Hello, Wisconsin!

[DSX93]

Black Severin's General Appearance

Bella Pirata

It was getting close to the time to set out for the next show. Home. Terrell Hughes was seated on one of the nice, cushiony sofas provided to the blonde beauty beside him. It was another LAW-owned hotel, but it was a room that wasn't being used for competition. Not currently, anyway.

That was another nice perk of working for LAW: They have hotels everywhere and the rooms are free for the talent, whether they're getting down in them or not. The room service, however, unless you've been booked for a match, is a different story.

Terrell was donning his mask, with his dreadlocks tied back in a ponytail. He was wearing jeans, sneakers (that were currently waiting at the door; the "no shoes" policy was in place even in hotel rooms), and a Korn t-shirt that fit his athletic figure closely. And Beatriz was having a hard time keeping her eyes from eating the candy that was dangling so invitingly in front of them.

Broad shoulders connecting to arms that looked like they could keep a girl warm and safe even at her most vulnerable state, impeccable pectorals, washboard abs...

Okay, some of this was her undressing him with her eyes when he wasn't looking; the shirt wasn't a "second skin" fit.

It was already easy to do with him walking around shirtless while he was on the job, and made even more so with his..."spicier" work. Which, of course, she was never, ever going to admit to watching.

Beatriz didn't think there would ever be anything to watch at all. Terrell wasn't the type to partake in that sort of thing, or so she thought. But lo and behold, Black Severin's name would happen to be there in the Hentai section of LAW's website. Only a couple times, but both occasions were absolute smokeshows. Especially his most recent encounter with this...Keira Robinson.

Just thinking about her made the blonde frown. Luckily for her, she has a good reason to right now.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to bring her along?" It was nothing personal. She knew nothing of the woman, and she would have instantly disliked any other in this scenario.

Because it wasn't her in that video.

Because it wasn't her that he was handling with such tenderness and care, missing nothing as he explored her body. Loving with all that passion...

She imagined it was her the night she saw it. Had to; it was the sexiest thing she's ever seen, filling her more and more with that heat the longer it went on until it reached a fever pitch and she just had to relieve the tension.

It wasn't the first time that Beatriz had fantasized about him, but this was something new. She hadn't had to mentally block out another girl, which in the end had left a stain on such a good thing. An ugly one that refused to go.

And she was going to be stuck in a car with her until they reached Milwaukee.

Fuck.

"You just met this woman." She already knew that she wasn't going to talk him out of this. Not after what those two did a couple days ago. But maybe she could get him thinking later. Get it through to him to slow it down some. He was just a little under a month removed from that unwitting dalliance with Serena, which he played cool about when he told her about it, but even after three years apart, there was no fooling her. She knew it hurt him.

The whole Hentai wrestling thing in general had her worried. The romantic approach he brings to sex had her convinced that he probably wasn't going to be doing it for much longer, but what about Keira? How was that going to work?

"Yeah..."

She made a good point. After turning his back to her and crossing his arms across his chest in the form of an x, he'd fall back, and she'd catch him, making his descent onto her lap even slower than it already was.

"But I know you'll protect little ole' me if she turns out to be a serial killer."

With a chuckle, Beatriz rolled her blue eyes and got up, leaving him with nothing but couch to lay on. She liked having him on her lap, but she just couldn't allow it when he's got his eyes on another girl.

She stood with her hands on her hips. "I'm serious, T."

"I know." He sat up before continuing. "But Keira's a nice girl."

"Again, how do you know that?"

"I...It's like I told you: I've just got that feeling. It's just...the way things went down...It felt way more intimate than a match is meant to be, even in a bed. I just felt a connection there.

It was there in her eyes. The way she'd look at me.

I get it, though."

"Do you?" Beatriz almost asked him. But she said nothing.

"Seduction's the name of the game. But there was something real there."

"Or maybe that's what she wants you to think. Passion can be faked. It happens all the time."

"Come on, you haven't even met her!"

"I'm just saying that you should slow it down some. You've already been burned once not even a whole month ago."

"That wasn't exactly a burn. Me and Serena are still cool."

"Dude, you haven't seen her since."

"She's got some personal stuff going on."

"Right." That raised Terrell's brow. Got him wondering. "Hey, when did you become so cynical?" He stood up, bearing the face of a man who was ready to do some ugly business. "There an ass out there that needs kicking? Is he in LAW?"

She genuinely hadn't thought that was how it would come across. Seeing him up and ready to handle business on her behalf, though...it made her smile.

"No, no, it's not like that. You can sit back down."

He studied her expression. Looked into her eyes for any indication that she wasn't being entirely forthcoming. Seeing none, he'd say to her, softly, to make absolutely sure, "Hey, I know it's been a few years. But you can still tell me anything. You know that, right?"

If only that were true. "I know." Things like this are why she loves him. But alas...

Maybe this is just how it's going to be with him. This is how it's been from all the way back when she stopped viewing boys as nasty cootie monsters, a transition that was his fault. He crushes on other girls, and she crushes on him from the sidelines. And he never looks her way once. Never like that.

"I promise you, it's nothing like that."

She was lying. Smiling, but Terrell could see the sadness in her eyes. Before he could continue his inquiry, however, he was being pushed to back into his seat.

Well, it was more that she just put her hands on his shoulders and put some some suggestive downward pressure on them. "Now sit. Toma asiento." He did as he was told, and she resumed her own seating next to him. "I'm just trying to look out for you. You're falling pretty fast here, and all you two did was have sex. Organized, competitive sex."

He knew what she was trying to to say, but he still didn't like her delivery. "You're making it sound like..." He stopped himself. She clearly hadn't seen their match. It honestly would've been kind of weird if she did, but still..."I think you'd see what I mean if you saw our match. And I understand what you're doing and what you're trying to say, and I'm grateful for it."

Here comes the "but".

"I actually do plan on taking this slow. Bringing Keira along on the trip to Milwaukee just felt right since we're all wrestlers, and sight-seeing is a part of the game, right?" Unable to argue against that point, Beatriz just remained silent. "Just give her a chance. That's all I'm asking. Okay?"

"Okay. But you know I'm gonna interview her ass, right? She's applying for an important job here."

Terrell chuckled. "I'm the one who asked her out."

"I don't give a damn. She's still getting interviewed."

"Fair enough."

Terrell reached into his pocket and took out his phone to check the time. After seeing it, Bella would speak up.

"It be toyme to weigh anchor and set sail." While pointing towards the door, she'd continue, "To yer landboat, lad!"

"Aye aye, cap'n!"

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

All things considered, this trip wasn't the wildest thing Keira had ever done, but it still probably made the list somewhere.

She'd never been to Milwaukee before. This wasn't just a date, it was a vacation. Some might say taking a trip alone with with a man she'd just met was insane, and frankly, Keira wouldn't fault them. There was still a part of her somewhere inside that was pinging her with warnings. But she ignored them; no one else had been there that night, but she had. It was a gut feeling, but one that was based on experience, and therefore one she trusted. This wasn't an uninformed decision.

It was nearing the time they'd agreed to pick her up, and Keira was still getting ready. She'd already packed, of course; She'd brought enough clothes from her apartment to the hotel room before her match with Severin for a few days, so she'd just be moving all of that (thankfully, having found somewhere nearby to wash her clothes).

Casual Keira

Keira wasn't normally one for dress-up, but and Severin- wait, no, it was Terrell outside the ring, she had to remember that.

Anyway, Terrell had already planned this trip with a friend of his, and technically Keira was a third wheel here. She wanted to make a good first impression. She'd done some makeup, eyeshadow and the like, which was scattered around the sink. She was just finishing her braid when there was a knock at the hotel room door. There was only one person that could be.

"Oooh, hey there, T! Don't you look snazzy!" Her tone was playful, with a small smirk on her face. She was surprised to see him wearing his mask, and wondered why. Did he just normally go out in public like that, in his ring persona? Not that she minded - she got plenty of eye candy either way - but she was still curious; she'd have to ask about that later. "I'm just about ready, just gotta go grab my luggage. Oh, and my cinnamon bun out of the toaster. Don't let me forget that, will ya?"

Motion behind him caught her eye. Slightly to his side stood an unfamiliar blonde woman - right, the friend. Keira held out a hand. "Ah, you must be Beatriz! T told me you'd be coming along with us." Friendly enough, not cold, she hoped. Keira wouldn't admit it, of course, but she had been rather hoping this trip with Severin was just going to be the two of them. She was trying not to be rude to the poor girl - she'd done nothing to earn any disrespect - but Keira couldn't deny that she wished she hadn't been here.

On the other hand, she was technically the third wheel here. Severin had already planned to bring Beatriz with him prior to their match. So really, she knew she had little right to be upset.

"Make yourselves at home, I'll be like two minutes tops." Keira retreated back into the bathroom to re-pack the makeup she'd been touching up, leaving the door open for Terrell and Beatriz to come in and get out of the doorway.

[DSX93]

142, 141, 140...139. Knock, knock.

Keira opened the door and...Wow! Terrell wasn't expecting to be greeted by a punk rock babe, but he dug it! Alternative girls have been a weakness of his since middle school, where he discovered Korn, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, and others as he went further down those rabbit holes.

The shocking, unconventional imagery and themes of social isolation, maladjustment, and defiance were strong pulls for the bullied kid.

The best friends would both greet her with a smile, but only Terrell's was genuine.

"T"? Beatriz didn't like that one bit. That was her nickname for him. That was their thing. "TnB, tag team for life!"

"And you're looking lovely, Key!"

No!

Terrell just went along with it. Just like that. Not a single beat missed. Beatriz's rational mind was aware that it wasn't a malicious thing -- that Keira hadn't set out to ruin a convention the two had held for years -- but she was still mighty tempted not to remind either of them about that cinnamon bun if they forgot. Because fuck that cinnamon bun.

But she would. She was in a position to help him look like the good guy he is, and she couldn't let him down. The handshake went without a hitch. No hard squeeze, no subtle communication through the eyes, nor any hidden cattiness through any other avenue unless the punk rock girl happened to be a mind reader. "It's nice to meet you, Keira! I'm sorry to intrude, but my car broke down." A true story. Her aunt would be bringing it to her when the repairs were done. "Once we're in Milwaukee, I'll be out of your hair."

Ironically, Beatriz was feeling like a third wheel herself.

Ooh, the way Keira fit into those shorts! Mmm!

Terrell lingered at the doorway, being too busy staring until Beatriz broke that hipnotic spell with a nudge of her elbow. Then they entered and took a seat on the couch, waiting patiently for Keira to return.

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

Keira struggled to prevent the faint blush that formed on her cheeks when Terrell used his 'nickname' for her - she didn't wear that much makeup. The day after their match, while they were cleaning up and prepping to leave, Keira had asked him about his name. 'Severin isn't your given name, is it?' she had asked. Sure enough, it was not. All she needed to know was that it was the name he used in the ring. But he did tell her his real name, the name behind the wrestler. She'd almost called him 'Big T' after that, but decided to simply shorten it and it just stuck. Keira generally wasn't one to give out pet names, but this felt similarly personal.

She kept herself silent after the compliment; she didn't want to lay it on too thick in front of his friend. Would that make him feel awkward? Would he care? She didn't know. She didn't have that good a handle on him just yet. Better to save it for when they were alone. Still, she made sure to add a little swagger to her walk as she beckoned Severin and Beatriz inside.

From inside the bathroom, while she hastily scooped her scattered makeup into a bag, not bothering to care where it settled, she called back out to them; "Don't worry about it! Any friend of T is a friend of mine. We'll make sure to get you home, no sweat."

She emerged from the bathroom, chucking the makeup bag into her suitcase on top of her sports bra. Oh, right... she'd forgotten to fold all her clothes. Oh well. She moved to just shove everything inside and close it. "If you've got the time, you're welcome to stick around for a while. I'm sure T wouldn't mind." She hadn't actually discussed it with him, but she was a friend of his, no? It was a safe assumption. And it wasn't like she'd be spending the night with them.

"We were gonna..." She managed to get the suitcase shut and begun to zip it, turning to Severin in the process. "Actually, I don't remember, what was on the agenda?"

[DSX93]

Man, she's cute when she blushes!

A thought that led to another observation: Keira appeared to treat makeup like an accessory, like a nice hat or earrings. Something that added to the look of the day, but didn't need to be there. That's always good to see in a woman.

"Don't worry about it! Any friend of T is a friend of mine. We'll make sure to get you home, no sweat."

Terrell turned to Beatriz, making a quick gesture in Keira's direction while mouthing the word, "See?"

It was a last second change of plans that were already out there for a first date. The two of them hitting the town. His town, which she had never been to before in her life. And while she would only riding with them until they got there, he was still showing up with another beautiful woman. One she had no reason to believe was actually his best friend, as opposed to say, a girlfriend who was helping him pick up chicks.

Keira didn't know him from Steve, but here she was, still going through with this. Putting so much trust in him already. In him; he wasn't famous or anything either. He was just some guy.

The word "home" brought the blue-eyed beauty to the same train of thought, and as much as it bugged her to hear another girl calling him T, she did have to give Keira that.

"Thank you! You two are lifesavers!"

"Hey, eso es lo que hace la familia." And now a quick translation to make sure Keira's in the know of what he's saying, "That's what family does."

His Spanish came out smooth, like butter. Not only had he been keeping up with it, he had still been actively learning! It put a big, most likely dopey looking smile on Beatriz's face. That he used it to pretty much call her his sister was painful, but it still made her day.

There wasn't much there to really show that she was having to put effort into smiling, but Terrell could see that she was bothered. But he remained clueless to the real cause, assuming that she was just being on the lookout. The Spanish was a subtle way of letting her know that if there was something that she really needed to say right then and there, that she'd be able to say it.

He wished that he wasn't surprising her with it in this scenario, though.

Beatriz wasn't going to let him get away from talking about that for too long. But for now, "Oh, no." She started, speaking of the offer to stick around once they were in the city. "I don't wanna get in the way of your date. But I appreciate the offer."

After Keira had her suitcase zipped up, Terrell offered her a hand and a charming smile. "I can take that for you m'lady." As for the agenda..."I know this great place on the north side that's got some of everything. Bowling, pool, darts, a bar...it's even got an arcade and karaoke."

"Ooh, Landmark's is still around?" It was one of their favorite places to go as kids. They killed it in the arcade. In "House of the Dead", especially.

"Oh yeah. Before I signed that contract with LAW, I was still going every weekend or so when I could. They still have House of the Dead there too."

"No way!" The thought put a genuine smile on Beatriz's face.

"Way." Terrell turned to Keira. "It's a great place to go after a week's work. What do you say we check them out first?"

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

"If you guys wanna talk about me behind my back, I promise I don't know Spanish." Keira wore a smile on her face, making plain that her statement was spoken in jest. It seemed she was entirely oblivious to the personal moment going on between Severin and Beatriz, or what the saying meant to them. "That's impressive, I'm lucky I can speak English," she added with another laugh.

Severin offered his hand as she forced her suitcase closed and stood up. "Why thank you, good sir," she replied, passing him the handle. She chuckled, then leaned in to peck his cheek with a kiss.

She listened to his list of activities while he and Beatriz reminisced. "Oooh, I haven't played a good game of darts since my grandfather died! I must have been like... seven. Nan was furious at him for that. Don't think he ever did patch up that wall." She put her finger to her chin, lost in thought for a moment before snapping back to reality. "Never been bowling before. Let's do it!"

[DSX93]

After the three had checked out of the hotel and Keira's luggage was placed alongside theirs in the trunk of Terrell's Kia Forte, it was off to Milwaukee! Beatriz took a seat in the back, allowing Kiera to ride shotgun next to him.

The masked man had started putting together a playlist for these drives. As music is a favorite pastime of his, it has already become rather sizeable, but it was unfinished, still. Maybe it always will be.

The

? An old favorite of his. The song that introduced him to Korn (thanks to Austin Powers) before "Did My Time" officially pulled him into the world of Nu Metal: "Word Up!"

The three of them were going to be in this car for over an hour, so Beatriz figured that now was as good a time as any to begin her interrogation strike up some conversation. "So, Keira, what got you into wrestling?"

She wanted to say "Hentai wrestling" in particular, but wrestling in general was good enough for now. It would still give her a glimpse at her motivations and goals in life.

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

Perhaps rudely, Keira hadn't even considered offering the passenger seat to their guest. Terrell was in the driver's seat, and that was the closest one to him; simple as that. Beatriz never spoke up or complained about it, so it never even crossed Keira's mind.

As they set out, Terrell quickly proved to have good taste in music. "I haven't heard this in years!" Keira was just as quick to start headbanging as she sung along. As it turned out, she only remembered half the lyrics and ended up laughing at herself mid-song. Maybe she'd get the next one.

"So, Keira, what got you into wrestling?" Beatriz asked from somewhere behind her.

She did her best to summarize the important parts. "Self-defense, mostly. A girl's gotta be able to take care of herself. Dad was trying to get me into a karate class but no one in our area would take a girl. Eventually saw a show - on tv, of course - and there were women in it! And I thought, 'Girls? Looking and sounding powerful?' And I just knew that's what I wanted to do. Don't think dad was too happy with it, but it proved a lot easier to get started at a gym."

She shrugged, not quite realizing Beatriz wouldn't see it. "Ended up sparring with this guy named... Raviel? Something like that." She waved her hand dismissively. "We met a few times a week. By pure luck, I got picked up by a local pro who watched me take him down one week. Asked why I was practicing, so I told her. She ended up taking me under her wing, training me personally. Sophie Leblanc. Ever heard of her?"

[DSX93]

That was another point in Keira's favor: That she liked Korn meant that her taste in music was at least decent.

"It's the first song I heard from them! Austin Powers introduce you too?" Terrell asked before he added his own vocals to the mix. Even got his shoulders moving to the rhythm -- it was about as much as he could do while still keeping control of the vehicle. "♩Do your dance! Do your dance! Do your dance quick, mama! Come on, baby, tell me what's the word!♩"

Another surprise from Terrell. He was never anywhere near as quick to get to jamming like this with other people around. Especially a pretty girl. But then again, he'd danced for a sold out audience on the way to the ring for his standard matches. Maybe he was getting used to putting himself out there.

Beatriz was pleased to see it, unaware that her presence was helping him loosen up. That there was still that part of him that didn't want to look like a huge dork and potentially mess this up. But with her there, he didn't care. And seeing Keira having fun with messing up the lyrics shed even more layers. He knew this song by heart, but would still throw in some gibberish here and there so she wouldn't be alone. And he kept it moving without missing a beat, like those were the exact "words" coming out of Jonathan Davis's mouth in the studio.

The raven-haired beauty's laughter was infectious.

This...was adorable. Beatriz hated being a witness to the moment that was unfolding in front of her, but at the same time, she felt bad for interrupting it. And she couldn't hold anything against Keira's motivations either: Making sure she's ready to defend herself in this big, scary world, taking power for herself as a woman. And she was beating the boys on the way into the wrestling world too.

She had mixed feelings about that answer: It annoyed her because that was something that you just had to applaud. But on the other hand was the rational thought. That she really shouldn't hope for any bad responses because then it would be bad news for Terrell, who shook his head when they were asked if they knew who Sophie Leblanc is.

Beatriz hadn't heard of her either. "No, I haven't. What's she like? Oh, but first..." She put a hand forward. "A high five for Girl Power!"

Terrell took advantage of the time they had at the red light they were waiting at at the moment and slapped her open palm. And with an effeminate tone, he'd say, "Yas queen! A win for one of us is a win for all of us!"

Beatriz laughed and rolled her eyes, keeping her hand out. "Not you, dummy!"

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

"Hm? Oh, no actually, heard 'em on the radio ages ago."

It was obvious that Terrell knew the actual words to the song; Still, his intentionally incorrect lyrics only drew further laughs from his date. She'd expected some kind of light-hearted ribbing about it, so it was a pleasant surprise to not be made fun of, from either of them. Although, it was only... technically a first date, so maybe he was playing it safe. Or just trying to be polite in front of his friend.

Then she let out another, heavier laugh as Terrell responded to Beatriz' high five. They had a cute dynamic, and though the three of them hadn't known each other long, the way they'd already been casually making goofy jokes made Keira already felt like part of a group. She was vaguely reminded of her old friends from the gym... although their laughter was more at her expense for actually fighting with the boys rather than flirting with them...

It took her a moment to realize through her laughter that Beatriz still held her hand out. "Hell yeah," she cheered as she swung her palm around to connect with the other woman's.

Keira responded when they settled down again. "To answer your question, Sophie is... well, she's a performer. Win or lose, she knows how to hype up the crowd and win them over to her side. She's always looking on the positive side, trying to give people a good show. Always just looking to have a good time. And she's obviously a damn fine wrestler, too. I've picked up a lot of my flair from her."

She looked into the mirror to try and catch Beatriz' eyes. "What about you? You a fighter too?"