Blog: A Series of Unfortunate Events the Seventeenth: Lección aprendida/Lesson Learned
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There’s a cliche that goes, ‘when you lose, don’t lose the lesson.’ It sounds trite, sure, but aren't all cliches? Still, there's wisdom in those words and for me, true words were never spoken. Into the Void V was a tough pill to swallow, though, technically, I didn't really lose, except the World Bombshell Championship.
Samantha Marlowe won the title, but her reign came to end just as fast Sunday. For what it was worth, she put up one hell of a fight against Crystal and refused to tap out when anyone else in her situation would have done so in a hurry or risk injury. Just one more reason why Samantha is a tough opponent. In the end, however, while she entered Climax Control with the title, she left CC 150 without it. And now we've come to this moment.
People have said that I was never deserving of that title shot let alone holding the title. Now that I've lost it, what are they saying now? What are they saying about Samantha who won and lost the title in a span of two weeks?
So many questions, so little answers. But there's always a lesson to be learned. Sometimes you're the teacher, sometimes you're the student, and sometimes you're the lesson.
I've learned a valuable lesson in Tokyo, and it's a mistake I won't make again.
~ ~ ~
Momento de claridad XIII: Descomprimir /Moment of Clarity XIII: Decompress
22 de julio de 2016 ♦ L O S A N G E L E S, C A L I F O R N I A
[[Climax Control was back in Viva Las Vegas for the Into the Void fallout show, another milestone episode and a special charity show for the Humane Society. Sounded like fun, I'm sure. And I would have gone, but in a way I'm kinda glad I skipped the trip altogether. Besides, I wasn't booked. I was spending a lazy afternoon in my apartment talking with Jan the Makeup Lady via Skype while I had one of the afternoon matches in the European Championship group stage muted on the television.]]
Janet the Makeup Lady: How come you didn't go to Climax Control? You missed out on the big night and everything.
Mercedes: I don't know...I guess it was the jetlag from the six-week tour of Japan. After the supercard, I kind of needed to decompress and breathe.
Janet the Makeup Lady: So Crystal won the title Sunday.
Mercedes: Yay!
Janet the Makeup Lady: What was that?
Mercedes: What?
Janet the Makeup Lady: That “yay”? I've heard better.
Mercedes: How is a yay supposed to sound like?
Janet the Makeup Lady: You know, upbeat, alive, with enthusiasm?
[[I resent that statement! I've shown passion for a lot of things, I just don't often show it. Like at special events....]]
[Cut to Mercedes, her brother, Jorge, and a Girl Scout from the local New York chapter at a table for a Scrabble event being held. Despite the rain, they are among a devoted turnout, nonetheless. They are in the middle of a new game, which Mercedes take mild interest in.]
Jorge: You're up, Merce.
[Mercedes thinks to herself for a second, and arranges four words on the board. Jorge and the Girl Scout exchange looks before looking back at her. Jorge grabs hold of a notepad and pencil.]
Jorge: "Done." OK, so that's five points...plus the double word score, plus the triple word score...
[He pauses, tallying the score and then looks up at Mercedes in surprise.]
Jorge: Mercedes, you won the game.
Mercedes: And I still have time for dinner and be in bed by nine!
[[Playing chess...]]
[Cut to Mercedes calling a chess match.]
Mercedes: It's ninety degrees out here in Central Park, but not as intense as this match. And here we go! He's thinking. Let's see what he's going to do. Will he move his knight or his King? Oh, what pressure. Here he comes!
[The chess makes the calculated move, knocking up his opponents queen.]
Mercedes: What. A. Match!
[Mercedes makes crowd noises and adds in a few golf claps for good measure.]
[[I briefly glanced at the match. Still goalless midway through the second half.]]
Mercedes: I've heard about her win, I didn't watch it. Good for her, though. I'm not sure it changes the fact she was pinned at the supercard or that she is the second Bombshell to win Blast From the Past and fail to win the title.
Janet the Makeup Lady: Ouch. I thought you would at least be happy for Crystal. Aren't you two friends?
Mercedes: I don't think a true “friend” would ruin the biggest moment of her life and “giftwrap” a title win. Crystal's dead to me. If she were in the middle of the street on fire and I had a bottle of water, I would dump every last bit before I would ever help her out. Samantha had a bad night, happens to the best of us.
[[Some more than others.]]
Janet the Makeup Lady: Speaking of Samantha, you've got a match against her this weekend.
[[At that moment, my hand reached for the remote as I clicked off the TV, the match was already in the final minutes of injury time so I wasn't missing much. I turned back to Janet.]]
Mercedes: Looks like I've got work to do.
[[It was bound to happen sooner or later. Have I met my match? Maybe. The rematch was only days away, but was either Sam or I ready for our rematch after a crazy three weeks? I guess we'll be finding that out at Climax Control.]]
~ ~ ~
Momento de claridad XIV: Preguntado y respondido buena/Moment of Clarity XIV: Asked and Answered
24 de julio de 2016 ♦ S A N T A M O N I C A, C A L I F O R N I A
[REC•]
[Hot summer days, long balmy nights. They can only mean that the summer was in full swing and the outpouring of tourist were here to stay, well for the time being. We find Mercedes on the grounds of Santa Monica Pier, walking along the beach as a camera begins roling.]
Mercedes: I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say. I feel for you Sammi, I do. I wish I was there to console you, to pat you on the back and say that you'll come back from this. But after Sunday, I'm not so sure. Because no matter what I do or say, it won't change what happened last week. That we're facing each other so soon, I thought we would be fighting for the title, but that's all gone now. Five weeks after, well, you know, that match in Kobe, here we are again facing one another on Climax Control and you're going to look at our match as something to get over your reign ending so soon. There's a reason why they say the first defense is the hardest and, I don't know, maybe your stock will go up, down or remain the same on The Hotwire and you won't end up in Tommy's doghouse.
[Mercedes shrugs.]
Mercedes: But at least there's some good out of this. At least we'll finally have that answer everyone - including you - will be wondering. You know, when you asked if I could have beaten you on my own? Because this time, there will be no doubt and there will be no debate that the answer will be yes. More importantly, there will be no distractions. Seeing as the Mass Media Militia are no mas and with Crystal, Kate, and Veronica having their own issues to work out, that just leaves you, me and the referee, as it should be.
[She steps on the boardwalk and walks towards one of the patio chairs, leaning against it while raising her sunglasses.]
Mercedes: The real question that need to be asked is which Sam Marlowe am I getting on Sunday? Am I going to get the down on her luck version or the one who went on a tear for the better part of nine months. Whichever version comes to Laughlin this weekend, you're still going to get the same swift, in-your-face, ready to roll and primed and ready to whip your ass with a smile Latina standing across from you. While this match may not be for a title, we're fighting for something. Nothing has changed about our match. It will still be about respect and a good, clean match like your last with Crystal. We both need momentum ahead of the next suprcard and only one of us will leave that ring with their hand raised and I plan to be the one. Into the Void V was the night you had your redemption, now it's time I finally get mine. No, not at Climax Control, at Summer XXXtreme, when I walk out of that six-pack challenge the new World Bombshell Champion.
My journey back to the top begins this weekend and while I hate having to do this, while I hate having to add another loss to your record, I've got to beat you at Climax Control, and I know you're going to try to do the same to me.
[Mercedes drops to a whisper.]
Mercedes: Have I beaten you before? Technically. Will Sunday be any different.
[Mercedes places her tiara on her head.]
Mercedes: Asked and answered.
[Fade.]
