The Countess and the Bunny

Lia shrugged at Lukretia's wishes for a longer lasting relationship, "Anything is possible, I suppose. Just don't ask me to commit to likely, feasible, or doable on that relationship end."

Lia could not resist returning a bit of that thrilled gaze to Lukretia when the German leaned in, "Oh, but of course. That's the natural state. No plan survives contact with the enemy. Planning just ensures you know what the good moves are going in. Everything else is just the magic of the moment, baby." For the first time, Lia cracked just a bit of an unguarded smile.

Lia chuckled, looking at the fire alongside Lukretia, "Between 'vomen,' you say?" Lukretia's sexual exploits had taken on almost modern day folk tale characteristics. Lia could see why; Lukretia had one of a kind beauty. But the fact remained that to Lia, Lukretia was still a revolting excuse for a human being. That and Chesna was all the woman Lia needed or wanted, in more ways than one. "You would like that, wouldn't you?" Lia added, with a hint of rebuke in her voice. She was not interested and wanted to make that clear.

Of course, Lukretia clearly was not the sort to ask. Lia doubted whether she could even stop her if she tried.

Lia arched a surprised eyebrow at Lukretia's request. A chance to punch this woman? It would have been what Lia wanted most... but it was clear Lukretia's issues ran a lot deeper than a simple beatdown. Taylor? Probably could be fixed with a good whupping. Lukretia... probably not. "Physical prowess? This line of work isn't about that. The trick is to stop fights before they begin." She decided to pace around Lukretia, examining the countess as she continued, "Project the right amount of force, sometimes the right amount of weakness, avoidance even, it all depends on the situation." Lia rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "As nice as it would be to gun slimeballs down every day, that's not what I'm here to do." She stopped behind Lukretia, leaning in to whisper, "If I'm doing my job right, it would look to most as if I'm doing nothing... at... all..." With Lukretia's eyes closed, she would not be able to see how swiftly Lia would spin around to Lukretia's front, driving a stiff elbow into her solar plexus, aimed precisely upward to hopefully knock the wind out of someone even as formidable as Lukretia.

Lia narrated matter-of-factly, if Lukretia allowed her, "Just one, as you asked. One strike to knock the wind out. If you're just a rowdy punk, one more to the base of the skull to leave you out, or at least dissuade you from continuing. If you meant business, I've still got the advantage and can still probably send you home with a few more blows." Lia smile with a proud shrug, "Of course, you could probably handle anyone who could be dispatched that easily anyway, but you ask for one blow, that's my answer."

Lukretia kept her smile up as Lia spoke. Her eyes remained closed and she felt the slight change in air as Lia steppe forward. Her scent mingled against Lukretia's nose as she paced around her. It made her heart race. She wondered if the woman would really go through with it otr not. There have been many girls in her day who she was looking to hire who had gotten as far as Lia had but who balked at this stage in the interview process. It was rather disappointing. She needed people with courage. The others usually ended up as maids or out on the street.

She listened to Lia's words carefully but still kept her muscles tightened. Her abs were formed as solidly as she could and she was prepared for anything. She had a few ideas of where a strike would come and prepared herself as best as she could in those areas. Lukretia's lips opened ever so slightly as she felt Lia's breath against her ear. The softness of it made her tingle a little bit. She could feel the atmosphere change and her skin tingled with excitement.

And then the punch came. Her eyes widened when she felt Lia's fist sink into her stomach. Her let out a loud gasp and fell to her hands and knees. She coughed hard, trying to suck in a breath as she clutched her stomach with one hand as Lia continued her demonstration. After a few moments, Lukretia looked up. Her eyes still held a look that said she had been ppunched in the stomach, water at the edges. But her lips smirked prousdly. "Hah... haha... vunder..bar, Ms. Cross. You are indeed quite skilled.

Lukretia slowly stood up and kicked her heels off. She then outstretched her hand. "I believe ve vill have an excellent relationship. Congratulations. I vish to hire you immediately." She would wait for Lia to shake her hand or for her to reject the offer and then add. "Vould you like to continue?" She asked. "I'm eager to match up against you in a real fight now." She said with a glowing desire in her voice.

((EDIT: Changing for consistency, Lia does NOT know or suspect Valkoinen is anything beyond the 'world's best bodyguard' as Val is a bit too sneaky for Lia to know anything about that. Assassin is right out as a word Lia would use.))

Lia offered a hand to help Lukretia up, nodding politely, "Oh, I just hit things hard. It's a hobby," She responded to the compliment.

Lia arched an eyebrow as Lukretia kicked her shoes off, an odd thing to do, but she did not think too much of it. The job offer shook her a bit more. For a second, her stomach ran cold. This was potentially a horrible, horrible mistake, working for this woman. Her eyes blinked back and forth between Lukretia's face and her outstretched hand for a few quiet seconds as Lia thought about it.

Nothing ventured... "Very well. I accept." Lia smiled coolly, shaking Lukretia's hand firmly.

Her rabbit ears twitched noticeably at Lukretia's next offer... A fight?... A fight... Lia knew Lukretia by reputation. She was fearsome and spectacularly vicious and, although Lia would never admit it in her rarely-used serious tone, Lukretia was probably more than a match for Lia... as much as she WANTED a chance to beat the snot out of Lukretia.

Akashi was no doubt similar, but Akashi seemed to love a good fight for the sake of the fight. Lia would spar with someone like her any day of the week, except for the ones where she did not feel like it. Lukretia was a different animal entirely... an animal. Lukretia trafficked in control and dominance. This fight would be an expression of that over Lia... something she had sought to avoid subjecting herself to with Lukretia.

Lia paused. She licked her lips and took a deep breath. Maybe the giddy rush of taking a job had gotten to her... but she was about to do something spectacularly stupid... to reveal far more of her read on Lukretia than she really should, than she could probably even back up if Lukretia disagreed... more than she probably could even put into words. However, she knew deep down she did not want to let Lukretia get the better of her. Not now, not so early, not when there was so much work with her ahead.

Lia folded her arms, "I... I think..." She shook her head, "A fight? A real fight?" She took another breath, rubbing her hand through her hair and brushing back one of her ears, sending it bouncing back up, one of her few tics. She only did this when the adrenalin was kicking in. She smiled, finding a bit of confidence to continue, "I think that depends on why... You have beaten down some serious competition in Friction and poor little ol' me just has a win against a kawaii half her size." She smiled with specious guile. Time for the first guess. "You have the best bodyguard in the world on staff and you can take her when I probably can't." Lia shrugged, "Hell, I think you've probably got a lot to teach me about the sweet science... Buut," Lia raised a finger. She was still running on adrenalin, trying to piece the words together in her mind, "I don't think you fight to teach. I don't think you fight to fight... I think..." Lia paused, making sure what she said made some sort of sense, "I think you fight to conquer. To crush. To dominate and reap the rewards..." Lia took another breath to buy a bit more time. "What DO you have in mind for this, then? I would have trouble figuring out the initial plans here if, for instance, my crotch got pounded so hard I had to piss through my teeth." Lia blinked for a full second, somewhat certain she had just enunciated a bunch of gibberish.

Lukretia listened carefully to Lia's words, her smile not fading even as Lia seemed to be shakily declining her gracious offer of combat. But the German domme was already prepared for the situation and opened her mouth to speak, letting it hang in a sultry 'o' for a second before speaking. "You are quite correct in your assumption, frauline." She said as she looked Lia over. "I do hold a reputation as being a voman who enjoys domination, particularly of ze sort of specimen liek yourself. Beautiful, strong, feisty und full of zest. In all honesty ze thought of conquering you, as you put it, is quite enticing to me." Lukretia closed her eyes and lifted her hand up.

"However, zis is not ze case for today. You see. Zere are vays to get to know people. Through speaking, through interaction. often times it takes quite a vile to really be able to become intimately familiar vith someone. zis is a luxury zat I cannot alvways afford. You see, Ms. Cross... meine time is quite valuable. However, in my experience, zere are two sure fire vays of expediting ze process of familiarity." She held up her thumb and index finger to reiterate the number two.

"Engage in either a contest of strength, a fight, if you vill or engage in love making. When you are able to explore a persons body in an intimate vay, you vill gain an understanding of zere mind as vell. Zere are things a person cannot hide. You see, frauline, ze body doesn't lie." She then looked Lia in the eyes and smiled. "You seem adverse to ze love making so I believe zat a fight vould be amore appropriate means of conveyance.'" Lukretia then smiled even wider. "Of course, if you can combine ze two..." She then allowed herself a small chuckle as she pondered it.

"Vell now, vat do you say to zis?" She asked as she arched her eyebrow curiously.

Lia pursed her lips, arching an eyebrow at the German, "Conquering me? Oh wow..." She let out with a mock chuckle. Still, Lia knew Lukretia was dead serious about that.

When Lukretia finished her offer, Lia shook her head resignedly. There did not seem to be any way out of this. "A fight or... 'love making'?" Lia's eyes narrowed and met Lukretia's in a playful, yet steady glare, "Are you propositioning me? You should at least buy me dinner first." Lia sighed and looked at the fire once more, "I don't need to know you, and all you should need to know about me is that I'm the contractor. The hired help. I don't give a crap about you, to be honest, apart from the threats who would do you harm and your paychecks."

Lia faced Lukretia again, "That said, you're not going to let me say no, right?" She sighed, undoing her jacket, sliding it off, and setting it on the chair, revealing Lia's buttoned undershirt. The jacket had the knife, Lia's only weapon at the moment. But she knew precisely where to reach to grab it. "So, what are we doing then? Traditional wrestling? Boxing?"

Lukretia smiled again. "If you insist." She said as she chuckled softly to herself. She then steeled her gaze. "Nein." She said sharply. "Zat is not good enough. Mien life is on ze line for all intents und purposes. I vill know every last detail of ze person vith whom I put meine faith in." She had a serious look that meant this particular aspect of the deal was non negotiable and for the first real time had not an aura that commanded respect but one of deadly seriousness. "Despite meine cool demeanor, zis is no joke." Lukretia turned her head for a moment. She let a soft sigh escape her lips before turning back. "I am not asking you to care about me. frankly, if I vas in your situation I vould feel much ze same vay. You vant money, you're professional ven doing your job. Dasi ist gut." She looked Lia up and down. 'but it is good enough on your end, not mine."

She flipped her hand backwards in a gesture of dismissal. "I vill be satisfied vith meine purchase." She said as she brought her hand up to her her dress and pushed away the strap, letting it fall to the ground in one solid motion, leaving the German domme in her undergarments. A silky black bra with lace trim, her panties were much the same, garterbelt attached to thigh high stockings that fit tightly on her silky legs.

"Do not mind me. Fighting in such an outfit is restricting." She said as she lifted up her hands and pressed her fingers along the knuckles. She had a cold stare as she looked at Lia. "Do vat you vill." She said. "I prefer fist to fist meineself." She said as she kicked her clothes away and began to stretch.

Lia sighed, pursing her lips, almost unable to believe that people actually felt the way Lukretia did outside of comic books. "Very well." She ran her hands through her hair, watching Lukretia strip to almost nothing. Definitely fine German engineering... Lia brushed such thoughts out of her head. She wanted as little to do with Lukretia as possible. Rabbit was not on the menu today.

"I'm fine like this," Lia stretched her arms out. Her button down shirt fit comfortably, though Lia did unbutton the cuffs to give her wrists a bit more leeway. She was used to moving in uniform and could handle these clothes fine. As much as it was a shame to risk her good clothes, it was worth it to not be in her underwear with this crazy German. "Fist to fist. Marquis of Queensbury rules, then?"

Lukretia smiled at Lia letting the air between them become more comfortable after Lukretia had tensed up a bit. Lukretia eyed Lia. She hadn't expected the girl to strip any further. Lukretia herself probably wouldn't have if she had been wearing anything aside from a formal dress. Though, she did prefer to be in these sorts of clothes she wasn't actively trying to entice Lia. She put her fists up. "Mmmm... Zis actually sounds... a little nice." She said turnign her head. "Ja, for now, zat vould be an excellent choice, Frauline Hase." She then turned her head and let a sly grin escape her lips. "I'm sure you vill be ready should ze match change. I think zat vill make things quite interesting anyway."

Lukretia then stepped up. In a proper boxing match, the bunny girl certainly had the advantage. Lukretia wasn't a large woman physically though her aura made her seem so. She had her hands up by her face in a proper boxing stance, though it was a little awkward. Lukretia wasn't exactly used to traditional boxing. Still, her heart beat a little faster at the thrill of it. She stepped in to try and get the first punch off, hoping to bounce on her toes and come in with a hook to Lia's midsection.

Lia arched an eyebrow, "Should ze match change?" She repeated, matching Lukretia's accent, "Do they have a habit of changing around you?"

With a resigned shrug, Lia assumed a boxing stance herself and met Lukretia head on. The hook came out fast, but Lia was quick to bring her arms down for a block. Almost a bit too eager to land a hit on this bitch's jaw, Lia would quickly aim a counter-strike to Lukretia's face with her other hand.

Lukretia pulled her hand up and tried to deflect Lia's punch with a grin. "It's possible." She said as she smiled through her guard, stepping back and bouncing on her feet, her barely contained breasts jiggling a bit. This time she threw a straight jab followed by a hook, but it was meant for Lia's head now.