If You Do It, Do It Right

Rei laughed when Taylor showed off a few moves of her own and even winked at her. She grinned, it certainly was nice to bust a move and loosen up every once and a while. She felt as if something was lifted from her shoulders as she shut her eyes for just a moment. Hearing Taylor's question, Rei opened her eyes again and without hesitation answered her.

"No." Rei said simply.

She told herself that she didn't have the luxury of admitting that even if she did think there was someone she couldn't beat. Defeat was always one thought away, it made the difference between being strong and being weak. The memories of being choked out by her old rival were still fresh in her mind. She had certainly come a long way from being a low card nobody but she still wouldn't stop until she knew she reached the strongest version of herself. When she eventually did want to retire, she told herself that she would do so without a single regret not because she gave in to the pressures around her. She told herself the world wouldn't crush her, she would crush it.

"Nope..." Rei said repeating her answer as she continued to dancing with a grin on her face. "So, I have a question for you too. What made you decide to comeback? I mean, you know! What motivated you the most to that decision? I mean you're married, you've had a reputable career and you've made a mark here. So why? It's not exactly an easy thing to do. Please, don't misunderstand me, I'm happy to see that you're back. It's just been killing me."

Taylor gave Rei a sly little smile, as if she had known that question was coming. It was a hard question to answer, really, but Taylor had thought more about that than anything else lately. If she didn't have an answer to fully satisfy herself, she wouldn't have done it. But she had an answer.

"Before, I had to fight because I was scared of getting... hurt." She said, her blue eyes thoughtfully staring off. "Ya know, like... of what people would do to you if you couldn't stop them. And when I realized that I was safe, and I didn't have to fight, I stopped."

She kept dancing, and wore a big, infectious smile. "So like, I had a year now to do whatever I wanted, and I did a lot of stuff, but... I had a year with a really amazing husband supporting me, and my friends to back me up, and I think they helped me figure out that it's okay to just be... me. Ya know? Is that cheesy?" She laughed it off. "And this is me. This is what I do, and there's nothing else like it. And it's not about beating people up and trying to hurt them, it's about..." She looked down and stopped dancing while she looked for the words. "Not holding back." She said, and nodded. She resumed moving to the music.

"I think... I want people to see me fight, and like... work a little harder the next day, and maybe try things they were scared to do before, and think that maybe anything's possible if you don't hold back." She shrugged. "Maybe that's really stupid, I dunno."

Rei nodded thoughtfully as she had a slightly better insight into who Taylor really was. She was a little surprised that Taylor got scared or she admitted that she got scared. She had mentally block herself from all fear and doubt ignoring them before she fought but she never faced them head on like Taylor had or even admitted that she had fears or doubts, even to herself.

"No not at all, I totally understand, Taylor. It's not cheesy to people who understand failure." Rei said with a sobering smile. "I don't wanna bore you with my life story but from my experiences, I can only offer one bit of advice. How do I say this... you're right in saying you shouldn't hold back but I know more than anyone that your best sometimes isn't enough. However, you're holding back if you let the fear or even the reality of defeat to stop you from working harder. In the end, you'd be the one holding yourself back and trust me that feels worse than a loss here and there."

Rei blinked as she continued to dance somehow this had become some weird intervention as if they had gone into some sort of focus group and decided to open their feelings to eachother. Although rei wasn't complaining, it was still a little odd though. Rei grinned at Taylor as she danced a little closer to her.

"Though... if you and I were to get in the ring. You should just lay down so I can pin you." Rei said jokingly with a mischievous expression. "I wouldn't want you to get hurt~"

"Failure? What the fuck are you-" Taylor's eyebrows shot up. Was this the same conversation?

She tried to simultaneously nod her head and shake it while Rei spoke, and the result was confusing. "Man, you don't know me at all." She grinned, and then Rei stepped in closer and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?" She protested. "Man, you so don't know me at all!" She laughed delightedly. "But be careful what you wish for, girl, because I haven't left my mark yet. You might get your shot, and your adorable little 'bad girl' vibe..." She put the words in quotes with her fingers, and shook her head. "Isn't gonna cut it."

She stood still, and her grin faded as she became more thoughtful, her eyes lingering in the pink-purple haired girl. "Ya know..." She said. She just needed to say it. "I gotta say, the first time we met, I think... You got the wrong impression. I mean, like, with my mouth. I think I picked on you a little bit, and..." She made a face like a frown, shook her head, and shrugged. "I didn't mean anything by it."

She paused, her hips unconsciously moving a tiny bit to the thud of the music. Then, suddenly, with a bright grin, she stepped into Rei and gave her a quick hug. "Good luck though, man. Ganbatte!"

And then she was off. After three stiff drinks laced with Red Bull, she was thinking about the bathroom. She wasn't sure where it was, so she retreated to the bar and followed along the wall until she found... something blue. And familiar. Underneath the sign for the bathroom and headed back into the club. Taylor didn't think about it too hard.

"Heeeeeeeey!" She called out with a big wave and a bigger grin as she approached. It was the stripper chick from the Blue Barracudas! Er... Natasha. She knew who she was. "What's up, duude?"

Rei blinks apparently they were on the same page but then again maybe she drank more than she thought. She smiled weakly a little embarassed as this left both of them very confused but she still stood by what she had thought. They didn't quite understand each other a bit better but they were certainly beginning to. At any rate, it was better then where they left off.

"Heh... Huh? Ah... my shirt." Rei said at the bad girl vibe, she looked down at her shirt and chuckled a bit. She shrugged and nodded anyway, she just put on the shirt cause she thought it looked cute.

"Oh it's no problem. I probably came off as cold near the end too. I had a wrong impression of you as well. I hope we can be friends of... some variety." Rei trailed off as they experienced a short hug that almost made Rei blush. She squeezed her back for a moment before she pulled away.

"Thanks! You too!" Rei said as she waved a cheerful goodbye as Taylor moved away.

"FIGHTING!" She said giving a fist pump in Engrish on purpose.

She watched as Taylor fade away, she herself was going to dance for a bit more. She'd go back maybe talk to a few of the other guests maybe have one more drink then hit the bed.

Some of the alcohol she had ingested earlier was beginning to wear off, leaving Natasha with a clearer head to think about what had just taken place in the restroom. Clearly there was something eating away at Akashi but despite her desire to go back and at least try to help her Natasha knew it would do more harm than good, it was obvious the woman wanted to be left alone and she would honor that wish.

She had made it no more than a few feet from the restrooms before a familiar voice shook her out of her little stupor, Natasha recognizing it immediately though it took a few seconds for her to believe her ears and unless her eyes were also lying to her that was indeed Taylor waving at her with the goofiest grin she had ever seen on the woman's face. "Well isn't this quite the surprise Captain Taylor!" She shouted back in reply putting an heavy emphasis upon the word captain, referencing the time when she was on Taylor's Temple Games team the Blue Barracudas.

Actually now that she thought about it that was the only time they had met before now, Natasha having attended a team training session with Taylor and the rest of their team. Though she recalled not enjoying Taylor's choice of words when describing hentai she couldn't remember anything else about her, so even though this wasn't their first meeting it felt like a fresh beginning, one she intended to make good use of.

"Oh nothing special, Heather told me I needed to get out of the house and go somewhere that wasn't the gym so here I am. Actually she was supposed to be here too but shes running late I guess." She answered while giving Taylor a bright smile, her eyes quickly darting between the party goers in the crowd but when she didn't see Heather she set her gaze on Taylor once more. She then took a second to look over Taylor's body but instead of letting her eyes linger on the woman's chest as she usually did she looked more closely at the woman's toned legs, arms, and stomach.

"For someone who took the last year off you're in great shape Taylor, couldn't stop from working out I bet. She said before waving over a passing server, ordering a cocktail from the woman before turning back to Taylor. "Anything you want Taylor? My treat." She asked and after she got the girl's answer she would send the serving girl off on her way to fetch the order. "But enough about me, I heard somewhere you were coming back from retirement! Is this true?"

"Thanks!" Taylor beamed, and pulled up her shirt and flexed to show off her now clearly defined abs. She was ripped! "It's easy to work out when you're a flat-chested twelve-year-old like me. I don't know how you do it!" She laughed.

"I'll have whatever she's having," she said to the waitress. She had told herself that three was probably enough for her, but... she forgot. A forth drink never hurt anyone, though, really.

"Look at you, man!" Taylor exclaimed, looking Natasha up and down. The chick definitely had the body for all the stuff she did. "God damn, dude, hold on a second." She pulled out her phone and started the camera, and then stepped in close to Natasha and put an arm around her. She got snuggly for a moment and held her phone up high, giving a devilishly sultry grin before taking the picture. She took a moment to forward the picture on to Johnny. "Annnnnnnnnnd send!"

"Okay, what was the question?" Natasha had said something... "Oh! Yeah! I'm totally back, isn't it great? I did like a speech and everything, kinda. I'm gonna kick everyone's ass, one at a time! Maybe two at a time, just to make it interesting." She stuck out her tongue and giggled. "What about you, you're like, back or whatever. What's going on?"

Natasha let out a low whistle as Taylor pulled up her shirt to show off her wash board stomach, leaning over to get a closer look at her abs before poking her in the stomach to test them for herself. "Yeap knew it, your abs are rock solid Taylor, count me a little jealous. " She said with a warm laugh while rising back to her full height, her eyes however lingered on the woman's chest as she rose up, unable to resist herself after Taylor brought up the subject, with her hands brushing along the top of her breasts to draw Taylor's eyes to them.

"Oh I don't know, your chest looks perfect on you Taylor. And I guess these do get in the way sometimes when I'm benching or whatever, but whats a girl to do right?" Natasha replied before noticing the waitress was staring at her with wide eyes, the french woman giving her a playful wink before shooing her away to collect their drinks.

Hearing Taylor she turned back around to face the woman just in time to catch her eyes roaming over her body, Natasha more than a little surprised as her memory of Taylor didn't match the woman who was currently ogling her. She wasn't about to question her though as she liked this new side she was seeing of her. "Its great hearing that from you Taylor." She let out just as Taylor took out her phone, Natasha curious so she leaned in close to find her turning the camera on. Realizing what she was doing Natasha wrapped her arm around the woman's shoulder and flashed the camera the peace sign, her other arm reaching across her body to rub Taylor's firm stomach, and of course she couldn't help but press the side of her breast up against Taylor's.

"Oh yea, you're definitely not flat chested Taylor." She said just before Taylor snapped the picture, once the picture was taken she unwrapped herself from the woman only to then open up her hand palm side up. "Here let me put my number in so you can send me a copy of that okay?" Natasha said and if Taylor agreed she would put herself into the woman's contacts and forward herself the picture.

"Oh feeling confident I see, though why stop at two at a time when I've heard four at a time is where the real fun is at! Though don't think you're gonna be kicking my ass without a fight!" Natasha said with a warm hearted laugh, sticking her tongue out at Taylor in return for a few seconds before answering her question. "Well while you were away getting ripped I've been here, living life in the AFW to its fullest! Umm lets see some highlights, well Heather and I are dating now, I just picked up my first pay per view win at Summer Splash, I've won, I've lost, and have been climbing that ladder to the top." As she spoke Natasha counted off what she had said on her hand.

"Not quite," Taylor grinned, holding up a finger. "Not quite flat, bit in AFW I'm about three sizes below average." She handed her phone over and let Natasha have her way with it. She'd probably be faster with it anyway, Taylor still wasn't very good with anything even vaguely computer-like, and she didn't want to look stupid.

She laughed along with Natasha. "Don't worry, I'd let you fight back a little." She said with a wink. Her smile faded a little, though, at the mention of Heather, but she tried not to let it show too much. She nodded along with Natasha until she finished.

"Cool, man, good stuff. I haven't been following AFW like before since I've been out of it, but good for you." Don't bring up porn, don't bring up porn. "Um... Heather? She's, uh, she's not here is she? Like... you probably know a little bit about the shit between me and her, but like, I've... never been a big fan?" She frowned, and put her hands on her hips. "I dunno, man, I just don't like her. She just seems so fake, I dunno. OH! Speaking of fake!" She brightened up. "What's up with her getting a boob job, man? I hear she got all blown up like a couple blimps in a dead heat."

Natasha planted her hands upon her hips and leaned in closer to Taylor, not stopping until her face was only a few inches from hers. "Let me huh? Well it would be interesting to see how I stack up against the original Entropy champion." She said, picking up on Taylor's dislike for Heather as the woman's smile grew fainter, leaning back away from her to give Taylor back some personal space as she felt their talk was about to grow a bit more serious.

She then listened to Taylor speak her mind about her feelings towards Heather, Natasha's cheerful grin fading away showing how uncomfortable she was with this line of discussion, but she didn't say a word to interrupt her. She waited until the woman had said her peace, shaking her head at the rumor of Heather having a boob job coming up once again, and then began to speak. "No she isn't here yet but she will be at any time. I have heard a bit from Heather but other than that I don't know much about your history with her."

She bit down upon her lower lip for a moment while she tried to find the right words for what she wanted to say next. "Well not everyone is gonna be fan of anyone, so can't fault you for not liking her. But coming from the one who knows her best let me just say she isn't fake, Heather is one of the most straight forward people I know, one of those people who wear their emotions on their sleeves for everyone to see, and her...well innocence in that area, is one of the things I love about her." She replied before letting out a deep sigh, her smile returning afterward as she tried to move onto something more cheerful.

"And Heather hasn't gotten a boob job! I don't know why but this is the second time I've heard this today, maybe its the outfits shes been wearing as of late but trust me, her breasts haven't grown since I've known her, I'd have noticed!" She said barely holding back her laughter until after she had finished, giggling for a few seconds before she shot Taylor a rather devious look, thinking she knew how to move the talk back to light natured subjects. "Oh and go ahead, it must be killing you to not have mentioned me being a porn star this entire time. Though I will let you know I have been in several more hardcore style matches."