Claws too Close [Khaana, Amaranta]

"Hahaha! What're you gettin' your panties in a bunch for, all of a sudden? Did I say no? Sheesh. Jumping to conclusions is so unlike you~"

The bronze woman's voice boomed with laughter. Since she backed down so easily, it was clear who the true victor was here in their current exchange. Of course, Amaranta discerned the unmistakable frustration in her voice and wondered if her question truly hurt her. She was never one to reflect on her own emotions, but she wondered about this woman standing before her. When they spoke the last time, she expressed how isolated she felt, as if she was unsure where she belonged, and if anyone would ever truly love her as she was.

Naturally, Amaranta replied as she always did, but she wholeheartedly knew her answers didn't suffice. Khaana had lived in this realm far longer than she had, adapting to so many things she struggled to understand herself. For a woman who would never admit she was ill-equipped for any situation, she was decidedly out of her element here.

Turning her gaze back to her pan, she realized her first intention in calling this here in the first place. Exhaling softly, she approached Khaana from behind, wrapping her arms around the woman's waist as she leaned against her shoulder, as though akin to a feline who had upset their master. What a peculiar woman, but she supposed that's what interested her so much about her. A petite - sometimes enormous - collection of hollowlike mystery.

"Honestly? Hanging out and seeing your reactions to the people I meet would be amusing. Exploring the world and hearing you chew me out outside the penthouse would be fun. Don't worry about all the complicated stuff. Go out there and have fun with me if ya want. Know what I want right now, though? For you to put the cereal away and eat what I'm preparing. Called you in here to share a meal and see whatcha think of my whole attempt at this."

"Good."

Grinning from ear to ear, she nudged her chin against the woman's shoulder as slowly unwided her firm hold, though not before carrying her off to her seat. When she released her entirely, she turned her head back to her pan.

God, Vanyel showed her a helpful technique by telling her to keep a pan on low heat whenever she was distracted. Otherwise, she might have burned her collection of meat and vegetables minutes ago. Satisfied that her meal was simmering at an ideal pace, she devoted herself to offering her undivided focus this time.

As she did so, continuously tossing the meat and vegetables until both sides were properly cooked through, she turned her focus toward a rice maker in the house. Rinsing the necessary amount, enough for three - if an overgrown dinosaur entered - poured the required amount of water as instructed, and closed the lid. Turning back to her with a grin, Amaranta leaned against the counter.

"Beyond meeting my significant other, where else would ya like to go? Mapped out any places of interest that stand out to ya? Kinda intrigued to see where ya go from here now that you won't be streaming in front of thousands of viewers anymore soon."

Receiving no immediate response, the sun-kissed arrancar assumed Khaana was daydreaming. Most of her focus was currently devoted to ensuring that her meal came together nicely

The presentation might not be five-star material, but none of that mattered so as long as it tasted good. At the end of the day, he had imparted that vital lesson to her above all else. Moving toward the fridge, she grabbed two cold beverages, setting one before her boss, and the other at her side of the table.

Steam would billow from the rice maker as she opened the lid, scooping up a generous plateful for three people. Preparing three plates, one reserved for Kanako if she was even currently present in the household, one for herself obviously, and the final plate for Khaana. The rest of the rice was tossed in a bowl for future use.

From what she read, most enjoyed using leftover rice to make fried rice. She wasn't too familiar with that, though, but that wasn't important right now. Amaranta promptly tossed the lidded bowl of leftover rice into the fridge. The final touch was adding the star of the show - the meat and vegetables.

Portioning each plate with little fanfare, she exhaled softly as she tossed the pan into the dishwasher and pressed a button. Her creation was complete, and though she was unsure about the result - at the very least, it felt good to craft something with her own hands, to test herself in something other than combat.

"There we go. And that should do it."

"Don't worry about it. Someone looks like they're a few seconds off of fallin' asleep. Guess you're still feelin' the aftereffects of that battle, huh?"

After all, it was abundantly clear that the woman was zoned out. She had expended every iota of energy to push Amaranta to the edge for once. Exhaustion was the natural course following a battle of that nature. Shrugging her shoulders softly with a lopsided grin, she chortled quietly at her voracious approach to her meal. Somewhere in her soul, she felt that if she possessed a heart in the truest sense, it would've likely resonated with pride.

After all, she prepared this with her own two hands. Created it with her own two hands. Flashing a contented smile at the compliment, she reached over and ruffled Khaana's hair. Another thought in her head was already contemplating what she might attempt to prepare next, but hearing that her first genuine effort was "really good" certainly stroked the lioness' pride.

Compared to Khaana, Amaranta took her time with her meal, if only to observe its taste. Hm, perhaps she could ease up on the salt next time. Not a negative, just a simple observation. Apart from that, the meat was tender and the vegetables melted in her mouth pleasantly enough. In a few minutes, she finished her meal and rose from her chair, gazing down at her petite boss. Poor thing looked like she was this close to passing out. The denial in her form was adorable. Lifting the woman into her arms from the chair, she carried the woman to the couch in their living room, a boisterous chuckle booming across her lips.

"Don't worry about it, Princess. Go get some sleep. I'll go and clean the dishes."

Setting her down against the couch, Amaranta gazed down at her for a few more minutes until she returned to the kitchen, where the whole day started. She wasn't quite well-versed in dessert, but maybe... she'd have something else in store for her. Momentarily, she reflected on what led her up to this point, how someone as ruthless and vicious could find themselves engaged by the idea of impressing someone else. What her boss meant to her overall. And so, she allowed a few words to brush from her lips as she walked off.

"So this is what a genuine bond feels like, huh? Heh, I like it..."