Business or Pleasure?

It had been a busy day for Alaina. She spent the better part of her day at the gym working on a new training routine that incorporated strikes, weights, and grappling with a partner transitioning from one to the other without break to best simulate the cardio needed for an actual match.

However, all work and no play made Alaina a dull girl. It had been a while since she went out to the bar to enjoy herself. Normally she'd invite a few friends to go with her, but because they all had some sort of prior engagement she found herself flying solo. In light of that, she went to a plain old bar where she could sit there and casually drink while watching T.V in a t-shirt, shorts and sneakers without looking out of place. Yeah... today was one of those days where relaxing completely trumped clubbing.

"Hey! Can I get a SoCo and coke please?" Alaina asked the bartender with a smile. He nodded and brought it over, finding out in short order that Alaina was a generous tipper. As she took her first sip she looked up at the T.V to see what was on before she'd move on to discreet people-watching.

Mamouru Higurashi rarely got drunk. He drank often, or used to, but he knew how to sip and nurse and do all the things that looked like drinking that didn't involve knocking back drinks until he couldn't see straight.

Today, however, Mamouru had come to the bar with explicit designs to become as inebriated as possible. It was early and he already had a good buzz going. Ever since the party, he had just wanted to crawl in a hole and die. The only girl he ever truly cared for had beaten him up and announced her unquestioning hatred for him.

Normally he'd drown himself in women rather than drink but even they seemed wholly unappetizing at the moment. The thought of having come very close to having sex with Brittany Luvve in his brother's house was even more than the debased twin could handle.

He'd been drinking sake until a pretty looking blonde appeared next to him. He had to physically stifle a groan as he caught her out of the corner of his eye. Life seemed to have no shortage of ways to taunt him and laugh in his face. He downed his last cup of sake while Alaina was getting her drink and when the bartender approached.

<Tired of sake> He muttered in Japanese and pointed at Alaina's drink. "I'll have one of those as well." It looked muddled and American but maybe it would do the job he was looking for.

Alaina looked up and noticed the man pointing at her drink and saying something in Japanese. She had tried to pick up on the language, and this guy looked like he was pretty down in the dumps. Maybe she could ask how he was doing in Japanese? At least making the effort might help him open up? Alaina smiled and cleared her throat as she tried her best to say "You look upset, are you all right?"

<How am you? Your face is upset, is all correct?>

Alaina blushed as she quickly realized she made an error or two in her first attempt to speak the Japanese language. "Sorry if that came out the wrong way. Its just that you look pretty upset, are you all right?" Alaina asked in english. She stuck her hand out towards him for a shake and introduced herself. After all, the guy may as well know who he is talking to right? "My name is Alaina Sanders!" She added cheerfully.

Mamouru turned his head when he heard Alaina clear her throat. Suddenly the pretty blonde perfectly mutilated his native tongue. Fortunately it produced the desired effect and Mamouru cracked a thin smile.

"Ahhh... Perhaps Anata ga okotte mite kudasai. Kega wanai ka next time." He said. He then smiled. "Or just, Ogenki desu ka."

He looked at her hand and took it. he gave it a gentle shake and then nodded his head. She had a lot to learn when it came to customs here in this custom laden country.

"Higurashi Mamouru, Alaina-san." He said. He turned his head. "I may have had too much sake. It's nothing." He said. It would probably be best to avoid staring at her. He might be tempted to use his charms and for one of the first times in his life, that was the last thing he wanted to do. If he just made some polite conversation, maybe she'd go away and he could get back to drowning his sorrows.

"Clealry you're not from around here. What brings you to Japan? Vacation?" He asked, assuming as much.

"Oh.. right, thanks!" Alaina said with a bit of a nervous laugh at being corrected. At least he didn't seem mad at her which was good, because once Alaina got a good look at him she found him to be very handsome.

"It's nice to meet you Mamouru!" Alaina said as he introduced himself. She got a kick out of being called Alaina-san, but also felt like there was more going on than a guy who had too much sake. He didn't stink like booze, and she saw a certain pained look in his eyes. "I'm from San Diego, California and I'm actually here for work. I don't really look it, but I'm a wrestler." Alaina answered. "What brings you here today? Are you meeting up with anyone?"

"Nice to meet you too, Alaina-san." He said, flashing her a weak smile. The bartender set his drink in front of him and he took a sip. It was a lot different from sake or beer but it wasn't bad.

While Alaina spoke, Mamouru's eyes widened when she mentioned she was a wrestler. He had come here with the specific purpose of avoiding AFW folk. But maybe... she was with another promotion? Still, he lowered his head and closed his eyes. "A wrestler?" He repeated. "Let me guess, AFW?" He asked, trying to keep his tone from sounding dry.

"No, I'm not with anyone, Alaina-san." He said.""I just didn't have anywhere to be today, I suppose." He said. He really couldn't think of anything else to say. "What about you? What are you doing here, Alaina-san" He asked. Somehow, he was pretty sure that he knew the answer already.

"Yeah, I'm in Friction. I'm off to a, ah... slow start I guess you could call it." Alaina answered as she looked away, and up at the T.V. She knew she wouldn't show up and be the best thing around but she still felt humbled from her poor record.

"I just finished up at the gym and needed to relax and decompress a bit." Alaina said with a sigh. "I probably should be doing.. I dunno, something I guess to make myself better in the ring but you know what they say about all work and no play." Alaina paused for a second and look Mamouru in the eye. "So ya didn't know where else to go huh? You look pretty drained, are you sure you are OK?" Alaina asked with a measure of concern in her voice.

Friction. Of course... Mamouru audibly sighed. And one who was in need of a manager too, it seemed. He looked at her and softly smiled. "There is such a thing as trainign too much, Alaina-san. Balancing body and mind is important for a wrestler and both need to be exercised equally. If your body is wearing down from practice but you have the desire to do more, then study some film. There are ways to practice... without practicing, so to speak." He offered.

She was really persistent about trying to find out what was wrong with him. His fingers gripped his sweaty glass a little tighter as he tried to focus. "I'm sorry, Alaina-san." He said. "It's just been a rough weekend. I was just looking for a place where I could forget about it, that's all."

"Yeah, that makes sense." Alaina said as she nodded to him. "I could do that at home while resting. Resting and learning sounds like a good time to me." Alaina was caught off guard by how he seemed to know a useful training tactic that wasn't traditional training per se. He was in shape so she figured he might be a wrestler or some sort of athlete himself. If he didn't feel like disclosing it, she wasn't going to push.

Alaina suddenly felt bad about how her prying had likely come across. She looked down at the floor while she tried to think of something she could do. She didn't want to know all the details but she was here talking to someone who clearly had a lot going on.

She perked up immediately as an idea came to her. "If we both need to relax, wanna go over there and play some darts with me?" Alaina asked as she tilted her head, motioning to a nearby dart board. "A big guy like you couldn't possibly be scared of losing to a little lady like me." She added, hoping to prod him into doing something that could be fun. As far as Alaina knew, having a good time was the best medicine for just about any mental malady. In order to help him decide, she moved away and walked over to the dart board before he could verbalize a response.

Mamouru was surprised by Alaina's words, not expecting her to offer up a game of darts or anything of the sort. Before he could even respond, she was walking to the table and Mamouru sighed. Of course he couldn't resist. But it wasn't like he was trying to get in her pants. SHE was the one being friendly. Then again, that always seemed to be the case for the suave twin.

He grabbed his drink and shuffled over to the table near the dart board. "You're hardly just a coy lady, Alaina-san." He said smiling. "You've already admitted to being a wrestler and I know what it takes to fare well in that sport. Plus, I've never played darts in my life. If you've chosen the game, you must understand it a bit. I'm just waiting for the part where you try and fleece me of my hard earned yen." he said, teasing the blonde as he smiled at her.