A weclomed ... guest? (for Cardia)

Hilde knew everything about the situation, even as she carefully watched. Inside her heart broke at the site, knowing that Lukretia only did it to stab at her and knowing she would be just as helpless if the situation was reversed and Cardia was forced to watch. She never ever held anything against Cardia. For her, the best way to prove her love to Cardia was to be the bigger woman. The professional who could be stoic in the face of it and then be there for Cardia if she needed her. So was she resigned to it, just as she had been with Lukretia. She straightened her self out and adjusted her suit.

If Cardia happened to glance over, she would just see a pleasant and caring smile that encouraged Cardia. Lukretia brought her hand up to Cardia's cheek when she finished speaking and slowly pushed it away. "Nein... you do not understand." She said as she looked back into Cardia's eyes with smile. "Und maybe you never vill."She leaned in, their lips almost touching, but Lukretia keeping them just apart on purpose. "It's ok meine frau. You don't ever need to underrstand. Not someone like you."

She quickly turned her head and looked at Hilde. "I am forbidding you from joining ze league." She said shaprly. "It vill interfere too much vith your duties to me."

Hilde's eyes widened and she lowered her head. "Why are you doing this to me?" She asked quietly. "I've never been irresponsible or derelict in my duties."

Lukretia narrowed her eyes. "Why do you vant to fight so much?"

"I want to experience the thrill... the two of you seem to have so much fun out there. I want to be able to go somewhere where I can really be me."

"Zis is vhy it is verboten." She said and slapped Hilde hard and stepped passed her. "Vhy should I leave und not take Ms. Von Creuzfeldt vith me?" She said eyeing Cardia. for the answer.

Cardia's eyes glanced briefly at Hilde, unable to keep herself looking away for long, but she did not react... still too focused on trying to hide her shame. Hilde's comforting look reassured Cardia only subconsciously, and she didn't have time to mull it over before Lukretia pulled her away. Her eyes seemed to be lost in Lukretia's, her lips quivering softly just outside of the reach of Lukretia's.

She blinked slowly as Lukretia spoke. Not someone like you... The words hurt her deeply. For now, she was nothing to Lukretia... but she would have given anything to be powerful enough, beautiful enough, confident enough to at least be afforded some small measure of respect from Lukretia. Those four words reminded her of how seemingly unattainable such a goal was. She felt forever condemned to being a lowly loser in both the AFW and in Lukretia's house.

She turned away, trying to keep from being overcome by the emotions of this heavy realization when the sound of Lukretia slapping Hilde brought her attention back. Her mouth hung open at Lukretia's idle question. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before facing Lukretia and speaking, "L... Lukretia, Hilde and I would do anything for you... We have. We've... we've proven this time and again. Both of us could have walked away from you at any time up until now. We... we don't... because we... well, we have different reasons. But... you're everything I want to be around... to one day become." She sighed, "There's no way either of us will ever leave you... no matter how much latitude we have. I don't see why you would suspect otherwise." She rubbed her arm softly as a comforting gesture, looking off to the side nervously, half expecting her words to be met with violence.

"Who said that you vould leave me?" Lukretia said carefully. "Und you may be right, I am everything you vant to be around but you hardly vish to become vat I am." She said sharply. "Zey are not ze same. Admiration und understanding are like opposites."

She inhaled deeply and let out a sigh, rubbing her temples. "You still didn't answer my question. Or maybe you did..." She smirked slightly.

"Maybe... you should thank me for keeping Hilde from entering into ze league. For you, it is like you still get to hold onto a little thread of her ven othervise, if she left, she vould not be closer but further avay."

Hilde looked down solemnly, she had said nothing the whole time, unsure what really to say. "Lukretia..." She said finally. "I don't admire what you are... It's because I love you that I am by yourside... and I think that maybe it is the same for Cardia, even if you don't think she understands you... and even if she doesn't..." She looked up at Cardia. She really didn't know if Cardia understood Lukretia or not and so she didn't want to speak for her.

Hilde clenched her fists, obviously fighting off tears. "I L-love Cardia too!" She shouted, turning. "A-and franky, I ... I don't think she deserves someone like you... b-b-but... I would never do something like that... something like you would ...."

She was not able to finish as a swift punch in the gut sent her crumbling to her knees. Lukretia then pulled her leg up and slammed it hard into Hilde's back. "Vat a bother. You have been thinking you have a spine lately you jellyfish. Know your place!" She lifted her foot up to slam it down again.

Cardia shook her head in response to Lukretia's words, "I... don't understand. The more I learn about you, the more I envy you..."

"Hilde... I'd still be in the league too. She wouldn't be any farther here or there..." Cardia muttered dejectedly. Her focus waned, Lukretia's constant dressing down of Cardia taking its toll on the girl. She regained her focus at Hilde's outburst, staring at her lover in awe, only for her jaw to drop in horror as Lukretia attacked her viciously. She stared helplessly as Lukretia stomped her once, but realized she had to act as Lukretia was about to bring her foot down again.

Quickly, she would charge Lukretia, aiming mostly to grab Lukretia and toss her away from Hilde, not actually trying to hurt her. Quickly, Cardia would try to situate herself between the two. "What's... the matter with you? She didn't do ANYTHING to you!" Cardia would shout, raising an accusatory finger at Lukretia, provided Lukretia let her keep going this long, "Why do you do this ALL the time? We... we'd do anything for you, and you... spend every second beating us and making us feel like your every pissy mood is our greatest personal failing!"

Cardia grit her teeth, her voice wavering, "You're smarter than that. You know, I know, we all know you're just being a... a... a b-b-b-bitch to us... Why?" Cardia whimpered, "Hilde loves you... I... I damn near idolize you. Would it kill you to even, just for a MOMENT, just pretend to not treat us both like shit?" Her hands shaking, she'd glance back to Hilde, "You're... you're too old to be throwing tantrums every time someone says something you don't like, anyway." Cardia would growl.

Lukretia was surprised that Cardia acted upon her. She was thrown off balance and nearly fell tot he floor, instead bracing herself against the wall. With narrowed eyes she listened to Cardia's speech in its entirety and then did something that probably was unexpected. She smiled at Cardia and then began laughing. Though the laugh was cruel, it seemed like she honestly thought Cardia was saying something funny.

"Oh my..." She said as the last few chuckles left her. "Anything else? To me, it's like you understand nothing." She said. "Ze reason I'm such a 'bitch' all ze time, as you put it... If you knew ze answer, you vouldn't ask ze question. But let's just assume zat question could be answered in ze vay you vant it to be." She slowly stepped towards Cardia. "I should think zat I treat you quite vell. Think about vere you live. Maybe you think it is a small place, but families here in Japan vould kill to live in zat kind of house. Und you do it gfor free. All I ask in return is to do, vat is essentially house work und cleaning up after yourself. You eat only ze best food, und I even let you dine vith me on occasion."

She pushed herself closer to Cardia, so they were nearly touching. "I even let your lips, und body, touch meine own." She brought her lips close to Cardia's until they just barely brushed up against each other. "If you only see me as an ogre, zen vhyhaven't you left yet? Surely I must do things you enjoy?" She went to kiss Cardia and if she accepted, partly through it, she would ball her fist and punch her as hard as she could in the stomach.

Cardia scowled at Lukretia's laughter, "The question could be answered if you'd just answer it." As Lukretia continued, Cardia noticeably softened towards her, "I... I am grateful. Very grateful. But you... you can't just give me stuff and..." By now, Lukretia had closed the distance between them, and once again, Lukretia's presence would shake Cardia's resolve, the latter clearly wilting and trembling before the former, overcome by a mixture of awe, fear, and lust. "You... you can't... just..." She trailed off, letting a soft whimper out as their lips came agonizingly close.

The sudden sucker punch brought Cardia violently out of that reverie. Buckling over in pain, she'd gasp for breath for a second, stunned, before looking up at Lukretia, anger now in her eyes. Cardia would try to lunge forward from her position to drive her shoulder as hard as she could into Lukretia's stomach, hoping to hurt her, tackle her, and maybe even mount her if the two fell together.

Lukretia had been expecting defiance this time around when Cardia didn't immediately curl up. Lukretia had been wondering how long it would take for this to happen. If Cardia only knew, maybe she would stay the loyal puppy, but if she continued down this path, things would become worse. When Cardia lunged, the proximity made Lukretia unable to sidestep the blow, but she latched onto Cardia's hair and backpeddled with Cardia.

She would do everything she could to keep her balance. If Cardia maintained the hold she would try and drive her fist into the back of Cardia's neck. If Cardia continued to press the would end up tunbling over, still holding tightly onto Cardia's locks.

Cardia realized things were about to go pear-shaped when Lukretia maintained her balance, so she tried to pull herself back, but snapped back as Lukretia pulled on her hair. Uh oh... The slam against the back of her head sent Cardia almost to the floor, seeing stars, but not down for the count yet. "D... dammit." The first thing she could see when her faculties returned was Lukretia's feet... giving her an idea. Cardia would try to pull Lukretia's feet forward, out from under her, in a sudden yank.

Lukretia growled at Cardia as she continued to resist. It had been a while since the two fought and Lukretia was wondering if maybe she should really work the girl over to remind her who won and how badly it went. It was at that moment that she felt her feet being yanked. She landed on her butt with an off, but tried her hardest to maintain a vice grip on Cardia's hair, even while falling with at least one hand.

Lukretia's fall and unwillingness to release Cardia's hair meant she got yanked into and atop Lukretia as they fell together, a yelp of pain escaping Cardia's lips from the pulling on her scalp. Struggling to maintain dominance, Cardia would try to move herself to straddle Lukretia, grabbing the offending arm tightly certainly with more strength than she showed in their first fight, while trying to send punches into Lukretia's kidneys with her other arm.