Hayasui and Rachel: Fire Forged Friends?

Hayasui continued pouting at Rachel's last jab. The pout was replaced by no small amount of relief as Rachel managed to get back up onto her own two feet, albeit with some trouble. Even so, Rachel hadn't needed Hayasui's help for that, which was plenty consolation for the girl.

"Well, I heard there was this new Hibachi place not too far from here," Hayasui said, standing up as well, "And I've got a few back-ups in mind if that isn't your thing."

"I'm up for whatever, dude. Food in general sounds good right now." She had to resist the temptation to head to the door before her host (and evening mistress, for that matter). "Oh, and, uh, by the way... sorry for biting you. And for that whole, uh, kick to the ladynuts. That was kinda uncalled for."

Oh right. Hayasui had almost forgotten about that, even though it was the primary reason Rachel only had one undamaged arm as opposed to two.

"Don't be," Hayasui said with a laugh, leading Rachel back out the door and to her car, "To the first, you were fighting with everything you had, there's nothing to apologize for. As for the kick to the..." Hayasui couldn't help but giggle at Rachel's word for it, "ladynuts, I was kinda asking for that one. If anything, what I did to you in return for that was uncalled for. And for that I am sorry."

"No, no! It's cool! You gotta do what you gotta do to win, I totally get that, really," she replied hastily, giving the most genuine smile she could afford. "It's pretty clear you didn't have bad intentions based on... all this. So it's all good with me, don't worry about it," she said as they got in the car.

"If you're certain." Hayasui mused, getting the car moving.

It wasn't long till they arrived at the Hibachi place in question. Thankfully, they weren't too full today, and Hayasui managed to secure them a spot at one of the tables where they could watch the chefs cook right before their eyes.

"I think I'll have a beer, you?" Hayasui asked after a few moments spent making peace with the fact that this would be the first of many of her elders' regulations she would be breaking tonight.

"Sure, yeah, a beer sounds good!" Rachel chimed in with a smile. Hayasui didn't strike her as much of a drinker; maybe they'd have more fun this evening than she originally expected.

Habachi places were not something Rachel could really afford to go to when she was younger, though that didn't mean she wouldn't try. The one time she got to enjoy having the food prepared in front of her in memory was during a class trip when she was a kid, and even then she could only afford because the teacher covered for her. So the spectacle of the entire preparation was something she took in with starry-eyed awe. Her order wasn't all that carefully picked, the cheapest thing she could find that would be prepared on the grill, but it still was plenty exciting for her.

Hayasui sighed as Rachel went straight for the cheapest thing on the menu.

"You do realize that I'm paying, right?" Hayasui said, "Go ahead and enjoy yourself! Rea-"

Just then, a waiter came by with their beers, handing them to the two girls with a nod. Hayasui eyed the amber liquid curiously, tilting the glass this way and that and watching the alcohol slosh around. Oddly enough, she was finding it hard to take this final step. These rules that had been ground into her from the start, and here she was, already breaking one of them and planning on breaking still more.

Am I really going to- oh who the hell am I kidding?

Making up her mind, Hayasui tipped back the glass, feeling the cold liquid rush into he-

The girl barely kept from spilling her drink as she choked down the sip she'd taken before the taste hit her. That horrifically bitter taste that buzzed her tongue and reminded her all too vividly of the old remedies she'd had to choke down when she got sick, back before she'd left the clan. Her glass fell heavily on the table, the beer sloshing about but not spilling, as Hayasui coughed a few times, trying to clear her throat as the bitter liquid burned its way down her throat.

...Oh god...how do people drink this stuff?

"...I'll...I'll be fine," Hayasui said to reassure her friend, "Just my first time drinking...I've gone through a lot of firsts today, haven't I? First match, first win, first friend, first house guest, first dinner out with a friend, first drink...what's next?"

Rachel was mid-way into her own drink when the sound of coughing and choking interrupted her, almost causing her to join in. Looked like her initial hunch was right after all, this Hayasui girl was not much of a drinker. "Good shit, eh?" she teased as she patted Hayasui on the back. "Should've let me know you didn't drink, I would have helped you find something more your style. Then again... one of us does have to drive back. Anyway," she added with a smile, "don't worry about covering for me. We both literally just got paid a few hours ago, I can cover myself." With one more chug she downed the rest of her own drink. "Also... uh, not to be a mooch, but if you're not gonna drink that, let me know. Wouldn't want to let a good drink go to waste."

Hayasui, offering a nod to Rachel, tried to take another sip of the beer, slowly this time, before giving up on it and sliding the glass over to her friend.

"Next time," Hayasui said, more to herself than anyone, vowing revenge on the horrid, gut-wrenching substance. Ordering a root beer to make up for it, Hayasui finds herself waiting for the chef when a waiter approaches them.

"My apologies," the waiter said, "But the gentleman at the bar is starting to create a bit of a scene in waiting and yours is the only table left. Would-"

"Sure," Hayasui said, trying to forget that horrifically bitter taste. "Just tell him to sit as far from us as he can."

There was grill around which they were seated was plenty large, and they'd had the good luck to pick seats at the end of the table. Hayasui didn't even bother to pay attention as a black-haired man approached the table, seating himself at the other end. A wry smile adorned his face as grey eyes flitted between Hayasui and Rachel before he held his menu up, calling the waiter over and clearing his throat loudly before ordering.

With an over-eager smile and a hardy chug, Rachel consumed the second beer in record time. "Aw man, they brew some good stuff over here!" she laughed, her voice already starting to return. Her demeanor darkened a bit, however, when she noticed the man across the table eyeing the two of them suspiciously.

"Uh, hey, Hayasui, is that guy over there a friend of yours or something? Because he is giving the both of us a super creepy look." Rachel was already thinking of ways to divert attention away from them, or otherwise cause onlookers to look away. It also occurred to her that the both of them were professional wrestlers, and one of them was actually half-decent at it, so there might not be all that much to worry about.