Who Doesn't Love a Flashback? (Proving Ground Xll)
Mar 10, 2021 17:38:20 GMT -5
Tyrant Warstein and Tyler Bradford like this
Post by impossibletraveler on Mar 10, 2021 17:38:20 GMT -5
Present Day, March 10 2021
Live Feed
“You know, I should feel bad about what happened during that tag match... But I really don’t. I did at first; Destroying the property of such a young kid didn’t sit well with me for a day or two. I know how I’d feel if someone destroyed my art like that; and making a minor cry isn’t one of my finest moments. And then I listened to the tracks... And started to see how these guys really represent themselves... And that moment of guilt flew away with nary a fuck left to give. They call themselves the good guys, then post pictures on National Women’s Day with books about The Art of Misogyny. Smooth move, you fucking morons. Lil Petey is a shit influence for this kid, and Yung Sauce probably doesn’t even know what misogyny means yet. I’m sure he’s looking it up on Google as we speak.
Legacy aren’t the bad guys here, people. Everything we do, it’s for the greater good; Our path of destruction leaves people stronger in its wake. That’s not to say Brother Mine can’t be one of the best bullies in the business; I’ve never seen someone get as ruthless as Shawn Warstein can, yet people still turn to him as a locker room leader. You may not like his methods or actions, but every last one of you is paying attention to him. Tyrant Warstein likes it when all eyes are on him; But this particular bit of talk isn’t about him. Sorry Brother Mine, I’ll talk you up more next time. This isn’t about the actions of one man, after all, this soap box screeching is about the truth of the Legacy. It’s easy to point at a stable and decide if they are the heroes or villains based on their actions; The problem we have here is that a lot of you fail to read between the lines. If you thought Legacy destroying that garbage music was an antagonistic act, I invite you to listen to it for yourself and make that call again. I’ll wait.
I’m looking forward to the clinic Shawn and James are going to put on those clowns.
For the time being, it’s time to move on.
Let us focus on the true man of the hour, Taylor Bradford. Another newcomer to Project Honor like myself, except I don’t think he’s wrestled a match in his damn life.
How lucky for me. Tell you what, let me go do a quick bit of recon and I’ll get back to you.”
Flashback, January 2019
The only sound is the echo of her heart pounding; it hammers in tune with her racing pulse. Betsy Granger walks up the stone path towards the wide porch, each step reverberating through her entire body. Electric tingles of anticipation and nerves pour from her like lightning during a storm. These feelings made no sense; The way they had intensified since she’d left confused her further. She had the entire universe at her fingertips. All of time and space at her disposal, everything to see and experience. She even had claim over both hearts of the Time Lord she had been traveling with; A privilege she knew many others before her couldn’t boast. Many had yearned for the love of Jon Smithee; Yet it was Betsy who he offered his world to. And he had tried his hardest to win her heart; it was part of the guilt that ate at her during the last few months of their travels together. She had sincerely wanted to love him back; And she did, just not the way he had hoped she would. She knew many would think of her as crazy for passing him up; especially for someone so... “ordinary”.
Yet here she was at his doorstep, following her heart. Jon Smithee may promise danger and adventure in the highest form, but James Raven offered everything she never knew she wanted... Or needed.
Her breath catches in her throat as she lifts her fist and knocks on the door. It’s quiet inside, but the light in his study gives away the fact that he’s home. Nervously, she runs her fingers through her thick blonde hair and smooths out the folds of her black evening gown. The bodice fits as tightly as a corset, but one swift downward flick of his wrist would free the treasures that lay beneath. Betsy had chosen traveling with her Time Lord and exploring the universe to staying with James Raven and exploring what had been between them. All they had shared at this point were a few heart-searing kisses, and they were enough to set her soul on fire. So much could be said through a kiss and James had held nothing back those few times. They haunted her, as did those gorgeous brown eyes, all through time and space, until it had become too much for her to bare any longer.
She knows it could be too late by now. There were plenty of beautiful women ready to fill her shoes, none of whom had made their interest a secret. Far be it from her to stop him from moving on; Though it had been difficult to stay quiet when it seemed as though he’d be interested back. It would destroy now if he’d moved on, but she’d only have herself to blame. She’d made the choice to skip town... And pretty far beyond. Insisting that there was still too much to do and that it wouldn’t be fair to him if they tried anything now. Especially since he had no desire to join and live with the Three’s Company dynamic. It felt wrong, even as the words tumbled out of her mouth, but he hadn’t stopped her. Pain rips at her heart as she remembers the sadness in his eyes when he’d kissed her goodbye. The way he’d held onto her hand, reluctant to release her, and still she’d ran. She had spent far too long mistaking her guilt for what it truly was: regret.
It felt like hours turning these thoughts over in her own mind, but it had only been a few moments. His footsteps reach the door quickly; her rapidly beating heart doubles its pace and she starts to feel a bit dizzy. The porch light flickers on and a moment later, Raven opens up the door. His face breaks into a warm, albeit surprised smile when his eyes meet hers, but his expression changes to something different when he takes her in.
“Bets?” His pleased tone is mingled with confusion.
All she could do was stare at him. Taking a step closer, the light hits his face just right, giving it an ethereal glow. Her hand, acting of its own accord, reaches out and her fingers trace along his brow. She trails them down his cheek, and on to caress his solid jaw-line. Tracing back upwards, she outlines his lips with her index finger; confused but silent, James responds to her caresses by putting his hand over her own. As her fingers trace over his mouth, he catches them with his lips and kisses her knuckles softly. This sent her desire into a fever pitch as a delicious warmth spread through her. Closing the gap between them, she presses herself against him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Lifting herself up on her toes, she pulls his head down towards hers and kisses him deeply.
For a moment, he allows himself to lose himself in it. His arms wrap around her as he presses her tightly against him. Just as quickly, he breaks off the kiss and gently unwraps her arms from his torso. Pushing her back gently by the shoulders, he looks her in the eye, his face serious. “Are you sure about this?”
Betsy nods and steps up to him again, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. A soft smile crosses her lips as her green eyes glow with her desire. “I’ve never been surer of anything else in my life. It’s you, it’s always been you; It will always be you."
That was all he needed to hear. Pulling Betsy all the way inside, he kicks the door shut behind them. Wasting no time, he plunges his fingers into her hair and pushes his lips against hers, holding back nothing. Within moments, she was being lifted into the air by her thighs and pushed against the wall of the hallway. His lips leave hers as he begins to drag them over every inch of her, he can reach. His teeth sink into her neck as her hands slide up his shirt, her fingertips running up his chest and taking the shirt with it. She can feel his lips curve into a grin before her pulls back and lifts his arms, letting her finish; a moment later, he stares her in her eyes as his hand plays at the zipper of her gown. Pulling it just enough to expose her breasts, he cups them in both hands and nuzzles at them playfully, causing her to bite down on her lower lip.
Setting her down on her feet and taking her hands, Raven draws her in for another lingering kiss. Betsy loses herself in it, fully aware of how he tugged teasingly at the zipper of her gown. Turning around in his arms, she brushes her hair over her shoulder and invites him to finish. His fingertips brush lightly against her skin, leaving a warm trail as he unzips that stops at her lower back. He admires her smooth skin and the little triceratops tattoo on her hip. He steps up against her, his bare chest warm against her back as his hands slide down to her waist and tugs the gown all the way down. Her breath catches in her throat as it pools around her feet; Raven is unable to keep the desire out of his eyes when he sees that she’s got nothing on underneath. His lips fall on her bare back as his hands begin traveling around every curve; taking his time, he kisses his way around so that he’s facing her once more. Letting her nails trail slowly down his body, she lifts her face up for a kiss as her nimble fingers make quick work of his pants.
Time seemed to stand still as clothes continued to leave a trail across the living room, leading to the fireplace. Everything around them disappeared as they took their time with one another: touching, tasting, reveling. Neither one left an inch of the other unexplored, finally taking from one another what they’d long desired. It was unlike anything she’d ever had before; feelings and sensations she never knew could exist were building up inside of her. She could feel the euphoria rise as his lips create a blazing trail from between her legs, back up her torso, finally capturing her mouth with his again. They remained locked like this for ages, tasting one another in their heated kisses. Her craving for him welled up in her belly as she pressed herself against him, silently pleading to be taken fully. She can feel him grin as he continues to tease, his hands take their time running down her body to grab her hips. Her legs wrap instinctively around his waist, attempting to trap him. It’s futile, as he doesn’t struggle but continues to rub himself against her. She moans underneath him, squirming with impatience.
“James… Now…” She implores him breathlessly as his lips tickle her ear. He responds by catching her mouth in another deep kiss as he happily obliges her, finally laying claim to the woman he’d waited long enough for.
Present Day, March 10 2021
Live Feed (continued)
“So, it turns out I was one hundred percent correct when I speculated that “Iconic” Taylor Bradford had never wrestled a match in his life. For the second time in a row, Project Honor has tossed me a play toy instead of a competitor. I appreciate you guys in the booking room taking it easy on me at the start, but I promise I don’t need it. You can stop being gentle, I like my action a lot rougher than this.
Alright, let’s get this done.
I’m not going to sit here and shit on what you’re doing, Tay-Tay. From what I’ve seen, you have a knack for success sprinkled liberally with luck. Beautiful wife, a successfully creative mind, the foresight to drink your way into one fuck of a BitCoin portfolio. Wow, you don’t even need to be in the business, you have more money to your name than you’ll ever know what to do with. So, what brings you to one of the weirdest industries in the world? I know billionaires have a habit of being eccentric, but you don’t seem old enough to have settled into those stages of the one percent mind-set yet.
If it’s fame, I personally would have gone with acting or modeling. Wrestling is fun and you’ll have a small band of fanatics that follow you around, but you have to really stand out to become a household name. Very few have ever been able to reach that status on wrestling alone and with your uncanny sense of luck, you don’t seem like you’ll need the assist. Which brings me to the obvious answer, you’re here because you love it. Passion is a hell of a motivator; I know a thing or two about it myself. You and I, we aren’t all that different in terms of how we got here. Don’t get me wrong, we walked down drastically different paths to get to this point, but I understand where you might be coming from in your desire to do this. You don’t need the money, you’ve been fortunate there; you crave fame, you want championships and crowds screaming your name when you walk into a room.
You’ve got a long way to go, friend.
I’m still caught up in the fact that you haven’t even wrestled a single match yet and you have the audacity to call yourself ‘Iconic’. Do you have any idea of what that word actually means? I don’t suppose you do, or you never would have been bold enough to use it before you ever earned the moniker. I’ll give you points on the size of your ego, that’s going to be important to how you fare moving forward. Take notes from some of the best around here; watch and study, see how they operate and flow. I’m giving you this advice as someone who hasn’t been in the business all that much longer than you. Despite how much my reputation precedes me everywhere I go, I’ve only been active in the business since December of last year.
I’ll wait until your blown mind pieces itself back together.”
Flashback, February 2020
Betsy paces nervously in the living room of the home of... Well, her and James Raven. After a year of dating, the spare drawer and toothbrush had slowly, and quite discreetly, become a full-on invasion. By the time she and James had discussed the idea of moving in together, it was obvious they’d all but done so. The only difference between two weeks ago and today was that all her stuff had been officially moved in and she was now a dual-citizen of the United States and Canada. An event that should have been a big deal had quietly come to pass and neither one of them had seemed bothered by it enough to question it.
Tonight, was a much bigger deal in terms of their relationship moving forward: James had been reluctant to invite her fully into this world, and Betsy understood why. Not only had his ex-wife jaded his experiences with relationships, her own mishap at the beginning still burned in his mind. He insisted it didn’t, but his actions spoke louder. Sure, she’d met a few of his business acquaintances and had bumped into other friends of his within the industry, but this was entirely different. Tonight, she’d be meeting the ones who helped mold James Raven into the man that he’d become. Industry titans that she never thought she’d run into on the street, let alone invite into her home for a party. Her nerves had already caused her to change a thousand times before settling on red romper and white lace camisole top underneath.
If Betsy was the antithesis of calm, James was the absolute definition of it. He studied Betsy carefully, hiding his grin at her nervous pacing and the way she drummed her fingers in the air without realizing it. Deep in his heart, he knew making her wait over a year to meet his friends had been a bit harsh, but she hadn’t complained or pushed the subject. For this, he was eternally thankful to her; It was never lost on him that she had been more than patient with him in proving she wasn’t leaving again. Between Mia taking everything and Betsy choosing her travels over him at first had left his guard up high. When Betsy had come back to him, his heart had healed some, but the same old insecurities still nagged at him. As he watched her now, filled with a love and trust he never knew he could access again, any doubts he had left flew away. Getting to his feet, he catches her up in his arms and hugs her securely, forcing her to stall her pacing.
“You don’t have to look like you’ve got a stick up your ass, Bets. It’s going to be fine; Everyone is going to like you.”
Removing her face from his chest, Betsy looks up at him, her emerald eyes full of trepidation. “This is going to sound so stupid, but there’s still a fangirl inside of me that’s nervous as hell. Shawn Warstein. Andy Cortinovis. In my living room...”
James chuckles as he slides a finger under her chin and kisses the tip of her nose. “They’re just men, Bets, like any other. And you’re no longer just a fan of the industry... Hell, you’ll be much more than that if your time line goes as planned. Besides, neither one of them needs their egos fed any more.”
This earns him a cheeky grin from his blonde beauty. “Alright, I'll be cool.”
They share a quick kiss just as the doorbell rings, marking the first arrivals. Betsy stiffens, but James gives her a playful swat on the butt before pushing her gently towards the door. Running her fingers nervously through her blonde locks one more time, she allows a bright smile to light up her face and answers the door. On the other side is...
“Oh my god, you’re Shawn Warstein.” Betsy blurts out before she could stop herself. The goddess of a woman with him looks amused before her Aegean blue eyes sweep to James. Betsy claps her hands over her mouth, her eyes growing wide as her cheeks burn crimson.
Shawn chuckles and nods. “Well done, kid. I suppose that makes you Betsy Granger?”
Nodding, Betsy’s hands leave her mouth as a sheepish grin spreads across her face. “That would be correct, it’s nice to meet you.”
They shake hands before James comes forward and greets Shawn himself. They share a secret handshake before the young kid behind Shawn rolls forward on his heelies and attempts to do the same. “This is my son, Noah.” Shawn says to Betsy. “And this is Atara.” He finishes, presenting the gorgeous Grecian woman on his arm.
Atara moves closer to Betsy and takes her hand up in both of hers. Kissing both cheeks, she finally speaks in a sultry, deep Greek accent. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dove.”
A shiver races through Betsy despite herself which causes a nervous giggle to escape. “The pleasure’s all mine, Atara. My goodness, you are a vision; you could bring the lesbian out in anyone.”
Even her laughter is seductive; Atara loops her arm through Betsy’s as she glances back at Shawn. “I like her, I think I’ll keep her.” She says as she and Betsy head inside the house.
James, Noah, and Shawn turn to follow just as Andy “Centurion” Cortinovis and his date, Betsy’s friend Genevieve Tate arrive. Genie wastes no time sweeping up to Betsy and greeting her just the way Atara did. With a giggle, Betsy looks between the brunette and the redhead, her eyes full of admiration.
“Two Greek goddesses walk into a room...” Betsy begins before breaking out into giddy giggles. “I’m so sorry, I have no idea why I’m acting like this.”
Meanwhile, Raven and Andy have greeted each other in their usual biting manner while Shawn just eyes up the latter. Turning his attention to Shawn, Andy merely nods his head minutely before brushing past to get back to Genie. The girls have already toasted themselves to the first of what would be many jello shots for the night.
Present Day, March 10 2021
Live Feed (continued)
“Break time is over, Tay-Tay. Pick your jaw up from the floor and have a seat.
Before ever stepping foot into Project Honor, I had already been active in XWF, GCWA, and XHF. Since my debut in all three, I’ve been turning the heads left and right. I ended 2020 as the GCWA Righteous Rumble winner and number one contender to their World Heavyweight Title. In that same month, I made my debut in AWF, under the XHF Netword umbrella and in my second match, claimed the Phoenix Championship. A month later, I asserted myself into the XWF championship picture by snagging the Shooting Star Championship that should have been mine upon my debut. In between that, I toppled legends, faced all challengers who threatened to send me packing. There have been stumbles along the way, but when it counted, I always made sure I came out on top.
I see no reason to believe why this time will prove any different.
You can say whatever you want about me, Tay-Tay; Nothing about you at this point is credible. You have nothing but self-made wealth to your name, but that isn’t going to win you wrestling matches. It also won’t get you any clout with anyone around here, so I hope that wasn’t part of your strategy to get ahead. I do hope your money hired you the best trainers in the industry, because you find yourself in one hell of a pickle of a debut match. You want to make a good impression and I’m on too much of a roll at the moment to slow down. I’ll gladly send you any tape you want to study beforehand, but you should know it won’t save you. There’s nothing you can study, nothing you can strategize that’s going to prepare you properly for what’s coming when you step into that ring. Experience is the best teacher you’ll ever have at your disposal, but I’m more than happy to be your guide as you take these first steps through the ropes. It’ll hurt and you will lose, but you’ll thank me for the lessons down the road.
I could spend hours on this feed listing all the ways I’m going to defeat you, but that’ll get boring and redundant rather quickly. There are enough folks around here that sound like broken records when they speak; I strive to do better than that. I admit I fall victim to my own ambition, but this won’t be one of those instances. I’ve allowed my over-confidence and pride to blind me before and I’ve lost matches to those I shouldn’t have. Those blows to my ego became valuable lessons once the self-pity faded away. I meant it when I said I don’t believe I’m going to lose this match; However, I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt. I WANT you to give me a challenge when we face; I want you to go all out to prove that you belong in that ring with a double-champion. Please believe that just because you are brand spanking new that I’m going to go easy on you. You’ll be treated the same way I’d face someone challenging me for one of my titles.
It's nothing personal, Tay-Tay; I wish you the best of luck after our encounter and hope you have a bright future ahead of you. Don’t look at this impending loss as a bad sign; use it as a way to build your own steam. Winning your debut is a difficult enough task; you were just unlucky enough to draw the short straw when it came to opponents. Just do me a solid and don’t pout your way to management or rage quit after the bell rings; It’s not a cute look on anyone and I’d like to believe you’re better than that. Sorry, was that a bit cheeky? I’ll tone it back a bit. Actually, screw it, I’ll just end it here. Looking forward to our little date, Tay-Tay. Your luck has officially just run out, because you’re about to have your first real taste of defeat come Proving Grounds.”
Flashback, February 2020
Sometime later, the group has had a few too many and are embroiled in a rousing game of “That’s What She Said”. It’s similar to Cards Against Humanity, but in the spirit of Valentine's Day, James and Betsy had found the game and thought it would be fun to try. In between rounds, the group catches up and gets to know one another better. When the conversation inevitably turns to the subject of wrestling and individual careers, Betsy and James exchange a knowing look. Clearing his throat loudly, James demands without words the attention of his guests.
“Since we’re now on the subject, I guess now’s as good a time for us to announce this as any.”
Betsy turns a deep shade of red as her heart begins to hammer wildly in her chest. Licking her suddenly dry lips, she nods and continues James’ thought. “I’ve decided to start training to get back into the ring. I’m hoping to make my re-re-debut by December of this year.”
There’s a silence for a moment as everyone considers this news. Atara is the first to react with a joyful clap of her hands. Andy and Genie nod approvingly while Noah just stuffs his face from the lazy-boy chair. Shawn, however, leans forward and studies her seriously. Noticing this, Betsy leans forward as well and meets his gaze. The two spend several silent minutes just staring at one another as the other’s grow restless around them. Betsy can feel all of Shawn’s reservations and curiosity permeating from him, but she refused to back down from it. Finally, he sits back again and puts his hand on Atara’s thigh.
“Do you think you have what it takes?”
Determined, Betsy nods. “I have no doubt of it this time.”
Shawn gives her a smirk so smug; she wants to slap it right off his face. “Who were you planning to have train you besides lover-boy here?”
Biting back the desire to reply just as sarcastically, Betsy keeps her tone as casual as possible. “Weeeelllllllll...” Is all she says as a sweet smile lights up her face. Batting her eyelashes his way, she clasps her hands together and holds them under her chin.
Realization dawns on him and Warstein shakes his head. “There it is; I knew this party wasn’t just a party.”
“Now hold on just a moment,” Betsy protests, holding out her hands. “I was actually planning to publicly announce this next week. This get-together here, this was just so I could get finally meet you guys...” Her voice trails off as Warstein’s face goes expressionless.
“You know, it is fucking curious as to why Raven waited so long to introduce you to us; It’s just as suspect that the night he does, you decide to drop this on us. How do we know you aren’t using him, and by proxy, us, to get a foothold back into the business?”
His suspicions are creating thick tension through the room. Atara looks less than pleased by it as her body stiffens beside him; Cent is clearly torn between reluctant agreement with Shawn and the desire to throw up because of it. Genevieve is watching with avid fascination, quietly putting away the chocolate strawberries in front of her. Noah has wheeled himself behind his father as Raven’s shoulders tense slightly. Feeling this, Betsy places a comforting hand on his shoulder as she continues to address Warstein directly. Her voice remains low and calm as she states her case.
“I made mistakes when it came to the beginning of this relationship; I admit that. I spent a year making up for them and earning his trust, I’ll spend the rest of my life doing it if I must. I don’t expect you to believe me when I say my feelings for James are as far removed from my career aspirations as they could get; but it doesn’t alter the fact that it’s the truth. I still get a bit starstruck, as you saw for yourself, but that’s not what this is. I don’t need James, or you, or anyone else to get myself back in the business; I would, however, appreciate the help in getting myself into ring shape.” She rises from her seat as she speaks without realizing it. “I had no intentions of asking you for anything this night; But now I would ask you to consider helping me out with this. It would be an honor to learn under someone such as yourself; An honor I’m sure many have asked for and have been cruelly denied. I know that training with James Raven and Shawn Warstein will present some issues when I do make my debut; Many are going to say that I’m riding coattails and using your clout to get ahead. Then it will be up to me to prove that I was worth your time. And I will.”
She ends her speech and stares pointedly at Warstein as the rest of the room dissolves around her. Getting to his feet, Shawn walks up to her and gives her a full once-over. The two engage in another staring contest that leaves the other occupants of the room on edge. After an eternity has passed, Shawn finally backs away with a smirk. He nods approvingly towards her.
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
Present Day, March 10 2021
Live Feed (continued)
“Sorry guys, I lied; It turns out I have at least one more thing to say. I just wanted to pop back in for one quick moment while I have the spotlight to myself to put Project Honor on notice. I know how this works, and I’m more than happy to work my way up the ranks; but if my history has proven anything, it’s that I make a hobby of rising quickly wherever I go. Last time was Big Drip, and we see what happened there. This week is Taylor Bradford, and the guy has the barest chance in hell of walking away with a victory over me. That almost leaves me free and clear to look ahead to the future.
And what a promising one that is.
The landscape is changing quickly and I plan to make this face part of the forefront of it. Legacy already holds the tag-team titles, I think it’s only fitting that I turn these two belts I already carry into three. Don’t worry kids, I won’t Karen my way to the front of the line; booking will put me there on their own soon enough.
Fuck diamonds, gold is a girl's true best friend. And I plan to have as much of it as I can carry.
The Impossible Traveler Out!"
