Post by walkindude on Dec 31, 2020 23:06:30 GMT
Good evening friends,
Thought I'd finish off this questionable stretch of months by capping a feud that's been running on and off for about four years. Hope you enjoy, and here's wishing a Happy New Year to you and yours,
~rf
*******
New Year’s Eve…
The actual date of their anniversary was a question that’d lingered between Lenore Lemarchand and Kent Allard since they’d started dating almost five years ago. They were both certain it was after Christmas and before New Years Eve, but beyond that neither of them could pinpoint the date no matter how hard they tried. Detail-minded individuals that they were, this had bothered them something fierce for the first couple of years, but as of late they’d turned it into a sort of floating holiday, one that’d take place between Christmas and the New Year, on whatever day the mood struck them. This year they were almost assuredly a couple days late, but a television taping on the 27th and the unexpected acquisition of the WSIW tape library on the 30th meant the Fair & Radiant Maiden and FAWN’s unofficial archivist didn’t have a moment of free time until earlier this morning.
Neither had minded, indeed they were delighted to have the evening all to themselves and after a bit of deliberation they’d decided to simply class up their usual Date Night. For Kent this meant getting a chance to break in his new grill with a pair of good steaks and for Lenore it meant an excuse to wear a dress she hadn’t worn all year AND to make Allard clean up in a dress shirt and slacks he only ever wore to make her happy.
“Stupid slacks.” Kent muttered as he tended to the glowing coals at the bottom of the grill. “Absolutely not proper grilling att--”
“What was that, dear?” Lenore stepped out onto the patio carrying a plate loaded with the steaks and some veggie skewers that’d serve as a side dish. “I didn’t hear you complaining about wearing slacks, did I?”
LENORE LEMARCHAND:
“Only a little.” he answered. “They don’t do much against the cold. The view on the other hand more than makes up for it.”
She smiled, then asked, “What, this old thing? It was just hanging in the back of the closet.”
The dress, an off the shoulder number in dark blue velvet that clung to her in all the right places, earned an appreciative smile from Allard. “Glad you saw it before I did, would’ve been embarrassing if we’d shown up wearing the same thing.”
Lemarchand rolled her eyes. “Where do you want these, funny guy?”
“Set ‘em on the side table for now. The coals aren’t quite ready yet, but they’re getting there.” She did as asked, then settled in beside him to watch the coals for several seconds. “I’m going to go inside and put the salad together, probably open a bottle of wine. Want a glass?”
“Yes please. It’ll make me look classy.”
Lenore nudged an elbow into his ribs. “Don’t get too classy on me, Allard. The scruff is part of the appeal.”
“Hey, you’re the one making me wear slacks, I’ll class it up if I want!”
She snorted and went inside, leaving Kent to tend to some last minute grill prep while the coals continued to shimmer and glow. No more than three minutes had elapsed when he heard the sound of footsteps coming up their back walk. Thinking it might be Sydney or one of the other Hell Hole regulars, Allard didn’t bother to look up from his work, he just called, “Hey, how’s it going? Happy New Year!”
“It’s going quite well, if I may say so.” answered a cool, familiar voice. “And a Happy New Year to you as well, Mr. Allard.”
Ignoring the hackles on the back of his neck, the archivist turned around and said, “Hello, Elise. This is… unexpected. How can I help you?”
ELISE WINTERREST:
“Oh, I don’t think you can.” Elise Winterrest replied with a faint smile. “I’m actually here to speak with your beloved. She is here, isn’t she?”
“Something tells me you already know the answer, Elise. What’s so important that it couldn’t wait ‘til Monday? And why are you dressed like you’re headed to a gala?”
“Because I am in fact headed for a gala.” Winterrest said in reference to her own dress, a creation of sleek satin done in jet black that almost certainly didn’t do a damned thing against even the mild Central Florida chill. “As to the urgency of my visit… I hate to wait, Mr. All, ah, there she is!”
Lenore returned to the small patio with a glass of wine in one hand and a subtle twitch in that wrist convinced Kent she was about to hurl it straight at Miss Murder’s face. “What are you doing here, Elise?”
“She was just leav--” “I most certainly was not.” Winterrest snapped. “I came here to find out why the little bird has been sitting on a match contract since the beginning of the month. I challenged her to an I Quit Match for the first show of the year and she has, to put it bluntly, ignored me. I hate being ignored, as you’ve probably guessed, archivist.”
“I ignored it because you’re nothing to me until AHE 2021.” Lenore’s voice was as cold as her rival’s. “On that night? You’ll have my undivided attention. Then, after I reclaim what is rightfully mine, you’ll be nothing again. Now, get out of my sight, Elise.”
“That’s not very polite, now is it? Kent and I were having a lovely conversation, in fact I was about to tell him the TRUE story of your ill-fated trip to--”
Winterrest managed to say ‘Bly’ before Lemarchand strode across the patio, handed the wine to Allard and went nose to nose with intruding adversary. “You’re trespassing, Elise. I could make you scream at the top of your lungs not just because I’d like to, but because I’m well within my rights to do so.”
“Please, this is Kent’s property, not yours. And I think we both know that I’m more than capable of seizing anything you lay claim--”
CRAAACK!
Lenore slapped her across the mouth so Elise slapped her right back, the mood going from tense to crackling in that pair of clapping reports.
“Leave. Right now.” Lemarchand whispered.
“Make me. Right now.” Elise countered. “I dare you, little bird. Touch me again and I’ll shred you out here in the open air. Or, if you’re feeling bold, invite me inside. I’ll accept. And we’ll see which of us comes to regret the decision.”
“Why would I do that when I can just slam the door in your face?”
“Because I saw the look in your eyes when you walked through the door. Your heart fell into your stomach and you know, you know that this pleasant little haven of yours is under just as much threat as the Madhouse. I don’t even have to come back after tonight, the mere thought, the possibility, that I’ve been here, COULD be here, will be enough. Eventually it will drive you out and I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing I’ve claimed another stronghold in our great game. Of course you may have the courage to repel this encroachment here and now, but to do so is to invite not just pain, but the great liklihood of humiliation on a scale that would make Bly seem insign--”
Lemarchand drew away, walked to the back door and opened it. Stepping aside, she gestured for Elise to join her. “Please, after you.” Allard shot her a ‘what the hell?’ sort of look, but the Raven’s eyes never left Miss Murder’s as the latter walked in like she owned the place. “There’s a guest bathroom on the far side of the living room, you can strip down in there.” Lenore said in cold, clipped tones. “Unless you’re not wearing underwear. Then keep the dress on if you’d like. I promise it won’t be any use to you afterward.”
“Oh, it could serve to hog-tie you at the very least.” Winterrest countered. “But fear not, little bird. I wouldn’t ruin a dress… or defile my skin, by allowing either of them to come into contact with your fugly face.”
Lenore might’ve filled her hands with Elise’s hair then and there if Kent hadn’t put a hand on her shoulder. “A word, love?”
“Not now, Kent. After this is done.”
“THIS doesn’t even need to start!” Allard told her. “It’s our anniversary. This is OUR house! She’s got no right to be here! Let me make a call, she’ll be gone in--”
“No.” Lemarchand interrupted. “She wanted this? She’s got it. I’m going to make her pay for everything tonight, Kent. All the cheap shots, the attacks, Bly, the Madhouse, ALL OF IT. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get out of this dress. Could you rearrange the furniture in the living room? I’ll finish this there.”
“I can’t talk you down, can I?”
“Not tonight.” she paused. “I’m sorry.”
Allard was quiet for a long time. “Don’t be sorry, make her sorry.”
“I will.”
From there it all happened very quickly.
Elise came out of the guest bathroom wearing satin bra and panties that matched her dress, which was now set on a hanger from the nearby closet. Allard paused his abrupt rearrangement of the living room to put Winterrest’s dress and heels into the aforementioned closet, then did the same for Lenore when she approached shortly thereafter. Kent held his peace during both encounters, though he made sure to drop the Raven a silent whistle for her crushed velvet delicates done in the same midnight blue of her own discarded dress. She offered a quick smile in return, though it died a quick death when her gaze fell on Winterrest waiting on the other side of the room.
Sensing things coming to a head, Kent pulled out his phone and fired off a quick text, using the closet to stay out of sight as he did so. Once the phone was back in his pocket he shut the closet door and made a final adjustment to the couch before taking a step back to observe his efforts. They must’ve satisfied because he nodded once, then turned his attention to Lenore and Elise. “I’d say this is the best I can do on short notice.” he said quietly. “If you stick to the living room and keep clear of the stairs you should be fine. I’ll be outside keeping an eye on the grill. Just knock on the back door when you’re fin--”
“No need to leave, archivist.” Elise said without actually taking her eyes off Lenore. “After all there’s no cameras running tonight, it seems only fair that we have at least one… well, you’re certainly not unbiased, but there’s enough of the academic in you to at least be honest in what I inflict upon this mewling brat.”
Allard looked to Lenore, who hadn’t taken her eyes from Miss Murder. “Lenore? What say you?”
“Stay, by all means.” she replied. “I need someone here to tell me when to stop. Because I sure as f*ck won’t listen to this sniveling little interloper.”
“It’s agreed, then. You can stay.” Elise offered a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “But I warn you, archivist. If you raise so much as a finger to help your paramour before I’ve taken my fill, I’ll make you a poorer, sorrier man for it.”
“Touch him and I’ll break your fingers. That’s a promise.”
“Threaten me again and I’ll break your jaw.” Winterrest countered. “That’s a promise.”
“No need for threats, ladies.” Allard interjected. “I’m here to observe, nothing more. But if it’s over and one of you continues to pile on, I’ll get Sydney and any of the other Hell Holer’s over here to break it up as fast as I can. Understand?”
“That won’t be necessary, will it, Lenore?” Elise murmured. “It’ll be over just as soon as you sob ‘No more, Elise. No more, please!’”
Lemarchand took a deep breath, let it out slow. “You talk a good game, Elise. You’ve always talked a good game. But when it comes time to fight? You can’t win when I see you coming. And tonight you were stupid enough to come to MY house? Bytch, I’m going to make you suff--”
“I already took one house from you, little bird.” the Icy Manipulator hissed. “Or have you already forgotten the NEW Queen of the Madhouse?”
“I remember that Lyssa and I beat the ever loving shyt out of each other to claim that place and once again you attacked FROM BEHIND. Your mother may be a miserable, scheming harridan but at least she’s got the f*cking spine to come at me face to face. No wonder she’s so proud of Jane Stone and never mentioned your name until I made you cry in front of an international audiNNNGGGHHH!”
Elise slapped, then raked her nemesis’ cheek, Miss Murder dragging her hand down at a sharp angle to leave four angry welts. “You’ll never set foot in this place after tonight, little bird.” Winterrest promised. “I’ll shame you into exile if only to free the poor idiot archivist from your trashy influencEERRGGGHH!”
Lemarchand buried a hand in Elise’s dark hair, wrenched her head backward at a sharp angle and delivered one, two, three scathing Bytch Slaps to the other brunette’s porcelain features! “This was your last mistake, Elise.” Lenore stuck a finger in Winterrest’s face while occasionally adding more sharp smacks. “But I’ll make sure you’re conscious long enough to realize just how badly you f*cked RRRRGGGGGGHHH!”
Elise grabbed a double handful of her foe’s bounty and squeezed while simultaneously twisting her wrists in opposite directions! In the same instant she plowed forward to make Lemarchand backpedal across the carpet until she THWHUMPED against the wall hard enough to make several of Kent’s framed prints shiver in place. “Losing consciousness is the least of your worries tonight, little bird.” Elise hissed in Lenore’s ear as she continued to work the Breast Claw. “You should be terrified of retaining your senses for each and every moment of this humiliatOOWW!”
The Fair & Radiant Maiden raaaaaaaaaked her nails up Elise’s back from the curve of her buttocks to just about level with her shoulders, then hooked her thumbs into the brunette’s bra-strap and stretched it out just to snap it against her enemy’s back! Winterrest released her grip, though both hands continued to clutch at some invisible attacker. As for Lenore, she filled her hands with Elise’s hair and spun ‘em both around to thump her against the wall. She followed with a single quick Kneelift, Lemarchand driving the bony joint into her opponent’s navel so she could lean in with all her weight behind the nauseating pressure.
“Next one lands between your thighs, Elise. You think this hurts? Imagine the sort of bone deep nausea that kept the Headmistress from leaving the ring under her own power, then imagine something a dozen times worRRRGGHH!”
Winterrest raised her right foot and brought it down heel-first on Lenore’s plant foot to destroy the brunette’s base in a single stroke! Hobbling backward as she fought to regain her balance, Lemarchand managed to get a hand up into Elise’s hair when Miss Murder came off the wall, but she had no defense against the Broadside Kneelift Winterrest THWHUMPED across her tummy! Lenore ‘oooofhed’, lost her balance and collapsed to her knees, which in turn doubled Elise over. That didn’t last long though, as the Icy Manipulator sacrificed a hank of hair to free herself from the Courtier’s grasp. Helping herself to a vengeful double handful of dark locks, Winterrest banged a quick knee between Lemarchand’s eyes, then reared back and shot in to THWHUMP the slim wrecking ball curve of her backside into the Raven’s stunned mug!
Lenore’s head whipped backward, though not as far as it would have if Elise had released the hair-hold. As it was there was even more whiplash for the Courtier when Winterrest hauled her to verticality. Spinning into position off Lenore’s left shoulder, Elise rushed the wall and bounced Lemarchand’s forehead into a bare stretch between posters for ‘The Fog’ and ‘Pumpkinhead’. Bracing a forearm against the nape of her opponent‘s neck, Winterrest began to scrape Lenore’s face back and forth, back and forth!
“Kiss the wall, brat.” she sneered. “ Kiss it before I grind the nose off your disgusting faNGH!”
Lenore jabbed an elbow into her attacker’s thigh, then followed up with a couple shots to Elise’s belly that created enough separation to let her get back to-- “NNGGGHH!” Winterrest spiked another knee between the Raven’s shoulders, then caught her at togs and tresses to haul her upright. “You use the walls like an amateur, Lemarchand.” Elise sneered. “Allow me to demonstrate the proper technique.”
Miss Murder twisted to one side and loped across the living room only to stop a few feet shy of the wall to ensure there was just enough room to muscle Lenore off her feet and hurl her against the wall with a resounding THWHUD!
“Didn’t even dent the plaster, I have to admit I’m surprised.” Elise put her hands on her hips and nodded disingenuous approval after Lenore collapsed to the floor in a groaning pile. “I was hoping to put her straight through the wall. Well, there’s always next time. Now, do be so kind as to get your sorry ass up.”
Lemarchand didn’t reply as quickly as Elise would’ve liked, so she filled her hands with the other brunette’s hair and forced her to stand. Noting the couch only a short distance from their position, Elise halved the grip on Lenore’s locks and resumed her waistband grip to better ensure her control over the Courtier while she strolled over to the couch and tossed her over one armrest to land on the cushions in a woozy sprawl. “Something else I appreciate about this place, Allard?” Elise teased. “No overabundance of pillows. Just enough to play off the rest of the décor… and torment unworthy trash.”
Snatching one of the two throw pillows, Winterrest hefted it overhead for a few hard, but ultimately painless swats to her rival’s tummy and chest. It wasn’t until she pressed it to Lenore’s face, then turned around and sat down full force that her intentions became clear. “Not nearly as satisfying as feeling you squeal against my ass, I’ll admit.” Elise muttered as she braced her feet against the carpet to maintain her wobbling seat. “But at least I can still control the pitch and volume!”
‘Volume’ was still on her lips when the First Degree Femme Fatale raised her left hand and SMACKED it down on Lemarchand’s tummy a total of three times before she jabbed her index finger into the Raven’s navel and clamped down on a white-knuckled Belly Claw!
“Mr. Allard is watching the proceedings with some noticeable concern, little bird.” Winterrest chided her thrashing prey. “I wonder, will you concede our game to bring him some much deserved peace or will you force him to suffer along with--” Elise grunted in annoyance as a shift in her seat told her that Lenore had twisted her face away from the pillow and was thus breathing far easier than she like-- “Eeerrrgghh, bytch!” Winterrest’s irritation blossomed to straight up anger when Lemarchand brought her right hand up and sank it into the pale meat of her attacker’s right thigh. A painful grip to be sure, yet Lenore must’ve sought another target because she let go after a couple hard pulses and reached for--
“AAAARRRRHHHH BYTCH!” Even the pillow couldn’t take the edge off Lemarchand’s anguish when Elise moved her talon south to the juncture of the other brunette’s thighs.
“Oh please, spare me the histrionics.” Winterrest scoffed as she gouged and worried at Lenore’s groin. “You can BARELY compete when we’re on equal footing, did you really think you’d survive when you can’t seOOOOOWWWW SHYT!”
Lenore got her questing hand into Elise’s hair and pulled so hard it forced Miss Murder to look up the ceiling! “Stuuuhhh…still got my grip, slut.” Winterrest growled through clenched teeth. “I’ll still have it when you’re slobbering a submissDAMMIT!”
Lemarchand slid out from under the pillow to draw in a ragged breath while simultaneously breaking the other brunette’s clamp on her nethers. She started to sit up but didn’t get more than halfway before Winterrest twisted after her and grabbed a double handful of hair.
“You’re never free of me, little bird.” Elise pulled Lenore backward, stretching her out on the couch so she could trap the Courtier’s head between her thighs in a snug Scissors. “How delightful.” the Icy Manipulator sounded genuinely pleased as she filled her hands with Lenore’s hair. “Now I can tear out your hair and punish that disgusting mire you call a crotch.” To illustrate this point she yanked Lemarchand’s locks this way and that while aggressively grinding one heel into her opponent’s center.
“Hhrrrggghhh… always looking for the easy way out, aren’t you Elise?” Lenore slapped and scraped at Winterrest’s encroaching thighs in an effort to break the Scissors. “No wonder you were straight C material even at a place like BlyYYAAARRRRHHH F*CK!”
Elise relinquished half the hair-hold so she could hook two fingers into Lenore’s nostrils for a bit of nasal nastiness. “I could ruin this haughty face tonight.” Winterrest explained to her suffering rival. “Even if you had the courage to look the archivist in the eye when this is all over, he’ll be horrified by what he seesSOOOOOOOHHH WHORE!”
Lenore grabbed hold of the claw in her nose, prized it free and pulled it down so she could sink her teeth into the meat at the base of Winterrest’s thumb! Elise slapped at the Raven’s face but couldn’t get loose until she broke the Scissors and scrambled to a seat behind the other woman. “You were never a raven.” Miss Murder sneered as she once again found her hands in Lenore’s hair. “You’re just a disgusting, diseased rat with winGUUNNGGGHHH!” Lemarchand reached over her shoulder with both hands, caught hold of Elise’s hair and tugged forward while simultaneously crunching in on herself to flip Winterrest over that shoulder, off the couch and onto the floor with a heavy THUMP!
Elise grunted at the makeshift Snapmare, then groaned when Lenore threaded her thighs around the Icy Manipulator’s head and began to squeeeeeeeeeeeeze. Lips curving into a smile as she ran her fingers through Elise’s hair, Lemarchand made sure to tangle as much as she could before clamping down and YANKING up! Winterrest squealed aloud, beat her heels against the floor then grabbed hold of the Courtier’s wrists and set about clawing her way to freedom.
“Luuuhhhh… let me go, little bird.”
Lenore shook her head ‘no’ as she continued the two-front assault of hair pull and Headscissors. “What’s wrong, cutie? Don’t like the feel of my nylons on your cheeks? Or maybe it’s the blood pounding in your ears that’s too much to--” A cold grimace from Emily’s Lady in Waiting when Elise abandoned her wrist grips to tear ragged slashes through Lemarchand’s stockings.
“I wouldn’t mention blood if I were you, dear.” Winterrest sneered. “I’m not sure you could call on any reputable cleaning service to get those sort of stubborn stains out of this carpet right AAAARRRGGGGGGHHHH!”
Lenore abandoned her nemesis’ hair to slip both index fingers into the corners of Elise’s mouth for a particularly vile fishhook. “You think I’d pay to have that cleaned, Elise?” she asked. “I’d have it cut out, then framed and mounted for my trophy room!”
Much as she liked clawing Lemarchand’s legs, the Icy Manipulator couldn’t afford to simply ignore the tines tearing at her face, so she grabbed at Lenore’s mitts for some serious hand fighting. “Duuuhhh… do you know you’re in love with a sadist, Allard?” Elise gaped when she’d pulled the hooks loose. “Has she hid it from you all this time or have you always known and that’s why you’re still with NGH! NGH! NGH! NNNNGGGHHHH!”
Lenore shook free of Winterrest’s grasp and immediately cupped her right hand under Miss Murder’s chin so she could tug her head back at a sharper angle. In the same instant she raised her left arm overhead just to bring that elbow THUNKING down onto the center of Elise’s forehead. This was followed by two more Elbow Smashes and a prolonged grinding of that bony dagger against the bridge of the other brunette’s nose.
“I know you didn’t come here to talk to him, Elise.” the Raven’s voice was icy cold, though Kent could hear her anger thrumming underneath the words. “So I’d advise you keep your f*cking mouth shut and focus on me until--”
“I’ve disposed of you like the trash you are?” Elise interrupted. “Thanks Lenore, I’ll take that under adviseOOOOOOOWWWW!”
Lenore crooked her left hand into a spade and dragged it across Winterrest’s dark eyes! The temptation to simply squeeze and pull her longtime antagonist into oblivion was quite strong, but in the end Lemarchand relinquished the Scissors and got to her feet to haul Elise to hers. Two giant steps away from the couch made Allard think Lenore was seeking revenge for that trip into the wall, however the Fair & Radiant Maiden wheeled around and slung her archrival into one corner of the couch hard enough to make it rock in place.
“I’m beginning to understand why the Headmistress was so frustrated with you.” Lemarchand climbed onto the couch and into Miss Murder’s lap, her knees digging in against Elise’s hips. “Because no matter what she tried to teach, you just won’t learn.”
“Scrawny bytch.” Winterrest went to grab at Lenore’s face, spat something unprintable when the Courtier snatched her wrists and dragged them down to her sides. “Threaten and tease while you can, I’ll remember each and every word when you’re pleading for your miserable MMMMRRRPPPPPHHHHHH!”
“Shut up.” Lenore’s tone was heavy with contempt as she wrapped her arms around the other brunette’s head and drew Winterrest’s protesting face into the winter-warm heat of her chest. Emily’s tutelage suggested the best approach was to grip her own elbows for leverage, however Lemarchand knew that her mentor preferred the Front Sleeper as knock-out technique and at the moment she wanted nothing more than to mash and grind Elise’s nose against her sternum. So she buried her hands in Miss Murder’s dark tresses and tugged this way and that, the Fair & Radiant Maiden using every little movement (not to mention the corner of the couch) to inflict a heady brew of pain and suffocation upon her struggling adversary.
Not that Winterrest endured this torment passively, mind you. She writhed like a snake with a broken back for the better part of twenty seconds to pull her hands clear of Lemarchand’s gripping thighs. Lenore hissed when she succeeded because Winterrest wasted no time in raking her attacker’s pale back, her black-painted nails leaving bright pink streaks that deepened to an angrier red as Allard looked on. Lemarchand endured, scraped her own claws against Elise’s scalp and redoubled her efforts to crush the other woman’s nose.
“I really thought taking those bracelets would break your spirit for good, at least when it came to f*cking with me.” the Raven murmured to no one in particular. “After all, the Headmistress wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes when she limped out of here and she’s got more will than you’ve ever had, so yeah, I really, really thought you and I were done.” Her breath hitched a bit when Winterrest caught hold of her hair and started to pull. Answering the tug with some pulling of her own, Lemarchand gouged her chin across the crown of her rival’s skull. “Then you stuck your nose into the Madhouse. Stole it from me, robbed Zahn of the opportunity and as much as I hate it, I could deal with it because there’s always next year, but tonight? There’s no forgiving tonight, Elise.”
Now she did switch over to the elbow-grip, Lemarchand bearing down with those sinewy-strong arms to squeeze as well as suffocate. “Smothering is too good for you. I just need to make sure you’re helpless before I get down to the real rrrrrgggggggghhhhhAAARRRRRHHH!”
With her own hair-pull proving dangerously ineffective, the Icy Manipulator resumed her previous back raking efforts and bolstered them with a wedgie that had Lenore squirming in her mount. The sound of the little bird’s screams were pleasant indeed, alas oxygen was still at a premium so Winterrest sent her hands north in search of the clasp that held-- “MMMRRRPPPGAAAAHHHHH!” Elise shrieked in muffled anguish when Lenore squeezed tighter than ever, the Malicious Mainer’s nose bent to the snapping point by the ever-increasing pressure.
“Undo my bra and I’ll break your nose, I swear to God I will.” Lemarchand threatened the wriggling warrior. Winterrest abandoned the effort with an angry slap only to grab onto the Courtier’s waistband for another savage wedg--“HHHRRRGGGHHH!” Not about to let Elise work her briefs without some serious repercussions, Lenore shifted in her seat and THUMPED the point of her right knee into the fork of Winterrest’s crotch.
Miss Murder’s hands fell away and Lemarchand might’ve been able to finish her on the spot, but the couch had grown almost feverishly hot and if she was being honest with herself, she wasn’t quite ready to release Elise for all her hateful transgressions. With those thoughts in mind she plunged her hands into Winterrest’s hair, got to her feet and forced the other brunette to do the same, all in a single feline movement. “Get your sorry ass off my couch.” Lemarchand demanded in the midst of tossing Elise to all fours near the middle of their makeshift arena. “There, that’s better. Now are you going to crawl out the front door or do I have to stomp your face into the carpet?”
Winterrest didn’t answer right away, she was too focused on filling her lungs with useable oxygen and fighting through the nauseating roil in her undercarriage. After ten seconds or so, she rose to her knees, brushed the hair off her eyes and fixed the Courtier with an unsettling smile. “Considering the hospitality shown thus far, I could stay or go. But why don’t we leave it to the archivist? My arrival seems to have disrupted the evening’s plans, though something in Kent’s eyes tells me it’s a welcome diversion from another night of bland conversation and forgettable sex, is that an accurate assessment, siRRRRHHHHHH!”
Lenore stormed over, buried her hands in Elise’s dark mane and yanked her to verticality with such ferocity that-- “OOOHHH BYTCH!” The Raven forgot all about her anger (or at least the hair pull) when the Icy Manipulator jabbed a thumb into her right eye!
“My apologies, is that the sensitive one?” Winterrest hissed to her foe as Lemarchand backpedaled away with one hand pressed to the right side of her face. “I meant to get THIS ONE!” She snatched hold of Lenore’s hair and raked the right side of her face from forehead on down, the Malicious Mainer making a point to focus on the eye socket. “God bless Adelaide Brewster and her insane tenacity.” Elise sighed over the sound of Lenore’s pained wailing. “Clawing at your eyes is truly the gift that keeps on givNNNGGH!”
Lemarchand’s vision was little more than sworls of blurry color at the moment, but her hearing was fine as ever and she used it to land the Haymaker that caromed off Winterrest’s chin! “Vicious bytch.” Lenore huffed once the talons fell away from her face. “Try that again and I’ll--”
Kent cringed in sympathetic anguish when Elise pivoted on one heel and THWHAPPED a battering ram of a Back Kick into the pit of Lenore’s stomach. No talking (let alone smiling) now, Winterrest collected Lemarchand’s bowed head in a Front Facelock and snapped down and back to THWHUNK the crown of her skull into the carpet with a Murderous DDT! Allard didn’t say a word, yet he must’ve put off some vibe that caught Elise’s attention because she glanced his way and shook her head ‘no’. “Don’t move a muscle, you poor, erstwhile idiot. The little bird’s far from done, she’s just taken a nasty spill. Isn’t that right, Lenore? You’re not about to cede the game just because I spiked your skull into the floor, are you?”
Beside her, Lemarchand rolled over and sat up, one arm swaddling her noggin while the other pushed at Winterrest’s shoulder and flank. “Fuuuuhhh…f*ck no.” she confirmed. “You can’t make me submit, ElisHHHHRRRRRGGGHHH!”
Miss Murder pivoted into place behind her nemesis and cupped Lenore’s chin in her right hand while she pulled her left arm behind her back in a snug Chickenwing. Pulling hard on both holds, she forced Lemarchand onto her stomach, then climbed aboard and wrenched back to secure what was effectively a cross between the Crossface Chickenwing and a Camel Clutch. “Now that is simply not true, you deceitful whore.” Elise cooed to her suffering mount. “I’ve made you bawl a surrender on more than one occasion. True, I’ve never done it within earshot of your beloved, but that’s just one of the reasons tonight is so special, isn’t it? And that reminds me, let’s give our guest a better view, shall we?”
MURDEROUS STRETCH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZIJ6AIko_M
The Icy Manipulator shifted her perch enough to allow her to turn the both of them in Allard’s direction. Sitting down once the deed was done, she yoked up on Lenore’s chin and smiled at the archivist. “Ask her, Kent. “Ask her if the game is over.”
“Ask her yourself.” he replied. “I’m not here as a refer--”
“I want you to do it.” she interrupted. “And if you don’t, I’ll claw her eyes out. Do I make myself clear?”
“Go ahead and ask, Kent.” Lenore said before Allard could respond. “Denying Elise’s whims never fails to del--”
Winterrest abandoned the Chinlock to catch hold of Lemarchand’s right arm, which she promptly threaded across her right knee. Resuming the Chinlock after a light slap, Miss Murder dug her fingers into Lenore’s cheeks to mash those patrician features into a distended fish-face. Eyes locked on Kent, Winterrest murmured, “Don’t make me repeat myself, archivist.”
“Do you submit, Lenore?” he paused for a moment. “Is the game over?”
“No.” the Courtier replied through clenched teeth.
“Are you sure, little bird?” Elise let her index finger drift up to the other brunette’s right eye. “I want you to be absolutely cert--”
“Do your worst, braNNNGGGGGHH!” Winterrest yanked her hand away, flattened that hand into a paddle and smashed it against Lemarchand’s right ear with a Slap that CRAAACKED through the confines of the living room!
Lenore shuddered, managed to unhook her arm from Elise’s leg, but the Chickenwing proved a more durable tether, one that allowed the Icy Manipulator to stand up while hauling her rival to a seat. Another whistling slap to the ear kept Lenore in a wounded stupor while Winterrest relinquished the Chickenwing to thread that arm (the left) behind her left calf. From there she sank to one knee, curled across Lemarchand’s back and dipped under her right arm to trap it beneath her left bicep at an awkward angle.
GROUNDED ABDOMINAL STRETCH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=COa0nqCUKmc
Hands locked to complete the Abdominal Stretch, Elise reefed and wrenched on Lenore’s shoulder and torso for almost fifteen seconds before she returned her attention to Kent Allard. “You’re looking rather concerned, archivist. Would you care to check in with your little bird again?”
“Answer’s still no, Elise.” Lemarchand grunted. “As far as you’re concerned, the answer is always--”
Elise unlocked her hands without breaking the Abdominal Stretch, then reached behind Lenore’s back and undid the clasp on the Raven’s dark blue bra. Amused by the contrast between Lemarchand’s aggrieved hiss and the intensely neutral expression on Allard’s face when she bared her foe’s breasts, Winterrest made it a point to keep her eyes on the archivist as she began to pinch and pluck at Lenore’s right nipple. “Headmistress didn’t need her bracelets to make your beloved submit, archivist. Indeed it was nothing more than thumb and forefinger that made the stately Raven sob and beg for mercy. She did hold on for quite some time, but something tells me she won’t last as long tonight. Do you know why?”
“Don’t talk to him, you vicious bytch.” Lenore barked despite the pain of that terrible tweaking. “This is between you and meAAAIIIEEEEEE!”
Elise pulled, then twisted, the First Degree Femme Fatale drawing on every bit of sadistic knowledge at her disposal to make Lemarchand sob in anguish. “I SAID, do you know why? Speak up now!”
“No, Elise. I don’t.” Allard answered around the massive lump in his throat.
“Because you weren’t there to watch, of course. To document the broken way she pleaded and moaned, hell, the way she outright BEGGED the Headmistress to spare these pathetic buds. But at Bly there was an ocean between you, and she had the better part of what, one, two days to compose herself and a suitable excuse for such a galling defeat.” Elise smiled, broke the pincer and raaaaaaaaaked her talon up ‘n across the Raven’s breasts from left to right once, twice, three times before she tweaked the left nipple and resumed the savage twisting on the right. “This is what humiliation looks like close up, archivist. Heavy and sour and rank, with the sort of reek that doesn’t wash away even after countless showers and restful nights sleep. It’s the sort of thing that neither of you will ever forget, especially that special moment when her will snaps and she concedes the great game to me. Her heart’s beating frantically, it’s only a matter of time now, ISN’T IT, LITTLE BIRD?”
Elise squeezed, squeezed, squeezed, then went back to the pinch ‘n twist that’d earned such a glorious concession in the hallowed halls of Bly Academy. But here in this innocuous living room in Winter Park, that concession would not come. Try as she might (and her fingers were cramping with the effort) Winterrest couldn’t draw it from her nemesis’ lips. ”SAY IT!” she screamed down at the Raven. “SAY IT OR I SWEAR TO CHRIST--” Elise’s head whipped up, her attention drawn in the direction of Kent Allard. “Don’t you even think about surrendering for her, I won’t acknowledge a f*cking thing if it doesn’t come from this OOWWWW!”
Resigned to the fact that she couldn’t do much about the nipple torture in her current position, Lemarchand ignored the anguish as best she could, focusing instead on wriggling her left arm from behind the other brunette’s calf. When she did it took every bit of her considerable willpower not to seek out the Icy Manipulator’s clawin’ wrist. Instead she balled that hand into a fist and smashed it down on Winterrest’s left foot three or four times before she grabbed hold of those toes and yanked like she meant to snap ‘em clean off! The bright jolt running from her foot to her knee drew Elise’s attention so that she instinctively reached for the Courtier’s hand without thinking about-- another bloodcurdling shriek from Miss Murder when Lemarcand gave up on the podiatric punishment and caught Elise’s wrist mid-reach to BITE down on her exposed forearm!
“HORRID SLUT!” Winterrest roared as she found herself caught in a flurry of teeth and talons. “GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF RRRRGGGHHHH!”
Lenore did as bade, tossing the Malicious Mainer’s arm away only to pay her back for previous indignities with a thumb to the eye. That proved enough to make Winterrest abandon what remained of the Abdominal Stretch, the frazzled brunette pushing off and away to create some much needed distance between herself and the Raven.
Almost sobbing with relief when she pressed a forearm to her devastated chest, Lemarchand pivoted around to keep her eyes on Winterrest and quickly realized that her archrival was currently occupied with the hurts she’d inflicted and not the woman that’d inflicted them. Sucking in a deep breath as she clambered to verticality, Lenore swayed on the spot and almost called out to the Wolf of Winter before choosing to announce herself in more direct fashion. Exploding into a shambling run (which was really more of a pounce, considering the distance involved) the Fair & Radiant went low and DRILLED her right shoulder into the pit of Elise’s left knee!
Caught flush by the Chop-Block, Winterrest spun through an awkward descent that ended with her landing hard on her right shoulder and hip. “Bytch. Oh, you bytch.” Elise’s left knee was pulled tight to her chest in an effort to massage out the worst of Lenore’s attack. “I’ll rip you apart for that shyt. You’ll never stop screaming when I’m done with NO, STOP! I SAID STOP, GODDAMN YOUHHHRRRGGGH!”
Lemarchand grabbed her foe’s left ankle and yanked the whole leg out full length, stretching it tight against the carpet so she could hop up and THWHUMP down across that vulnerable knee with a heavy Splash! Elise swallowed a wail, tried to pull her leg out from under the Courtier, then cursed aloud when Lenore took possession of her ankle once again. Getting to her feet with Miss Murder’s ankle still in her grasp, Lemarchand turned around so that her back was to the prone grappler. In the span of heartbeats she threaded Winterrest’s left leg around her intruding right leg Spinning Toe Hold-style and snapped up the Icy Manipulator’s right leg, which she threaded over Winterrest’s left ankle before securing it between her thighs. With those svelte stems tied up in a snug knot, Lenore took a moment to catch her breath before she spun down onto her tush, put one hand against the carpet for support and puuuuuusssshed up to put all sorts of pressure on Elise’s left knee.
TELLTALE LEGLOCK:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tub7xwpZGxo
“FAAAAAAAAAAAAHK!” Miss Murder shot up on her palms like the floor was electrified, such was the agonizing torque of the Telltale Leglock. Shaking her head ‘no’ to answer a question no one had asked, Winterrest shifted all her weight to her left hand so she could reach back with the right in an effort to drag those dangerous claws down her nemesis’ shi--“OOOOOOWWW BYTCH!” Elise wailed all the louder when Lenore curled a hand over the toes of her left foot and dug deep into the soft sole.
“What do you think you’re doing, sweetheart?” Lemarchand asked after several seconds of silent clawing. “There’s no ropes to reach and even if there were, do you think I’d acknowledge a break?” she emphasized this point with another round of pitiless gouging. “There’s only one way out of this that doesn’t involve a hard cast.”
“Thuuuhhh… that’s the way where I break your goddamned legs, righAAAAAAAAAAHH F*CK YOU!” Winterrest put her forehead to the carpet and wrapped both arms around her head when the Raven found and very deliberately attacked the nerve cluster on the sole of her suffering foot.
“You may be my better when it comes to innate savagery, as loathe as I am to admit it.” Lenore’s tone was low and cold. “But in a contest between wrestlers? I own--”
“YOU OWN NOTHING!” Elise bellowed. “NOTHING SAVE THE SHAME AND HUMILIATION I HAVE HEAPED UPON YOU OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARRAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH F*CKING STOP, GODDAMN YOU!”
Lemarchand shifted over to small joint manipulation, the lithesome brunette callously twisting or bending one, two, sometimes even three toes at once. “Submit.” Lenore replied. “Concede the game and I’ll let you go. I won’t even make you scream my name or apologize for invading my--”
Winterrest twisted ‘round as far as she could and managed to clamp a death-grip on the Courtier’s clawin’ wrist. “This only ends on MY terms.” the Icy Manipulator squeezed as hard as she could, but the pulsing anguish coming from her legs (not to mention that defenseless foot) was sapping her strength quicker than she dared to admit. “You don’t dictate terms to me, little bird. You never have and you never wilLOOOOOWWWWWW GAAAAAAAAAAWD!”
Lenore attacked that nerve cluster with a white-knuckled grip, the force of which caused Elise to beat a fist against the carpet.
“Is that a submission, Elise?” Allard’s asked quietly. “Just say the word and--”
“NEVER!” Miss Murder roared louder than ever. “I CAME HERE TO TEACH YOUR BYTCH HOW TO LOSE AND THAT’S WHAT I MEAN TO--”
Lenore relinquished the Leglock, scrambled to verticality and stomped down between the other brunette’s shoulders. “Put some respect in your voice when you speak to him.” the Raven muttered as she once again laid claim to Elise’s left foot. “He’s the only thing protecting you right now.”
“Yuuuhhh… you’re the one that needs protecting.” Elise tried to roll onto her back, couldn’t quite manage it. “Thuuuhhh… that’s why your with him and everyone knows it. He’s the only person in this world who believes you’re anything better than an utterly vile piece of shyRRRRRGGGGHHH NOOOOOOOOO!”
With the Malicious Mainer’s lower leg already in her possession, Lemarchand scissored the exposed limb between her calves and shot down and across, the blue-clad brunette landing on Winterrest’s back at a sharp angle that only exacerbated the already painful angle of her trapped leg. At first glance it looked like an alternative approach to the STF since Lemarchand slipped her right arm across the back of Elise’s neck, but Winterrest and Allard knew this was incorrect even before Lenore shoved her nemesis’ right arm out of the way. Once that was done Lenore’s right arm slipped beneath Winterrest’s right bicep and across her chest and neck to ultimately meet her left hand in an S-clasp against the other side of her opponent’s face. Just like that Emily’s Lady in Waiting rolled over onto her left side, a bit if nimble knotting that effectively transformed the chaotic tangle into a hellacious Bow & Arrow that wrenched Winterrest’s spine across the curves of her tormenter’s left flank while also putting immense strain on her neck and pinioned left leg.
THE CHAMBER DOOR @ 4:17
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhmhLemHTTg
“Remember this one, Elise?” Lemarchand asked in the midst of reefing and tearing on the odd hold. “It’s ok if you don’t, I’m pretty sure you were unconscious the first time I put you in it. I call it the Chamber Door because it’ll have you rap, tap, tapping in no time flat!”
“Thhhuuu… that‘s the only way you‘d ever hook it.” Elise waggled a finger ‘no’ even as Lenore continued to bend her in an ungodly arch. She reached for Lenore’s face with her left hand but only managed a loose handful of hair that disintegrated when the Courtier reefed on her neck.
“Not unconscious now, are you?” Lemarchand snapped back. “Still running your mouth, but that’s about it, isn’t it? Because you’re finished, Elise. Defenseless. Admit it, and I’ll let you go.”
“I… I… I admit that humiliating you is practically a religious experience.” Winterrest giggled thickly. “Seeing the shame stamped on your arrogant face, I’ll never tire of thaHUUUFFFFHHHH!”
Lenore undid the knot of her hands, curled the left into a fist and buried it in the pit of her rival’s exposed tummy once, twice, three times! Taking a moment to steady her own breathing while Winterrest gasped for air, Lemarchand eventually got her hands on Elise’s shoulders and shoved her over onto her stomach so the Raven could get to her feet. “You’re done.” she told the sprawled brunette. “You took the Madhouse, but you’ll never take this one. You failed, Elise. Just like your mother failed when she tried to take the Hellhole. She begged me to leave, but you don’t have to. Just tell me the game is over.” Winterrest remained stubbornly silent, causing a suddenly furious Lenore to raise one foot and STOMP on Miss Murder’s glutes. “Tell me! Tell me it’s over, goddamn you!”
“Beg me, bytch.” Elise rasped. “Beg me and I just might NOOOOOOOOOO!”
Not about to grant that sort of concession to the Icy Manipulator, Lenore grabbed Elise’s left foot and lifted that leg off the carpet so she could step over it with her right leg before she dropped to her knees. This effectively trapped Winterrest’s left calf in a vise created by the back of Lemarchand’s right thigh and calf. From there she reached out with her left hand, cupped Elise’s chin and raised it enough to thread her left leg into place beneath Miss Murder’s jaw. The audience offered no comment on this development, yet Allard’s expression was one of rapt attention as the Raven stretched out over Elise’s trapped frame and planted on both hands. Doing so rolled Winterrest onto her back a heartbeat before the Courtier crossed her ankles to effectively trap the interloper’s head, left arm and left leg in the Cradle of Amontillado.
CRADLE OF AMONTILLADO:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yo0-hWiGZo
No demands from Lenore now, indeed she fell into a steely silence as she worked through half a dozen ‘push ups’, each repetition serving to squeeze the trap a little tighter. With her left side thoroughly knotted up, Winterrest could only wriggle and thrash with her two remaining limbs, that leg bicycling weakly while her hand pawed and occasionally clawed at Lenore’s encroaching backside. Pale features flushed a most seasonable red, Elise managed a final sustained squeeze before she let go and patted out a weary concession.
“Stop. Staaaaaahp. I submit, let me go.”
Lenore shook her head ‘no’. “This hasn’t been about pins or submissions for a long time, Elise. It’s about our game. Tell me about that.”
Hearing that soft admission, Kent Allard tapped a message into his phone.
It’s done. Are you here?
The response was immediate. Yeah. Just outside.
The archivist nodded his relief. Excellent. Thanks.
Far too preoccupied to notice the couch communications, Lenore gave Elise five seconds to answer and when she didn’t the Courtier snatched hold of her foe’s hair and yanked her face snug to glutes while simultaneously sitting down with every bit of weight she could muster. “I asked about our game, Elise. Answer--”
“It’s over.” Winterrest hissed. “It’s over you hateful bytch, are you satisfied?”
“Once I hear who won.” Lemarchand countered. “And trust me, if ‘you did’ comes out of your mouth I will punish you for the slight.”
Elise drew in a deep breath and let it out slow, the exhausted battler somehow keeping her composure despite the furious furnace heat of Lenore’s encroaching backside. “Lenore Lemarchand,” she swallowed the lump in her throat but couldn’t suppress the humiliated quaver in her voice, “has won our game.”
“Now and forever.” the Raven added quietly. “And if you ever, ever try something like this again, I swear to god, Elise…” Lenore drew in a deep breath, let it out slow and didn’t finish her thought.
The silence between them spun out for more than twenty seconds. Lemarchand didn’t increase the torque on her hold, but she certainly didn’t seem inclined to relinquish it either. Eventually Elise murmured, “Let me go, please.”
A voice in the back of Lenore’s mind screamed for her to ignore the plea, to make Winterrest suffer the same humiliating indignities that’d rocked her to her personal and professional core this year. And indeed the hand buried in Elise’s hair did grow tighter for a moment, but then she let go and unhooked the Icy Manipulator’s bra instead. The trophy was claimed with no ceremony whatsoever, in fact Lenore didn’t even look at it as she got to her feet and trudged to the closet where both women had hung their dresses seemingly centuries ago. Collecting Elise’s dress and heels, Lemarchand looked around the narrow space, but didn’t find what she wanted. Glancing to Allard with tired eyes, she asked, “Don’t you keep some tee-shirts in here?”
He nodded. “Top shelf, left hand corner.”
She looked up and there they were, a respectable pile from her boyfriend’s apparently endless supply. She grabbed the top one without looking at it, (an old ‘Krystal Geysers’ number for those wondering) before she walked back to Elise and dropped the bundle beside her. “You can wear the shirt out the front door, but don’t even think about the dress. If I can’t take you on a Walk of Shame at the arena, I can at least send you down the sidewalk like the loser you are.”
With that she turned around and made her way to Allard, who drew her into a lingering hug. Suddenly racked by a bout of trembling, the Fair & Radiant Maiden set her head on the archivist’s shoulder and said, “I’m going upstairs to take a shower. Promise me she’ll be gone by the time I come back down. Promise me she hasn’t ruined our night.”
“She will and she never could.” he answered. “Go on, take as long as you need. I’ll have everything set to rights by the time you’re done.”
Lemarchand squeezed a little tighter, gave him a quick kiss, then headed up the stairs without so much as a backwards glance at Elise Winterrest.
Allard looked after her for a moment before returning his attention to the defeated brunette, who’d slipped into the tee-shirt and now stood with her dress draped over one arm and her heels dangling from her other hand.
“I’ll need to arrange for a ride.” she said without meeting his eyes.
“It’s already taken care of. Forgive me the presumption, but I felt it necessary to call upon someone who’d make sure you get home safely…and not try any more of your bullshyt along the way.”
Winterrest’s dark eyes went hard for just a moment, but it was enough to tell Allard that Miss Murder’s games were far from over, they just wouldn’t include the Raven if she an ounce of sense. She was about to offer some comment when there came a knock at the door.
“And that would be your ride.” Kent said with a vague smile. “Please, allow me to see you out, Elise.” He crossed the living room to the foyer, calling ‘Just a sec!’ along the way. Then he opened the door and greeted someone he’d actually invited. “Evening, Lys. Thanks for this, I owe you one.”
LYSSA ZAHN:
Lyssa Zahn snorted, moved to one side so she could get a glimpse of Elise. “Think nothing of it, nerd. After what Elise here pulled at AHE? This one’s on the house.”
“You’re delivering me into the hands of this nattering troll, Allard?” Winterrest groaned. “Where’s your sense of decorum?”
“Asks the woman who crashed my anniversary dinner for the sole purpose of tormenting my girlfriend?” Allard countered.
“Oh, you’ve got nothing to worry about… at least for tonight.” Zahn added. “Kent asked to make sure you got home safe and sound and I’ve promised to do so. That’s a favor from one co-host to the other, by the way. But I will get my chance at you inside the ring, Winterrest. And when I do you’re going to pay for stealing the Madhouse from me.”
“As if your tacky, follower-hungry hands were worthy of such a place.” Elise sneered.
Lyssa batted her eyes. “C’mon honey, the meter’s running and I’m not terribly patient.”
Miss Murder stepped to the threshold, but did not cross. “If you lay so much as a finger on me, I promise you will regret it.”
The Tweeting Tyrant took a step back and to the side. “Know the big difference between Lenore and I?”
“You’re both equally vile from what I can tell.”
“Wrong. She’s happy to destroy you in private, probably preferred it, even. Me? I want the whole world watching when I tear you apart.”
Elise moved out onto the landing and stopped directly in front of Lyssa. “This is not a fight you want. But if you insist, I’ll give it to you.” With that she headed down the steps and onto the little side path that lead through the fence to the street beyond.
Lyssa watched her progress, then turned to Allard. “She ok?”
“She will be. Elise showing up here tonight really threw a jump into her, but… well, you see how it turned out.”
“Good. She knows were not done, right?”
“Oh, far as she’s concerned the two of you haven’t even begun.”
“Got a smart girlfriend there, nerd.” Zahn snickered. “Treat her good, because one day I’m gonna treat her real shabby.”
“Keep an eye on Elise during the ride home, Lys. That’s what happens to chicks who treat the Raven shabby.”
“I’mma tell her you called me a chick.”
Kent rolled his eyes. “Thanks again, Lyssa. Drive safe.”
Zahn’s smile faded. “Will do. I’ll text you when she’s home. Now get back inside, you’ve got an anniversary to salvage.”
“That I do.”
*****
It was almost an hour later when Lenore came downstairs, not in the heart-stopping blue dress from before the interruption but an old Miriam Gaiman tank-top and purple & black flannel pajama pants. Kent didn’t mind the casual look in the slightest, though it made him feel even more self conscious and awkward with his dress shirt and expensive slacks.
“I was going to redo my make-up, but…” she shrugged. “I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was going to come back. I can’t believe… how DARE she! How dare that manipulative bytch ruin one more special--”
“She didn’t ruin anything, Len. Far as I’m concerned, she gave us one hell of a present.”
Lemarchand regarded him with obvious consternation, though it changed to weary amusement when she noted his wry smile. “I can’t wait to hear how you’re going to spin this one.”
“Think about it. The Big Bad Wolf of Winter stormed in here looking to despoil another of your special places and what happened instead? She didn’t just tap out, she quit. She conceded your game and slunk out of here in a tee-shirt and briefs with her dress hung bunched over one arm and her heels dangling from her fist while you enjoyed a long shower. Not to put to fine a point on it, love, but you kicked her ass up between her shoulders and now our Anniversary is officially the thirty-first because why wouldn’t we commemorate the night you finished Elise Winterrest?”
She thought it over for several seconds. “Do you think she’ll honor her word?”
“Does it really matter? You’ll sleep well tonight and for the foreseeable future, I’d hope. Elise? Not so much. And if she does come for you again, what of it? You’ve got two pairs of Bly Bracelets, her briefs from the Madhouse AND the bra she wore in here tonight, all of which tells me you’ve got her number.”
Lenore looped an arm around the archivist’s waist, laid her head on his shoulder. “I do, don’t I?”
“Yes ma’am, you do.”
“Any chance the coals are still good?”
“Not if we want to eat before midnight. I’ve already put the steaks back in the fridge, we’ll try again tomorrow.”
“What about tonight? I was already starving before Elise strutted in here, now I’m famished.”
“I placed an order with Saigon Flavors while you were upstairs. Pad Thai, Summer Rolls and Mango Salad should be here in twenty minutes or so. Oh, and I’ve got Cold Case Files queued up on Netflix.”
She went up on tiptoe for a kiss that might’ve gone on quite a bit longer if not for a sudden rumbling in her stomach. “That sounds perfect. If I’m not asleep in an hour I’ll tell you how it felt to kick that witch’s ass all over the living room.”
“Care to give me a preview?”
“In a word? Amazing.”
Thought I'd finish off this questionable stretch of months by capping a feud that's been running on and off for about four years. Hope you enjoy, and here's wishing a Happy New Year to you and yours,
~rf
*******
New Year’s Eve…
The actual date of their anniversary was a question that’d lingered between Lenore Lemarchand and Kent Allard since they’d started dating almost five years ago. They were both certain it was after Christmas and before New Years Eve, but beyond that neither of them could pinpoint the date no matter how hard they tried. Detail-minded individuals that they were, this had bothered them something fierce for the first couple of years, but as of late they’d turned it into a sort of floating holiday, one that’d take place between Christmas and the New Year, on whatever day the mood struck them. This year they were almost assuredly a couple days late, but a television taping on the 27th and the unexpected acquisition of the WSIW tape library on the 30th meant the Fair & Radiant Maiden and FAWN’s unofficial archivist didn’t have a moment of free time until earlier this morning.
Neither had minded, indeed they were delighted to have the evening all to themselves and after a bit of deliberation they’d decided to simply class up their usual Date Night. For Kent this meant getting a chance to break in his new grill with a pair of good steaks and for Lenore it meant an excuse to wear a dress she hadn’t worn all year AND to make Allard clean up in a dress shirt and slacks he only ever wore to make her happy.
“Stupid slacks.” Kent muttered as he tended to the glowing coals at the bottom of the grill. “Absolutely not proper grilling att--”
“What was that, dear?” Lenore stepped out onto the patio carrying a plate loaded with the steaks and some veggie skewers that’d serve as a side dish. “I didn’t hear you complaining about wearing slacks, did I?”
LENORE LEMARCHAND:
“Only a little.” he answered. “They don’t do much against the cold. The view on the other hand more than makes up for it.”
She smiled, then asked, “What, this old thing? It was just hanging in the back of the closet.”
The dress, an off the shoulder number in dark blue velvet that clung to her in all the right places, earned an appreciative smile from Allard. “Glad you saw it before I did, would’ve been embarrassing if we’d shown up wearing the same thing.”
Lemarchand rolled her eyes. “Where do you want these, funny guy?”
“Set ‘em on the side table for now. The coals aren’t quite ready yet, but they’re getting there.” She did as asked, then settled in beside him to watch the coals for several seconds. “I’m going to go inside and put the salad together, probably open a bottle of wine. Want a glass?”
“Yes please. It’ll make me look classy.”
Lenore nudged an elbow into his ribs. “Don’t get too classy on me, Allard. The scruff is part of the appeal.”
“Hey, you’re the one making me wear slacks, I’ll class it up if I want!”
She snorted and went inside, leaving Kent to tend to some last minute grill prep while the coals continued to shimmer and glow. No more than three minutes had elapsed when he heard the sound of footsteps coming up their back walk. Thinking it might be Sydney or one of the other Hell Hole regulars, Allard didn’t bother to look up from his work, he just called, “Hey, how’s it going? Happy New Year!”
“It’s going quite well, if I may say so.” answered a cool, familiar voice. “And a Happy New Year to you as well, Mr. Allard.”
Ignoring the hackles on the back of his neck, the archivist turned around and said, “Hello, Elise. This is… unexpected. How can I help you?”
ELISE WINTERREST:
“Oh, I don’t think you can.” Elise Winterrest replied with a faint smile. “I’m actually here to speak with your beloved. She is here, isn’t she?”
“Something tells me you already know the answer, Elise. What’s so important that it couldn’t wait ‘til Monday? And why are you dressed like you’re headed to a gala?”
“Because I am in fact headed for a gala.” Winterrest said in reference to her own dress, a creation of sleek satin done in jet black that almost certainly didn’t do a damned thing against even the mild Central Florida chill. “As to the urgency of my visit… I hate to wait, Mr. All, ah, there she is!”
Lenore returned to the small patio with a glass of wine in one hand and a subtle twitch in that wrist convinced Kent she was about to hurl it straight at Miss Murder’s face. “What are you doing here, Elise?”
“She was just leav--” “I most certainly was not.” Winterrest snapped. “I came here to find out why the little bird has been sitting on a match contract since the beginning of the month. I challenged her to an I Quit Match for the first show of the year and she has, to put it bluntly, ignored me. I hate being ignored, as you’ve probably guessed, archivist.”
“I ignored it because you’re nothing to me until AHE 2021.” Lenore’s voice was as cold as her rival’s. “On that night? You’ll have my undivided attention. Then, after I reclaim what is rightfully mine, you’ll be nothing again. Now, get out of my sight, Elise.”
“That’s not very polite, now is it? Kent and I were having a lovely conversation, in fact I was about to tell him the TRUE story of your ill-fated trip to--”
Winterrest managed to say ‘Bly’ before Lemarchand strode across the patio, handed the wine to Allard and went nose to nose with intruding adversary. “You’re trespassing, Elise. I could make you scream at the top of your lungs not just because I’d like to, but because I’m well within my rights to do so.”
“Please, this is Kent’s property, not yours. And I think we both know that I’m more than capable of seizing anything you lay claim--”
CRAAACK!
Lenore slapped her across the mouth so Elise slapped her right back, the mood going from tense to crackling in that pair of clapping reports.
“Leave. Right now.” Lemarchand whispered.
“Make me. Right now.” Elise countered. “I dare you, little bird. Touch me again and I’ll shred you out here in the open air. Or, if you’re feeling bold, invite me inside. I’ll accept. And we’ll see which of us comes to regret the decision.”
“Why would I do that when I can just slam the door in your face?”
“Because I saw the look in your eyes when you walked through the door. Your heart fell into your stomach and you know, you know that this pleasant little haven of yours is under just as much threat as the Madhouse. I don’t even have to come back after tonight, the mere thought, the possibility, that I’ve been here, COULD be here, will be enough. Eventually it will drive you out and I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing I’ve claimed another stronghold in our great game. Of course you may have the courage to repel this encroachment here and now, but to do so is to invite not just pain, but the great liklihood of humiliation on a scale that would make Bly seem insign--”
Lemarchand drew away, walked to the back door and opened it. Stepping aside, she gestured for Elise to join her. “Please, after you.” Allard shot her a ‘what the hell?’ sort of look, but the Raven’s eyes never left Miss Murder’s as the latter walked in like she owned the place. “There’s a guest bathroom on the far side of the living room, you can strip down in there.” Lenore said in cold, clipped tones. “Unless you’re not wearing underwear. Then keep the dress on if you’d like. I promise it won’t be any use to you afterward.”
“Oh, it could serve to hog-tie you at the very least.” Winterrest countered. “But fear not, little bird. I wouldn’t ruin a dress… or defile my skin, by allowing either of them to come into contact with your fugly face.”
Lenore might’ve filled her hands with Elise’s hair then and there if Kent hadn’t put a hand on her shoulder. “A word, love?”
“Not now, Kent. After this is done.”
“THIS doesn’t even need to start!” Allard told her. “It’s our anniversary. This is OUR house! She’s got no right to be here! Let me make a call, she’ll be gone in--”
“No.” Lemarchand interrupted. “She wanted this? She’s got it. I’m going to make her pay for everything tonight, Kent. All the cheap shots, the attacks, Bly, the Madhouse, ALL OF IT. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get out of this dress. Could you rearrange the furniture in the living room? I’ll finish this there.”
“I can’t talk you down, can I?”
“Not tonight.” she paused. “I’m sorry.”
Allard was quiet for a long time. “Don’t be sorry, make her sorry.”
“I will.”
From there it all happened very quickly.
Elise came out of the guest bathroom wearing satin bra and panties that matched her dress, which was now set on a hanger from the nearby closet. Allard paused his abrupt rearrangement of the living room to put Winterrest’s dress and heels into the aforementioned closet, then did the same for Lenore when she approached shortly thereafter. Kent held his peace during both encounters, though he made sure to drop the Raven a silent whistle for her crushed velvet delicates done in the same midnight blue of her own discarded dress. She offered a quick smile in return, though it died a quick death when her gaze fell on Winterrest waiting on the other side of the room.
Sensing things coming to a head, Kent pulled out his phone and fired off a quick text, using the closet to stay out of sight as he did so. Once the phone was back in his pocket he shut the closet door and made a final adjustment to the couch before taking a step back to observe his efforts. They must’ve satisfied because he nodded once, then turned his attention to Lenore and Elise. “I’d say this is the best I can do on short notice.” he said quietly. “If you stick to the living room and keep clear of the stairs you should be fine. I’ll be outside keeping an eye on the grill. Just knock on the back door when you’re fin--”
“No need to leave, archivist.” Elise said without actually taking her eyes off Lenore. “After all there’s no cameras running tonight, it seems only fair that we have at least one… well, you’re certainly not unbiased, but there’s enough of the academic in you to at least be honest in what I inflict upon this mewling brat.”
Allard looked to Lenore, who hadn’t taken her eyes from Miss Murder. “Lenore? What say you?”
“Stay, by all means.” she replied. “I need someone here to tell me when to stop. Because I sure as f*ck won’t listen to this sniveling little interloper.”
“It’s agreed, then. You can stay.” Elise offered a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “But I warn you, archivist. If you raise so much as a finger to help your paramour before I’ve taken my fill, I’ll make you a poorer, sorrier man for it.”
“Touch him and I’ll break your fingers. That’s a promise.”
“Threaten me again and I’ll break your jaw.” Winterrest countered. “That’s a promise.”
“No need for threats, ladies.” Allard interjected. “I’m here to observe, nothing more. But if it’s over and one of you continues to pile on, I’ll get Sydney and any of the other Hell Holer’s over here to break it up as fast as I can. Understand?”
“That won’t be necessary, will it, Lenore?” Elise murmured. “It’ll be over just as soon as you sob ‘No more, Elise. No more, please!’”
Lemarchand took a deep breath, let it out slow. “You talk a good game, Elise. You’ve always talked a good game. But when it comes time to fight? You can’t win when I see you coming. And tonight you were stupid enough to come to MY house? Bytch, I’m going to make you suff--”
“I already took one house from you, little bird.” the Icy Manipulator hissed. “Or have you already forgotten the NEW Queen of the Madhouse?”
“I remember that Lyssa and I beat the ever loving shyt out of each other to claim that place and once again you attacked FROM BEHIND. Your mother may be a miserable, scheming harridan but at least she’s got the f*cking spine to come at me face to face. No wonder she’s so proud of Jane Stone and never mentioned your name until I made you cry in front of an international audiNNNGGGHHH!”
Elise slapped, then raked her nemesis’ cheek, Miss Murder dragging her hand down at a sharp angle to leave four angry welts. “You’ll never set foot in this place after tonight, little bird.” Winterrest promised. “I’ll shame you into exile if only to free the poor idiot archivist from your trashy influencEERRGGGHH!”
Lemarchand buried a hand in Elise’s dark hair, wrenched her head backward at a sharp angle and delivered one, two, three scathing Bytch Slaps to the other brunette’s porcelain features! “This was your last mistake, Elise.” Lenore stuck a finger in Winterrest’s face while occasionally adding more sharp smacks. “But I’ll make sure you’re conscious long enough to realize just how badly you f*cked RRRRGGGGGGHHH!”
Elise grabbed a double handful of her foe’s bounty and squeezed while simultaneously twisting her wrists in opposite directions! In the same instant she plowed forward to make Lemarchand backpedal across the carpet until she THWHUMPED against the wall hard enough to make several of Kent’s framed prints shiver in place. “Losing consciousness is the least of your worries tonight, little bird.” Elise hissed in Lenore’s ear as she continued to work the Breast Claw. “You should be terrified of retaining your senses for each and every moment of this humiliatOOWW!”
The Fair & Radiant Maiden raaaaaaaaaked her nails up Elise’s back from the curve of her buttocks to just about level with her shoulders, then hooked her thumbs into the brunette’s bra-strap and stretched it out just to snap it against her enemy’s back! Winterrest released her grip, though both hands continued to clutch at some invisible attacker. As for Lenore, she filled her hands with Elise’s hair and spun ‘em both around to thump her against the wall. She followed with a single quick Kneelift, Lemarchand driving the bony joint into her opponent’s navel so she could lean in with all her weight behind the nauseating pressure.
“Next one lands between your thighs, Elise. You think this hurts? Imagine the sort of bone deep nausea that kept the Headmistress from leaving the ring under her own power, then imagine something a dozen times worRRRGGHH!”
Winterrest raised her right foot and brought it down heel-first on Lenore’s plant foot to destroy the brunette’s base in a single stroke! Hobbling backward as she fought to regain her balance, Lemarchand managed to get a hand up into Elise’s hair when Miss Murder came off the wall, but she had no defense against the Broadside Kneelift Winterrest THWHUMPED across her tummy! Lenore ‘oooofhed’, lost her balance and collapsed to her knees, which in turn doubled Elise over. That didn’t last long though, as the Icy Manipulator sacrificed a hank of hair to free herself from the Courtier’s grasp. Helping herself to a vengeful double handful of dark locks, Winterrest banged a quick knee between Lemarchand’s eyes, then reared back and shot in to THWHUMP the slim wrecking ball curve of her backside into the Raven’s stunned mug!
Lenore’s head whipped backward, though not as far as it would have if Elise had released the hair-hold. As it was there was even more whiplash for the Courtier when Winterrest hauled her to verticality. Spinning into position off Lenore’s left shoulder, Elise rushed the wall and bounced Lemarchand’s forehead into a bare stretch between posters for ‘The Fog’ and ‘Pumpkinhead’. Bracing a forearm against the nape of her opponent‘s neck, Winterrest began to scrape Lenore’s face back and forth, back and forth!
“Kiss the wall, brat.” she sneered. “ Kiss it before I grind the nose off your disgusting faNGH!”
Lenore jabbed an elbow into her attacker’s thigh, then followed up with a couple shots to Elise’s belly that created enough separation to let her get back to-- “NNGGGHH!” Winterrest spiked another knee between the Raven’s shoulders, then caught her at togs and tresses to haul her upright. “You use the walls like an amateur, Lemarchand.” Elise sneered. “Allow me to demonstrate the proper technique.”
Miss Murder twisted to one side and loped across the living room only to stop a few feet shy of the wall to ensure there was just enough room to muscle Lenore off her feet and hurl her against the wall with a resounding THWHUD!
“Didn’t even dent the plaster, I have to admit I’m surprised.” Elise put her hands on her hips and nodded disingenuous approval after Lenore collapsed to the floor in a groaning pile. “I was hoping to put her straight through the wall. Well, there’s always next time. Now, do be so kind as to get your sorry ass up.”
Lemarchand didn’t reply as quickly as Elise would’ve liked, so she filled her hands with the other brunette’s hair and forced her to stand. Noting the couch only a short distance from their position, Elise halved the grip on Lenore’s locks and resumed her waistband grip to better ensure her control over the Courtier while she strolled over to the couch and tossed her over one armrest to land on the cushions in a woozy sprawl. “Something else I appreciate about this place, Allard?” Elise teased. “No overabundance of pillows. Just enough to play off the rest of the décor… and torment unworthy trash.”
Snatching one of the two throw pillows, Winterrest hefted it overhead for a few hard, but ultimately painless swats to her rival’s tummy and chest. It wasn’t until she pressed it to Lenore’s face, then turned around and sat down full force that her intentions became clear. “Not nearly as satisfying as feeling you squeal against my ass, I’ll admit.” Elise muttered as she braced her feet against the carpet to maintain her wobbling seat. “But at least I can still control the pitch and volume!”
‘Volume’ was still on her lips when the First Degree Femme Fatale raised her left hand and SMACKED it down on Lemarchand’s tummy a total of three times before she jabbed her index finger into the Raven’s navel and clamped down on a white-knuckled Belly Claw!
“Mr. Allard is watching the proceedings with some noticeable concern, little bird.” Winterrest chided her thrashing prey. “I wonder, will you concede our game to bring him some much deserved peace or will you force him to suffer along with--” Elise grunted in annoyance as a shift in her seat told her that Lenore had twisted her face away from the pillow and was thus breathing far easier than she like-- “Eeerrrgghh, bytch!” Winterrest’s irritation blossomed to straight up anger when Lemarchand brought her right hand up and sank it into the pale meat of her attacker’s right thigh. A painful grip to be sure, yet Lenore must’ve sought another target because she let go after a couple hard pulses and reached for--
“AAAARRRRHHHH BYTCH!” Even the pillow couldn’t take the edge off Lemarchand’s anguish when Elise moved her talon south to the juncture of the other brunette’s thighs.
“Oh please, spare me the histrionics.” Winterrest scoffed as she gouged and worried at Lenore’s groin. “You can BARELY compete when we’re on equal footing, did you really think you’d survive when you can’t seOOOOOWWWW SHYT!”
Lenore got her questing hand into Elise’s hair and pulled so hard it forced Miss Murder to look up the ceiling! “Stuuuhhh…still got my grip, slut.” Winterrest growled through clenched teeth. “I’ll still have it when you’re slobbering a submissDAMMIT!”
Lemarchand slid out from under the pillow to draw in a ragged breath while simultaneously breaking the other brunette’s clamp on her nethers. She started to sit up but didn’t get more than halfway before Winterrest twisted after her and grabbed a double handful of hair.
“You’re never free of me, little bird.” Elise pulled Lenore backward, stretching her out on the couch so she could trap the Courtier’s head between her thighs in a snug Scissors. “How delightful.” the Icy Manipulator sounded genuinely pleased as she filled her hands with Lenore’s hair. “Now I can tear out your hair and punish that disgusting mire you call a crotch.” To illustrate this point she yanked Lemarchand’s locks this way and that while aggressively grinding one heel into her opponent’s center.
“Hhrrrggghhh… always looking for the easy way out, aren’t you Elise?” Lenore slapped and scraped at Winterrest’s encroaching thighs in an effort to break the Scissors. “No wonder you were straight C material even at a place like BlyYYAAARRRRHHH F*CK!”
Elise relinquished half the hair-hold so she could hook two fingers into Lenore’s nostrils for a bit of nasal nastiness. “I could ruin this haughty face tonight.” Winterrest explained to her suffering rival. “Even if you had the courage to look the archivist in the eye when this is all over, he’ll be horrified by what he seesSOOOOOOOHHH WHORE!”
Lenore grabbed hold of the claw in her nose, prized it free and pulled it down so she could sink her teeth into the meat at the base of Winterrest’s thumb! Elise slapped at the Raven’s face but couldn’t get loose until she broke the Scissors and scrambled to a seat behind the other woman. “You were never a raven.” Miss Murder sneered as she once again found her hands in Lenore’s hair. “You’re just a disgusting, diseased rat with winGUUNNGGGHHH!” Lemarchand reached over her shoulder with both hands, caught hold of Elise’s hair and tugged forward while simultaneously crunching in on herself to flip Winterrest over that shoulder, off the couch and onto the floor with a heavy THUMP!
Elise grunted at the makeshift Snapmare, then groaned when Lenore threaded her thighs around the Icy Manipulator’s head and began to squeeeeeeeeeeeeze. Lips curving into a smile as she ran her fingers through Elise’s hair, Lemarchand made sure to tangle as much as she could before clamping down and YANKING up! Winterrest squealed aloud, beat her heels against the floor then grabbed hold of the Courtier’s wrists and set about clawing her way to freedom.
“Luuuhhhh… let me go, little bird.”
Lenore shook her head ‘no’ as she continued the two-front assault of hair pull and Headscissors. “What’s wrong, cutie? Don’t like the feel of my nylons on your cheeks? Or maybe it’s the blood pounding in your ears that’s too much to--” A cold grimace from Emily’s Lady in Waiting when Elise abandoned her wrist grips to tear ragged slashes through Lemarchand’s stockings.
“I wouldn’t mention blood if I were you, dear.” Winterrest sneered. “I’m not sure you could call on any reputable cleaning service to get those sort of stubborn stains out of this carpet right AAAARRRGGGGGGHHHH!”
Lenore abandoned her nemesis’ hair to slip both index fingers into the corners of Elise’s mouth for a particularly vile fishhook. “You think I’d pay to have that cleaned, Elise?” she asked. “I’d have it cut out, then framed and mounted for my trophy room!”
Much as she liked clawing Lemarchand’s legs, the Icy Manipulator couldn’t afford to simply ignore the tines tearing at her face, so she grabbed at Lenore’s mitts for some serious hand fighting. “Duuuhhh… do you know you’re in love with a sadist, Allard?” Elise gaped when she’d pulled the hooks loose. “Has she hid it from you all this time or have you always known and that’s why you’re still with NGH! NGH! NGH! NNNNGGGHHHH!”
Lenore shook free of Winterrest’s grasp and immediately cupped her right hand under Miss Murder’s chin so she could tug her head back at a sharper angle. In the same instant she raised her left arm overhead just to bring that elbow THUNKING down onto the center of Elise’s forehead. This was followed by two more Elbow Smashes and a prolonged grinding of that bony dagger against the bridge of the other brunette’s nose.
“I know you didn’t come here to talk to him, Elise.” the Raven’s voice was icy cold, though Kent could hear her anger thrumming underneath the words. “So I’d advise you keep your f*cking mouth shut and focus on me until--”
“I’ve disposed of you like the trash you are?” Elise interrupted. “Thanks Lenore, I’ll take that under adviseOOOOOOOWWWW!”
Lenore crooked her left hand into a spade and dragged it across Winterrest’s dark eyes! The temptation to simply squeeze and pull her longtime antagonist into oblivion was quite strong, but in the end Lemarchand relinquished the Scissors and got to her feet to haul Elise to hers. Two giant steps away from the couch made Allard think Lenore was seeking revenge for that trip into the wall, however the Fair & Radiant Maiden wheeled around and slung her archrival into one corner of the couch hard enough to make it rock in place.
“I’m beginning to understand why the Headmistress was so frustrated with you.” Lemarchand climbed onto the couch and into Miss Murder’s lap, her knees digging in against Elise’s hips. “Because no matter what she tried to teach, you just won’t learn.”
“Scrawny bytch.” Winterrest went to grab at Lenore’s face, spat something unprintable when the Courtier snatched her wrists and dragged them down to her sides. “Threaten and tease while you can, I’ll remember each and every word when you’re pleading for your miserable MMMMRRRPPPPPHHHHHH!”
“Shut up.” Lenore’s tone was heavy with contempt as she wrapped her arms around the other brunette’s head and drew Winterrest’s protesting face into the winter-warm heat of her chest. Emily’s tutelage suggested the best approach was to grip her own elbows for leverage, however Lemarchand knew that her mentor preferred the Front Sleeper as knock-out technique and at the moment she wanted nothing more than to mash and grind Elise’s nose against her sternum. So she buried her hands in Miss Murder’s dark tresses and tugged this way and that, the Fair & Radiant Maiden using every little movement (not to mention the corner of the couch) to inflict a heady brew of pain and suffocation upon her struggling adversary.
Not that Winterrest endured this torment passively, mind you. She writhed like a snake with a broken back for the better part of twenty seconds to pull her hands clear of Lemarchand’s gripping thighs. Lenore hissed when she succeeded because Winterrest wasted no time in raking her attacker’s pale back, her black-painted nails leaving bright pink streaks that deepened to an angrier red as Allard looked on. Lemarchand endured, scraped her own claws against Elise’s scalp and redoubled her efforts to crush the other woman’s nose.
“I really thought taking those bracelets would break your spirit for good, at least when it came to f*cking with me.” the Raven murmured to no one in particular. “After all, the Headmistress wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes when she limped out of here and she’s got more will than you’ve ever had, so yeah, I really, really thought you and I were done.” Her breath hitched a bit when Winterrest caught hold of her hair and started to pull. Answering the tug with some pulling of her own, Lemarchand gouged her chin across the crown of her rival’s skull. “Then you stuck your nose into the Madhouse. Stole it from me, robbed Zahn of the opportunity and as much as I hate it, I could deal with it because there’s always next year, but tonight? There’s no forgiving tonight, Elise.”
Now she did switch over to the elbow-grip, Lemarchand bearing down with those sinewy-strong arms to squeeze as well as suffocate. “Smothering is too good for you. I just need to make sure you’re helpless before I get down to the real rrrrrgggggggghhhhhAAARRRRRHHH!”
With her own hair-pull proving dangerously ineffective, the Icy Manipulator resumed her previous back raking efforts and bolstered them with a wedgie that had Lenore squirming in her mount. The sound of the little bird’s screams were pleasant indeed, alas oxygen was still at a premium so Winterrest sent her hands north in search of the clasp that held-- “MMMRRRPPPGAAAAHHHHH!” Elise shrieked in muffled anguish when Lenore squeezed tighter than ever, the Malicious Mainer’s nose bent to the snapping point by the ever-increasing pressure.
“Undo my bra and I’ll break your nose, I swear to God I will.” Lemarchand threatened the wriggling warrior. Winterrest abandoned the effort with an angry slap only to grab onto the Courtier’s waistband for another savage wedg--“HHHRRRGGGHHH!” Not about to let Elise work her briefs without some serious repercussions, Lenore shifted in her seat and THUMPED the point of her right knee into the fork of Winterrest’s crotch.
Miss Murder’s hands fell away and Lemarchand might’ve been able to finish her on the spot, but the couch had grown almost feverishly hot and if she was being honest with herself, she wasn’t quite ready to release Elise for all her hateful transgressions. With those thoughts in mind she plunged her hands into Winterrest’s hair, got to her feet and forced the other brunette to do the same, all in a single feline movement. “Get your sorry ass off my couch.” Lemarchand demanded in the midst of tossing Elise to all fours near the middle of their makeshift arena. “There, that’s better. Now are you going to crawl out the front door or do I have to stomp your face into the carpet?”
Winterrest didn’t answer right away, she was too focused on filling her lungs with useable oxygen and fighting through the nauseating roil in her undercarriage. After ten seconds or so, she rose to her knees, brushed the hair off her eyes and fixed the Courtier with an unsettling smile. “Considering the hospitality shown thus far, I could stay or go. But why don’t we leave it to the archivist? My arrival seems to have disrupted the evening’s plans, though something in Kent’s eyes tells me it’s a welcome diversion from another night of bland conversation and forgettable sex, is that an accurate assessment, siRRRRHHHHHH!”
Lenore stormed over, buried her hands in Elise’s dark mane and yanked her to verticality with such ferocity that-- “OOOHHH BYTCH!” The Raven forgot all about her anger (or at least the hair pull) when the Icy Manipulator jabbed a thumb into her right eye!
“My apologies, is that the sensitive one?” Winterrest hissed to her foe as Lemarchand backpedaled away with one hand pressed to the right side of her face. “I meant to get THIS ONE!” She snatched hold of Lenore’s hair and raked the right side of her face from forehead on down, the Malicious Mainer making a point to focus on the eye socket. “God bless Adelaide Brewster and her insane tenacity.” Elise sighed over the sound of Lenore’s pained wailing. “Clawing at your eyes is truly the gift that keeps on givNNNGGH!”
Lemarchand’s vision was little more than sworls of blurry color at the moment, but her hearing was fine as ever and she used it to land the Haymaker that caromed off Winterrest’s chin! “Vicious bytch.” Lenore huffed once the talons fell away from her face. “Try that again and I’ll--”
Kent cringed in sympathetic anguish when Elise pivoted on one heel and THWHAPPED a battering ram of a Back Kick into the pit of Lenore’s stomach. No talking (let alone smiling) now, Winterrest collected Lemarchand’s bowed head in a Front Facelock and snapped down and back to THWHUNK the crown of her skull into the carpet with a Murderous DDT! Allard didn’t say a word, yet he must’ve put off some vibe that caught Elise’s attention because she glanced his way and shook her head ‘no’. “Don’t move a muscle, you poor, erstwhile idiot. The little bird’s far from done, she’s just taken a nasty spill. Isn’t that right, Lenore? You’re not about to cede the game just because I spiked your skull into the floor, are you?”
Beside her, Lemarchand rolled over and sat up, one arm swaddling her noggin while the other pushed at Winterrest’s shoulder and flank. “Fuuuuhhh…f*ck no.” she confirmed. “You can’t make me submit, ElisHHHHRRRRRGGGHHH!”
Miss Murder pivoted into place behind her nemesis and cupped Lenore’s chin in her right hand while she pulled her left arm behind her back in a snug Chickenwing. Pulling hard on both holds, she forced Lemarchand onto her stomach, then climbed aboard and wrenched back to secure what was effectively a cross between the Crossface Chickenwing and a Camel Clutch. “Now that is simply not true, you deceitful whore.” Elise cooed to her suffering mount. “I’ve made you bawl a surrender on more than one occasion. True, I’ve never done it within earshot of your beloved, but that’s just one of the reasons tonight is so special, isn’t it? And that reminds me, let’s give our guest a better view, shall we?”
MURDEROUS STRETCH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZIJ6AIko_M
The Icy Manipulator shifted her perch enough to allow her to turn the both of them in Allard’s direction. Sitting down once the deed was done, she yoked up on Lenore’s chin and smiled at the archivist. “Ask her, Kent. “Ask her if the game is over.”
“Ask her yourself.” he replied. “I’m not here as a refer--”
“I want you to do it.” she interrupted. “And if you don’t, I’ll claw her eyes out. Do I make myself clear?”
“Go ahead and ask, Kent.” Lenore said before Allard could respond. “Denying Elise’s whims never fails to del--”
Winterrest abandoned the Chinlock to catch hold of Lemarchand’s right arm, which she promptly threaded across her right knee. Resuming the Chinlock after a light slap, Miss Murder dug her fingers into Lenore’s cheeks to mash those patrician features into a distended fish-face. Eyes locked on Kent, Winterrest murmured, “Don’t make me repeat myself, archivist.”
“Do you submit, Lenore?” he paused for a moment. “Is the game over?”
“No.” the Courtier replied through clenched teeth.
“Are you sure, little bird?” Elise let her index finger drift up to the other brunette’s right eye. “I want you to be absolutely cert--”
“Do your worst, braNNNGGGGGHH!” Winterrest yanked her hand away, flattened that hand into a paddle and smashed it against Lemarchand’s right ear with a Slap that CRAAACKED through the confines of the living room!
Lenore shuddered, managed to unhook her arm from Elise’s leg, but the Chickenwing proved a more durable tether, one that allowed the Icy Manipulator to stand up while hauling her rival to a seat. Another whistling slap to the ear kept Lenore in a wounded stupor while Winterrest relinquished the Chickenwing to thread that arm (the left) behind her left calf. From there she sank to one knee, curled across Lemarchand’s back and dipped under her right arm to trap it beneath her left bicep at an awkward angle.
GROUNDED ABDOMINAL STRETCH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=COa0nqCUKmc
Hands locked to complete the Abdominal Stretch, Elise reefed and wrenched on Lenore’s shoulder and torso for almost fifteen seconds before she returned her attention to Kent Allard. “You’re looking rather concerned, archivist. Would you care to check in with your little bird again?”
“Answer’s still no, Elise.” Lemarchand grunted. “As far as you’re concerned, the answer is always--”
Elise unlocked her hands without breaking the Abdominal Stretch, then reached behind Lenore’s back and undid the clasp on the Raven’s dark blue bra. Amused by the contrast between Lemarchand’s aggrieved hiss and the intensely neutral expression on Allard’s face when she bared her foe’s breasts, Winterrest made it a point to keep her eyes on the archivist as she began to pinch and pluck at Lenore’s right nipple. “Headmistress didn’t need her bracelets to make your beloved submit, archivist. Indeed it was nothing more than thumb and forefinger that made the stately Raven sob and beg for mercy. She did hold on for quite some time, but something tells me she won’t last as long tonight. Do you know why?”
“Don’t talk to him, you vicious bytch.” Lenore barked despite the pain of that terrible tweaking. “This is between you and meAAAIIIEEEEEE!”
Elise pulled, then twisted, the First Degree Femme Fatale drawing on every bit of sadistic knowledge at her disposal to make Lemarchand sob in anguish. “I SAID, do you know why? Speak up now!”
“No, Elise. I don’t.” Allard answered around the massive lump in his throat.
“Because you weren’t there to watch, of course. To document the broken way she pleaded and moaned, hell, the way she outright BEGGED the Headmistress to spare these pathetic buds. But at Bly there was an ocean between you, and she had the better part of what, one, two days to compose herself and a suitable excuse for such a galling defeat.” Elise smiled, broke the pincer and raaaaaaaaaked her talon up ‘n across the Raven’s breasts from left to right once, twice, three times before she tweaked the left nipple and resumed the savage twisting on the right. “This is what humiliation looks like close up, archivist. Heavy and sour and rank, with the sort of reek that doesn’t wash away even after countless showers and restful nights sleep. It’s the sort of thing that neither of you will ever forget, especially that special moment when her will snaps and she concedes the great game to me. Her heart’s beating frantically, it’s only a matter of time now, ISN’T IT, LITTLE BIRD?”
Elise squeezed, squeezed, squeezed, then went back to the pinch ‘n twist that’d earned such a glorious concession in the hallowed halls of Bly Academy. But here in this innocuous living room in Winter Park, that concession would not come. Try as she might (and her fingers were cramping with the effort) Winterrest couldn’t draw it from her nemesis’ lips. ”SAY IT!” she screamed down at the Raven. “SAY IT OR I SWEAR TO CHRIST--” Elise’s head whipped up, her attention drawn in the direction of Kent Allard. “Don’t you even think about surrendering for her, I won’t acknowledge a f*cking thing if it doesn’t come from this OOWWWW!”
Resigned to the fact that she couldn’t do much about the nipple torture in her current position, Lemarchand ignored the anguish as best she could, focusing instead on wriggling her left arm from behind the other brunette’s calf. When she did it took every bit of her considerable willpower not to seek out the Icy Manipulator’s clawin’ wrist. Instead she balled that hand into a fist and smashed it down on Winterrest’s left foot three or four times before she grabbed hold of those toes and yanked like she meant to snap ‘em clean off! The bright jolt running from her foot to her knee drew Elise’s attention so that she instinctively reached for the Courtier’s hand without thinking about-- another bloodcurdling shriek from Miss Murder when Lemarcand gave up on the podiatric punishment and caught Elise’s wrist mid-reach to BITE down on her exposed forearm!
“HORRID SLUT!” Winterrest roared as she found herself caught in a flurry of teeth and talons. “GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF RRRRGGGHHHH!”
Lenore did as bade, tossing the Malicious Mainer’s arm away only to pay her back for previous indignities with a thumb to the eye. That proved enough to make Winterrest abandon what remained of the Abdominal Stretch, the frazzled brunette pushing off and away to create some much needed distance between herself and the Raven.
Almost sobbing with relief when she pressed a forearm to her devastated chest, Lemarchand pivoted around to keep her eyes on Winterrest and quickly realized that her archrival was currently occupied with the hurts she’d inflicted and not the woman that’d inflicted them. Sucking in a deep breath as she clambered to verticality, Lenore swayed on the spot and almost called out to the Wolf of Winter before choosing to announce herself in more direct fashion. Exploding into a shambling run (which was really more of a pounce, considering the distance involved) the Fair & Radiant went low and DRILLED her right shoulder into the pit of Elise’s left knee!
Caught flush by the Chop-Block, Winterrest spun through an awkward descent that ended with her landing hard on her right shoulder and hip. “Bytch. Oh, you bytch.” Elise’s left knee was pulled tight to her chest in an effort to massage out the worst of Lenore’s attack. “I’ll rip you apart for that shyt. You’ll never stop screaming when I’m done with NO, STOP! I SAID STOP, GODDAMN YOUHHHRRRGGGH!”
Lemarchand grabbed her foe’s left ankle and yanked the whole leg out full length, stretching it tight against the carpet so she could hop up and THWHUMP down across that vulnerable knee with a heavy Splash! Elise swallowed a wail, tried to pull her leg out from under the Courtier, then cursed aloud when Lenore took possession of her ankle once again. Getting to her feet with Miss Murder’s ankle still in her grasp, Lemarchand turned around so that her back was to the prone grappler. In the span of heartbeats she threaded Winterrest’s left leg around her intruding right leg Spinning Toe Hold-style and snapped up the Icy Manipulator’s right leg, which she threaded over Winterrest’s left ankle before securing it between her thighs. With those svelte stems tied up in a snug knot, Lenore took a moment to catch her breath before she spun down onto her tush, put one hand against the carpet for support and puuuuuusssshed up to put all sorts of pressure on Elise’s left knee.
TELLTALE LEGLOCK:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tub7xwpZGxo
“FAAAAAAAAAAAAHK!” Miss Murder shot up on her palms like the floor was electrified, such was the agonizing torque of the Telltale Leglock. Shaking her head ‘no’ to answer a question no one had asked, Winterrest shifted all her weight to her left hand so she could reach back with the right in an effort to drag those dangerous claws down her nemesis’ shi--“OOOOOOWWW BYTCH!” Elise wailed all the louder when Lenore curled a hand over the toes of her left foot and dug deep into the soft sole.
“What do you think you’re doing, sweetheart?” Lemarchand asked after several seconds of silent clawing. “There’s no ropes to reach and even if there were, do you think I’d acknowledge a break?” she emphasized this point with another round of pitiless gouging. “There’s only one way out of this that doesn’t involve a hard cast.”
“Thuuuhhh… that’s the way where I break your goddamned legs, righAAAAAAAAAAHH F*CK YOU!” Winterrest put her forehead to the carpet and wrapped both arms around her head when the Raven found and very deliberately attacked the nerve cluster on the sole of her suffering foot.
“You may be my better when it comes to innate savagery, as loathe as I am to admit it.” Lenore’s tone was low and cold. “But in a contest between wrestlers? I own--”
“YOU OWN NOTHING!” Elise bellowed. “NOTHING SAVE THE SHAME AND HUMILIATION I HAVE HEAPED UPON YOU OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARRAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH F*CKING STOP, GODDAMN YOU!”
Lemarchand shifted over to small joint manipulation, the lithesome brunette callously twisting or bending one, two, sometimes even three toes at once. “Submit.” Lenore replied. “Concede the game and I’ll let you go. I won’t even make you scream my name or apologize for invading my--”
Winterrest twisted ‘round as far as she could and managed to clamp a death-grip on the Courtier’s clawin’ wrist. “This only ends on MY terms.” the Icy Manipulator squeezed as hard as she could, but the pulsing anguish coming from her legs (not to mention that defenseless foot) was sapping her strength quicker than she dared to admit. “You don’t dictate terms to me, little bird. You never have and you never wilLOOOOOWWWWWW GAAAAAAAAAAWD!”
Lenore attacked that nerve cluster with a white-knuckled grip, the force of which caused Elise to beat a fist against the carpet.
“Is that a submission, Elise?” Allard’s asked quietly. “Just say the word and--”
“NEVER!” Miss Murder roared louder than ever. “I CAME HERE TO TEACH YOUR BYTCH HOW TO LOSE AND THAT’S WHAT I MEAN TO--”
Lenore relinquished the Leglock, scrambled to verticality and stomped down between the other brunette’s shoulders. “Put some respect in your voice when you speak to him.” the Raven muttered as she once again laid claim to Elise’s left foot. “He’s the only thing protecting you right now.”
“Yuuuhhh… you’re the one that needs protecting.” Elise tried to roll onto her back, couldn’t quite manage it. “Thuuuhhh… that’s why your with him and everyone knows it. He’s the only person in this world who believes you’re anything better than an utterly vile piece of shyRRRRRGGGGHHH NOOOOOOOOO!”
With the Malicious Mainer’s lower leg already in her possession, Lemarchand scissored the exposed limb between her calves and shot down and across, the blue-clad brunette landing on Winterrest’s back at a sharp angle that only exacerbated the already painful angle of her trapped leg. At first glance it looked like an alternative approach to the STF since Lemarchand slipped her right arm across the back of Elise’s neck, but Winterrest and Allard knew this was incorrect even before Lenore shoved her nemesis’ right arm out of the way. Once that was done Lenore’s right arm slipped beneath Winterrest’s right bicep and across her chest and neck to ultimately meet her left hand in an S-clasp against the other side of her opponent’s face. Just like that Emily’s Lady in Waiting rolled over onto her left side, a bit if nimble knotting that effectively transformed the chaotic tangle into a hellacious Bow & Arrow that wrenched Winterrest’s spine across the curves of her tormenter’s left flank while also putting immense strain on her neck and pinioned left leg.
THE CHAMBER DOOR @ 4:17
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhmhLemHTTg
“Remember this one, Elise?” Lemarchand asked in the midst of reefing and tearing on the odd hold. “It’s ok if you don’t, I’m pretty sure you were unconscious the first time I put you in it. I call it the Chamber Door because it’ll have you rap, tap, tapping in no time flat!”
“Thhhuuu… that‘s the only way you‘d ever hook it.” Elise waggled a finger ‘no’ even as Lenore continued to bend her in an ungodly arch. She reached for Lenore’s face with her left hand but only managed a loose handful of hair that disintegrated when the Courtier reefed on her neck.
“Not unconscious now, are you?” Lemarchand snapped back. “Still running your mouth, but that’s about it, isn’t it? Because you’re finished, Elise. Defenseless. Admit it, and I’ll let you go.”
“I… I… I admit that humiliating you is practically a religious experience.” Winterrest giggled thickly. “Seeing the shame stamped on your arrogant face, I’ll never tire of thaHUUUFFFFHHHH!”
Lenore undid the knot of her hands, curled the left into a fist and buried it in the pit of her rival’s exposed tummy once, twice, three times! Taking a moment to steady her own breathing while Winterrest gasped for air, Lemarchand eventually got her hands on Elise’s shoulders and shoved her over onto her stomach so the Raven could get to her feet. “You’re done.” she told the sprawled brunette. “You took the Madhouse, but you’ll never take this one. You failed, Elise. Just like your mother failed when she tried to take the Hellhole. She begged me to leave, but you don’t have to. Just tell me the game is over.” Winterrest remained stubbornly silent, causing a suddenly furious Lenore to raise one foot and STOMP on Miss Murder’s glutes. “Tell me! Tell me it’s over, goddamn you!”
“Beg me, bytch.” Elise rasped. “Beg me and I just might NOOOOOOOOOO!”
Not about to grant that sort of concession to the Icy Manipulator, Lenore grabbed Elise’s left foot and lifted that leg off the carpet so she could step over it with her right leg before she dropped to her knees. This effectively trapped Winterrest’s left calf in a vise created by the back of Lemarchand’s right thigh and calf. From there she reached out with her left hand, cupped Elise’s chin and raised it enough to thread her left leg into place beneath Miss Murder’s jaw. The audience offered no comment on this development, yet Allard’s expression was one of rapt attention as the Raven stretched out over Elise’s trapped frame and planted on both hands. Doing so rolled Winterrest onto her back a heartbeat before the Courtier crossed her ankles to effectively trap the interloper’s head, left arm and left leg in the Cradle of Amontillado.
CRADLE OF AMONTILLADO:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yo0-hWiGZo
No demands from Lenore now, indeed she fell into a steely silence as she worked through half a dozen ‘push ups’, each repetition serving to squeeze the trap a little tighter. With her left side thoroughly knotted up, Winterrest could only wriggle and thrash with her two remaining limbs, that leg bicycling weakly while her hand pawed and occasionally clawed at Lenore’s encroaching backside. Pale features flushed a most seasonable red, Elise managed a final sustained squeeze before she let go and patted out a weary concession.
“Stop. Staaaaaahp. I submit, let me go.”
Lenore shook her head ‘no’. “This hasn’t been about pins or submissions for a long time, Elise. It’s about our game. Tell me about that.”
Hearing that soft admission, Kent Allard tapped a message into his phone.
It’s done. Are you here?
The response was immediate. Yeah. Just outside.
The archivist nodded his relief. Excellent. Thanks.
Far too preoccupied to notice the couch communications, Lenore gave Elise five seconds to answer and when she didn’t the Courtier snatched hold of her foe’s hair and yanked her face snug to glutes while simultaneously sitting down with every bit of weight she could muster. “I asked about our game, Elise. Answer--”
“It’s over.” Winterrest hissed. “It’s over you hateful bytch, are you satisfied?”
“Once I hear who won.” Lemarchand countered. “And trust me, if ‘you did’ comes out of your mouth I will punish you for the slight.”
Elise drew in a deep breath and let it out slow, the exhausted battler somehow keeping her composure despite the furious furnace heat of Lenore’s encroaching backside. “Lenore Lemarchand,” she swallowed the lump in her throat but couldn’t suppress the humiliated quaver in her voice, “has won our game.”
“Now and forever.” the Raven added quietly. “And if you ever, ever try something like this again, I swear to god, Elise…” Lenore drew in a deep breath, let it out slow and didn’t finish her thought.
The silence between them spun out for more than twenty seconds. Lemarchand didn’t increase the torque on her hold, but she certainly didn’t seem inclined to relinquish it either. Eventually Elise murmured, “Let me go, please.”
A voice in the back of Lenore’s mind screamed for her to ignore the plea, to make Winterrest suffer the same humiliating indignities that’d rocked her to her personal and professional core this year. And indeed the hand buried in Elise’s hair did grow tighter for a moment, but then she let go and unhooked the Icy Manipulator’s bra instead. The trophy was claimed with no ceremony whatsoever, in fact Lenore didn’t even look at it as she got to her feet and trudged to the closet where both women had hung their dresses seemingly centuries ago. Collecting Elise’s dress and heels, Lemarchand looked around the narrow space, but didn’t find what she wanted. Glancing to Allard with tired eyes, she asked, “Don’t you keep some tee-shirts in here?”
He nodded. “Top shelf, left hand corner.”
She looked up and there they were, a respectable pile from her boyfriend’s apparently endless supply. She grabbed the top one without looking at it, (an old ‘Krystal Geysers’ number for those wondering) before she walked back to Elise and dropped the bundle beside her. “You can wear the shirt out the front door, but don’t even think about the dress. If I can’t take you on a Walk of Shame at the arena, I can at least send you down the sidewalk like the loser you are.”
With that she turned around and made her way to Allard, who drew her into a lingering hug. Suddenly racked by a bout of trembling, the Fair & Radiant Maiden set her head on the archivist’s shoulder and said, “I’m going upstairs to take a shower. Promise me she’ll be gone by the time I come back down. Promise me she hasn’t ruined our night.”
“She will and she never could.” he answered. “Go on, take as long as you need. I’ll have everything set to rights by the time you’re done.”
Lemarchand squeezed a little tighter, gave him a quick kiss, then headed up the stairs without so much as a backwards glance at Elise Winterrest.
Allard looked after her for a moment before returning his attention to the defeated brunette, who’d slipped into the tee-shirt and now stood with her dress draped over one arm and her heels dangling from her other hand.
“I’ll need to arrange for a ride.” she said without meeting his eyes.
“It’s already taken care of. Forgive me the presumption, but I felt it necessary to call upon someone who’d make sure you get home safely…and not try any more of your bullshyt along the way.”
Winterrest’s dark eyes went hard for just a moment, but it was enough to tell Allard that Miss Murder’s games were far from over, they just wouldn’t include the Raven if she an ounce of sense. She was about to offer some comment when there came a knock at the door.
“And that would be your ride.” Kent said with a vague smile. “Please, allow me to see you out, Elise.” He crossed the living room to the foyer, calling ‘Just a sec!’ along the way. Then he opened the door and greeted someone he’d actually invited. “Evening, Lys. Thanks for this, I owe you one.”
LYSSA ZAHN:
Lyssa Zahn snorted, moved to one side so she could get a glimpse of Elise. “Think nothing of it, nerd. After what Elise here pulled at AHE? This one’s on the house.”
“You’re delivering me into the hands of this nattering troll, Allard?” Winterrest groaned. “Where’s your sense of decorum?”
“Asks the woman who crashed my anniversary dinner for the sole purpose of tormenting my girlfriend?” Allard countered.
“Oh, you’ve got nothing to worry about… at least for tonight.” Zahn added. “Kent asked to make sure you got home safe and sound and I’ve promised to do so. That’s a favor from one co-host to the other, by the way. But I will get my chance at you inside the ring, Winterrest. And when I do you’re going to pay for stealing the Madhouse from me.”
“As if your tacky, follower-hungry hands were worthy of such a place.” Elise sneered.
Lyssa batted her eyes. “C’mon honey, the meter’s running and I’m not terribly patient.”
Miss Murder stepped to the threshold, but did not cross. “If you lay so much as a finger on me, I promise you will regret it.”
The Tweeting Tyrant took a step back and to the side. “Know the big difference between Lenore and I?”
“You’re both equally vile from what I can tell.”
“Wrong. She’s happy to destroy you in private, probably preferred it, even. Me? I want the whole world watching when I tear you apart.”
Elise moved out onto the landing and stopped directly in front of Lyssa. “This is not a fight you want. But if you insist, I’ll give it to you.” With that she headed down the steps and onto the little side path that lead through the fence to the street beyond.
Lyssa watched her progress, then turned to Allard. “She ok?”
“She will be. Elise showing up here tonight really threw a jump into her, but… well, you see how it turned out.”
“Good. She knows were not done, right?”
“Oh, far as she’s concerned the two of you haven’t even begun.”
“Got a smart girlfriend there, nerd.” Zahn snickered. “Treat her good, because one day I’m gonna treat her real shabby.”
“Keep an eye on Elise during the ride home, Lys. That’s what happens to chicks who treat the Raven shabby.”
“I’mma tell her you called me a chick.”
Kent rolled his eyes. “Thanks again, Lyssa. Drive safe.”
Zahn’s smile faded. “Will do. I’ll text you when she’s home. Now get back inside, you’ve got an anniversary to salvage.”
“That I do.”
*****
It was almost an hour later when Lenore came downstairs, not in the heart-stopping blue dress from before the interruption but an old Miriam Gaiman tank-top and purple & black flannel pajama pants. Kent didn’t mind the casual look in the slightest, though it made him feel even more self conscious and awkward with his dress shirt and expensive slacks.
“I was going to redo my make-up, but…” she shrugged. “I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was going to come back. I can’t believe… how DARE she! How dare that manipulative bytch ruin one more special--”
“She didn’t ruin anything, Len. Far as I’m concerned, she gave us one hell of a present.”
Lemarchand regarded him with obvious consternation, though it changed to weary amusement when she noted his wry smile. “I can’t wait to hear how you’re going to spin this one.”
“Think about it. The Big Bad Wolf of Winter stormed in here looking to despoil another of your special places and what happened instead? She didn’t just tap out, she quit. She conceded your game and slunk out of here in a tee-shirt and briefs with her dress hung bunched over one arm and her heels dangling from her fist while you enjoyed a long shower. Not to put to fine a point on it, love, but you kicked her ass up between her shoulders and now our Anniversary is officially the thirty-first because why wouldn’t we commemorate the night you finished Elise Winterrest?”
She thought it over for several seconds. “Do you think she’ll honor her word?”
“Does it really matter? You’ll sleep well tonight and for the foreseeable future, I’d hope. Elise? Not so much. And if she does come for you again, what of it? You’ve got two pairs of Bly Bracelets, her briefs from the Madhouse AND the bra she wore in here tonight, all of which tells me you’ve got her number.”
Lenore looped an arm around the archivist’s waist, laid her head on his shoulder. “I do, don’t I?”
“Yes ma’am, you do.”
“Any chance the coals are still good?”
“Not if we want to eat before midnight. I’ve already put the steaks back in the fridge, we’ll try again tomorrow.”
“What about tonight? I was already starving before Elise strutted in here, now I’m famished.”
“I placed an order with Saigon Flavors while you were upstairs. Pad Thai, Summer Rolls and Mango Salad should be here in twenty minutes or so. Oh, and I’ve got Cold Case Files queued up on Netflix.”
She went up on tiptoe for a kiss that might’ve gone on quite a bit longer if not for a sudden rumbling in her stomach. “That sounds perfect. If I’m not asleep in an hour I’ll tell you how it felt to kick that witch’s ass all over the living room.”
“Care to give me a preview?”
“In a word? Amazing.”