Like A Champ (featuring Jonathan Drake)
Jul 23, 2017 16:43:53 GMT -5
Merry Christmas and Tornado Desencadenado like this
Post by Ruby Lance on Jul 23, 2017 16:43:53 GMT -5
Rabobank Arena
July 1, 2017
[ON-CAMERA]
The show is long over and the crew is working hard to to get the ring completely torn down along with the special staging. They're busy worker bees and making tremendous progress. Among the empty seats in the stands is the brand new South Bay Champion Ruby Rose Lance. She watches them disassemble the backdrop for the biggest moment in her career with a blank expression on her face. In her arms is the brand new South Bay Championship that is almost bigger than the five-footer holding it. She lets out a breath and closes her eyes as a smile makes its way across her lips.
Outside the Rabobank Arena, Ruby makes her way towards the parking garage with her back over her shoulder and still hugging the South Bay Championship in her arms. She looks over at the camera following her and it's like her smile needs to be surgically removed.
"So yeah. That was the single greatest night of my life."
She laughs because she's so happy to just remember fondly what happened only hours ago.
"I can't even believe that I am the brand new South Bay Champion!"
Squealing with delight she takes the title off her shoulder and holds it with both hands in front of her face.
"Not just brand new. First-ever!"
Another squeal is followed by her looking into the camera in a state of disbelief. She grins from ear to ear and shakes her head, either in more disbelief or at how ridiculous she is being right now.
"And I know… I know how it went down."
She takes a deep breath and finally comes down a little off her high. Not true. Nothing could kill her high tonight, but she's at least able to reel it in and get a little serious right now.
"Danni took a rough fall. She took a fall that never should have happened because Zane Story wasn't in the match. I completely get that. I also get that Donovan was super concerned about her, as he should be. He's a great guy. Of course he would care more about Danni's well being than a championship."
Ruby shakes her head again, this time it's not disbelief but disappointment over the situation surrounding two people she considers her friends.
"And then there's Austen…"
She frowns, coming to a stop in the parking garage. She takes in a deep breath and lets it out as a sigh. Again, she shakes her head but this particular one is full of confliction.
"Austen…"
The title is held out in front of her once more and she stares at it for a long moment.
"He would be the first-ever South Bay Champion right now if he didn't jump off of that ladder to save me. I'm not foolish enough to pretend that didn't happen. I'm not the kind of person that would ignore it, either."
Ruby lowers the title down at her side and looks to the camera, offering her best effort at a smile when she clearly doesn't have it in her to smile at this particular moment.
"All I know is that this feels amazing."
She glances down at the title at her side, the image of it giving her enough to turn that attempted smile into the real thing. It's fleeting, though.
"And then I think about how I won it and… I mean, anyone in my position would have done the same thing… right?"
Continuing to look at the title belt, it's up in the air if that question is meant for anyone in particular or if she's just trying to figure it out on her own.
"If I had taken the spill that Danni did… or if I had saved Austen from Jess… or…"
Ruby takes a deep breath and looks back up at the camera, forcing that smile back on her face.
"I guess what I'm saying is that I feel like a champ… that doesn't feel like a champ sometimes."
She shrugs her shoulders and continues on her way to her car, leaving the camera crew behind this time.
Ruby and Jonathan's Apartment
July 2, 2017
The Morning After
[OFF-CAMERA]
"Yes!"
We hear Ruby before we see her. She comes from presumably her bedroom into the living room where we are filming. Her eyes are on her phone held up in front of her and she has a huge smile on her face. Jonathan Drake, her roommate, is sitting on the couch and looking back at her questioningly.
"I'm defending my title against Austen Blackwell."
Ruby answers his question before she even knows he's asking it in his head. She looks to him afterwards, her smile getting bigger as if she just told Jonathan some news that doesn't put her title in jeopardy. She's far too excited to be defending her belt, just saying.
"Cool. Is that a good thing?"
She looks at Jonathan like he just asked the weirdest question right now, rather than the perfectly logical question that he did ask.
"It's the best thing!"
Laughing at his apparent silliness for not getting it, Ruby makes her way around to have a seat sideways on the couch.
"Last night was amazing. It was incredible! I look at that belt and I still can't believe that I am the first-ever South Bay Champion. And when I think about it, all I think about that look on Austen's face as he was telling me to go get the belt and he couldn't even stand. All because he gave up his shot to help me."
She grimaces at the memory of it and sighs. Jonathan smiles as he turns to face his pint sized roommate.
"It's great that you get to face Austen. He made his choice and so now you get to prove that you deserve the title."
Ruby smiles and nods excitedly over the fact that Jonathan completely gets it.
"Exactly! I mean, I get to try to prove that I deserve the title. If I can get through Austen in this match, someone that I feel was closest to winning the title, that will just be amazing. I mean, no one has really questioned that I deserve the title and I appreciate that. I'm stunned by it, but it's been great to not get questioned even though I've been questioning it myself. But if I can win this match, defend my title, and prove over the guy who had every opportunity to win the match before he chose to help me… no one will be able to question me. Or at least if they question me, I'll know that they're wrong."
"Slow down Ruby. Take a breath. You earned that. You were in the ring just like everyone else. Part of earning a title is the choices one makes. At the end you were the last one standing."
He smiles as he pauses for a second.
"Now I get what you're saying. This match will put any question to rest that others may have but I know how hard you've worked. I know you earned it. So the next question what's the plan for Austen?"
Ruby looks confused for a moment and just shrugs her shoulders.
"I mean, I don't really know what his plans are."
She shrugs again, confident that she took Jonathan's question exactly the way it was meant.
"And technically, I wasn't really the last one standing so much as I was the one at the top of the ladder holding the belt."
With a grin, she giggles at her own attempt at a joke. Yeah, it's not very good but she thinks it's funny.
Jonathan laughs along with Ruby her giggle was infectious to those that heard it.
"Ruby, no matter what in a field of Giants you stand tallest. As for Austin how do you plan to prepare? I have every confidence in you but there was a reason he was in the match to begin with
The reminder of a match coming up against a capable opponent who also happens to be her friend is effective in bringing the jokes and laughing to a halt. Ruby takes a breath and nods along with what he has to say about the match.
"I mean, I guess I don't have any monumental strategy just yet. I'm just relieved that I'm defending my title not just against someone who deserves it, but against someone I don't have to worry about any funny stuff from. Just focus on defending what's mine, you know?"
"I don't mean to get serious, Ruby. We should celebrate your win. It is your title that everyone will be coming after. So having that it's yours is the best mindset I believe."
He smiles a warmly at Ruby and begins to laugh.
"Ruby, it's day one of the Ruby Reign. Let's keep the rose-colored glasses on one more day and celebrate a much deserved win."
Ruby glances up towards the ceiling as she thinks about, putting more thought into his proposal than she probably ought to. Her lips curl into a smile and she brings her eyes back onto Jonathan.
"Okay. One more day. Then it's all serious business."
She makes her best attempt at a "serious face" that last all of two seconds before she cracks a grin.
"Or at least as serious as I can get."
With a giggle, Ruby playfully nudges Jonathan before getting up from the couch and skipping off back into her bedroom.
West Coast Performance Center
July 3, 2017
[ON-CAMERA]
Ruby Rose Lance finishes up a set of reps with her free weights, lowering them to the ground before wiping at her brow with the back of her hand. She takes a deep breath and makes her way over to her belongings, collecting her towel. She pats down her face and wipes at her neck before grabbing up her water bottle. She takes a long drink, swallows, and takes another deep breath.
"So this is it."
Nodding along, she glances at the camera that is spying on her work-out. She flashes a little smile and shrugs her shoulders.
"I couldn't ask for a better first challenger for my brand spanking new championship."
Still smiling, Ruby takes a seat on the bench and brings one foot up to re-tie her shoe and tighten the laces.
"It's been almost 48 hours and I still feel exactly the same way that I did when I won the South Bay Championship."
She places her foot back on the ground and huffs out a breath before shaking her head.
"The South Bay Championship. I keep calling it that. You know, instead of my South Bay Championship. It's crazy, I know it is. All of my friends tell me that it's crazy. They tell me that I won it, it's mine, I deserved it, all of that. But…"
Continuing to shake her head, she takes another deep breath and lets it out slowly.
"It's hard for me to feel that way. I know what Austen did was so incredibly selfless of him. I know that he's happy for me. Heck, he encouraged me to get the belt. Something I wouldn't have been able to do if it wasn't for him in the first place."
She shrugs her shoulders and offers a smile.
"I don't want to do it, though. I immediately felt bad that he didn't do it when he had the chance. That he couldn't do it after helping me. All because he helped me."
Her smile takes a hit and she frowns as she looks down at her shoes. She takes another deep breath before she's able to look back up.
"I did it for you, Austen. Because you couldn't. Because you couldn't because you helped me. And I knew that if I didn't take that opportunity to win it that someone else would have. And then what you did would have been for nothing."
Ruby looks down again and she struggles to smile over what transpired.
"This match, to me, is the match. If I can win this match. If I can do what needs to be done to defend the South Bay Championship against you, then I'll finally feel like that title belongs to me. It will finally feel like I deserve it."
Looking back up at the camera, Ruby takes a very big breath that she slowly lets out.
"There will be no shame in losing this match to you. You are a phenomenal athlete and an even better person. But the glory for winning it?"
A smile spreads across her lips in a way that she couldn't even begin to try and contain.
"I can't even begin to describe that. Winning this match against you will make me finally feel like a champ."
She nods along to the mere thought of that feeling, smiling big as the scene fades out.
July 1, 2017
[ON-CAMERA]
The show is long over and the crew is working hard to to get the ring completely torn down along with the special staging. They're busy worker bees and making tremendous progress. Among the empty seats in the stands is the brand new South Bay Champion Ruby Rose Lance. She watches them disassemble the backdrop for the biggest moment in her career with a blank expression on her face. In her arms is the brand new South Bay Championship that is almost bigger than the five-footer holding it. She lets out a breath and closes her eyes as a smile makes its way across her lips.
Outside the Rabobank Arena, Ruby makes her way towards the parking garage with her back over her shoulder and still hugging the South Bay Championship in her arms. She looks over at the camera following her and it's like her smile needs to be surgically removed.
"So yeah. That was the single greatest night of my life."
She laughs because she's so happy to just remember fondly what happened only hours ago.
"I can't even believe that I am the brand new South Bay Champion!"
Squealing with delight she takes the title off her shoulder and holds it with both hands in front of her face.
"Not just brand new. First-ever!"
Another squeal is followed by her looking into the camera in a state of disbelief. She grins from ear to ear and shakes her head, either in more disbelief or at how ridiculous she is being right now.
"And I know… I know how it went down."
She takes a deep breath and finally comes down a little off her high. Not true. Nothing could kill her high tonight, but she's at least able to reel it in and get a little serious right now.
"Danni took a rough fall. She took a fall that never should have happened because Zane Story wasn't in the match. I completely get that. I also get that Donovan was super concerned about her, as he should be. He's a great guy. Of course he would care more about Danni's well being than a championship."
Ruby shakes her head again, this time it's not disbelief but disappointment over the situation surrounding two people she considers her friends.
"And then there's Austen…"
She frowns, coming to a stop in the parking garage. She takes in a deep breath and lets it out as a sigh. Again, she shakes her head but this particular one is full of confliction.
"Austen…"
The title is held out in front of her once more and she stares at it for a long moment.
"He would be the first-ever South Bay Champion right now if he didn't jump off of that ladder to save me. I'm not foolish enough to pretend that didn't happen. I'm not the kind of person that would ignore it, either."
Ruby lowers the title down at her side and looks to the camera, offering her best effort at a smile when she clearly doesn't have it in her to smile at this particular moment.
"All I know is that this feels amazing."
She glances down at the title at her side, the image of it giving her enough to turn that attempted smile into the real thing. It's fleeting, though.
"And then I think about how I won it and… I mean, anyone in my position would have done the same thing… right?"
Continuing to look at the title belt, it's up in the air if that question is meant for anyone in particular or if she's just trying to figure it out on her own.
"If I had taken the spill that Danni did… or if I had saved Austen from Jess… or…"
Ruby takes a deep breath and looks back up at the camera, forcing that smile back on her face.
"I guess what I'm saying is that I feel like a champ… that doesn't feel like a champ sometimes."
She shrugs her shoulders and continues on her way to her car, leaving the camera crew behind this time.
Ruby and Jonathan's Apartment
July 2, 2017
The Morning After
[OFF-CAMERA]
"Yes!"
We hear Ruby before we see her. She comes from presumably her bedroom into the living room where we are filming. Her eyes are on her phone held up in front of her and she has a huge smile on her face. Jonathan Drake, her roommate, is sitting on the couch and looking back at her questioningly.
"I'm defending my title against Austen Blackwell."
Ruby answers his question before she even knows he's asking it in his head. She looks to him afterwards, her smile getting bigger as if she just told Jonathan some news that doesn't put her title in jeopardy. She's far too excited to be defending her belt, just saying.
"Cool. Is that a good thing?"
She looks at Jonathan like he just asked the weirdest question right now, rather than the perfectly logical question that he did ask.
"It's the best thing!"
Laughing at his apparent silliness for not getting it, Ruby makes her way around to have a seat sideways on the couch.
"Last night was amazing. It was incredible! I look at that belt and I still can't believe that I am the first-ever South Bay Champion. And when I think about it, all I think about that look on Austen's face as he was telling me to go get the belt and he couldn't even stand. All because he gave up his shot to help me."
She grimaces at the memory of it and sighs. Jonathan smiles as he turns to face his pint sized roommate.
"It's great that you get to face Austen. He made his choice and so now you get to prove that you deserve the title."
Ruby smiles and nods excitedly over the fact that Jonathan completely gets it.
"Exactly! I mean, I get to try to prove that I deserve the title. If I can get through Austen in this match, someone that I feel was closest to winning the title, that will just be amazing. I mean, no one has really questioned that I deserve the title and I appreciate that. I'm stunned by it, but it's been great to not get questioned even though I've been questioning it myself. But if I can win this match, defend my title, and prove over the guy who had every opportunity to win the match before he chose to help me… no one will be able to question me. Or at least if they question me, I'll know that they're wrong."
"Slow down Ruby. Take a breath. You earned that. You were in the ring just like everyone else. Part of earning a title is the choices one makes. At the end you were the last one standing."
He smiles as he pauses for a second.
"Now I get what you're saying. This match will put any question to rest that others may have but I know how hard you've worked. I know you earned it. So the next question what's the plan for Austen?"
Ruby looks confused for a moment and just shrugs her shoulders.
"I mean, I don't really know what his plans are."
She shrugs again, confident that she took Jonathan's question exactly the way it was meant.
"And technically, I wasn't really the last one standing so much as I was the one at the top of the ladder holding the belt."
With a grin, she giggles at her own attempt at a joke. Yeah, it's not very good but she thinks it's funny.
Jonathan laughs along with Ruby her giggle was infectious to those that heard it.
"Ruby, no matter what in a field of Giants you stand tallest. As for Austin how do you plan to prepare? I have every confidence in you but there was a reason he was in the match to begin with
The reminder of a match coming up against a capable opponent who also happens to be her friend is effective in bringing the jokes and laughing to a halt. Ruby takes a breath and nods along with what he has to say about the match.
"I mean, I guess I don't have any monumental strategy just yet. I'm just relieved that I'm defending my title not just against someone who deserves it, but against someone I don't have to worry about any funny stuff from. Just focus on defending what's mine, you know?"
"I don't mean to get serious, Ruby. We should celebrate your win. It is your title that everyone will be coming after. So having that it's yours is the best mindset I believe."
He smiles a warmly at Ruby and begins to laugh.
"Ruby, it's day one of the Ruby Reign. Let's keep the rose-colored glasses on one more day and celebrate a much deserved win."
Ruby glances up towards the ceiling as she thinks about, putting more thought into his proposal than she probably ought to. Her lips curl into a smile and she brings her eyes back onto Jonathan.
"Okay. One more day. Then it's all serious business."
She makes her best attempt at a "serious face" that last all of two seconds before she cracks a grin.
"Or at least as serious as I can get."
With a giggle, Ruby playfully nudges Jonathan before getting up from the couch and skipping off back into her bedroom.
West Coast Performance Center
July 3, 2017
[ON-CAMERA]
Ruby Rose Lance finishes up a set of reps with her free weights, lowering them to the ground before wiping at her brow with the back of her hand. She takes a deep breath and makes her way over to her belongings, collecting her towel. She pats down her face and wipes at her neck before grabbing up her water bottle. She takes a long drink, swallows, and takes another deep breath.
"So this is it."
Nodding along, she glances at the camera that is spying on her work-out. She flashes a little smile and shrugs her shoulders.
"I couldn't ask for a better first challenger for my brand spanking new championship."
Still smiling, Ruby takes a seat on the bench and brings one foot up to re-tie her shoe and tighten the laces.
"It's been almost 48 hours and I still feel exactly the same way that I did when I won the South Bay Championship."
She places her foot back on the ground and huffs out a breath before shaking her head.
"The South Bay Championship. I keep calling it that. You know, instead of my South Bay Championship. It's crazy, I know it is. All of my friends tell me that it's crazy. They tell me that I won it, it's mine, I deserved it, all of that. But…"
Continuing to shake her head, she takes another deep breath and lets it out slowly.
"It's hard for me to feel that way. I know what Austen did was so incredibly selfless of him. I know that he's happy for me. Heck, he encouraged me to get the belt. Something I wouldn't have been able to do if it wasn't for him in the first place."
She shrugs her shoulders and offers a smile.
"I don't want to do it, though. I immediately felt bad that he didn't do it when he had the chance. That he couldn't do it after helping me. All because he helped me."
Her smile takes a hit and she frowns as she looks down at her shoes. She takes another deep breath before she's able to look back up.
"I did it for you, Austen. Because you couldn't. Because you couldn't because you helped me. And I knew that if I didn't take that opportunity to win it that someone else would have. And then what you did would have been for nothing."
Ruby looks down again and she struggles to smile over what transpired.
"This match, to me, is the match. If I can win this match. If I can do what needs to be done to defend the South Bay Championship against you, then I'll finally feel like that title belongs to me. It will finally feel like I deserve it."
Looking back up at the camera, Ruby takes a very big breath that she slowly lets out.
"There will be no shame in losing this match to you. You are a phenomenal athlete and an even better person. But the glory for winning it?"
A smile spreads across her lips in a way that she couldn't even begin to try and contain.
"I can't even begin to describe that. Winning this match against you will make me finally feel like a champ."
She nods along to the mere thought of that feeling, smiling big as the scene fades out.