#a snake). But I don't know how exactly these views would be framed or why they're thought to occur or what they mean to their believers

[serpentface]

What are the three different afterlives, on the moons?

The afterlife consists of three lunar lands, conceptualized as being literally on the moons (which are correctly understood to be spherical bodies in a rounded orbit). The world is, in the common imagination, effectively a floating island and seabed in the middle of a vast cosmic sea. The seabed eventually drops off somewhere far into the open sea, and the cosmic sea in its totality is beyond and beneath this and and goes on infinitely (though if creation stories are taken literally, it can't actually be infinite considering that God is cited as dredging up muck from the bottom. This is a philosophical problem for the literalist minority and no one else). The moons, sun, and stars travel through the cosmic sky and sea in their daily cycles, in an orbit around the earth.��

The lunar lands are usually dark (they only experience full light in times when the moons can be seen in daytime hours), but they are much closer to the stars, so they never experience the same darkness as night on earth. In some branches of folk thought, the light of the moons comes from the torches and fires lit by the dead. The moons are protected from the extremes of cosmic sea and sky that they orbit through by the continuous presence of God’s soul (at the most dead-literal, this is conceptualized like a spherical bubble that surrounds the land/earth with the moons orbiting on its plane, but is mostly understood in a more spiritual, less logistical capacity) and do not experience the terrible heat and cold of each primordial extreme. 

---

The blue moon (second largest in the sky, has a very slight bluish tinge) is the best of three afterlives and the place for the most honored dead. This place is limited to people who performed great deeds in life, and very few people ever go here.

The only completely predictable way to get here is to be the dry season human sacrifice (which also makes you a saint), or being the Odomache. It takes great deeds to be declared a saint, so all canonized saints have gone here, as have most legendary heroes. There’s some doctrinal division over whether royalty goes here automatically or they too require the actual accomplishment of great deeds. Public opinion and general consensus veers, quite heavily, towards the latter. It’s resulted in a tendency for kings to perform lavish public works and building projects and instigate expansionist campaigns to better their chances.

The blue moon is a lush garden with palaces and homes built with lapis lazuli. A mythical blue lotus grows here that is said to grant everlasting life (*until the end of the world. there is no true immortality). Some mythical heroes (and characters in animal folktales) have been said to reach the lunar lands while still alive in pursuit of the lotus, but it has remained entirely elusive for the average joe. These lands are comfortably warm year-round, the rains are gentle, all plants grow in abundance and are always in fruit. It is thought that the souls of great sacrificial animals (those offered up in public rites, limited to animals that are specifically sacred) go here as well. The dead do not have to labor and all their needs are met with ease. It is a place of great serenity, rest, and happiness.

This afterlife is, notably, where the first men are enthroned (And Also Their Wives Are There). The eldest brother of this set is considered the most important saint (he is the one who actually performed the sacrifice of God), and all are effectively semi-divine (though not venerated), being the direct offspring of God via Its insemination of the cosmic sea. These first men are credited with actually shaping the world as it is today via the division of God’s body, and they now rule over the afterlife.

This is the best of all afterlives, but comes with profound responsibilities. The souls of the dead here are bound to survive the end of the world and will someday will be the ones to sacrifice the bodily reborn God, shape the next world, and become the progenitors and guides for the next people. All other souls in all other afterlives will not survive the end of the world in their present state, rather they will be returned to God and await reincarnation into a new human body after creation.

---

The white moon (visibly largest in the sky) is where people who died honorable deaths and/or have spirits weighted as pure go. The easiest guarantee of getting here is to die in battle, or in childbirth (which is fortunate given the high rate of pregnancy-related mortalities). People who live honorable and virtuous lives, maintain spiritual cleanliness to the best of their ability, and follow right practice are otherwise the main demographic. This is the best afterlife the average everyday person can hope to end up in.

It is vast grassland eternally in flower, with ten rivers running through it. The sacred (and actually real) orange lotus grows here in abundance. Homes are built of moonstone, gardens of crops run between them and the maize can be harvested year-round and provides eternal and easy sustenance for the dead. Most time is spent at rest and leisure.

It’s thought the souls of ‘petty sacrifice’ animals go here (those offered for individual benefit, rather than in public rites for the good of the people/world itself). Animals considered to Have Value without necessarily being sacred are appropriate for these petty sacrifices (horses and fowl are very common) so there’s plenty of livestock here for milk, wool, and eggs.

---

The egg moon (named for its slightly ovular shape to the naked eye) is the lesser afterlife, where people whose spirits are weighted unclean and/or did not die honorable deaths end up if they succeed in their death-journeys. Most people go here. This is not a Bad afterlife, just the Mid option of three pretty good ones.

It’s described as a vast grassland with five rivers running through it. It is very much like the world of the living, with normal seasonal change and cycles of plant growth. The dead have to labor here as they do in the world of the living, but without the risk of starvation or need to fight for resources. The land is fertile, the rains come and go as needed, the harvests are always good and the livestock are always well fed. All in all, it's far easier and more peaceful than life on earth.

It is thought that the souls of most sacred animals that did not die in sacrifice go here (so the majority of the world’s cattle, aurochs, khait, lions, cobras, hespaean, reed ducks, skimmer gulls, and albatrosses). The cattle and khait tend to be the center of focus, and there isn’t really a set concept of what the carnivores are eating, or whether the lions and venomous snakes pose any danger to the people there (there IS at least loosely a notion that the dead can die a second time and will be sent back to the cosmic sea to await reincarnation, though this mostly plays into eschatological beliefs and not into concerns of 'what if I get to the lunar lands and am immediately mauled to death: 2 by a lion').

This one HEAVILY overlaps conceptually with the Celestial Fields, with these aspects likely being influenced by a history of cultural exchange between proto-Finnic and proto-Wardi groups. In some folk traditions this syncretism is even more obvious via inclusion of Mak-Urudain guard dog figures (most Ephenni folk-traditions say that funerary guide dogs stay there to protect the cattle and khait from the lions, Ephenni Riverlanders straight up have a Mak-Urudain figure present as the First Ever guide dog who now protects the cattle all by himself, Erub provincial folk traditions state the dog constellation guards the cattle in all afterlives, etc), though this has no presence whatsoever in official doctrine. (On the reverse side, the heavenly cattle that the agricultural goddess Od brought to the Fields (to ensure ancestors can never starve if their shitty descendants neglect them) is probably at least Partly Wardi influenced).

---

SOME NOTES:

-This religion technically views reincarnation as the ultimate fate of the dead, but considers this to only occur after the end of the current world. Eschatological beliefs are not even remotely central to this belief system (it's not a concern of the average practitioner like, at all, though raises to greater prominence during lasting droughts), but it’s assumed that the earth itself must eventually die and be reborn like all other created things. It was born from water and so will end in drought, then fire. All life and all souls but those of the most exalted on the blue moon will perish again and be returned to God.

God will be bodily reborn, and begin the process of self-sacrifice and creation over again. The survivors from the blue moon will become the first people, will sacrifice God, and build the next world from Its body. God will again inseminate the cosmic sea before Its death (releasing human/sophont souls to await rebirth), and will spill Its blood on the earth (releasing animal souls to await rebirth), and the world as we know it will begin again (but perhaps better, with the guidance of leaders from the previous world).

-most animals do not go to the lunar lands. All animals are regarded as having souls, but non-sophont animals were born from the earth (fertilized by God's blood) and are more intimately tied to it. The standard view is that most animals immediately return to the earth to be reincarnated upon death, though some can persist in the form of ghosts (not regarded as torturous for them like it is for humans, they're meant to be tied to the earth). Animals that make the journey to the lunar lands do so ultimately as assistants to humans (in the form of funerary guide dogs) or due to their sacredness (which also is functionally a form of assistance to humans).

-The afterlife status of any dog killed to be a funerary guide for the deceased is somewhat ambiguous. Funerary guide dogs are thought to at least Get To the lunar lands, but there's no consensus opinion on whether they can Stay There (unlike funerary khait and lions, guaranteed a spot due to sacred status). Most interpretations see the dogs returning to the earth (often to continue serving as funerary guides), but some death-journey stories describe the noblest and most loyal of dogs gaining entry along with their masters.

-All sophonts Recognized as sophonts (via the capacity for forms of intelligent speech obvious to humans) are understood to have been created the same way as humans and have the same type of soul, and to theoretically have access the lunar lands if they follow the same methods.

-The majority of people in this world, obviously, do not practice Imperial Wardi standard funerals, and are therefore regarded as Probably Fucked. It's accepted that any form of cremation is sufficient to at least send the dead on their way, but the dead who don't get the full Materially Correct Wardi Funeral Treatment will surely have a MUCH harder time completing their journeys (THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GO TO THE MOONS LOL!!!!!).

-The dead require substantial help from the living in terms of actually getting to the lunar lands (proper funerals, grave goods and animal guides to assist their journey, etc), but are considered fully provided for once they get there in the doctrinal Faith and most of its folk variants. Maintaining and visiting family tombs (holding cremains and grave goods) is usually regarded as being a matter of familial piety and honorable behavior (and also just being like, a way to grieve), rather than something that directly benefits the dead in any capacity.

Ancestor-worship practices requiring the dead to be continually provided for were Possibly first brought to the region by Proto-Finnic migrants (though it's not beyond question that some groups with longer histories here had similar practices) and have had impacts outside of this immediate sphere. The biggest and most obvious is a 'feast of the dead' holiday being nearly ubiquitous across the cultural spheres of almost All groups here. Among most of the Hill Tribes and some of the North Wardi, this is specifically a holiday where all ancestors return to the earth and are provided food, gifts, and warm clothing (it occurs on the winter solstice). Most in the Imperial Wardi sphere do not have 'the dead are capable of coming back down to earth and also need continual support in general' as a part of their religious worldview, but variants of this holiday have been so widely adopted that it's celebrated anyway. The most ancestor-worship free version frames it more as a celebration of life and a time to remember the dead, and doesn't involve the feast being left untouched until morning so that spirits of the dead can eat its essence before the living get to it.

-In all three afterlives, the dead are perpetually in the presence of the Soul of God (the body is the earth, and the Faces are Its living spirit, god fucking damn it I made a trinity,). This cleanses them to become spiritually pure beings (a state impossible to be in and only possible to Approach while alive), any sufferings of disease or curses they experienced in life are removed. This is regarded as a very peaceful and restful state of being.

-There’s no discrete Bad Place afterlife, but there's still religious avenues to regulate behavior via threats of a Bad Afterlife with the notion of being trapped as an earthbound ghost. Per doctrine, it's possible to have one's connection to God severed (usually via extreme spiritual pollution, which just so happens to mostly come from behavior considered morally unfavorable) which can result in the soul being unable to complete their journey and being trapped as a ghost. A dead body being allowed to rot or be eaten will result in this automatically, whether by neglect or 'incorrect' funerary practices (cremation is the only funeral method considered safe). Very widespread folk belief additionally holds that people who die from drowning or non-ritual suicide are also trapped.

Burial of the dead and sky burials are regarded as horrific barbarism, damning the dead to suffering throughout the afterlife. Cannibalism/consumption of the dead in any form is regarded as almost unspeakably evil. Mummification is Okay as a temporary solution if cremation is impossible, but not as a permanent one (it's not as strongly condemned since the dead can stay with their intact, un-rotten and un-eaten body and in theory eventually be saved, but it's on thin fucking ice).

An earthbound ghost is stuck in the location of their death, deprived of rest and feeling their body rot around them, and usually becomes dangerous to the living. It is believed that some earthbound ghosts can be saved, but this requires extensive intervention and is not considered to work every time. Many evil spirits started out as earthbound ghosts, and at this point are warped beyond any possible human intervention. Doctrinal end-times consensus holds that all earthbound ghosts will Eventually be delivered from their nightmare at the death of the world when their soul is returned to God for rebirth, but the average person is not all that concerned with the end times and being a ghost is probable millennia of suffering either way. The average person is very, VERY strongly motivated to avoid this fate.

[nothing-but-dreamy]

THE NIGHT UNFURLS

Characters: Leon Kennedy x fem!Reader

Warnings: erotical language

Words: 2.616

As yn entered the hotel bar, she caught all the attention of all men in the room. She was dressed in a long, well-fitting, black dress with a cutout back. It got closed in her neck with long, silk ribbons. The open back gave a perfect view of her soft, naked skin down to the small of her back.

Her curled hair fell over her shoulders in loose strands. The bright eyes were rimmed with smokey eyes make up and her lips were glowing red. All in all, she was a jaw dropper and Leon had spotted her the second she entered the room.

Leon played with his whiskey tumbler and let his index finger slowly sliding along the rim while he watched the mysterious woman. Her black leather high heels with ribbons around her ankle and calf were making soft sounds on the parquet on her way through the room as she aimed for the bar.

With an elegant move, she sat on a free bar stool, crossed one leg over the other and revealed more skin as the dress slid upwards. Her black painted nails clattered over the mahogany surface while she waited for the bar keeper to take her order.

Leon was fixated on her appearance. Everything on her screamed beauty and he got distracted more and more by her long legs and how she presented herself. Now and then, her eyes met his and Leon knew that her moves were just for him to give him a small show of herself.

The bar keeper served her drink, a Vodka on the rocks. While looking at Leon, she raised her glass to him with a small sexy smile and a small nod before she took a sip of her drink, still connecting their glances.

From the outside, Leon seemed to be calm but on the inside, his mind was already running wild with fantasies he had about this sensual woman. He imagined how her skin would feel under his hands. How her full lips would taste and how it would feel if these bright eyes would bore into his while he was inside her...

Leon's unleashed imagination stopped suddenly as a guy, tall, broad shoulders and with black hair appeared in his line of view. The unknown man walked over to the beauty, leaning against the bar to talk with her in a low voice.

Leon was able to watch the scene just for five minutes before he had enough. She faked a laugh about something the guy said and Leon noticed it didn't sound right. The whole scene between them didn't look right and he wanted to change what was wrong. Mostly, because she still searched his eyes no matter how close the guy came to her.

Leon cleared his glass, walked over to the two and tapped the guy on the shoulder, "Excuse me, but-"

"Don't you see that I'm talking with this woman? So, go away."

"Yes, I've noticed that. That's the reason why I came over. You might not see it but she's not interested in you.", Leon said serious with a stern expression.

The guy turned around to face Leon to the fullest. He straightened himself but was still a bit smaller than Leon. The guy was not amused to be interrupted, "Listen, buddy, I was here first and you're an intruder in this very nice conversation we have."

"First, I'm not your buddy.", Leon said and stepped forward. He looked serious at the man in front of him and drew his brows together, "And now, I would advise you to go away, letting this lady alone.", Leon said with a dark and threatening voice.

The guy looked at Leon, considering his next best move but as he stared at Leon and saw his stern expression and the determination in his eyes, the guy accepted the fact that he had no chance against Leon. Without another word, the guy left to search for the next victim.

"A white knight. That's very rare these days.", Yn purred with a honey like voice, looking at Leon through her long, black lashes.

"I can't stand it if men don't know when they're unwelcome."

"That's true. But, luckily, you were there to help me."

"Leon Kennedy at your service.", he said with a small bow and a smirk.

"Nice to meet you, Leon. I'm yn. But please, take a seat. Have a drink with me. I have to thank you."

Leon agreed more than willingly. His imagination was back in charge.

*

Thirty minutes and an incredible conversation later, Leon escorted her to the elevator. With his hand on the small of her bare back, he guided her through the bar. The whole time, he couldn't take his eyes off her. The way she moved, talked and laughed made him nervous and excited at the same time.

Patiently, both waited for the elevator to arrive and as the door opened, they both were relieved to see it empty. Leon let yn enter it first and she went to the mirrored wall opposite the entrance. He followed and the moment the doors closed, Leon stepped in front of her.

Yn and Leon didn't have to talk anymore. They knew what they wanted. It was exactly the same. Like a starving man, Leon cupped yn's face with one hand while he brought her close with his other arm. She rested her hands on his chest before they kissed like never before.

There was a bond between their lips that was unbreakable. A promise for the night which connected them. Leon deepened the kiss even more. He wanted to feel everything of this woman. He was desperate to have her as close as possible. With his hands, he roamed over her body, appreciating every single curve, never stopping on one spot too long.

Yn wanted the same. Deep in her body, she felt a heat rising she barely experienced before. His hands on her bare skin let her shudder with sexual excitement. His lips knew what they had to do to take her breath away. And even through the fabric of his black suit shirt, yn felt his body heat and muscles.

Leon left her lips and stared into her eyes, "Where have you been my whole life?", he breathed against her lips.

Her eyes flickered back and forth between his clear, bright ones. Even after this short time, she couldn't get enough of these endless oceans of mirrored emotions, "I was out there just waiting for you.", she breathed with a low voice.

The sound of the opening elevator door distracted both of them but Leon was the first who reacted, "Spend the night me, yn.", Leon asked, stepped back and offered her his hand as an invitation to follow him.

Yn didn't need a second to consider her next step. Of course, she would follow this mysterious looking man with the brooding expression that told her he had seen a lot of things. She was already addicted to his masculine scent. She wanted more of the way he let her feel. And she was already a slave for his lips.

As yn placed her hand into Leon's, his heart skipped a beat. He was sure she would follow but then as she did it, his excitement got kindled once again. He lead yn to his room. And as he opened the thick wooden door, yn found herself in a huge, luxury suite. The view was incredible as well as the interior but she was sure nothing of this would matter for one moment.

As if Leon was reading her mind, he approached her from behind and let his hands roam over her curves while he kissed slowly over her bare shoulders up to her neck. Yn closed her eyes just to focus on him. His lips left a trail of goosebumps. His fringes tickled her bare skin and as he reached her sensitive spot underneath her ear, he bit softly into it which caused her to moan.

The low sound was music for Leon's ears and he hoped he would hear it again and again in this night. With the back of his right hand, Leon let his fingers slide over her bare back. From the lowest part, along her spine, carefully tickling the tiny hairs, up to her neck to the knot of the ribbons where he waited for her permission.

Yn turned her head to the side and met Leon's darkened eyes. They were filled with hunger and lust. His fingers were lying around her neck, playing with the ribbons. She knew what he wanted. But to tease him, she stared into his eyes, gnawed lasciviously on her lower lip and leant forward to stop inches in front of his face, "Do it.", she whispered and swiftly, she noticed the knot opening. As the knot was out of the way, the silky fabric slid slowly down her frame.

Leon was amazed by the view. This incredibly beautiful woman stood almost naked in front of him. She was just dressed in some black lace slip. Slowly, she turned around and snaked her arms around his neck. Her naked frame melted against his solid body and while she kissed him desperately, Leon stroked over her soft skin to make her shudder.

Carefully, yn pushed Leon into the direction of the edge of the bed while slowly opening the buttons of his suit shirt. As he hit the bed, Leon sat down and looked up at yn. She stepped between his legs and stroked the fabric over his shoulders to expose his perfect chiseled figure.

Leon watched yn admiring him. With the nail of her index finger, she slid along his torso and grabbed his shoulders with both hands as support as she climbed on top of his crotch. Straddling him, she cupped his face softly, tracing his facial features with her thumbs, "I'm already addicted to you, Leon.", she purred low against his lips.

Leon hugged her strongly and brought her even closer, "You're not alone with this feeling.", he whispered back. Smoothly and with a swift move, Leon got up and placed yn on the bed to hover over her.

Yn snaked her legs around his waist to keep him close while she immediately started to roll her hips, already feeling his erection against her core. Leon was eager to kiss her again. He needed to feel her and so, he crashed his lips on hers for a hungry kiss.

And then, very quickly, Leon had undressed himself not wanting to miss one second with this goddess while yn did the same with her slip before she reached for her high heels. Leon stopped her, "Keep them on, please.", he asked and smirked.

She obeyed and waited for Leon to join her. But Leon wanted his own way with her. He stared at her naked body as if she was an expensive painting, painted in Leon's favorite colors. He approached the bed and stroked his fingers over the leather of the highheels. Carefully, he took one of yn's feet in his hands and slid along the soft curve of her calf, admiring every single inch.

Leon leant down and kissed his way along her legs. Prepping kisses on the inside what let yn shudder whenever his stubbles scratched over her skin. He worked his way up to her core and played her like an instrument to let her sing the song of the night. The way yn squirmed and cried out his name was the melody that let Leon's blood boil. That she clawed her fingers into his hair was the fuel to continue what he had started.

Only as he was pleased with the result, that she resembled more a sweaty, heavy breathing mess, he crawled on top of her. Yn's darkened eyes looked hungrily at him. It was the way he had hoped she would look at him. Without a word, yn pulled Leon down for a deep kiss and at the same time, Leon used the moment to enter her teasingly slow which left her gasping for air.

Yn snaked her legs around Leon's waist and rolled with her hips into his to increase the friction even more. Leon left her lips for some air and supported himself with his arms to create some space. Yn let her eyes roam over his handsome features. The fringes were falling into it and between the strands were his bright eyes shining like gems. With her hands, she explored his strong, muscled chest, his abs and his back where she clawed her nails into his muscles as he rolled into her once again.

Yn arched her back up in ecstasy and closed her eyes. Her head fell back, deeper into the pillow under Leon's observing glance, "I want to hear you cry out my name again, yn.", he breathed.

She opened her eyes with a sensual smirk, "Then make me."

Leon didn't have to hear more and within a few more moments, yn closed her eyes and cried out his name as she relished the exploding sensation of the rhythmically waves of the orgasm. This was the second song of the soundtrack of their night.

*

As the sun slowly began to rise into the dark blue velvet sky, the last song of the two got played. A duett. And for yn and Leon, it was their best song of the whole night. Happy and exhausted, both laid on their backs with an erratic pulse and covered in sweat.

Leon turned his head to yn. He watched her chest rising up and down. As she noticed that he stared at her, she turned around on her side and placed her hand on his cheek. Leon placed his own hand on top of hers and smiled, "This was an excellent idea, babe."

"I thought you would like it to seduce me once again.", yn said with a soft smile, glad about the fact that her idea had worked out.

"Yeah. First, I was sceptical about this whole roleplay thing but it was fun. Just... This guy at the bar? Was he part of your game?", Leon asked and she saw true jealousy sparkling in his eyes.

"No. Actually, he really was hitting on me. And I have to admit, he had charme.", she said and watched amused how Leon rolled on his side to face her.

Possessively, he placed his hand on her hip and pulled her close to his chest, "Charme, huh? Babe, I know exactly what you like and that's nothing this guy had to offer. What you want is rather something like this.", Leon breathed low, leant in and kissed her deeply until she was breathless.

"You know, baby, you're so damn sexy when you're jealous. Even after five years, a random guy is able to make you nervous? Good to know.", she chuckled.

Leon smirked and pushed her back on the mattress to hover over her.

"Sexy, huh? Speaking of, these shoes...can you keep them?", Leon asked and looked at her feet.

Yn moved one of her feet in the rays of sunlight that fell through the curtains of the window, "You like them? I never expected you to be a fan of shoes."

Leon looked back into her eyes, "They suit you. And I'm a really big fan of you, sweetheart. Since day one. What shall I say, you turn me on so fucking much.", he whispered low before he kissed her deeply and before yn could react, Leon S. Kennedy, her boyfriend, best friend and partner, laid between her legs again, already prepared for the next round.

[maxcaulfieldisms]

Maximum Victory where Max visits Victoria during summer break by climbing a tree outside her window because Tori's parents don't approve of Max?

Deep brown twigs snapped under Max's sneakers as she approached the tree they likely fell from. Looking up, it was a slightly menacing thought to climb the to the far away branches, but she didn't come all the way to Victoria's summer home to immediately turn around. With a huff and a spring in her step, Max leaped forward to grab a hold of a low hanging branch. The texture of the wood indented into her hands as she gripped tighter, finding purchase against the trunk to boost herself up. Hoisting over the branch, she crawled farther, eyeing her footing in the low light of the night. She finally reached a limb close enough to the second story window she sought.Max fished into her pocket for her phone, the bright white numbers telling her the time was around midnight. She squinted her eyes as she unlocked the screen, looking for Victoria in her resent messages. She had been describing to Max how lonely she was at her parents cabin, sending pictures of herself looking sad with captions like 'wish you were here'. Max quickly typed away on her keyboard then closed the phone and eyed the window before her.Her phone buzzed once, then a white curtain that shielded her view of the room ruffled. The window slid open with easy, unkept hair of a blonde poking out. The darkness of the night did not reveal Max to her girlfriend immediately, but after a moment the sight of Max made Victoria jump back, cursing towards herself."Maxine Caulfield!" Her whispered anger came with no real venom. "How the hell did you get here?" Victoria followed up."The bus. Then I walked." She spoke with a shrug before climbing closer to the window. "Walked? That's like a mile hike! You could have told me, I'd have picked you up." Victoria gently helped Max into her room, her appearance a slight surprise. Max tumbled in loudly after tripping on the window frame, earning a glare from Victoria and a comment about 'her parents being downstairs.' The usually fancy dressed girl had on only a loose white T-shirt with faded graphic on it, coming just above her knees. The room was, however, exactly as Max would have imagined. Photographs covered the walls by her bed, and she spotted a larger print of two hands holding. Their hands. She had insisted on the photo, along with pictures of herself taken by Max, those obviously the Polaroids hanging on the wall. Max turned her attention back to Victoria. "Hmm-I would of thought Victoria Chase to be one to wear designer PJ's. Besides, you know your parents would never let you out if they knew where you were going. That's why I came to you." "Yes, during a time when I didn't have on my silk lingerie. Or would you prefer lace? I can still go change if you want." Victoria teased, snaking her hands to rest around Max's waist. A slight nervous feeling bubbled up inside Max, the feeling she always got from where Victoria touched her. It was electric, leaving all her senses alert. Now, Victoria dipped her head lower, for her smaller girlfriend, light pink lips hovering before hers. "Too bad I didn't have time to prepare." She remarked, a soft breath brushing against Max's lips. A smile crooked Victoria's mouth as she went in for the kill, her bottom lip scooping up Max's with hunger. They had not seen each other since school, which was half a summer ago. She would be sure to make up the lost time tonight. Twisting Max towards her plush bed, Victoria never let her lips leave Max's. A small shove onto Max's shoulders and she was on the edge of the bed. Victoria moved her legs to either side of Max's, the shirt lifting to reveal light pink panties, a darker pink bow forming in the middle of the waist band. As she came closer, Max fell further into the soft bed, Victoria straddling her with a never ending kiss. Max entangled her hands into Victorias short, silky hair before one moved on to play with the hem of her shirt. Her lips moved with a fever heat, smashing against Max's. Teeth came out next, biting onto her bottom lip before going on to trail Max's neck with kisses and bites. "Aren't you worried your parents will hear us?" Max insisted once her mouth was free, breath successfully taken from her. "Hmmm-" she mumbled out words against Max's neck, "I believe they have drunken themselves enough to pass out by now, besides, I want everyone to know you're mine when you go back to Arcadia Bay tomorrow." And with that she cupped her mouth around the tender part of Max's neck and began to suck."Who says I'm going back? Or alone for that matter, perhaps you can sneak off with me?" She left the last part as a pleading statement, knowing the answer before she spoke."You know I can't do that. Don't worry, it's just a month away before I'm back." Victoria spoke between her mission to mark her with rough kisses. "Don't worry," Max repeated with a scoff, "says the one who was so lonely without me all she could do was sneak off as often as possible to call.""I seem to recall you feeling the same, enough to hike a mile in the woods at night to see me." Victoria retorted as she began to strip Max of her grey jacket that was seemingly in her way. It fell onto the dark carpet beside them, kisses finding their way back to the start before Victoria gazed down at her girlfriend. "I love you, Max Caulfield. I hope you know that. I personally do not know of any other person who would travel this far to see me, and for only a night at that." Max smiled and it grew wider with each word spilling quickly from Victorias mouth. She hardly expressed these statements, but in these quiet moments, when it was just her and Max, there were exceptions. Max sat forward as she spoke to get a better sight at the soft look Victoria's gaze held. "Of course I know that. I love you, too." Her mouth barely formed the whispered words as her heart swelled. They stared at each other for a moment in bliss."Did you bring your camera?" Victoria suddenly blurted out after their long moment. "I always bring my camera, " Max laughed as she leaned over her bed to fish it out of her fallen coats pocket. "Why?" Victoria let Max open the camera before positioning her hand over Max's gently. Leaning forward she met Max's lips once again, clicking the camera twice as flashes blinded their closed eyes, one picture falling onto the bed next to them."What was that for?" Max asked after they broke their kiss. "Here," Victoria held on developing picture to Max. "One for me, and one for you." "Won't your parents notice me kissing you on your wall?" Max questioned as she watched the lights of glossy lips and freckled cheeks appear on the Polaroid."Let them." Victoria stated befor tackling her girlfriend against the bed once against, generous kisses sweeping along every part of Max possible, her photograph still in hand as her other hand intertwined with Max's.