Post by Kasey Winterborn on Jun 1, 2021 3:40:33 GMT -5
March 29
Tampa, Florida
All she needed was some singing animals, and Kasey Winterborn would swear she was living in a Disney movie.
The bright sunlight streamed into her bedroom, falling across her bed through the slats in her blinds. Any other morning, she would have grumbled and growled before rolling over to try and fall back to sleep, but her big brown eyes instantly flew open and a smile appeared on her face as she stretched out her limbs and let out a yawn. As she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, her gaze was drawn to her nightstand where a vase filled with a large bouquet of roses took up almost the entire space. Letting out a high-pitched giggle, she lifted one of the blooms from the vase and held it up to her nose, taking a deep inhale. She heard noise coming from the kitchen, so she replaced the flower in the vase, pushed her feet into a pair of slippers and made her way out to the kitchen, humming softly to herself.
She barely acknowledged Darrell and Nolan as she began preparing herself a cup of coffee in an oversized mug, though she heard them muttering to each other and caught them glancing at her. She continued to ignore their whispers and stares as she added two spoons of sugar to her cup, taking a contented sip and sighing happily. She then heard Nolan speak, a touch louder than he had been just a few moments ago.
“Damn, this girl must have it bad for him, huh? Just waltzing around here like she doesn’t have a care in the world. Guy must have one hell of a -”
Still with the dreamy far-off stare in her eyes, Kasey walked around behind Nolan and lightly slapped him upside the head. Darrell nearly spit out his coffee in laughter as Nolan winced and rubbed the back of his head, giving Kasey a glare as she wandered out onto the balcony. Still laughing and shaking his head, Darrell got up from the table and followed Kasey out, seeing the redhead curled up on the overstuffed sofa, gazing out across the waters of McKay Bay. He plopped down next to her, slinging an arm around her shoulders while she gave him a side-eyed glance. “Come to poke at me some more?” she said.
“Perish the thought, my spicy little mamacita,” Darrell said. “You know we only poke because we care. Truth be told, I haven’t seen you this giddy in a while. This Shawn guy must really be something special, huh?”
A bashful smile came across Kasey’s face as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “I mean, we had a really good time last night. And I do enjoy talking to him and spending time with him. But we’re just...seeing how things go. No rush.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear it.” Darrell’s face fell into a look of concern, eyebrows furrowing. “But he’s not the one we’re really worried about, hun.”
She gave him a confused look for a moment, before the pieces slotted into place in her mind. Her face contorted into something vicious, her eyes turning back to glare out across the water. “I don’t want to talk about that spineless creep.”
“Well, this is certainly a change. Just a few weeks ago, you were worried about him. Now, you look like you wanna carve out his liver and serve it to him on a platter.”
“I’m just tired of all these mind games. He claims that he did everything for me. He was the one that pushed to get me a title shot. He was the one that made sure DeMarco booked me in these so-called ‘easy’ matches.” Her hands tightened around her mug, so much so that her knuckles turned white as her teeth ground together. “All I ever wanted was to prove that I could be someone. On my own terms. And now, this fuckin’ coward stalks around in the shadows, too much of a chicken shit to face me like a man, and tries to say that everything I did, everything I accomplished was because of HIM?!”
Hot tears of anger began to fill her eyes and Darrell gathered her up in his arms. “Hey, hey...you listen to me. You are an incredible talent and one hell of a champion. This conniving little weasel is just trying to make himself feel like a big man once he realized that he didn’t stand a chance with you.” He tucked a finger under Kasey’s chin and used his thumb to wipe away a tear that had fallen down her cheek. “You just keep going on out there and proving to the world that no matter what they throw at you, you will always come out on top.”
Kasey sniffled a little, nodding her head and giving Darrell a soft smile. He returned the grin. “Now, you just remember to keep your head straight so your crown doesn’t slip. The Kween Reigns Supreme, remember?”
She let out a burst of laughter, resting her head on his shoulder as they gazed out across the water together. “You know, I’m gonna have to get the design team to make some merch with that. And then send Clara a gift bag for coming up with that gem.”
---------------------
June 1
Bogata, Colombia
No fanfare, no pomp and circumstance this time for the Ascension Champion. Kasey Winterborn had something to say, and she wanted to make damn sure that everyone focused on her words. So once again, much like she had done back in Brazil, her choice of locale was a nondescript room, dimly lit but this time with a wooden table set up beside her. The champion herself was dressed in a simple white tank top and baggy grey cargo pants tucked into her Doc Marten boots, her vibrant hair tumbling around her shoulders in messy waves. The championship belt rested around her slender waist as she crossed her arms over her chest and gazed down the camera lens.
“When I first came to Fallout, I have to admit that I was nervous about stepping into a predominantly hardcore brand, but when I became the Ascension Champion, I finally began to embrace it. Hell, I even started to enjoy it. And now here I stand before you, still the Ascension Champion, two months later and four successful defenses stronger. Soon to be five, after this Thursday night and undoubtedly one of the more...interesting matches I’ve had since coming to Fallout.”
She stepped over to the right, stopping at the end of the table closest to her, where she picked up a small anatomically accurate ceramic heart. It was about the size of her palm, and she cradled it gently as she continued speaking. “First up, Logan Burgess. You know, I’d like to have this whole long spiel about everything you’ve done here...the only problem is, you haven’t really done much of anything. You’re just background noise in the symphony that is Fallout. The fact that you’re even getting an opportunity like this is baffling to me, honestly. There are so many others who should be in your position, so if I were you I’d be thanking whatever god you believe in that you even got this chance, because I doubt you’ll see one like it again so long as I’m the reigning champion.” She inspected the little ceramic heart for a moment before her gaze lifts to the camera lens, and her hand opens to let the heart drop to the ground with a crash. Splintered pieces of pottery go flying in all directions as she dusts her hands together with a casual shrug of her shoulders.
She moved down the table, her hand brushing against a polished wooden handle. With a small grunt of effort, she lifted the object in question to reveal a vicious looking sledgehammer. She brought the steel head of it to rest in the palm of her hand. “And then, the other half of the team, Mason Destruction. The supposed number one contender to my belt. You would think that DeMarco would have given you a one on one shot, considering you completely annihilated six other men to claim your spot. But instead, you get thrown into this ticking time bomb of a match, where your own partner is as likely to stab you in the back as the two opponents standing across the ring from you.”
She swung the sledgehammer up onto her shoulder, resting an arm across the handle. “I watched your match from Disputed Territory, because I wanted to keep a close eye on my future contenders. And what I saw that night got my blood pumping. You certainly lived up to your name. You tore through each of those men like they were nothing. You didn’t just earn your contendership...you cemented it. To say that I’m a little disappointed that you and I aren’t tangling one-on-one…” She pouted a little. “Then again, that’s not to say that we won’t sometime down the road. And when that day comes, I know that you and I could put on one hell of a show. Something that even Christian DeMarco would cringe at. But until that day, you’ll just have to settle for being just another obstacle for me to overcome on my way to becoming the greatest Ascension champion in Fallout history.” Swinging the sledgehammer off of her shoulder, she hefts it off to the side where it clattered to the concrete floor.
She reached the second to last item on the table, picking up a delicate white rose. She lifted the flower to her face and brushed it softly across her lips. “And then, we come to my own partner, Lesley Adora. The White Rose. The one sent to save us all, to guide us to the light and offer us glorious redemption.” Kasey snorted a short laugh, more derisive than amused. “If I had a nickel for every time I heard that tired old trope…Seriously, if I wanted to be ‘saved’, it wouldn’t be by some side-show charlatan looking for glory in a wrestling ring.”
She took one last look at the rose, before wrapping her hand around the white bloom and crushing it in her hand. Some of the thorns from the stem managed to pierce into the flesh of her palm, causing rivulets of crimson blood to ooze out from between her fingers and stain the pure white petals a dark red. “I mentioned how Mason and Logan needed to keep their wits about them when it came to their team...but I suppose I need to as well, don’t I? Because even though you and I are technically considered a team in the parameters of this match, there’s always that little pesky stipulation hanging over us all, like the proverbial Sword of Damocles. Because while you and I could pick up the victory, there is a very real chance that I could lose as well. Win the battle, but lose the war, so to speak.” Her eyes hardened as she threw the crushed flower to the floor, stomping on it with her thick-soled Doc Marten boot. “But I am not going to let that happen. I have worked too hard to get to this point in my career, and I won’t let any one of you take it away from me. Because…”
She came to the last item on the table, which was a tiara. She took it in her hands, and it sparkled in the lighting. But this was no dainty little silver piece of jewelry. This was forged of black steel, with obsidian gems that glinted darkly in the dim light. It was jagged and pointed, and she smiled in a somewhat devious manner as she placed it atop her head. “The Kween will always reign supreme.”
Tampa, Florida
All she needed was some singing animals, and Kasey Winterborn would swear she was living in a Disney movie.
The bright sunlight streamed into her bedroom, falling across her bed through the slats in her blinds. Any other morning, she would have grumbled and growled before rolling over to try and fall back to sleep, but her big brown eyes instantly flew open and a smile appeared on her face as she stretched out her limbs and let out a yawn. As she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, her gaze was drawn to her nightstand where a vase filled with a large bouquet of roses took up almost the entire space. Letting out a high-pitched giggle, she lifted one of the blooms from the vase and held it up to her nose, taking a deep inhale. She heard noise coming from the kitchen, so she replaced the flower in the vase, pushed her feet into a pair of slippers and made her way out to the kitchen, humming softly to herself.
She barely acknowledged Darrell and Nolan as she began preparing herself a cup of coffee in an oversized mug, though she heard them muttering to each other and caught them glancing at her. She continued to ignore their whispers and stares as she added two spoons of sugar to her cup, taking a contented sip and sighing happily. She then heard Nolan speak, a touch louder than he had been just a few moments ago.
“Damn, this girl must have it bad for him, huh? Just waltzing around here like she doesn’t have a care in the world. Guy must have one hell of a -”
Still with the dreamy far-off stare in her eyes, Kasey walked around behind Nolan and lightly slapped him upside the head. Darrell nearly spit out his coffee in laughter as Nolan winced and rubbed the back of his head, giving Kasey a glare as she wandered out onto the balcony. Still laughing and shaking his head, Darrell got up from the table and followed Kasey out, seeing the redhead curled up on the overstuffed sofa, gazing out across the waters of McKay Bay. He plopped down next to her, slinging an arm around her shoulders while she gave him a side-eyed glance. “Come to poke at me some more?” she said.
“Perish the thought, my spicy little mamacita,” Darrell said. “You know we only poke because we care. Truth be told, I haven’t seen you this giddy in a while. This Shawn guy must really be something special, huh?”
A bashful smile came across Kasey’s face as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “I mean, we had a really good time last night. And I do enjoy talking to him and spending time with him. But we’re just...seeing how things go. No rush.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear it.” Darrell’s face fell into a look of concern, eyebrows furrowing. “But he’s not the one we’re really worried about, hun.”
She gave him a confused look for a moment, before the pieces slotted into place in her mind. Her face contorted into something vicious, her eyes turning back to glare out across the water. “I don’t want to talk about that spineless creep.”
“Well, this is certainly a change. Just a few weeks ago, you were worried about him. Now, you look like you wanna carve out his liver and serve it to him on a platter.”
“I’m just tired of all these mind games. He claims that he did everything for me. He was the one that pushed to get me a title shot. He was the one that made sure DeMarco booked me in these so-called ‘easy’ matches.” Her hands tightened around her mug, so much so that her knuckles turned white as her teeth ground together. “All I ever wanted was to prove that I could be someone. On my own terms. And now, this fuckin’ coward stalks around in the shadows, too much of a chicken shit to face me like a man, and tries to say that everything I did, everything I accomplished was because of HIM?!”
Hot tears of anger began to fill her eyes and Darrell gathered her up in his arms. “Hey, hey...you listen to me. You are an incredible talent and one hell of a champion. This conniving little weasel is just trying to make himself feel like a big man once he realized that he didn’t stand a chance with you.” He tucked a finger under Kasey’s chin and used his thumb to wipe away a tear that had fallen down her cheek. “You just keep going on out there and proving to the world that no matter what they throw at you, you will always come out on top.”
Kasey sniffled a little, nodding her head and giving Darrell a soft smile. He returned the grin. “Now, you just remember to keep your head straight so your crown doesn’t slip. The Kween Reigns Supreme, remember?”
She let out a burst of laughter, resting her head on his shoulder as they gazed out across the water together. “You know, I’m gonna have to get the design team to make some merch with that. And then send Clara a gift bag for coming up with that gem.”
---------------------
June 1
Bogata, Colombia
No fanfare, no pomp and circumstance this time for the Ascension Champion. Kasey Winterborn had something to say, and she wanted to make damn sure that everyone focused on her words. So once again, much like she had done back in Brazil, her choice of locale was a nondescript room, dimly lit but this time with a wooden table set up beside her. The champion herself was dressed in a simple white tank top and baggy grey cargo pants tucked into her Doc Marten boots, her vibrant hair tumbling around her shoulders in messy waves. The championship belt rested around her slender waist as she crossed her arms over her chest and gazed down the camera lens.
“When I first came to Fallout, I have to admit that I was nervous about stepping into a predominantly hardcore brand, but when I became the Ascension Champion, I finally began to embrace it. Hell, I even started to enjoy it. And now here I stand before you, still the Ascension Champion, two months later and four successful defenses stronger. Soon to be five, after this Thursday night and undoubtedly one of the more...interesting matches I’ve had since coming to Fallout.”
She stepped over to the right, stopping at the end of the table closest to her, where she picked up a small anatomically accurate ceramic heart. It was about the size of her palm, and she cradled it gently as she continued speaking. “First up, Logan Burgess. You know, I’d like to have this whole long spiel about everything you’ve done here...the only problem is, you haven’t really done much of anything. You’re just background noise in the symphony that is Fallout. The fact that you’re even getting an opportunity like this is baffling to me, honestly. There are so many others who should be in your position, so if I were you I’d be thanking whatever god you believe in that you even got this chance, because I doubt you’ll see one like it again so long as I’m the reigning champion.” She inspected the little ceramic heart for a moment before her gaze lifts to the camera lens, and her hand opens to let the heart drop to the ground with a crash. Splintered pieces of pottery go flying in all directions as she dusts her hands together with a casual shrug of her shoulders.
She moved down the table, her hand brushing against a polished wooden handle. With a small grunt of effort, she lifted the object in question to reveal a vicious looking sledgehammer. She brought the steel head of it to rest in the palm of her hand. “And then, the other half of the team, Mason Destruction. The supposed number one contender to my belt. You would think that DeMarco would have given you a one on one shot, considering you completely annihilated six other men to claim your spot. But instead, you get thrown into this ticking time bomb of a match, where your own partner is as likely to stab you in the back as the two opponents standing across the ring from you.”
She swung the sledgehammer up onto her shoulder, resting an arm across the handle. “I watched your match from Disputed Territory, because I wanted to keep a close eye on my future contenders. And what I saw that night got my blood pumping. You certainly lived up to your name. You tore through each of those men like they were nothing. You didn’t just earn your contendership...you cemented it. To say that I’m a little disappointed that you and I aren’t tangling one-on-one…” She pouted a little. “Then again, that’s not to say that we won’t sometime down the road. And when that day comes, I know that you and I could put on one hell of a show. Something that even Christian DeMarco would cringe at. But until that day, you’ll just have to settle for being just another obstacle for me to overcome on my way to becoming the greatest Ascension champion in Fallout history.” Swinging the sledgehammer off of her shoulder, she hefts it off to the side where it clattered to the concrete floor.
She reached the second to last item on the table, picking up a delicate white rose. She lifted the flower to her face and brushed it softly across her lips. “And then, we come to my own partner, Lesley Adora. The White Rose. The one sent to save us all, to guide us to the light and offer us glorious redemption.” Kasey snorted a short laugh, more derisive than amused. “If I had a nickel for every time I heard that tired old trope…Seriously, if I wanted to be ‘saved’, it wouldn’t be by some side-show charlatan looking for glory in a wrestling ring.”
She took one last look at the rose, before wrapping her hand around the white bloom and crushing it in her hand. Some of the thorns from the stem managed to pierce into the flesh of her palm, causing rivulets of crimson blood to ooze out from between her fingers and stain the pure white petals a dark red. “I mentioned how Mason and Logan needed to keep their wits about them when it came to their team...but I suppose I need to as well, don’t I? Because even though you and I are technically considered a team in the parameters of this match, there’s always that little pesky stipulation hanging over us all, like the proverbial Sword of Damocles. Because while you and I could pick up the victory, there is a very real chance that I could lose as well. Win the battle, but lose the war, so to speak.” Her eyes hardened as she threw the crushed flower to the floor, stomping on it with her thick-soled Doc Marten boot. “But I am not going to let that happen. I have worked too hard to get to this point in my career, and I won’t let any one of you take it away from me. Because…”
She came to the last item on the table, which was a tiara. She took it in her hands, and it sparkled in the lighting. But this was no dainty little silver piece of jewelry. This was forged of black steel, with obsidian gems that glinted darkly in the dim light. It was jagged and pointed, and she smiled in a somewhat devious manner as she placed it atop her head. “The Kween will always reign supreme.”
