02-15-2020, 06:41 PM
OOC Note: Everyone else had one, so I felt like I should, too. Good luck, everyone.
*******************
Recent events have taken me by surprise. It's become a situation where I don't quite know exactly what it is to believe. Are things shaping up to finally go from a rocky past and become something more positive going forward? Since I came back to work, since I found my sister, since I truly was able to ignore the negative thoughts and make myself believe things were on the up and up, things have truly seemed to get better for me. I don't quite know how to process it. I don't quite know what I think about it. I've earned accolades, and now I'm walking into a competition where I have the potential to earn even more opportunities for myself, since coming back. The downside, once again, I'm competing against my sister. The positive, though, is that we have found that amicable understanding that we will compete to the best of our abilities, and in the end, appreciate whichever one of us wins. Which I will guarantee... One of us will!
This competition, like the last, is a team competition and we each have to rely on others whom we may not have the best chemistry with. Well at least one of us on each team. See, the "captains," of which my sister is one, was lucky enough to be a captain and pick one of her closest friends in the organization. She was truly worried I'd be upset, and my explanation about wanting her to do what was best for her was bullshit. In the end, she picked right, I think. I may not like the person, I may not trust the person, but if she's my sister's best friend and believes in her, then that's what matters. Me... Well I got in through a literal "luck of the draw." My irony comes in the team I'm with. On one hand, the woman who's spot I stole, and the other is the brother of my closest friend in the organization. So there are a couple of potential awkward scenarios there.
Or "just a couple" so I thought...
After I got done being announced by the organization as one of those getting in via the lottery, I felt my day was over. I had taken my place among the elite of the company, I had been picked to a team, and I had figured that was the sum total of my night was over. And to a point, I was right. But then as I walked to the back to plan my exit from the facility, that all changed...
Jake Starr: Oh... Hey y'all...
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: JAKE!
Jake Starr: Hey...
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: Are you ready? I can't believe we are teaming together!
Jake Starr: I can definitely say I felt the same way about the both of you, too...
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: Really?! I thought you'd be excited about teaming with Jason and I!
Jake Starr: More like I don't know how to feel. Yeah, I'm stoked to have made it in, but let's be real, guys, we all have a bit of a history that could make this a bit awkward...
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: I don't see how! I mean... I picked Jason, myself, and then to have you?! I mean, we're going to do this, and do it like only we can!
Jake Starr: Kelsei, with all due respect... You do remember earlier tonight, correct?
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: I remember the whole day! Which part?
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: You mean our match? Yeah! You did great, and I think you are a very deserving champion. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to congratulate you.
Jake Starr: Umm... Thank you?
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: Seriously, Jake, I'm so proud of you. You fought such a great fight, and to lose to you, a Hall of Famer, is an honor!
Jake Starr: You seriously could be the most confusing woman I've ever met...
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: I am? Why?
Jake Starr: Seriously, who is happy to see someone who just beat them, let alone took their championship? I mean, when I lose, I don't magically want to congratulate someone. I have to simmer, be pissed, and eventually congratulate them...
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: Wow... Really? You waste that much energy on things that you can't change? The match is over. You won, fair and square. You earned it, and it was an honor to share the ring with you, just like it will be for the Trios!
I just didn't know how to feel. I didn't know if it was genuine. Seriously, I had never met someone so happy, so friendly, and not have a secret agenda behind them. But this girl either is the greatest actress in history, or she is legitimately living in a world with nothing but rainbows, unicorns, and ponies. If the latter is the case, she's also the luckiest human being on Earth, and not being affected by the constant "if it bleeds, it leads" news cycle. Now her partner, the one she got to pick, he and I have our own recent history. He was the guy dressed up as the human condom, that I competed against before I faced her. Being the brother of my best friend, and me not knowing how or what he feels toward me based on my past with his family, as well as him personally, I just didn't know how to even address him for the first time.
Jake Starr: Coffee?
Jason Helms: Funny...
Jake Starr: Crap... Did I get the wrong size? I got you guys confused!
Jake Starr: Hey... You're the one who wore that skin tight coffee filter a couple weeks back.
Jason Helms: Oh I got the joke... I promise...
Jake Starr: See, Kelsei... This is the type of reaction I was expecting from BOTH of you. Just a lot of annoyance and irritation toward me.
Jason Helms: Honestly, man... I'm pretty indifferent to the loss. You won... You made fun of us... I won't lie, it did have a couple funny lines. But honestly, I have no positive or negative feelings toward you.
Jake Starr: Bullshit, man... Let's be real... Your whole family still looks at me with contempt, and rightfully so.
Jason Helms: Jake, you never said a word about me. David and Regan have their own lives, and they can deal with their own issues. So if you think that I am sitting here thinking about any of that, honestly, you're wrong. I have my life, they have theirs. David and I are brothers, but we still live our own lives. I do my business down at BlackOut, David handles his gym, so we see one another when we see one another.
Jake Starr: You have your own gym, too? Jesus when did wrestlers decide to try and be all professional and such?
Jason Helms: I don't own the gym. I just help train and also spend time with Amy...
Jake Starr: Amy?
Jason Helms: Yes, Amy...
Jake Starr: Got a little sidepiece named Amy?
Jason Helms: Not quite a sidepiece, Jake. BlackOut is Amy Chastaine's academy...
Jake Starr: Wait wait wait... The same Amy Chastaine who wrestled here, and my sister is muff diving on?
Jason Helms: Yes, that Amy, and yes, it's your sister's girlfriend's mother...
Jake Starr: And you're having an affair with that Amy?
Jason Helms: No...
Jake Starr: Ok... So y'all are good friends...
Jason Helms: No... We're in a relationship...
It was at this point the awkwardness completely left my mind. Instead I became so confused as to the intermingling of relationships I didn't know what to think. For one, I knew about my sister's relationships, but to now find out that these two are now connected to her made me feel like there was much I didn't know. I felt like I had maybe been more out of the loop than I thought, or just didn't know who to talk to or ask the right questions. I mean... I'm sure the look on my face said it all. I'm sure they saw me go from expecting this to be a contentious confrontation to being beyond confused and not quite knowing what was going on.
Jason Helms: You've heard of open marriages, haven't you?
Jason Helms: You know... Where partners are married, and do love one another deeply, but at the same time can have relations outside the marriage with certain rules attached. In some cases, it involves the use of protection, or certain acts are prohibited with external partners, but effectively it's a relationship outside of your relationship.
Jake Starr: So what you're saying is you are married... She is married... And your spouses don't care that you two occasionally bump uglies for shits and giggles?
Jason Helms: Well it's not really for shits and giggles, man... It's a real relationship...
Jake Starr: So... What you're saying is you have the blessing to pickle the Prime Meridian of another woman, and your wife allows it?
Jason Helms: Yes, Jake. She has her boyfriends, and I have my girlfriends.
Jake Starr: And you're not jealous, and neither is she?
Jason Helms: No, it's a mutual understanding... It's...
Jason Helms: Dude, just Google it. Why am I explaining my relationship life to you?
Jake Starr: Well you are the one taking the Magic Bus to Manchester with my sister's girlfriend's mom... So I mean, I kind of am curious and should be in the know...
Jason Helms: Why?
Jake Starr: Umm...
Jason Helms: Exactly...
Jake Starr: HEY! I'm not part of this Jerry Springer or Maury Povich episode in the making... I'm just trying to make sure when I get interviewed, I know how to react so if anyone starts swinging I know who to pull off first!
Jake Starr: Can we please make it Maury, and make sure it's during the taping of one of those Progeria Kid episodes, so I can start hiding them around the studio during your interviews?
Jake Starr: ... On a serious note... Whatever makes you happy. I couldn't pull it off. I'm not smart enough to not get caught, and lord knows I wouldn't get the blessing. But the fact is, I didn't realize that my sister had made all of these other connections in SCW so far. It makes me proud. She's picked some good people.
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: Thank you so much Jake!
Jason Helms: Thanks, sir...
Jake Starr: The fact is, we've all shared the ring. Personally, I've learned more about the two of you, and now understand why, Kelsei, you went to Jason first for your team. I just hope that, because there are a lot of ties between my sister and us three, we can all put those personal feelings aside and focus on what we all want. We all want our opportunity to get a "golden ticket." So I hope we can agree to focus on the business at hand, and if our paths cross on a personal level, we don't let these business decisions impact them, especially with Jordan.
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: Jake... I'm so happy to have you on my team, and you took my title. I'm happy to have Jason because he's helped train me. Do you think I'm going to let a simple match change how I feel about anyone?
Jake Starr: Fair...
Jason Helms: ... And Jake, this is business. Business doesn't cross the lines of pleasure. Winning doesn't cross the lines of pleasure. Sure, it brings a level of happiness, but business is business. I get you're worried. I get you're concerned about both of us. But you've won this thing twice. Were you not worried about Ace? Syren? Gable? You got past your worries. So get past them now. Kelsei and I were pretty excited to hear your name. So know we are ready to fight, and not let anything cloud our judgment that night. Make sense?
Hearing my best friend's brother tell me things are OK, and do so in a truly honest manner changed my mindset on things. I wasn't worried about the past or the present. All that mattered was the future. The three of us have a common goal, and a common desire. We want to win. We want to succeed. Even with all of the intermingling of how everyone is connected to the other, as he said, "business is business." It's helped me realize that my mentality and my outlook isn't the same as it was in years past. In years past, it was every man or woman for themselves. It was about revenge. It was about harming people left and right. I was as guilty as anyone. I couldn't separate business from pleasure, and here others are able to have open marriages, face off against friends, and in my face, fight my own sibling, and in the end, it's simply... Business.
It makes me realize that my profession has finally reached a level like that of other professions, where competition is key. It's like any other sport, where family may face off... In the end, you're still family. My sister and I, her and her friends, all will be the same. Just because our profession may be a little more physical than others doesn't mean anything is done personally, but simply on the basis of achieving goals within said profession.
I can say this... The past few weeks, the successes and failures, all of it has led me to understand myself and others so much better. I have seen things that has probably helped me realize my faults of the past, and using that knowledge to better myself going forward, and hopefully achieve a third opportunity to pick my chance to shock the world and show I can still come up with ideas that put a gasp in the minds of the masses. This is my chance. This is our chance. We have to go out there and do our thing and succeed. I have to do it for me and my team, knowing my sister is doing the same for her. Then I can regroup. Then I can rejoin reality. My sister and I can move forward with our growth together once this is over, and at that point, hopefully, everything finally goes back to a sense of normalcy and we do what we do best.
----------------------------
Jake Starr: In 2009, when I first came to SCW, I came in expecting to win. Hell, I came in needing to win to just be happy. It was the only thing that could put a smile on my face, warm the cockles of my heart, or make me just feel any sense of success or achievement. It was toxic because it meant I didn't see anything positive for what it was, or embrace life at its fullest. But nevertheless, I expected to always win, always succeed, and always be the best of the best. Now... Fast forward to today, there's a lot different. For one, I don't expect anything. I don't expect to walk out and always win. The reality of wins and losses is something I accept and understand. I don't fight it. I don't let it own me, either. That's why when things happen, good things, bad things, everyday things, I stand there and I do my best to really ponder how much they truly matter in the grand scheme of life.
Why?
Because nowadays happiness isn't a one-sourced emotion for me. It's not something I put all of my ducks in one basket for. I embrace things that bring me joy from whatever direction they come from, and in relation to SCW, I enjoy going out there, day in and day out, and simply performing for the fans. I enjoy being the guy who can make people laugh, gasp, and cheer. Win or lose, I just enjoy the industry again. So, when opportunities come my way that I didn't expect or didn't feel I earned, I have a new sense of appreciation. Why? Because when I returned, I didn't expect to climb ladders with any speed. I didn't expect to be given chances for titles for a good while. I didn't feel this way because I didn't think I had the talent, but because of the way I petered out before my life went into the true chaos it was in. You see, in this business, it takes a certain level of trust to be given a chance to be a champion. Why? Because you're representing the organization. You're one of the marquee names at that point. So you need to be able to show the powers that be that you're reliable, you're worthy, and you're not going to dick around with their titles. So coming back I knew I had a lot to prove. I knew I had a lot riding on my shoulders if I ever wanted to truly be back in the limelight again.
Fast forward again, I'm the Television Champion. Something I didn't think I'd be saying yet. But I am. And now... Now... I'm in the Trios Tournament by pure luck. And a lot of people have asked me if I feel snubbed. Not just by my sister, but by all of the captains because I wasn't a selection, and the simple answer is, no. Remember what I said? I came back with baggage and a need to prove myself, and this is the Trios Tournament. This is where everyone who gets lucky enough is given a chance for the golden ticket to have whatever match they want, and literally, it's WHATEVER match they want, to a point. I jokingly asked some of the brass backstage if I won if I could fight a stuffed animal for ownership of SCW, and they said SCW ownership is not a valid award to vie for. So apparently the whole "ANY MATCH YOU WANT" does have its caveats. Oh well. Although I think I'd have made a fun owner, don't you?
Anyway, I digress...
When the picks were made, I didn't feel snubbed. I felt the captains went for who they thought would be the best bet. I told my sister I was proud of her, but I didn't trust her pick as a person. But she does, and that's her right to have a difference of opinion on someone from me. I hope Bree doesn't do what Bree does best, and make it about Bree only, and instead puts forward the same amount of effort as the rest of the teams, and tries to support her partners. But back to me... Because let's be real, Jake Starr LOVES talking about himself... I knew if I were going to somehow make it to the Trios, I would have to win the lottery. I'd have to win that scratch off that gave me some of that Andrew Yang money every month, if I was going to get in. And let's be real, the odds weren't in my favor. SCW's roster is a big one, and that means everyone had that equal shot. When I looked at the teams, I can say I was eying them all. For the first time in my knowledge of the Trios, the teams were looking so evenly balanced, that I didn't feel anyone was going to have an upper hand, and if I got lucky to be on one, I didn't care who.
Then SCW decided it was going to show Alanis what was really "ironic" in this world, and pair me with Kelsei and Jason.
Now when this first happened, I didn't know what to think, but then I stepped back and thought about my two successful Trios Tournaments and realized that I didn't know what to think then either. So I was fairly quick to shrug it off and realize that I'm paired with someone who showed me what she is capable of, and the brother of my best friend, who I also know what is capable of. I realize that I fought both of these two recently, and not only do I know what they are capable of, but I know how talented they are. Once I spoke to them, I realized these two know one another well, so I know I have a solid team who has chemistry watching my back, while I watch theirs. So the irony turned to excitement. It turned into a desire to get out there and fight. It turned Jake Starr into a man on a mission, and that mission is simple...
Jake wants a Golden Ticket... Jake wants a Golden Ticket... Jake wants a Golden Ticket to have his waaaayyyyy!
Now in order to make this possible, we have to be able to be the best trio of 8 very evenly matched teams. And our first contest, I'll be honest, is going to be the hardest match of my personal Trios career. Why? SCW is throwing us, right out of the gate, against Selena Frost, Regan Street, and Christy Matthews. Now this trio of estrogen puts three of the greatest women in SCW history on one team together, all of which have, either currently or at some point, hate my guts. Also three women who have always had my number. So I look at these three as one of the toughest teams in the tournament, and I do so because I know what they each bring. That being said, I don't fear them. I don't fear any one of them. I know what they bring as individuals. I know they are, each, very much "alpha females." That's where I believe they have a great weakness in their ability to team together. They will each want to carry the load. They will each want to be the star.
Unfortunately, this isn't a singles tournament. This is a team event!
So I hope those three realize that very fact. I hope they realize they're not each "in charge" but instead going in with a sense of cohesion. If not, they will show their faults. They will show their weaknesses, and Kelsei, Jason, and I will ALL pounce at once. We're not scared of any "name" in this tournament. We aren't afraid to step into the ring and fight whoever of those three, or the subsequent teams we face throw at us. The fact is, we may not look like the most intimidating team. We may not be the odds on favorite. But none of that matters. All that matters is we go out and work as a team. We go out there and enjoy ourselves and enjoy our opportunity. This isn't "all or nothing" for any of our careers, so why shouldn't we just go out there, have fun, do what we know we can do, and surprise the world?
Because that's our plan...
That's our goal...
That's our mission!
If we don't succeed, you know, we move on and continue doing whatever it takes to move our way up in SCW. But WHEN we win, expect fireworks. Expect to see some excitement from all of us. And with my Trios contract, expect me to one-up myself from previous Trios contracts. And for those of you who know what I've done, you know that could be literally ANYTHING! But I'm not counting chickens yet. I just know what our team is bringing to this fight. I know what we are planning on doing. We're coming to make a statement. We are coming to shock the world and be the team that everyone remembers coming out of this Trios Tournament. And on a personal level... I want this to be the Trios I remember most because of the team I'm put alongside. They've shown me respect, and I couldn't be prouder to call myself their partner.
So I hope everyone is ready... Because we are! And we're ready to win the Trios with the biggest smiles of any teams in history!
*******************
Recent events have taken me by surprise. It's become a situation where I don't quite know exactly what it is to believe. Are things shaping up to finally go from a rocky past and become something more positive going forward? Since I came back to work, since I found my sister, since I truly was able to ignore the negative thoughts and make myself believe things were on the up and up, things have truly seemed to get better for me. I don't quite know how to process it. I don't quite know what I think about it. I've earned accolades, and now I'm walking into a competition where I have the potential to earn even more opportunities for myself, since coming back. The downside, once again, I'm competing against my sister. The positive, though, is that we have found that amicable understanding that we will compete to the best of our abilities, and in the end, appreciate whichever one of us wins. Which I will guarantee... One of us will!
This competition, like the last, is a team competition and we each have to rely on others whom we may not have the best chemistry with. Well at least one of us on each team. See, the "captains," of which my sister is one, was lucky enough to be a captain and pick one of her closest friends in the organization. She was truly worried I'd be upset, and my explanation about wanting her to do what was best for her was bullshit. In the end, she picked right, I think. I may not like the person, I may not trust the person, but if she's my sister's best friend and believes in her, then that's what matters. Me... Well I got in through a literal "luck of the draw." My irony comes in the team I'm with. On one hand, the woman who's spot I stole, and the other is the brother of my closest friend in the organization. So there are a couple of potential awkward scenarios there.
Or "just a couple" so I thought...
After I got done being announced by the organization as one of those getting in via the lottery, I felt my day was over. I had taken my place among the elite of the company, I had been picked to a team, and I had figured that was the sum total of my night was over. And to a point, I was right. But then as I walked to the back to plan my exit from the facility, that all changed...
As Jake Starr walks to the back, he makes his way through the corridors to the locker rooms. As he makes his way around one corner, he's looking down at his phone and runs straight into the combination of his newly acquired teammates for the Trios Tournament, Kelsei and Jason. Jake initially doesn't realize who he has run into, and quickly apologizes, but when he realizes it's the pair he'll be teaming with, he steps back, and the awkwardness sets in immediately for Jake.
Jake Starr: Oh... Hey y'all...
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: JAKE!
Jake Starr: Hey...
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: Are you ready? I can't believe we are teaming together!
Jake Starr: I can definitely say I felt the same way about the both of you, too...
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: Really?! I thought you'd be excited about teaming with Jason and I!
Jake Starr: More like I don't know how to feel. Yeah, I'm stoked to have made it in, but let's be real, guys, we all have a bit of a history that could make this a bit awkward...
Kelsei seems completely oblivious to what could make their team awkward in the least.
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: I don't see how! I mean... I picked Jason, myself, and then to have you?! I mean, we're going to do this, and do it like only we can!
Jake Starr: Kelsei, with all due respect... You do remember earlier tonight, correct?
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: I remember the whole day! Which part?
Jake looks over at the Television Championship draped over his shoulder.
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: You mean our match? Yeah! You did great, and I think you are a very deserving champion. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to congratulate you.
Jake stares at Kelsei, completely confused.
Jake Starr: Umm... Thank you?
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: Seriously, Jake, I'm so proud of you. You fought such a great fight, and to lose to you, a Hall of Famer, is an honor!
Jake Starr: You seriously could be the most confusing woman I've ever met...
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: I am? Why?
Jake Starr: Seriously, who is happy to see someone who just beat them, let alone took their championship? I mean, when I lose, I don't magically want to congratulate someone. I have to simmer, be pissed, and eventually congratulate them...
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: Wow... Really? You waste that much energy on things that you can't change? The match is over. You won, fair and square. You earned it, and it was an honor to share the ring with you, just like it will be for the Trios!
I just didn't know how to feel. I didn't know if it was genuine. Seriously, I had never met someone so happy, so friendly, and not have a secret agenda behind them. But this girl either is the greatest actress in history, or she is legitimately living in a world with nothing but rainbows, unicorns, and ponies. If the latter is the case, she's also the luckiest human being on Earth, and not being affected by the constant "if it bleeds, it leads" news cycle. Now her partner, the one she got to pick, he and I have our own recent history. He was the guy dressed up as the human condom, that I competed against before I faced her. Being the brother of my best friend, and me not knowing how or what he feels toward me based on my past with his family, as well as him personally, I just didn't know how to even address him for the first time.
Ironically, around the corner where the trio came together was also one with a table with some beverages for the backstage workers and competitors to grab and go. Jake leans over and picks up a cup, then looks directly at Jason.
Jake Starr: Coffee?
Jason rolls his eyes.
Jason Helms: Funny...
Jake's sarcasm continues.
Jake Starr: Crap... Did I get the wrong size? I got you guys confused!
Jason just stares, and shakes his head with a sigh. Jake smirks, before setting the cup down.
Jake Starr: Hey... You're the one who wore that skin tight coffee filter a couple weeks back.
Jason Helms: Oh I got the joke... I promise...
Jake looks back at Kelsei.
Jake Starr: See, Kelsei... This is the type of reaction I was expecting from BOTH of you. Just a lot of annoyance and irritation toward me.
Jason corrects the record.
Jason Helms: Honestly, man... I'm pretty indifferent to the loss. You won... You made fun of us... I won't lie, it did have a couple funny lines. But honestly, I have no positive or negative feelings toward you.
Jake rolls his eyes.
Jake Starr: Bullshit, man... Let's be real... Your whole family still looks at me with contempt, and rightfully so.
Jason Helms: Jake, you never said a word about me. David and Regan have their own lives, and they can deal with their own issues. So if you think that I am sitting here thinking about any of that, honestly, you're wrong. I have my life, they have theirs. David and I are brothers, but we still live our own lives. I do my business down at BlackOut, David handles his gym, so we see one another when we see one another.
Jake Starr: You have your own gym, too? Jesus when did wrestlers decide to try and be all professional and such?
Jason Helms: I don't own the gym. I just help train and also spend time with Amy...
Jake Starr: Amy?
Jason Helms: Yes, Amy...
Jake Starr: Got a little sidepiece named Amy?
Jason Helms: Not quite a sidepiece, Jake. BlackOut is Amy Chastaine's academy...
Jake quickly interjects.
Jake Starr: Wait wait wait... The same Amy Chastaine who wrestled here, and my sister is muff diving on?
Jason sighs.
Jason Helms: Yes, that Amy, and yes, it's your sister's girlfriend's mother...
Jake Starr: And you're having an affair with that Amy?
Jason Helms: No...
Jake Starr: Ok... So y'all are good friends...
Jason Helms: No... We're in a relationship...
Jake stares at him completely befuddled.
It was at this point the awkwardness completely left my mind. Instead I became so confused as to the intermingling of relationships I didn't know what to think. For one, I knew about my sister's relationships, but to now find out that these two are now connected to her made me feel like there was much I didn't know. I felt like I had maybe been more out of the loop than I thought, or just didn't know who to talk to or ask the right questions. I mean... I'm sure the look on my face said it all. I'm sure they saw me go from expecting this to be a contentious confrontation to being beyond confused and not quite knowing what was going on.
Jason Helms: You've heard of open marriages, haven't you?
Jake stands there, still with a confused look on his face.
Jason Helms: You know... Where partners are married, and do love one another deeply, but at the same time can have relations outside the marriage with certain rules attached. In some cases, it involves the use of protection, or certain acts are prohibited with external partners, but effectively it's a relationship outside of your relationship.
Jake blinks and shakes his head.
Jake Starr: So what you're saying is you are married... She is married... And your spouses don't care that you two occasionally bump uglies for shits and giggles?
Jason Helms: Well it's not really for shits and giggles, man... It's a real relationship...
Jake Starr: So... What you're saying is you have the blessing to pickle the Prime Meridian of another woman, and your wife allows it?
Jason sighs.
Jason Helms: Yes, Jake. She has her boyfriends, and I have my girlfriends.
Jake Starr: And you're not jealous, and neither is she?
Jason Helms: No, it's a mutual understanding... It's...
Jason rolls his eyes.
Jason Helms: Dude, just Google it. Why am I explaining my relationship life to you?
Jake Starr: Well you are the one taking the Magic Bus to Manchester with my sister's girlfriend's mom... So I mean, I kind of am curious and should be in the know...
Jason Helms: Why?
Jake Starr: Umm...
Jason Helms: Exactly...
Jake gets "stern."
Jake Starr: HEY! I'm not part of this Jerry Springer or Maury Povich episode in the making... I'm just trying to make sure when I get interviewed, I know how to react so if anyone starts swinging I know who to pull off first!
Kelsei gets a bit of a chuckle out of the Springer/Povich reference for Jake. Jake sees it, and can't wait to pounce to make her laugh more.
Jake Starr: Can we please make it Maury, and make sure it's during the taping of one of those Progeria Kid episodes, so I can start hiding them around the studio during your interviews?
The comment even makes Jason smirk a little at the thought, as Kelsei chuckles again. Jake's voice shifts to a more honest and serious tone.
Jake Starr: ... On a serious note... Whatever makes you happy. I couldn't pull it off. I'm not smart enough to not get caught, and lord knows I wouldn't get the blessing. But the fact is, I didn't realize that my sister had made all of these other connections in SCW so far. It makes me proud. She's picked some good people.
Jason nods, and Kelaei smiles at the compliment.
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: Thank you so much Jake!
Jason Helms: Thanks, sir...
Jake nods.
Jake Starr: The fact is, we've all shared the ring. Personally, I've learned more about the two of you, and now understand why, Kelsei, you went to Jason first for your team. I just hope that, because there are a lot of ties between my sister and us three, we can all put those personal feelings aside and focus on what we all want. We all want our opportunity to get a "golden ticket." So I hope we can agree to focus on the business at hand, and if our paths cross on a personal level, we don't let these business decisions impact them, especially with Jordan.
Kelsei Adamson-Mason: Jake... I'm so happy to have you on my team, and you took my title. I'm happy to have Jason because he's helped train me. Do you think I'm going to let a simple match change how I feel about anyone?
Jake Starr: Fair...
Jason Helms: ... And Jake, this is business. Business doesn't cross the lines of pleasure. Winning doesn't cross the lines of pleasure. Sure, it brings a level of happiness, but business is business. I get you're worried. I get you're concerned about both of us. But you've won this thing twice. Were you not worried about Ace? Syren? Gable? You got past your worries. So get past them now. Kelsei and I were pretty excited to hear your name. So know we are ready to fight, and not let anything cloud our judgment that night. Make sense?
Jake nods.
Hearing my best friend's brother tell me things are OK, and do so in a truly honest manner changed my mindset on things. I wasn't worried about the past or the present. All that mattered was the future. The three of us have a common goal, and a common desire. We want to win. We want to succeed. Even with all of the intermingling of how everyone is connected to the other, as he said, "business is business." It's helped me realize that my mentality and my outlook isn't the same as it was in years past. In years past, it was every man or woman for themselves. It was about revenge. It was about harming people left and right. I was as guilty as anyone. I couldn't separate business from pleasure, and here others are able to have open marriages, face off against friends, and in my face, fight my own sibling, and in the end, it's simply... Business.
It makes me realize that my profession has finally reached a level like that of other professions, where competition is key. It's like any other sport, where family may face off... In the end, you're still family. My sister and I, her and her friends, all will be the same. Just because our profession may be a little more physical than others doesn't mean anything is done personally, but simply on the basis of achieving goals within said profession.
I can say this... The past few weeks, the successes and failures, all of it has led me to understand myself and others so much better. I have seen things that has probably helped me realize my faults of the past, and using that knowledge to better myself going forward, and hopefully achieve a third opportunity to pick my chance to shock the world and show I can still come up with ideas that put a gasp in the minds of the masses. This is my chance. This is our chance. We have to go out there and do our thing and succeed. I have to do it for me and my team, knowing my sister is doing the same for her. Then I can regroup. Then I can rejoin reality. My sister and I can move forward with our growth together once this is over, and at that point, hopefully, everything finally goes back to a sense of normalcy and we do what we do best.
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Jake Starr: In 2009, when I first came to SCW, I came in expecting to win. Hell, I came in needing to win to just be happy. It was the only thing that could put a smile on my face, warm the cockles of my heart, or make me just feel any sense of success or achievement. It was toxic because it meant I didn't see anything positive for what it was, or embrace life at its fullest. But nevertheless, I expected to always win, always succeed, and always be the best of the best. Now... Fast forward to today, there's a lot different. For one, I don't expect anything. I don't expect to walk out and always win. The reality of wins and losses is something I accept and understand. I don't fight it. I don't let it own me, either. That's why when things happen, good things, bad things, everyday things, I stand there and I do my best to really ponder how much they truly matter in the grand scheme of life.
Why?
Because nowadays happiness isn't a one-sourced emotion for me. It's not something I put all of my ducks in one basket for. I embrace things that bring me joy from whatever direction they come from, and in relation to SCW, I enjoy going out there, day in and day out, and simply performing for the fans. I enjoy being the guy who can make people laugh, gasp, and cheer. Win or lose, I just enjoy the industry again. So, when opportunities come my way that I didn't expect or didn't feel I earned, I have a new sense of appreciation. Why? Because when I returned, I didn't expect to climb ladders with any speed. I didn't expect to be given chances for titles for a good while. I didn't feel this way because I didn't think I had the talent, but because of the way I petered out before my life went into the true chaos it was in. You see, in this business, it takes a certain level of trust to be given a chance to be a champion. Why? Because you're representing the organization. You're one of the marquee names at that point. So you need to be able to show the powers that be that you're reliable, you're worthy, and you're not going to dick around with their titles. So coming back I knew I had a lot to prove. I knew I had a lot riding on my shoulders if I ever wanted to truly be back in the limelight again.
Fast forward again, I'm the Television Champion. Something I didn't think I'd be saying yet. But I am. And now... Now... I'm in the Trios Tournament by pure luck. And a lot of people have asked me if I feel snubbed. Not just by my sister, but by all of the captains because I wasn't a selection, and the simple answer is, no. Remember what I said? I came back with baggage and a need to prove myself, and this is the Trios Tournament. This is where everyone who gets lucky enough is given a chance for the golden ticket to have whatever match they want, and literally, it's WHATEVER match they want, to a point. I jokingly asked some of the brass backstage if I won if I could fight a stuffed animal for ownership of SCW, and they said SCW ownership is not a valid award to vie for. So apparently the whole "ANY MATCH YOU WANT" does have its caveats. Oh well. Although I think I'd have made a fun owner, don't you?
Anyway, I digress...
When the picks were made, I didn't feel snubbed. I felt the captains went for who they thought would be the best bet. I told my sister I was proud of her, but I didn't trust her pick as a person. But she does, and that's her right to have a difference of opinion on someone from me. I hope Bree doesn't do what Bree does best, and make it about Bree only, and instead puts forward the same amount of effort as the rest of the teams, and tries to support her partners. But back to me... Because let's be real, Jake Starr LOVES talking about himself... I knew if I were going to somehow make it to the Trios, I would have to win the lottery. I'd have to win that scratch off that gave me some of that Andrew Yang money every month, if I was going to get in. And let's be real, the odds weren't in my favor. SCW's roster is a big one, and that means everyone had that equal shot. When I looked at the teams, I can say I was eying them all. For the first time in my knowledge of the Trios, the teams were looking so evenly balanced, that I didn't feel anyone was going to have an upper hand, and if I got lucky to be on one, I didn't care who.
Then SCW decided it was going to show Alanis what was really "ironic" in this world, and pair me with Kelsei and Jason.
Now when this first happened, I didn't know what to think, but then I stepped back and thought about my two successful Trios Tournaments and realized that I didn't know what to think then either. So I was fairly quick to shrug it off and realize that I'm paired with someone who showed me what she is capable of, and the brother of my best friend, who I also know what is capable of. I realize that I fought both of these two recently, and not only do I know what they are capable of, but I know how talented they are. Once I spoke to them, I realized these two know one another well, so I know I have a solid team who has chemistry watching my back, while I watch theirs. So the irony turned to excitement. It turned into a desire to get out there and fight. It turned Jake Starr into a man on a mission, and that mission is simple...
Jake sings.
Jake wants a Golden Ticket... Jake wants a Golden Ticket... Jake wants a Golden Ticket to have his waaaayyyyy!
Jake smirks.
Now in order to make this possible, we have to be able to be the best trio of 8 very evenly matched teams. And our first contest, I'll be honest, is going to be the hardest match of my personal Trios career. Why? SCW is throwing us, right out of the gate, against Selena Frost, Regan Street, and Christy Matthews. Now this trio of estrogen puts three of the greatest women in SCW history on one team together, all of which have, either currently or at some point, hate my guts. Also three women who have always had my number. So I look at these three as one of the toughest teams in the tournament, and I do so because I know what they each bring. That being said, I don't fear them. I don't fear any one of them. I know what they bring as individuals. I know they are, each, very much "alpha females." That's where I believe they have a great weakness in their ability to team together. They will each want to carry the load. They will each want to be the star.
Unfortunately, this isn't a singles tournament. This is a team event!
So I hope those three realize that very fact. I hope they realize they're not each "in charge" but instead going in with a sense of cohesion. If not, they will show their faults. They will show their weaknesses, and Kelsei, Jason, and I will ALL pounce at once. We're not scared of any "name" in this tournament. We aren't afraid to step into the ring and fight whoever of those three, or the subsequent teams we face throw at us. The fact is, we may not look like the most intimidating team. We may not be the odds on favorite. But none of that matters. All that matters is we go out and work as a team. We go out there and enjoy ourselves and enjoy our opportunity. This isn't "all or nothing" for any of our careers, so why shouldn't we just go out there, have fun, do what we know we can do, and surprise the world?
Because that's our plan...
That's our goal...
That's our mission!
If we don't succeed, you know, we move on and continue doing whatever it takes to move our way up in SCW. But WHEN we win, expect fireworks. Expect to see some excitement from all of us. And with my Trios contract, expect me to one-up myself from previous Trios contracts. And for those of you who know what I've done, you know that could be literally ANYTHING! But I'm not counting chickens yet. I just know what our team is bringing to this fight. I know what we are planning on doing. We're coming to make a statement. We are coming to shock the world and be the team that everyone remembers coming out of this Trios Tournament. And on a personal level... I want this to be the Trios I remember most because of the team I'm put alongside. They've shown me respect, and I couldn't be prouder to call myself their partner.
So I hope everyone is ready... Because we are! And we're ready to win the Trios with the biggest smiles of any teams in history!