"Out of continuity"
Sept 16, 2024 1:57:10 GMT -5
Post by OrochiGeese on Sept 16, 2024 1:57:10 GMT -5
*We fade into an empty, dark room with just one candelabra lit. A few feet in back of it, Joachim sits in silence with his eyes closed. He is wearing a simple grey robe, and his now long, silver hair is pulled back into a ponytail. After a few seconds of deep breathing, he opens up his eyes and bows to the camera.*
[Joachim:] "Megan Williams is correct. The brightest lights cast the darkest shadows. While I applaud her journey to personal enlightenment and self-actualization through professional wrestling, my path has brought me in a different direction. As a former architect of Destiny, my path of repentance intentionally passes straight through the shadow of oblivion. I do not wish to burden others in this sport with my presence or mistakes, and so I have removed myself from being the object of any attention. However, even my absence has caused inconvenience."
*He exhales as a note of frustration can be sensed.*
[Joachim:] "Continuum VI quickly approaches: an event where I am scheduled to face THRASH Ogawa. Any plan to continue laying low would be futile. Either I wrestle and attract attention or remain absent and draw even more. Making things even more difficult was who I now had to talk to in order to solve my problem: Ruby Moreno.
I have no desire to weigh in on her current motivations as my past with her was rife with conflict. However, I will confess to relief after discussing my quandary with her. She seemed to legitimately empathize with my concerns and expressed full support for my goals. Most importantly, she encouraged me to go public with them."
*Joachim pauses. He appears to light some incense next to him, takes a deep breath, then continues.*
[Joachim:] "I am withdrawing from the Infinite Continuum League and being placed on the Dimensional roster. I will only wrestle those who directly challenge me as a result of me having wronged them in the past.
This atonement and eventual self-exile resonates with me in a way I have not felt in a while. Since the fall of Destiny, I have spent my time in UBL without a coherent sense of direction. For a man so adherent to following a path, this has been frustrating. Over the past two years of meditation, I have realized the nature of the spiritual block that I have suffered from. I have felt too ashamed of my past deeds to be able to confidently compete for any accolades in UBL.
I only entered the Continuum league because I felt my presence as a former NEXUS Champion could add some gravitas to the Infinite Continuum Championship. Perhaps that would have been true had I competed for the title with the zeal of many of my competitors. However, I could not help but trip over the stones I myself laid in front of that path. I didn't enter for me, and the lack of my clear conscience made it impossible to do what I needed to help the UBL.
A similar phenomenon accounts for my embarrassing behavior with Corey O'Brian. I apologize: both for what I did as a part of Destiny and what I did in my match with him as Continuum III. My behavior during our match was a mistake on two levels. I genuinely but incorrectly assumed that Corey would want the kind of contest I suggested. But even worse, I erred in trying to win Corey over with a ploy rather than being myself. The best thing I could have done would have been to withdraw from the match for the same reasons I am withdrawing from the league now. I apologize for wasting Corey's and UBL's time. I understand that Corey may not forgive me. It's certainly not my place to complain, and twisting himself into knots to get Corey's forgiveness is no longer my goal. Finding my own path to get enlightenment is what I am after.
I just can't do that anymore through in ring competition. Perhaps, looking at where I am now, I was never able to do that to begin with. However, I am going to stay in the UBL for one reason: to give anyone who I wronged a chance to face me one more time. After everyone has had their shot, I will retire from active competition and go back to traveling the world. Ruby accepted this and placed me on the Dimensional roster until I feel that it's time to leave. However, she warned me to be careful offering this atonement: because she is rightfully concerned that some may take liberties."
*Joachim's expression hardens.*
[Joachim:] "This is where the path leading me away from this place may get rocky. Just because I am allowing people to get their frustrations out by facing me, does not mean that I will roll over or allow unreasonable harm to befall me. To guarantee my safety, I will have Jang Bae present at my matches. And if anyone plans anything particularly egregious, Mr. Clyde will be not far away. Crossing him would be a mistake even an Emperor could not afford. We will not allow my farewell tour to lead someone down the wrong path, so that he would have to retread my same apologetic steps down the road. I fully acknowledge my role in bringing war to UBL. But I wish to bolster it's peace on my way out."
*Joachim blows out the candelabra and the promo ends.*
[Joachim:] "Megan Williams is correct. The brightest lights cast the darkest shadows. While I applaud her journey to personal enlightenment and self-actualization through professional wrestling, my path has brought me in a different direction. As a former architect of Destiny, my path of repentance intentionally passes straight through the shadow of oblivion. I do not wish to burden others in this sport with my presence or mistakes, and so I have removed myself from being the object of any attention. However, even my absence has caused inconvenience."
*He exhales as a note of frustration can be sensed.*
[Joachim:] "Continuum VI quickly approaches: an event where I am scheduled to face THRASH Ogawa. Any plan to continue laying low would be futile. Either I wrestle and attract attention or remain absent and draw even more. Making things even more difficult was who I now had to talk to in order to solve my problem: Ruby Moreno.
I have no desire to weigh in on her current motivations as my past with her was rife with conflict. However, I will confess to relief after discussing my quandary with her. She seemed to legitimately empathize with my concerns and expressed full support for my goals. Most importantly, she encouraged me to go public with them."
*Joachim pauses. He appears to light some incense next to him, takes a deep breath, then continues.*
[Joachim:] "I am withdrawing from the Infinite Continuum League and being placed on the Dimensional roster. I will only wrestle those who directly challenge me as a result of me having wronged them in the past.
This atonement and eventual self-exile resonates with me in a way I have not felt in a while. Since the fall of Destiny, I have spent my time in UBL without a coherent sense of direction. For a man so adherent to following a path, this has been frustrating. Over the past two years of meditation, I have realized the nature of the spiritual block that I have suffered from. I have felt too ashamed of my past deeds to be able to confidently compete for any accolades in UBL.
I only entered the Continuum league because I felt my presence as a former NEXUS Champion could add some gravitas to the Infinite Continuum Championship. Perhaps that would have been true had I competed for the title with the zeal of many of my competitors. However, I could not help but trip over the stones I myself laid in front of that path. I didn't enter for me, and the lack of my clear conscience made it impossible to do what I needed to help the UBL.
A similar phenomenon accounts for my embarrassing behavior with Corey O'Brian. I apologize: both for what I did as a part of Destiny and what I did in my match with him as Continuum III. My behavior during our match was a mistake on two levels. I genuinely but incorrectly assumed that Corey would want the kind of contest I suggested. But even worse, I erred in trying to win Corey over with a ploy rather than being myself. The best thing I could have done would have been to withdraw from the match for the same reasons I am withdrawing from the league now. I apologize for wasting Corey's and UBL's time. I understand that Corey may not forgive me. It's certainly not my place to complain, and twisting himself into knots to get Corey's forgiveness is no longer my goal. Finding my own path to get enlightenment is what I am after.
I just can't do that anymore through in ring competition. Perhaps, looking at where I am now, I was never able to do that to begin with. However, I am going to stay in the UBL for one reason: to give anyone who I wronged a chance to face me one more time. After everyone has had their shot, I will retire from active competition and go back to traveling the world. Ruby accepted this and placed me on the Dimensional roster until I feel that it's time to leave. However, she warned me to be careful offering this atonement: because she is rightfully concerned that some may take liberties."
*Joachim's expression hardens.*
[Joachim:] "This is where the path leading me away from this place may get rocky. Just because I am allowing people to get their frustrations out by facing me, does not mean that I will roll over or allow unreasonable harm to befall me. To guarantee my safety, I will have Jang Bae present at my matches. And if anyone plans anything particularly egregious, Mr. Clyde will be not far away. Crossing him would be a mistake even an Emperor could not afford. We will not allow my farewell tour to lead someone down the wrong path, so that he would have to retread my same apologetic steps down the road. I fully acknowledge my role in bringing war to UBL. But I wish to bolster it's peace on my way out."
*Joachim blows out the candelabra and the promo ends.*