Tam Nakano: Return

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Utami
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Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2022 8:12 pm

Tam Nakano: Return

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Tokyo, Japan
7/25/2022

Tucked away somewhere in the bustling metropolis of Tokyo there rest many innocuous apartment buildings. Inside one of these structures is a cozy apartment with an absolutely pristine scene hidden behind its door. Beige walls with not a speck of dirt or dust visible upon them rise up from wooden flooring shining from a recent cleaning. On one side is a closet with an expertly arranged wardrobe of feminine clothing just visible behind an ajar sliding door. Elsewhere one can find a small and cozy bed with white bedding and pillows that all but call out for someone to fall upon them and drift off to sleep. Finally there is a simple wooden desk with a notepad and laptop resting atop it.

This tranquility creates an almost heavenly atmosphere, one fit for an angel to call home. It’s the home of a single woman whose own appearance can be equally angelic when she’s had time to prepare. Tam Nakano has lived here ever since joining a major promotion in 2017. Just like her, its state has evolved over time, growing more pristine and mature with her. A lot of things have happened since then. First a turn to the dark side, then redemption and the struggle to find a place she belonged. After making that family herself she went on an excursion to America and rose to the very top of EBWF. Of course like any success in her life it was short lived.

Thinking about it now just makes her heart sink. She sits on the floor next to her bed, contemplating those few months once again for what must be the dozenth time in the past week. Recent events in her home promotion here in Japan have brought those EBWF memories back to center stage. Tam tosses her head back and exhales deeply as if this might help purge those thoughts from her mind. Two months. That was all the time she had on top before it all came tumbling down and Raquel Diaz ripped away that beautiful championship belt.

Maybe she deserved to lose it that quickly. Nothing comes easy or lasts long for her, it seems; even her one reign with the second most important title in her home promotion ended when a soaring new star replaced her. Her handmade family, Cosmic Angels, also took a major blow when her friend Mina decided to leave abruptly. Now she’s at an impasse. Either she can stay here in Japan and accept her role as a supporting player, which might be all she’s really capable of. The other option? She’s not sure it’s the right one, she doesn’t know that she should even be thinking about it. Tam turns her head to the side and spots the plush panda puppet leaning up against her pillow. While he’s not the original, he’s a pretty close likeness to the original apart from the golden bead eyes he sported. At the very least, P-Chan v2.0 is here with her.

P-Chan v2.0: Hm, Tam-chan? What is it?

Tam provides his voice - it’s a way she’s developed to help herself work out problems, thinking out loud in a sort of conversation.

Tam: Nothing. It’s actually a pretty stupid idea.

P-Chan v2.0:
It’s not stupid if you’re giving it this much thought. What is it?

Tam sighs.

Tam: You won’t laugh at me?

P-Chan v2.0: Of course not, Tam-chan. I would never do that.

Tam:
Well.. what if.. and this is just an idea…

A pause as Tam works up the courage to give voice to the nagging thought.

Tam: What if I went back to EBWF?

P-Chan v2.0: Are you sure that you want to?

Tam’s face scrunches up as she answers.

Tam: That’s just it, I don’t know. What if I just crash and burn like I did last time? What if I’m just not good enough to compete there? What if all I’m good for is selling merchandise and photo books? What if.. what if I really am a joke?

Another pause, and then she answers in the Panda’s voice.

P-Chan 2.0:
What if you aren’t?

Tam sits up at that thought. It’s true that she’s grown a lot since she last set foot in an EBWF ring. After her fall from the top, she spent her time rebuilding herself in Japan and became an effective leader for the first time in her career. After all those years of bouncing from one company or group to another, Tam has learned an important lesson. The only way she’s really happy is if she finds a way to make that happiness for herself. Breaking away from the Icon of Stardom’s protection, bringing together other women with varied backgrounds, even becoming the first Joshi to win the EBWF women’s title. All of these were only possible because she found her happiness and pursued it with every fiber of her being. Now there were hints of that happiness in EBWF again; as much as her doubts said otherwise, she knew she needed to try again. She needed to see if she could still do it.

*******
Glendale, Arizona
8/1/2022

Over a year removed from her last appearance, Tam Nakano is back at an EBWF show. It feels surreal to her to be back in the west after falling short at the biggest show of the year. Failure on the biggest stage of them all, then disappearing from EBWF entirely. She paces on the concrete floor, surrounded by beige walls that might be better suited to a hospital than an arena. Getting a new EBWF contract wasn’t terribly hard, either - the Ikeda family was quite happy to bring her back in.

Whether or not she has success in the ring remains to be seen, but she’s confident that her growth in the past year will make a difference. One other question lingers in her mind as she debates the evening to come. Will anyone remember her? Will they recall her championship victory, or will they just greet her with indifference? She dearly hopes that they will see how much she has upped her game since her last run here. This time, she wants to become a champion everyone can be proud of. If that means bringing her full strength and arsenal to bear against her opponents, so be it!

As she works through her thoughts, something catches her eye in the hallway. Next to a framed hockey jersey is a poster for tonight’s Warfare which lists all of the matches to come this evening. Right near the top is her return match against Natalya. A woman she hasn’t yet faced, but whom she knows is a dangerous long time veteran of the ring. Tam takes a deep breath and stares at the poster for a long few moments. She’s as ready as she’s going to be for this match, but she’s still feeling a little unsure of herself. Maybe talking it out might help? P-Chan v2.0 is back at her hotel room, so she’s just going to have to give voice to her thoughts like it’s a monologue on stage.

Tam:
Natalya-san.. You’ve been in this business for so long, there’s no tricks you haven’t seen a dozen times. You come from a family of very gifted wrestlers but you haven’t let that stop you from carving out your own place in the ring. It’s an honor to face you in my return match! To be honest you’re kind of scary, since you know every little point on the body to work over until the agony is too unbearable to continue. Even though you’re incredibly strong and a very smart technician, people don’t give you the respect you deserve. I think sometimes they forget about you, just like they forget about someone like me.

Tam laughs awkwardly.

Tam:
So I have a proposal for you, Natalya-san. Let’s go out there tonight and give these fans a show that reminds everyone how good we both are! Your strength and technical skills against my passion, strikes and high flying! It’s going to be one heck of a battle, and I’m going to do all I can to win on my first night back in EBWF. Because I need this win tonight, Natalya-san. I need to prove to myself that everything I’ve worked so hard on the past year hasn’t been for nothing.

She smiles confidently as she continues.

Tam: Since I lost that beautiful championship and the original P-Chan, I’ve been working the hardest I ever have to get better. Back home in Japan in the toughest dojo in the world, I’ve exhausted myself every single day to sharpen my skills. Holding my own against great wrestlers isn’t enough anymore. I have to be able to beat them! So I’ve grown beyond just being the Top of Kawaii in the Cosmos. I found the desire that I’d buried a long time ago once I found a family of my own to take care of. If it means that I have to fight through the worst pain imaginable and land one last kick to put a queen in her place, I’ll do it. If it means I have to fly from unimaginable heights to show the most dangerous woman on the planet I mean business, I’ll do it! That’s what it means to be the Twilight Dream: to keep fighting for your dream even when the light of hope seems like it’s all gone.

She turns from the poster, takes a deep breath and finishes her thoughts.

Tam: And my dream is to make a lasting memory tonight by overcoming everything that Natlya-san can throw at me! Even if she locks in the sharpshooter in the middle of the ring, I’m not going to give up. I’m going to fight through the pain and claw my way back into the match if that’s what it takes. Tonight I’m on a new quest that starts with this match against a legend, and won’t end until I finally earn back the championship! Because of that, Natalya-san, you’re getting the full power of Tam Nakano tonight. I hope you bring everything you have as well, because as long as I can still move, I’m going to fight on. Let’s see who can make some magic happen out there!

She winks to no one in particular, then walks toward the gorilla position to prepare herself for her return. Thanks to a request being honored, she gets to open the show tonight. When her music hits and the crowd pops loudly, Tam smiles happily. They remember her! And now, there’s no excuse but to deliver a Tam Nakano victory that brings a smile to their faces as well!