Penance #4 - Valerie Melamid vs. Kenneth Walker

[A.K.]

Non-title. If Melamid wins, she will be granted 2 bonus Vice Points.

Valerie Melamid [2/0/0 - 8VP] vs. Kenneth Walker (c) [2/0/0 - 11VP]

[Kenneth Walker]

*Bone's shatter, jaw's crack, and body's cripple in the profession that we are in. Some say were not human’s that perhaps we might be more than just humans… we risk our bodies to entertain you, we dedicate our time all to you, we put everything else that matters most to us in the back of our minds and put you first when it comes to going out there and performing day in and day out for you. But in the midst of all of these things we come back for more, and we continue to keep coming back for more, we come back for more so that we can show you more, give you more of what you want… To give you entertainment... It’s not just a job though, not just a business for entertainment, it’s a passion for those who are envolved, for those who are loyal and stay true. It’s a desire… The little tingle that goes down the spine, the energy that generates from the very core and soul of every wrestler, comes from all of you, it comes from all of the fans that make it possible, without you there would be no meaning, there would be no purpose to what we do, and for that we thank all you fans that have tuned in tonight, that have tuned in and turned TV’s to SCW...a paid program, thanks to the generosity of Austin Starr who gave some charitable money to the TV stations to make this broad cast very possible today, and in hopes to gather more viewers, and to perhaps entertain a far larger audience… and now a special recap of what has happened over the course of the Last 3 weeks of this newly opened business, a recap of what has happened here in SCW ladies in gentlemen, but first before we recap how about a few commercial breaks*

*The Scene gets a little fuzzy, and Ken taps the TV screen in his hotel room to get it back to focus, could it be because of the rain…Mixed emotions gathered in Ken’s cranium… why would Austin give money to help promote SCW…. Was there a hidden motive behind the madness? Ken paced back and forth in his hotel room. Was it to screw with his mind and play games with his head, was it to make him go off balance for his upcoming match with Valerie. In all truth Ken knew he had to concentrate on Valerie, to put all his energies in his match with Valerie… but for the time being all he could think of was of what Austin did last night, and of what Austin was doing right now, Ken gathers himself and focus’s his attentions back on the TV screen in his hotel room as the commercials end, and it goes back to a TV special about the new and upcoming SCW*

*We welcome you back from a commercial break. SCW has been making a name for themselves it seems for the last three weeks in a row, we take you on a recap of what has happened on the first week, during the first week that it opened there was a battle royal between all the competitors in SCW for the U.S. Champ which came down to a close call between three men, a near lose that many would have said that Ken would have lost or should have, but he came out with a sneaky victory, we take you to our second week, where we had some matches like Austin going to bat at Justin and being victorious, and Ken to bat against Chris Savage and him too becoming victorious... Later on we would find to come to believe that Austin went on his quest to find Callahan, which lead to him doing actions that lead to his suspension. Taking you guys into the third week now… We had for the main events of that week where Chris Savage became victorious over Johnny….and with Ken getting a win over Blade… later we would find out that Austin hit Ken with a kendo stick and assaulted him, running after a woman that we believed could have been Callahan but of that we aren’t completely sure.. Let’s recap what Austin did to Ken, we do a couple of recaps to make sure viewers get a chance to see what has happened*

*Ken paced back and forth as the TV screen in front of him displaying the replays of Austin attacking him again and again, was this the motive that Austin had. To get this to the TV stations and have it publicized to the general public, to take a chance and hope that maybe somewhere, that maybe someplace where ever that I might be at that I might for chance watch this, that it might be use to further torture me, to get more attention, or was it for honest reasons and just to promote SCW. Ken thought to himself it was more than likely that Austin used it to get himself more noticed then before, to get himself more attention, and that if Ken was to view it then that would be just a bonus for him, and if it was to distract him from his upcoming match that was soon to take place on Penance… that was going to take place new Monday Night, a new night for Penance to show up on. Well then it was working cuz of thus far Ken wasn’t really focused on Valerie’s match at all, he wasn’t even focused if the matter at hand. Ken turned the TV off, and went and sat on the bed folding his arms over his chest. Refocusing himself, refocusing his attentions to his match, to Valerie.

The most courageous acts are accomplished in the quite solitude of one’s soul

*As Ken went into his deep thoughts, much like he did for Blade, he would try and dwelve himself into who Valerie was, to who this new woman was. His information and thoughts about her might be wrong, his data that he stored in his big main frame known as his brain might had to be recalculated and adjusted. Who was Valerie? In the mindset that was Ken this is what he knew of Valerie. Putting himself in the shoes of Valerie… one would see a tough skinned warrior, not just the average woman. Putting myself in her shoes and trying to visualize myself as her as myself being Valerie, well it would be tough for one I’m a man, and another I’m much older. But by doing so this is what I would visualize myself as. Looking in the mirror I would see myself a woman who came from being the loyal servant for her master that she served in a mansion… that I believe passed away but am unsure when it comes to this but let’s say that is what happened, well continuing to look at myself in the mirror I can see a woman after the passing of her master surrounded by an empty place. I can see her mind becoming filled with emotions of loneliness; I can see her feelings become filled with emptiness… I can see her longing for herself to go back and do things she used to do in the past that she no longer did, but desired to do. I can feel for each heart beat that her body produced the feeling of desire, the feeling of passion, and the feeling of wanting something more. I can feel it beating for excitement. For the thrill to wrestle. She was looking for an answer and when she heard of SCW… when she heard of a second chance, she came running, knocking at the doors, looking for that chance, looking for that opportunity. *

*Then to someone like her she had her dreams come true she got her wish she got that opportunity…. That Golden Ticket if you will. And even though her family was against it, what could deny this young girl her passion, what could deny her the right to fill in that empty void. She was a person who came a maid who came from working for a family of three. Mother father son.. much like myself. Me lily, Michael... but one thing different is I had no mansion…I’m just a guy trying to barely get by to make a means for myself and for my family… If she reminds me of anybody she reminds me of that girl that starred in Million Dollar Baby with Clint Eastwood. But perhaps instead of having Clint Eastwood as a manager she now had him as an opponent. What a predicament wouldn’t you say? Seven years. It had been a long time for that girl to be showing something… To be coming back into wrestling and competing for that desire that she once had long ago. Already being victorious here in SCW not counting that Battle royal, not counting that first event that we had in SCW, ever since that night this young woman has been successful, she has been on the road to seeing herself becoming something big in this business… This girl…well this is a girl who loves fighting… every time she was scheduled a match she took it seriously. After all it had been her desire to compete now hasn’t it. I’ve heard about her training. Being in this company... well even prior to being in this company, she would always train. Getting into wrestling for her was no easy thing for a girl like her to do. How would she convince management that she was good enough to compete with the other guys in the back of the locker room that she was a big enough force to be reckoned with just like every one of us back there?

Every night she would beat herself to death when it came from training, from the sore knuckles that clashed with her punching bag, to the burning sensation that came days after the vigorous running, or cardiovascular exercise that she would put herself threw to make her a great competitor to build her endurance up to last as long as she does each and every time she gets into that ring. Or how about the other pains she might endure threw when she does weight lifting… Some would say she’s not normal, that she shouldn’t be working out, that perhaps what she is doing isn't the normal thing for a woman to do. But that’s just it. She’s not normal. She’s more than normal. She’s above the norm. Above the rest, doing things most other woman wouldn’t even consider doing. And here she is today… Would it have a good ending for her or would it turn out just like the Million dollar baby. Would it just have that sad ending like that story had, like so many other have had much like Blade had or has every time it comes to chances. We would have to find out*

*Ken uncrosses his arms and get’s off his hotel bed, and gets up and walks over to a desk that had some papers most of them where covered, all that could be seen was that it was some legal papers… and taking a closer look we could see Kenneth Walker’s and Austin Starr’s name on it… as Ken picks up the papers and put them in his drawer and spoke out loud…"Almost thought it was the right time for this but perhaps not old friend, perhaps not, not until the day comes that we can see eye to eye again old friend” a knock of at the door. And a voice breaks his concentration...”Hotel Service”… Speaking of Maids... ehh... Ken smirks at that thought as he gets’ up and lets her in and leave the hotel himself…penance was coming soon perhaps now, and now that the rain has stopped it was time to get some fresh air….the scene fades to black*

Tag: Valerie Melamid
Words: 2,000 without the Html
Note: Can't wait to read your post Melamid--good luck

[TerminusEst13]

What happened last week?
What, exactly…happened?
Even now, after a week had passed, Valerie still wasn’t sure. Just watching the match had made her numb—everything after Freeman’s match turned into a blur. Her body went numb that decisive moment his neck impacted with the ground.
She had tried watching the recordings people had uploaded to YouTube, but even watching it from the crowd’s view instead of the backstage view made her shiver and shudder. The way his body just bent over, the way Starr just kept stomping, and especially the way the EMTs huddled around his limp body—everything about it made her feel nauseous.
To this day, Valerie never could finish the rest of watching the third Penance. She always had to stop it and preoccupy herself with something else at hand. Maybe it was a room that needed sweeping, or a dish that needed cleaning, or an appliance that needed dusting, or some clothes that needed cleaning, or some dinner she needed to cook for herself.
They were all duties to perform, that’s why she was hired on as a maid in the first place—a prim and proper lady, raised to be an example of efficiency and elegance, trained since birth in housekeeping. This was nothing more than doing the routines that had been ingrained into her ever since she was a young girl.
Plus, it kept her mind off of things.
Unpleasant things.

---
“Fighters? Getting hurt? What a novel concept…”

Bathroom cleaned. Check.
Living room dusted. Check.
Vases polished. Check.
Pets fed and given water. Check.
Vehicles working normally. Check.
Art portraits adjusted. Check.
Beds made. Check.
Valerie ran down a mental checklist of every room in the mansion, as well as the duties she was supposed to do in them. Everything seemed to check out. Didn’t seem like she missed or forgot anything—though even if she did, nobody was around to scold her or remind her.
Everything checked out. Her routine was done, for the day. Valerie collapsed down on her bed, tossing her broom and dustpan over to a corner of the room, letting them both THUD against the baseboards and the walls.
It was amazing how just a short bit of time could build up blankets of dust in all sorts of obscure areas. Just let it go for a couple days, and then it gets there quicker than you know.
Valerie rolled over onto her back, kicking up one leg under her dress to rest over the other, her arms rising to rest behind her head.
...
Seconds passed.
...
Minutes passed.
...
It was silent now.

To be fair, it was usually silent. With the older masters away around the world and the young master still in the hospital, she was the only human still in the house, so she was the only person who would make any noise. If she was in bed, logically, there wouldn’t be any noise around the house.
But the lack of noise meant there was nothing to check on. The lack of duties meant she had nothing more to do.
And she had nothing to keep her mind from wandering, and her hand from running up and down along her collarbone.

She still had a couple scars from her last tenure. Those fateful seven years ago…
They had mostly faded away since, for which she was grateful, but they still remained, and she still had memories.
Memories which she winced at. Being jammed into a ringpost, or thrown through a wall, or having a rooftop collapse on her, among several unpleasant others. Being an unprofessional backyard gig, accidents happened frequently, but everyone continued simply out of love for the sport.
…injuries were still very commonplace, though. She rubbed at the side of her temple, where a long and jagged line trailed itself down to behind her ear. All the love in the world couldn’t keep everyone safe from accidents.
Freeman’s neck flashed in her memory again, and she winced once more.

She was hoping that SCW would be different, somehow. Maybe because it was a place with actual funding, better rules, and more competent security—she was hoping that injuries would be…nonexistent.
In retrospect, it was kind of a silly thing. This sport was all about people intentionally beating the hell out of each other, so of course there were going to be injuries. The human body can only take so much before it breaks.
Yet, somehow, she was hoping that it would be…different. Now it was real and manifest, and she was flinching from the result. The neck was easily one of the most vital parts of the human body—any damage done to it at all would easily affect a person for life.
What frightened her the most wasn’t that it could happen to her. What frightened her was that she easily had the same power to inflict such damage on someone.
She lifted up her hands, looking at the palms. She turned them around to look at her knuckles—silky smooth and white, unlike the usual sore state from her training. She hadn’t been training for the past week.
One of the things about her martial arts was that it relied on pain compliance—people would rather tap out than keep resisting it, because to resist it could easily mean a snapped bone. With her hands, wrapping around someone’s arm and pushing into the shoulder, she could easily splinter their entire arm and render it useless for the rest of their life.
But that was the entire point of martial arts—to stop them.
With her martial arts, she enjoyed seeing her opponents buckle under her, but subconsciously she had always been waiting for the tap. She had never intentionally pulled too far or pushed too hard, because she didn’t want to break any limbs or hurt them in any real way.
But that was the entire point of martial arts—to hurt them.
Her Ironing Board technique was a prime example of this. It stretched the neck, the spine, and the shoulders all at once, providing massive amounts of pain on three incredibly sensitive areas. The human body is naturally conditioned to flinch at pain, to recoil and to try and stop the pain.
But that was the entire point of martial arts—to give them pain.

At what point was too much?
And how would she be able to tell if she was on the verge of an accident…?

The idea that she could go too far made her stomach turn in disgust.
But, wasn’t that the point of martial arts?

---

“I’ve…I’ve got to admire you, Ken.”
Valerie was talking to the camera in her hotel room, trying to lace up in her wrestling gear while she talked. Her fingers tugged at the strings holding her frilly maid headdress down while she rambled.
“Well. To be fair, I admire everyone here. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking this week, about the power we hold in our hands. ‘Fight’ is a word that’s commonly taken for granted in our business—the dictionary says it’s ‘an attempt to physically and violently overcome a person by blows in order to establish dominance over the opposition’.”
Valerie tugs on her gloves and tightens them, flexing her fingers.
“There’s a couple words in there that really stand out to me. ‘Violently’, ‘overcome’, and ‘dominance’.”
Valerie punched her palms a couple times, in order to test the leather. Each hit sounded out a resounding SMACK.
“’Violently’. I think it’s safe to say that everyone is here in SCW for a reason, whether to get some media exposure, to reconcile something about themselves, for some easy cash, to better themselves, or whatever. Whatever reason you fight for, you believe that the reason valuable enough to endanger your fellow man because of it. Intentionally and willingly put them in harm’s way, breaking their body down and making them too bruised and sore to fight back.”
She bit her lower lip. That came out harsher than she intended. She shook her head—hopefully nobody would take offense.
“’Overcome’. You’re not the only person with a reason—as I said, I think everyone here has a reason. But because we’re driven by our individual reasons, at the very base each match is going to be a contest of how long people can clutch to that reason to fuel them further before their body gives out…or perhaps even after their body gives out, they’ll just continue fighting because damn it they CAN’T lose this one.”
She stood up, lacing up her boots, looking down at the ground. Her hair dangled in front of her face, and she spoke the next part quietly.
“’Dominance’. Every time we enter that ring, your reason is going to put against someone else’s. It’s an age-old adage that ‘there can only be one’, but when you think about it, it becomes chilling. Someone can dedicate their entire life to this reason, training day in and day out, working their body to the utmost limit…and yet, it’ll never come to anything because of someone else. Their desperate flails to make their reason a reality dies right there, because someone else threw them to the ground first. All of that work and effort, wasted until the next time. It’s heart-breaking.”
She bites her lip again. She stands up, completely dressed, and looks herself over.
“Right now, I’m preparing for battle. You undoubtedly are as well. I guess we’ll put our reasons to the test tonight.”
She paused, satisfied everything was in place, then she looks up at the camera. She lifts up her hand, cradling her chin and smiling softly.
“I can only wonder why you fight, Ken. You have the power to break another man’s body and make him submit utterly to your dominance, but I don’t think you abuse it. In fact, what you did last week was pretty noble, if anything else. I couldn’t…do anything. I just stood there, frozen.”
“How do you see fighting, Ken? Fighting was designed to intentionally wound someone, to injure them and hurt them. Savage was doing exactly what was expected in combat, but somewhere he crossed a line. Where do you place that line, Ken? Where do you think the line should be?”
She fidgets, letting go of her chin and shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
“…it may sound like I’m asking rhetorical questions, but I really want to know. After seven years…the ring is an entirely foreign world to me, now. I don’t know anything anymore. Everything during the week has been reduced to mindless katas against punching bags and dummies. Everything in the ring for the past two weeks has just been reciting things, like on a test—and it’s worked all too well.”
She shrugged.
“There’s only one way for me to learn, I guess.”

“Please teach me well.”




((Just over 1800 words. 1821, to be exact. Good luck this week, Ken))