Going To Meet The Man (Lukretia & Taylor)

"Uh... thanks." Taylor didn't quite know what to say. She would never have guessed that Lukretia would actually have something good to say about her. She did have a winning streak going. But why did she still feel like Lukretia was jabbing at her?

"Well, I, uh..." She started slowly. "Yeah. That'd be good. I mean, I want the best you've got. I would've beat Gatt if her thugs didn't get involved. But... what do you mean? About Akashi?"

It wasn't that she didn't get it. Maybe she just wanted Lukretia to be more up front and was trying to draw out of her exactly what it was that she meant to say.

"Because of her, und because of me is ze reason you are enjoying ze success zat you have been. How does it feel to taste ze fruits of other people's labour, meine frau?" Lukretia said as she leaned back in her seat. "You have veaklings und excuses to explain your current record. Zat is vat I see." She looked at Taylor with a curious smirk. She was surprised Taylor held her tongue thus far and wondered if she could continue to do so.

For a moment Taylor's brain failed to keep up with what was happening. She sat stunned for a moment. It was like there were two different conversations going on, and Lukretia was smoothly blending more of the second in with the first. It took her a moment to realize how insulted she was.

She couldn't get angry, not at first. "Wow." She said, impressed. "Man, congratulations. I totally thought you were going to be a dick, then you had me going thinking that you weren't, then right as I let my guard down you hit me with it. That's... well done."

"But..." Taylor sat forward a little in her chair, getting more serious. "Let me get this straight. You think because you book matches or whatever that I owe my success to you when I win? I beat every goddamn psycho chick you put in front of me, who didn't cheat. And that first one WAS cheating, she was on HGH or some kind of... ya know, steroids. Testosta... That was a DUDE. Leave off me."

"You can try to talk down to me for beating sub-par girls all you want; I don't make the matches. Capice?" She spat, angry, but still keeping her composure. She didn't want to wig out and lose it in front of Lukretia. Then she wins.

Lukretia smiled at Taylor's words. "I am quite gut at meine job, meine frau." She said and then tilted her head. "Be thankful zat you are even receiving matches. Ve have hundreds of girls on ze roster und only a few hours of ze day vith vitch to showcase zem. many must vait months between matches. In ze relatively short time you have been here, you have been given quite a few opportunities.

"I vill look into ramping up ze competition if zat is vat you desire. I believe you definitely deserve zat much. Everyone should be given a chance to prove zat zey are strong und vorthy of stepping further up ze pedestal. Despite some shortcomings, I believe you have passed every test given to you thus far. I look forvward to seeing if you are able to continue ze lofty climb to ze top, meine frau."

Taylor was still a little confused. She was so preoccupied with waiting for Lukretia to take shots at her that she was continually taken aback when she was actually fair with her. Everything she said was true, she had some setbacks early on and some of her wins were against laughable opponents. Even her toughest match was against some roller waitress. She briefly wondered how Satomi was doing, she hadn't seen her in months.

"I think you mean 'ladder'. You don't climb a pedestal, at least not in the States. But... I mean I want to move up. Like... really. I really do. It's what I want the most."

It was. Taylor didn't think about it much, about the reason she was in Japan in the first place, but she didn't want to just be some chump filling out the cards every now and again. She wanted to be great, someone noteworthy, she wanted to do things worth remembering.

"So, did you have anyone in mind for zhe ramping of zhe competition? I don't want to fight Akashi, in case you were waiting to drop that on me just to be a bitch. But... Anyone else. I'd kick your ass in a second, right here, if you wanted a piece of me. If you've actually been paying attention, you might have noticed, I don't give a fuck who I fight. I just fight, that's all. So maybe cool it with the talking about me like a charity case, how I'm only where I am because you put me here. Bullshit. I'm where I am because I fought my way here."

Did that sound melodramatic? She didn't mean it like that. Maybe not having anything from Lukretia to be snarky about was drawing out her dramatic side. Still, it was all true, she thought.

Lukretia raised her eyebrow at Taylor's words. "Das gut, meine frauline." Lukretia said, ignoring Taylor's correction. "Ve are looking for only ze best und ze brightest, I have no interest in daipering veaklings. So you vould do vell to continue to reach for ze sky."

Lukretia then tapped her desk and smiled. "Nein, nein. I vould not do such a think to you ... yet." She said with a smirk. "You vill have to vork your vay up to a match vith her unless I see a fitting opportunity to put ze two of you at odds." Lukretia smiled devilishly at Taylor. "No, meine frau, I believe I have someone in mind but you vill just have to vait until your next match to find out who it is. Don't you like surprises?' She asked as she leaned forward and eyed Taylor carefully.

"Okay, whatever, I don't care. Just give me someone, I'll make her quit or knock her out and move on to the next one. Surprise me all you want. And don't mess with me and Akashi. I believe I mentioned that I'm not above kicking your ass."

Taylor had thought about it, but not as something that might actually happen. Would she ever fight Akashi? If she worked her ass off and rose up the ranks, would she fight Akashi? Would that affect their friendship? That didn't matter now, though.

"So is that all you got?" She said, propping one foot up on Lukretia's desk. "You called me in here to say that you're booking a match for me against somebody. That's exciting. I'm excited. But really, we could've done this over the phone or something. But I guess then I wouldn't have got to see your smiling freaking face. It's always a pleasure, but maybe next time wear something more up here..." She said, gesturing at Lukretia's bust. "You know they're fake, I know they're fake, Hilde knows they're fake, the guy who stocks the vending machine down the hall probably knows they're fake. You don't need to stick them in everyone's face. Poor Hilde. Are we done here?"

Lukretia stood up and walked around the desk to look at Taylor. "I vill do as I vish und you vill be happy zat you get to face someone like Akashi if I decide to make zat match." Lukretia said in a stern tone.

"Just as you should be thankful zat I called all ze vay up here und decided to vaste meine valuable time by seeing you personally. Othervise you vould still be fighting vaitresses or other riff-raff."

Lukretia then smirked. "Maybe. Maybe if you do vell enough you vill have ze opportunity to attempt to 'kick meine ass" as you like to say. Honestly, meine frauline, I vould love it if you vere able to succeed but I have meine doubts."

Lukretia turned her head and smirked. "Ve are finished. I am in no need for fashion advice from someone who looks as zough zey rummaged through ze trash for ze back alley's latest fashions. Please remove yourself from meine sight."

Taylor sneered through clenched teeth. There was the Lukretia she'd been expecting. She got up and stood immediately in front of Lukretia, locking eyes with her.

"Real scary. I wonder how scary you'd sound with blood gushing out of your nose. Not for nothin', but I really don't think a delicate little princess like yourself has any business fighting anything but an eating disorder." She said, trying not to sound too angry.

If she was perfectly honest, the crack about her clothes riled her up a bit. It wasn't just that she thought she looked good, it was how utterly condescending Lukretia with her filthy stinking richness. "Well, what can I say. I work for the ol' AFW. It's really not a surprise that a company that pushes 70% cheap porn is a little lacking in class. And cash. Don't worry, I'll get us there. Now return to your desk!" She ordered, pointing at Lukretia's chair, sounding like she was loosing her cool a little. "If you get behind in your work, daddy might take away your credit cards!"

Taylor arched an eyebrow and gave Lukretia a look. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, though, peanut. Bring on the competition." She put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a shove, then turned to leave. "I'm sure a big part of you would just love to see me get my head kicked in. Get used to disappointment." She said over her shoulder.

Lukretia took a step back when she was shoved. She then stepped forward and out of her heels and looked at Taylor as she turned. "I think you might have me a bit mistaken, meine frau." Lukretia said. "I do not not have to like you to vant you to do vell. If you are strong und can become stronger zen it serves both our interests." Lukretia stepped forward so she was closer to Taylor.

"Und you believe zat vithout ze power I have currently zat I vould be helpless? Und zat I vas given zis power by someone else? Meine Vater, as you have expressed in each of our meetings. I vonder." She said thoughtfully.

If Taylor hadn't turned back around, Lukretia would try and turn her around by grabbing at her shoulder and spinning her. If she could manage that, she'd send a head butt towards Taylor, aimed at the girl's nose.