Disgrace Part 1 (Character Development)

Also available in MLWA: ntlwresfed.boards.net/thread/108/disgrace-1-character-development

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March 25, 2019
9:45 am

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The airplane has finally landed and ceased its motion to park to the nearest the terminal. The crew placed a staircase next to the door for the passengers to come out. A few of them went down slowly suffering from jet lag, Lolo Tasyo, Isidra, Paco and Max descended to the ground. The group was just awake as the plane landed. Anthony Noir and Chris Ravenna were not with them as they assumed that both went on their way to Toronto, Canada to get their head start for the upcoming match at Maple Leaf Wrestling Association. But something didn’t feel right for these band of people. It took a few minutes until they noticed.

“NAIA ito ah!” (That’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport!) Paco finally figured out. “Bumalik tayo sa Pinas?” (We’re back in the Philippines?)

That revelation threw a confusion in the group asking why they were back in their homeland when they were supposed to meet up with Chris. However, Max didn’t show any emotion at all, but a pity for the baffled friends of Ravenna. Lolo Tasyo spotted the Englishman’s stoicism, so the elder approached him and asked, “You knew this, didn’t you?”

Max felt sad about him for they were clueless, but he remained silent. Lolo Tasyo kept calm and attempted to go another question. “Why are you still silent? You know about this, didn’t you?”

Max still has no answer for them, and it made the elder’s patience grew thin. Lolo Tasyo began to think that the Englishman didn’t want to answer, so he made him so by force. The elder pulled Max closer by the turtleneck collar and demanded, “Answer me!”

Paco and Isidra rushed in trying to stop them both from causing a scene in the middle of the airport. Max finally gave in their plea and said to the elder, “Alright! Alright!” He unraveled a small thick envelope and presented it to them. Lolo Tasyo reached it and passed to Isidra for he was unable to read without his reading glasses. Isidra tore the envelope open and picked out the yellow paper. She was about to read it until someone called for them.

“Hoy, kayong apat! Pumunta na kayo sa loob, baka sagasaan kayo ng eroplano diyan!” (Hey, you four! You better proceed into the terminal before you get roamed by an airplane!) The crew commanded.

So the band went inside the terminal as they brought their traveling bags. Max proceeded to the conveyor belt to pick up some of their extra luggage. He gave the three of them some of their space to read the letter. It was in the Tagalog language since it meant for the three of them. Here is what it said:



As they finished verbally reading the letter, Max approached them and unwrapped something from his hand. Ravenna’s key item, the Ravenna bolo! Max handed the heirloom to Chris’s close relative, his brother, Paco. It was like saying that he was better successor than Chris.

Isidra felt sad for Ravenna to write this apology while Lolo Tasyo shook his head. Both wanted to correct Chris’ way of thinking. As for Paco, he lamented, “Kuya, bakit?” (Brother, why?)

March 25, 2019
Former Eno Residence in Salem, Utah
10:45 am

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A small box truck stopped their motion as it parked right next to a sidewalk of the house. That house was facing the former residence of Chris after Salem kicked him out. Anthony stepped outside of the truck along with Chris in his disguise consist of a top hat, a trench coat and a pair of shades. He didn’t want everyone to know that he arrived and caused trouble.

“Here we are, Salem.” Anthony sighed as he looked the Chris in the almost emotionless state. “I’m going to Household Dungeon, see if everyone’s okay ever since I’ve left. You sure that you are fine from here?”

Chris didn’t say a word but to give him a nod. Anthony didn’t make a word either, so both of them went on separate ways. As Anthony walked away from him, Chris paid close attention to the house he was facing. He saw that it didn’t change since he left. The only thing new about it was the family occupied there. He began to recall the moments he had with his wife, Sakuya.

When Chris and Sakuya arrived in Salem, Anthony helped them out with their furniture along with some folks here. They exchanged handshakes, laughter and life stories. The couple thought of them as very nice neighbors. They started to like this city and think an as great place to start a new life. Chris called those times as the beginning of the happier days. He asked himself, “Where did those days go?”

He stared at the window and saw two children playing on the couch while their father was looking out for them. He was glad and happy with his kids jumping with joy. Good for him, he thought. It brought back some of his memories with his wife. It was on Christmas Day when it was their first day celebrating the holidays together. He remembered the beverages that gave them warmth, the hugs they shared, the presents they gave to each other and the kiss they exchanged. Though they were alone together, they made that day a very memorable one.

At that moment, something came out from the shades of his sunglasses – a drop of tears. That moment that they've special was special. Too bad that it ended very early like any other failed marriage. He walked away from the house for it was unbearable for him to recall any other memories he had with his (now-former) wife. He went inside the truck, started the engine and drove away.

Minutes later, he stopped at the Household Dungeon, his former gym. He distanced away from the venue so that no could notice. He saw some of the familiar faces including Douglas, the one who taught him how to use a rifle, Black Onyx, his partner who encourage him to go with Strong Style Wrestling, and Feurte, a luchador who educate him some of the high-flying moves which he abandoned. At that point, he recalled once again some of the moments.

Chris and Sakuya used to spar in the training arena. Chris tried to remove some of the ring rust from his body as Sakuya performed very well. He remembered a funny moment where Chris got himself stumbled and lost his sparring match against her. He attempted to use his wife’s finisher to win. It named as Issen which he currently uses as Artikulo Uno. He was about to unleash it that was until Sakuya caught his leg with cunning and went for a Single Leg Takedown. She followed up with her submission, Sakuraba’s Yurikamome which she called it Kitsune Special. He did tap out from her hold, but they laughed it off.

After remembering all those moments, Chris shook his head and let the tears rolling down from his eyes. He tried to shake it off by forcing himself to think of something else and laugh, but he can’t. He lamented for losing his special one, the person he can lean on for encouragement, the best friend he can take refuge on, his wife, Sakuya Shizuka. He lost his wife when her brothers stripped him off from their family circle forcing him to divorce her. As he tried to take her back, he saw Sakuya that she moved on without him saying that she didn’t need him anymore. It was too late!

Chris took off his shades briefly and wiped out his tears. He wanted to move on just like his wife did. He put the sunglasses back on his face and drove away with his truck.

Cemetery
4:56 pm

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In the silent place, Chris sauntered along in the search for his late girlfriend's tomb. He looked around seeing that no one visited their loved ones at that time. There were numerous amount of gravestones and some dead trees scattered around the vicinity. As he spotted the tomb he looked for, he approached it and crouched down. He placed a rose of its base to pay her some respect. He glanced at the epitaph etched in her grave.



Fione was Chris’ lovely companion back in 2015. She helped him in times of trouble and supported him as a wife supports her husband. Their romantic days ended as Fione killed herself on the day of her death. Serena and Chris made a tribute for her by making a house show to raise funds of Fione’s parents. Chris didn’t stop there as he currently used her finisher which is a superkick named as Fione’s Disgrace Kick. He shortened its name for FDK. Before Sakuya, Fione was the first love that Ravenna had. Just like Sakuya, he lost her as well.

“Well, Fione.” Chris greeted as he took a deep breath to calm his fragile emotion. “Sakuya is out of my life, and I’m all alone again. If only I wish you were here, so that I could feel your warmth just as you did to me past four years ago. I guess I’m a kind of a loser when it comes to love, huh?” Chris laughed as he rubbed his eyes to dry his tears.

“So you’re here,” a voice occurred from the back of Chris’ ear.

Chris was surprised that he was not alone for making that intense moment. He turned around to find out who said that. Suddenly his eyes widened when he found out.

“Jeffrey?” Chris brought a smile as he saw someone to reunite.

“Good to see you, but what are you doing here?” Jeffrey asked without any expression from his face. Chris began to baffle as he noticed the mood and tone when Jeffrey said that. “You sure have some nerve coming here.”

“What?” Chris could not believe what he just heard coming from his long-time-no-see friend. “What do you mean?”

Jeffrey explained, “Did your mind scramble from your last match? I mean, didn’t you promise that you will never come back from Salem ever again?”

“I know that,” Chris defended. “I came to see my former home, my former gym, and my late girlfriend. Just a quick visit, something like that.”

“I can see that,” Jeffrey commented looking at Fione’s gravestone. Chris went on to ask him, “How’s Serena?”

“Are you asking me how’s my sister doing when you know the fact that Serena lost the match and went to hydroelectric therapy or should I say torture?” Jeffrey reprimanded Chris pointing out that he was asking a stupid question. Chris did acknowledge it for he did watch Serena’s loss against Gia Van Zant and Alexander Devin. “Are you happy now?”

“About her loss? No!” Chris quickly denied about it, common sense. “Especially-" 

“GOOD!” Jeffrey exclaimed. “Then I hope your conscience will continue to haunt you for the rest of your life!”

“And while at it, you should keep thinking that while you laid on your comfortable bed back in your country, my sister had a hard time sleeping on the concrete floor. And while you throbbed in pain from your training in the fresh air open field, she was severely punished by electrocution. Do you think it was fair?”

Chris was speechless and confused. He was about to say something, but Jeffrey interrupted. “Why shouldn’t be you instead of her?”

“You don’t understand, Jeffrey.” Chris tried to calm him down and asked for a time to explain. He asked, “What made you think that I’m into this?”

“You want to know? Allow me to explain it out for you.”

“You were careless when you failed to defend Salem and the Household Dungeon and got defeated by Nikki Vaughn in the match. Initially, I took pity on you when they oust you from your home. I was planning to do something to get your house back that was UNTIL you partake in that War Time Rumble match.”

“When everyone patted your shoulders on you saying that you were going to be great, you were flattered from their words becoming arrogant. You even sent my sister to a promotion where it was uncertain whether she was going to make it alive. On top of it all, you won a championship belt while my sister trapped in isolation. Where were you after you capture that title? Were you celebrating while your “mother” was sad and lonely?”

“I was glad that you lost that title to Edwards. I even wished that everyone will think that you are a joke. Despite that everyone’s praising you for your great performance, I wished that in the end, you will be nothing but a joke. Remember that, just like what Spencer Adams told you. YOU’RE A FUCKING JOKE!”

SMACK!

Chris unleashed a left hook across to Jeffrey’s face.

“DO YOU THINK I WANTED THIS?” Chris shouted as if he was fed up from everyone misjudging him. “I didn’t want my “mother”, my dear friend, Serena to separate ways. I was sick being lonely here too. But do I have a choice?”

“Yes!” Jeffrey respond. “Just as I told you, why shouldn’t be you instead of her? Why shouldn’t you sign WWH Sanatorium instead of Serena?” Chris thought of it as well, and he could’ve done it. But he knew that it wasn’t his decision, it was hers!

“Everyone knows that you are such a disgrace! I can see it right now! You are using her!” Jeffrey pointed his finger right at him like he was a crook. Chris looked at his face like the accusation was serious but false. Jeffrey added, “It came when you return to professional wrestling. You have legal charges against you for not paying your debts. That’s why you bother to send Sakuya away so that she wouldn’t think of you as a failed husband. Then you come up to my sister as you said to her that you two should go back to the way used to be. You used her to pay that debt! You used her love to get what you want!”

“THAT’S NOT TRUE!” Chris lashed out. However, Jeffrey scolded him, “I’ve better watch my tone if I were you. Salem hated you to be around, so let’s see if everyone finds out that you are here.” Chris gnashed his teeth like Jeffrey imposed an ultimatum on Chris’s head.

“Putang ina,” Chris whispered.

“From this point on, my family and I wished that we don’t want you with Serena ever again. You are but a peasant seeking favors from a rich people to take advantage.” Jeffrey said.

“But that’s not true…” Chris said. In which, Jeffrey replied, “Not true? Then why Serena is still locked in the Sanatorium asylum? Where were you when you captured the Junior Heavyweight Championship? Why didn’t you visit her just once? It was clear that you are using her to take advantage of.”

Chris was speechless from the questions pointed out for him. It appeared that the evidence was strongly suggesting that he WAS using her. But he knew that deep down, it wasn’t his intention.

“Now leave this town and never come back!” Jeffrey commanded. Chris had nothing to say for the evidence was strong against him. Chris sighed, said his goodbye to his late girlfriend in the grave and was about to leave. But he left a message for Jeffrey, “For two years, we never met, and here we are neglecting me like our time in the past were nothing.”

“You are not Ravenous anymore. You are Chris Ravenna. Also, my family doesn’t deal with plebeians like you.”

“I understand,” Chris turned his attention on his way out of the cemetery do as what Jeffrey told him. Jeffrey showed no remorse for he stood for what he said. Meanwhile, a girl hid behind the gravestone eavesdropping their conversation. It was uncertain whether it was coincidence or she wanted to follow someone.


To be continued...