Description: As long as we're being honest... Sakura, Arika and a mess of medieval armor meet up in the hall by the cabins. The diva is finally able to explain what has her so miffed at Kasugano, and also points out what's bugging her about this whole tournament. Now, maybe both women will be able to leave what transpired between them in Thailand in the past. (Maybe...)
CLANG. Shuffle. CLANG. Shuffle. CLANG. The sounds are loud, but there is an odd sort of rhythm to them. It'd become obvious that the sounds are most closely associated to the sound of someone trying to walk with a really large and noisy metallic burden.
... Well, that's basically what happened to Sakura Kasugano. She wandered into a part of the ship she wasn't supposed to, and found herself the victim of an old-school ninja trap for her trouble. AN ancient suit of armor is clamped to her in various locations: the visor of an medieval helmet is clamped around her ankle, which is what's making all the noise, while the padded armor of a samurai warrior has 'bitten' down onto her shoulder and upper torso, partially concealing her head.
From what isn't concealed, it's quite obvious Sakura is a bit ticked off as she heads aftwards to her crew quarters, more than likely to try and get this crap off without further embarassment.
Loud sounds in the hall near the cabins aren't entirely unheard of on a ship. Sometimes things break and need to be fixed. Sometimes mechanics wander into the wrong area, dragging bits and pieces with them - which is especially true on these more 'private' style cruises. But it's not the clanging that brings Arika out of her room. Exploration is what has her slipping quietly out into the hall, looking quite lovely in a tropical-style dress. Forcing herself to look relaxed, she fully intends on heading to the ship's library and actually -investigating- the room that Naerose dragged her to the other evening.
Turning, her eye catches what looks to be a massive jumble of armor walking around. Takes a few moments for her to realize that there is actually a person under there, and when she catches up to the slow moving mass, she blinks.
Oh, this should be great!
"Kasugano. Mind makin' a wee bit of room in the 'all so people can get past?"
Possibly not the best way to start off a conversation with an already irritated person, but... this -is- the diva we're talking about.
Many people in the world try and get by staying out of the limelight, preferring the quiet and comfort of their own little niche in the world. Then there's folks who seem to thrive on getting people as riled up as possible.
If Sakura weren't carrying eighty pounds of armor around she'd probably be in a better mood, true. But she can also recognize that Arika has a bit of a grudge, and a bit of a reason to start something, as it were. ... Though she doesn't know why Arika holds a grudge even after her apology the other day, which has been seriously bugging her ever since.
So she stops in the hall, eyes half-lidded as she looks up at Arika. She steps to the side of the hall just the same, flattening herself against it so that Arika can slip past. Y'know, just in case that's what Arika really =wanted= her to do.
"Right away, ma'am," she offers with a saccharine smile. Bit annoyed, true, but she has a duty to the ship just the same.
Why Arika holds a grudge even after her apology is quite simple really - it takes more than an explanation and an apology to push away the hatred she felt from Sakura in Thailand, not only for herself, but for her team as well. One of which she trusts implicitly, the other whom she's coming to know and trust a little at a time.
Time and actions might clear the grudge away from the diva's mind, but considering Sakura is -working- for these seeming cultists, it's going to be hard for her to forgive and forget things so easily.
A wry smirk appears on the diva's face as the mass of person and armor presses against the wall. "Thanks." Deep blue eyes roll toward the ceiling and she starts to walk past. Instead of doing that, she pauses beside Sakura and reaches down to dislodge the visor from its position. "So, you wanna tell me why you decided to spend the Fall workin' on this floatin' 'otel?"
Arika apparently trusts Sakura enough for her =not= to kick her as she tries to help out -- that's a good sign! But really, Kasugano wouldn't do that unless Arika made a move to push this grudge to a new level. As it is, all the Ansatsuken Angel feels like doing is snarking at the diva here and there.
She's a bit curious as to why Fade even bothers though, and a bit moreso at the question. "Pays well, I told ya." She smirks faintly, having no idea what led to this particular line of questioning. "Was just chillin' at home when I got an envelope from Seishirou, really. Something about him respectin' me on the battlefield or something, wanting my help, yadda yadda. First semester at school's kinda sleepy, so, eh!"
The tomboy cheers up when given the opportunity to talk about herself, that much is sure! "Really, though, once I stepped onto the ship I knew it was the right choice. Can't you just =feel= it? The whole thing's like... =alive=." Unlike before... there's no pretenses here. She's not trying to be deceptive, she really =likes= it here, sinister overtones and all!
"Mm."
Where Kasugano might enjoy the eerie, sinister overtones of the Suiryuu, the diva certainly doesn't. Hidden passages, rooms full of weapons... and this is supposed to put her at ease about this whole shindig being brought to the fighting world by a cult? Right.
"Pay ain't everythin' you know," she points out quietly. The fact that Sakura is digging on the whole 'ninja' thing isn't really working in the other girl's favor. Can't pretend to be brainwashed here!
"Glad it's all workin' out for you then," Arika remarks in a blithe manner. "Ain't like you were knocked unconscious, tied up and then forced to fight your way to freedom or anythin' like that. Good to know." Gasp. Could it be that the diva is holding a grudge against someone else as well?
Sure, she's read 'How to Make Friends and Influence People', but people of that ilk aren't people she wants to be friendly with.
Kasugano loves the ship, yup! Everything about it -- but she actually grooves the most on the kinds of fights that can take place here. She's actually a bit miffed she couldn't have been involved as a =competitor=, so this was the next best thing.
Kasugano wiggles her toes a little as Arika pulls the helmet off. "Ah, I can feel my toes again... thanks!" She smiles, all chipper and everything!
... So she's even more confused by the still-sour attitude from the =words=. What's with the hate-on? "That's gotta be, like, the second or third time you've mentioned that..." she mumbles, scratching her nose. "Any chance you're gonna come out and blame me for something, or are you still havin' fun dancin' around the issue? Because the last time =I= kidnapped someone, his name was Shoma, and I've already done my time for that crime."
It's worth mentioning that Kasugano hasn't even tried to worm her way out. Nope, she's still trapped between Arika and the wall, for the time being, with only her feet free to defend herself. "Up to you, though," she notes, if her intention to let Arika drive the conversation wasn't clear.
"Turn 'round," the diva near-orders as she reaches for the padded samurai armor. Arika may still be holding a grudge, but if she's going to decide to pummel on Sakura for any reason, the padding has -got- to come off first. It's only fair, considering the dress the punk princess is wearing at the moment.
A tiny 'hmph' followed by a grudging, "Welcome," is offered at the note of thanks and the smile.
"Second or third time, hmm? Well ain't that just a bloody mess then. Ain't -you- that managed that. If it'd been you, you'd be eatin' my fist 'right 'bout now, armor or no armor." Speaking of which, she gives a hefty tug to the samurai suit, whether or not Sakura has actually turned around. "Look, just take me advice, alright? These ain't the type of people you really want to be workin' for. You should ask some of the other fighters how they got involved in all'a this. I'm pretty damned sure it weren't all fun, games and compliments."
Kasugano turns around, as bidden. She actually does appreciate the help here -- she initially =wanted= to go back to her room to get it off, but considering it isn't =already= removed... well, it wouldn't have been easy. "Mmmph..." she grumbles, as the suit is putting up a bit of a fight. With some finagling, it'll come right off, though it might take untying the medieval flail coiled around her torso for that to really become a feasible option.
Eating Arika's fist sounds rather unappealing, though Kasugano's sure she could take it. Not really the point, though! "So what, you're saying it's okay for =me= to quit when it's okay for =you= to keep working? Cute." She pauses for a moment, then gets a thought in her head. "Okay, wait. Hold on." Kasugano turns to look at Arika, as best she can with the medieval trappings. "So hold on, are you being =extorted= to fight in this tournament, or what? I just wanna be crystal-clear on this here."
"Let me make this clear to you, Kasugano. I ain't workin' for these blighters. I'm 'ere for another reason entirely." Arika fights with the armor for a few more moments before throwing her hands up in frustration. Spotting what it is that has been keeping her from getting it off, she unties the flail and tosses it to the floor. "Should be able to get it off now."
After another moment of fussing with it, she manages to slip it down enough that Sakura can just shrug out of the padded piece of armor. The mess can be taken care of by the 'worker' since she herself is just supposed to be a 'guest' here aboard the cult cruise. "Wot I'm sayin' is that I was knocked on the 'ead with a big rock a few days before the Stars left for Thailand. I'm sayin' that the little bint that knocked me on the 'ead just so 'appened to tie me up, drag me to some underground place." Pause. "'least I think it was underground, weren't much light there at all. Woke up tied to a chair, and such -pleasant- conversation. Then I was told to fight for me freedom, and afterward I was dumped in the woods just outside of Southtown." Pausing again, she kicks the medieval visor down the hall. "Give you three guesses as to who did all of -that-. Maybe it'll give you some insight on why I agreed to partake in this wee lil' tourney."
Kasugano's finally able to wriggle her way out of the rest of the armor, once the flail is loosened up. It wouldn't be the first time she's been hit with medieval armor thanks to Seishirou, and it probably won't be the last. =Why= she had medieval armor attached to her is another matter entirely. Rubbing her arms sorely, she starts to gather up the other pieces which had fallen loose... managing to pull her hands free just before Arika soccer-balls the helmet down the hall. "coulda lost a finger..." she mumbles under her breath, but manages to get her attitude in check before she rises back up to Arika's level with a faint half-smile.
It takes Sakura a few moments to properly digest what Arika's telling her. Someone, presumably Riko, kidnapped her and told her to fight for her freedom. She's saying that she was dumped in the woods.
"Doesn't sound like you were hurt at all, to hear you tell it." She scratches her cheek, adding, "Course, you're free to leave out any details you want, but I can't just up an' say you're in the right =or= the wrong here on that." She pauses for a moment, glancing off down the hall to where the helmet stopped to rest. "Y'ever stop and think that Sei and Riko just wanna give you challenges, try and mold you into better fighters for the sake of =improving= you?" She glances back to Arika, forging a faint smile, but not the condescending one she'd given a few days prior. "Sei doesn't do anything without a reason."
Arika isn't even about to comment on the medieval armor. For one, it's not really any of her business. For another, she's come to expect pretty much anything aboard this vessel. "Could'a but'cha didn't," she points out. C'mon, the hallway is empty. As -if- the diva wasn't going to hear the comment.
"Tend to bounce back from injuries pretty well. 'ad a great friend nurse me back to 'ealth 'n'all." After she crawled her way to his house and just -crashed- on his porch until he woke up. "Didn't say I wasn't 'urt though. Took a bit for the burns to 'eal, and then didn't really 'ave much time to dwell on me injuries, considerin' I 'ad to prepare to leave the country and fight an unnecessary war."
Pause.
"There's a way to challenge people that ain't exactly life threatenin' or cult-like." Yep. She went there. She used the 'c' word. "Maybe he don't do things without a reason, but 'ow is 'e payin' for all'a this. WHY is there a bloody arsenal bigger than anythin' I ever saw befor'..." To which she quickly corrects, "Bigger than anythin' I've seen outside of Thailand..." She waves her right arm in the direction of the Promenade Deck, "'idden behind the library?"
Well, no. Arika may =not= have been hurt. But Kasugano still didn't get a crystal-clear picture of what's happened, until Arika just out-and-out =said= so. And even then... it's left to her own imagination. All of which makes it harder for Sakura to piece the story together; she can be a bit dense at times.
Now, though, she has a bit more information. And, well, a bit more perspective. "There's plenty of ways. Sei pisseed me off plenty of times when we fought. He's a little, uh..." She twirls her finger around her head, indicating 'crazy', but she's really just stalling until she can figure out the appropriate word. "... Indirect," she concludes, is that word.
As for the arsenal... well. She smiles upon hearing of Arika's apparent discovery. Did Sakura know about it beforehand? ... One would =hope= the chief of security knew. But she's also not spilling anything there, either. "Y'know, if I wasn't going to college, I could probably get some of this." She gestures around wildly, herself. "He's also, like, the president of Ninja-slovakia or something, to hear Riko talk about him, so he's probably swingin' some of the communal funds for this. But, like..." She twirls a finger about, idly. "I can see why you're worried, right? But I'm kinda more curious to see what he's doing with this, and I know enough people who can get it shut down if it gets out of control." She shrugs lightly, offering a brief smile. "You keep tellin' me you don't want me involved, though, but like..." She laughs, here, slinging the armor over her shoulder in a moment of irony. "That's not the only reason you're ticked at me, though, is it?"
'Crazy' might just be an apt description of those that set all this up. Then again, most cult-leaders are purported to be 'crazy' as well, so that kind of goes without saying in the diva's mind.
Arika's apparent discovery though... isn't even something she can take credit for. If she'd not been trying so hard to find -any- sort of information to support her theory, she'd never have bothered trying to steal stolen books back from Naerose and would never have been dragged there in the first place. However, she's not about to offer up -that- particular piece of information. Sad enough that the witch had to lead her there in the -first- place. "Part and parcel of the cult mentality, mate," she replies to Sakura when she mentions how Riko goes on and on.
"Don't get me wrong, Kasugano. You wanna be involved? All the power to ya. Just keep in mind you can't 'ide behind brainwashing this time 'round. You sink or swim on your own merits 'ere, and well... 'ticked' at'cha or not, I figured I'd toss you a wee bit of a line." Granted, Sakura likely knows -everything- that's going on, and far be it from her to presume that the girl doesn't know... but the punk princess -is- trying to be nice in her own way.
"As for all'a -this- bein' the only reason? You can bet your aft it ain't just this. Thing is, I don't really -care- that'cha tried to kill me back in Thailand. Frankly, if Drake 'adn't been 'oldin' me back even just a wee bit, I would've tried to do the same to -you-." Clenching her one hand into a fist, she whisks the other through her hair and looks away. There's pain in her eyes that she doesn't even want to admit to herself. "Point is, Sakura... you 'urt -'im-. Not just with the fact that you were tryin' to kill 'im, or 'is team... but because 'e thought you were 'is friend." Pause. "I don't like seein' 'im 'urt at all." Okay, so Sakura wasn't all that far off in what she said the other afternoon... and this is about the closest the diva is going to come to admitting it.
There's that word again, 'cult'. Kasugano winces visibly at it, turning away for a moment. "Arika, you keep callin' it a =cult=, when they're just =weird=. Ninjas just =do= that stuff. They get picked to be assassins because they don't fit into our society, they like tinkering and stuff. It's rare that they =have= any kinda inspiration to do stuff on their own, an'... well, honestly? I think Sei and Riko are friends, I wanna see how far they can get livin' out their dreams. If they wanna help make people better, so be it. That's what I believe they're tryin' to do. I ain't 'hiding' behind it, and =while= we're bein' honest..." Kasugano scratches her cheek, catching herself getting way more agitated than she wants to be. Glancing down at her hand, she waves it off. "Ah, forget it. You're either tryin' to piss me off or you're tryin' to help, an' I don't really care to be involved in a fight right now, much as it hurts me sayin' that."
Sakura shifts her weight a bit, leaning against the wall casually as she listens. And sighs. "... Well, to be fair, Arika? I apologized to =everyone=. I donated a big chunk of my college savings to Thailand's recovery efforts. It won't make up for lives lost, but it might start, right? And I apologized to Southtown. On TV. I look like the biggest, weepiest, dumbest girl in all of Southtown for letting myself get caught in =one= moment of stupid." She scratches her cheek again, pushing away from the wall and taking a step down the hall towards her helmet. She looks more intensely at Arika, her face a bit more neutral, and unmoving. "In all fairness, I =am= sorry. And I'll tell him that, next I see 'im. But if you plan on droppin big bags of hate on me for the rest of my life for it, it ain't =me= who needs to apologize."
Yep. There's that nasty 'c' word again. Arika has very little trust for the people running Jinchuu... and yet she's still here aboard their ship, still eating the food they provide (though she -is- being extremely careful with -that-. No telling when someone's going to try to drug her again), and she's still participating in the tourney -- and fighting -hard- to be able to do so. "Sarah 'olland is a ninja and -she- don't act quite like this. There's somethin' up, Sakura... just be careful you don't get dragged into another 'mess'."
"No one is sayin' you didn't apologize, Sakura. We all saw the blurb on the tele. Shovin' money at somethin' doesn't fix wot 'appened. It's great you did that, it shows remorse and all that, but you're right. It ain't gonna bring back the lives that were lost, or the innocent people that died 'cuz of Shadaloo."
As Sakura slips into the look of neutrality, one can almost -see- the slight chill that takes over the hall. "I -ain't- apologizin' to you. Let's leave it at that. If I 'ad my way, you would've been leavin' Thailand in a body bag, but I -couldn't- disappoint 'im like that." Though the voice that relays this is neutral and steady, if Sakura is quick enough to catch it the look in the diva's eyes shows that she doesn't really mean it - all part and parcel of the 'tough girl' act she puts on for the world. "See, 'e means the world to me, Sakura. First person in a long time who..." Stopping herself before she says too much, Arika shrugs. "Ain't important, but wot is important is the fact that I -don't- 'ate you. I jus' ain't forgivin' you yet."
"Sarah who?" Ninja? She'd been in one Saturday Night Fight, and Kasugano =might= remember the name... but even if so, she isn't acting like she does. "I guess she's really a good ninja, since I haven't heard of her. But she must not be a very good =fighter=, since I haven't heard of her." She smirks faintly at that, nodding. "Fine, fine, I'll take your warning that I'm in waaaaay over my head and file it with the other warnings."
But... as dismissive as she is of the repeated warning, she can't seem to interpret Arika just right there. "It wasn't a publicity effort, Arika. It was what let me get back to bein' a normal girl who goes to college, marries a nice guy and has two point five children. If Vega decided he wanted you as his Doll, you'd be feelin' the same kind of hurt, and catchin' the same kinda story from someone else, =if= you broke free." She rubs her forehead, glancing down the hallway. She thought she'd heard noises a moment ago, but disregards them for now, glancing back. "Seriously? I've got feelings too, and I don't mind talkin to you here, woman to woman. But it's gettin' real tiring. Just do me a favor, huh?"
Adjusting the fit on that armor plating she's got drawn over her shoulder, she starts walking to pick up the helmet. "If you trust Drake, let =him= fight that battle. If he wants a talk with me, he needs to come get me on his own terms."
"Heh." Arika won't say much on Sarah, since try as she might she just really doesn't like the girl - teammate or not. She's made very little show of hiding it with the team leader. "Never said she was much of a fighter." Shrug.
"Sakura, we can go on and on and on 'bout wot would've 'appened if Vega decided 'e wanted me to wear even skimpier clothin' than I do now. -IF- 'e managed to not only catch me but wipe me brain of all sensibilities, you're right. Might be on the other side of this conversation." Pause. "Which means I'm liable to forgive you someday, but it ain't gonna be until I see with me own eyes that you ain't been programmed to waltz back to those Shadalosers if they blow some sort of whistle and call you back to their fold." Pausing yet again, she leans against the wall opposite where Sakura was and sighs. "While I ain't ready to forgive you, it's them I trust less." She's -trying- to point out that there's a lot more behind the animosity that would first meet the eye. It's not just Sakura or her involvement, it's the whole -thing-. All of the mess in Thailand, the fact that the Stars were nearly killed multiple times, the fact that some -monster- tried to bite Drake's head off. It's something that's going to stick with the diva for a long while.
"Fair 'nough." But there's no way in -HELL- she's going to let that happen with Drake there on his own. Not if she can help it (which she likely -can't-).
And then there's this extremely long pause. One in which someone would think the conversation is over. Let bygones be bygones and all that. With a devilish sort of smirk, the Brit glances down the hall and snickers. "So just 'ow do you plan on 'avin' point five of a child... and why are you gunnin' for the American dream? Ain't you Japanese?" At least the subject has been changed, right?
Kasugano's quick to note: "Vega's dead. Shadaloo's dissolved. Not much left =to= trust less." As far as she's concerned, that's the end of the story -- for without him, it's doubtful Kurow would be able to =keep= control, with as many friends as she has. ... As far as =she= knows.
Really... Sakura won't care if Arika's present when she apologizes to Drake or not. But even still, it frustrates her to see Drake, a competent and talented fighter in his own right, being treated as someone incapable of manning up and finishing stuff on his own. But she's willing to let the matter die -- that's something Drake and Arika have to figure out on their own. It =was= a favor Sakura asked, not a demand.
Kasugano does glance back over her shoulder at the suggestion that her 'perfect world' is someone other nation's idea of perfection. She smirks. "Simple. Any kid I have'll just have'ta be two point five times better than anyone else's." She'll just let that American dream comment pass, as she kicks the helmet back up into her arms. "Hey, heard something down the hall earlier. But, uh... thanks. For... y'know." Better to resume her patrol on =that= note, than the one before it.
"Right," Arika mutters quietly under her breath, "and I've got this wicked stone structure to sell you north of Salisbury." Maybe that's her way of saying she doesn't quite believe that Shadaloo is as dissolved as the world thinks it is.
Hey, no one's saying Drake isn't man enough to do it, but Drake's not really -here- aboard the Jinchuu to get Sakura to agree to an apology. As a... friend... it's the least Arika can do for him. After all, the only way anyone is going to be able to slip away here is if they jump overboard. But that's been settled, and she's going to try to let the past stay in the past... while still keeping a close eye on the girl she doesn't quite trust.
"Good luck with that, then," the punk princess says with the faintest hint of a laugh. "Yeah, well... best to clear the air and all." With a tiny wave over her shoulder as she makes her way down the hall in the opposite direction, she grins. Thanks to that 'noise' down the hall, the diva shouldn't be interrupted by security while she goes to investigate that room further...
Log created on 18:13:53 09/09/2007 by Arika, and last modified on 09:22:08 09/10/2007.