Complete - Victorian beauties

_____It was always great being a lesser noblewoman as far as Kaede was concerned. Any time she felt the need she could change into something less ‘rich-person’ and just go enjoy the simple life or things it had to offer. She could go walk into a town, check on things and get something to eat and drink and most would be none the wiser. Much more since her father always asked each other noble to keep Kaede’s name and details undisclosed so the girl could have more freedom as both a Player of Terrasphere and a lesser princess so to speak.

_____While it could be a perk, using her title and gold she was given by her father for helping him out to buy some lovely items for girls Kaede kept it all saved up. She wanted not to win the hearts of woman with fancy things or titles, but with care and show of heart. Call it an odd request but it was something kaede truly came to enjoy, winning the hearts of those she enjoyed the company of, and doing what she could to keep them happy and be truthful to them to the best extent she felt to allow.

_____That was one of Kaede’s joys after all, the game of keeping her two lives from crossing as best as possible. It was both thrilling and stressful at times don’t get her wrong but that was how she liked things. Today she wore something more, well tomboy to say the least. Her long black hair braided loosely, her makeup simply glossed lips without her usual eye makeup she loved. A grey leather corset covered white bandages that bound her chest down to look less appealing to onlookers. Grey pants covering most her lower body, a black belt splitting the two items and Black knee high boots finished off Kaede’s simple look.

_____Her eyes, crimson orbs scanned the busy streets of the city she now had to call her second, or would it be called her third home? The details still jumbled but brushing them aside to allow some other part of her mind to pick things out she wanted to enjoy the few days she had been granted outside the manor. It was well earned to be fair, well over thirty hours spent discussing matters with her father who was worried because the recent bandits trying to take Kaede away.

_____But like any father, he had a weakness for his daughter even if only adopted. Be kind and understanding after he presents his side for a few days and he caves in to some freedom. Outside being able to handle herself just fine her father made sure to have someone watch over Kaede from a distance, a quick glance to the sky as the black crow flew vastly out of place but none any wiser who it served. Carefully shifting her weight to the left as someone rushed past her seemingly late for work or getting home to the wife and kids it was not Kaede place to judge.

_____With everything considered, the recent events and damage to the city it was almost back to normal on the surface. Moving to press her weight into a set of doors that slowly swung inward with a light bell chime to signal another arrival to the tavern. The place seemed unusually busy, although this was one of the few times Kaede arrived this late into the evening work hours and was not already slightly under the table so to speak.Picking herself a small table near the corner to avoid peering eyes but still able to get a decent read on the area to know when would be a good time to move.

”Hello, your usual I’m guessing?”

”If you would not mind Jessica. Also I do enjoy the new hair style and… I see you took my advice on mixing up your choice of perfumes.~”

”I did, my boyfriend noticed it also, says he loves it so thank you. I’ll have it ready as soon as I can, we are a bit busy so it might be a small wait.”

”That is fine, and I’m always happy to help a girl in need.~”

_____With the small girl talk finished Kaede would smile happily and watch as the worker rushed off to get Kaede’s drink ready. Kaede herself enjoying the view and wishing that the girl was more opened minded to notice so Kaede could try to refine her innocent admiration act. While she wanted the girl like some of the other workers in the tavern, this one was spoken for and so Kaede wanted to help the girl as best she could so that should they ever have a falling out Kaede could be the shoulder she cries on and maybe use it to swing the girl around as one might say.~

_____With the worker out of sight, and not much chatter worth focus Kaede slowly leaned back in her chair and took in the smell of alcohol, it was still to early to want anything heavy hence her usual order, but maybe later she would have something to drink about. The tavern was after all a very lucky and common place for fun in Kaede’s memory. Crimson tongue tracing lips slowly, her stomach lightly growling finally remembering what time it was, hopefully the wait was nothing to long.

"I think if my meal remains uneventfully I’ll go drink at the tavern outside city lines, if memory serves that was where the bandits who last came for me got a meeting with their employer. It would be a good place to start searching for them. But, no rush, if fate wishes for it they will come for me personally soon enough, no reason to rush them.~”

@Luna Avalbane

 

It was odd for Luna to stray so far away from Felderen alone, all by herself, without even Natiri to watch her back, but she'd felt brave enough to hazard a trip to Vintergard. She'd heard little bit about the wars and battles that Vintergard had been through, though this was her first time actually seeing the city with her own two eyes, wandering it with her own two feet. It was hard to believe that this was actually a nation ruled and run by players, genuinely real people that had different lives outside of TerraSphere, that for all that she knew, king Astor could be a simple deliveryman and nobody would be the wiser.

It was a pretty thrilling thing though, this sense of mystery and intrigue that accompanied her adventure, fueled simply by curiosity and a desire to help out wherever she could, though that would probably come a little later. Right now, she was tired. She'd been travelling for a long time by herself and it was really starting to get cold, which her usual dress really didn't seem to do much against.

She huffed, her breath coming out in that usual pale cloud of vapor, looking around for any open buildings that she could duck into for warmth and maybe find somewhere to stay for the night. Eventually, she spotted a building that seemed to be letting people walk in and out freely, accompanied by the sounds of music and chatter that seemed just so inviting for the cold girl. She shivered, making haste for the doors, lest she end up freezing in place simply by standing still.

She reached the doors, mentally counting to three before pushing them open and being greeted by a rush of warmer air and noise, the atmosphere inside was warm and inviting, though she found herself frozen in the doorway, unsure of what she was supposed to do. Was somebody supposed to come and find her a table? Were there any tables free? A quick glance seemed to reveal that there weren't many places free, if any at all. There were a few single people sat at some of the tables, some men drinking alone and in one case, a particular female person.

She glanced around, before blushing when she remembered that the flower was still equipped to her face and that she was drawing attention, dressed just a little bit more nicely than some of the people here. She fidgeted in place, looking around. Did she just walk to the bar? Or sit at a table? Or was she supposed to be served first. This was all way too confusing!

@Kaede Hoshi

 

_____With all things considered Kaede just watched the tavern with a slightly amused smile, people going about normal lives or here without others they know well knowing about it. It was not until part of the focus moved to the front door that Kaede looked to see what the change of mood was about. Seeing a fair maiden in all white with flower Kaede almost laughed. The girl was beautiful, but she was differently not in the best of places with that attire of hers and likely would be seen as either pray or target less someone did something soon.

”There you are, I thought I might have been stood up… And you still wear those flashy clothes, our job is done no need to keep dressing for it.”

_____Kaede rose from her seat carefully and walked over to the girl who was froze in place at the door. Reaching her hand out for a ‘job well done’ handshake before trying to usher the girl to the table and staring down anyone who kept looking the girl over like a prize to win at some carnival. Sitting back in her seat and smiling gently to the girl Kaede could not help but admire the girl’s frame and way she dressed, almost noble like.

”Let me guess, your from out of town and cold. Not used to a tavern judging from how you dressed, and from how you locked up at the door you aren't here to really meet someone?~”

_____Kaede’s voice low and playful as she played one of her favored tavern games. ‘Guess the girl’s story.’ Moving her hand to tap the table’s lip near herself as she leaned back in her seat again, confident as this was not the first nor likely the last time she would have played the game with a rather stacked hand. Her eyes flickering a darker color for a moment when she spoke but after blinking quickly the color was back to normal.

_____A few moment’s after Kaede’s guess and maybe a reply from her new company for the evening Jessica would return with a tray of food and a mug of water setting them down for Kaede with a smile. Kaede moving to lean towards the girl and thank her with a light cheek kiss to make the girl blush slightly before she looked to the new arrival and strained her act back together quickly making Kaede puff her cheeks slightly that she lost such a adorable sight.

”Is there anything I can get for you miss? Water, alcohol, a menu?”

_____Kaede moved to start moving her food around, while it seemed odd it was just a bad habit Kaede had develoded as a child watching her dad when he would take them out to eat when he got back from his deployments. Sorting each by color and turning the plate so the greens would be far across from her and started with the bread. Her ears at slight attention to overhear what the girl might ask for and if the two would trade some words outside that of simple customer and server. Waiting until they had been alone again before speaking up to the girl again.

”Name is Kaede, Kaede Hoshi. Pleasure to meet such a wonderful woman with wonderous taste for white.”

_____Kaede flashing a friendly flirty smile between small bites of her meal, in no real rush to leave now that someone interesting had found her. While she was not expecting much outside a good chat with someone there was always the possibility she might sweet talk the girl, or she was looking for something Kaede could help with. Sadly however Kaede also knew the number of girls interested in other girls was very low as of late, and did not have her hopes set high for it considering that.
@Luna Avalbane

 

A voice cut through the haze of confusion and near panic, waving away the fog that had settled around her brain as she watched that lone woman she'd seen approach her, saying something about having been stood up or something? Luna gulped, watching the woman approach and wracking her brain desperately to try and figure out what was going on. She'd never met this woman before, so it was clear that she wasn't actually saying anything that should make sense to her. Was she supposed to just play along? She nodded slowly, almost dumbly, before coughing awkwardly and accepting the handshake offered to her, following the woman.

"Ah- um, y-yeah I-I wouldn't do something l-l-like that. And these are....k-kind of my only clothes right now?" She offered, hoping that it fit whatever sort of narrative that the newcomer was trying to set out for them, though she still hadn't quite figured out the reason why. Had she been attracting the wrong kind of attention or something? She did feel more than slightly out of place here, considering that everybody in the tavern looked to be more of the rough adventurer sort than the clean and noble sort.

As they sat down, Luna caught Kaede's eyes roaming over her body, figuring that the girl must be looking again at her clothes but blushing all the same, shifting slightly as she listened to the woman nail her situation on the head perfectly. It seemed that she really was that easy to read and that she did in fact stick out like a sore thumb in this sort of tavern. It still seemed nice though. "A-ah yeah, you just pretty much got the situation I'm in p-perfectly right. Y-y-you're good at this..." She complimented with a small friendly smile, shifting in her seat.

Then, a girl arrived and set down some food and a drink for Kaede, who thanked the girl with a kiss, making both her and Luna blush as she shifted awkwardly, waiting for the waitress to leave. She hadn't expected to actually be addressed personally, though she smiled politely and nodded. "Umm, I-I'm not sure. I'll have what she's having, I think..." It did look like a pretty good meal, after all. Plus, water was safe to drink from a tavern right?

She watched the waitress scribble something down, probably her order, before vanishing to relay it to somebody else and go check on another table, turning her attention back to Kaede, who introduced herself and complimented Luna in the same breath. Luna blushed, fidgeting slightly as she opened her menu for a minute to unequip the flower from her face, her eye coming into view. "A-a-ah thank you! A-and thank you for letting me sit here. My name is Luna Avalbane, i-it's nice to meet you..." She smiled, sitting there for a moment as she thought up ways to continue a conversation.

"S-so....are you and that girl....um, involved?" She blushed, suddenly looking up with wide eyes. "I-I have nothing a-against girls liking girls! I like girls too! U-umm, n-nevermind..." She looked away awkwardly. Had it been too weird to instantly inquire as to whether Kaede was dating the waitress? She didn't know, but it felt strange.
@Kaede Hoshi

 

_____Kaede could not hold back the faint laugh, the way the girl seemed so skittish was nothing short of adorable. Moving her legs over each other under the table as Kaede kept carefully picking out pieces from the one color she was enjoying. When she was questioned if She and Jessica had been an item Kaede turned slightly red and almost coughed on her food not exactly expecting the following words. Moving to get a drink to help ease her throat before she sat normally and cleared her throat slightly before speaking.

”N…No sadly Jessica is already taken and does not seem to notice I’m not just flirty with everyone as much as I try with her. Bad habit of mine to want what others already have, as for what you said after… I’m happy to hear I’m not the only girl here tonight that would rather enjoy the company of the same gender.”

_____Kaede smiled more openly this time towards Luna, playfully toying with her own hair as she spoke before returning focus to her food with a fading blush. Likely to spend a few moments in silence after the rather embarrassing chit chat would give Jessica time to return with a matching tray to leave for Luna’s enjoyment along with a glass of water. While the smell seemed to be missing Kaede moved to point her unused knife to start explaining the dish.

”It’s a lightly beer breaded chicken with something like lemon, but not as sour. Some bread that goes good if you make into a sandwich, and some salad with carrot slices and pepper. Might not sound like anything high end but it taste great, the chef knows her way around a kitchen.~”

_____Moving to point the knife to each item before noticing how she was not only overstepping but leaning over the table and caused her organized plate to mix slightly. A minor moment of panic showing as she tried to quickly move the colors back together and made a nervous laugh before a light sigh of relief. Slowly returning to eating small amounts of her food at a time as she allowed her ears to move slightly picking up the sounds around them.

_____While nothing fully stood out Kaede picked up a few bad topics and one or two groups talking about Kaede or Luna. It was not clear enough with all the sound to get a full story but moving her ears slightly against to rest them Kaede went back to ignoring those around them until she felt otherwise, besides there was a girl before her who enjoyed other women's company she had to know more.

”If you don’t mind me asking Luna… when you said you liked girls… was that just a sort of ok with the idea of two of them dating… or more… You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to it just got me curious. Sorry i asked something a bit more personal when we only just met.”

_____Kaede tried to keep her gaze on Luna’s eyes as she spoke, however her mind deciding to drift down and stare for a moment before she snapped her focus back up at the end and then moved her focus to her food. What was she thinking making such a slip up like that? Was this beer bearded to strong or was she so lost by the girl’s shyness and beauty that she wanted her?
@Luna Avalbane

 

Oh right, so Kaede liked the maid but this Jessica girl was already taken and didn't notice the woman's affections for her? That was both really sad and kind of amusing, in the way that it was like something out of a romance film or something along those lines. Sometime later, Jessica's boyfriend or girlfriend would break up with her and Kaede would be the one there for her still. It was like the plot for a movie script, or perhaps some longer running tv series. "O-oh, I understand. A-and it's nice t-to meet people that are similar to me....in that regard..." She blushed.

After a few moments of silence, Jessica returned with Luna's plate, smiling as she set everything down. Luna looked down at her meal in appreciation, thanking the girl and watching her walk away, before turning back to Kaede as the girl have her a run down of everything that she had on her plate. Honestly, it sounded really nice, even if she'd never tried anything that was beer breaded before. That just meant it'd been soaked in beer or something, didn't it?

"W-wow, it l-looks so good." She smiled, taking her first bite of her chicken. It tasted pretty good, it wasn't as bitter or awful as she'd expected something that had beer in the name to be, instead it tasted like a strange variation of chicken. It was still clearly chicken to her tastebuds, though she could tell that something wasn't quite the same about this particular dish. "Oh my, it's so....strange. It's good though, I-I like it..."

She paused, reaching for her water to take a sip, smiling lightly. This was nice actually. A warm meal, some comfort, a nice atmosphere and some company. Even if that company seemed super preoccupied with making sure her plate was arranged perfectly. Luna giggled slightly, hiding it behind her hand. It was a good thing she couldn't hear what Kaede could.

She blushed at the girl's question, shaking her head. "U-umm, w-w-well I mean....I-I would consider m-myself....b-bisexual I guess? I-I've l-liked boys and g-girls...?" Was that a sufficient answer?
@Kaede Hoshi

 

_____With the pleasant news Kaede slightly lighted up, a pleasant hum escaping her lips as she swayed before noticing how she looked and tried to regain a calmer state of mind. Moving to her next colored item and enjoying more of her meal as she wondered what she should say next to the girl. While she had a doubt, even if they hit things off tonight it might be some time before the two got to really know each other she still wanted to make sure it was a lasting impression. Tapping her fork to the empty part of her plate as she kept thinking.

”That’s makes me wonder… What type of girls and what sort of boys do you like? You don’t have to answer, I’m just curious because… well I guess I have a thing for white hair and shy girls…”

_____This time Kaede could not bring herself to meet Luna’s eyes or figure in the slightest. She was trying so hard to learn more about the girl in the short frame of time, was it her worry of only having three days before she was expected back at the manor and had no idea when she would get another time outside? Maybe she was worried she would miss her chance if she did not show interest this time? Thinking it over she was starting to feel as shy as the other girl because of her rushing nature, running her index around the lip of her cup while her other hand nervously twirled her hair.

_____That was one thing about Kaede, while she questioned things in her mind her body was always more honest, the girl hit a lot of Kaede’s favorite check marks for company and so far Kaede felt as if she was blowing things up in terms of her chances. She needed a slight anchor card, carefully glancing her food she only had one thing but felt bad if her bluff was called. Moving what was left of her chicken aside kaede nervously laughed.

”Sorry seems the beer bread is a little stronger today than others… Never did well with my alcohol. Sorry if I say things that seem odd, I’m a loose lip sally when I get drunk…”

_____Kaede did not want to make it entirely a lie, that was one of her weaknesses in the fact she could almost never bring herself to like to another woman. So she tried to carefully imply it might be the chicken and detailed the truth about how she was while drunk. If it was enough she did not know but hoped it was acceptable for her brash words so far and invasion of personal information. Moving back to eating her food, now working on the salad.

”If you want you can ask me questions to try and balance it out… I still want to say sorry for my interest in only that one subject so far…”

@Luna Avalbane

 

Luna couldn't help but giggle at the sight of Kaede swaying from side to side in her seat, hiding her giggles behind her left hand as she brought another bite of her chicken to her mouth, savoring the taste. It really was a taste unlike anything she'd ever had the pleasure of eating in reality. She couldn't say it was her favorite food under the sun, but it certainly wasn't the worst thing that she'd ever eaten as well. It was good, that was all that she could say. The chef had done a great job at preparing it.

She did however blush as Kaede admitted to having a thing for white hair and shyness, looking down at her lap as she fidgeted in place, taking a sip of her water to hide her pink cheeks. Kaede was being really nice to her, it was almost like the girl was trying to flirt with her, though that would be silly, wouldn't it? "A-ah, t-t-thank you s-so much for your kind words!" She swallowed heavily, taking another swig of her drink, looking pointedly at her plate as her face burned bright red in embarrassment. "Y-you're a r-really g-good looking girl too." She didn't want to answer that particular question any more than she'd already inferred.

She smiled when Kaede pushed aside her chicken, nodding her understanding and looking at her own chicken in suspicion even as she took another bite of it. "Ah, d-d-don't worry about it Kaede. I-I've never d-drank before so I'm not sure...h-how much of an effect the chicken will have on me." Hopefully it wouldn't impair her too badly, she still had to find a place to stay for the night. Did taverns rent rooms out to travelers or was that something that was reserved for inns only?

Still, it was nice of the girl to warn her that she sometimes said strange things whilst she was drunk. Luna nodded, smiling. "Thank y-you for letting me know though. I-It takes a l-lot to offend me though, I-I um, I have pretty thick skin." She wasn't really lying, or at least, she had thin skin that healed quickly. She forgave people almost immediately sometimes, like her time with Vivian. She'd forgiven that woman just as easily as she had anybody else that had wronged her.

As for the whole asking questions thing, she supposed it couldn't hurt to get to know her companion. She hummed, trying to think of something to ask as she took another bite to eat. If Kaede was only interested in that topic, it'd make sense to stick to it, right? "S-so um, w-what do you look for in a girl? Or a boy?"

 

_____Kaede quickly made a dismissive wave when Luna mentioned what Kaede looked for in boys, however still blushing as she looked at the girl and wondered how to safely reply to the question to try and make some recovery for what she had done so far to look to needy for attention in her mind anyways. Trying to take another bite of her food before she decided the only route she had was to simply keep to her current actions or maybe just a slight reroute while following the same road, maybe a change of lanes would be a better wording for her next choice of words.

”Just girls, I’ve sadly had a bad experience with a boy before and since then don’t like to chance they can find way into my heart if I let them. But for what i look for… It might sound silly but a loose connection… I can never commit to anyone… I always fear them or me breaking away so I never try to seek a full connection…”

_____Kaede’s finger began tracing the lip of her cup, her focus on the water as it reflected an image of the girl she still fell head over heels for but had not seen in some time. She missed her more than anything and yet the girl was still outside her reach, it both made her heart sink and yarn for another’s attention to try and mast the pain. That and drinking herself to the point of forgetting it all and only living the moment. Moving her focus from the water to try and smile at Luna.

”Aside from that, caring and considerate. Someone I can try to tell some secrets to, or trust them to have my back when I need it, or a shoulder to cry on… I guess one sad thing… I never really considered what I look for in a girl… I just wanted another attention… Sad isn't it…”

_____Kaede was not so much blushing anymore, her gaze looked sad as she started walking a dangerous line close to her real self. It was not something she liked to show others, last thing she wanted was their pity or sympathy but so far it was the only road she could fully walk for the moment and have some way to recover from things if she played her cards and laced her words correctly. Taking another bite of her food before she held her head slightly and tried to remove the unpleasant face she ended up making.

”Sorry, guess my words slipped again, ha-ha. How about you? What sort of boys and girls get you excited?~”

_____Kaede smiled, her attempt to quick save her previous route and once more get the footing slightly onto Luna’s side. While one might think she was pushy, others could also see it as her trying to avoid topics about herself, almost as if she enjoyed being the mysterious one but loved to know her partners for some reason still unclear. But with how often she seemed to switch her approach style it was hard to find out what one was the real Kaede trying to speak to Luna to find out about the cute girl before her, if any had been the real side of Kaede to begin with that was.
@Luna Avalbane

 

Taking another bite, Luna frowned at the idea that Kaede had gone through something bad with a guy at the helm, though she could understand why it would make Kaede hesitant or downright refuse to like or date guys afterwards. She supposed it was only natural to want to avoid something after you'd had a particularly bad experience with it, so long as it wasn't something necessary. And she wasn't the type of person to believe that a man and a woman HAD to be together, though that was probably pretty clear from the get go with how she presented herself to others. She'd always tried to keep an open mind and now was no different.

"A-ah....I um, I can understand uh, y'know, not wanting to get too c-close to others. It can uh, it can be scary to open up and let people see your, uh, your weaknesses." Certainly, opening up had been particularly frightening for her, especially in a world where some people were so powerful that she couldn't resist them if she tried. It just wasn't a world where she was technically safe, though neither was reality. "I uh, I don't think it's all that silly at all..."

Though, she was starting to notice that when she was thinking, Kaede seemed to pay a lot of attention to her glass of water, with an almost wistful expression on her face. At times, Luna found herself wishing she could hear the thoughts of others, wondering what they were thinking about. What exactly was it that crossed the girl's mind whenever she went quiet and stared into her water like that? Was she recalling something happy? Something sad or something that she'd lost? Maybe something that she wanted but could never have?

"And um, I-I don't think it's n-necessarily bad to want....somebody's attention. M-maybe if you t-treat them like dirt, b-but I think you're nicer than that!" She smiled sweetly at the girl, passing another piece of chicken through her lips and chewing on it, before swallowing. Her head was starting to feel slightly funny. "I um, I don't think it's uh, s-s-sad when I've w-w-wanted to do the same thing....sometimes..." Everybody wanted people to pay attention to them and like them. It was what made them human, in a way. Wanting to be liked and popular, to have somebody that would be there for them.

Luna sighed slightly, before perking up when Kaede popped the question back at her, having not expected to have to answer the same thing, even if somewhere she should've known that she would. For a moment, she struggled, thinking hard to herself about the types of people she liked. "I-I um....I l-like people that are kind....that m-make me feel safe and uh, l-look after me. I....I um..." She blushed, looking off to the side slightly. "I...I want to feel protected, safe and w-warm..."

 

_____Kaede was out of the running with that one. Her expression dying down a bit, even if she could promise to protect people she had a bad habit of failing them when they needed her and was often the root why she could never fully bond with someone. Shaking her head softly before she cheered up and started eating in slight silence. There was still hope she could get a kiss or hug, no reason to fully give up yet. Drawing back on something previously said was her best choice for the moment.

”Never drank before? Oh I can’t allow that to remain the case.~ Jessica, Can we get some light starter drinks over here please!~ Trust me it might be odd at first but sometimes a cold hard drink of alcohol can get you out of any slump or issue with your mind.~”

_____While it was both an excuse for herself to drink she was curious what sort of drunk Luna would be. While most alcoholics Kaede knew did not care for the finer details, she herself was simply a alcohol enthusiast who chose to overindulge to fully ‘understand’ the worth and taste of each drink. With Jessica nodding from another table she went to bring both the orders into the back.

”This place has some of the best I have found in town for the price, and I’ll cover the bill since I’ve been the one imposing on you so don’t worry.~ I think the only place that has better is Dragon Hearth but those get expensive real quick.~”

______Kaede’s happiness was restored as she swayed in her seat again. Both from wanting to drink, and for having a first timer with her. Her mind trying to recall the last time she got to watch someone first taste a unmixed drink and the results that followed always made her happy, thought it also made her feel slightly sadistic sometimes if they turned out to get addicted to it. Happily finishing her own meal outside the chicken before she grinned happily to Luna.

 

Was it just her eyes playing tricks on her, or did Kaede look just a little but upset by the description of the type of person that she said she'd liked? Oh no, had she accidentally insulted Kaede or maybe made herself look bad? Maybe the girl thought she sounded like the typical damsel in distress? "Ah, u-uh, I-I didn't mean they s-s-s-should protect me! I-I should make that c-c-clear, r-right? I-It's hard to explain. I-I want less to b-be protected and more to uh, t-to feel protected? I-I'm uh, not very good at this..." She trailed off, trying and probably failing to explain what she'd meant by her little talk about the type of person that she liked. She knew she could probably look after herself, she didn't need to be protected and coddled. She just liked a safe feeling.

Then Kaede actually ordered drinks for her and Luna, who blushed and almost wanted to refuse, before she stopped herself. She'd never admit it, but she was curious to actually try drinking, since she could in this game. Heck, she'd never tried anything in the real world, but here she didn't have much of an excuse. She was old enough to order what she wanted and make her own decisions, especially if she was capable of slinging around spells that could explode and really ruin somebody's afternoon.

As for the other girl paying, Luna shook her head with a small smile, waving her arms. "I-I can split the b-bill with you! I-It's the least I c-c-could do for you uh, h-helping me out back there and s-sharing your time with me." It would be rude of her to not even offer to split the bill and she really did hope that Kaede would accept that offer, since she would feel bad if the girl paid for everything for her. She'd definitely owe Kaede a debt or favor if the girl refused to accept the offer. Maybe she could help her with animals or something that required an extra pair of hands?

She smiled, finishing off her chicken just as the drinks were set on their table by Jessica, who smiled and winked at Kaede before walking away to help another table. Luna tentatively reached for one of the glasses, placing the rim at her lips and taking a tentative sip. Immediately, her face recoiled and she looked at the glass, before taking another sip. "I-I-It's n-not as b-bad as I thought. I-It doesn't taste p-particularly nice, b-but there's a nice tingle to it." She smiled, before blanching when she remembered something. "D-did you say this was....l-light?"

@Kaede Hoshi

 

_____Kaede smiled gently as the girl tried to what seemed like correct a mistake that had, in this case likely been Kaede’s depressed reaction to what the girl was looking for in a partner. It was both adorable and taunting for Kaede not to try and play the angle more and watch the girl dangle on the hook more but this was no time for sadistic playing. The drinks had arrived and Kaede was eager to get something with a kick or taste in her system, there was also her curiosity on how enjoyable this girl’s company would be with drinks added into the mix.

”What sort of person would I be to ask you to split the bill when i invited you to dine with me?~ besides your company is more than I could place a price on.~”

_____Without much warning after she soothed her words together Kaede reached across the table in attempt to pull Luna’s right hand closer and gently kissed the back of the woman’s hand. Her lips soft and warm as Kaede attempted to keep the kiss for a few moments before slowly looking up and moving her hands and face to give Luna a chance to move her hand away. Smiling happily before Kaede moved her seat back and took it with her hand to sit beside Luna bringing her drink over with her.

”Yes, I always try to start with the lighter drinks to ease into the stronger more blut flavored ones. Some people i have met d it the other way but that is like getting the good news first. Now drink up, we can’t let any go to waste!~”

_____Kaede smiled playfully again and moved to tap her mug against Luna’s before taking a decent sip from her own. The bitter bite with a sweet underline taunting her ego to chug it down, however her taunting side wanted to lure the girl into a trap and needed to do things precisely while still not having the information needed she simply had to match the girl’s pace and reactions. Leaning over slightly to rest her shoulder against Luna’s as she smiled to the girl again and seemed happy again.
@Luna Avalbane

 

Luna couldn't even start to stop the blush that crept onto her face as Kaede complimented her and her company, the white haired flower girl waving her hands as if to try to dismiss the compliment somewhat, smiling warmly. "O-oh no, I'm not all that g-great as company, r-really! W-with the s-stutter and everything, I um, I uh, usually struggle much m-more to hold conversation." She admitted, rubbing at the back of her neck, embarrassed to admit that her stutter usually had a hand in preventing her from bonding with anybody in reality, though in the real world she WAS much worse in that manner.

That was before Kaede took her hand and placed a kiss to the back of it, her lips lingering there for more than a few seconds, though it felt like an eternity to the blushing Luna, who could only sit there with eyes wide open. Maybe it was just a culture thing or something along those lines? Yeah! That had to be it! People in those french or spanish movies usually kissed the back of people's hands, right? At least, that was what popular culture had led her to believe, even if it were totally wrong.

Still, she couldn't help the smile that washed over her face as Kaede smiled and brought her chair around the table to sit next to Luna, clinking their mugs together in a cheers before taking a sip. Luna fumbled awkwardly for a moment, before pressing her own mug to her lips and taking a solid gulp or two to calm her nerves. "U-umm, w-wow, m-maybe I could try some of the stronger things tonight?" It could never hurt to try, this body technically wasn't real after all and she already knew that it could withstand a lot worse than just a drink that she hadn't been ready for.

Still, she was happy that Kaede seemed happy with her, as the woman leaned against her and smiled. Luna smiled too, sipping at her drink some more and savoring in the taste. "So umm, h-how often do you come here then? W-why were you here tonight?"

 

”I don’t think you should worry about speech issues. To be honest if you don’t think about the downsides about yourself you can oftentimes overcome them. If you think you can handle them, would be a shame if you incompacited yourself and I had to trust your clouded judgement to get you somewhere you consider ok to sleep at.~”

_____Kaede moved away from Luna’s shoulder for a moment, flashing a worried look to the girl before happily returning to lean against her since she was not told it was wrong or to stop just yet. Drinking more of her own before looking to spot out Jessica and waving her fingers in some sort of secret code that was simply a quiet way to ask for drinks so other guest did not look towards them for chance of drunken mistakes, something Kaede only did with Woman but as Luna was bisexual she did not want the girl to worry.

”Let’s start with a four of ten then. Don’t want to rush that quickly, but if you want to go more… just know I’m going to try and match up and I can be a bit… touchy and random lipped when im drunk so.~”

_____Happily moving to rub along the girl’s arm to help tease her point before Jessica returned with the stronger drinks, Kaede flashing a playful smile before the girl once more left the two alone to serve other guest. If Luna tried to reach for the next drink without finishing the first Kaede would react accordingly to move her hand to block her reach and point to the unfinished drink with her free hand. Tipping her own back and chugging down the weaker drink before getting her next one.

”Sadly I'm a regular most times, while the last two months have had me away from here i tend to come back once a week or more. Always have liked this place, and i always seems to come here to meet lovely attractive woman that fit my type.~”

@Luna Avalbane