Our cameras fade in on the backstage area where we open, immediately, to the shot of Ashlyn De Luca, one half of the FGA World Tag Team Champions, moments removed from the six-person tag team main event. She holds a bottle of water to her lips, head tilted back, phone held up above her face to accommodate her field of vision as she completes a text message-- before sighing as someone catches her eye.
Ashlyn De Luca: Whaaat…?
Amanda Johnson walks into frame, a small, knowing half-smile on her face as she watches Ashlyn fidget, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she decides whether or not to bolt for the dressing room door, only feet away.
Amanda Johnson: You might quite obviously know what.
MAshlyn laughs bitterly, taking another swig of water before shaking her head at the interviewer.
Ashlyn De Luca: You wanted to congratulate me on being on the winning team in, quite frankly, an
awesome main ev--
Amanda Johnson: I think the fans, your opponents, your teammates-- I think they all want to know what you were playing at tonight.
Ashlyn nods, as if expecting the question. She takes a step toward Amanda, brow raised, pointing in the direction of the arena.
Ashlyn De Luca: I was trying to play smart out there. I was trying to do us all the favor by getting the early jump on that loose cannon, Page. Figured with him out of the picture at the start of the match, we could set our sights on Pendragon three-on-two and get the win. All of us would be saving our energy for the next fight, and the one after that, elevating our own stock. Looking out for
ourselves.
That was what I was playing at, Amanda, but my team didn’t really see the bigger picture. Nobody has ANY respect for strategy anymore.
Amanda nods for a moment before going on.
Amanda Johnson: If I’m not mistaken, however… wasn’t your original intention to jump Jimmy Page before the match even officially began?
De Luca lets out a loud, single, thunderous
“HA!” before feigning shock, gaze settled on the interviewer.
Ashlyn De Luca: Before the m… my actual god, Amanda, is
that what you people think of me? That I would seriously stoop that low?
???: Now there's a rhetorical question if I’ve ever heard one.
A voice comes from off to the side, and Ashlyn and Amanda both turn to look in the direction of the noise, where they see Lowri Moss standing there. Ashlyn’s face seems to cycle through emotions, but the one she seems to settle on is… annoyance.
Ashlyn De Luca: Also
literally nobody asked you.
De Luca gestures toward Moss as she talks to Amanda.
Ashlyn De Luca: Exactly what I would expect, by the way. After coming up short, yet again, here comes Lowri to explain her way out of it. Typical. Pendragon. Move.
Lowri Moss: I’m not here to make excuses, Ashlyn. Tonight, you and Logan - with more than a little help from Savannah - got one over me and Neal. Congratulations.
She gives her rival a round of applause, but her clapping is slow, and clearly sarcastic. Ashlyn looks toward Amanda as she gestures toward Lowri.
Ashlyn De Luca: Snark. Every single thing she says to me.
Snark.
She rolls her eyes back to Moss.
Ashlyn De Luca: I think we made our point tonight, though. Sooo, thanks for the visit but I’m pretty sure you and I don’t have any business together.
With that, De Luca attempts to make a smooth and graceful exit, turning on her heel, but a remark from Lowri stops her in her tracks.
Lowri Moss: What happened in the main event doesn’t change anything about what happened at A New Odyssey.
Ashlyn rolls her neck for a moment, drawing in a deep breath. She looks back to Lowri again and glares.
Ashlyn De Luca: Let it go, Lowri.
Lowri meets Ashlyn’s glare, staring fiercely at her for a moment, before replying.
Lowri Moss: I’ll let it go once those titles of yours are in mine and Neal’s possession. Or once you and Logan defeat the two of us without somebody else by your side. One or the other.
Ashlyn De Luca: Godddd. Damnit. You…
hah…
Ashlyn rubs at her eyes with her thumb and index fingers, stress etched over her face before she scowls at Lowri. She takes a step closer to the former Mid-Atlantic Legacy Champion and speaks quietly.
Ashlyn De Luca: You keep asking for things that I know you don’t really want. So I’m doing you a favor by walking away.
Lowri shakes her head in disbelief.
Lowri Moss: Doing yourself a favour, more like.
Ashlyn scoffs. She looks toward Amanda, as if for some sort of defense or retort, but the interviewer simply gives De Luca a half smile, poorly hiding her amusement. De Luca lingers there for a moment, her face growing red before she adjusts her grip on the World Tag Team Title. She tenses-- but pivots and storms away without a word. Lowri shakes her head as Ashlyn walks away, staring with a deadly focus at the departing champion as we fade to black.
