10-11-2019, 05:24 AM
10-15-2019, 06:52 PM
To say that part of this felt odd would be an understatement to Valeria Garcia. After all, she's never truly done anything like this in her life, and the possibility never seemed to cross her mind. And yet, here she was: returning to a former life she had abandoned long ago.
Up until Rise to Greatness, the idea never seemed like one she would truly pursue. She had her life as Ruby Amarant, as odd as it may be despite living in questionable luxury, and she had Scarlet Grey and the Red Empire as the two of them were on the verge of potentially earning a tag title opportunity at long last. Even with Maria Vencejo coming back into her life again, it didn't feel like a change needed to be made. But she couldn't quite shake the feeling of what she truly wanted deep down, which was to rejoin with Maria and return to her most recent life as Valeria. To her surprise, Scarlet took the whole reveal a lot better than she could've ever imagined, and had even gone out of her way to ensure as much help as possible when getting her packed up to return to Mexico alongside her old partner in crime, which was beneficial considering that something that went unseen when the Red Empire fell in the finals of the small little contender's tournament was Ruby tweaking her ankle and re-aggravating the old injury she sustained at the end of the previous year. Thankfully, this gave her the cover to have time off to quietly slip away from SCW and leave Scarlet to her own devices while she set herself back up south of the border.
Vencejo: I have to admit, amiga: that Scarlet woman truly did take care of you after we parted ways. This is quite the treasure trove you were able to score from her, if you don't mind my speech slipping back into old habits.
Valeria just shook her head in amusement as she watched Maria haul everything into the small home they'd purchased in Hermosillo, mostly thanks to Valeria finally having an excuse to spend the money she'd been sitting on from her SCW pay as Scarlet usually covered anything she could want and left her no reason to spend of her own accord. It wasn't as lavish as Scarlet's bizarre cyberpunk-esque castle/mansion hybrid, but it was certainly an upgrade for Maria from the apartment she'd been hiding out in, or the one they'd shared in their previous life together. In her mind, it felt like a perfect middle ground for what they had and provided ample opportunity for the two of them to start anew together. Valeria sat on the couch with her wrapped-up ankle propped on a pillow as Maria carted in what seemed like the last of the boxes from the moving van before waving it off, the former running her hand along one of her crutches she still had from the last time she'd been injured.
Vencejo: As much as I hate how cluttered this looks, I can put up with it at least until you're back on your feet so we can properly put it all away, considering it's your stuff.
Garcia: It won't be for long. This isn't as bad as it was last time, even if I convinced SCW officials otherwise to buy myself some time. I'll be back on my feet in a few days. Besides... I think it makes this place feel a lot like our last home.
Vencejo: Yeah, I can't argue with that. Poor apartment was so overstuffed with our loot it's a miracle we didn't have the CNP knocking down our door.
Garcia: Do you really think they would've been able to take it from us?
Vencejo: If you had a plan, then I highly doubt it amiga.
Maria couldn't help but grin and wink at Valeria before sneaking off to the kitchen to get some drinks. Valeria couldn't deny that they made a great team no matter what they were involved with, and how well they balanced each other out was what brought them together in the first place. Unlike with Scarlet, who was equally as intelligent and manipulative whenever she could actually keep her thoughts straight and emotions in check, Maria left her to worry about the thinking and planning while she simply made her moves without hesitation and balanced her logic with impulse. Thinking about that brought her mind back to the conversation the three women had to clear the air and get on the same page before Rise to Greatness weekend, particularly something Maria mentioned that kind of stuck out even though it wasn't relevant at the time. When the redhead in question returned, handing her one of the two iced teas she prepared, Valeria decided it was time to probe.
Garcia: Maria, if you don't mind me asking... were you serious?
Vencejo: About what?
Garcia: About what you said back when you were in the room with Scarlet and myself. Being inspired by us and wanting to try wrestling for yourself.
Maria takes a long drink of her iced tea as she seems to contemplate her answer for a moment.
Vencejo: I was Valeria. To be honest... ever since we parted ways all those years ago, I've been trying to find the best way to enjoy myself while staying under the radar. That part was at least easier when all they knew was the masked cat burglar and not who I truly was, but the urge to not return to those old ways and risk being pursued again was agonizing. I've managed to do some odd jobs here and there to keep myself afloat while quietly using what we had left so I could stay afloat, but up until I crossed paths with you again I felt like my life had lost all purpose for the sake of my own safety. Sure, it seems like the underworld has pretty much forgotten all about it and probably even assume the thief to be dead by now, but for once I don't want to leave anything to chance. Wrestling at least seems like I could use my skills for something more... productive, and all in plain sight.
Valeria takes in this answer as she sips away at her drink, watching Maria sit down on a nearby chair and watch her carefully, clearly wanting her friend's take on this.
Garcia: I was curious only because I'm honestly not sure if I want to return to it again. It's not because of the injury because my ankle will heal, but as I've stated clearly time and time again even in front of SCW's cameras... I could care less about the business and hold no true passion for it. I only followed Scarlet into it figuring it'd be another one of her schemes that would fall apart and we'd return to the drawing board, and I'm legitimately surprised she's stuck with it for this long herself despite the failures.
Vencejo: Is Would you consider not going back because of Scarlet?
Valeria shakes her head.
Garcia: Scarlet may have been the main reason I found my way there in the first place, but my reasons for not wanting to go back have nothing to do with her. We all reached an understanding in that hotel room, and if it should ever come to me needing to face Scarlet I'm confident we can have a battle without restrictions because of our prior affiliation. I simply felt like this whole scenario was my ticket out of something I didn't really like, regardless of what you and I decide to do from this point forward.
Vencejo: I see... do you wonder, though, how we would fare as a team among their ranks? I mean, no disrespect to you and tu amiga roja, but you know how dangerous a combination you and I were together. Street smarts and traditional intelligence... there was no one who could stop us, not even some of the most feared criminals and drug dealers in all of Mexico.
Garcia: I'm very well aware Maria.
Vencejo: And how do you know you won't come to enjoy it on your own with someone like me by your side? After all, you don't have to feel like you're doing it for Scarlet anymore, or even for me. You can be yourself, be free!
Maria stands up and makes grand gestures as she speaks those words, and Valeria can't help but chuckle softly at how amusing the whole sight is. Deep down, though, she truly feels like Maria has a point. Maybe this business was worth a proper shot, and maybe Maria was just who she needed by her side to really make something of it outside of the one TV title reign she already had to her name.
Garcia: Alright Maria, you win. Just be warned... once I can walk without crutches again, the work begins, and I can promise you it's not as easy as it looks.
Vencejo: Neither was everything we did before, and that never stopped us, now did it?
The two smile at one another before finishing their drinks as Maria collects the glasses to go wash them. Maybe this is truly what Valeria needed: a chance to truly do things her way and for herself with someone who understood that by her side. She's already proven that between her and Scarlet she's been able to succeed when it counted without truly caring, so what could she accomplish with Maria by her side when she actually had motivation?
Perhaps only time will tell.
Up until Rise to Greatness, the idea never seemed like one she would truly pursue. She had her life as Ruby Amarant, as odd as it may be despite living in questionable luxury, and she had Scarlet Grey and the Red Empire as the two of them were on the verge of potentially earning a tag title opportunity at long last. Even with Maria Vencejo coming back into her life again, it didn't feel like a change needed to be made. But she couldn't quite shake the feeling of what she truly wanted deep down, which was to rejoin with Maria and return to her most recent life as Valeria. To her surprise, Scarlet took the whole reveal a lot better than she could've ever imagined, and had even gone out of her way to ensure as much help as possible when getting her packed up to return to Mexico alongside her old partner in crime, which was beneficial considering that something that went unseen when the Red Empire fell in the finals of the small little contender's tournament was Ruby tweaking her ankle and re-aggravating the old injury she sustained at the end of the previous year. Thankfully, this gave her the cover to have time off to quietly slip away from SCW and leave Scarlet to her own devices while she set herself back up south of the border.
Vencejo: I have to admit, amiga: that Scarlet woman truly did take care of you after we parted ways. This is quite the treasure trove you were able to score from her, if you don't mind my speech slipping back into old habits.
Valeria just shook her head in amusement as she watched Maria haul everything into the small home they'd purchased in Hermosillo, mostly thanks to Valeria finally having an excuse to spend the money she'd been sitting on from her SCW pay as Scarlet usually covered anything she could want and left her no reason to spend of her own accord. It wasn't as lavish as Scarlet's bizarre cyberpunk-esque castle/mansion hybrid, but it was certainly an upgrade for Maria from the apartment she'd been hiding out in, or the one they'd shared in their previous life together. In her mind, it felt like a perfect middle ground for what they had and provided ample opportunity for the two of them to start anew together. Valeria sat on the couch with her wrapped-up ankle propped on a pillow as Maria carted in what seemed like the last of the boxes from the moving van before waving it off, the former running her hand along one of her crutches she still had from the last time she'd been injured.
Vencejo: As much as I hate how cluttered this looks, I can put up with it at least until you're back on your feet so we can properly put it all away, considering it's your stuff.
Garcia: It won't be for long. This isn't as bad as it was last time, even if I convinced SCW officials otherwise to buy myself some time. I'll be back on my feet in a few days. Besides... I think it makes this place feel a lot like our last home.
Vencejo: Yeah, I can't argue with that. Poor apartment was so overstuffed with our loot it's a miracle we didn't have the CNP knocking down our door.
Garcia: Do you really think they would've been able to take it from us?
Vencejo: If you had a plan, then I highly doubt it amiga.
Maria couldn't help but grin and wink at Valeria before sneaking off to the kitchen to get some drinks. Valeria couldn't deny that they made a great team no matter what they were involved with, and how well they balanced each other out was what brought them together in the first place. Unlike with Scarlet, who was equally as intelligent and manipulative whenever she could actually keep her thoughts straight and emotions in check, Maria left her to worry about the thinking and planning while she simply made her moves without hesitation and balanced her logic with impulse. Thinking about that brought her mind back to the conversation the three women had to clear the air and get on the same page before Rise to Greatness weekend, particularly something Maria mentioned that kind of stuck out even though it wasn't relevant at the time. When the redhead in question returned, handing her one of the two iced teas she prepared, Valeria decided it was time to probe.
Garcia: Maria, if you don't mind me asking... were you serious?
Vencejo: About what?
Garcia: About what you said back when you were in the room with Scarlet and myself. Being inspired by us and wanting to try wrestling for yourself.
Maria takes a long drink of her iced tea as she seems to contemplate her answer for a moment.
Vencejo: I was Valeria. To be honest... ever since we parted ways all those years ago, I've been trying to find the best way to enjoy myself while staying under the radar. That part was at least easier when all they knew was the masked cat burglar and not who I truly was, but the urge to not return to those old ways and risk being pursued again was agonizing. I've managed to do some odd jobs here and there to keep myself afloat while quietly using what we had left so I could stay afloat, but up until I crossed paths with you again I felt like my life had lost all purpose for the sake of my own safety. Sure, it seems like the underworld has pretty much forgotten all about it and probably even assume the thief to be dead by now, but for once I don't want to leave anything to chance. Wrestling at least seems like I could use my skills for something more... productive, and all in plain sight.
Valeria takes in this answer as she sips away at her drink, watching Maria sit down on a nearby chair and watch her carefully, clearly wanting her friend's take on this.
Garcia: I was curious only because I'm honestly not sure if I want to return to it again. It's not because of the injury because my ankle will heal, but as I've stated clearly time and time again even in front of SCW's cameras... I could care less about the business and hold no true passion for it. I only followed Scarlet into it figuring it'd be another one of her schemes that would fall apart and we'd return to the drawing board, and I'm legitimately surprised she's stuck with it for this long herself despite the failures.
Vencejo: Is Would you consider not going back because of Scarlet?
Valeria shakes her head.
Garcia: Scarlet may have been the main reason I found my way there in the first place, but my reasons for not wanting to go back have nothing to do with her. We all reached an understanding in that hotel room, and if it should ever come to me needing to face Scarlet I'm confident we can have a battle without restrictions because of our prior affiliation. I simply felt like this whole scenario was my ticket out of something I didn't really like, regardless of what you and I decide to do from this point forward.
Vencejo: I see... do you wonder, though, how we would fare as a team among their ranks? I mean, no disrespect to you and tu amiga roja, but you know how dangerous a combination you and I were together. Street smarts and traditional intelligence... there was no one who could stop us, not even some of the most feared criminals and drug dealers in all of Mexico.
Garcia: I'm very well aware Maria.
Vencejo: And how do you know you won't come to enjoy it on your own with someone like me by your side? After all, you don't have to feel like you're doing it for Scarlet anymore, or even for me. You can be yourself, be free!
Maria stands up and makes grand gestures as she speaks those words, and Valeria can't help but chuckle softly at how amusing the whole sight is. Deep down, though, she truly feels like Maria has a point. Maybe this business was worth a proper shot, and maybe Maria was just who she needed by her side to really make something of it outside of the one TV title reign she already had to her name.
Garcia: Alright Maria, you win. Just be warned... once I can walk without crutches again, the work begins, and I can promise you it's not as easy as it looks.
Vencejo: Neither was everything we did before, and that never stopped us, now did it?
The two smile at one another before finishing their drinks as Maria collects the glasses to go wash them. Maybe this is truly what Valeria needed: a chance to truly do things her way and for herself with someone who understood that by her side. She's already proven that between her and Scarlet she's been able to succeed when it counted without truly caring, so what could she accomplish with Maria by her side when she actually had motivation?
Perhaps only time will tell.