Sun & Mentor
Feb 24, 2019 4:23:09 GMT -5
Post by OrochiGeese on Feb 24, 2019 4:23:09 GMT -5
(Note: This RP was written specifically for Super Nova's Stellarvision 49 event and in response to Nobu Nakazawa's comments. However, when I was writing this, I realized how much of it pertained to the UBL so it's "airing" here too.)
*We fade into Matsuki Holdings Dojo where RYOMA is standing outside of a ring and leaning on the apron while watching two young men spar inside. He is shouting encouragement and strategy to both men who are engaging in a strike exchange. In a nearby ring, four women are practicing speed and conditioning drills by taking turns running ropes in a lattice formation. RYOMA nods in their diction, takes a deep breath, and turns to the camera.*
[RYOMA:] "Yoshi Hattori was the first wrestler signed by Asako Matsuki as part of the Matsuki-Gun stable."
*RYOMA points to the quickest woman in the ring who is wearing orange and a big smile.*
[RYOMA:] "Despite getting off to a promising start in OG-Joshi, Yoshi was treated poorly by Asako. Jean Carter intervened and Yoshi became the first wrestler released by Matsuki-Gun. Soon afterward, Asako signed me and Narai Kaeo."
*RYOMA points to the taller women in the ring.*
[RYOMA:] "We each had initial success. Narai almost captured the OG-Joshi World Championship. I almost became the Universal Battle League Field Leader. The Hellions, Hae-Won and Sako Dasumi, were the next two to join."
*RYOMA points to a woman in black and white and another woman in purple and black*
[RYOMA:] "But despite possessing a number that many would consider a proper 'stable' in professional wrestling, there was no cohesion. This started to change when Kazuo Saji joined our group."
*RYOMA points to the man in the ring wearing white, black, and gold. Saji winks at the camera.*
[RYOMA:] "Kazuo was immature but seemed to genuinely enjoy everyone's company, particularly Hae-Won's. Asako tasked me with the responsibility of being his mentor. I failed miserably and initially blamed him. How could I be a mentor when he was so immature? But I grew to realize that there was another more important question. How could I be a mentor when I had never had one myself? I lacked patience for his immaturity, a natural and blameless quality in a rookie, because I was never shown it by anyone else. I lacked the ability to convey discipline because I was not disciplined in accepting his differences from me. The two of us did not get along and it almost led to Kazuo being the second one to leave Matsuki-Gun. This was my worst failure in professional wrestling: a far greater humiliation than any loss I had ever suffered in the ring."
*RYOMA takes a second of quiet reflection before he continues.*
[RYOMA:] "Around this time I became involved in a rivalry in Super NOVA with Nobu Nakazawa. This was a man who I initially failed to show the proper respect. I pretended that I was just a fierce competitor doing what I had to do to win but, in reality, I was jealous of him. He was everything that I had wanted to be in the ring but possessed far more experience, wisdom, judgment, and skill than I had. By some miracle, I managed to finally defeat him in a one on one match, after his domination of our early ones. However, as important as this victory was for advancement in my career, it fell short of satisfying me. I even had the gall to suggest that Nobu had intentionally collided with Asako even though it was an accident. I was young, brash, disrespectful, and unworthy of the leadership mantle that Asako had assigned me within our group.
But then I was given the greatest opportunity of my career. Asako realized that Nobu and I were wasting our time chopping at each others throats when, instead, we could be tagging each others hands. The now legendary team of 'Sun and Moon' was born. It did not take us long to win the Super Nova Gemini Tag Championships. Within six months, we became the Kirin Dojo Champions and, six months later, captured the Azteca Pro Champions. Four months later we became the Universal Battalion Champions: A title that we eventually relinquished after five years because we were never defeated."
*RYOMA looks away from the camera for a second to shout some encouragement to the ring.*
[RYOMA:] "During this period of time, one that smiled upon us in a way that no other tag team has ever enjoyed in the history of pro wrestling, I was given the opportunity by Asako to mentor yet another young wrestler that she had added to our group: Tetsu Gushiken."
*RYOMA points to a man wearing white and two shades of blue in the ring.*
[RYOMA:] "Undoubtedly, one reason that our relationship immediately became strong was due to our similar, stoic personalities. But the main reason I succeeded with him where I failed with Kazuo was because of what Nobu did for me. It was not the success in the ring. Yes, Nobu won four Tag Titles with me but that paled in comparison to the way he changed me: as a wrestler, as a man, and as a leader. From the beginning of Sun & Moon, Nobu accepted me for who I was and put our contentious past behind us. He was patient, understanding, respectful, and kind to me. And, in doing so, he taught me not just how to be that with others, but instilled in me the desire to be like him. Nobu's influence on me is why I have succeeded with Tetsu."
*RYOMA pans his hand around the Dojo and smiles*
[RYOMA:] "And Nobu's influence on not just me but all of us is why Matsuki-Gun is the family that we are today. Everyone in this group has changed their ways: from myself to Asako to Narai to the Hellions to Kazuo. Yoshi returned and forgave once Asako sincerely apologized to her. Narai has gone from a bully to a mentor. The Hellions focused on spending time training to win and defend the OG-Joshi Tag Team Championship rather than their nihilistic smoke breaks. Kazuo no longer wishes to enjoy the company of a sociopathic man who seeks to steal and destroy things, like Championship belts, rather than build himself and others up.
And even though the Sun & Moon tag team has officially retired, Nobu is still part of our family. There is a locker room with his name on it in our Dojo and he is always invited to train and stay with us. Just as importantly, Nobu's influence - his values and lessons - will remain etched into my career and life forever.
One of those lessons is not backing down from the greater responsibilities that come with career opportunities.
At Stellarvision 49, Nobu and I will be facing each other with the winner earning a shot at the Super Nova Universal Crown. That reward, on its own, demands that we hit each other with everything that we have in order to honor the Championship we are vying for. But in addition to that career opportunity, one of us will have the chance to capture the Title on behalf of Super Nova against a psychotic megalomaniac. That means that Nobu and I will be fighting our hardest against each other in support of something we share that is bigger than us. Not only is Nobu demanding that I don't hold back, not only is he requesting the best out of me, but he knows the physical cost of doing so. He has suffered my strongest and I have suffered his. We do not unleash these weapons against each other at full strength without acknowledgement of a dire situation.
Nobu, you have my word. I will not give you any quarter and I expect you to deny me the same. Celestial bodies have a duty not to allow the darkness to silence the light. At any given time of the day, the sun or moon will appear to be higher in the sky. However, there is no force in the universe that can eclipse them both."
*RYOMA smiles and bows as the camera fades to white.*
*We fade into Matsuki Holdings Dojo where RYOMA is standing outside of a ring and leaning on the apron while watching two young men spar inside. He is shouting encouragement and strategy to both men who are engaging in a strike exchange. In a nearby ring, four women are practicing speed and conditioning drills by taking turns running ropes in a lattice formation. RYOMA nods in their diction, takes a deep breath, and turns to the camera.*
[RYOMA:] "Yoshi Hattori was the first wrestler signed by Asako Matsuki as part of the Matsuki-Gun stable."
*RYOMA points to the quickest woman in the ring who is wearing orange and a big smile.*
[RYOMA:] "Despite getting off to a promising start in OG-Joshi, Yoshi was treated poorly by Asako. Jean Carter intervened and Yoshi became the first wrestler released by Matsuki-Gun. Soon afterward, Asako signed me and Narai Kaeo."
*RYOMA points to the taller women in the ring.*
[RYOMA:] "We each had initial success. Narai almost captured the OG-Joshi World Championship. I almost became the Universal Battle League Field Leader. The Hellions, Hae-Won and Sako Dasumi, were the next two to join."
*RYOMA points to a woman in black and white and another woman in purple and black*
[RYOMA:] "But despite possessing a number that many would consider a proper 'stable' in professional wrestling, there was no cohesion. This started to change when Kazuo Saji joined our group."
*RYOMA points to the man in the ring wearing white, black, and gold. Saji winks at the camera.*
[RYOMA:] "Kazuo was immature but seemed to genuinely enjoy everyone's company, particularly Hae-Won's. Asako tasked me with the responsibility of being his mentor. I failed miserably and initially blamed him. How could I be a mentor when he was so immature? But I grew to realize that there was another more important question. How could I be a mentor when I had never had one myself? I lacked patience for his immaturity, a natural and blameless quality in a rookie, because I was never shown it by anyone else. I lacked the ability to convey discipline because I was not disciplined in accepting his differences from me. The two of us did not get along and it almost led to Kazuo being the second one to leave Matsuki-Gun. This was my worst failure in professional wrestling: a far greater humiliation than any loss I had ever suffered in the ring."
*RYOMA takes a second of quiet reflection before he continues.*
[RYOMA:] "Around this time I became involved in a rivalry in Super NOVA with Nobu Nakazawa. This was a man who I initially failed to show the proper respect. I pretended that I was just a fierce competitor doing what I had to do to win but, in reality, I was jealous of him. He was everything that I had wanted to be in the ring but possessed far more experience, wisdom, judgment, and skill than I had. By some miracle, I managed to finally defeat him in a one on one match, after his domination of our early ones. However, as important as this victory was for advancement in my career, it fell short of satisfying me. I even had the gall to suggest that Nobu had intentionally collided with Asako even though it was an accident. I was young, brash, disrespectful, and unworthy of the leadership mantle that Asako had assigned me within our group.
But then I was given the greatest opportunity of my career. Asako realized that Nobu and I were wasting our time chopping at each others throats when, instead, we could be tagging each others hands. The now legendary team of 'Sun and Moon' was born. It did not take us long to win the Super Nova Gemini Tag Championships. Within six months, we became the Kirin Dojo Champions and, six months later, captured the Azteca Pro Champions. Four months later we became the Universal Battalion Champions: A title that we eventually relinquished after five years because we were never defeated."
*RYOMA looks away from the camera for a second to shout some encouragement to the ring.*
[RYOMA:] "During this period of time, one that smiled upon us in a way that no other tag team has ever enjoyed in the history of pro wrestling, I was given the opportunity by Asako to mentor yet another young wrestler that she had added to our group: Tetsu Gushiken."
*RYOMA points to a man wearing white and two shades of blue in the ring.*
[RYOMA:] "Undoubtedly, one reason that our relationship immediately became strong was due to our similar, stoic personalities. But the main reason I succeeded with him where I failed with Kazuo was because of what Nobu did for me. It was not the success in the ring. Yes, Nobu won four Tag Titles with me but that paled in comparison to the way he changed me: as a wrestler, as a man, and as a leader. From the beginning of Sun & Moon, Nobu accepted me for who I was and put our contentious past behind us. He was patient, understanding, respectful, and kind to me. And, in doing so, he taught me not just how to be that with others, but instilled in me the desire to be like him. Nobu's influence on me is why I have succeeded with Tetsu."
*RYOMA pans his hand around the Dojo and smiles*
[RYOMA:] "And Nobu's influence on not just me but all of us is why Matsuki-Gun is the family that we are today. Everyone in this group has changed their ways: from myself to Asako to Narai to the Hellions to Kazuo. Yoshi returned and forgave once Asako sincerely apologized to her. Narai has gone from a bully to a mentor. The Hellions focused on spending time training to win and defend the OG-Joshi Tag Team Championship rather than their nihilistic smoke breaks. Kazuo no longer wishes to enjoy the company of a sociopathic man who seeks to steal and destroy things, like Championship belts, rather than build himself and others up.
And even though the Sun & Moon tag team has officially retired, Nobu is still part of our family. There is a locker room with his name on it in our Dojo and he is always invited to train and stay with us. Just as importantly, Nobu's influence - his values and lessons - will remain etched into my career and life forever.
One of those lessons is not backing down from the greater responsibilities that come with career opportunities.
At Stellarvision 49, Nobu and I will be facing each other with the winner earning a shot at the Super Nova Universal Crown. That reward, on its own, demands that we hit each other with everything that we have in order to honor the Championship we are vying for. But in addition to that career opportunity, one of us will have the chance to capture the Title on behalf of Super Nova against a psychotic megalomaniac. That means that Nobu and I will be fighting our hardest against each other in support of something we share that is bigger than us. Not only is Nobu demanding that I don't hold back, not only is he requesting the best out of me, but he knows the physical cost of doing so. He has suffered my strongest and I have suffered his. We do not unleash these weapons against each other at full strength without acknowledgement of a dire situation.
Nobu, you have my word. I will not give you any quarter and I expect you to deny me the same. Celestial bodies have a duty not to allow the darkness to silence the light. At any given time of the day, the sun or moon will appear to be higher in the sky. However, there is no force in the universe that can eclipse them both."
*RYOMA smiles and bows as the camera fades to white.*