Hello, Wisconsin!

[DSX93]

"Why would she possibly take an interest in us? It's pretty obvious we're here together. It's a little freaky."

Terrell didn't have a clue. They were here together, and it was pretty clear now that she wasn't about to step in and split them apart.

"♩ You see I cannot be Forsaken! Because I'm not theeee only one! We walk amongst you, feeding, raping! Must we hide from eeeveryone?♩ "

And yet she flashed them the occasional smile while singing through the final repeats of the chorus. Maybe she was into that? Is that what she does: Go up to couples and serenade and eye fuck her way into threesomes?

Looking at her, though...He could see her actually having a few notches in her belt with that endeavor. She had the vampiric sex goddess thing down pat. He didn't know it, but his thoughts were pretty much the same as those that were running through Keira's. "If she came along before...Maybe."

It made him feel like scum.

Terrell didn't know what to say to Keira's question, but he knew that he had to say something. "I..." And then it came to him. He turned to her with a smile -- the first he showed throughout this entire performance -- and said, "I guess we just look that damn good together."

"♩ EEEVERYOOOOOOONE!♩ " The goth

eyes lifted to the sky. The final line was delivered without the use of a microphone, impassioned, as though it were a question that she was really asking of someone up there. Her voice reached surprisingly far, even with an audience that sat in stunned, maybe mesmerized silence.

She held the pose after the song's end. And at first, there was more silence. Then the applause started trickling in, starting with one pair of hands, back from the bar. Then a couple more. Then it began to spread through to the karaoke section proper until she had a nice round going. Terrell himself wasn't a part of it, and wouldn't have been even if he had both hands free. The performance was great, sure, but there was all of that.

And of course, of course she wasn't going back to the bar afterwards. No, she headed straight for their table with all of that cool confidence she had in approaching the stage, stopping beside a chair that would have her seated across from them. She remained standing, gesturing towards it.

"May I?"

This woman has some guts.

"Uh, we're not looking for a third, if that's what you're trying for."

"I'll be frank: You both have charmed me. But no, I'm not looking to be a...'third'. Nor do I wish to interfere with your love. What I want, if you still partake in Hentai, is a contest with each of you. A taste of the passion you shared with each other in yours. That is all."

"You're in LAW?"

"Yes."

Oh, thank God. Terrell was afraid that she was about to take a step too far and start a fight. After hearing this, he started to breathe easier.

"My name is Daeva. Daeva Asphodel."

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

Even as she neared the end of her performance, the goth woman continued setting her sights in the direction of Keira and Terrell. Keira didn't quite know what to make of it. This woman had all the vibes that her high school self would have killed for; and even now, there was something seductive about her. That was the only thing Keira could come up with for why they'd earned so much of her attention, and it almost felt bad to shoot that down. Almost. Of course, she could be entirely mistaken; this whole 'relationship' business was still new to her, as were the feelings of both jealousy and guilt that came with it.

"I guess we just look that damn good together."

Real smooth, Terrell Hughes.

Keira let a smile slip back onto her face as she finally broke the singer's spell, her eyes drawing back towards Terrell. She stared at him fondly and waited, long enough for him to turn his head towards her, at which point she'd lean in and plant a kiss right on his lips. It was intended to be a quick one, but once they were connected, she spent a few more moments enjoying the chill it send down her spine. When they finally broke apart, she rested her head on his shoulder.

And then her eyes went right back to the goth. Although this time, it was less about her mesmerizing aura and more because of the dramatic finish to her performance. She had a voice that carried well, and she'd chosen her song accordingly. On top of everything else, Keira couldn't help feeling a little envious.

It took a beat before anyone responded, but eventually she did get her applause, and once it started, it snowballed. Keira joined in, albeit a little reluctantly; it was more to be polite than anything, no real enthusiasm despite enjoying the song quite a bit. She noticed Terrell refrained entirely, and didn't blame him at all.

The goth had all eyes in the building on her as she left the stage. From there, it didn't take long to realize where she was headed; right for their table. Keira was suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious, not only because it was undeniable now the woman had taken an interest in them specifically, but she also spotted more than one envious glare sent her way from elsewhere in the venue. A week ago, she'd have been over the moon at this development, but now... frankly, it was making her uncomfortable.

"Uh, we're not looking for a third, if that's what you're trying for."

Oh, thank god. Terrell didn't beat around the bush; he'd spoken up the second she opened her mouth. Which admittedly was a surprise; Keira expected to have to be the one to shoot her down. It felt like he'd just taken a step; she'd have to reward him for that later.

"I'll be frank: You both have charmed me." By doing what, exactly? Showing each other affection? "But no, I'm not looking to be a...'third'. Nor do I wish to interfere with your love." Cool as ice, she didn't miss a beat and addressed the elephant in the room. Which, of course, was a big relief, but then, why...?

"What I want, if you still partake in Hentai, is a contest with each of you. A taste of the passion you shared with each other in yours. That is all."

A contest. A hentai contest...? Terrell caught on quicker than Keira had.

"You're in LAW?" She could feel the tension melting out of Terrell's arm muscles as things finally began to make sense.

'In yours', she had said. "You saw our match. That's why you kept looking our way. You recognized us."

With the puzzle pieces clicking into place and the pair of them feeling more at ease, she realized Daeva remained standing.

"Keira," she introduced herself, with a nod of her head towards the empty chair.

She paused then to consider the situation, casting a sideways glance at her date. Sure, Keira and Terrell had agreed that hentai matches were part of their job and therefore wouldn't impact their relationship, and this woman now was making the point up-front about not trying to get between them. But now that an opportunity presented itself, Keira found herself... hesitating. There was no doubt a part of her internally wanted to jump at the idea, but... It was one thing to be booked for a match; it was another entirely to set one up yourself with someone who was very obviously into you, right in front of your date, no less.

But they had come to an agreement... and Terrell would be getting a chance, too, so it wasn't like she was getting an exclusive pass out of it. Still, she wasn't about to agree to anything without hearing his thoughts on it first.

[DSX93]

Terrell wasn't certain how effective his words were going to be, but he had to say something. When his head turned in Keira's direction, however, and he saw the way he was looking at her...

Those eyes. That smile. It was the sort of smile that any sane and sensible man would do anything to keep seeing again and again. It had him hearing the

to Coldplay's "Clocks" in his head. A song that he would've pegged for the sort of love song that's played at the climax of a romantic blockbuster, if it weren't for the majority of the lyrics.

He didn't have long to admire it, but given what followed, he didn't mind. That first kiss didn't last long enough, though. Keira started to pull back. Uh-uh. There was no getting away with a quick peck after smiling at him like that and setting his heart on fire again. He pursued her this time to resume the contact and get some more of those perfect, and only imperfectly describable sensations that spread from his lips to the rest of him. That warmth and fuzziness, the feeling that he could just melt into her as they'd all but done during that magical first match a few nights ago, that invigorating shiver down his own spine...

He didn't care that they were in the middle of a crowd. He didn't care who was watching. He'd forgotten all about Daeva and the game she was playing. For those next what felt like minutes but was more likely just seconds, it was just him and Keira. That's all the world was.

When it ended, it still felt like it was too soon. But for now, he was satisfied.

...

With the exception of his, the introductions had been made, and Daeva taken a seat across from them.

"Black Severin." His tone was accepting of her presence. No ice, really, but a boundary established. His real name was only for Keira to know. Daeva's eyes flashed upon hearing the alias, like it had told her something.

"♩ Severin, your servant, comes in bells, please don't forsake him.♩ "

Ah, that's what it was.

"Oh, you get that reference, huh?" A reference of

that details a Master and Slave relationship with a woman as the Master, as he'd explained to a curious Keira as they laid in each other's arms the morning after their match. He hadn't put a lot of thought into his ring name on account of not having much time to prepare before a group of LAW scouts came to Milwaukee to hold a series of tryouts. A part of him had hoped that, if he'd made it through, that some nice, sexy dominant lady would come along and happen to know where the name came from, and that something would come of it.

That was when he met Lady Kei, as he'd call her when she let her dominant side run wild on him. What a way to start the day!

He turned to her, smiling one of those smiles you give to someone when there's something shared between you that only the two of you would know.

Daeva would let the two have their moment, seemingly unbothered, before responding.

"Yes. An intriguing choice for a man who fights as hard as you do, when it's not unlikely that you'll find the experiences that your name suggests you're looking for if you submit."

Terrell opened his mouth to explain that it was mostly just a reference when he realized. "You've been watching my matches?" More of a statement than it was a question.

"Yes. I've had it suggested to me that I research all of my opponents, and it felt prudent to look into the two of you before I asked, and I must say that you are both impressive. And absolutely adorable together, if you don't mind me saying." Daeva let out what was admittedly a cute little laugh, and somehow, she'd made the fangs work with it. Didn't beat Keira's, of course, but it was a nice one. "Just the level of comfort you two have with each other so soon after meeting, and that fearlessness in putting yourselves out there; some would call what you did to your song butchery, but you made it just that: Your very own. It's all...hope inspiring."

The longer Terrell listened to Daeva's tidy, formal speech, the more he wondered: Where is she from?

And "hope inspiring"? She said the words with a small sigh, and there was something in her eyes that gave hints of a story that hasn't progressed in her favor.

"But my point is, I'm new to wrestling. And my interest is in the sexual side of it. I feel that the two of you would be an excellent point of entry for me, if you'd have me. You seem...nice. So I'd intended to speak to management about setting these matches up, but since fate brought us all here, I thought I'd just come to you."

Terrell nodded in understanding. Well, he got the gist of it: She'd made a weird start to her approach, but he could understand looking into something safe for one's first experience in something like this. He'd lucked out, but there's plenty of people out there who hadn't.

He turned to Keira after catching her glance at him through his periphery. She was looking to him for his thoughts on the matter.

"Well..." He began, turning back to Daeva. "That was one hell of a way to start off your approach." He laughed. "But you seem cool. Straight to the point." He believed her. After turning back to Keira again, he'd ask, "What do you think?"

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

Even holding the kiss longer than she had intended wasn't long enough for Terrell. As Keira pulled back, he followed. Keira wouldn't hold back the small moan that formed when their lips reconnected; she wasn't sure it was loud enough for Daeva or anyone else to hear over the dull roar of the bar, but she didn't really care either way. The surge it sent through her system was well worth it.

Terrell introduced himself to Daeva with his ring name. That much, at least, was unsurprising. Given the proposition they'd been offered, he was making his position known, and keeping the discussion purely professional. Keira was hit by a ping of jealousy when the goth woman recognized the reference she'd had to ask about, but even then, it didn't matter. He'd still chosen her, and so far, she'd performed her role to his satisfaction. And she'd only get better at it the longer they played.

She caught Terrell grinning at her out of the corner of her eye, as though they were both thinking the same thing, and gave him a knowing wink in return.

"An intriguing choice for a man who fights as hard as you do, when it's not unlikely that you'll find the experiences that your name suggests you're looking for if you submit."

She had a point, there. Somehow, Keira didn't Terrell had any secret reason for joining a mixed division, but she couldn't help but wonder if he hadn't been low-key hoping something like this would happen. If so, she was damn lucky she got to him first. Still, it wasn't like he ever tried to lose, or threw a match.

"I've had it suggested to me that I research all of my opponents, and it felt prudent to look into the two of you before I asked."

Keira nodded along. She did much the same; any information she could find on her potential opponents could prove the difference between a win or a loss.

"It's all...hope inspiring."

Keira had been with her up until that point, and it was there that she spoke up, with a slight tilt of her head. "That's an interesting choice of words. One could say your performance was similar to our own. What you lacked in general silliness, you made up with sheer passion." She was referring to her song, of course, unsure of how exactly to respond to a compliment on their sexual prowess.

Back to the original point. She was new... Keira could believe that much. Obviously, neither she nor Terrell would have ever guessed just by looking at her. And she'd certainly left an impression. That alone could go far with a rowdy audience. And she wanted to do erotic matches, which in itself took a fair amount of self-confidence.

On top of that, there was still that primal part of her that was just dying to get a taste of what the goth could do.

Terrell didn't commit either way, but the fact that he didn't immediately turn her down provided enough information for Keira to shoot her shot. "Well, I'm not normally one to shy away from helping an up-and-coming rookie. So long as-" she cut herself off as she sent a hasty glance at Terrell, nearly using her nickname for him before remembering he'd only given her his stage name. "So long as Severin's good, I'm down." There was a gleam in her eye as she refocused on Daeva that would hint at her suppressed desire.

[DSX93]

"That's an interesting choice of words. One could say your performance was similar to our own. What you lacked in general silliness, you made up with sheer passion."

"Thank you." Daeva said it with a fuller smile than the ones that adorned her face before. "But I meant in terms of developing such a bond, how do you say, 'from the jump'? It reminds me of two of my closest friends. They told it as being love at first sight for them. A meeting of kindred souls; the sort of tale that's born in the mind of a more idealistic literary artiste, made reality. Such a thing of beauty, truly."

That word right there: "Kindred". The formal, flowery speech. That stage Presence. He just had to ask now: "You're a Toreador, aren't you?"

And to that, Daeva laughed. "No. No, I'm not."

Terrell turned to Keira as he began to explain. "It's from a Tabletop RPG called 'Vampire: The Masquerade'. The Toreador is like...It's one of the character classes, pretty much; Warrior, Wizard, Rogue. The narrative portrays them as different vampire clans, but in effect, when you break it right down to the meta, yeah."

"You've played it?" There was an excitement in her expression, that of a hobbyist who's delved into the obscure, but just managed to find a fellow. She leaned forward in her seat, resting her chin in a hand that was propped up by her elbow.

"I played 'Bloodlines', but not the Tabletop." Ah, "Bloodlines". That was another one to show Keira. One of the priority games to show her; so damn good.

"A fine point of entry." Daeva looked like she wanted to discuss more, but instead, she stopped there. Sat back and straightened her posture, as it was before. That was just fine with Terrell. He didn't want to spend too much time talking about something that Keira wasn't in the loop of. "But my point is, I'm new to wrestling..."

After Daeva had explained herself, Keira chimed in.

"Well, I'm not normally one to shy away from helping an up-and-coming rookie. So long as-" She stopped herself from saying his name just in time. "So long as Severin's good, I'm down."

There was something in her eye when she looked at Daeva. Is he seeing what he thinks he's seeing?

Oh yeah. That's exactly what he's seeing. Keira's digging the idea. And knowing that now, along with the fact that they were all co-workers pretty much...He could lie to others, but he couldn't lie to himself: He was liking it too.

Ooh, hot alternative lesbian action. Yes, please!

And he gets to have a shot at her too? Oh, man!

Everything was going over right. The matter had been discussed, interest made plain, no strings attached, nice and simple. Terrell was feeling like the luckiest man alive!

He responded first with a nod, giving himself a couple seconds to ensure the maintenance of his composure. "Sounds like you've got yourself your first two Hentai matches, Daeva." He held out a hand to make it "official". After standing and giving his a shake, Daeva reached out to do the same with Keira's.

"Excellent! You have my thanks." And then she gave the two of them those eyes one last time. No, not exactly: They were more powerful than before. Terrell kept a mind to stroke Keira's shoulder with his thumb, but he allowed a held gaze during the equal time she'd focused on them. It was a safe one that was fixed on them: One that expressed a carnal hunger. Holding the silent promise of an experience that would envelop the body, but not the soul. "And I must say, I can hardly wait. Until then, I bid you adieu."

And with that, Daeva pushed in the chair that she'd been invited to and was off.

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

Daeva's response came with a smile on her face, one far more... well, 'genuine' was not the right word, because her previous smiles seemed real enough. But this one was larger. It reached her ears in a way her previous did not.

As for those words themselves, the clarification helped, too. "Oh, believe me, before that match, I didn't believe in love at first sight, either. But by the end of it... well, yeah, obvious there was just something there." Perhaps 'love at first sight' wasn't the right term, but 'kindred spirts' certainly fit as well as anything.

"You're a Toreador, aren't you?"

A... what?

Thankfully, Terrell recognized Keira's clueless expression by now and hurried to explain, essentially boiling down to... calling Daeva a vampire. Which, fair play, if such a thing existed, Keira wouldn't have a doubt that this woman might be one. The speech, the clothes... she had that entire vibe nailed down. Whatever this game was, it was something that Daeva and Terrell had in common. The goth woman had a noticeably excited expression on her face, which was, oddly, not an expression she expected to see. For all the other things she might have thought about Daeva, 'gamer' was not one that came to mind.

Terrell took another few moments after Keira's conditional agreement before voicing his approval as well. So that was it, then. They were both set to compete against the hot vampire chick, all with each other's blessing. All things considered, Keira could think of worse things to be doing with her time. Part of her still felt a little guilty about it, but she was just going to have to get used to it. He did agree, and this was part of their job, after all.

Keira reached out to shake Daeva's hand, following her date's turn. And then came the eyes again. She could see the fire, the passion behind them now, and now that she knew exactly what it is they were after, she felt... more at ease than before, but there was still something spooky about it. Terrell must have agreed, because he did that thumb stroking thing Keira melted for. She tried, subtly, to lean into it, both in appreciation of the gesture and to offer her own support in return.

And then, after a few quick parting words, she was gone, just up and left. With that kind of suddenness, Keira wondered if she might be off to go schedule those matches already.

"I hope she doesn't fuck and dash that quickly," Keira muttered to herself. She turned back to Terrell, leaning fully into his touch now that Daeva had gone. "So. That just happened."

She started that thought off unsure of where it was going, but once she started, the words just came to her. "Gotta say, I'm... looking forward to it. There's just something about helping rookies that I can't get enough of. Maybe cause I used to be one and I wanna repay that, I guess. Not that I'm the big star that Sophie was when she picked me up, but I mean, why wait until I'm super famous if I can do it now, right?"

Yeah, it was a little rambly, and definitely ignoring the hentai aspect, but that didn't mean it was any less true.

With her nachos just about gone, she changed the subject. "So, what's on the agenda next?"

[DSX93]

"I hope she doesn't fuck and dash that quickly."

Terrell laughed. It was already a good one-liner, but what made it amazing was that she didn't even know that it was an accurate reference to the essence of the Toreador. Seducing their prey, and being able to run like they had Harrison Wells giving them a speech when they need it the most. Prophetic Malkavian humor at its finest, providing answers before the question is even asked, so to speak. Yep, VtM is another to show her, for sure.

"So. That just happened."

"Yeah." Terrell took a moment to digest what just happened. Let it all sink in. His first thought? A word that's been a regular presence since he started wrestling, whether spoken or simply thought: "Wow." Indeed. Never in his wildest dreams was he ever in the position he's in right now. But even so, that "wow" lacked an exclamation mark this time.

He doubted that there would be anything that could surprise him more than Keira did over the last few days. Over the last few hours, especially. Daeva shook him, yeah, but compared to Kiera...After everything she's been saying, everything she's wanted to do, enjoyed doing...Everything she's accepted about him...

It was such a small happening in comparison.

"Gotta say, I'm...looking forward to it. There's just something about helping rookies that I can't get enough of. Maybe cause I used to be one and I wanna repay that, I guess. Not that I'm the big star that Sophie was when she picked me up, but I mean, why wait until I'm super famous if I can do it now, right?"

"Yeah. And I know you're gonna do a great job of it. You've been a big help to me already. Even in so little time today: When I woke up this morning, I didn't see myself having the guts to get up on that stage to sing some Britney Spears." It wasn't wrestling related at all, but he still felt it important to mention. She'd still made things happen with her influence. "Not without getting a few more drinks in me first." He laughed. "It was a lot of fun. Thank you for that."

When they'd finished their nachos, Keira would ask, "So, what's on the agenda next?"

"I take you out for dinner, and if you'd like, I could show you my place."

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

Turned out Keira hadn't been quiet enough not to be overheard, but Terrell was laughing, so she shrugged it off. No harm done there. In fact, it made her smile, hearing him laugh, and knowing it was something she said that caused it. She hadn't even intended to.

"You've been a big help to me already. Even in so little time today: When I woke up this morning, I didn't see myself having the guts to get up on that stage to sing some Britney Spears. Not without getting a few more drinks in me first."

This time, Keira laughed. "Why do you think I ordered wine? Believe me, you're not alone there. I was more nervous getting up on that stage than I ever have been getting into the ring. But... you made it easy. Not just having you there, although that by itself was a huge comfort. But god damn, the sheer... insanity of it all! Don't think I didn't realize that you fell down on purpose." She whacked him on the shoulder lightly with a backhand, her grin wider than ever. "I knew whatever fuck-up I might have done couldn't be more embarrassing than that! Made it really easy to relax. So, really, I should be thanking you, T."

She paused a moment, then added, "Not just for this, but for everything. Karaoke, dinner, showing me around your hometown... it was fun. Kinda makes me want to get out a little more. It's definitely a better experience when you're not alone."

Another pause, shorter this time, followed by a small chuckle. "Ah, there I go getting all sappy again. Been happening a lot, lately." She looked down the nacho crumbs remaining on her plate. Tasty, but not enough to consider a meal. She wasn't sure why, but going back to his apartment for the night never even crossed her mind. She simply hadn't thought about how the night would end. But it made sense; after the drive to get here, going back so soon certainly wasn't an option. They couldn't stay at Beatriz' parents' place. And why pay for a hotel room if Terrell had his own? "Sounds to me like the night's still young. Dinner sounds lovely."

One more pause, this time putting on her sultry expression. "And then you can show me your place. Aaaand then I can show you my... gratitude."

Yeah, that was cheesy. But she had a feeling he'd laugh, and if nothing else, he knew what she really meant.

[DSX93]

"Believe me, you're not alone there. I was more nervous getting up on that stage than I ever have been getting into the ring. But... you made it easy. Not just having you there, although that by itself was a huge comfort. But god damn, the sheer... insanity of it all! Don't think I didn't realize that you fell down on purpose." Keira followed that up with a playful backhand to his shoulder. His own smile grew larger. In unison with hers, it seemed. "I knew whatever fuck-up I might have done couldn't be more embarrassing than that! Made it really easy to relax. So, really, I should be thanking you, T."

Those words only enhanced the experience in Terrell's mind. It was shared in a deeper way than he'd originally thought. A big, simultaneous step outside of their comfort zones, with surprisingly little liquid courage required. Just going up there with the right person, looking the prospect of humiliation right in the face, and taking the plunge and going ham.

And all of that in just a little under four minutes.

"Not just for this, but for everything. Karaoke, dinner, showing me around your hometown... it was fun. Kinda makes me want to get out a little more. It's definitely a better experience when you're not alone." Another pause, shorter this time, followed by a small chuckle. "Ah, there I go getting all sappy again. Been happening a lot, lately."

"You can be as sappy as you want with me, Kei."

He likes sappy. Sappy is an opening. It's vulnerability. Feeling, emotion. Unfiltered and true, a flame that burns away at that sense of cool that mostly everybody (Terrell included) tries to stick to in normal circumstances. That need to not look like a dork or whatever. And more than that, it's trust.

"Sounds to me like the night's still young. Dinner sounds lovely." Ooh, that look. Oh boy, that look. "And then you can show me your place. Aaaand then I can show you my... gratitude."

Sounds like a plan to him!

"Let's get out of here."

If Keira told him that she wanted to go to a casino, he would've went for it. Terrell wasn't a gambling man, but he was feeling like the luckiest one alive this evening.

Thank you, LAW.

End of Thread.