Robots Don't Say Yi

Jocelyn pushed open the door to the locker room. Her spiky black hair was dripping with water after she had splashed herself down with the spray bottle she kept with her. It was just after a workout and the droplets of water fell off her hair and mingled with the sheen of sweat on her body.

She pushed through the locker room, stalking through it like a hungry tiger, surveying the land for food. Her eyes had deep bags under them. She hadn't been getting very good sleep lately. At least not very much sleep at one time. She had been alternating between napping, working out and drinking and hardly ever in the same order. Her match with Bonnie was coming up soon and her mind was frazzled over all the events that had happened recently and beyond. Her life was a mess and she'd been the one responsible for diving head first into it.

She hadn't written a letter to her mother since just before Summer Splash and she'd only accepted phone calls when she knew that if she didn't her father would get involved. Jocelyn brushed the sweat off her exposed arms. She was dressed in a black tank top with black track pants. Her lith body had started to harden a bit as well. Her arms and stomach gained just a bit more definition than she had and despite her small stature, she looked horribly menacing. Most girls stayed far away from her before because of her horrid personality but lately it seemed like it was because they didn't want to mess with her. Everyone had seen her as a dog and everyone had seen her turn on her master. THEY would never know why she did it. Why she decided to fight Bonnie. Or anything.

They certainly probably wouldn't understand what she was about to do but she didn't care. She was tired of everything and now she was going to do what she wanted, when she wanted and to whom she wanted.

<Yi Laaaaaaan!> Jocelyn called out as she paced down the rows of lockers, stopping briefly to see if her ashen haired countrywoman was standing at any of the lockers. <Come out, come out, whereeever you arrrre!> She sang in mandarin, letting her voice glide gently through the locker room. She had been doing this every day since the match with Bonnie and Emily. One of these days, Yi Lan would have to show her face. Jocelyn knew that much.

<I promise that I'll be gentle this time. I just want to talk.>

Lan had been avoiding the AFW facilities ever since her match with Jocelyn. She had no use for them, seeing as how she never wanted to participate in another match for the wrestling federation again. She had only joined up in the first place because she wanted a chance to find Jocelyn and try to talk with her about everything that had been happening between the two of them. She had found Jocelyn, but she had largely failed in her efforts to talk to the cute Chinese-Australian wrestler. And so, Lan had given up on AFW, though not on Jocelyn herself.

However, as it turned out, Lanâ€s contract stipulated that she had to participate in whatever matches management saw fit to schedule for her. It was a standard contract, albeit one with loopholes that Lan might have exploited. Lan had read it and understood that stipulation, but she had thought that, after finding Jocelyn and talking to her, she wouldnâ€t have to stay in Japan any longer. She could return to her native China, or perhaps travel somewhere else abroad—in her fantasies, she would go to Australia with Jocelyn. AFW couldnâ€t force her to wrestle when she was half a world away.

But things hadnâ€t worked out that way, and Lan had stayed in Tokyo. And now, she was told that she had a match that coming weekend, and that she had better be prepared for it. Lan had tried to protest, but, as always, she folded and agreed. She had no idea who she would be fighting, but she would do her best to prepare for the worst. And so, for the first time ever, Lan had hit the AFW gym, spending a couple of hours working on her arms and legs. It was exhausting physically, but it was actually a welcome distraction mentally and emotionally.

She was toweling off after a shower in the locker room when she heard her name being called in a loud voice. Lan knew instantly by the accent who it was who sought her out. Her heart skipped a beat, and then she would look down and realize how naked she was. She had thought she was alone after showering. Hurriedly, Lan would grab her pink bra and panties from her locker and slide them on. Next her hands found her white T-shirt, and that, too, would go quickly over her head. She reached for her pants next, but it was too late, as she could hear Jocelynâ€s footsteps at the end of the aisle.

Lan took a deep breath. She was going to be brave.

She cast her towel aside and strode quickly down to the end of the aisle. When Jocelyn turned the corner, she and Lan would be face to face, barely a yard apart. <Iâ€m here, Lu Jiao,> Lan would say, her face flushing as she would smile at her countrywoman, trying to seem at ease despite her lack of pants. <Hello.>

Jocelyn stopped when Lan turned from an aisle. She took a step back, almost as if recoiling from something terrible. She lifted up her arm and looked warily at Lan. her petite frame scantily covered made Jocelyn's cheeks instantly redden. This girl. She knew exactly how to be the worst person ever, Flaunting her body like some wicked temptress! And the way she spoke so formally, Jocelyn ground her teeth together. Her fists clenched and she was about to burst!

Lan was pressing her buttons but Jocelyn quickly thought back to everything she'd done before. She'd gotten to a point where she was going to take what she wanted. She'd been past the point of humiliation so many times that now, what could a little more be to her?

Jocelyn lurched forward and seized Lan by the shoulders. She stared into the girl's almond eyes and and snorted from her nose.

<You're going to move in with me.>

She spoke it like a command, rather than a suggestion. and while her cheeks were fiery red, her face was cold and serious.

Lan was surprised by just how surprised Jocelyn was. The way the darker-haired girl recoiled when she saw how close Lan was, and the way her eyes scanned up and down Lanâ€s partially-clothed body made the ashen-haired Chinese girl feel very self-conscious. She shied away from Jocelyn a step, thinking it was a mistake to be so bold and to meet Jocelyn right when she turned the corner. She should have put her pants on even if it had meant Jocelyn caught her in a compromising state.

She started to move back towards her locker, but, before she could, the Chinese-Australian wrestler lurched forward and grabbed her by the shoulders, staring deeply into Lanâ€s eyes. The ash blonde girlâ€s mouth fell open, and she stammered, trying to say something, but her crush said something to her first.

She wanted Lan to move in with her.

Jocelynâ€s cheeks were red, like Lanâ€s, and her eyes were cold and serious. <I…I…I d-donâ€t know what to say…but…but w-why? I d-donâ€t get why, uh, why you w-want me to…> Her cheeks burned even redder, and she had to avert her gaze from Jocelynâ€s face. What was happening didnâ€t seem real at all.

"What do you mean, 'why?!" Jocelyn growled in English. "Tch." She covered up her frustration with some more Mandarin. <Are you going to make me spell it out!? This was already hard enough. Don't ask questions, just say yes!>

Jocelyn's fingers dug into Lan's shoulders. She didn't want the timid girl fleeing after she'd mustered up the courage to ask her ridiculous question. Lan always had to make things annoying, didn't she? The Chistralian shook her head and leaned forward, pushing her lips against Lan's for a long moment before pulling away.

<I want you, so I'll have you.> She said simply.

<I…but I thought you d-didnâ€t…>

Lan paused, and tried to gather her thoughts. She needed to be coherent and reasonable. This conversation could lead to what she had been wanting for months and months, ever since she had first met Jocelyn. Or it could lead to another disaster. Lan needed to tread very carefully at this moment.

It was difficult to concentrate, however, when Jocelyn kissed her. Lanâ€s mind went blank and all she could feel was the rush of emotion as her crushâ€s soft lips pressed against hers. Lan would slowly lean her head forward, kissing Jocelyn back for several seconds before the Chinese-Australian girl pulled away. <I just—umm, w-what I mean…I…>

Deep breath. Eye contact. This needed to be done delicately. It was all Lan could do to refrain from simply giving in to the demand. <Y-you know…that I, uh, that I…like you, r-right? I mean, I think…umm, s-so, I thought that you didnâ€t like me…l-like that. Or…I guess I w-want to ask you what it would be like if w-we lived together. W-would we…be together?>

Jocelyn scowled as Lan continued to stammer and ask dumb questions. The Chistralian shoved Lan and spun on her heels. "Bloody, fuckin' chunder!" Jocelyn barked. Despite how angry she was, her cheeks remainder a deep crimson. "Just fuckin' forget about it, ya yabberin' yobbo!"

Jocelyn's fists clenched and she took a step forward. She stopped and then turned around and marched back to Lan, grabbing the ashen haired girl's shirt just above her small chest. Jocelyn gave Lan a firm shake. "What the hell is your problem!?" She barked. "I'm giving you what you want! It's not fuckin' good enough now!? What are you too ashamed to live with a mutt like me!?"

“No!” Lan shouted in English, when Jocelyn told her to just forget about it. She couldnâ€t forget about it. She wanted to say yes. She just wanted to have a frank discussion with Jocelyn before she committed to anything as major as moving in with the Chinese-Australian girl. “N-n-no, I canâ€t forget about it! I…j-just, listen, p-please just, umm, listen to me…”

Jocelyn would turn around again and march back over to Lan, grabbing the ashen-haired girl by her T-shirt and shaking her. “G-aaa-uuagh!” Lan exclaimed. She put her hands on Jocelynâ€s shoulders and squeezed them imploringly. “P-please stop! Please, j-just listen!”

She would take a deep breath, and then, before she could overthink it, she would try to let it all pour out. “I like you! I do! Th-this is what I want!” She started in English, and then, would switch to Mandarin. <Iâ€m sorry! I want to do this! I w-want to move in with you! B-but, please just…just be patient with me! I d-donâ€t know how to do any of this.> Her eyes were teary and a few stray drops dripped down her cheeks as she would rub Jocelynâ€s shoulders fondly. She remembered what Bonnie said, how Bonnie had said that Jocelyn had gone crazy. Lan was determined to believe that this was not the case, however.

<I like you. I donâ€t think youâ€re a, umm, a mutt—I think you are r-really pretty, and I r-really like you. I w-would never call you something like that. And I want to move in with you, i-if youâ€ll have me…b-but I want to, uhm, I w-want to get to know you! I want to have a conversation! I want to know everything about you, and I want to know if m-me living with you means that weâ€ll be…together together. Please d-donâ€t think I mean anything more than what Iâ€m saying! I like you! I want to move in! I do! I do! P-p-please…>

Jocelyn kept her eyes narrowed even as Lan began to plead with her and cry. The Chistralian gritted her teeth but even she couldn't help but be dissuaded from harming Lan as she continued with her pathetic, yet heartfelt words.

"Ahh..." Jocelyn remained stunned with mouth agape as Lan professed herself to Jocelyn. It was like Lan was speaking a whole different language and saying all the things that Jocelyn wanted to hear. Jocelyn was panting softly and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest and when it was all over, Jocelyn shoved Lan again, releasing her.

"Tch... you're just..." She said, clenching her fists tightly. <Why can't I just be someone that you hate?!> She shouted at Lan. <Then I could just beat you up and forget about you!>

Jocelyn leaned forward, staring into Lan's eyes. She jabbed a hard finger into Lan's budding bosom. <I'm not promising you anything.> She declared. <I'm not going to stop being who I am, understand? If you want this to work, then you're just going to have to deal with it!>

Jocelyn's other hand began to shake. She was sternly holding back tears as she looked at the hapless Lan. "Ugh!' Jocelyn's finger drooped and her fingers pressed against Lan's soft bud as her hand slipped down a bit. <I'm tired of everything, Yi. So, I'm not going to let anyone fuck around with me. I'm going to beat the shit out of Bonnie and if that doesn't make Sarah take me back, then I'll beat the shit out of her too. And, you're going to stay by my side because you're just helpless without me. And, I'm going to make sure that you're where I can see you if someone thinks they can just come after you. Somehow, I'm going to fix everything and make everything right because if I don't, then I'll never get any fuckin' sleep.>

Jocelyn sighed and turned aaway from Lan. She ran her fingers through her hair and gripped her spiky locks tightly. "Just so fuckin' tired..." She mumbled to herself. She then turned and looked at Lan. "Give me your number and go home and start packing your shite. I'll help you."

<But…but even if I did hate you, d-donâ€t you think you would s-still like…umm…never mind.> Lan wouldnâ€t try to figure that one out any further. Jocelyn was very strange. She seemed reluctant to take Lan in, and yet she was the one who was pressing the ashen-haired Chinese girl to make the move. Living together with someone that she liked was something that Lan had sometimes fantasized about. And Jocelyn was quite the remarkable girl. But something was making Lan very, very uneasy. She was starting to wonder if Bonnie might be onto something when she said that Jocelyn had come completely unhinged.

If she was right, then Lan was walking right into the lionâ€s den—no, she was sticking her head into the lionâ€s mouth. But she wanted to do it. Even though Jocelyn said she wouldnâ€t change, maybe Lan could do something to convince her otherwise. At the very least, Jocelyn could protect Lan from anyone who might seek to hurt her, and Lan might be able to defuse situations that might be dangerous for Jocelyn. They could each protect the other in their own way.

And if things turned sour, Lan could run back to her own apartment, lock the door, cry her eyes out, and never leave those four walls again. She hoped it wouldnâ€t come to that.

<I…I understand,> Lan would say. She didnâ€t like everything that Jocelyn said. She was all for making things right, but seeing Allison accept Jocelyn back into the fold was not a part of her ideal vision. <I…w-want to help you make things r-right. N-not the way they were before, but…but right.> She wouldnâ€t go further. She didnâ€t want to anger Jocelyn. <I hope this works out…I th-think it will.> That was optimistic on her part.

<Iâ€ll…Iâ€ll go p-pack. Umm…my number…> She opened up her phone, went to her own contact card, and would show it to Jocelyn so that she could put the number into her own phone.

Lan wasnâ€t as happy as she thought she would have been after hearing Jocelyn ask her to move in. She was more nervous than anything. As soon as she had said yes, she had started to have doubts. She was remembering what Bonnie had told her, wondering if the American was right. But she couldnâ€t back out now.