Chionophile. From the Greek word khion, which means snow, this term better describes people who tend to favor colder weather. These people find the coldest months with snowfall to be their favorite times of the year. A person who is extremely fond of dark cloudy and rainy sky is commonly known as a pluviophile. This term is derived from the Latin word pluvia, which means rain. Pluviophiles find comfort and joy in the sound of raindrops, the smell of wet earth and the sight of dark clouds. Both of these nature related “philes” is a perfect description of Carter McKinney aka Sin City Wrestling’s young star; Helluva Bottom Carter.
Growing up in his home state of Washington, Carter was indulged since birth in both forms of the weather that he had grown to love and prefer over the years. Due to its coastal location, Washington state might see an annual rainfall of seven to nine inches and the winter months ranged as far cooler than any other time of the year with fifty to seventy-five inches in snowfall. The state was the perfect fit for someone who had such preferences where the weather was concerned. And those preferences carried over even when Carter left his home state for the wonders of Nevada and the desert oasis known as Las Vegas in order to live out his dream and become a professional wrestler.
One might assume that having grown up under such circumstances would make his new surroundings something of a discomfort - and you would be correct. By his own admission, Carter found the summer months in Las Vegas to be damn near unbearable, running the AC practically 24/7. He lived for those wonderful fall months where the temperatures started to dip and how the winter months would just slowly arrive without you even realizing. You just so happened to notice how the sun was setting earlier and rising later. How the temperatures slowly dropped and the chilly winds blew across your bare skin, sending those delightful shivers coursing through your body. When he first came to Nevada, he was surprised by just how cold it could get in a virtual desert during the fall and winter months. It was something of a blessing but there were things he had to learn to do without in Nevada that he took for granted in Washington for so many years. During the fall, there was always that array of color everywhere you looked, when the leaves of every tree turned to shades of reds, yellows and oranges before falling to the ground below. And during the winter? The snowfall was something many complained about often, but never Carter. He missed it terribly.
Needless to say, it was always this time of year that left Carter feeling somewhat melancholy. It’s those times when you notice it getting lighter earlier in the morning and the sun was still out when just a few weeks ago, it was dark out at this time. Oh, and the fact that the weather was noticeably warmer than before. But there was still a chill to the air for the time being and Carter almost routinely took advantage of the fact, keeping the screened windows open in the morning and night - and as you might have guessed, things took something of a rougher turn when Carter's preferences toward colder weather bit him in the butt - figuratively of course.
Under most circumstances, Carter was healthy as a horse throughout the year, always taking very good care of himself with regular exercise and diet. But the cold had taken hold of his upper respiratory and developed into a very nasty bout of bronchitis, worrying his loved ones to the point his mother almost took time off of her job to travel to Las Vegas to help Miles take care of her baby boy. However, Miles assured her that he was more than capable of nursing his fiance back to health and Joanna relented, albeit reluctantly. However she obviously knew something about her son that Miles grew to discover himself over the past week and a half, and that was that Carter made for a terrible patient. Not that he was one of those men who made any small illness into something epic while demanding to be waited on hand and foot. Far from it! It was more to the fact that Carter was so used to doing things for himself, that he drove Miles nuts chasing him back to bed when he tried to get up and get his own soup or hot tea rather than let Miles do it himself. It didn’t matter that he was on breathing treatments and antibiotics. Carter was just used to taking care of himself.
But – Miles won out in the end. He finally convinced (sort of) his love that he had to rest and let him take care of him. It was simply a new experience for Carter, but considering the fact the two would be married, it was something that he was just going to have to get used to. By nature, Miles has proven himself to be a very formidable protector. He had faced down threats to the man he loved with all of his heart but never was he more frightened than when he had to take Carter to Urgent Care when the coughing and shortness of breath became unbearable.
And that was where we were now, in the shared condo that Carter and Miles called home. Carter had recovered almost completely and was almost a hundred percent save for that damn coughing that seemed to take forever to recover from completely. Miles was still insisting Carter rest up but no longer fighting him on wanting to leave the bedroom so long as he took it easy. The hour was just after six and the sun was just starting to go down, and Miles had just left to go pick up dinner for the two of them to enjoy along with a movie. Their first such evening since Carter had fallen sick, and this Carter’s first actual meal since.
Carter was curled up on the sofa in the living room, a comforter draped over his lap with his laptop resting against his thighs, the screen illuminated against the darkened room. He had decided to use this time wisely, doing some research that he had been unable to undertake while sick. He had grown too tired, too easily to be able to do much other than sleep but now that he was on the road to recovery, he wanted to get some things accomplished.
That was when the pop up alerted him to an incoming request for a video call. He saw who was on the other end and his face lit up with the name of his best friend, Ariana Angelos. He immediately clicked ‘accept’ and in less than an instant, the face of Ariana filled the screen. The bond between them was strong, but neither was used to not spending much time together, all too used to random trips to each other's homes, coffee shops, restaurants and yes - shopping. But it had been two weeks since they had really spoken, as Miles had laid down the law that Carter needed to get as much rest as possible. They had very short chats on the phone, but it just wasn't the same.
“Hi bestie!” The ever-cheerful voice of his closest friend called out, the smile on her lovely face all but matching her friendliest of tones. “You’re looking sooo much better!”
“Thanks.” Carter replied, his voice still hoarse from the constant coughing that he was yet enduring. “I’m finally feeling better. Good enough that Miles is out picking up actual food so we can have a nice night in. It’s been forever since I’ve had an actual meal.”
“Well I offered to bring you some homemade soup.” Ariana pointed out, to which Carter smiled despite himself and he said back, “I know Ari, and I love you for it but your famous bacon and dill pickle soup probably wouldn’t have been the best thing for my bronchitis.”
Ari just bit at her bottom lip and shrugged her slim shoulders while Carter paused, trying to refrain from the coughing that he felt building up but you know how that works. The harder you try not to cough, the more you need to. Until ultimately Carter started a small coughing fit while all Ariana could do was watch with concern from her end until he recovered and righted himself.
“Poor Carter.” Ari shook her head with honest concern. “Are you going to be okay for our title match this weekend?”
“I’m not letting it get postponed again and letting you down again.” Carter said, but Ariana was not so easily fooled and she just tilted her head down just en9ugh to gift her best friend with that look you get when you know you’ve caught someone with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar.
“That didn’t answer my question, Carter.” Her brows rose. “You know that, right?”
“I’ll be fine, Ari.” Carter relented. “I’ll be ready.”
Ariana just watched him from her end, not satisfied completely as to whether or not he was being one hundred percent up front and honest with her. But before she could say anything further to the subject at hand, Carter spoke up, “I’m glad you called though because I needed to talk to you about something wedding related.”
To which Ariana practically squealed, her excitement for Carter and Miles’s impending nuptials almost eclipsing their own. “I can’t believe my bestie is getting married!” She was almost shaking from the sheer excitement. “What did you want to talk about?”
“Well,” he sighed. “I have some good news and bad news. Which would you like first?”
“Bad news, definitely.” Ari answered. “I never understood why people ask for the good news first when the bad is just going to bring them down. I’d much rather go the opposite.”
“Okay then,” Carter drew in a deep breath. “Here goes. Ari, Miles and I decided to hire a caterer for the wedding.”
Ariana stared at the screen for a moment as if she wasn’t certain that she heard correctly, before ultimately her face fell to one of disappointment before she could even try to hide it away. From the moment she had learned Carter and Miles would be getting married, she had just assumed she would cater the wedding given her love for cooking. So much so she had started planning the menu weeks ago! And for Carter – and Miles – to decide to go with a virtual stranger to provide everything instead, she couldn’t help but feel both disappointed as well as hurt.
She shook her head and asked, “But – why?”
“Don’t look so hurt, Ari. I know you were looking forward to it but that’s where the good news comes in.” Carter assured her. “The simple truth is that you won’t have time to do both.”
“Both?” Ariana frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…” Carter answered. “... I want you to be my Best Woman.”
Ari paused, then her fingers covered her mouth but her eyes grew wide. She held this pose for seemingly forever but her eyes gave everything she felt away. They were misty – joyful. She lowered her hands and the smile was all the answer he needed.
“Really?”
“Really.” Carter stressed. “I can’t think of anyone more that I’d want by my side when I get married. And the truth is that and catering a wedding would be just too much work for one person.” Ariana started to protest to the contrary but Carter held a hand up and smiled, “Ari, please? Will you be my Best Woman?”
What could she possibly say, but yes. Ari smiled, her eyes now wet with raw emotion as she nodded. And that was the precise moment when the “Lady of the house” aka Ms. Thang decided to make her own presence known, or to perhaps let Carter know that he’d been online too long rather than pay her proper attention. The black and white short hair feline hopped up onto the end of the sofa and casually walked the length until she arrived to greet one of her two boys with a demanding meow.
“Uh oh!” Ari teased. “I think someone wants attention!”
“Oh when does she not?” Carter smiled as he extended a hand to gently stroke along the back of her neck, her favorite scratching spot. That was all the invitation needed as Ms. Thang walked right up onto the laptop’s keyboard, her rear paws sending Ariana a lengthy text of numbers, symbols and letters while sticking her butt hole right in the camera.
“Um, Carter?”
“Ms. Thang says hi!”
“So long as it’s not that end that speaks up, I’m fine.” Ariana teased. “I’m going to let you go! I have to start planning … whatever it is that a Best Woman does! Thank you for thinking of me bestie!”
Carter finished another brief coughing fit before he smiled around his demanding cat and said, “Anytime, Ari.” And the call was promptly ended. This allowed him to give his full and undivided attention to Ms. Thang who just plopped her rear end on the keyboard and her eyes were closed with a soft contentment whole Carter gave her all the rubs and scratches she desired. And minutes later, the front door opened and in walked Miles, his arms overloaded with bags from a local Indian place the two had grown fond of.
After locking the door behind him and dropping his keys in the ceramic dish on the accent table to the door’s side, Miles carried the bags through the condo’s foyer, pausing at the sight on the sofa and he shook his head, “I see the queen is receiving her due reverence.”
“Yes, she interrupted a call with Ari to get it. Stuck her bunghole right in the camera until Ari ended the call.” Carter mused and looked up at Miles. “But I think she knew what she was doing.”
“`Course she did.” Miles declared, turning back to deliver the food to the dining room table, but rather than unpack it right away, he simply set it down before rejoining his fiance in the living room. He took a seat on the armrest of the sofa, right by Carter’s head and reached over to giving Ms. Thang some additional stroking.
Carter asked, “Have you decided on a best man?”
“I have a couple names at the top of my list.” Miles admitted. “But nothing finalized. We have plenty of time.”
“Do we?” Carter pointed out. “We haven't even set a date yet.”
Miles replied, “So let's set a date. When do you want to get married?”
Carter answered, “I don't know. When do you want to get married?”
Miles said, “I don't know.” Leaving the two men staring into each other’s eyes until Carter broke the amused silence and he said, “We suck at this, don’t we?” Eliciting a bark of laughter from his man.
“So you asked Ari to be your best Woman?” Miles finally asked, to which Carter nodded and said, “Yeah. I broke the news to her that she wouldn’t be able to handle that and the catering.” He glanced up over his shoulder to the man that had captured his heart so effortlessly. He added, “I think she was happy with the consolation prize.”
“So I suppose that means no Spam and marshmallow Hors D'oeuvres.” Miles teased, all too familiar with Ariana’s rather … unique outlook on cooking. “Or candied giraffe.”
“Dare to dream.” Carter jested, and something on the screen of Carter’s laptop attracted his attention and he cast a brief glance before looking at his fiance, asking, “You’re looking up locations for the wedding? I thought I told you to rest.”
“I was resting, Miles. It doesn’t take any effort to scroll through websites.” Carter answered before he finally closed the laptop, prompting Ms. Thang to hop off to the floor and to amuse herself.
Miles asked, “So what did you come up with?”
“Anything but at a show.” Carter shook his head derisively. “After so many times it’s started to become a sociological cliche for wrestlers to get married at Pay-Per-Views or major events. I don’t want to go that same route. I really want this to be special.”
Carter drew in a heavy breath and he continued, “Besides, I stopped searching before Ari called. I think I know where I’d like the ceremony to take place, but I wanted to talk to you first.”
“Oh yeah?” Miles rested his hands on his knees. “Talk to me.”
“Well, Mom was pretty disappointed when we told her we didn’t want to get married in the church.” Carter then looked up at Miles and he said, “Oh and I’m still not over you handcuffing me to the desk so I couldn’t get away from that chat!”
But Miles just had that smug smile on his otherwise handsome face, the one coupled with such boyish charm that you couldn’t help but not stay annoyed or upset. He just shrugged his muscled shoulders with a faux sense of indifference and said, “I warned you, didn’t I? And besides…” He leaned in and whispered in his ear, his hot breath sending shivers through Carter’s body. “And don’t tell me you didn’t like it.”
Carter just gave him ‘that’ look and Miles swatted his shoulder playfully, saying, “Come on. What’s the idea?”
Carter answered, “I was just thinking … What if we got married in Olympia? At the house?”
“You want to have the ceremony at your Dad’s house?” Miles asked, having not expected this of all possible locations. Botanical gardens, maybe. Maybe even a public park with ponds and a fountain, perhaps. But the house he had inherited from his late father? Carter answered with a nod. “We agreed on a smaller ceremony, and we can’t deny the house has the space for an outdoor ceremony. Or indoors if the weather sucks.”
“It certainly has the ambience.” Miles agreed, to which Carter teased, “Oh look at you using those big words!” Getting a side eye from Miles in return. Miles then said, “Is this about your dad, babe?”
This gave Carter a moment’s pause to collect his thoughts until ultimately he had no other course but to yield with a nod. He said, “I guess so. It still hurts knowing he won’t be there. I guess this way, in a way, he will be. I figure Mom would approve given the church debacle, but I was more worried about how you’d feel.”
“Babe, I could marry you in the drive thru at McDonalds and be happy.” Miles looks deeply into those lovely eyes and finds himself smiling. He nodded, “But those are good enough reasons for me. That’s where we’ll get married.”
“Yeah?”
Miles stood up, taking Carter by the hand and pulling him up along with him, wrapping his arms tightly around him and simply holding him. Carter looked up and smiled, to which Miles reassured him, “Yeah.” Before kissing him.
“You ask the average person what brought them into the rough and tumble world of professional wrestling and you’ll get a wide variety of answers. Some will tell you that they want to travel the world while others will say that they want the chance to meet the fans. If you’re lucky, you’ll get signed to a major promotion and have the chance to earn a big paycheck which will go down as a pretty good reason to get involved, even though some critics will try and argue that the paycheck will be small compensation compared to the hell that you put your body through multiple times a week. But here’s the thing; every one of these different reasons ultimately boils down to the exact same thing; glory”
“World travel? Having fans ask you for autographs and photo ops? Big money? Glory. But once you’re a part of the business, every single person has one common goal, and not only does it lead to all of the above, but it is the very epitome of the term ‘glory’ and that is to be able to call yourself a champion.”
“Veterans of the sport will tell anyone willing to listen that if you’re not in the business to call yourself a champion, then you are clearly in the wrong business. I mean, everyone wants to be the very best and there’s no better way to rise to the occasion than by beating the best and winning for yourself a championship.”
“I should know. When I graduated from the GO Gym and was signed to Sin City Underground, I was that exact same cocky kid as everyone else. I mean, you have to be if you want to get anywhere in the sport. And I have to admit that I am proud to admit that I went the distance and then some while I was in SCU. Singles championships, tag team championships… I couldn’t have asked for any more. And when I came here to SCW, I just naturally assumed the same track record of success would follow me. But, not so much. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve run into my share of stumbling blocks during my quest to win my very first championship in the major leagues, and it is humbling to have to admit that thus far, I haven’t had much success. I’ve come close, and have beaten some of the best SCW has to offer, but the old saying goes that close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.”
“No, seriously, they really do say that!”
“And, after a while and enough unsuccessful attempts, you start to wonder if maybe you peaked too soon. You are left wondering after that latest loss in a championship match if this path was really meant for you. You love the business and everything that it encompasses, but the constant string of disappointments when it matters most does tend to drag you down. It leaves you in a dark cloud of self doubt over shadowing almost everything else in your professional career, and you just want to enjoy the highs without having to deal with those lows. That’s where I find myself at this stage of my wrestling career.”
“I’ve gone public and private both, and told everyone with two ears that I was finished with championship opportunities because I felt that they were wasted on me. I told everyone that I didn’t belong in the Main Events and was quite content with being mid-card for now and, for as far as I can say, the near future. So why then, might I ask, do I find myself in not just a Main Event, but yet another championship match? It’s almost as if everything that I’ve said these past several weeks have gone in one ear and out the other. I’ve had people say I’m crazy to give up on title matches but still want to remain in the business. I’ve had people closest to me tell me that I’m ungrateful at all of these opportunities being given to me when most people would give their right arm to be given the same chances that I’ve been blessed with.”
“And who knows? Maybe they’re right. Maybe I am crazy, but I know better than anyone that of all things, I am not ungrateful. I thank the bosses for each and every chance they’ve given me in the past and the faith that they have in me that I might have that something special that will take me that one step further to become the so-called King of the Mountain. J2H personally chose me as one of his Elite Eight and that speaks volumes because that man never has anything positive to say about anyone – ever! I really thought that that tournament was my big chance. That it was going to be the beginning of my defining moment … and I got completely screwed out of it. But I’ll get to that later.”
“I’m in the match that had to be shelved because I went and got sick, and even though I’m not completely one hundred percent, I am well enough to go in there and give it my very best. And why am I saying that when it pretty much contradicts everything that I’ve just said? Because unlike all the previous chances and attempts to win my first title, this time I have someone special depending on me. This time I look into the corner of the ring and I find the young woman who has been my best friend for the last several years, since before we ever graduated from the GO Gym. She’s been my roomie, my confidante, and my sister all rolled into one. That is why I’m going out there with every intent to win.”
“Because my Ari is depending on me.”
“There is no better incentive to haul my head out of this dark cloud and go out there to kick some ass. I’ve sat back long enough while Ari took the reigns of this opportunity so far and she’s done all the hyping on social media, having a few exchanges back and forth with our esteemed champions, but I can’t let her do that on her own any longer. She has me in her corner, she has me as her partner, and this is where I show her that the faith she’s had in me for all of this time is not misplaced.”
“I know going into this last defense, Kayla in particular is hoping to repeat the same chances of success that Finn had when he won the Elite Eight tournament and became a double champion. SCW’s ONLY double champion. And nothing, I repeat - nothing, is going to sting more than when Kayla has to go into Blaze of Glory XII without her tag team title around her waist and thus, unable to fulfill that particular goal. And don’t doubt for an instant that Ari can’t make that disappointment a reality because she’s had her share of championships. She’s beaten a number of top ranked women where titles mattered most. Names like Luna Pasilno and Melissa to name just a couple. ‘Dreamkiller’ Kayla Richards? Ariana has every chance and all the ability in the world to end the dreams of the Dreamkiller.”
“Now while Ari has Kayla, my business is with none other than our esteemed World Champion, Finn Whelan. You see, this is where I come in from before. This is where I say what is really on my mind, and why I left that tournament as angry - as pissed off - as I really was! And that’s the fact that Finn didn’t deserve to advance to the Semi-Finals over me! That’s right, I said it! Because the simple truth is that Finn Whelan did not beat me in Loveland, Colorado! Oh sure, the record books mark you as the winner but you didn’t beat me, not really. My leg was in the ropes Finn, that is a hard, cold truth and a blotch on your road to the championship! And had Drew worn his glasses, he would have seen it!”
“So you’ll excuse me my bitterness but anyone else would think things the same way! Anyone who has gotten screwed out of a big win through no fault of their own would feel my pain. I’ve gone through this same disappointment a time or two in the past down in SCU, because two times it took a cheap shot for some jack off interfering to walk away with a championship at my expense. Either a foreign object or they had help. Granted, you never sunk so low and these circumstances are different, but the end is still the same. And what I did after those cheap losses is going to be the same thing I do this Sunday. I corrected those mistakes. I moved on, and I won bigger and better! I went from the very bottom of the SCU ladder to the peak of the mountain, and the exact same thing will happen in a matter of days.”
“I see this as not only a chance to get Ari her next championship and win another title with my best friend, but this also serves as a means to an end for me, personally. This is the match where I deliver a very simple message to Finn ‘Two Belts’ Whelan.”
“I will never acknowledge you as the World Heavyweight Champion, until the day you pin my shoulders to the mat.”
