Blood & Carrots - Memoirs Ep. 03

The term "power couple" gets tossed around a lot, but I can't think of a more apt two than the ones in this episode. I think this might be one of the more romantic and cute episodes I've written in this series and I'm 100 here for it!

Romantic and cute doesn't mean it's now lewd though! I'm not gonna lay the spoilers on too thick here, let's just get to it and see what you think, yeah?

Let's jump right in!

I stepped down out of the gate onto the hewn stone of Triallia's throne room. The fox spirit had requested my presence but made it explicitly clear it was not in any formal capacity. In fact, she said I should dress in something that would be 'frolic' worthy.

Originally, I was going to just wear boots and jeans, but Alice wouldn't have it. She told me I needed to wear something cute and sexy for my first date with Triallia. Was it a date? The Ninetails said nothing about that, however, I wasn't stupid and she had expressed obvious interest.

So there I stood in probably the most feminine thing I'd worn in years. A prismatic flowing skirt of light colors, the fabric soft and wavy coming down to my knees. The top was a short-sleeved minty green color that clung a little tighter to my breasts than I'd liked, as well as making a deep v-shaped cut to show the swells of my cleavage, it was also just short enough that I couldn't get that gap between my skirt and top to fully close, so it constantly showed my midriff. I had a shawl thrown around my shoulder of the same color as my skirt, the outfit finished off with some minty-colored knee-high stockings that rose up out of the sneakers I wore.

Triallia was already standing before me several paces away as if she had sensed the gate opening. She wore robes like she always did but these were different. They weren't as formal or battle-ready. They were beautiful but functional, like an elegant summer-style yukata you'd see from the eastern side of the world.

The fae was right about my height so she was at eye level, but I still couldn't help but look down slightly, seeing I wasn't the only one showing off cleavage today. The little fox actually did bring more than I thought she did up there, the robes parted down her shoulders just enough to offer a nice view of the shapely swell of her breasts under a thin coat of mint-colored fur. The robes parted at one side, giving me a good look at one leg that was fully exposed, moving all the way up her thigh before her hip disappeared into the silk once more.

I wasn't crass enough to gawk though and quickly returned to her eyes, they weren't as green as they were the last time I saw her, more of a yellowish tint coming through. She showed her sharp teeth in an amused grin as if she already sensed my confusion.

"Thank you for coming, Lorelai." She stepped forward, her footpaws bare, and presented me with a single blue flower, a type that wasn't of the mundane realm I was sure. The nearest I could describe it would be if you combined the traits of a rose with a daisy. The petals spread out but then started to curl up slightly in a twist as if starting to fold upwards as a rose would.

"Ah..." I couldn't really form any words in that moment, it was such an earnest almost child-like gesture of affection, like giving one of the kits on the playground a flower you really liked. I took it and gazed upon it, a smile showing on my lips before I tucked the flower into my hair, letting the base of it rest in the curl of one of my horns.

Triallia looked my outfit over and gave an approving nod. "Yes, I think that is appropriate for our rendezvous." The Ninetails offered her paw to me and I blinked as I stared for a moment before moving to clasp it. Her grip was very warm and the pads on her fingers felt soft to the touch, I have to admit it felt nice to hold it.

I kind of felt silly, I could feel my cheeks flushing, my heart pacing up even though it obviously didn't need to beat. Actually, that wasn't quite true. Once all was said and done, between Alice and the ancient blood, I had a mish-mash of so many energies in me, that just like Alice, I couldn't halt my heart fully. I'm sure it was like that for all the others that regularly laid with her.

She gave me a bashful grin and I couldn't see her cheeks through the fur, but I was sure she was blushing as well. I cleared my throat as I gripped her paw a little harder before stepping closer. "Triallia... this was not what I expected."

Her teeth showed and I watched her mass of tails roll behind her. "What did you expect, Lorelai?"

"I don't know... you to pounce on me, or maybe to pick a fight right out of the gate? Just... not this?" I held my hand up where we were holding grips, then I bleated out and huffed as I felt her grip weaken, squeezing her paw to keep hold of it, "Ah! N-Not that I'm complaining!"

She blinked a few times then gave me a small smile before moving in and bumping her muzzle to my lips in a quick kiss, she had to tilt her head to the side to do it which made it even more endearing. "They are normally yellow, they are only green during spring. As the season wanes, they slowly return to their natural state. Not unlike how your brown eyes will return if you are not channeling power."

I nod as she answers the question I never asked, then I gave a little huff before shaking my head. "Ah... anyway, what's the plan? Why did you ask me to dress for frolicking?" I stammered out, still recovering from the quick kiss.

Triallia smiled as she saw me finally rein things in and squeezed my hand with her paw. "Sarnai mentioned you expressed to see some of the Faemarch!" She stepped closer and linked her arm with mine, drawing our bodies closer. "May I be a guide and give you a brief tour of some of the sights?"

My cheeks darkened as my vixen had recalled my casual statement during our trip to gather the summer shard of power. I looked away, thinking about the situation. So much of my life was fraught with combat, council affairs, and sex. Even me and Diana, or Gloria as it is now, we threw ourselves straight into the sex, but Triallia was courting me. I looked up and parted my lips but she seemed to already know what was on my mind.

"No, I and Alice got straight to it," She tilted her head, clicking her tongue as she spoke.

"Then, why me?" I felt us in motion as she already had a gate open, the air coming from it icy cold.

"Because you are different. I want us to be different," her words came out pointedly as we stepped through, a biting cold breeze on my face, helping to cool the heat in my cheeks. She didn't seem the least bit off at walking barepawed in the snow as she led me.

"Us? Is there an Us, Trillia? You know I'm grateful for everything you've done and-"

"Pardon me, a potential future us, Lorelai. Alice loves hard and fast, you do not, but I suppose..." She looked away with a huff, as if choosing her words. We fell into silence for several moments as we walked in the snow, the trees and landscape glittering with snow but surprisingly, there was lots of flora too. Several flowers, some looking like intricate glass pieces, others like hearty brambles, I also realized we had flowers sprouting up behind us in her wake, little crystal blooms popping out of the snow in the pawprints she made.

"Do you remember when I said I'd kill you if you didn't put it all in?" She tilted her muzzle as we kept walking.

"How could I not, you had that huge ass sword at my gullet," I responded dryly

She gave me an awkward smile. "A gentle prod, nothing more, I knew you would rise to it, I felt it in my soul, please believe that, Lorelai."

"I understand, and again, I'm thankful for the advice, I obviously needed the push, so I'll not resent you, besides... I gave you as good as I got once we started going." I pushed against her playfully while we held hand to paw.

"Hmm... that you did, Lorelai." She showed me a grin as we came to the crest of the hill, overlooking a massive valley. There were small lakes doting the area, miles of terrain outstretched, all of it sparkling like glitter in the light.

"These are eight lakes of Halenfeir, the story is a great whale the size of an island sprang forth from the ocean, sailing through the air before punching a hole into the crust of the earth, water filling it in before it leap forth again and again, but on the ninth, it collapsed dead and became the mountain you see to the west, mount Shaleighne."

I smirked at the tale but then again, this was the Faemarch, perhaps it was actually possible. "Well, I'm sure the place smelled like dead fish for a while, but I won't deny the results are impressive."

Triallia lifted her ears and gave a bark of a laugh at my commentary before summoning another gate, this one a little warmer thankfully. "You'll excuse me if we move along, my footpaws are getting numb."

"Of course." I tugged her into motion myself to pull her from the snow. We arrived in what I only could assume was the autumn realm, several of the flora looking as if ready to shed leaves or flower petals, giving off brilliant hues of yellow, orange, and red.

Triallia kicked the snow off her footpaws for a moment, taking a second to wiggle her padded-toes before giving a resolute huff. "Let us continue."

"Yes, lets... you seemed like you were hanging on words back there, Triallia. What did you want to say?" I prodded and halted my feet after several strides, keeping a grip on her paw. She jerked to a halt as she saw I wouldn't keep moving, then looked back at me, frowning before looking away.

"Come on... is it that bad? You've been tossing around in the sheets with Alice for what, a month now?" I released her paw, putting both of my hands on my hips now, frowning at the Great Spirit.

She blinked at her open paw, the look saying she keenly missed the grip of my hand. Her yellow-green eyes jerked back up to mine and hardened before she rolled her tails. "Alice approached me, and when I spoke as I did, of you and Ryder coming to celebrate, it was bravado. I have not... pursued another of my own volition in centuries, several to be in fact, perhaps even a millennium or longer."

"And now you pursue me?" I tilted my head, trying to offer her a smile to keep the situation less tense.

"I do." She gave me a strong gaze and I watched her paws curl into small fists.

"Why?" I tilted my head curiously.

She scowled and whipped her tails around in a mass of rolling fluff. "Tsk... if I tell you earnestly, you must swear to not laugh or chastise me, Lorelai!"

I grinned and pushed my hand up into my hair, careful to not disturb the flower she had given me. "Come now, Triallia, you should know I'd not-"

"Swear it!" She barked out sounding surprisingly childish as she hardened her gaze at me, the words growled.

My eyes rolled as I shook my head. "I swear not to laugh or chastise you, so spit it out."

She gave me a cute nod and grabbed my hands with her paws. I bleated out slightly as she stepped right up to me and glared hard into my eyes. "That moment, the moment you focused when I saw your eyes clear. When I saw you go from just being mad with power, to a ewe with a cause. I felt it, in my very soul. I fell in love with you, Lorelai!"

I bleated out again but didn't jerk from her grasp, my teeth showing and my eyes flushing as red as my cheeks were probably looking. "Love?! N-Now wait a second here, it took me years to tell Ryder or Alice I loved them!"

"Ah- I... I am not asking you to love me back, I am simply expressing my feelings, so..." She huffed out and released my hands to spread her paws. "I wanted to take you on a date, that is what Alice said I should do to show I love you! She said if you like someone, really like them, don't just fuck them, take them on a date and then fuck them!"

I couldn't help but crack a grin at that, pushing a hand through my locks once more as I shook my head. "That... is very much an Alice way of thinking, I've got to admit."

Triallia stepped back, clenching her fist again and I heard the gulp in her throat before her ears drooped. "So..."

My sharp teeth flashed at her cute demeanor and I moved to link her arm with my own, tangling my fingers into her own padded ones once more, my other hand pushed outward. "So finish showing me around, you're not cutting the date short, are you?"

Triallia perked her ears up and I felt her squeeze my hand with her paw before she composed herself. I watched her chin lift once more, regaining some of her smug air, though her tails wouldn't stop wagging. "Yes, of course!"

She started walking again and I let her lead, both of us arm in arm. I'll admit, it was rather romantic and the innocent feelings she presented were quite endearing. I'd of course, not be spouting off confessions of love today, but I received her feelings clearly, or so I thought.

"This is one of the highlights of the autumn regions of the land, you see the leaves and petals are in a constant state of fragility, even if they break free, a new one will quickly grow, bloom, and turn to the state of withering within heartbeats. Of course, the leaves will spark into flame to quickly burn away, as otherwise the whole region would be buried rather rapidly."

"That stands to reason, I suppose, given what the state of things is." I gave a nod of understanding.

She nodded back as we slowly came to a cliffside that once again looked over a large swath of land and I blinked my eyes wide, gapping my jaws a bit in awe. It was just one massive sea of trees, but the way they swayed, there was a torrent of constant wind that swept over them.

Large plumes of leaves and petals were scooped up by the gales, lifted high in the air where they sparked into flames and vanished, then a wave of green ran through the forest, the blooms seeming to all regenerate rapidly and turn back to the duller colors, then another gust would come along shortly after and repeat the process. It created a cycle of flames and bursts of colors that seemed to sweep through the whole valley.

"Gods above, that is a wondrous sight! I- I've never seen something like that, nor would I ever imagine it so..." I whispered the words, staring in awe upon the whole thing for several moments.

"Yes, like all things in life, once you are used to it, it becomes a very normal occurrence, but... it appears different to me as well now, perhaps because I share it with you?" She cut her eyes to me and I looked to her own, offering her grin before leaning down to cup her muzzle, drawing her to look upon me.

Triallia gave me a small grin, her tails rolling as I tilted my head this time and offered her a kiss, a deeper one than what she offered me. My lips parted and her tongue came forth as mine did. We shared a deep if not new kiss, after all her muzzle made it tricky, but we did alright for our first passionate kiss I'd like to think.

Once I pulled away she gave me a wide-eyed grin, like a little girl that had just gotten her favorite treat. Once again her earnest emotions and happiness just melted my heart. I think this is why she was so powerful and fierce as a warrior. She bore her emotions like a little pup, and what is purer but also simultaneously as vicious as an innocent child? They can be the kindest souls and the cruelest monsters depending on their motivation.

She tilted her head curiously at my gaze, then spoke out pointedly. "Lorelai, you look lost in thought, are you perhaps contemplating if you also love me?" She showed her teeth in another grin and I couldn't help but giggle at the statement.

"Perhaps I am, what's next?" I took one last look at the leaf firestorm before she pulled me through another gate.

Now, this was an area I was used to seeing. I'd been in summer before. I suppose I'd technically been in winter before as well, though that was mostly a blitzkrieg of fighting then back to spring.

We stepped forward on the sands of a beach that overlooked a vast wide sea. There were odd trees that could be mistaken for palms, but they had tendril-like growth as if a weeping willow, yet on the end of each of those were some sort of blue fruit. Triallia pointed at the trees as she spoke, "These are Herelli trees, they are only native to the summer regions. They bare a fruit that is disgusting to eat, but highly nourishing."

I wrinkled my nose and grinned. "I think I'll stick with my standard diet."

She offered me a grin, then spread her free paw out before the sea. "This is the ocean of Idleschilette. It is a massive sea that acts as a natural barrier between the four realms. There's also an archipelago with several islands near the center of it."

"Sounds like something Sarnai would love to see," I called out conversationally.

"Indeed! I have told her she is welcome to bring herself and the one known as Katrina if she'd ever enjoy sailing some unknown waters again. Well, unknown to her as it were."

"That's very kind of you, Triallia. Do you harbor no ill will over what transpired between those two and Elias?" I tilted my head curiously.

"I, of course, did not enjoy being humbled, who does? I am no child though, Lorelai and I try to learn from the lessons that are put before me," She spoke with a shrug then continued, "No, that was unfortunate but it was resolved. Your sisters and brother are quite formidable and I'd quite enjoy sparring with them sometime, but I hold no ill resentment for any involved, not even my siblings now that I have the ability to keep them in check."

"I'm glad to hear that. You're a good fox, Triallia." I felt her push a little closer, her tails wagging as we stared upon the ocean, the Faemarch's own sunlight glittering off the waves.

It was nice, I never thought I'd see sunlit things again outside of pictures or television, but to know we were safe in the light here, and to a degree even in the citadel. I smiled and drank in the moment, then I looked over at the fox clinging to my arm, she looked back at me, those large ears perking, the tails rolling about. She looked so innocent and cute, her face taking on all the ranges of emotion I'd see from any other being.

She blinked a few times, realizing I was staring intently and averted her eyes. "Lorelai... you give me such a look, it puts butterflies in my stomach," She growled the words quietly and I pulled her closer.

"Like my sister, I also love the sea. I'm very grateful for this time with you, and I have a request of you, Triallia."

As I mentioned a request her ears perked right up. "Name it."

"Can we do this again sometime during the night hours? I do quite enjoy seeing things from the view of moonlight as well."

She nodded several times and barked out, "Of course, we can do it tonight if you wish! It will be a bright moon, so viewing should be splendid." She gave me a cocky grin and wagged her tails. "Heh... let me give you some interesting information, Lorelai. I thought you might request as much, so I tried to time your visit to coincide with the lunar cycle, so I could show you things in both ways!"

I lifted my drooped ears, impressed as I gave a nod. "I'm flattered you were so thoughtful for me, truly."

Triallia growled as she stepped before me and pushed her muzzle under my chin, rubbing under it, marking me with her scent as her tails rolled. I shivered at the gesture, then huffed out as she gave my cheek a lap of her tongue, blinking up at me. "Now I wish to make a request."

"What is it, Triallia?" I grinned and tilted my head.

"If I use my glamor to appear as mundane, will you take me out on some dates as well in the mundane realm? I'd like to see it, but... I want to see it with you!" She barked out and I could swear I saw the blush under her cheek fur.