Taking Hold of the Flame 2025

[HardyGirl]

OOC: Welp. Here's my first full RP in 8 months. Can't say I'm not nervous. Hope you enjoy and good luck everyone.


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Taking Hold of the Flame 2025 - Amy Chastaine

[Xander Valentine]

Notes:
- Promo is unique to the Taking Hold of the Flame match.
- It takes place immediately after the Thunderdome *if* Xander loses the match. If not, pretend this promo never happened.
- Just thought it would be an interesting way to go about it.
- CD is the same for both matches, nothing is different on that front.
- Feel free to ignore these notes. Who cares. It's more my head canon.

2 of 2- Encore, Chapter 32: Darkness Before the Dawn (Taking Hold of the Flame Edition)

[Team Desire]

Katie Steward | SCW Goddess of Desire | "Her Consequences"

The alarm on Katie’s phone sounds off throughout her bedroom while she lays buried under the blankets on the bed sound asleep. Her hands move from underneath the blankets, navigating its way to the phone on the nightstand near the bed and shutting up the insisted alarm sound. Katie rolls out from under the blankets and out of bed. She stumbles to her bathroom and shuts the door behind her.

A few seconds passed by before the door swung open and Katie stepped out. Looking dazed and confused. Her hair is still a mess from the bed head when she wakes up. She realizes something isn’t right with her situation. She is not home. She’s in some hotel room, somewhere. How?

Katie walks over and sits at the edge of the hotel bed. She tries to rack her brain trying to figure out what or how she got here. Nothing happens. Her mind is just blank. Katie spins around. She stretches her body out over the bed reaching for her phone. Checking out what day it is. Thursday. It’s Thursday. What was even Wednesday? Why can’t she remember? Katie scrolls through her phone. Trying to find some clue to her missing memories. Opening up her schedule, she sees that she has a meeting set today at SCW HQ for later.

Katie is so confused. Why can’t she remember?

Katie holds up her phone and makes a call to the only person that could probably help her. She hears TJ’s phone ringing on the other side of the hotel room door. She rushes to the door and opens it and yanks TJ inside. He’s carrying a couple of bags in hand. Almost spilling them on the floor.

“TJ, thank Goddess. What is happening?” Katie blurbs out. “What am I doing in Toronto? Why does SCW want to meet me?”

“Umm, well I’m not really sure. You didn’t tell me.” TJ tries to explain. “You scheduled a meeting with SCW and that’s all I know. I’m just here because you called me wanting me to bring you a few things that you forgot to take with you.”

TJ holds up the bags he’s carrying and Katie grabs them from her. She throws them on the bed and frantically searches through trying to find something to help her memory. She doesn’t find anything. Just her usual provisions that she takes with her on the road.

“Katie, are you feeling alright?” TJ asks with a look of concern. Obviously sensing  that something is wrong, but smart enough not to guess what it is.

“I… think I have had a blackout for the last couple of days. I don’t know what I’m supposed to be meeting SCW about.” Katie's visibility frustrated. Trying so hard to remember. “Are you sure I didn’t say anything?”

“I’m sorry, Katie. You didn’t.” TJ shakes his head. Can’t help, but feel useless a little bit not being able to help her. “You should be getting ready soon for your meeting though.”

Katie nods her head agreeing with TJ. She repackages the things TJ brought and puts them back in the bags. She heads into the bathroom to get herself ready.

Katie turns on the hot water in the shower and lets it run. She stands in front of the sink and puts the bags on the counter. Going through the things that TJ bought for her. Katie looks up at herself in the mirror, except it’s not Katie who stares back at her.

“Hello Sweetie.” The Goddess says in the mirror. Staring at Katie with a sinister smile.

Katie stumbles backwards in shock from her Goddesses sudden appearance. Enough that she bumps into the hotel tub and falls in. The shower was raining down on her. Katie screams as she struggles to pull herself out.

“Katie? Are you alright?” TJ is heard at the bathroom door. Knocking on it to get her attention after hearing the commotion inside.

“I’m fine. Everything is ok. I just thought I saw a bug. You know how these places here are.” Katie shakes her head. Hoping that TJ buys it. Which of course, he does. He goes back to his seat in the hotel room and plays with his phone while Katie gets ready.

Katie slowly moves towards the mirror. Keeping a sharp eye trained on her reflection. Moving to see it in the mirror and Katie sees herself staring back at her.

“What?” Katie’s eyes search around the mirror trying to find anything, but there is nothing, nothing but her pretty self looking back at her. Katie rubs her head with her hand. Running it through her damp hair after taking a spill in the shower. Massaging her brain trying to get her brain going and figure out what is wrong with her. Why can’t she remember? Did she really just see her Goddess in the mirror?

Katie grips the counter tight. A massive wave of thoughts suddenly floods her mind. She can feel the entire room around her vibrating  around and everything fades away.


Katie stands in a massive circular room. A black and white world that is a drain of color flows in this flashback that Katie relives. Except for the pink glow that emanates from the QueensBlades that Katie holds in her hand. It’s power strong and Katie can’t help, but let it consume her. Causing her eyes to glow the same pink coloring.

Katie’s Goddess sits on the ground in front of her. The Sword of Light inches away from her. Looking defeated. Katie looks to have defeated her. The Queensblade making her the superior Goddess. Now the blade compels her to finish the job. Under its influence Katie raises the blade and pulls her arms back then lunges the blade forward piering the Goddesses heart. Burying the blade deeper and coming face to face with each other. The Goddess says something in an old forgotten language that Katie doesn’t understand. She grabs Katie by the neck and pulls her in, giving a kiss on the forearm. Then she just disappears.

Katie is felt standing in an empty room. The battle is over. She is left holding onto her Queensblade. The power within it glows brighter and brighter. Too much power flows and the blade ends up shattering. Its shards fly in all directions spreading out in the room. With that the hold it has over Katie is released.

Also the hold over Katie’s Brats, who are no longer under the blades influence. Who are also in the room with her. Spread out and helped fight the Goddesses army. With their will free now. Turn and stare at Katie. The tension between them is thick. Katie is the one to turn away first and flee. Not willing to face them after enslaving them to the cursed blade.


Katie is back in the hotel’s bathroom. Opening her eyes and looking at the steamed up mirror in front of her. The memories of the event of her supernatural thriller arc played back in her head. Is that where the Goddess disappeared too?

Katie turns around and shuts off the shower. She wipes the fog off the mirror with her hand and stares at herself. She concentrates hard trying to get the Goddess to reappear. Nothing happens. Katie lets out a frustrated scream.

“I’m not going crazy. I know what I saw.” She tells herself. Running her hands through her damp blonde hair.

TJ knocks on the door checking her on her after hearing the scream to make sure she is alright. “Everything ok?”

“It’s fine.” Katie screams at him. She stops and takes a deep breath. Realizing her mistake. Her frustration getting the best of her and causing her to scream at him. She shouts through the door. “I’m sorry. That was not directed at you.”

“It’s ok. You're coming up pretty soon on your meeting and we should be heading out.” TJ updates her.

Katie grabs the bags she brought in with her and goes through them. Mostly feminine products, but also she finds some prescription bottles inside. Prescribed by Dr. Mercer. This might be the clue she was looking for.

“Hello, Dr. Mercer. It’s Katie Steward. I was just calling to ask a question about my medication. Why am I on it? I mean I know why. I’m not having blackouts or anything serious like that. Unless I told you… Of that I’m seeing the ghost of a dead person I might’ve killed… No, I didn’t. I don’t know what I’m saying. I don't know what is wrong, but something isn’t right. I think the Goddess is playing games with me.”

Katie listens on the phone to her doctor. She tells her about the medication that was prescribed as just something to help her sleep. In their sessions Katie said she was having trouble, but it was nothing too serious. She also warns her, if the medication is causing these things to stop taking them. She’ll schedule something for her when she gets back to California and meet with her.

“Thank you. You’re right. That has to be it. I’ll do that and yes, when I am back in California we’ll schedule something.” Katie smiles feeling relieved. Clearly her mind is just a bit overstimulated. She has been busy this year. After the success of her first movie, A Rift in Time, Hollywood has been calling her. Also the tabloids have called the chaos of the screening for it, but that is another story in itself. Katie looks at the mirror again and she just sees herself in it. Her beautiful, gorgeous self. Though her hair is still wet and she still needs to get herself ready for the meeting.

“Oh my Goddess, I need to get ready!?”

______________________________________________________________________________________________


At SCW Headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Katie walks into the building followed closely behind by TJ Johnson. Katie rushes over to the receptionist to notify them that she is there. She may be just a couple of minutes late for the meeting. Everything is alright though. They’ve been expecting her. The receptionist tells Katie they’ll be down in a minute to meet with her.

Katie and TJ wait around in the lobby. Katie doesn’t wait around. She ventures off and looks around the headquarters. TJ continues to follow her.

“Where are you going? We’re supposed to wait in the lobby.” TJ warns her.

“They’ll find us. Although while we wait, we should check and make sure everything is how it should be.” Katie smiles walking through the halls of SCW Headquarters. Employees move around and everyone greets her and TJ as they pass by.

Katie looks up at the walls and the decorations that SCW has hung on there. She notices something is missing.

“Where is it? TJ, where is it?” Katie looks around. She smacks TJ’s arm with her hand to get him to work faster and find what it is that is missing.

“Easy now, I’m sure it’s here somewhere. It didn’t get up and walk away.” TJ defensively held up his hands to protect himself.

Katie spots a janitor walking away, carrying a painting. It’s covered in a white sheet for its protection. Katie dashes to intercept them. “Excuse me. Wait. Hold on.” She grabs the painting and flips the sheet over. There it is. The old time-y, renaissance artwork of Katie Steward that should be hanging in Headquarters for all to see. “Found it! Where were you going with this?”

The Janitor looks at Katie and then glances at the painting. He takes out a note card from his jumpsuit and in broken English reads “We need to move, for cleaning.”

“Oh I see. A little prepared statement in case you’re caught. Moving it around. I knew they only hung it when I came around. Give me it!” Katie grips the painting and tries to pull it away from the janitor to save it.

Janitor held on and caught in a tug of war with her. “No.”

“TJ, don’t stand there. Help!” Katie shouting instructions to TJ. He tries to help, but also tries to talk her down. Just let the janitor do this work.

The SCW representative walks over finding Katie and TJ. “Hello. Ms. Steward. Mr. Johnson. I’m Ms. Lane. We had a meeting scheduled.”

Katie lets go of the painting and turns to meet the representative. The Janitor takes the painting and runs far and away from her. “Damn it. Now he's gone.”

“Is everything ok?” Ms. Lane asks, trying to assess the situation.

TJ steps in. “Yes. We’re good. Katie just had a few questions about where they were taking the artwork. They’re off to get it cleaned.”

“Oh yeah, I heard they were bringing out and hanging up some artwork for today.”

“I knew it.” Katie pumps her fist in vindication.

“Excuse me.” Ms. Lane, new to SCW. Just a few months into her job. Not too familiar with Katie and TJ’s act.

“She is just really excited to get this meeting underway. She’s got a lot of ideas. Also Hollywood is really biting right now, so she’s got a lot to offer.” TJ walks with Ms. Lane as Katie follows them. Katie takes a look back and the janitor is long gone. He got off lucky.

Katie turns back around and sees TJ and Ms Lane step into the elevator to head to the upper floors. Katie sprints after them, but doesn’t make it in time. She steps into her own elevator and watches the doors shut. The elevator lifts and she turns and notices that she is not alone.

“Still not saying hi,are we?” The Goddess says.

Katie lifts her head and takes a breath. Trying to block her out. “You’re not here. Just a bad side effect of my sleep medication.”

The Goddess laughs. “It’s not a side effect. How could it be? TJ just got it for you. You haven’t taken it yet. I guess next you’ll say you’re overworked and I’m just a hallucination. Well you’re half right.”

“That you’re a hallucination?” Katie asks.

“No. You’re overworked.” The Goddess rolls her eyes. “But, isn’t that what a Goddess is? Someone who shows up and visits a person to deliver a message or bless them. No one else sees them.”

“Are you delivering a message or blessing me?”

“Nice try. I ain’t got nothing for you. Not after what you’ve done.” The Goddess scolds Katie. Each one keeps their distance from the other.

“I’m not responsible for the death of your King.”

“It’s not that. You’ve been playing around this game for far too long. A game you have no business to be playing in. On top of that, The Queensblade. It’s far too powerful of an artifact to be wielded by a faux Goddess.” The Goddess splits her fire in Katie’s direction. Hoping to burn her with its fire.

Katie laughs off the insult. “Fake Goddess, huh. I ain’t scared of you. The business that I work in I’ve bigger and worse threats than you. So if you think I’ll step down to you. Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

The Goddess smirks. “Cute, but you can’t get rid of me. I’m going to get rid of you. Now if you don’t mind. I got a meeting schedule. Enjoy the blackout.”

The Goddess waves at Katie. Katie throws herself up against the wall of the elevator. The feelings of being hit with a truck. She struggles to catch her breath. Then everything goes dark.

The elevator dings and the doors open for Katie to step out. She is met by TJ waiting for her. She walks by him and brushes her hand under his chin. In the most seductive way possible announcing she is ready to get this meeting underway. It’s not that awkward.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Back in California at her home. Her actual home. Katie walks up in her actual bed this time. No hotel room somewhere in the world. Katie sits up in her bed and looks around her room. Again, she has no memories about what happened after her conversation with the Goddess. Did the Goddess take over? What is she doing?

Katie throws herself across the bed and grabs her phone. Scrolls through new messages from her therapist, Dr. Mercer. She ends up calling TJ on the phone. He was there in the room with her. He knows what happened.

“TJ, TJ! What happened in the meeting? What did she… I do?” Katie listens in as TJ tells her that she killed it.

“She did what? Killed!? They’re all dead!” TJ explains it a little more and a little more detail. She did well with the meeting. “Oh, right. Of course. I knew that. So that was it. Just a normal boring meeting about what ideas I had with SCW.”

She listens to TJ tell her some of the ideas, but nothing bad or terrible. At least it sounds like the Goddess is out to ruin her. What is her game she is playing?

“Thanks TJ.” Katie says her bye and ends the call.

The game seems to have only just begun.


______________________________________________________________________________________________

Taking Hold of the Flame
06-01-25
A Dream, Last Goal Post…

“I can’t. I can’t think about what she is doing. I’m the one who is in control. I’m the one who still has goals left to finish. Businesses to settle. Movies to debut. Becoming Supreme Champion wasn’t the last thing I could do in SCW. Like the Hall of Fame introduction, it was another notch of things that I do better than everyone else. The most decorated person in SCW. Not a single person can touch it. It only proves that I’m untouchable. They can’t beat me. I have already won. The only thing I can do now. I continue on my greatest. It’s not really about winning Taking Hold of the Flame. It’s about that main event spot. The biggest stage in this business. If it’s not meant for the best, which as I just explained is me. Who then, who is it for? Nobody has traveled this road longer than me. Now 20 years later, my anniversary show. It is promising to be the biggest celebration yet. To finally main event the biggest show. That is what dreams are made of. That is what I’m fighting for. I know it’s not unique. With my legacy though it kinda is. Is that what she wants? Is that how she’s going to hurt me? Rob me of my spotlight? No, this isn’t about her. This is about me.”

“This is about getting a second chance at being SCW World Champion. I’m going to make them care again. Everyone is going to want to see another Katie Steward reign. Especially after they witness what Xander, Giovanni, Waylon and James do locked inside of a dome match. Needing every piece of special effect that can muster to try and get the crowd into it. When it is time for me to take the spotlight. I’m going to give the fans what they've been lacking. What Selena, Syren haven’t done? The emotional road that I’m going to pave through Taking Hold of the Flame to Rise to Greatness is going to feed families.”

“That is all there is. I know what my goal is. I know what I have to do. Everyone knows it. Because they’re all jealous. They know deep down in their hearts that they can ever beat me. They can’t take away from what I’ve done. They’ll be gunning for me. Trying to end me. Ruin the biggest moment that SCW will ever have. They can not beat, they will not beat Katie Steward. No. They won’t. No, She won’t. I know how to play this game. I play this game better than anyone. I’m not scared about what my future holds. I’ll be scared of what SCW’s future holds without its true Goddess.”

[CowgirlsFromHell]

Ride Hard, Live Free Part IX: Taking Hold of the Flame Pt. 1

[Syren]

Second for the week.

Enjoy.



The Syren Song: Verse 398
"You're not my real mom"

[Wisteria Waltz]

La Pequeña Luz RP


If the idea had come from anybody else, then maybe the thought of trying to take her mind off of everything that had been going on lately wouldn't have sat well with La Pequeña Luz, even if she knew deep down the advice was sound.

That said, ever since she had met the woman by chance a few years ago, Luz had come to trust Marilyn Clauson, almost seeing her as a second mother of sorts given how much they'd bonded, especially back during a time with Luz's relationship with her actual mom was still strained.

With SCW rolling into New Orleans for Taking Hold of the Flame, Marilyn had done her part to help train both Luz and Amelia for their attempt at the battle royal, but there was only so much one could prepare for a match where you could never be sure who you'd be facing or how many at any given time. Despite knowing the couple had done this particular dance once before, albeit on a night where Amelia also had another match to worry about on top of it, Marilyn had still put all of her own battle royal experience to good use in preparing them the best she could, namely focusing on trying to be aware of your surroundings at all times and teaching them different tricks to keep themselves from going out and hitting the floor.

Marilyn's biggest idea to help them, though, had felt a bit unconventional at first, but that simply spoke to how hard Luz and Amelia kept pushing themselves at all times and the problems that was starting to cause... especially with certain other forces very keen on trying to take advantage of that in one form or another.

It was the last day of May, and the day before Taking Hold of the Flame, and Marilyn's plan was pretty clear: not only should Luz and Amelia spend some time apart, mostly to prepare for the likelihood that they may not be in the battle royal at the same time, but today was to be a rest day for the both of them. As much as they had wanted to argue against this idea, it was difficult against the sound logic Marilyn put forth, especially when it came to needing a day off. Just because the two had maybe a show or two lately where neither one of them were wrestling hadn't meant they weren't busy doing something on SCW television anyway... and that spoke nothing of the fact that they hadn't had a chance to truly, properly relax and clear their heads ever since Caleb had broken out of prison and The Empire had 'resurrected' to pick up where they had left off in harassing the couple until they broke down and allowed Caleb to 'save' them.

Just thinking about the old man's obsession with using her and her wife as a means of trying to guarantee he had a place in Heaven once he passed on, at least in his twisted mind, made Luz want to vomit.

“I see you gagging over there, kid,” Marilyn called over from where she was sorting through some boxes on the counter. “I don't know what's causing it, but if you puke on the floor, you're cleaning it up.”

Luz chuckled nervously before taking some deep breaths to clear her head, which was thankfully helped by the incense Marilyn was currently burning as a means of channeling the proper spiritual energy into this space. It had been quite some time since she'd been in the old magick store that had been in the Clauson family for generations, originally belonging to Marilyn's aunt who had ended up marrying Caleb's brother and seemingly fueled the fire of the deranged zealot that man was today, but Marilyn felt a good way to help keep Luz busy so she could keep her thoughts off of both Amelia and literally everything else was to have the luchadora help her get the place prepared. While Marilyn herself wasn't fully committed to reconnecting with her family's witchy roots just yet as she still felt her old bones had too much fight left in them to fully retire from wrestling, her parents had been talking about wanting to reopen the store to give themselves something to do, given that her mom had long since retired and her dad couldn't do what he used to love doing anymore... no thanks to Caleb.

'That old bastard better hope he's never within arm's reach of me,' Marilyn thought to herself in frustration over the memory. 'He's destroyed my family enough all over his petty sense of self-righteousness, and even if I didn't have a personal reason to put him in the dirt, I'd do it anyway. That kid and her wife don't deserve to be plagued by that walking cancer just because they're trying to exist.'

“Everything alright, mom?” Remy, Marilyn's adopted son, called up to her from where he was stocking a display near the counter with talismans.

“Yeah, kiddo,” she replied, taking a moment deeply breathe in the incense herself. “Just thinking about some things I'd rather not say out loud.”

“Is it about that weird old guy who keeps trying to mess with us?” Remy asked. “Because if he thinks he can hurt my mom or my big sister, I'll-”

“Big sister?” Luz called over with a chuckle. “Who's that?”

“You, of course!” Remy proudly declared as he pointed at Luz. “I'm officially declaring you my big sister! Amelia, too!”

“That's not how it works, you little goofball,” Marilyn laughed as she leaned over the counter and ruffled Remy's hair. “Although... I do already consider you family, Luz, if you're alright with that. Same for Cami and Valentina.”

“I mean, we're already helping you put a piece of Clauson family history back together to open its doors again,” Valentina called from the ladder she stood on as she fixed a hanging display of voodoo dolls to the ceiling. “Not gonna lie, a lot of this stuff looks really interesting.”

“It's not my cup of tea, personally,” Camila admitted, making a face as she pulled a shrunken head out of one of the boxes and gently set it aside. “But I know mi amor would have loved to learn more about all of this stuff to understand it. That man was always so open, accepting, and curious... something I'm so glad you inherited from him, mija.”

“Me too, mom,” Luz smiled. She had definitely been in better spirits since the detour before the last Breakdown to visit her hometown, specifically her father's grave, and it was a breath of fresh air to see her truly back to her old self again. At least, as close as they were probably going to get so long as the looming threat of The Empire continued to hang over their heads.

“I like the idea of us all being one big, happy family,” Remy chuckled. “Now if only we could get mom to stop dancing around their feeling for Avery and-”

“You finish that sentence and you're grounded, Remy,” Marilyn warned the 11-year-old.

“I'd kind of like to hear what else he has to say,” Avery suddenly chimed in as they stepped out of the back room, grinning like the Cheshire cat as Marilyn immediately sputtered and tried to bury her face into the box she'd been unloading, to the amusement of her ex.

Luz just laughed as she finished stocking a shelf full of potion bottles, amused by the sight of Marilyn losing all her composure and becoming almost as bad as she was around Amelia for the longest time until they'd finally stopped dancing around their feelings and talked it out. Granted, she knew that Marilyn and Avery had a history and there was a reason why they had broken up, even if she didn't know what that reason was, but the feelings were clearly still there and she knew, deep in her heart, that they could probably work through whatever had happened if they just talked it out. Perhaps it was a naive way of looking at things, but even if Luz wasn't a romantic at heart, she'd figured out a long time ago that open and honest communication was how a relationship could stay healthy and strong.

She couldn't help but frown as that thought flickered through her head. Part of it was because she missed Amelia, even if she knew they'd be reunited by the end of the day and this time apart had a valid reason behind it for the sake of battle royal preparation, but the other part of it had to do with one couple in particular she wished had potentially heeded that advice before things got to the point they were at now. While she didn't know what number she would have, Luz knew the possibility existed that she'd get to dance with Selena Frost once more if she could survive until Selena came out as the final entrant, and she already accepted that Selena wouldn't hold back if the chance to eliminate her presented itself and she was ready and willing to do the same. She didn't know if Deanna could potentially be one of the myriad of mystery entrants that were also advertised for this match, but she wanted to hope the time for her to return and clear up the United States Title mess at long last wasn't too much farther off. What she did know, however, was that two people she considered friends, even despite Selena's public attitude in regards to SCW, were not in a great place with their relationship despite not having all the details nor wanting to be rude and pry for them, and it hurt to think that something so simple could have possibly saved their relationship like it had weathered so many potential storms between her and Amelia had they tried it early enough. Now, though...

“Hey, Little Light,” Marilyn suddenly called out, snapping Luz out of her thoughts just in time for her reflexes to catch a voodoo doll that Marilyn had tossed at her, earning a grin out of the older woman. “Nice catch, glad to see you're not getting so distracted you could potentially be blindsided and eliminated. But I have a feeling you're thinking about either your wife or something SCW-related, and I'd like you to knock it off. Today's about clearing your head, remember?”

“But... how...?” Luz sputtered.

“I think I've picked up a few tricks on being able to know what's going on in that head of yours, kiddo,” Marilyn replied.

“Marilyn's right, hermana,” Valentina chimed in as she climbed down from the ladder. “If you're going to clear your head, you need to stop thinking about SCW or The Empire for a while. We can worry about them later, especially since we doubt they'll try anything with this city already having gone through enough this year to have law enforcement on high alert.”

“We may not be sure of exactly what's going on within their ranks right now,” Avery noted, “but as long as Caleb still holds authority over his own elites, I doubt they'll take any more unnecessary risks after they already lots a sizable amount of their members the last two times they actually tried to attack. Caleb's a man they should rightfully fear, and he's never one to make a move unless he's planned everything out to ensure absolute control.”

“Absolute control until we keep finding holes in his logic to upend everything,” Luz replied. She punctuated the statement with a grin, but it was clearly a hollow one. For as much as she, Amelia, and the rest of their found family had found ways to beat Caleb time and time again despite his insanely good planning, there had unfortunately been casualties along the way and Luz would personally prefer there be no more if she could help it.

“Alright, enough talk of that bonehead!” Marilyn declared. “Everybody back to work. And Luz? Unless it's about whatever you're putting together, I want your head to stay empty today, got it?”

“Yes, ma'am!” Luz replied with a salute, earning a few chuckles from the others in the shop as everyone returned their focus to what they were doing. Admittedly, Luz was starting to see the value in just shutting her brain off and forgetting about everything that had been stressing her out for far too long now, and while her brain really wanted to worry over The Empire or think about the battle royal or what her road to Rise to Greatness might look like if she doesn't win, she tried to stay firm in ignoring those thoughts until later and just relaxing.

Thankfully, she would get some help in keeping her thoughts distracted when the door to the magick store opened and a woman with a medium-tan complexion and a black pixie cut walked in, only to immediately stop when she got a good look around at the space.

“Sorry!” they called. “I didn't realize you guys weren't open yet. Do you know when you might be?”

“Probably not for at least another week or two,” Marilyn explained.

“I can definitely come back and see what all you've got to offer,” they said as they turned to leave, only to stop once Valentina caught their eye. “Oh, hello there. Love the vibe you've got going on. It screams 'defiant rebel in the face of a destiny someone else chose for me.'”

“Oh, uh, thanks...” Valentina said, suddenly looking a little more nervous than Luz had ever seen her adopted sister, at least since the days when the poor girl had still served The Empire as their copycat Luz. “That's an oddly specific read you're getting on me, though.”

“I can kind of feel it in the aura you're giving off,” the person shrugged. “Plus, my tarot reading this morning said I'd be meeting an interesting new friend today, and I'd definitely say you're interesting. Name's Ash, I go by they/them pronouns.”

“V-Valentina, she/her, though my sister tends to just call me V,” Valentina nervously chuckled as she shook Ash's offered hand.

As the two of them kept talking, Luz couldn't help but grin, knowing the symptoms of a crush all too well and finding amusement in the fact that the woman who had been built up by Caleb to 'become the true La Pequeña Luz' was just as much of a disaster as the real deal.

“Ay, I see the Nevado family curse of becoming an absolute mess around a crush has gotten to Valentina as well,” Camila giggled, which caused Valentina's face to go even redder and Ash to chuckle as they overheard it.

“Cam, I think that's a curse that's been put over everyone that's ultimately been drawn to Luz and her wife, even before any of us met her!” Marilyn laughed.

Luz just grinned and laughed along as she turned her focus back to the box she was unpacking, but not before shooting her sort-of twin a silly look that was met with one in return, which had the benefit of making Ash laugh and helping Valentina's chances. This had truly been something she'd needed: a sense of normalcy she hadn't had in a very long time that allowed her to truly unwind and forget that she was La Pequeña Luz for a little while, with all that entailed both as a wrestler and with the mess that she wanted no part in, to begin with. Despite still wearing her mask as per lucha libre tradition, in this moment, she felt more like Luna Nevado, a normal girl living her best life and enjoying every moment of it, knowing that she'd earned the right to do so.

Unfortunately, all of that was about to be derailed as her phone started to ring, and a quick check of the caller ID revealed a number she didn't recognize... a pattern she knew all too well.

Luz glanced around the shop space, and while Ash certainly looked confused and it was probably for the best if they remained blissfully ignorant to avoid getting wrapped up in this mess too, the rest of them all looked concerned, though none more than Marilyn. Her lips were pursed in a thin line, almost as if she wanted so badly to tell Luz to either ignore it or hand the phone over to her, but she knew better. Like it or not, the full extent of what Vladimir could do given his ability to be able to spy on their found family and keeps tabs on them at all times was not something they truly wanted to test until they were certain nobody would be harmed if Luz and/or Amelia didn't play along.

“You can go into the back room to take that call, Luz,” Marilyn reluctantly said at long last, despite how painfully clear it was that she wanted to say so many other things. Luz nodded and headed towards the back, pausing briefly to exchange looks with Avery who also nodded to her. She nodded back, intending to share whatever came of this call with the now-NCA agent once it was safe to do so, before she disappeared to the dusty and cluttered back room and answered the call.

“¿Hola?” she opened with, playing it safe.

“Hola, La Pequeña Luz,” the raspy, creepy voice of Vladimir answered back from the other end of the call. “How are you doing on this pleasant day?”

“I was doing fine until you called,” Luz replied, refusing to hide the bitter tone in her voice.

Vladimir simply laughed that unsettling laugh of his. “I expected as such. I must admit, it's a rather bold move to set up shop in a place that Caleb considers pagan filth. That Clauson woman probably thinks it's would repel his efforts, but she could just as easily be inviting the cleansing fires to that storefront's doorstep. Caleb's grand plan does ensure that a city fallen so far from the grace of God will have nothing and no one remaining once it begins.”

“Somehow, I'm not surprised,” Luz rolled her eyes, not sure if Vladimir had a means of seeing her right now but not caring either way. “Did you call just to parrot his overly religious rhetoric to me hoping it would somehow convince me to be suckered in like you and everyone else clearly were?”

“No, actually,” Vladimir responded, his voice suddenly taking on a more serious tone. It sounded unnerving with how raspy his voice was, but any hints of intentionally trying to be creepy seemed to be dropped for the moment. “I'm calling to warn you... and seek help, in a sense.”

“What does that mean?” Luz asked, her curiosity piqued, but she was making sure to keep her guard up.

“Let's just say that things are... not too pretty over here right now,” Vladimir admitted, which stunned Luz. “I'm not going into all the details, but on behalf of Caleb, I'm willing to extend an olive branch in the hopes that you can not only help us do some painfully necessary housekeeping among our ranks, but in doing so, be willing to at least give Caleb a chance...”

Luz tuned Vladimir out at that point as he went on praising Caleb with overly religious rhetoric she wasn't interested in hearing, her focus instead turning towards the fact that it seemed like Caleb was actually asking for help to get his own cult in order and he was hopeful that the very individuals at the center of his conflict would be willing to lend him a hand. Truth be told, it sickened Luz, reeking of an obvious attempt to use her kind-hearted nature to potentially take away a crack that could be used to cause The Empire to crumble for good this time, not to mention make it even harder to ultimately take them down if they were all back on the same page.

Still... Vladimir did say he wanted to warn her, and if she'd quickly picked up anything on what she could easily assume was the opposite side of this civil war within The Empire, they weren't interested in following Caleb's plans to 'recruit' Luz and Amelia and believed taking them out altogether would clear the path they needed to kickstart whatever Caleb's promised endgame was supposed to be. If Vladimir could actually warn her about something to be able to prevent people getting hurt, or worse, then she knew she had to play along.

“I can't make any promises about giving Caleb a chance,” Luz bluntly said, interrupting Vladimir's senseless praising of the madman he followed. “Not unless I can get some reassurance that this isn't some sort of trick, nor an obligation to just sell my soul, or Amelia's, to him.”

“I an aware you and your wife are not together at the moment,” Vladimir pointed out. “And I believe I can agree to those terms. Caleb only wishes to speak with you, have a chance for you to hear him out, nothing more.”

Luz huffed, not liking even allowing for that, but she knew she had to tread lightly with this situation.

“I'll consider it,” she finally said. “That's the best I can offer for right now, at least until I talk with Amelia about this, but I get the feeling time's not a luxury in this situation, is it?”

“Unfortunately, you're correct, and as much as I'd like to drag this out, I'll have to take what I can get,” Vladimir hissed, which threw Luz for a loop as she was sure that would've been a deal breaker, or at least bought her enough time to try and figure out what was going on for herself so she wouldn't need to deal with whatever Vladimir was offering at all. “When this call ends, I'm going to need you to pass this information along to Avery, because he-”

“They,” Luz firmly corrected.

“-is the only one with the contacts able to stop this in time,” Vladimir continued on, sounding annoyed at the corrective interruption but not pressing that issue for the moment. “We still do not know who is exactly leading this little splinter cell that's formed, but they're plotting an attack in your hometown as we speak, Luz.”

Luz's breath hitched, her eyes going wide at that revelation. Truth be told, it wouldn't be the first time it's happened, as she clearly recalls hearing about some Empire members that had destroyed her father's ofrenda two years ago and spat in the face of her culture. From the tone of Vladimir's voice, however, whatever this was going to be was so much worse.

“...why would you tell me this?” Luz found herself asking.

“Because while there's a chance this attack being successful will break you enough for Caleb to finally get what he wants,” Vladimir explained, “he knows it's just as likely that it'll make any chance of you ever opening up to the possibility of being saved by him impossible, and he does not want that off the table unless you make it painfully clear you are truly beyond saving.”

Luz didn't hesitate to hang up on Vladimir at that point, not caring how he perceived it because she wasn't going to sit here and humor him any longer, especially if time was of the essence. She wasted no time peeking her head out from the back room and motioning for Avery to join her, where she explained what she'd been told. To say that Avery was shocked would be an understatement, but they decided to unravel Vladimir's motives both stated and implied later, wasting no time in putting in some calls.

It would be about an hour before any news made it back to them, validating Vladimir's claim. Lo and behold, there was a contingent of masked Empire goons, donning red cloaks as opposed to the cult's standard 'pure white' wear, who had attempted to plant bombs around the plaza where a statue of El Espíritu Angélico had been erected years ago to honor the town's fallen lucha libre icon. Unfortunately for them, Vladimir's tip and Avery's quick work had gotten people on the scene to not only arrest these cultists without any injury or casualty, but also before the bombs had been properly armed, making diffusing them a piece of cake. Luz couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief at the good news, but she couldn't shake the bad taste it all left in her mouth.

Knowing that people could've been hurt or killed had she delayed in dealing in any fashion with one of her enemies for the sake of stopping another... none of it sat right with her, and it made Marilyn's plan of trying to clear her head nigh impossible for the rest of the day. Not for a lack of trying, but today's events had unfortunately reinforced a clear problem Luz wished she didn't have to deal with: if she and her loved ones were truly going to know proper peace ever again, then The Empire had to fall, somehow, someway.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Vieux Carre, or the French Quarter, is considered the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, and is often considered its crown jewel. Built on influences from all over the world and blending the old with the new in seamless harmony, the view we get of everything this part of the city has to offer is just breathtaking, especially as the sun is beginning to set and the city is truly beginning to come alive. Bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, we find La Pequeña Luz standing on the balcony of her hotel in this part of the city... or at least, it's what we want to assume. As we see her from the side, catching her brilliant smile as she gazes out at the city below, we can also see her wife, Amelia Nevado, on a different balcony further down, seemingly doing the exact same thing. Luz and Amelia do happen to glance in one another's directions, grinning and nodding to one another before the camera pivots around as Luz turns with us, putting her back to the city as she leans against the railing, subtly swaying back and forth as it almost seems like her boundless energy is already waiting to be unleashed come Sunday night.

“So... who's ready for me to to come out and add my name to the growing crowd of those claiming the Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal is theirs to win?

If that's what you were expecting, then I apologize in advance.

Don't get me wrong, it's a dream of mine to one day be able to call myself SCW World Champion, and maybe even fight for that title on the grand stage of Rise to Greatness. There are very few people I can think of who wouldn't want that end goal, but I'm not here to judge them even if I'm allowed to disagree with their methodology. But I know who I am, and I know better than to try and put all my eggs into one basket. A match like what will unfold before your very eyes this Sunday night at the Superdome right here in New Orleans is as unpredictable as it gets, and no matter how good you think you are, there are just some things that nobody can truly be prepared for. You'll hear people claiming otherwise, because they're already convinced that this is their match to win and nothing will prove them wrong, but I'm not one of them. I'm sure as heck going to give it my best shot no matter what number I draw or how long I have to last, but if I don't win this match, it's not the end of the world. It's just another opportunity for me to learn and grow until I earn my chance to potentially be able to have that title around my waist someday.

As a reminder, Amelia and I are both still in our 20s, and we plan on having long careers ahead of us. Plenty of time to prove ourselves and reach the top of the mountain is that time isn't now. But we certainly can't resist the chance to test ourselves and see where we're at and how much farther we still have to go, because if you aren't willing to take a chance and see if it pans out, then how can you ever hope to make your dreams a reality someday?”

Luz closes her eyes and softly hums to herself, perhaps imagining the day where she does rise to the rank of SCW World Champion, before her eyes open again and her smile seems to shine even brighter.

“I consider myself very fortunate for the opportunities I've gotten thus far in my SCW career, even if not all of them have gone exactly as I'd hoped. Former Television Champion, former interim United States Champion, former three-time World Tag Team Champion... that alone is a resume that so many who walk into SCW could only dream of, and I pushed myself to make it all happen with nothing more than my blood, sweat and tears. If I wasn't willing to put in the work and fight with everything, then I wouldn't be who I am today... perhaps I'd even be among that sea of voices, desperately claiming that this match is mine to win, that I have to win because I need it more, fighting with the egos of everyone else who cannot comprehend a world where they aren't good enough to win this one match.

If you truly believe that this match is the only way you'll ever find yourself in the hunt for the World Title, then maybe it's time to take a step back and reflect on what brought you to this dance in the first place, because the failure from going all-in like that can be devastating and leave so many of you spending the next year trying to pick up the pieces until you can try again for next year's battle royal.

Ames and I... two years ago, we both took a shot at this match. Sadly, it didn't pan out for us, not for a lack of trying. We picked ourselves back up and forged ahead, and it wasn't long before we proved we were worthy of calling ourselves world champions in a different sense. Last year, we opted to stand back, putting our focus on the tag team division that we were working on elevating and giving the proper due it deserves. We've had plenty of time to think this over, prepare ourselves, and now we get to step up and see if it pays off. And if not? Well, the road to Rise to Greatness takes many twists and turns, as we know full well from past years, so I have faith that I'll make something happen and make the most out of this year's show regardless.

If I have one goal this year aside from taking my best shot at winning it, it's to make sure that I put on a show that has everyone knowing exactly who La Pequeña Luz is.

I live for the thrill of pushing myself to greater and greater heights, growing and improving with each and every match. With every setback I've faced, I've strived for greater challenges, opportunities to really test my limits and keep pushing beyond them, because when the time comes for me to finally hang up my boots and my mask for good, I want to leave behind a legacy build on hard work, on proving that if you work hard enough, you can achieve anything, no matter how long it takes. That is what I stand for: a brighter future for this business, becoming living proof that if this is your dream, then you shouldn't let anything hold you back from becoming the very best version of yourself that you can be, no matter who thinks they can stand in your way or tear you down.

Maybe that sounds silly to a lot of you, maybe plenty of you want to laugh and think I don't belong... by all means, go ahead and think that, because that'll make it all the sweeter if I eliminate you from this match and leave you struggling to justify how it could've possibly happened. Here's your answer: anyone, on any given night, can win if they want it bad enough, and just because I'm not overconfident enough to stand here and claim that the flame is mine and mine alone for the taking, that doesn't mean I want it any less than any of you do. If anything, that just means I'm willing to push myself farther, even if it's just to prove you wrong, either tomorrow night right here in New Orleans, or when our paths inevitably cross again somewhere down the road. That's the beauty of this business, after all: nothing is impossible, and sooner or later, I'll prove myself worthy. Just you watch.

On one final note... to mi amor, Amelia Nevado... if it somehow comes down to just the two of us, then I wish you the best of luck, but know that I won't hesitate to eliminate you if push comes to shove. We both know how this works, we both respect each other too much to hold back, so to my wife, and to the rest of the field for Taking Hold of the Flame... good luck, and may the best wrestler win.”

Luz glances over and winks at something out of the shot, presumably Amelia, before she pushes herself off the railing and begins to take her leave, having said all that she feels she needs to as we take one last lingering look at the beauty of the French Quarter of New Orleans before we fade out.

[Wisteria Waltz]

Amelia Nevado RP


Amelia Nevado could think up a list a mile long as to all the things she would curse her parents for without a second thought.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that the deeply ingrained demand to disregard the help and advice of anyone that wasn't them was probably somewhere near the top of the list, and she didn't fully realize it until recently.

With SCW rolling into New Orleans for Taking Hold of the Flame, Marilyn Clauson had done her part to help train both Amelia and Luz for their attempt at the battle royal, but there was only so much one could prepare for a match where you could never be sure who you'd be facing or how many at any given time. Despite knowing the couple had done this particular dance once before, albeit on a night where Amelia also had another match to worry about on top of it, Marilyn had still put all of her own battle royal experience to good use in preparing them the best she could, namely focusing on trying to be aware of your surroundings at all times and teaching them different tricks to keep themselves from going out and hitting the floor.

Marilyn's biggest idea to help them, though, had felt a bit unconventional at first, but that simply spoke to how hard Amelia and Luz kept pushing themselves at all times and the problems that was starting to cause... especially with certain other forces very keen on trying to take advantage of that in one form or another.

It was the last day of May, and the day before Taking Hold of the Flame, and Marilyn's plan was pretty clear: not only should Amelia and Luz spend some time apart, mostly to prepare for the likelihood that they may not be in the battle royal at the same time, but today was to be a rest day for the both of them. As much as they had wanted to argue against this idea, especially Amelia because it went against every instinct that had been (sometimes literally) beaten into her growing up, it was difficult against the sound logic Marilyn put forth, especially when it came to needing a day off. Just because the two had maybe a show or two lately where neither one of them were wrestling hadn't meant they weren't busy doing something on SCW television anyway... and that spoke nothing of the fact that they hadn't had a chance to truly, properly relax and clear their heads ever since Caleb had broken out of prison and The Empire had 'resurrected' to pick up where they had left off in harassing the couple until they broke down and allowed Caleb to 'save' them.

Amelia could hear the voices of Aleister and Ophelia Blythe yelling in her mind right now, demanding that she 'cease this senseless tomfoolery' and return to training, and those intrusive thoughts didn't hesitate to also demand that she outshine Luz between the two of them in the battle royal come Sunday night. Thankfully, she had plenty of help to banish those thoughts for the time being.

“You have to be joking,” Darius stated, rubbing his temple in disbelief.

“I wish we were,” Edward claimed. “Poor Amelia never knew what ice cream tasted like until her excursion to Mexico, and her first experience with it was the lactose-free stuff because Luz is intolerant.”

“Something I wish we'd known when we managed to sneak our first taste of ice cream,” Emily added, shooting her brother a look.

“Yeah, that was a miserable experience,” Edward admitted sheepishly.

“I want to ask how in the hell your parents wouldn't know one of their children was lactose intolerant, but sadly, it wouldn't surprise me if they either didn't care or thought it would 'pass' somehow,” Darius shook his head, growing more and more exasperated the more he learned about exactly how the Blythe children were raised by his old friends once upon a time.

“To be fair, lactose-free ice cream is actually pretty good,” Amelia admitted.

“I don't know how you can eat it, Ames, but more power to you for sure,” Ivy laughed.

With Luz having been conscripted into helping Marilyn with putting her family's old magick store back together for a potential reopening, it was decided that Ivy, Edward, Emily, and Henry would accompany Darius in taking Amelia out to explore the French Quarter to help keep her mind on anything that wasn't related to Luz, SCW or The Empire. Admittedly, it hadn't been too successful thus far, but there was enough positive energy in the air that Amelia at least wasn't getting fixated on any of the intrusive thoughts that tried to burst into her headspace every now and then. Even if that was the best she was going to get, it was still better than the stress she and Luz had been living under for far too long now, fretting too much over SCW matters or spiraling because the deranged cult of Caleb White just would not leave them alone until they got their way.

'This is what this young lady deserves,' Darius mused to himself as he saw Amelia's smile, looking more relaxed than she had in quite some time, at least for the moment. 'And to think I once called you my best friend, Aleister... I don't know if Ophelia warped you that much to suit her own needs or if fame and success truly went to your head and made you into a monster that cared for nothing else.'

He glanced over to Henry, feeling for the boy as well. Darius wanted to refer to him as 'son' since he knew he'd make a much better parental figure than Caleb had with all he'd done to the boy, but he didn't want to intrude on a dynamic he, admittedly, still didn't understand despite seemingly being a part of it now. He'd grown to truly care for Henry and his well-being during the time he and Evie were undercover as Empire members, but he also knew the boy had been all but officially adopted by Camila and taken to the idea of being a brother of sorts to Luz once he'd escaped Caleb's grip... though he also had a clear sibling dynamic going on with Amelia as well, to his surprise. There was also the matter of him technically being a Clauson as he was the son of Caleb's brother and Marilyn's aunt, which actually brought up an interesting thought...

“Henry,” Darius suddenly asked, drawing the boy's attention. “If you don't mind me asking... why didn't you want to stick around and help Marilyn with her family's magick shop? It's technically part of your heritage as well.”

Henry took a moment to ponder this before shrugging. “I just... I don't know if I'm ready to explore that part of who I really am just yet. Part of it is still trying to deprogram myself from everything Uncle tried to fill my head with growing up, but another part is just wanting to figure out exactly who I am, or want to be at least, before I try opening myself up to that kind of stuff.”

“I can empathize,” Amelia admitted. “When I finally started breaking away from the chains my parents tried to keep me shackled to, I had to figure out who it is I truly wanted to be before I could move forward... to some degree, I feel like I'm still figuring that out even to this day.”

“Well, I can definitely say that I like the Amelia I've gotten to know thus far,” Ivy said with a grin, nodding to her old friend.

“Same,” her twin siblings admitted simultaneously.

Amelia couldn't help but grin as she took a moment to glance around the small, quaint restaurant they had all stopped at for lunch. It was one of those family-owned places that served incredible food she'd probably never find anywhere else, but she also knew it was one of those places her parents would've immediately dismissed without a second thought just because it didn't 'look befitting of a Blythe to be caught dead at.' Memories like that really made her blood boil at the thought of everything she'd missed out on trying growing up because of how controlling her parents had to be and how badly they seemed to want to fit themselves into the box of the snobby, elitist stereotype.

As she tried to kick her parents out of her thoughts once more, she found them drifting to Luz now. Admittedly, she missed her wife, even if she understood the logic behind splitting them apart at least until tonight. If it wasn't for Luz getting through to her in the first place, she might've never had the courage to try breaking those chains, or even trying so many new things she'd been denied growing up and opening the door to a whole new world of experiences that seemed beyond her reach until that point. While it was true that she had fought tooth and nail of her own accord to earn her freedom, she would wholeheartedly admit that Luz was the spark that ignited the fuse, and without her, there was no chance of those walls she'd been forced to encase herself in being blown apart to give her hope of a life that wasn't under her parents' thumbs.

“Earth to Ames,” she heard Ivy calling, snapping out of her thoughts to the sight of Ivy's hand waving in front of her face. “You still with us?”

“Judging by the look on her face, I'd say she had Luz on the brain,” Edward chuckled.

“Now Amelia, you know what Marilyn suggested,” Darius sternly told her, though his tone was light enough to make it clear he wasn't scolding her or forcing her into anything. “I may have been out of the wrestling game for a good while, but even I know she's got a point and you're supposed to be emptying that head of yours.”

“Sorry...” Amelia sheepishly admitted. “It's hard not to think about her and all she's done to help me become who I am today... especially not when I've got a few people here who I know are just as bad as I am when it comes to feelings.”

“What do you mean?” Ivy asked, raising an eyebrow but looking a bit nervous. Amelia's response was to just grin at her old friend and nod her head towards Henry, who was sweating bullets and trying to look towards the kitchen as a desperate distraction.

Amelia couldn't help but chuckle, especially as she heard the twins both gasp and get the kind of smiles that they only wore when they were clearly plotting something. Unfortunately, she wasn't about to let them off the hook that easily.

“Say, Em,” Amelia sweetly said to her big sister. “Whatever happened with that buff girl you were drooling over at the gym when you and Ed were training for your last match?”

Seeing her sister's face go completely red felt like a win in Amelia's book, and the grin she wore made sure Emily knew it.

“I, um... I have no idea what you're talking about...” Emily's eyes darted around as Edward laughed.

“I don't know why you're laughing, Ed,” Amelia smirked at him. “Didn't you try texting a poem to someone you were going out with and accidentally sent it to their mom instead?”

Edward's laughter quickly evaporated as he groaned. “Do you have to remind me of that?”

“I have to say,” Darius admitted. “It's quite fascinating to see all of you like this. Not just relaxed, which is a good thing considering everything we've been dealing with lately, but... 'flustered disasters' is the term I believe Evie would use in this scenario?”

A round of groans echoed from everyone at the table, which Darius couldn't help but chuckle at.

“Oh, come on, Darius,” Henry prodded. “Surely you have someone you've felt that way about? Perhaps your partner?”

“Nonsense,” Darius playfully scoffed. “Evie and I are strictly partnered agents for the NCA, and I see her as more of a sister than anything else, truth be told. Now, maybe there was someone back in the day who I could've become a 'flustered disaster' over, but... that person's long gone now...”

A heavy silence suddenly settled into the air, no one sure what to make of that revelation. Amelia, her mind ever analytical, had a few possible theories, but she really didn't want to pursue any of them for the sake of actually trying to empty her head and enjoy some well-deserved peace, just as Marilyn had instructed for both her and Luz to do today. After a moment, and a nice, long drink of the tea he'd ordered, Darius sighed.

“My apologies,” he said. “I didn't mean to bring down the mood.”

“It's not your fault,” Ivy told him.

“Ivy's right,” Amelia followed up. “As stupid as this might sound, I feel like we're all kind of struggling with this whole 'relax and take it easy' thing after how long we've had to deal with watching our backs because of you-know-who. I sadly wouldn't be surprised if it took us a good while after this whole mess is finally resolved until we can actually adjust to not having to be careful with literally everything we do.”

There were nods of agreement from everyone else at the table, the unspoken threat still looming over them even as they tried to ignore it for one day. It didn't matter what form it took, from Vladimir's efforts to talk Amelia and Luz into letting Caleb 'save' them to the Blythes seemingly leading the charge in forging their own faction within The Empire dedicated to just getting rid of the couple and being done with the only obstacle they seemed to believe was in their path, because all roads for that cult unfortunately ran straight through Amelia and Luz by Caleb's design and true peace felt like an unobtainable goal they were fighting to earn.

The more Amelia thought about it, now that the subject was on her mind whether she wanted it to be or not, the more questions she had regarding the so-called 'elites' of The Empire, the ones who were essentially Caleb's second-in-command in this incarnation with his 'Golden Prodigy' having defected from his corrosive influence wrapped in self-serving Bible quotes and twisted religious rhetoric. As of right now, Vladimir was the only one they were for-sure was still carrying on with this plan they had enacted of trying to talk her and Luz into letting Caleb 'guide' them, even just as a much more experienced wrestler. Her mom, for sure, seemed to be a part of the contingent that was breaking away from Caleb's plans and trying to bring about his so-called 'paradise' even if it meant he couldn't 'save' her and Luz as a means of proving he deserved to ascend to Heaven when he finally kicked the bucket, and she wouldn't doubt her dad would side with Ophelia without question. As for whether or not they were the leaders of this splinter cell... that wasn't as cut-and-dry and she would've liked to assume.

The truth of the matter was that six of the nine elites were unaccounted for in this situation. Of them, the only ones Amelia knew of were Theresa and Adrian, who seemed like they were on Vladimir's side based on past interactions but she had no concrete confirmation, and Mason, who they didn't really know too much about aside from the single meeting where he was present alongside the 'terrible two' she'd already made note of. That still left three they'd never even properly met, and the whole thing left so many unanswered questions that were going to need to be answered somehow, someway if they were going to figure this out.

“Alright, as good as lunch has been, I think we could all use a change of scenery,” Darius suggested. “Something to help us all clear our heads like Amelia is supposed to be doing.”

“We're pretty bad at this, aren't we?” Emily chuckled, though there was a familiar nervous edge to her voice. Amelia knew it all too well... she'd heard it from her own mouth every now and then as well, and she knew exactly who was to blame for feeling insecure about thinking that way, even in a joking manner.

“More like we just need to get used to having these kinds of moments,” Ivy responded. “Though... it is, admittedly, easier when you're not trying to force it.”

“Easier said than done right now,” Henry lamented.

Amelia just nodded as she pushed her chair back and stood up, stretching out and feeling the satisfying pop of a few joints as she was more than ready to get some fresh air and see where else today took her... at least, before she and Luz reunited to discuss their days without each other and talk strategy for the battle royal tomorrow night, and potentially try to figure out what to do after Taking Hold of the Flame as a backup plan. Darius paid the bill and left a tip for the wait staff before they all stepped out of the restaurant, discussing ideas for where they wanted to go next. As suggestions were thrown around, Amelia thought she heard something, and a quick glance to Darius confirmed he might've heard it too.

“Guys,” Amelia suddenly said in a hushed voice, quieting everyone down. “Do you hear that?”

They all listened carefully, which was a bit hard considering they were in one of the busiest areas of New Orleans, but through the hustle and bustle, they all swore they heard someone familiar... and they seemed to be nearby.

“Is that...?” Edward started to say, but cut himself off as Darius raised a finger to his lips.

“Stay quiet and stay close,” he told them. “Keep out of sight.”

With that, the group all carefully turned into the alley right next to the restaurant, keeping their eyes and ears peeled. As they saw someone heading in their direction from the other end of the alleyway, they all quickly ducked behind nearby dumpsters to avoid being seen. Thankfully, it seemed like the person they had spotted was too preoccupied to have noticed them, which was a blessing once they realized who it was... someone that made the collective stomachs of Amelia and her siblings lurch.

“I don't think you understand how serious this is, Ophelia!” Adrian Verner growled into his phone as he frantically paced back and forth. “Caleb's plan was clear, and you and Aleister were onboard with it because it would get your youngest daughter back on track. Do you realize what Caleb will do to you once he realizes you're leading this little insurrection against his paradise he promised us all!?”

Amelia scowled at this as it seemed to confirm some of her suspicions, but hearing what her family's scumbag lawyer (ex-lawyer?) trying to rationalize The Empire's obvious plan to her mother still made her sick, especially after all the work she'd put into becoming someone she actually felt proud of when she looked in the mirror. Before she could consider doing anything, though, she felt Darius's hand on her shoulder, keeping her grounded as he signaled that now wasn't the right moment to make a move.

“What do you mean you're not leading it?” Adrian spat in disbelief over whatever Ophelia had told him from the other end of the call. “You're the one Caleb can publicly confirm is working against him after what you pulled in London! Even if you aren't the leader, you know he's going to treat you as such and make an example out of you! Why do you insist on defying him? … I don't care if you're still trying to bring paradise to fruition, you're actively defying our Lord's orders to do so!” Adrian ran a hand down his face in frustration, especially with whatever Ophelia's response was to this. “Must you keep reminding me of the botched trial? I could have found us a way out if you had just trusted me, but you and Aleister just had to open your mouths and incriminate yourselves! Clearly I am the only one out of the three of us who actually cares about doing this the right way, and when Caleb decides to excommunicate you from our paradise... don't say I didn't warn you.”

Adrian hung up the phone, letting out a long, frustrated groan as he pocketed it and set about trying to make sure he was still well put together. Amelia looked to Darius, who nodded to her but motioned to the others to stay put for now, and they nodded in understanding.

“That woman, I swear...” Adrian grumbled. “If she would just listen to me and let me do what God put me on this Earth to do, we wouldn't have these little issues that keep setting us back! Oh well... assuming Vladimir contacted that masked brat about her little plan to sabotage it, that just leaves the business I need to attend to so I can get out of this shithole city.”

“And what business would that be, Mr. Verner?”

Adrian nearly jumped out of his skin, his scream definitely resembling that of a little girl before he realized that Darius was standing before him, arms folded and looking very unamused right now.

“Ah, Darius! A pleasure to see you again!” Adrian greeted, taking a few steps backward as he looked ready to run the second Darius made a move to likely arrest him. “I, um... I'm afraid that business is classified, so if you'll excuse me, I have to find young Miss Blythe-”

“That's Mrs. Nevado now, Adrian,” Amelia growled as she stepped out from behind Darius, cracking her wrists as though she were ready to try and turn the Empire elite into a human pretzel right here and now. “And don't try to feign ignorance... I know you're willingly ignoring my marriage to Luz because it doesn't fit the faith Caleb's painstakingly crafted for you to buy into.”

“I will acknowledge your unholy union when God himself does,” Adrian firmly stated before he adjusted his tie and tried to primp himself once more. “Now then... shall we perhaps adjourn to a more private location to discuss business?”

“Any business you have to discuss with her can be done in my presence,” Darius warned. “Especially since I have a warrant for your arrest and plenty of questions of my own I'd like to ask you.”

“Ugh, must we really do this?” Adrian complained.

“We can start with you telling me exactly what that call with Ophelia was about,” Amelia demanded, with Adrian looking a little more nervous at now just the venom in Amelia's tone, but the fact that she called her mother by her first name intentionally. “Or what Vladimir's contacting my wife about.”

“You can ask her yourself when you next see her,” Adrian claimed, trying to brush off Amelia's questions. “And the information pertaining to my call with Miss Ophelia Blythe is strictly confidential...”

“It won't be for much longer,” Darius warned as he flashed his badge. “Adrian Verner, you're under arrest for-”

“Sorry, but I've got a plane to catch!” Adrian claimed before he turned around and made a break for it. Amelia and Darius immediately began chasing after him, with the others also revealing themselves as Ivy and Henry joined the chase while Edward and Emily stayed behind, just in case he pulled some sort of misdirection to try and slip past them to escape since they didn't know if this alleyway was a dead end or not.

Given the fact that he was just a lawyer and he was being pursued by three trained wrestlers and an NCA agent who were all very much built to handle a situation like this, Adrian quickly realized he was going to be caught in no time. Seeing the distance being closed, he reached into his pocket and threw something behind him, which exploded into a thick cloud of gas the moment it hit the ground. Darius quickly skidded to a halt and held out his arms to stop the other three as well. For all any of them knew, it could be a simple smoke bomb meant to cover Adrian's escape, or it could be something else that would cause some serious damage if they inhaled it. With The Empire, it was better safe than sorry, and Darius quickly pulled Amelia, Ivy and Henry back and out of the gas's range as it slowly began to dissipate. Edward and Emily ran up to join them as the smokescreen disappeared, leaving no trace of Adrian to be found.

“We didn't see him sneak past to leave the way we came in,” Emily reported. “This alley must open up on the other side as well.”

“Damn it,” Darius huffed. “That slippery, overdramatic bastard...”

“Wait... what's that?” Ivy pointed out, drawing all eyes to what looked like a white envelope laying on the ground where the smokescreen had been. Before Darius could fully assess the risks, Henry pulled a bandana from his pocket and tied it around the bottom half of his face before he moved in and grabbed the envelope.

“It's addressed to Amelia,” he stated, his voice muffled by the bandana as he handed her the envelope, which certainly had her name on it. Before she could open it, however, Henry realized that everyone was just staring at him, causing him to let out a sigh. “Sorry... reflexes. Caleb trained me for situations like this, as much as he preferred I remain in the wrestling portion of The Empire.”

“...we'll be unpacking that later,” Darius admitted before turning his focus to Amelia, who was carefully opening the envelope. “What does it say, Amelia?”

Amelia scowled as she read through the note that had been left behind, resisting the urge to just shred the thing right then and there as she handed it over to Darius and the others to read, the overly elegant handwriting masking a rather unsettling message.

Amelia,

If you're reading this, then that means Adrian has failed with the simple task I assigned him, which would sadly be unsurprising at this point. I cannot assume Vladimir will be any more successful in his task, so I ask a request of the two of you I seek to save.

I need your help to put an end to a little rebellion that not only threatens your lives, but my paradise as well.

- Caleb White

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Vieux Carre, or the French Quarter, is considered the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, and is often considered its crown jewel. Built on influences from all over the world and blending the old with the new in seamless harmony, the view we get of everything this part of the city has to offer is just breathtaking, especially as the sun is beginning to set and the city is truly beginning to come alive. Bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, we find Amelia Nevado standing on the balcony of her hotel in this part of the city... or at least, it's what we want to assume. As we see her from the side, catching her brilliant smile as she gazes out at the city below, we can also see her wife, La Pequeña Luz, on a different balcony further down, seemingly doing the exact same thing. Amelia and Luz do happen to glance in one another's directions, grinning and nodding to one another before the camera pivots around as Amelia turns with us, putting her back to the city as she folds her arms in front of her like a proper young lady, taking a deep breath and focusing on the task she knows awaits her come Sunday night.

“You know something? It's kind of funny in a sense... ever since the end of my admittedly brief Television Title reign came to an end two years ago and Luz seemed to start figuring out the missing pieces that kept her from shining as brilliantly as I know she can, an old script seemed to have been flipped. I talked about it before, back during the previous Trios Tournament: whereas everyone was once high on me to be the 'breakout star' of The Light In The Darkness while Luz was left behind, now everyone has started believing Luz would be the one leaving me behind as I seemed to have lost all that momentum I had going for me. Even when I found myself as part of the winning Trios team and in possession of a contract, all eyes continued to remain on Luz as she earned an opportunity at the United States Title and then proceeded to reign as champion, albeit not in a way she would've preferred. It was either Luz, or The Light In The Darkness, but never Amelia. No offense to mon amour, of course.

And yet... over the past few weeks, my name is suddenly starting to come up again. Ryan LeCavalier apparently is adding me to her list because she proved everything I said about her correct all because I will fully admit that, at least when we met a few weeks ago, I was just a little bit better and wanted that win just a little bit more. Selena Frost has seen fit to mention me once again, hoping I would back down from this opportunity despite it conflicting with the very criticisms she gave to Luz and I years ago, when our commitment was questioned heading into our effort to dethrone the House of Frost for the World Tag Team Titles. Truth be told, even if it's including Luz in the same breath, I wouldn't be surprised if Xander Valentine had something to say to me going into Sunday night, or the various members of the Fall of Man proving that we continue to haunt their thoughts just because they didn't finish the job like they claimed they would and we're not playing their game anymore.

Truth be told... I didn't go anywhere, I didn't fade away or become forgotten. I just slowly rebuilt myself and climbed back to this point with nothing but my bare hands and the skills I'm proud to bring into that ring, and people are starting to realize that it doesn't matter if we're teaming together or standing alone, Luz and I are both worth keeping an eye on as time goes on and we keep getting better and better. And if you don't believe me? Well, then hopefully I can keep proving it come Taking Hold of the Flame, when I step into that battle royal and test myself to see how I measure up against everything and everyone that SCW has to offer.”

Amelia softly smiles, knowing that her approach to this match may not only be a bit different than Luz's, but it will likely throw some people for a loop. After all, they're used to hearing bold declarations claiming that them winning and going on to main event Rise to Greatness is a foregone conclusion. Once upon a time, Amelia would have no doubt been another voice floating in that very sea, making claims she wasn't sure she could keep but pushing herself to make it a reality because she had to.

“Allow me to clarify a few things... do I want to be SCW World Champion? Absolutely, that's the dream everyone in this company aspires for. At least, unless your name is Giovanni Aries maybe. Am I ready to call myself World Champion right now? Well... that is the question, isn't it? Truth be told, I don't think anybody ever truly knows if they're ready or not, but as the old saying goes, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. That's exactly why Luz and I were both willing to enter ourselves into the battle royal this year. Maybe one of us will be ready to take that leap, maybe neither of us are ready yet. All we can do is go out there, give it our best shot, and see how things play out. And if it's not our time? Then we keep working hard until that time comes. Unlike everyone who has been loudly proclaiming that this is their year, that winning this battle royal is their destiny, I won't be heartbroken if it's not meant to be. I'll just pick myself back up, dust myself off, and figure out what the road to Rise to Greatness has in store for me that doesn't involve the World Championship. Who's to say that my time to stand at the very top might not come until later in the year, perhaps, when I've had more time to be ready to take that step?

Not to mention, the one thing that can't be forgotten: even if I'm not ready to Take Hold of the Flame just yet, I do still have a fallback option in the form of my Trios contract.

Now, I know those words are probably raising a few alarms, so allow me to put some fears to rest, or potentially make certain people realize they haven't accounted for every eventuality after all. Assuming I don't win this battle royal, I currently have no plans to use that contract to just insert myself into the Rise to Greatness main event. If I'm going to compete for SCW's greatest prize on the biggest stage imaginable, then that's an honor I truly want to earn and know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I deserve it. That said... I have heard the words of Giovanni Aries specifically, the claim that if he doesn't walk out of the Thunderdome as World Champion than he would win the battle royal and, assuming that title remains with the Fall of Man, choose not to have his match, lost in his delusions that he will succeed in destroying SCW once and for all and be hailed as the hero he believes himself to be. Except... there's one problem with that plan, Gio. Not counting the need to win this battle royal and either James or Waylon to leave the Thunderdome as World Champion, if that's what you truly wish to do... then maybe I'll feel the need to use my Trios contract to ensure a World Title match still takes place, even if I'm not ready yet, just so those fans can get what they paid for and deserve to see. Of course, in that scenario, perhaps Selena could also beat me to the punch and finally use her rematch to force the same scenario, in which case, she can have it. The point, Gio, is that your little scheme has a lot of variables that you either didn't account for, or you're so certain this will play out exactly as you want it to that you've already lost yourself to the same greed that you claim has tainted all of us, blinded by your absolution that you overlooked some very important details that are beyond your control.

Of course, I'm just one of the extremely few voices not outright claiming that I already have this match won, so maybe my warning will fall on deaf ears to the Fall of Man. But it doesn't change the fact that I truly don't need to win this match... but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try just to see how far I can go.

On one final note... to my beloved La Pequeña Luz, if it somehow comes down to just the two of us, then I look forward to seeing just how far we've both come and I wish you the best of luck, but I'm sorry in advance if I'm the one still standing in the ring this time when all is set and done.”

Amelia glances over and winks at something out of the shot, presumably Luz, before she bows her head and begins to take her leave, having said all that she feels she needs to as we take one last lingering look at the beauty of the French Quarter of New Orleans before we fade out.

[Asher_Hayes]

OOC: I was inspired by some of my favorite crime fiction novelists in how I wrote this piece. I hope it comes off as I wanted. Going to enjoy the rest of my birthday.

In The Business of Misery, Chapter Two

[Ryan Lecavalier]

Decent

[Chris Lawler]

Combustion