Re: Did you really?

by Bluemouse Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:51 am

"Okay. Okay, yeah, totally. But it's not that, like, people talk shit about me all the time, and that's fine. It's just part of the job. But, I know you don't know me really well, but I really try to be good and help people when I can, and I really don't want to try hard to help someone and have them think that I was treating them like shit. Ya know? I dunno. I guess it's hard to explain. I'm really not smart.

"But dude, like... Me and Kashi, right? We go way back to when I was the skinny little rookie and she was hot shit. She was the champ when we met, and I was oh-and-two. We both knew where we stood, but she never treated me like a little kid. She never held my hand. If I talked shit and got my ass kicked for it, she'd just let me take it. Like she never tried to prop me up because she thought I could do something. She believed in me enough to let me do stuff on my own, and so if I failed I could learn from it on my own. When things got out of hand, and people tried to murder me, she stepped in, sure, like with Karina and her stupid sister. I have no problem with not getting killed, but do you see what I'm saying?"

by **Old_Man_Tai** Mon Jul 28, 2014 3:13 am

"I get that. You haven't treated me badly Taylor, you've been a big help to me, trust me. You've been a bigger help to me than most of the people who of the people who are supposed to have been helping me have been."

Hearing about Taylor and Akashi's relationship made Ace slam her hand onto the nearby kitchen counter.

"That's exactly what I was arguing with Valley about! She keeps trying to shield me from stuff, like I can't handle so much as taking a hit, and acting like I'm some great prospect, when I'm yelling at her about not interfering and letting me handle things. I got my ass kicked by Jocelyn because I didn't respect what she could do in the ring, a mistake I won't make twice. The whole point of mistakes is to learn where you fucked up and correct yourself, but Valley has this idea in her head that she has to hold my hand and keep me safe like I'm some dumb kid who can't do anything. That's why I broke up with her, I'm not going to put up with somebody trying to baby me or try to fight my battles for me, or go "hey, everybody should like Ace cause she's really good!" Fuck that! If I can't do things on my own and learn from my mistakes, and just end up being carried around, the whats the point!?"

She stopped after her curse, taking a couple moments to lower her voice and calm herself.

"Sorry about that....I guess I'm still raw about it."

by Bluemouse Mon Jul 28, 2014 3:47 am

"Oh, dude, if Akashi tried that shit on my, I woulda just beat her ass, ya know? I don't put up with that shit. It's hard enough to keep yourself convinced that you can do this stuff, let alone if you have someone close in your life treating you like you can't. If you really want to be a legit fighter, you need people around you who support you.

"But not for nothin', that's no excuse for how you just rolled over for Akashi. What the fuck was that about, man? It's like... you went into the match with me fired up and hell bent on kicking my ass and taking my place, and then you went into the match with Akashi like a tiny little mouse. Same with the last one, against those bitches. You're really losing a step, dude, what's up with that?"

by **Old_Man_Tai** Mon Jul 28, 2014 7:00 am

"Yeah...support is getting harder and harder to find these days...."

Ace sat down and leaned her elbow onto the kitchen counter, sighing a little into the phone.

"Ugh...I don't know. Maybe she had me scouted, maybe I was too flustered from our meeting before, maybe I just wasn't ready to go up against her. I've just been having...issues lately. The Akashi match was a poor showing, but I thought I came back from that with my match and win over Valley, but then I got hurt, and that ruined like...everything. I ruined my chances in the World Cup tournament, Valley kept interfering and thinking I required protection 24/7, then the masked bitches, then Summer Splash and the break up....maaan, its just been a downhill slope since our match....I've been telling myself I'm just off my game but...I dunno..."

She took a moment, leaving a small bit of silence before speaking again.

"I'm starting to think I might have bitten off more than I can chew coming here."

by Bluemouse Tue Jul 29, 2014 1:36 am

Taylor found herself laughing, before she could even tell herself not to.

"Sorry," she waved a hand in front of her, which of course Ace couldn't see, "I'm not laughing at you. It's just I know exactly how you feel!

"Well, it's like... In New York, I thought I was hot shit because I won my first three matches. Steamrolled 'em. Then I came here, and I thought it'd be more of the same, except it... wasn't. I didn't like losing, and it seriously fucked with my head, like... the whole first year of my career was basically me getting fucked over, and I thought about quitting all the time.

"But you know what, when shit happens, you just have to cry your eyes out about it, go to sleep, and then wake up the next day and work your ass off, because at the end of the day you know if this is what you want to do, and the people that do this can't do anything else. Like the one thing that anyone needs to succeed as a fighter is guts, and if you got that, you can figure out everything else.

"And not for nothin', but you're way too fuckin' talented to wash out. Like... I actually took a lot of shit for finishing you off the way I did, but man, I thought I had you before and you got up and kicked me in the fucking face. You got back up and fucked up my day. I didn't want to take any chances, because I knew how dangerous you were, so I made sure to put you away for real. That's respect, ya know? I wasn't taking you lightly, man, I fought you the same way I fought Akashi or Adrian or Iron Maiden.

"Dude, am I talking too much? I dunno, it's just quiet down here and Johnny's busy and stuff, so my brain's just kind of floating around..."

by **Old_Man_Tai** Tue Jul 29, 2014 4:51 am

"No no, your fine. This is actually pretty helpful. I guess I didn't realize you were taking things that seriously...that's pretty cool actually."

She smiled a little at the thought.

"It's certainly more of a confidence booster than Valley telling me I need to step down and let her shield me from stuff."

"I keep having to remind her, I've been doing this 5 years now, I didn't get this by flashing my tits like some of the models around here ya know? I trained and fought for a long time before AFW took any interest in me. I think I came in thinking I was better than I was, but I got humbled and learned, as your supposed to do. Then with the sumo and the injury and the break up and everything...I just need to get my head back on straight..."

"You know what really pissed me off? When I brought up that Valley has 12 years experience, and I still made her tap out, she brushed it off, calling the match foreplay and saying she didn't take any of it seriously. That just...on top of everything...that just...fuuuuuuuck."

She hung her head, hand running through her hair.

by Bluemouse Tue Jul 29, 2014 6:07 am

"Ha, what a dick move. Now that she's your ex, I don't mind telling you she's a bit of a cunt. I've never met her, but like, yeah. Cunty. And there's a really good reason why she's gone at it twelve years and she's still amounted to less than you have... I dunno, I don't want to just sit here and trash your ex, but I'm just not impressed."

Taylor sighed, and folded her free arm across her chest. "So, well, if she's hot shit and let you win, just do it again. I mean, you kicked her ass once, just do it again and shut her up. She won't be able to tell you shit about how you need protection or whatever it is. Right?"

by **Old_Man_Tai** Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:50 pm

"Well, she's not a terrible person or anything...It's just a respect thing. There is a lot I like about her, but she has no real respect for me or what I can do in the ring, and I can't put up with that..."

"But yeah, your right. I need to prove it too her, face her in the ring again. No "foreplay", as she put it. Next time I see her in the ring, I'll just focus on kicking her ass in each corner before putting her out in the center of it. If that will get her to show some respect, then fine."

Ace stood and stretched a little before posing her next question.

"Lemme ask you something...how did you manage to get these people to rally behind you so much? Ever since Akashi labeled me as being some Japanese hating cunt who kicked Emperor Hirohito in the nuts on his deathbed, I'm lucky to get any reaction that isn't apathy or disdain. I can't get a read on the people or culture here yet, though I'm trying. Been trying to learn how to speak the language, but the different dialects for different regions makes it confusing. I've been thinking of hiring a professional to teach me."

by Bluemouse Wed Jul 30, 2014 4:03 am

"There are different dialects for different places? How many places do you go? But just get a Japanese boyfriend. Worked for me. Or girlfriend, whatever.

"But the fans? It... took a long time before anyone started to come around. I still remember my first fan-sign, it was at my first Avalanche when I fought Natalia. It said 'I heart you Taylor', and it was amazing. But that was a year into my career, man, and I probably got some cheers before that, but... I guess I just fought hard and clean and I was always my loud, obnoxious self. I didn't think about it. I don't think you should really overthink it, just do what you do, and if you're cool people will cheer and stuff. I guess maybe Japanese people like me because I'm so un-Japanese? Blonde and American and like... in your fucking face all the time and I don't even give a fuck. Something like that.

"I dunno about that whole thing where you robbed a museum and gave it to Akashi, I guess that rubbed her the wrong way, but like... I'm pretty wired and stuff, but I'm just laid back about that stuff, I guess. I don't really care."

by **Old_Man_Tai** Wed Jul 30, 2014 4:46 am

"Oh that....that was such bullshit! So its a multi item auction, and I'm taking part to bid on a completely different item, when the japanese relics come up. First bidder was a guy from a museum here in the city, and he bids high. I'm not interested, so I don't bid. Then this french guy starts bidding, and they tug of war for a bit, before the museum guy has to back down, either out of money or over budget or what, I dunno. So I get mad, I mean, why should relics belonging to Japan end up in France? I start bidding, and after going back and forth a bit, the guy backs down and I end up getting the swords, figuring that at least if I had them, they wouldn't be leaving Japan.

"So I offer them to the museum guy as a donation and outright refuses to take them, saying his honor wouldn't allow it because he didn't win them as he should have. So, since I was already planning on introducing myself to Akashi anyway, I thought I'd offer them as gifts or something. She could have kept them, or given them to a museum of her choice, I just figured someone as proud and nationalistic as her would be glad to have them, or at least be glad that they were kept from being taken out of the country. I wasn't expecting to become labeled as some racist because of it."

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