Cafe Research (Open to anyone)

When she had first arrived in town all she really wanted was a hot meal, a warm bath, and to sleep for roughly... forever. Most of that was off the table. A mix-up with the power company saw to that, leaving her to entered a darkened apartment. She had gotten this particular place based on the pricing and proximity to the gym, the fact it came pre-furnished was a plus. Well... it would have been if the pictures were up to date. It was clear as she scoured over the room by light of the flashlight app on her phone the quality of the furniture that came pre-loaded was greatly exaggerated. No power meant no warm water tossing her long sought after bath out the window. Though, on closer inspection she hazarded the small bath/shower combo was far too small to actually have a good soak, almost as if being the cherry on top of the bad day. Shed deal with all that come morning, when she could unpack her car by sunlight.

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Free Wi-Fi. There was a time when she would boggle of spotting a person in a coffee shop, setting up camp on a table alone surrounded by papers and a laptop. She could finally understand now. It was easy to take something like internet service for granted until you were without it for a day or two... at least for her. While unpacking had taken the literal back seat (of her car), everything else was falling into place. Power, a mostly filled fridge with meals she prepared for the week, and fresh sheets on the bed. Things were looking up. The issue of internet service was another thing. Delayed appointments and the bad news of having to replace preexisting wiring meant most of her web surfing was down at a small corner cafe or from her phone, but that data plan was killing her. So she embraced it, huddled in her own small nook in the corner with a large paper cup of hot chocolate and her old clunky laptop plugged into a wall socket, effectively on battery life support.

After the first day in this particular cafe, she had taken to wearing headphones to keep the odd glare from coming her way. Most of her time on ol' lappy was spent doing research, which meant streaming over a healthy backlog of AFW matches. It hadn't occurred to her that a wrestling layman might have mistaken the sounds of grunts and gasps coming from her speakers as viewing something a bit less socially acceptable for a social space like this. Between physical training, she thought it best to fill the time with mental training. What better coach than poorly buffered matches from the past, right? Currently she was going down the Previously broadcasted Summer Splash card, paying close attention to the title matches. These were the cream of the crop afetr all, the people she should be watching, learning from, and many one day facing. She had skipped ahead today to the main event, a title defense for Cecila Northman, the reigning champion, against Kyoko Akan. She had heard good things about this one, and while she wasn't familiar with both of these woman's work, she was hoping to gleam some insight into what made a champion tick. She leaned forward in her chair, dangerously close to the laptop screen as she nibbled on the oatmeal cookie hanging from her mouth.

The giggles and Snickers from the cafe staff on the other side of the counter went unheard by Alexa. She hadn't blinked it what must have been five straight minutes. Her oatmeal cookie lay half eaten across her laptops keyboard, the odd crumb here and there lost to the small space between keys. She hadn't been aware, but her facial expressions had all been photo worthy to the onlookers, almost like an attraction at the zoo. She cringed at each wrenched limb, gasped as bodies flew, and clutched her stomach protectively at the viscous exchanges of blows to the body.

"These women would kill me." She huffed under her breath, clicking back a few seconds to watch the brawl through the crowd accompanied by shoddy camera work. "Legitimate first degree murder..." She bit down on the thing black coffee stirrer floating in her hot chocolate, gnashing the plastic between her teeth. Watching these two go at it was almost like a glorious train wreck, a horror reality in motion, but there was a spectacle to the destruction that had you captivated.

As the match spilled outside the venue and the woman exchanged slams into the asphalt she visibly paled, noticeable enough that one of the baristas behind the counter had come over to make sure she was feeling well. With a laugh and a wave she assured the girl she was okay, and got her now luke warm chocolate refreshed to once again be hot. When everything finally culminated in a ruined car, she peeled her face away from the screen. Gripping her drink close. This had been something else... Discouraging almost. These two were so far beyond her, they might as well be on the moon. There was a twinge though, a small voice in the back of her mind goading her on.

You still want to face them.

She snickered at the truth within the thought. "Not yet... Definitely not anytime soon." She grinned to herself, the crummy apartment, lack lusting training situation, and the move away from all her friends and family drifted away in that moment. She was excited for the future.

It could’ve been a normal day for Ryoko. It should’ve been, really.

She’d had a hard week of training, going into what she liked to call ‘grind mode’. Wake up. Eat. Hit the gym. Eat. Do laps around the pool. Eat. Run miles in the park. Eat. Study old matches. Sleep. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Three days she’d gone through that routine, and it left her feeling utterly, completely, undeniably  burned the heck out. She knew it was a bad sign when the simple act of getting herself out of bed required a Herculean effort that ultimately ended up with her rolling off the side in a bumbling bundle of bedsheets.

So. Today was her rest day. Whether she wanted it to be or not. She was just going to hang around the city, chill, keep it low stress. A simple plan, and she’d been following it well enough. Right up until now, anyway.

She’d been hanging in the cafe, looking as inconspicuous and normal and un-Black-Fang-like as she could possibly be, dressing her black jogging pants and matching hoodie. Just sitting there, enjoying a Bear Claw, playing on her phone. She was minding her business for the most part, but there was one woman nearby who kept getting Ryoko’s attention.

She was young, about Ryoko’s own age, and a foreigner from the looks of it. Not that odd of a sight, especially in the area near the Friction arena, but this one seemed less enamored with the sights of Tokyo and more enthralled with whatever was going on with her laptop. In fact…

Maybe it was presumptuous to assume, but Ryoko was familiar with her strange mannerisms. The way her head bobbed from side to side. The way she would lean close to the screen, only to jerk back in sudden surprise. The way she would jump and stop herself from cheering out loud. It was the familiar, yet unmistakeable look of a wrestling fan watching a good wrestling match. A look that Ryoko had worn herself in many libraries, shortly before she was kicked out of them.

She wanted to go over there.

But she shouldn’t. It’d be rude.

But she really wanted to.

...screw it.

Biting her lip, she hopped out of the seat and made her way over to the nook where the woman was holed up, nibbling on her bear claw for confidence as she went. She strutted right up and knocked on the table to get her attention, following it with a short, friendly wave and a smile. No need to make this anymore awkward and creepy than it had to be.

”Heeeeeeeey.” She waved again and whipped her long, black hair back. For some reason. ”You wouldn’t happen to be watching a wrestling match over here, would you? Eh?”

The coffee stirrer had seen better days, pulled from her cup of hot chocolate she swished it from one side of her mouth to the other, gnashing at the plastic as if she had a grudge to settle. Chewing was natural to her when she was in deep thought, be it a nail, a pen, or even a lock of her hair which a few frayed ends would attest for. It was a bad habit she kept from her childhood, and one that likely wasn't going anyplace. What could she pull from this besides she needed to get better... that was the question. With a knock, her eyes shifted from the laptop screen with a distorted still of the end of the match where the recording had stopped. She found herself looking up at Ryoko as she opened her mouth to respond but... nothing came out. It was a long awkward pause before she actually admitted. "Yes." Perhaps a smidgen too loud for an inside voice... the price of headphones.

She wrapped the black cord around her fingers, giving a small tug to pop them free. With a gentle flick she tossed them to rest across the keyboard... and on the half eaten oatmeal cookie she now remembered was sitting there. Her eyes flitted between the cookie and Ryoko as she tried to subtly slide it from the laptop to a nearby napkin so she didn't come across as a complete slob. There was a chance the other woman hadn't noticed... right? She nervously laughed, flicking a crumb or two from the keys. "Got it in one." She really thought about it as the words left her mouth. She did get it in one... how did she? A faint "...Wow." slipped out from under her breath. "That was a pretty good guess." She tilted her head to eye Ryoko conspiratorially. Maybe this girl had been here the other day before she had thought to use her headphones.

Alexa reached up to coolly pluck the mangled coffee stirrer from her lips, tapping it on the side of her cup as if dusting a cigarette before popping it back in her mouth. "What brings you to my sad lonely table?" Awe yeah girl, you're killing this too cool for school thing. "...Was I being loud? Eh... sorry." Facade ruined in less than five seconds, the limp coffee stirrer dangled from her lips sadly. It was a legitimate concern though. She had already been shooed out of a convenience store for singing in the aisles.

Hm. This might’ve been a mistake. Just might’ve.

Ryoko and the American stood there. And stood there. And stood there.  And stared. And stared. Were this a cartoon, Ryoko would have a tear drop going down the side of her face, and for a moment she considered the possibility of just running back to her seat with her figurative tail between her legs.

Then the stranger spoke. Thank God she spoke.

Ryoko sagged as she sighed, letting out a long breath of relief. The woman seemed nice enough - heck, especially nice considering that she was talking to a weird woman who’d apparently come to speak with her on a whim. ”Like recognizing like?” Ryoko bit her lip and leaned to the side just enough to see the edge of the screen and see that, yup, that was a wrestling match. With AFW ropes, if she wasn’t mistaken. ”You weren’t being loud or anything. I just…you look pretty much like I look when I’m watching wrestling matches. So I made the guess.”

She shrugged it off, made sense to her. And what now? Introductions, right. ”Urameshi Ryoko. Or, eh, Ryoko Urameshi to you, probably.” She extended one hand for a shake, then used the other to point at the seat. ”Mind if I slide in?”

She wasn't sure if looking so attentive was a good thing to Ryoko or a bad thing, but she took it as a compliment. If nothing else it was a common ground for the two. Grinning sheepishly she laughed as she slipped her hands behind her head, fingers interlocking. "Sometimes I just get really invested. I guess that's the beauty of it... Wrestling I mean. Good wrestling anyhow."

What she considered good wrestling was really up in the air, but she didn't seem to have any negative hints to her tone. Perhaps all wrestling was good wrestling to Alexa. She withdrew the coffee stirrer from her mouth, pointing to the screen before discarding the poor plastic husk on a napkin.  "It was an AFW match, from a recent pay-per view. Crazy, real crazy. I would recommend it if you haven't already seen it."

The brunette was quick to untuck a hand from behind her to take Ryoko's offered hand. It was tough being a stranger in a strange land. Having someone to talk to, especially in regards to her career, was a blessing. She had a firm, but respectful handshake peppered with clear enthusiasm. She blinked at the introduction, considering what she thought was Ryoko's first name until the order was flipped. Her dumbfounded look washed away in a small 'ah-ha' moment. "AJ Shay... Or I guess Shay AJ on this side of the pond... Does it work just like that? Oh, yeah sure! Pull up a chair."

Who are you Ryoko... Do I know you? Alexa studied the woman hard as searched through the file cabinet that was her mind, trying to match a name and face. Perhaps she was another wrestler? She couldn't place the other girl at all... Likely just a fan. Grin grin bubbled up on her face, taking this opportunity to try and impress her new acquaintance.

"I'm actually a wrestler." She touted proudly, her voice more pronounced and confident as she tried to project who she hoped to come across as in the ring. She decided to keep the fact she had yet to have an actual wrestling match outside of training back home. "Got here a few days ago, you'll be able to catch me on AFW. Friction specifically." Whenever it was she debuted anyway. Details, who needed them anyway?

Usually once Rebecca had an idea, she would go for it. It was the sane for when she joined the military, making her the first Addington woman to have been in the military by the way and when she had decided to start her wrestling career in AFW.

But why in the bloddy hell did it take so damn long for her to come to Japan?

In her defense, none of it was her fault. A lot of things happened that had kept her from leaving her home in good old blighty. Lot of paperwork to deal with her job at the MoD, one of her friends in the army had a wedding which she couldn't have missed and of course Remembrance Day. That was a day that she couldn't have missed at all. That day was a big deal to the Addingtons, who have had a illustrious pedigree in the military. Of course, Rebecca didn't just think about the family, but also those who have died to protect the nation. For the family, they take the saying 'Lest We Forget' very seriously. And of course 'Never Again'.

After that was done, Rebecca was on a plane to Tokyo. While on the plane passing through Moscow, her mind went back to when she was a young child. If one would have told her that she would be having a career in wrestling, she would look at you funny. Wierd how things can change from 12 years old to 24. Not only would she be doing it for herself, but also for the guys back in the UK. They were the ones that inflicted Mrs Addington with the wrestling bug in the first place. If she wins a championship belt, she would give them thanks.

Not that it would be easy, AFW has a plethora of wrestlers in Tokyo and Kyoto, people of many different shapes and sizes. Not only that, Japan is home to some very tough competition, the few matches that Rebecca did see shown the level of which one would need to get to be able to obtain gold. While most rookies come with no experience of wrestling or fighting whatsoever, Rebecca can at least fall on her military combat training and some Wrestling training. So at least she doesn't have too much of a mountain to climb, she just needed experience in the ring. Hopefully she could get that before she is called to the ring.

She made it to Tokyo finally and although she had some sleep on the plane, the Briton felt exhausted still. Not in the mood to set up her new apartment, only managing to get the bed done, Rebecca felt she needed some tea. Luckily, there was a café nearby. She knows she isn't gonna get some good tea back in Northern England but she's in the mood to try out theirs.

Entering the particular café, the scarlet long coat definitely would have her stand out from the crowd, dressed over the smart white shirt and blue tie combo. Black 'jeggings', as one would call it, and ankle boots that she still worn by the time she left Heathrow. She thought of having her red beret with her but decided against it. For now, she wanted to be just Rebecca. And not Lt. Rebecca Addington.

After collecting her tea from the counter, she made her way passed the two girls that are in conversation with each other. Tiredness and fatigue affected her to the point where she had missed hearing that the two women were wrestlers, she was more focused on what to do after she had her tea. Sitting down on one table away from, Rebecca went about enjoying what free time she has to just chill and enjoy a nice brew.

Ryoko liked Shay already. Was that creepy? She hoped it wasn’t too creepy. The truth was, she often had trouble connecting with people when it came to sharing things she liked. She was a wrestling fan, and not one of those wrestling apologists who made excuses about how they grew up with it and how it held nostalgia for them. None of that. Ryoko. Loved. Wrestling. Period.

So, coming across someone with that same fervor, well…

She lit up at the shake, glad they’d gotten at least some of the awkwardness out of their system. They could now move on the awkwardness of being two wrestling fans in a crowded environment, the sort that she greatly preferred.

”I think I’ll go with AJ. Don’t e name thing takes a little getting used to.” Ryoko took a step to the side, hooking a spare chair with her foot, and dragged it back over to the table. As she did, she couldn’t shake the feeling that her new companion was going through with a thorough scanning over her body. Why, she wasn’t quite sure. She wore the mask in the ring to avoid this sort of thing, loving the ability to go where she wanted, when she wanted.

What came out as Ryoko sat down just hammered that nail in even harder. A new wrestler? Here? Quite a thing to stumble on. It made her a little uneasy, but she decided to keep things low and pleasant. ”A wrestler? Really?” The coincidence didn’t surprise Ryoko nearly as much as it should have. She'd heard that fellow AFW wrestlers had a funny way of bumping into each other despite living in a city of nearly 14 million. ”I mean, I’m sure you’re good, don’t get me wrong. But why come all the way out here? Plenty of indies back home, right?”

She paused, smile faltering slightly at the question. Her eyes drifted from Ryoko, lingering on the paused still on her laptop. It wasn't as if she hadn't heard that before. She remained quiet, returning the two to that awkward uncomfortable silent as she seemed to ruminate on something in her mind. Though she hadn't taken offense to the question, it hit her in an unexpected place. Perhaps it was too soon to let it go, that question. She had heard it from her friends, her trainer, even from her father. This wasn't a mistake was it? The long flight was worth it, surely. The terrible apartment was only temporary, right? Just give up everything you know for a gamble. That's how you win big, isn't it?

Isn't it?

"Because..." Because what? "Because this is the place to be..." She spoke softly as if coaching herself through what she was going to say just before she said it. Her gaze fell back to Ryoko, this random wrestling fan. This woman who surely had her eyes on Alexa now, just like everyone else would in AFW. "Because if I can make it here, I can make it anywhere." She was nodding now, a confidence bubbling up inside her. her fingers clenched, balling up into a fist on the table. She surged upright to stand, chair squealing as it moved back a few inches along the laminated flooring. "Because I'm going to show EVERYBODY, who I am and what I'm made of!" She brought her fist down to rock the table in one passionate declaration. One that drew the attention of nearby cafe workers and patrons alike to stare at what was surely some crazy foreigner. She didn't feel crazy. She felt good. Really good... until she felt a wetness beneath her fist. Looking down she blinked in disbelief at her cup of hot chocolate which had been overturned when she hit the table. "Shii... shit shit!" She scrambled to lift the laptop away from the murky brown puddle spreading across the table, a few droplets falling from the underside of the old device. Wet, but not broken.

She looked down at Ryoko from between her arms as she held the laptop aloft, grimacing. "I'm... not normally like this, I swear. I'm running on like... negative hours of sleep right now." She felt it was necessary she clear the air to at least this friendly fan who took the time to actually talk to her, just in case the establishment owner made her leave. To her surprise, she wasn't asked to leave. Patrons returned to drinking their coffee and murmuring to one another as if this was none of their business. The kind barista from earlier who had taken time to check on her and give a refill even made her way over and gave Alexa a small pat on the shoulder as if trying to sooth a child. There there, it's going to be okay. For as demeaning as it would have felt any other time, it was oddly comforting now. The barista quietly soaked up the drink from the table and removes the soggy remains of her cookie and cup to place in the trash. She was going to have to give this woman a bigger tip.

While the two have their own discussion about wrestling, Rebecca remained blissfully unaware of the conversation, checking her phone. So far she had only took a sip of the brew, it wasn't bad, quite good, but not like how the Brits would make it. Seems that she is missing home already.

Which she is. Looking at her phone and texting the family, it was pretty much standard. Telling them that she had came to Japan safe and sound, no harm done and that she misses them. Sort of like being in university. We'll, how would she know? She spent her years touring Afghanistan, not inside a classroom.

It wasn't the first time that she had left her family to go into some foreign country but she thought it would have been better once she left for Tokyo. That she would be able to cope well. Guess a trip back to England on Christmas will have to be in order. That is if she isn't getting any action around that time.

She was in deep thought when a sudden bang snapped her back into reality, looking up from her phone to see...well, chaos. Sort of. This wasn't a battlefield. This was just some woman who spilled her drink on the table.

As the patrons went back to their business, the barista cane to tidy up the hot chocolate mess on the table. Seeing her giving a pat on AJ's shoulder made her chuckle slightly. She looks like a foreigner, the accent alone says much and when she said "I'm running on like... negative hours of sleep right now." this made her realise she had probably just come here also. At least that's one thing that they have in common.

Should she say hi to her? Might be a little wierd bumping into someone's conversation but a little chat wouldn't hurt. She had nothing else to do apart from sorting out the house. Which is something she wants to avoid today.

"I guess something with caffeine could have helped you better than Hot Chocolate..." She said with a smile. Hence why she's having her tea. "...Although it probably would have made the situation worse." Rebecca certainly doesn't hide the fact that she's a foreigner as well, the RP accent oozing as she speaks calmly.