Seppuku

"No, Conway-san."

Akashi replied quietly once Kelly was finished. "I think you are brimming with pride. I asked what it meant to you, not if you had it." She paused for a moment and looked at her lacquer box.

Her eyes went to Kelly. "I'm giving you the chance to continue acting like a real champion. I don't know why you act the way act. I could guess, but it's not my place. However, I do think in the end, you want to stand on your own merit." Akashi's face hardened a bit.

"If we wrestle and I beat you, it all goes away, Conway-san."

"You do?" Kelly asked eagerly all of a sudden, almost thankful that Akashi understood that about her. But it didn't take long for her usual demeanor to return.

"You won't beat me, I assure you. I've waited this long to become a champion, I shall not lose it so quickly like Parker did." She muttered coldly as a proud grin creeped over the corner of her lips.

"Pride... To me.... Well I've never really thought about it too much but I guess pride to me, Is living up to expectations, or surpassing them in my case. It also used to be associated with upholding the honor of my Family, but that long ended. I fight for me, now.

Akashi lowered her head. "I hope you never have to lose your title the way Taylor-san did." Akashi admitted genuinely. "No champion deserves that, not even you." Akashi paused. "But, you may die by the same sword you have lived by, Conway-san. How long do you think you can keep this up? I hope you have not deluded yourself into thinking that you have deserved what you have gotten and that you serve as a champion with honor and distinction."

Akashi shook her head and looked at Kelly. "You may find this hard to believe, but I think that you do not need to lower yourself to be successful. You have a foundation that is capable and your tenacity would help fill in any gaps that exist between your skill and experience. You do not need to fight the way you have been fighting. It does not reek of someone brimming with pride, it reeks of someone brimming with desperation, as if you believe this is your only chance to touch the stars."

Akashi lowered her head again. "I was never allowed to, and yet at the same time expected to, uphold the honor of my own family, Conway-san. I understand that difficult position better than most." She paused and lifted up her head. "What expectations are you supposed to be living up to?" Akashi asked.

Kelly huffed and turned her head away. She did not believe Akashi. "Uhh... Of course I believe that. Newsflash, Tanikaze. It's kill or be killed in Wrestling. There is no place for honor, only victory. That's exactly why I laughed at the ending of your match with Taylor. Neither of you had what it took to pull the trigger when it counted." Kelly muttered, very confident and sure of herself.

Ultimately however, she listened to Akashi speak about her. Kelly would hear her out, but eventually rolled her eyes before easing into her seat and looking to Akashi, suddenly her malice eased just a bit. For once it seemed like someone would understand.

"It was never anything specific but I think to surpass my father. My father had a relatively short career, he never toured internationally but was very popular in the states in the eighties, he won a world title only once before losing it. He was never allowed to pursue it again, as a neck injury ended the short, seven year career of Micheal 'Crusher' Conway" Said Kelly, tangling a finger through her hair as she told her father's story.

"Heh... Such a cheesy stage name. But that was American wrestling at the time. Very larger than life." She mused with a small smile before having another serious gaze with Akashi.

"My expectation is to not be a one hit wonder. But to be successful no matter the cost. My name will not be associated with "What could have been" but rather "What was", understand? I won't have a short forgettable career. Kelly Conway is going to be everlasting. From a young age I was meant to be a metaphor for "The Greatest", not a joke for steroids and cocaine use or 'The only move I know is a clothesline'. " Said the blonde champion, with bitterness clear in her voice.

"What about you, Tanikaze? Was it hard for you too?"

Akashi sighed once Kelly was finished. She definitely understood the girl a lot better now. They were a lot a like and Akashi felt like if Kelly was raised in Japan and Akashi in America than perhaps their roles would be reversed today. "Honor and family are the most important thing. Without either, all victories are hollow." She said. "You may have laughed at my match with Taylor, but there was never a more important victory for me. I was able to restore my honor and keep my sister. A championship is something I can always earn, a sister, I cannot."

She looked up at Kelly. "My father was also very good. In Japan, our national sport is Sumo wrestling and he was a Yokozuna, the highest achievement one can earn in the sport. He could have been perhaps the greatest Yokozuna of the era but he passed away when I was five." Akashi lowered her head. Her father had been the most important person in her life and was even after he died. She struggled with it even now, even though she had found peace in recent years.

"It changed my life, it made me become who I am today. I live for him, that way, I think you live for your father." She paused. "I wasn't allowed to participate in Sumo wrestling because I am a woman. Even though Sumo is a part of my family and has been for generations. It was all I ever wanted to do but I could not. I thought I could only bring dishonor to my family, however, I found wrestling and I have found that I am very good at it. I have worked hard to make my family proud and in this sport, I have become Yokozuna."

Akashi looked over Kelly. "Kelly Conway." She said softly. "You are beautiful, talented and have some pedigree. You are tenacious and prideful. You have more quality to you than some girls could ever dream of having. I know plenty who would give everything to have half of what you have. You have no need to lie, cheat or steal. If you truly desire immortality, then the only thing that will bring it is pursuing an honorable path. If you do not swath your gifts in honor, you will surpass no one. You will only achieve infamy, disdain and ridicule."

Kelly scoffed as Akashi spoke of her 'sister' and the value of that match to her. "Both of you are fools for that match. It doesnt matter if you're blood or say you're related. People come and and go. In the end you're all that remains within your world. You can't count on or trust anyone. I've made those mistakes before and I was a fool to believe in things like love or friendship... Hell, even I am guilty of betrayal." Said Kelly as she thought of her faction, Chesna and Babel.

Kelly would avert her eyes when Akashi said she lived for her father. She was wrong, Kelly lived only for herself. "I am sure your family is proud of you, Akashi." Kelly said honestly. "I could care less what my family thinks. The most my parents could ever agree on was that they disproved of a relationship I had with another woman." It was the last straw for Kelly, and she had not forgiven her family since.

But still, Kelly listened to Akashi speak highly of her. At first the American ignored it, thinking the sumo was just trying to butter her up, but as Akashi continued, Kelly felt her defenses start to lower as she began to question her own methods and wonder if Akashi was right. Was this the path to becoming a legend?

Kelly sat there, legs crossed looking off into space as she thought long and hard about her answer before finally looking to the sumo.

"How do I know this isn't some sort of setup?"

"You're wrong." Akashi said to Kelly. "That match made us stronger than we ever would have been without it. I know that I can't say anything to sway your opinion and, unfortunately, I'm not in a position to show you either. Betrayal happens in life, but it's no reason to keep your heart closed. You're missing out on something special." Akashi smiled.

Akashi lowered her head shortly after. "That has been an issue for my own family as well. They were, probably still are, not pleased that I am a lesbian." Akashi sighed. In another life, maybe Akashi would be sitting across the table from Taylor, coming to see her on behalf of Kelly. It was odd to see how similar Akashi was to Kelly. It made her a little sad.

"You don't, Conway-san. However, I am a woman of honor."

Akashi pulled the lacquer box she had brought in front of her. She ran her hand along the top and then opened it. "This was the only way I knew how to try to make you understand." She reached inside and lifted a sword from the box. It was a shorter than a katana and the sumo held it with reverence. "This is a wakazashi, worn by the samurai long ago. It did serve a few purposes, but it had one very notorious purpose." Akashi closed her eyes. "Well, perhaps it is not totally obsolete..."

Akashi paused. "The word they used was seppuku."

Kelly waved her hand dismissively. "I don't care. You have your ways. I have mine and I trust no one." Kelly said firmly as she thought of Chesna and how she lost to the bunny girl.

Kelly didnt know why she felt relief opening up to Akashi. She was honestly surprised to hear that her family wasn't a fan of her life choices. She figured AFW's most notorious lesbian would have been fully supported by her family.

Things got serious though when Akashi pulled out her dagger-sword thing and explained what it was.... Kelly had an idea of what Akashi was getting at and it made her eyes widen.

"Uhhh... Isn't that what your people used to do when they wanted to kill themselves?" She asked, noticeably confused.

Akashi held the blade up and looked at it. It was perfect Japanese steel. "You are technically correct, though I think that most people would not use the word want, but rather, need." She said. "Seppuku isn't just suicide, Conway-san, it is ritualistic. It has purpose and it is not done lightly.

Akashi turned the blade and pressed it against her side. "An incision was made here." She traced along her belly. "And up." And up her other side. "It is a horrible thing, utterly." Akashi said. "That is how much Japanese people value their pride and honor that they would do something so physically and emotionally painful just to prove a point. Just to show to the world that they had the honor they claimed that their blood was not black."

She set the wakazashi back down in the box very carefully. "In the old times, it was said that the honorless would spill black, tainted blood." Akashi lowered her head. "I will show you that my blood runs red, Conway-san." She said. "But not with that dagger."

"I've seen The Last Samurai." Kelly said dryly like she were expect on the subject of Japanese culture before hearing Akashi out, wincing as she was told how the incision was made. She didn't understand why these guys had to make their "Honorable Death" so needlessly painful.

"You're... Being really weird." She muttered, wondering what Akashi is getting at.

"What are you going to do? You better not do anything crazy!" She exclaimed, leaning forward in her chair.