Reflections in Gold (Short Aftermath RP from CLASH)

It’s the oldest trick in the book, right? Hang in there with the big guys, scrap, fight, claw to stay in the fight and then try to use an opportune moment to win the match and come away with a championship… In this case, it was Tatiana’s first taste of gold since coming here to the United States. Many might say that she ‘stole’ it away. That her win is somehow less than because she didn’t pin the champion… But saying as much would be a huge disrespect to Kyrie King, who is one of the best young superstars in the business today.

The water from the shower cascaded down upon her, it was hot and steamy as she stood, silent and alone in the large team shower area, staring down at her hands. This moment had meant so much to her. There were so many fears over the big move from Canada to the United States. Too many ‘what ifs?’ to mention. Some tried to talk her out of it… And even Tatiana herself had questioned her decision after the embarrassing loss to Vindel on her first attempt to earn a shot at the title she now called her own.

This win felt like more than just a title gained. It was the start of something big for me… I was determined to hold this championship for as long as possible. To take on any challenge, big or small in order to bring prestige and honor to both the Championship, but also my fans and the company that took a chance on me….

Her body ached from the battle she just had. Balfore and King were top level stars in this industry. Odin, though a contemporary to her, was much bigger and stronger than most. And King, despite his youth, was an immensely talented shooter with an MMA background that would be an interesting challenge in her first defense of this Championship. Sure, there were going to be plenty who would be betting on her losing to the young lion… But TJ had made a career of proving others wrong, and she’d be more focused now than many of them could ever know.

I promised an opportunity to both men for a one-on-one rematch for the TV title, and I intend on making good on that promise. Not only was it the right thing to do, but defeating each of them would give me more credibility and remove the cliche title of paper champion from my shoulders…

The water cascaded upon her nude form as she stood there, her hair like a sodden curtain, hiding an expression of both pain and joy on her face as she stood beneath the cascade of water… Silently, she reflected on everything that led to this moment. The last match in her home federation, a match in which two opponents conspired to send her out of the company on a stretcher, to her first match here in AW, which was a decisive win over an opponent in decline. She reflected on the brutal match against her friend Holden Ross, which really put the both of them on the map here.

And then tonight

I wanted this so badly… I tried to play it cool… I tried to keep my ambitions quiet. This match meant so much to me… And walking out as the Television Champion is one of the proudest moments of my long career. I couldn’t be happier… But I also knew that it was only going to get harder from here.