(Just outside the Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Special Events Center on the campus of the University of Texas: Austin. Shawn Twilight stands with his wife Sidney Twilight. Their two daughters, one a few weeks old in a stroller, the other five years old pushing the stroller, are with them. Jeffery Drake stands alone.)
Shawn Twilight: Elisabeth didn’t want to come?
Jeffery Drake: In order to avoid filming this segment I imagine.
Shawn Twilight: It’s the Valentine’s edition – our yearly discourse on love and wrestling.
Jeffery Drake: Those don’t belong together. Plus, we’re in Longhorn territory… it still smells of Rose Bowl failures two years ago. I’m going inside.
(He goes through a press entrance door.)
Shawn Twilight: He’s stressed for no reason.
(His wife nods.)
Shawn Twilight: You know, we’re doing what we did ten years ago. ‘cept this time around it’s fun and I’m allowed to smile.
(She nods again. He turns towards the camera.)
Shawn Twilight: She doesn’t like the airtime; that hasn’t changed in the last ten years either. It’s Friday Night, it’s a Lover’s Discourse – and this is all Fiction!
("Knights of Cydonia" from Muse heats up as the opening titles start. Past images of major LWF moments grace the screen. Styx and Mass Carnage delivering a spike piledriver on Nightshade from the first ever LWF card. Banshee and Jamie Williams tied up at a Fall From Grace 3: Heroes. From the LWF v2 re-opening, a Fall From Grace 7: Full Collapse, Tommy Riley beating Kevin Merrix for the AOWF Television Title. A collection of still imagery from past LWF stars: November and his ego, Synskin battling Don Mega at FNF: Jailbreak, Brandon Nova soaked in blood with his arm raised – and finally some promotional shots of current LWF talent. A clip of Vicious applying the Shangri-la to Nightstryker at an overly aggressive angle is followed by a shot of Silverback and Riley at Night of Armageddon 6. Lisa Seldon dropkicking Knight and a shot of her with World Heavyweight Title. The Liberty Wrestling logo comes last. We then break from the montage to a live shot of Dan Timberland and Ransom.)
Dan Timberland: Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Friday Night Fiction – A Lover’s Discourse.
Ransom: What art major came up with that subtitle?
Dan Timberland: I don’t know. They normally farm out a lot of idea stuff to the interns.
Ransom: Why’s that?
Dan Timberland: They’re the ones in college; they still got their head in the game.
Ransom: If they were smart enough, they would’ve got a job that actually pays.
Dan Timberland: So would have you.
Ransom: That’s grammatically incorrect.
Dan Timberland: Whatever.
(Timberland holds his hand to his ear.)
Dan Timberland: I understand we have some cameras rushing to the backstage area.
(A live shaky shot that running down a hallway backstage.)
Ransom: What is this, an episode of COPS?
Dan Timberland: What’s that we’re seeing?
(Nightstryker is laid out, a trickle of blood coming from his head.)
Dan Timberland: That’s our former World Heavyweight Champion – and he’s down and out!
(Remnants of a shattered Blackberry are zoomed in on.)
Dan Timberland: That’s a phone – this had to be Ranvir?
Ransom: Why did it have to be Ranvir?
Dan Timberland: Don’t start with me… it looks like a PDA to the head wasn’t the only thing that happened to Stryker… he’s bruised up.
(A couple of backstage trainers rush over to attend to Knight.)
Ransom: I consider your accusation racial profiling.
Dan Timberland: He used a phone like that on his brother in a match not two weeks ago.
Ransom: See what I mean? You’re a bigot, it wasn’t even him – it was Merritt Paulson. You’re blaming him just because he’s from Southern Asia and his skin is slightly a different color.
Dan Timberland: He’s from the Virgin Islands, he’s an American and I could care less what color his skin is. You even mentioning it-
Ransom: Enough. We could do this all night.
Dan Timberland: I suppose. One has to wonder how this will affect tonight’s big main event?
Ransom: I’ll make a call… wait my phone’s missing?
Dan Timberland: WHAT!?! You were the one-
(He pulls it out of his pocket.)
Ransom: Calm down chief… just a joke. Move us along.
(Timberland’s frustrated.)
Dan Timberland: Let’s go to Joel in the ring with the introductions for our first match of the evening.
(“Grown and Sexy” from Chamillionaire starts up. The lights dim to a soft orange.)
Joel Cronus: Introducing first, with her second match in Liberty Wrestling…
(Kellie Taminson and Laura Drones makes their way down to ringside. They receive another favorable response from the crowd.)
Joel Cronus: From Los Angeles, California by way of Dublin, Ireland…
(Kellie enters the ring while Drones remains at ringside. She acknowledges the crowd while she waits.)
Joel Cronus: I give you… KELLIE TAMINSON!
(The lights stay down. “Tear Away” by Drowning Pool hits the Public Address and a laser light show starts, highlighting the name “The Technician” in the ring.)
Joel Cronus: And her opponent, a former community champion…
(Tommy Riley comes out to ringside with a sly grin on his face.)
Joel Cronus: From San Diego, California…
(He slides under the bottom rope and then stretches himself out a little using the top rope.)
Joel Cronus: I give you – TOMMY “THE TECHNICIAN” RILEY!
(We get a bell.)
*DING, DING*
(Taminson and Riley circle each other for a few moments in the ring.)
Dan Timberland: Riley’s return to an “official” LWF ring.
Ransom: Don’t bring up the Extreme Letdown.
Dan Timberland: He did pull off a victory via disqualification there over Silverback.
(They lock up. Riley wins it and pushes Taminson to the ropes.)
Ransom: Silverback and Vicious reminded Riley that it’s not polite to interfere with the day-to-day life of our Liberty President, Jeffery Drake.
Dan Timberland: I doubt that was their intention.
Ransom: You doubt too much.
(She bounds off and knocks him to his back.)
Dan Timberland: And let’s certainly not discount Taminson in this match. She was victorious last week in her debut.
Ransom: After some happenstance.
Dan Timberland: It seems like there’s always happenstance around here.
(Riley back up and wins a lock up and forces it into a hammerlock. He clips her down to a knee, and then pushes her face into the mat.)
Dan Timberland: Riley not letting anyone forget about his moniker, ‘the Technician’ as he goes to work on Taminson’s leg.
Ransom: This will slow down her aerial game.
Dan Timberland: Was that a productive comment?
(She rolls up to her feet and the two square up again.)
Ransom: A bum knee will also take a way from her part time pole dancing job too.
Dan Timberland: I see you only stepped out momentarily.
(Riley whips her into the corner and delivers a couple of elbows.)
Dan Timberland: Riley with a weight, power and experience advantage here… and he’s using all of that to his advantage right now.
(Taminson reverses and delivers some slaps of her own.)
Dan Timberland: Then again his opponent has more than a few tricks up her sleeve.
(She takes a few steps back and attempts a splash in the corner, but Riley dodges it. As she rebounds out of the corner, the Technician grabs at her ankle and flips her down.)
Dan Timberland: Both of these competitors are a part of the Titan Title Tournament that starts in just under two weeks at Tuesday Night Truth.
Ransom: Call it by its real name… the Matthew Attict Career Memorial Titan Title Tournament.
Dan Timberland: How could we call it that – and book Attict in matches? He hasn’t even made a phone call to LWF management, much less signed a contract to appear.
Ransom: He’ll be here, as long as he doesn’t get trapped in a tanning bed or caught under a mound of Creatine prescriptions.
(Riley continues to work on the leg with a modified standing ankle wrench.)
Dan Timberland: Riley originally had a bye in the first round of the tournament and Taminson drew fellow LWF newcomer, Erik Ortiz-
Ransom: Which is just like having a bye.
Dan Timberland: However, in recent days, the Liberty booking committee has stated that they will have a “hand-picked” opponent waiting for Riley in just a few weeks.
(Taminson gets out of it with an inadvertent low blow.)
Ransom: Ooooh.
Dan Timberland: Ouch. I don’t think Taminson was looking to land that... but…
Ransom: She did.
(Swifkicky warns her, as Riley takes a couple moments to recompose herself. Riley takes her back into the corner and hooks the leg around the ropes and wrenches down on it.)
Dan Timberland: And he goes right back to work on her leg. He certainly seems focused here tonight.
(Taminson is in pain. Swifkicky calls for a break.)
Dan Timberland: Referee Dick Swifkicky asking for a break of the hold… and Riley complies.
Ransom: He lacks that killer instinct.
Dan Timberland: You’ve seen Riley – he main evented the last Fall From Grace – he has that killer instinct.
Ransom: I’m just saying I don’t see it in him right now.
(Riley drags her into the middle of the ring and applies a figure four, but Taminson pushes him off into the ropes. She catches with a drop toehold on his way back to her. Both are down.)
Dan Timberland: Taminson showing a technical side of her own. She’s going to have to protect that leg he’s been working on.
(Taminson slow to her feet, and Riley goes after her leg again. She kicks at him but he catches her foot. Taminson counters with a leg scissors. She covers.)
1
2
Dan Timberland: NO! Riley gets a shoulder up.
Ransom: Guess all of that leg work didn’t stop her for kicking him square in the jaw… did it?
(Taminson with a couple of leg drops.)
Dan Timberland: Now using her best asset, Taminson hitting him with fast, sharp moves.
Ransom: Sharp?
(Taminson slow up to the top rope looking for a guillotine leg drop, but Riley rolls out of the way and it does not connect.)
Dan Timberland: Looking to hit the big one, Riley got out of the way… this may be the downfall of Taminson.
Ransom: I don’t think I’m ready to let you off the hook for that ‘sharp’ comment. What the hell did you mean?
Dan Timberland: I misspoke. There’s a lot of words to say – occasionally all humans slip up.
Ransom: Good. I like it when you point out your flaws. You should do that more often.
(Tommy goes back to stomping on her foot. Spinning toehold locked in by Riley.)
Dan Timberland: Taminson is in pain… Riley really has the angle here on her.
(Taminson being asked if she wants to quit.)
Dan Timberland: Swifkicky asking if Taminson wants to give in? She’s fighting through it.
(She reaches the ropes. Riley breaks the hold and stomps away on her ankle some more.)
Ransom: Why doesn’t that Laura chick do something about what’s going on here? You have a manager at ringside; use them to your advantage.
Dan Timberland: Not everyone agrees with the “Charm School of Wrestling” you attended.
(Riley suplexes her over and puts her back into an ankle lock, Taminson trying to wrangle out of it, but can't.)
Dan Timberland: He’s got her now! There’s no way she’s going to make it to the ropes.
Ransom: I think I hear Ranvir’s ringtone?
Dan Timberland: What? You guys have something planned?
(Taminson inches towards the ropes again. But Riley drags her back to the center.)
Dan Timberland: She’s fought through this the whole night it seems…
(Taminson taps.)
Dan Timberland: But it’s just too much and she’s got to worry about her future here before it gets worse.
*DING, DING*
Ransom: Wait; was THAT Ranvir’s ringtone?
(Laura helps Kellie out of the ring. There’s commotion from the entrance way and the crowd reacts.)
Ransom: I swear to you, I was making a joke, this is all a coincidence.
Dan Timberland: Since when do I start believing you- That’s SILVERBACK!
(Adam Gray sprints out to ringside with a chair.)
Ransom: See?
(Silverback nails Riley from behind with the chair. He follows it up with a couple more shots.)
Dan Timberland: The Rough Gods following up on their previous attack on Riley from Night of Armageddon.
(Silverback with a couple more hits and then throws that warped chair back down into Riley’s face.)
Ransom: Maybe Gray’s looking to start a beauty salon to appease his parole officer?
Dan Timberland: We’ve got to take a break… Riley is busted up real bad – can we get some help out here for him?