Sawako Nakada
Chapter 1: Back to the Roots
September 5, 2021
11:00 AM
Manchester, England
The past week has undoubtedly been the most emotional in Sawako Nakada’s life. In the beginning she soared on the energy and joy of her fans here in the city of her birth. Stepping back into the ring is something she knew would upset Ichiko, but the heart wants what the heart wants. And her heart has been screaming for her to get back in the ring ever since she started training with Ichiko. To feel the rush of a passionate crowd’s cheers, to test herself against the best wrestlers she could find. This part has come true - she absolutely loves the Manchester crowd and the exuberant feeling that fills her when she locks up with an opponent. Wrestling is her life and her new home is undoubtedly First Class.
At what cost though? She’s lost the woman she fell in love with and followed thousands of kilometres from home for a fresh start. Ichiko has never been this angry at someone, let alone this angry at her. Their first argument on the matter convinced Sawa they needed some space, so she had hit up an old rival who now lives in Manchester herself. Even when she’s been crashing with Keiko “Oni” Ogawa, Ichiko hasn’t left her mind for long. Memories of long nights spent together, secret moments backstage at Queendom, tense rewatching of Ichiko’s matches. Now the lasting memory was that of her girlfriend calling her a traitor and knocking the microphone from her hand in front of a crowd of thousands. The sound of the mic clunking onto the entrance ramp reverberates through her memory to this day. Each time she thinks of it that thud is like a knife to the heart.
It makes it painfully clear to her that the separation is going to be much longer term than she’s secretly hoped. Ichiko is angrier at her than before because Sawa’s actions likely reminded Ichiko of her sister’s short sighted attempt at congratulations. As Mako still has not been forgiven by the Sukeban, Sawa knows that she’s unlikely to get any better treatment herself. As much as she aches at the reality of it, Sawako has had to accept that their relationship is very likely over. And she needs a permanent place to stay; Keiko’s place is cozy but a bit small even for Sawako. There’s only one other person she knows in town who doesn’t hate her right now. It’s going to be very weird, but it’s her only option.
So she stands in the street this morning in front of a house that she’s seen in passing. What makes this particular cafe her only option? The place that sits down the street from the local Kensington’s Cafe is home to someone who might let her stay. A man she hasn’t seen since the age of five. Her father, who happens to own the Kensington’s chain and is something of a local icon. It’s honestly intimidating for her to even be considering asking for his help. What if he doesn’t remember her, or turns her away? Her dad rejecting her now might be more than she could take. Yet she reaches up and knocks on the front door, forcing herself to be decisive.
Sawako isn’t even dressed well for meeting her long estranged business owning father. Just a blue hoodie that was far too big over jeans and a pair of athletic shoes. Her hair is a bit messy despite efforts to fix it up. There are a few long moments as she waits for any kind of response from within the house. Maybe he isn’t even home, she thinks. Then she hears footsteps heading toward the door and she braces herself in case things continue going badly. The door swings open and there stands a tall Englishman in his 50s who seems befuddled by her. They stand there looking at each other expectantly, but neither daring to speak. Suddenly there is a spark of recognition on her father’s face and he takes a step toward her.
Harold Kensington: “Sawako?”
Sawako’s lip trembles as she nods in confirmation. All of the things she’s gone through in the past couple of weeks bubble up to the surface in this moment. She can’t keep them down and tears start to form in the corners of her eyes. Before her father can say anything, Sawako closes the distance between them and throws her arms around him. The Battle Maiden begins to sob as she buries her face in his chest.
Sawako: “Dad… oh dad, I…”
She can’t get any more out as the tears flow and the hurt becomes all too prominent in her mind. Harold Kensington surprises her by embracing her and patting her on the back of the head. They stay like that for a long time, Sawako getting everything out and her dad silently comforting her. Eventually the tears start to let up a bit and she looks up at the parent she knows so little about. Sawako is even more surprised as they step apart and he motions inwardly.
Harold: “Would you like to come in? I’ll put the kettle on.”
Sawako: “That.. would be lovely actually.”
It’s an offer that she hadn’t really thought would be extended when she came here. Yet with it extended she can hardly refuse, so in she went. The interior of her father’s home spoke heavily of respectability. Nothing over the top or out of place for a man who’d enjoyed a degree of financial success over the years. Absolutely much larger than any place which Sawako has ever lived. She finds her way to the living room, which is bigger than some apartments she’s had back in Japan. Suddenly she feels somehow inadequate when surrounded by such generous space. Sawako wonders just how in the world a person uses multiple rooms of this size - wouldn’t you run out of things to use it for?
She shakes the thoughts as she hears the kettle whistling in the nearby kitchen. Soon Harold Kensington walks in with two steaming cups of tea. Sawako has a better look at the man now and finds something surprising. His attire is exactly what you would expect from a successful middle aged business owner - dress shirt slightly unbuttoned at the top accompanied by slacks. But there’s something about the way he walks, a build that suggests a man who keeps himself in very good physical shape, that seems off to her. Sure it wasn’t that weird for a businessman to exercise, but there was something else to her father. Something that wasn’t immediately obvious but percolated below her surface thoughts.
At first they awkwardly attempt pleasantries. Exchanges of ‘how are you’, ‘it’s been a long time, yeah’ and the like. When her father finally asks her what’s got her so upset, Sawako lets it all out. The move to Britain due to choosing love over her work. Her increasing need to test herself in the ring again and concern for Ichiko’s increasing aggressiveness. Finally her return to the business as a competitor and the explosion which had ripped her life apart. Sawako cries often as she relates the story but not so much as she did when she’d been at the door. Getting all the details out actually makes her feel a little better. Her heartache remains, but a weight has at least been lifted off her shoulders.
Harold Kensington sits there listening to the whole tale, nodding occasionally but not interrupting. For a while Sawako wonders if this is too much to put on him all at once. They hadn’t seen each other in two decades and now she was splurging details of her romantic life to him. He seems to be listening keenly though. When she’s finished, he nods again and looks thoughtful. What comes next surprises her quite a bit - he reaches over to the end table and pulls out a folder. She’s confused by this - where is this conversation leading now? Her father sets the folder on the cushion between them and he finally begins to speak.
Harold: "I suppose the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree after all. You’re old enough to know what happened between myself and your mother. I’m not sure if it will help but perhaps the perspective will be useful."
Sawako: "What are you talking about, dad?"
Harold pauses for a moment, his hand resting on the folder. After a contemplative sip of tea he looks back to Sawako and continues.
Harold: "Your mother and I.. we were very close, very much in love at first. But I was on the road on business more often than not and that strained things between us. We were happy to see each other when i got back home at first but things change when you have a family. After you were born, it became harder and harder for me to leave home for work. Like you I loved my work, but I also wanted to be there for you too. I even stopped working for a time to help your mother out. Things were still quite tense and.. I suppose we weren’t as compatible as either of us had thought."
Sawako blinked in surprise at this revelation. She knew very little about the circumstances of her parents’ separation beyond the fact that they’d never married. Certainly her mom has never said anything about her dad other than general wishes to never see his face again. Without much of a connection to her mother either, Sawako has always been in the dark about all of this. So she awaits more details from her dad, occasionally sipping from her tea so it doesn’t go to waste.
Harold: So when I was offered a princely sum to not just return to work, but to do it for the largest company in America’s side of the industry, I couldn’t well say no. I was already in my early 30s by that point and it’s a very physical business. That was very likely to be my last chance to make a name for myself and to create a nice nest egg for when my body couldn’t handle it any longer. Your mother, though, absolutely resisted the idea of me taking the job. She gave me an ultimatum - it was either work or her. With everything else going on I decided to take the job so I could get some space.. And I knew that when I walked out that door, I was losing her forever. Losing you forever.
He sighs as he explains himself, regret clear in both his intonation and expression. Before Sawako can ask him a question about what this job was, he gives the folder a pat. Harold nods to it, indicating without words that she should look at the contents within. Her heart is racing now, her mind traveling a mile a minute as she wonders what this man’s big secret is. Was this about his work? If i were very physical had he been a builder? Some kind of athlete? None of the possibilities in her imagination prepare her for what awaits her within the folder.
They are magazine clippings and photos of a much younger Harold Kensington at work. In full wrestling attire and sometimes carrying the British flag during what has to be entrances. Each item in the folder sparks further curiosity in her as she flips through the contents rapidly. She gets a ring name from one of the articles - Sir Boliver Turnbuckle, Lord of the Ring. Sawako’s vaguely familiar with this name but isn’t really sure from where. By the time she finishes rifling through the folder her dad has pulled up a video of one of his matches during that period.
The Battle Maiden watches on in fascination as Sir Boliver Turnbuckle strides indignantly to the ring to the tune of Rule, Britannia. She leans forward as if it will bring her closer to this moment in history as the match progresses. Sir Boliver proclaims that he, the Lord of the Ring, has come to reclaim all the rings in America for Her Majesty the Queen. During the match itself he displays solid wrestling fundamentals and a lot of character. It’s as if this is an entirely different person than the man who made her tea a few minutes ago. A pompous, self important nobleman who cuts whatever corners he needs to in order to get the upper hand. In fact he wins the match after a low blow, then celebrates with title held aloft as he is treated to a torrent of boos from the American crowd. Sawako looks up to her father in disbelief and points to the phone screen.
Sawako: "That was you? But that’s hardly how you seem now.."
Harold: "What can I say? It didn’t matter back then if you were a solidly skilled wrestler. If you didn’t have personality you were never getting an opportunity to compete at a high level. So I continued pretending to be a stiff upper lipped nobleman and perfected the art of making a crowd hate me. It was wrestling which separated myself from your mother, Sawako."
Sawako ponders this for a while. Her dad had chosen to pursue his dream of becoming an international star wrestler at the expense of starting a family. Tensions with her mother sounded as if they made the separation inevitable. And just like him she too has chosen her love of wrestling over the objections of a lover. Just like Harold Kensington she also has felt herself drifting apart from her partner for a while. Her concern for Ichiko has been treated like an annoyance rather than a genuine expression of love for quite a while. Unlike her father, though, her estranged girlfriend is still very close at hand and was dangerous when provoked. It’s a lot to take in and she’s not sure what lesson to take from what she’s learned.
Sawako: " I had no idea. Mom never talked about you and I was too young to remember much about you. But she lived her her work too.. I didn’t really know much more about her. So I guess.. I’m not mad at you? I mean, I made that same choice myself and look where I am."
Harold smiles sadly at this and pauses again. The two of them sit there for a while longer, just thinking about what they’ve discussed. Sawako ends up staring out the window at the street beyond and wondering what she’s going to do next. Ichiko’s out there, angry and sees Sawako as a traitor who may as well be dead to her. She feels this way despite herself feeling just as passionate about professional wrestling as Sawako does. Sawako herself is set to wrestle in her first major televised match since her finale in Queendom. How could she possibly prepare properly, though, when she has the looming spectre of her lost love haunting her? Seemingly guessing what she is feeling, Harold looks over and places his hand on hers.
Harold: "You can’t change what this Ichiko thinks or feels. Right now the only thing you can do is give her space and let her find her own way. You need to let yourself do the same thing. While you can’t control her, you can control what you do. Who you become."
He gives her hand a pat, and she looks up to see the face of a loving father she’s never known before today. That face suddenly morphs into a haughty, proud expression alien to the tone of their entire conversation to this point. It’s utterly ridiculous and she has a hard time keeping a straight face. When he speaks again there is an air of smugness in his voice which harkens back to the old match he’d shown her.
Harold: "And you, my dear, are of a most distinguished lineage. The heiress of the Turnbuckle name ought to be proud of herself, proud of being British! No time for such a sad face when there are inferior ones to thrash in the name of Her Majesty! Chipper up, dear girl. For you are a Turnbuckle, and you can rule the ring!"
At first Sawako attempts to keep up a polite facade at the shift in character. It is in vain though and she finds herself cracking up at the ridiculousness of it all. As she laughs Sawako realizes just how tense she’s been this whole morning. Probably for days. All of the worry and concern and doubt has made her such a ball of nerves that she hasn’t been able to enjoy much of anything. Getting to laugh suddenly opens the flood gates and releases that tension. After a few minutes of this, she manages to regain enough composure to speak again.
Sawako: "Really dad, I’m impressed that you were able to keep that up for as long as you did."
Harold laughs at this before responding.
Harold: "It got easier the more i did it. These days I can still turn it on and off on command."
Sawko sits there for a moment longer, then realizes something. Maybe her dad can be helpful in more than just a supportive role.
Sawako: "So.. um.. Dad, can I ask you something as a fellow professional? I’m not just wrestling on a major TV show for the first time in ages. They booked me to face three other people and I kind of feel like they’re throwing me in the deep end. What do you do to prepare for that kind of situation?"
Harold leans back and shakes his head.
Harold: "Sawako, I’m not really the person to give you that advice. I’ve been retired for a decade, and I’m badly out of practice with these things. "
She sighs in resignation at this news. It was probably an unlikely hope to begin with and she could definitely see where he was coming from. The business had to have changed from when he was an active competitor. Plus it was probably hard for her dad to even consider giving advice on women’s wrestling on top of that. Once again her dad surprises her with an unexpected bit of information.
Harold: "But I do know someone who would be more helpful."
He looks back toward the kitchen and calls out to someone.
Harold: "Keiko, you still there? I’ve got someone here who could benefit from your expertise."
Sawako’s eyes nearly bug out of her head as she sees the last person she expects would be in her dad’s house. In from the kitchen in very subdued and feminine clothing is Keiko Ogawa. A woman who’s better known to the world as Oni Ogawa, the veteran Joshi wrestler who just recently began wrestling for IIW Combat. The woman Sawako has crashed with ever since the split with Ichiko. As Keiko Ogawa smiles and approaches the couch, Sawako’s jaw drops a bit. What are the odds that this woman she’d once feuded with and later learned so much about the business from would be here? In her dad’s kitchen? It is an absolutely suspicious coincidence, but the shock itself is enough to keep Sawako from dwelling too much on the implications.
Harold: "I’ll leave you two to talk. Got to check on our supplies down the street anyhow. Sawako, feel free to stay as long as you need to. My home is yours."
As her dad rather conveniently leaves the house, Sawako just watches in disbelief. Everything that she’s seen today has been both unexpected and oddly comforting. She has far more in common with her dad that she thought was possible and has a place to stay. What’s more he’s polite enough to leave her to talk shop with a fellow Joshi. Why that Joshi is here of all places she can’t say, but for the moment she isn’t going to dwell too much on it. Keiko Ogawa is here, sitting somewhat regally next to her. The smile on her face invites whatever questions Sawako might have ahead of the match to come. Sawako spends a bit of time clearing her thoughts enough to be coherent before attempting to discuss things with the older woman.
Sawako: "So.. first of all I guess I’m just not that confident that I can keep up with three other women who haven’t been out of the ring like me. I-"
Keiko smirks as Sawa speaks and then cuts off her statement of self doubt.
Keiko: "You seemed to be just fine when we squared up. Hon, I think you’ll shake off that rust pretty quick. What else is on your mind?"
Sawako: "Well, my opponents? Wrestling them is going to be different than facing you one on one. And it’s no holds barred too. I really feel out of my depth."
Again the older woman’s lips turn up, this time to a knowing smile. She shrugs as she offers her advice on this specific concern.
Keiko: "First off don’t get yourself worked up about the stipulation here. I mean, I’d absolutely be all over any weapons I could get my hands on. But you do what makes you the most comfortable out there - be yourself. Enjoy what you’re doing. I saw that joy in you during our match, and that’s going to go a long, long way to helping you overcome your stage fright. Let that crowd feed you and push you forward to victory. As for the opponents.. Tell me about them. And tell me how you’d beat each of them. Try to visualize how you’re going to deal with them when that bell rings, it’ll help you feel less scared of fighting them all."
Sawako is taken aback at how helpful she finds this advice to be. If someone as experienced as Oni Ogawa thinks it will help then she will definitely give it a try. Trying to be someone else isn’t going to help her overcome three other newcomers to IIW. And it isn’t going to help her eventually topple certain women she has been targeting since she decided to return to the ring. A group of witches is going to have to wait though, because right now Sawako is facing more immediate threats. Focus on the women she’s going to wrestle on First Class. What does she know about each of them? The Battle Maiden considers the other competitors while feeling a surge of confidence from her mentor’s words. Maybe she can do this.
Sawako: "Let’s start with Jessica Wyld, I suppose. I’ve at least talked with her over social media a little, not that that helps much. She’s young and eager to prove herself in the ring, which I can admire. I was like that when I first started. The girl seems awfully nice and isn’t likely to take advantage of weaponry or dirty tricks to win a match. Again, something I absolutely respect - there aren’t that many people with that kind of moral compass in the ring these days. Has a good connection to fans and from what I’ve heard she can kick as hard as anyone. A kid like that has a lot to prove in her first match, so I’d expect her to go all out to make an impression on both the fans and the girls in the locker room."
As Sawako works through what she knows about this opponent she feels a bit more comfortable with facing the rooke. She nods as she comes to a conclusion about the younger woman.
Sawako: "She might get a bit too caught up in making an impression though. Go for too many big moves when the risk is higher than it’s worth. Jessica Wyld hasn’t been in the business for long, so she doesn’t quite have the instincts to know when to make a move. So I’ll use that to my advantage, get her to over commit to her offense and turn the tables on her. As nice as she seems, I need this win as much as she does. Maybe more so. I’m guessing she’ll also tire herself out by going full throttle, so what I need to do is control the pace of the match when we go at it. Get her to make mistakes, tire her out and then finish her off. Eliminating her would show that I can hang with an energetic rookie.. And it would prove to the fans and myself that I’ve still got it."
She feels more confident already, and now the machinery of her wrestler’s mind is kicking into gear. As she speaks she is able to visualize the kinds of moves each opponent uses and how she would best be served in fighting them. Each of the other women in the match have a bit of a different style they wrestle, so this proves to be quite an intellectual effort. Despite being out of action for nearly two years until facing the woman sitting next to her, Sawako has paid attention to the IIW’s women’s roster. At first it served to help her feel less afraid about the unknown territory Ichiko was going into. Now it is proving useful for her to work through the doubts she has about returning to full time competition. Sawako smiles a bit as she continues her thought process out loud.
Sawako: "Sarah Frost is more of a proven commodity in the ring. She’s got a similar championship pedigree to me and she uses her aerial offense very well. This is the first time she’s stepping in an IIW ring but she’s not going to get overwhelmed by the atmosphere. The woman doesn’t seem to have much regard from her opponents and treats them like stepping stones more than fellow competitors. A proven winner like her will make for a tough opponent, I’m sure."
Sawako’s grin widens as she continues the analysis.
Sawako: "But she relies too much on that aerial arsenal. You need more than big flashy moves to win a match, especially when you’re in the ring with three other women who want the win as much as you do. Even if she’s won titles elsewhere, she probably didn’t win them against the kind of talent I faced in Queendom on a regular basis. And if that championship history makes her think she’s better than me, then she has a rude awakening in store. Sawako Nakada is no stepping stone for her to trample on. I defeated superior competition to win five titles at the highest level of women’s wrestling. Still, beating another woman who’s a proven winner will be an achievement for me. It’ll help me get off on the right foot. And you know what, I know I can beat her."
Sawako takes a moment to let that sink in, as much for her own sake as for the woman sitting next to her. Keiko Ogawa just listens silently as the younger wrestler speaks. There’s a satisfied smile on her lips as Sawako’s mood improves and her pride resurfaces. This is the Joshi champion she remembers wrestling in big time matches back in Queendom. Next Sawako gives her leg a pat for emphasis as she addresses the final opponent.
Sawako: "Last but not least I’ll be seeing the “Bionic” Robin Vengeance. Now she’s been around First Class longer than the rest of us in the match combined. What do you even say about a woman who effectively has a robot leg? That gives her an advantage just by its existence! She’s got to be a pretty tough cookie too because she once worked for Amazon. The awful working conditions at a place like that no doubt make anyone who survives them that much more resistant to.. well, everything. Seeing as she’s got the First Class seniority, I consider her perhaps the biggest threat in this match."
The Battle Maiden laughs awkwardly as she realizes something else about the bionic Washingtonian.
Sawako: "But that leg seems to be on the fritz. I guess that’s going to happen when you’re using such cutting edge technology in a high impact environment. Robin’s yet to win a match here too, which I’m sure makes her hungry to turn that around. But combine a malfunctioning leg and an over eagerness to change her fortunes and Robin is probably going to be acting out of desperation. I can absolutely wait that out just like I can wait out an energetic rookie or a champ who hasn’t tangled with the top level of wrestling before. And when that leg goes haywire, which it unfortunately will, I will outmaneuver her and bring her down. It’s hard to escape Thunder from Heaven when you’ve got one good leg."
She stands up and gives her right forearm a confident pat for emphasis. For a moment she can imagine the raucous Manchester crowd exploding in delight as her finisher hits home. The power of their voices counting the pin as one. Then the jubilation as the bell rings and Manchester’s Favorite Joshi has her arm raised high in victory. Sawako raises her arms up in triumph and soaks it in, lost in her thoughts until the sound of a single person clapping snaps her out of it. Now she remembers she’s in her father’s living room celebrating a victory yet to come. Keiko Ogawa applauds her and wears a cheerful smile in reaction to Sawako’s performance.
The Battle Maiden sheepishly lowers her arms and turns to face the older woman again. Weirdly this has helped her more than she thought it would. Ichiko lingers in the back of her mind but she isn’t dwelling obsessively on her fragmented relationship. As bad as her heart is going to continue to ache, Sawako has some joy in her life. An opportunity to pursue the job she loves, perhaps even to lift gold again. With her father, Keiko Ogawa and the fans in her corner, Sawako feels more certain than before that she can do this. She can reclaim her place as an ace of wrestling. One thing still confounds her though.
Sawako: "So.. what are you doing here at my dad’s house? You two obviously know each other well."
Keiko just laughs awkwardly at the question as if that alone is enough to dismiss it. She stands up and places her hand on the younger Joshi’s shoulder.
Keiko: "We’re.. business partners. But let’s not worry about that right now. Right now, I think it’s time to make sure you’re in the best fighting shape we can manage. And I’m the one to whip you into that shape."
Sawako raises her eyebrow at the change of topic but decides to just let it be for now.
Sawako: "Do your worst, Oni. I look forward to surpassing your expectations."
The pair of them exchange laughs, then sit down to begin drawing up a training regimen. Thus begins a new chapter in the life of the Battle Maiden, Sawako Nakada.
