A tale of cheat day snacks and friendship(For Tai)

It had been a while since Hayasui had been to the AFW cafeteria, and a tiny part of her missed it. She'd grown out of the little bubble of isolation she'd built for herself over the years, even if she'd not managed to make many new friends since Rachel and Alex left. With everything that had happened between her taking a break from the league and coming back though, she couldn't really dwell on it. So many things, new places, new competitions, and the trip home...what she'd learned there.

Well, after everything, she was surprised that her clan heads weren't nearly as cross with her as she thought they'd be, though she'd caught some murmurs afterwards that perhaps somewhere as raunchy as AFW wasn't the best place for what she was doing. More unexpected still was the clan head taking her aside afterwards and inviting her over to his dojo. The training he'd put her through was grueling, even compared to everything she'd been through before, but after her match with Bubbles, she definitely appreciated the extra muscle mass he had her putting on. The whole experience and what had come afterwards left her eager to come back to AFW, eager to see what she could throw herself at next. Alas, she'd only recently come back, so it wasn't like there were any openings for matches just yet.

Still, now that she was back, Hayasui figured she could spare some time for a bit of fun, and so she found herself going through the lines at the cafeteria, watching a little anxiously as the last serving of ice cream they had out neared. She'd wound up leaving her mochi at home today, so this was her last resort for a cheat day snack, and she definitely wouldn't let it go without a fight.

Riza Hawkeye had never been to the Friction Arena during her previous run in AFW, had never visited its gym or cafeteria before today. In truth, before, she had never seen a need. Tensions gym set up and cafeteria were fine enough on their own, if not quite as big and luxurious as Friction, based on what she was seeing.

But, today, it would not suffice. No. She had a match coming up to prepare for, a Hardstyle Hentai match with her rival Army...and that was just...all kinds of...complicated. Lot's of mixed feelings there. So, since Army used Tensions gym frequently...well, Riza didn't exactly feel all that great about using it herself.

So it was off to Friction gym instead, which was available to all female AFW talent and staff. She had put in a good, solid, workout, and now, clad in jean shorts and a tank top, she was enjoying the large and impressive cafeteria that AFW provided. Several types of food of various types, from various countries, all separated and sorted out buffet style at different counters.

The meal, as well as the workout, had been a welcome distraction from her issues...but...something was missing from the equation...something else she wanted...roaming the room, her eyes settled at the desert counter...there it was.

Ice Cream.

Perfect.

One ice cream cone, sitting perfectly in the middle of a rack, for anyone to grab. Nobody nearby.

Victory would be hers this day.

Eager for the tasty treat, the former soldier rose to her feet and made her way over at a brisk pace, reaching directly for the cone...only for her hand to bump into another. A brief turn of her head revealed that another woman, a cute asian looking girl, had reached for the cone at the same time the blonde wrestler had.

"Oh...hello...you uh...you weren't going for this, were you?"

Hayasui's quest for a sweet snack to round off the meal was almost at its end, her hand coming ever closer to her prize, when suddenly she was intercepted by another hand. The raven-haired girl's eyes narrowed as she followed the intruding hand back to it's source, finding a fit looking blonde on the other end. She certainly was easy on the eyes, but there were more important matters at hand. Namely, the woman's request.

On any other day, she probably would've let the blonde have the ice cream. After all, she usually brought her own mochi, and it was better to remove the temptation for more when she wasn't supposed to be straying far beyond her diet. This was not one of those days, however. The ice cream was her last chance at a cheat day snack short of heading out to an ice cream parlor, and that was a bit more effort than she felt like putting in for a snack. She would not simply lay down and meekly let this go.

"Yes, I was," Hayasui said resolutely, grey eyes locking on to the blonde's blue. After a long, tense moment, the martial artist opted to break the stalemate by moving to snatch up the ice cream.

Hawkeye looked back at the asian girl as she gazed at her, both women holding eye contact against each other. A small part of her subconscious knew that this was silly. It was just ice cream, who cared if she had ice cream or not? Just let the girl have it.

But this was different. Hawkeye had been denied a lot lately. She didn't want to lose to Army in her last match...but she did. She didn't want to do a hentai match, especially against Army, but both of those things would come to pass. She didn't want to have to retreat from the gym and arena she was already familiar with, but here she was in Tokyo.

Now, she wanted ice cream. It was her one cheat day this week, it would help her feel better about her situation, and frankly, she just wanted it. This, she would not be denied.

So, when the mystery woman's hand suddenly flashed towards the wonderful frozen treat...the military woman's hand would flash as well, lightly smacking it away!

"...Sorry. But I don't think so." she said, keeping her blue eyes locked right on the other girls grey eyes, looking determined to keep what was she had claimed as hers!

Hayasui's eyes flashed as her hand was batted away. A small part of her felt escalating further wasn't really worth it. It was just ice-cream after all, but the principle of the thing rankled with her. To give in when this was a day to indulge herself, even in this small way, brought an uncomfortable feeling with it.

Besides, with the blonde escalating, Hayasui could practically taste the challenge being handed to her. Resolve lit up her eyes to match the blonde's as she moved without thinking. With quick movements, Hayasui smacked the blonde's hand away in turn, but didn't try going for the ice cream herself just yet. Not now when she knew the woman would stop her.

"I should be the one to apologize, for making you find your desert elsewhere," the raven-haired girl said, polite yet firm in her tone, "As you won't be getting your hands on this one."

Hawkeyes eyes widened, her hand slapped away by this...other girl, whose name she did not know.

She dared.

Perhaps a smarter person would have backed away, talked her down, done nothing to instigate the situation further. Normally, Hawkeye would have been that smarter person.

But damnit, she had enough to deal with, this was cheat day...and she wanted that damn ice cream.

So she took a half step foward, arms crossed, steely glare still keeping eye contact. "Maybe I'm being unclear miss...Mine."

She said, a tone of finality in her voice.

By now, the lunch line was starting to give them a wide berth, the staff and talent either recognizing the wisdom in not getting between the two or deciding they simply didn't have a stake in this. Meanwhile, a tiny part of Hayasui wondered if this was really worth escalating further.

It was a very small part, usually put aside in matters of principle and deep desire like this one, but it tried to pipe up nonetheless.

Hayasui, firmly ignoring that part, answered the blonde's half-step forward by taking a step to the side, moving between Hawkeye and the treasure ice-cream.

"Don't worry, you've been perfectly clear," Hayasui said, finality ringing in her voice as well, "But I disagree."

A bold move by Hayasui, getting right in between Hawkeye and the now precious iced cream, a sense of foreboding and danger spreading among the other fighters and staff in the cafeteria, sounds seemingly going quite as Hawkeye raised her arm, seemingly looking like she was going to grab the interloper, all certain that something violent was about to occur.

But there was one who had walked the path of danger before, one who had often stepped with bravery where others would have feared to tread, one who was courageous enough, bold enough...and in this case, completely oblivious enough, to step up to the two women.

"Please excuse me!"

A small voice spoke out, Riza stopping short in her attempt to grab her food rival, as she snapped around at who could be interfering...only for both women to see none other than Friction wrestler Gallium Heart standing before them.

At only 5 foot tall, Gallium had escaped their notice, as she often escaped the notice of most people. The lovable loser of AFW, having yet to win a single match, despite showing bravery and fighting spirit against opponents far more powerful and larger than she, had been using Frictions gym herself, rehabbing her arm that had been injured in a previous match, and after, had decided to get a nice snack from the cafeteria.

Hawkeye stood still for a moment, the interruption making her finally realize just the absurdity of her current situation, and, during the brief moment of inactivity between the two women, the young and cute Gallium slipped in between them, grabbing the final iced cream cone and pulling it from its perch.

"Thank you!" she said politely, having no idea of what she had interrupted as she turned and happily walked away, licking the yummy chocolate ice cream cone, as Hawkeye finally lowered her arm, looking dumbfounded at the site before looking back at the other woman.

"...Huh...Well...this is awkward..."

Hayasui tensed up as Hawkeye raised her arm, starting to raise her guard as well, only to stop midway when a small voice piped up. Hayasui felt like she'd been frozen where she stood as she watched the cute, 5 foot nothing girl slide in between them, handily snatching the treasured ice cream and happily wandering off. Hayasui's arms dropped, feeling like a bucket of iced water had just been dumped on her, dousing the rising heat of an oncoming fight as she found herself confronted with just what she'd been about to come to blows over. With some blonde she'd just met, no less.

Embarrassed heat filled her cheeks as she watched the little pinkette go for all of a moment before turning her eyes back to the woman she'd been ready to punch in the face.

"Ah...yeah," Hayasui gave her a small nod as she cleared her throat, "So, ah, wanna head out? There's a decent mochi place not too far from here, my treat."

This...was becoming an odd day indeed.

The very face that Hayasui had been about to punch blushed red as the two women were silent for a moment, that moment broken by an offer of mochi...whatever that was.

Whatever it was, the offer successfully broke the tension between the two women, and Hawkeye nodded. "...Um...sure I guess..."

She said, taking one last look at Gallium, happy licking away at the frozen treat, unable to believe, now that her senses had returned to her, that she had nearly come to blows over something so trivial.

Shaking her blonde head, mentally chastising herself, she extended her hand to the other woman, offering her a polite smile. "Let me start over. I'm Riza Hawkeye, Tension wrestler. I'm sorry about...what just happened. I'd be happy to join you, and you can pay for mine if I can pay for yours. Least I can do for all...this."