BECAUSE I SAID SO!

Kozue, through an act of supreme will, kept her lips shut as Taylor told her - once again - that she didn't like her. As if she couldn't figure that much out from the body language, the tone of voice, and the way she was looked at like a roach that had scurried its way into the dojo and wouldn't stop crawling around. It really didn't make any difference to her, though. Most of her teachers in school didn't like her, either, and she still passed classes with As and Bs most of the time. If Taylor could be an adult about this, she could, too.

She couldn't help but groan at the comment about rolling her eyes, though. "Not gonna roll my eyes." She started to move towards the ropes, gather some speed, preparing for takeoff. "Haven't even-"

Kozue skipped a couple of steps as Taylor made her slam on the brakes, cutting herself off right before her feet left the ground. Little annoying, but she moved away and listened, taking in the advice. She never really considered things like foot placement when she landed, focusing more on just hitting the ropes in the right way.

She stepped forward as Taylor stepped back, taking a moment to consider the ropes. "Okay." She mumbled and ran her tongue over a canine. She just took a few seconds to visualize the movements, then gave a single clap when it came together.  "Okay."

Even with her brain being on board, the first three times were clunky, too slow and jilted to be used in a match, and she almost slipped off the rope at least once. Not used to hitting them in this exact way. After that, though, she got the idea to hum to herself with each bounce. Just a low, steady buzz as she went from rope to rope and came back down again, punctuating each move. It helped. Didn't make it perfect, but it helped.

Taylor quizzically furrowed an eyebrow. That was odd. Kozue was a bouncing musical ninja, like the ropes were a giant xylophone or something.

"Just keep your weight right on the balls of your feet, so the rope sinks in a little. If you get too close, you'll get tangled up, too far back and you'll fall off, so get to know the just-right feeling, and pay attention to your feet when you get it right." Taylor rattled off the instruction, things she had inside just waiting for someone to teach, but she sounded slightly listless. Maybe she just didn't want to give Ninjette the satisfaction of being excited to coach her.

While she waited for Ninjette to finish the sets, she strolled to the corner and grabbed the top ropes. She kicked up into a handstand, high above the ring, and then rested the top of her head on the turnbuckle while she played with her legs, splitting them apart, bending her knees, making little shapes in the air. She hoped Junko would come back soon. Or anyone.

Kozue concentrated on following Taylor's instruction, making sure to hit the sweet spot on her foot. Junko had been right about the previous things she'd been into, but even though this was more serious and harder, a lot of things were in common at the basic level. If you wanted to win a game tourney, you had to memorize moves to the point people thought you programmed the damn thing. Dance comps were all about drilling routines to perfection. Even with skating, you have to spend hours in the park, doing them same move over and over in private before you even dream about doing it with eyes watching.

Yeah. Yeah, she could do this.

She managed to get it spot-on by the last two tries -  as far as she could tell - and she ended the last set with words instead of hums.

"I." Jump."Can." Bottom rope. ”Do.” Middle rope. ”This.” Top rope. Needs one more word. ”Shit.” Kozue stuck the landing, bounced back, NS  taking a drawn out breath as she finished up. There was still room for improvement, but she felt like she’d done a good job getting the form down. Memorization was going to be the real trick.

There was one thing bothering her, though: that little, bored edge in Taylor’s voice. That little touch of ‘I don’t give a fuck’ that seemed to sap away the joy. Kozue was trying to ignore it, but it was starting to grate. ”Something wrong?”

Taylor gave a small shrug from her perch upside down on the top turnbuckle. "No, why?"

She swung down and put her feet back on the mat, and then hopped up to sit on the turnbuckle instead with her feet on the middle ropes.

"Well, yeah, obviously. You asking me that question means something is wrong." She scowled. Ninjette had a tone. She always did. "Like, are you just gonna be all pissy with me until I snap and knock your teeth out?"

She sighed. Maybe it was best to just get it all in the open. "Is it really so hard to understand why I don't like you? You want my husband, you're a total bitch to me, and you hate me. So maybe while we're getting to know each other, you could tell me how I'm supposed to feel about you, and why you feel the need to be such a colossal hose-clamp to me."

Kozue stared at Taylor as she went off with a raised eyebrow and gaped mouth. As if Taylor's head popped open and revealed a tiny alien at the controls. Hell, that might have explained a thing or two.

She shook her head after a moment and rubbed her temples. A migraine was coming. She could feel. "Come on, what did you just get through telling me about being 'professional'?" She busted out the air quotes. "Two minutes ago, if even. Jesus. We're really doing this right now?" She threw her hands up and stepped back. "All right, then." Why fight the inevitable?

Kozue hopped up and sat on the turnbuckle in the opposite corner with crossed legs, so she could look even back at Taylor. Also, it gave her a good escape route in case Taylor charged. Which was starting to look like a serious possibility.

"Look. Okay" She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Start with the first time we met. You burst into the room, slam me into the lockers, get in my face like you're giving me the third degree. You are, like, this close to my face." She held her index finger and thumb up, only a couple of inches between them. "I got little specks of your spit in my face. I can tell what you had for lunch. How did you think I'd react to that?"

Taylor's expression remained unchanged, regardless of how hilarious and witty Ninjette was. She was so hilarious and witty, Taylor would bet that she was just the life of every party.

"You tried to make out with a married dude. In an arena with thousands of people and cameras, while being broadcast everywhere. In AFW, where people are all pretty trigger happy." She lifted a hand and tilted her head at Ninjette. "You really didn't see that coming?"

"I was still new, I didn't see anything coming. Not everyone's been here for years." Kozue fought the strong urge to roll her eyes. She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward. "Did you know I knew Johnny was married? I mean, yeah, I did at the time, and we'll get to that. But when you burst into that room, did you know, for a fact, that I knew Johnny was married when I kissed him? Or did you just assume that? You even care? 'Cause if you didn't, it doesn't matter much what I expected, does it? You would've done it anyway."

Taylor folded her arms and sat up straight on the turnbuckle. "Wow, I'm such a total bitch, aren't I? You're so right. And here I thought we ended that night on pretty good terms. You said I had a right to be pissed and that I wasn't so bad." She shrugged.

She hopped off the turnbuckle and strolled toward the middle of the ring. "Do you know who Shauna O'Connor is?"

Kozue nodded Taylor's way as she moved, deciding to stay on her perch for the moment. It was nice to be able look down on the taller girl, for once. "Yup, I did say that. And I meant it. Until you took a dig at me during that interview thing with Kytes." She gestured across her chest, where a name tag would be. "After I wished you luck in your match, too. Was real nice, getting laughed at by a studio audience. Couldn't even respond. Classy."

She brushed her shoulder off and leaned back, getting as comfy as she could. She sensed a story brewing. "Yeah, sorta. She's running with those three assholes with the masks, saw some of her match with Johnny. Big tits,  red hair, Irish. All I know. What about?"

"Okay. Sorry I didn't let you start shit with me during my interview. You're a delicate little flower and I'm mean for not making it about you."

Taylor rolled her eyes. She really rolled her eyes. She reveled in it.

"Shauna O'Connor had a match with Johnny, and she was totally into him. He kicked her ass, but he's Johnny, so he was sweet about it, and totally oblivious. They talked backstage, Shauna kissed him, some creeper took a picture, the pic got out on twitter and stuff and it turned into a whole big thing. That's how I got Conway's Crib canceled.

"But anyway, Shauna was all ready to kill someone when they dragged her on that show, because they were sort of fucking her over. I gave her a shirt and everyone went crazy. I wasn't mad at her. I don't know if I like her... but I don't really dislike her." She shrugged. "She was feeling something and made a move she shouldn't have, and she regretted it, and she stayed away. I understand waaay more than anyone what Johnny can do to you. But you?"

She wagged her finger at Ninjette. "You didn't stay away. You knew he was married, but you followed him back to the men's locker room and got all touchy-feely. The first time I saw you up close, you had your hands on him. What does that say about you? I don't give a shit what you were saying at the time, the fact is that you would have loooved if Johnny was just a little less faithful to me. You were there, and you would've loved to make him yours."