Jake Starr vs. Ridley Ellis

[Konrad Raab]

2 RP Limit for singles

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Tuesday, September 1, 2020

[Jake Starr]

OOC Note: Apologies for the minimal formatting.  School started up last week and getting my little one into her groove has proved time consuming after 6 months of basically getting to play all day and sleep.  Hope everyone enjoys!


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Since the day I personally walked through the gates of Hell for the first time, on my own, and took it upon myself to rain hellfire and brimstone upon that which had almost killed me, I had done nothing to clean the mess, or effectively finish what I started.  Instead, that bathroom stayed destroyed.  It stayed with a sledgehammer stuck in the wall from the final blow I leveled.  The hole in the door had begun to give others in the house a creepy sense of "The Shining," just without the face sticking through it every time they walked by.  This creep factor led my close friend to "fix it," by simply putting a piece of copy paper over the hole, and closing the door.  A no entry sign was affixed to the door, and it was locked from the inside.

All of these steps were done in my absence, with the hope that I would ultimately come back from my business trip, and handle it appropriately.  The problem has been, I haven't even wanted to face it again.  It was my closure.  It was my ending to something haunting in my life.  I get that something will need to be done, but I've wanted to enjoy the peace of those demons being exorcised, and since being home, I've done just that.  For once, I've been able to sit in front of my television without the sounds of hisses or faint voices clouding my audial mind.  For once, just the sound of hockey, and me yelling at the television has been the overwhelming noises coming from my house.

The problem is, I'm alone in this comfort.  Like I said, people still walk by and know what is on the other side of that door.  They know the carnage I caused, and while they can't see inside, they still know what lies beyond the copy paper.  Also, while they have tried to fully understand why I did what I did, one person still remains in the dark.  The philosophical and theological reasoning of what I did is not fully understood within the scope of a mind that has been shielded from much of the evil and darkness.  But it's time that mind be expanded.

.:: As Jake sits and watches TV with Brandon and Roeper also being subjected to his constant stream of hockey through this Stanley Cup Playoffs, Jake leans back, looking relaxed, even after coming home unsuccessful at Rise to Greatness.  It's as if everything was actually normal for once in Jake's life.  The one person not enjoying this calmness and normalcy is a young ten year old Mara Jade Hart, the daughter of Jake and Roeper.  While she has enjoyed the clarity her father has seemingly had, the reasoning behind everything that led to this moment has still befuddled her.  As the trio watches a game entering intermission, Mara comes around the corner, from her room. ::.

Mara Jade Hart: Mom... Brandon...

.:: Brandon and Roeper both look back in Mara's direction, as does Jake. ::.

Mara Jade Hart: Can I talk to Daddy for a bit?

.:: Brandon and Roeper look at one another, then at Jake, who quickly nods without hesitation. ::.

Roeper Hart: Sure, baby... Is everything OK?

Mara Jade Hart: I just want to ask Daddy some questions...

Roeper Hart: Well OK then!  Brandon and I can go to the kitchen and make some snacks for everyone...

.:: Brandon and Roeper both stand up, and Jake swings his legs out from the couch, and pats the area beside him.  Mara starts walking toward him, and takes a seat next to him.  Jake leans back and puts one foot on the coffee table, and extends his arm around his young daughter.  What her questions could be have Jake curious, but actually excited that Mara wants to talk to him.  Once they know they are alone, Jake looks over at his daughter. ::.

Jake Starr: What's up, Princess?

Mara Jade Hart: Daddy... Why did you do everything you did?

At this point, I knew this was finally going to take one of two directions that would eventually converge at a single point in time.  I didn't know how, or what, to address first.  I didn't know how much detail she wanted to know.  I know that everyone had done their best to keep her from knowing all of the gory details surrounding that room, and her seeing me destroy it and even make a comical retort in regard to it, made me truly believe she didn't know and just thought that her father was on a random remodeling spree.  Obviously, her brilliance was far deeper, and her coping mechanisms mimic that of my own.

Knowing this... I had to be sure I addressed this appropriately, and not just push it off as something not to take seriously.

Jake Starr: Baby, what do you want to know?

Mara Jade Hart: For one... Why did you destroy the bathroom?  I know you didn't do it because you didn't like the wallpaper.  I also know a lot of what really happened in there.  I may be young, but I'm not dumb...

.:: Jake sighs. ::.

Jake Starr: Nobody ever believed or considered you dumb.  We know you're brilliant.  The truth is, what I did to that room was something I needed to do to finally quit letting a lot of bad thoughts and bad feelings control how I acted.  I had to find a way to finally be able to handle tough situations and not let them send me into a downward spiral.  That room... It represented a portal of evil in this house.  I don't know how, but I've always known you were aware of the truth of that room, and what happened with me...

.:: Mara surprises Jake with her reply. ::.

Mara Jade Hart: Brandon, too...

.:: Jake's eyes go wide. ::.

Jake Starr: Oh!  OK... That I didn't know...

Mara Jade Hart: You just said you knew I was brilliant...

Jake Starr: But Brandon's case was when you were much younger...

Mara Jade Hart: It added up and things I heard at a young age made sense after what happened with you.

Jake Starr: That makes sense... Anyway... After what happened with me, I couldn't walk by that door, or be in this house, without feeling haunted by my own bad choices.  Anytime I saw the door, I relived the moments of both myself and Brandon.  All Daddy could feel was pain and suffering for everyone, not just himself.  That day I went in there that last time and just unleashed with the sledgehammer, I had met a breaking point.  I had realized that I couldn't handle that much evil and darkness surrounding my family on an everyday basis.  I had to take a step to begin to fight back and destroy what had taken a grip on two of us, and do what I felt would keep that same evil from potentially taking the same advantage on you or your mom.

Mara Jade Hart: It wouldn't have for me...

.:: Jake pulls Mara in and squeezes her. ::.

Jake Starr: Baby girl... I never thought it would me either.  Hell, I'm sure Brandon would say the same... I...

.:: Jake is interrupted by the re-entry of Brandon and Roeper. ::.

Brandon Evans: Mara, Jake is right.  Neither of us THOUGHT that it would consume us.  We didn't WANT that to happen, even then.

Jake Starr: Brandon's right.  The negativity corrupted our minds to think it was actually a "good" decision.  And I don't know if I speak for Brandon or Roeper, but we felt that same negativity each time we walked by it.

Mara Jade Hart: I didn't...

Roeper Hart: And hun, for that I am so thankful.  Nothing like what happened with Jake or your Uncle Brandon ever happened with me.  But I could feel it.  I could sense what they felt and what drove them to thinking like they did.  You, and your strength, is what helped keep me grounded, and for that, I am forever thankful.

Jake Starr: Mara, you've done a lot to help many of us realize there is so much to fight for, and to quit giving up on life.  You have shown us that we can't always take the easy way out.  You have shown us all that there is so much more to fight for than the trivial stuff that led us to what we did...

Mara Jade Hart: Then what are you going to do about that room?  You destroyed it.  You say you killed all of the negativity, but now even I feel it when I walk by.  Yeah I made a joke about it, but the truth is, I wanted to see that room gone after seeing the look in your eyes, swinging that sledgehammer.  That look, even though you say it felt good, scared me to death.  It was something I never want to see again.  You scared me so much and I haven't felt safe in this house since.

.:: Jake sighs and looks down.  Brandon and Roeper both feel bad as well.  Neither had tried to talk to Mara, and this has been stewing in her head for some time now.  The amount of guilt in the room is thick, and could be cut with a knife. ::.

Jake Starr: Sweetie... You have every right to feel this way.  I don't know if you've talked to anyone else, but I know you haven't with me.  I also haven't come to talk to you.  Instead, I thought hiding everything from you was the best way to go, but obviously I was wrong.  Obviously we were all wrong.  And I think I speak for all of us when I say that we are all sorry for not just being open and honest with you.  We wanted to protect you, and thought it was best.

Mara Jade Hart: Dad... I'm not a baby anymore.  Yeah, I don't know everything, but I can tell when things aren't OK and bad.  I just want things to finally start settling down.

Jake Starr: We all do, Mara.  And we have all been working on our parts.  I guess it's now my turn to step up and have someone come in, clean up my mess, and start rebuilding it into something we can use that doesn't have the haunting aura about it.

Roeper Hart: I like that idea...

Brandon Evans: I think we all do, and we could all pitch in.  At least I could.  I brought the evil in, Jake took it out, now we can start bringing some happiness back in this place overall, you think?

Roeper Hart: It's going to be a team effort for all of us, Mara included.  She's obviously feeling the negativity, too.  So we do this together.  We do this to bring the darkness to a close and the sun out.  Together.  All together.  Nobody is free from some kind of blame.  Instead, we all put out big boy and girl pants on and we cleanse this house as a unit.  How does that sound dear?

.:: Mara sighs. ::.

Mara Jade Hart: I just want to feel happy in my own home again.

Jake Starr: Then let's make it happen...

.:: Jake grabs Mara and pulls her in again. ::.

Jake Starr: ... And we do it together!

My daughter, while optimistic, was still reluctant to go "all in" with the idea that everything would magically be better if we teamed up to clean up the bathroom and prepare it for true renovations.  In her mind there was still risk of it being a bandaid on a bigger problem.  I understood her reservations because hope wasn't a feeling that genuinely lasted much in our household, but at this moment, I felt it was what we had to lean on, as well as each other.  I just hope she begins to see it the same way, and nothing breaks that faint sense of hope that was inside her, still very young and vulnerable, heart.

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Jake Starr: Well... Suffice to say that Rise to Greatness didn't go my way, did it?  I mean, here I stand, NOT the Number One Contender for the title, I will never let people forget, I made famous.  Now, I'm not going to piss and moan.  I'm not going to scream and yell.  The fact is, in a match involving several others, what happened is always a possibility, and you can't act like you were somehow wronged when the rules are what they are, and the outcome played right into them.  So I can't be angry, but I can be disappointed.  The fact is, I wanted that win.  I wanted that chance.  I wanted to be able to walk into a match with whoever emerged from Rise to Greatness as the Adrenaline Champion, and know that I was hoping and planning to be the one to dethrone them.

Alas, I'm not...

Losses at Rise to Greatness, of all places, aren't the easiest to cope with.  And it's not just because it's the most watched event of the year.  it's because it's the night everyone brings everything they have.  It's the night where everyone gears up and brings their A game, and if they come up short, it insinuates that others have a better A game than you.  Now, like I said, the rules create situations where that MIGHT not be the case, but it's something you can't easily prove or disprove.  I can't prove I should have won.  I can't prove that because I wasn't pinned, I wasn't technically the weakest.  I can't prove that, had I been in the ring, Gavin wouldn't have pinned me the same he did Audrianna.  But it's still a hard pill to swallow when you want to be competitive.

It's hard to address the fact you're becoming less and less of a threat.  It's hard to accept that what you feel you are delivering is hard work, but you realize you're being outworked every time you turn around.  So it becomes even more of a challenge for the old guard like me.  SCW is comprised of the greatest athletes.  It has every single superstar who could and WOULD dominate any other organization... And that even includes the ones who you sometimes can't tell apart!  Nevertheless, these people know how to win.  And honestly, I would even include myself.  I feel I could go a lot of places and be dominant.  I could go and easily be the top guy in other organizations.  But I don't do that.  I don't take the easy way out.  I don't look for simple accolades, anymore, to associate with my name.  Instead, I want that challenge.  I want that fight.  I want that pressure on my shoulders again.  Without being pressured, how do you REALLY know you're achieving anything?  If you're just beating mediocre or nobody talent, what's it really saying about you as a pro wrestler?

It says you can't handle the big leagues.

So I am one of those people who don't show up, get pissed I can't win, and go elsewhere.  I'm not a Greg Cherry.  I'm also not one to make the same type of excuses or argue.  If I win, I know I was superior.  If I lose, I know someone had my number, or someone had help outside the ring, and ultimately use it to their advantage.  The fact is, I'm not the guy I used to be.  I don't look at the world as everyone is against me.  Instead, I look at the world as everyone is trying to do the same thing I am, and that's achieve as much as they can, with the time they have given to them by their respective careers.  A lot of people don't believe that.  A lot of people don't realize that there is a world that doesn't revolve around them, and honestly, that's where I used to be before...

.:: All of a sudden, the sound of a door opening occurs, and the lights blink and completely go out. ::.

Jake Starr: What the...

.:: Crashing and footsteps are heard. ::.

Brandon Evans: Dude!  People are here!  I hear them!

Jake Starr: That wasn't you?

Brandon Evans: NO!

.:: More crashing and jostling is heard. ::.

Jake Starr: Brandon!  Grab them!

Brandon Evans: I can't fucking see them!

Jake Starr: Well I got one of them... If I can you can!

Brandon Evans: I CAN'T SEE IN THE DARK!

Jake Starr: I've got mine pinned down, although he has a grip on me too!

Brandon Evans: AHHHHHHH!  COME HERE FUCK'O!

.:: A massive crash happens before the lights come back on, seeing Brandon "choking" one of the pieces of lighting equipment, and Jake pinning down one of the spare rolling cameras, while also entangled in lighting cabling.  With the lighting now on, and Brandon and Jake able to see one another, the look at each other, mouth agape.  The two begin to look around until they both look toward the entry way into the studio, and see Jordan Majors standing by an electrical outlet, looking at the pair as if they had lost their mind. ::.

Jordan Majors: You know, if you're going to start using the outlets by the door, a sign would probably create less of a hazard...

.:: Jake looks at Brandon before untangling himself and letting go of the "attacking camera."  He stands up quickly and dusts himself off. ::.

Jake Starr: What are you doing here?

Jordan Majors: Do you really think anyone thinks it's a good idea to leave you two alone to do something involving high voltage electricity?

.:: Jake shrugs. ::.

Jordan Majors: Now get your ass up and get ready to continue.  Thankfully I know you two don't remember how to plug shit in, and will walk with a little more care.

.:: Jake pushes the camera aside, and takes his place back in front of the camera that had been recording him this entire time.  Jordan gingerly makes her way beside the camera, to a more "Directorial" position and orders Brandon back to the Producer's Booth.  Brandon unravels himself and slowly makes his way up to the booth, still feeling embarrassed he was "attacked" by electrical equipment.  Once Brandon is back at his "post," Jordan turns toward her brother and tells him to "go for it..." ::.

Jake Starr: ... Like I remember what I was saying... Anyway... The last thing I remember saying was I'm not Greg Cherry.  And nothing about that describes who I am, or what I aspire to be.  Why?  Because Greg always had excuses.  He always had reasons to run away.  He never could face adversity.  And adversity is EXACTLY what is staring me in the face, and apparently on Twitter, right now too.  It's like Silas Mason has risen from the grave, and decided that he's going to create some kind of goon squad, and come for me.  Or at least that's what I gathered from the fact that he has labeled his, whatever he is, an "icon killer?"  Umm... Really?  An "icon killer?"  And then, this Silas Mason wannabe goes on to talk about how he's a budding horticulturalist and is about to start going all Johnny Appleseed on SCW as well.

What in the actual fuck?

Firstly, I don't remember SCW calling me and saying, "hey Jake, FYI we are booking you against this guy named Lester."  No... They called me up and said they were booking me against some apparent brutal, badass, named Ridley Ellis.  When I asked how brutal we were talking, they did compare him to the infamous grape squishing lady who fell and made some pretty brutal noises upon impact, to which I won't lie, I got a little intimidated.  I mean, those noises, those were inhuman.  They were guttural, frenetic, and just nothing that I had ever come out of a human body before.  And if this guy was the same... Ooph... I have my work cut out for me!

On the plus side, however, that's what I do in SCW.  I don't back down from a fight.  I don't back down from a brute, a psychopath, a weirdo, a legend, an icon, or even the boss himself.  I go out there, and I fight.  Why?  Because that's who Jake Starr is.  No matter the "chapter" of my life I'm in, I'm a fighter.  I'm someone willing to go lay it on the line and do whatever I fucking can to put my career on a path forward that it needs to be, so I can become even more successful in this industry.  Like I said... I don't take the easy way out.  I don't go somewhere that makes my job easier.  I YEARN for the chance to fight in situations where I'm the underdog.  For fuck's sake, I fought EVERY CHAMPION in SCW in ONE MATCH inside the fucking CHAMBER and ended up becoming the World Champion.  I asked SCW to put the odds against me, but give me the chance at an ultimate reward, and it paid off.  So some brute being hyped by a guy getting ready to plant some pretty irises isn't going to deter me from the fact I'm going out there to win...

.:: Jake smirks. ::.

Did that make sense Ridley Scott?  Perry Ellis?  Jason Ellis?  Whatever your name is?  Did it get through your thick skull that I don't care how much you plan on going out there and trying to hurt me, trying to break me, trying to injure me, or trying to "kill an icon" at the behest of your mouthpiece, I'm still going to fight you, and I'm still going to win.  You see, Rise to Greatness was an eye opener.  It wasn't a "Debbie Downer" for me.  Both of those chumps knew they had to take me out in order for ONE Of them to get a win, and that's what they did.  They showed the world that they couldn't get by Jake Starr, but could each other.  They SHOWED me that I still have a lot of gas in the tank and am able to unleash it, and I plan on doing just that.

Face it... Your hype doesn't scare me.  It doesn't worry me.  It may all be true, but for me, it's just words coming out of an assmouth that smells as shitty as it sounds.  So with that being said I want you to do a couple of things for me.  First... Get some Charmin and some Altoids for your mouthpiece.  Get that shit cleaned up.  Nobody wants that much doo doo smell around them.  Secondly...

BRING THAT FUCKING BRUTAL ATTITUDE AND TRY YOUR BEST!

Ridley, like I said, you don't scare me.  I've seen it all over my career.  You're not bringing anything new.  Could you be bringing a better version of something I've seen, sure, but it still isn't anything mind-blowing or inventive.  In fact, what you bring is something I know how to evade, avoid, and chop down like a budding tree planted by Uncle Lester.  You're coming to take my head off, and while I may not be AS FAST as I once was, I can promise I can still keep your Goonies version of Sloth-like attacks at bay.  And when I do, your mouthpiece can make all the excuses he wants.  He can talk all the cryptic gardening talk he wants, or even start a podcast, and maybe talk about planting like Bob Ross did painting.  He won't be able to talk about killing this icon anymore though.  What he'll either admit or omit is the fact that this brute-strength bruiser came into a match with an old Hall of Famer, and realized that he isn't washed up yet.  In fact, he has a little more fight left in him.

Now if he decides to say otherwise, and keep running his mouth, I would defer to ole Silas about how that ends up...

Bring your A game, big man.  Bring the fight to me.  I BEG you to do whatever you THINK you can to beat me, and when it's not enough, admit that you're not ready for the big time with those who still look at the mountain of SCW and have dreams of climbing it.  Maybe one day you can Hulk-smash your way into that role, but it won't be at Jake Starr's expense.  Why?  Because some douchenozzles like you and assmouth aren't coming ANYWHERE close to "killing" what I have accomplished and have yet to achieve.  Instead, you're going to face my kind of destruction.  So... Let the games begin!

[Simple77]

The Cabin, Chapter 3