準備いい?
Getting Ready:
A "Sukeban" Ichiko RP
Author's note: dialogue in <> is spoken in Japanese.
August 3, 2021 - 11:30 PM
Manchester, England
A well traveled motorbike roars down the city streets, nothing more than a blur to anyone who might catch a glimpse of it. Its rider had elected to take a bit of a joyride after leaving work for the evening, and was just now on the way home. The lower parts of her long red coat flap wildly in the wind with hints of gold embroidered kanji characters just barely visible. Though she had given in and finally started regularly wearing a helmet, the movement of air around her and the speed of the bike were still freeing. They were old friends of hers going back to her first real discoveries of the true woman inside her. After spending the better portion of this evening indoors it was exactly what she needed.
Ichiko turns a corner and slows her bike as the modest apartment building appears in her field of vision. It doesn’t matter so much to her if she catches attention from unwanted people; she honestly couldn’t care what they think. She’s used to telling those people off and giving them a real good idea what will happen if they don’t. The street is a bit narrower here though. Going too fast isn’t going to be good for her bike. A lot of work has been put into it and she really doesn’t want to have to scrounge for more parts if it should get damaged. Plus the noise of a bike at high speed might wake up the one person around here whose opinion she gave any consideration. Better to ease back on the fun of riding than cause a scene with her.
The whole process of parking and heading up to the apartment was complete within a couple of moments. She was starting to feel her body slowing down, a sure warning sign that she ought to be crashing soon. If that was going down she sure as hell will at least be comfortable when it happens. Ichiko pauses at her door when the sound of nearby footsteps reaches her ears. Having had a fight earlier, her senses are still vigilant enough to set off a mental warning even in her fatigue. At first she thinks it must be a neighbor, but the steps are too close for that. Ichiko scowls as she presses an ear to her door - sure enough they’re coming from the other side.
Ichiko: <”That’s weird, Sawa’s always asleep this time of night.”>
Ichiko fully expects that someone unexpected and unwelcome is in her home. If they are they’re about to be in a world of hurt. Her movements are pure instinct as she pulls the door open. A shot of adrenaline courses through Ichiko as she marches into the apartment ready for another fight. Kari Bandari hadn’t really been enough to sate her appetite for battle anyway. Ichiko’s eyes scan the living room as she makes all kinds of plans to thrash the fool who dares to mess with her place. Suddenly she spots a human shape out of the corner of her eye. She immediately spins around with a fist cocked and finds… someone unexpectedly familiar instead.
Sawako: <”Easy there. I’m retired, remember?”>
Ichiko lowers her hand and slowly her posture relaxes from battle ready to casual.
Ichiko: <”Yeah, and I’m not complaining.”>
She takes in the sight of Sawako in her mismatched pajamas and scoffs a little.
Ichiko: <”What’re you still doin’ up?”>
Sawako just chuckles a little at that. Ichiko grins despite herself.
Sawako: <”Waiting for you, silly. It’s the first time you’ve worked in a while.”>
Ichiko leans forward, her forehead almost touching Sawako’s.
Ichiko: <”Oh? Is someone worried about me?”>
There’s a very awkward moment as the two stare into each other’s eyes intensely. Then Ichiko’s grin widens as Sawako suddenly looks down at the floor. Ichiko has done this many times before just to see the other woman’s reaction. Usually it’s priceless and this is no exception. Sawako has a bit of rosiness in her cheeks and for Ichiko, that is a prize worth as much as a free spirited ride about town. She laughs as she steps further into the apartment and takes off her coat.
Ichiko: <”Well don’t worry, I won. Beat her down pretty well too. The Sukeban is in business.”>
She hangs her coat on the back of a chair and looks back at her companion. Sawako’s blush has died down a bit and concern has replaced it on her face. Ichiko rolls her eyes - here comes the lecture.
Sawako: <"But it was just a try-out match right? Did you need to-”>
Ichiko shrugs as she interrupts.
Ichiko: <”That’s what I do. She could’ve put up more of a fight though.”>
Sawako starts to say something but stops herself before any words escape her lips. They’ve had this kind of conversation before and arguing the point never gets very far with Ichiko. When she starts to look Ichiko up and down instead, the Sukeban sighs. She figures that she’s being inspected for any signs of injury. Her roommate really did worry too much about that. Even if she’s been banged up a bit in the ring it wasn’t likely to be worse than the fallout of gang brawls she’d been involved in. But Sawako surprises her by just raising an eyebrow after completing her inspection.
Sawako: <”You seriously wore that outfit home? You know it looks kind of weird out in public right?”>
Ichiko’s hand brushes against her top, the stitching reminding her that she was still in her ring gear. She smirks.
Ichiko: <”And who the hell cares what they think? Only thing I care about is what you think.”>
Sawako’s cheeks get a little rosier and Ichiko walks over to her. She playfully places a hand on Sawako’s shoulder and winks.
Ichiko: <”And I know for a fact that you love it.. It’s written all over your face.”>
Ichiko gives her roommate’s shoulder a pat before heading to the bedroom. While her match might not have been very challenging, she does still feel a bit sore. Nothing that a good rest wouldn’t fix. She lets herself topple over onto the mattress and closes her eyes as the remaining energy flows out of her. Eventually the mattress’ weight distribution shifts as a certain someone else takes her place on its other half. The last thoughts that cross Ichiko’s mind are fleeting and of home. Sawako is all she has left of home besides her coat.. And that’s good enough for her.
August 14, 2021 - 10:15 AM
Mad Manx’s Gym, Manchester, England
Ichiko: <”Don’t hold back, Sawa! You’re getting me ready for a real rumble.">
She is standing across the sparring ring from her roommate, training partner, outfitter and girlfriend. It is hardly a glamorous, exclusive training facility to any logical extent of those words. The place is chiefly a boxing gym that just so happens to have a couple of rings that are suitable for Ichiko’s purposes. This ring has a mismatched patch that haphazardly covers a hole near the center of the mat. Some dark discoloration is still just barely visible from underneath the patch, suggesting whatever had caused it is probably better left unknown. In Ichiko’s corner the padding has some chunks missing as if some unknown creature has taken little munches out of it. Most noticeable of all the place has the unmistakable smell of sweat and blood in the air; the scents are tinged with the sharp notes of some kind of cleaning agent. All in all the kind of place Ichiko only trains in because it’s the best of a slew of undesirable options.
Sawako: <”Okay, but..”>
Sawako's words drop off, but the concern on her face fills in the rest of the sentence. Ichiko relaxes her posture to a resting one and rolls her eyes.
Ichiko: <”What did I tell you last week? I’ll be just fine. With what I’m walking into on the 22nd, I’ve got to be be sharp.”>
Sawako stands there staring at Ichiko for a few moments, the concern still palpable from her posture. Ever since Ichiko’s signing with IIW her roommate has been like this - overprotective is a word that comes to mind. Knowing that Sawako’s heart is in the right place keeps Ichiko from calling her out too harshly though. Ichiko is just as vigilant about Sawako staying safe, really. When it’s clear that Ichiko means to have a serious sparring session though, Sawako sighs and shifts her stance to a ready position. The ease with which Sawako does so stirs something within Ichiko. At this moment she doesn’t know just what it is, so she places that thought on the back burner and gets herself ready.
The two women circle each other, Ichiko keeping a close eye on her partner’s body language. Sawako has told her that she’s reviewed what video she could find on both Dracona and Chelsea Chaingang to make Ichiko’s sparring matches as accurate as they can be. Part of Ichiko has serious doubts about the other woman’s ability to mimic the sort of hard hitting opponents she’s going to face soon. Save for a bar brawl or something similar this is the closest thing she’s liable to get, so Ichiko has accepted such limitations.
Suddenly Sawako closes the distance across the ring and starts throwing fists with a real determination on her face. Ichiko takes a few blows before side stepping and landing a light knee to knock Sawa off balance. They do this kind of back and forth a number of times, Ichiko focusing on counters to the moves being thrown at her. Eventually Sawako moves to faster paced attacks, including some high flying offense which Ichiko does her best to counter with hard strikes. Or at least what will be hard strikes when she's in the ring with her two opponents in a few days. She goes easy on Sawako, lest she hurt the woman she so desperately wants to keep safe from harm.
Toward the end of their ring reservation time, the two are so focused on their simulated match that it’s almost become a real one. Ichiko ducks a leaping bulldog attempt by Sawako and winds up for a Razor Whip. Surprisingly Sawako not only lands on her feet after missing but also rolls through Ichiko’s attempted lariat. As Ichiko swings her arm through the air instead of at her opponent, Sawako rolls on her back and loops her legs under the Sukeban’s arms! Suddenly Ichiko falls on her back, pinned to the mat with a surprise roll up attempt! She kicks out of the attempt and manages to get into position for Bad End! Before locking it in Ichiko remembers herself and lets go. The two of them lay there on the mat for a bit, sweating buckets from the exertion of going full speed for the better half of the training session.
Ichiko is the first one to sit up, a smile starting to spread across her lips. This session has been pretty productive as far as she is concerned. It was bound to be hard to prepare for two women she had yet to see in action, in person. From everything that she does now know both Dracona and Chelsea are rough fighters not unlike herself. From different backgrounds for sure but both seem to have that killer instinct and edge to them which a lot of newcomers tend to lack. It isn’t going to be some carefree beatdown like Kari Bandari had been on Combat. Sawako giving this her all was a good thing in that respect - Ichiko needed to be going at least close to full speed to make sure she was ready for the impending chaos of a three way dance. Chaos and violence. The thought of both is as much a reason to smile as the training session had been. Finally, the kind of battle she can sink her teeth into!
Sawako sits up just after this thought crosses Ichiko’s mind. The way the other woman looks at her tells her everything that she needs to know. Slightly furrowed eyebrows and the hints of a frown on those lips could only mean that the concern is back. Maybe Ichiko has let her hungry anticipation for a good fight break through to her own expression. The Sukeban shrugs a little and scoots closer to Sawako, slipping her arm around the other woman. Better to get to the root of this right now than to let Sawako worry herself into a ball of nerves.
Ichiko: <”Okay, so you’re still worried. You’re really bad at hiding that, you know.”>
She gives her partner a little squeeze in the side hug.
Ichiko: <”What’s up?”>
Sawako opens her mouth as if to say something, then closes it just as quickly. This too has happened before. Ichiko figures that her girlfriend’s concerned about something but is afraid that expressing it will just make her upset. To try and ease the tension a bit Ichiko pats Sawako’s shoulder and smiles a little bit more. This seems to work, as now the other woman finds her words.
Sawako: <”So.. I’m afraid of you getting too into this fight. You said that you didn’t get enough of one from your first match, and usually you go extra hard in the next one when that happens. I just don’t want you to get badly hurt out there.”>
Sawako’s concern is still clear, but getting the words out seems to help a little. Ichiko nods in response and tries to think of a way to put these concerns to bed without just creating bigger ones. Pain is something she causes to the women who were put in the ring with her. Not something she causes her girlfriend.
Ichiko: <”Okay, yeah.. It’s going to be a bigger challenge than I’ve had in a while. From what I’ve seen, both of them mean business.. And both of them are absolutely tough bitches. You don’t get those reputations from nothing..”>
She waits until Sawako is looking her in the eyes before she continues.
Ichiko: <”So to make you feel better, lemme break it down for you. One of them is Dracona. A hell of a resume when you look at it - trained by legends from all around her home.. prefecture? State? Doesn’t matter. People back home might think she’s hot stuff but you know what? I’m pretty sure that she’s just resting on the achievements of other, better competitors because she has nothing to show for herself. Sure she knows a lot of moves, how to target your body and break it down systematically. It makes her dangerous.">
An intensity fills the air as Ichiko begins to hash things out for Sawako. It quickly manifests in the form of tensed muscles as the words flow.
Ichiko: <”But she’s never walked into the tsunami of chaos and violence that she’s going to face in this match. All that training, all those years of preparation? They're worth exactly nothing when she locks up with me. I’m going to pulverize her into a paste so fine you could use it as a topping on a Philly cheese steak. Getting her ass beat by me is going to be way more of an education than any amount of training she’s gotten from washed up has-beens.”>
There’s a fire in Ichiko’s eyes as she talks about the fight to come. Every phrase she speaks stokes it, makes it stronger and more furious. More menacing. Sawako listens, eyes wide with concern but unable to look away as Ichiko continues to speak.
Ichiko: <”And then there’s the matter of a certain pit fighter. Chelsea f’in Chaingang. Dracona’s dangerous for her technique but this girl.. She’s way crazier and violent. An unpredictable hard hitter who drinks in the violence of a fight just like yours truly. I almost want to respect her. Almost. She’s gonna be hell to go toe to toe with because she can swing from one extreme to another at any time. And that chain.. Oh baby that chain is something I’d use in a street fight myself. The problem she’s going to face is that she's out of her depth now. Beat up all the people you want in dingy basements that smell like death and can fit maybe a dozen people. Even with the ring experience she does have won’t save her.”>
Now her expression shows a tinge of unhinged glee as she continues to speak.
Ichiko: <”Because despite all that I am the most dangerous woman she’s ever stepped in the ring with. I'm the crazy bitch who headed a squad of just eight girls who rode into the turf of the biggest damn biker gang in Japan. Who laughed at every hit she took, relished in the pain and violence and waded through the blood of the toughest women to ever don a pair of boots.. just to make a point. I do what I want, when I want, to who I want. Chelsea better damn well realize that what I want on August 22nd is to dismantle her convict ass piece by piece. Every time she hits me I’m just going to get wilder, more fired up than before. She's going to tap out in the middle of that ring because of the brutality I unleash on her. Because her body will be in the most agony she’s ever felt in her miserable life. When I’m done, whatever’s left of her can go back to where she belongs - entertaining the plague rats and drunks in some backwater hell hole.”>
Sawako blinks in surprise at the passion filling Ichiko’s every word. Slowly the exultation of describing impending violence recedes as Ichiko refocuses her mind. The psychotic glee gives way too something a measure softer and saner. While she’s not sure that her words have helped assuage any of Sawako’s concerns, Ichiko does feel more confident than ever about her future in IIW. For now though, time to lighten the mood. Ichiko tries flashing a confident grin and it does bring out a slight smile from her girlfriend.
Sawako: <"Well, you clearly love what you’re doing. I’m still worried for you, but it is nice to see you so excited for something.”>
Ichiko laughs out loud at the comment. Her voice is filled with pure joy as she responds.
Ichiko: <”Yeah I do love a good fight, and a good opportunity. Beating two women like Dracona and Chelsea Chaingang is going to put me on the IIW map. It’s going to show the whole world the Sukeban spirit; it’s going to prove to everyone watching that I am the woman to fear on First Class. That whole locker room will get put on notice that I will wreck every last one of them if that’s what I feel like. But there is one thing that I love more than the thought of all the carnage I’m going to cause.">
She leans over and brushes her cheek against Sawako’s.
Sawako: <”What’s that?”>
Ichiko: <”You, of course.”>
Sawako’s worried look lingers for a second, but then she can no longer keep a straight face. Despite all the potential for harm to her girlfriend, Sawako smiles in response to the affection in Ichiko’s voice. Ichiko seems to have addressed the worries enough for now. The Sukeban pulls Sawako even closer and holds her for a while. Yet that curiosity from before bubbles up in Ichiko’s thoughts again. She’s been intimately close to this woman often enough that she can tell there’s something different. There’s more tone to Sawako’s muscles than Ichiko has felt in a good while. Now that she thinks about it, that's been increasing gradually for the past few months. Add to that the fact that Sawako was really crisp in the ring during this training session and the answer starts falling into place.
Ichiko: <”Now I want to know something, Sawa. You’ve been training haven’t you? You haven’t been in this kind of shape since we both left Queendom.”>
It's just a curious observation, but Sawako takes just a beat too long to avoid an awkward pause. Ichiko raises an eyebrow at this and Sawako blushes a little before finally offering an answer.
Sawako: <”I-It’s not what you’re thinking. I just felt like I needed to get out keep myself in better shape. Since you’re having matches again I thought it would be good to be able to keep up with you too. You might not be prepared if I didn’t..”>
Ichiko laughs at that and stands up with Sawako. For a moment she forgets that she is in a run down ring in a questionable gym; she’s transported back to Tokyo. Starfest, the marquee pay per view event for Queendom Joshi Pro Wrestling. The main event was set to be the finale of a grand trilogy of matches between Sukeban Ichiko and the ace of Queendom, Sawako Nakada. Thousands cheering loudly for their chosen favorite, decidedly a majority in favor of Sawako. Yet the bell rings and instead of trading blows.. Ichiko shakes the memories out of her thoughts. All that remains is the knowledge of what happened next at Starfest, and what she does now as well. WIthout care for who might be watching she leans in and kisses Sawako Nakada on the lips passionately. A good few moments later she pulls away and grins.
Ichiko: <”Okay, no problem. Just don’t push yourself too hard there. Remember, I’m the wrestler, not you. You don’t have anything to prove to me, Sawa.”>
She steps back and stretches her arms out over her head.
Ichiko: <”So are you coming to see my big moment? The night that Sukeban Ichiko roars onto an international stage?”>
Sawako finally smiles back.
Sawako: <”I’ll do my best to be there in person. If not I’ll watch on a stream if there is one.. I do have a business meeting that might be that night, but I don’t know for sure. I’ll let you know.”>
A business meeting? Ichiko finds it a little peculiar that her girlfriend would have such a thing in the evening, but it doesn’t seem out of the question entirely. Recently Sawako has been expressing a desire to get into designing ring gear for more than just Ichiko. Part of Ichiko jealously wishes to keep the woman’s creative genius to herself, but they do have bills to pay. Besides, Sawako enjoys the work and has said she wants to get a livelihood of her own going again. It isn’t like the former ace of Queendom Joshi Pro has any thoughts of stepping into the ring again.
Ichiko: <”Ah. Well, I really hope you’re there to see it. It would mean a lot to me. Plus you'll get to see me be generous by giving Dracona and Chelsea Chaingang a gift. Pretty simple, summarized in one word.”>
She waits a beat before following up on that. As she speaks, Ichiko’s face contorts with the relish of violence she gets when a fight is imminent.
Ichiko: <”Pain.”>
The Sukeban has a look which threatens brutality, and Sawako takes Ichiko’s hand in hers. Ichiko doesn’t see the concern returning to the other woman’s face, just some mental images of the carnage she expects will play out on First Class. The stories that will be told are going to be how despite tangling with two of the most dangerous newcomers in IIW, Sukeban Ichiko had her hand raised high at the end. And they will start to forget about the failure that had been the last Nishi to step into a foreign ring.
