La Pequena Luz vs. Cara Strader

[Konrad Raab]

2 RP Limit for singles

3500 word max per RP

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET THURSDAY, May 16, 2024

[CowgirlsFromHell]

A History of Carebear

[Wisteria Waltz]

Amelia Blythe and La Pequeña Luz had high hopes for the international tour that SCW embarked upon recently.

Perhaps they had gotten their hopes a little too high, in retrospect.

While the couple had succeeded in defeating the European Fiery Nation in Japan, despite the best efforts of Dakon and Ludvig to turn the match into a hardcore affair, everything else about both that Breakdown and the one that followed in Sydney, Australia had devolved into a chaotic mess that they would love to forget. They knew trying to control the carnage would be easier said than done, but they were not going to allow all of the hard work they'd been putting in to shine the spotlight on tag team wrestling and show the world that it was on the same level as even the World Title picture to be erased just because some of the newer teams to the fold didn't want to play along.

As far as they were concerned, Twisted & Sadistic were their problem now until their title match was done. Once the couple had proven, beyond any reasonable doubt and without any excuses, that they were good enough to defeat Glory and Brittany to remain atop the tag team division, then they could be left to comprehend why their tactics to quickly get back into contention had ultimately failed them. Teams like the Dangerous Minds and the Cowgirls From Hell complicated that, however... it was hard to blame them for wanting to pay Glory and Brittany back given everything that had happened leading into Taking the Leap, but the only definitive way to settle things should be in the ring in their humble opinion, and they knew exactly what was going to happen if they notched that crucial victory they were training for while Twisted & Sadistic were at less than 100% because of the consequences of their own actions.

The mere thought of this cycle repeating and only getting worse because of a justifiable excuse made them both sick. Especially Luz, who had endured a childhood full of bullying and being caught in the crossfire and knew better than even Amelia how this game worked, and she in particular was determined to restore order by reminding everyone of the one and only place where things really mattered in this business: inside the ring.

That said, things outside the ring hadn't been going as smoothly as the engaged couple would have liked either, and it left them begging to the heavens for a decent length of time where they could actually just enjoy their lives without someone trying to barge in and unravel it for who knows what reason.

Even two weeks later, Luz and Amelia were still haunted by the mortifying incident that had taken place at what should have been a nice, relaxing, well-earned trip to an authentic onsen in Japan prior to that Breakdown. One minute, they were unwinding in the calming hot waters of their private outdoor bath, then the next, they were trying to keep from being exposed in more ways than one by some maniac who'd been ranting and raving about “exposing them as frauds” or something to that effect. Thankfully, no pictures of them in the buff had ended up anywhere online, confirming the officers who had arrested the man had made good on their word of wiping his camera of the offending images that not only violated the couple's privacy but also the sacred cultural taboos against such behavior in a Japanese onsen.

Not only would it have been mortifying to have such images floating around for all to see and do as they pleased with, not to mention damaging to their personal and public image, but Luz in particular would have suffered the worst of it because she had been without her mask at the time, not wanting to disrespect Japanese culture and having been reassured that their bath should have been completely private to relieve any fears of breaking one of the most sacred rules of her own culture. If anything bearing her unmasked face got out into the public eye before she rightfully ended up in a position where she had to unmask as per lucha libre tradition, she would effectively be disowned by the very culture she fought to represent and be seen as a role model for aspiring young men and women looking to break into the business themselves, hoping to one day don their own mask and identity to forge their own legacy in the sport.

The couple had informed their found family of this incident during a call they'd had after getting settled into their hotel in Sydney, and 'disgusted' and 'angry' might have been too nice to describe their collective reactions to this turn of events. Luz's mom and Amelia's siblings were, understandably, fuming after hearing about this and it took a lot of talking down to keep them from abandoning their own affairs just to fly out to Saitama themselves to tear the man to pieces. Given the seriousness of the cultural taboos he'd violated, the creep was almost certainly not going to be an issue again going forward. Still, Luz and Amelia would've loved to have any idea of what the heck he was even going on about and why he was looking for them in the first place, and Gage had volunteered to do some digging after getting a description to see what he could find.

It almost bothered them how easily they mentally welcomed the chaos from the last Breakdown just because it gave them something else to focus on, but at least they hoped that whole incident was some weird one-and-done deal and their undivided attention could be on reminding the tag division of the simple concept that two wrongs don't make a right.

It almost felt weird to Luz and Amelia that SCW was returning to the States for a single Breakdown before heading up to Canada and then presenting Taking Hold of the Flame from England, but they weren't going to question the specifics of this whole international tour considering two of those shows allowed them to return home, in a sense. The pay-per-view was obvious given it was Amelia's birth country, but the next Breakdown emanating from Los Angeles put it a roughly 45 minute drive away from the house they had built together, giving them a rare chance to sleep in their own beds for a little while and figure out their next move within the walls that made them feel the safest.

Luz took a sip of her coffee as she sat on the couch, her mind completely focused on the footage she was studying. Gage, ever the enthusiastic wrestling historian that had made him invaluable as a commentator on the independent scene lately, had passed along everything he could get his hands on regarding not just the Cowgirls From Hell, but the Strader family as a whole to give the couple an idea of what they were up against. Sure, Taking Hold of the Flame was going to be an interesting affair given what had been booked by CHBK to try and resolve this mess once and for all, but Luz was also getting her first taste of singles action since losing her Television Title months ago and she was determined to keep momentum in her and Amelia's favor by turning back the challenge of Cara this Thursday night.

Amelia couldn't help but smile in admiration at how intently Luz was watching the Cowgirls' debut match in SCW, specifically focusing on Cara's time in the ring. One of the few things Luz had told her that few others actually knew was the fact that she had been diagnosed with ADHD when she was still in school, and it had been just one of the reasons why her classmates felt the need to bully her and treat her like an outcast, and that thought made her heart ache for the woman who had effectively saved her from herself so early in their careers. It was hard to tell, given that Luz was not only involved in something that was everything she could've ever dreamed of, but she just had such a love for life itself that you really had to dig to find any hints that she was neurodivergent. Truth be told, she'd talked at length with Luz about the possibility that she, herself, might also be neurodivergent in some way, and it was a possibility she felt they still needed to explore if things became quiet enough in their lives. Still, seeing Luz so hyperfocused had her heart doing flips at just how much she had accomplished in spite of everyone who had told her that, even as the daughter of a legendary luchador, she didn't have the focus to be able to accomplish anything as a wrestler in her own right.

“She's got a lot of similarities to you,” Amelia noted, breaking the silence as she turned away just to plate the breakfast she'd finished cooking before going to join Luz on the couch so they could study together.

“She's a good high-flyer, that's for sure,” Luz admitted as she took a bite of the omelet her wife-to-be had made, humming to herself as she swallowed. “And this is a good breakfast.”

“I'm glad you approve of my cooking,” Amelia chuckled. “I'd like to think I've come a long way from nearly burning down the kitchen when we first moved in together.”

“Considering your parents were the kind of stuck-up rich assholes who just left all of that to butlers and personal chefs and the like, you can't be blamed for not knowing how to cook for yourself even as an adult Ames,” Luz scolded as Amelia shrugged, unable to respond with a mouth full of food. She wanted to disagree, but she knew Luz had a point and wasn't about to let her go beating herself up again for something that was the result of her parents.

“Truth be told, I'm a little jealous that you get the singles nod in LA this week,” Amelia sheepishly admitted.

“Hey, you'll get your singles record back into the positives soon, I just know it!” Luz then punctuated this exclamation with a kiss on the corner of Amelia's lips that left her laughing and shoving her away because of the sticky syrup that had accompanied it.

“Thanks hermosa, but it's not just that,” Amelia said, and Luz immediately draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close at the change in tone. “I was kind of hoping to show my parents the next steps I'm taking to cut their influence out of my life. You know they're probably still keeping tabs on us while their lawyers find every loophole possible to keep them out of jail for being part of The Empire.”

“Don't remind me...” Luz groaned at the thought of the lingering remnants of The Empire that were still a potential issue even with Caleb imprisoned, but she was silently grateful that without their leader the veritable cult had seemingly died along with any hope that man ever had of being free. “I'm sure they'll get to see the next evolution of you soon enough Ames, especially as we get closer to finally tying the knot.”

“Just like Cara's going to learn the hard way just how much you continue to evolve and why that makes us such an effective tag team,” Amelia grinned, and Luz couldn't argue with that as the two began to softly kiss.

The sound of the doorbell kept them from considering the option of going any farther than that this early in the morning, and their blushing faces couldn't hide the fact that the thought had crossed both of their minds even briefly.

Clearing her throat, Luz was the first to break the awkward silence. “Were you expecting anyone, mi amor?”

“Actually, that's probably Gage,” Amelia replied as she slowly pulled herself up off the couch and started heading towards the front door. “He said he was going to stop by and needed to talk with us about something.”

Luz raised an eyebrow at this before double-checking to make sure her mask was on and secure. In the back of her head, she knew it was, but she didn't want to take any risks after what happened in Saitama even if it was one of her friends. Then again, the fact that Amelia had seen her maskless face after she had first donned it would been enough to effectively blacklist her as a 'real luchadora' if anyone found out, so better safe than sorry in her mind.

“Hey Luz!” She pulled herself out of her head before she could start spiraling as Gage waved to her while Amelia trailed behind him, and the two exchanged high-fives before he plopped down on the couch and cracked open the laptop he'd brought with him.

“How've you been Gage?” she asked him. “And where's everyone else?”

“Well... Ivy's got a match coming up and Henry's helping her prepare,” Gage replied, and Luz and Amelia couldn't resist an exchange of shit-eating grins as they knew those two had been growing a lot closer than they thought anyone had picked up on. “As for Amelia's siblings... well, they're still trying to figure out how to swing a flight to Japan.”

“I told them the creep had basically been dealt with,” Amelia groaned as she ran a hand through her hair. “Considering what he did, he'll be lucky if he gets to leave Japan anytime soon.”

“Yeah... about that...”

The couple turned their gaze back to Gage, who was looking pretty nervous. Considering they could tell something was on his mind and he didn't seem like he wanted to bother them, they didn't need to guess to figure out what he was referring to.

“Are you telling me he somehow got released!?” Amelia yelled.

“After he violated our privacy and spat in the face of Japan's culture and etiquette!?” Luz joined in.

“It looks that way,” Gage lamented, “and I know exactly why he crossed that line in the first place and what he was on about, though I couldn't begin to tell you why he even did it.”

Luz and Amelia looked concerned now as Gage ultimately navigated to a YouTube page, and almost immediately they recognized the person in the channel banner and thumbnails as the very same guy who'd barged in on them bathing. The very sight of him apparently having a YouTube channel made them want to vomit after their sole experience with him so far, but the more they saw as Gage scrolled through the videos, the more confused and infuriated they became.

“What the heck are we even looking at?” Amelia had to ask.

“Who does this 'True Hero Wrestling Reporter' think he is?” Luz added, cringing at the name that had been used for the channel.

“His real name is Jacob Harrison,” Gage answered. “He's one of those YouTube channels that posts all sorts of wrestling conspiracy theories and tries to pass it off as 'real news' and junk like that. Sadly, he's among the most popular, though even I can't figure out how people buy into this crap.”

He clicked on a random video to play it. Sure enough, once the obligatory YouTube ads that were probably how this scumbag made his money were out of the way, they were treated to the man proudly introducing himself by the name Gage had given them before presenting something that, while definitely looking like a professional quality wrestling news setup, was quickly lost by just how absurd the 'news' he was breaking sounded. This one in particular saw him rambling on about things like how James Evans got brainwashed by some supposedly high-ranking religious figure to explain his heavy opposition to violence in SCW and some other stuff about a company they weren't familiar with but still just sounded too farfetched to take seriously. Seeing the comments as Gage scrolled through them, however, had them wanting to go see a therapist at how easily people were actually buying into this trash and claiming there was any truth to it at all.

“...just when I think I couldn't question my faith in humanity any more than I already did sometimes,” Amelia mumbled.

“Apparently, he gets a lot of attention because he's proven willing to go farther than most others would to get what he claims is the truth, even though there's a very good reason why no one else ever stoops that low,” Gage spat, not even bothering to hide his own disgust as he paused the video.

“If what he tried to pull on us in Saitama is any indication...” Luz huffed.

“Anyways, this is the one thing above all else I needed to show you guys,” Gage said as he navigated to another video. The concern in his voice was clear as day, and they had a pretty good idea as to why when they saw the video titled “YAKUZA COVER-UP! LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS ANYTHING BUT!” There was a collective cringe at the clickbait-y title before Gage hit play, where they could see none of Jacob's usual setup, but rather, what looked like him filming from his phone from just outside a police station in Saitama.

“Konnichiwa, true believers of YouTube! It's your fearless hero of truth and justice, Jacob Harrison, exposing even more of the dark underbelly of the wrestling business that they don't want you to know about! I'm filming this from outside a police station in Japan, which is very clearly controlled by the yakuza who no doubt have some financial stake in SCW at this point as well to set up the show that's just passed. Considering those bizarre Japanese wrestlers who inevitably got destroyed by Chris Cannon's latest mistress, is it any surprise? Anyways, the reason I'm filming this impromptu is because I have breaking news that couldn't wait until I got back to the safety of the United States! Following a tip left to me by a trusted insider source, I can confirm that the tag team known as The Light In The Darkness that you've seen in recent weeks on SCW television are imposters! That's right, I have... or should I say, HAD, proof as I found the two of them in the middle of a public orgy with one another, including the so-called 'luchadora' being without her mask! Unfortunately, the yakuza-controlled cops around here arrested me and wiped the images in order to protect them, but considering everyone knows about these two and their meetings in recent months with the legend-turned-criminal Caleb White, would it be any surprise if the tag team you thought you knew had actually been replaced by lookalikes who will spring Caleb from prison? But don't worry, my loyal viewers, for I will bring this truth to light and-”

“Turn it off, please,” Luz groaned, and Gage did as she asked.

“Well, that explains why he was spouting nonsense about 'exposing us as frauds' when he proved himself to be a professional creep,” Amelia sighed.

“And unfortunately, people are buying into this garbage hook, line and sinker,” Gage lamented as he scrolled through the comments on the video. “He may be a creep and an embarrassment to both journalistic integrity and common sense, but even if it's because of weaponized incompetence, he's definitely dangerous.”

“There's something he said that genuinely concerns me, though,” Luz noted, drawing both Gage and Amelia's attention to her. “If anything stood out to me in that cringy conspiracy trash, it's that he's sticking his nose into our lives because of a tip from a 'trusted insider source.' Surely no one in SCW is so unprofessional they would coerce this guy into trying to ruin our careers... right?”

“I doubt it, but that does beg the question...” Amelia pondered.

“I can keep digging and see if I can find anything, especially how he got released as quickly as he did,” Gage offered as he closed his laptop, growing tired of Jacob's mug sitting on his screen for the moment. “This guy's definitely a wackjob who's way out of line, but if someone's intentionally using that to try and screw you ladies over, they need to be stopped before this gets too out of hand.”

Luz and Amelia nodded, already frustrated that their fight against The Empire was now being twisted into absolute nonsense by some wannabe wrestling 'journalist' for clickbait YouTube views. But considering this guy had already seriously violated their privacy once before and was apparently being driven by a 'trusted source' who clearly had it out for the couple, they needed to get to the bottom of this before someone got seriously hurt.

As much as they valued their public reputation of being 100% authentically themselves both in and out of the ring, nothing was worth any potential harm caused to each other or the people they cared about because of some guy digging around where he had no business being in the first place.

[Wisteria Waltz]

We open up on an absolutely beautiful shot of the early morning sun as it rises over the horizon, bathing the city off in the distance in its golden light. Keen-eyed viewers will quickly pick up on the fact that the city we see is not Los Angeles, where Breakdown is set to emanate from this week, but rather the city of Anaheim that rests about 45 minutes away from the glitz and glamour of the city that hosts Hollywood. It's still an absolutely beautiful sight all the same, and one that feels inspiring for someone who's risen with the dawn to enjoy this moment as they prepare to tackle the challenges ahead.

As we pan back, we find two particular individuals who have done just that, standing side-by-side on a balcony of what we can assume by this point is their home, those two individuals being La Pequeña Luz and Amelia Blythe. They're both already dressed in workout gear and seem ready to get an early start on the day, and we do see their World Tag Team Championship belts resting over their shoulders. Slowly, they turn to acknowledge our presence with gentle smiles, and Luz shrugs her title belt off to hand to Amelia, who steps aside and takes a seat in a nearby chair to watch her beloved work. Silhouetted by the glorious golden glow behind her, Luz takes a deep breath and dances in place for a moment to shake off any lingering drowsiness before giving us a grin that might as well be as bright as the sun off in the distance.

“You know what they say... there's no place like home. Getting the opportunity to travel beyond borders Amelia and I have come to know quite well by now is always an incredible experience, and we'd like to thank both Japan and Australia for the beautiful hospitality they have shown us during our time in both countries. That said, SCW's return to the United States may be a brief one, but there's nothing like actually getting the chance to return to the home we've built together to recharge our batteries for the challenges that still lie ahead.

Especially considering said challenges have spiraled out of control over the last few weeks and have changed our plans for Taking Hold of the Flame quite drastically as a result.

Call us old school or simple if you'd like, but where Amelia and I each came up in the business, the only place where anything ever mattered was inside that ring. Sure, maybe there was a disagreement here or a fight there, but it always led to those involved settling their differences between the ropes in a sanctioned match where you could truly back up your words and earn the right to progress just a little bit farther up the ladder than the other person. While we'll openly acknowledge that there is some justifiable debate as to whether or not we truly deserve the position we're in right now—which is just a small part of the greater problem here—we have also proven time and time again that our rise to the top of SCW's tag team division is no fluke. For our entire careers, we have scratched and clawed and fought with everything that we have and then some to build our own legacy and be recognized as some of the very best, both individually and together, to ever grace the squared circle. That's why we've said time and time again that wrestling problems should be resolved in a wrestling ring, because then, you've got the definitive proof in the record books to settle all arguments and move on to the next challenge that awaits you.

Maybe this doesn't seem like such a big deal to some of you, but it's a big part of who we are and why we do this. Amelia and I were challenged early last year, after we fell short in our first attempt to reach the top of the mountain, to prove that we truly deserved to be here, that we were truly ready for the responsibility of leading SCW's tag team division and keeping it near the forefront of people's minds when they tell their friends what excites them most about watching Breakdown every week or what draws them to attend a show when we come rolling into town. There are some who will argue a case where the only entertainment in this business is in the pure chaos, but to those people, I have to ask... have you listened to the crowd whenever Ames and I have stepped into the ring and created magic out of simple, straightforward competition? The House of Frost, Dark Fantasy, Twisted & Sadistic, The Seekers... those are just some of the teams that have faced us in that ring, and regardless of the result, the fans have been on their feet, begging for more and showing their respect and appreciation for everything that we left out there for their entertainment. We're happy to solve our issues in the only place where it truly matters and put on a show in the process... no chaos, no antics, no jumping others, just using the skills we inherited as second generation talents and honing them in ways that work for us the way they were meant to be used.”

Luz's smile fades for a moment as something seems to cross her mind. Amelia, who's watching her partner intently, quietly reaches out from her seat and takes Luz's hand, her thumb rubbing circles into the back of it to help make sure she doesn't lose herself in her own head. Luz glances over and smiles at her, mouthing a simple “gracias” before she turned her focus back to us, smiling once more as Amelia keeps a hold of her hand in support.

“I'm no stranger to the kind of mess that seems to constantly plague the SCW tag division these days, mostly because it reminds me a lot of the kids I grew up with. I know I've said this before, but it bears repeating: before I became the literal light I try to be every single second I wear this mask, I was bullied as a child simply for being myself. The kids around me would often act like they were entitled to the few things I was lucky enough to honestly say I had, and I was pushed around for something as simple as nobody believing that I could really be the daughter of a lucha libre legend, never mind that their antics were a slap in the face of all the virtues he both represented and imparted to others as a real life superhero in our culture. Mi papá taught me at a very young age to never lose sight of who I truly am, no matter how hectic and out of control things may get and no matter what anybody else says or does, because the moment that happens is the moment where I truly lose the war. It's thanks to him that I endured and grew up to become the woman I am today, and why I will always stand my ground when it comes to how I wish to conduct my business.

If picking pointless fights and otherwise heckling from the sidelines is how the likes of the Cowgirls From Hell wish to conduct their business, then maybe it's time for them to learn that's not how you prove anything to The Light In The Darkness about how worthy you are to try and dethrone us.

You want to know something Cara? We were actually excited at the news of you and Veronica signing to SCW. Another team of generational wrestlers like the two of us looking to both respect where they came from while also building a legacy of their very own? That was the kind of challenge we were hoping for when we got the news, especially since SCW's tag team division is already stacked and new blood just adds another layer to the challenge that fuels us to keep getting better with every match that we have. Thus far, however, it's been hard to retain that excitement for moments like this Thursday night in Los Angeles when you and I will get to cross paths in the ring Cara, and it has everything to do with the fact that you and Veronica have taken to amusing yourselves by creating fires and laughing as we try to put them out.

Before I go too much farther, however, I need to make one thing clear: I'm not blaming the two of you for wanting to get your hands on Twisted & Sadistic. I don't know if you were paying attention going into Taking the Leap, but Amelia and I DID NOT condone their efforts to try and take out the entire tag division just to get back to us quicker, nor are we particularly fans of the fact that they did ultimately take advantage of that to properly earn their status as the current number one contenders. The fact of the matter, however, is that they DID win that match and they DID earn that right, and we have to acknowledge that as champions whether we like it or not because they're our next test with the championships on the line.

That said, the old saying of 'two wrongs don't make a right' exists for a reason.”

Luz slowly shakes her head, and we see Amelia let go of Luz's hand so she can tighten it into a fist. She looks down at it for a moment, only to sigh and release it before turning her gaze back to us, her eyes now narrowing into a glare.

“Can I ask you an honest question Cara? To you, what does attacking Twisted & Sadistic and raising a ruckus in general actually accomplish? Sure, it probably makes you feel good to do to them what they did to you, but does it truly make you better than them? Veronica proved two weeks ago that she was capable of beating Glory in singles action, and that's a form of revenge that she can't answer because the result is set in stone. On that night, she proved she was better, and in the process made a legitimate case for why you and her could find yourselves challenging for championship gold at some point in the near future. You could very well do the same this week if you prevail over me on Breakdown. So why do you insist on continuing to stir the pot and give us reasons to look elsewhere for the challenges we're looking for?

If the end goal is to get under our skin and get us to just give you a title shot before Glory and Brittany have the one they did, in fact, earn, then you're better off going back to the drawing board right now. That didn't work when those two started this whole mess heading into Taking the Leap, it didn't work when Ravyn Taylor tried to sow the seeds of doubts and turn Amelia and I against one another, and it didn't work when the European Fiery Nation attacked us months ago and then spent weeks bragging about it only for us to just keep moving forward without acknowledging what they'd done. We've been through hell and back together both in and out of the ring, so while you may get on our nerves by spitting in the face of what it means to be here in the first place, you're not going to get anything for doing so.

I can promise you, from the bottom of my heart Cara, that I will bring my absolute best to the ring with me when that bell rings come Breakdown, because it's the very least that the fans deserve to see from me. I will give this match my all because not only am I pushing myself to raise the bar, I'm also pushing my partner to meet me there and raise it even higher, giving us a reason to keep fighting and getting better. Heck, the Luz you face in that ring on Thursday will not be the same one that awaits you at Taking Hold of the Flame, so if you're hoping to prove anything so you and Veronica can try to build your case, this is your chance to take it, to actually PROVE to us how badly you both want to be where we are now. The games stop once that bell rings Cara, and if you don't realize that...”

Luz can't help but smirk.

“Then I'm afraid it will be Lights Out for you on Thursday night.”

Amelia can't help but giggle from her seat at the choice of words, and Luz turns to her with the cheesiest grin she can muster as Amelia stands up and returns her World Tag Team Championship belt to her before gently kissing her lips. The couple just gaze into each other's eyes like proud, lovesick fools lost in their own little world before turning back to enjoy as the sun finishes rising into the sky to begin the day, a sign for us to fade away and leave them be to get ready for whatever awaits them.

[CowgirlsFromHell]

OOC: Sorry I'm late, crazy day!


Home of Veronica Strader
Strader Estate

Cara was doing what she did every any evening could, and that was watching and supporting her twin sister from the not less crazy mister but a nicer crazy mister (Cara’s father, Ryan, is a monster) by babysitting the Christian Michelle so Veronica and Outcast could have date night. Plus, she loved watching the little one.

Jake (her ex boyfriend as he came out gay, but she supports him) was out at his Graveyard shift job he slugged out because he wasn’t going to be let Cara pay his rent to Tamika, and greatly appreciated that she tried to pay his way. Cara prodded him, admiring his work ethic but she knew that was because of his dad and how ‘old-school’ he was. The grandfather she never knew made sure she was taken care of for the rest of her natural-born life as well as Victoria and Veronica when he passed away a few years back.

The money was very dirty, mostly cocaine and weapons trafficking, but Cara made a vow to be good with the money and make sure it helped the world in some way; she opened her own edible store as everyone knows, and was trying to figure out what she could charity wise but she would figure it out.

In her favourite pair of purple baggy sweatpants and a CFH hoodie from the SCW merchandise shop, she was snuggled into her comfy brown couch with a bowl of buttery popcorn and was ready to watch a rerun of Hannibal.

“Man, I don’t care if he eat me after, Hannibal has some serial daddy vibes,” she said out loud to her lonesome as the little one was asleep beside her.

She got through the first two matches, but she was itching to face one half of the SCW tag champs. Even if it was gonna be a close match, and the champ had years of experience over her, the mantra her mamabear instilled into her and her sisters rang in through her head “close only counts in Horseshoes and hand grenades.” Cara had zero idea what the analogy meant, but she understood that indicated you do or you do not. It’s what made the original Cowgirls who they were. They dig and claw to get everything they want without giving a damn about the consequences.

How well has that worked? The old man head of the family was dead, and Meghan was trying to figure out how to reveal she was alive, leaving Victoria, Veronica and Cara not knowing how to help her, but she knew her mamabear would figure it out.

Cara laid in her seat as Hannibal was preparing for a dinner party on the TV. Cara may be the fry-bag of the family, but Cara used this time to forget about her troubles and relax before the match on Breakdown.

“Imma guessin’ all the food tastes good, but the human ingredients are disgusting, bruh.”

Cara laughed to herself, and leaned over to give her niece a kiss.



Cara’s Edibles
Houston, Texas, USA

Cara sits in a black Volkswagen van she restored with tinted windows with oversized sunglasses in an effort to disguise herself as she watched her employees work. She had a feeling someone had been watching her at the store and wanted to scope out the customers coming in and out. At the same time, she sees if she can find out if her employees were trustworthy, as inventory had been light a few times. The thought made her sick to her stomach as she loved her employees.

“Did I just sees a bruh dressed as Michael Myers? Gotz to make sure to avoid that bruh.”

Cara was uneasy watching the store. The thought of someone stalking her and employees stealing was a gut wrenching thing for her. She could be overly trustworthy, but she was like her Auntie Tamika in that sense.

“Imma smart cookie, the store is getting real popular. If I’s ever gets injured, this is a solid retirement plan….”

She just wished she was paying better attention, but with everything going on in her life, that was almost impossible. Plus, she was dealing with building a career with Veronica, and so far things had been going well but there was always room for improvement.

“Damn, Imma hungry. I should’ve brought me a sammich. Does Uber eats deliver to a parking lot?”



The Scorpion’s Tail
Houston, Texas USA


Cara sits inside one of the hangouts of John’s Brothers of Mayhem MC and the Bandido MC, who her grandfather rode with as the National Sgt At Arms. She was treated like royalty when she came in or like any other family member as she was one of three Strader princesses. She sits in a far booth in a pair of knee high boots, faded blue jeans, and her favourite Larry Tact shirt. She has a white bandana on, and big gold hoops hang from her ear lobes. She watches Jake play an old Terminator 2 Pinball machine like a crack addict across the bar and drinks from her bottle of Miller High Life as she checks the time on her iPhone 15 Pro. Using the camera, she makes sure her crimson red lips are perfect. She puts her phone up on the napkin holder, hitting record.

~START TRANSMISSION~

“Wassup my Supremers? I knows ya’all have missed my crazy antics in my favourite Larry Tact T-Shirt. Imma gonna get your signature one day, Lare Bear, but I’ll enjoy the carebear-you, that you made for me.”

A small pucker of the crimson red lips, showing her likeness to her ‘mamabear,’ followed a small right wink.

“Don’t worry, Supremers; Imma get it done. ANYWAY! A few weeks has come and gone since me’s and my bruh came into SCW… and we have done what we wanted. Make the impact. I didn’t sign up to SCW for a run with a singles title, but Imma facing one half of the champs we wanna take downand besides, everyone and their great granny knows the only person I would pick as a partner has the week off so Imma step in.”

“So, this next card for Breakdown they put me up against La Cucaracha, aka La Pequena Luz. A dominant champion as Imma be hearing but I’s a hear she be a lovely woman, and kinda dangerous. Imma guarantee this won’t be an exact image of whats to come but it be a start. The heart wants what the heart wants, but even once in a while, we need to pull our heads from our asses and realize we gots to do more than have tag matches to get under some skin, ya know, bruh. Unfortunately for La Cucaracha and Amelia Earhart, they don’t know what to expect form the Cowgirls. But to anyone watching knows we’s a gonna be a pain in their tushies, bruhs.”

“Anyway, Cuca, surely youz a be remembering me after this. Imma the one that gonna put my boot up yer ass, but Imma send you some edibles to relieve the pain.”

She stops, pursing her lips as she takes a healthy swig of her beer.

“Imma constantly dealing with slut shaming and masculine toxicity all the time because of the dynamic of my own relationship with my ex-Jakey, and I knows people don’t take me seriously. Imma hoping you do cuz Imma looking for a good fight.”

Cara smiles.

“I’s a don’t even need to see your promo to know you are going to take your jabs at my sister and me’s. It be what everyone does, and Imma thinking you’ll be no different. We gonna make the ring shake, and Imma give you a glimpse of what I’s can do, bruh”

She winks into the lens at all of us.

Cara leans back. She pulls a joint out from the inside of her Larry Tact t-shirt producing a cigar-wrapped blunt. She lights up and knows it’s ok, cause as said before, she was basic royalty to both MCs.

“Ya know Luz? Imma excited.”

Cara holds her right hand in a motion for him to call her.

“In my short career, I has amassed a rather large winning percentage, and while as of late with being one and one, Imma looking to be correcting course like Ron- Ron and pretty sure Imma give ya runs for your money. Imma having one goal, and that’s to show my fists are ready to swing, bruh.”

“Imma put it out there that I am not underselling your skill or overselling my ring work, but my record in my few years of actual wrestling says a lot, yo. Imma really hoping you don’t underestimate me because of the joint hanging from my lips, or some silly pathetic joke from a anyone, from what Imma be hearing alls the time, doesn’t have a pot to piss in.”

Cara leans forward, taking a hard haul, holding in the smokey goodness of God’s Green Crack. She leans back again, exhaling the smoke from deep in her lungs.

“I am gonna make something very clear… Imma no a joke. Imma not a one-trick pony. Imma a dangerous Strader competing professionally between Uprising, Revolution1 and right here in SCW. While Imma enjoying my dope,” she said, displaying her more than half gone spliff, “and like to have fun, it doesn’t mean Imma not gonna take getting into the ring shape seriously. This is my career, this industry is my future, and it runs in my blood. I take every opportunity, outside of any division I want no part of or do want a part of, very muckin’ seriously. Imma sure you do as well. Imma even sayin’ you are definitely the biggest challenge outside of the Rumble of thirty wrestlers that I finished in the top ten in Revo1 where I held their futures title for a hot minute. My biggest challenge AND my biggest victory will be eventually taking the titles from ya.”

She lifts her brow, reaching for her beer. She takes a swig, another toke, before continuing.

“So this is what I am gonna do, Luz: Imma going to dedicate this match to my mamabear and my sister Ron-Ron. Imma know my sister and my best friend have the night off for a moments, but that won’t stop me from giving my all and kicking your ass in their honour.”

“In our family, more specifically my mamabear and auntie teebag, when they were still wrestling and not retired, had a saying as the Cowgirls From Hell, which I started my career in Uprising under and that is: God forgives, we don’t.”

“See ya on Thursday, Luz, and may the best woman win.”

Cara takes a long haul off her spliff and exhales three large smoke circles, and blows a straight line of smoke through them, giving us a wink and the Strader sneer as the feed cuts to an advertisement for Final Fantasy.

~ END TRANSMISSION ~

Cara picks up her phone and puts it in her purse to edit later before uploading. Her tall and dark-haired, handsome ex-boyfriend, Jake Thomas, slides in on her right as she takes the spliff from her, pulling a deep haul. He places his right hand on her thigh under the table, squeezing it.

“Filmed your promo, Carebear?”

“Mmm, I did. Edit it when we get back to the Ranch,” she said, taking the spliff back, referring to the third home on the massive compound estate that belonged to her mom, “After we have a little fun of our own, hmm? But just us, doll, ok?”

He nuzzles gently into her ear.

“Of course, Cara. Let’s get out of here then.”

She finishes her beer, and they head back to the ranch.