"Kneel or Perish."
The Angelic Harbinger
5'4"
117 lbs.
"Legends Never Die" by Halocene
Malibu, California
Chaotic Good
"Wrath of the Harbinger"
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The Angelic Harbinger
is Offline
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9 posts
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VICTORY ROSTER
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Post by Xaria Linette on Nov 27, 2021 5:58:45 GMT
“Behind the most beautiful eyes, lay secrets deeper and darker than the mysterious sea.” Y.L.D.
The Angelic Harbinger Xaria Veronica Linette The Angel’s Doubts
Who am I…?
If nothing else. If no one else.
I… I don’t know.
"Le calme avant la tempête." The Linette Residence November 25th, 2021 1:00pm PST
The aroma of delicious Thanksgiving food wafts throughout this Malibu estate.
Inside one of the two ovens are the savory dishes. A perfect roasted turkey with apple brandy gravy. Three different types of stuffing: Edythe Newman's matzo, apple walnut, and French-bread with oysters, bacon, and chipotle.
Inside of the other oven are the sweet dishes. Four pies: apple, pecan, blueberry, and pumpkin. Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows. Red wine poached pears.
Upon the serving table are stuffed mushrooms, jalapeño cornbread, deviled eggs, potatoes two ways, and Irish potato and leek soup.
A feast fit for Kings and Queens. The chef was, of course, Chelsea Fitzsimmons. She’d been cooking and baking practically nonstop since yesterday. Checking the oven with the savory dishes, she nods, straightens herself, and presses a couple of buttons to turn it off. She takes a step back and stretches her limbs.
“Just a few minutes to cool down…” She sighs softly.
The second oven is checked by the Hostess herself. Xaria takes in the aroma of the desserts and smiles. She then closes the oven and looks over at her longtime friend.
“They’re almost ready,” Xaria nods.
Chelsea nods back to her. “Alright. I’ll go check on the kids.”
The Ice Queen finally dismisses herself from the extravagant kitchen. Xaria giggles and walks over to the serving table to check on each dish. She looks over and takes note of the Reverend Martin West reaching out to sneak one of the devilled eggs -- only for Jonathan Fitzsimmons to smack him on the hand.
“Bro, I don’t know how it works at your house, but the last time I tried to pick at a Thanksgiving dish before Chelsea said it was ready, a knife flew past my face and stuck in the wall behind me. She told me it was a warning shot.” Johnny says, his tone indicating he was not at all joking.
“...Noted.” The Reverend replies.
“It was terrifying. Also kinda hot. Later we went to the guest room and-”
“How many times do I have to wear this collar around you before you understand that maybe I’m not the best person to have this kind of discussion with?” Martin asks.
“We share a special bond, my guy. One I’m not going to bring up because we have company. Heeeeeeeey Xaria.” Johnny says, waving when he notices that Xaria is present.
She, of course, raises an eyebrow at the father of their sons. “It’s a good thing the children are playing in the backyard.” She chuckles softly.
The men watch as Xaria looks over the dishes once more. She brings her right hand up and lightly scratches her chin. “Hmmm… I feel like something is missing.”
“There’s more than enough for everyone.”
The three of them look up to see Maricela Reyes standing at the space between the kitchen and the dining room. She offers a gentle smile. “Let’s not drive Chelsea crazy.”
“Missing? It looks like everything is here. In the oven we’ve got Turkey and stuffing and Boo Berry Pie….all the important stuff.” Johnny says.
“Did… you just say… You DO know Boo Berry isn’t an actual fruit, don’t you? Do you know what blueberries are?” Martin asks before approaching his fiancée Maricela and giving her a kiss on the cheek. Her smile widens and she blushes.
“I’m not stupid, I know Boo Berries are blue. Duh.” Johnny says. Martin chooses to let this go instead of letting it destroy his brain.
“We’re still waiting on a guest or two, I believe.” Martin says.
“Oui,” Xaria nods and turns towards the father of their daughter. It’s a small world. “The only one who is missing is Monsieur Allen.”
Instinctively, Maricela turns her head a little, lifting her right hand to her left elbow. She looks at Martin with a look of genuine concern. “You’re sure about this, mi Amor?”
“I’m sure. Trust me, by the time he’s left, you’re all gonna be wondering what you were so worried about. I also asked to have a tupperware of food prepared just in case he doesn’t want to stay too long.“ Martin says reassuringly.
There’s a sense of relief coming from Maricela. She honestly hopes for the best. She looks at Xaria and Johnny to gauge their reactions. Johnny just sort of shrugs, accepting the wisdom of the Reverend. Xaria smiles. She’s the hostess. If she didn’t believe everything would be okay, she wouldn’t have accepted Martin’s friendly proposal. Everyone seems to be okay with this.
“...You can’t be serious.”
Everyone except for Chelsea.
She leans against the wall between the kitchen and the dining room and folds her arms. Her jaw tightens a little and she presses her lips together. “Why did you invite him? He’s an asshole and he hates people.”
“I really don’t think that’s the case, Mrs. Fitzsimmons. Can I let you all in on a secret? It took some convincing to get him to come here and it’s not because he hates anyone or anything like that… He’s terrified. My guess is he’s barely going to say a word if it isn’t prompted, so just...if things are kept civil, I guarantee there won’t be a problem.” Martin says.
“That probably means no knives… I mean… if any of us have them. Not pointing fingers at anyone specific.” Johnny says before coughing awkwardly.
Chelsea sharply glares at her husband. Strapped around her left thigh and peeking through the slit of her green foliage dress is her sheathed butterfly knife. The grip is that of the American flag. “Tch.”
She focuses back on Martin and scoffs. “I’m not convinced. Maybe he didn’t attack Xaria on the fourth Victory, but what about William? He was assaulted on Annihilation.”
It was a reminder Xaria did not need. Her best friend was brutally attacked by a mysterious assailant -- perhaps the same one who attacked her prior to the pay-per-view. She grows quiet and turns away to check on the desserts. She presses a button and the oven begins to cool down before it completely turns off.
“We don’t know for certain…” Maricela frowns. She’s moved to her husband’s side now.
“We don’t know anything at all. Not a trace of evidence as far as we’ve seen. Which means right now Allen is as innocent or guilty as anyone who was there those nights. I’ve talked to him about it. I’m almost certain neither was him. It’s possible I’m wrong but I’ve got faith in him.” Martin says. He really seems to see something in Allen that others don’t.
Chelsea unfolds her arms. “If you ask me, you have too much faith in that bastard…”
“Maybe this isn’t fantastic fun-time gathering conversation. You okay, French?” Johnny says, looking at Xaria.
Xaria opens the oven again and allows more of the aroma of the pies, the casserole, and the pears to waft through the kitchen. She sighs softly. “...I’m fine.”
Two dangerous words.
Chelsea walks over and slowly closes the oven door, her eyes upon Xaria’s. “I’ll handle this.” She’s not taking ‘no’ for an answer.
Softly biting her lower lip, Xaria moves away from the oven and makes her way into the dining room. Her emerald green eyes catch sight of Pénélope walking in from the backyard and her facial features brighten up immediately. “Penny.”
“Mommy!” The little girl jumps into her mother’s arms with a giggle.
Xaria holds her up with the simplest of ease and smiles. She then walks back over to where the others are and continues to speak with her daughter. “Are you hungry, sweetie?”
“Yeah!” Penny wiggles a little. “Can I have dessert first?”
“Hmmm, I don’t know…” Xaria chuckles softly.
“I think you’re already sweet enough, little girl. It’s gonna be just vegetables for you until some of that sweetness gets cut.” Martin says, lovingly teasing his daughter.
“Daddyyy!” Penny sticks her tongue out and giggles. She’s getting so big now. Six-years-old, first grade, and looking more like her mother. Her blonde hair is naturally curly while her eyes are deep brown like her father’s.
Maricela can’t help but smile. Penny’s good at making people happy. “If you eat all of your vegetables, you can have a slice of pie. Whichever one you want.”
“Yay Mama!” Penny squeals with absolute joy.
Xaria shakes her head a little and laughs. “Well, I better make sure you get lots of vegetables.” Not that Penny’s ever had a problem with eating them. She’s not the picky eater of her children.
All the while Chelsea begins to set the serving table with the rest of the savory dishes, including the turkey. Her presentation is magnificent, as expected of a professional chef and restaurant owner. “We’ll be ready to eat in a few more minutes. The desserts will need half an hour before they’re cool enough.”
The smell of a delicious autumnal feast waft all through the Malibu estate. The conversation has turned and it seems like everything is back on track.
Then the doorbell rings.
Fontaine Video Productions presents… "Est-ce fini...?" The Linette Residence November 26th, 2021 8:00pm PST
“I… guess we’re going to try something completely different.”
The camera’s visual comes to life once again in the study of the Linette Residence. This is certainly not the “completely different” part Remi just mentioned.
Sitting at one end of the table is the Angelic Harbinger.
Sitting at the other end of the table is the Ice Queen.
Their legs are crossed, one over the other. Xaria’s hands are folded on her lap. Chelsea’s hands are settled on the armrests of her chair. Her jade eyes focus on Xaria’s emerald eyes. Xaria’s heart jumps into her throat and she tries to swallow it back down.
REMI FONTAINE: “Uh… we’re live.”
CHELSEA FITZSIMMONS: “Are you really going to doubt yourself now?”
Chelsea’s eyes narrow on Xaria’s. The Rainbow Angel finally breaks their eye contact and looks down at her hands. She softly bites down on her lower lip and breathes in slowly.
XARIA LINETTE: “It’s one loss after another…”
CHELSEA FITZSIMMONS: “Don’t give me that. The first Victory doesn’t count. Even then, you were in the Top Four, were you not? You, Tara Ayla, Betsy Granger, and Damian Ayla.”
XARIA LINETTE: “Monsieur Damian’s victory was the only one that mattered. He became the inaugural Excellence Champion. I took nothing away from his victory. I made no excuses in my defeat. I said I would one day find out the answer to my question…”
Silence.
Xaria looks back up to Chelsea, who simply narrows her eyes.
REMI FONTAINE: “...’Can I be a successful World Champion’?”
It seems the Tech Specialist behind the camera verbally expresses his aunt’s question for her. Chelsea looks at him with an icy glare.
REMI FONTAINE: “I-I was just reciting the question for the viewers!”
CHELSEA FITZSIMMONS: “And the answer is yes.”
Her eyes move back to Xaria.
CHELSEA FITZSIMMONS: “You can, Xaria. You’re a legend.”
XARIA LINETTE: “Yet the last time I was a World Champion was in 2007… I was twenty years old. I’m thirty-five now. A true legend would never fail for so long.”
She shakes her head slowly. She can still feel Chelsea’s eyes on her, perhaps glaring daggers. Xaria sighs.
XARIA LINETTE: “I don’t know how long I can keep doing this…”
Chelsea raises her left hand and massages her temples. A few strands of blonde hair fall along the left side of her face from the movements.
CHELSEA FITZSIMMONS: “Two losses on your official record… and you’re already giving up? Since when did you become so pathetic?”
Behind the camera, Remi visibly twitches. He watches his aunt lift her head up and look straight at Chelsea. There’s a sadness in her eyes, shock and disbelief upon her face.
CHELSEA FITZSIMMONS: “You weren’t like this during the war. You were willing to face off against Lord Apollyon, Sathanas, and their Demons. You stepped into a human trafficking site and beat the living hell out of every asshole in there. You stood by Michael’s side when the entire world was against him. You were fearless.”
“And the scars remind us that the past is real. . .”
It was like her heart was torn open. Xaria’s hands tensed up on her lap and her red locks framed around her face. A shadow was cast over her vulnerable eyes.
CHELSEA FITZSIMMONS: “You fought real killers. Are you really going to let some cowardly bitch scare you away?”
Chelsea turns her attention to Remi who’s a little beside himself.
REMI FONTAINE: “Y-yes?”
CHELSEA FITZSIMMONS: “What are her opponents’ records like?”
REMI FONTAINE: “Uh, well… neither Angel nor TJ Alexander have any wins. So in a way, this triple threat match is sort of a clean slate. Someone’s bound to get their first W.”
Folding her arms, Chelsea looks back at Xaria and smirks.
CHELSEA FITZSIMMONS: “That someone is you, Linette. Angel is a puppet. There’s nothing enigmatic about her. TJ is a rookie. He can’t claim to be a game changer. You? You’re the Rainbow Angel, an LWA Hall of Famer, the Harbinger, and a multiple-time champion. You are a legend in the wrestling industry. No one can dispute that.”
Their eyes… Xaria can feel them looking at her, waiting for an answer. Something, anything. When she parts her lips to speak, her mouth is dry and her throat tightens. She places her right hand upon her chest, over her torn heart, and presses her lips together in a thin line.
XARIA LINETTE: “...I have to win this match. I need to prove -- to myself more than anyone else -- that I am still the legend I was before. I refuse to lose. I refuse…”
Tears fell down her cheeks. Her emotions are raw, her heart aches. She allows herself to be completely vulnerable before everyone.
CHELSEA FITZSIMMONS: “. . .”
Shaking her head, Chelsea rises up from her seat and walks towards the camera.
CHELSEA FITZSIMMONS: “Turn it off.”
REMI FONTAINE: “W...what?”
CHELSEA FITZSIMMONS: “Turn off the camera. Now.”
Nothing else is said.
Nothing else is heard.
Everything goes black.
Who am I…? I wish I knew the answer. |
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