Off-Camera
Friday, June 11, 2021
Living Room
Zdunich Apartment
Las Vegas, Nevada
6:01 PM PDT
Sounds of video games were not unusual for any time of day in this apartment. Be it Christina, Brittany, Aurora, Freja, or some combination of all of them, if someone was home, there would be the sounds of animated violence ringing out.
Today was no different in terms of sounds, just in terms of who was causing them to ring out.
Today, sitting with Aurora and Freja and playing away was family friend, Stephanie Sullivan’s fifteen-year-old son, Tyler. As he and Aurora play together, Christina walks in to find Seleana Zdunich watching them contentedly.
Christina Zdunich: When did he get here?
Seleana just keeps watching, not moving a muscle.
Seleana Zdunich: Fifteen minutes ago. Stephanie and Nadja stepped out together so we volunteered to watch him for her.
Christina can’t help but smile.
Christina Zdunich: They really went?
Seleana nods affirmatively.
Seleana Zdunich: Ja, Nadja was keen just as Stephanie was.
She pauses and nods to Tyler.
Seleana Zdunich: If this works out, you and Stephanie might be “real family” in a second way. We should not get ahead of ourselves on that but...
Before she can even finish the thought, Christina starts beaming excitedly.
Christina Zdunich: We really could!
Seleana nods slowly.
Seleana Zdunich: It is possible but we will have to see how this goes with Nadja.
Christina almost starts jumping up and down in giddy excitement.
Christina Zdunich: Stephanie’s dating your cousin!!!!
Seleana can’t help but laugh in amusement at her wife’s excitement.
Seleana Zdunich: She is… how we just have to hope Tyler remains keen about Nadja as well. He has a vote in this.
Christina shrugs.
Christina Zdunich: He looks like he’s happy right now!
Seleana nods.
Seleana Zdunich: Ja, he does. He and Aurora seem to get on well as do he and Freja.
The giddiness in Christina seemingly manages to expand and intensify.
Christina Zdunich: And that’s good since she would end up being his auntie, right?
Seleana just shakes her head.
Seleana Zdunich: You are really keen for this…
Christina turns to her wife and grabs both of her wrists.
Christina Zdunich: You have no idea, Sel!
With her wrists still fully in her wife’s grasp, Seleana’s amused smile widens as she nods slowly.
Seleana Zdunich: I can see it in everything today. We are just observing Tyler playing Mario Kart with Aurora and yet, you cannot stop yourself from…
Again, before Seleana can finish the thought, Christina takes over.
Christina Zdunich: It’ll be so fucking awesome! Do you know how long I’ve wanted this to happen? How long I’ve wanted to be able to call her family for real? How long…
Seleana reverses the grasp on wrists, pulls her wife in closer and kisses her. Christina melts in her arms and Seleana smiles, their lips parting.
Seleana Zdunich: Ja, I know you are excited, Estrellita…
Christina nods, the smile seemingly unshakeable on her face.
Christina Zdunich: I am… I just want this to happen so badly!
Seleana nods understandingly.
Seleana Zdunich: Entiendo… pero…
Christina’s smile starts to fade at the but.
Seleana Zdunich: You have to understand that this will not happen overnight. We need to allow them the time and space to breathe and allow things to work their way out. It was like us, we did not happen right off. Stacy got us together and we started a slow dance that no one thought would last out that night. Then we danced another night and another and we kept on dancing and now we are still dancing. It has been years…
The smile returns to Christina’s face only time with a touched tenderness that sees her eyes moisten. She squeezes Seleana’s hands and nods happily.
Christina Zdunich: Yes we are…
Seleana kisses her wife and then takes her into her arms.
Seleana Zdunich: Our dancing days are ongoing and strong. They are just beginning the first steps, just getting to the floor. We must give the music a chance to play before we declare an epic and grandiose waltz…
Christina allows her forehead to touch her wife’s.
Seleana Zdunich: I love how you’re trying to slow me down without shitting all over my dream in the process…
Seleana looks into her wife’s eyes.
Seleana Zdunich: It is a beautiful dream, there is no need to stomp on it when it could come true.
Christina looks into Seleana’s eyes as tears start to slow from her own.
Christina Zdunich: I love you.
Seleana smiles and kisses her wife lovingly.
Seleana Zdunich: Jag älskar dig också! Jag gör inte häng av fjädrar. Det finns ingen ko på isen. Stephanie skiter inte i det blå skåpet.
Christina cries gratefully and almost joyfully into his wife’s shoulder.
Seleana Zdunich: Everything will be as it will be, Estrellita. Keep dreaming. You found your castle, Stephanie will find hers as well.
On-Camera
Friday, June 11, 2021
Parking Lot
Zdunich Apartment
Las Vegas, Nevada
7:58 PM PDT
The camera opens upon Seleana Zdunich standing in the parking lot of her family’s Las Vegas apartment complex staring out at the shining lights of the Las Vegas Strip. She stares down the road for what seems like forever before slowly turning to face the camera.
Seleana Zdunich: It is always a brilliant sight, ja?
She turns and nods to the Strip.
Seleana Zdunich: The bright lights and the colours…
Staring at the lights, Seleana leans against her car, folding her arms and leaning them on the hood.
Seleana Zdunich: You know there is a great multitude down there, running, playing, some dancing, some drinking, some taking their chances and some wishing they had done one or more of the others before it was too late.
Continuing to seemingly lose herself in the lights, Seleana shifts herself against the hood of her car.
Seleana Zdunich: Everyone comes here searching for something, fun, vacation, money, opportunity, competition, pleasure…
Standing up straight she nods towards the end of the Strip.
Seleana Zdunich: There is an establishment built solely for that purpose a few miles up the road. It is even called the PleasureDome. I have met several people who work there. Some even used to compete in the ring until they found the money there too much to deny.
She scans the length of the Strip, nodding along as she goes as if counting something along the way from end to end.
Seleana Zdunich: There are dances of all sorts, all types, all demarcations here…
She nods to herself and then turns to face the camera.
Seleana Zdunich: And on Sunday, Azurine Vebbins and I will engage in one.
Nodding almost solemnly, a hint of astonishment and awe creeps into her eyes.
Seleana Zdunich: It is amazing that after having worked in the same company multiple times, this will be our first encounter of any kind. We have never danced before…
A small smile crosses the Swedish woman’s face.
Seleana Zdunich: I am keen for this, Azurine.
She nods genuinely to the camera.
Seleana Zdunich: You have shown in many companies how good a dancer you are, be it waltz, cha-cha, rumba, mambo, tango, tap, ceremonial or any other form of dance…
Her right hand raises, her index finger extended.
Seleana Zdunich: You have shown you are a skilled technician that can dance with anyone if given the opportunity. You are skilled at multiple techniques and if you do not know a specific one, you can find a way to make it look as if you do on the spot! You dance with passion and hearts dn a will to make it the best it can possibly be!
She waves her hand forward, wagging the finger back and forth at the camera repeatedly.
Seleana Zdunich: You have gone to places and been constantly underestimated because of the way you look, the way you talk, certain idiosyncrasies and even by who you date.
The hand comes back and collapses into Seleana’s chest.
Seleana Zdunich: I can relate to many of these myself.
She nods pointedly.
Seleana Zdunich: We are both guest dancers in this great hall called the United States of America. We have been allowed to take up residence and dance here and though many have looked at us and cast doubts on our abilities and aspersions on our character, it has not stopped either one of us from continuing on!
She points into the camera again.
Seleana Zdunich: You go into every one of those places, get told you sound strange, that you will never amount to anything dn then you defeat people that others can only dream of. It has happened again and again and I am certain you are not finished doing this. You did it in a company where you were able to defeat their world champion and only one other had managed such a feat.
Again the hand moves in to allow the hand to touch her own chest.
Seleana Zdunich: We are mirror images of each other that way, Azurine, as the same happened to me here. I was not supposed to amount to anything. I was never supposed to be anything of consequence, much less a main event and yet, I have been multiple times just with Alicia Lukas. I was never supposed to challenge her and yet, at a time when Alicia had lost but once in this company dn was the most dominant champion seen in years, I was able to get my hand raised and take the championship home with me.
The hand falls away.
Seleana Zdunich: You are no different and this makes this dance all the more appealing to me, Azurine.
She motions between herself and the camera.
Seleana Zdunich: You and I are two of a kind. Both finding our way in everything as we go, both finding ways to thrive despite everyone else’s best efforts to hinder us, and both striving just to have a good dance with every outing.
She nods defiantly.
Seleana Zdunich: I am ready for this, Azurine. I am ready to walk to that ring and prove everyone wrong all over again! I am ready to show what I can do, all that I have learned and all that I have put together when I was never supposed to know the first thing about much of anything!
A smile comes to her face.
Seleana Zdunich: Dancing days are here…
Her hand reaches out to the camera.
Seleana Zdunich: May I have this dance?
