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+----- Thread: Xander Valentine vs. Amelia Blythe (/showthread.php?tid=4006)
Xander Valentine vs. Amelia Blythe - Konrad Raab - 08-24-2024
2 RP Limit for singles
3500 Word Limit Per RP
Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Thursday, August 29, 2024 (THIS DEADLINE REFLECTS A SUNDAY OR MONDAY RTG XXI POSTING)
RE: Xander Valentine vs. Amelia Blythe - Xander Valentine - 08-24-2024
1 of 2: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1066WAhLBerCgTGzuieEKivrO1dYXRUV8tZNWWRtncO4/edit?usp=sharing
RE: Xander Valentine vs. Amelia Blythe - Wisteria Waltz - 08-28-2024
Blythe kicks Lohan in the ribs before running over to Braddock and going to forearm her, but Braddock blocks it and hits guillotine drop. Blythe falls back and into Lohan who hooks her up and hoists her up. Braddock climbs up to the top rope and dives off with the Hell on Earth on Blythe. The crowd can be heard roaring, but everything at this point is hazy. Blythe knows someone is trying to cover her, but in the back of her throbbing head, she knows she never tagged into the match. The blurriness fades briefly, seeing Braddock standing before her with Luz having just landed right behind her. On instinct, she lunges, feeling the twisting european uppercut connect before she collapses to the mat. She hears an impact right next to her, she faintly hears the three count and the deafening roar of the fans. The next time things stop feeling hazy, her head is against Luz's chest, hearing her pounding heartbeat. She looks up and weakly matches Luz's beaming smile as the love of her life gently puts a title belt into her hands before grabbing a second one, and the next thing she knows, she's lost in the blissful sensation of a kiss that could only come from the woman she wants to spend the rest of eternity with.
Amelia Blythe lets out a groan as her eyes slowly open, squinting at the rays of sunlight trickling into the room through the curtains. It takes her a few moments to get her bearings, but once she does, it all starts coming back to her. She recognizes the familiar hotel room that she and Luz have been staying in throughout the week since flying back from England. Carefully looking around the room, she sees clothes scattered along the floor, but before her mind can drift towards certain possibilities she shifts slightly in bed and realizes that she is, in fact, clothed, the familiar feeling of the tanktop and shorts she calls her nightwear clinging to her aching muscles. Her neck, in particular, hurts like hell, causing her to wince as she keeps slowly looking around until her eyes are drawn to a corner of the room. Sitting on the table are their bags, their Cassette Beasts themed attire spilling out of the openings.
More importantly, draped over the pile and gleaming in the morning rays of light, are the SCW World Tag Team Championship belts.
Amelia can't help but let out a surprised gasp at the titles being in their room, which draws a chuckle from beside her. Carefully shifting her body so her neck isn't unnecessarily strained any further, Amelia locks eyes with the unmasked face of La Pequeña Luz. Without the mask, she can see the deep blush on her fiancée's face as she grins like a lovesick fool, the kind of look that Amelia knows she can wake up to each and every day and it will give her the strength to prepare for whatever life has to throw at her.
“Buenos días princesa,” Luz said, accompanied by a bubbly giggle that made butterflies erupt in Amelia's stomach.
“G'morning...” she mumbled, a tired yawn punctuating her words before her eyes drifting back over to the title belts. “So last night... it wasn't a dream...”
“Nope,” Luz replied, deciding to add a little pop to the 'p' as she did so. “The Stewards got eliminated, we pinned Glory and Britt... we're Tag Champions once again, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.”
Amelia laid back down, feeling the comfort of the pillow against her aching neck as she let out a deep breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding. “I dreamed about the end of that match... how fuzzy everything felt after the Hell on Earth. I was afraid I would wake up and all of it would've been just that... a dream...”
“It's real, Ames,” Luz reassured her. “We won on the biggest stage SCW has to offer last night, and now we can-”
“Not just that Lulu,” Amelia choked out, and as Luz was cut off she quickly realized that Amelia was actually crying a little bit. “I meant all of the past few years. Three title reigns with you, a TV Title reign for each of us, actually being back in SCW at all... I was afraid I'd wake up laying in a hospital bed while doctors were running tests on my neck to see if the muscles were getting any strength back to them.”
“Oh hermosa...” Luz responded, a notably sad edge to her voice. Truth be told, she'd been worried once their match had ended last night. It was easily lost in the adrenaline rush of both the final moments before the three count and the pure joy of having conquered their demons in front of the whole world, but once Luz had helped Amelia backstage she had immediately taken her to see the trainer. She'd taken the Hell on Earth from Twisted & Sadistic before—it was how their first run as champions had ended, after all—and she knew how painful that tandem maneuver could be, and she was especially worried about Amelia having taken the move in those closing moments. She thought back to the bad landing years ago that had injured Amelia's neck and, when combined with the nasty concussion she'd suffered herself, had put The Light In The Darkness on the shelf and seen them decide to step away and rebuild themselves physically and mentally. Her neck had held up incredibly well since then, but the state she was in after they'd won scared the hell out of her.
It wasn't just the fear of another neck injury either. Luz remembered how much Amelia had struggled mentally in recovering from that injury, berating herself for not being 'good enough' to avoid it because she'd forgotten that injuries were an unfortunate possibility and her being a Blythe didn't make her immune to the odds. They had spent hours just sitting in the hospital and talking about it together, Amelia laying her soul bare about how much it terrified her that if the injury had been any worse, she wouldn't be able to move her legs or even arms, left unable to do what she had grown to love and feeling like a burden to her beloved. She had recovered, and obviously the couple have long since gone on to effectively establish themselves as the heart and soul of the SCW tag team division as it stands today, but there was the acknowledgment that they were still in a very emotionally vulnerable state right now. It had been loud and clear before the whole world during their entrance last night, the Cassette Beasts theme and appropriate song being a convenient cover to just how much they really needed to win that match and conquer those demons looming over their heads or else the spiral that had led them to their public meltdown in CHBK's office would likely return with a vengeance. Given the emotional whirlwind of the past month, especially the intensity at which it had ramped up within the past week, it didn't surprise Luz that Amelia was feeling this way, but that didn't mean she wasn't worried.
Thankfully, she knew what to do. She rolled over until she was carefully leaning over Amelia, her hand moving to softly caress her fiancée's cheek before she leaned down and gently but passionately kissed her lips. Amelia almost immediately melted into the kiss, feeling the tension leave her body as her sore muscles relaxed, especially in realization that Luz was acknowledging her sore neck and making sure she was as comfortable as possible.
“Amelia,” Luz carefully started after their lips had parted, “I know these past few weeks have been mentally trying on the both of us, and as much as I wish I could say the storm has finally passed... I think we're both too smart to believe that. But even if last night, or these past few years, really were a dream, I'd still be right here by your side, regardless of what's going on around us. That said, you know you can trust me when I say that this is the real deal. You were incredible last night, finding the strength to help me Waltz Glory to the mat for the three count, stepping up to face both her and Britt while I recovered because I just had to step in and shut Katie down too early...”
“You had better not be selling yourself short, La Pequeña Luz, or so help me I will tie you up like a pretzel and then kiss you senseless to remind you of just how incredible you are as well, hermosa,” Amelia grinned, and Luz couldn't help but laugh at the warning.
“There's the woman who pushes me to keep getting better with each passing day.”
“As you do for me,” Amelia replied. “And thank you, Luna, for all the care you've given me, both this morning and I presume last night as well. I saw our clothes scattered about and my first thought was...”
“It was tempting to celebrate that way, I won't lie,” Luz admitted, her cheeks burning as she watched Amelia's whole face go red and a small 'eep' escaped her lips. “But as much as I think we would've loved doing that, I knew that you were still in rough shape and I would never sink so low as to take advantage of you like that. As soon as we got back from The Dome, I tossed our bags over on the table and got us changed into our pajamas. I... might have been claimed by exhaustion at that point too, so once you were comfortable I just collapsed right next to you and may have forgotten to clean up a bit.”
“I love you so much,” Amelia immediately replied, and she meant every word. The fact that Luz had been that attentive and respectful in the first place, while something she knew was absolutely the case with the luchadora, just further cemented in her mind just how perfect the other woman was, even if she struggled to see it in herself sometimes. “And... honestly? I think our hotel room being a bit messy adds a little charm to wake up to. Beats how clean and sterile everything back in the manor was growing up, which reminds me... we might need to call Darius and Evie at some point, because I can't imagine my mom's taking being locked up in a dirty jail cell very well.”
“She and your dad deserve it,” Luz spat, but she calmed herself down with a deep breath and the sight of the chocolate pools of Amelia's eyes looking back at her. “At least we'll never have to worry about them again.”
“Amen to that,” Amelia sighed. “I thought I might be more conflicted about it, given that they are my parents and all, but... I think everything I've learned over these past few years especially have painted a pretty clear picture that I was never a daughter to them, just a tool to further the family name. I can't even say I'm devastated at the thought of my parents being out of my life permanently because... well... look at the family I do have around me now.”
Luz gently cuddled up to Amelia as she really thought over those words, truly confirming to herself that she was absolutely sincere and meant every word. When she and Luz had flown to England days before Rise to Greatness to testify against Aleister and Ophelia Blythe, she had always thought there would be a small part of her that wanted that very fact to wake them up and make them realize just how far they'd gone and open the door for at least the beginning of an effort to rebuild their relationship as a family. And yet, looking back on that day, she realized it had never crossed her mind up until she took the stand, and snapping herself out of the familiar feeling of worthlessness her father's glare had tried to impose upon here had also guaranteed that part of her finally gave up on the idea of ever truly meaning anything to them.
It was a bittersweet feeling, finally accepting that revelation, but she was able to move on from it rather quickly thanks to Luz having been a far better person than her parents could ever hope to be, not to mention all the wonderful people she did have in her life now. Heck, in terms of parents, Camila would legally be recognized as her mother-in-law soon enough, and the likes of Marilyn, Lily, Avery, even Darius and Evie had also proven themselves to be pretty effective parental substitutes in their own ways. It was a weird little family that defied all conventional logic... and Amelia wouldn't have it any other way.
“You thinking about how badly your parents are freaking out in prison?” Luz prodded, gently poking Amelia's cheek to snap her out of her thoughts.
“Nah,” Amelia honestly admitted. “I'm actually thinking about how good 'Amelia Nevado' is going to sound once we tie the knot.”
Luz couldn't help but sputter as Amelia laughed, glad to have gotten one over on her wife this morning in return for all the care she was being shown.
“Are you sure it's not going to be a problem if I also decide to change my wrestling name to that?” she couldn't help but ask.
“You have my word it'll be fine,” Luz waved her hand to try and add some emphasis to that confirmation. “Considering my mother's always been publicly known as Dr. Camila Nevado, most people have just assumed it was our family's last name anyway. At least when it comes to luchadores, though, people will happily ignore those little details because the respect for who we present ourselves as trumps all else.”
Amelia sighed happily, relieved to know she wasn't going to unintentionally break lucha libre's most sacred traditions and accidentally screw Luz over by adopting her last name completely after they were wed. Being known that way legally was one thing, but SCW referring to her as Blythe was arguably one of the last chains still connecting her to her parents and everything they'd done, and she would gladly free herself from those shackles and not have a shiver of disgust go down her spine every time she heard that name announced by Jason Phillips on her way down to the ring.
“On that subject, though,” Luz noted, “if we were hoping to do the wedding when we'd planned, we've still got a lot of work to do in a rather short amount of time. Especially since I learned last night before we left that Under Attack is going to be on the weekend of Día de los Muertos this year.”
“Well, outside of SCW bookings, at least we won't have any more distractions getting in the way of us taking the time to sit down and make this the kind of wedding that we, and everyone else, will enjoy and remember for the rest of our lives.” Amelia leaned over and kissed Luz's cheek before wincing at the pain jolting through her neck muscles. “By the way... what did the trainer say about my neck after our match?”
“Well, the fact that you were able to move even a little bit without assistance from me was a good sign,” Luz noted, her voice growing more serious. “He took a thorough look at it, and mamá agreed to give a second opinion this morning, but unless she sees something he didn't, then a few weeks of rest before SCW returns with Breakdown in Dallas should do the trick in getting the kinks worked out and making sure you're good to go in case we have to step up and compete right away in some form.”
“Well, at least we can put that break to good use by working on wedding planning then,” Amelia admitted. “Which... actually brought a question to mind that I think we need to talk about.”
“And that would be...?” Luz asked, raising an eyebrow.
“...do we invite Selena and Deanna?” Amelia quietly asked, her mumbling almost being missed by Luz, but she did end up hearing it and quickly realized the gravity of the question.
If the stars had aligned for them to get married last year, even if it would've been a fairly quick turnaround after proposing, all things considered, then the Frosts would've been invited without a second thought. A respect had formed between the two couples, and Luz and Amelia wouldn't have been shy in admitting some of the inspiration that Selena and Deanna had given them with how strong their own relationship had been. Now, however... Selena's transition into this 'Blue-Eyed Devil' persona and the way she'd been acting since resurfacing in SCW had made it hard to figure out if there was still a line between personal and professional when it came to her, and the fact that she and Deanna barely interacted either during shows or even when the cameras weren't rolling had made it hard to tell if and how they wanted to proceed. They had written Selena a letter to open the door of communication and hear her out about this change of attitude in private so they could find out if even a 'save the date' for her and Deanna was acceptable, but they never got a response. Everything going to hell between some of the messes on their end that had interrupted their efforts to plan, along with the blurry line regarding Deanna's war with The Enigma and what it had done to Jessica Winters, plus Selena clearly wanting to focus on main eventing Rise to Greatness above all else, had made simply approaching them to ask and know once and for all a difficult prospect.
It had been a while since the two sides had communicated, and the odds of Selena being willing to do so after losing the World Title last night were likely not great, not to mention whatever condition Deanna was in after everything she'd gone through on both nights.
“Maybe we should give them some time?” Luz offered. “We know Deanna would at least be willing to talk with us... maybe when SCW resumes operation we find a moment to chat. No probing about what's going on, maybe just testing the waters to see how she'd feel about attending our wedding and if she thinks Selena might be interested as well.”
“And we make it clear to her that she doesn't have to attend,” Amelia added. “Neither of them do if something's going on, and she also doesn't have to fill us in on that if it's a sore subject.”
“Speaking of sore...” Luz changed the subject, sitting up and stretching as Amelia could audibly hear the cracking of joints. “I know I'm still sore from last night, and I know you are too. How about we soothe our muscles with a nice hot shower and then head down for breakfast? I know everyone else will probably be up then and waiting to congratulate us now that we're not exhausted.”
“Go ahead and get the water running,” Amelia also sat up, slower than Luz, as she took a moment to stretch out her neck and shoulders with a scowl at the lingering pain. “I need a moment to make sure I'm good.”
“Alright, but if there's any issues, just holler,” Luz said before sharing one last kiss with her beloved. Once they parted, she hopped off the bed and made her way to the bathroom, where the sound of running water wasn't too far behind.
Amelia slowly rose to a stand, still stretching out her body and mentally taking note of every ache to address during the downtime SCW had given them for the next few weeks. As she stretched, her eyes drifted back over to where the World Tag Title belts rested, a strange sense of relief washing over her at knowing they belonged to her and Luz once again. It wasn't because they could call themselves champions, but because of who they had overcome to get them back, perhaps solidifying once and for all that they may very well be the best tag team in SCW today, bar none, and they were once again ready to put their best feet forward and show the entire world just what The Light In The Darkness was truly capable of.
She and Luz were truly worthy of all of this... and as she moved to join Luz for that shower, she reminded herself that she had gotten here in spite of her parents, and they could rot for all she cared because she knew who her real family was now and their validation was all she needed to keep pushing forward to the next chapter of her life.
One that would be written entirely for her, by her.
RE: Xander Valentine vs. Amelia Blythe - Xander Valentine - 08-28-2024
2 of 2: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EDFthnOz986_EB4u7NYetOFEInuccsi5eXsKJPs4QXE/edit?usp=drivesdk
RE: Xander Valentine vs. Amelia Blythe - Wisteria Waltz - 08-29-2024
We find ourselves looking around through a familiar home gym, all the equipment looking to be in pristine condition despite several years old at this point. The walls are decorated with bisexual and lesbian pride flags, a few old posters advertising wrestling matches for the legendary luchador El Espíritu Angélico, and framed photos depicting some of the triumphant moments of the tag team we know this gym belongs to. In the background, we hear the sound of someone hard at work, and as we find ourselves drawn to that sound, our attention turns to a training ring set up near the back of the home gym. There's a TV propped up enough to be seen over the ropes, and we catch the sight of what looks like footage of Xander Valentine in what many would consider his prime, decimating one of the many opponents he's overcome in his long and storied career. Inside the ring, however, we find the tandem known as The Light In The Darkness, both dressed in their wrestling gear and going full throttle through a practice match. La Pequeña Luz is certainly no Xander Valentine, but she's foregoing trying to emulate Xander in favor of trying to push her usual fast pace, forcing Amelia Blythe to match it despite her preferred style. For a moment, we stand here, witnessing as Amelia manages to maintain her composure are starts to pick up on Luz's movements, adapting to them as she catches her leg and takes her to the mat before fluidly transitioning between various holds, countering every single attempt Luz makes to squirm free or even overpower her.
Soon enough, Amelia manages to catch Luz in the Blight Choke, and Luz immediately taps. The two help each other back to their feet, checking to make sure they're both alright and sharing a soft kiss in confirmation. Amelia glances over and nods at our presence, and Luz quietly says something to her in Spanish before she climbs out of the ring, winking to us and mouthing “she's got this” before she heads off. Amelia just smiles and watches her go for a moment before turning her attention to the footage of Xander still playing, studying his movements briefly as he finishes the match in victory. Nodding to herself, she walks over to the side of the ring where we're at and drops to the mat before rolling out to the floor right in front of us. She reaches over and grabs something we hadn't noticed before that was in one of the corners, revealing it to be her SCW World Tag Team Championship belt as she drapes it over her shoulder. She looks down at it for a moment, almost in reverence, before her undivided attention turns to us.
“Roughly two months ago, Luz and I found ourselves at our lowest point, something that the whole world saw when we walked into CHBK's office and made what, in hindsight, was a rather ridiculous request. Knowing what you all know about us, though... can you really blame us? Twice this year at that point, we'd proudly held the World Tag Team Titles, doing everything we could to encourage all comers to step up and show the world why SCW's tag team division is the greatest in the world. Twice, we saw our reign come to an end in a fashion that resembled the two of us, despite all the hard work and effort we've been putting in, ultimately being seen as the last stepping stone for someone else's place in history. It raised questions about where our heads were at, it had us and several others no doubt questioning if we were truly good enough to be here, if we were worthy of being in the discussion of the greatest tag teams in SCW's history. Rise to Greatness wasn't just our rematch for these titles... to us, it was must win. We were given our chance to make a statement, prove we could overcome the two teams who had made history at our expense, cement ourselves once and for all as perhaps the best tag team, bar none, in SCW today.
If you somehow missed Rise to Greatness... then I apologize for the spoiler about how that worked out for us.”
Amelia sheepishly looks back down at the title draped over her shoulder, almost as if she's reminding herself that it's really there and she and Luz really are World Tag Team Champions for a third time.
“Now, I'm sure some of you out there are probably questioning some of what I just said. Maybe you disagree with that match against Twisted & Sadistic and Team Desire being 'must win,' especially since we could always just work our way back up to challenge for these titles again, or maybe even go a different route and pursue solo opportunities for a little while. Yes, that option may be on the table, but consider things from our point of view: if you endured a crisis of confidence because you'd been a victim of history twice within the same year and you were given the chance to prove you were more than just a footnote for somebody else, you'd fight tooth and nail to make it happen, wouldn't you? That's what Rise to Greatness was all about for The Light In The Darkness. We marched down to that ring to prove to the world, and to ourselves, that we could overcome our greatest setbacks, and the fact that we're holding these titles for the third time in our SCW careers is proof that we conquered that darkness looming over us.
Of course, now the question becomes... what's next for The Light In The Darkness?
Truth be told, that's not an easy question to answer. Finally pinning Twisted & Sadistic ensures that those two will have to accept going to the back of the line, and this time I doubt CHBK will let them pull any chaotic stunts to try and get back to us as soon as possible again. The Stewards could adopt Glory and Brittany's argument that since we never beat them, they should be allowed a rematch despite the technicality of Rise to Greatness being our rematch, voiding their claim to one. Katie, Gigi... I'm sorry, but Luz and I are not falling for that again, especially since unlike Twisted & Sadistic, we have proven we can beat you several times up to this point, and that's not getting into the non-title loss you both suffered on the last Breakdown before the biggest show of the year. That said, the likes of the Dangerous Minds would certainly have a claim to being next in line, and you also have the Shining Maidens quickly building themselves up into a future threat to our new title reign.
One thing we also can't forget about is another uncertainty hanging in the air... two weeks from this upcoming Breakdown, the Trios Tournament returns. Luz and I may be World Tag Team Champions again, but given that all of those trios are randomly drawn, the odds are pretty good that she and I may be facing one another instead of somehow being lucky enough to end up on the same team, or maybe one or both of us don't get drawn for it at all. But considering the prize is that every member of the winning trio gets a contract for virtually any match of their choosing, that could represent a lot of different things for a lot of different people. For Luz and I, it could be an ace in the hole for a future rematch should we lose these titles again... or perhaps it could be a chance to open some other doors regardless of whether or not we're still holding these titles down the line.
Perhaps that is a reason why I find myself with the Herculean task of competing solo in Dallas against arguably one of the most dangerous and dominant men in SCW history.”
Amelia takes a deep breath before cracking her neck from side to side. She's certainly feeling a lot better than she did at the end of that war to reclaim her and Luz's tag team gold, but she's studied Xander enough to know what a good portion of his offense focuses on. If there's any fear or concern about that, she's doing a good job of hiding it, her focus never wavering.
“Xander Valentine... what can be said about arguably one of the greatest legends in SCW history that hasn't been said already? It's already well-known just how dominant Xander has been throughout his entire career, how many times he's called himself a World Champion, the fact that for so many years he had the longest reign in SCW history with its greatest prize. A lot of people might say this is my opportunity to take advantage of a legend in his twilight years, given that Xander has admitted that retirement is on the horizon for him, and earn myself a definitive win to put my name on the map. While that last part may certainly be true, I would be a fool to assume that just because his time is coming to an end that such a win is going to be easy to obtain. People like Kandis have made that assumption and found out the hard way that no matter how old he is or what condition his body may be in, The Executioner has earned that nickname for a reason and I need to be prepared to walk into Breakdown believing I'm about to match wits with one of the very best in their prime.
To that, Xander, you have my word that I understand exactly who you are and will give you the fight that someone of your caliber deserves.
There's a lot working against me, obviously. Xander is easily one of the biggest opponents I've ever crossed paths with in the ring, and he's made it clear that no matter how he sees me, it doesn't change the fact that he's going full throttle to get this win over me. I've done my homework, I've seen everything that has made him a rightfully feared man over the years, but I'm going to tell you this now Xander... I'm not afraid of you. Maybe you think that's a crazy thing to say, maybe it could be easily assumed that I'm just defaulting back to the mentality my parents programmed me to have where a Blythe shows no fear to any opponent, but the truth of the matter is that to be afraid of you means I'm giving in to the aura you've built around yourself too easily. If this is going to be your final journey in this company, then I owe it to you to step up and give you the absolute best that I can, and being afraid of what you could do to me will hinder that.
Am I humbled that you've taken notice of what I'm capable of in that ring? Yes, I'll openly admit that it's a great honor and a much-needed confidence boost to hear a legend like you not only say that, but admit that you see the kind of potential in me to become so much more. I never really got a lot of that in my life or back at the start of my career... at least, not until I met Luz. That said, if we're going to talk about humility, then I need to correct something I observed in what you had to say to me. You drew a lot of parallels between The Light In The Darkness and Dark Fantasy, which isn't surprising given how we've been upfront with them about how much they inspired us once upon a time, and maybe the time to show I can be just as successful in singles action as I have been as part of a tag team is nigh. But there's one big thing that separates us from Dark Fantasy: while Syren and Ravyn found plenty of singles success, you could argue that there were points where that success was because of direct help from one another, and the clash of ideologies that ultimately spawned from it is what led to the rift that ended Dark Fantasy for so many years, even up to the start of last year where you stood by Syren's side against Ravyn and Adam Allocco. Me? I know I have what it takes to reach the top. It may not have happened in SCW just yet, but it's happened enough in other companies to know I can get to that point.
And so can Luz.
Where The Light In The Darkness differs is our support for one another, and that makes us something that I don't know if even you've seen before Xander. I wouldn't be where I am today without Luz, and she would admit the same about me, and for as much as we love each other and make for a very effective tag team, we know we have the healthy communication necessary between us to be able to find that competitive balance that so many others lack. For example, I was the first one between us to become Television Champion, and she responded by having a longer reign with the title than I did. Something small like that may start to form cracks in other teams, but for us? I see that as motivation to push myself to a point where maybe I can have a singles reign that tops that, pushing Luz to try and one-up even that, ultimately making the both of us better and better as time goes on. That is just one of the things that makes us who we are and proves not just how committed we are to each other, but also this business.
I'm looking forward to this opportunity Xander, to meet you in the ring come Breakdown on August 29th in Dallas, Texas. You know I speak the truth when I acknowledge that you're swinging for my head and I have to be ready to dodge that axe and respond with something that could send shockwaves throughout the SCW locker room. Win or lose, however, I'm going to walk away from this match knowing that I went to war with one of the all-time greats and proved what I'm capable of in the process, and what I take away from this battle with you will not only push me farther, but inspire Luz to step up and do the same. Maybe even you think it sounds silly, but Luz and I wouldn't be in SCW at all if we hadn't become the literal light guiding each other, and when the day comes for the both of us to also start considering that final road you now walk... if we're going down in history, then we're making sure the both of us are acknowledged, both in singles and in tag team action, because that is the mark we wish to leave behind to inspire future generations, and we wouldn't have it any other way. So give me your best Xander, try to make my world Fade to Black... because I know my light will continue to shine through no matter what the end result.”
With a nod of acknowledgment, Amelia turns and walks away, leaving us lingering on the training ring and the old footage of Xander still playing on the TV for a moment before we do, in fact, fade to black, with Amelia's words hanging in the air loud and clear.
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With her piece spoken, Amelia starts making her way to her and Luz's bedroom, toweling herself off. In her mind, the fact that her neck's been holding up in training these past few weeks is a good sign that the Hell on Earth at Rise to Greatness didn't exacerbate anything, and Luz has helped her figure out a gameplan to keep a faster tempo than she's used to in hopes of countering Xander's size advantage to get him to the mat where she can try to wrestle her way. The plan now is to shower and finish packing so she and Luz can catch their flight out to Dallas, where she'll hopefully be able to get some training in with Ivy and Henry, the best she's got for trying to prepare for that huge size and strength advantage she'll be up against. The, come Beakdown, she gives Xander one hell of a fight and follows wherever the chips fall from there.
“You done, querida?” Luz calls out to her from the kitchen counter, where she's currently dressed to go and just sorting through the mail to pass the time until Amelia's ready.
“Yup, the message has been sent,” Amelia confirms. “I'm going to go clean up and then we can head to the airport for my showdown with The Executioner.”
“You can do this, honey,” Luz grins and leans up from her seat to kiss Amelia's cheek. She just returns the grin before resuming her walk to the bathroom to grab a change of clothes, but as she does, Luz notices something in the mail pile. “Hey Ames, can you hang on a sec? We've got a letter addressed to us, and it's not a bill or anything.”
“Could it be fan mail?” Amelia asks, curiously turning around and walking back over to Luz as she rips open the letter.
What greets their eyes, however, is a short but cryptic message.
“'Amelia Blythe and La Pequeña Luz, your time is coming soon, and you will pay for your sins in full,'” Luz reads aloud. “What the heck is this supposed to be?”
“Maybe Adrian's trying to scare us for ruining all his plans and getting my parents put away,” Amelia pondered. “Or maybe that Jacob Harrison creep didn't change his tune after all and is just not being public about it?”
“Or it could be someone from The Empire thinking they can succeed where Caleb failed and want to put us on notice?” Luz grimaced.
The envelope had no return address and whoever sent it wasn't arrogant or stupid enough to give them a name, but one thing was clear to the young couple: as much as they had wished otherwise, maybe they weren't quite out of this storm just yet.