Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress

[BlackAkuma]

Bast stood in front of the bathroom mirror of her apartment, looking herself over once again, the tenth time in as many minutes. No matter how many times she did, it was still a weird sight for her to process: wearing a dress. A good one, too, a black, short-skirted affair that clung tight to her muscular body with thin straps at the top. It displayed her prominent shoulders, showed off her thick legs, and emphasized all her best features. It was more akin to something that Cersei would’ve worn, stylish, sensual, and oh-so fancy.

It wasn’t her. ”I’m taking this off.”

She stomped out of the bathroom to do just that, only for Cersei to rush in and push her back with fussy hands, incessantly forcing her younger sister back in front of the mirror. ”No, no, no, we discussed this. After all the effort we just went through, all the hours - hours - we spent in that store trying to find something that fit? No. You’re wearing this on your date. End of story.”

Bast groaned and crossed her arms as she stared at the mirror, doing her best not to pout. It was true. She’d talked Cersei into shopping with her once she found out she’d scored a date on Grappl, the dating website she’d joined on a whim a few weeks ago. With her heavyweight title match behind her and her body still on the mend, she’d needed something to occupy her time until she was fight-ready again, and she figured now was as good a time as any to dab her toes into the dating scene. It had been a lark more than anything else, and she’d half expected the whole thing to be a scam, so when she got a serious inquiry, she was slightly surprised. While the concept of sensuality was nothing new to her, she’d never engaged with a fellow fighter before and couldn't imagine what it was like with someone who could bring the same sort of energy and intensity.

This could be an epic disaster, blow up in her face, or all be a giant mistake. And so, she was half of a mind to call the whole thing off, even if the actual date was just an hour away. It’d save both her and her potential partner a lot of grief…

Cersei wasn’t about to let that happen, though. ”You look great. You need to stop worrying about all this.” She reached and tried to massage Bast’s shoulders. She did a bad job of it, but the thought alone was appreciated. ”Just relax. Be you. What’s the worst that could happen if it messes up?”

Bast thought about it for a moment, then started ticking it off. ”Public humiliation. A brawl breaks out. Police involvement.”

”Gods, you are negative. And people say I’m the downer.” Cersei gave Bast a playful pat on the backside, making her jump in surprise, before she stood at her sister’s side. ”Don’t think about it that way. Tonight, you’re not Bast, the terror of the heavyweight division and a future champion. You’re Samira Magan Asaad, the jewel, and you are going to have a fantastic night. Say it, believe it.”

***

”I’m Samira Magan Assad, the jewel, and I’m going to have a fantastic night.”

Bast found herself muttering those words as she stood on the bottom steps of the Ancient Egyptian Museum of Shibuya, looking up a the towering structures as the noonday lights cascaded off it. She tended to stand out wherever she went, but today, even more so than usual, a hulking African woman in a stylish dress amidst a sea of more petite Japanese men and women. She regretted dressing up like this, but she supposed she would be awkward. At least she would impress her date, ideally.

Speaking of which, she should’ve been showing up soon. Bast checked her phone, ensuring the time was right—yes, this was it. They’d agreed to meet just after noon. She pulled her purse up on her shoulder and looked around, anxious, hoping she hadn't been—what was the word for it? Catfished?

[FreestylePoet]

Darina Terranova was not a formal kind of girl. Spend more than three seconds with her, and that'll be obvious. Rules. Convention. Expectation. It was all so stuffy. She much preferred to go with her own flow. Where that fit and who it fit with? That was where and with whom she spent her time. Things were a lot more fun that way.

But that didn't mean she was without decorum. More importantly, it didn't mean she couldn't dress the part. Darina always looked damn good, but when she felt like it, she could clean up with the best of them. Today was most definitely a special enough occasion. A first date -- with another LAW wrestler, no less. That app they'd had her use -- Grappl, was it? -- was a lot like all the others. Their date had come together pretty quickly; chat apps like that were best used to get your foot in the door. And once plans were laid out to go to the Ancient Egyptian Museum of Shibuya? Where they were showing off a limited-time exhibit on ancient astronomy?

A woman straight after her own heart, this Samira.

So, yeah. Special occasion for sure. More than enough for Darina to pull out all the stops. She wore a vibrant blue, sleeveless top whose cut was just on the edge of respectable, and over it went a tight leather jacket with full sleeves and a crop at the top of her torso. Jet-black, trim and all, save for four golden buttons arranged like those on a peacoat. Her skirt was black and long, near enough to a pencil-skirt, with an asymmetric hem. One side cut off mid-shin, while the other went just below the knee. It was flared a bit -- loose enough to let her move -- but it cinched around her hips just enough to show the goods.

The accoutrements were simple. Her hair was tied in a long braid, and her necklace was just as gold, save for the shimmering sapphire that matched her eyes. Darina whistled at herself in the mirror. Whoever this Samira was, she was in for a treat.

---

Darina weaved through the Shibuya crowds. Salarymen and tourists and families passed by as she swam, brushing shoulders ten-a-second. For the first time in her life, Darina kept her head down; she was almost late and couldn't waste too much time taking selfies with Japan's biggest fight fans.

(The subway ride over was a different story.)

Soon enough, she reached the museum. It didn't take much longer to find her date. There, a crown of white towering above the rest. She pushed through the last few people, and--

Stars above. That was an absolute statue of a woman. Seriously. She was sculpted with all sorts of angles and curves, each and every one hugged by either that black dress or that rippled skin. Her hair, tousled just right, fell to frame a stoic face, all the way down to a well-worked neck and shoulders. This woman was rugged, and yet so well-put-together. It made Darina feel like she was both over- and under-dressed at the same time.

Somehow she was already right in front of Bast. It wasn't often that Darina had to look up to talk to someone, but here they were. "Sorry for staring. It's just—" She shook her head as if to snap out of a stupor. "Wow," she breathed. "You look really good. And I'm not just saying that to woo you. Like... I mean. Dude." Her gaze flickered down to those powerful arms. How much could she bench? Or curl? Or toss around like a ragdoll? "Anyway. My thirst aside. I'm Darina." She tilted her head. "I wonder. You a handshake or a hug kinda girl? Maybe a fist bump?"

[BlackAkuma]

Bast - Samira had been wondering if she needed to get her eyes checked. She could see at short distances well enough, it was never a problem when she was fighting, but she swore it was getting harder and harder to see things that were closer. Maybe it was all the lights of this city, still something she was unused to - back home, she’d lived by natural light more often than not. Here, everything was bright and neon and so blinding at times. Her match with Alaina hadn't helped, either, with her still coming off a minor concussion from the hellacious match.

Then again, maybe she was just so wrapped up in her concerns that it made her oblivious to her surroundings. Whatever the case, she needed to come up with some explanation for how she could’ve missed the golden goddess of a woman who was suddenly gleaming in her face.

She was not quite as tall as Samira herself, but far taller than most, with long, blonde, braided hair that seemed to go on forever. Her eyes were a glowing shade of blue, a perfect match for the dress, shimmering like the ocean over a hardened body. A fighter’s body. Honed, fit, strong. She could already see the work that had gone into a form like this, the hours of dedication, and she could feel the Panthress inside her growling. She will be watching this woman’s match tonight. Deeply intrigued to see her in action.

More than anything, though, Samira loved the smile. A warm, welcoming smile, bright as the sun. Her shoulders slackened before she even realized it and a soothing calm came over her. She could do this.

”You needn’t apologize. You look good, too. Amazing, really.” She took a step forward, doing her best to match her date’s bright demeanor, hoping she didn’t come off as too intimidating. She was even taller than usual in these heels. ”That’s a lovely name - Darina.” She hummed, liking the way it came off her tongue. ”Bast - or, no, call me Samira. Please. And I think I might be willing to try a hug, if you are.” She opened her arms and came halfway for it, hoping Darina would meet her halfway.

[FreestylePoet]

Her kru always stressed that the first step to good self-defense was assessing the threat in front of you. There wasn't any immediate danger here, but by God, this woman was a weapon. How many hours had she spent, whittling, honing, perfecting? Now she stood here, sheathed in form-fitting black -- though more a blade on a hip, she could tell, than on a wall. Toned peaks and valleys were her filigree and her powerful gaze the perfect ornament, but Samira was not mere decoration.

Just the first step proved that. In martial arts, movement was intent, and Samira was filled to the brim with it. Most people might've been intimidated by Samira stepping up to them with that kind of eagerness -- restrained but evident. But not Darina. No, Darina was enthralled. The same way she might've looked at an original Masamune. The sturdy Earth, carved into something somehow even stronger, even more beautiful.

Or maybe she was just thirsty for the big fuckin' woman who wanted to take her out on a date. Probably a bit of Column A and a bit of Column B.

The attraction wasn't one-sided, either. Darina cocked a small, side-quirked smile as Samira opened up her arms. "A hug it is, then." She met Samira in the center of the sidewalk. It was that sort of hug shared between folks who really wanted to know each other better: not quite body-to-body and a little off-center with one arm doing the brunt of the work, but with both arms wrapped and a not-too-awkward shortening of the distance between them.

Far too soon, the time came to pull away. Darina found herself missing the warmth. "So... two of the most dangerous women in Tokyo decide to have their first date at a museum of all things... How'd that happen?" She chuckled. "Of course, I don't mind, this place seems awesome, and it's just my damn luck that they have an astronomy exhibit going on right now. But people are usually a little surprised that I like stuff like this. Guessing it's the same for you?"

[BlackAkuma]

When was the last time Samira had a hug? Had she ever? If she had to guess, probably not since her growth spurt kicked in. Most people tried to avoid getting within her arms reach, and the few people she’d known well enough to throw a ‘friend’ label at weren’t exactly the hugging type. There was Cersei, but because of her body’s condition, that wouldn’t have been a good idea. Even her sexual partners hadn't been the sort for that kind of thing.

Excluding bearhugs, of course.

This was pleasant, though. She pulled into Darina and wrapped her arms around the slightly smaller woman, getting her into a tight, but not too tight, embrace. It was close enough for her to feel her warmth, smell her fragrance, and get a sense of the tight muscles under that lovely dress. It was a new, but not unwelcome, experience, and she would’ve held it for a while longer, if not for time being a factor.

She laughed as Darina pointed out their date's seeming randomness, then thumbed back towards it. ”It said in your profile that you liked astronomy, and I’ve an interest in African history. So…two birds with one stone? I believe that’s the saying.” Even though it had never made much sense to her, it seemed like a good fit. ”And yes, it’s much the same for me. I think people are often surprised that I can even read.”

Sadly, not far from the truth. She’d had more than a few unfortunate incidents since she came to Japan, with people who had extremely poor impressions of what a native African should be. But she wasn’t going to let any of that nonsense ruin her time, tonight.

She held out her hand and offered it to Darina, willing to lead her inside, if she so wished. ”Shall we go? I already have the tickets.”

[FreestylePoet]

Darina'd heard it all before. Tall, buff, fighty. In lots of people's eyes, that meant a total meathead. Which, well, she wasn't Einstein or anything, but nobody would appreciate being called dumb. She nodded and scoffed in appreciation of what Bast had shared.

Then came the offer of a hand -- of a good start to a night that was as not-a-meathead-y as it got. "Real smooth operator, aren't ya? Guess we really are both more than meets the eye." She took Bast's hand with a smile. "By all means. After you."

Lots of her dates, guys or girls, had tried on that old-timey chivalry schtick, and honestly? Darina didn't really see the appeal. They could be nice without sticking their arm out like a chicken wing and tugging her along. Worse, though, were the ones that expected her to do all the work. Like pillow princesses, but for every damn second they were together. Again: Tall, buff, and fighty.

It might not have been Bast's intent, but the way she offered her hand wasn't like either of those at all. Sure, she was leading, but someone had to open the doors and scan their tickets, right? It wasn't just that they were on equal footing. It was that they were just... them. Their hands fit surprisingly well -- casual and easy, but still close.

And what a hand it was. Darina enjoyed the lace of their fingers and the bare touch of their palms, complete with a loose wrap of the thumb. None of that half-assed fingertips-on-fingertips stuff. Whether Bast was one to grip tight or not, Darina at least wanted to appreciate the way they could be personal around each other -- and to appreciate the texture of a hand that did the same kind of work hers did. She wondered what Bast thought about all that.

"Should I be embarrassed that I didn't spring for the top-shelf hand cream?"

[BlackAkuma]

It was only a nod, but the simple gesture told Bast what she needed to know - Darina understood. She might not have been quite as tall as Bast herself, but she would still tower over most men and far more women. She would even dare guess that this was the first time she’d been close to a larger woman since she came to Japan. People always saw that size as nothing but a boon, but living in a world designed for shorter people could often be a nuisance. Hitting your head on things, not fitting into things, and how it shaped everyone’s perception of you before you said a word.

That commonality brought a smile to Bast’s face, one she couldn't quite help. Already, the night’s prospects were looking up. ”I try to be, yes.” She nodded and gave Darina’s hand a tender squeeze. ”I suspect we have much more in common. I’m anxious to find out.”

Eager, she lead Darina to the entrance, presented their tickets for a quick scan, and stepped through the throngs to make their way inside, doing her best to ignore the occasional surprised glare as they stepped into the atrium. Even in a place like this, two giantesses were bound to stand out, but she wasn’t about to let such things ruin her date. Especially not now, when it was showing real potential.

She enjoyed the feel of Darina’s hand as they walked, idly flexing her fingers with every other step, taking care to keep her close but not be possessive about, just loose enough that she could pull away if she so desired. She perked up when Darina spoke and had a low, rumbling chuckle. ”Neither did I, just the generic stuff I found on the first shelf. You’re in good company.” She whispered, like it was some sort of dark secret. ”You’ve a strong hand, though. Impressive.” Bast ran her fingers along the back of Darina’s hand for a subtle stroke. ”How long have you been a fighter?”