Fox Hunting

[BlackAkuma]

”I want to go on record as saying that this is a bad idea.”

Keith sighed as he lounged back on the couch of his podcast, sitting back as his crew worked to get everything set up around them. As always, they were doing a cracker-jack job of it, getting the cameras ready, making sure the microphone was in place, and restocking all the refreshments. One of them was even shining up the flashing sign above his couch - THE FOX DEN, it read, with flashing neon red. He sat there on the big, black couch, sinking into the plush leather, as his agent -

- reminded him of a bunch of things, most of which he was already intimately familiar with.

”Tia Harris, and that other woman-”

”AKANE.”

”AKANE, right.” Aika took a break from her pacing to nod Keith’s way, then promptly resumed. ”They’re trouble. The two of them of a laundry list of bad feuds in LAW. You heard what happened with that guy recently, Severin, and that’s not out-of-character for them. If you think they’ll care about having some cameras in their face-”

Keith cut her off with a raised hand, finally getting her to stop walking laps and look his way. ”Relax. Relax. You act like this is the first time I’ve had guests who were a little dangerous. Remember that time we had that boxer on? The guy who bit that other guy’s ear off?”
T
”Yes, I do, and that was a bad idea, too.” She waved him off and placed her hands on her hips. ”You just got lucky because he just so happened to be high at the time.”

”Luck had nothing to do with it. That was strategy.” Keith was completely bullshitting, he did just luck up and get that guy while he was hazed, and even then it still looked like he could explode at any given second. ”Listen, I’ve done my homework, I know what I’m dealing with, here. I’m not these ladies’ opponent, they got no beef with me. I keep it polite, I keep it simple, they’ll keep their temperature down. Trust me.”

Aika gave him a look that told him her trust went about as far as she could throw him, but she finally acquiesced with a sigh and brought out her phone to check the time. ”It’s too late to call this off now, anyway. They’ll be here soon.” Aika hit a few notes on her phone, then looked back his way. ”Just…be careful. You’ve only started dealing with wrestlers; you’re still new to this. Not everyone’s as friendly as that Scylla chick you had on. We can be a prickly bunch.”

Keith reflexively winced at that memory and rubbed his side. There was still a little ache there, and it didn’t feel the least bit friendly. ”Don’t worry, Mom.” That always got a scowl whenever he called Aika that, and this time was no different. ”I’ll be nothing short of a gentleman, I promise.”

Keith put a hand on his heart and held up his hands, which made her roll her eyes and stroll off, giving him space before the podcast started. Keith wouldn’t lie and say he didn’t see the sense in what she was saying, but he didn't as far as he did without taking risks. Risk meant money, risk meant views. There would be LAW fans tuning in expecting something to pop off.

They would be sorely disappointed, though, since Keith had every intention of keeping this whole thing above board and did not want to antagonize the pair. He was confident he could keep things to a reasonable level.

That confidence was about to be tested, too, as his phone received a notification - someone had just pulled up to his house. Knowing they would be at the door soon, he hopped out of his car and made his way to the front of the mansion, hoping the two enjoyed the view of the place while he was on his way. Never hurt to impress his guests before they even stepped inside…

[Weonna]

A low, rumbling engine cut through the quiet of Keith’s pristine neighborhood before a sleek bike rolled to a stop just outside the mansion gates. The engine died with a sharp click.

Tia swung her leg off first.

“Blimey…”

she muttered, looking up at the place with a crooked grin.

“Mate lives in a bloody palace, yeah? Hope he’s got snacks to match.”

Behind her, Akane stepped off more quietly, adjusting her gloves with a small tug. Her eyes flicked up at the mansion…then away just as fast, like she didn’t care.

“…Too big,”

she said flatly.

“Trying too hard.”

Tia snorted, nudging her with her shoulder.

“Oi, don’t start already. We ain’t even inside yet. Be nice, yeah? Cameras and all that.”

“I am nice,”

Akane replied, crossing her arms.

“…When I want to be.”

Tia grinned wider, clearly enjoying herself already.

“Yeah? Could’ve fooled me, love.”

Akane’s eye twitched slightly at that.

“…Stop calling me that.”

“Wot, ‘love’?”

Tia leaned in, voice dropping just a bit, teasing.

“Thought you liked it.”

“I don’t.”

“Course ya don’t,”

Tia chuckled, completely unconvinced.

She reached out and grabbed Akane’s wrist, dragging her along toward the entrance before the redhead could protest further.

“C’mon, don’t go all cold on me now. We’re guests, yeah? Gotta make a good impression.”

“I didn’t agree to impress anyone,”

Akane muttered, though she didn’t pull her hand away.

“…We’re just here to talk. That’s it.”

“Yeah, yeah,”

Tia waved it off.

“You say that now. Give it five minutes, you’ll be starin’ someone down like you’re about to snap their neck.”

Akane shot her a sideways glance.

“…Only if they deserve it.”

Tia laughed under her breath.

“That’s my girl—”

“I am not your—”

Before Akane could finish, the front door opened, and both women snapped their attention forward.

Tia’s grin immediately returned, bright and cocky as ever.

“Oi! Keith, yeah?”

she called out, stepping forward like she owned the place already.

“Nice little setup you got ‘ere. Didn’t think podcast money was that good.”

Behind her, Akane stood a half-step back, posture straight, arms still crossed. Her expression stayed cool…almost bored.

“…We’re not staying long,”

she added bluntly, eyes already scanning the place like she was judging it.

Tia glanced back at her, smirking.

“Don’t mind ‘er,”

she said, jerking a thumb over her shoulder.

“She’s just got that face on all the time. Real friendly once you get to know ‘er.”

“I’m not.”

“See?”

Tia beamed.

“Adorable.”

[BlackAkuma]

Keith opened the door and was nearly bowled over as Tia came bursting in, introducing herself in the most Australian way possible. He knew enough about them to not expect subtlety, but even so, that caught him off guard, and he had to adjust for a moment as her partner came sulking in behind her - AKANE, of course. Strongly built, both of them - hell, Tia was almost his size, short a couple of inches and a few pounds. He knew she was a former power-lifter, and damned if she didn’t look the part. The redheaded Japanese woman was smaller, but fit, too, with a lean build and a look that somehow reminded Keith of a sword.

They seemed fun enough, though. He chuckled at Tia’s little joke on the less-than-impressed AKANE, and gave a solemn bow her way. [Pleasure to meet you, AKANE-san.”] He brought out a little Japanese for her, making it sound reasonably crisp and clean, at least to his own ears. Keith had been trying to learn the language for a couple of months now, and while he was far from perfect with it, he’d reached the point where he could hold a casual conversation, if need be. [“Thank you for coming by, I’ll be happy to have you as long as you like.”]

With that, he motioned for them to follow and led them along. ”Eh, podcasting’s like wrestling that way. If you’re good enough, people throw a lot of money your way.” He waved his hand in the air, towards a chandelier, as they strolled along the checkered marble floor. ”I’d say I’m pretty good.”

Halfway through the quick tour, they crossed paths with Aika, who did her best to pretend she didn’t care about their guests. Even so, Keith caught her giving AKANE a quick glare before they moved on.

The recording room wasn’t too far away, so it was a quick walk, and from the looks of things his people were putting the finishing touches on just as they entered. ”You guys want anything before we start, maybe a little something to eat, drink?” He thumbed towards a cooler off to the side of the couch, where he had some water bottles along with her own energy drink, Nexus. He pointed Tia’s way. ”Plenty in the fridge. Even got some of that Vegemite stuff if you want a taste of home, brought some back from a trip to Brisbane last week.”

Presumptuous to assume the Australian wanted Australian food? Maybe. Keith figured it was a safe bet, though. The stuff was surprisingly tasty, he was a little hooked on it.

[Weonna]

Tia stepped in like she owned the place, boots echoing lightly against the marble as she looked around with a low whistle.

“Yeah… alright, I’ll give ya that,”

she said, glancing up at the chandelier.

“You are doin’ alright for yourself, ain’t ya?”

Behind her, Akane remained composed, eyes sharp as she took everything in—the layout, the exits, the people. When Keith greeted her in Japanese, she paused…then tilted her head slightly.

“……日本語、ちょっと変です。”
(…Your Japanese is a little weird.)

She didn’t soften it. Not even a little.

“でも、頑張ってるのは分かる。”
(But… I can tell you’re trying.)

Her arms stayed crossed as she looked him over again.

“発音…まだダメ。”
(Your pronunciation… still bad.)

Tia barked out a laugh behind her.

“Oi—he just welcomed you in, and you’re already roastin’ ‘im? Give the bloke a chance, yeah?”

Akane shrugged.

“He should know.”

As they walked, Akane’s gaze suddenly shifted—locking onto Aika as they passed.

Aika’s glare didn’t go unnoticed.

Akane stopped.

“…何見てるの？”
(…What are you looking at?)

Her tone sharpened just slightly, eyes narrowing as she turned toward the assistant.

“問題ある？”
(Is there a problem?)

Tia immediately grabbed Akane by the shoulder and tugged her along before anything could escalate.

“Oi, oi—easy, tiger,”

she said with a grin, half-dragging her forward.

“That’s probably just one of his assistants, yeah? Don’t go startin’ fights before we even sit down.”

“I wasn’t—”

“Yeah, you were,”

Tia cut in, amused.

“You get that look, you’re about two seconds from swingin’.”

Akane clicked her tongue but didn’t argue further, letting herself be pulled along.

---

Once inside the recording room, though?

Tia’s attention immediately shifted.

“OI—now we’re talkin’!”

she said, making a beeline straight for the cooler.

She crouched down, popped it open, and started grabbing things without hesitation—water bottles, energy drinks, snacks—stacking them in her arms like she was prepping for a siege.

“Don’t mind if I do, yeah?”

she tossed over her shoulder, already cracking open one of the drinks.

Akane watched her in silence for a moment…then sighed.

“…You’re gluttonous.”

Tia paused mid-sip, blinking at her.

"The hell does that mean?”

“It means,”

Akane said flatly,

“you eat too much.”

Tia scoffed, taking another drink anyway.

“Yeah? And I still look better than you, so what’s your point?”

“…Debatable.”

Tia grinned.

“You been lookin’ at me that closely, yeah?”


“I haven’t.”

“Course ya haven’t,”

Tia chuckled, completely unconvinced as she flopped down onto the couch, snacks in hand like she planned to stay a while.

Akane shook her head, but eventually took a seat beside her—more composed, more reserved…though her eyes were already scanning the setup again.

“…Let’s just get this over with.”

[BlackAkuma]

Keith had to say, he was a bit surprised. And not in a bad way.

He knew AKANE and Tia had history, a long history. The two of them had been tied together for a long time in LAW, with one never too far behind the other, so a rapport was expected, but even he hadn't expected them to be this…close? Not quite the right word. But they had a fun little dynamic going on, with Tia teasing the stalwart AKANE, who was trying way too hard to let the world know she didn’t care about anything. They made a cute pair. Hell, they made a cute couple.

…weere they a couple? Like, a couple couple? He hadn't read much about that, but then, he might’ve just missed some gossip. He didn’t want to assume. Just because two gorgeous women hung out around each other a lot, it didn’t mean something was going on. But that was certainly the vibe he was picking up, and he was tempted to ask outright.

He held that temptation back, though. Best to save that for the interview, would be a great way to pick things up if interest was dropping in the latter half.

For now, he was happy to play the guest and nothing more. He smiled along as AKANE gave her critique of his Japanese. ”Room for improvement, I’ll take it. Maybe you can give me lessons sometime?” He gave her a playful wink, even though he doubted that little joke would crack the ice. No harm in chipping away, though. If he persisted, he might get a smirk out of her before they were through.

Once they were in the studio, Keith stepped back and let Tia go wild on the snacks, while he plopped down on the far side of the couch and gave them room to sit beside him, with all the space they could ask for.

Once they’d had their little mini-argument, Keith shrugged and threw his two cents. ”Please, by all means, be a glutton, take as much as you like. I’ll even let you go with a few cases of this stuff, if you want. They send me way too much for promotions, I’m happy to have it out of here.” He didn’t much care for good energy drinks, and Nexus wasn’t a good energy drink. Having his face on the bottle didn’t make it taste any better, strangely.

”So, we can start soon, I’m thinking. Pretty much a free-for-all, here. I ask questions, you answer, back and forth, we chat, relax, be cool.” He leaned back, sinking into the leather. ”Anything you want me to know before we start? Off-topic subjects, stuff you want me to avoid, something you want me to bring up? Name it.”

[Weonna]

Tia was already halfway through another drink when Keith spoke, leaning back into the couch like she’d been there a hundred times before. One arm stretched across the backrest—just behind Akane, casual as anything.

“Oi, now you’re speakin’ my language,”

she said with a grin, giving the bottle a little shake.

“Free stuff? Don’t tempt me, mate, I’ll clear you out before we leave.”

Akane glanced at the growing pile of snacks in Tia’s lap…then back at her.

“…You already are.”

Tia smirked.

“Fuel, yeah? Gotta keep the engine runnin’.”

“…You’re not an engine.”

“Could be,”

Tia shot back.

“Run people over all the same.”


Akane exhaled through her nose but didn’t push it further, shifting slightly on the couch—though notably, she didn’t move away from where Tia’s arm hovered behind her.

Keith’s question, though, got Tia’s attention.

She leaned forward a bit, resting her elbows on her knees, tone a little more grounded now.

“Yeah—keep it about wrestlin’, we’re sweet,”

she said plainly.

“Matches, rivalries, all that—no problem. That’s what we’re ‘ere for anyway.”

She shot a quick sideways glance at Akane, then back at Keith.

“Outside that?”

she shrugged.

“Depends how cheeky you feel like bein’.”

Akane’s eyes flicked toward Keith again, sharper this time.

“…プライベートは話さない。”
(We don’t talk about private matters.)

She held his gaze for a second, making it clear that wasn’t a suggestion.

“質問は…ちゃんと選んで。”
(Choose your questions carefully.)

Tia chuckled softly at that, leaning back again.

“Yeah, what she said,”

she added despite not really knowing what Akane said as Tia's Japanese is not really good, though her tone was far more relaxed.

“You keep it respectful, we’ll keep it fun. You start pokin’ where you shouldn’t…”

she tilted her head slightly, grin turning just a bit more dangerous.

“…well, you said you like takin’ risks, yeah?”

Akane didn’t smile—but there was the faintest flicker of something in her eyes. Not quite amusement… but close.

Tia clapped her hands once, breaking the tension immediately.

“Right then!”

she said, settling in comfortably.

“Let’s get this show on the road.”

[BlackAkuma]

What was the basis of any good relationship? Communication.

Some people liked to go off the cuff, with no guardrails whatsoever. That could be fine with certain guests, but in Keith’s experience, it was better to have some idea what the rules were before they played the game. And it was a game, even if it might not seem that way to an outsider. He likened it to cards - everyone had their hands, their tells, their trump cards. It was all a matter of knowing when to push and when to fold.

At least, he thought that was how Poker worked. He’d never actually played, only watched it on TV a few times.

Stay away from the private. Keep it with the matches, the rivalries, the big spots, that sort of thing. Fine. Even with his imperfect Japanese, he picked up what AKANE was putting down well enough. That being said, ‘private’ was a vague sort of word. For wrestlers, one could argue that the lines between personal and professional were blurry. That they were always on the job, in some sense, since their business often spilled out into the wider world beyond the arena.

He caught that little glint of danger in Tia’s eyes, and he could’ve sworn that AKANE brought out something akin to a real emotion. Either that, or she had to sneeze.

Kieth chewed his lip and smirked himself. Risky, indeed. ”Let’s.” His producer was already giving him the go-ahead.

”And we’re live in three, two…”

”And we are back!” Keith focused on the camera and brought out that fun, playful energy in his voice, that edge that drove the teenage demographic wild. ”I’m your host, Keith Fox, and you’re tuning in live to the Fox Den, your number one source for life, the universe and everything. If you get that reference, congratulations, you are my kind of people.”

Keith spread his arm wide, but was careful not to get into Tia’s personal space. ”Got a killer show for you today, folks. Later on we’re going to hook up with my brother, talk his upcoming boxing match against Takamura Mamuro, talk strategy with him, see how he’s getting ready for the big fight. It’s movie night, so you know I want to drop a few quick reviews on what I saw the last couple of weeks, and I’ll even be opening the lines to let y’all share your opinions, too. Don’t get too far from your phones, and if you’re on YouTube, make sure you like, share, and subscribe. Maybe leave a comment and hit the Hype button, whatever that’s supposed to do.”

Housekeeping and setup out of the way, thank God. Now, for the fun stuff. Keith turned towards Tia and AKANE as the cameras panned out, getting them all in view.

”Tonight, though, I’ve got a treat for you all - not one, but two, of LAW’s most beautiful, most dangerous, most famous - infamous? - ladies. The mound of muscle known as Tia ‘the Bomber’ Harris, and AKANE, the Evil Queen of Strong Style.” He brought his voice low for that last bit, having some fun with the title. He couldn't resist.

”My ladies, my colleagues, welcome to the show. How’re we feeling today?”

[Weonna]

Tia didn’t wait a second.

She leaned forward the moment Keith tossed it to them, flashing a wide, confident grin straight into the camera like she’d been born for this.

“Feelin’? I’m feelin’ bloody fuckin- fantastic, mate,”

she said, voice loud, lively, and full of that Aussie swagger.

“Nice setup, free drinks, good lookin’ host—can’t complain, yeah?”

She gave Keith a quick once-over with a playful smirk before leaning back again, completely at ease.

“Crowd’s probably expectin’ fireworks too, so let’s not disappoint ‘em.”

Beside her, Akane didn’t move much.

She sat upright, legs crossed, arms loosely folded—composed, still, eyes calm but sharp as they flicked toward the camera. No smile. No effort to play things up.

“…普通。”
(…Normal.)

A beat.

“…いつも通り。”
(Same as always.)

Tia turned her head slowly, staring at her like she’d just committed a crime.

“Normal?”

she echoed, incredulous.

“We’re on a podcast, yeah? Blokes and Sheilas watchin’, and that’s what you give ‘em? ‘Normal’?”

Akane didn’t even look at her.

“…You asked how I feel.”

“Yeah, and you made it sound like we’re at the dentist.”

“…Better than pretending.”

Tia let out a laugh, shaking her head as she looked back to Keith.

“See what I gotta deal with?”

she said, jerking a thumb toward Akane.

“Whole way ‘ere she’s like that—quiet, grumpy, lookin’ like she’d rather be anywhere else.”

Akane finally glanced at her.

“…I would.”

“Yeah?”

Tia leaned in slightly, grin sharpening.

“Funny how you still came, though.”


“…We’re here for the interview.”

“Mhmm,”

Tia hummed, clearly not buying that for a second before turning back to the camera again.

“Don’t mind ‘er,”

she added with a chuckle.

“That’s just her thing—acts all cold, but once you get her goin’, yeah? Whole different story. She is like a real life tsundere!”

Akane’s eye twitched immediately.

“…No. I am no Tsundere.”

Tia didn’t even hesitate.

“—Oh, here we go—”

she muttered, already grinning as she leaned back into the couch, clearly enjoying this way too much.

Akane turned toward her now, finally breaking that composed posture just a bit.

“…Stop saying that.”

“You literally just did the thing,”

Tia shot back, pointing at her.

“You deny it, get all defensive—textbook, mate.”

“…It is not textbook.”

“It is textbook!”

Tia laughed.

“Next you’re gonna say you don’t like me either, yeah?”

Akane froze for half a second.

“…I don’t.”

Tia blinked once…then smirked.

“Yeah, alright,”

she said, completely unconvinced.

Akane clicked her tongue and looked away again, folding her arms tighter.

“…Idiot.”

Tia turned back toward the camera, flashing that same confident grin like nothing happened.

“See? Told ya,”

she said.

“Real life, straight outta anime, yeah?”

Akane muttered something under her breath in Japanese, just loud enough to be caught on mic:

“…バカ。”
(…Idiot.)

[BlackAkuma]

With some of his guests, Keith would have to constantly worry about dead air. Even people who were used to being in front of cameras would sometimes freeze up on podcasts, for whatever reason. Maybe they were just afraid they would say the wrong thing and tank their career, or maybe they weren’t nearly as interesting as they made themselves seem. Keith had grown adept as shepherding people along when need be, getting good results out of them.

He could already tell that wasn’t going to be a problem, here. Couple of chatterboxes, they were.

At least, Tia was. AKANE was a damned miser with her words, but the Aussie was good at prodding her, and that made for a fun little dynamic. He could work with this.

”Yeah, I can see it.” He nodded along with Tia’s assessment of her partner, deciding it was best to take her side in things. She was obviously the mouth between the two and seemed oddly at home in this whole environment. He wondered if she had some acting experience, something like that - she was way too natural for a first-timer. ”Very tsundere-ish. Could practically put that picture on the trope page.”

Keith himself wasn’t a big anime fan beyond the popular stuff everyone liked, but he was familiar enough with the terms to make it seem like he might be one. Important with a modern audience.

”So, you two are quite a pair.” He smirked and popped the cap on his water bottle, preparing for a swig. ”How far do you guys go back? When did you become partners?”

‘Partners’. Funny little word, there. He knew they would likely take it in the more professional sense, but he was hoping to prod a wee bit in the more personal, see how much they bit onto it.

[Weonna]

Akane’s head turned immediately at the word.

“…We are not—”

“Partners?”

Tia cut in smoothly, a grin already creeping across her face as she leaned back, clearly loving that word.

“Yeah… I like that,”

she said, glancing sideways at Akane with a teasing spark.

“Sounds nice, don’t it?”

Akane’s eyes narrowed.

“…It does not.”

Tia ignored her completely.

“Three years back,”

she started, shifting forward a bit as she got into it.

“Back when I was beefin’ with Alanna Sanders—yeah, that one. Proper legend, they say. Whole ‘respect your elders’ speech every five minutes.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Got real tired of hearin’ that, real quick.”

Akane crossed her arms tighter but didn’t interrupt this time.

Tia continued, voice picking up energy.

“She had her little partner too—Tina Armstrong. Younger, but still ridin’ her coattails, yeah?”

She leaned forward, smirking.

“Then one night—match I wasn’t even in—this one…”

she jerked a thumb at Akane,

“…just strolls in outta nowhere and cracks Tina across the back with a kendo stick.”

Tia clapped her hands once for emphasis.

“Didn’t say a word. Didn’t grandstand. Just whack—walked off like nothin’ happened.”

Akane looked away slightly.

“…She was in the way.”

Tia laughed.

“Yeah? That what you call it?”

She shook her head, clearly impressed even now.

“That’s when I noticed ‘er proper. Not ‘cause of the hit—well, yeah, the hit was nice—but ‘cause she didn’t give a damn about the moment. No spotlight, no nothin’. Just action.”

Tia glanced back at Keith.

“After that? I figured… yeah. I want that on my side.”

Akane scoffed quietly.

“…You didn’t ask.”

“Didn’t need to,”

Tia shot back instantly.

“You stuck around, didn’t ya?”

Akane didn’t respond right away.

“…Temporary alignment.”

Tia smirked.

“Three years is a long ‘temporary,’ love.”

“…Stop calling me that.”

Tia just chuckled before turning back to Keith, tone shifting slightly—still playful, but with an edge now.

“And as for Alanna?”

she continued, rolling her shoulders.

“Yeah, nah. I don’t buy into all that ‘legend’ stuff. Just ‘cause you been around longer don’t mean you get to stand in the way of everyone else.”

Her voice hardened just a bit.

“Whole time I was comin’ up, it was always—‘respect Alanna,’ ‘learn from Alanna,’ ‘wait your turn behind Alanna.’”

She scoffed.

“Wait for what? For her to retire? Nah. I ain’t built like that.”

Akane’s eyes flicked toward her for a brief second—acknowledging that shift in tone—but she stayed quiet.

Tia leaned back again, grin returning like a switch flipped.

“So yeah,” she finished, casually tossing it out,

“call us partners, allies, whatever you want.”

She glanced sideways at Akane again, smirk widening.

“I don’t mind.”

“…I do,”

Akane muttered.

“Course ya do.”