Friday May 27, 2011
The RV- Bedroom
Vaughan, Ontario
9:12 AM Local Time
I moaned softly and turned over as I slipped back into consciousness, a content smile on my face after a restful sleep. Stretching languidly, I looked up at the ceiling. Almost immediately, I could tell that I had slept in- the sunlight coming in through the RV’s windows was too bright for my customary wake-up time of six o’ clock. I found myself not caring- in my life, where I always had somewhere to go, an appointment to keep, an obligation to make, it was nice to once in a while wake up on your own volition, not because a shrieking alarm clock told you to.
I looked to my left, and was surprised to find the other half of my bed empty. That was rare- I almost always awoke before my husband, sometimes by the measure of a couple hours.
I felt on the small end table next to the bed for my cellphone, eventually grasping it. I flipped it on, looking at the clock- a quarter after nine! What decadence!
I turned my phones screen off, and went to set my phone back on the small nightstand, but something stopped me. I turned the Droid back on, and again looked at the screen. Sure enough, the date shown clearly, ominously. The twenty-seventh of May.
My birthday.
“Ohhh..” I moaned, setting the phone down, and rolling over, suddenly wracked by a wave of despair. “I’m thirty!”
I knew I was whining. I knew I should have embraced the day of my birth as a celebration. I knew that finishing three decades of life meant little as what I could or couldn’t physically do. But visualizing the two in the tens column turning into a three was disheartening. It felt like my youth was over. It made me question how much time I had. How long before my looks began to wither and wane? How long until my muscles began to wear down and fail?
How long until I couldn’t wrestle anymore?
Deep down, I knew they were ridiculous fears. The average human could maintian peak physical performance until well after they turned thirty-five, and five years was admittedly a long time. And I was in great shape. I took care of myself, I had been fortunate that the only major injury I’d ever suffered was a fractured ankle, suffered in my second year. Provided I continued to train hard, live well, and not suffer any unfortunate accidents, there was no reason I couldn’t compete for another ten years.. maybe even twenty!
Scratch that. The thought of me being a fifty year old grandmother who wrestled struck me as completely absurd. The world already had one Rose Astral- it didn’t need another.
But then again, who knew what would happen in the future? On my twentieth birthday, I sure wasn’t expecting that in six months, I would be throwing away any chance I had at a career in theater to take up professional wrestling. I wouldn’t have expected that on my twenty-fifth, I’d be retired, newly married, and pregnant with my child. And I wouldn’t have ever guessed that on my thirtieth, I’d be back in wrestling, awaking in a half-million dollar RV in a suburb of Toronto, one day from one of the biggest matches of my life.
I couldn’t help but chuckle. What an amazing decade it had been. There had been some triumphs, some tragedies, and a lot of sleepless nights. I had been to every inhabitable continent, met all kinds of wonderful people. But even more importantly, it had ended with me having a loving (albeit incorrigable) husband, a beautiful daughter, and a job I absolutely loved. If everything I had gone through in the past ten years had to happen to get me to this point, then I wouldn’t trade ANY of it for the world!
The door swung open,and I quickly sat up, straightening my nightgown as my daughter slowly walked in, balancing a tray in her hands, upon which was a bowl of cereal, a glass of orange juice, and a plate of toast and a couple strips of bacon. I smiled. Breakfast in bed!
Theresa grinned at me as she walked towards the bed. “Happy Birthday Mo-”
One misstep, and that’s all it took, and suddenly my entire breakfast was on the floor. For a few moments, there was dead silence, as I looked at the mess, the orange juice and milk seeping into the carpet. Then my daughter let out a howl of misery, tears spilling out down her cheeks.
My heart melted. “Oh, Terr-Bear,” I whispered, immediately getting out of bed, and picking her up. I cringed as my bare feet sloshed in the spilled liquids, but sat down on the bed, gently rubbing Theresa’s back. “Don’t- don’t cry, honey. It’s okay.”
“But I ruined your birthday!” she sobbed
“No, you didn’t!” I said vehemently, squeezing her tightly against me. “You were doing something incredibly nice for me, honey! Accidents happen!”
“What’s going on?” Terrence burst into the room, concerned at my daughters cries. “What happened?”
“We had a bit of an accident,” I murmured, gently tousling Theresa’s hair.
Terrence looked down at the mess, and grimaced. “Dammit,” he huffed.
“Terry, it’ll come out.” I said, pointedly looking at him. Terrence hated seeing any part of the RV getting damaged or dirty, but I wasn’t going to have him getting grumpy over this.
Terrence blinked. “No, it’s not that. It’s just, Pollaski bet me twenty bucks that this was gonna happen.”
The glare I shot my husband would have killed a normal human being, and as it was, it caused even the normally stubborn Terrence to wither. “I’ll, um, go get some towels,” he volunteered, and quickly left the room.
After he had left, I set Theresa down next to me, and used a corner of our bedsheets to help wipe her eyes. “Come on, Theresa. No more crying on Mommy’s special day.”
“I’m sorry,” my daughter croaked. “I didn’t mean to.”
“I know you didn’t” I replied. “We’ll get it cleaned up, and everything will be okay. Everyone makes mistakes, you just have to learn from them.”
Terrence came back, holding a small stack of towels, and he tossed me one. Together, we quickly cleaned up the mess, soaking up as much of the orange juice and milk that we could. Unfortunately, there was still a fairly large stain when we had finished. “I’ll spray some Spot Shot on,” I said. “See if that works.”
Terrence nodded, then looked over at Theresa. “You alright there, sport?” Theresa’d stopped crying, although her eyes were still red and puffy. Nevertheless she nodded, and Terrence grinned. “So now, what should Mommy do for her birthday?”
Theresa shrugged, and we both laughed. “I have that autograph signing at noon,” I reminded them with a sigh. I had hoped that I could arrange my promotional obligations on either Thursday or Saturday morning, so I could have had today free, but unfortunately, since I wasn’t the only girl at the signing, I could hardly get it moved. “After that, I don’t know. I’ve always wanted to go up the CN Tower.”
“How’d you like that, Theresa?” Terrence asked. “Would you like to go up real high, so you can see real far?”
We both laughed as Theresa vigorously nodded. “Okay,” I said. “But let’s have breakfast first. We’ll eat together at the table.”
Theresa nodded again, and Terrence scooped her up in his arms. I smiled as I began to follow them out the door, then turned around to look back at the room, and my bed.
I didn’t know what lay ahead. I didn’t know if my beauty would enhance or wane, if I would grow stronger or weaker. I couldn’t predict the future- no one could. The only thing I could do, I realized with a small smile, was hope that the next decade of my life would be every bit as rich and rewarding as the last one was.
Friday May 27, 2011
The RV- Main Cabin
Vaughan, Ontario
8:10 PM Local Time
“So here I am.”
[Well, it was a wonderful birthday for the lovely Wendy Briese. While she hadn’t exactly been looking forward to the autograph signing, she had ended up having a blast talking to the fans, and signing the various assortment of items that had been brought to her table (the weirdest being a jar of pickles. She signed it, and didn’t bother asking questions). Combined with a lunch at Whitespot, and dinner atop the CN Tower overlooking the beautiful Toronto skyline, and it had been a wonderful day.]
[About the only blemish was Pollaski’s birthday card, which officially pronounced Wendy “XXX-Rated”, in honor of her thirtieth birthday. That one ain’t exactly gonna be going in the memory chest.]
[Anyways, The scene opens up into the main cabin of the WhirlyBirdz RV, with Wendy Briese sitting on the couch, smiling softy at the camera. As could be evidenced by the fading sunlight through the window behind her, it’s early evening, the night of her birthday, the day before Conviction. Wendy’s dressed in a fairly nice pale blue dress, having only recently gotten back from her dinner atop the Tower. Even her normally pony-tailed flame-red hair has been done up a little nicer than normal.]
“In less than forty-eight hours, the curtain will rise on Femme Fatale Wrestling’s Conviction pay-per-view, my first as a member of the FFW roster. I’ve wrestled for quite a few companies... FFW is my thirteenth, to be exact, but I sure haven’t been in many that are capable of putting on a show this enormous in magnitude. A War Games match, as our most highly-esteemed competitors defend FFW’s honor against SVW. The grudge match between two of FFW’s most legendary competitors. The defense of the Television and Evolution Championships, and the crowning of a new Tag team Champions.”
[Wendy’s voice trails off slightly towards the end, and she flashes a small, rueful smile.]
“Unfortunately, you won’t be seeing me in any of those.”
[A small shrug]
“I haven’t earned that right yet. I haven’t earned a chance to carry the FFW banner and represent the company against a rival fed. I haven’t earned a chance to compete for a championship, regardless of the level or the stipulations surrounding it. To put it bluntly, the most I’ve earned in FFW is participation in a six-woman tag match, taking up seventh billing on the card”
[Wendy pauses for just a second, and sighs.]
“All I’ve ever asked for is an opportunity. I might not be the prettiest girl on the roster, or the strongest, or the most brutal. I might not be the most charismatic on the microphone, or the most dazzling high flyer. But I can safely say this- if there’s an opportunity to be had, there isn’t a person in this company that will work harder to make the most of it than I will.”
[Wendy suddenly breaks into a big grin.]
“I don’t think I need to tell anyone that this is EXACTLY what I have been hoping for.”
“If there’s one thing that I have in common with the five other women in this match, its that none of us have earned ANYTHING yet in FFW. Three of us are brand new here, having joined since Full Frontal, and while the other three have been here slightly longer, they still haven’t gotten the opportunity to really show what they’re capable of- until now, that is.”
[Wendy takes a deep breath, and looks up at the ceiling for a few seconds]
“I don’t think many people just realize the enormity of this match, save for those of us who are involved. Sure, it’s got a catchy name, the Chase for the Crown. And yes, the winner of the entire tournament will receive a shot at the Evolution Championship. But this is how stars are born. It’s matches like this that give people like me the chance to put ourselves on the level of Colleen, Undine, and even Scarlett Kincaid.”
[Wendy shifts restlessly in her chair]
“Only one person can win this tournament, and get that title shot. I want that person to- no, I EXPECT that person to be me. I know what I’m capable of, I know that I can beat any person on the FFW roster. And when the third match is finished, and the Chase for the Crown has reached its conclusion, I see absolutely no reason why the person standing tall in victory shouldn’t be me.”
[Wendy looks sternly at the camera]
“But there’s one thing that needs to be kept in mind here. I want to win the Chase, but I can’t do that at Conviction. It’s a three match series, and it can’t be won until that third match. But while you can’t win the Chase at this stage, you sure as heck can lose it, and be eliminated.”
[A small sigh]
“Kassandra, one of my partners, seems to have it in her mind that either Crystal Hilton or I will try and take advantage of her in this match, to take her out of the competition and eliminate her as a threat. Even if I was of a duplicitous nature, what advantage would there be? I’ll put it simply- if Kassandra is taken out at Conviction, then Crystal Hilton and I are out with her. I need her, and I need Crystal to advance, just as they both need me. The time for us to face each other will come soon enough, but for now, we are a team, and we need to act that way.”
[Short pause]
“Because ladies, we absolutely NEED to win this match.”
[Wendy leans forward slightly, her eyes intense with determination.]
“From this match, there’s two paths diverging. One path, the path the defeated will take, it’s a path of obscurity. It’s a path back to where we all have been, wrestling in first and second matches on the show, of playing ‘Welcome Wagon’ for the new talent, all the while hoping for a second chance. That is not the path I desire.”
[Wendy shakes her head]
“But the other path, it is a path of opportunity. And not just the chance at the Evolution title! It’s already been announced that the winning team at Conviction will face the trio of Colleen, Undine, and Robbyn Helsmley at the next Velocity. That’s an opportunity for all three of us. Because if we win that match, if we can prove that the three of us can stand toe-to-toe with the past three Evolution Champions, then all three of us will be on the map, not just the one who ultimately wins the Chase.”
[Wendy leans back, sighing deeply, her emerald eyes never leaving the camera]
“Opportunity or obscurity? The path we take will be determined by our ability to function as a team. All three of us are talented, to be sure, but so are our opponents. Nothing can be taken for granted here. If we can put their differences aside, and function as a unit, we should be the winners.”
[Unless of course the other team proves so catastrophically incompatible, they implode in a fantastic display of self-destruction generally only exhibited by red giants supernovae as they become black holes. But what are the odds of THAT happening?]
“Our opponents are tough, but we can beat them. Gretchen Donimari comes from a wrestling family, she’s practically been groomed for this since the day she could walk. Unfortunately for her, sometimes we just don’t turn out like our parents. I can attest to that- I was groomed to be an actress, even though never really stood much of a chance at matching either of my parent’s success. Gretchen’s struggled in FFW, and it’s affected her self-confidence. Gretchen’s a likable girl, but if she goes into this match unable to be absolutely sure of herself, then so much the better for us. ‘She who hesitates is lost,’ or so the saying goes, and that’s no truer than in a match such as this. There’s no time to doubt yourself. There’s no time to be tentative.”
[Wendy grimaces, but nontheless moves on.]
“Destiny Loveheart seems to be almost the opposite. While Gretchen’s setbacks seem to have made her question her resolve, it almost seems that Destiny’s failures have strengthened hers. You have to give her credit- she charges headlong into whatever match she’s been placed in, and she certainly gives it everything she has. But a suicidal charge of gallantry is still suicidal, and that’s a concept Destiny has yet to grasp. Destiny has a lot of heart, and that can be a difference maker. Not if it’s transformed into reckless bravado, however.”
[Wendy pauses for just a second, then sighs, shaking her head]
“And then... there’s Ariel.”
[Wendy looks directly into the camera as she prepares to address her frenemy.]
[GodDAMN that is a stupid word]
“Ariel, you’re obviously upset with me, and maybe you actually have a good reason to be so. But if you’re going to stand in front of a camera, cuss me out, and throw away our friendship, then maybe you should stop for a second, think, and get your facts straight.”
[Wendy’s face hardens slightly, a bit of fire dancing behind her eyes]
“I’m not infallible. I’ve never pretended to be, and I strongly doubt anyone who’s met me would make the mistake of believing I am. If you want ‘perfection’, well, apparently you faced her a couple weeks ago, and she’ll be standing next to me in our corner at Conviction. I’m not that. I’m human, I’m prone to errors,I’ve made more mistakes in my life than I’d ever care to admit.”
[Wendy’s eyes narrow, and she takes a deep breath]
“But don’t you DARE accuse me of nonchalance over your kidnapping. You want to bring that up here, Ariel? Then tell the WHOLE truth. Tell everyone how I was strangled with barbed wire and left for dead in a hallway because I tried to save you. Tell everyone that when you were finally set free, I was one of the few people you could turn to, and I welcomed you with open arms. If there’s anything more I could have realistically done, by all means, please tell me.”
[It’s obvious by now from the way that Wendy’s trembling, she’s fairly upset about the deal. Nonetheless, she takes another deep breath, and continues.]
“And tell me exactly how I took your boyfriend from you, when you were the one who walked out on him. I can’t blame you for that- Madman Szalinski had turned into such a self-pitying, destructive little weasel that I can see why you’d not want to be around him. But the sad irony is, here you are, three months later, sounding exactly like he did.
[Wendy bites her lower lip, and looks off to her side for just a second, then turns back to the camera.]
“If you want out of Femme Fatale Wrestling, Ariel, then I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. But could you please do the rest of us a favor and not set fire to the bridge as you’re riding off into the sunset?”
[Wendy shakes her head in disgust]
“It’s a shame, Ariel, because I’m sure Hayley Dark, or Whitley Mercer, or one of the other women forced to sit out this show because there was nothing for them, would have KILLED for an opportunity such as the one you and I are getting. But you were chosen, Ariel. You were selected to participate in this event, to get a chance to rise through the rankings a lot quicker than we would if we just faced a random different opponent every other week.”
[Wendy scoffs, and shakes her head again]
“But this company doesn’t give a you-know-what about you, right?”
[A snort of derision]
“What did you expect, Ariel? A ticker tape parade? A title shot in your very first match? There’s nearly forty wrestlers in this company, and you, or I for that matter, have yet to prove that we’re better than even half of them. This is better than either of us could have possibly hoped for after two matches here.”
[Wendy pauses for just a second, her face falling slowly, until she takes a deep breath and sighs]
“Whatever you want to do, Ariel. If you want to approach this match pessimistically, I won’t stop you. If you want to go on a profanity-laced rant because it’ll make you feel better, then I hope it does. If you want to quit, then there’s the door. And if, after this is all said and done, you want to talk, well, you have my number.
[Wendy shrugs, and it’s obvious she’s trying to make it nonchalant, but her shoulders do slump just a little. Still, she musters a smile]
“But, me? I’m going to walk down there with my two teammates, get into that ring, and wrestle the biggest FFW match I’ve had to date. And I’m not going to let anything, whether it’s Crystal’s narcissism, Kassandra’s paranoia, Gretchen’s self-doubt, Destiny’s bravado, or Ariel’s dissatisfaction stand in my way. I’m going to get my team that win, and we are going to advance to the second stage of the tournament."
[A small smile]
“After all, I know a good opportunity when I see one.”
[Fade.]
The RV- Bedroom
Vaughan, Ontario
9:12 AM Local Time
I moaned softly and turned over as I slipped back into consciousness, a content smile on my face after a restful sleep. Stretching languidly, I looked up at the ceiling. Almost immediately, I could tell that I had slept in- the sunlight coming in through the RV’s windows was too bright for my customary wake-up time of six o’ clock. I found myself not caring- in my life, where I always had somewhere to go, an appointment to keep, an obligation to make, it was nice to once in a while wake up on your own volition, not because a shrieking alarm clock told you to.
I looked to my left, and was surprised to find the other half of my bed empty. That was rare- I almost always awoke before my husband, sometimes by the measure of a couple hours.
I felt on the small end table next to the bed for my cellphone, eventually grasping it. I flipped it on, looking at the clock- a quarter after nine! What decadence!
I turned my phones screen off, and went to set my phone back on the small nightstand, but something stopped me. I turned the Droid back on, and again looked at the screen. Sure enough, the date shown clearly, ominously. The twenty-seventh of May.
My birthday.
“Ohhh..” I moaned, setting the phone down, and rolling over, suddenly wracked by a wave of despair. “I’m thirty!”
I knew I was whining. I knew I should have embraced the day of my birth as a celebration. I knew that finishing three decades of life meant little as what I could or couldn’t physically do. But visualizing the two in the tens column turning into a three was disheartening. It felt like my youth was over. It made me question how much time I had. How long before my looks began to wither and wane? How long until my muscles began to wear down and fail?
How long until I couldn’t wrestle anymore?
Deep down, I knew they were ridiculous fears. The average human could maintian peak physical performance until well after they turned thirty-five, and five years was admittedly a long time. And I was in great shape. I took care of myself, I had been fortunate that the only major injury I’d ever suffered was a fractured ankle, suffered in my second year. Provided I continued to train hard, live well, and not suffer any unfortunate accidents, there was no reason I couldn’t compete for another ten years.. maybe even twenty!
Scratch that. The thought of me being a fifty year old grandmother who wrestled struck me as completely absurd. The world already had one Rose Astral- it didn’t need another.
But then again, who knew what would happen in the future? On my twentieth birthday, I sure wasn’t expecting that in six months, I would be throwing away any chance I had at a career in theater to take up professional wrestling. I wouldn’t have expected that on my twenty-fifth, I’d be retired, newly married, and pregnant with my child. And I wouldn’t have ever guessed that on my thirtieth, I’d be back in wrestling, awaking in a half-million dollar RV in a suburb of Toronto, one day from one of the biggest matches of my life.
I couldn’t help but chuckle. What an amazing decade it had been. There had been some triumphs, some tragedies, and a lot of sleepless nights. I had been to every inhabitable continent, met all kinds of wonderful people. But even more importantly, it had ended with me having a loving (albeit incorrigable) husband, a beautiful daughter, and a job I absolutely loved. If everything I had gone through in the past ten years had to happen to get me to this point, then I wouldn’t trade ANY of it for the world!
The door swung open,and I quickly sat up, straightening my nightgown as my daughter slowly walked in, balancing a tray in her hands, upon which was a bowl of cereal, a glass of orange juice, and a plate of toast and a couple strips of bacon. I smiled. Breakfast in bed!
Theresa grinned at me as she walked towards the bed. “Happy Birthday Mo-”
One misstep, and that’s all it took, and suddenly my entire breakfast was on the floor. For a few moments, there was dead silence, as I looked at the mess, the orange juice and milk seeping into the carpet. Then my daughter let out a howl of misery, tears spilling out down her cheeks.
My heart melted. “Oh, Terr-Bear,” I whispered, immediately getting out of bed, and picking her up. I cringed as my bare feet sloshed in the spilled liquids, but sat down on the bed, gently rubbing Theresa’s back. “Don’t- don’t cry, honey. It’s okay.”
“But I ruined your birthday!” she sobbed
“No, you didn’t!” I said vehemently, squeezing her tightly against me. “You were doing something incredibly nice for me, honey! Accidents happen!”
“What’s going on?” Terrence burst into the room, concerned at my daughters cries. “What happened?”
“We had a bit of an accident,” I murmured, gently tousling Theresa’s hair.
Terrence looked down at the mess, and grimaced. “Dammit,” he huffed.
“Terry, it’ll come out.” I said, pointedly looking at him. Terrence hated seeing any part of the RV getting damaged or dirty, but I wasn’t going to have him getting grumpy over this.
Terrence blinked. “No, it’s not that. It’s just, Pollaski bet me twenty bucks that this was gonna happen.”
The glare I shot my husband would have killed a normal human being, and as it was, it caused even the normally stubborn Terrence to wither. “I’ll, um, go get some towels,” he volunteered, and quickly left the room.
After he had left, I set Theresa down next to me, and used a corner of our bedsheets to help wipe her eyes. “Come on, Theresa. No more crying on Mommy’s special day.”
“I’m sorry,” my daughter croaked. “I didn’t mean to.”
“I know you didn’t” I replied. “We’ll get it cleaned up, and everything will be okay. Everyone makes mistakes, you just have to learn from them.”
Terrence came back, holding a small stack of towels, and he tossed me one. Together, we quickly cleaned up the mess, soaking up as much of the orange juice and milk that we could. Unfortunately, there was still a fairly large stain when we had finished. “I’ll spray some Spot Shot on,” I said. “See if that works.”
Terrence nodded, then looked over at Theresa. “You alright there, sport?” Theresa’d stopped crying, although her eyes were still red and puffy. Nevertheless she nodded, and Terrence grinned. “So now, what should Mommy do for her birthday?”
Theresa shrugged, and we both laughed. “I have that autograph signing at noon,” I reminded them with a sigh. I had hoped that I could arrange my promotional obligations on either Thursday or Saturday morning, so I could have had today free, but unfortunately, since I wasn’t the only girl at the signing, I could hardly get it moved. “After that, I don’t know. I’ve always wanted to go up the CN Tower.”
“How’d you like that, Theresa?” Terrence asked. “Would you like to go up real high, so you can see real far?”
We both laughed as Theresa vigorously nodded. “Okay,” I said. “But let’s have breakfast first. We’ll eat together at the table.”
Theresa nodded again, and Terrence scooped her up in his arms. I smiled as I began to follow them out the door, then turned around to look back at the room, and my bed.
I didn’t know what lay ahead. I didn’t know if my beauty would enhance or wane, if I would grow stronger or weaker. I couldn’t predict the future- no one could. The only thing I could do, I realized with a small smile, was hope that the next decade of my life would be every bit as rich and rewarding as the last one was.
Friday May 27, 2011
The RV- Main Cabin
Vaughan, Ontario
8:10 PM Local Time
“So here I am.”
[Well, it was a wonderful birthday for the lovely Wendy Briese. While she hadn’t exactly been looking forward to the autograph signing, she had ended up having a blast talking to the fans, and signing the various assortment of items that had been brought to her table (the weirdest being a jar of pickles. She signed it, and didn’t bother asking questions). Combined with a lunch at Whitespot, and dinner atop the CN Tower overlooking the beautiful Toronto skyline, and it had been a wonderful day.]
[About the only blemish was Pollaski’s birthday card, which officially pronounced Wendy “XXX-Rated”, in honor of her thirtieth birthday. That one ain’t exactly gonna be going in the memory chest.]
[Anyways, The scene opens up into the main cabin of the WhirlyBirdz RV, with Wendy Briese sitting on the couch, smiling softy at the camera. As could be evidenced by the fading sunlight through the window behind her, it’s early evening, the night of her birthday, the day before Conviction. Wendy’s dressed in a fairly nice pale blue dress, having only recently gotten back from her dinner atop the Tower. Even her normally pony-tailed flame-red hair has been done up a little nicer than normal.]
“In less than forty-eight hours, the curtain will rise on Femme Fatale Wrestling’s Conviction pay-per-view, my first as a member of the FFW roster. I’ve wrestled for quite a few companies... FFW is my thirteenth, to be exact, but I sure haven’t been in many that are capable of putting on a show this enormous in magnitude. A War Games match, as our most highly-esteemed competitors defend FFW’s honor against SVW. The grudge match between two of FFW’s most legendary competitors. The defense of the Television and Evolution Championships, and the crowning of a new Tag team Champions.”
[Wendy’s voice trails off slightly towards the end, and she flashes a small, rueful smile.]
“Unfortunately, you won’t be seeing me in any of those.”
[A small shrug]
“I haven’t earned that right yet. I haven’t earned a chance to carry the FFW banner and represent the company against a rival fed. I haven’t earned a chance to compete for a championship, regardless of the level or the stipulations surrounding it. To put it bluntly, the most I’ve earned in FFW is participation in a six-woman tag match, taking up seventh billing on the card”
[Wendy pauses for just a second, and sighs.]
“All I’ve ever asked for is an opportunity. I might not be the prettiest girl on the roster, or the strongest, or the most brutal. I might not be the most charismatic on the microphone, or the most dazzling high flyer. But I can safely say this- if there’s an opportunity to be had, there isn’t a person in this company that will work harder to make the most of it than I will.”
[Wendy suddenly breaks into a big grin.]
“I don’t think I need to tell anyone that this is EXACTLY what I have been hoping for.”
“If there’s one thing that I have in common with the five other women in this match, its that none of us have earned ANYTHING yet in FFW. Three of us are brand new here, having joined since Full Frontal, and while the other three have been here slightly longer, they still haven’t gotten the opportunity to really show what they’re capable of- until now, that is.”
[Wendy takes a deep breath, and looks up at the ceiling for a few seconds]
“I don’t think many people just realize the enormity of this match, save for those of us who are involved. Sure, it’s got a catchy name, the Chase for the Crown. And yes, the winner of the entire tournament will receive a shot at the Evolution Championship. But this is how stars are born. It’s matches like this that give people like me the chance to put ourselves on the level of Colleen, Undine, and even Scarlett Kincaid.”
[Wendy shifts restlessly in her chair]
“Only one person can win this tournament, and get that title shot. I want that person to- no, I EXPECT that person to be me. I know what I’m capable of, I know that I can beat any person on the FFW roster. And when the third match is finished, and the Chase for the Crown has reached its conclusion, I see absolutely no reason why the person standing tall in victory shouldn’t be me.”
[Wendy looks sternly at the camera]
“But there’s one thing that needs to be kept in mind here. I want to win the Chase, but I can’t do that at Conviction. It’s a three match series, and it can’t be won until that third match. But while you can’t win the Chase at this stage, you sure as heck can lose it, and be eliminated.”
[A small sigh]
“Kassandra, one of my partners, seems to have it in her mind that either Crystal Hilton or I will try and take advantage of her in this match, to take her out of the competition and eliminate her as a threat. Even if I was of a duplicitous nature, what advantage would there be? I’ll put it simply- if Kassandra is taken out at Conviction, then Crystal Hilton and I are out with her. I need her, and I need Crystal to advance, just as they both need me. The time for us to face each other will come soon enough, but for now, we are a team, and we need to act that way.”
[Short pause]
“Because ladies, we absolutely NEED to win this match.”
[Wendy leans forward slightly, her eyes intense with determination.]
“From this match, there’s two paths diverging. One path, the path the defeated will take, it’s a path of obscurity. It’s a path back to where we all have been, wrestling in first and second matches on the show, of playing ‘Welcome Wagon’ for the new talent, all the while hoping for a second chance. That is not the path I desire.”
[Wendy shakes her head]
“But the other path, it is a path of opportunity. And not just the chance at the Evolution title! It’s already been announced that the winning team at Conviction will face the trio of Colleen, Undine, and Robbyn Helsmley at the next Velocity. That’s an opportunity for all three of us. Because if we win that match, if we can prove that the three of us can stand toe-to-toe with the past three Evolution Champions, then all three of us will be on the map, not just the one who ultimately wins the Chase.”
[Wendy leans back, sighing deeply, her emerald eyes never leaving the camera]
“Opportunity or obscurity? The path we take will be determined by our ability to function as a team. All three of us are talented, to be sure, but so are our opponents. Nothing can be taken for granted here. If we can put their differences aside, and function as a unit, we should be the winners.”
[Unless of course the other team proves so catastrophically incompatible, they implode in a fantastic display of self-destruction generally only exhibited by red giants supernovae as they become black holes. But what are the odds of THAT happening?]
“Our opponents are tough, but we can beat them. Gretchen Donimari comes from a wrestling family, she’s practically been groomed for this since the day she could walk. Unfortunately for her, sometimes we just don’t turn out like our parents. I can attest to that- I was groomed to be an actress, even though never really stood much of a chance at matching either of my parent’s success. Gretchen’s struggled in FFW, and it’s affected her self-confidence. Gretchen’s a likable girl, but if she goes into this match unable to be absolutely sure of herself, then so much the better for us. ‘She who hesitates is lost,’ or so the saying goes, and that’s no truer than in a match such as this. There’s no time to doubt yourself. There’s no time to be tentative.”
[Wendy grimaces, but nontheless moves on.]
“Destiny Loveheart seems to be almost the opposite. While Gretchen’s setbacks seem to have made her question her resolve, it almost seems that Destiny’s failures have strengthened hers. You have to give her credit- she charges headlong into whatever match she’s been placed in, and she certainly gives it everything she has. But a suicidal charge of gallantry is still suicidal, and that’s a concept Destiny has yet to grasp. Destiny has a lot of heart, and that can be a difference maker. Not if it’s transformed into reckless bravado, however.”
[Wendy pauses for just a second, then sighs, shaking her head]
“And then... there’s Ariel.”
[Wendy looks directly into the camera as she prepares to address her frenemy.]
[GodDAMN that is a stupid word]
“Ariel, you’re obviously upset with me, and maybe you actually have a good reason to be so. But if you’re going to stand in front of a camera, cuss me out, and throw away our friendship, then maybe you should stop for a second, think, and get your facts straight.”
[Wendy’s face hardens slightly, a bit of fire dancing behind her eyes]
“I’m not infallible. I’ve never pretended to be, and I strongly doubt anyone who’s met me would make the mistake of believing I am. If you want ‘perfection’, well, apparently you faced her a couple weeks ago, and she’ll be standing next to me in our corner at Conviction. I’m not that. I’m human, I’m prone to errors,I’ve made more mistakes in my life than I’d ever care to admit.”
[Wendy’s eyes narrow, and she takes a deep breath]
“But don’t you DARE accuse me of nonchalance over your kidnapping. You want to bring that up here, Ariel? Then tell the WHOLE truth. Tell everyone how I was strangled with barbed wire and left for dead in a hallway because I tried to save you. Tell everyone that when you were finally set free, I was one of the few people you could turn to, and I welcomed you with open arms. If there’s anything more I could have realistically done, by all means, please tell me.”
[It’s obvious by now from the way that Wendy’s trembling, she’s fairly upset about the deal. Nonetheless, she takes another deep breath, and continues.]
“And tell me exactly how I took your boyfriend from you, when you were the one who walked out on him. I can’t blame you for that- Madman Szalinski had turned into such a self-pitying, destructive little weasel that I can see why you’d not want to be around him. But the sad irony is, here you are, three months later, sounding exactly like he did.
[Wendy bites her lower lip, and looks off to her side for just a second, then turns back to the camera.]
“If you want out of Femme Fatale Wrestling, Ariel, then I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. But could you please do the rest of us a favor and not set fire to the bridge as you’re riding off into the sunset?”
[Wendy shakes her head in disgust]
“It’s a shame, Ariel, because I’m sure Hayley Dark, or Whitley Mercer, or one of the other women forced to sit out this show because there was nothing for them, would have KILLED for an opportunity such as the one you and I are getting. But you were chosen, Ariel. You were selected to participate in this event, to get a chance to rise through the rankings a lot quicker than we would if we just faced a random different opponent every other week.”
[Wendy scoffs, and shakes her head again]
“But this company doesn’t give a you-know-what about you, right?”
[A snort of derision]
“What did you expect, Ariel? A ticker tape parade? A title shot in your very first match? There’s nearly forty wrestlers in this company, and you, or I for that matter, have yet to prove that we’re better than even half of them. This is better than either of us could have possibly hoped for after two matches here.”
[Wendy pauses for just a second, her face falling slowly, until she takes a deep breath and sighs]
“Whatever you want to do, Ariel. If you want to approach this match pessimistically, I won’t stop you. If you want to go on a profanity-laced rant because it’ll make you feel better, then I hope it does. If you want to quit, then there’s the door. And if, after this is all said and done, you want to talk, well, you have my number.
[Wendy shrugs, and it’s obvious she’s trying to make it nonchalant, but her shoulders do slump just a little. Still, she musters a smile]
“But, me? I’m going to walk down there with my two teammates, get into that ring, and wrestle the biggest FFW match I’ve had to date. And I’m not going to let anything, whether it’s Crystal’s narcissism, Kassandra’s paranoia, Gretchen’s self-doubt, Destiny’s bravado, or Ariel’s dissatisfaction stand in my way. I’m going to get my team that win, and we are going to advance to the second stage of the tournament."
[A small smile]
“After all, I know a good opportunity when I see one.”
[Fade.]
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