Post by Lissie Hope on Nov 10, 2019 23:43:30 GMT -5
It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves. - William Shakespeare
sym·bol·o·gy
1 | the art of expression by symbols
2 | the study or interpretation of symbols
Sunday | 11:00 AM
"So this is what it's like to feel on top of the world."
Her smile was infectious. Lissie Hope's limbs were sore, and her back numb, and her heart still punctured - but above all else, she felt weightless and buoyant, as if she were flying over the moon. Not a soul in the world truly believed that she was capable of defeating a three-time World Champion and WCF legend; especially not after having her world crumbled in the dawn of the tournament. But against all odds, she had prevailed, and the second round match-up she had envisioned when the brackets were announced now stared her down like a loaded gun. The feud that had been building since August 18th, when at Uprising, Dandy DiVito became the World Champion and Lissie Hope had become All-In.
This was destiny.
This was how it was always meant to be.
"There's still another hurdle to leap over," Robbie told her, still pleading for her not to lose sight of the ultimate goal. The World Championship might be at her fingertips, but to stake her name as Action Wrestling's Wrestler of the Year? It was becoming more possible as each potential winner succumbed to another rising superstar.
At the end of Clash, before Lissie would even take the ring, three of the final four tickets would be punched. And he worried if that pressure would envelop her like a cocoon. She didn't exactly have the best track record when the expectations grew.
"I'm taking this one match at a time, big brother," she alleged, but Robbie's apprehension was evident in his eyes. She knew every time he doubted her conviction about the shit comin' out of her mouth; hell, he didn't do anything to hide it. "I know I can become Wrestler of the Year. I feel that's the end game here, and it's something I'm fully invested in," she claimed, but who was she trying to convince? Herself? "I mean, Lockhart's outta here. Leviathan. KOS. These are World Champions, the pillars of Action Wrestling... the field has been narrowed, y'know?" He nodded his head. "And then there're guys like Vayden and Payton, the future of the company -- they've been knocked out. Shadowlove and A-Dick, perennial title contenders -- they're all gone. This tournament is anyone's game now. It's opened up big-time, and it's mine for the taking!"
"I know, Lissie. I believe you, I know you can do this. And I know that you know you can do this." a pause. "But this is the thing..."
"Here we fuckin' go."
"...you're betting your hand, all your cards, on going through this tournament unscathed. Even if you beat Dandy this week and you win the World Championship, you still have two more matches ahead of you. You still have to get through the rest of the field; otherwise, that championship reign will be meaningless."
"Gee, thanks," she said, sarcastically, now beginning to doubt herself.
"I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, I'm just trying to make you look at the bigger picture. What happens if you lose the belt in a week? In two weeks? Are you going to spiral out of control again? Are you going to be able to handle it without falling off the deep end?"
"I guess we'll find out," she said, matter-of-factly. "Just know this, Robbie. You don't know everything. You think you do, but you have no fucking idea."
"Then tell me!"
"It's better if I don't." At that moment, her cell-phone rang. She looked at the number and didn't recognize the caller, but answered it anyway.
"Good afternoon, Lissie! My name is Danielle and I work for a company called LaMera Sportswear. We design activewear where fashion meets performance and are looking for a strong and beautiful woman to be an ambassador and feel you are perfect for the role! Have you ever thought about building your brand? Your marketability? Your potential outreach?"
"Slow down there, Danielle. What the hell is this about?"
"It's a very lucrative opportunity and all we ask is that you promote the clothing on your social media. We feel you connect so well with your fans and would be a tremendous spokeswoman for our brand! You're the hottest name in your industry! Do you want to leave a bigger impression that goes beyond wrestling?"
"I... guess so, yeah."
"Perfect! Is there anything you'd like to accomplish outside of wrestling?"
"I would love to inspire young girls to be strong and self-sufficient and compete with the best in the world."
"Well, here's a chance to do just that! We've followed your career closely, Lissie. We applaud and we respect your meteoric rise and we want you to be a face of our company. Is this something you're interested in?"
"...is this a fuckin' MLM? How much do I have to front?"
"Gosh, you're funny! This is legit, Lissie, I'm not messing around with you. I'm going to have my manager fax you an offer sheet on Monday, November 11th, okay? And I don't want this to distract you, I know you have a huge match coming up. But win or lose, we want you and we think this is a fantastic opportunity, both to build our company and for you to be a face for fitness and healthy living."
"I don't really live healthy, though," she thought to herself. All of a sudden she was feeling just as inadequate and just as prone to failing; both in her bid for sobriety and to capture a World Championship. Her long silence didn't fail to register with Danielle.
"So tell me this, Lissie... what's holding you back?"
She looked at the clock; the minute had just changed. 11:11 am.
"Me."
Lissie reflected on every time in her life that she had an opportunity to change, to persevere, to reach the unreachable. And in typical fashion, she would do everything to sabotage it. Was she afraid to thrive? Lacked the courage to prevail? Despite all the potential, and all of the promise, she was a cancer to herself. Damaging, disrupting, and crippling all of those growing moments and budding relationships. And for the first time, in a long time, she decided that would no longer be her own torpedo.
"And I won't fuckin' let that happen again. I'm in."
*****
You are the creator of your reality.
Your thoughts are the manifestation of your true self.
I was always curious why I would see 11:11 at the most random moments;
And I found that it was a supernatural energy, giving me the motivation to take a chance.
The biggest gamble. A leap of faith.
It was a profound energy; a direct channel to the unknown.
And headfirst, I dove.
*****
DANDY DIVITO | LISSIE HOPE
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
11|11|2019
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
11|11|2019
The last eight months have been a fuckin' trip, haven't they?
I arrived in Action Wrestling in March and immediately staked my flag in the center of the ring. I made an impression on everyone watching; the executives in the boardroom, and the fans in attendance and watching worldwide. And without question, I made an impression on every one of you in the dressing room. I came in, I pissed on your turf, and I carved out a nice role in the back of all of your minds. Lockhart saw it, and Wade Moor saw it, Sam Kidsgrove and Shadowlove and Kennedy Matthews and Claire Hawkins all saw it.
And you saw it, didn't you?
A penny fo' yo' thoughts? Nah. I don' wanna ova'pay, bay-bee. Hope ya win tha poll. I'd love ta put them boots to ya. 04|01|19
I hadn't even emptied my luggage yet and there you were, trying to antagonize me. Already trying to get under my skin, already painting a target on my head. You just couldn't help yourself; you had already grown the reputation of being the biggest asshole in this company with no regard for the people you work with and work under, so you had nothing to lose when you called me out. You knew there would be no retaliation because I wasn't in your way.
That was then.
But here's the thing, Dandy. You saw a little bit of yourself in me, didn't you?
Dandy DiVito defeats Hannibal Hamilton 10|01|18
You made your debut, and you impressed everyone in this industry, kind of the way I did. I can never take that away from you. It doesn't matter that you have the personality of roadkill, because I will always respect talent. I will always respect a person who sets their mind on being the best, and having the gall to back it up. With a rocket strapped to your ass, you flew over the moon. By your third match in Action Wrestling, you were the United States Champion.
Dandy DiVito defeats Mike Massaro, Claire Hawkins, and TFK 10|21|18
I also had two impressive wins to begin my career. I, too, made my mark in Action Wrestling and was awarded an opportunity to gun for gold. It might have been a championship in name only since it's rarely, if ever defended, but I got an opportunity to show the world what I was capable of against your bitter enemy, Sam Kidsgrove.
And I failed.
I let the spotlight get into my head.
I let the mountains of pressure rip my soul to shreds.
I felt like I was plummeting down into a deep cavern, into the depths of darkness. This was in the lead-up to Havoc, where you had the unlucky distinction of entering first. And that's where I put it all into perspective. That's when I realized that your uphill battle was far more barbarous than mine. I saw your tenacity, I saw your resolve, and I admired that, Dandy. Despite everything working against you, you still almost won the fuckin' thing.
So I studied your game.
I molded myself in your image.
I created a path where I would no longer allow myself to be shaken by adversity.
I would no longer be my own worst enemy.
I would no longer be my own worst enemy.
So thank you, Dandy.
Thank you for showing the world that against all odds, with everything trying to anchor you down, there's still a possibility. There's still hope. There's still the will to become the World Champion of Action Wrestling.
You showed me the way.
And now, you're gonna pay for it.
Because you created the blueprint, Dandy. You were the architect of my rise to the top of the mountain. I get to dance with the stars because of you. You are the reason why I'm walking on the clouds. Soaring over the moon!
But that's where our similarities end. Your method of winning is transparent these days. You simply want to poke fun and engage in silly pissing contests. You try to be the most vulgar, the most repulsive, and you do it all for a laugh. That's not the way I roll, though. I bring my fight to the ring, I declare war the second my music hits and I transform into a fuckin' warrior. I don't wage war on Twitter like a child who spends his night jacking off into tube socks like a maniac every time he gets a like or an upvote.
But see, this is the thing.
I can play your game, too.
RAPID FIRE!
Spelled incorrectly because, y'know... stupid.
Hey, shit-dick. Eyes up here.
I dunno where you'll be workin' after you lose that belt, but I know it'll be at least fifty-feet from a school.
Bro, were your tattoos drawn by Michael J. Fox?
You joke about my sexuality because you actually want to fuck me. My answer to that? Ew fuck ew no what the fuck.
A picture of Dandy DiVito is Webster's exact definition of "future junkie."
You got the lesbian jokes, but you've got your own acronym: LGBTQWTF.
Machine Gun Kelly fucked Vanilla Ice and you're what happened.
What I gotta bring over to the House Party?
Even homeless people would turn down a blowjob from you.
You prob'ly vape, huh?
I'm sorry that you actually paid money to look the way you do.
At least you'll get the starring role in Faces of Meth.
Don't kill 'yaself when you find you've ditched suckin' vape-juice to swallowing down man-juice under Florida bridges with the rest of the trash, you diseased scrotum pole.
Action Wrestling ordered a champion, and you were the second-rate version delivered from Wish.
And that forehead is so freakishly large you can paint a bullseye on it and let those crackheads take turns squirtin' all over it.
You've got a dick drawn on your arm to match the BBC railroading your ass.
You even got pigtails he can grab.
Your hair looks like it was built in Minecraft.
Boy, you out here lookin' like Eminem's retarded cousin, Skittles.
But all hope is not lost, you rat-faced shit weasel.
When I'm done takin' that title, I'll need $40 on pump #3.
Phew.
Now that I've sunk to your level for a bit, it's time to get back on track. You see, you and I couldn't be further from alike. We are not clones, we are not comparable, we are not contemporaries. Our similarities end the second we speak, because unlike you, my passion and my drive is aided by the cheers. You feed off the boos. I want to be the face of the franchise. You take it for granted. I will bring pride and honor and integrity to the World Championship. You use it as a fuckin' punchline.
But I believe in symbology.
I didn't before, but now that we're getting clarity on the bigger picture, all the signs point to me ending your reign. I see the significance of a greater plan in action, and I won't let myself be fuckin' saddled by my own insecurities! I won't let myself fail anymore! You won't have that power over me!
Because on the 11th of November, this upcoming Clash, in the second round of the Wrestler of the Year tournament, the destiny of a champion will be fulfilled. I staked that claim the minute I arrived. I issued that challenge in the Glory tournament. I made a tremendous leap when I reached up and grabbed the All-In briefcase. And I proved to the world that I'm for fuckin' real when I dug out Hector Rodriguez' grave and fuckin' buried him in it.
Every night, I see that image of myself standing in the center of the ring, the deafening cheers shaking the concrete walls, wearing the World Championship around my waist.
And every morning, I wake up knowing that it's right at my fingertips.
I CAN FEEL IT JUST OUTSIDE MY REACH!
Dandy, have you ever dared to dream?
Have you ever wanted something so bad that it fuckin' hurts? Have you ever felt like your shit was getting kicked out from under you at every turn, but you learn to count on your own resiliency and your own courage to prove everyone wrong? To prove to yourself that you're the main event? The headliner? That you're the heart and soul of Action Wrestling?
I'm the dreamer, Dandy.
And you've woken the beast.
I've watched you climb the ladder. I've seen you put one foot in front of the other, diggin' your heels down in the snow, slammin' that ice-pick in the mountain as you scaled it step-by-step. With every match you've won and every foe you've defeated, it sort of felt like I was taking that journey with you. You paved the way for me, for me to step into those tracks you laid and you made my own climb that much easier.
But here's the truth, Dandy.
I've listened to every word you've said since I stepped foot in Action Wrestling, and it's becoming clearer by the second that it's all a load of bullshit. I still don't know who the fuck you are, what you represent, what you want to accomplish, how you want to be remembered. And to be honest, I don't wanna know. Some things are better off unsaid, some things don't need to be repeated. I'd like to think it was all beautiful and uplifting and something to aspire to, something that can't be expressed in words or in feeling but the truth of the matter is this...
...you're not a champion.
Not one to pursue.
Not one to embolden.
Not one to emulate.
Not one to strive towards.
Just a fuckin' asshole I've got to unseat.
I have to wake up every morning to a headline that reads that 'Dandy DiVito is the World Champion of Action Wrestling', and it makes me fuckin' sick. Because you are not the standard, you're a rotten joke who doesn't deserve to hold the mantle. So it's time to beat you; eliminate you from the tournament. Rip that belt out of your hands. Kick your fuckin' teeth in and spit on your body for good.
Because the throne you sit on and take for fuckin' granted?
I want that throne.
I NEED that throne.
I DESERVE THAT THRONE.
I'VE EARNED THAT THRONE!
At the end of the day, when the bell rings and the music hits and there's one person standing under the spotlight, you'll have to give credit where it's due. You'll learn that in this story of a champion's destiny, this divine fate of Lissie 'Fuckin Hope...
...you had one role.
A sole purpose.
You will place that crown atop my head.
You will strap that belt around my waist.
And you will realize that you've lost this war you've created.
YOU WILL STEP ASIDE FOR THE NEW WORLD CHAMPION THAT YOU'VE CREATED!
Game over, Dandy.
King me.