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lemoncrushh · 6 months ago

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Too Far From Texas | Chapter Seven

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Word Count: 5224

After fifty rounds of arguing with Emery about why I wouldn’t let her wear her new costume to school, we finally came to a compromise. I allowed her to wear the dress, but she had to leave the wings and wig at home. It was just too special, I told her, and Harry had gone to a lot of trouble to get it for her. I didn’t want it ruined before she could go trick or treating because some kid sat on her wings and crushed them, or she decided the wig was too itchy, took it off and accidentally left it.

When I got to work, Lorelei was already in the break room, a witch hat on her head. She turned to me with a look of disappointment.

“You didn’t dress up!” she pouted.

“Neither did you,” I scoffed, crossing the room to grab a mug from the cupboard. “A hat does not a costume make.”

“I beg your pardon. I have my shawl at my desk. I’m Stevie Nicks.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “No, you’re not. Stevie does not wear a witch hat.”

“Yes she does! On Halloween. You’re the one who showed me a picture.”

“Touche,” I said, pouring creamer into my coffee. “But why Stevie?”

“Because I had the hat...and I couldn’t think of anything else.”

I laughed.

“So, you got me,” Lorelei shrugged. “But I did think maybe you’d dress up and we could be 'Sisters of the Moon'.”

“Do you have another hat for me?” I asked her.

“No.”

“Sorry to disappoint then,” I tossed the coffee stirrer in the trash.

“So did you talk to Harry last night?” she inquired as she followed me out into the hall.

“Only for a bit. He was flying out early this morning.”

“Did you make plans?”

“It’s still kinda up in the air right now,” I sighed when I entered my office and sat in my chair. “But I think it makes the most sense if we get together Thursday evening, as long as his schedule permits.”

A wide smile spread across Lorelei’s face as she sat on the edge of my desk.

“Are you excited?”

I glared at her for a moment until I pursed my lips, my cheeks suddenly getting warm.

“You have no idea,” I said, looking down at my lap.

“Oh, I think I do,” Lorelei quipped.

I sighed. “Talking to him on the phone is one thing, Lor. I feel like we’ve developed this sort of...relationship. But actually being with him…”

My words trailed off as I couldn’t finish the sentence. My heart seemed to beat faster at just the mere thought of seeing Harry again. I stared past Lorelei out the windows.

“Look at you all nervous,” teased Lorelei. “Over a man.”

I raised my brows and eyed her. “Why, have you never seen me like this before?”

“Well, yeah,” she tilted her head, “the night he came over. But that was more like first date jitters. This is different.”

“What would you call this?”

Lorelei pondered my question for a moment before finally settling on a shrug. “Not sure. At least I don’t wanna say yet. It might make you more nervous.”

“Gee, thanks. Like that doesn’t already.”

“You’ll be fine, Stace,” she smirked, rising from my desk and walking to the door. She stopped halfway and turned around. “Be sure to pack some sexy lingerie.”

“Lor!” I rolled my eyes.

She gingerly walked back to me, leaning over my chair. “You do plan on sleeping with him, right?” she whispered.

Combing a strand of hair behind my ear, my eyes wandered around the room. When I didn’t immediately give Lorelei the reply she’d hoped for, she cleared her throat.

“I suppose that’s none of my business,” she stated.

Finally looking at her, I muttered, “It’s been a really long time.”

“Yeah. I know,” she nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. “Even more the reason. You’re a grown woman, Stacey. You deserve to have fun.”

I blinked and gave a small smile.

With one last nod, Lorelei patted my back and left my office. My shoulders dropped as I sighed and rolled my chair around. I rose my arms over my head and stretched, determined to get at least a little bit of work done.

“Look how much candy I got!” Emery held up her bag to the phone for Harry to see.

“That’s a lot!” he smiled with wide eyes. “But I used to get twice as much when I was your age.”

“Really? Aw man!”

Harry chuckled. “Now step back and let me see your costume again.”

Emery stood back, proudly holding out her arms and giving a twirl.

“She’s had it on all day,” I explained, “but I got her to keep it on a little longer after my mom left so you could see.”

Harry had texted me earlier that afternoon, requesting that we Face Time that evening. My mom had come over to stay with Jasmine while I took Emery trick or treating, and she’d just left before I called Harry.

“All day?” he asked. “You wore it to school?”

“Only the dress,” Emery replied. “Mommy wouldn’t let me wear the wig and the wings.”

“Why not?”

My daughter looked at me and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Yes you do, silly girl,” I clicked my tongue. I addressed Harry, “We had a discussion about it last night and again this morning. I told her the costume was too special to get ruined the first time she wore it.”

“Is she wearing it again?” Harry inquired.

“Well no,” I shook my head. “But I didn’t want her to come home all upset because her wings broke or something.”

Harry eyed Emery with a pout. “Mum’s no fun, huh?”

“Hey!” I chided.

“No,” Emery agreed.

I made a face.

“Did you know I’ve worn wings on stage before?” asked Harry.

“Really?” Em beamed as she bounced on her toes. “Wings like mine? Or like a butterfly?”

“Actually, they were angel wings,” he replied. “Get your mum to show you on YouTube.”

“Not sure I’ve seen that,” I remarked.

“Would you have enjoyed wearing your wings to school?” Harry asked Emery.

“Yeah! It woulda been awesome!” Em threw up her arms, making Harry laugh. “Nobody knew who I was supposed to be. I kept having to explain.”

“See?” Harry looked at me with a smirk. “She just wanted to be her true self in all her glory.”

“Thanks a lot,” I muttered, then turned to Emery. “See if I take you trick or treating again.”

Harry laughed harder. “Uh oh, I think we upset your mum.”

I chuckled. “Gang up on me, why don’t you?”

“I’m sorry, Mommy!” Emery wrapped her arms around me. “Thank you for taking me trick or treating!”

“You’re welcome, sweet girl,” I kissed the top of her head. “I’m not upset. Now go get out of your costume and get your shower.”

“Okay,” she sighed, turning for the door.

“Wait, tell Harry goodnight,” I insisted.

“Oh yeah...night Harry!” she called.

“Goodnight, Miss Lapis!” Harry returned. “Sweet dreams!”

Emery giggled and blew him a kiss before skipping down the hall. I rose from the bed and shut the door once I heard her turn on the shower.

“She’s such a cute kid,” said Harry.

“Thanks,” I grinned, sitting back down on the edge of the bed. “Sometimes she can be a handful, but I like that she has her own personality, you know? Like, she has her own things she likes and that she’s into. She wants everyone to like her, but at the same time she doesn’t always follow the pack.”

“Hmm,” Harry raised his brows and nodded. “I can tell. Don’t you want to encourage that?”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I just…” he sighed and shook his head. “Nothing. I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“Forget it. It’s not my place. You’re her mother.”

I blinked, curious. “No. Tell me.”

“Stacey, I...I think you’re a great mother, please don’t misunderstand. I just wonder…” he swallowed hard. “Is it better to have joy or to be safe?”

“What?” I mouthed.

“You know, with the wings. Why was it more important to save them and be safe than just leap in and enjoy them wholeheartedly while they lasted?”

“Well, I…” I bit my lip, pondering his question. “I don’t know. I guess I just tend to take care of my things. Especially when they’re special to me. And when they get ruined, I get upset.”

Harry gave a gentle smile. “Perhaps that’s not Emery’s tendency though. She is a kid after all.”

I shrugged. “I was that way as a kid too. I cried when I brought a doll to school and someone ripped her bow out of her hair.”

Harry chuckled. “Alright, fair enough. But you said yourself Em’s different. She has her own personality.”

“True.”

“I sent her that costume because I wanted her to have it. I wanted her to be happy with it and enjoy it.”

“Okay,” I nodded, lying back on the bed.

“I’ve completely overstepped my boundaries here,” Harry remarked.

“No,” I grinned. “No, you’re fine. I get it. And you’re right. I’m probably a little too careful. And I tend to pass that on to her even though I don’t mean to.”

“I haven’t upset you, have I?”

“No, of course not,” I curled a strand of hair around my finger. “So how’s New York?”

“Good,” he replied. “But it’s about to get better.”

“How so?”

“Well…” a slow, teasing smile spread across his face and he licked his bottom lip. “It seems a gorgeous redhead will be here in a little more than twenty-four hours.”

“Gorgeous redhead?” I quoted. “Those can be dangerous.”

“I’m counting on it,” he said low, making my insides flip.

“And what do you plan on doing with this redhead in New York?” I inquired, playing along.

“Not gonna give away my secrets just yet,” Harry replied with a smirk.

“Not even to the redhead?”

Harry chuckled. “Especially not to the redhead.”

I tried my best not to laugh as I gave him my best pout which only made him laugh harder like the little devil he was. Our teasing was interrupted, however, when Emery opened my door and stood in her pajamas, holding her pink teddy bear with sleepy eyes.

“Hold that thought,” I told Harry who only continued to smirk at me. I shook my head and dropped the phone on the bed, ushering Emery back to her room and tucking her in. She was out like a light before I even turned hers off and tip toed back to mine, trading the overhead light for the bedside lamp.

“Now, where were we?” I asked just above a whisper.

“I’ve no idea.”

“Something about secrets?”

Harry’s chest shook as his eyes danced with glee. I rolled my eyes as I laid back on my pillow with a giggle.

“Okay then, I see how you are.”

“What?” he smirked. “I told you I was gonna take you out on a date.”

“Where? Dinner?”

“Only part of it, my love.” Harry licked his lips, a gesture that I knew was natural and automatic, but still managed to turn me on. I felt myself sigh as I pulled my sheet back and crawled underneath.

“Are you excited to see me?” he inquired, his voice deep again.

“I can see you right now,” I quipped.

“I mean in person,” he shot back with a chuckle.

“Of course I am.”

“Good. ‘Cause I’m very excited.”

I smiled. “What night are we going out?”

“Well, I would have preferred tomorrow night,” he replied, “but seeing as you’ll be getting in late, I’m willing to wait until Thursday.”

“Sorry you have to sacrifice,” I teased.

“I’m sure you’re worth the wait,” he said, biting his bottom lip.

I had to curse myself internally to get a grip. I made a little sound and blinked slowly before pretending like I was reaching for something on my nightstand, just so I could momentarily divert my gaze from his blazing green eyes.

“Oh, I wanted to tell you…” Harry continued, “I was listening to that Buckingham Nicks album.”

“It’s great isn’t it?” I beamed, happy to talk about Stevie.

“Yeah. I really like that first song, ‘Crying in the Night’. I’d love to hear you sing it.”

“What? No,” I laughed, shaking my head.

“Please?” he begged. “I bet you’d sound fantastic.”

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath. Letting it out slowly, I sat up in the bed and ran my fingers through my hair. As soon as I started the first line, I caught Harry’s smile, instantly making me feel a mixture of appreciation and nerves.

“She was that kind of lady…Times were hard, oh…She could come curling round you like fingers… But she’ll leave you crying in the night…”

As I started the second line of the chorus, Harry surprised me by joining in, giving me the harmony. My eyes wide, I continued to sing as I watched Harry remove from view only to return with a guitar in his hands. I figured he must have propped up his phone somewhere as he sat on the hotel bed and fingered the strings until he found the correct chords. I almost forgot the rest of the lyrics, but I managed to sing the entire song with Harry helping me out.

“And she’s looking around…”

When we were finished, I felt so overwhelmed I started laughing hard, falling back onto my pillow and covering my face with my hand.

“That was great,” Harry commented. “You’re awesome.”

“I can’t believe I did that.”

“Why are you embarrassed, baby?”

“I’m not,” I denied.

“Then why do you have your face hidden?” he chuckled.

“Just…” I giggled and lowered one hand, “that felt good.”

“Yeah?” Harry twitched his brows as he slung an arm over the front of his guitar. I slowly lowered my other hand and took him in.

“Yeah,” I replied. “Very good.”

“I’m glad,” he said, strumming a couple more chords before removing the guitar from his lap and laying it on the bed behind him. “We’ll be doing more of that.”

“In New York?”

“Maybe.”

“Should I be making requests?” I grinned.

“Not yet. For now requests are all mine.”

“That’s no fair,” I feigned a pout again.

Harry laughed and I saw him reach for the phone and shift back so that he was lying on the pillow, his arm behind his head.

“You’ll get your turn, Ms. Barnett,” he promised with a sly grin.

I giggled a squeak, covering my mouth with the back of my hand. “God, you’re cute.”

“So are you. I can’t tell you how happy I am that I’m gonna get to be with you again.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I’m kinda crazy about you, Stacey, in case you haven’t noticed.”

I held my breath as I stared at him.

“Please tell me you noticed,” he said. “Otherwise I reckon I’m doing this wrong.”

“No,” I blinked. “No, I...I noticed. I guess it’s just a little different to actually hear it put into words.”

I watched him roll over onto his side. “And here I thought actions spoke louder than words.”

I smiled. “They do. It’s just...nice to hear it sometimes.”

“Then I’ll have to remember to do both,” he said softly.

Resting his head on the palm of his hand, he gave me a look that told me he meant every word.

“Harry?”

“Yes, love?”

“I…” I swallowed hard. “I should probably get to sleep. Long day tomorrow.”

“Of course. Text me when you land?”

“You got it,” I promised. “Goodnight, Harry.”

“Night, baby.”

My skin felt like it was on fire. I laid in the darkness with the covers kicked off, hoping to God the ceiling fan would be enough to cool me. I tried my best to think of anything other than that look he’d given me or the sound of his voice as he’d sung harmony, but the attempt was futile. I kept picturing his green eyes, his fingers on the guitar, imagining them playing me instead.

There was no denying it. I was so into him. I was a goner.

I tossed and turned all night. Going to New York and meeting Harry should have been exhilarating, but instead I wandered through my day feeling like a zombie. By the time I left work, I still had to rush home, grabbing a pizza on the way for the girls and me. After we ate, I hurried to get their bags packed before taking them to Tod’s. Once there, he felt the need to tell me a list of unnecessary things to which I replied in small words and nods. To top it off, there was an accident on the freeway, and I barely made it to the airport in time to meet Lorelei.

I can’t sleep on planes. Even though I’d been on a few flights in my day, and they always managed to make me sleepy, I just can’t actually fall asleep. It’s like being in a car to me. Too much movement and when I close my eyes it actually makes me disoriented. So instead, while Lorelei snoozed next to me, her head resting on a pillow pressed against the window, I plugged in my headphones and listened to a playlist I’d created before I left. Most of it was Harry’s album mixed with some One Direction and Fleetwood Mac, a few of my other favorites included here and there. As the music drifted, so did my mind. I thought of Harry, what I might do when I saw him, what he might do when he saw me. I hoped that our relationship wasn’t purely a flirtatious exchange on the phone, and that we truly had the chemistry I felt we did.

When Lorelei woke up, we ordered cocktails and toasted to our first real adventure. By the time the plane landed, we were both feeling pretty good, though I was a little sleepy and eager to text Harry. I sent him a quick message that I was at the airport and after we got settled in our hotel, I would text him again. Shoving my phone into my purse, I followed Lorelei to baggage claim and then outside so we could catch a cab.

“Oh my God, look!” exclaimed Lorelei as soon as the automatic doors opened.

My jaw dropped when I saw the sign the man was holding with our last names on it. He was standing in front of a stretch limo.

“That can’t be for us,” I muttered.

“What other Barnett and Burns do you know coming to New York?” Lor looked at me.

I sucked in my lips as I stepped forward, pulling my wheeled suitcase behind me.

“Hi there,” Lorelei greeted the limo driver, tossing her blonde curls and laying on her accent a little thicker than usual. “We’re Stacey Barnett and Lorelei Burns. Would this lovely car be for us, you think?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the man grinned, lowering his sign. “Right this way.”

As he held the door open for us, Lorelei and I crawled inside the massive vehicle, trying our best not to giggle like high school girls on prom night. After the driver took our luggage and settled into the front seat, we took off into the night, the city lights illuminating like a Christmas display.

Several minutes later, while Lorelei was oohing and ahhing over the sights, I poked her in the side, wondering if the driver even knew where we were staying. With a shrug, Lor scooted closer to the back of the driver’s seat and patted him on the shoulder.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

I rolled my eyes. Only Lorelei.

“Andrew, Miss.”

“Andy? Or just Andrew?”

I caught a glimpse of his smile in the rearview mirror.

“Drew, actually,” he replied.

“Ah! Well, Drew, where are we going?”

“Your hotel, Miss. The Hyatt.”

“Right. Just making sure,” Lorelei grinned, patting Drew’s shoulder once more. “Good on ya.”

I gave her a side-eye as she leaned back in her seat. Shrugging, she folded her arms.

“Something tells me this was not Kris’s doing,” I remarked.

“I was just about to say the same thing.”

“He’s too much,” I shook my head and rested it in my hand as I gazed out the window.

Once Drew had dropped us off at our hotel and we’d checked in and rode the elevator up to our floor, I was so exhausted I felt like I could fall asleep standing up.

“Stacey,” I heard Lorelei say as I leaned against the elevator wall. She sounded so far away, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“Hmm?”

“If you wanna go to him, I’ll understand.”

“What?” I narrowed my eyes, standing up straight.

“To Harry. I know he’s probably waiting, and you’re dying to see him.”

“Tonight?” I voiced groggily. “No, not tonight. Too tired.”

The elevator doors opened then, and I hastily dragged my suitcase down the hall.

“Alright,” Lorelei said behind me. “Just wanted you to know I wouldn’t judge. Your virtue and integrity would still be intact.”

I chuckled sleepily, sliding my card key in the slot and pushing open the door.

“Thanks, Lor. But honestly, all I want right now is sleep.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “You can take the loo first then.”

Pulling my pajamas out of my bag, I headed to the bathroom and returned in record time. In two seconds I was settled under the covers while Lorelei took her turn, and just as though he knew, Harry rang.

“Hi there,” I yawned.

“Aw, my girl’s sleepy,” he cooed.

“Your girl?”

“Did I say that? How was your flight?”

“Fine,” I smiled. “Thanks for the limo.”

“What limo?” he teased. “They sent a limo? Jesus Christ, that’s gonna set me back.”

“Shut up,” I giggled.

“Good to hear you laugh, Stacey. Can’t wait til tomorrow.”

“Me neither. What time are we meeting?”

“I gotta double check my schedule because I think they’re rearranging some things, but I’ll text you in the morning, okay?”

“‘Kay.”

“Get some sleep, love. I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Me too. Night, Harry.”

I didn’t wait for Lorelei to return before I turned out the lamp on my side and fell into a deep sleep.

“Are you sure this looks okay?”

I slid my hands down my hips as I inspected my reflection in the mirror. I’d brought one of my favorite dresses, a black one with a lace overlay, but now I was second guessing my choice.

“God, yes!” exclaimed Lorelei. “You look gorgeous!”

“I think I’ve gained weight since I wore this last,” I grimaced.

“Would you shut up? You’re so fucking sexy, he’s not gonna be able to keep his hands to himself.”

“Really?” I blushed.

“Please. I’d fuck you right now.”

“Lor!”

She threw her head back laughing. “Relax, Stace. You’re gonna be fine. He’s crazy about you already, I know.”

“I know, too,” I said softly. “He told me.”

A grin spread across her face. “Good. Now, go. Have a good time. I won’t wait up.”

I was more than nervous. Nervous was what I’d felt before the book signings. This was far beyond that. The cab driver pulled up to Harry’s hotel fifteen minutes earlier that we’d planned to meet. When I took the elevator to the lobby, the nerves had gotten to my legs, and I could literally feel them wobble. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I spotted the short hallway that led to the bar. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirrored wall next to the elevator, quickly combing my hair with my fingers before mentally coaxing my legs to take me forward.

He wasn’t there yet. I stood back a bit from the doorway as I glanced around the room. Only a couple of people were seated at tables, a few more at the bar. I made my way towards it, choosing the second to last seat at the far end. I ordered a double Grey Goose on the rocks with a splash of water and a lime, liquid courage.

Slipping out of my coat, I sat it on the corner of the bar, my clutch laying on top. I’d just taken my first sip when my phone made a sound in my purse. I pulled it out to see a text from Harry.

Sorry running a bit late. Should be down in ten.

I smiled as I texted him back.

No problem. I’ll just start getting drunk without you.

Sounds good :)

I continued to sip on my cocktail as I felt my nerves peeling away little by little. I crossed my legs on the barstool, allowing my strappy-heeled foot to swing slightly. These shoes always made me feel sexy, and the alcohol added to that made me feel even better.

Another ping from my phone alerted me of another text. Hoping Harry wasn’t cancelling on me at the last second, I read his words.

You look beautiful.

It took me a moment for it to register, but once it did, I turned my head toward the entrance. Harry stood there in the dim light, his phone in his hand, the smallest of smirks on his face. He looked incredible. He wore a knee-length red coat, a black and white scarf draping around his neck. Underneath he had on a black polka dot shirt and black jeans and boots. He looked larger than life, taller than I remembered. I rotated my stool to face him, a smile forming on my mouth. He strode towards me, shoving his phone in his coat pocket. His eyes never left mine as he stopped in front of me, seemingly taking me in for a split second before I rose from my seat, and he opened his arms to embrace me. He pulled me close to his body, my hands wrapping around his waist as I felt one of his on the middle of my back, the other on the back of my head.

“So good to see you,” he murmured in my hair, and I could have sworn he took a whiff of it. “Missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” I echoed.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said, dropping his arms and gesturing for me to reclaim my seat.

“It’s alright,” I barely breathed. Or maybe I didn’t breathe at all.

Harry took the stool next to mine, pointing at my glass. “What are you drinking?”

“Vodka,” I replied.

The bartender came up to Harry then, asking for his drink. I heard him order a fancy scotch and was both equally surprised and not. I saw him then gesture at my glass. My eyes widened, afraid I’d be stumbling before we even had dinner, but I figured I could just sip on it slowly. I wasn’t sure how long we’d be there anyway.

Once Harry had his glass, he lifted it in his hand. “Cheers.”

I smiled, lifting mine as well. “To what are we toasting?”

“To…” Harry paused. Then I caught a twinkle in his eye as he gave a sly grin. “To gorgeous redheads.”

I giggled and clinked my glass with his. After he took a sip, he set his glass back down on the bar and turned to me.

“So how was your day, Stacey?”

My stomach flipped, equally from the way he was looking at me and the way he said my name. He’d said it many times before, but somehow it sounded different this time.

“Um...it was good. Lorelei and I went to the Met and had lunch nearby.”

“It was a lovely day,” he grinned, picking up his scotch again.

“Yeah. I’m just not used to this New York weather. It’s still in the 70s at home.”

“I see you brought your coat,” Harry said, nodding towards where it lay on the bar.

I blushed. “I normally would wear something much lighter with this,” I gazed down at my lap, “but I didn’t think it through until I was about to leave the hotel. The temperature seemed to drop considerably and I figured I’d need my coat tonight.”

“I reckon you will.”

The tiny ghost of a smirk remained on his lips until he took a sip from his glass and lowered it once more.

“But that dress looks amazing on you, so I’d say you made the right decision,” he added.

I stared at Harry for a minute before shaking my head. “You’re still not gonna tell me, are you?” I scoffed.

I caught the shake of his shoulders as he chuckled, the dimples on full display. “Sorry, love. Not yet. But you’ll find out soon enough.”

“Well, apparently I’m dressed okay for whatever it is. And I’ll probably need my coat.”

“Yes,” he nodded.

“So we’re going outside?”

“Not telling.” Harry swallowed the last of his scotch.

“But we are going to dinner.”

“Yes.”

“Should I have worn pants?” I inquired.

“Wha’?” Harry glared at me.

I waved my hand. “I mean like slacks or jeans.”

“Oh,” he shook his head with a giggle. “No. The dress is perfect. You’re perfect.”

“And you’re awful,” I playfully poked him in the chest as I felt the heat rising on mine.

“Hey!” he exclaimed, laughing harder.

“Are we walking?” I continued with my twenty questions.

“Hmm…” he considered. “A little. Not much.”

“Okay. Is there music?”

Harry cocked his head. “There will be, yes.”

“I’m intrigued,” I confessed.

“Good. Are you ready?”

“We’re leaving now?” I widened my eyes.

Harry chuckled. “Unless you intend to stay here. It’s a nice place, but I like to think I have a bit more swag than to have my date at a hotel bar.”

I laughed so hard I almost fell off my stool. Grabbing my coat and clutch, I stood up.

“You did not just use the word swag.”

“First and last time, I swear,” he grinned as he took my coat and held it out for me. I slipped my arms through and felt his hand slide down my back as I turned to face him.

“You think you’re funny,” I teased.

Harry shrugged. “Made you laugh, dinnit?”

I sighed as he guided me out of the bar, his hand still on my back.

“Harry Styles,” I said.

“Yeah?”

I stopped when we reached the mirrored wall by the elevators. I looked up at him, his face beaming as he returned my gaze.

“Just wanna give you a fair warning. I think I might already like you a little too much,” I swallowed hard before continuing. “So whatever you have in store for tonight might just put me over the edge.”

Harry’s grin softened as he lifted a hand to my cheek. I thought he might kiss me, but instead he dragged his thumb across my jaw and down my neck, finally releasing his hand to flip my hair back and off my shoulder. Biting his lip, he took hold of my hand.

“Let’s go, yeah?” he requested, threading his fingers through mine.

I merely nodded, my mouth suddenly dry.

A/N: And they're finally together again! I hope you enjoyed their little banter. It makes me giggle lol.

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desultory-novice · 1 year ago

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Once again, my ask box is so packed that I'm bundling a few of these so I don't have to take up everyone's day/dashboard with posts!

This time:

-The Fate of Mirror Galacta Knight -Traitor Magolor vs Elfilis?! -Kirby from Undertale?! (Silly) -Other Characters Babysitting 10 Kirbys -Magolor and Daroach Thievery Dynamics -A Redemption Arc for Zero?! -The Love-Love Stick is The Best

Anon, your concept that there WAS a Mirror Galacta Knight but that they were defeated - perhaps by Galacta themselves - is awesome!! I think the concept that either one or both Galacta's maybe even has a goal to see the other versions of themselves destroyed, pre- or post-sealing, feels very in character for Gala. Perhaps Gala knows of the Dimensional Mirror and doesn't like the concept of falling prey to it. Perhaps Gala truly does seek power and will only be confident in themselves when they are THE only one. Or perhaps they see what's coming and want to stop themselves from banishment and imprisonment across countless dimensions.

As for Galacta borrowing something in memory of his mirror self.. why not, right?! I think that's very cool! Aeon hero is able to turn their wings black and change his armor. It's not out of the realm of possibility! (Nothing is too fanfiction-y to have as a HC! Because neither headcanons or fanfic is something to be ashamed of! So please, indulge in all the fanfic-y thoughts that you wish!)

As for the last part, I totally believe that Magolor saw or encountered Galacta Knight at some point. (I always thought it would be funny myself if the first time Magolor is made aware of Gala is the Lor recording a snipped of Galacta's battle with Meta Knight in the Meta Knightmare Returns. You know, that easter egg where you can sometimes see the Starcutter in the background when Gala attacks? And so Magolor is going through the logs and notices, "Wait, was that a dimensional rift we just passed by? Whoa! Who's the dude who looks like an angry Kirby fighting Meta Knight?! ...Wait, weren't there legends of someone like that in those old texts?")

@a-stardusted-sky

Ahh, thank you so much for the birthday wishes and the nice compliments! I hope you're having a lovely day yourself!

OMG, Traitor Magolor vs Fecto Elfilis in the battle of the big, self-important egos! I can't help but think that even though Magolor ought to have "unlimited power" thanks to the Master Crown, he feels a little limited in creative ways to use that power. Whereas Elfilis would probably have no end of ways to use their dimensional power to ruin Magolor's day! They're both super persistent though, so I imagine neither one would want to give an inch.

As for how Elfilis would react, I imagine those choice words would get even spicier upon seeing Magolor flitting around with the Master Crown. Honestly, if Elfilis has enough of an understanding of the powers made from THEIR power, they could simply toy with Magolor knowing that all they have to do is damage/overload the Crown and then just leave Magolor a gloopy mess.

Is it just me? Sometimes I think of Elfilis as one of those characters that doesn't even have WORDS when they get angry. I think their speech in Lab Discovera was somewhat practiced, and that the capsule had something of a restraining effect on their emotions. Whenever they're free, they're mostly seen roaring and wrathing at people (in contrast to the angelic beauty of their completed form.)

@emeraldcoloredwinter

Not that shocking...!

Pictured: A Peaceful Family Reunion?!

(PS: are there still proponents of the theory that Sans is Ness grown up or was that exactly the kind of theory we make fun of Game Theories for now? I'm so out of the loop...!)

...But also, does that make Gaster Dark Matter? Or some other form of Matter? (...Stop! You shouldn't ask questions you aren't remotely equipped to handle the potential response to, Dess...!!)

This is a concept that I absolutely love! And it's been explored so little from what I've seen?! There's that one, err, somewhat infamous(?!) animation series which... ah, congrats on them for putting in all that work to get it done, and I won't say anything negative about them including content that appeals to them personally when, from what I've seen, everything manages to stay in the proper rating. Plus, making a full animation series has got to be SUCH an endeavor that you likely need to write/draw what you love to keep yourself motivated/sane in order to finish but...it's not personally for me. ^^

(Reminds me a bit too much of some of the western animation of my childhood that I wasn't too fond of. Aka, the reason I pivoted to watching anime as soon as I had the chance. ^^; )

BUT that aside, I've also seen some cute fanart on Twitter and such of Magolor not babysitting the 10 Kirbys but commenting on them...and then trying to steal one or two of them while no one is looking to keep for the sake of teasing on his own!

But yes, the idea of other caretakers is rich!

I personally think, in an adventure scenario like Mass Attack, Magolor would have a great time "accidentally" misleading the Kirbys into non-lethal traps, just to see how they fare. Marx would absolutely be a pest to the mini Kirbys! I think, when the chips are down, he would defend them (Kirby is HIS to torment, after all!!) but in times of relative peace, he'd probably try to eat a few... just to see...

The Animal Friends are used to backing up Kirby and would step into the role with no problem. I think Rick would love to ferry the tiny Kirbys around, them clinging to his fur. I think Ribbon's reaction to the 10 tiny Kirbys could be very funny, although that probably depends on where you fall on shipping the two of them.

Meta Knight would be another one who would be really fun/zany for different reasons. I think he would initially TRY to be stoic and treat the 10 Kirbys as if they were as reliable on their own as regular Kirby but then the moment something happens to one of them (even if they ARE in fact okay) his stoic facade breaks and he becomes a nervous wreck/helicopter guardian mode!

The Mage Sisters feel like they would cover the whole spectrum of reactions! Francisca wanting to "keep" some for herself. Flamberge wanting to test how strong they are and laughing when they turn out to be only 1/10th the original Kirby's power. Zan being the one who just... can't stop being ~SHOOKETH~ about the whole thing. (And the fact that Flam and Fran won't stop giggling about the minis!)

Dark Meta Knight would probably swoop them up and them drop them on Shadow Kirby to deal with. Susie would probably be a relatively reliable helper, keeping in touch via her tech whenever any trouble shows... in exchange for the rights to merchandise the mini-Kirbys after everything is over. >w<

@icedragonlizard

Hee! I got around to reading some of your dynamics posts, by the way! They're really good! (I still have more to read through yet!) But yes! This is super cute! Especially since both their tastes lean toward the collection of the ancient... and dangerous!

It's absolutely one of those things where one or the other will be proudly talking about their latest haul/salvage and the moment they have their eyes turned, the other is walking out the door with it!

Neither means the other any harm, so it doesn't hurt their friendship any. But there is absolutely a twinge of jealousy.

"H-How did you...?! But... but... I've been looking for that EVERYWHERE!" "Looks like you were looking in the wrong places."

Everyone else is probably relieved by this strange dynamic they've got because it keeps most of the rest of THEIR collections safe!

Hmm, you know, I'm not certain that Zero as they are COULD have a redemption arc. They feel too... primordial for that. As if they are nothing more than the incarnation of what they can become, which renders them nil (fufu...) to change.

But Zero 2.... yes. I think there's room there. I think Zero 2 is a lot like Void in that they are searching for identity after their destruction and resultant... rebirth? (Or simply the act of living on in a new form? Zero 2 is such a fascinating mystery!)

But I think about the fact that while Zero's theme is just mystery and weirdness and fight music, Zero 2's theme is so... sad.

(Btw, I listened to Man on the Internet's Zero 2 with lyrics recently and really liked it. It had this great feeling of... inevitability to it? I'm typically a bit mixed on Kirby boss themes (:cough: I haven't yet found a Marx one I like though I really like some of the lyrical motifs in Itoki Hana's version :cough:) but I liked this one.)

Anyway, as for Zero 2's redemption, I think it would all tie back to the fairies, really. Zero 2 spent pretty much the entire length of the game possessing the Queen of Ripple Star and I'm one of those "you can't really possess someone/be possessed by someone without that having an effect on you. For both the possessor and the possessed."

And whether or not the Queen is one of the heroes of lore, we have reason to believe she is both a being of power and a powerful being for good. (Why else would Dark Matter target Ripple Star FIRST without getting near Popstar? Well, getting their non-existent tail kicked might have something to do with it! XD )

So basically, I imagine that either Zero 2 picked up...something from the Queen or that the Queen might take it upon herself to preserve some form of Zero 2. To give it a chance to redeem itself. Surely, this would wig out certain of the fairies, who still remember their home's invader, and I imagine Zero 2 to be something that would probably have a very hard time understanding the difference between doing good and doing evil - only that one gets praised and one doesn't.

They might never be able to understand. They might never be able to be a friend, or left alone with an innocent creature, as invasion and corruption could be so woven into their nature that they couldn't HELP but hurt it, even though no intention to do harm was there. But through a bond/a deal with the queen, they might be assist in helping other planets that Zero had harmed or at least be stopped from harming anyone else.

...I dunno. It's interesting though!

@newthinkerer

I love the Love-Love Stick so much! You're right in that it's so uniquely Kirby's! Not just as an artifact, but as a representation of what Kirby would do when a genki dama's worth of power is sent his way! (Sorry for the random DBZ reference!

That and Dess loves magical girls / maho shoujo shows so the fact that is a really good approximation of a magical transformation wand is also excellent in my book! (Let Kirby Be A Magical Girl!!)

Speaking of the maho shoujo genre... a decent variety of finishing attacks are about "healing" the inner darkness/corruption/violence of their opponent/monster of the week rather than destruction. That Kirby would fight Zero with love in an attempt to heal them/the damage they have done to Popstar... It's all too good!

(The fact that it destroys them and all the Dark Matter too is a bit sad. But Void takes damage from Friend Hearts so...)

I like your idea about Gooey too. Either taken perfectly literal or as a metaphor -- that Gooey couldn't/was afraid to tap into their Dark Matter origins until he was shown enough love and acceptance that it was safe for him, emotionally, to do so.

...But of course, the other best thing about the Love-Love Stick is that Kirby KEEPS IT after the events of Dream Land 3 only to proceed to use it to bap people over the head with it in Star Stacker SNES!! Gryll, you have the honor of being defeated by the same weapon that was used to obliterate Zero. And yet, Gryll totally survived. Gryll strongest last boss canon?!?

#Kirby #Dess Quick Asks #Galacta Knight #Magolor #Fecto Elfilis #Daroach #02 Kirby #Zero Kirby #and various other characters

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fruitkingfrog · 8 months ago

Note

sorry if this is a strange question but you're like ceo of new gods stuff, what is the recommended reading order of new gods? i want to start at the beginning (yknow jack kirbys start) but i feel it may not be that simple

aaaa thank you thank you tbh I think fourth world IS that simple.. pretty much the original stuff

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133-148/ New Gods / Forever People / Mister Miracle (Jack Kirby 1970s)

New Gods 1984 reprint issue #6 part 2

DC Graphic Novel #4 - Hunger Dogs

That will give u The Core of the series and IMO the best parts. The only other new gods comic i really enjoy is Orion (2000), but to me thats more of a "fix-it" for NGv3/NGv4/JKFWJB volumes in between and not a good direct follow up. i havent read any post-kirby Forever People at all yet, and i stopped reading Mister Miracle when Dematteis became the main writer, I can't stand his scott and barda. some of the Showcase issues have New Gods stories that are pretty good, I know theres one about Lightray confronting a Lightray Church, and one w Orion about a Shadow creature. This list on LOGC i think has everything chronologically, but keep in mind i was using DCUguide and hand-organizing wiki appearances when I read it

Oh and Honourable Mentions

Mister Miracle: The Source of Freedom. part of it's own timeline, but presents an alt universe where Shilo is biological legacy to the Mister Miracle title and Scott/Barda's existence is questionable, Modern Shilo is definitely his own character from original Shilo, also heavily features Oberon, and includes a brief but MUCH more in-character, respectful, fun&sexy take on New 52 Orion. I dont love everything about it but its a fun read and only like 6 issues i think!

Bug! The Adventures of Forager. parody-adventure comic that explains that Forager didn't die during CO, he was just displaced from the universe. Plays around with a lot of old Kirby stuff

Solo #7 (Michael Allred). Same author/artist, but about a decade older than Bug!. Features a 2-page parody with Orion, Lightray, Forager, and Scott taking bets on what things Scott can escape. One of the things that made me really want to give Fourth World a shot

Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015 movie & shorts + digital comic). Not a Fourth World story, but features Bekka as a lead. an alternate universe where the Pact never happened, New Genesis became corrupt and desperate, and a deathly betrayal leads Bekka to Earth to become Wonder Woman, alongside (effectively Lor-Zod) Superman and Kirk Langstrom vampire Batman. A scrapped sequel story would have had Bekka return home and introduce Lashina as Wonder Girl. Recommended more if you're looking to flesh out Bekka, this does it better than her Yellow Lantern run, but its not very kind to the Fourth World. The ultimate "dark" Justice League though, hands down.

1 day ill actually get around to

thank u for the ask!

[ID: Pencil on paper of Orion from DC Comics, he is unmasked, pointing and yelling at something in the top right corner. End ID]

#iggyanswers #deepseaphantom #the single future state issue w orion i liked has been soured by later writing choices made by the author that were sooooo bad its unreal #orion #new gods #fourth world

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ahmedmootaz · 1 year ago

Note

Hey Ahmed! Don't worry about the response time, I'd much prefer a delayed thoughtful response than a rushed one, after all! For my first question: The outskirts are known for having all sorts of dangerous creatures, especially since they likely had to be kicked out from the City. More interesting to me, are the Outreaches, where presumably the K Corp singularity / Whatever the Pallid Whale is afraid of resides. Do you have any interest in exploring the monsters of the Outskirts/reaches, or are you more going to stay more city focused (Sweepers and the like)? For my second question, Assuming Angela and crew are even able to restore Carmen, what would they do with her? I know everyone would likely focus on city problems and all that. But we both know the more interesting thing: Resolution and angst, baby! How would Carmen try to resolve issues with Tiphereth, (Also makes me wonder about Ayin... So excited for Epilogue 2!) Ayin, and Angela?

Dear hncdhnmfr,

Hello once more! As always, it's a pleasure to see your asks within my inbox, and once more, I see that you have quite the interesting asks! Although I know you don't mind the delays, allow me to apologise for nevertheless taking so much time to get to your ask, I hope the answer is worth the wait!

For your first question, it's an interesting one. I am quite fascinated by the monsters of the Outreaches/Outskirts and all of the lore implications they have. I think that eventually, PM will explore the Outskirts somehow, as they did mention wanting an Outskirts exploration game in their post-LoR interview (2020 or 2021, I think?), so I believe we will eventually get a glimpse as to what lies there, but as for what I believe lies there, it's difficult to tell. I think that, if K-Corp's singularity is but a child and yet possesses this much strength, it is certainly worrying to say the least to wonder what stronger, more powerful and more unhinged monsters lie there.

While I think it would be fun to explore such a setting, the lack of details makes coming up with anything but short stories a little difficult, and I admit that my favourite parts of LC/LoR are the Sephirahs and the main cast in general. I don't think I'll focus on the Sweepers again for a while, though, so if I do find myself returning to write about an Outskirts/Outreaches setting in the future, I will attempt to explore them a little more thoroughly, even if I don't think I'll be able to do too much due to the lack of information surrounding them. So the short answer is that it'll depend on the setting of the next story I write that takes place in the Outskirts/Outreaches, really.

For your second question, that's a question I've thought about for a long, long time! It would be such a delightfully angsty dynamic that I've thought about it for a while for any potential AiP sequel of sorts (if something of that nature ever comes to fruition), as the characterisation of Carmen within it would be pivotal to the whole story; Carmen, if she manages to overcome her own Distortion, would still have to battle endlessly with her mind's worries and anxieties. After all, we know for a fact that her heart's fragility is what even led her down the dark path of self-harm and what kickstarted the foundation of the Lobotomy Corporation and, by extension, the creation of the Library. And while I don't doubt that she'd have recognised the overarching and painful effects of her hasty decision, whoever said that her sheer guilt would ever leave her? After all, if she felt enough guilt for Enoch's death that she was willing to to end it all, imagine how she'd feel knowing that she either directly or indirectly responsible for countless deaths thanks to the Distortions, the Ensemble, the people she whispered to as the Distortion, etc...

Now, of course, it's true that she likely had no real control over herself at that point in time, but I believe she would still blame herself for the pain she caused back then, and as such, it's very plausible she would enter a depression spiral as she finds herself surrounded by people who care for her and want the best for her now.

People who, in her eyes at least, she failed.

Surrounded by the Librarians again, Ayin, Angela and Tiphy, I think Carmen would go through an experience similar to the one narrated in Kali's page in LoR; she'd have rapid mood switches between laughing, crying, and just standing motionless. While I said that she would recognise that self-harm is never the answer, perhaps, in her bleakest and darkest moments, she feels that it would be best for everyone involved if she were the one to truly fade away forever this time around. I also think that she would almost resemble Hod, in a way, attempting to atone for her sins towards those she knew she hurt most, such as Tiphereth and Angela, and I think it would create an even more complicated dynamic with Tiphy, as both sides would feel as if they hurt the other, and with Carmen's rapid mood shifts, it'd not difficult to imagine a scenario where Carmen is attempting to initiate small talk with Tiphy, having the chat veer into the past's events, and then having Carmen wrap her arms around Tiphy while she fights back tears and apologises endlessly, leaving a confused and scared Tiphy who just returns to hug until Ayin or Angela come over.

Ah, delicious, nutritious angst~

I think Ayin and Angela would act as her caretakers, in a way. They'd be the ones to understand the shifts in attitude she underwent while understanding the trauma she has to face; they'd faced similar ones, after all. They'd try to get her used to normal life again while making sure she'd not faking he recovery just to make them happy as part of the atonement she so desperately craves.

Of course, that's not mentioning the dynamic with Ayin and her finally resolving the endless romantic tension between the two of them, Tiphy and Angela attempting to form a sort of familial cohesive unit with her...there's plenty of entertaining and fun dynamic, but as I always say: All good things come after mountains and mountains of angst~

So, what do you think? I certainly hope this was worth the wait! As always, thank you for your detailed and fun asks, hncdhnmfr, and as always, be well, take care, and see ya'! I hope to see more of your asks soon!

#lobotomy corporation #library of ruina #my writing #ayin #manager x #angela #carmen #ask #library of ruina spoilers #I think I should've added the spoilers tag a few asks back #But better late than never I suppose

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str8sub4domdudez · 10 months ago

Text

Superboys Part Two Excerpt : Sunwing

Warning!

[Do not take anything from this excerpt as an example of a smart idea. I would not ever advise for someone to depend on their martial arts lessons take down someone threatening them with a gun. It's not smart, and it's very potentially deadly.]

«ж»ж«ж»ж«ж»ж«ж»ж«ж»

Chris and Dick fly through the city on their grapples. Chris has a tendency to float a bit, but quickly learns that he needs to keep tension in his line. It's just like the waterslides – more fun without flying. Chris half wonders if he should have some Blue Kryptonite on, but dashes those thoughts when he tries to imagine seeing the city through dulled senses.

He hears a gunshot and a woman calling for help, so he tells Dick and they head off in the direction of the gunshot and find a woman in an alley standing over a bleeding, unconscious man.

"Are you hurt?" asks Dick. "Can you call an ambulance? We can call for you if you need."

"Yes, please call for help," says the woman. "It's Nightwing, isn't it?"

"Well, that seems to be up for debate," says Dick, and he calls 911 for an ambulance.

"What happened?" asks Chris.

"The motherfucker pulled a gun on me," says the woman, "and I ain't no victim, you know. I used everything I learned from my Krav Maga classes to disarm him and slam his head into the curb."

"We were worried someone got shot," says Chris. "Good job defending yourself. Most people don't put the effort into learning how."

"Yeah well, this is Gotham. You gotta know that stuff. So who are you? You're like a better Nightwing. At least your costume is better."

"You really think so? I like it. Nightwing had it made for me, but we're still arguing over who gets to keep the name. We're both Nightwing."

"Small world, huh. Well you could be Sunwing in this costume. I don't know what you… wait a minute… are you Champion's bodyguard? That Nightwing?"

"Yeah, but don't tell anyone. Batman doesn't like metas in Gotham."

"Well if you're going for fooling the bat, something cheesy you wouldn't choose as your own name might work. At least if he knows you well enough."

"I'll keep it in mind," says Chris. "Sunwing isn't horrible. But I wouldn't want go by anything other than my name, so maybe Batman won't realize it's me. Thanks, uh…"

"Clarice. Clarice Henderson. Nice to meet you, Mister Zod."

"It's Lor-Zod," says Chris. "Mister Zod was my father."

"I thought it was 'General'," says the woman smartly.

"You pay attention to interplanetary politics?" asks Chris, suddenly finding the woman more interesting.

"You kidding? Our moon just got turned into an alien planet! Who wouldn't pay attention? Bunch of meatheads, I guess. I hope you like Earth, Mister Zod.

"I love it here."

Around that time the ambulances and a police car approach and Dick gets off the phone. He pulls on Chris' arm. "Time to skedaddle! Have a great night, Ma'am."

"Okay, you too, Nightwings!"

The duo go on to stop four muggings and a car theft before being stopped by the Dark Knight.

"Who's the copycat?" asks Batman.

"You know your own protége," says Chris.

"I meant you," growls the Bat. "Lor-Zod, I take it?"

"How'd you figure it out so quick?" asks Chris.

"I recognize your voice. What are you doing parading around in that?"

"I had it made for him," says Dick. "You don't like it?"

"Why did you put him in that?" asks Bruce. "Are you hazing him?"

"No! He just– well I couldn't take him around as a Bat if he's going all super and you hate metas, so I thought—"

"—I don't hate metas, I just prefer to be in charge of the vigilantes in my city and metas can be somewhat destructive. No offense, Lor-Zod but Kon-El, in his first six months, caused more collateral damage than all my Robins put together. Not counting the Red Hood's actions of course."

"Of course," says Chris, "Because it's always easy to contrast the two when you ignore their common ground. Tell me, how much collateral damage has Jon-El racked up? Or Kol-El? I'm pretty sure Kon-El's first six months were a difficult time, what with going through untreated PTSD and having no family, mentors or peers facing the same issues. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that his destructiveness was a product of specific factors and not because he's a meta."

"But he was capable of accidentally causing so much destruction because of his super strength and invulnerability."

"I guess most six-month-olds can't bench press small buildings. Either way, I'm kind of insulted you think I'm going to wreak havoc just because I'm Kryptonian."

"It's a general rule, not an absolutism. Wonder Woman has similar abilities and I'm not saying she's destructive. I am saying I prefer to keep things my way in my city. I don't go to Smallville and break Ma Kent's rules and I don't go to New Krypton and break their rules either. If you wanted to patrol with Nightwing, Lor-Zod, all you had to do was tell me."

"Really?" says Dick.

"Really," says Batman.

"I want to patrol with Nightwing," says Chris.

"Good," says Batman. "Of course we'll have to make sure you're really you, you'll have to be vetted for brainwashing, mind-control and pods and you'll have to be washed for lice."

"B!! You're embarrassing me in front of my friend!" whines Dick.

Batman continues, "And of course, once that's done, we'll have to take samples so we have your real DNA and hair on file—"

"—We already have that on file!" says Dick.

"And before you can patrol in Gotham, you have to be trained in various safety methods and your signature modes of transport. I noticed your grappling was a little rocky. You'll have to have a permit while a licensed grappler teaches you."

"That has literally never been a thing!" says Dick.

"And if you're going to be galavanting around with my son at night in skin tight suits, there's a slideshow I think you both need to see."

"I've heard the horror stories," says Chris. "We aren't doing that. Even if we were, I'm not watching the goddamn slideshow, but Nightwing and I are just friends."

"All the same, you must complete all of the safety orientations," says Batman.

"B!! Why are you trolling us?" asks Dick. "Just let me have some fun patrolling with Lor tonight."

"Very well, why don't you two take Lor-Zod to get changed before you finish your patrol?" says Batman, "People say I'm terrifying, but they haven't seen the horrors of gaudy yellow fingerstripes. I can't unsee it."

"You're only saying that because you know I designed it, aren't you?" says Dick.

"Absolutely," says Batman, "Enjoy your night," and Batman disappears into the shadows of the alley.

"Well, I can't enjoy my night wearing this now," says Chris. "He totally ruined this awesome costume for me."

"Does that mean we're saying bye to Sunwing?" asks Dick.

"Bye-bye, Sunwing," says Chris.

________________________

Superboys – Part Two

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19334917/chapters/45993946

#nightwing #batman #lor zod #dick grayson #gotham #dc universe #dc comics #dc comix #dcu #archive of our own #fiction #story #fanfiction #comics #comic books #superhero #superboy #humor

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azzie-tangerine · 1 year ago

Note

For Character Ask:

Susie: 7, 8, 12, 23, 25, 26 (freebie question is what would be her three closest friends out of the notable cast)

Magolor: 7, 8, 20, 21, 22, 23

Hooray lots of questions! This will be long.

Susie: What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

I think Susie deserves to be a lil unhinged. It’s a very specific balance and one tip makes it something I dislike, but I love it when ppl make Susie a good person, just would also make lethal weapons. Would plan to torture her enemies but also go get her nails painted with the girls. Like I said, very specific balance.

Susie: What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

The answer’s p obvious. Thanks to a mistranslation a lot of people make Susie heartless, a jerk, or do things I’d rather not say on this post. I hate that a lot. Is Susie perfect? Absolutely not. She has layers to her character however.

Susie: What's a headcanon you have for this character?

I have already shared a few headcanons, like her being a cyborg or a romance fan. Those are headcanons I adore. I also think that, like Taranza, she’s a hopeless romantic. She loves the idea of falling in love. She just doesn’t have a lot of time to do so.

Susie: Favorite picture of this character?

This one from the twitter. It's also my favorite Taranza picture.

Susie: What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

I don't think I felt much for Susie when I first saw her. Most likely because my first impression of her was... certain art. That traumatized me a bit. Nowadays, I love her. She has daddy issues and definitely a kill count. But she's also sweet and makes lil robot gifts for her friends. She's great.

Susie: What would be their three closest friends out of the notable cast?

I'm a big fan of the Star Allies Wave Three trio (that being her, Magolor and Taranza) all being close. So def them, Susie would probably also be close with Ribbon. Due to a shared interest in girly things.

Magolor: What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

Magolor's a pretty universally loved character in this fandom. So a lot of content of Magolor I end up adoring. If I had to pick a specific thing, I think him interacting with other characters (like trying to sell Elfilin or trying to teach Kirby) are my favorites. I love character dynamics!

Magolor: What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

This one doesn't irk me as much as the answer I had for Susie. I can handle this one pretty well. But still, it does annoy me when people either A. try to justify his actions and make him innocent lil blorbo, or B. Make him not learn a single thing from his mistakes.

Idk I like when characters are complex, so when fandoms simplify a character it can annoy me. This one's not as bad as Susie's though. If you see him as irredeemable or innocent I do not hate you! We can coexist and be friends.

Magolor: Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

I think I said this before, but 100% Marx. They're both chaotic, they've both betrayed Kirby, and canon implies they know each other. I tend to get more attached to ships/character dynamics that have some canon backing, so I like Marx and Mags. Platonic, romantic, I don't care. I just think the grape and the cat are a fun duo.

Magolor: What's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

Magolor is probably my favorite character I've written. I love when I write his shopper side. Justifying why he sold his soul for micro transactions, announcing a sale before he disappears in Stuck With The Lor. Also writing him as a cat.

Idk if I hate anything about writing Magolor. He's a fun guy to write!

Magolor: What's something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don't like?

I love it when other writers give Magolor a backstory or reasoning behind wanting the Master Crown. I'm a psych major, so when past affects a character's decisions in the present?? Peak. I did this in Stuck With The Lor too. Magolor hated being powerless as a kid, so he wanted all the power. Only for that to put him in the same position he was in when younger Only a lot worse.

Magolor: Favorite picture of this character?

I just really like the composition of this one. The colors, the hints of every phase of the final boss. I think it's one of my favorite Celebration Pictures in Star Allies (besides the Taranza one. You know which one I'm talking about)

#tangerine.txt #susie kirby #magolor #ask game

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duck-n-clover · 11 months ago

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2 and 8 for Lucky, 15 for Roadkill ?

Lor Lucky: Did you design them with any other characters/OCs from their universe in mind? Like alot of my ocs from that era (vague high school times i never wrote dates on drawings) I designed a bunch of ocs together just to have a fun range of different guys to played with. The go-to setting of course was at a supernatural high school of sorts. All that being said, Lucky wasn't designed to complement any one oc, i just wanted a cool gothy spooky guy. He did end up being pals with this demon girl though, and maaaay have been romantic rivals of this other guy? i found pictures look :)

which funnily enough, the guy kinda had a country boy kinda schtick which I later absorbed into Lucky's backstory, growing up on a farm etc :)

also Lucky used to have white streaks in his hair maybe one day i'll bring that back lol!!!!

What (if anything) do you relate to within their character/story? gosh yeah good question, i often pepper a lil bit of my self all throughout all my character so picking out specific instances that aren't ummm. embarassing for me lmao... is fine though haha!! one big thing is that Lucky kinda struggles with asking for help and admitting that there's something going on with him mentally is hooo boy a bit relatable lmao!!

oh and also, not exactly something that i personally have experienced like, first person, but Lucky was taken in by his grandparents after his parents flaked out on him, and i've seen that in my extended family with my grandparents taking in my cousins after certain circumstances. which yeah is kinda sad but its a family dynamic that's familiar to me so i wanted to include that.

on a more lighthearted note he is agender and while his experience of gender/roadmap of getting to that conclusion is a lil different from my own i'm just like hell yeah we're no-gender bros! 🤝

For Roadkill: What is something about your OC can make you laugh? thank you for asking about Roadkill it's nice her to be seen lol! but yeah i love to imagine her scampering around on all fours its so funny picturing that. ignoring how terrifying that might be to see a lanky shambling creature barrelling at you full speed in the dark might be lmao-- she's just so critter to me!!! also she's likely just wearing whatever clothes she can find after her old ones wear out/get too small (she's a growing teenager after all) so imagining her in just a cutesy pink shirt covered in grime and uh blood is funny to me too lol.

thanks for asking!!! [questions from here]

#oc talk #lucky #ask prompt

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kaelsleftverdantsphere · 2 years ago

Text

Trans Kael bits and pieces in a modern AU teehee

Enjoy

------

"Bro if you don't come like asap we're going without you"

"Hal, father is in my room, wait like 2 fucking seconds"

"Then tell him you need to run away from him real quick with your 3 boyfriends and to go fuck himself"

"OMG HAL STOP"

"What? We already drank a bit before going"

"WITHOUT MEEEE????"

"Well you gotta talk to your daddy first don't you"

"🖕🖕🖕"

"Omfg its starting to rain good sir"

"Stand in the rain then, it won't kill you 😉"

"I love you too Kael!!!!"

"MWAH BITCH"

"All I'm saying is you should start acting like an adult for once, darling..."

"I am an adult..." He was laying on his bed, looking in his phone, completely disinterested in whatever Anasterian was telling him.

"You sure are, in age atleast... But not in the way you act. Especially not recently."

"Belore, dad, will you just leave it? I'm trying, oh my gods..."

"All I'm saying is that you should be more responsible... I don't want to be worried about you running around, possibly coming back home pregnant or worse!"

"DAD??? Will you just cut it?"

"I get worried! And I don't want you ruining the image of our company..."

"Blah blah blah, epic, cool... you leaving?"

"Stop talking to me in that tone, young lady!"

Kael stopped in his tracks, sat up on the bed. "Will you just leave? I don't feel great..." He frowned at his father.

"What is it? Keelia, you know you can talk to me, honey..."

He got up and walked over to his father. "Please, leave me alone for two seconds!"

Anasterian sighed and walked out of the room. "Alright..."

Kael closed the door behind him and went to get ready for the night out.

He put on his binder and quickly put together an outfit for the day.

He wasn't feeling particularly confident in the look to be honest. He might've been feeling cocky and rude today, but the second the way he looked came into question? All that smugness goes out the window.

---

Kael blinked behind the mansion to the usual spot, with his friends already waiting for him, two of them absolutely drenched in rain while Rommath was the only one under an umbrella.

"Hi..."

"Just hi? The fuck, man?" Halduron hugged him.

"OH MY BELORE YOU'RE SO COLD!" Kael pulled back and playfully punched him in the shoulder. "How very dare you, sir..."

"Are we going?" Rommath said, looking up from his phone. "You look handsome, Kael..." He stated dryly.

"Thank you, you do as well..." He smiled at him.

"I think we should go before your dad notices you left..." Lor'themar chuckled. "And we really need some fire magic over here..."

"Rom could've dried your clothes already-"

"Why would I do that? They should've brought umbrellas..." Rommath rolled his eyes.

"Rommie..." Kael giggled.

"Ughhhhh... You act like you aren't the stronger one of us..." He said, slowly walking away from the house.

---

When they got to the bar (and dried Lor and Hal's clothes) they sat down at a booth in the corner. Immediatelly ordering some drinks to start with.

"How was your day, by the way? You were at home, right, Kael?" Lor'themar started, taking a sip.

"Oh yeah... I didn't have any classes in uni today so I just... Read a book and shit..." He smiled, also sipping on his drink.

"I will never understand... NEVER... How you can read books for fun..." Halduron joined in.

"That's because you're fucking dyslexic, Hal..." Rommath chuckled.

"Hey! That hurt! It's true but it hurt!" Hal was laughing his ass off trying not to spill his drink.

"And what did you guys do?" Kael asked.

"Well I went to class and later, Hal, Sylvanas and I went to archery practice..." He shrugged. "But nothing very eventful happened..."

"I went to class, to work and then I had a job interview for my summer job-" Rommath started.

"Belore dammit, Rommath, you have no chill." Halduron said.

"What? I would be bored just sitting at home like someone..." He smirked and looked over at Kael.

"I don't sit at home willingly! I just can't do a lot of shit because father would be worried sick..."

"And... why do you care if he's worried or not? You are an adult, Kael..." Rommath shook his head.

"I wouldn't care if he didn't make me feel so bad about it... He shouldn't even worry about me going out with friends every once in a while but noooo I have to sneak out like a sixteen year old..."

"I mean you do act like a sixteen year old sometimes... But that's not important..." Rommath took a sip of his drink. "You are constantly worrying about him worrying about you... that's not healthy for either of you..."

"I know... But me not being out to him is also not the healthiest situation now, is it?" Kael cringed at the thought. "He still sees me as his little... girl..."

"Ugh... What did he say this time, hon?" Rom moved one of his hands to Kael's knee and looked into his eyes. "You okay?"

"Of course I'm okay... I'm used to it by this point. He just called me a young lady again. Like using my deadname isn't bad already. But- he doesn't know so it's- so it's fine I guess..."

"It's not fine if you feel hurt by it... Even if he doesn't know..."

"Belore, Rom, can we just drink in peace without talking about my identity crisis?"

---

They sat there for a while, drinking their little cocktails, talking, when Hal had the genius thought of doing shots. And Kael had an even more genius idea of making it a competition between the two.

Kael was feeling more than just tipsy when he felt a slight tap on his shoulder. He turned around and froze.

"Keelia, what did I tell you-?"

"Dad, I-" Suddenly he felt as if his whole stomach turned.

"You what? I don't understand what you're trying to do by constantly acting like a-"

"Dad, I don't feel too good..."

"Oh my belore, sweetie..." Anasterian brushed back his hair.

"I mean-" And in a second or two, his stomach chose to leave the conversation right onto a pair Anasterian's expensive shoes.

---

He didn't remember much of last night when he got up on his bed in the morning with a raging headache. He was still wearing his binder and god did it feel like it was crushing his ribs after so long.

He slowly sat up and looked over at the side table with a piece of paper, a pill and a glass of water placed on it.

Kael reached for the paper, picking it up and reading the text on it.

"Don't do that again and call me if you need anything

-A.S."

Kael chuckled.

"I love you, dad."

#kael'thas sunstrider #kael'thas #world of warcraft #grand magister rommath #rommath #halduron brightwing #halduron #lor'themar theron #lor'themar #anasterian #anasterian sunstrider #trans kael #SPHERE FICS #modern AU with magic

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eternitas · 4 months ago

Note

I got some asks for you~

For Asari: Your character is being offered a choice of any pet they want, along with whatever they need to take care of it. Do they accept the offer? If so, what kind of pet do they choose?

For Lorenzo: Your character finds a lost child. What do they do?

For Sergey: Someone your character respects is coming over for dinner. What do they serve? How does the dinner go?

For Leo: Your character has to spend a whole day indoors. What do they get up to?

For Ava: Your character has to spend a whole day out in nature. What kind of terrain do they choose to go to, and what do they get up to?

thank you so much for sending these in! I decided to answer them with a few sketches, helps me improve!

here we go

For Asari: Your character is being offered a choice of any pet they want, along with whatever they need to take care of it. Do they accept the offer? If so, what kind of pet do they choose?

Kohaku: ... Asari: what? Kohaku: nothing

~~~~~~

For Lorenzo: Your character finds a lost child. What do they do?

Ser: They're LOST! Not orphaned! Lor: then you take care of it. I don't like kids Ser: WHY AM I GETTING INVOLVED?!

~~~~~~~

For Sergey: Someone your character respects is coming over for dinner. What do they serve? How does the dinner go?

Ser: I like to think that I am pretty good with dinner parties. At least what I make will be edible! Oh, and I'll definitely get some good liquer if my guest drinks

~~~~~

For Leo: Your character has to spend a whole day indoors. What do they get up to?

"Hey Leo, lass uns 'n Brettspiel spielen! Wenn's regnet können wir eh nich' raus und Fußball spielen!"

"..."

Leo takes out his phone and takes a bit to write down:

[Maybe I'll find someone to play some boardgames with.]

~~~~~

For Ava: Your character has to spend a whole day out in nature. What kind of terrain do they choose to go to, and what do they get up to?

Ava: Most likely I'd do some meditating or reading. But definitely some swimming or soaking in the water. It's very rejuvinating. Ser: Ava is also always at the pool when he is free, especially in the summer! Lor: - Ava: don't you fucking dare. Lor: ... koi fish. Ava: ....I'll take it...

~~~~~~~~

Thank you again for sending these in! I had a lot of fun answering them! ♥

#reborn! next->#unseen varia #answered

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fashournalist · 1 year ago

Text

Before October leaves, I just want to look back at how wonderful and eventful my birth month has been, whether it was in my work life, family, friendships, and spiritual life.

Thank You Lord Jesus for authoring these memories, and for the people I spent this month with. I am surrounded with so much love, and just like the song I kept on playing when I turned 21, “I could not ask for more.”

I just turned 29, and it feels like it’s all coming full circle. A part of me is still in 2015, a part of me is forever 21, because of how memorable that year has been, and I can honestly say that it seems 2023 is at par with that year. Just as I had a great start to my twenties, I am ready to close this chapter and make this the best year yet, before I face my thirties.

This was how I spent my 29th October

Oct 12 - I met my Bumble* Friends big sister in person for the first time, ate Ma-an Noriega. We were supposed to watch films at the Spanish Film Festival but we ended up speaking for five hours. It was not enough, but she had to go home for work already. We will meet again this week to watch the Eras together : )

Oct 14-15 - To say this weekend was amazing is an understatement. Spent the night with Anthony Rosaldo United and Anthony himself for the 5th anniversary of the fans club.

Oct 17-present - I started training Jenina, JR, and Sophie and it’s always a fun session with them! Love how they learn fast, just like when Dom and Lor learned fast when Ate Marc and I trained them before.

Oct 20-21 - Advance birthday celebration with Dad at The Theatre at Solaire! It’s a dream come to watch Hamilton in the flesh! Can’t get over That Would Be Enough and Dear Theodosia. Then, spent the night with Karl and Dad at Solaire Casino (only bet 100, we were just there for the unlimited drinks hahaha)

Oct 22 - Happy birthday at work! So happy I spent the day with my AM family. I’m the only AM on Sundays but for today, Kryzl Mendez, Dominic Emanuel Apolona, Lorhenz Lacsa, and Adonijah Trixie Banico rendered RDOT to help with the billable hours, and I enjoyed my special day with them. Spent the day with my favorite teammates at my favorite fastfood, McDo <3 Isay gave me an Eras shirt, and Dominic gave me a powerbank plus letter because I asked for a letter haha.

Oct 23 - My closest friend Karl Jude Emmanuel Ocampo made me feel special in many ways! He took me to Wildflour, bought an entire cake that I can share with the team, and gave me gifts I never imagined I’d be receiving from a friend: a new cell phone, memory card, and the first laminated letter I received in my life. Thank you bb for spoiling me. What did I do to deserve you?

Oct 24 - Our very generous OM, Ronaldo Lacson, gave pizza for the team in celebration of my birthday, plus I got another cake, which I brought home to share with my Dad.

Oct 27 - Belated birthday celebration with Dad at Mama Lou’s - Endless Pasta! We had a collective total of 11 plates.

Oct 28 - Spent quality time with my siblings from Isentia, Angelique Daclan hosted a Halloween 2014 Tumblr theme party. This is my kind of party, intimate and only spent with five fellow introverts hahah, much better than parties with lots of people (although that can be fun, too, as long it’s rare). So happy I saw AJ, Morris Manalaysay, and Laborem Joey Bobiles again. Also met Eli and Ellie, AJ’s friends at her new work. Grateful I have this circle where I can join drinking sessions without the pressure to drink <3

Oct 29 - Went straight to work after the party, and Lorhenz surprised me by treating me at McDo as his birthday gift! After work, I volunteered to man the booth of Parish Renewal Experience at our church.

Today is October 31, and I’m just amazed at how remarkable this October has been. I’m also astonished at how my INFP-T social battery is being pushed to the limit, because I’m that person who needs a month up to a quarter of hibernation (my term for alone time) for every date and social gathering I have (ask my closest friends Karl and Gee Ann Barro – they know HAHA) But ever since I started working onsite again, I’ve been starting to become more flexible with my social life haha. Slowly, I increased my capacity to agree to invites, and initiate them, too, when I have the energy. I just need to maximize my alone time to recharge and be ready to make new memories again with the people I love.

Thank You, Lord, for being the writer of my life story. I surrender to You this new chapter. Thank you for the love you surround me with and the people you put in my life. I pray to give back that love to the world. May I be a better daughter, a better friend, a better colleague, a better person. May I be the person You want me to be. And someday, may I be the right person for the person I’ve been waiting for since 1994, wherever he is right now.

*I tried Bumble because my work friends have been encouraging me to start dating already, since I never tried at my age, but I was not ready yet so I invested time in Bumble BFF instead haha. But, just like I told my teammate AT, now that I’m 29, if ever someone will ask me out, then I’ll give the person a chance. Let’s see how this year will unfold haha!

PS. My mind’s my age, but my heart will always beat like I’m only 7, 15, and 21. As for my soul though, it’s around 150 to 200 years old already haha.

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belovedblabber · 2 years ago

Note

So I promised I'd ask 5 questions to any mutual who reblogged that post... since I don't know your mutuals as well since you've only recently begun talking about them

Which ocs belong to which stories?

What are the relationships between them?

Which ones are in romantic relationships, versus platonic?

What are your favorite ones?

Which one is the most fun to write?

Thank you so much for enabling my oc ramblings that’s so sweet😭🤝✨

Okay so I have a lotttttt of ocs and I'm going to try to be as brief as I can and cover all of the ones I can think of also oh lord I have realized that this is SO long sedrftgyhuji everybody feel free to blissfully scroll past and let the 'keep reading' divider protect you as needed

Okay so for question one:

In terms of solid stories a have a few uh, 'universes' (ECUs, Esmé cinematic universes dfghj). The first is the most vague because I've had it since I was 11 and revised it so much that the characters are the only through-line (and they've changed a ton) and I'm currently trying to figure out a new coherent setting for them. But anyway, I loosely call this grouping League because of reasons that no longer apply but I hold onto from my leetle 11 year old days. The main ocs from this one are Tamara (Tam), Meera, Kelli (that's a last name but she deeply needs a new one), Arshak (this is an Armenian name because I'm part Armenian and so is he <3), and Solomon. Tam and Meera (and the rest of that gang)are some of my first ocs (outside of my wolf character from when I was teeny tiny, and outside of toys from games my sister and I played) and they [Tam and Meera] pretty comedically mirror my own little path to lesbianism. Because my god these women are dykes who didn't get to be dykes for years because I was fully oblivious for a long time fghj. They're deeply in love but they don't get around to admitting this to each other for years. Putting the rest of my oc universes and the answers to the other questions under a 'keep reading'

I also have a science fiction story that I usually just call Space Noir, and the characters from that are Castor, Azza, Okar, Min, Martin, Hassan, and K'laña (forgive my weird alien names).

ANOTHER oc cinematic universe is the one that Corin and Faolán come from and it doesn't have a strict name rn other than W&W which is tied to way back ago name stuff that I use in my head to mark it. In that universe there is, obviously, Corin and Faolán, and also their adopted daughter Adaira, and a woman named Eira. Sort of connected is a character from a similar but slightly different universe that I may combine together with Corin and Faolán's universe. His name is Xavier and he is from a now-abandoned story I wrote with my partner. I want to either bring him back in a revised version of that story, in his own version of that universe that is similar but different from Corin and Faolán's universe, or or adapt him for their universe because I LOVE him. He's possessed by the norse god Odin and it's his own damn fault. Also in that universe is his (much older) sister Oisin, her wife Kiera, and Xavi's dead (but often on my mind) dad Beckett, along with Beckett's various flings and loves. I love Beckett a LOT.

Then there is the current story I write with my partner (I call it Gay Snake Drama fghjk) which has a TON of characters but some of my faves are Lorcán(aka Lor) (my baby, I adore him), Riel (who I also adore and want to talk about more), Hypatia (who is so fun and also whose relationship with Riel is one. of my FAVE things to write), Minerva, and Maggie.

And okay just two more I'll mention fghjk. One is dnd characters who come from different campaigns. Agatha and Julian are my darlings, and they come from a campaign I never finished called Landion. I want to give them their own story some day. Then there is Seril, from the Curse of Strahd game I'm in, Alex from a fantasy high school game my friend runs, and then the npcs from the game I run that's set in hell. The twp major ones there are Artemisia and JOHN, who I talk about too much dfghj.

And last is the newest story I'm working on (in theory) which has a longer name but I'll just call Pennies here as a marker, and the main characters of that are Ilias and the Iudex, and I love them and their weird sweet sweeping romance. Love 'death and the maiden' as a motif, you know? And OKAY that is my way too long answer to question one fghjk I am probs forgetting some ocs

Relationships between them:

If I answered for all of my ocs this would. be WAY too long so I'll just highlight a few.

Tam and Meera's relationship is important to me because it is, like I said, pretty much a direct reflection of my own personal little journey to lesbianism, and they fell in love as a result of me realizing a lot of stuff about myself. They're best friends and wildly codependent (saying 'best friends' is honestly putting it lightly) and Meera is in what she things is unrequited love with Tam, but it's NOT, but Tam is a mess, and anyway they do end up together. Side note like I said, Kelli is a nasty and very fun character who is also in love with Meera (and also the villain of the story, or one of them) but her and Tam end up having a fucked up fling when she has Tam captive wherein they're dealing with hatred for each other, hatred for themselves, and love for Meera, all wrapped up in the most toxic sex you've ever seen in your life. It's fun.

In space noir, Martin and Min are fun as former best friends gone sour, and that's super fun especially because Min is pretending to have become sort of a piece of shit enforcer for a bad system but it's all an act to take it down, but Martin doesn't know it, anyway they do reconcile.

Corin and Faolán I adore, love these gay bitches. I also love their relationship with Adaira. Also in his own universe or in this one, Xavier's relationship with Odin is. So Tasty.

Gay snake drama has some of my fave dynamics, Lorcán is my baby and I love writing his relationship with his husband, my partner's oc Aaneshku (they're gonna have a daughter soon!), and also his relationship with his adopted sister Maggie. Also in that universe though there is Riel and Hypatia, who are not romantic, not sexual, not platonic, but a secret 4th thing (I don't know how to describe that fourth thing). They're wildly co-dependent, can't live without each other, and have gotten up to so much shit. They also do enable each other's worst habits a lot and can get NASTy with fights because they both know the best way to get RIGHT to the raw heart of what wounds the other. Anyway they're in love but in a weird hard to describe way. They're in love, they're divorced, they're married, they act like a romantic couple but they're not, when they were first introduced they were going through a divorce era, they're doing it all. Minerva is also their adult sort of daughter. Sometimes a family is a disgraced academic lesbian, her platonic life partner a beautiful bisexual man who is a wanted criminal in just...so many places, and their adult lesbian daughter who thinks of nothing but murder all day long. I love them. I also really love Riel's relationship with his (about to be) husband Aazra, who is another oc of my partner's.

Ilias and the Iudex are brand new, so I am still figuring out their dynamic, but I do love it. Also forgive me if you meant 'what are the relationships between the stories' and not 'between ocs' dfghjk, which I am now thinking might be the case but whoops too late!

Platonic vs. romantic:

I covered a lot of this above but quick rundown: Tam and Meera=romantic, Kelli and Tam=mess, Arshak and Solomon=romantic. Castor and Azza=platonic, Castor and Okar=platonic, Azza and Okar=romantic (maybe, I haven't decided), Min and Martin=platonic, Hassan and Castor=romantic, and Martin and K'laña= platonic. Also Azza and Min might=romantic I have not decided. Corin and Faolán=romantic (obviously) and then Adaira is their daughter and Eira is their friend. Riel and Hypatia and Minerva I covered above, Maggie and Lor=Platonic (adopted siblings), and Lor and Minerva=siblings. In dnd land Seril has various dynamics with dif npcs and characters, but she is currently romancing Ireena, aka the woman the. bigbad is obsessed with. Agatha and Julian are siblings, and they have a lot of interesting dynamics with the cast of player characters and npcs. Alex is a unknowing baby lesbian (I draw a lot of my experiences and put them on her fghj), John and Artemisia are platonic, and then John has a fun platonic relationship with my partner's character Arietta (they are mean southern women@each other) and is in love with my friend's character Khomros. Also Artemisia and Arietta are in a currently casual fling. The Iudex and Ilias=romantic

What are my favorite ones:

I don't play favorites (yes I do). I can't really easily list that but dear to my heart because of seniority are Tam and Meera (and their accompanying characters. I'm really excited to explore Armenian identity stuff with Arshak). But in terms for who is on my mind the most these days, it's Lor, Riel, Hypatia, John, Seril, Corin and Faolán and Adaira, Xavier, and the Iudex, and Ilias. I realized. I just listed a huge chunk of ocs from that list but dfghjk, I love them what can I say. I also love all of them but that group is on my mind rn. Oh Also Agatha and Julian, they NEED their own story, or to have their campaign brought back, or both.

Which one is the most fun to write:

That's a tough one and I don't have a favorite per se, but the one I think I currently have the most fun with is John. He's so fun to write dialogue for, for a variety of reasons. And he's very fun to play, I emote more for him than I do with any other pc or npc I play

Anyway this is novel-length, forgive my ramblings and thank you so much for asking me this and giving me an excuse to go a bit wild here<3

#writing stuff #oc stuff #i won't tag every oc here because that would get way too long sedrftgyhuj #ella #I had so much fun here thank youuuu for giving me an excuse to wildly vibrate and oc post

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lemoncrushh · 5 months ago

Text

Too Far From Texas | Chapter Thirty

STORY PAGE

Word Count: 5848

Maybe my love could fly over the ocean… Maybe my heart should try to leave him alone...

I could hear Lorelei’s cackle down the hall. She had an infectious laugh, and had I not felt like a truck had run me over for the past couple weeks, I would have smiled. Instead, with a furrowed brow I walked to her office.

“I know, doll, I know!” she exclaimed. “Listen, you’re preaching to the choir.”

When I stepped into her doorway, she looked up from her desk, giving me a quick grin as she held up a finger.

“Okay, sounds great, doll,” she said into her phone. “Yes. See you then.”

“Hey,” she breathed as I took the chair across from her. “Ready for tomorrow?”

“I still have to pack,” I grumbled as I reached down to adjust my shoe that had been rubbing my heel all day. “What time’s our flight again?”

“6:22,” Lorelei replied.

“A.M.?” I groaned. “Jesus Christ, thanks Kris.”

“Hey, I’m not complaining,” said Lor. “It’s free. Besides, it’s an hour later in New York, remember.”

“And an hour later I’d like to sleep.”

“Hush, you.” Lor gave me a look before turning to her computer. “So, since our meeting isn’t until 2:00, I was thinking after we get checked in to our room, we could do a little shopping and have an early lunch.”

“If our meeting’s not until two, why did Kris book our flight so early?” I scoffed. I knew I was being a baby about this whole ordeal, especially since I knew how airlines operated. A later flight might not have been available. I just wanted to complain.

Ignoring my question, Lorelei went her own route. “I just think it would be nice to see some of the city this time around. We didn’t get to do much last time.”

I stared at her blankly as my mind traveled back to the hotel bar, Harry’s red coat, his hand on my back. I thought of the yacht, the dinner and the music. I remembered the look on his face in the moonlight when I told him I couldn’t stay.

“Yeah,” I mumbled, looking down at my hands, the nails that desperately needed a manicure. “We didn’t.”

“So let’s live it up a little this time around,” she grinned, tossing her blonde locks off her shoulder. “I can even show you where I used to live, if you’d like.”

I gave her a soft smile. “Sure, that sounds like fun.”

Her chin in her hand, Lorelei gave me a look, seemingly studying me until she decided to speak again.

“Still haven’t called Harry back, huh?”

Blinking slowly, I shook my head. I’d told my friend about the message Harry had left the weekend before. She had tried in vain to encourage me to call him back.

“Not even a text?” she asked. “I mean...at least to let him know you got his message, that you didn’t block his number.”

“That’s the whole point, Lor,” I explained. “If I give in and reply, that will just give him hope. I’m doing this for the both of us.”

“How do you reckon?” she asked.

I shrugged. “It will just hurt a lot less the next time I see him. We’ll both see it was for the best, and we can move on.”

I heard Lorelei scoff, and I looked up at her, her face full of annoyance.

“Why even give him that, then?” she spat with a wave of her hand.

“What do you mean?”

“Why even go to his concert next month? Just break it off completely, block his number, let it be over. Don’t leave the carrot dangling.”

I bit my lip as I looked at my lap again. I nodded slowly. I knew what she meant, and she had a point. I just couldn’t do it.

“I guess...I just need the closure,” I admitted. “If I rip off the band aid, it’s like I didn’t give the wound time to heal.”

I heard Lor sigh, no doubt exasperated. “I get it, I guess,” she said. “But God, sometimes I wish you weren’t a writer! Your fucking imagery and analogies are so annoying.”

I glared at her. “Hey!”

“I know, I know,” she rolled her eyes, gesturing between us. “Pot, kettle.”

“Bye, sweet girls,” I called to Jasmine and Emery, and blew them a kiss.

“Bye, Mommy!” said Em. “Have a good trip!” She gave me a wave and multiple air kisses before I closed the door behind me.

Since the girls were staying with Tod for the weekend anyway, I told him I had to go out of town for work, and he agreed on my dropping them off on Wednesday evening after dinner. Ever since I’d come back from L.A., Tod had been oddly cordial to me. Not that we were friends or anything of the sort, but he just seemed a lot more agreeable. Lorelei joked that since he’d found out I’d been seeing someone, he’d probably gotten the message that he was no longer in control of me. Though I imagined a piece of that might have been true, I wasn’t holding my breath that he’d never show his true colors again.

Once home, I began packing my suitcase. Opening my drawers, I pulled out some pajamas and laid them inside my bag first. Blinking hard, I willed myself not to turn around and grab the item I’d wanted to. No doubt my eye had caught it laying there between my winter pjs and the back of the drawer with its muted purple floral print.

I’d slept in it that night I’d listened to his voicemail, then lingered in it most of the next day until I’d finally gotten up and made myself take a shower. I hadn’t wanted to wear it again for fear that I’d end up having to wash it, thus relieving it of Harry’s scent completely. Instead, I’d laid it next to me on the bed the next night, pretending in my head I was using it like a blanket, when really I was imagining him lying beside me. On the third night, I finally told myself I was being ludicrous, and if I was ever really going to move on, I had to let him go. So to the back of the drawer, it went.

I packed the rest of my things, opting not to bring anything that reminded me of Harry. That didn’t leave me with much other than office attire, but Lorelei had mentioned shopping. So I figured if I needed something I didn’t bring with me, I could always just buy it there in New York. I wasn’t sure what all she had in mind, but I was willing to bet it included at least one night out.

Closing the zipper, I grabbed the handle and set the suitcase on the floor by the door. By the time I showered, dried my hair and slipped into a nightgown, it was after ten so I got into bed and prepared myself for a restless night since I knew I had to get up before dawn. When I grabbed my phone to set an alarm, however, that was when I noticed I had a new voicemail. My thumb grazed over the screen for a while, my mind battling with my heart until I finally decided to open my clock, set the alarm and turn out the light.

Though the moonlight cast a shadow on the opposite wall, I could barely make out his silhouette. He was there. I knew he was, as sure as I knew the back of my hand. But it was as though a fog separated us, a thickness in the air.

“I think we should talk,” he said, coming closer to me.

I could see his face better then, the lines above his eyebrows as he looked back at me.

“About what?” I asked, my throat dry.

“I don’t think this is going to work out after all,” he confessed.

I felt my body slouch into the chair behind me as his words knocked the wind out of me.

“What? Why?”

“You were right,” he said. “And I...just don’t feel the same anymore.”

“But you said-”

“I know what I said,” he voiced firmly, holding up his hand. “But some time as passed and I don’t think this is going to work. I need to live my own life...and you need to live yours.”

“But Harry…”

He turned for the door then, and I gasped for air, trying to scream his name louder.

“Goodbye, Stacey,” he said before vanishing into the thick fog.

The pilot made his announcement, welcoming the passengers to New York. As the plane made its way to the gate, people in the aisle seats rose to retrieve their luggage from the overhead compartment. I waited with Lorelei as those in front of us formed a line to exit the aircraft.

While we waited again at baggage claim, I people watched. Airports always intrigued me, watching different kinds of people, wondering where they were going or from there they’d arrived. I reached for a notepad in my bag and began taking notes, a little trick I’d recently started for jotting down possible ideas for stories. It was a rather old-fashioned method, but sometimes I just preferred the quickness of my steady hand rather than the speed of my mobile fingers. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lorelei pulling out her phone, scrolling through her messages and notifications. As she began typing something, I felt my own phone vibrate in my purse. Seeing his name on my screen never ceased to jolt my pulse, and I silently cursed myself for my reaction.

Hi, how are you?

I cursed again, this time loud enough for Lorelei to hear. What was he doing, asking me how I was, all casual like? Was he trying a new tactic to get me to talk to him? Was he playing with my head? No, that wasn’t like him. Still, I stared at the screen incredulously, my thumb ghosting over the keypad.

“Maybe you should just talk to him,” I heard next to me.

Lorelei eyed me, her head tilted as though she was pleading with me to consider her words. I was about to give her some words of my own when I saw my suitcase drop down from the baggage chute. Dropping my phone back into my purse and shuffling through a handful of people in front of me, I grabbed my luggage from the carousel just in time.

“He left me a voicemail yesterday,” I announced after Lorelei retrieved her suitcase and we waited outside for a taxi. I wasn’t about to admit to her that my stomach had done a somersault when I saw the line of limousines against the curb.

“What did he say?” she inquired.

“I don’t know. I haven’t listened to it.”

“Stace…”

“I can’t, Lor. Not yet.”

“But...what if...he has something really important to say? Something that could change everything?”

I turned to face her, my well-meaning friend. My mouth opened and shut so many times, I probably looked like a Pez dispenser.

“My life is not a romance novel, Lor,” I finally said.

“Hmm,” she mused, looking down at her phone as the taxi pulled up. “But it could be.”

Ignoring her comment, I smiled at the driver who offered to put my suitcase in the trunk, though I already had it lifted and ready to go. Lorelei slid into the seat next to me, her phone in her hand. She’d seemed to be busy texting someone since we’d left the terminal, and I could only assume it was Kris or someone from corporate. With a slight pause in her typing, she leaned forward and told the cab driver the address of our hotel, then resumed her texting.

I looked out the window at the steady traffic, recalling the last time I’d been in this city. It looked different during the day, no lights reflecting on the window or the sense of inspiration. Instead it was much like any other busy city, the noise of horns and the bustling of people on the street with urgency. This was more like the New York I pictured in my head, the one I was familiar with from films and television.

The skyscrapers kissed the clouds as we drove by, my eyes taking it all in. I heard Lorelei make a sound next to me, something like the click of her tongue. I was about to ask her what it meant when the driver turned a corner and I saw the massive marquee sign.

HARRY STYLES. ONE NIGHT ONLY.

“What?!” I asked aloud, my throat suddenly hoarse.

“Oh, shoot!” exclaimed Lorelei just as I turned to look at her. “The meeting’s been canceled!”

“What?” I sounded again, this time more clearly. “You can’t be serious!”

“Yeah,” Lor frowned. “Seems corporate had a change of heart, and they don’t really want to do the pre-launch after all.”

“But...we’re already here!” I gasped incredulously. “Kris paid for our flight! What...what exactly did they say?”

“Just what I told you, doll,” she shrugged, looking down at her phone.

“This is ridiculous,” I spat, digging in my purse for my own cell. “Let me call Kris.”

“No, Stacey,” Lor shook her head.

“We’re on our way to the hotel,” I continued as I retrieved Kris’s contact number, nearly out of breath. “We’re-”

If there was a contest to see how many clues it would take for someone to realize what was going on, I’d have lost. I glared at Lorelei, feeling a fool for not noticing the signs sooner.

“Kris didn’t pay for our flight and hotel, did she?” I asked softly.

“No, doll.”

“It was Harry.”

Lorelei nodded. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“There was no pre-launch meeting.”

“No. It was just a ruse. To get you to New York.”

I practically threw my phone into my bag as I huffed out a breath. I could feel my blood boiling, the veins popping in my neck. Then I turned to the window, my head in my hand, and I began to cry.

“Oh doll, I’m sorry,” I heard Lorelei confess as my shoulders shook with sobs. “I had to keep you in the dark until we got here. It was all Harry’s idea.”

“Don’t talk to me, Lor,” I mumbled.

“What?”

“Just don’t even say another word. When we get to the hotel, I’ll make my own arrangements to fly back. Alone.”

Though I’d never been this angry with her before, Lorelei knew best when it was time to shut up.

I’d been on the phone nearly an hour with different airlines, trying to get a flight back to Houston. A couple of them had an available seat for that day, but the prices were astronomical and certainly not anything I could afford. The next best thing was taking a flight home the next evening which would still cost me a few hundred. With a loud groan, I fell face down on the hotel pillow.

After several attempts at trying to reason with me when we’d gotten to our room, Lorelei finally agreed to leave me alone for the time being. She’d said she was going to grab a cup of coffee in the cafe downstairs, and if I felt like it later, I could join her.

I didn’t feel like it.

I was angry. I was beyond perturbed. I felt deceived and bamboozled, by both Harry and my best friend. This little scheme they’d set up wasn’t a romantic gesture like the trip to the Marchborough Inn. This wasn’t like the surprise to Sound City or the ballroom dancing. This was...manipulative and frankly, I found it very immature.

Lifting my head from the pillow, I sat up.

Well, there you have it, I told myself. He’s just a petulant child. Thanks for proving my point, Harry. Even more than I could have.

Looking around the room, however, I felt the sadness creep in. It was a beautiful room. I’d been so enraged when we’d arrived, I hadn’t taken the time to notice where Harry had set us up. It wasn’t a penthouse, but it was definitely larger than any hotel room in which I’d ever stayed. It contained two luxurious beds, a sofa and coffee table, a small table and chairs in the corner by the window, and a dresser with an ornate mirror above it. On top sat a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. Curious, I rose from the bed and walked to it, taking in its intoxicating aroma. It reminded me exactly of the bouquet Harry had sent to my home along with the tickets to his concert in Houston. Inspecting it closer, however, I did not see a card of any kind.

As though on cue, there was a knock at the door. I strode across the room to open it to a handsome man in a suit, no doubt the concierge.

“Ms. Barnett?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Special delivery for you,” he said, handing me an envelope that seemed to magically appear from behind his back.

“Thank you,” I nodded, taking it from him.

He gave a curt nod back and disappeared down the hall. Shutting the door, I turned the envelope over in my hands. It was a large, plain, manila envelope, with no words or markings of any kind or than my name and room number in the top left-hand corner. I sat down on the bed to open it, as though I already knew I should be sitting to reveal its contents. Peeling open the top, I reached my hand inside and pulled out what appeared to be two laminates, each with Harry’s face and name on them. Then turning the envelope over, I let the rest of its contents spill out onto the bed. Before me laid two concert tickets, crisp and shiny as though they’d just been printed. Lifting the envelope, I shook it and looked inside. There was nothing else. No letter or even a short note. A lump caught in my throat as I read the date on the tickets. The show was tomorrow night. Harry must have had me fly to New York a day early so that he had time to persuade me to talk to him before the concert. Or perhaps the concert was his final plea.

Dropping the tickets and laminates back into the envelope, I closed it and set it on the dresser next to the flowers. The tears started to fall, but I only tried to stop them a little. I laid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Had I done the right thing? Was I absolutely out of my mind like Lorelei obviously thought I was? Was I only causing heartbreak for myself when there was no guarantee there would have been any otherwise? Had I sabotaged my own happiness because I was so hung up on guarantees in the first place?

My chest felt heavy as I wiped my eyes. My phone vibrated on the nightstand, and I picked it up, ready to text Lorelei. But it was Harry.

Hey, I know you’re here. Will you talk to me, please? Can we meet somewhere?

I cleared my throat, even though I wasn’t actually talking aloud. I admitted to myself that he deserved to at least get an acknowledgement from me, even if I didn’t want to talk.

I can’t talk to you yet, Harry. I’m angry and very confused.

Okay. I understand you’re upset, and I’m sorry I deceived you. But please don’t be mad at Lorelei. This was all my idea.

I was still lying on my back when Lorelei returned. Tossing her purse onto her bed, she looked at me with a mixed look of disdain and compassion, like I was a child who’d gotten a bad grade on her report card.

“Listen, doll,” she said, her hands on her hips. “I get that you’re angry. Maybe we went about this all wrong. But damn it, Stacey, the guy is in love with you! He’s on freaking tour around the world and he’s been calling me, begging me to get you to talk to him. He’s hurting, Stace!”

“And I’m not hurting?” I cried. “I didn’t suddenly stop loving him, Lorelei!”

“I know!” she said, sitting next to me on the bed. “That’s why I don’t understand why you won’t talk to him? He’s wanting to see you.”

I bit my lip and looked away. “He sent concert tickets for tomorrow,” I mumbled.

“I know that, too. He told me he was going to. He wants to see you before that, but if that’s the only way…”

Her voice trailed off, but I got her point.

“Stacey,” she added, “I can’t tell you how to feel. You just...feel how you feel. But I do know one thing. If you don’t talk to him now, you’re going to regret it. Because you’re gonna see him next month in Houston, with your kids, acting all icy cold like you don’t care, and it’s going to hit you in the face like a truck. And you’ll regret not using this opportunity to patch things up.”

“Lor-”

“Ah!” she interrupted, throwing her hands up. “Okay, maybe you’re right and you don’t belong together. But maybe you’re wrong, Stace. Maybe you’re wrong and you do! And maybe you’re meant to be the most amazing in love couple there ever was. But you’ll never know...if you don’t try.”

I swallowed hard, taking in her rant. She made some valid points. I just wasn’t ready to face them.

“Lor,” I said instead reaching out for her hand. “I’m sorry. I know none of this is your fault.”

“I mean, I did have a hand in it,” she shrugged. “But yeah, the plan was all Harry’s. I wish you would just hear him out before you make your final decision.”

I sighed. “I’m just not ready yet. I’m so fucking confused. Can I...have today to think about it at least?”

Lorelei nodded with a sigh. “Sure, doll. In the meantime, can we please go get some lunch, I’m starving! The coffee here was okay at best, and the danish was barely enough to feed a bird.”

I grinned at her as I sat up. “Of course. Let’s go find a decent meal. Then we can do some much-needed distraction shopping.”

Lorelei’s face lit up. “Sounds like a plan!”

After a somewhat quiet but pleasant meal at a restaurant not far from our hotel, where Lorelei was kind enough to not mention Harry once, we strode along the sidewalk, peeking in boutique windows and occasionally stopping to go inside.

“What do you think of this?” Lor asked me in one shop, holding up a chiffon blouse.

“It’s nice,” I muttered.

“Very Stevie, don’t you think?” she grinned before grabbing another off the rack. “Or do you think the black is better?”

“Either’s fine,” I shrugged.

With a frown, Lorelei returned both blouses to the rack. “You’re still mad at me, aren’t you?”

Averting my eyes, I pretended to inspect a display of earrings.

“I’m just hurt, Lor,” I said. “Why would you lie to me? And about work of all things?”

“I know, Stacey, I realize now it was wrong. How many times can I say I’m sorry?”

“Can I help you ladies with anything?” I heard the sales clerk ask.

“Oh, no thank you, doll, we’re fine,” replied Lorelei.

I turned to face her then, the sales girl’s back to us as she rearranged a display of knick knacks on the counter.

“This book...it’s important to me. I was excited about this trip and this meeting. So to find out it was all a lie? Why would you do that to me? To us?”

Lorelei’s face fell as she leaned against the clothes rack.

“I hated to do that to you, Stace, you gotta believe me. It’s just...it was the only way I knew you would agree to come. If I’d mentioned Harry at all, you would have refused. If I’d suggested a vacation or some other kind of trip, you would have made any kind of excuse in the book. I know you, hon. We’re not best friends for nothing!”

She was absolutely right about that. Work was the only thing that would have made me fly to New York in May.

“It’s just...I had my hopes up, you know? I’d even made an outline of things I was planning to say in the meeting.”

Lorelei sighed. “Of course you did, doll. I’m sorry. I should have considered your feelings. It’s just...if you could have heard him on the phone, Stacey…”

I swallowed hard. “How long had you been talking to him?”

“Um...since right after you told him you would have had his baby.”

“Oh my God.”

“It was just to lend an ear, really,” Lorelei continued. “I told him he just needed to give you some time and you’d probably come around. But you were so bloody stubborn, you wouldn’t even reply to his texts, even when I suggested it. So eventually his European part of the tour was coming to an end, and he was on his way to the States. He told me he couldn’t wait until June to see you. So he devised this plan...with my help, of course.”

I shot a look at her before turning for the exit. I felt her following me, though I didn’t acknowledge her. I kept walking until I reached the corner and waited for the light to change.

“Stacey,” she called, her breaths heavy as she tried to keep up. “Where are you going?”

“Back to the hotel,” I replied.

“But it’s early yet,” she complained.

Ignoring her, I started to cross the street when the WALK sign lit up. Lorelei caught up with me again on the other side.

“I thought maybe we could go to Macy’s and get a facial. And maybe find something to wear to the concert.”

I stopped in my tracks, turned and glared at her. “You seriously think I’m going to the concert?”

“Oh, c’mon Stacey, aren’t you? He sent VIP tickets and everything! Tell me this whole plan wasn’t all for naught!”

I clenched my fists and my jaw so hard, it’s a wonder I didn’t break a tooth.

“You know what?” I spat. “Maybe you should just go. You seem to be so chummy now. I’ll go ahead and book that flight out for tomorrow night.”

“Stacey, you can’t be serious!”

Ignoring her again, I began walking faster. Not necessarily in hopes I’d lose her, but because I was angrier than ever, and I didn’t want anything else to come out of my mouth that I might regret.

Because we hadn’t gone far from our hotel, I made it there without having to take a cab. I sprinted through the lobby, past the restaurant and bar where I could hear the sounds of light jazz music and stopped at the elevators. I arrived on our floor before Lorelei, but as soon as I put my key in the door and pushed it open, she stepped off another elevator. She said nothing as she followed me into the room, slumping down onto her bed.

“I wanted this to be fun,” I heard her say when I had my phone in my hand, ready to call the airline.

“Fun?” I scowled.

“Yeah,” she said, her chin up in defense though her eyes appeared wet. “I thought we could have a great time in New York. We have four days! And I’ve been trying so hard to get you and Harry back together. It was supposed to be a win-win.”

“What do you want, a medal?” I spat. “Sorry to ruin your little farce.”

“God, sometimes you’re so fucking selfish!”

“Gee, thanks, Tod!”

“Ugh!” Lorelei glowered, rising from the bed, her hands in fists at her sides. “You know this absolutely nothing to do with Tod, Stacey! Ever since you’ve met Harry, I’ve been trying to tell you that! But you’re so fucking stuck in your head, believing the nasty lies Tod fed you during your marriage. You had a good one, one of the best. And you’re just throwing it all away.”

“Were you really expecting me to forget everything and go along with your plan? Like ‘Yeah, Lor, you were right, thanks for lying to me to get me here. Now let’s go find Harry so I can tell him what an idiot I’ve been, and if he wants to string me along for the next few years and then break my heart, I’m totally cool with it’?”

Lorelei’s face softened as she lowered herself onto my bed beside me. “Oh, doll. Is that really what you think?”

I shrugged, wiping a tear on my cheek that I hadn’t noticed. “Of course, why not?”

“Stacey, do you know how much he loves you? I mean, the things he’s told me…”

I looked at her. “He loves me now, Lorelei. Because he doesn’t know what the future will bring. And I can’t live like that.”

Lor made a face. “What do you want him to be psychic? You don’t know what it’s gonna bring either.”

Another tear fell down my cheek and I let it fall in my lap. “Yeah, I do.”

“Stacey, he’s not going to leave you.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Well, you don’t either. But I believe him when he says he’s in love. He’s not Tod, hon.”

The waterworks exploded then, and my best friend wrapped her arms around me. I cried on her shoulder for several minutes before lifting my head.

“I love him so much, Lor,” I choked. “I just...I can’t go through that again.”

Lorelei bit her lip and nodded, pushing a strand of hair from my wet cheek.

“I honestly don’t know what else to say, doll. I’m not in your shoes. But I hate seeing you hurt like this.”

“I’m sorry I’m such a shitty friend,” I cried.

“Oh, Stace, no you’re not. You’re just...an emotional mess.”

Lorelei rose from the bed and walked to the vanity, returning with a tissue. I blew my nose, my head already throbbing from crying.

“Tell you what, doll,” Lor offered. “I told you I’d let you think about it today. It’s only four o’clock. I’m going to head out on my own for a bit, let you rest up here. On my way back, I’ll get us a table downstairs in the restaurant. I’ll just text you when I’ve arrived. If you’re hungry, you can come down and join me. Okay?”

I nodded as I scooted back on the bed, resting my head on the pillow.

“I could probably use a nap,” I agreed.

“Of course.” Lor grabbed her purse and walked to the door. “See you later, hon.”

Turning out the lamp, I eyed my phone that still laid on my bed. I brought up the possible flight information, the one leaving tomorrow night still showing available. My finger hovering over the purchase button, I felt another tear leave my eye and travel down to my lips. Closing the app, I opened something different, something I’d been itching to listen to but my stubbornness had kept me from.

“Hey...um...it’s me. I guess you knew that.”

The sound of his voice was almost like a jab in the chest.

“Um...I know you didn’t want me to call, but I just missed you and...um...I had to try again. Can’t blame a bloke for trying, yeah?”

He gave a nervous chuckle before continuing.

“Um...I’ve been thinking about what you said. Been thinking about it a lot, actually. And um...I think I understand what you meant about me deserving everything I wanted. I just...I wish you would have given me the chance to give you that too. As far as I’m concerned, baby, you would never be in the way. I told you the age difference didn’t matter long ago. I told you I didn’t care what other people thought and what the paps or whoever else posted online. I loved you and...I love you now! God, I wish you would just talk to me, I…”

He let out a deep breath and I heard him get choked up. It cut me to the core.

“Stacey, please...if I could just see you...maybe it’s too late. Maybe I can’t change your mind. At least give me the chance to try.”

I cried harder than I had from listening to his last message. And just as with his last message, I played it over again several times until I had exhausted all of my strength and finally fell asleep.

These tears I've cried... I've cried a thousand oceans... And if it seems I'm floating... In the darkness, well... I can't believe that I would keep… Keep you from flying... So I will cry...a thousand more... If that's what it takes...to sail you home…

I felt the buzz of my phone next to me. A little disoriented, I reached for it, opening my eyes and adjusting to the brightness of the screen and Lorelei’s text.

I’m downstairs in the restaurant if you want to join.

Ok, be there in a few, I texted back.

With a sigh, I rose from the bed and went to the restroom. After brushing my teeth and hair and splashing water on my face, I touched up my eyeliner and reapplied my lipstick. Then grabbing my purse, I headed out into the hall to the elevator.

I could hear the tinkling of the piano keys as soon as I reached the lobby. Turning the corner, I spied the restaurant, the bar taking up the entire left wall.

“How many, Miss?” greeted the Maître d'.

“Oh, um...actually, I’m just meeting someone here.”

“Certainly,” he smiled, stepping back with a gesture of his hand.

The room was dimly lit, making it harder to see since the sun was setting. But I quickly spotted the back of Lorelei’s blond head, animated as it was in her typical fashion. As I stepped closer to the table, however, I noticed she wasn’t alone. Another woman sat across from her, her profile making me stop in my tracks.

Though we’d never met, I recognized her immediately. If not for the fact that I’d seen photos of her online, but also because she shared so many features of someone whose face I’d grown accustomed to, right down to the dimples. Pausing her conversation with Lorelei, she looked up at me, her lips pursed though the corners turned up as if she and I shared a secret.

“Hello,” said Harry’s sister, Gemma.

MASTERLIST | KO-FI | FEEDBACK | PATREON

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xnchxntmxnt · 2 years ago

Text

Home Again (Part One)

Fandom: Genshin Impact

Character: Thoma

Warnings: lots of theories about thoma's backstory, bit of fluff, beidou <3

Notes: this is either going to be a short series or two oneshots but. we're running a fun winter event over at @yae-publishing-house and i figured why not try something new. also big big thank you to @k-zu for beta reading for me!!

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Winter in Inazuma reminded him of home.

Thoma spent much of his time in the winter months, enjoying the crisp air that never dropped below freezing. When you lived so close to the sea, it was always just a bit too warm for his taste.

Everything was still so alive and so colorful. Years later, he still didn't know what to think about it. He missed the white, puffy snow that looked like clouds had fallen to the ground and his childhood friends that used to run between grape vines and throw snowballs with him. He missed the cocoa made by Miss Adelinde and getting snowed in, as well as the trip back to the city when his father came to pick him up.

Wintertime, no matter what it looked like where he was, made him nostalgic.

He loved the Kamisato siblings and will forever be grateful for everything they’ve done for him, but he just wanted to visit. See the snow again. Remember what that childhood joy was like, just for a few days.

“I can hear you thinking.”

Thoma smiles, turning to face you. It was late and he should be sleeping, considering he woke up with the sun every morning. However, he couldn’t seem to get his mind to quiet down.

“I’m sorry, (Y/N),” he laughs, brushing his hand over your cheek. “Go to sleep.”

You shake your head and adjust yourself so you sit up a little further. “Talk to me. What’s got you thinking so hard?”

He sighs, leaning his head against your chest. “I…I miss home. And I love it here! I just–”

You place a finger over his lips, hushing his worries. “You don’t have to defend yourself. You miss Mondstadt, I understand. It’s okay.”

He sighed again. You’d always been incredibly understanding, but he was still afraid you'd be upset with him for some reason. “Are you sure? I promise I love you and I love being here and–”

He stops talking when you lean in to kiss him, smiling against your lips. Your hand comes up to hold his face so he leans gently into the touch.

“Thank you,” he whispers, nudging his nose against yours.

“You have nothing to thank me for. Do you feel a little better?”

“Much, thank you.”

You smile and lay back, pulling him down with you. He laughed as he fell into you, getting comfortable in laying on your chest.

“(Y/N)?” he asks, looking up at you from his quite cozy place curled up next to you.

“What, my love?”

He smiles again. “I love you.”

“Lord Kamisato, you called?”

Thoma poked his head in Ayato’s office, trying not to interrupt him. While they were friends, he still tried his hardest to show the respect that he should to him.

“Ah, yes. Come in,” he said, gesturing for him to sit. “I have an offer for you.”

He slowed his actions, trying to figure out what that was supposed to mean. He closed the door to the office behind him and sat across from his desk.

“You look nervous.”

“I am nervous.”

“Why?”

“I can’t tell if you have a gift for me or you’d like me to try something you cooked.”

Ayato laughed, setting his pen down. “I promise, it’s a gift. I was speaking to (Y/N) the other day, and they expressed they felt like you deserve a vacation.”

“Va–what, vacation? I’m fine, really, don’t worry about it—”

“You didn’t let me finish,” he said rather calmly in comparison to his anxious energy. “I believe a week away from the house would do you some good. As long as you don’t get too terribly seasick…how does a trip to Mondstadt sound?”

His eyes went wide. “Lor– Ayato, you can’t possibly mean it—”

Ayato shook his head, smiling at his excitement. “I mean it, Thoma. You do so much, you deserve some time off, and why not visit your homeland to do so?”

“I–I can’t thank you enough, Ayato—you're certain this is alright?”

Again, he nodded, walking around the desk and offering his hand. “I am, Thoma. I have a friend, you may know Captain Beidou, that is willing to make a pit stop for you. However, she leaves Ritou in two days.”

Thoma, practically shaking in excitement, lunged at him in a hug. “You’re incredible, thank you, Ayato,” he said, squeezing him tight.

He clapped his shoulder, then gently pushed him off. “And I believe you should get packing.”

His eyes lit up and he ran off. Little did he know, Ayato had yet another trick up his sleep he wouldn’t be sharing with him until he left.

Two days passed. After he asked, you agreed to walk Thoma to Ritou to say goodbye. He desperately didn’t want to leave you, but he hadn’t been home since long before the multiple decrees, and he knew it was time to at least visit. He hoped he would visit all of his old friends—it would be a strange difference to see the Ragnvindr brothers after such a long time.

The two of you arrived at the Alcor. After saying hello to Beidou and bringing all his things onboard, the two of you sat on the dock until it was time for him to leave.

“What will Inazuma do without their incredible fixer for a week or so?” You teased, squeezing his hand. “The whole nation will crumble!”

He laughed and shook his head at your antics. “You’re not helping the whole ‘I don’t want to leave you’ thing, (Y/N).”

Beidou poked her head over the side of the ship, having caught a little bit of their conversation. “Did they not tell you? Ayato arranged for them to come along!”

Thoma stared for a moment, watching you splutter and say something about how it was supposed to be a surprise! Beidou got a cheeky grin and disappeared below deck again, no doubt to finish preparing for their takeoff. However, a wide smile spread across his face and he turned to face you.

“Is she serious?” he asked, eyes lighting up at you. When you nodded, he pulled you into a bone-crushing hug and swayed you side to side.

“Need oxygen!” you laughed as he let you go.

He held your face and brought your forehead to his. “I’m so happy you’re coming with me,” he muttered, punctuating his statement with a quick kiss. “And I can’t wait to show you everything.”

You chuckled and kissed him again. “Thank Ayato—he pulled everything together. But I’m glad I’m coming too.”

“Alright lovebirds!” Beidou yelled from the wheel, smiling at the two of them. “Let’s get going—we’re leaving with or without ya!”

Thoma’s grin somehow broadened and he jumped up with you in tow. “Come on!”