To Her Coy Mistress

Every inch of Tokyo seemed to be aglitter at night. From inside of a taxi cab, Odessa could enjoy the bright lights with little of the overwhelming clamor, oft-unpleasant smells, or uncomfortable temperatures of trying to take it in on foot. It was like a painting, constantly shifting and changing in front of her, illuminating her way as the taxi sailed smoothly down the road towards its destination.

Odessa had to say, though, that the city itself was only the second most luminous object in her line of sight right now. Beside her, Lumi Sarn was absolutely radiant, showing no traces of the stress, the bruises, or the fatigue of their epic battle in the ring three nights prior. From her brilliant, perfectly coifed purple hair to her creamy white skin to her stunning ensemble, every inch of the French woman oozed elegance.

The two had hit it off immediately upon entering the ring. Often, they had seemed to be of one mind, anticipating each other’s attacks and countering them with equally anticipatable attacks of their own. They were both refined, intelligent, high-class women. From Odessa’s side, at least, there was an instant attraction.

That attraction only grew stronger when the battle was finished and neither warrior had been able to claim a victory over the other. Lumi remained something to be conquered, something for Odessa to try to overcome and dominate and claim as her own. The prospect of dominating Lumi almost made Odessa let out a distinctly unladylike purr as she gazed at her companion for the evening.

Lumi had been coy, of course. Though she had agreed to dinner, she had agreed to nothing beyond that. But Odessa was used to challenges such as these. She had plenty of ways to win her French counterpart over.

The taxi slid to a stop in front of a tall building, a modern one which itself housed several different businesses on different levels, and which was surrounded by other similar buildings, each one hosting its own unique, ritzy establishments. Odessa would step out of the car, smoothing out her skirt as she did. She had gone all-out preparing for the night. Her gown was long, but molded to her torso before flowing a little more freely down by her legs; the main body of the dress was black organza, but the skirt was made of sheer black silk that gave a good view of her long, strong legs, and there was a silk chiffon inset near the neckline which was beaded with small, glimmering sequins. Odessa wore a shining silver and diamond necklace, matching earrings, and tall black high heels to accentuate the dress—which, being strapless, also gave an ample view of her…ample assets.

The ebony beauty turned back around, smiled, and held out a hand to Lumi. “Here we are, darling,” she would say.

Lumi reclined in the back of the taxi, hands neatly at her sides, glancing over at Odessa every few moments. A small smile graced her lips, coquettish and inviting. She sat her breasts were obvious, but not obviously showing them off--a carefully practiced image of tempting beauty and unthinking temptation. This calm facade, however, hid Lumi's frantically moving mind.

She didn't know what to think about Odessa. This was very frustrating for a woman who had always considered herself adept at reading people. She seemed extremely similar to her--at least, similar to Lumi's preferred persona. If she were honest, it wasn't totally a facade--although she would never her carefully constructed persona weren't a persona. Still, it gave her some insight into how Odessa's mind worked, although she still had trouble getting a read on her. She was strong, willful, intelligent, and extremely interested in Lumi, that much was certain. She couldn't figure anything else about her, not from what little she knew of her so far. That's one of the reasons she had accepted the offer to go on this 'date'... she needed to learn more about her soon-to-be-rival.

She had to admit, however, that Odessa looked absolutely ravishing. That dress was absolutely perfect for her, exactly what she would have chosen. Brock maintained a beautiful, mysterious figure. It was a shame Lumi had sworn off romance... Odessa might have tempted her. Maybe.

Lumi accepted the hand, stepping out of the car. "Lead the way, my dear dragon slayer~"

Odessa grasped Lumi’s hand and helped pull the ivory beauty out of the car they had shared from Lumi’s apartment to the restaurant. Leaning back in, she would pay the driver, giving him a generous tip before sending the taxi cab on its way. Then, she would press her side up against Lumi’s, her arm flexing as she clutched Lumi’s hand possessively. “You will love this restaurant, Lumi. They only serve the most exquisite dishes from some of Tokyo’s finest chefs. They pamper you, and make you feel like a queen. It’s simply luxurious.”

She would lead Lumi inside, stepping carefully up the front steps and then making her way coolly inside as the doorman pulled open the door for the two gorgeous women. The restaurant was on the top floor of the building, and so they had a little bit of a trip up. It was a little late in the evening already, and so the two of them would have an elevator all to themselves.

Once they were inside the elevator, Odessa would sigh contentedly and lean her head against Lumi’s, rubbing her mane of white hair against Lumi’s purple locks. “Mmm…this is going to be a wonderful night, Lumi. I am going to spoil you…”

Lumi allowed herself to be led. Odessa had, after all, gone through the trouble of setting this 'date' up. She should at least have the pleasure of running the show. "I haven't been able to sample the local culture much, I'm afraid." She replied airily, stepping behind her. "I'm looking forward to tonight, if its everything you've promised it'll be~" It seemed like the rest of the restaurant was fairly empty, which was always nice. The two would be undisturbed. She also doubted that any other wrestlers would happen to be eating the expensive restaurant, which, in case Odessa had garnered any enemies during her time at the AFW--unlikely, but something to considered--they also were unlikely to be interrupted by someone looking for trouble.

She started, very slightly, as Odessa rested her head against hers, eyes widening almost imperceptibly. Goodness, Brock was forward in expressing her affections, wasn't she? She tilted her head away slightly. Brock, if her ringside banter was to be taken at face-value, found her attractive, but Lumi had not come to the AFW to find a new... to find a new love. Perhaps that was arrogant, to assume that Odessa's attractions were anything beyond simple lust. The brown skinned, beautiful woman most likely had her pick of lovers. There was no reason for Sarn to assume herself to be anything more... well, of course, she was beautiful. And charming. Hm. Perhaps she should refocus on the situation at hand.

"I'm certain that if the two of us are involved, we could make any night wonderfully~" She cooed, her voice low and inviting, nudging Odessa softly in the side. "I'm very, very interested in knowing more about you, dear Odessa..."

“Oh, it will be, Lumi, my dear,” Odessa promised again. “It will be everything I’ve promised it will be, and more.” She made a soft noise as Lumi nudged her side, and then nudged Lumi’s side right back, emitting a soft chuckle as she did.

When the elevator opened up onto the restaurant, Odessa was delighted to see that there weren’t many other customers there. She had hoped to come at something of an off time so that she and Lumi could have as private an evening as possible while still enjoying an exquisite, Michelin Star-worthy meal. Once they walked in, a cute little Japanese brunette escorted them to a cozy little table right by the window. Outside, Tokyo continued to thrum with life, its lights pulsating, its streets almost throbbing.

Inside, things were much more relaxed. There was a low hum of conversation from the dozen or so tables which were occupied. The distant clinking of dishes in the kitchen indicated that the staff back there was still hard at work. Music was being played by a string quartet up on a stage on the far side of the restaurant, and a trio of couples was still dancing to it. Odessa, after a few quick glances around the room, focused her gaze across the table on Lumi.

“This restaurant specializes in modern Japanese cuisine,” Odessa would say, as the waitress filled up their glasses with water. “All of it very expensive, some of it rather high-concept. I hope there’s a diverse enough selection, my dear—I’m afraid I don’t know quite what foods most strike your fancy, so I wanted to make sure that the menu for our date was not too restrictive.” She would smile and lay her napkin down on her lap.

“That’s just one of the many things I must learn about you, Lumi, darling.”

Lumi sat opposite of Odessa, dressed in her own finery--a white satin dress, giving the viewer a generous look at her chest, and leaving the shoulders bared. The dress extended down to her ankles, tapering near the bottom for convenience's sake, although Sarn still managed to make it appear elegant. She daintily pressed the lip of the cup to her mouth, taking a small sip, before placing it back down and gracing her partner with another smile. "You sound like you've eaten here before, darling. I'll simply take your word for it... something that lingers, that stays on your tongue and doesn't quite let you forget about it sounds lovely right now, no?" She said, folding her hands in front of her, giving of an air of relaxation, looking perfectly at ease.

"I am very curious about you as well, dear Odessa. Shall we make a game of it? A question for a question?"

Odessa smiled and nodded. “My first week here in Japan, I figured I would indulge just a little bit. I must say, though, that as much as I enjoyed eating here the first time, it is already a much more wonderful experience to be able to be here with you, dear Lumi.”

Odessa would lift up her own glass and take a sip of water, then would set it down. Her eyes scanned across Lumi’s body, admiring the generous view of the French woman’s creamy white breasts, admiring the perfectly-coifed hair and the exquisite makeup…Lumi really was quite the remarkable specimen. Odessa had only met a handful of other women at AFW who even approached Lumi in terms of beauty. “We’ll need to look at the menu soon. Order something to drink…perhaps some wine, hmm? But it does seem that we have a minute or two to ourselves before we’re waited on. So I think that’s a wonderful idea, Lumi, darling—a question for a question it will be.”

Odessa would fold her hands together on the table and lean back into her chair slightly, still smiling as she looked directly into Lumi’s eyes. “You ask the first question. Whatever you wish to know, I’ll tell you.”

"Mm, something easy, then." Lumi leaned forward slightly, face assuming a neutral, inquisitive expression. "Whyever did a woman of your grace and charm join the AFW? You seem to be quite well off... so you didn't join for the money, I'd imagine."

Odessa remained sitting straight up in her chair, her posture perfect, as if she were a candidate for an important position and Lumi was the employer and interviewer. As Lumi leaned in to ask the question, Odessa would tilt her head very slightly, invitingly, waiting to hear and answer whatever question Lumi wanted to pose to her.

The violet-maned French woman started out with a very basic question. Odessa did pause to think about it for a second—she wanted to make sure her explanation was thorough—but, when she answered, would answer crisply and decisively. "I am a wrestler by trade, as a matter of fact. It is true that my family has some substantial accumulated wealth—and, indeed, I myself am personally well-off, thanks to some wise financial decisions I made a number of years ago—but wrestling is my primary source of income. I joined AFW because the leagues I wrestled in in the States and back home in England ceased to provide enough of a challenge. So much talent is coming here to Japan. I figured I would join the exodus. And it doesn't hurt that some match types here are very...interesting. Unique."

"Now, I would like to hear your answer to the same question, Lumi, dear," Odessa would continue, now steepling her fingers and leaning forward slightly. "What brings you to AFW?"

"You must be very successful, then." Lumi said, tilting her head and smiling. "Not that I would have expected anything less, of course, but allow me to express my admiration."

She paused for a moment, raising her hand to her chin, recollecting for a moment. "Boredom, mostly. My wealth comes from my parents, as well as a successful fashion line, or two--I don't suppose you've heard of Haute de couture de Lumi?" She giggles slightly. "It didn't take the world by storm, but it was successful enough to afford me a very pleasant lifestyle... but, anyway, I took up wrestling in college. I was quite fond of it. Matches can become quite... stimulating, no~?" She giggled coquettishly, smile turning a touch flirtatious.

"Next question..." Lumi paused for a long moment, thinking. "Hmm... where do you see yourself in, say, five years? What are your aspirations, darling?"