Riyu Kikuchi vs. Suzumi "The Tsunami" Ishikawa

Mikoto glanced over towards Chris while she maintained her stoic vigil, taking a few seconds herself to process all she had to say before returning her attention to the television monitor. "...I will. It may take some coaxing to have her see the specialist you suggested though, but I'll set up the appointment and walk her there myself if I have to.” A wistful smile grew over her face at idea of her continued doting over Suzu. "So strange...taking care of her like this...it just reminds me of how it used to be..."

At this point Suzu was bending over to say something to Riyu, something inaudible to everyone else but the two of them. Miko knew Suzu well enough to assume she wasn't rubbing in her victory, though the imagery reminded her of the conclusion her own match with Chris...

"Chris...there's...there's a lot I don't know about what happened behind the scenes at W.A. I just...I find it hard to believe that the person I'm speaking to right now was capable of half the things the media accused you of. Whether they're right or not, I may never know. Maybe you've changed since then. But I...*sigh*..." Miko took a deep breath as if to prep herself for what she needed to get off her chest.

"...I don't blame you anymore, for what happened. Hanging onto all those bitter feelings...it's tiring...and it's only going to stop me from moving on...I don't know if that will mean anything to you, but I just...felt you should know that..." Mikoto sighed heavily with a solemn expression after her soulful confession. It was somehow easier to speak with someone as imposing as Chris when you weren't face to face with them.

"I...." Chris began, then paused to consider Mikoto's words. The priestess was right, it was tiring to hold onto bitter feelings. She was carrying her own share of them, directed towards Risako mostly. And the reverse could be said for the Queen of Queens. Perhaps if the two of them could both let go, there could be a peaceful resolution between them. But...it seemed like there was just too much history to simply walk away from each other. No, her and the Panther were locked on a collision course. Still...it was a nice thought.

"You are wiser than your years." Chris said instead. "One day, you'll know the truth of things. And that day is coming, I promise you. It just isn't today. There are people trying to bring more misery to the Wrestle Angels. For now, it's better for such people to think that I'm the villain I'm supposed to be. And, truth be told Mikoto, by playing that villain, it gives all the people hurt by our league's closing an outlet...a target for those bitter feelings you spoke of. Because, some people simply can't let go. They save their hate until they can bring it bear on the one they think is the reason for their woes."

She looked down towards the shorter Japanese woman.
"And that's alright, Mikoto. I'm strong enough to take it now. Stronger both in body, and here..."
She tapped her chest.

Suzumi made her way backstage, smiling after her hard fought victory. She noded to a few workers she knew before turning a corner to find Mikoto talking to Chris Morgan of all people!

Suzumi grinned ear to ear as she walked up. "Hey Mikoto! What's up?" She said happily huging her friend before looking back over at Chris.

"Hello, did ya come to try to talk me into the retirement home again?" Suzumi asked flatly as she approached Chris. She stood right in front of her, chest to Chris' s abdomen looking straight into her eyes, her handson her hips.

The tall blond returned to her vigil as she noticed Suzumi approaching. After the way their discussion at the beach went, Chris wasn't expecting too much in the way of a friendly greeting. And Suzumi didn't disappoint her, although she did manage to keep it civil.

"Not particularly." Chris replied in a nonchalant tone as she kept an eye on the screen. "You've already heard my thoughts on the matter. If you want to throw away the advice given to you, then be my guest. I'm not going to debate with you since it is, after all, your body."

She shrugged as she looked down at Suzumi, as if the whole conversation was as mundane as discussing the weather. Her manner had changed somewhat as well, differing from when it was just her and Mikoto. She seemed coldly regal, confident to the point of arrogance, as if nothing and nobody held more than a mild interest. Solid, and cold, like the surface of a glacier.

"I forgot the phenom from the heavens is above any form of injury." Suzumi said flatly. "Lowly people like I who had to fight tooth and nail to step into a ring again totally should know better huh?" Suzumi said as she shook her head. She respected Chris and her wrestling ability... it somehow lived up to all the hype. The way she went about everything else though..... She acted like she was above everything. Better than everything....

"Do you know what its like to be taken away from something you love, like possibly forever? You have no say in the matter... its just gone no matter what you do." Suzumi said with an icey glare. Right now she didn't care that Chris beat her when she was fresh, Suzumi deep down hoped an impromptu hardcore match would start.

Mikoto looked upwards towards Chris just when the Phenom accentuated her final point. Finding the inner strength to forgive Chris for all of her purported crimes exhausted her more than any training drill, the women who may have been the cause for the collapse of a legendary wrestling federation and the tearing apart of friends close enough to be called 'family'. But harboring all that animosity seemed to be a never ending cycle of resentment towards a woman the priestess, now that she knew her better, felt didn't deserve it.

And with Chris' statements alluding to 'playing the villian', being an avatar for the others to exact their revenge upon, a startling truth she had suspected for sometime now came to light and practically left her speechless...though before Miko could press any further Suzu joyously approached the odd pairing and popped the inclusive bubble that momentarily made it seem as if they were the only people in the world.

"Ah, h-hey Suzu!! You were great out there!! You absolutely deserved that win, especially after Riyu's cheap shot at the beginning of the match. I'd hoped she was better than that..." Miko warmly hugged her good friend before stepping back and allowing Suzu to address Chris to her side. It was actually quite remarkable how seamless Chris made it look, the priestess widening her eyes at how seamless she reverted to her cold indifference manner when addressing Suzu. Miko wrestled with whether she should explain everything she had learned to Suzu, but for now it seemed inappropriate. Chris mentioned one day having the whole truth be revealed to her, and until that day came it may be for the best not to unveil Chris' deception...

"Come on Suzu, w-why dont we just head back to the locker room and have you unwind first? The adrenaline is still in your system and you're just riding high off a win. You'll need to relax your muscles after that kind of workout anyway...Please, Suzu..." Miko pleaded while swiftly stepping behind Suzu to place her hands on her shoulders with some gentle nudging away from Chris. A heated argument devolving into a brawl so soon after a match would hardly be what her body needs at that moment...

Chris narrowed her eyes in response to Suzumi's words. In a way, she was right, Chris hadn't been taken from the wrestling world. She had exiled herself, fleeing back to America. Even though an investigation cleared her of any wrong doing, her flight back her home country solidified people's suspicions of her guilt. Still, to be spoken to as if she didn't know about losing something, someone she had loved. Chris had restrain her temper, before she verbally lashed out at Suzumi and possibly provoked a violent response.

"Listen to your friend, Suzumi." Chris replied, in a steady, even voice that held a warning tone, even if the words were gentle. "You've had a long night, but it's ended well enough for you. Head back to the locker room, and enjoy your win. Don't push yourself any further."

Suzumi stared at Chris angrily. "I push myself because I have to, you've been lucky enough to have been so gifted that you have no idea what its like do you?" Suzumi said crossing her arms. She wondered if Chris ever had to really work for anything. Wrestle Angels brass practically threw her the title.

Suzumi gave Chris a hearty shove, continuing to glare at her! "Maybe that'll help put things in prespective!?" She growled at the larger woman. To many, this would appear to be suicide. Chris was a giant, statuesque woman. However, Suzumi didn't care. Something about Chris and what she did at Wrestle Angels made Suzumi's blood boil....

Mikoto stepped back as the situation deteriorated into a shoving match quicker than she anticipated, dashing between the both of them in a last ditch effort to stave off any further violence between the two. Miko was no stranger to handling Suzu and her tendency to rush to rash actions, but her animosity towards Chris took even her by surprise this time around. She viciously shook Suzu's shoulders to jostle some sense back into her and avert her own gaze away from the center of frustration and back on her.

"SUZU!! That's enough!! She...She's not worth the trouble alright!! Someone as...as vile as her...they always get what's coming to them, eventually." Miko found herself upholding the charade despite what she had just discovered. Acting in a manner she may have found natural a few weeks ago, now a sudden unwilling accomplice to the deception. "Suzu, please, facing her outside of the ring is meaningless anyway...Do this for me...Let's just go...Alright?" Mikoto's heartfelt pleas would come with a saddened inflection, deeply wishing not to see her friend get injured again...

Chris was turning her gaze back to the television monitor, not expecting Suzumi to want any more violence after the match she had just been through. The other woman's shove caught her off guard, sending her off balance a few steps before she hit the wall.

She looked back at the Japanese woman, her eyes narrowed.
"You really don't want to do this...." Chris said, righting herself.
Although she wasn't hurt from Suzumi's push, the American was acutely aware that she couldn't afford to show weakness. The blonde couldn't appear to be soft, or give the impression that she cared about the former Wrestle Angels in a positive light, unless they be used against her.

But did that mean she would be forced to fight Suzumi outside the ring, where the chances of doing serious damage to the Japanese woman went up exponentially? Although Suzumi wasn't exactly endearing herself to Chris at the moment, the former Wrestle Angel had no wish to risk crippling her. She went with sheer intimidation, hoping to discourage the Japanese woman from any more aggression.

Drawing herself up to her full height, she towered over the Tsunami.
"Mikoto, you're about to need a new tag team partner. If your current one touches me again outside of the ring, the next place you'll see her is going to be the intensive care ward."