We Like To Party

Akashi was watching the scene unfold from her seat. The last time things got heated at a party, Akashi was right in the center of it. This time she hadn't been drinking and was self aware enough not to step in. However, once things quieted down and it looked like Taylor was finally out of gas, Akashi stood up and moved to where everyone could see her.

"Everyone, onegai." She said, bowing. "Please, don't leave tonight in such spirits. We all came here to be happy together, let us not leave with ill feelings towards one another. I know it may be hard, but let's at least try."

Akashi turned to Taylor and smiled. "Taylor-san, no one here thinks you didn't earn what you have. If they did, they wouldn't be here. If you dwell on what has happened, then Kelly has already succeeded before she has ever cashed in her briefcase."

Akashi looked around. "Everyone here has their own worries and fears. Everyone here has worked hard to get where they are. We're here, in part, because we all understand that and we want to set aside those worries for an evening to be able to enjoy ourselves in the company of people who we care for and who, even if a word is never spoken about it, understand the kind of turmoil we have inside of us. Our burdens are our own to carry but that doesn't mean must all carry them by ourselves all the time. We can't do it, even if we think we can and reliance and support are not signs of weakness. These... are the sorts of things that happen when we carry the world on our shoulders alone for too long."

Akashi looked around the room, giving everyone a sturdy, supportive glance before eyes fell back on Taylor.

Taylor was red-faced, and kept her eyes on the floor and nodded as Akashi spoke. She so loved and needed Akashi's sober voice of reason, though sometimes she forgot how much so. Whatever fit of rage had possessed her moments ago was soothed out of her by her wise old sumo sister.

"I'm such an asshole," she said in a small voice. "I really need all you guys. People are right when they say that I need you guys, just... not in the ring. I'm... really sorry. I've had a lot to drink, and..."

She gestured toward the screen, which by now had ended and restarted, and was frozen on the first frame of the video. "But that skinny girl up there with the blue pigtails, man, the one who's doing her thing and having a blast? She's gone. Long gone. I used to have so much fun doing this, and I just... I can't remember the last time, because...

"And guys, like... Avery 'n Alaina, you guys... Where's Alaina?" She looked around. She didn't see Mamouru, either, which was troubling. "Well, I mean, I am where I am, and I really think I'm the best. I'd take anyone who's ever lived to prove it. But... I don't eat what I want. I don't go out and have fun. I'm in bed by eleven, and I hate getting up in the morning, but every day I'm up at seven. I don't ever drink, and maybe that's a good thing... My whole life is just, what can I do to be better in the ring?

"And I just want pizza. I want to eat a cheeseburger, and pasta and lasagna, oh my god... And I want a chocolate milkshake, and ice cream, and cannoli, and oh, my, god, Ferrara's, in Little Italy, the little pasty-type things, I don't even know what they're called... And I want barbeque chicken, and I've never even had ribs but fuck I just wanna... I want to just sit and watch Netflix and play video games and not worry about what time it is and drink Coke and stay up late, and I want all you guys to like me and I don't wanna worry about when I'm gonna say something or when I'll flip out and start a fight, and I'm really sorry I hit you Ace, and I'm really sorry if I went too far in our match, and I'm sorry I said shit about Bonnie and Clyde, and Nik, I really respect you and I wish I was more like you and I just love all you guys and I'm so sorry that I'm not..."

Her voice finally gave out, and she stopped. Her face scrunched pathetically, and finally she put her head down and let herself cry.

Avery had remained for the entirety of the heart-wrenching events that played out before her. Emotions had been hurled around the room from every direction.

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed in the end.

Avery was immediately thankful for Akashi's presence at the party; the sumo spoke eloquently and gave a voice to the support they all wished to offer their troubled friend. Beyond even that, Taylor was surrounded by friends and family who all wanted nothing more than to see her succeed.

Avery was convinced the people around her could offer more than she, personally, could ever hope to offer. Still, the young woman felt compelled. She had so much she wanted to say, but given the sensitivity of the moment, she tried to keep her emotions in check.

"Taylor, you could have picked anyone to take under your wing... but you chose me. I literally wouldn't be standing in this room if it wasn't for you." She spoke quietly at first, though her courage grew with each word. She came forward and entered the circle of support that formed around Taylor.

"I'll never be able to repay you for giving me this opportunity, but I swear... I will try." Ave's voice finally cracked. She fought to control her emotions, but seeing Taylor's remorse right before her eyes hit the young redhead hard. Quickly wiping away her tears, she persevered, and fended off any concern with a stubborn and apologetic smile.

Mai squeezed Jess' hand when everyone started to ball. She smiled and wiped away a tear of her own. She'd remained quiet while everything went down. "It's... just like Ai no Kakutō... such a beautiful manga..."

Akashi sighed as Taylor melted. She smiled as well and kept herself grounded throughout all the blubbering. It was starting to get to her and finally she started to cry a bit too.

Nikolette stepped forward as well. "Yeah, didn't mean ta get hot er anythin." She said, flashing a smile at Ace. "Maybe ya feel like ya don't need any protectin and, yer an adult an everythin." Nikolette said to Taylor. "But you'd have our backs. It ain't fair if we can't have yers too!" She said cheerfully.

Shinobu came and put a hand on Cassie's back and smiled at her. "Everything's been wonderful, Taylor-san. You and Johnny-kun have been great to us, really."

Morrigan was listening from her spot at the entrance and shook her head. She would talk to Taylor later, away from all of her dumb friends. She turned to leave and saw Mamouru opening the door. "You drunk?" She said.

He turned around, his eyes widening for a moment. "N-No..."

"Kay. See ya."

Mamouru blinked. "I was just-"

"I don't give a shit." Morrigan said and shrugged, flopping back on the couch.

"Ahh... ok.."

Bonnie's lip started to quiver a bit. She sniffled as Taylor spilled out her guts and told everyone that she needed them. Bonnie knew Taylor but not so much, personally like all the rest but she still felt like she was part of this tightly knit group, at least for the moment.

But as Taylor spoke of the girl she used to be being long gone, that the gig wasn't as fun as it used to be before beautifully expressing all the things she wanted, delicious mouth watering foods that made Bonnie think of home, before Taylor just gushed, expressing her feelings to everyone and apologizing. Even to Bonnie and Clyde.

The Texan's girls eyes were watery. She didn't think someone expression the desire to eat unhealthy food could be so beautiful to hear!

"Ohhhhhhh~ Appology accepted! C'MERE GIRL!" Bonnie exclaimed rushing over to Taylor to give her the biggest hug she could give!

"I-I'm sorry I got all defensive too!" She stammered suddenly while squeezing Taylor, chest to chest, leaning her head back to look her in the eye.

Ace never took her hand off Taylor's shoulder, even when Bonnie gave Taylor a big bear hug. It felt good to have contact with the girl. In fact, Ace was pretty certain this was the first physical contact they had ever had that wasn't one of them hitting the other, as Ace's slightly swollen lip could attest to.

She smiled back at Nik, a small half smile. She didn't know if she liked the girl or not, and had issue with her being with Gwen after what happened to her. Still, she felt guilty, feeling partly responsible for Taylor's breakdown by coming in with a chip on her shoulder towards everyone, especially Taylor herself.

Between that and Akashi's rather touching speech about them all being around for each other, she resolved to...well, stop being such a bitch.

She said nothing to Taylor, not confident enough to actually say anything to her, but rubbed her shoulder gently, just to try and comfort her best she could.

Taylor squeezed Bonnie right back. It felt normal, all things considered, since she was used to the bone-crushing brutality of Akashi's monstrous hugs. Bonnie's was nice.

"Thanks, guys," she sniffled, and looked around at everybody. Suddenly, her cheeks were red. "I'm really embarrassed..." She put a hand on her stomach. "I don't feel so good."


Later, in the small hours of the morning when everything had calmed down and the basement was mostly quiet, Cassie sat with her brother on the floor in a small circle with the remaining guests.

Jess had left with Mai, and though the girl had had more to drink than Taylor she was still upright and functioning. Cassie couldn't understand it. She hadn't seen Mamouru or Morrigan for a while, though she was pretty sure Mamouru was still around. Taylor was sprawled face down on the floor and snoring softly.

"Do you guys know about this?" Asked Bucky with a smile. He nudged Cassie with his elbow. "Do her," he said, nodding toward Bonnie.

Cassie looked helplessly at the Texan, her brow knitting up in embarrassment before she had even uttered a word. "Nice ta meetcha, Bonnie, name's Cassie Elliot," she said, in an accent utterly indistinguishable from Bonnie's but in Cassie's little voice, as if she had grown up in Texas herself. It never failed to amuse Bucky.

Bonnie didn't know Taylor personally very well but as she held the sniffling warrior, she gathered that Taylor was in fact a good person.

But Bonnie totally backed up when Taylor groaned about her stomach.

Later she sat in the circle with the others after saying bye to Jessica and bugging Mai for a picture.

Cute as hell Bucky then asked his sister to do something and what Bonnie got made her eyes widen as she grinned ear to ear before bursting into laughter.

"Ahha! Hahaha!" She chortled. "That's cute... Eh!" Bonnie giggled as she did her best Canadian eh.

"Ooh! Ooh! Do Jocelyn!"

"Okay..."

Cassie looked down while she tried to remember Jocelyn's voice. She had a good memory for voices, but mostly they seeped in through her skin subconsciously. Growing up in her family's jiu jitsu school, there were often people around from Russia, from Brazil, from southern California, and without realizing it she would mimic their accents, with such authenticity that she could fool them.

"Oh, bloody chundah!" She said, suddenly an aussie. "Oi, bloody drongo, dish licking old-" She stopped suddenly and her eyes widened helplessly, and then she was Canadian again. "My goodness, there's nothing she says that isn't dirty!"

Alaina had quietly wandered back in after stepping outside to clear her head. She missed the fireworks earlier, and made sure to ensure that the tracks of her tears weren't present when she re-entered.

She quietly made her way back inside to whomever was left, catching a few of Cassie's impressions. She chuckled a bit as they were spot on. She even forced a smile, although it was only skin deep. This seemed to have been quite a rollercoaster of emotions for everyone on this night.... in an effort to appear normal, she opted to speak up. "Thats an awesome talent. Charlie can do a few voices too, but its different than you being able to do all those accents."