How are YOU doing?

Akashi nodded at Sarah's answer. It wasn't a bad one. It was definitelya Sarah one though. "Well that's good. I..." She paused and turned her head a little bit. "Worry about you sometimes." She said the words as though she couldn't believe she actually said them. She couldn't fully believe it. But she looked back up and smiled. "So it's nice to hear you're doing good."

She then grinned when Sarah mentioned her by title. "It's... actually really exciting. People I'd never even meet otherwise are coming out of the woodwork to challenge me now. It's amazing. If you need some more fights, it's something to think about." She said as she winked at Sarah. "Of course, you better wait until I decide I've had the belt long enough. Otherwise you'll never become champ." She knew her little challenge would get to Sarah. Hopefully she wouldn't get punched for it.

She then sighed. "It's great though... but I don't plan on just being it once. I'll loose eventually, I know that. Now that I've accomplished a goal, I have to set my sights higher. Multiple times champ. Best champ ever. Longest reigning. There's so much to do. There's still strong people I haven't faced and beaten yet. I'm not at the top yet either, Sarah-San." She then held out her hand. "I hope you aren't either. Even if we might not go the same direction I think that at least we're both still going up. And it's nice to have someone to climb up with." Well, it made sense in her head at least.

Sarah raised an eyebrow at Akashi's words, wondering if she even heard her correctly. It certainly caught her off guard, leaving her unable to think up a reply for the sumo that didn't make her look like an idiot. She didn't press it though. No need to make things awkward.

Sarah scoffed dismissively. "Tch, I could have been the champion," she said, laening back in the boothe. "But they didn't want some kid from the street with a knack for breaking jaws carrying their title belt." Two times Sarah had fought for the title belt, and even after destroying her opponant both times she was denied the championship, leading her to believe the league had something against her. "Not that I really care. I don't need some shiny belt to tell me I'm the best." Sarah then looked slightly thoughtful as she stroked her chin in thought. "Though if it brings people running I guess having it's not a complete drag. Not to mention I can't stand people saying that you're the strongest in the AFW."

Sarah raised her hand up and clasped it with Akashi's, grinning devilishly at her. "So yeah, I'll go with you to the top. And once I'm up there I'll kick your fat ass off. That should be fun." Sarah squeezed Akashi's hand a little tighter as a declaration of the challenge. "Or maybe I'll get impatient and just ambush you backsta-" Sarah stopped herself suddenly. She had meant it as a joke but suddenly realized she had already done that to Akashi. during the Friction title tournament.

"Aw, shit," Sarah groaned, slipping her hand out of Akashi's. "Look, I'm.....sorry. You know, during the tournament, when I...." Sarah paused looking pretty uncomfortable. "....you know."

Akashi had been curious about Sarah's involvement. She had followed the title belt closely and definitely thought Sarah was deserving of the title. The eventual champ, she admitted, was also deserving, but that was neither hear nor there. Akashi grinned at Sarah's words. "Can't have them speaking the truth?" She said as she teased Sarah a bit. She returned Sarah's grip with equal fervor, putting on a serious face. "I wouldn't have it any other way." She said, smirking at Sarah's grin.

She then turned her head and blushed a little when Sarah was about to say she'd blindside her. "um..." She muttered, feeling the same sort of awkwardness that Sarah did. She then shook her head. "Don't." she reached over and put her hand on Sarah's shoulder. "Sarah Gatt doesn't apologize." She said smiling. "That... it helped me a lot, believe it or not." She said cheering up a bit. "I can't say that I'm glad that you did it, but it helped me grow as a fighter and as a person." She then lifted up her hand and patted Sarah on the back of the shoulder. "Just another one of our bonding moments, eheh.." She said chuckling nervously. Akashi then turned her head a bit. "Just don't... go making a habit of it, alright? I'll fight you whenever you want and you don't need to stoop to something like that with me. I'd.. be a little disappointed in you, Sarah-San." She then sighed. "Just... I don't know.. get your kicks on someone else or something if you have to beat someone up. I'm going to pretend I didn't say that now." She said as she brought her arm in and hugged her chest a bit.

She then looked over at Sarah and grinned a little. "You're a bad bad influence on me."

Sarah blinked in surprise at Akashi, and at the hand that was placed on her shoulder. Sarah Gatt doesn't apologize. And yet she did. To what might as well have been her sworn enemy. But if they were going to be hanging out together like this, Sarah felt it was necessary to clear the air.

When Akashi finished Sarah smirked at her. "You're way too nice for your oen fucking good," she said with a chuckle. "No wonder it's so much fun to kick your ass." Sarah was saying that but in reality there was a certain amount of satisfaction from Akashi's explanation. Except for the part where she benefitted from getting her head bashed in with a pipe. She couldn't understand how anyone benefitted from that. "But I guess I gotta find a new victim now. Too bad. We had a good run." Sarah grinned devilishly. 'What's your girlfriend's name again? And what route does she take home?"

[Prepare for disproportionately long post! Sorry >_>]

Taylor had been feeling unexpectedly good after everything. Getting her ass kicked by multiple people usually put her in a funk, but the last couple days she was all smiles. She knew why, of course. For the first time she felt like she had a friend that was willing to stand up for her. It was weird. So she did the only thing she could think of, she went dancing.

Her bruises always healed quickly, and that was nice, and the cuts on her lip and cheek were closed up though still visible. She'd put in some extra time with her hair and makeup, it was her first time at a club in Japan and she wanted to make a good impression, but she didn't bother trying to conceal and of the cuts and abrasions on her face. She really wasn't expecting anything other than getting leered at by Japanese guys and putting in a lot of time dancing, but she was looking forward to both. She felt like she had recovered a little bit of her swagger and was looking forward to showing it off.

Taylor's hair was newly dyed a deep, intense shade of red, with some black streaks close to the roots, and was up in her familiar pigtails. To match it, she wore black eyeliner blended into a little bit of red eyeshadow that highlighted her deep blue eyes in a very flashy, punk sort of way.

She wore a black choker necklace with a small silver star pendant and a tight black tank top that stopped above her belly button. Across the front it read in block letters "I bring it". Under that she wore a red and black (with a little green) plaid string bikini top though only the black strings tied behind her neck showed.

To match she wore a red and black (and a little green) plaid pleated miniskirt with a black leather chrome studded belt. Luckily, she'd come out of her scrap the other day without any real marks on her legs, so she didn't feel the least bit self conscious showing them. They were bare from upper thigh to ankle, evenly tanned and meticulously toned. She wore a black leather pair of hi-top Converse sneakers, laced only halfway so the ankle hung loosely.

At the club, she had no trouble getting in the door. She hit the floor and let herself be swept up by the current of the throbbing, pounding house music. While the carnal effects of the thundering bass worked at loosening her hips, she returned the stares she received with a smug, not-available look. It felt good. She looked great, she felt great, everything was great. At least until she left, but whatever, she had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

After a while she found herself in need of a break and some water. She found her way over to the bar and leaned in on it on her elbows to coax the bartender into just giving her water. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of two girls that seemed familiar, but she ignored them. While she waited for the bartender's attention she surveyed the club and spotted someone she didn't mind running into.

"Aaaa-kaaaaa-shiiiii!" Taylor shouted like an incoming siren just before cannonballing into Akashi's booth and shoulder checking her in the ribs. She couldn't help herself, she had to give Akashi a hug. She felt so good she was practically glowing. "Hi! What are you doing here? Have you been here long? Who are you-" For the first time she noticed Sarah. For a moment her brain struggled to reconcile how she of all people could be there, in the club, with Akashi. Her first instinct was to push Akashi out of the way or something. She exploded out of the booth and back to her feet, knees bent, her expression completely changed like an animal expecting a fight.

"What? What are, why, wha...Threesome?" She looked at Akashi, and then back at Sarah. "What the hell!?"

Akashi turned her head and gave a dry look to Sarah. "It's pretty fun kicking your ass too..." She muttered before turning back. "What's wrong with being nice anyway. I'd hate to be a big grump all the time." She said as she eyed Sarah with a grin. Though Sarah didn't seem like she was really all that grumpy it was still fun to tease her. Akashi's mouth fell open a little bit. In some way, Sarah's words disappointed her. As though the girl was saying they wouldn't be able to fight any more. That wasn't something that Akashi could deal with. She needed to fight Sarah some more. She still had a lot to prove.

But At Sarah's next words, Akashi's eyes narrowed and she reached up to grab Sarah's shirt tightly, putting her face close to Sarah's. "Do it and I'll make that time you jumped me seem like a tickle party." She growled seriously. She knew that Sarah was just trying to get under her skin but it worked. She couldn't help it. After a long look into Sarah's eyes and let go as she sighed. She turned her head, blushing a bit. "You're such a bitch..." She murmured before looking back up. "This is why I need to get you drunk and loosen you up. Get you laid." She grinned widely at Sarah and nudged her arm with her elbow a bit.

It was at that moment when she heard a voice that sounded a little familiar. Echoing through the club, the words also seemed to form her name. "Huh?" Was all Akashi could muster as she turned her head slightly to see Taylor hurling at her. 'Oof!" She gasped as she was slammed into, falling forward and being pushed against Sarah's chest. "Um... unhhh! ooooh..." Those were the words she struggled with as she tried to get a handle on the situation. The hug was nice so the person wasn't really attacking her. The mile a minute questions she struggled to even answer one of and then the sudden realization of where she was made her grin. She lingered a few moments as Taylor leaped up before sitting up properly and brushing herself off. She had a faint red on her cheeks as she looked up at Taylor with a grin. "Well... She'll be tough to persuade but I think if we can get a few drinks in her, I might be able to convince her. I thought you weren't into that sort of thing though." She said with a wink as she grinned up at Taylor.

Akashi knew the situation could be awkward but she tried her best to keep things diffused. Perhaps it was good she was in the middle of them. 'Well.. You see. Sarah-San and I are hanging out tonight. I did tell you that we were friends, right? Didn't you believe me?" She then looked back at Sarah and carefully watched her facial features. 'Well... Sarah... San..." She said meekly. "I... uh... make a lot of friends you know... Taylor-San is also one of them, eheh..." She scratched the back of her head as she tried to assess the situation and prepare for any damage control that may be needed. Looking back at Taylor she smiled genuinely despite the awkwardness. "S-So, Taylor-San... what brings you to this um... lovely place?"

Taylor looked at Akashi like she'd said something incredibly stupid and irrelevant. "What? No, her. Threesome." She said, jerking a thumb at Sarah as if everyone should know that that was her name.

"I... heard. From the bunny-girl. But... you're actually... like you really just... hang out?" Taylor didn't know what to do about that part. Her loyalty to Akashi fought with her hatred of Sarah. Her face bore her conflict plainly. She closed her mouth and looked back and forth between Sarah and Akashi, struggling to figure out how she felt about the whole thing.

When Akashi grabbed her shirt and puled her in, Sarah was all grins. In some way she felt like she had won a victory against the sumo with her little bluff. "Oh, scary," Sarah chuckled, looking Akashi straight in her fierce. "I like it." It seemed like Akashi wouldn't have anything to worry about when it came to fighting Sarah again, especially if they got into tiffs like this. When she was released Sarah made a show of dusting herself off. "Course I'm a bitch. Where have you been?" she said. "And speaking of drinks, where are those girls?" Sarah looked around the area but couldn't see any sign of Rika or her twin caretakers.

It was then someone barreled into her companion, making Sarah think that Rika had arrived. But to her surprise it wasn't Rika who had latched herslef around the sumo. The Queen of Brawl raised an eyebrow at the exchange between the two of them, not speaking up as they got reaqiaunted with each other.

It was only when the girl took one look at her and sprang to her feet that Sarah became interested. Not only that but Akashi seemed to be pretty distraught as well. "Uh...am I missing something?" Sarah asked, tilting her head in confusion. She looed up at Taylor and frowned. "So I know you or something?" Maybe it was the fact the club was so dark, or that Taylor's appereance had changed. Or maybe it was because Sarah didn't give a shit about people who's ass she kicked, but at the moment she didn't recognize Taylor.

Taylor's attitude came out. "Oh, right. I'm sorry, and you are?" She said in an approximation of a dry, snooty British accent. "Screw that. Why are you even here? Do they even have trailer parks in Japan? Why don't you go drink some light beer and watch Nascar with your inbred relatives. Where's your backup, anyway? I know you didn't leave the trailer without them, you pussy."

Taylor's nose wrinkled just looking at Sarah. There were a lot of things about her now that made Taylor want to bash her face in. She got the picture with Sarah very quickly. It wasn't that she was a great fighter, she was just a scumbag. She won because she had no decency, and she cheated, and how in the hell could Akashi be friends with this waste of air? Maybe... the same way Akashi could be friends with her.

The realization that Sarah's crew might be around made Taylor alert. She instinctively kept an eye out.

Akashi shrunk in the booth as the two began an exchange. Well, it was probably good that Sarah hadn't recognized Taylor but Taylor and that damned attitude of hers really wasn't helping the situation. She looked up at Taylor. "Oh!" She said. "I, um... really like the way you dyed your hair. It's really cute. I'd dye my hair but you know, I'd probably get killed by like three or four different people. Plus." She held up her long ringletted hair. "Do you know how much a pain in the butt it is to keep my hair like this? I'd hate to fry it, you know, eheh..." She then glanced back at Sarah. "She's um... just my friend, Sarah-San. You know... friend? Like how you and I are friends?"

Akashi stood up and put an arm around Taylor, giving her a hug and leaning in so she could whisper. "Please don't give her an excuse to turn this place into a giant fight, Taylor-San. I'm not drunk enough for that yet. G-gomen." She then sighed and slumped into the booth again. She never felt so nervous in her life. It was like someone lit her on fire and tossed her in a room filled with dynamite with the pool to put herself out all the way on the other side of the room. To burn to death or to be blown up, that was the question. Akashi swallowed hard and then clenched her fist.

"Dammit!" She said as she pounded the table in front of her. "Taylor-San, why don't you join us for a little bit?" She said. "I'm sure there's got to be SOMETHING the two of you have in common." She then raised her hand. "You both want to kick my ass, right? There. There's a good ice breaker." Akashi was still pretty nervous despite the new found bravado. "I mean. I don't even KNOW if Sarah-San and I have anything in common and we're like best buds. Right Sarah-San?" She grinned hopefully at Sarah. "There's nothing in common besides the fact that we both have pussies, right?" She nodded hopefully though she didn't really know why she was encouraging this. She was so doomed.