CW:

Sexual themes/content

Let’s go back a bit. Back before the battle in the crater, when Setsune was living within the port of Tsuno. It was only a few months after her away, and five months before current. The date was Aries 3rd 3000 PVL(Post Verdin Liberation), a day many of you might know as:

Special:

Maiden’s Banquet

There was a knock on the door, something was left outside with a THUNK. Ana LEAPT out of the bed, throwing off the blankets and sheets. Setsune yawned.

“THEY’RE HERE! THEY’RE HERE!” She exclaimed, running to the door.

Setsune stretched her arms and back, “Hm?”

Ana flung the door open and brought in arms full of packages. She rapidly looked through them.

Setsune lit a candle and brought it over, “It’ll be hard to see in the dark. Unless your a cat,”

Ana rubbed her head against Setsune's thigh and purred, “Do I seem like a cat?”

“More like a doxiepoo,” she chuckled into her hand.

She crouched down and looked at the boxes and baskets. There were a variety of chocolates, pastries, flowers, cards, and crafts. There were decorations like hearts and treats and roses on beds.

“No cinnamon rolls?” Setsune commented, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

“OH, THIS ONE'S FOR YOU!” Ana exclaimed, handing her a card.

Setsune read it, “Happy Maiden’s Banquet…..,”

She tilted her head, “Maiden’s Banquet?”

“Did they not have that 3000 years ago?!”

“ANA! KEEP IT DOWN! PEOPLE ARE STILL TRYING TO SLEEP!” Moma yelled through the floor.

“(Sorry)!” Ana replied.

“THANK YOU!”

“No…I’m….there’s a lot I’ve missed it seems,” Setsune exclaimed, tilting her head, her finger on her chin and eyes narrowed.

“(Okay then)!” Ana exclaimed, jumping on the bed and THROWING THE CURTAINS open. “Let me tell you a tale!”

“Your nightgown Ana,” Setsune chuckled.

“It's fine,” She waved away. “Over Thirty Hundred Years Ago, there was a prostitute called The Velvet  Maiden of Fate! She worked at lesbian brothels in Old Rem. She was a strong woman, protected by Omnes herself some would say, and would refuse any mistreatment from her customers or *even* her pimps. If she wasn’t fond of the working conditions, she sought elsewhere, and whatever brothel she left fell to ruin. With this in mind, every brothel she worked at would serve her every desire. Knowing this, she worked to improve conditions for all.

Then the Velvet Maiden vanished. A dark age fell upon the realm of prostitutes. Many pimps sought abuse once again, *but* having tasted gold, many prostitutes demanded respect. A great strike came into play, ruining many brothels, but still their abusers would not budge. It was only after the Velvet Maiden haunted the richest pimp in a dream, that the winds changed.

Soon, prostitutes would be treated as queens, kings, and lords. From this a holiday would be born: Maiden’s Banquet. A day when customers and pimps paid respect to their prostitutes. As time went on, the Maiden’s Banquet would become a day for couples as well(presumably because some didn’t want to admit they were giving gifts to prostitutes).

And that’s the tale of how Maiden’s Banquet came to be,”

Setsune was completely red in the face, steam coming out of her ears, her eyes spinning. Ana was flabbergasted.

“Flustered Setsune!” She exclaimed, jumping down and looking her over like she found a treasure chest. “QUICK! Before it passes! Can we practice?!”

“Huh….Okay,” She shrugged, taking off her broach.

“YAY!” Ana exclaimed, pushing her to the floor.

………

The duo looked over each of the packages. Or rather, Ana looked over them, while Setsune lay on the floor, sweating and breathing heavily, a smile on her flustered face.

“Most of these are for you,” Ana sighed, separating the gifts and only having one for herself. “Figures,”

“Your getting better with each session. Your time will come, as will your clients,” Setsune exclaimed, getting to her feet.

“You really think so?!” Ana exclaimed, turning to her with sparkling eyes.

The door to the room opened. It was Moma.

“You two are still in here. It's already noon,”

Ana’s face went red. Setsune crouched down and smiled cheekily.

“Noon huh,” she remarked, reaching out her hand. “Wanna get some fresh air,”

“S-sure!” Ana exclaimed, grabbing her hand.

The pair ran out the door. Moma simply chuckled

“You young(ish) people and your energy,” Moma remarked, closing the door. “Have fun, and remember to watch out for guards,”

………

The streets of Tsuno were a picture of red. Vendors were selling heart and threat themed knick knacks, treats and so on. Couples wandered the streets, held hands, made out passionately, gave each other gifts, sat at outdoor restaurants, etc.

Two women were passionately making out in an alleyway. Their tongues intertwined, practically melting into the other. Their bodies pressed against each other, ready to spark flames.

Then this mudstick showed her armoured face.

“NO PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION!” Lena exclaimed, her rifle lowered. “If your going to do that, do it behind closed doors!”

“Smells like jealousy-na Lena!” Ana called out from behind.

“Oh no,” she slumped.

The lesbians groaned, and wandered off. Lena turned to her visitors, Setsune tilted over with her relaxed smile and hand on her cheek, and Ana bent over with her wild smile and fingers in a ‘V’  around her mouth.

“What brings you two out here?”

“Whatever do you meana Lena?” Ana exclaimed, jumping over to her. “Don’t you know it's *our* day?”

“oh…I hadn’t noticed,” she groaned, looking the other way.

“Was it really necessary to disrupt their love?” Setsune asked, tilting her head down.

“Rules are rules for a reason,”

“So you’d object to holding my hand out here?” Setsune asked, reaching her hand out. “Even on a holiday?”

Lena, flustered, turned her back to them, “NOT THE SAME! Anyway I-I have-think other patrols today place to,”

She ran off. Setsune sighed and shook her head. Ana nuzzled up to her.

“Drama drama drama,”

Setsune placed a hand on Ana’s chin and pecked her on the mouth, “Come on, I’d like to do some shopping,”

They travelled down the street. Lena glanced back, looking at them nervously.

Setsune looked at a stand filled with cakes. They were tiny, handcrafted cakes shaped like hearts, little streaks representing threads. They came in chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and smelled divine. Setsune bent over, looking at them intently.

“Someone’s looking festive,” the baker at the stand commented.

“Hm?” Setsune questioned, tilting her head.

 She looked at her outfit, with its red stripes and the rope around her head. She chuckled, hiding any embarrassment with ease.

“Been preparing my whole life for this moment,”

“it definitely paid off,” the baker complimented with a wink

“I hope I got the thickness of the stripes right?” Setsune asked, looking over her sleeves.

“not a millimetre off. Your kimono is the very picture of her’s-,”

[Setsune screamed inside].

“-plus the signature rope around her head-,”

[She screamed even louder].

“-and how relaxed she was. Some say, nothing could faze her,”

[She felt like she was about to explode].

“Thank you for appreciating my efforts,” Setsune chuckled, blushing slightly.

“If I didn't know better, I'd think that the Velvet Maiden were standing-,” the baker laughed.

“Anyway, I’d like to ask about some of your cakes,”

---

“I’m telling you, she was *really* flustered,” Ana told a local passerby.

“Sure she was, do you think I’m an idiot?” they laughed, walking off.

She sighed, “Of course,”

“If it's true, you shouldn’t be bragging to others,” Lena advised from behind her.

Lena was looking at jewelry intently. Ana turned to her and sat on the counter.

“She said it was okay,”

“No she didn’t,”

“We’ve been sleeping with her enough to know she wouldn’t mind though,” she remarked, her eyes narrowed, smirk on her face.

“Don’t include me in your perversions,” Lena exclaimed, picking up a locket with a blue gem.

“You guards must really get a lot from our taxpayer dollars,” Ana commented, crossing her arms.

“We are here to protect you,”

“Does interrupting couples include protecting us?”

“Yes, it's inappropriate for any passersby,” she argued. “What are you doing here anyways if you can’t afford jewelry,”

“I’ve been save-ena Lena,” Ana remarked, picking up a pair of bracelets.

One bracelet was ocean blue with little white gems, and the other was similar, but it was gold.

“How do you know I haven’t been saving?”

Ana placed her hands together against the side of her head in an exaggerated manner, “[‘Oh Setsune, I forgot I should get a gift for her(not Ana) for Maiden’s Banquet. Perhaps I’ll get her something quick, but wait it has to look like I put thought into it’] Guard-ena Lena thought to herself when Setsune reached out her soft, beautiful, and skilled hand to her,”

“I will arrest you for assaulting an officer,” Lena groaned, visibly twitching through her armour.

“Also, Bor-ena Lena shopping on duty,” Ana added, pointing right in her face. “She’s *really* gotten under your skin hasn’t she?”

Lena looked left and right, “(Listen, if I ask you to help me, will you shut up about my infatuation with your mentor slash roommate),”

“(That would be fun, but really, she’s not that hard to pleasa Lena),” Ana commented. “(Also, why the whispering)?”

“Lena, getting Ana a gift?” Setsune commented, walking up to them with a bag. “It's nice to see you two getting along,”

Lena froze….

……….

The locket was wrapped around Ana’s neck. 

Ana looked at it excitedly. Lena smashed her helmet covered head against the wall.

“How lovely, shall we then?” She asked, extending her hand.

“Actually, I need to…t-take Ana in. She’s been naughty,” Lena exclaimed.

Ana blinked, “Huh?”

“I mean, I need her to help get me off- I mean I need to purchase her- I mean-,”

“She’s asked me on a date,” Ana exclaimed, pushing her over and leaning over, her finger gently pointed at Setsune. “We’ll see you latte, ‘kay,”

Setsune gently grabbed her hand, wrapped her arm around her, and pressed their foreheads together, a warm smile on her face and a sharp look in her eyes “‘kay,”

Setsune glided away. Ana smiled excitedly, her face red, her eyes in love. Lena raised her finger while laying on the ground.

“No public displays of-,”

“No needa Lena,”

“How am I supposed to buy her anything now that I’ve gotten you the locket?!” she exclaimed, flailing on the ground.

“You could just trade it in or give it her,” she sighed, looking at the locket in disappointment.

“No, that would ruin the entire cover up!” she insisted, jumping to her feet.

“Just make her something then,”

“........How?”

“You are so hopeless,” she exclaimed, flipping her hair. “Guess I’ll have to help you out here too,”

“You know what to do?” She questioned, getting on her knees and holding Ana’s hands.

“Of course I do,” she assured with a nod. “[Wing it],”

………

“Is this your place?” Ana asked, stepping into the most basic room of all time.

It looked like a room for sale, it had no decorations at all, no colour. It didn’t even look like it had been put to use. It was just a white tatami mat, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

“You don’t have to help me ya know,” Lena commented, taking off her armour and getting dressed in her yukata.

“Your putting a lot of effort into this,” Ana sighed. “Someone that special must be really nice,”

They both put on aprons and got to work baking. Ana uh…‘showed’ Lena how to work the dough.

“What you need to do is toss it in the air and rapidly punch it like your boxing,”

“That makes a lot of sense,”

“[HOW DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE]?!” Ana screamed.

They kept going through the process on repeat. She then ‘showed’ her how to do the cinnamon.

“Now cinnamon doesn’t stick naturally, so you need to get it wet by soaking it in water,” she explained, turning on the sink.

“So *that's* how its done,”

[“Please actually work, please actually work, please actually work,”]

They got out the fanciest chocolate one could find. They then smashed it with mallets.

“How are we supposed to melt the chocolate around the roll? Won’t it just stick to the pan?” Lena asked.

“Well that’s the solution. Since we’re using soft dough, we can just stab the roll with the chocolate. The chocolate will then melt during the cooking process[I hope],”

They did the stupid thing she just said. They made a kind of, sort of roll shaped like a teddy bear head.

“What now?” Lena questioned. “I haven’t used the oven before,”

“EAAASSSYYY,”

They cooked the roll pretty well actually, but the chocolate hadn’t melted.

“Cook it longer,”

Still not there.

“Longer,”

It eventually came out black And charred. They stared at it with dark expressions.

“That doesn’t look right,”

“No no no, you see its not burnt, that’s just the melted chocolate,”

“It looks like its from Nigrum Cavea,”

“Neither of us have been there, it's probably way worse- I mean not nearly as pleasant,”
“Also why is it completely flat?!”

“Everyone else is doing it wrong,”

“Have you ever actually cooked before?!”

“Of course, the customer entered, I was naked in an apron and-,”

“THAT’S NOT THE SAME THING-!”

There was a knock at the door, “Lena, Ana, its latte!” Setsune called out.

“(Quick, pretend we’re making love),” Ana exclaimed, juggling the hot roll.

“(NOOOO),”

“(Come on, just get on the mat and pretend I’m topping you),” Ana insisted, trying to hide the roll.

“(Wait, why are you topping me)?”

“(Because your a bottomena Lena),” Ana exclaimed, shoving the roll away, only for it to bounce out.

“(I’M A SWITCH),” Lena exclaimed, catching it.

“(Setsune’s a switch. I’m never met a lower bottom),”

“(I just haven’t had a chance-),” she exclaimed, tossing the roll to her.

“(And that chance is below zero-),” she responded, catching it.

Setsune opened the door, “Sorry for barging in-,”

She stared at both of them in surprise. They stared at each other.

“You gave her a spare key?”

“I may have asked her to move in in the heat of the moment,” Lena exclaimed, looking the other way, flustered.

“HUH!? YOU CAN’T TAKE *MY* SETSUNE FROM ME!” 

“SHE SAID NO!”

“YOU STILL TRIED THOUGH, DIDN’T YOU?!”

Setsune burst out laughing, “You two really didn’t need to go this far for me,”

They both went red.

………

The three of them laid naked on Lena’s mat. Lena was flustered, Ana was smirking at Lena, and Setsune was looking over the roll. Lena covered her eyes in embarrassment.

“I think I’ll put it on my wall,”

The two went red, “yeah….good idea,”

“Oh, Ana,” Setsune called out, getting up and going into her stuff. “Happy Maiden’s Banquet,”

She put down a caravan’s worth of items in front of her. She smiled, scratching behind her head.

“I wasn’t sure what to get you, so I just grabbed whatever you might like,”

Ana smiled nervously. She felt a ZING travel through her whole body. She leapt up, embracing her from below. They pressed their noses and foreheads together and then made out.

Their tongues intertwined, practically melting together. Their bodies pressed against each other, ready to spark flames.

Lena sighed and spread herself out, “I’m ready,”

Setsune led Ana back over to the mat. The pair had Ana’s bracelets around their wrists, but they weren’t alone.

Lena too had a bracelet, the colours crimson to match her eyes.

An End……….