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Roleplay Boards => Archived Roleplays => Climax Control Archives => Topic started by: Natalie McKinley on December 01, 2017, 09:00:17 PM
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The scene opens inside the kitchen of the house in Cardiff that is owned by the parents of Natalie McKinley, in the late afternoon/early evening of Tuesday 3rd January, back at the beginning of this year. Anna McKinley - Natalie's mother - is sat at a table in the centre of the kitchen, reading a book; she is wearing a pair of rust coloured paper-bag trousers, and a red and white hooped t-shirt.
The sound of a door opening and closing is soon heard, and seconds later into the kitchen walks Natalie, who is dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a zipped-up black coat. Natalie has not seen either of her parents since last July, having been away from the UK since prior to Summer XXXTreme IV; she greets her mother matter-of-factly.
Natalie: ‘Hello, Mam.’
Anna looks up from her book to acknowledge her daughter. She replies in a similarly unemotional manner.
Anna: ‘Hello, Natalie.’
Natalie takes a seat at the table, opposite to Anna, and smiles at her mother. There is no warmth to the smile though, she is just trying to be civil. By the same token, to say that Anna is happy to see her daughter would be stretching the truth. She puts her book down, before questioning Natalie.
Anna: ‘What brings you back here - did your girlfriend break up with you?’
Natalie sneers at her mother.
Natalie: ‘Edie wasn’t my girlfriend, Mam, she was…’
Natalie’s response to Anna’s question trails off. After a brief pause, she then continues.
Natalie: ‘If you must know, things didn’t work out between us - at least, not as Edie would’ve liked. I explored my curiosity, and I came to the conclusion that I would rather just be friends with Edie, nothing more.’
Anna: ‘So you’re not gay then?’
Natalie lets out an exasperated sigh.
Natalie: ‘No, Mam, I’m not gay. Would it really matter if I was, though?’
Anna: ‘I suppose not.’
There is an awkward silence, before Anna returns to her original question.
Anna: ‘So why are you back here, then?’
Anna narrows her eyes at Natalie.
Anna: ‘You haven’t been gambling again, have you? Have you run out of money, is that it?’
Attempting to avoid letting that question irritate her too much, Natalie takes a breath.
Natalie: ‘I can assure you that I have not been gambling at all. It has been over eighteen months since I last placed a bet on anything, and I am not going to fall off the wagon.’
Anna: ‘Well, good. I can’t begin to tell you how much shame and embarrassment I felt at having an addict for a daughter.’
While Natalie is not surprised that her mother would have the gall to say that to her face, it is still unpleasant for her to hear, and she takes another breath, as she tries to quell her annoyance.
Natalie: ‘However much you were ashamed of me, Mam, it was nothing compared to how ashamed I was of myself, for allowing my gambling habits to spiral out of control.’
A momentary silence follows. Natalie had expected her mother to make another snide comment, but with nothing forthcoming from Anna, she instead speaks again.
Natalie: ‘To answer your original question, Mam, the reason why I’ve come home is simply that I was homesick. Living in a small town in North Dakota was nice for a while, but I’ll always be a big city girl at heart, and after what happened with Edie, once things between us ended, there wasn’t really any reason for me to stay there, so I decided it was time for me to come home.’
Anna: ‘Until it’s time for you to go off chasing something else that won’t pan out, no doubt.’
Natalie looks off to the side, away from her mother. She says something in a quieter tone of voice, but it is still loud enough for Anna to be able to hear it.
Natalie: ‘Here we go again.’
Anna: ‘What are you talking about?’
Natalie turns her head to again look directly at Anna, as she responds to her mother.
Natalie: ‘Whenever I do anything, you always find something to be critical of.’
Anna: ‘When have I ever been critical of something you’ve done?’
Natalie looks at her mother as if she has just grown another head.
Natalie: ‘Are you serious?’
After waiting a few seconds for a reply from Anna that does not come, Natalie begins to give some examples of life choices of hers that her mother has objected to.
Natalie: ‘When I started lifting weights, and gaining muscle, you thought it wasn’t very ladylike.’
Anna: ‘Those muscles of yours aren’t very feminine, are they?’
That alone should be sufficient to prove Natalie’s point, but she carries on.
Natalie: ‘When I decided that I wanted to be a personal trainer, you were against that because you thought it wasn’t a respectable profession.’
Anna: ‘And it isn’t - it’s not like being, say, a doctor, or a teacher.’
Natalie: ‘But when I then decided to pursue a career as a professional wrestler, you were even less in favour of that.’
Anna: ‘Being a personal trainer at least offered you some job security.’
Natalie shakes her head in disbelief.
Natalie: ‘You’ve never approved of any of my boyfriends. And yet when Jack broke up with me, you actually seemed to empathise with him.’
Anna: ‘I wasn’t surprised he broke up with you - it was your own fault. Who could blame him for not wanting to be in a relationship with an addict?’
Natalie: ‘Nothing I’ve done has ever been acceptable in your eyes, and I know that’s not going to change. I could make a full-time return to wrestling, become a top champion in the sport, and you would still find something to pick fault with.’
There is a groan of despair from Natalie.
Natalie: ‘You know what, Mam? I’m done trying to please you. You’re just not worth the effort any more.’
Anna: ‘How can you talk to me like that? After everything that I’ve done for you.’
Near to being incensed, Natalie’s eyes widen.
Natalie: ‘After everything you’ve done for me? What, you mean, yell at me for twenty-four years?’
Another awkward silence follows, which is broken by Anna.
Anna: ‘Do you really think I’ve been yelling at you for twenty-four years?’
Natalie: ‘I don’t know. You were probably okay with me when I was a baby, I just can’t remember.’
Thinking that she has now gone beyond the point of no return, Natalie decides to tell her mother how she really feels about her.
Natalie: ‘There was a time when I hoped that one day, I may be able to have a positive relationship with you, but I’ve long since accepted that that’s a lost cause. I know you don’t like me, Mam - you might not admit it, but it’s obvious from the way that you treat me. I’m okay with that though, because the feeling’s mutual. I won’t go so far as to say that I hate you - that’s a bit too strong - but I do strongly dislike you.’
Anna stands up, and Natalie does likewise. She is curious to see what her mother is going to do next, but when Anna slaps her, it still takes Natalie by surprise.
Anna: ‘Get out.’
Anna gestures for Natalie to leave, pointing towards the entrance to the kitchen.
Natalie: ‘Gladly.’
Natalie hurriedly exits the room, as she makes her way out of her parents’ house. She stops outside the front door, touches her cheek, and wipes a tear from her eye, before pulling out her mobile phone. The scene then switches to show Natalie - still dressed in the same clothes as earlier - sat at a table in a pub somewhere in her hometown. She is soon joined by Lowri Moss, who appears carrying two pints of lager. Lowri - who is wearing a pair of navy blue jeans and a black hoodie - places one of the drinks down on the table, in front of Natalie.
Natalie: ‘Thanks.’
Lowri: ‘You’re welcome.’
Lowri then sits down, opposite Natalie, and the two of them each take a sip of their respective drinks.
Natalie: ‘I’m sorry for bothering you, Lowri, I just didn’t know who else to call; I could’ve called Simon, but I didn’t want to trouble him.’
Lowri: ‘You thought you would trouble me instead then?’
Lowri lets out a laugh, trying to put Natalie at ease.
Lowri: ‘It’s alright, Nat, you haven’t interrupted anything important, only a night in front of the telly.’
Natalie smiles meekly at Lowri.
Lowri: ‘So when did you get back from the US?’
Natalie: ‘A few hours ago. I got a train from the airport to Cardiff, and then after I arrived at Central, I headed straight home, to see my parents...well, it was my Dad that I wanted to see, but he wasn’t there, just my Mam.’
Natalie takes another sip of her lager.
Lowri: ‘And so what happened, if you don’t mind me asking?’
Natalie: ‘It’s fine, Lowri - I’ll tell you.’
She sighs, before continuing.
Natalie: ‘I attempted to have a conversation with her, but she was as hostile towards me as ever. She brought up my gambling addiction, as well as other things, and I quickly remembered one of the reasons why I moved away from home - as if I needed reminding.’
Lowri drinks some of her pint.
Natalie: ‘Anyway, I decided I wasn’t going to put up with her talking to me that way any more, and so I had it out with her. I told her in no uncertain terms how I feel about her, then she slapped me, and told me to leave.’
Lowri: ‘I can’t imagine what it must be like to have such a prickly relationship with one of your parents - both my Mam and my Dad have never being anything other than loving and supportive towards me.’
Natalie: ‘My Dad loves me wholeheartedly, and he’ll do anything he can to help and support me, always has done. But as for my Mam, if I never see her again, it’ll be too soon.’
Lowri: ‘What happened that made things the way they are between you and your Mam?’
Natalie: ‘My Dad told me some time ago that when he and my Mam decided to try for a baby, she wanted to have a boy, and so when she instead ended up having a girl, she was disappointed, to say the least.’
Lowri: ‘You’re an only child, aren’t you?’
Natalie nods.
Lowri: ‘Your parents didn’t try again then? For a son, I mean.’
Natalie: ‘No. Even before she was pregnant with me, my Mam had already decided that she only wanted to have one child, and giving birth to a girl rather than a boy didn’t change that.’
There is another slight sigh from Natalie.
Natalie: ‘I don’t know for sure, but I think that’s the reason why my Mam acts the way that she does towards me: she resents me because I’m not the son that she wanted.’
Lowri glances lazily around the pub, before looking back to Natalie.
Lowri: ‘So what are you going to do? Where are you going to go?’
Natalie: ‘I don’t know. I suppose tomorrow I’ll look for somewhere to rent. And I’ll have to go to my parents’ house at some point, as all of my belongings are there, apart from what I’ve got with me now; in my rush to leave, I even forgot to take the case that I had with me, so the only clothes I have at the moment are the ones that I’m wearing. I just hope I don’t run into my Mam while I’m there.’
Lowri: ‘What about tonight - where are you going to stay?’
Natalie: ‘I guess I’ll stay in a hotel, or a bed and breakfast.’
Lowri: ‘You can crash at mine, if you want - if you don’t mind having to sleep on the sofa, that is.’
Natalie: ‘Are you sure? Will your housemates be okay with that?’
Lowri: ‘If it’s only going to be for a night or two, it’ll be fine - although any longer than that, and they might try to add you to the council tax bill.’
Natalie and Lowri share a laugh at the latter’s quip. Lowri then asks another question.
Lowri: ‘Which gym was it that you used to work at?’
Natalie: ‘Pure Gym, by the stadium.’
Lowri: ‘Are you going to go back to working there?’
Natalie shrugs.
Natalie: ‘I hadn’t really given it any thought, but yeah, probably - either there or at another gym, somewhere else in the city. I could become a freelance personal trainer, but it would take me a while to build up a clientele, and if I’m going to be renting a flat on my own, then I’m going to need a guaranteed source of income.’
Lowri: ‘You could always get back in the ring, whether that’s in SCW or elsewhere.’
Natalie dismisses the suggestion with a shake of her head.
Lowri: ‘Why not? Don’t you want to?’
Natalie consumes some more of her drink, before giving an answer.
Natalie: ‘I think my time as an active wrestler may be over. I’ve only been in two matches in the past five or six months, the most recent of which was almost two months ago now, and honestly, Lowri, I don’t miss it at all. I remember how happy I was when I signed my first contract with SCW, but in the two and a half years since then, my enthusiasm for wrestling has gradually melted away, to the point where now, it wouldn’t bother me if I never set foot inside a ring again.’
Lowri: ‘Fair enough, if that’s how you feel.’
A wry smile crosses Lowri’s face.
Lowri: ‘I guess this means then that Mark Ward should probably forget about there being any possibility of having me and you in the Bombshell division as a full-time tag team.’
Natalie: ‘Yes, he probably should. I’m not saying for definite that I’m never going to wrestle again, but at present, I don’t foresee myself being back inside a ring any time soon.’
Lowri: ‘Well, as much as I enjoyed getting to team with you at High Stakes, and as much as I would like it to be a more regular occurrence, I’m not going to pester you about something that you don’t want to do.’
Natalie: ‘Thanks for your understanding, Lowri.’
Lowri: ‘No problem.’
Natalie smiles at Lowri - a proper smile this time.
Natalie: ‘For two wrestlers that had never teamed together before, we didn’t do too badly, did we?’
Lowri: ‘No, we certainly did not.’
And as the conversation between the two goes on, with them moving onto discussing their match at High Stakes VI against the Justice League - amongst other things - the scene fades to black.
The scene opens inside Jubilee Roasting Co, a cafe in Aurora, Colorado, at around lunchtime on Wednesday 29th November. To the back of the cafe is a roomy warehouse creative space, which is where - stood in amongst the artists' studios, and holding a mug of coffee in her right hand - Natalie McKinley is seen; she is wearing a pair of black leggings, and one of Lowri Moss’ “BSS†t-shirts - available from Irish Whip Clothing - which she has cut the sleeves off.
Natalie directs a half-smile towards the camera. She then starts to talk.
Natalie: 'Hello, Sin City Wrestling. It has been a while, hasn’t it? Actually, it has been so long since I was last on your screens, that there are probably some people watching this who don’t even know who I am. Over twelve months have passed since High Stakes VI, when I last set foot inside the six-sided ring, but in four days’ time I’m returning to SCW, to reclaim my crown as “the most physically powerful specimen in the Bombshell division,†if only for one night. And just like at High Stakes last year, this Sunday I’ll be competing in a tag team match, with my compatriot Lowri Moss as my partner, this time against the FoShan Bombshells, Song and Orchid.’
Natalie takes a seat on a nearby chair.
Natalie: ‘I’m aware that some of you might be wondering where I’ve been for the past year, so before I discuss this Sunday’s match, please allow me to explain what I’ve been up to since my last appearance in SCW.’
She takes a gulp of coffee, before placing her mug on an adjacent table.
Natalie: ‘After High Stakes VI, my life was lacking purpose and direction. I stayed in the US, but for a while I pretty much shunned civilisation, choosing to live in a remote part of the country; I even started going to the gym less and less, resulting in some lost gains. Come the start of this year though, I decided to go back home to the UK. I dragged myself out of the doldrums, got my arse in the gym, went back to working as a personal trainer, and managed to be happy again. Oh, and I cut my hair.’
Natalie grips her bangs between her thumb and index finger.
Natalie: ‘For a number of months following that, I didn’t get up to anything particularly interesting. Sure, I attended Climax Control in mid-April, together with Lowri, and Song laid down a challenge to us for a match, but apart from that, nothing much happened in the first seven or so months of this year - nothing newsworthy, at least. However, in early August, I was contacted by someone who was interested in having me play for his lingerie football team. At first, I dismissed the idea - I had never played American football, and I barely knew anything about the sport - but after several other teams showed an interest in me, I opted to give it a try, and so I joined the Denver Divas. It has been three months now, and while I’m still learning, things are going reasonably well: we’ve won eight matches out of nine so far this season, and last Friday, in our latest game, I caught two touchdown passes, as well as getting two sacks. Not too bad, right?’
As Natalie smiles contentedly, the scene switches to inside a hotel room, somewhere in Portland, Oregon, on the morning of Friday 1st December. Sat on the edge of the bed, dressed in a pair of pale blue jeans and a Denver Divas t-shirt - also available from Irish Whip Clothing - is Lowri Moss.
Lowri smiles warmly at the camera, as she speaks.
Lowri: ‘What’s occurring, Sin City Wrestling? It has taken a bit longer than I would’ve liked, but on Sunday evening, you’ll get to see me inside an SCW ring once again. This match between me and Natalie and the team of Song and Orchid is at least half a dozen months in the making, and with Natalie having taken her sweet time to be satisifed that she was in the right condition to get back in the ring, I had begun to think - as I bet Song had too - that it might never happen. Eventually though, last month, Natalie came to the decision that she was ready to return to the ring, and so now, in two days’ time, finally - thankfully - I’ll get to compete alongside her for a second time; these two girls from South Wales, against the two bombshells from southeastern China - after waiting so long for it to happen, hopefully this match won’t turn out to be a disappointment for the fans.’
Lowri leans forward slightly, gripping the bed with her hands.
Lowri: ‘The last time that Natalie was inside the six-sided ring was also of course when I made the second of my two appearances - so far - in SCW. But while she has spent much of the time since High Stakes VI last year trying to work out...what she wants to do with her life, I guess...I’ve had no such issues. When I first appeared in front of an SCW camera, last October, I said that I had dreamt of being a professional wrestler for about as long as I could remember. Back then though, I was very much in the early stages of my career, with just a handful of matches under my belt. I would spend my weekdays working in a bank in Cardiff, counting down the days until the weekends, when I would get the chance to wrestle, usually somewhere in London.’
There is a pause, as Lowri reflects on how far she has come in the past year.
Lowri: ‘Things have changed significantly for me since then, however. At the beginning of this year, I signed a contract with a promotion based on the East Coast of the US, which allowed me to be able to give up my day job, and wrestle full-time; finally, I was a fully fledged professional wrestler.’
Lowri smiles again, more broadly this time.
Lowri: ‘Some of you might wonder, if I was going to join the roster of a promotion here in the US, why wasn’t SCW that promotion. Well, after High Stakes VI, Mark Ward was prepared to offer me a contract - he even tweeted as such. However, he didn’t just want me - he wanted me and Natalie. After our performance - and win - against the Justice League at High Stakes, Mark Ward wanted the two of us to be a regular team in SCW, to help strengthen the tag division. Natalie rejected the offer out of hand though, as she had no interest in signing a new contract with SCW, and with her out of the picture, Mr Ward wasn’t willing to offer me a contract to be a singles competitor - hardly surprising given that at that point in time, I had only competed in one singles match in my career.’
The scene switches back to the cafe, and to Natalie.
Natalie: ‘I know there are people who sneer at lingerie football, who question its legitimacy as a sport. In fact, up until a few months ago, I might even have been one of those people; I’m definitely not now though. Playing in the LFL has filled a void in my life that had been there for…’
Natalie shrugs, before continuing.
Natalie: ‘I’m not even sure how long it had been there. To put it bluntly, being a player in the LFL has given me something to do with my days other than just going to the gym - although I still spend plenty of time there, of course.’
She smirks at the camera again.
Natalie: ‘I suppose though, that might beg the question, why couldn’t wrestling fill that void?’
There is a slight sigh from Natalie.
Natalie: ‘Like Lowri, I’m a lifelong fan of wrestling, but whereas she had wanted to be a professional wrestler pretty much her entire life, with me, it was a much more recent thing. I mean, when I signed my first contract with SCW, over three years ago now, I had already been working as a personal trainer for around a year, since graduating from university; for Lowri, wrestling is her true love, but as far as I’m concerned, my passion is fitness. Perhaps it’s no surprise then that my fondness for wrestling isn’t what it used to be. But that’s no one’s doing other than my own. Part of the reason it has taken so long for this match with Song and Orchid to actually happen is that wrestling doesn’t excite me as much as it used to. However, regardless of how I feel about wrestling these days, I can promise that I’m still going to give the match this Sunday my all - I’m not going to show up to Climax Control with any intention of losing. And besides, I don’t want to let Lowri down.’
The scene switches back to Lowri, in her hotel room.
Lowri: ‘Natalie probably won’t thank me for saying it - and although I know she’ll get to see this, I‘m going to say it anyway - but I think perhaps the main reason why she lost her love for wrestling, is that she came to the realisation that she was going to struggle to emulate the success that Simon Jones had in SCW. Whenever anyone referred to Natalie as Simon’s protégé, she always argued otherwise - and having spoken to Simon, I know he didn’t think it was a correct description either - but given the role that he played in helping her get a spot in SCW in the first place, I can understand why people would call her that. Regardless of whether or not she really was his protégé, I know that Natalie wanted to be successful in SCW, for herself and as a way of repaying Simon for the faith that he had shown in her when he had gone to bat for her. Natalie was always going to have a hard time trying to replicate the success that Simon achieved in SCW - I’m sure there’s a spot waiting for him in the Hall of Fame…’
Lowri winks at the camera.
Lowri: ‘But that was difficult for her to accept. She wanted to be a multi-time world champion, like he had been, and when she gradually came to see that she might not be able to reach those same heights, that was when her motivation for a career in wrestling began to fade away.’
She looks down at the floor.
Lowri: ‘Still, at least she held the roulette title for eight weeks in SCW; that’s eight more weeks than some of us have been a champion for.’
The scene switches back to Natalie once more, sat in the cafe.
Natalie: ‘Lowri set herself a target of winning a title in her rookie year; it’s now fifteen months since she made her pro debut, and she’s still waiting for that first title. The fact that I won the roulette title about six months into my career doesn’t particularly help matters either. I’ve told her that she’s much more talented than I am, and that she’s going to go on to achieve far greater things than I have, but at times, as the wait for her first title goes on, she has a hard time believing that.’
There is another shrug from Natalie.
Natalie: ‘I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before Lowri becomes a champion, but while she awaits that elusive first title, she continues to gain experience, competing full-time in two promotions, and making guest appearances in others - the latest of course being the one this coming Sunday. This match against Song and Orchid isn’t going to have any implications as far as titles are concerned, but it’s my first match in over a year, and that makes it important in its own right. I don’t know when - or even if - I’ll set foot inside a ring again after Sunday, so I want to make sure that my last match - for however long - doesn’t end in a loss. Plus, I want to pay a part in helping Lowri to have a positive final month in her first full year in wrestling.’
She picks up her mug of coffee.
Natalie: ‘Song, Orchid; you wanted this match. Well, be careful what you wish for. Because Nat...will tear you apart...again.’
As Natalie takes a drink, the scene returns to Lowri’s hotel room, with her now sat up straight, looking at the camera again.
Lowri: ‘I love wrestling.’
A smile crosses her face.
Lowri: ‘I know that isn’t a statement that’s going to come as a surprise to anyone, but it still bears saying. I love wrestling, and I love to wrestle. I would wrestle every day if I could. I wrestle regularly in Europe and in the US, and I happily accept opportunities to make guest appearances elsewhere when such offers are made to me. Last Saturday, I wrestled in Mississippi; on Tuesday, I was in Spain; last night, I had a match here in Oregon, and later tonight I’ll be in at least one match, possibly as many as three!’
Her smile widens into a grin.
Lowri: ‘While I’m sure Song and Orchid were pleased when Natalie finally gave the go ahead for this match to happen, I can guarantee they wouldn’t have been as happy with the news as I was. To some people, this might just seem like any other tag team match, but for me, it’s another chance for me to do what I love to do. So on Sunday, Natalie and I are going to rock up to San Jose, for Climax Control; we’re going to step in the ring with Song and Orchid; I’m going to throw some kicks at them, whereas Natalie will probably just throw them. And all being well, once it’s all over, the duo that will be left standing will be the two dragons...with all due respect to Trinity Jones.’
Lowri places her hands on the bed, by her sides.
Lowri: ‘No offence intended, hon, but Natalie and I are Welsh, after all. Nice name though. Jones, I mean.’
She winks again, before pushing herself off the bed, onto her feet.
Lowri: ‘It’s about time I got to display my brand of British strong style inside the six-sided ring again. And now, I only have two more days left to wait.’
Lowri takes a breath. She then utters a three word motto, in Welsh.
Lowri: ‘Trên. Ymladd. Ennill.’
Following the briefest of pauses, she repeats her motto, this time in English.
Lowri: ‘Train. Fight. Win.’
And as Lowri stares at the camera, with a smile on her face, the scene then fades to black.