Breakdown 10-27-22 #2
Late afternoon sun glints off the tiny waves in a swimming pool. The shot pans across a small backyard, mostly cement around the pool, a patch of grass on the other side of the pool near a fence gate. The back of a large home comes into view, and under a covered patio we find Bree Lancaster, seated at a cast iron patio table, in a matching chair, complete with a bright yellow cushion. Bree herself is dressed in brown slacks and a burnt orange long sleeved t-shirt, her hair pulled back into a low pony.
I was just sitting out in my backyard enjoying this cool weather. Calm moments are few and far between these days, with a six month old boy in the house, so I have to take these moments when I can find them. This one seemed like a good, calm moment to talk about my Breakdown match this week.
But first, I have to talk about my last match. It felt really good to be out there again, and even better to get the win. I would have preferred it without all the theatrics, but it's not like I didn't know what I was signing up for here in SCW. It's one of the things I feel I need to focus on this time around. Enough theatrics, shenanigans, games. There's far too much of people not taking this business seriously that I've seen while watching from the sidelines for a year. I mean, we have children's entertainers as Tag Champions, for God's sake! But... that's a whole different topic, one to be delved into at a later date. The point I was making is... my return to singles competition wasn't everything it could have been, although I am happy I came away with the win in the end.
And last week...
Bree shakes her head a little.
You know, I was really looking forward to putting the idea forward for me and Datura to team up. I do have a long history of tagging with my good friends, and I was hoping to do the same with Liz. That is, until Nicole, or Ducky, whoever, walked up and invited Liz to a match created by her Trios contract... and not me.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not upset I wasn't given a hand-drawn invitation. I'm actually glad to not be involved, there are far too many people involved for me to be comfortable with, and had I been invited, I would have politely declined. I'm two matches in to a return after over a year out of the ring, I am in no state to be jumping into a battle royal with ambiguous rules. Liz though? She can handle it. She wants to do it, and I'm happy for her. There will be plenty of time for us to work together in the future.
Bree smiles, ensuring viewers that she really is content with the way things worked out.
So, where did that leave me this week? Shaun Cruze must have been reading my mind, or partially at least, because I do have a tag match. Except instead of Datura, my partner is Jamison Logan. He might be a bit of an unknown quantity to the SCW Faithful, but he's not unknown to me. We've worked together quite a bit at BlackOut Academy. Me preparing to return, and him learning some finesse to his hard-hitting fighting style. I know he hasn't gotten off to the start here he's wanted to, so getting to work with him and continue to help him learn and improve is something I'm more than happy to do.
Bree leans on the table, her arms folded, her expression taking on a harder tone.
Together Jamison and I will be facing the Playgirls Three, or so they're called. Which I find strange considering there's two of them, but I'll go with it. Colleen and Aisling, the women brought in by Polly Playtime to be her backup. Girls, I'm sure you're expecting me to tear you down, call you names, accuse you of all sorts of nasty things. Anyone who would do that, would have good reason to. We've seen the things you two have done with Polly. Getting involved in Polly's matches to swing things to her favor. Attacking people after matches. Playing whatever games Polly wants to play, like when you attacked Josh Hudson and beat him down, or when you got angry the House of Frost defeated you, so you attacked them after the bell and tried to injure Deanna. Look, everyone knows that I don't have the greatest history with either Josh or the Frosts, but I know wrong when I see it. I've done enough of it in the past to recognize it. And girls? You are flat out doing wrong.
But, I'm not going to yell at you for it. I don't think it's your fault. No.... you are being led to these actions by Polly Playtime. She couldn't play the games she wanted and get the attention she needs on her own, so she enlisted the two of you to help. Maybe you think she's your friend and that she's helping you get your careers going, and it might look like that on the surface.
But it's not the truth.
Allow me to shine some light on the truth for you ladies.
Polly isn't helping you. She's using you. Just look at recent events, okay? Polly complained about not getting opportunities, she said she would do anything she felt she had to do, to get attention and force herself into being noticed. She got Glory Braddock's attention, and Glory offered her a chance to earn a United States Championship shot. Polly didn't win that, thanks to Josh Hudson's interference. That's a mess I'd rather stay out of, so all I'm going to say about it is, the result doesn't matter. The point is that all of the games Polly has had you helping her play got her an opportunity. What about you? Where are your opportunities?
Yes, I know you just had a Tag Team Championship shot. I'm also pretty sure Polly was upset that you got a title match before she did. But as long as we're talking about truth here ladies, let's be honest. Who else was there for the Farmstead Friends to face? They've faced and beaten almost every other team there is. You weren't given a chance you earned, you were just the last resort. I'm not saying that to be harsh, it's just the truth. Sometimes the truth is harsh, but that doesn't mean we should ignore it. It's the hard truths that are the most important ones to face. And the hard truth for you, Colleen and Aisling? Is that after you failed to become Tag Team Champions, your brief moment was over. Are you still in any kind of contention?
No.
You're facing a woman who's admittedly still shaking off some rust, and a literal rookie.
Bree puts her hands in the air in an exaggerated shrug.
You Playgirls are not the force that Polly is convincing you that you are, ladies. You could be though, if you stopped playing her games. I've watched your work, when you're not playing around, you're very talented. I don't know how long you've been working together, but you make it look like it's been years. Now imagine if you focused all your energy on that, on your team, on how far you can go together... instead of taking orders from a woman who is clearly using you to further herself?
Bree shakes her head again.
But, enough about Polly for now. Let's talk about Breakdown. As I just said, you two look like you've been working together for a long time. Cohesion like that can't be faked, either you really have teamed up for years, or you worked very hard and intensely in a short period of time to get to where you are. Regardless how you created that partnership, I'm betting that you're looking at Jamison and I and thinking one thing. Those two have never fought together before. In a technical sense you would be right. In a real, professional wrestling match, we have not. But that doesn't mean we haven't worked together. I already told you Jaimson and I did a lot of work together at BlackOut. I was giving him advice when I was still pregnant, and I will say that he was one of the people who helped me the most to get back into ring shape after the birth of my son. He's fast, he hits hard, and I had no choice but to keep up if I wanted to get back here on the time schedule I gave myself. So while it's true that no one has seen us work together before, it's also true that we have hours and hours of time logged in the ring together. When you're dealing in truths, you can't just show one side of it and leave the pars you don't like in the shadows. No, you have to shine a light on the whole truth.
What is the whole truth, you ask? Girls, it's easy. One. You are nothing to Polly but a helping hand to get the attention she wants and raise her station. If and when she gets there, you'll be dropped. I can almost guarantee it. Two... you're an established team and you likely think that gives you the advantage. In most cases I would agree, but not this time. I see through all the games you play, and I will help Jamison in beating you at your own game... whatever you decide to play come Breakdown.
Maybe then you'll see the light, realize that Polly is in fact using you, and make the decision to drop her before she drops you.
See you soon, ladies. Game on.
Bree smiles, amused at her own pun, just before the shot fades to black.