Amelia Thornheart

Chapter Twenty: Two Girlfriends And Many Drinks

The door swung shut behind them - leaving them in silence - staring at the bed whose very existence made Amelia’s heart race. Amelia cast an eye sideways to see Serena with a nervous expression on her face. The demon was chewing her lips.

“Well!” Amelia exclaimed as cheerfully as she could. “It looks very… cosy, doesn’t it?”

“I will return to reception. Have them bring another bed,” said Serena, turning to the door. Amelia intercepted her, throwing her arms wide and blocking her passage.

“You can’t!” Amelia cried, “We’ve already imposed so much on Mister Weng! We can’t bother him any more!”

“We’re paying customers; it’s his job to be bothered.” Serena crossed her arms and tried to look stern, although her flushed cheeks somewhat spoiled the act.

“It’s the last room, Mister Weng must be very busy running a full establishment! We can bother him tomorrow!” Amelia wasn’t going to let this gift from the gods go unused. This was something to fight over!

“Don’t be silly. We’re Speakers. It’s probably an oversight. They’ll be delighted to fix it…” Serena trailed off slightly at the end, the conviction in her voice fading, which was all Amelia needed to go on the attack.

“It’s not a problem, so it doesn’t need to be fixed! Right!?”

“W-what are you suggesting!? We sleep together!?” Serena’s cheeks had gone fully red, and her voice was wavering. Now was the time to be strong, to strike the finishing blows!

“Of course! We like each other, don’t we!? And besides…” Amelia puffed her cheeks out and shuffled her feet while trying to maximise her cute appearance. “... When you hold me, I feel so warm and safe. Like nothing could ever hurt me…”

A critical strike! Serena took a half-step back and her right hand went to her chest. “Y-you… you… ah!” It was all too much for Serena and she turned away from Amelia. “You can’t say such shameless things so easily!” Serena seemed to find her voice when she wasn’t looking directly at her.

Amelia took the chance and shuffled up behind her. “Can I… put my arms around you?” She asked quietly.

“Why?”

“Do I need a reason to embrace the person I like? Mmm?” Serena was quiet for a few seconds before the whispered response came.

“Do… as you like…”

Amelia slipped her arms around Serena’s waist. Unfortunately, the captain’s outfit prevented her from being as close as she wanted, but this level of intimacy was still satisfying. Serena was just a bit too tall for her to rest her chin on her shoulder, so she turned her head to the side and rested her cheek against Serena's upper back.

“I’m sorry if I pushed things too fast…” Amelia whispered, squeezing Serena a little. “I just, really, really like you. I think I have from the moment we first met. Not just romantically… but physically as well.” Oh my, it was so much easier to say embarrassing things in this position! She would have to make this a habit.

“The thought of cuddling with you makes me so happy, and we can’t exactly do it in the hammocks on the ship, right? So I want to make the most of it while we can. That’s all I want! Just cuddling! We don’t have to do anything else…” She was blabbering now, “... but if we could kiss some more that would be perfect, if you’re still, you know… into me…”

Serena let out an audible sigh. “You really don’t know when to stop, do you?” the demon said. Amelia felt Serena place her hands on her own.

“No! And I don’t want to stop!” Amelia gave Serena another squeeze.

“It’s just… there’s supposed to be a period of courting. Because I’m a Lord-prospect, and daughter of a Highlord. At least, um… three moons, I believe it was? It’s supposed to take time, so the two families can iron out any problems…”

“But, I don’t have any family, in this world or the other one. It’s just me!” Amelia exclaimed, trying not to let the atmosphere drop too much. “I don’t think anybody did courting where I’m from. We just went on dates and got to know each other!"

“Dates?”

“Like going out and doing something together - eating a meal, watching a play - something like that.”

Serena pried Amelia’s arms off and turned to face her. The demon was smiling, and coupled with the flush cheeks and crimson eyes, Amelia once again found herself taken back by how attracted she was to Serena.

“We can do that…” Serena said, holding hands with Amelia, interlocking their fingers. “I just want you to understand that… same-sex relationships are frowned upon. The Holy Demon Bible, of which the Empress herself compiled from the ancient scripture, strongly discourages them.”

“Why?”

“Well,” Serena suddenly looked bashful, “The scripture has a heavy emphasis of… multiplying demonkind, and I guess us being two women would make that… difficult.” Serena closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them.

“Okay, but that won’t stop us from trying, right?” Another critical blow! Serena released their hands and pulled Amelia into a tight embrace. The demon sure did give great hugs!

“Stupid idiot,” Serena said, ruffling her golden hair. “I can’t look at you when you say such awfully forward things, idiot!” Amelia had her cheeks pressed against Serena’s collar, which meant if she rotated her head just a little she was in the perfect position too…

“I’m sorry,” Amelia said, giving Serena a small kiss on the neck. “There must be something wrong with me, because I’m actually addicted to making you flustered.” Another peck against the skin. “I must be a pervert or something because I love seeing that stern captain act break down. It honestly excites me…” Another kiss.

“This is going to be so much trouble…” Serena mumbled, pulling Amelia off and looking into her eyes. The demon placed one hand on Amelia’s waist and another behind her head and, like before, pulled their lips together.

“Mmm”

“Ahh”

“Mmm”

“Ow!”

“Sorry!” Amelia exclaimed, pulling away. “I wasn’t expecting your tongue!” She giggled at the annoyed-looking demon. “See,” Amelia said, “It’s much easier to look at each other if we keep doing things like this, right!?”

“Tsk! That logic is…” Serena paused, rolling her eyes. “I suppose it makes some sense.” Serena placed a hand on each of Amelia’s shoulders. “Look, our relationship isn’t illegal. But there are many who would be opposed. My father included. He’s-” Serena was cut off as Amelia pulled her into hug.

“You said our relationship!” Amelia exclaimed before looking into those crimson eyes. “So we’re definitely dating or courting or whatever? You’re my girlfriend? I can call you that?”

“I… suppose so.”

“Serena Halen,” Amelia said, grinning wildly, “My girlfriend!”. She tilted her head and gave Serena a kiss on the cheeks. “So what’s this about our relationship? People aren’t going to throw rocks at us or anything?”

“Uh, no,” Serena’s eyes narrowed. “And if they did, I’d collect those hands and decorate the ship with them.” Those crimson eyes didn’t seem to be joking. “The point is, I won’t deny we’re… together if I’m directly asked. I won’t disrespect either you or myself by pretending otherwise. It’s just that we should avoid public displays of affection. Such things are unbecoming of nobility, and double so that I’m a Speaker, and triple so that I’m a commissioned officer.”

“Alright, that makes sense. I won’t go screaming about it from the rooftops then, even if I want to!”

“Thank you,” Serena looked relieved. “Even when it does become known, whether as an open secret or formally announced - we would still be immune from most public criticism as we are, after all, two powerful Speakers. But you will hear things said behind our backs. Most people aren’t quite aware of how good a Speaker’s hearing is. Some of the more… passionate people will use rather… unkind words when they think you cannot hear them.”

“And I should, what? Let them be?” Amelia frowned. She didn’t want to go around starting fights and picking battles all the time, but it felt wrong to just… let it happen.

“If things are said behind your back, best to report it back to me, and we can start figuring out our allies and enemies. If it’s said to your face…” Serena sighed. “I know you don’t like fighting, but if you break a few noses when it happens, it’ll stop it from continuing. As long as you don’t break another Speaker’s nose, it's unlikely it’ll cause any real problems. You are a Speaker after all, and once you’ve been granted citizenship, you’ll have the Speaker’s Privilege. You’ll be permitted to take the law into your own hands, to an extent.”

“Insulting a Speaker is against the law?”

“To a small degree. Speakers have a right to seek retribution against a slight against them. It’s an old law but still used today. Think about it, Speakers are worthy of divine communion with the gods. Society treats us a step higher than others, for the gods themselves have sanctioned and chosen us. You will also have the right to fine people up to ten denarii if they cause you problems, although don’t use that against any nobility.”

Well, the more Serena told her about Speakers, the more excited Amelia became! “When will I become a citizen?” She asked.

“There’s an old friend of mine from the academy here in Kenhoro. His name is Aiden Adachi and he was sent by Centralis Intelligence to do a personality profile on you. You’re supposed to meet him during the festival. Although…” Serena looked thoughtful, “We might as well meet him earlier, given the drama that just transpired.”

“Personality profile?”

“Yes. He’ll be chatting with you and making a report on your temperament and other personality traits. It’s mostly to make sure you’re not crazy, which you obviously are-”

“Hey!”

“Well, crazy in bad ways. Obviously, you’re crazy about me, right?” Serena gave her a smile bordering on arrogance. Where had this demon gotten this confidence? Well, Amelia couldn’t refute it. Serena was correct after all, Amelia was crazy about her.

“Fine, fine. So if I pass this test, they make me a citizen?”

“An offer will be made. Honestly, I can’t see why they wouldn’t. They’ll probably make it either before we leave Kenhoro or shortly after we see my father in Shimashina.”

“Your father… he’s a Highlord, right?” Amelia asked, remembering the comment from Highlord Ru from earlier.

“That’s right. Highlord Halen would be his title.”

“So, do you rule over…” Amelia spread her arms wide, “loads of territory of something?” Serena shook her head.

“Not quite; remember how I told your Highlords can be put in charge of important areas, like a port or important industries? We have some estates sprinkled about, but it’s industry which made my father into a Highlord.”

“Industry… what do you do?”

“We, uh…” Serena looked at Amelia, a touch of worry in her eyes. “We make shells.”

“Shells?”

“Munitions. Gun barrels. Explosives,” Serena clenched her jaw, “Weapons of war. This conflict has propelled House Halen’s wealth. It’s what made father a Highlord, and will soon likely be what confers me full Cascasdian Lordship.” Serena swallowed nervously. “Does that… bother you? It bothers many people…”

“I… don’t know,” Amelia said honestly. Did it bother her? “Maybe. I think so? But…” She added as Serena’s face fell. “Don’t think for a second this changes how I feel about you!” Amelia darted in, giving her another kiss on the cheek. “I don’t care what people say about you because I,” Amelia motioned to herself with a thumb, “I know what a beautiful, caring, and easily flustered demon you really are! I’m with you till the end!”

“... Thank you. That was something that I was worried about. It means a lot… for you to say that.” Serena ruffled her golden hair a bit, the demon’s face returning to that familiar sly smile.

“Not a problem! So… what should we do now? I don’t want to be cooped up all day! Is there a washroom here?” Amelia examined the room and found there was a sliding door that revealed a modest room that looked like a washroom. There was a bamboo tub and an array of bamboo tubes that poked out the walls. At first look, it was very confusing.

“This is a traditional Manwese set-up. The bamboo is used to carry water from a stream or lake into the homes of the citizens. In this case I imagine there’s a water tank somewhere which is pumped full from a steam engine. Here,” Serena rotated a part of one of the bamboo pieces, and suddenly cold water came raining from the bamboo tube above the tub. The end of it had been carved to work like a shower head, sprinkling the water down. “This is for cold water, and this one is for hot water. You can adjust it as needed. Look, they have soap here, as well as skin scrubs.” Serena started opening a few cabinets and chests. “Here’s the towels.”

Ah! It was all so old fashioned but also so practical and cool! Amelia flashed Serena a grin. “I’m so happy!” She exclaimed. Serena looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Over some towels?”

“No, all of this!” Amelia gestured to the room. “It’s so… cultured! All I remember is washrooms of bland ceramic and chrome metal. This is like being on holiday! I’m just so happy I get to experience this! And with you!”

“Don’t push your luck,” Serena said with a smile, “I’m not getting in with you, not yet.”

“I meant experiencing everything, the whole world, with you!”

“I know what you meant, idiot.”

Serena turned, showing Amelia something on the door. “This is the latch, it works like this, see? Although I’m not going to be barging in on you, don’t you worry.”

“I wish you would,” Amelia said, not being able to resist sticking her tongue out.

“Idiot. Anyway, I’m going to the reception. I need to send a message to Tomes, to update him on everything. I think this inn should be able to provide me with a change of clothes. I need to get out of this captain's uniform. If someone comes in, then throw the soap at them or something, I imagine you can throw hard enough to put a hole in someone,” an amused smile crept up Serena’s face, “Then we can go get something to eat, although I don’t feel that hungry…”

“That’s Aseco’s healing. It helps stave off hunger. But I think it’s still good to eat when you can!”

“Alright,” Serena nodded. “I’ll introduce you to some local cuisine. I’ll get us some menus and make sure their kitchen it still open.”

“Okay, thanks!” Amelia started unbuttoning her top, and as she began removing the articles of clothing, she saw Serena still hadn’t left and was watching her silently. “You want to stay, after all?” Amelia said, giving Serena a twirl.

“Empress, save me from this crazy human…” Serena muttered, before taking one final look and leaving the washroom, shutting the door behind her. Amelia heard her mutter to herself to focus before hearing her open the main door and head towards reception.

“Serena Halen, my girlfriend!” Amelia said to herself as she finished undressing. Every time she said those words her heart leapt with joy. “My girlfriend. My girlfriend. Ahhhh!” She brought both hands to her cheeks, wobbling on the spot in barely contained ecstasy.

It took her a while to find the right balance of hot and cold water that felt perfect. Her resistances were strong enough that she could probably handle swimming in magma, or being frozen in ice, but that didn’t stop the existence of the perfect ratio of cold and hot water for a shower.

After she was satisfied with the water, she climbed in and let the water fall on her head. Her first shower since coming to this world! The washroom in the captain’s quarters was only a tub with a towel to help wipe down the body. But this was a proper shower! Amelia moaned in satisfaction at the experience.

She examined the soaps one after another. They were all smells completely new to her although some of them smelled suspiciously familiar to lavender. She had seen a documentary once on artificial smells, which explained that every combination of smells identifiable to the human nose had been discovered and replicated synthetically. It turned out all perfume companies did was rotate existing smells, changing them slightly and giving them new names!

It did explain why so many of these fragrances smelled familiar. Did lavender exist in this world? Amelia had seen something in the market that looked exactly like apples, and there were also fruits that looked familiar to pineapples. Anathor had once made a comment to her about human colonists arriving in this world thousands of years ago. She was certain her world was the origin of humanity, but had her ancestors somehow found a way to move to other worlds through magical means?

Consumed in her thoughts, Amelia washed her body and soon she heard the familiar footsteps of Serena returning. She stopped the flow of water and dried herself with a towel. Slipping back into her clothes, Amelia spent an awkward amount of time trying to tighten it just like the tailor did. Satisfied, she found a comb and began coming through her hair as she stepped back into the bedroom.

Serena was sitting on a chair with a bundle of clothes and a pair of menus. “I forgot you can’t read Imperial yet, so I got two.” She said, standing up. “I’ll wash and change, and then we’ll head down. Mister Weng seems intent on providing us the best spot in the inn to eat..”

“Okay!” Amelia sat down, combing through her hair more furiously. “I wish I had a spell to unknot hair, but I don’t think there is one!”

“Ah, knots in the hair, finally something too powerful to be defeated by you,” Serena said, smirking. She gathered her clothes and strode into the washroom. “Seven hells, it smells nice in here. How much soap did you use?”

“All of them! They smelled so good!”

“Hope they don’t charge us for burning through their stockpiles…” Serena closed the door and a moment later the noise of the shower could be heard. Amelia busied herself with her hair while trying her very hardest not to imagine the scene beyond the door. What would Serena do if she barged in?

Best not to risk it, not yet anyway. She’d already won so many victories lately. She shouldn’t push her luck too far. A few minutes later and as Amelia finally coaxed the last knot out of her hair and wrapped it into a ponytail, Serena emerged wearing a smart set of pants and shirt. She looked like a businesswoman going about her day from one meeting to the next. Amelia wasn’t sure if she preferred this or the military uniform.

“Ready?” Serena asked, slipping her shoes on.

“Yup!”

They left their room and Serena guided them downstairs to a large open area where several guests were eating. Mister Weng greeted them with a smile and led them to a raised section draped in a light cloth that allowed them to easily see outside but would give them privacy inside. On the table was a clear bottle with a light blue liquid inside, alongside a bucket of ice and a pair of highball glasses.

“Please, it’s on the house.” Mister Weng bowed. “Ring the bell when you’re ready to make your order. Speaker Halen, Speaker Thornheart. Once again, it’s a pleasure to have you reside with us.” The owner backed away and they were left alone. Amelia examined the bottle of blue liquid.

“What’s this, wine?” She asked.

“Something much better,” Serena said, taking the bottle and wriggling the cork free. “This is loqua. The best drink in all of demon and humankind. It comes from loqua berries and can be drunk as either a juice or an alcoholic beverage. The latter being the most popular, of course.” Serena placed a few cubes of ice in both of the glasses and poured the loqua into them. “It comes in three main varieties. Blue, red and green. The colour comes from the type of moon crystal used in their production. That method is, of course, a secret.”

Serena brought her glass to her nose and a satisfied smile erupted on her face. “There is yellow loqua, made from the yellow moon crystals from the moon that lingers only over Centralis, but that’s a royal drink and even Lords only drink it during official events.” She took a sip and a small groan of satisfaction came from the demon. “Blue is considered best when drunk cold, but some prefer it room temperature. Red is best hot, and green goes either way.”

Amelia took her own sip, and the richness of the flavour filled her mouth. When she swallowed the taste lingered and transformed into a satisfying aftertaste that just encouraged her to take another sip. “Is it worth a lot?” She asked.

“Yes, for the common worker. This bottle is…” Serena glanced at the menu. “Ten denarii. More than a month's salary for a soldier.”

“So much!”

“Of course, it’s manufactured in the Western Terra Firma and shipped all the way here. It’s the main export of the far West; the loqua berries will only grow under the light of the green moon.”

“Are the moons always in the same spot? Don’t they orbit the planet?”

“No, the moons are magical in nature. They follow a cyclical pattern, moving closer to the land where they rain down moon crystals before pulling back high in the sky. They deviate a little, but the movements can be predicted mathematically. There is a non-magical moon that orbits the world at a greater distance, I’ll point it out to you when we see it.”

“And the upcoming festival, you said that it was to do with the moons?”

“Right,” Serena said, taking emptying her glass and refilling it. “At this time in the cycle, the moon is at its apogee. The furthest away from the planet it can go. The festival is an act of celebration and worship, to make sure it remembers to come back again.”

“Is it dangerous when the moon crystals fall?”

“Yes, but not terribly so. The crystals react with the lumina as they fall so they sort of float down. Some of the crystals have more rocks embedded in them so they don’t slow down as much. Normally everyone stays indoors for the period of moonrain when it comes.”

Amelia finished her glass of loqua and poured another one. The bottle was almost half empty already! She would definitely be ordering some more. After all, she could afford it.

“So the blue moon is here, red is in the south, yellow is Centralis and green is in the west. What’s in the north? What about the human territories?”

“The north is covered by the cold light of the purple moon. Most of Cascadia is warm or tropical, but the north is frigid and cold. Something about the cold makes purple loqua impossible to manufacture, which is why that colour of drink doesn’t exist. As for the human territories, the federation has an orange moon. Karligard and the Republic share a white one, and there’s one more… I can’t remember.”

“Is there a black moon?” Amelia asked. If there was a white one, surely there was a black one.

“No,” Serena said, shaking her head. “No black one.” Those crimson eyes looked at her for a while.

“What?” Amelia asked.

“The next moonrain in the east will take place while we’re in Shimashina, but the morning after a moonrain, when the blue moon is at its closest…” Serena cast her arms about, imitating a sweeping landscape. “It’s beautiful. The forest is cloaked in a blanket of blue light, and it sparkles! From thousands of freshly fallen crystals. You only have an hour or so to enjoy it before the harvesters get their grubby hands on it all. Even so…” Serena looked to the side awkwardly, “I would like to see the next one with you, if you’d like.”

“I’d love that!” Amelia grinned. Already another date was planned! This couldn’t be going any better!

“Good… good. It’ll be a sight to remember,” Serena said before ringing the bell on the table. “Let’s order, I know the perfect thing to get.” A moment later an employee appeared, Serena gave them the order, including a request for a bottle of blue and green loqua.

“Why not red?” Amelia asked once the employee had withdrawn.

“Red crystal is in shortage at the moment, due to the war.”

“What has the war got to do with it?”

“It’s a key component in the manufacture of explosives,” Serena said with a shrug. “It’s very expensive these days due to demand and export controls. It’s why it was so expensive when you ordered the mask.”

“The mask!” Amelia’s eyes widened, remembering the bag she had left behind in the Highguard. She had completely forgotten! “I left the gift bag behind in Lord Yulan’s room!”

“Not to worry, I’ll send a message to Lord Yulan in the morning. I’m sure we can get it back.” Serena shrugged. “And if not, I’ll buy you another one.” Oh my, what a reliable and pragmatic girlfriend she had found!

“Okay!” Amelia said cheerfully. The cloth curtain opened and the employee brought two bottles of loqua, one blue and one green to the table. After verifying there wasn’t anything else he could do for them he withdrew with a bow.

“Green loqua,” Serena said as she poured two glasses, “Is sweeter than blue. It’s also higher in alcoholic content so be careful. Although, as a Speaker it’s pretty hard to get drunk.”

Amelia took a sip, noting the sweetness of the green liquid. Like blue, it was delicious and left a collection of flavours in her mouth that changed as time went on. Serena wasn’t wrong, it was much stronger than the blue loqua. She felt the fumes of the alcohol go to her head. She wouldn’t be a lightweight right? Not in this body?

They spent a few minutes drinking quietly, chatting about random topics. Amelia found out about Serena’s younger sisters. One of them was called Nina, and was some genius engineer working in Centralis, and the other was the youngest called Lani, who was still in school and in Serena’s words was a teenage brat.

Then the food came and a dozen small bowls were placed in front of them. They were each provided with a larger empty bowl, as well as several pairs of chopsticks. After the employees had left Amelia raised an eyebrow at Serena.

“How the hell do I eat this?” She asked.

Serena laughed, her cheeks flushed with alcohol. “Here, place the large bowl in front of you. Now, sit up straight and maintain good posture. Don’t let your back touch the wall or seat behind you. Okay, now take the chopsticks, like this… no like this…” Eventually, Amelia was able to mimic Serena's holding of the chopsticks.

“So, this is a traditional Manwese set-up. You see how all the meats and vegetables are a similar size?” Serena said, pointing to the many bowls sprinkled around the table. “The goal is you take a rice patty like this,” Serena lifted the thin circular piece of rice before placing it neatly in the centre of the large bowl. “And then you build your mouthful. Typically you want one vegetable and one meat.” Serena demonstrated neatly. “And then, if you haven’t put too much, you can close it easily with the chopsticks like so.” With a flourish of her wrist, Serena wrapped the meat and vegetable in the rice covering before picking the entire thing up and placing it in her mouth.

She made it look so easy.

“There’s a concept in the East,” Serena said, “About knowing yourself. Part of that is knowing how much you can fit in your mouth, and it is about controlling gluttony.” She laughed, watching Amelia’s attempts at folding the rice around the meat that kept falling out. “See it as your first test of etiquette, okay?”

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Amelia muttered, stabbing the meat with her chopstick and biting it like a kebab. When the taste hit her mouth her eyes widened! She hurriedly swallowed. “This is chicken!” She said.

“No, it’s choco. Anathor said choco is a descendant species of chicken that went extinct long ago. It’s mostly popular in Centralis and the north. I had to request they made this especially for us.”

“It tastes exactly the same! Well,” Amelia took another bite of the choco. “I think it does, at least!” The meat was tender and perfectly cooked. Despite not being hungry, she couldn’t resist another bite.

“Stop stabbing the food, try again. Rice patty first. Follow me,” Serena said, guiding Amelia through the process of constructing her little wrap. This time she was able to build something that survived the trip into her mouth.

“It’s good!” Amelia said after she had swallowed. “I’m getting used to the chopsticks!” She took another drink of green loqua, the flavour pairing well with the choco meat.

“I’m glad you enjoy it. It’s not as good as sardis, but we have other fish here to try. Look at this,” Serena guided Amelia through another recommendation and as the minutes ticked by the two of them were busy with trying out different combinations and drinking through both bottles of loqua.

Seeing they were empty of both food and drink, Amelia took the initiative and rang the tablebell. When the employee appeared, she ordered another bottle of blue and green loqua. Once the employees had removed the empty bottles and bowls, Serena cast a sly smile at her.

“Trying to get me drunk, are you?”

“Obviously,” Amelia threw back. “But I’m also interested in how much I can drink. I used to be such a lightweight but now I feel I can handle so much more.” She clenched her hands together, feeling more tipsy than she was letting on. By her estimates, the blue loqua was similar to a strong wine, and the green was equivalent to a strong spirit. If so, in her old world she would have long passed out. Now? Now she felt good.

The bottles came and the two wasted no time in opening it. Serena shared stories from the academy that made Amelia giggle and on more than one occasion, splutter loqua onto the table. Amelia spent a long time trying to explain to Serena how in her world they had - without the aid of magic - travelled to their moon and constructed a flourishing base on it.

Soon those two bottles were empty, and Amelia could no longer deny she was close to being drunk. She was sure she could heal the feeling away, but she didn’t want to. When she had drunk this much, it was so easy to stare lovingly into Serena’s eyes, who returned the look with no hesitation. At some point they even started holding hands, only remembering to separate when the employee came to take the bottles away.

They both looked at the empty bottles longingly before turning to look at each other.

“One more bottle, before bed?” Amelia asked, trying not to tip over.

“One more bottle,” Serena affirmed, gesturing to the employee. “Green, please.”

After all, one more bottle couldn’t hurt, could it?

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