Steaming plates of food were in their hands and for a moment Ryu could not help but stare at the curry stricken goodness Ishtar had ordered. Some of the more talented hobby chefs created the most marvelous looking dishes and Ishtar’s was no exception. “Your food looks so good! I’m so jealous right now.” Ryu commented with a smirk and beaming expression before moving onto the matter of where to have their meal. She looked quite enthused about the idea of moving someplace else.

“How about we get some distance between us and the crowd?” She doubted there’d be much of a point in sitting around the attractions with how many students there were. Speaking to each other in private would be a nice change of pace. A bit of peace and quiet would do them well, especially since they barely had the chance to enjoy a more personal get together on Valentine’s Day thus far. “I believe there’s not a whole lot of stuff going on between here and the beach just yet with the fireworks starting off in the latter portion of the evening.” Crimson eyes flickered to the usual hiking paths leading to the beach, along which benches were set up for the festival.

“Some more privacy would be nice, too. After all you’ll be heading over to your drama club in a little while.” Ryu could not help but smile at that, knowing all too well a great many students would be watching her on stage although for the moment the charming red head sought to become her audience of one. She looked forward to spending some quality time with Ishtar away from the remainder of the student body, if only for a short while to cherish her company to the fullest. Some opportunity for true romance on an occasion such as this would be most welcome and the fewer students around, the better. She was hoping to be closer to her lover for quite some time now, but obviously the administration wouldn’t allow it. What better excuse to have Ishtar for herself for some time?

Ishtar was happy to receive the steaming plate of food. Many of the girls liked to spend some spare time cooking, recreating their own family dishes or experimenting with ideas they had read about in cookbooks and magazines. The remoteness of Shokushu meant that they could not watch online videos on how to cook, but that did not stopped the determined who experimented with different ideas. And some of those resulted in delicious meals, Once we find a place to sit, you can try some if you like.

Um, sure. I would like some time away from here. And the blue princess would love to spend some time with her red knight. With so many things going on the pair had little time to spend with each other, especially on Valentine’s Day. “Oh that is a good idea, I am sure your right, most people will be down here on campus and not on the trails leading to the beach. There was some risk of some of the girls or facility heading to the beach, but that risk was low. For the most part the two women would be able to be alone together as they enjoyed their meals on one of the benches that had been set up on the paths.

Yes it would nice to be alone with you for a while. Things will be busy enough tonight. Ishtar smiled as she spoke. [color=LightSky Blue]Hopefully we can be alone for a while.[/color]

Ryu smiled warmly at the thought of having some time to themselves. “I hope so, too.” Without further ado, the young red head led her lover along the trail to the beach. Away from the pounding beat of the music, away from the festivities, away from everything but Ishtar. She could make do without the great many distractions of campus life today. Some other students must have had the same idea. It took them walking past a few smaller groups to finally get to a bench that wasn’t occupied and, most importantly, not quite in direct sight of anyone else. After all, exchanging romantic gestures had been part of the program, not necessarily the staff’s, but it was definitely part of her own that day.

After getting seated, Ryu gently patted the space beside her with a smile, waiting for Ishtar to join her before slithering up to her bodily warmth. She’d chosen to nestle her head against that warm, comforting shoulder of her lover, enjoying the close proximity to the absolutely ravishing princess. “Finally alone ..” It wasn’t going to be like that all day, but it was good enough to keep her satisfied until tonight. She breathed a sigh of contentment while her beaming red eyes shut for the briefest of moments to cherish the moment to the fullest, then looked up at her beloved with a soft smile. “Will you give me taste of that wonderful curry now? It smells delightful from here.” Her voice was low yet playful whereas her current position hinted at what Ishtar was supposed to do. Ryu wanted to be fed rather than just get it herself.

Ishtar always loved the way her red knight smilled even as they walked. Slowly they began to move away from the festival and towards the trail on the beach. The pair moved on past some benches as they moved down the trail. Several of the benches were already full, each holding a couple of girls. The women had tried to find some that were remote and hard to see from the festival. Ishtar and her partner continued on looking for their own private bench. Slowly the pounding beat of the music, and the festivities began to fade away. The sounds of anyone else but the red knight faded away too as the world simply shrunk to include just Ryu.

Ryu sat first, patting the bench to invite the blue princess over. Ishtar smiled as she sat down next to her lover. The fiery ginger haired woman sly moved up to rest against Ishtar’s own body, the both of them sharing each other warmth. Ryu gently placed her head on the shoulder of the blue haired student, which brought a huge smile on Ishtar’s face. Ishtar looked down at her fiancé, who red eyes were shut just for a moment before they met Ishtar’s own. Ryu then asked the for a taste of the curry. Oh, of course my love. The young woman pulled out a spoonful of curry and brought it up the beautiful red head. She waited until the red knight opened her mouth before proceeding with the delicious spoonful.

Sitting up straight once more, Ryu awaited the promised curry. Since making improvements in her social dealings came easier to the red head now, but didn’t completely diminish her inhibitions in public, Ryu cherished these moments more than anything. She practically beamed at Ishtar with enthusiasm once the food was presented to her. “Ahh~” She opened her mouth and consumed the curry in one go. Sadly it was a bit too hot and Ryu drew a few breaths past her lips in hopes of cooling it down, frantically fanning her hand before her face even though it would do no good, but then her expression took on one of contentment with subtle hints of pleasure as the spoonful was gulped down. “Mmm .. It tastes fantastic.”

Somewhat disappointed red eyes looked down at her own meal. “So much for picking the right dish, huh?” It brought a smile to her face nonetheless that they could share moments like these in private, but more was yet to come as the red head leaned closer. “I’d like to return the favor, but I’m afraid this just won’t do. Just noodles would be too common a meal for my lovely princess. So how about ..” She didn’t need to think much before coming up with something suitable as their lips finally locked in a long, lingering kiss, one Ryu had been waiting on the whole day and now seemed like an ideal opportunity to claim it.

It lasted for a good while though the faintest sound set her off and encouraged Ryu to part from her lover once more. She didn’t mind sneaking that one in there, however. “Something special to keep you company while you’re on stage.” She cooed with contentment before collecting a few noodles on her fork, much like spaghetti before bringing it up to Ishtar. “Alright, now, the real deal. This one’s all for you, love.”

Ishtar offer of food seemed to get a response from her red knight. Almost at once, the young woman sat up the straight and closed her eyes. Ryu seemed to be quite excited and practically was ready to snatch the food right of Ishtar’s fork before the blue haired princess even had a chance to present it. But Ryu had just enough patience to be rewarded with one giant bite of curry. At first the red knight seemed quite content, but she took a moment to take fast breaths as the food seemed to be quite too hot for her. The young woman had to fan herself down before she could finally enjoy the morsels of curry that she had managed to obtain.

Ryu seemed to be disappointed with her own dish, but that was quickly faded when she leaned closer to Ishtar. The blue princess liked moments like this, just being near her own fiancé was a way to make Ishtar feel special. Before Ishtar could respond, the red head dove forward and stole a long lingering kiss from the young woman. The blue haired woman’s eyes blinked in surprise for a moment before she finally closed her eyes in and simply enjoyed what was the best moment to the day so far.

They made ever soft moans and gasped as they explored each other lips and tongues for a moment before the kiss finally broke. Thank you. I will appreciate its company on the stage. A few noodles by now had been brought up to her face to sample. Ishtar closed her eyes and open her mouth for a bite.

“Choo choo ..” Ryu gently cupped her chin with a palm and let her fork sail into her lover’s mouth, feeding her a few of her noodles which had the loving knight look on amorously, cherishing the downright adorable face Ishtar had with her eyes closed. So pure, so peaceful, she really was one lucky girl. “You’re a good little princess ..” She teased upon extracting her touch, lightly caressing her cheek before turning back to her own meal for a moment. She took another bite, mulling matters over in the back of her mind before speaking up as a healthy swallow consumed it.

“Say, I’ve been thinking .. I wanted to kidnap you on your way back from your performance.” Some quirk the red head gathered from her native tongue. It probably didn’t work out too well in the English language though that didn’t prevent her from pressing on unhindered. “I’d rather not spend the better part of the night with the others on the beach to watch the fireworks. I thought we could use some privacy which doesn’t necessarily revolve around the bedroom.”

“From a cliff near the coast we’ll be able to see everything without having to mingle with the student body. It’ll be a tad more difficult to get there, but we’ll probably have the spot all to ourselves.” Ryu did a great deal of hiking in her early days, exploring the island from one end to the other. Among those discovered locations was a beautiful clearing where the two of them spent quite a few romantic moments together, but on one occasion even ran into a large glob of sentient green slime. Sometimes getting off the common hiking paths paid off even though the risk of running into unearthly inhabitants tended to discourage more exquisite trips into the wilderness. “What do you think?”

Ishtar felt the a hand gently cup her chin before Ryu made a bit of a train noise, Ishtar had to stifle a giggle as she didn’t want to mess up the moment. She could taste the delicious noodles that had been placed so delicately placed in her mouth. She could hear the praise from the red knight as Ryu’s hand gently move against her cheek. It was there only briefly before it returned back to get another bite of food. Ryu took another bite of her food and she seemed lost in thought for a moment before she spoke again.

[color]Kidnap me?[/color] Ishtar did not fully comprehend the meaning of that, but the red knight pressed on with her comments. It soon became clear that Ryu was wanting to be alone with Ishtar as the fireworks. Oh, OH….I think I would like that. I am sure that we will could see the fireworks from anywere on the island. At least as long as they were not in the dorm rooms.

Ryu ad mentioned cliff near the coast. Ishtar was not very familiar with that area. Her trips in to the woods and jungles had largely lead in the blue haired girl getting lost. Ishtar was fortunate if she would find a way back to the campus before the sun came down. She was fortunate to have red knight who scouted out all these locations. Now they could enjoy the fruits of Ryu’s labor. They had done so before, sometimes running into a monster or two. Fortunately for the blue princess those were distant memories if they were even memories at all. It sounds wonderful, I would like that very much.

She got the meaning across at least which brought a smile to the red head’s lithe lush lips. “Alright, then. Once you’re done with the play, I’ll be taking you there.” The best thing about knowing quite a few good spots on the island had to be the fact they wouldn’t have to hide their affection from one another in the slightest. It made things easier when one was not forced to hold back due to the rules although for the time being Ryu was content with the warmth of the woman closest to her. Time passed by while the two continued to eat and chat for a little while longer, giving Ishtar enough time for her meal to settle before the play actually began.

Above them the encroaching darkness indicated their private reunion was coming to a close, with the sun wandering along the horizon where it slowly began to vanish amid a mesmerizing sea of colors. Some volunteers from the festival passed by over the course of the following minutes, setting up pink heart shaped paper lanterns along the hiking path with short candles in their center, lighting the way for anyone eager to watch the fireworks later that same night. In a forthcoming gesture, Ryu took Ishtar’s finished plate and got up, tossing it and her own in a nearby trashcan before looking at the sky, then her lover. “We should head back now. It’s getting dark and you’ve got a play to take part in.”

The blue haired student was happy to be an agreement of what to do after the play, I am looking forward to it. The red head knew so much about the island away from campus than Ishtar did. Ishtar simply got loss when she was on her own, especially in the jungles. Ryu seemed to be able to find the best places on island, the ones that were the most beautiful and most remote area on the island. But for now, the two girls continued to eat and chat for a while, until it was time for the blue haired girl to the play.

By this point it was the begin was becoming dark on the island. The sun was already beginning to the set, the sky soon began to become an amazing colors. Some girls were already beginning to move down the was the various pathways and trails, placing some pink heart shaped lanterns. The candles contained in each lantern added light which lit up the paths. It would make it easy for the students to make their way to the beach to watch the fireworks. Now it would help Ishtar and Ryu make their way back to the campus. Your right, I will need to get back somewhat soon if the play is going to start on time.

“Wouldn’t want you to miss it.” Secretly Ryu had hoped for someone, or even something to sabotage the play, in order to give them more time for themselves, but the red head waved it off with a smile. Performing on stage, dancing or singing, there was nothing Ishtar couldn’t pull off with perfection hence the knight accompanied her back to the campus rather than attempt to draw things out.

Other members of the drama club intercepted the couple as soon as they drew near the actual festivities again and promptly ushered Ishtar to her very own dressing room. They were without a doubt eager to enhance her looks and get her into her costume long before the play began to make sure everything looked just perfect. Ryu, on the other hand, waved her beloved Princess goodbye before they were separated although knowing the crimson haired knight, they were likely to see each other before long, one of them on stage while the other mingled with the crowd throughout her delightful performance.

Soon thereafter, Ishtar found herself donning a lavish light blue dress to complement the matching and equally stunning hues of her eyes and a slight cleavage cutout along with more or less form hugging fabric where curves mattered most emphasized her drop dead gorgeous feminine side. Exquisite hair sticks graced a nicely weaved nautilus bun one of the girls created out of her lengthy blue hair, enhancing her appeal as it made her stand out from the other members on stage.

The play itself revolved around your typical love story in a medieval fantasy setting, a romance to be torn apart through wicked intervention from an evil sorcerer with a happy ending to conclude the tale. She was to be the Princess Adelaide, a young noble in love with the head of the royal guard, who for the sake of the tale being presented on Shokushu had been a woman also. Yvonne was her name, both in reality and the play. She’d practiced the scenes with Ishtar time and time again, hence there was likely little pressure when it came to the more personal scenes.

When the first actors moved out on stage after a brief introduction, there was plenty of applause. It died down shortly after, giving the women free reign over the scene. Some backdrops were created and already in place, such as the apparent chambers of the Princess and the door leading to the hallway outside. Ishtar, or rather Adelaide, was in the room while Yvonne approached with a pair of royal guards, stopping at the door. She checked her armor uniform combination once more as part of the scene that was meant to set the basis of their relationship. When she finally finished, she ended up knocking on the door, waiting for the Princess to open it.

Ishtar smilled at the Ryu’s comment, “Thank you.” The two began making their way back to campus where most of the festival activities were still occurring. It was soon going to be Ishtar’s turn to participate to entertain in this festival. Well her and the rest of the dram club, since it would take all their talents to make this play possible.

As the two students made their way back to the festival, they were intercepted by other members of the drama club. Ishtar trouble with direction sense was well known among the other women in the club and they wanted to make sure that she arrived in time to get ready. Quickly the blue haired girl was wisked away from her Ryu. All Ishtar could do was wave back to her beloved knight as she almost literally dragged off by her fellow club members. Soon she was brought to a dressing room where her costume and makeup was waiting for her.

Quickly Ishtar found herself being put into a light blue dress. The dress was meant to match her eyes which they did. The outfit large hugged the blue haired girl’s figure and come complete with a slight cutout to accentuate her cleavage. To complete the outfit, hair sticks were added to take Ishtar’s considerly lengthy hair and created a weaved nautilus bun. It took a while for the effect to complete, but it made Ishtar stand out on the stage.

With the outfit now complete, she was transformed from Ishtar Rocha to Princess Adelaide. A young noble living in a medieval kingdom. The young Princess Adelaide was in love with the head of the royal guard. The actress playing her was Yvonne, and conveniently the character she was playing was also Yvonne. It made it easier for the audience, if both of the characters were women as that were the only population on Shokushu. The two had practiced their scenes often, making their acting here on the stage more like the second nature.

The actressess soon took the stage, the applause thunderous as the play and the actresses took their positions. As the applause died out, the actresses began their scene. For the Princess she was sitting in her room, check her bun and doing some grooming as the play started. Soon there was a knock at the door, the blue haired beauty quickly finished up her getting ready and called out. Yes, please come in.

Ishtar and Yvonne had shown great chemistry, an ideal synergy between two artists and it showed when the young woman entered the room to answer the call of the royal therein. She was a woman fluent in her actions and movements, making the scene feel all the more natural with someone as skilled as Ishtar to compliment their combined efforts. “Your Royal Highness ..” Yvonne came forward with a low bow in respect to the lone Princess while the pair of guards occupied the doorway behind her. “I must speak with you about matters of utmost urgency. His Majesty insisted I come speak to you straight away.”

A brief glance over her shoulder and a dismissive gesture were directed at the guards whereupon Yvonne raised her voice in a commanding tone. “You two, wait outside.” After a mere moment, the two were left to their own devices as the door to the chamber had been shut in their wake. Shortly after, Ishtar felt the gaze of her character’s lover upon her, her expression warming up to the notion that they no longer had to keep up appearances behind closed doors. “Princess ..”

Among the audience the realization there hadn’t been any important matters to discuss, let alone any matters handed down from the ruling monarch himself would quickly set in when the beautiful knight stepped forward to close whatever distance remained between them and leisurely allowed his fingers to intertwine with her own. A soft lingering touch reached out for Ishtar before her hand was taken to Yvonne’s tender lips and the young woman planted a kiss on the back of it in a display of her appreciation, from one character of the scene to another. She let her eyelids fall shut in a portrayal of passion, holding her there for a moment before coming back up to meet her vivid blue eyes with her own.

“Apologies for my charade before the guards, Adelaide. They may be my subordinates, but I cannot trust them in this particular regard. If they were to discover the truth behind our recurring meetings-“ She let her gaze flicker to the ground, then back up before shaking her head with a short lived smile which quickly regressed into a frown. “No matter. I don’t have much time to spare.” Yvonne took a deep breath, the warmth of the exhaled air washing over the Ishtar’s emphasized cleavage. “My heart aches knowing we’ll be separated again, but it is my duty to your father, the King, to protect him on his journey to the Cinderlands. It seems the longer we’ve been keeping our secret, the more frequently I come to say goodbye.”

The two students were chosen for the lead parts not only because they were great actresses but they seemed to play off each other, taking each of their performances to far different level then each could ever could apart. Yes, commander, the princess returned the respective bow before she looked back at her lover and the two guards occupying the door way. My father had sent you? Please tell me what is so important that it demands immediate attention.
The commander turned to the guards as gave both a verbal and hand gesture to dismissed the guards that had escorted Yvonne here. The two guards walked out, shutting the door behind them. Now the pair were finally alone in the princess’s chambers. The commander gaze soon changed as Yvonne’s expression changed from a stern commander of the kingdom’s guards to one that of a lover who no longer had to hide her true self.

The given reason for why the beautiful knight was the a white line, something that let be alone with her beloved princess. The knight slowly approached their fingers wrapping around each other. One hand then reached out to gently get Adelaide free hand. Ever so gently the knight slowly leaned down and planted a kiss on the back of the hand. A way around Shokushu’s public display of affection policy, Yvonne closed her eyes to simulate the passion the character was suppose to have with the princess. She held the kiss for a while before she came back up and locked her eyes with that of Princess Adelaide.

Quickly the pair restablished that there love was a forbidden one. One that no one could no about, not the guards, not her father. The knight shook her head as she got to the point after a short lived smile. She took a deep breath as the a fan placed by the stage hands made sure that Adelaide’s clothes would wave a bit and emphasize Ishtar’s cleavage. The Cinderlands? This is too far way. She sighed. At least her love would protect her father. My heart will be with you always and know that no where the you are my thoughts will with you.

While the view of her beautifully emphasized cleavage was indeed tempting, Yvonne had to maintain a certain degree of professionalism and fixated on the moment at hand. It certainly provided the audience with a few more points of interest while the knight frowned in response to her words, her mood all the worse for wear. “Every journey leads me too far away, even more so when you’re forced to remain here.”

However, the Princess offered kind words to her love whose countenance brightened up at their mutual display of love through verbal affection alone. “Thank you, my love. Mine will be with you as yours are with me. Everywhere I go, I’ll treasure the thought that you’re always with me.” Yvonne squeezed her hand with a gentle touch, then allowed it to slowly drift into her palm while her free hand lightly caressed the back of her own. Little more than the slightest portion of her fingertips grazed the royal’s smooth skin, causing it to tingle wherever they went.

“Perhaps with my continued loyalty to your father, no matter how long and perilous the journey may be, I’ll finally have the chance to become worthy of you in his own eyes. One day, when I feel we’ve reached that point, I will finally ask him for your hand in marriage.” Yvonne beamed at the notion of taking Adelaide’s hand and smiled at the wonderful woman who may become her own once matters between the King and the head of his guard reached a certain point. Interestingly enough, the character Ishtar portrayed didn’t actually know about her lover’s intention to marry yet. Naturally, the audience was going to expect a reaction from the Princess as quite a few clearly settled into the mood of the scene by now.