The scene opens inside the sports bar on the Sun Princess cruise ship on the morning of Monday 1st August - the morning after Summer XXXTreme IV. The bar itself is not yet open, but despite that, one of the nearby tables is already occupied: sat opposite one another, keeping clear of the hustle and bustle of the breakfast dining currently taking place on the two decks immediately below, are Natalie McKinley and Simon Jones.
Natalie is dressed in a pair of light blue jeans and a yellow sleeveless t-shirt, while Simon is wearing navy blue jeans and a red t-shirt. The two have only been there a short time, and as Natalie adjusts an ice pack that is attached to her left shoulder, Simon asks her a question.
Simon: 'How's your arm this morning?'
Just twelve or so hours earlier, in their contest for the SCW Bombshell Roulette Championship, Kate Steele had forced Natalie to tap out, using her Shipwrecked (seated Fujiwara Armbar) submission hold.
Natalie: 'It doesn't hurt quite as much as it did last night, but it's still very sore.'
Instinctively, Natalie touches her left arm.
Simon: 'I assume you're not going to let that stop you from working out, though.'
Natalie: 'Of course not.'
Natalie smiles.
Natalie: 'I'm going to wait until we're back on dry land though, to do my work out today, so that I can use a proper gym, rather than the poor excuse for a fitness center that there is on this ship, with its limited equipment.'
Natalie glances around the room, before returning her attention to Simon.
Natalie: 'Is it okay for you to be seen with me in public?'
That question causes Simon to frown.
Simon: 'What are you talking about?'
He then gazes around the room as well, before looking back to Natalie.
Simon: 'There's no-one here apart from us, anyway.'
Natalie: 'Maybe not at present, but what if someone - say Mikah, for example - was to happen upon us? She might call you Mr. McKinley again!'
Simon smirks, having been reminded of something that Mikah had teased him about the night before.
Simon: 'Mikah can say whatever she wants about the friendship that you and I have, it doesn't bother me - does it bother you?'
Natalie gently shakes her head.
Natalie: 'Not really.'
Simon: 'Good. Mikah will say anything to try to get a rise out of me, but she doesn't do it to be spiteful, she just does it to amuse herself - at least, I hope that's why she does it.'
There is a brief silence, before Simon speaks again.
Simon: 'Following on from the chat we had after your match last night, have you thought about what you're going to do next? Besides get back in the gym, I mean.'
Natalie laughs softly at Simon's remark. She then gives him an answer.
Natalie: 'I've been thinking about disappearing off into the wilderness.'
Simon: 'Does "the wilderness" mean North Dakota?'
Natalie: 'It might.'
Simon smirks again.
Simon: 'So you will be commuting each week from North Dakota to wherever SCW is staging a show that Sunday, then?'
Natalie: 'Not in the immediate future.'
Simon frowns.
Simon: 'What do you mean?'
Natalie: 'I want to take some time off, although it won't be as long as any of the hiatuses that you had from wrestling during your career - my break will be measured in weeks, not years.'
Simon: 'Have you spoken to any of the powers that be about this?'
Natalie: 'Yes, I have; unsurprisingly, Christian didn't try to dissuade me from taking time off from SCW.'
Natalie tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
Natalie: 'Taking a few weeks off will give me time to rest up, as well as allow me more time to ponder my future - including whether my future lies in SCW, or somewhere else.'
Simon: 'You're considering quitting SCW - is this because you lost last night?'
Natalie gives a non-committal shrug.
Natalie: 'I'm not going to deny my mindset would be different if I was now the new Bombshell Roulette Champion, but mainly the reason why I'm considering my future - and whether that is going to be in SCW, or elsewhere - is because of how things have changed in the past few months, since someone...'
Natalie points at Simon.
Natalie: '...convinced me to agree to be Melody's tag team partner.'
She then lets out a sigh.
Natalie: 'When I accepted Kate Steele's challenge for a match at Summer XXXTreme, I wasn't interested in taking the roulette title from her, I just wanted to beat her. Fighting her has though ended up making me now want to be a champion again - like we talked about last night. However, after my loss to Kate, I don't think there's much prospect of me winning me a championship in SCW any time soon.'
Simon: 'What happened to taking J2H's advice of just keep ripping people apart?'
Natalie replies to Simon's question without hesitation.
Natalie: 'He didn't specify that I had to do that in SCW.'
Simon nods, begrudgingly accepting Natalie's statement.
Simon: 'No, I suppose he didn't.'
Another brief silence follows, until Natalie speaks again.
Natalie: 'With Kate's reign as the Bombshell Roulette Champion set to continue for who knows how long, I can't see myself being given another shot at her title for a while. And obviously, if I can't win the roulette title, then I'm not about to be given a shot at the bombshell world title - although I'm not sure that I would want to challenge Crystal for her title anyway. Similarly, I have no desire to challenge Melody for the internet title - as I've stated a number of times in recent weeks - and as I'm sure she is going to hold on to that title for a long time, that leaves me without a partner to try to win the tag titles.'
There is another sigh from Natalie.
Natalie: 'So yeah, like I said, I don't think I'll be winning a championship in SCW any time soon.'
Simon takes a moment to think over everything Natalie has just said, before responding.
Simon: 'You may be right; it's certainly hard to pick fault with what you said.'
Natalie: 'Does that mean you think it might be best for me to consider a future in wrestling away from SCW, then?'
Now it is Simon's turn to let out a sigh.
Simon: 'I'm not going to tell you to leave SCW, but if you think that's what would be best for you, I'm not going to try to convince you to stay, either.'
Natalie replies in a surprised tone.
Natalie: 'Really? I was expecting you to give me a list of reasons why I should stay in SCW.'
Simon: 'Not this time, Natalie.'
Natalie: 'Oh, okay.'
As Natalie falls silent, Simon can tell that she is still surprised by his current demeanour.
Simon: 'Like I said, Natalie, it's hard to argue with your reasoning, so if you want to be challenging for a title in the near future, perhaps you should explore options outside of SCW.'
Natalie this about this for a couple of seconds, before replying.
Natalie: 'Well, okay. Nothing's for definite yet - this could all end up with me being back inside the six-sided ring in a month or so - but it's something for me to think about in the coming weeks, while I'm resting up.'
Simon: 'You should take as much as time you need - make sure that the decision you make is the right one for you.'
Natalie nods.
Natalie: 'I will do, Simon; thanks.'
She then smiles at Simon.
Simon: 'You're welcome.'
Simon smiles back. Natalie readjusts the ice pack on her shoulder, and as their conversation continues, we leave things there, to switch to the present day, where Natalie is now seen sat on a chair in a nondescript room; she is wearing a pair of dark grey GymShark leggings and a black zip up hoodie.
Natalie covers her mouth, as she coughs. She then looks to the camera, and speaks.
Natalie: 'In two days' time, I will be setting foot inside the six-sided ring for the first time since Summer XXXTreme IV, for a match against Twisted Sister. This match - my first one in twelve weeks - promises to be an unusual but interesting one, and one in which I'm not willing to accept anything other than a win.'
Natalie smiles confidently for a moment, but she then sighs.
Natalie: 'Before I go any further, I want to let you know that this video of me talking about my forthcoming match will probably be much shorter than normal. The reason for that, is that I'm currently suffering from a cold, and I don't think that talking for a long period would do my sore throat much good.'
As if on cue, Natalie coughs again.
Natalie: 'I believe Simon is suffering from a cold as well at the moment - how's that for a coincidence?'
She winks at the camera.
Natalie: 'So, anyway, my match with Twisted Sister - and yes, this is a match that I specifically asked for, in response to what Twisted Sister did following her match twelve days ago, against Lowri Moss.'
Natalie runs a hand through her hair.
Natalie: 'About a month and a half ago, I sent a tweet in which I said that I though SCW could do with more Welsh wrestlers on their roster. However, I didn't genuinely believe that I would see another Welsh wrestler in the six-sided ring, especially not that soon, so I was pleasantly surprised by the appearance that Lowri Moss made in SCW. Now, I've seen Lowri referred to as being my friend, which is stretching the truth a bit - we have exchanged pleasantries over Twitter, but that's about it; I think describing us as acquaintances would be more accurate than saying that we are friends.'
Natalie smiles pleasantly at the camera.
Natalie: 'Friends or not though, after watching the attack on Lowri by Twisted Sister that followed the end of their match, I couldn't just sit idly by - that's when I decided it was time for me to set foot in the ring with one of SCW's most...let's say, unique, characters. The joy of seeing my compatriot win her match was short-lived, through no fault of her own, and while I doubt that a psychopath like Twisted Sister fears retribution, or that she even understands the concept of it, that's what I'm going to be seeking this weekend.'
Natalie covers her mouth, as she coughs again.
Natalie: 'Since arriving in SCW, Twisted Sister has left some sort of a mark on each of her opponents. I'm not like any of her previous opponents, though - none of them have my unmitigated power, and on Sunday evening Twisted Sister will feel the full force of it.'
Natalie clenches - and then unclenches - her hands.
Natalie: 'Jessie Salco, Veronica Taylor, Amy Marshall, and Roxi Johnson: just a few of the women that Twister Sister has been inside the six-sided ring with. I've been in the ring with each of those four as well - and furthermore, I've defeated each of them; they were all overcome by strength, and this Sunday, things will be no different for Twisted Sister.'
Natalie coughs once more.
Natalie: 'Fuck.'
She then lets out another sigh.
Natalie: 'I'm going to wrap this up, and save you all from having to continue watching me cough every couple of minutes.'
Natalie gets up from her chair.
Natalie: 'I've heard it said that, "You can't fight crazy," but I'm not about to let that stop me. On Sunday evening, in my first match in almost three months, I will willingly get in the ring with Twister Sister, to deliver my own brand of punishment. Some people may think that I'm the crazy one, for wanting this match, but I'm not worried about what Twister Sister might try to do to me. Besides, unlike her, I don't need a chainsaw to tear someone apart.'
Natalie grins.
Natalie: 'Nat will tear you apart again.'
She stands smiling at the camera, but within a matter of seconds, another cough comes.
Natalie: 'Oh, for fu...'
And on that note, the scene abruptly goes to black.
