[center][sub]Collab with [@Universorum] and [@Silver Carrot][/sub][hr][hr][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/170621/47299a3939e753fb78b13dae0d52c887.png[/img]
 
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[indent]Another day, another show. Sometimes the grind got to him, but generally speaking… Wade Palmer loved his job. Every second of it, from beginning to end of each day was an adventure, and that he truly enjoyed. Aftershock was a personal baby of his, a pet project that he’d suggested to Roddy a few years back. Now it had a huge following, and he and Joy Ryder ran it together… and it was fun.
 
At its core, that’s what wrestling was supposed to be: fun. A lot of people took it too seriously, a lot of fans made it out to be something that it’s not and would attack wrestlers for even the slightest fault in the ring, on the microphone… Wade Palmer felt bad for Owen Sparks and Kidd Neon. When he checked the internet tomorrow, he was certain the internet wrestling community (the IWC, or as Roddy called them, ‘the dirty internet smarks’) would be calling for the public beheading of the two young’uns.

Wade sat down behind the desk of the Aftershock set and smiled at Joy, who was already waiting for him. Wade tossed a large bag of gummi worms onto the desk and chewed on one as the camera started rolling. Hurriedly swallowing it, Wade spoke to the camera. [color=1f71dd][b]“Welcome to AWE Aftershock, where we talk about the show that just transpired, and bring a guest or two to come on screen and chat with us. Tonight… we nearly had a show end the same way last week’s did, in a questionable way, but. Everything went just fine as far as I can tell. We’ll address the question being asked by all the fans out there, trending #1 on Twitter all night… Where’s Caiden?”[/b][/color]
 
One hand was rested on her notepad, the other hand was rolling her pen on the glass surface. Back and forth. Back and forth. When she found her opening to add to Wade’s dialogue, she stopped what she was doing and gave him her genuinely sweet smile, with just the right amount of her natural personality and just the right amount of her professional front, [color=9966cc][b]“Isn’t it obvious, Wade?”[/b][/color] Joy raised her eyebrow, her expression displaying the fact that she couldn’t even fathom the possibility of this NOT being true. [color=9966cc][b]“He has bad blood with Roddy Quinn, so of course he’s going to use times like these, where he doesn’t even get a match on tonight’s show, to keep to his word and: Quote. Take this show over. One step at a time. Unquote.’”[/b][/color] She brought her attention to the camera and confidently added, [color=9966cc][b]“And we all know he keeps to his word.”[/b][/color]
    
[color=1f71dd][b]“It might not be that obvious. Maybe, and I’m just spitballing here… but maybe he wasn’t here this week because he didn’t want to show his face after his despicable actions last week. OR, and I might be wrong here because it probably would have been announced… maybe he got suspended for being an asshole, [i]Joy[/i].”[/b][/color] Wade accented his statement by viciously tearing a piece of his gummi worm off. [color=1f71dd][b]“You don’t just attack referees and go on like nothing happened.”[/b][/color]
 
Oh this shit again. Joy gritted her teeth in annoyance. [color=9966cc][b]“We both know, Mr. Palmer.”[/b][/color] Her words were enunciated and her blue eyes glinted with serious passion, [color=9966cc][b]“Caiden Winters [i]isn’t[/i] a coward. If he were, he wouldn’t have ‘attacked’ the referee after he DID warn him. The ref made a bad call. And you don’t cross, Caiden."[/b][/color] Internally, Joy was getting hella’ grumpy, but she had to keep this professional. Straightening her body, she put her pleasant smile back on, while her eyes locked with the camera lens, [color=9966cc][b]“Did you hear that folks? Caiden might have been suspended. Do you believe it? Because I don’t. That would be another bad call, don’t you think? Why don’t you tell us what you think happened to Caiden Winters on Twitter and remember to @AWE and put the hashtag AWEAftershock.”[/b][/color]  
 
[color=1f71dd][b]“I think Caiden Winters is plotting and deciding how he’s going to take out his rage on Roddy Quinn. But that’s not all I think; you want to know what I think? I’ll tell you. I think it’s a mistake. I think Caiden Winters needs to keep his head down after that little bout of rage, and wait until Roddy calls him and then he should ask for another chance, or he’s going to be screwed for the rest of his tenure here.”[/b][/color] Did Wade the person believe this? Of course not, but he knew what to say to get Joy going, and he wanted this show to be hers more than his.
 
[color=9966cc][b]“What wrestler who kept his or her head down ever became a star? A LEGEND? None. Caiden Winters is a force to be reckoned with. He never stops doing his best just because his boss doesn’t give him credit. You know who does see his potential? The fans. And without our fans, where would we be? Caiden Winters deserves to be on the AWE and to get the respect he deserves, he has to make bold moves.”[/b][/color]
 
[color=1f71dd][b]“I guess we’ll just see how it goes, huh? Anyway, let’s move on.”[/b][/color] Wade glanced down at his notes briefly, reading over them. [color=1f71dd][b]“Did you catch what the Initiate did today? He just… took another man’s place in the tournament. I guess that’s the kind of thing he tries to push, huh? Well, Joy we’re one step closer to what you seem to want: total anarchy. Or maybe you’re less okay with people breaking the rules when you don’t have a crush on them.”[/b][/color] Another gummi worm.
 
Did he? He did, didn’t he? She did NOT have a crush on Caiden. Without batting an eye or even blushing, Joy twirled her pen in her hand and smirked at Wade, [color=9966cc][b]“Let’s not go there.”[/b][/color] As much as she wanted to make a low blow and use his relationship with her sister against him, she decided to keep things on track. Joy Ryder was a [i]professional[/i]. [color=9966cc][b]“Like I said. To get noticed, sometimes you have to make bold moves. If they were so against the ‘total anarchy’ they would have nipped this match in the bud. Did they? No. Why? Because the fans liked what they saw. Who has more control now?”[/b][/color] The company, the wrestlers, or the fans. If Joy gave into her emotions, she would have darted her pen at Wade’s face and stole his gummy worms… but, the show must go on. All personal feelings aside.   
 
[color=1f71dd][b]“It’s the fans. It’s always the fans who have the control. Maybe what you’re saying has some merit, maybe getting noticed IS that important, but I cannot and I will not sit by and watch as the wrestlers who are paid to fucking—”[/b][/color] Wade was getting a little impassioned himself. Dude was a mark, hated heels. [color=1f71dd][b]“—wrestle the other wrestlers attack referees, blindside their peers before they can start their match… even the low blows I saw tonight and last week… that kind of stuff would have legends in this business who worked until their bodies gave out and they couldn’t crawl to that ring to put on a show for these fans… the way some of the AWE roster acts would have those legends rolling in their damn graves. Did you see the despicable way that Sexton Love acted tonight? It’s disrespectful, and it’s damn near disgusting.”[/b][/color] Keep things rolling, Joy.
 
[color=9966cc][b]“Oh you mean the low blow that cost Caiden his match? If I’m not mistaken, Caiden Winters fought [i]right[/i]. It was after the fact that he decided to show us how he really feels.”[/b][/color] Okay, she needed to keep this rolling, but she was still riled up from the heavy, negative focus on her favorite wrestler. For a second, she gave her peer dull eyes, before tapping her pen on her notepad and continuing, [color=9966cc][b]“And yes, I saw. And our fans reacted accordingly. You may be right with how there should be a limit to the way our wrestlers act, but I will stand by my opinion that there are exceptions. And the people who help make our grey lines more clear are tuning in tonight.”[/b][/color]
 
[color=1f71dd][b]“I agree with you. I don’t think the fans show up to get tormented like that, but what do I know… But you know what really spoke to the fans tonight? None other than Morgana — and if you talk to Kane later, despite what he may say… he was marking out and totally thought it was her father. Of course, all good things must come to an end, and she was interrupted.”[/b][/color]
 
Joy’s expression brightened. She too had marked out, thinking her uncle figure was going to make an appearance. Her dad’s best friend showing up out of the blue? Insane. At last, it was all a ruse. A good one at that! On top of the excitement she had because of that, she also simply liked the Women’s Division and the drama that surrounded it. It was like some Real Housewives pettiness and she LOVED it. [color=9966cc][b]“Interrupted by someone we have never gotten many opportunities to hear as much as the other Divas before. And the thing that got me was, I could feel the tension... and I wasn’t even physically on the ring.”[/b][/color] 
 
[color=1f71dd][b]“Luckily for us, and the fans, we’re going to get to hear some more from her tonight — without further adieu, please welcome our guest for the evening: Sydney Ellis.”[/b][/color] Truth be told, Wade didn’t pay enough attention backstage to know for sure if all the drama was real or fake, but he did his best to keep Trinity mostly out of it… Not much longer, though.
 
Sydney Ellis marched into the shot and took her seat. She was wearing the same ensemble she has worn when she interrupted Morgana. She gave a curt nod to them both. [b][color=00802b]"Joy. Wade,”[/color][/b] she hammered, not looking in a great mood, but at least not openly hostile. [b][color=00802b]"Yeah, I tend to let my actions speak for me, but tonight, I couldn’t let it go. There were things that needed to be said. And after all that, Morgana still has the gall to look down on me.”[/color][/b]
 
[color=1f71dd][b]“Morgana tends to look down on… well, everyone. It’s the way she’s always been, and I doubt a few strong words are going to change that. You’ll have to do more than that.”[/b][/color] Wade explained, leaning forward as he chomped on another gummi worm. [color=1f71dd][b]“I’d argue that the only way you’re going to get her to look at you any differently, is to beat her ass in the ring.”[/b][/color]
 
[b][color=00802b]"There are no excuses,”[/color][/b] Sydney retorted icily. [b][color=00802b]"There are no reasons why I would let anybody look down on me. I haven’t lost a singles match in thirteen months now. Beating asses in the ring is my first language. Maybe the message to Morgana simply didn’t get through to her in English.. Or maybe I’ll start every sentence with ‘Barbie’. That would get her attention. All Morgana cares about is the title she lost to a plastic doll that can’t fight. And she looks down on me?! It’s almost impressive how she managed such a pathetic feat!”[/color][/b]
 
[color=9966cc][b]“There’s a lot of fire in you, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who really likes this side.”[/b][/color] Joy complimented the wrestler, who sat on the other side of Wade. Tilting her head in curiousity, she took in the other woman’s words carefully and then inquisitively inquired, [color=9966cc][b]“Wouldn’t you care, though? If you lost the title from anyone really? You spend day and night, rain or shine, for this one thing and then finally. You have it and then someone comes around and takes it all away in a blink of an eye.”[/b][/color] After taking a pause for a moment so her question could resonate with the audience and after she snapped her free hand's fingers when she said the word 'blink' to emphasize her point, Joy added, [color=9966cc][b]“I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like something would be wrong if any winner didn’t react to a certain extent.”[/b][/color]
 
Sydney leaned back and smiled with an air of superiority that was sure to infuriate any of the women’s locker room that were watching. Regardless of how much they liked Dawn, Sydney was a nasty piece of work. [b][color=00802b]"Honestly, if there’s a single woman back there that I couldn’t destroy in a fair fight, they’d have earned it. I wouldn’t hold my breath, though. If I became champion, that belt wouldn’t go anywhere anytime soon after.”[/color][/b]
 
Raising an eyebrow in intrigue, her lips curving into a smirk, Joy chuckled, [color=9966cc][b]“So will you? Become champion, I mean. Because what you’re saying is, you’re fully confident you can take down all your competitors, including Barbie Summers. That’s [i]a lot[/i] of competition.”[/b][/color]  
 
[b][color=00802b]"You’re implying that Barbie would ever agree to fight me. She won’t. She’s a coward. One day she’ll be usurped by a woman who doesn’t disgrace that belt just by holding it, and they might accept a challenge of mine. But Barbie?”[/color] [/b]Sydney shook her head. [b][color=00802b]"She did not get to where she is today by fighting. She won’t fight me. She’s not a fighter. She might spout several pages of the Mean Girls script at me, or pull some strings with her husband, or use every dirty trick in the book to claim to have beaten me without fighting me.”[/color][/b] Sydney then looked straight down the hard cam. [b][color=00802b]"Barbie Summers can not and will not fight me.”[/color][/b] she challenged.
 
[color=9966cc][b]“Those are some fightin’ words!”[/b][/color] This was why Joy loved the Women’s Division. The amount of drama that arises from a wrestler simply calling a bitch out. It was delicious! She couldn’t wait for more. [color=9966cc][b]“We’ll have to wait and see if Barbie tuned in and how she’ll react. Is she really the coward Sydney Ellis says she is? Or is she simply waiting for the perfect moment to assert her authority and show us who wears the crown?”[/b][/color] 
 
[i]Pause for dramatic effect.[/i] 
 
[color=9966cc][b]“Unfortunately, we’re out of time.”[/b][/color] Joy pouted at the camera, wishing she could talk all night about the AWE, and then glanced over at Sydney, [color=9966cc][b]“Thanks so much for coming on today. I’m sure from here on out, we’ll hear more from you, yeah?[/b][/color]
 
[b][color=00802b]"That entirely depends on whether or not anything needs to be said in the future.”[/color][/b] Sydney replied curtly.
 
[color=1f71dd][b]“And with that being said, we bid you farewell for tonight, AWE fans. If you’re in the area, make sure to show up at the Golden 1 Center next Wednesday for Shock N AWE, and a trail of shows leading us there. Don’t forget to follow the AWE and all your favorite superstars on Twitter! Even if you can’t be in the arena, tune in next week. It’s the only way to find out who’s going to be the next champion.”[/b][/color]
 
[color=9966cc][b]“Bye, guys! Oh, and don’t forget to keep tabs on the #1 trending question on the AWE’s twitter account. Where’s Caiden? Until next time on Aftershock.”[/b][/color] With her beaming smile, Joy waved at the camera. The moment her twin brother said ‘and cut’, she slouched down in her chair. Thoroughly exhausted from numerous things, like her curiosity of where Caiden actually went tonight since he was nowhere to be found backstage, Joy sighed, [color=9966cc][b]“Great job everyone! I need… wine.”[/b][/color] She was ready to go to the hotel and call it a night. 
 
[color=1f71dd][b]“He’s at the JW Marriott, Room 204A. Have fun.”[/b][/color] WIth that, Wade Palmer and his bag of gummi bears walked off to fetch his girlfriend and eat donuts or do whatever it was she was doing. Probably, he mused, donuts. 
 
Joy gave Wade a side glare as he walked off and then her attention, with her big, puppy dog eyes, was brought to her brother, who narrowed his eyes, [b][color=#872657]“... you can take my car.”[/color][/b] Grumbling to himself, he dug into his pant’s pocket, took out his keys, and tossed it at her, which fortunately, she caught with both hands (even if it almost hit her face). Looks like Chance Ryder was either carpooling with dad or taking the party bus...
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