Post by CJ Phoenix on Dec 3, 2021 20:18:47 GMT -5
Have you ever been on a journey to nowhere? Think hard before you answer that.
November 3rd
11:27 AM
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
There's a large area of land that has been cleared out. A multitude of vehicles are in front of it. Several construction workers are discussing plans on how to approach what they've been tasked to build. Just outside of the group of men and machines rests a parked Hellcat. CJ Phoenix is leaning on his car, overseeing the operation as the US Title rests around his waist. Junko Enoshima stands next to him. She's mimicking his pose as she leans on the car with folded arms as well.
Junko: You do know this will take a long time, right?
Phoenix: I'm aware.
Junko lets out an amused chuckle.
Junko: You're really devoted to this, huh? Not exactly the way I'd use the gift of despair, but it'll do.
Phoenix: To each their own.
Junko: Fair enough. I'm impressed that you got this approved.
Phoenix: It took some time, as most great things do. I had to read countless reviews of companies so that I could hire the most efficient combination of workers to make this happen.
Junko: There still exists the chance of failure. You know that, right?
Phoenix: I do. The reward is worth the risk.
Junko: That's what they all say. Then again, that's what makes it fun. Having such big plans and great intentions. Knowing that everything can fall apart in a glorious display of despair. It's so enticing that it makes you want to root against yourself sometimes. On top of all of that, this projects gonna take months, even with the finest of workers on the job. So many things out of your control can ruin it. Like weather problems, sickness, incompetence, and other things. So many things can go wrong, but you still push forward. I hate that hopefulness. That resolve...but I also love it because it opens up the doors to greater despair. A necessary evil I suppose.
She turns towards him and places her index finger on the US Title.
Junko: You don't know what your future holds. You can't say for certain you'll still be holding that belt, or any belt, by the time this gets finished...and that's IF it gets finished. For all we know, you could be empty-handed with a failed project in front of you. Do you know what that's like? Do you know how that despair feels?
Phoenix: Yeah. I do. That's how I was when I came back to Action Wrestling. Empty-handed, looking at a perceived failed project in the mirror. Same way I was before that crash too. Truthfully, I was a lot like this land in front of us. People drive by here all the time, not seeing this area as anything more than a mass of dirt and grass. Now, when someone rolls by here, their eyes will gaze at this place because it's in the process of becoming something truly special, and they want to see what it can become. That's how it been for the last year in Action Wrestling. I've been building myself up with each passing day. Every match I took part in was another opportunity to learn and improve. To hone and perfect my craft. Last year, I didn't even think about winning a title. I've already won two since then. That's the benefit of determination. I may not be holding a title next year. I may still be holding this belt, or I could be World Champion. That uncertainty is what makes things exciting.
Junko: Ooooooh. Exciting huh? You may have a chance after all.
Do I deserve to be here? You ask yourself that all the time, don't you? You do it so often that it holds you back, Claire. Even now, as you sit in the lexicon gym, practicing your verbal jabs, doubt lives rent-free in your mind. Try all you want to sound like you're motivated by conviction. Throw every stone from that glass house of yours at people that you don't think have what it takes to push Action Wrestling forward. It's not the business that drives you......it's your obsession with needing validation from all the wrong places. Validation that you can't find in yourself. So you try to find it through others, but all you get is a barrage of people downplaying your achievements. At least, that's what you want it to be like.
That's right. You WANT people to look down on you. You want your opponents to call you washed up and worthless because that's how you feel about yourself. Since you can't find value within yourself, you don't allow yourself to accept praise or positivity from others. It's not what you're used to, so you tune it out. Tell me, Claire. How long has it been since you were happy? When was the last time you took how you felt about yourself into account? You don't remember, do you? Too busy living off of the hostility of others. You want me to hate you like so many others you've faced, but here's the thing. I don't hate you, Claire. I'm not gonna pretend to hate you either. That would be giving you what you want. I'm gonna give you what you need by beating you and continuing to be living proof of not needing validation from others to find value in one's self.
I wouldn't be US Champion if I had the mindset you have. Believe me, I have plenty of things that I could use as excuses to be bitter like you are. I've had more success on CruiserClash in 3 and half months than most of their roster has had there all year, but because I didn't win the title that I openly didn't care to take, I get called a failure. I've been told I'm nothing without The Following despite the fact that I've won TWO titles clean and without their interference. They say I don't deserve the opportunities that I've gotten because they can't accept the fact that I've EARNED everything that I've achieved. I wasn't expected to be so consistent, but I've been here all year, and strikes fear and despair into the hearts of everyone that thought I'd just show up for a cup of coffee and leave. Oh yeah, I have plenty of negativity thrown my way. If I started relying on their opinions to tell me who and what I am, you know what that would make me?
YOU. That's what I'd be, and that's not what I need. That's not what all those people that tune in need. The fans may like us both, but they need me. They need SOMEONE that they can be proud of holding a singles title because they're tired. They're all tired of having to decide between the lesser of two evils. They're exhausted from jeering every time someone comes to the ring carrying gold. For despair's sake, look at the World Title match for Turmoil. The most "likeable" person in the match is Dandy fucking DiVito! Do you know how atrocious things have to be for Yelawolf on angel dust to be the one the crowd's putting their hopes in!? I don't have time to cry about people not kissing the ground I walked on. I have more important matters at hand, like beating you again and continuing to lead the charge of a much-needed status quo change. It's disappointing that I even have to bring this up to you again. I thought you would've been smart enough to see the truth and learn from my words the first time. However, I was wrong. You still chain yourself to mediocrity despite having the key to your freedom placed in your hand. At this point, you're miserable by choice. As long as you refuse to learn from your mistakes, you'll never reach the joy you long for, and you'll never be worthy of taking this title from me.
Phoenix: A chance at what?
Junko: Being this world's Ultimate Despair.
There is a moment of silence as CJ thinks deeply about what she just said to him.
Phoenix: It's possible...
Junko: But you don't know either, do you?
The Luminary of Despair shakes his head.
Out of nowhere, Junko's hair is in a ponytail and she has glasses on.
Junko: You know you have an ultimate talent, but you don't know what it is specifically. Let us consider what we know already. The unknown excites both of us. We're both capable of harnessing the gift of despair to unite people. It's feasible that you could be the me of this world, but your goals and reasoning are far too different. According to my calculations, that leaves two options. Either you're not the Ultimate Despair, which is highly unlikely, or you really are like me and you're more than just that.
Phoenix: If that's the case, that would mean I have two Ultimate talents.
Junko: However, instead of using your talent to become the Ultimate Despair like I did, it seems you're doing the opposite. You're using despair to find out what your other talent is. By constantly pushing yourself and expanding your horizons, you're not only paving a unique path towards the future, you're also working towards solving a mystery within yourself.
Phoenix: That's right. In a sense, I've been awarded a second chance at life. An opportunity to see what I'm truly capable of. Not just as a wrestler, but as a person in general. That's where things like this come into play. Being able to impact and change lives without even being in the ring is just as beneficial as doing so from inside the squared circle.
Junko: So you've decided to do both at once.
Phoenix: Precisely.
Junko: Does that mean this place will be for who I think it'll be for?
Phoenix: Yep. It'll be for those who will build the future.
I have a feeling you still don't understand me, or rather you still choose to deny the truth for some reason. So let's try one more approach. The business approach that you care for so much. What does a Claire Hawkins title win mean for Action Wrestling? Nothing. This belt doesn't need a placeholder. We also don't need you pointing AW in the wrong direction, which leads me to my second question. What does ANY title win mean for Claire Hawkins at this point? A sad attempt at reigniting a flame that your own insecurities snuffed out? Another thing to add to the list of tributes to the haters you idolize? A new excuse to run away from the fact that YOU'RE the one tanking the business? There was a time where you were the hope for the future. A promising wrestler with the heart of a warrior. Someone that could and DID drive this place forward, but it has taken a toll on you. Over time, Action Wrestling didn't become what you expected it to be. Everybody didn't react the way you wanted them to, and it slowly rotted your soul from the inside-out. Now, you hate when I mention despair because you know that it's the only thing you've been feeling. Instead of accepting that feeling and working on yourself, you run away and seek solace in the very things that cause you pain. Essentially, a Stockholm Syndrome situation. For those reasons, a title means nothing to you as you mean nothing to yourself. Is that really what you want? To be a champion that's disconnected from the people that love and support her as she continues to be driven by her desire to be hated? Is that the example you want to set? Is that the legacy you want to leave for future generations? It's not, so I'm not gonna let that happen. For their sake, and for yours.
Now, let's flip the coin so you can know what's about to happen. What will a successful defense by yours truly mean for Action Wrestling? Progression towards the future. A new year is on the horizon. For most, that means new opportunities, new goals, and successes to obtain. Many people will claim it as their year before falling off the map with their goals and relapsing into another yearly cycle of underachieving. It's almost like they don't learn. Something you have in common with them. Conversely, there are people that are ahead of the game. Those that put the work in before the lights come on so that they're a step above the rest. Take Torture's latest episode of "Random Bullshit Go!" for example. We haven't even reached Turmoil, yet he's already gotten a head start on setting things up for January. He too felt the winds of change that I mentioned the week after I won the US Title. Why wait until next year to take AW to even greater heights when I can start early and already be hitting my stride by the time the year changes? Not just for me, but for all of those people in the galaxy that I'm uniting. After all, it is the UNITED States Championship I'm holding. It's only fitting for it to be held by someone who can actually step up and bring everyone together. I made a promise to my Despairicans that I would be their beacon of hope and that I would change Action Wrestling for the better. Not just with great matches, but with actions outside of wrestling as well, and I've wasted no time doing both. I'm not putting a stop to that so that they can hear you attempt to reboot your greatest hits. That would be detrimental to all of us.
Now that you've had time to mull it over, I'll ask you my first question again. Have you ever been on a journey to nowhere, Claire? Do you realize that you're on that journey right now? Aimlessly chasing something you can never reach because you're sabotaging yourself. Believe it or not, I'm winning our match on Sunday for you too. I can't force you to change who you are, but I can take in your despair and give you the chance to change yourself. The best way for me to do that is to shatter the self-destructive mindset you have. Like I said, I don't hate you, Claire. I don't need to hate you to beat you, but I need to beat you so that you have a chance to stop hating yourself. That is all the hope I can provide for you. Whether or not you choose to take this opportunity to better yourself is up to you, but it won't change the fact that I'm walking in and out Turmoil as US Champion.
Junko: So it's gonna be a high-school?
Phoenix: Correct. High-schoolers have an endless range of potential. The perfect medium between still being impressionable and making an impact on the world. They've lived long enough to have vastly different backgrounds and life experiences. They're also at the point where they have to think about their futures regardless of whether or not they graduate. It's bittersweet when you consider that a lot of people who grew up together through attending the same schools throughout the years will be separated by their career paths, likely never to see each other again in person. A series finale to a show they've been invested in for over 75% of their lives.
Suddenly, Junko's hair changes back to her twin pigtails. She sticks her tongue out, and her tone becomes more vulgar.
Junko: High-school's a fuckin roller-coaster! It's always a point of interest when athletes and shit give interviews. People don't ask "How were your grades in middle school?". They're all like "Did you fight your coach? Did you fuck your date after prom? Did you fuck someone else's date after prom!?". All the drama happens during those years. The crying, the heartbreaks, the shootings, and let's not forget opening up one last can of whoop-ass before you can get charged as an adult. High-schools are the epicenters of despair because those kids are old enough to make bad decisions, but not mature enough to understand the consequences! It's hilarious!!
Phoenix: Not exactly the word I'd used to describe it, but sure. You are right about it being a roller-coaster and a point of interest though. You never know who's gonna walk through those doors. It could be a future doctor that saves many lives, or it could be a serial killer that ends them. Either way, they all have potential. Potential to change and potential to be great because they'll have one or both of two forces guiding them. They'll either be invigorated by hope and be able to live their dreams through sheer optimism, or they'll be wisened by despair and learn how to create a sustained success.
Junko's tone and demeanor return to normal as she retracts her tongue.
Junko: I see what you're doing. Instead of pitting hope and despair against each other, you're investing in both.
Phoenix: Right. By having an understanding of both hope and despair, I have a better chance of bringing out the full potential in others...and within myself.
Junko: The hope part makes me want to vomit, but I do look forward to seeing how this goes.
The Ultimate Despair looks at the massive area in front of them. She takes a couple of steps forward while places her hands on her hips.
Junko: So, did you know what you're gonna name this place?
CJ walks up beside her.
Phoenix: Of course. There's only one name that works.
A smirk grows on both of their faces. One of confidence on his and one of malice on hers.
Phoenix: Hope's Peak Academy.