, as it always is, but next to it...there was just a hint of a second line.  It was very faint, most people would have probably passed it off as nothing, but...she knew.  Cassidy sighed, debating whether or not to say anything, wishing she could just drop it and ignore that this all had happened.  She hesitated for a moment, then walked out of the bathroom.

CASSIDY: “Cailey...is this?”

There was a long pause before Cailey rolled over, popping her head out of the blanket to look at her, her blue eyes wide and shrink wrapped in tears which began streaking down her cheeks again.

CASSIDY: “Is this...what I think it is?”

Cailey didn’t speak, just a small nod.

CASSIDY: “Are you…?”


CAILEY: “I don’t know.”


Her voice was small and broken, tugging at Cassidy’s heart. She paused for a minute, then…

CASSIDY: “Does he know that you might be?”

Another pause.

CAILEY: “No.”

Cassidy signed.  This is why her parents had sent her here, but how would they have known? How would they have known about any of it?  

CASSIDY: “Have you been to see a doctor yet?”

Cailey shook her head.  Cassidy understood.  If she never visited the doctor, if she never had her fears confirmed, none of it would be real.  Unfortunately, that isn’t how things worked.  

CASSIDY: “So...what are you going to do now?”

There was another long pause, then…

CAILEY “I don’t know.”

She was sobbing.  Cassidy sighed again, this is not how she would have preferred to spend her off time, but she was here now, and she was a part of this now.  Cailey looked up at her little sister.

CAILEY: “What do I do now?”

Cassidy sighed again, softly nibbling on the inside of her cheek as she hesitated for a minute or two.  She hated opening up to people, but she could see that her sister was hurting  Cassidy sat down on the foot of the bed, her eyes staring off at the wall as the words began pouring out of her.

CASSIDY: “A few years ago...shortly after Austin broke up with Kennedy, we…”

She paused for a moment.

CASSIDY: “...you know.  It was a spur of the moment thing, and we didn’t have protection. But, in that moment, it didn’t matter.  It was one of those times where we didn’t stop to think of the repercussions, we were just living in the moment.”

She paused again.  This was the first time she was actually telling this story, and while she wasn’t excited about it, there was a part of her that was happy to be getting it off her chest.

CASSIDY: “About a month and a half later, I missed my period.  I didn’t think much about it at the time, until the morning sickness kicked in.  A few days later, a doctor confirmed what I feared was the case...I was pregnant.”

She paused again, as her older sister was now looking up at her with wide eyes.

CASSIDY: “The next day, I decided to...take care of the pregnancy, and while I understand the vibe I give off as a spur of the moment, impulsive girl...it was not a decision I took lightly.  I chose not to tell Austin at the time, as I didn’t want him to carry the same burden I did.  It was the hardest decision I ever made, but I knew it was the best for everyone.  I wasn’t ready to be a mother by any stretch of the imagination, and Austin was not ready to be a father again.”

It was hard for her, but she needed to get it out.

CASSIDY: “I remember every mile of the drive to the clinic...I remember every single insult the protestors yelled at me as I made my way into the door.  They called me a slut, a whore, a murderer...they made sure I knew I was going to hell for what I was about to do.  I remember every moment of the procedure, and I remember being berated on my way back to my car.  The next few weeks, I tried to drink the pain away, to forget what I had done in a waterfall of whisky and tequila.  It worked for a while.  The farther I got away from that day, the less I seemed to think of it.”

She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.

CASSIDY: “That is when the nightmares started.  Every night, I see the face of my baby, looking at me with disappointment.  I hear it calling out to me, begging me to let it live, begging me to give it a chance.  I’ve come to grips with the fact that this is something I am going to have to live with for the rest of my life.  I will bear this burden until the day I die, and if there is an afterlife, it will most likely be the thing that condemns me to an eternity of suffering.  And yet…while I will carry this pain and this guilt with me through every day of my life...I know I made the correct decision, and I do not regret it.”

Cassidy fell silent, sitting under the weight of her confession.  It had been so long that she had carried that with her, it felt really good to get it off her chest.  She had only recently been able to confess it to her husband, who to his credit, seemed to understand it.  He was supportive of her, and did his best to reassure her that she had made the right decision.  But, finally telling her story to someone else was good.

Cailey sat up, her eyes still fixed on Cassidy.  She paused for a moment, then leaned in and hugged her sister.  It felt amazing, but there was still a part of her that couldn’t accept love, and wanted to shake her sister off.  She fought the urge, allowing herself to be loved for a moment.  They sat in silence for a few moments before Cailey spoke.

CAILEY: “So...what do I do?”

Silence again, Cassidy wanted to say a million things, chief among which was that Cailey needed to talk to the old bastard.  But, it wasn’t her decision to make.  In the end, as much as she wanted to make this better, this was her sister’s decision to make.  

CASSIDY: “I don’t know...you should probably start by seeing a doctor. Nothing is certain until you do.”

CAILEY: “Will you go with me?”

This is the part where she was supposed to say no.  Cassidy Carter didn’t do compassion, she didn’t do empathy. And yet, the words came out before she even had a moment to think.

CASSIDY: “Of course I will.”

She paused for a moment, reaching over and wrapping her arms around her sister, holding Cailey’s head to her shoulder.

CASSIDY: “I’m with you to the end.”


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

The scene opens in a massive sunroom, as we see Cassidy Carter, wearing a black hoodie with the hood up, and sipping on a cup of coffee. She reaches up and adjusts her phone, making sure she is centered in the picture, then takes another sip of her coffee before speaking into the camera.

CASSIDY: “Well...here we go again.  As you all know, I hate having to do these stupid little videos, and yet it seems to a prerequisite to me being able to kick people’s asses.  So, if I have to sit here and talk to you filthy pieces of garbage to be able to strangle a whole bunch of people, then so be it.”

She pauses, sipping her coffee.

CASSIDY: “So...where do we start?  Well, it would seem that the last few months haven’t exactly gone my way, have they?  From the pinnacle of the company, number 1 contender to the SCW World Championship, to the undercard in almost record time.  It’s been...quite the journey.”


She pauses for a moment.

CASSIDY: “Now, this is the part where I am supposed to go on my normal tirade about the fact that I don’t chase brass rings, and I couldn’t give a fuck about that stupid little belt.  Rachel spent so much of my training trying to show me that title belts were little more than systems of control, leashes meant to keep us all subservient to management as they made fistfuls of money on the back of our hard work.  For every penny that we make, they make a dollar, and they don’t have to work for their cut.  Those belts are meant to keep us distracted as they veil that fundamental truth from us.  And the sad thing about it all, is that it seems to work.  We all ignore the injustice of this split because we are too busy fighting each other over these meaningless little trinkets.  For the longest time, I even believed that I was capable of seeing the world the way my mentor did, piercing the curtain to expose the bumbling little man who controlled all of our fates.  I wanted so bad to believe that I could continue where she left off, tearing down the pillars of this massive hypocrisy.  I was going to be Moses, leading the roster to some kind of new utopia where we controlled our own fates, and made our own rules.  I wanted to be everything she saw in me and more.”

She pauses again, sipping hesitantly on her coffee.  

CASSIDY: “But...if I am forced to be honest with myself, and with you peasants...I have to admit that I am amused by the prospect of these brass rings.  I took pride in the fact that I disappointed you all by succeeding where I was meant to fail.  I was thrown to the wolves as a sacrifice, meant to be an appetizer before they moved on to bigger and better things.  Instead, I proved that I too was a wolf, capable of tearing apart those who were meant to be my downfall.  I relished my spot as the number one contender, even managing to keep that spot when they tried to take it away from me.  I succeeded in an environment designed for me to fail, and I threw off the balance of the company.  I was the wrench that was thrown in the gears of SCW’s status quo, and I absolutely loved it.  I sat here and told you all that I didn’t care if I ended up with the SCW Championship...told you that just being perched this close to the summit was good enough for me.”

She readjusts herself, sitting up in her chair and moving closer to the camera.

CASSIDY: “But...you don’t get that close to the top without developing a hunger for more.  No one has ever climbed Mt. Everest, just to stop before the summit, and climb back down.  No matter what the circumstances, if you come that close to glory, there will always be a big part of you that wants to see it through.  And I...WANT...that SCW Championship!!  I am done lying to myself, trying to convince myself that I am satisfied with what I have accomplished.  I came close to the pinnacle, but I failed in my ultimate pursuit.  And I would be lying if I told you that failure didn’t stick with me.  It has consumed me, tortured me, mocked me since that very moment.  Now, I could also sit here and tell you it wasn’t my fault.  Subject to interference and outside influences, the deck was further stacked against me.”

She pauses for a moment, her icy blue eyes looking to the floor before coming back up to meet the camera.

CASSIDY: “But, I am done trying to blame others for my own shortcomings.  Yes, it may not have gone my way, other pawns deciding that they would try and co-opt my moment of glory should not have been able to stop me.  Glory was mine to reach, and in the end, it was I who failed to grab it.  So, there is nothing more to do, than to fight my way back. It is up to me to grab hold of my own fate, and to create my own opportunities.”

She pauses again for dramatic effect, sipping her coffee.  

CAsSIDY: “So...here we are.  Standing in for my husband, I have returned to claim what is rightfully mine.  I will not whine and complain.  I will not beg for a second chance, or a do-over.  No, I am going to scratch and claw my way back, even if it means breaking dozens of other assholes along the way.  I realize that I am not the only one who wants this so badly I can taste it.  The ring will be full of competitors aspiring to be the next SCW Champion.  I cannot speak for what they are willing to do to snatch this opportunity away from me.  All I can speak to is my heart, and my desire.  I want this...it is the only thing I have been able to think about since the day I was forced to walk out of that ring empty handed.  I will not fail, I will not falter, and I am willing to sacrifice my body if it means I get another shot at that brass ring.  I know that it may not mean anything, and that it may actually be just a tool of control as Rachel says it does.  But, to me...that belt means absolutely EVERYTHING!!! You saw what I did to earn my way into that spot the first time, falling the pillars of this company one by one as I proved that this is MY time.  What do you think I can do now that I am driven by a hunger I didn’t have that time.  What do you think I can do, now that I have the memory of that failure giving chase behind me? This isn’t about proving anything to the world, or to any of the other participants in this match.  This is about proving to myself that I deserve this.  This is about proving that I can do it again. I will not fail...because I CANNOT fail!!”

She pauses again, setting her cup down and leaning forward in her seat to stare directly into the camera.

CASSIDY: “When all is said and done, I will stand triumphant, and I will earn my spot at Rise to Greatness.  I will succeed where my mentor failed, and I will finally prove that I am everything I have been told I can never be, even if I have to lose my soul to do it.  This is MY time, and if you think you can stand in my way, and stop me...you had better be ready to kill me, because I will do whatever it takes to take hold of the flame, and burn this company to the ground around me!!!”

Cassidy laughs as she sits back in her seat, picking up her mug and sipping from it as she reaches up and grabs her phone,  The picture shakes for a moment, then goes black as she ends the recording.

[Simple77]

OOC: Best of luck everyone!

Getting Down the Aisle

Monday May 27, 2019
New York, New York
9 pm

As soon as the living room comes into focus, the first thing that you see that stands out is the card table with two stacks of books on it. The stacks of books are very neat and orderly on the card table, they look unspectacular as a matter of fact even as Amber Sloane looks through one of them, not expecting anything to come of it. Walking into the living room looking completely exasperated already before even having the opportunity to look around the room, SCW superstar Kellen Jeffries, with all of his Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder on full display, takes one look at the card table on the middle of his living room and the disgust on his face is unmistakable. Approaching Amber with his sour look however, he is no match for his beautiful fiancé’s cheery disposition, even as she quickly realizes what is the matter with Kellen, at least on the surface.

Amber: (smiling) Relax, alright? I promise I will get everything cleaned up as soon as I decide on my wedding dress and then or wedding cake too?

A heavy sigh, looking at the stacks of books somewhat skeptically, before Kellen just shakes his head slowly from side to side, gradually giving in already.

Kellen: You are deciding on a wedding dress and a wedding cake now? I thought that Whitney and Aubrianna would be here to help you with that?

Amber just laughs, smiling brightly while shaking her head right back.

Amber: As if silly! Whitney and Aubrianna are like totally texting me back and forth about different wedding dresses because Aubrianna needs one too now that Dexter has finally asked her to marry him. Once each of us are down to our top three, then we are going to go look at those dresses.

Looking like his eyes might bug out now hearing about all of this, Kellen’s mouth is opened wide, but there are still barely any words coming out.

Kellen: So, the two of you are going to narrow your choices to your top three? You two do know that you can only have one wedding dress right?

Amber face starts to become a bright red as she is clearly agitated.

Amber: If that was supposed to be funny, you might want to work on your comedy stuff, unless you are comfortable sleeping alone right now, Mr. Jeffries.

Kellen: Sorry, I am just getting very frustrated with all of the planning for our wedding not going the way that I had hoped for.

Amber: What do you mean? The wedding cake could always be decided between you and I, if that would you feel like you were more involved.

The forlorn expression on Kellen’s face says that something is seriously wrong even before he starts to speak again.

Kellen: Sadly, there might not be any reason for you and I to have a wedding cake, as much I hate to say that.

Stopping what she is doing looking in the book, Amber looks up at Kellen.

Amber: Kellen, what the hell do you mean that there might not be any reason for the two of us to have a wedding cake, because I swear if you are about to tell me that you don’t want to marry me now, I might really like them, but I am totally going to kick you right in the balls!

Hearing this suggestion, Kellen cringes as any man would then does his best to try and reassure Amber.

Kellen: Amber please, I want nothing more than to make you Mrs. Kellen Jeffries for the rest of your life. However, I am having some issues as you know trying to find someone who is willing to stand up and be my best man.

Though some would argue that it is not her strong suit, Kellen has come to appreciate his fiancé mind and right now she has an idea getting a smile on her face.

Amber: I got it!

Kellen: What do you got?

Amber: I know someone that will be your best man thingy so we can go ahead get married like we were planning on.

Kellen: Alright, who do you have in mind?

Amber: Dexter will do it, believe me because I will have Aubrianna tell him that he doesn’t have a choice! Aubrianna is my BFF so I know that she would do something important like that for us without any problem.

Considering this option for a brief few minutes, Kellen has to decline despite the fact that he has no other option at this point.

Kellen: As much as I would really like to have Dexter be my best man so that we can get married, that really is not a viable option.

Amber’s hands go straight to her hips with an unmistakable glare at her fiancé.

Amber: And why not mister, unless you have decided that you do not want to get married to me and you are just looking for the perfect time to tell me.

Kellen: Amber, how many times do I need to tell you honey? I want nothing more to get married to you, and I wish we could go do it right now.

Amber: Alright, then what is the problem? I could talk to Aubrianna, right now.

Kellen: That is the problem though don’t you see? This should not be you talking to Aubrianna and then Aubrianna forcing Dexter to do this. It should be me talking to Dexter and Dexter making the decision if he wants to do this for me. And that is another thing, while Dexter is a perfectly nice guy, I have gone out with him once when the four of us went out on that double date two weeks ago. If the guy is going to be me best man and part of one of the most important nights of my life, I really ought to know the guy a little bit better than that, wouldn’t you agree?

Thinking about it a little bit, Amber finally nods in agreement.

Amber: Okay, I see your point babe, but what are you going to do to find someone who will stand up for you? Have you been able to get a hold of any of your brothers? I know that you said that no one in your family has talked to you in quite some time, but this is special, but this our wedding. You would think that for something this important that they would be able to look past things you have done, and they would want to be a part of it.

Kellen comes over and puts his arm around Amber.

Kellen: Amber, I don’t think that I have told you about some of the things that I did to my family and why they no longer wish to speak to me.

Amber: I’m listening now, and I would really like to hear considering that they haven’t even made an attempt to get to know me knowing that I am going to be your wife.

Even while little both kind of nervous and ashamed, Kellen nods knowing that Amber is right, leading her over to sit on the couch.

Kellen: Yes you deserve to know the truth about everything.

Amber: Okay…

Kellen: Right. I just want to say that I have not lied to you about anything.

Amber: I know, you were a bad guy, really bad, I understand. There are just things that we haven’t talked about yet, but we are going to talk about them now because I need to why your family hasn’t even tried to meet me because this doesn’t make any sense.

After a long pause and a heavy sigh, Kellen begins.

Kellen: So, back when I was married to Lily, you remember that awful thing that I did to get out of my marriage to her?

Amber: This is how you faked the amnesia stuff after paying a guy to attack you and put you in the hospital right?

Kellen: Yes, and while that was an awful thing to do to lily like we have discuss before, I also let everyone in my family believe that I had attacked by an unknown assailant. I knowingly let my brothers and parents pay for people to try and find the person or people responsible, when I knew who it was all along because I was a part of it.

Amber tries to remain calm even as she shakes her head from side to side.

Amber: Oh Kellen….

Kellen: Also when I was married to Addison and she had Owen, my family kept trying to come over so that they could see Owen, but I told them that would not be possible unless they first apologized to me for things that they said about me after they found out the truth of the attack while I was still married to Lily.

Amber: Kellen I love you very much, and I know that you are like a changed man, just like I am a changed woman because I did some really bad stuff too. I want you to understand though, if you ever try do anything like what you did to those other two women that were married to you to me, I will totally make sure that you wish you are dead, okay?

Kellen: Amber I love you and I guarantee you that I will never treat you like I did my first two wives or my family, but if I did? I would deserve to have you make me wish I was dead. The problem now though still is what am I going to do about finding someone who will stand up for me as my best man so that we can get married?

Amber: What did Donovan Kayl say when you asked him, because I know that you and Donovan have known each other for a long time, not like you and Dexter.

Kellen: Yes, Donovan and I have known each other for a long time, but most of that time has been spent with Donovan trying to resist the urge to break my face, and quite honestly vice versa as well. So, we haven’t exactly been friends for most of the time.

Amber: Everything is just so messed up right now.

After a long sigh and a pause, Kellen nods.

Kellen: You can just go ahead and say it babe, everything is so messed up right now, and it is messed up because of me and how I have treated people in the past. I am really sorry for all of this Amber, I know that your wedding day is supposed to be the one of the most important days of your life, and I am really making this disastrous for you.

Her face softens a little as Amber puts her arm around Kellen.

Amber: Yes, that is true to certain extent, but I do think that disastrous is taking things too far. Lets, remember too that there are a lot of totally cool things that I am looking forward to in my future because of you too mister. In fact, I can think of a few things that you can do with me right now that are totally cool if you know what I mean.

Kellen starts to lighten up a little, getting a small, wry smile on his face.

Kellen: Oh? Please tell me what that you me have in mind Miss?

Amber looks at Kellen with a seductive smile, before giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

Amber: Well, what I have in mind has to do with turning off the lamp and going to the bedroom and we could practice what we are going to be doing on our wedding night, whenever that night might happen.

Kellen: You know what they say, practice does make perfect.

Amber: Oh, are you saying that I need practice? As If!

Kellen: Nope. I am saying that I need practice, lots and lots of practice, starting as soon as possible.

Suddenly Amber get a huge smile on her face a stands up.

Amber: You are right sir, and I am going to run upstairs so that you can practice immediately!

Kellen: And I am right behind you!

Standing up, Kellen switches off the lamp and then is in hot pursuit of Amber who is already running upstairs as the scene fades with both of them laughing.


Friday, May 31, 2019
Las Vegas, Nevada
6 pm

Having decided earlier in the afternoon to go out to dinner that evening, Kellen Jeffries is standing in the living area putting on a tie to with his grey suit right down to his grey dress shoes, when Kellen catches a glimpse of his fiancé Amber Sloane getting ready in a mirror. As she always is, Amber breathtakingly beautiful, in a shimmering silver dress with spaghetti straps and white open toed wedges. Kellen just continues to watch in the mirror, unable to be able to turn away. After putting on some diamond stud earrings, Amber walks into the living area.

Amber: This was a great idea coming out here for a few days after Breakdown Wednesday night. We did a lot of gambling yesterday. I know that when I left the video poker machine and we left the casino, I was up almost two hundred dollars. How did you do babe?

Looking up and down Amber and admiring her in all her stunning splendor, Kellen can only reply with a slowly grin before adding.

Kellen: It doesn’t matter how much I left the casino with, looking at you I have already won because you look incredible.

Amber: Thank you babe!

Coming over alongside of Kellen, Amber gives him a kiss on the cheek, then she smiles at him brightly.

Amber: You know, you never did tell me what you are taking me out for tonight?

Kellen: Well, I could just say that I want to take you out because you are breathtakingly beautiful which is of course true. More than that however, I have decided that I want to take you out because I am so proud of you.

Amber looks at Kellen curiously, raising her eyebrows even.

Amber: You are proud of me? Thank you baby, but I don’t get it. What did I do that you are proud of me for?

Kellen: You were in that Global X Destiny Match at Resurrection and you left with one of the briefcases. That makes me extremely proud of you, just so you know.

Amber’s face lights up.

Amber: That is so totally sweet of you to say something like that, and believe me, I will like make sure that you are rewarded for it later on.

Kellen: Well I certainly like that sounds of that.

Amber: Oh believe me, I do too, but right now why don’t you tell me where are you taking me for dinner?

Kellen: Nope.

Amber: Nope? What do you mean nope?

Kellen: Tonight is going to be a surprise, so you are just going to have to wait in see.

Amber: Oh I do like surprises, you know that!

Kellen: Yes, I do know that, so we had better get going to where we are headed because we do have reservations.

Amber holds out her hand which Kellen takes.

Amber: After you please, my super hot fiancé!

They leave their hotel room and go outside to where a limo awaits to their destination for dinner which is Kung Fu Thai and Chinese Restaurant. Getting to the restaurant with Chinese being one of Amber’s favorite, she is of course very excited and given that they are there celebrating her briefcase win in the Global X Destiny Match both she and Kellen are in a festive mood, so the start early drinking Baijiu or wine. About an hour and half and several glasses of wine later, and Kellen and Amber are more than just a little bit tipsy to say the least when their manager comes back over to them. Because money is not an issue for Kellen, the manager is doing his best to try and get them to keep in down because he does not want to ask them to leave, despite the fact that several other customers have complained about the increasingly loud volume.

Manager: Excuse me, I do not wish to be rude, however I would ask that the two of you please try to keep things down so that your conversations can only be heard by the two of you at this table please, if at all possible.

Amber: You might not want to try and get loud with us Mr. Manager guy, because we are both pro wrestlers, and we get paid by the boss people and stuff in different places to totally kick some ass.

Following that statement, and the fact that Kellen has said nothing but continues to glare at the manager, and that has the manager getting even more nervous, turning and talking to only Amber now.

Manager: The two of you get paid to kick some ass as pro wrestlers?

Amber: Oh yes, we are celebrating tonight because I was in a match last weekend at this huge show where I totally kicked all kinds of ass on nine other people and ended up winning a briefcase to get another big match later on! I totally rock and stuff Mr. Manager guy, so you don’t want to kick me or my fiancé out of your restaurant because people love me, as if!

Manager: I see, so this is your fiancé no?

She doesn’t mean it, but as she is talking to the manager, Amber is getting increasingly louder because of how excited she is about getting married to Kellen, who is still looking on and saying nothing.

Amber: Yes, this is Mr. Kellen Jeffries and he is my fiancé which means that since I am Amber Sloane end when he finds someone stand up for him I am going to marry him, I am going to be Amber Jeffries, or Amber Sloane-Jeffries, how cool is that?!

Manager: It sounds very cool yes, I do agree Ms. Sloane. We are very pleased to have you here at Kung Fu Thai and Chinese restaurant to celebrate your big victory.

Amber: Thank you! My fiancé is a wrestler too and so he gets paid to totally kick all kinds of ass like he is going to do at the Flame thingy where he is going to whip thirty-nine other asses all over Canada so he can go to the RTG in July and win the main event to become the biggest ass kicker in the world and stuff yeah! The will even give him a big belt buckle he can wear everywhere to prove he is the biggest ass kicker in the world!

Although Amber is getting louder and louder which is what he came over to try and stop in the first place, the manager is getting lost in the story of Amber and Kellen that Amber is telling much to the chagrin of other customers in the restaurant.

Manager: Your fiancé wrestles for chance to become biggest ass kicker in the world and he will have a belt buckle to prove it that he can wear everywhere??

Amber: Oh yes, if he wins he will wrestle for the belt buckle that he can wear everywhere. I will even let him wear it around the house when he is wearing nothing else afterward we totes have sex and stuff yeah! He can even wear it while we are totes having sex if that is what he wants because it will be his belt buckle as the biggest ass kicker in the world!

Manager: The is the most exciting to hear about mighty Ms. Sloane! We have never had potentially the biggest ass kisser in the world in our restaurant before!

This catches the ear of Kellen who understandably does not take to kindly to the faux pas being called potentially the biggest ass kisser in the world rather than the biggest ass kicker in the world, but he just lets it go listening to what the manager still has to say. Taking a look at several of the other customers in the restaurant and how annoyed they are becoming, the manager goes back to his original reason for coming to Amber and Kellen’s table in the first place, as he becomes very calm and respectful to what has been said.

Manager: While this is again very exciting to hear about, and I wish you Mr. Jeffries all the luck at being the biggest ass kisser in the world, I still have to ask that the two of you keep your conversations between the two of you if at all possible please.

While Amber is still laughing hard at what has been said, Kellen is not laughing in the slightest.

Kellen: And tell me, what is going to happen to us if that is not possible?

Despite the fact he is extremely nervous having to confront Kellen the manager does his very best to remain his composure as he continues to try and talk down a increasing agitated Kellen, while Amber just looks on, suddenly very quiet as she knows what can happen when the still somewhat volatile Kellen gets angry.

Manager: Sir I am very sorry but if you cannot keep down your conversation so that only you and your companion can hear them I will have to ask you to leave then, as much as I don’t want to do that.

Amber: Ummm that might not have been like that best thing to say Mr. Manager guy…

Even Amber looks a little concerned now as to what Kellen might do as he is saying nothing but surprisingly and much to the relief of both Amber and Manager, Kellen after thinking about it for a few seconds starts to smile genuinely.

Kellen: Alright, I don’t want to leave just yet either, because there is something that is important for me to do first.

Pushing away from the table, Amber and the Manager get nervous again but Kellen rather than getting up to his feet instead drops to his knees.

Amber: Oh my God, please someone that is like a doctor or something please help my fiancé before he pukes on my Jimmy Choo Heels because these costs him $925 without the shipping and handling charges!

While Amber is overcome by what she fears might be happening to shoes until Kellen comes up to her on his knees and grabs her left hand.

Kellen: Ms. Mighty Amber Sloane, she who whipped all kinds ass on the weekend not too long ago to win a briefcase, will you marry me?

Knowing that the happy couple is already engaged everyone in the restaurant is suddenly watching and is very confused, not the least of which is Amber.

Amber: Um baby, I know we are pretty drunk and stuff, but you already asked me to marry you and I already said yes, and then we had amazing sex because both of us are totes hot and stuff, remember?

Kellen thinks for a minute.

Kellen: Yes, yes, I do remember, especially the amazing sex part, because quite honestly that was kind of hard to forget you know?

Amber: I do know right?! Other couples should totally take pointers or something like that from us, it is that amazing! But if you remember us getting engaged then why did you just ask me if I will marry you now?

Kellen: Because, I do want you to marry me, like now!

Amber: Like now?

Kellen: Yes I want you to marry me. We are right here in Las Vegas there is always a chapel somewhere, and quite honestly I am tired of trying to figure out someone that is going to stand up for me as my best man when all I really want to do is make you my wife. So, what do you say Amber, will you marry me here in Las Vegas?

Thinking for a moment, Amber starts to panic.

Amber: I mean I totes want to marry you like always and stuff but what will I say to Whitney, Aubrianna, and all of my other friends who were supposed to be there at our wedding when they find out that we are already married so there is not going to be a wedding? My Mom and Daddy are going to be very upset to babe, and I don’t want to make my Daddy angry with you baby, because you have already replaced him as my favorite guy and stuff.

Kellen while still very drunk is still quite reassuring to Amber all of the same, and not letting up on how adamant he is while they are in Las Vegas they should get married.

Kellen: Amber, I love you more than anything in this world and all of those other people that you just mentioned? Well, they are really important people but the fact is I do not love any of them and the only person that I want to marry, the only person that I love, the person that I am ever going to love again is you. So I really think that you should marry me here in Las Vegas, and you should do it so we can have more amazing sex together, drunk amazing sex!

Amber: Oh my God Mr. Kellen Jeffries, you had me at more amazing sex! Yes I will marry you here in Las Vegas!

Kellen is wobbly getting to his feet before he kisses Amber and the other customers start to cheer now while the manager makes this announcement to everyone in the restaurant.

Manager: Everyone, they are getting marry, then they are going to have amazing sex, drunk amazing marry sex!

More hollers, cat calls, and wolf whistles can be heard throughout the restaurant, while Amber starts panicking again, even while she is celebrating with Kellen.

Amber: Kellen babe, what are we going to do? We still have to have people stand up for us in Vegas for our wedding to be like legal and stuff!

A horrified expression crosses Kellen face when he realizes that Amber is right and that the new plan of getting married in Vegas might have to be put on hold. Right then however, coming up to their table is an Elvis impersonator.

Elvis: I wasn’t tryin to be cruel or anything but I couldn’t help but hear you two talking about havin someone stand up to see you two get married and well I work at the wedding chapel just up the road a little ways, and if you two need someone to stand up for the two you well I have seen it done plenty of times and I would be more than happy to stand up for you to fine folks!

Kellen: Thank you Elvis!

Elvis: Thank you very much, thank you, I mean you’re welcome!

Amber: But that is only one, who is the other person that is going to stand up for us so that we can be married?

The manager comes up to Amber and Kellen.

Manager: You need someone to stand up for so you two can be marry?

Kellen and Amber: Yes!

Manager: You will to let someone join in on amazing drunk marry sex later on?

Kellen: Yes!

Amber: NO!

Kellen looks at Amber confused.

Kellen: Maybe?

Amber: As if!

Kellen looks at the Manager.

Kellen: Sorry dude but I don’t think she is going to budge on this one.

Amber: You’re damn right I’m not!

Kellen: What do you say, will you still do it?

Manager: Okay….

As quickly as possible at just after 8 o'clock which honestly is not very quickly at all given that Kellen and Amber are quite drunk, yet the two of them pile into Elvis's station wagon along with Elvis and the manager of the Chinese restaurant. Elvis then drives the four of them about 3 miles up the road to "Hank' s 24 hour Wedding Chapel and Auto Salvage". Kellen and Amber look at Elvis skeptically as soon as they see the sign, as even the manager looks like he might have some doubts.

Kellen: Hey Elvis, are you positive that we can tie the ole knot at this place because if not we are going to be pretty pissed coming all the way over here in the middle of dinner for nothing.

Manager: Yes and making them pissed at you would be very bad for you my friend because they are both pro wrestlers and world champion ass kissers.

Kellen: Yeah buddy, while we are at it It's world champion ass kickers not world champion ass kissers got it?

Amber kind of cringes at the remark as soon as it is said, knowing that Kellen is getting increasingly agitated with this faux pad that has been several times now.

Amber: Yeah, if you could just make sure that we are called world champion ass kickers from now that would be just great okay?

Manager: A thousand sorries to both of you. From my mouth from now on you will only be called world champion ass kickers, even during the amazing drunk marry sex I am watching later on.

Kellen: Excellent!

Amber: There is going to be any watching later on! Damn it you are going to be my husband, back me up on this or there will be no amazing drunk married sex later on, got it?!

Kellen: Oh hell no! Sorry dude, you don't get to watch either or I am going to have make yours the first ass that I kick this weekend, alright?

Manager: Okay. You not blame for trying Ms. Mighty Amber. You are so hot, want to touch the hiney.

Amber: As if!!! There will be no touching of this hiney unless it is done by Kellen!

Manager: Okay...

Everyone gets out of the station wagon and goes inside where before Kellen and Amber go before the Justice of the Peace to be married, they first have to meet with the chapel clerk who seems less then thrilled to see them, or see anyone for that matter. A dowdy looking woman who is roughly in her mid-forties, the clerk looks and acts like the last person who would ever want to help someone get married, but here she is nonetheless.

Clerk: Welcome to Hank’s 24 hour Wedding Chapel and Discount Auto Salvage where all of your dreams come true. How can I help someone today? Do we have someone that needs discount auto parts?

Kellen: No, we would like to get married.

The Clerk regards the odd collection of people quite skeptically, including the Elvis impersonator who works there trying to figure out what is going.

Clerk: So all four of you are here to be married? Wait until Hank get a hold of this one. What the hell is going on here, Joelvis?

Kellen, Amber, and the manager of the Chinese restaurant turn and look at the Elvis Impersonator at the same time

All Three: Joelvis?

This leaves the Elvis impersonator to explain.

Joelvis: My given name is Joel Buford McCoy, but from the time I could count I have always been fascinated with the life and times of the King, and so as soon as I turned 18, I moved to Las Vegas and became an Elvis impersonator. So all of my friends here who know my story call me Joelvis.

Clerk: Trust me, we all know his story, but we are not all of his friends.

Joelvis: Anywho, the young couple here are the ones who are looking to tie that knot, Bertha. Me and the other man are just here to stand up for them as witnesses.

The Chinese restaurant manager is grinning from ear-to ear.

Manager: And later I am going to tape amazing drunk marry sex.

Amber: The hell you are!

Bertha: Yeah, whatever. I am just here to take money, licenses, and registration. I don’t judge anyone. Hell, there was one guy in here an hour ago who said that he and his intended wanted to have his horse join in a little later on.

Amber: We will not be having a horse join us for anything!

Bertha: Just letting you and the potential mister here that nothing is to weird for us. Now could I have the actually names of people who intend to be married to one another?

Kellen: Kellen Jeffries and Amber Sloane please.

Bertha: Wonderful. Now then Mr. Jeffries and Ms. Sloane, could I see some Identification please?

Finally happy to see a light at the end of the tunnel, both Kellen and Amber show the clerk their drivers licenses and are quickly approved.

Bertha: Alight now could I see the marriage license please?

Being on top of things despite feeling ten feet tall and bullet proof right now, Kellen produces a marriage license and it is signed by Bertha just as quickly, although there is a problem with the proceedings.

Bertha: Okay, now you two are going to have to wait for three days before you are able to be married.

Kellen and Amber: What?!

Bertha: Sorry, don’t yell at me, I don’t make the rules and it could be a lot longer if you want to keep testing me. Any couple who has an out of state marriage license has to wait until they can go to the court house and get things finalized. I know that you are not happy either one of you, but it is what it is.

The manager of the Chinese restaurant steps up to the counter and smiles whispering to Bertha while holding five 1 dollar bills.

Manager: Must be something can be done so these young people can be marry tonight.

Bertha: You have got to be kidding me, right? You call that a bribe?

Before the manager of the Chinese restaurant can say anything else, Kellen stumbles up to the desk drunk, pushing the manager to the side and he takes out ten one hundred dollar bills with a goofy grin while looking at Bertha.

Kellen: Now do you think something can be done?

For the first time since the group arrived here, Bertha gets a smile on her face.

Bertha: Sir, for that kind of price, I would marry you two crazy kids tonight myself if I had to!

Kellen: That’s what I thought.

Amber: Yay!

Manager: We are going to get amazing drunk marry sex tonight after all?!

Kellen: Dude, there are two people here that are going to have amazing drunk married sex later on, hopefully, but I guarantee you that you are not one of them two people that I am talking about so stop bringing it up before you are really sorry, got it?

Manager: Oh yes, I got it Mr, world’s biggest ass kicker with the big belt buckle. I will bring it up no more.

Amber swoons while Bertha and Joelvis look on.

Amber: It’s about damn time! That is why you are my fiancé baby yeah! As if!

Bertha: Right, as if or whatever. You guys can go ahead to Hank and he will marry you tonight since everything is in working order. Go ahead and step inside of the chapel please and best of luck to ya.

Kellen and Amber: Thank you!

Our group then makes their way inside of the chapel where they are met by Justice of the Peace Hank Wainwright, balding, middle aged, and fitting in perfectly with this picture as he is just like Kellen and Amber and very drunk himself.

Hank: Ahoy everyone! Who is our happy couple this evening?

Kellen and Amber help each other up before him with bright smiling faces.

Kellen and Amber: We are!

Not trying to hide his condition at all rather, but instead hitting the flask around his neck and taking a whiff as well before he continues.

Hank: Damn I really do love the smell of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum!

Joelvis: Damn that’s good shit!

Hank: Right! Joelvis, come over here and hit this flask!

Joelvis: Don’t mind if I do!

Joelvis comes over and takes a healthy swig from Hank’s flask and beams.

Joelvis: Thank you very much, thank you!

Meanwhile as Hank and Joelvis become reacquainted with Captain Morgan, Kellen and Amber are becoming increasingly unsteady, and desperately wanting to be married, so Kellen decides to get things back on course.

Kellen: Hey, we are going to be able to get married soon, right?

Hank: Oh yes right! You kids go and see Bertha and get everything squared away?

Kellen: We did see Bertha and if by squared away you mean I am out a thousand dollars, well then yes, everything is squared away.

Hank nods along while Kellen is talking and then takes a another hit from his flask.

Hank: A thousand dollars you say? Yeah that sounds about right, wouldn’t you say so, Joelvis?

Joelvis: I think she left them off easily honestly. Bertha has taken other folks for a whole lot more.

Kellen: Guys, wedding, can we get on with it, please, before something awful happen like my fiancé passes out in your chapel or I do?

Hank: Yeah, that really would be a bitch. So anyway, do you take her to be your wife?

Kellen: Um yeah sure!

Hank: And do you take him?

Amber: You mean right here, right now, in front of everybody? I said no amazing drunk married sex in front of other people Kellen!

Kellen: No, no. hon, he means do you take me to be your husband?

Hank hits the flask again.

Hank: Yeah, what he said!

Amber: Oh yeah duh, as if! Of course I do, look at how hot he is!

Hank: Great! So does someone have rings?

Amber: Oh my God, I forgot about the rings!

Kellen pulls two wedding rings out from his pocket and everyone in the room gets the hugest eyes.

Amber: Well what the hell! Those are gorgeous babe!

Kellen: Only the best for you.

Hank hits the flask again then looks like he is close to falling over.

Hank: Ladies and jellybeans, they have rings and they are mmm gorgeous! Why don’t each of you go ahead and slip one of those on each other!

Doing as they as told, Kellen and Amber takes the rings and put them on each others hands, was is cause for Hank to take another hit from his flask.

Hank: Well then, by the power invested in me by Captain Morgan and the state of insanity, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss….

Before Hank is even through saying his line, Kellen and Amber are one step ahead of him as they look like they have swallowed each others tongues forcefully.

Hank: Well hell would you look at that guys, I guess they have already gotten to that part!

Hank, Joelvis, and even the Chinese restaurant manager joins in hitting the flask again while Kellen and Amber still haven’t come up for air, trying to swallow each other’s tongues as the scene fades.


Going after that Flame “thingy”

Friday, May 31, 2019
Las Vegas, Nevada
11 pm

We fade into bed.

Let me say that again slowly, so that everyone can really think about what I am saying, we fade into bed.

I am a man, and so I wonder just like any countless other men who down through the years have recorded a professional wrestling promotional video just like I am doing right now have stopped and wondered wouldn’t be nice to start that video by saying “We fade into bed.”

Kind of sounds like the type of thing that so many other men would love to be saying, and yet I can’t count one other time I have heard those words spoken in SCW or in any place else for that matter.

That’s what it really all boils down to it though, because while people will try and tell you over and over again how that all of the truly great professional wrestlers speak alike and do alike, the reality of the situation is that it is the one who dare to be different who truly stand out from the crowd.

Standing out from the crowd, that is exactly what I am trying to do to, because I realize what this Sunday night means to each and every one of us in Supreme Championship Wrestling, but more, much more on that later.

Why was I beginning my promotional video with the words “We fade into bed” rather than giving viewers a description of some remote location that they will be lucky if they are ever able to witness themselves.

Well, surprise, I am in bed!

Or maybe more to the point I am in bed in the honeymoon suite of the MGM Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada because you have guessed it, I am on my honeymoon right now, or more to the point I am actually on my wedding night. That is also why I am currently whispering because it would seem that the new, most recent, and the last Mrs. Kellen Jeffries is fast asleep next me right now.

Smile pretty for the camera, Mrs. Amber Jeffries, or Mrs. Amber Sloane-Jeffries.

We haven’t really had much time to discuss that, although honestly it makes no difference to me either way, just as long as Amber, who by the why could smile anything but pretty for the camera, is happy with what people are calling her.

Amber is my third wife, but it feels like the first time that I am getting married for the right reasons, which means that I am putting Amber thoughts and feelings first in this relationship, so scary that it feels like it will probably work this time, at least God knows that for the first time I am truly trying, which has to count for something, or at least I think it does.

I am well into my 33rd year of life which means that I am into my 15th year of being and adult at least chronologically speaking, but there are certain things that I am coming to terms with as I try to figure this whole life thing out.

First, its not all about me, in fact I am just a bit player who ended up with the starring role, but only when it comes to telling my own story, nothing less and nothing more.

I really wish that I had realized that sooner because if I had maybe I would have to refer to the last 8 years or so as my miserable existence, and this is by mothing but my own fault that thing are this way, believe me.

Oh yes, there is no doubt about the fact I was a really shit, and quite frankly I still am sometimes, I mean I could get online and go to twitter and make my best friend along with everyone else hate me, and if you don’t believe that I will have you meet Timothy Myers who has a lot of stories to tell for sure.

But with Amber things are different this time, and I have finally found someone who truly completes me as corny and mushy as all that bullshit sounds, and she is going to be my partner for life, as this is what it means to be truly happy, something I never believed was possible for me, but Amber has proven otherwise.

With my personal life finally worked for the best and leaving me in the right spot mentally, rather than just being mental as I have been accused of so many times and often rightfully so in this life, now it is time that I talk about this Sunday’s event, an event called Taking Hold of the Flame, or the Flame "thingy" as my beautiful wife has decided to call it.

Let me tell all of you who are still listening however that doesn’t mean that my wife doesn’t understand what is on the line, or that she is taking this lightly because view this as part of our honeymoon, a part that I fully intend on winning, with her at ringside cheering me on because Amber is more than just another pretty face, we are a team, a team that has her as an asset, not a hinderence.

The Flame is one of the biggest pay per view events the year in an industry where no matter what promotion you are working for the object is to make each pay per view event bigger than the last one, or so it would seem.

The headline attraction is always the same however; a huge forty person over the top rope battle royal to determine who will challenge the SCW World Champion at Rise to Greatness, the biggest wrestling pay per view event of the year every year, no matter what promotion that you are working for whether you want to admit it or not.

Rise to Greatness is the premiere wrestling pay per view event in the world, and before you just dismiss as a corporate shill for the company I am working for consider that competitors from all over the world work their entire lives to be performers on the Rise to Greatness stage, so that shows you just how big it is, for those that don’t believe what I am saying alone.

I can't be certain because I have never done this before, at least not in SCW, but I think there is supposed to be things that are expected to be talked about when talking about an event such as this with all kinds of implications on the line.

I will bet for example people are supposed talk about other people in field or people are expected to discuss what a challenge the Flame represents and because of that how little people have actually winning.

The thing is while that would be easy enough to talk about, I don't really take the easy way out even when it is presented right in front of me, because it was that thing I was talking about before, I need something different, something that will make me stand out in crowd so to speak otherwise both myself and my message could get lost in the shuffle so much promotional material for this event.

So with all that being said I have decided that I am not going to talk about how hard it's going to be for me to win the Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal because it feels like it is just going to be a moot point, when you considering that a lot of participants are going to be doing just that, and I don’t want to sound like everyone else, knowing that I have never done that before so why am I going to start it now?

Rather, I dare to be different and in being different I have decided that I am going to say to hell with it, and although it may not be traditional just to overlook thirty-nine other competitors, I know already that I am going to win that battle royal this Sunday.

If that pisses a few people off while I guess i don't know what to tell them except that I would rather be pissed off instead of being pissed on right?

For over 11 years I have involved in wrestling in one way or another, I wasn’t just a kid with no talent trying to make it some place that I should not have been yet, because I have raised more hell, won more matches, and held more titles than many of the people I come to blows with in SCW every single day.

I have come to realize however, that I really don't give two fucks about what other people think about what I have to say at the end of the day whether it is someone I like or someone that I can’t stand which encompasses a lot of people but not as much as it once did, because I didn’t last that long in this business just to have someone else take my spot when I can finally see it.

My spot as I see it is on July 21st, 2019 when I am going to be in the main event of Rise to Greatness where I will become the SCW World Champion.

You can call that confidence, cockiness, or anything else you want it makes no difference to me, I am going to be you SCW World Champion after the premiere event on the professional wrestling calendar, and I dare anyone to try to stop me.

There are a lot of people in SCW who are going to try and do just that, to try and stop me, and I welcome it, because I have always had people who have tried to stop me from reaching my goal of being the absolute best, and if I didn’t what kind of fun would that be?

Speaking of fun too, I really need to be going now because it sounds like my beautiful wife is awake and there are other things that I need to be attending to if you know what I mean, after all this the Las Vegas portion of our honeymoon and what happens in Vegas stays in…well you get the idea right?

See you this Sunday up in Canada, for Taking Hold of the Flame.

I’ll be the guy standing in the ring after the battle royal with his arm raised, ready to go on to Rise to Greatness and become the SCW World Champion, I guarantee it!

And now fading back into bed….

[Simple77]

OOC: I really hate this, but due to timer constraints and family issues its only a shoot, still enjoy!

This Fire Burns

Friday May 31st, 2019
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
9 pm

Hello, Hello, Hello everyone!

Okay so I am not going to lie to all of you, because today was supposed to be a huge day in the life of me, Kelsai Adamson-Mason. Because today is the day that I finally make my big break and do what I have always dreamed of doing since the time I was 7 or 8 when I realized that the best wrestlers in the world, wrestlers that I have always wanted to compete against, always ended up eventually in Supreme Championship Wrestling.

My manager Ms. Amy Chastaine is an icon in SCW, the first female and fastest person ever to be crowned the Supreme Champion. My brother-in-law Blake Mason won both the Adrenaline Championship and the World Tag Team Championship as well as leaving a lasting impression for years to come. My husband Victor Mason has never wrestled here but a girl can hope can’t she, because not only would I adore watching my husband wrestle (I just like watching him move!) but in the future I could possible use a tag team partner down the line and I think he would be perfect for the job. In fact, the only person that I know who I am closely related to in pro wrestling that will never be involved in SCW is my Daddy Dwayne Adamson, but by the time SCW was getting started Daddy was already semi-retired and had started making movies, which I think everyone will agree that he has done quite well there for himself too.

Now finally after years of preparation mentally, I have joined the SCW roster in time to be in the Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal this Sunday, one of the biggest pay per views of the year,  so you would think that me, Ms. Excitement would be on cloud nine right now and believe me on one level I certainly am. However, as I was getting ready with Ms. Amy today in they gym where I have been training since yesterday I got a phone call from my friend Jessica, and to say the least it was not a good phone call at all.

Jessica is 7-year-old Jessica Smart, who I meant one night after wrestling in North Carolina for GCW where I am also continuing to work. Jessica is smart, spunky, silly just like me besides being one of the best and thoughtful listeners I have ever meant. Jessica is truly mature beyond her years, many times offering me wisdom when I didn’t even know that I was asking for any wisdom. Like when I decided to leave Emerge after being attacked last month, she was there to comfort me and offer advice even giving me some thoughtful consideration about where my career might be going next since I was no longer involved with Emerge. Coincidentally for anyone that is wondering, my decision to leave Emerge did not come easily. Almost everyone at Emerge treated me with an overflowing amount of respect, much more than I ever deserved, and I am truly thankful everything that Drew Bryant and everyone on his staff tried to do for me, so I have nothing but good things to say about most of Emerge.

Back to Jessica though, what I have always found to be truly remarkable about is the fact that she is so wise beyond her years and she does it all despite the fact that she has Medulloblastoma, a childhood form of brain cancer. Jessica is so brave, in fact Victor and I have talked about amongst ourselves and we believe that she is unquestionably the bravest person that we know. However, while I was working out at the gym getting ready for my SCW in ring debut, I got a call from Jessica, who was very adamant that I stay right here in Montreal and train for Taking Hold of the Flame, because she is extremely brave as always and is very excited about seeing me perform this Sunday…

As long as she gets the chance.

You see for as long as I have known Jessica, which is about three and a half months, this has been the one phone call that I was always worried about receiving, the phone call that I had always dreaded. Late Thursday night Jessica’s father Jack ended up rushing Jessica to the children’s hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina after a particularly rough day for Jessica in which she had thrown up violently multiple times. After doctors ran tests and scans on Jessica despite all the prayers and support of so many people, they confirmed what we already knew to be true; Jessica tumor was growing, in fact it was not just growing but it had nearly doubled in size. So, if you can imagine being 7 years old and having doctors tell you that it is not a matter of if but rather just a matter of when you are going to die. She could have a matter of days, a couple of weeks, not much more than a month, and in fact she could already be passed on right now. I want more than anything to pack my bags and go down to Raleigh and stay with Jessica until the very end, unbelievable when you consider that I have waited my whole life for this moment, but this little girl is special, so special that only because I promised her that I would and compete in the battle royal this Sunday that I am.

There are forty different competitors competing in Taking Hold of the Flame, and forty different sets of stories about how and why the fans are supposed to cheer for them, but I will guarantee you that none of them are going to have emotional impact of Jessica Smart, the 7-year-old with an indomitable spirit, huge heart, and unfortunately an even larger brain tumor as well. I don’t know if Jessica will still be with us by the time that my number is called this Sunday, but you better believe that either way she will be with me in spirit and that spirit will help me to do my very best inside of that right, whatever my best will be.

You can bet that I will be giving it everything I have for myself, for my family, for my manager, for my fans and of course for Jessica. I know that to be eliminated that I will have to be thrown over the top and have both feet touch the floor, and I am telling you right now that I am not planning on Sunday night being anything less than one long night for this girl because I am going to take all of my excitement coupled with all of this emotion to try and make it all the way to the main event of Rise to Greatness and then?

Then I will be on the next plane to Raleigh to say goodbye to a friend.

[Xander Valentine]

OOC: Decided to do a fun tease as a RP for things to come. I have a lot planned for Xander but due to working extra hours and then moving into a spare bedroom and really not having any place to write sometimes, I decided to focus on Alistaire and my secret entry for this PPV. 

Sunday, the trumpets will blare, signaling the start of the great hunt.

Amidst the ensuing melee, as greed transform men into monsters, I will slit my wrist and stain the canvas with my blood.
Come forth, hungry hounds, smell my scent.
For months, you’ve been barking, starving for the vengeance I have denied, now here’s your chance.

Chase me.

Regan and Selena might be queen bitches of the pack yet to be snuffed out by extinction, but there are many other dogs who too want nothing more than to sink their teeth into my delectable flesh.
They want to rip me to shreds, because I injured their pride.
They want to tear me to pieces, because I made them feel vulnerable.
I welcome them to try, because I’m not afraid to die.
I welcome them to pursue me.

Catch me if you can.

If you follow me, be prepared.
I will lead you into the abyss; let’s see if our heroes can survive within.
The darkness crushes indiscriminately, your self-righteousness rendered meaningless.
I dwell where hope comes to die.
I strive where dreams evaporate.
The weak will be exposed.
The mighty will be drawn and quartered.
The devil watches with a smile.

Sunday, the hunt begins but it will be far from the end.
Please remind me, who will be hunting who?