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IRL!

(Friday, August 12th, 2022)

SmackDown Day!

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Denni and I woke up early the next morning, and she made us drink this nasty ass green drink before we went to our hotel gym. On wrestling days, I usually do a light workout, mostly stretches or yoga, and always the treadmill. Denni enjoys working out too... I swear she does, even tho she complains about it most of the time. She mostly does core workouts, yoga, the treadmill, she doesn't do any heavy weightlifting workouts since she's not a wrestler and that's not her thing.

After our workout, I reward myself with coffee, finally, and enjoy my shower. Denni makes me eat a sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich from room service when she realized I wasn't going to eat cause of nerves. I'm not even nervous, per se, I just always get the feeling of nerves in the pit of my stomach before every show. And I'm not even wrestling. But this happened to me until my last day at NXT. And will probably be my routine until my very last match.

But I like the feeling. It's like the feeling you get riding a roller coaster when it drops. The rush. The adrenaline. The somersault of your stomach. It makes me feel grounded. And appreciative. For the life I live and the job I love.

The plan for tonight as far as I know is I'm just gonna talk, but I do have to get to the arena early, earlier than the usual early, to meet with Hunter to go over things.

I smirk looking at my outfit for tonight and make sure to grab my makeup bag for later.

"Ready?" I pop my head out of the bathroom to Denni as she's checking through her camera bags. The photographers still have to get there early just as us wrestlers do to set up equipment, check lighting and angels, etc. A process I could neverrr. I've seen Denni in action for years, and I do not have the patience for that, which she finds hilarious. But she is going a bit earlier for me today.

"Ready to watch you own SmackDown tonight? Yes." Denni winks, heaving her bags over her shoulder.

I smirk, chuckling. "Well good. Make sure to get my good side."

"Every side is your good side." She calls over her shoulder, heading out the door.

"I know." I hum, letting it shut behind me.

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I knock on Hunter's door two minutes before we're actually supposed to meet, but I'll be damned if I'm late talking to him.

"Come in." He hollers. "Hey, Crimson." He greets, motioning for me to sit and I shut the door behind me before taking a seat.

"Hunter." I nod, crossing one leg over the other.

"Well, I won't waste your time." He starts.

I chuckle. "Sounds great to me. Takes time to look as good as I do for the cameras." He gives me a pointed look, but from the way he's rubbing his chin I can tell he's trying not to laugh. Oldest trick in the game when you're cutting a promo, or listening to one, and don't want to be seen laughing. I clear my throat. "Sorry."

He shakes his head. "How would you like to open the show?" How would I like to open the show???

I blink at him, forgetting how to speak for a damn minute because this was what I was bitching about last week and one of the two spots that matter.

We discussed that I wouldn't have a match tonight and instead address SummerSlam and my future here on SmackDown. Oh, I have no problem doing that. But of course we didn't go through time slots or details over text... that's why we're here.

"I assume that works for you?" A sly grin spreads across his face.

"Did I get in trouble last week for not checking with you first before making my own slot where I wanted it to be?" I counter, the words slipping right off my tongue before I immediately clamp my mouth shut and I remember who it is I'm talking to. My boss.

And he laughs. Triple H belly laughs at me. Hard.

"Were you this much of a pain in the ass when I was at NXT?" He asks amused.

I smile, tilting my head up in through. "I think I was too nervous to be a pain in the pass to you, and Shawn had to endure it all." I fold my hands loudly together before slowly putting them in my lap. "But what do I know?"

He shakes his head. "Shawn warned me you'd be something else." He lets out a snort. "Said, 'Oh Hunter, this girls nothing how she was when she started. She has a smart mouth, and the skills and attitude to back it up so let her talk.' He also said you would remind me a lot of us in our wrestling days, and to remember that when I'm hard on you." Triple H smiles fondly.

God, I love Shawn. That man has my heart.

"So, what I'm hearing is you're gonna be harder on me than ever?"

"Exactly." He nods, a little tooo proudly if you ask me... "About tonight."

"Yes." I inhale through my nose, sitting up straighter.

"Do you know what you're say?" He asks simply, freely.

Well, honestly I was going to just... wing it like I usually do. I feel like my best promos, my best interviews, my best times on the mic are when it comes naturally. When I speak from the heart.

He holds up a finger. "Let me ask you this. What do you want?" The question catches me a bit off guard. Huh. What do I want?

My brows scrunch slightly. "Title." I shrug like it's obvious. "Isn't that what everyone wants?"

Triple H leans forward. "I didn't ask what everyone wants." He says. "What does Crimson Kae want?"

The room falls silent as I let his question sink in. I want the belt, of course. Everyone wants to be champ. What's wrong with that? Isn't that why we're all here?

But I want— no I crave more.

"I don't just want to run the women's division. I want to run every division. I want to run all of SmackDown. I want to be the face of this whole damn company." I say determinedly, my chest rising and falling slowly. "That's what I want." My vision focuses back on Hunter to find him beaming, grinning ear to ear with pride.

"That's it." He points his pen at me. "That's what I want you to say tonight."

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𝟶ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀʙɪsᴄᴜɪᴛ𝟽sᴘᴇᴀᴋs!

Hello, hellooo... Welcome back to Crimson Ustulation bitchesss!!

We have FINALLY made it to SmackDownnn!! (Basically lol.) I know we're not to the actual show yet, but oh my gosh I've had this scene planned for a whileee between Crimson & Triple H & I LOVEEE how it turned outtt!!🤭 AHHH!! Also let's all say thank you Denni for taking care of our girl <333

Also whooo would I be if I didn't leave y'all on a cliffhanger... mwahaha. Do I get enjoyment out of leaving y'all hanging & wanting more... whattt? (Yes)

We have officially made it to the last Monjey Night Mami of the year ANDDD the last Crimson Ustulation chapter of 2024... I've had this book idea since 2022 & after Wrestlemania this year (which also brought back my love & life for wrestling & made me fall back in love with it) I could NOT stop thinking about this book & I finally started developing it in my head & was like should I publish on TTPD day?? Hell yeah!! And now here we are!! I seriously did not think anyone would read this but was so excited to start writing & bring THE Crimson Kae to life & now here we are with 8K+ reads & so much support for this book I seriously cannot thank y'all enough!!

Wow, sorry that was long lol. This has just been one of my fav books of mine for year & Crimson has quickly become one of my fav oc's!! AND DON'T WORRY!! Bc we're only in 2022 babyyyy... we got a LOT of catching up to do & lore to cover!! So Crimson Ustulation will be coming into the New Year... so until then, see y'all in 2025 <3333

THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE SMACKDOWN, CRIMSON'S PROMO, & MAYBE SOME UNEXPECTED RUN INS & SURPRISESSS... SO STAY TUNEDDD!!! ;)