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Post by The BombTrax on Oct 1, 2016 5:40:31 GMT
One (1) Role Play Max
Final Role Play Deadline: Tuesday October 11th, 2016 @ 10:59 PM CST
Segment/Match Deadline: Tuesday, October 11th, 2016 @ 11:59 PM CST
{MAIN EVENT}
Singles Match
(The Winner Advances To The Seven Deadly Sins Ladder Match)
Caroline O'Hara Burchill versus Annabel Lee |
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Post by Annabel Lee on Oct 11, 2016 23:39:16 GMT
It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee
• • • It had been strange for Annabel to come home to an empty house. Of course she had told her father she wasn't sure when she was going to come home, and she couldn't expect him to wait on her all day every day. After the last Addiction she had spent some time with Az and Kelsey before finally flying back to Portland. It must have been one of those rare times when he was feeling up to going to the gym or just getting out of the house, and those were good times for him.
Besides, that meant that it left her some time to clean when she wouldn't have to worry about interrupting whatever western he was watching that he'd seen a dozen times before. Her father wasn't messy, not exactly, he was just... kind of a bachelor. Maybe it was all those years on the road where he never really had to worry about cleaning up after himself.
Annabel just looked at it as part of “earning her keep” in the house since she still lived there. The dishes went from their (well rinsed) pile in the sink into the dishwasher, she wiped down the counters and cleaned the old newspapers off the table. The area rugs all got a quick vacuuming and she took the swiffer to the floors to gather up the dust bunnies out of the corners.
“Clean as a whistle,” would have been overly generous, but it was all tidy by the time she was done. Laundry could wait for another day. No doubt there was a pile of that waiting. It was the one thing that her father really was hopeless at. She couldn't even trust him to switch the clothes from the washer to the dryer without shrinking something or turning it pink.
She was just about to drop down on the couch and try to find something to watch when a little glint caught the edge of her vision. She looked over to her father's favorite recliner, narrowing her eyes and tilting her head. He'd let the remote get wedged down beside the cushion again. But as her hand shoved between the cushion and the frame it wasn't the remote to the TV that she pulled out.
“Oh, Daddy,” a frown pulled her corners of her mouth down as she looked at the plain metal flask in her hand. She unscrewed the top, even though she already knew, and had a little sniff of the contents. She knew the smell of Crown Royal well enough. A sigh escaped, because she wasn't sure what else to do. Then she looked at the coffee cup beside the recliner, sitting there in the ring that had stained the wood on the small table ages ago.
It was ice cold, but there was still some left in the bottom. It looked black, which was the worst, but she had a tiny sip. Immediately she made a face and stuck out her tongue. What was left there tasted more like whiskey than coffee.
When the up was dumped, rinsed, and with the rest of the dishes, Annabel stood there in the kitchen staring out through the door at the recliner. She wondered how long her father had been keeping the flask there at his chair. He never had been one for filling up the coffee cup all the way. So he didn't splash, he said, which he was prone to doing. But was that the only reason?
Then again, it wasn't as though he was ever out of sorts. He fell asleep in his recliner sometimes, but not that often. She didn't come home and find empty bottles in the cupboard or trash or laying around. He did everything just fine. ...Was she making excuses in her head because she didn't want to believe it, or was she overreacting to something small?
She couldn't be sure. She didn't know how to judge that. All she knew was that the flask worried her. She had seen guys get attached to the bottle when she had traveled with him. She had seen them switch from painkillers to liquor and back again, round and round like a sad carousel. He had warned her about it over and over again when she told him she wanted to wrestle and all throughout wrestling school. Had he been trying to tell her?
She knew he had old aches and pains, but he'd never had any real serious injuries. At least that she knew about. It would have been awful hard to hide from her though, because they had almost always been together. She shook her head. No. Her father was too proud for that. He didn't let anything defeat him, he wouldn't have let whiskey do it either. There was something bothering him was all. She just needed to talk to him about it when the time was right.
Annabel carried the flask upstairs along with her bags, straight into her bedroom. All of her used clothes and ring gear were dumped unceremoniously into her hamper. Corduroy went back on her bed. Her makeup kit was returned to its spot in the bathroom. Everything went back in its place. And all the while she thought about the flask and what to do with it.
Of course he was going to notice it was gone eventually. He would go to reach for it and it wouldn't be there. Would he start the conversation then? Or would she have to bring it up? She decided that she would give him the chance first. There wasn't much he had ever kept from her. He wouldn't keep this once he knew she knew, right?
The minutes ticked on and on as she stared at the shiny metal surface laying in the middle of her bed while she leaned against the doorway. It taunted her in its way, with all that unknown. There was so much else going on right now, she didn't need one more thing to worry about.
Annabel was finally shaken out of her thoughts when she heard the front door open. She crossed the room quickly, grabbed the flask, and looked around for somewhere to hide it. Her father never came in her room anyway, but she wanted somewhere safe. Her nose scrunched up as she looked to her dresser, and then she yanked open the top drawer and buried it in there under her socks and underwear. That was sacred territory, no one would ever look there.• • • Dear Diary,
Well, it happened. I knew it would, I know. I've written about it here a lot. I just didn't think it would happen so soon. I thought maybe I could hold on to the Crank Championship for a few more shows. I wanted to show Kelsey and Az and Daddy that they were right to believe in me. I know that I was successful against Anastasia Hayden and all, but you know.
I spent all day afterward moping with Az. I know I shouldn't have. I should have shaken it off and just got back to it, but I didn't. It's okay to have a day every now and again, right? Just here and there, I promise I won't make a habit of it. I just needed the time. Besides, it meant I got to cuddle all day with Fuzzy and that's totally a win in my book.
So I guess there's that. There's the end of Annabel the Crank Champion and the end of Undefeated Annabel. Of course Undefeated Annabel was a silly little thing. Everyone is undefeated until they aren't. I knew it was going to come some day, it was just a matter of when. I feel less down about that than I do about the Crank Championship, but of course the moment I won that it meant that my first singles loss would mean losing the championship too.
What do I do? I keep hearing that, “What are you going to do?” The first time I heard it was when I was leaving the amusement park, and it was understandable because the show had just happened and I was still feeling upset. But then I heard it again when someone recognized me at the coffee shop when I was getting a cocoa and again in the hotel lobby. Az didn't ask, because he knows me and already knew the answer. I heard it in the airport and on the plane, “What are you going to do?”
It's a dumb question and I'm tired of hearing it by now. I watched the match a few times and saw where I made my mistakes, just like I do with every match. I hung out with Kelsey and we talked about where we're going as a team. I talked with Daddy and Uncle Joe for advice, because they see little things I miss sometimes. I got back to life, I got back to training, and I'm going to get back to wrestling. That is what I'm “going to do.”
The Crank Championship chapter closed, and now a new one is opening up. My match against Miss Caroline is for a spot in the Seven Deadly Sins ladder match for the Heavyweight Championship. It's still hard to believe. When I saw the match on the poster I had to read it twice just to be sure. I felt a little like I didn't deserve to be in it after losing to Hunter Storms.
That's not my call though. Lady Munin and her staff saw something, and they want me to have that chance. I do remember, way back when the announcement was made about the ladder match, she mentioned my name. It was the first live episode of Wicked, the day after I won the Crank Championship on the first ever taping of Addiction. She gave me a big chance when Kelsey and I had a match to qualify for that Main Event. She gave me an even bigger chance when she made that Main Event a Championship match. Now she's giving me the biggest chance yet.
Just like every chance I've had so far, I'm not going to waste it.
I've got to put aside everything about the Crank Championship and everything that's come before now. I've got to focus on what is right in front of me, and that's Miss Caroline. I can't get ahead of myself and start thinking about the Heavyweight Championship. That would be like thinking about the final loop on the roller coaster before even getting in line... or something like that. Uncle Joe always has better analogies.
Either way, I know what I've got to do. Miss Caroline is a tough opponent, but me and Kelsey beat her and Anastasia before. I know what she can do in the ring, and that's half the battle. I know I've got what it takes to beat her again.Always,
A • • •
For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee |
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Post by Caroline O'Hara Burchill on Oct 12, 2016 3:38:16 GMT
“it is much safer to be feared than loved because ...love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails. ” ― Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince ╳ The Girl with the BRIGHT Smile
|| .007  For a while, Caroline O’Hara Burchill thought that her PAW career had been uncertain. After Addiction, the young woman had been laying down in her bed with her eyes transfixed on the ceiling and her hands covering her mouth as various thoughts raced through her mind. After everything she worked hard for, her rising momentum in the company had suddenly ceased when her shoulders were pinned to the mat and she heard the referee’s hand come down for the three count. She was in complete shock and denial of the loss. She stormed out of The Pure Arena in complete hysterics afterwards, unable to come to terms with how or why Summer of all people was able to beat her.
Still, Caroline realized that screaming at the top of her lungs and having a temper tantrum wasn’t going to get her anywhere. The fact of the matter was that she lost her match. She had the chance to add more to stock, but she was unable to capitalize on that. She could practically hear Munin and the rest of the PAW roster laughing at her right now. They must have gotten a kick out of seeing Caroline failing to win that night. She wouldn’t be surprised if everyone was going to discredit everything that she had been able to accomplish up until that point.
Was this it? Was she going to be dropped like a stone in front of everyone now? Had her efforts suddenly been in vain? All these questions occupied her weakened mind as she truly began to believe that after all this time she was going to be forced into the back of the line. Everyone pretty much hated her and wanted to see her fall from her grace. She never wanted to give any of them that kind of satisfaction, but she did. Now, what seemed like what was going to finally be a prosperous career was nothing more but a mere vision that wasn't going to come into fruition.
That was why when she received the call from her agent Amy Scottfiern the next day, she had expected the worst. As a matter of fact, everything seemed to be going downhill for her at that point. First there was the near emotional breakdown she had after abruptly leaving Good Morning America in a fit of rage and now she had to deal with a loss that could quite possibly ruin everything she had going on for her. She braced herself for what Amy could have possibly said to her as she placed the phone by her ear, closing her eyes as she envisioned every terrible scenario that she could come up with.
"Yes, Amy," Caroline said in a disinterested tone as she was in the bathroom, catching a glimpse of her blood-shot eyes in the mirror that she got from the lack of sleep. "What is it?"
"Seems like things are finally going to be picking up for you, Caroline," Amy said in a gleeful tone, a contrast to the rather gloomy attitude Caroline had. However, upon hearing those words come out of her agent's mouth, Caroline couldn't help but to arch a brow.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I just got a call from Munin. Guess who's going to be in the main event of Addiction this week?"
Caroline blinked, slightly surprised. "Is it... is it me?"
"Yes," Amy responded with a proud grin on her face. "Not only that, but it seems that the PAW management are finally waking up and seeing the potential that you possess. You just snagged yourself the final qualifying match for the Seven Deadly Sins Ladder Match."
Caroline genuinely couldn't believe it. She stood there in silence, trying to register what she had been told. However, the shocked expression would be replaced with a grin as a jubilant laugh escaped from her. She thought that everything was going down south for her after her loss to Summer, but now? She was given a chance to redeem herself and possibly go on to her very first title match since wrestling in the United States. The kingdom might have been shaken up, but it was still standing through all of the adversaries.
"Are you fucking serious?"
"I am. However, you can't prance around like you've won the match already. You'll be going up against Annabel Lee. You have to bust your ass from here on out, because if you were to lose this particular match, then it might be some time before you get another opportunity like this in PAW."
"Yeah, I know. Don't worry, I got this."
"Alright. Good luck out there."
With the call ended, Caroline couldn't get rid of the smile that now resided on her face. To say that she was elated was an absolute understatement. After four months that were filled with so many highs and lows, she was finally on track to obtaining what she's been chasing after for the past two years.
All she had to do was to get through Annabel Lee, and then she would have the whole world in her entire hands.
"If we're looking at this from an objective point of view, one could argue that I shouldn't be in this kind of position."
The camera would come to life as Caroline O'Hara Burchill was seen in a familiar setting. Standing in front of the same lake that she was at for her first promo with Pure Amusement Wrestling, the Aussie would raise her head as she looked straight into the camera.
"After all, I did lose to Summer at the last Addiction event. After being on a roll and racking up wins, I let the momentum that I had with me slip away. I tried to kick out, but at the very last second Summer was able to hook my legs and before I knew it, the match was over."There was a hint of bitterness that lingered in her voice as she scowled. She was still upset about the whole thing, and it was clear to see that.
"I guess that's what I get for jumping the gun and underestimating someone. Oh, I can only imagine the shit-eating grins and uproarious laughter that came from all of you as you saw that happen. Must have been fun for all of you to witness, but you know what? One loss isn't going to deter me from getting what I want. Would I love to boast around and say that I have a three-match winning streak? Of course! I really wanted to keep that going with me leading up to the Seven Deadly Sins event. I would have loved to rub it in all of your faces that I, Caroline O'Hara Burchill, was able to slay everyone that opposed me. However, that didn't go as planned and I just have to deal with it."
"After all, I shouldn't let one loss get to me when I am being placed in one of the biggest matches of my career."
There was now a more prideful and confident look on her face as she spoke, smiling a little bit as her eyes seemed to sparkle."I'm in the main event of Addiction this week. Despite the little mishap that happened with Summer, Munin and her crew finally realized that they couldn't deprive me of a major opportunity that I've been working hard for ever since I signed on the dotted lines and became a PAW Superstar. After everything that I've done I am just one match away from seizing the throne and claiming what is rightfully mine: The PAW Heavyweight Championship. I've been chasing titles since coming here to the United States and I have yet to feel the weight of an illustrious gold belt within my grasp. It's something that's been weighing down on my conscious after all these years. So many people have bypassed me for far too long now and I refuse to lay down and take another loss. I've been in this position so many times and this is usually the extent of my success."
Caroline shook her head, running her hand through her brown locks as she began to pace back and forth."Anytime I've been placed in a match where going on to having a title match was at stake, I always came up short. I always came into the match and things would go in my favor for a while where it looked as though I would win the match. However, I was never ever able to get the win. There was always someone that came along and beat me to the punch. It was always the same old shit and it always made me frustrated. I didn't want to be satisfied with the fact that I was so close to clinching a number one contender spot only to have someone take it from right underneath me. That..."Her eyes looked down at the ground as her voice trailed off. She then stopped her pacing, heaving a heavy sigh. She seemed to be lost in thought, recounting those same matches that she was involved in. All the times where she came close to winning but failed to do so were now getting to her. She shook her head again, trying to suppress those not-so-pleasant memories to the back of her mind as she looked up at the camera again and continued on."That... was one of the reasons why I stepped away from the ring last year. I thought that my chances of becoming a champion were never going to see the light of day. I guess you can say that I eventually gave up and said, 'Fuck this shit. I'm done!'. Some of you might even go as far as to say that I was just being a salty crybaby that gave up when the going got tough for me, but honestly? Put yourself in my shoes for a bit. How would you feel if other people were receiving countless opportunities before you? How could you possibly feel complacent with the fact that your best wasn't good enough? After all the times that I failed to go on and actually have a title match, I felt like I was just wasting my time trying to reach out and grab something that was far away from me. I was insecure at that time and I stepped away as a result. That's why when I found out that I was going to have this match, I couldn't stop smiling. I was so happy to the point where I nearly cried with joy because I never thought that I would be getting this kind of opportunity again. However, I have a massive chip on my shoulder because I never went beyond this kind of match before. That's why there's this sense of urgency for me. That's why I'm so desperate in this situation because I don't want history to repeat itself. I've failed too many times already, and I will be damned if I lose this match."
"That is why I have to beat you, Annabel Lee."
There was now a more intense tone in her voice as her eyes lit up."Annabel, you don't understand what it's like to be in my position. I have everything to lose in this match if I don't beat you. After all, you are by far the most popular wrestler signed with Pure Amusement Wrestling. Your reputation will still be in tact. You have the fans on your side. Everyone here in PAW respects you, and even though you lost the Crank Championship to Hunter Storms, there are many who still parade you around as the 'it' girl for this federation. You'll go unscathed in this match if you lose, but as for me? Well, my entire world would crumble into pieces. You and Kelsey were able to beat Hayden and I at Bad Moon Rising, and I'm sure you're feeling confident that the outcome will undoubtedly be the same for you all because of that. However, this is an entirely different ball game we're playing. It's just you and me. There's no Kelsey to help you out, and that annoying bitch Hayden is certainly not going to get in the way of things here. You're now going to have to take me on all by yourself, and the dynamic of things can change if you aren't careful enough. I don't know what was going on with you during the last Addiction event. You were quiet and everyone was wondering what was wrong. I don't know if the responsibility of carrying the company by being one of the champions got to you, but if that was the case, then what makes you think that you can beat me and go on to participate in a match that involves the likes of Nova Wonder and Press? It goes to show that you are still a little girl in a big world playing grown up, and quite frankly, I don't know if you can handle the task. You're still a rookie, Annabel. You were pushed into something that should've taken you more months to get to. You couldn't bring any kind of honor or prestige to the Crank Championship, and now Hunter Storms' filthy hands are all over that."
"When push comes to shove, you can't hold your ground. You have a lot of heart, but that won't get you far here. Trust me, I used to be just like you. I was once a young girl with bright eyes and hopes and dreams, thinking that I can just have a huge smile on my face and skip merrily with the fans chanting my name. However, the nice girl act never got me anywhere in my career. I learned that in order to get ahead in this business, you have to be ruthless and put your own interests in front of anything else. That's why I am the way I am, and I'm sure that some of the other PAW Superstars understand this as well. You think Press became the PAW Heavyweight Champion by smiling with the fans down at ringside? Do you think that Nova Wonder became the Titan of the Midway Champion by having a stupid smile on her face and thinking that all she had to do was to be nice?"
"Professional wrestling isn't nice to anyone, and sooner or later, you're going to have to understand that, Annabel. So, cut the respect bullshit and put on your big girl pants. I'm not here to play patty-cake and have a tea party with you. I'm coming at you with everything that I got, and I am going to be unabashedly vicious in our match. I just hope that you'll do the same. I don't want to be going up against some little girl that thinks that she can be all sweet and kind. I expect you to come into this match and actually fight like your life depends on it, because I've been doing so for all these years. Especially given the history that I have with these types of matches, I'm not holding a single thing back. I won't settle for anything less. I came here with the intention to dominate, and at Addiction, I am going to do everything I can to make sure that I will come out on top."
The signature sly and coy smirk that we would all become accustomed to would find itself on the face of The Immaculate One. She then had her hand outstretched toward the camera, as if she was holding her hand out for someone to reach it."Will you do the same?"A soft cackle resonated from her before the feed cut off, immediately ending the promo. |
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