#GOLDENVISION

[macabr3-barbi3]

New Love, New Skin (Chapter 7)

one more GoldenVision update before 2025! huge thanks as always to my beloved @fraugwinska for her never ending support and love for these two as I continue to put them through the wringer (and also for the lovely banner she made for me <3)

you can see the playlist I made for this fic and series here!

Vincent has a perfect plan, but every choice has a consequence.

Chapter 1 📺 Chapter 2 💛 Chapter 3 📺  Chapter 4  💛 Chapter 5 📺 Chapter 6 💛Chapter 7

March 1961

Vincent knows as soon as he sees it that it’s the one.

He had stopped into the jewelry store on a whim, having to take a different route home than usual because some idiot had wrecked their car down the street he usually took. He hadn’t thought something like a jewelry store could survive in Hell without being robbed on a near daily basis, but the series of guns that he heard cocking as soon as the bell above the door signaled his entrance explained that well enough for him. He had looked over the cases for only a few minutes before he spotted it.

He doesn’t even look at the price when he waves the attendant down, hardly even turning his head to acknowledge the woman in favor of watching the ring, glistening in the display case, and making sure it wasn’t going anywhere. Kora would love it- a delicate golden band adorned with a tiny cluster of soft green stones to either side of a modest diamond. It wasn’t overly loud or large, only having caught Vincent’s eye because it was so much more discreet than some of the others in the shop.

Kora didn’t wear a lot of jewelry, opting instead to express herself with her fun t-shirts and her words. But a ring like this- something subtle without seeming cheap, its purpose and meaning obvious without being tacky or drawing attention- he thought she would appreciate enough to wear it regularly, make sure that people knew that she was his as much as he was hers. He wasn’t totally sure how something like engagement worked in Hell, but this, at least, would serve as his promise to her. Something to show her that he was committed to her, that he wasn’t going anywhere. That he loved her back. 

Vincent still hadn’t said it. But he felt it in the kick of his heart every time he looked at her; cuddled up during one of their rare times together these days, watching television on the couch; fast asleep when he came home late from work and she hadn’t been able to wait up for him, his pillow clutched to her chest like a lifeline; when she whispered it to him as she got ready for the day, said with the press of her lips to his screen while he was groggy and half awake. It consumed him, the need for her to know what she meant to him despite how busy he had been lately, that it was all for her.

The chances of it being stolen from her while working at the diner in the short time between giving it to her and when she would no longer have to work seemed slim, because the latter was closer than ever before.

The attendant returns with the ring, nestled delicately on a velvet pad for him to pick up and inspect, and the path before him is suddenly laid out so clearly in his mind it felt as solid as the ring between his fingers.

He could almost taste that top spot. Vincent felt the eyes of the executives on him whenever he filled in for someone, when he showed up on his days off, coming in before everyone else and not going home until he was the last one left from the overnight crew. He filled in for the morning team sometimes as well, anyone that wasn’t as reliable or dedicated as he was; he had done weather, cooking segments, sports coverage, anything and everything they would let him do. The praise that flowed for him was near constant, Rich always there to offer him a spot of advice or sing of his merit to the higher ups. Joy was a thorn in his side- she had never gotten over his siding with Kora after an incident at the Christmas party a couple of years back- but it was easy to tune her out when he thought about how he would soon be calling the shots for the late news.

Calling the shots for all of the news, by the time he had finished climbing the ladder the way he wanted.

And once he was on top, it would all be worth it. He wouldn’t have to work so hard to prove himself worthy of respect and could take regular time off, spoil her the way she deserved. They would finally have what he had been working so hard to provide for them; no more late mornings hunched over scripts, when Kora was off to work by the time he got home, or missing the Sunday grocery shopping like he had been. No more worries on her end about rent or being able to afford her little pleasures. A regular schedule where they could fall asleep together again, curled in one another’s arms, wake to the warmth of each other’s bodies before spending the days doing whatever they wanted, instead of what was needed to get by.

“Sir?” The attendant’s voice pulls him from the thoughts of their future and back to the present, and he feels a spark of static between the antennae on his head. “Will you be purchasing today?”

“Yes,” he says with no hesitation, pulling his wallet from his pocket. The price is nothing to him, not when everything he had ever wanted was so close, his efforts finally on the cusp of paying off.

When the transaction is over, the velvet box sits comfortably in his jacket pocket as he makes his way home. The sky is bright and red, and a glance at his watch tells him that Kora will already be out and about for her deliveries this morning. All the better, as it will give him a chance to hide the ring before she got home; he wanted everything to be perfect when he gave it to her, his promotion to be as good as guaranteed and their future well secured. He would take a day off, treat her like a princess, spend some good quality time together before he sprang it on her and watched her face light up with happiness when he finally told her he loved her, that everything would be better soon.

He keeps the box clutched tightly in his hand the whole way home, something dangerously like hope beating a rapid rhythm in his chest.

It comes even quicker than he expects- and at the worst time possible.

He told Kora to take off the next Friday after he bought the ring, that he had something important to discuss with her and he wanted to spend some quality time together, and his Golden Girl had come alive, peppering his face with kisses and sweet talk before she went to work to talk to Viv, confirming her day off with him with a sticky note to the fridge. He confirmed with Rich that he would be taking the day as well, resulting in a clap on his back and a wink when he mentioned Kora.

The box burned a hole in his pocket the whole time; his ‘hiding place’ that he settled on was his work blazer, hung by the door with Kora none the wiser of its presence. He rubbed his thumb across the soft velvet so many times he worried there would be a groove in it, but every time he checked it was just as pristine and perfect as when he bought it. The gems in the ring still caught the light in the most perfect way, and once when Kora was sleeping he had oh-so-carefully slid it onto her finger to ensure a perfect fit. The sight of it made his chest ache, and he had pressed a kiss with trembling lips to her forehead after slipping it back into its box.

His plan was perfect- not Dante’s for this special occasion, like they had spent the two-year anniversary of her rescue of him, but the skating rink. That was where she had introduced him to her friends, showed everyone that he was hers, cemented her feelings for him before even saying she loved him, and Kora had been so in her element the last time they had gone; he regretted not being able to take her more frequently. But fuck, once he got everything he was working towards, he could buy her a skating rink- build one in their house if they wanted. She would never want for anything if he could provide it for her.

This afternoon, she was in the bathroom applying some kind of makeup, her hair pulled into a soft bun that let some curls loose around her face. She wore the twirly skirt that he loved from last time, one that he knew would flair when she spun and show off her strong legs. He already couldn’t wait until they got home- he would peel it off her slowly, take his time in a way they hadn’t been able to for a while, watch the lights reflect off the stones of the ring-

The phone rings, pulling his concentration from his thoughts of when they returned. He answers with a smile still present in his tone, but when he hears Rich’s voice on the other line his stomach drops.

“Vinny, my boy! Look, I’m sorry to reach out like this- I know you had a day planned with Kora- but you gotta get down to the station.”

Anxiety flashes through his system. “I’m- I really can’t today, Rich,” he tries, voice lowered so Kora won’t hear him. “This is really important, I’ve had it requested for almost two weeks.”

Rich sighs in his ear. “I know, I know, and I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t need it. Listen-” He lowers his voice, and Vincent can hear the rustle of his clothing as he looks around. “You didn’t hear this from me, but the execs have had their eyes on you and have just been waiting for a chance to put you in the spotlight. The real spotlight, not just filling in.”

“I-”

“This is that chance, Vin. They’re wanting to move me to the early morning crew- fucking Brandon got himself caught during the extermination in January and no one else can work with that Shelby bitch for more than a few weeks at a time- and they’ve been looking for someone to fill my spot on the late show, for good. They want to run a test of the new proposed line up today- apparently no one looks at the schedule to see when people are off. They were expecting you early like you always are so they can adapt the lighting to account for your screen brightness. They want to see that you can handle it.”

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Kora was going to kill him.

But he couldn’t turn this down- not when this was what he had been working for after. Not when this was the final stepping stone to being where he needed to be so he could do right by Kora. He had been wanting to give her the ring early,  a sign of what was to come for them, but now it could be a symbol of what already was- the future already in motion. She would be upset with him today, but she would understand when it was all said and done.

Rich’s voice is muffled on the other end of the line when Vincent takes the phone from his ear and lays it on his shoulder, resting his screen against the fridge. Over the humming of it he can hear Kora humming to herself in the bathroom with the door open, probably putting the finishing touches on looking perfect for him.

“-still there?” He hears when he brings the phone back to his head. “I’ll make sure I’m available to cover another night for you- work a double if I need to but I don’t want you to miss this opportunity-”

“I’ll be there,” he says, and of course it’s at this moment that Kora exits, and even not fully turned towards her he can see the shadow of her tail droop. “Give me- I don’t know, ten minutes and I’ll head out.”

“Attaboy!” Rich exclaims in his ear, “and tell your Golden Girl I’m sorry to steal you away. But this is gonna be huge for you, Vinny, HUGE!” He shouts the last word and hangs up with a click, leaving Vincent to face the choice he had made.

Her face is sad, arms crossed defensively across her chest. “Are you leaving?” She asks quietly, and it kills him to break her heart like this.

“I have to,” he says, and her eyebrows crease with some unreadable expression. “It’s… it’s what I’ve been working so hard for. They want me to take over for Rich-”

“They can’t postpone that for one more night?”

“I know, baby, I’m sorry.” He crosses the living room to stand beside her, hand reaching out to caress her cheek; she leans into it, huffing a soft sigh into his palm. “It’s a huge opportunity though, and if I can’t be there, who knows who they would offer it to next?” 

Vincent can see it in her expression- the want to dispute what he was saying, convince him to stick to their original plan. And he wants to- he really, really does- but this was what his whole plan for the future was riding on.

“I might not be able to get another night off anytime soon,” she tells him. “Besides Sunday- and what’s the point then if you don’t take it off, too?”

He presses a kiss to her forehead. “I know, Goldie, and I’m sorry,” he says again. “I wouldn’t cancel for just anything- it’s really important.” He steps back and she grabs hold of his hand, grip firm when he tries to tug away.

“Vin, come on- I never see you anymore, you can’t just keep the one day off you requested specifically to spend time with me?” Her eyes well with tears, and he diverts his gaze so he doesn’t see them- he’s always been weak to it, to her, but the ring that sat like a rock in his pocket was for nothing if he didn’t land this position. “You said this was important- that was why we took the day off.”

He sighs, squeezing her hand and releasing- this time, she doesn’t try to hold on. “I’ll ask another day off soon, I promise.”

She pulls back a step, expression hurt. “You haven’t had more than a day off at a time in ages, Vincent. I miss you-”

“When I get this promotion we’ll see each other more,” he says, a hint of irritation spiking at her continued wheedling. Didn’t she realize he was doing this for her? The long hours, the pushing for more at work, saving money; it was all so she could get what she deserved, so he could give her the life he wanted her to have. “I really have to go.” He starts towards the door, groaning in irritation when she blocks his path. “Kora, come on- move.”

“No.” She stands her ground, arms crossed across her chest in a way that shouldn’t have been cute, but even in her anger she was beautiful. “What is going on with you? You’re never home anymore, when you are home you just sleep, you don’t go out to do the grocery shopping with me anymore or spend any time with me beyond a quick fuck when you can spare a couple minutes before leaving again.”

A pang of guilt flickers in his chest, but it was drowned out by his own frustration. How could she not see? He wasn’t doing this for some selfish reason—he was trying to build a life, a future where she didn’t have to worry about a damn thing. He fingered the small velvet box in his pocket, the one he’d planned to give her today, that had been on the peripheral of his mind since he bought it. But then the call came- this could be the end of it, the confirmation about his position, his security for their future. The ring, that promise, it had to wait for that. “Move,” he demands again, and when she doesn’t immediately comply his hand shoots out to grab her bicep, forcibly moving her to the side.

The sound she makes is likely more from shock than pain, but tears well in her eyes regardless. “What the fuck is wrong with you? You’ve been making it seem like none of this matters, like I don’t matter. Why are you acting like this?”

The tension inside of him unravels quick as a whip. “I’m not acting,” he snaps, and she takes a step back in shock at the harsh coolness of his tone. “This is what I am, Kora, you didn’t change me when you picked me up off the street- you just delayed the inevitable. Fucking leave if you don’t like it.”

The silence that follows is suffocating; when he looks over, Kora’s eyes are glassy and wet, her lip quivering. His heart pounds as the regret creeps in, winding like vines around his heart- but his pride keeps him from taking it back, taking her into his arms with an apology and an explanation. He wanted to tell her about the ring, the life he’d been trying to secure for them; why he had been pushing so hard, why he was choosing to leave her today. His vocals stutter when he speaks. “I-”

Love you. He almost says it, the words on the tip of his tongue like his stupid brain thinks that will rectify the situation, the ring box in his pocket weighted like its made of something heavier than a bit of gold and diamond and velvet. If he says it now, it would be tainted by the moment, by the fight they found themselves in. She had waited for too long for it to be some cheap thing he said to keep her from being upset with him. “I’ll be home late,” he mutters instead. “We can talk when I come home, okay?” 

He would fix everything tomorrow, he tells himself as he tries to catch a cab for a faster trip, refusing to look back to the door of the apartment. Rich would make sure he got a day off, especially if he told him what today had been for- then he could show Kora the ring and explain. Once he got the promotion everything would get resolved, and she would see that everything had had a purpose, it was all for something. For her.

“... and that’s all we have for you tonight, folks- keep those doors locked and those windows closed, you never know who might come creeping through.” Vincent flashes a wide grin at the cameras, the lights of the studio dialed down to adapt to the brightness of his head. Rich had come back in to see the rest of his test run, shooting him a smile and a thumbs up from the sidelines. He could feel Joy’s eyes on him as well, but he had been ignoring her as best he could- banter was expected between co-anchors though, so he engaged her when he needed to. 

To the left of him, he sees the image he casts on televisions all over the rings of Pride, and he looks good. His blazer is pressed and wrinkle-free, screen buffed to a shine that forced the crew to adjust some spotlights to avoid blinding anyone, and his sharp-toothed smile is flawless and fierce. The timer was ticking down to the end of the broadcast, and Vincent leans forward onto his elbow on the desk. “This is Vincent-”

“-and Joy-”

“-signing off from Nine Rings News.” They speak the last line in unison, and Vincent can see on the televisions set up that the channel has cut to commercial, the first of many that will play for the next few hours until it’s time for Rich’s new slot. The room erupts into cheers, Joy leaning back in her chair to eye him appreciatively. The production crew surrounds him, taking his notes off his hands, disconnecting his equipment as they offer his praise and words of encouragement. 

Rich approaches with a slap to the back that knocks the wind out of him. “I fucking knew you would be a hit,” he says over the chorus of final congratulations, grabbing his arm and shaking it vigorously. “Let’s head out to celebrate! I have a couple hours still before I have to be back for my segment- that’s plenty of time for a couple rounds at Spite! You can ring Kora, see if she wants to come out with us if she’s not working to make up for missing your plans today.”

At the mention of Kora, Vincent’s excitement gets a little muddled,  feeling the way a glitch crackles across his screen as he remembers their fight, the way she had cried when he snapped at her and made her move. She would be asleep by now, even if she had decided to pick up a shift once their plans were canceled- he wouldn’t wake her for this, not with the way that he had left. He throws an arm around Rich’s shoulder and steers him away from the crowd. “I appreciate it, Rich, but really- I gotta get home and talk to her. We had a pretty bad fight when I left, she was really looking forward to spending the day together.” He fingers the box in his pocket again, the velvet smooth and soft under his thumb. “I was too,” he adds, and he pulls the ring out to show to his mentor.

If Rich’s eye had been capable of widening, it would have done so- his shock is evident in the way his jaw drops though, taking the box with careful fingers and opening it to inspect. “Satan’s left ball, Vinnie, you could have mentioned you were planning to ask the girl to marry you today! Fuck, I would have found a way to put the execs off if I had known you had plans this important.”

Vincent shrugs, can almost feel the pink tint take over his screen. “This was important too,” he tells him, “this was what I’ve been working so hard for. And now that I’ve done the test run, they’ve seen what I can do, it feels as good as mine, right?”

“Now that they know you’re committed and you look and sound fucking fantastic in that main anchor spot, you should get an official offer in the next couple of days,” Rich assures him, closing the velvet box with a snap and handing it back to Vincent. “You don’t see a lot of ‘marriages’ in Hell, you know. It’s exciting though, and I’m happy for you.”

“Never thought about asking that old PA to settle down, huh?”

Rich cocks his head to the side. “Do you know what the process of ‘getting married’ looks like down here, Vin? It’s a little different from topside- you actually give a piece of your soul to your partner. It’s basically a deal set between the two of you with whatever stipulations you have for the partnership, which is like the Hell equivalent of a prenup. It’s a pretty serious commitment- if have any sort of Overlord aspirations, that’s really something you should take into consideration-”

“I don’t,” he interrupts. “My job and Kora are what’s most important to me, I don’t need all that power and hassle that comes with being an Overlord.” He pockets the ring again, keeping his hands there to hide the tremor in them. “I have to get through her being mad at me now before any talk of the future happens though.”

“Put the whole thing on me,” Rich advises as he leads him to the door, “just tell her it was all my fault, and she can come down here and give me a scolding whenever she would like.” He guides Vincent to the door and gives him another parting slap on the back. “Apologize to your Golden Girl for me, will ya? And good luck!”

“Thanks, Rich,” he says, and the back door closes with a crack that echoes in the alley. The smile he’s been wearing for almost ten hours finally fades, and if he had had a jaw it would have ached. He pulls the ring box out again and opens it, looking at the reflections off the gems in the streetlight before he puts it away again.

He lights a cigarette as he walks home, the streets of Hell mostly empty but for shadows that lurk in the alleys and the hum of huge neon signs plastered all over the city. The adrenaline of the night still buzzed in his veins along with the nicotine, a spring to his step that even Kora’s inevitable anger with him couldn’t dull. He still felt guilty, but it was tempered with a sense of justification in his actions. The pieces would all fall into place now that he had proven himself with the network, their future as good as guaranteed. Kora would understand when he explained.

It was nearing four in the morning when Vincent made it home, but the lights were still on in the living room- either she had woken up early for her walk, or she had never gone to sleep. He runs a hand over his screen and takes a deep breath as he approaches the door, surprised to find it unlocked but still opening it slowly so he doesn’t startle her. “Kora?”

The living room is empty as he enters, the smell of burnt popcorn coming into his processors- she never followed the instructions correctly, which was why the rare times they had to snack together he was in charge of it. Her stack of books that she cycled through on the coffee table had been toppled, the bowl of burned popcorn having followed suit, her blanket thrown haphazardly onto the cushions in a way that made it slide towards the floor. He picks it up and catches the familiar almond and honey scent of her before he tosses it back onto the couch properly and comes further into the apartment.

“Goldie?” He keeps his voice low as he peeks into the bathroom and moves to the bedroom, in case he was wrong and she was sleeping and had simply forgotten to turn the lights off. But the bedroom is empty as well, the sheets still rumpled the same way they had been when the pair of them had gotten ready this morning. Her nightstand drawer is open, the framed photo of her and Gideon resting on the floor with a spider web fracture in the glass panel that distorted their faces. The window sat open, a breeze drifting through the open pane. “Kora,” he calls again a little louder, because she has to be somewhere in the building- she wouldn’t take off for no reason, even with the fight that they had had.

He winces at the memory of their again, words that he had said in anger that he didn’t mean. He had just been so frustrated that she didn’t understand what he was working towards that he had snapped at her-

“Fucking leave if you don’t like it.”

Panic settles into his chest behind the thumping of his heart, but he forces himself to remain calm. She wouldn’t have just left like that- not without a conversation, even as angry and hurt as she had been, even with the words he had spit at her. If she was going to leave she would have waited for him to come home so they could talk about it first.

And regardless of that- she wouldn’t leave. She loved him- more than she should. Certainly more than he deserved. 

Her clothes were all still hung on the rack in their room, her socks and underwear and shirts still folded in the drawers of their dresser. When he navigates back out to the living area, her punny coffee mugs are still happily displayed on the rack he had gotten her for Christmas. Kora wouldn’t leave those behind, not with the effort she put into finding them and incorporating them into her home. She had to just be on her walk; maybe she had woken up early and left before Vincent came home, and she would return soon. That’s what he convinces himself of as he cleans up, tidying her stack of books on the coffee table, closing the window and putting her photo of Gideon in the drawer of her nightstand. He resolves to wait for her to come back so they can talk, but as he settles onto the couch and pulls the blanket over his lap, sleep claims him too quickly to resist.

He awakens hours later from dreamless sleep, disoriented, finding himself still on the couch. Kora usually woke him when he fell asleep there instead of the bedroom- and then he remembers that Kora hadn’t been home when he returned from work yesterday, and from the looks of it had still not come back. A glance at the clock reveals that it’s well past noon, and when Vincent stumbles up from the couch to check the bedroom, the bathroom, Kora isn’t there.

“Fucking leave if you don’t like it.”

Despair claws its way into his throat, his lungs feeling constricted while he tries to breathe through the anxiety that makes itself known. He’s still trying to be logical as he grabs the phone and dials Viv’s to see if she had maybe gone into work early, went to stay with a coworker, anything.

Eris answers, to Vincent’s disappointment. “You’ve reached Viv’s Diner, what can I do for you?”

He does his best to keep his voice level. “Eris, hey- have you heard from Kora today?”

He can hear the rustle of her clothing as she shrugs. “What do I look like, her keeper? She’s not scheduled to come in ‘til later, we haven’t seen her yet.”

His voice shudders against his will when he asks, “you wouldn’t happen to know of anywhere she might go if she was upset, would you?” The Rings of Pride were huge- he had no chance of locating her without any direction, without any help. He just needed her to come home so he could explain everything, sort out the miscommunication.

“What’s the matter, Vinnie? Did Kora finally have enough and leave ya?” He can hear the smirk in her voice, the amusement that tints her tone. “I warned ya about steppin’ up for her, didn’ I?” He doesn’t stay on the line long enough to hear more than a few seconds of her cruel laughter before he slams the phone back onto the receiver, and then slams it again for good measure when he still hears her in his head. 

He still has hours to go before he has to go back to work, but Vincent can’t bring himself to sleep properly without knowing where Kora was. He tried the package hub for her courier job; he tried Viv’s again and asked to speak to Viv herself, who also hadn’t heard from Kora; the skating rink was a bust; he even called down to the station to see if maybe she had shown up while he was still working, but to no avail. No one had seen or heard from her since he had fought with her earlier the day before, and the guilt weighs him down as he leaves the house and checks the neighborhood around them for any sign of her.

He burns through an entire pack of cigarettes as he scours Imp City, fingers trembling as he lights the last one a mere thirty minutes before he’s due back at the station; not early, for once, so consumed in his frantic search for his girl that he hadn’t thought to see if anyone needed him before his actual shift. He’s sure he looks like a disaster now—a far cry from the poised, presentable anchor the city had seen just last night. He hadn’t showered, his clothes were wrinkled, and he hadn't even had a proper meal. His screen was in dire need of a wet wipe, coated with grime from the city’s pollution that made it difficult to see.

Kora has to be out there somewhere. She wouldn’t just leave him, not with how much she loved him, not with how close they were to the future he wanted for them. If something was wrong he would find her, bring her home; whatever it took.

Movement catches his eye; a bird Sinner that slinks along the shadows of the buildings like a wraith, seeming to almost blend in and evade sight as they moved. They hold a scrap of fabric clenched in their fist that they bring to their beak, the twitch of their mouth visible even from where Vincent stood. Their eyes gleam red in the darkness, a predator that’s caught the scent of their prey, and as the Sinner turns to peek an even darker alley Vincent’s first instinct is to follow them.

He wasn’t familiar enough with the darker parts of Imp City, the Pride Rings as a whole, to know all the places a person could disappear to. If they could track by scent, maybe he could give them something of Kora’s- her sheets, her clothes, anything in the apartment that her scent clung to like skin- to help find her, make sure that she wasn’t in trouble. 

The alternative was unthinkable.

“Fucking leave if you don’t like it.”

The words from their last fight ring like a death knell in his ears. He can’t push them away, can’t pretend they weren’t said- they echo in his mind like when she had told him she loved him. He had been angry. He had been frustrated, but now, in the quiet of the night with Kora’s absence weighing on him like a stone in his chest, he’s not so sure anymore.

Would she leave him? Would she give up on their future because he’d failed to be there when she needed him most? Was he consistently failing her like he had always feared he would, and the day before had been the last straw?

Vincent squeezes his eyes shut, forcing the thoughts back. No. She wouldn’t leave him. Not when everything they’d fought for, everything he had worked towards for her, was so close.

The bird vanishes into the shadows, disappearing down the alley with a speed and certainty that makes Vincent’s breath catch in his throat. He’s hardly taken a step after the Sinner when his watch beeps at him angrily, the alarm he had set earlier in his search to let him know the latest he could leave for the station if he wanted to be on time. Indecision immobilizes him.

In his place, Kora would choose him every time; it would never even be a choice for her. But she had never been in his position before, so close to the top his fingers scrabbled at the edge to pull himself up. He had proven himself the night before, sure- but that could change at a moment’s notice, and he would be right back where he started if they felt for even a moment that he wasn’t committed and willing to do whatever it took. 

Guilt sits heavy in his chest, the ring that still sits in his pocket feeling like it’s burning him as he stands there knowing that either choice was the wrong one, and turns to head towards the station.

SORRY LOL

There are 3 more chapters before we move on to part two! I promise they'll be happy- not in this fic, but eventually! ❤️

Chapter 1 📺 Chapter 2 💛 Chapter 3 📺  Chapter 4  💛 Chapter 5 📺 Chapter 6 💛Chapter 7

[macabr3-barbi3]

me, just barely starting to establish the relationship between these two: :)

Frau: *writes a WHOLE ASS FIC about them that is not only perfectly in character and tooth rotting-ly sweet but so beautifully written that I am inconsolable*

@fraugwinska WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS MY ADMIRATION AND APPRECIATION ILY 😭💕

My wonderful friend @macabr3-barbi3 is currently writing one of my absolute comfort fics. I know, I raved about her 'Heart Reset' series a few times on this blog, but my fingers itched and produced this: A little tribute oneshot for Vox and her OC Kora, which I gifted to her. She graciously allowed me to post it here, but please, show her and the fic the love they deserve <3 ILY Barbie!

"What about poker? That's easy, and I have a full deck lying around somewhere..."

"Only if we make it interesting, doll...", he wiggles his brows at Kora suggestively, who in return throws a pillow into his flat face. Vincent and Kora had been trying, for hours it seemed, to find a game for them they both enjoyed, as it was a rare evening they both had time off of work and other obligations. A 'Game Night' sounded fun in theory, but it proved to be aggravatingly complicated to find something to play that neither of them both enraged so much that they had to flip the table.

Vincent suggested Monopoly, but it quickly became apparent that it only got out the worst of him - after fifteen mere minutes Vincent had already bought various streets, sent Kora to jail and built hotels, draining her fake account and getting her to the brink of tears with snide remarks. It had taken another fifteen minutes of him apologizing profusely and a big fat chocolate milkshake for Kora until they decided to pack the game away and never touch it again.

Kora's choice was Yahtzee, but the dice were not as kind to Vincent as they were to Kora, and two frustratingly bad rounds later they flew through the window with a crash, along with the dice cup and his point sheets and pencil.

Now he was sitting, still brooding, at the dinner table with a strawberry milkshake of his own (made by a half-guilty/half-bemused) Kora as she was searching in her worn-down trunk for another game that wouldn't end their fresh relationship.

"Mh... I have a fake copy of Candyland, but it looks like some of the pieces are missing...", she mumbled, ruffling through the carton and picking up a chess piece that was painted like a candy corn. Vincent just had to laugh - leave it to this dollface to pay good money for the dumbest badly-made counterfeit game ever. His milkshake was nearing it's end and with his mood slightly improved, he leaned his face onto his hand, gazing at Kora and chuckling when another piece flew out of the carton and clashed loudly on the tiles.

"We could just get hammered tonight." He suggested, to which Kora shook her head in defeat, slamming the lid of the trunk closed and dropping heavily on the seat opposite Vincent's. "We still have the bottle of Brimstone's Fire-Liquor we got on sale... maybe you're more up to my poker idea with a little buzz?"

Her ears perked up, and for a split second Vincent thought he had actually convinced her as her tail began to wag. "No to the poker thing,", she tutted, jumping up to retrieve the dusty bottle from the depths of the kitchen cabinet, along with two shot glasses. "But we can play a drinking game! Do you know 'Never have I ever'?"

As he shook his head, she went on to explain the rules of the game as she filled up both glasses: One player makes a statement starting with 'never have I ever', followed by a simple statement like 'Never have I ever ate a grape in a supermarket'. They would have to drink if they ever actually did it, then it's the next player's turn to make a statement. The whole concept was stupidly simple, Vincent understood pretty fast and he agreed immediately to give the game a try - he was curious to find out more about how and what Kora used to do and be in her life.

As it turned out, their first turns didn't uncover much about each other that they didn't already know. Vincent drank at Kora's "Never have I ever smoked a cigarette.", which wasn't a surprise as he still sometimes had a smoke on the fire escape when work became too much and he had to pull an all-nighter. Kora drank at his "Never have I ever bought a bra.", grumbling about him cheating the system, to which he just smirked at her, cheering his empty glass at her full one and cooed "Bottoms up, sweetheart."

After a while and a few rounds of shots, things got more silly and personal.

"Mmmmh. Never have I ever... slept with a dude!", Kora giggles, granting herself an easy shot. The liquor already starting to affect her small, pliable body with flushed cheeks and with it apparently her healthy sense of self-control. Vincent looked at his glass and then up at her, narrowing his eyes a bit to scrutinize her before sighing and emptying his glass in one long swig. When he looks up, the faint blush that had tinted the cream color of Kora's cheeks had deepened, she stares at him with startled surprise and Vincent clears his throat as he looks away. He knew she wanted to ask, and he was thankful that she had some of her mind left to not pry into that sensitive topic and instead opens a bag of her beloved (and disgusting) chicken and waffle-flavored potato chips, munching obviously loud while rambling about the scarce selection hell had when it came to snacks. He felt too sober for that particular conversation, even eight shots in.

"Alright. My turn,", he leans over the table, elbows resting on the varnished top and his face near hers. "Never have I ever used a sex toy on myself." With a sly smile he lets himself fall back on his seat, turning his empty glass around, eyeing the blushing girl across the table with smug interest. She rolls her eyes and sticks her tongue out at him as she downs the drink, shivering profusely. "Firstly: Unfair, again." She takes a deep breath, shaking her head. "Secondly - this stuff gets worse with every round, doesn't it?"

Vincent can't help but chuckle as he watches Kora clumsily reaching over the table to pour the rest of the dark amber liquid in the two empty glasses. "Okay, big guy, just enough for one last round. And at least try to be less obvious in wanting only me to take a swig."

"Alright, but only if you play by that rule too, sweetcheeks."

"Deal." She holds the shot glass up and looks at him curiously. "So, hit me."

Vincent looks at her, thinking hard about what he'd like to know about her. There are questions about her that are eating at him, especially now as the booze loosened his mind, questions that started out innocuous enough, but ended with either embarrassing or really hot imagery - fuck, get a grip, Vin, he thinks and hums. Something in his circuits was going haywire as a thought comes to him, a chance this stupid game offered right in this moment, there for the taking - if he would be brave enough.

"Never have I ever ...", Vincent's speech is slower, carefully choosing the words before saying it aloud - he couldn't follow through, not yet. But maybe he could start with a compromise."... lived together with a beautiful, clumsy, adorable and nerdy girl." He quickly drank, ignoring Kora's touched expression, so fucking sentimental and mushy, before quickly adding "...with great tits and shit taste in home decor. I mean, look at that ugly porcelain duck you bought last week at the gnat market. Seriously." He rambles, seeing her mouth curve up into a bemused smile. No, it was too early to say, even to think... that he was falling in love, slowly but surely and steadily. The whole corny thing wasn't him, but maybe, one day he could...

"Hey, as far as I know, this duck was made by Lucifer himself. The vendor said so." she laughes, her nose crinkled a bit with a teasing grin on her face, breaking the somber thoughts swirling in Vincent's head. He grumbles and makes a noise, slapping his head. "Right, because a rugged lizard with an eye patch surely knows his way around the king of hell."

"Hey, you know what they say... never judge a book yada yada." Kora scrunches her face as she leanes on the edge of the table, eyes closed and brows furrowed. "Okay, now let's see... Never have I ever..." Her hesitation and her quiet, dulcet tone makes Vincent curious, the drink he took burning lowly in his circuits and stomach as he leans forward once more.

As he waits patiently for her to continue, he notices that she's wringing her hands under the table, tail swishing behind her and ears flicking back nervously. Eventually she huffs a quiet sigh, shaking her head as if to chase a thought away, not unlike he did just minutes ago. Vincent wonders what statement she discarded, if it would've been the same as his, but was interrupted when she finally speaks up.

"Never have I ever been glad that I met you, Vincent." He feels the strange sensation of his screen overheating, staring at her as she takes the last shot with a genuine smile. He watches her stand up on wobbly feet, rounding the table and taking his much too big TV head in her hands. He wants to say something clever or witty, but before he can really react Vincent already feels the gentle press of her soft, smooth lips on him, a touch of skin to screen that had become so familiar to him, yet it feels heavier with much more unsaid words than it ever did before.

She tastes like Brimstone's, like vanilla and those god awful potato chips she loved, like home and like an emotion he was almost scared of facing, but happy to stay lost in for now. The buzz from the alcohol combined with Kora's tender kiss is almost dizzying as she moves back to see Vincent's response - the soft rumble in his chest and a claw coming up to gently pat her head is apparently the right answer as her own purring increased and her eyes drooped a bit.

"...well, doll, that makes two of us, then."

She huffs when he pulls her into his lap, relishing in the soft warmth of her body against his, kissing the ticklish spot in the crook of her neck which earns him a whined yelp and a writhing, cursing Kora in his arms. He grins against her skin, teasingly blowing one raspberry after another and laughing wholeheartedly at the creative insults thrown in between panting breaths and giggles. The rumble in his chest builds furhter and his circuits flutter pleasantly with the thought that it could all be just them, like this, for eternity...

He was glad for what they had right now and for what was to eventually come, glad for the life they were slowly building together... and he was even glad for the fucking ugly duck.

[samadhifire]

@secondteacher / @bxnnymooncxkes / @goldenvision / @jdbld​

I had to.

[falsementor]

“ Ugh. ”

[timelocker]

@goldenvision​

That’s a pretty small spoon

“ at least i can play the piano, asshole ”

[twinkltoes]

@goldenvision​ said:

“ Hey kid , I like your style. “

“ Haha, thank you Mr. Monkey Sir. Your’s is pretty good too ! ” He gives a big thumbs up.

....................... ...Wait a minute. 

LOOKS AT HIM.

[gxldeneyes]

Feeds him a very special & delicious peach chip(tm)

He's a nourished boy now.

[monkeid]

@goldenvision​ sent  :     “ just because there’s always room for improvement, does not mean you’ll never be good enough. “

he  forgets  to  breathe  for  a  second,  so  caught  in  his  teacher’s  words.     always  raptly  listening,  drinking  in  all  that  the  sage  has  to  offer.     when  the  words  hit  him,  xiǎotiān  feels  a  small  piece  of  him  simultaneously  crack  &  seal  itself.     he  has  allowed  himself  enough  introspection  to  understand  that  the  monkey  king  may  have  been  onto  something  when  he  claimed  his  student  compensated  for  lack  of  confidence  with  simply  being  loud.     &  now  he  calls  out  all  but  directly  this  latest  insecurity   (   latest  at  the  forefront,  at  least   ) ,  &  xiǎotiān  almost  thinks  it  doesn’t  matter  if  his  teacher  sees  through  him  so  easily  because  of  wisdom  or  his  golden  sight,  or  if  he  himself  is  just  that  easy  to  read.

blinking  away  the  first  mist  of  tears,  the  successor  speaks,  shooting  for  nonchalance  &  missing  by  a  mile  :        ❛     yeah.     yeah —   i  mean,  i  know,  yeah,  you  wouldn’t  keep  training  me  if  you  didn’t  think  i  was  worth  it,  but ...     ❜          deep  breath,  no  matter  how  shaky,  how  tear - logged.

❛     i   ...   can’t  just  be  good  enough,  though,  can  i ??     ‘cause —   ‘cause  good  enough  might  stop  a  bad  guy,  but  might  not  keep  a  whole  lot  of  people  safe,  y’know ??     i  mean,  you  are  training  me  to  be  your  successor   —   to  be  like  you,  &  you’re  not  just  good  enough,  you’re  beyond  good !!     so ...     i  know  you —     i  hope  you  think  i’m  good  enough   —   to  be  your  student,  at  least,  —   but ...     but  being  good  enough  isn’t  enough  for  me.     either  of  us.     i  mean ...     ❜          an  attempt  at  a  laugh.         ❛     ... who  ever  heard  of  a  hero  that  was  just   “   good  enough   ”  ??    ❜

[macabr3-barbi3]

ahem now that I have properly awoken and have the mental capacity to scream in a cohesive manner:

I COMMISSIONED @chefskjss AND SHE DREW THE MOST ABSOLUTELY PERFECT SCENE OF VOX AND KORA I COULD HAVE EVER ASKED FOR LOOK AT THIS MASTERPIECE

MY SWEET LITTLE IDIOT BABIES IN LOVE! VOX IN KORA’S ‘FUCK’ SHIRT! THE EXPRESSIONS! THE POSE! I AM IN AWE ALFJAKFIWPGKSBWIGOWKGIWKGKRY

🥹📺💛🩵🥰

you can find the fic that these two doofuses are from (new love, new skin) here! I have so much planned for these two and I’m so so grateful to Chef for bringing them to life in such a cute and beautiful way 😭

[gullysteez]

Our logo's on a book. It's only natural that we make a zine next. Get a FREE digital copy of Rambles Vol. 1 with Kindle Unlimited. #GullySteez | All Things Dope. Be You. Live REAL. www.GullySteez.com - - - #GoldenVision #style #steez #rapartist #poetry #poet #hiphop #music #poem #songs #song #art #dope #soundcloud #beatmaker #rapmusic #artist #hiphopmusic #hiphopartist #artist #dopemusic #rap #rapper #rappers #production #beats #songoftheday #nowplaying #producers https://www.instagram.com/p/BsjSvJ4Br_n/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=hqteqzf61fem

[samadhifire]

i can draw pokemon. sometimes

[falsementor]

@goldenvision​ said: “ Are ya’ done brooding in your corner ? ” He can’t really keep that smug look for long. Not after what they just went through. What wukong continues to put macaque through. Always the irresponsible one , all those old memories flood in & he can feel himself regretting to search for the other. How he hated this feeling more than macaque , confronting the damage he inadvertently caused.

He looks away , just barely , it was hard to keep eye contact. Instinctively a hand rubs at the back of his neck. “ you’re only going to hear me say this once , but.. thanks. for keeping an eye on the kid when I— “ a sentence he didn’t want to finish , but he sighs & looks macaque back in the eyes. It’s the most serious he’s been with the other in a long time. “ when I couldn’t. “

& in the next moment he’s already turning away from the other after getting that off his chest. “ there. that’s all I wanted to say. “

He really, really didn’t think he’d live to see this moment. And maybe he was still letting that realization sink in, as it occurs to him that he was still somehow standing despite everything these past few months have thrown at him. The rising sun’s golden warmth washing over his figure, seeping into black fur and red cloth, contrasted by the overhanging shadow of Sandy’s travel van that he leaned against. Dark circles hang heavy under sunken golden eyes, a tell-tale sign of exhaustion from the battle won. Macaque was never one for crowds, there always a little bit too much going on, and he felt more like a ghost amongst a sea of still living people than he did one of them. 

His mind is lost in a haze of orange and gold as he stares off at the distant horizon. He’s not here right now, his thoughts race with images from the night prior, replaying over in his head. ( I could have died. Many times, I could have died. ) But he’d put that fear aside for the sake of another. For the sake of one more dawn they all lived to see. For once, in perhaps centuries of clawing and stumbling his way through the dark, lost without a sense of direction, or purpose. This changes things. It wasn’t what he was used to, and it’s all he can think of as a figure emerges from the growing dawn, it’s features coming into focus. The sunlight dazzles off his golden fur, radiant and breathtaking as ever, just like when the heavens had blessed him all those years ago. Untouchable. Unbothered. Something the Six-Eared Macaque will never know again. It rests heavy in his chest, seizing up in his heart, and weighing his mind back down to the Earth. How is it, that even after all this time, it still gets to him? 

Perhaps it wasn’t really that long in the face of eternity.

The shadow demon’s posture is quick to become tense, however, as he’s fully expecting where that look on the great sage’s face will lead, and aggravation is visible there etched in his frown. What Macaque doesn’t expect, however, is what his counterpart says next. The surprising sincerity in Wukong’s voice was not something that the darker monkey was prepared for. And if only by a little bit, Macaque’s expression softens.

 ...He doesn’t know what to make of it. He just blinks, and then gives a curt nod.

“ ... Wukong, ” He speaks, before the other can leave. His voice is soft. Too soft, actually, as the demon immediately becomes self conscious of his tone. He clears his throat, eyes averting elsewhere, fixing on the boy that sat by himself on the cliff’s edge, bowl of noodles in hand. Perhaps... this would be the only chance he’d get to say something that mattered, and have it be heard. “ MK’s a good kid. You.. definitely picked the right person to be your successor. ”

A pause. He hesitates on his words, because something came to mind then. Macaque looks thoughtful, albeit a little resigned, and his fool’s gold eyes return to the other after a moment. “ Make sure he actually knows that. You’re not just the hero, you’re.. his hero too. And he needs you. ”

One more pause. It was then that he smiled, though he intended to make light of this foreign conversation, it’s surprisingly gentle for a smile from Macaque.

“ ... So be sure to remember that. Otherwise.. eheh. I may have steal him from you again. ”

[criscrossin]

#thaitemples #goldenvision #watphrakaew #bangkok #thaitraveller #indiantraveller #lonelyplanettraveller #lonelyplanetthailand #naturephotography #courtyard #nikonD7000photography #Nikonpictures #Nikonphotography #wonderfulworld #orientaltraveller #ataleofthecities (at Wat Phra Kaew) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsgfqCmAt6E/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=b98m99mbf5gh

[vcclifestyle-blog]

❌ #DONTKNOCKTHEVISION #vcclifestyle #visionaryclub #vcquotes #motivationalquotes #quotes #goldenvision #goldenbinoculars

[gxldeneyes]

“ well hey there handsome , come here often ? “

"Sure you're not looking in a mirror?

Because I'm seeing the perfect reflection of beauty."