[center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/ad7qf7j.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/EbqSjer.png[/img] [color=e0218a][b]Location:[/b][/color] The Gym [color=e0218a][b]Interacting with:[/b][/color] [color=ed7d15]Drayden[/color] [sup][@Universorum][/sup] & [color=e4717a]Claire[/color] [sup][@lovely complex][/sup] [img]http://i.imgur.com/ZD1aKua.png[/img][/center] [indent] [center]Blood. Sweat. Tears.[/center] That is what everyone says that it takes to make it in this industry. Cliché as it is, you hear it all the time in AWE, both backstage, and on it. Many of the top tier wrestlers proved the phrase true, Barbie Summers among them. In fact, Barbara Somerville could currently check the first two off of the list today without even batting a false eyelash. The blood was represented in the brutal abdominal cramps that she was suffering from. Periods were sometimes less mild and frequent for athletes, but this was not the case for the Doll of the American wrestling world. Drayden was gone, she didn’t have any screen time this week, and her insides were betraying her, all at once. The only thing that she wanted to do was eat chocolate cake, an [i]entire[/i] chocolate cake. We are talking about a cake the size of the one Bruce was forced to eat in the movie [i]Matilda[/i]. Barbara would eat it without a single complaint made, or breath taken. This brings us to the next factor in the formula: sweat. Instead of indulging her sweet tooth and facing the consequences that came with it, Barbara was working out. Hard. A figure such as hers didn’t come easily. Her body was a well-oiled machine, and it had been for about a dozen years. Before wrestling, she was an skilled gymnast, like many other female wrestlers before her. Nowadays, Barbara exercises for at [i]least[/i] one hour every day. Cardio, core, strength training - she splits up her days pretty evenly, making sure that no part of her body gets out of proportion, except for her glutes. Barbara [i]- and Barbie -[/i] takes great pride in having a far above average ass, as does William, and she plans to keep it that way. Thinking of her Billy made her frown, and she channeled that emotion into getting a few more reps of free weights in. Wiping the moisture from her brow with her forearm, Barbara paused her routine to get a drink of water from her [i]Camelbak[/i] bottle. Sucking down the refreshing liquid, she glanced up at the television, which was screening the happenings of the ring, in real time. A flash of cotton candy pink hair caught her eye, and Barbara paused the audiobook that she was listening to through her headphones, in order to focus on the screen. [i]Oh, this was bound to be good.[/i] Morgana was staged as Barbie’s biggest rival, and rightly so, as she was the previous holder of the AWE Women’s Championship Title. The Sorceress was a cutthroat character, and her hatred for the [i]Plastic Queen[/i] was so palpable that you could practically reach into the TV screen and hold it in your hands. Honestly, it was so real that Barbara had trouble separating the character from the woman herself - it didn’t help that Mileena [i]never[/i] talked to her backstage. She sometimes wondered if the dark beauty truly did despise her, as she appeared to on the big screen, for all the world to see. Barbara watched with mild interest as Morgana entered the ring with the music and costume themes made famous by her wrestling legend of a father. That was to be expected, using his infamy to build up her own story. It likely wasn’t even Morgana’s idea, it was probably the writers, so Barbara didn’t judge her for it. When the witchy woman began her monologue, however, Barbara’s interest went from mild, to full attention. Morg didn’t even waste a second before going in on Barbie. She didn’t mention her by name, but it was clear to any and all who were watching. Her words were as vicious as a viper’s venom, and she even mocked the fake accent that Barbara put on for Barbie’s character. The backwoods Louisiana lass was the furthest thing from a Valley girl in real life, but that was of no matter. [center][color=a020f0][i]“The desire in me is far greater than any ‘doll’ that thinks they’re worthy for more than just a hand clap.”[/i][/color][/center] Barbara’s lip twitched at the dig. Surely, that was just Mileena being in-character. [i]Surely[/i], no one in AWE was jaded enough to think that Barbie didn’t desire this. She worked her ass off for the title - blood, sweat, all of that cliché shit . A lifetime of being a fan, years of training, and the seizing of a few key opportunities. Barbara was peeved, but she continued to watch the promo in eerie silence. [center][color=a020f0][i]“When you think of Barbie, what’s the first thing you think of? That she’s pretty in pink? Or that she too is what she calls a shadow of other people. Mm, especially the shadow of her Dray-dee-poo.”[/i][/color][/center] Oh, she did [i]not[/i] just go there. Bringing William into this, given his current [i]injured[/i] state? That was a low blow. AND, while Drayden was, in fact, the greatest thing to happen to AWE… Barbie Summers stood in nobody’s shadow. She would never claim to be better than Dray - nor even equal to him, it was apples and oranges, really - but they were both rulers, in their own rights. Separate, unequal, and also unrivaled. Barbara kept her eyes on the screen, her vision tinted rage red. [center][color=a020f0][i]“If she were alone, would she have built the kingdom that she wanted? Happily ever afters don’t last forever, especially to those that don’t respect the ones that help her lift her heavy crown. I don’t see a warrior. I don’t see a soul shining with royalty. I don’t see the hunger in her eyes. I see nothing.”[/i][/color][/center] The spark met powder, and Barbara ignited in the gym. Short fuse? No, no fuse. There wasn’t a fuse in sight - just flames. Fire everywhere. [color=e0218a][b]“That BITCH!”[/b][/color] she hissed, turning away from the TV before she could see Sydney step on screen and challenge Morgana. Blinded by her volatile emotional state, Barbie spun on her heel and took it out on the nearest punching bag. The blonde punched and kicked, throwing her whole body into the assault against the weighted canvas sack. Barbie went at it until she was short of breath, and her unprotected knuckles felt bruised and swollen. Billy wasn’t here, he was hurting all by himself, and she couldn’t fix it. Now she was without her lover, completely alone, didn’t have any cake, [i]and[/i] everyone hated her. Without William there to reassure her, Barbara caved to her insecurities. All of the talk about how she didn’t deserve this, that she slept her way to the top, the talentless whore label that [i]Barbie[/i] was written to wear so proudly. All of the heat was too much without love present to balance it out. Pressing her forehead against the canvas bag, Barbara practically hugged it, as salty streams trailed down her cheeks. Tears: The final piece of the [i]stupid. fucking. triad.[/i] Barbara sniffled. This was dumb, she was being dumb, crying like this. Big girls don’t cry, and actresses keep on smiling when the scene calls for it. This crown that she wore was something that she had wanted since childhood, something that she told her older brothers that she would have someday, and now she [i]did[/i] have it, so she would wear it with poise and pride, no matter how heavy it sat atop her head. There was only one person that could cheer her up. Only one gorgeous, chiseled face, with soulful eyes that shined for her and her alone. Barbara wiped away her tears and checked out her appearance in mirror - which was essentially the wall, as plates of mirror wrapped around the entire perimeter of the fitness center. No sign of her meltdown was evident on her face, she simply looked like she had just completed a heavy workout and, to an athlete like William, that was a sexy look. Pleased enough with her reflection, she tapped his contact to call him via [i]FaceTime[/i], right there in the gym, sitting on the weight bench in her [url=http://i.imgur.com/Ozb2k3n.jpg]sports bra and leggings[/url]. For all intents and purposes, Drayden might as well have been dead in the water. Knee surgery as severe as his, apparently put you out of commission for longer than anticipated, and according to the medical staff, it’d be almost a month before he could even start physical therapy. Past that, eight months before he could return, and they’d said they weren’t sure he’d ever be in peak physical form again. [i]The doctors[/i] weren’t sure, but William Shepherd sure as fuck was. If he didn’t get back to how he was before, then he might as well end his life. So, he’d train as hard as needed for as long as possible to get back to the way he wanted to be… for now, though? Once Will answered the FaceTime call, Barbie would see her king curled up on a couch that she’d picked out for their Florida home, with a discarded Playstation 4 controller on his chest. [color=ed7d15][b]“Hey, babe. You look grumpy and sweaty. What’s wrong?”[/b][/color] [color=e0218a][b]“Hiii Billy, baby!”[/b][/color] Barbara greeted him, her lips turning up at the corners. [color=e0218a][b]“Just… at the gym.”[/b][/color] she said and panned the phone camera away from her, around the room, and then back to her again. [color=e0218a][b]“See.”[/b][/color] The man on the other end couldn’t help but smile when she panned the camera around the room, but he nodded when it went back to her. [color=ed7d15][b]“Yes, I see that. I’m just on the couch. Since I can’t walk without crutches. For a month. I should probably be in the bed, but I wanted to play video games and eat food. So…”[/b][/color] He turned the camera around to show the coffee table, which had a half eaten piece of cake, a two litre bottle of vanilla Coke, and some pizza. [color=ed7d15][b]“Here I am.”[/b][/color] And back to him. Her eyes went wide at the sight of his sinful buffet. [color=e0218a][b]“[i]You have cake…[/i]”[/b][/color] she whispered and bit her lip. [color=e0218a][b]“You should be in bed, have someone set the video games up in the bedroom. You aren’t going to get better quickly if you break the rules.”[/b][/color] Barbara broke out of her lustful trance long enough to give him a motherly scolding. Without anyone there keeping an eye on him, namely herself, he was probably doing a whole lot more that he shouldn’t be. [color=ed7d15][b]“Well, of course I have cake. I wanted cake, so I bought one. It’s really good, I was surprised.”[/b][/color] He didn’t have much of a sweet tooth, so cake was rare for him, and usually it was of the ice cream variety. William usually preferred salty things to the sweet ones. [color=ed7d15][b]“And I don’t like asking for help, it’s dumb enough that I have to have someone here to make me food if I don’t order it, this kind of stuff is infuriating, it kills my independence as a man.”[/b][/color] Now, he wore the grumpy face as he squinted into the camera. [color=ed7d15][b]“Plus, I gotta watch Shock N AWE every week, I don’t wanna miss anything important.”[/b][/color] Barbie shook her head at him and rolled her eyes with a small smile. [color=e0218a][b]“That person is paid handsomely to do whatever the fuck you ask him to do. Moving a television and gamestation is nothing. As for your independence as a man…”[/b][/color] She snuggled her knees up to her chest and held her face in her hand, biting her lip again. [color=e0218a][b]“The only way you’ll get all that back is if you follow the doctor's orders. Don’t you want get your strength back, so you can show me what a [i]man[/i] you can be?”[/b][/color] Barbara pouted and gave the camera her best pair of sultry eyes. Suddenly, a well-known, delicate, silver-bell sounding voice resounded in the gym. There wasn’t even the sound of the entrance door opening because this woman in particular was light on her feet and could sneak up on anyone if she truly wanted to. By first glance, one would assume the figure that was making her way to her friend was related to the wrestler by blood. The essence of summer emitted from her, with her golden hair draping down her shoulders, curling at the ends, and a smile never fading. Claire Gilmore. The fiancee of Kevin Harrison, since May this year, going five years strong. They became official when she was twenty one, anniversary December 21, 2012. She was recently promoted to the head makeup artist position of the AWE Glam Squad (subscribe to their instagram channel: aweglamsquad and twitter account: @AWEGlamSquad), but also assists in the costume department, having excellent sewing skills and both a degree in Costume Design and a licensure in cosmetology, having taken an extensive program in all things makeup. It also helps that she has a strong background in theatre, being raised as the next ‘Shirley Temple’ of her hometown. Of course, her heart chose a different path. She didn’t want to be a star, she wanted to help make stars and, in time, she found an in at the AWE. If there was one thing she deliberately goes out of her way for, it’s checking up on the wrestlers, especially the divas. Being the main hairdresser and makeup artist for the bigger names like Barbie Summers and Morgana, she tries her best to make sure their personal lives don’t mix with their careers. As a wrestler, it isn’t always easy to separate the act from the person, because at the AWE, you’re nearly always at work, and a camera could be just around the corner to catch you at your worst. There are also the cases where some of the wrestlers aren’t the most sociable and, if she could, she would be the friend that they needed. The friend that would help them reach the height of their stardom or, at least, keep them sane. Wrestling wasn’t an easy business, and everyone needed a friend. Those that worked at the AWE were family, regardless if anyone realized that or not. You spent most of your life with these people, and it was up to you to take proactive steps to cross that line between acquaintances and friends. Claire was still working on Mileena, or well, Morgana... that girl was a toughy. Far more guarded and shy than people realized. Just because she was a good actress and knew how to be a bitch, didn’t mean she knew how to handle people well. But, she wasn’t here for Morgana. She was here for Barbara Somerville. The current Queen of the Women’s Division. An absolute sweetheart, who dreamed big, and wanted to continuously aim high. A girl who had a lot more in common with her on stage rival than they both realized. [color=#e4717a][b]“How’s my Barbie girl? In her Barbie world? Is life fantastic? Your ass is definitely not made out of plastic.”[/b][/color] Claire was too focused on her silly introduction to realize she was interrupting something. The darling artist was hardly [url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BCWSEJDyjjl/]dressed[/url] appropriately for the gym. Barbara jumped at the sudden additional voice in the room. Her eyes bugged wide at the phone camera, obviously guilty at being caught in the act of dirty talking with her man. Barbie tapped the screen and hung up on William, without any warning, and set the phone down on the bench. [color=e0218a][b]“Oh! Hi! Just… arm day.”[/b][/color] The blonde wrestler flexed her toned bicep and gave a convincing smile. [color=e0218a][b]“As for how I’m doing… crampy, lonely, and hungry. Not necessarily in that order. You?”[/b][/color] [color=#e4717a][b]“Phenomanal!”[/b][/color] Claire enthusiastically responded, but then shook her head in evident lover neediness. [color=#e4717a][b]“Actually, no, tonight will be another lonely night for me at the hotel. Kevin and his boys will be too busy doing what they do best, making the AWE great and all.”[/b][/color] She strided closer to examine Barbara’s biceps, [color=#e4717a][b]“Tip-top shape, as always!”[/b][/color] Pausing for a second, she glanced at the phone resting on the bench and curiously inquired, [color=#e4717a][b]“Was that William? How’s he doing? It’s weird not seeing him around.”[/b][/color] A pair of dazzling blue eyes flicked down to the phone. Barbie nodded. [color=e0218a][b]“Yeah, that was my Billy. I needed to see his face.”[/b][/color] Her lips puckered in a pout, comfortable enough in the presence of her good friend Claire to show her true emotions. [color=e0218a][b]“He’s misbehaving, but in good spirits.”[/b][/color] The artist watched the wrestler carefully and gave her an empathetic look, as if she understood what her friend was going through, which honestly, she did. In her own way. Kevin was married to his job first and foremost, so not seeing him as much as she would like to was something she’s dealt with ever since he was promoted to chief of the creative division. They knew each other before they were big at this company, and she cherished everything they had, but it does get lonely from time to time. Claire trusted him with every fiber of her being, and she wouldn’t change their lives together for the world. Call her clique or whatever, but he was her prince, for better or for worse, even if they didn’t spend every waking hour together. [color=#e4717a][b]“I wish my Sailor misbehaved! Give me a surprise spankin’ while I’m prancing down the halls.”[/b][/color] She jokingly giggled and Barbie joined in on the girlish laughter. [color=#e4717a][b]“But in all seriousness, we should hang. We haven’t done that since…”[/b][/color] Mentally counting in her head, Claire took a gander of the last time they had true girl time, [color=#e4717a][b]“Almost two months, I think.”[/b][/color] Bringing herself down so that she was head level with her friend, the beauty continued to sell her proposition for a slumber party, [color=#e4717a][b]“I can get us some cake, we can watch some flicks. It would be great. Maybe even buy some fried chicken. God, I love chicken.”[/b][/color] [color=e0218a][b]“Oooo~”[/b][/color] Barbara’s eyes shined at the mention of indulging in some delicious calories. If William could eat pizza and cake, she could let herself cheat with some fried chicken. And cake! [color=e0218a][b]“That sounds lovely. I’ll just have to shower and get dressed proper. You free tonight? You said it was going to be a lonely one...”[/b][/color] [color=#e4717a][b]“Free as ever! Oh, I’m so happy! I’ll text you the deets and if I need anything… like alcohol.”[/b][/color] [color=e0218a][b]“Fantastic, I hope you like a good rosé.”[/b][/color][/indent]