BECAUSE I SAID SO!

"Or maybe you could have just not made fun of me in the first place." Kozue said, letting it go with a grunt. "Whatever. Proceed."

Kozue listened, quiet and patient, as Taylor gave her a little slice of AFW history. She figured something was up with Shauna - she'd heard words here and there, never gave them much thought until now. It did sound like a similar clusterfuck.

But then, as Taylor reached the last part of her speech, Kozue's eyebrow began a steady raise.  What exactly was she talking about? Had she even touched Johnny? She had to take a moment to go over the event in her head, playing it back, going step by step, her eyes searching across the ceiling, and...

Oh. Oh.

Kozue sighed. Long, drawn out, exasperated. "Hold up, stop." She slid down the turnbuckle to her feet, leaning back against it, now. "Couple details wrong. First, I did not have my hands on him. I had a finger on him. This one, I think." She held up her index finger. "I came in there to apologize. That was it. Okay, going in the locker room? Not my best idea, I'll concede that. I was panicking, didn't think it through. He was all down on himself for no goddamn reason and acting like it was his fault. He was looking down, so I took my finger, this finger," She held it up once again. "And propped his chin up. You make it sound like I was all over him. I wasn't. Barely touched the guy. If you'd come in a few seconds earlier or later we probably wouldn't even be having this conversation. Nothing happened, nothing was going to happen. I was not trying to seduce him."

Kozue sighed and let her shoulders sag, slumping against the turnbuckle. "Quick, honest question: why do you think I like Johnny? Just give me a straight, quip free answer, I dare you."

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "When have I ever not given you a straight answer?"

Whatever. She shook her head and resigned herself to playing Ninjette's little game. "Well, maybe because he's a strong, sexy wrestler-guy with awesome hair and a nice smile and an incredible body, who can manhandle you and kick your ass in the ring but be a sweetheart about it. He's almost completely oblivious to all the complicated shit. You, being the new-in-town little rookie girl, almost busted a nut when he paid attention to you and was friendly, so like most girls you tried to latch onto him like a monkey." She shrugged. "It's really not complicated. He's super hot and super sweet and you didn't have anyone else to make you feel good about yourself. Is that about right?"

"Wrong." Kozue said, and gave the ropes a little smack for emphasis. "Closer than I thought you'd get, but wrong." At least Taylor gave her more credit than thinking she was just out for his body.

"Johnny is hot, he is really hot, but it's not that by itself. There are other hot guys in Tension, they're out there. Him being friendly and nice, those are pluses, too, but more than that, it's who he is. Johnny is honest. You can trust him. When he says something, he means it. when he makes a promise, he keeps it. So if he was the sort of person that would ever cheat on his wife with a girl he's only known for a fraction of the time, I wouldn't want him. That's not the Johnny I like."

She rubbed her shoulders and looked off to the side, half expecting Junko to come bursting through any minute. She wasn't sure if she wanted them to, anymore. A few minutes ago, yes, but now?

"I swear, I don't get you." She looked back, managing as much of a serious face as she could. "You know Johnny, you know he's not the type to cheat on you. So why do you act like I'm a real threat? You talk about me like I'm trash, like I'm a skinny little nothing. Okay, fine. But then you turn around, and all the sudden it's like you think there's a chance of me ruining your marriage. You're either giving me way too much credit or not giving him enough."

Kozue took a step forward, nearing Taylor's space. What're you afraid of? What do you think I'm gonna do?"

Taylor was thoroughly unamused.

"Believe it or not, cupcake, we didnt bring you in here for the marital counseling," she said, in a low voice approaching a growl. If her tone was unfriendly before, it was hostile now. "So how long have you known Johnny? Did you gaze deep into his brown eyes and see into his soul, that one fateful day when you tried to bone him? Man, can I come to you for advice on my marriage?"

Kozue took a final step, well within Taylor's swinging range now. Didn't care. If it got this crap out of their system, she'd gladly take the punch. "You didn't bring me in here to discuss any of this shit. You dragged us down this rabbit hole, not me. The only reason I even said anything was because you sounded like you were going to sleep." She took another step forward, speaking lower now. "Listen. I like Junko. I like this setup. I want to be here, I want to train, I want to get better. I've done everything you asked me to do, and I'll keep doing it without a word of protest. I never tried to bone Johnny, I'm not trying to bone Johnny, I can't bone Johnny and you know it. So what's the problem? What do you want? Just tell me so we can get back to work, and move on from this penny-ante bullshit. If you're gonna hit me, just hit me."

Taylor squinted at Ninjette while she struggled to sort through the tidal wave of bullshit. What conversation was she even having anymore?

"Why would I hit you?" She made a face. In no time at all, Ninjette had gone from sniping at her every time she opened her mouth, to acting like a perfect little angel. That aggravated Taylor more than a little, that Ninjette was acting like Taylor was the bad guy, and Ninjette was the virtuous, innocent girl just trying to do right.

Fuuuuuck thaaaaaaaat.

Taylor shook her head and slipped out of the ring. "Back to work," she said, and left the gym to go find Junko.

Kozue didn't even attempt to argue the point with Taylor, she was just glad that the shitstorm was passing. "Yes, Parker-sensei." She filled it with as much politeness and decorum as she could, summoning a lifetime of experience from being forced to attend family gatherings with people she barely knew but had to be nice to, anyway. She didn't know what Taylor's problem was, and that little flare up didn't help things. Whatever it was, Kozue just hoped she'd get over it. This training was going to be hard enough without high school drama.

She huffed, shook her head, and went back to springboarding, as her hums echoed around the silent room.

Junko had gotten off the phone with her son not too much longer after she left the gym. However, she intercepted another call from Morrigan. While she charted with Taylor's assistant, she crept back into the gym and saw Taylor and Kozue arguing.

She smiled and slipped away finishing her business only to have a ring at the door of the house. She quickly shuffled to the front and answered. It had been Alaina Sanders, Mamouru's girlfriend. Junko had been so eager to get the girl alone that she had lost track of the other two girls.

She was at the kitchen table with a cup of tea in one hand, looking over the newest in a long line of suitors. A long line of women who could potentially provide her with grandchildren. Junko certainly didn't want things to be this way but with Taylor adamantly refusing to pop out kids, Junko had to explore the other options that she had available to her.

Still, Alaina was also here to train like anyone else. Mamouru had recommended it to her. He knew that his mother was the best around and that the company would be good. Mamouru could only train her so much considering how intimate theuy were. Now she might have actual sparring partners that weren't also interested in doing her.

Plus, maybe if he sent her over there like that, it would shake away allt he awkwardness of ... Alaina having to meet his mother...

Alaina sat down at the table smiling at Junko.  She initially wasn't sure what to expect but she had heard nothing but good things about Junko from Mamouru, so meeting her was something Alaina looked forward to. As far as Alaina could tell Junko had a bigtime warm and motherly vibe about her that helped put Alaina at ease.

She brought a dufflebag that had some of her gear, which was a simple black 1-piece, along with knee and elbow pads.  Topping it off was a big water bottle.  Part of her did feel bad for wearing jeans and a grey hoodie, feeling far too dressed down to be meeting her boyfriends mom. "Thanks for letting me come over to your place to train! I can't wait to show you guys what I've got, since Mamouru is a great trainer himself!" Alaina added cheerfully. "How has everything been going for you guys?"

Alaina was curious as to how happy Taylor would be to see her.  The dinner get together had been a disaster, but Alaina had largely put it behind her.  She hoped Taylor had too.....

Junko sipped her tea pleasantly while Alaina ingratiated herself to her boyfriend's mother. "Hmmm..." She said, keeping a coy smile on her lips. "Clearly Mamouru likes a girl with an ample chest, fufu. In this respect, I can see the differences between my sons. He also prefers a more... amenable. Junichi-kun prefers a more aggressive woman, it seems." She said as though Alaina wasn't even in the room.

"Hmmm..."

Junko looked at Alaina and tilted her head. "What are your thoughts on Children?" She asked and looked at the girl seriously, taking a cool sip from her warm tea.