A Yuzu-centric chapter for a bit and some INTENTIONAL SPELLING MISTAKES!
Why? Because of reasons.
Also, someone semi-quotes the movie "On the Waterfront" starring Marlon Brando with a "Could have been a contender" comment.
I mention Alicia Ashley. She is a real-world bantamweight boxing champion who, in 2016, was still going strong at age 48.
I also want to get a picture of Louisa from Encanto and Yuzu in this story hanging out together at some point XD.
"Hands up! HANDS UP! DAMN IT, YUZU, IF YOU WON'T BLOCK AT LEAST DODGE!"
Yuzu could barely hear Touma over the shouting of everyone in the gym screaming at the top of her lungs while her opponent rained blows down on her arms.
They didn't have the power of Nina's, but her hand speed was exponentially faster, making it more challenging to get her defenses up. But she was trying, and that was her saving grace.
For every three blows that landed on Yuzu's arms, she managed to block one and partially evade the other, but the third one, no matter how hard she tried to dodge, always hit, and those were the ones that were getting annoying.
So far, Yuzu had managed to land a series of blows against the woman across from her. When they connected, Yuzu could see that her punches hit harder even though they were fewer, which might be the key to her winning.
"Yuzu, watch her left. Keep an eye on her left!"
She wanted to shout that she was trying, but it was more complicated than it sounded.
Sweat was pouring into her eyes, and Yuzu felt something trickling down the side of her headgear.
Please don't be blood; she thought as she bobbed back from a blow and managed to connect with a right cross to the side of the woman's head.
As she blinked, Yuzu heard a few people groan a split second before the bell dinged and something hit the mat.
This time though, it wasn't Yuzu, and as she opened her eyes, she saw the girl, a long-time sparring partner of hers named Kris, on the ground, blood pooling from her mouth as she groaned in pain.
"Get the medic," shouted Touma, climbing into the ring, a fresh pair of rubber gloves already on his hands. "Kris? Are you okay? Can you hear me?"
"Hef," whimpered the girl as Touma helped her sit up. "If's mah heek. Mah 'oof 'ut et."
Yuzu's body remained stationary as two medics entered the ring despite the good news. One was heading over to Touma and Kris, while the other helped a shellshocked Yuzu back into her corner.
"It's okay," said the man as he guided Yuzu into her chair. "Everything's going to be okay. We don't have anything to worry about if it's just a cut on her cheek. Nice cross, though; I heard it across the gym."
"I didn't mean to hit her that hard," whispered Yuzu ass he watched Kris wave at her with a dazed grin. "I've never done that to anyone here. Are you sure..."
"She's fine," said Touma, walking over and helping Yuzu out of her headgear and smiling. "It's just as she said, your punch managed to get her cheek to collide with one of her teeth, and there's a pretty nasty cut on the inside. They will get it cleaned up and take her to the hospital to ensure it doesn't get infected. We got this, so don't stress too much. It was a clean punch; you didn't break anything from what we can tell, not that you're not used to that."
"Only in a match or when people force me to," snorted Yuzu while Touma helped her with her gloves. "This was a sparring match, and you know I don't go all out when I spar."
"Well, this time you did," chuckled Touma, inspecting her wraps and watching to see if her hands were shaking, which they weren't. "It's not a bad thing to sometimes go all out in a sparring match. She was, and if you hadn't, you'd have probably ended up on the floor again. But you aren't, and she's going to have to not spar for a while along with having a tough time eating. While you..."
Yuzu watched him look her over and groaned when he put on a new pair of gloves, grabbed some gauze, wet it, and wiped her forehead.
"You, my dear, are going to have to explain why you got a nice little cut above your left eye."
"Damn it," grumbled Yuzu, flexing her fingers and sighing. "This is why I didn't want to spar today."
"It could be worse," joked Touma, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. "You could be going to the hospital."
"Don't remind me," groaned Yuzu while she let the medic begin cleaning her eye. "If things weren't bad enough, I'm going to have to explain both of them, and I'm already feeling sick for hurting Kris like that."
"She knew what to expect," consoled Touma as Yuzu's eye got bandaged up. "She knows when you get serious, it's nothing to scoff at, and to be honest if there's anyone to blame, it's me."
"What do you mean," asked Yuzu, flinching as a bit more of some sanitizing solution was added to her cut before attempting to apply a new bandage.
"I was the one who told her to push you so hard," explained Touma with a heavy sigh.
With Kris gone and Yuzu getting fixed up, nobody was around to hear him explain this save for the medic who shrugged when Yuzu gave both of them an accusatory look.
"Why did you..."
"Let's talk about this once we get you patched up. Can you wait that long?"
"She's good to go, boss," grunted the man as he stood up. "Keep an eye out for any swelling, dizziness; you know the drill. I'm gonna go make sure Kris is okay, and you two may want to take this convo somewhere a little more private."
Yuzu noticed that a few people were listening in, and after getting helped up by Touma, she headed toward his office, where she found Kris stumbling out of the bathroom, using Nina as support.
"Are you okay," asked Yuzu pointlessly as she saw the swelling in Kris' cheek. "I didn't mean to punch you like that; you know I would never..."
"Et 'as a ood it," said Kris with a smile. "Don apologize."
Yuzu smiled a little at the fumbled speech and sniffed, "I'm still really sorry for it. Now you got to go to the hospital and can't spar or anything for a bit."
"'oxerrs 'life," shrugged Kris with a small smirk. "Ill 'e okay. Jus ot oo 'est."
"I'll take care of her," said Nina with a smile as one of the medics pulled up with a car. "Go talk to Dad, and I'll text you later. All right? Until then, focus on your date; I know you've been nervous about it. all week"
Yuzu nodded and smiled sadly, "Okay. Be careful, and Kris, I owe you drinks and dinner once you're better."
"ouns 'good," answered Kris through her gauze before marching toward the door.
"'oo 'ee ot a 'ate if," was what Yuzu heard as Nina and Kris headed outside, but she was too focused on talking with Touma even to bother texting Kris an answer, but she was certain Nina would give her the details.
Once in Touma's office, Yuzu didn't even bother to sit down and immediately asked, "So what the hell was that about telling Kris to go all out in a sparring match? She's got a match the same night I do, and an injury like that could take her out before she even begins."
"If I didn't think she would recover, I wouldn't have told her to do it," said Touma casually as he grabbed an ice pack, wrapped it in a towel, and put it in her Yuzu's hands. "Which is more than I can say for you some days."
"What do you mean by that," snorted Yuzu as she applied the pack; though her hands were shaking, she nearly dropped it. "I put in just as much work like everybody else, sometimes more when I have the time. I do everything you ask, and I take what matches I can."
"Nobody is doubting your training or your abilities, Yuzu," explained Touma, leaning on his desk, his arms crossed though he didn't look frustrated or upset. "But you're not getting any younger. Kris is only five years younger than you, and she's already close to wiping the floor with you."
"That's because I've barely trained against her." Yuzu's voice raised slightly, hoping nobody heard her. "You know it takes a couple of matches against a sparring partner to get the feel of them. I'm not the only one."
"No, you aren't," agreed Touma with a nod. "But the fact is, you're twenty-six, and I'm worried that if you don't make a choice soon, you're going to regret it, and everything we've been doing since you've moved here will have been for nothing."
"What 'because I'm twenty-six,'" huffed Yuzu dropping the ice pack and glaring at Touma. "There are plenty of boxers older than me that are still boxing, so why do I have to make a choice?"
"Because everyone at some point has to make a choice. Because you need to make the choice," Touma explained sharply. "Because you're a damn good boxer who could have gone pro a long time ago. Maybe you wouldn't be like Alicia Ashley, but you could have been, and pardon the cliche, you could have been a contender, Yuzu, like a lot of fighters I've seen, you could have gone farther than you currently have. But I can tell that you aren't one-hundred percent invested, are you?"
Despite her wanting to protest, Yuzu knew she couldn't.
She knew the risks and what each match could lead to; her sparring with Kris was one of the gentler outcomes. But then there were matches like when she's sparred with Nina, matches where one wrong punch could lead to anything from a concussion to blindness, to something Yuzu didn't even want to think about but knew was a possibility.
"I...I'm not sure," said Yuzu in defeat, though she at least tried to sound confident.
She'd been boxing for as long as she remembered and had only started doing paid fighting since she got out of college. If it hadn't been for her scholarship, she would have started sooner, but it would have meant forgoing school, and she didn't want to risk that.
But once she moved out on her own got her job, she'd at least managed to find a gym that would take a shot with her, and her employer was reasonable with her training which was a godsend. There weren't many people who drew fighting scenes, but the few artists who did or writers who wrote the topic would ask to see bouts or use footage of the gym for reference material. So long as the gym got mentioned somewhere in the book they were using and got a small cut of any profits the works made, Touma was more than happy to let them in to see what they got up to.
Of course, the money they made went to the training programs, but few agreed to do it because it meant less money for them. Still, those who did couldn't stop saying how grateful they were for the help, and a few went to gyms that Touma recommended that were run by some of his friends from back in his fighting days.
Seeing her silence, Souma sighed and said, "I'm not saying this out of cruelty. When I was a few years older than you, I had to choose, and I chose to back out. I chose to teach and make things better for those around me, not to mention my girls."
Yuzu smirked at his comment and let him continue.
"There's no shame if you want to quit. You've got people counting on you, and it's a tough life with no guarantee of success."
"Nothing in life is guaranteed," commented Yuzu, in a tone a bit darker than she intended. "But I understand what you're trying to say. At least I think I do."
"It's fine if you need some time," he said, smiling at her. "And I'm not going to pull you out of your match. You've put in too much time for it, and I'd hate to see you lose out on your biggest payday yet. But think it over, and if you choose to leave, I'll sign you up as a part-time instructor. I've seen you with the kids, and most of them like you, so I figured I'd give you a shot helping them out."
"Only most of them," sighed Yuzu, rolling her eyes. "Great, that means I'd have to suck up to a bunch of kids if I took you up on your offer."
"Hey," he said in mock offense, "I have to do that all the time, and you don't hear me complaining."
"Tell that to me the next time you invite me and some of the others out for drinks."
They both chuckled nervously, and after a moment of silence, Touma walked up and placed a hand on her head.
"Think it over, Kid. Whatever you choose, we got your back."
"I know."
Yuzu let him ruffle her hair, and when he finished, he pointed at the door and said, "Now get the hell out of here. You stink, and I know you don't want to show up for your date smelling like you just hopped out of a dumpster."
"Look who's talking," countered Yuzu before dodging a playful punch and heading toward the door. "I'll talk to you later. Have a good night."
"You too," replied Touma before going behind his desk and pulling up some paperwork. "Be safe and have fun."
A few hours later, Mei was sitting on a park bench with a book in her hands as people walked by her talking loudly and laughing as they headed off toward the winter carnival she and Yuzu were supposed to be attending.
It was challenging to focus on her book as her side was still itching from the tattoo work she'd gotten done earlier that week.
Whatever made her think getting a tattoo there was a good idea; she'd chalked up to a lack of sleep and made a mental note never to do it again. It was bad enough when she got the one done on her thigh, and then there was the mistake of the series of small tattoos traveling down her spine, but even those hadn't been as annoying as her latest endeavor.
But it was too late to turn back now, and there was no use in canceling either. Yuzu was already on her way, and Himeko had made plans to spend some time alone at home doing some self-care ritual she'd started some years back, and Mei wasn't going to risk getting dragged into that.
Besides, she and Yuzu had spent a lot of time planning this date, and she didn't want to back out. Not only because of the possible fallout, but she needed time away from home to think, and she figured that Yuzu would provide ample distraction.
Ever since they'd come back from the tattoo parlor, Mei had felt something was off with Himeko, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She knew something had happened, and it most likely had something to do with her, but she wasn't sure how to approach Himeko.
Despite Himeko's insistence that they are open with one another, they both had their secrets, but Mei knew that whatever the secrets were had nothing to do with their friendship; at least, that's what she hoped.
Fighting the urge to scratch yet another bout of itching, Mei let out a sigh. She tried rereading the same paragraph she'd been trying to read for the past ten minutes before giving up and closing her book and putting it in the satchel she'd brought with her and checking her phone to see where Yuzu was.
"Mei," shouted an energetic voice from somewhere in the crowd.
Looking up, Mei tried to see where Yuzu's voice was coming from, and getting to her feet, she grabbed her bag and looked around for the blonde who again shouted her name.
Tired of looking through the sea of faces, Mei climbed up on the bench and looked over everyone's faces to see Yuzu off in the distance, trying to fight her way past a small group of people who seemed adamant about blocking her.
Finally having enough, Yuzu stamped her foot and shouted, "Hey! Assholes! Either get off the street or start walking! People are trying to get through!"
The group, consisting primarily of what Mei guessed were college kids, gave Yuzu a disgusted look before stepping off to the side.
"You could have asked nicely," hissed one girl making Yuzu turn, a scowl on her face.
"I asked multiple times, but you kept ignoring me. And lose the attitude, or I'll turn that cheap nose into something even your hack surgeon can't fix. Not that they did a good job to begin with."
A couple of people in the group chuckled at Yuzu's brashness while others looked offended. Someone started to say something, but Yuzu didn't stay long enough for them to say anything.
Mei wanted to shout at Yuzu to be careful, but she stopped when she saw Yuzu was wearing a pair of weathered but well cared for leather winter boots. Along with her purple fleece-lined coat, gloves, scarf, and jeans, she looked a great deal more prepped for the cold than Himeko, which meant they would be able to stay a lot longer than Mei thought.
"Sorry," panted Yuzu, her cheeks red, but her scowl was now gone, replaced by the smile Mei had been waiting to see. "Were you waiting long?"
"Only about twenty minutes," answered Mei with a cautious smile. "Are you feeling all right? It sounded like you were about to punch those kids."
"I was." Yuzu lowered her eyes and shrugged in embarrassment. "But they weren't worth it, and it seemed like the only way I could get them to move was to do what Matsuri would do, and luckily for me, it worked. Plus it, wouldn't look good to get in trouble before my match, and I don't want to punch someone in front of you again. I hate doing stuff like that out of the ring without any real justification."
"That is definitely was something Matty would do," agreed Mei with a smirk. "Bad day? I mean, it had to be if you're taking a leaf out of her book."
"Don't get me started," chuckled Yuzu. "I had to work, go to training, and after that, I still had to go home and shower and get changed."
Yuzu gestured at her outfit, and Mei saw that she was blushing for real this time, and even Mei's lack of experience told her that Yuzu had spent a long time figuring out what to wear for their rendezvous.
"I see," said Mei feeling a bit ashamed that the most she had done after showering and quickly combing her hair was put on a nice sweater, jeans, and her new boots. "Well, you look wonderful if that means anything."
"Thank you." There was a slight giggle in Yuzu's voice, and she gave a slight bow. "So you ready to do this? I haven't been here in a couple of years, so I'm excited to see if anything's changed."
"Yes," said Mei pulling out her phone. "I already purchased our tickets online, and I've looked up a few stalls if you're interested. There's supposed to be a concert later too."
"Sounds great," laughed Yuzu grabbing Mei's hand and pulling her toward the entrance. "I'll get us food and drinks too in a bit. I also want to go on some rides too. But only if you want to."
Mei said she'd think about it, and within five minutes, they were through the line and making their way through a large crowd of people toward their various stops.
As they investigated the stalls, Mei managed to take a few pictures to use for work regarding a possible festival aspect to the game.
"Do you want me to get in a few of them?" asked Yuzu after Mei explained why she was taking pictures. "Maybe you can use them for body reference, you know for the motion people. The guys that make the in-game characters?"
"That might work," said Mei trying to hide her discomfort at working while on a date. "But only if you want to. I know we're supposed to be on a date, but my boss asked me to do this, and I don't want to impose more than I am."
"It's fine," said Yuzu, as she walked over to a stall selling hot cider. "But first, we're going to warm up with a nice drink. Oh, you have spiked mulled cider. Can we get two of those, please?"
After showing their identification, Mei and Yuzu continued their tour, stopping at a few stalls selling souvenirs. Yuzu bought a few early holiday presents and allowed Mei to grab a few shots while talking with the vendors.
The drink was excellent, and Mei felt her body warm as both the alcohol and cider did their job, and she felt herself loosening up. But not enough to join Yuzu on a rollercoaster, which the blonde had tried to get her to go on, but she did feel up to going on one of the rotating swing rides, finding the floating sensation exhilarating as her feet swung freely off the ground. At the same time, Yuzu laughed and waved at a few kids waving at random people while they waited in line.
As they swung around, Mei was so focused on watching the people on the ground that she nearly jumped out of her seat when she felt Yuzu's hand grab hers again and barely managed to return the gesture before the ride began to slow. Yuzu let go, so she could start unbuckling herself from the seat.
When they exited, Mei's ears were burning from the cold and her frustration. After putting on a cap, she'd kept hidden in her bag; she purchased them some hot chocolate which they drank to warm themselves before heading off into a display of ice sculptures done by several local artists.
Mei was familiar with a few of them, but she didn't know most of them. As they talked about them, Mei couldn't help but notice that Yuzu had forgotten to put on her gloves and once again caught the slight disfigurement of a couple of Yuzu's knuckles and nearly choked on her drink when Yuzu saw her staring.
"Is everything all right," asked Yuzu, sipping on her drink as they walked past a giant sculpture of an owl in flight. "I didn't do anything wrong on the ride, did I?"
"No," said Mei wiping some whipped cream from her upper lip. "I was just wondering how your hands got that way? I noticed it a while back, but I didn't want to bring it up and risk upsetting you."
"Oh." Yuzu chuckled and flexed her hand, showing off the minor warpings in her hand. "Yeah, I figured that it would come up eventually. You aren't the first person I've had to explain it to, and I'm sure you won't be the last. And no, it wouldn't upset me if you asked; I was just waiting for one of us to bring it up eventually."
"Is it from the boxing?" asked Mei as they walked past another sculpture, this one being a car with its door open for people to sit and take pictures in.
"Yep." Yuzu nodded and shrugged as Mei nodded. "It's what happens from years of boxing, and sometimes not wrapping your hands properly. That's what the tape's for; it's supposed to protect your hands and help you punch harder, but you know everyone's different. But you know, you punch bags and people enough, your tendons and bones wear down, and when they can end up looking like this."
Yuzu held up her free hand and gave a nervous smile.
"Not gonna lie, made dating in college a lot harder than it needed to be. High school was even worse, but you already know about that."
"Not bad enough for Henry to walk in on you and an ex," joked Mei, making Yuzu cough violently.
"He told you about that," choked Yuzu as a few people stared at her in amusement. "When? How?"
"He was at the parlor when I went in for my final session on my latest tattoo," answered Mei as they began walking through the rest of the outdoor gallery. "He was with his friend, Danielle, if I remember right. She was there to get a tattoo done by Matsuri. When he saw Himeko, they got to talking, and somehow that ended up getting mentioned. He did apologize to Himeko again. He didn't remember apologizing about laughing at that joke Matsuri made. But he made sure she knew he was sorry, and they talked a bit before going back to hang out with Danielle and Matsuri."
"I remember him mentioning that," said Yuzu as they walked by a shop selling jewelry and minerals. "At least he did it to make sure she knew he was sorry. He's usually good about that kind of thing; I guess work is getting to him. They have him on a big project now, and he's been getting on my nerves more than usual lately because he's stressed out. And I've been stressed out with work and training, so add his stressing me out into the mix, and you can see why I needed tonight. Thanks for not canceling because if you did, I'd probably have just hidden in my room all weekend."
Mei remained quiet, wondering if she should mention what Himeko had told her about Henry saying his birth mother used to abuse him. But with the way Yuzu was talking, Mei decided to let the matter lie until they felt better. Besides, bringing something like that up during a date was an easy way to sour the mood.
Instead, Mei opted to ask Yuzu what she wanted for Christmas, and Yuzu's answer surprised her.
"I need a vacation," chuckled Yuzu as they exited the gallery and began looking for something else to do. "I think I'll take a week off once the holidays and my match are over. Just stay at home and sleep and read and play games. It'll be fun. You got any plans for the holidays?"
"Work," shrugged Mei while she and Yuzu began walking toward the food carts. "This is my busy time, so until the designs are finalized, I'm not going to have much free time. I'll have some, but it's going to be limited. I'm used to working like this anyway, so it's not much of a change, and the pay is better."
"Just make sure you take care of yourself," replied Yuzu concernedly. "Money's great and all, but it's not much good if you spend all of it dealing with health issues."
"I promise," said Mei, crossing her heart. "I'm getting better about it, and Himeko is making sure I follow a schedule for sleep and heading out and getting air and making sure I eat properly, which has helped tremendously."
"She sounds like Harumin," chuckled Yuzu as she and Mei both started staring at the food. "She did the same for me in college. Speaking of food, can we eat now? I'm starving, and if I don't eat soon, I think my stomach is gonna burst out of my chest like that thing from Alien."
As repayment for Yuzu buying dinner last time, Mei allowed Yuzu to pick out what they ate. While they both realized that the only thing that had changed was who was paying for the meal, Yuzu did her best to pick out a nice meal for them and, after they ate, returned to the shopping area where it was now Mei's turn to pick out a few gifts while enjoying another round of spiked, mulled cider.
She wasn't big on the holidays; there hadn't been much reason to celebrate growing up with just her and her grandfather in the house. They worked most of the time, but they still had meals together and exchanged a few gifts.
Most of the time, it was art supplies or things one of them had needed for a particular project. But on there was the rare instance where one of them would something more personal to surprise the other with and without her grandfather around; Mei continued that tradition with her friends, though with limiting success.
Thankfully, Yuzu was with her, and the gift shopping went a little smoother this time around, and Mei felt a growing appreciation for the blonde's presence.
Every time Mei pointed out something she thought Matsuri or Harumi would like, Yuzu managed to point her to something that was a step above what she had recommended. Trusting Yuzu's judgment, Mei switched her decision and took Yuzu's recommendation each time.
"You know you don't have to take my advice," said Yuzu after they'd picked up an intricately made pen for Mitsuko and a couple of hard-to-find books for Kayo from a restorer who'd set up shop at the festival. "I think your gifts were great."
"And yours were better," explained Mei after putting the books in her satchel.
When she looked up, Mei noticed a look of discomfort on Yuzu's face, and before she could stop herself, she took Yuzu's hand and said, "You didn't do anything wrong. I've always been bad at picking out gifts, and it was nice to have a second opinion. Usually, the ones I pick they like, but I think they'll genuinely enjoy them this year, so thank you."
Mei squeezed Yuzu's hand, felt the calluses, and hoped that Yuzu wasn't overdoing it, but felt some of the worry fade when Yuzu squeezed back.
"Okay," smiled Yuzu, her face red from the cold and the alcohol. "I believe you. But I want to clarify that you are entirely within your rights to tell me no when it comes to anything. You tell me 'no,' and that's the end of it."
"I extend that to you as well," said Mei, realizing that she and Yuzu still hadn't let go of one another, but neither of them seemed to care. "But I'll understand if sometimes you question it, for little things, I mean."
"Obviously," laughed Yuzu, her lip disappearing into her mouth again as she looked at their hands, getting Mei's attention.
"Do you want me to let go?" inquired Mei, seeing the hesitation in Yuzu's eyes. "I understand if this makes you uncomfortable."
"No," said Yuzu, louder than intended and getting the attention of a few passersby.
She apologized to the crowd, and after a failed attempt to compose herself, Yuzu shifted uncomfortably and said, "I just wanted to ask if we could do something like this again. You know a second date, but not a friend date, but like whatever this was supposed to be."
"A romantic date?"
Both Yuzu and Mei blushed at what Mei suggested, and after a moment of silence, Yuzu squeezed Mei's hand and whispered, "Yeah, a romantic date."
"I'd like that," answered Mei, squeezing back. "I'd like that very much."
"Me too." Yuzu's smile returned, and Mei felt a tingle of warmth spread through her. "Next time, I'll make sure we do something where we won't freeze our butts off. But it's going to be a bit. My match is soon, and this was my last real day of free time, so we're going to end up having to do phone calls and stuff again."
Yuzu's face dropped as she spoke, and Mei felt a pang of disappointment but ignored it. She knew this was going to happen, but they'd worked around it before, and they would until Yuzu had more time available.
"Then we'll just have to make the most of tonight until we can figure out our next date," suggested Mei, pulling Yuzu back towards the rides.
"And how do you propose we do that," laughed Yuzu, catching up to Mei and striding beside her.
Lifting her free hand, Mei pointed at the roller coaster and said, "By taking a few risks and trying something new. How's that for starters?"
Yuzu smiled, pressed herself closer to Mei, and said, "Sounds good to me, but are you sure you're up for it?"
Mei stopped, stared up at the highest point of the roller coaster, and then in the direction of a beer cart and said, "One more drink, then we'll go on it."
Yuzu chuckled and tilted her head toward the beer cart, "Okay, but only one, then we have fun. Deal?"
Mei nodded and felt that regardless of the alcohol, she'd have fun no matter what.
