18+ Private Homemade

[Elesis Blackstone]

"Comiing!"Mia called out to her driver, not getting more than a glance at the man behind the cab's wheel before shutting off the door. They were here five minutes early; that's five minutes less she had to prepare herself, but she couldn't be mad at them, specially with how wildly different each driver is when it comes to time. Some arrive early, some leave her waiting for ten minutes more...

While she hated the latter, the former didn't make her messy scheduling any better. With spare clothes on a bag and a hand balancing a meal wrapped on plastic to keep the warmth sealed shut, Mia pulled open the door and locked it behind her, following every single 'protocol' she built in mind for her own sake.

First, get a good look at the driver, then at the car's plate, then-

"Miss? Where to?"
"Eh?"
The man repeated himself, qurking up an eyebrow in confusion as Mia managed to snap out of her thoughts, only to realize she's already on the backseats, clearing her throat and pulling out her phone to fiddle about to her notes, where she kept the studio's address.

---

​

The Tollita Prius kickstarted once again, and once it accelerated it to leave behind it's parking spot and dust, so did it dropped it's blue-haired client.

Pulling out her phone, Mia went straight through her contacts and into Yara's DMs, smiling to herself mid-message.

　

[ Lady Cath ]

　

"I'm outside! Got u a surprise."​

@Catherine Haust

 

[Catherine Haust]

Normally, Yara kept her schedule relatively free on mondays. It was a good way for her to decompress and get her mind off things. She would spend the morning with some light exercise and follow that up with a spot of reading or gaming. This morning, unfortunately, had been a little bit different. She pressed her head against the cold tile of her shower and let the cold water run down her back, causing her muscles to tense sharply. She let out a shuddering breath and tapped her head against the wall, trying to clear her mind.

One of her regulars, a model from Hudson Fashion had an international show to attend and she wanted to get one more session in before leaving for the week. Catherine had her come in early as a favor, though the bonus Hudson Fashion had given her for her discretion was definitely not something to look down on either. That said, it had been another grueling hour and a half of sweat, heavy breathing, and glittering skin. She smacked her head against the tile again and whined-

"Why me?"

After another ten minutes in the shower she finally managed to cool off. She threw on her clothes and slapped together a simple breakfast before sitting down with a tablet to read over the lore she'd been digesting over the past couple of days. It was nice that she could upload texts she found in-game to her user account and read them in the real world during downtime. She wondered how many people actually read these things before dismissing the thought.

The day rolled on until just after noon as she flipped through the pages. She was sitting in the open-air living space of her apartment over the studio. It wasn't as fancy as she could afford, but it suited her needs just fine. It was easily defensible, had access to the roof which was connected to the neighboring buildings. More importantly the building came fitted with a very secure inner vault, probably was a bank at some point, but it worked well enough for someone with her background.

Her phone buzzed and she snatched it up, setting down her tablet and reading the text that came in.

She smiled and hammered out a quick response.

Elesis <3

I'll open the door, come on in.

Down below, the door to the left of the entrance to her studio buzzed and the lock disengaged loudly, inviting her friend to come upstairs.

@Elesis Blackstone

 

[Elesis Blackstone]

Between the buzz on her phone and the one from the door, Mia opted to get in first then check her phone, if only to send a heart emoji and not keep her 'on read', or worse, not reading the message at all...

"Hellooo?" Mia poked her head through to the living room, giving a glance around to find the interior just as neat as the last time she's been here. It always brought a pleased smile to find so much order in someone's household, even moreso than her own despite being a housechores enthusiast herself, leaving no single corner with cobwebs nor spot with dog hair.

The silence made her feel welcomed regardless, and there was only one place left where Yara could be, crossing through the room to reach the open-space both owner and guest loved so much as an area to simply relax and let themselves be. Every step marked with zest, the bluenette's pearly smile perked up the second she got sights of Yara, hiding her arms behind her back in an innocent attempt to keep the pie a secret.

"Someone's in a thoughtful mood. Would some cherry help you out with that?" Mia giggled, finally putting the pie in display, a bit obscured thanks to the plastic veil keeping it warm. "Is it okay if I ask what are you up to..? Anything related to the 'game'?" Curious, if only also cautious given the doubt splashed on her features and the choice of wording, not wanting to step on her toes about it. It could be something serious, or work related, or anything not-fun or Terrasphere related. Despite having just done that-- Asking.

"Hope you like cherry. Felt like giving you something sweet, but you can throw it away if you don't like it, that's fine!" Mia nodded, being used to picking the wrong gifts for people in the past, but she tried to take the risks once again, given it's Yara who she's talking about.

@Catherine Haust

 

[Catherine Haust]

Yara returned to her tablet as Mia came up the stairs, her eyes scanning over the next page in the text before tapping the little arrow on the right. The door opened and she glanced up from her arm chair from across the living room. She smiled to herself and looked back down at the tablet for a moment while Mia made her way through the atrium and into the larger space, clearly hiding something behind her back. Yara sniffed the air but couldn't pin down the identity of the 'surprise'. She kept her eye on the tablet as if Mia's words were of little interest.

"Never took you for a cherry girl, I'm a little surprised."

She said it so matter-of-factly, as if the sudden twisting of Mia's words was as a general topic, like an officer's report or a comment on current terrain conditions.

"Some light lore reading, brushing up on Falderen Law."

She continued talking as if she hadn't said a damn thing a moment before, turning off the tablet and setting it aside with a smooth motion. She rose to her feet and walked over to Mia, hands in the pockets of the hoodie she wore over her white tank-top and her shoulders relaxed. She stopped with the tips of her shoes touching Mia's and looked down at her.

"I do happen to like cherry, and sweet things, how'd you know? I think I'll have some now..."

She said easily, pinning Mia with a stare. She slipped her hand out of her pocket and placed it on the table behind Mia, effectively pinning her to the table while she grabbed the treat. She lifted it off the table and held it up, smirking. Finally giving Mia a bit of merciful breathing room. She opened it up, and savored the scent.

"Thanks, Mia,"

She turned away at this point and walked over to one of the counters to grab a utensil while pretending nothing had happened just now.

@Elesis Blackstone

 

[Elesis Blackstone]

Mia blinked in surprise, a hand going up to scratch against her temples when Yara so accurately pointed out the connection between the pie and herself. She was used to this non-chalance from others, to not be met in the eye when being talked to. It put her at ease-- Better than hard stares, for certain.

"I like most sweats! I mean I had a bit of weight on me when we first met compared to now. I'm surprised you figured it out so easily..." Mia replied, tilting her body to the side as to try and take a little peek at the tablet. "Do you have some secret file with all my hobbies and likes there?"

She tried to go for a joke, and in response the answer followed one straightforth reply and a tall lady coming in her direction, making her visibly swallow down.

Every step made her back up a little, assuming she was on Yara's path, only for her friend to steer in her direction as soon as she did, her baby steps came to a stop once she felt the table against her, ocean blue eyes struggling to hold themselves against Yara's.

"S-sorry, didn't know you wanted to, ah-" Her cheeks and ears turned red, with the latter ringing once she was given an answer. Just by proximity alone she could feel the faint, warm brush of her breath, her hands leaving the pie if only to brace themselves against the table. "Sometimes... I just feel a meal and do it. Today is cheeri- Cherry pie." Her voice died off the moment she tried to keep the eyecontact between them. Her chest heaved once and never again as she held the air in while her heart overclocked itself, nails digging against the table in anticipation to a sudden fall. Just one more step and it would be over for her, and it seemed to be like that once Yara's arm stretched out behind her. She would drop all over the table and make an idiot out of herself.

But thankfully she backed off, and air returned to her lungs at that moment, a nerveous but muffled sigh of relief letting her lips curve into a smile with glass-like confidence once again, as crystal clear as her own glasses were.

"S-so... Lore you said, right?" She tried to recall now that the fumes on her head settled down and let her recall about it. "You should be careful Yara, the game is, you know, Ilegal." That last bit turned into a whisper. "I found out a lot of weird things are going on around Astorea. I heard words of some people going about like in a cult, and trying to do something related to this one place called Norf...Norhova, or Norfova. Ever heard about it?" She tried hard to recall, but all she got from tapping against her chin was more questions than answers and less conclusive details. But her now dry throat proposed a different challenge to her.

"Do you have some juice by any chance? I feel like I got hit by a truck out of a sudden." She giggled, but she wasn't sure if the root of that was Yara making her burn away calories with her gaze alone, or if her sleepless marathon from yesterday had anything to do about it.

@Catherine Haust

 

[Catherine Haust]

Yara sat back down and crossed her legs, glancing up at Mia with a raised eyebrow. Look at her trying so hard to cover up her embarassment. Was she even aware? To be so innocent. She opened the container and took a bite of the pie, the sudden tang of cherries bringing a sparkle to her usually cold eyes. She brightened and looked down at the treat with delight, a flush forming on her face. She cupped her chin and took another big bite, letting out a girlish sound before swallowing and catching her breath. She turned her gaze back up to Mia and fixed her with an absolutely dead serious stare.

"Marry me."

Mia's change of subject was enough to let Yara drop the joke and she set her fork down, shrugging. Mia was right, of course, Terrasphere was illegal, and in any other case she would have not only resented people who played it but actively tried to stop those who played it. But her experiences within the game had opened her eyes to the possibilities of another life outside of earth. It was special to her. She thumbed her jaw and glanced down at the tablet again, frowning a little as Mia continued.

"I heard that there were a few cults popping up. Hadn't heard about the one you're talking about, though I did hear that there was a group that was framing becoming locked as some kind of divine rite. Disturbing."

She frowned a little deeper before glancing back up at Mia who was trying to cover up the heat from Catherine's teasing earlier. Catherine stuck her tongue out at her coyly and got to her feet, walking past her and the dining/preparation table and to the fridge. She opened it and grabbed a bottle of juice before pouring it out into a glass and walking it over. She placed it in Mia's hand and got close to her face again, forcing down the grin that threatened to blossom.

"Your face is a little red, you okay?"

@Elesis Blackstone

 

[Elesis Blackstone]

Mia took a seat opposite to Yara, drumming at her thighs as she awaited for a review on the pie. Every second made her lips purse a little harder, but the first signs of delight rushing through her face made the bluenette's eyes glitter. If this were an exam, it's clearly she passed with green lights, just listening and watching Yara be so vocal about her enjoyment made her own cheeks redden.

"Marry?!" She yelped, breaking into a hearty chuckle a second after, waving a hand to dismiss it. "You don't need to do that. Just ask, I'm always happy to cook for you." It always felt to Mia that she's the serious type, so having her relax a little thanks to something as simple as a pie was a reward on it's own.

Her own lips turned to a straight line as she listened once they both shared a piece of information the other missed, tapping away at her chin, furrowing her brows to see if anything could connect from the dots in the imaginative clue board inside her head.

"Being locked as a divine rite? That sounds... Are you saying they really are players going after other players..?" She replied, incredulous at first, concerned as a second. "There are more cultists than we thought... I got attacked by some, I think it was yesterday? I lost track of time." She shrugged. "I was with one of the Knight Captains, some other knights and another player. But apparently they were all under some kind of spell." She explained, stopping once Yara went off to fetch her a drink, grabby hands stretching out to the woman in her return, couping the glass on both hands.

"Your face is a little red, you okay?"

Mia took a quick sip, only to rise the glass up to Yara's lips. "I'm fine, just a bit fuzzy. I'm not the only one though, you are also a little red. Something up?" Inadvertedly deflecting it back at her. "Well, aside of you, Everest." She teased.

@Catherine Haust

 

[Catherine Haust]

Yara was still riding cloud nine about Mia's suggestion that she'd cook for her any time as they continued their discussion. Half-paying attention she visualized Mia wearing an apron and drooled inwardly, that blue-black hair pulled back with a thoughtful ribbon while she worked tirelessly over a meal just for her? Heh heh hehehh heh. She had to turn away to hide her rather unpleasant expression, clearing her throat a few times to regain her composure as soon as Mia asked about the redness in her face.

"Ahem! It's nothing, I'm fine,"

She forced her expression back to the stoic veneer of a soldier and threw herself back into the chair, crossing her legs and leaning on her knuckles. She glanced at the tablet again before turning her gaze to Mia.

"Cults in Falderen, cults in Astorea, now some cult the unexplored regions. These people are really testing my patience..."

She frowned and looked towards the center of the room, tapping the arm of her chair. A cult, inevitably, wasn't a problem in itself. Religions popped up all the time but it was the activities of these organizations that was getting under her skin. Her finger tapped faster, her expression grew darker, these idiots had no regards for the laws of the realm and were just doing whatever they wanted in the name of 'faith'. She ground her teeth and her expression became murderous, the tapping becoming a bit unsettling now. Even worse, this sordid topic was taking center stage when she had her cute subordinate over! Maybe she should request a writ of inquisition and have a look around.

Then it finally registered. Her tapping stopped and she turned slowly towards Mia.

"...they attacked you?"

Suddenly, it was if Mia was holding the rope of a guillotine.

@Elesis Blackstone

 

[Elesis Blackstone]

Mia was this close to start snapping her fingers once Yara seemingly went off to dreamland. The sudden loss of attention worried her little heart, and the way she simply disregarded it while not looking at her in the eye while doing so just worsened the assumptions running through her head.

"You better!" She tried to be assertive here, but how her voice chirped like a bird's didn't make her sound any more threatening. Sighing off, she went back to giving little sips to her glass, smiling to herself a little despite the fact Yara had gone back to her stoic self.

The tapping, the grievous expression on her face all made her frown. The murderous intent didn't skip her, but instead of sulking like she usually does for others, Mia braved herself to shook her head the moment Yara's tension reached it's peak.

Fear didn't stop her from leaning against the table as her hands reached to squeeze Yara's, baby blue eyes fiery with the determination her fox counterpart wielded. "We took care of them, they are behind bars now." Her thumbs rubbed against the back of her hands, Mia's being incredibly tender, as if silk they were.

"How about instead of thinking about cults, we go to the couch so you can relax, read and eat some pie while I get you a drink this time?" Her smile finally beamed through like a sunshine trying to mute down the bland colours on Yara's mood.

"Besides, I got some good news. Related to a certain Lions matter... But I ain't telling unless you listen to your squiree." She singsonged, lolling her tongue out the same moment she patted her hands and got herself off the table. "What do you want to drink?"

@Catherine Haust

 

[Catherine Haust]

Yara's spooky stare lingered on Mia's face as the other woman stared back, she waited paitently for confirmation so she could track down and erase the entire cult that had dared raise their hands at her cute squire. She barely acknowledged the deliberate movement as Mia reached across the table and her hand didn't budge an inch as she squeezed Yara's hand. Yara's eyes remained fixed until those baby blue eyes caught with an inner fire, getting bigger from her perspective.

A soft pair of thumbs rubbed across the back of her hand and the tension began to leave her shoulders. Yara narrowed her eyes, trying to stay firm in her rage, but then... the sunshine of Mia's smile blasted through her clouds to the point that she wanted to shield her face from the brilliance.

Aaah... that's cheating...

The suggestion of going over to the couch and eating sweets while Mia served her a drink was... Yara's imagination started to get the better of her again and her craggy expresion twitched into a faint smile. She let out a long suffering breath when Mia pulled away, teasing her with more information but only if she cooled her jets. Yara finally relented and rubbed her neck, getting to her feet and walking away from her armchair to the couch, throwing herself into it with a huff and crossing her arms.

"They're lucky they've already been prosecuted..."

The law was the law, and double jeoparady was a protection even in the world of Terrasphere. Now that the cultists had been thrown behind bars for their crimes, she had no justification to punish them how she liked. She let it go with another long breath and threw herself onto her back, stretching out on the couch languidly, stretching her muscular arms over her head. She stared up at the ceiling for a heartbeat before glancing over at Mia with a half-pout.

"I'll have a beer."

@Elesis Blackstone

 

[Elesis Blackstone]

These eyes told Mia a story all by themselves, the lack of hesitation, the eerie calm before a storm summarized on Yara's features. No matter how spooky, she knew one thing for certain: That's not the Yara she knows. And that Yara would never dare to hurt her, even if she stands in-between her wrath.

Her victory in that battle of attrition just made her smile grow wider, standing back on her feet to tag along with a victorious expression nestled on her face which she failed to keep inside. "And even if not, we would have done the right thing when prosecuting them. If you fight fire with fire, you gonna burn yourself." Mia casually remarked, little hands resting on Yara's back to gently nudge the giant towards the couch.

She broke into muffled snickers with how Yara looked like a big cat stretching on the couch right now, resting her hands on her hips before the pouty knightess asked for her one true and only addiction (as far as she knows) other than working out. She had to hold onto her breath not to huff at an unhealthy choice, and just as the order came, Mia broke to hasty steps towards the fridge, giving a quick glance at what she's kept stored in before grabbing the first brand of liquor stored in glass she could find, aswell as a bottle opener and a glass.

"Beer coming out for thee, Lady Cath!" She called her back, strolling her way back to the living room, hands busy with the bottle opener, the quiet 'pop!' and fizzling noise let her know when to stop, leaving the bottle and glass one next to eachother for Yara to pick how to have her drink.

"So you know that the barracks are where Lions rest and all, but I thought I could one up them on that one, so! I spent a day in Finweald scouting every inn I could, and guess what?" She wiggled a little on the edge of the couch, given most of the space was taken over by miss big cat right now. "I got a room with two beds reserved juuust for us. And it looks AMAZING. I even got it with a discount! I kind of did it because I don't really like crowded places that much. So if you don't want to use it, that's fine." Just the idea of sharing a bed on the barracks with... How many lions are out there..?

The chills ran visibly so down her spine.

"I also mapped out a few points of interest in Finweald, mainly blacksmiths since I'm gonna have to repair our equipment once it starts to get worn. And well, being a member of the Lions doesn't pay at all, so I'm also planning to see what kind of work I can find, probably I can make some gold out of selling potions and herbs?"

@Catherine Haust

 

[Catherine Haust]

Catherine stretched out a bit more, pointing her feet out over the edge of the sofa and arching her back in a feline manner. She rolled onto her side and held up her head with a hand, watching Mia walk away from behind. Her expression twitching a little as she lazily followed Mia's gait all the way up to the fridge before calling back.

"Beer coming out for thee, Lady Cath!"

Catherine rolled onto her back and waved a lazy hand.

"A potion from my squire! I am blessed by the goddess to have such a faithful aide! I celebrate you~"

Catherine made her proclamation with a teasing tone, watching Mia set the glass down and sitting up so that the girl could sit down at the edge of the couch. She reached forward and tilted the glass, pouring the beer in slowly and listening to what Mia had to say. She huffed out a small laugh and shook her head, it wasn't necessary to do that kind of thing. She honestly prefered staying with the other squires and soldiers of the Pride. It was easier to get to know them that way. Then agan, eventually knights were expected to maintain their own living quarters and office to manage their work. So perhaps a room at an Inn was a good start, if a bit expensive.

Catherine leaned back and sipped at her beer, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the girl next to her as she continued to speak excitedly. She downed a full two fingers of the beverage before scooting over a full movement and putting herself right next to Mia. She threw her arm over the back of the couch while Mia continued to talk, taking advantage of her focus and drinking a little more as she crossed her legs. She considered what Mia was saying and tilted her head thoughtfully.

She could use the money she regularly got from the noble families she had connections with. Her face redenned a little at the audacity of calling them 'connections'. If those noblemen knew why their wives and daughters were so intent on sponsoring this particular knight, they'd be furious. She buried her embarassed thoughts in another sip of her drink and glanced over at the excited girl. She was working so hard on this, it felt wrong to take it away from her with patronages. But there were other ways to use it and not wound the girl's pride.

So instead, she simply grinned and threw her arm fully around Mia's shoulder.

"Wow! You certainly have all this figured out, huh? That's my girl! You know you don't have to take on all this kind of stuff yourself, though, right? I've got some gold squirreled away we could invest into those potions and herbs."

@Elesis Blackstone

 

[Elesis Blackstone]

A pretty red washed over her cheeks, a childish smile summoned once Yara decided to play along with her antics.

"Distilled from the crystaline waters of the Star Springs from Tertoria, and spiced up by yours truly. A drink fit for the Ale King themselves." She proclaimed, melodramatic hand-waves included towards the glass itself, yet she caught her tongue before going any further and settled to explain instead.

It didn't go unnoticed how quickly Yara moved, or rather that she moved at all. Wowsers, did time always move this fast? Mia almost came to a full stop before resuming her explanation. But even she had to run out of words at one point, it was a good thing conversations went both ways. With present company however, that meant exchange of words and touch however. Not like she minded the clear sign of camaraderie from her friend, one she returned back, her right arm a little reluctanct at first but quick to gain confidence on wrapping itself around Yara's shoulder.

That conviction she wore under her sleeve was contagious to say the least. One of the reasons it was hard for her to stray too far from the real life knightess.

"Hey, I'm just doing what I can." Mia quickly waved off the compliment, eyes steering back to the glass for a moment. Only returning over once it begun to click in her head what her actions had brought, tension-riddled features almost ready to throw a hundred thousand apologies, or so it was easy to guess. "Y-yeah! It's not... It's not that I don't trust you with that, I would love to have your help, I just didn't want to bother you. Y'know, hunting down cultists and bad guys is far more exciting than finances." She pulled at the collar of her shirt, fingers squeezing gently against Yara's bicep.

"But like I said, I would love to have some help here. I know you know a lot of people and stuff, just having your face around should be enough to convince people to try out my medicine! It's not like it's not legit or anything." She scoffed at that mere suggestion. "We could use some gold to buy ingredients. I'm gonna need to change my tools every now and then too, but not having to collect herbs for once would save us a lot of time. Aaand you would be ripping some benefits too from your personal potion-maker squire." She puffed her chest out with pride. As best as she could while holding onto Yara, that is.

@Catherine Haust

 

[Catherine Haust]

Yara lingered there with her arm over Mia's shoulder, listening quietly while she sipped at her beer. She pressed her lips together thoughtfully when the girl mentioned that she didn't want to bother Yara with the nitty gritty. She didn't have to do something like that, little dork. Yara shook her head wryly and glanced at Mia's hand as it squeezed her, her eyes moved back to Mia's face and she hesitated, ah shit that was the beer. She set the beer down and crossed her arms to control herself, kicking her feet out a bit.

People to try her medicine? That might be a hard sell if it wasn't someone backed by the church and the Lion's Pride. She rolled her jaw in thought before nodding.

"That's not a bad idea, I do know a few people who might be interested and there's a clerk at the Pride Hall that we could reach out to for help with some of the clerical work you need done. They have so many people working at the hall these days I wouldn't be surprised if he had a little extra time on his hands."

Yara raised her eyebrows at her squire's ego uncrossing her arms and planting a hand on the girl's head, mussing up her hair.

"Ahaha! Look at you! So damn confident! Where do you get all that energy, huh? Maybe I should double up your physical training next time we're on!"

Yara laughed, but the words were scary, Catherine the Knight was a brutal taskmaster when it came to combat training, she didn't tolerate her allies suffering, getting injured, or killed, and as a result had a reputation as one of the more unforgiving trainers among the Lion's Pride. She cracked a grin and pulled the girl into a hug.

"Just kidding! Hahaha! So cute!"

@Elesis Blackstone