Around the World

It had felt like the greatest idea in the world. Haruko could go to that new European style bar/club whatever nonsense, lose herself in loud music, flirt in the dark, yet colorfully lit rooms, dance freely, get shitfaced and forget all about her insecurities. Then the next morning she could sleep off her hangover on the train ride back to Kyoto. She got all dressed up too. Small black dress, cat eye makeup, even curled her hair earlier that day.

And sure enough when she got there, the music was loud, there were plenty of attractive people in dark rooms, and people were dancing. It was everything she expected it to be.

Yet all Haruko could do was the fourth on that list. "Another Shōchū!" she shouted at the bartender through the music. Shōchū with pineapple juice to be precise. It was already her third one, so she didn't have to clarify to the man how she wanted it. The music shifted between American and European techno and dance beats, most of which Haruko hadn't heard of before. She enjoyed the beat and sound...but she wasn't comfortable. Too many distractions were on her mind for her to really be...well, herself.

It wasn't like other strangers hadn't tried either. Two different men already had the courage to offer some unintelligible conversation with her. The music may had drowned it out, but it was her cold shoulder that spoke louder than anything else. Something about getting drunk alone in a lively bar was so much worse than in a normal bar. Maybe she should have just stayed in the hotel room getting shitfaced while watching k-drams.

Natasha had lived in Tokyo now for over two years, having moved to the city from outside Paris France when she was recruited into the AFW, and in all that time she still had not seen nearly all the city had to offer. It was not for any lack of effort on her part either, though her wrestling kept her busy with training and shows Natasha had been visiting almost any place someone recommended her try out. At least once a week she picked one of the many suggested bars on her list and went out and this time she decided to try out a European themed bar she had heard about the month before.

From her wardrobe Natasha selected a blue dress that was snug around her chest but pleasantly loose below that, reaching to halfway between her knees and the floor. Once she was finished getting ready Natasha called a cab and took it downtown to the club, the place apparently popular as the driver didn't need the address just the name. There was a bit of a line to get in but Natasha didn't have to work hard to skip past it, a simple smile and a flash of recognition in the eyes of the bouncer and Natasha was let inside.

The first thing that struck Natasha when she stepped through the doors was how loud the music was, she didn't even need to see the expansive dance floor packed with people to know this was a party bar and not the kind of place she was likely to find a good selection of wine. It wasn't that Natasha didn't drink other forms of alcohol but she had always preferred wine to hard liquor or beer. Natasha decided to get a drink or two first and made her way over to one of the bars, sitting down on one of the stools with the bartender coming over to take her order quite quickly for hos busy they were.

The man asked her if she wanted to start a tab and she nodded in reply, taking out a credit card and handing it to the man who then asked what she would like to drink. "Let me have a..." Natasha paused as she wasn't sure what exactly she wanted, fortunately a woman two stools down seemed to be enjoying her drink so Natasha ordered one of whatever it was. "I hope that drink you have there is good, just ordered one myself."

Another Daft Punk remix blasted through the speakers of the bar as Haruko nursed her third drink.  She didn't get the opportunity to drink too often.  Her training specifically forbade it.  But in her mind today was special.  She didn't care what this would do to her.  That was future Haruko's problem.  Stress was bad for the body anyways.  So if she had to choose between destroying herself through alcohol or stress, it really wasn't a question.

Of course someone was out to ruin her buzz.  Thankfully they were respectful enough and didn't just hit on her or start yapping away about something.

She didn't really recognize the woman at first, but then again she was neither interested nor had she taken a good look.  So Haruko did what she always did when someone spoke to her and gave as little of an acknowledgment as possible.  The bartender brought Natasha her Shōchū and pineapple juice on ice, and Haruko raised her own glass as if toasting it.

The music that filled the club wouldn't have been her first choice but it was satisfying all the same and perfect to dance to, Natasha finding herself nodding her and tapping her foot upon the floor in rhythm with the beat while she waited for her drink to get made. As she watched the bartender prepare the drink Natasha thought she knew what it was a couple of times, but by the time the man had finished adding pineapple juice Natasha had no idea what this particular drink was called.

"Well heres to...whatever this drink is." She said with a laugh when she saw the other woman raise her glass, reaching over to clink her glass against it before draining the contents of the glass in one go. "Oh wow thats good!" Natasha exclaimed as she placed the glass back down upon the bar, sliding it over to the bartender when he asked if she wanted another. "Yes please, and put her next one on my tab."

Haruko could tell from her slight accent that the woman wasn't originally from Japan. She imagined it was just another tourist traveling to Tokyo to party and experience life in a real metropolis. Nevertheless she toasted to the drink and finished what was left of her own. She slid the empty glass to the barkeep and was about to ask for her fourth one.

That is, until, the woman beside her bought one for her. The wrestler didn't mind taking a drink from a guy, but not from a woman. "No, that's alright," Haruko turned to politely say to Natasha. "I'll..." she hesitated as she got a good look at the blue-haired woman. She recognized her from somewhere but couldn't remember from where just yet. She wouldn't have called any attention to it in the first place had she not been three drinks in already.

"Aren't you familiar? Like on television or something?"

Natasha was surprised to hear someone refuse having their drink bought for them, especially when she got the feeling the woman in question was not on her first drink, but beyond blinking a few times in rapid succession she didn't let it show. Instead Natasha smiled warmly and gestured to the barkeep to do as the woman said, for the moment anyway. "Are you sure? Its the least I could do for you suggesting it after all." She replied hoping to sway her mind.

When asked if she too wanted another Natasha politely nodded her head, the barkeep getting to work preparing the unusual drink for each of them while she returned her attention to the mysterious woman who didn't like having her drink bought for her. She found the woman staring at her briefly before asking the question Natasha had heard a few times that day alone, she smiled though as it was one she was happy to answer. "Actually yes I am. Have you ever watched any of the AFW? I wrestle for them, my name is Natasha Loclear if that helps you any."

Haruko was already snapping her fingers when the blue-haired woman said the three letters. "Yes-yes, that's who you are. Wow, I'm sorry, I didn't really recognize you at first." The woman turned entirely towards Natasha with a smile. "Do you uhh...do you come here often?" she asked hesitantly. She was a little intimidated by the woman in front of her.

Then conveniently the bartender slid the finished drinks to each of them. The woman happily took the glass and seized on the topic. "If anything, I should be buying you one of these I think. Next round is on me." She lifted the drink in thanks and then tried her best to smile...normally. She wasn't sure what normal was for that situation. Was she looking like a creeper right then? Or maybe smiling wasn't the right thing, what if she thought she was being deliberately over-smiley to mock her? More and more thoughts rushed through Haruko's head as she bit her lip and slightly turned away.

"I umm...I'm actually in the AFW too but I don't wrestle in Friction," she struggled to add to the conversation trying not to be awkward and failing.

Seeing the woman snap her fingers as she suddenly remembered who Natasha was proved too much for the frenchwoman who brought her hand up to her face, giggling into her palm at the scene. "Pourquoi dites que vous êtes désolé? Oh wow let me try that again, why say you are sorry?" Natasha corrected herself when she realized she had spoken in french just now. "We have never met face to face before after all, but lets do that now. Whats your name?" Natasha replied just as their drinks slid into place before each of them, Natasha giving the bartender another quick smile before starting upon her second glass.

"Merci, I gladly accept!" She said, holding her glass out to clink it against her new drinking partner's glass and then taking another sip from it. "This is actually my first time here, a friend said it might remind me of home and it does in a way. How about you, regular customer?" Contrary to what Haruko was thinking Natasha had found her nothing but pleasant so far, the bluenette having quite enjoyed the woman's reaction to who she was as well as the strange drink.

When she heard the woman was also a wrestler Natasha raised an eyebrow while her mind tried to recall if she had seen her around before, becoming a bit puzzled when she didn't ring a bell. "Oh that explains it." She blurted out when Haruko said she was from outside of Friction meaning either Tension or the boxing league. "So you're from Tension? How long have you been wrestling in the league?"

Haruko raised her glass and clinked it against Natasha's, making haste to put even more alcohol into her. "Thank you," she said again. "And my name is Haruko Akiyama...though I don't wrestle under that name." She sipped her drink again. "I haven't been wrestling very long but...a little over a month now." And had managed to lose three times already. Yet another thing to feel insecure about. It didn't help that she was talking to an actual champion.

"So...yea this is your first time here then? I like the music," she shifted the conversation away from wrestling immediately. "It's really catchy," Haruko added while shifted her hips as well. "These guys are French, right?" she asked, referring to Daft Punk. She acted like they were new to her but really she was probably more of a fan of them than Natasha was. She just didn't know it yet.

"Do you go out at night often? I don't get to come to Tokyo much, the scene's not the same in Kyoto or Osaka." Haruko lifted up her glass and drank a few more sips of the shōchū. She hated having awkward silences, and drinking gave her something to do in between her attempts at conversation. "Are you here with any friends?" she suddenly asked. Surely someone as popular and successful as Natasha had to have an entourage following her everywhere.

"Thats a lovely name, rolls right off the tongue don't you agree? Har-u-ko A-ki-ya-ma..." Natasha prolonged each syllable of Haruko's name as she spoke it, smiling while she took another drink. "A shame you don't use it in the ring but I can understand why you wouldn't, once you do privacy goes right out the window." It was a question she herself had wrestled with back when she first joined, having originally thought of going by just Rain in her matches, but she was proud of her work and had decided against going by another name besides her own. "And just a month? How are you enjoying the work so far?" She asked while leaning against the bar with her elbow propped up on top of it.

As the conversation shifted to the music Natasha had to stop and listen for a moment, the music had become just background noise for her once she started talking with Haruko so it took her moment to recognize who was playing. It took her a number of seconds but Natasha was able to put the name Daft Punk to the artist currently playing, the woman bobbing her head to the beat of the music. "Oh yes you're right, to be honest I don't often listen to music like this but it has its merits no?" She replied, some of her french accent seeping into her voice.

"I usually go out once or twice a week, I have to just to check out all the nightlife spots in Tokyo. I came by myself actually, how about you? With anyone?" Natasha was glad to have found someone to talk to.