Throne of Oak, Ash and Thorn (closed for Poprockz)

[Poprockz]

A soft little smile came upon Vivian when she felt that soft weight on her shoulder. Having sex was gratifying without a doubt, but there was something to be said about the quiet times afterward. It always felt nice to simply relax with someone, no strings attached, just two people at their most raw and vulnerable with their bodies at peace side-to-side. It was times like these that one could bask in the other’s presence and soak up all the little things they did. A soft sigh, a look of longing, even just the beating of another heart was enough to be comforting-it was enough to feel like one wasn’t alone.

The impulse to lean her head against the fae’s had just been conceived when it was no longer an option anymore. It was a pity. Maybe Aelsebeth wasn’t yet ready to let herself lean on anyone but herself, even in a platonic capacity.

“Aeroplane?” Vivian whistled. “Wow, they haven’t been called that in a long while. Now they’re ‘airplanes’ or more commonly just ‘planes’. Thankfully, as a business owner I have a decent amount of money to throw around, so I don’t mind buying us first-class tickets. We’re going to be spending a full day and night on that flight, so it will definitely be worth it.”

The green-eyed woman chuckled with amusement in regards to the idea of Aelsbeth boarding her first flight. Her hand once again extending to ask for her spoon back.

“As far as it being your first time.. well, I suppose there’s a first time for everything. I doubt you’ll end up as part of the mile-high club like me, but I think you’ll be comfortable once we’re in the air.”

 

[wanna_be]

Aelsbeth shrugs at Vivian's whistle. "The last time I visited the mortal realm they were a new creation of your kind. As though you could not simply marvel at the flight of birds, you had to take it from them too."

She returns the spoon without complaint, now that the flavour of the iced cream is gone, she finds little solace in the metallic taste of the spoon. It has too much of the flavour of industry about it. So many of the things in Vivian's apartment feel like that, everything is touched by metal, by iron, by steel. She almost feels guilty for enjoying the ice cream that the spoon had delivered.

Then she is distracted by the curiousity that Vivian's comment awakened in her once more, particularly since she takes it as a challenge. There is so much of the mortal realm that has changed since the fae retreated from it. Part of her hates what they have done to the wonder that was once the Earth, part of her is curious to see the wonders they have created in the absence of magic.

"Mile-high club? What is that?"

 

[Poprockz]

“Hm,” Vivian nodded thoughtfully, contemplating Aelsbeth’s words while dipping her spoon in the creamy ice cream and slipping it into her mouth. Sometimes the woman said the most poetic yet cynical things. The words were tinged with an undercurrent of bitterness, as though she admonished humans for trying to go beyond their natural limits. Is that what the fae thought of humans? At some point, she thought to herself that she should ask Aelsbeth more about fae culture.

It was interesting that her fae guest had basically claimed that she was around when the first planes were created. That couldn’t be true could it? Sure, she was of mythical ethnicity, but that didn’t mean she was more than a hundred years old, surely. Her features were that of a young adult, no older than 35 if she had the most effective of baby faces.

“Wait wait wait,” she started, waving away the fae’s question about the mile high club. “You said you visited when planes started out, but that would make you over a hundred years old. How old are you, exactly?“

 

[wanna_be]

Having her question dismissed so out of hand did not exactly put Aelsbeth in the best mood to be questioned, and her jaw tightened somewhat.

"You are correct, I am over a hundred years old. Four hundred and seventy-eight in fact."

She shrugged, by the standards of her kind she was still relatively young, it was one of the reasons had withdrawn all of those years ago rather than attempt to fight the humans for dominion over the mortal realm. Fae might be powerful and long-lived, but humans bred like rabbits, for every one that had been cut down, another ten had sprung up to take their place. Faced with simply being overwhelmed by numbers, the fae had chosen to retreat to the fade, much reduced. In comparison to humans, Fae rarely had more than one or two children, pregancy was difficult for them, and it was many decades before one of the fae was considered mature. In truth, Aelsbeth had still not been considered mature by many of the court, but that was more because of her rebellious nature rather than her age.

"You pass so swiftly. Live so fast. It is a wonder you have achieved all that you have."

Or perhaps it was the reason. There was little reason for the fae to rail against the passage of time, for them decades were mere moments. To wait a century was an inconvenience. Many of the fae believed that humanity would inevitably extinguish itself, and when they did the fae would return to care for the earth. All it required was patience, and when your lifespan numbered in the millenia you could afford to wait a long time.

"And you? You are? Twenty-five perhaps?"

Aelsbeth had never been good at predicting the ages of humans, but Vivian certainly looked young compared to those humans of thirty and thirty-five that Aelsbeth had met in the past.

 

[Poprockz]

The fae’s response was met with wide-eyed shock. That she was over four hundred was not within the realm of possibilities she had expected, and it left her completely bereft of anything to say for a moment. Not often was she left speechless, but not often did she meet someone who could literally be a distant ancestor if they were the same race. It was odd though- Aelsbeth didn’t act like someone who was that old. She acted more like a teenager or a young woman, her immaturities apparent in the way she conducted herself.

All this time, Vivian had thought that she herself was the older one, and yet she had been so epically mistaken. Her eyes squinted at the fae, studying her face and body. Was she truly this young in her body, or was this another illusion? Was it possible that she was truly a wizened old fairy within a mirage of magic? She supposed it didn’t really matter, but it was weird to think that the woman next to her could possibly be hiding things she couldn’t even conceive. Somewhat… unsettling.

The question about herself made her blink and she shook her head, her long black locks dragging in the water like inky tendrils. “I’m 29 actually.” Why did she now feel a bit awkward around her guest?

“So… are you like an elder over there? Or like, do you live longer because you’re royalty?” Her green eyes continued to study the fae’s flawless face.

 

[wanna_be]

"You look good for your age. Most that I had come across your age would look much more worn."

Admittedly this had been one hundred years ago and more, but Aelsbeth had no way of knowing how much cosmetic technology had changed since then. It might have been something of a backhanded complement, but Aelsbeth did mean it. Vivian was hardly harsh on the eyes. In fact, she was attractive in a way that Aelsbeth did not find most, if any fae. She wondered idly if that meant there was something wrong with her. Most other fae would certainly have thought so.

"Elder?" Aelsbeth snorted with derision. "Hardly. I am young by the standards of my people. My parents..."

Her face dropped, she had forgotten about her parents. If the assassins that had chased her had been telling the truth, then they were dead. If her parents were dead, then it meant that she was the one, and only heir to the throne. There were plenty of other claimants, members of the other fae houses, but it was her father that had first bound together the disparate families of the fae. Her father who had been raised as the first high king of the fae. If it was as she had feared, and the unseelie had designs upon the throne, then the life that she had known, that all fae had known, could be under threat. Even the life that Vivian knew could be under threat.

Aelsbeth realised that she had been staring at Vivian with a dark expression for several seconds. "My father was near four millenia."

She shrugged. "When I refer to your kind as mere flies, it is not meant as an insult, it is what your lifespan is like compared to ours. You may as well be a gnat."

She sighed, before continuing with uncharacteristic sensitivity. "I do not mean to insult you. Your time upon this earth is short. It is one of the reasons we have never sought to live amongst you."

She falls silent. All fae are fickle, but Aelsbeth, as one of the young, is even more so. Despite this, Vivian has protected her, her first thoughts were to protect and guide her. She might now be bound by a fae contract, but it gives her no comfort that Vivian will continue to age, and will no doubt expire in less than a century.

"I am sorry, I did not mean to dampen the mood."

 

[Poprockz]

Vivian wasn’t sure how she felt about the ‘compliment.’ On one hand, at face value she supposed it was a nice thing to say that she looked good, but on the other hand, it felt like the fae was looking at her as though she was an animal. Or perhaps it was more akin to someone appraising a rather well-maintained piece of furniture. Admittedly she felt a tad dehumanized, especially with the gnat and fly comparisons.

Though she didn’t dwell on that for too long, given the information about her father having been over four thousand years old. The things that man would have seen… He could probably recount the transition from AD to BC and give an accurate description of past accomplishments and leaders. That is, if they deigned to pay attention.

She hadn’t truly entertained the idea of being in a relationship with this woman she just met, but this cemented it’s impossibility in her mind. Even in the unlikely event that their personalities ended up being compatible, Vivian would continue to wrinkle and age, losing her stamina and health as Aelsbeth remained unchanged in seemingly eternal youth. It would be like having a relationship with a vampire. She shuddered to think about growing to a point where she couldn’t take care of herself and having to watch as her partner looked on in pity and disgust.

While quite unexpected, the apology was appreciated. All of this new information was troubling to take in, and it made her feel insignificant and small, two feelings that she tried to avoid like the plague.

For the first time, Vivian seemed somber and glum, her face lacking her usual curl of a smile or sparkle of the eye. It was almost a pity that she had met Aelsbeth at all; now she was burdened with the fact that she was a mere blip in the history of the earth. Not that she wanted to be important, but… it fostered a gnawing emptiness inside her.

The silence wasn’t broken until Aelsbeth smoke, and even then it was a minute before Vivian responded. “It’s okay. We don’t get to chose the circumstances of our birth after all.” It was Vivian’s turn to sigh, trying to push the heaviness of her heart down in favor of talking about something else.

“Anyway, have you thought about if they were lying to you? I don’t want to give you false hope, but I wouldn’t just take them at their word without seeing it for yourself.”

 

[wanna_be]

It would not be totally uncharitable to refer to Aelsbeth as self-obsessed. Yet even she could tell how Vivian's mood had dropped as she discussed the fae's longevity. She couldn't truly understand, but she must have struck a chord when it came to the younger woman's thoughts on mortality. This feeling of guilt, normally so alien to Aelsbeth, grew worse as she felt Vivian shudder against her. Not with pleasure, but with disgust.

Aelsbeth drew away, and saw that Vivian's face had dropped as well, the spark that normally lit up her features from behind faded. In a way that she had not expected in her four centuries, Aelsbeth felt a strange ache in her chest, as though some painful hole had been scooped out of the flesh there. Little did she realise that Vivian was experiencing much the same thing. Perhaps fae and humans weren't so different after all. Fae felt slower than humans, but they felt deeply.

She was spared from this painful realisation by Vivian's next words.

"I wish that was true."

The blonde fae frowned.

"The fae... we do not lie. We cannot. At least not directly."

Shrugging, Aelsbeth traced a finger idly down her own leg, watching it disappear beneath the cooling water. "We can omit things, twist the truth, but we cannot lie to anyone. No matter how much we might want to. Nobody knows why any more. Some scholars believe it is an ancient curse, placed upon us to punish us for our pride."

Her violet eyes lit somewhat ruefully upon Vivian's. "I often wonder if it is easier, to live like you do. To be able to lie if you need to. What is it like?"

 

[Poprockz]

Though her response gave Vivian more doubt about them having survived, it still failed to quell all her suspicion. She figured that lying was basically saying something you know to be untrue. If the ones who told the fae thought her parents were dead had been told this, then they wouldn’t be lying even if it weren’t true. If they were misled, then it’s possible that they could still be alive. Still, she wasn’t going to push the subject as it was very likely to only lead to Aelsbeth being disappointed.

It was interesting to know that the fae couldn’t lie. It made her wonder what fae society was like, what with everyone either being frank or shying away from direct admissions. Fairy folk as they were once called were rumored to be very clever, so she imagined that they had both honed their skills in detecting reluctance, and their skill at twisting words. Though she supposed that it would make trials very straightforward.

Vivian let out a derisive scoff, “you would think it would be easier wouldn’t you? No, the truth of the matter is that lies are cheap and opportunistic.”

She angled her body more toward her graceful companion and leaned slightly toward her. “For all you know, I’ve contacted your enemies without you even knowing. I could look you in the eye and tell you that I would never stab you in the back, that you can trust me. Imagine that feeling of unease throughout your life, everyday. If you rely too heavily on your logic, you’ll end up alone with no one to help you. If you rely on your heart too much, you’ll be broken before you know it. People use lies as tools for both good and downright evil things.”

Another sigh came from her and she scooted forward in the water, leaning back and bending her knees so that she could lay her head at the surface. Her hair drifted in the water, tickling the fae’s legs.

“You know, people talk about the fae in fairy tails being clever and malicious, but if you ask me, humans are capable of just as much if not more of casual cruelty.” Her eyes looked up at the ceiling as though recounting a memory of her own. “People are greedy for power, money, sex, love… and most are more than willing to lie to get it.”

 

[wanna_be]

Aelsbeth felt that unease that Vivian talked of as she leaned towards her. The contract she had made with Vivian had not precluded any betrayal, it had merely bound Vivian to accompany her home. Had the human betrayed her? Would there be Unseelie assassin's waiting for her on the other side of the ring at Carnac?

Her hurt and confusion showed in her large eyes as she tried to divine whether Vivian was just making a point, or attempting to play with her emotions. She looks strangely vulnerable, worried about just what Vivian might do. Aelsbeth might have enough magic to push Vivian's brain out through her ears, but all it would take is one quick knife slipped between her ribs to end the fae princess' life.

"Perhaps it is wishful thinking then, I am sorry to have trivialised it. It is simply that I have always been curious what it would be like to truly live amongst you, rather than visiting from time to time."

She looked away, uncomfortable with the suggestion that she might be bathing now with a potential enemy. That Vivian herself looked towards the ceiling left her with a strange sense of relief, at least the woman seemed more the type to look you in the eye while she stabbed you in the heart, rather than dealing in the manipulation and deception on which the Seelie and Unseelie courts thrived.

The expression on her own delicate features grew distant as she considered what little she had seen of human society over the centuries. "I have heard many tales of what you have done to each other."

Again, her memory drifted over the state Vivian's body had been in after Gabe's attentions. An unfamiliar emotion passes over her, a deep ache in her chest that makes her want to hug the taller woman. She restrains herself. "I am sorry that I have played a part in it. My magic..." She raised a finger from the water and a blue spark emerged, drifting lazily around the digit before earthing itself in her palm, "My magic can heal physical wounds, but those of the mind. They are not so easily mended."

Their were fae in the court who could have done so. Most fae could manipulate the memories of humans as easily as their emotions, but it took a rare subtlety of skill to heal the damage left by trauma. Even removing the memory did not guarantee to remove the scar. For a moment Aelsbeth thought of doing so, her hand stretching unconsciously towards Vivian, but she stopped, her mind on the human's words.

"It was childish of me to wish that I could lie. Lies can harm, perhaps more than they can help."

The bath was growing cold, and wanting to end the uncomfortable conversation, Aelsbeth stood, the water cascading from her slim limbs and slender body. Bar that on her head, there was not a hair upon the rest of her, and her bare, naked, skin gleamed as the moisture on it caught the light.

 

[Poprockz]

Of course most were capable of introspection, but it felt surprising coming from Aelsbeth. The haughty fae seemed like she would have simply agreed and continued the conversation by speaking of the humans with scorn. Instead, her responses seemed rather delicate and thoughtful. It sounded as though she wished she could help Vivian, regardless of whether it meant anything in return for herself, and that was a touching thought.

Before the fae could exit the bath, Vivian reached up and grabbed her wrist to stop her for a moment. It weighed on her, the look in those large violet eyes as she had made her earlier point. Perhaps it was because she knew what it felt like to be betrayed, or maybe she just wanted to defend what honor she had. Whatever the reason, it felt as though her guts had twisted slightly under that amethyst gaze. Though she had wanted to convey just how careful humans had to be, she hadn’t wanted Beth to lose faith in her.

“Just so we’re clear, I have no intention of back-stabbing you. While we may not always see eye-to-eye, I’d never want you dead. I promised to get you home, and I will.” The woman’s expression was earnest and resolute, her grip loosening until she released the fae and let her hand come back into the water.

 

[wanna_be]

Aelsbeth stared searchingly into Vivian's eyes for a moment. Her parent's would not doubt have been able to tell if the human was indeed telling the truth, but most of the Fae heir's experience's with humans had been short and superficial. She had no real idea how to read the face. of a mortal, no matter how similar they might be to those of the Fae.

The silent searching stare went on for a moment too long before Aelsbeth took a heavy breath. "OK. I believe you."

She meant it. It wasn't just that she wanted desperately someone to trust in this world that had suddenly turned so hostile against her, but that she wanted desperately to trust Vivian herself.

That thought surprised her, and she wished that she could dissect it. This was not the place to do it however. Her eyes were still fixed on the younger woman. She snapped out of it, shaking the thoughts from her mind with a physical movement. She didn't know how to deal with the strange feelings that were wrestling in her chest, and that confusion showed on her face before she managed to bring it back under control.

"I'm tired... It has been a long and draining day." Not to mention the multiple orgasms that Vivian had brought her to. Perhaps it was the shortness of lifespan that meant human's were just more hungry for sex. They had less time in which to enjoy it.

Shaking herself, she released a small surge of magic and in a moment her body was steaming as the water of the bath fled from her heated body. It was a flashy spell that few Fae bothered with, it used a surprising amount of magic for such a minor effect, but she was safe here behind Vivian's unholy iron door and she would have recovered most of her magic by the time she awakened.

She moved towards the door, pausing for a moment as an unfamiliar thought occurred to her. "Good night." It sounded alien on her tongue, and before Vivian could respond Aelsbeth had fled the unfamiliar situation. By the time the human had risen from the bath, dried herself and come to bed she would find the Fae asleep and curled into a ball in the centre of the large mattress, the duvet gathered around her like a nest.

 

[Poprockz]

The fae were unable to lie apparently, so she knew Aelsbeth was speaking the truth when she confirmed that she had faith in Vivian. She wasn't sure if she was surprised or not by that response. Her ward seemed to be somewhat sheltered and gave off an air of haughty naïveté at times, yet the fact of the matter was that she had numerous people after her very life and she had no way of telling whether Vivian was deceitful or not. It was good to be trusted though, she supposed. After all, it would be much easier to get her to that circle and home if the fae believed she would.

Were they simply staring at each other? She had meant to say 'thanks' for the trust, but hadn't done so. Instead, she had simply looked back into those large eyes, thinking to herself that they reminded her of amethyst if it was brighter with life. It was the movement of the fae that brought her out of her marveling, a bit of curiosity stirring in her at that look of confusion. She couldn't fathom why she would be given such a look, especially after such a proclamation. Curious as she was though, she didn't think the reason would be divulged to her even if she were to ask.

'That was a neat party trick,' Vivian mused to herself silently, nodding in agreement to the sentiment of being tired. If only she could snap her fingers and get dry instantly; oh how it would save on time and blow-drying! Alas, she knew she would likely just wrap her hair in a towel before her beauty sleep tonight. It was such a pity though.

"You're telling me..." was her actual reply, the woman spreading out in the water as she watched that lithe body pause by the door. She had opened her mouth to reply to the "goodbye", but it seemed as though Aelsbeth wasn't feeling up to sticking around for a response.

To a human the bath was still quite hot, so Vivian stayed and relaxed for a while after she was left alone. Managing a nightclub and having sex with an otherworldly woman was sweaty work, and she didn't intend to leave the bath until her hair and body were clean and fresh. All good things came to an end though, and she soon had exited, dried off, brushed her teeth, removed her make-up, applied lotion, and wrapped her hair up in a towel as planned.

She couldn't help a corner of her mouth turning up in amusement from the position in which she found the fae. Though she felt like she hadn't known the lady long enough to claim to know her well, it very much struck her as something she would do. Leave it to a 'fairy folk' to try to make things more akin to nature while also monopolizing the entire thing for herself as though she was the rightful owner. It seemed rather cold though, with none of the blankets actually covering her bare skin. While part of her just wanted to leave her like that since she obviously had plenty of squandered blankets around her, she ended up giving in to the more nurturing part of herself and grabbed a warm, red, fuzzy blanket from the closet. It was laid upon her curled-up form, leaving just her shoulders and head poking out.

One last lingering look was made before she turned and grabbed a large blanket of her own, tucking it under her arm before taking a pillow from the bed. With that, she exited the room and headed to the couch. The items were dropped before she went back to the room, put on a pair of silk pajamas, and returned. Her couch was a nice one, purchased for comfort just in case she couldn't sleep on her own. For some reason, on those nights she had an easier time drifting off to sleep there, perhaps due to the fact that the emptiness of the bed around her was less prevalent.

Before long she had slipped into a deep sleep, grateful for some long-awaited shut-eye.

...

The next morning, Vivian's phone alarm went off as a cheerful little tune. She typically went to bed around 2 or 3 due to her nightclub, so her sleep schedule was always a bit off. Despite this, she didn't like to wake up any later than 11 am, though she made exceptions sometimes and slept in until noon. With her eyes still closed, her hand shot out and drowsily searched for her device on the coffee table next to her.

"Shut up..." her voice croaked, the woman still unwilling to open her eyes yet.

The towel had come undone at some point in the night and fallen onto the floor, resulting her her unkempt black hair to go wherever it wanted. Thus, she looked like some kind of witch or feral creature from the woods with it covering her face like that.

Finally, her fingers found the screen and the sound stopped. She wasn't sure whether she had ended the alarm or put it on snooze, but either way she had at least achieved some peace and quiet. Vivian groaned, knowing that she should really get up, but not wanting to leave her warm blanket in the slightest.

 

[wanna_be]

Aelsbeth had slept deeply, and she did not wake with the brief flashes of morning through the narrow windows. The sound of the city waking up did not disturb her in the slightest. It wasn't until the harsh electronic sound of Vivian's glass slab cut through the thick air of the bedroom.

She surfaced groggily, clawing her way up from the depths of sleep to the flatter swell of consciousness. There was something atop her, a brilliant red that couldn't have come from a natural dye. She inspected the fuzzy blanket for a moment. Aelsbeth did not remember pulling this over herself last night, she did not even remember it being in the room. Vivian must have come in with it.

Vivian! Where was she. Aelsbeth sat bolt upright, casting about the room for a sight of the human. She was nowhere to be seen, but a groan announced her presence in the next room. Aelsbeth let out a sigh of relief which she immediately stifled, she couldn't have the human think that she had been worried about her, no matter how irrationally.

The groan hadn't sounded particularly pleasant, and so Aelsbeth peered cautiously around the door to check that Vivian hadn't fought off another set of assassin's in the night.

She was greeted by a vision of a sea witch, and a sharp intake of breath gave away her presence in the living area. It took her a moment to remember that there was no way there could a sea witch this far in land. Most of them had died out in the last century anyway as humanity had poured their poisons into the oceans. Her voice sounded hesitant, as if she was worried about the answer.

"How did you sleep Vivian?"

It didn't even occur to her to apologise for monopolising the bed last night, though there was a flash of a strange emotion through her mind. One she was not accustomed to.

 

[Poprockz]

Her head lifted in Aelsbeth's direction, an emerald eye just barely visible through one of the gaps in the frizzy black curtain of hair. She hadn't wanted to open her eyes just yet, but if her fae guest was awake, it meant that she would likely have no excuse to drift back off to sleep. Having just woken up, she was too tired to be offended by the little gasp nor of the hesitant tone being directed at her. Still, she couldn't have woken up looking that bad, could she?

"I slept pretty-" Ugh, she just noticed she had a strand of hair in her mouth, the woman reaching up and stroking her hair to the side in an effort to get it out. Her efforts were successful, so she smacked her lips drowsily and continued. "Yeah uh, I slept pretty well." There was a pause, as though her brain was trying to start the cogs moving again but was struggling a bit. It occurred to her that it would probably be polite to ask it back.

"Mm. How about you?" Her voice was slightly huskier than normal, her vocal chords taking their own sweet time to be warmed up from slumber. It was then that she sat up on the couch, the blue blanket kept over her lap to keep some semblance of the warmth she was giving up to be part of the waking world. One of the spaghetti straps of her silk pajama top was slumped down her shoulder as though it too were wishing it could go back to sleep. The rest of it shimmered slightly in the light, being a blue top with white feathers and black lace accents. It was low-cut, the lace framing her cleavage nicely- she was certainly the sexiest sea witch one might come across.

Vivian reached up and cleared her hair out of her face, and while it was still quite messy, she now returned to a more human look. Though this was was the first time Aelsbeth would have seen her without make-up. She was still very beautiful, having taken great care of her skin and having facial features that were pleasing to the eye. Regardless, she couldn't help but feel very plain without her eyeliner and lipstick at the very least.

 

[wanna_be]

"I am not well rested."

Aelsbeth didn't look it, the impossible beauty of the fae hardly marred by her restless night. Her gaze rested on Vivian, slightly disbelievingly. Vivian almost looked like a different creature from the previous night, but Aelsbeth could not deny that there was something undeniably appealing to her, even in her disarray. Her gaze moved slowly over the line of the pajama top where it was resting atop Vivian's cleavage, before she snapped out of it.

She looked away, feeling uncomfortable at the strange and confusing feelings that this mortal was raising in her. Her gaze alighted instead on the small kitchen, and she realised how hungry she was. Their lovemaking last night, and the magic she had used had drained her. Almost in time with the thought her stomach rumbled.

The fae's eyes flicked back to Vivian. "I am hungry. Is there anything to eat?"

 

[Poprockz]

She raised her eyebrow at the idea that Aelsbeth hadn't slept well. After all, she had looked deeply asleep when she had been left with that snuggly blanket. Though she supposed it was entirely possible that the fae had woken up intermittently during the night due to nightmares or other such anxiety. If she had been tossing and turning, she certainly didn't show any signs of it. The woman looked like she could walk out into the city and no one would dare assume that she had just risen from her late-morning sleep.

With a tired sigh, Vivian got up from the couch and shuffled past Aelsbeth into the kitchen, opening cupboards and taking stock of what might be interesting to her guest. Based on what she had seen, the girl liked things that were very sweet. Unfortunately that was the only thing she really knew about her tastes, that and the fact that she was great at making omelets.

"Well..." she mused, closing a cupboard and opening the fridge and freezer. "I'm not sure if you have any dietary restrictions, but I could make eggs, hash browns, breakfast potatoes, sliced strawberries, oatmeal, cereal, French toast, pancakes, waffles..." Vivian drifted off for a moment before looking back to her and shrugging. "What are you in the mood for?"

 

[wanna_be]

The tired sigh raised a pang of guilt in the fae. Which was strange. She may have cooked for the woman before, but she was used to being catered for. It was mostly what other people were for in her experience. Even so, it felt strange having the skimpily dressed woman start going through the cupboards on her behalf. Though she couldn't deny she was rather enjoying the view.

She tilted her head to one side. "Hash browns? French toast?"

Aelsbeth had rarely stayed in the mortal realm long enough to eat, and breakfast food was certainly not something she had tried with any regularity.

 

[Poprockz]

Vivian knew the response had been phrased as a question, but decided that it was as good a breakfast as any. In fact, she happened to have some stale bread that was perfect for such a meal.

"Alright, French toast and Hash browns it is."

A bag of pre-shredded potatoes was grabbed out of the freezer and set onto the counter while she went to grab the stale bread and set it down as well. Bending over, she opened one of the lower cupboards and took out two frying pans, the black, lacy bottoms of her silk shorts hugging her ass before she straightened up once more. Once the frying pans were set on the stove, she began to make other preparations including one for coffee that she so desperately needed.

It didn't take too long, especially since she didn't have to peel and shred the potatoes herself. Soon the delectable scent of fried potato wafted up from the stove, along with the smell of cinnamon. The more she cooked, the more awake she became, and before long she was back to her normal self.

"Now where is that maple syrup..." she muttered, looking through the cabinets before remembering that she had opened it a week or so ago and popped it in the fridge. It was the pure stuff, not the corn-syrup laden stuff a lot of people liked. As such, it wasn't as viscous but was certainly more flavorful in her opinion.

Finally, she set a plate down in front of Aelsebeth that had two slices of French toast, a helping of hash browns, and for good measure she had made two fried eggs with runny yolks. Protein. Sugar. Potato. It was the perfect breakfast.

Soon she deposited the utensils to each of their plates, and set down the condiments like the syrup, jam, honey, ketchup, cream, and sugar. It was only then that she sat down and gave them each a cup of coffee, the woman dunking some cream in hers before taking a grateful sip.

 

[wanna_be]

Aelsbeth was still mystified by the breakfast offer, but Vivian had managed to look after her thus far, even if she hadn't been entirely grateful for it. Her train of thought paused, and she considered the somewhat alien thought. Normally people were eager to serve her, grateful even, she was heir to the Imperial throne after all. Yet she found herself concerned about how she had been treating Vivian.
The fae had always thought themselves immortal, and therefore unchangeable. Though they were not truly everliving, their lifespans were such that they may as well be in comparison to humanity. Perhaps, Aelsbeth mused, they were only so unchangeable because the only beings they interacted with were as ageless and stubborn as they were.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Vivian's ass as she bent down to take out the frying pans, and she would have struggled to deny her disappointment once the human stood up and less of her flesh was revealed by the silk shorts.
A strange bitter scent soon filled the air, though one that had a strange appeal. The fae were not typically attracted to the bitter, but there was something oddly intoxicating about this one. She sniffed again, taking a lungful of the scent.
It was only complemented by the smell of cinammon and fried potato that began to waft up from the stove, though the potato was at least somewhat tainted by the metal with which humans were obsessed. What was better was the heady sugary scent of the maple syrup that Vivian produced from the fridge. That was far better. It was pure, as far as Aelsbeth could tell, and while tainted by the touch of humanity, the natural smell of it shone through.
Aelsbeth had moved to the table while Vivian cooked, and before long there was a plate set in front of her. She sniffed it. It smelled good, really good. She watched as Vivian dunked cream into her coffee before inspecting her own cup.
She dipped a finger into it, removing it to taste the strange bitter concoction. She grimaced. It was not entirely pleasant, but she dipped another finger into it nonetheless. A moment later she replicated Vivian's actions, dunking cream into the coffee and stirring before taking a sip. It was undeniably more palatable, but some strange part of her missed the bitter bite of the undiluted black drink.
A moment later she tried the food, before taking the maple syrup and pouring most of it over the french toast, hash browns and fried eggs. The eggs tasted greasy beneath the sugar, but the rest was good, if spoiled somewhat by the slightly artificial flavour that seemed to come with everything human.
Nonetheless, she found herself complementing Vivian.
"This... This is good... Uh... Thank you..."
The gratitude felt a little alien on her tongue, though it tasted good. "Normally I just... expect this... Yet... I appreciate that you have... Been a gracious host... Vivian."
The fae princess looked decidedly uncomfortable, this was something very out of character for her.

 

[Poprockz]

It pleased Vivian greatly that the fae tried the breakfast before making adjustments. So often, people just assumed that things wouldn't be to their liking, refusing to even entertain the possibility that an item didn't require additional salt, ketchup, or other additions. It was a sign of respect and trust in a sense, and she really appreciated it.

The fact that in the next moment everything was doused in the saccharine syrup wasn't particularly surprising to her though, what with the fae's apparent sweet tooth. It was safe to say that Vivian wouldn't be caught dead with maple syrup on her eggs and potatoes though. What was surprising was that the coffee hadn't had any sugar or syrup dunked in it, both of them seemingly content with the balance of cream and bitter bean.

When Aelsbeth finished speaking, Vivian could be caught staring at her as though she had been caught completely off-guard. Had she ever been thanked by her guest? No, no, the fae certainly had thanked her twice before: once for carrying her up the stairs, and once for Vivian's words of comfort. But perhaps it was the frank honesty and introspection that came with the gratitude that seemed rather out-of-place for her personality. She had to agree that she got the distinct impression that Aelsbeth simply expected for the world to move around her, acquiescing to her every whim. It made her wonder if that was how she was treated at home and if so, it solidified the image of her "rich-kid" background. One didn't necessarily have to be human to become spoiled and pretentious.

"You're very welcome, Aelsbeth." Accompanying those soft words was a warm smile, one that seemed to acknowledge the difficulty it must have caused the fae to bring herself to be so open. She didn't deem it necessary to use any nicknames at the moment, the woman not feeling any need to tease her.

A thoughtful sip of coffee was taken before she gestured at the fae, "Do you... want to go out and have some fun today? It's not like we have anything to do until tomorrow and it might do you some good to take your mind off things."

 

[wanna_be]

It had been difficult not to dwell on her situation. Aelsbeth had spent more time now in the human world than ever before and this time it involved assassins hunting for her. Even so, she had effectively been cooped up in this basement for several days. The fae liked to live free, and she couldn't deny that she was beginning to feel claustrophobic, and the ever-present weight of the iron door at the top of the stairs wasn't helping.

She took another mouthful of the breakfast to hide her thought process. It was good, though she avoided the remainder of the egg as she focused on mopping up the syrup with bits of the 'hash browns' that Vivian had made.

"Yes. I feel that I have spent too long down here, comfortable though your quarters are I wish to taste the fresh air once more."

Aelsbeth took another sip of the coffee, finding it strange how appealing she found the bitter liquid. It felt rejuvenating. Clearly humanity had found ways around their lack of magic and their frail mortality.

Draining the mug, she put it down gently on the wooden surface of the table before looking down at herself. She was currently naked, and thanks to Vivian's attentions the night before her dress would no longer be able to clothe her.

"Though first I need something to wear."

 

[Poprockz]

Vivian also looked down at the fae's bare chest before meeting her eyes. While it would be lovely to be able to see her walk around all day with nary a strip of cloth to shield her from Vivian's lustful gaze, she agreed that it would be rather illegal for this to actually happen. Besides, she imagined it would be a bit annoying to see everyone else licking their lips at the sight of her supple beauty. Thus, their first stop would have to be a clothing store. Come to think of it, it would actually be a very good idea to buy Aelsbeth several outfits for their trip. If they both walked into an airport, one of them with an empty bag or no bag at all, it would be terribly suspicious by anyone's standards.

"Hm. True. I'll go ahead and check the lost and found for something temporary, and if there's nothing for you then you can wear something of mine until we get to a shop. Then..." She thought for a moment, tapping her cheek with her fork thoughtfully before pointing it at her. "We can go see a movie, go to the aquarium, or maybe we could go to the beach. If you see something you want to do, just let me know." A helpless piece of French toast was then speared before being popped into her waiting mouth. Hopefully there would be something in the lost and found; anything she had would be a bit... loose around the chest area.

 

[wanna_be]

Fortunately the lost and found was generous, at least by the standards of everyone other than Aelsbeth. She ended up with a rather messy concoction of an outfit. The bright green jacket did not exactly go with the blue jeans that Vivian had managed to find for her, but they fit, and that was better than the rest of the pile of clothes that the human had procured. There was nothing beneath the jacket, but it did enough to conceal her modesty that she would blend into the rest of humanity. At least she hoped so.

Aelsbeth still insisted that they spend some time in clothes shops before they went anywhere else. As a result, they were in a shop now that quite literally astounded her. Even as a member of the royal family, the sheer amount of clothes on display was staggering. Even her own wardrobe did not contain this.

She was surprised to find an attendant approach her within a few minutes of her picking out an outfit, and for a moment she stepped back from the woman before a glance at Vivian showed her that this was supposed to happen.

”Ummm. I am not sure what your sizes are here?”[/mage]

The attendant, it seemed, had been expecting her misunderstanding. Thanks to Vivian Aelsbeth had clearly used the right terminology.

The young woman stepped back, looking Aelsbeth up and down with a professional eye.

”I think you’ve got most of the right sizes, maybe try this?”

A top was produced from the impressive racks of clothing. ”Maybe try this one instead?”

Aelsbeth took the proffered top, then followed the server to what were described to her as the ‘fitting rooms’. Apparently it was where she was expected to dress. As a result she emerged from them dressed in something that actually fit.

The jeans were unfamiliar, but not uncomfortable. They were tight, but safe. It was strange how she enjoyed the strange confinement of the human clothing. The top fit tightly too, but she could not deny how good it looked in the mirror. She twirled as she exited the small cubicle.

”How do I look?”

 

[Poprockz]

Vivian looked up from a nearby sunglasses rack, a pair of cat-eye sunglasses perched on her nose with the price tag hanging off. Her mouth was working as though she was chewing something, having plucked a few pieces of gum out of her pocket earlier. Meanwhile, several pieces of clothing were slung over her arm, though it wasn't clear whether she was shopping for the fae or herself.

When she saw Aelsbeth in her new clothes, her eyebrows went up and she gave her a good once-over. It was odd seeing the fae in modern clothing, some of her mysticism seeming to have been leached away by the denim hugging her plump little ass. It was undeniably a good look for her, especially the way the shirt embraced her tits like a long-lost friend. The only downside was that tight pants took a couple more seconds to get off when getting frisky.

After a moment of looking, she blew a pink bubble and let it pop. "You look hot," she replied with obvious approval. "I like how tight everything is, especially around your ass."