Bryan Daniels vs. Ninjette - The Fight Before Christmas

The sound of the crowd buzzing outside, the backstage crew rushing all about to get things in place, that unmistakable energy in the air...Kozue'd come to love it. It was good to have a match, again. A real match. After the shitstorm at the battle royale, Kozue had been craving a chance to get back in the ring and show people what she could really do, get serious test. No bullshit. No interference. No worrying about Killer King and his butt buddies showing up for no explicable reason to fuck things up. Just her, an opponent, a referee and a ring. Nice and simple.

Well, maybe not too simple. Tonight, she was going up against Bryan Daniels, a guy she'd met a little while ago. Seemed like a nice guy...charmingly, amazingly, suspiciously nice. She couldn't shake the feeling that he wanted to get into her pants at some point in the near future, but she could admit she didn't think that was totally a bad thing. Hell, being honest? The idea of a fashion model giving her the time of day greatly appealed. Dating a model was one of those things you always think about but you never think you'll actually do. And now that the possibility was staring her in the face...

Anyway, he'd even been nice enough to get her a Christmas present. A weird Christmas present, but the more she thought about it, the more she liked it. Bryan had money, he could've gotten her something lavish and extravagent...that she would've hated. Instead, he got her a picture of a jumping cat. It was a creative, thoughtful approach, and it earned him two Kozue points. A step in the right direction.

But she pushed those dreamy thoughts aside as she made her way through the backstage area. She was dressed up in her ninja garb -  with some some grappling gloves on her fists and pads on her shins for extra protection - and ready for the ring, but she had to get a little something out of the way, first. Hopefully the commercial break would buy her enough time.

"Yo, Bryan!" She called out, startling some of the crew passing by. Little blunt, but she didn't have time to play hide-and-seek. "Bryan, you back here?"

Never let it be said that no good deed goes unrewarded. There must have been some cosmic karma at hand over the past few weeks that has landed Bryan on the receiving of some seriously good fortune. Thanks to Lucy name-dropping B-RY in the middle of her Christmas bash match at Avalanche, his Twitter and Facebook accounts have been flooded with curious followers to the point where Bryan considered hiring a publicist to manage all the impromptu hype. Though time would tell if this surge would catch on or dwindle until the next trending topic came along.
 
However, as fortune would have it, in the midst of this sudden surge of popularity, another lovely lady would come through for B-RY in a big way. Kozue had gotten the management to take her up on that match offer, just like she promised on the lonely pier rendezvous. That cat poster must have really won her over in a big way to get this match greenlit so soon after just meeting. After spending some time chewing the fat about topics ranging from fishing to her cruel task master of a coach, the ninja girl came across to Bryan as one of the more relaxed tom girls he’d ever met.  There were times if felt he was talking with one of the guys quite frankly. Still, she seemed genuinely receptive to his playful advances, even putting up with his corny jokes. At the time he figured his chances of Hozue getting back to him were 60-40…65-35 after she got that poster.
 
Away from all the shuffling busywork in the hallway outside, Bryan would be staring into a mirror and putting the finishing touches on his ritualistic grooming process with the final comb brushes through his perfectly maintained head of hair. Dressed in his white jeans and grey sneakers, Bryan decided to give a subtle nod of acknowledgment back to the UKE by wearing the Union Jack leather jacket they gifted him out to the ring. Seemed only fair all things considered…
 
“Yo Bryan...” His ears started burning when he could’ve sworn he heard someone belting his name loud enough to be recognized over the typical backstage rumblings. Peering outside and down the hallway, he found the source of the raucous herself, apparently having something on her mind that couldn’t wait a few more minutes.
 
“Koz, behind ya!...” Bryan yelled back before walking towards the ninja girl. “Hey, I think its bad luck for us to see each other before a match, heh. How’s the holidays treating ya?”

Kozue did a quick aboutface the second she heard Bryan's voice, turning to face him and keeping her arms behind her back. She didn't exactly have a body designed for hiding things behind it, so she couldn't quite keep it concealed - the stupid thing was probably peeking out from behind her every time she swayed, little flashes of a poorly wrapped gift. And there was quite a bit of swaying. If they were going to play the game, she was going to play it right.

She walked towards him and had a quick scan as they neared. He looked like he was getting ready for a night on the town, not a wrestling match. But, then, she looked like she was ready for an anime convention, so she couldn't really talk. She'd seen people wrestle in weirder things.

"The model was in a dressing room. Should've looked there, first." She started to circle around him, taking care to keep her back facing away with every step. She raised an eyebrow at the Union Jack on his back, though. Bryan was about as British as American football, so it seemed like an odd choice.

"Pfft. Bad luck for you, maybe." She gave him a little toe tap in the shin as she made her way back to his front, looking up at him with a relaxed smile. "And my holidays? Awesome. Got a video game and a weird little poster for my room. Best Christmas ever."

There wasn't a hint of sarcasm in her voice, either - it really was the best Christmas she'd ever had. By default, yeah, but she wouldn't down him with that detail.

Bryan returned Kozue’s inquisitive look down with his own, performing a speedy once over on her ninja garbs and the tight curves that came along with them. The outfit was what he had come to expect once finding out her wrestling handle, but dammit if Koz just did NOT strike him as the typical Japanese native. In fact he’d been trying to place that accent she’s been sporting for some time now…

He stood in place while Kozue circled him and took stock, raising an eyebrow but letting it slide since the jacket was rather eye-catching. Though he did get brief flashbacks of his match with Lucy during the 360 inspection.

“Well, I see someone’s in the holiday spirit. Wonder how you’d have felt if I got you that cat calendar instead. Keep this up and maybe one day I'll get you the real thing.” Bryan quipped but inwardly he was relieved to see Kozue still sporting that smile he left her with on that day at the pier. B-RY had to up his charm levels to maximum to get her mind off her troubles, be a shame if she dropped back into that funk right before their match.

“So what’s got you so riled up your scaring off the entire Tension roster? Couldn’t bear waiting another agonizing second without seeing this handsome mug once again, or maybe…you…have…something else…on your mind…” Between each interruption B-RY would arch over the New Jersey ninja and try to peek over her left and right shoulders to try and catch a glimpse of the mystery package sticking out behind her back…

Years of experience had made given Kozue unparralled experience in knowing when a man was checking her out, but that experience was sorely wasted on Bryan. He wasn't too subtle about it, and she couldn't tell if he was more interested in the wrapping on her gift of the wrapping on her skin. Not that she minded him being interested, though. If he'd been the timid, boring sort of guy, she couldn't even imagine having this conversation.

Plus, he was sort of funny. In a goofy, silly, high school boy sort of way. It was nice to have a guy with some real personality in her life.

"A full cat calender?" She brought her hand up and fanned her face, kicking up a few stray strands. "Don't get too crazy, man, we only just met. People'll start saying shit. "

She suddenly jerked back at Bryan leaned in, swiveling her upper body around to keep the present just out of his sight. "Nope." She jerked left. "Not happening." She swerved right. Kozue always had good flexibility, and it was on full display as she twisted about.

"Sorry, not happening. And if I wanted to see your handsome mug, I'd just Google it. Doofus." She stuck out her tongue and did a quick hop back. "Close your eyes and hold out your hands. Bonus points if you don't make any innuendos."

“Aw come on…no fair!...You’re cheating man, hair’s in the way!!” For all of their bobbing and weaving Bryan had a hard enough time making out exactly what it was the Kozue sneaking behind her back. Although the idea was to try and get a sneak peek at the mystery object, Bryan was having more fun with the pleasant little cat-and-mouse game between the two than sinking a line into shallow water and watch mackerel NOT get hooked. Kozue had definitely lightened up since last they met, and he’d like to think it was because of more than just a cat poster.

“Alright, alright you win…we’ll do it your way ya sly little minx, but your askin a lot though, already thought up three of them.” With that Bryan would step back and shut his eyes with both arms extended and hands open. In essence probably not the wisest move to give your soon to be opponent a clear invitation to do some damage before their match, but from the hour or so of time he spent with Koz....he felt he knew her well enough to put his personal well-being at risk...plus she was cute, rational thought takes a backseat at times like these.

“Heh...online jpegs don’t do the real thing justice, lil lady. But if you want, remind me after I win the match to hook you up with one of my signed head shots, no charge~…”

The two of them were getting a few odd stares from the crew, especially people who knew that they were going to be having a match in oh, two minutes, but Kozue didn't pay any of them much mind. They probably expected them to start fighting or something, as if they just couldn't wait to start the match and they were meeting in the back to get in some early licks, and with a lot of wrestlers that probably would've been a legit concern. But Kozue was cool. Bryan was at least trying to be cool, bless his little heart.

Everything. Was. Cool.

She waited until his eyes were closed - and she made sure, too, leaning in for a close look - then brought the present out from behind her back and gently laid it on his arms. If what he'd said about his hobbies the last time they met was true, he'd probably recognize the weight right away, but even if he didn't, it would become pretty obvious once he opened his eyes.

"Now, I'm not saying that's an Evisen skateboard." She tapped the skate-board shaped present on the top, getting a distinct wooden knock on contact. "But it just might be an Evisen skateboard. Or a fruitcake. No way to tell."

“…*whistle*…No friggin way!! This is as legit as they come Koz!!” Bryan’s eyes lit up, appropriately enough, like a kid at Christmas once Koz officially gifted him with the gnarly skateboard, a beaming smile once he recognized Evisens’ trademark logo in white lettering on the bottom of the board. The quality wooden deck, smooth finish, light weight truck…these were the premiere boards on the Japanese skating scene. Bryan was fighting the urge to take it on a test ride right then and there if not for the fact a crowded hallway guarantees zero leg room to really get poppin.

“Ha…this’s gonna ride way better than some old fruitcake . Heh…thanks alot, for this and for getting the new guy a match. Stoked to see you feeling better, Koz. Merry Christmas…” After having relaxed himself and sunk back down from his holiday high, Bryan would place the board under his left arm and step in for a quick hug with one arm draped over her shoulder. The height difference put Koz at about chest level, though with one last squeeze he would lift her up to her tip toes before letting her down from the friendly embrace. B-RY was practically a bastion of holiday spirit since joining the league. So far everyone he had met in Tension was killing him with Christmas kindness, maybe this place wasn’t the haven of sex-crazed man-eaters he had heard about...

“Ha!..You know this means that you and I HAVE to go shredding one of these days, right~...”

Kozue would have preferred Bryan to open the present somewhere else, sometime else - tradition and all - but she wasn't about to raise a fuss over it, especially not when he was having a ten-year-old moment right in front of her. There was something oddly innocent about a guy like Bryan getting all worked up over a piece of wood attached to some wheels. The guy was a model, he had good money, he could have bought better boards...but he liked hers. Even if he was just faking it to score some easy points, his glee gave her a warm feeling.

Or, maybe, it was his body rubbing up against her as they hugged. Hard to say.

It wasn't much of a hug, but it was still way more than Kozue was used to, and she couldn't stop herself from freezing up at the touch. It took her a moment to thaw after they parted, and when she did, her posture was a little more awkward. Slouched. Off kilter. And she was probably blushing, too. Great.

"I, uh, yeah." She shook her head and scrambled her brain back into reality. "There's a skate park about two miles down the road from here, meet me there next..." She did a quick mental check of her schedule, finding the best day to save for her training break. "Wednesday, noon. See if you've still got it."

She threw him a quick salute and stepped back, starting to make her way to the entrance. "I'd talk longer, but I got to go beat the shit out of this total loser they got me wrestling against. New guy, no clue what he's up against." She rolled her eyes, sighed. "Catch up with you, later?"

“Heh…right, right. I know that place. I’ll be there, maybe I’ll learn ya something about to properly use this bad boy…” Bryan didn’t think his little stealth hug would leave Koz so out of wack, but the normally level-headed tomboy looked like she just had her cool composure rattled something fierce. B-RY sorta felt that was something Koz has been needin for some time now since hearing about how much of a hard time she was having with her iron woman training sessions, and the gifting gave him the perfect opening to sneak one in before she knew what hit her...heh, worth it just for the flustered look on her face.

“Oh hooo….see now, I WAS gonna take it easy on you, but now…best advice I can give is tap early little lady~…” Saluting back and stepping back towards his dressing room, B-RY shook his head to psyche himself back into the mindset of delivering a proper whopping to the ninja girl who may have picked a most inopportune time to get chummy with him. After a splash of cold water and a few more brushes of his hair, he hoped that would jog his senses and put his mind back on the task at hand.