Light in the Darkness vs. Kelsai Adamson & Chance Owens

[Konrad Raab]

4 RP Limit for tag

3500 word max per RP

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Wednesday, April 12, 2023

[Chance Owens]

You get what you give... Though sometimes you get more than you bargained for.

[Wisteria Waltz]

OOC: Just to help clarify, the events of this piece take place the day after the Breakdown of Kim's Trios cash-in, so there is no reference to anything that happened on the most recent BD. This is because I started working on this before that show was posted and was deep enough in by the time it went up that I couldn't justify altering my course.
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Luz and Amelia often found themselves wondering when their lives and careers had gotten so crazy.

Growing up with parents in the wrestling business, both women had heard their fair share of crazy things that could and had happened. Amelia's parents usually had fairly tame stories, though this was a result of her mother often being the cause of whatever drama she was involved in while her father usually fell back on his influence to keep himself distanced from such scenarios as much as possible. Luz's father, on the other hand, usually had plenty of tales to tell that might sound crazy to the average person but made perfect sense once you realized the culture he represented helped put a lot of those events into context. That didn't change the fact that the two had both endured several hardships growing up that would never fit in with what was considered 'normal' to most people, from the way Amelia was raised from birth to be nothing more than the latest chapter of her family's legacy to Luz's parents arguing over her future and ultimately losing her father to very tragic circumstances that ultimately created a rift in her relationship with her mother.

It was getting to the point where they found themselves pondering which set of events was more insane: the giant bout of chaos they had just endured courtesy of Kimberly Williams and her Trios contract, or the evolving mess that was the Blythe elders' latest attempt to get their daughter back in line while Luz's professional image was being sabotaged as part of some sort of sister scheme.

It was the day after that particular Breakdown and the couple were slowly waking up in the hotel room in Edmonton they had shared, still feeling the effects of what they had endured in that madness. While neither one could at least say they had suffered some of the more gory aspects that typically accompanied an Underground Rules setting (likely to Kim's chagrin), that didn't change the fact that Luz had still been shocked by a stun gun that had subtly affected her for the remainder of the night while Amelia had spent a great deal of time once they'd gotten back trying to flush her eyes out from the powder that had been thrown in her face. That was also ignoring the fact that even if they didn't get involved in the festivities right away, they both still wrestled for a significant chunk of the entire show, easily making it the longest match either one had ever competed in.

Considering they were about a week and a half removed from their long and intense Tag Title battle with the Frosts as well, they wanted to believe they were moving in the right direction to becoming the kinds of wrestlers they truly wanted to be on the SCW roster. A lot of work still needed to be done, though, and taking part in Kim's Trios cash-in had at least given them a foundation to start building from.

After they'd both reluctantly parted from just cuddling in bed to each get a shower in, they had made their way downstairs to get some food, deciding to take advantage of the free breakfast that came with their stay given how sore they still were from pushing their bodies for so long in that match. Plus, they had planned to fly back to Anaheim that afternoon, wanting a brief reprieve in the comfort of their own home to reflect on their past few outings so they could work to adapt and evolve... not to mention have a chance to just relax their bodies while they shifted some of their focus to the other issues at hand.

Neither woman was aware of some of the stares they were getting as they plated their food and took a seat at the nearest vacant table they could find.

“You feeling alright this morning Luz?” Amelia asked as she noticed a slight tremble in her girlfriend's hand as she tried to impale a slice of back bacon with her fork.

“Yeah,” Luz replied with a sigh. “Just some lingering effects of Ravyn using a stun gun of all things on me. I know it was technically legal in that insanity, but there's still lines you don't cross and that was just plain messed up just to try and get some falls.”

“Tell me about it,” Amelia said as she took a moment to rub her left eye. “I don't know what was in that powder she threw at me, but my eyes will probably feel like they're burning for a while no matter how thoroughly I've flushed them out and used eye drops. At least I can see clearly again...”

“How do you think the others reacted to everything?” Luz asked.

“Ivy and Gage are probably proud of the falls we did score, though Ivy will probably want to snap Ravyn like a twig for what she pulled,” Amelia pondered with a chuckle. “My siblings will definitely get a little too doting and overprotective the moment they see me again. I just hope they found anything new we could use to sort some of our other problems out.”

Luz nodded at this. It had just been the two of them coming to Edmonton as the rest of their group had stayed behind to focus on digging more into The Empire and why they were going to such drastic lengths outside of the business to achieve the end goal they sought inside of it. Considering Gage didn't have a passport yet and Ivy had a scheduling conflict with her wrestling bookings, they all agreed it made the most sense. Edward and Emily could have accompanied them, but they felt two extra pairs of eyes back home would help in sorting out any more anomalies that popped up, especially in regards to the Luz doppelganger.

“I just don't understand why someone would want to pretend to be you just to try and ruin your image,” Amelia thought out loud. “That's not something that happens often in lucha libre, is it?”

“Absolutely not,” Luz firmly stated. “The only time you'd ever find more than one person sharing an identity is either with the explicit agreement of all parties involved to help spread the name or because one luchador is passing the identity to another to carry on its legacy. Trying to pass yourself off with someone else's mask and name is disrespectful and is something you normally only find in companies with a loose understanding of our traditions that think they're being clever using the fact that our masks sometimes make it easy to find someone else to imitate us.”

“Sounds like our 'friend' Caleb certainly could care less about lucha libre traditions considering he had that investigator give him whatever he needed to make that happen and then recommended his services to my mom,” Amelia huffed. “I don't even know what he's hoping to gain from this. It seems like way too much effort to try and use it to help my parents get me back in line, especially when we can always vouch for one another in terms of where we're at to discredit her appearances.”

“I'd love to know who would willingly go along with such a scheme,” Luz growled. “It has to be someone who isn't too familiar with—or worse yet, doesn't care about—lucha libre tradition.”

“You mean like you?”

Luz and Amelia immediately turned their attention to a group of two men and a woman sitting at a nearby table who were scowling at the former like she was some sort of horrible person. While Amelia looked surprised, Luz looked almost offended by the accusation.

“Excuse me?” Luz asked them.

“You know, I used to be a fan of yours,” the guy who had spoken before revealed. “But you've really been going out of your way to spit in the face of everyone worldwide who supported you, especially after the sport lost El Espíritu Angélico.”

“What are you talking about?” Luz questioned, genuinely confused. “The fans are everything to me! They're what drive me to be the athlete that I am!”

“Then why on earth did you call lucha libre 'a disgrace to what it means to be a wrestler' because it was 'all style and no substance'?” the other guy asked.

“When did I say that?” Luz asked in return.

“Oh, don't act like you're still some sort of saint,” the woman with them spat. “You said it right before your match two nights ago. And then you show up on Breakdown last night trying to act like you're all honorable again? How much of a hypocrite can you be!?”

“She can't be a hypocrite if she was by my side two days ago, right here in Edmonton preparing for Breakdown,” Amelia noted, eyes narrowing into a glare as she was starting to get fed up with these accusations against her girlfriend. “There's someone out there stealing her name and look and trying to ruin her career.”

“And why should we trust what you have to say?” the woman fired back. “You know, I looked up to you as a fellow lesbian who wasn't afraid to hide who she truly is, but how am I supposed to feel when that turns out to be a lie, huh?”

“Seriously,” one of the guys chimed in. “Real low blow trying to stick up for your so-called girlfriend after it got announced that you're engaged to that Golden Prodigy of The Empire.”

“I'm sorry, what!?” Amelia nearly shrieked, and it was at this point that Luz looked around and started taking notice of all the attention they were receiving, and none of it looked pleasant. She could recognize the looks of wrestling fans in the presence of someone who they weren't a fan of, and to see those kinds of looks leveled their way felt like a low blow.

Amelia, however, kept her focus on the trio. “Where in the hell did you hear something that farfetched?”

“It got heavily talked about before his debut match yesterday,” the other guy noted. “I don't even know why you're surprised by this considering-”

“Do I look like I have a ring on my finger?” she fired back, showing both of her hands as proof. “Besides, I've never even met this guy, nor would I have any feelings for someone like him!”

“Guess all Blythes really are manipulative,” the woman huffed as she and her friends stood up and moved to another table away from them.

Amelia opened her mouth to respond, but Luz gently grabbed her wrist before nodding her head to all the attention they were getting, with most of it being negative. The two of them quickly finished breakfast before heading back to their room, clearly rattled by this turn of events.

“I can't believe how out of hand this is getting,” Luz lamented once they'd reached the floor where their room was and began heading down the hallway.

“No kidding,” Amelia replied in frustration as she scrolled through her phone, showing Luz the various wrestling news sources revealing that Caleb and her father had publicly announced the supposed engagement at a recent show.

Considering how focused the two had been on trying to rebuild themselves after Retribution and figuring out how they were going to approach the madness that had gone down last night, they had blocked out anything that might seem like a distraction only to realize that not addressing the problem was only making it worse. That said, they had to dedicate some focus to SCW if they were going to prove they belonged here and could be that beacon of hope that would lead to a brighter future for the company, especially after the proposal they'd made to the Frosts to prove they were serious about this.

“If it were just your parents, I'd kind of understand,” Luz sighed. “I don't know why they're so obsessed with making you be the next entry in this family legacy when they've got other options they could pursue... not that I think they deserve the claim of beginning a family legacy. But what is this Caleb guy's deal and why is he going this far to try and basically hijack our careers?”

“I wish I had a clue,” Amelia replied. “At least then we'd have an idea of where to even begin dealing with all of this so people can accept that we're exactly who we say we are...”

“The answers you seek are buried deep in the past, long before you were even born.”

The girls stopped right as they opened the door to their room, startled by the sudden intrusion into their conversation. They turned around and found that the door to the room across from theirs was open, and standing in the doorway was a tall woman with piercing green eyes and short black hair that they could easily tell was a dye job based on the more reddish undercut they could see traces of. While she wore a long black dress, a golden pin she wore on the chest depicted a heater shield with a pair of swords crossed behind it and angel wings sprouting from the shield's sides... a symbol that was all too recognizable as the logo of The Empire. That sight alone got both women to put their guards up, to which the woman responded by holding her hands up in surrender.

“Please, I wish only to talk,” she told them.

“Whatever your little group is selling, we're not interested,” Luz growled.

“We just want to be left alone to focus on our careers with SCW right now,” Amelia added.

“While you are correct that I am part of The Empire, I can assure you that my goals run counter to theirs,” she claimed. “Perhaps I should introduce myself, although I believe you might already recognize me, Amelia. The name's Lily Clauson, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Lily!?” Amelia exclaimed, taking a better look at the woman before realizing that a lot of details about her had seemed familiar. “It's been years since I last saw you! You look... different...”

“Not the kind of look I wanted to take on, but it's a sacrifice I made for the job I'm doing right now,” Lily admitted.

“You mean being a part of The Empire?” Luz spat before turning to her girlfriend in bewilderment. “Ames, who is this? How do you know her and why aren't you freaking out because of who she's associated with?”

“Relax, querida,” Amelia replied as she took Luz's hand and leaned over to kiss the cheek of her mask. “When I first entered the business, Lily was tasked by my parents to make sure I stayed on 'the right path' because she was an old schoolmate of theirs and a veteran they trusted. Cold, calculating, efficient in the ring... unfortunately for them, she wasn't quite those things outside the ring. Before I met you, she was actually the first to realize that the way my parents were treating me wasn't right and tried to subtly steer me off of their chosen path to carve my own. My parents caught on however and forced me back in line, right about the time she mysteriously disappeared... it was another few months after that before the fateful night we first crossed paths, and the rest is history.”

Luz raised an eyebrow as she turned to look at this woman, who seemed to be quietly appraising her and nodding to herself as though something seemed to make sense. It was a little unnerving, to be honest, but even with Amelia trying to tell her it was alright, she refused to let her guard down around someone who seemed to be part of the very group that was sabotaging their names.

“Believe me when I say that if I had a choice in the matter, I wouldn't have left you to their devices Amelia,” Lily said as her attention turned to the mentioned woman. “I had intended to intervene, but, as much as I can't blame her for things beyond her control, my younger sister had some rather bad timing. Even though we'd been bitter rivals in the business for years and on rather rocky terms outside of it for even longer, I'd gotten the call that she'd been diagnosed with cancer and had to face the reality that if I wanted to make amends and truly have her in my life again then my window to do so was closing. Thankfully, she managed to beat it and made a full recovery, and by the time she had, you had already found your own way out of your parents' chains... and with the help of the daughter of an old friend, no less.”

“Old friend?” Luz questioned, eyes slowly widening as she was the only person who fit the given description, which meant... “Did you know my father?”

“My sister and I crossed paths with him in the business many times, and we held a great deal of respect for the man,” Lily revealed. “He was a big reason why my sister was motivated to approach the business the way she does, even if I didn't fully agree with it. All three of us also knew Caleb White, the leader of The Empire... it was my sister's idea for me to join them, actually, under the guise of agreeing with their goals and wanting to renew my old rivalry with my sister to make her admit that her way of doing things is wrong and our careers can flourish again together under The Empire's banner. The truth, however, is that I'm working as a mole and passing along whatever I learn because we know how Caleb operates and want him out of this business for good.”

Before that revelation could really sink in for the couple, Lily's phone began going off. She retreated from the door to grab it and quietly cursed at whatever name she saw on the caller ID.

“Sorry I couldn't talk for longer girls, but I have to keep this cover if we're going to take this bastard down,” she told them. “Please know that you can trust me, and if you ever need more help then seek out my sister, Marilyn Clauson. She's been hoping to meet you in particular, Luz. And remember what I said... look deep into the past for the answers you're looking for.”

Before they could press for any more information, Lily had answered her phone and closed the door to her room, leaving the couple standing there contemplating this latest turn of events. They ultimately decided to finally step into their room and start packing for their flight, pondering the hints they'd been given by a woman who wanted them to trust her. Considering they were struggling to figure out how to approach this whole mess, perhaps this was just what they needed, but they wanted to discuss this with their friends once they got back to the States to decide their next course of action.

Considering the only thing that made sense about her cryptic message regarding the past meant trying to get answers from their respective parents, finding what they supposedly needed to look for would be easier said than done.

That said, it was becoming more and more apparent that if they wanted to live up to their namesake, they were going to have to keep adapting both inside the ring and out as well to survive this growing storm.

[Wisteria Waltz]

It should be no surprise that when you visit Seattle, the Space Needle will be on almost everyone's to-do list for sightseeing, especially given the renovations it's received in the past few years. The feeling of standing well above the Seattle skyline and getting to gaze out upon it is an experience like no other, and as the sun is slowly beginning to descend in the horizon, one could say that the view is quite romantic. Perhaps that is one reason why we find The Light In The Darkness standing out on the renovated outdoor observation level, enjoying the cool early evening air and looking out through the new tilted open-air glass walls. That said, there is likely another symbolic reason why they're here considering they wouldn't be in front of a camera if they were just looking to have a quiet date night while they were in the city for Breakdown.

One rather curious thing to note is that the video is very clearly displaying the date and time that this is being recorded at in the bottom right corner, but whether this was intentional or something that got missed when the video was made public is unknown to us.

After a moment, Amelia and Luz slowly begin to turn their attention to us, allowing us to see the tiniest glimpse of a look of peace on both of their faces before they put a pause on the romantic scene around them. Once they've turned around in full, we're left with looks of focus and determination as their hair and clothes gently blow in the breeze. They both take a deep breath before Amelia takes the lead.

“These past few weeks have given Luz and I a lot to think about. We walked into Retribution looking to give the House of Frost everything we had and did just that... but as Selena predicted, we simply weren't ready yet. When that became the case, she gave us a challenge to seek her out on the next Breakdown so we could tell her and Deanna, to their faces, that we weren't going anywhere and we were going to work hard to prove what SCW means to us and what kind of team we wanted to be. Granted, none of us were expecting the absolute chaos that consumed that entire show, but we are women of our word. Not only that, but we gave an ultimatum to the Frosts that was accepted, and despite what many of you out there may think, we do not regret making it. Our hopes of being World Tag Team Champions together are on hold and will remain that way until Selena and Deanna, two women we respect and trust with every fiber of our beings, deem us ready to take the lead on being the tag team that leads and represents that division with pride and will fight with everything that we have to defend that right. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people out there question why we would do this, but the fact of the matter is that it gives us a goal to strive for and a purpose to every match we compete in that isn't only trying to earn the right to challenge for championship goal. We know someone will be watching us, evaluating our every move, having the final say on when we've made it clear that we are here to be our namesake and represent that bright future that this company should have.”

“One thing we picked up on last week was Mr. D's conversation with Selena, trying to explain why he said what he said to Deanna, hoping to motivate her so she can be kept around whenever a new owner does finally take charge. Honestly, we can speak from firsthand experience when we tell whoever ultimately ends up in control that getting rid of a woman that talented and only getting better with each passing match would be a grave mistake, and we want to prove that the same could be said of us as well. Despite what Selena called us out on leading up to our Tag Title match, the fact of the matter is that management clearly believes that Amelia and I are something special if they were more than willing to keep the door open for us when we felt we were ready to come back and give this company another shot. That's not something that most people in that position would be willing to do, and believe me when I say that we didn't come back here and bust our asses to put on matches like what we had with the Frosts at Retribution or the twelve-person tag match at Body, Heart & Soul just to be denied our chance to make our mark on this company because someone decided on a whim that they think we don't belong here. To whoever out there is putting in a bid to buy this company, know this: you aren't getting rid of us that easily, and if you think we don't belong here then we will be more than happy to get into an SCW ring, where we belong, and prove you wrong!”

The couple holds each other's hands tightly as Luz gets more passionate with her statement. It's clear that Mr. D's words have been weighing heavily on their minds even if they weren't directed at them, and the idea of no longer being in SCW just because someone simply decided they weren't worth keeping around clearly didn't sit well with them and they were ready to fight to prove they belong here.

“On the subject of the chaos from two weeks ago, though... yeah, the both of us were a part of that chaos, and while we didn't indulge in the Underground Rules like Kim had probably hoped, we still gave it everything we had for a significant chunk of the entire show—the longest we'd ever competed for and a little over a week and a half removed from stealing the show at Retribution with the Frosts and proving just how valuable the tag team division is in this company. We weren't expecting to walk out of that match with any championships, but we threw ourselves into the fray anyway to create a foundation that we can build from to become the tag team we want to be. Now, just because we kept our expectations low and realistic doesn't mean we don't have an issue to address about that match, myself in particular. If you really want to get technical about it... The One and I tied for seventh place at three falls apiece, which based on how the titles were ranked should mean she and I would need to sort out which one of us should be Underground Champion right now. But Kim went and included a special stipulation all for herself so that she only needed one fall to win that title back.”

“We have a problem with that special little stipulation of yours Kim... yes, it was your Trios cash-in and you are fully entitled to being a little selfish with it, but the fact of the matter is that both my girlfriend and The One scored more points than you did and walked away from that match empty-handed, and that's not addressing several people—myself included—who tied you in points and also left with nothing while you got to leave a champion. If that title means as much to you as you claim it does, then depending on whether or not Owen wants to take his rematch for the Underground Title, take a good look at that scoreboard and acknowledge the fact that you have two people who have come out of that chaos proving they deserve to hold that title more than you do. Put that title on the line against both The One and mi amor and prove, with just the three of you, that you still deserve to call yourself Underground Champion without your Trios contract to serve as a safety net anymore. Ignore this, Kim, and you'll make it painfully clear just what kind of Underground Champion you truly are, and even if we aren't exactly 'Underground material' in your eyes, we can still recognize and respect the fight that has been put up by past champions who were more than willing to shorten their careers to show just how much it meant to them, win or lose.”

Amelia lets those words linger in the air as Luz's expression changes briefly, but it's noticeable even with her mask. The Underground Title may not have been one she would have wanted to pursue as it's not normally her cup of tea, there was no denying that with how the points played out, she probably should be in a discussion regarding that title and if it came down to it, she'd be willing to take the opportunity and approach the challenge as it meant having to adapt to become the kind of wrestler she and Amelia both wanted to be in this business.

“For now, Kim and the chaos she left in her wake are a concern to be dealt with later. Right now, our focus is on the upcoming Breakdown right here in Seattle and our first proper tag match together since Retribution. This is our first chance to prove, after that match and our performance in that aforementioned chaos, that we have what it takes to adapt to whatever challenge comes our way and improve to become that shining beacon of hope that SCW needs now more than ever in the wake of all this uncertainty surrounding ownership. If whoever takes charge wants us to prove we deserve a place on this roster, then it begins with two people we got quite familiar with two weeks ago in Kelsai Adamson and Chance Owens. Trust us when we say that we know the both of you have every reason to want to make an impact at our expense come Thursday night. After all, Chance is the number one contender to the Adrenaline Title once the aftermath of the chaos is finally settled, a right he earned at Retribution with a hard-fought win. Considering this is his and Kelsai's first match properly teaming together and they no doubt have Tag Title aspirations, a win over the most recent challengers to those titles would go a long way for them.”

“That said, we can't make this easy on you guys and we hope you understand that. We didn't make it easy on either one of you when we gave the fans a preview of this match two weeks ago, and that resulted in the two of us scoring three of our collective five falls in that match off of the both of you alone. If we're going to keep improving and adapting to the changing landscape of SCW, if we're going to meet the challenge that we've imposed on ourselves, then we have to back all of that up by scoring a proper tag win over the two of you to continue our SCW journey in the direction we want to take it in. Heck, the fact that Chance thinks we only just returned at Body, Heart & Soul and missed the start of my TV Title reign or Luz taking part in the Trios Tournament before that show speaks volumes to us about how much work we have to do, considering we only seemed to show up on his and probably many other people's radars again when Luz scored the fall in that night's twelve-person tag match.

Trust me when I say that we're taking this match seriously Chance, and not just because of what this means to us. As Luz said, you're the current number one contender to the Adrenaline Title. In the past few months you've found yourself a part of Trios much like she has and challenging for the TV Title much like I did, not to mention having a shot at the U.S. Title on top of it. The fact that you've had more big opportunities than us overall and got on the radars of people like Josh Hudson means something in this business even if you might not see it yourself, and that in and of itself is all we'd need to know we're in for a fight come Breakdown. You call yourself the Roadblock and right now that nickname couldn't be more appropriate considering the journey Luz and I are about to embark on, a journey that has to start with us successfully getting out of the starting gate and making a statement against someone who has a guaranteed title match in the near future.”

“As much as Chance certainly has a lot of eyes on him for the reasons we've mentioned, we'd be remissed to forget about his partner, someone who actually stood on the opposite side of the ring from us in that twelve-person tag. I haven't forgotten the brief little encounter we had in that match Kelsai, and between that and two weeks ago I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited for the chance to go toe-to-toe with you again. There's not many out there who can match me in terms of quickness and want to match me in a style befitting of the great tradition of lucha libre, and I can say that for certain given how long I've spent establishing myself in Mexico and building my own lucha legacy. But for how much you'd love to win this match, especially since it's become no secret that you're really going out of your way to support Chance which is a noble effort we can respect, Amelia and I have been each other's rock for years now and we know we can support one another both inside that ring and out when the situation demands it. That is why we picked each other up after our loss at Retribution and chose the path we did regarding the World Tag Team Titles, that is why Amelia is in support of me being considered as a challenger for the Underground Title based on how Kim's Trios cash-in ultimately played out just as I supported her in her TV Title efforts. I can only hope he's able to show you the same level of support that you have for him, because otherwise...”

Luz lets that statement linger in the air as she and Amelia exchange looks of concern. It's one thing to want to support someone you care for, but both a true tag team and a true couple supported one another through thick and thin, and they worried over the idea of Kelsai giving Chance all her support to keep his confidence up only for him to not return the favor.

“We don't know what the future holds for us, either for the upcoming pay-per-view or in general as far as SCW and its changing landscape are concerned.”

“The one thing we know for sure is that we'll face it together.”

“Pushing each other to be the very best that we can be to prove that we belong here.”

“And it all starts with this Breakdown and our match with Chance and Kelsai.”

“We wish you both the best of luck, and we want everyone vying for the chance to be SCW's new owner to keep a close eye on this match.”

“You want to see what SCW means to The Light In The Darkness and vice versa? Then keep your eyes on us as we adapt and evolve until we are the kind of tag team that SCW truly deserves to have on its roster.”

The two of them nod and turn back to face the sun as it nearly finishes its descent in the evening sky, exchanging a soft kiss as they turn. While their time at the Space Needle may be limited now, their time in SCW is anything but if they have anything to say about it. Chance and Kelsai may be the first, but whatever challenge comes their way going forward, they will fight to prove that they belong here, that SCW is their home and they will walk through hell for it. The day the House of Frost deems them as worthy successors to bear the crowns of the tag team division and defend them with their lives may be far off, but every journey begins with a single step.

[Simple77]

There is just something about that first cup of coffee in the morning isn’t there? Some people just cannot start their day without it. Now we can’t say for sure that Chance Owens is among those people, but on this particular morning, sitting on his porch in the dark, it’s just Chance by himself, alone with his thoughts and the perfect cup of coffee. Who knows what those thoughts might be either, but at 6 o’clock in the morning dressed in a white tank undershirt, light blue pajama bottoms, and brown slippers you can be sure that the mind of this man was working overtime about something despite looking like he had just woken up in the morning. Truth be told, he had woken up at 2:06 am almost a full four hours earlier and he never went back to sleep after that. He was probably feeling fortunate this morning after going to bed at 11pm the night before because sleeping three hours a night was a luxury for Chance.
You want to know one thing that he probably wasn’t thinking about at this time however? That would be the pink Toyota 4 runner that had just parked in his driveway with the driver killing the engine as she quickly stepped outside shutting her door in the process while Chance just looked on, shaking his head.
“Good morning, Kelsai.”
Barely even able to register what Chance said Kelsai Adamson was rummaging in the back of her SUV.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, we don’t even have time for that, Chance.”
“We don’t have time to say good morning in the morning?”
Evidently finding what she was spending time searching for, Kelsai looks pleased as she heads toward the porch where Chance awaits, a boombox on her arm and a focused look on her face.
“Do you realize that when we get in the ring with La Pequena Luz and Amelia Blythe that will be the first time that we have ever done anything together?”
Chance had actually thought about exactly that for a fair amount of time, but he enjoys messing with Kelsai more, especially when she has a single minded focus like she seemed to have this morning.
“You know, now that you mention it, I guess that is true Kelsai. Unless you count talking like we are right now”
“I don’t”
Chance feints hurt feelings.
“And to think, I really enjoy talking to you…sometimes.”
“Very funny, Mister. I think that if we don’t learn how to do something together before that match, Luz and Blythe are going to eat us alive. They know each other so well, it’s scary to even think about.”
“The key for us is NOT to think about that thought. We need to concentrate on ourselves, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Point taken, but we should learn how to do something together, wouldn’t you think?”
“I suppose it’s not a bad idea, though I can’t figure why we haven’t done something together before at this point. Seems a little overdue if you ask me.”
As she got onto the porch, Kelsai stopped right in front of Chance, her face slowly breaking into a wide grin.
“Right, so why don’t we change that, Chance?”
“Well, I would ask what you have in mind, but I am guessing that the boombox on your shoulder is not just there for decoration.”
“Right again, partner. You are on fire this morning.”
Chance and Kelsai have discussed this before and they are often in sync when it comes to their thinking.
“So, we are going to a karaoke contest at 6 o’clock in the morning out in the dark?”
“And just like that, the fire is out.”
“Well that is really disappointing, because I wanted to hear you sing, partner.”
I will tell you what, if the two of us manage somehow to win in our first match together against a much more experienced opponent, I will sing for you, just for you after the match, does that sound good?”
“Sure. When we win in our debut match as a team, you are going to sign for me, but only me.”
“Fine. For now though, let’s focus on the real reason that I drove several states away to surprise you, because sir I have thought about this a lot, and I think in the immortal words of David Bowie….Let’s Dance.”
“Dance?”
“Yes, you do know how, right?”
Chance is actually a very good dancer, but just plays along for now.
“I dabble a little bit.”
Kelsai laughs and her eyes light up as she does.
“Ok, I’ll take the lead to start.”
Sitting down the boombox on a nearby table, Kelsai pushes play and anyone who can hear can definitely tell that what they are listening to is not David Bowie.
“My adoptive Mama was half latina and she used to tell me that one of the most distinctive musical tastes in that world is Santana.”
Chance just says nothing, and doesn’t even get up out of his chair either, instead opting to watch as Kelsai in a red skin tight crop top and spandex red pants to match starts dancing to Santana’s “Smooth”

Man, it's a hot one
Like seven inches from the midday sun
Well, I hear you whisper and the words melt everyone
But you stay so cool

Kelsai starts to slowly slither toward Chance as this suddenly does not look anything like a professional wrestling tag team trying to do something together for the first time.

My muñequita, my Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa
You're my reason for reason
The step in my groove

Kelsai comes up and is just inches away from Chance’s lips with her own.

And if you said this life ain't good enough
I would give my world to lift you up
I could change my life to better suit your mood
Because you're so smooth
And it's just like the ocean under the moon
Oh, it's the same as the emotion that I get from you
You got the kind of lovin' that can be so smooth, yeah
Give me your heart, make it real, or else forget about it

Kelsai winks at Chance and motions with her right index finger to get up and join her during the instrumental interlude. You can imagine her surprise however when Chance grabs Kelsai and places her down in his previous position in the chair. Then Chance takes off his white tank and starts a very seductive dance of his own while Kelsai can only watch slackjaw.

But I'll tell you one thing
If you would leave it'd be a crying shame
In every breath and every word
I hear your name calling me out

Chance has turned things around now and as he dances getting closer to Kelsai all the time, Kelsai starts to blush.

Out from the barrio
You hear my rhythm on your radio
You feel the turning of the world, so soft and slow
It's turning you round and round

Chance after slowly sliding toward Kelsai is finally only inches or closer away from Kelsai now as she continues to not even be able to pick her jaw up.

And if you said this life ain't good enough
I would give my world to lift you up
I could change my life to better suit your mood
Because you're so smooth
Well, and it's just like the ocean under the moon
Well, it's the same as the emotion that I get from you
You got the kind of lovin' that can be so smooth, yeah
Give me your heart, make it real, or else forget about it

Suddenly, Kelsai looks like she is about to kiss Chance but instead quickly stands, gets the boombox and heads back to the car, saying behind her.
“I’m sorry, something suddenly came up! See you at the match!”