"La Jefa" Raquel Durango/Backstory

The following is a recollection of moments that hint at Raquel backstory.

* Nobody prays unless they lose a son
* Don't believe in Heaven till a war's to be won
* I know of truth by the lies I've told
* The biggest one is that you are growing old

[...]

* I also remember the shiny necklace you wore.
* I like that necklace Casandra.
* It reminds me of my childhood.
* When I was a little girl, Madre told me historias.
* Historias of sin, prayer, and truth.
* Historias of what is beyond us, historias of purgatory.
* Madre told me that there is a closed gate in purgatory. And by its line, Madre knows it leads to heaven.
* Some do not believe the stories of heaven.
* I know they are true.

[...]

* Pero pero pero I also know there is more to this historia.
* There is a second gate in purgatory. A gate that was always open, and will never close.
* La puerta del Infierno esta abierta Kade.
* One day I will find you there.

### Post Match:

Raquel concluded her feud with Casandra Kade with the following words:

* Disrespected until match day. Too comfortable in your standing.
* You do you, no es mi estilo. I´ll sacrifice anything. I´ll do anything.
* This world is not for the talentosos, the hard workers, or the privileged.
* This world is for those who are willing to go far enough.

Raquel saw for the first time the title after bidding farewell to Sheila at Onsen a lifetime:

The new Champion raised the title for the whole crowd to see. Some of the patrons at the pub were mad at the outcome, booing incessantly. Despite the scene, Raquel's sight was fixated not on the champion. But on the title.

* That cannot be, I clearly need answers now.

## Feud vs Shogun Aina

### Before meeting Aina

Raquel rolled her eyes in bewilderment. She took a large sip from her coffee and went on with her lecture.

* Still not paying attention.
* Maldito! The title has a maldicion over it.
* The last campeona was struck by disaster, so was the previous one. Divine will not be different.
* No way I am chasing it...yet.

### The 4th of July

The vibrant hues of red, white, and blue painted the evening sky, and the city streets of Spaghetti Town, USA came alive with the sounds of laughter, cheers, and patriotic melodies. Yet, one woman stood alone, her gaze fixed upon the groups of Hillbillies and Yankees having fun and celebrating together. Alcohol, oregano, fireworks...her heart wondered when was the last time. The last time she had some fun with others without second intentions. The last good line of coke was with Misquita, and yet that was to get on her good side. When was the last time she celebrated just for the sake of the fun, with no other intent? Was it when she was a teenager? It could have been, she didn´t remember. Her relentless pursuit since she took over the cartel had meant every motion needed a purpose, there was no time for naive fun. She was alone.

As the sound of the fireworks reached her ears, she looked at the entrance of the hotel room. There was a prize, she needed two partners. Yet nobody has knocked on her door. She made a good impression in the company, she was undefeated. She was a complete winner. But the popularity pool had no trace of her. And Raquel could not understand it. Misquita broadcasted how good she was. The whole world knew. She also teamed with a fan favorite in Sheila...Raquel started to feel downcast. Both women were fired. And she was alone.

[...]

Raquel grabbed a bottle of wine from the fridge and sat down on the floor of the hotel room. She couldn't help but feel a profound sense of loneliness deep within her soul, a reminder of the sacrifices. With a heavy sigh, she whispered a silent wish. Afterwards, she raised a glass and said to no one:

* It was also like this for you Padre?
* You taught me well.
* You taught me that if I wanted anything I had to be willing to go far enough.
* Is this the price?
* Is this why Madre left you?

She drank the wine in one go and left the glass on the carpet floor. She played with her hair. Thoughts of Shogun and Onigiri hugging were navigating her mind. That woman. That cursed woman...even she had a true friend. The light of the fireworks illuminated the interior of the suite. Families and friends coming together to commemorate the nation's independence. Raquel grabbed the glass again and served herself another cup.

* You know what they are celebrating, Padre?
* You also taught me this one.
* "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all women are created equal."
* Pero Padre, for them it does not end there.
* "they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

The cheers of the crowd deafened her train of thought. She stood up and walked again to the window to see the spirit of the American nation. Children with starry eyes, families enjoying time together, friends creating memories...Raquel could not stand the sight of it. She took a bag from a cupboard and prepared two lines on top of it:

* If we are all created equal. Why are they happy and I´m not?
* Padre, you didn´t teach me that one.

Alone in the suite, she snorted the first line:

* You did enough. You know I will do anything.
* Is up to me and the plan is in motion.
* I´ll lift the maldicion and keep winning until people learn to love me.

Alone in the suite, she snorted the second line and turned on the TV.

### Mexico Tales:

* I didn't know we killed so many
* How long has La Jefa been in control of the cartel?
* Around five years
* Five years? Five years and we killed this many, this week alone, we have dug up a hundred thirty bodies already
* And there is another plot like this one. But she told us not to touch it. Anyway, that's Jefa for you. Rumors about her never tell the whole story
* Rumours heh. Have you heard the last one? She is in Mexico again
* Oh. Is she tired of the Lucha Libre?
* Nah, worse than that. She came to see her mother
* Her mother. The fucking shaman. I thought she was dead already
* I don't blame you. She no longer made public appearances after the disappearance of El Patron
* Disappearance? He is for sure dead. We will never know who did it, but he is dead. In any case, I was told that Jefa and her mother do not see each other eye to eye
* I heard the same carnal. After all La Jefa is just like her father El Patron. That's why I work for her you know. She is a woman of her word, like Patron
* She will still bury you alive alongside these damned corpses if you were to cross her
* And, how is that any different than working for the others?
* I guess not much. Why did Patron even marry that woman?
* Well, the tongues say, Patron was really superstitious. And that woman always claimed to be able to see and heard beyond what is here
* That woman was always trouble. If someone sees what lies beyond is because they have messed with it. And let me tell you something...I might be dead tomorrow, but I go to mass every Sunday. The Father will welcome me in heaven
* Heaven, huh, you think so...how about this one over here. Do you remember the face?
* This hijoeputa...yeah, I killed it
* And you say you will go to heaven
* It was Jefa's orders, blood's on her

### Miranda SantoDomingo:

* Renuncio el apellido de sus ancestros para solo llevar el nombre del piojoso con el que me case. (She gave away the surname of her ancestors, now she only bears the name of the man I married)

[...]

* Lo peor es la foto de ese cinturon dorado. Ese objeto esta maldito. Pero podia verlo en sus ojos.  (The worse was that golden belt. That object is cursed. But I could see it in her eyes)
* La obsesion, es igual que su condenado padre. (The obsession, she is like her damm father)
* In frustration, Miranda threw a chancla to the wall and moved barefoot inside her house.
* Mi hija no va a parar. Obstinada. Cree que los otros estan malditos, pero quien esta maldita es ella. (My daughter will not stop. Stubborn. He believes the others are cursed, but the curse lies in her)
* Esta ciega, ciega por la envidia. La maldicion de "La Solitaria". (She is blind, blind with envy. She is cursed by La Solitaria)

### After Shogun's Match:

* Padre, does el destino exist?
* Hija, if you believe dedication and passion alone will give birth to equivalent results. Then you are living in a naive dream. No matter how great of a plan you have, there are some obstacles you will never be able to surpass.
* And when that happens you'll have to learn to let it go.
* Those who get high enough on their schemes are principiantes. You have to be willing to shrivel back to nothing. To be willing to abandon everything and anyone, at any moment. That is what truly means to be a lowlife.
* Something that cannot be surpassed? If that is the case, Padre, I don't give a damm about el destino. I will walk through hell if needed and get anything I want.
* Heh, I was like you once Hija. I also tried to change that by marrying your mother, but our blood is red all the same. Don´t forget it.
* Was it fate? Were the Natsushiro's born better?
* ……………
* No, we bleed the same.

## The Convergence

### Meeting with the Queen:

The Queen revealed her true colors in front of La Jefa. Raquel felt threatened, and the room became smaller with every word. She put on her best poker face. Pretending the speech of the Queen was not affecting her. But from the small remarks like "child" to the sociopathic undertone below her speech, every single word felt like a nail piercing through her skin. At the end of it, the terrifying blue eyes were locked onto Raquel. Raquel held her gaze onto hers, holding her ground as best as she could.

Those eyes...she looked into those eyes. The eyes of the Queen were of the most light blue, and despite that, they had no shine, no spark, no glow. Those eyes told the story of someone who truly didn't think anything of anyone. She had seen eyes similar to those, but not quite as lifeless. Eyes that didn't belong to a human.

The bell chimed, and despite The Queen softened her posture and expression, Raquel remained stiff.

* Don't change your mind.

Raquel followed the guards. But just before crossing the doorframe, she turned back as if she wanted to add something else. But there were no extra remarks. No extra comments. For the first time in a long time, Raquel looked down and behaved.

La Jefa traveled through the hallways of the castle and exited the castle. Before leaving, she looked back. Since the start of the speech of the monarch. A very very dark thought was invading her head.

Those eyes, she had seen eyes like those every morning. Those were the eyes of a lonely woman.

Raquel had become shaken at the realization. She walked into the streets of the kingdom as she tried to convince herself that there was still hope for her. That she still could avoid becoming that. That she actually had a friend, and that she would bring her back.

### The Snow Point

* But that's not why I fight.

* I'm fighting for more than this company, I'm fighting for an amiga.
* Since I started my journey to become the woman I am today. No one has ever come to me unless they owed me Plata or wanted something from me.
* I believed no other relationship was possible.
* Pero pero pero, shortly after I arrived in Spaghetti Town I met one woman who treated me as an equal.
* Someone who didn't want anything out of me.
* And I treated her unfairly.
* I don't know if she knows, but I used to think that she was a loser.
* That she was below me.
* And now look at me, I'm in a loss streak, I got captured, and I've been wandering around.
* I've been looking for so long for someone who was my peer my equal.
* And the moment someone treats me as one. I pushed her away.
* Aren't I pathetic?
* She lost her job because I put her in an unfair position.
* I ran my mouth and forced her into a place she couldn't come back from.
* I don't even know if she hates me.
* Don't you get it? This is why I'm fighting.
* She is the only woman that treated me fairly.
* And Judge Yuri and Executioner is not about how unfair is that Holly has the spotlight on her, is not about Casandra, is not about Senior Dog, is not about me.
* This is my only chance to have a real amiga.
* It does not matter how much any of you need to win.
* ...
* I can't lose.

## B1 CLIMAX 2023

### The wait at the airport

Raquel sighed. Maybe she had to come back to the original plan.

After rummaging in her purse, she took a chunk of pages of paper. She glanced through them. Those pages had in them the real reason why Raquel stayed in SpaghettiSpaghetti Town after the match against Casandra. She could've retired from wrestling then. But the title, and this town...compared to the prospect of friendship, it was easier to think that the legend she was chasing was real. The pages had the list of candidates. She knew one of those women would be key to achieving her deseo.