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Roleplay Boards => Archived Roleplays => Climax Control Archives => Topic started by: Tempest on September 13, 2024, 10:43:15 PM
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Adoption
“Our first Grandbaby!”
The words still hung in the air, despite the minutes that had passed and Tempest slowly moved away from her brother and she had resumed her seat beside her adopted daughter who she felt now more than ever needed a mother’s comfort. Granted, Tempest knew she had a lot to learn about being a mom herself, especially when compared to the experience of her own mother. But she knew how she felt, especially at this given moment in particular. She knew she was angry - more so at how Anela was seemingly hurt by the words that Tempest’s own mother had just exclaimed at the news of her oldest child and his wife expecting their first child together.
But more than anything else? She felt protective. She felt that ‘Momma Bear” syndrome women often speak of suddenly swelling up deep from within and if left unchecked, she knew some poor, unfortunate soul would end up bearing the brunt of it rather than who she should be speaking to.
Nahea: Alleyne…?
Her youngest brother was always able to read her like a book - annoyingly so, but such a trait was not so impressive now as it might be under normal circumstances. Tempest was practically radiating heat from her body that it was a wonder the A/C didn’t kick on. Her anger was self evident, to the point her Dad extended a hand to place on her shoulder. Whether a gesture of reassurance or an attempt to keep his daughter from saying or doing anything that she might regret, it was left unsaid and would remain a mystery through the night.
It mattered little as Tempest pulled her arm away, which stung her Dad more than a man such as he might care to admit. He was a strong man in body and soul, but this was his “little girl” and to have her pull away like this… well it would hurt any father. His and Nahea’s eyes remained on her, as her own eyes remained locked on her seemingly oblivious mother who continued to fawn over Konane and Iolana before she excused herself and headed for the kitchen.
That was when the immediate family knew something was amiss as Tempest turned to Anela, slowly standing up.
Tempest: Go grab your things. I’ll be right back.
Anela wasted no time, recognizing the command from her Momma and the tone behind it. The little girl pushed her chair back and hurried out of the room as Tempest stood upright.
Kaimana: Alleyne, don’t…
But his daughter all but ignored her father’s wish as she walked around the dining room table and headed for the kitchen, Konane finally realizing that something was wrong as he helped Iolana back into her chair and he looked around the table…
Konane: What’s going on…?
In the kitchen, the central part of the family homestead, Nalani had just taken a large pitcher of iced pineapple tea from the refrigerator and shut the door, before turning and almost starting in surprise to find her daughter standing there behind her.
Nalani: Oh! Alleyne! You startled me! What are you doing just standing…
Tempest: Do you mind explaining what that was all about out there?
Nalani seemed to be quite taken back, her mouth hanging partially open as her eyes strayed from her daughter who was obviously upset over something and past her toward the family dining room where she indicated. Nalani resumed her gaze toward her only daughter and shook her head, finding it difficult to decipher what had suddenly come over her.
Nalani: Alleyne, what are you…?
Tempest: Your ‘first grandchild’ Mom? Really? You actually said that at a dinner you threw specifically for her!?
Nalani: Alleyne, I think you’re overreacting…
Tempest set a hand on the counter, arm fully extended and her posture practically screamed; she thought anything but. Her stare was uncharacteristically harsh toward her Mother whom she practically revered.
Tempest: Overreacting? Is that what you think?
Nalani: Yes, I didn’t mean anything by it.
Tempest: Oh, you said exactly what you meant. My daughter isn’t a real grandchild to you because I adopted her rather than gave birth to her!
Nalani: That is not fair, Alleyne! You are taking what I said completely out of context!
Tempest: Oh really?
She drew her arms up against her upper body, crossing them so she could lean against the counter and further confront her mother.
Tempest: Then why don’t you explain it to me, then? Why don’t you tell me what you really meant out there!!?
Nalani: Don’t raise your voice to…
Tempest: I heard you, Mother! Papa heard you, too! Nahea heard it and understood! And worst of all…?
Tempest stood up straight and took that one long step closer to look down at her Mother and she shook her head, fighting like a titan to refrain from shedding a tear and further losing control of her emotions.
Tempest: That little girl, you know - my daughter? She heard it! She heard the woman she loved like a Grandma say it!
To describe Nalani as being rendered speechless would be a vast understatement because the truth was, she did not mean what she had said. Her excitement for her son and daughter-in-law’s announcement had been simply too much that she had lost herself in the moment. And because of that, a child had been hurt. Slowly, Nalani set the pitcher of tea onto the counter and she wiped her hands on her blouse.
Nalani: I-I’ll go apologize.
Tempest: Don’t bother.
Tempest held her hand up, stopping her Mom from moving past her and going toward the dining room.
Tempest: I told Anela to get her things. We’re leaving.
Nalani: Leaving!? But…!
But whatever else she might have wanted to say was lost to the winds, as they say. Her daughter effectively turned her back on her and walked to the dining room, but the matriarch of the family was as stubborn as her daughter and she quickly went after her.
Nalani: Alleyne, wait!
She followed Tempest out into the dining room and all heads turned toward the two women as the outburst had grown loud and all present had overheard. By this time, Anela had retrieved her bag and was at the side of her Uncle Nahea who had an arm wrapped around her shoulder and held her gently, offering her some semblance of comfort.
Nalani: Alleyne, please! I’m sorry! You don’t have to go!
But Tempest just gave her Mother an icy stare as she held her hand out for Anela who quickly took it and the two went straight for the front door.
Nalani: Alleyne!
But that was when her eldest brother spoke up, trying to diffuse the tense situation as best he could but you know what they say? Often the worst mistakes can be started with the best of intentions.
Konane: Alleyne, I thought you said that you were okay with us announcing this?
Tempest paused as the door was halfway open, allowing Anela to slip outside as the sky was darkening into one of those world-famous Hawaiian sunsets. She turned at the waist and her expression was a blend of sarcasm and “Are you kidding me?” all thrown into one.
Tempest: Whether I was okay with it or not doesn’t really matter, does it? You would have found a way to do it tonight, anyway.
Konane: What is that supposed to mean???
Tempest turned to look at her oldest brother directly and she held up a hand, as if to count off examples.
Tempest: Well, let’s see! You proposed to Iolana during our parents’ anniversary dinner! You used Nahea’s birthday to tell the family you purchased a house! And now tonight you took the dinner that was meant to be for your niece and announced your wife’s pregnancy!
The words hung there as the implications were clear, but nobody said anything in response. It was almost as if nobody dared to deny or confirm them. Tempest just stood there, staring at her loved ones, at her family, and shrugged her shoulders.
Tempest: So congratulations. You got what you wanted.
She pulled the door the rest of the way open and took one step outside.
Tempest: You made the night about you!
And that being said, she slammed the door behind her, rattling the framed photographs of much happier times. Still, nobody said anything as Konane comforted his wife but it was Nalani who clenched her eyes tight and the tears cascaded down her cheeks.
The setting was that of the six-sided ring, the traditionally used ring for competition within Sin City Wrestling. The setting surrounding the gym was not immediately evident as all lights were turned down low save for one lone spotlight that shone from high above the very center of the ring. And sitting there directly in the spotlight on a wooden stool was the former Bombshell Internet Champion, and soon-to-be World title contender - Tempest. Foregoing the typical wearing of her ring gear when the show itself was not scheduled for two days' time, she was instead dressed quite casually in a white tank top and tight denim jeans with knee-high boots.
She drew one leg up and wrapped her arms around it as she spoke;
“Okay, so I’m going to let all of you in on a little secret. When a student attends the GO Gym, it is all about the business and paying it it’s proper dues. It’s about treating the business and everyone in it with the reverence that it and they are due. That’s why, from almost the very start of your training under the Stevens, you are given your ring name. Unless of course you’re one of those unique few who prefer to throw caution to the wind and simply compete under your birth name with relatively little autonomy.”
She frowned and looked off camera.
“Are you sure that’s the right word? Because it doesn’t sound right!”
She gave a shrug to whomever she was talking to and continued on with her train of thought.
“Anyway, my point is once you were given your ring name, that was what you went by for as long as you were being trained behind those closed doors. Some came in with their own, like Fenris. But where I was concerned? I spent much of my training regime under the tutelage of Gabriel and Odette simply as … Alleyne. Reason being they were having a devil of a time trying to figure out a proper ring name for me.”
“I guess where I was concerned, I was something of a unique flavor in the Gym, as because of my size and strength, I was forced to train with the men more so than the women. The few exceptions being the chicks from London Underground and Evie Baang. Other than that, I was in there with Fenris and Daniel Morgan and yes… Gabriel himself. Fenris called me a ‘crazy bitch’ because of my training which I wore as a badge of pride but unfortunately … not a good ring name. Daniel Morgan referred to me as a ‘force of nature’ and you know who called out the name Tempest?”
“Despayre.”
“Despayre named me. Kid was playing somewhere in the Gym and it just came out of nowhere and from that point forward, I was Tempest.”
“Now, I haven’t been as active as I might have liked over the past five or six weeks but I won’t lie and say I didn’t welcome the break. I was pretty damn happy with how long my Internet reign lasted and while I would have been even happier had it lasted just a little longer, I won't lie and say Julianna didn’t earn that win. She did. And after that, I didn’t know what would be next or where I was going but imagine my surprise when my first match after Summer XXXTreme XII was against a certifiable legend in the Bombshell division, namely Alicia Lukas. A certifiable badass chick who accomplished everything a woman could want to aspire to in this business. My first thought when that match was announced was to ask myself whether or not I was ready for this. Then my second thought was – bring it! You can even forget about that little roadblock the powers that be threw into the equation as a funny roadblock towards both of us; namely Austin. My best friend and Alicia’s boyfriend as the special referee.”
She stared into the camera and shook her head.
“Well aren’t you boys in the head offices just funny? Funny, funny, funny! But I digress. Lukas and I both threw caution to the wind, demanded Mercer call the match straight down the center and she and I tore each other apart! Just the way it was meant to be! And yes, I came out ahead but Christ! Alicia Lukas showed to me and the world watching why she earned the reputation that she’s had in this business! She’s not some nepo baby that rode in here on a silver platter. She fought hard to earn her spot and god help any bitch who wants to take it from her.”
“That match though… that was almost a month ago, and it was the last time that I stepped inside of the ring. Why? Mark Ward pushed Christian Underwood out of the way and took over the reigns and things became fresher. New ideas came to fruition and while I had my own hopes, everything he had laid out ahead of time slowly fell into place and SCW is better for it.”
“Now, me? I had naturally assumed that I would be getting a rematch against Julianna DiMaria because, well former Internet Champion and all. I thought that was a given. A contractual obligation but as it stands, fate aka Mark Ward, had bigger plans for yours truly.”
She slipped her bent knee free from her arms and fully extended her long legs as her hands gripped the sides of the stool’s seat.
“A Fatal Fourway match, where the winner moves on to Violent Conduct to challenge Kayla Richards for the World Bombshell Championship! Now the so-called ‘Dreamkiller’ and I have met a handful of times in the tag team division but the one has never scored a decisive victory over the other. A one-on-one match, woman to woman? Especially where the World Championship is at stake? Now that is something to aspire to! And truth be told, it made me feel just a bit foolish because there I stood, bemoaning the fact I wasn’t being given a chance to regain the Internet Championship and now I have the opportunity to fight for the top prize. The first time I would have ever been granted that opportunity.”
“And I have to go through three other badass chicks to make it that far. Well…”
She looked upward in contemplation and offered a light shrug of the shoulders.
“Two badass chicks and one potential future one. No offense intended to Harper Mason but the jury is still out on you and just where you stand in the grand scheme of things. I mean, on one hand you’ve been trained by the absolute best of the best, but from the outside in you seem to be struggling to find your footing as a Bombshell. I mean, it’s going to come. So long as you don’t give up on yourself and realize the same damn things everyone else around you understands; that Mark and Christian wouldn’t have signed you if they didn’t have the confidence in you. Now let’s face facts, Harper. It’s tough love time. I’m not a woman who minces words and when I say you’ve been struggling to find a foothold, what I am trying to say is so far you’ve been unable to pick up that first big win - that one career defining moment to make everyone sit up and notice!”
“And that also leaves me wondering why exactly you’re in a match of this magnitude with a chance at the top championship at stake when you haven’t been able to secure that first big win? It’s almost as if the bosses are feeling for you and tossing you a bone to chew on, to keep you satisfied so that you don’t go running to social media like so many others and bitch and moan about what you’re not getting, even though you have yet to actually earn it. Or…!”
She held up a forefinger.
“Or… Mark Ward recognizes that something special in any young rookie and thinks a match with this much at stake might be just what you need to light a fire under your ass. And admittedly, that sounds great in theory, but I just don’t see it playing itself out that way, do you?”
“But here’s the good news, Harper. At least you’re not an entitled whiner like Cassie Wolfe because GOD! A part of me almost wishes she was in this match just so I could take her by the neck and twist it until her head popped clean off!”
“Now - Song. Mad respect. A woman who I have heard a lot about but to date have never been lucky enough to have the chance to face in any sort of match. I look back to the glory days of the separate tag team divisions known as the FoShan Bombshells, Song and Orchid were one of the most cohesive teams to have ever won the gold. IT was a sad damn day in SCW when Song’s contract expired and - at the time - she opted not to renew and instead went off to explore … whatever it was that she chose to explore away from the ring. But now here she is, once again signed to SCW but this time she’s on her own. … No…”
She waved off the statement.
“Scratch that, she still has a notable name like Master Lily around and that woman is someone even I have to acknowledge commands respect when she enters a room. But Master Lily isn’t inside of the ring with you, is she Song? You are in uncharted waters as they say, and so far you’ve done fairly well since returning. A scorecard of one win and one loss? Again, the higher ups see quality in you and I imagine that is one of the reasons you’ve been thrown to the wolves in this match. They want to see fresh talent, fresh blood, in the World title ranks and that is why the four of us…”
She made a circular motion with her hand.
“Are in this match and not some random names that have had every other opportunity thrown into their laps like a used napkin at Pizza Hut. And … I see you, Song. I see you as a crisp and calculating striker in the ring. But I have also caught you once or twice looking toward the corner when you’re in trouble and the realization dawning on you that there’s noone to tag. There’s no way out.”
She leaned in closer toward the camera.
“You’re on your own.”
Tempest then sat back and an uncharacteristic smile crossed her lips and an even more so chuckle escaped her.
“Of course that leaves us with the one woman in this match I have been in the ring with, and the one that handed me my first loss. I’ve been lucky enough to have two women… two … who were able to step up and look right at me and fight me on my own terms. One was Zoey Lukas, and the other was you – Bobbie Dahl.”
Tempest bit her bottom lip and shook her head.
“I still remember that first confrontation between us, when you thought you’d play hero and save Bella Madison and some other chick from me. I remember feeling one part thrilled that there was some woman out there with a set who would actually get in my face the way that you did, Bobbie. The other part of me was annoyed that you were getting in my way when I was trying to get people to take notice I was going to keep laying these Barbies out until the bookers took me seriously. But you came out, you got in that ring and god love you - you threw the first punch! I thought I’d mow your ass down but I’m woman enough to admit that things didn’t go the way I hoped, but I got what I wanted when they signed us against each other!”
“I thought I had this fight in the bag but you were the fight I needed! And yeah… I still remember that delightful shriek you made when I picked you up for the Crucifix but in the end, you got me. You came out on top and did pretty damn well for yourself. You got the Roulette title to your credit, and now you’re getting the chance at something even bigger. The problem is… you have to go through me to do it.”
She smiled.
“Rematch, Bobbie. And this time? Things are going to go so much differently.”
Tempest stood up and stood there momentarily, hands on hips and staring into the camera.
“And I hope you’re watching … ‘Dreamkiller’. Because when the smoke clears and you see who you’re going to be up against in London? The Dreamkiller is going to be experiencing some serious nightmares!”