Post by Winter Pine on Sept 11, 2016 22:21:33 GMT -6
I don't say it in a cocky way, but I take pride in being one of the best at doing what I do.
-Sean Combs
At Breakthrough 50, I stood toe to toe with the brand new VoW World Visionary Champion, Emma Carlisle and I took her to the limit. I may have been defeated, but honestly, I was happy with the way I performed out there. I proved to myself to anyone out there who doubts me that I am worthy of facing whoever is at the top of the mountain.
One of these days, I'll find myself at the top. One day I will be able to call myself a champion! But perhaps that will happen sooner rather than later, opportunity it seems was at the corner I turned to. At Breakthrough 51, my King and I are teaming together to face JMC and Cali-Kate for the now vacant VoW Twin City Championships.
This is my chance to capture my first title here in VoW, hell my first title in my 6 year wrestling career, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let this opportunity slip away from me. It's time for me...for us...to prove to the world that we are the most dominant tag team in VoW history!
It's the early hours of the morning and I've been having trouble sleeping, so I thought that while Matt is managing to finally get a decent nights sleep for once, that I'd come down to the built in gym we have in our New York home and do a little bit extra training.
Dressed in a pair of plain black tracksuit bottoms and a plain black sleeveless tank top, with my long raven hair tied back into a ponytail, I kick at the punching bag in front of me a few times as it swings back and forth on the thick, cold steel chain that suspends it off the ground.
Now I lay in a few punches along with some elbows for added power when suddenly, my attention is diverted to the door leading into the house. Standing there, in nothing but a pair of black boxer shorts, rubbing his eyes is my future husband.
"Babe? It's two in the morning...what are you doing up?"
"What does it look like I'm doing, babe? Making eggs?"
As he groggily makes his way over to me, he lets out a long yawn before scratching his stomach a little.
"Is this because you lost to Emma? I know what you can get like when you lose, babe. But seriously? You did amazing in that match. It just wasn't your night unfortunately. Come back to bed..."
I smack my leg against the bag one more rough time then hold the bag in place, confusedly looking at Matthew.
"You...talk as though I wasn't satisfied with my performance against Emma. I didn't win, that does sting a little, but I stood my ground against her. She pushed me and I pushed her, farther than anything in this company could be capable."
"Well if you're not upset over that then why are you down here at two in the morning? Was I..."
Suddenly he turns white, like a ghost, looking like he's about to be sick.
"...I didn't lash out at you whilst dreaming did I? Please tell me I didn't hurt you..."
"Noooo...this is the first time in a while I've seen you sleeping peacefully. You aren't yelling out, gripping onto things tightly, nothing. You actually looked happy."
Turning back to the bag, I go to a jabbing offense now against the weight bag while continuing my talk with Matthew.
"Why I'm down here is because I feel motivated as hell. I got pushed by Emma, and it makes me want to raise that limit more and more so one day I can go up against her and win without issue. Especially now, with the opportunity coming up at this next Breakthrough, I want to feel my best if we are truly going to stand on top of this company as the best tag team."
A smile now appears on his lips, and a look of relief as he takes hold of the bag as I continue jabbing at it.
"Well I'm glad to hear that, babe. Like I said, you did awesome out there and I'm happy that you're happy. Put a bit more power behind your jabs...use your whole arm...get the power from the tip of your shoulder to flow all the way through your arm..."
"Don't want to give my jabs too much energy...the key for them is placement, that way it opens the opponent up for the kicks."
Just as I say that, I work off my last jab into a spinning back heel kick, shoving the bag into Matthew and smiling at the result.
"Touché...nice kick there..."
All of a sudden, without warning, he scoops me up over his shoulder as I giggle a bit. Heading over to the sparring mats, he then drops me back down onto my feet and wraps his arms around my waist. I stare longingly into his eyes as I can see the love in them before he leans into me with a long, passionate kiss.
"Have I told you that I love you yet today?"
"Technically no...but you do say it a fair bit to me every single day."
"Well that's because you deserve to know as often as possible. I didn't think it was possible to love someone as much as I love you. And even though I've been a tag champion in the past, I was winning those titles not for them...but for me. This time though it's different...I want to win this match...for you."
The generosity from this man...it's incomparable in my eyes. I rarely ask for anything from him, yet he feels such a need to constantly give what he can to me.
"Matthew...win or lose...just know I appreciate how much you do for me. I'm forever grateful to the spirits watching over us for giving me such an amazing man to spend eternity with."
"I know you are. But for me...losing isn't an option. You're not only my future, but you're VoW's future. In my opinion, you're the greatest female competitor that's ever stepped foot into a VoW ring, and it's about time you got what you deserved and that's championship gold. I am going to make sure that you have that at Breakthrough..."
"You're certainly entitled to that opinion. But Matthew...I'm no where near my highest potential yet. When I get to there, I'll admit I'm the best this company has to offer. Until then...I need to stay humble right now...for my mental stability, I must stay focused and calm. Being high and mighty is exactly the opposite of what brings me success."
Smiling, he strokes his hand through my hair, still gazing into my eyes.
"You do what's best for you my Queen, because as long as you're happy, I'm happy..."
"Good boy...now, you brought me over here to the mats, and I'm not letting you just get away from here without a fight."
"Very good point love...and since I'm wide awake now, might as well join you on getting some work done for this match. So we'll work on those jabs a bit more for now, gotta be prepared in case someone pulls a Joanna and takes out your knee."
That comment alone gave me more reason to get set up quickly and start working those quick strikes into Matthew's sides, which probably is what he was looking for. It lit my fire being reminded of that injury, and it's not something I wish to revisit, but it is a healthy reminder of how unpredictable this industry can be.
We get better with practice...we prevail through failures...and for me, I embrace where I have fallen.
You know, this may be one of the first times I get ready to go in front of my camera, and I feel more nervous than confident. The butterflies, the want to run to a corner and puke out my lunch against the cold floor as I cry my eyes out. It's like I'm back in high school, crushing over a boy or something like that...
Breathe.
Breathe.
You can prevail.
You can rise.
*RECORDING
I press the red button on the small camera and hold it gently in front of my face. For this talk with the public...I decided just to return to nature, my peaceful Earth beneath me and my back laying against the towering tree behind me. I take a deep breath, my eyes closed and my thoughts racing.
Where do I begin...where do I continue...where do I end.
"At Breakthrough...the cheers in that open-air stadium roared as you all watched me walk into a battle with Emma Carlisle...fight my heart out...and walk out a loser yet again. You all expect me to come to you today...I imagine in high spirits...to laugh at me as I force out some sort of reason why I lost, why I was the better competitor, why I am still better than Death herself."
I open my eyes, shining a small smile and calmly inhaling the fresh air.
"Yet I sit here, against the bark of an oak, and say to you...I have no reason why...and I was not better, or at least not yet. However, I can smile, I can rest easy, I can still stand tall. While all you stupid simpletons feel so proud of yourselves, watching me fail...Death admired me, Death admitted being pushed just as far as she pushed me...of all the times I have been a devil to she who harbors Chaos, I earned respect from that woman and she earned mine for defeating me as she did. Emma Carlisle...if you happen to watch this...thank you again. I know where I need to be now WHEN I come for you again, and next time buttercup, the belt will be on the line and will return to this family!"
Delivering that last sentence with an emphatic bit of energy, I push my hair from my eyes and let the sounds of wind take control for a few moments before continuing.
"Let's not dwell though, because a loss is still a loss. And it does pain me that I still can't figure out...what's been missing these past few shows for me. It could be an array of things at this point, it could be something so simple that is passes my complex thinking by and I miss it easily. Who really knows the why when things like this continue to happen, but at some point, a gem shines in the distance, and it drives a broken woman to chase for it. She runs, and she runs, she maybe even passes something more beautiful...but then she reaches that shop window, and sees the sign laying there on the stand that the jewel sits upon. The shining stone is practically for the taking, all you have to do...is be in the right place, at the right time."
I rise slowly to my feet and rub my hand against the tree, the camera shaking in my hands as I just imagine the 'gems' of which I speak.
"That's where this upcoming Breakthrough comes into play, because now...is that time, Annapolis is the place...and Winter Pine now stands in front of gold that can be taken. We watched our loving executive powers or whatever role they want to be today, we saw them address VoW and announce that the poor little Neons are too weak to face off against the powers running at them. So they run away, leaving their valuables up for grabs, and instead of giving away those beautiful diamonds to their rightful owners...they must fight for the prize still to earn that honor. And that's fine, but what isn't fine is when the rightful owners have to fight a broken team patched up by a psychotic, aging father who thinks he still has any chance at being successful in this business."
My voice lashed out in that moment, that feeling of cockiness coursing through my veins...I want to reject it, I have to. I can't just go to that predictable evil...or would it work actually? For now, I calm back down for a moment, but I can feel the strain in my lungs with some words I speak as forms of attacks of character.
"It was a shame what happened to Jami by the hands of the biggest slut this company has under a competitive contract, and I do wish her all the best in recovery, understand she may never step foot in a ring again. I looked forward to facing you Jami, after all the times you stuck your head into my business, got in the way of MY plans when I was eradicating Stacy Jones...it was only right I should have been the one that put you on the shelf for good, yet you were too weak to even last for my hand. You fell to a whore and her sad puppy and left young Kate all alone...or at least, I thought that'd be the case. Now that seems to have changed, as the casa that Kami built is now resided in by your father, who is in the mindset to think he can just walk into a company and immediately be given gold! I never knew a person with Cornett as their last name could be so greedy and fucking stupid!"
There it is again...it's slipping in so easily, I feel that cloud over me in my head...tear into them Winter. Do it! Embrace your demons!
"James, let's get one thing straight. You have 0 credibility in VoW, I saw people come into VoW before with a high and mighty mind about their past, and think they immediately will be handed titles and glory and all the bullshit you Legacy jackoffs think matter. Newsflash, that ain't how things roll here, and they especially aren't gonna roll with Winter Pine kicking your wanna-be crazy ass back to your Hall of Fame rings and multi-time world titles! Take your glory, take those past accomplishments, act like some two-faced monster who thinks they can step in the ring at any time and fucking rule! Because I will sit your ass down!"
I slam my hand against the tree and glare to the camera, my mouth watering with the encyclopedia of verbal opportunities I could present. I grip into my hair for a few moments, breathing heavily now as I move it slowly back to the camera and point into it.
"I have fought my entire career for this opportunity, I came into this business craving nothing more than tag team gold. That's right, I started as a young girl wanting not to be the top of the mountain of singles competitors, but of tag team glory. I still crave this...and my heart is strong when it comes to tag team competition, so I'll be damned if I let a second-hand blonde bitch and her fuck buddy's crazy ass old man take MY opportunity from me! I will be damned if I let you leave that arena with gold, I will be damned if I let you walk period 5 minutes into this match."
And then...a chuckle, a small bit of laughter fills my lungs and I smile devilishly to the device by which the world will see where I hold myself at this moment. I keep that finger in front of the camera and wag it slowly, teasingly.
"Kate, don't you dare sit there, thinking I missed you. The beta of Casa de Kami sits now behind a shadow, and it's certainly not like I don't respect you. You have an amazing ring prowess and I know with Jamilyn you could fight like a machine. But do you really think James gives any care for you in this case. The way I see it, he is using you to pad a resume that needs nothing else, you are a pawn for him to get another bragging piece, throw the belt away, and walk out with his paycheck and you sitting there wondering why didn't I just go find someone better. My god, go get Zahara, at least she respects you as a person and respects the resilience it takes to be a champion. James wants a resume, he's a business man, he sees dollar signs more than he sees respect."
I calm my voice back down again, but feel a different liquid escaping from my face...now from my eyes, tears fall slowly down my face and I remember being in front of that grave of Lacey, speaking to her, promising her I would accomplish everything we ever dreamed of...I can't let my promise be in vein.
"You want to know why this Twin City Tag Team Championship match means so much to me? I give a damn about my career, I give a damn about my family, I give a BIG damn about being able to finally get respect in this industry because I know all it takes is a little hardware and people will finally fucking listen! So I'll fight with my soon-to-be husband, I'll fight for my dead best friend who was killed in a car accident when she was who I thought I would be an amazing tag team champion with one day, I'll fight for my two little ones I have taken into my life and finally let them see that Mommy can win the big one. This wolf destroyed a poisonous tramp at Fate of the Gods, she tore into countless people in her career, she has chased off so many and brought in so few people in her life...and for once, she's going to damn smile and do what she knows she can do and win when it counts."
Taking one more heavy, deep breath, I regain that massive energy one more time and glare back to the camera with a huge glimmer in my eye, quickly wiping away the tears so there is no doubt people see the power in my eyes, the want in my looks, the desire in my mind.
"September 16th, 2016, that will be the date of reckoning in VoW and I guarantee nothing will be the same when I have my crown! I am no Queen to you maybe, I am no God, but I am Winter fucking Pine whether you like it or not, and it's time I am fucking respected! Emma was only my spark that I needed to know it's time people get off their high horses and think they can trash me. I CAN HANG IN VOW! I can hang with any of you pathetic little fuckers! And at Breakthrough, I hand the tag team titles in the air, kiss my fiance, and yell to all you simple shits that I am this company's future! Winter's Time is here, the blizzard has hit...I'll be laughing at all you as you freeze under my reign! Now fuck off, and let's go to war James! Let's fight Kate! I'll put you both down and out, and I will beat you! No more ifs, no more maybes, I WILL BEAT YOU! The end."
I shut off the recording and throw the not-so-disposable camera against the towering tree my back once propped upon, pulling more at my hair and hyperventilating more and more with each passing moment. I'm not holding back anymore, I'm not letting the fans, the media, the commentators, or those stupid back-shit opponents get to me. I am making this about me, the world can fucking sue me if they don't like it, but this is my dream and for once I'm not letting it slip away again.
Let fate be how it will...and I'll just take what is mine. Energy depleted, I rise to my feet, walking to my camera and retrieving it before making my way back to civilization...yet despite all that power, all that want, all that knowing that this is my time. Despite it all...I still feel shaky, nervous, unknowing...
Breathe.
Breathe.
You WILL prevail.
You WILL rise.
You are Winter Pine.
