Who's under the mask?

[Eliza]

"Oh I know you do, and like a sailor, too." She felt in rare form that night and was full of extra sass. Melody didn't look up from her menu as she answered Alyssa's question, not thinking much of it. "The kind of place where if you have to ask, you can't afford it." She was used to these types of places, they were the go to for high profile interviews. Not to mention the fact that she had grown up quite comfortably and it wasn't until she was in high school that she realized there were dining options between this and fast food. "If you try ordering something small, I'm going to assume that you're doing it on my behalf and order you the largest steak they have available." She did peer over her menu then, eyebrow quirked as she gauged Alyssa's reaction. A few moments later a waiter approached their table and offered a friendly greeting. "Good evening, my name is Byron and I will be your server. Would you ladies like to place drink orders while you peruse the menu, or are you in need of the wine list?" Melody lowered her menu to see Alyssa more easily. "Would you like to see the wine list dear? I would like a lime seltzer."

[Shuboni]

Alyssa glared at Melody for the threat about, if she tried to order something small, Iris would swap plates with her. She was about to say so when the server got there and intervened. When asked about the wine list, Alyssa scrunched up her nose and shook her head. "No thanks. Can't touch alcohol, messes with me like no tomorrow. I'll take lemonade or sweet tea, if you got it." The truth was alcohol loosened her inhibitions too much and loosened her tight control on her powers. Emotions she wasn't expecting would bubble up and, along with them, respective manifestations of her fireworks. She wondered if Melody would pick up on this. There were infamous Christmas party incidents that happened at the League where someone or something blew up after Alyssa had just a bit too much of the homemade eggnog. She looked at the menu again, not really understanding the options. When Byron was off, Alyssa looked up at Melody. "Mel, you're gonna have to explain somethin to me. I've heard plenty about these different types of steak and such, but what the heck is the difference between this wagyu and this kobe? Like, I know it's something about how the cow was raised, but what does that mean for the steak?" Sure she was born and raised in the south, but still mostly city.

[Eliza]

Melody noticed Alyssa's reaction to the thought of wine and filed it away for later, noting that champagne would likely be a poor choice for celebratory occasions. She took a moment to think back about what she knew about the different types of beef. "Kobe, in short, is a variety of Wagyu. So 'Wagyu' refers to any cattle that is bred in Japan or the Japanese-style. Kobe beef is comprised of a very particular strain of black Wagyu called Tajima-Gyu that is raised to strict standards in the prefecture of Hyogo. Hyogo's capital city is Kobe, giving the beef it's namesake. As for differences in taste and texture, they differe there as well. Japan grades the quality of their beef based on marbling, in the United States, even our best beef won't earn above about a 4. Wagyu is rated between 6 and 7, and Kobe is rated at a 9 to 10. Both contain monounsaturated fats that melt below body temperature, lending to it's almost buttery texture." She didn't know id she should be grateful or embarrassed that she knew so much about it. Being a journalist had it's perks, it meant you got to learn a lot of things along the way. In this case she had covered a story about a few restaurants in New York that were serving fake Kobe to their patrons for a premium.

[Shuboni]

Alyssa took a glance at the menu and back up at Melody. "Huh. I dunno, sounds pretty dang spendy. Besides, I doubt I'd be able to taste the difference. I really like spicy foods, y'know, so my taste buds are probably shot." She gave a sympathetic smile. "Somethin like this will probably do me." She laid the menu out and pointed to a regular porterhouse meal. "No need for any fancy meats or nothin, whatever's local will do me fine." She sat back and tapped her chin. "Y'know... I can't say I've ever been to Japan. I've been many places... All over the US, Canada, Mexico, Various parts of Russia and the UK, China, Guam..." She grimaced as she realized she was rambling. "Among other places. But never been to Japan." In fact, she didn't have reason to visit most of the Asian countries. It was mostly China, North and South Korea, and Vietnam. She leaned forward again, resting her chin on her hands, elbows on the table. Sure, it was probably bad manners, but she didn't care. "I've heard it's pretty dang cool, though. I bet I could pick Japanese up pretty easy if I put my mind to it."

[Eliza]

Melody set her menu aside and tented her fingers, peering at Alyssa over them. "Well it's settled then, you'll have the Kobe. What sides would you like?" "I've never been to Japan as a tourist or for leisure. Maybe we could both go together sometime? We could visit China as well, my ancestral homeland." She didn't know anyone in China and certainly hadn't been raised with the culture, but she was interested in learning more about where her family was from and what kinds of traditions they may have had. The thought of a vacation with Alyssa was pleasant, she wondered if they did a tour across Europe and Asia with her, if she could convince the redhead that it was good luck to have sex in every country they visited? The thought distracted her enough that she didn't notice the waiter returning until she had a drink placed in front of her.

[Shuboni]

Alyssa huffed and stuck her tongue out at Melody. "Fine, fine. Guess I'll just go with the regulars, yeah? Baked potato and steamed veggies." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Ridiculous. You know you're ridiculous, right?" At the mention of vacation destinations, Alyssa let out a bit of a sigh as she slumped forward a little. "I think I could handle China. I'd have to brush up on my Chinese, cuz all I know currently is Hello, and Where is the bathroom? and If you don't give me the names I need, you will die in a very painful manner. Which, I think only two out of three of those phrases would be helpful to hotel staff." She took a sip of her lemonade then pulled away and stuck her tongue out. "Hot dang, that's pretty tart. Just a reminder of how far away from the homeland I am."

[Eliza]

Melody nodded, satisfied that she wasn't getting a lot of pushback on the subject. "What would you like to try as an appetizer? I'm partial to the goat cheese and spinach puffs, but they also do these mini onion flowers. It looks like they take those little pearl onions and then they cut them so they open up and batter and fry them so you get bite sized onion flowers. They're phenomenal." Melody gave a saucy grin and laughed. "Absolutely, the bathrooms are very clearly marked in all of China, so you shouldn't ever need to ask." She knew that wasn't the phrase Alyssa was talking about, but she couldn't stop herself from making a bad joke about it. She inclined her head towards the lemonade as she took a sip off of her seltzer, "You can ask for a few pumps of simple syrup to be added before they bring it out. Or I could offer something sweet to take you mind off of how sour your rink is." The look on her face did a good job of denoting that there was a hidden meaning to her words, she just planned on making the other girl figure it out on her own.

[Shuboni]

Alyssa waved a hand and made a face. "I can't be constantly eating fried food. I gotta keep this figure somehow. I'd probably gorge myself on those onions. You go ahead and do the goat cheese and stuff. I might give it a shot, since it's healthier." Making a face, she looked away and grumbled something about never liking spinach so she doubted it. "I got enough to worry about with the steak anyways, after you described it." She snickered at the joke that Melody made, but ignored it. "Anyways... What part of China are your folks from?" She was legitimately curious about Melody's past. Mel had shared some of it, but definitely not all of the truth. Just like how Alyssa hadn't shared any of the truth of her upbringing. Taking another sip of her lemonade, she almost choked at the possible implications that Melody was making about offering "something sweet to take your mind off of how sour your drink is." After a cough or two, she looked up at Melody. "Uh... I mean, I could think of a couple things, but... well... We're in public, for one." She looked around and, in a conspiratorial whisper, she asked, "What exactly were you thinking?"

[Eliza]

"Tell me about it. I have to hit the gym for like ten hours a week and I have to watch what I eat like a hawk. I wouldn't be able to eat out here if I had eaten anything else today." Melody sighed and shook hr head. "At least you get to dress in a full body leotard, I have to wear that skimpy trapeze artist outfit." On the off chance that anyone was listening in, she wanted to play it safe with what she said. They could brush it off as being a part of a local theater group this way. "My parents are from the Provence of Hunan, they came over here to have a better life. They both worked really hard to make sure I had everything I needed and that I would get into a good school." She looked almost deflated as she ran her finger around the rim of her glass, but she shook it off quickly to replace it with a smile. At the next thing Alyssa asked, Melody cast her a look that could make the devil blush before she ducked under the tablecloth in a discrete manner. The somewhat secluded, empty area they were in made it possible to do without being seen, if it were a busy night she probably wouldn't have tried it. She pulled Alyssa's chair in a bit further so she could cover her lap with the tablecloth, then set to work bunching Alyssa's dress up enough that she had easy access to her current prize. She kissed a trail up the inside of the other girl's left thigh, pausing briefly at her underwear. "You'll have to order the appetizers to avoid drawing suspicion." That out of the way, she pulled them aside and resumed her task from the limo, tongue pressed between her folds to draw circles on her clit.

[Shuboni]

Alyssa had to giggle a little at Melody's rant about her workout routine. She didn't really want to brag that her job helped with her figure. Between having to chase villains and criminals, surreptitious sneaking through vents having to bend in weird shapes, and carrying the odd person, it created quite the unique workout. It's probably why she had the figure she did. Well, the squishiness was probably from her cover job, how the only foods they had were pastries and fancy espresso drinks loaded with sugar and cream. She felt a little sad at Melody's story, how her parents had done so much only for the outcome that had come of it. She was about to comment on that when Melody gave her that look. Alyssa hesitated and was again about to say something when Melody disappeared below the tablecloth. "Uh... Hey, did you... d-drop somethin?" She let out a yip as her chair was moved, then she looked around wildly before looking down. Though, she couldn't see around the table or her endowment. "The heck you think you're do-" She let out a soft gasp at the kisses on her thigh as she balled the tablecloth up in her hands. She was about to say that there was no way she was going to be able to pass this off as normal to the wait staff but Melody had already started on what she was going to do. Alyssa let out an audible moan, which she literally had to shove her fist into her mouth to stop. Against her wishes, her legs wrapped around Melody's shoulders. She chided herself, knowing this was only going to encourage the girl to keep going.

[Eliza]

For Melody it didn't seem to matter how much running, jumping, or diving she did during her job she had a slow metabolism and a slight frame that showed even one or two extra pounds with glaring clarity. She looked forward to the day that she didn't have to worry about maintaining her abs or keeping to the exact same measurements to ensure her costume still fit well. She wouldn't ever just let herself go, but she would be lying if she said she wouldn't care nearly as much about running off every errant calorie with a nearly religious compulsion like she did now. She had much more important things to focus on and managed a smile around her task of teasing Alyssa. There was a small part of her that regretted leaving her purse on the table, it would have been an excellent time to slip the little remote vibrator she had grabbed before the left, inside of the other girl. Oh well, she mused, there would be other opportunities and maybe it would be used a little later on. She wasn't sure if Alyssa would pick up on it, but she tapped out the morse code for "You'll get us caught" on her leg, not wanting to pull away to say something about it. She was delighted when Alyssa responded so well, and further delighted still when she heard the waiting come back to drop off their drinks and ask if they were ready to order, or if he should come back once Melody returned.

[Shuboni]

Alyssa barely registered the morse code. How in the world did Melody know that would work? Just guessed, probably. How Alyssa was able to register what was being done, she didn't know. When the waiter came up, Alyssa tried to sit up straight and compose herself the best she could. Trying to discourage Melody, she squeezed her thighs a bit, hoping that would get her to stop for a moment. The response told her that wasn't happening. "Are you ready for an appetizer or should I be waiting for... our other guest... to come back?" Alyssa waved a hand, "No no! I-It's fine. She-she'll be baahahck in a minute." Blushing, she looked away. The waiter raised an eyebrow. Alyssa looked back and said, in the most convincing way she could, "I-uh... I gotta be h-honest, I haven't been to any fancy schmancy place like this buh... before. Suh-So please... be extra patient, if you could." Her awkward smile got a nod of acknowledgement before a raise of the eyebrow from the waiter. "Y-Yeah, uh... The-er... Spinach puffs. Yeah, that's wha-what we wanted. If... If you could." He nodded and said he would get that for them. Once he was out of earshot and Alyssa had checked nobody was watching, she grabbed the table and let out a muted moan. She hissed at the table, "You're the one getting us in to this trouble."

[Eliza]

Instead of discouraging her, the thighs squeezing her further spurred her on and she delved a bit deeper, trusting her tongue inside of the other girl to partake of the salty, slightly bitter ambrosia that she found there. She was delighted by the way the other girl responded to her actions, so responsive and ready for more. She had reached the point where she didn't know if she should keep going until the other girl finished or if she should stop and join her above the table again. It was nice to know that her code was understandable and that it had worked on Alyssa, it might become useful knowledge in the future, she mused. As an act of defiance and to further tease the other girl, she decided she would leave her unsatisfied as she had in the limo, and she slipped silently back up into her seat so to not draw any attention. She smirked at Alyssa in what was almost a challenging way, wondering if she would end up begging for more or simply demanding it when they got back home. Either was hot to think about and she had to close her eyes and count to ten to suppress her urge to moan just from thinking about things like being shoved against the door of their apartment, or having Alyssa's hands tangled into her hair and drawing her closer in the back of the limo. Even if Alyssa made good on her earlier claims that she would 'make her pay' when they got home, she was sure it would be nothing short of amazing. "Since you seemed to keen to make me stop, I figured I would indulge you." She wiped her mouth with the napkin next to her plate then took another sip of her sparkling water, using the glass to his her smirk.

[Shuboni]

Alyssa had to keep herself from banging a fist on the table when Melody decided to go even deeper. She almost lost control and let out a moan when Melody had stopped and rejoined her at the table. Alyssa was breathing heavily, trying to regain composure. When she looked up at Melody, the first expression was a needy one. It then shifted into frustrated. "Dammit..." Mel had left her right on the edge, right about to get the relief she needed. But, now she was just sitting there, wiping her napkin and hiding her smirk behind that glass. Alyssa knew it was there. She was too innocent to even try to return the favor at the restaurant. Instead, she was going to have to make Melody pay after dinner, when they were back home. "If I weren't nicer, you'd get an earful, you know that?" Alyssa knew the names she could sling. Though, depending on Melody's personality, she might actually like it. Wasn't there something earlier that happened that kind of hinted at Mel liking the power play? Was that something she could do? She was in a special ops team, it would be easy for her to put on the Drill Sargent persona. Instead, she just sipped her lemonade. "How... uh... how long have you wanted to do something like that, huh?"

[Eliza]

Seeing her look so need sent a thrill of excitement down her spine and she hummed in quiet satisfaction. "I would hope you'd fill something else, but if that's what you're into." She sipped on her drink and wiggled her eyebrows at the other girl, knowing exactly what she meant but seizing the opportunity to make it into a dirty joke anyway. "Hmm... Good question. I don't think I've ever really not been tempted to do something to get you worked up. Your little facade of being so calm and put together all the time is actually pretty annoying when I'm trying to talk to the real you." She tiled her head and watched Alyssa so she could gauge her reaction, not everyone took kindly to having things like that pointed out, but Melody tended to be a no-nonsense kind of person when it came to personal relationships. Plus, she just didn't like watching Alyssa pretend to be someone she wasn't. She liked when she would get angry at things in the kitchen and start using any number of colloquialisms on the pots and pans, or when she was playing video games and got really excited about winning. She even liked when she would come home to her dancing and singing off key while she did mundane things like laundry. Melody knew that those things were the real Alyssa, the parts of herself that she kept buried under a mask most of the time.