The Dojo Girls Eat Hamburgers

Spring time made everything better. The sunshine and warmer temperatures were so kind to her body, and made every part of her day easier, from getting up in the morning to warming up before training.

She had a spring in her step while she skipped along beside Nikolette on the Tokyo sidewalk, partly because she felt good, and partly because it wasn't quite as warm out as she thought and she wished she had a heavier sweatshirt. Her teal and pink Mighty Yukiko t-shirt was practically see-through, and her Bouncing Souls hoodie and mid-calf workout leggings weren't nearly enough to stave off the early spring chill. She kept moving so as not to freeze to death and make Nikolette drag her corpse somewhere.

"So, Nik," she said. "How is everything? I dunno, how's your girl, how's Friction... How's life?"

nikolette walked at a steadier pace as Taylor seemed to do more hopping than walking. She smiled at the high strung girl, knowing that was just how she was. She answered her questions thoughtfully, in reverse.

"Life, eh?" She began. "Never gonna complain about life as long as I got my health." She said truthfully. "Haven't gotten that punched outta me yet!" The engineer chuckled. "Friction? I haven't had a match in a while. I've been itchin fer one fer sure!" Her green eyes gleamed with excitement.

"And I feel like I can take on anyone too! I'm probably in the best shap of my life. I really wanna get back in the ring." She pounded her fists together but then stalled when she thought about Gwendolyn.

"Ahh... Gwennie... she's... ah... been pretty busy too." Nikolette said, turning her head. "I can't even remember the last time we had a moment together where we could just do whatever. It's pretty tough. I want things ta work out real bad. She makes me so happy but then..." Nikolette trailed off.

"Sometimes I don't think she realizes what kinda pinch she's puttin me in." Nikolette looked at Taylor. "I'm tryin ta stay positive though! Ya gotta in this line of work, right?" She said, smiling again at Taylor.

Taylor breathed an ironic laugh. "I know what you mean..." She sighed, but her smile persisted. "European chicks are crazy, man." She glanced over at Nikolette with a gleam in her eye.

"But yeah, totally. Staying positive is the hardest part. I mean... I don't remember a lot from the party, but you were there. There's some serious negative shit going on in my life right now, and... I dunno. Part of my just wants to start killing off these bitches, and the other part just wants to be happy doing my job. Like, I'm the champ now. For real, for real, the champ. I should be happy, right?"

"Yeah! You should be. Yer on top of the mountain. Enjoy the view!" Nikolette encouraged. "But.. yeah..." She said, pausing her encouragement for the moment. "I mean... we're wrasslan. It's like..." She paused to think.

"It's like ya got this electrical arc an you might think that's bad, but if ya can control it, ya can harness that and it's pretty useful. Ya get the heat and the plasma and ya can melt steel. Weldin sorta operates on this a bit but, if things start ta go bad, if things get REAL hot, then the hotter it gets and the more the resistance crumbles and the hotter it gets and then somethin's gotta give and BAM!" Nikolette pounded her fist into her palm. "Ya got an arc blast that'll melt yer face off!" She grinned at the thought. "And that can get hotter than the surface of the sun! Ain't that crazy?!" She laughed. "This business is sorta like that. Yer always playin with somethin dangerous. Just need ta try and keep it as controlled as possible so ya just come away with a few singes here and there and don't end up havin ta pay for a closed casket funeral or somethin grisly like that." She shrugged.

"So, yeah, I try an stay as positive as I can. But... uh... it's probably best you don't remember any of the party. Unfortunately I remember every bit of it. It was... mostly fun..." She said, giving Taylor her best reassuring smile.

Taylor nodded. She didn't know what Nikolette was talking about, but she think she got what she meant.

"Eheh..." She laughed sheepishly. "Yeah... Maybe getting drunk around you isn't such a great idea, with your memory."

She trailed off of the conversation for a moment and looked around. Her pace slowed slightly, and it became apparent that she had something to say, though she tried to act casual about it.

"So, anyway..." She said as casually as possible. "I was thinking, about the dojo? Like... it's great having you there and stuff. Your brain and your attitude are great for everyone. Um... How are you liking it so far?"

Nikolette smiled. She'd been so used to having her memory that she didn't like it to not be there. It was why she rarely drank, even at a casual party like Taylor's.

"Awww, thanks!" Nikolette chirped, transitioning to the dojo talk. "It's great! I'm havin loads a fun an it's keepin me in way better shape than trainin alone! Yer gals are lookin sharp too. They might run us old bats down if we keep at it! Eheh." Nikolette blushed.

"It makes me wanna get back in the ring! But it looks like y'all got Kelly taken care of an who knows where Angel crawled off to. There ain't anyone else I'm itchin at fight..." Nikolette shrugged. "Somethin'll come along." She said, staying optimistic. "Until then, I'm in a spot I can't complain about. How you think it's been goin?"

"Good, man, it's going really good," Taylor nodded. She began swinging her arms and turning her shoulders back and forth as she strolled along. "I think, like... First impression, like, we're gonna have to really build Alaina up, the right way, and probably take Julia down a peg. She seems nice though, they both are, so... Ya know, probably no problems there. Eheh."

There was that nervous laugh again. It didn't even sound like her. Taylor told herself to stop being a pussy and just come out with it.

"So like," she began again, as casually as possible. "I was thinkin', and this is like, just an idea, but, uh..." Intensely casual. Her voice rose in pitch to emphasize how not a big deal it was. "There's another room left at Junko's, and what do you think about being in the dojo? Like... As a trainee, kinda?"

Nikolette nodded along. "Yeah... She's real nice and real tough, but she needs to find that killer instinct. A girl that strong shouldn't have the kinda record she's got. She needs some edge. Just hope it doesn't kill 'er sweetness." She said, knowing that could happen when girls started getting serious about wrestling.

"And, maybe Julia's just got some natural talent like Cassie?" She asked. "I know she's a rookie an there's a lot ta teach but we'll have to see her face someone tough if we wanna really see what she's made of. Maybe she'll just surprise us. Maybe she's just here for the camaraderie and notoriety? I guess a gal doesn't have ta be a hot mess just ta come here." Nikolette said with a smile.

Nikolette raised her eyebrow t Taylor's words. "Huh?" She said. "Like shack up with Alaina and Julia and do all the regular stuff? I mean, I don't mind it. I'm as hard a worker as you'll find and I think that the fundamentals can always be polished. Specially for a gal like me, but... is that what yer sayin?" Nikolette said, tilting her head a bit. She definitely wasn't opposed to it, but she had been kinda sorta helping out with things while sparring with Taylor. She had to admit, that she thought she was a little more than a grunt that needed to be ordered around.

"Well... yeah, man, I mean..." Taylor could feel the conversation starting to tilt slightly toward the wrong end, and she tried to bring it back by sounding extra reasonable. "I think it'd really help the girls out to have you right there with 'em, ya know? Be their senpai and stuff."

She took a breath, and looked straight ahead while they walked down the sidewalk. "I just... You know I respect ya 'n junk, and I was thinking that maybe the dojo could help you, um... I mean, like, what we do, analyzing your daily plans, diet, training, conditioning, planning, all that stuff, we could do that for you and... If you think it'd help you." That sounded reasonable, right? That sounded like a great deal. "Ya know?"

Nikolette could see Taylor trying to be as diplomatic as possible. She wasn't going to let her just hang in the breeze like that. She smiled and gave a soft nod to the girl. "Ok, I think that might be ok. I dunno 'bout livin there, but I can maybe try it. I mean, everyone can improve, right?" She said. "It ain't like I don't appreciate the offer. I like the company too. I ain't never had too many friends, so it's fun ta be around a group. I'll do my best." She said finally and nodded to Taylor again, this time with a bit more zeal.

"I'm pretty serious, ya know." She said. "After that beatin Angel gave me, I got real serious. But... ya think I should step up even more? Think I should start tryin ta push myself and go after things?" She asked seriously. "I don't lack confidence, but... you think i could be that kinda gal?" She said, genuinely curious about what Taylor thought.