This is my one chance, to take back, no regrets.

[Leigh O'Conner]

Leigh smiled a little sheepishly and dug into her pocket with her spare hand and revealed a half-handful of Starbrite peppermints. "Hey, so long as you're not complaining, and I'm certainly not complaining, then we'll figure it out as we go, " Leigh shrugged. "And you can get all the younger prettier models you like, but no one'll ever make your coffee like I do. Raspberry aside, but there you go! What other henchwoman would you abide pushin' your highness down a peg or two? Although I'm pretty sure should you ever replace me, it'll have to end one of two ways," she said in a tone torn between teasing and honest thoughtfulness, "either I'll turn sides and inevitably lead the forces of good to your downfall, or I'd become an evil overlord of my own right, and since I'd never be as good as it as you are, you'd have to murder me. And then explain it to Stevie...and Mom.

"Maybe it's better that you just keep me around, huh?" Leigh asked, and sighed as the bus stopped yet again and a handful more people hopped on while a handful and a half got off. On the upside, they were getting closer to the end of the route and their own stop -- the second to last.

[Seraphim Donnelly-Rousseau]

Reaching over to take one of the peppermints, Sera popped it into her mouth, before giving her girlfriend a rather thoughtful scowl. "That's not the point though. Her highness isn't supposed to move down any pegs, and raspberries are the most disgusting thing on the fucking planet, so that shit? Officially not cool. That is why I need a new Leigh, better, stronger, faster, more coffee enabled. She'll also take her top off at command," the brunette explained, before finally turning back to the window again. They were almost to the O'Conner house, at least. She really wasn't fond of the way the bus was filling up.

"As you say though, perhaps it is for the better. I think the whole coffee thing, I'd need to train her.. and I can't even make my own coffee, so it'd be a pain, in short. I might take some of your DNA though, in case you make me mad, and get into a tragic accident. It could happen."

[Leigh O'Conner]

"Damnit, are you aware that this is the second time in two days where there have been discussions of cloning better, faster, stronger Leighes? But you know what, Tatum already claimed the original, so at least I'll have somewhere to go just in case I survive any bizarre 'accidents'. Coffee, by the way, is my specialty, thank you, and to train a replacement would still take years. And you're impatient.

"Besides, your highness needs to get taken down a peg when your highness ignores yours truly in favor of reading some psychotically bizarre books that I don't care about," Leigh sniffed. "For nearly a week. I was lonely. Besides, who ever said I wouldn't remove my top at command?" she cocked an eyebrow at Sera and smirked. "You've never asked."

[Seraphim Donnelly-Rousseau]

"Impatience is a virtue, you know. Not everyone has it, nor enough to go around," Seraphim offered absently, as they were pulling to yet another stop. No wonder riding the bus always took so long, with so many stops to make, and people to let on board. They'd be lucky if they even got home before school was over. She turned her head just slightly as Leigh mentioned her book, a frown tugging at the corner of her lips. "Hey, it was a good book. I offered to let you borrow it when I was finished, didn't I? And my offer still stands, I think you'd enjoy it. Lord knows you could use the literary class."

Pausing, she shifted her hand a little, grip on Leigh's hand changing a bit. "I do see your problem though, being so lonely without me.. I know, my absence, it is heart breaking. And I can see why. What can a servant girl do without her highness to serve, hm?" she suggested. The response to her other comment, however, caught the brunette a bit off guard; her own joking had been off handed, and she hadn't expected a genuine reply, even if Leigh was smirking at her all of the while. "W-Well, I.. I've never had a reason to ask, now, have I? I suppose now I may ask, yes."

[Leigh O'Conner]

Leigh laughed. "Well, by all means," she teased, "but at least let's get into the house first, it's a little chilly outside, popsicle-woman. Besides," she added softly, and leaned against Sera resting her chin on the shorter girl's shoulder, "I don't mind being henchwoman, highness. I don't have the will or the initiative necessary to be an evil -- or otherwise -- overlord, and so long as being servant gets perks," she tipped her head and nipped gently at tender junction of Seraphim's neck and shoulder and then leaned casually back and concluded, "I don't mind that either. And you well know that I get enough Sera-less time in my life when I'm at work. I like having you around, what can I say? And I'll take a literature course next time, I promise."

[Seraphim Donnelly-Rousseau]

Though she tried to keep a straight face, Seraphim found herself laughing as well, tilting her head some against Leigh's as the blonde rested her chin onto her shoulder. "Yeah, I'll keep that offer in mind, then. And try not to make you strip down too much in the minus five hundred degree weather," she assured her, with another little chuckle. The light nipping against her flesh immediately made her tense up, one shiver passing over her, as she turned to give the other tenth grader a stern look once she had leaned back.

"And who said anything about perks? I don't remember any perks, I think this was all supposed to be in my advantage, wasn't it? Though, if you get lonely at work, maybe I can visit a bit more. Even if I just sit and read. I can see why you'd like having me around, I'm pretty much fabulous. I'm quite fond of having you around, too.. even if you never let me sit down and finish my books."

[Leigh O'Conner]

"Hmm. But aren't happy servants better servants?" Leigh inquired thoughtfully. "I mean, if I'm scrubbing the floor clean who cares if all I'm thinking about is ravishing you? What's the problem? The floor's still clean, isn't it? And yes! Come read at work so I can ogle your fabulous self and mess up everyone's coffee!" Leigh said insistently. "It'll be fun!"

[Seraphim Donnelly-Rousseau]

"As long as you don't mess up my coffee, I can do that, sure. I mean, I do anyway, mostly. It beats studying at home, I suppose, as long as the music isn't too loud. So no Random Comment nights, if I have a test or something," the brunette replied, nodding some. Her girlfriend's first words just seemed to be setting in, as she could already feel her cheeks flushing a bit, and she cleared her throat slightly, as if that would help to clear that up any, or at least cover up her embarrassment. Well, embarrassment? excitement? anticipation? whatever the case.

"In theory, yes, happy servants would be better workers. Guess I'll have to feed you. And allow you that.. r-ravishing bit.."

[Leigh O'Conner]

Leigh grinned, a strange mix of predatory delight. "Aww, you'd do that for me?" she batted her eyelashes, and then noted that they were finally arriving at their stop, and started to take her feet. "C'mon, boss lady. Let's get into non-negative-degree weather, shall we?"

[Seraphim Donnelly-Rousseau]

Seraphim simply rolled her eyes, as their bus was coming to it's stop at long last. She stood as Leigh was, keeping her grip on the other girl's hand, and keeping close to her, as a couple of other people stood to get off of the bus as well. "I like the sound of non-negative-degree weather. Actually, I could go for a mocha right now, really would warm me up. Maybe we should have gone to Seneca instead, I know how much you love going there on your days off.." she muttered, as they were making their way down the steps, and onto the sidewalk.

[Leigh O'Conner]

"I can make you a simple mocha at home," Leigh replied stepping off the bus (and closer to Sera in response to the flush of cold air) and heading towards home, "Mom did buy me that espresso machine last Christmas, remember. But you cannot have the Monstrosity because no normal kitchen comes equipped to make it. And I only have two afternoons off this week. You wouldn't be cruel enough to make me go back there today, I know it. Besides, if you're going to be starting the topless commands, my place of employment isn't going to be the best route. Unless, of course, you want me fired to be a twenty-four-seven servant." She paused thoughtfully for a moment. "Y'know, besides track meets and soccer games, the latter which really doesn't count anyway since you're there.

"Unfortunately, if you got me fired, you'd have to depend on someone else to construct the Monstrosity. And you know how much fun that would be."

[Seraphim Donnelly-Rousseau]

Just thinking about the mocha immediately made Seraphim feel warmer, despite the cold air around them, numbing her cheeks and blowing her hair around just a little as they walked the familiar path toward Leigh's house. "I can settle for a simple mocha, I guess. Anything to warm me up, and I'm really not in the mood for hot chocolate. Although, I will miss my regular Monstrosity, yes. You really ought to be a good servant, and get to work on equipping a kitchen with all of the supplies from work. We can steal them, one piece at a time," the brunette suggested, with a little smile. She paused as they reached a street they needed to cross, glancing before ways before beginning to walk, tugging Leigh alongside her, keeping close in a mixed attempt at warmth and fondness.

"Maybe I do want you to be fired, keep you all to myself.. plus, they can't fire you for that, it's your right as a woman to show off your.. god given assets. Okay, well maybe not to them, but to me. Definitely to me," she continued, finding herself flushing once again, though her cheeks were already turning pink from the cold regardless. "Without that clone, though, I won't have a coffee maker, so I'll let you keep your job, and we'll just go and play at home instead."

[Leigh O'Conner]

"I think that they'd notice if their entire supply of raw sugar, that weird thickening syrup stuff which has a proper name I can't remember, and their steamer disappeared. And I'm not sure I could properly remove a steamer one piece at a time without irreparably damaging it. Not to say I'm not up for trying," Leigh replied and blushed a little, but not minding it so much, knowing she was already flushed from the cold outside, "And I'd like to think I'm a one-woman asset-shower. So it's either gonna be you or the Seneca cafe, and if I get a vote, it's all for you, boss lady. Sometimes there are really creepy old guys in the Seneca cafe, you know? And I think there's plenty to be said for playing at home, ma'am."

[Seraphim Donnelly-Rousseau]

"If you damage it badly enough, they might just toss it out, and buy a new one. And then we can dig it out of the dumpster, and get Rath to repair it. You know he's a whiz with any of that sort of stuff, it'll be great. Though you'd only need to steal the sugar and the syrup in small doses, bring home a bit each night, so no one notices too much. See, I've considered this at a length, even drew up a little game plan for us to follow, with diagrams!" Sera teased, laughing lightly as they were finally reaching Leigh's house, just a half of a block away from her home by now. As predicted, Sera could already see that the driveway was empty, and the place looked deserted. Perfect, really.

She gave the blonde's hand a little squeeze, gently rubbing her cold thumb over the top of her girlfriend's. "I don't fancy the creepy old men, no. Can't say that I do. So if you're putting in your vote, I'm putting in mine, and I'd say we just won that election. I appear to the success candidate this go around. And I really won't complain, since you make a fantastic point. There is plenty to be said indeed."

Pausing a moment, she laughed lightly again, still a bit sheepish for her. "I don't think when I was a kid, saying that to you, asking you to play, that I'd ever think it would hold such.. vulgar implications, in our older years. Never crossed my mind."

[Leigh O'Conner]

"Age comes hand-in-hand with vulgarity," Leigh noted wisely. "But congratulations on winning the election. I never really thought I'd have to cover the election of the state of my toplessness. This actually might make a brilliant article," she noted thoughtfully with a highly amused grin. "We'll have to be very sure to avoid the direct subject of nipples. I'd hate to steal your sister's girlfriend's thunder. Expect a copy on your desk whenever I'm not too distracted to write it," she grinned, and squeezed the hand in hers as they walked up the driveway.

"I'm ashamed of forgetting Rath's usefulness, though, wherein the theft and recovery of steamers comes into play," Leigh pointed out, opening the glass door and inserting her key in the bolt lock. "Usually I don't ever forget the uses of those around me. You're a very distracting individual, boss lady." And she finally unlocked the second, main lock and nudged the door open with her hip, allowing warm air to sweep out. She jumped inside and dragged Sera after her, toeing off her shoes and hopping onto the plush carpet. "Mm, warm," she noted invitingly and she locked the door behind them.