Extracurricular Activities

The night was just starting to settle in as Kozue made her way into Second House, one of Kyoto's finer cafes - according to a few blogs she'd looked up, anyway. She couldn't remember the last time she'd even been in a place like this. When she did bother to eat out, nine times out of ten, it was in some place a lot louder, with a lot more alcoholic beverages, and a much bigger TV screen than the little 30 inch that was hanging over the bar. This place was nice and refined - waiters that actually made sure to check on you in a timely fashion, clean, hardwood floors, optional vegan menus, and well-lit alll around. A big change of pace for her, but then again, this was turning out to be that kind of day.

She walked in and got a seat soon enough, high heels clacking along the floor as she followed the waitress. High heels.The one pair of high heels, and a perfect accompaniment to the one black skirt she owned, and the one blue blouse. Her hair was down, too, completing a look that was a professional and pristine and un-Kozue as she could possible manage. This was kind of a special occasion, so, just this once, she wanted to look special. She even put on a little makeup, got her hair nice and shiny, cleaned up well.

She took a seat and the waitress laid out her menus, one in front of Kozue and one on the other side, where Femie would be sitting. Hopefully.

"Stop that." She gave herself a little smack in the forehead, punishment for overanalyzing this. Since she'd left Femie's office and called her to arrange their little meet-up, dozens of possibilities ran through her head. Maybe this was some sort of setup. Maybe she wouldn't show up at all. Maybe she would show up, but Kozue should leave, before she has the chance to say something stupid and kill this in the crib.

She leaned back and groaned, looking off into the shimmering city from the corner of her eye. She had to stop thinking about it like that. Femie had been nice. She'd listened to every little silly thing, and she'd cared. Or she looked like she cared. But even if she didn't, really, she cared enough to pretend, so even that was a good sign. Kozue kept trying to think up possibilities and likelihoods, overanalyzing everything.

Whatever happened tonight would happen regardless, and worrying would only make her more likely to screw it up. This would be the first night in a long time that she spent with another human being, not counting online games. Kozue wanted this to work. Needed to.

She closed her eyes and drilled that into her head, as she waited for Femie to show up. Any minute, now...

Femie took one last look in her compact and fluffed the curls that hung in poodle puffs on either side of her head. She adjusted her monocle and chortled softly to herself. "Ohoho!" She said. Femie always looked good no matter where she went, but it was because she was quite meticulous in her habits. She didn't look too much different than she had in the office. Only a slight bit of difference and that was the absence of her lab coat. Other than that, she still had on a turtleneck, which was now black, a black skirt, which was a little tighter and a lot shorter, and her stockings were now a much darker shade rather than the nude color they had been before. They also had lace trimming at the top, discreetly hidden underneath her skirt. Finally, her loafers were replaced by a pair of delicate high heels.

She stepped through into the cafe and looked around. it was indeed quite fancy, but Femie was fine with that. She liked to live with as much extravagance as she could, though she was by no means rich. She stepped through the cafe and looked around. Her eyes fell on Kozue but she turned away before turning back a second later. She blinked and adjusted her monocle as if it would help her vision. She was not expecting the girl to get this dolled up, but it made her smile. "Ohoho!"

She stepped gracefully to their table and smiled, waving as she approached. She then urged Kozue to stand up so that she could clasp her arms around the girl and lean in to kiss both of her cheeks.

"Oh, mon Dieu!" Femie chirped as she looked Kozue up and down. "Or should I say ooh la la? Tres fabuleux! You did not need to get dressed up pour moi, but I certainly appreciate it! Ohoho!"

Femie took her seat, setting her purse down. "I hope I have not kept you waiting, mon amie?"

In the two mintues between the time Kozue sat down and Femie made her appearance, her nerves had already gotten the better of her, and she needed a little something to calm them. Fortunately, she'd brought along some earphones, and Bell Biv Devoe was enough to keep her head on tight. "Poisooooooon..." She sung along under her breath as she stared out the window, bumping her shoulders to the music. "Never trust a big butt and a smile, that girl is..."

She wasn't so engulfed in her music that she couldn't notice a familiar figure approaching her in the window's reflection, and she immediately lit up and turned towards it. Sure enough, there was Femie, looking like, well, Femie. A much sleeker, sexier version of the woman she'd met in the office, with the monocle topping it all off nicely.

"Hey, Fem!" She stood up to greet her, went in for the hug...and almost jerked away at the kisses. It was only a moment's hesitation, and she let Femie do it, regardless. She'd just totally forgotten that was a common French thing and didn't see it coming. Already looking dumb, not a good start."[/color]

"You like?" Kozue tried to move past the snafu and turned all the way around, showing off her whole outfit. As much as it cost, she might as well get all the mileage she could out of it. "Bought this for a thing with Melissa Sellers a few months back. So not my style, but I figured I'd try and make this special."

She sat back down and relaxed her shoulders, glad this was at least a happening thing, now. "Just got here, didn't wait long." She opened up the menu, paying attention to it for the first time tonight. "Thanks for coming, really. And you're looking super slick over there, yourself. You get out like this often?"

"Bonsoir!" Femie chirped as Kozue greeted her, ignoring Kozue's hesitation at the kisses. The girl seemed to not have much in the way of experience dealing with other cultures, but Femie certainly wasn't going to chastise the girl for it.

"Oh, oui, oui! You look tres magnifique!" Femie praised. She then blushed a little bit. "But, there was no need to make this special..." She said, still smiling. "Unless I am on a date I do not know about? Ohoho!" Femie teased and gave Kozue another look over before she sat down and nudged her seat up to a comfortable position at the table.

"Pas de tout." Femie said, waving her hand. "You are embarrassing with all the insistence." She said. "But, I will take your compliments, ohoho." Femie fluffed her poodle puff. "I am tres, tres, adorable, this is true." She said and then laughed. "Oh, I like to come to the cafe whenever I can. It reminds me of home, though, I suppose it has been a while. Still, Japanese cafes aren't quite the same, but interesting for different reasons. This whole culture is absolutely fascinating though!" Femie nodded and looked at Kozue.

"So, what do you usually do to pass the time?" Femie asked. "I am guessing this is not your preferred cup of tea?" She asked, tilting her head.

Was this a date?

Kozue chewed on her lip as Femie spoke. She was liistening - it was a little hard not to listen to her, thanks to this eeriely pleasing melodic tune in her voice. But, at the same time, she was pondering how much this qualified. The few times she'd had dates in the past, she'd never gotten this dressed up for them. Maybe it was a 'date' in the broad sense, but...

Overanalyzing again. Stop.

"Yeah, it's a cool culture. Know what's funny? My Dad was big into it, to a crazy level. Spoke it, studied it, dressed it. Just immersed himself in the stuff, neck deep. So when I came here, it was sort of like coming to a home I'd never been to before. That make sense?" She held up her and rolled it around. "Crazy shit aside, I like being here more than the States." She gave Femie a little kick under the table, playful and soft. "Kind of curious how you got this far out, though."

She opened the menu and started to scan over it, running her fingers along the choice. Mostly fancy stuff with names in languages that didn't quite translate right to Japanese. "And yeah, my 'preferred cup of tea' is actually a bottle of beer. Bars, sports lounges, places like that. Got a few nice places around the arena that give discounts to wrestlers, do a tour through them after a good match."

Famie listened to Kozue's words and tilted her head. "Oh, so you were born with a distinctly Japanese name even though you're quite American?" She asked. "How fascinating. I'm quite intrigued about it really. I wonder what possessed him to become a Japanophile..." Femie thought aloud. She would like to meet Mr. Kaburagi for sure, but it was probably wise not to say that aloud, considering Kozue made every notion to indicate how much she loathed her home. C'est la vie.

However, when the question was turned on her, Femie blushed and turned her head. "It's because I'm a stalker, ohohoho!" She laughed, but it wasn't untrue. She'd come to the AFW chasing a woman named Kyla Fairchild, but Kyla was gone and Femie was not. She frowned and looked down at the table for a moment.

"Ahhh, I suppose it was puppy love, but one of my colleagues joined to try and prove something to herself. However, it was a bit more complicated then that. We both used to work at the same sanitarium and I got her into wrestling but she took things a little too far. By the time I was able to arrive here in the AFW, I think I was a little too late. I just hope that she's not getting herself or her charge in trouble..."

Femie suddenly perked up, waving all of it off. "Mais, that is what it is! I've always been naturally athletic and I keep up with wrestling. I enjoy it and here in AFW they even cater to much of my carnal desires, ohoho! I came chasing windmills, and in reality, I may have found something that fulfills all my life's needs in a much more satisfying manner." She said, smiling pleasantly.

Femie took a passing glance at the menu and then smiled at Kozue. "Do you think you could see me in a ratty tee and jeans in a smokey pub playing a drinking game, mon amie?" She asked slyly. "Ohoho, I will accept any challenge!"

Kozue shook her head with a soft smile at the mention of her father. "That's a long, stupid story, and I need to be at least, say, .05 on the BAL before I can tell it." She chuckled and flipped a page, trying to find something that she could at least identify. "That's another world. I'm here, now."

She looked up just in time to see Femie's frown, and she couldn't help but mirror it. It didn't last long, but still - on Femie, it was the weirdest thing in the world. She was so consistently jubilant, even a brief change stuck out. Kozue didn't want to pry, but she was curious about the details - it didn't seem like puppy love. You don't fly halfway across the world for puppy love.

Do you?

She perked back up as soon as Femie did, picking up the beat like they'd never lost it. "Could I picture you in..." Kozue's eyes narrowed into slits, looking over Femie, lost in concentration. "I am, no shit, having a legit tough time picturing you in that. It's like there's a mental block in my head that keeps me from seeing you in anything but a turtleneck. Weirdest fucking thing."

Kozue looked back to the menu and centered on something she finally recognized - spaghetti. Weird as hell for a cafe to have, but there it was. "I'll take you on in a drinking game, though, so don't tempt. Anytime you want, as long as you..." Her voice trailed off, as her brain finished processing something she'd said. Kozue cocked an eyebrow and looked up. "So, wait, you wrestle, too? In the ring?"

Femie raised an eyebrow at Kozue's words. The girl seemed to have a fairly unhealthy relationship with alcohol. At least, the more she spoke, the more it seemed that way. Still, even though her psychologist urges were kicking in, she didn't pry. Maybe she just liked a good drink? Femie could be a bit of a lush if the right wine or beer was put in front of her.

"Ohoho!" Femie lifted her hand. "A testament to my unflinching beauty and refinement!" She teased, primping as Kozue scrutinized her. "But I assure you that I can mingle with the plebeians and go unnoticed if I like, ohoho!" Femie chortled heartily and smiled. "I am such a naughty égotiste! Ohoho! Mais, oui. I do have more than short skirts and turtlenecks in my wardrobe, I assure you."

Femie turned her head coyly as Kozue caught on to what she had said. "I am duly employed in the AFW both as a member of the staff and as a wrestler, oui." She said with a nod. "Though, I have only had a few matches. It is a sport for me, not a competition. I love athletics and sports of all kinds. Wrestling is my favorite for... reasons, ohoho." Femie chuckled. "I would not be surprised if you haven't seen any of my matches. "Do you even watch much Friction? How interested are you in the sport as a spectator? Or do you only do it as a competitor? Because I do see that a lot here." She added.

Kozue pulled her phone out and slid it out of the lock while Femie spoke. "I dunno, I think you'd stick out in a bar." She chuckled and keep her eyes down to towards the screen. "Not too many people with poodle curls and monocles in the bars I go to. Would be cute to see you there, though."

She tapped into the cafe's WIFI and began a search. "Let me look you up, quick. Femie...Weydman...wrestling..." Sure enough, Femie came up as an AFW wrestler, with a few accompanying pictures. "Ha, you even wrestle in the turtleneck. Not showing too much, though." She tapped her chin. "And if I turn off the adult filter..." Kozue's eyes abruptly widened to saucer size and her cheeks lit up, as she saw considerably more of Femie than she'd bargained for. She could certainly confirm the Belgian Beauty had more than just turtlenecks in her wardrobe.

"Oh, wow. Hm." She laid the phone on the table. Face down. "Uh, yeah, no, as a rule I don't watch too much Friction. When one of my friends has a match, I catch that, but I don't just leave the show on and let it play. Don't mind watching good matches, love a good match, it's just all the porno stuff. Sort of steer clear of that."

"Ohohoho!"

Femie cackled as Kozue finally understood what kind of wrestler the Belgian was. She puffed out her chest and shook her shoulders enough to let her large bust wobble under her turtleneck. "It's ok to look, mon amie. I hope I still look as fabulous! Ohoho."

As she chortled, Femie ordered a coffee and a cake with some red bean paste.

She looked back at Kozue. "It is only pornography if its sole purpose is to provide lewd self gratification." She paused. "So I could not count on you to be in my corner as a spectator in my next match? Ohoho! There is nothing you haven't already seen, now."

Femie paused and looked at Kozue seriously. "Does it make you uncomfortable, Kozue? It's not my aim and I'll speak no more on it if you're not interested or offended by my hobbies."