Low-key
It’s amazing what happens when the pressure seems to be lifted off. While some people perform better under pressure it’s very situational. In your professional life if you are in a job where you do get put under pressure and you’re able to thrive that leads you to success. But in your personal life, if it’s something that is near indeed to your heart and that pressure buildup sometimes if it isn’t released it can kill you
Alicia has been under pressure for months. Ever since that night when Austin proposed to her and she said yes there was a dark cloud hanging over her. She had told everyone, her friends, the rest of her family. But the one person she avoided telling was her mother. She put it off day after day, week after week, and then month after month. But when she finally told her and she was able to see her mother‘s reaction which was not what she was expecting all of that pressure came off of her shoulders.
She was able to breathe again. But just as that pressure had left and she was able to relax another thought I had entered her mind. Now it was time to start organizing the wedding. Austin had asked her, she had said yes. But aside from that nothing had been done. Neither she nor Austin had rushed into trying to figure out a date, a Location, or any of the other finer details that were going to something like this.
Deep down neither of them wanted to have something big or elaborate. They had both been married before, they had both had weddings that were out of control before. And all they wanted was a quiet affair where they could get together with the people that they cared about and celebrate the fact they found each other.
That’s what Alicia wanted.
That’s what Austin wanted.
The only problem is that sometimes you assume the other person wants something that they don’t and you put on a mask to hide it. Austin thought Alicia wanted a large beautiful expensive wedding, Alicia thought Austin wanted the chance to show off in front of everyone and have a massive blowout. But instead of talking about it they both just smiled as the other one put forward ideas and plans that they thought their partner was going to enjoy.
A self-deprecating cycle of trying to make the other person happy while making yourself miserable. The cycle that was making them both miserable.
”We could you know, do it at that big church that your mother really likes. We could do it in the summer. Summer in Georgia is beautiful.” Austin smiled warmly at Alicia. His hair which had been steadily growing again after he had cut it short was tied back in a bun. He wore a tight-fitting black shirt and black jeans with leather boots and a studded belt. A leather jacket over the top as he put his hands in his pockets.
Alicia smiled slowly looking over the different colour schemes for everything from the flowers to dresses and even the type of carpet that could be rolled down down the aisle for her to walk on. She shrugged, folding her arms over her chest. She looked over at her fiancé. ”We don’t have to get married in Georgia, we can get married in New York. My family with the exception of my mother loves New York. My brother and sister would love to come and then everyone in Wolfslair lives close…”
Austin chuckled ”Except Kayla and Finn and Aidan and Kallie”
Alicia took a sharp breath and made a face before rolling her eyes. The long blonde hair was flying down her shoulders and back over a matching black leather jacket. That was the same as Austin‘s except cut in a slightly different way. ”I don’t know how this is going to work. We haven’t even got a date set yet but we are banking on the fact that it will be a few months down the road and Finn Kayla and Alex can be all in the same room together. Not to mention the fact that Aaron will probably be there even though I don’t want her to be.” Alicia‘s voice was filled with venom as she continued looking through the small booklet. The wedding planner‘s office was busy with couples going in and out.
Many of them stared at Austin and Alicia with quiet disgust. After all, Austin was 6 foot 6, had long hair tattoos, and was dressed like he should be leading the hell‘s Angels. And Alicia had on black and red Converse with torn tight-fitting black jeans and a midriff Mötley Crüe T-shirt with the same kind of leather jacket over the top. They were quite the pair. ” It's going to be our day. So it’s real simple if Finn and Alex can’t play nice then I’ll just beat the shit out of both of them.”
Alicia shook her head chuckling under her breath before moving across the room and looking at pictures of weddings that the organiser had put on. ”A wedding that evolves into violence and punches being thrown. Well, my father would approve. But could we get any more cliche?”
”We could have our wedding on SCW television”
”That is the most horrifying thing I’ve ever heard you say. Even if I know you weren’t serious, it’s still horrifying.” Austin just smiles and chuckles as Alicia continues looking. She turns and sits on one of the chairs picking up a bridal magazine. Austin steps forward and then takes a seat next to her before stretching and looking around the room.
”I’ve never really done anything like this. When I got married to Lisa, I just let her do everything. And it wasn’t that I didn’t care, she just didn’t invite me to any of these.”
”Did you want to?”
”Yeah, well, part of me did. I understand that the wedding is usually looked at as the bride's day but at the same time I wanted some kind of say in it.” Alicia and Austin smiled as they looked at each other. Austin reached over and his large hand slid into hers as he gave it a quick squeeze. After a few moments, the door opened and a young brunette woman holding a clipboard wearing a grey blazer over a white blouse and a pencil skirt with high heels stepped out.
She cleared her throat and looked over at Austin and Alicia before taking her pen and gliding it down a bit of paper ”Austin James Mercer and Violet Maxwell?”
Alicia‘s nostrils flared as Austin stood up and she followed. She still hated being called by her birth name. They stepped forward as Austin gave the woman a nod. She looked up intimidated at the sheer size of Austin while then giving a smile to Alicia as they stepped into her office. The planning had begun. But at what cost?
Are we shocked?
”Well. Just like that candy is eliminated from the blast from the past. Just like that one of the most overrated women in this company that for some reason you call a legend has been kicked out of this tournament and has no chance of winning. You’re welcome. Candy shouldn’t have been in the tournament anyway, this tournament is supposed to be for those who will take it seriously. Half the reason why we now have two tournaments a men’s and women’s one is because you were always in danger of getting teamed up with someone who wasn’t taking it seriously. Who was just in it for a bit of fun. Candy was in it for a bit of fun.”
Alicia chuckles to herself, slowly walking forward she reaches out with her fingertips as they dance along the back of a chair.
”She was a nostalgia act. There is difference between a returning legend and a nostalgia act. A returning legend is someone coming back for their last hurrah. Or to try and have one more great run because they believe they still have some left in the tank. Candy was here as a nostalgia act, as someone who could be trotted out in front of the SCW fan base who could Smile and wave and have a good little match and bring people back to a time when her kind of wrestling and her kind of work was appreciated. But that was a long time ago.”
“She’s a relic. A relic of a time that has long since passed. Maybe people feel the same way about Me. Over five years ago I came into this company and I was holding two championships from Honor wrestling. I had the legacy title and I had the honor wrestling women’s championship. I then became the SCW Bombshells Championship. I have done nothing but elevate that championship and show the world what this company is capable of.”
“When I first stepped foot in here the women’s division was an afterthought”
“Not anymore. Not now.”
“The bombshells division has gone from strength to strength. It’s gone from being just a few matches on the card to being a mainstay in this company and women have now main evented some of the biggest shows that this company has ever had. That ball started rolling when I wanted it to. I’m not saying that some of the other champions this company had weren't great but they never pushed the envelope like I did. They never raised themselves up to that level like I did. Candy was a leftover relic from that time who never felt like she was in the right place or at the right time when facing people like me.”
Alicia shrugs and laughs to herself.
”Relics, funny cause some in this company will call not just myself but also my opponent Mikah that. And it’s kind of funny because, for the longest time when I came into this company, all I heard was that Mikah was the best. This myth that this woman was one of the first unbeatable champions this company ever had. And if you look at her record and the length of time she held the world bombshells championship. It would certainly lead you to believe that. Unfortunately, if you go back and study the kind of competition she had it’s obvious why she was able to dominate.”
“I just don’t see how a woman that spends half of her time on Twitter begging for attention from Mark Ward and calling herself the favorite of one of the men who run this place can be taken seriously”
“It’s quite frankly… pathetic. It’s pathetic how you beg for that kind of attention. But if you take a closer look at the kind of a woman that Mikah is then it all becomes clear. You see, you are someone who thrives on attention. Who thrives on the attention of others to maintain their relevancy. You sit there and talk about how you are more than happy to stay retired and be with your husband and if any of the young women in this company call you out, you say they aren’t worth your time and you stay at home.”
“Now, I’m no stranger to calling out Legends. Hell in a way neither are you. When I was the champion here to make sure we had the right kind of competition, I stood there and I called out legends because I wanted to fight them. I called out legends because I wanted them to get in the ring with me and I wanted to prove I was the best. You don’t do that. You spend time calling out Legends like Amber Ryan because you want to team up with them. To leach off their relevancy. Amber Ryan beat the record that I set for a single reign the record that I beat of yours originally. And you want to team up with Amber because you know, you know, that she’s going to give you some of that relevance here attention you so surely crave”
Alicia chuckles and shakes her head before clearing her throat and continuing.
”You get that attention by saying you are Mark Ward‘s favorite and begging him to shine the spotlight on you even though you were retired, or so you said. You call out Legends to have your back and start talking about how the women of today wouldn’t be able to handle you and Amber together as a team. Yet when Kayla Richards and Julianna DiMaria called you out to try and get a match with you then it fell on defuse. You said no. Because they apparently weren’t worth your time.”
But what happens when people stop calling you out? What happens when Mark Ward doesn’t bother responding to your amazingly annoying arrogant bullshit? What happens when your husband Kris decides to go back to work and leave you at home? And what happens when Amber Ryan turns you down while you beg her to return as your partner?”
“Well, what else? Return for the blast front the past.”
“Walk back into this company because you’re not getting the attention that you want. I don’t understand how you can sit there and say that the current bombshell champion and a woman who was the bombshells champion aren’t worth your time yet somehow Cassie Wolfe and this tournament was. Well, now you’re gonna have that attention. You beat Cassie, very good. But now you’ve got my attention.”
“And that is very very bad.”
She folds her arms over her chest her red lips twist into a wicked grin filled with arrogance. Confidence. And a tiny bit of sadism.
”This is a clash of styles and errors of this company. You were once the longest reigning bombshell champion of all time in a single rain. But, when was that? When was the last time you were able to climb to the top of the mountain and tell the world that you were the best? 2018. That is the last time you were able to tell the world that you were the best. And the woman who beat you? I beat her and took that championship and basically ran her out of the company.”
“It’s been a long time since I was the bombshell champion but it’s been even longer for you. And the only way that you’ve been able to crawl back and have any type of success was when you teamed up with your husband. Congratulations. Much like you I’ve been in and out of the company for a while but I’ve still had some big moments and I’ve had some great chances. I have still tried everything I can to fly the flag of this company while you have sat at home and done nothing but run your mouth about this division while never stepping foot in the ring. For years you have done nothing but talk shit about the bombshells division. You have never championed this company. You’ve only ever championed yourself and that is the difference between you and me…”
“You arrogant self-righteous bitch…”
“So now what? You want to win this tournament? Face Kayla Richards? Or are you going to go for another championship? I already said what my intentions were, I’m going to use this tournament as a way to get a shot at championships that I have never held. Or, I might go after the Champion the truth is I don’t know. But you had an open gate to go after that. An open path to go for the Bombshells championship. And you turned it down. Because you know you’re not good enough to beat the champion but that pull and that call of having attention was too much for you so you decided to weasel your way back into the company. Accompany that you have never helped.”
“And in return, I’m going to save this company from you. And your selfish bullshit.”
