Surprise Guests

Julia’s excitement was making it hard for her to sit still. She wanted to show Josh and Jesse all around the dojo, the arena, Tokyo in general, anywhere and everywhere she could think of. There were so many places they could go and have fun together, and until only moments ago she never knew they’d ever even get the chance! But she’d made that big flight to Japan before too, and she understood how tough dealing with the jet lag would likely be. Junko was right. Now was the time for rest, regardless of how restless Julia was herself. But they’d have all the time in the world to spend together however they wanted later.

“A party sounds great, sensei! What do you think?” she asked while looking at her siblings. “Hell yeah, I’m all in!” Josh said enthusiastically. And even Jesse was liking the sound of that idea. “Me too. Could be fun.”

Only then did Josh realize that Junko had poured tea for them, and that she hadn’t been thanked yet. “Oh, thank ya, Junko...er, sensei... Is it alright if we call ya that?” he asked, before taking his cup and holding it up to his lips to take a drink, and both of his sisters did the same right after. “Mm! Good stuff!” Josh said. Once they were done with their tea, Julia spoke again.

“Sensei, I’ll show ‘em on up to their rooms and help ‘em get settled in. Let me know if ya need anything!” she said before practically dragging Josh and Jesse off with her.

Soon after the checkered taxi would depart from the Dojo's curb and pull off into oncoming traffic, a pitch black Rolls Royce limousine would conveniently pull up right behind it and take it's place. Miniature flags brandishing the Primol logo would be situated atop the headlights of the ominous vehice. A tall and gentlemanly figure dressed in a well-tailored suit would step out of the driver's side door and waltz over to the passenger's side, opening it with a polite bow to allow the Primol heiress herself to daintily step outside and straighten her sleeveless cobalt blue dress ensemble.

Gazing over the quaint and unassuming dojo with a judgmental glare, Gwen studied it's traditional architecture methodically. It boggled her mind how such a ramshackle establishment housed such a bevy of irksome individuals. Practically each one a perpetual thorn in her backside since embarking on this endeavor...save for one. And it was for that particular individual that she was daring to set foot on enemy territory. Acts of pure selflessness weren't exactly what she was most well known for, but today would be one of those rarefied occasions. What transpires on this day will be sure to set certain events into motion for some time to come...and perhaps should have been done long ago.

Before proceeding further, Gwen passively waved towards her chauffeur to signal for him to stay behind. The heiress allowed herself inside the humble domicile upon finding the front door conspicuously open. Japanese customs dictated she remove her pearl white boots in the foyer, the heiress slipping them off easily out of a compulsory need to adhere to proper manners and etiquette.

Gwen glanced around the hallway as she strolled towards the adjacent kitchen, drawn to the jovial voices and light-hearted atmosphere. Her stealthily placed footsteps making doubly sure not to alert anyone of her presence before entering the kitchen, taking a great amount of diligence to not be seen until abruptly stepping to Julia's side and interrupting the proceedings as if she were chummy acquaintances with everyone in the room~...

"Why a party does indeed sound ever so delightful~...A rousing commemoration of another well-earned title belt, no doubt~...Why I can cater the affair if you would allow me some time to make the proper phone calls and arrangements~..." Gwen cheerfully contributed with a wholesome smile on her face. Her congenial complexion brightening up even moreso when she sniffed the aroma of one of Junko's cups of tea that had been untouched, extending her gloved hand to take the last steaming cup. "Oh, how lovely~..."

That voice...

Julia had just been about to show her beloved brother and sister off to their rooms so they could get settled in and rest. But that voice stopped her right in her tracks and quickly brought all other noise in the room to complete and utter silence. Julia had frozen in utter shock, disbelief and confusion, and both her siblings were clearly equally perplexed when they all turned and saw Gwen.

Neither Josh nor Jesse had ever seen or spoken to the heiress in person. But the whole Rogers family had watched both of Julia’s previous matches against Gwen. Jesse had broken the TV in a fit of rage after seeing her sister unmasked and humiliated at SummerSplash. Needless to say that memory was far from forgotten, and though he’d contained it much better than the eldest Rogers sister, Josh hadn’t been any happier about it.

“What...the FUCK....is she doing here?” Jesse asked rather bluntly. “Uh... Is she like...a friend of yours now or somethin’?” Josh asked Julia in a much more calm and discreet tone, but Julia just shook her head in response. “What are ya doin’ here, Gwen?” Julia asked, then briefly sent a questioning glance toward Junko to see if she was any less confused about all of this than she was. It hadn’t been long ago that Kelly Conway had made a surprise visit here, but now Gwen too? It was odd to say the least. And while Kelly had almost literally announced her intentions to the heavens upon arrival, Julia couldn’t even begin to figure out what reason Gwen of all people could have for coming here.

Alaina had been walking back to the house from the gym, having done a workout that lwft her sweaty and exhausted. Clad in a light blue one piece swimsuit, black kneepads and black boots Alaina trudged in. The loud sound of joyous voices perked her up a bit, particularly because she could not rwcognize two of them. Alaina rounded the corner, first noticing Josh. "Damn.... thats a big boy..." she thought to herself, ready to say hello when she saw a familiar, less welcome face.

Gwenniecakes. Alaina was so dumbfounded that she was speechless. All she could do was stand behind Julia, crossing her arms and tensing up, showing off her intimidating physique as she glared at the heiress. What in the world did that little bitch want?

What was up with crazy cheaters just coming in uninvited lately?

Junko had been just as surprised as everyone else when Gwendolyn traipsed in as if she belonged. However before she could even speak up, the others had their own things to say, some much more crudely than the others. Junko set her tea cup down and pulled a small fan from her sleeve and stepped through the other girls.

"Gwendolyn-san." Junko said, looking the heiress up and down. "I had thought you to be a cultured and well mannered young woman, at least outside of the ring." She said, making sure to put a point on that. "It seems very unusual that you would enter our humble dojo without an invitation or even knock on the door."

Junko lifted her fan up and deftly spread it open to cover her lips, fanning herself briefly. "Unless, you've finally come to your senses and have come looking for a place to learn how to wrestle and win without stooping to such lowbrow tactics you have become infamous for? Fufufu~"

As Junko questioned Gwendolyn, Gabbie came back into the room. "Ok, that's all the bags, I- What the hell?" She said, scrunching her brow at the NEW guest. Gabbie hadn't even seen her! Did she teleport in or something!?"

Daintily sipping her tea in a nonchalantly blasé manner, Gwendolyn took the time to allow her sudden appearance to collectively settle in. Becoming the center focal point of attention and commanding the room was merely one well-refined art that any future CEO needed to masterfully hone in order to achieve success in the business world...

She felt the piercing and analytical stares from the Dojo members who each sounded off in their own unique reactions. From indignant outrage to roundabout wordplay meant to dilute the tension in the air. Once someone who appeared to be some manner of bag lady or menial worker entered the kitchen, Gwen assumed it was in her best interest to speak up before anyone else could be pulled to her gravitational presence. Though she still eagerly awaited for the true guest of honor to reveal herself in due time~...

"You'll have to excuse my humble intrusion, Madam Higurashi. The delightful sounds of such sheer jubilation caught my attention and simply compelled me onward to find the source. Though considering the rather colorful history I have with your cherished disciples, I would assume that my illustrious name has been mentioned in this domicile with enough regularity that it's almost as if I'm already one of the family~..." Gwen cheerily responded back to Junko, the only one in attendance who at least attempted to address her in a respectful manner, superficial or not.

"Besides, whatever alleged chicanery you unjustifiably see fit to accuse me of...I'd wager these fine disciples of yours could offer me masterful tutelage on the subtle nuances of unscrupulous competition. It stands to wonder why my title belt wasn't split in twain after that oh so honorable title match~..." Gwen calmly stated before sipping her tea without sparing a glance towards Alaina or Julia, despite it being obvious who she was directing her words towards. "...*giggle*...Never worry, the reasons for my visit are far less petty than simple accusatory and spiteful strolls down memory lane. All will be revealed in due time. Though for now I'm much more interested in greeting the newcomers as well..." Gwen turned to face Julia's siblings with a prim and proper smile.

"Joshua and Jesse Rogers, I presume~...How thoroughly delightful it is to finally make your acquaintances. I've made it somewhat of a passing fancy of mine to occasionally keep up to date with your fledgling promotion. Although I'm afraid I've heard some rather unsettling rumors in regards to certain financial woes. I hope your arrival here doesn't bode ill for your quaint family business." Gwen cheerfully asked, having to tilt her head up to address the mountainous individual and his sister.

Gabbie bristled at Gwendolyn's words. She was probably the most fake person she had ever met and Gabbie had met Akiha Kosha. "If you had fought them in legit matches, there never would have been a need for a triple threat." Gabbie decided to speak up, knowing it had been a sore spot for the whole dojo even though she hadn't been in it for very long.

Junko herself was starting to get annoyed by Gwendolyn's passive aggressive preening. Speaking about the dojo was one thing, but mentioning Julia's family, Junko closed her fan and gave it a sharp rap against the counter.

"The Rogers family and their business ventures are doing fine and I assure you are none of your concern, Gwendolyn-san." She looked back at the others in the kitchen. Hopefully they would understand that the Higurashi matriarch had their back against the dainty interloper.

"I think we've exchanged enough pleasantries, Gwendolyn-san. You may keep drinking the tea, but if you don't have a reason for coming, then I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave once you've finished."

The Rogers siblings all listened with total disdain to each word that oh-so-elegantly spouted from Gwen’s lips, and Julia merely rolled her eyes at the heiress’ little comment about the triple threat match from the previous year. That match had been the source of discord in Julia and Alaina’s lives, even despite them having been on the “winning” side of it. Hearing about that match anymore at this point was like listening to nails being scraped against a chalkboard. Especially coming from Gwen. Though Julia did appreciate Gabbie speaking up for them.

When the unexpected visitor turned her attention to Josh and Jesse, Julia crossed her arms under her chest and listened in a mix of annoyance and curiosity. But then Gwen said something that made Julia’s eyes widen a bit in surprise while her expression turned from one of irritation to worry. “Financial woes?” Some sort of trouble with her home promotion had entered her mind as a possible reason for Josh and Jesse’s sudden arrival, though she hadn’t heard anything to confirm it. But there were certain subtle signs she’d noticed in recent months; signs that hadn’t seemed to mean very much before. But now...?

Josh and Jesse were equally surprised, but their reaction was one that solely reflected anger toward the heiress. Jesse was seeing red and gritting her teeth, and it took every bit of willpower she could muster not to rush Gwen and attempt to beat that smug, pretty little face of hers in. Even Josh, who was typically a gentle giant and the voice of reason between the three, now shared an expression similar to Jesse’s though not quite as intense. Still, he was royally pissed that this bitch was rearing her nose into family business. Business they’d very much hoped to avoid worrying Julia over. Gwen’s words, whether she knew it or not, had lit a very short fuse to a bomb that was about to turn this whole situation very ugly, very fast. Fortunately, Junko’s quick reaction made sure that didn’t happen.

The sharp, sudden rap of the fan against the counter even made the Rogers trio jump a bit where they stood. They turned to look at Junko, and the animosity that was close to being unleashed was quickly re-contained. The three all equally appreciated Junko’s intervention there, though Julia now had lots of questions that were going to need to be answered. But for the moment Julia, Jesse and Josh all elected to be silent, and wait to hear Gwen explain what her real purpose for coming to the dojo was.

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles..."

A Sun Tzu quote Gwen had committed to memory from her home-schooling years...and the primary reason for her surprising awareness of Julia's family promotion.

The influence of Gwen's last name and the multinational conglomerate behind it allowed her access to a network of information that came in especially handy when she opted to delve a little deeper into Julia's background, including the private financial audits of her increasingly insolvent family business. An interesting factoid that she nonchalantly brought up merely to stoke the fires of this delightful conversation. Though judging from Julia's startled expression, this was apparently not common knowledge amongst the Rogers siblings.

Being the one to break the sad news to the luchador and witnessing her crestfallen response was an unexpected and thoroughly satisfying bonus, Gwendolyn never ceasing to derive sheer enjoyment from inflicting different flavors of misery to dear Julia~...

The heiress smiled brightly even while the growing animosity to her was reaching a boiling point with a physical altercation one uttered syllable away from taking place. Except Junko's emphatic rap against the counter would grab everyone's attention, including the heiress', who would jump herself along with everyone else before settling back down into her relaxed posture.

"And a delightful cup of tea it is~...Though I suppose I should take extra care to savor every last sip in order to prolong being in your gracious company for as long as possible~..." Gwen chipperly retorted with a perky smile before strolling around the kitchen with her tea cup in hand and an inquisitive eye scanning her surroundings. She peeked down the hallway and continued her studious examination of the Dojo before turning back to address it's inhabitants.

"I must say, the framework of this humble establishment is quite stunning. The ramshackle infrastructure from these dilapidated floorboards and wooden panels fits the traditional Japanese motif with impeccable precision. Though it's certainly not how I envisioned the architecture of my own training facility, should I ever be so bold as to create one. My own personal vision entails marble columns, rich tapestry, pristine flooring and grandiose paintings detailing infallible beauty~..." Gwen mused onward with her free hand pointed to the heavens, detailing what would essentially be another illustrious monument to her own grandeur. Each and every one of those paintings being of herself, of course~...

"Ah, yes...and certain rules would prohibit menial laborers from speaking out of turn about events they have no right chiming in on~..." Gwen stated after lowering her hand and peering towards the diminutive baggage handler everyone else knows as Gabbie, the heiress taking another soothing sip and clearly planning on being the obnoxious guest for as long as time and their patience would allow~...

Junko remained stoic while Gwendolyn continued to prattle on just to be a butt and listen to herself talk. "It's a good thing that marble columns and rich tapestries aren't necessary to training wrestlers and while I appreciate your style, I've always been one to prefer function over form."

"Sensei, this is ridiculous!" Gabbie said, motioning at Gwendolyn.

Junko shot her a look which told her she had things handled, but the younger Canadian shook her head. "If she wants to come in and make an ass of herself when it's just us, then fine. None of the girls care about that, but we have guests! That's just not right!" Gabbie said with a huff, staring down Gwendolyn.

Junko rapped her fan against the counter again and narrowed her eyes at Gabbie who growled but lowered her head and kept quiet.

As Junko was about to speak again, into the crowded kitchen walked a sweaty Nikolette. Her hair was soaked and her black sports bra was sticky with sweat. She had a towel wrapped over her head and she had a water bottle in her hand.

"Hey, y'all gonna-" She stopped, first taking in the new Rogers and then Gwendolyn. He mind was frozen for a moment before she looked at her blonde lover. "G-Gwenni-er-ah..." Nikolette fumbled when she heard herself about to say her pet name. "Gwendolyn.... w-what're you doin here!?"