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 Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 2:41 pm
Liozu's touch made Ana dizzy and for a moment she forgot how to breathe.
"U-um," she finally forced herself to speak. "I don't know..." Ana fingered the small pearl earrings she was wearing as she talked, unable to meet his gaze for fear of losing herself in it. "Nothing too big... or too expensive..." She dropped her hand to brush over her bare neck briefly, subconsciously indicating the sort of things she would wear.
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 2:48 pm
Laughing softly and leaning forward to briefly brush a kiss against Ana's forehead, Empress nodded, smiling against the smooth skin at her lips.
"I can do that. Not too big, not too expensive. It'll be slender and small, like you, then." Empress chuckled as she drew back, rubbing Ana's knuckles with her thumb before bending over the basket and digging up the food neatly packed away and obviously made with love and care.
"How has your day been, then? I hope I don't smell too offensive," Empress said, barely able to keep the grimace humorously offended rather than turning it into a full-fledged grimace of disgust. She really didn't like this physical sort of fighting. It just wasn't her thing, and you were left smelling so offensively. Using magic, at least, only left a burnt-ozone smell along with a tingle in your fingers.
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 3:12 pm
Ana giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "No, you're fine."
She pulled out the little trays of food, carefully arranged, and laid them out before him. There was quite a bit of food, but not quite enough for two people. "I ate before," she began, although with the time it must have taken to prepare the food it was doubtful she would have had much left over. Ana took out the pair of red and black lacquer chopsticks from the basket as well, and, impulsively, picked up a small piece of tempura vegetable and held it out for Liozu to take.
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 3:24 pm
Inwardly, Empress was surprised at Ana's impulsive boldness, but instantly triumphantly charmed. Eyes widening a little, Empress smiled and tilted her head as she leaned forward to gently take the bite-sized morsel Ana was holding forward.
"I'm relieved my smell isn't enough to chase you off, Ana," Empress said with a teasing smile, taking a sip from the bottle, then holding it forward for Ana. "I'm thankful you were sweet enough to put all this effort down... exercise makes you hungry..." Empress trailed off, letting her eyes wander over the food, and then up from Ana's feet to her face, eyes glittering.
... For more than one thing, but with this being so new, I will have to keep to the food side of things, for now.
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 3:39 pm
Ana's face was very pink and she was surprised with herself as well. This really was not the sort of thing that she would do. The only explanation for her behavior that she could come up with was that, well, when she was with Liozu she could barely think at all. She noticed his eyes traveling up her body but not the implication and she smoothed out her skirt a little nervously.
"Um..." Ana began, looking down at her hands and even more embarrassed at the thought of what she was about to ask. No, she steeled herself, if Celia can do this, so can you! "Would it be alright if I watched you practice sometime?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 3:45 pm
"... Oh, I would be very happy if you want to see me make a fool out of myself as I set my eyes on you in the practice ring and forget all else," Empress' voice dropped to a purr again, grabbing the hand holding the chopsticks to kiss the fingers before straightening again.
"To be more serious," here Empress gave a light, bright smile to lighten the earlier words, but not banish them, hopefully... just putting them where they would gently smoulder and get Ana to where Empress wanted her to be, later. "I wouldn't mind at all, if you would want to come and watch, Ana."
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 4:05 pm
Ana's face burned and she leaned forward a little, instinctively moving into the touch. "I... ah..." she caught herself, sitting back properly, eyes widening at her boldness. "I... I'm sure you won't make a fool of yourself," she said, looking away demurely again, even though her voice was earnest. "You must be very good..."
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 4:12 pm
Empress nodded, giving a cheerful smile and taking the chopsticks out of Ana's relaxed fingers, to pick up a few bites before answering.
"And I'll be even better for you," Empress promised sweetly, voice darkening briefly with a promise that couldn't just have to do with actually making a regular appearance in the practice hall after this, so Ana would get to see what she wanted.
"So, Ana, what do you do, besides helping in the kitchen?" Empress was well-versed in these things, and no one, not even the shy ones, liked to feel as if their lives weren't worth to pay attention to. Ana might, perhaps, if she felt particularly embarrassed by the attention, deny that her life and chores were boring, but whether or not she answered, Empress had made known she was "interested" in her sweet , little innocent's life, at the least.
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 4:19 pm
"Oh, um, not very much..." Ana gave a slight embarrassed smile. "Nothing as interesting as what you and the other Knights do." She paused, sneaking a glance at Liozu while he ate, before continuing. "I help with the cleaning and the laundry. I tidied Celia's room," she added, sounding softly proud of herself.
She could feel his eyes still on her after her words dropped off, and she added to fill the expectant silence, "after we're done for the day, I usually go into the gardens if it's still light out." Ana looked up, smiling, at the scenery around them. "It's so beautiful out here, and peaceful."
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 4:27 pm
Tilting her head in a nod, Empress took a small bite from the roll she was currently eating, and then offered the piece left over to Ana, smiling innocently all the while (or rather, coming as close to an innocent smile as she could, even while using Liozu's face to do it through).
"Everybody can't live like we Knights do. If they did, where would we be? hungry, dirty, lost, I'm sure... We knights and other fighting people can be quite... lost without proper help," Empress smiled engagingly, and then nodded, looking around at what they could see of the garden from their hiding place, and then back to Ana.
"Gardens are a lovely place to relax. This one is beautiful," this, Empress could say and really mean it. She might never had much time for gardens, even less wandering in them to just enjoy their beauty, but she did appreciate them thoroughly.
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:57 pm
"Do you come here often?" Ana asked, not having to force herself to make conversation as she normally did. She was beginning to relax and leaned back, propping herself up on her arms as she gazed about them. "I usually stay close to the small entrance on the eastern side of the castle near the gazebo. There's a little enclave there set half in the gardens with stone benches and climbing roses." She sighed, a light calm smile on her lips and her eyes no longer focused on their immediate surroundings, but on the one she was describing. "The light, no matter what time it is or what the weather is like, always seems softer there somehow. Especially in the morning. I rarely have time in the mornings to go there, I wish I could, but it's..." Ana paused, reaching for a word, then shook her head, realizing how she was rambling.
"I'm sorry." Her hands were pressed together over her mouth again, slender fair fingers meeting each other and her soft lips. Ana felt her blush, momentarily gone as she dreamt out loud, return. Wide golden brown eyes sought out smooth darker ones, almost pleading in their apology.
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Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:02 am
"Sorry?" Empress laughed, the natural tones of the woman inside the man's body coming clear as it was a darker, more amused laughter rather than Liozu's open, cheerful sound, if one actually knew the difference, which no one could, at the moment.
"You don't have to ask forgiveness for telling me your opinions and how you see things, Ana. I want to hear them." Empress smiled, leaning forward enough to brush fingers down Ana's upper arm, briefly clasping the elbow before letting go and sitting back.
Especially as you being open enough to even dare to ramble tells me exactly what I want. Sweet, innocent little heart...
"And as for myself... I come here as often as I can," Empress paused, quickly brushing through the unconscious memories easily accessible, and found what she needed, as it suited her own purpose, too.
"Which means to say, often, since I'm lazy," Empress let the smile be brighter, more open, and deepened her voice with teasing intent, winking at Ana.
It was good, actually, that Liozu apparently tended to wander and sleep in the garden, as that would give her chances to get away from these insufferable worms. One could not expect her to willingly suffer their company at all hours... All besides this sweet little apple, that she would enjoy eating.
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Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 1:13 pm
"I, um, I've seen you here before," Ana said, making another stab at normal conversation. Her desire to keep quiet was being overpowered by her want for Liozu to think her pleasant company. "In the gardens," she added needlessly. "I don't think you saw me, though," Ana continued after a moment's thought. "You looked like you were asleep." She giggled girlishly, nervously, her arm tingling where he had grasped it. Ana edged closer to Liozu, her body tipped towards him and betraying her desire to be near to him. She realized suddenly that she was still wearing one of the flowers he gave her tucked into the little decorative pocket on the breast of her uniform, and glanced at it, uncertain if she should mention that she liked them.
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Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:34 am
At least she had interpreted the memories she'd unearthed correctly, so Empress smiled and leaned forward too, hers and Ana's foreheads touching.
"It's a pity I was asleep then, since I otherwise would have been able to see your pretty face. I see you liked the flowers," Empress said softly, grinning mentally at all this. It was wonderful to be able to act on her own, even if the body wasn't hers, and Ana was as sweet as blood and honey.
She'd also gotten an answer about what jewellery Ana would like, so that would take care of the last of her hoard, one more to show off this most unpleasant of insults to the Dragon Tribe...
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Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:23 pm
Ana felt a bit feverish, with Liozu's face and mouth and lips in such close proximity to hers. She swallowed dryly, her heart beating so quickly that she felt her hands, resting on the grass and in her lap, shaking.
"Y..." Ana tried to respond, but found her tongue strangely uncooperative. She was not even embarrassed by her failure to speak, however, since she was so lost to thought and anything beyond the way her heart spun when she felt his soft breath on her face, mingling with her own.
"I..." She attempted again, equally unsuccessful, unknowingly tipping her face forward hopefully, pleadingly. Her lips and cheeks felt hotly flushed, more so than a mere blush. The heat and the color saturated, her thoughts clouded and unfocused. Time, to her, seemed inconsequential suddenly, and she felt as though both mere seconds and arching eons had passed since their faces had touched.
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