Happy Birthday

“Gah, fuck… Come on…” Kara spoke through heavy breath as the patter of her feet against the ground of the forest blocked out all other sound. It was a bright sunny day which would usual have made taking a run through the forest a nice thing, however Kara wasn’t simply out for a stroll, no, she couldn’t simply enjoy the rays of sun and soft grass beneath her feet, though the soft wind blowing through her hair was still somewhat recognized and appreciated. Alas, she was on the hunt and that meant focus, either focus or failure and it was too special a day to fail. Besides, she was facing one of the most elusive of opponents, a quick and agile child of the forest. She had to be swift, instinctive, move like her kind were supposed to, and where vision and her own speed faltered her sensitive ears compensated. Yes, even as a bard she needed those natural traits to track and capture this most impressive of foes. Of course intelligence was another trait and that was what guided her actions in that moment, she was cutting off her prey and as she came upon the edge of her current surroundings she didn’t slow, in fact she sped up, a grin on her face as she reached the end of her road and simply jumped, sailing through the air. “Wahooo!” She was in her element, a hunter and the prey she had been tracking already knew it had lost when the cat woman landed in front of it was a satisfied expression. Suddenly it cowered, quickly attempting to change course. Yet there was no avail, it had been caught.

Kara’s hand was too fast for the small bunny, she had quickly reached down and grabbed it up, squeezing it to her bosom which was heaving with each breath. “Sooooo cute~” A squeal escaped, labored and followed by more heavy breathing as her body attempted to cool itself down. After a moment, her bodies exhaustion dwindling and her mind returning to a more thoughtful state, she pulled the adorable white created from her chest and held it up in front of her with both hands, her bright blue eyes gazing into the frightened creatures, giving it a wide smile and poking her nose against its. “Aw don’t worry you cute little thing, I’m not going to hurt you. In fact I’m taking you home with me, and later, well you get to meet the most loving woman in this world.” She giggled, hugging the creature again which attempted to squirm from her arms only to be hugged tighter as another excited squeal escaped the white haired bard’s mouth.

A lot of people didn’t know that side of Kara, that sweet side that adored cuteness and was as warm and fuzzy as the people and creatures she adored. She wasn’t misunderstood really, in fact she took some things more seriously than she should, that was just who she was. When the lives of her friends were at risk she couldn’t be bubbly and carefree, it was only around a select few that it ever came out in her. It was a special day though and no matter the situation she felt on top of the world, it was the kind of day that had her so jubilant that she was practically skipping by the time she found her way out of the forest with her new little companion. “You know little bunny, I’ve been preparing for this day quite a bit, made a lot of plans to which you are the final and most important part of.” So slowed down a bit as she approached the lake in the Central Shroud, having just left the Southern Shroud she could only be heading one place, New Gridania. Kara liked Gridania, sure it wasn’t as wealthy or lavish as some of the other countries but it had beautiful land, wonderful people, and a serene environment that felt so much more intimate than the other major cities.

She wasn’t the only person who believed so either, in fact she was lucky enough that all of her friends had taken to spending time in those parts, two of which she could see off in the distance already doing exactly what they loved to do. Grim and Piqoi. They were both interesting guys, Piqoi always seemed rather innocent, he was nice and always seemed to be in a rather cheerful mood which always helped keep tension in check, or at least for the most part, though hot-headedness ran heavy among their group, Kara being perhaps the top example of that at times. Then there was Grim, he was different, a serious guy at times and one of the voices of the little raid group, he was generally calm and seemed to try and stay neutral, a well needed presence as well, though how he could spend so long fishing Kara would never know. She shook her head, it wasn’t worth thinking about, and instead she simply shouted out to them, “Grim Piqoi! Nice day out isn’t it?” She waved enthusiastically with one hand as her other arm cradled the now calm and seemingly comfortable rabbit curled up against her. Piqoi instantly turned, a large gesture of greeting from his seated position at the edge of the dock, though Grim had begun to turn at the same time, the small collision occurring knocking him off balance, just enough so that when a fish bit the end of his line he could do nothing but hold on as it dragged him off and into the water.

Piqoi instantly turned, an expression of shock and guilt on his face as he stuttered and scrambled into the water after Grim, though by the time Piqoi made it to him Grim was standing up in the water, an expression of frustration written on his face as he looked at Piqoi, smacking him upside the head before shaking water from his hair. Kara on the other hand would not be getting wet, unless tears from the hysteric laughter was considered equivalent to immersing oneself in a lake. There was no time to waste on jesting though, Kara had more to do and dwindling time to do it, and first thing was first she needed to find Daca.

Daca’li, the shorty of their little group, was essential to her plans for the night, the most special of nights and she wasn’t going to let his laziness ruin it, especially when she had already made preparations. So she headed up the road and to Gridania, making haste through the gates and into the city. “Alright, now where could he be…” She muttered to herself before smirking, “Where else…” She laughed as if there could be only one place, and she immediately headed towards the market board, though she knew she had to be stealthy like a ninja to avoid Esterii’s eye, she was often in that area as well. So she entered cautiously, moving slowly as to watch for her lovely lady. However as she approached the end of the market area she found nobody, not Daca and not Esterii either. “Shit, where could he be…” She stood there for a moment before finally sighing and shaking her head. No doubt if he wasn’t at the market board he would be putting that skill of his to work, so Kara just put her cute little super sniffer to work and when she caught a whiff of something yummy she took off, her little rabbit friend roused from slumber as the smell got stronger, sniffing around and looking intrigued by the delicious smell getting closer to it by the moment.

She moved through the streets and the finally, with one last turn she found the cooking midget, a mischievous grin on her face as she looked at the food already being prepared. “Mmm, looks pretty good.” She laughed, Daca’li looking up with a sigh, knowing her lunch would now be a shared portion. “So, ready for tonight? Going to need the first few things now and then the rest you can take when you go.” Daca’li nodded, handing Kara a plate with half the food on it, and Kara nodded before digging in, somehow managing to hold the rabbit and plate in the same hand as the other shoveled food in her face, spoon scooping each bite in. The omelet was as good as it had ever been and the small snack, half a meal for the shorter woman definitely nothing but a snack for Kara, renewed her faith in choosing Daca’li to make the preparations. As Kara ate Daca’li had gotten to work, preparing the requested items for the more quickly approaching part of Kara’s plan, a plan she had worked hard to perfect, and one that needed to be put into action rather shortly if it was to go accordingly. In fact she was in such a time crunch that as soon as Daca’li finished the food she took it, said a little ‘Thanks bunches!” And ran off, Daca giving a small “Yep.” In response, a furrowing brow showing how much patience was being used to allow Kara her ridiculousness on the special day. The plans included Daca’li as well after all, no use ruining them or holding them up because Kara was in a rush like always.

Of course her predicament wasn’t much helped as she stumbled across Kuro, the troublesome douchebag of the group who seemed more interested in bragging and showing off than actually being a team player. Kara didn’t disdain him as she could grow to feel about others but he had a knack for rubbing her the wrong way, especially when he decided to slow her down, especially on this day. So when he smirked and raised his arms, showing off some new bard bracers, she simply grimaced and shook her head. “Not today Kuro, I don’t have time, I’ve had a long day as it is and there is plenty more to do.” Of course being the type of person he was Kuro didn’t stop, in fact the only works out of his mouth were, “Explain.” It sounded more like a command than a request or idle curiosity, and just because it pissed her off didn’t mean she had more time. So she quickly dismissed him, giving a small huff before pushing past him and back onto the road, heading towards the carpentry show to do a little crafting of her own, having left a few things there the day before for just such an occasion. Yep, she already had the materials and all, prime Spruce Lumber, a few scraps of gold, and a few pieces of Darksteel awaiting. Yep, it was the most key part of the entire night and she had to get to it as quickly as possible.

Once she arrived at the carpentry building in Gridania Kara quickly sat the bunny down, looking at it with a small grin and giving it a little pat on the head before going to work. It took a while, longer than she wanted, but soon enough Kara had her gift ready, a combination of professions and materials come together to make something she knew would put a smile on Esterii’s face. That was all she wanted, that was the point of the entire day and she was going to make sure that nothing stopped her, which meant she needed to get a move on, which had her practically dashing out of the Carpenter’s Guild, bunny in hand and gift tucked away in her inventory. “Alright little bunny, one last stop before it’s time to collect the little lady.” She giggled as she rounded the corner and dashed to the market board, grabbing a single item off of there before making one last check to ensure she had everything. Luckily her haste hadn’t caused her to miss out on anything and before long she was dashing right back out of Gridania and South towards a small spot in the woods, nothing special, just an isolated little piece of earth beneath a tree with a seemingly constant light breeze. Yep, nothing special indeed but it was lovely and Kara had been planning everything around that spot. So she tossed a blanket down, a nice fluffy blanket, and sat out the lavish feast prepared by Daca’li, his skills definitely being put to the test with the menu Kara had put together, every single item a two-star creation and while she hadn’t been able to put love into the creation she had certainly put love into gathering the ingredients.

Now she simply had to go pick up her girl. A smile spread on her face at just the thought of her lovely lady, a small blush on her cheeks. Esterii was amazing and Kara could always be herself with the woman, something that couldn’t be underestimated in relation to happiness. So she put a little collar she had bought around the rabbits neck and attached a little wooden box to it as well, pushing the little rabbit behind a tree and giving it a nice carrot to snack on while it waited to help Kara surprise Esterii. With that done, and her meal ready, she turned and headed in the direction where she had instructed Esterii to wait, not far but far enough to stop Esterii from seeing the preparations. When she got there it seemed Esterii had already been waiting, and she bit her lower lip as she looked at her from afar. Kara didn’t immediately go towards her, for a moment she just watched and admired the cuteness that radiated from her beloved. “Oh Kara… You’ve got to keep a hold of this one…” She muttered to herself a hand going up and playing with her hair for a moment, brushing off her clothes and preparing to look her best. Not that she believed Esterii would care, she was so sweet, but she wanted to look her best. When she got herself straightened out she moved closer, coming up behind Esterii as quietly as she could and wrapping her arms around her from behind, kissing her neck gently and nuzzling up against her. A cute giggle escaped Esterii’s lips as she turned her head and then her entire body into Kara. Their eyes met and Kara leaned in for a brief kiss, smiling as she pulled back, “I hope you didn’t wait long love.” Esterii shook her head and kissed Kara again, a little love that was enough to make Kara want to skip right to the evening plans, though she wasn’t about to waste the food.

She didn’t say much else, in fact when Esterii was about to speak again she put a finger on her soft lips and gave a gentle “Shhh” taking her back to their own little private place. Esterii’s eyes widened and a smile of equal width touched her features to which Kara simply responded with grasping her hand and leading her over to sit on the blanket, taking a seat right next to her and leaning back and taking a deep breath. “Happy Birthday Esterii…” He paused for a moment, a blush on her cheeks as she averted her eyes a bit, “I love you…” Esterii leaned over, taking her chin gently in hand and moving her head where their eyes were locked once more. “I love you two Kara…” What followed was about the same gentle kiss as earlier but the emotion behind it had changed and Kara melted, a soft moan escaping her lips as she leaned up and embraced Esterii. When it ended, and it hadn’t lasted terribly long, Kara bit her lower lip, “Let’s not get carried away, our food will get cold.” Oh how much she wanted to get carried away, but it was Esterii’s birthday and she wanted the romantic part along with the rest of the planned events. So she quickly opened up their first course and began to feed her lovely companion, taking bites herself as she pleased and just enjoying her time with Esterii. There wasn’t much going on during the eating process, some light conversation, a bit of chit-chat about their days and a few other sweet nothings as they enjoyed the time with one another. It was only as they arrived to the desert stage that Kara made her move to sappy and sweet, a perfect move when combined with the desert she had ready. “Alright little lady, time for you to blow out your candle and make a wish.” She reached over and pulled out a rather impressive looking cupcake and lit a small candle on top.

She held it up, right in front of Esterii’s nose, and smiled at her, “Come on now, make a wish and blow beautiful.” When Esterii finally did so she took the candle out and tossed it aside, poking the frosting up against Esterii’s nose and leaning in to lick it off. Then she took a bit of the frosting on her finger and lifted it up, waiting for Esterii to lick it off her finger, to which her cute little rascal began sucking on her finger in the most tempting and erotic fashion. “Come now, not yet love.” She laughed, kissing her cheek and whispering in her ear, “I’ve got a little something for you…” She nibbled on Esterii’s eat before pulling back and clicking her tongue to which her newest companion hopped around the tree it had been hiding behind and headed right towards them, poking it’s nose against Esterii’s leg and giving a look so cute it almost seemed planned. Kara lit up and winked at the little rabbit before reaching down and unclipping the box from the collar, the perfectly crafted squire box containing her gift, and she leaned up against Esterii, taking a deep breath. “Ever since I met you my days have been happier. Talking to you makes me smile, thinking about you keeps my hopes up, and playing with you is never boring. No matter what I do you make it better, and I don’t want that to stop. I want to spend every day with you in my life, in the smallest ways and the largest, and today seemed like the perfect day to see if you would do me that honor…” She swallowed hard, obviously nervous, and the opened up the box, contained inside a brilliant golden ring with inlaid diamond stones. She plucked it out of the box, a small engraving on the inside simply saying ‘Always Yours’.

After a moment of silence she finally said what she had been thinking about for weeks, four words, “Esterii, please marry me.” Kara looked up and into Esterii’s eyes, her usual strength fading away as she left her entire being in her lover’s hands, vulnerable in every aspect. She couldn’t be the one to speak next, she waited, and Esterii seemed to be playing with her, a light smile on her lips and she tilted her head but she didn’t say anything. Until finally she did, a small “Of course silly.” Coming out of her lips as if the answer should have been obvious all along, which was comforting in one way but frustrating in another and Kara huffed, “Well gah, you didn’t have to make me sweat.” She was whining more than anything and Esterii simply giggle and gave her head a pat, to which Kara reacted with a playful grab as she pinned Esterii onto her back and gave her a deep passionate kiss, at the same time finding her hand and gently slipping the ring on. When the kiss ended she leaned back and lifted up the now claimed hand, “You’re mine now you know?” Esterii shook her head and Kara looked confused. Yet she had a simple explanation, “No, you’ve been mine for much longer” an innocent smile didn’t stop Kara from looking a bit defeated by the truth and she scoffed, “Well you’re mine now anyways, and if you don’t let me feign some control I won’t give you those birthday spankings later! And you get a few so I wouldn’t mess with me if I were you.” Esterii looked devastated and she grabbed Kara, “No! You will do it, we both know you will.” Kara simply sighed, a hand gripping and lifting Esterii’s thigh as she gave her another deep kiss, “Well… Maybe… But be nice to me, at least until later then be mean to me.” She smiled and pulled on Esterii’s lower lip with her teeth, “If you don’t it’s not going to be easy… You’ve accepted my ring, that means I’m the only one that gets to play with that lovely behind now…” Yep, it was the start of something special, and while the fun that they would be having certainly was a wonderful aspect, Kara was just happy, happy that she was going to get the chance to spend every day just being close to someone who was able to make everything in her life just that much better.