An Offering to the Goddess

[BlackAkuma]

”I’m telling you, bro. She was checking me out.”

Lucy, who was on her second - maybe third - complimentary drink of the night, just groaned into her glass as Willy made his all-to familiar declaration. You’d think she’d be used to hearing it by now. Just about every time BlazeWave would have a gig, he’d get in his head that someone in the audience was giving him the eye. More than you would expect in the middle of a metal concert with a bunch of pumped fans, anyway. Once they were done for the night, Willy would usually try and seek this woman out, with varying levels of success - sometimes the attraction was just in his head, other times it was real, but once he’d gotten his mind set on it, they was no keeping him from shooting his shot. Sink or swim, pass or fail, he always went with it.

She, Theo and Willy had just finished up their set for the night, playing at a basement bar in Shinjuku with the lovely name of Deathmatch In Hell. Fun name, and if you were a heavy metal band with aspirations in professional wrestling, you couldn't have asked for a better venue for your first gig. Big space, adorned with movie posters from 80s horror flicks, great sound system, hardwood floors, a long bar with a good variety of drinks, and a laidback staff. The kind of place that BlazeWave worked all the time back in Arizona, perfect for their style.

LAW management agreed with her on that, so, at her urging, they’d dropped a little money to cross promote, making a tiny event they called Deathmatch in LAW. Wrestlers were invited to come by and sign a few autographs, enticed with the prospect of a small payday and free drinks, while BlazeWave would be making their big Japanese debut on the stage.

All things considered, things had gone off without a single hitch. They played through all their best stuff, tried out some new stuff just for the audience, and they’d managed to draw a big enough crowd to justify all the expenses, with some extra on top. The boys were on point as always, with Willy especially standing out - he might have been motivated to show off for whoever he thought was ogling him, but whatever, it worked in the end.

Now, the three of them hung out by the stage, enjoying their free drinks and fries, getting ready to pack things up while the crowd dispersed, when Willy started up with his usual act, trying to find his Girl of the Night. While he’d been away from the football field for years now, you could still see the jock in the way he carried himself - one leg up on the stage, bottle in hand, lounging like a king on his throne. He wasn’t being subtle about his intentions, either, sending glances towards his target all night long and favoring her side of the stage when he went on solos, making sure she got a good view of his iron body under the jacket. Cheesy, but he’d made it work for him in the past.

Lucy just sat a comfortable distance away from him, noshing on the fries with an occasional sip to wash it down. The woman in question wasn’t too far away, and as lame as Willy’s efforts could be, she didn’t blame him for trying in this case - she was definitely a rare beauty, not the sort you’d expect to see in the middle of Japan. Dark skinned, exotic, with these shimmering blue eyes that seemed to glow through the gloomy lights of the room. She wasn’t the only one in attendance with a biker look going on, but she definitely wore it better than anyone else in attendance.

”Uh-huh.” She nibbled on the tip of a fry and side-eyed him. ”Maybe she was looking at you, maybe she wasn’t. How do you know she wasn’t gazing my way.”

Willy shook his head and wagged a finger her way. ”A man knows, Lucy. It’s intuition.”

”Right. Intuition.” She scoffed. A particularly loud scoff, too, just to make sure Willy heard it. ”Your intuition sounds suspiciously like bullshit to my ears.”

Theo, who’d been busy packing up the stuff while they lounged, looked over his shoulders as he put the clamps down on his guitar case. ”Gotta say, I agree, man.” He came over with his arms folded, looking half-annoyed, half-amused. Theo was never the type to linger once they were done, wanting to get up bright and early the next day, but Willy always had a way of drawing things out. ”Easy way to prove everyone wrong, though - invite her over, see what happens.”

Made sense - either Willy would bring her over and make good, in which case he’d be out of their hair for the night, or he’d strike out and they’d get a good laugh. Either way, they’d be out soon.

”Oh, you want to see the master at work? Okay, okay.” He took a quick gulp of his drink for some added courage, then waved towards the nubian beauty, the center of their little conversation. ”Hey, miss! You mind coming over for a second?” He bounced his eyebrow and tipped his head to the bar. ”We got free drinks. Don’t mind sharing.”

”Shit, I mind.” Theo grumbled back as he sat down on the stable, sliding in between Lucy and Willy. ”The drinks are free for us, we have to pay for anyone else.”

Willy kept his smile on, but threw a quick growl out through his clenched teeth. ”Bro, need you in wingman mode, come on…”

[HotWheels]

Safiya yawned and inspected her nails.

Realistically, tonight could be called a massive success. Safiya did most of her self-advertising through her already-posted online videos and through the usual channels utilized by session wrestlers: selective abuse of Twitter's terms of service, visiting fetish and wrestling content producers to participate in videos, posting select clips that might be disseminated by lustful cheapskates. It was all fairly effective. Tonight, however, she had chosen to take a direct approach. More local clients would mean less trouble and travel for her, so she had chosen to attend this LAW-sanctioned meet and greet to garner some interest from those close enough to attend...and visit a convenient hotel for a session.

But her social battery was running low. It was only when she was being fawned over that she enjoyed so much attention. Safiya did not spend a great deal of time in this type of dive; while she enjoyed music, alcohol, and biker culture in isolation, she did not always visit bars to locate any of the three. Usually, she stuck to her own corner, perhaps dropping a line or two ahead of time in case a potential client wished to seek her out in a public space and earn their way to paying for a session later in the night. Tonight, she had no such corner, though she had retreated there now, one leg bobbing over the other one while she sipped the last bit of her one fancy drink.

Spoiler

Fortunately, she remained in a reasonably good mood. No one had bothered her to the point of annoyance, possibly due to the room having filled with wrestlers. The drinks were quality, and the drink glasses clean. The music had been, admittedly for this type of place, exceptional, and the musicians energetic and good to look at. Safiya had even ended up dancing, which she did not do much in public after leaving her home. She didn't want to engage anymore before she managed to leave the basement, no, but she had no complaints despite some reservations beforehand.

She recrossed her legs for what would be the last time on the night and tilted her glass back far enough that the ice bumped her in the nose. By the time she lowered it again to inspect whether she had gotten the last sip and pulled her leather jacket from the back of the booth and into her hands, she saw a figure gesturing her way. A blink revealed it was one of the band members. Safiya stopped to gaze at him with an expression that was half-confusion and half-irritation, but not enough of either to send a clear message.

What was he asking her? If she wanted free drinks? Safiya squinted suspiciously at him. Though she did not overly care about the drinks, preferring to live a mostly sober life, Safiya caught a whiff of something in the air: that she was the one garnering attention from the band that had played tonight. That alone drove her to stand and march her way over, though caution marred her body language...along with some subtle strutting. "Yes?", she asked, once she stood in the relative center of the three. She checked each face. "You must want something more than just offering me a drink."

[BlackAkuma]

Theo had never been Willy’s wingman, despite what his friend would claim. He was pretty sure the guy didn’t even really understand what that meant.

Yes, he’d been around when his friend picked up women, usually within a ten-foot radius, but that didn’t mean he’d do anything to help the process along. Hell, he didn’t really need to. All throughout high school, Willy was one of those guys who seemed to magically attract the opposite sex. Being a good looking, athletic musician never hurt anyone’s chances, and the guy could be rather charming in small doses. It was only when people hung out with him for too long that he could grow annoying, where you would get pushed away if you hadn't built up a tolerance.

So, when Willy’s invitation succeeded in bringing the woman over, Theo just hung back and stayed off to the side, nodding towards the newcomer while he unplugged some of the wires. Just being polite while Willy did his thing. There was a modus operandi to this sort of thing.

First, came the small talk. Setting the stage.

”What, that’s not enough? Nothing wrong with being polite.” He sat the drink aside for her, leaving it there if she wanted. Sapporo Premium, a local brand that Willy had grown fond of since they imported. ”Me and my friends just noticed you over there while we played, thought you looked a little lonely. That’s all.” He held up his hands and did his best to look innocent. ”What brought you out tonight?”

Behind Willy’s back, Lucy looked Theo’s way, winked, and stuck her finger in her mouth for a silent gag. He just shook his head, gave her a thwip on the forehead, and went back to his business.

[HotWheels]

So this was the muscular one's plan; he was the only one speaking. Safiya straightened to regard him, specifically, keeping her expression passive. He looked the type to think he could pick up any woman he desired. He talked like that type of man, too. So smooth. Safiya admittedly found it entertaining; maybe she could find yet another client before the night ended. He looked suitable to squeeze. First, though, she wanted a better understanding of what he wanted...and perhaps to string him out quite a bit in front of his bandmates.

"Not enough for men in bars, in my experience," she replied, throwing the impetus to explain back onto him though her form did relax, and she leaned on the bar in a way that made her turtleneck hug just the right curves. Given her past, the Egyptian was a discerning appreciator of alcohol, and she briefly analyzed the alcohol that he sent her way. Not planning to take a drink before she could extract more from him, she sat it back down and fixed him with a hard gaze that carried enough sensual weight to sink a ship.

She wanted to ask him to describe how and why she looked lonely, but the session mistress figured she would save that question. If she found him off-balance, she would toss it his way. For now, she addressed his question by reaching into the jacket slung over her forearm and producing a small, shimmering gold card with her information- clip store address, business email, association with LAW- on it. "Advertisement," she told him, as she handed it over. As she did, she caught the other two band members in the background, motioning at each other. They didn't have much to say, but they were evidently paying attention.

"Is he really that courteous?" she asked them, leaning around him so her chest swayed before him. A small amount of the goddess' dripping sexuality poured into her words as she continued. "And so concerned about how lonely I am?"

[BlackAkuma]

Willy did his best not to smile too much, here. You didn’t want to come off like a goofball in these situations. You had to play it cool, let them think you were interested, but don’t overplay the hand. A light touch.

It wasn’t easy, though. He was already liking everything about this woman.

It wasn’t just the looks, though damn, was she fine. Smooth, curvy body, dark skin, hypnotizing eyes, the kind of look that would’ve been perfect for any screen you’d care to carry around. The word ‘voluptuous’ came to mind, though it wasn’t the kind of term he’d ever like to use. But the way she carried herself, moving in with those slow, subtle steps. That look on her face, hinting at all kind of possibilities. And that voice - he had no clue what accent it was, but he could’ve heard it all night long.

Willy was in the middle of admiring her when she handed over a card, catching him off guard for a second. He rolled his tongue about his cheek as he looked it over, trying to make sense of it while she addressed the others. A store of some kind, and that was her business email, and…hm.

Lucy seemed surprised that she was even being addressed, taking a second to even register that the woman was speaking to her. ”Oh. Totally.” Lucy was the first to speak up, straightening up and trying to look serious. Too serious, in Willy’s opinion. ”100%, all the time. Willy’s a perfect gentleman.”

”Will.” He never liked to open up with the nickname when it came to new women, especially the sort of women who carried around business cards. ”My guy over there is Theo, and the troll doll’s name is-”

”Lucy.” She threw a crumpled up napkin his way, one that he just barely dodged. ”My name is Lucy. Ass.”

The two exchanged irritated glances, before Willy went back to the card. ”And you are…Nithe? Neeth? Am I pronouncing that right, or-”

Lucy reached over, snatched the card, gave it one glance, then flicked it back to him. ”It’s Neith, dingus.” She snickered, then nodded towards the woman. ”You’re Egyptian, then?”

[HotWheels]

The conversation that Safiya triggered by forcefully dragging the other two (or at least the female drummer) into conversation proved enlightening. Having grown very in tune to people's hidden thoughts over the years of her peculiar career, the Egyptian gathered the mockery from the woman, introduced as Lucy, about this Willy's courtesy that she quickly buried under calling him an ass. Of course, he did the same by calling her a troll doll. She gave a long gaze at Theo when he was introduced but failed to comment. That much, and Lucy's blatant disregard for this Willy's antics, Safiya could at least appreciate.

What she could not appreciate was the butchering of her name, but her irritation manifested more as a bored look than anger. Safiya had specifically picked the name since she thought native English speakers would have an easier time with it. Short, seductive sounding, a vowel construct that was prevalent within their language. When Lucy corrected him, Safiya gave her the first smile she had offered any of them. It seemed time to push a few buttons, have her fun if she was going to entertain whatever this happened to be. "I am. With a few bonuses." A slow lidding of her eyes indicated she meant their bright blue...and, of course, she intended the sight of them would work wonders to draw them both in. Perhaps this Theo would notice as well. "You should listen to your well-read bandmate more often, Willy. Maybe show her the card, see if she can interpret it for you."

Having decided that none of her alarm bells were ringing since this did not seem a concerted effort, but one band member's antics, the beauty stared a challenging stare into his eyes and took a sip of the drink. It was quite good, as was all this attention. It put her in the mood to compliment; she provided those much more readily outside of the realm of her own expertise. Yes, she was a musician, but she was even willing to appreciate the work of others since she considered herself no professional. "Your set was very good, especially considering I caught word that you all wrestle, as well." Yes, that was an insult at most true wrestlers, whom Safiya saw as mindless brutes. At least she was saying that they did not seem to fit that mold.

[BlackAkuma]

Lucy was far from a mythologist, but she’d always taken an interest in other cultures, religions, things like that, one of the many wells she liked to draw for inspiration. While she couldn't quite recall what Neith was supposed to be the goddess of, the name itself was instantly familiar to her, and she never passed up an opportunity to dunk on Willy. Besides, if the brief flash Nieth gave was any indication, she did them both a favor by putting a stop to the butchering.

She returned the smile with a little one of her own, then looked away for a quick second, not wanting to overdo it. As lame as Willy was, she couldn't blame him for making a try - this woman had a mesmerizing way about her. Judging from the way Theo was working a bit more hurriedly under her gaze, she wasn’t the only one noticing it.

”’Well-read’.” Willy had a hard laugh at that, though he did hand the card back to Lucy. She was the only one with pockets for it at the moment, anyway. ”She probably just got it off that LARPing thing she does.”

That got a good, long groan out of Lucy, almost out of pure reflex. Again with this. ”Tabletop. I do tabletop RPing every now and then, and no, it’s not the same thing. You guys dress up like Power Rangers and fly around the ring, don’t act like you’re all that better.”

Willy, for all his faults, had the sense not to draw that debate out while he was still trying to lay his game out. He waved Lucy off and brought the focus back to Neith, who seemed to be settling in for the moment. ”So you wrestle, too? Don’t think I’ve seen you in the ring.” A statement that meant next to nothing since Theo couldn't get the man to sit still long enough to study matches and check their competition. ”Just getting started in LAW, ourselves. How’s it been going on your end?”

[HotWheels]

Few things Safiya enjoyed more than control, whether that control come in a session, an encounter, or a social situation. She could feel her grip on this circumstance tightening, even with only one of her and three of them. Well, two of them and one who looked as if he had taken to trying to build a pyramid on his own with the way he was tearing through his work. Sayifa wished to see what this Theo thought, too, and she let her glance pass over him when once he glanced their way, fixing him with an intense gaze before returning to the two who were doing the entirety of the speaking.

Safiya herself only knew of this talk of LARPing and tabletop RPing as much as anyone who browsed the internet to the degree she needed to for her career (she had even looked into erotic versions of a couple of games, purely for business reasons, of course). She did, however, sense an opportunity to tighten that grip just a little more. "I think everyone enjoys a little quality roleplay every now and then," Neith, far more than Safiya, said, before glancing between each face and lingering on Lucy at the end. "That's nothing too out of the ordinary."

Like the comment had been nothing, Safiya returned to absolute casual innocence, taking another sip of her drink. He asked about her wrestling. Safiya snickered as if he was a child with the silliest notion. "And you rarely, if ever, will see me in a ring. My contract is namely for specialty matches. Do I look like someone suited for brute force fights?" She gave Willy a genuinely questioning raise of her eyebrow, expecting an answer. "It's been going very well, but I tend to keep opponents under my end if I can help it."

More and more pushing. Tingles crept up her spine. "What about you?", she asked, with her eyes entirely on Theo. "Do you wrestle as well as you play?"

[BlackAkuma]

Theo never thought he was the smartest man alive or anything, but he liked to think he wasn’t stupid, either. Willy wasn’t, either, despite the vibe he gave off sometimes. His friend could actually be pretty smart when you got him to apply himself, but he was lazy by nature, and easily swayed when it came to the opposite sex. As such, Theo was keenly aware of the dangers that came along with bringing him to LAW, a league with no shortage of women with a reputation for being…’sexually dominant’. Yeah, those words would do.

He hadn't given too much thought on the situation until it was revealed that Neith was a wrestler. Unlike Willy, he’d put in some effort to study some of the women they could be up against, and that only sounded passing familiar - he might’ve glanced at it on a roster list, once or twice. Definitely hadn't seen her in a match, though he could’ve just missed it. She was either brand new, or she was flying under the radar with her specialty matches. A topic she seemed to want to talk on, if his instincts were right.

Whatever the case, Theo had been content to mind his own business and leave Willy to play his own games, wherever they ended up. That came to a halt when Lucy reached over and tapped his foot. ”Psst.” She whispered, though loud enough for all of them to hear. ”I think she’s talking to you.”

Theo looked over, and sure enough, those haunting eyes of hers were staring straight at him, glowing in the lowlights of the stage. Something about her look made him rock away at first, but he gathered his wits and straightened up a moment later. ”Ah, well,” He cleared his throat. ”I’ve been fighting for a while now, but wrestling is still sort of new, so I’d have to say-”

”He’s good.” Willy jumped back in, before things could go further off the rails. ”We both are. Could even show you, too.” Subtlety had never been his thing, and the wild grin and leering eyes just made his message clearer. ”Maybe tell us about these specialty matches? We’re looking for a big debut.”

[HotWheels]

The two gentleman seemed a fitting pair; one wanted to woo Safiya through his (sometimes poor) choice of words, the other did not want to cast a single word upon her. She also noticed his brief withering under her gaze and clear discomfort. No wonder this Lucy appeared to have more command of the situation than either of them combined. Not willing to allow him any comfort, Safiya peered at him from behind angled lashes as she took more sips of her drink, eager to hear his opinion on their wrestling prowess.

Willy butted in again. Safiya cast a harsh gaze on him, which somehow became harsher as she picked up the intention behind his words. "For someone so polite, you have a bad habit of interrupting people," she chided, taking a step closer and glancing over his shoulder at Lucy as if offering an invitation for her to pile on. Theo did not seem the type to add any venom to the comment, but the girl, she had spunk. She likely needed it to deal with this one; if she had to guess, Theo probably struggled to get through to the needy loudmouth across the stage from him.

She leaned over the bar, giving them all a decent view of her curvy profile. "I'm not sure you have the head for the type of matches I wrestle. They require some subtlety. Technique. Skills of seduction." Hers were on display already as she stuck her rear out that much farther and taped the toe of a heeled boot on the floor. She turned to regard Willy again. "Those don't seem to be your strengths. You seem more the type to take a wild swing and hope it sticks." A small, taunting smile played at her lips.