Shifting Gears (For Cyan)

[Noob]

"Yes I'm mad at you!" Was Suzume's immediate response. She didn't quite understand how that much wasn't apparent. "What do you mean why?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. It was almost as if her words were going in one of Kat's ears and right out the other. "You...were...a...JERKFACE." She explained as 'calmly' as possible. She wasn't sure how she could be any more clear. "Tossing me around and bending me was just wrestling...I don't remember calling your friend names or some of the other stuff you did ever being called wrestling though." She continued.

She was hoping at the very least she had gotten her point across. Once she was satisfied with that she could feel better about making her way home. Suzume was losing her patience anyway. She was already exhausted physically and dealing with Katsumi now was a bit more taxing on her than she had thought it would be. "Whatever...just forget about it. Bye." She finally said, ready to end the exchange.

[CyanDimitrik]

Katsumi looks as if she's having a hard time processing this. And in truth, she isn't. It's hitting entirely too familiar for her. She had a friend, and now she doesn't. People keep telling her she's incapable of having friends, and history keeps proving them right. She says something wrong, she does something that upsets them, and every single time, she's left a little more bitter and a little more alone.

Tonight, she went overboard. She thought they were having a good time - at least within the confines of the ring. But Suzume is - or was - crying. And now, she's mad at her. That 'bye' seems so final, like a gunshot. Katsumi's heart breaks a little.

"W-wait! Please. I didn't think- I mean-," she stammers. In a sudden flash, Katsumi is on her hands and knees in front of the brunette, head bowed. "Forgive me!" With eyes screwed shut, she places her palms together above her head in supplication. Rapid-fire, she says, "I do this! I screw things up! I- I'm like friend kryptonite, and I don't want that to happen again! I-.." Her hands lower and her face lifts, presenting Suzume with a tiny frown. "I'm sorry."

[Noob]

Suzume was finally ready to head home. She didn't know why she thought she could be friends with any of the other wrestlers. The brunette was mid turn when a sudden apology hit her. She turned back around to see Katsumi on her knees. The gesture had surprised Suzume, that was for sure. She was at a loss for words, unsure of what to really make of Katsumi at the moment. Sure the woman had gone overboard in their match, but Suzume was now getting the impression that Katsumi just had no idea.

Suzume took a deep and shaky breath before speaking. "You...you really didn't know that I was mad?" she asked, a bit dumbfounded. Thinking back on how cheerful Katsumi had been towards her moments earlier the answer seemed to be obvious. "You're really...just like...dumb?" she continued questioning, not particularly caring if the last one was a tad mean. Against her better judgement she had decided to hear Kat out.

After a brief pause Suzume continued, now looking away and to the side. "You're pulling a Sasuke. You had a perfectly good friend and then you beat them up too much." She said. "You haven't stopped Madara and friends yet though so you don't get a free pass!" she continued, now resorting to referencing anime.

[CyanDimitrik]

Katsumi waits patiently on her knees while Suzume works things out, still wearing that small frown with wide eyes. When the conclusion reached is that Katsumi is just dumb, she flinches. The vivid green eyes fall. "I... I guess...," she says quietly, defeated. Her instinctive response would normally be to call Suzume a bitch and punch her in the mouth. But this isn't a normal situation. Or perhaps the problem is that the situation is entirely too normal. This is the second time she's been like this with someone from the exact same federation. And more times still, if we're including the federation she started in. For whatever reason, Katsumi is incapable of having friends in the business.

Eyes now trained on her knees and head turned down, Katsumi gives it a slow shake. "I don't know what those-, uh, who those are..," her voice remains a little on the quaky side, but flat and submissive. Her hands move together on her lap, wringing. "I pick at people," she says simply. "It's.. I don't know why, I just do. I'm like that dumbass scorpion who stings the frog. I-I didn't mean to really upset you. If I knew...," she trails, uncertain how to complete her thought.

[Noob]

It was pretty clear that Suzume's reference hadn't quite cut it. She didn't expect it too though. Regardless she got what she wanted, a remorseful Kat. Seeing the punkette like that didn't really leave Suzume satisfied though. Instead she couldn't help but feel a bit bad herself. After all she had perhaps taken what was said during a performance a bit too much to heart...but only a bit.

There was a moment of silence between the two as Katsumi trailed off. Suzume wasn't sure if the woman was going to finish her thought or what she should say if Kat wouldn't. "If you knew...then what?" The smaller girl finally said, looking at Katsumi expectantly. "Finish that thought and you're forgiven...well almost."

Realizing that Katsumi really hadn't realized that she was taking things too far, Suzume had all but forgiven her. After all it was hard to stay too mad at someone that had offered what seemed to be a fairly heartfelt apology. Suzume wasn't about to let Kat completely off the hook though. As soon as the bluenette would begin to talk again a slight smirk would appear on Suzume's face. She'd wait to see if the other woman would ask what would make it a full forgiveness and then point directly at the car in front of them. "That. Let me drive. It would be just around the block and I've never driven a fancy car and it looks so cool and I didn't mean to kick it and it's only around the block and you owe me one and please?!?!"

[CyanDimitrik]

Suzume really isn't letting her off the hook, is she? She's got to be enjoying seeing Katsumi squirm; going from dominant and in control to all but genuflecting! It was twisting Katsumi up inside, and she really didn't know how to finish what she was saying. If she knew, how would she have done things?

"U-um," she stammers, brow knitting together. "I.. would've.. tried... to be.. um.. nicer...?" She doesn't sound particularly convinced by her own words, but it isn't for a lack of care. The idea of walking on eggshells or self-censoring is so completely alien to her, so distasteful, that she can't even hint at it without sounding insincere. The plain and simple truth is that whatever part of the brain that regulates kindness in people is broken with Katsumi.

At the same time, here she is, near-groveling. She hates herself right now.

"Ah-..!" Her eyes shoot up to Suzume, wide with tiny little pinpoint pupils. "N-no! You can't! It-..." She waddles on her knees to Suzume's legs to stare up at her imploringly. "Beat me up if you've gotta, but don't hurt my car!"

[Noob]

Suzume huffed and turned to the side. "How will beating you up help anything?" She answered. Sure she was technically a fighter but the smaller woman had no desire to fight outside the ring or in a situation where it was a must. After a brief pause she turned back to Katsumi, now with watery eyes. "You...you hardly sounded like you meant it." She said with a sniffle. "And now...and now you won't even try to make things up to me?" She continued, seemingly just holding back tears. "It's only around the block."

Was the brunette trying to be a bit manipulative? Certainly. But her words at least had a hint of truth to them. Enough that she didn't feel terrible faking some tears now that she was mostly over her initial sadness. Right now she just wanted a bit of a reward for whatever harships she felt she had been put through. There was also a bit of her that would find a bit of satisfaction knowing that she would have some revenge by making Katsumi nervous the whole time.

[CyanDimitrik]

"Ah-! Wha-! S-Suzu!," sputters Katsumi helplessly. She reaches out to weakly paw at her hip, like a needy kitten. "You don't understand!"

In the face of an unrelentingly wounded Suzume, what can she do? Sure, Lil' Bit has no way of knowing precisely why Katsumi is so rabidly protective of the vehicle. What can she do? What options does she have? It looks like this is the only thing that can repair what's been damaged, Is it worth it? Is it worth maybe finally having an actual friend in the business? Maybe more importantly, does Suzume deserve it?

Her hand slowly lowers from Suzume, her own eyes looking a little moist. The sound probably precedes the visual, a distinctive jangling as a trembly hand offers up a set of keys with breathless terror and apprehension.

[Noob]

And just like that, Suzume had scored a small victory. Before Katsumi could change her mind the smaller woman would snatch the keys from the punkette's hand and rush towards the driver's seat. "Yes yes yes. This is sooooo cool." She said as she opened the door and hopped in the driver's seat. She'd look around the interior as she waited for her friend to sit down and get comfortable. Suzume had never had a particularly high paying job so this was by far the most expensive thing she had ever touched, or at least outside of her day job.

After Kat took a seat Suzume would flash a quick mischievous grin as she started the engine. She shifted into reverse and ever so slowly pulled out of the parking spot. Instead of shifting into drive though she first shifted the car into neutral and then rammed her foot against the gas pedal. The engine revved and Suzume screamed. "Waaaaah!!!!!" She yelled as if the whole thing was unexpected and she thought the car was going to fly forward.

Feeling that she might have worried Katsumi a little she immediately turned to her with a smile upon her face. "Kidding kidding kidding KIDDING!" She said, making sure to drive the point home through her giggles. "I swear I know how to drive and won't wreck your car...wont even go above 10 kmph"

[CyanDimitrik]

Katsumi enters the vehicle slowly, and shaky hands pull her seatbelt into place. All it would take is a cursory look to see that the punkette is a nervous wreck. Her shoulders are hunched, her hands clenched together, her knees practically crossing, and her jaw clenched. She doesn't like this. She doesn't like this even remotely.

When the vehicle starts moving back, Katsumi swallows hard. And when the engine revs, she actually lets out a terrified shriek and buries her head in her arms. She can't look! And that's exactly what Suzume will see when she looks back at her.

Given a moment, she peeks up through her arms to see they haven't moved. Then aside, she sees Suzume's happy face. Her eye twitches.

"Don't- just- keep it slow! Please!" There's considerably more pleading in her voice than one might ever normally hear from her. "This car's.. special, okay?"