Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Lacrimosa” begins to play as the scene opens to a close-up view of a fancy antique record player as it plays the song. The camera begins to pan across what looks to be a beautiful, elegant hotel room; featuring expensive-looking furniture, paintings, and other decorative pieces. The camera continues to pan until it lands on a visibly deep-in-thought Layne Kurobane, dressed in a dark blue silk robe with a pipe in his mouth with clearly nothing in it. Layne continues to think as he stares off into the distance before finally, slowly sitting down in front of a beautifully-crafted glass chess board complete with intricately-made pieces. Layne’s black set of pieces remain unmoved while the white set has one piece moved.
Ah yes, it seems as though you’ve made your first move. That took a while. I was getting quite weary. I hope it does not bother you that I too have taken my sweet time to think of my first move as well. As you know, this little dance of ours is not something that just any fool can pick up. No, no, no… Quite the contrary, actually. This is something that only two masters of their craft can truly understand. Granted, I am no master of any craft, but you get my drift, yes? Very well then, allow me to march onward onto the battlefield so that we may valiantly clash until only one victor remains!
Layne’s eyes drop down to gaze upon the chess board as his face gets closer and closer to it. He pretends to violently smoke his pipe as a look of worry begins to form.
My, my, my… What a pickle I am in. You, sir, truly are a brilliant strategist. With one move, you’ve left me at an absolute loss! Where am I to go? What am I to do? Any move I make could be my last! There are two sides, and yet it feels as though I’ve already been surrounded. I applaud you, sir. There’s simply no way that I could possibly… Hold on just a tick… I… Yes! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! I’ve found it! You had me going there for a moment or two, but I’ve found a flaw that you overlooked! How’s THIS for a first move?
Layne’s right hand begins to excitedly creep towards a piece on his side… Before the hand suddenly moves completely away from the entire board. His hand instead reaches underneath before Layne pulls out a black Checker piece. Layne keeps his eyes as focused as ever as he takes the Checker piece and places it on the square behind the moved white Chess piece.
Aha! King me!
Layne’s hand swiftly smacks the moved white Chess piece as it’s sent flying off the board and breaking against a nearby wall. He removes the pipe from his mouth and tosses it over his shoulder as it hits something else in the room that the camera doesn’t quite catch. Lastly, Layne takes off the robe to reveal ordinary street clothes of a t-shirt and jeans underneath as he tosses the robe, presumably onto the nearby record player as it suddenly scratches and stops. Layne sits back down and lets out a sigh of relief as he gazes at the tainted Chess board in front of him.
Boom. Easy. A little too easy, if I’m being honest. Aren’t you supposed to be like… One of the best of the best here? Well, Babayka doesn’t have an Open Challenge going on at the moment, so I guess I’m stuck with you as much as you’re stuck with me then. And don’t take that as something personal, Harry. Make no mistake about it, I know who you are and what you’re capable of, and I know that you’re DAMN good. But how good can we really say we are when we’re not the ones in the spotlight? I guess in a way, you and I are both desperate for it. We both want it more than we both care to admit. It’s hard, isn’t it? Trying to be moral and “the good guy” who doesn’t think about just wanting to soak up some limelight? We both obviously want to be the best, but to be the best you have to be front and center. The star of the show, if you will. I’ve had my moments here and there. I’ve had some guest appearances. Some episodes about me. The spotlight came and went on a number of occasions, sure. But it was never, ya know, THE ONE. The one where you can take a moment to really bask in it and really feel like you are the one that has everyone’s full attention. We’re both reeling from disappointment, you and I. So who gets to be the one who’s a bigger disappointment? You seem to have it all but sealed, don’t you? Hell, look at the big brain on Harry Sterling and his almost prophetic words that I lose nothing but coming up empty at Violent Ends! Bravo! How long did it take you to come up with that one? Oh, I get it. You’re the hero of your own story, aren’t you? I mean, this is YOUR domain, right? I’m just an invader and all and really don’t have a stake in big, fancy Wrestleworld. And yet, here I am. Yeah, I’m here because I accepted your challenge and all, but look at me now, Harry. I’m already here up in your precious world, occupying a hotel room at the BEAUTIFUL hotel you guys have here. And look at this room Jaywalker gave me! Hell, I think he’s trying to butter me up if you ask me. But it’s nice. It’s great. Swell, even. Maybe I’ll take more than just a win from you. I mean, it sounds like you’re trying to push me with all that talk after all. How many times has a guy gone on about how he has more to lose than the other guy? You know what guys who have nothing to lose and everything to gain are? They’re desperate. You know what desperate guys do? They don’t go beyond their limits, push past their will, and win the day. No, Harry, in my experience, desperate guys make mistakes. Big fucking mistakes. Mistakes that ensure they lose a lot more than what they thought they had to lose.
The camera looks down at the Chessboard from the white side.
Woah, hold on there…
The camera looks back up at Layne as he wags a finger.
Too bad, I’m gonna go again.
Layne picks up a pair of dice off of the floor, violently shakes them, and tosses them down into the white side of the Chessboard as several pieces are knocked over and others fall off the board entirely as they’re heard shattering on the ground below. Layne shrugs.
Gotcha again. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. So anyway, where was I?... Oh yeah, that’s right, I was in the middle of reflecting on how you seem to be so Goddamn well versed on how my mind words and who I am and who I want to be. Ya know, it’s funny to me how you seem just so sure that how I’ve acted towards you is far from the person I’ve been trying to be. It almost makes me question how closely you’ve been watching me. Evidently not as closely as I’ve watched you since you first showed up in this company. You really fascinated me. You just have a natural underdog look to you that makes people - especially me - want to cheer you on. But when push came to shove, you failed. And let’s be real here, if you had been a success, you and I wouldn’t be here right now. You’d be preparing for your Championship defense while I’d probably be still licking my wounds in OWA. Instead, you failed and gave us both a reason to be here. I watched you and thought I had you pegged for something better, but not something better in the ring. Something better as in someone who simply wanted something more. But I see it now, Harry. I really do see you for what you are. You’re just a kid. A young, stupid kid that thinks winning against everyone in his path for now on will bring him back to Babayka’s doorstep where he can finally overcome his faults, redeem himself, vanquish the big bad monster, and become the European Champion! What a story that would be! But it’s just a story. A fictional story that won’t be happening, and you clearly don’t seem to realize that. You think a loss to me means you have nothing, but what will a win earn you? Babayka won’t even bother to spit in your direction. You’re not fighting for a dream, Harry. You’re fighting for attention from daddy Babayka, like the selfish little boy you are. You make a big show about it and challenge ANYONE, and when your guest arrives, what do you do? You make him so unwelcome, but that’s alright. I understand you, even if you don’t seem to know anything about me.
A look of boredom shows on Layne’s face as he starts to flick away the remaining pieces from the Chessboard as they all break on the floor.
‘Cause if you knew me, you wouldn’t be surprised by how I treat you. I’m not trying to be a good guy, Harry. That was never my intention. I have people who I care about, sure, but that’s not going to make me into a boy scout who salutes you for being good in the ring. You’ve evidently been nurtured into working hard and believing in the good in people and being an honorable man. Did you learn all of that from your old man’s tapes too? Who knows. I know where I belong, but don’t think for even a second I won’t get greedy and go back to old ways. I didn’t change the way I did things to be a better person. I did it to be better period. To be a better competitor. To do more. To see more. When it all comes down to it, I’m a stray dog. If I feel like it, I’ll my your home my own. It’s in my nature to wander and take what I can get, and that’s something you clearly don’t seem to comprehend. Maybe that’s why you feel so secure right now. Believing that this is your heroic stand to prove yourself, to gain Layne Kurobane’s respect, to gain Babayka’s attention… Thinking you know how I work. You wrestle a beautiful style, Harry, but I don’t do that. Believe it or not, that doesn’t give you an advantage. Not by a longshot. I’m something you’ve never dealt with before. Even your precious Babayka had a rhythm you could dance to. You play your song, and I will taint it. You’ve spent almost every year of your life mastering your style, Harry, so let me just say that I’m gonna take a lot of satisfaction in watching you crumble the moment you try to understand why it isn’t helping you against someone like me. You don’t worry about me, Harry. Just worry about you. Just be the you that you’ve always been. Be the you that I’ve come to know since watching Wrestleworld. Stick to your guns. Stand by your convictions. Be Harry Sterling, and I’ll show you exactly why I’m Layne Kurobane. Why I’m something you don’t understand, because this may be your world and your ring, but you’re a blind man the moment that bell rings, I promise you.
Several moments pass as Layne looks down at the lone King piece left on the white side of the board. Layne picks up the board and quickly turns it upside down as he slams it hard onto the table - breaking all the remaining pieces.
Checkmate.
Sat Dec 03, 2022 4:36 pm by 
Subject: Your World, My Wrestling 
