Good Deed Queen - (Open)

[Fairy Dragon]

Kyoko didn't stop even when her hand was clearly bothering Kat, but she did stop soon after to continue pulling her back up to her feet. Her lack of care didn't help Kat's mood even when she was cooperating with it to not make it difficult, and she was willing to take the cuffs off when Kat moved around enough to put them in front of her. "Oh right..um...I think I told Kirie to chuck the keys to that somewhere." Kyoko said nervously. After a few seconds she couldn't keep her face and started to chuckle before pulling out the key and doing what she was asked.

"Kirie would love to see you wear them more, she actually did pick those out and while she's lazy half the time she does have a good eye for the job." Kyoko said. She didn't know how to respond to the rest of it, the fact that Kat would offer that kind of thing and her thinking that the whole plan was a bit much for her made Kyoko think she was getting to something that Kyoko didn't really feel like talking about. "How would that conversation start? Given we're not friends me walking up to you to ask to beat your stomach isn't something you ask people who don't like you. Sure my friends might say yes to that but none of them are in the country right now." Kyoko said trying to avoid the question until she could think of an answer, once Kat brought the thought up she knew the Super Kitty wouldn't drop it so the only way to avoid it was to spin a half truth to avoid outright lying, chances are she wasn't good at those. "I told you most of the problem already, the rest is something I can handle by myself." Kyoko said, not denying that something was wrong knowing that she couldn't.

[winner3]

Kat had been an unwilling participant in Kyoko's stress relief. She was none too happy about how things played out. But her foremost concern after Akan was through with her was addressing the circumstances that brought this on in the first place. Though despite her questions, she quickly worked out that Kyoko wouldn't exactly be open with her.

Kat shook out her wrists and hands to loosen them up after having been handcuffed. She had listened intently to Kyoko. Despite being rather cross with the purplette, the luchadora did express genuine concern. Part of Kat really wanted to lash out, given how absurd the circumstances here were. But she contained herself. She had experienced enough awkwardness in the fitting room for one day.

"Okay. Then handle it yourself. But don't you dare act like this is the only way you could have vented. Do you think I prefer being handcuffed and assaulted over an awkward conversation about you wanting to rope me into your tummy punching habits?!" Hart raised an eyebrow in annoyance. Her ranting was interrupted, however. Kat let out a very quick, sharp exhale! Her face contorted with pain. She covered her exposed abs.

"Forget it! I should get out of here before any bruising starts to show...." Kat would roll her shoulders and collect herself. Once she was composed, she went for the door to be changing room. She held it open for Kyoko.

"And for the record, I don't dislike you. I just don't respect you. It's not quite the same thing. Just...ask next time. You'd save us both a lot of trouble. I'm sure Kirie's conscience isn't as clear as yours right now." The buxom, masked woman would complain as she tried to herd Kyoko out of the fitting room. Kat expected pushback on her comments but she figured Kyoko might be taken aback enough by her insistence on getting consent. Perhaps Kyoko would let it slide. Kat would look to double-check that she had her phone and her original set of clothes before following Kyoko out the door and down the halls.

"Anyways, let's get downstairs. I'll pay for everything and we don't ever have to speak of this again. Can you ring me up? Or do you not work the register?" Hart would inquire as she made her way for the stairs, presumably with Kyoko.

[Fairy Dragon]

The beating and understanding the two may have reached today would not loosen Kyoko's lips up to the rest of the story, especially since she didn't trust Kat to not use it at some point later on. Kyoko knew enough about people to know you don't give enemies who don't respect you fuel they can use later, even if they claimed to be the kind of people who would never use it that way. "Most people don't, that's why they get roped in." Kyoko said, not bothering to care how much it still bothered Kat. It was over and nothing more could be added to it, she did keep an eye on Kat when the pain she was in caused her to exhale in pain, but once she was moving again Kyoko was soon to follow. Kirie was outside keeping watch and jumped when she saw Kat opening the door, worried she might be in trouble. Kyoko must've sensed her being tense because instead of addressing Kat directly she pointed at Kirie first. "You start training in a week that should be long enough for me to sign you up with all the necessary paperwork. Keep in mind you'll be a young lioness first." Kyoko said. Kirie's concern nearly melted away as she looked shocked before she started to smile and jump up in joy. "Oh my gosh really! This is so great I'm going to learn how to wrestle I can't wait! I..." Between the tired look Kyoko had and the fact that Kat was still there Kirie found herself stopping and blushing, realizing now wasn't the best time to gush over this. "Um... Akiko's going to be fine right?" She asked since that was still on her mind but Kyoko brushed her off. "I told you I'd handle it. Trust me no one's going to get on Akiko's case for this." Kyoko assured and it seemed to be enough for Kirie, who after a nod and another remorseful glance at Kat shuffled away in a mix of joy and worry since she now had another few problems to think on.

"Offering to train her was pretty much the only way she agreed to do this. She's been dying to try out at LAW for almost a year." Kyoko said, but couldn't figure out why. Maybe she thought it would make Kat go easy on her when she was actually there, but Kyoko really couldn't think of a single reason she felt like explaining things for Kirie's sake. She ignored Kat's talk about asking because she didn't really care if she was disliked, what bothered her was the lack of respect. Kyoko was always open about how she felt she was owed respect for her work in the ring and could have preached again about it now, but they had to leave she didn't want anyone hearing and she didn't feel like making Kat angry and making her reconsider the arrangement of not talking about Akiko's story in a negative way. "I can work anything in here, follow me and I can get you ringed up." Kyoko said taking Kat where they needed to go, which was thankfully not very busy, any customers were away from the checkout and Akiko was busy talking to someone that she and Kat could handle the sell without interruption. The Belly Queen worked the station the same way she had done since she worked here as a teenager, quickly getting everything set up for Kat to make it quick and without saying much to leave them in a bit of silence but right now it seemed she preferred silence.

[winner3]

Kat certainly wasn't happy. But she wasn't about to lash out or vent her frustrations right there in the store, even if she may have been well within her rights to.

She had placed a hand over the affected areas of her abs when she was making for the door, but upon leaving the fitting room, Hart perked herself up and showed no signs of being hurt on the surface. Hart did all she could to come across as completely unbothered. Even seeing Kirie didn't provoke a reaction from her. In fact, the luchadora smiled when she saw Kirie express excitement over her training to begin her wrestling career.

When the clerk expressed concern over Akiko, Kat gave her a reassuring nod to accompany Kyoko's assurance that all would be well with Akiko and Macaque's Athletics.

"Heh, I guess I could find some sorta solace in that...." Kat responded to Kyoko. The reasoning didn't justify the attack, of course. And like Kyoko, Kat couldn't figure out why Kyoko chose to share what she did, either.

But Hart was naturally chatty. And knowing that Kirie agreed to be an accomplice, not out it malice, but out of a desire to join LAW, did make Hart feel at least slightly better.

"I might have my opinions on you, but you would make for a good trainer for her. Maybe even a good sparring partner as well. Your body types are similar enough."

The pair moved quickly. Before too many words could be exchanged, they were already back on the first floor and near the registers. When Kat inquired about checking out, Kyoko confirmed she could take care of her. After double-checking that she had all her items, Kat joined Kyoko at the cash register. The two of them were on the same wavelength about the sale needing to happen quickly. Any poking or prodding from Akiko might complicate things. Kat still wasn't visibly bruised but there was some redness on her core and she was praying that other discolorations wouldn't follow anytime soon.

Kat was prepared to silently pay and go, but as Kyoko worked the machine and scanned the items, the luchadora spied something from the corner of her eye. Her mind raced at a mile a minute when she saw it.

The truth was that Macaque's was more of a passion project than it was a business. The store was barely staying afloat, if it even was at all. Akiko was not the type of woman that would take donations. If she was, Kyoko definitely would have bailed them out of any financial trouble. And if she wouldn't take money from Kyoko, Akiko certainly wouldn't accept financial assistance from Kat.

"Hold on." Kat would reach for a store gift card that was by the register.

A gift card that could only be used at Macaque's would, by design, boost profits while helping them move merchandise. And there were transactions involved. The acts of buying the card and redeeming it could all be tracked on the books. There would be a paper trail. This technically wouldn't be a donation. With all this in mind, Kat placed the gift card on the counter.

Even if the act might have perplexed Kyoko at first, she knew Kyoko would catch onto her sooner rather than later. Hart would reach for the rest of the stack of gift cards and place them on the counter as well.

"I want these. All of these. Matter of fact, if you have any in the back, I want those as well." Kat made eye contact and spoke calmly but her intent came across in her tone of voice.

[Fairy Dragon]

With Kirie off thinking about what she would do next, Kyoko had to handle the exchange with Kat so that the Super Kitty could leave without drawing more attention to what happened between them. Now she had more stuff to do when she got back, and thankfully this day was almost over meaning she wouldn't have to deal with any annoying customers who came solely to bug her. Kat's words were the only thing to bring her out of her thinking, since she actually bothered to compliment her on her ability to teach people or at least be the right size for sparring with Kirie. "I've tried to be a good coach to anyone who wants to learn, part of my plan for the future is having a gym to help people, even fangirls like Kirie learn to wrestle." Kyoko said just to kill the silence and make the walk less awkward. Thankfully they moved with a quick enough pace that they got to the register fast enough to avoid anyone and Kyoko could start getting her clothes scanned before Kat told her to wait, quickly grabbing a few gift cards and then asking for the rest, even the ones they hadn't put on the counter or shelves yet. She eyed the purchase curiously, even as her mind started to work out why she would want them. If she had done this Akiko would doubt the validity of the purchase, but with Kat doing it, well Akiko couldn't easily brush it off like she could from Kyoko.

"I'll be right back." Kyoko said before she turned and left to go and see if they did have any more. By this point a few had been taken already but even now Kyoko was able to find two more packs of them where they had them and brought them back to Kat without Akiko knowing she was there, she was thankful that Akiko must have been personally attending to someone else or else she would have seen them started asking questions. "There. That many cards could nearly match the purchase of the clothes. Are you paying by cash or card?" Kyoko said, that last part coming out like it had been rehearsed as the price popped up for Kat to see, whatever her thoughts she had on Kat's idea were being kept close to her and she was keeping herself civil for the sake of them getting it done and leaving.

[winner3]

Kyoko's vision for her future in opening a wrestling gym or perhaps school was something that resonated with Kat. The Super Kitty didn't plan to do anything similar for a long, long time, but Kat could certainly see herself doing the same after retiring someday. But that was the far future, and this was the present.

"Take your time...." Kat said with a half-smile as she waited for Kyoko to check for more gift cards. She occasionally subtly glanced towards Akiko, hoping and praying that the business owner would be too tied up to find time to interfere with this transaction.

Kat let out a small but noticeable sigh of relief when Kyoko came back without Akiko noticing. It was perhaps the one and only time she would ever be happy to see Akan. Kat took the gift cards and bagged them herself along with the clothes.

"Card. Saves you the trouble of looking for change." Hart answered.

She had full intention of distributing these gift cards to other wrestlers that might be looking for gear or services from a place like Macabre's. Regardless of Kyoko's thoughts on the matter, Kat wanted to do what she could.

Should the transaction go smoothly, Kat would look to be on her way.

"Thanks..." She'd say to Kyoko before grabbing the bag of gift cards and her personal effects and waving silently to Akiko as she made her way toward the door.

It was an interesting outing, to say the least. Kat had an interview scheduled with Alaina Sanders and Lexy Alan the very next day. But Kyoko saw to it that Kat wouldn't make it there without a very sore core.

[Fairy Dragon]

Without much thought Kyoko took the card and went through the process as quickly as possible. She wasn't expecting anymore issues and she wanted Kat gone quickly so she could get the whole thing behind her. The strange truce that came from beating up Kat was likely never going to be brought up again, and part of Kyoko felt bad she was relying on it to let off some steam when she risked screwing up her helping Akiko to do it. The fact that it wasn't going to was a big relief for her, and once she handed Kat the card from the finished transaction she just nodded her head at Kat's thanks before she watched her leave. Shortly after she did leave Akiko would come by Kyoko.

"Only a few left now. Hope being your best wasn't a heavy burden on you 'Queen'." Akiko said with a laugh, which Kyoko awkwardly laughed with as well. "It was tough...but I managed to not burn the place down." Kyoko said. "I did see some customers messing with you, I'm sorry that happened but I am glad you didn't make a scene, it doesn't matter if someone deserved it we have to stay professional. You could due to keep that lesson for wrestling." Akiko said while Kyoko snorted. This was not something she was going to keep doing and many people did not deserve the courtesy she gave everyone besides Kat tonight. "Will it be enough?" "I have to double check but I think we sailed past the number we needed a few hours ago. I don't expect business to be like this every day but if I get anywhere close to this number every month I'll be in business for a long time." Akiko said and pulled the now smiling Kyoko close into a hug which Kyoko allowed. She was happy for her..but found herself wondering what kind of person she was for putting all that in jeopardy in the first place..