Berenice Harlem’s Favorite Girl💚🍾

I’m Berenice Mid-20s From Harlem, NY I love Gin Fizz and Rockefeller Oysters The best ones are from New Orleans! This blog is run by @delightedrose

[berenicenevermore]

🍾// It was about time I updated this…

𝓗𝓮𝔂 𝓫𝓪𝓫𝓮𝓼!! 𝓑𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓲𝓬𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮. 𝓘 𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓭𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓪𝓹𝓹 𝓸𝓻 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓔𝓾𝓵𝓪 𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭𝓷'𝓽 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓹 𝓫𝓾𝓰𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓶𝓮 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓲𝓽. 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾, 𝓫𝓪𝓫𝓮! 𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓰𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓶𝓮 𝓪 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓪𝓬𝓱𝓮. 𝓘 𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾💚 𝓐𝓷𝔂𝔀𝓪𝔂𝔂𝔂 𝓘'𝓶 𝓰𝓵𝓪𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮☺️

🍾// Helloooo lovely humans💖 I finally decided to update my intro. It was about damn time. I was getting bored of it and I wanted to change a few things. I am really surprised that it has been over two months since I started roleplaying on this app😆 Like, wow. Anyways, this is my roleplay blog of berenice. Like I said before, I’ll try my best to stay in character and I will not be on this 24/7. Love y’all❤️

Rules:

NO NSFW (I cannot stress this enough!) Flirting and suggestive comments are alright, but nothing to extreme.

Absolutely no bigots or discrimination allowed! Which means no homophobia, transphobia, racism, Zionism, ableism, and etc allowed! You will get blocked immediately.

No spoilers please. (Not everyone is a fastpasser, so please respect that.)

No trauma dumping

Please stop sending me spam asks. I got like 5 or so this week and it’s annoying. You will get blocked.

Have fun❤️

Other (updated) rp blogs:

𝙼𝚒𝚜𝚏𝚒𝚝𝚜 💚🍾

𝙻𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚎 @lenorev1901

𝙳𝚞𝚔𝚎 @chucksonwithdukelaurent

𝙿𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚘 @drowning-cat-personified

𝙴𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚎 (any her two other friends) @eulalie-nevermore-academy

𝙼𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚊 @angel-in-green

𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐😁

𝙰𝚕𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚢𝚝𝚎𝚜 🥱🤢

𝙰𝚗𝚗𝚊𝚋𝚎𝚕 @annabel-lee-whitlock

𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚘 @rats-of-death

𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚛 @asshole-cowboy-devil

𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕 @williamwilson1931 @diary-of-a-willy-kid

𝙰𝚍𝚊 @adaa-lovelace

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚏𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚜🤨🫠

𝙻𝚞𝚌𝚊 @way2rich4this

𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚢 @teaandcheckmates

𝙿𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚘'𝚜 𝚍𝚊𝚍 @thatbumpwasshapedlikeacat

𝙻𝚞𝚌𝚊'𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 @isidor-fauntleroy

𝙰𝚗𝚗𝚊𝚋𝚎𝚕'𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 @ira-whitlock-official

𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚢'𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚖 @ichliebemeinensohn

𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚘 @guywhogotcrushedbyatree

𝙴𝚐𝚊𝚎𝚞𝚜 @egaeus-exists

𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚜 @mastertamerlanethomas

𝙹𝚘𝚑𝚗𝚗𝚢 @good-looking-johnny

𝙳𝚊𝚒𝚜𝚢 (one of Monty’s ex) @soon-to-be-wife

𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚘'𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚖 @motheroftheratman

𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚛'𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚖 @blessedangel666

𝚂𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 @horse-head-sterling

𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚢'𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚐 @a-worthless-mutt

𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚏𝚏🙂🙂‍↕️

𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚗 𝙼𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚢 @nevermore-merry-official

𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚗 𝙼𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗 @nevermore-mourn-official

𝙼𝚜. 𝙿𝚘𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚝 @your-favorite-teacher-poppet @therealpoppet

𝙽𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝙳𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚢 @the-only-nurse-in-this-school

𝚆𝚒𝚜𝚙𝚜 @wispsofthenevermoreacademy

𝙽𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎'𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚒𝚜𝚝 @nevermores-therapist

𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜😯🫤

𝙺𝚒𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚢 @getmeftoutofhere

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗 @a-raven-thats-not-so-raven

𝚅𝚘𝚒𝚍 𝚔𝚒𝚍 (the dean’s son) @a-boy-in-a-void

𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚘'𝚜 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚜 @squeak-squeak-bitch

𝙻𝚎𝚜𝚋𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚜 (from manor arc) @victimsofficial

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚐 @youcantrunfromthewildhunt

𝙽𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚌𝚜💚😄

𝙻𝚒𝚜𝚊 @lisa-maneater

𝙰𝚍𝚊𝚒𝚛 @adair-is-lost

𝚅𝚎𝚛𝚊 @veranevermore

𝚂𝚊𝚕𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚎 @kingofyourheartsxx

𝙾𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎 @odd-the-believer

𝚅𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚊 @victoria-has-arrived

𝚂𝚘𝚙𝚑𝚒𝚎 @sophie-nightmare

𝙺𝚊𝚗𝚎 @b4ckseat-bingo-ch4mp

𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 @sk8r-boy-spence

𝙵𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚗 @fionan-james

𝚅𝚊𝚕 @crzy-gh0st

(Andddd that’s all I can tag for now)

(Dividers by @thecutestgrotto )

[faithinchristxxnevermore]

🥀//little interaction with other rps

1- a headcanon you made of your character

2- something/someone that you think your character would die for

3- how they would act if the stag is looking directly at them

And that's it, if you don't want to interact there's no problem

[way2rich4this]

1 -> He was way too many clothes.. like an insane amount. He'll proudly admit that he's always keeping up with fashion.

2 -> Hardly anyone, but if he had to, I think we all know who

3 -> Freeze and scream, most likely

✨// tagging other peeps as well teehee @teaandcheckmates @isidor-fauntleroy @berenicenevermore @chucksonwithdukelaurent @drowning-cat-personified

[chucksonwithdukelaurent]

🗝// OOOOO YESSSS

1: Duke loves radio serials, and at night when he can't sleep, he'll get out of bed and go sit in his favorite chair to listen to the midnight shows that most people miss.

2: mf has no sense of self preservation, if anyone is around he's willing to die for them. he thinks it's "being a hero."

3: it seems he goes with "flight" over "fight;" either he's running to protect the people with him, or he doesn't see any value in "fighting"/putting on a show if there's no audience around, so might as well run.

damn who can I tag

@nevermore-mourn-official @nevermore-merry-official @asshole-cowboy-devil

[asshole-cowboy-devil]

😈// I love this idea! Ty for tagging me!

1- I can't think of any good ones rn for some reason, so I'll go with he's definitely a homophobic homosexual. And hates feta cheese.

2- Maybe his mother? Ik he seemed to hate her, but familial bonds are strong, and I honestly couldn't see him dying for anything or anyone else (not even Will).

3- I think he'd run, honestly. Find somewhere to duck into to escape it. I wanted to say he'd be a dumbass and fight it, but Montresor has been shown to be rather intelligent.

Tags: @diary-of-a-willy-kid @rats-of-death @wispsofthenevermoreacademy @berenicenevermore @servingcuntandservingmycountry

[berenicenevermore]

🍾// thanks for the tag!

She was a seamstress before she left Harlem and she does not want to have any kids.

I honestly have no idea but If had to choose… I’m going to say her biscuit, eulalie, since they have a very close bond with each other. Or maybe her cousin? Idk.

She’d run for life.

Tags: @angel-in-green @mastertamerlanethomas @soon-to-be-wife @nevermore-mourn-official

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice stood in the corner beside the table where the punch was with a drink in her hand for god-knows how long. She doesn’t usually do this; watching people dance and enjoy themselves. No, she rather be apart of the fun. But after remembering what happened with Lisa that night in her dorm while she was drunk— she couldn’t dare to make herself be known just in case if Lisa was around. It’s not like she didn’t want to see or talk to her. She loved being around the woman. But knowing she embarrassed herself in front of her…crush, it just didn’t sit right with her.}

{Her eyes darted to her cup of punch that was still full, suddenly fascinated by the way the red liquid shimmered under the chandelier lights. She sighed heavily. She would’ve stayed in this corner longer if it weren’t for her stomach growling. She glanced up and searched for the table where the buffet of food lied. As she was about to make her way over there, she stopped in her tracks when she realized Lisa was standing by the table, talking to someone.}

{Fuck, the woman looked stunning in her costume. Good god, why did she had to look so good? Berenice could already feel the heat forming on her cheeks. Her heart was beating by the mile. She was hoping her catwoman mask would hide her identity, but too bad it only covered half her face.}

{Berenice tried to hide herself behind her drink as she moved through the crowd, hoping no one, or someone, would recognize her. As she was getting closer to the buffet table, she almost tripped on her own step, nearly bashing into the table. Luckily, nothing dropped. Though, her poor thighs would be feeling it by tomorrow. Now, all she had to do was grabbed something to eat and leave quickly as possible. Simple as that. However, her plan failed when she heard a familiar voice call her name which made her heart skip a beat.}

{So, so close.}

@lisa-maneater

[berenicenevermore]

🍾// Berenice is dressing up as catwoman for the Halloween event/party.

[space--the-final-fontier]

NEVERMORE HALLOWEEN PARTY

//Yes I know I'm late, apologies 😭

The Halloween Party is now ongoing!! :D

I actually have no plans for this at all, so just go wild, have fun, and cause chaos?

Or... In the words of the great Ms. Frizzle: "Take Chances! Make Mistakes! Get Messy!"

....Literally the only ideas I had for this was come in costume if you want, and just hang out, maybe there's some fun fall fest style games in the common room and stuff?

Just tag it with #🎃nevermorehalloween and you'll be set, I think that's all!

[stagnant-tide]

what a curious place! ~ ☆

🫧// hi!! this is a eulalie roleplay account! interactions are open (asks, tags and rbs all welcome!) and i'll try my best to remain in character! typical dni applies <3 admin is an adult but no nsfw please!

border credit @uzmacchiato

[berenicenevermore]

🍾// yayyyy another Eulalie blog is here!!

[chucksonwithdukelaurent]

{Berenice made her way through the corridors into the common room. She placed the bottle of red wine that she was holding, onto the table between the fireplace and the couch. The rhythmic snap and pop of the burning wood filled the quiet room. It was late at night and, mostly everyone, was sleeping.}

{Berenice had planned to meet Duke here. She hasn’t spoken to him in a while and decided, why not catch up with a friend? She usually would talk things out with Eulalie, but lately she hasn’t had the time. There has been a lot of crazy things going on in this academy. Between the situation with the stag and the many events that has been going on, she just couldn’t find the time to wind down and talk with her friends. This is why she is hoping Duke got her note to meet her here. The deans don’t usually lurk around this time of the night so it was the perfect time to talk.

{She flopped onto the couch and waited for the man. Hopefully, he remembers the wine glasses I told him to bring.}

- @berenicenevermore

🍾// I’m sorry for taking so long!! The last ask I was going to send you got deleted because tumblr crashed on me and that pissed me off😭

"Mon dieu," [Duke is groaning as he shoulders open the door; it's not particularly heavy, but he's dead tired. The invitation from Berenice is well-appreciated— he could use some time to decompress, and company is always appreciated.* "Cette semaine a été vraiment mauvaise."

[He collapses in the chair on the other side of the end table, drink glasses clinking as he sets them next to the bottle of wine. He glances over at Berenice, collapsed on the couch—] "Berenice," [he greets her,] "are you in the mood for wine and whining?"

[berenicenevermore]

“You bet I am!” {Maybe not so much of the whining part. She pops open the bottle and fills each of their glasses with a generous pour of wine; watching the light refract through the ruby-red liquid. She grabs her glass as she sits back down on the couch, taking a sip.} “Mmmm. You can really taste the dread in this….with a hint of cherry.” {Berenice noted.}

{She glanced up at Duke, who was taking a long sip of his wine.} “I’m actually a little surprised you met with me here at this time of the night. I thought for sure you would’ve pick your beauty sleep over me babe.”

[chucksonwithdukelaurent]

[if he was in a better mood, Duke would sip slowly the entire time. but after the week he's had— he tosses his head back, downing most of his wine in a single gulp. The act is certainly at-odds with the rest of his perfectly manicured image, and normally, he'd be distressed to know someone else saw that— but it's Berenice. if anyone's going to understand, it will be her.]

"Hmm?" [Duke has to quickly swallow before he gags on the mouthful of alcohol in responding.] "And here I'd thought you wanted my company. I can always leave, if you'd like," [he teases her back. thank god Berenice is about as prickly as he is— there's no animosity hidden under their words, only a mutual exhaustion.]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled into her drink, almost spilling it.} “Don’t even think about it.” {She says, waving a finger at him. She loved Duke’s company. The way how she is able to talk to Duke about almost anything, made her feel comfortable. She never really had men in her life that she was able to talk to without it turning into flirty banter. It was nice to know that Duke genuinely saw her as a friend and she admired him for that. She, also, loved how incredibly blunt he was; no matter how scary the truth can be.}

“Who would’ve thought being in this place could cause so much chaos in such a small amount of time? Sometimes, I still think this is all happening in a dream and I’m too fried to the hat to wake the hell up.” {Her shoulders slumped as she sighed heavily, taking another sip of her drink.}

[chucksonwithdukelaurent]

{Berenice made her way through the corridors into the common room. She placed the bottle of red wine that she was holding, onto the table between the fireplace and the couch. The rhythmic snap and pop of the burning wood filled the quiet room. It was late at night and, mostly everyone, was sleeping.}

{Berenice had planned to meet Duke here. She hasn’t spoken to him in a while and decided, why not catch up with a friend? She usually would talk things out with Eulalie, but lately she hasn’t had the time. There has been a lot of crazy things going on in this academy. Between the situation with the stag and the many events that has been going on, she just couldn’t find the time to wind down and talk with her friends. This is why she is hoping Duke got her note to meet her here. The deans don’t usually lurk around this time of the night so it was the perfect time to talk.

{She flopped onto the couch and waited for the man. Hopefully, he remembers the wine glasses I told him to bring.}

- @berenicenevermore

🍾// I’m sorry for taking so long!! The last ask I was going to send you got deleted because tumblr crashed on me and that pissed me off😭

"Mon dieu," [Duke is groaning as he shoulders open the door; it's not particularly heavy, but he's dead tired. The invitation from Berenice is well-appreciated— he could use some time to decompress, and company is always appreciated.* "Cette semaine a été vraiment mauvaise."

[He collapses in the chair on the other side of the end table, drink glasses clinking as he sets them next to the bottle of wine. He glances over at Berenice, collapsed on the couch—] "Berenice," [he greets her,] "are you in the mood for wine and whining?"

[berenicenevermore]

“You bet I am!” {Maybe not so much of the whining part. She pops open the bottle and fills each of their glasses with a generous pour of wine; watching the light refract through the ruby-red liquid. She grabs her glass as she sits back down on the couch, taking a sip.} “Mmmm. You can really taste the dread in this….with a hint of cherry.” {Berenice noted.}

{She glanced up at Duke, who was taking a long sip of his wine.} “I’m actually a little surprised you met with me here at this time of the night. I thought for sure you would’ve pick your beauty sleep over me babe.”

[berenicenevermore]

[lisa arrived outside of Berneice's dorm just before seven. she had overdressed a little, but it could easily be played off if she didn't bring up how nervous she was earlier on. it was unfarmilliar and a little undecipherable until a stray spider seemed to laugh at her from its perch on her nightstand... she'd have words later.]

[Lisa wasnt even sure if Berenice was ready yet, but she'd gladly wait until she was if necessary, so she knocked lightly on the door.]

@lisa-maneater

{Berenice stood in front of the mirror, admiring her outfit. She rubbed the material down to make sure there weren’t any creases left. Today… is a little nerve wracking. She is going on a date with Lisa and she’s extremely nervous. This is their first time going on date together and Berenice really doesn’t want to fuck this up.}

{She stopped what she was doing when she heard a knock on the door. Oh, that must be Lisa. She took a deep breath in and made her way to the door. She slowly pulled the door open and there she was. Her eyes widened; a broad grin spreads across her face. Lisa looked gorgeous as ever.}

“Babe— you look beautiful.”

[lisa-maneater]

[...]

[her mouth opened to speak, but she closed it quickly before an embarrassed squeak could come out. Berenice was amazing, effortlessly as well. lisa couldn't say she'd been on a date since her husband, normally her paramours would skip the pleasantries which was welcome at the time. but Berenice? lisa found herself wanting to play the long game, wanting to spend every moment she could with the woman just to selfishly memorise every inch of her more accurately.]

[she took a breath, and tried again.]

"seems we're both in the mood to compliment, you stole the words right out of my mouth."

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled.} “Well, can you blame me?”

{Berenice couldn’t stop staring at Lisa. She definitely knew how to put on an outfit. She was impressed.} “So, are you ready to go the wisps bar? I’m honestly surprised they even have one. I thought the deans would have catch them by now.”

{Berenice hasn’t went on a date in god knows how long. She was always hesitant when it came to dating. Especially, since she wasn’t sure she even knew the idea of ‘romance’. It was rare for her to even develop a crush. Usually, things felt casual for her. That’s how it always felt with her relationship with Egaeus and Sterling. She thought she loved them, but was it really love? She wasn’t sure. But…. Maybe this time, things will be different.}

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa links their arms together carefully and closes Berenice's door behind her before they walk down the hall.]

"i'm sure even the deans need to cut loose sometimes, they always seem quite highly strung."

[Lisa's experience dealing with children taught her she would never do it again, she couldn't imagine having to deal with adults who acted like the little beasts.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Agreed. They are always so uptight. Like let us have fun for once.”

{It was very quiet walking down the hall. It was dark outside. Around this time, you don’t usually see students wandering the halls. Which was a good thing for the both of them. Walking through a crowd isn’t fun.}

“By the way babe…uh- where is the wisps bar? You know the way, right?”

[lisa-maneater]

"i asked my spiders for rough directions..."

[that was an interesting 'conversation' they were still upset with Lisa, but something about seeing her scramble to prepare for this date was funny enough for them to help a little. so she had drawn a very basic outline of the corridors and made them walk around it to show the way.]

"very simple if you know how to talk to them. how has your day been, lover?"

[it was meant to be a playful nickname, but her tone was always hard to control completely around Berenice.]

[berenicenevermore]

{Mm… lover. She’s just gonna pretend she didn’t just hear that and laughed it off.}

“My day has been alright, babe. I am little exhausted since Eulalie wouldn’t stop talking about the relation between ghost and spirts. It was an interesting conversation to have but-“ {A heavy sigh escaped from her lips.} “She just wouldn’t let me sleep. We were supposed to hang out, but then she took off without saying a word. Besides that, I took a little nap today and I feel okay.”

{She paused when she felt like she was rambling too much.} “Sorry, I think I’m yapping too much. How has your day been?”

[lisa-maneater]

"i'm glad you got rest eventually, don't let that girl bother you so much it puts your sleep at risk."

[they turn another corner, the doorway at the end being the bars entrance. this part of the academy was a little run down, so she was a little confused as to why anyone would open a bar here]

"my day has been quite uneventful, no one speaks to me because apparently talking to spiders make me look insane"

[she laughs under her breath and pushes the doors open. the low drawl of quiet music floods their ears as it creaks to a stop. inside is cozy, if a little run down with some ware on the wallpaper and dust on the light shades. its relativity empty as well, in a way that feel a little uncanny- until she saw the wisp behind the bar wiping a glass that already looked completely clean... on second thought that didn't help the uncanny feeling]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice is completely in awe of the place. Every where she looked, her mouth felt like it was about to fall to the floor. Everything was so beautiful. The red dim lights hanging from the ceiling, the design of boats and waves laid on the ceiling, wooden bar stools, and the walls were crisp white. You can definitely tell there was still some dust on the walls that needed to be cleaned, but overall, the place was stunning.}

{It’s not like she hasn’t experienced anything like this, but the fact that it was mostly empty, just for them, felt even more better. She slid her hand across the wooden bar, feeling its smooth texture. A wide grin spreads across her face. The wisps outdid themselves.}

“I…” {She tried to catch her breath to take everything in.} “I am really impressed. I did not expect it would look like this.”

{The sound of squeaking made Berenice turned to the direction of the sound. It was one of the wisps behind the bar, wiping a glass clean.}

“Hello.” {She says, waving to the wisp.}

[lisa-maneater]

[the wisps watches them both blankly, and lisa is quick to assume they wont get much conversation out of the creature. she makes her way to one of the smaller tables near the base of a short stage, pulling out her own chair and laying the coat there. there's a moment of shuffling before she remembers her manners and pulls the opposite one out for Berenice as well]

"very quiet in here, my spiders must enjoy it."

[berenicenevermore]

“Thank you.” {She hummed.}

{As Berenice sat down, she pulled the chair by its legs to move it closer to the table. Lisa follows and she took a seat as well.} “Your spiders knew what they were doing when they recommended this place to you. It’s really fancy. I am still in shock the deans don’t know a thing about this.”

{She glanced around the room once more, but stopped when something caught her eye. The stage. She remembered the times when Sterling would invite her and Egaeus to a popular private speakeasy; a joint that everyone was yapping about. The music… ah, the music. One of the best performers Berenice witnessed was a saxophonist. She remembered how strongly the man was playing his saxophone. He wanted everyone to hear how we was feeling through his sounds. It was amazing. This bar definitely brings back memories. Memories that Berenice will cherish forever.}

“So, what drink are you planning on getting babe?”

[lisa-maneater]

"I fancy a Manhattan, what are you thinking? We could always get a bottle of something to share as well so we don't run out."

[Lisa places her elbows on the table and rests her chin on the back of her hands, smiling softly at berenice. The wisp brought itself over to them, probably listening for their order.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Well, if you fancy a manhattan, I won’t stop you. I already had a bottle of wine yesterday so I think I’ll get something else.”

{Berenice opened the menu and analyzed the options of drinks. She stopped when she noticed a drink that will delight her taste buds. She glances up at the wisp, who is waiting for them to tell them their order, and says} “I’ll take a clover club.”

[lisa-maneater]

[the wisp didn't respond but stood there for a moment as if processing. then they walked back behind the bar and looked to be making the drinks. now came the hard part, in Lisa's opinion, trying to think of things to talk about. basic questions could be good, but she'd have to think of one that wouldn't bore the other woman]

"did you do much travelling when you were alive? there must've been a winery tour at some point"

[she joked]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled.} “Yes and no. I traveled to New Orleans when I got bored of Harlem,” {Yes, a half-lie.} “-And Egaeus and I did went to France once for an event, but that was all. The thing is I loved New Orleans so much, I didn’t wanna leave. It was the bee’s knees like no other.”

{Memories of her in New Orleans started to flow in her head. Part of her yearns to go back, part of her wonders what went wrong? Half of her believes that it was all her fault and if a second chance of life would be worth it?}

{She pushes those thoughts away and brought her attention back to Lisa.} “What about you? Have you done much traveling?”

[lisa-maneater]

"when i was with my husband we travelled before the children came, it was always warm places- which stopped agreeing with me after the first baby. then i became focused on taking the children to Scotland during the winters because i found it so beautiful"

[she pauses, thanking the wisp quietly as it sat their drinks down and hurried away]

"after they all left me i stayed local, it was much more affordable and i still enjoyed myself."

[berenicenevermore]

“Wait— you had children?”

{The warmth in her eyes vanished, though the smile, now small, still clung to her lips.} “You were a… mother?” {The mention of ‘mother’ made her skin crawl. Berenice was never quite fond with the idea of having children. Never in her life where she wanted to take that route. Yes, she was still young and decisions can change in the future, but she knows deep inside, this won’t change. She can still remember the amount of judgment she received from friends and family. Well, except for Egaeus. He never judged her for it.}

“W-what was it like? B-being a mother?”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa pauses for a moment, realising how much she had just let slip. she hadn't had anyone or any opportunities to really talk about her life so far] "well, i felt responsibility over them of course. i wasn't quite the model parent though... i'm not sure what i say will be universal, ive been told it sounds cold."

[she warns, looking down at her drink instead of at Berenice] "because i hadn't known much love in my life, i became possessive over what i was told to love. so while i cared for my three, it wasn't the nurturing kind you probably want to hear about. it was replicating what id seen, what i was supposed to feel."

[...intense for a date. even with the amount of partners lisa had, she never opened up to them about this sort of thing- or anything personal for that matter. only her therapist had known anything this deep, and she only started seeing her after her husband.]

[berenicenevermore]

{She grabs Lisa’s free hand and tangles her fingers into hers, holding onto her tightly with care. She hates seeing Lisa even in a little bit of distress.}

“It’s okay, babe. You can tell me if you want, but don’t feel like you have to.” [She assured Lisa.}

“You may became possessive but… I’m pretty sure you loved them with all your heart.”

[lisa-maneater]

[she freezes a little, as if moving would ruin the moment. and she finds herself wondering if she should play it up more, say more to make Berenice feel bad for her, but ultimately Lisa wanted better for them both then that.]

"my kind of love often toes the line with obsession."

[she watches their hands linked together, and brings Berenice's hand gently to her lips. she plants a delicate kiss to each knuckle and strokes over the lipstick marks it left. she didn't want to think about her children anymore, they were her past. there was nothing she could do to change any of that, and talking about it wouldn't improve things, she wanted to live in this moment.]

"the people i love are quite worthy over someone to worship them. i like to make up for all the time they were underappreciated."

[berenicenevermore]

{The heat rose to her cheeks as Lisa places a kiss to each of her knuckles. Is this what love feels like? It was rare for Berenice to love, or even have a crush on someone since she didn’t know what that felt like. She always went the casual route. She never felt affection like this. This is new for her. She wants more. She wants more of this feeling.}

“Well… it’s never too late.” {Her voice was low and almost cracked a little. She was nervous, but in a good way.}

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa looked up at her then, and a smile she'd never seen before was on her face. it was soft, but not in a condescending way like she gave adair. her eyes were crinkled with the malice or smirk to make it the way it usually was. it was something genuine, really genuine.]

"i think you're right about that."

[she whispered, opening Berenice's hand to kiss her palm before letting her hand go finally. she sipped her drink before speaking again.]

"i completely went off on a tangent there, you've got to stop me next time. New Orleans, a few of my friends went there after secondary school finished- high school for you i think? the most i got out of them about it was how one of the girls went off with a mysterious gentlemen their last night and came back with stars in her eyes claiming she would never forget him. of course she did with the very next boy she met...."

[lisa laughs under her breath.] "though i hope you didn't enjoy the city because of the men."

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice shook her head.} “No, I was grown when I moved to New Orleans. I wanted a new life, and I was just tired of the one back in Harlem. Believe it or not, it was Egaeus who suggested that we moved to New Orleans cause it would give us a better life. He convinced me and we moved.”

{As she took a sip of her drink, she almost spit out the liquid when Lisa said ‘because of the men’.} “Hell no. Don’t get me wrong, I love to have fun in so many ways but…” {She took a deep breath before continuing.} “I was there for the glamour. Some of the men i’ve countered was… uh… standoffish. Most of them really didn’t deserve my time until I found Sterling and… you know the rest.”

{She started to tap her foot against the floor which became faster with each tap. She looked to the side for a moment.} “Anyway uh….it’s rare for me to have a crush or be romantically attracted to someone. This…” {Her heart beat quicken.} “is the first… I think.”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa's smile became a bit more sly as she titled her head]

"well, i hope this can be a good first for you..."

[deflecting form her own past feelings wasn't a great start, but that could all wait.] "I've been told i'm quite good at guaranteeing good firsts."

[she hides her chuckle behind another sip of her drink.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm.” {A wide, mischievous smirk grew on her face as she took a sip of her drink as well.}

“I wonder what else you’re good at. Any talents you have?”

[lisa-maneater]

"Beyond my attractiveness and charm? Well, I was good at embroidery before I died, I also enjoyed writing but it was mostly macabre little rambles- nothing really note worthy..."

[It was one of those moments again, where she realised she'd never really be free of the things her husband said to her. And everytime she was reminded of it, she felt disgusting like she was letting him in again.]

"What about you?"

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm.. interesting.” {She sets her glass down and started to swirl her finger around the brim, glancing at the color of the liquid; distracting herself for a moment before looking up at Lisa, who is staring at her with affection in her eyes. Her cheeks started to heat up again.}

“I was a seamstress…for a moment in my life. It was really fun. I love clothes. I have a keen eye for styling clothes well. Believe it or not, it was one of my passions.”

{Her eyes darted off to the side, letting out a sigh.} “I guess I got caught up in other things to chase it.”

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa frowned a little, she didn't enjoy seeing Berenice downtrodden]

"well, perhaps through this entanglement we can both rediscover our lost flames and talents. i want to see you do something you enjoy- beyond the obvious"

[she winked]

[berenicenevermore]

“I hope so.” {A small smile curled on her lips as she winked back, taking another sip of her drink while at it.}

*** time skip ***

{Berenice’s giggles echoed through the corridors as they made their way to Berenice’s dorm. Well, they would’ve been there by now if it weren’t Berenice almost stumbling to the ground every time she walked. She was a little tipsy, or maybe more than that. Lisa was holding on to her, almost dragging her, so she wouldn’t fall. The patience this woman had was beyond the measure.}

“He-he. I neverrrrr noTiced,” {Hic} “how staleee tHe coloRsss areee on the walls.” {She tried to lean closer to the wall to touch it, but when she did, Lisa would gently pull her back so she can redirect her to the path of her dorm, or better yet, so she doesn’t get distracted.}

{Another loud giggle slipped out of Berenice as Lisa touched her. Without a care in the world, she grabbed onto Lisa’s waist and leaned closer to her; their faces inches apart. She stared into her beautiful eyes as she said…}

“You’re so..damn pretty.”

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa was not patient. it was clear in the ways she interacted with most people. but right now, she didn't feel like she needed to be patient, she felt like she needed to help Berenice return to her dorm. She also felt like she needed to spend as much time as possible with Berenice. so every mumble and giggle was met with a response, not a big one since the woman was acting far too adorable for Lisa to formulate anything longer then three words.]

[the wall wasn't up against her back, but it felt like there was no escape. she was so suave before, when was the last time a girl had her blushing like this? nothing would happen, not tonight and certainly not with Berenice in this state. But there was something about being grabbed by those delicate hands (the same ones that had violently seductively beaten a man with a baseball bat) that made her yearn for the time where something could happen.]

"Love, you're going to topple us both"

[she laughs to cover herself]

[berenicenevermore]

{Lisa’s laugh filled Berenice’s ears with delight which made Berenice’s smile grew wider, showing her beautiful fangs. She was tipsy or so, but she knew Lisa had a hold on her heart. Just hearing the woman laugh made her wanting to hear it more.}

“YoU have a prettyyyy laugh,” {She puts a finger to her chin.} “Is… thAT how… you say iT?”

{More of Berenice’s giggles filled the hall.}

[lisa-maneater]

"um- quite close, love. and look, were close to your dorm as well. its only a little while away from here, hm?"

[she tries to divert Berenice by carefully gripping her shoulders and attempting to turn her body in the correct direction.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mmmmm.” {She hummed.}

{They finally made their way to Berenice’s dorm, after all the tugging and dragging Lisa had to do. Good thing her roommate wasn’t here to see her in this state. Berenice flopped onto her bed and laid down; arms and legs spread wide over the bed. She lifted her head up a little to see Lisa walking towards her. She turned to her side and said} “Y-you’re not… gonna leave me, are you?”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa hesitates but eventually pulls off berenice's heels for her and sets them down on the floor neatly.]

"well, i can get you all tucked in if you like."

[she's half joking as she moves to gently remove Berenice's jewellery, it would be terrible for her to wake up with earrings tangled in her hair.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm. You’re ssso sweeT.” {Berenice blurted out; her voice low and soft. She glanced up at Lisa who was removing her jewelry for her. Her eyes were soft and warm, crinkling at the corners with a silent smile. How grateful was she to have someone as caring as Lisa. That’s all Berenice ever wanted. Someone who genuinely cared for her.}

{With that in mind, Berenice couldn’t help but glide both her hands around Lisa’s waist, bringing her closer. She loved the way how warm Lisa felt. She gently gripped the back of Lisa’s dress to pull her up so they were eye-level. Lisa looked stunned, but Berenice couldn’t help herself. She didn’t really know what she was doing. All she knows was that… she wanted Lisa more than anything.}

{Berenice softly placed her hand on Lisa’s chest, feeling her heart beat. Oh my, it was racing more than a mile. Berenice’s smile grew wider, as the hand that was on Lisa’s chest, now was gently placed on Lisa’s left cheek. Her skin was so soft, so warm, so delicate. She bit the bottom of her lip; lust and love filled her eyes. She whispered}

“I… want to kiss you,” {Her eyes darted to Lisa’s lips.} “Soo badly. I want to see… how much your lips…” {Her voice low as ever. Her thumb now caressing Lisa’s bottom lip.} “crave mine.”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa damn near went cross eyed as her gaze unfocused. Berenice was touching her, closely, in a way she hadn't been touched since coming to nevermore. she all but started panting as Berenice leaned in and for a moment she almost closed her eyes to accept her fate. but the smell of alcohol on her breath made her second guess the interaction.]

"B-berenice. you're drunk"

[she whispered, not hearing the whine in her voice. she wanted to kiss her badly, she wanted to show her just how... craved she was.]

"i cant... i wont do that to you right now."

[but to Lisa, in this moment that was so thick with tension and heavy breaths, the sharp thought of doing something intimate and becoming the man-ish thing she hated carved its way into her.]

[berenicenevermore]

“No-o… I’m not. Please.” {Berenice pleaded. Her voice still low.}

{A loud groan escaped Berenice’s lips as she rolled her eyes at Lisa when she said no. She flopped back onto the bed, pouty as ever.}

“Fine.”

{She rolled back on her side and said} “You lucky I like you too much to stay mad at you.”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa sighed, but smiled a little]

"i am. don't think this is a entire rejection either, as soon as the situation arises i want you to ask me again. and unless you're drunk again or someone is dying- well, someone could be dying, you and that baseball bat- anyway... ill give you what you want."

[she placed the jewellery on the beside table and leaned down to Berenice again.]

"maybe this will help you sleep in with all that desperation though."

[she kissed her forehead gently and pulled the duvet up to tuck her in]

[berenicenevermore]

{The warmth of Lisa’s lips on her forehead made her smile. Hopefully the next time, she’ll feel it on her lips. That’s if Berenice even has the courage to ask Lisa. She’ll probably be too drowned in embarrassment the minute she remembers this moment. But for now, all she wants to do is sleep. Her brain felt like it was running on fumes. Her eyes felt heavy; almost drifted off to sleep until she realized Lisa was about to leave.}

“Wait. Y-you’re not going to sleep w-with me?” Berenice mumbled.

[lisa-maneater]

[She paused infront of the door]

"Well, love, it would be a bit of a squeeze, hm?"

[She wouldnt fight much, she didn't want to leave right now.]

[berenicenevermore]

{She sighed.} “I guess you’re right.”

{Berenice really wanted Lisa to sleep with her, but both of them wouldn’t be able to fit unless Lisa slept on top of her. Gotta blame the Deans for giving the students cheap, small ass beds.}

“Then… I-i guess this is Goodnight?”

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa smiled, opening the door to leave.]

"Only until tomorow, Berenice."

[berenicenevermore]

{A Little snicker came out of her.}

“Bye babe.” {She whispers as she drifted off to sleep.}

[berenicenevermore]

[lisa arrived outside of Berneice's dorm just before seven. she had overdressed a little, but it could easily be played off if she didn't bring up how nervous she was earlier on. it was unfarmilliar and a little undecipherable until a stray spider seemed to laugh at her from its perch on her nightstand... she'd have words later.]

[Lisa wasnt even sure if Berenice was ready yet, but she'd gladly wait until she was if necessary, so she knocked lightly on the door.]

@lisa-maneater

{Berenice stood in front of the mirror, admiring her outfit. She rubbed the material down to make sure there weren’t any creases left. Today… is a little nerve wracking. She is going on a date with Lisa and she’s extremely nervous. This is their first time going on date together and Berenice really doesn’t want to fuck this up.}

{She stopped what she was doing when she heard a knock on the door. Oh, that must be Lisa. She took a deep breath in and made her way to the door. She slowly pulled the door open and there she was. Her eyes widened; a broad grin spreads across her face. Lisa looked gorgeous as ever.}

“Babe— you look beautiful.”

[lisa-maneater]

[...]

[her mouth opened to speak, but she closed it quickly before an embarrassed squeak could come out. Berenice was amazing, effortlessly as well. lisa couldn't say she'd been on a date since her husband, normally her paramours would skip the pleasantries which was welcome at the time. but Berenice? lisa found herself wanting to play the long game, wanting to spend every moment she could with the woman just to selfishly memorise every inch of her more accurately.]

[she took a breath, and tried again.]

"seems we're both in the mood to compliment, you stole the words right out of my mouth."

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled.} “Well, can you blame me?”

{Berenice couldn’t stop staring at Lisa. She definitely knew how to put on an outfit. She was impressed.} “So, are you ready to go the wisps bar? I’m honestly surprised they even have one. I thought the deans would have catch them by now.”

{Berenice hasn’t went on a date in god knows how long. She was always hesitant when it came to dating. Especially, since she wasn’t sure she even knew the idea of ‘romance’. It was rare for her to even develop a crush. Usually, things felt casual for her. That’s how it always felt with her relationship with Egaeus and Sterling. She thought she loved them, but was it really love? She wasn’t sure. But…. Maybe this time, things will be different.}

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa links their arms together carefully and closes Berenice's door behind her before they walk down the hall.]

"i'm sure even the deans need to cut loose sometimes, they always seem quite highly strung."

[Lisa's experience dealing with children taught her she would never do it again, she couldn't imagine having to deal with adults who acted like the little beasts.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Agreed. They are always so uptight. Like let us have fun for once.”

{It was very quiet walking down the hall. It was dark outside. Around this time, you don’t usually see students wandering the halls. Which was a good thing for the both of them. Walking through a crowd isn’t fun.}

“By the way babe…uh- where is the wisps bar? You know the way, right?”

[lisa-maneater]

"i asked my spiders for rough directions..."

[that was an interesting 'conversation' they were still upset with Lisa, but something about seeing her scramble to prepare for this date was funny enough for them to help a little. so she had drawn a very basic outline of the corridors and made them walk around it to show the way.]

"very simple if you know how to talk to them. how has your day been, lover?"

[it was meant to be a playful nickname, but her tone was always hard to control completely around Berenice.]

[berenicenevermore]

{Mm… lover. She’s just gonna pretend she didn’t just hear that and laughed it off.}

“My day has been alright, babe. I am little exhausted since Eulalie wouldn’t stop talking about the relation between ghost and spirts. It was an interesting conversation to have but-“ {A heavy sigh escaped from her lips.} “She just wouldn’t let me sleep. We were supposed to hang out, but then she took off without saying a word. Besides that, I took a little nap today and I feel okay.”

{She paused when she felt like she was rambling too much.} “Sorry, I think I’m yapping too much. How has your day been?”

[lisa-maneater]

"i'm glad you got rest eventually, don't let that girl bother you so much it puts your sleep at risk."

[they turn another corner, the doorway at the end being the bars entrance. this part of the academy was a little run down, so she was a little confused as to why anyone would open a bar here]

"my day has been quite uneventful, no one speaks to me because apparently talking to spiders make me look insane"

[she laughs under her breath and pushes the doors open. the low drawl of quiet music floods their ears as it creaks to a stop. inside is cozy, if a little run down with some ware on the wallpaper and dust on the light shades. its relativity empty as well, in a way that feel a little uncanny- until she saw the wisp behind the bar wiping a glass that already looked completely clean... on second thought that didn't help the uncanny feeling]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice is completely in awe of the place. Every where she looked, her mouth felt like it was about to fall to the floor. Everything was so beautiful. The red dim lights hanging from the ceiling, the design of boats and waves laid on the ceiling, wooden bar stools, and the walls were crisp white. You can definitely tell there was still some dust on the walls that needed to be cleaned, but overall, the place was stunning.}

{It’s not like she hasn’t experienced anything like this, but the fact that it was mostly empty, just for them, felt even more better. She slid her hand across the wooden bar, feeling its smooth texture. A wide grin spreads across her face. The wisps outdid themselves.}

“I…” {She tried to catch her breath to take everything in.} “I am really impressed. I did not expect it would look like this.”

{The sound of squeaking made Berenice turned to the direction of the sound. It was one of the wisps behind the bar, wiping a glass clean.}

“Hello.” {She says, waving to the wisp.}

[lisa-maneater]

[the wisps watches them both blankly, and lisa is quick to assume they wont get much conversation out of the creature. she makes her way to one of the smaller tables near the base of a short stage, pulling out her own chair and laying the coat there. there's a moment of shuffling before she remembers her manners and pulls the opposite one out for Berenice as well]

"very quiet in here, my spiders must enjoy it."

[berenicenevermore]

“Thank you.” {She hummed.}

{As Berenice sat down, she pulled the chair by its legs to move it closer to the table. Lisa follows and she took a seat as well.} “Your spiders knew what they were doing when they recommended this place to you. It’s really fancy. I am still in shock the deans don’t know a thing about this.”

{She glanced around the room once more, but stopped when something caught her eye. The stage. She remembered the times when Sterling would invite her and Egaeus to a popular private speakeasy; a joint that everyone was yapping about. The music… ah, the music. One of the best performers Berenice witnessed was a saxophonist. She remembered how strongly the man was playing his saxophone. He wanted everyone to hear how we was feeling through his sounds. It was amazing. This bar definitely brings back memories. Memories that Berenice will cherish forever.}

“So, what drink are you planning on getting babe?”

[lisa-maneater]

"I fancy a Manhattan, what are you thinking? We could always get a bottle of something to share as well so we don't run out."

[Lisa places her elbows on the table and rests her chin on the back of her hands, smiling softly at berenice. The wisp brought itself over to them, probably listening for their order.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Well, if you fancy a manhattan, I won’t stop you. I already had a bottle of wine yesterday so I think I’ll get something else.”

{Berenice opened the menu and analyzed the options of drinks. She stopped when she noticed a drink that will delight her taste buds. She glances up at the wisp, who is waiting for them to tell them their order, and says} “I’ll take a clover club.”

[lisa-maneater]

[the wisp didn't respond but stood there for a moment as if processing. then they walked back behind the bar and looked to be making the drinks. now came the hard part, in Lisa's opinion, trying to think of things to talk about. basic questions could be good, but she'd have to think of one that wouldn't bore the other woman]

"did you do much travelling when you were alive? there must've been a winery tour at some point"

[she joked]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled.} “Yes and no. I traveled to New Orleans when I got bored of Harlem,” {Yes, a half-lie.} “-And Egaeus and I did went to France once for an event, but that was all. The thing is I loved New Orleans so much, I didn’t wanna leave. It was the bee’s knees like no other.”

{Memories of her in New Orleans started to flow in her head. Part of her yearns to go back, part of her wonders what went wrong? Half of her believes that it was all her fault and if a second chance of life would be worth it?}

{She pushes those thoughts away and brought her attention back to Lisa.} “What about you? Have you done much traveling?”

[lisa-maneater]

"when i was with my husband we travelled before the children came, it was always warm places- which stopped agreeing with me after the first baby. then i became focused on taking the children to Scotland during the winters because i found it so beautiful"

[she pauses, thanking the wisp quietly as it sat their drinks down and hurried away]

"after they all left me i stayed local, it was much more affordable and i still enjoyed myself."

[berenicenevermore]

“Wait— you had children?”

{The warmth in her eyes vanished, though the smile, now small, still clung to her lips.} “You were a… mother?” {The mention of ‘mother’ made her skin crawl. Berenice was never quite fond with the idea of having children. Never in her life where she wanted to take that route. Yes, she was still young and decisions can change in the future, but she knows deep inside, this won’t change. She can still remember the amount of judgment she received from friends and family. Well, except for Egaeus. He never judged her for it.}

“W-what was it like? B-being a mother?”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa pauses for a moment, realising how much she had just let slip. she hadn't had anyone or any opportunities to really talk about her life so far] "well, i felt responsibility over them of course. i wasn't quite the model parent though... i'm not sure what i say will be universal, ive been told it sounds cold."

[she warns, looking down at her drink instead of at Berenice] "because i hadn't known much love in my life, i became possessive over what i was told to love. so while i cared for my three, it wasn't the nurturing kind you probably want to hear about. it was replicating what id seen, what i was supposed to feel."

[...intense for a date. even with the amount of partners lisa had, she never opened up to them about this sort of thing- or anything personal for that matter. only her therapist had known anything this deep, and she only started seeing her after her husband.]

[berenicenevermore]

{She grabs Lisa’s free hand and tangles her fingers into hers, holding onto her tightly with care. She hates seeing Lisa even in a little bit of distress.}

“It’s okay, babe. You can tell me if you want, but don’t feel like you have to.” [She assured Lisa.}

“You may became possessive but… I’m pretty sure you loved them with all your heart.”

[lisa-maneater]

[she freezes a little, as if moving would ruin the moment. and she finds herself wondering if she should play it up more, say more to make Berenice feel bad for her, but ultimately Lisa wanted better for them both then that.]

"my kind of love often toes the line with obsession."

[she watches their hands linked together, and brings Berenice's hand gently to her lips. she plants a delicate kiss to each knuckle and strokes over the lipstick marks it left. she didn't want to think about her children anymore, they were her past. there was nothing she could do to change any of that, and talking about it wouldn't improve things, she wanted to live in this moment.]

"the people i love are quite worthy over someone to worship them. i like to make up for all the time they were underappreciated."

[berenicenevermore]

{The heat rose to her cheeks as Lisa places a kiss to each of her knuckles. Is this what love feels like? It was rare for Berenice to love, or even have a crush on someone since she didn’t know what that felt like. She always went the casual route. She never felt affection like this. This is new for her. She wants more. She wants more of this feeling.}

“Well… it’s never too late.” {Her voice was low and almost cracked a little. She was nervous, but in a good way.}

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa looked up at her then, and a smile she'd never seen before was on her face. it was soft, but not in a condescending way like she gave adair. her eyes were crinkled with the malice or smirk to make it the way it usually was. it was something genuine, really genuine.]

"i think you're right about that."

[she whispered, opening Berenice's hand to kiss her palm before letting her hand go finally. she sipped her drink before speaking again.]

"i completely went off on a tangent there, you've got to stop me next time. New Orleans, a few of my friends went there after secondary school finished- high school for you i think? the most i got out of them about it was how one of the girls went off with a mysterious gentlemen their last night and came back with stars in her eyes claiming she would never forget him. of course she did with the very next boy she met...."

[lisa laughs under her breath.] "though i hope you didn't enjoy the city because of the men."

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice shook her head.} “No, I was grown when I moved to New Orleans. I wanted a new life, and I was just tired of the one back in Harlem. Believe it or not, it was Egaeus who suggested that we moved to New Orleans cause it would give us a better life. He convinced me and we moved.”

{As she took a sip of her drink, she almost spit out the liquid when Lisa said ‘because of the men’.} “Hell no. Don’t get me wrong, I love to have fun in so many ways but…” {She took a deep breath before continuing.} “I was there for the glamour. Some of the men i’ve countered was… uh… standoffish. Most of them really didn’t deserve my time until I found Sterling and… you know the rest.”

{She started to tap her foot against the floor which became faster with each tap. She looked to the side for a moment.} “Anyway uh….it’s rare for me to have a crush or be romantically attracted to someone. This…” {Her heart beat quicken.} “is the first… I think.”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa's smile became a bit more sly as she titled her head]

"well, i hope this can be a good first for you..."

[deflecting form her own past feelings wasn't a great start, but that could all wait.] "I've been told i'm quite good at guaranteeing good firsts."

[she hides her chuckle behind another sip of her drink.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm.” {A wide, mischievous smirk grew on her face as she took a sip of her drink as well.}

“I wonder what else you’re good at. Any talents you have?”

[lisa-maneater]

"Beyond my attractiveness and charm? Well, I was good at embroidery before I died, I also enjoyed writing but it was mostly macabre little rambles- nothing really note worthy..."

[It was one of those moments again, where she realised she'd never really be free of the things her husband said to her. And everytime she was reminded of it, she felt disgusting like she was letting him in again.]

"What about you?"

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm.. interesting.” {She sets her glass down and started to swirl her finger around the brim, glancing at the color of the liquid; distracting herself for a moment before looking up at Lisa, who is staring at her with affection in her eyes. Her cheeks started to heat up again.}

“I was a seamstress…for a moment in my life. It was really fun. I love clothes. I have a keen eye for styling clothes well. Believe it or not, it was one of my passions.”

{Her eyes darted off to the side, letting out a sigh.} “I guess I got caught up in other things to chase it.”

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa frowned a little, she didn't enjoy seeing Berenice downtrodden]

"well, perhaps through this entanglement we can both rediscover our lost flames and talents. i want to see you do something you enjoy- beyond the obvious"

[she winked]

[berenicenevermore]

“I hope so.” {A small smile curled on her lips as she winked back, taking another sip of her drink while at it.}

*** time skip ***

{Berenice’s giggles echoed through the corridors as they made their way to Berenice’s dorm. Well, they would’ve been there by now if it weren’t Berenice almost stumbling to the ground every time she walked. She was a little tipsy, or maybe more than that. Lisa was holding on to her, almost dragging her, so she wouldn’t fall. The patience this woman had was beyond the measure.}

“He-he. I neverrrrr noTiced,” {Hic} “how staleee tHe coloRsss areee on the walls.” {She tried to lean closer to the wall to touch it, but when she did, Lisa would gently pull her back so she can redirect her to the path of her dorm, or better yet, so she doesn’t get distracted.}

{Another loud giggle slipped out of Berenice as Lisa touched her. Without a care in the world, she grabbed onto Lisa’s waist and leaned closer to her; their faces inches apart. She stared into her beautiful eyes as she said…}

“You’re so..damn pretty.”

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa was not patient. it was clear in the ways she interacted with most people. but right now, she didn't feel like she needed to be patient, she felt like she needed to help Berenice return to her dorm. She also felt like she needed to spend as much time as possible with Berenice. so every mumble and giggle was met with a response, not a big one since the woman was acting far too adorable for Lisa to formulate anything longer then three words.]

[the wall wasn't up against her back, but it felt like there was no escape. she was so suave before, when was the last time a girl had her blushing like this? nothing would happen, not tonight and certainly not with Berenice in this state. But there was something about being grabbed by those delicate hands (the same ones that had violently seductively beaten a man with a baseball bat) that made her yearn for the time where something could happen.]

"Love, you're going to topple us both"

[she laughs to cover herself]

[berenicenevermore]

{Lisa’s laugh filled Berenice’s ears with delight which made Berenice’s smile grew wider, showing her beautiful fangs. She was tipsy or so, but she knew Lisa had a hold on her heart. Just hearing the woman laugh made her wanting to hear it more.}

“YoU have a prettyyyy laugh,” {She puts a finger to her chin.} “Is… thAT how… you say iT?”

{More of Berenice’s giggles filled the hall.}

[lisa-maneater]

"um- quite close, love. and look, were close to your dorm as well. its only a little while away from here, hm?"

[she tries to divert Berenice by carefully gripping her shoulders and attempting to turn her body in the correct direction.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mmmmm.” {She hummed.}

{They finally made their way to Berenice’s dorm, after all the tugging and dragging Lisa had to do. Good thing her roommate wasn’t here to see her in this state. Berenice flopped onto her bed and laid down; arms and legs spread wide over the bed. She lifted her head up a little to see Lisa walking towards her. She turned to her side and said} “Y-you’re not… gonna leave me, are you?”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa hesitates but eventually pulls off berenice's heels for her and sets them down on the floor neatly.]

"well, i can get you all tucked in if you like."

[she's half joking as she moves to gently remove Berenice's jewellery, it would be terrible for her to wake up with earrings tangled in her hair.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm. You’re ssso sweeT.” {Berenice blurted out; her voice low and soft. She glanced up at Lisa who was removing her jewelry for her. Her eyes were soft and warm, crinkling at the corners with a silent smile. How grateful was she to have someone as caring as Lisa. That’s all Berenice ever wanted. Someone who genuinely cared for her.}

{With that in mind, Berenice couldn’t help but glide both her hands around Lisa’s waist, bringing her closer. She loved the way how warm Lisa felt. She gently gripped the back of Lisa’s dress to pull her up so they were eye-level. Lisa looked stunned, but Berenice couldn’t help herself. She didn’t really know what she was doing. All she knows was that… she wanted Lisa more than anything.}

{Berenice softly placed her hand on Lisa’s chest, feeling her heart beat. Oh my, it was racing more than a mile. Berenice’s smile grew wider, as the hand that was on Lisa’s chest, now was gently placed on Lisa’s left cheek. Her skin was so soft, so warm, so delicate. She bit the bottom of her lip; lust and love filled her eyes. She whispered}

“I… want to kiss you,” {Her eyes darted to Lisa’s lips.} “Soo badly. I want to see… how much your lips…” {Her voice low as ever. Her thumb now caressing Lisa’s bottom lip.} “crave mine.”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa damn near went cross eyed as her gaze unfocused. Berenice was touching her, closely, in a way she hadn't been touched since coming to nevermore. she all but started panting as Berenice leaned in and for a moment she almost closed her eyes to accept her fate. but the smell of alcohol on her breath made her second guess the interaction.]

"B-berenice. you're drunk"

[she whispered, not hearing the whine in her voice. she wanted to kiss her badly, she wanted to show her just how... craved she was.]

"i cant... i wont do that to you right now."

[but to Lisa, in this moment that was so thick with tension and heavy breaths, the sharp thought of doing something intimate and becoming the man-ish thing she hated carved its way into her.]

[berenicenevermore]

“No-o… I’m not. Please.” {Berenice pleaded. Her voice still low.}

{A loud groan escaped Berenice’s lips as she rolled her eyes at Lisa when she said no. She flopped back onto the bed, pouty as ever.}

“Fine.”

{She rolled back on her side and said} “You lucky I like you too much to stay mad at you.”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa sighed, but smiled a little]

"i am. don't think this is a entire rejection either, as soon as the situation arises i want you to ask me again. and unless you're drunk again or someone is dying- well, someone could be dying, you and that baseball bat- anyway... ill give you what you want."

[she placed the jewellery on the beside table and leaned down to Berenice again.]

"maybe this will help you sleep in with all that desperation though."

[she kissed her forehead gently and pulled the duvet up to tuck her in]

[berenicenevermore]

{The warmth of Lisa’s lips on her forehead made her smile. Hopefully the next time, she’ll feel it on her lips. That’s if Berenice even has the courage to ask Lisa. She’ll probably be too drowned in embarrassment the minute she remembers this moment. But for now, all she wants to do is sleep. Her brain felt like it was running on fumes. Her eyes felt heavy; almost drifted off to sleep until she realized Lisa was about to leave.}

“Wait. Y-you’re not going to sleep w-with me?” Berenice mumbled.

[lisa-maneater]

[She paused infront of the door]

"Well, love, it would be a bit of a squeeze, hm?"

[She wouldnt fight much, she didn't want to leave right now.]

[berenicenevermore]

{She sighed.} “I guess you’re right.”

{Berenice really wanted Lisa to sleep with her, but both of them wouldn’t be able to fit unless Lisa slept on top of her. Gotta blame the Deans for giving the students cheap, small ass beds.}

“Then… I-i guess this is Goodnight?”

[berenicenevermore]

[lisa arrived outside of Berneice's dorm just before seven. she had overdressed a little, but it could easily be played off if she didn't bring up how nervous she was earlier on. it was unfarmilliar and a little undecipherable until a stray spider seemed to laugh at her from its perch on her nightstand... she'd have words later.]

[Lisa wasnt even sure if Berenice was ready yet, but she'd gladly wait until she was if necessary, so she knocked lightly on the door.]

@lisa-maneater

{Berenice stood in front of the mirror, admiring her outfit. She rubbed the material down to make sure there weren’t any creases left. Today… is a little nerve wracking. She is going on a date with Lisa and she’s extremely nervous. This is their first time going on date together and Berenice really doesn’t want to fuck this up.}

{She stopped what she was doing when she heard a knock on the door. Oh, that must be Lisa. She took a deep breath in and made her way to the door. She slowly pulled the door open and there she was. Her eyes widened; a broad grin spreads across her face. Lisa looked gorgeous as ever.}

“Babe— you look beautiful.”

[lisa-maneater]

[...]

[her mouth opened to speak, but she closed it quickly before an embarrassed squeak could come out. Berenice was amazing, effortlessly as well. lisa couldn't say she'd been on a date since her husband, normally her paramours would skip the pleasantries which was welcome at the time. but Berenice? lisa found herself wanting to play the long game, wanting to spend every moment she could with the woman just to selfishly memorise every inch of her more accurately.]

[she took a breath, and tried again.]

"seems we're both in the mood to compliment, you stole the words right out of my mouth."

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled.} “Well, can you blame me?”

{Berenice couldn’t stop staring at Lisa. She definitely knew how to put on an outfit. She was impressed.} “So, are you ready to go the wisps bar? I’m honestly surprised they even have one. I thought the deans would have catch them by now.”

{Berenice hasn’t went on a date in god knows how long. She was always hesitant when it came to dating. Especially, since she wasn’t sure she even knew the idea of ‘romance’. It was rare for her to even develop a crush. Usually, things felt casual for her. That’s how it always felt with her relationship with Egaeus and Sterling. She thought she loved them, but was it really love? She wasn’t sure. But…. Maybe this time, things will be different.}

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa links their arms together carefully and closes Berenice's door behind her before they walk down the hall.]

"i'm sure even the deans need to cut loose sometimes, they always seem quite highly strung."

[Lisa's experience dealing with children taught her she would never do it again, she couldn't imagine having to deal with adults who acted like the little beasts.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Agreed. They are always so uptight. Like let us have fun for once.”

{It was very quiet walking down the hall. It was dark outside. Around this time, you don’t usually see students wandering the halls. Which was a good thing for the both of them. Walking through a crowd isn’t fun.}

“By the way babe…uh- where is the wisps bar? You know the way, right?”

[lisa-maneater]

"i asked my spiders for rough directions..."

[that was an interesting 'conversation' they were still upset with Lisa, but something about seeing her scramble to prepare for this date was funny enough for them to help a little. so she had drawn a very basic outline of the corridors and made them walk around it to show the way.]

"very simple if you know how to talk to them. how has your day been, lover?"

[it was meant to be a playful nickname, but her tone was always hard to control completely around Berenice.]

[berenicenevermore]

{Mm… lover. She’s just gonna pretend she didn’t just hear that and laughed it off.}

“My day has been alright, babe. I am little exhausted since Eulalie wouldn’t stop talking about the relation between ghost and spirts. It was an interesting conversation to have but-“ {A heavy sigh escaped from her lips.} “She just wouldn’t let me sleep. We were supposed to hang out, but then she took off without saying a word. Besides that, I took a little nap today and I feel okay.”

{She paused when she felt like she was rambling too much.} “Sorry, I think I’m yapping too much. How has your day been?”

[lisa-maneater]

"i'm glad you got rest eventually, don't let that girl bother you so much it puts your sleep at risk."

[they turn another corner, the doorway at the end being the bars entrance. this part of the academy was a little run down, so she was a little confused as to why anyone would open a bar here]

"my day has been quite uneventful, no one speaks to me because apparently talking to spiders make me look insane"

[she laughs under her breath and pushes the doors open. the low drawl of quiet music floods their ears as it creaks to a stop. inside is cozy, if a little run down with some ware on the wallpaper and dust on the light shades. its relativity empty as well, in a way that feel a little uncanny- until she saw the wisp behind the bar wiping a glass that already looked completely clean... on second thought that didn't help the uncanny feeling]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice is completely in awe of the place. Every where she looked, her mouth felt like it was about to fall to the floor. Everything was so beautiful. The red dim lights hanging from the ceiling, the design of boats and waves laid on the ceiling, wooden bar stools, and the walls were crisp white. You can definitely tell there was still some dust on the walls that needed to be cleaned, but overall, the place was stunning.}

{It’s not like she hasn’t experienced anything like this, but the fact that it was mostly empty, just for them, felt even more better. She slid her hand across the wooden bar, feeling its smooth texture. A wide grin spreads across her face. The wisps outdid themselves.}

“I…” {She tried to catch her breath to take everything in.} “I am really impressed. I did not expect it would look like this.”

{The sound of squeaking made Berenice turned to the direction of the sound. It was one of the wisps behind the bar, wiping a glass clean.}

“Hello.” {She says, waving to the wisp.}

[lisa-maneater]

[the wisps watches them both blankly, and lisa is quick to assume they wont get much conversation out of the creature. she makes her way to one of the smaller tables near the base of a short stage, pulling out her own chair and laying the coat there. there's a moment of shuffling before she remembers her manners and pulls the opposite one out for Berenice as well]

"very quiet in here, my spiders must enjoy it."

[berenicenevermore]

“Thank you.” {She hummed.}

{As Berenice sat down, she pulled the chair by its legs to move it closer to the table. Lisa follows and she took a seat as well.} “Your spiders knew what they were doing when they recommended this place to you. It’s really fancy. I am still in shock the deans don’t know a thing about this.”

{She glanced around the room once more, but stopped when something caught her eye. The stage. She remembered the times when Sterling would invite her and Egaeus to a popular private speakeasy; a joint that everyone was yapping about. The music… ah, the music. One of the best performers Berenice witnessed was a saxophonist. She remembered how strongly the man was playing his saxophone. He wanted everyone to hear how we was feeling through his sounds. It was amazing. This bar definitely brings back memories. Memories that Berenice will cherish forever.}

“So, what drink are you planning on getting babe?”

[lisa-maneater]

"I fancy a Manhattan, what are you thinking? We could always get a bottle of something to share as well so we don't run out."

[Lisa places her elbows on the table and rests her chin on the back of her hands, smiling softly at berenice. The wisp brought itself over to them, probably listening for their order.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Well, if you fancy a manhattan, I won’t stop you. I already had a bottle of wine yesterday so I think I’ll get something else.”

{Berenice opened the menu and analyzed the options of drinks. She stopped when she noticed a drink that will delight her taste buds. She glances up at the wisp, who is waiting for them to tell them their order, and says} “I’ll take a clover club.”

[lisa-maneater]

[the wisp didn't respond but stood there for a moment as if processing. then they walked back behind the bar and looked to be making the drinks. now came the hard part, in Lisa's opinion, trying to think of things to talk about. basic questions could be good, but she'd have to think of one that wouldn't bore the other woman]

"did you do much travelling when you were alive? there must've been a winery tour at some point"

[she joked]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled.} “Yes and no. I traveled to New Orleans when I got bored of Harlem,” {Yes, a half-lie.} “-And Egaeus and I did went to France once for an event, but that was all. The thing is I loved New Orleans so much, I didn’t wanna leave. It was the bee’s knees like no other.”

{Memories of her in New Orleans started to flow in her head. Part of her yearns to go back, part of her wonders what went wrong? Half of her believes that it was all her fault and if a second chance of life would be worth it?}

{She pushes those thoughts away and brought her attention back to Lisa.} “What about you? Have you done much traveling?”

[lisa-maneater]

"when i was with my husband we travelled before the children came, it was always warm places- which stopped agreeing with me after the first baby. then i became focused on taking the children to Scotland during the winters because i found it so beautiful"

[she pauses, thanking the wisp quietly as it sat their drinks down and hurried away]

"after they all left me i stayed local, it was much more affordable and i still enjoyed myself."

[berenicenevermore]

“Wait— you had children?”

{The warmth in her eyes vanished, though the smile, now small, still clung to her lips.} “You were a… mother?” {The mention of ‘mother’ made her skin crawl. Berenice was never quite fond with the idea of having children. Never in her life where she wanted to take that route. Yes, she was still young and decisions can change in the future, but she knows deep inside, this won’t change. She can still remember the amount of judgment she received from friends and family. Well, except for Egaeus. He never judged her for it.}

“W-what was it like? B-being a mother?”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa pauses for a moment, realising how much she had just let slip. she hadn't had anyone or any opportunities to really talk about her life so far] "well, i felt responsibility over them of course. i wasn't quite the model parent though... i'm not sure what i say will be universal, ive been told it sounds cold."

[she warns, looking down at her drink instead of at Berenice] "because i hadn't known much love in my life, i became possessive over what i was told to love. so while i cared for my three, it wasn't the nurturing kind you probably want to hear about. it was replicating what id seen, what i was supposed to feel."

[...intense for a date. even with the amount of partners lisa had, she never opened up to them about this sort of thing- or anything personal for that matter. only her therapist had known anything this deep, and she only started seeing her after her husband.]

[berenicenevermore]

{She grabs Lisa’s free hand and tangles her fingers into hers, holding onto her tightly with care. She hates seeing Lisa even in a little bit of distress.}

“It’s okay, babe. You can tell me if you want, but don’t feel like you have to.” [She assured Lisa.}

“You may became possessive but… I’m pretty sure you loved them with all your heart.”

[lisa-maneater]

[she freezes a little, as if moving would ruin the moment. and she finds herself wondering if she should play it up more, say more to make Berenice feel bad for her, but ultimately Lisa wanted better for them both then that.]

"my kind of love often toes the line with obsession."

[she watches their hands linked together, and brings Berenice's hand gently to her lips. she plants a delicate kiss to each knuckle and strokes over the lipstick marks it left. she didn't want to think about her children anymore, they were her past. there was nothing she could do to change any of that, and talking about it wouldn't improve things, she wanted to live in this moment.]

"the people i love are quite worthy over someone to worship them. i like to make up for all the time they were underappreciated."

[berenicenevermore]

{The heat rose to her cheeks as Lisa places a kiss to each of her knuckles. Is this what love feels like? It was rare for Berenice to love, or even have a crush on someone since she didn’t know what that felt like. She always went the casual route. She never felt affection like this. This is new for her. She wants more. She wants more of this feeling.}

“Well… it’s never too late.” {Her voice was low and almost cracked a little. She was nervous, but in a good way.}

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa looked up at her then, and a smile she'd never seen before was on her face. it was soft, but not in a condescending way like she gave adair. her eyes were crinkled with the malice or smirk to make it the way it usually was. it was something genuine, really genuine.]

"i think you're right about that."

[she whispered, opening Berenice's hand to kiss her palm before letting her hand go finally. she sipped her drink before speaking again.]

"i completely went off on a tangent there, you've got to stop me next time. New Orleans, a few of my friends went there after secondary school finished- high school for you i think? the most i got out of them about it was how one of the girls went off with a mysterious gentlemen their last night and came back with stars in her eyes claiming she would never forget him. of course she did with the very next boy she met...."

[lisa laughs under her breath.] "though i hope you didn't enjoy the city because of the men."

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice shook her head.} “No, I was grown when I moved to New Orleans. I wanted a new life, and I was just tired of the one back in Harlem. Believe it or not, it was Egaeus who suggested that we moved to New Orleans cause it would give us a better life. He convinced me and we moved.”

{As she took a sip of her drink, she almost spit out the liquid when Lisa said ‘because of the men’.} “Hell no. Don’t get me wrong, I love to have fun in so many ways but…” {She took a deep breath before continuing.} “I was there for the glamour. Some of the men i’ve countered was… uh… standoffish. Most of them really didn’t deserve my time until I found Sterling and… you know the rest.”

{She started to tap her foot against the floor which became faster with each tap. She looked to the side for a moment.} “Anyway uh….it’s rare for me to have a crush or be romantically attracted to someone. This…” {Her heart beat quicken.} “is the first… I think.”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa's smile became a bit more sly as she titled her head]

"well, i hope this can be a good first for you..."

[deflecting form her own past feelings wasn't a great start, but that could all wait.] "I've been told i'm quite good at guaranteeing good firsts."

[she hides her chuckle behind another sip of her drink.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm.” {A wide, mischievous smirk grew on her face as she took a sip of her drink as well.}

“I wonder what else you’re good at. Any talents you have?”

[lisa-maneater]

"Beyond my attractiveness and charm? Well, I was good at embroidery before I died, I also enjoyed writing but it was mostly macabre little rambles- nothing really note worthy..."

[It was one of those moments again, where she realised she'd never really be free of the things her husband said to her. And everytime she was reminded of it, she felt disgusting like she was letting him in again.]

"What about you?"

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm.. interesting.” {She sets her glass down and started to swirl her finger around the brim, glancing at the color of the liquid; distracting herself for a moment before looking up at Lisa, who is staring at her with affection in her eyes. Her cheeks started to heat up again.}

“I was a seamstress…for a moment in my life. It was really fun. I love clothes. I have a keen eye for styling clothes well. Believe it or not, it was one of my passions.”

{Her eyes darted off to the side, letting out a sigh.} “I guess I got caught up in other things to chase it.”

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa frowned a little, she didn't enjoy seeing Berenice downtrodden]

"well, perhaps through this entanglement we can both rediscover our lost flames and talents. i want to see you do something you enjoy- beyond the obvious"

[she winked]

[berenicenevermore]

“I hope so.” {A small smile curled on her lips as she winked back, taking another sip of her drink while at it.}

*** time skip ***

{Berenice’s giggles echoed through the corridors as they made their way to Berenice’s dorm. Well, they would’ve been there by now if it weren’t Berenice almost stumbling to the ground every time she walked. She was a little tipsy, or maybe more than that. Lisa was holding on to her, almost dragging her, so she wouldn’t fall. The patience this woman had was beyond the measure.}

“He-he. I neverrrrr noTiced,” {Hic} “how staleee tHe coloRsss areee on the walls.” {She tried to lean closer to the wall to touch it, but when she did, Lisa would gently pull her back so she can redirect her to the path of her dorm, or better yet, so she doesn’t get distracted.}

{Another loud giggle slipped out of Berenice as Lisa touched her. Without a care in the world, she grabbed onto Lisa’s waist and leaned closer to her; their faces inches apart. She stared into her beautiful eyes as she said…}

“You’re so..damn pretty.”

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa was not patient. it was clear in the ways she interacted with most people. but right now, she didn't feel like she needed to be patient, she felt like she needed to help Berenice return to her dorm. She also felt like she needed to spend as much time as possible with Berenice. so every mumble and giggle was met with a response, not a big one since the woman was acting far too adorable for Lisa to formulate anything longer then three words.]

[the wall wasn't up against her back, but it felt like there was no escape. she was so suave before, when was the last time a girl had her blushing like this? nothing would happen, not tonight and certainly not with Berenice in this state. But there was something about being grabbed by those delicate hands (the same ones that had violently seductively beaten a man with a baseball bat) that made her yearn for the time where something could happen.]

"Love, you're going to topple us both"

[she laughs to cover herself]

[berenicenevermore]

{Lisa’s laugh filled Berenice’s ears with delight which made Berenice’s smile grew wider, showing her beautiful fangs. She was tipsy or so, but she knew Lisa had a hold on her heart. Just hearing the woman laugh made her wanting to hear it more.}

“YoU have a prettyyyy laugh,” {She puts a finger to her chin.} “Is… thAT how… you say iT?”

{More of Berenice’s giggles filled the hall.}

[lisa-maneater]

"um- quite close, love. and look, were close to your dorm as well. its only a little while away from here, hm?"

[she tries to divert Berenice by carefully gripping her shoulders and attempting to turn her body in the correct direction.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mmmmm.” {She hummed.}

{They finally made their way to Berenice’s dorm, after all the tugging and dragging Lisa had to do. Good thing her roommate wasn’t here to see her in this state. Berenice flopped onto her bed and laid down; arms and legs spread wide over the bed. She lifted her head up a little to see Lisa walking towards her. She turned to her side and said} “Y-you’re not… gonna leave me, are you?”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa hesitates but eventually pulls off berenice's heels for her and sets them down on the floor neatly.]

"well, i can get you all tucked in if you like."

[she's half joking as she moves to gently remove Berenice's jewellery, it would be terrible for her to wake up with earrings tangled in her hair.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm. You’re ssso sweeT.” {Berenice blurted out; her voice low and soft. She glanced up at Lisa who was removing her jewelry for her. Her eyes were soft and warm, crinkling at the corners with a silent smile. How grateful was she to have someone as caring as Lisa. That’s all Berenice ever wanted. Someone who genuinely cared for her.}

{With that in mind, Berenice couldn’t help but glide both her hands around Lisa’s waist, bringing her closer. She loved the way how warm Lisa felt. She gently gripped the back of Lisa’s dress to pull her up so they were eye-level. Lisa looked stunned, but Berenice couldn’t help herself. She didn’t really know what she was doing. All she knows was that… she wanted Lisa more than anything.}

{Berenice softly placed her hand on Lisa’s chest, feeling her heart beat. Oh my, it was racing more than a mile. Berenice’s smile grew wider, as the hand that was on Lisa’s chest, now was gently placed on Lisa’s left cheek. Her skin was so soft, so warm, so delicate. She bit the bottom of her lip; lust and love filled her eyes. She whispered}

“I… want to kiss you,” {Her eyes darted to Lisa’s lips.} “Soo badly. I want to see… how much your lips…” {Her voice low as ever. Her thumb now caressing Lisa’s bottom lip.} “crave mine.”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa damn near went cross eyed as her gaze unfocused. Berenice was touching her, closely, in a way she hadn't been touched since coming to nevermore. she all but started panting as Berenice leaned in and for a moment she almost closed her eyes to accept her fate. but the smell of alcohol on her breath made her second guess the interaction.]

"B-berenice. you're drunk"

[she whispered, not hearing the whine in her voice. she wanted to kiss her badly, she wanted to show her just how... craved she was.]

"i cant... i wont do that to you right now."

[but to Lisa, in this moment that was so thick with tension and heavy breaths, the sharp thought of doing something intimate and becoming the man-ish thing she hated carved its way into her.]

[berenicenevermore]

“No-o… I’m not. Please.” {Berenice pleaded. Her voice still low.}

{A loud groan escaped Berenice’s lips as she rolled her eyes at Lisa when she said no. She flopped back onto the bed, pouty as ever.}

“Fine.”

{She rolled back on her side and said} “You lucky I like you too much to stay mad at you.”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa sighed, but smiled a little]

"i am. don't think this is a entire rejection either, as soon as the situation arises i want you to ask me again. and unless you're drunk again or someone is dying- well, someone could be dying, you and that baseball bat- anyway... ill give you what you want."

[she placed the jewellery on the beside table and leaned down to Berenice again.]

"maybe this will help you sleep in with all that desperation though."

[she kissed her forehead gently and pulled the duvet up to tuck her in]

[berenicenevermore]

{The warmth of Lisa’s lips on her forehead made her smile. Hopefully the next time, she’ll feel it on her lips. That’s if Berenice even has the courage to ask Lisa. She’ll probably be too drowned in embarrassment the minute she remembers this moment. But for now, all she wants to do is sleep. Her brain felt like it was running on fumes. Her eyes felt heavy; almost drifted off to sleep until she realized Lisa was about to leave.}

“Wait. Y-you’re not going to sleep w-with me?” Berenice mumbled.

[berenicenevermore]

[lisa arrived outside of Berneice's dorm just before seven. she had overdressed a little, but it could easily be played off if she didn't bring up how nervous she was earlier on. it was unfarmilliar and a little undecipherable until a stray spider seemed to laugh at her from its perch on her nightstand... she'd have words later.]

[Lisa wasnt even sure if Berenice was ready yet, but she'd gladly wait until she was if necessary, so she knocked lightly on the door.]

@lisa-maneater

{Berenice stood in front of the mirror, admiring her outfit. She rubbed the material down to make sure there weren’t any creases left. Today… is a little nerve wracking. She is going on a date with Lisa and she’s extremely nervous. This is their first time going on date together and Berenice really doesn’t want to fuck this up.}

{She stopped what she was doing when she heard a knock on the door. Oh, that must be Lisa. She took a deep breath in and made her way to the door. She slowly pulled the door open and there she was. Her eyes widened; a broad grin spreads across her face. Lisa looked gorgeous as ever.}

“Babe— you look beautiful.”

[lisa-maneater]

[...]

[her mouth opened to speak, but she closed it quickly before an embarrassed squeak could come out. Berenice was amazing, effortlessly as well. lisa couldn't say she'd been on a date since her husband, normally her paramours would skip the pleasantries which was welcome at the time. but Berenice? lisa found herself wanting to play the long game, wanting to spend every moment she could with the woman just to selfishly memorise every inch of her more accurately.]

[she took a breath, and tried again.]

"seems we're both in the mood to compliment, you stole the words right out of my mouth."

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled.} “Well, can you blame me?”

{Berenice couldn’t stop staring at Lisa. She definitely knew how to put on an outfit. She was impressed.} “So, are you ready to go the wisps bar? I’m honestly surprised they even have one. I thought the deans would have catch them by now.”

{Berenice hasn’t went on a date in god knows how long. She was always hesitant when it came to dating. Especially, since she wasn’t sure she even knew the idea of ‘romance’. It was rare for her to even develop a crush. Usually, things felt casual for her. That’s how it always felt with her relationship with Egaeus and Sterling. She thought she loved them, but was it really love? She wasn’t sure. But…. Maybe this time, things will be different.}

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa links their arms together carefully and closes Berenice's door behind her before they walk down the hall.]

"i'm sure even the deans need to cut loose sometimes, they always seem quite highly strung."

[Lisa's experience dealing with children taught her she would never do it again, she couldn't imagine having to deal with adults who acted like the little beasts.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Agreed. They are always so uptight. Like let us have fun for once.”

{It was very quiet walking down the hall. It was dark outside. Around this time, you don’t usually see students wandering the halls. Which was a good thing for the both of them. Walking through a crowd isn’t fun.}

“By the way babe…uh- where is the wisps bar? You know the way, right?”

[lisa-maneater]

"i asked my spiders for rough directions..."

[that was an interesting 'conversation' they were still upset with Lisa, but something about seeing her scramble to prepare for this date was funny enough for them to help a little. so she had drawn a very basic outline of the corridors and made them walk around it to show the way.]

"very simple if you know how to talk to them. how has your day been, lover?"

[it was meant to be a playful nickname, but her tone was always hard to control completely around Berenice.]

[berenicenevermore]

{Mm… lover. She’s just gonna pretend she didn’t just hear that and laughed it off.}

“My day has been alright, babe. I am little exhausted since Eulalie wouldn’t stop talking about the relation between ghost and spirts. It was an interesting conversation to have but-“ {A heavy sigh escaped from her lips.} “She just wouldn’t let me sleep. We were supposed to hang out, but then she took off without saying a word. Besides that, I took a little nap today and I feel okay.”

{She paused when she felt like she was rambling too much.} “Sorry, I think I’m yapping too much. How has your day been?”

[lisa-maneater]

"i'm glad you got rest eventually, don't let that girl bother you so much it puts your sleep at risk."

[they turn another corner, the doorway at the end being the bars entrance. this part of the academy was a little run down, so she was a little confused as to why anyone would open a bar here]

"my day has been quite uneventful, no one speaks to me because apparently talking to spiders make me look insane"

[she laughs under her breath and pushes the doors open. the low drawl of quiet music floods their ears as it creaks to a stop. inside is cozy, if a little run down with some ware on the wallpaper and dust on the light shades. its relativity empty as well, in a way that feel a little uncanny- until she saw the wisp behind the bar wiping a glass that already looked completely clean... on second thought that didn't help the uncanny feeling]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice is completely in awe of the place. Every where she looked, her mouth felt like it was about to fall to the floor. Everything was so beautiful. The red dim lights hanging from the ceiling, the design of boats and waves laid on the ceiling, wooden bar stools, and the walls were crisp white. You can definitely tell there was still some dust on the walls that needed to be cleaned, but overall, the place was stunning.}

{It’s not like she hasn’t experienced anything like this, but the fact that it was mostly empty, just for them, felt even more better. She slid her hand across the wooden bar, feeling its smooth texture. A wide grin spreads across her face. The wisps outdid themselves.}

“I…” {She tried to catch her breath to take everything in.} “I am really impressed. I did not expect it would look like this.”

{The sound of squeaking made Berenice turned to the direction of the sound. It was one of the wisps behind the bar, wiping a glass clean.}

“Hello.” {She says, waving to the wisp.}

[lisa-maneater]

[the wisps watches them both blankly, and lisa is quick to assume they wont get much conversation out of the creature. she makes her way to one of the smaller tables near the base of a short stage, pulling out her own chair and laying the coat there. there's a moment of shuffling before she remembers her manners and pulls the opposite one out for Berenice as well]

"very quiet in here, my spiders must enjoy it."

[berenicenevermore]

“Thank you.” {She hummed.}

{As Berenice sat down, she pulled the chair by its legs to move it closer to the table. Lisa follows and she took a seat as well.} “Your spiders knew what they were doing when they recommended this place to you. It’s really fancy. I am still in shock the deans don’t know a thing about this.”

{She glanced around the room once more, but stopped when something caught her eye. The stage. She remembered the times when Sterling would invite her and Egaeus to a popular private speakeasy; a joint that everyone was yapping about. The music… ah, the music. One of the best performers Berenice witnessed was a saxophonist. She remembered how strongly the man was playing his saxophone. He wanted everyone to hear how we was feeling through his sounds. It was amazing. This bar definitely brings back memories. Memories that Berenice will cherish forever.}

“So, what drink are you planning on getting babe?”

[lisa-maneater]

"I fancy a Manhattan, what are you thinking? We could always get a bottle of something to share as well so we don't run out."

[Lisa places her elbows on the table and rests her chin on the back of her hands, smiling softly at berenice. The wisp brought itself over to them, probably listening for their order.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Well, if you fancy a manhattan, I won’t stop you. I already had a bottle of wine yesterday so I think I’ll get something else.”

{Berenice opened the menu and analyzed the options of drinks. She stopped when she noticed a drink that will delight her taste buds. She glances up at the wisp, who is waiting for them to tell them their order, and says} “I’ll take a clover club.”

[lisa-maneater]

[the wisp didn't respond but stood there for a moment as if processing. then they walked back behind the bar and looked to be making the drinks. now came the hard part, in Lisa's opinion, trying to think of things to talk about. basic questions could be good, but she'd have to think of one that wouldn't bore the other woman]

"did you do much travelling when you were alive? there must've been a winery tour at some point"

[she joked]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled.} “Yes and no. I traveled to New Orleans when I got bored of Harlem,” {Yes, a half-lie.} “-And Egaeus and I did went to France once for an event, but that was all. The thing is I loved New Orleans so much, I didn’t wanna leave. It was the bee’s knees like no other.”

{Memories of her in New Orleans started to flow in her head. Part of her yearns to go back, part of her wonders what went wrong? Half of her believes that it was all her fault and if a second chance of life would be worth it?}

{She pushes those thoughts away and brought her attention back to Lisa.} “What about you? Have you done much traveling?”

[lisa-maneater]

"when i was with my husband we travelled before the children came, it was always warm places- which stopped agreeing with me after the first baby. then i became focused on taking the children to Scotland during the winters because i found it so beautiful"

[she pauses, thanking the wisp quietly as it sat their drinks down and hurried away]

"after they all left me i stayed local, it was much more affordable and i still enjoyed myself."

[berenicenevermore]

“Wait— you had children?”

{The warmth in her eyes vanished, though the smile, now small, still clung to her lips.} “You were a… mother?” {The mention of ‘mother’ made her skin crawl. Berenice was never quite fond with the idea of having children. Never in her life where she wanted to take that route. Yes, she was still young and decisions can change in the future, but she knows deep inside, this won’t change. She can still remember the amount of judgment she received from friends and family. Well, except for Egaeus. He never judged her for it.}

“W-what was it like? B-being a mother?”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa pauses for a moment, realising how much she had just let slip. she hadn't had anyone or any opportunities to really talk about her life so far] "well, i felt responsibility over them of course. i wasn't quite the model parent though... i'm not sure what i say will be universal, ive been told it sounds cold."

[she warns, looking down at her drink instead of at Berenice] "because i hadn't known much love in my life, i became possessive over what i was told to love. so while i cared for my three, it wasn't the nurturing kind you probably want to hear about. it was replicating what id seen, what i was supposed to feel."

[...intense for a date. even with the amount of partners lisa had, she never opened up to them about this sort of thing- or anything personal for that matter. only her therapist had known anything this deep, and she only started seeing her after her husband.]

[berenicenevermore]

{She grabs Lisa’s free hand and tangles her fingers into hers, holding onto her tightly with care. She hates seeing Lisa even in a little bit of distress.}

“It’s okay, babe. You can tell me if you want, but don’t feel like you have to.” [She assured Lisa.}

“You may became possessive but… I’m pretty sure you loved them with all your heart.”

[lisa-maneater]

[she freezes a little, as if moving would ruin the moment. and she finds herself wondering if she should play it up more, say more to make Berenice feel bad for her, but ultimately Lisa wanted better for them both then that.]

"my kind of love often toes the line with obsession."

[she watches their hands linked together, and brings Berenice's hand gently to her lips. she plants a delicate kiss to each knuckle and strokes over the lipstick marks it left. she didn't want to think about her children anymore, they were her past. there was nothing she could do to change any of that, and talking about it wouldn't improve things, she wanted to live in this moment.]

"the people i love are quite worthy over someone to worship them. i like to make up for all the time they were underappreciated."

[berenicenevermore]

{The heat rose to her cheeks as Lisa places a kiss to each of her knuckles. Is this what love feels like? It was rare for Berenice to love, or even have a crush on someone since she didn’t know what that felt like. She always went the casual route. She never felt affection like this. This is new for her. She wants more. She wants more of this feeling.}

“Well… it’s never too late.” {Her voice was low and almost cracked a little. She was nervous, but in a good way.}

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa looked up at her then, and a smile she'd never seen before was on her face. it was soft, but not in a condescending way like she gave adair. her eyes were crinkled with the malice or smirk to make it the way it usually was. it was something genuine, really genuine.]

"i think you're right about that."

[she whispered, opening Berenice's hand to kiss her palm before letting her hand go finally. she sipped her drink before speaking again.]

"i completely went off on a tangent there, you've got to stop me next time. New Orleans, a few of my friends went there after secondary school finished- high school for you i think? the most i got out of them about it was how one of the girls went off with a mysterious gentlemen their last night and came back with stars in her eyes claiming she would never forget him. of course she did with the very next boy she met...."

[lisa laughs under her breath.] "though i hope you didn't enjoy the city because of the men."

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice shook her head.} “No, I was grown when I moved to New Orleans. I wanted a new life, and I was just tired of the one back in Harlem. Believe it or not, it was Egaeus who suggested that we moved to New Orleans cause it would give us a better life. He convinced me and we moved.”

{As she took a sip of her drink, she almost spit out the liquid when Lisa said ‘because of the men’.} “Hell no. Don’t get me wrong, I love to have fun in so many ways but…” {She took a deep breath before continuing.} “I was there for the glamour. Some of the men i’ve countered was… uh… standoffish. Most of them really didn’t deserve my time until I found Sterling and… you know the rest.”

{She started to tap her foot against the floor which became faster with each tap. She looked to the side for a moment.} “Anyway uh….it’s rare for me to have a crush or be romantically attracted to someone. This…” {Her heart beat quicken.} “is the first… I think.”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa's smile became a bit more sly as she titled her head]

"well, i hope this can be a good first for you..."

[deflecting form her own past feelings wasn't a great start, but that could all wait.] "I've been told i'm quite good at guaranteeing good firsts."

[she hides her chuckle behind another sip of her drink.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm.” {A wide, mischievous smirk grew on her face as she took a sip of her drink as well.}

“I wonder what else you’re good at. Any talents you have?”

[lisa-maneater]

"Beyond my attractiveness and charm? Well, I was good at embroidery before I died, I also enjoyed writing but it was mostly macabre little rambles- nothing really note worthy..."

[It was one of those moments again, where she realised she'd never really be free of the things her husband said to her. And everytime she was reminded of it, she felt disgusting like she was letting him in again.]

"What about you?"

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm.. interesting.” {She sets her glass down and started to swirl her finger around the brim, glancing at the color of the liquid; distracting herself for a moment before looking up at Lisa, who is staring at her with affection in her eyes. Her cheeks started to heat up again.}

“I was a seamstress…for a moment in my life. It was really fun. I love clothes. I have a keen eye for styling clothes well. Believe it or not, it was one of my passions.”

{Her eyes darted off to the side, letting out a sigh.} “I guess I got caught up in other things to chase it.”

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa frowned a little, she didn't enjoy seeing Berenice downtrodden]

"well, perhaps through this entanglement we can both rediscover our lost flames and talents. i want to see you do something you enjoy- beyond the obvious"

[she winked]

[berenicenevermore]

“I hope so.” {A small smile curled on her lips as she winked back, taking another sip of her drink while at it.}

*** time skip ***

{Berenice’s giggles echoed through the corridors as they made their way to Berenice’s dorm. Well, they would’ve been there by now if it weren’t Berenice almost stumbling to the ground every time she walked. She was a little tipsy, or maybe more than that. Lisa was holding on to her, almost dragging her, so she wouldn’t fall. The patience this woman had was beyond the measure.}

“He-he. I neverrrrr noTiced,” {Hic} “how staleee tHe coloRsss areee on the walls.” {She tried to lean closer to the wall to touch it, but when she did, Lisa would gently pull her back so she can redirect her to the path of her dorm, or better yet, so she doesn’t get distracted.}

{Another loud giggle slipped out of Berenice as Lisa touched her. Without a care in the world, she grabbed onto Lisa’s waist and leaned closer to her; their faces inches apart. She stared into her beautiful eyes as she said…}

“You’re so..damn pretty.”

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa was not patient. it was clear in the ways she interacted with most people. but right now, she didn't feel like she needed to be patient, she felt like she needed to help Berenice return to her dorm. She also felt like she needed to spend as much time as possible with Berenice. so every mumble and giggle was met with a response, not a big one since the woman was acting far too adorable for Lisa to formulate anything longer then three words.]

[the wall wasn't up against her back, but it felt like there was no escape. she was so suave before, when was the last time a girl had her blushing like this? nothing would happen, not tonight and certainly not with Berenice in this state. But there was something about being grabbed by those delicate hands (the same ones that had violently seductively beaten a man with a baseball bat) that made her yearn for the time where something could happen.]

"Love, you're going to topple us both"

[she laughs to cover herself]

[berenicenevermore]

{Lisa’s laugh filled Berenice’s ears with delight which made Berenice’s smile grew wider, showing her beautiful fangs. She was tipsy or so, but she knew Lisa had a hold on her heart. Just hearing the woman laugh made her wanting to hear it more.}

“YoU have a prettyyyy laugh,” {She puts a finger to her chin.} “Is… thAT how… you say iT?”

{More of Berenice’s giggles filled the hall.}

[lisa-maneater]

"um- quite close, love. and look, were close to your dorm as well. its only a little while away from here, hm?"

[she tries to divert Berenice by carefully gripping her shoulders and attempting to turn her body in the correct direction.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mmmmm.” {She hummed.}

{They finally made their way to Berenice’s dorm, after all the tugging and dragging Lisa had to do. Good thing her roommate wasn’t here to see her in this state. Berenice flopped onto her bed and laid down; arms and legs spread wide over the bed. She lifted her head up a little to see Lisa walking towards her. She turned to her side and said} “Y-you’re not… gonna leave me, are you?”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa hesitates but eventually pulls off berenice's heels for her and sets them down on the floor neatly.]

"well, i can get you all tucked in if you like."

[she's half joking as she moves to gently remove Berenice's jewellery, it would be terrible for her to wake up with earrings tangled in her hair.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm. You’re ssso sweeT.” {Berenice blurted out; her voice low and soft. She glanced up at Lisa who was removing her jewelry for her. Her eyes were soft and warm, crinkling at the corners with a silent smile. How grateful was she to have someone as caring as Lisa. That’s all Berenice ever wanted. Someone who genuinely cared for her.}

{With that in mind, Berenice couldn’t help but glide both her hands around Lisa’s waist, bringing her closer. She loved the way how warm Lisa felt. She gently gripped the back of Lisa’s dress to pull her up so they were eye-level. Lisa looked stunned, but Berenice couldn’t help herself. She didn’t really know what she was doing. All she knows was that… she wanted Lisa more than anything.}

{Berenice softly placed her hand on Lisa’s chest, feeling her heart beat. Oh my, it was racing more than a mile. Berenice’s smile grew wider, as the hand that was on Lisa’s chest, now was gently placed on Lisa’s left cheek. Her skin was so soft, so warm, so delicate. She bit the bottom of her lip; lust and love filled her eyes. She whispered}

“I… want to kiss you,” {Her eyes darted to Lisa’s lips.} “Soo badly. I want to see… how much your lips…” {Her voice low as ever. Her thumb now caressing Lisa’s bottom lip.} “crave mine.”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa damn near went cross eyed as her gaze unfocused. Berenice was touching her, closely, in a way she hadn't been touched since coming to nevermore. she all but started panting as Berenice leaned in and for a moment she almost closed her eyes to accept her fate. but the smell of alcohol on her breath made her second guess the interaction.]

"B-berenice. you're drunk"

[she whispered, not hearing the whine in her voice. she wanted to kiss her badly, she wanted to show her just how... craved she was.]

"i cant... i wont do that to you right now."

[but to Lisa, in this moment that was so thick with tension and heavy breaths, the sharp thought of doing something intimate and becoming the man-ish thing she hated carved its way into her.]

[berenicenevermore]

“No-o… I’m not. Please.” {Berenice pleaded. Her voice still low.}

{A loud groan escaped Berenice’s lips as she rolled her eyes at Lisa when she said no. She flopped back onto the bed, pouty as ever.}

“Fine.”

{She rolled back on her side and said} “You lucky I like you too much to stay mad at you.”

[berenicenevermore]

Kiss marry kill: Lisa, Eulalie, Morella

Ha! Oh, babe! What a funny question. Lemme just—

{she runs far, FAR away.}

[berenicenevermore]

[lisa arrived outside of Berneice's dorm just before seven. she had overdressed a little, but it could easily be played off if she didn't bring up how nervous she was earlier on. it was unfarmilliar and a little undecipherable until a stray spider seemed to laugh at her from its perch on her nightstand... she'd have words later.]

[Lisa wasnt even sure if Berenice was ready yet, but she'd gladly wait until she was if necessary, so she knocked lightly on the door.]

@lisa-maneater

{Berenice stood in front of the mirror, admiring her outfit. She rubbed the material down to make sure there weren’t any creases left. Today… is a little nerve wracking. She is going on a date with Lisa and she’s extremely nervous. This is their first time going on date together and Berenice really doesn’t want to fuck this up.}

{She stopped what she was doing when she heard a knock on the door. Oh, that must be Lisa. She took a deep breath in and made her way to the door. She slowly pulled the door open and there she was. Her eyes widened; a broad grin spreads across her face. Lisa looked gorgeous as ever.}

“Babe— you look beautiful.”

[lisa-maneater]

[...]

[her mouth opened to speak, but she closed it quickly before an embarrassed squeak could come out. Berenice was amazing, effortlessly as well. lisa couldn't say she'd been on a date since her husband, normally her paramours would skip the pleasantries which was welcome at the time. but Berenice? lisa found herself wanting to play the long game, wanting to spend every moment she could with the woman just to selfishly memorise every inch of her more accurately.]

[she took a breath, and tried again.]

"seems we're both in the mood to compliment, you stole the words right out of my mouth."

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled.} “Well, can you blame me?”

{Berenice couldn’t stop staring at Lisa. She definitely knew how to put on an outfit. She was impressed.} “So, are you ready to go the wisps bar? I’m honestly surprised they even have one. I thought the deans would have catch them by now.”

{Berenice hasn’t went on a date in god knows how long. She was always hesitant when it came to dating. Especially, since she wasn’t sure she even knew the idea of ‘romance’. It was rare for her to even develop a crush. Usually, things felt casual for her. That’s how it always felt with her relationship with Egaeus and Sterling. She thought she loved them, but was it really love? She wasn’t sure. But…. Maybe this time, things will be different.}

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa links their arms together carefully and closes Berenice's door behind her before they walk down the hall.]

"i'm sure even the deans need to cut loose sometimes, they always seem quite highly strung."

[Lisa's experience dealing with children taught her she would never do it again, she couldn't imagine having to deal with adults who acted like the little beasts.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Agreed. They are always so uptight. Like let us have fun for once.”

{It was very quiet walking down the hall. It was dark outside. Around this time, you don’t usually see students wandering the halls. Which was a good thing for the both of them. Walking through a crowd isn’t fun.}

“By the way babe…uh- where is the wisps bar? You know the way, right?”

[lisa-maneater]

"i asked my spiders for rough directions..."

[that was an interesting 'conversation' they were still upset with Lisa, but something about seeing her scramble to prepare for this date was funny enough for them to help a little. so she had drawn a very basic outline of the corridors and made them walk around it to show the way.]

"very simple if you know how to talk to them. how has your day been, lover?"

[it was meant to be a playful nickname, but her tone was always hard to control completely around Berenice.]

[berenicenevermore]

{Mm… lover. She’s just gonna pretend she didn’t just hear that and laughed it off.}

“My day has been alright, babe. I am little exhausted since Eulalie wouldn’t stop talking about the relation between ghost and spirts. It was an interesting conversation to have but-“ {A heavy sigh escaped from her lips.} “She just wouldn’t let me sleep. We were supposed to hang out, but then she took off without saying a word. Besides that, I took a little nap today and I feel okay.”

{She paused when she felt like she was rambling too much.} “Sorry, I think I’m yapping too much. How has your day been?”

[lisa-maneater]

"i'm glad you got rest eventually, don't let that girl bother you so much it puts your sleep at risk."

[they turn another corner, the doorway at the end being the bars entrance. this part of the academy was a little run down, so she was a little confused as to why anyone would open a bar here]

"my day has been quite uneventful, no one speaks to me because apparently talking to spiders make me look insane"

[she laughs under her breath and pushes the doors open. the low drawl of quiet music floods their ears as it creaks to a stop. inside is cozy, if a little run down with some ware on the wallpaper and dust on the light shades. its relativity empty as well, in a way that feel a little uncanny- until she saw the wisp behind the bar wiping a glass that already looked completely clean... on second thought that didn't help the uncanny feeling]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice is completely in awe of the place. Every where she looked, her mouth felt like it was about to fall to the floor. Everything was so beautiful. The red dim lights hanging from the ceiling, the design of boats and waves laid on the ceiling, wooden bar stools, and the walls were crisp white. You can definitely tell there was still some dust on the walls that needed to be cleaned, but overall, the place was stunning.}

{It’s not like she hasn’t experienced anything like this, but the fact that it was mostly empty, just for them, felt even more better. She slid her hand across the wooden bar, feeling its smooth texture. A wide grin spreads across her face. The wisps outdid themselves.}

“I…” {She tried to catch her breath to take everything in.} “I am really impressed. I did not expect it would look like this.”

{The sound of squeaking made Berenice turned to the direction of the sound. It was one of the wisps behind the bar, wiping a glass clean.}

“Hello.” {She says, waving to the wisp.}

[lisa-maneater]

[the wisps watches them both blankly, and lisa is quick to assume they wont get much conversation out of the creature. she makes her way to one of the smaller tables near the base of a short stage, pulling out her own chair and laying the coat there. there's a moment of shuffling before she remembers her manners and pulls the opposite one out for Berenice as well]

"very quiet in here, my spiders must enjoy it."

[berenicenevermore]

“Thank you.” {She hummed.}

{As Berenice sat down, she pulled the chair by its legs to move it closer to the table. Lisa follows and she took a seat as well.} “Your spiders knew what they were doing when they recommended this place to you. It’s really fancy. I am still in shock the deans don’t know a thing about this.”

{She glanced around the room once more, but stopped when something caught her eye. The stage. She remembered the times when Sterling would invite her and Egaeus to a popular private speakeasy; a joint that everyone was yapping about. The music… ah, the music. One of the best performers Berenice witnessed was a saxophonist. She remembered how strongly the man was playing his saxophone. He wanted everyone to hear how we was feeling through his sounds. It was amazing. This bar definitely brings back memories. Memories that Berenice will cherish forever.}

“So, what drink are you planning on getting babe?”

[lisa-maneater]

"I fancy a Manhattan, what are you thinking? We could always get a bottle of something to share as well so we don't run out."

[Lisa places her elbows on the table and rests her chin on the back of her hands, smiling softly at berenice. The wisp brought itself over to them, probably listening for their order.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Well, if you fancy a manhattan, I won’t stop you. I already had a bottle of wine yesterday so I think I’ll get something else.”

{Berenice opened the menu and analyzed the options of drinks. She stopped when she noticed a drink that will delight her taste buds. She glances up at the wisp, who is waiting for them to tell them their order, and says} “I’ll take a clover club.”

[lisa-maneater]

[the wisp didn't respond but stood there for a moment as if processing. then they walked back behind the bar and looked to be making the drinks. now came the hard part, in Lisa's opinion, trying to think of things to talk about. basic questions could be good, but she'd have to think of one that wouldn't bore the other woman]

"did you do much travelling when you were alive? there must've been a winery tour at some point"

[she joked]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled.} “Yes and no. I traveled to New Orleans when I got bored of Harlem,” {Yes, a half-lie.} “-And Egaeus and I did went to France once for an event, but that was all. The thing is I loved New Orleans so much, I didn’t wanna leave. It was the bee’s knees like no other.”

{Memories of her in New Orleans started to flow in her head. Part of her yearns to go back, part of her wonders what went wrong? Half of her believes that it was all her fault and if a second chance of life would be worth it?}

{She pushes those thoughts away and brought her attention back to Lisa.} “What about you? Have you done much traveling?”

[lisa-maneater]

"when i was with my husband we travelled before the children came, it was always warm places- which stopped agreeing with me after the first baby. then i became focused on taking the children to Scotland during the winters because i found it so beautiful"

[she pauses, thanking the wisp quietly as it sat their drinks down and hurried away]

"after they all left me i stayed local, it was much more affordable and i still enjoyed myself."

[berenicenevermore]

“Wait— you had children?”

{The warmth in her eyes vanished, though the smile, now small, still clung to her lips.} “You were a… mother?” {The mention of ‘mother’ made her skin crawl. Berenice was never quite fond with the idea of having children. Never in her life where she wanted to take that route. Yes, she was still young and decisions can change in the future, but she knows deep inside, this won’t change. She can still remember the amount of judgment she received from friends and family. Well, except for Egaeus. He never judged her for it.}

“W-what was it like? B-being a mother?”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa pauses for a moment, realising how much she had just let slip. she hadn't had anyone or any opportunities to really talk about her life so far] "well, i felt responsibility over them of course. i wasn't quite the model parent though... i'm not sure what i say will be universal, ive been told it sounds cold."

[she warns, looking down at her drink instead of at Berenice] "because i hadn't known much love in my life, i became possessive over what i was told to love. so while i cared for my three, it wasn't the nurturing kind you probably want to hear about. it was replicating what id seen, what i was supposed to feel."

[...intense for a date. even with the amount of partners lisa had, she never opened up to them about this sort of thing- or anything personal for that matter. only her therapist had known anything this deep, and she only started seeing her after her husband.]

[berenicenevermore]

{She grabs Lisa’s free hand and tangles her fingers into hers, holding onto her tightly with care. She hates seeing Lisa even in a little bit of distress.}

“It’s okay, babe. You can tell me if you want, but don’t feel like you have to.” [She assured Lisa.}

“You may became possessive but… I’m pretty sure you loved them with all your heart.”

[lisa-maneater]

[she freezes a little, as if moving would ruin the moment. and she finds herself wondering if she should play it up more, say more to make Berenice feel bad for her, but ultimately Lisa wanted better for them both then that.]

"my kind of love often toes the line with obsession."

[she watches their hands linked together, and brings Berenice's hand gently to her lips. she plants a delicate kiss to each knuckle and strokes over the lipstick marks it left. she didn't want to think about her children anymore, they were her past. there was nothing she could do to change any of that, and talking about it wouldn't improve things, she wanted to live in this moment.]

"the people i love are quite worthy over someone to worship them. i like to make up for all the time they were underappreciated."

[berenicenevermore]

{The heat rose to her cheeks as Lisa places a kiss to each of her knuckles. Is this what love feels like? It was rare for Berenice to love, or even have a crush on someone since she didn’t know what that felt like. She always went the casual route. She never felt affection like this. This is new for her. She wants more. She wants more of this feeling.}

“Well… it’s never too late.” {Her voice was low and almost cracked a little. She was nervous, but in a good way.}

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa looked up at her then, and a smile she'd never seen before was on her face. it was soft, but not in a condescending way like she gave adair. her eyes were crinkled with the malice or smirk to make it the way it usually was. it was something genuine, really genuine.]

"i think you're right about that."

[she whispered, opening Berenice's hand to kiss her palm before letting her hand go finally. she sipped her drink before speaking again.]

"i completely went off on a tangent there, you've got to stop me next time. New Orleans, a few of my friends went there after secondary school finished- high school for you i think? the most i got out of them about it was how one of the girls went off with a mysterious gentlemen their last night and came back with stars in her eyes claiming she would never forget him. of course she did with the very next boy she met...."

[lisa laughs under her breath.] "though i hope you didn't enjoy the city because of the men."

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice shook her head.} “No, I was grown when I moved to New Orleans. I wanted a new life, and I was just tired of the one back in Harlem. Believe it or not, it was Egaeus who suggested that we moved to New Orleans cause it would give us a better life. He convinced me and we moved.”

{As she took a sip of her drink, she almost spit out the liquid when Lisa said ‘because of the men’.} “Hell no. Don’t get me wrong, I love to have fun in so many ways but…” {She took a deep breath before continuing.} “I was there for the glamour. Some of the men i’ve countered was… uh… standoffish. Most of them really didn’t deserve my time until I found Sterling and… you know the rest.”

{She started to tap her foot against the floor which became faster with each tap. She looked to the side for a moment.} “Anyway uh….it’s rare for me to have a crush or be romantically attracted to someone. This…” {Her heart beat quicken.} “is the first… I think.”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa's smile became a bit more sly as she titled her head]

"well, i hope this can be a good first for you..."

[deflecting form her own past feelings wasn't a great start, but that could all wait.] "I've been told i'm quite good at guaranteeing good firsts."

[she hides her chuckle behind another sip of her drink.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm.” {A wide, mischievous smirk grew on her face as she took a sip of her drink as well.}

“I wonder what else you’re good at. Any talents you have?”

[lisa-maneater]

"Beyond my attractiveness and charm? Well, I was good at embroidery before I died, I also enjoyed writing but it was mostly macabre little rambles- nothing really note worthy..."

[It was one of those moments again, where she realised she'd never really be free of the things her husband said to her. And everytime she was reminded of it, she felt disgusting like she was letting him in again.]

"What about you?"

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm.. interesting.” {She sets her glass down and started to swirl her finger around the brim, glancing at the color of the liquid; distracting herself for a moment before looking up at Lisa, who is staring at her with affection in her eyes. Her cheeks started to heat up again.}

“I was a seamstress…for a moment in my life. It was really fun. I love clothes. I have a keen eye for styling clothes well. Believe it or not, it was one of my passions.”

{Her eyes darted off to the side, letting out a sigh.} “I guess I got caught up in other things to chase it.”

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa frowned a little, she didn't enjoy seeing Berenice downtrodden]

"well, perhaps through this entanglement we can both rediscover our lost flames and talents. i want to see you do something you enjoy- beyond the obvious"

[she winked]

[berenicenevermore]

“I hope so.” {A small smile curled on her lips as she winked back, taking another sip of her drink while at it.}

*** time skip ***

{Berenice’s giggles echoed through the corridors as they made their way to Berenice’s dorm. Well, they would’ve been there by now if it weren’t Berenice almost stumbling to the ground every time she walked. She was a little tipsy, or maybe more than that. Lisa was holding on to her, almost dragging her, so she wouldn’t fall. The patience this woman had was beyond the measure.}

“He-he. I neverrrrr noTiced,” {Hic} “how staleee tHe coloRsss areee on the walls.” {She tried to lean closer to the wall to touch it, but when she did, Lisa would gently pull her back so she can redirect her to the path of her dorm, or better yet, so she doesn’t get distracted.}

{Another loud giggle slipped out of Berenice as Lisa touched her. Without a care in the world, she grabbed onto Lisa’s waist and leaned closer to her; their faces inches apart. She stared into her beautiful eyes as she said…}

“You’re so..damn pretty.”

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa was not patient. it was clear in the ways she interacted with most people. but right now, she didn't feel like she needed to be patient, she felt like she needed to help Berenice return to her dorm. She also felt like she needed to spend as much time as possible with Berenice. so every mumble and giggle was met with a response, not a big one since the woman was acting far too adorable for Lisa to formulate anything longer then three words.]

[the wall wasn't up against her back, but it felt like there was no escape. she was so suave before, when was the last time a girl had her blushing like this? nothing would happen, not tonight and certainly not with Berenice in this state. But there was something about being grabbed by those delicate hands (the same ones that had violently seductively beaten a man with a baseball bat) that made her yearn for the time where something could happen.]

"Love, you're going to topple us both"

[she laughs to cover herself]

[berenicenevermore]

{Lisa’s laugh filled Berenice’s ears with delight which made Berenice’s smile grew wider, showing her beautiful fangs. She was tipsy or so, but she knew Lisa had a hold on her heart. Just hearing the woman laugh made her wanting to hear it more.}

“YoU have a prettyyyy laugh,” {She puts a finger to her chin.} “Is… thAT how… you say iT?”

{More of Berenice’s giggles filled the hall.}

[lisa-maneater]

"um- quite close, love. and look, were close to your dorm as well. its only a little while away from here, hm?"

[she tries to divert Berenice by carefully gripping her shoulders and attempting to turn her body in the correct direction.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mmmmm.” {She hummed.}

{They finally made their way to Berenice’s dorm, after all the tugging and dragging Lisa had to do. Good thing her roommate wasn’t here to see her in this state. Berenice flopped onto her bed and laid down; arms and legs spread wide over the bed. She lifted her head up a little to see Lisa walking towards her. She turned to her side and said} “Y-you’re not… gonna leave me, are you?”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa hesitates but eventually pulls off berenice's heels for her and sets them down on the floor neatly.]

"well, i can get you all tucked in if you like."

[she's half joking as she moves to gently remove Berenice's jewellery, it would be terrible for her to wake up with earrings tangled in her hair.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm. You’re ssso sweeT.” {Berenice blurted out; her voice low and soft. She glanced up at Lisa who was removing her jewelry for her. Her eyes were soft and warm, crinkling at the corners with a silent smile. How grateful was she to have someone as caring as Lisa. That’s all Berenice ever wanted. Someone who genuinely cared for her.}

{With that in mind, Berenice couldn’t help but glide both her hands around Lisa’s waist, bringing her closer. She loved the way how warm Lisa felt. She gently gripped the back of Lisa’s dress to pull her up so they were eye-level. Lisa looked stunned, but Berenice couldn’t help herself. She didn’t really know what she was doing. All she knows was that… she wanted Lisa more than anything.}

{Berenice softly placed her hand on Lisa’s chest, feeling her heart beat. Oh my, it was racing more than a mile. Berenice’s smile grew wider, as the hand that was on Lisa’s chest, now was gently placed on Lisa’s left cheek. Her skin was so soft, so warm, so delicate. She bit the bottom of her lip; lust and love filled her eyes. She whispered}

“I… want to kiss you,” {Her eyes darted to Lisa’s lips.} “Soo badly. I want to see… how much your lips…” {Her voice low as ever. Her thumb now caressing Lisa’s bottom lip.} “crave mine.”

[berenicenevermore]

[lisa arrived outside of Berneice's dorm just before seven. she had overdressed a little, but it could easily be played off if she didn't bring up how nervous she was earlier on. it was unfarmilliar and a little undecipherable until a stray spider seemed to laugh at her from its perch on her nightstand... she'd have words later.]

[Lisa wasnt even sure if Berenice was ready yet, but she'd gladly wait until she was if necessary, so she knocked lightly on the door.]

@lisa-maneater

{Berenice stood in front of the mirror, admiring her outfit. She rubbed the material down to make sure there weren’t any creases left. Today… is a little nerve wracking. She is going on a date with Lisa and she’s extremely nervous. This is their first time going on date together and Berenice really doesn’t want to fuck this up.}

{She stopped what she was doing when she heard a knock on the door. Oh, that must be Lisa. She took a deep breath in and made her way to the door. She slowly pulled the door open and there she was. Her eyes widened; a broad grin spreads across her face. Lisa looked gorgeous as ever.}

“Babe— you look beautiful.”

[lisa-maneater]

[...]

[her mouth opened to speak, but she closed it quickly before an embarrassed squeak could come out. Berenice was amazing, effortlessly as well. lisa couldn't say she'd been on a date since her husband, normally her paramours would skip the pleasantries which was welcome at the time. but Berenice? lisa found herself wanting to play the long game, wanting to spend every moment she could with the woman just to selfishly memorise every inch of her more accurately.]

[she took a breath, and tried again.]

"seems we're both in the mood to compliment, you stole the words right out of my mouth."

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled.} “Well, can you blame me?”

{Berenice couldn’t stop staring at Lisa. She definitely knew how to put on an outfit. She was impressed.} “So, are you ready to go the wisps bar? I’m honestly surprised they even have one. I thought the deans would have catch them by now.”

{Berenice hasn’t went on a date in god knows how long. She was always hesitant when it came to dating. Especially, since she wasn’t sure she even knew the idea of ‘romance’. It was rare for her to even develop a crush. Usually, things felt casual for her. That’s how it always felt with her relationship with Egaeus and Sterling. She thought she loved them, but was it really love? She wasn’t sure. But…. Maybe this time, things will be different.}

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa links their arms together carefully and closes Berenice's door behind her before they walk down the hall.]

"i'm sure even the deans need to cut loose sometimes, they always seem quite highly strung."

[Lisa's experience dealing with children taught her she would never do it again, she couldn't imagine having to deal with adults who acted like the little beasts.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Agreed. They are always so uptight. Like let us have fun for once.”

{It was very quiet walking down the hall. It was dark outside. Around this time, you don’t usually see students wandering the halls. Which was a good thing for the both of them. Walking through a crowd isn’t fun.}

“By the way babe…uh- where is the wisps bar? You know the way, right?”

[lisa-maneater]

"i asked my spiders for rough directions..."

[that was an interesting 'conversation' they were still upset with Lisa, but something about seeing her scramble to prepare for this date was funny enough for them to help a little. so she had drawn a very basic outline of the corridors and made them walk around it to show the way.]

"very simple if you know how to talk to them. how has your day been, lover?"

[it was meant to be a playful nickname, but her tone was always hard to control completely around Berenice.]

[berenicenevermore]

{Mm… lover. She’s just gonna pretend she didn’t just hear that and laughed it off.}

“My day has been alright, babe. I am little exhausted since Eulalie wouldn’t stop talking about the relation between ghost and spirts. It was an interesting conversation to have but-“ {A heavy sigh escaped from her lips.} “She just wouldn’t let me sleep. We were supposed to hang out, but then she took off without saying a word. Besides that, I took a little nap today and I feel okay.”

{She paused when she felt like she was rambling too much.} “Sorry, I think I’m yapping too much. How has your day been?”

[lisa-maneater]

"i'm glad you got rest eventually, don't let that girl bother you so much it puts your sleep at risk."

[they turn another corner, the doorway at the end being the bars entrance. this part of the academy was a little run down, so she was a little confused as to why anyone would open a bar here]

"my day has been quite uneventful, no one speaks to me because apparently talking to spiders make me look insane"

[she laughs under her breath and pushes the doors open. the low drawl of quiet music floods their ears as it creaks to a stop. inside is cozy, if a little run down with some ware on the wallpaper and dust on the light shades. its relativity empty as well, in a way that feel a little uncanny- until she saw the wisp behind the bar wiping a glass that already looked completely clean... on second thought that didn't help the uncanny feeling]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice is completely in awe of the place. Every where she looked, her mouth felt like it was about to fall to the floor. Everything was so beautiful. The red dim lights hanging from the ceiling, the design of boats and waves laid on the ceiling, wooden bar stools, and the walls were crisp white. You can definitely tell there was still some dust on the walls that needed to be cleaned, but overall, the place was stunning.}

{It’s not like she hasn’t experienced anything like this, but the fact that it was mostly empty, just for them, felt even more better. She slid her hand across the wooden bar, feeling its smooth texture. A wide grin spreads across her face. The wisps outdid themselves.}

“I…” {She tried to catch her breath to take everything in.} “I am really impressed. I did not expect it would look like this.”

{The sound of squeaking made Berenice turned to the direction of the sound. It was one of the wisps behind the bar, wiping a glass clean.}

“Hello.” {She says, waving to the wisp.}

[lisa-maneater]

[the wisps watches them both blankly, and lisa is quick to assume they wont get much conversation out of the creature. she makes her way to one of the smaller tables near the base of a short stage, pulling out her own chair and laying the coat there. there's a moment of shuffling before she remembers her manners and pulls the opposite one out for Berenice as well]

"very quiet in here, my spiders must enjoy it."

[berenicenevermore]

“Thank you.” {She hummed.}

{As Berenice sat down, she pulled the chair by its legs to move it closer to the table. Lisa follows and she took a seat as well.} “Your spiders knew what they were doing when they recommended this place to you. It’s really fancy. I am still in shock the deans don’t know a thing about this.”

{She glanced around the room once more, but stopped when something caught her eye. The stage. She remembered the times when Sterling would invite her and Egaeus to a popular private speakeasy; a joint that everyone was yapping about. The music… ah, the music. One of the best performers Berenice witnessed was a saxophonist. She remembered how strongly the man was playing his saxophone. He wanted everyone to hear how we was feeling through his sounds. It was amazing. This bar definitely brings back memories. Memories that Berenice will cherish forever.}

“So, what drink are you planning on getting babe?”

[lisa-maneater]

"I fancy a Manhattan, what are you thinking? We could always get a bottle of something to share as well so we don't run out."

[Lisa places her elbows on the table and rests her chin on the back of her hands, smiling softly at berenice. The wisp brought itself over to them, probably listening for their order.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Well, if you fancy a manhattan, I won’t stop you. I already had a bottle of wine yesterday so I think I’ll get something else.”

{Berenice opened the menu and analyzed the options of drinks. She stopped when she noticed a drink that will delight her taste buds. She glances up at the wisp, who is waiting for them to tell them their order, and says} “I’ll take a clover club.”

[lisa-maneater]

[the wisp didn't respond but stood there for a moment as if processing. then they walked back behind the bar and looked to be making the drinks. now came the hard part, in Lisa's opinion, trying to think of things to talk about. basic questions could be good, but she'd have to think of one that wouldn't bore the other woman]

"did you do much travelling when you were alive? there must've been a winery tour at some point"

[she joked]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled.} “Yes and no. I traveled to New Orleans when I got bored of Harlem,” {Yes, a half-lie.} “-And Egaeus and I did went to France once for an event, but that was all. The thing is I loved New Orleans so much, I didn’t wanna leave. It was the bee’s knees like no other.”

{Memories of her in New Orleans started to flow in her head. Part of her yearns to go back, part of her wonders what went wrong? Half of her believes that it was all her fault and if a second chance of life would be worth it?}

{She pushes those thoughts away and brought her attention back to Lisa.} “What about you? Have you done much traveling?”

[lisa-maneater]

"when i was with my husband we travelled before the children came, it was always warm places- which stopped agreeing with me after the first baby. then i became focused on taking the children to Scotland during the winters because i found it so beautiful"

[she pauses, thanking the wisp quietly as it sat their drinks down and hurried away]

"after they all left me i stayed local, it was much more affordable and i still enjoyed myself."

[berenicenevermore]

“Wait— you had children?”

{The warmth in her eyes vanished, though the smile, now small, still clung to her lips.} “You were a… mother?” {The mention of ‘mother’ made her skin crawl. Berenice was never quite fond with the idea of having children. Never in her life where she wanted to take that route. Yes, she was still young and decisions can change in the future, but she knows deep inside, this won’t change. She can still remember the amount of judgment she received from friends and family. Well, except for Egaeus. He never judged her for it.}

“W-what was it like? B-being a mother?”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa pauses for a moment, realising how much she had just let slip. she hadn't had anyone or any opportunities to really talk about her life so far] "well, i felt responsibility over them of course. i wasn't quite the model parent though... i'm not sure what i say will be universal, ive been told it sounds cold."

[she warns, looking down at her drink instead of at Berenice] "because i hadn't known much love in my life, i became possessive over what i was told to love. so while i cared for my three, it wasn't the nurturing kind you probably want to hear about. it was replicating what id seen, what i was supposed to feel."

[...intense for a date. even with the amount of partners lisa had, she never opened up to them about this sort of thing- or anything personal for that matter. only her therapist had known anything this deep, and she only started seeing her after her husband.]

[berenicenevermore]

{She grabs Lisa’s free hand and tangles her fingers into hers, holding onto her tightly with care. She hates seeing Lisa even in a little bit of distress.}

“It’s okay, babe. You can tell me if you want, but don’t feel like you have to.” [She assured Lisa.}

“You may became possessive but… I’m pretty sure you loved them with all your heart.”

[lisa-maneater]

[she freezes a little, as if moving would ruin the moment. and she finds herself wondering if she should play it up more, say more to make Berenice feel bad for her, but ultimately Lisa wanted better for them both then that.]

"my kind of love often toes the line with obsession."

[she watches their hands linked together, and brings Berenice's hand gently to her lips. she plants a delicate kiss to each knuckle and strokes over the lipstick marks it left. she didn't want to think about her children anymore, they were her past. there was nothing she could do to change any of that, and talking about it wouldn't improve things, she wanted to live in this moment.]

"the people i love are quite worthy over someone to worship them. i like to make up for all the time they were underappreciated."

[berenicenevermore]

{The heat rose to her cheeks as Lisa places a kiss to each of her knuckles. Is this what love feels like? It was rare for Berenice to love, or even have a crush on someone since she didn’t know what that felt like. She always went the casual route. She never felt affection like this. This is new for her. She wants more. She wants more of this feeling.}

“Well… it’s never too late.” {Her voice was low and almost cracked a little. She was nervous, but in a good way.}

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa looked up at her then, and a smile she'd never seen before was on her face. it was soft, but not in a condescending way like she gave adair. her eyes were crinkled with the malice or smirk to make it the way it usually was. it was something genuine, really genuine.]

"i think you're right about that."

[she whispered, opening Berenice's hand to kiss her palm before letting her hand go finally. she sipped her drink before speaking again.]

"i completely went off on a tangent there, you've got to stop me next time. New Orleans, a few of my friends went there after secondary school finished- high school for you i think? the most i got out of them about it was how one of the girls went off with a mysterious gentlemen their last night and came back with stars in her eyes claiming she would never forget him. of course she did with the very next boy she met...."

[lisa laughs under her breath.] "though i hope you didn't enjoy the city because of the men."

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice shook her head.} “No, I was grown when I moved to New Orleans. I wanted a new life, and I was just tired of the one back in Harlem. Believe it or not, it was Egaeus who suggested that we moved to New Orleans cause it would give us a better life. He convinced me and we moved.”

{As she took a sip of her drink, she almost spit out the liquid when Lisa said ‘because of the men’.} “Hell no. Don’t get me wrong, I love to have fun in so many ways but…” {She took a deep breath before continuing.} “I was there for the glamour. Some of the men i’ve countered was… uh… standoffish. Most of them really didn’t deserve my time until I found Sterling and… you know the rest.”

{She started to tap her foot against the floor which became faster with each tap. She looked to the side for a moment.} “Anyway uh….it’s rare for me to have a crush or be romantically attracted to someone. This…” {Her heart beat quicken.} “is the first… I think.”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa's smile became a bit more sly as she titled her head]

"well, i hope this can be a good first for you..."

[deflecting form her own past feelings wasn't a great start, but that could all wait.] "I've been told i'm quite good at guaranteeing good firsts."

[she hides her chuckle behind another sip of her drink.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm.” {A wide, mischievous smirk grew on her face as she took a sip of her drink as well.}

“I wonder what else you’re good at. Any talents you have?”

[lisa-maneater]

"Beyond my attractiveness and charm? Well, I was good at embroidery before I died, I also enjoyed writing but it was mostly macabre little rambles- nothing really note worthy..."

[It was one of those moments again, where she realised she'd never really be free of the things her husband said to her. And everytime she was reminded of it, she felt disgusting like she was letting him in again.]

"What about you?"

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm.. interesting.” {She sets her glass down and started to swirl her finger around the brim, glancing at the color of the liquid; distracting herself for a moment before looking up at Lisa, who is staring at her with affection in her eyes. Her cheeks started to heat up again.}

“I was a seamstress…for a moment in my life. It was really fun. I love clothes. I have a keen eye for styling clothes well. Believe it or not, it was one of my passions.”

{Her eyes darted off to the side, letting out a sigh.} “I guess I got caught up in other things to chase it.”

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa frowned a little, she didn't enjoy seeing Berenice downtrodden]

"well, perhaps through this entanglement we can both rediscover our lost flames and talents. i want to see you do something you enjoy- beyond the obvious"

[she winked]

[berenicenevermore]

“I hope so.” {A small smile curled on her lips as she winked back, taking another sip of her drink while at it.}

*** time skip ***

{Berenice’s giggles echoed through the corridors as they made their way to Berenice’s dorm. Well, they would’ve been there by now if it weren’t Berenice almost stumbling to the ground every time she walked. She was a little tipsy, or maybe more than that. Lisa was holding on to her, almost dragging her, so she wouldn’t fall. The patience this woman had was beyond the measure.}

“He-he. I neverrrrr noTiced,” {Hic} “how staleee tHe coloRsss areee on the walls.” {She tried to lean closer to the wall to touch it, but when she did, Lisa would gently pull her back so she can redirect her to the path of her dorm, or better yet, so she doesn’t get distracted.}

{Another loud giggle slipped out of Berenice as Lisa touched her. Without a care in the world, she grabbed onto Lisa’s waist and leaned closer to her; their faces inches apart. She stared into her beautiful eyes as she said…}

“You’re so..damn pretty.”

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa was not patient. it was clear in the ways she interacted with most people. but right now, she didn't feel like she needed to be patient, she felt like she needed to help Berenice return to her dorm. She also felt like she needed to spend as much time as possible with Berenice. so every mumble and giggle was met with a response, not a big one since the woman was acting far too adorable for Lisa to formulate anything longer then three words.]

[the wall wasn't up against her back, but it felt like there was no escape. she was so suave before, when was the last time a girl had her blushing like this? nothing would happen, not tonight and certainly not with Berenice in this state. But there was something about being grabbed by those delicate hands (the same ones that had violently seductively beaten a man with a baseball bat) that made her yearn for the time where something could happen.]

"Love, you're going to topple us both"

[she laughs to cover herself]

[berenicenevermore]

{Lisa’s laugh filled Berenice’s ears with delight which made Berenice’s smile grew wider, showing her beautiful fangs. She was tipsy or so, but she knew Lisa had a hold on her heart. Just hearing the woman laugh made her wanting to hear it more.}

“YoU have a prettyyyy laugh,” {She puts a finger to her chin.} “Is… thAT how… you say iT?”

{More of Berenice’s giggles filled the hall.}

[lisa-maneater]

"um- quite close, love. and look, were close to your dorm as well. its only a little while away from here, hm?"

[she tries to divert Berenice by carefully gripping her shoulders and attempting to turn her body in the correct direction.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mmmmm.” {She hummed.}

{They finally made their way to Berenice’s dorm, after all the tugging and dragging Lisa had to do. Good thing her roommate wasn’t here to see her in this state. Berenice flopped onto her bed and laid down; arms and legs spread wide over the bed. She lifted her head up a little to see Lisa walking towards her. She turned to her side and said} “Y-you’re not… gonna leave me, are you?”

[berenicenevermore]

[lisa arrived outside of Berneice's dorm just before seven. she had overdressed a little, but it could easily be played off if she didn't bring up how nervous she was earlier on. it was unfarmilliar and a little undecipherable until a stray spider seemed to laugh at her from its perch on her nightstand... she'd have words later.]

[Lisa wasnt even sure if Berenice was ready yet, but she'd gladly wait until she was if necessary, so she knocked lightly on the door.]

@lisa-maneater

{Berenice stood in front of the mirror, admiring her outfit. She rubbed the material down to make sure there weren’t any creases left. Today… is a little nerve wracking. She is going on a date with Lisa and she’s extremely nervous. This is their first time going on date together and Berenice really doesn’t want to fuck this up.}

{She stopped what she was doing when she heard a knock on the door. Oh, that must be Lisa. She took a deep breath in and made her way to the door. She slowly pulled the door open and there she was. Her eyes widened; a broad grin spreads across her face. Lisa looked gorgeous as ever.}

“Babe— you look beautiful.”

[lisa-maneater]

[...]

[her mouth opened to speak, but she closed it quickly before an embarrassed squeak could come out. Berenice was amazing, effortlessly as well. lisa couldn't say she'd been on a date since her husband, normally her paramours would skip the pleasantries which was welcome at the time. but Berenice? lisa found herself wanting to play the long game, wanting to spend every moment she could with the woman just to selfishly memorise every inch of her more accurately.]

[she took a breath, and tried again.]

"seems we're both in the mood to compliment, you stole the words right out of my mouth."

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled.} “Well, can you blame me?”

{Berenice couldn’t stop staring at Lisa. She definitely knew how to put on an outfit. She was impressed.} “So, are you ready to go the wisps bar? I’m honestly surprised they even have one. I thought the deans would have catch them by now.”

{Berenice hasn’t went on a date in god knows how long. She was always hesitant when it came to dating. Especially, since she wasn’t sure she even knew the idea of ‘romance’. It was rare for her to even develop a crush. Usually, things felt casual for her. That’s how it always felt with her relationship with Egaeus and Sterling. She thought she loved them, but was it really love? She wasn’t sure. But…. Maybe this time, things will be different.}

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa links their arms together carefully and closes Berenice's door behind her before they walk down the hall.]

"i'm sure even the deans need to cut loose sometimes, they always seem quite highly strung."

[Lisa's experience dealing with children taught her she would never do it again, she couldn't imagine having to deal with adults who acted like the little beasts.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Agreed. They are always so uptight. Like let us have fun for once.”

{It was very quiet walking down the hall. It was dark outside. Around this time, you don’t usually see students wandering the halls. Which was a good thing for the both of them. Walking through a crowd isn’t fun.}

“By the way babe…uh- where is the wisps bar? You know the way, right?”

[lisa-maneater]

"i asked my spiders for rough directions..."

[that was an interesting 'conversation' they were still upset with Lisa, but something about seeing her scramble to prepare for this date was funny enough for them to help a little. so she had drawn a very basic outline of the corridors and made them walk around it to show the way.]

"very simple if you know how to talk to them. how has your day been, lover?"

[it was meant to be a playful nickname, but her tone was always hard to control completely around Berenice.]

[berenicenevermore]

{Mm… lover. She’s just gonna pretend she didn’t just hear that and laughed it off.}

“My day has been alright, babe. I am little exhausted since Eulalie wouldn’t stop talking about the relation between ghost and spirts. It was an interesting conversation to have but-“ {A heavy sigh escaped from her lips.} “She just wouldn’t let me sleep. We were supposed to hang out, but then she took off without saying a word. Besides that, I took a little nap today and I feel okay.”

{She paused when she felt like she was rambling too much.} “Sorry, I think I’m yapping too much. How has your day been?”

[lisa-maneater]

"i'm glad you got rest eventually, don't let that girl bother you so much it puts your sleep at risk."

[they turn another corner, the doorway at the end being the bars entrance. this part of the academy was a little run down, so she was a little confused as to why anyone would open a bar here]

"my day has been quite uneventful, no one speaks to me because apparently talking to spiders make me look insane"

[she laughs under her breath and pushes the doors open. the low drawl of quiet music floods their ears as it creaks to a stop. inside is cozy, if a little run down with some ware on the wallpaper and dust on the light shades. its relativity empty as well, in a way that feel a little uncanny- until she saw the wisp behind the bar wiping a glass that already looked completely clean... on second thought that didn't help the uncanny feeling]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice is completely in awe of the place. Every where she looked, her mouth felt like it was about to fall to the floor. Everything was so beautiful. The red dim lights hanging from the ceiling, the design of boats and waves laid on the ceiling, wooden bar stools, and the walls were crisp white. You can definitely tell there was still some dust on the walls that needed to be cleaned, but overall, the place was stunning.}

{It’s not like she hasn’t experienced anything like this, but the fact that it was mostly empty, just for them, felt even more better. She slid her hand across the wooden bar, feeling its smooth texture. A wide grin spreads across her face. The wisps outdid themselves.}

“I…” {She tried to catch her breath to take everything in.} “I am really impressed. I did not expect it would look like this.”

{The sound of squeaking made Berenice turned to the direction of the sound. It was one of the wisps behind the bar, wiping a glass clean.}

“Hello.” {She says, waving to the wisp.}

[lisa-maneater]

[the wisps watches them both blankly, and lisa is quick to assume they wont get much conversation out of the creature. she makes her way to one of the smaller tables near the base of a short stage, pulling out her own chair and laying the coat there. there's a moment of shuffling before she remembers her manners and pulls the opposite one out for Berenice as well]

"very quiet in here, my spiders must enjoy it."

[berenicenevermore]

“Thank you.” {She hummed.}

{As Berenice sat down, she pulled the chair by its legs to move it closer to the table. Lisa follows and she took a seat as well.} “Your spiders knew what they were doing when they recommended this place to you. It’s really fancy. I am still in shock the deans don’t know a thing about this.”

{She glanced around the room once more, but stopped when something caught her eye. The stage. She remembered the times when Sterling would invite her and Egaeus to a popular private speakeasy; a joint that everyone was yapping about. The music… ah, the music. One of the best performers Berenice witnessed was a saxophonist. She remembered how strongly the man was playing his saxophone. He wanted everyone to hear how we was feeling through his sounds. It was amazing. This bar definitely brings back memories. Memories that Berenice will cherish forever.}

“So, what drink are you planning on getting babe?”

[lisa-maneater]

"I fancy a Manhattan, what are you thinking? We could always get a bottle of something to share as well so we don't run out."

[Lisa places her elbows on the table and rests her chin on the back of her hands, smiling softly at berenice. The wisp brought itself over to them, probably listening for their order.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Well, if you fancy a manhattan, I won’t stop you. I already had a bottle of wine yesterday so I think I’ll get something else.”

{Berenice opened the menu and analyzed the options of drinks. She stopped when she noticed a drink that will delight her taste buds. She glances up at the wisp, who is waiting for them to tell them their order, and says} “I’ll take a clover club.”

[lisa-maneater]

[the wisp didn't respond but stood there for a moment as if processing. then they walked back behind the bar and looked to be making the drinks. now came the hard part, in Lisa's opinion, trying to think of things to talk about. basic questions could be good, but she'd have to think of one that wouldn't bore the other woman]

"did you do much travelling when you were alive? there must've been a winery tour at some point"

[she joked]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled.} “Yes and no. I traveled to New Orleans when I got bored of Harlem,” {Yes, a half-lie.} “-And Egaeus and I did went to France once for an event, but that was all. The thing is I loved New Orleans so much, I didn’t wanna leave. It was the bee’s knees like no other.”

{Memories of her in New Orleans started to flow in her head. Part of her yearns to go back, part of her wonders what went wrong? Half of her believes that it was all her fault and if a second chance of life would be worth it?}

{She pushes those thoughts away and brought her attention back to Lisa.} “What about you? Have you done much traveling?”

[lisa-maneater]

"when i was with my husband we travelled before the children came, it was always warm places- which stopped agreeing with me after the first baby. then i became focused on taking the children to Scotland during the winters because i found it so beautiful"

[she pauses, thanking the wisp quietly as it sat their drinks down and hurried away]

"after they all left me i stayed local, it was much more affordable and i still enjoyed myself."

[berenicenevermore]

“Wait— you had children?”

{The warmth in her eyes vanished, though the smile, now small, still clung to her lips.} “You were a… mother?” {The mention of ‘mother’ made her skin crawl. Berenice was never quite fond with the idea of having children. Never in her life where she wanted to take that route. Yes, she was still young and decisions can change in the future, but she knows deep inside, this won’t change. She can still remember the amount of judgment she received from friends and family. Well, except for Egaeus. He never judged her for it.}

“W-what was it like? B-being a mother?”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa pauses for a moment, realising how much she had just let slip. she hadn't had anyone or any opportunities to really talk about her life so far] "well, i felt responsibility over them of course. i wasn't quite the model parent though... i'm not sure what i say will be universal, ive been told it sounds cold."

[she warns, looking down at her drink instead of at Berenice] "because i hadn't known much love in my life, i became possessive over what i was told to love. so while i cared for my three, it wasn't the nurturing kind you probably want to hear about. it was replicating what id seen, what i was supposed to feel."

[...intense for a date. even with the amount of partners lisa had, she never opened up to them about this sort of thing- or anything personal for that matter. only her therapist had known anything this deep, and she only started seeing her after her husband.]

[berenicenevermore]

{She grabs Lisa’s free hand and tangles her fingers into hers, holding onto her tightly with care. She hates seeing Lisa even in a little bit of distress.}

“It’s okay, babe. You can tell me if you want, but don’t feel like you have to.” [She assured Lisa.}

“You may became possessive but… I’m pretty sure you loved them with all your heart.”

[lisa-maneater]

[she freezes a little, as if moving would ruin the moment. and she finds herself wondering if she should play it up more, say more to make Berenice feel bad for her, but ultimately Lisa wanted better for them both then that.]

"my kind of love often toes the line with obsession."

[she watches their hands linked together, and brings Berenice's hand gently to her lips. she plants a delicate kiss to each knuckle and strokes over the lipstick marks it left. she didn't want to think about her children anymore, they were her past. there was nothing she could do to change any of that, and talking about it wouldn't improve things, she wanted to live in this moment.]

"the people i love are quite worthy over someone to worship them. i like to make up for all the time they were underappreciated."

[berenicenevermore]

{The heat rose to her cheeks as Lisa places a kiss to each of her knuckles. Is this what love feels like? It was rare for Berenice to love, or even have a crush on someone since she didn’t know what that felt like. She always went the casual route. She never felt affection like this. This is new for her. She wants more. She wants more of this feeling.}

“Well… it’s never too late.” {Her voice was low and almost cracked a little. She was nervous, but in a good way.}

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa looked up at her then, and a smile she'd never seen before was on her face. it was soft, but not in a condescending way like she gave adair. her eyes were crinkled with the malice or smirk to make it the way it usually was. it was something genuine, really genuine.]

"i think you're right about that."

[she whispered, opening Berenice's hand to kiss her palm before letting her hand go finally. she sipped her drink before speaking again.]

"i completely went off on a tangent there, you've got to stop me next time. New Orleans, a few of my friends went there after secondary school finished- high school for you i think? the most i got out of them about it was how one of the girls went off with a mysterious gentlemen their last night and came back with stars in her eyes claiming she would never forget him. of course she did with the very next boy she met...."

[lisa laughs under her breath.] "though i hope you didn't enjoy the city because of the men."

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice shook her head.} “No, I was grown when I moved to New Orleans. I wanted a new life, and I was just tired of the one back in Harlem. Believe it or not, it was Egaeus who suggested that we moved to New Orleans cause it would give us a better life. He convinced me and we moved.”

{As she took a sip of her drink, she almost spit out the liquid when Lisa said ‘because of the men’.} “Hell no. Don’t get me wrong, I love to have fun in so many ways but…” {She took a deep breath before continuing.} “I was there for the glamour. Some of the men i’ve countered was… uh… standoffish. Most of them really didn’t deserve my time until I found Sterling and… you know the rest.”

{She started to tap her foot against the floor which became faster with each tap. She looked to the side for a moment.} “Anyway uh….it’s rare for me to have a crush or be romantically attracted to someone. This…” {Her heart beat quicken.} “is the first… I think.”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa's smile became a bit more sly as she titled her head]

"well, i hope this can be a good first for you..."

[deflecting form her own past feelings wasn't a great start, but that could all wait.] "I've been told i'm quite good at guaranteeing good firsts."

[she hides her chuckle behind another sip of her drink.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm.” {A wide, mischievous smirk grew on her face as she took a sip of her drink as well.}

“I wonder what else you’re good at. Any talents you have?”

[lisa-maneater]

"Beyond my attractiveness and charm? Well, I was good at embroidery before I died, I also enjoyed writing but it was mostly macabre little rambles- nothing really note worthy..."

[It was one of those moments again, where she realised she'd never really be free of the things her husband said to her. And everytime she was reminded of it, she felt disgusting like she was letting him in again.]

"What about you?"

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm.. interesting.” {She sets her glass down and started to swirl her finger around the brim, glancing at the color of the liquid; distracting herself for a moment before looking up at Lisa, who is staring at her with affection in her eyes. Her cheeks started to heat up again.}

“I was a seamstress…for a moment in my life. It was really fun. I love clothes. I have a keen eye for styling clothes well. Believe it or not, it was one of my passions.”

{Her eyes darted off to the side, letting out a sigh.} “I guess I got caught up in other things to chase it.”

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa frowned a little, she didn't enjoy seeing Berenice downtrodden]

"well, perhaps through this entanglement we can both rediscover our lost flames and talents. i want to see you do something you enjoy- beyond the obvious"

[she winked]

[berenicenevermore]

“I hope so.” {A small smile curled on her lips as she winked back, taking another sip of her drink while at it.}

*** time skip ***

{Berenice’s giggles echoed through the corridors as they made their way to Berenice’s dorm. Well, they would’ve been there by now if it weren’t Berenice almost stumbling to the ground every time she walked. She was a little tipsy, or maybe more than that. Lisa was holding on to her, almost dragging her, so she wouldn’t fall. The patience this woman had was beyond the measure.}

“He-he. I neverrrrr noTiced,” {Hic} “how staleee tHe coloRsss areee on the walls.” {She tried to lean closer to the wall to touch it, but when she did, Lisa would gently pull her back so she can redirect her to the path of her dorm, or better yet, so she doesn’t get distracted.}

{Another loud giggle slipped out of Berenice as Lisa touched her. Without a care in the world, she grabbed onto Lisa’s waist and leaned closer to her; their faces inches apart. She stared into her beautiful eyes as she said…}

“You’re so..damn pretty.”

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa was not patient. it was clear in the ways she interacted with most people. but right now, she didn't feel like she needed to be patient, she felt like she needed to help Berenice return to her dorm. She also felt like she needed to spend as much time as possible with Berenice. so every mumble and giggle was met with a response, not a big one since the woman was acting far too adorable for Lisa to formulate anything longer then three words.]

[the wall wasn't up against her back, but it felt like there was no escape. she was so suave before, when was the last time a girl had her blushing like this? nothing would happen, not tonight and certainly not with Berenice in this state. But there was something about being grabbed by those delicate hands (the same ones that had violently seductively beaten a man with a baseball bat) that made her yearn for the time where something could happen.]

"Love, you're going to topple us both"

[she laughs to cover herself]

[berenicenevermore]

{Lisa’s laugh filled Berenice’s ears with delight which made Berenice’s smile grew wider, showing her beautiful fangs. She was tipsy or so, but she knew Lisa had a hold on her heart. Just hearing the woman laugh made her wanting to hear it more.}

“YoU have a prettyyyy laugh,” {She puts a finger to her chin.} “Is… thAT how… you say iT?”

{More of Berenice’s giggles filled the hall.}

[berenicenevermore]

[lisa arrived outside of Berneice's dorm just before seven. she had overdressed a little, but it could easily be played off if she didn't bring up how nervous she was earlier on. it was unfarmilliar and a little undecipherable until a stray spider seemed to laugh at her from its perch on her nightstand... she'd have words later.]

[Lisa wasnt even sure if Berenice was ready yet, but she'd gladly wait until she was if necessary, so she knocked lightly on the door.]

@lisa-maneater

{Berenice stood in front of the mirror, admiring her outfit. She rubbed the material down to make sure there weren’t any creases left. Today… is a little nerve wracking. She is going on a date with Lisa and she’s extremely nervous. This is their first time going on date together and Berenice really doesn’t want to fuck this up.}

{She stopped what she was doing when she heard a knock on the door. Oh, that must be Lisa. She took a deep breath in and made her way to the door. She slowly pulled the door open and there she was. Her eyes widened; a broad grin spreads across her face. Lisa looked gorgeous as ever.}

“Babe— you look beautiful.”

[lisa-maneater]

[...]

[her mouth opened to speak, but she closed it quickly before an embarrassed squeak could come out. Berenice was amazing, effortlessly as well. lisa couldn't say she'd been on a date since her husband, normally her paramours would skip the pleasantries which was welcome at the time. but Berenice? lisa found herself wanting to play the long game, wanting to spend every moment she could with the woman just to selfishly memorise every inch of her more accurately.]

[she took a breath, and tried again.]

"seems we're both in the mood to compliment, you stole the words right out of my mouth."

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled.} “Well, can you blame me?”

{Berenice couldn’t stop staring at Lisa. She definitely knew how to put on an outfit. She was impressed.} “So, are you ready to go the wisps bar? I’m honestly surprised they even have one. I thought the deans would have catch them by now.”

{Berenice hasn’t went on a date in god knows how long. She was always hesitant when it came to dating. Especially, since she wasn’t sure she even knew the idea of ‘romance’. It was rare for her to even develop a crush. Usually, things felt casual for her. That’s how it always felt with her relationship with Egaeus and Sterling. She thought she loved them, but was it really love? She wasn’t sure. But…. Maybe this time, things will be different.}

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa links their arms together carefully and closes Berenice's door behind her before they walk down the hall.]

"i'm sure even the deans need to cut loose sometimes, they always seem quite highly strung."

[Lisa's experience dealing with children taught her she would never do it again, she couldn't imagine having to deal with adults who acted like the little beasts.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Agreed. They are always so uptight. Like let us have fun for once.”

{It was very quiet walking down the hall. It was dark outside. Around this time, you don’t usually see students wandering the halls. Which was a good thing for the both of them. Walking through a crowd isn’t fun.}

“By the way babe…uh- where is the wisps bar? You know the way, right?”

[lisa-maneater]

"i asked my spiders for rough directions..."

[that was an interesting 'conversation' they were still upset with Lisa, but something about seeing her scramble to prepare for this date was funny enough for them to help a little. so she had drawn a very basic outline of the corridors and made them walk around it to show the way.]

"very simple if you know how to talk to them. how has your day been, lover?"

[it was meant to be a playful nickname, but her tone was always hard to control completely around Berenice.]

[berenicenevermore]

{Mm… lover. She’s just gonna pretend she didn’t just hear that and laughed it off.}

“My day has been alright, babe. I am little exhausted since Eulalie wouldn’t stop talking about the relation between ghost and spirts. It was an interesting conversation to have but-“ {A heavy sigh escaped from her lips.} “She just wouldn’t let me sleep. We were supposed to hang out, but then she took off without saying a word. Besides that, I took a little nap today and I feel okay.”

{She paused when she felt like she was rambling too much.} “Sorry, I think I’m yapping too much. How has your day been?”

[lisa-maneater]

"i'm glad you got rest eventually, don't let that girl bother you so much it puts your sleep at risk."

[they turn another corner, the doorway at the end being the bars entrance. this part of the academy was a little run down, so she was a little confused as to why anyone would open a bar here]

"my day has been quite uneventful, no one speaks to me because apparently talking to spiders make me look insane"

[she laughs under her breath and pushes the doors open. the low drawl of quiet music floods their ears as it creaks to a stop. inside is cozy, if a little run down with some ware on the wallpaper and dust on the light shades. its relativity empty as well, in a way that feel a little uncanny- until she saw the wisp behind the bar wiping a glass that already looked completely clean... on second thought that didn't help the uncanny feeling]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice is completely in awe of the place. Every where she looked, her mouth felt like it was about to fall to the floor. Everything was so beautiful. The red dim lights hanging from the ceiling, the design of boats and waves laid on the ceiling, wooden bar stools, and the walls were crisp white. You can definitely tell there was still some dust on the walls that needed to be cleaned, but overall, the place was stunning.}

{It’s not like she hasn’t experienced anything like this, but the fact that it was mostly empty, just for them, felt even more better. She slid her hand across the wooden bar, feeling its smooth texture. A wide grin spreads across her face. The wisps outdid themselves.}

“I…” {She tried to catch her breath to take everything in.} “I am really impressed. I did not expect it would look like this.”

{The sound of squeaking made Berenice turned to the direction of the sound. It was one of the wisps behind the bar, wiping a glass clean.}

“Hello.” {She says, waving to the wisp.}

[lisa-maneater]

[the wisps watches them both blankly, and lisa is quick to assume they wont get much conversation out of the creature. she makes her way to one of the smaller tables near the base of a short stage, pulling out her own chair and laying the coat there. there's a moment of shuffling before she remembers her manners and pulls the opposite one out for Berenice as well]

"very quiet in here, my spiders must enjoy it."

[berenicenevermore]

“Thank you.” {She hummed.}

{As Berenice sat down, she pulled the chair by its legs to move it closer to the table. Lisa follows and she took a seat as well.} “Your spiders knew what they were doing when they recommended this place to you. It’s really fancy. I am still in shock the deans don’t know a thing about this.”

{She glanced around the room once more, but stopped when something caught her eye. The stage. She remembered the times when Sterling would invite her and Egaeus to a popular private speakeasy; a joint that everyone was yapping about. The music… ah, the music. One of the best performers Berenice witnessed was a saxophonist. She remembered how strongly the man was playing his saxophone. He wanted everyone to hear how we was feeling through his sounds. It was amazing. This bar definitely brings back memories. Memories that Berenice will cherish forever.}

“So, what drink are you planning on getting babe?”

[lisa-maneater]

"I fancy a Manhattan, what are you thinking? We could always get a bottle of something to share as well so we don't run out."

[Lisa places her elbows on the table and rests her chin on the back of her hands, smiling softly at berenice. The wisp brought itself over to them, probably listening for their order.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Well, if you fancy a manhattan, I won’t stop you. I already had a bottle of wine yesterday so I think I’ll get something else.”

{Berenice opened the menu and analyzed the options of drinks. She stopped when she noticed a drink that will delight her taste buds. She glances up at the wisp, who is waiting for them to tell them their order, and says} “I’ll take a clover club.”

[lisa-maneater]

[the wisp didn't respond but stood there for a moment as if processing. then they walked back behind the bar and looked to be making the drinks. now came the hard part, in Lisa's opinion, trying to think of things to talk about. basic questions could be good, but she'd have to think of one that wouldn't bore the other woman]

"did you do much travelling when you were alive? there must've been a winery tour at some point"

[she joked]

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice giggled.} “Yes and no. I traveled to New Orleans when I got bored of Harlem,” {Yes, a half-lie.} “-And Egaeus and I did went to France once for an event, but that was all. The thing is I loved New Orleans so much, I didn’t wanna leave. It was the bee’s knees like no other.”

{Memories of her in New Orleans started to flow in her head. Part of her yearns to go back, part of her wonders what went wrong? Half of her believes that it was all her fault and if a second chance of life would be worth it?}

{She pushes those thoughts away and brought her attention back to Lisa.} “What about you? Have you done much traveling?”

[lisa-maneater]

"when i was with my husband we travelled before the children came, it was always warm places- which stopped agreeing with me after the first baby. then i became focused on taking the children to Scotland during the winters because i found it so beautiful"

[she pauses, thanking the wisp quietly as it sat their drinks down and hurried away]

"after they all left me i stayed local, it was much more affordable and i still enjoyed myself."

[berenicenevermore]

“Wait— you had children?”

{The warmth in her eyes vanished, though the smile, now small, still clung to her lips.} “You were a… mother?” {The mention of ‘mother’ made her skin crawl. Berenice was never quite fond with the idea of having children. Never in her life where she wanted to take that route. Yes, she was still young and decisions can change in the future, but she knows deep inside, this won’t change. She can still remember the amount of judgment she received from friends and family. Well, except for Egaeus. He never judged her for it.}

“W-what was it like? B-being a mother?”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa pauses for a moment, realising how much she had just let slip. she hadn't had anyone or any opportunities to really talk about her life so far] "well, i felt responsibility over them of course. i wasn't quite the model parent though... i'm not sure what i say will be universal, ive been told it sounds cold."

[she warns, looking down at her drink instead of at Berenice] "because i hadn't known much love in my life, i became possessive over what i was told to love. so while i cared for my three, it wasn't the nurturing kind you probably want to hear about. it was replicating what id seen, what i was supposed to feel."

[...intense for a date. even with the amount of partners lisa had, she never opened up to them about this sort of thing- or anything personal for that matter. only her therapist had known anything this deep, and she only started seeing her after her husband.]

[berenicenevermore]

{She grabs Lisa’s free hand and tangles her fingers into hers, holding onto her tightly with care. She hates seeing Lisa even in a little bit of distress.}

“It’s okay, babe. You can tell me if you want, but don’t feel like you have to.” [She assured Lisa.}

“You may became possessive but… I’m pretty sure you loved them with all your heart.”

[lisa-maneater]

[she freezes a little, as if moving would ruin the moment. and she finds herself wondering if she should play it up more, say more to make Berenice feel bad for her, but ultimately Lisa wanted better for them both then that.]

"my kind of love often toes the line with obsession."

[she watches their hands linked together, and brings Berenice's hand gently to her lips. she plants a delicate kiss to each knuckle and strokes over the lipstick marks it left. she didn't want to think about her children anymore, they were her past. there was nothing she could do to change any of that, and talking about it wouldn't improve things, she wanted to live in this moment.]

"the people i love are quite worthy over someone to worship them. i like to make up for all the time they were underappreciated."

[berenicenevermore]

{The heat rose to her cheeks as Lisa places a kiss to each of her knuckles. Is this what love feels like? It was rare for Berenice to love, or even have a crush on someone since she didn’t know what that felt like. She always went the casual route. She never felt affection like this. This is new for her. She wants more. She wants more of this feeling.}

“Well… it’s never too late.” {Her voice was low and almost cracked a little. She was nervous, but in a good way.}

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa looked up at her then, and a smile she'd never seen before was on her face. it was soft, but not in a condescending way like she gave adair. her eyes were crinkled with the malice or smirk to make it the way it usually was. it was something genuine, really genuine.]

"i think you're right about that."

[she whispered, opening Berenice's hand to kiss her palm before letting her hand go finally. she sipped her drink before speaking again.]

"i completely went off on a tangent there, you've got to stop me next time. New Orleans, a few of my friends went there after secondary school finished- high school for you i think? the most i got out of them about it was how one of the girls went off with a mysterious gentlemen their last night and came back with stars in her eyes claiming she would never forget him. of course she did with the very next boy she met...."

[lisa laughs under her breath.] "though i hope you didn't enjoy the city because of the men."

[berenicenevermore]

{Berenice shook her head.} “No, I was grown when I moved to New Orleans. I wanted a new life, and I was just tired of the one back in Harlem. Believe it or not, it was Egaeus who suggested that we moved to New Orleans cause it would give us a better life. He convinced me and we moved.”

{As she took a sip of her drink, she almost spit out the liquid when Lisa said ‘because of the men’.} “Hell no. Don’t get me wrong, I love to have fun in so many ways but…” {She took a deep breath before continuing.} “I was there for the glamour. Some of the men i’ve countered was… uh… standoffish. Most of them really didn’t deserve my time until I found Sterling and… you know the rest.”

{She started to tap her foot against the floor which became faster with each tap. She looked to the side for a moment.} “Anyway uh….it’s rare for me to have a crush or be romantically attracted to someone. This…” {Her heart beat quicken.} “is the first… I think.”

[lisa-maneater]

[lisa's smile became a bit more sly as she titled her head]

"well, i hope this can be a good first for you..."

[deflecting form her own past feelings wasn't a great start, but that could all wait.] "I've been told i'm quite good at guaranteeing good firsts."

[she hides her chuckle behind another sip of her drink.]

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm.” {A wide, mischievous smirk grew on her face as she took a sip of her drink as well.}

“I wonder what else you’re good at. Any talents you have?”

[lisa-maneater]

"Beyond my attractiveness and charm? Well, I was good at embroidery before I died, I also enjoyed writing but it was mostly macabre little rambles- nothing really note worthy..."

[It was one of those moments again, where she realised she'd never really be free of the things her husband said to her. And everytime she was reminded of it, she felt disgusting like she was letting him in again.]

"What about you?"

[berenicenevermore]

“Mm.. interesting.” {She sets her glass down and started to swirl her finger around the brim, glancing at the color of the liquid; distracting herself for a moment before looking up at Lisa, who is staring at her with affection in her eyes. Her cheeks started to heat up again.}

“I was a seamstress…for a moment in my life. It was really fun. I love clothes. I have a keen eye for styling clothes well. Believe it or not, it was one of my passions.”

{Her eyes darted off to the side, letting out a sigh.} “I guess I got caught up in other things to chase it.”

[lisa-maneater]

[Lisa frowned a little, she didn't enjoy seeing Berenice downtrodden]

"well, perhaps through this entanglement we can both rediscover our lost flames and talents. i want to see you do something you enjoy- beyond the obvious"

[she winked]

[berenicenevermore]

“I hope so.” {A small smile curled on her lips as she winked back, taking another sip of her drink while at it.}

*** time skip ***

{Berenice’s giggles echoed through the corridors as they made their way to Berenice’s dorm. Well, they would’ve been there by now if it weren’t Berenice almost stumbling to the ground every time she walked. She was a little tipsy, or maybe more than that. Lisa was holding on to her, almost dragging her, so she wouldn’t fall. The patience this woman had was beyond the measure.}

“He-he. I neverrrrr noTiced,” {Hic} “how staleee tHe coloRsss areee on the walls.” {She tried to lean closer to the wall to touch it, but when she did, Lisa would gently pull her back so she can redirect her to the path of her dorm, or better yet, so she doesn’t get distracted.}

{Another loud giggle slipped out of Berenice as Lisa touched her. Without a care in the world, she grabbed onto Lisa’s waist and leaned closer to her; their faces inches apart. She stared into her beautiful eyes as she said…}

“You’re so..damn pretty.”