[Christian Underwood]

Please post all roleplays here! Have fun and good luck!

[Jessie Salco]

Jessie had made it to Summer XXXTreme XI as champion fulfilling a goal that she had set for herself at the start of the cycle, but that just meant that Jessie had one other goal in mind, namely retaining the title on the PPV itself and she had a huge task ahead of her if she wanted to achieve that goal because her defence was one of two Ultimate X Matches for the title and her opponents were fellow veterans of the industry Laura Phoenix ad Mercedes Vargas, can Jessie retain?

Backstage at KCW London Calling, London, England
Monday the 12th of June 2023, 18:00pm

I remember  what this is like.

I’ve never really talked about this much but ten years ago when I won the Bombshell Roulette Title for the first time? That wasn’t just me winning an SCW title for the first time, it was my first time winning a title period! That combined with the fact that most of my title reigns since then have been with the Bombshell Roulette Title have essentially meant that the Bombshell Roulette Title holds a special place in my heart.

The same heart that occasionally gives me palpitations thanks to my past drug use but that’s beside the point.

The point is? I’m here at KCW’s London Calling TV Show as Harper’s guest, pretty much because we were flying out to Italy not long after this show wrapped up the kiddo was fighting for the recently vacated TV Title in a Tables Match against Mark Storm and me, Jake and Shane were watching on a monitor in the back.

”Come on Harp! Stay focussed.” I muttered to myself as Harp went to backdrop Mark over the ropes and through a table on the outside only for Mark to land on the apron. ”I don’t want to have to comfort her if she fails to win her first title for the second time in a row.”

“She’ll be fine.” Jake assured me and I grinned in response. “Harper’s young but she’s got a lot of maturity for her age.”

”Yeah, and I can’t help but wonder if her parents being murdered had something to do with that.” I sighed as we watched the action unfold, and then it happened, Harper knocked Mark off the apron with a running kick sending him through the table and causing the bell to ring, it didn’t take Harper long to realize what this meant as the kiddo just fell backwards into a seating position out of shock as it set in.

“The winner of the match and the NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW KCW TV CHAMPION. “THE SLAYTANIC AVENGER” HARPER MASON!” The ring announcer’s voice rang out throughout the arena and we all cheered, me, Jake, Shane, a few of the roster members, the fans? Everyone, Harper was crying tears of joy as she was handed the TV Title by the ref and for a few moments she looked towards the ceiling and mouthed “that was for you” and I was holding back tears at that point.

I may be an atheist but Harper isn’t, which meant that the meaning behind that moment couldn’t be clearer.

As soon as Harper started making her way to the back with her newly won title I immediately started making my way to the guerrilla position planning to be the first to meet her, I knew it was going to be a tight race between me and Kim Pain (she was at the show because she and Mac were the Captains of Team Scotland in an upcoming clusterfuck match) to see who would get there first but I just about managed it.

And sure enough the first-person Harper saw when she emerged from the back after winning the title was me.

”HARP!” I called out to the teenager with a big, proud grin on my face and Harper said nothing, she just ran up to me and hugged me tightly, her newly won title in hand, look, I may be a cynical bitch at times (okay, most of the time) but the sight of Harp carrying her first title proudly was more than enough to make my ice-cold heart melt. ”Congrats kiddo, you earned that and then some!”

”Thanks Jess.” Harper responded in a tone of voice that couldn’t be described to someone who had never been in her situation, a mixture of pride and relief was the best I could surmise, I stood aside to let Harper’s co-workers get their chance to congratulate her and once she was finally free she joined me as we walked down the hallway. ”I dedicated that win to my parents Jess.”

”I figured I saw your post-match celebration.” I responded with a proud nod as Harper adjusted the title over her shoulder. ”I’m atheist but I’m sure they were looking down on you with pride Harp.”

”I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t wishing that they were still alive and here to see it in person, especially with Father’s Day on Sunday, but thanks for that Jess, that means a lot.” Harper sighed as she looked at her title with pride. ”Okay, seriously, does nowhere in England have air conditioning?!” Harper asked as she wiped some sweat from her brow and I had to admit, that was at the back of my mind as well, England may have a reputation for being wet and dreary in terms of weather, but this was a summer month and the heat had been pretty intense all weekend.

”I’ve been coming to England for years, whether it was for SCW or Bloodstock, they don’t seem equipped for hot weather like this and I heard that last year’s Bloodstock had temperatures as high as thirty!” I responded as I shook my head and Harper winced when she heard that. ”Granted that’s an Open-Air festival but the point still stands.”

”Remind me to pack sunscreen if we ever go to that festival.” Harper responded before a loud cheer broke our concentration and we looked up to see Jake and Shane cheering for Harper, the rest of the night/week was spent celebrating Harper’s win in style in Italy but the end of the week would prove to be a mixed bag for me and Harp, Harp would win her EWC debut match only to lose again in FCW, but me?

I had spent most of the cycle thinking that my third defence was going to be a Fatal Four Way Ultimate X Match, they advertised it as such in the lead-up and everything! But Climax Control 365 would reveal that it was now a Triple Threat but that didn’t mean that my opposition was lacking, well, okay, one of my opponents was lacking!

Laura Phoenix had come into the company as a respected veteran of the industry and quickly proved her worth during the Blast from the Past Tournament going as far as to be signed and immediately challenge for the Bombshell Internet Title! She fell short but the fact that Laura was getting another opportunity so soon meant one thing, the bosses saw a lot in her and I could honestly say the same, I was glad that she was one of my challengers.

The same couldn’t be said for Mercedes Vargas! I swear to god that old bitch has a cheat code for infinite title shots somewhere in her possession, either that or she had blackmail material on Christian and Mark! How can someone who hasn’t had a meaningful win in years keep getting title opportunities like this? is the Bombshell Roster really this shallow?! For fuck’s sake, she was a challenger in last year’s Ultimate X Match as well!

Either way, I was determined to make it out as champion.

Local café, Pompeii, Italy
Monday the 19th of June 2023, 16:00pm

Last night’s Climax Control was certainly eventful, I’d expect nothing less from a Go Home show though! Especially when it was the Go Home show for Summer XXXTreme.

If nothing else I was able to confirm that my first multi-person match as champion was going to be a Triple Threat even though it was originally advertised as a Fatal Four Way, guess everyone else (including the men’s match which features The Troll of all people) was busy but if nothing else, it made my job as champion easier.

Speaking of champions, why am I in Italy? Well, Harp just signed with EWC’s Prime Brand and to secure her contract she had to compete on the Gambit before Prime’s World Wide PPV, if you’re about to guess that the PPV took place in Italy then congrats! You should play the state lottery.

And for the record? Harper won her match securing her spot on the roster.

”Gotta say, Prime has some top talent on its roster, including a few that I wouldn’t mind seeing strut their stuff in SCW.” I commented to Harper as we were sat down at a table, we weren’t sure where Harper’s next Prime booking would take her so for now we were enjoying a break in Italy. ”But we weren’t there to poach talent.”

”Yeah, I think if SCW did want to poach talent from the EWC using either me or you they’d probably ask you.” Harper responded with a nod as she glanced at the menu which had your typical Italian classics. ”I’m just glad I didn’t have to wrestle my Gambit match on Father’s Day to be honest, besides in regards to the talent thing? Well, we technically got Chelsea Skye.”

”I’m not too familiar with Chelsea’s work but she is one of Gabriel’s trainees and the two moves she showcased were executed flawlessly. I’m half expecting the bosses to drive to her home in Chicago with a dump truck full of money based on those facts and that promo she cut alone.” I responded with a shrug and Harper  grinned in response. ”Besides, I’ve got my own priorities heading into Summer XXXTReme, Laura and Mercedes.”

”I had a feeling you were going to say that.” Harper responded with a nod before a waiter came to take our orders and we gave them to him. ”So, do you really think Mercedes has blackmail on the bosses?”

”If you’ve got a better explanation for why she was added to this match, I’d love to hear it, and before you bring up her match with Ruby? Last I checked that thing wasn’t advertised as a qualifier! Then again there weren’t any qualifiers this year! At least none that were announced as such on the card.” I responded with a frown as I shook my head and Harper nodded in response. ”Off course, Mercedes was quick to point out that she’s beaten me several times in SCW, my counter argument is when was the last time she beat me for a title?”

”Gotta be a few years at least but didn’t you mention that Mercedes was in the first multi-woman match for the gold at Summer XXXTreme II?” Harper asked and I nodded thinking back to that promo I cut at the start of the cycle. ”Not to make you feel old but I was seven at the time, can’t even remember which army base my dad was stationed at when that show aired.”

”They tend to blur together after a time?” I asked and Harper nodded to confirm that. ”As for the age thing, I get enough of that when I’m reminded that Ariana was a pre-teen when I signed with SCW! But as to your question, she was eliminated simultaneously with Emma Rose when the latter bumped into her and they were both sent into the pool, courtesy of the champ at the time Necra Octavian Kaine.”

”And despite that, you and Mercedes are the only participants from that match who are still on the SCW Roster, talk about hindsight, right?” Harper asked with a slight laugh but I said nothing in response, Harper was a bright kid so it didn’t take her long to figure out that something was bothering me. ”something on your mind Jess?”

”Not here, not in public, I know the rest of the SCW roster is back stateside but I’d rather not risk word reaching them either way.” I responded as I shook my head and Harper nodded in understanding. ”We’ll talk more about this when we get back to the hotel, for now let’s eat.” I added and almost on cue the waiter returned with our appetizer orders.

I was worried that Harp wouldn’t be ready for a promotion like EWC, but getting to enjoy grub like this whilst traveling the world on someone else's dime? Beginning to regret never signing with EWC myself, not gonna lie!

Jessie’s hotel room, Pompeii, Italy
Monday the 19th of June 2023, 21:00pm

Food was good, but I was already ready to turn in for the night by the time we returned to the hotel,, even if it was a bit after seven by the time we finished our meal.

I bet your wondering where Jake and Shane are, well, someone had to petsit Titan and Harper’s two dogs Logan and Xavier and Harper’s aunt Teresa has enough on her plate looking after Harper’s kid siblings, doesn’t mean they won’t get to see the dogs off course but this way worked out best for all parties.

Speaking of which, Harp popped by my hotel room just a few minutes ago, I had advised her to keep her title in the hotel safe just in case (I was doing the same with the SCW Bombshell Roulette Title) and by the time I let her in, the teenager sighed.

”Gotta admit Jess, the awkwardness from earlier’s conversation has been bugging me since we got back from the café.” Harper admitted after I let her in, first thing I noticed was that she was wearing her dad’s dog tags, it was one of the few non-monetary things that she had inherited after her parents’ funeral though I did have some concern about her openly wearing them. ”When I pointed out that you and Mercedes are the only Bombshells who are still in SCW who competed in the first Ultimate X Match and all?”

”Trust me, I’ve been in more awkward spots before.” I admitted after closing the door behind Harper and turning to her. ”But first things first, those dog tags?”

”Oh yeah, I finally decided what I’m going to do with these things.” Harper admitted as she looked at the dog tags. ”I figured there was no harm in wearing them out and about, especially once we’re back in the states.”

”And on one hand you’re not wrong, on the other?” I sighed as I thought about how I was going to word this. ”You’re a military brat, you’ve gotta be familiar with the term “stolen valour”.”

”Where someone pretends to have served our country? Yeah, my dad always went out of his way to chew someone out for that.” Harper nodded before her expression darkened. ”Wait, are you accusing me of that just because I’m choosing to wear fad’s dog tags?!”

”No! not at all, even before we met, I knew how serious an accusation that is thanks to Jake’s service in the army.” I responded as I shook my head and Harper calmed down when she realized that I was right. ”But others might, people who don’t know you or your family’s service history might get the wrong idea.”

”Well, now that you put it like that? I get your point.” Harper admitted as she brushed some of her dirty blonde hair over her shoulder. ”But I have several people that would back me up if an idiot made an accusation like that, you, Teresa, my other family members, dad’s old army buddies who remember me from when I was a pre-teen, I could go on.”

”And Jake as well, but that does bring me to my point, I think this title reign might be my last hurrah in SCW.” I admitted and that clearly took Harper back. ”I’m 33 Harp, the only thing I haven’t done in SCW is win the World Bombshell Title and that seems like a fever dream at this point! I’m not talking a full-fledged retirement either, there’s still plenty of wrestlers in UPRISING that I want to face, but my body needs to heal from all the nagging injuries I’ve accumulated over the past ten years, and I’m going to be honest.” I added before I let out a deep breath. ”I feel that if me and Shane don’t try for a kid before the year’s over, I’ll never get to experience the joys of being a mother, yet another thing the fact that I’m in my thirties has brought about.”

”Can’t say that I was expecting to hear that today.” Harper admitted as she rubbed the back of her head with a look of uncertainty on her face. ”But say you do go through with all that, what’s next?”

”I haven’t thought that far ahead yet, I’d say that I still have my Uprising commitments but they haven’t booked me in a while.” I responded as I shook my head and Harper nodded as she got the idea. ”Besides, if all goes to plan, this will be a ways off, Laura and Mercedes are going to be in for the fight of their lives if they want to take the Bombshell Roulette Title from me and if I do make it out of Summer XXXTreme as champ? Then my next goal will be to hit that hundred-day mark which by my math, will be on the 25th of next month.”

”By which point Cassie will be twenty, among other changes since that’s over a month away.” Harper nodded in response and I nodded before I sat down on my hotel room bed. ”Speaking of changes, you know the bosses won’t let you sit idle right? They gave you a relatively easy time this cycle but what will stop them from having you defend your title more frequently in the lead up to Violent Conduct?”

”Realistically? Either Laura or Mercedes taking the title from me in the Ultimate X Match, but if I do make it out of Summer XXXTreme as champ? Very little.” I responded with a pair of shrugs and Harper nodded as she got the idea. ”I can request to defend the title whenever I want, the bosses will usually honour it and look for someone to challenge me, if you want evidence of that look at two of Krystal’s title defences in 2021, but in the end the bosses don’t like seeing the titles not being defended on the regular shows, which was what surprised me when they didn’t book another title defence for me after the rematch with Luna but I guess all my potential challengers were too busy with the Mixed Tag Team mini tournament.”
”Bea Barnhart, Alexandra Callaway, Ariana Angelos, and that’s just to name a few.” Harper nodded as she thought of some of the names that had been involved in the tournament. ”Hell, you were Ariana’s last challenger before she lost it in the Open Invitational Match, which you would’ve taken part in if not for the rubber match with Melissa.”

”That and I realized just how massive a clusterfuck it was going to be when Christian announced it, it may have led to her teacher thing but I can’t really blame Ariana for buying a white board just to keep track of everyone throwing their names into that hat!” I responded as I shook my head and Harper nodded in agreement. ”If my reign makes it to that point? Remind me to go one step further than Ariana and just buy a projector to keep track of everyone!” I added and Harper nodded before leaving after a few minutes.

Was this really the end?

Italian Countryside
Tuesday the 20th of June 2023, 16:00pm

*promo time*

Are you ready?

”Why yes, I am taking time out of my vacation to Italy to do this promo, on the plus side? it’s being paid for by Harper’s employers over at the EWC so yeah. I’m not complaining!” I added as I turned the camera to show Harper sitting on the grass and playing on her Nintendo Switch, when the kid realized that she was on camera she looked up and waved. ”But I can think of two women who will complain after the dust settles at Summer XXXTreme! It’s a veteran’s affair this year as Laura Phoenix and Mercedes Vargas challenge me for the Bombshell Roulette Title in the annual Ultimate X Over the Pool Match, a match that I have quite a bit of history with.”

To elaborate.

”Summer XXXTreme II, the event that started the tradition, as I mentioned earlier in the cycle, me and Mercedes are the only two participants from that match who are still with the company! The fact that neither of us walked out the Bombshell Roulette Champion that night is neither here nor there.” I I held up one finger to illustrate my point before I moved onto the next show. ”Summer XXXTreme V, four years later and the first time I entered the event as champion, me vs. Chelsea Payne and Sam Marlowe, it’s mostly remembered as the night that ended Payne’s in ring career but it’s also when Sam dethroned me, Summer XXXTreme VIII, me vs. Kate Steele, Valentina, Bobbie Dahl, Same Marlowe and you Mercedes, yet another match where the challenger dethroned the champion! You were the defending champion at the time but you weren’t the last one eliminated, oh I’m sorry, did I bruise your ego?” I asked with a look of mock concern on my face. ”Cry me a fucking river!”

As for the rest.

”Point is, Sam Marlowe was the winner of that one! Summer XXXTreme IX, the dark days of the pandemic and the only time I’ve competed in back-to-back Ultimate X Matches! Me vs. Seleana Zdunich vs. Maki vs. Keira Fisher, the first time the title was successfully retained in the Ultimate X Match and the match that led to one of the more……..interesting feuds of my career, you know the one! Fast forward three years later and here I am, in the same spot as Seleana, Necra and you Mercedes!” I commented as I shook my head before folding my arms. ”And in case you haven’t done the math yet, this match is happening ten years after my first time challenging for this title at Summer XXXTreme, nine years and one month if you want to be pedantic! Going from the challenger to the champion ten years later? Funny how things come around huh?”

Enough of this.

”But I think I’m done with the history lesson for now, I have to focus on the present if I want to retain the title over Laura and Mercedes and trust me, I have a lot to say about both of my opponents.” I added as slung the Bombshell Roulette Title over my shoulder. ”From the respected veteran to the bitch with the infinite title shots cheat code I practically have enough material for ten promos! Unfortunately the bosses have limited me to two promos but I’ll make do! And who better to start this promo battle off with than the bitch who’s been a thorn in my side for the past ten years? The idiot who somehow keeps finding herself in title matches despite not winning anything of note in years? For fucks sake, she was one of Kat’s challengers in last year’s Ultimate X Match! I am off course talking about Mercedes fucking Vargas!”

Hello choke artist my old friend.

”As I alluded to in my history lesson just now, we have a lot of history together Mercedes, but the only thing you can say about me is that you have my number in SCW? I’m sorry but wasn’t the last time you beat me the same night Melissa attacked Harper? And you still take credit for beating me even when I was entering that match with that on my mind? Please, there’s plenty more evidence of just how full of shit you are Mercedes!” I scoffed as I rolled my eyes. ”But then again, that’s been your MO since you first arrived in SCW, hasn’t it Mercedes? Always taking credit for the hard work of others if it helped you win! It happened with the Mean Girls, and it’s happening in the post Mean Girls world, except for the simple fact that you can’t cut it in the ring anymore! Every time you got an opportunity to add another accolade to your list you choked!”

Harsh but true.

”God knows how many shots at this title, same goes for the Bombshell Internet Title and how many World Bombshell Title shots did you weasel your way into over the years? And they say that I’m obsessed with titles? You know what I think? I think it’s high time that we gave Mercedes here the same treatment that I got in 2018, ban her from getting title shots!” I stated as I flipped some hair over my shoulder. ”All I wanted was to get recognized for the hard work I had put into SCW over the years even if it meant nuking every bridge I had built in SCW! Mercedes doesn’t have the same drive or passion as me and yet, she still finds herself in title opportunities! Even after her last title reign basically consisted of her riding Goth’s coattails during the dying days of the original Mixed Tag Team division! Does that sound like someone who’s actually earned anything recently?”

Oh wait!

”You beat Ruby Steele to get in this match, so what? You beat Alicia Lukas to gain entry to last year’s match and you still choked in that match! Literally because Kayla choked you out with her legs! Now I’m sure there’s more than a few guys who would pay good money to be eliminated from a match in that manner, and some girls too, I’m not here to judge, but you don’t have a great track record  in this match, do you Mercedes?” I asked as folded my arms. ”Counting this one? You’ve entered four Ultimate X Matches, and not only did you lose every single one of them and you went as far as to lose the title without being the last one eliminated, tell me Mercedes, are you feeling just as good about your chances now? Or has reality set in yet? And as for the “I’ve got your number” shit? How many times have you beaten me in a title match? Because I remember one match you brought up, the time I challenged you for the Bombshell Internet Title, a title you lost to me! You may have a a few wins over me Mercedes but when it actually fucking mattered? You choked! And this match will be no different!”

And now for Laura.

”Don’t  worry Laura, I haven’t forgotten about you! It’s just that I have enough animosity with Mercedes that we could write a novel the size of War and fucking Peace about it!” I commented as I shook my head. ”But you Laura? Your different, you’re a veteran I actually respect which is a lot more than I can say about the other challenger in this match! But when you’ve been in this business as long as we have Laura, then you know that that respect can only take you so far, we may shake hands before the match and Mercedes may try for the double elimination, by that same token we could take her out of the match early via a double backdrop into the pool but let’s not get that far ahead of ourselves!”

Here we go.

”I alluded to this when you were announced as one of my challengers Laura but it’s not often that I get a chance to wrestle someone older than me, I don’t know your exact age but considering Bella is a young woman who’s about to give birth? I think it’s safe to say that you have a couple of decades on me art least!” I added before scoffing to myself. ”And yet you still look better than Michael Harris, go figure!” I heard Harper laughing loudly at my joke and I shook my head with a grin. ”At least someone around here approves of my sense of humour! But my point is Laura, for as much respect as I have for you? Once that bell rings, I won’t give up this title without a fight!” I added as I patted the Roulette Title. ”And I already know that you’ll give me a much better fight than Mercedes!”

Not that that’s saying much.

”Then again, putting up a better fight than Mercedes is like watching a Chelsea Skye porn vid, everyone’s done it at this point!” I added before shaking my head. ”What? I got curious after Jason brought it up on Climax Control! And that’s all I’m going to say about it because this is supposed to be about Laura, frankly? I hope it comes down to between me and you Laura because I’m getting sick of putting up with Mercedes’ bullshit already!”

Can I do it?

”For years I’ve had the reputation as the one and done queen, all because I lost this title in my first defence eleven years ago and it took me years to shake off that curse, eleven to be exact!” I stated as I folded my arms with a frown on my face. ”I’ve already gotten past the first and second defence, Kim Pain at Into the Void and my rematch with Luna Vanity at the beginning of the cycle, but I’m only just getting started because I don’t plan on giving up this title without a hell of a fight, Laura? No offence, Mercedes? All of the offence, but I don’t think either of you have what it takes to take the title from me when the chips are down, Laura is still finding her feet as a Bombshell, Mercedes is still desperately clinging on to whatever shred of relevance that she can find, me? I’m reinvigorated, I’m focussed and more importantly? I will retain the title at Summer XXXTreme XI!”

It's that simple.

”It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years since I first challenged for this title in this match type and I’m defending it in the same match type ten years later! Time flies, what can I say?” I asked as I gave my title a rub. ”And if Laura and Mercedes think that this match will go the same way as the last time I defended this title in the Ultimate X Match? Please, I’m not about to lose this title on the third defence after working so fucking hard to win it and Laura and Mercedes had better be ready to do whatever’s necessary to win this title, otherwise?”

And with that I decided to wrap things up.

”They’ll fall by the wayside as I reclaim my title! I said at the beginning of the cycle that my goal was to make it to Summer XXXTreme XI as champion, I’ve done that! I said at the last Climax Control that my goal was to make it out with the title, trust me Laura and Mercedes, that’s on the cards as well, but beyond that?” I asked as I flipped some hair over my shoulder before holding my title high. ”I’ll continue to welcome all challengers, including individual challenges from Laura and Mercedes, but they will all be struck like blood lightning as I continue on my redemption arc! See you on the cruise ladies!”

I walked up to Harper as the scene fades.

[LauraPhoenix]

Nesting and Bonding

As the excitement from her recent victory began to settle, Laura, besides her usual routine with Nick and Aaron, found solace in the precious moments spent with her daughter, Bella. The anticipation of Bella's impending motherhood filled the air, and Laura wanted to make the most of their time together before she embarked on the Princess Cruise ship for the Summer Xxxtreme wrestling event.

Laura entered Bella and Mal's home, a place that she herself used to call home, her eyes immediately drawn to the partially decorated nursery. Despite the crib, changing table/dresser, and the vibrant rainbow rug, the room lacked the cohesive charm Bella had envisioned. Laura knew her daughter needed a helping hand in bringing the nursery to life for her soon-to-be-born daughter, Máire.

“It’s a mess right now.” Bella said, with her very prominent belly sticking out as she brought her mom a warm cup of coffee. An addiction that they share together. “Mal base painted it a week ago, but-”

Laura approached Bella with a smile, her heart filled with maternal love and determination to create the perfect sanctuary for her grandchild. "Bella, let's tackle this nursery together," she said, wrapping her arm around her daughter's shoulder. "We have a week before I set sail, and I want to make sure Máire's room is as magical as she is."

Bella's tired eyes lit up with gratitude. She had been feeling overwhelmed, trying to balance pregnancy symptoms, helping Malachi get through his injury, and the desire to create a nurturing environment for her unborn child. "Mom, that would be amazing," she replied, her voice laced with relief. "I want everything to be just right for Máire."

The mother and daughter spent the following hours diving into a whirlwind of creativity and imagination. Laura suggested painting some of the areas of the walls a soothing pastel shade, one that would bring a sense of calm and serenity to the space. They picked out soft, ethereal curtains that would gently filter sunlight into the room, creating a tranquil ambiance.

Together, they embarked on a shopping spree, searching for the perfect decorative elements to personalize the nursery. They discovered whimsical wall decals of fairies and woodland creatures that would go perfectly with what would be a dedicated reading area for Bella to read to her daughter, delicate mobiles that would capture Máire's attention, and shelves to showcase cherished mementos and children's books.

Laura and Bella's laughter echoed through the aisles of stores as they debated over color schemes and discussed the merits of different plush toys. They carefully selected a beautiful plush rocking chair for Bella and Malachi to rest in during late-night feedings, its gentle creaking lulling Máire into sweet dreams.

Without fail, the next day Laura would show up early with coffee in hand for the girls and of course Malachi. The trio hung framed photographs of family members, reminding Máire of the support and joy that awaited her in the world. Bella arranged clothes in the dresser, folding each tiny onesie and baby bootie with care and anticipation.

Finally, the room was complete...almost. Laura stood back, admiring the magical transformation they had achieved. The nursery was a testament to their love and dedication, a space where Máire would grow, dream, and be surrounded by the love of her family.

This was something that she missed out on with Bella, and while she had it with her son, it was something that she was never going to be able to get back with her oldest. Mind you Laura was 16 at the time, but she would have given anything to decorate a nursery just like this for her. She could have easily seen herself chasing her little girl around the room, watching her grow but it was robbed from her.

It was something that she, with time, was able to forgive her parents for. Before her mother’s death in 2017, they did just about everything possible to make up and build a true relationship with their granddaughter and Laura’s father has since continued to stay true to that. But watching Bella’s ever blooming pregnancy, she couldn’t help but think back to all the arguments that came from that time, her life was a complete 180 from what Bella’s was. In a perfect world, she would have raised Bella on her own but she wasn’t given that chance.

Laura felt those tears of what could have been stream down her face, it had always set in the back of the mind but now seeing it, it all came rushing to the forefront. She did her best to try and hold it all together but the sobs fought their way forward as she tried to stifle them with her hand.

Bela walked back into the room, hearing a small sniffle coming from her mom, “Mom? Are you okay?”

The sound of her voice startled her for a moment, quickly wiping away the tears but it was pointless cause they just flowed. At this point it was happy but sad tears. Laura gave up trying to even cover it up any more as she turned and quickly engulfed Bella tightly in a hug, she whispered, "You're going to be an incredible mom, Bella. And Máire is going to adore her nursery."

Bella's eyes shimmered with tears of joy and gratitude. "Thank you, Mom. I couldn't have done this without you. I'm so lucky to have you by my side."

The mother and daughter embraced, cherishing the bond that held them together through triumphs and challenges. Laura knew that as she embarked on her wrestling journey, Bella and Máire would remain in her heart, providing her with strength and inspiration to face whatever lay ahead.

That moment was quickly ended though when the sounds of Luka’s excited barking stirred the entire house, followed up by Malachi letting out, “OH CHRIST! What are you doing here?”

Followed up by them walking out to see Mal holding the door open and behind a variety of rather large stuffed animals we see Demetrius Spinelli standing there, hair as wild as always and a smile, “Gracious greetings to all!”


From Spectacular Heights

The time she didn’t spend with Bella and Mal preparing the nursery for her granddaughter was spent tucked away in the facility that became a home away from home for some people, built in a tall building that sat on the grounds of the Madison home.

Considering how hard both Laura and her husband Nick both worked through the years, you could tell it was built with love and determination from them both. Everything had a touch of them both from the place they called their home, to the land to the building that housed their entire gym all the way to the practice ring that they kept up at all times.

Her husband, Nick Madison, who had retired for the final time back in January was quite proud and impressed with his wife’s determination to make this run, whether it’d be her last or not, count in every form and fashion. So when Laura explained to him what was in her near future and it being the first for her to ever be involved in an Ultimate X style match, he wasted no time calling up favors from all around to make sure that his wife was indeed ready.

“Nick, what is this surprise?” you could hear the annoyance in Laura’s voice as he had her blindfolded and leading across the parking lot, “I swear, I’m not afraid of it anymore.”

“Very funny, babe,” Nick quipped, holding his wife’s hands in his while make sure he wasn’t about to bite it on one of Aaron’s outdoor toys, “You swear you can’t see anything?”

“It’s as dark as Kayla’s sense of humor,” she joked back. Laura took a deep breath, “The only thing I can tell is that we’re outside and that there is a storm not that far off.”

That slick little smirk could be felt from Nick’s face as he looked off to the horizon, “Yeah, it’s looking rather dark off to the west so I guess we need to make this quick before we get soaked. Then again, you are wearing white and I wouldn’t mind a show.”

“Even after all these years, you are a horrible flirt.” she said with a swipe of her hand but she completely missed, which caused her to stumble a bit, “Dammit.”

“Sorry beautiful, you brought that on yourself,” he said as they reached the door, he opened it up and led her just inside, “Ok, stay right there for a moment.”

He placed her one hand on the door hinge so she could keep her balance while he quickly runs to one side of the room and he flips some switches and then jogs back up to Laura, “Ok, you ready?”

“For?”

Silence for a moment before he carefully removes the blindfold, and whispers in his wife’s ear, “Open your eyes and see.”

Laura’s eyes blink open, as her eyes get used to going from dark to light and then her eyes widen in shock, “Oh my...Nick did you build me...”

Laura’s words catch in her throat, “Your own Ultimate training ground? Why, yes...yes I did. Not going to lie, it was Bella’s idea several weeks ago when you qualified. And I figured you have been working hard on building your upper body and what better way to test it then in your own makeshift Ultimate X setup?”

Laura’s eyes made her way up to where the cables crossed, as she walked across the room and when she got to the scaffolding that built up to those cables she just stopped, “It’s fantastic.”

Nick gave a genuine smile as he wrapped his arms around his wife’s torso and hugged her, while nuzzling her neck, “I know I haven’t been as vocal as I have been about my support for your return but seeing as you had my back before I retired, I had to give you just a little acknowledgement of what you are doing with SCW and proof as to how much I really believe in you.”

“Oh Nick...” Laura sniffed, “Hun, I know that you support me. I never doubt that for a second and having you on the cruise with me to show that, well that’s the best thing but this...this is above and beyond.”

“This is the least I could do,” Nick says as he gives her a quick kiss on the cheek, “The other is giving us a second honeymoon on that boat and then winning that Roulette Championship.”

“Well, the only way I can do that is if I start getting used to the idea that suddenly it’s like being back on the playground with other people trying to knock me off.”

“Training it is, then we’ll find a babysitter for Aaron,” Nick nodded.

“Actually, Aaron is going to be spending the week with his big sister, and if he gets to be too much my sister will take him and he can get spoiled by her and Jesse,” she said with a smirk, “I wasn’t about to take my first cruise and it not just be you and I.”

The smile that followed that statement could only be described as pure seduction, “I’m willing to bet you have some amazing bikinis already picked out too.”

“Now that, you’ll just have to wait to find out.”


Respect Among Vets, Never Among Thieves

There is an absolute fine line between respect given and respect received.

I’m a firm believer that without a shadow of doubt that Jessie Salco gives me true respect and honestly, respect is given right back. She has earned it beyond an absolute shadow of a doubt and I have honestly been excited for this opportunity to stand across from her in a match.

Mind you...ours is around a pool where we will be tested in more ways than one.

When it comes to Mercedes Vargas though? Well I cannot say the same. Sure, she’s won plenty in the past but when it comes to the facts, she only respects one person and that is herself. I kicked back and watched a while ago how she treated others, especially my own daughter. We watched how many people beat respect into her and yet in her arrogance, she still can’t buy into the fact that to get respect, you have to give it where it is absolutely due.

Ladies, the fact is absolutely simple, we’re going to go into this match aboard the Princess Cruise, in what is supposed to be the hottest show of the year in a match that I’m told is a placeholder always in this show.

And I’m facing a first, in all the years that I have been doing this, through all my matches and all my reigns, I cannot recall one time that I have ever been in a match quite like this. Ladder matches, sure. I’ve never had to play the ultimate game of chicken, hanging on for dear life over a pool.

Sure, I’m wet behind the ears when it comes to this match but the one thing thing I’m not is ignorant in the fact that I know that both Jessie and Mercedes will without a shadow of a doubt be out to knock me off of the pedestal that I am on. After all this time, having a chance to win gold and proving that I am on the proper track? That alone motivates me to the point of well practically feral.

Despite the fact that I’m going to be only days away from my 41st birthday, I am stronger, I am faster and for sure a whole lot smarter than I was when I started my journey all those years ago. I’m going to give myself the absolute biggest birthday present ever, and that is my first real championship in almost since 2016 when I snatch that Roulette Title from the center of that contraption and you both are left just wet.

[Mercedes Vargas]

Blog: Almighty Fire
semana del 17 al 24 de junio de 2023

I look back at my career in Sin City Wrestling and sometimes I amaze myself how far I've come. Ten years of service, pay-per-views, main events, Queen for a Day, multiple world title reigns, multiple championship reigns, records set and broken. I've shattered glass ceilings and kicked doors that were closed.

After a while, you kind of become complacent. It's almost too easy to rest on your laurels. There are two kinds of people in this world, winners and losers. Whoever said being successful isn’t everything, never had their name etched in the history books.

Often imitated. Never duplicated.

I sometimes laugh when people talk about me being past my prime or having down years because a lot of times my down years are career years for most Bombshells. They're listing reasons for me to retire, they're counting the days, weeks, and months until I officially shut the door on my wrestling career completely. But dot, dot, dot... they're wrong. I can accept failure, but never expect failure. Like the phoenix I'm about to rise again and like the empire I'm about to strike back.

So I won a match in SCW, for the first time in a long time. It’s like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. Colors are brighter. Coffee Is richer. The sky is bluer. Smile on my face and a pep in my step. Life is good.

So after beating Ruby Steele at Climax Control, you wanna know where this gets me? An all-expense paid trip aboard the Sun Princess Cruiseliner to challenge for a championship I know all too well.

Jessie Salco is a name I also know all too well. This thing, this feud or “rivalry” I guess you can call it, has been going for a decade in Sin City Wrestling. And for most of that time, I've decisively beat her. Singles, tag, it didn't matter. Am I concerned that I haven't beaten her in multi-woman matches? Should I be? Regardless of how Jessie personally feels about it, I'm in this match now, and I know how much Jessie loves the spirit of competition. My name alone puts fear in the hearts of every Bombshell on the roster, and that includes Laura 'Phoenix' Madison.

Now, at first the name threw me off a bit, but then I remembered that Madison name. There's no love lost between Bella Madison and I since we had a match at Summer XXXTreme two years ago. Lucky me that I get to face a legend in the wrestling business, a former champion many times over, a woman who has helped train some of the biggest stars in the industry today. Including her daughter, Bella.

Laura has been impressive since she joined the Bombshell roster. She made it to the quarterfinals of the Blast From the Past with Mac Bane, beat Georgie Robertson and Seleana Zdunich to earn a match for the Bombshell Internet Championship, gave Kayla Richards a run for her money for her title at Into the Void, and most recently beat Georgie and Seleana Zdunich in singles wins.

Something tells me I'm going to have my hands full with this one. Laura may be a newcomer to SCW, but she's a ring general who has accomplished a lot in her career. She has a lot to prove to everybody, but she has nothing to prove to anybody.

You know, a lot like me.

The thing that no one tells you about having hit rock bottom is that everyone tends to talk about these moments because everybody loves a good comeback story. But if you're lucky enough to succeed too early, like yours truly, where is the line between confident and arrogant?

When my feet was put to the fire, I walked on hot coals and survived. When I was put to the test, I passed with flying colors, and when there's an obstacle in my way, I remove it from my way.

At Summer XXXTreme, the only thing standing in my way between a fifth  Bombshell Roulette Championship reign and continuing my legacy is a tough opponent like Laura and the
arrogant champion who holds the one prize we're both after. What Jessie doesn't realize is I'm not counting the days. I'm going to make them count.

My last few pay-per-view matches haven't gone the way I wanted, but excuses aren’t going to cut it. I failed, that's just the way it is. Failure isn’t fatal, but I am. Summer XXXTreme isn't about making a statement. It’s about sending a message that I take a backseat to no one, and Jessie and Laura are both going to learn that lesson the hard way.

Misty, Vixen, and Odette Stevens, may have built the Bombshells Division, but I took that blueprint and perfected it. An outstanding women’s match isn’t a generational event anymore—it’s the norm. 
.

~~~

Present Day ♦ S A N T A M O N I C A, C A L I F O R N I A

[REC•]

ANNOUNCER: IT'S MODERN MEALS, WITH THE LATINA QUEEN OF QUICK CUISINE, MERCEDES VARGAS!

[The scene opens and we focus on Mercedes walking into the shot, a beautiful, cozy kitchen, wearing a festive apron that says "Mercy" in cursive. Her hair in curls and hiding a pair of black-rimmed glasses and eating a bag of Skittles, the Hall of Famer is seen looking down at a clipboard in her hands, shaking her head before she looks up at the camera.]

MERCEDES: Summer is here! Can you feel the heat? I sure can!

[Mercedes suddenly starts fanning herself and loosening her shirt collar.]

"Bring on the picnics, beach days, ice cream trucks, book lists, and music, y'all! Most of all, Summer XXXTreme is finally here and yours truly is back to make history one more time. I'll get to that in a moment. But first, welcome back to Modern Meals, where you spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying your meal.

"Today, in honor of the moment where I beat the hell out of Jessie Salco and Laura Phoenix at Summer XXXTreme, we are going to be preparing my ultimate favorite summer dish: empanadas!"

"Yay!"

[The applause of the crowd makes Mercedes feel quite giddy just thinking about it.]

"Empanadas are very popular in Latin America and the world. Depending on where you are, whether you call it meat pies, beef patties, samosas or pastellilos or pastelitos, you really can't go wrong with this crowd pleaser on summer nights.

"I'm going to make Argentinian-style empanadas. Ready to make your mouth water? Alrighty then. The best part is that you can even make them yourself. Here is a recipe incorporating chorizo that your family is sure to love."

[We see Mercedes over a large skillet on the burners as Mercedes sauté the onion, scallion, and bell peppers.]

"Now, I took two large onions, four stalks of green onions, and 1 bell pepper, and you want to saute the onions, scallion, and bell peppers until tender to bring out the flavor. Jessie Salco, unfortunately, has no flavor. In fact, she's been called vanilla, and for good reason. How she got into the Hall of Fame is one of life's greatest mysteries right up there with who runs the SCW twitter account."

[Casting a glance at the camera, Mercedes feigns a headache and touches her temple. She then shakes her head as she focuses back on the camera.]

CROWD: LET MERCY COOK!

"Jessie woke up and chose violence. That she has the Bombshell Roulette Championship in the Year of our Lord 2023 should be a crime against humanity. I've sat through Jessie and Amy Santino trading the title in their best-of-three series once upon a time, which still gives me repressed memories every time I think about it. Jessie has been lucky for far too long, and it's about time I teach this mealy mouth bitch that I'm the wrong Latina to fuck with."

[Mercedes adds the chorizo, cook fully, and seasons it with black pepper.]

"This is chorizo sausages argentinean-style, and to give it a kick, I added some pepper and black pepper."

[She removes the skillet from the heat, and adds the parsley once the mixture is cool. Mercedes turns to a stove and opens it to reveal a dozen of 12 puff pastry-style empanada discs. Mercedes takes a sample and breaks it open to show filling. She has a second sheet ready to go on a greased bacon sheet, with each brushed on the top with beaten egg.]

"Nothing against Laura Phoenix, though. I still think her daughter had a wasted career when she was a SCW Bombshell, but who am I? It's not my fault that when Bella saw the new competition in SCW, she couldn't stand the heat and went back to sulk in her own corner at the catering table.

"Laura has a birthday coming? My producers never told me this?! For SHAME. Here on Modern Meals, we always love birthdays. Too bad she won't be getting the Bombshell Roulette Championship as a late Christmas gift."

[Mercedes musters a deadpan expression, then gives an innocent shrug.]

"So we're going to put our enchiladas for 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 375ºF.

"It's amazing how I survived this long in in the Bombs Division. I've seen it all. Some girls were no longer with the company, others have faded into obscurity, but they all shared their place in her my place in my Hall of Shame known as my checklist. And I've been waiting a long time to see a new name on it.

"Speaking of, this is my first time facing someone new for a change in SCW and while Laura has picked up a few notable wins, if you can call it that, she needs a whole lot of luck and whole lot of talent before I send her overboard."
 
[Her mouth widens, the corners lifting heavenward. The idea did sound pretty tempting though. Mercedes was always told to err on the side of caution, but such advice meant little to her. Murphy's Law has a funny way of ruining plans - even the best laid plans - but there's just no way she could mess this up, right?]

"I've heard a lot of mean, nasty and downright despicable things said about me, sometimes in not so subtle terms."

[Mercedes scoffs and rolls her eyes, clearly irritated almost to the point of amusement.]

"So in an effort for full transparency, your opinions weren't on the menu.

"Jealous people don't necessarily want what you got. They just don't want you to have it. For far too long, I've survived and thrived in Sin City Wrestling even when talent has come and gone from this company more times than I care to remember, and why? Because I haven't accepted the conventional wisdom that my competition is better than me.

"It's been 19 months since an SCW championship was last seen around my waist. It's been 17 months since I lost the World Mixed Tag Team Championship. It's been five years since I last held the Bombshell Roulette Championship. It’s been four years since my third reign ended. Now I get my opportunity to reclaim the championship I put on the map."

[Clicking her tongue partly out of dismay and partly out of the sheer wonder of it all, Mercedes' smile faded as she briefly shook her head, a look of disappointment is there too. She takes out her enchiladas and places on the counter.

She takes a sample, and immediately savors her handiwork. And in her eyes, it was good.]

"People will yell at me for this but guess what: DOOOOON'T CAAAAAARE. I've made a name for herself. I've proven that I'm an easy win for nobody and accomplished a lot in so little time. And with success comes resentment by peers, something that's precedent in any profession, not only wrestling. Maybe people are writing me off next weekend, maybe people are hoping against hope that Jessie's magical run continues past next weekend.

"Next Sunday, I'm looking forward to giving Jessie the fight of her life just like and I'll make sure that her upcoming defense will be her last. I can't wait for next weekend when she's in front of her fans so they can witness for themselves how miserable her life is going to be at the end of the night when she's staring up at the cruiseship and watching me leave the NEW Bombshell Roulette Champion. After all, seeing me with walking out of  Four times I've won this championship, five times I'm winning out.

"The question isn't who's going to let me, it's who's going to stop me?"

[Fade].

[Jessie Salco]

(everyone who appeared in the karaoke scene was used with their handler’s permission)

The Summer XXXTreme Cruise was officially underway and Jessie was all set to defend the Bombshell Roulette Tile against Laura Phoenix and Mercedes Vargas! Laura and Mercedes have made their voices heard alongside Jessie and the three veterans were bound to put on an exciting show for the crow, but can Jessie retain the title?

Harper’s cabin, Sun Princess Cruise Liner, the High Seas
Tuesday the 27th of June 2023, 11:00am

Me and this event have a mixed history shall we say?

My first big event with SCW was the original Summer XXXTreme way back in 2012, at the time it seemed unreal that a company as small as SCW could rent out a cruise ship for a wrestling event but that was how it happened! That night I joined the New XTremes and remained there until the group dissolved in 2015, but I also lost my second match in Sin City Wrestling that night though I do attribute that more to Ms. Evangelista being a useless partner than anything else!

Still Spike wanted me in his faction because he saw the potential in me, the fact that I went on to hold the Bombshell Roulette Title five times (including my current reign), the Bombshell Internet Title once and the Bombshell Tag Titles three times with far more competent partners than Ms. Evangelista says a lot, doesn’t it? Since then, I’ve won matches, I’ve lost matches (and titles), I’ve even indirectly led to the premature end of a wrestler’s career!

Okay, granted, Chloe was practically a walking concussion time bomb considering how often she got concussed during her time in SCW, sooner or later the kid was going to get seriously hurt in the ring, yet it was a backstage attack on this cruise that ultimately did her in.

Luckily Harper’s had much better training than Chloe, the fact that she’s already a champion is a testament to that fact.

”Try not to worry too much about your Prime debut being delayed by that invasion thing they are doing Harp.” I assured Harper as she packed away her stuff and Harper glanced up at me. ”Or the fact that you failed to win your second title in Empire Pro and I’m going to stop there because I can tell that I’m not helping.”

”It’s fine, besides, me and Cassie debuted in EWC just in time for their Parabellum event, it’s a big cross brand PPV and there’s a chance we’ll represent Prime and Rampage on that show.” Harper explained as she finished packing her stuff away. ”Then again, could be a balancing act, Cassie had to wait two weeks to get her Gambit Match, I got mine almost as soon as I signed my contract, Cassie meanwhile is getting to make her Rampage debut on the Scars and Stripes PPV!”

”I’m just gonna say it now, Scars and Stripes might be the best event name I’ve heard in my career and that’s saying a lot!” I responded with a slight laugh and Harper grinned in response clearly agreeing with me, before I could say anything else I got a text and grinned. ”And my event is on!”

”Oh yeah, I keep forgetting that that’s a thing that SCW does on this cruise, you did karaoke last year, didn’t you?” Harper asked and I nodded, well, technically I took over the karaoke MC duties for the duration of the cruise but details, details. ”So, are you doing karaoke again or something else?”

”I’m doing karaoke again, it went down a storm last year with wrestlers and fans alike and I had a lot of fun doing it, it didn’t take much to convince Christian to let me do it again, I only requested that he give me a bit more time to metal it up a bit.” I added and Harper nodded as she got the idea. ”And yes, I included some Deathcore, including Lorna Shore but excluding the Pain Remains trilogy.”

”Really? How come?” Harper asked much to my surprise, for reasons I was about to go into it really, really wasn’t the right song for karaoke, like, at all, and Harper should know this because Lorna Shore is her favourite band.

”The nightclub will have screens with the lyrics on them, the Pain Remains trilogy deals with the following themes, grief, depression and oh yeah, SUICIDE!” I pointed out and Harper winced as it hit her. ”And just to make it worse, Chelsea Skye is on board, if there’s one thing that woman’s more public about than her careers in porn and death metal, it’s the fact that she’s suffered from depression in the past and nearly ended her life!”

”I didn’t even think about that, I usually just focus on how hard the three songs slap but I’m well aware of the themes.” Harper admitted clearly feeling guilty over this and I shook my head. ”Trying to shift the topic, what’s your stances on Krystal and Fenris?”

”Krystal is flat out banned from the karaoke nights, she did well last year but after everything she’s done since the last Summer XXXTreme? It’s easier to find people who want to kick her ass than those who don’t!” I responded with a frown and Harper nodded as she got the idea. ”It’s more for her safety than anything else! Also the fact that we want to leave something left for Keira and Whisper!”

”Yeah, I guess so, but what about Fenris?” Harper asked as she thought back to the previous year. ”Wasn’t he still blinded at the time?”

”Yep! To the point where I was worried about having to get a version of the list in braille!” I nodded to confirm that that was what happened. ”He literally picked one song, blew everyone else in the club off the ship before they even started and retired to the bar for the rest of the night! Obviously, he’s recovered from that blinding since then, but if he returns to defend his crown then I’m wondering two things, 1: what the hell is he going to pick, 2: who would be brave or stupid enough to follow him?”

”I could always volunteer to cover Sun//Eater and scare off anyone who didn’t flee during Fenris’s cover.” Harper joked and I shook my head before helping her finish her packing.

Ship’s nightclub
Wednesday the 28th of June 2023, 17:00pm

Almost the same as it was last year.

There are some differences this year though and I don’t just mean me having enough time to grab a wider variety of song choices or Krystal being banned from the karaoke nights because, well, everyone else on the Bombshell Roster wants to kick her ass! Besides, Krystal texted me not long after I tweeted about it saying that she wasn’t planning to attend anyway!

I could’ve sworn I blocked her phone number not long after she started breaking rookies’ arms but I digress!

Right now I’m getting things set  up for the first official day of the Karaoke with help from Chelsea Skye and her wife Sarah, given that they both play in metal bands away from the ring they seemed a perfect fit for helping me with the setlist.

”Okay, I’ve got The Trooper, 2 Minutes 2 Midnight, Number of the Beast, Enter Sandman, Sad But True, and those are just the well-known metal songs.” I muttered to myself as I looked through the metal selection, Chelsea was chatting with the DJ on stage and I glanced up at her. ”I know one of your side projects is getting fucked on the internet but but try to keep your clothes on tonight Chels!”

”Oh please, like no straight man or gay/bi woman on this ship hasn’t seen me get my tits out!” Chelsea responded as she rolled her eyes after glancing up at me. ”Besides, I know Christian can be a hard ass but I’m not taking any chances after he warned me against a repeat of what happened between me and Sarah on Tara Fenix’s Charity Cruise! And we weren’t even the only ones doing it! Only lesbian couple? Probably but there were others!”

”And yet again, I feel sorry for the cleaning staff that had to clean up once all the cum had settled.” I responded as I shook my head and Chelsea grinned sheepishly. ”I thought you were bi anyway?”

”I’m bi, Sarah’s a lesbian, but aside from that? Pretty much dead on.” Chelsea shrugged her shoulders and I nodded before the Chicago native hopped off the stage and walked up to me. ”Don’t suppose there’s a chance you could get a Krawling Khaos track up there, right?”

”I checked your band’s Bandcamp page and the only release with any lyrics on it’s page is that Horror Comedy Christmas EP you put out after Kingdom of the Scourged was released.” I pointed out nd Chelsea facepalmed in response . ”Keep forgetting to do it?”

”Less forgetting and more me never getting around to it.” Chelsea admitted before the doors opened and several other Go Gym Graduates arrived, including the defending karaoke champ. ”And the champ is here.”

“Skye.” Fenris greeted her with a nod as he glanced over at the metalhead, couldn’t really tell if it was a respectful nod or Fenris being polite but either way, he snatched up the song book from my hands as soon as I offered it to him. “I’ll take that one, I don’t care where you put me.” Fenris added as he handed me the book with his finger on the song.

I had to do a double take, it was a Tina Turner song, and like the Tina Turner song I was most familiar with? It was a movie song, but it wasn’t Goldeneye, it was “We Don’t Need Another Hero” from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. ”That’s fine K, but do you mind going on last? Your performance last year was hard enough to follow, the moment you start belting out this chorus is the moment the whole crowd runs.”

“Fine, I’ll spend the rest of the night at he bar in that case.” Fenris nodded before he walked off towards the bar.

”I’ve heard the stories but is K always that grumpy?” Harp whispered to me and Chels  and I shrugged my shoulders before referring to K’s fellow Go Gym Graduate for comment.

”Nah, that was him in a good mood!” Chelsea responded with a laugh as she shook her head. ”Just wait until Ryans gets here, if he has the guts to show up!”

”I thought you said you hadn’t had time to catch up on SCW programming until Krystal attacked those Hero Academy students?” I asked Chelsea who shrugged her shoulders in response.

”Ever heard of binge watching?” Chelsea sked and I shook my head, and right on cue? ”Well, well, look what the cat dragged in Kris.”

“Last I checked, cats weren’t allowed on board, or pets in general.” Kris responded as we greeted him and I didn’t need to be looking in his direction to know that Fenris was glaring daggers at Kris, at a guess? He was trying to keep things civil. “You got the song list? Actually, forget I asked, your joke about Thriller inspired me.”

”Well, it wasn’t in the book originally but we got time for a last-minute addition, but if I ended up being tossed overboard by a certain Icelandic MMA Fighter I’m blaming you!” I responded as I shook my head before we got back to planning the rest of the night.

Ship’s nightclub
Wednesday the 28th of June 2023, 19:00pm

I’ll admit, the interest wasn’t quite the same as it was when I first did this last year when I posted the call on Twitter, Mac and Kat weren’t interested, Max had been gone from the company for months, Krystal was banned for obvious reasons and there were, in general, a bit more fans than wrestlers taking part this year, still it took an hour for the club to fill up and I took the stage.

”Welcome to the second annual Jessie Salco KaraokeFest!” I commented into the mic and the crowd cheered. ”Like last year we have several SCW Superstars and Bombshells ready to sing their hearts out! Including the defending champion, FENRIS!” The crowd cheered as I motioned to Fenris at the bar, Fenris simply responded by flipping me off without even looking. ”And I see he’s as friendly as ever! Anyway, he’ll be going on last so don’t feel too intimidated by him, anyway first up tonight is someone who recently came back from the dead………”

“OH FUCK OFF!” I could probably hear Fenris’s voice from the other side of the ship, both because he was the only Icelandic wrestler on the ship and because he was just that loud! Regardless he quickly ordered the strongest bear the bar staff had and tried to ignore him.

”…….and the defending champ’s favourite performer, please welcome Kris Ryans as he performs “Thriller” by Michael Jackson!” I made sure me quip about K and Kris was dripping with as much sarcasm as possible, because I didn’t feel like being kicked in the head by a former MMA Fighter! Anyway, Kris took the stage to do a one man show of the Thriller dance (at least it was one man until several audience members jumped up on stage to do it with him), the cover itself was decent but then again, Michael Jackson isn’t really a guy you cover unless you can nail his vocals and ignore all those allegations against him.

”Hey Jess, you got a sec?” Harper approached me from just off stage and I glanced over at her. ”How long until I go up?”

”You’re going right after Keira but there’s a few fan performances in between Kris and her performance.” I explained after checking my list and Harper nodded. ”What’s up?”

”Is it too late to change my song? I want to do “Keep The Faith” by Bon Jovi instead of Sun//Eater.” Harper explained and I was eternally grateful to not be drinking anything at that moment, it would’ve ended up all over the stage otherwise! It was well known that Lorna Shore was Harper’s favourite Deathcore band to the point that she had named several of her signatures and one of her finishers after their/in reference too their songs, not to mention that she wanted to sing one of the hardest Bon Jovi tracks to sing in his back catalogue. ”I want to dedicate it to my parents.”

Ahh, yeah, that explained it, the other worst kept secret about Harper was the fact that her parents’ murders had left her feeling rough (to say the fucking least) for most of the tear, dedicating her first title win to them obviously had an effect so maybe Harper was hoping for a repeat performance tonight. ”I’ll talk to the DJ in between performances but next time? Just ask me before the show.” I told Harper who nodded before rejoining the crowd, soon after that Kris’s performance of “Thriller” ended and I took the stage. ”Give it up for Kris Ryans everyone! Okay, coming up next we have Tyson performing “Sad But True” by Metallica!”

The crowd cheered as the short haired guy took the stage and gave the Metallica song his best shot, the performances from then on ranged from “okay” to average because it was obvious that most of the patrons weren’t professional singers and were just there to have a good time, off course we had two band members in attendance in Chelsea and Sarah so that helped even things out a bit.

Once the girl who was honestly struggling to sing “Take on Me” by aHa (seriously, Fenris was watching with a “WTF Was That” look on his face after the first high note) I took the stage as and the mic. ”Okay, give it up Chrissy everyone! At least she gave it her best shot! Okay, first active wrestler of the day is up next!” I announced and the crowd cheered. ”And I’m talking about a wrestler who everyone thought had retired last October, performing “Vandalize” from the Sonic Frontiers soundtrack, it’s Keira Fisher!”

The crowd cheered as my one-time enemy turned best friend Keira took the stage with a big grin on her face, I hadn’t played the game myself so I wasn’t that familiar with the track, but it was a rock track and Keira proved to be this year’s shocker as she blew everyone away with her singing ability, and as the song was winding down I remembered that Harper was up next.

”Starting to regret doing this?” I whispered to Harp as Keira nailed the song and she shook her head. ”You’re braver than me!” I added before Keira finished the song and I shared a fist bump with her as she left the stage and I ran on stage. ”There always seems to be one person who no one wants to follow, and Keira seems to be this year’s example! Coming up next my cousin has thee unfortunate task of following her training, please welcome the KCW TV Champion HARPER MASON! She’ll be performing “Keep the Faith” by Bon Jovi!”

The crowd gave a polite cheer as Harper ran on stage, either she was putting on a brave face or that grin on her face was genuine, either way? It was another blowout performance, as Harper nailed it, much to me and Keira’s surprise, even hitting the high notes that made the song so fucking difficult! By the end of it she got less cheers than Keira but I wasn’t sure if it was because they were tired out by Keira’s performance.

Either way, it was my job to find someone to do the next song after Harper’s performance finished with her dedication to her parents which left a few teary eyes in the audience. ”Wow, wow, wow, wow, sorry to sound like Owen Wilson but can anyone follow Harper? Let’s find out, Pete if you haven’t run for the door your up next to perform “How You Remind Me” by………really dude?! Nickelback? Oh honey!”

As much as I teased him, the guy covering Nickelback wasn’t that bad and the rest of performances that followed weren’t that bad either, then the next “wrestler” performance followed and I put wrestler in brackets. ”Give it up for Mike everyone! Up next we have Sarah Blaze, and if you know what kind of wrestling she’s from and are with your girlfriend/wife, start running! She’ll be performing “You’ll be in my Heart” from the Tarzan soundtrack, originally by Phill Collins!”

I could see Chelsea groaning from the stage, and not in the sexual way most people saw her groan, this song clearly meant a lot to her as Chelsea’s wife took the stage. [font color=#005A9C]”Chelsea, babe, I’m sorry, I know how emotional you get from this song, but I’m dedicating it to you!”[/color] Sarah apologized before the song started, I don’t know what it was with most of the wrestlers, roster or guests, with emotional covers, but well, Chelsea was clearly crying about halfway through the first verse.

Sadly I couldn’t leave the stage without checking on her so I had Ari do that for me, she knew Chelsea better than me thanks to their Go Gym connection anyway, as for the cover? Sarah was the vocalist in Chelsea’s main Death Metal band Krawling Khaos, I don’t think I need to point out that Death Metal wasn’t really a style that leant itself to a song like this, which is why I was shocked to hear a beautiful singing voice coming out of her mouth, that said, she immediately ran off stage to check on her wife once the song finished.

Needless to say? I didn’t envy whoever was next. ”Give it up for Sarah everyone! Someone please check on her wife, that looked ugly! Err, anyway, up next is Cassie Wolfe performing “Your Betrayal” by Bullet for my Valentine!”

Oh boy, Cassie’s rough year managed to continue on the ship, obviously the metal genre was her forte but she had to follow Sarah, and clearly knew it from he look on her face as she took the stage, still a good performance though.

Chelsea and Sarah never returned to the nightclub for the rest of the night, and it didn’t take much to figure out why, Chelsea’s slot (performing “Enter Sandman” by Metallica) was taken by a fan and eventually it came down to the defending champion.

”Well folks, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for! K, get up here! It’s time to defend your title!” I declared and Fenris pretty much marched towards the stage like he was marching towards an MMA Fight. ”He’ll be performing “We Don’t Need Another Hero” by Tina Turner!”

The crowd cheered as Fenris performed the Tina Turned classic, and like the year before he knocked it out of the park, unlike the year before there was no clear winner and I would set up a poll on Twitter later to leave it up to my followers.

Besides, it was time that I continued another tradition from last year.

The ship’s nightclub
Wednesday the 29th of June 2023, 21:00pm

*promo time*

Here we go.

”It’s funny, last year when I did this karaoke night I played host to the Bombshell Roulette Champion at the time, little knowing that it was leading towards her last match, here I am a year later still hosting the karaoke night but as the Bombshell Roulette Champion, funny how things work out, right?” I asked as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”How time flies! Gotta admit, it’s a weird feeling being the youngest wrestler in the match after so many years of being the oldest, but that’s what I get when I defend this thing against Laura Phoenix and Mercedes Vargas I guess!”

But I digress.

”Then again, my first defence was against Kim Pain and that was at Into the Void, maybe  that’ll be the running theme of my PPV Title Matches? They put me against fellow veterans of the sport and hope that we can, collectively, show the whipper snappers how it’s done!” I joked as I folded my arms. ”As I said last week, this is a tale of two different veterans serving as my challengers, we have the well-respected veteran who came into SCW like a house on fire in Laura and we have the arrogant bitch who thinks that her past accomplishments still mean something! No, I’m not talking about me, I’m talking about Mercedes Vargas!!”

Let’s talk about them, starting with Laura.

”Laura, gonna be honest, it’s refreshing to see another veteran give me respect, most others try to crap all over everything I do, I believe the initials AL should ring a bell, at least someone still has their common sense after years of being conked over the heard!” I stated as I folded my arms. ”But how far can that respect take us? Somehow I doubt the bosses will let us hold this title at the same time, we both know the answer there Laura and it’s not very far at all!”

Nope!

”Respect can only go so far in a regular match, but a title match? We may as well throw that out the window with yesterday’s garbage, is what I’d say if we weren’t on a cruise!” I added as I patted my title. ”We’ve been around for a long ass time Laura, the fact that your daughter is old enough to be pregnant without a bunch of guys wanting to kick the dad’s ass for it confirms that, hell I was one of the original Bombshell Roulette Champs!  I know what it takes to hold the belt for a long time, I just never got the opportunity until now! And this belt isn’t going anywhere!”

Next up is Mercedes.

”Speaking of things not going anywhere, hey Mercedes, still in the perpetual title hunt? Off course. It’s the perfect place for a wrestling dinosaur like you!” I added as I flipped some hair over my shoulder. ”But something is different this time isn’t it Mercedes? It’s almost like you think a bunch of fluke victories over a ten-year period means you have my number!”

Delusional

”Please Mercedes, are you still that slow to remember when I beat you for the Bombshell Internet Title? Or when me and Amy ended your reign with Traci Patterson? Good times, for me that is! For you? Not so much!” I added as I folded my arms. ”Beyond that? There’s our divergent career paths even though we debuted within a year of each other, I busted my ass for ten years, winning title after title, I earned my Hall of Fame ring through blood, sweat and tears! You coasted on the Mean Girls to stay relevant! You coast on your past success as champion rather than actually put the effort in! it’s time people realized that Mercedes was never that good to begin with, years of relying in better wrestlers to stay relevant have finally caught up with you Mercedes! And now that you’re the only Mean Girl still on the roster? It’s been exposed for the world to see and I’ll reinforce that this Sunday!”

It's that simple.

”Call this match what you want, a battle of the oldies? I mean, we’re not that old but sure, a battle of the ring generals? Again, debatable thanks to Mercedes! A Battle of the Veterans? That is true, I’ll grant you that, but I chose to simply call it one thing: defence #3!” I added as I held up three fingers. ”And my defences are going to keep piling up! I’ll reiterate that I’m not out to break any records, I just want to break a curse that’s haunted me for years! This match is how I’m going to break the cycle!”

And with that I decided to wrap things up.

”Me, Laura and Mercedes are three women who have done this wrestling shit for so long I don’t think we can go back to a normal life! That much is true, but there’s one other truth I need to address, I boarded this ship as champion and I’m leaving as champion!” I added as I held up the title. ”Laura has my respect, Mercedes? No, just no, but at the end of the day? Only one woman will cannonball into the water below with the title in hand and after I stroke you both like Blood Lightning? That woman will be me! See you in the ring!”

I left the stage as the scene fades.