Post by 高村謙信 on Feb 11, 2014 22:06:59 GMT -5
SCENE 1
Traveling. Sometimes it could be the bane of a wrestler's existance, but sometimes it could be just as much of a pleasure as competing in front of a crowd of tens of thousands. It was odd how things could be so polar opposite just based on certain key elements. It was like, for example, if a fighter locked in a Cross Armbreaker on his opponent, one miniscule move could ruin the victim's next few months. One simple, incorrect movement could cause that man's arm to snap in two. Anyone who has ever been locked in such a move knew that well especially the submission technicians of professional wrestling. What does this have to do with traveling? Ultimately, very little, but it has quite a bit to do with the man that was doing said traveling. A man that had returned television sets in the United States just a couple nights before: Kenshin Takamura.
After the past few hours, Kenshin Takamura had found himself the reciever of applause. Professional wrestling fans in Japan weren't nearly as fickle as the fans in the United States with all due respect to them. They tended to appreciate fighters for their abilities, not their gimmicks. If Kenshin Takamura had to compete with others' gimmicks, he would probably be screwed because Kenshin was Kenshin. Where he lacked a ficticious gimmick to toss around, he made up for with pure talent, skill, and charisma. Yes, Kenshin Takamura was a big deal in Tokyo, Japan, and the fans treated him that way. Naturally, he would have a reception and departure fitting of a Japanese professional wrestling star.
As Kenshin Takamura walked through Narita International Airport, many fans approached him. It was normal for him, but rather than despise the attention, Takamura embraced it for he knew well that if it wasn't for the fans of professional wrestling, he wouldn't have a job. Yes, he was leaving them, but he was leaving them for what he believed to be a good cause. Kenshin believed in this new company that he had signed on with, and his diehard fans wouldn't allow this to be the end of Kenshin Takamura for them because they would know how to find his matches. This would also prove that Kenshin Takamura wasn't some shallow, money-crazed professional wrestler too. Quite the opposite, despite a rather generous offer from NJPW to re-sign with them, he opted to sign with this new company, Online Championship Wrestling.
Kenshin Takamura had already sent waves crashing through OCW by signing with them which had been quite unexpected for such a high profile wrestler, but now he had to follow that hype that he had created for himself with a tsunami. That was all on Kenshin Takamura, and he knew that.
The clouds beyond resembled mountains of... snow perhaps? They seemed solid rather than gas as brown eyes scanned across them. Kenshin Takamura had a long time to think about things as he tried to enjoy the fifteen plus hour flight that loomed ahead of him. Well, thirteen hours really; they had already been inflight for about two. This was the part of traveling that wasn't so enjoyable. A sigh escaped the Japanese fighter's lips as he absently as he tapped the screen of his smart phone. The beat of a well-known Daft Punk song pulsed through his brain, "Bigger Faster Stronger."
Not long after the song began though, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. The flight attendant. An American blonde who was struggling to speak to people in Japanese. Kenshin's eyes glanced up at her as his finger tapped his smart phone once more, pausing the music then pushing his headphones from his ears. Absently, he placed the headphones on the small table in front of him. The blonde's Japanese was quite terrible, and Kenshin felt a little bad for her especially with how flustered she was getting trying to use his native language.
Kenshin Takamura: "I speak English pretty well. Feel free to use it."
A sigh of relief escaped her mouth as she smiled at him. Quite a pretty smile really, Kenshin noticed.
Flight Attendant: "Would you like something, sir?"
Kenshin Takamura: "Something...?"
Flight Attendant: "Yes, can I offer you something to drink?"
Kenshin Takamura: "Oh..."
Kenshin felt pretty dumb, but he had kind of been in his own little world up until she had gotten his attention. When the attendant initially distracted him from his distraction from the fifteen hour flight, he had been almost unconscious with his eyes open so he hadn't even noticed the drink cart that the blonde was pushing around when he originally looked in her direction.
"A ginger ale will be fine, please."
It was pretty plain to see that Takamura was distracted. The attendant could tell too, and she made a point to show that she noticed.
Flight Attendant: "Is something bothering you, sir?"
She multi-tasked well, making conversation as she opened a can of ginger ale and began pouring it.
Kenshin Takamura: "...Just the long flight. Plus, I am always a bit nervous when I travel to a new job."
The flight attendant allowed a warm smile to beam across her attractive features, displaying perfect dimples on either cheek.
Flight Attendant: "I understand completely. I noticed a bunch of the people at the airport crowding around you. Are you a rockstar or something?"
Kenshin Takamura: "Well, we might get treated much like a rockstar in Japan, but no, I am not. I am a professional wrestler. I am headed to a new company in the United States to compete in my first match there in about a week."
Flight Attendant: "Oh, my. Must be a dangerous job."
This forced a chuckle from Kenshin. Her friendly approach didn't hurt at all, but he was surprised and actually kind of glad about the next thing she did. A small airplane bottle of vodka was carefully placed in front of him. She pressed her index finger to his plump lips and gave a small shushing sound.
"My treat."
This brought a bit of a smile from Kenshin as he bowed slightly to her, displaying his respect for how nicely she had treated him. His eyes then returned to his cup of ginger ale. With little thought about it, he tipped the vodka over above the carbonated beverage, gracing it with the clear alcoholic liquid. After pouring his drink, he took a relaxed sip from the cup and settled into his chair. He wasn't actually flying First Class, but it was starting to feel like he was. Replacing his headphones on his head, Kenshin Takamura's brown eyes returned to tracing the clouds outside as he enjoyed his ginger ale and vodka. One person had made all the difference in his traveling woes.
SCENE 2
While in-flight, Kenshin Takamura had been able to check his Gmail account so he could find out who he would be facing at the upcoming edition of Massacre. Lou Bruno. Some Italian kid apparently. After some research through clips on the OCW video archive, Kenshin was able to figure out a little bit about his opponent. Another fool with no respect, honor, or dignity. Or, in Kenshin's mind, just another waste of space on this planet.
The scene opened up to Kenshin Takamura while he was still aboard the plane which was making the 15-hour journey across the world to Atlanta, Georgia. Later, he would make a connection to the location of Massacre, but that was another story for another day. Today, he had a few choice words for his opponent, Lou Bruno. As he prepared to speak, the Japanese wrestler removed his headphones which he had been listening to only moments prior.
Kenshin Takamura: "Good evening, everyone. I am Kenshin Takamura. Whether or not I am holding gold, and if you know who I am, you will come to know me as the Champion of the People because everytime I step into the ring, I do it for the crowd. My proof? I chose to come to the recently re-opened Online Championship Wrestling vice taking a very lucrative contract with New Japan Pro-Wrestling."
As Kenshin was speaking, it was easy to see people moving about in the plane's passage way. Faintly, we could also make out people talking from across from Kenshin, but had no idea who might be talking.
"Do not get my intentions skewed though. I am not here to shove my money and fame in your face, and I am certainly not here to treat others like common garbage. I am in OCw to show my skills in the ring. To show everyone around the world that I can compete with anyone here or there or, I should really say, anywhere. There are, however, those that do not deserve to be in the public's eye like this. Do not think me to be naive though. I know that is not how this world operates. How does it operate? It operates simply like this: if you have the skill, it matters not how you act as long as you can perform on demand. Now, those of you with any sense are asking the proper question: to whom are you referring? Good question. Your answer: Lou Bruno."
As Kenshin spoke, he seemed calm, cool, and collected. Even as someone video-bombed his promo, he didn't care. He just continued.
"From what I have seen, this fool has no respect. He walks around acting as if the world belongs to him. As if he can just do what he pleases. Miss Casablancas has already shown him otherwise, but at Massacre, I am going to re-inforce the lesson she taught him just recently. People like Lou do not learn their lessons so easily so others must keep him in check atleast every couple weeks. So, Mister Bruno, listen closely; carefully."
Takamura leaned closer to the camera and microphone on his computer so he wouldn't have to speak as loud as he was speaking. To others around him, his voice would now just sound as if he was muttering, but those watching from the privacy of their own computers could hear the Japanese fighter clearly.
"I have come across idiots like you. Seikaku wa kawaranu. Character does not change. Lou, you will always remain the same because the leopard cannot change its spots. Well, Mister Bruno, listen closely. Heso wo kamu tomo oyobanu. It is much too late to repent for your actions. That is where my task comes in. My task is to rid OCW of idiots like you on my way to attaining championship gold in OCW. Lou Bruno, Kenshin hates you. Oyasuminasai. Good night."
There wasn't even a pause between the end of Kenshin's speech and him turning off the camera, leaving those watching to think about his words and what his actions would be come Massacre. Could he actually deliver on his declaration to Lou Bruno? Or would Lou Bruno thwart Takamura's plans to teach him a lesson while moving toward greater things?