#I've got to take care of some errands but should be on tonight!

[mysteryshoptls]

SR Rook Hunt - Ceremonial Robes Vignette

"That rather intense moment"

[Pomefiore Dorm – Lounge]

Rook: Heh, I do so enjoy my little walks in the morning. The crisp air truly enhances the beauty of prey.

Vil: Oh, Rook. You're still dressed in your school uniform? Hurry and get changed.

Vil: Don't tell me you forgot today's ceremony? No one likes a man with no sense of time.

Rook: Of course not. There's no way I would have forgotten, Vil.

Rook: There's nothing to worry about, I will go change into my ceremonial robes right away. I still have time.

Rook: And perhaps I could undertake your signature appearance look-over, Roi du Poison, since it has been quite some time since I've been subject to one.

Vil: Do you think I would have for my Vice Housewarden someone who would require more help than the other students?

Vil: However, I will say that you should take a shower before changing if were just coming from outside.

Rook: Is that a problem? To be fair, I did not run amok or lay on the ground during today's walk.

Rook: I only exchanged some pleasant conversation with a sleepy-looking prey.

Vil: I wonder if that truly was all. Regardless, you should take a shower and rinse off all the dirt you've tracked in from the outside.

Vil: The ceremonial robes are a traditional and iconic garb of this academy, so it cannot just be worn haphazardly.

Vil: As you are to stand beside me as my Vice Housewarden during the ceremony, I will not allow for a single speck of dust to be present on your robes.

Rook: Is that also why you've mandated that I wear perfume whenever I put on these robes?

Vil: That's right. The scent you wear is just another part of your overall appearance.

Rook: Understood, I shall heed your words.

Rook: If I am to have the privilege of being the accompanying arrangement to your glorious bouquet, then even showers and perfume are a small price to pay.

[Pomefiore Dorm – Hallway]

Rook: How vexing… I had not expected the shower rooms to be out of order.

Rook: They said it would be fixed by tonight, but that would not allow me to be ready in time for the ceremony…

Floyd: Man, Pomefiore's always so sparkly. It shines just like how the ocean's surface does.

Rook: Oh, what luck… That's an Octavinelle student rounding the corner.

Rook: Bonjour, Monsieur Spontané.

Floyd: Oh hey, it's Seagull-kun.

Rook: Is that your nickname for me? It's wonderfully unique.

Rook: A gracious welcome to Pomefiore. Have you just strolled in here on a whim?

Floyd: I ain't taking a stroll, I'm doin' an errand for Azul.

Rook: I see, I see.

Rook: To tell you the truth, I am currently in a tricky bind. I was hoping to ask you for your assistance.

Floyd: Ehhh, don't wanna. I'm busy.

Rook: No need to be so cold. I have need of a shower, and yet the showers here are currently under repair.

Rook: Would I be able to utilize the Octavinelle showers?

Floyd: Huh? How should I know? And it's got nothing to do with me, if you're havin' a problem.

Rook: I beg you. At this rate, I will end up breaking my promise to Vil.

Rook: I am only asking to borrow your shower room. It shouldn't cause you any trouble.

Floyd: You just don't quit, huh. I said I don't wanna.

Rook: Hm… If I cannot attain your permission, it may not work out too well for you.

Rook: Are you still adamant in refusing me?

Floyd: Aha, you tryin' to force me to do whatcha want?

Floyd: Brave, ain'tcha? Want, you want me to squeeze you to a pulp?

Rook: Here

[spritz, spritz, spritz]

Floyd: Ack, what'dya just spray on me!? It smells weird…!

Rook: Weird is no way to describe this. Vil himself blended this special perfume for me.

Rook: Does not the musk and amber soothe you?

Rook: Well, even I have to admit that the scent is fairly strong that if I were to wear it, I would be noticed by my prey from a long distance away.

Rook: That's why I choose to only wear it when I must wear the ceremonial robes.

Floyd: Who cares about all that!? Ugh, I can't even scrub it out…!

Rook: No, I'm sure you can't. You should get changed as quick as possible. I think a bit of it got into your hair as well, so you should also take this opportunity for a shower.

Rook: Now you wouldn't be going out of your way by bringing me along to your dormitory's shower rooms anymore, wouldn't you say?

Floyd: Huh? You screwing with me?

Rook: Oh my, what a terribly ferocious glare.

Rook: I bet those sharp teeth of yours could easily tear through even the toughest fisherman's net… Fantastic!

Floyd: Bleagh… What's with this guy…? Your grin's creepin' me out. Fine, if you're gonna follow me, whatever.

Floyd: Ughhhh～ This really stinks. I'm getting' dizzy…

Rook: Heh. Well then, shall we adjourn to Octavinelle?

[Octavinelle Dorm – Lounge]

Rook: Floyd-kun, thank you for letting me use the Octavinelle showers. Dearie me, that was a saving grace.

Floyd: Maaan, that sucked. [sniff, sniff] …I think I can still smell it on me.

Rook: Heh. The scent is gone, don't worry. Looks like you were able to wash it all out.

Rook: It all worked out in the end, and you even had time to put on your robes. You're going to the ceremony as well, aren't you?

Floyd: Ugh, don't you ever shut up…?

Rook: Oh yes, while I'm here, may I finish applying my makeup?

Floyd: Makeup? You already did the stuff that goes around the eyes.

Rook: Vil's orders, you see. It isn't enough to just use liner.

Rook: I have an abundance of makeup and their respective tools to use for ceremonies… Look here, they can barely fit atop the dresser!

Floyd: Gah, that's so much.

Floyd: What, you got some weird-lookin' bottles, brushes, and pens…? What's this dark brown powder?

Rook: That would be for shading. It's used to contour the face into a more sculpted appearance.

Floyd: Uh-huh. Then, what's with this pencil-lookin' thing? Why'd you have so many different ones?

Rook: That's eyeliner. See how each one is a different color? I'll use a different one based on the type of eyeshadow I use, or where I want to draw a line.

Rook: Now then, if you'll excuse me. I need to start applying my makeup.

Floyd: Uggghh, it smells weird again.

Rook: Even so, I've chosen makeup products that have a more subdued scent.

Rook: Although, I suppose it's true that because I have an abundance of different makeup, that the more I apply, the stronger the fragrance will become…

Floyd: You don't like smelly things either, right, Seagull-kun? So why're ya goin' along with whatever Betta-chan-senpai says?

Rook: This is all to stand at Vil's side.

Rook: He is the fairest of all here at this academy…

Rook: All of this is just a small price to pay in order to be able to admire his beauty from such a premium seat.

Floyd: Uh-huh…

Rook: Heh, you seem to have taken an interest in my handiwork. Would you like to try applying some makeup?

Rook: Your mismatched eyes glow with a mysterious, unreadable glint that is truly beautiful. I'm sure makeup will only serve to enhance that.

Floyd: No way. That's a pain, anyway.

Floyd: 'Sides, it's gettin' pretty boring just watching you do stuff. Hurry and finish up, already.

Rook: Well then, I don't mind if you wish to leave me to it. I can lock up for you once I have finished.

Floyd: Nope. If I let some outsider wander around here, I'ma get an earful from Azul later.

Rook: Well, then I suppose there's no other options. You'll have to wait until I've finished.

Floyd: Whyzzat? Why don'tcha just quickly slap something on?

Rook: Beauty can only be improved by dedicating the time for it.

Rook: Oh, then what if you were to help dry my hair in the meantime?

Rook: It should shorten my time here if you were to use the hair dryer while I finish applying my makeup, wouldn't you agree?

Floyd: …What a pain… …Tch, fine. Hand me the hair dryer.

Rook: Wonderful, thank… Ack, hot!

[hair dryer blows…]

Rook: Non, non, Monsieur Spontané. I need you to regulate the temperature better.

Floyd: Huuuh, whaddya say? I can't hear ya!

[hair dryer blows…]

Rook: Ah, if the dryer is turned to its maximum setting and my hair is ruffled so, it will take longer to tame it later…

Floyd: Man, you got a lot of hair, Seagull-kun. It ain't dryin' at all.

Rook: Ah, Monsieur Spontané…! You handle me so roughly…!

Floyd: You even gotta complain about the way I'm doin' this? Shouldn't matter how I get it done, as long as it dries, right?

Rook: Aaaaah…!

Rook: [pant, pant] …Has my hair finally dried…? I never thought that rather intense moment would ever end…

Rook: …Hm?

Rook: Oh, my hair…

Rook: It's completely unruly!

Floyd: I mean, ain't it boring to just have your hair the same way all the time?

Rook: I see, this is…

Rook: Absolutely fantastic!

Rook: Neither Vil nor myself would have ever considered this style. Your innovative thinking has brought forth a new form of beauty!

Floyd: Eh, you for real?

Rook: I feel as though I've unlocked new possibilities for myself now! Thank you, Floyd-kun!

Floyd: You're so weird…

Requested by Anonymous.

[nancypullen]

Tick Tock (not to be confused with the controversial platform, TikTok)

Guess who received a surprise in the mail yesterday? This girl! Matthew is a techy gadget guy (Who am I kidding? All of the men in my family are techy gadget guys) and got in on the ground floor when this particular gadget was in development. He contributed early and many months later when the product was ready he received two. We're some of the first people in the world to have this very cool item.

You guys, it's SO cool! Every minute of the day gets a quote from a work of literature that mentions that time, and it's not the same every day - for example, 9:35am isn't going to be the same quote day after day. I find myself checking the clock all day long.

How's that for a happy surprise? I'm so tickled. It's really a lovely piece, heavy and well-made. I'm so crazy about it! I'll bet you know a bookworm that would love one of these. Speaking of being a bookworm. I'm doing a display at work with puffy clouds and silver raindrops for the month of April. I'm calling it Rainy Day Reads and I'll stock it with books that are known to be page-turners, books that pull you in and you can't stop reading until you know what happens next. I've been quizzing everyone I know, asking them to name a book that they simply couldn't put down. I don't care about genre - romance, thriller, mystery, spies, historical fiction, sci fi, chick lit, whatever! I'm hoping that I can find enough of the titles in our library's collection to keep the display full all month. Is there a book that kept you up reading past your bedtime? Tell me! New subject. Did I mention that I finally found someone who can cut my hair? Her name is Kelly and she works at a salon in Easton. She gave me the best haircut of my life. Not kidding. Surely that's a sign that things are starting to get better around here. The stylist was recommended by someone at work, a coworker who has thick hair. I asked her where she got her hair cut and she told me that I'd love her girl. She was right. In fact, this hair magician is so good that my sister drove all the way from Elkton (over an hour!) for an appointment and swears it's her best cut too! Where has this woman been all my life? For the last month I have actually liked my hair. That's a first. If you have crazy hair, go see Kelly at West Wing Salon in Easton. You will leave happier. I drove to Easton today just to run a couple of errands and ended up with a splitting headache. It's my own fault. I have a really cute little air freshener that dangles from my rear view mirror. I bought it on Etsy.

It was filled with a yummy fragrance oil and some dried flower petals. Every so often you tip it upside down and the oil soaks the wood top and keeps your car smelling pretty. When the original oil ran out I didn't want to pay Etsy prices for a refill, so I ordered a tiny bottle of Honeysuckle fragrance oil from Amazon and poured it in. Problem solved. Turns out, I probably should have diluted it because it is STRONG. Like, holy-cow-who-spilled-a-bottle-of-perfume strong. By the time I was halfway to Easton I could taste it. Then my right eye started twitching. I rolled a window down and that helped, but I'll have to pour some out and add water. Maybe that'll fix the issue. I could probably hang it on the porch and let the neighborhood wonder who has honeysuckle blooming. We'd be the first on our street to spot hummingbirds, for sure. Okay, on that silly note, I'm heading upstairs to soak in a bath and get into some jammies. There's rain on the way and I want to be under the covers when it starts dancing on the roof. Is there anything better than rain at bedtime? Sending our loads of love tonight, take what you need, pass it on. Wishing you sweet dreams and ,as always, stay safe, stay well. XOXO, Nancy

[rogeriswater]

Don't Leave Me Now

xli

This work contains fictionalized versions of real events and people. Most details won’t be accurate to real life.

tags for this chapter: gertrude being a bitch, sexually explicit content (oral f receiving, p in v sex), mentions of drunk driving and it's consequences

~m.r~

Tonight was the night of Gertrude's party for Victoria. When I had told Billy about it, he was ecstatic to know that his mother was finally taking an interest in our—excuse me, my daughter. I decided to dress in a way that spited my mother in law. I knew she didn't like when I dressed in a way that showed off how amazing my body was. I was amazed how quickly I was able to get my figure back after giving birth to Victoria.

Billy had some errands to run before the party, but he told me that he would meet us at his mother's house. Us being Olivia and I. The two of us walk out the car. Olivia carried Victoria in her bassinet. "Is Gertrude really as bad as you say she is?" Olivia asked me as she out Victoria in the back seat.

"I'll let you be the judge of that when you meet her" I said. As soon as the two of us get in to the car, I check my makeup and hair in the mirror. I needed to make sure that I looked perfect.

"Maggie, you're pretty enough without all that stuff caked on your face" Olivia said. "Why do you care so much about how you look in front of Gertrude?"

I huff. "She likes to act like she's so much better than me and always put me down. The only thing I have over her is that I'm prettier than her while she looks like a dried up handbag"

Olivia tried so hard not to laugh at that but she couldn't help herself. "Well, if she tries anything, I'm not afraid to give her a piece of my mind"

...

When I pulled up the house, already I noticed all the cars parked in front. I doubt any of these people were family. I should have known Gertrude would invite people behind my back. Now it made me feel less bad for inviting my band mates and girlfriends, even though they were actually part of Victoria's family, or at least I considered them as such. "That fucking cunt" I muttered under my breath.

"Maggie, don't swear like that in front of Victoria!" Olivia scolded me.

"Well Gertrude is one!" I said. "I told her none of her rich friends were welcome, and it looks like she invited every single one of them!"

"You don't have to go in, Maggie" Olivia told me. "We can just drive off and go do something else"

"No, no" I said. "I'm not going to let Gertrude spoil this for me" And with that, I make my way inside. As soon as I get inside, I see all of Gertrude's snobby rich friends all chatting amongst each other. I could tell Olivia was a little intimidated so I just told her to keep close to me.

Eventually, I found Gertrude. I was ready to give her a piece a mind. She saw me and scowled. "I see you've finally arrived."

"You promised you wouldn't invite anyone who wasn't family!" I said.

Gertrude chuckles as she sips her drink. "All these people are family!" Her gaze lands on Olivia. "Who is this?"

"I'm Olivia" She introduced herself. "I'm the nanny"

"The nanny?" Gertrude scoffs. Then she looks at me again. "Really, Margaret? You've hired a nanny? And an American one at that?"

"What's wrong with me being American?" Olivia asks.

Gertrude ignores her and asks me something else. "Where is my son?"

"Billy said he'd be here later" I said.

Gertrude finally takes notice of Victoria. "And this must be my granddaughter!" She looks at her for several moments, not making an effort to pick her up. I notice the way her lip curls in distaste. "She's the most hideous baby I've ever seen" She did not just call my baby girl hideous! Gertrude was lucky I was holding Victoria, otherwise I would have pounced on her. "Are we sure that she's my son's daughter?" I sighed. This was going to be a long night. I couldn't wait until my bandmates got here. Especially Roger.

...

I didn't feel very much like mingling. Olivia kept by me. I told her she didn't have to and that it was okay for her to go and mingle, but she said she didn't feel comfortable doing so. I didn't blame her. I was desperate for a drink, but because I was a breastfeeding mother, that wasn't an option. The only person who made an effort to come and talk to me was Winston. He for one was actually delighted to meet Victoria and thought she was a beautiful baby.

I was relieved when Billy finally showed up, and offered to take Victoria off of my hands for a while. Olivia promised to keep near Billy so that she could keep an eye on Victoria. How I ever got so fortunate to end up with such a wonderful nanny, I'll never know. I found myself something to drink, which ended up just being a glass of orange juice.

 I made my way outside into the spacious backyard. There was barely anyone out here, thank goodness. It allowed me to find a moment of peace. I took a seat under the giant gazebo that was in the middle of the yard. I closed my eyes, enjoying the peace and the feel of the crisp cool wind against my skin. However, that moment was interrupted when I felt a presence beside me. I was ready to tell whoever it was off and to leave me alone, but to my joy, it was Roger.

"How did you know where I was?" I asked him as he sat beside me.

"I can just sense your presence wherever you are, sunshine" Roger says, brushing his finger against my cheekbone. "That's how powerful our love is"

I smile, pressing further into his touch. "Are the others here?"

"I told them to meet us outside. They're just fetching some drinks" Roger explains. "Where's Victoria?" I knew Roger was anxious to see his daughter. My stomach churned with guilty. I felt bad for keeping him away from Victoria.

"Billy is with her right now, and before you say anything, Olivia is also with her"

Roger sighs and then chuckles. "Well, you know I trust Olivia" He drapes his arm over my shoulder. "But I am going to want to see my daughter at some point" I saw the way Roger smiled when he said that. "My daughter. I don't know if I'll ever get used to saying that"

"Gertrude called our daughter hideous" I said.

"What does she know? She's a cunt"

"That's what I said!"

"Speaking of cunts" Roger leans in whispering in my ear. His hand slips beneath my dress and he cups my sex through my panties. "I've been craving a taste of yours"

Before I had a chance to reply, we were joined by our bandmates and the girls. Roger quickly removed his hand from under my dress. The others sat with us under the gazebo. The only person I noticed was missing was Judy. Roger must not have invited her. Hell, even Clea was here with David. Clea gave me a 'we have to talk later' look. "I'm glad you all could come" I told them. "No one in my family wanted to"

"Can you blame them?" Clea says. "Especially after that incident at your wedding" After Clea said that, that definitely piqued some interest.

"What incident was this?" Rick asked.

"My mum punched Gertrude in the face" I said.

"I didn't think Francine would have it in her!" Nick chuckled, slapping his thigh in amusement.

"Why did your mum punch Gertrude?" Rick pressed for details.

"Gertrude started insulting my mum, and my mum was already tense that day and she just cracked"

"I think I have some new found respect for your mum" Nick said.

"Where's Victoria?" Lindy asked. "We've all been anxious to see the little one again"

"Billy has her" I sighed. I don't even know what he was doing with Victoria. All I know I wanted my baby with me. At least I knew Olivia was keeping an eye on both of them.

"Well he better bring her back soon. I have yet to meet her" Clea says. It was as if it was right on queue that Olivia found us outside, and she had Victoria with her. Billy must've got bored of his daughter already.

"There's the baby!" Juliette gushed.

Olivia grinned when she saw everyone. "You guys made it!" She walked over to us. "I'm happy to see you guys. I don't like it in there. I feel like everyone is judging me"

"Can I hold her?" Juliette asked me, referring to Victoria. I nodded, letting Victoria's aunts and uncles give her the attention she truly deserved. Honestly, my bandmates and the girls were probably the only ones here who were truly here for Victoria. This party was for her after all. I was disappointed my family didn't even want to come, but I didn't blame them.

After Clea had met Victoria and had a chance to hold her, she pulled me aside. "I already know that Billy is not Victoria's father. I mean, a baby that beautiful can't possibly have a father as ugly as he is" She said.

I had to keep myself from laughing at that. "Clea!"

"You know it's true. Victoria has Roger written all over her. I'm surprised Billy hasn't noticed yet. But then again, he's as dumb as a brick so I shouldn't be, but anyways, that's not why I wanted to talk to you"

I raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you want to talk to me?"

Clea leans in closer to me. "You cannot tell anyone this, okay?"

"And what is it that I'm not telling?"

"David and I are sort of engaged" Clea confesses.

My eyes nearly bulge out of my head at the news. I don't know what surprised me more. That Clea and David were getting married, or that Clea finally decided to settle down. "Wait, what do you mean sort of?" I asked.

"Well, David hasn't like officially proposed to me. There's no ring or anything yet" Clea began to explain. "There was no him getting down on one knee or a grand romantic gesture. We were both just getting high one day and he made a comment on how we should get married, and I agreed, so now we consider ourselves engaged"

"Congratualtions then, Clea" I said, embracing her in a hug. "I never thought I'd see the day where you agreed to get married"

Clea's lips curled into a smile. "I never thought I would either but David makes me feel really special. Now, speaking of engagements, when is Roger gonna put a ring on your finger?"

"Clea, you know I want him to but—"

"Don't give me that but bullshit!" Clea scoffs. "Roger is the father of your daughter! And it's clear that you two are so madly in love with each other. I don't think I've seen a couple more in love than you two are. You've gotta get married already!"

"But Billy—"

"Girl, you know I love and care about you so much. You've been my best friend for a very long time. But I'm not going to be honest, every time you use Billy as an excuse for getting in the way of your happiness, it pisses me off a little. Why won't you leave him!? What has he done to make you so scared to leave him?" It was after she asked that, that I fell silent and my face fell in shame. Clea's eyes softened as he clicked in her head. "Oh no...he doesn't...does he? Maggie, has he hit you? And please, don't lie to me"

"Maybe once or twice" I answered softly.

"Jesus Christ, Maggie" Clea exhales, running her fingers through her hair. "I knew there was a reason I never liked Billy. Does Roger know?"

"No, and he's never gonna know"

"You have to tell him, Maggie"

"No! I don't want him to think any less of me if I tell him. He's gonna think I'm a stupid wimp"

"He would never think that of you" Clea wraps her arms around me in a comforting embrace. "And I don't think you are either. I think you are one of the strongest women I know"

"What I am is a fucking hypocrite" I sniffle as I wipe away a tear. "I tell my mum to leave her abusive relationship yet I can't leave mine"

"You know what the difference between you and your mum is?" Clea asked me. "You recognize the kind of relationship you have. Your mum refuses to acknowledge it. She'll probably never get out of that relationship and the only way she will is if she's dead. But I know that you will leave someday. It won't be today, it won't be tomorrow, and that's okay. Whenever you do decide to leave, know that there's a whole bunch of people who love you will be there for you"

"Thank you Clea" I truly was thankful to have a friend like Clea in my life, and I wished the best for her and David. Hopefully they work out but something was telling me they weren't. I wasn't going to tell that to Clea though.

I excused myself to go get another drink from inside. I made my way into the kitchen and poured myself another glass of juice. That's when I overheard Gertrude talking to one of her snotty rich bitch friends. I was about to ignore it and walk away but I heard her mention me. "I'm telling you, Cecelia, there is no way that baby is my son's" Gertrude said.

"I always knew your daughter-in-law was a whore" Cecelia snickered. "I'm surprised she doesn't work in a whorehouse"

Gertrude snorted in amusement. "Oh please, she probably lets her bandmates take turns with her. I think she even lets them take her at the same time"

"Which one of them do you think is the father?"

"My money is on the ugly one" I'm gonna take a wild guess here and say that Gertrude meant Roger. I'll never understand why people think he's ugly. He is literally the hottest man to ever walk this Earth. People like Gertrude are just fucking blind, I swear. Gertrude continued on. "That would explain why that baby is so ugly. And what kind of name is Victoria anyways?"

"Didn't she say that she was named after her father?" Cecelia asked.

"Ah yes, the man who got himself blown up" Gertrude said. "If you ask me, he deserved it" I was able to handle the whore and ugly baby comments from Gertrude because she was always saying shit like that, but hearing her speak like that about my father was just taking it a step too far. No one ever disrespects my father like that.

"You fucking bitch!" I snapped, making myself known to my cunty mother-in-law and her equally cunty friend. "I can handle all the other insults you throw at me, but never talk about my father like that. You know what you are Gertrude? You're a cunt!"

Gertrude's eyes widened and she dropped her glass of whatever drink she had, while Cecelia let out an overly dramatic gasp. For the first time, I've left Gertrude completely speechless. She usually had something to say back to me, or she'd slap me across the face, but none this time. I've left her completely stunned. I just knew later she's be blabbing to Billy about what I called her but I didn't really give a fuck about that right now.

I did my best to hold in my tears and keep myself from crying at least until I made it back outside with my friends. Once I stepped out of the house, I broke out into tears and collapsed onto my knees. I could see everyone turn their heads towards me but Roger was the one to come over and comfort me. "What's wrong, sunshine?" He asked, crouching beside me so that he could he could wrap his arms around me. "What's got you so upset?"

"It's fucking Gertrude!" I snapped. "It's always fucking Gertrude! She took things too far this time"

"What did she do this time?"

"She said my dad deserved to get blown up" I told him. I could see that hit a nerve with Roger. He understood all too well how saying something like that was hurtful.

"What a fucking insensitive cunt" Roger muttered. "What did you say to her after that?"

"I called her a cunt" I said.

Roger smirked proudly and wrapped his arm around me, bringing me close. "That's my girl" He says. I could see it in his eyes. That naughty gleam like he was planning something. "You wanna get back at her?"

"What are you thinking?" I asked him.

"Come on" Roger takes my hand and he leads me inside the house. Luckily no one seems to notice nor care as he takes me up the stairs. Roger finds our destination: Gertrude's bedroom. He pulls me inside, closing and locking the door. "We're gonna leave a mess in her bed" He says, immediately stripping off all his clothes.

I giggle and bite my lip as I watch him undress. "Yeah, take it all off, baby" I say. With every part of his body that's revealed to me, I only get wetter. His pants are the last thing to come off, revealing his glorious cock to me which stands proud and hard between his legs, already dripping with precum. Roger doesn't even bother letting me undress. He just pulls the top of my dress down, freeing my tits and he pushes it up past my hips, revealing my panties which were already soaked.

"Christ, you're so fucking wet for me already, darling" Roger purrs in approval. He grabs me by the hips, pulling me closer to the edge of the bed where he kneels in front of me. He hooks his finger under the damp crotch of my panties and pushes it aside. "Look at this pretty cunt. All wet and ready for me. Do you want me to lick it?"

"Yes, Roger, lick my pussy" I beg him. He starts off by running his finger through my wet folds, stopping to rub at my clit.

"You have to get these sheets wet, okay?" Roger tells me. "She has to be able to smell you"

"With the way you fuck me, that won't be a problem" I tell him. And with that, Roger leans in, placing his head in between my thighs. He just dives right in, lapping up at all my juices with his tongue. I prop myself up on my elbows so that I can watch him. "Oh fuck!" I cry out, lacing my fingers through his hair. He's so good at eating pussy. I just wanted him in between my legs like this for hours.

"Your cunt tastes so good, darling" Roger praises me. "It tastes just as good as it feels" He can't stop himself from moaning and grunting as he eats me out. He shoves his tongue up my hole, licking at my walls while his perfect nose keeps bumping against my nose. He also starts rubbing his thumb on my clit. He was desperate to make me cum, I could tell. "I want you to cum. I want it all over my tongue. Want to taste your sweet release" He coaxes me.

"Yes, I'm gonna cum!" I tell him. It's like a rubber band ready to snap. It only takes him a few more licks before he's got me screaming and creaming all over his tongue. I practically squeeze his head between my thighs, but I'm careful not to crush him. My body keeps twitching as I cum and Roger keeps licking me as he helps me ride out my high. When Roger stands up, his chin is glistening with my juices. He wipes his face and uses that to lubricate his cock.

"Keep your legs spread for me, darling" Roger tells me. He stands in between my legs. He grabs me by my calves and holds onto them, keeping my legs spread for him.  I can feel his cock prodding at the entrance to my pussy. With one swift motion, he enters, slowly pushing into me. He lets out a loud groan as he feels my walls swallow his cock. "Still so tight, even after you had my baby."

"I missed having your cock in my pussy." I tell him as I bounce against him. The bed creaks with every thrust he gives.

"Mmm, I missed taking your pussy like this." Roger says. He leans over so that his body is pressed against mine. He puts his arms around me and holds me close. My tits are pressed right up against his chest. My arms wrap around him and I dig my fingernails into his back as he buries his face in my neck. "Maggie, Maggie, Maggie." He keeps chanting my name like a prayer upon his lips.

"Does it feel good, baby?" I ask him, licking the sweat off his neck as I whisper in his ear. Roger can't even form a coherent sentence. All he can do is make noises of his pleasure against my neck. He begins to pick up the pace of his thrusts, driving into me harder and deeper. He hits the right spot inside me, making my eyes roll back into my head. "Yes! Right there!" I tell him. "Don't stop, don't stop!"

"I won't stop, baby." Roger mutters, pressing kisses against my skin. "Not until you're cumming all over my cock. And even then, I won't stop" Keeping his promise, Roger keeps on fucking me until he's got me cumming all over him. My release ends up getting every where on the bed, like Roger's intentions were when he brought me up here. I desperately needed him to cum inside of me but Roger had other plans. He pulls out his cock and strokes it, aiming at the wet spot I left on the bed. He cums on the sheets, further staining them with evidence of our love making. After he's spent, Roger collapses beside me. He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me into a deep kiss. After our lips part, we look at the mess we made on Gertrude's bed. Roger chuckles. "What a nice surprise we left for her, don't you think?"

I can't help but giggle as well. "Oh, she'll definitely be surprised" I pout as I nuzzle against his neck. "I'm just a bit disappointed you didn't cum inside me"

"Oh, darling" Roger coos, reaching to stroke my hair. "I'm sorry. I'll make sure to give you a big load next time deep inside your amazing pussy, okay?"

"Okay" We both decide that we should get dressed again and head back downstairs before we risk anyone coming in here and spotting us.

...

Roger and I head back downstairs. We make our way through the crowded room, only to have Olivia approach us with Victoria in her arms. "There you are!" She says when she sees me. "I need you to take your daughter. I've been holding it in for a while, and if I don't go now, I'm gonna piss myself"

I gladly take Victoria off of Olivia's hands. "Where's Billy?" I ask her.

"He found some of his old college buddies and now he's drinking with them" Olivia said with a roll of her eyes before she leaves to find a bathroom. I swallow nervously when she tells me that Billy is drinking. I know what he gets like when he's drunk and frankly I'm not looking forward to it.

Roger notices my uneasiness and grows concerned. "Sunshine, are you okay?"

I force myself to nod and smile. "Yeah, of course I am" I assure him. "Just a bit upset that Billy is choosing drinking with his friends over being with Victoria"

"Well, her real daddy is here to spend time with her" Roger says. I couldn't even begin to describe the way my heart swelled when Roger said that. "Let's go find somewhere quiet to spend time with our little angel"

...

Roger and I make sure that the band and the girls get a chance to say hi to Victoria before Roger and I found a quiet room in the house where we could be alone with our daughter. When Victoria began to cry, Roger took her and she immediately calmed down. "See? She just wanted her daddy" I said.

"Do you think she knows I'm her daddy?" Roger asked me.

"Of course she does. Look at how she looks at you" I said, referring to the way Victoria was looking at him with those big eyes and that toothless grin. "She loves you"

"It still feels so unreal, y'know?" He mentions. "Still can't get over the fact that I'm a dad"

"I know what you mean" I said. "Still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I'm a mum now" Victoria started making gurgling and cooing noises, and she also started touching Roger's face. It was such an endearing sight. Roger grinned and he kissed Victoria on the forehead.

 "We really got it perfect on the first try, didn't we?" Roger says.

I giggle, walking up beside him and resting my head on his shoulder. "We did"

"But I know the other children we have will be perfect too"

"Already thinking about more kids, are you?"

"Absolutely. I'd like four. Two girls, and two boys"

I can't help but chuckle at his answer. "Well, we've got one girl down" I could see that Victoria's eyes were getting heavy and she was ready to fall asleep. I didn't blame her. This was already a long night. I decided to sing her the lullaby that I wrote for her.

Close your eyes, listen to this lullaby It's just for you, baby mine Sleep sound, dream a dream Dream things are not quite as they seem Baby mine, this is your lullaby Baby mine, my oh my

And with that, Victoria had fallen right asleep. I put her in her bassinet and covered her with the blanket to make sure nothing woke her up. I went back over to Roger, who was standing by an open window, smoking a cigarette. "Did you write that, darling?" He asked me.

"I did" I answer with a nod. "I wrote it while I was stuck in the hospital and had nothing else to do"

"It's lovely" Roger said, taking a drag from his cigarette.

I scoffed. "Oh, please. It is not"

"Oh but it is, sunshine" Roger challenges me with a smirk. "And I think it should go on the next album"

"You really think so?"

"Of course I do!" Roger exclaims. He puts out his cigarette and throws it out the window, and then takes my hands in his. "And don't ever doubt yourself like that again. You are incredibly brilliant. It's one of the things I love most about you"

"Thank you, Roger" I said before giving him a tender kiss.

...

I left Roger alone with Victoria so that I could use the bathroom. I trusted that Roger could handle being by himself with Victoria for a few minutes. I was pushing my way through a crowd of people, trying to find one of the many bathrooms, when I felt someone grab my arm. And with how hard I was grabbed, I knew exactly who it was. "Billy, you don't have to grab me that hard!" I scold her, rubbing where he grab me.

"Where's Victoria?" Billy slurred. Great, he was drunk.

"She's safe with someone who is watching her" I tell him.

"I would like to have her with me"

"Billy, you're drunk. I'm not letting you have her when you can barely walk straight"

Billy scoffs and narrows his eyes at me. "I am not drunk!"

"I can smell it on your breath!"

"Just give me my daughter!" He screams. I was so tempted to reply with the scandal that she was not really his daughter but I bit back my tongue. I knew where saying something like that would land me when he's in this state.

"Once you sober up, then you can have her" I instead managed to say.

Billy didn't say anything in response to that, he just grumbled a bit. "Did you call my mother a cunt?" He asks me. Oh, she blabbed about that already, has she? I'm not surprised.

"I did" I answer.

"What did she do?"

"Said my father deserved to get blown up"

"Okay, maybe she is a cunt" Billy said, and it made me want to chuckle at how even drunk, he managed to agree with me. "Look, if I promise to stop drinking for the rest of the night, can I be with my daughter?"

He was being surprisingly well behaved towards me, even though he's drunk. Maybe it's because he knows that we're not at home and in front of other people so he doesn't want to make himself look bad. No matter, I wasn't going to question that right now. "That's a fair compromise" I said.

Billy gave me a silly looking grin. "Thank you, my love" He said, leaning in and giving me a kiss. His beer breath was disgusting. It made me want to vomit when he kissed me. With that, Billy walked away and I continued my search for a bathroom.

...

It came time for the party to end. Billy, Olivia and I were making our way outside to the car. Victoria was being carried in her bassinet, still fast asleep. Billy took out his key. "Honey, I don't think you should drive" I tell him. He was still incredibly drunk. He broke his promise of quitting his drinks for the night.

"I'm fine to drive, Maggie" Billy slurs at me. "Don't be a nagging bitch!"

Olivia stepped in to defend me. "I agree with Maggie, and frankly, if you're going to be driving us home, then I'm not going with you"

"Whatever" Billy scoffs. He opens his door and gets in the car. "Maggie, strap Victoria in the back and get in so we can go home"

"No way!" I said. "Why don't you just let me drive?"

"You know I don't mind you driving the car when you're not with me, but between the two of us, I'm the better driver"

Olivia mutters under her breath. "Not when you're drunk"

"Fine, if you're going to be so insistent on driving, then go ahead. But Olivia and I will get a ride with someone else because we don't feel safe, and Victoria is coming with us" I stood my ground. Billy didn't argue on that with me any further. He just started the car and drove off. I could see him swerving a bit and I won't lie, I did grow a bit worried for him but if anything happened, it would be his own fault.

"I have a bad feeling" Olivia said to me.

I just shrugged. "We tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen to us"

...

We ended up just getting a ride home with Roger. I sat at the front with him while Olivia was in the back with Victoria. "Thank you for driving us home, Roger" I tell him.

"Oh sunshine, you don't have to thank me" Roger says, winking at me. "Thank you both for being sensible women and not getting into a car with that drunk idiot"

As soon as Roger pulled up in front of his own house, I immediately spotted the police cars in front of mine. I could feel my heart immediately drop into my stomach. This couldn't be good. I got out of Roger's car and immediately went up to the cops that were standing at my door. "Officers, is everything okay?" I asked them.

"Are you Margaret Robinson?" The first officer asked me.

"Yes, but please, just call me Maggie" I tell them. "Why are you guys here? Did someone try to break into my house?"

"We're actually here about your husband" the second officer said. I could feel my heart almost stop at that point. Was he dead? Or was it something worse? "He got into an accident with another car. Your husband is without any serious injuries but the other driver is now at the hospital in critical condition" Yeah, this was much worse than him being dead.

[egg-on-the-run]

Massage

The turtle's s/o is exhausted, they help make things better with a massage.

(she/her pronouns used)

Leonardo

She's already asleep in his bed when he comes home from patrol. Usually she waits for him on the couch, even when she was tired, but Splinter had specifically told him she was already asleep, warned him to do his best not to wake her up.

She must be exhausted.

He tiptoes in as quietly as he could after his shower, spots her lying flat on his bed: not tucked in, just lying atop his blankets on her stomach. She had been too tired to lift the sheets.

He can see how tense she is, can see the way how even in her sleep her shoulders still rise to her ears, how her finger twitches with an anxious need to keep moving. Her face scrunched up slightly, adorable, but he would rather it be relaxed and soft.

He's careful and slow moving her onto the bed properly, still not setting her under the covers just yet. He's even more careful when he straddles her legs, keeps his weight off them almost entirely. His hands start at her lower back, kneading into her very softly.

She jolts and eyes snap open, "What are you doing?"

"I uh, I was giving you a massage, you look tense, even in your sleep."

"Oh," She relaxes, "You're an angel, just scared me a little." Her head hits the pillow again, already drifting off.

He tries once more, hands softly pressing into her lower back. She lets out a breath of air, sinking further into the mattress. He continues, travelling further up her spine. Usually he hates the sound of bones cracking (all of his brothers teased him constantly about it), but tonight he was quite happy to hear little pops coming from her spine. He especially didn't mind when she gave a little moan afterwards.

His hands travel further up towards her shoulders, kneading and rolling his wrists into the dozens of knots in her back. Her shoulders were so tense that she whined whenever he was too rough. He had to be gentle, working them out slowly.

By the time he was finished, she was sleepily trying to reach his hand with her eyes closed.

"Cuddle me," She mumbled as she found his hand, "Pretty please? I've got tomorrow off."

"Of course," He replied, moving to help her under the sheets, "That was the plan anyway."

He pulled her tight against his chest, hearing her bones crack once more as she melted like putty in his hands. He kissed her forehead.

"Thank god you've got tomorrow off, I'll let you sleep in as long as you want." He sighed, relaxing himself, "I'll make sure the lair is quiet."

She didn't hear a word of what he said, she was already fast asleep.

Raphael

Raphael was the king of tension. He wasn't like Michelangelo where little bothered him, or like Donatello who had those random self care days, or even like Leonardo who learned to de-stress through meditation. Oh no, Raphael carried tension like a mother with a clingy child: pulling on his shoulders, weighing him down and making him irritated.

It came with the whole anger thing.

So there have been countless times where she has used her knuckles to work the knots out of his shoulders. It was no easy task, especially when she had to use most of her body weight to actually get through each and every knot.

But she'd do it a hundred times more if he needed her to, and Raphael knew that, knew it all to well.

So when he sees her already grumbling to herself at the latest email that just came through to her laptop, when he see her shoulders rising to her ears in frustration and hands balling into fists, he knew he had to do the same thing for her as she had done countless times for him.

She jumps when he first puts his hands on her shoulders, but recognises the warm touch shortly after.

"What are you doing?" She asked, one hand reaching up to rest on top of his, she kept her attention glued to her screen, "I have a lot of work to do, Raphie."

"I know," He said, beginning to knead into her shoulders, "Just a massage, you look stressed."

"Oh with that lovely email, I am more than stressed."

She's always had a sharp tongue, never directed it to him (never intentionally) but he knows her patience is wearing thin and work certainly wasn't helping. He thought about taking his hands away entirely, not wanting to pester her; but she ran her thumb across his hand, typed with only one set of fingers, and Raphael remembered how often she did this for him when his patience was thinner than a piece of paper.

He pressed his hands into her shoulders again, watched as her head leaned back and body moved with his hands. He knew the feeling, when the knots were so tight they just hurt. He continued to work his hands into her shoulders, and slowly it seemed to stop hurting and the tension started to melt away. She closed her eyes, pushed her laptop away from her and just let herself be for a moment.

"Those big ol' hands of yours," She said, voice more like a breath, "So gentle with me."

"Not like you, using your damn elbows to get the knots out."

"But does it work?" She laughed.

He chuckled, "Of course it works, you're the best at this."

"Oh I dunno, you might give me a run for my money, this feels like heaven right now." Her head rolled to the side, turning slightly to kiss his hand, "Take me to bed Raphie, please."

With one final squeeze he let go, moving his arms to wrap around her waist and carry her to bed. Work wasn't important, this was.

Donatello

The lair was far too noisy, Donatello's lab was far too bright. Everything was just too much, all at once. Even as she sat on his desk, the reflection of his computer in his glasses from behind her was glaring into her eyes. He sat between her legs, arms around her waist and rambling about — god, she didn't even know at this point. She'd spaced out long ago, too overwhelmed to even try and catch up.

He moved his head at he spoke, Donatello was always an expressive fellow, and the light bounced off his glasses right into her eyes. She squinted, scrunched her entire face up and groaned.

"You have a migraine," He said plainly, "I have some painkillers in my drawer—"

"I took some earlier, they just haven't kicked in yet." She frowned.

She looked in pain, Donatello hated to see her like this, hated when there wasn't anything he could do.

He reached up and cupped her face, "Have you had enough water today?"

"Yeah," She mumbled, "Been using that new water bottle I got."

"When did you last eat?"

"Went out for dinner with some coworkers."

Donnie hummed, not knowing what else could cause her such a migraine. They usually had a reason behind them, she didn't usually just get them randomly. He wondered if she'd be on her phone too much, not to sound like Splinter, but she's been talking to him for the past hour or so, her eyes should have rested by now.

She pushed her cheek into his hand, letting his hand squish the chub on her face. Donatello squeezed gently, rubbing her cheeks in a circular motion.

"What are you doing?" She asked, voice muffled by his hands.

"Massaging your face," He replied, moving to knead her cheekbones with his thumbs, "Maybe it's tension that's brought this on."

"Maybe..."

He moved his thumbs over the bridge of her nose and followed the shape of her eyebrows, he repeated the action a few times before gently rubbing her temples.

"You're really good at this..." She murmured, eyes closed and jaw slack. Her face was no long scrunched up, but instead so completely relaxed she looked as though she was already asleep. Donatello persisted, using his thumbs to move the tension away from her face. His hands moved to her hair, grasping tightly and then releasing, he tickled his fingers through her locks: slowly so as not to pull on any tangles.

By the time he'd moved back to her jaw, he was pretty sure she'd fallen asleep where she sat. He smiled softly at her, kissed her forehead, and carried her off to bed.

He needed an early night as well.

Michelangelo

She had been on her feet all day, running errands for a coworker who had recently hurt their leg. Said coworker was fine, and would be perfectly capable of putting of such errands until their leg was better (really, Mikey huffed, using his girlfriend like a servant). But she could never just say no, and even after she'd ran around the city collecting bits and bops, dropping off items and buying groceries, her coworker hadn't even offered her so much as a sit down before he not-so-subtly led her out of his apartment.

So she came stumbling to the lair, exhausted and drained beyond compare and ready to collapse but still so eager to see her darling Mikey. He was in the shower when she arrived, she knew because Raphael told her, and because she could hear his singing before she'd even arrived.

She dragged herself to his bed, kicking her shoes off and not even caring where she left them. She collapsed to her knees before she could crawl under the blankets, lying surprisingly comfortably on the floor.

"Hey, hey angel! What are you doing down here?" Mikey's cheerful voice woke her up, along with a little shake of her shoulder. "We snoozing on the floor now?"

"So tired..." She mumbled, eyes fluttering closed, "Carry me to bed."

"No problem, the whole five feet distance it is." Mikey chuckled. He picked her up, sliding her onto his bed, careful not to bump her head on Raphael's top bunk. "All those errands huh? Guy owes you a thanks at least."

"Jackass kicked me out before I could even sit down at his place," She glared at the mattress above her, "So rude."

"Uh, totes rude? My girl did all that for him and he doesn't even let you sit down? Jackass is a very nice way to describe him." Mikey smiled at her, "Your poor little feet must be sore after all that running around."

"I think my ankles are swollen."

"Just a little." He teased, moving to sit between her legs. He took one of her legs and squeezed firmly along her calves. His hands slid down to her ankles and he frowned: they were slightly swollen, he had only been joking but turns out he was right. He rolled her ankle for her, moved her foot so that it pointed and then helped stretch her heel. He squeezed her calf one more time before moving on to her other leg.

"You're so sweet," She babbled, "Thank you for taking care of me."

"No problem babe, somebody has to," He laughed, "And it's not hard work."

She smiled at him, eyes struggling to stay open. He smiled back at her, not that she could see him, and softly told her to go to sleep; he'd take care of her.

[mamavanheat]

I’d love a little oneshot of reader taking care of Danny cause I feel like he never takes time to do some self care for himself cause he’s always taking cover of those 3 knuckleheads and just reader showing him that he’s allowed to take time for himself

happy Wagner Wednesday!! this one is for you bestie!!

"Sam, I said no!" Danny was pacing the living room with his phone as you started chopping the veggies for tonight's dinner. Your attention shifts from the garlic cloves on the cutting board to him as he throws a hand to the air in frustration. "When do I ever catch a break, Sam? You know what? Just call me tomorrow. I'm tired of talking about this." He sounds defeated. You knew it was an argument over something minor and everything will be fine tomorrow, but you can't help but worry.

Danny tossed his phone onto the couch and joined you in the kitchen. He doesn't bother to say a word before grabbing a knife of his own and chopping away at the remaining vegetables on the counter. "Love, we should relax tonight. Shut down your worries for a bit. Whatcha think?" You glance to him through your eyelashes. He gave a little shrug still focusing on his task. "C'mon babe. Are you gonna let me spoil you?" The tiniest smile grew onto his cheeks at your request. You washed the garlic off your fingers and wiped your hands dry on the towel hanging from the oven. Approaching him from behind, you snake your arms around him resting your hands flat against his chest. You placed little pecks against the back of his faded old tshirt.

After dinner, Danny cleared the table and began to rinse off each plate and utensil. You head to the bathroom and start to draw a bath. Hot water flows as you pour his favorite scent of foaming bath salts. This would be the perfect time for some fresh air you decided while cranking open the giant window placed above the deep tub. He joins you in the room with two glasses of white wine, setting them gently on the counter with a light *tink*. "Wait! I almost forgot I got you something today while I was running errands!" You headed back into the living area to retrieve the present.

He lights a couple candles as he patiently waits for you to return when he starts to hear you shuffling around in the bedroom now. You appear with the small portable record player and his newest record in hand, set up the player on the counter while playfully hide the cover in the process. Carefully you slip the vinyl from the sleeve and place it on the player. The light scratch of the needle is follwed by the light strums of a guitar, a comforting voice flowed from the speakers. "No way!" He beamed a smile to you, eyes wide with surprise. "'Brother Sun, Sister Moon?' I've been looking forever!" You placed a light peck on his cheek and motioned for him to sit in the vanity chair in front of the mirror.

He sat as you passed him to the tub and turned off the faucet. Returning to him, you began to slowly run your fingers through his curls, being extra gentle with each small knot you approached. Eyes closed, he hums the soft words to the first couple of songs as you begin to braid his hair loosely. Once you reached the tip and secured it with a hair tie, you pat him on the shoulder to let him know you'd finished. Now standing with you, he pulls you into him and leans in to give you soft kisses in between his words. "Thank... you... so... much...love." With a giggle you give him a light push and pull his shirt over his head gently, tossing it to the floor and working off your own.

Once all the fabric had been removed, he holds your hand tightly as you step into the tub before he joins. He leans to grab the wine from the counter before sitting, his back to your chest as he hands your glass over his shoulder. Your legs wrap around him as you take a sip of the golden liquid. Light sounds of the breeze pushing the leaves of the trees just outside mixes with the gentle music. You can feel his entire body begin to relax against you, his head resting against your shoulder behind. "I love you, my dear." You reach your lips to peck as his cheek once again. The sun began to set in the scenic view, filling the room with a golden glow. "I love you too, my love."

[kissable-vance-medici]

||Temeplate credit to @video-space !! ||

[INFO]

Name: Leilani christan ormsby/thistlewaite

Gender:Male

Pronouns: he/him

Sexuality:Gay

Weapon/fighting style of choice: Paddles/ Bats

[DIALOGUE]

Greetings:

-"Well hello, mind for a talk James?"

-"Hopkins! Greetings, a moment of your time please?"

-"Jimmy, can we speak?"

-"James, How are you?"

Saying Goodbye:

- "I have to go check on my baby Perri, see you later James"

- "Well times ran out, I have to hear another phone call from my mother."

- "I best be going, my designs aren't going to finish themselves!"

-"Fare well Hopkins, I have to catch a gift from my Fathers' in the office about now"

Chasing:

- "Get back here, you, you doormat!!"

- "Once I catch you, you'll be hearing from three lawyers!"

-"Stop running, face me coward!"

Out of breath:

- "I'm wasting time, you're lucky I have plans today.."

- "No..Wait till I catch my breath then you'll be unlucky.."

-"Oh! My side! Heavens I need to run more.."

Walking around talking to themself:

- "My Daddies won't stop sending me hideous sweaters!"

- "Sometimes I wish I did come out a girl just so my mother would leave me alone about the subject"

- "Dresses aren't that bad to wear, mommy used to make me wear them when I was small! Maybe they're just tad itchy is all.."

- "Would life for me be much better if i was born a girl, well maybe for mommy's life.."

- "Having two dads ain't so bad as mommy always told me.."

- "My Daddy isn't as bossy as Mommy, I wish she'd get boys are more better than girls"

- "Only good gift I've gotten from my Daddies is Perri, no boy could replace him when it comes to those nights.."

-"Perri is what's keeping me from giving into my mothers wishes of what she wants"

-"Perri is like a baby to me, speaking of, I should go down to buy him treats"

-"My Mother says kissing boys here is dangerous, I think the only good advice she's given my entire life"

-"Maybe lower class boys can be handsome, well MAYBE can at least.."

Conversing:

- "Did your Mother ever make you say you were a girl?"

- "You know those rubber things in the small packages? I don't think it's gum.."

- "You know James, you are cute but I wish you dressed less poor so if we were seen together my parent's would suspect a thing!"

- "I think I have Scoliosis, I've been forgetting a lot of things"

- "When I was little I found this strange collar in my Daddies' room, I'm still wondering if they were gonna get me a puppy."

- "What do you normally shop for James?"

- "Do you think when you drink blue punch, your pee is blue? I swear some toilets suspiciously have Blue in them"

- "My mommy had a small dog named Lily when I was 7, she liked dirt, reminds me of the jar of dirt I used to make a dirt mountain in the living room when she strangely vanished.."

Conversation Response:

- "Oh my."

- "Indeed."

-"Quite interesting, may you say more."

- "Undertsable, I get that."

- "Couldn't get that, but I will try."

Complaining:

- "Maybe for once boys dressed nice I'd kiss them!"

- "I wish my Mommy would lay off, only if I had the guts!"

- "God dammit, I stepped in gum!I think I'm gonna cry…"

- "Perri accidentally pooped on my arm when I was chatting with a cute boy, I cant believe he'd do me like this!"

- "My last pair of underwear is once again missing! These pants are really not soft, think I'm getting another rash on my- you know where!"

Unknown/Cut Dialogue:

- "It is normal to faint five times after a hot shower?"

- "My Mother is getting on my back after that date with one of the bullies, wish she got that he actual showers?"

- "What the hell is a V card, is there letter cards I never heard about? And why do people always take them?"

- Sometimes I'll be doing something but blink and find myself on the floor, I don't get what the nurse means by neurocardiogenic syncope? Is that like a sleep thing?"

-"I have 10 brothers, no wonder my mom wanted me to be a girl"

Starting fight with Cliques:

[Bullies]

- "God, I hope your pimples don't pop during a punch!"

- "Bet you fight like you dress, poorly!"

- "You nothing more than pennies on the ground!"

- "Come at me you heathens!"

[Greasers]

- "I'll be washing my hand when I'm done with you!"

- "Under all that leather is nothing more but a walking non-sqeak door canister!"

- "Don't slip on your hair gel when you get a run start!"

-"Fast food places use less grease than you put in your hair!"

[Nerds]

- "You may have brains, but i know you dont have brawl!"

- "You're weaker than my baby cousin!"

- "You're gonna wish you keep that nose in a book!"

- "Hope you like not seeing for a week, four eyes!!"

[Jocks]

- "Keep those sweaty hands away from me!"

- "Smells like wet jockstrap!"

- "Come at me you Sport freaks!"

-"Football dont teach you punching skills!"

[Townies]

- "Glad bullworth doenst have you in it"

- "Proud Derby dont waste money on you!"

- "Ready to get a taste of Bullworth!"

- "I'd sue you but I dont think you have enough money to even pay for a parking hours at the cournt house!"

Requesting an errand:

- "James, If you do this thing for me maybe you can buy better clothes?"

- "Quite an heavens call, Hopkins I need help!"

- "Speak of the devil, James I need a errand please, help one out"

- "Jimmy dearest, mind getting em a few things? I'll pay extra!"

Friendly Comments:

- "Good evening James, you look stunning for once!"

- "Proper clothes, Hopkins I'm quite shocked"

- "Jimmy, ya know Perri doesnt find you all that bad?"

- "James, you make me question if some boys do have have taste here"

Unfriendly Comments:

- "Whered you find those? Bottom of your moms drawer?"

- "At least I have two daddies"

- "Move aside, I dont need to waste my eyesight on you punk"

- "The only thing thatd describe you is what you find vomited near the dumpster melted in the pavement"

[EXTRA]

Demanding flowers:

- "Maybe a little something can make me not mind your clothes?"

- "A gift would be nice if you really cared"

- "Honey, if you didnt have the fashion to ask me out, do you have the gift to make up for it?"

After receiving flowers:

- "I hope you checked for spiders, I might cry"

- "Well, i mean, clothes arent all that important right now.."

- "Quite nice of you James, ain't you a sweetheart?"

Before kissing:

- "I quite flattered, come here baby"

- "A kiss?Been awhile since a nice boy asked me this"

- "Let me see what's it like to kiss boys like you"

Post-kiss:

- "Oh James, I quite enjoyed that"

- "You know, maybe if your open tonight, I can measure some designs on you?"

- "I now get what Gord means"

- "We cant hold hands, I dont want any longer calls with my mother, BUT James I do appreciate this"

[PHOTO OF YOUR OC]

Tags: //Honestly i dont know who to tag 😔// @video-space @gordvendomewhore

[shinaus]

Good afternoon, kitty cat. I'm sorry for only writing now as I'm very busy today. Is everything alright? My poor kitten is having a hard time again, have some kithes for your troubles. But seriously, I'm happy you're well. It worries me when your car breaks down. I'll talk to you again soon, okay? Take care. Love - your Toshi 💜

afternoon hitoshi!!! no need to apologise, i know that you're doing okay and are busy so i have all the reassurance i need hehe - how have you been today?

there's no need to worry, the car trouble should hopefully be over for now and i've only got a few errands to run tonight and them i'm home. though i do very much appreciate the affection and am sending the same back youe way, make sure you eat plenty and don't strain yourself if you move anything heavy! i love you, talk to you soon 🤍

[leelee10898]

Fast cars and Freedom: Breathin (2/?)

A/N: This is my take on ROD. It takes place 6 years in the future and also jumps back to events of the past. If you would like added to the tag list, let me know!! You can also catch up HERE

Pairings: Logan x Ellie, Colt x Ellie

Rating: Mature on all counts, young eyes look away.

Word count: 1938

Chapter inspiration:

Summary: Ellie is adjusting to life back on the West Coast. But will a simple a night out be just that?

It had been 2 days since ellie had been back in L.A, she borrowed her dad's car and headed to the local elementary school to enroll Luca. Since it was summer still Luca would start Kindergarten in the fall. They walked into the office of the school, Luca beamed as she looked around. “Mommy, is this where I am going to school?”

“Yes Luca. this is where mommy went to school when I was your age.”

They were greeted by a tall slender woman. “Hello, how may I help you.”

“I am here to enroll my daughter for Kindergarten.” Ellie looked up, her eyes widening as the woman smiled back at her.

“Of course.” she looked down at the papers “Miss Martin… Ellie Martin? Is that you?”

“Ah, Hi Ingrid. Nice to see you again.” Ingrid smiled, Ellie couldn't tell if she was enjoying the fact she clearly got pregnant right out of high school or if she was actually happy to see her. “So good to see you too, and this your daughter Luca?” She looked down at Luca who smiled brightly at her, she looked back at Ellie and she could tell the gears were turning. Ingrid knew she was dating Logan then, she tried hitting on him at brent's party and he shot her down. She also knew that she was seeing colt, that was much clear by the way they couldn't keep their lips or hands off each other at prom.

“Yes, this is Luca. Luca can you say Hello.”

“Hello miss? Um, what is your name?” Luca spoke. “I am Mrs Vandermeer, it is a pleasure to meet you Luca.”

Ingrid went over her registration, noting Lucas test scores well advanced for a 5 year old. “Well, she is definitely bright like her mother.” Ingrid smiled “Everything looks to be in order, It just seems to be missing fathers information.”

Ellie dropped her head “He's not in the picture.” she never felt more embarrassed then she did in that moment. Here she was, high school valedictorian and didn't know who her child's father was.

“I see. That's ok, we have your father as an emergency contact, and Riya Washington. That's nice you guys are still friends.” She couldn't tell if Ingrid was trying to be nice or secretly talking crap to herself,  but she appreciated the bail out. “Yes, Riya and I are still close.” Ellie looked over at the photos on her desk, a small child with blonde hair in every frame and one of her and her husband. “Oh. You married Brent?” Ingrid smiled and held out her hand displaying a ridiculously large rock. “Going on 3 years. We have a son and another little one on the way.” Ellie felt the smallest twinge of jealousy, but she was also really happy for Ingrid.

“Congratulations Ingrid. I am really happy for you.” Ingrid nodded,  a silent agreement they forged at prom 6 years ago looming between them.  She turned to Luca “Well, you miss Luca are officially a kindergarten student.” Luca jumped up “Alright! Yay! Mommy, I'm gonna need to go shopping, I have to look my best for my first day of school.” she turned to Ellie, hands on hips. “But Lulu sweetie, you have a month before school starts.”

“Well I have to have time to plan mommy.”

Ellie wasn't a fashionista, this trait her daughter had reminded her of Logan.  He loved to get dirty working on cars, but he was a pretty boy, and cleaned up nicely.

They made their way back to her dads,  Ellie dropping Luca off so she could run a few more errands and stop in her new office to sign a few papers before heading home. She drove along in her father's older Honda, passing a few places that sparked some memories. She came up to a red light, her attention drawn to the large empty parking lot next to her. Her heart raced as she noticed the chunks of pavement missing from where she flipped her car Setting up the brotherhood .  All the money that school had, and they couldn't fix the parking lot. She made her way through the city one thing she did not miss was all the traffic lights. She awaited the light to turn Green when she felt a sharp jolt come from behind pushing her forward.

“son of a fucking bitch.” she climbed out of her car “Did you just hit me?” her anger took over her. “I am so, sorry.” a young girl got out of the car. “I just got my license a week ago. Man my dads gonna be so mad. Maybe he was right, Driving is Dangerous.”

The girls words hitting her like a ton of bricks, quickly softening her mood.

“Hey. Its ok, accidents happen. Don't let it discourage you from driving.  It is your right to drive, but you have to be aware of your surroundings at all times.” she reassured the girl. “I'll take care of this, you call your dad. I am sure he will just be happy you are ok.”

Ellie called in to inform them of the accident, the police came and took a report. They had to tow the car since it suffered some rear end damage. She pulled out her car calling Riya to pick her up. Once they got back to her dads Riya and Ellie sat around catching up. “Can I just tell you how stupidly excited I am that you are finally home?” Riya squealed. “I know, it kind of feels good to be home to be honest.” Ellie gave her a half chuckle.

“We should go out and celebrate.” She squeezed her hand. “No Riya. I couldn't, what about Luca?” Ellie shook her head. “Ellie, you never take time for yourself. Your dad can keep Luca, come out, let loose.”

“Riya is right sweetheart, go have fun. I got Luca.” Her dad cut in. “ are you sure? I don't want to take advantage of you.” Ellie hesitated.

“Nonsense,  I finally get my girls home, Im making up for lost time.” He turned to Elie who was coloring “What'dya say munchkin, popcorn and movie night with Grampy?”  Luca jumped down from the table. “I say Heck yes!” She winked.

“Luca Rose!” Ellie shrieked.  And that reminded her of colt. “Sorry mommy.”

Riya and Ellie headed out, she found an outfit for the evening and they went back to Riyas to get ready. Riya and Darius bought her parents house after they retired and moved to Florida. She walked in and immediately colts face flashed through her mind. The way he looked at her when she descended the stairs in her pink prom dress. She wondered momentarily what he was up to, before she was pulled from her thoughts.

“The trio is back in action.” Darius shot finger guns at her as he pulled her into a hug. “Good to see you smartie pants.” he grinned. “Good to see you too Dare. Wheres Marcus?”

“Put him to bed. Toddlers are a lot of work.” he grunted. Ellie shook her head in agreement.

“Sorry to break up the reunion, but we need to get her ready to meet a man tonight.” Riya giggled as she pulled her up to the bedroom so they could get ready. “Riya NO, that was not the plan. I don't need a man.” Ellie refused.

“Just… go, in there and get ready.” Riya nudged her into the bathroom.

Ellie curled her hair making loose beach waves. She applied minimal makeup, she was never one to doll herself up. Truth be told she was envious of every girl with flawless makeup, she could never quite master the art of the contour.

She stepped out in a knee length little black dress, that accented all the right parts. Riya let out a low whistle. “whoa mamma, somebody's gonna get lucky tonight.”

“oh god no! I'm not going anywhere near a man. I'm just happy to hang out with my bestie.” she kissed Riya on the cheek, leaving a red lip print. “Ellie, you asshole.” Ellie playfully shoved Riya. “Come on, our uber is here.”

They entered the club, the lights blinding them as they made their way to the bar grabbing some drinks. The couldnt find a table so they stood by the bar, they talked and laughed for a while,  having drink after drink before deciding to head out to the dancefloor. They twirled and moved to the beat, getting lost in the rhythm. For the first time in what felt like forever she felt her worries melt away, she hadn't felt so free, so Alive in a long time. “I gotta pee.” She tapped Riya on the shoulder. She made her way to the bathroom,  passing the VIP area. She could hear girls laughing loudly and flirting, people cheering. She rolled her eyes. Probably some bimbos looking for a hot shot to take one of them home. She made it to the bathroom, or the extremely long line to it.

Her eyes took her to the dance floor, locking on a couple dancing close together, she thought back to they went to Hyrieus.

*******

She danced like nobody was watching spinning around until she was dizzy. Stumbling into Logan. “Whoa. I got you. You dizzy?” She held onto logans strong shoulder “Yeah maybe a little.” she steadied herself noticing a guy checking Toby out. “Hey Toby, that guy over there is totally checking you out.” Toby sauntered over to dance with the stranger. Logan was talking to Ximena now,  Ellie's eyes locked on colts. She walked over grabbing his hand “Dance with me.” She pulled him to the dance floor. “I don't really dance.”

“Neither do I.” she pulled him father into the dance floor, away from the crew.

“I've been waiting to get you alone all day.” He pulled her closer, tilting her face up with one finger. “Is that so? I'm starting to think you like me.”

“I don't like anybody.” He smirked looking in her eyes as his fingertips lightly gripped her hips. She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him in closer.  Their lips inches from each others. “Is Logan watching?”

“Why, do you not want him to see us together?”

“Would it be wrong if I kind of wish he could?” Ellie eyed him “I'm not some shiny object for you two to fight over. I'm just a person.” He stared deep into her brown eyes. “Oh Ellie, you're so much more than that.”

She grinded against him keeping with the beat of the music. “I thought you couldn't dance.”

“i'm just doing what feels good.” she batted her lashes. “Well keep doing what feels good.”

She gripped his hair, pulling his face down to hers. Lips crashing against each other with need. Everything else slipped away, it was as if nobody else was there, just the two of them. They pulled apart breathlessly his lips grazing her ear. “You're my driver forever, you know that right?”

“Promise?”

***********

She was pulled from her thoughts by the woman behind her, tapping her on the shoulder letting her know it was her turn. She left the bathroom, making her way past the vip section again.  She was almost at the bar when she swore she heard someone calling her name, she could barely hear of the loud thumping of the base. Until she felt a tap on her shoulder. “Ellie?” She turned quickly, her heart pounding at the sight in front of her. She swallowed hard “Logan?”

He smiled back at her “Hi troublemaker.”

Tag: @kennaxval @hopefulmoonobject @crookedslimecreatorpasta @be-still-my-aching-heart @ao719 @speedyoperarascalparty @riseandshinelittleblossom @cocomaxley @bobasheebaby @ownworldresident @cordoniaqueensworld @indiacater

@daniv2278 @brightpinkpeppercorn @lovehugsandcandy @going-down-downtown @mercyparkcrew @emichelle @annekebbphotography @powdesiree0816 @walkerismychoice @yesivefallenpreytothechoicestrap @zaira-oh-zaira @sweetest-marbear @simsvetements @zaffrenotes @choicelogansbitch

[rixxy8173571m3w1p3]

Out Of The Woods (2/?)

This multi chap fic has been one that I've wanted to write for a while. I'm hoping to connect a few loose ends, since my series is getting closer to the end. Don't worry, I still got a couple of fics left in me. I'd love to thank @xerxezra whose conversations with me are always inspirational. I'd also like to thank @dorkydisappointment whose writing got my creative juice flowing and @hoodoo12 who continues to inspire me all the time.

Reference to the crystal necklace a can be found in my fic The Language Of Flowers and to safety measures in Sentimental Reasons. And finally, references to the woman in Ricks journal is from What You Found Amongst The Pages. I know, that was shameless self promotion ;P

If you haven't read part 1, then heres a link (Read Chapter 1)

In this fic the reader tries to uncover the mystery of the artist behind Zeta-7s portrait.

----------------------

Chapter 2: The Girl Who Loved Him Before

You couldn't sleep. It wasn't so much the bed, which was much harder than the one you had back home, but your thoughts. Ugh, why couldn't you just turn your brain off? If you could, then maybe you wouldn't be up at 2 in the morning questioning your life choices; that or it was because you were in an unfamiliar place.

You thought of taking out your laptop to type out the draft for a new story idea you had, or to take another sedative, but you decided that maybe you could read one of the magazines you saw on the coffee table instead. Carefully, you cracked the door to your room open, checked to see if the coast was clear before you tiptoed towards the living room. Next to the couch, was a rustic coffee table created out of an old tree trunk; on it were coasters made from a young pine. Next to the pile of coasters were old science fiction magazines; all of them older than yourself. And since you couldn't find the book you saw earlier, you picked up the stack and slipped back into your room.

Just like you did when you were a kid, you hid under the duvet with a flashlight. Each magazine was in its own sleeve, and you shuffled through them until you found a hand full you liked. The one with Gort on the cover had original stories that had been sent in by fans; your favorite being The Day The Earth Stood Stupefied, which was a story about how Gort and Klaatu managed to control the masses with charisma and Rock n Roll. Another one had a series of stories which revolved around a lonely dendrologist, who alienated everyone he knew in his pursuit of knowledge; whose increased disdain for humans had led him to madness; a marriage to the forest, and whose offspring walked the earth, searching for their place in the world. The other magazines turned out to be comic books, laced with outdated tropes and humorous ads for sea monkeys and x-ray goggles. Though, the one that interested you most was the small booklet for a funeral home.

Strange, why would this be here?

You pulled the covers down, glanced at the door just to make sure it wouldn't open before you hid again, and flipped through the booklet. From different burial arrangements to simple and ornate caskets, you assumed that either he helped with a burial or had planned one. Poor man. You placed it back in the middle of the stack where you had found it and returned the lot of it to its original place. Maybe trying to write might help quiet your brain after all.

____________________

You woke up; the cause being from the sounds which came from outside. Slipping your feet into some slippers, you stepped out of your bedroom, finding that Rick was neither in his room, kitchen, or living room. The noises got louder and seemed to be coming from the back of the house. So feeling brave, because you could totally take care of yourself, you grabbed the silly dancing moose statue from the dining table which doubled as a banana holder and stepped outside, only to find Rick pause; his ax lifted above his head, with raised brow perplexed as to what you were doing before returning to his task. “Oh, you're chopping wood.”

Log after log, he split them into smaller pieces. You had never seen him chop wood, but at the rate and diligence in which he was, made you wonder if he had cybernetic enhancements like other Ricks did; it certainly would explain a few things. When you realized that you were still holding the statue, you could only giggle at your silliness and set it down beside you as you took a seat on the porch steps; not only relieved there wasn't an intruder but pleasantly surprised by this display of masculinity. “Rick, why are you chopping wood? It's not to impress me, is it? Cause if it is, it's totally working.”

Leaning the ax against the stump, he pulled off his sweater, having warmed up from the exertion, using it to wipe his sweaty face. The t-shirt that was underneath his sweater clung to him, outlining the shape of his lean torso. Wow. “There's n-no central heating and there's going to be a cold front t-t-t-tonight. I um - I wanted to make sure there would be enough firewood.”

“Well, nothing warm hands and a pillow fort couldn't solve. Right?”

“Hohoho, n-no. Though it would be nice if that's all it - it took.”

Goodness, did you love what you were seeing, regretful that you didn't have your phone to take a pic. If he was more confident, then he'd certainly be the death of you, strolling over with a confident swagger but it didn't matter. You were so lucky to have him; dorky and all. “Rick, could you come here for a moment? I want to show you something.”

By now, you'd think he'd catch on to your mischief, but even so, he obeyed; how cute. He walked towards you, unassuming, and you stood and waited for him to be close enough so that you could lean over and kiss him. He squirmed when you did this because he was all sweaty and wanted to be all nice and clean before making any attempts of being affectionate, but you wrapped your arms around him and held him tight, determined not to let him go. “I got you, Ricky.”

“Gosh, but I'm - I-I-I shouldn't. I'm all sweaty.”

“It's okay,” you cooed, brushing his bangs away from his forehead. “I kinda like it. Besides, everyone sweats. It's only natural, and if we didn't we'd die, right? So calm down my little manly man. I'm not grossed out.”

It took him a few seconds to let this sink in.“Is there anything y-you don't like?” he wondered; neither reciprocating nor initiating.

“I don't like mosquito bites, but what does that have to do with anything? I really like you. That's what matters.”

“Th-that's - thank you. I appreciate it.”

You pressed your nose right into his hair, breathing in the scent which was naturally his intermingling with that of the forest. You knew this made him nervous, but you adored the way he smelled, especially right now; as though he'd been birthed from the ashes of pine. “You're welcome. Have you been rolling around in pine needles?” you giggled, picking out a stray leaf. “Or have you been hugging trees again? If you aren't, then maybe I should encourage it.”

“No,” he answered matter of factly. “it's um - it's from the wood. Th-they produce chemicals called terpenes, which give them their special, distinctive scent.”

“Oh Rick, when are you going to understand when I'm flirting with you?”

Scratching the back of his neck, he mumbled sheepishly. “Gee, I-I-I don't - I'm sorry.”

Reluctantly you let go, deciding that you should let him be before you had a chance to get any other mischievous ideas. “Aw, don't be sorry. You still have plenty of time to understand me. Until then, how about I make us some breakfast. Banana pancakes sound good?”

Smiling warmly down at you, he nodded. “It s-sure does.”

_______________

After breakfast, Rick informed you that he needed to go somewhere, and you were ready to go along but he confessed. “I-I-I have to get some supplies to do a couple of repairs. I've been so busy lately that I didn't realize that there were still a-a few things t-t-to do around here before I can relax. I should be back this afternoon.”

“Rick, it sounds like you're leaving me here.”

Giving your hand a squeeze, he admitted. “I am, though only because I want to return as soon as possible. I want t-to spend as much time with you as I can. I mean, I'm going t-t-to be making repairs after I return, but in other words…..”

“You're busy,” you interrupted, pulling your hand away so you could put away the dishes. “and you wanted to take care of your errands without distractions. Fine, it's whatever. I'll be here I guess.”

The mismatched dishes were an odd contrast in comparison to the many other decorations about the place, and you were relieved by this, but annoyed that you weren't tall enough to put away the mixing bowl in its respective place on the top shelf. Seeing this, chair legs scraped against the floor, creaking in complaint as Zeta-7 crossed the room; gently removing it from your hands and putting it away. If he wasn't so darn sweet, you might actually manage to stay upset at him. “Thanks.”

Studying you, he placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “I'm s-s-so sorry princess. I promise I'll make it up to you.”

You knew he would for he always did and you followed him outside towards the car. Opening the driver's side door, he stood there, fiddling with the keychains, glancing at you, at the keys, then back at you. “It won't be long. Y-y-y-y-you know where I put the freeze ray, and where the switch for the security system is.”

“Yeah,” you answered, tugging lightly on the chain about your neck, revealing the lovely crystal you carried with you always. “and I still have the crystal necklace that I only have to squeeze to be transported to the safe room just in case.”

“Th-that's good. And the Meeseeks box is in the closet. I um - they'll help if you need them.”

“Got it. I guess I'll see you later then. Drive safely.”

You turned around to head back, having heard the car door close, thinking he was ready to go, but to your surprise, he spun you around and pulled you in for a kiss. Undemanding, he sought forgiveness on your lips, supporting you as you melted into him. When he pulled away a few seconds later, he softened. “Please don't be mad a-at me. I couldn't bear it if y-you were.”

“I'm not. Annoyed maybe, but not mad. I just wish you would've told me earlier. “ you admitted in your girlish voice. “It's nice to know these things. I had plans for us to go apple picking and thought we'd bake some apple pies together. I was really looking forward to it.”

Pressing a kiss on your temple, he sighed. “Gosh, th-that sounds perfect, but it's going to have to wait. I shouldn't neglect the repairs or else one of us c-could get hurt. I hope y-you understand.”

“I do. It's a good thing you're the responsible one. Someone has to be. Just, promise you'll be safe okay?”

“I-I will. Be careful on the front porch and inside the laundry room. There are a-a few old boards that have to be replaced.”

“Okay.”

Brushing a lock of hair away from your face, he nodded. “Bye, m-mi corazón.”

Leaning into his touch, you softened. “Return soon.”

“I will.”

You pulled away so that he would go, for he would never deliberately leave until he knew everything was alright. And when you couldn't see the car anymore, you stepped back into the house, avoiding the loose boards he had mentioned. Honestly, you didn't enjoy the idea of being left alone, especially in the middle of nowhere, but it did give you the time you needed to explore the place.

_____________

You glanced at the painting again, wishing it would talk back to you. What secrets did it hold? And why Rick, your Rick and not anyone else? Did they know there were others, or were they only acquainted with yours? Ugh, this was frustrating.

You sat back for a while, thinking of what you knew; Zeta-7 wasn't the type to pose for pictures let alone a painting, so this might've been done by memory. If it was done in the afternoon light, anytime after 4 would've been comfortable if it was done outside, but what if the lighting was symbolic as to timing and not so much literal? Oh, what did you know, except that you really hoped he wasn't holding a torch for her; if he was, it'd probably kill you.

However, since you were here, you decided to check out the other paintings. There were a few that you realized also weren't signed and done in a similar style. There was one of a Morpho butterfly, eating a ripe banana. Then there was one of a half-eaten picnic and a cake covered in bees. The one next to it was of a labcoat draped over a chair and a forgotten candy wrapper lying on the floor. And the last one on this wall was of a diseased blue rose bush.

How odd. The familiarity of these subjects and scenes filled you with a warm nostalgia of past adventures. Was it possible that their story was similar to yours? Of course, everyone had their story, and if your assumptions were correct, then all these unsigned pieces were by her as well as these memories that she portrayed; funny and uncanny that they should like Morphos, blue roses, picnics, and Rick just like you. The only difference is that you weren't an artist, but then while they were, they didn't think so either.

Maybe you could almost forgive this person because they had good taste in both men and painting subjects. Then again, maybe not.

____________

Unlike the movies, the basement was well furnished and pleasant. There was a couch, a bunch of boxes stacked in the closet, and a wall of books; as could be expected from a prolific reader. You tested the couch for comfort, finding that it was way better than the bed in your room. Getting up, you perused the shelves, happy to find all your favorites as well as a couple from your wishlist; lucky you.

Picking up a leather-bound copy of Persuasion, you laid back on the couch, fluffing up the old, but clean pillows. In your hands was a well-loved copy, possibly read more times than your own. The reasons this particular Jane Austen classic held much appeal was extensive, but the main ones were because it was a story waiting, of misunderstanding, forgiveness, and reconciliation. You always got lost in the old-fashioned customs and words and it never failed to move you. However, what moved you this time when you cracked opened the book were not elegant sayings or humorous witticisms but the photographs.

Used as bookmarks, there were several Polaroids of Rick; of him dancing in an ugly sweater; of him cooking; of him playing the ukulele; of him standing as his figure was filtered amongst spring blooms; of his hands full of sunflower seeds; and of a yard full of sunflowers. You stared at these photos, dumbfounded at the similarities between the subjects and your favorite things. This book and photos must've been from her too and Ricks age in these photos matched that of the painting. Damn it.

It couldn't be true, but even inside the cover, there was a small note from Zeta-7 explaining why he gifted this book; signed with love. No, none of it could be true. However, photographs didn't lie and it meant you weren't all that special. Not caring if you stained the beginning pages with your tears, your chest ached with regret and you couldn't breathe. All this time, when your wonderful Zeta-7 paid special attention to what you loved, claiming to love only you, never wanting to lose you had turned out to be a cruel game and a lie; you being beaten by the girl who loved him before; someone who was way better than you.

TBC

[n7inky-fanfics]

Life Goes On: 10

CW: alcohol, excessive drinking, PTSD

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Kaidan Alenko:

Several hours of competitive athletics later, a sweaty and tired Kaidan walks into the lounge to find Shepard and Joker at the bar. Beer bottles practically cover the counter. Joker is passed out on the couch, and Shepard is barely awake and sitting on the floor with her back against the far wall.

Vega laughs "Did you challenge Joker to match you, Lola?"

"Of course." She slurs her words. "He went down two beers ago." She raises her bottle, presumably the third after Joker passed out, and laughs.

"Ever think about getting her into AA?" Vega asks Kaidan.

He's joking, but Kaidan isn't when he says "I've thought about it, but she usually only gets this drunk once a month now and has started restricting casual drinking to the weekend."

"Oh... um..."

"I'm not a drunk anymore, Vega. That was just the first few months of freedom."

Kaidan smiles reassuringly at Vega, then walks over to Shepard. "Alright, Hazel. Time for bed." He helps her up and guides her to the elevator. As he does this, he calls to James. "There's a stack of blankets in the closet behind the pull-up bar, next to the towels. Want to grab one and cover Joker?"

"No problem!" Vega shouts in reply.

Kaidan takes Shepard's boots off for her and tucks her into bed before heading back downstairs. Vega has tucked Joker in and is standing in the kitchen, perusing their refrigerator. Kaidan joins him and pulls out a bottle of water. Vega grumbles about Shepard and Joker finishing off the beer and takes a water bottle as well.

"What did she mean about the first few months?" James asks.

Kaidan sighs deeply. "The first few months after our official retirement were rough. She hadn't found a way to keep busy, yet. Her leg still caused her a lot of pain. It was rough. Too much pain and too much time to think. I was with her as much as I could be, but there were still times when I had to leave to get errands run or to take care of something. I'd come home to find her drunk off her ass. Or to a note telling me she went to some bar, where I'd inevitably find her drunk off her ass. She'd start her day with a drink in hand and would spend days at a time perpetually drunk. Her therapist figured it could be resolved without total abstinence. I started adding to her model ship collection and we got her hooked up with the N7 program to help train recruits. It helped. Kept her busy. She didn't want anyone to know. I think Liara found out and she told Garrus, but that's it. Otherwise, we kept it quiet for her sake."

"Does she still struggle with the memories?"

"Don't we all?" Kaidan asks. Vega nods solemnly. That war is unforgettable. Kaidan doubts that anyone came away from that without the occasional nightmare.

"How's she liking retirement now?"

"Even if she could go back, I don't think she would. She's happy, at least mostly. We've been talking about taking a beach vacation."

"Was the mission her first time back to Alchera?"

"I think she went at some point while she was with Cerberus. She helped collect the dog tags of the missing crew members and told the Alliance that they should place the memorial near the part of the outer hull with the ship's name. Other than that, I don't think so."

"No wonder she drank so much tonight."

"Yeah..."

They sit in silence for a while before James says "You know, we should have a reunion. Get everyone back here and have a good party."

"That's a good idea. When are you on leave next?"

"I've got leave in a couple months. The Normandy will be docked for maintainence. Think you can get everyone together then?"

"Leave that to me."

[arrhthmic-blog]

Like for a short starter from Rolo! They’ll probably be event-based or an exploration thread. He’s a child assassin who’s taking this world saving business like an assignment to be checked off in order to have his wish granted, so if anyone would like to take on the shadows (successfully or unsuccessfully) let’s give it a go. My inbox / IMs are open for plotting as well.