Love is in the Stars? (for CaptainL)

[CaptainL]

"You...would..?" When Lyra raised the suggestion, Sanae held a hand to her mouth, feeling the blush rising in her cheeks. Part of her felt like everything was coming so quickly. It felt like they had only begun to discuss an actual relationship in earnest, and already they were talking about the next date? Their first wasn't even finished, and they didn't even know if it would go anywhere! That side of Sanae felt nervous - like she was running headlong into something she wasn't prepared for, and if she would regret not thinking it through. Was she really ready? Should she be?

And yet, there was also a part of Sanae that accepted that at this point...a second date felt inevitable. She and Lyra barely knew each other, but there was something about the way the two of them interacted that just felt natural. It just felt right. In fact, to cut this short at this one date seemed almost unthinkable now; Sanae couldn't bear to deny herself the company of someone who made her feel so good. She knew, on some level, that it would all be okay. This being a trial run was only a formality. Maybe Lyra was right about something - maybe some things were destined to happen.

But what made her blush a little harder was the thought that Lyra was willing to support Sanae in her idol career. She felt like she had only just gotten started, leveraging her quickly rising popularity as a wrestler into booking herself for a few concerts, but she had gotten more than enough support and encouragement from the sight of all her fans cheering for her to tell her to keep going. Even when it was her lifelong dream, a part of her couldn't believe it was coming all so quickly. And when she thought about how now, Lyra would be one of those faces in the crowd, cheering her on...it felt almost too good to be true.

Clearing her throat, Sanae looked back up. "I would be...honored, actually. I can see if I can get you tickets...er, is that too much?" She cleared her throat again, glancing back and forth in an attempt to calm her nerves before she continued. "I'd sing my heart out for you-!" And that made her blush even harder, when she realized how it had perhaps been the most direct thing she had said thus far.

Sanae glanced out the window, watching as the lights of the city passed by - and the stars twinkling in the skies above, looking down on them. "...Still, I mean, it might be a little...obvious," she added, biting her lip as she thought about how she was trying to lay low. With her rising fame came more and more attention from the press, and she didn't want to be asked any questions she wouldn't be ready for. What if they saw Lyra in the crowd and latched on to the prospect of a budding romance between the two? Still, she shook that thought out of her head - she was probably reading too much into it. "Well, I guess if you're just in the crowd, that's not so bad. They might not think much of it..." And, at the same time, Sanae couldn't help but worry she was missing out on something by keeping Lyra at a distance. "I mean, I...could give you a backstage pass, but that might be too much-!"

With a huff, she turned back to face Lyra. She took in a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. She was getting too nervous with all these thoughts running through her head. She needed to step back and trust the universe. Everything would be fine. "I'll...I'll be okay, I think. Just knowing you're out there...that'll be enough."

[Pegasus]

Sanae loved tripping over her words and her displays of affections which made Lyra giggle. Although she stopped herself and cleared her throat not wanting Sanae to think she was making fun of her. It seems Lyra was wrong for once in predicting she would be the most nervous of the two tonight. She is handling it better than even she expected and she was totally nervous just asking Sanae out. The roles had reversed almost immediately!

“Sanae….relax. I understand it would only be the second date, but…I will not rush you. I can foretell you want this to work, but you are weary of it going so fast into a train wreck. We both wish to prevent that. Just look into my eyes and calm yourself,” Lyra instructed as she grabbed Sanae’s hands patting them.

Suddenly, Lyra closed her eyes and got an instant vision from the universe. It was at a concert hall and Sanae had invited Lyra on the stage and grabbed a microphone to proudly announce “Kyoto, this is my wonderful girlfriend, Lyra Heartfield! But we’re going slow! No photos for the mags please!” The chants of “SYRA!” started to ring out in the hall and then Lyra was brought back to the present reality as she slumped against her seat staring straight ahead. W-What-What was that all about?

[CaptainL]

Sanae twiddled her thumbs nervously, glancing back and forth across the back of the cab. This was all so new, and now she had a million different thoughts running through her head at once, with no time to stop and focus on any one. Every idea she had seemed perfect, and yet when she thought on it a little more she was reminded of how it would never work in a million years, causing her cheeks to flush as she thought about how foolish she was being. What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to say? Sanae had never been in anything quite so serious before; nothing that went as far as this. And when all the twists and turns that went along with it reared their head, she was at a loss for what to do.

But then, Lyra turned to her. The moment she did, Sanae turned back to her, looking her right in the eye, and everything seemed to stop - all the tumultuous thoughts spinning around her went silent. Sanae wasn't quite sure what it was that told her this, but just then, she was struck by the thought that she could trust Lyra. As long as she left it to her, then everything was going to be all right. As long as she focused on Lyra, then she wouldn't need to worry - she just had to let what was going to happen happen. Taking a deep breath, Sanae nodded her head to the fortune teller. "...Yeah...yeah, I will. I'm sorry," she said, slumping lower in her seat as she breathed the tension out of her body with her exhale. "I guess I'm just...getting too caught up in my thoughts...I shouldn't do that..." Looking into Lyra's eyes, and feeling the gentle pressure of her hands atop her own, made Sanae's heart flutter a little as she blushed harder. But, at the same time, they told her she could breathe easily. Everything would be okay.

Sanae wasn't prepared for what would happen next. Lyra closed her eyes and seemed to fall into a trance, forgetting the world around her. The taxi soon slowed to a stop as they reached the diner they were looking for, but Lyra didn't even seem to respond. At first, Sanae blinked a few times, expecting Lyra to get up at any moment. But when that didn't happen, she grew more concerned. Biting her lip nervously, she began to nudge at the fortune teller with her shoulder. "Lyra? Erm...Lyra? Are you okay? We're here..."

[Pegasus]

Another vision from the match they had. The ship name of Syra and the fan base of Sanae’s knowing about their relationship. Would Sanae even become bold enough to admit she was dating to her fans? On the second date nonetheless? Lyra was doubting the vision herself as Sanae made it clear it wasn’t meant to be any business of the press of her private affairs. Then again, Sanae was talking about getting caught up in her thoughts and wanted to work on not doing that. This seemed very destined, but she had to keep it on the down low as to not scare Sanae and throw off the path the universe set for them. Lyra wanted it to work out and wanted Sanae to build the confidence in exploring their relationship further, because whether they both liked it or not, their relationship would be found out if they went the secretive route. Lyra cleared her throat and looked back at Sanae with a reassuring smile forming on her lips.

“I’m fine, Sanae. I had a vision of a future match I’ll have with Helena DuBois. We’ve had some issues and I want to get back at her for injuring my leg,” Lyra replied to her date.

Partially true in this case. Lyra did want revenge against Helena for injuring her leg and costing her an Apex qualifier against Janella Johnson indirectly. The cocky Canadian would get her just desserts soon enough, but Lyra just used that burning flame for a scapegoat so Sanae wouldn’t think something else was up. She hated keeping secrets, but she wanted to heed the universe’s wishes and thought this was the best route. Both girls got out of the taxi and Lyra waved off the driver as he bid both ladies a good night before getting back to his shift. Lyra walked up to the doors and held one of them open for Sanae to enter as she followed closely behind.

[CaptainL]

"Oh...I see." Sanae still stared back at Lyra with a curious eye as she explained herself, but she breathed a short sigh of relief when she saw the fortune teller would be okay. The mention of Helena DuBois caused her to tense, her fingers tightening a little around her knee as she bit her lip and sucked in a breath. She was well aware of the trouble Helena had caused for Lyra in the past, and she couldn't help but admit that the thought of a match between the two left her worried if Lyra was putting herself in danger. A second later, she blinked a few times, a blush crossing her face when she realized what had been on her mind. Was she getting worried about Lyra?

"I can't say I blame you, just...be careful, okay?" Sanae took in a deep breath as she hopped out onto the sidewalk, watching Lyra to make sure she was at her side. For a moment, she thought about extending her arm - looping it around Lyra's, maybe, or even...holding hands. But the thought of being so open about it, especially when they were about to walk into a public space, made her blush harder. It seemed it was now Sanae's turn to get lost in her thoughts - when she looked back up, she saw that in her contemplation, Lyra had already moved ahead and was now holding the door open for them. Shaking herself out, Sanae picked up the pace to run after her. "Coming-!! Sorry about that-!"

The two of them would soon find an empty table, sliding into the booths. The benches around them were high, keeping the two of them well isolated from the surrounding diner - and making the contact between them feel all the more personal and intimate, as Sanae noted with a blush. Still, she shuffled out of her coat before picking up the menu and thumbing through the pages.

"You know, I'm kind of curious about these visions," Sanae began, thinking back to the trance Lyra had slipped into. "How long have they been going on for? Your whole life?" She'd never met a real fortune teller before. And as far as she was concerned, Lyra might just well be exactly that.

[Pegasus]

Lyra smiled as she and Sanae took their seats finally getting the chance to know each other more on a personal level. Sanae asked about Lyra’s visions and Lyra had to think of a way to maul this over. She looked at the menu as a distraction and she didn’t want to sound weird in front of her date. Sanae knew very well these visions had to be real so it’s not like the idol would judge her, but Lyra has had to explain this many of times and people ridiculed her as a fraud and a magic show. Lyra closed her menu before taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

“In simple terms, when I was younger, I was contacted by spectral forces beyond my understanding. I was a little girl at the time so I chalked everything up to be a dream, but these forces were apart of the universe. They allowed me to see the future and I was able to predict things before they happened. I don’t predict natural disasters or war or even the end of the world. Just things that may happen a few minutes to a few months in advance. I’ll admit….I was bullied in school for this ruthlessly and called a fraud many times. People just thought it was a publicity stunt. That I wanted to go to Hollywood and become a one hit wonder. But it’s real. The universe tells me their readings and I deliver them as their messenger,” Lyra explained to her date hoping she didn’t sound too weird.

[CaptainL]

As a matter of fact, Sanae had no intentions of mocking Lyra at all. She could be superstitious at times - she kept good luck charms with her if she was going into something she was unsure about; in fact, she had quite a few in her bag right now. And she still wasn't entirely sure that kaiju didn't exist. If Lyra believed she had the ability to tell the future, what reason did she have to not believe her? The thought that she might be dealing with forces beyond her comprehension made her life feel that much more interesting. The fact that she might well end up even more intimately associated with someone with such talents, even more so.

She patiently allowed Lyra to collect her thoughts, not wanting to rush her or make her uncomfortable. But when she gave her explanation, Sanae's eyes went wide with wonder, and she leaned closer over the table. "Whoah...really? That's...that's incredible!" A smile flashed across her face as she looked back up at Lyra, though she frowned at her descriptions of being bullied. "Listen, don't let anyone keep you down. Having abilities like those is...it's something to be proud of! I couldn't do that! And if those forces reached out to you, then...they must know you have something special to bring to the world, right?"

She nodded her head then as Lyra discussed going to Hollywood. "Well, it's definitely something that stands out, that's for sure! How did you go from that to wrestling, though? Did...the universe tell you that's what you needed to do?" Her voice was softer and more reverent. Suddenly, Lyra seemed much more than a simple fortune teller. For all Sanae knew, she was speaking to the Chosen One! Of what, she wasn't sure. But surely it was something important!

[Pegasus]

Lyra wasn’t a superhero or even a metahuman. The most crime she could fight off was the resident purse snatcher and that was only due to her being a trained professional fighter not to mention her boxing matches. No, Lyra wasn’t anything too special, but the universe had chosen her to deliver messages of the future like she was a time traveler or something. Sanae was interested in her past which made Lyra smile wide. If her date was willing to treat her with respect, she didn’t need to be afraid of sharing her thoughts.

“Thank you for not judging me, Sanae. It….really means a lot to have someone other than my parents and Jonathan not look at me with distain,” Lyra praised her date.

Sanae then asked how being a fortune teller transformed Lyra into being a wrestler and she rubbed her chin thinking back on her origins.

“Much like you wanting to be an idol, I wasn’t set on being a wrestler. The universe told me about a wrestling event in Chicago and I just went. I was fascinated that the universe brought me here, but in a way, I never would’ve met Jonathan and had him as my trainer and good friend….or….I wouldn’t have met you had I not gone to that event,” Lyra replied a strict red blush on her cheeks.

[CaptainL]

When she heard Lyra's gratitude, Sanae couldn't help but blush - but still, she smiled to Lyra, nodding her head to her. This told her something - she meant something to the fortune teller. If she was just one out of a handful of people who Lyra trusted not to judge her, that meant Sanae was someone special - someone who stood out from the norm. It meant she and Lyra were even closer than she thought. Even as Sanae said a soft, polite "Thank you," on the inside, her heart began to flutter. Maybe this meant this was going to go somewhere. And if it was...well, the thought that Lyra cared that much about her made her feel a tingle inside, which told her that she would enjoy that prospect even more. Beneath the surface of the table, Sanae's knee began to bob up and down with anxious energy, though she took in a breath, hoping she wouldn't be too noticeable so as to cause a disturbance for Lyra.

She nodded her head in turn as Lyra described what had taken her on her path, going to a wrestling event because she felt like she was told to - that she was, perhaps, destined to. How that had led her to the people who had helped her succeed - and how, in a roundabout way, Sanae was one of those people. After all, if she hadn't been on USPW's UK tour, she wouldn't have gotten the chance to meet Jonathan and the others backstage, leading to her starting to train with him, and getting to know Lyra herself better in the process. She'd never thought of it in quite this way, but the implication only made her blush harder. If everything had panned out in both of their lives to lead them this far...maybe that was something special. Maybe it was meant to be...

"That's...really nice..." Sanae said, a warm smile crossing her face as she looked back into Lyra's eyes. If anything, all her stories were just lending more credibility to Lyra's abilities. She had definitely proven herself to be a capable wrestler, and the only reason she'd ended up there in the first place was because she followed a whim. If she'd become successful anyway, in spite of such unassuming beginnings, maybe it really was meant to happen. Maybe the universe was right.

And that made Sanae think of something else. Her eyes wandered back up to Lyra's, and her lips pursed; her heart was practically pounding in her chest now. She didn't know if she should say what was on her mind; if it was right. Maybe it was too intimate, maybe it was too much too soon. But considering Sanae believed in Lyra's visions whole-heartedly, it did make her wonder...

At last, she cleared her throat. She couldn't deliberate on this forever; she needed it off her chest. If she didn't do it now, she would be left wishing she had until the next time she and Lyra met, and at this stage, when nothing was official, she didn't know how long that would be. "Erm..! Lyra, do you think..." She leaned in closer across the table. "...do you think...you might be able to tell my fortune?"

[Pegasus]

Lyra smiled as Sanae praised her and could see she was getting a little antsy to which she chalked it up to first date jitters. She knew Sanae liked her-that was much was true. The idol had all the signs and the universe showed her a vision of her concert in Kyoto where Sanae would reveal they were dating. However, she needed to keep that under wraps knowing different fates could be at play here. Perhaps it could’ve been an alternate vision she was seeing and the universe had multiple outcomes that branch from this first date. All she knew now was that Sanae up and leaving her or just saying this wouldn’t work out weren’t the settled conclusions for this date.

Sanae then asked for her fortune to be told and Lyra perked up. She had been asked by multiple people for palm readings and tarot readings, but this did catch her by surprise. She saw the blushing rise on Sanae’s cheeks so she was serious about this. The least Lyra could do was obliged in letting Sanae know her potential future.

“Very well. Please give me one of your hands,” Lyra requested reaching her left hand out to her date.

Lyra grabbed Sanae’s chosen hand and placed her own palm on the idol’s clasping their hands together. She closed her eyes and breathed in a contented sigh before mentally asking the universe for an answer. She moved her fingers around some as if pinpointing a certain location. Lyra went a little silent for a few minutes before opening her eyes and smiling.

“I see you forming a tag team in the near future….not with just Alizeh, but….with me as well,” Lyra answered as she blushed.