Rina StarLai: Issue 003

Hello all, I hope you've been enjoying the journey so far. We FINALLY get to dive into some hot superhero fun... so stay tuned!

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5. HOT DIVA:

Rin stared blankly at the shopping list his mom had texted him.

- tofu

- scallions

- eggs (the good ones)

- something "sweet" for your father to stop complaining

He groaned, shoving his phone back in his pocket. The grocery store was only a few blocks away, but with how drained he felt, it may as well have been a trek through the Sahara.

The sun was out, the street buzzed with quiet suburb life, and Rin was wearing his most average hoodie to feel as invisible as humanly possible. His body still carried the faint warmth from yesterday's transformation, like the magic hadn't fully settled yet. Like something inside him was... waiting.

He just didn't know what.

The automatic doors of the store slid open with a cheerful ding. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead. He reached for a shopping basket and began his chore like a normal 20-year-old guy with no secret alter ego and absolutely no magical fire amulet currently sitting in his backpack.

Totally normal.

Until his phone vibrated again.

A shrill, piercing Amber Alert notification echoed through the store as phones buzzed in unison. Rin's stomach dropped.

- AMBER ALERT: Child abducted. Suspect on foot near Grover & 8th. Armed. Last seen heading westbound.

Rin's breath caught.

That was two blocks from here.

His heart pounded in his chest, equal parts fear and adrenaline. He stood frozen in the produce aisle, clutching a bundle of scallions.

He glanced around. Nobody else seemed to be doing anything. The cashier kept scanning. An old man complained about the egg prices. Everyone just kept... going.

But Rin couldn't.

He dropped the basket.

His feet moved before his brain caught up.

He ducked out of the grocery store and into the alley beside it, heart hammering in his chest.

"Sis," he hissed under his breath, unzipping his backpack. "Can you hear me?"

The amulet pulsed in his hand- hot, urgent, alive. He could already feel it pulling on him, like it wanted to be used. The ache wasn't there this time. This wasn't pleasure. This was instinct.

*DO YOU WISH TO ENGAGE, MISS RINA?*

"Yes," Rin whispered, voice trembling. "Let's burn."

The amulet's glow flared like a supernova-and Rin was gone.

In his place, fire erupted. His hoodie and jeans evaporated in a flash of red-gold flame, replaced by her- the heels, the shimmer, the figure that didn't belong in this alley or this world, and yet made more sense than anything ever had.

Rina stood tall, heels clicking as she stepped toward the alley exit.

"Let's find this bastard," she growled, voice lower, laced with power.

She wasn't ready.

But she wasn't going to wait.

Rina bolted out of the alley like a runway model with a mission, heels click-clack-clicking across the pavement at full speed.

Except... she wasn't used to sprinting in stilettos.

"OH-shit-okay-nope-" she gasped, flailing briefly as her ankle twisted and she caught herself on a parked bike rack. The metal melted under her palm with a quiet sssszzzztt, warping like hot wax.

She winced, patting it apologetically. "Sorry! Sorry, that was-okay, I'm still learning-"

She straightened up again, hair perfectly flowing like a shampoo commercial despite the chaos. Somewhere deep inside, she hoped someone was recording this.

A scream echoed down the block. Her heart jolted.

She ran toward the sound, heels clacking with renewed determination, and spotted a man darting into an alley with a little girl clutched tight in one arm. Her sobs bounced off the brick walls.

Rina skidded to a stop. Her heels sparked against the asphalt. Her chest rose and fell. She'd made it.

Now what?

She stepped forward with authority she wasn't totally sure she had.

"HEY!" she shouted, her voice ringing out like a bell. "Let. Her. Go."

The man turned. Confused. Then alarmed. Maybe it was the heels. Maybe it was the glowing amulet embedded above her hips. Maybe it was the literal fire curling around her hands.

"Who the hell are you?" he barked.

Rina blinked. She hadn't thought that far ahead.

"... I'm Rina StarLai," she said, tossing her hair instinctively. "And I'm your very hot problem."

She raised a hand and hurled a fireball toward the ground near his feet.

It... hit a trash can instead.

The metal exploded in sparks and flames. The man shrieked, dropping the girl in a panic and stumbling backward. The child scrambled away and ran straight into Rina's arms, clutching her tight.

"I've got you, sweetheart," Rina said, trying to sound like she'd done this before.

Behind her, the guy tried to flee, only to immediately trip on his own shoelace and eat concrete. Hard.

Rina blinked.

"Oh. That... worked out."

The girl sniffled against her. "Are you a princess?"

Rina smiled gently. "No, baby. I'm a superhero."

Rina stood there in the alley, holding the girl gently as she wiped her tears. The man was still groaning on the ground, clutching his ankle.

From somewhere behind her, someone shouted, "Yo! Did you see that?! She threw fire!"

Another voice: "Bro, I got it on video! TikTok's gonna EAT THIS UP!"

Oh no.

She turned around slowly.

A small crowd had gathered at the edge of the alley. Phones were out. Recording. Streaming. Rina's heart dropped. The adrenaline was already fading, but now a new anxiety settled in her chest.

She was going to go viral... in heels.

She handed the girl off to a nearby woman - likely her mother - who cried thank-yous through sobs. Rina nodded, gave a small, sheepish wave to the onlookers...

... and promptly backed away.

Her heels click-clacked awkwardly on the concrete.

Then came the sirens.

Blue and red lights splashed across the alley walls. She heard the car doors opening. "YOU! HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM!"

Rina froze. "Fuck."

*MISS RINA,& Sis' voice chimed in her ear like a polite but urgent Siri, *YOUR VITALS ARE ELEVATED. DO YOU REQUIRE EXTRACTION?*

Rina hesitated... but then she felt it.

The ache.

That same heavy, smoldering pressure building in her core. She flinched slightly, eyes wide. Not now. NOT NOW.

"Sis-uhh-yes. Yes. I REQUIRE EXTRACTION."

*AS YOU WISH.*

Just as two officers rounded the corner with flashlights, there was a brilliant burst of fire and shimmering light, like the sparkle left behind from a lit match.

The alley was empty.

Only the scorched trash can and a faint trail of smoke remained.

Rina reappeared mid-stumble and face-planted onto the velvet floor of her base.

She groaned.

"Okay... lesson learned," she muttered, rolling onto her back. "Superhero landings are not a thing in heels."

The ache pulsed again - stronger.

"Sis," she gasped, "We gotta fix this, like now."

"SOLUTION READY, MISS RINA."

Another compartment slid open in the floor.

It was what looked to be a large metal spade... She'd never seen anything like it.

"What is this, Sis?"

*I MANUFACTURED THIS TOOL TO REGULATE YOUR POWERS, MISS STAR*

"And how do I use it?"

*ON THE BOTTOM, YOU WILL SEE A HOLE FIT FOR THE AMULET... I'M SURE YOU CAN FIGURE OUT THE REST*

Rina blinked.

"This bitch really wants this in my butt."

"... I just met you and I already hate you sometimes."

Rina took the butt plug and concentrated. One big exhale as she imagined the flames simmering down until the amulet left her upper groin. Following directions - she popped the gem into its socket - the plug shimmered with energy.

Rina knew what to do.

She pulled her knees up to her chest will changing positions to lay on the floor. She angled the tip of the spade to kiss vulnerability- and pushed. Stretching her out with a base so wide, she grit her teeth and pushed her muscles outward while the plug fought in.

'POP'

Rina felt immediate relief and a surge of energy. It was like her form was no longer overwhelming... like she could control it better. And the aching spot was occupied by her new intruder, constantly keeping her in check.

"I take it all back, I love you Sis"

*RECIPROCATED, MADAME. WOULD YOU LIKE TO TEST OUT YOUR ABILITIES FURTHER?*

"Girl... I'm going HOME"

Rina popped out the amulet and descended back into Rin. He grabbed his backpack and left.

Rin stepped through the front door as quietly as possible, hoping to sneak past the kitchen without being seen. His hoodie clung to him with the faintest scent of smoke, and his hair was a sweaty mess from everything that had just happened. His body still tingled from the aftershock of magic, adrenaline... and the weirdest escape plan in superhero history.

He had taken exactly zero steps into the hallway when-

"Rin?"

He froze mid-step, eyes darting toward the kitchen.

His mom stood there with her arms crossed, a dish towel slung over her shoulder, and a raised brow that could cut through steel.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

Rin opened his mouth, then closed it. Technically, he'd been to the store. He had left for groceries. So this wasn't lying.

"I... got distracted."

"Distracted?" She stepped closer, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "You left here two hours ago. You come back with no groceries, no bags, no receipts, and you smell like a burnt dumpling."

"I-" Rin blinked. He looked down at himself. "Do I?"

His mom sniffed the air. "Yes. What happened?"

He scrambled for a response. "Uh... there was a fire. In the alley. Behind the store."

"A fire?! Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Did you run?"

"No- I mean- yes, I ran, but I didn't get hurt, I just... kinda forgot the groceries."

His mom stared at him.

Dead silence.

Then: "So you didn't get the tofu?"

Rin shook his head.

"No scallions?"

"Nope."

"Not even the sweet thing for your father?"

"... Does panic count?"

She stared a second longer, then sighed and shook her head, muttering something under her breath in Korean that he was very glad he didn't catch.

"Unbelievable. Go shower. You smell like you fought a barbecue. I'll order delivery."

Rin saluted weakly and began to retreat up the stairs, but his mom called after him.

"And Rin?"

He paused.

"If you are seeing a girl, maybe bring her over next time. I want to see the one who made you forget the damn groceries."

Rin's face went red. "MOM!"

She just smirked.

Back in his room, Rin lay flat on his bed, wrapped in a hoodie and sweatpants like a burrito of post-hero regret. His body felt like it had just run a marathon in five-inch heels... because technically, it had.

He blinked up at the ceiling, dazed.

"I gotta practice walking in those before the next emergency."

He groaned and pulled out his phone, prepared to doom-scroll as a distraction.

And then he saw it.

A swarm of fire emojis and:

Mysterious Fire Superhero in Heels Saves Child in Alleyway

#FireQueen

#RealLifeSuperhero

#WhoIsShe

There were at least a dozen videos. Different angles. Slow-motion replays. Screenshots with captions like:

"Why is she lowkey serving??"

"She melted a trash can and still looked like a Vogue cover."

"Okay but... I trust her with my life."

One clip showed her hair whipping dramatically as she caught the child. Another was just a zoom-in on her ass in that tight bodysuit with sparkle emojis in the comments.

Rin stared at the screen, speechless. His mouth opened and closed like a confused goldfish.

"... Oh. My. God."

His hand slowly slid up to cover his face.

"I'm gonna die."

6. FIRE CONTROL:

Rin's phone buzzed against his chest, waking him from his sleep. He didn't even look until it buzzed a second time.

Laia: 3 missed calls Laia: OMG RIN PICK UP Laia: THAT'S YOU ISN'T IT?!

He groaned and answered.

"Hello-"

"DO NOT 'hello' me!" Laia's voice practically screamed through the phone. "Are you serious right now? That fire lady on TikTok with the heels and the ass is YOU, isn't it?!"

Rin sat up slowly. "... What makes you think that?"

"Babe. You disappeared for months, then a literal hot girl that looks like you appears throwing fireballs in a designer swimsuit? The nails? The walk? The DRAMA? It is so you."

Rin flopped back on his bed and buried his face in a pillow. "I didn't mean to go viral..."

Laia paused. "Wait- so it is you?"

"... Yes."

"OH MY GOD. YOU'RE A SUPERHERO. A HOT ONE. I AM GOING TO DIE."

"Please don't. I'm barely handling this."

"I'm driving back next weekend. We're doing makeup training. Also heels. And posing. And dramatic catchphrases."

"Laia-"

"Nope. You're a public figure now. You're legally not allowed to be mediocre anymore."

-

She hung up.

Acting annoyed and bothered, he was really happy to be able to see her again. He decided to make his way to the temple- what would pretty much be daily routine for him now.

He forced himself up and got ready for the day. Rin crept downstairs and tried to make a natural escape. Just as he reached for the front door handle, his mom's voice echoed from the kitchen.

"Rin. Where are you going?"

Rin froze. Slowly turned. "Out."

"Again?" his dad added, emerging from behind the fridge door with a yogurt. "Ever since this fire-girl showed up, you've been acting... strange."

Rin blinked. "Fire-girl?"

His mom held up her phone. "This one. Rina StarLai. She saved a child yesterday. In heels. And she had this sparkly... thing embedded in her stomach. Honestly, she looks like one of those drag queens you see on TV."

Rin coughed. "Wh-why are you telling me this?"

"She reminded me of someone," his mom said, tilting her head. "Can't place who though..."

His dad squinted. "Are you just dating HER?" he laughed.

Rin opened the door and slipped out. "I'm gonna go do some soul searching, bye!"

He started making his way downtown, walking fast, while faces passed- until he was at his new home- a dusty old temple.

Inviting himself to the basement, he smooched the wall and prepared for what the day would bring him.

"Good morning, Sis!"

*GREETINGS MADAME, HOW MAY I ASSIST YOU TODAY*

Rin spoke while getting ready- digging inside of his backpack for Rina's transformation device.

"We HAVE to learn how to fight in that damn costume."

He pulled out the butt plug and bent over on all fours. Looking behind at his perky round butt.

*IT SEEMS SOMEONE HAS GOTTEN MORE COMFORTABLE*

"nnNgh- shut up-" He began to shove it in.

FWOOOSH

The flames erupted from the amulet and paraded his body, liquifying into his skimpy persona. Rina was back.

"Let's burn baby."

With a hair flip and turn, she strut confidently to the training room... and she made about 4 steps before collapsing.

-

Rina stood at the edge of the glowing Training Room mat, fists clenched and heels clicking as she took her position. The heels were already wobbling a bit.

She struck a pose. "Okay, girl. Be the moment."

The lights dimmed. Dummies rose. Drones buzzed. A glowing obstacle path lit up ahead.

*INITIATING TRAINING SEQUENCE: LEVEL ONE. BEGINNING OBSTACLE CHALLENGE.*

Rina took a single step. Confident.

Then another. Less confident.

The third step, her heel wobbled slightly, and her eyes widened as she froze mid-stride.

"... OH no. I felt that shift."

She clamped her thighs together like her life depended on it.

*RECOMMENDATION: INCREASE CORE STABILITY, MISS STARLAI.*

"Trying not to nut myself to death, Sis, thank you."

She powered through, inching forward like a flaming flamingo, her hands flared with light- but her legs glued together in a very unnatural way.

One of the drones whizzed past her ear and she gasped, arms flailing- only to remember her thighs couldn't separate without unwanted stimulation. She tripped, caught herself on a training dummy, and exhaled through her teeth.

"... I cannot believe I'm scared of walking."

She glanced down at her bulge, still slightly visible through the fabric.

"Not now, girl. We're on the clock."

She took a deep breath, fired a weak flame at the dummy's chest, and staggered backward from the recoil.

*POWER OUTPUT AT 24%. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADJUST YOUR STANCE?*

"I would like to adjust my anatomy, if you're offering."

Despite herself, she pressed on- heels clacking, sweat beading, groaning with every high-kick attempt.

She tried a backflip.

She landed on her side, groaning dramatically. "OW."

She tried a sprint.

She got three steps in before whimpering, crossing her arms over her stomach, and hobbling the rest of the way like she had something lodged up her ass (because, well... technically, she did).

But she kept going.

With each run-through, she started getting bolder. Her balance improved. Her flame control sharpened. She even managed a spin kick that didn't knock her own wig loose.

But then came the final part of the course.

A beam appeared across the floor- thin, narrow, and glowing like a catwalk of doom.

Rina hesitated.

She placed one foot on it, heel wobbling dangerously.

She raised her arms for balance, took a breath...

... and then suddenly froze.

"OH MY GOD I just grazed my own tip."

She backed off the beam, eyes wide, arms flapping. "Abort. ABORT."

*MISS STARLAI, YOUR VITAL SIGNS INDICATE EXCESSIVE TENSION IN THE LOWER BODY.*

"No SHIT, Sis."

*WHAT IS THE ISSUE MISS RINA? IT'S NOT AS IF YOUR SIZE IS IMPRESSIVE*

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that"

She groaned, leaning over to rest her hands on her knees. "How do real girls deal with this?! How do drag queens deal with this?!"

*PERHAPS WITH PRACTICE, CONFIDENCE, AND STRONGER PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES.*

Rina sighed.

After several more attempts- and a few moments of stopping dead mid-action like a statue every time she felt even a hint of movement down below- she finally made it across the beam.

Shaking. Sweating. But victorious.

She struck a final pose, chest out, one leg bent, hand flared with fire.

"I did it. I didn't pop a boner or a blood vessel. I'm a goddamn legend."

*YOU HAVE COMPLETED LEVEL ONE, MISS STARLAI. WOULD YOU LIKE TO INITIATE LEVEL TWO?*

Rina stared at the screen, deadpan.

Then collapsed on the floor, starfished in exhaustion, whispering to herself:

"... I deserve a full spa day. And maybe a padded thong."

*LEVEL TWO: PUBLIC PRESENCE SIMULATION INITIATED.*

The floor beneath Rina shifted, the lights in the training room flickering before the space began to transform. Walls dissolved into holographic panels. The soft red velvet morphed into glossy pavement under stiletto heels. Neon lights beamed down from simulated skyscrapers, and sleek screens lit up to mimic ad boards. The sounds of bustling streets swelled around her- horns, chatter, paparazzi camera shutters.

"Sis, what the hell is this? I said 'training,' not fashion week!"

*SIMULATING HIGH-STRESS URBAN ENVIRONMENT. OBJECTIVE: CONTROL OF FLAME, AURA, AND PUBLIC IMAGE UNDER SURVEILLANCE.*

Rina looked up at the holographic billboards flashing clips of her viral video. The same slow-motion hair flips, the trash can explosion, the sparkle edits. The headlines read:

WHO IS RINA STARLAI?

HOT HEROINE OR SOCIAL STUNT?

She took one uneasy step forward. Her heel clicked perfectly against the fake concrete.

Then another.

A crowd of mannequins animated in a soft arc around her, all faceless, holding phones. Lights flashed from every angle. Some of the dummies wore fashionable outfits and posed beside her. Others held fake microphones.

Suddenly, one mannequin, dressed as a fashion blogger, stepped up and held a tiny mic to her mouth.

"Rina StarLai, you just saved a child and served in heels. How do you do it?"

Rina blinked. "Uhh... grace... skincare... and core strength?"

The lights flashed.

Another mannequin leaned in, this one in a tight leather vest.

"You've got fire in your eyes, babe. What else burns?"

Rina's breath caught.

The ache surged back. Right on cue.

Her legs instinctively pressed together, and her heel wobbled. Her thighs trembled slightly, and her cheeks flushed beneath the foundation.

"Oh, god. Not now..."

*WARNING: AROUSAL LEVEL INCREASING. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ENGAGE RESTRAINT PROTOCOL?*

"NO. I'M POSING." she hissed through her teeth. She struck a dramatic pose with one hand on her hip and the other flared with a perfectly controlled flame.

The crowd simulation clapped.

One flashbulb popped especially bright, and she jolted.

"Sis, where the hell do I vent this?!"

*LOCATING REGULATOR NODE.*

A glowing beacon appeared to her left. Shaped like a polished fire hydrant with a smooth, rounded top and warm orange glow pulsing at its center.

Rina stared.

"You want me to grind a magical fire pole?"

*RECOMMENDED ACTION: ALIGN YOUR POWER CENTER FOR DISCHARGE.*

"You are the worst assistant I have ever had."

And yet... her thighs shook again. The ache was rising fast, curling hot and deep.

She clomped her way to the hydrant.

With dramatic flair, she tossed her hair back and slowly, elegantly, swung one leg over the glowing post, straddling it like a runway prop.

She shifted her hips. The energy pulsed.

"Ooh- okay, that... that's helping. Not cute, but helping."

The crowd cheered again.

More lights. More camera flashes. One mannequin wolf-whistled.

She began to sway, hips moving slowly and rhythmically against the node. The fire hydrant glowed brighter. Her aura flickered. The ache eased...

... and she let out a soft, shuddering breath as the energy flushed out of her, flowing from her core to the post beneath her. The heat vented. Her muscles uncoiled.

She stood.

Flawless.

She strutted to center stage and struck a final pose, hand on hip, one knee forward, fire spiraling up her arm.

The crowd roared.

*SIMULATION COMPLETE. FLAME REGULATION SUCCESSFUL. PUBLIC IMAGE RATING: 9.4.*

Rina blinked, dazed, sweaty, and glowing.

"Sis... I just fake-grinded a power pole in front of fake people."

*CORRECTION: YOU SLAYED.*

She sighed and collapsed into a holographic velvet chaise lounge.

"... I need a nap. And a therapist."

Rina dragged herself back into the Glam Room, her heels clicking against the velvet-tiled floors, her body aching in ways she didn't even know were possible. She was sweat-slicked, makeup smeared, thighs trembling, and yet... something about it made her smile.

She passed the full-length mirror and paused.

Her reflection stared back- smoky eyeshadow slightly smudged, bodysuit clinging tighter from the exertion, hair wind-blown but still fierce. She looked like a disaster. A gorgeous, glittering disaster.

She turned, glanced over her shoulder at her reflection, and posed- one leg popped, fingers splayed, flames dancing between them like little flirtatious spirits.

"... Sis?" she said through her heavy breathing.

YES, MISS STARLAI?

"Queue the music."

AFFIRMATIVE.

A slow, sultry beat pulsed through the room.

Rina smirked, flipped her hair, and struck a final pose- hand on hip, heel forward, fire glowing at her chest like a heartbeat.

"I'm a fucking icon."

The lights dimmed.

The amulet pulsed.

And somewhere out there... trouble was already waiting.