Soiree or Stay In? (For Imhotep)

Domino props back against the door, staying his exit. "Well, there's a blow to my ego, but~..." He chances a tiny grin to the blonde, hoping to ease her anxiety with humor. But the grin very quickly reins back into a soft smile.

"You're not weird. Actually, you're about the most normal person I've met out here. You look at that stuff because you're human and.. y'know.. want stuff. But you're not the type to just rush into something. I think you want it to mean something. To be with someone you really care about. Someone you really trust."

The model leans off the door again, his hands still linked modestly behind his back. "There's not a thing in the world wrong with that, Mindy. It's a good thing, actually."

"Ah, I didn't mean it like that! I-I think you're good-looking, and-" Mindy blurted out, but after seeing his grin she stopped, realizing that he was only joking about his ego. It made her smile a little at how silly she must have been looking like all this time.

As Domino kept speaking, Mindy could feel a soft warmth growing inside her chest. She had always been extremely self-conscious about her sex life, a problem that had only become worse when she moved to Japan. Here in the federation, all the other female wrestlers thought and talked so much about sex every day, in such a casual tone... it made Mindy feel like the odd one out sometimes. The "weird" girl.

But hearing Domino say she was normal - and compliment her for it - did a lot to ease her concerns. It was the first time a man had said anything like that to her. She looked meekly into his eyes. "... I think I overreacted. Sorry." She stepped closer to Domino, stopping right in front of him, with her hands behind her back as well. "I take back what I said, you can stay. Or... would you rather go to Amber's place? She will probably let you sleep with her if you ask..."

It would be just natural, wouldn't it? After being turned down by an emotional girl like her, anyone would choose to have fun with a prettier, more open-minded woman instead... but if that's what Domino wanted, she felt like she didn't have the right to object. He'd probably had enough of her flustered antics by now, right?

Aw, see that? That flailing to preserve feelings? That's why Domino likes this girl. She's a sweetheart.

When she steps up to him again, Domino mirrors her posture. His dark eyes meet hers, gaze gentle and patient. "I'm not desperate for someone to sleep with," he replies. "Besides, I don't know Amber. I'm not into her. She's pretty'n all, but you're better. You've got more going on." His right hand lifts, balled into a fist. Said fist lightly bumps over her heart - not her breast, but her chest above that. "In here. Where it matters most. So if it's okay with you, I'd rather hang out here'n get to know ya."

Mindy waited for his answer, worried that the incident might have cost her Domino's friendship. She didn't want him to go, but if he wanted to... her fears disappeared, however, when she heard his decision. Her smile widened. Amber was a lot more attractive than her (or that's what she thought, at least), so the fact that he chose Mindy instead meant a lot to her. It meant that he saw her as a real human being, that he cared for her, that he wanted them to become closer... "gosh, why am I blushing again?"

Mindy received his fist bump, her expression now much lighter than before. "Mom always said boys were all looking for just one thing... I'm relieved that she was wrong this time." She raised her arms, inviting him in. "Make up hug?" If he stepped forward, she would put him in a tight embrace, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Ain't it?," muses the male.

That blush on her face is enough indication to him that the tension has been smoothed over. He couldn't be more relieved, to boot. It'd be a Hell of a thing to find the first genuinely sweet girl in these rosters, then subsequently piss her off. So when she steps forward, he receives her with open arms. And then with closed arms, what with the nature of an embrace. This time, the hug he gives her isn't painful, or intentionally racy - it's simply a show of affection.

Domino's head tilts aside to lightly brush against Mindy's. "And that's partly why I'm called Domino."

Mindy's toned arms enveloped Domino's body, giving him a warm, heartfelt hug. But not too tight! Sure, she wanted to keep him close, but this was a time to be gentle; as such, she made sure to use just a minimum of her strength.

While they were both locked in the embrace, Mindy started reflecting. "Hm? I don't get it..." What did all of this have to do with his name? She thought for a little while, but couldn't come up with a good answer. "Now that I think about it, Domino is your ring name, right? Why did you choose to call yourself that?" She would lean back from the hug a little so she could face him, keeping her arms around his back. Now that this whole event was over, she was quite eager to change the subject to something more casual.

The Domino in question doesn't seem too interested in releasing her from his arms, himself. As she leans back, they remain settled around her waist. By now, he's relaxed enough to cast her a soft, confident smile.

"It's a metaphor. Black and white. Opposites," he explains. "My mom's a fashion designer, my dad's a professional wrestler. I'm what you get when you mix those things together. A male model who's a professional wrestler. I mean, you can plainly see I'm not some bulky powerhouse, but I'm trained to lift'n overpower people in the ring."

His arms tighten a little, pressing her midsection to his. "You just took me by surprise," he notes, tone wry.

"I'm like a blend of contradictions, I guess. I take a lott'a people by surprise like that. But it also usually gives people the wrong impression about me offhand. So it's a mixed bag. But the name Domino seemed right." His head inclines then, a few wispy bangs of black drifting further over his right eye. "You can call me Drake, by the way."

Domino's arms kept Mindy's midsection pressed against him, and she made no effort to move further away. Normally, the muscle girl wouldn't have felt comfortable with hugging a man for so long, but right now she felt like the two of them had grown a little closer. And to think this all had happened because of a silly magazine...

Her blue eyes looked at Domino's face as he gave his explanation. "I see..." The way he described it, Mindy didn't think her situation was so different from his. After all, her eye-catching, muscular appearance sharply contrasted with her "soft" personality, and she gave people the wrong impression on a regular basis. "Yeah, I feel like I take a lot of wrestlers by surprise too... but I gotta admit, you nearly got me to tap out back there. I wasn't expecting it either. You're pretty strong, Drake," she said, testing out the name for the first time.

As she was talking, however, Mindy felt a low growl inside her belly. She suddenly remembered why she had gone out at night in the first place, and since their abs were pressed close together Drake would be able to sense the faint vibrations coming from her - much to her embarrassment. "Erm..." She shifted inside his hug, her smile growing a bit awkward. "How about we sit down and eat? I just got some food from the store nearby."

"Yeah. Surprised me," Drake repeats, but for a different reason. "But, ah, yeah." His arms slack around her waist, a grin edging over his lips. If she makes any effort to get away, she'll find no resistance. "Food sounds good. Though I might only nibble. I ate while I was out. Eel's a Hell of a thing."

The teen transitions back to the earlier thought, though. It felt important enough to merit a little extra attention. "I wasn't expecting you to be so nice! I mean, in the ring. I could tell from the start that you were a good fighter - got that awesome body'n all - but wrestlers tend to be a little rougher around the edges. And you turned out to just be... I dunno, a good person. S'why I wasn't more annoyed with being pinned by you."

After a beat, he cants his head, allowing his bangs to frame his face further. "That'n you're a hot little number." Flirt, flirt.

Feeling Drake's arms go loose around her body, Mindy took the opportunity to break the hug and step away. It wasn't that she disliked it, of course, but if they stayed that close for any longer Drake would only get to listen to more of the rumbles coming from her belly, and she didn't want him to point it out and poke more fun at her.

Not that his silver tongue needed any more motivation to keep going. Hearing him compliment her body - not once, but twice - Mindy turned her back to him. "Oh, stop it. I'm nothing special," she said as she stepped towards the center of the room. This whole altercation and making-up, both quite physical in nature, had made her body feel kind of hot, so she took off her beanie and jacket to cool herself off, revealing a simple white shirt underneath. She tossed the clothes to the side before sitting cross-legged on the floor, in front of the table.

"To tell you the truth, I haven't been fighting for very long." One hand went into the plastic bag, rummaging through its contents. "I've been going to the gym for several years now, but it wasn't to become a better fighter; for me it was just a hobby... no, something more than a hobby? A passion, I think? I don't know. Anyway, for a long time, I only cared about getting fit." As she spoke, she laid out on the table a fruit cereal bar, a pack of assorted nuts and a carton of milk. "It was just an year ago that I got into this, practicing wrestling and jiu-jitsu. But I don't think I've become 'tough' yet... that's probably why I don't act like the wrestlers you know."

Realizing that she was rambling to herself for too long, she stopped and looked at Drake with a smile. "Come, sit! I only wanted a midnight snack myself, so I didn't buy anything too heavy."