Ever Again

Akashi nodded to the server as she was sat down in a private room at one of her favorite restaurants. At least, it used to be. She hadn't been here in quite some time. She knew perfectly well when it was as she thought about it. Here, in this very room was where Taylor and Akashi had formed Kamikaze and, probably, their sisterly bond as well, even if neither of them knew what laid in front of them.

Akashi had called Taylor up to Tokyo to visit. It had been a while since the two ofthem had really had some time alone and Akashi knew where she wanted to spend part of it. She looked at the door and smiled. She told Taylor to meet her at six and that she would have everything ready. They had some catching up to do. There were some things Akashi wanted to tell Taylor and DEFINITELY some things she wanted to ask.

Akashi adjusted herself and took a sip of water, not touching the chilled sake that was already waiting for them. She was dressed in her blue bird patterned kimono that showed off a generous amount of cleavage and her hair was pulled mostly up into a messy pile with silver decorative chopsticks with dragons curling around them, leaving onle a few ringletted locks to frame her face.

Taylor felt like she was getting ready for a date.

"Is this too dressy?" She asked her husband while he lounged on the bed, watching her try on outfits. A black and gray dress with a flowing skirt and a sporty top quickly went on the "no" pile.

After a while she didn't bother waiting for Johnny's feedback. He was barely helpful anyway. She figured he'd just keep saying "looks great, but..." just to keep her changing in and out of clothes. As if he didn't see enough of her as it was.

She checked the time. She didn't want to be late. She put her hands on her hips and stared pensively at her closet. Finally, she nodded and grabbed a pair of tight skinny jeans with a belt and a black racerback tanktop. She added a silver chain necklace and a riveted black leather bracelet, and put it her small eyebrow ring and tiny nose stud, added two earrings in each ear, and grinned at Johnny.

"Still too dressy?" She asked, and struck a sultry pose. "Maybe I should just go in sweatpants."

She kissed him and was out the door. She arrived right on time, and was led back to the private room to find Akashi. She thanked the hostess in Japanese, and slid the door shut behind her.

She knelt down on a pillow at the low table and smiled hello to Akashi. "Hey," she said. "Been a while, right? This place looks so much different now." She spotted the sake and wasted no time pouring their first round, which she knew was likely a breech of whatever Japanese etiquette there was about how to get drunk or something, but she didn't care.

"I hear you've been busy lately," she said, cradling her sake bowl. "That Entropy title's a bitch, isn't it? Once you get it, you can't wait to get rid of it."

Akashi turned as she saw Taylor walk in. When the screen was closed, Akashi nodded her head and smiled gently at Taylor. "Imouto-chan." She said in a pleasant glow. Her eyes radiated against the serenity of her face. "Konbanwa."

"Does it look different?" She said as she watched Taylor sit down. "To me, it seems frozen in time." Her face began to crack, to show signs of a great big grin. "Maybe WE'RE the ones who have changed." Her eyes lit up when Taylor poured the sake and Akashi beamed. She leaned forward and grabbed her own cup greedily. "Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!" She said and offered her cup out for Taylor to fill when she was finished.

When hers was poured, she lifted it up. "Kanpai!" She said with great enthusiasm and poured the cool drink back with even more than she had mustered for the toast. "Ahhhhh...." She sighed as it burned her throat in the best kind of way. "Imouto-chan." She said and looked into Taylor's eyes. "I't's been TOO long. Sisters shouldn't spend so much time away from one another, even if they have busied themselves with their own affairs." Akashi exhaled and nodded, finally getting around to Taylor's words.

"Ehehe.... That... well... It's not like I sought it out or anything. Tai was disgracing that belt. I had to do something. And then... I don't know. It's not for me. I have other aspirations, you know." She said with a grin. "I was more concerned with Summer Splash, really." Akashi turned and narrowed her eyes. "Busy, busy but... ugh..." Akashi shook her head. She'd get into it in a moment.

"You haven't been able to quite stay out of the spotlight either, eh?" She asked coyly. "What's this I hear about you and Johnny-kun causing a stir with the ladies of AFW? If you two were expanding your marital horizons, I am offended you didn't seek me out first!" She said feigning distress.

Taylor just shook her head while her weariness over the matter weakened her smile. "Yeah," she laughed ironically. "That was just stupid. What bothers me though... I mean I talked to Johnny about it and everything. I was pretty pissed." She laughed again, and it was more genuine. "I was pretty pissed, but I talked to him and it was all just stupid. She kissed him, AFW dragged her onto TV to try to make it into some kind of scandal for people to gossip about. But what really bothers me is that someone actually took pictures and had to spread them all over the internet. It's like they were either trying to cause trouble for us, or just didn't care."

Then her eyes lit up. "You would have been so proud of me, though! Well, did you see it? On Conway, I did the whole show without like, getting physical or anything. I was the only one who didn't start swinging. So I'm a zen master now, no big deal."

She downed her sake and shuddered. She decided to save the second round for after they had some food in them. "So what's up with you? You seem a little... I dunno. Bothered."

Akashi did not wait for the meal to start coming before pouring her second round. As she listened to Taylor, she threw back another shot and nodded along with the girl. "Hai, hai." She said with a nod. "I did see it. I'm proud of you, Imouto-chan." Akashi smiled as the food was starting to be brought in. For the first course there was a sashimi plate, some pickled eel, rice, soups and other appetizing delicacies.

"They did make it out to be pretty saucy though." Akashi grinned. "And the picture... it's very convincing." Akashi blushed a bit. "It's not like I thought he actually DID it or anything. But if I didn't know you and Johnny-kun, then I'd definitely think there was something steamy going on. Akashi reached for the sake again instead of the food and took down another shot, her cheeks beginning to redden and she decided it was a good idea to hit the food to just to keep SOME of the alcohol at bay.

Akashi frowned at Taylor's next words. "Why?" She said, almost defensively. "Because I wanted to invite my Imouto-chan to a nice restaurant? Because... maybe I miss you and want to spend some time together!? I'm not .... bothered..." Akashi bit her lip and pouted. "I'm just not... having a good month, ok?" Akashi looked up at Taylor.

"I couldn't get into Summer Splash. I mean... It wasn't for lack of trying, that's for sure!" She said and pounded her hand against the table. "Bamboozled by some sneaky usagi and Russians! I lost a match against Marisa-chan that would have put me in the main event! She was unconscious!" Akashi narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. "I fucked her unconscious, and I STILL lost. What the fuck!?"

Akashi furrowed her brow. "Oh wait.... I'm not allowed to say things like that anymore." Akashi clenched her chopsticks tightly in her hand. "I forgot, I DID get into Summer Splash. But you won't see THAT match until the DVD comes out because I'm on some bonus throwaway match against some snooty, stuck up sensei that I STILL. Lost!" Akashi gritted her teeth and suddenly snapped her chopsticks. Her eyes widened and she blushed and turned her head.

"Worse than that, things haven't been the best at home either. Cassie-chan's been..." Akashi paused, not exactly sure how to say it. "She's also going through her own hardships." She decided. She took another gulp from the sake bottle. "I'm not bothered." She pouted.

Taylor nodded while Akashi spoke, with a look of sisterly concern on her face while her hands wandered over the table to find her water glass. She sipped it just out of habit.

"Wow," she said when she was done. "Sounds like you really suck now." Slowly her face melted into a little lopsided grin. "I always told you I was the only thing keeping you above water in there."

She took a plate and a couple pieces of sashimi. She couldn't help but think that maybe there positions had swapped in some way since the last time they sat in the restaurant together years before. Taylor was as confident as she'd ever been. She was successful, one way or another, in the things she had taken on since quitting AFW. It sounded like Akashi just needed some encouragement, and lucky for Taylor she had plenty to give that she'd got from Akashi.

"Kashi, you know that every time you fight, you might win and you might lose. You can't control that, but you can work hard and fight hard and be smart. That's what people want to see, anyway, it just sounds like you picked up some of my bad luck. And so what about Hawaii, you got to go and you didn't have to deal with cameras and pervy Germans and stuff. Sounds good to me."

Maybe without a title to her name, Akashi was slipping a little. Maybe she wasn't as sure of herself or her identity, since she'd been a champ for so long. She put the idea down for the moment, because she knew where that conversation led.

"I know about Cassie, though," she said, nodding, eyes down on the table. "Like... I trust her to do the right thing. That's what she does, right? But she really seems like she's losing it. I think it's pressure she's never had to deal with before. I think that having nothing else to do but fight really freaked her out. What's Mamouru got to say about all that?"

Akashi gulped down the food she could after getting a new pair of chopsticks and listened to Taylor. "I don't suck." She pouted. "It's bad luck, just like you say. I'm better than all these bitches." She nodded, as if to tell herself and not Taylor. She then turned her head. "But... I did have to deal with cameras and pervy Germans! You'll see when you read the next AFW Magazine..." Akashi was suddenly feeling a little modest. It's not like Taylor hadn't seen Akashi's boobs before, but the way she was in the magazine.... "Lukretia-sama made the match between myself and Spencer-sensei because..." Akashi paused, frowning. "Who knows what goes through that woman's head..." She added with a shrug.

Akashi poured another drink of Sake while the main course was brought in. Shrimp and fish as well as a plethora of wrapped and/or fried dippable items. She eagerly began to dish out some food for herself while she listened to Taylor.

"No matter where anyone is from, or how impressive their pedigree, how much experience they have or how tough they are, this place is a whole different animal. You and I know that better than anyone. AFW is a beast that is hungry and looking to devour people. Cassie's finally finding that out and... I know that she's got the fortitude to make it through things. I'm definitely not worried about whether or not she'll survive it. I'm more concerned about.... what kind of scars will be left on her when all is said and done."

Akashi nibbled on her food a little more cautiously. "Normally I'd try and mother her but, even if she'd let me, I know it's something she needs to do on her own. But... she also... doesn't... She needs support but will not have it. So, I've just been trying to make our home a happy one. So that at least she has some positive energy around her during part of her day. I don't know if it's been working." Akashi frowned at Taylor. "Mamouru-kun? I don't know. Cassie-chan fired him."

Taylor was silent for a moment, staring down at the table. "Yeah," she said. She'd had the same concerns for Cassie. Maybe she'd get through this thing, and she wouldn't be the same person afterward. Maybe she'd learn to fight for real, but Taylor couldn't think of too much change that would be an improvement on Cassie. Everyone had to grow up, but... That wasn't exactly what was happening to her.

"I dunno, man. I want her to stand on her own two feet more than anyone. But... I don't want AFW to change her. I don't have to tell you, you know all about her by now. If this bitch in the mask turns her into some kind of bitter AFW psycho, I'll fucking feed her that retarded fucking mask myself." She shook her head. "You don't know how badly I want to wreck that cunt, Akashi. I'm not a wrestler now, I wouldn't look for a pin. The shit she's done, if I got my hands on her now, I'd kill her. That's it."

Taylor drew a deep breath and let it out unsteadily. She felt the warmth in her face and knew she must have been red. She took the moment to calm down, and then changed the subject.

"So is there anything good going on right now?" She asked. "You can't just pile up bad news on me, man, I need something to tell Johnny about that won't get me all pissed off."

Akashi frowned too. "Yeah. I feel the same way. She tried that shit on me once and I dumped her on her stupid head. Whoever she is, she at least is smart enough not to mess with people like us." Akashi turned her head and sighed. "You may not have to worry about wrecking that girl though, Taylor-chan. I think Cassie-chan might kill her before you ever get the chance to. That's... what I'm afraid of. Obviously Cassie needs to get that killer instinct, definitely. But... she doesn't need to LITERALLY get it!" Akashi threw her hands up. "We can support her as much as we can support her and I know she appreciates that much but anything else? I don't really know. It's a difficult situation for everyone involved. All of us should just be cautious and maybe say a few extra prayers at the shrine." Not that she was expecting TAYLOR to do that, but Akashi would pray enough for the both of them.

Akashi raised her eyebrow when Taylor changed the subject. She turned her head and blushed. "Ahh... uhhh... Welllll..." She said. "I think... I think I've finally gotten over Mina-chan. I think that's good. I've really been trying to put myself back out there and I think... I think that I might have found someone I am interested in. Maybe. I don't know. She's a bit stubborn. She's different." Akashi said and looked down. "Though... I still am not sure if this qualifies as good news to you. Akashi said and continued to stare down at the table.

"I've been spending a lot more time at the Rinne household." Akashi slowly lifted up her head. "Karina-chan." She said. "We've been spending time together." She almost wanted to wince, but she couldn't. "I don't know if it's going to work out!" She said, waving her hands at Taylor. "But... What if she makes me happy!?" Akashi lowered her head like a scorned child. 'Maybe. I ... I don't know! But I can't stop thinking about it right now!"

"Kashi, if you're happy, I'm happy," Taylor said, and loaded up a plate with the second course. "Of course it's good news."

She cut a piece of steamed fish with her chopsticks, dipped it in the appropriate sauce and put it in her mouth, and then almost choked. She spluttered and reached for her napkin and endured the awkward moment of indecision where she wasn't sure if she could spit out her fish or manage to somehow swallow it. She tried to talk with her mouth full, but stopped. She resolutely chewed and swallowed the bite, and then unleashed her incredulity on Akashi.

"Karina?" She said. Karina had been the reason Akashi and Taylor had sort of bonded, in a way. When Karina tried to beat Taylor to death with her guitar, Akashi came to the rescue. It left quite an impression on Taylor, both regarding Akashi and Karina. Her subsequent encounters with Karina did nothing to improve her opinion of her. "Seriously? Man..." She shook her head. "Akashi, no offense, but you can do better."