#Anais giggling oh she is down bad

[nbvcx12]

« Thanks. i've never seen you get like that before, pretty sexy » (translation)

[angel-anachronism]

Here's a part 2 of this ghost and pals fanfic. I wrote this all in one sitting so I'm very eepy :(

Either way, here's the story!

Part 2:Learning that being weak is not so bad

(Just a side note, Anais is Slurpee's name in this fanfic. Just for people who would be confused. Also this is a platonic fanfic just cuz idk k bye!!!)

Francie was bored out of her mind, no exaggeration… well, maybe just a little exaggeration, but the girl still felt like she would much rather watch paint dry on a wall than listen to her parents brag to the Pierres about life, and Pierres bragging back while at the fancy dinner table. Christopher seemed to be in an agreement with her as he began playing with his food, looking as if he was pretending that the plate was a warzone. Even so, he still didn’t make a mess, keeping everything in his plate. 

As the boy kept playing, a new hand slapped his so that he could stop from creating a culinary mess. As expected, Chris’ older twin sister was the one who made him stop. Unlike her brother, Anais was a lot nicer to Francie, and in Francie’s opinion, even prettier. It would be a lie to say the Pierre children weren’t adorable, with those big grey eyes which held so much innocence in them… well, as innocent as a rascal like Christopher could be. What Francie liked most about Anais’ appearance was her hair: It was full of long ringlets which streamed down her fat pink cheeks and down a little lower than her shoulders. These curls were ornate with ribbons at both sides of her head, making her look like a fairy in the girl’s childish mind.

“So, what kind of talents do your children have?” Francie’s head tilted towards her mother who asked a question to Mrs Pierre.

“Oh, my little Anais loves Ballet and singing. She’s like a little graceful swan when she dances! She even rubbed off some of her talents on little Chris, but his father told him to follow more manly passions, like baseball!” The woman laughed, before looking at her children from across the table. “Christopher, why don’t you show your new friend a bit of what you’ve been practicing lately with “Roger”! I bet little Frances will love seeing your baseball bat mastery!”

Christopher just nodded and hopped off the chair and walked towards where Francie was sitting. In her mind, Francie knew that she’d keep teasing the boy with the fact that he was a mama’s boy for the rest of his life.

Mrs Pierre asked Anais if she wanted to come too, but she simply responded with a “no!”, which made Francie feel slightly hesitant to follow Christopher. She didn’t want to fight with him again…

Just like that, they were now in the garden. Francie put a small picnic blanket on the ground to not make her dress a mess again from all the dirt and grass. She watched as Christopher put on a baseball cap and picked up a baseball bat, which she assumes is “Roger”, from near a tree, probably from where he left after his last baseball practice, which must’ve been from not so long ago as nobody would just leave a baseball bat on the grass for days on end. 

The boy threw a baseball at a tree and tried to smack the baseball to be mirrored in the opposite direction from where Christopher was when the ball was supposed to make contact with his bat, but instead, the baseball flew past the bat and against the wall of the mansion. Christopher didn’t seem pleased, but at the same time he tried to appear calm. Francie could see that he would throw a tantrum if only she wasn’t there. 

“Can you perhaps throw the ball and then have to catch it?” The girl was shocked when Christopher asked her this. 

“But I never played baseball. It’s too rowdy for such a small lady like me!” Francie giggled, trying to appear innocent like a proper young madame, when in fact she wanted to see him pout and have his face turn red in anger. It would’ve been a funny sight!

But it never came, only getting a glare from him, the type of glare you’d get from your mother when you won’t obey her when asked to do chores: not necesarily an angry face, but a disappointed one indeed. 

In the end, the girl just huffed and took a mitt from near the tree and put it on her right hand, leaving her dominant left hand to throw the ball.

As she threw it, Christopher once again missed, even falling on the ground from accidentally spinning. ‘What a muppet!’ Francie thought mentally as she walked towards him to help him get up. It was the least she could do to be honest.

Christopher, instead of accepting her gesture on kindness, began throwing a tantrum. “How dare you try to give me your hand like I’m some coward! I am not a coward, and I am not a little girl like you. I. AM. A. MAN!” He capitalized the last words with his yelling, which sort of scared Francie. Nobody ever yelled at her this loudly and aggressively before, so this was new. “If my father saw this, he would be displeased! NO, NO, NO!” the boy stomped on the ground, and Francie could see him have tears in his eyes. 

“You’re such a crybaby! Suck it up!” Francie merely said, as she held resentment for the fact the boy called her a “little girl”, most likely trying to call her a “weak and pathetic coward”. 

“How?! Father will make me wear pink frilly dresses like Anais! He’ll make fun of me in front of everybody! I don’t want everybody to call me “Christina” again! I don’t want to be treated like you! You’re so weak, and I don’t want to be weak!”

Francie thought he was exaggerating. What kind of father would humiliate his own child? Who would do such a thing? It all sounded rather silly to her.

Christopher threw his cap at the ground and began walking away to sit in a tree, and probably cry like the wimp he is! The girl knew she couldn’t help him as he didn’t want any help, so she just started walking back inside the manor, much to Christopher’s dismay. As much as he wanted to seem brave and strong, he felt awfully weak, and he just showed his weakness to somebody! Somebody who’ll make fun of him, somebody who’ll throw rocks at him, somebody who’ll mock him for all eternity. At the moment, Christopher wanted to hide, to not be seen by anyone. He wanted to cry, yet nobody would be there to listen to his cries. His father would tell him to “up and Adam”, while his mother would say “You’re my brave boy. No need for tears.” only to make him quiet. It was no fair that Anais and even Frances could get away with being weak, yet when he did, he was viewed as a wimp. He didn’t want to be a wimp!

Francie found Anais in a room with two beds, playing with a ragdoll. Unlike Francie, Anais liked the minuscule things in life, things that nobody would bat an eye on, meanwhile, the little brunette girl’s only best friends were diamonds and pretty things alike.

“Hello, Anais! what are you doing?” Asked Francie as she stepped in the room. Anais smiled at her “I’m playing with this doll Babette gave me!” Babette was one of the maids who took care of Anais and Christopher, almost like a nanny.

“Your brother is being annoying!” Francie pouted as she crossed her arms. Anais began giggling “What did he do this time?”

“He started yelling at me for throwing the baseball wrong!” Francie grumbled.

“Oh, he does that usually! One time he broke maman’s favourite pocket mirror. She was so sad… He doesn’t like baseball a lot, I can tell by his fury when he makes a mistake while playing it.”

“He’s now being a crybaby in the garden… I don’t want my mummy to think that I upset him again…” Francie huffed. 

“...Maybe this will help!” The girl was taken by shock when Anais gave her the ragdoll. 

“I don’t think so… I don’t think he likes dolls…” Francie sighed. Anais kept her hands tight on Francie’s and just said “Trust me!” with sparkling trustful eyes.

As Christopher was sitting in a tree, he was trying not to cry, even slapping his cheek, alike his father when he broke something.

“Hey, Chris!” The boy felt like screaming again. That annoying voice again!

“WHAT DO YOU WANT?” He said, trying not to cry. Francie just showed the ragdoll upwards to where he was sitting. “See this doll. It’s just like you!” 

“That filthy thing?!” 

“It’s not filthy! No matter how it looks, it deserves to be understood! And you deserve it too!”

“...pardon?”

“You heard me! You might be weak sometimes, but that is quite alright! You don’t need to be like a hero in fairytales! I believe in you, Christopher! You are a strong and brave boy, no matter how you’re feeling!”

Christopher got down from the tree, his eyes puffy from crying. He didn’t have any more power to fight, so he just collapsed in Francie’s arms and began crying like a little baby. Francie was honestly quite shocked. From the arrogant little rich boy he was, into a crying mess in just one day. She knew that Anais knew all his weak spots, as he was her twin, but she didn’t expect for it to work.

After a few minutes, Christopher stopped crying, and gently shoved Francie, not really in a mean way, more in a playful way, one that he tried to disguise as a mean gesture, only for it to come out exactly as it was. He began walking back to his room, taking the doll in his hand. 

The end of the Pierre and Elsner meeting came, and Christopher had to say goodbye from Francie. What Francie didn’t know was that Christopher oddly felt… better. So much so, he tucked the ragdoll next to him in bed.

“Did Francie give you that? Are you two friends now?” Anais giggled, knowing she was the perpetrator of this whole thing.

“No.” Christopher replied before going to sleep. But Anais knew: Christopher was quite content.

[katusjuice]

17 for Anais & Harley for the Soft Ship scenario please?

Ok i lied, I will write some dialogue for this-

scenerio: It’s the 2nd day that Human Anarchy is in Finland after Dethklok left them there (Post AnarchyKlok tour)

“Fuck it’s freezing!..”

Anais was shivering as the brutal winds of the small snowstorm blew. It had been a day since Dethklok left the children to freeze in the snow of Finland. It’s been a fucking day and they haven’t realized that the kids weren’t on the plane. Toki didn’t realize that his daughter wasn’t on the plane.

Anais sat on a bench, arms crossed after her as she shivered. Despite having a jacket on, she still felt the abominable snowman. While she sat there, she started to think hard.

“Great fucking parenting dad. You didn’t even notice we weren’t on stupid plane.”

“He’s such a fucking idiot…wait no I shouldn’t say that about my dad..”

“But he should’ve KNOWN we weren’t on the plane! At least one of those old fuckheads should’ve known!”

“GOD I hate Dethklok!…wait I shouldn’t say that..Fuck the cold is messing with my brain..”

As Anais was fighting with herself in her head, Harley walked over. She saw how in distress her girlfriend looked like she was in. So, she did the obvious…and tried to cheer her up!

“Hey, Space Cadet? You alright?”

Harley asked. The nickname really brought Anais out of her headspace. She looked up to see her Harley.

“Oh uh..Not really. I mean, Dethklok left us her in this freezing weather. Not to mention, my dad didn’t go ‘Oh where’s Anais?’ before hopping on that stupid thing…”

Anais stated, mimicking Toki’s accent as she did so. Harley noticed a slight sadness in her lover’s voice as she said those last words. Damn, Harley didn’t really like it when Anais was sad on any occasion. She’ll really have to get back at Dethklok for leaving them here for Anais’s sake. But for right now, a little more cheering up was in order and Anais was right…it was like a deep freezer where they were.

Harley looked around the small village and peeked her eyes on a small cafe in between two larger buildings that had no significance whatsoever. The lights were on and it seemed from the drawing on the small chalkboard, they were selling Hot Chocolate! It was the perfect plan to once again see a small on Anais’s face.

Harley tapped on Anais’s shoulder.

“Say, how about we get some hot coco? It’ll be on me.”

Anais looked at Harley and smiled a little.

“I mean…hot coco doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Great! Let’s go find the others!”

Harley exclaimed as she grabbed Anais’s hand. Harley and Anais ran to find the other girls and as they did, Anais looked down at Harley’s hand. Her hand was warm. It was the warmest thing in this place…she didn’t wanna let go for anything.

Later…

Harley, Anais, and the rest of Human Anarchy were sitting in the cafe, enjoying their hot coco. Reggie was blabbering about the things she had found while being scattered across the small town and CJ was responding to Reggie’s stupid antics. As the other girls were laughing and being silly, Anais looked out the huge window, in the sky. She was looking for something..

“You think they’ll come back for us?”

Anais question.

“Well they gotta! I mean, you’re one of the fuckos daughter and your mother doesn’t fuck around.”

Reggie answered, in her thick Italian-American accent.

“Yeah but..if my dad didn’t even notice I’m gone, there’s no tell how long we’ll be here..”

Anais responded, putting a hand on her face. Harley leaned in close to Anais.

“Well..at least we all have each other. And uh…other sentimental shit that the movies say.”

This causes the group to giggle at Harley’s 6/10 joke. Anais gave a smile to Harley and kissed her on the cheek.

“Thanks..I needed this.”

Harley blushed and smiled back.

“No problem, Space Cadet.”

[linavloger]

NEW INTENTIONS INCORRECT QUOTES pt. 2

Cop: You ran a red light. Isabella: So did you, hypocrite. Cop: I was following you. Isabella: That was dumb, I'm a terrible driver. Cop: Get out.

Captain: Jenna, Rena, I love y’all and all, but can I ask what in the hell are you doing? Jenna, trying to stabilize a tower of folding chairs that Rena is sitting atop: Oh nothing much. Rena: I love you too :)

Jenna: I’ve never asked someone out. How do you even do it? Melvin: Oh, what I do is, I look them up and down and I say: “Hey… how you doin’?” Captain, scoffing: Oh, please. Melvin, to Captain: Hey, how you doin’? Captain: Captain: giggles and blushes

Olive: Daniel got into a fight. Isabella: That’s bad. Isabella: ... Isabella: Did he win?

Isabella, wearing shades: Rule one of destroying the world. Isabella: does finger guns You gotta look good while doing it.

Anais, seeing a banana on the car seat: What the FUCK?? Anais, buckling the banana up: Fucking buckle UP, it’s the LAW!

Store Worker: Would a “Anais” please come to the front desk? Anais, arriving at the desk: Hello, is there a problem? Store Worker, pointing to George and Melvin: I believe they belong to you? George and Melvin, simultaneously: We got lost. Anais: I didn’t even bring you guys here with me—

Captain: What are you guys doing? Edith: Like in life in general or- Anais: Not much. Why, what's up? Captain: I dunno, I’m bored playing AC. Anais: Assassins Creed? Captain: Animals Creed. Edith: Assassins Crossing.

Murderer: Any last words? Isabella: Do you think I'm cute? Be honest.

Captain: Which movie are you and Olive going to see tonight? Rachel: Oh, I always go to whichever movie Olive wants. Captain: Which one does she want to see? Rachel: I haven't decided yet.

George: Harold, why is Jenna intruding on our cuddle time? Jenna: Harold, why is George intruding on our cuddle time? Harold, in distress: Please… I have two hands…

Anais: A fistfight CAN be romantic.

Isabella, about George: He's speaking some kind of French. Harold: Let me handle it. I speak Spanish. It's the same thing.

Captain: Okay, what does A stand for? Olive: Arson. Captain: Aw, you're so good. Okay! B! What does B stand for? Olive: Barson. Daniel: laughter Captain: What stands for C? Olive: Commit arson. Daniel: Oooo. Captain: D! Olive: Don't come near me, I'm going to commit arson. Daniel: more laughter

Captain: I think I mostly want to see what happens when this whole place breaks apart.

Jenna: I will send my army to attack! Jenna: releases a dumpster of raccoons

[et-lesailes]

only for you

pairing: ransom drysdale x reader

word count: 1633

summary: you are a popular socialite married to the wealthy ransom drysdale and mother of his two children he is absolutely in love with. there’s going to be a photoshoot at your house for an upcoming magazine feature starring your family, but ransom wants to have some fun first.

themes: romance, fluff, smut

taglist: @evanstush​​, @tanyam93​​, @bval-1​​, @wonderwinchester​​, @patzammit​​, @rohaintahquil​​, @deidrashouseofpain​​, @sammyslonglostshoe​​, @jadedhillon​​, @bohemian-barbie​​, @whysparker​​, @sebastian-i-stan​​, @sebabestianstan101​​, @lille-kattunge​​, @teller258316​​, @peach-acid​​, @allsortsofinterests​​, @xoxabs88xox​​, @heyiamthatbitch​​, @cptn-sgrogers​​, @heyyouwiththeassbutt​​, @bangtan-serendipity​​, @troublermalik​​, @beardburnsupersoldiers​​, @hannie-stark​​, @bookish-shristi​​, @kind-sober-fullydressed​​, @whores4thor, @gingerninjaprincess16​​, @straightforwardly​​,  @denisemarieangelina​​,  @frencchfries​​, @xlanawriter​​, @littlemoistcarrot​​, @pottxrwolff​​, @arianatheangelworld​​, @ifuseekamyevans​​, @southerngracela​​​, @nsfwsebbie​​, @rororo06​​, @savemesteeb​​, @raveviolet​​, @inactivewhore​

notes: patreon saw it first- click here to check it out and join, i would be so grateful!! graphic creds go to @thewritingdoll​!

The alarm sounds over the bedroom speaker at 5 AM, making you and Ransom stir and grumble incoherently under your breaths. “God, I can’t remember the last time we woke up before the kids,” he mutters lowly, wrapping his arms around you tightly. “Makes me actually miss the mornings with Ani coming in at 7 and jumping up and down on us until our internal organs are completely fucked.” You laugh softly, snuggling close to your husband as you bury your head into his chest. “We’ll be back to our routine tomorrow, but we’ve gotta get through this busy day first…” You smile thoughtfully as you glance up at him. “I’m kind of excited, though. Our first magazine feature with Auden. Remember how cute our shoot was with Anais two years ago?”

“Mm. How could I forget?” He smirks slightly, drawing you even closer in his warm and protective hold. “My two gorgeous girls, all dolled up and posing pretty for the camera. And Jesus, Ani was only one and she was a fuckin’ natural. I’m going to be scaring off a lot of boys when that girl grows up.” You laugh softly, playfully tapping on his nose. “At least just let our little girl have some social life, yeah?” You finally sigh, sitting up in the lavish California king bed and stretching your arms. “C’mon, babe, we gotta get up. The stylists and crew are gonna be here soon.” He groans but sits up too, wrapping his arms around you again and leaning down to bury his head into your neck from behind. “We don’t even need stylists. Look at us, we’re a couple of the hottest people on this damn planet.” You giggle softly, turning your head to kiss his cheek. “Well, would you care to join this hot person in a hot shower?” you murmur, and the man grins wider, growling in pleasure as he nips at your neck. “Hell yeah. Quick, before one of the kids wakes up.” 

You smile and hop off the bed with him following close behind, entering the large master bathroom and turning to face him with a playful smile as you walked backwards towards the shower. “If only Auden could be appeased as easily as you can,” you tease, lifting your silk camisole off your head and tossing it aside on the floor. Ransom bites on his lip hungrily as he watches you, already removing his shirt and pants. “Shit, babe, you’re just so goddamn gorgeous. Come on, take it all off…” 

You giggle and reach into the shower to turn on the water before unhooking your bra, stepping out of your matching shorts and slipping off the lacy panties underneath. “You’re lucky I want you so bad I don’t feel like teasing,” you murmur, taking his hand once he’s fully stripped and lightly pulling him into the shower with you. You sigh in pleasure as the two of you wrap your arms around each other, enjoying the warmth of the several shower jets on either side of you as well as the gentle waterfall feature on top. He leans down and kisses at your neck as he runs his massive hands over your smooth body, broad fingers exploring your breasts as he massages and gropes. “We’re on the same page then, baby doll, though I can’t help but make you want to squirm just a little…” 

You can’t help but moan as he teases your nipple between his fingers, his other hand sliding down your waist until it reaches your thigh, squeezing firmly. You gasp softly as his fingers reach your entrance, rubbing against your folds as a cocky smirk crosses his lips. “I love how sensitive you are for me, sweetheart,” he murmurs huskily, pushing one finger inside  to pump deeply. You grip his biceps as you tilt your head back, whimpering and rolling your hips as he keeps going. “As much as I want to make you cum for me over and over again,” he mumbles with a playful sigh, “I’ve gotta fuck you nice and hard before I’m supposed to behave for the rest of the day.” You smile breathlessly, humming as you dig your nails into his skin. “Oh? And are you actually going to behave?”

He removes his fingers and starts pumping his erection, guiding it to your entrance and pressing himself against you. “Mm. Don’t I always for you, sweetheart?” You can’t even roll your eyes at his mischievous smirk, due to the fact that you’re too occupied moaning as he enters deep inside you. You’re closing your eyes in absolute bliss, your hips rocking back and forth as he presses you up against the shower wall, increasing his pace. “Fuck, baby, your body’s still so perfect even after having two kids-- how is that even fuckin’ possible?” He grunts as he grips your waist tightly, teeth tugging on his lower lip. The sounds of your moans and groans filling the cavernous shower, he continues fucking you nice and hard just as promised- you feel yourself reaching your climax as you pull at his wet hair, practically panting. “Ransom! Fuck, Ransom, I’m close!” 

“Shit… me too, babe…” he growls, his hands cupping and squeezing your ass roughly. You place your hands on his chest, looking up into his eyes breathlessly. “Cum inside me, Ransom, please…” He doesn’t need to be told twice; he releases inside you with his jaw clenched, his groan hoarse and guttural. “Fuck. That was so good, baby doll.” He slowly relaxes his muscle, keeping himself inside you for a few moments before finally pulling out, breathing heavily. “Hoping for baby number three, sexy?” he teases, and you giggle as you catch your breath, running your fingers through your wet hair. “Why not…? I’d say we make pretty great babies together…” 

He smirks, scooping you up into his arms under the shower as he kisses you passionately. “Damn right we do. Nothing would make me happier than to have another baby with you, Y/N.”

“Look at how pretty your mama looks, angel.” Ransom smirks proudly as he carries your three-year-old daughter while you’re getting your hair and makeup done for the photoshoot. You barely nibble on your lip as you smile, trying not to move your face too much in order for the woman to apply the makeup. “Mama’s soooo pretty!” Anais gushes, clapping her hands and making you laugh softly to yourself. 

You can’t help but stare at your husband and daughter every chance you get; the four members of your family had the most adorable outfits picked out. You and Anais were wearing matching cream colored dresses  while Ransom and Auden, your ten-month-old, had similar colored suits with slightly darker accents. Ransom had already finished getting ready, and a stylist was currently getting Auden dressed on his changing table. Once you were finally finished, you thanked your own stylist before standing up and going over to your infant, cooing fondly as you stared at how adorable he looked. “Look at my handsome boy! You look just like your Daddy, you know that?” 

Ransom comes over, chuckling softly as he gazes at his child. “He really is a little mini-me. And Anais is the spitting image of you-- look at how gorgeous she is, hm?” He bounces his little girl up and down, making her laugh in delight. You smile and pick up your son once he’s all dressed, straightening his tiny bowtie before reaching over and gently tucking a strand of your daughter’s chestnut brown hair behind her ear. “Both of our children are absolutely beautiful. I can’t get over it.” You sigh happily, taking a hold of your husband’s arm and leaning up to give his cheek a kiss. “I love you and I love our family so much.”

“I LOVE YOU, MAMA!” Anais suddenly cheers happily, clapping her hands and making you, Ransom, and even her little brother laugh. “What about me, princess?” Ransom pokes the little girl’s cheek playfully. She giggles and hugs her father tightly. “I love you tooooooo, Daddy! And I love Auddie, and- and- and Bella, and Elsie, and-”

“Okay, okay, angel, we’re going to be here all day if you list all of the dolls you own.” Ransom jokes, and you raise an eyebrow playfully. “And whose fault is that?” He blinks and scoffs in defense. “What? I like to spoil all three of my babies, is that a problem?” 

“Dada!! Dadadada!” Auden babbles, reaching out to grab his father’s finger. You and Ransom chuckle watching him until the crew signals that they’re ready; it’s time for the home shoot to begin, and you couldn’t feel more grateful for your lovely home and perfect family as the four of you sit on the couch, Ransom holding your beautiful girl on his lap and you holding your handsome son on yours. You do a series of photos-- some with the whole family, individual shots, adorable photos of Anais and Auden sitting together on the polished hardwood floor surrounded by their many toys, and then couple photos with you and Ransom. 

You smile as you gaze up into your husband’s eyes, one hand resting on his chest while he holds your waist. “Let’s get a kiss!” the photographer calls, and Ransom smirks. “Uh, gladly.” He leans down and kisses you with a natural intensity, one hand moving to the back of your neck and holding you close. You smile as you happily kiss him back- for a moment, you forget about the several people surrounding you. 

“Thank you for being so good to me, Ransom.” You whisper, gently holding his face in your hands. He presses his forehead against yours, his blue eyes filled with affection and natural devilry. “Only for you, kitten. Remember that.”

[dahvangogh]

and empty words are evil | Jason Todd

[masterlist]

[ prologue | one | two ] 

CHAPTER ONE

“Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.”

– Anais Nin

“How to be single and satisfied at the same time?” Daniel reads the headline out loud, his eyes skimming through the cover of It Girl with curiosity.

Grace hums out loud, thinking the question over while chewing her bottom lip.

“Masturbating, for sure,” Lisa says without missing a beat, Grace only seeing the top of her blonde head because of how burrowed on the laminated menu she was.

The raven-haired laughs loudly –she can’t help it–, but poor Daniel, red tinting his face, starts looking around in case anyone at the dinner has heard them and was giving them any dirty looks.

“Relax, Dan. No one cares.” Grace pats him on the shoulder.

Lisa seems to have forgotten her menu and is now staring fully at Dan, a wicked smile appears on her purple-painted lips, completely ready to bug him.

“Don’t… Leave him alone, Lisa.” Grace quickly chastises her, even kicking her under the table for emphasis, for Lisa can be the most annoying person ever when she wants to. “And Dan, no one is paying any attention to us. Relax.”

Dan is still looking around, his face finally back to its natural color.

“It seems… everyone is paying attention to the tv?”

Pauli’s Diner is crowded, every booth full and a long queue that reaches from the counter to the door. The usual. Yet everyone’s attention, even the four waitresses, seems to be on the tv. Grace also focuses on the big tv, which is placed high at the back of the diner wall, three booths away from theirs. It is on and showcasing a newswoman reporting about something, but without the sound and no headlines or subtitles below to indicate what she was talking about, Grace is left with more questions than answers.

“I think something happened.” Dan sounds between scared and resigned.

The three of them look at each other, then almost comically pull out their phones at the same time. Something always happens in Gotham –the city that never rested–, and it was a common occurrence to check the Gotham Gazette App every day. After all, any good Gothamite knows that to be well informed is the key to survival in such an insane and restless city.

“Fuck. I swear if that madman of Zsasz has escaped again, I will hunt him down and drag his ass to the Asylum myself,” Lisa grunts; her pale brows furrowed tightly. “Fucking load already, stupid App!”

Grace focuses on her screen, the app taking more time than usual to load.

“Mine too…” Dan’s answers in his usual hushed voice. Then, he starts chewing on his lip, worry all over his face.

A big headline pops on Grace’s screen –the App finally deciding on working–,  and she sighs happily after reading it.

“Seems an aircraft has fallen to the Sprang River; 20 people are currently missing and the rescue team is doing everything in their power to get to them.” She literally reads out loud the last words, happy that no madman is out and about on the city. “Nothing about Zsasz, sorry Lisa.”

Her two friends exhale the air they had been holding.

“Seems your impromptu date with Zsasz will have to wait.” Grace kicks her friend’s leg again, but this time just to annoy her.

Lisa shows her the middle finger.

“No, but for real. After last time, I don’t think he is going anywhere.” The raven-haired reminds them. “He killed 5 people until Batman and young Robin stopped him.”

Grace sees Dan gulp.

“Yeah, after escaping. Again.” Lisa sounds mad, which is understandable after living in Gotham for five years, and seeing all the hurt Zsasz has caused many Gothamites. “And one of them was my neighbor!”

Dan sighs, remembering her.  “Oh, that poor woman…”

“She was a mean bitch, though,” Lisa adds as if it is vital information.

Grace can’t help but to huff.

“Lisa!”

Suddenly, one of the waitresses appears at their booth. With a sheepish smile painted on her serene face, –probably because of how much they had had to wait– she asks them what they would like to order.

Lisa happily asks for a sandwich and a banana smoothie, –as if the last conversation has never happened– but quickly rectifies and changes for a big portion of the chocolate cake instead of the sandwich. The waitress, Marge by what the badge on her blouse, agrees with the blonde and sings praises about how good it is. Then, her attention goes to Dan, asking him sweetly what he would like to order.

The boy, who has never liked being the center of attention, turns bright red again. Shyly, he orders a cappuccino and one of their famous big chocolate cookies, all the while his eyes are zooming on the table instead of her.

When she turns to her, Grace feels as if she has been punched on the stomach.

The waitress aura, white and bright as any other, is twinkling and shaking from pure anxiety.

“What about you, sweetheart?” The old lady asks kindly, her face completely composed despite what her aura said of her.

The contrast between her aura and her facial expression is starting to freak Grace out. Nevertheless, she tries to focus on the present, on what she is feeling, on where she is and, more importantly, on what she wants to fucking eat. Which is really obvious if you know her, by the pointed looks of Lisa and Dan.

“I want a yogurt and banana smoothie, please.”

Marge hums.

“Be right back, then.”

Then, Lisa quickly starts rambling about what they should do on the weekend, something about the opening of a new club in town, but the raven-haired girl can’t pay enough attention to the get on the conversation. Marge’s soul is making it hard for her to concentrate; she even starts rubbing her hands together instinctively as if to distract herself.

She says fuck it and turns around.

The old waitress looks as composed as before, preparing their orders with the help of another girl while looking at the tv. But if Grace focuses hard enough, she can clearly depict Marge’s aura still shaking and twinkling, perhaps even more so than before. Despite training hard to control it, Grace still sometimes is unintentionally receptive to other people’s feelings –almost like an antenna would, she can perceive them and even go as far as toying with them.

This woman is anxious and worried, and Grace doesn’t even know how she isn’t shaking physically.

And Grace, being the sympathetic girl that she is, can’t help but take pity on the poor woman and break her own rules.

She extends her hand, scanning before that no one is paying her any attention, and then lowers it slowly.

Marge’s aura calms at the same time that her hand motion stops, and it no longer twinkles.

Though the lights in the room go crazy for a few seconds.

Grace has to thank whatever God exists, or even the Cosmos, that small tasks such as this one  don’t make her hands or her whole self glow with the usual green-bluish energy.

She still remembers the hilarious comment that once a crewmember of the Serbian Mafia made when he saw her appear out of nowhere, floating in the sky, just minutes before she brought hell upon them. Her, attired in her tight black suit and black domino mask, surrounded by bright green-bluish energy floating in the black sky while defying gravity.

And instead of running away, hide or even shot at her, he placed his hands on his hips and said out loud impressed:

“What the fuck? She looks like Goku Super Saiyajin!”

Grace can’t hold now the giggle that escapes her lips.

“What the hell?” Lisa’s voice brings her back to the present, and to the diner.

The raven-haired girl turns around and looks at her friends, smiling as if nothing had just happened, while blinking innocently.

“Sorry, you were saying?”

[ –    –    – ]

The pencil runs all over her sketchpad, quietly humming along to Stevie Wonder’s Superstition while drawing the sun setting between the skyscrapers. It looks spectacular from her high-ceiling windows. Grace’s weird obsession –despite her psychologist telling time and time again to her that it isn’t exactly a bad thing– of drawing beautiful things, or anything she believes is beautiful to her own standards, has made her sit down and try to make it justice.

Despite having to get ready for a night out with Lisa.

“Just fifteen minutes more and you will get ready.” She sets an alarm, just as Dr. Carson had advised her to do, and keeps drawing happily.

The oranges, in light and deep tones, together with the goldens of the sun setting almost make her forget about any advice, psychologist and nightclub.

And so she keeps going, her sketch pencil running through the page.

She has always felt privileged for owning an apartment in Gotham Village, where only the rich dwelled and played, with amazing views and almost non-existent criminality –which is surprising to say the least in this damned city–. It is the place where she could find herself being happy or at least, try to be normal.

But she misses going out and doing her thing as she did back in Europe.

Grace sighs, chewing on her already-chewed sketch pencil and stops drawing, hugging her legs to her chest.

When she had moved to Gotham almost a year ago, she had wanted to set aside her “dangerous hobby” and live a normal life. Like Lisa or Dan did.

After what had happened to her six years ago, she had used her family’s connections and pulled some strings so she could go and study in a European country. Away from Central Park and New York. There in Berlin, Grace had trained with an Israeli private trainer, Isaac, in Krav Maga until achieving a black belt and her expert five patch. Initially, she had started with just wanting to know the basics, a bit for self-defense and that’s it. Until one day, on a Friday night while she was watching The News, she saw another rapist just get five to ten years in jail and a pat on his shoulder. It had made her so furious that all the windows on her apartment exploded. Moreover, it was in that exact moment, while floating in the middle of her room with her whole being surrounded by the weird bright green-bluish energy and feeling full of rage, that she knew she could try and make a difference, for those who had power were clearly not doing anything.

The next day, after paying the window installer for she had no windows after last night’s debacle, she had asked Isaac about what he would wear, hypothetically of course, if he went to a fucking battle. At first, her trainer had answered that his military uniform but then he had rambled on and on about how a suit of Kevlar thread paired with a good armor would be the best choice if he could afford it.

So Grace, after debating all day whether to do it or not, had called her father that same night and had asked him to find someone who could build it for her.

Matthew Henderson had asked many questions, but she had just told him that in due time she would tell him. Just not now.

He had refused and straight-up hang up.

Later that same night, wide awake and after seriously considering to just wing it and buy a superhero costume from a cosplay online shop, her father had miraculously called again and accepted.

She really was his spoiled little girl.

Grace had flown to New York, the city that she now loathed with a passion, and had her measures taken. The guy who created it made the suit so it fit her like a glove – the downside to that? she had to be careful with what she ate.– It was tight, full-body and with high heeled boots to make her seem taller –after all, she couldn’t go around looking like a gremlin while also fitting crime. A pair of matching black gloves and a domino mask were also made.

After that, before putting the suit, she had not only trained to be the best at Krav Maga but also had learned a few other things –fighting with knives and how to use a gun properly, yet she still preferred to this day using her powers and Krav Maga–. A year and a half later, she had made her debut on Berlin’s streets.

In those years, she had killed many rapists, abusers and pedophiles. Delivered a few petty thieves and robbers to the nearest police station like Santa Claus would do on Christmas Eve, even going as far as tying them up and sticking a note on their foreheads explaining what they had done wrong. She really had been a good samaritan. A few encounters here and there with the Serbian Mafia and the Triad too.

Moreover, she might have done some petty thievery here and there, just to add a bit of spice to her life, but mainly she had been a good girl.

And fuck, she misses doing those things.

It was fun.

A bit dangerous, yes, but fun.

When you have powers beyond your imagination and are able to do some good, why would you step back and live a normal boring life?, she tries to reason with herself every night.

Yet back then in one of her many Skype sessions with Lisa, her childhood best friend, she had realized how empty and alone she had been feeling.

She had superpowers, at 23 she had her damn degree and had been studying to further her education even more, had also a lovely apartment, and yet she felt more lonely than ever.

And loneliness is a dangerous thing.

So, when she had told her good old friend, while omitting a certain hobby she had, of how she was feeling, the blonde had just replied with:

“Come to Gotham! We could live together and the city is fun. Trust me, you will never get bored here.”

Grace chuckles when remembering that. In the next twenty-four hours, she had packed her things, had said goodbye to her colleagues from University, and then hopped on a plane.

She has to give it to Lisa, Gotham city is everything but boring.

Gotham honors its name with its gloomy atmosphere, high buildings and horrible weather. The city is probably Tim Burton’s wet dream. You can find gargoyles in many of the buildings façades, many nights the city is covered in a thick fog, it has an Asylum for the worst of the worst with a high rate of escapees, an absurdly high rate in criminality and many bat-related vigilantes coming out at night to play.

Oh, and the many deranged individuals that play around Gotham like it is a child's’ dream playground.

Lisa had filled her in during those six years on her weekly Skype sessions about those individuals and so she knew most of them before she had placed a foot on the city. Gotham City has the Joker, currently-for-who-knows-how-long-because-he-always-escapes locked in Arkham Asylum, a psychopathic clown who had a weird obsession and ongoing feud with Batman; Two-Face, a half-burned crime lord obsessed with duality and the number two; the Penguin, another crime lord who looked like his namesakes and wore a monocle and umbrella; Poison Ivy, a stunning woman (Lisa said so, her gayness clearly showing here) who was an eco-terrorist and could control nature; and the list could go on and on for ages to no end.

So, her current life in Gotham is never dull or boring. She is working on a renowned and bohemian art gallery in the city, has an amazing apartment –she had tried living with Lisa but they had almost ended fistfighting with each other over a jar of marmalade–, can meet her best friends every day if she wanted, and is continuing her studies at the local University.

But she would be lying if she said she doesn’t miss going out and doing her thing.

Even drawing and painting, the thing that had always distracted her from suiting up and going out, was starting to not divert her attention as it normally would.

Her alarm starts going off.

“I really don’t want to go out.” she sighs loudly, as if someone would pat her on the shoulder and tell her not to go. “I hate partying and crowded places.”

Grace chews her already-very-chewed sketch pencil while walking all the way to her wardrobe.

She has to get ready or Lisa will probably scream her ear off for making her wait.

Though she is always late.

[ –    –    – ]

Grace, setting aside her ex-extracurricular activities, has always hated going out and now she remembers clearly why she does.

The night would always begin as good as it could possibly be. Lisa and her looking bomb would march to a nightclub, then the club would be buzzing with activity and music, they would have a few drinks and perhaps even dance a bit if the music was any good.

Then Lisa would start flirting with any of the cute waitresses and end up, don’t ask her how, with their tongue almost reaching her throat.

Lisa visibly looked like a terrible kisser, she always reminded Grace of a lifeguard doing mouth-to-mouth, and so she never understood why would the women always end up going God-knows-where to probably fuck.

And so then she would end up all alone, surrounded by sweaty bodies while going deaf by the loud music, and nursing a drink.

Tonight is no different from the usual, but she is tired. Her head hurts from overthinking too much all day long and the high heels are killing her.

Grace decides it is time to call it a day and head back home.

She quickly sends a message to Lisa, who is probably very busy with the cute blonde-haired waitress, and stands up from her barstool.

Hey girl, hope you are having fun with the redhead girl wherever you are.

As you left me alone, as usual (don’t fret, i’m used to it lmao) I have decided to stop being a pathetic human being and go home.

Call me tomorrow, but don’t even think of giving me any details. I don’t care about your sexual life.

Bye, bitch. xx

PD: text me when you GO home and when you GET home, it isn’t safe out there.

The raven-haired sighs.

She has to hit the bathroom before calling her uber though.

Too many drinks.

[ –    –    – ]

♡ Here, in this fancy shithole, Lucy Ross lost her virginity ♡

Grace sniggers, the situation completely reminding her of some of the type of things she had seen written back then on her high school’s cubicles’ walls.

She sighs happily while finally peeing.

Suddenly, the screams of a high pitched voice and the sound of glass shattering continually almost makes her fall off the toilet.

“Fuck! Fuck!”

She grabs some toilet paper and when she is finished cleaning herself, she pulls her panties up as quickly as possible. Grace holds her breath. It is one person, a female by the sound of the colorful series of profanities she is screaming, and Grace doesn’t need to check her aura to know how angry she is.

Though just in case, she takes a peek.

She focuses on her own aura, then changes her focus towards the other one in the bathroom, even going as far as closing her eyes to discern it much better –without stepping out and risking getting hurt.

It is shining as bright as the sun, but trembling and roaring with despair and sadness. The fact that the poor female isn’t angry surprises her.

Grace takes a deep breath, preparing herself for whatever she is going to face after stepping out of the enclosed and safe space where she is.

When she opens the door, almost scared of what she might see after reading the aura, the sight of a blonde woman headbutting the bathroom’s big mirror isn’t at all what she had expected.

The girl doesn’t even pay her any attention, clearly busy trying to crack her skull open, and so she keeps doing it, even adding some punches to the mix.

Grace can’t let her hurt herself this way.

“Hey, hey, hey!” She has to stop her before she kills herself, or gives herself a concussion if she is lucky enough. “Stop! Stop!”

Grace grabs the blonde by the waist, as if trying to separate her from the mirror, and pulls her against herself.

Next thing she knows, the blonde answers her with a chokehold and then sends her flying over her shoulder without breaking a sweat.

Her body collapses against the same toilet she had been peeing seconds ago, tearing the door from its fringes in the process. However, because her pain tolerance is higher than normal, Grace just grunts and answers right back.

The raven-haired extends her hand, a bright green-bluish glowing around it, and makes a motion towards the sinks. Now the blonde girl is the one being sent flying but this time towards the mirror she had been shattering just before and the sinks.

Grace stands up, her back killing her even more than usual, and approaches the blonde sitting with her back against the shattered mirror.

Weirdly enough, the girl instead of being knocked out is looking at her as if she is Jesus Incarnated. There is wonder all over her face.

“You are so paying for the damages.” the raven-haired quickly points out but then stops herself.

She can’t help but examine her for serious injuries. After all, she had been head-butting the mirror three seconds ago and then sent flying to it –on self-defense though–. But despite all the blood that is running down her forehead, she seems more than fine. Happy even, just gazing at her.

“What the hell?” she can’t help but voice her thoughts out loud.

The raven-haired almost falls backwards when the girl —who is clearly not right in the head— jumps to hug her tightly, mumbling “yes” nonstop while jumping up and down like an excited child.

The blonde girl pulls back, black eyeshadow and glitter smeared around her big blue eyes, and her black-painted lips start smiling almost manically.

“You! You!”

Grace blinks several times, completely lost for words. Then she sighs, trying to get back to the present time.

“Are you out of your mind?” she asks her, completely serious.

“No, I’m Harley Quinn and you...” the blonde points at her, smiling cheekily. “You are my new best friend.”

The raven-haired girl can still hear Lisa, in one of their many Skype sessions, telling her snippets of information here and there about Harley Quinn.

“She is definitely insane. For a long time, she was the partner in crime of Joker and dated that nutter. Girl… the things she has done are something else. Anyways, then she left him and joined a girl band… No, kidding. But Catwoman, Poison Ivy and her did start hanging out and creating some mayhem.”

Again, Grace doesn’t know what to say.

“Let’s go have a drink!”Harley links one of her pale arms with hers, then starts dragging her out of the bathroom.

[ –    –    –  ]

They both sit on a VIP booth with an exceptional view of the dance floor and enough privacy to plot the murder of the current President. The loud music is now faint and low. At the glass low table, there is a big metal ice bucket with two expensive-looking champagne bottles and two glass flutes nearby.

Harley is sitting on the other side of the table, her maniacal smile still on and with her legs crossed, while Grace sits on the other side in the U velvety couch.

She scans her, now fully seeing her for who she is.

Her hair is up in a messy bun, which is dyed in blue and pink, lipstick smeared from probably drinking too much and her clothes are as eccentric-looking as the wearer is. She is wearing what seems like a dog collar, a very sparkling sequin red crop top matching with a penguin sequin dark jacket, striped high-waisted dark pants, and red neon high-heeled boots.

“Interesting choice of clothes.” she can’t help but say, then nods to her neck. “Nice collar, too.”

Harley smiles, almost childlike.

“Bud and Lou hate wearing it, so I decided to put their dog tags on one and wear it to honor them. Cool, right?”

Grace raises an eyebrow.

“Bud and Lou are…?

The blonde laughs loudly, a hand going to her flat stomach.

“My hyenas, silly!”

Then gets serious, so suddenly that Grace almost jumps from such a radical change of demeanor, and picks up one of the champagne bottle on the ice bucket.

“Sounds cool.”

It is all she can say.

But Harley doesn’t pay her any attention, furiously shaking the bottle up and down until it pops. She laughs fascinated by it, then pours some on both flutes and gives her one.

“Anyways!” she cries out loudly, then sips a bit of the champagne while staring at her, doe-eyed. “I kinda need your help.”

Grace takes a sip too.

“My help?” The raven-haired gets comfortable on the couch, a bit curious about the whole thing. After all, it isn’t every day you have a conversation with the infamous Harley Quinn. “You have just met me, Quinn.”

Harley opens her mouth – almost fish-like–, but Grace points a finger, interrupting her.

“Also, you are paying for the damn damages of the bathroom!”

The blonde enthusiastically nods, even going as far as to salute her military-style, all while smiling cutely.

Grace can’t help but smile back.

Harley Quinn is a very cute girl.

“So, will ya help me?”

She blinks a few times.

“With what?”

“Well, you see… it’s a long story.” Harley says, dragging the long while saying it. Then, she takes another loud sip of her flute. “When Mista J an’ I broke up for the hundred’ time, I decided it was time to emancipate myself! I started hanging out more with my besties, adopted many cute pets, hooked up with hot-billionaire Bruce Wayne once  an’ even changed ma’ hair.”

Grace raises a thick brow, surprise all over her face.

“You hooked up with Bruce Wayne? The Bruce Wayne?”

Harley shakes her hands nonchalantly.

“Just kissed an’ groped his ass. Very tight and firm!”

Grace laughs at that and Harley joins her.

“Anyways, anyways. My friend Selina had just recently gotten a heart surgery an’ Red an’ I were helping her out on some things, then decided to live together. We had so much fun together! So, so, so much! We ran Gotham, the boys couldn’t keep up! And… Pammy an’ I… we fell in love.”

The blonde sighed happily, blowing raspberries into her glass flute.

“Pammy is Poison Ivy, right?”

Harley nods with a happy smile, but her face quickly contorts in one full of hatred and disgust.

“But Batnight ruined everything!”

The dark-haired girl scratches her temple, trying to remember the names of all the vigilantes of Gotham City, but she can’t remember anyone called Batnight.

“I don’t… I don’t recall any Batnight?” Grace chews her bottom lip, completely lost. “Is he new in town or…?

Harley shakes her head effusively, a clear no, while moving closer so her butt is now placed on the verge of the couch.

“He has sticks!” the blonde points out as if to help her distinguish who the vigilante is.

Grace takes that into consideration.

“Batnight… Batnight… Bat… Night… Night?.” Grace mumbles out loud while Harley nods along to what she is saying. “Nightwing!”

“That’s what I said!”

Grace opens her mouth to correct her, then closes it. She thought Nightwing now patrolled on Blüdhaven instead of Gotham City. Then, she opens her mouth again to ask about it but decides on not doing, Harley’s tale is already making her head hurt a bit. There is no need to enlarge the story even more.

“Red was helping her plants, ya’ know. Doing some good for nature, an’ the Batnight took her down!” Harley places her flute on the table with ferocity, making it shatter. Nevertheless, she is still looking at her with shiny eyes. “Now, Red is at GCPD Lockup, an’ in a week will be taken to the Asylum! Unjustly!”

The blonde starts to sob desperately, putting her hands to her face so it is hidden from her, and Grace sighs silently. While she stands up and approaches her, she checks her aura.

It is shinning and twinkling furiously, Grace can feel the sadness and sorrow the woman is feeling.

She is not lying.

Grace sits beside her and pats her back slowly.

With a kind smile, she asks her: “And because of what I did in the bathroom, you want me to help you?”

Grace is really an empathic girl, she can’t help it.

Harley drops her hands to her lap and looks at her, her eyeshadow and glittery mascara even more messed up than before. Then, almost shyly, nods.

“I… I have…. “ the woman hiccups while her pale fist starts rubbing her left eye. “I have a plan. It is good! But I need me some explosives to cause a distraction, so I can bail out my Pammy. Normally I would do it myself, I was going to… ‘til I saw ya’ earlier in the bathroom!”

The raven-haired girl laughs softly, then cheekily pinches Harley’s right cheek.

“Alright. Girl, I do have superpowers.” Harley nods along to that. “And I can make things go Boom, but where the heck do I get explosives, huh?”

The blonde grabs Grace’s hands with her bleached ones, turns on the coach to sit cross-legged on it and squeezes her hands tightly. She is smiling a bit more now which makes Grace a bit happy.

She likes seeing people smile.

“Blubberpot probably has some, but we ain’t good friends, ya’ know? So he won’t give it to me.”

“Blubber… pot?”

Harley nods.

“Penguin! Small with a pointy nose? Like a toucan?” she makes a gesture of a nose going large until touching her lap with her hand.

Grace realizes she means Cobblepot, Oswald Cobblepot; and nods.

“But I earlier heard some birds talking about Black Mask, it seems he had a new shipment of LX-14, CL-20 an’ TNT to one of his warehouses here in Gotham. ” Harley whispers conspiratorially, puckering her mouth like a duck,  though they are alone in the VIP area.

The dark-haired hums, running Harley’s plan through her mind.

“And you want me to smuggle them up, right?”

Harley nods, then subsequently adds: “Selina is busy with don’t-fucking-know-what and I would ask Zatanna but I heard she was busy! So, please?”

Grace sighs.

“You could go there, make the explosives disappear an’ make them appear in my house!”

“Girl, that’s not how my powers work. To open a portal and then move them to your house, I would need to first have set a foot on the place. I can’t just teleport myself to somewhere I haven’t been to before.” Grace takes her hands off Harley’s hold and crosses her arms while explaining this to the blonde girl. “Also, do you even know which warehouse it is? Last I heard from Black Mask, he has many.”

Harley jumps from her seat and starts searching through her pants pockets, nodding to what Grace said while taking out whatever she finds inside and placing it on the small table. A lipstick, some keys with a key-chain of a circus hammer, a small pocket-knife, another pocket-knife but with a blue handle,  some sort of ring –which curiously looks like the pin of a hand grenade, but Grace will turn a blind eye on that –, and finally a crumpled piece of paper.

The blonde gives it to her, smiling happily.

“I wrote it down, ‘cause I’m a smart girl. I got a Ph.D., ya’ know?”

Grace reads the direction written in messy handwriting and chuckles at the smiley face doodled underneath it.

“I will help you out on one condition.” She points a finger to the blonde’s face. “No killing any policemen. Got it?”

Harley nods enthusiastically.

“Then I will help you.”

The blonde lets a loud scream and throws herself to Grace’s arms, ecstatically jumping up and down as she did an hour ago on the nightclub’s bathroom. She is thanking her again and again, tears running down her face and falling to Grace’s naked arms. The dark-haired girl pats her in the back, chuckling lightly, and then hugs her back.

A few seconds later, but still as happy and ecstatic as before, Harley pulls back and places each of her hands on Grace’s cheeks.

“Let’s go have a sleepover at mines!”

[heartofsnark]

Black Market Wonderland (Chapter Ten): The Fire It Ignites

Notes: Holo, here’s some Tsuneko for y’all. This chapter is honestly one of my faves so far. 

Word Count: 7290

Warnings: POV changes; men being perverts? that's about it. 

Missed the last chapter? Link Here!

Another day over, another day closer to the end of the bet. Tomorrow is the auction. Her throat tightens and her stomach churns at the thought. She hasn’t seen Hachirou around since last night and with any luck he won’t be around anymore for a while. Especially, with the auction right around the corner, thoughts of Hachirou taking her place in that cage, nearly makes her puke when she’s making a bed. Her pager buzzes after she drops Anais off at her parent’s suite for lunch. 

“Bring Kishi to the auction hall.” 

“Huh?”

“Five Minutes.” 

His voice cuts out and she pinches the bridge of her nose, of course he didn’t even tell her where Kishi is. Not that it’s a real mystery, he doesn’t exactly move a lot. He’s either up in the penthouse sleeping or smoking outside the hotel. She’s closer to the penthouse, so that’s her first choice. Her face falls the second she reaches the empty penthouse lounge. Literally, any other day he’d be napping on the couch. But, of course, not today. 

“Kishi!” 

Her voice echoes in the empty room, the only noise before she groans. If she looks out a window and he’s smoking by the dumpsters, she’s spitting on his head. He should know if they need to talk to him about something, he shouldn’t need a recovery team. Following her next guess, other than dumpster smoking, she makes her way to his suite. 

The familiar heavy smell of cigarettes hits her when she steps into the room, he’s not sleeping in the living room. Given his penchant for passing out on the couch, she was hoping he’d be there. She has no desire to go into his bedroom, obviously she’s been in there multiple times to clean, without him present. There’s just something odd about being in someone’s bedroom with them, like she’s crossing a boundary. The idea of someone she doesn’t know well in her bedroom makes her prickly, so she figures that must go for everyone. 

Tsuneko presses her ear to the bedroom door, she doesn’t expect to hear much through the wood, but there’s a steady snore. He’s sleeping, because of course he is. It’s the middle of the afternoon and he’s got somewhere to be, so, he’s sleeping. He calls her a child but pulls this kind of shit. 

“Hey,” she knocks hard enough to shake the door, “get up!” 

There’s nothing but the same steady snore when she listens closely. No muffled words, no rustle of movement, she might as well stay quiet for how much good it did. She’s going to kill him, who sleeps that heavily. He never seemed to be that deep of a sleeper when he was passed out in the lounge, he never even snored when he was in there. She pounds her fists against the door again. 

“You got until the count of three to get your ass up or else!” 

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She kicks the door in frustration, Ichinomiya sure likes making her do the nearly impossible. Waking Kishi up in five minutes is like trying to nail Jell-O to a tree. 

“One! Two! Are you fucking serious? Three!” 

She pushes the door open, letting it bang against the wall, hoping any noise might stir him. Kishi is sprawled out in his bed, tangled in half strewn sheets. Without the door filtering it, his snore is like a buzz saw going off in her skull. She’s half tempted to pinch his nose shut, to see if that’d stop it and wake him up. But there’s drool smeared down his chin and she’d rather die than risk touching his slobbers. 

“Gross.” 

She wrinkles her nose up at the sight of him, she’s never seen him out of his usual rumpled monochrome suits, now he’s in a baggy shirt and sweatpants. That looks stained. She kicks the side of his bed; his snoring cuts off for a moment as he flops around. His shirt rolling up to show his hairy stomach before his chainsaw snoring starts back up. 

“Gross.” 

There’s something even more weird about standing over him, while he’s sleeping. More reason for him to wake the fuck up. She really doesn’t want to touch him, at all.

“Wake up!” She screams, right near his nasty face. He’s not even almost fazed, this guy could sleep through a hurricane. Tsuneko chews her lip, contemplating what to do. 

She’s in the kitchen of his suite within the next moment, yanking open the freezer. Ice buckets come standard with most rooms. Sure enough, the silver bucket is there, still piled high with ice. Kishi doesn’t strike her as a chilling wine sort of guy, so she's not shocked it’s never been used. But it ought to do the trick. 

It takes both of her hands to pack it, the cold metal stinging and chilling her skin. She brings it into his room, sure enough; he’s still snoozing away. A grin pulls at her lips before she dumps the ice bucket onto him. 

“Ah, fuck!” Kishi is up like a shot, smacking ice off as he flops off the bed. 

“PFFFT,” she sputters and bursts out laughing, holding her stomach as she cracks up. 

“What the hell is going on?!” He yells in a sleep leaden voice as he shakes ice out of his shirt. 

“Ichinomiya,” she manages through her giggles, “told me to get you.” 

“So, ya threw ice on me!?

“You wouldn’t wake up!” 

He rubs a hand down his face, he’s shivering and there's a bit of water where the ice has melted against his skin. A groan leaves the back of his throat and he looks at the alarm clock on the bedside table, why does he even have that? That’s like buying a cat tower for a goldfish.

“It’s that damn auction meeting,” he grumbles. 

“Yeah, that’s kind of important.” 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” He grabs the back of his shirt and starts to yank it over his head. 

“Hey! At least wait until I’m out of the room!”

She flusters to turn her back to him, not wanting to see Kishi without his clothes. It’s bad enough she was forced to endure Oh’s peepshow the first night. 

“Pfff, no need to get your panties in a twist, not interested in kids,” he comments just as she starts to the door. 

“Good, I’m not interested in seeing your nasty old man body!” 

“Hey!” He yells after her as she leaves the room, shutting the bedroom door behind her.

 She grimaces, even the idea that she’d want him to be interested in her or whatever he was suggesting is so gross.  As far as the men who bought her goes, Kishi isn’t the worst of the bunch, but that’s a low bar. And he’s definitely not someone she’d be interested in.  

Ichinomiya seemed to be implying he wants her there as well which makes sense, given she’s being forced to participate in this stupid auction. So, she waits outside the door for Kishi to finish changing, playing on her phone. She’s barely opened an app before he’s leaving the room in a wrinkled suit. 

“You still here?” 

“I’m pretty sure he wants me there too, besides I don’t trust you not to wander off and go nap somewhere.” 

He gives a halfhearted shrug, halfheartedly admitting to his own incompetence. Tsuneko rolls her eyes before following him out of the suite, making a mental note that she’ll have to clean up the melted ice later.  She leans against the elevator wall and pulls out her phone again, while Kishi punches in the floor they’re going to. 

“I still have fucking water in my hair,” he grumbles and shoots her a glare. 

“Then you should have dried it, dumbass.” 

“You wanna hear more of Eisuke’s bitching about us being late?” Kishi pulls a cigarette out of his pack and starts to light it. 

“What the,” she snatches it from his lips, “you are not smoking in this elevator!” 

“Hey, what’s the big deal?!” 

“It’s bad enough I get secondhand smoke just looking at you, you’re not trapping me in a cancer box, too.”

“Don’t boss adults around.” 

“Then don’t act like a child.”

“I’m not the kid here.” He pokes his finger at her chubby cheek and she tries to bite him, just barely missing his finger as he pulls it away. 

“At least I act like an adult, you look ninety but act like you’re twelve.” 

“’Cause trying to bite me was real mature.” 

“Shut up!” She kicks him in the shin, why is he such an asshole?!

“Ow, you little brat!”

The elevators comes to it’s stop just as he levels a glare at her, so she rushes out as soon as the doors open, trying not to laugh. It’s childish, stupid, and does nothing to convince anyone she’s a responsible adult, but he deserved that kick. 

Ichinomiya said the auction hall, she knows where the stage and auction is, but that doesn’t seem like where they’d be meeting. Are they just loitering on the stage? Tsuneko is starting to look around the theater seats when there’s a sharp tug on the neck of her uniform, yanking her backwards. 

“Eagh!” She chokes and sputters at the fabric pulled taught around her throat, craning her neck to see Kishi dragging her towards a flight of stairs. 

“C’mon, ya fucking brat.”

She tries to cough out a response as she’s dragged by the scruff of the neck, but she can’t manage to. He drags her up a flight of stairs that goes up to balcony seating, where she sees the rest of the auction managers lounging around red velvet furniture. There are royal purple curtains pulled back to view the stage. 

“That’s no way to handle a woman, Kishi,” Baba admonishes him with a look of concern as Tsuneko struggles.  

“You’re late.” 

“She threw ice on me,” Kishi lets her go with a slight shove, “and kicked me.” 

“And I tried to bite you,” she adds in as she adjusts her uniform, making her way to the railing of the balcony. 

There’s a wonderful view of the stage, she can almost envision how she looked in her cage from here, a chill creeps up her spine. She shakes it off and turns away, pulling herself up to sit on the railing while she listens in on their meeting. 

“Wasting everyone’s time as usual.”

“What did you say?” Kishi narrows his eyes at Oh, it seems like they’re always picking a fight with each other.

“You heard me.” 

“Knock it off!” Ichinomiya cuts off the bickering before it gets out of hand. 

 “We’re still waiting on Maddy anyway.”

Kisaki makes a scoff of disgust at the mention of the Hatter and Tsuneko imagines throwing him over the railing, what is his problem? As if on cue, the Mad Hatter makes his way in, bright painted smile stretched across his face. 

“Hello, how are you all this lovely day?” 

“Worse now that you’re here.” 

“There you go with your jokes, again, Mr. Kisaki! Hehe~”

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Maddy, haven’t you Tsuneko?”

Baba moves closer to her perch on the railing as he asks his question, his hand lingering close to her lower back, the heat there but no direct touch.  It’s hard to discern if he’s trying to get closer to her ass or is preparing to catch her if she falls off the railing. Or both. 

“Yeah.” 

She shrugs her shoulders and scoots a little further over, careful to keep her balance. Baba’s eyes widen for a moment, incredulous, as if he can’t believe she would ever be able to stand a day with the Hatter. Imagine if they knew she’s spent a night in Wonderland, in the weirdly already prepared bedroom. 

“About the item list,” Ichinomiya redirects everyone’s attention back to the business at hand. 

“Ah, yes, I’ve inspected all the pieces for the auction.” 

“I got some great pieces this time, didn’t I?” Baba says with a bright smile, pride sparkling in his brown eyes. 

“Yes, quite I got goosebumps!” 

“Your presentation determines how much they sell for, I’m counting on you.”

“Leave it to me, good sir.” 

Tsuneko resists the urge to scoff at Baba being called good sir, while the Hatter bows dramatically with a hand to his chest. Is she going to be expected to act like that in the Alice costume? She doesn’t even want to think about it, everything about that ordeal makes her nauseous. Ichinomiya clears his throat, bringing the focus back on him. 

“Of course, Mr. Ichinomiya. Item number one is a female mummy clad in traditional dress, she was discovered in the desert during the thirteenth century.” 

“Sounds like a regular mummy, nothing rare about that.”

“Ah, but she’s not just a regular mummy, she’s the key to unlocking the mysteries of an ancient Egyptian civilization.”

Ichinomiya bites his lip and gears seem to be turning in his head, before the Hatter continues. 

“She was poisoned to death after learning secrets about the royal family.” 

“Fine, put it in the lineup,” Ichinomiya agrees, showing the first modicum of compromise since she’s met him. 

“Wait,” her head shoots up and Baba presses a hand to her back to keep her from falling, “you haven’t even finalized the item list?!” 

Ichinomiya's eyes land on her, sharp and cold, almost daring her to keep interrupting. 

“Why the hell did Oh give me three thousand pages to memorize if some of the items might not even be sold!? Now, I have useless garbage in my head!” 

“You should be used to that.” A smirk tugs at the corner of Oh’s lips, he was fucking with her! 

“I swear to god, you son of a, ahh-” she starts to try to climb off the railing, but Baba has a hold of the back of her uniform, so she swings her leg out instead, “you’re lucky my legs are too short to kick your ass from here!”

Kishi and Kisaki are cackling, pissing her off even more. Baba is just trying to keep her from flailing off the balcony. Ichinomiya is smirking and the Hatter seems to be a second away from laughing himself, she’s not entertainment for these assholes. 

“I’m terrified.” Oh rolls his eyes, not even bothering to look at her. 

“I’m gonna put my foot up your ass, you fuck-”

“Enough.” 

Ichinomiya stops the second fight of the meeting and Tsuneko bites down harsh on her lip as anger settles in her stomach. On the bright side, her anxiety over the auction and stage has been burned away by rage. 

“Continue,” he prompts the Hatter.

“Ah yes, item number two is hair, footprints, and scale impressions of an undiscovered mythical creature.” 

“There’s not anyone dumb enough to buy that, is there?” The moment the first word leaves her mouth, Ichinomiya is glaring at her. 

“Actually, I’ve heard is that the leader of the Jade Thorns was interested.” Oh almost seems ashamed that someone from his world would want bigfoot ‘evidence.’ 

“It’s a very large creature, as it’s footprints measure twenty-two by five inches. It’s body length is nearly ten feet and the hair sample is six and a half feet long.” 

“So, there’s a bigfoot hunting mobster out there?” 

“He’d pay high dollar for it, it stays.” 

Tsuneko shakes her head, they’re selling some mobster fake footprints and nasty long hair. It’s ridiculous, but if he’s dumb enough to buy it then there’s no cure for being a sucker. The Hatter continues prattling off each item and it’s details, letting Ichinomiya keep or veto each one mentioned. Sometimes the Hatter makes a case for them, usually ending with Ichinomiya agreeing, and other times he agrees with the rejection. By the end of the excruciatingly long list, there’s only a few items decided not to be kept. So, it probably wasn’t a complete waste to memorize the entire list. 

“I’d like to start the auction with the painting ‘The Weaver’, you appraised it?” Ichinomiya eyes flicker towards Kisaki. 

“Yeah it’s real, Baba managed not to grab any fakes this time.” 

“That’s only happened a few times and, in my defense, they were really well done.” 

“You’re going senile.” 

“I’d like to then follow that with the Duchess’ Bracelet.”

“Yes…but what did you think of introducing the ��Box of Five-Hundred Pearls’ in between those items? Like a sorbet to cleanse the palate between courses.” 

Tsuneko is too poor to even begin to understand what that’s supposed to mean, but the slight nod of Ichinomiya’s head tells her it’s good. 

“Not a bad idea.” 

“Let’s move on to the second half of the auction.” 

“Why don’t we change the theme entirely?”

“So, the mermaid and mummy, then?”

“Yes! No one will be predicting those two items, I’m sure the audience will be delighted. Also, I was thinking about the ‘Pharaoh’s Sarcophagus’ for our showcase item. What do you think?” 

“Yes, let’s go with that.” 

They continue to prattle and hash things out, figuring out the order of items. Tsuneko makes notes on her phone, something else to study later, fantastic. 

“What about security?’ 

 “My men didn’t see anything of concern when they were bringing the items in, I’ve made sure all my men’s full attention will be on the auction tomorrow,” Oh tells him.

“What about the police?” 

“Just as clueless as they were last time,” Kishi grumbles, “everyone is caught up in some drug bust.” 

“Well, if everything is decided then-”

“Wait, Maddy, I was wondering something.” Baba stops him from scurrying off, the Hatter tilts his head. 

“What is it?”

“How have things been going with Tsuneko, next to boss you get to spend the most alone time with her.” 

“Oh, it’s been going wonderfully, I love spending time with Alice.” 

“Though, I did get to see her fresh out of the shower.” 

“I’m gonna gut you.”

Tsuneko shoots a glare at the winking Baba then she notices the way the Hatter’s expression has deflated and frozen. What’s wrong? She worries her lip between her teeth, the only reason he’s been going weird around her lately is when he’s been scared about her seeing him under the makeup. He was just getting out of the shower that night. 

“Haha…” A forced chuckle makes its way out of the Hatter’s throat, tension floods the room, pulled tight from the out of character behavior. 

“You okay, Maddy?” 

“Hahaha…”

“Huh, did we break the Hatter?” 

“Hahahaha…”

Tsuneko pushes herself off the railing, Baba finally letting her, she can’t just watch him freak out. She could never bring herself to hit him, probably, so instead she snaps her fingers beside his ear. His eyes go wide and he jolts, eyes then darting around the room as he realizes the tension in the room. 

“Ah! Uh….I need to go prepare.” 

Then he’s gone, leaving a pit in Tsuneko’s stomach. Even with the Craigslist fiasco happening, things are still awkward, he’s so scared of her even mentioning she’s seen his real face or his friend as he claimed. 

“I’m gonna head back to work.” 

She darts off before any of the auction managers can bother her about whatever inane bullshit they’d make up. Tsuneko returns to her work, but she finds herself constantly checking the time, dreading every minute that passes. She tries to stay engaged with her conversations with Anais, but the time feels like it’s creeping up on her. 

Tomorrow is the auction; she’ll have to be on that stage again. She hates it. Absolutely hates it. She drops Anais off a little earlier than necessary, not wanting the young girl to worry about the way the color keeps draining from Tsuneko’s face. Every thought of stepping onto that stage feels like she’s pushed right back into that cage. She finishes her shift by cleaning up the penthouse, thanking whatever gods may be listening that none of them are there to see the way her hands are shaking. 

Her shift is over, the day nearing its end. She’s changed out of her uniform and is fiddling with the good luck talisman as she takes slow deliberate steps towards the auction hall. She has to push past this. If not, she’s going to have a full-scale meltdown in front of hundreds of people which is not an option. 

She reaches the door that leads backstage, all she has to do is open the door and step through. Her fingers twitch and clench around the charm, yep, just has to open the door. She runs a hand through her hair, untangling a knot her fingers catch on. Just has to open the door…She kicks the door, like that will help. 

“Shit!” A voice calls out from behind the door and she hears a rustling sound, what the fuck? 

Tsuneko pushes open the door with a slam and rushes out onto into the backstage, seeing a glimmer of someone running out to the main stage. She runs after them, just catching them fumbling to jump off the stage. Her blood goes cold. Sprawled between the rows of velvet chairs, just a short distance from the stage is Hachirou, the familiar head of messy auburn hair and green gold eyes. He freezes looking up at her.

“What the hell are you doing?” She marches across the stage and hops down from it, landing herself in front of him. 

“I was….uh, just…”  He struggles to answer as he climbs to his feet. 

“Why the hell are you even here?” 

“I was just looking around… What is this place for?” 

“None of your business.”

The double doors that the audiences use start to push open and Tsuneko tackles Hachirou to the ground between two rows of chairs, hiding them from immediate view. Oh’s men are providing security with the I.V.C and the auction, she figured they’d be patrolling the floors around the hall and storage where the items are. She has an actual reason to be here, Hachirou does not. 

Tsuneko presses a hand tight over his mouth, not letting another noise escape his mouth. Her body is over top of his, her weight on him, their noses practically touching. His body is lean and thin under her, she wonders if she should shift, fearful she might be crushing his small frame. 

“Is anything in there?” A rough voice echoes through the auditorium. 

“Not that I see, but I definitely heard something.” 

Footsteps click down the aisles, growing louder and louder, closer and closer. 

“Eh, it’s a big room, when there’s no auction going on every little sound echoes.” 

“You’re probably right, I don’t see anything.” 

The footsteps halt then slowly fade as the men agree to leave the room be. She hears the doors shut again and counts to three before climbing off of Hachirou and pulling him up to his feet, there’s a faint flush to his cheeks. 

“C’mon we gotta go, dumbass.”

 She grabs a hold of his shirt sleeve and drags him from the auditorium. Her eyes dart back and forth as they cut a path to the back exit, speeding up every time she there’s a sign of one of Oh’s men. An echo of steps, the muttering of voices, every little thing sends her reeling. If they catch him, he could get seriously hurt, especially so close to the auction. They bought her and she made the bet, which created some sort of buffer in the end. But, Oh was going to kill her before that. She runs faster, she needs to get him out of here. 

 Mamoru lets out a puff of smoke from his cigarette, gray fumes fading into the night air. There’s the familiar little headrush and the taste of nicotine heavy on his tongue as he relaxes against the Tres Spades, the grimy dumpsters just a few feet away as he enjoys the quiet. 

The back doors swing open suddenly, nearly smashing into him, before he sees two people rush out. One familiar and one new. There’s some red-haired guy he's never seen before and the maid Eisuke has the bet with, Tsuki…Tsuru…something…They’re both panting, and their faces are flushed red like they’ve run a marathon, her hand is pulling at the guy’s sleeve. 

“What the hell were you thinking!?” She spins around to screech at the boy, she’s always yelling about something and being a pain in the ass. 

“I was curious!” He tries to defend himself, why the hell was he in the hotel? 

“That’s not a fucking excuse, do you have any idea how much trouble you could have gotten into?! If it,” she’s gesturing wildly and she seems to finally notice Mamoru is there, “are you fucking kidding me?! Of course, of fucking course you’re here right now, fucking hell!” 

As usual, she doesn’t even have the decency to pretend she’s happy to see anyone. He heaves a sigh; he doesn’t want to be bothered with whatever this is. It’s bad enough one annoying kid has been dragged into his life, but if this new one is poking around the auctions and if something goes sideways, it’s just going to be a bigger headache

“What’s goin’ on?” He slurs his question out around a cigarette. 

“Oh, uh, I-” The scrawny boy stutters and fumbles over what to say. 

“Officer Kishi,” she emphasizes his title with a stern voice, “would you mind telling him how his ass can be thrown in jail for trespassing if he were caught sneaking around the hotel basement?” 

The guy’s face goes stark white at the realization that technically Mamoru is a cop, but as long as it doesn’t bite him in the ass too hard, he can’t say he really cares. 

“Ain’t got nothing to do with me.” He shrugs, taking another inhale of smoke and the maid’s face goes bright red. There’s practically a vein throbbing in her forehead. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?! Would it have killed you to help me for five fucking seconds?!” 

“Look, I’m sorry okay, I just-” A loud growling and gurgling noise comes from the boy’s stomach and his face flushes red again. The pair of them are really just kids. 

Tension drains from the maid’s face, a sputter of a laugh and a soft smile pulling at her lips. Her smiles are few and far between, it’s not bad seeing them. She ought to relax more, kids should be happy…not that it’s any of his business. 

“You hungry?” She asks, that smile directed at the stranger. He can’t think of a time that it’s ever been directed at him or any of the other auction managers. 

“Uh, I mean, I’ve only really ate some instant ramen for the past, um, week.” He scratches the back of his head, face flushed. 

“Christ,” she rubs a hand down her face, and he can already see the gears turning in her head, there’s nowhere open or that delivers at this hour, “is that why you’re rail thin? C’mon, dumbass, I’ll at least let you eat while I lecture you.” 

She starts to pull the guy towards the employee dorms, she’s not seriously going to let this man into her apartment, is she? Even if he’s a runt, he’s still a guy and one she doesn’t know well. Na��ve can’t even begin to describe it, all he can liken it to is a toddler shoving their hand on a burning stove, everyone else able to see the potential danger but they don’t get it. 

“Y’know if you feed strays they’ll just keep comin’ back.” 

“Haha, you’re hilarious.”  

She rolls her eyes and the pair continue on their way, Mamoru’s following after them, feet moving before he knows it. They’ve reached the door before she realizes he’s tagging along, she narrows her eyes at him, no hint of the smile from earlier. 

“Where the hell are you going?” 

“You gonna invite him over in front of me and not invite me too? That’s kinda rude, don’t you think?” 

“You’re not starving, piss off.” 

 She rolls her eyes and continues pulling the boy into the dorm, he follows them anyway. If something happens to her, it’s just going to be a bigger pain later. For whatever reason, Eisuke’s taken a shine to her and there’ll be hell to pay if she gets hurt. Besides, he’s not turning down a free meal.  They reach her door and she lets the younger guy in before shooting Mamoru a dirty look. 

“You really gonna tell me to buzz off?” She groans and rolls her eyes. 

“Hurry up, before people think a homeless guy broke in.” 

Stepping into her dorm, he regrets bothering with this, it’s no place for a man. He immediately catches soft fresh smells, like flowers or something soft and girly. Everything in the place seems to be white, pastel, or has some cartoon character on it making him feel gross and dirty in comparison. Like if he breathes the wrong way, he might stain something.  

The dorms aren’t tiny, but they aren’t huge either. Bigger than Mamoru’s own cheap rinky dink apartment. She shuts the door behind him, her eyes dart for a minute past the partial wall that provides some separation between her bedroom and the rest of the dorm, despite the studio apartment layout. He can just see part of a dresser.  Maybe, she’s weird about people being in her bedroom, the kid is strange. 

“You can only get to the bathroom through my bedroom, so you better not have to go at any point,” she grumbles before rummaging through her fridge and pantry, “I have the stuff to make ginger pork, so that better be okay.”

Mamoru plops himself in one of the pink wooden chairs at a little glass table she has near the kitchenette, a pale imitation of a dining room. The young guy is trying to look unbothered, staring off into space, but his leg is bouncing anxiously.  She’s thrown on an apron as she starts to prepare food, something about it makes her seem even softer, like a housewife. 

“Sounds fine to me,” the younger man mutters. 

“Don’t think me cooking, gets you off the hook, Hachirou. We need to have a serious talk.” 

“What are you his mom?” 

“You don’t even need to be here, old man.”

“She really does act like a nagging mom, doesn’t she?” Hachirou snickers along with Mamoru. 

“Do you two really wanna piss me off when I have a knife!?” She yells over her shoulder, the steady sound of her knife hitting a cutting board fills the gaps between her words.

“Look, I’m sorry okay-”

“Sorry, did you even think? Not only could you have gotten yourself locked away, I could have gotten in trouble for helping you!” 

“I didn’t ask you to help me.” The chopping stops with that comment, the maid whirling around to face them, brows furrowed and eye twitching. Mamoru can’t help snickering, as long as it’s not directed at him, her short fuse is pretty funny. 

“And what if I didn’t, huh? What do you think would have happened?” She walks closer, eyes harsh. 

“I don’t know-”

“You would have been caught by security and you, me, and the guy in the basement would have been screwed.” 

Eisuke mentioned something about the Hatter inviting strangers to his room, for some insane reason or another. That must be how Hachirou got curious about the hotel, creating a headache for everyone. 

“I just wanted to know what’s going on, I didn’t hurt anyone,” Hachirou grumbles as the maid takes a seat across from her, obviously talking while she cooks wasn’t having the desired impact. 

“Look, you know there are a lot of rich people at the Tres Spades, right,” she waits for a small nod, “well sometimes, rich people are fucking weird. The Hatter is really nice, but he’s strange okay. He has the money to do whatever little whim pops into his head, so he does. But, sometimes those things are stupid and dangerous, like inviting randos from the internet over. I already told the owner that everything was taken care of with it, so if it turns out that someone is sneaking around it’s going to come back on me and the Hatter, do you get that?” 

“I…guess…” 

“Even if you don’t care about your own wellbeing, at least worry about others, alright?”

 She puts a hand on Hachirou’s shoulder, and the guy finally gives a small nod, looking like a dog that’s just been scolded. Content she finds her way back over the makeshift kitchen and starts cooking again.  The smell of ginger pork starts to spread through the dorm and Mamoru can feel his stomach growling. 

He’s not a picky eater, not by any right, but home cooked traditional Japanese food is always better than the professional made stuff they serve at the hotel. The smell alone is enough to make him drool and think of days when his mom would cook the same dish, making the unfamiliar apartment feel cozier in a sense. He finds his eyes continuously drawn to the maid, Tsu…whatever. 

Everything about her has screamed child to him, since he first saw her, she’s nothing short of a brat with the way she pouts, throws tantrums, and never seems to shut up. A kid in almost every single way he can think of, but right now… Mamoru isn’t blind, if it wasn’t for her personality, she’d be real cute. And right now, as she works over the stove, apron tied around her, with her hair in a messy ponytail, and her soft features screwed up in concentration…that brattiness doesn’t shine through quite as much. 

She shuts off the shove and plates the food, untying her apron and putting it aside before she brings the food to the table to hand over to him and Hachirou then sits down herself. 

“If anyone has any complaints, they know where the door is,” she tells them, her personality once again killing any attraction he might have had to her, not that he had any. 

Then maybe the little sparks of attraction, that definitely isn’t there, ignites again when he tastes her cooking. It may be something simple but it reminds him so much of home, almost exactly how his mom would make the dish. Mamoru wouldn’t consider himself sentimental, he’s a grown man. But, it’s hard to deny the warm feeling when her food reminds him of home and better times. He’s not ashamed of the way he devours it, so good.  Tsu-something would probably make a good wife, if she ever finds someone willing to put up with her attitude. 

“Do either of you plan on breathing?” She asks, covering her mouth and stifling a laugh, he looks over to see Hachirou scarfing down the meal in the same way. She’s smiling again, her eyes on the runt. 

“It’s a compliment,” Mamoru tells her through a mouthful and her eyes land on him, nearly making him choke.  

“Appreciate it.”

She’s smiling at him for the very first time. That bright smile that crinkles her eyes and shows that little dimple in her cheek and he’s suddenly grateful she’s never smiled at him before. It’s too much, his face is warm like the sun’s shining on him and he can’t keep looking at her. In his panic to look elsewhere, his eyes drift below her neck. 

The way she’s sitting, elbows on the table and leaning forward, her cleavage is on display. Not a bad place to look instead. Again, while she is a brat and a kid, she’s one with a pretty smile and a nice pair of tits. The latter of which has been the topic of a few conversations in the penthouse, guy talk that would no doubt earn each of them her wrath. She’s curvy, chubby, with a full chest that constantly seems to be on the verge of spilling out of her top when she bends over. A little freckle on her cleavage is half covered by her shirt and he wonders how many she has, then a piece of broccoli hits his cheek with a splat. 

He tears his gaze away from her chest to see that megawatt smile replaced with gritted teeth and furrowed eyebrows, her cheeks flushed red with anger. Now that’s a face he’s used to her making at him. Her chopsticks are poised to throw more food at him.  

“Can you not be gross for like five seconds?!” She yells at him, voice shrill with her anger. If she just lost the ability to talk, she really would be decent wife material. 

“I didn’t do anything,” he says, knowing full well what he was just caught doing.

“Yeah right, you dirty old man, do me a favor and keep your eyes on your food!” 

“I’m done,” he says, showing off his empty plate, maybe he can con her into giving him more.  

“Then leave!”

“There’s not any left?” 

“Not for you!”

Mamoru tries not to grumble or pout, he’s a grown man, he doesn’t pout. But, when Hachirou finishes his plate and she gives him the rest of her own, well, it’s just rude. Finally, he finishes the last of the food and Mamoru is entirely too grown up to glare at some kid for eating the rest of the food, he would never ever do that, nope. It’s Hachirou who speaks up once he’s done eating. 

“Uh, I guess I should getting out of your hair.” 

“Are there still trains running to your dorm at this time?” 

She’s not going to offer for the guy to stay the night, even she isn’t that naïve, right? 

“Yeah, there is, I should be able to get back no problem.” Hachirou is blushing from her kindness and Mamoru rolls his eyes, damn brats. 

“If you’re sure, if not, you can crash here.” 

He’s not sure Hachirou brushes off the offer because he genuinely doesn’t feel it’s needed or because Mamoru is maybe glaring a little harsher at him than needed. If something happened to her, Eisuke would throw a hissy fit and he’s not dealing with that shit. 

“Nah, I really can’t impose.” 

“Fine, but at least let me give you some food to take back.” 

“You don’t have to.” 

She’s already in the fridge, getting out containers of home cooking, leftovers, boxes of bakery goods, and whatever else she deems fit to put in Hachirou’s arms. By the time she’s done he has Tupperware stacked up to beneath his chin, enough food to set him for at least a couple weeks. 

“That should make things a bit easier, when you’ve finished it all just bring the Tupperware back and I’ll give you some more, I know things are tight when you’re in college, but I don’t want you going without, alright?” 

He nods as she ruffles through his hair, she really is babying him, the guy might be young but he’s not an actual child. She doesn’t need to be this nice. 

“Got anything for me?” Mamoru asks, unable to resist trying to insert himself into the situation. The glare she levels at him as she crosses her arms just makes him grin, she’s too easy to annoy and rile up. 

“I got a boot to put up your ass.” 

“Eh, I’m good,” he relents, knowing too well how real her threats of violence are.  

“Get out, Kishi. You can come back whenever you feel like, Hachirou, just stay clear of the hotel, alright?” 

“Alright,” he agrees as he starts to head for the door, but has difficulty opening it with the pile of food in his arms.

“Go help him.” 

“So, fucking bossy,” Mamoru groans, but does what she asks, getting the door for Hachirou before following him out of the dorm.  

They walk down the hall in silence, Mamoru yawning as they reach the elevator, his stomach full of good food, he’s going to sleep well tonight. Though, he still wishes he could have grabbed some more. Maybe next time he does a favor or something for her, he can badger her into cooking for him. 

“Y’know…” Hachirou speaks up as they get into the elevator and the glint in his eyes makes Mamoru completely uncomfortable, reminiscent of Ota when he’s about to say or do something awful. 

“What?” 

“I’m not one to give advice or anything.” 

“Then don’t.”

“But, I gotta say, I think you gotta have some lower expectations, old man.” 

“Whazzat supposed to mean?” Mamoru slurs his words, as he starts to light up a cigarette, not caring about whether the little shit next to him minds.

“I’m just saying, I mean, I get we all aim our sights a little high sometimes, but Tsuneko is sooooo out of your league, it’s ridiculous.” 

Tsuneko, that’s her fucking name, that was going to drive him crazy. Wait…

“What the fuck is that suppose to mean!?” 

The door of the elevator opens and Hachirou steps out with a smirk and Mamoru trailing after him. 

“Oh come on, you’re not exactly subtle, you were eyeing her like a slab of meat.” 

“I like tits, fuckin’ sue me!” 

“Yeah, it wasn’t just when you could see her tits, I’m just saying. A crush never hurts, but if I was you I wouldn’t get my hopes up.” 

“I ain’t got any sort of crush on her, ‘cause unlike some people, I’m not a fuckin’ kid.” 

“Well, that’s good,” Hachirou tells him as they leave the lobby, cold night air on their skin, “I’d hate to see you get hurt when she rejects your old ass.” 

“Hey, what the hell makes you think she’s the one out of my league, huh? She’s nothing but a fuckin’ brat!”

Hachirou laughs, the little fucker actually laughs in Mamoru’s face. The older man’s fist twitches with the urge to deck the little shit, what the hell makes Tsuneko so out of his league? Sure, she’s young and cute, but her personality leaves a lot to be desired. And Mamoru, well he’s… He’s…got positive traits, probably somewhere, that would make him desirable to someone… Tsuneko isn’t perfect and that’s the point!

“Hey, if you don’t like her, then it’s not a problem. I’m just saying, I think if it came down between someone like you and someone who’s y’know younger, better looking, in college making something of themselves, that she’s already comfortable spending the night with, her choice would be kinda obvious, don’t you think?” 

“Look here-”

“Ah, I gotta get to my train, see you around Kishi.” 

Hachirou goes off towards the train station, vanishing off into the night lights and leaving Mamoru smoking between the dorms and hotel. His cigarette hangs from his lips, smoke swirling in the air. Something tight in his chest and he doesn’t know what. 

He doesn’t like her. Not at all and not one little bit, the fact he’s just been practically challenged for the affection of a woman he doesn’t even want shouldn’t phase him. If Hachirou has a crush on Tsuneko, that’s his business. Hell, if the kid wants to talk down to his rivals, Mamoru can show him to some actual rivals for that brat, how even one let alone so many people like her is beyond him.. But it still pisses him off, just the suggestion that she was out of his league, the notion she’d never want him. Maybe, it’s just his ego, but something nags at the back of his mind, telling him to make that kid eat his words. 

[bapyess1r]

Amphetamine

WARNINGS: SMUT! , age difference, use of substance, cursing

CHAPTER 5

Sam’s POV

The last kiss from Talia left me with a tight sensation in my pants as I crossed the street to my house. As much as I would’ve loved to bend her over right then and there, I knew I couldn’t. I never had this problem with other women so why was it that this one girl could change that. Like I had some morals… She made me fall for her in only a day and I didn’t know what to do with myself. I sighed as I shuffled back into my home, not bothering to turn off the music that still played softly in the background. I sat on the couch, an extra cup of whiskey sitting before me on the coffee table. “Fuck it.” I said sitting up to grab it and drink it. Jim Beam Apple and soda… it tasted like when we kissed the first time. I groaned as the memory sent a sensation through my chest and my pants tightened once more. I grabbed a cigarette and lit it in hopes to distract myself from the thoughts and the pressure building in me. I was going to let it be but the more I left it alone, the more it started to bother me. I groaned again and let my cigarette hang from my lips. “Okay, okay! Fuck…” I said to myself. I leaned back into my couch and undid my jeans, lifting my hips up to remove them. As I pulled on my boxers, my dick damn near sprung out on its own. I hissed as the fabric graced the tip on its way down. I took a long look at it standing bright pink, painful, and proud. “Just couldn’t control yourself could you….” I lazily grabbed hold of it and began moving my hand up and down. I threw my head back in an attempt to relax, thinking of Talia and how she looked singing tonight. Her curvy body swaying to the music, the sound and tone of her voice, the light in her smile, the swing of her hips as she walked… I let out a shameless moan as smoke exited my nostrils. The ash was falling onto my chest but I didn’t care. I became more and more sensitive as I remembered the feel of her lips on mine, her body wrapped in my arms, her hands running up my chest, tugging on my shirt in a needy fashion, and then I began thinking of all the things I wished I could’ve done to her. My hips bucked from the sensation and I picked up the pace. I stomped my foot with a hard grunt the closer I brought myself to climax. I ran my fingers through my hair with my free hand and let it rest on the back of the couch as I went. My knee was bouncing impatiently as that burning feeling in the pit of my stomach began to swell. My skin was beginning to heat up. “God damn…” I whispered as my thoughts drifted to bending her over the counter, ramming into her until she cried out. With a low growl, I picked up the pace and I twitched in my hands. “Woah!” I shouted as I released into the air, making an absolute mess of myself. “Fuck…” I huffed, relaxed now that I’d relieved myself. Without thinking, I shed myself of my shirt, and cleaned up my surroundings.

I was fine for now but I wasn’t sure how much longer I could last around Talia without scooping her into my arms and taking her to my bed. But for now, I had to settle for flirting and some cheeky kisses. ‘Not until she’s ready.’ I thought, finishing the last of the whisky soda. I stood up to turn off the music and lights in the house, shuffling to my room as I kicked off my boots. I fell flat onto the large plush bed and sighed, drifting off to sleep.

Talia’s POV

I woke up the next morning with a pounding headache, my mouth tasting like isopropyl. My best friend wrapped around my arm like I was gonna go somewhere. ‘I guess she really did miss me.’ I chuckled, trying to sit up without rocking the boat in my head. I slapped the side of Anna’s cheek lightly, telling her to get up. “Why?! What happened?!” She whined sitting up.

“I’m starving, let’s go eat…” I said.

“Can we get pollo loco? I really want some…” she asked, stretching and wiping the drool off her face.

“Yeah, yeah….” I nodded in a hushed tone, rushing to get dressed for some reason. I tried really hard to put the pieces of last night back together. After the performance, I couldn’t remember a thing. “Do you remember anything about last night?” She responded with a smile.

“Heeellll yeah I remember some things… and some thangs.” She wiggled her eyebrows and threw her hair up in a messy bun. “ I was hanging out with Marcel- that beautiful chocolate man- Louie was with Jules playin bean bag and then you and Sam went to join and play teams, theeennnnn……” she gave me a wicked grin.

“Please tell me I didn’t strip…” I whined. I knew I could get kinda crazy when I was under the influence.

“You would’ve had your tongue not been shoved down Sam’s throat.” She grabbed her face and blushed for me. That’s when I remembered…

“Shit. We did kiss… aaagghhh!” I cried falling backwards into my bed. “Do you think he hated it?”

“From the look on his face, he far from hated it, girl. You’re ok.” She said tapping my arm. “Sooo you gonna pursue Mr. Samuel Drake?” She asked in a dreamy tone. Honestly, I wasn’t sure. I thought maybe he’d want someone with their life put together. Or a bit older…

“What do you think?” I asked her.

“Honestly… I think you should. I mean he’s different from your usual type but it’s the good kind of different. And… God. It’s like he’s got something you need… I don’t know what it is but I’m sure you’ll figure it out along the way. Even though I’ve just met him and you’ve just met him, the way he looks at you… the way he treats you… And he’s certainly one of the better looking ones-”

“You tryna say I date ugly muh fuckers-”

“Um, no bitch, I’m telling you you’ve dated some ugly muh fuckers and THATS the tea.” she said in a matter of fact tone causing me to crack up. “Listen. I say go for it. It’s early days- yes- but be headstrong about it. And don’t change for him. Be unequivocally you. Because you deserve someone who loves you like that.”

“Aww fren!” I exclaimed, throwing my arms around her tightly before getting up to shower.

“Can I shower after you?” she asked, walking towards my dresser to rummage through my tee shirts. “Also can I steal a shirt?”

“Yeah girl.” I answered, closing the door.

After we showered and got dressed, we greeted my Godfamily and headed out about our day. Both Godparents were off this weekend and I didn’t wanna get in the way of core family time. Also, Anna and I had several things to do within two days' time. We threw on our shades as we walked to my blue Jeep, enjoying the morning sunshine and breeze. “Fuck I’m nauseous and I’m starving…” I groaned as it suddenly hit me.

“Wanna smoke? We can hot box the Jeep like we used to.” she said searching through her bag and pulling out a pack of rolling papers.

“Anais Long… How’d you know I had some on me?” I chuckled, speeding up our walk to the car.

“Bitch I’m not stupid! I saw you tuck it in there!” she laughed, running after me.

In a matter of minutes, we were sitting in the Jeep, staring at the sky through the sunroof as Siouxsie Sioux played softly in the background through the radio.

“What do you wanna do today?” I asked her as a flock of seagulls flew overhead.

“I really wanna go to the beach…” she answered, sitting up to ash the blunt to me.

“The beach sounds...fine.” My voice trailed off as I was distracted by Sam headed to the docks for his morning cigarette. His muscular body clad in a white tank top and gray sweatpants. A tattoo I hadn’t seen before was exposed on his left shoulder. Anna looked up with a gasp, lowering her glasses to get a better look.

“Very fine indeed...” she said sitting forward, almost choking on the smoke. “How big do you think he is?” She asked impulsively and I cackled, punching her in the arm.

“Jesus Christ, girl!” I giggled like a little school girl as I watched him take a seat and start on his first cigarette, repeatedly looking back at the gate behind him; like he was waiting for someone…

“Oh my god, is he looking for you? GIRL HE’S LOOKING FOR YOU!” she said undoing my seatbelt.

“What are you doing?!” I chuckled.

“Well you’re not just gonna sit in here and let him look like a lost puppy. You have to go out there!” she said reaching over me and opening the door as best as she could with her short arms. “Go bitch!”

“And leave you by yourself?”

“Yes bitch leave me by myself and go get your man!” She said rather enthusiastically.

I took a deep breath as that wave of nervousness crashed over me, even more so now that we’ve kissed. “Be strong bitch!” She told me and I nodded to leave.

I hopped out of the van and walked over. The gate startled me as I opened it up, pulling on my crop top nervously, I shuffled over and sat down without saying a word. “You know normal people say ‘Good morning.’” I heard his deep voice say as I fidgeted with the fringe on the hole of my baggy jeans.

“Sorry. I’m just really high.” I excused and he belted a cute little laugh.

“Wake n’ bake huh?”

“Yeah…. wanna come?” I asked, staring at him. He pouted his bottom lip and nodded.

“I don’t have any plans for the day. Why not?” He stood up suddenly offering me a hand. I took it and with a simple flex of the arm he pulled me up with ease. A bolt of attraction shot through me as I looked up at him. Most of the guys I dated couldn’t lift me up for more than ten seconds and he did it so easily. I couldn’t just sit and stare... I had to say something.

“I like your tattoo.” I said, actually able to get a good look at it. It was a hand of card with Lucky written on a banner beneath it.

“Thanks. I got it in prison.” he smirked, heading for the gate.

“Prison?!” I exclaimed.

“Yeah. Comes with some bad memories and what not.” he said trying to shrug it off. I could tell it bothered him though. Briefly, I stopped to look him in his hazel eyes.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” I said. He gave me a warm smile and stroked my cheek.

“You’re the sweetest.” he told me and I led him to the jeep where Anna was waving like a crazy person. He popped open the back door and slid in with a grin to greet Anna.

“Good morning, handsome!” she cooed, laying it on thick for me.

“Hiya, sweetheart! Hope this Florida weather is treating you right.” he said, closing the door behind him. He slouched a bit to get comfortable.

“Oh, I love it,” she replied. “We were actually just talking about hitting the beach.”

“Ah, now that’s an idea.” he said, taking a smooth hit and acknowledging the quality of the blunt. “Even better idea: I have a boat.” he said with a slight cough as he exhaled.

“Shut the fuck up- do you really?!” Anna became ten times more excited than she already was. He nodded with a big smile.

“If you want, you could make a day of it. I’ll take you to the boardwalk.” He said, winking at me.

“YES PLEASE!” Anna squealed.

“Talia? What say you?” he asked, seeking my permission. Then I had an idea myself.

“One condition… you’re coming with us.” I said with a mischievous grin, taking the blunt between my lips. He raised an intrigued thick brow before returning the smile.

“Sounds like a deal. I’ll call up Marcel. I’m sure there’s still some food and booze left over from last night.”

“You still wanna drink?” I said looking surprised. “Old man like you still tryna kick it.”

“Listen I’m only 42. I can hang, alright.” he chuckled.

“42 THE FUCK WHERE?!” Anna exclaimed, hanging over the passenger seat. “YOU LOOK 30!”

“You’re too kind, please! Keep talkin’.” He smirked as Anna took her hit.

“Well, we need to stop and get her swimsuit from the hotel.” I said, as I watched them exchange the blunt.

“Okay. That gives me a bit of time to get everything ready. Maybe grab some ice for the cooler-”

“I got it. Don’t worry about that.” Anna nodded.

“Alright then! Well, I guess I should get started. See you ladies in an hour?”

“More than enough time.” she smiled at him.

“I love how you two just planned my whole day for me.” I chuckled, turning in my seat to start the jeep. I rolled the windows down as he got out and he stopped at my window, brushing his hand against my arm gently.

“Be safe driving, okay?” he said, quite vulnerably actually. My breathing hitched and I nodded my head as I stared into his bright eyes. He smiled kindly and patted the hood of the car to send me off before walking towards his house, lighting another cigarette.

I turned my head to back out, just to be met with Anna's large ‘tarded smile.

“God you’re such a crackhead.” I chuckled as she danced in her seat.

“He likes you, he likes you!” she sang, making me laugh. And she continued. “He likes yo booty, he wanna touch it-”

“OH MY GOD!” I screamed in laughter as we started for the hotel.

[tangerinewrites]

DAY 27-28: CAL

11/27-28/2020

wc: 3642

note: i really went off w this one... like im late.. but i went off 

He could imagine how every new student might feel upon arriving on campus for the first time. Sure, the switch from Mahoutokoro, a school in Iwo Jima, to Mokseong, a university in Busan, was not as large as others who could’ve come from Ilvermorny or Hogwarts. But it still felt nerve-wracking to be completely oblivious to his surroundings. The orientations given by the prefects were not exactly the most helpful for him.

He was one of the freshmen who many upperclassmen could spot from a mile away. His eyes were glued to his phone as he walked around campus, cluelessly wandering around until he was able to find his destination. Thankfully, not many people were paying much attention to him being a complete fool, but it still didn’t exactly help him figure out where his class was.

He wanders around the hallways more before he notices someone looking at him from across the hall. “Are you lost?” the someone—a girl—asks as she walks up to him.

He gives a shy laugh when she asks him that question. “Was it obvious?”

“A little, yeah,” she says with a small smile. “Where are you off to? I could help you out.”

“Are you sure?” his voice is filled with concern when he says that. “I don’t want to get you into trouble.”

"It’s okay! I can just say I was helping you out,” she answers her. “Answer my question though.”

"Oh! Right!” He’s a little flustered after the realization but he continues to go along with it. He hands the phone over to her. “It’s for Potions? It’s probably somewhere really obvious, but I’m a freshman so I’m kinda new to everything.

She takes a look at his phone and makes an “Ah” noise before handing him his phone back. “I actually had the same class last year! Let me lead you there.”

Not wanting there to be an awkward silence as they head on their way, Cal decides to get some small talk from the other. Some people seem to hate that method of trying to get rid of the awkwardness, but Cal didn’t. He’d rather talk to someone than to no one at all. “So… is Professor Jung nice?” he asks. “I thought I should ask, because you said you had her before.”

He watches her visibly think of how to answer his question. “Kind of? She’s strict and kinda scary, but she’s really smart and knows a lot about magic.” She shrugs. “I don’t know. I don’t really have to talk to her as much because I’m in Geumseong.”

Cal perks up. “Oh, for real? I am, too!” he says excitedly. “I guess we’ll be seeing each other more from now on, huh?”

When he shows his excitement, the other girl couldn’t help but giggle at him and it’s a laugh that automatically brings a smile to his face. “You’re adorable,” she responds. “Yeah! I guess we’ll be seeing each other.”

When they arrive at the front of the class, he doesn’t go in just yet. Though he acknowledges the fact that he’s late, he wasn’t going to leave without knowing who the other girl was. “I’m Kangmin! But I go by Cal. It’s short for Calvin.” He offers his hand for her to shake. “You?”

“Sojin. But you can call me Anais,” she says with a smile, shaking the hand he offered to her. As they both let go, she begins to go on her way. “Better get in there quick. Professor Jung is probably not too happy to see you coming late.”

“Oh! Shit-” his curse comes out in a whisper as he turns his foot and hurriedly walks into the classroom.

“You look a little distracted.”

When Anais calls him out on that, he immediately gets his attention back from gazing at Haejin and he feels his face go red when he realizes that he’s made it obvious enough for the other to point out. “Was I being obvious?” he asks, concern filling his tone.

“A little, yeah,” she responds with a grin. She scoots in closer to him at the table they sat together on the castle grounds. “So? Who is it! Who does little Cal have his eye on?”

“Don’t be so loud about it!” he says with a shy tone, but that doesn’t seem to wipe off the smile on her face. He brings his voice to a whisper. “Park Haejin. He’s a freshman in Toseong.”

“Ooh! I’ve seen him before! He’s cute! Kinda sexy, too.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “Are bad boys your type?”

“Wh- No! That’s not-” He finds himself getting even more embarrassed, so he takes a deep breath to calm down. Curse Anais for teasing him this way. “I don’t like him in that way. I used to be his friend back when we were kids. We were super close, but then I moved to the States.” When he thinks about America, he tries his best not to let his mind wander around that subject too much. “He is- was really important to me. So I can’t help but like… wonder how he’s doing and stuff.”

After hearing his explanation, she pouts. “Aw… I’m sorry, Cal,” she says before reaching out for his hand to give it a comforting rub. “Why don’t you two try to reconnect? Do you have some classes together? Clubs, even?”

“We’re in Transfiguration, DADA, and Duelling, I think?” he recounts. “And we do have a few classes together. I don’t know. Sometimes, he doesn’t really seem interested in me.”

“You don’t know that for sure, though,” she continues consoling him. “It’s been years since y’all have talked, right? Sure, some things might’ve changed about him, but he could still be the same boy you’ve known before.”

“Mm… maybe,” he says with a shrug and a sigh.

“Maybe you could start studying with him?” she suggests. “You’re super smart in your classes, right? You guys could be able to help each other out or something, assuming he’s also smart.”

When Cal hears the idea, he starts to consider it just a little. Mainly because not only would be a benefit for the both of them academically, he could also take it as an opportunity to reconnect with the other again. “You know what? That doesn’t sound too bad of an idea,” he responds with a big smile. “Yeah! I’ll do it!”

The response makes the other smile “When you both get married, make sure to invite me.”

"OH my GOD, ANNIE.”

Cal hasn’t really experienced much jealousy. Well, at least before this.

When the boy started noticing that Anais began to hang out with him less, he couldn’t help but be a little upset about it. Maybe not a little, since the person she’s been hanging out with the most out of everyone is Kang mother-fucking Levi. He has a lot of grievances with the boy. One being the fact that after he essentially confessed his feelings for him and was convinced that the both of them were a thing, he was only proven to be wrong when he sees him hanging around Anais after that.

Rather than getting mad at her, considering the fact that she was his friend, he instead found himself being frustrated with the other boy. Whenever he saw them together, he felt his previous good mood turn sour. It felt uncomfortable to watch them be so… romantic with each other.

“I really don’t see why you have such a problem with him, Cal,” she responds to him after he makes an ugly facial expression at the mention of him.

“I don’t know. Maybe because he’s such an asshole and you clearly deserve someone better?” he responds in a sassy tone before he huffs. “Seriously? You’re gonna date that asshole over literally anyone else?

“Who would you rather me be with then?” she asks the boy. “If not him, then who?”

He shrugs. “Literally anyone but him.”

The girl sighs and shakes her head. “Calvin, you’re ridiculous.”

“Why are you calling me that?” he asks with a pout.

“Why are you being such a child about this?” she asks, putting her hands on her hips as she looks up at him.

Cal groans. “I’m leaving,” he says before he turns his heel to leave the room.

“You’re being very immature!” she yells after him leaving.

There were times where Cal found himself glancing at Anais’s lips more than he normally would. Sometimes while she was talking, he’d unconsciously glance at them from time to time before getting a hold of himself. Back when she and Levi were a thing, he’d always wondered what it’d be like to have those lips on his. Not for any specific reason, really. It’s just simply because of the fact that he liked how they looked. Sure, he thought about them from time to time, but friends have thoughts like that…

Right?

Cal’s been kissed plenty of times in the past. Hell, his lips have even been touched by KANG LEVI of all people. He’s been kissed for platonic, romantic, and sexual reasons and he could tell the difference between all three.

A lot of realizations happen in this moment as he’s making out with her in this moment. He definitely has thought about kissing Anais in the sexual way before, but he wasn’t really aware of it until now as they’re kissing in the Geumseong dorm halls. Not only that, but her lips felt very soft against his.

And this was obviously a given, but she was a really good kisser. One who really knew how to use her tongue.

He mentally curses at himself when he feels his dick twitch from how hot this was. And it was definitely obvious that Anais felt something too, given the fact that she pulsl away from him and smirks as her hands move down to his crotch, her fingers touching him ever so slightly. “Looks like someone’s been excited for this, huh?” she asks teasingly. “You could’ve just asked me to kiss you if you’ve been holding in this much excitement for this long.”

“Annieee!” he whines from underneath her, only to interrupt himself with a moan as she starts to palm him.

“Am I wrong?” she asks, continuing the motion as she watches the boy fall apart because of her. She leans in to whisper in his ear, making Cal senses heighten just from the distance closing more as time passes. “I think the both of us know what you really want. Just say the words and I’ll do it for you.”

He’s speechless at this point, only thinking about the pleasure that the girl was giving him. But even with that said, she had a point: they did know what he want. And with how this was going, all Cal wanted was for it to progress.

"Please,” he starts, his voice coming out desperate as he says that. “Do whatever you want to me. I want you now.”

She smiles as she uses her other hand to pat his blue hair. “Good boy~ I knew you couldn’t resist,” she says warmly. She moves both her hands away from him, later using one to grab his hand. “Let’s go to my room then, hm? We can continue this from there.”

Though he was whining without her touch, his eyes suddenly light up as she says the last sentence. “Really? We’re going to do this?” he asks excitedly.

Her smile grows into a grin as she watches his reaction. “You’re so excitable. Little spitfire.” She goes on her toes to get better eye contact with him. “I’m going to call you Calcifer. Is that okay?”

The sound of that nickname sounds like music to his ears, especially with the fact that it came from her. Cal alone was already a nickname, but the fact that they both had their own nicknames for each other made Cal feel special. “Okay!” he beams. “I’m your Calcifer.”

She leans in to give him soft kiss on the lips, which is funny considering the situation they were in right now. “Only mine, okay? No one can call you that.”

After she says that, she pulls him into her room as soon as they arrive at her door. After making sure that her dorm mate wasn’t there, she closes the door behind her before leading him to her bed, pushing him to fall onto it before climbing on top of him. It was one thing to see Anais take authority in any situation she’s in, but it was another to be able to experience it for himself.

She kisses him hungrily, making him kiss her back with the same force before pulls away to take off his shirt. As soon as it’s off, she begins to kiss her way down from his jawline to his nipples. He tries his best to crane his neck so that he could see what she was doing before he feels the need to throw his head back as she begins to play around with one of them by using her tongue.

After some time, she stops playing around with them to look at him as she unbuckles the belt on his jeans before popping the button. As she slides, the pants down, she looks up at him with a devilish smile. “Look at you, Calcifer,” she teases as she stares at his erection through his briefs. “You’re so easy to rile up. So hard for me already.”

His face had already been red because of all that was happening, but the comment definitely makes him try to cover his face before holds out to grab his arm.

“Hey.. don’t do that,” she says softly. “You look so pretty like this. I want to see all your pretty faces, Calcifer.”

Such a comment is enough to make him pout, but he follows the other’s orders as he puts his hands back to his side. “Are you going to touch me?” he asks.

“Is that what you want me to do?”

He nods his head.

“Then of course I am,” she says with a smile before she brings his pants down to the ground. As she moves her way off the bed to kneel onto the ground next to it, she pulls the other’s briefs down from his position. “Sit up, baby.” When he does as he’s told, the girl is able to slide off the briefs easily. Immediately, she wraps her hand around his cock and he shudders from the feeling of her fingers. She eyes him as she begins to move her hand up and down his length, gaining a song of needy moans coming from his mouth.

“Shit, Annie.” The comment makes her laugh.

“You’re so cute,” she replies, smiling the moment she hears him whine. She suddenly slows down the pace, making him whimper at the loss of her touch even if it was just for a few seconds. But it doesn’t take her long before she moves her head forward so that she could press a kiss to his tip, later licking the precum leaking off of it. She smirks at him before she moves her head down to begin sucking on his cock, moving her head down further as she did so.

Overwhelmed by pleasure, especially with how her mouth felt all around him, he gasps before he loudly moans. “Fuck, please, Annie,” he moans, throwing his head back as a reaction to what she was doing him. She was making him feel so good that he wondered to himself why didn’t he get to do this with her before? After all, it’s been a year since they’ve first met each other. But if there was anything he knew about Anais, he knew that sticking around with her would give him a chance to see what was also up her sleeve.

And if she was going to fill the dominant role in this mutual agreement of being friends with benefits, he was definitely fine with this becoming regular for them.

Her pace goes quicker and so does the feeling of her tongue against his dick. With how tonight was going, he felt himself very much unable to handle it any longer. “Annie, I’m so close,” he warns. “Please let me come. Please.”

At the mention of that, she quickly moves her head away from his mouth before letting her thumb play around with his sensitive tip. “Hm? And why should I?” she asks with a devious smile. “Surely you can come up with reasons on why you deserve to come, Calcifer.”

He whines loudly. “Annie, please. I’m so desperate!” he whines, feeling his thighs shake as he tries his best to control it because of her words. “If I hold it in any longer, it’ll be too much. Please.”

She shakes her head as she continues to tease him, making him look at her desperately at this point.

“Mommy, please.”

She immediately perks at the sound of the pet name. “What did you just call me?” she asks him for clarification.

His face gets red. “I’m not gonna say it again! It’s embarrassing-”

“Say it again, Calvin.”

She prepares to continue with the teasing before he whines aloud. “Mommy!” he says, sounding close to tears as he says that.

When she hears him say it again, she couldn’t help but giggle “How cute~” she teases. “Okay, baby. You can come. Just because you said it so cutely.”

After being given the go, he releases immediately, following on his backside as he tries to catch his breath from how overwhelming everything felt for him. He pants as he tries to catch his breath, looking up at Anais, now standing up straight. It felt a little embarrassing to know that he was practically the only one fully naked in this situation while she pleased him like he asked.

“How do you feel?” she asks with a smile.

“I feel good,” he answers with a nod. He then decides to sit up straight so that he could be able to talk to the other. “But what about you? You need to have some fun, too.”

“Oh,” she responds. She shakes her head and throws her hand forward to make a limp wrist motion. “Nah, it’s fine. I can take care of that myself.”

He shakes his head as he uses whatever strength he had in him to push himself up to go up to her. “No. I want to make you feel good too.”

There’s a silence that follows after he says that, but it’s interrupted after Anais smiles at him. “Okay. You can help make me feel good then, Calcifer,” she says as she pulls him in for a kiss. “And I can teach you how to.”

Though he was a little exhausted, he nods excitedly. “Okay. I’ll do anything you tell me to.”

It was always the same. He would be in the body of eleven year old boy waking up in the hospital wing, looking to his side to see no cards or gifts left for him despite the fact that he got into some trouble with the resident bullies. Not even a single person he had run into had come to visit him. But the longer he looks at that clean table, it turns into a hole in which he can look inside of.

Inside the hole was the bathroom of that boy’s dorm, but the whole scene was black and white. The boy would stare longingly at the mirror in front of him as he watched the mirror as it etched the words in “black” paint:

“THE WORLD DOESN’T NEED YOU.

EVERYONE WOULD BE FINE IF YOU WERE GONE.”

And as the words dripped onto the mirror, the entire view would turn from black to red.

At this point, he’d wake up.

Cal had experienced these nightmares before. It’s not like it’s the first time they’ve made an appearance, as he’s seen these dreams since his second year of Mahoutokoro. Even though he knows how it goes every time and he shouldn’t be as shaken up by it, he couldn’t help but be so affected by it. If anything, it just proves how ironic it was. Here he was, acting as if he had moved on from the events that triggered such nightmares, only to be proven wrong every other night he gets them.

He doesn’t notice how loud his gasp was until he hears audible groaning coming from next to him. Fuck. That’s right. He just hooked up with Anais tonight and he didn’t feel like going back to his dorm. Thankfully it doesn’t wake her up. Perhaps the groaning came from something else then.

The longer he looks at her sleeping peacefully (or at least that’s what he assumes), he finds himself calming down. A lot of movies he’s watched in the past liked to make a scene like this seem romantic. Of course, there were the cynical who would point out how the idea of watching someone sleep was alarming or creepy. But he thinks, in this context, he wasn’t being creepy. Or at least he hopes he’s not.

Not that he wanted it to seem like he was looking at her in a romantic light. It was just a thought. He was looking at her in the most platonic way possible.

As he finally calms down, he tries his best to lie back down and close his eyes before convincing himself to eventually fall asleep a few minutes later. Before he drifted off, a thought appeared in his head of how he hoped that the girl next to him wouldn’t leave his side. He couldn’t feign the feeling of being perfectly fine on his own, let alone a close friend like her.

Yeah. A close friend.

[sepiadice]

3/19/2018: Oh, right, combat mechanics!

We’re getting a lot of sessions in in an alarmingly short time frame. It’s messing up my evenings. Got work early in the morning.

Sure, I could just skip a session, but then I’d miss the fun! And I couldn’t maintain my rigorous journalist ethics of reporting the events here, on this RPG blog no one follows.[1]

In other, tangential news before I actually get to the session report: Genesys. Seems like an interesting system. I bought the dice, and am resisting the urge to purchase the book itself until I know I’ve got players to test it with. From what I’ve read and hear second hand from Campaign Podcast, it has serious potential to dethrone GURPS in my heart.[2]

But first I want to try my GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Boxed Set out. Then I’ll consider experimenting with Genesys.

Only time will tell.

Okay, enough distraction. Let’s summarize Session Three!

We begin with a small retcon concerning Rufus’s vanishment (there’s now ashes left behind),[3] then to our party standing on the beach.

We have a serious talk about our current motivations. Teddi and Solomon are in the ‘Don’t/can’t care about this lower world, let’s get home.’

Roseveil, a bard looking for a good story, is totally on board with seeing what’s with the new land.

Solomon compromised by suggesting the party explores the wreckage of the island we fell on and one of the craters on the way towards the general vicinity of where Golt is, for reasons explained last write-up.

As for immediate action, the party decided to go to the next town over, a place called Cherry.

Quick debate about whether we wanted to wade through the grabage sea or wait for the tank-sub drive (who is actually named Darren) to take us on his rounds in a few days so we won’t have to walk as far through the wastes.

Team immediate movement won out, and we walked to Cherry.

Cherry was a bunch of exciting events.

Entering, we’re given the options of a lighthouse, a church, a bungalow, and a library. Teddi, deciding she’s going on a subquest to collect all of Nicholas’s journal pages,[4] tries the library.

It’s a much smaller establishment than Julep’s, so Teddi finds nothing as Anaise steals the librarian’s fish. With such underwhelming results, the library team goes to wait for everyone else to return from the lighthouse and bungalow.

The lighthouse was much more exciting. First of all, climbing to the top gave those who climbed up the ability to see some unusual activity happening on the sea.[5]

Then, in the basement, were corpses of a bunch of merfolk, recognizable as the same as the blue guy we found on the beach last session. So that’s foreboding.

Those who went to the bungalow (I forgot who specifically went where)[6] return with more plot hooks: they got a drunk guy to take them to a prison under the mayor's house(? and met a jailed merfolk! There’s two submerged cities, and the one the prisoner’s from is being attacked by an evil earth elemental. So… that’s probably a good answer for who strangled the first merfolk we found.

Also, they found a random rogue lady named Lucy who comes from Alonzee, but an Alonzee that wasn’t a floating island, so that’s interesting.

Lucy easily gets out of her cell and agrees to join our group, but from a distance.

While the Bungalow faction updates the party, Lucy sneaks off and gets killed by a party of Worms.

Which is unfortunate. Lucy was one of the few leads we had.

The city guard collect her body and bring it to a building to investigate it. Teddi, Anais, and Rose sneak in to investigate themselves, but don’t really learn much new.

Gabe  checks outside the city walls, and sees an orcish man with two parasites on chains. Gabe attempts parlay, when an unseen Worm throws a dagger at him.

Combat ensues. Teddi does major damage to the two parasites, while two of the ‘Worms’ are felled by the rest of the team, a third taken hostage. Gabriel makes the final kill, and takes the man’s shortsword.

This is the first time Gabriel’s killed someone, and he throws up.[7]

The party bard, Rose, casts Charm Person on our captive, and there’s a short interrogation to learn why. Turns out, Worms are actually pretty feral people, and they killed Lucy for giggles.

Also, based on information gathering earlier in the session, most Worms are like the three we just fought, with one particularly insidiously intelligent Worm wandering about.[9]

Anyways, seeing as there was no ulterior motive to Lucy’s murder, the party discusses what to do with our prisoner.

Rose wants to kill him in fear of retaliation for Charming him, but everyone else refuses that idea. He’s tied up and no longer a threat, so killing him now would be unconscionable.

Turning him in to Cherry’s authorities would probably lead to a kangaroo court at best, but most likely the Worm would just be immediately executed.

After some convincing, Rose agrees to order the captive to walk away.

Then Gabriel retires to his tent to have a bad time processing having to kill someone.

Teddi patiently waits for a low point in his crying session before she enters the tent to talk Gabe through it.

Teddi is turning out to be a tough love sort of person. She’s not cruel or mean and sincerely wants to help, but she no reason to sugarcoat anything.

She’s clear that Gabe did start the fight by trying to confront the killers, but it was the Worms who escalated it to violence so he’s not to blame. Teddi calls on her experience as a criminal to note that killing[10] never gets easier, but the fallout Gabriel’s experiencing gets less severe.

Then she blatantly steals a bread roll or some other insubstantial object, waving it at Gabe and saying ‘I’m stealing this’ and walking away.

Y’know, as a quick goof to normalize the evening and move on.

While this is happening, the GM steps out with the two players who decided to investigate the church instead of fighting. In game, they’re gone for a long time, so Solomon and the nameless kid go to investigate.

At the church, Sol finds ash like that found in Rufus’s tent when he vanished and no sign of Anais and Silver (half-elf sorcerer). Examining a mirror inside the church, Solomon sees a man and a Tiefling in a loincloth looking back.

Solomon pulls out his own mirror and looks around the area, discovering that what’s in the mirror isn’t one-to-one with our reality.

Then, like what Dahlia did in the first session, a fold in reality opens briefly, Silver pokes her head out, then goes back behind it.

End of session!

Not much material for Teddi this time until she talks with Gabe, but that’s fine. Large group and Teddi got material last session.

Mysteries are mounting. Hopefully answers will be coming soon. Or, at least, Teddi gets home. Because it sucks down here.

Until next time, may your dice make things interesting.

[1] Day I started writing this, someone tumblr-liked three of my anime CanvasReviews essays, which is an irregular event. [2] Considering GURPS is how I was introduced to the hobby over fifteen years ago and instilled a lot of my gaming values, that’s pretty major. [3] Which, in hindsight, the GM could’ve later handwaved as pine marten Anaise collapsing a tent on top of the evidence. [4] Have to get all the collectibles if you want the true ending! [5] I’ve forgotten what, specifically, but Teddi wasn’t there anyways, so it’s fine? [6] Lots of players. It blends together. Might even have events mixed up. [7] Probably a better reason than when Tybalt tossed cookies after being pulled off an airship.[8] [8] Still a good memory. When you can say ‘I need someone to push me off’ and have another player immediately take you up, you know you’ve got a good group dynamic. [9] Almost certainly Worm from session one. [10] I’m not sure if Teddi herself has killed anyone, but she’d never do so intentionally.

[toonsforkicks22]

TAWOG-The Guy’s Feels

He knew the moment he pulled out his tape measure, she was already questioning their rekindled friendship. It wasn’t that Josh was psychotic or anything, just a believer in conspiracy theories and other strange stuff. Anais’ brothers were possibly the strangest things outside books and media.  

Still, his rambling about some frog named Kratok ruling in the near future seemed to not enlighten Anais in any way at all. Just a few seconds ago they were by each other’s side, grinning with giddiness. It was a feeling that Josh never felt around most people (especially around her brothers). And he just had to screw it up and make her think he was some kind of secret society freak.

Yes, he enjoyed looking up possible secrets of the universe. Yes, he loved to switch the letters of product names and determine some kind of secret code. He especially enthralled in the literature of an amazing world where anything was possible. Something he imagined on a daily basis because things around him were typically boring…

Except Anais. She was the most interesting moment to happen to him. He became her weirdest, unless her brothers were already taking that first place spot.

Once Josh explained plans to make a pod her size, he watched as the younger kid grew dejected. It was almost as if he crushed her hope in some way, and it wasn’t until Gumball started rubbing it in her face did it dawn on Josh. She figured something was wrong with him, and he couldn’t blame her.

After some bitter rebuttal at Gumball to shut it, Anais simply said to Josh she would seem him later and began to walk away. Not wanting to lose her again just after fixing their friendship, he immediately asked if she wanted to hang out after school for ice cream. He mentally cheered despite she had given him a less than pleasant okay.

School was done, and, as he had hoped, Anais met him at the front doors just as everyone was pouring out. Her brothers were nowhere to be seen, thank goodness. Josh was relieved he could hang out in peace with Anais, without either of those two spying for any “illegal activity” on his part.

That might as well been what Anais was expecting, because the latter hardly said a word as she walked beside Josh. Her pink ears drooped back like dead grass, not in the usually perked up position he remembered from the first time they met. Her expression was unreadable, as if she desired to be anywhere than where she was headed. And who she was headed with. Her eyes focused forward, not even taking a moment to glance at her side nor bat him a lash.

Yup, he was pretty sure she was regretting this…

When they entered the parlor, Josh held the door open for her. She gave him an appreciative smile, but it didn’t last, her expression resorting back to dismay. His heart could not have descended anymore, but he still pulled a seat for her first anyway. After they ordered, not even the music blaring from the intercom could break the silence between them.

Josh twiddled his fingers, his eyes shifting from the table they sat at to Anais, whose eyes never left the sight of her own curled fist. She didn’t dare look at him, her lip biting over her bottom one, as if she was trying to think of an excuse not to be here.

Suddenly, he started to realize just how hard it must have been for her in this situation: wondering if the whole friendship thing was a lie or loneliness didn’t seem so bad after all. Good grief, how the roles have reversed...

“So, um, Anais,” he began carefully, although the latter still didn’t look up at him, “do you come to this place often?”

“Pretty much,” the pink rabbit muttered despondently. “It’s where I usually go if I’m having a hard time making friends. Or basically did make friends, but they turn out to be something else. So I wallow in grief and self-hatred here until I’m absorbed in a new belief that opportunity could come again.”

Josh wasn’t sure if that was a verbal jab at him, or Anais being honest about herself. Well, considering her brothers had tried to catch him “in the act”, that should have been the first red flag. Something told him he probably wasn’t the first person she approached in hopes of making a friend.

“Speaking of new belief,” she spoke with sarcastic nonchalance, “is a possibly photoshopped frog just one of the ‘rulers’ you worship, or is there a high chance you’re probably worshipping big, overrated gems too?”

Okay, now he was pretty sure that was a jab at him…

As his eyes locked on Anais, he could sense hinted callous. Although he only knew her for a few days, he never believed she would be that type of person. Yet with brothers like hers, who could blame her for the attitude shift?

The conspiracy theorist sighed. “Look, Anais, I’m pretty sure I must be freaking you out...”

“You think?” she demanded, her voice raising just above a pitch. “When Gumball and Darwin tried to convince me something was wrong with you, I defended you every single time. I thought I was the problem in this entire situation! And just when we made up, you turn out to be a member of some bogus society!”

“That’s what I told my mom!” Josh admitted, throwing his hands up. “How do you think I felt when she told me about this group that praises Kratok?”

Anais folded her arms, giving him a rather questionable look. “Oh, come on, I’m pretty sure you were taught since birth about this stuff.”

Josh gave her an unamused expression. “Did your parents ever teach you how to be a genius?”

“Of course not!” she retorted. “I was born great! I became a genius!”

There was a pause. Suddenly, her ears lowered and her cheeks began to heat up as she regarded him curiously.

“Wait...you think I’m a genius?” she asked in a meek tone.

“Isn’t obvious?” Josh answered politely.

Already Anais’ cheeks were growing hotter, so hot they could melt all the ice cream in the parlor. Which was better said than done as an old man behind their table was about to taste his sundae. It was already sinking into creamy soup in his bowl. The individual gazed down at it with both disgust and disappointment, wondering how that even happened.

“Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?” he asked himself, pulling the collar of his shirt as sweat began to pour down the side of his head.

Neither Anais nor Josh heard him, the former unable to control the grin that grew across her face. Josh offered one in return, blushing mildly with embarrassment.

“Um, no one’s really said that me before...” she confessed, trying to suppress a girlish giggle. “Well, unless you count being called that out of malevolence or inevitable jealousy because it’s true.”

“Well, you are the smartest girl in school,” Josh expressed sincerely. “I mean, you’re not even 12 and already ahead of your brothers.”

She clasped a hand over her mouth, trying not to erupt with even more giggles. Compliments came rarely to her, unless they were brought with a massive dose of sarcasm (usually from Gumball). She nearly forgot that just hours ago she found out Josh was part of some abnormal-thinking group. Before she found out about that, the first time they met, she did find him incredibly nice. And so sweet given he didn’t run away from her in terror like everyone else did.

However, her smile disappeared, and fear overcame her.

“Wait...” she began nervously. “You’re not just feeding me compliments to persuade me to be part of your Kratok-loving belief society, are you?”

Internally hurt, Josh brushed it aside. “Of course not,” he insisted. “I meant what I said.”

Anais felt regretful for even asking that. She leaned against her seat, rubbing her fingers together. “Right, I’m sorry...But earlier at the playground, when you were measuring my size for a pod-”

“Force of a habit,” Josh admitted. “My mom does it so much that somehow I just end up doing the same too.”

She gazed at him hopefully. “So...you’re not crazy.”

“Crazy for you,” he told her teasingly. “Is that going to be a problem?”

This time Anais couldn’t stop giggling, and her cheeks were more red than the cherries of patrons’ already melting sundaes. Neither of the kids noticed, simply absorbed in each other’s company.

Josh grinned, having always enjoyed this side of Anais. When she was calm, sincere, and courteous, it was why he really did cherish their friendship. When she took after her brothers, usually he would just have to grin and bear it. But right now she was the same girl who approached him at the playground. That same fun, silly, cool girl.

After fixing her giggles, Anais regarded him with a pleasant gaze. “So...you’re part of some society that worships an amphibian, but you’re-”

“Not crazy like my mom and her followers,” Josh said. “This is just a family thing and, well, I love my family. Sometimes the things they do just rub on me so much that I end up doing the same.”

“Well, that’s actually comforting to hear,” Anais admitted. “I’m really sorry for my attitude earlier. I really do think you’re a good friend, even though you are a little weird.”

Josh’s cheeks reddened as much as hers, and in the background Larry was screaming as tubs of ice cream began to melt, overflowing the counters in flavored waterfalls.

“Why is it so hot in here?” he screamed before dashing to grab a mop.

“Well, I really, really think you’re a good friend,” Josh told Anais, having not heard the commotion in the background at all. “Even though you have some weird siblings.”

“I get that a lot,” she chuckled, fiddling with one of her drooped ears.

“And for the record,” he added with a tender smile, “even it wasn’t for Kratok and all that stuff, I would still build you a pod. Just to keep you safe in case the world gets attacked by some void or whatever.”

“Aww!” Anais cooed, clutching her chest. “That’s the sweetest, most absurd thing anyone’s ever said to me!”

The heat was unbearable for the parlor. People were slipping on melted ice cream, and Larry was trying to conceal the fire that conveniently erupted from the selection bar.

“How does this even happen?” he cried, watching as ice cream literally caught on fire.

Once again, neither of the kids noticed. Anais was too lost in Josh’s eyes to even hear the screams of angry and disgusted people over a day of ice cream ruined. She rested her elbows on the table, hands supporting her head in such a manner, it was as if she was admiring a work of art.

“So, since we’re really, really friends again...” she began, lowering her eyelids, “tell me, what are your thoughts on marriage?”

“Oh, well, I think it’s a nice thing,” Josh responded casually.

However, his eyebrows immediately rose after slowly processing her question.

“Wait, WHAT?” he exclaimed.

THE END

@flutteringpie 

[atlaswriting]

She hasn’t stopped glaring at me since we both squished into the back of the Prius our uber picked us up in. Her jaw clenches subtly and I finally decided to reach over, knot our fingers together and pull the back of her hand to my mouth. My lips leave a dark pink imprint on her skin. She sighs and pulls her hand away, “You could’ve just said who he was.” She tells me, using her skirt to wipe the lipstick off.

“Not funny, Elise.” She tells me, lower lip puffing into a pout. “Using your sick sense of humor to deflect isn’t a healthy coping mechanism and if you’re starting to feel sick again—,”

I breathe out sharply just as our new home comes into view, “Up on the right will be fine, thank you.” I tell the driver, she nods and pulls up. I look over at Laney, “Listen, I’m fine. Nothing is wrong, it’s just best we stay as far away from Abram and his jailbait princess as we can.”

“You sound jealous.”

Rolling my eyes I thank the driver and leave, watching as the movers bring the last of our things inside.

“Elise,” something in Delaney’s tone immediately breaks my conversation with a mover and I look over, “you spoke to soon.”

Brows knit together; I trail her stare slowly until my eyes fall on them. “Oh I’m going to kill Ellie.” I step forward but Laney’s hand curls around my wrist. “I’m not literally going to murder her, Delaney,” her features soften, “I have nowhere to hide the body if I do—I suppose I could just throw her out to sea, but that would make things complicated for Brighton—,”

“Elise!” Laney chastises.

I lean over, press a kiss to her cheek and take her hand, “They’re almost done. Let’s go say hi to our new neighbors.”

/ / / / / / / /

My calves are burning by the time we reach the others on the beach, heels held delicately between thumb and pointer I brush my hair out of my face with my free hand—“Aunt Elise!” Brighton wiggles free and runs toward me, “Momma said you were coming, but I wasn’t supposed to tell.” My frustration melts away the moment she’s in my arms and I squeeze her tight, not allowing my thoughts to linger toward Theo—wonder if he’d be as big as she is, wonder if he’d be as smart.

“I didn’t even tell daddy,” she announces proudly.

I nod, kissing her cheek and letting her drop into the sand, she looks closely at Delaney who smiles at her and waves. “Brighton,” I begin, “Can you tell me where mommy lives?” she laughs a high-pitched squeal, as if I’d told her the funniest joke before pointing to the house we were standing behind. “And can you tell me where Uncle Abram lives?” another laugh followed by an aunt elise, that’s a silly question. “I know bug, but enlighten me.” She points again.

Something heavy settles in my gut and chugging my iced latte felt like a bad idea as caramel and espresso fight their way up my throat.

“When you said I’d be living close to you I thought maybe a block or two,” I say to her flatly, “I didn’t think I’d be in your backyard. Ellie, you should have—,”

“Who’s hungry?” She claps her hands together.

“Ellie.”

“Elise,” one of her eyebrows quirk and when Abram isn’t looking she offers me a sly smirk.

I sigh, “Fine. I’m hungry.”

Delaney snaps her neck in my direction, reaches for my hand and parts her lips to speak but Ellie beats her, “Perfect. I’ll have dinner ready in twenty minutes.”

/ / / / / / / /

“I didn’t know you lived here.” I say to Abram. Laney sits on the floor with Brighton coloring while Stassi focusing on braiding their hair. “If I’d known—,”

For the first time in five years I catch his eyes. Heartbreak is an old friend that sneaks back into my house, sits on the porch and digs her nails into my skin. Unanswered questions nip at the tip of my tongue, turn rancid and no amount of wine in my cup makes it easier to swallow.

He parts his lips, casts a careful glance toward Stassi and then back at me.

Before he can say anything that will disarm the both of us, I load my gun, cock it and fire, “If I would have known, I wouldn’t have moved in.”

Breaking eye contact, I pull myself up and down the glass of wine before moving into the kitchen.

“I hate you,” I say to Ellie while rounding the island, “I hate you.”

She rolls her eyes, tosses together a salad and puts it on the table, “Hate me all you want, but hate me in that beautiful house.” As she stirs together something in a pan I lean against the counter, pouring another ( very full ) glass of wine.

“This is so fucked, El. You get that right? We’ve both moved on—this isn’t some—,”a knot tightens in my throat, chokes me quiet and my eyes magnate toward the floor.

“Have you, though?” Her voice becomes quieter, “Moved on, Elise. Have you? You can kiss whoever you want with your eyes closed. But is it her you’re really thinking about before you go to sleep?”

I glare at Ellie, wishing then that looks could kill. I can’t respond because she yells supper and Brighton runs into the dining room, trailed by the other three.

Sitting at the table between Brighton and Delaney, I fork around the food on my plate.

“I don’t want to make this weird,” Stassi giggles in-between bites of food; her glass of wine hardly touched but her face is flushed. “But I love your book. I’ve read it like five times.”

“I’m so happy the—,” words weren’t too big for you, is what I want to say but Laney delivers a soft kick to my ankle; “subject matter wasn’t too disturbing for you.” I smile, but my teeth are time bombs that I clench to keep calm. A pause, “Are you even old enough to drink?”

Abram stares at me from across the table, rolls his eyes and says, “As if you waited to drink?”

“So, Abram,” I say turning my attention onto him, “I’m surprised to even see you here, no big golf game today?” Fingers tighten around my fork, “Maybe you should join a tournament, you sure have practiced enough.”

It becomes impossible to breathe—locked in a chamber with no air its fight for flight: I look over at Ellie, “Thanks for the dinner, Els. But Laney and I have got to go finish unpacking.” I lean over and kiss the top of Brighton’s head, “Come over whenever you want, Bug, door’s always open for you.”

/ / / / / / / /

( via twitter @lislaire )

If her favorite show was Hannah Montana, she’s too young for you bro.

I get the feeling the @lakings dynasty is going to end with @siohair…. Anybody else?

Was just about to drunk tweet something but @doakes took away my phone. So now I’m drunk-typing like a heathen!

Tbh, I don’t think about you enough to hate you anymore.

/ / / / / / / /

When I told my dad to bring a few friends to make the event a little less dull, I didn’t think he’d bring half of the motley crew Kings team behind him.

“Dad,” I say sharply, “This is not a frat party.”

He pulls me into a tight hug, “It’s for charity. Besides, who’s better to bring to something like this than guys with pockets too deep and too little sense left?”

Delaney is mid-conversation with Doughty and Toffoli when I sneak my way in. Their ties hang loose around their necks and judging by the dark circles under Drew’s eyes he looks like he’s been hung-over for three days in a row. “I’m just saying, don’t they look identical?” He asks.

“Who?”

Drew points out Adrian in the corner talking to a small brunette and then at Abram who starts walking toward us, the sleeves of his button down rolled to his elbow. I tighten my grip achingly around my champagne glass.

“Dyer and Kempe?” Tyler takes a drink of his beer, “I just don’t see it, dude.  I think you’re still drunk.”

I leave Laney again, this time in Anais’ safe keepings, as I seek out the bathroom. I thought I could do this. Thought I could re-live my trauma, thought I could survive it this time. But his name still holds me by the throat, still bares their nasty teeth and bites down.

‘ It’s for a good cause ’ I repeat: again and again until the words no longer feel. Hands grip the cool porcelain of the sink. I tell myself that the money raised tonight will help women in worse situations survive the baby that didn’t survive them. There’s a knock at the door and part of me hopes its Laney, hopes she could sense my desperation to leave—to run, but when I open the door it’s Abram.

“God, Abram. Now isn’t the time.” I half-beg, turning back toward the sink, I grow increasingly aware at how short the hem of my dress is. He closes the door behind me, “Merde! Are you kidding me? There’s another bathroom, you know.”

[areswriting]

a x e : xxiii

Tongue pressing hard against my cheek, I watch Yousef escort Elise through the crowd until they are swallowed whole by suits, fancy dresses and flashing lights. I thought watching her with Jason was bad—but at least I knew that was fake.

“Le vert n'est pas la couleur d'un bâtard,” says Cerise. I look at her, and she’s smirking. “Perhaps you should have stayed at school? You don’t look right at an event like this.”

Though I feel heat flooding my face, I force a kind smile. “Had Elise not personally invited me, I would have loved nothing more than to stay behind.”

Cerise’s smirk turns into a look of anger and she grabs me by the elbow, her long, fake nails digging into sleeve. “You will never be one of us,” she hisses. “You can dress the part, but everyone will always know you are nothing more than recycled waste. Deep down, I know that’s how Elise feels—you’re nothing more than a childish act of rebellion to her.”

“Recycling is good for the environment, Mrs. O’Hair,” I reply, patting the hand that digs harder into my suit. “So maybe I’m the one doing the charity work for you.”  

Cerise’s face turns red in an instant and I notice her free hand flinch, however she keeps her composure and instead of slapping me in the face, she unclamps her hand and smooths out her dress. Stepping closer, she presses her lips into a thin line. “My name is Cerise Allaire, soon to be Allaire-Rose, and you will not speak to me in that manner. You stand to inherit nothing from Malachi, and the minute you turn eighteen I will see to it myself that your bags are packed and you are gone for good.”

“Now my feelings are hurt,” I say, placing my hand over my heart. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got bastardly things to do.”

“There is no excuse for you, boy,” she says, swatting the air.

I bow to her, smile unwavering, before I turn and walk away.

I maneuver through the unmoving bodies until I find someone I recognize. Jason stands, shoulders tense, listening to a man whose back is facing me. I put my hand on the man’s shoulder as I squeeze by, saying, “Pardon me.”

When the man turns, my heart jumps into my throat.

“Abram?” says Malachi, looking as shocked as I feel. “What are you doing here?”

“I—”

“I invited him, Dad,” says Jason as he pulls me away from our father.

Malachi looks me up and down, while I stare back with wide eyes, taking in his freshly colored all black hair.

“At least you look presentable,” he says, meeting my gaze. “And I’m sure you’ll be on your best behaviour? This is a big night for Cerise.”

“You won’t even know I’m here,” I vow.

“Oh, but I will,” he says as he adjust his tie. “And so will the press. Cerise is formally announcing our engagement and the union of Rose Publishing and Vogue—they will want family pictures.”

“Is Sienna here?” asks Jason.

Malachi rolls his eyes. “No, neither are your other sisters. We’ll do a proper family photoshoot for Forbes before the wedding.”

“Is Gigi here?” I ask.

“Somewhere, unfortunately,” says Malachi as he looks behind us.

I feel a certain type of joy and a weight lifting off of my shoulders; so much in fact that I have to keep myself from running through the crowd, yelling for her like an excited child.

“I’m going to find Cerise,” Malachi announces. “Stay out of trouble.”

And the whole world comes crashing back down on me, now that I’m alone with Jason, whose eyes have gone vacant. He shifts uncomfortably and looks anywhere but at me.

“Thanks for covering for me,” I say.

“Of course Elise invited you,” he says and I watch him roll his eyes. “I didn’t realize you two were already…together.”

“We’re not,” I say. “If you turn your head any further, your neck is going to break. Jason, we’re not together—she’s actually off with someone named Yousef.”

He jerks his head and looks up at me. “Yousef? What kind of name is Yousef?”

“I wondered the same thing,” I say, laughing. “He’s some pretty French guy that Cerise wants her to marry.”

“Ok, it’s one thing to hurt me—it’s another thing to just turn around and hurt you,” he says, hands curling into fists. “What does this douchebag look like?”

I want to curl into myself and stay there, because Jason has proven time and time again that I’m not worthy of him or his tenderness.

“Like he just walked out of an underwear advertisement,” I say.

Jason gives me a look. “I thought you were only gay for Brody?”

“I can’t help it, the guy is pretty—like feminine pretty. His skin looks really soft and supple—”

“Please stop,” says Jason, actually smiling now, but he mostly looks ashamed. “Let’s go find him.”

While we walk the slow line moving into the museum, I apologize to Jason at least fifty times, and even after he says that it’s ok—that we’re ok, I feel like I’ll need to keep apologizing for the next fifty years.

Thirty minutes later, we’re finally inside and I give Jason a better description of Yousef. Tall, dark, pretty and speaks with broken English—but it doesn’t matter, because I’m the first to spot him.

“There he is!” I say, perhaps a little too loudly, as I catch nasty looks from the people around us. “Is that—”

“Not my grandmother!” says Jason, and he takes off toward Gigi, as Yousef plants a kiss on her hand.

“The pleasure is all mine Mademoiselle,” says Yousef, though Gigi’s attention has fallen on Jason, who shoves Yousef’s shoulders, causing him to spill champagne down the front of his suit.

“Jason! What on earth—Abram?”

“Sorry!” I say as I grab Jason and pull him back. “I am so clumsy.”

Yousef gives us a dirty look as he holds his arms out. “This is Armani!”

Elise appears with a napkin and hurriedly wipes Yousef’s champagne soaked shirt, while looking at Jason like he’s crazy.

“What are you doing?” she mouths at him.

“I wasn’t paying attention and I knocked Jason into him,” I say while hugging Gigi. “I’m sorry.”

“You are a sight for sore eyes,” says Gigi fondly as she kisses my cheeks and squeezes the breath out of me. “And you, come here, Jason.” She pulls him into a tight hug and I’m left to watch Elise clean Yousef, who still looks mortified over the state of his wet suit.

“Yousef, these are my grandchildren, Jason and Abram,” says Gigi once she unleashes Jason.

“I would say it’s a pleasure—” Yousef begins.

“I wouldn’t,” says Jason viciously, casting Yousef a death glare.

I have to turn my head to keep from laughing in his face, and once I’m certain I’m calm, I turn back to them. “Sorry, I thought I had to sneeze. I think I’m allergic to something in here.”

Elise folds her arms across her chest and shakes her head at me. “Yousef, Gigi, please excuse Abram and I, I need to speak with him.”

She doesn’t give me a chance to respond with anything sarcastic, but grabs my hand and pulls me away.

“What is wrong with you?” she asks quietly, checking our surroundings to make sure no one can hear her. “And what is going on with Jason?”

“Jason was defending my honor,” I say proudly. “He didn’t like the sight of you and Yesef.”

“Yousef!” she whispers fiercely, though I can tell she’s trying not to smile. “And sweetie, you’ve got it all wrong.”

“Do I?” I say, craning my neck to look at him, “Because you looked very comfortable holding his hand.”

Elise laughs so loud that she has to cover her mouth. “Oh my God. You’re jealous? It’s kind of cute…”

My cheeks go red. “Why do you keep doing this to me, Elise?! I thought we were making progress!”

“Shh!” She places her finger over my lips, still laughing. “Abram, he’s gay. I’m his beard. That’s why I look so comfortable—it’s like you holding Brody’s hand…Actually, maybe not. Sometimes I really wonder about you two.”

“Gay?” I say, giving him another look. I tilt my head. Now, I see it. The mannerisms, the fuss he made over his suit, him being so pretty. “Oh, yeah. He’s definitely gay.”

She playfully shoves me. “Are you better now?”

“I am, but I’m also intrigued and want to ask what he puts on his face to make it look so soft,” I admit, glancing over at him again.

“Your skin is perfect,” she replies, picking up my hands. She places a kiss on my cheek and looks back at the group we left. “Will you call off your brother? He looks like he’s going to smack a plate of hors d'oeuvres in Yousef’s face.”

“You do realize you just kissed me in public, right?” I say. “At Cerise’s event.”

“Remember that thing about making progress?” she says. “Come on, let’s go join them.”

▲ △ ▼ ▽

An hour later, silence looms over the museum as Cerise takes her place at a podium and begins to give a speech about the importance of art and how it correlates so well in their community as a way to give back. While I stand amongst Gigi, Anais, Jason, Yousef, Sophie and Elise.  

“For someone who hates me so much, she sure seems to love charity cases,” I whisper against Elise’s ear.

She stifles a giggle and looks up at me. “She’s only interested in the ones that benefit her and her image. This is a huge deal for her and her company.”

The next twenty minutes are spent with me trying to make Elise and Jason laugh, though no one seems as tickled by my behaviour as Gigi, who snorts into her wineglass over and over again.

“Now I would like to introduce Malachi Rose of Rose Publishing,” says Cerise, applauding my father as he steps toward her. He gives her a kiss on the cheek and takes her place, while she stands behind him beaming.

“I would like to start off by saying what an honor it is to be here this evening,” Malachi says, smiling. “What many of you may not know is that art holds a big and important place in my heart, as my late wife Emilia Monroe Rose was a budding artist and writer.”

His words hit me like a bomb—and suddenly all I can hear is a buzzing sound as bile works its way up my throat. It takes Elise, Gigi and Jason to keep me from storming the podium, all of them holding different parts of me—but I’m in too much shock to actually move or even speak.

“Tonight I am donating a piece by her favorite artist, Rene Magritte in hope that the money raised can form a brighter future for the town of Middlebury.” There is a round of applauds as Cerise moves closer to stand by his side. “While on the topic of brighter futures, it is with much joy that I announce my engagement to the woman of the night, Ms. Cerise Allaire.”

“And it is my honor to announce that our wedding will be held in exactly one month,” Cerise says over the cheering crowd.

I look at Elise to see her looking back up at me, both of us equally shocked.

“I know it is quite sudden,” Cerise says, blue eyes glistening under the lights. “But that has been a common theme for me over the last year. My love for Malachi Rose came unannounced, in the middle of the night. It came when I had given up on asking for love to come. But that is the miracle of love, it doesn’t ask permission…”

“Elise is she—” Sophie begins.

“That’s my poem,” Elise says.

Sophie looks at me with a knowing look. “I guess we found the culprit,” she says, placing a hand on Elise’s shoulder.

[bapyess1r]

Amphetamine

WARNINGS: cursing, age difference, fluffiness

CHAPTER 3

Sam’s POV

I watched her saunter off into the kitchen with a lump in my throat and my mouth hanging open. She really was something to look at. I couldn’t believe she was James’s goddaughter. She seemed so different from them all. Before my thoughts could get any dirtier, the baby threw up on my shirt and began to cry rather loudly. “Ugh! Jesus buddy!” I switched shoulders and hurried to the bathroom to clean up then begin babysitting duties.

After about an hour, I had sat through…. so much. I sat through a tea party, I’ve worn a tiara, gotten a makeover, I’ve played with dolls, I’ve done the hokey pokey probably about ten times, and yelled at Mickey Mouse multiple times because he couldn't hear me the first time we gave the answer to 1+1. All with a baby in my lap or in my arms. Safe to say, the kids were happy and starting to tire out. “You guys hungry?” I asked them, starting to get annoyed by this little cueball Caillou. It was time for a break and for the baby to take a nap. The little slugger was already tuckered out in my arms. I stood carefully to place him in the crib in his room and grabbed the baby monitor, hooking it through the loop in my jeans and bounced down the stairs, two steps at a time.

I could see her through the opening at the bar and smiled at her bobbing her head to some music that played over her phone. I took a moment to get myself together before strolling into the kitchen with a proud grin. “One child down, two to go!” I said slapping the counter next to her. I washed my hands before getting ready to make sandwiches for the girls. I caught her eye for a moment and she smiled as if she were impressed.

“Well look at you…” she sang, patting together what looked like burger meat. I could smell the seasoning from here and I had to say….

“It smells fantastic in here.” I reached for the towel to dry my hands and I could’ve sworn I saw her turn a bit red. “That’s all goin’ on the grill?” I asked, being a bit nosy and opening a container with marinating chicken. The scent hit my nose and I almost wanted to cry. “My goodness…You can come abuse my kitchen anytime.” She giggle-snorted in response and I laughed a little bit too hard about it. “How much left you got to make?”

“Um...almost done with these here, then I got these kebabs to skewer and that’s all. Then in about an hour, probably right when I get done, Anais is gonna arrive AND Godfather James is gonna come home.” The poor girl still looked so stressed out.

“Well how about this… Once I make the girls their lunch, I’ll help you out with the rest of the food. When James gets back you can go change for the night.” I said. She looked at me incredulously and scoffed with a sassy smile.

“What makes you think I had an outfit?” She laughed.

“Call it intuition.” I fired back. She rolled her eyes so I defended myself with further reasoning. “You’re friend is coming, you’re gonna be around a lot of people, you’re all messy from cooking, of course ya got another outfit.” I snickered, laying out my entire logic for her. And she laughed with the sweetest voice. My ears started to heat up a bit and I didn’t understand how to feel about it. I don’t get like this with many women. I laughed nervously before asking her, “Now where’s the bread and your knives?” She nodded in the direction of the bread box and I scoffed. “Leave it to James to have a fucking bread box.” I laughed to myself. I’m sure she’s noticed by now but James was always a man that chased after the bougie and classy things in life.

“That’s what I fucking said. It’s much more practical on top of the fridge-” This girl was telling me all the right things.

“Exactly!” I expressed my agreement with much more passion than was intended. So to cover my embarrassment I started working on those peanut butter-jellies.

“I said I wanted a wall of mirrors in my room so I could practice my dancing, and I was gonna get a bunch of those cheap seven dollar mirrors and line them up… This man buys me a mirrored WALL. A whole wall!” She added.

“Ridiculous! Like why spend so much on that shit?” I nodded in agreement and we burst into a mischievous laughter. She punched me on the shoulder and shushed me with a giggle.

“He could come home literally any minute!” She giggled. ‘My God, she’s precious…’ I thought with what probably looked like a goofy grin.

“So you dance, huh?” I asked. I wanted to know more about this girl. I knew it wasn’t gonna happen overnight but I had to get the random stuff out the way first.

“Ballet, contemporary, hip hop, jazz. The good stuff. I wanted to be a dancer but it seemed the only job I could get- with all that god damn training- was a burlesque dancer.” She told me as she placed the new burger patties on top of the baking sheet in its container. My ears perked up at the word.

“What is that like….fancy stripping?” I asked, trying not to sound too excited but also impressed.

“Basically… I had my own number in the show and everything.” At this point, I could tell she was trying to get a rise outta me. And it was working. I cleared my throat before begging the question.

“What did you do?”

“Oh a little leather here and fishnets there…. A bit of pole work… I know a few handcuff tricks. I was supposed to be the bad girl. Set to some Billy Idol.” She told me as she finished the patties and closed the lid on the container. She hip bumped me on the way to the sink to clean her hands. I smirked at her.

“You’ll have to show me some time.” I said as cool as possible. She laughed aloud and set the containers in the fridge.

“In your dreams, Mr. Drake.” She said patting my back. But I knew for a fact I was gonna be thinking about that when I laid my head down tonight. That’s when I had an idea and a sly grin crawled across my face.

“If I sang Billy Idol during the set, would you do it?”

“Do what?! My routine?!”

“Yeah…” I shrugged my shoulders attempting to be nonchalant about it. She put her hands on her shapely hips and shook her head.

“Depends.”

“On?” I didn’t mean to but I definitely sounded more eager about it.

“How drunk I am by the time you play. I’m really excited for tonight if I’m being honest.”

“Me too. I missed playing with the band while I was gone. When the neighborhood kiddos hit the sack is when the real fun begins.”

We continued conversation as I briefly exited to give the girls their lunch and put them down for a nap. When I came back, I helped her skewer the kebabs and bombarded her with shameless flirting. From what I could gather, we were both starting to really enjoy each other’s company. Working with her was going to be interesting to say the least. In a few moments, she’d received a text from her friend that she’d be touching down soon and I took over making the last of the kebabs while she went and changed. I took a moment to myself to look at the contrast between where I’d been and what I was doing now. Absolutely simping over this girl considerably younger than me, so much so that I’m making kebabs for her. Not that I’m mad about it. I actually enjoy cooking when I have the time to do it. Despite the age difference, there was something about us that worked really well and I was kinda curious to see where it’d go. I voiced a surprised chuckle to myself, I could hear some keys in the door. Through the bar window, I could see James in all his Miami Vice glory. “Goddaughter, I’m home!” He shouted kinda gently before noticing me in the kitchen. “Sam! You’re back, my man!” He smiled, throwing his keys on the counter and patting me on the back with a strong hand. “Barbara told me you’d be here helping Talia with the kids.”

“Uh… yeah. I met her last night and let’s just say I owe her a favor. The kids are napping, they’ve been fed, Talia is getting dressed to go do errands and pick up her…. her friend…” The moment I mentioned her, Talia had appeared simply walking down the steps. Her body clad in a purple and blue tye dyed Rolling Stones tee, split down the middle so far it exposed her black lace bra and tight black leather pants hugging her every curve. Her hair done up all extra curly n’ fluffy and her lips glossy, two rhinestones in the inner corners of her big brown eyes. She had a bag on her shoulder and a pair of heeled boots in her hands. She smiled kindly at James as she descended that staircase.

“Hey Sam, eyes off my Goddaughter.” He said in a half joking tone as Talia lightly hit him in the chest with her hand. I could feel my face flush and I chuckled nervously.

“Yes sir!” I said with a sarcastic salute. She briefly locked eyes with me and winked before kissing her Godfather on the cheek.

“I’m on my way to pick up Anna. The kids have b-” She said sitting in the bottom of the stairs to lace up her rather high heeled boots.

“Sam filled me in, sweetheart.” James smiled as he kicked off his loafers. She looked me surprised and this time, I winked.

“Then, I’ll be off!” She kissed her Godfather on the cheek and waved at me as she strutted out of the home. I was left with James.

“Be safe!” I shouted kinda late after she left.

When I’d finished the kebabs, I had excused myself from the house in order to prepare for tonight’s show. Mostly to shower and exchange this Hawaiian shirt for a black one.