Post by Charity Crowne on May 29, 2017 2:29:30 GMT
Riley Gordon.
Riley Gordon is the reason Rowan MacDonnough is still employed. Riley Gordon has given her the platform on which to conduct a campaign of terror, of persecution, of-of absolute maddening violent lunacy! I wouldn't be surprised if the contract for this farce of a match has her name on it! She can't stand me, she's made that very clear. Ever since I stepped into IWF, she's wanted to put roadblocks in my way. Maxine Valentine, Abigail Spencer, every loony and madwoman she could throw at me, she has! And then, when I overcame the odds and I won the Diamond in the Rough tournament, when I beat the one she so clearly wanted to win, Keira Hunter...she didn't take that well at all.
She sent me into the Iron Maiden as the first entrant. She's partnered me with Rowan MacDonnough not once, but twice. Every single beat of my career in IWF points to a conspiracy, and she sits at the head of it. All because I rub her the wrong way. She can't stand me because she sees my perfection for what it is, and she knows she could never measure up, so she wants to destroy me. You know what? I've dealt with jealous, vindictive bitches my entire life, Riley. You're nothing special. I won't give you the satisfaction you want. I'm going to take this trap you've set for me, and I'm going to turn it into a showcase. You won't win. I won't let you.
If only it were as simple as dealing with you, though. If all I had to do was show up Riley Gordon on the biggest night of the year, I'd have won before I stepped foot out of the dressing room. If only...instead of having to deal with the beastmistress, I have to deal with her ravenous wolf. It's a good thing the Crownes are a line of great gamesmen...
Because I'm going to have to put you down, Rowan.
Charity sits in the middle of her bed, clutching her knees to her chest. Her normally measured and manicured look is completely demolished, her eye makeup running down her face in obvious trails left by tears. Her eyes are bloodshot with exhaustion, and her shoulders still shake every few seconds with a silent, shuddering breath. She swallows, mouth dry, and forces herself to swing her legs over the side of the bed. Tentatively, like a baby deer, Charity slowly reaches out, planting her feet on the floor. She slowly, shakily stands up, looking around the apartment, as if any shadow might jump out at her. She exhales slowly, nodding, and begins to walk forward, hesitant at first but slowly growing in confidence with each step.
This confidence is shattered when her phone rings, breaking the quiet and sending Charity leaping into the air a foot and a half. She lands on her feet, shaking heavily, and stumbles over to her phone, checking the caller ID. The name "Tabbykins" is displayed over a selfie of Charity with another woman, equally beautiful and equally fixated on the camera. Charity looks at her phone for a few seconds, at the picture of the two completely joyous, before turning away and setting it down, letting the call go to voicemail.
Charity walks into the bathroom, planting her hands on the counter, and looks up into the mirror at herself. She immediately snorts with laughter, shaking her head as she looks at herself. Charity's laughter dies quickly, though, and she's left to stare at herself uncomfortably. Charity slowly reaches over, grabbing a makeup wipe, and begins wiping the cosmetics from her face. Slowly, with each stroke, the remains of her makeup vanish, and after about a minute and several wipes, she runs the water from her faucet, splashing it in her face and grabbing a soft towel to dry herself off.
When Charity looks up, she blinks in confusion. The face looking back at her is unmistakably Charity, but, for some reason, without her usual bevy of beauty products, more than anything she looks vulnerable. Charity looks at herself in the mirror, lip wobbling slightly, and takes in a deep breath. She looks her reflection in the eyes, and speaks for the first time since we joined her. "You can do this. You're Charity Crowne. You're the Crowne Jewel for a bloody reason."
"Right? Right." Charity nods to herself. "No sense walking around with runny eyeliner, looking like Keira Hunter after meeting Panic at the Disco. You've got to comport yourself better. Walk in with your head held high...and walk out with your hand raised high. Don't let the bastards grind you down." Charity nods to herself, taking deep, measured breaths as she looks at herself. "And if you want to win this...you're gonna have to be brave, girl. That means dealing with the monster...and that means conquering the dark."
Charity nods, taking a deep breath again, and reaches out, closing the bathroom door before flicking the light off. The light snaps out, and a long few seconds pass of complete darkness, the only sound being Charity's breath. Slowly, she begins to breathe faster, and after about ten seconds, she reaches back out with a firm declaration of "NOPE!" and flicks the light back on. She shakes her head, laughing to herself again, but the laughter gutters and dies in her throat as she lays eyes on the mirror.
Across the width of the mirror, in large crimson letters that appear to be slowly, slowly dripping down, is written a simple message, inescapable to any who lay eyes on it.
Charity's breath quickens, her hands trembling, and after a few moments of horrified, dawning comprehension Charity's slowly-reconstructed self-confidence shatters completely, and she lets out an ear-piercing scream as we smash to black.
Rowan. You want me? Well, congratulations, you got me. You've got me exactly where you wanted me. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, nothing but you, me, and all the weapons you can stash under the ring before we get there. Well, be careful what you wish for, because this Diamond? This Diamond's got sharp edges, and she'll Cut you if you get too close.
I'm not afraid of you. Why should I be? You're just like Maxine Valentine, a big, scary, spooky girl, and just like Maxine Valentine, you're going to taste the Diamond Cutter and get cut down to size. You shouldn't have put me in a corner. Nobody puts Charity in a corner, Rowan. Not Riley Gordon, not my mother, and certainly not you. You can't make me back down. The Crowne Jewel doesn't hide. She stands front and center.
So here I am, front and center Come at me, big girl. Give me your best shot. It's not good enough, 'cause YOU'RE not good enough. You're scary, you're strong, but you...are NOT, and never will be...Simply...Flawless.
Let's end this.
Well howdy there pardner.