Wrecked and Loving It

Akashi flopped onto the luxurious couch that was kept in her dressing room. As one of AFW's top talent, she had one of, if not the, nicest dressing room on the roster. It was practically a four-star hotel suite with all the accoutrements in it. She was so tired that her bones ached. The match with Taylor had completely exhausted her on every level. Her body, her mind, her spirit. She was pretty certain that when she finally crawled into bed that she would be asleep for days. But she was only now getting a moment to relax. After the medical staff had cleaned her up, she immediately took a long, scolding hot shower. She then spent the next half hour detangling her hair and cursing Taylor's love of trying to rip it off in the match.

After that, she lit some incense and gorged herself on the best meal catering could find. She hadn't realized how hungry she had been until she almost scared a passing wrestler with how loudly her tummy rumbled.

Now that she was clean and stuffed, she flopped onto the couch and let it engulf her. She was clad only in a pair of underwear and a silky smooth dark green robe. It was the perfect thing to meditate in. She considered getting into her usual position but knew she was far to stiff and racked with pain. Instead she sighed deeply and closed her eyes, thinking about what had happened. She couldn't believe that there had been a single moment in time when she had actually hated Taylor. Even more perplexing was how their relationship had actually been tossed over the cliff and left to die with both of their consent and then miraculously brought back tot he brink of salvation and beyond. The two were stronger than ever. Akashi could feel it. "Arigatou gozaimasu, kami-sama." She said, praying to the gods that watched over her. She had a lot to be thankful for and a lot to look forward to. The past year had been cripplingly dreadful for Akashi. It had almost completely broken her. But in the end, she wasn't broke. Just sore and drained. Her best friend in the whole world, her sister, was back with her. and their love was even stronger. With all that, she couldn't help but smile.

There was a mousey, almost imperceptible knock at Akashi's dressing room door, and then the door opened. Cassie Elliot shyly stepped through.

"Akashi-sama?" She said meekly. She was intruding, she knew that, but it was important. She had to see the woman face to face.

Her short orange hair stuck out from underneath a light green knit skull cap. She felt significantly more girlie than she was comfortable with in Akashi's presence, in her brown fuzzy Ugg boots and black leggings and ivory colored shirt that came down to her upper thighs. But then, she sort of was still a child compared to the fierce and accomplished sumo.

She cautiously approached Akashi on the couch and stopped, feet together, looking at her like she was either waiting for something or trying to think of how to begin. Her face was haggard and marked with heavy emotion. She'd obviously been crying and very upset and had just pulled herself together before coming to find Akashi.

"Um..." She said quietly. "I'm Cassie Elliot."

Akashi was barely conscious when she heard the light tapping at her door. She hadn't locked it, just in case. Although she didn't know what that just in case might be. The fight had sapped her of her energy and she had barely even tried to fight the impending weariness as Cassie meekly shuffled into her dressing room.

She turned as Cassie spoke, jolting into a state of alertness as she wiped the drool from her mouth and sat up. She flushed deeply at Cassie seeing the state SHE was in. Her face now mottled with bandages of various sizes and shapes.

"Uhh..." At first she was confused by the girl's appearance. Then she was even MORE confused at the girl's face. Clearly it looked like she had been wrought with distress. The situation seemed bizarre from a distance but Akashi shrugged the notion off. "E-Elliot-san..." She said and stood up. She bowed to the girl, not realizing she had probably just exposed herself. "H-How may I help you?" She said in a soft, friendly yet confused manner as she raised an eyebrow.

Cassie bowed her head lower, and then looked up at Akashi. She looked troubled, but there was something else as well. She didn't seem to be at all affected by the 80 pounds and five inches the sumo had on her. She wasn't at all repulsed by Akashi's war wounds. For as meek as she was, she didn't seem intimidated at all.

She pulled off her hat and tousled her hair appropriately out of place. "Akashi-sama." She began again, her voice more serious this time. "I... I didn't interfere. Out of respect. I didn't want to get involved because I knew that... it wasn't my place." She said in a measured tone. "But now it's all done."

She paused, looking at Akashi with her big green eyes as if she was giving the woman a moment to soak it in. "It's done." She said, with an air of finality, as if she wasn't observing, but telling. She fixed Akashi with an unwavering stare for several moments before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around her. She gave her a squeeze, and then stepped back.

She gave a very slight smile, and then pointed her thumb and finger at Akashi in the shape of a gun and pulled the trigger. "Bang." She whispered.

Without another word, she turned and left.

Akashi was even more confused by the girl's silence. She really had no idea what was going on. Then she spoke. So formally, it made Akashi blush a little. The girl's next words only served to confuse her even more. What was she talking about? She was speaking like she was going to interfere? Or could have? In what? In her match? In her feud?" Akashi didn't know.

Akashi looked down, her won green eyes wide and unsure, but open and receiving. "Uhh... A-Ara?" She said, tilting her head before Cassie hugged her. Akashi winced at the hug, wounds that had settled. Soreness that had numbed sprang to life briefly. Akashi lifted her hand and patted Cassie's hair like she was a delicate egg. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing happened. The girl only stepped away.

And then shot her?

Akashi looked down and touched her heart, the spot where she had been shot and pulled her fingers away as though she really was about to look at a blood coated bullet wound. She looked up but Cassie was already gone. Without moving her body, she fell backwards and sprawled out on the couch. "Ugh!" She groaned out from the impact. She then slumped against it as her head fell forward. She looked like she had really been shot. But soon, a soft snore began to emanate from Akashi's mouth. A little bit of drool followed and finally after one of the longest,most grueling days of her life, she was finally out and fast asleep.