Down Time Downtown

"It was like talking to a brick wall," Taylor said. She sat in a booth, across from her onee-chan Akashi Tanikaze, cradling a bottle of Japanese beer with her arms resting on the table. "Like... I've never met anyone who's less interested in anyone else. And like... the chick has a rack like yours, and doesn't own a goddamn sports bra. Someday, man, she'll be all over the news when she gets her saggy tits stuck in the gap on the subway and ends up smeared all over underneath Akihabara." She pointed her finger at Akashi and spoke like she was giving Akashi an important life lesson. "If you want to keep your giant boobs, you need support."

She took a sip of her beer and thought for a moment. "And like, the back problems! Can you imagine?" She glanced down at Akashi's massive chest. "Well," she laughed. "I mean, she's like half your size everywhere else. Like, who does she think she's fooling? Call me old fashioned, but I want people to look at me and thing 'damn, what's your number?' I don't want them to look and think 'damn, what's your plastic surgeon's number?'"

She took another sip and turned to the side, lounging against the back of the booth. She put one of her worn black Doc Marten's up on the edge of the table. "But seriously, she showed up, got super fucking pissed when I referred to hentai as porn, and then started trying to take these lame ass shots at me the whole fucking rest of the time. Like, I can appreciate some good trash talk just as much as the next girl, but the only insulting thing was how piss poor her insults were."

Akashi had buzzed up pretty quickly with some hard shots of sake. She'd settled into some beer now as well and had been trading 'war stories' with Taylor for a little while now. She felt good and was lounged in the booth in a comfortable way as well. Her chest was well more exposed than it normally was and she was fanning herself a bit as she grinned at the blonde.

Somehow they had gotten on the subject of the temple games and Taylor was going on a rant that made akashi giggle a little bit. "Yeah, well... She's got her panties up in a twist because of the dumb Entropy title match. Like... I pretty much said that the whole Friction locker could come down and kick my ass and she's upset because she didn't get a fair fight. She's upset because Kelly Conway is a huge dick!" Akashi shook her head. "What the hell was she expecting!? I wasn't inviting people down for a damn tea party!"

Akashi finished off another beer and waved at the server to bring them another round. "And now she's just complaining to anyone who will listen about how she doesn't have a shot. It's..." Akashi growled. "I thought Rally-san or Lukretia-san fired that Ise lady? What's she still doing setting up something like that anyway?" Akashi shrugged. "But yeah... the temple games. We had the best team around and we got last place. Or... we should have had the best time. Three former champs and we end up in last. damn. place! Wasn't because of ME, that's for sure!"

Akashi was starting to slip around from topic to topic as she talked to Taylor. "Seems like that Chigusa-san is gone for good now." She said, knowing that Taylor and Chigusa had a past and was a little curious about how Taylor felt. 'Now those stupid Bunnies are running around with our belts." Akashi added and looked wryly at Taylor.

"But yeah. I know all about back problems." Akashi said with a cringe, bringing the conversation back around. "And I don't wear a lot of bras but I definitely own sports bras. And I even wrestle TOPLESS sometimes!" Akashi breathed a chuckle. "They're probably fake, anyway. I think that's been going around lately. Heard a lot of girls are starting to get boob jobs. Heather-san's look really good. You can barely tell they're fake."

Taylor sipped at her beer while Akashi spoke. "Who the hell is Ise?" She said. Never heard of her. Or... Tally?

Her face blanked at the mention of Chigusa, and she only nodded. "It'd be pretty tough to convince anyone to give me a belt while I'm not actually working for the company. But see what you can do about that. Throw your weight around."

She shook her head and laughed. She wasn't touching that, the subject of Heather or Heather herself, with a ten foot pole. "Man, at the rate everyone's puffing up like that, I'm gonna have the smallest boobs in Friction pretty soon. If I don't already." She laughed.

She finished off her beer and set the bottle down, and then her face became serious. She leaned back with her hands behind her head and gazed off at the ceiling. "Chigusa and me..." She began. "I dunno. Like, I like her and everything, ya know, she's alright. But... I guess for a while now I've just been trying to tell myself that I only like her. Ya know, ignore the fact that I hate her, too. Some of the shit she did, man... I don't know if she's really just clueless or if she's really just so sure she's better than me that she never questioned it. I feel bad saying it, but it's like a load off for me now that she's gone."

She shook her head and sat up straight again, placing her hands back on the table. "I don't wanna just bad mouth her, ya know? I feel bad. But I guess I never really knew where I stood with her. Like if she thought of me as a friend, or if she respected me at all." She looked down at the table, and began idly flicking a bottlecap back and forth. "Like Natalia." She laughed.

"I might be totally crazy and stuff, but I actually miss AFW people. Like, I miss being around those sorts of people, even if I didn't like half of them. Now I've got Johnny and you guys, but the only other people I really rub elbows with anymore are like, business people and agents and stuff. And that's not every day. It's a hard life, selling t-shirts and being a housewife."

"Uhhhh..." Akashi stared blankly at Taylor when she asked who Ise was. It was just better if she didn't know. Thankfully the next round came and she cracked her beer and quickly began to chug it.

"I know what you're saying. I think." Akashi pursed her lips in thought. "I kind of feel that way about Sarah-san. I guess we're friends. I consider her a friend. I'd LIKE to be her friend, I guess. Maybe it's stupid of me. I don't KNOW if she respects me as a fighter or ANYTHING and our fighting... that's our connection. That's HOW I connect. There's two things in this world that bring people closer together than anything else and that's fucking and fighting. And she won't let me in her pants even though she's a huge slut... now... apparently..."

Akashi sighed and looked at Taylor. "It was the best thing that ever happened to us. I think we were able to knock down any walls that might have been put up because of our fight." She said with a smile.

Akashi took another sip of her beer. "I know, it must be really hard sitting around getting fat." Akashi teased, sticking her tongue out a little bit. She patted her own chest, letting her breasts wobble a bit. "But, hey, at least when you bloat out like me, you won't have to worry about those small tits anymore."

Akashi eased back in her seat and closed her eyes, a soft smile forming across her features. "You need to come back. That's just all there is too it. I don't think you're in denial, but if you are, you need to stop it. Just... drag that stud of yours up here to Tokyo, sign a damn contract and start throwing elbows at bitches."

"I know! Look at all this fat!" Taylor said, and pulled up her shirt to show her trim midsection that had only become more defined recently. Since she'd taken up regularly lifting with Johnny she'd gained a significant amount of muscle, and it showed on her thin, sleek body.

She dropped her shirt and gave Akashi a look. This subject would probably come up forever unless Taylor actually returned or Akashi died. She sighed. "Well..." She said. She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell Akashi this. It might just encourage her. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to Johnny... I, uh... I was going to ask him about moving back to Tokyo? I just, ya know, haven't found the time." She flicked her bottle cap a little too far, and it fell off the edge of the table. She folded her hands on her lap instead.

"I played soccer with the kids again. I swear, if I could get paid to do that all the time, I'd forget all about Friction!" She grinned brightly. "So much fun. I would never have thought in a million years that I would actually like being around kids. If we weren't playing soccer, it'd probably suck, or like, maybe I just like that they all seem to like me. I dunno. I'm not gonna over think it or anything."

"Hey! I have those too!' Akashi said defensively when Taylor pulled up her shirt. "They are just hidden under a layer of protective deliciousness." Akashi winked at Taylor. She did. Akashi's stomach was like a tractor tire wrapped in bread dough and anyone who had the unfortunate pleasure of trying to punch Akashi there found that out the hard way when their hand usually ended up hurting more than Akashi's stomach.

Akashi took a greedy sip from her beer while Taylor continued speaking and she nearly spat it out at Taylor's words. "S-Sugoi!" Akashi chirped and pumped her fist. Then her red cheeks tinted a shade darker and she shook her head. She never said that. But she couldn't help it. She was just so excited. "Well, I'LL talk to Johnny-kun about it since YOU'RE so busy even though I'M the one who wrestles full time!" She said with a bright grin on her face.

"I don't know about kids..." Akashi said biting her lip as she reached across the table. "Give me your phone, dammit. You're just dragging your feet! Let me talk to Johnny-kun!"

"A'right, dude, chill." Taylor said, drawing away from Akashi's outstretched hand. "I'm not coming back to Friction, just Tokyo. Well, I'm not doing that either right now, not until I talk to Johnny at least, so just settle down."

She couldn't help but grin, though. It was the most excited she'd seen Akashi in a while. "And I AM busy. Just with other stuff. I've been going to this park once a week to hang out with the trickers. The shit they do is just crazy! I've been practicing, it's so fun." She glanced down at the rest of Akashi and cracked open a second beer. "Not that you'd know about it." She said, with haughtily raised eyebrows. What would she do if she couldn't make fun of Akashi's weight?

Tonight seemed like another normal night at another, lonesome, bar such as this one from the flickering sign above the ale. The never-ending sound of clacking bottles and glasses, echoing around the main bar counter, with the sounds of patrons laughing and ranting about they're measly lives. Accomplishments in fights...who's dating who...and who could beat whoever in a fight. Truly, it was a pitiful sight, the droves and small crowds all talking amongst themselves, either very confident, or taking over by the slur of a few drinks. But in all cases, interesting, for knowing a few traits and happenings from their own words, for some like minded individuals out there...

One in particular, who couldn't help but listen into the gossip of the two ladies. Dressed, in her attire of her buttoned up 'casual attire', quite smartly for a night alone, lightly turning her head to listen to the banter. The sound of them drowning away their sorrows, in the Devil's drink itself, laughing together, slamming the table, only to show a tired old retired dog and the former 'schmuck' of a champion. For as Reika herself, was just sitting at the bar all by herself, inching her glass, to see the reflection of them both, squandering, going by the names of Taylor, and Akashi...who's name didn't deserve such praise at that.

Already, this night wasn't such a bore after all...

Reika had the money, wealth, and looks to whatever she wanted. To Dine in lavish restaurants, drive her sportscar without a care of the authority's, or just have the pleasure of breaking someone's face. Something she did regularly, to calm her rage, and growing boredom in weaker opponents, by taking a little time off to observe the fray...

"Uh huuuuuuh." Akashi grinned widely and continued to hold out her hand. "You're coming back to Tokyo and back to Friction and if I don't get a phone call from you, telling me about how Johnny was all for moving to Tokyo, then maaaaybe I'll slip down to Kyoto when you're all busy and have a little chitty chat with him." Akashi stuck out her tongue again.

Akashi shook her head and guzzled down more of her beer. "I don't know what that stuff is, you're right. But, what the hell?" She pouted. "I know what FUN is!" She nodded. "I mean, we're having fun NOW, aren't we?" Akashi then looked around. "Though, I expected a little more activity. I didn't even get goosed on the way in." Akashi shrugged. "Must be a slow night."

"Uh huh," Taylor said, and rolled her eyes.

"Kashi, I've explained it before... but it's tough to explain. We can watch this documentary tonight if Cassie's still asleep later, and if you're still upright enough." She stood up out of the booth. She was wearing a tight, navy blue tank top and tight skinny jeans with a studded black belt and her Doc Martens, a black hair elastic around her wrist and her blonde hair loose around her shoulders.

"Okay, moving in this might be hard," she said, as she began to limber up. She pushed a table out of the way and cleared a space big enough, and took a moment to compose herself with her feet spread wide apart and her arms out. She twisted one way, and then all at once she was airborne. She threw herself into a butterfly kick, then a cartwheel, and then a standing backflip flash kick, her legs splitting front and back in the air, landing on one leg and kicking up into another. She didn't quite finish the second flip and managed to land on her hands and knees. She jumped back up with a grin at Akashi.

"The jeans make it harder," she said, and took a deep breath. "And it's already pretty hard." She grabbed her beer from the table and took a sip while she casually glanced around at the bar crowd. Her performance drew some hoots and some applause, and finally the two had some attention. She slid back into the booth and put her boots up on the table with her legs crossed.

"Okay, now you try." She laughed.