Fun And Games (Lucia)

As had been promised Lucia was freed from the ropes and she waited a few moments before slowly moving her hands forward and placing each one on top of an arm. Moments later she pushed up and rose from the chair to stretch her legs after what seemed like an eternity of sitting. The blonde was glad that Medeia had kept her word instead of giving the Luminous Rose mage false hope and she was going to play it safe so that she kept her new freedom. Playing it safe included keeping her mouth shut when she learned about the person Medeia had called to earlier.

"Armina" really did not like blondes, which explained the question that had been posed to Medeia after the former had been addressed. Lucia did not comment on it then nor was she going to comment on it now, but she could not help but to overhear the earlier exchange between Medeia and Armina. The Luminous Rose mage again got the feeling that the other person and her animosity towards blondes was being mentioned as a way to try and scare Lucia into being more compliant, but that was not for certain. Maybe her hostess was trying to make conversation the best she could considering how little she knew about the blonde.

Lucia did not take the bait on that topic. Instead she spoke about the opulent living space she was currently standing in so that she could try and buy herself some time by talking about where she was.

"This space is more luxurious than any living space I've been in before." Lucia confessed to her hostess before looking around a second time now that she had freedom of movement again.

Lucia had told the truth... she really had never been anywhere like Medeia's living quarters before. The blonde's room back at Luminous Rose Guild Hall was simply decorated, but that was by choice. At the moment her greatest luxury was her keyboard, which was a musical instrument that brought her a good amount of joy whenever she got to play it. She had not gotten to play it in awhile because she had been busy with one job or another, but that was fine because helping Luminous Rose took priority over her hobbies any day.

Lucia found herself wishing that she had her clothes back. She was not feeling too cold, but she noticed that from time to time her hostess' eyes wandered to her and she did not like that sort of attention. The Luminous Rose mage's face turned a light shade of red and her desire to get her clothing back intensified. If she could not get the whole outfit back right away she would settle for her shirt.

[Post Word Count: 458]
[Lucia's Word Count: 7,214]
[Total Word Count: 13,202]

“Mmm. It took me quite some time to acquire it all and was certainly not cheap but money is not something that I am lacking.” The angel answered with a small smile. “I have always had a fondness for purple, you see and I was determined to have as much of my personal space decorated in the lovely colour as I could.” That was somewhat of an understatement as it was the one colour that could probably be seen wherever one looked. Still, it was homely enough and Medeia had never had any complaints about her home, after all. Pretty much everything else but not that. “Half of my wardrobe is a shade of it.”

She noticed the redness of Lucia’s cheeks which was honestly quite used to at this point. It did not seem to take much to get the beautiful blonde to blush and Medeia would be lying if she said that she did not take at least a little pleasure from doing so. The Warlord could hazard a guess as to what the legal mage was thinking about and as pondered about what next to say, she would walk over to her bed, pull back the drapes and pick up a small pile of clothing. Lucia’s clothing to be specific and after thinking about it for a moment, she would say, with a touch of reluctance in her voice. “I suppose I should offer you your clothing back at this point. You have been awfully compliant so far, after all.”

Walking over to the beautiful legal mage, she would briefly brush a few locks of hair from Lucia’s face, before offering her the clothes. “Here. Put them on before Armina comes back. I am not going to have you go through that particular humiliation and she is already going to be annoyed that I untied you. Do not worry, she will not try anything, as she will find herself in a far worse situation if she does.”

Armina had seemed to have gone through a rather permanent change after her most recent regeneration, with a hatred for certain women that Medeia had never seen in her before. The Warlord was not all that fond of it quite frankly and more than once had been pushed into being rather strict with her maid. Not only was her axe wielder beaten by Leona but abducted by Nita too, which no doubt had an effect on her psyche as well.

(410 Words)
(13612 TWC)

Lucia could tell that Medeia's words about how much the furnishings cost were not an exaggeration. None of it looked like anything one could find in any big box store... Lucia wondered if Medeia had had any of the furnishings custom-made because some of it looked like they were made to a much higher standard than the average piece of furniture. Hoping that she was not violating the rules of the "game" by asking a question before answering a question, the blonde decided to take a risk and indulge her curiosity.

"I can't help but to notice how nice everything looks. Is any of the furniture hand-made?" Lucia asked her hostess before taking a third look around the room. The main color was indeed purple, but it was used in a tasteful manner and the room looked opulent instead of loud like it could have if the use of purple was not implemented carefully. The blonde thought back to Diana, who was also fond of the color. She recalled Diana once telling her that the latter liked the color because no one else in the Winchester household did, so she had claimed it as "her" color just like Melody jealously guarded her "right" to the color yellow.

"I like how you did the room. The use of purple was tastefully executed and it lends the room a certain... elegance, if that's the right word." Lucia sincerely complimented Medeia to keep the conversation going in a positive direction. When she heard that her hostess was going to return her clothing the blonde could barely conceal her joy, but she would not celebrate until she had them in her hands. That did not come until Medeia moved a section of her hair away from her face, a gesture which caused Lucia's face to turn a light shade of red because of how gently her hair had been moved.

Lucia received both her clothing and an assurance that Armina would not harass her in any way because if the latter did she would suffer a penalty for doing so. The blonde did not dare ask what exactly would happen to the other person and quickly got dressed again starting with her shirt. She slipped it on and smoothed it out before quickly putting her skirt on again. Once it was on Lucia looked over herself and felt relieved now that her undergarments were not exposed for Medeia to see.

"Thanks for giving me my clothes back." Lucia sincerely thanked her hostess for the return of her outfit. The skirt was damaged, but when compared to the alternative that was a small price to pay. She had a feeling that she would be in the Warlord's debt and that the latter would not take long to collect what she felt was owed to her, but the blonde would just have to wait and see how the conversation went.

[Post Word Count: 484]
[Lucia's Word Count: 7,698]
[Total Word Count: 14,096]

“Some of the pieces are, yes.” The angel replied, happy to reply to that particular question. “As you can probably imagine, it is not all that easy to find expert artisans in an older style such as this and it took me quite some time to come across my favoured seller. She is not a native of Fiore and I actually found her while travelling abroad. Her rates are rather high but her work is more than enough to be worth it. I know that she will always be willing to make me something if I desire it, as she has never said no yet.” Not many people did in truth.

“It is not an easy colour to work with.” She would go on to say, agreeing with Lucia’s viewpoint. “If I overdo it then the room could well become a bit of a garish eyesore. Armina tried to give advice on the matter but subtlety is not her strong suit and had I followed it then I would have had a disaster on my hands. I think it has turned out well, overall and I appreciate the compliments, my dear.” It was a pleasant change of pace and to talk about something more general was actually rather nice.

When Lucia thanked her for returning her clothes, Medeia would nod, a soft smile on her face. “Do not mention it, my dear. It is unfortunate that your skirt had to be damaged but I tried my utmost not to make it unrepairable.”

She then offered a seat to the blonde beside the fireplace, one that was rather more comfortable than the one that the witch had dropped her onto when they had arrived. It was the mirror of Medeia’s own, comfortable and plush. “Take a seat if you like, Lucia, I am willing to bet that you have had enough of rope and having to sit in your underwear for a while.”

Medeia would briefly glance out of the window, the sky still dark for the time being. As always, it was the rising of the sun that would dictate just when her time with the beautiful blonde would end. With a slight sigh, she would then perch on her own chair, appreciating the comfort it provided. She had certainly paid enough for it. “Armina will probably be back in a moment with the drinks, assuming she can remember her way back.”

(402 Words)
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Lucia patiently listened to what Medeia had to say about her furniture and the blonde could tell thanks to her special ability to discern the truth in words by watching the speaker's body language that her hostess was being honest. The blonde did not hear the name of the Warlord's preferred source, but that was only fair since Lucia did not hand out the names of her family members when asked the first few times. The blonde did not really care about how fancy her room looked so long as she could live in it, so she was not going to ask for the source of the well-made furnishings.

Lucia also heard Medeia describe the balancing act involved in using purple as the primary color in the room without going overboard and turning it into an unsightly mess. The blonde had a fondness for royal blue, but she lacked the eye of an interior decorator, so any attempt to decorate her room at the guild hall in that color was doomed to failure. She kept that to herself and focused on the issue she cared about the most, which was her clothing.

The shirt was thankfully intact and the skirt was somewhat damaged, a fact which Lucia was not happy about. However, it was exactly as Medeia had said when the damage was stated to not be so bad that the skirt was a total loss. Lucia could probably find someone with Cloth Make Magic or a similar type of magic to repair the garment and save her time and money that would have otherwise gone into looking for a replacement. After considering the fact that she could have easily been left in her undergarments for the duration of the visit the Luminous Rose mage sensibly concluded that she had gotten off pretty lightly and decided not to press the matter.

"I can live with what happened to the skirt, Medeia. I'm fairly sure it'll be an easy fix." Lucia assured her hostess that she was genuinely grateful to get the garment back despite its condition. Being reduced to sitting in her undergarments had deeply embarrassed her and she did not want to go through that again any time soon. Getting her clothing back and getting them back in wearable condition had pleased the blonde and had went a long way towards reducing her discomfort.

Lucia soon received an offer of a better seat in a good location and decided to accept to keep the mood a good one for as long as she could.

"I'll take it, thanks." Lucia accepted the offer with gratitude and moved over to the seat in question, then slowly sat down in it to avoid plopping onto it. She did not want to mistreat her hostess' furniture and she did not want her underwear to show through the tear in her skirt if it decided to move up when she descended rapidly. Once she was seated the blonde faced the Warlord before speaking.

"I'm in no hurry, Medeia." Lucia calmly remarked on the matter of the wait time for the beverages. She was telling the truth. The blonde did not want to appear to be anxious for the visit to end and risk trouble. At best she might possibly ruin the good mood and make it turn tense again. At worst Lucia could probably get punished by having her clothes taken again, being tied into the old chair again, or suffering both penalties in addition to any more punishments Medeia could come up with.

[Post Word Count: 590]
[Lucia's Word Count: 8,288]
[Total Word Count: 15,088]

Doing her best to keep the atmosphere light, Medeia would sit back and relax for a moment, waiting for the inevitable knock on the door which would no doubt soon occur. Her maid was awfully eager when it came to performing tasks although the Warlord wished that she would slow down on occasion. That was the reason why Armina was defeated so often, in the dark mage’s opinion and frankly, the woman’s issues were mostly of her own doing. She had always been the same though and despite her faults, Medeia still adored her and would not trade her for any other. There were concerns though, deep ones.

The knock soon enough came and with a light push of the door with the tray she was carrying, the six footer would make her way into the room, a smile flashed across her face. She looked a little flustered but seemed to be in a good enough mood although her smile faded a bit as she watched the situation before her. Armina could not help but notice the lack of bindings on the blonde and as she walked over and gently placed the tray down on the table between Medeia and Lucia, she asked. “Is everything all right, Mistress? Your guest seems to have escaped her bonds.”

There was a look that the Warlord gave her maid then, one that did not appear all that often. It was as if she had been insulted. “She has been a perfect guest and so I felt agreeable to untying her. That is the truth of the matter, my dear, there is no need to make a fuss. Now, please return to your duties until I need you again.”

“Yes, Mistress.” Armina answered, her expression turning a little more downcast and giving the blonde woman a rather unpleasant look before making her way out of the room.

Medeia was not amused by that behavior either and sighed. “This is what I meant when I mentioned her before. She has become so suspicious of everyone she comes across. Apologies, Lucia, for that display.”

Taking the pot closest to her, she would pour herself a cup of tea, nodding to the coffee pot that was beside the blonde woman. “Help yourself to coffee if you want it. I have no idea what blend she has made but I promise that there is nothing untoward about it. If you want proof, I shall drink some myself.”

(409 Words)
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Lucia was looking at her hostess when the person who had been summoned earlier entered the room, enabling the blonde to get a good look at her. Armina was not the only one who was being looked at... Armina looked at Lucia in return and made a comment about the blonde being free. On the outside the Luminous Rose mage was undaunted by the statement and let Medeia do the talking, but on the inside she was more than a bit concerned that the encounter with the maid was arranged to be yet another reminder of who was in control here.

Lucia did not need any arranged encounters to be aware of who was in charge. It was only by Medeia's generosity that Lucia was untied, given her clothes back, and allowed a modicum of freedom. The blonde knew that no matter what she did or how well she behaved those gifts could be revoked whenever Medeia wanted for any reason.

Despite the comfort of her surroundings a gilded cage was still a cage.

The Luminous Rose mage remained silent and let the interaction between Medeia and Armina play out. Once the purple-haired young woman had left the blonde focused on Medeia's apology and addressed it.

"It's no problem, Medeia." Lucia replied in a calm voice that was genuine without engaging on the topic of the other young woman's mental state. There was no point in panicking over what had just transpired, so she went with the flow like she had done in every challenging situation up to this point. The visit would be a lot easier on her if she did not panic or protest over every inconvenience, so Lucia did not panic or protest the latest worrying situation.

Moments later Medeia bade Lucia to partake of the coffee that had been made just for her and added the option of having her hostess drink some if the blonde doubted that it was safe to drink. Seeing that her hostess was being truthful thanks to her ability, there was no need to take such a step. Lucia picked up a cup and carefully lifted the pot of coffee, then poured a cup of her favorite drink. She lifted the drinking vessel to her lips and carefully sampled the brew that had been prepared for her.

The coffee was strong enough to possibly burn a hole in metal, which meant that it was just right for her.

"I like this coffee a lot. It's strong and it has a good taste." Lucia complimented her hostess on the quality of the beverage she was drinking. The compliment was a sincere one. Strong coffee was a hit with the blonde, an avid drinker of it since she was eight years old. Over the years Lucia had tried many blends of coffee and had yet to encounter a blend that was too strong for her to drink.

[Post Word Count: 484]
[Lucia's Word Count: 8,772]
[Total Word Count: 15,981]

“It is most definitely strong.” The witch answered with a chuckle. “I do not need slayer senses to be able to detect just how potent it is. Coffee has never been my hot drink of choice but you have my respect for being able to drink a blend as powerful as Armina’s. She always does tend to overdo it a little and most of my guests, as well as everyone else in truth, do not seem to like it all that much. I have heard a few of the employees around here say it would work well as a form of torture. Such twisted minds they have.” Medeia did not mind uttering such a thing, as it did not give much away as to just where the two were. Honestly, even if Lucia did find out just where they were, it would not be the end of the world, as it would give the Warlord an excuse to keep her. Naturally, she kept that to herself but it was an extra layer to the encounter.

“How did you come to take such a liking to coffee?” She asked, curious about just how Lucia developed her fondness for the drink. In her mind, Medeia had viewed the blonde as more of a tea drinker, given her manner but that had of course been quickly dashed when she had spotted the legal mage drinking coffee in Talonia. Come to think of it, the blend she had been drinking then had been awfully strong as well.

Falling silent, she would take a sip of tea, causing her expression to change to one of complete relaxation. Tea always had that effect on the witch and from the moment she had discovered it, she had been an avid drinker. It lacked the punch of coffee but there was a sophistication to it that Medeia adored. The fact that the Queen of Errings Rising also adored it had actually brought the two women closer together. Perhaps that was why the snow coloured hair woman had allowed her to rise through the ranks? Medeia liked to think there was more to it than that but given the mind of her Co Guildmistress, it would not surprise her.

A part of her wondered if perhaps Armina was right and that she was being a little too friendly with Lucia. Her encounters did not generally end in such a manner although when she thought about it more carefully, Lucia did not seem to need the angel as her other guests had. The blonde had managed to overcome her issues with seemingly little trouble which said a lot about her fortitude. Perhaps the blonde woman did not need to open up as those Medeia normally met did. It was a possibility, maybe Lucia was who she claimed to be, just an ordinary mage with an ordinary back story. Medeia hoped not but the longer the conversation went, the more she began to think that maybe it was the truth.

For the first time, she might have gone after a target who was truly happy with their lot in life already.

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(16501 TWC)

Lucia had consumed part of her first cup and was about to finish it when Medeia asked her a question about how she had come to be so fond of coffee. The blonde did not have to take very long to think about her answer because she already knew exactly how it had come about. Even though it was likely another "foot in the door" kind of question the blonde would answer it because it was not something that could endanger her later down the road. Besides, she needed to give something to her hostess if she wanted to keep the mood pleasant.

"My coffee habit started when I was eight years old." Lucia started off. Of course there was more to it than that and it went without saying that Medeia would get the story, but her hostess probably wanted some idea of how far the coffee habit stretched back. Now that that bit of trivia had been told it was time to cut to the chase, which would not take very long.

"When I was a child I used to ask my father for a cup of coffee like he used to drink every morning. I think I started asking when I was six, but I'm not sure. Anyway, he'd always turn me down saying that I could have one when I was older." Lucia started the story in earnest. Her father George was fond of stonewalling whenever his children asked to do something he did not want to do or asked for something he did not want to give in the hopes that if he stalled long enough they would forget about what they wanted. Unfortunately for him Lucia was not the type to forget after a few days.

"One day when I was eight years old I asked again and he finally gave up. He made a strong cup of coffee and gave it to me thinking that it'd be too strong for me to drink and I'd finally stop pestering him after trying it. He thought he was being clever, but I got the last laugh because as it turned out I actually liked strong coffee." Lucia finished the story of how she had developed a taste for strong coffee. Just like with some of Lucia's other stories it was not the most exciting tale, but it was a true one. Hopefully Medeia would be satisfied with it and get the impression that the blonde really was an ordinary mage with extraordinary magic.

[Post Word Count: 418]
[Lucia's Word Count: 9,190]
[Total Word Count: 16,919]

A chuckle escaped the witch as she listened to Lucia’s story, amused by the anecdote about her father. It sounded sweet enough that Medeia did not doubt its sincerity and gave her a little bit of information about the blonde’s father too. He did not sound like an overly pleasant man and naturally that aroused the witch’s curiosity a touch. There was a part of her that still hoped that the blonde would let slip something she could go since as it was, there was not an awful lot. All she had was a last name and the knowledge that the family was rather large. It was better than nothing, she supposed.

“I am glad that you managed to get what you wanted in the end.” She replied sincerely. “I have never quite got the appeal of, to be honest. Obviously it helps humans to stay awake and keep alert but all that caffeine must be a nightmare to deal with when it is time to sleep. It must be tough for you, given how strong you like your coffee. I am surprised you can rest at all.” Medeia knew enough about the drink to know that much and Armina was fond of a cup now and again, unfortunately for the elder angel. Whenever her maid was over-caffeinated, it meant that the witch would have to get out the heavy restraints to keep her from bouncing around the room.

Speaking of senses, there was something else about the legal mages aura that piqued the angel’s interest at that point. Medeia had been so focused on the holy aspect that she had missed another familiar aspect and that interested her enough to ask, not thinking that it was overly personal. “Are you a slayer of some description, Lucia, I can recognise its vibe from you and admit I am curious. Naturally, I am willing to admit that I am one myself and wield two lacrimas worth of god slayer magic. I find them rather fascinating as each one seems to give a delightfully unique set of powers.”

Content to simply focus on more light hearted matters at that point, Medeia would take another sip of her tea, before thinking for a moment and then adding a spoonful of sugar to it. She supposed that compared to Lucia, she was on the opposite end of the spectrum when it came to strong drinks.

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"Coffee's an acquired taste, to be honest. It's a good thing I started drinking it early. Or it might not be a good thing... like so many things it depends on where you stand on the matter." Lucia stated the truth of how she was able to not only withstand strong coffee that some would consider a test of fortitude to drink but actually like it. The coffee her father had prepared for her was weak compared to the blend her hostess had had prepared for her, but had she not started drinking the beverage at an early age it was likely the kind Medeia had offered would had knocked the blonde out of her chair. Lucia calmly took another sip of the coffee before addressing the second part of the statement.

"As far as sleeping goes, it's pretty easy when you're constantly on the go like I am. That goes double if I fight my way through the undead." Lucia stated that despite how it seemed like her affinity for strong coffee might make sleep difficult it was easier than it sounded. Her tolerance for the beverage certainly helped, but so did what she usually did after drinking it. If she sat around all day and did nothing but consume strong coffee one cup after the other she would be not be able to sit still, but the exercise gained over the course of a job tended to mitigate the worst of it. If there were no jobs to do a simple walk around the guild hall went a ways towards taking the edge off.

Lucia turned her attention to what her hostess had to say after the latter's comments about the blonde's affinity for coffee. The first part of it was a question and the second part was a statement. Medeia had asked whether or not the blonde was a "slayer" before stating that she was a mage who used that type of magic... in fact the Warlord possessed two types of "slayer" magic. Seeing no harm in discussing that subject since the cat was already out of the bag and since she was not going to fight Medeia today, Lucia took another sip of coffee before lowering her cup and answering the question.

"Yes, I'm a Slayer." Lucia calmly confirmed that the Warlord's guess was on the money. She doubted that the topic was brought up on a whim; Lucia suspected that it was a veiled warning to think twice before opposing Medeia because of the diverse and powerful magic the Warlord had at her disposal, but she had nothing solid to support that suspicion. All the blonde had was speculation that there was a hidden reason that had motivated Medeia to ask the question.

[Post Word Count: 458]
[Lucia's Word Count: 9,648]
[Total Word Count: 17,779]

Listening politely as Lucia spoke about her favourite beverage, it was difficult for Medeia not to notice the fondness in the legal mages voice. Medeia mused that it was simply something that she would never quite enjoy, as honestly the taste of it was like hot mud as far as the Warlord was concerned. It was all right though, since she always had her tea to drink instead and that did not quite have such an enormous amount of caffeine in it as what Lucia tended to drink. Besides that, Medeia was quite often mobile in the evenings anyway, especially if she had company so sleep was sometimes missed anyway. Whether it was because of her angelic nature, she was uncertain but the witch did not need as much rest as most.

“I suppose your father did something right then by introducing it to you.” Medeia eventually said, sounding just a little dismissive of the man. In truth, she was dismissive of most men but considering what she had heard so far, the Warlord was willing to bet that he had not been much use while Lucia had been growing up. The witch still dearly wished to know the details but it seemed that the legal mage was simply unwilling to divulge. Yes, Medeia had other methods of acquiring such things but honestly? She did not wish to. Lucia was simply so sweet that the angel did not wish to put her through such torment.

Taking a sip of her tea, she would hear Lucia's brief confirmation about her powers and nodded. “I thought as much. There is a particular scent that slayers give off that makes us more apparent to each other or that is what I have found at least. Feel free not to answer if you wish but would you at least tell me what type you are? I will take a guess and say that you are not a god slayer at least, as killing holy beings does not seem to be your forte.” Given what the blonde said previously about destroying the undead, maybe it was a case that she was a demon slayer.

The sky behind her was starting to light up a touch and as Medeia glanced at the ornamental clock on the mantelpiece, a small sigh would escape her. “It would appear that our deal has almost concluded and the time for me to take you home is drawing near. No need to rush our drinks though, we still have time for that.”

No doubt Lucia was happy to hear such a thing but Medeia could not help but feel a slight twinge of frustration about just how little she had managed to pry from the woman. Thinking about it though, the Warlord mused that maybe she had forgotten something. The blonde woman was awfully keen on blushing whenever the witch showed affection. Was there perhaps one last chance there?

(488 Words)
(18267 TWC)

"I'd say that while it worked out in the end, he didn't make me a cup of coffee because he wanted to bond with me. I had to all but twist his arm to get him to do it." Lucia stated about her father. George was a decent enough person, but he was not a very good father. He was either busy at work or he was busy downing a bottle of wine and he was not particularly close to any of his children, not even Lucius or Melody. While his neglect was something that Lucia did not care for she had to begrudgingly concede that at least he did not play favorites like his wife did.

When the subject of her Slayer magic came up again Lucia decided to tell Medeia what kind it was. The Warlord had already correctly deduced that she was a Slayer and had identified her type, so Lucia did not have very many secrets left to protect. Besides, protecting her family was more important than keeping secret a magic that had already been halfway revealed.

"I'm a Dragon Slayer." Lucia confessed. Since Medeia was not a dragon that magic was not going to give her any appreciable edge against the Warlord. Lucia had not encountered any dragons during her travels, so the utility of her Slayer magic was questionable. She supposed that there had to be some sort of exchange to balance out her getting Holy magic... or maybe she was meant to get the Dragon Slayer magic for a reason she did not yet understand but one that might become clear as time went on.

Lucia listened to her hostess state that their time together was nearing its end, but the blonde did not react the way she might have been expected to. She was not wanting to tempt Medeia to extend the visit by getting excited because the Warlord might be the type to get enjoyment out of giving someone hope only to take it away. She was also trying to keep the good mood going so that she might actually get out of here when the time allotted for the visit ran out. Furthermore, if Lucia got too excited Medeia might conclude that the Luminous Rose mage really was hiding a deep, dark secret and decide to extend the visit to try and find out what it was.

"You're right, Medeia. Drinks should be the priority right now." Lucia agreed with her hostess on that matter. She then drank more of her coffee. While her fondness for coffee might be unhealthy, it was a lot less harmful to her than the addiction to alcohol both of her parents had.

[Post Word Count: 448]
[Lucia's Word Count: 10,096]
[Total Word Count: 18,715]

“Mmm. I suppose some parents are better at showing their affection than others.” Medeia mused, thinking back over her own family for a moment or two. She had never particularly felt anything from her mortal ones and over on her angelic side, it had not been all that much better. Maybe that was why she had been so willing to fuse with Priya in the first place, well, that and about a hundred other reasons. Who would be stupid enough to say no to the power and wisdom that she now possessed? It had been what she had wanted since she had been old enough to read her first history book.

To hear Lucia freely admit her slayer type was rather pleasant and Medeia nodded her head. “Formidable creatures. Armina and I once faced off with one who was made of gold. It was quite the fight and neither of us came out unscathed. That was quite some time ago though and I would like to think that I have grown in power since then.” She paused briefly and added. “With the power of one of those inside you, it is no surprise that you were able to handle that Necromancer.”

Medeia would then sip at her tea once more, finding the rather pleasant atmosphere that the two women found themselves in to be quite enjoyable. There was no sign of any menace in her body language at that point and she had honestly given up on the idea of trying to intimidate her blonde guest. To be honest, it rarely ever worked anyway and more often than not, did more harm than good, making her captives more wary of her. That was not what she wanted, especially from a delightful soul like Lucia and so she was content with simply ending their time together on a positive night.

After a minute or so, she would make an offer to the legal mage, one that was perfectly genuine. “If you would like the recipe for that particular blend of coffee then I would be more than happy to have Armina provide it for you. No doubt she will be grouchy because you actually like it but I am certain that I will be able to convince her to tell me.” That was putting it mildly, no doubt her maid would pitch an actual fit that Lucia had the stomach to appreciate the ridiculously strong flavour.

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(19120 TWC)

"Perhaps." Lucia made a laconic remark on Medeia's statement... not that she knew what having an affectionate parent was like. George and Elizabeth Winchester were not the best parents because they were both addicted to alcohol and they shoved their parental responsibilities off on Lucia the moment their oldest daughter proved able and willing to handle the work. It was not like she had much of a choice; if Lucia did not take up the mantle the Winchester household would have been a lot worse off because neither "parent" had much time to cook, clean, do laundry, give basic first aid when necessary, and do the other tasks that needed doing to properly take care of eight children with unique personalities.

"I've never encountered a dragon before, but at least I have a good backup plan if my Holy magic doesn't do the job against them. Unless I encounter an undead dragon, that is." Lucia commented on her never seeing the creature out of legend and her tendency to encounter undead enemies. The blonde really had never seen a dragon in real life, only in storybooks that she used to read to her siblings when they were little. One day she might see one during her travels across Fiore, a land that seemed to boast endless opportunities to encounter strange wondrous things. Lucia had encountered a floating miniature replica of the sun in the Forgotten Deserts and had met Eyir, a floating suit of armor and guildmate with a curious personality who had nonetheless become a friend of hers.

When Lucia heard that there was a chance she would be gifted with the recipe to the coffee she was currently drinking the blonde remained calm. She was sort of excited about the idea because she really did like the coffee, but hearing that Armina would be displeased with that arrangement gave her pause. So did the idea of owing the Warlord any more than she already did, but there was a chance the offer was being made in good faith and not as a means to mire the blonde further in debt to her hostess.

Lucia took a drink of her coffee and lowered the cup before addressing her hostess.

"I'd like the recipe, please." Lucia requested of Medeia. She was not sure how Armina would react to being told that the recipe for her coffee was going to be gifted to the blonde, but she was about to find out. A small part of Lucia thought that the purple-haired young woman would have been flattered that someone liked the strong beverage enough to want the recipe, but according to Medeia that was not the case. The blonde hoped that Medeia would be able to smooth things over enough for Armina to not be too angry with her.

[Post Word Count: 468]
[Lucia's Word Count: 10,564]
[Total Word Count: 19,588]

“Then I shall do my utmost to retrieve it for you.” The angel replied, standing up and heading over to her bedside cabinet in order to find a notebook and pen. Given her fondness for the written word, she always had writing utensils nearby and after a few moments, the Warlord would find what she sought, before heading towards the door. Medeia already had a fairly good idea about how Armina was going to act but there was no chance that her maid would say no to her. The purple haired woman would never say it but she was putty in her mistresses hands.

Opening the door and calling out again, the angel would find herself face to face with her beautiful fellow angel once more.

Armina seemed to have recovered from her latest moments of anger, looking rather cheerful once more. “You called me?” She asked with a smile on her face. “Did our guest find my coffee a little too strong and is in need of aid?” Honestly, the maid looked almost giddy at the thought, her gaze trying to look past Medeia and into the room. “I am afraid that I might have outdone myself this time but I swear I did not mean anything.”

Giving Armina a shrewd look, Medeia would briefly turn to one side, allowing her maid to get a clear look at the obviously healthy legal mage behind her. “You have nothing to worry about as dear Lucia here actually quite enjoyed your particular brand of coffee. So much so that she would like the recipe so that she can brew it herself.”

The maid looked as though she had been slapped in the face at that, a massive pout forming across her features as the words registered with her. She was not a happy bunny, not at all and her fists clenched rather tightly. “She what? The recipe? I put enough coffee in there to floor an elephant and she wants the recipe?! What kind of mage is she?”

“One who likes your brand of coffee.” Medeia replied curtly, cutting off her maids tirade, a look of amusement in her lavender coloured eyes, handing the paper and pen to her maid. “Now, you will do as she asks and write down every detail about what ingredients you used and how exactly you made it. Do not skimp out on any details because she will know and so will I.” She was rather enjoying the situation to be honest as it was rather rare that her maid was humbled quite like this.

“You…But…I…” Armina spluttered, becoming more and more red in the face.

“Now.” The Warlord interjected, not needing to raise her voice in order for the word to have its desired effect.

With a sigh, the maid would take the items in hand and start to scribble, using the wall as a means of something to lean on. Her hand was shaking with rage but eventually she managed to complete the task, handing the utensils back to her mistress before uttering. “Would there be anything else, Mistress?”

“Not at the moment but once you have finished with your duties, I will have to discipline you for your bad behaviour. You will return here and wait for me. During that time, you can clean this room.” Medeia commanded softly.

Armina’s cheeks turned bright pink but she curtsied and answered before leaving. “Understood, Mistress.”

Closing the door behind her, Medeia would then return to Lucia, tearing off the piece of paper and handing it over to the blonde woman. “There you go. I hope that you enjoy the recipe and thank you for teaching my maid a lesson. She needs to be humbled from time to time.”

Feeling the sun on her back as it peaked over the mountains through the window, the angel would glance out for a moment before finishing her tea. “I suppose I should take this time to inform you about what happens now.” Medeia then said. “When it comes to where I drop you off, I will carry you wherever you wish to be taken but at least for the majority of the journey, you will have to be bound again. That is simply the way it has to be.”

Well, it did not have to be but the angel liked it as such.

(725 Words)
(20313 TWC)

To Lucia's surprise Medeia's offer was genuine and Armina was called into the room so that the recipe could be obtained. It soon became clear to the blonde that the purple-haired young woman had been expecting her brew to be so strong that the Warlord's "guest" would be in distress after taking a sip of it. However, Lucia had gotten the last laugh on Armina just like she had gotten the last laugh on her father all those years ago because the blonde had actually enjoyed the strong coffee. She did not dare show that triumph on her face because she did not want the purple-haired young woman to go after her... or for Medeia to decide to punish her for her temerity.

Lucia listened to Armina's incredulous reaction to hearing that the Luminous Rose mage had requested the recipe for the coffee and remained silent as Medeia and Armina spoke. The latter was not happy about it, but she did the Warlord's bidding. When the topic of "punishment" for the purple-haired young woman was brought up the blonde kept a straight face, but she was wondering what exactly was meant by that. Lucia thought about it for a few moments and swiftly concluded that she did not want to know any details... this was one of those cases where ignorance was bliss.

The Luminous Rose mage received the recipe from her hostess and was quick to show her gratitude.

"Thank you for the recipe, Medeia." Lucia sincerely thanked the Warlord for the gift. She then listened to the details of the travel arrangements out of this place and again kept a straight face as she experienced mixed emotions. The blonde was definitely glad to be leaving, but learning that she would be traveling while tied up for a second time made her visibly flustered.

"A-all right." Lucia laconically replied to what she had learned. She was not looking forward to being bound again, but unfortunately for her that was the only realistic way she was going to get to leave here. As long as she got to keep her clothes on Lucia could live with the unorthodox travel arrangements.

"I'd like for you to d-drop me off outside of T-t-talonia. I-if you don't mind." Lucia requested that that town be her destination in a flustered voice. She could make all the requests she wanted, but in the end it was up to Medeia if they would be carried out. In this situation the Warlord had all the power and she could do whatever she wanted, so the Luminous Rose mage had little choice but to hope Medeia was in a mood to oblige.

[Post Word Count: 444]
[Lucia's Word Count: 11,008]
[Total Word Count: 20,757]

“All right. That is perfectly fine with me. Have no fear, you will be perfectly safe and I will make sure to leave you somewhere comfortable so you can recover before heading home.” Her words were a hundred percent genuine on that occasion as the witch considered it somewhat of a duty to make sure that her guests returned home safely. Honestly, she did not feel the slightest hint of contempt or irritation towards the blonde woman and indeed hoped that she would not lose that sweetness that enticed that Warlord so much.

It was with that particular thought in mind that she would approach the blonde’s chair, unable to fully contain herself any longer. The legal mage’s latest stuttering had pushed her beyond the point of adorable in the eyes of the witch and with their time drawing to a close, now would probably be the last chance that she got to play out one particular fantasy that was lodged in her imagination. Gently, she would take the cup from the blonde and place it softly on the table, before leaning down towards the blonde and attempting to capture her lips with her own.

Her kiss was in no way invasive or aggressive and it could not have been any softer in truth. It was simply a sign of the affection that she honestly felt towards the blonde, hoping beyond hope that Lucia would finally come to understand that there were genuine feelings somewhere within the dark mage. She could taste the coffee but was able to put that to one side, instead simply appreciating the simple bliss of such a sign of affection. Medeia had no idea if the legal mage was even interested in women but that mattered not to the angel.

Despite the gentle demeanor of the woman before her, Lucia had proven herself to be a rather steadfast character and had handled Medeia’s questioning awfully well. It was rare that she was unable to get anything from her guests in terms of their background but Lucia had achieved that feat. The witch was still in the dark but she did not honestly mind that at the moment. Lucia had been pleasant company and that was not something that she could say about all those she had brought here. Sometimes she had to crack the whip to get any joy out of the meeting, which was not something that she always liked to do.

(408 Words)
(21165 TWC)

Lucia heard Medeia agree to her request and saw through her ability to read body language that Medeia was being completely honest. The blonde was pleased to see that, but her happiness was quickly replaced by concern as the Warlord rose from her seat and started walking towards her. Lucia was apprehensive about what was going to happen because she was not sure if she was going to be tied up right away or if some new demand was going to be made of her in exchange for being dropped off near Talonia. The blonde watched Medeia gently remove the coffee cup from her hands and Lucia did nothing to resist the dark-haired mage partially because she was caught off guard by the audacity of that action.

The cup was carefully relocated to the table and Lucia remained where she was as Medeia's lips met her own. Lucia was too stunned to do anything about it and let the kiss happen. Her face turned bright red and she was at a total loss for words as she looked her hostess in the eyes. She had never experienced anything like that before and had a hard time saying anything until almost a minute later when she could finally think clearly again.

"W-w-why did you d-do that?" Lucia finally stuttered a question to her hostess after an awkward silence. It might be the wrong question for her to ask in this situation, but she really wanted to know why she had been kissed. She was not complaining, though. It had been a lot softer than expected and it felt like Medeia had a degree of fondness for her instead of just seeing her as an overvalued prize. Lucia could be wrong, though.

"S-sorry. I wasn't trying to be r-rude. I wasn't expecting you to d-do that, that's all." Lucia stuttered an apology for her response to being kissed. She was not playing the modest maiden to hide a secret like actually having a significant other or being secretly attracted to the Warlord. She really was that modest and that surprised.

[Post Word Count: 348]
[Lucia's Word Count: 11,356]
[Total Word Count: 21,513]

“There is no need to be sorry and it is me who should be apologising for doing it on the spur of the moment like that.” The Warlord replied with a soft smile. “To be honest, it is something that I have wanted to do since I met you and now that the time has come to part, I realised that if I did not now, I might never get the chance again. I know that it is difficult for you to believe anything I say but if there is one thing that you can take from this, it is that I am fond of you. What I said about your sweet nature were not idle words and I meant every one. You are a kind and gentle soul, one that I hope will never be corrupted by what is an incredibly unpleasant world.”

Gently, she would pick up Lucia’s cup and return it to the legal mage that she could finish her drink. “Here. Finish your drink now before I take you back to Talonia. The trip will take awhile but I can always use the same spell that I did when I brought you here. I do not believe that I mentioned it before but I used a sleep spell on you as we travelled. I have found that most of my guests prefer it that way and it does no harm. You sleep like an angel, Lucia and you mutter when you dream, quite adorable.”

Medeia knew that she was piling on the compliments a tad thick but honestly, Lucia was one of the sweetest mages that she had ever met. The Warlord was obviously a villain in the eyes of many and she had performed acts that were most definitely deserving but that did not mean that she could not rein in her more carnal instincts at times. It was all about the mood and that night, hers had been rather good, thanks to the blonde haired mage before her.

(334 Words)
(21847 TWC)

Lucia had expected Medeia to admonish her for the tone of the question and perhaps even punish her in some way, but to her surprise the Warlord was not upset by the tone. Instead the latter apologized to Lucia for the sudden show of affection and asserted that the blonde was special because of her nature, which was once again described as "sweet." The blonde blushed again because she could see from Medeia's body language that the latter was not buttering her up but was being sincere with that praise.

"I... I don't know what to s-say to that. Except thanks. Thanks for the compliments." Lucia offered a response that was not very fluid but was still truthful. She received her cup of coffee back and was instructed to finish it before they departed for Talonia. Next came an offer to use the same spell that had made Lucia unaware of the trip to this place, which was revealed to be a spell that put the target to sleep. She was not bothered by that so much as being told by the Warlord about her habit of muttering while asleep. That caused her to blush again because she never knew she did that.

"S-sorry about that. I hope that muttering wasn't too awkward for you." Lucia meekly apologized for that habit. She then took the cup of coffee into both hands and began to finish her beverage at a careful pace so that she did not appear desperate to leave. Once it was finished she gently set the empty cup down, then grabbed the paper with the coffee recipe she had been gifted and held onto it so that it would not be left behind when she was transported back to Talonia.

"I'm r-ready when you are, M-medeia. And please use the sleep s-spell again, if you w-would." Lucia informed her hostess that she was ready to be transported whenever the Warlord was ready and requested that the spell be used again so that she would spend the trip in as much comfort as the awkward travel arrangement would permit.

[Post Word Count: 350]
[Lucia's Word Count: 11,706]
[Total Word Count: 22,197]