Keep Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' (for Letta)

[CyanDimitrik]

Bandita's latest match lead to some very unexpected consequences; consequences the teenager couldn't possibly have been prepared to explain away to her awaiting family. The wrestling match was rough, spirited, exciting for everyone to watch - a spirited luchadora facing a debutante aristocrat, both struggling with a savage tenacity to claim the victory over the beaten and battered body of her rival. And in the end, Bandita secured the pin over Laxia.

And kissed her. Right there in the ring. In front of God and everyone.

It was impulsive. Maybe even stupid. She knew her family would be watching her fight. And despite the beautifully wonderful experience, words, and promises made in the aftermath away from the cameras, Bandita's trip back to the apartment left a tight knot in her stomach. And not from the numerous shots to the abs she'd taken earlier that night.

The apartment was cramped. Way too small. It never felt smaller.

Her siblings were already in bed, but Nana Lola had words. The girl sheepishly endured the interrogation, her eyes on the toes of her scuffed sneakers, her hands fidgeting nervously. All she could offer in response were quiet appeasements and apologies - for what, she's not even sure. All she knew was she didn't like her family being upset with her.

But after all of that had subsided and Nana Lola dawdled off to bed, herself, the luchadora stayed up. She got out her cellphone, and she sent a text message:

<<Wouldn't trade tonight for anything in the world. Talk tomorrow!>>

The next day was spent recuperating from her match. Even coming out on top, Laxia had worked her over thoroughly. And in-ring abrasions and beatings always felt their worst the day after, when the adrenaline was gone and there was little else to occupy herself with. But each point of soreness, each ache, reminded her of her match with Laxia and brought the experience fresh to her mind. She normally wore her soreness with pride, but this time, it was pride mixed with a little something more; fondness. Daydreaming. Closing her eyes and letting her mind revisit the submission holds, the grapples, the strikes, feeling Laxia pin her exhausted body down, or in turn, pinning Laxia to the mat beneath her.

The day was riddled with texts on top of it; nervous to not become a nuisance, but unable to resist the excitement of talking to her again.

<<Did you HAVE to kick me in the face that hard earlier? Jaja>>

<<Should we watch the match together sometime?>>

<<Really excited to see you again! >>

The next day, the Latina was back to training. Despite everything else, she kept herself to a strict regiment. The soreness was gone enough to focus on strengthening herself, keeping in top shape and at peak agility. She hit the tumbling gym to practice rebounds and wall-runs. And in the process, wound up thinking about the aristocrat again - reflecting on nailing her with her signature move from the corner to counter. How she could have pinned her right there. If Laxia would've been mad at her for pinning her the way her impulse mind wanted to.

The cellphone made more appearances, shooting messages.

<<Hope things are going good! You have to tell me when you're wrestling next, I can't miss it!>>

<<Did I ever mention you look really cute all laid out on the mat? Jejeje! >>

<<Let's get together tomorrow. Unless you're still hurt. I didn't hurt you, did I?>>

The prospect of their impending date played heavily on the girl's mind, and it was nearly impossible to not talk about it to her family. Of course there were teasing questions from her siblings about the girl she kissed, why she did it, what it means~... but she kept evasive! It was too new! And she wasn't even sure how to make it make sense! And the looks her grandmother would give her discouraged any kind of indulging in the topic at all!

Nothing could stop Bandita's excitement today, however. She'd sent the address to Laxia for where to meet her; the glorious Tokyo Dome City, just inside. She didn't know the city well enough to guess where to go, but that's the beauty of the dome. It has everything. Including a theme park, food, movies, like its own microcosmic city. Probably where it got its name from!

Bandita was waiting eagerly, bright smile on her face. Today, she decided that if she'd be going out as Bandita, she'd do it in Bandita style. A sleeveless split-top showing off her trim midsection, black shorts, and boots, along with her mask, crucifix, and hair tied back in the typical ponytail and ribbon.

The Latina stands out significantly - and to her delight, entertainment-seekers recognize her from her matches! She finds herself stumbling through conversation with fans, having to rely heavily on her cellphone's translator app, signing autographs, and accepting well-wishes from her elders. It's the first time she's interacted with fans since coming to Japan, and it has left the girl positively radiant with joy.

[Letta]

Laxia’s debut had been… eventful. In more ways than one. Inside the ring, certainly. And then afterward, in the locker room. She still wasn’t entirely sure what to make of everything that had happened. The feelings were unfamiliar enough that she’d spent some time trying to sort them into something sensible before eventually giving up and simply letting herself be swept along with them. That didn’t mean she had forgotten why she was here. Of course not. She had come to LAW for a mission. That much hadn’t changed.

Still, for someone whose entire life had been filled with carefully laid paths and neatly arranged options, that night had made her feel something she hadn’t in a very long time. Alive. Free. Besides, being new to LAW, having someone on her side could only be useful. A friend, perhaps. Bandita could tell her more about the promotion, and there was certainly plenty Laxia could learn from her in the ring. So really, this was all perfectly practical... There was no need to explain why she kept checking her phone. That was entirely unrelated. Probably.

Her butler, Sebastian’s expression after the match had done nothing to help her reasoning. There was no chance he hadn’t seen what happened, yet he’d said nothing beyond congratulating her on a hard-fought debut. Somehow, that was worse. Later, soaking in a steaming bath, memories of the past few days returned one after another. The match. The pin. The kiss. The locker room... What Bandita had said. What she had said. “Uuugh...” Mortified, Laxia slowly sank until everything beneath her nose disappeared beneath the water.

*Blub blub blub.....*

After her bath, she crossed the cold marble floor toward the living room. The mansion was as immaculate as ever. Expensive furniture, rare decorations, every detail deliberately placed and perfectly coordinated. Yet sitting alone on the sofa, Laxia suddenly became aware of just how enormous it was. And how empty. Her beautiful home had never felt quite this lonely before. Perhaps that was why her eyes kept drifting toward the phone sitting on a distant table. Black screen. Nothing. Laxia narrowed her eyes and stretched one hand toward it as though sheer aristocratic authority might somehow summon a message. “....” Nothing. She flicked her fingers once, still nothing.

“Hmph...”

Her shoulders drooped- *Ding.* “...!..” Laxia practically sprang from the sofa, snatched up the phone, and bit lightly at one fingernail as she opened the message. The corners of her mouth slowly curled upward. <<I feel the same... Talk tomorrow..!>> Her thumb darted across the screen before she hit send, one long leg twisting around the other as she smiled to herself.

The next morning reminded her exactly how hard they had fought. “Uuugh…” Getting out of bed was difficult enough. Her arms, back, thighs, and especially her abdomen all ached considerably worse now that the adrenaline had disappeared. Her personal physical therapist was called in soon afterward. “Ow, ow, ow... a little gentler there..!” “Relax.” “I am relaxed!” “You are not.” “....” A firm press against her abdomen brought Bandita immediately back to mind. Working along her thighs reminded her of tangled legs and grappling on the mat. For a moment, Laxia’s expression softened. “Are you alright?” “Hm? Yes. Why?” “You were smiling.” “I was not.” The phone provided further distraction.

<<S-sorry... Was it that bad..? But what about those chops of yours!>>

<<Yeah, let’s! I want to see your other matches too~>>

<<Really excited to see you again..! >>

Laxia stared at that one a little longer, typed something, erased it, then tried again.

<<Me too… can’t wait..!>>

Once she had recovered enough, Laxia returned to training in her private gym. Stretching. Weights. Core work. Footwork. And far too many glances toward her phone. *Ding.* Her head snapped toward it almost instantly. Her trainer looked over as well. Bandita’s name was on the screen. Somehow, the messages worked better than any recovery drink. Even while training, their match kept replaying in Laxia’s head. She reconsidered counters, timing, positioning, what she should have done differently and where she might have turned the match around. Occasionally, however, the replay wandered somewhere less useful. Their stomachs pressing together. The close grappling. A submission that had left their bodies tightly entwined. “...” Laxia shook her head hard and refocused on the heavy bag. “Focus.” “I am focusing.” “You stopped moving thirty seconds ago.” “...I was thinking through strategy.” Thankfully, the trainer didn’t ask what kind. Her phone chimed again.

<<I already have another match! You better come watch~ I’ll send you the details.>>

Then.. “What…!!?” Her face flushed instantly.

<<Hmph! You seem to have forgotten how you looked sprawled out on the mat. Win once and suddenly your memory gets very convenient, doesn’t it?>>

<<Of course! Tomorrow works. I’ve been fine for ages~>>

The following day brought an unexpectedly difficult problem. What was she supposed to wear? Laxia instinctively reached for an elegant dress, held it against herself, stared into the mirror- ...and put it back. Too much. A jacket followed. Too formal. Then a skirt. Maybe. No. Before long, a small mountain of rejected clothes covered the bed.

“...Why is this so difficult?”

Eventually, she settled on something far more casual and comfortable than she normally would have chosen. It felt oddly unfamiliar. Which, perhaps, was the point. Laxia had been quite confident when she climbed into the driver’s seat of her black Range Rover. Driving herself there would be simple. It was not. She was not lost. Road system was simply unnecessarily complicated. That was her official conclusion. Ten minutes later, she parked wherever she could find space and called a taxi. It wasn’t surrender. It was strategic adaptation. Besides, she absolutely refused to be late for her first date.

Tokyo Dome City was dazzling from the moment she arrived. Crowds, restaurants, attractions, lights, and movement everywhere. Laxia checked the time and hurried toward the meeting point, scanning left and right as she went. No Bandita. Her steps slowed. Had she come to the wrong place? She was reaching for her phone when she noticed a small crowd nearby. And at its center, A familiar mask. A familiar ponytail. Bandita. She was surrounded by fans, smiling brightly as she struggled through conversations with the help of her phone, signed autographs, and accepted their well-wishes. Laxia stopped for a moment. “...She’s more popular than I thought.” The worry on her face faded into relief, then a quiet smile. Seeing Bandita like this felt different from seeing her in the ring. For a few seconds, Laxia simply watched. Then she approached.

Spoiler

“Bandita...”

No response. She was still too busy with the fans. Laxia moved closer, unconsciously smoothing her clothes and adjusting her hair before abruptly catching herself. “....” Nobody saw that. Hopefully. She stepped closer still and called again, slightly louder this time.

“Bandita...!”

[CyanDimitrik]

It made Bandita's heart soar to interact with fans like this, even if she didn't understand hardly a damn thing they were saying. Their smiling and excited faces communicated far more. And when cellphones came out - thankfully similar no matter where you go in the world - she understood the assignment. Confidently shoulder-to-shoulder with fans, smiling in that plucky can-do way, a wink, the 'OK' handsign flashed for some, blown kisses for others. It was like living in a dream. And for the first time since arriving in Japan, she was engaging as the Bandita persona without fretting about providing for her family. There was nothing on the line here. Just pure, simple fanservice. Bonding with the people.

Her name is being called from a variety of sources, in an equally varied number of voices. But one cuts through the clamor and rings persistent, determined, and accented quite differently!

Her head lifts from signing a pad of paper, and she spots three distinct things all at once: a pretty face with delicate, refined features, orange-ginger hair styles conservatively, and the most beautiful eyes she could conjure to reckoning.

"Laxia!," she calls. The excitement peaks in her voice, her eyes brightening along with her smile. "Sorry, escuse me, sorry, sorry!," she excuses, hurrying to finish with the autograph before weaving around the bodies. Thankfully, having a slender and nimble frame is useful for that!

The moment she emerges, the girl sprints to her, ponytail bouncing in her wake. The final gap is covered in a hop, her arms lashing out to hook around Laxia's neck in an embrace that is as passionately earnest as it is shameless. If Laxia has the wherewithal to catch her in that moment, the momentum may, in fact, lead them into a half-spin. Either way, the hug is tight and affectionate, pressing her cheek to Laxia's in its duration.

Once disconnected, the girl begins bobbing eagerly on the balls of her feet with her hands fidgeting together in boundlessly eager energy. "You look great," she says, glancing over Laxia's wardrobe choice - and figure, if she's being honest with herself. It's different in the daylight. Good different. Natural. She wasn't sure how to expect she might join her, but she's clearly pleased with what was chosen!

"For 'de record," she adds as her smile spreads, turning playful. "I don't get to see how I look sprawled on 'de mat. But if I have to look some way, I'm glad it's good for you."

Cameras are flashing. This is an absolutely candid moment that LAW fans aren't going to miss, especially hot on the heels of their match a few days ago. That kiss clearly meant something, and Bandita is doing nothing if not wearing her heart on her sleeve.

[Letta]

Laxia watched Bandita mingle with her fans from a short distance away. Bandita seemed completely at home in situations like this, naturally slipping shoulder-to-shoulder with fans for pictures and answering every cheer with that brilliant smile of hers. A wink here, a little gesture there, even the occasional blown kiss, there wasn't the slightest trace of awkwardness in any of it. Watching her give each fan the same bright, wholehearted attention, Laxia found herself beginning to understand why people seemed to take to her so easily. It was a different kind of charm from the bold, competitive woman she'd faced inside the ring.

...Though the thought that she apparently blew kisses at just anyone did cross Laxia's mind for a brief moment. She quickly shook the silly thought away. Laxia called Bandita's name a few times, but more and more people seemed to gather around her by the second. Before long, Bandita was becoming difficult to even see through the growing crowd. What if she lost track of her like this? She knew it was a silly thing to worry about, but a faint sense of unease began creeping in all the same. Then, when Laxia called her name once more- Bandita's gaze finally found her. Ah...! Those hazel-green eyes. The instant Bandita spotted her, a dazzling smile spread across her face. Better yet, she called Laxia's name loudly enough to carry straight through the surrounding commotion. Whatever little anxiety Laxia had been feeling disappeared immediately. The crowd had looked nearly impossible to escape from, yet Bandita somehow slipped through it with surprising ease. And the moment she emerged completely- She ran straight for Laxia.

“Oh my...!”

Those last few steps were less a run and more Bandita practically throwing herself into her. Bandita's arms hooked around Laxia's neck, carrying all of her momentum with them. Laxia's eyes widened at the sudden feel of bare skin and warmth wrapping around her. Nearly losing her balance, she had no choice but to hold Bandita tight and spin with the impact before finally finding her footing again. Then Bandita's soft cheek pressed against her own. Warm. Smooth. For a moment, Laxia simply let herself enjoy the feeling. And even after they separated, Bandita could hardly seem to contain herself—bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet, her hands fidgeting with all that restless excitement. Watching her, Laxia felt a matching smile creep onto her own face without even realizing it.

In a way, Bandita almost looked like an outward reflection of everything Laxia herself was trying to keep contained. “Thank you... You look... really good too...” Suddenly self-conscious about being complimented, Laxia lifted a hand and unnecessarily fussed with her hair, pretending it was nothing. Meanwhile, her eyes quietly wandered over Bandita's outfit. The slit top boldly exposed her narrow waist and firmly defined stomach, while the short shorts left those athletic legs on full display. It was completely different from how she'd looked in the ring. Her ring gear had given her a sharp, striking presence made for battle. This, on the other hand, looked much more natural on her, yet somehow made it even harder for Laxia to look away.

It wasn't until she realized she'd been staring a little too long that Laxia abruptly averted her gaze, once again finding a completely unnecessary reason to play with her hair. Hopefully Bandita wouldn't notice how warm her cheeks had gotten. That little hope was promptly destroyed by Bandita's next remark. Laxia's eyes flew wide.

“Are you crazy...?! Everyone can hear you...!”

Flustered, she lightly swatted Bandita on the arm. Her face was considerably hotter now than it had been a moment ago. Click. Laxia froze. Slowly, her eyes shifted to the side. Several cameras were pointed directly at them. Click. Click. Another barrage of flashes. What had happened after their match a few days ago had probably already given people more than enough to talk about. And if those reporters had just heard what Bandita said.. “...Oh, for goodness' sake...!” Laxia immediately seized Bandita by both shoulders, turned her around, and began ushering her through the crowd as though physically steering her away from the storm of camera flashes. “Come on...! If we stay here any longer, we're going to end up doing interviews before our date even starts...!” Laxia made it another two steps before suddenly faltering.

...

Date.

What had she just announced out loud? Another flash went off behind them. The tips of Laxia's ears turned bright red. “...Just hurry up...!” This time, the hands pushing Bandita along gained just a little more urgency.