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11:30 AM, On a Tuesday
Syrene, CA
Off-Camera
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It’s not that she felt she needed to keep tabs on her brother, she just hadn’t heard from Vincent since Dystopia where they both came up short and she was concerned about her sibling. She knew how emotional he could get, and worried he took that slap to the face too personally. He had been right in a way, she hadn’t won any matches and once again fell short, this time against Becca Wideline. For The Lyoness to win Shogun at this point, would take nothing short of a miracle, if even possible at all. Truly at this point, the best she could hope for was to find a way to at least finish strong.
Smartphone to her ear, she paced back and forth in her living room.
….
…..
[Victoria] C’mon Vincent where are you?
…..
…..
[Victoria] Just pick up..please.
…..
…...
There was no reply, Victoria took a heavy sigh and left a quick voicemail.
[Victoria] Vincent, look..I’m sorry about what happened at Dystopia, please call me...we need to talk.
With another heavy sigh, she hangs up the call, placing her phone on the table just as there’s a knock on her door.
rapraprapraprap.
[Victoria] Vincent? Is that you?
[?] It’s your mother. Open the door.
Victoria raises an eyebrow, why had their mother flew all the way out here from their North Carolina home? She kept her thoughts to herself as she opened the door, and greeted her mother warmly
[Victoria] Mom! What brings you all the way out here?
The matriarch of the Lyons family returned only a half smile to her daughter.
[Mz. Lyons] Well, this concerns your brother as well. Is he home?
Victoria shook her head, as she welcomed her mother inside.
[Victoria] No. he’s not returning my calls or anything. I’m worried about him.
Victoria and her mother move to the living area as they speak, taking seats on Victorias sofa.
[Mz. Lyons] Well, as concerned as that makes me. I’m sure he’ll be fine.
[Victoria] How can you be so sure? Have you talked to him?
[Mz. Lyons] I wouldn’t be asking about him if I had.
[Victoria] Aren’t you worried at all?
[Mz. Lyons] Of course, but I also know my son. You just have to let him be for a while. Believe me, I went through it with your father. He just needs some space right now.
[Victoria]..I guess.
[Mz. Lyons] Now...Vincent isn’t here. But we can still talk about you. We both know Vincent isn’t the only one dealing with some issues right now, it’s why I flew out here. I’ve been watching. I can see my cubs are troubled. So...how are you Victoria?
[Victoria] I’m fine, things with Ace are great and…
Mz. Lyons cut her daughter off, much like Vincent, she knew her daughter as well and wasn’t about to let her dance around the issue.
[Mz. Lyons] I’m not talking about Ace. I mean with your career. Are you sure you’re handling these losses okay?
[Victoria] I’m okay really, I’m just worried about Vinc…
[Mz.Lyons] Victoria…..
[Victoria] ..I hate it mom. It sucks. What am I even doing wrong? I truly am trying, and just can’t seem to figure it out, or get it right. Even worse, now I’m dragging Vincent down with me.
[Mz. Lyons] Victoria Cadney Lyons. You listen to me.
The use of her full name made her attention become fully focused on her mother. No child wants to hear their full name, it’s never good.
[Mz. Lyons] You need to stop worrying about your brother, and focus on what VICTORIA wants. You want to know where your brother is? He’s probably doing something to prepare for his match. He’s probably doing what he can to get himself ready for his match with Havoc at Shogun.
[Victoria] And I want to help him bring home the Affliction Championship to The Revolutionaries.
[Mz. Lyons] But that isn’t your job anymore.
[Victoria] Come again?
[Mz. Lyons] You made the choice to become a wrestler. You’re not his manager anymore. You have to let him do his own thing, and you need to figure out yours. Vincent isn’t a child, he can handle himself. Wherever he is, I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.
[Victoria] But we haven’t even discussed our Halloween costumes!
[Mz. Lyons] Victoria....
Victoria sighed, she wasn’t going to win this battle against her mother, and she knew it.
[Victoria] How did you do it mom?
[Mz. Lyons] Me?
[Victoria] Back when the IWF was still around, you, Aunt Cadney and Aunt Victoria, the three of you dominated the womens division. There were others who tried, but the three of you..were the standard. I just...I want to be like that.
[Mz. Lyons] But you see, your Aunt Cadney, Aunt Victoria and myself were our own individuals. We had each others backs, but we still had our own individuality. I have to ask..who is Victoria Lyons?
[Victoria] Um, me?
[Mz. Lyons] Don’t be coy with your mother. You know what I mean.
[Victoria] I..I guess I’m not sure.
[Mz. Lyons] You need to find out. Look at what has gone right for you. You’re seen as a fighter. I don’t think anyone is looking at you as a pushover, or an easy victory. Even though you haven’t won a match yet, you still come off as at least a reasonable threat to your opponents, like they know your someone who CAN defeat them if they get too complacent and aren’t careful. Or maybe they catch you on one of your better weeks. Whatever it may be, they know you to be someone that can pull it off, if you just focus on yourself a little more.
[Victoria] I guess that’s true, but the fact remains. I still haven’t won anything yet.
[Mz. Lyons] So I guess you truly have nothing to lose at this point then do you?
[Victoria] Yeah, I guess I don’t.
[Mz. Lyons] Remember, just let your brother do whatever he needs to do for himself, and focus on who Victoria is and what she needs to do to get that first victory, the more you worry about what Vincent is doing, the more it’s going to distract you.
[Victoria] I understand. I’ll try leave him alone then.
[Mz. Lyons] It’s admirable that you care about your brother, and worry for his safety and you should...just, dial it back a bit is all.
[Victoria] You hear about his new girlfriend?
Mz. Lyons raises an eyebrow, this is clearly news to her.
[Mz. Lyons] GIRLFRIEND?! No, I was not aware of this. Who is she?
[Victoria] Her name’s Cassandra, she's got this really bright red hair.
[Mz. Lyons] And when did he meet his Cassandra?
[Victoria] About a month ago. She’s not in the business, so I think he’s keeping quiet about it for her privacy.
[Mz. Lyons] But keeping her a secret from his mother? She’s not some sort of harlot is she?
[Victoria]...Relax mom. Cassie is a nice girl..but look who’s getting over protective now?
[Mz. Lyons] Yeah..well the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree I guess.
The two share a laugh together.
[Victoria] I was gonna go meet Ace for lunch, wanna come along?
[Mz. Lyons] Yeah, lunch sounds good.
[Victoria] Let me get my purse, and we’ll be off.
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8:30 PM, On a Tuesday
Syrene, CA
Taped for WWH.com and all its affiliates
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Another week, another defeat. Many would begin to question themselves at this point, some would even call it quits. But Victoria doesn’t see herself as just anybody. She is a The Lyoness and much like her brother, what some would call stubbornness, they see as a refusal to give up.
Victoria stands in the middle of a big model train set, a train moves along the tracks around her through tunnels, forests, over a mountain and through a cute little toy town, she watches it for a moment, before addressing the cameras.
[Victoria] She’s just chugging along, isn’t she? Just moving right along, nothing stopping her. Sort of like yourself in this Shogun tournament Sah’Ta Thor. You have been chugging right along, doing very well for yourself and proving you are more than just a big talker. After our last encounter, I can attest for how good you still are at your age.
The train passes through frame in front of Victoria, her eyes follow it as it moves into, and out of frame.
[Victoria] I imagine you are going to look at our match as another victory for yourself, given our last encounter, and that our paths since then have gone in opposite directions. But I assure you. I am still fighting. I know my chances are slim, maybe even impossible. I haven’t done the math to see if I even have a chance to win anymore, but that doesn’t mean I’m just going to roll over and die. A victory over you here can do a lot for me. For one, it gets me out of this funk of losing, I can redeem myself against a previous loss, and I can start to gain my own momentum.
The train passes along through frame again, Victoria keeps eyes on it as it chugs along its path.
[Victoria] Secondly, it puts a bump in your path, and that helps my good friend Renee Jonae, who like yourself is just a victory away from the semi-finals. I may have snowballs chance in Hell to win Shogun at this point, but Renee is still a favorite and if I were to say, derail you…
This time, as the train passes through, Victoria swats it off the tracks, the sound of the train hitting the floor can be heard. She smirks at the camera before continuing.
[Victoria] That would be beneficial to her as well. The Revolutionaries are fighting for much more than whatever your goals with the International championship are. If defeating you helps Renee get that much closer to her DESERVED shot at Havoc’s championship, then I am going to do everything in my power to do that. Because if she wins, then The Revolutionaries win. Anything that gets us closer to putting an end to Havocs reign of terror is a victory for all.
A new train comes into frame, passing in front of Victoria, a small figure that looks like Renee Jonae is riding the train as it passes through. Victoria’s eyes follow it like before.
[Victoria] My chances may be slim, but if there’s one thing I can do it’s make sure only one person is left undefeated, and derail you just enough so Renee sits at the top of the rankings where she belongs, and pick up a victory for myself at the same time. Truthfully, you are likely going to pick up that last victory you need, but not this week Thor. Maybe you’ll get it next time when you face that other Shogun loser, because when you get to Latoya Hixx she will certainly be the only loser left in Shogun. I am going to get my first victory this time, and you are simply going to have to wait a few more weeks to get to the semi finals of Shogun. Viva Révolution.
Victoria stands with one fist to the sky, looking sternly at the camera, as the train with the riding Renee doll passes through one more time.
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