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

[CyanDimitrik]

Indeed, rather like a corner splash! Albeit focused more on the lower abdominal and hip region than the typical chest area! She might've even enjoyed it, if it weren't so awkward!

Heck, she'd enjoy the regular splash, too.

Distracting thoughts are distracting, and Laxia easing back off of her helps keep them under control. Her forearms rest on the guardrail behind her, and she arches her back a little to try to work the sudden kink out of her spine. Her chest is pushed forward against her split top for a few daringly unconscious seconds before the girl relaxes again to the release of a helpless giggle.

"No, I'm tough. I can take a lil' roughin' up," she adds, unable to help herself and the uncharacteristic string of innuendos. She would happily lay the blame on her uppercrust date, who gets so delightfully flustered by them. "Our dates might even be better with it, no?" The question is posed with a crooked, self-satisfied grin and wink through the eyemask.

As the arm loops her, Bandita leans away from the guardrail and towards Laxia. Only when standing upright, she eases aside from her just enough to give her room to operate the skates and not bump her. And in the process, her hand seeks to join with Laxia's again, palm to palm, fingers slotted neatly between fingers. Without further delay, she'll encourage them to get rolling onwards with a soft propel forward; a coax, if you will, to see if the ginger can and will keep up with her very mild pace.

"Still no regrets, right?," she asks, cocking her head slightly to the side to look towards Laxia's face. Her smile is small, sincere, and hopeful. "Would you believe I've been on only.. like.. one date before? An' the boy was so weird. I barely knew him, and he wanted to like make out at 'dis theater, right? So I kept stuffing my face with popcorn so I could always be like-"

She pauses the story to pantomime chewing with exaggeratedly puffy cheeks, her free hand motioning towards her face, then a helpless shrug as she affects an oh-so-apologetic expression.

"Keheh. It kept him at bay. He never asked me out again."

[Letta]

As Bandita rested her arms against the guardrail and stretched out the lingering stiffness in her body, the motion naturally pushed her ample chest a little closer toward Laxia. Laxia tried not to stare. Really, she did. She was merely concerned that with an outfit that daring and a pose like that, the fabric might suddenly decide it had fulfilled its contractual obligations and give up entirely. That was all. Probably.

Then came Bandita’s next joke. “Oh really? Then I guess I’ll have to give you a proper beating next time we wrestle~” Laxia answered as though she had interpreted only the most obvious meaning. Wrestling. Obviously. Nothing more. Unfortunately, after their collision against the guardrail and knowing Bandita’s mischievous streak, she couldn’t quite stop another meaning from creeping into the back of her mind. “...Maybe especially when it hurts...” Why am I remembering that now...? Laxia shook her head sharply as though trying to physically dislodge the thought. She had definitely been talking about wrestling. Right...?

“Our dates might even be better with it, no?” “......?!” Laxia’s eyes went wide as heat rushed straight into her face. I knew it...! She did mean it that way, this little rascal...! But wait. On a date? Rough? Today? What... what exactly is that supposed to mean...?! “Uh... huh...??” Faced with Bandita’s crooked grin and knowing wink through the eyemask, Laxia could only purse her lips and stare blankly. Their struggles against each other in the ring, the collision just moments ago, and least helpfully of all, Bandita’s frighteningly practiced skill with that whip all began spinning through her head at once. Her face only grew redder while her thoughts somehow moved even faster.

Thankfully, Bandita chose not to press the interrogation any further. Instead, she found Laxia’s hand again, neatly threading their fingers together as the two resumed gliding across the rink. As Laxia gradually matched Bandita’s easy pace, the heat in her face finally began to fade. Then came the question. This time, Laxia didn’t hesitate. “No. Not even a little.” She answered with a confident smile before turning her attention to Bandita’s limited romantic history.. the theater, the strange boy, and her wonderfully ridiculous defensive measure against unwanted advances. Popcorn. “What...? Pfft- hahahaha...!” The moment Bandita puffed out her cheeks and pantomimed chewing, Laxia completely lost it, laughing hard enough that she nearly wobbled off balance. “Haha...! That’s such a ridiculously clever solution... I might have to steal that one someday...!” She briefly released one of their hands to wipe at the corner of her eye as though brushing away a tear, then took Bandita’s hand again.

“Whew... honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever had what I’d call a real date either.” Her expression shifted slightly as she looked toward Bandita. “Mostly just people I never asked to meet, arranged like business appointments. Every one of them painfully dull... and nobody ever bothered asking whether I actually wanted to be there.” Laxia rolled her eyes upward as though rifling through the memories. “Some of them would drag me out to tennis courts or golf courses just so they could show off, like I was supposed to stand there looking pretty and cheering them on.” The corner of her mouth curled upward. “So whenever I wanted the date over quickly, I’d just play them myself. And crush them.” She looked entirely unapologetic. “They’d get all red-faced and furious afterward, but somehow none of them ever had much to say~ I did get plenty of lectures at home about why none of my dates ever seemed to ‘progress,’ though.”

Then she tilted her head as another memory surfaced. “Actually... there was one boy I fenced with who wasn’t too bad. Strangely enough, he never contacted me afterward.” A moment of thought. “Maybe because I didn’t let him score a single point...?” Laxia gave an unconcerned little shrug. “Well, what can you do~ Guess it just wasn’t ‘fate.’”

Her gaze wandered briefly around them. The neon glow, the spinning mirror ball, the rink sliding smoothly beneath their wheels. If someone had told her she would someday end up here, dressed like this, laughing while holding someone’s hand, she probably would have dismissed the idea entirely. “Just like I never expected I’d end up here...”

Then her eyes returned to Bandita. The teasing slowly faded from her expression, along with the practiced confidence. All that remained were those blue eyes fixed warmly on her and the hand held within her own. “I’m... really happy right now.” Laxia’s fingers tightened just slightly around Bandita’s. “So happy I honestly can’t remember the last time I felt like this.”

[CyanDimitrik]

"Ayyy, it won't help. I'll kiss you even if you look like 'da chipmunk, ah?," threatens Bandita with a wider grin. She drifts a little closer, just enough to connect her shoulder to Laxia's for a nudge before giving her more room again.

As Laxia describes her own dating history (insomuch as it could be considered by her standards), the rogue watches her with interest. The rhythmic clattering of wheels to rink make for a nice background ambience to set the pace for the words, but her eyes are fully devoted to Laxia but for a few scant glances to make sure no walls are creeping up on them again. Still, mental notes are being made.

Laxia is athletic in ways she wasn't expecting. Tennis? No wonder she looks so agile and slim. Fencing? No wonder she has such elegance and grace. She could imagine Laxia in the puffy and formless fencing uniform, dramatically removing the mask and cowl to reveal her aristocratically pretty face. She could imagine Laxia in a flouncy pleated skirt and tanktop, a ponytail, one of those visor hats, hunkered forward and spinning a tennis racquet in hand. She could also imagine that same outfit on her amidst a sea of differently-hued grass, waves of varying emerald on a tranquil day, with her lithe figure twisted and poised post-shot.

Of course, the girl still has to tease.

She suddenly rolls her eyes with a playfully expressive scoff. "Golf," she derides. "So~ boh~ring..."

Drifting in again, she gently nudges shoulders with her once more.

"Do you mean here as in... with me? With 'de hottest wrestler in Japan? In... 'de world?" Her eyes pop at her playfully with the word. "Or do you mean in 'de ring at all? Because... I mean... I donno', I don't wanna make it sound like I'm looking down at you or anything. 'Cuz I'm not. Is just... someone as beautiful as you..."

She lifts Laxia's hand in hers, glancing down to her refined and likely very manicured digits.

"...as fine as you..." She tilts her head closer, bringing her lips to a couple of those laced fingers in a soft kiss. Her gaze raises again. "...it surprises me. You seem like someone who could have anything you want, but you choose 'de violence? You choose to.. struggle in a ring, surrounded by spectators, wrestling other women for sport?"

"I wanna hear more about it. About you. Because you make me happy, too. Happier 'dan I thought I could be out here. You took all my stress an' worries in 'de ring, when everything is scary and at 'de highest stakes... and you made me just think about loving 'de sport again. Letting me free to feel mi fuego again."

She slows her pace down, trying to bring the two of them to a pause.

"And I've thought about you so much since 'dat night. And how much I wanted to see you again, just to feel 'dat joy more. Because I don't think I can be unhappy around you." The hazel-green eyes settle on her bright crystalline blues, affectionately lidded. "Even when life is a lil' scary, 'de way you look at me makes it better."

[Letta]

“I meant I’d use that to keep men away. For you, though... I have something else in mind. Hehe.” This time, Laxia answered with a playful counter of her own. When Bandita openly dismissed golf as boring, she lifted a mildly offended brow. “You just don’t know how exciting a wager can make golf. I’ll have to take you sometime...”

But the next question softened the teasing in her expression. When Bandita asked what exactly she meant by “here,” Laxia looked at her for a moment. “I mean wherever I am with you. In the ring, here at the rink... anywhere.” Her blue eyes held a quiet certainty. “I never expected to end up somewhere this unfamiliar in the first place... and I definitely never expected to meet you here.” A small smile touched her lips. “Sometimes I think who you find somewhere matters more than where you ended up. Especially when it happens to be the hottest wrestler in the world~”

When Bandita lifted their joined hands and softly kissed her fingers, Laxia watched for a moment before speaking again. “I don’t think anyone in the world can have everything they want. Money can make a lot of things possible, sure, but there are still plenty of things it can never buy.” Her brow pinched slightly. “And honestly, it brings plenty of headaches with it too...” She lightly pressed two fingers to her temple, looking as though some particularly unpleasant family disputes and lawsuits had already started throbbing behind her eyes.

“And I think life is a fight, in one form or another. Tennis, golf, fencing, wrestling... different rules, same idea. You test yourself against someone else, sometimes against yourself, and keep moving forward.” Laxia gave a small laugh and shrugged. “Wrestling is admittedly a rather unique version of that. I certainly never imagined I’d end up beating people up and getting beaten up in front of a crowd.”

Even so, a natural smile had already returned. “But I’ve only just started, and I already love it. Maybe some girl I met in my debut had something to do with that~?” When Bandita admitted that Laxia had helped her feel her fire again, surprise briefly crossed Laxia’s face. She had been discovering unfamiliar feelings of her own around Bandita, and learning that she had stirred something new in return made her chest flutter. “Then I guess some of your fire rubbed off on me. I’m burning a lot brighter than I was before...!” But when Bandita confessed that she had been thinking about her ever since that night, Laxia’s gaze dropped briefly to the rink. “I missed you too...” When she looked up again, she didn’t look away. “I told you already. I’m really happy when I’m with you. I’m glad you feel the same.”

And before the moment could become too serious, the mischief returned. “I mean... I did feel strangely free while getting beaten up, twisted around, and pinned underneath you.” Laxia froze for a second after hearing her own words. One small cough. “...I mean wrestling. Obviously.”

She shifted the subject before Bandita could enjoy that too much. “My story is a long one, but the short version is... I came here for a reason. There’s something I’m looking for.” Her voice lowered slightly. “And I think the answer is somewhere in LAW. This time, I want to find it myself.” She left it there, then narrowed her eyes at Bandita with renewed playfulness. “Anything else you want to know? Now’s your chance~ Though there are still some secrets I’m never telling you, no matter how much you ask.” Then she turned the question back on her. “What about you? What’s your story?”

Already standing still, Laxia casually glanced around and noticed the guardrail not too far away. “......” The rail. Bandita. Then the rail again. The memory of their earlier collision returned with painful clarity. “You know... I’d rather keep talking somewhere a little less hazardous. Want to grab something to eat and sit down for a while?” A mischievous smile slowly spread across her face. “Otherwise, I might accidentally body-splash you into the rail again.” She gave Bandita a sidelong look. “And I know by now how much you enjoy that sort of thing... you perv.” Then, with perfect composure, she added, “This is a public place, you know~”

[CyanDimitrik]

Bandita is fully engaged as Laxia responds, even if the mask obscures a bit of her face. Or perhaps it's the opposite, with its conforming nature; emphasizing the expressiveness of her eyes, every lift and quirk of her brows. For instance, the upper ridges of the mask raise as Bandita's eyebrows perk at the notion of Laxia having something else in mind for dealing with her on dates. Now that is going to occupy her still and quiet moments. However, it's quickly dispelled in a bark of a laugh when chastised about golf.

It does sound boring to her. But with Laxia, boring might mean more relaxing. She could never be bored doing something with her. She's sure of that.

"You don't think so...?," she asks, her expression softened once more. The matter of having everything she wants is likely a noticeable contradiction between the two females, highlighting just how polar opposite their worlds are. Money factors into her personal happiness quite minimally, as someone who's never really had much of it before. "I think I'm pretty close. I have my family. I have 'de ring. And," she pauses, glancing downwards briefly as she gives the held hand a small squeeze, "..now I have.. you." Her gaze raises to meet Laxia's again, her smile small, but earnest.

Taking some of the blame for making Laxia love the sport earns another pleased giggle, softer this time. "You better not feel so burning or free with other girls in 'de ring, though," she chides. Her gaze hoods at her, lips pursing into a feline quality. "Because I also mean wrestling." Bandita has, at least in some way and gradually, begun admitting to herself that wrestling with Laxia was more than textbook and competition. It carried a special kind of heat and excitement.

When Laxia starts to give her story right there on the rink, the teen shoots a look around them. They have stopped moving now, making them look a little more out of place amidst the rolling families, other teens, and and so on. But she quickly puts her focus back on Laxia, curiosity lit behind her eyes. "Something you're looking for...?"

Gah, subject change! Her expression tightens in a small huff, but she doesn't fight it. This really isn't the best place to have a chat, and she really wants to get to know her more! And Laxia has proven to already be getting to know Bandita effectively, catching her before she can even make the joke!

"Ah-!," gasps a scandalized luchadora. She's been called out! And no one has ever accused her of being a perv' before! "I just-- it-- is' just 'dat--!"

Floundering commences. But she's ready to follow the ginger wherever she deigns to lead her for foodstuff.

[Letta]

When Bandita said she was already pretty close to having everything she wanted, Laxia regarded her with a surprised smile before her expression softened. “You’re already wiser than I am...” Her fingers squeezed Bandita’s lightly. “You’re right. Since meeting you, I think I feel a little richer too~” Bandita’s warning about other women in the ring quickly brought the mischief back.“Well... I do have quite a few matches lined up. You may have some competition~” Laxia bumped her shoulder playfully against Bandita’s before adding with a grin, “Don’t worry. I don’t think anyone’s going to make a match feel quite the way you did.”

And that part wasn’t entirely a joke. Win or lose, Laxia hardly expected to find another opponent who could turn a wrestling match into something as vivid and unforgettable as Bandita had. Seeing the luchadora immediately flounder only made Laxia’s smile widen. She was usually the one left flustered by Bandita’s teasing, so landing a clean counter of her own was remarkably satisfying. Laxia eventually led her away from the rink and toward the food stands. After all the skating and laughing, hunger had begun to catch up with her, but the moment she looked up at the glowing menu boards, she stopped. “......”

Cheese cascaded over crisp fries. Thick hamburger patties sat beneath glossy buns. Hot dogs, funnel cakes, gyoza, and every other imaginable offense against her usual diet stared back at her with shameless confidence. “There probably isn’t a keto menu here... is there? Haha...” Hesitation and curiosity fought openly across her face. Then she spotted a crepe overflowing with fruit and cream and stared at it several seconds longer than she intended. “What kind of food do you like...?” And then a much more important realization struck her. ...How am I supposed to order? “Next customer!” “Ah... yes!”

Laxia lingered awkwardly at the counter for a moment, clearly buying herself time. Then her expression brightened as if she had just remembered a lifeline. She reached into her pocket and produced the thick stack of coupons and vouchers from earlier. Rather than attempt to decipher the dense Japanese printed across them, she simply presented the entire bundle to the employee with all the elegance of someone who absolutely understood what she was doing. Then came the rapid-fire Japanese. “...Hai.” Another question. “Hai...” She glanced toward Bandita every so often with a reassuring little smile that insisted everything was completely under control. Eventually, she found herself holding a plastic table number. Success.

Laxia led Bandita toward a booth overlooking the rink, only for food to begin arriving not long afterward. Once. Then again. Fries, burgers, salad, sushi, side dishes, drinks, and several things Laxia was no longer entirely certain she had intentionally ordered gradually covered nearly every available inch of the table. She stared. “......” Trying to preserve what dignity remained, Laxia began pointing things out as though the abundance had been deliberate. “Oh...! There’s salad, at least. And sushi. Is that a roast beef bowl? Haha...” Then, with remarkably little guilt for someone confronting forbidden food, she casually picked up a fry.

After taking a bite, her expression grew a little more serious. “About what I was saying earlier... I came here for a reason. There’s something I’m looking for.” She paused briefly. “My family ran into some serious trouble. My father was falsely accused of something, and while trying to clear his name, I learned there might be a clue somewhere in LAW.” Another fry disappeared. “And I think the answer I need is here. This time, I want to find it myself. Though I imagine that’ll be much easier once I’ve built a little more influence within LAW.”

The seriousness didn’t last long. Curiosity quickly returned to her eyes as she leaned slightly toward Bandita. “Alright. Your turn~” The questions began almost immediately. “When did you start wrestling? What made you want to do it in the first place? Where did you learn to dance? Did you design your gear yourself? What do you do for fun when you’re not wrestling? Are you different when you’re not Bandita...?” A pause. “Do you sleep in the mask too...? Are you one of those people who can eat anything and somehow stay in shape?” Her expression remained suspiciously serious before her brows suddenly knitted together, as though the next question were far more important than all the others. “And one more thing... why do people call you a shoulder bag...?”

[CyanDimitrik]

Knowing the feeling was mutual made Bandita's heart a little lighter; as if it needed the help. Though the tease having competition spikes an insecurity she didn't realize she had before. There's an effort to keep it out of her expression, but her smile is just a touch weaker, her brow knit just a little tellingly. She's already had to deal with her family giving her the business about kissing someone in the ring. She'd already given herself more to passions with Laxia than anyone. The idea that something like that might happen to Laxia with someone who isn't her drags her heart back down to earth.

Fortunately, moving along is enough of a distraction and gives her other things to think about. To not fret over. She insists on pausing long enough to remove the skates, however, and retrieve her boots! The skates can come along, but she doesn't want either of them getting into trouble!

"Keto?," she asks suddenly, turning her attention inquisitively to Laxia. Maybe it's a language thing. Maybe it's an answer to a future question before it's even asked. Either way, she isn't given enough time to think about it. She seems to startle when the next order is called, and she... stares... at the menu. But this is why her phone came along on the date!

She stuffs her free hand into her pocket, produces the device, and promptly realizes that Laxia has produced every ticket known to man. "Ah-.. oh." The girl quietly slips the phone back into its resting place, reminded that she did not - and seemingly is not - going to be paying for things on this date! It seems the horde of tickets, or coupons, has included this in their assortment of deals. And Laxia, agreeable as ever, is handling the transaction. When the ginger glances in her direction, Bandita flashes a sweet smile back to her. No idea what's happening. The eyes would be empty and vacant of reasoning, if they weren't teeming with affection for the person beside her.

Laxia is the first to settle into the booth, and that's by deliberate choice. Because once she's scooted in, Bandita slides onto the same bench and scoots along until she's shoulder-to-shoulder with her. It's more difficult to see eye-to-eye, but Bandita hasn't been on enough dates to consider that. The only thing she's thinking is staying close to her fellow gaijin.

The food arrives, and unlike Laxia, there is no hesitation from Bandita. She's instantly sitting upright, picking up a burger, and biting into it. The sight of the food was more than enough to remind her of just how hungry she'd become, how much she'd been pushing that out of her mind in favor of rolling along with her date. But now,with skates tucked away beneath the table, the aforementioned date trapped on the bench with her, and a veritable buffet arranged before them, any insecurities about eating in front of her is quietly demanded to take a backseat.

Conveniently, Laxia takes the conversation ball and dribbles with it. Bandita is content to listen to her, attentive to detail while trying to eat as politely as she can manage. Lacking anything approaching the social training of Laxia, however, it's a... losing prospect. She's mastered the art of chewing with her mouth closed, at least. But concepts of pace and bite modesty, these are as foreign to her as the complicated swishy lines of kanji.

Something Laxia is looking for. Her father, falsely accused. A clue in LAW. It's so cryptic. It says so much without saying anything. But when Laxia tries to turn the tables on her, the girl's eyes widen. She swallows, sets the half-eaten burger down, and protests: "You can't jus' tell me all 'dat and say nothing else! Like-- 'dere's something you're looking for. Not someone. And a person accused your papá falsely, so 'dis means he was accused of stealing something. Either money or an object. And it was by someone who either is a wrestler, or is related to one, or hired one for 'de job of framing 'de papá. Am I right?," she asks, her eyes dancing with a mixture of mirth and accusation.

"At least tell me 'dat much, and I'll let it go. For now. And I'll answer all 'de things you wanna know about me. But... I- I mean, you need to know. I kind'a like you, yes?" The gaze softens, a smile blossoming on her face. "You know I'd help you any way I can. Even if it means you quitting wrestling when you find what you're looking for. 'Cuz is' important to you. And you're fighting for your family, too."

[Letta]

Even while firing question after question at Bandita, Laxia’s eyes remained bright and expectant. If anything, she seemed genuinely pleased that Bandita wanted to know more about her. Apparently, though, her earlier explanation hadn’t been quite enough. “Ah... right. I just...” Laxia scratched lightly at the side of her head, looking a little sheepish. “I started feeling like I was talking about myself too much.” She still had a single french fry pinched between her fingers, and somehow managed to straighten with an almost absurd sense of solemnity while holding it. “But your guess was mostly right. I came to LAW looking for... a mysterious thief who may be somewhere around here.”

Her expression grew a little more serious. “My father is a well-known art conservator. A few pieces he restored for a major international exhibition were stolen, and not long afterward, the corporation that owned them became engulfed in scandal. Illegal acquisitions, forged records, bribery, fraud... all of it came spilling out at once.” The fry rolled slowly between her fingertips as she continued. “My father had only been hired to restore the pieces. There was never any evidence that he had anything to do with their business, but once the scandal broke, people started assuming there had to be more to the story.”

“They said he must have known what was happening. That he helped hide evidence. Some even started saying he might have helped with the theft itself.” Her voice had lost most of its earlier lightness. “That was enough. Patrons pulled away. Museums stopped working with him. Lawsuits and financial problems kept piling up until our family was left in ruins.”

The look in her sapphire eyes sharpened. “For a long time, there was nothing to go on. Then a private investigator working for our family found old security footage from the day of the theft. The quality was too poor to identify the thief, but there was something unmistakably strange about the way they moved.” She paused, as though replaying what she had been told. “Graceful. Deliberate. Nothing like an ordinary burglar.” Another brief pause. “And eventually, that trail led here. To LAW.”

Laxia leaned back slightly. “I still don’t know exactly who I’m looking for. It could be a wrestler, someone connected to one... or someone else entirely.” Then something seemed to occur to her, and her gaze drifted upward. “So when I heard my debut opponent was named ‘Bandita’... I’ll admit, for a moment I thought my investigation might be over much sooner than expected.”

A crooked little smile tugged at her lips. “Turns out that thief was stealing something entirely different...” Her gaze settled meaningfully on Bandita before softening again. “So if there’s anything else you want to know, you can ask. Really. I wasn’t trying to hide it from you.” She hesitated for just a moment before continuing in a quieter voice. “Actually... I’ve never told anyone any of this before.” Picking up another fry, she gave Bandita a small smile. “I’m making a special exception for you. You’re the first~”

But what Bandita said next quickly erased the playful edge from Laxia’s expression. For a moment, Laxia simply stared at her. The surprise on her face slowly softened into something warmer. “I know...” A small but genuine smile appeared. “I feel the same way.” Still, one part of Bandita’s words lingered in her thoughts.

That was a future Laxia had never really stopped to consider. She had only just begun. The thief was still little more than a shadow somewhere within LAW, and restoring the Rosewell name felt impossibly far away. But someday, there would be an end to this path. And when she reached it... what then? There would still be responsibilities waiting for her. A family name to rebuild. Legal battles to finish. A home they could still lose. Would she simply go back? Laxia’s eyes shifted toward Bandita beside her, and her thoughts stopped there. That day was still too far away. There was no point dragging tomorrow’s sadness into today.

So Laxia smiled. “Thank you for saying that. I mean it.” Her voice softened. “There may come a day when I really do need your help.” She turned a little more toward Bandita and, this time without hesitation, met those hazel-green eyes directly. “And the same goes for you. If you ever need me, I’ll be there.” Her gaze lingered. “Whether it’s for your family...” Her smile softened just a little more. “...or just for you.”

[CyanDimitrik]

Once more, Laxia is the sole recipient of Bandita's attention - minus just enough to resume working on an overstuffed hamburger. Her bites have become more modest, though, and she's rotated her seating on the bench enough to bring one leg up over the padded seat to face her more fully.

What she learns is that this situation runs deeper than she expected. The details make it all more vivid, and remarkably well-above her head. It seems like such an extremely complicated situation, so mature in its consequences, so... adult. That thought causes her gaze to lower slightly, the burger left unfinished in her hands.

Is she just a kid compared to her? Her world feels so simple in comparison, so small, to narrow in its focus. She never would've imagined she'd feel like fighting for the livelihood of her family and the future of her career in a foreign country could feel mild, but next to this seemingly international scandal and daring escapade, it's difficult to fathom.

Then another thought occurs to her. What Laxia is doing is not entirely different from what she, herself, is fighting for. It's just different in the details. The broader scope is the same. It's a small comfort, but it at least brings her eyes back up to Laxia in time to hear about how she thought of her originally.

The snicker is soft, but bubbly; thoroughly amused. "No wonder you gave me such a look when I took your hands," she recalls. "You espected me to be evil or suspicious! But I'm just.. a different kind of bandit, si."

Feeling a bit better, she finishes off the burger, popping it into her mouth. Lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pickles, cheese, bacon... it's downright decadent. Aggressive to a Japanese pallet. But for Bandita, who grew up with the flavors of southern North America? It's very wholesome. It's comfort food.

"And.. I think I might need you, yes," she concludes, pausing to fetch a napkin to clean her fingers. Not that she's a messy eater, that much isn't in jeopardy. It's the fact that she's on a date, and with that comes a level of self-consciousness. Plus, Laxia is Laxia. And Laxia is a very fine, very classy girl. She wouldn't want her scandalized with dirty fingers!

"...I..." She drops the wadded napkin onto the table again, looking at it thoughtfully. She wants to share with her the same way Laxia had shared herself. But similar to the ginger, she hasn't told anyone of her situation, either. Would it be safe..?

The impulse is pulling too hard to resist, and her gaze half-lids sullenly. "..you're doing a lot for me already, and you don't even have to try. Just knowing I have someone like you-" She pauses, gives her head a minute shake that feathers those framing bangs. "No, not someone like you. You. I wouldn't want someone like you. Just you."

She's quiet for a few seconds before furtively peeking back at her. "I'm not trying to sound pitiful. Just... I- I want you to know 'dat. Okay?" The words have become uncomfortable, her tone guarded. "You told me about yourself, why you're here.. so.. I'll tell you about me. Um. For starters, I'm eighteen," she begins. She has no idea how old Laxia is, but she's trying to ease herself into being more open. "I trained for 'de ring since I was fifteen. And I made my big debut when I was seventeen. I've been wrestling a lil' over a year."

"I come from a family of entertainers. And we didn't have a lot, I guess, but we got by. Me'n my two younger siblings, I mean. But I fell in love with professional wrestling. Everything about it. 'De athletics, 'de competition, 'de crowd, 'de excitement, la música, los trajes, la gloria..." She'd slipped into Spanish. Realizing it, she quickly goes back to English: "..'de rush of training really hard to put my body and skill against another woman, knowing only one of us is gonna end 'de match on top.."

An intrusive thought causes her to draw her bottom lip between her teeth and steal another peek at Laxia. But she quickly captures it and wrangles it back down, resetting her gaze onto the assorted foodstuff. She isn't really looking at them, though. Her focus is distant, elsewhere.

"Anyway, things were going great. I was wrestling to build my name, makin' money, chasin' my dream of being a superstar. But, ah... my parents died. And we moved in with mi abuela. My, ah, grandmother." Her accent on the word emphasizes 'mother' instead of 'grand', a bit clumsy and out of practice with that specific word. She's accustomed to always using Spanish referring to nana. "Things were even harder after 'dat, though. Not as much money, you know? So I started wrestling to support 'de family."

"And now...," she pauses, leaning over the table. Her forearms and elbows cross upon the flat surface, and she lets her head bow in thought. "...LAW scouted me. Brought me to Japan. But I wouldn't go unless 'dey could come, too. 'Cuz I couldn't leave'em behind. And 'dey agreed. And mi familia, 'dey supported me without really any question. So now everyone's here. In a foreign country. None of us speak 'de language. 'Dey put al their faith in me to keep'em alive, and I have to fight and do well to keep us afloat."

"..I, ah.."

Her right hand lifts, drawing the framing bangs back behind an ear. Most of the hair tumbles free immediately.

"...I didn't mean to say all 'dat. I just- my point is, I'm under a lott'a stress, too. A lott'a pressure. But you..." She steals another glance to Laxia through the corners of her eyes. "...You make it better. Like I said, you.. let me have mi fuego again. And even not in 'de ring, like this right now, it's... it's really good. I'm not trying to get too, aheh, sappy with you on a first date, just.."

She's starting to flounder, realizing she's running out of words. Her gaze flits back down to her arms and the table beneath.

[Letta]

After opening up about something she had never told anyone before, Laxia listened quietly as Bandita began, with some hesitation, to reveal her own story in return. She didn’t rush her. She only nodded slowly, wearing a slightly tense expression as Bandita struggled to find the words. Then she heard her age. Eighteen...?!?? Laxia’s eyes widened noticeably. She had thought Bandita seemed young, but only just eighteen? It hardly seemed possible. From the moment she entered an arena, Bandita knew how to command attention, cracking her whip with effortless flair and making the whole atmosphere feel like hers. In the ring, her flashy and inventive offense could send a crowd into a frenzy just as easily. For someone so charismatic and polished to be only eighteen was difficult to believe.

There wasn’t much of an age gap between them, but in the world of professional wrestling, Bandita suddenly seemed far more seasoned than Laxia had realized. Even knowing she had started training at fifteen, it was hard to believe she had only been wrestling professionally for a little over a year. Laxia looked at her with a strange mixture of surprise, admiration, and perhaps just a little envy. But when Bandita mentioned her parents, that expression changed immediately. Laxia’s brows shifted, her lips tightening as she listened. And by the time Bandita explained how she had refused LAW’s offer unless her family could come with her, how all of them had followed her to a foreign country and placed their faith in her to keep them afloat, Laxia could no longer simply sit there. She placed a hand gently on Bandita’s shoulder, turning her toward her, then pulled her into a close embrace without a word.

“It’s okay...”

For a little while, Laxia simply held her. When she finally eased back, both hands remained lightly around Bandita’s arms as she looked at her with warm, steady eyes. “About your parents... I’m really sorry.” She hesitated before adding more softly, “You went through all of that... and still made it this far.” Knowing the truth only seemed to strengthen what Laxia already felt for her. Maybe there had been a reason she had been drawn to Bandita so quickly. Different as their lives were, perhaps some part of them had recognized the weight the other was carrying. “So I’m not the only one who feels like she has to keep going for her family...” A faint smile touched her lips. “Compared to you... I’m starting to think I really did have it pretty easy.” Her gaze dipped briefly toward the table. “I think everything that happened with my family made me realize that, too. There were so many things I never even thought about before because I just assumed they’d always be there.”

Then, as if trying to lighten the mood a little, she smiled more playfully. “Still, you seem to be collecting quite a few fans already~” And when she thought back to Bandita saying that Laxia had helped her find her *mi fuego* again, her expression softened once more. “And I think I understand what you mean.” “Fighting you in the ring... as strange as it sounds, it made me forget about all the stress and pressure I’d been carrying for a while.” She looked at Bandita with a small smile. “So if being around me helped you forget some of yours... you did the same for me.”