Arrested Development

At about 10 AM, Melody was walking down the streets of Tokyo, trying to maintain a neutral experession on her face, but failing miserably, as she just couldn't stop being angry at the situation, and the woman who (in her mind) caused this situation - Navi.

An hour ago, she had recieved a phone call from Navi. Not from her cellphone, an unknown number. And as she discovered soon, it was a phone number of a police station. From the little time Navi was allowed to explain the situation, Melody believed she got the jist of things. Navi went into a bar, got drunk, got into a fight with a random woman, and was caught by the police.

She tried to keep calm as she entered the station, and she was explained the situation Navi was in. Thankfully, she wasn't in any serious trouble, outside of needing to do some community work for 2 weeks, and needing to pay money for half the damages that occured in the fight, as well as a fine, the latter Melody paid on the spot (her wallet taking a big damage this month as a result).

As Melody was lead towards the cell the blonde was held in, she once again felt anger coming on to her face, to the point that, once Navi saw her, she actually wished the police officer wouldn't open that cell.

For a whole minute, Melody would stare at her best friend, Navi getting very uncomfrotable from her gaze. A few times, Navi tried to open her mouth to end something, but closed it immidiately afterwards, afraid of Melody's reaction to what she had to say.

Melody finally broke the silence a minute after the cell was open: "Anything to say for yourself?"

Navi finally opened her mouth: "W..well, in all fairness, THIS isn't fully my fault"

"Well. That's a first. Blaming it on the alcohol?"

"I had only one glass...and no, I don't mean it like that!"

Melody would look around as Navi got up from the sole bench in the cell: "Get your stuff, and let's go home., Melody said, deciding that a police station wasn't a good place to give Navi a verbal bashing she deserved. Even if it wasn't due to alcohol, she believed her friend was at least partially responsible for the situation...

If there was one thing that Oboro hated doing, it was visiting the police station. While she might have cleaned up most of her acts (despite maintaining several connections with a few crime bosses and yakuza leaders), she had spent majority of her life avoiding being caught by the police due to her unsavory profession prior to her opening a legal business and becoming a wrestler. Earlier this morning, she received a call from the police station telling her about her protege, Orochi, being caught by the police after getting herself involved in a bar brawl with a random woman.

Oboro sighed. This was one of the downsides of taking in those who had hit rock bottom in their life. They had this unchecked temper that might cause them to get themselves in trouble. While Orochi was less volatile than Debbie, Oboro was aware of her ill temperament. It might be useful in the ring, but in everyday life, that was another matter altogether.

Once she arrived, she entered the station and met Orochi, who was currently locked up. She had been treated, with a bandage wrapped around her head, but once Orochi noticed her mentor, she lowered her head, as if trying to hide her shame from her. Oboro just stood outside the cell Orochi was locked in.

"Oro... what am I going to do with you?" Oboro asked, shaking her head in disapproval.

"I didn't start it..." Orochi said in a strangely petulant tone.

Oboro gave her protege a reprimanding look. "Don't give me that. Between you and Debbie, I trusted you to be more mature, but..." she sighed. "Bah, forget it. Go and get your stuff. Once we're home, we'll talk about all this, and it will be unpleasant..."

The usually arrogant woman inside the cell actually looked terrified upon hearing what her mentor was saying. Sullenly, Orochi nodded. She wanted to leave all the nonsense behind and just go home. So, she left the cell and followed Oboro. She was glad that everything was over, not factoring the possibility that she might encounter that bitch Navi while both Orochi and Oboro were on their way out of the station.

As Melody walked with Navi to one last room in the station, to collect her confiscated belongings. During the walk, she glanced at Navi's face. In her anger, she didn't notice the damages her friend endured in the fight, in particular, the huge bandage on her forehead, as well as other, smaller cuts across her face. Her anger slowly disappeared, being more disappointed with how Navi acted in the situation.

""Sigh" So. If you weren't drunk by that point, you were fully in control of your actions. Why did you start that fight?

"Technically, me and her started the fight at the same time..."

"But why would you start a fight with a random woman? Nat, I don't get your motivation here,"

Both Melody and Navi heard steps behind them. While Melody heeded them no mind, thinking it wasn't related to the situation, Navi turned her head, and immidiately stopped and growled.

"What is it?", Melody asked, stopping nearby

"That's my motivation", Navi said, pointing at the source of the steps behind them.

Once Melody turned her head... she saw that there was a woman she didn't know behind them, but, despite the heavy bandage, she could tell who the woman with her was - Orochi.

Going wide-eyed, Melody glanced at Navi, all the while her friend's cold stare didn't leave walking Orochi, who was bound to notice her after she stopped. In an instant, Melody realised what happened that night in the bar. Her rage reignited, she sent her own glare at her foe.

"You.", Melody said, while thinking:"Why is the world such a small place?!"

After collecting her belongings, Orochi followed after Oboro from behind like a scolded child. She had told her the summary of the event that led to her being arrested and locked up in the station. Needless to say, Oboro wasn't all that happy to hear it.

"I assume that you are wholly aware of the fact that there are several ways of solving conflicts without actually resorting to violence, are you not?" Oboro asked, resignation sounded palpable in her tone.

"But what if I didn't attack her? She might attack me first!" Orochi complained snappishly. It happened that both of them attacked each other at the same time, bringing their glasses to each other's head.

"Now now... why don't you conduct yourself in a manner befitting for a grown woman you ought to be? Please keep in mind that I have a lot of things to talk to you once we get home, and you will listen every word of it..." Oboro reminded her protege, and Orochi was visibly trying to keep herself from mouthing off her mentor.

"...Fine," Orochi said, sulking. So, both of them continued walking down the hallway leading to the exit. The atmosphere of this police station was quite stifling, and Oboro wanted to head out of this place as soon as possible.

So, when Orochi suddenly stopped as she heard her saying, "You," Oboro couldn't help but believe that things might get more complicated that it should've been. So, she turned around and saw the woman whom Orochi had beaten in a match before, as well as another woman who seemed to have a bandage around her head as well as a few scratches on her face.

Sighing in resignation, Oboro would look at both women and say, "So... I reckon that lady with bandage over there got a beef with my protege, or am I just making wild assumptions" She directed her gaze as both women, trying to read their expressions.

After the lady next to Orochi had made her assumption in regards to Navi, Melody let out a tired chuckle: "Funny enough, yes. That was quite a wild assumption. Outside of yesterday's fight, she never met her before. I am the one who has beef with your "protege"...", Melody would say with scorn in her voice, before stepping towards the two women and continuing, all the while pointing at Orochi: "And if she would stand by her actions, this talantless bitch WILL fight me aga..."

Right before Melody finished her challange to Orochi, Navi tried to step between the 2, Melody's anger building from her friend interupting her:

"Nat, this doesn't concern..."

"That bloody bandage confirms well enough that this DOES concern me. As much as you would've won that match, me and Orochi didn't finish the fight with a clear victor unlike your match", Navi hesitated, before finally asking: "Let me fight her"

For a second, Melody didn't know what to reply. From one hand, she didn't want to indulge Navi in her childish antics, with the large possibility that the match won't be a simple, standard affair. At the same time...she didn't have any right to deny Navi anything. She was her own wrestler, with her own reasons to fight. The dialemma left her speechless for a few seconds...

Orochi bristled when Melody called her talentless. "Call me talentless again I'll crush that stupid face of yours, you dumb Pokemon cosplayer!!" It was just a coincidence that Melody had a passing resemblance to a certain Pokemon. When Orochi was about to step forth, Oboro stopped her with her arm.

"Oro, we're in the police station. Whatever grievance you have, settle it in the ring..." Oboro reminded her protege before she looked at the two women before her. It seemed that the bandaged one, the one who had a brawl with Orochi, wanted to have a match with Orochi. Smirking, she said, "Oh? Are you certain? What about you, Oro dear?"

"Heh... I'll crush this bitch just like I did to her," Orochi said arrogantly as she glared at both Navi and Melody.

"Hmph... very well," Oboro said, crossing her arms under her chest. "Alright, you'll get your match. I'll get this match arranged just to prove that my protege is not as talentless as you previously said. But, I want Orochi to recover from her wounds first. The same goes to you too..." smirking at Navi, she added, "And the stipulation of this match is... hardcore match. Do you accept?"

Orochi was ecstatic when she heard that. In hardcore match, she could beat the crap out of this bitch, and she would get her win in one way or another.

Melody's fears were confirmed once Oboro offered both Navi and Orochi to fight in a hardcore match. And although Navi was just as excited for the potential opprotunity to kick Orochi's ass (especially considering there wouldn't be any limits), Melody was slightly less so.

"I acce....", Navi tried to say, before Melody got her hand on her friend's mouth:

"Excuse us for a moment"

With that said, she grabbed Navi's arm and took a few steps away from their common foe, turning away to ensure they won't overhear anything:

"What is it now?", Navi whispered.

"A match with someone you had a bar fight is already something I am on the fence about, but a hardcore one at that? You haven't even fully healed from both of your last encounters, your injuries might start catching up with you soon. I just don't think it's a good idea for you to fight in hardcore matches, Nat..."

Considering how her last 2 hardcore endevours ended up, Navi knew her friend had a point. But regardless of that, she was still determined to beat Orochi, preferably in a match with little to no limits:

"And if we fight in a regular match, do you think both of us would be satisfied? This won't be enough for us..."

"Then don't fight her. I will. This is my problem, you shouldn't have poked your nose into it in the first place!"

"That's true about the bar fight, but after it? She is my problem as well. In a different way,", Navi would say, taking a pause for a second before continuing: "You know I'll find a way to fight her anyway, even if you say "no", right?"

With Melody taking a few seconds of thought, trying to think of a way to discourage her friend from the ordeal, she gave up, knowing that Navi's last statement was correct:

"Do whatever you want,", Melody said, Navi swiftly turning to face Oboro and Orochi with an outstretched hand for a handshake.

"I accept. Do we have a deal?"

Both Oboro and Orochi waited for both Melody and Navi to reach their verdict. Then, Navi finally agreed to fight in a hardcore match, and Oboro stepped forth and shook the blonde woman's hand.

"Splendid. It is nice to have reasonable minds triumph in the end," Oboro said. "But... I urge you to have your wounds be healed first, but don't take too long. We'll see you again..."

Oboro turned and prepared to leave. As for Orochi, she glared at both women, particularly Navi. Then, she snarled.

"Prepare yourself, bitch. I'll make you retire in this match..." Orochi said before she turned to follow her mentor.

Melody growled when she heard Oboro's remark about reasonable minds. If Navi were reasonable, she wouldn't have tried hardcore matches after her match with Kat. However, her friend's stubborness seemed to trump all common sense in the world.

Orochi's threat only made Navi chuckle: "You wouldn't be the first to try", but Melody eyed the woman with a glare:

"Try that and I'll cripple you, you bastard", she wanted to say, but kept her mouth shut. Regardless of what happens in the match, she knew she would have to go to it in case Orochi decided to make good on her promise.

As Orochi and Oboro left, Melody couldn't help but think she made an enourmous mistake in allowing Navi to accept the challange. Still, what's done is done. She would make sure Orochi wouldn't try injuring Navi in their match.

"Don't think that'll get you of the hook, from both the community service and me...oh, and your parents as well".

"Yeah, yeah...wait, COMMUNITY SERVICE?! PARENTS?! My mom will end me if she finds out! Mels, I beg you, don't do it!", Navi pleaded, as she and Mels left the station shortly after Oboro and Orochi did the same.