It's Just Not The Same (For Noob)

[CyanDimitrik]

Katsumi wilts when she's told it isn't okay. The eyes grow wide, round, wounded. She rolled over and revealed her flashing weakpoint, only for Suzume to blast it with impunity! Cruel fate.

And yet, she turns it right back around suddenly, and the Punk Princess chances an uncertain smile. "Y-yeah?," she asks. "I know it looks really different, I- I got more eyeshadow going on, and my hair's grown out, and, um," she squirms uncharacteristically. "A manager told me I might have more appeal if I, uh, had a makeover. Said I have a, a good face, but it was getting overshadowed with all the... choppy hair'n stuff." Her narrow shoulders hunch in a self-conscious mini-shrug. "I also got new gear. More... pizazz-y, they said. More fitting a superstar, less a girl who just came in from the club. But it's still me!," she insists. For better or worse.

[Noob]

"Pfff screw appeal. Embrace chaos goblin." Suzume teased as she reached forward to just ruffle Katsumi's hair and try to mess it up a little bit. As she pulled back though she couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious. She could probably use much more appeal and pizazz herself. Although at least for now she was far from being a superstar. She'd just shake her head though, disputing her friend's last point. "Nuh. You're now new shiny Katsumi. Who's totally always nice to Suzume aaaaaand even gets her lunch sometimes." She'd say with a wide smile. Was it worth a shot? Who knew, but maybe it would work.

With Suzume's apparent lust for violence and teasing satiated, her curiosity began to take over. She realized she knew nothing about the new Katsumi other than she was once the old Katsumi. "So what happened to you anyway? You just totally disappeared for like...ever." She'd ask, soon leaning back to take a seat against one of the arcade cabinets.

[CyanDimitrik]

Internally, Katsumi's twists a little when Suzume says screw appeal. Was it a mistake!? Did she give up something that made her her? Is she a sellout? Oh god- "My hair!" The punkette is suddenly swatswatting at the offending hand. Okay, no, Hell with it. She likes her hair like this. It's so slick and smooth and swishes when she turns~

She's not had long hair in quite a while!

"You get one of those! You have to pick one! Can't have both! That's greedy troll-talk," Katsumi admonishes. "Y'know what? Just for that? You only get the lunch one. Sometimes. On occasion. If I'm cooking it." It's about as subtle as Katsumi can manage, suggesting she intends to cook for her again sometime. Even if the last time was of a questionable quality, a secret part of her may have really enjoyed the notion of treating Suzume.

The major question, however, gets a pause. "Well, when the manager made that suggestion to me, it came with a caveat, right? If I'm gonna go all superstar," she emphasizes the word by whisking a hand through her hair in obvious preen, "I needed to be more than a wicked brawler. So it came with more training. Learned a bunch more things, more flashy, more lethal. It's been pretty intense! I got, like, prettier and more dangerous. Like a ninja." Her hands lift, fingers awiggle.

[Noob]

"Ehehe and this greedy troll just tricked ya into cooking for her~" Suzume giggled. She couldn't be happier with the bargain struck. Although upon remembering how the food turned out last time, perhaps a non-cooked meal would have been preferable. Oh well. Too late now. The deal had been struck. Plus this meant that they'd totally hang out again sometime.

"Oh? Hmm...I wish my manager would be that helpful." The lightweight replied with a little sigh. If she was lucky the most she'd get was a list of names to chose from and a "Please don't wear THAT" from the people she had contact with. Maybe she would have to bug Katsumi for some better contacts. Granted some initial self improvement might come first.

"A ninja huh?" Suzume grabbed her friend's hands and put them together. "Then ya gotta know the hand signs right? Riiiight?" She'd say, wondering just how ninja Katsumi had become. She didn't doubt that the woman had added some new tricks to her arsenal though. Certainly not a force to be reckoned with. Well at least not without some caution and preparation on Suzume's part.

[CyanDimitrik]

Katsumi finds her hands captured and put together, briefly paused to stare down at them dumbly. "Oh. Sure! You bet!"

When Suzume releases her hands, Katsumi wiggles her digits together in dramatic fashion before abruptly dropping the left hand and offering the middle finger of the right. "Kung-F-U!," she giggles, whether or not Suzume finds the humor in the vulgarity.

"I've been practically isolated all this time! I dunno what's been going on at all lately! So what's your deal? You been getting pinned more? Did'ja get another outfit for the ring? Tell me!" Without waiting for a response, she attempts to wrangle the small girl's nearest arm to begin walking through the arcade with her, weaving between bodies. Whether or not Suzume evades people in her wake, she can't guarantee.

[Noob]

Suzume dropped her cheerful demeanor to just stare blankly at Katsumi. "Two out of ten." She'd reply coldly, rolling her eyes at the terrible joke. It would have been unforgivable coming from just about anyone else. But it only took a second for Suzume to return to normal. "Oh um me! Right me...heyyy!" The brunette gasped as she was tugged around. What followed next was a series of gasps, apologies, and squeaks in the middle of a broken conversation.

"Hey! I haven't....ahh sorry! Excuse me! I haven't been getting pinned!" Suzume pouted for a moment before continuing. "I've actually totally...nnng miss! Sorry!! Sorry!!!" She'd whine as she was pulled through a crowd for a few more moments until they finally got to an area less densely populated where she could speak properly. She'd wriggle her arm back, now finally in full control of her movement.

"Not getting pinned anymore! Totally got my first win!" She'd declare, clenching both her fists. "And then guess what? My second too! I'm on a win streak! I even came up with my own finisher!" She'd say with the most excited look on her face. She realized that she had yet to tell anyone else the good news and just saying it out loud again practically had her bursting with enthusiasm.

[CyanDimitrik]

"Screw you, that was funny!," protests Katsumi.

They reach their destination - a less populated section of the arcade, where Katsumi can put her focus on Suzume with less risk of someone getting all up in their business. "Wow!," she gawps at the information, quite openly. "Mama was gone and missed her baby's first steps! That sucks!" Her hands clasp together beneath her chin melodramatically, before suddenly saying with a curious, yet wicked smile. "Show me sometime. I wanna see what Lil' Bit came up with. In fact, you show me yours, and I'll show you mine."

After a beat, she breaks her vivid gaze from the smaller girl to scan their surroundings. "I mean, not right here. But somewhere. With padding. I don't wanna break ya. You're like a chocolate bunny!"

[Noob]

Finally the two reached their destination and an actual conversation could resume. Soon Suzume was puffing her cheek in a slight pout though. Once again Katsumi was teasing her. But at the very least she seemed genuinely disappointed to have not witnessed Suzume's triumph. "You did! It was awesome!" She'd respond. Whether or not that was true was unknown, but there was certainly no way for it to be disproved at the moment so she'd stick with that.

"Heh I dunno. I might really hurt ya. It's totally a real fight ender!" She'd brag, flashing Katsumi a little smile. The thought of seeing theirs though sent a bit of a shiver down her spine. She wasn't sure what they had come up with but she could imagine it was probably brutal. Still she'd put on a brave face. "You won''t break me! I can totally take a beating you know...I mean not that I really...ugh shut. You know what I mean. I'm not delicate. I'm upgraded tough Suzume with two wins!" She'd say, hands on her hips, chest puffed out.

[CyanDimitrik]

Suzume puffs her chest out, and Katsumi bobs a hand forward, index finger extended, for a bellypoke. "Squish." Some things never get old.

"I'm not afraid of gettin' hurt. I'm afraid of not seeing what you can do!" Her thumbs hook the pockets of her tight, tight pants. And though there's still a trace of a smile on her lips, her expression is nothing short of sincere. "Two wins is huge!" Maybe not for most, but it is for Sheska-chan, and in a rare fit of empathy, Katsumi is very aware of what that must mean for her. Somehow, feeling her hit her with her newly-minted finisher feels like it's supporting her and sharing in the celebration of her accomplishment.

Her smile softens a little further, her hands lowering near her lap while still clasped together. "I'd be honored if you'd hit me with your best shot, sweet-pea."

They can swing around on the whole notion of hitting her back with her new finisher. For now, she's happily focusing on Suzume and her accomplishment.

[Noob]

For a brief moment Suzume was totally serious. But with a little squish her expression became more and more shaky as she struggled to keep her straight face. "Pffff..." She'd break briefly for a moment before it all crumbled. "Eheh kaaaaaat" she'd whine, bending slightly in a fit of giggles. She just couldn't hold it in.

The little bit of admiration from Kat really meant a lot to the lightweight. Up until recently she really was thinking of calling it quits. But there was no way she could do that now. "Eheh don't say I didn't warn ya though. Next time we're somewhere soft imma let ya have it!" An eager Suzume declared. She'd finally take a moment just to let out a little sigh. "You know...sometimes you really are super unexpectedly nice." The sincerity was appreciated. While Suzume had arguably met nicer people in LAW than Katsumi, it usually felt more as if they were putting in an act. Or sometimes they were just jerks. But this felt genuine