DJ: "Tonight at the Honda Center, EBWF is bringing it's yearly Death Before Dishonor pay per view to Anaheim. We've got the promotions Sky High Champion, EBWF Diva Daffney with us here today. Say hello Daffney!"
Daffney: "Hellooo Daffney."
Daffney leaned back away from the microphone in front of her with a grin and took a sip from a bottled water.
DJ: "Now our listeners are probably aware that you've been in the EBWF a few years and this is your third time holding that title you've got over there. Who are you going to be defending it against it this evening?"
Daffney: "Who am I going to be slaughtering this evening?"
She was quick to correct him.
DJ: "Yes, yes, of course, who will you be slaughtering this evening?"
Daffney: "That would be our little British import Layla."
DJ: "Big fan?"
Daffney: "Eh. She's alright. Pretty good wrestler. Neat accent, I guess. Seems to..I dunno..bounce around a lot backstage, if you get my drift. But I think we'll have a good match. She's been around. Uh. In the ring that is. Probably true with both meanings, actually. Wait did I say her accent was neat? I meant irritating. But fans boo her and they sort of cheer me sometimes even if I'm kind of violent when I go out there."
DJ: "Violence is what it's all about, right?"
Daffney: "Violence, mean faces and little outfits."
DJ: "Speaking of voices, you're known as The Scream Queen but we haven't seen you do that as much lately."
Daffney: "Well, I've kind of been doing the sort of grinning, maniacal, laughing character for a long time. Eventually, you want to try other things. But I think some of the old persona will still slip out from time to time because people seem to like screaming even though it's killed my throat these past few years. Like, this is actually the first in this promotion that I've been on my own. I've always been a part of a group or been paired up with someone. So I like all these new things."
DJ: "Like recently being paired up with Kelly Kelly?"
Upon hearing that name, Daffney threw her head back and groaned audibly. The DJ began to speak through laughter.
DJ: "Does this bring back bad memories?"
Daffney: "I think I really pissed someone off by getting paired with her. It was a fun idea. But she just..ugh. She wasn't all there. And that's coming from me. Impossible to work with. Didn't care about her matches. Didn't really care about anything. But she isn't with the company any more and in her last appearance I got lay into her so..I think their were a lot of happy people when that went down. The Bella's too who also were just there to get famous. So, actually, even though someone like Layla come up through that Diva Search thing or whatever it was called a couple of years ago..she's become a pretty good wrestler. So she can do whatever she wants backstage as long as we entertain the fans."
DJ: "But she hangs out with a pair of very EVIL gentleman known as Kaientai. What if they plan on getting involved?"
Daffney: "I will rip their faces off. In front of their families."
DJ: "Family entertainment!"
Daffney: "Wholesome."
DJ: "Well, before we wrap things up, and on the topics of families, aren't you engaged to someone in the company?"
There was an awkward silence for a few passing moments until Daffney spoke up.
Daffney: "Ah. No. You're talking about Stevie. Stevie Richards, Dr. Stevie. We were engaged for about a year or so but we broke it off. He's still a dear friend, though. Just wasn't working out."
DJ: "And is he still with the company?"
Daffney: "He is working backstage as an agent. And doing a really good job. He's got a ton of experience and he seems happy."
DJ: "So you're single?"
Daffney: "I am single."
DJ: "Any criteria a potential mate would have to meet before hey could ask you out?"
Daffney: "Yes. Numerous in fact. Number one being that they don't have a problem with eating babies. That's a deal breaker. If you can't devour a baby then you can't romance me."
DJ: "Some of our listeners might not have a problem with that."
Daffney gave a devious little grin.
Daffney: "There is more on the list but it might not be appropriate to air."
DJ: "Oh my. Well, with all that said, tell these potential baby eaters why they should see the show."
Daffney: "Because I will be there. And I've come all the way to your very, VERY hot state and as you can probably tell I'm not big on the sun. I want a full arena to watch me dismember Layla or I'm going to be really disappointed. That's all I ask for."
DJ: "Good luck to you tonight, thank you for your time! Death Before Dishonor, tonight in Anaheim! Get some tickets or order through pay per view!"
As the station cut to a song, the two conversed politely before Daffney left the building to head to the location of her promo for the afternoon.
To help combat the ever present and humid sun of California, Daffney held a dark colored parasol over her head. It cast a shadow over the Zombie Queen and her Sky High Championship could be seen resting along her shoulder. Matt Striker was not afforded that luxury and looked to be sweltering in his dress shirt, tie and jeans. The interviewer and wrestler stood outside of a hotel complex where, presumably, many of the roster were calling the rooms their temporary homes.
Matt Striker: "I'm here with Sky High Champion Daffney who is set to defend her title tonight against Layla. And before we begun, Daffney, is there any way I might possibly be able to get a little of that shade?"
Striker asked with a sheepish grin. Daffney's face, however, remained blank and cold. She didn't need to answer for him to realize that there wasn't even the slightest possibility of that happening. He pressed on.
Matt Striker: "R-Right, so, Layla has been the number one contender for the title you carry even before you were actually holding it. I have to imagine that she's been biding her time and waiting for this opportunity."
Daffney: "Really? I couldn't tell. Because she wasn't even able to defeat Jamilia Craft one week ago. She doesn't even deserve this match. And I heard no suitable explanation as to why she failed. Just sophomoric humor. Much like the sophomoric insults she flung in my direction. The same, tired jokes I've heard time after time. Nothing new. Yes, I do, in fact, dress and look differently than most people. Anyone with a pair of eyes can see that. But Layla seems to feel the need to explain this in great detail. Despite the fact that everything she wears looks like it came straight from the sale aisle at JC Penney. My clothes are rather expensive. And, if you want to get technical, far more stylish."
She pushed some of her raven colored hair aside with her free hand.
Daffney: "But I suppose I do understand. Winning matches isn't really a priority for her. She's more interested in being 'silly' and 'funny'. She has her voice dubbed over which I'm sure the ten year old's in the audience must find terribly amusing. Yes, she's very good at being comical. But not exactly championship material. Instead of insulting me and putting her on terrible little skits with Kaientai, she probably should have been trying to figure out a way to defeat me. You would think that after coming up short against Jamilia that she would take this scenario a little more seriously. However, she doesn't really seem to be the brightest. That basic concept seems to have escaped her."
Striker still wasn't exactly used to the clarity in which Daffney spoke. In the past, she probably would have been cackling or twirling around, spouting threats of bloody violence.
Matt Striker: "Speaking of Kaientai, wherever Layla go as of late, they seem to be right behind her. Taka is a former IC Champion and these two have caused problems for many of our superstars in the past."
Daffney: "I've got nothing to fear from Taka or Funaki. I've seen evil before. And those two aren't it. They're annoyances. Flies. And when I catch flies I don't just smash them. I slowly pull their wings off and watch them writhe and wither. And those two decide to get involved then I won't have an issue making them suffer. Methodically. Painfully. And brutally."
Daffney's pale features remained completely blank and the words were very deadpan. Striker looked a little unnerved.
Matt Striker: "Th-That medication you take definitely does wonders, huh?"
Daffney: "Oh yes. It suppresses things. But not my blood lust. I just go about things differently. I'm not going to tell Layla what I want to do to her. I'm not going to threaten her or scream or laugh. I don't need to. Because my imagination is very vivid. And these last few days it has been painting a very vivid picture. It involves Layla in a helpless state. Desperately needing some sort of help but never finding it. She screams and she cries. And see this image very clearly. So it is my fondest desire to bring this photograph in my mind to life. I want everyone to see Layla exactly how I've been picturing her. Hurt. I can't properly describe the predicament I want to put her in because the imagination is so vast and limitless. So I intend on showing everyone at Death Before Dishonor."
Matt Striker: "A-Ah, well, that's admirable. I think? I think that will do. Thank you Daffney and best of luck to you."
As the interview had concluded, Daffney had little reason to further engage Striker in conversation. The camera followed her as she returned to her hotel room. She opened the door and kept the lights off. Their was someone laying on her bed. Or tied to it rather. Tightly by the wrists and ankles. She opened the white blinds just slightly to allow a small bit of sunshine to spill in.
Daffney: "Don't you find this situation interesting?"
The person tied to her bed, and losing feelings in his ankles and wrists due to how tightly his binds were, was Dr. Stevie. Daffney's long time therapist."
Daffney: "We've sort of switched roles, haven't we? You kept pleasantly insane for your own benefit. You kept me tied down. Mentally, of course. But now I have you tied down. Physically."
Dr. Stevie: "Daffney.."
The doctor released a deep breath and tried to smile despite wanting to do anything but that at the moment. He always had her under this thumb for so long that this role reversal wasn't not exactly ideal.
Dr. Stevie: "I'm so happy for your success. I know you're going to defeat Layla. You're going to be a fine champion. I've always wanted the best for you."
Daffney took a seat at the edge of the bed and plucked the taxidermied, stitched up, one-eyed feline she had recently been seen lugging about into her arms. She wrapped her limbs tightly around it.
Daffney: "Oh, you can't fool me now. You could before when you kept me off my meds. But now I can think for myself. I don't need you anymore. Or The Family, Or The Midnight Gang. Or anyone else."
She lightly swayed her legs, which were covered in black and white stockings, back and forth.
Daffney: "I will beat Layla. And her silly little fake voice. And I will continue to be a champion. Things are going to be so different now. But I just had to tie up loose ends between us. I don't want anyone to go thinking I'm still your puppet."
Daffney rose to her feet and walked back to the window blinds.
Daffney: "You don't even want to know what I'm going to do to you. But thank you for your providing me with valuable motivation for this evening. I'm sure my title defense will be a successful one."
The blinds were closed and the room was left in near darkness. A scream coming from the depth's of the doctor's throat was beginning to be heard before the scene abruptly cut.
