#and yes this is a shameless ploy to try and get some of you to listen to delta she's sooo underrated

[jacnaylor]

can't believe i've just found the anniversary edition (ten year, however it is now 20 YEARS OLD!!) of delta goodrem's innocent eyes album (my favourite album when i was 9, along with life for rent with dido and the alanis morrisette cd my sister made for me.) she did acoustic covers of her own songs, or piano covers. so now i have two beautiful versions of my fave childhood album?

[punkscowardschampions]

Java Pt.2

Ava: [biting his lip because it’s one place you really can with no fucks and you gotta because the feels are too damn high now, making a grumpy noise into his mouth because life is so unfair]

James: [moaning her name into her mouth with all the !! because it’s the first chance he’s even had to say it cos couldn’t be namedropping to Jay when Teddy has already namedropped her to Chlo and there’s no telling when he’ll get to chance to say it out loud again because of this bloody holiday, PULLING her hair out of his way and her jacket collar too if needs be, going over the lovebite he gave her again v dramatically because never letting that fade whether she’s wearing his shirt or not]

Ava: [DIGGING your fingers into his shoulders because feeling like you could fall despite both your efforts to be as close together as possible because you’re so turned on you cannot sit still in the slightest, breathing into his neck at the pulse point, breath only getting more erratic however hard you try to calm it down]

James: [such a noise at the contact and how hard it is because it’s the most she can really do and you both know that and fully appreciate that she’s doing it, stopping what he’s doing with his lovebite so that it isn’t muffled, however quiet he has to vaguely keep it for this setting and sleeping Jay’s sake, so she gets to hear and remember it fully, doing the absolute most to let her feel how turned on he is because in no world is he staying still either, the movements getting more insistent and !! as her breathing does, maintaining EYE CONTACT by cupping her face like she did his earlier except it’s much more an intense hold ofc]

Ava: [yes, can’t be waking this baby, also don’t want to be caught by anyone, so we have to have some level of decorum about this, so we’re biting our own lip here as our eyes are rolling to the back of our head for a hot sec before attempting to refocus back on his as we also make a more concerted effort to make our movements rhythmic and in time with his, getting as close as we can without initiating anything here ‘you promise you’ll write?’]

James: [‘I already have’ looking over at wherever the bag he gave her is so that she will too, not at all casual spoilers there but we can’t help giving them considering the decorum he do have to have in other areas which is gonna be proving a difficult task now that y’all’s movements have synched up how they have and it’s making you feel a type of way ‘but I’ll write more’ emphasis on that last word because never over when she said it so we gotta be indecent about it, touching the lip she was biting down on with even more !! than before when he was lingering hardcore pre-kiss]

Ava: [adorably darting your eyes from him to this bag because you can’t look away for long enough the first time to take in exactly what he means, when you have, shaking your head at yourself like get it together ‘I’ll read them later’ speaking against his fingertips with such solemnity because need to give them serious concentration which you are incapable of currently]

James: [a nod like yes you absolutely should, as seriously, because THINKING about her doing that is almost as much fun as he had writing the letters lbr ‘we should order a car, savour the journey taking triple the time in comparison to the route which brought you to me’ because throwback to what she said earlier when shading Teddy lol, because fr, he’s the sort of bear that would give her a lift home even if it wasn’t a shameless ploy to spend more time together with slightly more chance of privacy, which we know it is, guiding her hand to his trouser pocket so she can get his phone out because why do it yourself when it’s saucier that way duh]

Ava: [opening your mouth to make a NOISE but staying silent and grinning at him with the energy you wanted to expend there ‘you can’t possibly be expected to take public transport twice in a day’ like this is FINE and your wife would approve tbh, staying looking for this phone for far longer than is necessary before eventually handing this phone to him like there you go, so helpful, resting your head on his shoulder]

James: [an amused smile of his own at her grin and what she said like mhmm so true bestie and his own lip bite obvs when she is taking her time looking for that phone cos dying about it, has never summoned a car quicker in his life I’m sure whilst on the other hand making no effort to move or move her yet, soz not soz gotta play with her hair very softly for a moment and give her big heart eyes]

Ava: [kissing along his neck to his ear but having to give him the softest lovebite just behind his ear when he bites his lip, it probably won’t leave a mark but right now there is and you’re not okay about it, pressing it slightly harder than you did it like !! doing a faintly shaky sigh too ‘there’ like there we go, that needed to be done]

James: [SQUEEZING her leg the way she did his hand earlier, definitely hard enough to leave a mark himself because he’s as !! about everything she’s doing and her sigh and how her voice must sound, not okay either and can’t decide if he wants this car to hurry the fuck up or if he never wants to leave this bench rn, both are true honestly]

Ava: [this leg grab making you arch yourself into him involuntarily, so you’re face to face again, LOOKING at him before you simply have to launch a full makeout attack because otherwise the sounds you are about to make will be too unhinged and you just gotta, putting both your hands back in his trouser pockets to do the most]

James: [thank god for the makeout cos you need to shh as well sir and there’s no chance you would otherwise with everything that’s occurring and how high your feelings are, she’ll be lucky not to be missing a button herself on her jacket, either that or have a broken zip depending what she’s rocking, because he is PULLING at it with feral levels of !! trying to get her closer to him and moving again and his hands into it to be able to touch her body more without fully undressing her in this park simultaneously]

Ava: [‘I want you’ as something you are incapable of keeping inside, the force of which those words strain out of your mouth as you’re trying to grit your teeth and ride through the feeling, the way we really don’t care right now and can’t be reasonable or sensible]

James: [‘I’m yours’ because he has yet to say it, it’s always that she’s his, and this is the perfect time to, once again everything coming together in that peak romance oh my watch has stopped kinda way for this to be the first time he does and for there to be the level of feeling behind it that there clearly is]

Ava: [will let your car turn up to stop you just fucking in this park because absolutely would now and we’re not thinking of any reason not to, despite the obvious ones, literally all we can think about and care about is that he just said that]

James: [agreed, y’all are welcome for that convenient yet very necessary timing because he totally would too and you don’t need to be caught doing that on this day, get your sleeping child and all the bags in the car sir even though you’re shamelessly LOOKING at her the entire time, doing the most LINGERING touches ever when he shamelessly helps this gal in as well even though she does not need help]

Ava: [you have enough time here to sober up into realising that wouldn’t have been a good idea, even if you still know you would make the same choice given another opportunity lol, soz not soz, am soz how long it takes to get your pushchair into a car seat and into this car though, not an easy task even though you should be pro by now ‘is she asleep for the night?’ almost mouthing this because gotta be quiet because it probably is that sort of o’clock by now, peeping at her like hope you stay asleep even though it won’t be our problem ‘cos just that sort of bear]

James: [I know you’re the sort of bear who’ll make it look easy even though it is very much not because you are well practised and your wife has literally never lifted a finger to help you at any point in her life so you’re essentially a single parent when it comes to tasks like this, giving her a smile back in response as a yes because baby Jay should be and you’d be glad about that even if you weren’t busy af in this moment for the looming holiday moments that have to come after, follow it up with a very relieved big breath when everyone is in this car and you’re all set because this is the most alone java have been and thank god, LOOKING at Ava again for what is a second but would feel like an age because the intensity of it]

Ava: [me worrying about the seating arrangements and whether there’s a baby between y’all or James/Ava has to be in the front but I’m sure you got one of those big cars/the kind that’s almost giving limo but is more a boujee minivan moment so Jay can be facing y’all but not cockblocking so aggressively like that lol, doing the inverse and taking a deep breath in you’re not letting out for again what would feel like forever]

James: [I love that you’ve thought about this long and hard boo, oh the perks of being rich because we simply cannot do a love actually child dressed as octopus moment and cockblock java THAT bad haha, imagine, but no, instead catch this boy taking her hand and holding it while they both dramatically breathe lol, silently asking her if she’s okay and if everything they both shamelessly wanna do in this car rn is]

Ava: [exactly what I was picturing lmao, not today, not when there’s a goodbye to be said without the need for the word, circling his palm the same way you did his cheeks earlier with your thumb, as if you’re doing the thinking you aren’t and don’t need to do before you lean further into him to kiss his cheek indecently yourself ‘it only becomes more true’ as a whisper because feelings have not changed from a hard yes to a no, of course]

James: [touching the lil lovebite she did behind his ear as she kisses his cheek because that’s the only thinking he needs to do about it too, nothing has changed for him either, hence undoing her seatbelt (because I imagine her putting it on automatically when she got in, as I do) and pulling her closer to him, initiating the kind of soft and romantic makeout sesh that the bench one couldn’t be, it goes without saying it’s as intense as that though in its own way]

Ava: [when your hands end up either side of his face so you can press on this lovebite again, though coincidentally, insistently because we would love to cover you in them for all the reasons, lowkey getting so comfortable/into it here you’re laying down on him]

James: [doing a GASP that turns into a soft and quiet NOISE the more she presses on that lovebite herself because not okay about it, taking off her jacket because he could not on that bench and the need to touch her more is as real, being !! and almost rough about getting under however many layers of clothes she has on rn on her top half in contrast to these deep af but still soft kisses because NEED to as well as your bodies also staying as close as they can possibly be, his hands running over every inch of her, memorising again how they do, but also pressing insistently against her skin himself in a mirror move he isn’t even aware of]

Ava: [TORN between trying to help him and enjoying the contrast here and thus letting him continue to be rough about it, getting distracted by the need to try and reach your bag to get a condom because going to need to initiate this hookup immediately, that’s for sure, obviously you can’t actually get in your bag though so this is just a losing battle]

James: [it doesn’t take a genius to work out what she is trying to reach for but cannot because you’re thinking the exact same thing so once again guide her toward your pocket, this time to reach for his wallet instead of his phone because they are always there and slightly easier to get hold of whilst continuing to be this extra]

Ava: [SQUEEZING his thighs, half as a thank you and half because you wanna ‘we can take it slow’ said into a makeout that is proving you absolutely cannot and we both know it]

James: [a noise of agreement like mhmm yep also into the makeout while he’s undressing the bottom half of this gal not at all slowly or casually and starting to touch her, stealing the thumb trick to use indecently on her here, soz not soz it’s gotta be done]

Ava: [when you’re trying SO hard to stay quiet that the only acceptable next step is putting this condom on with your mouth because you literally cannot, getting on your knees on the floor of this car like remember when because all the memories are necessary]

James: [STARING at her exactly like he did when she first did that, not even intentionally echoing it we’re just that !! again that we cannot look away, but reciting something to her because he could not get his words out that day to read anything we all remember but on this occasion he has gotta, I like to think it’s the last line he has written in his fancy notebook, as she’ll find out when she reads it all, because this is a goodbye but not really, it’s only a goodbye for now, a whisper not only because they gotta be quiet but also because his voice is hoarse]

Ava: [when you can’t help but keep LOOKING up at him with big eyes because you really do love listening to him and especially when it’s something he’s written, which just hits different to whenever it’s a quote from another author; trying to concentrate though because you wanna do this properly but also as hot as possible]

James: [aw how adorably blushy he will be from her looking at him like that and from saying something that feels the most finished of any of the stuff he’s told or read to her so far because it’s made it into the fancy notebook, love that for you sir]

Ava: [all the encouragement you need to be honest, out here forgetting that you’re meant to be hooking up because you’re just enjoying watching his reactions and only getting to make your own out of view of this driver/quiet in comparison to how you would]

James: [we love when anyone forgets a time limit or where they are, what a mood, especially for y’all rn as you’re gonna have to go the longest you have since you got together without seeing each other when that time limit hits, live your best lives, including this man once again pulling her hair and PRESSING on the neck lovebite he never leaves alone]

Ava: [not wasted time when you are SO about giving this boy pleasure and seeing him get to lose control, even if you must maintain some here, as much as you can get away with]

James: [he is eventually gonna have to drag her back to him though if only to avoid being LOUD and losing it more than y’all can get away with, I say as if a brazen hookup isn’t about to ensue here lol and clearly in a much more extra position than her just being vaguely subtle in his lap because there’s no chill to be found, he’ll be here throwing this girl onto the seat on her back with her legs raised so dramatically that she’s basically folded in half, nothing casual about any of it, her ankles are as close to her head and shoulders as possible, thank the lord for a privacy screen and a list of car sex positions calling this one the seashell haha]

Ava: [well that’s very appropriate, you sea witch, about that for you, entirely about how shameless it is because you so rarely get to be, at least for now, so have at it lads, lose yourself over it]

James: [he will be trying to run his mouth because feelings are too high, giving her in the moment poetry basically as per, but you’re both welcome that you’re gonna have to kiss so much to shh because I’m not dropping an ILY on this day]

Ava: [we all know y’all are being the most extra, we’re here saying everything but, just all the whispered sweet nothings right now]

James: [you both gotta do what you gotta do rn and we gotta let y’all, within reason, but the driver and sleeping baby Jay are both welcome that you’re somehow managing not to be screaming crying in this car and that it won’t last forever because of how worked up you already were]

Ava: [baby Jay gonna have to sleep through a lot, I’m sure, so you’re safe, we’re allowing that, just like we’re allowing you to both die here without anything stopping y’all, it’s the least we can do considering]

James: [mhmm, they need it and they need the recovery time snuggle he’ll be pulling her into immediately afterwards lying here on this car seat because don’t wanna be separated and it’s getting closer and realer]

Ava: [can’t even think about it because crying is not an option when he already feels bad enough going for all the reasons he doesn’t want to himself, so probably just here being quiet, holding him to us like someone is trying to snatch him right this second]

James: [tea, we all know he wants to cry himself too, for all the reasons, and that there’s so much he wants to tell her about how his entire fam not just his wife suck but cannot bring himself to because where to even start with that and what a miserable convo to have, so here sad as hell, trying to write on her like she’s a piece of paper and his fingertips are a pen but still not knowing what to say so it’s just a few half finished words she wouldn’t be able to decode before he gives up and is just holding her as tight as he can as well]

Ava: [it’s coming but definitely not one you can fit into the now as we sadly redress ourself because can’t get out of this car semi-naked, nor can you put this task off forever when you’ll be there before you know it]

James: [helping her in that effortless like a dad way, so lovingly, whether that’s doing a zip up or some buttons or straightening the clothes, whatever the vibes, just being soft and tender about it, same goes for her hair that he’s really messed up, gently smoothing it off her face and clothes and then tying it up for her because he can, he’s a girl dad (hate that phrase had to use it to make myself lol at the cringe because the vibes are sad atm) passing her the bag he packed for her so even if she doesn’t look in it yet she can hug that to her for the added comfort and reminder she has all that to look forward to]

Ava: [do hug this towards you and also bring your knees up to your chest, resting your head back on him and reaching to find his hand because you can’t verbalise anything right now but you need to be with him for every second you can steal here]

James: [hold her hand and do a lil kiss on her head when she rests it on you, using his other arm to pull her in even closer to him somehow and keeping it wrapped around her, whispering her name with all the feeling ever, savouring the fact he can still say it for now even if there is a massive tinge of sadness in his tone here]

Ava: [shaking your head, slowly so you cut down on some of the drama but you’re like I truly will cry, you can’t do this to me boy lol, hiding in his chest like nope]

James: [letting her hide there because he wouldn’t be able to deal with seeing her face rn, they are both too close to crying, saying ‘I wish I’d picked [insert a flower here that is seasonal and maybe grows in the park they were in]’ because what he’s saying is that if he had they could’ve used it as a countdown for when the flower blooms/she could’ve picked the petals/any of that kind of nonsense, saying this as if he was SUCH a fool not to think of it, despite how clearly distracted in all the ways he was]

Ava: [‘you will have given me a way to count the days’ quiet because of how you’re laying but he’ll be able to hear despite the small voice ‘I’d like to stop until you get back’ like you can just be frozen in space and time and not deal]

James: [‘yes, but’ not finishing his sentence because it doesn’t need to be said that nothing he has given her feels like enough for how big these feelings are rn, besides which he’s then distracted by how much he HATES the idea of her being frozen waiting for him when he feels like he was before he met her, waiting for his life to be less shit and what he loves most about her is how she’s brought him to life and we’re not trying to switch places/drag her down to that, SUCH a frown because cannot express all of this ‘oh’ as small but so no no its tone ‘I’d hate to think of you akin to my broken watch’]

Ava: [giving him a little squeeze, the pressure incomparable to what it usually is, ‘sorry’ still entirely sincere though because we’re trying so hard not to do this, to make it worse ‘I’ll try’]

James: [making a comforting sound to go with the touches he is doing like shh it’s okay ‘don’t be, darling’ as sincerely because gotta feel how we feel ‘you are trying, very hard, I know that, I feel that’ emphasis on the word feel, touching her chest like there]

Ava: [hugging him truly like a child now, sorry about that, digging our fingers into your arms now with a different but still intense as hell energy, the dad energy got to us ‘I’ll be good’ and we really mean it]

James: [we’re not soz, hug it out lads, a nod like I know you will be ‘of course, you’re my good girl’ the first time we’ve ever said my instead of a, because gotta in this moment]

Ava: [🥺 x a billion as we’re making some effort to actually look at you again because can’t not in this moment ‘what do you want?’ in a I will give you whatever you want energy]

James: [‘this’ because she is all he wants and it cannot and will not be overstated ‘you’ as if he needed to make it clearer because the 🥺 are forcing him lol]

Ava: [nodding even though your face is an inch from his right now and you could say it or just kiss him but you need to do the most with this movement and the way you can use it to brush your lips against his because so serious]

James: [me here like don’t you DARE say ILY rn because I nearly typed it then haha, instead brush your cheek against hers with identically slow almost tortuous energy, blowing away a strand of hair that has escaped his updo he did for her already with his !! breathing]

Ava: [my boo says shut your whore mouth, sir, your feels are so dangerously high lads, this is not a safe space rn lol, here fixing his hair with shaky hands because you can’t deal]

James: [honestly, I say not yet bitch it is simply too soon, you will wait goddamn it, not him taking her shaky hands and kissing them over and over like he can fix it, I’m fine]

Ava: [smiling at him, genuinely even if it’s one of those almost crying kind of smiles, shaking your head like you can pull yourself together, ‘when we get to mine, you should just let me go, let this be it’ because you are gonna have to RUN inside your house to not be sobbing on these streets and begging him not to go, you know it]

James: [holding her head so gently in both his hands for a sec, tucking that tricksy strand of hair behind her ear like oh you behave yourself, opening his mouth to disagree but knowing she’s right, a look over at his sleeping child like true because can’t just leave her in the car forever with an unknown man driving it while you scream and cry, reaching to similarly stroke baby Jay’s hair with all the love like okay yes, my mind is made up, that’s what we shall do]

Ava: [doing an even sadder smile because it is what needs to be done, doesn’t mean we’re happy about it]

James: [looking at her like but you aren’t home yet because true, before he’s kissing her again, trying to put all the emotions into it that they don’t know how to/we won’t let them verbalise]

Ava: [literally just passionately kiss until you get to her address because there is nothing else you can say or do lads]

James: [agreed, it’s the mood and it’s the moment, open her car door for her like an old fashioned gentleman when y’all do get there but you gotta just stand there and watch her go inside then you’re not allowed to follow however tempted you are to walk her to her door, those are the rules]

Ava: [sorry to not let you be a full gentleman but we really do have to run, no looking back allowed, praying you can avoid your parents and get to your room before you have your meltdown]

James: [baze like hello??! You sir you get back in the car and you be driven the short distance home, you’ve avoided it for as long as you can unfortunately]

Ava: [me like do I let you message him the minute you’re going through this bag or do I make you wait because you think that’s the right thing to do lol]

James: [I say wait because you’re trying to do the right thing, it feels real]

Ava: [okay, so this is giving the next day, we’ve had a night of being the drama, pining, the full nine yards, he should be there now and thus it’s ‘appropriate’ to check in]

Ava: Have you had chance to check out the spa facilities yet?

Ava: I’ve read [the letter that’s most appropriate for your emo mood], thank you

James: No, thank you for your continued prioritisation of my well-being, unfortunately, I regret to inform you, I haven’t 

James: soon perhaps

James: I’m sorry you felt so [however is letter appropriate] last night

Ava: It’s the only appropriate way for me to feel, however comforting the jumper is, it can only give me so much

Ava: I can’t trust anyone else to prioritise it, I could book you in for treatment myself, I’ve checked their website

James: Jay made me read [the book Ava got her] to her [an insane number of times, idk I don’t have a child I read bedtime stories to], if that’s any consolation

Ava: I am pleased she likes it

Ava: sorry that I did not have enough time to get you a book that’s a bit more challenging though

James: Apologies aren’t necessary, it was a thoughtful gift and the reading of it reminds me of you

Ava: You’re the thoughtful one, I can only aim to be a lacklustre second

James: Your aim would have to be woefully off not to be first in everything, and it isn’t

Ava: That does remind me, are you the second or the third of your name?

James: The third, why?

Ava: I have to know what to call the bear, of course

James: I see

Ava: It would feel wrong to give him another name

James: I can’t argue with that, he was deliberately chosen in my image

Ava: I’ll cover his fuzzy ears if I call you cuter 

James: You must, I insist

Ava: How is it, is it okay?

James: My sister didn’t come, which whilst it feels unjust to me personally, being given no such out, her absence will prevent numerous arguments

Ava: What excuse did she come up with?

James: Her husband-to-be has to work and she can’t possibly holiday without him, especially with us

Ava: Hmm, I do appreciate her sentiment 

Ava: I’d love to have an excuse like that to hand 

James: As do I, alas none of mine carry the same weight

Ava: Doesn’t your sister work for your dad too? I feel like Teddy has said so before now

James: Yes, she went to King’s before that as well, naturally

James: it’s all an enforced family affair

Ava: Wow, that’s all very… close

Ava: Is that how you feel, close to them?

James: My father’s approach to everything is too coercive to feel anything but contrived, be it a career path or what should be legitimate family ties, I’m afraid

James: I keep trying though, to form bonds in spite of him, or perchance to spite him

Ava: That’s clear, I would say you’re where you are now not just for your wife, by any means

James: Thank you

James: but enough about them, which letter are you in the mood to read currently?

Ava: [a happier one because getting to talk to you has made us feel slightly better is the vibe]

James: I’m relieved you’re feeling a little better too, I’ll admit my own mood has been transformed after hearing from you

Ava: I don’t wish to keep you, well, no, I absolutely do but if you have to go, at any point, feel entirely free to

Ava: I don’t know what the rules are here

James: I think the rules are ours to create

Ava: Isn’t that a nice thought

James: It’s a pleasant reminder that freedom does still exist

Ava: This is freedom, to be, textbook definition

Ava: no logic or rationale can be applied to how much I need you

James: It’s not a nice thought how scarce my opportunities are, and will be, to take care of that need for you

James: I’m sorry, I wish I was more available

Ava: Me too but I’ve always understood that you won’t be, so it’s okay

Ava: I don’t entirely hate the idea of being driven mad by the desire, really

James: No, there are worse things to be driven mad by, that’s a good point

Ava: Loneliness and boredom spring to mind, all too readily

James: Yes, they’re determined to be at the forefront

Ava: I’m going to trek to [another obscure bookshop, assumedly] today, on the authority of [the man at the bookshop you sent us to before you left], but that’s as busy as I can bear to be with anything that isn’t related to you and what you left me

James: [nerd out about that bookshop and any others that are nearby because you’re that sort of bear and it’s cute + a good way to show how easily you lose track of time when talking to this gal/don’t wanna be on this fam holiday]

Ava: [likewise join in and tell him how little you’ve read of the book he left for you because can’t concentrate yet for lovesick reasons]

James: [talk to her too about the chapter he read aloud to her because he would’ve sent her that last night/v early this morning as he does every night without fail even though they didn’t have a chance to talk or anything then and always wanna know what she thinks of it]

Ava: [have your little book club, try not to die too hard about how into it you are whenever he reads to you]

James: [it’s deserved while you can cos he’s gonna be killing himself trying to keep his child vaguely entertained on this not kid friendly hol]

Ava: [catch your father inevitably working from the bar/seeing if he can have his own extramarital affair as per, your mother and Chlo having all the spa treatments and Teddy trying to entertain himself any way he can as per, thanks guys lol, at least her parents are helpful]

James: [you’ve nailed it there boo, thank god for Chlo’s parents and the fact she can’t get as wasted as Teddy and his mum will because of being preggo, we take what silver linings we can get]

Ava: [unlucky slag, I’m sure you push your glass of wine to a very big glass undoubtedly but no one wants you fucking with this child so you will not be enabled to be worse than you are]

James: [you could get away with it when nobody knew and I’m sure you did hun but everyone is aware now, except Ava, soz girl]

Ava: [oh the unfortunate drama of it all, would you like to do someone else now, as we’ve got this vibe set?]

James: [I’m down to, lemme just have James leave the chat and then we can decide what we fancy doing]

James: Excuse me, but with the heaviest heart and sincerest apologies imaginable, I have to go

Ava: Ah, not at all

Ava: Perhaps I will get to speak to you tonight?

Ava: Good luck

James: I hope so

James: enjoy [the bookshop and the others he mentioned] until then

Ava: 💙

[robininthelabyrinth]

Madam Lan was WRH's youngest sister's granddaughter. WRH demands the Second Lan Heir as retribution for her imprisonment. LQR has other ideas.

“You’d already disowned her entire family branch,” Lan Qiren said flatly.

“She’s still Wen blood,” Wen Ruohan said, smiling. “Am I not entitled to be protective of my own blood?”

Lan Qiren snorted. “That might have been believable if you’d made any sort of protest when they first started fucking. Or when her imprisonment first happened, and not, say, when she is conveniently pregnant with our Lan sect’s next heir.”

“Very convenient,” Wen Ruohan agreed. “None of my business, though; that’s your problem. Anyway, as you say, she was already disowned – my delay is completely reasonable.”

“The entire world knew that they were courting,” Lan Qiren said flatly. He himself had been against his brother’s pursuit of his now wife from the beginning, and her (somewhat tenuous) bloodline relation to Wen Ruohan had barely made the list of reasons that he’d found her objectionable, even though it was currently the matter causing them the most trouble.

Well, the second-most. That business of her murdering a Lan teacher in the Lan sect’s own grounds remained, and would always remain, the worst thing she’d ever done – not just for its own sake, but for the way it had driven Lan Qiren’s brother into seclusion on her behalf, robbing them of their true sect leader and forcing Lan Qiren to assume the job on a ‘temporary’ basis…with ‘temporary’ meaning the next twenty years of his life at the minimum.

Was Lan Qiren bitter? Yes, immensely so. But it was what his sect required, and so he would defend it, as he was doing now.

“I don’t really pay attention to things other sects are doing,” Wen Ruohan lied with a straight face. “And certainly not to news involving people who are disconnected from my sect…anyway, you’re getting away from the point. She is a relation of mine, however distant, and therefore I have some rights in respect to her.”

He leaned forward across the negotiating table.

“So tell me, Lan Qiren. Are you going to send her back?”

Obviously they were not.

“In that case,” Wen Ruohan continued, getting to his real point, his smile widening, “how are you going to repay me for her imprisonment?”

He’d already made his demands, which was to say, he wanted Lan Qiren delivered up to him as some sort of counter-hostage. Ridiculous, of course, given that Lan Qiren was currently acting in the role of sect leader – this was so obviously a ploy to weaken the Lan sect by robbing them of any legitimate leader that Wen Ruohan’s shamelessness barely needed to be scoffed at.

Pity he was trying it on the wrong people.

“First things first,” Lan Qiren said. “You’re claiming her as kin, are you not?”

Wen Ruohan’s smile faded. “Why do you ask?”

“I need to confirm it,” Lan Qiren said briskly. “As of course we only forgave the matter of a dowry on account of her being a rogue cultivator with no family. Normally, of course, a marriage to a sect leader of a Great Sect is no little thing – I would anticipate you carving out a considerable portion of the territory you control to give to us –”

“Absolutely not!”

Lan Qiren arched his eyebrows. “A woman’s dowry is an indication of her worth to her maternal family. You want to make a claim, you will naturally need to pay up.”

So Wen Ruohan was trying to harm the Lan sect by laying claim to Lan Qiren, was he? Lan Qiren thought belligerently. He’d shove that offer so far down Wen Ruohan’s throat that he’d choke on it!

[prettyblfan]

Coffee Shop Boy

Chapter Two

~

Just as he thought by the time he had finished his shift and set off for school Sorawit managed to completely forget about his encounter with very mysterious That.

~

As he walked into his classroom he instantly locked eyes with his best friend Nam. Despite only being in Viangpa Mork for only 3 months him and Nam seemed to connect instantly, she practically took Sorawit under her wing because he was too gullible for his own good. During his first week of school some boys in their class convinced him that the girls toilet was actually the boys toilet, ever since then she's felt very protective over him. However, this was practically the same for Sorawit after all Nam was pretty, popular and funny a complete package so he felt like if was his job to protect from all the shameless creeps that through themselves at her.

Sorawit pulled out his seat next to Nam and smiled,

"Have you done the maths homework" he cheekily asked putting on his sweetest voice. He plan to do it this morning but all the customers decided to pack in all at once so in the end he didn't have any time to finish it.

"No, I though you would do it! that's why I didn't bother" Nam said pulling a pout while she flopped onto the desk in front of her.

"Ahh, why don't you ask one of the multiple guys who have a crush on you" Sorawit responded, despite how calm they both seemed the end result of not handing in homework was quite harsh. They'd get one or two whole weeks of detention. As they went to a very high ranked and respected school it was only natural that standards were set to such a high level, but regardless they couldn't help but think it was stupid.

"No way, they always end up expecting soo much more in return, i can't handle the entitlement." Nam said dryly her voice dripping with disgust.

Sorawit knew exactly what she meant, whenever she'd show the smallest bit of kindest or even ask for a favour they always seemed to think that they deserved something in return. And that something was her body. In alot of situations although Sorawit couldn't fight he'd end up stepping in and trying to protect her.

"Umm, I guess we'll just have to settle for one week of detention then." Sorawit laughed after all his friend's safety was his top priority.

Just as both Nam and Sorawit were prepared to accept their fate one of the girls in their class came in yelling,

"Miss Jane isn't in."

It was this one line that seemed to save their lives, miss Jane was their maths and foreign language teacher as well as a tutor at the school. She was only strict because wanted the best for them but sometimes she could really be too ruthless.

As they no longer had a teacher for two of their lesson both Nam and Sorawit messed about, joking and talking the entire time.

For Sorawit the rest of the day went by without a hitch.

~

By the end of school Sorawit felt like death, maybe waking up at 3 am wasn't going to work for him. As he almost feel asleep against his bike Nam flicked his head.

"Are you gonna give me a ride home today or not" Nam said impatiently as she hopped onto the back of his bike (Sorawit is too much of a soft boy to be riding round on a motorbike, so he has a bicycle a yellow one at that).

Before Sorawit could respond the most obnoxious sounding voice echoed out.

"Nam!"

Standing at the gate was a couple of boys probably a year older than them. They were all in Sorawit's eyes dressed like gangsters, their pants were unnecessarily low and they all opted for darker colours (yes this is what gangsters look like in Sorawit's mind, maybe mine too). The one that called out to Nam was tall but not that handsome the only thing that stood out about him was the polished black motorcycle next to him.

Sorawit looked at Nam puzzled.

"It's a long story, just ignore them." Nam said urging Sorawit to hurry up.

Sorawit despite being known for not being very quick witted caught on quite fast, this must be one of Nam's countless admirers.

He pulled Nam along on his adorable yellow bike and although others may not not agree with him, Nam in fact said it was too girly. Regardless Sorawit didn't see anything wrong with it. It was just the right amount of cute, the yellow made it stand out and the small daisies dotted about the bike made it even more pefect in Sorawit's eyes.

As they approached the gates they were quickly blocked, just as Sorawit had expected. However, Sorawit knew for a fact they wouldn't try anything as long as they were on school property, but unfortunately he couldn't say the same for when they had left.

"Nam let's hang out today, on me" he said eying her up and down.

"Pong, I remember telling you I was busy when you asked me yesterday." She replied obviously not interested in hanging out with him at all.

"What, busy hanging out with this loser instead." The guy now known as Pong spoke sizing up Sorawit. Eventhough he was tall Sorawit was indeed 100% bone.

"Pong." Nam warned, it was quite clear that she had enough, half because she knew that this would end alot worse for Sorawit than for her. And the other half was tired of guys constantly thinking she was interested in them.

"Nam, what does he have that I dont." Pong paused briefly looking at Sorawit before bring his eyes back to Nam.

"Now don't be stupid."

It was that line that made Sorawit snap.

"Her not wanting to hang out with you isn't being stupid." He said standing tall trying to make himself appear as tough as possible.

"What?" Pong replied before laughing along with the rest of his friends, they all looked completely amused.

Nam quickly sensed things were going to take a turn for the worst if things continued going the way that they were.

"Pong I'm seriously busy today I have a bunch of work to catch up on, I have alot more time on the weekend let's hang out then" she spoke alot softer.

"Huh, fine." Pond said a lot calmer now maybe because Nam was being a lot more docile or because a teacher was approaching.

~

The whole situation was over rather quickly after that, Pong and his group of friends had left before the teacher arrived and Nam had explained to that said teacher that the whole thing was a misunderstanding.

Sorawit was now sitting in the Pink Lilly attempting to complete his homework as the staff around him began to prepare for the evening shift. He was thinking about the conversation that he had with Nam while he was taking her home.

She said playing along was always the safer options especially with guys like that.

It made him worry to the point he had to convince her not to go and see him on the weekend.

"What's wrong you're pulling a pout." Ploy said squeezing his cheeks with a soft smile.

Ploy was a University student in her 20s that worked at the Pink Lily part time, she was kind and energetic but she was always in other peoples business.

"Umm I'm fine" Sorawit mumbled out before resuming his homework that he had been neglecting for the past half hour.

Before Ploy could prod for more information, Bun had stormed and was clearly in a mood. A way worse one than usual.

"Who does he think he is?" Fuming Bun slammed his hand down on the front counter.

"Why do handsome men think its okay to be so arrogant" Bun continued to rant furiously.

"P'Bun????" Sorawit called utterly confused, who could have made him so angry.

"Bun, what's wrong?" Ploy also questioned after all seeing her boss this angry was rare.

"Huh, what's wrong. You won't believe what happened today!" Bun responded quickly pulling out a seat. Finally seeming to calm down he recited what took place earlier today.

Bun had gone into work for his regular morning shift at 3am hence why he wasn't there to help ease Sorawit into his first shift. But the real trouble began after his long lunch break around 4ish when a young man was rushed in with a bullet wound, Bun was assigned to treat him. So naturally once he heard the man was accompanied by two other men he had quickly gone to question them after all bullet wounds weren't very common in Viangpa Mork. When he had confronted them he was ridiculed and mocked (more so softly teased, but okay Bun. I'll have to make a special chapter about their first meeting after all this is a That x Sorawit centered story) by a tall well dressed handsome man which only pissed him off more. He'd come to know that the arrogantly handsome man was Tan.

In his 3 months in Viangpa Mork he had only heard from other residents that Tan was one of the many sons of a very affluent family that owned multiple business in the city, and he had been doing a lot of work out here recently.

But the icing on the cake for Bun was that everyone loved him, not the police nor a single soul had come to question them or see what was going on. The whole situation was perfectly swept under the rug.

Bun had finished his story with a huff, just retelling it had seemed to annoy him.

"Wow, i mean it is expected after all rumour is that their family does dabble in..." Ploy trailed off unsure if she should finish her sentence. Tan and his family were doing way more for Viangpa Mork than the governor, in the past couple years their investments had gotten them things they never thought they'd see. Like new school buildings and more focus placed on education. They had even gotten Ploy into university through their Helping the Youth fund before that she never thought she would even have the opportunity to go.

"In what?" Sorawit asked, he hadn't been able to catch onto what she was implying like Bun had.

"Never you mind, my shift starts now so I'll see you later" Ploy wore a light smile before returning to work.

Bun had assumed it would have been something like that but he really thought Viangpa Mork was a quite and unproblematic town.

"Ah, Sorawit how was your shift this morning" Bun asked realising that he had been to caught up in himself to ask.

"It was fine but," it was at this moment that Sorawit had remembered his encounter with That.

"But what?" Bun said urging him to continue.

So, for the remainder of the evening shift until the start of the late evening shift Sorawit proceed to tell Bun about the oh so mysterious That. Although he sub consciously left out his heart pains and stomach twists that he felt around the boy, the rest of the story was relayed exactly as it happened.

After he had finished Bun had agreed the boy was strange and that in future he should try to keep his distance.

~

Sorawit had quickly retired for the night after he had finished talking to Bun feeling completely exhausted.

As he laid in bed,

When he was just about to fall asleep for a split second the very mysterious That flashed across his mind.

Regardless of what Bun had said earlier a part of him couldn't help but hope that just maybe he would see him again.

~

At last I have done, I hope you like this chapter. Cause i really do.

Oof my hate for men really showed at Nam's part, but do not worry I shall not allow for creepy old men or men at that to get their hands on her.

Any way onto the next chapter! That visiting his favourite coffee boy once again.

Again not proof read cause I live on the edge.

[come-on-shitty-boys]

//Kissing Headcannons//

Characters:  Tsukishima Kei / Sawamura Daichi / Nishinoya Yuu

Request: Hellooo Maddi!! I hope you're doing well and taking care of yourself! 💞 This is sorta random but you know those kissing hcs you did with Tanaka and Tendou? Could I request some with Tsukki, Daichi, Nishinoya, and Bokuto? (Am soft rn and I wanna kith them so bad 🥺👉👈) If that's too many then you can just pick however many you wanna do! Thanks queen, ily!! <3

Warnings: some swearing

Word Count: 1.5K (~500 a piece)

Notes: please this isn’t random i wanted to do more of these and i’ve just been waiting for someone to tell me to do more

Tsukishima Kei

Listen, Tsukki always tries to play it cool, trying to be suave, but his first kiss with you had him p a n i c k i n g

He kept telling himself that it didn’t matter, but this was his first kiss ever and what if you had kissed someone before and thought he was shit just because he was inexperienced?

He was definitely added into a group chat with Kuroo, Bokuto, and Akaashi where Bokuto and Kuroo just hype him up and try to convince him to just fucking kiss you already

Tsukishima just wanted them off of his back.  Don’t get me wrong, he also wanted to finally kiss you, but please they ask him every single day.  He just wants to say, ���Yes, I kissed them.  Leave me alone.”

Kdhfesifb he’s walking you home when it happens.  It’s dark and you just look so pretty all illuminated by the street lamps that he just stops and takes your chin between his thumb and index finger

He’s got some dumbass smirk on his face because you’re looking up at him like a deer caught in the headlights.  Tsukki won’t lie.  He thought that was super cute.

But he lifts your face towards his, leaning down to give you this really gentle kiss, nothing like you ever would’ve expected from him. And he wants to call you an idiot when he pulls away, but he’s so fucking flustered that best he can do is bring his hand up to his lips and look away from you.

He really thought he was slick, looking away from you to hide his blush.  Smh everyone knows that you’re blushing like an absolute fool, Tsukishima.  It’s okay.

He doesn’t mind leaning down to kiss you.  If anything, he likes having to lean down.  He thinks that your height difference is kind of cute, no matter how big or small it is.  

Tsukishima gets so embarrassed about kissing you??? Literally what for?  But when he’s feeling especially like an angsty teen, he’ll playfully kinda shove you away after.  People think it’s rude, but you know him too well.  So, please.  Tease the shit out of him every single time he does that.  

He likes to hold your chin because it makes him feel in charge, but if you slide your hands down his chest and over his stomach?  He’s going to get weak in the knees and it’s not fair that you have that effect on him, because he’s supposed to get you weak >:C

If you instigate the kiss, he’s going to make fun of you for being needy and he’ll joke that if you want it so badly, you have to work for it, because he’s not going to lean down for it.  But, give it like two minutes of you jumping or trying to climb him and he’ll roll his eyes and bend down to kiss you.

Sawamura Daichi

SIT IN HIS LAP AND GIVE HIM SMOOCHES

anyway.  That’s a topic for later.

Daichi is so damn soft with you g o o d b y e i do not take criticism on this one thing (and kuroo driving a prius that is also non-negotiable onyx)

He likes to sling an arm around your shoulders or your waist and pull you in towards him to give you a quick kiss.

I just want to make it known that Daichi doesn’t do small kisses.  Oh no.  Every kiss is a full kiss.  A peck? Nay. A K I S S

God, he’s so cute.  He gets so flushed every time he kisses you and sometimes after a s p i c y kiss, he’s really breathless, chest kinda heaving as his forehead is pressed against yours, that tiny sheepish smile on his face.

When it came to first kisses, Daichi really had no shame.  I don’t know, I feel like he’s not the kind of guy to get overly embarrassed when it comes to his relationship.  He loves you a lot and he’s really happy to be with you.  Why should he be embarrassed to show you affection?

THIS BOY DID IT IN THE MORNING BEFORE CLASSES P L E A S E

He walks you down the hall to your classroom every morning and he was telling you goodbye before going to his own room and he just kinda?? Did it?? Right there.  In the middle of the hallway.  For the entire third year class to see.

Not that he cared, of course.

He said, “I’ll see you at lunch, okay?  Bye” and just leaned down and k i s s e d you and walked off like you two didn’t just have your first kiss.  So you just have to sit there all morning having a crisis because you’re so in shock that you think you’ve dreamed it all up.

OKAY BACK TO THE LAP THING BECAUSE SITTING IN HIS LAP MAKES ME VERY HEAD EMPTY

Ahem

Daichi really likes when you sit in his lap and face him, your legs wrapped around his torso.  Yeah, that’s his shit

N e way.  If you grab his face and kiss him like that?  He has never been more in love with you.  He’ll hold your hips and if your hands leave his face to rest on his shoulders or his broad chest?? Daichi . exe has stopped responding.  His head is spinning but it’s not like he cares

Please touch his chest when you guys kiss?? Like.  please. That is genuinely all he wants you to do.  Just rest your hands on his pecs.

Sometimes, when you guys are just standing around or walking home after he’s done with practice, he’ll put his hand on the top of your head and kinda?? Stop you?? Idk.  But he’ll lean over and give you a kiss

Everytime daichi pulls away dkfheisf please i’m so soft thinking about his little smile as he slowly opens his eyes

Oh to live in a world where i could kiss daichi *sigh*

Nishinoya Yuu

Nishinoya loves to kiss you.  And I mean loves to kiss you.  He loves absolutely peppering your face and hands and neck and any skin he can get with all of these itty bitty kisses.

I know that we’ve seen Nishinoya be completely shameless around Kiyoko, but I think he almost views her as unattainable?  So he doesn’t really care?  But with you-

A flustered m e s s.  He’s nervous and blushing and you’re about to ask him what’s wrong, but he just slams his lips into yours, holding your face really tight squishing your cheeks.  When he pulls back, he stares at you with wide eyes, repeating to himself that he can’t believe he just did that.

He’ll try to wipe his mouth.  Not because he didn’t like it, but because now he’s worried that you hate him because he just kissed you out of the blue like that.

But your voice speaking his name is so soft and it makes him stop to look at you.  Your hands on his cheeks, pulling him back in for that second kiss?  Please, he has never felt anything better.  

Nishinoya is a bit of a rough kisser??  I’m talking like he’s always giving open mouth, kinda sloppy kisses?  He’s bitten you on more than one occasion.  Never enough to really hurt, but enough to take you by surprise that he actually bit you?

But sometimes, when Noya is feeling especially soft, he takes things really slow.  Running his thumbs over your cheeks, telling you beautiful are, how happy he is to be with you, how much he loves you, all while leaning closer until you can feel his lips moving against yours everytime he speaks.  Eventually, he’ll finally push his lips to yours and it feels like you’re on cloud nine.

His hands are soft and you love how they feel cupped around the curves of your face.  They’ll eventually snake back to the back of your head to touch your hair or try to pull you even closer to him.  

Nishinoya will melt if you hold onto his arms while you kiss.  If your hands are wrapped around his forearms or his wrists, he’s going to be a puddle on the ground in a matter of minutes.  

He kisses your nose a lot.  Noya finds it to be extra cute when you scrunch up your features and kind of pout at him about it.  He’s genuinely so in love with you?  He thinks you’re the absolute cutest thing he has ever laid eyes on, so of course, whenever you scrunch up your nose, he’s just going to kiss it again.  Is it your ploy to get more kisses out of him?  M a y b  e

But nishinoya won’t object to kissing you over and over again, that’s for sure.

{Taglist: @moncymonce @nicka-nell @celosiiaa​ @lovinnoya​ @kuronekomama​ and @madison-2018​ i am once again telling you to come collect your mans}

[sablelab]

Covert Operations - Chapter 131

SYNOPSIS: Jamie and Claire’s feelings for each other have only grown stronger as they rediscover their love.

Chapter 130(S) and all other chapters can be found at  … https://sablelab.tumblr.com/covertoperations

THANK YOU to everyone who has been reading or who have just discovered this story.  My thanks to you all for the great comments in words and emojis last week. They were fun.  Also, a special shout out to all who reblog my story onto their blogs.  This is most appreciated for the exposure of Covert Operations and I am grateful to you all.

I hope you enjoy this next chapter which is suggestive in content.

CHAPTER 131 (S)

 No sooner had they entered their bedroom than Jamie lowered Claire to the ground and wrapped his arms around her while she did likewise. With laughing eyes, that turned heated in a heartbeat and with a little smirk bowing his mouth, he leaned in close to her face his eyes intent on her glorious, kissable mouth. Subconsciously Claire licked her lips in anticipation of what delectable dessert that her lover had in mind whether on the bed or the floor … she really didn’t care, all she wanted was him. Jamie in turn watched spellbound as her tongue appeared from out of her mouth, erotically tasting her lips as if in anticipation of savouring some tasty morsel.

Shivering in anticipation of the eventual joining of mouths she could not draw her eyes from her love’s intense scrutiny as she captured her bottom lip in her teeth sensually biting her flesh as if she was just waiting for Jamie to taste her. Tentatively Claire raised her fingertip to his jaw skimming it lightly over the indentation on his chin before trailing it up to touch the source of her attention. Jamie’s mouth opened slightly to give her entry then his tongue lathed the delicate digit before suckling it further into his mouth. Claire could not take her eyes from her love and he watched her like a hawk eyeing its prey as she withdrew her fingertip and placed it to her own mouth. “You taste … good … so good,” she uttered as she provocatively licked her finger as if she was relishing the sweet taste of frosting on a cupcake.

James Fraser leaned towards Claire Beauchamp like a predator in pursuit of his quarry, but his lips just hovered tantalizingly over hers as his warm breath gently fanned her mouth. He teased her senses with his intent as if to deliberately keep her in a state of anticipation, so she pushed her lips enticingly closer to his when Jamie did not touch her mouth.  She wanted to taste his lips and savour the dessert that was promised. Licking his lips knowing that he was on the brink of tasting her essence, he gently brushed Claire’s lips just connecting and nothing more until she sighed in agony at his torturous ploy. Closing his eyes, Jamie too sighed before opening them to watch her reaction to his teasing. She leaned back in his arms smiling into his eyes while he pressed her buttocks tightly up against him.

“Now, for … yer dessert course Sassenach,” he managed to say as his lips finally caressed hers, nipping and withdrawing in tempting forays, before parrying again and again for more of her glorious taste. 

Claire snaked her arms around her love’s neck.  Her fingers automatically started to tangle in the wayward curls that she loved to run her fingers through at the nape of his neck as she returned his embrace.

“Yum! …”  

Sighing, she pressed her lips to his as they locked temptingly with hers. Jamie’s lips opened slightly and Claire felt his tongue lightly touch her own. She closed her eyes in the sheer bliss of his scrumptious and devilishly delectable taste as his tongue explored.

“Mmmm…!” She moaned as a seeking tongue licked and tempted her tongue to reciprocate his decadent swirls inside her mouth.  

Jamie moved his body closer and closer to Claire’s until it was aligned … flush … skin to skin and sensuously rubbed his torso against hers. His lips repeatedly retreated and then returned to gently bite her soft flesh, savouring her taste again and again as if he was relishing every sinful mouthful.  Nibbling on her bottom lip Jamie gently drew it into his mouth and captured it with his lips lightly scraping his teeth over the moist fleshy morsel. He let go of her lip and returned to nibble at her upper one, repeating the process before deepening the kiss with a ravenous hunger for more. His hands cupped Claire’s head and his fingers entwined in her brown tresses as he brought her mouth level to his own. Holding her more tightly he devoured her mouth as if it was forbidden fruit denied human consumption.

”Ye’re mine mo nighean donn.”  Jamie sighed into her mouth.  “Mine, now and forever.”

As he kissed her hungrily, his talented tongue entered the sweetness of her mouth once more, signalling that there was absolutely no way she could mistake what he had planned for her tonight. Words were inadequate to vocalize what they were feeling. Both of their bodies were experiencing the involuntary heightened state of sexual arousal. Claire’s breathing was shallow, her breasts ached, her nerve endings were humming. Jamie’s body too was beginning to betray changes occurring for she could feel his body swell against her own.

Sighing, Claire stretched her frame lazily against his body relishing in her love’s rapidly developing excitement. Feeling Jamie’s erection swelling between her legs, she pushed her body more wantonly to his and began rubbing up against him. Similarly, Jamie pressed his groin harder to her warmth imitating her actions and returning with some of his own. Her aroused body reacted to his caresses, and Claire sighed in supplication for it felt as if molten ice cream had pooled in her nether region.  She was hot and sticky. Jamie’s heat melted her resolve and she felt the changes to her body centering particularly where he’d feasted many times before for a wake-up breakfast. Her body went limp and her knees began to buckle under, but before Claire slid to the floor in a puddle of feelings Jamie's hands lowered to her buttocks and pressed her closer to his hardened bulge. He could never get enough of her sustenance for Claire Beauchamp was his cornucopia of life and he craved her warmth, her taste, her essence. “Cl-aire …” The husky sound of her name echoed in her ears as she floated away at his touch.

“I want the rest of my dessert James Fraser,” she answered with a shameless tone in her voice.

"And ye shall have it Sassenach,” he whispered into her ear, the warm breath of his announcement doing funny things to her insides.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Jamie’s words were music to Claire’s ears and she could feel the smile in his kiss as he placed his soft, talented lips to her lobe.

“I can’t wait …” she replied happily, leaning her head against his shoulder and smiling from ear to ear.

“Neither canna I,” he replied moving a hand from her back and beginning to let it trail down her side loving the warm sensation of her skin beneath the soft fabric of her clothes.  

His fingers searched and found an opening and Jamie inserted his fingers underneath her top to the feel of her velvety soft, naked flesh. Claire moaned as his touch ignited all those past memories of his tactile exploration of her skin. Raising his head up Jamie inhaled the sweet aroma of the pheromones emitting from her body.  He breathed in at her neck, loving the intoxicating scent of her skin, and placed a small kiss to the underside of Claire’s throat.

"Oh, my," she moaned gutturally rapidly losing all her senses to this man.      

Their eyes held as Jamie ran his hand through her hair and trailed the backs of his fingers down the side of her face while Claire rubbed her head against his hand wanting his touch.  Knowing that his Sassenach desired him as much as he desired her made a fierce, overwhelming need rise in him.  Jamie had a desperate desire to hold her in his arms and make love with the woman he adored as he tasted all the secret treasures of her body.  His heightened need to taste his love in ways that would please them both was tantamount in his mind.  

They could each savour dessert from each other and James Fraser fully intended to take his Sassenach to the heights of ecstasy. They both needed sexual healing after the abuse at the monastery to become whole again and know that together they were invincible and impervious to those who would try and hurt them or tear them apart.  

“I want ye, Claire.  I want ye so much, I can scarcely breathe.  Will ye have me?”

Her reply was a throaty … “Yes … Yes, I'll have you.”

Jamie began to kiss his love’s lips once more.  He was gentle, tasting them with his tongue before nipping very lightly at them but his tenderness underlined his burning desire for his woman.  He could taste the residue of the wine they had drunk at dinner and he was intoxicated once again by how powerful an aphrodisiac her lips were.  He tasted Claire’s mouth like it was a delectable delicacy savouring every mouthful.  Once consumed there was that urge to take another bite, another nibble, hoping each time that this one last bite would be enough, but it never was.  Holding her face in his hands, his mouth began to possess hers. Claire whimpered and opened her lips to him, allowing Jamie to enter her mouth searching deep within in a kiss that overwhelmed her senses, while he was already hard against her throbbing in need.  

Whimpers turned to keening groans and putting her hand behind his head, Claire held him to her as Jamie devoured and plundered her mouth.  They kissed each other with a desire which only increased their passion for one another.  Reluctantly, however, he broke from their caress and lightly bit her bottom lip, still looking at his love as if he would consume her then and there. Jamie’s breathing was ragged and when their eyes met, she too was breathless from his embrace.

"Tell me to stop, Sassenach. If ye dinna, I'll ravish ye."

He was giving her a last chance to back away but Claire’s hands were like talons on his shoulders.

"James Fraser, if you stop now, I'll hurt you."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Realizing that she meant what she’d said, Jamie started to speak again but Claire ran her hands into his hair pulling him back into a demanding kiss, ravishing his mouth.  He groaned through it as his Sassenach took the initiative and reciprocated some dessert for him.  

Her eyes were smoking with desire and she took his mouth again, possessing it fiercely. Jamie uttered another guttural growl that seemed to arise from the depths of his soul as his woman tempted him with her own recipe for dessert.  Their kisses were spiralling out of control as Claire became the aggressor asserting dominance over him. Their passionate actions were steadily becoming wild and uncontrolled and they would soon pass the point of no return.  When his love touched him intimately on his groin, Jamie knew unreservedly that her actions were threatening to his sanity. His mind was filled with the erotic things he wanted to do to his Sassenach for his helping of dessert and no doubt similar thoughts were in her mind as well.  He wondered if they would ever survive this dessert course if their actions so far were any indication.

Dragging her lips away from the heat of their kiss Claire exhaled deeply. Her eyes were dark with passion and she tried to focus them on Jamie’s face but she got no further than his mouth.   The taste of James Fraser was more dessert than she could want.  Provocatively parting her mouth, she ran her tongue over her lips as if to relish the honeyed taste of Jamie’s kiss.  He had promised her dessert and he was delivering on his promise.  Her teeth then grazed his lip in little buttery kisses that he could not resist as she gently pushed him down towards the bed.  Jamie was enthralled by her boldness.

"Damn the consequences then Sassenach," he groaned hoarsely as he leaned up for a quick kiss, trying to hide the grimace that threatened to alarm her because of her actions.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Claire began to tease him repeatedly as she ran her hand slowly up and down Jamie’s torso, but he shuddered when he felt the lightest of contact of her fingers to where he’d been injured. However, feeling him wince and recognising his laboured breathing, she stilled her movement when she felt the bandage still covering his gun wound. Claire caught Jamie’s sharp intake of breath. She was mortified that she may have hurt him and her eyes darted to his face holding his gaze with one of her own.

Leaning back, she whispered, “Does it still hurt?” Empathy laced her voice.

Managing to sit back up, Jamie stumbled to find the right words. “This dressing's been chafing me for days … but other than that it’s okay Sassenach.”

He didn’t want to alarm her as to his own suffering because they were here for his Claire to recuperate, but it was aching after such a long journey as well as him carrying her into the bedroom.  He couldn’t deny that it had started to throb in earnest but his body was aching far worse than his wound. However, Claire was persistent.

“Let me have a look at that,” she replied as her fingers moved his T-shirt out of the way and gently touched his chest. Jamie watched his love intently, his eyes following her every move as she examined his wound concentrating on the task at hand.

“Does it hurt here? … Or here?”

Her fingers touched him in several places as she relayed her observations out loud.  “It's scabbed over nicely.  There's no drainage.  Does that part hurt Jamie?” she asked again as she looked at him with concern in her eyes.

Claire’s fingers were so tender but her touch was igniting feelings other than sympathy. Jamie certainly didn’t need his love’s close inspection of his wound when he was in a heightened state of arousal already. Her touch was anything but soothing to his nerves, in fact it only exacerbated the need to have her touch him all over his body and not just his wound. He was already strung as tight as a bow because of their foreplay since dinner. They had been circling around each other, neither of them willing to give in to their emotions. However, it was uncertain how long that state of affairs could last.  James Fraser was ready to explode like a firecracker but Claire’s temporary halt had given him the timeout necessary to take stock of the situation. He didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth … so he lied.

“No, Sassenach … not that much.” 

Biting her lip in anticipation of his answer, Claire was relieved at what he’d said, but recognised he was fudging the truth. She’d forgotten about his injury because she’d been totally caught up in the moment, yet when Jamie pulled away, she realised that it must hurt more than he’d let on.  She also knew that putting extra pressure on his injured upper body could hinder his recovery.

“You’re a liar James Fraser, but I love you anyway.” 

He laughed, knowing that trying to disguise that his wound still throbbed had not fooled her in the slightest.  Nonetheless he was deeply moved as her words floated to his ears with a promise of the future of them being together. He smiled at his love for he knew at that moment that she was well and truly on the road to a mental recovery from the atrocities of the mission.

“And what about yer lip lass? Have our kisses caused ye pain?” He wanted to know in case he too had hurt her because of the all-encompassing passionate kisses they had shared.

“No Jamie.  Our kisses are the healing balm that I need.”

His face lit up with delight. “Well then Sassenach … that will nay be a problem. I have plenty more of them to give ye.”  

These next fourteen days were crucial to them individually and as a couple.   Tonight, would be just the beginning of their healing process and to begin the journey of rediscovery. It would be the beginning for Claire to make her fantasies become a reality, after all they had two glorious weeks to be themselves and do what they wanted without Section looking over their shoulders.   At last, they would be able to be just like a normal couple in love away from the prying eyes of their superiors.  They would regain the momentum and strength of body and soul that they needed to finish this mission … but not before they had both fully recovered. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Claire too wondered what Jamie was thinking because her thoughts were in overdrive.

They would both be able to be more like any normal couple here, although they were far from it.  Being away from the prying eyes of Operations and particularly Madeline, would be liberating.  They’d primarily come here to convalesce and she knew this was the perfect place for that to happen.  Not having to worry about their superiors breathing down their necks and watching their every move was something she was going to especially relish. Yet, erasing the atrocities of the past from her mind would not be easy, but with the support of the man she loved, she would heal. They would both heal. Her only regret would be when they had to leave and return to the Rising Dragons’ mission, that's why they would need to make each day a new memory to treasure. The time would go quickly but they would live one day at a time and make each moment count. 

However, her Jamie was injured and she was injured. She didn’t want to aggravate his wound by causing his recovery into remission and the thought of any prolonged lovemaking being out of the question saddened her. But they could make it work and they would find a way. Intimacy was the crux to them healing and in the next fourteen days, they could explore all avenues for that to occur.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Biting her bottom lip, Claire, looked at Jamie worry lacing her words. “How is this going to work?” 

He hadn’t replied to her declaration but his actions were all that she needed to know that his intentions were on the same page. Without preamble James Fraser pulled both his sweater and T-shirt up his chest and over his head in one swift movement haphazardly discarding his clothing to the chair in the corner. Despite his injury he was in top physical condition, however, as she cast a more intense look over his chest, her eyes were drawn to the bandage over his wound and the strapping on his shoulder. 

Stretching out her hands to his upper body, her fingers tentatively touched his warm, vibrant skin while deliberately bypassing his injury. Placing her palms to his rib cage, she gingerly worked her hands up his chest until the pads of her fingers gently touched his wound. I will kiss it better for you my love, her eyes told him as they sought his, and Jamie saw the concern and emotion registered there. His wound was still a little tender but he ignored the dull ache as her gentle touch soothed any discomfort.

“Claire...” he whispered tenderly. The soft enunciation of her name on his lips sent shivers down her spine. She turned her head towards his and was immediately lost in Jamie’s compelling, blue eyes. “Yes?” she purred softly.

“Come here Sassenach… I’ll show ye how.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Laying side by side, Claire turned looking at Jamie with such love in her eyes that he was ensnared as she carefully closed the gap between them. Slipping his arm around her shoulders, he gathered her into his arms and gently pressed her head onto his bare chest holding her close. Shifting her head Claire laid it on Jamie’s shoulder but she felt him flinch a little and immediately felt remorseful. Moving her head back and looking up at him she asked apologetically, “I’m not hurting you, am I?” “No … No Sassenach,” he replied lightly running his fingers up and down the soft skin of her arm in a slow rhythmic pattern which was having a potent effect on her senses.  Curving her body even closer to his, Jamie closed his eyes when he felt Claire entwine one, long, smooth leg around his and sensuously rub her foot along his calf. The muscles in his legs immediately reacted to her touch quivering involuntarily. Enjoying his response to her contact, she gently kissed his shoulder, then looking up at him, she sought to gauge his reaction to her teasing. Even in the dim light she could see that Jamie was aroused … his pupils had darkened considerably. “Are you sure?” Claire Beauchamp was a temptress.

He watched the seductive gaze she directed at him as she bit her bottom lip. Jamie couldn’t take his eyes from her delectable mouth and knew that his own lips would connect there soon once more. Her kisses were addictive and even though his shoulder did hurt somewhat it would not discourage him from kissing his Sassenach. Claire’s sustained leg movements made the fine hairs on his leg stand up on end as she continued to stroke his leg waiting for an answer. James Fraser stopped her actions when he captured her leg by placing his own across hers and pinning her to the mattress. His sensuous answer held a world of promise. “Oh … I’m quite sure ye ken.” In return she playfully pressed her breasts against his chest. Despite being hampered by her clothing, his hands itched to touch what was offered but Jamie resisted the temptation, waiting for what his Sassenach would do next. Tenderly, he stroked his hand sensually along the nape of her neck and pulled her closer. Claire shivered as she felt her man’s gentle touch ricochet through her and needed to know if foreplay would be the only lovemaking, they’d make tonight.  If this was to be her only dessert tonight, then so be it.  It would be enough just to be held, knowing that she was safe in her lover’s arms.

With a muffled voice against his chest, Claire voiced her apprehension. “James Fraser … I’ve waited such a long time. I want to make love to you, but how can we do it?” she asked with bated breath. Jamie stopped his caress and gave his love a long, smouldering look that made her heart skip a beat.

“We can be careful ...”

Then with feather like strokes, he used his talented fingers to stroke up her soft inner arm, causing Claire to shudder uncontrollably at his touch.

“... take things slowly.” If this was an example of taking things slowly, she would surely go out of her mind. Jamie’s gentle caresses only ever brushed the surface of the raging inferno which ignited within her body whenever he touched her, but she didn’t want to jeopardise his healing and was worried about his injury. Any over exertion could open up his wound, so perhaps it would be better if they just cuddled tonight and take things slowly like he’d suggested until his lesion had more time to heal. Although it wasn’t the scenario she really wanted, she would be happy just to lie in Jamie’s arms all night if that’s what he wanted too.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nonetheless, Jamie’s tender caresses continued to play havoc with Claire’s mind and only further heightened her senses to breaking point as he touched her in places long neglected. When he caressed her, the effect was stimulating, calming but also erotic beyond words and Claire was reluctant to say what was on her mind. 

“Okay, but … I don’t want you to put any strain on your wound.”

His eyes bored into hers while his touch continued to make her skin burn. “I won’t. In fact, it feels just fine now mo nighean donn.” He didn’t care if his wound was a little tender or not … he would do whatever it took to make love with his Sassenach tonight. A little pain and suffering were a small price to pay for the happiness their consummation would bring. 

Jamie’s hand lowered to tantalizingly stroke Claire’s leg placing it up higher on his thigh and opening her body to his potential touch. She couldn’t look away from his penetrating look.  A moan escaped her mouth lost to the spell of Jamie’s intimate touch and Claire pushed her body nearer to his in her encouragement to be closer.

 “Do you mean that …?”

She squirmed in his arms, then rolled over wriggling and sensually biting his collarbone.  Her voice trailed away as she leaned in to him, deciding to take the initiative and test the waters as to exactly what Jamie had meant. Kissing his top lip and holding it between her teeth, she bit it erotically with a determined pressure. Placing her hand on his hip, she smiled provocatively at him and finished her question against his mouth, “… there is another option …” 

The gauntlet had been thrown down. James Fraser was enamoured all the more by the beautiful siren in his arms. He knew exactly what she was insinuating. His love was willing to take the initiative if he so desired, if it would be less stressful for his shoulder. Jamie's eyes flickered back and forth over Claire’s face and she was stunned by the intensity of his stare.  

Any ache in his shoulder was completely forgotten.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Jamie’s eyes caressed his love as if she was the moon and stars all rolled into one.  He stared at her with wonder in his eyes while lingering on her mouth and the swell of her bottom lip that had tasted like ambrosia from the gods. His Sassenach was killing him and he couldn’t sever their connected gaze, he just wanted to drown in the depths of her eyes. He gazed at Claire, his mind blurred with lust and pulled her a little closer, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair.

Swaying against him, her breasts enticingly brushed against his chest, then he felt her warm breath against his ear.

 “Well?  What do you think, Jamie?”

“I’m thinking that ye’re trying tae kill me Sassenach, and that I canna think of a better way tae die.”

She giggled and with a mischievous grin, wrapped one long leg around his, teasing the back of his calf with her foot. Her thigh rubbed against his, driving him mad.

“Make up your mind Fraser,” Claire purred invitingly, provoking him once more to make a decision as to her proposition.

Jamie gave his love an enigmatic smile as his eyes caressed her glorious face.  He could hardly believe that this wonderful, remarkable, sexy woman was all his.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The touch of Claire’s hand on his hip and the rubbing of her leg against his calf had been enough to send a jolt of electricity through Jamie’s entire body, but the dark emotion swimming in her vivid blue eyes almost stopped his heart. Claire Beauchamp was seducing him with her declaration, while the exquisite torment of her fingertips as they gently stroked the inside of his thigh, had sent a rush of heat straight to his groin.

Prior to this perfect woman coming into his life James Fraser had come to think of himself as a detached lover. He’d been trained as a Valentine operative but women had meant nothing to him on an emotional level. He’d never committed to any relationship with his heart.  He was only capable of giving and receiving sexual pleasure while his cold heart remained untouched.  It wasn’t something of which he was particularly proud but it was just the way it was.  It was just a job … a means to an end in capturing terrorists through their women, and it was the way he had survived in Section One.  

But not now. Not with this special woman.

Now he wanted it all ... heart, mind, body and soul. With Claire, Jamie had found who he really was and who he was meant to be. He loved her unconditionally and he would go to the ends of the earth to protect her. This woman knew no boundaries where he was concerned and his heart swelled with loving her.

James Fraser didn’t know what he’d wanted nor cared … but now he did.  He just knew that he wanted her… his Claire.

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ to be continued FRIDAY 10th JULY

[dayseternal-blog]

Summary: Naruto and Hinata join the Twelve Guardian Ninja of the Land of Fire's Daimyo.  (But not really.)  Their mission is to smoke out the rat among them who's selling political secrets to insurgents, while making sure the other Guardians don't figure them out.

Neither can tell when their acting became so convincing.

A fake relationship canon-divergent AU.

Rated E for eventual shameless smut.

Written for @naruhina2020 March - Bodyguard Theme

Chapter 1: Introduction: Motives

She’s called for a mission at an expected time, about 9:00 in the morning, rather than some odd hour of the night.  Whatever it is, it must not be a real emergency.

He uses the rooftops to get to the Tower, as is his preferred route these days, rather than get caught up in conversations with groups of giggling girls.

She enters the Sixth Hokage’s office, surprised to see that Shino is not already there before her.

He makes his way through the hall, wondering who he’ll be partnered with, or if he’ll have a partner at all.

“He never knocks,” Kakashi laments, and right on time, the door swings open.

He excitedly wonders aloud, “Who am I working-”

She honestly can’t remember the last time she worked with Naruto.  Their skills are too similar.  Close combat.  Sensory.  And he’s simply too good to need anyone with the same specialties as him.

“Hinata!  You’re my partner this time?!  This is going to be great!”  He’s not going to fight over stupid things like he does with Sakura, Kiba, and Ino.  He’s not going to be overworked with Lee and Tenten, who are both used to a level of workouts that no one else has been conditioned to enjoy.  He’s not going to be creeped out by Shino.

Shikamaru’s his usual partner.

But Shikamaru’s been out on a ridiculously long mission.

“It must be a tough one if I’m partnering with Hinata,” he casually observes.

She doesn’t say it out loud, but obviously, if Naruto’s on the job, the mission must actually be some kind of emergency.  A or...S-rank. For Naruto to say that something’s going to be tough...

“Yes,” Kakashi starts, hands folding together, lackadaisical attitude turning serious.  “An extended S-rank.  Estimated for a month or longer.”

They kneel before the Fire Daimyo, officially pledging their loyalties to a man who’s never known mud on his cheeks, never seen a comrade fall, perhaps never even broken a sweat in his life.  Yet somehow he carries far more political clout than their own Hokage.

Not our Hokage, Hinata corrects herself.  Or at least, she needs to pretend that she’s no longer a shinobi of Konoha.

They’re Guardians now.

On paper and in the assessing eyes of their new peers, their abilities and bodies belong to the Daimyo, to fight and protect this leader with their lives.

She can feel their judgement boring into the top of her head.  Unlike Naruto, whose reputation precedes him, she’s often underestimated.  Small.  The only kunoichi in the room.  She’ll be tested in some way by the others.  But she’ll do whatever it takes to gain the other Guardians’ trust, and, eventually, smoke out the conspirator among them.

“Uzumaki Naruto.  Hyuuga Hinata,” the Fire Daimyo addresses.

They stand at his call.

“Starting from today, you no longer serve just the interests of Konoha.  You are now shinobi of the Land of Fire.  You lay down your lives for me, you lay down your lives for the entire country.”

In the corner of her sharp vision, she can see Naruto bristling.

It’s no secret that Naruto has never held high regard for this man, whose decisions did very little to help during and after the war, who refused to fund Sakura’s mental health initiative for children, who seems to always defer to the loudest voice in the room.  

If he could, he would tell the daimyo to stick his little speech up his ass.  But he can’t fail, here, now, already, only a few minutes into their undercover mission.  Kakashi made it a point to make clear that he didn’t have to pretend to be anyone but himself...but that he still had to show some level of respect to their political leader.  While they’re out here in the capitol, the daimyo is their only contact to Konoha, the only one who knows of this charade.

After all, he commissioned them.

The reasoning being that the daimyo didn’t want to stir distrust among the remaining Guardians.  They had already caught two informants on their own.  Morale among the rest was high now.

But the daimyo had suspicions that there might be another hiding among them.  Rather than having them turn against each other, he decided that this was an outside job.

And if this man fails to make a good decision in every other area of being a leader, Naruto needs to make sure that at least in this, they do not fail.

Failure could mean a coup d’etat.

Civil War when the rest of the shinobi world is at peace.

They can’t let that happen.

“Your accomplishments and track records in your career thus far have marked you as the strongest and most loyal to our nation.  You join the ranks of the most elite shinobi in not just the country, but in the entire world.  Here you stand among the greatest, and your names will forever be remembered for your service to me.”

Hinata keeps her face placid, not difficult at all for a Hyuuga.

She can only hope that Naruto’s doing the same.

But based on the furrowed brow of one of the Guardians, who steps forward, holding the branded waistcloths out to them, she can deduce that Naruto’s not doing a very good job hiding his thoughts.

They take the waistcloths, tying them on in the same way as the others.

The kanji for Fire emblazoned on their hip, meant to announce their status.

It’s a recognition that neither of them need, but Hinata knows she can’t ignore its meaning.

The ten Guardians who stand lined up before them, gathered from across the country, really are the best, on par with at least her own skills, and needing to take down even just one of them qualifies as an S-rank mission.

They haven’t even left the main office yet when four of the Guardians who were meant to show them the ins-and-outs of the administrative buildings turn them into an empty hall.

“So you think you’re better than us?” snarls one, a bulky man by the name of Geiiro.

“They’re Konoha shinobi.  What did you expect?” laughs Tacchi, his pretty features marred by a long, raised scar cutting through the side of his head.  “Konoha’s Hero, Saviour of this World,” he sneers.  “It’s all gone to his head.”

Naruto holds his tongue.  It was his mistake to not hide his dislike of the old man.  These men are not his enemies.

At least not right now.

Geiiro huffs, “If you have no interest in being out here in the real world, then run back to your ‘hidden’ village.”

Naruto raises a brow at that.  He didn’t know that that’s how the outside villages see Konoha.  But he knows they suffered damages just as much from the war, if not moreso.  And they don’t pledge the same prided allegiance to their country’s Hokage.

If they want to rant, he’ll listen.  He’ll learn.

The tallest of the group, Eizan, steps forward, cocking his head, eyes trailing over her.  “And what about the Hyuuga princess?”

They both tense.

She expected to be tested, but not quite so soon.

“So it’s true what they say.  For you to have accepted a position here…you were replaced by your younger sister,” murmurs Hukukane.  He stands in the back, hands on his hips like a casual observer.

Like a long-range fighter.

She doesn’t care about her sister taking the helm for the clan.  She hasn’t cared about that in a long time.  But she pays careful attention to the men before her, their formation, their “relaxed” stances.

Was this planned from the start?

“So she’s trying to prove her worth to her clan here?” Eizan laughs, earning smirks from the others.  “Pretty little princesses should play at home-”

Her eyes flash up to his, just as his hand grabs at her chin.

“Don’t you fucking touch her!”  Naruto’s rasengan is only centimeters from Eizan’s chest.

The warping chakra is close enough to exert the pressure of a fist pushing against his skin.  

He glares furiously at Eizan, even as the edges of his senses tingle at the knowledge that the others have taken on their own cautionary stances.  “She doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone!”

“Naruto-kun,” she tries, as calmly as she can, hoping she has just enough force in her voice to remind him to stay calm, too.

But Naruto doesn’t budge.  If he doesn’t make a point now, then what else might they do to her?  Eleven men and only Hinata?  Why aren’t there any other women in this group?

It’s just another reason to hate the current daimyo.

“So that really is why he’s here,” Hukukane interrupts.

“Yeah,” Eizan agrees, frowning at the jutsu threatening to burst a hole in his body.

“We all have reasons to be here,” Geiiro says.  “For us, not part of Konoha’s shinobi system, this is a steady job.  Money to send home to our families.”

Naruto reluctantly turns his attention to him.  But he doesn’t back down.

“Money for my younger siblings,” Tacchi adds on.

“I send money home for my wife’s aging parents,” Hukukane continues.  “Believe us, we don’t like the daimyo’s decisions much either.  But he’ll pay us to protect him.  So long as we keep him alive, we have income.”

Naruto turns his attention back to Eizan.  What their stories have to do with this guy touching Hinata, he still hasn’t figured out.  But he’ll let Eizan explain.

“I never had a family.  The Guardians are my family.”

That’s something Naruto can understand.  Still doesn’t excuse the guy from touching and insulting Hinata.

“My family has no room for secrets.”  This time Eizan’s eyes gain a fire that wasn’t there before.  “What are two Konoha shinobi doing here?”

Hinata answers quickly, knowing these men are certainly sharper than they initially seemed.  This confrontation was all a ploy to get them to reveal themselves.  “We wanted to gain insight on affairs outside of Konoha.  Our actions are limited within the village’s walls, we’re under constant surveillance.  We only interact with other Konoha citizens and the occasional visitors or people we meet on missions.”

“For a Hyuuga to say that, certainly that makes sense,” Hukukane responds.  “We figured that.  They say clan lives are stuffy.”

“Naruto-kun,” Hinata tries again.

He lets his rasengan disperse.  He lets a second pass before he finally steps back, closer to Hinata than before.

“Relax, Naruto,” Eizan starts.  “None of us are stupid enough to touch your woman.”

She can’t help the reactive heat that touches her cheeks, even though she knows the obvious implication completely flew over Naruto’s head.

A glance over, and she can see only a contemplative distrust on his face.

“Sealed a goddess, ended the world war, master of the Kyuubi, next in line to be Hokage?  We couldn’t think of any logical reason for someone like you to leave Konoha to join us,” Eizan continues, suddenly conversational.

“But love can make even someone like Naruto make irrational decisions,” Geiiro barks out with a laugh.  “You two don’t have to keep your relationship a secret.”

“What?” Naruto asks, trying to catch up with the shift in atmosphere.

Hinata flushes even worse than before.  She thinks to correct them, but that would only earn worse scrutiny on their reasons for joining the Guardians.

They can’t let them know they’re here on a mission.  Any one of them could be another spy for the insurgents.

So...maybe she needs to play along.  Even if it’s mortifyingly embarrassing.

She just has to make sure Naruto understands, too.

She swallows her own fears.  And steps up to him.

She has to choose her words carefully.  She still doesn’t know what abilities the other Guardians might have.

She closes her hands around her mouth, leaning in toward his ear, knowing it’ll look intimate to the others.

“Hinata?” he asks, finding her pressing against him.

“They know we’re lovers,” she whispers.

“W-what?”  He steps away, eyes wide.  “Hinata-”

She grabs his hand with both of hers, keeping him from backing away too far.  “It’s okay.  It’s better if they know.”  She looks hopefully into his eyes.  Hoping that he catches on.  Hoping he doesn’t say anything in denial.

He just stares at her, mouth wide open, attention shifting down to her hands firmly around his.  She’s acting really touchy with him.  She said they’re lovers when they’re not.  Hinata doesn’t usually act like this, so why-

“You really don’t have to hide it.  We don’t operate on the same rules as Konoha,” Tacchi explains.

She nods, pretending to agree with him.  She blushes harder with what she wants to say next.  But she has to make him understand.  “Naruto-kun,” she calls, as sweetly as possible.  It sounds so embarrassing.  Like she’s really trying to catch his attention.

He looks back up at her, eyes growing wider still at her flirtatious tone of voice.

“This way, maybe we can spend more time together...”  She looks as meaningfully as she can into his eyes.  “...alone,” she adds on, in a whisper.

The other Guardians start laughing and hooting.

She’s flaming red, she knows, she doesn’t remember the last time she felt so hot.

He can see the vibrant color on her fair skin, but he can also feel the searing heat pressing into him from her hands.  He realizes she’s incredibly embarrassed.  She’s not under some genjutsu or trying to play a trick on him.  She’s pretending.  So that they can meet to talk about their mission.  “A-aah, yeah!!” he stutters out, embarrassment belatedly catching up with him.  “W-whatever you want, Hinata!”

“He’s whipped!” hollers Geiiro.  “Poor boy’s got it bad!”

She smiles in relief, trying to ignore the teasing of their new comrades.

He looks down, suddenly very, very conscious of her hands around his.

She lets go of him quickly.

“You two can hold hands!” Geiiro continues, laughing harder and harder.

Hinata shakes her head furiously.  She got her point across, and she needn’t embarrass either of them any further.

And by Naruto’s blushing grimace, she knows she really embarrassed him.

[pumpkinofthedale]

Here is a lil snippet of chapter 2 of my cronus fic... it’s like 19k words right now and I’m only just now hitting the real meat of it so jus... a lil morsel....

“Would you show me? If… you want to I mean.” He looked a little sheepish. “I ain’t ever seen one ‘fore and so maybe it could be fun and stuff… not that I’m super into sappy shit but it’s crispmass. And you like them, right?”

“Sure why not.” At least it would give you something to do while you sobered up. And hell, maybe he was right, maybe it would be fun.

He positively beamed. “Awesome! – I mean uh… cool. Very cool. Just a couple of cool cats watching stupid movies.”

You snorted.

“See... the awesome was perfectly fine. You trying to make yourself sound cool was absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary and made it weird.”

“You’re ridiculous and unnecessary.” Cronus stuck his tongue out as he stood up, holding out a hand to you to help you up.

You took it, “What are you, twelve?”

“Yes.”

Ah yes, how could you have forgotten.

You went to give him a playful shove but he was like a rock. A dense, six and a half foot rock, and it had the opposite effect of you swaying a bit.

That shuckboy had the gall to just laugh at your expense like some sort of jerk, and you were about to respond but he just tugged you along out of his little sound studio and into another room along the same hallway. It was a fair size, well furnished with a large couch, a tv, some poofy bean bag chairs, a record player and several shelves filled with what looked like dozens if not more records, and a wall covered in pictures of John Travolta.

“This is my dude cavern.” Cronus said without a hint of shame.

And you fucking lost it, drunkenly giggling.

Dude Cavern.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, nothing.” You mumbled, flopping onto the couch.

Ooo very plush. A+ couch.

He sat down next to you and when you didn’t move away he rested his head on your shoulder.

“Cronus, you reek of cologne. It’s offending my delicate human sensibilities.” You shoved him off.

“Yeah, I smell sexy as hell. But you? You smell like dairy products.”

Gross.

You looked down at your damp sweater… eugh he was right you did smell like dairy (with a hint of cinnamon). God it was only gonna get grosser the longer you kept it on.

He looked at you quizzically. “Jeegus, kitten, you okay?”

“No. My sweater smells like milk.”

“Do….” He fidgeted again, “Do you want one of mine? I think I have a spare in here somewhere.”

The troll hopped off the couch and opened a door you hadn’t noticed before, rummaging around. He pulled something out, looking over at you before shaking his head and pulling out a different wad of cloth, tossing it over to you. “Try that one out.”

You rolled your eyes. “No, you’re literally standing right there. I’m not giving in to your shameless ploy to see me topless.”

He clicked his tongue, a static-y sort of soft buzz coming from him. That was a new one. “Fine. Don’t change then.”

Cronus sat down next to you again, still reeking of cologne. You wrinkled your nose. “I don’t mean to be a rude house guest but your cologne’s gonna give me a headache if I’m in prolonged proximity to it… I know it sounds silly, but I really do get headaches from aerosol scents….” God this was awkward…. Maybe you should just go. You were being rude. But you were drunk, and you kind of wanted to watch Hallmark movies…. The Mailman was right about at least one thing: sad endings sucked, and you wanted to watch some mindless holiday movies and see shit work out in the end. “Go make yourself smell less like a perfume department.”

“Fiiine I’ll go wash it off.” He got up again with a huff. “Unless you want to wash it off for me.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively but you just nudged (shoved) him with your foot. He went back to that same door, rummaging around and pulling some things out and heading over to yet another door you hadn’t noticed before.

(You really needed to brush up on your observation skills… though it was probably because you were drunk.)

Pausing to look at you one more time he asked, “Could you put on a movie? We have literally all of the cable. Human cable. Troll Cable. Streaming services ‘n shit too.”

He disappeared into what looked like a little bathroom from the glimpse you caught before he shut the door leaving you alone.

Bougie ass bitch. Rich people and their ‘cable’ services. You hadn’t paid for anything in years and you intended to keep it that way.

You flipped through about a thousand and one channels, self conscious about the milk smell that refused to be put out of your mind. Frustrated you tossed the remote on the couch, gave a hasty look at the door Cronus had gone into. You could still hear the sound of water running, so as quickly as you could, you shimmied out of your gross dairy clothes and into the hoodie he’d tossed you. It was massive, a deep plum color with that squiggly symbol the Amporas wore in lilac bordered by violet and gold. You practically felt like you were swimming in it. But it was dry, and warm, and smelled like detergent with only a hint of the body spray he usually wore and a faint briny scent that reminded you a little of nori. Altogether not unpleasant. (Actually you found you didn’t mind it at all).

You piled your eggnog drenched shirt and sweater next to the door so you would remember them later (kind of dreading putting them back on for your drive home), and switched the tv over to one of the streaming services. Finding a hallmark movie from there was no problem at all.

It still sounded like the water was going so you got up to check out one of the posters on the wall of John Travolta. Well at least you knew for a fact who Cronus was trying so hard to emulate. Although come to think of it, you rarely saw him in a leather jacket.

He'd been in there kind of a while... but you supposed that that was probably normal for someone with gills. You had begun to flip through a few of his records before the door opened.

Cronus looked…. Different.

Hair in a messy, damp, slightly curly mop instead of neatly slicked back with who knows how many products, wide circular glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, clad in a hoodie and sweat pants. The hot toddy mug still clutched in his hand. (Had he brought that into the bathroom with him?)

There was something about him that felt eerily familiar though. You couldn’t quite place it until you saw the two scars on his forehead.

Two little twin lightning bolts.

You failed to stifle your giggle.

“Yeah, I get it. I just figured why not be comfortable since you’ve made it pretty fuckin’ clear we ain’t gonna fuck tonight….” He trailed off, looking at you intently, violet blush spreading from his cheeks to his fins.

“You look like troll Harry Potter,” You finally managed to wheeze out.

[balancingdiet]

trembling hands

Detective Conan & Magic Kaito Characters: Kaito/Shinichi Words: 1300 ish Required Fic: Tabula Rasa Extra: (1) (2) (3) (4)

Kaito unintentionally invited Shinichi to watch his performance at the hospital.

For the past year, Kaito had been volunteering more times than he had combined when Aoko was still... around. It might seem Kaito wouldn't have any problems when he'd held so many of these performances already, but there was still one issue he had yet to solve.

Being in the hospital setting, Kaito couldn’t use his doves so that would reduce the number of tricks he could do, but that was never his concern; he'd already curated new tricks over the weekends and practiced last night, and Kaito just had to work a little on the timing since it was likely he'd overrun the thirty minutes session... but that was not the current concern either.

Sitting on the couch in his living room, Kaito stared at his trembling hands.

They had been like this the whole morning.

A flap of wings and a dove landed on the armrest. Being the most intrusive and shameless dove Kaito ever owned, he knew it was Tamago before he had to look.

“You just had your breakfast,” Kaito reminded.

Tamago didn’t answer. It continued to look at him, its red, beady eyes emitting a sense of curiousness that only Kaito would recognise.

Ignoring his companion, Kaito slowly clenched his fists, willing them to stop shaking. For consolation, at least Kaito's situation didn't get worse and had been improving over the months; comparing to the first few weeks when he returned as a volunteer, it wasn’t just his hands but his whole body that would be shaking, and there were a few times when the mere thoughts of going to the hospital could set his lungs on fire.

Fire—

Tamago cooed.

Kaito sighed and leaned back to lay his head on the couch. “I’m fine.”

If it was even possible, Kaito would’ve thought he saw Tamago rolled its eyes.

Kaito glanced at his clenched fists. They were still trembling, but luckily there were still a couple of hours to go before he had to leave his house. Maybe by then, he should be—

Kaito’s ear twitched as he straightened on his couch and glanced towards the direction of his kitchen. He swore he heard the faint sound of a door opening.

And now there was the sound of the door closed.

Kaito sprinted towards his kitchen and peered through his windows that faced his backyard. If only the previous owner of the house had constructed an extra window pane on the right, Kaito would have a perfect view of Shinichi’s backyard too. Instead, Kaito had to press his face near the glass and crane his neck out, just barely catching a glimpse of Shinichi’s empty-looking backyard. But it wasn’t empty, per se.

Shinichi was there.

“Huh?” Kaito raised an eyebrow. “What is he doing?” he wondered aloud. Kaito would rather believe Shinichi was there to bury a dead body than to take care of his tragically, overcrowding plants.

Kaito had no plans to be a detective, so he grabbed a watering-can under the sink as a disguise and headed out to get the direct answer he wanted.

Shinichi turned at the exact second Kaito stepped onto his backyard.

Now from a better angle, Kaito could see what Shinichi was really up to: He was holding a mug, which Kaito dared to bet his precious card gun that it was filled with coffee. So he was drinking with a perfect view of his dying plants. Truly a wonderful experience it must be.

“Good morning, neighbour.” Kaito put up a hand. “What coincidental timing.” He pointed down at his watering can, hoping Shinichi would buy his excuse for his appearance.

It seemed Shinichi did. “...Morning,” he muttered.

Maybe Kaito should have waited a minute later before coming out, just so the caffeine would kick in for Shinichi or something— Hah, would that have mattered to Kaito anyway? He answered his own thoughts by strolling towards the fence and closing their distance, feeling carefree indeed.

Shinichi made no move to go closer to the fence, though he didn’t make any move to go back into his house too. But the most shocking thing of all was that Shinichi spoke first when Kaito finally reached the fence. “I never knew you’re a morning person,” the detective said, sounding stumped as if this was a case he was trying to solve.

“You’re right, I’m not.” Kaito propped an elbow over the fence. “It’s just that I have something on later so I woke up early for it.”

Shinichi raised an eyebrow. It was either Kaito’s words or the caffeine had finally kicked in; he looked much more awake now. “What do you have?”

Funny enough, Kaito didn’t realise his hands had stopped shaking until they started again. He was glad that Shinichi could only see his elbow from his view; Kaito’s hand was hanging over the side of his own fence. 

Really, Kaito should have expected Shinichi’s question...

Ah, the feeling of regret. How nostalgic.

Kaito could lie, no doubt; it was one of his many talents to make his answer turn out to be a joke without trying. But this time he knew there was no point to lie. Not because Shinichi was smart enough to call him out, Kaito believed Shinichi couldn’t care less about the truth too.

“I have a performance at a hospital,” Kaito said.

“Oh.”

“Feel free to come visit. No entry fee, obviously,” Kaito smirked. And it was like he was blabbering—from the ironic nervousness of hoping his anxiety wasn’t going to be triggered—as he told Shinichi the time and which hospital it was before the detective could even say if he want to come or not.

Shinichi simply hummed to the information and went on to drink his coffee silently, which Kaito didn’t know what it exactly meant, but it wasn’t until ten seconds later than Kaito realised Shinichi wasn’t going to speak anymore. As expected.

And stupidly, at the eleventh second, it somehow occurred to Kaito and made him wonder why he even approached Shinichi in the first place. To annoy the detective early in the morning? Like... a distraction? Yeah, that seemed like the only plausible reason. And if so, Kaito should start to think of his exit to end this; this was dragging a little too much.

Luckily, it was also one of his many talents in making it seemed effortless like a joke, too.

“Eh, detective. Can you hear that?”

Shinichi glanced up from his mug and stared at Kaito. “Hear what?”

“The cries from your plants because they’re dying.” Kaito pointed at Shinichi’s pots before hiding his hand back behind the fence (they weren’t shaking again, but just in case).

Shinichi rolled his eyes. “Like I’ve said, they’re still well and growing.”

“Like I’ve said, it’s actually overcrowding and that means bad.” Kaito shook his head.

“...Hey, did you hear something?”

Kaito blinked. Was Shinichi trying to play some kind of Uno reverse-card ploy at him? “What?” Kaito asked warily.

Shinichi snorted. “It’s the sound of your roses crying because they're dying from thirst and not growing, thanks to you.”

Kaito had heard and withstood many kind of insults (courtesy of Hakuba for fulfilling some on the list), but no one had yet to mock about his roses before. Now that Shinichi was the first to check that box, Kaito finally knew what it was like, and indeed, it was ridiculously funny.

Not true, but funny.

Kaito made a show by laughing and wiping an invisible tear off his eye. “You’re hilarious, detective.”

Shinichi watched in disdain. “I’m done with you," he said, briefly checking his watch before chugging the remaining coffee. "I'm going to work."

“Yes, justice and murder awaits.” Kaito waved with the watering can in his hand. "Goodbye."

Shinichi didn’t return the farewell, as per usual, and left for the door to his kitchen before closing it behind him. Kaito could see Shinichi’s shadow moving back and forth in the kitchen from his window, but only until Kaito heard the sound of Shinichi’s car starting in front, he finally dared to allow his face to relax and his plastered smile fell.

Leaning against the fence, Kaito braced himself and looked at his hands.

For now, they weren’t trembling anymore.

// “You came,” (Kuroba) said, his statement sounded more like a question. It wouldn’t be as absurd if it wasn’t Kuroba that invited him to come in the first place.

“You asked me to,” Shinichi muttered, clearly remembering the exact moment when Kuroba did: With a propped elbow over their fence, he'd disturbed Shinichi’s quiet morning and told him he was free to come to today's event. //

-Chapter 12

[hungline]

catch me (if you can)

pairing: jihope, side taegi  genre: fluff, mild smut, club au, rated m  warnings: mild sexual content at the end  words: 1853 

summary:  Hoseok literally falls in love with the club’s new security guard. 

Hoseok hadn’t ever really expected to literally fall in love, but fate had a funny way of shoving Hoseok into unexpected situations.

Especially when he had the unfortunate luck to wake up every day to the sounds of his room mates caught in the middle of an intense make out session which would inevitably lead to a morning fuckfest Hoseok would rather avoid listening to. Considering that Yoongi blushed tomato red when Hoseok mentioned it later on, he thought that Taehyung would at least try and keep his moans down, but the biologist was as shameless as Hoseok so he shouldn't have found it surprising when Taehyung didn’t. Really the couple should have thanked their lucky stars that Hoseok didn't walk in on them while they were in the middle of getting down to business.

Hoseok generally lived in a way that would have bothered the most reserved of people, but after rooming with a sex-driven couple for almost two years, certain things just didn't phase him anymore. He just hadn't thought that he’d find the love of his life during work hours.

Yoongi always said that Hoseok fell too hard and too fast, but Hoseok liked to think of it as merely changing his clothes and slipping into whatever new persona he’d have when he found a new object of desire. And when Park Jimin barreled his way into Hoseok’s life, the brunette bartender felt himself stripped bare instead of feeling brand new before the younger orange-haired boy.

So there Hoseok was, held tight in the arms of a muscle-toned, orange-haired man who wasn't that much younger than him in the middle of the club where Hoseok had been working at for years. The man was staring deep into his eyes, chest pressed tightly against his, and the drinks Hoseok had been carrying beforehand were spilled across the floor at their feet.

“Steady there,” the man yelled over the thumping bass of the club’s music, pulling Hoseok upwards into a standing position as he did.

Hoseok blinked, glad for once that Yoongi was DJ’ing because his bass filled tracks meant that Hoseok had clearly registered the husky satoori of the orange-haired man before him.

“Thank you!” Hoseok shouted over a particular loud thrum of music.

The man smiled and kept his intense gaze on Hoseok, slowly reaching out to fix Hoseok’s crooked collar. “You alright?”

Hoseok was one hundred percent sure that his face was blushing a deep pink and that his breath was probably more forced than it should be, but he was too busy falling head over heels for the man who’d just caught him from taking a nasty fall after bumping into him.

“Yeah. I'm fine! How about you?” Hoseok asked in return.

The man’s eye-smile was to die for. “Good. I'm good. Sorry for running right into you. Can I pay for your drinks?”

Hoseok nodded dumbly, absorbed in the man’s gorgeous face. “Yeah, sure thing, hon.”

“What's your name, gorgeous?”

“Jung Hoseok.” Hoseok was absolutely glowing from the comment. “You?”

“Park Jimin.”

“Nice to meet you, Jimin-ssi,” Hoseok grinned, for once certain that he’d found the man of his dreams.

“The pleasure is all mine, Hoseok-ssi.”

❧

“I'm in love!” Hoseok wailed the second he got back home.

“That's nice, hyung,” came Taehyung’s response from his place on the armchair.

Hoseok shucked off his shoes and threw himself into the younger’s lap, disgruntling Taehyung who’d been busy reading a book on tropical plants.

“He's so handsome and so strong. His name is Jimin and he has the thickest, juiciest thighs on this side of the planet, Tae-ah,” Hoseok gushed, throwing his arms around the younger’s neck. “He's just so amazing and guess what the best part is!”

Taehyung sighed and struggled to close his book before indulging the elder in his ramblings over his newest shiny toy. “What's the best part, hyung?”

“He works at the club as a security guard! Meaning I'll be able to see him every day at work,” Hoseok sighed dreamily, shifting his weight in the younger’s lap. “It's a sign, Tae! We're meant to be!”

“Or just a coincidence,” the younger sighed, pushing Hoseok off his lap to walk towards the bookcase on the other end of the living room. “Where's Yoongi-hyung?”

“Collecting and cashing our checks,” Hoseok answered, stretching out in Taehyung’s spot on the armchair.

“Shouldn't you be handling your own money, hyung?” Taehyung asked, making his way to the kitchen.

“Nah. Yoongi-hyung is better at dealing with money than me. I'll just spend my check all in one place. Hyung saves our money for bills and food and other ‘important’ things,” Hoseok yawned, not really interested in trivial things like that and all too focused on the new security guard.

Taehyung shook his head as he came back in the living room with the plate of food he’d saved for Hoseok. “Alright, well let me know when he gets home. Here’s some food I saved you though, hyung.”

“Thank you, Tae-ah.”

“No problem, hyung. When you're done eating, just leave your plate in the sink and get to bed. I'll clean up for you.”

“Alright. I'll let you know when Yoongi-hyung gets here then.”

“Thanks, hyung.”

Taehyung moved to leave before turning back and carding his fingers through Hoseok’s hair. “Hey, I know you fall for guys like changing your underwear, but how about you take things slow with this one, yeah?”

Hoseok smiled and clasped onto Taehyung’s fingers, drawing his hand away from his sweaty mop of hair. “Don’t worry. I intend to.”

The younger man bit his lip, but nodded all the same. As much as he worried, Hoseok was a big boy and could make decisions for himself. He didn’t need Taehyung or Yoongi to hold his hand and tell him how to live his life. Hoseok just needed someone who could brace the storm of the elder’s crazy and still be standing by the time the worst had passed.

As Taehyung kissed Hoseok’s hair and bid him good night, he hoped that this Park Jimin would be that someone.

❧

True to his word, Hoseok went slow.

He spent most of his free time befriending the new security guard. Whenever Hoseok wasn’t mixing or serving drinks in the club, he was out on the dance floor, shimmying his hips and gyrating back on strangers while never breaking the eye contact he held with Jimin.

Yoongi told him that his obvious ploys to get into Jimin’s pants were beneath even him, but Hoseok knew that Yoongi couldn’t really understand. Not when he had Taehyung, smart and beautiful Taehyung, to come home to every night.

So he pushed on.

Hoseok made it his duty to become friends with Jimin, no matter how blatant his pining must’ve been. Jimin obviously felt something akin to what Hoseok felt if the way he kept strangers from going too far with Hoseok in the club said anything. And it did, it said volumes.

Even if it was his job to do so, Jimin kept an eye out for Hoseok and Hoseok fell even harder with each day.

Hoseok could clearly remember every incident when a patron had gotten too handsy for his liking and Jimin had intervened. It was like he materialized out of thin air, always appearing just as soon as an incident would happen.

But maybe, if Hoseok had just paid a bit more attention, he would notice how Jimin’s eyes trailed after him when he moved around the club. Jimin was like a ship at sea and Hoseok was the lighthouse guiding him home. The orange haired man couldn’t keep away from Hoseok, not matter how hard he tried.

It wasn’t like he tried to anyway, so when Hoseok finally asked him out on a simple date to the movies, Jimin hadn’t faltered in his answer.

He’d said yes and he never once regretted it.

❧

“Are you sure, hyung?” Jimin panted against his neck.

“Positive,” Hoseok answered, his chest heaving.

They were in Hoseok’s room, Hoseok pinned to the back of his door with Jimin and his growing bulge between his clothed thighs. Yoongi was back at the club and Taehyung was spending the night at Seokjin’s for a project. The house was entirely Hoseok’s for the night and he was going to take advantage.

To be fair, he’d spent the most time wooing Jimin out of all his previous relationships. He waited almost three months before even asking the younger out on a date and then waited another two months that were filled with many outings before he invited the orange-haired boy into his bed.

Jimin was mouthing down Hoseok’s neck, his fingers digging into the bartender’s hips. Hoseok’s legs were wrapped around Jimin’s waist and fingers twisted in the younger’s hair. Hoseok had quite literally teared off Jimin’s shirt in the initial struggle to his bed, but it now hung off the muscled man in rags instead as they stood plastered to the door. Jimin pressed his bulge against Hoseok’s and grinded down until the elder let out a breathy moan that satisfied the younger. He caught Hoseok’s bottom lip in between his teeth and began to kiss the elder as he continued to grind their clothed erections against each other. Hoseok just hoped that Yoongi and Taehyung would stay away long enough for him to get laid and not walk in on Jimin kissing him so fiercely that he could barely even breathe.

Ever since meeting Jimin, an ache for the younger had begun to grow. Hoseok had been patient though and waited until it was the right time for him and Jimin to become intimate. Currently, Hoseok was inwardly cursing himself for not having jumped Jimin’s bones earlier because he was in absolute heaven thanks to the skilled tongue of the younger, but he was glad he’d been patient. It made the experience much more meaningful since Hoseok had never really enjoyed casual sex anyways. He cared for the younger and Jimin cared for him and sex with feelings was always the best, at least in Hoseok’s opinion it was.

Then Jimin stopped grinding against him and Hoseok let out a low-pitched whine that ignited a fire in the pit of the younger’s stomach.

“Jimin-ah,” Hoseok panted. “What's wrong?”

Jimin was absolutely breathless as he answered. “Hyung, it feels weird doing this.”

Hoseok froze, beginning to untangle his fingers from Jimin’s hair and his legs from the younger’s waist, but Jimin clamped his hands onto Hoseok’s thighs and held his legs in place.

“Let me explain,” Jimin whispered, his voice ragged. “It feels weird doing this when we're not officially together.”

“Oh. Well that's easily fixed,” Hoseok let out, blinking twice before a shy smile spread across his lips. “Jimin-ah, will you be my boyfriend?”

Jimin grinned. “Hell yes, hyung.”

“Great!” Hoseok wrapped his arms around the younger’s neck and pulled Jimin even closer to him, his back muscles straining against the door behind him. “Now dick me down already.”

Jimin let out a nervous giggle that Hoseok absolutely adored. “Never say that again, please.”

“Noted.”

[starswornoaths]

The Flames of Her Fury

Aymeric is slow to trust, even those who he wants to trust. On any other day, Serella would have the patience for him. Today she is fighting for her friends’ lives.

Or:

Serella asserts herself, and Aymeric has the first inclination that maybe he’s a bottom.

(This isn’t NSFW I’m being an idiot it’s just about them talking before Alphinaud and Tataru’s trial)

When he received word of the arrests of Master Leveilleur and Mistress Taru, Aymeric only found himself surprised by half. That they were accused of heresy was, while deeply unsettling, only surprising in so far as it happened so soon.

A frown marred his face as he mulled over Lucia’s report of the situation; that it was Ser Grinnaux of the Heaven’s Ward that laid such charges against them, vague as those charges were, was of grave concern; though no one voiced it, the writing was on the wall: this was meant to get rid of a perceived threat.

Still, that threat was clearly not with the accused—capable as they were no doubt were, this was a shameless ploy to eliminate the Warrior of Light by association.

Because Serella would intervene; even knowing her as little as he did, he did not doubt that she set out for a solution the moment she was informed. Heavy thoughts bade he wonder if this would be another notch upon her sword or her moment of ruin. He could only hope for the former.

Thus the notice from the lift guard that the Warrior of Light was requesting an audience did not come as a surprise, and she was swiftly granted entrance.

Even less surprising was her hurried gait as she walked in. He did not even have the opportunity to stand and greet her before she was at his desk.

“I won’t pretend you don’t know,” Serella began, foregoing her own greeting. “That Alphinaud and Tataru have been arrested on charges of heresy.”

“I was informed,” Aymeric answered. “I must extend my apologies—“

“You had nothing to do with it.” Serella dismissed. “And I don’t have time for pleasantries.” She grimaced. “Haurchefant sent me to you in the hopes that you could help me.”

“Regrettably, there is little I can do to stop it.” Aymeric said, and folded his hands together atop his desk.

“What?” Serella balked, as if surprised. She shook her head and tried to explain, “No, that’s not—“

A flare of anger sparked in his chest; here she had come to him but a week ago insisting they be honest with one another to build trust, and already she not only wished to use him for his position, but to demure as though she was not? Had his suspicions of her intent been right all along? Though he did not raise his voice, he did not hide the way his frown deepened.

“The Holy See has formally arrested them.” He said in a clipped tone. “Were I to try and step in to release them—“

Serella’s hands slammed upon his desk hard enough that he jumped in his chair. The noise was sharp enough to pierce through the anger, the thud heavy enough to douse the conflagration in his chest. His heart pounded in his chest from beneath her fiery gaze.

“I need you,” she said, her tone low and dangerous. “To pull your paranoid head out of your own ass and hear me.”

The last words were snarled, her scarred lips pulled back enough to bare her teeth. Without meaning to, Aymeric straightened in his seat and moved his hands to his lap, gaping up at her intense visage with wide eyes. Her ferocity had never been directed at him, and as he watched the fire burn in her mismatched eyes he at last understood how she had turned false gods to ash.

“Let me be clear: I do not want you to intervene.” She continued in that warning tone of hers. 

Unconsciously, he shivered from the ice in her voice. She loomed over him in a way none had dared to since he began to climb up the ranks of the Temple Knights. His pulse quickened, and the heat in her gaze slid down to settle low in his gut— and was promptly shoved away because what was he meant to do with that particular feeling. 

“It would be stupid.” She continued. “Even if they were cleared, they would only be targeted more than they already have.”

“That they would.” Aymeric conceded softly, still more than a little surprised.

“All I am asking of you,” Serella said, her tone slowly thawing into something more neutral. “Is to tell me how I can save them.”

It was subtle—if she had not been leaning so close to him he might have missed it, but he saw the way she winced when her voice cracked. Her mask of stalwart and unflinching fury slipped, however momentarily, but it was enough to quietly remind him that she was fighting for two of the only people she had left on this star—doubtless it only made her more desperate.

You are capable of kindness, he chastised himself. Remember that.

“It would seem,” he said hesitantly. “That I have presumed in error.” He lowered his eyes, humbled. “Forgive—”

“Later.” Serella snapped. “Tell me how I can fix this. Please.”

“They can demand a trial by combat—and doubtless Master Leveilleur will.” Aymeric said quickly. “Mistress Taru, however, can select a champion to fight in her stead.”

“Me, then.” She said simply.

“Precisely.” He confirmed with a nod. “Though her champion must needs be present—“

“Thank you, Ser Aymeric.” Serella cut him off, already pushing away from his desk and running to the lift. “I’ll report in after I win.”

“And that is already a foregone conclusion?” He called as she slipped inside the lift.

She turned to look at him as the gate closed.

“It is.” She said. “Because it has to be.”

Her words stayed with him even after she left.

He could not help but be humbled by the encounter. While her outburst had been more than a little…unexpected, he could concede that it was not without merit—or at least, was understandable, given the circumstances. She had come only seeking his advice, after all, and he had to quietly concede that his assumption was uncalled for, and his reaction outsized. It would seem they both bore the pain of thawing to one another, he thought to himself.

Aymeric weighed his options carefully. He spoke truthfully when he said that there was nothing that he could do; even if he had the political sway for it—which he lacked besides—the backlash would doubtless put them in greater danger. Serella had the right of that. Still…there were some areas in which he had a modicum of latitude.

The linkpearl frequency that he dialed was one he had memorized from repetition, and he was soon tapping his earpiece as the call connected.

“Ser Handeloup,” his Second Commander announced himself.

“I require your discretion in this discussion, Second Commander.” Aymeric said. “Pray speak as though you are conversing with a friend.”

“Of course,” Handeloup replied in a conversational tone.

Good, Aymeric thought. The less it seems that this is an important call, the better.

“If I recall your schedule correctly, you are currently at the Tribunal?” He asked, even as he thumbed through the day’s patrol routes and assignments to confirm what he had said.

“Only just,” Ser Handeloup said easily. “But yes.”

“There is a trial of heresy for two of the wards of House Fortemps on the docket today,” Aymeric explained. “Can you confirm that it has not yet begun?”

“A marvelous question,” Handeloup replied casually—good, he was keeping up appearances. There were a few moments of static before he spoke again. “From the sound of it, there is nothing going on at the moment.”

Then the judge has not yet brought them to face their charges. There was still time…

“I would ask you to invoke a request of documentation on the orders of the Lord Commander.” Aymeric said after only a moment’s pause. “I would know more of these charges and what evidence they are based upon.”

More like he would stall the judge long enough to guarantee that Serella could get to the Tribunal before the trial started, but still. Nothing stalled bureaucracy for another half bell or so like paperwork.

“I can do that.” Handeloup said. “Anything else I can assist with?”

“Only that you might bring the requested documents to the Congregation at your earliest convenience.” Aymeric answered. “Thank you for your assistance in this matter, Ser Handeloup.”

“Of course,” his Second Commander replied. “Until then.”

With the call ended, Aymeric leaned back in his chair, his hands resting in his lap. Technically, he was only asking Ser Handeloup to perform a task he would have had to have done regardless—he only asked that it be done sooner rather than later.

Punctuality did not correlate to preferential treatment, after all. Any who might try to accuse him of it would only be mocked for their overreach. He could only pray that Serella would make it count.

It was less than three hours later that Aymeric heard word that she had, in fact, made it count—and count soundly, from the sound of it. To hear Haurchefant explain the battle in breathless detail, Ser Grinnaux should offer thanks to Halone that he still possessed all of his limbs.

Aymeric felt only a little guilty that he regretted not being able to see that.

Still, if that had been the ultimate conclusion to the whole ordeal—with the Warrior of Light as the victor and the wards of House Fortemps cleared of their charges—then that would have been more than enough, sight unseen. So when he was notified later that evening that Serella was awaiting admittance to his office with a package, he had to admit, his curiosity was piqued. He permitted her entry.

Serella came to him with steps lightened from her earlier burden and an apologetic smile upon her face. She had taken the time to change out of her armor, and came to him wearing a simple shirt and pants, obscured only by a thick gray cloak. This would be the first time he had ever seen her out of her armor, he realized with a start—it struck him as significant, even if he could not parse out why.

“A pleasure to see you again, Mistress Arcbane,” Aymeric greeted her from his desk with a smile. “And may I express my relief that the trial came to such a satisfactory conclusion.”

“I’m just glad it’s over.” Serella said, sighing. “But I didn’t come here for my ego to be fed.” She shifted her weight to one foot in front of his desk, her expression bashful. “I came to say thank you,” she explained before adding, “and…because I owe you an apology.”

He respected her too much to pretend at ignorance, though all the same, he felt an apology was unnecessary.

“You owe me nothing—“ he tried to say when she held her hand up.

“Please don’t try to excuse my behavior.” She implored him with a shake of her head. “I got in your face and spoke out of turn— you didn’t deserve that.”

“Given the circumstances,” Aymeric said amicably. “I am in no position to fault you.”

“Nor I you,” Serella replied. She shrugged a shoulder and looked over to the window before adding, “I thought about how it must have looked from your perspective for a bit there—and I’d have drawn the same conclusion you did.” She lowered her gaze. “Truly, I’m sorry for the way I treated you. It was beneath us both.” She met his gaze evenly. “I’ll carry myself better going forward, you have my word.”

Aymeric could not help but be pleasantly surprised—though he was considered young for his station by most standards in both military and political fields, many of his political colleagues might as well have been toddlers for how well they handled any given situation where they might have even tangentially been at fault, so such a direct apology was…welcome. His expression must have given some part of him away, as Serella fidgeted.

“Have…have I offended?” She asked hesitantly.

“Not at all,” he said immediately. “Quite the opposite, in fact.” He cleared his throat and explained, “I am unaccustomed to receiving apologies of any magnitude that were even half so sincere.” He offered her a slow but genuine smile. “You are a breath of fresh air, Serella Arcbane.”

“Yeah, well,” she fumbled for a moment, clearly flustered by the comment. “Likewise—you actually took the time to hear me out.”

She gently laid the box she had brought in with her upon his desk—a small box, but he recognized the white and gold parcel wrap from a chocolatier he had been known for frequenting. He quietly wondered if she knew that part, and hadn’t simply asked around for a reputable sweets shop; there were only so many in the city, he remembered with dismay.

“I remembered you liked confections, but I had no idea what you would like,” Serella said apologetically. “But I was recommended this place for sweets.”

“By whom?” He asked, eyeing the wrapping. “They have good taste.”

“Haurchefant,” Serella admitted with a smile. “I figured it must be good— was the only store I’ve ever heard him recommend by name.”

Aymeric laughed at that—the two of them had often gone in their early days of knighthood together and spent damn near every gil they had on good chocolate and taffy to share with the then young Lord Francel. Of course Haurchefant would remember—he had often admitted that those were some of the few happy moments he had within the city before his transfer to Camp Dragonhead.

“I am surprised he did not remember my old order there.” Aymeric said, already beginning to tug at the gold ribbon wrapped around the box.

“Oh he does,” Serella said with a wry twist of her lips. “He just wouldn’t tell me.”

That was a surprise—much as he adored his old friend, Haurchefant was, above many other things, the biggest gossip Aymeric personally knew.

“Believe me, I asked him.” She said, holding up a hand. “But he told me, ‘isn’t it better to learn yourself?’” She rolled her eyes goodnaturedly. “That these were meant to be a surprise olive branch was beside the point—I evidently still had to learn for myself.”

“Ever has Lord Haurchefant had a proclivity for mischief,” Aymeric mused. Sliding the lid of the box off, he peered down at the confections within and arched a brow. “May I ask who chose these sweets in particular?”

“I did.” Serella said, and he heard the shrug in her tone without looking up at her.

They were truffles— what flavor, he could only guess— wrapped in white chocolate and dotted with blue icing on top. Mamelons d'Halone. Reminding himself that he was no longer a boy of twelve summers, he fought back a snicker.

“An interesting choice.” He said instead, though he could not help but smile wider. “May I ask what made you decide on this?”

“Because it seemed a good icebreaker.” Serella said with a grin and a shrug of her shoulders. “And I was a tit earlier.”

Aymeric was not proud of the laugh that bubbled up in his throat at the joke.

“Alright, now I am a touch cross.” He admitted around his chuckling, and though he gave a valiant effort to looking annoyed, her grin dissolved his attempts. “That was not funny.”

“You laughed, so it counts.” She countered. After a moment’s hesitation, she asked, “there’s...there isn’t any cultural significance to these, right? I mean, I asked at the shop and they said no, but—”

 “Only that young students of the scholasticate laugh at them in the windows.” He reassured her, giving in to his chuckling and holding up a hand.

“Good.” Serella sighed. “There’s a similar truffle in Gridania— but it’s named after Menphina instead.” She pointed to the sweets inside the box. “And there’s a little pink nub on the top instead of blue.” She shrugged. “But I’m guessing that’s just to be funny because it’s cold here.”

“A rather bold assumption,” he tutted playfully. “That Ishgardians are capable of humor.”

He delighted in the startled sputter of laughter that Serella coughed up, staring at him with wide, surprised eyes.

“Did…” She asked slowly, her grin widening by the second. “Did you just make a joke?”

“Not at all.” He dismissed. “I made an observation.”

“True enough,” she sighed. “How could I think you could be funny?”

“How indeed,” Aymeric said. Eyeing the chocolates, he saw the unique opportunity they represented. “As recompense for presuming me capable of humor, I would request your assistance in enjoying these.” He looked to her as he gestured to the box. “I fear I could not eat them all alone— and I would enjoy speaking with you more.”

“Ah,” Serella mused with a knowing nod. “You’d like to be kept abreast of how things are going?”

Aymeric’s lip twitched— and he hated that it did. Her eyes, hawkish as they were, saw it, and she flashed him a toothy smile.

“You smiled.” She observed.

“I shan’t be making a habit of it,” he promised, even as he gave up and laughed again. “Come, I shall prepare tea for us to partake in— that is,” he caught himself; she hadn’t accepted his invitation. “Provided you are amenable?” Fearful of being seen as presuming her consent, he fumbled to explain, “truly, I would never press the issue. I only wished to take a moment to speak with you, and—”

He had an entire, long winded explanation for what amounted to ‘I want to know and trust you,’ that he was prepared to launch into when she started to laugh before he could truly begin. He looked up at her, and any of those carefully constructed words he might have still had in his head faded.

Serella was smiling at him, but for the first time it was...different. Her expression was soft and comfortable, and a warmth he had not realized she had made her smile glow with radiance. That her face was almost half scar did not matter to him as she met his gaze with a tilt of her head and a mirthful twinkle in her eyes.

Beautiful, his mind whispered. He ignored it.

“I would be more than amenable.” She said, her tone matching the softness in her eyes. With a huff of laughter, she added, “though just black for mine, if you please.”

“Of,” his throat felt dry and his voice cracked, so he cleared his throat and tried again, “Of course, Mistress Arcbane.” He gestured to a chair nearby. “Please.”

“How many times do I have to ask you to just call me Serella?” She asked him with another of those bell-clear laughs.

“Perhaps a few times more,” he said with a faint smile of his own as he set to fixing the kettle. “Though I would not wish for you to feel as though you must accept my invitation—”

“Aymeric.” Serella said.

He looked up from the kettle, surprised; she had never said his name before without his title, and he had not heard his name said in such a patient sigh since he was a boy— though this felt...different. Kinder. There was a faint...something that fluttered against his ribs but he pushed that down as far as he could— he wouldn’t even know what to do with that little budding...thing in his chest.

“You can call me here as often as you like,” she said, her smile still soft as gossamer and still doing odd things to his thoughts. “And if I can, I’ll come because I want to be here.” She looked down at her lap, though her smile did not fade. “I want us to be a team— perhaps even friends.”

“Then our goals align once more.” He said easily and earnestly. “Shall we start here?”

“I think,” Serella said, beaming at him as she settled her hands in her lap. “I think we shall.”

And once they had their cups in hand, they did.

[whos-playing-as-peach-blog]

Others aren't so lucky

Others aren't so lucky, she says, referring to her peers' dips into coerced sex and assault. "Guys who are in charge of these business, they don't respect the girls, because of this job. A girl who does this doesn't deserve to have respect — that's just the mentality. But at the same time, Anna downplays the prevalence of studio abuse as "exceptions", or even complete fabrications — ploys for sympathy and the money that might trickle with it.Part of the misconception comes from the fact that it's not policed. It's a very underground industry, and there's no governing body you can turn to, so people can be taken advantage of. It's an online community and it's hard to police. Anything can go wrong; people can be abusive and feel like they can go away with it, but then you can also just turn off the screen. But many women feel like they need to stay because of the money. I've never felt like I had to do that, but then again, it's the same when people stay in the wrong job for so long because they're scared of leaving and losing that financial security. It's so close to the porn industry and a lot of the sex industry isn't policed. If you have a problem and you go to the police about it, most of the time they'll just say well, you're asking for it, which is not acceptable. We're freelance and self-employed. We work for ourselves and these are our decisions, and we should be respected in the same way everyone else is respected.She has bathed in beetroot, set her nipple on fire and has spent 16 hours at a time on camera. While I was there, I went through one of the trainings they offer—a cam girl boot camp, so to speak. To be a cam girl, I learned, you have to be able to field sexual requests and be an expert on all kinds of fetishes so that you always know what clients are talking about. On top of that, you also have to be a pseudo therapist. The coach trained me on how to respond to different fetish requests, what to wear, how to do my makeup, how to pose, how to use the equipment, and just how to interact with clients in general. It turns out that, according to my coach, what people like is generally not the super over-the-top sexy woman. They want someone who looks hot but is pretty normal and chill, who they can just talk to.

Yes, its very much like the girlfriend experience. But that also depends on what the webcam model is like and also what the person paying is like because everyone wants something different.Why do you think some men, and probably women as well, prefer it to porn?The slim university student from Melbourne claims she earned $400 for her first session – and her 'mind was blown'.It is illegal in Romania for a man and woman to webcam together, but it is impossible to say how commonly the law is flouted in the way Oana describes. She went on to work as a prostitute in Germany, until she found the courage to return to Bucharest and a new life. Now she works in sex work prevention - talking to young women about her experiences, and trying to persuade them of the danger of video chat.

This comes off as somewhere between cynicism and naive denial, but the fact that she knows of any girls at all who've raped and beaten suggests that it is, at the very least, a real occupational hazard.She's got camming down to a science. "It's all about saying to people they are sweet," she smiles. All a man needs is attention, when he wants it, and he'll be Anna's until the tokens run dry. Regulars will sit in her room for hours, pouring money away — these are the lonely ones, Anna says. "They want to hear that they're loved... that they're sweet... that they're kind... that's how you keep them coming back. It might sound mercenary, but these guys are getting exactly what they're paying for. Only a man in the deepest bog of delusion truly believes the cam love is real — if you're spending hundreds of dollars for a companion on your computer monitor, you have to be willing to suspend disbelief. Plenty are willing — particularly Americans, who for whatever reasons (Anna chalks it up to a sort of cultural shamelessness), are more "generous" than Europeans, and more likely to buy into the act — and pay for the privilege of watching something interactive.Lana works in Room 8. It is dominated by a circular bed with cushions. There is a wardrobe containing some of her clothes.In the heart of Bucharest on the pavement outside a tall apartment building a group of young women smoke, talk and laugh. It is an unremarkable scene. Except that in the bright morning sunlight, their heavy makeup, sky-high heels and shiny, revealing clothes contrast with the sensible, summer dress of passers-by. CONTINUED BELOW...

[rhetorical-ink]

Rhetorical Ink: “Star Wars - The Last Jedi” Review!

** BALANCED SPOILERS BELOW **

My father, brother, and I finally were able to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi in theaters today -- how did it measure up? Let’s say my views of the Light Side and Dark Side of this movie are pretty balanced -- so, in a “special” --

My Top Ten Thoughts on Star Wars, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi:

This review is going to focus on ten aspects of the film and what worked and didn’t work in my opinion, so bear with me:

10. The Effects:

Let’s get this out of the way -- the movie is GORGEOUS to watch on the big screen. I review enough films and critique enough to where that’s constantly what I’m looking for, especially in CGI-heavy films. I will say that the good news is that this has far better CGI than Thor: Ragnarok and DEFINITELY Justice League in terms of creating a seamless environment; plus, there are a lot of practical effects, locations, and set pieces that work well.

This will sort of go along with my #9, but at times, the effects do have a sort of Guardians of the Galaxy feel (see my #4), and that distracts me from the “realness” of the actual effects and some of the creature designs (looking RIGHT at you Porgs, again, #9), are fully CGI in many places and if you’re distracted by that sort of thing, yes, you’ll notice. Otherwise, though, the movie is SO stunning visually, I could do a Top Ten list alone of the visuals and world-building taking place in this movie. So that’s a win for me!

9. There ARE a lot of practical effect creatures blended with CGI in this film -- a lot of them I think help the worlds feel more “full” with life and have a galaxy-other-worldly quality to them. The “Caretakers” on the planet Luke is at, for example, work well alongside the Horse-like creatures that Rose and Finn discover on the “Casino planet,” essentially.

While the Porgs didn’t annoy me as I thought they would, and actually have a hilarious scene involving Chewie (not just the one above), they are clearly a marketing ploy and I’m not quite on board with their shameless-plug-nature. Nonetheless, they are okay and nothing as grating as the added CGI “cute monsters” Lucas added into the Prequels and “Special Editions” for no logical reason.

8. As far as the side characters go, we see a lot of the “every man” put into much of the movie -- and the whole notion of “nobody” plays a HUGE role in this movie (see far, far down below) -- but there were two main “side characters;” one I thought was well-used and the other two I was very, very unsure or displeased with their use: 

Laura Dern’s Captain character, luckily, was the well-used one -- she  not only had personality and a presence, but her character had a point. While it wasn’t really spelled out until her final moments in saving the Rebels, it was SO effective.

You could honestly hear a pin drop the moment she went light speed into the First Order fleet -- it was one of my favorite moments and a breath-holder for me. RIP Laura Dern’s lavender-haired character!

Benetio Del Toro’s “code cracker” and Captain Phasma, though? I feel Phasma is so wasted altogether -- you have such a cool character design, and they really don’t have much to do with her, and Del Toro, while charming though he’s no Han Solo in some moments, has an odd stutter of a character choice and doesn’t do much in terms of the overall plot, though my brother swears he’ll be back in a future movie. Maybe. Not sure I’ll welcome him, though.

7. There were three of our main characters that I felt either became developed in good ways or bad ways: First. let’s get the lesser developed out of the way.

Rose and Finn:

6. Don’t get me wrong, I really like Boyega and the new actress playing Rose and I liked their characters overall -- their plot in the film, though, did grind the film to a standstill at several points, and I honestly think it could have been shortened to help move the story along. That, and of all the lines in the film, they had some of the cheesier lines, like “Rebel Scum,” and Rose’s whole line about protecting what you love -- the lines aren’t necessarily cringe-worthy, but in the context they were said, I just didn’t feel them or like them. Hopefully, they’ll get more to do in the next film that is relevant with Rey, etc.

5. On the other hand, Poe Dameron, played by Oscar Isaacs jumped up a notch in terms of his role in the film. He clearly has that “Solo” attitude of jumping into action and being the no-worries “flyboy” throughout much of the film, but what I like that they did with him is that he GROWS as the movie goes on, to the point where by the end, he realizes the difference between being the “hero” and being the “leader.” It’s a type of growth that gives his character a much more relatable, and satisfying arc, whereas I don’t feel Rose and Finn get much of one, except Rose may have a thing for Finn now...which, okay, I guess.

Okay, so, I know I’m just wasting time at this point, because it’s all coming down to the Skywalker Family...oh, and Rey and Snoke. So let’s start with --

4. Now, I will be the first to admit that Leia has easily my least favorite scene in the film, and really the only one that I was uncomfortable with. Remember that notion about Guardians of the Galaxy above? Spoilers, obviously, at this point, but at one point, fairly early on in the movie, Leia’s ship is damaged and she is jettisoned out into space. The big deal here should be that it was NOT her son that shot the ship; in fact, he chose NOT to -- more on that below -- but instead the big deal is that she uses the Force to get back to the ship and to safety. From outer space.

I get the scene on paper; I get the importance of setting up how strong she really is with the Force, because it pays off later, but the entire sequence was a little unnerving and unsettling for me...maybe I’m the only one that didn’t like that sequence.

The rest of the movie with her? She STEALS the show -- well, her and Mark Hamill (again, more below) -- and owns her time on stage with such grace, elegance, and you can sense this frailty about her that is almost heart-wrenching. I really don’t know why the Outer-Space-Force scene was left in, aside from keeping her out of commission until later, but thankfully, the rest of the film with her makes up for it! Speaking of making up for things --

3. Mark Hamill as Luke stole the movie for me -- the emotion in his acting, the action scenes with Rey (and Kylo -- for the last time, more on that below), and the overall message of learning from failure just worked for me so well. His humor worked, the raw emotion in specific flashbacks, and with Leia -- it all just worked and I would watch a cut of just his, Leia, Rey, and Kylo’s scenes over and over if I could.

There is a scene, once Rey has left to go face Snoke and Keylo, where he encounters Yoda’s force-ghost, and at first, I was like, “Nooooooooope,” because I thought it was going to get cheesy, and that Ewan McGregor was going to pop in as Obi-Wan or worse, Hayden Christensen was going to pop in, but NO, it was just Yoda, and the scene served its purpose well, especially in foreshadowing of things to come. All the nods to Hamill’s bringing back Luke.

2. There’s been this running thread in the film about the Force, and how if you connect hard enough, it’s like you’re actually there. It sort of reaffirms the ability of Force Ghosts to exist and makes sense that characters with a strong bond can connect together and practically feel each other’s existence.

When Kylo and Rey start to connect, there’s this scene where they touch hands and it “feels” as if they’re really with each other, though they are thousands of miles away. That same moment comes back later, as Luke basically fools everyone, even his own sister, to his presence and saves the day. The last few moments with Luke we have? I was almost crying, and I rarely cry at a movie --

ALSO, JJ, if you can do anything for me, can you please, PLEASE just have Luke come back as a Force Ghost and “haunt” Kylo Ren, since he said he’ll always “be in his heart?” If you can do that, I will complain of NOTHING ever again with this series. 

1. I won’t lie, the last act of this movie is my favorite; there is SO much that comes together and to a head -- Luke’s fight with Kylo was without a doubt my favorite part of the film, but Rey and Kylo versus the Guards, the confrontation with Snoke, all of that was just SO well done, and I give props to Johnson’s screenplay for taking the Force in a new direction and really giving us a new movie-going experience with this story and I was ON BOARD with that. Plus, Ridley and Drive have SUCH good chemistry together! Seriously, every scene they played off one another, especially the Snoke Room scene -- floored me.

Oh, and thank goodness, Snoke dies in this movie, so forget him! While I was really hoping Kylo and Rey would team up after that -- I guess we haven’t quite gotten Kylo back to the light...he’s a work in progress, you know. 

Also, finally, we learn who Rey’s parents were -- nobodies.

They were common, every day people.

THAT is possibly my favorite part. SUCH a middle finger to all the theorists out there trying to connect her to a person in the already existing story line, but I loved it. Rey is all of us; she comes from a random place, but her motivation, spunk, and drive keeps her going -- and it doesn’t help her to be a tad bit Force-sensitive, eh?

Overall, I enjoyed The Last Jedi. Is it perfect? No, the Finn/Rose storyline does drag it a little, the Leia space-moment is luckily towards the beginning, so it’s out of the way early, and there are a few cheesy one-liners I was like “Ooohhh no” at, but overall, the rest is such a fun ride!

If you just happen to walk in the second half of the film, don’t feel bad; the story amps and amps to a fantastic conclusion! Worth seeing in theater!

[mirdaniaa]

sometimes a family is pt.4

Will and El were painting each other’s toenails and watching Mork and Mindy while Hopper and Joyce chatted in the next room. It had been happening more and more frequently these days, and everyone was fine with the arrangement.

“Did you ever know your parents?” Will asked suddenly.

El glanced up at him. “Sort of.” She was quiet for a minute. “I didn’t know I had a mama until. Until the Mind Flayer came. They took her mind. I met her once.” She was quiet for another minute. “I don’t know if I have a father. I had...a papa. He was one of the bad men.”

“My dad isn’t very nice either,” Will said kindly. “He’s always been mean to me and Jonathan.”

“Mouthbreather,” El said, and Will smiled.

“Yeah. A mouthbreather.”

They were quiet for a long moment, absorbed in the nail polish.

“I wish the chief was my dad,” burst out Will. “He’s so much nicer than my dad, and he’s fun, and he cares about me. And he makes my mom happy.”

“I wish Joyce was my mom,” Eleven agreed.

They looked at each other. Something clicked.

“If your dad married my mom,” Will said slowly. “Then we’d be brother and sister.”

“We’d live in the same house,” she said.

“We’d see each other all the time!”

“Your mom would make my dad happy, and he would make her happy.”

They grinned at each other.

“We have to get our parents together,” Will said decisively.

“But how do we do that?”

Will tapped his fingers against his chin. “In The Parent Trap, they switch places, but I don’t think that would work with us.”

El frowned. “The Parent Trap?”

“It’s a movie,” he explained. “Where these two girls are identical twin sisters, but when they were babies their parents divorced and each parent took a twin and never told them. But then one summer they meet at camp and put it together, and they switch places so that their parents will have to unswitch them and fall back in love. Of course, they were identical twin girls, and the dad was gonna get married to a horrible woman, and they had to break up the engagement on a camping trip, but it all worked out in the end.”

El absorbed this. “Where would we find a horrible woman?”

“I don’t know,” Will admitted. “But...maybe we don’t need to find a real woman.”

El furrowed her brow.

“I have an idea.”

.

Joyce was smiling on the car ride home. “Did you have a good time today, sweetie?”

“Yeah, I had a really good time.” Will stared down at his lap. “Will we keep visiting when Hopper marries his girlfriend?”

“His what?” Joyce exclaimed. “Did you say his girlfriend?”

“El said Hopper has a girlfriend,” Will explained. “I guess it’s kind of serious.” He stole a glance at his mother. Her knuckles were gripping the steering wheel so hard that they were white, and her lips were a small, thin line on her face.

Will turned to look out the window and grinned.

.

“Who is this girlfriend?” Joyce asked Will in the middle of dinner.

“You have a girlfriend?” Jonathan gaped.

“Hopper does,” Will said, giving his brother a Look.

Jonathan chewed his food. “Okay.”

“Who is she?” Joyce wanted to know. “Who in this town would date Hopper?”

“I heard he used to go out with the librarian at the Hawkins Public Library,” Jonathan said.

“Everyone knows that,” Joyce snapped. “But they’re not still dating.” She paused. “Are they?”

Will shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Joyce spent the rest of the evening fuming. Will chalked it up as a success.

.

While Joyce was fuming about Hopper’s nonexistent girlfriend, Will and El were trying to convince Hopper to take them camping. He was very opposed to the idea at first, for obvious reasons, but with time, patience, and shameless pity-ploys (“I just want to feel normal,” El had said. “My dad always said he would take me camping...but he never did,” Will had sighed.), they were able to wear him down.

“Fine,” he said at last. “But it has to be incredibly quiet, you hear me? El is still supposed to be in hiding.”

So, they had Hopper’s permission--now they just needed Joyce’s.

“Absolutely not,” Joyce said when Will asked her. “After everything that’s happened?”

“Mom, the Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer are gone!” he protested.

“I don’t care, I’m not risking you going out there with just Hopper and El.”

“Hopper wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me.”

“I just wouldn’t feel comfortable,” Joyce said.

Will pretended to think about it. “What if you came with us?” When he saw Joyce’s thoughtful pause, he hurried on, “That way you can keep an eye on me.”

“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “I’m not...I haven’t gone on many camping trips.”

“Neither have I,” he pointed out.

She chewed her lip. “Well...Hopper hasn’t even invited me.”

“So? You’re my mom.”

She kept chewing her lip. “What about...his girlfriend…?”

Will shrugged. “He never said anything about his girlfriend. He made it sound like it’d just be the three of us.”

Joyce’s face cleared. “Oh. Well...sure. Yeah. I’ll talk to Hopper.”

So, Hopper, Joyce, Will, and El went on a camping trip. Jonathan had offered to come, but Will had begged him not to.

“El and I are working on something,” he’d said. “Just...trust me. It has to be the four of us.”

Bemused, Jonathan had only shrugged and given Will his blessing.

Joyce and Will drove to Hopper’s cabin on Saturday morning; the four of them hiked deeper into the woods until they reached the place Hopper’s grandfather used to take him camping. Joyce was guarded at first, but as the day wore on she gave up and started having a good time. Hopper kept holding out a hand to help her over fallen branches and small streams while the kids purposefully hopped on ahead; whenever Will looked back, it was to see his mom and Hopper smiling at each other.

Hopper showed the kids how to pitch the tents, and after they all dug into the sandwiches Joyce had made, they took off their boots and socks, rolled up their jeans, and waded into the water. El was afraid to go, considering all of her previous experiences with large bodies of water, so Joyce and Hopper held her hands and waded into the water with her. They only went knee-deep, and after a few minutes El was able to let go of their hands and slosh happily through the water with Will. Joyce and Hopper sat on the bank, their feet in the water while they watched the kids and chatted.

“Hey Mom!” Will called out. “Why don’t you come in?”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Joyce said. “I’m fine over here.”

“Aww, Mom, come on!”

“Oh, you want your mom to come in the water?” Hopper suddenly grabbed Joyce and swung her up in the air, bridal style.

“Hop!” she screamed, kicking her legs. Still, Will couldn’t help noticing that she was laughing. “What are you doing?!”

“Putting you in the water.”

“Don’t you dare--”

But Hopper was already carrying her out to the deeper part of the creek, so deep it was up to his waist, and he lightly dropped Joyce into the water. She emerged, spluttering. “You asshole!”

“Hey, language,” he said, but he was grinning.

“A little help here!”

Hopper helped her to her feet, but El had a different idea of help. She waited until Joyce was steady on her feet before she wiggled her fingers, and Hopper’s feet fell out from under him. He fell with a crash, shouting and cursing as he landed in the water. All three of them were laughing at him, and in retaliation, Hopper grabbed Joyce and tugged her into the water with him. Will splashed forward, plopping down beside his mother. El, in a fit of bravado, splashed forward as well. She threw her arms around Hopper’s shoulders, hanging on to his sturdy form so that she did not have to float in the water. They were all laughing and splashing each other, and El was so happy that her heart ached. She really, really hoped Will’s plan would work.

They spent most of the afternoon playing in the creek, and when the sun began to descend and the water grew a little cooler, they trudged back to the campsite. They changed into dry clothes in their respective tents, and then Hopper and El built a campfire. By the time the sun had started to set, Hopper was roasting the hotdogs he’d packed on a spit, and Joyce was putting them in buns and handing them to the kids on paper plates. They were like a team, El thought, and again hoped that Will’s plan would work.

After hotdogs came s’mores, which El had never eaten before, but she soon found that she loved the sticky, sweet mess. Her face and hands were covered in melted marshmallow by the end, and Joyce, laughing, wiped her clean with some wet wipes she had thoughtfully packed.

Somehow Hopper and Joyce started talking about when they were in high school. Will was delighted to find out what a troublemaker his mom had been.

“But, listen, don’t...don’t follow my example,” Joyce said quickly, as if just now remembering that two impressionable children were listening to her. “I was dumb. We were dumb kids.”

“We’re not stupid,” El volunteered. Hopper ruffled her hair.

“I didn’t know you two were so close in high school,” Will said. He really didn’t--he’d known they were friends, but not that they’d been joined at the hip.

“She was my best friend,” Hopper said bluntly.

“That’s ‘cause you didn’t have any other friends,” Joyce said--and maybe it was just the fire, but Will could’ve sworn there was a flush on her cheeks.

“Sorry, Jupiter Joyce, did you say something?”

“Jupiter Joyce?” El echoed.

“God, it was this stupid nickname,” Joyce groaned. “‘Cause I have...big eyes, I guess, and I was always spacing out, and people spread rumors I was a space alien, so they called me Jupiter Joyce. Obviously, I didn’t have a lot of friends either.”

“It was just the two of us,” Hopper said, looking at her with fondness.

“Yeah,” she said with a smile. “The two weirdos.”

“So...what happened?” Will prodded. “How did you go from best friends to...whatever you were when you moved back to Hawkins?”

The adults glanced at each other.

“Lonnie Byers is what happened,” Hopper said gruffly.

Joyce’s cheeks really were flushed now.

“I don’t understand,” Will said.

“Your dad stole your mom from me,” Hopper said.

Will and El’s mouths fell open.

“You were...together?!”

“Yes,” Joyce said, blushing furiously by now.

“You left Hopper for Dad?!”

“I told you, I was a dumb kid.” Joyce was intentionally not looking at Hopper. “It is what it is.”

“We had a fight,” Hopper said suddenly. “You were trying to make me jealous.”

“It didn’t work.”

“It did,” he said. “I was...also a dumb kid.”

Will and El could hardly believe what they were hearing. It was almost like they were intruding on a private moment, eavesdropping on something that wasn’t meant to be heard--except they were sitting out in the open.

“How the fuck did we get started on this?” Joyce asked, breaking the spell. “Who wants some wine?”

She had, unbeknownst to Will, packed a bottle of red wine, which she poured in Solo cups for her and the kids--just a little bit, of course, since they were only fourteen and had never had alcohol before. Hopper pulled one of the cans of Schlitz from the six-pack he’d put in the cooler and drank that. He let El have a taste, but she spit it out almost as soon as she tried it.

The kids were tipsy before long, giggling and generally feeling rather silly. It took little urging to get them to lie down in one of the tents; Joyce packed them in sleeping bags and kissed their heads before crawling back out of the tent and zipping it up. Will and El were still awake, though, and they heard Hopper say, “I can’t believe you got the kids drunk.”

“They’re not drunk, just...a little woozy.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Shut up.”

“Well, what do you say we get a little woozy and go skinny-dipping?”

“Hop, the kids--”

“Are in a drunk coma, thanks to you.”

“For fuck’s sake.”

It was silent for a long moment, and Will and El rolled over in their sleeping bags to peer out the screen of the tent. Joyce and Hopper were sitting on the same log, their backs to the tent. Joyce’s head was on Hopper’s shoulder and his cheek was resting on her head, his arm around her shoulders. They looked...cozy.

Will and El grinned at each other.

[minaminokyoko]

O Captain, My Captain

So any of you who know me on any level know that I’ve been harboring serious lust affections for Mr. Nathan Fillion for eight years and counting.

Welp. I set myself a goal and today, I made it a reality.

Voila.

Yes, that is me cheesing with the one and only absolutely gorgeous Nathan Fillion, courtesy of Dragon*Con 2017.

And yes, I dressed to kill because I was intent on seducing the man and I have absolutely zero fucking shame.

It was an incredibly tense morning, and I do mean morning: me and my bestie got up at 5am and got dolled up, then drove to the train station to get to the con. The most stressful part of this fucked up con is that unfortunately, you don’t know what a celebrity’s autograph hours or their prices are until you’re inside the Walk of Fame room, and so you basically have to come crazy early and prepare to wait and be vigilant to get your chance. However, that’s part of why I always do photo ops. That is an assured meeting with my sweetie of choice, where as autograph sessions are first come, first served, and Nathan hasn’t been at Dragon*Con since 2008 and so I knew his fans would make up most of the Friday congoers. 

The photo op was at 11:40am, so I had a delightfully long wait, but thank God, the line moved quickly. That’s a blessing and a curse, which I’ll discuss in a moment.

So what’s Nathan Fillion like?

For one, he’s terribly, terribly polite. He introduced himself to each person who walked over for the photo and shook their hand and asked their name. Then the photo is snapped and he thanked them for coming out and for being patient. Which is hella sweet, honestly.

I had a chuckle with the volunteers in line because of my shameless Lady in Red ploy. The lady outside the room laughed because before I went in, I switched out my sensible flats for three inch heels (I like looking taller in photos, and plus, it makes me look sexier to some extent, imo) and she said, “Watch out! She’s got the heels out now!” And then the guy right by Nathan who helped move the line along asked if I was alone in the photo with Nathan and I said yes and he said, “Selfish, huh? I like it!” since the previous two photo ops were a group and a pair.

Let me tell you something, people.

One, Nathan Fillion has the softest hands I’ve ever felt on a man. I mean, wow. I swooned a little.

Two, holy shit, is he fucking gorgeous in person. 

So after the photo, I scurried upstairs and got in line for the Walk of Fame room and stood another hour in the blistering hot lobby until it opened and me and bestie made a beeline for Nathan’s line. Because I’ve been to Dragon*Con probably 2-3 times, I knew that it’s absolutely essential to be at the front of the line when Walk of Fame opens or you won’t get to meet your celebrity simply because there are just too many fans and they have to cut the room off when they reach their capacity. Since we planned ahead, we were within the first fifty people to see him once he came up from the photo op room. 

And that’s where my story gets a little bittersweet.

First off, his autograph was $100, cash only, and it wasn’t personalized. I frown at that. To give you some perspective, William Shatner and Gillian Anderson were both $80 last year. I don’t blame Nathan. I doubt he has control over his rates, but I do think it’s kind of shitty that his staff he won’t let him personalize the photo considering each fan is coughing up $100. To give you even more perspective, remember when I met Chris Evans January of last year? I paid $400 for his VIP package and it came with a photo op, a lithograph, an autograph, a reserved seat at the Civil War panel, and early access to the dealer’s room. And that’s Chris fucking Evans, a bonafide A-lister and a millionaire. So you understand that I’m feeling some type of way about how they decided to charge $100 with no personalized autograph. I can’t imagine it would take that much more time for him to add your name when he was already signing it.

Plus, because of the massive turnout of fans, each signing is under 20 seconds long. I’m dying inside because of it. If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that I have a fixation with meeting famous people. Why? My life is boring as fuck and hardly anyone likes me, and so it really gets my motor going to meet famous people because I love telling the story of what they’re like. The average person’s not going to meet a celebrity, and so I enjoy it as a hobby because I find it very fulfilling.

So, out of courtesy for the hundreds of fans waiting to meet him, I didn’t really get to say much to him, and it hurts a little because I wanted to tell him a few things, but I didn’t want to appear selfish. 

But hey, that’s why this is bittersweet. The fact that I didn’t get to tell him what he’s meant to me is the bitter part. 

The sweet part is that it took probably about an hour and twenty to thirty minutes between the photo op and the autograph, and Nathan Fillion remembered me.

Him: Oh, we met downstairs! What’s your name again?

See, that? Yeah. I’m okay with that. Because he picked me out of a crowd of a few hundred people and that’s a pretty big fucking feather in my cap. So obviously my Lady in Red ploy worked to some degree.

Lastly, the funniest thing happened while I was in his line. He was leaning down to sign an autograph and then he looked up at the next person and ran his hand through his hair to push it out of his face.

...

You know those Pantene Pro-V commercials with the sexy half naked lady flinging her hair in slow-mo and it’s utterly tantalizing?

Yeeeeeeah, my mind just went fucking blank when he did that. 

I just need y’all to understand than Nathan Fillion looks great on TV, but the man is seriously a fucking hunk in real life. Goddamn. I started fanning myself, for God’s sake. He is just...beautiful in person. Whew.

Anyway, I was also lucky enough to meet two of my other idols right after Mr. Fillion: Michael Rosenbaum and Steve Blum. And I am delighted to say those interactions weren’t bittersweet--just sweet all the way around.

Michael Rosenbaum was a fucking darling cinnamon bun, just like Wally. He asked me my name and I told him, and then I started gushing about how Justice League was amazing and he just lent so much heart to the role of Wally West and he was basically my entire childhood. So then Rosenbaum turns to the line of fans and yells, “Hey! She says I’m her entire childhood! Like her whole childhood! Man, that makes me feel old!” And I apologized (jokingly, of course) and he starts goofing off with me and my bestie and even another fan in line. He was so adorable and gracious and I love the way he said my name. What a lovely guy.

Meeting Steve Blum (FINALLY) was a hoot as well. So me and bestie went up to him and we told him we were so happy to catch him this year because a couple years ago, we were in his line for an autograph at Momocon and they literally cut the line off ONE person away from the two of us after an hour and a half of waiting. Steve (bless his darling heart) apologized, but we of course told him that wasn’t his fault at all, and I told him that it was so great to finally see him up close because I had asked him a question at his panel and he jokingly told me he loved me and I almost fainted dead away and forgot my question. He laughed and asked me what question I had asked, and then he signed for me. While we were chatting it up, I asked him if he cried on the last episode of Cowboy Bebop and he said yes and went even further to tell me that the studio and the voice director didn’t tell him how the anime ended. He found out as he was voicing it. He was just like us--totally shocked and upset and like me he pretends Spike is totally fine at the end.

And then, in typical Kyo fashion, I accidentally made a fool of myself with my stupid iPhone. Apparently, it ran out of storage and so we were trying to record something and it wouldn’t take and so I’m apologizing profusely and blushing up a storm, but Steve is like, “No, it’s okay!” and he takes my phone and tries to see if it’ll work, but it won’t, so we record it on my bestie’s phone instead. He was so sweet! I felt like such a dumb schmuck when my phone wouldn’t take the video, but he was amazingly nice and I hugged him before I left and it was just the best thing ever. Steve Blum for president, man. What a standup guy.

Tomorrow’s got the legendary Ming Na Wen on the agenda, so you’ll see part two of my recap. Probably with a LOT of screaming, because Ming Na is my queen and I must worship her accordingly. Here’s to Saturday.

Kyo out.

[haphazardlyparked]

even less bitter

at this point, this is just some more shameless self-indulgence before i get back to the bitter, but I’M DOING IT 

continuation of (more bitter people) and slightly less better now 

When Kinlo first brought the news to him, Hikaj thought he should be offended: almost the minute after he’d left Queen Masara’s study the day before, she had sent a pair of Sascrin Knights after her cousin.

Hikaj still didn’t think she was using this as a ploy to eel out of their agreement. Masara had shown up to the talks that morning and argued fiercely with Torral and Hikaj both over Amir’s Diwan trade routes. That hadn’t been for show — she had been intimidatingly prepared to pick apart their demands, right down to the last bolt of tariff-free silk Torral wanted. (“The Yumian regency council was far more quiescent,” Torral had complained to Hikaj in private, though there had been something approving in his tone.)

But Hikaj did want to know why Masara would send knights after Panam, even when he’d promised his best men were on the trail, and wanted to know more about the Sascrin Knights in general. Beyond Amirran borders, it was said that to face a Knight in one-on-one combat was foolish, but not much else was known. Even Kinlo had been unable to learn much while rubbing elbows with the Queen’s guard. Hikaj thought he could kill two birds with one stone, so after his midday meal, he headed for Masara’s study.  

He opened the doors to find Duke Inarim at her seat, frowning over reports on her desk.

“Imperial Majesty,” the elder statesman greeted, standing when Hikaj entered. “My apologies, the queen is not here. May I help you, in her majesty’s stead?”

Hikaj paused to consider the offer — the duke was Masara’s Counselor of the Seas, a position which Hikaj now understood had very little to do with the Amirran coasts, and more to do with Masara’s day to day affairs. Hikaj didn’t need Torral whispering in his ear to know Inarim would be a good man to earn the favor of. He put on one of his friendliest smiles.  

“Yes, in fact. I was hoping to learn more of your Sascrin Knights today. Their reputation precedes them.”

Inarim’s carefully neutral expression hardened, then gave way to something amused. Hikaj was starting to tire of the Amirran not-quite-smile, the one where their lips barely twitched and he was left feeling there was something important he didn’t know.

"I would be honored to escort your Imperial Majesty to the Knights’ barracks,” said Inarim. “At this hour, they should be training there. You may speak with them yourself.”

When Inarim and Hikaj reached the Knights’ barracks at the eastern wing of the sprawling Amirran palace, knights were indeed training in the yard.

The yard was large enough for a whole company of Hikaj’s men to assemble in, and was blocked off into smaller sections. Three of the four walls were lined with racks of various weapons, as Hikaj might have expected — though strangely, an entire wall was dedicated to mere wooden staffs. Even more strangely, the fourth wall held a row of pegs from which hung bunches of colored and braided cords, all of varying lengths and thickness. The dirt ground was also dotted with black scorch marks, as if small fires had been scattered across it.

In a corner by the wall with the cords and ropes, two masked knights were dueling under the hawkish eye of a short, stocky man. The training master and the knights all wore short-sleeved brown tunics that stopped at mid-thigh, their legs scandalously bare except for sandals that wound up their calves. Both knights were taller than the training master who occasionally barked or advice, but one had a clear height advantage and was the better swordsman.

The shorter one, who was more a boy than man, had his back to Inarim and Hikaj when they entered the yard. He was putting up a good fight, using his speed to his advantage, but his bladework wasn’t deft enough to effectively defend against the taller knight’s reach. Hikaj idly noted that the boy had very shapely legs, pretty but finely muscled — and then gaped when the taller knight’s lunge forced the shorter into a hasty parry and a quarter-turn.

The shorter knight was a woman.

Her hair was bundled up and tucked under her protective mask.

Hikaj shut his mouth. Then opened it again, unable to contain his surprise. “Your Knights are women, as well as men?“

That amused look stole over Inarim’s face again. "The Sascrin Knights will train anyone with aptitude and a desire to learn.”

“Ah,” Hikaj acknowledged, finally let in on the secret.

Except now that he knew the shorter knight was a woman, he tried not to stare as openly at her bared skin. There was just so much of it. But no — she was still a warrior of the widely-respected order of Sascrin Knights, no matter how strangely appealing Hikaj found the sweat-soaked curls of hair plastered to the nape of her neck.

"Her balance is off,” Inarim commented suddenly. Hikaj forced himself to pay attention.

The duke was right; the woman knight had blocked one of the taller knight’s strikes oddly. She had a weak, one-handed grip on her sword, and her free hand – which was wrapped in one of the thin, braided red cords that hung on the wall – twisted to the side in an arcing fist that threw off her stance and made it easy for the larger knight to bear down on her guard.

She ended up on her backside in the dirt.

Hikaj heard an muffled but emphatic, “Ugh. I yield.”

The tall knight stepped back, lowering his sword and offering his opponent a hand up. He too had a red cord wrapped around his wrist.

“If it’d been a full duel, you would’ve had me just then,” the taller knight said ruefully, as he pulled the woman to her feet. Hikaj was surprised to hear a Diwan lilt in the man’s voice, and when he pulled of his mask, he had blue Diwan clan tattoos on the left side of his face that ran from his hairline to his cheekbones. When Inarim had said anyone with aptitude, he had truly meant anyone, it seemed. Did foreign-born knights have to swear fealty to the Amirran queen?

The stocky training master barked a sharp laugh. “Ha! If it were a full dull, Vas, it would’ve been you with your ass in the dirt, at least four times over.“

Hikaj opened his mouth to ask what a "full duel” was. But then the woman tugged her mask off, and Hikaj was left choking on air.

"It was a half duel for a reason,” Queen Masara grimaced, flicking her wrist as she unwound the red cord from it. “I need to get better at clean swordplay.”

The three of them turned at the sound of Hikaj coughing. They bowed when they saw Hikaj and Inarim drawing closer, Hikaj still clearing his throat. Masara’s shallower bow was just as elegant as her curtesy in court. Hikaj strove valiantly to keep himself from staring at the hem of her tunic as it rose up. He tried to keep his eyes safely on the queen’s.  

That proved to be a mistake, too, as Masara’s lips curved into a mischievous smile and her eyes crinkled. “Are you well, Hokiraj?“ she asked lightly, brushing sweaty hair from her face.

That was just — unfair.

Hikaj wheezed out a, "Quite well.” By his side, Duke Inarim sighed very audibly. “I simply, er. Wanted to ask. What is a full duel?”

“A full duel!” the training master cut in with his booming voice. He sketched another short bow when Hikaj’s gaze swung towards him. “It means a duel where both sword and sorcery are allowed.”

“The queen is very good, when unrestricted,” the tall knight put in earnestly, as if trying to make up for the fact that he’d just dumped the queen into the dirt in front of the Kassan emperor. "I lose four out of five bouts then.”

Masara waved off the praise. “You’re a natural with the sword, Vas. The finer spellwork will come with more practice.” To Hikaj, she held up the red cord and explained, “These restrain magic. It wouldn’t stop any but the weakest or least experienced of us, but it’s enough to remind us to pull our punches if we forget.” She frowned. “As I did, towards the end.”

“What was the spell to be?” Vas wanted to know.

“Just blinding,” Masara answered. “Your arms are so cursed long, I was trying to buy myself time.”

“I would very much like to see you fight a full duel,” Hikaj blurted out.

The queen glanced at the training master, and then laughed. “Perhaps another time,” she demurred. “Master Fathmir has banned me from full duels until I show more improvement with just the sword.”

“I could help,” Hikaj offered immediately. “I mean — I could train with you, if you liked. My style is very different. But I’m good with a sword. Really good.” Hikaj snapped his mouth shut before he could make this any worse.

Masara smiled politely. “So I have heard. It would be an honor to practice a few rounds with you, should we find the time for it.”   

“Her majesty is even worse at hand-to-hand combat,” Fathmir mused aloud. “Perhaps his imperial majesty could help her with that as well.”  

“Master Fathmir!” Vas gasped, his wide, horrified eyes darting between Masara and the emperor. Hikaj brutally quashed the thought of wrestling with the queen before any mental images could take root. 

“I’m leaving now,” Duke Inarim announced suddenly, sounding deeply disgruntled. “I – have a meeting with the coastal lords.”

Masara threw back her head and laughed. 

It was the most unrestrained Hikaj had seen her, and it made him grin like a fool. 

It was only later, while they were sharing dinner in one of the palace’s many courtyards, that it occurred to Hikaj. “Masara,” he said. “You didn’t fight at all, when my men arrested you.”

Masara paused over her soup. “They caught me unaware, Hokiraj. If you recall, it was two hours after midnight. I was asleep.”

Hikaj frowned. “None of your Knights fought at all. Your guard didn’t resist much, either.”

“Your men did not kill many,” Masara countered steadily.

“Of course not!” Hikaj waved his spoon to punctuate his point. “We were not going to kill men who surrendered, once they heard we had you in custody. But if the Knights are as formidable as they say — and if you are one yourself — you could have easily broken our initial invasion, or escaped.”

The queen smiled blandly. “That is not the Amirran way,” she said, and returned to her meal.  

Hikaj was left wondering what was the Amirran way, but his mind kept getting stuck on the image of the Knights’ short tunics, and he hastily changed the subject.  

somewhere in the background kinlo is lurking. hikaj was like “it’s just dinner i’m pretty sure i don’t need a guard” and kinlo rolled his eyes and said “i’m not doing it for you, i’m doing it to get face time in with the future empress.” 

and hikaj was like “ooo so you think i have a chance??” 

(to the end!)