#but everyone seems friendly so far you guys are very sweet (placing my faith with yall)

[minakotreat]

I know i listed this account as being my miscellaneous art account, but the truth of the matter is that i'm so embarrassingly obsessed with judgment I didn't have the heart to be posting it all over my main account. this stupid guy is actually taking over my BRAIN!

curse you yagamer for having such good games

i learnt about judgment a few years back when I saw a trailer on JE randomly during some game awards I think?? I could totally be wrong but I had some knowledge about yakuza so this intrigued me a lot. It wasn't enough that I actively sought it out though. Then some months ago I remember the game because I had been playing infinite wealth, only to my horror that everywhere I looked, judgment wasn't on pc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I only have my pc and my bloated battery nintendo switch for entertainment so I was very very sad, because it seemed like such an interesting game. Still, I honestly didn't care enough to continue digging for ways to play it outside of possibly biting the bullet to attempt emulation.

THEN, the huge rgg franchise sale began on steam....... I had just closed my shop to begin shipping out merch I had made so I had a bit of pocket money which I decided to see if I wanted to buy one of the yakuza games. I wasn't too intrigued to buy yakuza 0 because i've already played a bit of it and got bored (despite me loving yakuza 7 & 8) but just out of curiosity.... I decided to see if judgment was on there...... I mean, it wouldn't be since everywhere I looked had said takuya kimura's agency prevented them from uploading it on pc....... right....? and LO AND BEHOLD IT STOOD BEFORE ME.

JUDGMENT????????? IS ON PC???????? AND THE WHOLE BUNDLE WAS ON A HUGE SALE?!?!?!?!??!!

I was thinking hard. Did I really want to spend my money on this? I rarely buy games myself, instead going through the route of ""obtaining"" or watching LPs. I decided to just give it a shot, and decided to buy the full bundle along with the kaito dlc just because it was a good bargain and who knows, I might end up actually liking it.

and so I liked it a little bit.... more........... than a little bit.................

I remember when I finished both games, I just walked around in LJ's premium adventure just with my jaw dropped. These games. Dude. They're more than i could've ever even asked for. I don't know how else to word it

The story, the tension, the characters, the environment, the visuals, dude EVERYTHING. I cried an embarrassing amount, especially during the credit rolls, and it was just fantastic.

so even though to me persona 3 still is my favorite game of all time, judgment takes a very good spot at number 2 which is a feat nonetheless. I'm going to love it to death.

it's been barely two months but I DON'T CARE!!!!! I JUST LOVE BEING PASSIONATE

thanks for reading my stupid babble on my experience with john judge eyes

bonus: all the drawings/screenshots my friends made of me and my downward spiral (i love my friends)

[antigoneidk]

Save me|arvin russel

based on this request: Hey! I just came accross your Arvin Fic and I loved it very much. Could you do one where the reader’s family just moved in and they’re neighbours with the Russel’s and reader happens to become Lenora’s bestie and she has a crush on Arvin but he’s already dating but he also happens to develope feelings for the reader but he’s always cold towards her like whenever they run into eachother at church or when their families are hanging out together and the reader assumes he dislikes her but one day her parents fix her marriage with a guy and she doesn’t like cuz he’s a jerk so one time at a family dinner the reader’s dad is planning to announce her engagement reader asks Arvin for help and the sneak out to a dark hallway in the house and make out cuz they know the guy was following them and Chase him away and then they confess? Omg this was long I’m sorry lol 😅 But you’re an amazing writer. Much love♥️

a/n: thanks again for the request and your sweet words❤this took me a lot of time to write lol didn’t know that it’ll take this long.

word count: 4k

I opened my eyes, my eyesight still blurry from the nap I took moments ago. The sunlight burnt my eyes, like someone threw hot oil to my eyes. My six-year old brother moved slightly in my arms but continued his sleep. I wanted to stretch my legs as they felt sore and heavy after almost seven hours inside this car, on the other hand I didn’t want to bother the little boy that looked so peaceful and innocent in his sleep. So I leaned my head to the window and admired the trees-it seemed like an endless forest-all moving fast from where I was.

We were moving in a new city, miles away from our hometown. My parents thought it was for the best, a new start for us, new people, new experiences. I wasn’t looking forward to this change in our lives, in mine-especially this quick. I loved my routine back there, my three girlfriends, our neighbors, the park only two minutes away from our house, my little room, my escape from the real world, the old lady that greeted me with a smile on her lips every day while I was making my way to school.

I knew deep inside me that there was a reason, serious one to be exact. How did they find a house so fast in a town that I’m sure they had no idea that existed, or why they never talked about this topic in the house, or discuss it with their kids. And why they didn’t pack all of our things, why they didn’t sell the house, how did they found the money to buy the other one, why so far away from my comfort zone. So many questions were running through my mind, the pain from all the thinking making me sick.

I scanned my two parents in the front seats. They looked completely out of this world, so blank. My mum had her arm outside of the car, letting the cold air hit her fingers with the few rings that adorned them. Her hair in a ponytail-her favorite hairstyle-pulling the skin on her face a little back. She wasn’t old at all although her eyes were always tired, red, puffy, like our grandmother, her mum. However the rest of her face looked softer, giving the idea of a sweet lady, something that wasn’t so true.

I turned to the man next to her. Our dad had his one hand on the steel, the other outside of the window, his fingers holding the cigarette tight. His eyes were nailed on the road, his lips pursed the whole time, his hair pulled back, his jaw sharper than a knife, his figure tough, no emotions, a portrait of a man after a war.

They were people that hid very well love, happiness, pain, sadness, sympathy. At this point I was convinced that they never fell in love, but how they ended up together was a mystery-and that’s how it remained. Maybe there was a deep connection between the two of them and only for them. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was a mistake that they had to pay for-me getting into this world. Maybe it was never their choice.

Towards me and my brother there was no difference. Not that they were bad to us, or showed any sort of violence. But we never got to experience that kind of love from our parents, the warm hug after a horrible nightmare, that bright smile wherever we did good in school, the beautiful weekends with family dinners, the love between family members. It was more like a competition of who had the bigger ego, who could survive the loneliness, who could handle their emotions only to them selves.

My little brother had lost years ago. I thank God every day that he didn’t turned to a small emotionless monster but to a sensitive soul, a kind young man that had manners and shared everything with me, from a accident he had at the park to his biggest fears that scared him to the maximum. He was my weakness, my everything, the reason I stayed with our family when I had the chance to run away, the reason I want to finish school and run away with him for a future he deserves. But he was still six years old-I had to be quick.

“We are here" dad’s croaky voice woke me up from my lethargy. I stared at the house in front of us. It seemed smaller from our previous one, the style reminding me the house our grandparents live in. Also it looked old enough to get destroyed by a small thunderstorm and rip our heads in half, the front wooden door opened for everyone to enter.

“Hey baby, we’re home" his eyes opened slowly, his small arms squeezing my waist for a moment before his body sat straight, his gaze facing the building in front of us. Our parents had left the car already, leaving the two of us alone. I could sense his excitement for our next adventure in a new town-yet his fear of this unexpected change, just like me.

“It’s going to be fun, come on" I tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible to help his mood to cheer up even more. I opened the door and got out, the warm sun hitting my bare legs and arms, my black dress covering the rest of my body. I stretched my sore body, feeling my back cracking and the pain flying away. I closed the door and made my way to the inside of our new home, the pain in my stomach getting intense with every step of mine, a bad intuition holding me back.

I walked up the stairs holding his hand tight in mine. As soon as I stepped inside I wanted to run miles away. The walls were paint in a grey color, reminding me of the cloudy days where I’d stay inside my room, dreaming about life, or thinking of ways that I can change it, or wondering about my soulmate, who’s walking on this earth, breathing the same air, watching the same sky as I, how he’d look like, how he’d come into my life and drag me to places I probably don’t know.

“Can you show us our room?” I asked my dad the time I saw him standing in front of the fireplace, in the living room-I supposed this was it. He turned for a moment and scanned us from head to toe, it was a thing he liked doing often, but I never succeeded on reading his thoughts whenever he did it. Was he proud of us, was he disappointed, was he angry with the fact that he created two individuals that had nothing in common with him? Only God knew.

Without any words he got closer only to pass us and take a few steps before stopping outside a closed door, the one out of the other three that they were there. He opened the door and waited for us to enter. My brother let go of me and ran towards the room while i followed him with slower steps.

It wasn’t as big as my other one, and surely didn’t looked like the place I could ran to. I didn’t like the vibes it gave me, I was trapped in cell with no possible exit. I was sad and not in my safe place. The color on the four walls, faded yellow with a few shades of orange combined with the light outside, made it warmer than the rest of the house and more friendly-I couldn’t deny it-still I didn’t liked it.

I got out of the room and walked my way out, not wanting to spend more time inside. That’s where I found my mum and two other women-the one seemed in my age-talking. I stayed in my place keeping my eyes in them. Both were smiling, lovely people. The older lady, in a white dress and black shoes, had her short white/grey hair in a hairstyle I saw for the first time but it looked good. Her hands down her chest, giving me the impression of a woman with a hard past and strong personality that has had overcome a lot of obstacles. Her face with wrinkles mostly around the area of her eyes testified the tiredness after all of this years. The girl next to her, with a blue dress, had her red hair down her shoulders just all of the teenage girls, including myself. She had her arms next to her body and her right leg on the top of the left leg, probably because of the awkwardness or shyness. However, she watched my mother with respect and maybe in awe I wasn’t sure. And that’s when our eyes met and she smiled my way. I did too and started walking to her anticipating to hear her voice.

“Hello" I said and stood next to my mum and her. “I’m y/n"

“Hi I’m Lenora" she introduced her self, her voice calm and sweet, and extended her hand. I copied her movement and shook her soft hand, suddenly a warm wave hitting my body and relief every bad thought. I joined the rest of them trying to keep up with them for a while before starting another conversation with the new girl. I learnt a few things about her, that her mother was dead and probably her dad too even if she had faith that they’d meet one day. The day her mother died, she was a baby and Emma, the lady next to her, was the one in charge for raising her as she was the last one that saw her mother alive. She visited the church every Sunday and her mother’s grave everyday. It was a sad story of a girl that brought so much light with her appearance.

“And this is my brother Arvin right there" she turned behind her and showed me a boy, a few years older than us, standing outside of his front door and staring at us. He had one inside of his pockets and the other one next to him, bringing close to his lips every now and then so that he can suck on his cigarette. He had a hat on his head, covering half of his face. His body structure draw the figure of a boy-or a young man-that seemed distant from other human beings-also ready to fight everyone that prevent him from his goals. “He isn’t as friendly but he is a kind soul trust me. Hey Arvin come here"

He hesitated to come to us and assumed that maybe he didn’t want us there. I didn’t want to be there either but at least I wasn’t as rude as him. After a long time he finally threw his cigarette away and got closer. From the way he walked I could tell that he was the bad guy, the boy that no one messed with. And for a second I wondered if Lenora was lying to me.

“Arvin this is y/n” he took his time to check me from head to toe, not sure if he looked at me as a threat for his little sister or as a threat for himself. They don’t treat new people well, that’s what my friends have told me back in town. They will make sure that you gonna have the worst time living there, it’s in their mindset.

“Hey" I said trying to sound friendly, also distant and cold to match his way. His brown eyes locked with mine sending terror and fear to every cell of my body, my heart beating so loud, my breath desperately trying to let go of my lungs. I swallowed the air and bit my tongue inside of my mouth suddenly not knowing how to act, what to say, why he bought all those bad feelings. I wanted to move my lips, but it was like my system had shut down, not compromise with the commands my brain gave.

“Come inside, Jessica is waiting alone" he spoke to Lenora in a low adjective voice and with a strong accent, ignoring my existence now. “ It’s not right" he added after a while taking a cigarette out of his pocket. I watched as his fingers made a curve around the white death-that’s how I liked to call it-placed it to his rough lips. There was some dirt in them, his veins popping up blue against his pale skin.

“You’re right. Um..y/n do you want to meet Jessica, his girlfriend? She is just a year older than us but she would love you. And I think that she is also from where you’re from, right Arvin?” he had a girlfriend? He was able to fall in love? People that were in love weren’t supposed to be softer, kinder? All the books I had in my purple room gave me that impression of the world. Were the writers lying?

“Thank you but I don’t feel so good, probably from the trip. Maybe I need some sleep, but I’ll see you around right?” I asked.

She nodded her head with a smile and followed her brother on the opposite side. I noticed how huge influence he had on her, how she obeyed him with no hesitation, how she walked behind him like a lost puppy, how fast she got inside after he glanced back at me one more time and said something to her, knowing I wouldn’t listen to his judgment. I left the two ladies alone and met my brother outside our door, staring back at the house next to us. He had his arms crossed and a dead stare reminding me of our dad.

“What is it?” he left his arms fall and moved his eyes to my silhouette that stood next to him. I cupped my hand to his cheek and rubbed my thumb against his smooth childish skin.

“I don’t like him" he said feeling my terror, reading my thoughts. I pressed his head to my waist and hugged half of his small body, unexpectedly a warm wave of protectiveness hugging my spirit and creating a shield around us. I knew that if this young man was older he would have done a scene just because of the vibes he got from Arvin, or any Arvin. Unfortunately his petite form couldn’t help him at that moment.

“I don’t either"

______

A few weeks had passed, Lenora and I had got closer for my surprise. No that we were the same, our mindsets were completely different, our perspectives in a situation wouldn’t match as I thought they would-she was more innocent that me, with no experiences at all-yet she was the sweetest person I had met, the only one that wanted to learn about me, my interests, my opinions about certain topics, my favorite food, my music taste, my life back in my hometown, my friends.

Even at church, she was always next to me, giving me information for all of the people inside, the preacher, the couple in front of us, the older men in the back. She talked with nothing but lovely words-even for the people that had hurt her- and I really appreciated that from her.

Arvin-on the other hand-was nothing like his sister. He kept his cold-hearted manners towards me, my family. Never giving attention to any of us, usually standing some feet away with a cigarette between his lips and his signature pose, his hands inside his pockets and his head looking straight ahead.

But what attracted me to him was his way to travel with his mind and completely forget about the rest of the world. How difficult his expressions were to read, how his eyes softened for a moment, how he suffered in silence, how helpless, weak he seemed, how he was losing control and the powerful personality he present to the rest of us. I would stare at him for where the others were talking and taking notes of every of his movements in the back of my head. And he would scratch his nose, that’s how I knew his mind was back at his problems, and he would see me. And every time I would take my eyes away as fast as possible and look at the ground or my shoes, sending shivers down my spine and that unwelcoming vibe of his. However I wanted to approach him, willing to listen, help. A mysterious thing was calling me, it was scary, new, dangerous, also getting my adrenaline higher than ever, the feeling fascinating me.

“The Russel’s are gonna be here any time soon. Get yourselves ready" our mum announced leaving our room without closing the door on her way out. I exhaled loud and left my book by my side, scanning the wall at the top of me. I didn’t want any interaction with people tonight, especially with them, him. My body didn’t listen, just stayed in my bed, not eager on moving any time soon, paralyzed. I was shaking in the thought of being in the same house as him, his aura was bad for me, and especially my little boy that had so much in his mind but couldn’t express them how he wanted, like a grown man.

I put on my white dress and let my hair down. With every second that passed I said a prayer for something to happen and this dinner to get canceled-just what I was doing when I helped my mother set the dinner. But as soon as I heard my father talking, greeting our neighbors, I knew that it was pointless.

I greeted Lenora with a smile and a warm hug the pressure falling off of my shoulders. Then Emma and Earskell followed and after them Arvin. He was wearing his blue jeans as usual and a black shirt. He had his arms in his back pockets at the same time he walked inside giving me nothing but a short look and then smiling slightly at my parents.

I tried to avoid watching him for the rest of the night, still he was the main star in their conversation, always talking with his rough, low voice, giggling with some adult’s jokes, shifting on his chair a little when something would upset him. He had placed his arms on the table, showing his big muscles. Bet Jessica had her time of her life with those.

I couldn’t concentrate to what the girl next to me was saying anymore, or pay any attention to what they other ones were saying. It was only him that was running through my mind and how would I get him to notice me for more that just a second. How would I get closer to him, actually have a conversation like I do with his sister, how could I make him see that I am not a threat.

God, he had his way of dragging my eyes to him, be the worst person, a loser that had all my attention with no effort. An asshole that did nothing but hurting me with his awful attitude. And I would still search for him everywhere, thirsty for his hatefulness, his disdainful looks.

“Are you listening to what I’m saying?” the young boy at the corner of the room threw his pencil towards my way and hit my face, close enough to my eye. I made a grimace and put my fingers at the top of my cheek, while looking at my brother with wonder. He had his lips apart and seemed furious from where I was.

“Why did you hit me?” I asked.

“Mum said that you have to go on the living room. We’re having guests"

“Who?”

“The Russel’s and some others but I don’t know them. They look kind of scary to me"

Here we go again.

I left my room with him beside me. I tried to prepare my self, inside and out, not so much for the new people that had visited us, but mostly for Arvin even though I knew that he wouldn’t laid his eyes my way. I did have hope that one day I’d make this dream come true, but until then I couldn’t do anything else than waiting and anticipating.

When I entered the room, and while I was expecting to almost get ignored from all of them, my mum stood up from the sofa and walked to us. I saw a smile coming from her lips, something that she never did with me, my heart beating fast from all the unexpected warmth I felt from her.

“And this our daughter y/n. Come sit with us, she was studying so that’s why she was late. This is our new guests, Mr. Agapov and his son Julio” my dad introduced me to the two men, me still being in shock due to his lies and his happy mental state and not actually listen to their names. It took me some time to take my eyes from my parents and notice who they were. And I wish I never did.

Julio Agapov. Probably the stupidest guy I have ever met in my life. A miserable kid that knew nothing but how to slip under a girl’s skirt and take advantage of that for his enjoyment. He never respected a woman’s body, he didn’t know how to treat a girl right, the path to her heart and mind. He was the jerk that would whistle while you’re pass him, the boy-that thought he was a man-that changed girls like shirts, or maybe even often than that.

“We know each other, we’re going to the same school" I heard him talking. “She’s very nice girl, despite the fact that we didn’t hang out a lot. My friends always talk about the “new face" of our school” he turned to me and winked, making my stomach flip inside me.

“Well take that as an opportunity to learn things for her from now on" the older man next to him, his father, said and lots of questions passed my brain at a fast speed. Why would we get to hang out now? Why would he get to know me? What was the reason behind this? How my parents learnt for their family?

“Excuse me?” I wondered and looked at all of them. “Can someone please explain to me what is happening? Why would he get to know me now?” I asked my father and for a second he dropped his mask before putting in back on, calmly.

“You’re getting married y/n. Everything’s ready except from some small details. Julio is your soon to be- husband now and you’re committed to him and no one else”

I felt like an item with no soul like a painting that was useless and dusty hung on a wall and was getting ready to be sold. I was standing there speechless, helpless. So that was the reason for all of the moving here? For me to get out of their way with a man that surely didn’t want me far away from my home? Miles apart from my little brother that needed me the most now, my friends that were the ones that really accepted me? Shouldn’t I get to choose who I’m going to let into my life? Into me? Shouldn’t I be the only one that had the right to select my man? Shouldn’t I get to fall in love first?

“No" that was all that my voice could say under my breath. No I didn’t want Julio Agapov. I didn’t want to let this man to be my first. I didn’t want him to touch me or kiss me, hug me. He wasn’t the one I imagined before getting to bed. He wasn’t the boy I was in love with. And he never would be.

I left this crowded room to join mine in a matter of seconds. I didn’t care that it might seemed rude or anything close to that. I felt cheap and humiliated by my own family. I never expected from them to do such a thing as this. I knew that they did not care as much, and it was alright now after all these years, but this had topped the line.

It wasn’t that much long when the door opened and the person that even my imagination couldn’t handle stepped inside and the aura changed quicker than expected. Always with those goddamned jeans, his dark blue, almost black hat at the top of his head and a packet of cigarettes hanging from his right pocket.

“What are you doing here?”

Y/n had a really normal question but Arvin didn’t know the answer to it. What was he doing there? Why he went there at the first place? Wasn’t he going to smoke?

“Are you okay?” he asked in return. She looked down at her feet and laughed. It sounded funny to her how he asked this when he already knew the answer. She was getting married to a boy she didn’t want so that her parents can have less in their mind. She was feeling great.

“You don’t care" she got up from her bed and walked to the window. Y/n felt him seconds later next to her, copying her movements.

“No I don't” he agreed with her statement. Yet, he felt the need to protect her, just like he did with Lenora all of these years, in a way that he didn’t know how to explain. She was the only one that could make him feel that to his bones. There were endless nights that he would stay up and analyze his emotions just so he can find what was causing him that and how he would fight it. Every night though was like an dead end road with no possible exits.

Both of them kept their eyes on the trees across them. She felt protected now the Arvin was there with her. Her heart was going crazy, her mind went wild. He had threw all of her fears away, she was feeling nice, capable of anything. And if he would ask her to follow him in a different city, away from them, she would say yes a million times. He had an influence to her thinking, the power to control her.

“Why are you here Arvin?” he was now focusing on her and her lips that had let out his name so lovely and beautiful. It surprised him the fact that he held his breath for a moment really without knowing, unconscious of his reactions.

It didn’t take a lot for her to take the courage to kiss him, the sensation of her lips against his waking up the butterflies on her stomach. Y/n felt the four walls falling, everyone disappear and a force taking her to another dimension.

His hands pulled her waist closer to his body, her fingers travelling from his neck to his chest and back. Their tongues intertwined, their kiss turning more to a little fight. He didn’t know why. Why he was doing that and why he was feeling like that but he enjoyed it. He liked how she was leaning against his body, how her fingers burnt his skin, how his tongue explored her mouth, how he wanted more.

Her fantasies weren’t even close to what she was experiencing now. How safe she was inside his embrace, how everything seemed far away from her, how her blood was boiling through her veins, the need of more knocking at her door.

None of them knew that Julio was watching them. What his mind was thinking, how he suddenly he needed y/n his, to take revenge of Arvin, to see y/n suffer. He was a bad person that never thought of the consequences that his actions had. He was taught to always get what he desired one way or another. And this moment was one like the rest. He was going to get y/n either she liked it or not.

“Please save me” that was what she whispered to him when they pulled from each other. They both needed to save one another.

[arminty7]

𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘦

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Mermaid!Jungkook x Reader [Part 2]

Trapped in this life of expensive wine and judgemental eyes Y/N met an unusual lady who offered her a job at an aquarium a few towns away. Despite being hesitant and uncertain for the future she decided to take the offer as it was her only way out, not knowing that many dangers might come her way.

Jungkook swam his way through the small tunnel in wonder. He didn’t realise what he was ‘walking’ into as he took the entire night to explore a tunnel. He thought it might lead to you, how naive. It is only when he heard the piercing sound of drilling from the small tunnel entrance did he know what was happening, he was trapped. With that, his instincts took over.

Chapter: #2 Swimming in Wine

Words: 4181

Warnings: Mild Swearing // Fluff // Eventual Smut? Idk maybe depends // Jungkook obsessive // Evil Namjoon (im sorry guys) // It might be a little messed up. 

AN - So I know I havent updated in a very LONG time but I am now updating regularly. I have changed the pov and increased my writing ability.

© arminty7 2020 - All rights reserved.

This work shall not be copied, reproduced, translated and/or modified in any way without my permission. In a case where this might happen, legal action will be taken as it would be a criminal act under the law and breaching these terms. Upon reading my work you are acknowledging that this work is mine and that you know the consequences if this work is copied, reproduced, translated and/or modified in any way without my permission.

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You awoke abruptly as a slam of the car door next to you made you nearly jump from your seat. You sat up and looked around as Julie stepped out of the car onto the wet road. Your head feeling cloudy as you noticed you were parked in a parking lot next to a tall building in the middle of the bustling city. Your eyes then followed Julie who walked across the road towards a small bakery. You could smell the food from here as your stomach grumbled loudly. You closed your eyes again, hearing the cars go past as their tires hit the puddles on the ground. The distant honk of horns and the bus going past made you feel somewhat tranquil, wanting to stay like that forever. You were ready to go back to sleep before the sound of the car door opening made your eyes open again.

"Oh, so you're finally awake?" Julie looks towards you with a smile on her face as she ducks her head under the car roof and gets in. She closes the door firmly beside her, with a bag of pastries in her hand.

"Uh yeah I guess. How long was I asleep for?" You don't even look in her direction as you rub your eyes, feeling sleep try to invite you in once more.

"No more than a few hours, although we are just about there. We are staying at my place for a while. Just out of the city in Taelin Shore" (I made it up with the idea of "Tail", it's not a ship name). She looked at you, shaking the bag of pastries in her hand that you didn't even notice till now.

"So when do I start work?" You look at the pastries and then back at her, wanting to focus on what's important. She places the pastries on the backseat and starts the engine, before driving out of the parking lot.

"Well, you will have an orientation on Monday at the aquarium which starts at 9 am till 2 pm. It's only small but I think it's just for showing you the ropes and letting you explore the building." She continues to drive out of the city down the coast, heading for Taelin Shore.

"Wait Monday? That's only three days away. They didn't even give me an interview yet" It seemed unreal at the most, how could they have that much faith in you?

"They don't need an interview. I told you, I know the owner. He trusts my word more than anyone." She smiles, the brown locks of her hair tied back into a messy bun, something you never thought she would wear. At the dinner party, she seemed so elegantly dressed like the other woman there. It was weird to see her in casual clothes and indulging in sweet pastries.

You look at her once more in disbelief, feeling hesitant about this situation. "I barely know you. I heard that you knew my mother but forgive me if that in itself makes me even more concerned". She chuckles slightly, gripping the wheel tightly as she turns another corner. "You might barely know me, but I was around ever since you were born. I just want to help you. I love your mother, but she puts too much pressure on you."

You sighed as you looked out the window realising you reached the coast of Taelin. It seemed beautiful and serene as you drove through the town, going past, looking at the view of the ocean. You were excited but nervous. What if you don't like it here? What if it is the same as back home? A place that kills every  good part of you, forcing you to feel paranoid about everyone you meet? You didn't want to be near that. You wanted to be free. 

Your thoughts were interrupted by the car going up the hill on a small dirt path and parking next to a small beach house that was facing the ocean. "We're here, how do you like it? Nice view huh?" Julie smiles in awe as she exits the car, slamming the car door behind her. You do the same as you both look out towards the view of the vast ocean and the mountains that surround the small town.

Julie points down towards the pier urging you to look over to see a massive building next to the docks. "That's where you will be working in the next couple of days." She smiles, "don't worry, everyone's friendly. It's different here".

You look over at her in doubt, "What about you? How do I know you're different than the rest of them back at home?".

She chuckles before turning back towards you, "I got you out, didn't I?" she pats your shoulder before heading inside. She leaves you with your thoughts.

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[6:43 am]

It was early in the morning, the light from the sun started to shine in your room as you soon noticed that you - again - forgot to close the curtains. Although awake, instead of you getting up to close them, you laid there for a while. The sound of the waves crashing was distant, but you could almost feel the pressure and the weight of the water crashing onto the rocks. You imagined what it would be like to be that rock, every day having to go through the same cycle. Every morning the tide would try and crash down and attempting to break through on the rocks until it is time for the water to come back in. The water could never break the rocks, perhaps that was even more torture.

You sighed, not even understanding your own thoughts sometimes. You groan as you get up from the warm and comforting bed, heading towards the shower. You undressed and turned the shower on, watching the steam build-up in the room, covering the mirror. You preferred hot showers.

After your shower, you left to walk along the beach. Upon stepping outside the two-story house, you feel a gush of wind. The cold pierces your body as the wind flutters through your clothes. You walk down the steps of the patio and walk over to the edge of the cliff, looking down at the water that once again crashes through the rocks violently.

You weren't afraid of the ocean and had spent your whole life in the water. Although, something didn't feel right here. You watched the water down below. I looked peaceful yet restless. With every second it became more violent, the clouds grew dark quickly, and you noticed a drop of water fall onto your forehead. You sighed and looked back down the cliff before seeing a small splash in the water and something with a scaly body. But it was nothing like what you had seen at the aquarium. You felt yourself getting dizzy and started to wonder when the last time you had eaten something. You cursed under your breath for rejecting those pastries Julie got yesterday. You stumbled, backwards and forwards as your vision started to spin. The dark cloud's now covering the sky completely. You had tried to balance yourself, but you had ended up stepping forward to much, descending over the cliff and crashing down into the ocean. Your vision went black.

The water was cold, too cold. You felt the cold sinking into your skin, grasping onto your bones, coating them in ice. You didn't bother to open your eyes as you felt yourself crashing in and out of the water. You could hear the waves and thunder as you reach the surface, before getting pulled under again. Suddenly strong arms wrapped around you from behind. Your toes and the back of your thighs could feel the slimy tail that was swaying beneath the surface. You tried to look over at what has a hold of you. Although it was strong, and you could barely move your body. You could feel its cold hands enveloping around your chest and your waist as your body swayed in the current. You could feel its hot breath on your neck whispering things in your ear before you passed out from exhaustion.

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[Two days later]

Monday - 8:45 am

The morning was quick, slipping your shoes on as you try to make your way down the stairs of the beach house into the lounge room. You couldn't stop thinking about that day. The day where you

woke up on the beach and Julie insisted on calling the doctor even though you assured her everything was fine. It was surprising, to say the least, that you didn't even get hurt. There were tons of rocks as the current was nearly ripping you apart. That was before that thing showed up. It felt like death was surrounding you. Ironic really that it may have saved your life.  

"Hurry up Y/N, I told them you'd be there by 9. You're lucky we don't live far away from the Aquarium". Julie watches you run around the house as you find your bag and keys. You ignore her comments as you rush out the door towards the car, opening the passenger side and getting in.  

"Why don't you let me drive?" You groan, looking at your watch. She gets in beside you and starts the car. "Because dear Y/N, you’re impulsive and from what I heard, it took you seven times before you passed your driving test and you haven't driven since." You roll your eyes as she drives down the dirt road and onto the main road.

You look out towards the ocean, seeing the waves crash onto the rocks on the mountains, slamming on the rocks violently. Your mind wandered for a bit. You could almost feel the hot breath against your neck again, ice-cold arms wrapping around your body. The memory of that strange creature is still vivid in your mind. You didn't tell Julie, of course. She'd probably think you're crazy.

Your eyes wander towards the open sea, seeing the birds glide over the water, how free they looked. The thought of being free sounded appealing, oh how you wanted to be one of those birds, flying across the water, without a care in the world.

But even you knew that in reality, those birds still needed to fight to survive, even they sometimes had to turn against each other.

You sighed, looking towards the road as you see small fish and bakery shops already opened and full of locals. A few minutes passed as the car turned into a car park. "We're here." Julie parked the car.

"You're not coming in with me?" You looked at her pouting a little as she chuckles "Do you want me to?" Your eyebrows furrowed, quickly grab your bag and open the door.

"No" You quickly answer and slam the door, feeling as though she was mocking you a little because you didn't want to do it alone.

"You don't need her Y/N" You tell yourself. "She's just like the rest of them. Just take advantage of the situation until your good on your own. Then let her go. She's just using you"

You make your way towards the entrance, going past the two waterfalls with statues of dolphins spitting out water. The glass doors opened as you enter, and you look at your watch, it was 8:57.

You walk in following the tunnel entrance towards the reception although you couldn't help but wonder where everyone was. Wasn't it opening today? Were you mistaken? You continue towards the reception, seeing a young handsome looking man in a suit typing away on his computer. You clear your throat and the man looks over at you.

"Oh, my apologies miss. We are not open today due to a technical issue, but we will be opening tomorrow at 7 am. Do you wish to make a booking early?" The handsome man looks over at you, his broad shoulders prominent. You glanced over at his name tag labelled "Kim Seokjin".

"Uhh, no thank you. My name is Y/N, Y/N L/N. I'm here for my induction." Your words came out less confident than you would have liked as you looked down at the floor.

"Y/N!?" You flinched, hearing your name being called. You looked over as another man in a black suit walked towards you. He was tall and had blonde hair, slicked back and styled. He held out a hand to you, "Hello, my name is Kim Namjoon. Julie told me so much about you." He smiled at you, displaying his two dimples on each side of his face. Just like the receptionist, his visuals were prominent.

You shook his hand, blinking a few times before realising, "You're... my boss??" you stammered out, his firm strong hands wrapped around your tiny ones. You have to admit, he was well built and his smile was to die for. He chuckled, letting your hand go before directing you past the reception and into the food court of the aquarium. You look back towards the reception, wanting to say goodbye to the receptionist but it was too late as Namjoon led you down the hall.  

As the two of you entered the food court, the room was wide, and it looked like a massive underground restaurant with fish tanks surrounding it. You have never seen anything like it.

"So, Y/N, as you might have guessed this place is quite empty at the moment, just a small a technical issue but it hopefully will be fixed in a few days" Namjoon leads you across the room letting you take a look at everything. You suppose that this is going to be your tour.

"Ah yes, so I've heard" Namjoon smiles while continue walking as you went past an enormous tank that looked like it connected with the other tanks. You glanced at his attire, classic black suit and tie with a white shirt underneath.

Namjoon had stopped and glanced around the room. "This is the food court, although most of the time when you are working you won't be needed here." It just had occurred to you that you didn't even know what position you'd be in. All you knew was that it was a job away from your mother and paid quite a lot of money. Julie was right, you are impulsive.

"So, what am I going to be doing here?" You look over at him as he continues to walk, heading towards another room with a big smile on his face, showing his dimples.

"Well, Y/N-"

"Namjoon! There you are, we have a situation..." A man with a white coat entered the room. He had a concerned look about him but as soon as he saw you it changed into a big smile and you couldn't help but want to smile back at him.

"Hello! My name is Jung Hoseok. You must be the new girl that will be working for us?" You looked at him and couldn't help but feel special as he gave you all his attention. Namjoon looked over at you while you smiled back at Hoseok, you dont know why but you just felt so comfortable around him.

"Ah yes... I guess everyone knows about me, huh" you shyly answered, suddenly finding the urge to fiddle with your earring. It was a nervous habit. "My name is Y/N L/N. It's nice to meet you" Hoseok smiled again before Namjoon cleared his throat, regaining our attention.

"Hoseok... Did you want to speak in private?" Hoseok's smile immediately dropped and he looked at Namjoon with a more serious expression.

"Yes, of course,  Regarding our technical problem, there is some important information you need to know." Namjoon nods his head and looks over at you. "Excuse me, Miss L/N".

You watched them walk out of the food court. You wondered what the technical problem was. Even the receptionist was vague about it. You sighed and took a seat at the cafe. You sat there staring at a fish in a tank. The food court was big and round. The walls surrounding it was just glass tanks, with one in the middle of the circular room, acting as a pillar. You sat in your seat quietly, your mind started to wander back to those callous hands that feel like they never left your body. You felt an ice chill, it petrified you. It felt like you were marked by death.  

You heard Namjoon and Hoseok walk in as you quickly stood up and pushed your chair in neatly. "Everything all sorted?" You press your lips together, trying to get that thing off your mind.

Namjoon looks at you curiously before frowning, 'I'm truly sorry, I don't think I can proceed with this tour. Something very important has come up". You nod, understandingly.

"No, No, I understand. Don't worry, I'm pretty sure I can navigate my way around the place." You take a glance around.

This place is way too big...

Namjoon looked over at you. "That won't be necessary, I have organised one of the staff members to come and give you a tour, you will be a trainer just like him. He will be mentoring you. His name is-"  

"Hello Y/N". His voice was sweet. Angelic, but not innocent. A sultry like voice that sounded like a whisper of temptation. You looked over your shoulder to see an elegant looking man with light brown locks walking over to you. His style was neat as he had black-skinny jeans and a white t-shirt, following by a Chanel bag. "My name is Park Jimin," the man said.

Damn the wage must be crazy then huh...

Namjoon sighed and looked at the floor, that was the second time he had gotten interrupted. Namjoon looked over at Jimin and then at you, before stating "This is your mentor".

Jimin looks over at you cocking his head as he smiled at you. "Come on, let me show you the place! Oh yeah, and you can meet Tae! He'd love to meet you." He grabbed your hand, locking your fingers with his as he dragged you out of the food court. "Goodbye Hoseok and Namjoon! Nice meeting you!"

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You sat there next to the water on the platform that stretches over the dolphin's tank. Jimin had taught you how to feed them and the different signals you can do with your hands. When you first saw Jimin, he seemed to like this neat good-looking guy that wouldn't work at a place like this. But here, now looking at him as he is feeding the dolphins with the biggest smile on his face, his hair fluffy and eyes glued to the water, he looked like he belonged.

"Jimin-ah!" you heard someone shout. Jimin stood up quickly and ran off the platform onto the concrete towards a tall looking man, well at least taller than Jimin. "Taehyung-ah! You are 3 hours late! You know you can't always get me to cover for you. You are lucky Y/N was there when I ran into Namjoon today, he for sure would have asked me about you. You know I can't lie to him!" Jimin and Taehyung walked back on the platform and you could finally see Taehyung features.

"Hi, my name is Kim Taehyung. Nice to meet you" he bowed and smiled. His voice was low, that was the first thing you noticed about him. The second thing was his fluffy black hair and you suspected that he recently had a perm. He was soft in every way except he had this dominating presence that could be seen through his eyes. He smiled at you, his box smile making you smile.

"Hello! My name is Y/N. Quite late, are you?" You smiled, and he chuckled. "I swear this doesn't always happen." Jimin scoffed and you tried to hold in your laughter.

"Oh yeah, did you show her around yet?" Taehyung came and sat down on the platform. We joined him, watching the dolphins. Jimin looked over at you "Well we did look around a little, but we haven't been to all the off-limit areas yet".

This intrigued you, "Ooh, now I’m excited. " You spoke with enthusiasm and Taehyung and Jimin smirked at one another. Jimin looked your way "Okay so we can’t get caught there though, it's off-limits to everyone besides Namjoon and Hoseok."

You nodded, curious to see what those "off-limit areas" are. Taehyung sighed, "I don't get why it's off-limits. Those poor fishes all alone... No one to talk too..." Taehyung pretends to cry and puts his hands over his face before taking them off and smirking. You were confused about his comment.  

You look over at Taehyung. He was a character that's for sure. He seemed more carefree than Jimin. Perhaps he didn't like his job as much as Jimin liked it? You weren't one to judge though. You did, in fact, move away from home with barely any knowledge where you're going or if Julie was trustful. You were pretty carefree yourself. But thats because you feel like you have nothing to lose. 

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"Come on! Come on! Hurry up Tae." Jimin whispered loudly.

Taehyung was dawdling behind as you and Jimin were making your way downstairs in the back area of the aquarium. Towards one of the rooms  that were "off-limits". Jimin and Taehyung said they have been working here for years and they have a special key for one of the rooms down here. Apparently it came from the bartender that worked in the food court. Jimin said that the bartender had found it while cleaning and decided to keep it.

"Ah yes, the bartender... watch out for that one" Taehyung chuckled as you guys went through the door using the key. "What do you mean?" you answered, watching Jimin use the key on the door.

"Don't scare her Taehyung! It's her first day, I'm sure he will like her." Jimin sighed but smirked slightly as he opened the doors. As you walked inside you noticed the walls looked like they were made out of stone with little windows that revealed the ocean. There was a long hallway, the ground was made out of sand and as you went down the pathway you could see a moonpool of some sort that had fish in it.

"My little fishes! How have you been?" Taehyung yells out and Jimin shushes him.

"I can't believe this is down here," You say, getting closer the glowing moonpool. Taehyung walks past you, "well no one comes down here anymore. As we said, we have the key. No one has been in, so we figured we are the only ones who have a key to the place."

“But, like how is it here? Under the aquarium?” You wondered, sitting down next to the moonpool. 

“Its connected to the mountains. The aquarium is on the shore but the back of it is connected to the mountains that surround Taelin Shore and this just so happens to be here.” Jimin states, looking around it awe. 

Jimin smiled and looked over at Taehyung, "Its our little hideout but now I feel like it should be Y/N's..." Jimin smiled as he spoke, visably excited and leaned onto Taehyung. You suppose they have been friends since their childhood. You could have sensed it on them.

You gave Jimin a confused expression he looked over at you and handed you the key, "here". You looked at him and stood back. "Wait what? Why are you giving me that? isn't it yours?". Jimin shrugs and puts it in your other hand. "I was once new here as well. I know how it feels, sometimes you just want some peace and quiet." Taehyung then chips in, "It may not seem like it now but when it gets busy, it can be stressful. Besides, we haven't been in here for a while, we don't have any use for it.

You smiled, you did need this. With Julie at home and these two at work, you knew you're going to have your hands full. Just the other day, you wanted time alone... By the end of it, you fell off a cliff and nearly drowned. Perhaps this could be a place for you to be alone. Everyone needed a hideout, right?

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It was the end of the day and Jimin and Taehyung were finished giving you their tour. You were surprised that you felt so comfortable around them. Julie was right, the people here are different.

You stood outside of the Aquarium hugging and saying goodbye to both Jimin and Taehyung as they walked towards their cars to go home. You weren't planning to stay for this long, truth is your orientation ended hours ago. You just wanted to spend more time with them.

You walked over to the pillar at the steps, waiting for Julie to come to pick you up. You sat down on the steps quietly before hearing someone raise their voice as they were heading up the steps. You hid behind the pillar, sittiing there silently. Thankfully, they didn't see you.

You heard Hoseok's voice "You don't understand! We got him! We got him, you hear me? This is a breakthrough of the century! Do you know what we could do now that we have him? The possibilities are endless. This creature is-"

You heard someone interrupt. It sounded like Namjoon, "This creature is the only thing we have going for us right now so would you be so kind to stay quiet! I know you're excited, but we can't let anyone know about this, he's dangerous."

They both went inside. Leaving you to your thoughts.

Honk Honk

"Come on Y/N, It's late!" Julie yelled out from the car. You got up and grabbed your bag before running over to the car.

"I'm coming!"

Tags - @mjlock

AN: Tell me if you like it! 

- Minty ⚘

[himbowelsh]

Drunk BOB guys??? Who are the softie hug-loving cuddlers and who are the loud and obnoxious ones? The ones who break out of their shell when intoxicated? The unusually quiet ones? The ones who throw it tf back when Usher comes on? I'd love to hear some thots

oooooh my god okay okay, here are the biggest thots

Richard Winters:  Umm, alcohol whom? Has never been drunk in his life and doesn’t intend to start now. He gets all the buzz he needs off the exhilaration of a brisk jog, or a cool glass of water.

Lewis Nixon: The Literal Alcoholic. Thinks he’s more fun when he’s drunk than when he’s sober; is actually not a very fun drunk. Is even worse when he’s sobering up! At this point, he has to have some liquor in his system 99% of the time, otherwise his body feels like it’s out to destroy itself. (Alcoholism is a disease, boys and girls.) Nix buzzed is Nix at peak performance; he’s friendly, efficient, and capable. Nix drunk is a slowly spiralling plane crash. He usually passes out before he hits the ground, but god forbid he gets there, because...  it’s messy. He can occasionally be a messy, emotional, overdramatic drunk, but only when he’s really overdone it.

Carwood Lipton: The Respectable Drunk. A very calm, kind of sleepy drunk. Doesn’t get drunk often, even though he holds his liquor well, because he doesn’t prefer it  ---   when he’s had a few, he prefers to just watch the people around him, smiling and only half paying attention. His mind tends to wander when he’s drunk. Drunk Lip does have one fatal weakness:  if he’s out with his partner, and his partner shows even the slightest bit of encouragement, Lip will get riled up very quickly. He goes from calm drunk to horny drunk in a very short time; will eagerly press his partner up against the wall if given the chance. (Drunk Lip is way more inclined to PDA.)

Ron Speirs: The Soft Drunk. Literally, he’s such a tender drunk; he has absolutely no balance, and is a little confused, but he’s sweet, okay? Ron is far more expressive when he’s drunk; he gets touchier, ramblier, kinder. Drunk Ron has faith in humanity where Sober Ron gave up long ago. He’s a really relaxed drunk, unlikely to go off and do anything wild, but he wants to be around other people  ---  around his friends. Ron never has a good time when he drinks alone. (Plus, he’s got a reputation to uphold, and only certain people are allowed to see him with his guards down.)

Harry Welsh: The Bionic Drunk. Nothing can injure him; nothing can kill him. Many things have tried. Harry has done so much dumb shit when intoxicated, things that would have wounded him in a heartbeat if he was sober, and has never gotten a scratch to show for it. He’s a very fun drunk  ---  he laughs a lot, is very affectionate, and super pleasant to be around  ---  but common sense and self-preservation goes out the window. Look out, because he might too, if someone dared him.

Eugene Roe: The Changeling Drunk. Who is this man and what did he do with Doc Roe? Drunk Gene is...  an experience, alright? His inhibitions are gone. Suddenly, his personality has been turned up to eleven; he’s extroverted, he’s exciting, he laughs loudly and jokes around...  he’s dancing on top of the bar, holy shit. Is a very fun time, but you have to keep an eye on him, because he sometimes goes off and does something insane, a-la-Sober-Speirs. Drunk Gene fears nothing, including himself.

Joe Toye: The Depressed Drunk. Zoinks, Scoob. Drunk Joe is actually willing to talk about his emotions  ---  and maybe he shouldn’t, because he’s got some sad stuff going on there, man. Drinking is supposed to numb your worries, but Joe often finds the opposite is the case; his burdens somehow get heavier, harder to ignore, and if he’s allowed to slip into them he’ll end up dwelling in them for the rest of the night. So long as he’s around buddies who are actively keeping his spirits up, he’s a decent drunk guy to have around. If neglected, however, Drunk Joe may shed a few tears into his Guinness.

George Luz: The Showman Drunk. His jokes and impressions get way sloppier, but somehow he’s twice as hilarious, so he can get away with it. Drunk George is way more animated, with a seemingly endless supply of energy; he teases everybody, he laughs the loudest in the room, and he really seems like he’s just come out to have a good time. The kind of buddy you want to get drunk with.  (Be warned: comes with a rarely activated Depressed Drunk mode, when he shuts off and wants to be left the hell alone. Maybe his battery runs out after a while or something. During this time, George is feeling a lot of things very strongly; this condition is best treated with a cozy blanket and glass of water. Very rare, but once you’ve seen him in this state, you can never unsee it.)

Bill Guarnere: The Loud Drunk. Is there a difference between sober Bill and drunk Bill? Debateable. Drunk Bill is just Bill turned up to eleven. He doesn’t actually get drunk a lot  ---  somehow he ends up the designated driver, and minds less than he should  ---  but social drinking usually leads to Bill shouting over a crowded bar. He’s usually up for a good time, he just has no volume control. (Also, the accent. It thickens. Can someone translate, please? Is he speaking English? What the hell is he saying?)

Babe Heffron: The Weird Drunk. Drunk Babe will break it down on the dance floor (should he? maybe not) and do his president rooster impression in public, but he’s equally likely to just...  confuse everybody else. He’s got a lot of thoughts. A lot of feelings. Some of them are about the meaning of life, some of them are about the best kind of sandwich bread, some of them are about whether the Loch Ness Monster has a favorite type of bird.  He talks so much when he’s drunk, and will ramble anyone’s ear off about any of these topics. Escape while you can.

Joseph Liebgott: The Volatile Drunk. Really a mixed bag; you never know what you’re going to get from him. Sometimes, Joe can be a very fun drunk, the life of the party, willing to do anything anybody dares him to. That’s if he’s drinking in a good mood. If he starts drinking in a sour mood, it’ll only get worse from there. Honestly, he can be a mean drunk. He lashes out at people, gets angry, sometimes starts crying...  it’s not great. You have to keep tabs on him while he’s drinking, because if his mood looks like it’s dipping, he should not be allowed any more alcohol.

David Kenyon Webster: The Emotional Drunk. He’s just...  got a lot of feelings! And he really wants to talk about them! Becomes extremely talkative while drunk; this is not always a good thing, because he’s pronouncedly less eloquent. Drunk Web is very passionate about politics...  and the environment... and marine biology...  and the commercialization of public holidays. He has something to say about most things. Sometimes he’s just muttering to himself, and no one can keep up with what he’s saying. Makes so many notes, either in his phone or scribbling them down on napkins, because he’s “going to need to remember this”, but they’re all illegible come morning. Feels things very strongly. Might cry.

Johnny Martin: The Feral Drunk. Wrangling Johnny when he’s had a few too many is an experience. Holy shit, this man knows no fear. Drunk Johnny has 5x less patience for everyone’s bullshit, and wants them to know it. The amount of bar fights this man has gotten into... the best part is, he’s never lost. (Yeah, because he has Bull right there to make sure his drunk friend doesn’t get himself killed.)

Frank Perconte: The Confused Drunk. Only kind of knows where he is. Complains a lot; puts things down, misplaces them, and blames someone else for taking them. Drunk Perco has a ‘Real Housewives at Brunch’ mode, only activated when someone gives him tequila; he will scream and throw drinks. Otherwise he’s just kind of tiresome and needs someone to make sure he makes it home okay.

Floyd Talbert: The Mom Drunk. Yes, he did just do four shots of gin, but he’s still going to make sure everyone else is drinking water and not wandering off with anyone creepy. Drunk Floyd’s got an eye on everyone; he’s kind of the mama hen wrangling all her chicks, making sure they don’t stray far. He parties like a frat boy, but will wrangle everyone like a girl scout mother. 

Shifty Powers: The Missing Drunk. What the hell? What happened, where did he go? He was sitting right there a second ago  ---   when he’s drunk, Shifty tends to wander. He just likes the quiet. His friends will always find him in bizarre places, after a few minutes of panicked searching. Once, he was laying on top of a car; once he was on the club’s roof. He’s fine, he knows where he is, he’s just thinking about stuff.

Donald Malarkey: The Absurdly Lucky Drunk. He’s got some Irish faeries looking out for him or something, because Drunk Don is literally living his best life. If he gambles, he’s going to win. If he misplaces his wallet, he’s going to find it with an extra $30 inside. If he trips, he’s going to land in an attractive person’s lap. Everyone wants to be in proximity to Drunk Don, not only because he’s a pretty good  (if emotional)  time, but because some of his luck might rub off.

Skip Muck: The Giggly Drunk. What’s so funny? No one knows. Skip might not even know, but he’s going to laugh anyways, because everything is hilarious. He somehow tells even better jokes when drunk, but he laughs at them himself, so that measures it out. He effortlessly makes himself the life of the party; Skip will get up and karaoke with the band, cheer all his friends on in their dumb shit, drink way more than he reasonably should...  going out drinking with Skip is always a great time.

Herbert Sobel: The Alarmingly Fun Drunk. No, I’m not going to elaborate. Fill in the mental images yourself.

[prose-for-hire]

In the middle

Pairing: Spike x reader; Faith x reader Request: Not requested. Oblivious reader in the middle of Faith and Spike crushing on them. Sort of a weird timeline, after Faith was in a coma and Spike was chipped but they’re both like, ‘fighting for good’. Not sure I’m happy with it, but I wanted to write something a bit different than my usual. 

Feel free to request something, anything, I love bringing your ideas to life!

y/n/n – nickname or your initial that Faith would call you. Warning: Swearing/cussing.

Spike and Faith had returned to Sunnydale both for their own reasons. But soon after you had seen each of them again, they found themselves drawn to you. You were kind and you made them feel like the only person in the room. You were slightly older than the other Scoobies and you had your own little place on the outskirts of town. Close enough that you could haul yourself over and help Buffy out if she needed but far enough from the Hellmouth that you didn’t feel so trapped all of the time.

Spike felt it as soon as he saw you again. He had a tendency to fall headfirst without thinking, but he was used to being love’s bitch. This time, he knew it was for real. He found himself following you, just to make sure you were safe after dark and when you noticed a few times and asked him to walk you places ‘for protection’ his heart almost rose in his chest. He felt wanted and trusted by you, like you relied on him.

Faith felt it gradually, not really realising what it was until it was too late. She prided herself on not getting attached, opting for a quick fling here and there, but that all changed when she became close to you. The rest of the Scoobies still didn’t trust her but you were just the same you had always been with her. You were kind and you didn’t try to compare her to Buffy the way everyone else did and you didn’t like reminding her of all her mistakes either. You liked her for herself and knew she was her own kind of Slayer. Plus, you were fun to be around.

You were happy, you had gained two good friends that seemed to always want to spend time with you. It only got awkward when all three of you were together, which was happening a lot more recently. You weren’t really sure why though.

Both of them had an unspoken agreement to keep out of the others way, trying to navigate their friendship with you without the other interfering. This was how it got to this point. Spike had been standing under the big tree outside your house, smoking and watching just until your light turned out, convincing himself you should be safe after that. He would stay out all night just to make sure you were safe. Faith had decided to give up patrolling for the night and not able to resign herself to the loneliness of the motel just yet, thought she would swing by your place. Maybe check if you wanted to go to the Bronze or just talk. That’s the thing she found herself wanting more than anything, just to hear your voice and that was something that told her she was in deep. She felt her slayer senses and whipped around, realising who it was.

“You’re fucking kiddin’”

“Don’t start with the self-righteous slayer bit, Buffy’s already given me an earful tonight” Spike rolled his eyes, flicking his cigarette end to the floor highlighting the pile at his feet.

“Leave them alone, it’s kinda pathetic man, stalking them from the shadows. Everyone’s laughin’ at you, y’know that right? Lovesick vampire after someone that wouldn’t look at you twice”

“Yeah well, a fella’s gotta have hope” He admitted softly which made Faith scowl further. He was horrible, the only reason he wasn’t dust was because the Scoobies seemed to have a use for him. When Faith started to walk to your front door to knock, Spike continued, “Don’t think I don’t see it. The way your psycho-bitch act melts into nothing when they’re around” He said, raising an eyebrow as Faith looked away slightly. Her face faltered for a moment and Spike’s smirk widened, “Slayer’s scared of the way she feels… if you can’t have them, I can’t is that what this is?”

“You don’t know me, dude-”

“I know what they can do to a person… their sweet nature, the way they feel for everyone, no matter what damned ugly creature they come across…” He stared into the distance as he spoke of you, towards your window where your light was now out. Faith didn’t like the way he spoke about you and so she started to show the vampire with her fists.

You were in comfy clothes, getting ready for bed. You had just slipped under the covers when you heard a massive noise outside. Living in Sunnydale should have told you to stay put and hide from the threat, but you peaked through your blinds anyway to find two familiar figures arguing, with Spike having been thrown against your dustbin. You ran downstairs, swinging open your front door.

“Um, what are you both doing here?” You hissed. Their faces both dropped at the sight of you, they were hoping to avoid this. You were both of their weaknesses and this was a big thing for both of them to admit, considering their big personalities. You managed to see the good in everything in a way that they never could. You had noticed how close you were getting to both of them and being their friends made you happy, but you had no idea that they both had feelings for you.

“Fang-less over here was lurkin’ giving himself a massive hard-on at the idea of catching you changing in front of the window”

“I wasn’t lurking! I was standin’ about, it’s a whole different vibe” He protested and you gave them both a perplexed smile, yawning a little as Spike deflected onto Faith, “Well, Second-class-Slayer, what exactly were you doin’ here?”

“Oh, well, do you both wanna come in-” You decided, gesturing inside, seeing as you were up now.

“Hey, y/n/n, don’t!” Faith started, trying to stop you from inviting Spike in. That was the last thing she needed.

“Come in, you know, before you both need to slay or fight or… whatever it is you guys do at night”

“Thanks pet, awful nice of you to invite us” Spike smirked as he waltzed in and Faith groaned, walking in after him.

“Can I, uh, get you anything? Coffee? I might have some tea somewhere”

“Nothin’ stronger, love?”

“No, uh, me and Faith finished the bottle at the weekend…”

“Oh, really? Funny that” Spike muttered, annoyed she had managed to get precious time alone with you. You frowned as Faith smiled, slinging an arm over your shoulder. You didn’t understand the look and if you were honest you were starting to pick up on a strange tension between the three of you.

“We had some real fun, huh, y/n/n?”

“Yeah, it was nice. I didn’t realise how much of a lightweight I was until I met you both” You chuckled, turning to move from Faith’s friendly arm to boil water for your own hot drink seeing as nobody else wanted one.

“Yeah, that time in the crypt was a laugh, right pet?”

“Oh yeah! That was cool, with the drinking games… who knew a crypt could be so comfy” You said softly as Spike smirked at Faith smugly behind your back.

“Comfy?” Faith looked pissed and there was nothing worse than an angry slayer. Both were silently gesturing for the other to leave while you had your back turned, busying yourself in your little kitchenette. When you turned around, they both tried to keep a straight face, pretending they weren’t desperate for the other to leave to have time alone with you. They both gave you a smile, their expressions softer than you would give either of them credit for if you didn’t know them so well. All their attention was on you when you were back with your hot drink of choice.

“You, uh, can both sit you know. It’s not a stand-off” You smile, settling on the sofa. There was a spare space next to you and Spike slipped into the seat first as he was closer. He launched himself next to you as Faith had to sit on a single seat closest to you and opposite Spike so she could make sure he didn’t try anything. He smirked, sliding his arm along the headrest to rest behind your head.

You looked between them, they kept glancing at each other every so often before bringing their attention back to you. You realised something, their weird behaviour. Their bickering. You finally figured it out. You kept silent for a while, blowing on your hot drink. When they glared at each other again, after Spike had shifted closer to you, you decided to say something.

“Maybe you two should admit your feelings already” You mutter and their eyes widened and they scowled at each other. So you weren’t as oblivious as they thought.

“Woah, woah, feelings? You think this guy has anythin’ like that? No freakin’ way”

“Oi, I can love! You’re the bloody scary Slayer with no feelings and a penchant for stabbing people”

“Aw, Spike, you’re scared of me?”

“Well, you’re always at each other’s throats. There’s clearly, um, some tension between you… I’ve n-noticed that you’re always using me as a buffer. I don’t think I’ve been around one of you alone very often since you both came back to town. You don’t need me in the way, you just need to talk about your feelings” You finished, pleased with yourself for picking up on it. A lot of people have called you naïve before, but you decided that was pretty smart of you.

They both exhaled a massive sigh of relief, neither was ready to admit their feelings to you. They enjoyed being your friend because at least then they could be close to you. It would hurt if you picked the other over them. They were almost relieved that you appeared to believe they liked each other.

“Yeah, you know what, let’s do that” Faith grabbed Spike up by his leather duster and started to pull him to the exit, “I’ll see ya round y/n/n”

“Bye guys, hope it goes well! Don’t be strangers!”

“Alright, pet, I’ll be back before you know it don’t you worry” He called over his shoulder as Faith threw him through the front door and they went for their ‘talk’. You went back to bed, pleased with yourself for helping them out. Maybe you could become Sunnydale’s resident match-maker.

[missjanjie]

Hold Me Tighter (Even Closer) | (1/?)

Title: Hold Me Tighter (Even Closer) Summary: A sequel to Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dancer. Brooke Lynn and Vanessa are back at NYU, but with new and improved positions. Brooke's ready to start her career as a professor when, as fate would have it, she realizes her TA, Jackie, might have the hots for a student named Jan. The couple just might see it as a sign to give two new girls the love story they found in the same place. Word Count: ~3k (this chapter) Relationship(s): Branjie (Brooke Lynn Hytes/Vanessa Vanjie Mateo), Jankie (Jan Sport/Jackie Cox) Rating: T (so far)

Read on AO3

“Okay, are you ready?” Brooke Lynn slung her messenger bag over her shoulder and looked over as her wife came out of the bedroom with her belongings.

Vanessa took a deep breath, pressing her lips into a fine line and offering a nod. “As I’ll ever be,” she replied as the two of them left their apartment. While the commute was longer than when they were shacked up in Brooke’s off-campus apartment, it was manageable enough for them to keep making that journey.

Besides, when they made their way into the performing arts building, it just felt right. That was where it all began, and in a way, it had become a home away from home, many of their coworkers had become a second family for them.

Then there was Katya, who had crossed the line between second and first families long ago. She was part of their wedding party, she pet-sat while they were on their honeymoon. Vanessa would often describe her as a ‘kooky aunt,’ and Brooke conceded that the title was rather on the nose. She beamed brightly as she ran up to the couple. “Good morning ladies, I’m here to pick up my TA,” and in a literal move, she picked up Vanessa, who let out a surprised yelp and a laugh.

“And yet there’s still no one I’d trust more with her.” Brooke chuckled as if she were truly questioning her faith in Katya’s mentorship. She leaned over and kissed her wife’s forehead. “I expect both of you to behave.”

“I’m gonna need you to lower your expectations, Professor Hytes-Mateo,” Katya replied as she set her new teacher’s assistant back down. “Your girl’s on the way?”

“She is. Offered to go on a coffee run, so she’ll be here soon enough,” she confirmed. In the interim, the three of them went to Brooke’s new classroom. This semester, she would be teaching the History of Dance course, one that was required for second-year students. Her options had been either that or Improvisation, which had made the decision easy on her.

Only a few minutes had passed before they heard footsteps coming down the hall until a woman came in, holding a drink tray that she then sat down on Brooke’s desk. “Morning, everyone,” Jackie greeted, taking her own drink from the holder and sipping from it.

“Hey, Jackie,” Brooke smiled warmly, trying to hold her focus just long enough to slide Vanessa a couple of bills to slip into Jackie’s pocket. It was a system the two of them had stuck with to avoid the back and forth courtesy refusals and ‘but I insists.’ Brooke would affectionately refer to it as ‘reverse pickpocketing’ while Vanessa simply called it ‘efficient.’

Katya looked at her phone, then cleared her throat to redirect attention. “We’ll have to reconvene later, ladies. Vanjie and I need to get set up in the studio,” she said, picking her binder back up and tucking it under her arm.

“Catch you later, boo. Good luck,” Vanessa smiled and shared a quick kiss with Brooke before following Katya out the door.

Jackie watched them leave before looking back towards the professor. “It must be nice being able to work in the same building as your wife, huh?” she mused as she set her backpack on the side of the desk and took out a small stack of manila envelopes, all filled with varying amounts of papers.

Brooke grinned, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as her eyes drifted to the framed picture she kept on her desk – one from their wedding just about a year earlier. “It really is, we lucked out.”

She nodded as she took her seat, believing the sentiment wholeheartedly. Something about the idea of finding someone and having the instant bond over a shared passion spoke to her and left her with a quiet sense of yearning. But her wandering mind had to reel back into focus when students began filing into the classroom and taking their seats. Everything was pleasantly calm as she watched seat after seat fill up.

Then suddenly, it all changed.

The energy in the room brightened, but no one seemed to notice but Jackie. The source of it, however, was as clear as day. It was a student with a warm, friendly disposition and soft features that Jackie just found beautiful. And she didn’t think she was staring until she felt someone poking her shoulder.

Brooke Lynn was looking at her, a smirk curling up her lips that made Jackie’s face heat up. She knew that look, could spot that look a mile away. Hell, she was probably the poster child for that look, she had to take a sip of her drink just to keep herself from laughing. Instead, she sat and sipped her drink until the flow of students came to a halt.

As Brooke began taking attendance, Jackie walked around, giving a copy of the syllabus to each student. But she looked up every time a feminine name was called, eager to put a name to the face that’d caught her eye.

“Jan Sport?”

“Here!”

Ah, she thought. There we go. It was enough momentary satisfaction to get her through the rest of the task, and hopefully enough to keep her focused for the rest of the class. The last thing she wanted was to drop the ball in the first ten minutes because a pretty girl clouded her sense of rational thought. She, for the most part, decided to keep her nose in the paperwork. There wasn’t too much she needed to say yet anyway.

“...And Jackie’s contact info is there, your best bet is to reach out to her first.”

Jackie looked up when she heard her name, offering a smile and a nod as Brooke Lynn continued talking. She did finally allow her gaze to drift back over to Jan, who had been alternating between listening attentively and whispering with the girl sitting next to her. But just as she looked over, they made eye contact, and Jackie’s heart skipped a beat.

Jan smiled at her, oblivious to all the thoughts running through the grad student’s mind. But she did welcome the attention – Jackie was attractive and held herself professionally – two traits she definitely appreciated. When the eye contact was broken, she shifted her attention to Brooke, until her friend tapped her desk to get her attention.

“Am I crazy, or was she checking you out?” Gigi whispered.

“I’m leaning towards both,” she retorted with a soft chuckle. She wasn’t actually sure if Jackie was checking her out – it might have been wishful thinking. But if Gigi saw it too, she could let herself think that maybe something was happening.

By the time class ended, everything seemed calm once more. Jan got up and she waved to Jackie as she walked past, one of those subtly flirtatious waves where each finger curls down one at a time. She wanted to linger a bit longer but decided to follow Gigi out.

When the class was back down to just Brooke Lynn and Jackie, there was a moment of silence while they both allowed themselves to process the first day of class. Then Brooke turned to Jackie with what could only adequately be described as a shit-eating grin.

Jackie sighed, realizing it wouldn’t end until she addressed it. “Okay, what?”

“Nothing, I just love watching history repeat itself,” Brooke hummed.

“I beg your pardon?”

Brooke looked to her wedding picture, then back at Jackie. “Do you know how Vanjie and I met? I know you didn’t have a lot of classes together, but still.”

She furrowed her brows. “I know you guys both got your undergrads here, and that you used to be Katya’s TA, but that’s about it,” she explained, having never been much for keeping up with gossip.

Getting the chance to retell her and Vanessa’s story made Brooke light up in a way that almost startled Jackie. “Let me set the scene for you.” She got up, standing in the empty space at the front of the classroom. “Picture me, an awkward, introverted grad student. It’s my first day as Katya’s teaching assistant. I’m there before her, before anyone, sitting on the floor and wondering, ‘what the hell is this semester gonna be like?’ Then in walks this spunky little brunette that ends up turning my whole world upside-down, yet somehow makes me feel truly alive for the very first time.” She sighed fondly. “And then I married her, the end.”

Jackie nodded as she listened, it was a nice story, and she did like that everything worked out in the end. But then she furrowed her brows. “So… You think I’m gonna marry Jan?”

Brooke chuckled. “I’m just saying… Well, you never know what could happen.”

“I think you might be a little bit biased,” she retorted as she gathered her things. “Look, she’s very pretty and seems sweet. I’ll give you that. But I’m certainly not setting a wedding date anytime soon.”

“If you change your mind, I have a friend that’s an ordained minister,” Brooke teased.

------

“Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but I think this could mean something. She’s Brooke Lynn’s TA, and everyone knows how that story went,” Gigi was saying, sounding very certain in her theory. Many students had a story where they knew someone that knew someone that saw everything that happened with Brooke Lynn and Vanessa. It wasn’t uncommon to be in on the legend.

Jan quirked her brow. “So, you think this is kismet? That when our eyes met we were bound by the fate set by our predecessors?”

“No, Shakespeare. I just think that you should pursue this.”

She huffed. “You know, just because you have a girlfriend doesn’t mean that you need to curate a story for my love life.”

Gigi shrugged. “I don’t have to do anything, but that’s not going to stop me. Jan, I haven’t seen you go on a single date since we met. If there’s a chance for you to actually connect with someone, I–”

“We haven’t even spoken!” Jan finally exclaimed. “You’re creating a narrative based off of eye contact, Geege. I think we need to center back into reality a little bit.”

“You’re right, you’re right.” She put her hands up in surrender. “I just need to throw myself into something, it’s hard being in a long-distance relationship, you know.”

Jan looked at her friend as if she’d grown a second head. “Long dis– sweetie, Crystal’s going to school upstate, and not even like, actual upstate, it’s literally just Westchester. You know you can drive up there whenever.”

Gigi let out a dramatic huff. “It’s not the same,” she whined, stomping her foot. But she switched back into her normal demeanor almost instantly, in a way that would’ve been jarring to someone that wasn’t her close friend. “I digress. Just keep an open mind, okay?”

“Whatever you say, you little weirdo,” she teased lightly as they left the building, having a couple of hours before their next class, Katya’s, of course. And Jan only hoped they got there before anyone else picked up on whatever it was Gigi had noticed.

------

“Okay, you’ve been staring at that corner for like, five minutes. It’s giving me The Blair Witch Project vibes. You good?” Katya asked curiously.

Vanessa blinked, seemingly snapped out of a trance. “Hm? Yeah, I’m good. Just kinda having a moment.” She looked down, grinning broadly to herself. “That spot right there was where I first met her. She was all wound up and tense, ready to kick your ass… Prettiest fucking thing I ever seen.”

“If you think about it,” Katya started, “none of this would’ve happened if I wasn’t late to class,” she mused. “So, you’re welcome. I expect you to name your first born after me as retribution.”

She chuckled, leaning against the desk. “You know, we been talking about having a baby or adopting… Got pros and cons to both.”

“Wow, that’s a big step. And I get it, on one hand, it makes sense to take in a kid that doesn’t have a family, but on the other, you guys have really good genetics.”

“That’s what I’m saying.” Vanessa nodded. “But we ain’t rushing it or nothing,” she assured, looking up and watching as students filed into the studio. “It’s showtime,” she said to Katya before starting to pass out copies of the syllabus.

Everything was business as usual until about a half hour into class, when Jackie tried to inconspicuously let herself into the room. She tried to silently get Vanessa’s attention, but Vanessa and subtlety were just two things that would never mesh.

“What’s up, Jackie? C’mere!” Vanessa waved her over, leaving Jackie to awkwardly shuffle to the front.

“Didn’t mean to interrupt, Brooke just asked me to drop off your lunch,” Jackie explained, handing her a paper bag. “Anyway, I’ll leave you guys to it.” As she started to leave, her eyes met with Jan’s yet again, but she was determined to play it cool this time. “Oh, hey Jan,” she hummed, lightly fluttering her lashes with a confident smile.

And Jan reacted just the way she’d hoped. She giggled and twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “Hey, Jackie,” she cooed, eyes following her out the door before trying to refocus.

“Very subtle. I’m clearly the crazy one here,” Gigi remarked, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Eat me,” she retorted through gritted teeth, without breaking her cheery demeanor.

Gigi rolled her eyes. “Seems like other people might be trying to get that job instead.”

The bickering continued a bit longer, but they quieted down long enough to actually hear the tail end of Katya’s speech, which she finished by dismissing the class a little bit early. “Remember, you should have a list of five potential final project songs by the end of next week. Make sure you get them to Vanjie one way or another,” Katya was saying as the class began packing up and leaving.

“So how’d you feel about your first day of classes?” Katya asked once she and Vanessa were alone in the studio again.

“Think that went well; didn’t see anyone too much like me, so you’re gonna catch a break this time around,” she chuckled.

Katya laughed softly. “Oh Vanjie, you were a delight to teach. Mostly because I could pawn you off on Brooke every time, but still.” She looked up at the sound of footsteps. “And speak of the devil.”

Brooke rolled her eyes and grinned. “You speak so highly of yourself,” she replied, going right to Vanessa’s side and wrapping her arm around her waist and kissing the side of her head. “Everything went as anticipated?”

“All good, boo.” Vanessa hummed, leaning against her wife. “Thank you for lunch, by the way,” she added.

“Of course,” she cooed. “Oh, did you have Jan Sport in this class?”

Katya looked down at the attendance sheet. “Yeah, why?”

“Jackie went all heart-eyed for her, and I’m finding myself physically incapable of resisting the urge to play matchmaker. You should’ve seen it; Jan walked in the room and Jackie just couldn’t take her eyes off of her. It was really cute, like something out of a romcom,” Brooke explained.

Vanessa perked up, grabbing Brooke’s arm with both of her hands and started shaking her. “Are you kidding? We gotta match-make them! We’re throwing the torch!”

“You make it sound kind of violent, but yes,” Brooke chuckled. “What do you think, Katya? Should we give the matchmaking thing a try?”

Katya laughed. “What are you gonna do? Wait for a field trip and stick them in a room with one bed? I mean, it worked the first time.”

“We can’t build a curriculum around getting two people to fuck,” Brooke pointed out.

“Not with that attitude,” Vanessa chimed in.

------

“Geege, look!” Jan stopped dead in her tracks and grabbed her friend’s arm, reeling her back in. “They have a sign-up for winter musical auditions, and they’re doing Heathers!”

Gigi watched in amusement as Jan eagerly signed up. “I feel like this is your version of a wet dream.”

“I can live with that. You gonna sign up?”

She shook her head. “Not for me, I’d rather try to find out how I can get involved with costume design,” she told her, though she wasn’t entirely sure that Jan was listening, so she moved on. “Who are you going for?”

“My heart says Heather Chandler, but I feel like I could really kill it as Veronica.”

“You’d steal the show as a tree in the background, so I wouldn’t worry about it. You’ll definitely get a good role,” Gigi assured.

Just as Jan was about to reply, a newly familiar voice came up behind her. “You’re auditioning for the show?”

Jan turned around to see Jackie. “I am. Did you do any of them during your undergrad?”

Before Jackie could answer, Gigi suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, I gotta go, Crystal’s calling me,” while waving her phone around, and was gone in a flash, leaving the other two without a chance to reply.

Jackie watched her leave for only a moment before answering Jan’s question. “Yeah, a couple. If you need any help auditioning or rehearsing or whatever, I can totally help.” Unlike any of the earlier incidents, she now seemed genuinely relaxed. There was a different energy when she was in her element, talking about the things she loved with someone that shared those interests.

And Jan was just happy that Gigi didn’t try to lock them in a closet or something like that. “That would be great. If you’re sure you’re not too busy, of course.”

“I can definitely make time for you,” Jackie chuckled softly, tucking her hair behind her ear and adjusting her glasses. She looked to the sign-up sheet, then back at Jan. “Auditions are on Friday, you wanna come over tomorrow?”

Jan nodded brightly. “Tomorrow’s perfect. I’ll text you so you have my number, and we can work out the details from there.”

“Perfect,” Jackie echoed, not referring to the time at all.

[saikostories]

Nanbaka - The Peculiar Guard pt3

“Any pain?”

“No…”

“Can you move your hands?”

“Yes…”

“Your recovery is as quick as always.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

Theodora bowed to the doctor in respect for all he’s done. However it was all the same. Once again she couldn’t feel anything. The numbness was back. Samon had came in the next day and asked about her condition. After some final testing, the doctor let her go. Now out of the hospital gown, she was now wearing just casual attire. An oversized black sleeved shirt, black skinny jeans, and black riding boots. Her hair hadn’t been brushed, causing it to be fluffy at the top and hang a little over her eyes.

To her she felt the most comfiest like this. She wasn’t having to hide herself anymore.

It’s the whole reason why Samon had to come. The Warden wanted to talk to her. She knew all too well. It was actually making her nervous and anxious to go. Theodora prepared herself for the deja vu of ‘you’re fired!’ in big bold letters with a stamp on her head. It was the inevitable to be honest. She just wished it wasn’t this way, or so soon.

“…I’m gonna be fired, huh?” Theodora muttered to Samon, keeping pace with him.

“I… can’t answer that…” Samon said quietly.

“Yep. I’m fired…” Theodora said like it was a confirmed statement.

“Hey, it might not happen.” Samon quickly intervene her negative thinking. “Maybe she will—”

“Samon.” Theodora cut him off, looking at him directly in the eye. “You know as well as anybody that my restrictions were as clear as daylight. No one must find out of my true gender. I must listen to the orders of my Supervisors at all times. My mask shall be worn 24/7, unless my Supervisors themselves take it off. Technically, I’ve broke each one of those rules once or twice already… She has every right to fire me.”

Samon hummed softly, unable to counter her claim. He could only sigh and put his hand on her head and ruffle her hair.

“Have some faith, will ya?” Samon grumbled. “You always tell people to be happy. Take your own damn advice for once, damnit. Even if you’re not in the same building with me, it’s still better having you around than anything else…”

Theodora just stared at Samon for a moment before smiling softly. “Good to know you haven’t changed a bit either…”

“Is that a good or bad thing?” Samon asked, looking almost defended.

“Who’s to say~”

“Oh, so now you go back to normal!”

“Heheh…!”

After some friendly jabs here and there, the two found themselves not too far from the Warden’s office. Samon lead her through the area and right to Head Quarters. Once they got to the room before the Warden’s office, Theodora spotted familiar faces. When she entered the room she noticed how it got really quiet. And she hated it.

Samon noticed this almost instantly. He ushered her forwards to the much dreaded Warden’s office. The Supervisor knocked on the door and waited for his call to be received. Hearing her voice, Samon opened the doors and gestured Theodora forwards. Very reluctantly, Theodora stepped forwards and walked in side until she was standing in front of the Warden’s desk. She held her sharp gaze, dreading the conversation itself.

“Good morning, Nicci. How is your body doing?” Asked the Warden, probably to get her relaxed and calm.

“I’m fine, ma'am…” Softly said Theodora. “The doctor told me I can do normal things besides stay soaking in water. Other than that, I can do whatever…”

“That’s good to hear.” Said the Warden. Her gaze sharpen, as if that was even possible, showing that she was now serious. “…You understand exactly why you’re here, yes?”

“Yes, ma'am…” Theodora nodded.

“Let’s go over it, shall we?” Spoke the Warden as she flipped open a file on her desk. “I gave you strict guidelines for you to follow. You were to do follow the orders of your Supervisors, not enter or access any high ranking areas, behave yourself as a good guard, wear the mask given to you 24/7 unless told so, and you were supposed to hide your gender from any and all inmates. You’ve broken about half of these rules within the few weeks of being here. Am I wrong?”

“No, ma'am…” Theodora said honestly.

“I gave you those rules to follow and yet you broke them.” Spoke the Warden with a bit of a growl at the end. “I would’ve just let this go, but in the end your identity as a female was revealed, especially to the inmates. That was our number one guideline that you had to follow. I understand that it was because of those burns and cuts, but you still got found out…”

Theodora kept her head down, her lips pressed tightly together, as she couldn’t deny the woman.

“I know it may seem unfair to you, but you must understand my position.” Stated the Warden. “Not only is it my job to keep this prison safe and running, but I can’t allow a woman working here as a guard. Maybe I can put you into a different job section, like the malls or even the lab research. But… I can’t allow you to be a guard anymore…”

“…!” Theodora’s body was very tense as her face contorted in pain, trying not to cry.

“Miss Warden, please, are you sure there’s nothing we can do?!” Samon suddenly exclaimed, shocking both women. “Theodora is a great kid. She works hard, she gets along with her coworkers, and the inmates even enjoy her. Hell, that chief at Building 13 had been asking about her yesterday in concern at the feast! You can’t fire her!”

“Are you saying that with assertion, or are you saying that because your emotions?” Asked the Warden, her hard gaze causing Samon to falter for a moment.

“E-everyone knows how she’s beneficial…” Samon said and was now standing next to Theodora. “She was able to stop No.15 from going berserk. If Hajime hadn’t beaten that kid half to death, Theodora would’ve gotten the kid to calm down and stop his rampage! We shouldn’t let her go just because of her gender!”

“So you want to have her stay and put her at a risk instead?” Harshly spoke the Warden before Samon could say anything else. He stopped, flinching at her tone. “There is a reason why we have Nanba, then the Nanba Women’s Prison. We cannot risk Theodora to be a guard here as a woman because any of the prisoners might lash out and assault her. I will not allow her to be placed on the line like that, and I know you wouldn’t want that either. This is a prison, not a playhouse. Theodora will pack her things and will be taken back to America.”

“T-then at least—”

“Samon, stop.” Theodora interrupted him, stopping him from causing more trouble. “You know better than anyone to question the Warden’s actions. She’s made her decision…”

“But where will you go?!” Samon asked her, his voice rising in anger. “You said it yourself that you don’t have anywhere else to go!”

“Samon,” Theodora grabbed both of his shoulders and forced him to look her in the eye. She smiled at him and spoke calmly. “Calm down… It’s sweet of you to try and allow me to stay, but we have to listen to the Warden. Her word is practically law here. I’m grateful for all of the wonderful things you’ve done for me, as well as everybody here. So, thank you for everything, and please just listen to the Warden…”

Samon stared at her for a moment, clearly hurt by this. His eyes darted all over her face, trying to find some sort of sign that she was just joking. But, as Theodora is in these situations, it’s clear she wasn’t. He could only tilt his head down, trying not to look at her again. Theodora could only try to stay together before turning to the Warden and bowed to her in thanks and respect.

“Thank you for everything, ma'am…” Theodora said calmly, still holding a smile on her face. “I am grateful for the risk you took with me and allowed me to be here. Just… may I ask one thing?”

“What is it?” Momoko raised a brow at her as Theodora stood up straight.

“It’s about… Inmates No.15 and No.634…” Theodora said softly. “After the interrogations once everything is clear up, please just… take care of them.”

“What do you mean?” Asked the Warden, her eyebrows raising slightly in surprise.

“This is just what I understand from their conversations…” Theodora said. “So, I may be wrong, or possibly right. But, from how I heard it, it’s clear that those two know each other. Musashi, No.634, provoked Jyugo, No.15, in order to gain some sort of information. He wanted Jyugo to go into a rage and reveal himself as a 'monster’ to everyone. I don’t know why he did that… Why he so strongly focused on Jyugo. But, from what I heard through bits and pieces, the main reason is for those shackles on Jyugo’s neck, wrists, and ankles. I think… I think that’s how Jyugo’s body could morph into blades…”

“The shackles, hm…?” The Warden leaned towards her and rested her lips against her hands. “Tell me, what else do you believe that happened?”

“Well…” Theodora thought for a moment. “Jyugo is kind of tricky to read, but it’s not hard for him to get along with someone. But… I never thought he had the capability to attack somebody. Clearly I heard Musashi spoke to him, and… Apparently, Jyugo took out Musashi’s eyes with those blades. This was in the past when they were cellmates, though… There’s that bit of a motive, but… I think he’s more or less after Jyugo’s shackles. I don’t know why, but, he wants them… Thing is, I don’t think it’s for good. Sorry I can’t be of much use…”

“I see…” Muttered the Warden. “Thank you for sharing that with me. Is there anything else you would like to say?”

“…Well, I never really did ask what I wanted…” Theodora looked her dead in the eye. “Please allow me to talk with the inmates of Cell 13 before I go. I want to make sure they’re alright… They have a right to know about my situation…”

“Why would you ask for that of all things?” Questioned the Warden. Even Samon looked curious.

“Those guys don’t trust just anybody, you know.” Theodora said as if it was obvious. “I know they have questions, and I know they’ll want answers… If you just kick me out of here without telling them a single thing, you’ll never gain their trust ever again. They can help Jyugo with his problems—I know they can. He’s just this troubled kid with this fucked up ability that we don’t even know anything about. But, if you lose their trust, they won’t ever tell a soul about the information they know. There’s a reason why they’re in Building 13… And I know they trust me… But I need your own trust, Ms. Hyakushiki, to talk to them and explain everything to them… They need trust, and I can provide it…”

The Warden held her gaze, silence taking over the room. Theodora was dead serious about it. It was clear from the expression she held. Samon could only stare at her in surprise at her sudden change in demeanor. 'Her eyes… They’ve got sparks in them again… Did she already bond with those guys so soon?’

"You do realize the risk of what you’re asking for, right?” The Warden asked her.

“Those boys wouldn’t dare lay a finger on me.” Theodora stated, as if offended by what the Warden was getting at. “Plus, they know quite well that I can knock them out in a matter of seconds if I have to. Yes, they’ve done some fucked up things in the past, but they’re still human. They’re good kids. But of course, officers like yourself find that hard to believe, am I right…?”

“Theodora, don’t anger the Warden…!” Samon hissed at her.

The Warden and Theodora had their eyes locked onto each other, neither of them faltering. After a long staring contest between the two, the Warden sighed loudly.

“…Fine.” She said. “But if anything happens, you’ll be responsible for it. But that won’t change the fact that you have to leave by the end of today.”

“I understand, ma'am.” Theodora nodded before bowing to her. “Thank you!”

“That’ll be all…” Muttered the Warden before spinning around in her chair so the back was facing them. “You’re officially fired from here on out, Theodora Nicci.”

“…Yes, ma'am.” Theodora said softly.

The Silverette turned around on the heels of her feet and rushed out of the room. Once she was out of the Warden’s office she paid no attention to the Supervisors in the room. She ran out of the room, wanting to get to Building 13 as soon as possible. The Supervisors in the room could only sigh, believing she was in an emotional state and ran off. When Samon exited the Warden’s office, they went to him for questions.

“It appears that she took the news harshly…” Muttered Kiji. “To be frank, I don’t blame her in the slightest…”

“Yeah, but it’s a little sad don’t chya think?” Mitsuru spoke up in his usually loud voice. “She looked forward to this job, but she ended up getting fired for being a woman. I just find that unfair.”

“What the hell are you guys talking about?” Samon inquired, looking almost insulted at their words. “Theodora understands perfectly well for why she was fired. Hell, she was prepared for it and had to calm me down. Plus, she was fired for breaking her guidelines and for becoming found out. You make it sound like she’s a fragile human being who just lost her mom.”

“But why did she run out of the room like she did?” Asked Kenshirou.

“She’s going back to Building 13 and talking with the inmates in Cell 13.” Samon stated with a sigh. “She convinced the Warden to let her talk to them. She wants to let them know of her circumstances and let them know about why it has to be this way. I can tell she’s doing it because she doesn’t want them to feel like she betrayed them or something… She’s always been like that…”

“So she’s not upset about being fired?” Asked Kiji, looking clearly surprised.

“Of course she’s upset.” Hajime spoke up, causing everyone to look at him. “She wanted nothing more than this job. Even I can see that. If she had a choice, she would probably stay here forever. She just trust those brats so damn much that she wants to give them a proper farewell, right?”

“Basically. And the fact that she has nowhere to go. She can’t get a job because she was an inmate… This was her lifeline.” Samon muttered. He couldn’t lie he was worried. Sure she could go back to her mothers but could she stay there forever? Knowing Theodora Samon had no doubt that her pride wouldn’t let her.

“ the poor girl…” Kiji spoke up, with an equally worried look.

“Talking about Theodora… she really hates your guts you know Hajime.” Samon said bitterly.

"What? Why?” Hajime looked at him, almost as if he was surprised.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'WHY’?!” Samon shouted at him. “YOU BEAT NO.15 RIGHT OUT OF HER HANDS WHEN SHE CLEARLY HAD HIM UNDER CONTROL! IF SHE DIDN’T SCREAM AT YOU TO GET OFF OF HIM THEN YOU PROBABLY WOULD’VE KILLED THE KID! SHE’S FUCKING PISSED, BUT DOESN’T SHOW IT!”

Hajime felt his eye twitched, knowing quite well that he was going to get lectured like a child. “I didn’t hit him that hard… I only used my fists…”

“Yeah well you could have used a rebound club”

‘Oh brother…’ Hajime thought. How he was going to fix this he really didn’t know.

***

'Cell 13, Cell 13…’

Theodora was running all over the halls.

As soon as she got off of the monorails she ran through Building 13. She didn’t want to waste another minute of not being able to talk to the guys. She strongly felt that they deserved to know everything that’s happened. They did see she was a woman after all. It only made sense to her. So, she proceeded running.

Weaving through the halls, she eventually made it to their cell. She was breathing softly through her mouth, trying to catch her breath as she stared at the sign. Cell 13. She could sense sudden nervousness in her stomach, but she knew this was right. Taking a step forwards, she knocked on the door and made sure her face could be seen through the bars.

“What? If it’s Hajime then forge—” Uno stood up, only to abruptly stop at the sight of a woman standing at the bars.

“What is it?” Rock asked, causing him and Nico to look over and repeat the same actions as Uno.

“Ahem… Um…” Theodora found herself picking at her helm of her shirt sleeves. “…Hey, guys… It’s Theo… Could I come in…?”

“Y-y-yeah, s-s-sure, totally!” Exclaimed Uno as his face turned beat red.

Theodora looked down the halls and made sure nobody was there. She then opened the door, since she had the keys still in her pockets, and entered the cell quickly. She closed it behind herself, not wanting to raise an alarm to Seitarou or Yamato. She backed away from the door before facing the group. They all just stared at her as if she was an alien species. It honestly didn’t make her feel any better and gave her deja vu moments…

“Can we… sit down and talk…?” She asked.

Not even a second later did they accept. She had been startled by their sudden response, but had calmed down quickly. Knowing she was restricted onto a time limit, she wanted to make sure she answered any and all of their questions. They all sat at a table. The three boys sat on one side while she sat on the other, facing them as an uncomfortable silence took over. Theodora knew they weren’t used to woman but this was on a whole new level of awkwardness…

“Soooo…” Rock spoke up, but trailed off as soon as he did so.

“You’re a…” Uno trailed off, his eyes darting everywhere but her.

“…A girl, right?” Nico finished the sentence.

“Yes, I am…” Theodora answered.

“It’s so weird to see you like this when we thought you were male…” Rock said honestly, scratching the back of his head. It actually caused her to smile slightly.

“I get that a lot…” She replied.

“So, we’re you here?” Nico asked, smiling as brightly as ever. “Did you take time off or something?”

Theodora’s face darkened and she frowned. “About that… I came here because… Because you all deserve answers. And, I have to do that now because I got fired from my job…”

“What?” Rock questioned, his eyes shooting wide open.

“Wait, you got fired?” Uno questioned, looking very shocked and possibly enraged.

“Let me explain, okay…?” She said softly, which appeared to calm everyone’s nerves. Taking a deep breath, she spoke. “As you all know, I have a criminal record. I first became an inmate at age 12 and at age 14 I had gotten thrown in Nanba Prison. I was released after 4 years and have been scouring for jobs ever since. You can’t gain money without work, after all. But, as all businesses would have it, they wanted nothing to do with me. Eventually I got a few jobs and began making money, but… it wasn’t enough. I became desperate, so I sent a request specifically to the Warden.”

“A request?” Questioned Nico.

“Yeah, for a job here…” Theodora said and continued. “She read my request and my resume and brought me here. After a lot of talking, she eventually gave me the job. But, on very strict conditions. I had to wear that black mask unless the Supervisors took it off of me, since the mask would only react to their finger prints. If the mask was harmed in the slightest, as if I were to try and take it off, the hooks around my ears would pierce right through my ears as punishment. I was restricted into high ranking areas and I couldn’t go anywhere without the Supervisor knowing. On top of it all, I had to disguise myself as a man instead of a woman if I wanted to become a guard here…”

“But, why go through so many lengths to be a guard of all things?” Rock asked.

“I was desperate…” Theodora admitted. “After I got out of prison I had been living with my family until I figured out what to do with myself. I was giving online classes to finish my education because I was thrown into prison for so long… I tried looking for jobs so I could live on my own, but everyone turned me down. Nobody wanted to associate themselves with a criminal. That’s just how the world goes…”

“But why did you dress up as a male guard?” Nico asked. “Couldn’t you have stayed as a woman, though?”

“Absolutely not.” Theodora shook her head at him. “If any of the male inmates found out, I would have been in major trouble. You have to understand, hardly any of these inmates have seen a woman for years. To have one in the prison as a guard, a person who interacts with them everyday, they wouldn’t hesitate to go after me… Whether it be for sexual or violent purposes, it was just too risky… So, the Warden instructed me to be a male inmate.”

“Hold on just a second!” Uno exclaimed, looking very puzzled. “You said you were an inmate in Nanba Prison for four years, right? How the hell did you stay as a prisoner if you were a woman this entire time?”

“Well, the guards didn’t even know I was a woman at first…” Theodora said and scratched the side of her cheek in an embarrassed manner. “Because of my body structure at the time, they just assumed I was male. They had no idea I was female until I was requested for a physical examine by the doctor a week after I was put there. That was when they found out…”

“How the hell did they mistake a woman for a man?” Rock asked, almost looking pissed.

“Well…” Theodora stared at her lap and uncomfortably shifted in place. “…I crossdressed as one all the time. I… even took a few hormone pills to try and change my gender…”

“Wait… What.” Uno murmured.

The three could only stare at her in bewilderment. Theodora sighed, not really wanting to explain that part of her history, but knew that she had to. 'I’m already this deep into it, so what the hell.’

“Ever since I was born… I was different.” Theodora stated. “Being diagnosed with HSAN and all, it was hard. Pills were a regular thing at home, and nobody really liked me. It’s ironic how so many people in prisons enjoy me, but never the outside world, eh? Hehe… Kind of pathetic. Anyway, getting back on track, remember that dark point I kept telling you guys about? How I kept mentioning it?”

The three nodded their heads in unison.

“Well… Part of that dark point was that I never liked myself…” Theodora admitted in a heavy manner. “I had a lot of mental and emotional pain, unable to make friends and had to rely on my family… But my family wasn’t enough… I began sneaking out of the house frequently and did some bad things… One of them involved me taking so hormone pills off of the street. I always had this grudge against myself for being a female I always hated the restrictions girls had compared to men. So, the more older and I got, the more of a man I wanted to be. If I could take back those moments, take back the pills and the running away, I would…”

“Why? What happened?” Nico asked innocently.

“I was an idiotic fool for trusting pills off of the street.” Theodora stated bluntly, clearly annoyed with herself as she told the story. “I was so stuck on wanting to be a man that I ended up fucking myself over. I followed a man I shouldn’t have. Theft, GBH, all of that I did because I was angry. People were living a life I wanted but couldn’t have. As strange as it sounds, I’m grateful for being thrown into Nanba Prison… They got me help when everybody thought I was hopeless in saving. The Doctor here helped give me the proper pills to regain my femininity and help me out of that dark state I was constantly in. Samon, the Supervisor of Building 5, was a big help in that, and I’m forever grateful for him… All the guards kept my gender a secret to everybody else, and hardly any inmates knew. Those who did kept quiet for my safety.”

“Wow, never thought prison guards could be so civil…” Grumbled Uno.

“Not all of them are bad…” Theodora smiled at him. “It’s just how you hold your perspective to them… But, I’m not hear the lecture about that… Anymore questions you guys have?”

“I do! I do!” Nico said and raised his hand in the air. “How come you’re so strong?”

“That's… honestly something we don’t know…” Theodora admitted. “I’m just freakishly strong. In the end my family and doctors just believed it was because of my inability to feel pain, causing myself to not really know how to control my anger. But, my father knew how to teach me, so he did his best to teach me how to hold back and all.”

“Alright, now I’ve got a question.” Uno spoke up and pointed at her. “Is your name really Theo? I mean, being a girl and all…"

“Yep.” Theodora nodded her head. “My name is actually TheodorA. But my last name was kept since I didn’t want to change it. Plus, if there was prisoners still here that knew me, I wanted them to realize it was me, just like I had with Shiro!.”

“Huh. So it’s easier to remember since there’s practically no change… That’s boring! You could have gone with something so cool! Like Roberto or Something.” Muttered Uno.

“And Uno’s any better?” Theodora raised a brow at him while smiling in amusement.

“S-shut up…!” Uno stuttered as his face immediately grew red.

“I like Theodora better than Theo.” Nico said and smiled at her. “It sounds nice! By the way, how many siblings do you have?”

“Three. I’m the oldest.” Theodora answered. “Two brothers, both twins, and one sister. They still live with my family.”

“If I do my math right… Does that mean you’re 20?” Uno asked.

“Yep. Almost 21” Theodora nodded.

“You’re older than me…!” Exclaimed Uno, somehow looking heartbroken and shocked.

“Of course I’m older than you. Technically, I’m not legally to be allowed to become a guard…” Theodora said softly. “You have to be at least 21, but the Warden let that slide. I’m actually surprised she didn’t use that against me, too…”

“Wait, if you’re leaving today that means…” Rock looked down at the table in a sad manner. “You can’t even say goodbye to Jyugo…”

The light atmosphere quickly became heavy. Everyone was looking down now, clearly feeling the heaviness of concern for Jyugo. Theodora was as stiff as ever, clearly upset by that fact. He was right. She couldn’t even say goodbye to Jyugo…

“Do you… Do you know if he’s alright…?” Uno asked her after gulping down the lump in his throat.

“…I wish I did…” Theodora replied softly, her eyes becoming hollow again. “Being the rank that I am, or… was… I have no authorization in knowing. All I really know is that he’s in critical condition and being kept in the underground cells… But, of course, no visitors are allowed… Not even I can get down there…”

“So, there’s nothing we can do for him, huh…?” Nico asked quietly.

“No… No, there is…” Theodora said firmly and gazed up at the three. “My deadline is today. I have to collect my belongings and go back to America. But, you three will be here for him. I need you to do me this big favor. Jyugo may or may not come back to Cell 13 because of the actions he had taken at the Tournament. Either way, I know you guys can get through to him. He’s not some monster that we have to hide from. He’s just a troubled kid who needs all the help he can get… And I know you three are the help he deserves… Can I trust you? To watch out for him, and keep him in line from using those weapons like he did?…”

“Do you even need to ask that?” Uno said and began smirking. “We know Jyugo better than anybody. Yeah, even we don’t know much about him, but like you said. He’s just a snot-nosed, bratty kid who needs all the help he can get. You just leave him to us, 'kay?”

Theodora stared at him for a moment before smiling at him. 'I knew I can rely on you guys… I know you can help him. I just know it…’

“But… do you really have to go…?” Nico asked softly, still looking upset.

“Yes, I do…” Theodora said and smiled sadly at the table. “The Warden’s words are basically law here. My deadline is the end of today. But, I know I need to be quicker than that. I… really should get going… before anybody else gets in trouble…”

“Grrr…” Uno fumed in his seat before slamming his fist on the table. “It’s not fair! If anybody should be fired it should be that damn demon Hajime! Why does it gotta be you…!? If anything you were the only one saving Jyugo’s ass! What the hell!”

“I know…” Theodora said, her tone cold and dark. This caused the boys to be silent and listen. “I know it’s unfair. I want nothing more than to stay here. I want to joke around, tell deep stories, rile the Supervisors up into fighting with me and just goofing around. But… that’s not how it is…”

“Aren’t you mad, though?” Rock asked her.

“Of course I am…!” She said shakily. “I’m sad that I have to leave… I’m sad I can’t tell Jyugo the things he should hear and hopefully make him understand… I’m angry at the Warden for not letting me stay because I am a woman. I’m angry that people don’t understand that many people here are just misunderstood and need help. But… most of all…” Her voice got deeper as her fist were tightly clenched, actually straining the bandages on her hands. “…I’m pissed at Hajime Sugoroku for practically putting Jyugo on his deathbed… Heartless bastard…”

Theodora practically sat there, fuming in her seat as her own body was shaking with rage. It actually caused the three before her to break out into a nervous sweat. But, they all could empathize with her, knowing exactly how she feels in different amounts. Just as fast as she had gotten angry, Theodora took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She relaxed and looked at the three with a hollow gaze.

“…I have to get going…” She said softly. “My ride to America is a long one… I have to contact my family and all. I’m sorry I couldn’t talk more to you all. None of you deserve this shit…”

“It’s not your fault.” Rock said calmly. “As harsh as it is, we understand where you’re coming from.”

“Yeah, thanks for visiting us!” Nico said cheerfully. “We’re really glad that you got to tell us your story!”

“And… Could you try and visit us sometime…?” Uno requested in almost a quiet manner. “We ain’t leavin’ this place anytime soon, so… yeah…”

“I wouldn’t mind visiting…” Theodora smiled warmly at them. She stood up slowly and bowed to them. “I thank you for listening.” She straightened. “…I put all of my faith in you. Tell Jyugo I’m sorry I couldn’t talk to him properly before going… I wanted to speak to him one more time before going…”

“Yeah, we’ll tell him…” Uno nodded to her.

“Thank you…” She said softly and turned towards the door. She stopped and looked at them again. “Just remember this for me, okay? Nobody’s born evil; it’s all in the perspective of the person who sees what’s wrong or right. Everybody deserves a second chance… Even a bunch of hopeless misfits like us. You all take care, okay?”

“You take care yourself.” Uno said and waved to her.

“Hit the best restaurant for me.” Rock said and waved.

“Bye-bye, Theodora!” Nico exclaimed and waved frantically.

Theodora giggled at them and waved lightly. “Goodbye…”

Opening the door, she stepped out of the cell and closed it behind her. She walked a few paces away before slapping her hands over her mouth, stopping to lean against the wall. Tears overflowed again and ran down her face and through her hands. She tried hard to stop it, or to at least muffle any type of sound from coming out. She had no idea why such an amount of tears were flowing from her eyes so quickly in such large amounts.

She just didn’t understand…

…But at the same time, she did.

***

“Here, this was all I could find…”

“Thank you, Seitarou.”

“Do you need help carrying anything?”

“Thank you, but no thank you, Yamato.”

The two men could only watch as Theodora packed a very small cardboard box. It was mostly of clothes, but there was a few items like photos or even a pin. She even packed the mask she was restricted in for memory purposes. She made sure to be constantly aware of it and keep it hidden from others just for safety precautions. She placed the last item in before putting the lid over the box. She turned to the two men and bowed to them in respect.

“Thank you again for everything. I am grateful for your compassion.” She said.

“There’s no need for that!” Seitarou said and had her straighten up. “We were just doing our jobs and being ourselves, after all. Even if you acted as a guy, you were still yourself through and through. It was nice having you around…”

“Mm…” Theodora averted her eyes for a moment, trying not to be sad anymore.

“You could always have a different job here, you know.” Yamato informed her. “I’m sure if you talked with the Warden she would allow for your stay!”

“It’s a nice thought, but I highly doubt it.” Theodora said softly. “I’d just be trouble and to be honest I want to be able to talk to the inmates, the guards… I don’t want to go back to being a lab rat. Even if I’m the one doing the testing.”

“You never told us what happened to land you in jail in the first place… you were only twelve weren’t you?” Seitarou asked. Theodora smiled weakly and nodded.

“Maybe you could visit sometime?” Seitarou suggested. “I’m sure plenty of inmates and guards wouldn’t mind that.”

“True…” Theodora nodded and smiled. 'But it would cost me a fortune to travel to Japan…’

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright?” Yamato asked her in clear concern. “We could always give you some money on hand if you need it.”

“No, no! I couldn’t!” Theodora rapidly waved her hands and shook her head. “Please, don’t! Keep your money and save it. I’m covered from the paycheck from this week. I’ll get by…”

“Take care, okay?” Seitarou said. “I’m sure you’ll find a job soon. With your personality and determination, anybody’s bound to hire you!”

'You forget the fact of my criminal record…’ Thought Theodora silently.

“Train hard! You’ll need those muscles in top shape to be ready for anything!” Yamato said and began flexing his own arms to emphasize his point.

Theodora let out an honest laugh and smiled at the two. “Thank you, again. I’m seriously grateful for your hospitality here…”

“You’re always welcomed to visit.” Seitarou said before leaning in and whispering to her. “Even though it’s against protocol, I’ll let you in and visit the inmates in their cells if you want.”

“S-seriously…?” She looked at him in shock. “You would really do that…?”

“Of course! You may have been an inmate in the past, but you will always be one of us!” Exclaimed Yamato with a cheerful laugh. “Nothing can change that, ha ha ha!”

“Guys…” Theodora covered her face with her hands. “You guys are making me want to cry…!”

“A-ah, please don’t! Did we say something offensive…!?” Seitarou panicked.

“N-no, no!” Theodora sniffled loudly and recollected herself. “I’m just… really thankful, is all…”

“Take care of yourself now!” Yamato said and lifted her box to her. “We’ll be waiting to see you again soon, I hope!”

“I-I’ll try…” Theodora smiled and took the box from him. “I can’t thank you enough…”

“It was nothing, seriously.” Seitarou said and waved his hand. “Have a safe trip back home, okay?”

Theodora nodded curtly to him, still smiling warmly. “Goodbye…”

“Goodbye, Ms. Nicci!” Saluted Yamato.

“Good luck!” Waved Seitarou.

Theodora waved softly at them before turning and exiting into the hall. She closed the door behind her and sighed heavily. It’s just been an emotional two days, that’s for sure. Pushing herself off of the door, she stared at the boxes in her hands and sighed again. It was really hard to let this place go considering she had plenty of good and bad memories here. But, she was grateful for them all.

Taking in a deep breath, she pushed herself off of the door and began walking down the hallway. She stood tall and had her chest slightly puffed out, trying to remain confident and strong. Even though it was a short time being a guard, she was happy for every minute she had of it.

Thinking through the memories, she couldn’t help but giggle at the fun ones. She remembered when coo the Guard Cat had accidentally walked against Seitarou’s leg and scared him so bad he fell out of his chair. Or when Yamato had bursted into the room and demanded group workouts, causing Seitarou and her to run away and hide from him until Hajime came. Or when Jyugo snuck out of his cell again and she witness him draw on Hajime’s sleeping face, but had said nothing and acted like she hadn’t witnessed it.

'It was fun while it lasted…’ She told herself as her smile returned onto her lips. ‘Time to go home.’

***

Days had passed since Theodora had left and gone back to America. Yet for some reason, the mood around the prison hadn’t lifted. Everyone knew that something was missing to the overal aura. There was Jyugo who was still unconscious and held up somewhere and now Theodora was gone. Building 13 cell 13 were quiet and didn’t even try to escape. How could they? It wasn’t fun without jyugo and without Theodora, Hajime was now boring.

Samon had watched her go. He gritted his teeth at the fact that he couldn’t stop her. What the warden had said was final. He had to leave it at that.

Hajime had come back from his three day suspension and had expected to come back to utter hell breaking loose. Yet there was nothing. Not a peep.

“Why is it so dull here…” he groaned with his hat over his face. He didn’t miss the usual escaping from cell 13 but he couldn’t deny he was bored.

“Did you finish all the extra paperwork handed back from the warden?” Seitarou asked. Hajime nodded.

“Did anything happen when I was gone?” Seitarou shook his head no. “Really? Not even one escape?”

“Nope. They just stayed in their cell.”

“Hmm…. what about you Theo?” Hajime turned around and saw the empty chair.

Damn it. He had forgotten that he no longer worked here.

“We got a post card from her.” Seitarou said as he took a small postcard from the desk. “Every building got one. She says she doing okay and that she wishes every one the best.”

“Oh? Where is she now?” Hajime said spinning on his chair and throwing his hat up and catching it.

“She’s back working on the farm. Apparently she’s sleeping in a small apartment of the barn with the horses, so she’s not homeless but it takes a cut out of her wages.” Hajime turned around to look at the voice from the door way.

“What the heck are you doing here?” Hajime asked the newly arrived Kijiwith a groan. He was bored but he really didn’t want the company of a feather-brained pheasant.

“I’m just dropping off some finished paperwork that I had to do because you were off for three days. I think it’s tragic. Working in the heat and with all the heavy machinery. The poor girl’s skin must be suffering…” Hajime growled and turned back to looking at the CCTV again.

“It’s not my problem. I told her not to go-“ Hajime couldn’t finish his sentence since Kiji had hit him on the head hard.

“SHUT YOUR TRAP! YOU CAN’T TALK SINCE YOU PRACTICALLY BEAT THAT INMATE TO DEATH! SHE HAD TO DO WHAT SHE DID OR IT WOULD HAVE BEEN YOU FIRED!” Hajime rubbed his head and groaned at how he was only doing his job. Kiji rolled his eyes and let out a sigh of desperation. “Seriously Hajime… half of the inmates are bored out of their minds because she’s gone. They seemed to have liked her a lot. It’s only a matter of time before they start a mini revolution unless we do SOMETHING. The warden is hearing all of it from the monkey and the dog… she really was useful in keeping inmates calm…”

“So?”

“SO? SO!? WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY OF BRINGING HER BACK FOR GOD’S SAKE!”

Hajime groaned again. He couldn’t lie that the inmates were a lot better staying in their cells but he also couldn’t hide the fact that he liked having Theo around. It meant a lot less work for him, and maybe he would feel a lot less guilty.

“If I don’t mind asking? What are you going to do?” Seitarou said softly. Kiji smiled and for some reason, Hajime had a reaaaally bad feeling about this.

***

“Do you really believe this’ll work…?”

“No idea but we’ve at least got to try!”

“You may want to calm those emotions of yours down. They might just ruin our chances of helping her…”

“All we have to do it talk, right? Shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Of course you of all people would say that…”

The four Supervisors of Nanba Prison were making their way to the Warden’s office as fast as possible. They had each tried to convince the warden to bring Theodora back. The inmates weren’t moving from their cells at all. Not even to eat. When the guards did visit them, they were restless. It seems that Theodora had built up a much stronger bond than they had thought in just a small amount of time. It was key that she came back so the prison could go back to normal. As weird as it was for all four to agree on something, especially a human being who was a past inmate, they all can see a type of use for her abilities.

Even though this act might demote them, or even get the fired, they were still determined to do it. Well, mostly Samon. Practically everyone could see his growing fire of wanting to convince the Warden, and everyone knew why. He was an open book, basically.

Knowing Mitsuru was inside of the Warden’s office, the four went right on it without knocking. The entered just in time to see a red-face Warden with her fist up, ready to pulverize Mitsuru, only to stop at the sounds of the doors. The sight of her murderous intent was enough to make all of them shiver. The Warden Momoko stared at them for a moment before dropping Mitsuru onto the ground without a second thought.

“…It’s rather unusual to see you four barging into my office at once.” Calmly spoke the Warden as she sat back down in her chair to recollect herself. “Is something the matter that needs all of you four here…?”

“Yes, ma'am, there is…” Samon dared to spoke up, but it was clear he was nervous.

Mitsuru, now back onto his feet, patted Hajime’s shoulder and snickered loudly. “Good luck, brothaa!”

The dark skinned man walked out of the office cackling, making Hajime want to smash his skull in. Once he disappeared, they all focused their attention onto the Warden.

“It’s about Theodora Nicci.” Spoke Kiji.

“Nicci? Again? I have already made my decision and the answer is no. I am NOT bringing her back.” Momoko’s eye twitched at the name as she raised a brow at them.

“It’s not a question of whether we want her to stay-“ Kenshirou began.

“We need her to stay.” Hajime said interrupting him. Kenshirou growled at Hajime finishing his sentence.

“She doesn’t belong here in Nanba Prison. She’s just a criminal.”

“Please hear us out, Ms Warden, before you make any final decisions.” Kiji spoke up, trying to keep the conversation calm and civil. “We all have our reasons for being here. Please hear us out.”

The Warden stared at them with her sharp gaze before sighing softly. “Fine. Since you seem so intent on making your useless point valid, you may proceed…”

“I’ll go first.” Kenshirou said and stepped forwards. “After much debating, many of us Supervisors have agreed that we think it’s best for Theodora to stay. Looking at her capabilities, flaws and strengths, we all strongly believe that we can benefit from having her around.”

“We all have our own experiences with her, and some aren’t that great,” spoke Kiji. “But, that woman is something special… We all can see that, despite our different opinions about her.”

“If you saw her in action first hand, I can assure you that you would change your mind, ma'am.. though the inmates are supposed to stay in their cells, that is all the do. Some of them don’t even leave to eat or to exercise. They developed a bond with Theodora that made them calm and not feel the need to rebel against us. Now that’s gone, they’ve become restless and agitated and no matter how much force or power we show, nothing’s going to change without Nicci.” Samon spoke up, trying hard to keep his voice calm and not show emotion. "Theodora is…”

“Not supposed to be here.” The Warden stated harshly, shocking the group. “I understand that Nicci has the ability to connect to people. I know that. It’s the whole reason that I allowed her to be a guard in the first place. But, we agreed her gender be kept a secret, and that didn’t even last longer that three weeks. She got found out. And yes, I know it was from the attacks from both inmates No.15 and No.634. Because of that incident, I cannot allow her to stay in this Prison anymore.”

“May we ask why, ma'am?” Kiji asked, wanting to know her reasons.

“It’s pretty obvious why.” Momoko stated bluntly. “She’s a criminal. She was even our past inmate No.7 of Nanba Prison. Not only that, but I gave her strict guidelines for her to follow if she wanted to be a guard. Nicci broke almost all of them. She agreed to it, too. And, as for her to be a female, I cannot allow her to stay as a guard. There are too many risk of her getting injured or assaulted and I will not stand for it! I will not risk her own well being just because she’s 'nice’ to have around… You all are here, acting on your own emotions instead of reason. I will not allow such childish reasons to go against my own…”

“Now hold it right there.” Hajime spoke up, agitation clear in his voice, and shocking everyone by his blunt rudeness. “I was the one in charge of her this entire time. And I can assure you, ma'am, that she didn’t break any of her guidelines. She never touched any official documents, or went into high ranking areas. She always came for my permission to go somewhere, and that would usually either be the bathroom or the cafeteria. For the mask, I’m to blame for that. I took her mask off whenever she was in the office and told her to put it back on if she was to ever leave it. And she can’t be blamed for being born a female. She did her best to stay hidden and did a damn well job of it. I take full blame for her and her actions. I’m already suspended for three days as it is. If it means getting her ass back here and staying, then I’ll willingly will have it longer.”

Momoko stared at Hajime in utter shock. Hajime had always been one to keep his tone in a respectful manner towards the Warden, always to try and never offend her. So for him to go ahead and allow himself to curse right in front of her, talking directly at her, was utterly shocking. She couldn’t help but feel angry and possibly… jealousy?

“She is a criminal.” Momoko stated, clearly trying not to show her anger. “We don’t know if she might turn on us the moment she doesn’t like something. How do we know she won’t turn on us, or even the inmates? She is not to be trusted, and that’s that!” Momoko stood from her seat, glaring at each individual. “Theodora Nicci is fired from being a guard and will never be allowed to visit this island ever again. That is my orders…”

“She has every right to be here just as much as us!”

“She’s a well admesary and is sharply minded. Please, think about this for a moment, your Warden…!”

“That girl will not remain here any longer! That’s final!”

“But we can benefit from having her around! Please think about this properly, madame!”

The four Supervisors were all hotly arguing against the Warden, everyone on their feet and clearly fuming with different emotions. The Warden was staying stubborn and strong, but the four kept throwing facts at her barrier, trying to get through. It was clear that this argument was possibly getting out of hand already…

“Please think about this for one second, ma'am! Please!” Samon said and began listing everything he knew about Theodora. “This kid is amazing, okay? She’s sharp and clever, which is what caused her to be transferred into every building around. She knows how to act the part when given and she can damn well do it properly. Her strength can even rival Hajime’s, and that’s saying something! And what’s even more amazing than that is the fact that she can get anybody to trust her! That’s something hardly any of us can do, especially since we’re the guards!”

“She is a criminal and should have never came here!” Yelled the Warden. “How do you know she won’t turn against us and cause trouble just like she did in the past?!”

“Because I was the one to help her!” Samon exclaimed. “I got her out of that shit hole she was in! I got her back on the right path! Why? Because that was my job, and I care about that kid more than my own life!”

“See? This is what I meant!” Exclaimed the Warden. “Your emotions are all out of whack! None of you can even see straight…”

“We can see perfectly fine, Ms Warden,” Hajime stated as he tried not to growl. “Are you sure you’re not the one with your emotions out of whack? Because you aren’t even listening to what we’re trying to tell you!”

“Nicci is somebody we want as one of our guards…!” Kenshirou spoke up, his tone being a lot calmer than anybody else’s. “That girl has gotten us to crack multiple cases with over half of the inmates when she was in prison herself. She gathered intel all because she knew of the right things to say. If she can do that again, then we mind even be able to figure out this mystery with No.634 and No.25!”

“You want her to go underground?! Where all of the rapists and convicts are?!” Exclaimed the Warden. “She’ll get teared to shreds the moment she steps down there! She only got away with it back then because of those hormone pills she was taking to change her gender! But she’s still a woman! I will not risk her own safety by her staying!”

“Oh, please!” Kiji interjected, clearly being fired up himself. “Did you see how she fought against those two rogue inmates in the tournament? Or even when she fought Samon?! She can handle herself just fine! Hell, we all know she was holding back that entire time! She can do much worse damage if she wanted, and we all know that! Her being a woman is a pathetic excuse for her to not stay here, miss!”

“Plus, she isn’t a criminal anymore!” Samon fired at the Warden. “You said it yourself, she’s a civilian now! Stop calling her a criminal when she has served her sentence two years ago!”

“That still doesn’t wipe her record clean, and I know about her terrifying strength!” Shouted the Warden. “Her HSAN is a problem and we all know it! She got her own body burnt when she fought No.634 and she kept fighting! She almost got killed by No.15 because she 'cares’ about him! I know there’s one thing to care about your inmates, but she makes it sound like they’re her own children! Which they are not! They are criminal who have been put into Nanba Prison for a damn good reason!”

“That’s why so many people trust her!” Hajime exclaimed. “The reason they get so attached to her is because she cares for them! Because she talks and listens to them! Remember the day she left this shity place? Even our worse prisoners were sobbing because she was gone! Hell, even Shiro, the chief from my Building, is glad to have her back in the prison!”

“I don’t care if she makes them feel better! This is a PRISON!” Shouted the Warden. “It’s suppose to be a shithole for everyone around! It’s suppose to teach these scum that this is what happens when you break the law! Not reward them!”

“Do you even realize all of the things that Theodora has done here?!” Samon exclaimed. “Not only did she figure out some cases for us, but she had also stopped people from killing themselves! She stopped a man from committing suicide! And that man was one of my guards! How many people do you know can say that, huh? She has stopped people from creating riots in the buildings! Hell, three of my own inmates that trust me have told me they’re glad to have her back because she had went out of her way to help them when nobody else wanted to! The week she got out of prison, I gained a letter from her, telling me she donated a bunch of her hair and blood. What criminal goes ahead and does that?!”

“We need her as an ally!” Interjected Kenshirou. “There are prisoners we have now that will refuse to talk and give us their full trust. If we have Theodora, she can gain us all of those things, and maybe even more!”

“And what happens if she gets hurt, huh? What happens then?” Growled the Warden. “She is still a woman, and will get targeted by everybody who finds out! You all are saying that you’re doing this for her, well—news flash—so am I! She was the first ever female prisoner to be placed in a prison full of men, and refused to go anywhere else. Everyday she was here I just waited for a report of her being assaulted. I waited for it, dreading it, because in any prison around the world, anything can happen. I will not have her stay here and relive that dreadful wait for a call or report that she was rape. I will not have that!”

“It never happened back then and it won’t happen now!” Samon said. “When it comes to putting her foot down about her body, she’ll break the ground when it comes to it! Even with her working here she has always been surrounded by guards. There was never a time she wasn’t safe with our care. Hell, Mitsuru had been using the cameras to keep an eye on her just for safe keeping! Theodora needs to stay here as a guard!”

“Why? Because of your pathetic excuse for feelings?!” Yelled the Warden. “I don’t care if she made you or others feel great because she 'cared’. We don’t know a single thing about what she’s thinking. For all we know, this entire thing could’ve been an act! She doesn’t care about you or anybody here, and that included everyone here!”

Everyone went quiet. Samon was shaking with rage at how unfair this was. When he received her postcard, he could tell that she was having a hard time. He could see the marks from where she had been crying. If anything she was barely hanging onto life. He need Theodora here. He needed to make sure that she was okay.

“You’re wrong…” Spoke up Samon. Everyone turned to look at him. Even Mitsuru who had just entered seemed surprised at the tone he was taking.

“That’s pretty cold for even you to say, Miss Hyakushiki.” Mitsuru said. “Not, I don’t interact with this kid a lot, but I’ll say for certain that you’re absolutely wrong when it comes to this kid.”

“You don’t know a damn thing about her, Ms Warden. If you did, then you would understand that she cares more about anybody in this damn building compared to anybody else! She cares about everybody here! The guards, the prisoners, the workers— she cares for them all. Her HSAN stops her from physically feeling object and temperature—not her feelings! She knows herself better than anybody here, and sometimes, She just needs a reminder of that. We all do sometimes… I respect you a lot, ma'am, and I know your job is stressful, but don’t you EVER tell me that She doesnt care, because you don’t know shit about her!” Every body stood there speechless. Samon had the most respect for her than any guard. For him to speak so out of turn and so boldly, it was like he was begging for his own death sentence. Samon couldn’t think properly. Theodora had to come back. Where she was, it wasn’t home. She wasn’t happy. She needed Nanba, and Nanba needed her.

“What did you just say?” Growled the Warden as she looked ready to kill.

“You have very good points as well in this argument, and I’m glad that you care enough for her own safety, but you’re just provoking us into giving you a reason to kick us out! You’re not listening to what we have to say! You’re hearing, but you just don’t want to give in and say you’re wrong!“

"He’s got ya there.” Mitsuru smirked and walked more into the room. “Listen, Ms. Hyakushiki. Nobody wants Theodora gone. Hell, she even managed to calm down a raging No.15. Lots of people trust her, and that in itself should be enough to make her stay. Give her another chance.”

“But…!” The Warden looked prepared to fight, but not words came from her mouth.

“This girl is someone you want as one of your guards.” Mitsuru said. “Heck, she even manage to surprise you when she came in here! I doubt there’s ever going to be another time where these four all agree on something without argument, okay? Even I think this is something you should do.”

“All we’re asking is to give Theodora another chance…!” Samon said, sounding very much calmer than before.

Momoko stood there in silence. She looked at each of their faces to see their serious expressions. It was clear that each one of them felt strongly about this decision. With a sigh, Momoko tilted her head down as she felt a smile suddenly pull on her lips.

“I see now…” She said calmly. “Guess I really was just blind with emotions…”

The Warden suddenly turned and went back to her desk. She sat down in her chair and wore a serious expression.

“As much as I don’t want to admit it… I may have been wrong.” Spoke the Warden, which honestly surprised Samon. “Like Mitsuru said, it’s very rare for the four of you to agree on something, much less willingly argue against me about it. That’s rather daring for you all… And, you all gave strong points.”

“So, does that mean…?” Kiji trailed off.

“Theodora Nicci.” The Warden spoke sternly, eyeing all the supervisors sharply. “She has her job back. If she’s so convincing as you five idiots say she is, then I trust that she’ll convince the inmates who saw her as a female to keep quiet about it. I only ask that she keep dressing as a male because there are many prisoners here who won’t hesitate to harm her if they discovered her true gender. She will still have to follow the guidelines I had given her and act like this whole event never happened. She will still be working in Building 13 under Hajime’s orders…”

"Y-yes, ma'am…” Sulked the group.

“As for the rest of you…” The Warden sharply glared at them. “You all get double the usual workload than usual for one week. “Samon you will go to America to get her. I expect her to be back by the end of the month ready to start up again. Think of it as punishment for rudely talking towards your superior as you have and barging in without my consent…”

“Hajime…” The man’s head perked up and stared at the Warden, signalling he was listening. “…You had confidence that she can help inmate No.15. Do you still have that confidence?”

“Yes, ma'am.” Hajime nodded her head. “I strongly believe if she was given a chance that She can convince him of behaving. He trusts her enough for her to get close to him. If She can just talk to him personally, then she can show him that what he did was wrong. I know with a bit of help, she can put him onto the right track. All She needs is time…”

“Hm…” The Warden seemed to ponder for a moment. “…After he wakes up from his coma and is properly interrogated, then she may talk to him again. I’ll count on her and you to make sure that he doesn’t use those blades against anybody, especially his fellow inmates.”

Hajime nodded obediently.

“Now get out of my office.” The Warden ordered and turned her chair to them. “We can’t have the Buildings left unattended forever…”

“Thank you, ma'am!” Everyone exclaimed suddenly, being slightly too loud.

The Warden simply waved her hand, telling them to get out. Once they were out did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“I knew we could do it…!” Samon exclaimed.

“You, Monkey… have a death wish.” Kiji said whilst looking into a small compact mirror.

“I can’t believe you spoke to the warden like that.” Kenshirou muttered with a shocked expression on his face.

“Believe me I was terrified that I would get fired instead…” Samon whined. “I can’t believe it worked though.” His mood instantly picking back up.

“Are you sure you two aren’t cut from the same cloth?” Kiji chuckled, who was smiling at himself through the mirror. “I’m just glad my makeup is still intact. I thought if I frowned any longer I would have become a hot mess…”

You’re always a hot mess.“ Hajime stated bluntly.

"You can never simply be nice, now can you?” Kiji scoffed at him.

“When are you leaving for America?” Kenshirou said in attempt to change the subject.

“Immediately.” Samon said putting a fist in his hand.

***

Working on a farm in Colorado was tough.

There was the heat.

The fields.

The bugs.

Theodora would spend hours plotting and cutting and harvesting. She worked so hard that she started to get blisters on her hands.

Samon had spent a total of three days trying to get there. He had a rough idea of where the farm was thanks to Theodora’s post cards. But he didn’t know how far away it would be from the main town. He pulled up at the bottom of the hill and looked up at the house standing at the top. It was a retro type house, with red and white beams that decked its framework. It looked like a typical American ranch with its white picket fence. As he began to walk up, he looked around himself. The area wasn’t half bad. There was plenty of open spaces and the views were a wonder. The problem was that it was just so hot.

As soon as he reached the top and looked down the driveway he couldn’t see Theodora. Instead his gaze met with another mans. A much shorter and rounder man, in a pair of dungarees and a white vest. With a cigarette in his mouth, he didn’t look like the most friendly man in the world. Yet Samon knew he had to talk to him at some point.

“Excuse me sir?” Samon began as he walked closer to the house and closer to the man who said nothing. “Are you the owner of this farm?”

“Who’s asking?” Samon stopped walking for a bit as he took in the man’s gruff voice.

“My name is Samon Gokuu and I’m looking for Miss Theodora Nicci.”

“Nicci? What the hell do you want with her?” He shouted whilst puffing on his cigarette. “She’s busy.”

“Well do you know where I might find her? I need to talk to her about something quite important.” The man stood there taking in Samon. For once he wasn’t in his usual Nanba Prison guard uniform. He was wearing a dark red shirt tucked in to a pair of black combat trousers and a pair of black doc Martins. The man sighed and nodded to the left.

“She’s in the fields. Walk that way and you might catch her. But make it quick. I ain’t payin’ for her to talk. Otherwise I’ll take it outta her pay. Got it?” Samon nodded. Clearly he wasn’t going to negotiate the terms of their encounter. If all went to plan, Theodora wouldn’t be in this job for long.

Samon walked for about half an hour before he spotted Theodora in the fields. At first it was hard to catch her since he couldn’t see much in the long grass. However, in the middle of the field, he could spot the familiar sight of silver hair and the sound of grass being sliced.

Theodora, had been cutting grass with an old scythe. She still had the same black jeans and matching riding boots as when she left Nanba. Expect for this time, she wore a light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Samon watched her bring the scythe above her head and swing it down with ease. He marvelled at how strong she was. Scythes were extremely heavy. To be able to swing it without shaking or dropping it was impressive. As watched her, he could see thanks to her sleeves being rolled up her arms. They were bleeding. Even her knuckles were red and cut. Before he could say anything, Theodora stopped.

“What are you doing here Samon?” She turned around and swung the scythe so the wood rested on her back whilst she held it with her forearms. Samon had forgotten how good her hearing was.

“We need to talk.”

***

It was four hours later that Samon could finally talk to Theodora. Mostly because if she had stopped working, she wouldn’t have been payed. Now they both sat on the hay stack in the stables.

“This is where you sleep?” Samon asked looking around. “It stinks of horse shit. How can you even sleep?”

“With great ease. I work for so long in the fields that I’m just too tired to care.” Theodora said as she picked at a piece of straw. “I couldn’t find anywhere to stay. So at first I was just hiding. Then old man dick caught me and said that I could stay here as long as i did extra work. He’d charge rent out of my salary too. Called it interest. I call it drinking money.” Samon couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This was extortion. Theodora looked much paler as if she was going to collapse any minute now. Her body looked so jaunt and skinny, he honestly thought she was going to break in half.

“Have you been at least eating well?” Theodora stood up and walked over to the horses to give them a brush. ‘She was clearly avoiding the question’ Samon thought. “Nicci?” He repeated expectingly. She shook her head.

“I haven’t eaten in about a week.” Samon opened his eyes wide.

“Seriously?” Theodora nodded.

“The nearest store is 16 miles away. I’m not allowed to use the truck just in case I steal it and never come back, I mostly just take a slice of bread or a cheap bottle of wine from the kitchen when I really can’t take it. It’s not like he notices it. He’s drunk most of the time.” Once the horses were groomed, Theodora pulled out a cigarette packet from her back pocket and put it in between her teeth. Samon noticed it was the same kind that the man he had spoken to had. She had probably taken them when the man wasn’t looking.

“I didn’t realise you smoked.” Samon said. Theodora shrugged and went to sit on the hay stack in front. In the dim light Samon could see better how bad she looked. On the sleeves of her shirt, stains of blood had splattered. He also noticed that two of her fingers on her right hand had been taped together. “What happened to your fingers?” Theodora looked down at her fingers.

“I broke them.”

“You what?”

“I think it was in the wagon. I was loading something in and must have trapped them under one of the carts or something. Didn’t even notice it until a couple of days after I came. They should be okay now.”

“And your arms?” Theodora didn’t speak after that. Instead she just puffed on her cigarette and wiped the dry blood off with a wet sponge. He sighed and walked over to her. Taking the sponge, Theodora’s eyes grew wider. When she tried to take it back, Samon tapped her hand and continued cleaning her arms.

“What are you doing here Samon? It’s clearly not for a social call…”

“I’m here to tell you that you got your job back.”

“What?” Theodora couldn’t believe it. The warden gave her her job back? Why? When Samon was done he stared into her eyes. They really were something. They were the deepest blue he had ever seen. Theodora started back into his yellow eyes and a shiver went down her spine. “I can’t go back.”

“What? Why not!?” Samon said loudly.

“You know why not! After everything that happened…. do you honestly think I will be welcomed back with open arms? Look at me Samon, I’m a criminal and I always will be.”

Samon blinked a couple of times before scoffing at what she had said. “That is the most ridiculous shit that I have ever heard.” Theodora frowned at him as if to argue back. “No I’m serious Nicci. You and I both know that you love that job. You need that Job. We need you at that job..” Theodora made another confused expression, clearly not understanding what he meant. Samon sighed loudly and rolled his eyes.

‘How can she be so dense?’ He thought to himself.

“Listen okay?” Samon spoke up and was now kneeling in front of her. “After you ran out of the warden’s office, we couldn’t just let you walk away from here. So we each tried to convince the warden to let you stay. Unfortunately it didn’t work and since Hajime was on suspension we had to continue working. But the aura was so wretched there. Inmates were furious and demanding that you be reinstated… they wouldn’t come out of their cells to even eat. That’s how much of an impact you put on just being there.” Theodora’s eyes began to tear up as she listens to Samon.

“You’re a remarkable person really. Yes you tend to piss him off more than anybody and sometimes you can be a selfish brat….” Theodora laughed as Samon said this with a smile. “But you never really mean any harm. You’re still young and figuring things out in your life, but you’re much sharper than any normal human. The inmates tend to bond with you almost instantly and have such a vast amount of trust in you compared to anybody else.”

“But…. why….? The warden’s words are practically law there. Why don’t you guys just let go…?” Theodora questioned.

“Because… and in the words of that stupid gorilla… you’re an annoying, shitty brat that you made us care about. Look kid, you know the basic concept of the world better than anybody. But, you have this strong belief of showing people kindness and getting them to trust you. Ever since your four years in Nanba, we all noticed the drastic change in demeanour of all the prisoners there. As stupid as it sounds, you have a gift.” Theodora couldn’t believe what he was saying. Her tears spilled onto her cheeks as she shook her head and placed her hands on her arms.

“No… no… no I… you’ve got it all wrong I… I’m not… like that…”

“What I’m trying to say here is that you’re important okay?” Samon said in a fast manner, showing his desperateness. “You’re a good kid who had hit a dark path, alright? But you grew up and got out of that path. The day you left Nanba was like a phenomenon! Grown men were crying after you left. Grown fucking men who have done worse shit than you ever had. Your ability to bond with people is incredible, okay? And we all had agreed that the warden wasn’t seeing that. You even bonded with us without realisation. You’re a clever little girl who is able to sympathise with anybody you meet. Your morals somehow affect whoever you speak to, you know. It’s like you give them a piece of yourself to connect them. It’s nothing we’ve ever seen before.” Theodora laughed a little through her tears and Samon reached his hand up to wipe them away. He took her hands in his and looked at how beat up they were. She probably didn’t even feel how much they hurt her. Then again, she probably didn’t feel his hands either.

“Plus your HSAN is a hassle, but your strength is quite a strong suit of yours. Or at least from what I can see when you pushed that tractor up the hill as if it was nothing earlier on today. Your greatest talents are your own flaws. You’re emotional, even though you feel nothing. Your strength is enough to kill you, but you never die. Your speech causes chaos yet you can calm the most chaotic of people. As much as I have to do what the warden says, I don’t believe that you being gone is right.” Theodora stopped smiling. The warden didn’t want her there so how could she go back? What’s more… how could she have forgotten about the warden?

“H-h-hold on for a moment!” Theodora exclaimed, looking utterly shocked and in disbelief. “L-let’s think about this logically, o-okay….!? Look. I broke almost everyone of my guidelines. Even Hajime knows for a fact that I broke them. Hell,I even got my gender found out when that was my number one ticket out of that place! I have every reason to be fired!”

“No you don’t.” Samon said shaking his head defiantly. “You never touched a single document or went into a room of a high status. You always listened to what Hajime told you, even at the tournament. You jumped into that fight between those inmates because you knew they were going to kill each other, or, someone else entirely. Hajime took your mask off whenever you were in the office because that was the deal that you two had, just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean shit when it comes to this job, because you proved perfectly well that you can take down anybody if you wanted. There is no reason for you to be fired.”

“B-but…” Theodora couldn’t find any words to counter him.

“Look, Theodora….” Samon lifted her chin with his finger so she was staring directly into is eyes instead of at the ground. “You know perfectly well that us four supervisors hardly ever agree on a damn thing. But we all agree that you need to stay as a prison guard. You need to stay at Nanba. We need you.”

“N-no… No, you don’t…!” Theodora denied and shook her head. She stood up and ran out of the stables, palm on her forehead as she tried to calm down her breathing.

“What do you mean no?” Samon scoffed and followed her. “I think I gave plenty of reasons why you should stay.”

“L-look, you all know I’m a hot mess, okay?” Theodora spoke frantically, trying to counter his claims once again. “I’m just some… brat that can barely feel shit and who knows hot to act because, in case you haven’t already noticed, that’s all I do, okay? I act! Okay!? Hell, I don’t even know what’s true anymore! You don’t want me…!”

Samon fumed at her words. Without even hesitating, he punched her right in her jaw, knocking her to the ground. Theodora held her cheek and gazed at Samon in such disbelief and shock that not even she could fathom what to do.

“You did NOT just say that.” Samon growled at her, baring his teeth at her as he yelled. “Do you even realise what the hell you’re even fucking saying? ‘Can’t feel’? ‘Acts all the time’? Because I know that ain’t FUCKING TRUE! I know you better than anybody here, and you gave me this same type of shit five years ago alright? What did I say to you back then? Because I KNOW that you remember. WHAT DID I SAY!?!?”

“… ‘N-no one is incapable of feeling anything… it just matters on who acknowledges them or not’…” Theodora spoke softly as tears were welling up in her eyes. “Y-you t-told me to grow up, a-and figure it out… b-because no emotionless person would jump I-in front of a sword to save someone’s life…”

“And you grew up, didn’t you?” Samon yelled at her. “You grew up and figured it out. I know you did, because anybody who knows you can figure you out like a book. So don’t you fucking dare give me that acting shit, because I know that it isn’t true! You might not be able to ‘feel things’ but I know that you have the biggest fucking heart in this entire fucking country… plus japan. What did you promise me the day you were released from your sentence there?”

“That I wouldn’t go back down that path again…” she whispered quietly, but it was loud enough to hear.

“Get your ass up and say it again.” Samon ordered. “Stand up!”

Theodora slowly got up to her feet and Samon stood right in her face, continuing to shout at her. She just stood there, staring at him, seeing the raw emotions he was screaming at her.

“SAY IT AGAIN!!!” Samon shouted in her face “SAY IT ONE MORE GODDAMN TIME!!!”

“I-I won’t go down that path again…” she said a bit louder, her voice shaking with clear emotion.

“AGAIN!!!” Samon shouted one last time.

“I’M NOT GOING DOWN THAT PATH AGAIN!!!” She shouted back in his face

“GOOD!” He yelled. He took a step back, keeping eye contact, and dialled his voice down until it was soft. “You’ve already hit hell. Climb your ass out of that damn depression and prove to me that you’re not going down that road again…”

Theodora nodded her head, her lip quivering violently. She was clearly trying not to cry, her face contorted into a wide mix of emotions. Theodora tilted her head down and rubbed her eyes roughly with the palm of her hands, trying to push back the tears that just won’t stop falling down.

“Geez… and I thought Hajime was harsh… to think you had it in you to explode like that. Do you abuse your inmates like this all the time?” Theodora teased.

“S-SHUT UP!” Samon shouted at her, looking very flustered. “YOU BASTARD DON’T KNOW SHIT!”

Theodora released a laugh, which sounded a lot like a sob. Samon softened his face as he looked at her, watching her cover her eyes as she was widely smiling, soft laughs escaping her lips. Her body was shaking and he was pretty sure she was crying again.

“Th-thank you!…” she whispered, her voice cracking at the very end. “Th-thank y-you!”

Samon’s lips parted a little in shock, before taking a breath and walking over to Theodora. Before she could say anything, samon’s arms had wrapped around her in a hug. She was much taller than him, so he rested his head on her shoulder. She kept quiet and listened to his soft breaths.

“You don’t need to cry anymore. I don’t know what happened when you left Nanba, or how you managed to get incarcerated at age 12… but you don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to. I hope maybe someday I can be trusted with that knowledge but as for now… hang in there a little longer okay?”

Theodora gulped down the lump in her throat and nodded to him.

Samon….

***

Samon had stayed the night at the farm since he hadn’t booked any accommodation. He had intially planned for Theodora to accept right away. He also didn’t expect the farm to be so far away. Instead he found himself lying in the hay, facing her, with one of the horse’s riding blankets draped over the both of them. He could tell that Theodora was cold by the way that she was shivering. He looked at her eyes. They really were an ocean blue. He also noticed that her hair had grown longer to just below her ears. It was still boyish short but longer than it used to be. He though it suited her well.

“I was seven when I met him.” Theodora’s voice broke the silence between them and Samon looked at her intently, prepared to listen. “I was coming home from school with cuts on my knees. He was there by the bus stop and I was all alone.”

-

‘Hey you.’ Theodora stopped and stared up at the man. He was a tall and skinny man. One that she hadn’t met before.

‘Me?’ She asked him whilst pointing to her chest.

“Yeah you. Come here.” Theodora stood still. She remembered school telling her about strange men that waited for little girls. If they met them, they were to run away. “I’m not going to bite you if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m a friend of you dad’s.”

“You know my dad?” She asked him. He smiled coyly and folded his arms.

“Sure I do. I used to work with him. What’s your name?” Theodora thought hard about this. If he did now her dad then surely he wasn’t a stranger…

“Theodora Nicci.”

“Theodora!? Well it’s me! Paul! I used to baby sit you when you were a baby! Don’t you remember me? Uncle Paul?” She shook her head and took a step back. He laughed a little and shook his head. “Of course you don’t. You were only two.” He crouched down to her level and gave her a small smile. “Do you still have that barbie I gave you for your third birthday? The one with the pink dress?” Theodora nodded.

“That’s my favourite one. Wait- you were at my party?”

The man nodded. “Did you have a clown?” Theodora thought for a bit and then nodded. “Well I was the clown!”

-

“He was way too good. He could pretend all he wanted. He just had to say certain things that would make me believe he truly was who he said he was. For example if I had a clown at my party like every other normal kid or if I had the most wanted toy by little girls. I didn’t have to know who he really was. I just had to have the idea planted into my head.” Samon’s heart was racing.

‘A child predator. That’s what she’s describing. That scum bag. That bastard.’ Samon thought over and over again.

“He was there everyday. At the bus stop. When I came home from school. He’d always bring me something nice too. Like ice cream or a flower or a new toy that I really wanted but couldn’t have. He was my only friend. Then one day I came home from school crying. That was the day people said I was a freak for not being able to feel anything, and because I was starting to become freakishly strong. They called me a boy and excluded me from everything. That’s when he gave them to me.”

-

“What are these?” Theodora asked as she spun the pill bottle in her fingers.

“They are magic. When you swallow these, you can be a boy. All those people that laughed at you and called you a freak… won’t be able to anymore. You’ll be a completely different person.”

Theodora widened her eyes in wonder and excitement. “Really? All those mean people will go away?” He nodded and carefully, Theodora put them in her pocket.

“Thank you Paul.” She said sweetly before giving him a hug.

-

“The more I took, the more it worked, or at least I thought it did. If anything, it would make me less hungry. When I did eat, all I wanted to do was throw up. Paul told me it was natural. That I just had to keep eating at least once a day. He also told me not to tell mom or dad. He said they wouldn’t understand and would try to stop me.” Theodora looked at her hands. They were shaking now. Samon reaches out and put one hand on hers as if to say that he was there. Theodora smiled and nodded, continuing her story.

“These pills seemed to have killed all the fat on me, making me much skinnier. I was naturally taller than most of the girls anyway. Eventually, he gave me new ones to try. I think he had created them and without questioning him I did. The side effect was that I became more rebellious. I’d sneak out now and again to meet up with him and his group of friends. They’d train me physically so I could get stronger and i at one point thought that they cared for me. Truth is they didn’t. He just used me as a lab rat and his cronie. I broke into several hospitals to steal medical supplies for him for his new drugs which obviously was tested on me. The new found energy from these street drugs meant that I got more and more… vicious. I’d vandalise and destroy things, steal for myself what I wanted and when someone pissed me off, I’d beat them up. Paul seemed so proud of me. Eventually… he asked me to do something.”

-

“You want me to what?”

“Come on Theodora… it’s not like you haven’t done it before… this’ll be eeeeaaaasyyyyy.”

“B-but I’m 11… I-I can’t do that…”

“Sure you can! Plus you’re going with two other people!” Paul could see the look of doubt on Theodora’s face. It was annoying him how pitiful she looked. “Theodora.” Paul called out sternly. She lifted her head to look at the man she thought to be her second father and the scowl he was giving her was frightening.

“Y-yes p-Paul?” She shivered as the look of disappointment grew on his face.

“Who has helped you become the person you wanted to be?”

“Y-you Paul.”

“Who has consistently looked out for you?”

“You P-Paul.”

“Who bought you toys and nice clothes and taught you the feeling of true happiness?”

“You Paul.”

“Exactly. So… you are going to go with the two men, and you are going to BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF THOSE TWO PEOPLE WHO OWE ME MONEY! You are going to GET THAT MONEY and BRING IT BACK TO ME. And you are going to make sure that THOSE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO CROSS ME!!”

Theodora nodded and looked to the ground timidly. Paul sighed and walked up to her, crouching down.

“I’m sorry for yelling Theodora… but you need to learn that it isn’t fair that they get to feel happy and sadness and pain whilst you don’t. I’m doing this for you. I’m creating this world for you.” Theodora nodded and hugged Paul tightly.

-

“When we got to the house Paul had told us to go to, it turned out that one of the girls who went to my school lived there. It was her parents who owed Paul money.”

“Nicci…” Samon called our to her finally realising where she was going with this.

“I beat them up pretty bad. I’m not going to lie. There was blood everywhere. I was covered in it. I threw the first couple of punches. Just to get him to give us the money… which he did in the end. But there was something I was missing. I didn’t like how he felt fear and pain every time I hit him. I wanted to feel that but couldn’t… and it made me so angry so I just kept beating him and beating him.” Theodora let out a sob as she tried her best to make out the next few words. “Eventually I didn’t even know if he was alive or not. The next day… the next day…. I went into school and his daughter was there.”

-

“You monster! How could you do that to him!” The girl slapped Theodora in the face, causing everyone to stop and stare. “You’re nothing but a freak and a devil! I wish you didn’t exist!” The girl cried out loud in front of Theodora. Soon everyone was watching them and whispering. Anger boiled up inside Theodora.

“Leave me alone.” She said menacingly as she pushed the girl with her shoulder.

“Did you know he’s in the hospital because of you! Daddy might die because of you! You should be locked up! Hey! Are you even listening to me!? You don’t belong here! You belong in a ditch and forgotten!”

“SHUT UP!” Theodora spun in her heels and pushed her. Only… she pushed her too hard.

-

“She ended up falling over the stair railing and landing on the ground two floors down. She broke her leg, her arm and cracked her head open. I was so afraid that I ran all the way to Paul for comfort… or at least I would have. A dozen police cars were lined outside and arresting him. Turns out the drugs he was producing were killing people or making them go insane. I ran and a couple of weeks later after I turned 12, I was arrested and sent to a jail in North Carolina. You know the rest from then on…”

“Theodora… I… thank you for telling me… I honestly didn’t know…. that man that was dealing drugs at Nanba… the one that killed himself… was he?”

“No he was just some psycho drug addict. He wasn’t working for Paul.”

“Shit….”

“The sad thing is that when I was released from Nanba… I found out Paul had escaped from his jail in Chicago. He tracked me down and tried to get me to join him again. He had a new batch of drugs he wanted to test and with my new strength and increased ability to not feel anything, I was his target. Almost every day at my apartment, I got offers from Paul to join him. When I refused, I was shown what it was like to refuse Paul. I couldn’t feel any of it. But that’s what made it worse. It just reminded me of when I was little. How everyone could feel things that I couldn’t. At first I thought maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. If I got caught I could try to get sent to Nanba wheee life was at least okay. But then I remembered everything you told me, and all the time spent working with me to become a better person. So in desperation, I tried to go talk to Paul myself and tell him I was done. It seemed to have worked….”

“But?”

“But the people in the car that knocked me down and tried to drown me by throwing me into a lake had other ideas.”

Samon sat bolt up right and stared at Theodora. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He didn’t want to believe what he was hearing. For all he knew, Theodora could have relapsed or worse, could have died.

“No matter what I did, they kept coming after me. Eventually Paul got bored and said I had to pay him a sum of money for all that invested into me.”

“How much?”

“$275 000 dollars.”

“WHAT!?!” Theodora nodded.

“I didn’t have that kind of money obviously and I wasn’t about to steal for it. So I did what any body would do. I cut my hair and sold it. Alongside blood and almost all of my stuff in the apartment that I was renting. I even donated bone marrow… which got me some cash.”

“Bone marrow!?” Samon screeched in shock. Theodora nodded her head.

“It still wasn’t enough. So Paul did the next best thing. He every day for a year came to beat me up. All I could do was take it. Once the year was up I was free. I agreed and that’s what happened. Only he forgot to mention how he was going to do it… let’s just say that I’m glad I had HSAN or the pain would have killed me.”

Samon couldn’t speak. He had been trying to get Theodora to tell him her story ever since she had been first admitted as an inmate to Nanba. Now he officially realised why that was so hard for her.

“When that year was done, I decided enough was enough. I couldn’t trust that he would leave me alone. I also couldn’t trust that he wouldn’t track my family down. So When I became a guard at Nanba, I was relieved to hear that he had been put into custody again. This time for life, in Poland. So far everything’s been a-ok at home. So for once I can relax.”

Samon leaned back onto the hay and looked up. He couldn’t even fathom how much Theodora had been through. All because of this one man. It reminded him of Liang a bit and his story. Yet yours was still completely different, it still had some similarities.

“Theodora?”

“Hm?”

“Thanks for telling me.”

“Hm.”

“I mean it. I’m always worried about you. I’m always wondering if you’re okay or if you’re not. It hurts me when you don’t smile. I don’t know why but… I want you to always be happy. I want you to not be stressed or in danger… I… want to…” Samon couldn’t finish his sentence since theodora’s soft snores filled the room. He turned to look at her figure.

‘She looks…. so peaceful…” Samon thought. Slowly, he reached over and pushed a small silver strand of hair from the face behind her ear. ‘She looks kind of… beautiful… no! Snap out of it Samon…. you need to focus on getting her back to Nanba.’ As he watched her, he could feel his heart beating out of his chest. Anger fuelled him at the thought of Paul. He traced with his fingers slowly each scar that littered her arm. As he did, he couldn’t help thinking one final thing before sleep took him.

‘I’m not letting anybody hurt you like he did. I promise you.’

***

Everything was quiet at Nanba prison. It had been for days.

In cell 13…

“Unooooo…”

“Whaaaaaaaaat….?”

“Your move.”

Uno, Nico and rock were bored. There was nothing else to say other than that. They were bored and lonely and angry.

They had not seen Theodora.

Or Jyugo.

And Hajime who had been gone for three days seemed less and less fun to play around with when either of them weren’t there.

Instead they stuck to playing card games and eating candy bars that Nico had stashed one time from god knows where.

“Right roll call time….” the inmates heard Hajime call from down the hall. Instead they just huffed when they heard the familiar knocking on their inmate door.

“Go away Hajime.” Uno yelled without turning around. “Unless you brought Jyugo or Theo back we ain’t moving at all.

“Yeah! Not even to eat!” Nico shouted as he placed another card down in the pile in front of him.

“If we die here, it’s your fault for beating Jyugo up and making someone lose their job.” Rock said as he looked at his cards. “Damn it uno! You win every time!” He yelled as he slammed his cards down in defeat. The blond laughed and turned to Nico.

“Nicooooo?” The green haired inmate looked down at his cards and folded. Uno le tout a small whoop of joy at his win.

“Yes! That’s the game boys! I win, AGAIN!!! Hey Jyugo did you see that-“ uno looked to the side expecting to see the Japanese boy. When he didn’t, he lowered his head as a dark aura surrounded him. Rock and Nico sat with their own dark auras. “Damn it. I forgot. Jyugo isn’t here.”

“Where could our poor little Jyugo be?” Nico sand sadly.

“Probably lost and alone… tied up somewhere…” rock said.

“Wait a second…” uno snapped his head up and the other two inmates looked at him surprised. “Isn’t Hajime supposed to say something like ‘you guys are being ridiculous babies!’” Uno mimicked Hajime’s rough voice whilst scrunching his face and shoulders, stamping his foot and waving his arms in the air. Nico stood up and did the same expression.

“Yeah! Like ‘why can’t you ever stay in your cells!’”

“Or ‘you guys were trouble from the day you ever came here!’” Rock joined in.

“I DO NOT TALK LIKE THAT YOU STUPID BASTARDS!!” They heard Hajime yell behind them.

“Yes you do.” Uno said turning around to face Hajime. “You sound exactly like-“ uno stopped mid sentence and stared at the door of their cell.

“Uno? What’s the Matt-“ Nico said turning around and looking at the door too.

“Yeah, you stopped mid sen-…. oh.”

Standing in the doorway with their roll call clip board was Hajime….

And someone else.

A guard.

Who was overly skinny.

Kinda tall.

Silver hair that fell just below his ears and spiked up a bit at the ends.

With a black metal face mask.

“Hey guys…. I… I guess I’m back?” Theodora said softly through the mask, yet loud enough for everyone to hear. Silence rang out in the cell and Theodora could swear that if it continued like this, everyone would be able to hear her heart thumping in her chest.

Suddenly the room exploded into chaos.

“THEEEEEOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!”

Before Theodora had any time to stop them, they had wrapped her up in their arms and squeezing her as tightly as they could. It took them a couple of seconds to see that in by doing so… Theodora couldn’t breathe.

“Guys… can’t… breathe…” They all let go of Theo before they started questioning her. What happened? Where did she go? How was it like? She tried his best to answer as much as she could without Hajime growling at her in the background. But after a couple of minutes, it was evident that he wanted to go back.

“Come on. We’ve got work to do. I’m sure you will find another way to catch up with them later.” Hajime said as he began to leave the cell.

“Wait! How can you take Theo away from us! We’ve only just got him back!” Nico pleaded as he grabbed on to Theodora’s waist again.

“Jesus, they really do cling to you…” Hajime muttered. “Like a mother…” Theodora giggled awkwardly and tried to prise him off her.

“I’ve had three younger siblings and helped raise them.” Theodora said, trying not to be annoyed with what Hajime has said. “Of course I act this way, it’s like second nature. I’m only 20 years old and I’m already being called a mom, urgh…”

“It’s kind of hard for you to deny it when Nico’s clinging to you like that.” Uno said.

Finally she managed to get Nico off her waist and smiled at him. She really did remind her of her brothers and sister. Particularly Eva…

“So… what did I miss?” Theodora asked Hajime excitedly. After being away she was definitely excited to start up again. Hajime looked over at her and grumbled.

“I’m gonna be off for three days again, the warden asked me to deliver so documents to another prison regarding an inmate from building 2 that we just transferred out of here so you’ll be working with the other supervisors…” Theodora nodded and walked behind Hajime for a bit whilst looking at the hallways and cell doors that she missed.

Suddenly, Hajime stopped in the hallway and didn’t turn around. It almost made Theodora trip over him.

“It’s good to have you back, kid.” Theodora’s eyes widened. Never in her life did she expect Hajime of all people to say that. Theodora cleared her throat and opened her mouth to say something. The only problem was that no words came out. Hajime snickered and continued to walk.

As soon as the two guards entered the break room, Theodora couldn’t contain the surprise on his face as she saw all the supervisors waiting for her. She immediately ran up to Kiji and hugged him. She could smell how overly perfumed she was and for the first time, she could actually really say that she missed it.

“Samon told me what you did…. y-you guys…” Theodora let go of Kiji and looked at them all, looking as if he was ready to cry again. “Th-thank you… Thank you so much!”

“Aw, there’s waterworks!” Mitsuru laughed and held his arms out to give poor Theodora a hug. “Nobody likes a pretty lady crying! Wipe those those tears, girly. You’re back bein’ a guard!”

“I-I’m just h-happy is a-all…!” She stuttered after hugging him tightly. Kiji waved a white cloth at her.

“Imagine if my makeup were to start running! It would be awful dear, awful!”

“It always is awful” Hajime muttered behind Theo.”

“WILL YOU STOP CRITICISING MY BEAUTY! AT LEAST IM NOT BALD YOU GREAT BIG OAF!”

Theodora laughed at their interactions. She gave Kiji one last hug and thanked him. Kiji just awed at her and squeezed her tightly once again. Once out of his death grip, she went towards Kenshirou, staring up without a word. He just stared back, unsure of why she was directly in front of him. She held her arms out like a child, causing him to sigh deeply.

“Are you really 20?” He questioned, but allowed him to him him nonetheless.

“You know you love it…!” She whispered in a joking manner.

“That’s enjoy, now down.” Kenshirou said and got Theodora off him.

“You still give people dog commands? That’s weird man…” Samon commented to him.

Theodora now stood in front of Hajime, basically having the same situation with Kenshirou. But instead of putting her arms out, she just held out her fist up to him. Hajime sighed in relief and just bumped her fist. But before he could pull his wrist away, Theodora grabbed onto it and glared harshly at him.

“I know you’re going to be interrogating Jyugo after your trip.” She said in a soft, cold manner. “But if I find out that you hurt him in the slightest,I will beat you up so harshly that I’ll be thrown back into prison…”

“Yeah… got it…” Hajime muttered. She released his hand but still looked irritated.

“You still angered angered me and upset me, but…” she sighed softly. “I’m grateful that you helped defend me. Thank you…”

“Yeah, well, go thank Samon.” Hajime muttered. “Without his constant ranting of ‘it’s not fair!’ then it never wouldve happened. It was like he was a five year old…”

“You wanna fight, you bastard!?” Samon growled and shook his fist at him.

“Samon.” Theodora’s voice chimed, causing Samon to immediately look at her. “Thank you for everything…. you never give up on me and I’m grateful…”

“Yeah, well…” Samon scratched the back of his head in an embarrassed manner. “Seeing you in America just proved what I was worrying about… you weren’t living there… you were surviving. I couldn’t just let you be like that if I knew that I could at least try and do something…”

“Yeah, I bet you were sobbing.” Hajime said to Samon.

“You really are trying to fight me, aren’t you!?” Samon shouted at him.

Theodora grinned widely, looking like a child on Christmas Day. She loudly thanked them all before running out of the room as fast as possible to try and get some work done at least. The five men could only sigh and watch her go. For someone who says she can’t feel anything, she sure was beaming more than any person they had ever seen before.

***

Theodora smiled at the ceiling as she was leaning back in her chair. Yesterday, after getting her job back, she ran so fast to building thirteen that she almost broke the offic door by accident. Telling Yamato and Seitarou everything, they ended up hugging and congratulating her. Yamato even offered to take her drinking, since she was the legal age in Japan, but she politely declined.

In the end, them along with a few supervisors (Samon and Kiji of course) offered her dinner. She was pleasantly surprised at house it went. They weren’t bad at all to be around, but Yamato’s loudness from partially getting drunk, could have have been avoided. But, she had fun. After telling the two about her job and everything, that was when she went to the guys in cell 13 with Hajime.

It was actually a nice end to the day. But, it wasn’t fun going back and collecting her wages from the previous month that she had forgot to collect before she was fired. Theodora has made sure that the boys still referred to her as a ‘he’ and as ‘theo’. She still had guidelines after all. But that didn’t matter as long as she had her job.

“So.” Theodora spun her chair towards Seitarou to face him. “One of the other supervisors will be coming to the building to watch over it, right?”

“Yes that’s correct. Since Hajime is off on his three day trip, we need someone to cover for him.”

“Mm…” Theodora hummed. She still had a bit of a grudge against Hajime but, she couldn’t quite hate him. “I wonder who it will be…”

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?” A shrill cry came from outside.

“Huh? What was that?” Seitarou stared at the door in surprise.

“I’ll check it out.” Theodora said and stood up.

Grabbing her mask, she attached it to her face and exited the room. She went to the source of the shouts, knowing quite well that it came from cell 13. It was hard to not detect their voices really. Popping her head into the room, she saw Kenshirou standing in their cell. ‘Ooooh, so he’s the supervisor for today….damn it.’

“DORA!” Shouted Nico.

“Huh?” Kenshirou looked bewildered as Nico ran past him and to the door where Theodora stood.

“Uh…!” Theodora was surprised by his actions, watching him once again cling to her waist while giggling wildly. “Nico I told you to call me theo!”

“But Dora is so much cuter!” Argued Nico. “Don’t you agree?”

“I’m a guard. I’m not supposed to be cute.” Theodora started while sweat dropping at him.

“Hajime was right… you are like a mom…” Kenshirou murmured. Theodora laughed awkwardly and tried to pry the green haired inmate off her again. “anyways what are you doing here.” Kenshirou asked her. “Don’t you have paperwork to do?”

“I’ve already done half of it.” Theodora said calmly. “Plus, I heard the guys scream and came to investigate. Turns out it was just you, so yeah….”

“I feel like I should be insulted…” Kenshirou murmered again. “Well, since you’re here, you might as well help me.”

“Hm…?” Theodora tilted her head, showing that she was listening.

“Right here it says that no.25 has an appointment with the doctors for his medication.” Stated kenshirou, showing her the paper. “Since he’s literally attached to your hip, could you take him down?”

“Stop saying stuff that refers me to a mom.” She said in clear irritation.

“Yo, Theo! Take us with you!” Uno said with a raised hand.

“Yeah, we haven’t done it in a while.” Rock added.

“You two will stay here.” Kenshirou instructed, glaring at them sharply. “Only no.25 has a doctor’s appointment. If you have medical troubles you can schedule your own!”

“What? It’s not like we’re going to do anything!” Exclaimed uno.

“Plus, we’ve done this before. It isn’t anything unusual.” Rock said.

“They’re my emotional support group!” Nico said, still clinging to Theodora’s waist.

“Can you let go now, Nico?” Theodora asked him. “You’re making it kinda hard to stand…”

Kenshirou seemed to ponder about letting them stay or go. Personally, Theodora didn’t want them coming. It happened one time and she got so angry with them in the end that she gave them all good whacks to the head. Needless to say, they hadn’t requested to go since they knew her only as the annoying newbie guard.

“Just stay here.” She sighed. “It’ll be easier for me that way. Plus, I rather not find a sign on my back that says ‘but kisser’ in all capital letters… I’m lookin’ at you, Uno. Don’t even try denyin’ it.”

The long haired male looked shocked, but didn’t even try fighting him about it. Theodora patted nico’s head, causing him to look up at her in curiosity.

“Come on. Let’s go get your medicine.” She said.

“Okay!” Nico said, finally releasing his monkey-like grip and skipping merrily away.

Theodora could only sigh and followed him out of the door. He acted just like his younger sister, Eva, if not exactly like her. Even though he was sometimes a handful, Theodora couldn’t help but smile at Nico and eva’s similarities.

Carefully, Theodora lead Nico to the doctor’s office. As they walked, Nico engaged Theodora into some small talk. At first it was just light hearted, talking about shows and whatnot. But the next question Nico asked caused Theodora to frown deeply.

“Hey, is Jyugo okay?” Nico had asked.

“… I wouldn’t know. They’re keeping him away from people—islolating him. I can’t go see him until Hajime gets back.”

“Dora… sorry, Theo….” Nico spoke softly. Theodora hummed, showing she was listening. “… what’s going to happen to Jyugo…?”

“I don’t know…” Theodora said quietly. “As hard as it is, we’re going to have to put our faith into Hajime for now…” Theodora crossed her arms. “But the warden wants me to talk to him… try to rehabilitate him, in a sense. If I can get him to trust me, I can get him out of that shitty place.”

“So you’ll help me?” Nico asked, trying to summarise what she said.”

Theodora nodded. “Yes, of course.” She ruffled nico’s hair “I care about you guys. I want to help you all in anyway I can. I’ll tell you everything I know, in hopes that one day, you’ll do the same in return…”

Nico tilted his head up, staring at Theodora in slight confusion. She’s not much for catching onto hidden meanings and such, but she did feel like there was a second meaning behind Theodora’s words. Like she was referring to something. It was kind of… off… but before he could ask, they had already made it to the infirmary. Theodora knocked on the door before entering, Nico, following closely behind her.

“Excuse me, Dr. Otogi, it’s Nicci.” Theodora spoke up. “I came here to bring Nico from cell 13, building 13, to you for his daily check ups.”

“Fine…” sighed the elderly man. “I’ll be with him in a moment or two…”

Theodora’s eye shifted towards the other figures in the room. They were two familiar boys that had fought against building 13 in the tournament. Those two would be honey and trois. Theodora was curious as to why they were here, but didn’t question it.

“Hey you’re the pretty boys who lost to Uno in tournament, huh?” Nico said loudly.

‘Of course he would point that out…’ Theodora felt her eye twitch. ‘Sometimes I really do wonder if he’s actually 16… then again, I know men who are even more childish than that, but they have their excuses…. still irrititating though….’

“Quiet, you…!” Snapped the one known as honey.

“Why’re you guys here?” Nico asked, all threatening intent going past his head.

“The injuries we sustained from hyakunin isshu haven’t been healing well.” Said trois as he and honey gazed at their fingers.

“How can you be injured from that…?” Theodora raised a brow, bewildered by his claim.

“It’s pretty bad. Take a look.” He said and held a magnifying glass to them.

Theo took it and held it close to his finger. She and Nico tried observing the supposed injury, but even she was having difficulty finding it. Nico pointed it out and Theodora could only feel her eye twitching in annoyance.

“How many millimetres long do you think that is?” Nico questioned.

“They’ll need to create an even tinier measurement in order to tell.” Theodora sarcastically said and put the magnifying glass down. “Some injury that is. There’s no need to even be here with itty bitty cuts like that.”

“We know, but Kiji insisted that we come here.” Honey said after sighing.

‘Why am I not surprised?’ Theodora thought to herself. “Let me guess…” Theodora adjusted her voice so her could mock kiji’s voice. “‘Upupupu! We wouldn’t want your precious skin to scar now, would we? Upupupu!’ Some shitty reason like that, right?”

“You nailed it…!” Honey said, shaking as both inmates tried not to laugh.

“That was remarkably similar…!” Trois said, trying not to laugh himself.

“When it comes to mimicking, I’m one hell of a guard.” Theodora said and winked at Nico, causing him to silently gasp and grin. She looked to the two inmates and began to take off her white gloves. “Let me show you guys what real sounds look like. Nico, go do your check up, okay?”

“Okay!” He nodded and went to dr. Otogi.

Taking off her white gloves and rolling up her sleeves, she revealed her scarred arms. The two inmates gasped at her, even touching her skin to feel how rough and scarred it was. It was clear they were disturbed, but also fascinated by it.

“I always thought scars would be rough” said trois.

“The rest of the skin is rough, but when following the scars, they’re actually soft.” Honey pointed out.

“How did you get so many?” Questioned trois.

“Eh, not really sure.” Theodora shrugged and pulled her arms away and began to fix her sleeves and gloves. “Some from fights, others from working on a farm with heavy equipment and the rest are just little accidents I stumbled into.”

“How are all those ‘little accidents’?” Questioned honey, finding his casual behaviour about it odd.

“You’re talking Tom a Nicci, don’t question it.” Stated dr, otogi as he had been hearing the entire conversation. “He’s got a genetic disease called HSAN, or hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy. It’s a sort of disease that interferes with his nerves from allowing him to feel anything, if you were to give him an ice cube or a burning coal to hold, he wouldn’t know the difference. He’s unable to feel a single thing in his body.”

“Really? I’ve heard about it, but I never really knew what to make of it.” Trois said, clearly surprised.

“Yeah, it’s pretty uncommon.” Theodora said and shrugged. “I get into accidents at lot, a lot of times finding strange cuts or bruises from bumping into things without realising it. I was a real hassle for dr. Otogi when I first got here.”

“And you still are.” Scoffed the old man as he was examining Nico carefully. “You’re just as freakish as this kid here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Theodora asked, crossing her arms as she didn’t enjoy the words that he used.

“What, you don’t know?” He questioned her. “This kid is affected by those factors around him. He can mimic anybody despite any and all factors. But, it’s nothing to be proud of. Being as weak as he is and all, it’s a miracle that he isn’t dead. You know how deadly qigong is. The medicine he takes prevents him from doing that. When he remembers to take it that is…”

“Hehe… yeeeeaaaah, sorry about that.” Apologised Nico in an embarrassed manner.

“I see.” Said Trois. “So that’s how he was able to fight so well…”

“Remind me not to get on his bad side….” said Honey.

“I promise to take them next time! So, can I have my medicine today, please?” Asked Nico towards the doctor.

“Jeez…” signed the old man before he turned his head to an opened door. “Hey kaguya, can you bring in no.25’s medicine?”

“Yes, doctor.” Spoke a robotic voice.

With a few whirls of gears and a bit of metal clinking, out of the room stood a woman with a tray, holding a bag on top. Well, not a human woman. Kaguya was a machine, created by the doctor and scientist of Nanba prison… the otogi couple. She looked as pink and shiny as always to Theo…. and, as always, the men flocked to her like magnets.

“I’ve brought the requested medicine.” Spoke the Android.

“Woo-hoo! Thank you as always, kaguya!” Exclaimed Nico as he went for his medicine. “What’s today’s flavour?”

“Today’s flavour is ‘cheap candies’.” Replied the robot.

“Yay!” Cheered Nico. “Can I rest my head on your lap again, kaguya?”

“If you’d lend me your hand, I would kiss it.” Honey said as he was down on one knee in a bow.

“Would you care to join us for some tea this afternoon?” Asked Trois, smirking flirtatiously at her.

“And so we can match, I must ask… what colour panties do you plan to wear?” Honey asked passionately.

“I would like to know the type of fashion and percentage of lace used in your bra.” Trois said seductively.

“Trois! Don’t you think that is a bit of over kill to ask her for her bra type?” Honey asked, a frown appearing on his face.

“At least I kept it above the waist.”

“WHAT KIND OF PERVERTS ARE YOU!?!?!?” Shouted Theodora, baffled that someone would even dare as to ask a woman about her undergarments.

“You stay away from my daughter or I’ll dissect all of you!” Threatened the doctor, causing the three to scurry away from him.

“Nico, promise me you’ll stay away from those two.” Theodora spoke softly but also very seriously to him, whilst pinching the bridge of her nose in dispair.

“Um, okay.” Nico innocently nodded, unsure as to why she seemed so protective.

“C’mon, we’re goin’” Theodora said. “Thank you dr. Otogi for your service. We’ll be going now!”

“Hold it, you. How have been the burns on your hands?” Dr. Otogi interrogated her.

“No pain, swelling, or any of the above.” Theodora stayed quickly. “If anything happens, you’ll be the first to know. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

Theo quickly got out of the infirmary with Nico, making their way back to his cell. She could only imagine the vein on her forehead throbbing in irritation. Usually she was one to be okay with something perverted once in a while, but asking a woman about her underwear for a date, regardless if she was human or not, was most definitely not one of them! As she silently imagined beating the two inmate’s heads in, Nico was tossing his medication in as if it was candy. After a while of walking, Theodora noticed that her hands were throbbing. She really had to be wary of that from now on.

“Hey Theo?” Nico spoke up.

“Hm…?” She hummed out, trying to calm himself down.

“Dr. Otogi said you got burns on your hands. Is that why you’re all bandaged up?” Nico asked.

“It used to be… but from working on the farm it made the burns blister. I also broke my finger so I was trying to keep it straight but it’s all better now.” Theodora looked down at her hands. “I bet if I had the proper nerves, I would be feeling pain, but uh.. you know… I don’t.”

“I can’t imagine what it would be like to grow up without feeling pain…” Nico said, causing Theodora to become quiet. “… what was it like?”

“You know how you get pins and needles in your leg and you can’t feel it or move it for a bit?” Nico nodded. “Well it’s a bit like that… except I can move and it’s all over my body.”

“Woah… how did you cope?”

“… that’s a question for another time, okay?” Theodora said softly. “I’m not too comfortable with talking about that…”

“Oh, okay. Sorry” Nico said looking down at his feet.

“No need to apologise.” Theodora said. A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes as she looked down at him. “hey… when we get back to the cell, want to distract Uno for me while I fill up a bucket of water to dump on him?”

“Totally!” Nico exclaimed.

Theodora laughed and high fives him. She wrapped her arm around nico’s shoulder and ruffled his hair as they walked, laughing together as they schemed. Theodora couldn’t help but relate to Nico to his sister Eva, but she knew there were still a lot of differences between them. If anything, Nico would probably be the closest one of the four in cell 13 to relate to her. She couldn’t help but think of him as another little brother.

***

“here you go, Coo.”

“Mreow~~~”

Theodora fed Coo his lunch. Since Hajime was gone, she took it upon herself to feed coo the cat. Coo had taken a liking to her since Hajime had left. She was rather pleased when he stroked against her leg for attention, or laid in her lap while she sat at her desk. No matter what, animals always had a liking to her compared to humans. It was a mutual feeling she held when growing up, but that was understandable. She was wise about it now and has finally found an ability to respect people now.

Just as she stood up from feeding coo, the door to the office swung open by a crying Seitarou. She held her arms out and watched as Seitarou fell into them, clinging to her like a lost child. Honestly, she was used to it at this point.

“Why is everybody so mean to me!?” Sobbed the older man.

“Hey, what’s wrong, Seitarou?” She asked calmly.

“I-I went, to go check on Cell 13,” sniffed Seitarou through gasps of breaths, “and I-I found Building T-Three’s S-S-Supervisor there. A-and, and, AND THEY YELLED AT ME! I only asked if there was a-anything they needed was all…!”

“Again…?” Theodora sighed and stroked Seitarou’s hair, knowing to just let him sob it out. “Just sit down and I’ll go talk to them, okay? I have some gum in my pocket. Want some?”

“S-sure… Thank you, Th-Theo…” Stuttered Seitarou as she gave him a piece of gum.

“Stay here, okay?” She said kindly before exiting the room.

Once out of there, she marched towards Cell 13 and began rolling her sleeves up. She entered, seeing Kiji arguing with Uno. Just catching a small amount of the argument was enough to set her off. She sharply looked at Rock and Nico, seeing them stiffen under her cold gaze.

“Did you two yell at Seitarou?” She asked as Uno and Kiji didn’t even notice her there.

“Nope. It was them.” Nico said and ratted out Uno and Kiji.

“We’re innocent about it this time, we swear.” Rock said, also pointing at Kiji and Uno.

“Thank you.” She turned away from the two.

Not even a second later she marched right over to the two. She went ahead and punched each of their heads, causing the two to hit the ground and hold their heads in pain. An irk mark was clear as daylight on her head.

“That’s for causing Seitarou to cry, AGAIN!” She said and marched towards the door, stopping and pointing right at them. “And for your information, your talk about being more handsome is pathetic. Please take your heads out of your egotistical asses and bring it to your IQ’s. Oh, wait! That’s six feet under the ground! Now you have something to cry about, so go sob it to your imaginary girlfriends, because we all know neither of you got any!”

Theodora, having said what she said, stepped out of the room and slammed the door shut. Clapping her hand together as if to get the dust off of them, she walked right back to the office. Kiji and Uno sulked in the corner, holding the bright red lumps on their heads.

“So brutal…” Uno sobbed softly.

“To think he would hit me too, uhohoho…!” Sobbed Kiji.

“I’ve never seen Theo look so angry…” Rock murmured to Nico. “I’ve seen him annoyed and all, but this…?”

“Yeah, he’s pretty protective of everyone.” Nico whispered back to him. “he told me he always beat up the neighborhood bullies who hurt his siblings…”

“Oh, I get it.” Rock said. “He imagines us as his siblings. He is really strict, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he even disciplined his own siblings…”

Nico nodded his head, agreeing with what Rock said.

But neither Uno or Kiji heard as they were pitying themselves from Theodora’s harshness. To be frank, the two inmates agreed that they both deserved it. Even if Theodora went a bit too far…

***

“…Then I insulted them.”

“Damn, you’re as brutal as ever, eehehe!”

Today was now day three of Hajime’s suspension. And, to be quite frank, Alloisia was so glad that it was Samon. If it was somebody like Mao Nimajita, the Supervisor of Building 2, she was quite confident that she would kill somebody. Theodora explained her run in with Kiji yesterday, having to rant to somebody about it, and Samon was snickering along at her tale.

“Anyways, getting back on track.” Samon coughed into his hand to wipe the smirk off of his face. “Was there any trouble with the inmates besides that?”

“Nope.” Theodora shook her head. “They’ve been good… Except for two newbies who began fighting in the cafeteria yesterday, but Shiro took care of it. The cafeteria can always be trusted to him if anything going on.”

“I don’t doubt it…” Samon said, when in reality he was flat out lying. “…So, how’s it like to have your job back, eh?”

“It feels good.” Theodora said, smiling at the ground, not like he could see. “Very good…”

Samon hummed out just as they got to Cell 13. Using her key, Theodora opened the cell for him. But when he saw how the inmates were inside, he instantly became fuming. If there was one thing Samon hated, it would be lazy inmates.

“GET UP YOU LAZY PUNKS!” He shouted at the three.

“E-easy, Samon!” Theodora said and began blocking his way so he didn’t strangle anybody. “Calm down, man! Kiji went on an angry rant on them yesterday, and it was basically my fault. I had to kick Kiji out of the Cell by one in the morning because he was literally causing them to—”

Theodora stopped at the sound of loud footsteps. Even Samon stopped as they wondered where it was coming from. As if it was a sudden spell, the three inmates yelped in horror and scrammed out of their beds. Just as the two guards began wondering what was going on, they were suddenly shoved to either side as none other than Yamato busted through the door.

“KNOCK KNOCK, GENTLEMEN!” Greeted the noisy Japanese man. “HOW ARE YOU?! ARE YOU ALL READY FOR SOME MORNING TRAINING?!”

Yamato gazed around the room, find the inmates nowhere to be found. Samon and Theodora just stared up at Yamato from their spots on the floor.

“Hold on, they aren’t home.” Yamato’s voice dialed down as he turned to leave. “I must be hearing voices, then. I guess i’ll go then, until next time!”

“Hey, hey, hey, hey!” Samon shot up and grabbed Yamato’s shoulder to stop him. “Wait, wait, wait, wait, Yamato!”

“Inmates…” Samon pulled Nico out from his hiding spot. “Out of their cells?” He opened a closet to reveal Rock.

Holding his infamous staff, Samon exhaled and slammed the end of it against the ground. This caused Uno to fall from his hiding spot, which was the ceiling. Theodora, back onto her feet, could only gaze at where he had been on the ceiling in confusion.

“You know that’s not possible, Yamato.” Samon said to the other male. “This is Nanba Prison, after all.”

“The hell did he get up there…?” Theodora wondered to herself in shock.

“Oh! There you are, guys!” Happily exclaimed Yamato as he marched closer to the three. “Let’s move onto the training course, shall we?!”

“Don’t make us, I’m begging you!” Uno exclaimed desperately. “I get so sore the next day, don’t make me do it!”

“Exercising is supposed to be leisurely!” Exclaimed Rock while Nico trembled behind the two under a blanket.

“What type of exercises is Yamato making them do…?” Samon asked.

“Deathly brutal ones…” Theodora said darkly, paling herself at the thought of exercising.

“If it’s coming from you then it must be human torture!” Samon exclaimed, shocked by her claim.

“No, not really.” Replied a voice from behind them.

Startled, they both whirled around to see the familiar masked face of Tsukumo, or inmate No.99. Theodora relaxed at the sight of him while Samon was still stiff as a board.

“WHO THE HELL’RE YOU!?” Samon yelled at him.

“My name is Tsukumo, but my designated number is 99.” Said the supposed 'ninja’.

“No.99 loves to exercise, so he’s always with me at this time of day.” Explained Yamato. “He’s very passionate about exercising, it’s fantastic!”

“A Japanese man must train constantly!” Said Tsukumo while nodding. “Yamato’s exercising routine is perfect for my training!”

“Here they go again, the Japanese freaks…” Muttered Uno.

Samon paled at hearing them say that, astonished they were so serious about it. He looked at Theodora to see her standing right behind him, clearly not wanting to join their training.

“I like exercising, I really do, but not when it comes to Yamato…” She said softly so only Samon heard. “I like Yamato and all, great guy really, but he terrifies the shit outta me…”

“Oh, come now, Theo! You’re wonderful when it comes to training! Nothing can reach your limits!” Complimented Yamato, trying to get her to join.

“Nobody can humanly reach his limits because he doesn’t physically give himself any.” Samon stated bluntly as she hid behind him. “Nicci will physically train until he literally drops. By then, he has to be taken to the medics for making himself go unconcious. He won’t be joining your training.”

"THANK YOU!” She exclaimed, still clinging onto Samon.

“Oh, fine! But next time you will be joining us, Alan!” Declared Yamato. “We’ll turn up the heat of it just for you to feel the burn of training hard!”

“PLEASE DON’T!” Theodora and the four inmates yelled in horror.

“Hey, is everything okay in here?” Seitarou popped his head in. “I heard loud yelling, is everybody okay?”

“By the why, do any of you guys heard of how Jyugo’s condition is?” Asked Tsukumo.

“I’m afraid we have…” Uno said, speaking in a heavy tone. “I’m afraid he came down with a terrible case of 'idiopathic-raw-oyster-tremer-cell syndrome.’”

“That sounds quite serious.” Tsukumo said.

'HE’S BUYING THAT BULLSHIT?!’ Theodora screamed in her head in shock at his idiocy.

“The doctors tried everything they can do but in the end…” Nico trailed off, his voice beginning to shake.

“Don’t tell me he…!” Tsukumo’s eyes went wide in shock.

“Don’t sugar coat it…” Uno whimpered, as if prepared to sob.

“He’s dead…” Whispered Rock.

“Such a tragic loss…!” Sniffled Nico.

“Let us spend this day in mourning…” Spoke Uno.

“Jyugo…! No…!” Tsukumo tried not to cry.

“Well, even training can wait for some things…” Yamato said, clasping his hands together in prayer.

“Our condolences…” Seitarou said, doing the same.

“You…” Theodora fumed and punched Uno, Nico, and Rock in the head. “…JERKS!”

They all cried out and held their heads in pain. Theodora was utterly fuming at this point. She understands that they want to get out of training, but they could’ve used a better method! She never likes it when people joke about deaths, especially ones that aren’t even true!

“Don’t fuckin’ make lies like that, you pieces of shit!” She yelled at them, her voice drawing out a strange type of city/italian accent. “There’s nothin’ I hate more than lies like that, you hear me?!” She then pointed at the others except Samon. “And you three! Don’t believe every effin’ word that comes outta their mouths, got it? Jyugo’s still in a coma recoverin’ just fine, okay? He ain’t dead.”

“Oh, that’s relieving.” Tsukumo said, now calming down and turning back to normal.

“And you three…!” She turned to them and grabbed them all by the back of their collars, beginning to drag them away. “I ain’t done with you yet. Think of this trainin’ as punishment for pissin’ me off!”

“Let us go! We’re sorry, okay?!” Begged Uno as he began to try and struggle against her, now becoming irritated by her. “What the hell’s with that accent anyways?! It’s like you’re entirely a different person!”

“Blame my mutha…” Theodora muttered, thinking about how her italian mother talks.

“What, this is just how I talk!” She would exclaim every time Theodora pointed it out. “Everybody in the family talks like this, al'ight. My mutha always talked like this, your aunt always talks like this, y—hey. What'da gigglin’ for?… So what if my 'talk’ sounds like 'chalk!’ *sigh* Child of mine… Just you watch, the olda you get, the more your Italian side will show, capisce?”

“Oh, splendid!” Exclaimed Yamato from behind her, snapping her out of her thoughts. “Good to know we’re all joining! Let’s start off with the usual push ups, sit ups, then running, huh? Then we can go straight for the balance beams, ah ha ha ha!”

'I can’t believe I got myself into this…’ Theodora murmured in her thoughts. 'I am not prepared for “the burn"… My hands have already had enough of that. I’m not joining, but these bastards are…’

***

"Oh, Supervisor! It’s good to see you after three days.”

“Please don’t leave again…”

“Why? Were there any problems while I was gone?”

“No, I guess… The three didn’t find out anything, but it was stressful…”

Today was finally the day that Hajime would come back from his trip. Theodora never thought she would be glad to see Hajime back again. After yesterday she felt guilty about harming the guys, but she was very defensive when it comes to saying stuff like 'someone died’ when in reality they’re completely fine. Plus they were trying to use it as an excuse to escape training, which was something she will not stand for.

But afterwards she ended up getting teased by Samon because she went 'mafia’ on them. It was a huge inside joke between them and a few inmates. But she honestly can’t say she was too proud of it. Either way, she was just grateful Hajime was back. But… she was concern for Jyugo.

“Of course. This job isn’t some luxury after all.” Hajime told her, probably jabbing at the fact she was almost fired. “I’m assuming you took care of most of the hard work?”

“…Kinda, I guess.” She shrugged her shoulders. “The inmates of Cell 13 have been real feisty lately. Well, Uno has been. The other two have been honestly quiet. It’s quite clear that they’re concerned for Jyugo…”

“Speaking of No.15, are you going to see him, sir?” Seitarou asked.

“Yep.” Hajime said and looked at Theodora. “But, I’ve got a job for you to do.”

“Huh…?” She lifted her head up, confused as to why he would say that.

“C'mon.” He gestured her to follow him, which she immediately did. “Head over to Building 4. I spoke to Kenshirou a bit earlier today, and he said he wanted you to come with him to speak to No.634.”

“What? Why?” Theodora asked, almost in a defensive manner. “That guy fried my hands, and almost cost me my job. I’ve got nothing to say to that brat…”

“Yeah, well,” Hajime sighed in clear annoyance. “Kenshirou begs to differ. I think he only wants you to go and talk with him because of 'your way with words’. If you can get that guy to trust you, then we might be able to interrogate with him properly.”

“You guys put way too much faith into my words.” Theodora groaned softly behind him. “You make it sound like I can make people trust me by blinking my eyes. It takes time for them to put their faith into me. Hell, it took Jyugo a week or two to trust me.”

“Yeah, because you kissed the kid.” Hajime shot at her. “Of course he would hardly trust you after that. He thought you were a man who was trying to sexually assault him.”

Theodora made a noise in the back of her throat, clearly displeased he brought that up. She was really hoping he would let that go. Releasing a sigh to calm herself and a scratch to her head, she got back on track of the conversation.

“…Fine. I’ll go see Kenshirou.” She grumbled reluctantly. “He’s in Building 4, yeah? I’m guessing his little arsonist is being held tightly underground over there. But I swear to god, if he even tries torching me again, I’ll make sure it’ll be forever impossible for him to procreate ever again…”

Hajime silently cringed at her claim, remembering how she had kicked No.634 so hard that practically every man felt that pain. Didn’t help that she’s got inhumain strength…

Eventually she departed with Hajime and went to Building 4 as quick as she could. Getting there she was greeted by his guard dogs. As tempted as she was to pet them, she refrained from doing so. They kinda have a grudge against her anyways so that’s out of the question…

Walking through Building 4, she went straight down to the Underground, knowing exactly how to get there. After all, she did get thrown down once in awhile. Once she descended downwards, she was quick to find Kenshirou standing at the entranced into the underground. She could only assume he was waiting on her.

“I see that you finally arrived.” Kenshirou said, as if he was annoyed with her. “Took you long enough for you to get here…”

“It isn’t like my building is your next door neighbor, Kenshirou.” She said calmly. “Anyways, you wanted me to come to help interrogate…?”

“That’s right.” Kenshirou nodded to her. “But, let me do the talking. If you feel the need to interject then go ahead. If you could get No.634 to trust you well enough, then we would be in a bit of an advantage. You tend to have the ability to rub your emotions onto people, so if you can do that here and make him calm, we might just get somewhere…”

“So, I’m practically worthless here.” Theodora said bluntly. “I know you’re great at your own interrogations and all, but I find it hard to believe that you just want my help to make friends with him. Is there something else you want from me?”

“Not really.” Kenshirou said. “But, I wouldn’t mind a second opinion on the matter. Think of it as your training as an officer. No.634 refuses to talk unless he can talk to No.15.” This grabbed her attention. “Hajime will be interrogating No.15 while we’ll be doing the same to No.634. We’ll allow the two to talk, but…” He holds up a large walkie-talkie. “Not face to face, of course. After that, I’m sure we can grill him of everything he knows…”

“…Okay, I see you strategie…” Theodora muttered. “But what happens if the conversation goes sour? What’ll we do if either of them go out of whack?”

“That’s why you’re here.” Kenshirou said simply. “I’ll be relying on you to keep the conversation calm. Can I trust you enough to turn the conversation around if it starts getting bad?”

“…Yeah, alright.” Theodora nodded. “I’ll do my best to keep it calm and peaceful. If it’s through the walkie, I can probably calm Jyugo down too if it gets bad. I don’t want Hajime hurting him again… I’ll follow your lead…”

Kenshirou nodded to her before turning around. She quietly followed him through the underground. There honestly wasn’t many inmates underground, but there was enough to make her be careful. Once they got to Musashi’s cell, she was surprised he didn’t really appear to be… hostile. He was restrained to the wall, unable to really escape. She wondered if he could melt those cuffs off if he wanted to…

“No.634, are you comfortable in there?” Kenshirou spoke coldly, knowing not to let his guard down with this guy.

“Yeah, if I think this could get any more dark, wet, and tight I’d think I’d be stuck in your ass.” Commented Musashi with a smirk clear as day on his face. “Makes me miss the good old days in solitary.”

“File a formal complaint. And how did you know it was dark?” Questioned Kenshirou.

“Lucky guess.” Musashi shrugged. He paused, as if listening carefully. “Who’s the second one—the guy behind you? I know that ain’t Jyugo… Did you bring a bodyguard for protection? How cute.”

“Nah, he just figured that he should bring the bitch who destroyed your balls.” Theodora said snarkily, her own smirk curling onto her lips.

Musashi made a sound and jolted against his restraints, as if trying to move away from her. It honestly made her feel delighted he was uncomfortable with her, but it wasn’t why she was here. Theodora sighed, wiping away any hatred emotions she had and stayed calm. Kenshirou would beat her ass if she riled the inmate up.

“Look. We’ll give you a chance to talk to Jyugo, but only on the condition to tell us everything that we want to know.” Theodora said, now becoming serious. “Don’t leave a single detail out. I wanna hear everything you know…”

“Fine. That was our deal from the start anyways.” Musashi said. “Now can you girls hurry it along? I want to hear Jyugo talk, not you.”

'Yeah, he’s a little shit…’ Theodora thought and looked to Kenshirou. The older man took out the walkie-talkie and placed it right to the outside of the cell. He informed Musashi that this will be how he can talk to Jyugo. Turning it on, Musashi waited a moment before he could talk.

“Hi, Jyugo. Can you hear me?” Called out Musashi, as if he was taunting him. “I guess you’re still in the infirmary, huh? Enjoy that bed while you can…”

“Get to the point, 634.” Kenshirou ordered him. “If this is just a social call I’ll end it.”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I’ll talk.” Sighed the inmate. “I’ll just cut the crap and let it all out now, alright. What I’m lookin’ to talk about, it the man with the scar. You said you were lookin’ for him, right? Well, to tell him the truth, so am I. I was wondering how much you know about him. How old is he? Have you heard his voice, or seen his face? Whatcha got?”

“No, I don’t.” Growled Jyugo’s voice from the walkie. “That’s what I was hoping to learn from you… I know he has a scar on his neck, and that he’s the one who put me into these 'shackles.’ Aside from that, nothing.”

“Well, boo.” Musashi said and hanged his head as if disappointed. “I kinda figure that it would be all you would tell me, but I figured it was worth checking.”

'You bastard…! You destroyed an entire area and provoked the kid just to have some talk?! What the hell…!’ Theodora fumed in her thoughts.

“The whole reason you want to find this guy is for him to take those shackles off you, right?” Musashi questioned him. “That’s all you want?”

“That’s right.” Jyugo replied, his tone sounding bored or flat. “If he can get these things off, there’s nothing that’ll stop me from getting these things off…”

“So he bust off your shackles and then what? You’re done?” Musashi asked him.

“Yeah…” Jyugo replied. Theodora found that rather strange.

Musashi chuckled, only to go out into full out laughter. He was kicking his feet in the air like it was the most hilarious thing he’s heard in decades. But, Theodora could tell he was pissed…

“That’s all you want?!” Musashi yelled at him through the walkie. “You seriously hulked out on me and blew your cover over something that STUPID?! Ha! If you wanted those damn things off than you might as well cut your hands and feet off! Oh right, there’s one on you neck. Ahahaha!”

Theodora was about to slam her fist against the bars, but was stopped by Kenshirou. She glared at him, seeing that he was telling her 'no’. Getting the point, she pulled her arm away, and listened to Musashi.

“I knew somethin’ was off about you!” Musashi growled at Jyugo. “You got no use for those shackles, Jyugo. I really wish you’d let me have 'em…!”

“Musashi, why’re you so obsessed with taking my shackles?” Jyugo asked. “What do you want them for?”

“Ahahaha!” Laughed Musashi. “The shackles themselves don’t mean anything to me. If it means to an end, that’s all. All they are is a way to get closer to that man, and when I make sure that I do, I can kill him!”

Jyugo made a surprised sound, probably surprised by Musashi’s declaration. “You want to KILL him…? Why take it that far…?”

“When he first put those shackles on you and forced you to take that form, what did you think…?” Musashi asked. “You felt like a monster, right? I felt the same… The difference is that I’ve been like that for as long as I can remember. It wasn’t a power, per say. For all practical purposes, I was diseased. You can’t imagine who I had to suffer through the peculiar constitution I was born with…!”

Theodora had calmed by Musashi’s words, now finding this story interesting. But at the same time, it made her feel like she could empathize with him. 'Maybe… Just maybe…’

“I was in constant pain, afraid of the next explosion.” Musashi continued. “Then the man with the scar showed up. He said he was a scientist, and promised to release me of my suffering. But that wasn’t what he planned to do. He just wanted to use my physical idiosyncrasy for his own research…”

“That can’t be… Your powers are way beyond science…” Jyugo whispered in clear shock.

“Think about who we’re dealing with here, Jyugo.” Musashi said. “Those shackles he slapped you with are beyond science, too. Beyond normal science, anyways. But he isn’t normal—augmenting the human body means nothing to him! I started out as a freak, but once he was done with me I turned into a bonafide monster… Straight from the fires of hell and able to control them… I tried torching his ass, but he sliced right through my flames with those same blades of yours, Jyugo. That’s how I lost my right eye, too… That’s how it went down for me. Kinda feels like we’re in a support group, right?”

“Are you saying… the man with the scar had a pair of shackles like mine…?” Jyugo questioned.

“You got it.” Musashi smirked. “His blades were exactly like yours, and I would know.”

“You’re telling me there are two sets of these things…?!” Growled Jyugo before he screamed in anger. “DAMN HIM…!”

“Do you understand what I want those shackles now?” Musashi asked him.

“Yeah… I get it…” Jyugo muttered, still probably seeming with anger. “You need a way to match his power…”

“Bingo~” Musashi sang. “You have a very special weapon, Jyugo… The only blades in the world that can cut through my flames. Imagine if I had that weapon! With it and my fire, I’d be pretty strong. If I can use his own tool against him along with my fire, I could manage to take him down, don’t chya think?”

“That’s some stupidly optimistic thinking.” Jyugo stated bluntly. “You don’t even know if that’s possible.”

“I don’t care…” Musashi said. “If there’s even a chance of success, then I’ll use it to end his life. He won’t get away with what he’s done. I’ll make him pay. And if I die too, so be it. As long as I get to murder that bastard first… I’m willing to walk myself to the gallows! Well, that’s how I used to think…”

“What.” Theodora spoke up, clearly surprised by his sudden change in attitude and speech.

“Wait… is that…?”

“It’s impossible now. I can’t light up anymore.” Musashi answered and shrugged casually, not letting Jyugo wonder if Theodora was there. “It’s pretty weird. It’s all a little fuzzy but, I think the doctors here put something in me. I don’t know what, like a… computer chip? When it detects the heat given off before ignition it automatically suppresses my powers. I actually tried, of course, but I can’t seem to trigger it. It was an old coot and an old hag with a sailor’s mouth.”

'OF COURSE IT WAS THEM!’ Theodora facepalmed, knowing she shouldn’t be at all surprised. 'But… I would be lying if I said I wasn’t relieved by it… At least I can be at ease, knowing he can’t harm any innocents in an escape attempt…’

“Seriously…? They can do something like that?” Jyugo questioned.

“It’s the Otogi couple, of course they can.” Theodora found herself speaking up as she was rubbing her own head in irritation. “Always developing new technology—never satisfied with how it is now. As much as I’m grateful for them, I’m just as annoyed that they’re still the same old bats that they are…”

“Ha! Sounds like you got some personal problems of your own.” Musashi said.

“Well, that isn’t wrong…” Theodora murmured, finally calming down.

“Is… Is that Theo… As in, the guard Theo…?” Jyugo questioned.

The girl sighed softly and bent down to the ground next to the walkie-talkie. “Yeah, it’s me. Good to know you’re as flat sounding as ever.”

“Why’re you over there…?!” Jyugo asked, suddenly seeming fired up.

“It’s not like I wanna be.” Theodora replied calmly. “Since I’m a newbie still I was brought down here for an 'example’. Believe me, I rather be other there and seeing how you’re doing than over here…”

“O-oh…” Murmured Jyugo. “A-anyways, back to the topic here. Musashi, what’re you getting at here? I don’t get your point in all this. If you know it’s impossible then why’re you all telling me this now?”

“I don’t know. Guess I just felt like it?” Musashi said and shrugged, clearly having a deeper meaning to his words. “Maybe I was just curious in you learning about all this would make you feel? I’ll catch ya later, sweety~”

Theodora clicked the walkie-talkie off, annoyed that Jyugo is oblivious as ever. Grabbing the object, she handed it to Kenshirou as her mind whirled with the information Musashi gave. It actually made a lot of sense, but it angered her that they caused so much trouble that could’ve been avoided. They’re lucky that nobody got hurt with their recklessness.

“Hey, Inu, mind letting these cuffs off?” Musashi called out to them. “My arms hurt and I’m tired.”

“Idiot, I can’t do that.” Kenshirou snapped at him, angered by his rudeness.

“…Inu, eh?” Theodora smirked at Kenshirou. “Sounds perfect to me.”

“Don’t encourage him, you’re a guard, not an inmate anymore.” Snapped the man.

“Oh, just because I’m a guard doesn’t mean I’m gonna stop teasin’ you guys.” She said and waved at him. It was clear Kenshirou was regretting bringing her here. “Anyways, you might as well let the dude out of those cuffs. He can’t use his powers, much less fight either of us. Plus, he might be more willing to tell us more if you let him out of the cuffs…”

Kenshirou stared at her for a moment before turning to the nearby control panels. “If anything goes wrong, you’re to blame…”

“I’ll be surprised if you don’t blame me.” She commented, watching as the cuffs released Musashi’s arms.

“Phew… This feels way better.” Musashi said, rubbing his arms and wrist and standing from his spot. “Thanks.”

“Now, time for you to hold your end of the deal.” Theodora said colding, surprising the man. “Now, this is what I understand from your story. You were born with the problem of human combustion and it was a nuisance to your life. After a lot of incidents, you got caught by the police, right? That man with the scar explicitly targeted you because of your powers. Any idea why?”

“Hell if I know.” Musashi responded, stepping closer to the bars. “I think he was just usin’ me as a toy. Something to make time go by…”

“Hm…” Theodora clicked her tongue, clearly not believing it. “You’re smart, right? Think with that head of yours. What made you a target? How did you get caught by the police, and how many of those incidence happen? I don’t believe that the guy who messed with your body is your only grudge against him. I find it hard to believe that one man can simple do all this hell without the slightest bit of help. Was there something that stood out, did he have an accomplice, did he have a strange accent—we need to know, Musashi. So, tell me every. Single. Detail.”

“You’re straight forwards,” Musashi comment and smirked again. “Fine… You really wanna know that bad? Well, I’ll tell you…”

Musashi went into detail, just like Theodora ordered him to do. She actually sat down on the ground and listened, hearing about how he grew up and how he had a harsh life. She really did begin to empathize with him. Yes, it was hard going through being called a freak, but it didn’t sound so bad until he got to college. It really did go down to hell from there on. Once he finished his tale, she honestly pitied him. Seeing him, sitting down cross legged just like she was reminded her of a child. He was just some broken kid who got his life practically ruined by a selfish, inhumain person…

“…All of that was true, not like I can prove it.” Musashi finished his story. “The prison ended up burning down. There’s no evidence of what happened there. I don’t really expect you to believe me… I lost at any chance of revenge once my flames were taken from me. But knowing that is strangely relaxing… That’s not to say my thirst for revenge is finished. But if I’m being honest, I wish I came here a lot sooner… Just kidding.”

“No, I believe you.” Theodora stated, clearly shocking the man. “I know when a person’s lying. And, you’re being down right honest. You did what I asked and kept our deal. Plus… with your information, and whatever information Jyugo may have, we can commend an investigation to be taken place and hunt down that bastard who did this to you guys. Who knows how many people he harmed…”

“Wait, hold on.” Musashi spoke up. “You seriously trust me? Just like that? No interrogation, or even threats of violence?”

“Why would I do that?” Theodora asked him. “Us guards aren’t here to beat the living shit out of you guys. Our jobs are to make sure you follow the rules and protect you from any sort of threats. That’s our job. I care about the inmates here, alright? I care about every single person who can be changed for the better. Not everyone here is some psychopathic douche who needs to be restrained and kept away from the world. There are people out there, just like you, who grew up a shitty life and either got framed or went down a dark road. I know because I went through a lot of shit you went through.”

“Really…?” Musashi mumbled in disbelief.

“Mm-hm…” She nodded her head. “Ever heard of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy, or HSAN? It��s a genetic disease that prevents me from sensing the difference between hot and cold, soft or rough. I can hardly feel pain and my 'limits’ are inhumanly high because I can’t give myself any. I’m a freak who can’t feel shit. People hated me as I grew up since I couldn’t control my strength properly. The only ones who cared and supported me would be my family. I’ve been tested on by many doctors, most wondering just how it works or, just seeing what I can do. My dad, who’s actually an immigrant, knew how to help me. My mother sometimes lost her temper with me, but would come back and try again with me. Growing up as a freak was hard since nobody liked me. Eventually I went down a dark path and ended up in prison multiple times. Then, I ended up in Nanba. They straightened me out and I served my sentence. Now, here I am, working as a guard and doing a lot better.”

“That’s almost comical to hear.” Musashi said. “Sounds too good to be true. Are you seriously not lyin’?”

“Believe what you wish.” Theodora shrugged. “But just know that I never lie about my past. By the way, you said you were born in Germany, right?”

“Yeah, what of it?” Musashi asked.

“How’s it like over there?” She asked, her eyes holding a type of shine to them. “My mom is italian while my father was an immigrant from Germany. He’s told us stories about living there, so I’m genuinely curious about it.”

“Seriously…?” Musashi looked so puzzled and confused. “How does this conversation go from you telling about how you can empathize with me, to you being fascinated by me being raised in Germany?”

“Who knows.” Theodora innocently shrugged while smiling. “I’m just some freak after all, but that’s okay. I learned my mistakes and paid the price for them. Now, it’s up to me to make up all the time I wasted in jail.”

“Huh…” Musashi shook his head at her. “You really are strange. Especially from being a criminal and becoming a guard. That’s some type of shit you’d hear in a show or somethin’.”

“Recently I’ve been getting that a lot, too, haha.” Theodora chuckled in amusement. “But, just know that you’re honestly not alone, okay? You said you wanted revenge on the man with the scar. Well… Help us figure out more about him and that accomplice of his. If something comes to mind—an accent, or the type of cologne he wears—tell us. If you want your revenge so bad, help us throw that guy’s ass in jail.”

“Huh…?” Musashi looked confused, or at least surprised by her.

“What he says is true.” Kenshirou finally spoke up after so long. “Seeing your abilities and No.15’s blades are enough proof that your story is true. I’d be a damn fool if I didn’t believe it. Also, it wouldn’t be the first rumor that I’ve heard of inmates being used for human experience. In fact, that was the subject I was working on in my days with the police.”

“Seriously?” Musashi looked surprised. “If that’s true then why…”

“Why haven’t I done something about it?” Kenshirou finished his sentence before explaining. “Because much like you I was unable to convince anyone that it was real. I recovered numerous reports of my findings but the accounts I gathered were rejected. My superiors labeled them as 'baseless rumors.’ Over time, I gathered this was a subject they weren’t interested in. I know a cover up when I see one. My hands were tied as a policeman so I resigned—continued my investigation as a correctional officer. I won’t stop until I expose the truth.”

“So you’re willing to go that far, eh?” Musashi said, looking amused. “I guess the time will be well worth it when you showed them you were right.”

“Wrong~” Theodora sang, catching Musashi off guard. “You honestly don’t know a damn thing about Kenshirou if you believe that’s the case…”

“Whadda mean?” Musashi asked.

“I will not turn my eye to wanted corruption.” Kenshirou stated. “There are crimes worse than perverting the justice system for personal gain. And these experiments are in flagrant disregard of human rights. Such acts are grossly immoral… I swore an oath to uphold the law. These repulsive criminals will not be allowed to walk free! They must face justice…!”

“You’re getting kind of intense…” Musashi commented. “You might care about this more than I do.”

“Good to know you’re finally catching on.” Theodora jokingly said and got back onto her feet. “Even I can’t allow something like that to happen any longer. Turning people into criminals just to use for their own personal gain… It’s sickening. Those bastard do deserve to die, but not until they pay for it in a court of law and are imprisoned themselves. No matter what, justice will always prevail in the end…”

“The people who did this to you…” Kenshirou kneeled down and held out his hand to Musashi. “…They will be punished, I swear it.”

“I’ve been hiding this since I’ve got here, and there are plenty of reasons why I might lie to you…” Musashi said, clearly confused. “Why take me and my word for it?”

“You’re basically all we have.” Theodora stated calmly. “You’re just a victim in this, just like many others. I don’t doubt that you could be lying, but I rather take your word or it. I want your words to be true. Because if they are, it just means that we have the ability now to go after those men and punish them for their wrong doings. We’re putting our bets on you, Musashi. But we can’t do that, if you don’t trust us…”

Musashi was silent for a moment, seeming to contemplate what they were saying. Eventually, his usual smirk found it’s way back onto his face.

“Huh…” He muttered. “Ever since I was put in your care, there’s something I’ve always thought… I’ve been wanting to say this for a while now…” Musashi had his hand into a fist and placed it onto Kenshirou’s open palm. “…You’re way too serious, man.”

Theodora could only smirk, glad that he actually put his trust in them. She could tell that even Kenshirou was content with what he said.

“It wasn’t easy but you finally learned how to shake.” Kenshirou said, surprising the two next to him. “Good boy.”

“Wait a minute, what do you mean 'learn to shake’!?” Musashi asked. “I am not a dog to teach tricks to!”

“It was a joke.” Kenshirou said.

“No one’s laughing!” Musashi exclaimed.

“Actually, I’m laughing,” Theodora giggled, having her arm hugging her stomach.

“THEN STOP LAUGHING!” He yelled at her, causing her to laugh even louder. He pulled his hand away from Kenshirou, placing it on his head, and sighed. “Ugh… You sound like such a girl but it’s hard to tell…”

“Huh…?” Theodora immediately stopped and listened to him.

“What do you mean by that?” Kenshirou questioned.

“You said before you were the person who kicked me where the sun doesn’t shine, right?” Musashi said pointing at Theodora. “Back then you yelled at me for calling you a 'woman’. Then you come here and say that you are. But… I’m just not getting that. Your voice isn’t much help since you change your pitch all the time, and the vibrations from the ground is just… weird. So, tell me the trust: are you a girl or a boy?”

“I’m not allowed to answer that, but…” Theodora bent down and grabbed his arm, placing it right under the sleeve of her left arm. “…Are the vibrations telling you now?”

Musashi waited a moment before letting out a soft surprise sound. Theodora just chuckled and pulled her arm away, holding her hands behind her back and straightening up. She looked to Kenshirou as he stood up as well.

“May I go back to my building now?” She asked him.

“Yes, you may.” Kenshirou nodded. “I’ll lead you out of here.”

“Alright.” She looked to Musashi. “Goodbye, Musashi. Maybe if Kenshioru will allow it I’ll try to visit again.”

“I’ll think about it…” Muttered the man before walking.

Theodora rolled her eyes and began following him. They didn’t speak until they were out of the underground. Since Musashi’s senses are rather heightened, she didn’t want him knowing what she was saying to Kenshirou.

“That went surprisingly well.” She commented.

“Yes it did.” Kenshirou agreed and looked down at her. “It appears that, once again, you have gain the trust of another inmate by just talking. You truly are something…”

“Yeah, well…” Theodora sighed. “You probably would’ve gotten your results without me. I still don’t get why you wanted me to come down…”

“Because…” Kenshirou eyed her sharply. “You have the ability to help rehabilitate the inmates. That’s why I asked for your help.”

Theodora just stared back at him, surprised by his answer. She never really had much faith in her 'ability’ because it’s just her casually talking. They make it sound like a big deal when all she does is just treating them like a human being. Looking away from Kenshirou, she gazed at the hall before her.

“…I’ll be honest,” she spoke up. “I wanted to punch him so hard for doing what he did. Hurting Jyugo, destroying the stadium—seriously, what the hell! If he just wanted to talk to him about it he should’ve just talked to him, damnit!”

“For once, I agree…” Kenshirou muttered. “But, we did get a lot more information than we asked for. Enough to make it into a case…”

“Want me to make a report?” Theodora asked him.

“Please do.” Kenshirou said, looking her dead in the eye. “I’ll need all the support I can get on this. I trust that you will try gathering information yourself…?”

“Leave it to me…” She said smirking at him. 'That bastard’s gonna pay for hurting Jyugo and Musashi the way he did. I bet there’s countless other victims, too… I’ll make him pay, just you watch…’

***

Scribble scribble scribble.

“Aaaaand done…!”

Theodora leaned back into her chair, putting her hands on her face and groaning into them. As soon as she got back to Building 13 she began writing diligently on that report Kenshirou asked her to do. She wanted it done as soon as possible. She closed the report and clipped it together so the papers wouldn’t escape the folder. The story she learned from Musashi had left a bad taste in her mouth.

A man who is only known for the 'scar on his neck’. It was horizontal, then was crossed with three lines going down. As if someone sliced him on the back of the neck. 'It’s quite a dangerous place to get injured in…’ He’s a scientist, or doctor. Either way, he is highly intelligent. Probably disturbed as well, but no one can see it. To classify him, the word would have to be 'sociopath’. He’s very disturbed but he doesn’t show it, and probably has lots of awards and is well respected.

But for his associate… 'Elf’… He’s probably one as well. But, he is just an underling from how Musashi talked. He ruined Musashi’s life, wasting his time on going to the same college and trapping Musashi to a life of crime. He likes blabbing his mouth, and gets carried away with it. 'But I think it’s more to it than that…’

“Oi, Nicci.”

“Huh?”

Snapping out of her thoughts, Theodora spun around in her chair to see that Hajime called her. She pushed her lingering thoughts on Musashi’s past and focused on Hajime instead. She hadn’t seen him since he told her to go see Kenshirou this morning. It was already past lunch.

“Yeah, Hajime?” She questioned, showing her attention was on him.

“An inmate just requested to talk to you.” Hajime said and thrusted his thumb over his shoulder. “He requested to talk in private with you, so keep your radio on if something happens. He’s waiting in one of the vacant cells down the hall. It’s Cell 123.”

“They want to talk…?” Theodora muttered, her eyebrows furrowing together in confusion. “Who’s asking for me?”

“The idiot asked me not to say…” Grumbled Hajime. “Don’t worry. This is someone you get along with, so don’t worry. I can’t believe I’m doing this for him…”

“O-kaaaay…” Theodora muttered before standing up. “Strange, but whatever. I’ll go see the person, whoever the hell it is…”

“Hold it.” Hajime order as she was about to walk by.

She stopped and faced him, only to watch his hands grab either side of her mask and take it off. She was bewildered by he would do that considering the fact that the Warden used it as a reason to fire her! It’s only been four days since then, she wants to keep her job, thank you!

“W-what’re you—”

“You have a knack for yapping your mouth off.” Hajime stated bluntly. “Plus, I figured you might want this off when talking to the kid. You’re still staying in Building 13, so it’s not like the Warden will see. Not get going.”

“Uh… Alright…” Theodora muttered softly.

Being genuinely confused, she exited the office and went towards Cell 123. As she walked to the cell, her mind began whirling in confusion. Why would ask for her specifically? All the inmates know her by now, and all of them tolerate her, so it could be anyone. Hajime said 'kid,’ so that limits it down. But who could it—

Theodora found herself right outside of the cell. She stared at the sign before looking at the door. He said he knew the person, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t have her guard down. Being cautious, she grabbed her key and opened the door. Stepping inside of the cell, she was shocked to see who was in it.

“Oh, you came.” Spoke none other than Jyugo. “Took you long enough…”

She blinked at him, unable to respond.

“U-um… You… uh…” Jyugo felt like his skin was burning under her eyes.

The door behind her swung close, locking the two inside. Jyugo stared back at her, wondering what was going on with her. She just… wasn’t talking. Standing there, staring. It was honestly creeping him out and making him feel more nervous than before.

“Are you just gonna stand there all day, or…?” Jyugo spoke, wanting her to do something.

“JYUGO!” She basically screeched, startling the poor boy.

Theodora lunged forwards, wrapping her arms tightly around Jyugo, almost knocking him down to the ground. Jyugo could help but feel flustered. Even when he saw the guys again none of them showed him affection such as this. Plus, nobody ever hugged him like this so…

“Are you okay!?” She asked, pulling back and cupping both of his cheeks. “You’ve been out for days! I’m not seeing scars, so that’s good… Did Hajime hurt? I swear to god I’ll skin that bald gorilla—”

“H-hey, take it ease!” Jyugo exclaimed, trying to calm her down. “I’m fine, I’m fine! If I wasn’t okay I wouldn’t be out of the Underground cells by now…”

Theodora was quiet for a moment before hugging him again. Jyugo, not really knowing what to do, just kinda wrapped his arms around her in an awkward manner.

“I’m so glad you’re okay…!” She whispered to him. She pulled away and held his shoulders so he would still be looking at her. “You had me worried for so long. I thought Hajime really killed you for a moment there… Thank god you’re fine, ugh…”

“U-uh, yeah, s-sorry…” Jyugo muttered.

Theodora smiled widely at him and laughed lightly. She released his shoulders and stepped back. “Sorry, about that. I, uh… couldn’t help it. I’m just… I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“I-it’s fine…” Jyugo said. “I saw the guys earlier… They told me a lot about you. Uh… I heard you lost your job when I was still out of it…”

“Oh, yeah, that…” Theodora frowned before smiling. “Yeah, that’s a bit of a long story… Which, you honestly deserve to know. So, um, where to start…”

“Wait,” Jyugo spoke up a bit louder than before, causing Theodora to stare at him and let him talk. “I, uh… I need to say this, to you especially. I’m sorry, for everything… At the New Year’s festival I went completely berserk and tried to harm everybody. I swung at you so many times, and yet you still kept trying to stop me and calm me down… I hurt your hands, trying to… hurt Uno… I’m a complete idiot, and I have no idea how to make that up to you. So, please…” He bent down to the ground in a begging position, his head practically touching the floor. “…Please allow me to start over…”

Theodora stared at him for a moment. She got onto her knees and tapped his head, forcing Jyugo to look up at her. She smiled widely at him, completely catching him off guard.

“It takes a lot for someone to admit that they were wrong.” She said, her voice soft and calming. “For you to come here and explicitly tell that to me directly takes a lot of courage. I commend you for that.” Her hand went to the side of his head and ruffled his hair affectionately. “I’ve already forgiven you, Jyugo. I never blamed you in the first place. Don’t you worry about any of it, okay?”

Jyugo could only stare at her in shock. He tilted his head down, his body beginning to tremble as he tried not to cry again, especially in front of her. Theodora, taking notice, wrapped her arms around him again while chuckling.

“It’s okay.” She said softly to him. “Sometimes we all need to just cry. Just let it out, Jyugo, let it out…”

Now it was basically impossible to keep it in anymore.

Jyugo hid his face against her collarbone, tears just falling down his face again as he was sobbing another round. His hands were grabbing fistfulls of her jacket as if it was his lifeline. Theodora just held him, listening to his violent sobs and cries. She was rubbing his back, just like she would do to anybody really, while her other hand stroked his short black hair.

She didn’t dare to move until Jyugo did. She stayed in that position with him for who knows how long. Eventually, he eased up, his eyes not watering anymore and he became very quiet. The only thing Theodora could hear would be his breathing through his mouth, but that was understandable. The grip on her jacket was released and now lightly placed on her back. The teen’s head just rested against her chest, once again hearing and quietly listening to her heartbeat.

'It’s so… calmly… and warm…’ He thought, unable to really comprehend anything.

Theodora just kept stroking his hair while her other hand rubbed his back up and down. It was a deja vu moment for her, remembering how her siblings would always cry. It was literal instinct at this point in time of what to do. Eventually Jyugo pulled away, hiding his face by looking at the ground as his bangs concealed his face.

“S-sorry…” He whispered softly.

“Don’t apologize. It’s okay.” Theodora said and patted his head twice, causing him to look at her. “To be honest, I’m used to it thanks to Seitarou…”

Jyugo let out a small laugh, putting his hand against his face to hide it. Theodora giggled softly with him and tugged on her sleeve. She forced his head up to face her as she wiped his eyes from the tear stains and any snot that hanged.

“Don’t worry about anything, okay?” She said softly to him. “I bet the guys did the same as me. But, I doubt about of them let you sob it out, huh? Sometimes we just need to let it out, you know? So don’t be afraid to cry. You’re human, Jyugo. You have every right as a living being to cry. Do you feel better now?”

“Yeah… Thanks…” Muttered Jyugo as he wiped his own face with his sleeve. “I didn’t mean to ruin your jacket…”

“Ah, screw it.” She said and began to take it off. “It needed a washing anyways. Don’t matter to me. I’ve got five of them.”

“Wha… Why so many?” Jyugo asked.

“I keep ruining them.” Theodora said and got her jacket off and placed it next to her. “I keep getting snagged by corners without realizing and I end up ripping them. I’ve ruined about three this past week. Three. Seitarou was so shocked to see just how ruined they got he said I could cosplay as a walking zombie.”

Jyugo chuckled at her tale, finding it ridiculous how she managed to do that. “That’s a lot of money, huh?”

“Oh well.” Theodora shrugged and rolled her eyes.

The teen eventually stopped laughing and instead began to stare at her. “You… really are a woman, huh?”

“Yes, I am…” Theodora nodded her head. She took her hat off and began ruffle her short hair. “If I wanted to be a guard, I would have to conceal my identity. This is a prison full of men, so it was for my own safety. I talked to the others about it and they promised to keep silent about it. Back when I was 15 I took a dark road and tried to physically change my gender, which didn’t work out so well. My gender was hidden from everyone until exams came, then I was found out. I refused to get moved, so the guards ended up keeping it a secret and I continued to act like a male for four years. Once my sentence was served, I went back to being a normal female.”

“Sheesh… That sounds harsh.” Jyugo muttered.

“Not as bad as some other things but, eh.” Theodora shrugged. “By the way, my real name is TheodorA, not Theodore. But, since I’m still a guard here, you will have to call me Theo still. Nico doesn’t listen and keeps calling me Dora, but, whatever…”

“Theodora…” Jyugo tried the name out. “Not really much change from Theodore I guess…”

“I had to keep my gender a secret, but I ended up getting revealed thanks to the tournament, Because of that, I was fired. But, thanks to a lot of Supervisors, they convinced the Warden to let me stay. I’m glad because… I really wanted to see you again.”

Jyugo stiffened immediately, his face beginning to turn red. He tilted his head down, hoping to god that she didn’t notice.

“R-really now…” Jyugo mumbled.

“But, I’m going to be honest…” Theodora said calmly, but looked very serious. “You scared the shit out of me back there. I thought you were going to die by Hajime’s hands… And… Your eyes weren’t at all the same… I now understand your rage, and why you acted that way, but… Never do that again!”

Jyugo flinched at her tone, suddenly finding himself being scolded by her.

“You could’ve hurt somebody, badly!” She continued to rant. “I know Musashi provoked you and hurt you, but you shouldn’t have done that! I’m glad nobody was harmed, and this ended up better than I imagined it to, but you seriously caused a mess! If someone provokes you, don’t act out on your feelings. Never act out on your feelings like that every again, okay? Emotions always blind your way of thinking. Promise me you won’t do that ever again!”

“I promise…” Jyugo said, keeping eye contact with her. “I’m sorry for scaring you and everybody else like that…”

“Well…” Her voice softened and she ruffled his hair again. “I’m just glad you’re allowed back here. It would’ve been annoying go down in those underground cells. It take a full twenty minutes to get down there, and that’s subtracting the walking!”

Jyugo just stared at her grinning face. It was so weird to him how she kept ruffling his hair, speaking so soft and nicely. It was beyond his understanding to why she cared so much. He knew it was 'her job,’ but it was much more than that. It was like… she had known him for years. Like she grew with him. He never really had this much affection given to him in one day. As weird as it was, he didn't… hate it. He couldn’t understand the beating in his chest as he stared at her. It was just too confusing…

…But, he knew he liked it.

-

“Hello, Theo. It’s been a while.”

“Indeed it has. How’s Building 5 for ya?”

“It’s been the same.”

“Good.”

Theodora was surprised by the sudden call from Rock this morning. She had went over to see what was up, only for him to ask to bring Liang over for lunch. He explained to her how he wanted to show Liang just why he wanted a stone over. Even though probably would’ve scoffed at his request, Theodora willingly agreed to it. She even worked a bit of her charm to get Samon to agree to it, much to his dismay. So, here she was, bring Liang to Building 13. It’s been a long while since she’d talked to him.

“I’m still trying to understand why I’ve been requested…” Muttered Liang, clearly suspicious of Rock’s intent.

“Rock isn’t trying to pick a fight, alright?” Alloisia said calmly, knowing what he was thinking. “He just simply wants to have lunch with you and talk. Nothing wrong with that.”

“But he is my rival! Rivals don’t eat and talk like a bunch of women!” Liang said.

“Oi.” Theodora sharply glared at him, causing Liang to stiffen.

“Y-you know I don’t mean any disrespect.” Liang defended himself to escape her anger. “I’ve seen most women in my country gossip to each other than men do. You know me well enough to know I respect all women…”

“Just makin’ sure…” Theodora muttered before looking forwards again. “But seriously, stop worrying about Rock. He’s honestly a good guy. I don’t know what happened between you two, but I think he wants to make up for it. At least sit down and see what he has to say, okay?”

“Hm…” Liang looked away from her and glared at the walls. “…Fine. I’ll see what he wants…”

Theodora smirked at him knowing he could see it (it was lunch after all so she could have the mask off), but Liang could tell she had a type of smugness in her eyes. They arrived to Building 13’s cafeteria and Rock immediately spots them. He waved them over, sitting with the rest of Cell 13, and Theodora escorts Liang over, much to his dismay. She even took a seat next to him to hopefully make Liang a little more at ease.

“Thanks for comin’!” Rock said, smiling widely.

“Not like I had much of a choice…” Liang murmured and eyed Theodora before looking back at him. “What do you want?”

“Here,” Rock held a slice of pizza out to Liang, which puzzled him. “Give it a taste!”

“If you brought me here to eat pizza, I’ll have you know that the Chief in Building 5 makes that, too.” Liang stated.

“And I’m sure he does it when he can but without a stoneoven it doesn’t compare.” Rock said with a smirk.

“Stone oven…” Liang murmured, clearly displeased by the word.

“That’s the prize Rock wanted from winning the New Year’s Tournament.” Jyugo said as he and Uno were watching him.

“Yeah, I remember…” Liang muttered.

“It took them a long time but they finally finished installing it!” Uno said.

“Is that so…?” Liang said and eyed Theodora as if to confirm it.

“Yeah, it took a while to do it.” Theodora nodded. “I heard they almost burned the kitchen down trying to instal it correctly. The Old Man would’ve given those guys more hell that Shiro could possibly do, hehehe…!”

“This piece was cut from the very first pizza that came out of that oven—you’re looking at a piece of history.” Rock said as Shiro came over and loomed over Liang. “Shiro was really excited to make it. See? Look at how happy he is!”

Theodora looked up at Shiro’s face, then at Liang’s. She couldn’t help but snicker softly at his fearful expression.

“That’s his happy face…?” Liang whispered, obviously intimidated by him.

“Hurry. Take a bite while it’s still hot.” Rock urged him.

Theodora, knowing Liang was being stubborn, rolled her eyes and grabbed a piece herself. Knowing he was watching her in confusion, she took a bite of it since she hadn’t tried it herself. Her eyes widened in clear surprise, not really expecting it to taste so good.

“Oh, wow, this is good!” She exclaimed, looking joyful. “I honestly didn’t expect that. It reminds me of home.” She looked to Shiro and gave him a thumbs up. “I compliments go to you, my good sir!”

Shiro just nodded to her in appreciation. Liang could only stare at her as if she betrayed him, his eye twitching in annoyance. She just shrugged at him innocently.

“What? I can’t deny good food when I taste it!” She exclaimed. “Eating is probably my favorite time of the day. You know about my condition.”

“Oh, right…” Liang muttered.

“Wait, you mean the HSAN?” Rock asked, causing Theodora to nod. “RIght, right, right! You said something about only to be able to feel things with your tongue, right?”

“Mm-hm.” She nodded. “When I was a kid I was a big foody because of that. Since I can only sense with my tongue, breakfast, lunch and dinner became my favorite parts of the day. But seriously, Liang, try it. It’s good, I swear!”

“You did get brought here, after all. "Jyugo spoke up, grabbing Liang’s attention. "The least you can do is give it a try.”

Liang became a bit silent after that. In a sort of reluctance, Liang took the slice from Rock’s hand and examined it. Slowly, he brought the slice to his mouth and took a bite, the group watching intensely for his reaction. His eyes widened in shock as he swallowed.

“Delicious…!” He exclaimed softly.

“Isn’t it though?!” Rock exclaimed, becoming so excited he was standing up from his seat. “Pizza baked in a stone oven has a superior taste, texture, and even smells better! And that’s just the start. You can cook bread, meats—anything! I’ve been dreaming about this for ages. I’m glad they could let you come here so I can show you why. Thanks again, Theo.”

“You are very welcomed.” Theodora said, spinning her hand and raising into the air as if bowing.

“Ah ha ha! This is delicious indeed!” Yamato exclaimed. He was sitting at the end of the table, eating a slice of pizza with chopsticks along with a gigantic bowl of rice.

“That bowl’s huge, Yamato…” Theodora murmured, staring at him in shock. “Just… Why’re you eating that with your pizza?”

“You get it, we Japanese eat rice with everything!” Yamato exclaimed through a mouth full of rice.

“No, no I do not considering I am American and not at all Japanese.” Theodora stated firmly. “Hell, I don’t even look Japanese, have you seen my arms in the sun!”

“At any rate, we’re pretty lucky we get to eat food this good.” Uno said and turned to Rock. “I appreciate it, Rock.”

“No prob!” Said the big guy, grinning cheerfully.

'Rock is honestly a gigantic kid.’ Theodora thought as she stared at his expression. 'He kinda is underappreciated. I should fix that some time. I bet he wouldn’t mind it if I tried giving him some recipes to keep…’ As she thought that, Rock went on a huge rant of why he enjoys a stone oven so much. Liang looked overwhelmed by his attitude.

“I feel like Rock wants to become Shiro’s apprentice someday.” Uno said, looking towards Liang.

“I can definitely see that…” Stated Liang.

“That would actually be awesome if that happened…” Theodora said quietly, clearly enjoying that idea.

Hearing a few familiar stomps, she looked up to see Shiro walking over to them. He came up behind Liang and placed a very familiar container in front of him. Theodora recognized it as a bamboo steam basket. They had those everywhere in Building 5. Shiro placed it in front of him and lifted the lid up, revealing two large pieces of food.

“Are those…” Liang could only stare at them in surprise.

“I told Shiro you were coming over, so he learned how to make Chinese food.” Rock explained.

“They’re peach buns…” Liang reached for one and held it. He slowly brought it to his mouth and took a bite. He looked shocked, only for his face to show total bliss. “So good… It taste like I’m visiting home.”

Theodora couldn’t help but grin at his expression. Seeing Liang’s happy expression was always something she cherished seeing. Back when she was in Building 5 she has alway tried to get him smiling since he was so serious all the time. 'Everyone deserves a type or laugh or smile sometimes…’

“Good job, Shiro! A Chinese native just complimented your cooking!” Rock exclaimed to the man.

Even Shiro’s face turned red with appreciation, glad he could get such a praise. Theodora couldn’t help but laugh at his expression, glad to two over-serious men could be joyed today.

“You know… I don’t think I’ve ever sat down to enjoy eating like this.” Liang said in realization.

“Seriously?” Jyugo questioned, obviously surprised by his words.

“I’ve always looked at the consumption of food as a chore,” Liang said. “One essential to retaining my training regiment.” Shiro began to pour a cup of tea for him. “But taking in the aesthetics of a meal, enjoying its aroma and flavor…” Liang smiled and picked up the cup of tea. “It’s a nice use of time.”

“I’m glad.” Rock said, catching Liang’s attention. “You’ve lost weight since the two of us first met, right? I was worried when I saw you at the tournament. This should help, though. The only thing you get from fighting are injured and people who are pissed at ya. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had plenty of those. I’m over all that.”

“Oh yeah?” Jyugo questioned.

“I did the math and eating’s way better.” Rock said. “When you eat you get full—that feels awesome. And everyone smiles when they eat something good. We get to eat something tasty everyday—we should count ourselves lucky.”

“A-fucking-men!” Theodora said and slapped the table, causing Uno to snort and start laughing. She then elbowed Liang. “And you didn’t want to come. Someone just got proven wrong.”

“Yes,” Liang chuckled lightly at her. “You always did have a way of being right all the time…”

“I wouldn’t say that, but…” Theodora shrugged jokingly, laughing when Liang pushed her shoulder to knock her down.

“Anyways, Rock…” Liang looked back at him with a serious expression. “I’m sorry for what I said in our fight. I called your dream ridiculous—but I was wrong.” Liang stood up from his spot and gave a short bow. “Xie xie. The meal was delicious. Thanks for sharing.”

'That’s my queue.’ Theodora stood up herself. Being the guard who took him here, she had to be the one to bring him back. She waved at the boy’s goodbye before turning to catch up to Liang with ease. Once she was beside him and copying his pace, she was glad to see the soft smile on his face.

“…Was that so hard?” She said to him with a big smirk. Liang laughed softly.

“No, I gues not…” He said before lifting his head and smiled at her. “I’m glad you brought me. Thank you, Theodora.”

“If you want, I’m sure I can get the Old Man in Building 5 to cook you peach buns.” She said and winked at him.

“No, no.” Liang lifted his hand up and waved it. “You already pulled enough strings as it is. I’m just grateful that I could taste a bit of home away from home today…”

Theodora smiled at him before looking forwards again. “Okay…”

A comfortable silence fell between them, walking side by side back to Building 5.

-

“Why do I have to come now?”

“Because I was directly ordered to go get you.”

“They why did you allow Qi to come?”

“Because I can.”

“Good to know you’ve been the same as always, Theo.”

Theodora just shrugged at Qi’s comment. After bringing Liang back to his cell Hajime had contacted her on her radio. He asked her to bring Upa down towards a gaming room because Nico asked for it. Thankfully she hadn’t left the building otherwise she’d be annoyed as all hell.

Turning back around, she went to go get Upa. But, of course, Qi decided to come along. Why? To get out of work. As much as she shouldn’t let him off of the hook, she allowed it this once. It’s been awhile since she’s seen them so why not? Upa clearly disagreed with her, but she obviously ignored his complaints. Once she got to this new game room of Nico’s, she was utterly shocked by the sight.

It was a gigantic arcade room. From what she knew, this was his reward from the tournament. She knew he wanted the latest games but she had no idea they’d go this out of hand with it. It was actually a pleasant surprise for her.

“What the heck…?” Muttered Upa as he did not seemed pleased. “Did you seriously bring me here in the middle of my meditation? What the hell, Theo.”

“Hey, I just listen to orders, don’t blame me.” Theodora said flatly and held her hands up in defense. “…But you gotta admit, this place is pretty cool.”

“MASTEEEER!” Nico suddenly came into view, flailing his hands in excitement as Upa went behind Alloisia’s leg at his sudden appearance. “COME ON, LET’S PLAY SOME GAMES!”

“WHOA, slow it down, kid!” Upa shouted, having his arms out ready to attack him. “I do not recall agreeing to be your master!”

“But you did say you’d think about it if I beat you in the tournament.” Nico said to him a lot calmer than before.

“Yeah, well I did think about it. I decided I don’t want to.” Upa stated harshly.

“Huh?!” Nico exclaimed in shock.

“Could you be anymore harsher on the kid, jeez, Upa…” Theodora groaned and rubbed her head at his usual behavior.

“Yeah, what’s your hold up?” Qi questioned him.

“Maybe that’s because you aren’t a qigong master.” Upa retorted.

“Ah, yes, because of course that is the case.” Theodora said sarcastically and bent her upper body more towards Upa’s height. “Seriously, Upa. If you keep being this nitpicky you’ll never gain a disciple to teach.”

“You don’t know that!” Upa snapped at her. “And stop bending forwards like that, I get that you’re tall! Stop rubbing it in my face!”

Theodora could only roll her eyes and shake her head at his usual antics. She straightened up, only now realizing the rest of Cell 13 was here as well. It honestly shouldn’t surprise her. The group hardly goes anywhere without each other.

“Hey, you there.” Jyugo spoke up and pointed at Qi. “You’re the guy who slept at the top spinning event.”

Qi stiffened, being guilty as charged.

“What? You tagged along uninvited to get out of work?” Rock questioned, hitting the nail on the head.

“Kinda scummy…” Uno commented.

“Why’re you calling me scummy? You only just met me!” Qi said.

'But… it is kinda truuuue…’ Theodora thought but didn’t dare say it. As she thought that she heard a familiar frustrated monkey-like screech. She turned, knowing exactly who it was, only to hear the familiar voice of Kazari. She turned back around and pretended she heard nothing, knowing it would be easier that way.

When she did turn back around, she saw that everyone fled to their own devices. Seeing that they would all stay here, Theodora began to look around the place. It’s been a long time since she had been around so many games. Passing by a few she smiled softly.

'I remember all of these types of games…’ She thought to herself. 'It’s been so long, too. I wonder if that place is still standing in my old hometown…?’

“Having fun?” A voice snapped her out of thought.

Turning her head, she spotted Jyugo behind her. She shrugged and looked back to the game she had her hand on as she recalled a few memories.

“I guess…” She replied to him. “It’s been years since I’ve played a videogame… When I was younger I always snuck out of my house… Most of the time I went to the local arcade in my town. I always carried a bag of coins with me so I could play. I was utterly addicted to it…” She looked and smiled at him. “Those were some good memories…”

“Huh…” Jyugo muttered and turned his head, watching Uno and Rock battle it out on some dancing game.

“I’m surprised you aren’t playing any.” Theodora said and faced him, catching Jyugo off guard. “Why aren’t you playing any games? They’re all fun. You should go join the others.”

“I… rather not…” Jyugo muttered, looking away from her.

“How come…?” Theodora crossed her arms, genuinely looking concerned. “Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing like that.” Jyugo shook his head. He gazed at the floor as he looked embarrassed. “It’s just, that… I don’t know how…”

Theodora blinked her eyes owlishly for a moment before smiling softly. “Want me to teach you then?”

“Huh?” His head shot up. It was now his turn to blink owlishly at her.

“I’ll teach you how to play some games if you like.” She offered. “I haven’t played any in years, so I’m pretty rusty. But I can definitely teach you the simple concepts if you want.”

“Uh, no thanks.” Jyugo said and looked away from her. “I’m fine just watching…”

“…Okay.” She said and shrugged, knowing to just leave him be. “If you ever want somebody to teach you anything, you can always ask me. I’m willing to help.”

“Why though…?” Jyugo asked her, clearly surprised by her words. “You always want to help so much… Why is that?”

“Well…” Theodora gazed softly at the ground, having a bit of a melancholy expression on her face. “…I’ve always had people helping me as a little kid. Still to this day, I need a little help with thing every now and then. I guess you could say… I just want to simply make up for the times so many people have helped me. I like helping people. It makes me glad to see them happy…”

“Oh…” Jyugo muttered, understanding her point of view.

“If you ever change your mind about those games, just ask, 'kay?” She said and winked at him.

Theodora turned and walked to a different game. Jyugo was so thankfully she turned after that, because he was damn well positive his face was redder than a fire hydrant. He literally spun around and leaned against a gaming system to get his head together so he would stop blushing!

Unaware of his situation, Theodora went around the place. She was fascinated with every gaming system they got and placed it here. It was really impressive. Eventually she stopped at a machine she hadn’t seen in years. It was one of those claw machines where you have to try and get a prize. She saw the guys surrounding it while Jyugo was on the stick. She walked over to see what was up, only to see Jyugo luck out and drop the object.

“You touched it that time.” Nico said to hopefully make him not so upset. But that wasn’t happening with Rock’s mocking laughter.

“You really are trash at everything but jailbreaking, Jyugo.” Uno stated bluntly.

“C'mon, give 'im a break.” Theodora said and nudged Uno’s arm with her elbow. “These machines are hard. I lost plenty of times to these things. They aren’t easy in the slightest.”

“For you that is.” Uno commented and tugged Jyugo aside. “Here, let me show you how.” Uno began controlling the machine. “Look, it’s all about your angle. You wanna grab the head straight.”

They watched in amazement as Uno gained one of the plushies. It went down the little shoot and Theodora grabbed it out of the slot since she was standing right there. Her eyes widened as her mouth went into a wide grin.

“Oh my god, it’s a mini Jyugo!” She exclaimed and laughed a little. “Are there mini us’s in there…!? However made these deserves a high five, oh my god!”

“Yeah, there’s a bunch in here.” Uno said and instantly spotted one and went right for it. “Hey, I think I spotted a mini Nico.”

The little doll went down the shoot and Nico grabbed it. Theodora gaped in amazement at the little, adorable details on the dolls. She honestly couldn’t help the gushing feeling she had. She was a sucker for small things.

“Whoa! That’s so cool!” Nico exclaimed as Uno stood by, grinning happily to himself.

“They really did an amazing job here.” Theodora said happily as she was trying to remain as a calm headed adult.

“Hey, is that what I think it is?” Jyugo questioned and pointed at a plushy inside.

“I think it is!” Uno said and went after it. He gained yet again another plushy. Jyugo took it out and held it out.

“It’s a mini Theo.” He stated.

“Aaah! It’s so cute!” Theodora couldn’t help but loudly gush over the plushy, gazing at it in his hands. “They put a little mask on and everything! Oh my god…!”

Uno, Jyugo, and Rock stood there with shocked expressions written all over their faces. Nico ran off somewhere, trying to look for Upa, but that didn’t stop him from hearing Theodora’s exclaim. The older woman looked up from the plushies, her smiling face now falling as she suddenly looked horrified in realization.

“…I just squealed, didn’t I…?” She whispered softly.

They all nodded their heads.

“…Fuck.” She hissed, turning away from them and bit her finger as her face turned red.

“…THAT WAS ADORABLE!” Uno exclaimed, suddenly hugging Theodora, which shocked her as she became stiff as a board. “I will get you anything if you make that face again, I swear to god! That was so fUCKING CUTE!”

“W-what the hell…!?” Theodora muttered and got out of his arms, looking immensely uncomfortable.

“You never act girlish like that in front of us! That was the most cutest thing coming from you!” Uno said quickly and all in one breath. He was trying to hug her again, but Theodora’s arm was out to prevent him from getting closer. “Come here, you deserve another hug!”

“N-no! Fuck off!” She exclaimed, her voice getting deeper as her face was all red. “I am anything BUT cute! Are you on crack or something?! AND STOP TRYING TO HUG ME!”

“Well, Uno kinda has a point…” Rock murmured as he, indeed, found Theodora’s squeal cute.

“Nope! That’s it!” She immediately turned and climbed onto one of the gaming consoles to get away from Uno. “STOP SAYING I’M CUTE, DAMNIT!”

“Are you always like this when showered in affection?” Uno asked her, trying to poke the air at her. “You’ll willingly hug anybody but when it’s the other way around you freak out. What’s up with you? I know you’re weird but this makes you even weirder.”

“I-I’m not used to it, okay?!” She yelled at him. “Lay off, will ya?!”

Uno just laughed at her, finding her reaction utterly hilarious. The same can’t be said from Jyugo as he watched the entire thing silently, trying not to burn holes into Uno’s head. Now this feeling was something he could do without…

“Come on, Master! You should play with us, too!” Nico said, grabbing everyone’s attention as Upa turned away from him.

“I don’t want to.” Upa said, being the stubborn goat he was.

“Aw, but it’s really fun, I promise!” Nico whined, trying to convince him into joining.

“Heh. I guess he’s scared he can’t do it!” Uno taunted loudly.

“No, I totally could!” Upa exclaimed, now facing Uno for mocking him. “Such a simple task is beneath me.”

Seeing this action take place, Theodora put her hands under her armpits and began flapping her arms like a bird while making chicken noises at him. She was still sitting on top of the game consoles cross legged with the little Jyugo plush in her lap.

“Bawk! Bawk! Bawk, bawk, baaaaaawk!” She taunted towards Upa.

“What was that?!” Upa growled at her and pointed directly at her. “You’re supposed to be the peaceful one, aren’t you?!”

“Sorry, what?” She said as a smug smirk took place on her face. “I couldn’t hear you over the BAWK! BAWK!”

“That’s it!” Upa stomped on the ground and marched over to the claw machine. “I’ll show you both who the real chickens are!”

“Oh, please do.” Uno said and leaned against the machines Theodora sat on.

Theodora leaned forwards, her arms around the Jyugo plushy, officially hiding it from view as it remained in her lap. Upa went for a plushy, but it slipped out of the claw. It was silent for a moment before Upa threatened to obliterate the machine, both Rock and Nico having to restrain and stop him. Upa grew very frustrated, his temper being nothing more than a hair trigger.

“I forgot how intense he gets with these things…” Theodora murmured as she was stoic faced again, ready to jump into action if she must.

“What do you find so amusing!?” Upa yelled at Nico, who stood right next to him.

“You look like you’re having fun, that’s all.” Nico replied.

“AAH I’M NOT ENJOYING MYSELF EVEN REMOTELY! I JUST REALLY HATE LOSING, OKAY?!” Upa shouted and slammed against the machine, causing the plushy he grabbed the fall through.

He became quiet at the realization of winning the plushy. Which happened to be a mini version of himself. Almost dumbfounded, Upa bent down and grabbed the little plushy.

“You got it on your second try, way to go!” Complimented Nico.

“Heh… That was… easy…” Upa said, smiling at the doll.

Theodora couldn’t help but smile herself. Upa is honestly hard to handle, but Nico seemed to be just doing fine with that. She couldn’t help just imagine what it would be like if Nico kept doing stuff like this with Upa. 'Nico’s a pretty special individual… I wonder…

[ericsonclan]

I Am a Poor Pilgrim of Sorrow

Summary: AJ is on watch duty when two people show up at the gates of Ericson that seem to have ties with two Ericson kids who are dead and gone.

Read on A03:

A.J. was up on watch duty for the morning. It was one of his favorite places to be. Keeping watch gave him time to think through things and make future plans. Not that the ten year old had anything particularly big to plan out today, but still, he got time to himself and that was good enough for him. Raising the binoculars to his eyes, A.J. scanned the tree line. There looked to be four walkers wandering about.

No, make that three. One had just fallen. But what had taken it down? A.J. leaned forward, his eyes narrowing.

There was a rustling in the bushes where the walker had just been. A.J. thought he caught a glimpse of something. Too big to be a rabbit and walkers were too dumb to hide. He drew his bow, arrow at the ready. “Whoever you are, you should come out now. I won’t harm you if you’re friendly, but don’t fuck with us,”

Immediately the bushes shifted again. Two women rose from them, one looking to be a young adult while the other was in her teens. They both had their hands raised, though the teen looked unhappy with this arrangement. The older girl stepped forward, a bright smile on her face. She wore a winter coat with several buttons missing and a pink flower was tucked behind her left ear. Her other ear was missing completely. “Hi there. My name’s Renata and this is Allison. We don’t mean you any harm, we’re just glad we finally made it,”

Made it? A.J. had never seen this girl in his life and he was pretty sure that nobody at the school had anyone they knew outside the gates. What sort of trick was she trying to play? He drew back the string on his bow farther. “We’re not expecting anybody,”

“Oh, I’m not surprised,” Renata shrugged, lowering her arms. “You take a couple years to get to a place and you can’t really use the “fashionably late” card anymore. Should’ve gotten better directions when I had the chance,”

Is she one of Prisha’s old classmates? No, Prisha had said herself that they were all dead. Maybe she was one of the kids who ran away from Ericson back when the world ended, but then why would she not know the way back?

Renata looked up at him sympathetically. “You’re confused. I get that. Tell me, would your name happen to be Tenn?”

A.J. hadn’t heard that name in a long time. Who outside of the school would have even heard of him? And he’d been dead for years. This was too much for A.J. to figure out on his own. “Willy!” he called back behind him. “Tell Clem she needs to see this! We’ve got visitors!” Immediately the lanky teenager scurried towards the admin building, only sparing a second to squint in curiosity, trying to figure out who was outside the gates.

Renata seemed happy with the outcome of their talk. She motioned excitedly for Allison to join her in front of the gate. Allison did so cautiously, dropping a set of broken pruning shears at Renata’s feet once she reached her. Renata quickly picked them up and tucked them in the belt loops on her jeans. The two of them stood there silently, looking up at A.J. who refused to say a word. Finally Renata broke the silence. “So, you guys got any board games in there? I’m pretty much a pro at Monopoly if I do say so myself, but-”

“A.J., who’s there?” Clementine’s voice cut through the air as she hurried to the front gates, Violet and Prisha flanking her. They all observed the girls outside with suspicion. The location of Ericson was a well-kept secret. They never gave out that information. From the looks on their faces, none of them recognized the girls either.

“Hi there,” Renata smiled, sticking a hand through the bars. “My name is Renata and-” She backed up quickly when Rosie ran forward, snapping and snarling at her. It only took a moment for the smile to return to her face though. “Oh my gosh, Rosie’s still alive? I can’t believe it! She must be how old by now, 12? That must be like 80 in human years!”

“Who the fuck are you?” Violet’s tone was harsh as she stared at the pair, her hand on her meat cleaver.

“What my friend means to say,” Clementine cut in, trying to ease the tension. “Is you’re a stranger to us. So we’re curious as to how you came to know Ericson’s location,”

“Oh, right. Minnie and Sophie told me,”

It had been even longer since those names had been spoken. The group looked amongst themselves in confusion.

“Can we come in now?” Renata’s tone seemed hopeful. “We can lay down our weapons and even have you tie our hands if you want,”

“Renata!” Allison hissed behind her.

“What? Allie, this is the place we’ve been searching for all this time! And they didn’t shoot us on sight. I’d say that’s a pretty great start,”

Clementine observed the pair with caution. Renata seemed unusually chipper for a complete stranger trying to negotiate her way in with absolutely no leverage. Allison was clearly the more calculating of the pair, though she seemed to follow Renata’s lead. “Toss your weapons through. Then we’ll see,”

Allison didn’t seem to like that idea at all. Her hand reflexively went to the gun on her hip, but Renata chucked her blades through without a second thought. She gestured towards the gates with her head. “C’mon, Al, show of good faith,” Going against what she clearly believed to be better judgement, Allison tossed her gun and hunting knife through the bars of the gate.

Prisha and Violet picked up the weapons, looking to Clementine for the next step. Clementine glanced back in the direction of the school. Louis had stepped outside, waiting on the steps of the admin building, their daughter Maisy cradled in his arms. Clementine shook her head and he gave a nod, quickly heading back inside. Ruby was in the greenhouse with little Zachariah strapped to her back and Aasim and Omar were out checking the fish traps. If need be, Clementine was confident she, Prisha, A.J. and Violet could take down these two in a fight before they got very far. Clementine whistled at Rosie, directing her to keep watch in front of the admin building. “Open the gate,”

A.J. had climbed down from the watchtower and did as he was told. Renata and Allison strode through quickly, the gate clanging shut behind them.

Renata reached out her hand once more. “Name’s Renata. It rhymes with frittata,”

“Clementine. This is Violet and that’s Prisha,”

Renata looked amongst the three of them. “Violet I recognize from the stories, though I’m pretty sure the glasses are new. You two aren’t ringing a bell. I guess some other people have found their way here as well,” Her eyes scanned the yard hopefully before locking on Clementine’s. “Did the twins make it back?”

----

The group stood silently in front of the twin’s graves. Allison stood back a few inches from Renata, her dark eyes piercing as she glared at the others, daring them to infringe on her friend’s space. Renata was silent, staring at the graves. Everyone else stayed quiet as well.

Finally Renata turned around. “Did you find the bodies? Because you know if you never find the body-”

“They’re gone,” Violet cut in. “We saw,” She didn’t tell Renata the truth about Sophie, the terrible revelation Minnie had given on her last night alive. That was too cruel to share.

Renata turned back around, slowly kneeling beside the graves. “Shit. Fuck. Maybe it was crazy to hope, but part of me always thought they’d be waiting here when I finally made it.” Her voice cracked a bit at the end. “They must have escaped though if you guys saw them again and they’re buried here,” She looked up at Violet. “Were they alright the last time you saw them? I don’t need to know how they died, but did they get to be happy again?”

Violet looked helplessly into Renata’s eyes. She wished she had something positive to offer. The most merciful option though was silence.

Allison placed her hand on Renata’s shoulder, looking concerned.

Renata sniffled loudly, shaking her head as though to clear her thoughts. “This world never goes easy on us, does it? Could I maybe speak with Tenn? I’d like to share some stories of his sisters with him if that’s alright,”

The group shared a look.

Renata followed A.J.’s gaze over to the cross with Tennesse printed upon it. “Oh,” Her voice was soft, almost frail. “He sounded like such a sweet kid too. I guess a lot changed while they were gone,” Slowly she picked herself up off the ground, looking amongst the group. “I suppose I should tell you how I know the twins then. Well, knew them,” She sighed before straightening her shoulders. “I was a Delta soldier alongside them,”

The news cut through the group like wildfire, setting all their nerves aflame. It was the only explanation that made sense, but still all of them had hoped it wasn’t true. The Delta had taken so much from them. Even though they’d heard from the caravans they traded with that it had fallen apart years ago, the mention of its name still haunted them.

“Not sure if it needs to be said that I was captured and forcibly drafted. Allison too. I bet Minnie and Soph told you all about the Delta and their practices capturing children when they got back here,”’

“Actually, the Delta came through here again,” Clementine answered. “That’s the reason we lost Tenn… and some others,”

Renata’s eyes were hard. “Did Marlon lead them back here?”

“Marlon is dead too,” Violet cut in.

“Guess there’s some karma after all,” Renata’s expression was dark, but soon faded into gloom. “Delta took so many. I shouldn’t be surprised they came back. That was always Minnie’s fear,”

“Fuck Delta,” Allison’s words were sharp and full of anger.

“Yeah!” an enthusiastic cheer came from behind them. They looked up to see Willy, the tallest of the group, smiling behind them. “What’d I miss?” he asked excitedly.

Prisha gestured to the newcomers. “Willy, meet Renata and Allison. From the sound of things, it appears they escaped from the Delta,”

“That’s so cool!” Willy exclaimed, his gap teeth prominent as his smile widened. “How did you guys do it? Did you blow up their ship? Cause that’s what we did. It was awesome!”

“Dude, you did that?” Renata exclaimed, her eyes wide. “We heard about that! A whole crew of Delta soldiers blown to bits. All that was found was the burnt-out hull of the ship. Man, if I’d know that was you guys, I could’ve found this place so much faster! All Delta units were ordered to steer clear of the area since no one knew what the hell happened. High five!” She reached up to slap Willy’s hand. He accepted the praise eagerly.

Clementine watched the conversation warily. These girls were trained soldiers. True, Renata didn’t act much like one, but there was something in Allison’s eyes that reminded her of the first time she’d met Minerva. Was it really safe to let them stay inside these walls all on the word of two Ericson kids who were dead and gone.

“Hey,” Renata’s voice broke Clementine out of her thoughts. “You wouldn’t happen to know the name of the commander whose unit came back to Ericson, do you?”

“Lilly. Her name was Lilly,”

Renata’s eyes seemed to sparkle at those words. “That means she’d dead then, right? You saw the body?”

“I killed her myself,” A.J. declared proudly.

This time it was Allison’s turn to give a high five, the smallest of smiles crossing her lips.

“Excuse me for a second,” Renata hurried back over to the graveyard, kneeling in front of the twins’ graves once more. They couldn’t hear what she was saying from such a distance, but she seemed to be gesturing animatedly.

Allison stood in silence, watching the group with a cold stare. It didn’t seem like she was particularly invested in being here.

“Hey, you want some food?” Willy offered. “Our apple trees have a butt ton of apples this year!”

Allison seemed fascinated by the offer, but shook her head a moment later, looking back toward Renata. Her protectiveness reminded Clementine of how she had been back when she and A.J. were on the road. Her loyalty to Renata clearly ran deep.

Renata joined the group a minute later. “Just had to share the good news. I mean, they probably already know since I’m sure you guys had a huge celebration after defeating the Delta, but I wanted them to get my first reactions,” The pink flower that had been in her hair was now gone. Glancing over, the others could see that she’d placed it between the twins’ graves.

Prisha had been silent for this entire time, observing rather than speaking. Now was no longer the time for silence though. “What are your intentions in coming to Ericson?”

Renata shrugged. “Originally, the plan was to stay here. I figured Soph and Minnie got back way faster than me seeing as they knew the actual location of the school and I just knew it was somewhere in eastern West Virginia. We’d hug, cry, share all the crazy stories of what it took for us to make it here… but they’re gone. Tenn’s gone. Any connections I could’ve hoped for aren’t here anymore. And I figure offering a place to stay is beyond what could be expected of you seeing as we’re just a pair of strangers who claim to know your long dead friends,”

The group shared a look. A.J. tugged on Clementine’s arm, leaning over to whisper to her. “Maybe we should let them stay. It’s what Marlon did for us and what we did for Prisha,”

Clementine looked over at Violet and Prisha. Both of them seemed unsure. They’d taken in Prisha in order to save her life. She never would have survived out in the wilderness with the severe crush injuries she’d sustained. Then again, wouldn’t sending these two outside the gates simply be a veiled form of murder, just as exile had felt to Clementine and A.J. when the group kicked them out? These girls had handed over their weapons freely. Was that enough of a sign to trust them?

“You can stay the night,” Clementine decided. “We won’t decide anything further yet,”

Renata’s face lit up at the offer. “You hear that, Allie? They’re not kicking us out yet!” She turned back to others. “There’s still daylight. If you want to put us to work, we’ll help scrounge up the best meal possible!”

Allison nodded, seeming tentatively excited at the prospect of food.

“You can help Willy pick some of those apples he mentioned for dinner. Prisha, Vi, can you set aside what you were working on and join them?”

The pair nodded, guiding the way to their small orchard. Renata skipped along with them, Allison keeping a steady pace behind, Willy walking beside her.

Clementine looked over to A.J. He had grown so much over the years; he was almost up to her shoulder now. “Look at you, being the most trusting of us all,”

“It’s the right thing to do,” A.J. said seriously. “You got left outside before when there was shelter right in front of you. I know you said you never want others to feel the same way you did,”

Clementine nodded, remembering when she was about his age, shivering alone in a shed in the middle of the woods, wondering if she would die from infection or hypothermia first. “I’m counting on you to keep an eye on them, just like I will,”

A.J. nodded. “I won’t let them anywhere near Maisy or Zach,”

“I know you won’t,” Clementine watched the newcomers as they disappeared round the corner. She never expected anyone from the past to ever arrive at Ericson’s gate, least of all a friend of the twins. She hoped this was the right decision. For now, she needed to talk to her husband and hold her daughter. “Heading back to watch?” She asked A.J.

He nodded, already beginning to walk over.

Clementine made her way back toward the admin building. Hopefully there would be no further surprises today.

[suffering-and-happy-about-it]

WhatsApp, Part 11. (Steve Rogers x reader)

Description: You’ve never been lucky with guys. You just wanted to catch someone’s eye, to be loved. One day, that’s about to turn completely - with one fake, completely imagined number a guy gave you 

A/N: x

Warnings: Pretty huge angst throughout the chapter. Well. :,) That's that.

Word Count: 2.3 K

Tagging: @missdictatorme, @songforhema, @mikariell95, @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory

Read the rest here: Part One  Part Two  Part three  Part four  Part five  Part Six  Part seven  Part eight  Part nine  Part ten

If you like to have your readings in order :):  H E R E  

Nobody could see that Bucky and Deena will start dating really soon. It was big for her since the first time they saw each other. It was like an instant crush, boom and the next few weeks were only Bucky-filled. You were split about all of that - you were happy for your best friend.

She found someone to click with, someone to just be with, somebody great.

But why Steve was not taking his chances when his best friend was ready in one day. One fucking day. You liked that guy, but your patience was starting to get seriously thin.

After the first date, Deena immediately did a FaceTime group. It was consisting of four people - her, May, Suzie and you. Everyone except Deena was in their comfortable home clothes, everyone was looking terrible in the camera, but for Deena's face with a big smile on it. She was giggling loudly. And she didn't even seem to be even drunk.

Jealousy stroke you at that moment. She was on a date with James and she looked as happy as never before. This was an unseen, a completely new thing in Deena's behavior. She was indeed beautiful like that.

"Okay, you happy face. Start talking!" - You cried out with a sultry smile. You and Steve. Could you be like that if he ever asked you out? At that point, it seemed pointless. Steve was basically the slowest relationship maker in history. But even tho your faith slowly started to fade away, you tried to be optimistic about all of that.

"I'm not going to lie to you, this was one of the... Best fucking dates in my whole life." - She yelled all over the street and she didn't give a crap about people turning after her.

"Really? Come on, details!" - May said and turned her face in the direction of the TV, watching the series she used to every Thursday. It was some endless series, some telenovela or what. But she loved when she could only talk about the things that happened in the last episode and you just listened to her.

"First things first, he's incredibly handsome. He's like the vocabulary definition of a hunk, you should see those rippin' back, shoulders... This is the first guy with long hair that I fuckin' adore!" - Deena exclaimed. That was true, she hated guys who had hair under their earlobes. She found that disgusting. And James must've been really sexy if even Deena found him sexy. - "He's sweet, he's funny, he has manners... Girls. He is behaving so calmly, he is so fucking well raised. I want to meet the woman who raised him up, because she's my hero..." - She kept on talking and talking and your mind slowly kept on fading away as you thought about Steve. You would love to be the one calling, the one who would be screaming somewhere on the street. But you weren't.

Slowly, James became a day-to-day part of your office life. He and Deena were saying they're just friends, but everyone thought something different. Deena had the most lustful look ever, every time James came to the office with a couple of bags full of food for every one of you, everyone in the distance of few meters knew she's thinking about fucking the soul out of him. James made her laugh, they slowly grew closer and closer, having their inside jokes and sometimes you caught them staring in the eyes of each other.

Everyone was smiling when James brought her flowers for the first time. It was a big puget of white roses and they were indeed beautiful. Each of you just sat there and looked at her table with a dreamy look. And if that wasn't enough, James got along with everyone as well. He was a nice, funny and he indeed was handsome. Most of them, he got along with Val.

Without you even knowing, he was looking after you. The slightest things he was asking you about were just ok checks. And why he was doing it? Steve. Of course, it was for his idiot friend Steve.

Bucky was doing a serious super-secret inside job at their place - he was telling Steve everything about you, making him think about you all night long as if your long calls and photos didn't do that job as well.

It was teamwork. Bucky was reminding Steve almost every day of the week and Sam was encouraging him to make the move finally. They even stop to argue for a short amount of time just to work on Steve's mind. They were trying their best shots with Steve at that very moment.

---

"All I'm saying is she had a beautiful dress on today. You really should've seen them." - Bucky said from eating his bowl of yogurt and cereal. He just came back from Deena's apartment, smelling like hot and steamy sex and sin, his eyes shining like the stars.

"Old man, I think you're shooting the air here. He's not gonna do anythin' about that. He's too shy. He's too nice. Not like you bending that skirt over the first month." - Sam just added, chewing on a mango.

"Sorry, I forgot it's Steve we're talking about here." - Bucky said in answer. It was back and forth for the last few long, long weeks in Steve's perspective. James and Sam could cooperate on a seriously good level when they tried to. That was just the way it was.

"You're not helping. Natasha is very angry with me when I start to spar with her and I'm out of my head because I just see her face in my mind, I don't even take notice on the meetings and Tony is ready to kill me on the spot, I don't seem to do my paperwork well and I don't feel easy in the last... Three weeks. I'm in constant stress an in a carousel of reminders. You got under my skin and I don't find it funny anymore." - Steve just straightaway yelled at the two of them from a moment to moment. Sam and Bucky were scared the hell out. Steve was the calm guy, who tried to find a solution in absolutely every situation.

But now he was on edge. He just snapped. Both of them sat in silence while Steve got into his room and almost broke the door when he shut them with all the force he got in his body.

"I think we stepped too far, Buck. I've never seen Steve acting like that." - Sam said when the quiet between them became unbearable.

"No. Trust me. Things are going just the way they should. This is the thing we've been waiting for the whole time. Give him a few more hours and voilà. The magic's done." - Buck smiled wickedly and continued with eating his cereal. Sam could barely stand still, he was nervous because of what state they were able to get Steve into.

The apartment was deadly silent for the next whole day. Every time Steve got out of his room and met Sam or James in the flat, he just stared them down, took his things, food or whatever and disappeared back in his room again.

Those few days were seriously crucial. Steve was acting like a small child - even Natasha wasn't able to get him out of his room when Steve didn't come to their sparring session. Although you were texting him numerous times, Steve hasn't answered a single one, which made you worried as well.

---

"Hi, James." - You approached Deena's table nervously. You were spinning with your fingers and Bucky could tell that you're not feeling too good. In the last few days, something was circling through your head. You sighed all the times, you weren't laughing at his dumb questions and jokes, you were just acting weirdly.

"Hey, sunshine. Come and sit with us. You want some plums?" - He gave you one of them and smiled at you happily.

"I have a question." - Your voice sounded sour and quiet. You were just out of your mind. - "Would you mind answering it?"

"I'm an open book. Just ask me." - James smiled at you with his baby blue eyes. Deena knew what topic you are going to pick, so she took all of her papers, stood up, kissed Bucky's cheek and left the table.

"Have I done something... Wrong? You know, have I told Steve anything bad, he didn't like my appearance or my nature? Because... I don't have a single idea about what wrong have I done. I just simply don't." - You said sadly and he could see the tears in your eyes. Steve hadn't text you for five days, which was an unbelievable thing for somebody like him.

"Aaah, baby girl." - Bucky hugged your shoulder to make you smile a bit. - "You're fine. You're more than fine. He's just conflicted at the moment, sometimes it's harder with him. All you need to do now is to have some patience, don't be stressed and have some plums."

"You like those plums a lot, right?" - You tried to joke with a sad done.

"Sweetheart, you have no idea. Plums are a cure for everything." - Bucky answered and started to chew another one. Somehow he always has an endless supply of plums everywhere he went to. And he always got one for everyone.

"Don't you start about those fucking plums. I'm on a plum diet since I'm dating this guy. I've eaten tons of them." - Deena appeared behind James after getting some new paperwork from May. - "I left you the papers I've finished on the table. They should be ok, but you should rework them to how you like the work done."

"Yeah. I'm going to go through them now. Thank you." - You smiled a bit, took two plums from James and hugged him quickly in a friendly matter. He was a sweet, sweet guy.

---

"Steve, we need to talk." - Bucky knocked on his door with a frown on his face. - "I'm done with your acting as a child phase."

"And I'm done with your brainwashing program. Some things are not as we expect them to be." - Steve hummed through the door. Steve felt like if he was in a tight corner made by Buck and Sam themselves. He wanted her so much, yet those paranoid things were louder and louder in his own head. What if you back out when you'll see who he actually is? Will you freak out? Would you just say no to him? Would you even want to go out?

There were so many questions in the air for him. And he heard them almost every time he saw any part of his own body in the mirror. And that was Bucky's artwork.

"I'll go straight to the things I want to say. That girl is all over you, that girl is now sad in her office because your dumb ass is not showing any sign of interest. Go and call that girl. Take her out." - Bucky told in a firm voice. He was done with Steve at that point. And Steve was done with Bucky's doctrine.

Everyone seemed to be done with everything at that point.

"Can't you see that she doesn't care who the hell you are? You could be even birdbrain and she wouldn't care. You should take your chances as they are and just try it." - Bucky warned him and then left the door, taking his jacket and called Deena that he'll have a sleepover at her place. That left Steve all alone at the flat.

But he knew that Bucky is totally right. He should act on his chances. You were worth all of that.

So he just called your number without any further thinking. You answered after a minute of dialing.

"Hi." - You said a bit coldly. That was his treason for the absence he had. It was numerous days since he heard you, you sounded like a lullaby, so sweetly and lovely.

"Hey. I'm... I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." - Steve said without further dialogue.

"I'm not going to lie. Twenty texts. You made me worried." - That's when it hit his ears. Bucky was totally right, he made you sad. It was all Steve's fault. Your voice was sweet as usual, but it had some bitterness in it. You were angry with him. That was for sure.

"This is not easy for me, okay? I'm really nervous right now." - Steve stuttered and your blood went immediately ice cold. Steve was going to tell you that you're not a thing anymore. That he's done with it.

"You don't have to worry. I think I get what you mean." - You said and your voice broke down. He heard the mourning in it.

"So you don't want to go out with me?" - Steve said in a tight voice, he said it quickly and practically choked it all out.

"Are you serious? Like deadly serious?" - That didn't convince you at all. You were ironical as hell.

"I am completely serious. Let's just go on a date." - He repeated in a completely straight tone. And he knew that this thing will change his life from the basics he thought he knew.

[keelywolfe]

FIC: The Elephant in the Room ch.3 (baon)

Summary: Jeff has started working at the Embassy. He’s got a new job, a new car, and a new place to live. Now if only the rest of his life could fall into order, that’d be great. Any time now…any time at all…

Tags: Spicyhoney, Kustard, Established Relationships, Prejudice Against Monsters, Angst,  Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of Past Suicidal Thoughts,  Mental Health Issues, Friendship

Notes: Red, you little cryptid, why can’t you ever let anything be easy? Then again, if Jeff was hoping for things to be straightforward, he picked the wrong brother. 

Part of the ‘by any other name’ series.

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Read it on AO3

or

Read it here!

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It was worth the long sit-down in the kid’s office, twiddling his thumbs in the dark as Red waited for the door to open. Worth it for that one moment to see Andy have to bite back a scream when he saw Red at his desk. Give the kid credit though, he didn’t piss himself, which had been known to happen. That was always funny as shit, but kinda annoying, because then Red had to wait around for whoever to change their pants. He was busy, for fuck’s sake, and there were plenty of other places he needed to lurk. Tell the truth, he’d been a little surprised to hear the kid was looking for him. Surprised and frankly intrigued. Andy’d only been working at the Embassy for a week, how much trouble could he have stumbled across already? And it was definitely trouble, no two shakes about it. No one came looking for Red because they wanted to share a kit kat, such a fucking pity. Jeff was still standing in the doorway, doorknob in hand, staring at Red like maybe he was expecting a pit to hell to open up beneath him and swallow him back down. Could happen someday, Red supposed, but today was not that day and he was gettin’ bored of waiting. “you can come in,” Red said magnanimously, gesturing him inside. “whatever diseases i got don’t transfer.” His grin widened as Jeff sat in the visitor’s chair rather than drop-kicking him out of the desk like his bro would’ve. Nervously little twerp, wasn’t he. But Red wasn’t much fooled by that; he’d seen Andy boy step up for the people he cared about, more than once. Kid had a soft soul, for sure, but a good one. Like Papyrus. Like Blue. This world could use a coupla those and it was up to souls like Red’s to keep the world from fucking them over. One more dinky scar on his was nothin’, but if Red had his way, Jeff’s was never gonna need so much as a band-aid.

Fucking liabilities. “Hi, um, it’s just,” Jeff stammered a bit and Red only looked at him, let him wriggle a little longer on the hook. He kept his approval under wraps when Jeff took a few breaths, calming himself, and said, “Earlier today, Stretch and I were downtown.” “uh huh,” Red slouched back in the chair, let his eye lights roll back. Looked like he was reading a teleprompter off the ceiling, but the truth was, Red kept all his info in the safest place Above or Below ground, all filed away neat and tidy in his own skull. “classic books, owned by thomas meyer, immigrated in 1965 with his folks. his pop owned the bookstore and thomas took it over a while back. does okay, the rare book gig helps keep him afloat. did even better when monsters popped up, they love books and ain’t so tied to amazon.” “What?” Jeff blinked at him in a mixture of surprise and awe, “I didn’t know any of that.” He looked a little too damn impressed by a little googling and a lot of patience, and fuck if this kid didn’t pick some bad role models. Shit on a shingle, if Red had a windowless van, Jeff would probably be climbing on in it hoping for some free damn ice cream, no self-preservation at all. His bro sure knew how to pick a liability, this kid was something else. “i know plenty,” Red tapped his gold tooth with one sharp-tipped finger. “so what about it? gimmie some news i can’t get from the paper.” “Well, it’s just that Thomas hired someone to replace me and he’s very…uncomfortable around Monsters.” Jeff was leaning forward, bracing his hands on the desk and probably didn’t even realize it. He looked like the lead detective in an eighties movie as he asked, “Why would someone who doesn’t like Monsters want to work somewhere that is friendly to them? Thomas even has one of those ‘Monsters Welcome’ stickers on his front door.” Wellie well well, now this was interesting. Course, Red already knew what the kid was talking about. Steven Baker, recent graduate of Ebott University. Garden-variety xenophobe, didn’t have any special plans scuttled away on his laptop or some raggedy notebook plastered with MAG stickers. He just needed a job and chose poorly, was all. Some people didn't adjust to Monsters too well and that was fine; Red pretty much didn't want those fuckers around anyway and so long as they stuck to the other side of town, wasn’t much his concern. But the ‘book haus’ reject, eh, that was all dull shit; Red had a lockdown on that info three days ago before that little fucker ever stepped behind the register. What was interestin’ him now was Andy. Here the kid was, bubbling with suspicions like a junior detective, and who did he Scooby Doo to? Not Edge, not Stretch, not even his boytoy. No, he brought that info right to Red, didn’t he, like a cat with a dead bird, eager to show off his prize. Yeah, Red was liking this. Aloud, Red said, “i know all about steve, did a background check when tommy boy hired him. we monitor all the businesses that have the official stickers.” “Oh,” Jeff slumped back into his chair and Red couldn’t help but be amused. Kid looked like he’d unmasked the bad guy and found that it was Old Man Jenkins again. He didn’t stay down though, sat up straight again and asked, “You monitor all the businesses? Why?” Curiosity, good, and even if Andy ain’t exactly ready to share friendship bracelets with Red, he wasn’t letting his nervousness keep him from asking. Red grudgingly pulled his estimation of the kid up another notch. “two reasons.” Red held up two bony fingers then folded one down. “one, to make sure they aren’t getting harassed and feel they need to take it down. monster-friendly business won’t stay that way if they’re afraid to go to their cars at night.” He folded down the second finger. “and two, to make sure they mean it. ‘bout the last thing i ever want to happen is some monster and their kiddies heading into a place expecting a warm welcome and instead leaving in a paper bag.” Jeff nodded slowly, cringing a little at the Red’s description. “Makes sense. I should’ve known you were already on it, guess I was being paranoid.” “no such thing,” Red countered. And wasn’t that a swig of sugar-syrup, the kid had faith in him. "you were right, it is off. that’s good instincts, kid. we’ll be keeping tabs on stevie, don’t you worry, make sure he stays on the right side of the line. you, now, you come tell me anytime you see something or someone who seems off, yeah? anytime. thinking you’re overreacting is how people get hurt, and some people in our company can’t take much of a hit, you get me?” “Yeah, I do,” Jeff said determinedly. Andy had some spine to him in there beneath all the meat. That was the fella who’d decked a stranger on the bus for harassing a Monster, yep. The door opening made him tense, but it was only Antwan, peering in through the crack. He pushed the door open further and stepped inside, “Hey, security said you were here.” Watching the kid light up when he caught sight of Antwan was gag-worthy, but Red managed to choke it down. Being around his bro, the honey bun, and their fucking PDA had helped him build up a tolerance. “Hi, yeah,” Jeff said, “Red and I were talking.” “yep," Red agreed. He wagged his foot lazily where it was propped on the desk. "we’re about done now. thanks for stopping by, sweetheart. see you around.” “Okay,” Jeff said easily, like this wasn’t his office, heh. Kid was a little too easy-going, but that could be fixed with a judicious amount of assholery. Or maybe he was still too distracted by his boytoy, to care because he was all hopeful eyes and sweet-talk when he asked Antwan, “See you tonight?” “Yeah, I’ll meet you at Blue’s,” Antwan said, distractedly. He was pretty busy trying to glare a hole into Red, not an uncommon reaction but not one he was used to from Antwan. His drinking buddy about had steam coming out of his ears and didn’t notice that Jeff’s smile faltered, fading out as he mumbled an agreement and left. Curiouser and curiouser, as some brat once said. “What the fuck are you up to?” Antwan asked bluntly, the second the door swung shut. “dunno what you mean,” Red went through his mental list of annoying vocal tones and went with breezy on this one, but truth was, he really didn’t. And he didn’t like that, not one fucking bit, he liked a clear idear of what was going on around him at all times, and if Antwan had a bug up his ass, Red wanted to know why it crawled up there and what kinda nest it was making. From Antwan’s glare, that bug was pretty far up there. “I mean, why are you calling my boyfriend pet names?” To have that piece of puzzle snap in so easily, Red almost busted out laughing. That was what had Antwan’s panties in a wad? “eh, i do that with everyone,” Red said lazily. He licked his teeth deliberately, running his tongue over each and every point as he enjoyed the rising fury in Antwan’s eyes. “aww, honey, what makes you think i’m interested in your personal meat bag?” “The knowledge that you fucked your way through Europe the last time you went traveling with the diplomats?” Antwan snapped. “I heard plenty about that!" “maybe i had some fun,” Red allowed, and gave him a wolfish grin. Unless Antwan was chatting it up with Sans, he hadn’t even heard the half of it. “dunno, i don’t see your name on andy boy. not a ring or maybe a pretty little collar. gotta say, that might be a good look for him—“ “Stop,” Antwan said, through gritted teeth. Pretty impressive the way wrenched himself back, all that hot anger dropping down the thermometer to icy calm. “Your brother is my best friend, he wouldn’t like it if we killed each other.” Red snorted. This was fun and all, but a slap upside the head with a little realism was probably due. “cute that you think there is any ‘other’ about it. dunno, doesn’t sound like you trust your boy.” “What?” Antwan looked pretty taken aback by that, which was a fine, fine thing. Cause if there was a chance this entertaining lil’ tantrum was about Antwan thinking Jeff was trying to get a late afternoon bone-on, he and Antwan were about to talk real close up, make no mistake about that. Jeff wasn't a cheat, Red had a little file tucked away in the back of his head with plenty of data proving that.

Antwan didn't seem to notice, he only snapped out, "This isn’t about him, it’s about you. I know you too damn well. Leave him alone.” Well, this a slice of something different. He’d never much had anyone worried he was gonna seduce their honey away. Refreshing change, that. Sans was gonna laugh his ass off. “not much of a threat there.” Antwan’s smile was coldly humorless, whew, bet that went over real well in court, probably had a more’n few defendants pissing themselves. “No threats. I know better than to give you advance warning.” “better," Red let his grin widen, licked his teeth again deliberately, "could always make it a threesome.” Now that was a hell of a look. That was fifty shades of no, such a shame. Antwan only sputtered out, “I…what? No!” "pity," Red sighed. He kicked off of the desk and stood, groaning as he stretched with bone-popping force. "cool your jets, i ain’t trying anything with your boy, he had a security issue was all. ask him, he’ll tell ya. now that we've established that i’m not trying to poach, hit bricks.” Antwan only stared at him, visibly fuming, oh, yeah, he was plenty pissed, looked like he was trying to chew off his damn tongue. But Red was done playing nicey-nice for the day and it looked like Antwan was keeping cosplay as the fool aside for Andy. He turned on his heel, ready to storm back out the way he came and it was probably gonna lose him his drinking buddy, at least for a while, but Red couldn't help adding, sing-song sweet, "not trying yet, anyway." The door slamming told Red everything he needed to know about that. Red shook his head, started to pull out a cigar. He'd wait to light it when he got outside, no reason to stink up the kid's office, especially without his bro here to bitch and moan about it. Oh yeah, those two were meant to be. Just like the boss and Stretch, it was almost like a fucking aura around 'em, and Red didn't do Judgements anymore, but he'd never given up Seeing. He was never one to let a gift go to waste and he'd known fucking ages before his bro that he was meant to be with the honey bun. And just like those idiots, these two might need a little nudge in the right direction. That was fine. Red was pretty good when push came to shove.

~~*~~

tbc

[toonstarterz]

BECAUSE I’M NOT POPULAR, I’LL READ WATAMOTE: CHAPTER #162

Tanabata has come around once again to offer a generation of high schoolers some false hope in order to distract them from the cruel reality that is life. At least, that’s what the old Tomoko might’ve thought. While the world ultimately didn’t hand everything to her on a silver platter, Tomoko’s half-hearted hope did actually manifest into something she holds dear. The question now remains...

What does she strive for now?          

Chapter 162: Because I’m Not Popular, I’ll Make A Wish

“I wish that Watamote would get a 2nd season!”

Ahem...moving on.

Nothing like a little friendly brooding to start the day.

In a weird, ironic way, Yuri seems to empathize with Tomoko over mutual apathy. The one constant they share is that they both like to take the path of least resistance in life. While Yuri may be a little off the mark at times, having that unspoken bond is a great point to start from.

So we knew Nemo recognized that Tomoko was a former loner, but Yuri, too? Then again, it’s been hinted at before that Tomoko is kind of an open book and that the people around Tomoko are more perceptive of her than she’d like to believe. So yeah, Yuri knew Tomoko barely had friends before she met her (a fact that likely fuels her codependency tendencies). But like any good friend, Yuri stuck around despite that history.

Still can’t get over her casually calling her Yuri-chan.

For a hardcore introvert like Yuri, doing something for the sake of being social with no practical purpose seems illogical. It makes total sense that traditions like Tanabata aren’t really her cup of tea. Just how much Yuri is aware of that is still kind of fuzzy, but no less endearing, 

Reiterating a joke I made in the previous chapter, but Tomoko really ought to take a crash course in psychological projection.

Taking a stab at Yuri’s desires, now...I’d say it would be to have someone who really understands her. Or for Minami to lose her fang. Either or.

Wow, I wouldn’t have figured that Ucchi was the type to write in all caps.

I always wondered if the sugar-sweet and dragged-out way that moe anime girls yell “Senpaaai!” was actually grating by real-life Japanese standards. Looks like I was right.

Now those school fan clubs for the ridiculously attractive girl/guy that you sometimes see in manga are starting to feel pretty legit right now. 

“Pfft, basic bitches,” thought Tomoko. 

Smooth like butter.

You know, I think that Tomoko being unable to come up with something is a solid indication that she’s relatively satisfied with her life right now. Sure, she has career goals and whatnot, but she no longer feels troubled by material desires or short-term gratification. Like Yuri, it may be that Tomoko has more intangible, emotional desires that aren’t easy to put into words. But also like Yuri, Tomoko may have recently already gained that.

Occasionally–just occasionally–a few earnestly pure-of-heart moments from a cute manga girl is all you really need.

...Especially when it’s immediately offset by Tomoko being Tomoko.

Ohhhh, boy. That last comment by Tomoko is opening up all sorts of questions regarding her sexuality. I’ve mentioned before that Tomoko may be dealing with some sort of gender dysphoria and I think that’s becoming more apparent than ever. For one, her totally normal-not-at-all-creepy desire to NTR her kouhai assumes that only a guy could do that to Hirasawa. It also implies that Tomoko would only acknowledge liking girls if she identified as male. Not once did Tomoko consider that she, as a female, could NTR another female. All in all, there’s a bit of internalized homophobia, repressed sexuality, etc. at play here, and it’s going to take a bit of soul-searching for Tomoko to sort it all out.

Once every thousand years, we get some actual chibi art out of this series.

Bless you, Nico Tanigawa.

The best part of this Hirasawa-vision is that Tomoko is drawn exactly the same, just with lighter tones. Hirasawa’s not blind, just optimistic, which makes her heroine-worship so much more earnest.

Normally, super innocent girls like Hirasawa who get overly excited on trivial things tend to rub me the wrong way, mostly because I have a hard time thinking young girls are that simple-minded. But there’s something about Hirasawa that feels genuine. It may be because her excitement feels like its deriving from a sense of loneliness. Like an overreaction from latching onto any lure of female friendship. 

It’s also just cute.

Tomoko...I’m pretty sure that’s your confirmation bias talking right there.

We don’t even need to see anything above the waist, but you can tell exactly who this is based on context alone...

I was wondering how Ucchi actually manages to do that Darth Vader thing with her mouth...

...then I remembered how her face looks and it makes perfectly no sense.

Guys, I...I think Ucchi finally broke.

Actually, Miyazaki, it may not be phrased as a wish, but it definitely is a wish...

I really enjoy the little bits of characterization in everyone’s wishes. For Yuri and Tomoko, like the BFFs they are, they have the same, most basic wish since they don’t really have any other burning desires. It’s also short and sweet, and without any fluff, as they would normally be if speaking out loud. And lastly, Yuri doesn’t leave her last name, as if she doesn’t want to attach herself onto her wish that far. 

Katou, on the other hand, is all giddy and sweet, using words like “hope” and “together” when effectively making the same wish. She uses “we” without naming anyone, making it an all-inclusive wish. Just what you’d expect from the class mom.

Tomoko’s habit of “lying on reflex” actually makes a great deal of sense. She’s the type who has trouble expressing her vulnerabilities, and lying is a standard defense mechanism, just like Yuri’s noncommital attitude, Nemo’s passive aggression, and whatever Katou most certainly has.  

Oh, Yuri, you precious bean. I know jokes aren’t your forte, but your emotional responses–or lack thereof–makes for a great punchline.

Did ya’ll notice how Tomoko’s second wish is exactly what Imae wished for last year? Tomoko may not always make the best decisions when comes to carrying the torch of The Great Megumi Imae, but you can’t deny that she’s making a concerted effort.

Guess Tomoko isn’t the only one with enough nerve to turn a Tanabata wish into a dirty joke...

Damn, we all knew that Fuuka was getting an unhealthy fixation over Katou and Tomoko’s “secret” relationship, but never to the point where it was affecting her studies, and by extension, her after-high school prospects. It hints that the series may be taking this misunderstanding into a direction that’s not entirely played for gags. It’s a risky move because such a development could easily come across as contrived if taken seriously, but if they keep it character-driven a la Ucchi, it could make for some really engaging moments. 

C’mon, Fuuka. How did you think people were going to take that?

Of all of the people who’ve been “corrupted” by Tomoko, Fuuka may be taking the most damage out of all of them. Poor thing.   

Let’s see here...

Sometimes I worry about Itou’s sense of self when she always identifies herself by her relationships with others.

Yo, Komiyama doesn’t even bother mentioning the Lottes by name because “Who else of any importance could it possibly be?”. Never lose faith, Komi.

Sweet, naïve Mike. She (and her boyfriend who’s somehow still kicking) is set up to be this series’ greatest tragedy.

This is Tomoko Kuroki, everyone. The girl who can’t see the raging emoji-faced horndog right in front of her, but will misconstrue a single misunderstanding as a pervert. Selective perception, ain’t it?

Well, it is a great opportunity to anonymously judge people’s inner desires, so Tomoko’s probably right.

Here we go again...

Nice to see that Nemo has practical, but optimistic expectations for her goal. She knows that she’s in her prime and is ready to hit the ground running. 

The thing about Yoshida’s wish is that it implies that she knows she’ll be faced with resistance. Still, I gotta respect her individuality.

Okada’s wish feels like a cry for help if you look at it another way. That’s probably not the case, though. Probably.

That’s the beauty of it all, Tomoko. In the end, you really didn’t do anything. At least, not directly. What you did was make yourself into an example for Nemo to follow. One of Tomoko’s greatest attributes is that she’s unapologetically herself, which is how she eventually got noticed–and in Nemo’s case, admired–in the first place.   

Quakey legs + short people problems = cute Tomoko. 

Aw man, what I wouldn’t give for this to be a running gag. That in all those chapters where Tomoko was all alone, there was actually somebody she knows now that was in the scene, too. It (sort of) first happened with the dick-pics-in-class chapter and the three-legged race guy, after all. Poor Tomoko has all this baggage that can be used against her now.

For those with shitty memory like me...

“I want to lose my virginity in a year so I don’t lose track of my bigger goals.”

Of course, she’d forget about the part that actually mattered.

Well, you know, Tomoko, they do say that every joke/lie has a kernel of truth.

I noticed that a lot of (comedy) manga seems to like elevating the value of losing(or saving) one’s virginity to absurd levels, at least in the inexperienced minds of its teenaged male characters. Tomoko herself has perpetuated this notion in the past. But even so, the “in-universe” outside of Tomoko’s mind never really aggrandizes sex, and I find that it to be a very refreshing change that shows how, in reality, as Nemo suggests, losing your virginity isn’t really that big of a damn deal.  

Good ol’ Tomoko logic at its finest.

Nemo looks...surprisingly serious about that. Normally that kind of talk would catch her off guard a little, but she had no hesitation with that retort. I think that’s solid evidence that Nemo has done more research into the nature of the voice acting industry, especially after Tomoko unintentionally trolled her with that eroge. 

This could lead to even more intellectual (if not openly sexual) conversations between Tomoko and Nemo that go beyond their usual bantering. That’d be pretty lit. 

Well, if Tomoko is a direct reflection of the author, then she probably thinks light novels are mostly for loser otaku trying to live their perverted fantasies through self-insert literature (at least, what I gathered from Write Sisters).

Well, I’m be damned if that isn’t blatant foreshadowing for where Tomoko’s future is headed.

Even though I saw it coming a mile away, it still gives me the warm fuzzies.

As fantastic as it would be for Tomoko to be an accomplished light novelist with Nemo voicing a character in her anime adaptation, I feel like that level of success would be a little out of reach for this series’ approach to realism. 

If I were to look into the future, I’d say that Tomoko would write a light novel that’d be successful just enough to be greenlit for an ultimately mediocre anime adaptation. And Nemo, being a rookie, would either be not cast at all, or be given a bit part for a background character.

Of course, that’s all speculation. As Nemo says, the freedom to dream is the one thing we can count on. And if there’s one thing the mangaka has learned from doing this series, it’s that being realistic doesn’t mean you can’t have a happy ending. 

I guess being considerate/decent to complete strangers is still locked out of Tomoko’s comfort zone. 

I think we found a member of Rena’s family.

Man, the more we get these tidbits of Imae’s legacy affecting the school (and Tomoko), the more nostalgic I get for her. I sincerely hope we get to see her at least one last time before the series is over.

And in tried-and-true Watamote fashion, we get a little bit of Tomoko’s wisdom to end off another thought-provoking chapter.

In retrospect, there wasn’t a whole lot of “action” in this chapter that could be built upon later. It was mostly a series of gags sprinkled with some nice conversation (at least until Nemo’s part). One of the core themes that Nico Tanigawa seems to be playing with is, “Now that Tomoko has come this far, where does she go from here?” And the answer is...

They don’t know. 

Legitimately, I don’t think the mangakas know exactly what Tomoko’s endgame will be. Sure, they have some strong ideas in terms of school and career, but nothing definitive. As s result, I think playing with the gags and jokes a bit more is their way of “stirring the pot” and seeing what comes out. All of Watamote’s greatest developments did originate from comedy, after all. The first Tanabata chapter is a prime example of this, and I have no reason to think that the stars of the second Tanabata chapter won’t shine over Tomoko once again.

[fatgirlwritesscenarios]

Hot Chocolate Kisses

((Wooooaaahhh...when was the last time I was here, ya’ll? None of you better say last year because I know that! Haha. How is everyone doing?! I hope the start to your new year was a fresh one. I’m having good thoughts for myself this new year and some New Year’s resolutions that actually seem attainable! Anyway, I’ve been working on this little cutie off and on for awhile and finally finished it, so I hope you enjoy it! Thank you to everyone who still follows me and reads my stories even though it’s been forever since I’ve updated any of them!))

Pairing: MinghaoxChubby-Black!Reader

Genre: Cute and fluffy

Word Count: 3,372

Summary: You like the hot chocolate from a certain cafe and Minghao is all too eager to join you on your outing. Vernon wants to tag along, but Jeonghan is having none of that shit because he and Joshua have been waiting for a confession between their favorite couple of their favorite real-life romantic drama and he’ll be damned if Vernon ruins that for them. 

“Ah, Y/N, are you going somewhere?”

“I’m being a brat today. I want hot chocolate, but only from a specific café that’s further in the city. I think it’s like a block away from that Chinese restaurant that Jun and Minghao took us all to. Does anyone want to come with?”

“I’ll go! I can drive us!”

Joshua caught a chuckle before it made itself known, watching with Jeonghan and Jihoon as their resident cool cutie magically appeared in the living room of the dorms the minute your name was spoken and quite eagerly volunteered to accompany you on your outing. The smile you gave him radiated warmly and Joshua could only guess a blush was heating your cheeks from the way you patted one with the back of your fingers after Minghao asked you to wait for him and then ran into his room to get ready.

“Does anyone else want to go?” you asked, turning your attention to the three hyungs of the Vocal Unit with an inviting smile, “Jeonghan? Josh? Woozi?”

Jeonghan answered for them, waving his hand with a grin and saying, “We’re okay, Y/N. You have all the company you need with our cool cutie. Go enjoy yourself.”

You patted your cheeks again and smiled bashfully for reasons you never voiced but everyone knew of regardless, for they were the same reasons that Minghao was always so quick to respond to your name or the sound of your voice: Minghao had a crush on you and you had a crush on him, too.

Minghao’s signs that he was rather fond of you started manifesting not long after you and your performance group came to South Korea for a collaboration you were doing with Seventeen, though one could argue it started even before that. Your group had arrived two months ago, but for a full month before that, both groups had been in contact via phone or video call. During that time, Minghao had mentioned- more than once- how nice your voice sounded and how much he liked the way you spoke, a rather ‘funny’ grin on his face as he casually said this with the barest hint of a blush.

Meeting you face to face only solidified that fondness, intensified it to something more until every member of Seventeen and your performance group noticed a shift taking place

Joshua was the first one to notice and had been a faithful viewer of this cute and sweet drama he- like the dork he is- dubbed “Baobei: The Minghao and Y/N Love Story”.

“Where are you going, Y/N?” Vernon meandered into the living area, his face aglow with the blue of his phone screen.

“Do you remember that café next to the Chinese restaurant we all went to that one time?” you responded.

“Oh yeah, I love that café! I want to go, too!”

“No, you don’t,” Jeonghan intervened quickly.

Jeonghan was a faithful viewer, too, and quite eager for the love to finally bloom and flourish.

Vernon’s brow furrowed, “What? Come on, hyung.”

“You still have to finish your lyrics with Mingyu, don’t you?”

“We’ve been working on them all afternoon!”

The three older members chuckled at Vernon’s whining, but Jeonghan wouldn’t budge, “And you’ll be working on them all night if you stop now. Get it done now and you won’t have to worry about it at 3 AM like last time.”

Vernon pouted exaggeratedly, pulling a laugh from you as you went to comfort him with a hand on his shoulder; “Sorry, Vernon. Do you want me to bring something back for you?” you offered, smiling when his face brightened.

“Can you?” he asked just as Minghao came back into the living room.

“Ready. Thank you for waiting,” he said, fixing a black mouth mask to his face before moving to grab his coat from the front closet along with his scarf.

“No problem,” you answered, smiling up at Minghao a notch brighter than before, “Just text me what you want, Vernon, and I’ll bring it back, okay?”

“Thanks, noona!”

You waved your goodbye to those that were present and turned towards the door when Minghao casually grabbed the lapel of your coat and pulled you back; “Zip up. Zip up. It’s especially cold right now,” he said, sliding the zipper into place for you.

“Oh.  Thank you.” You didn’t meet his eye, but smiled nonetheless and patted your cheeks before zipping your coat up further, “Ready?”

Minghao nodded and followed you to the door, “See you guys later!”

“You two be careful. Behave yourselves,” Jeonghan called, rising from his armchair to go into the kitchen.

“We know, hyung. We have fans everywhere, so we’ll be careful not to draw attention to ourselves.”

“That’s not what I was referring to, but okay,” he said cheekily, disappearing into the kitchen while you and Minghao stood in the entrance way just before the door, puzzled.

Joshua snickered and waved them off, “Have fun!”

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

Nearly every radio station had Christmas music playing on loop, but you weren’t a fan of all the commercials. So Minghao handed over the AUX cord and let you plug your phone into your Spotify Christmas playlist. The car ride was relaxed and fun, you and Minghao giggling and dancing to the music as much as sitting and driving in a car would allow…but the atmosphere was…different.

Neither one of you spoke much and when you did, it wasn’t very loud like it normally would be. This was far from the first time you two had been alone together, numerous V-Lives and recorded performance rehearsals proof of that, so you weren’t uncomfortable around one another. And the atmosphere wasn’t ‘tense’. Just…different; like a simmer of change hanging in the air, corralling the both of you into a comfortably peaceful world that you didn’t want to disturb.

Minghao struggled to concentrate on driving, only wanting to stare at you as you sat beside him…because you seemed to be glowing. He could be disgustingly cheesy and say you were glowing like an angel, but…well, even if he did want to be that cheesy, it wouldn’t be accurate. You were glowing more like…Christmas. Lit up with a hundred bright colors was how you glowed, bringing warmth and wonder and magic into Minghao’s world.

You were already the prettiest person he had ever seen- brown skin like ground cocoa beans, the curliest hair that wrapped around any solid thing that played in it, and a round, chubby body perfect for hip-hugging jeans, body-con dresses and day-long cuddles. And you glowed…like Christmas. He wanted to stare at you all day.

“Speed bump!”

“Oh! Hang on!”

His arm shot out across your torso as he braced himself, Minghao unable to slow down fast enough or safe enough before the car was going over the speed bump roughly. He felt you lurch against his arm and bounce up, your head nearly hitting the roof.

“Whoo! Six Flags!” you joked with a laugh.

Minghao shook his head, his own laugh a little jilted and nervous, “Ah…Sorry. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine! I didn’t hit my head or anything,” you answered.

“Are you sure?” He moved his arm away from your chest and rested his hand over yours, his palm big enough to cover from your wrist to your knuckles.

You paused for only a moment, your heart stuttering at the heat of his hand, but not wanting to embarrass him or make him stop, you spread your fingers enough for his own to fit in the hollows and tightened your hold afterward. “Yeah, I’m sure,” you said, watching his reaction carefully and grinning when he first looked down at your joined hands and then up at you.

His smile was bashful and obvious, even through his mouth mask, focusing back on the road with renewed confidence.

*~*~*~*~*

The vintage sign of your favorite cafe shined like a welcoming beacon from its place on the corner of the semi-busy street, Minghao giggling at the cute happy dance you did as he pulled around back to park in the parking lot. You were out of the car before he even turned it off, the man forever amused and even saying as such as he stepped out to find you bouncing on your toes near the trunk, waiting for him.

“I’m surprised you didn’t just run inside without me,” he teased, nudging you with his elbow.

“Trust me, I took time to seriously consider it,” you replied, scrunching your nose up at him before looping your arm through his, “But…I don’t want to go too far away from you.”

Minghao felt himself go breathless, but a smile remained ever prominent on his face, and ever obvious in the shrinking in of his eyes, as the two of you made your way from the frigid outdoors into the comforting warmth of the cafe. The baristas greeted you, the afternoon appearing to be rather slow since there was no one else in line and only a few tables were occupied.

“Hi! Welcome! What can I get started for you?” the barista asked, friendly smile in place.

“A large hot chocolate and a strawberry muffin for me!” you ordered, glancing at your companion, “Order something.”

“Hmmm…” Minghao took a moment to consider his options, “I’ll get a large hot chocolate, too, and a blueberry scone.”

“Two large hot chocolates, one strawberry muffin and one blueberry scone. Will that be all?”

“That’s it!”

“For here or to go?”

You looked at Minghao, who shrugged at you, “I wouldn’t mind taking it here.”

“For here.”

“You’re total is $16.50!”

“Y/N, there’s something on your shoes,” Minghao pointed down at your boots.

“What? Where?” Distracted, you inspected your footwear with a curious furrow of your brow, your debit card held between your fingers.

Minghao took the opportunity to give the Barista his debit card, the girl giggling as she ran it and handed it back just as you looked back at him, extending your card out.

“There was nothing on my-”

“Here’s your receipt and a number! We’ll bring your order to your table!”

“…You snake.”

Minghao laughed at the unamused glare you gave him, pinching your cheek and cooing in the process, “When you’re with me, you don’t pay for anything.”

“Really? And why is that?” you asked, quirking a brow as a little smirk tugged at the corner of your lips.

Minghao shrugged, “Because I said so.”

You were rendered speechless as the dancer took your hand in his and lead you over to a corner booth on the left side of the cafe, grateful for their choice in tinted windows that allowed for the patrons inside to enjoy the view, but kept them hidden from passersby on the outside. You slid into the booth first, closest to the window, and found your heart skipping a beat when Minghao slid in beside you. You both worked your arms out of your jackets, Minghao discarding his scarf and pushing up the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows. You sat entranced by this simple action, having always enjoyed staring at his hands, even when they were doing nothing more than adjusting his sleeves.

“How is your throat feeling?”

“…Huh?” It took you a second longer to catch up with what Minghao was asking, quite embarrassed to be caught staring at his fingers as closely as you were, “Oh! My throat. Better, actually. A lot better.”

“Good. I was worried,” he admitted, brushing a finger underneath your chin, “I told you not to push yourself so hard. You’re so stubborn.”

In the past week, you had been nursing a swollen throat that made singing a very difficult task and although you had promised not only your group mates, but Minghao as well that you would take it easy and relax it for a while, you decided to push your luck in recording a song that you were excited for when you weren’t even half-way healed. The song came out beautiful and rough, just like you imagined, but at a cost.

“I had to take advantage of how my voice sounded while it was sore. The song came out great!” you defended yourself, “Besides, I don’t want to hear anything from you about being stubborn Mr. ‘I’m Fine, I’m Fine! I Just Tweaked It!’.”

A month before you strained your throat, Minghao had twisted his ankle pretty badly. Instead of following everyone’s advice to let it rest, he insisted it wasn’t that big of a deal, that he just ‘tweaked’ it, and continued to push himself far beyond exhaustion learning new choreography. Not long after, he severely sprained that same ankle and had to be on bed rest for the following two and a half weeks.

Minghao glared dully at you as you simply stared back, your temple resting on your propped up fist. The staring continued for only a few seconds more when he- the sly, sneaky thing that he is- slipped an arm around your back and tickled your side. You squeaked and attempted to squirm away, but found yourself with nowhere to run as he locked you against his side and continued his assault, his giggling melding with yours.

“Here’s your order!” the Barista suddenly appeared and interrupted the torture you were under.

“Thank you! Thank you! Oh god, thank you!” you gasped for air, remnants of your giggling slipping through your lips.

The Barista nodded and snickered herself before she took the number that Minghao was given and then skipped away back to the counter. Once you gained your breath back, and had been reassured Minghao wouldn’t try to attack again, you picked up your drink, blew into it a few times, and took a gratifying slip. The chocolaty splendor coated your tongue and warmed you beautifully from the inside out. You hummed happily and took another sip, wiggling in your seat.

Your companion, his mouth mask tucked under his chin so he, too, could enjoy his drink, smiled at you and tapped the back of his finger against your cheek; “You’re so cute when you do that,” he mused, earning a confused hum from you, “You know, when you…”

He wiggled in his seat and you nearly choked on your muffin giggling. Minghao laughed at you, eyes shimmering and crinkled, and you were about to say something when you noticed the two baristas at the counter glancing over in your direction every few seconds or so, giddy smiles on their faces as they waited in possible anticipation. Your smile slowly fell, wondering if perhaps they recognized you and were on their way to recognizing Minghao, too.

If so, then you two would have to make a quick escape because it would only take one picture posted to social media before the cafe would be swarmed with Seventeen fans.

“What is it?”

“No, no, don’t look.” You grabbed hold of Minghao’s shoulder to keep him from turning around and averted your gaze from the counter to your table, “I think the baristas recognize us. They’re looking over here a lot.”

“Oh…” Minghao sighed and fixed his mouth mask back in place, “Maybe we should start heading back?”

“I wonder if I can order Vernon’s drink before we do,” you mused, glancing back at the counter…and pausing.

The two females had gathered together on the side closest to you and Minghao, waving you down with wide, excited smiles before pointing above you. Your brows furrowed as you glanced up…and then felt very grateful that a blush wasn’t easily noticeable on your face.

“Y/N?” Minghao followed your gaze only to find himself face to face with a mistletoe, “…Oh.”

“It’s tradition!” the baristas echoed from the counter, giggling girlishly now and waiting expectantly.

“It’s already the middle of January. I can’t believe they still have this up,” he mumbled, laughing half-heartedly in an attempt to lighten the tense atmosphere and hide the thundering of his own heart.

When his gaze settled on you again, you looked every bit as shy and nervous as he felt: quick, embarrassed glances into his eyes, your bottom lip caught between your teeth, a single curl wrapped ‘round and ‘round and ‘round your finger as you fidgeted. If Minghao weren’t caught up in this embarrassing situation with you, he would have been teasing you.

As it was, though…

“It may be tradition, but we don’t have to follow it, Y/N. It’s okay,” he assured you, his eyes narrowing with his reassuring smile beneath his mask.

You finally worked up the courage to meet his eye, holding his gaze for extended seconds that felt like minutes…hours…an eternity. He couldn’t tell what you were thinking, only that you were coming to some final conclusion. He stiffened when your hand lifted up and your fingers, soft and gentle, curled into the top corner of his mouth mask. You pulled down carefully until it settled underneath his chin again, your fingers resting there, trembling.

Minghao didn’t know if he had taken a breath in the 60 seconds that had passed, but he felt lightheaded and his lungs were burning. His eyes never left yours, even though it became increasingly difficult to hold contact with how close you were drawing to him. Closer and closer until your breaths were mingling, until your nose bumped his…until your lips were slanting with his and colors were exploding behind his eyelids. He remembered to breathe at last, inhaling you and the chocolaty taste on your lips…and he never wanted to be anywhere else ever again.

The baristas might’ve squealed. They might’ve taken a million and one pictures, but literally nothing else held any importance except for you and this warm, chocolaty kiss. A smile curled your lips as you pulled back, your dark eyes glimmering and his own vision all fuzzy with adoration. He laughed breathlessly in the short space between your lips before his hand cupped your cheek and he was kissing you this time.

He was vaguely aware of a sharp squeal, but…he was sure it wasn’t important.

*~*~*~*

Stepping out of the cafe with Vernon’s drink held securely in your hands, you and Minghao bid your goodbyes to the baristas- ignoring their incessant giggling. Snow fell quietly around you, soft little flakes brushing your cheeks and landing in your hair. Minghao stood before you then, quiet and thoughtful, just staring at you like he’d been doing after the kiss you shared under the mistletoe. You gazed back, unabashed and only a little shy.

He chuckled quietly; “Just so we’re clear,” he started, unwinding his scarf from his neck, “That kiss meant more to me than some silly tradition.”

He draped the scarf around your neck, wrapping it around twice and melting when you snuggled into it, “I like you, Y/N. I have for a long time…I think I liked you before I Even met you, the minute I heard your voice over the phone.”

His cheeks were stained pink and you had a good feeling it was from more than the cold. A smile as sweet and bright as all the Christmas lights prettied your face, “I like you, too, Minghao. I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while, but…I was too chicken.”

In his elation, the dancer lowered his mouth mask, grabbed the edges of the scarf wrapped around you, and tugged you close for another tender kiss.

“You’re mine to take care of now,” he said as he pulled back, taking your hand in his and leading you to the car, “So I’m going to be taking extra care to make sure you don’t strain your voice like that again.”

“And I’m going to glue your ass to a chair the next time you ‘tweak’ your ankle,” you shot back, giving him a little half-smirk that dissolved into laughter when he pinched your side, Minghao resisting the urge to press you against the car and kiss you silly.

There would be time for that later…plenty of time to make up for.

[askfreddiemercury]

Once ED-E and I made it to REPCONN and cleared out most of the feral ghouls, we realized that there was some sort of strange cult made of a bunch of non-feral ghouls. Their leader, Jason Bright, a glowing one, sent me on a quest to help him and his people get to the ‘far beyond.’ It involved clearing the basement of Nightkin to help get the rockets the test site still had up and ready for the ghouls to go on their journey. I had the option to screw the whole plan up but I didn’t do so because I’m not that kind of person. I managed to launch the rockets off with ease. What am I doing with my life? I’m supposed to be looking for that checkered suit asshat. Anyways.

~~~~~

I go back to Manny as the sun is starting to set.

Freddie: The ghouls are no longer at REPCONN.

Manny: Really? Unbelievable, man! I knew that wasn’t gonna be easy. But I had a good feeling about you. You look like you been through a lot.

Look huh?

Freddie: Now about the man I’m looking for…

Manny: Okay, I’ll tell you everything I know, like I promised. The guy you’re looking for, Benny, he was traveling with some members from my old gang. They were going to Boulder City.

At last, I get a name for the man who shot me.

Freddie: Where’s Boulder City?

Manny: It’s straight up Route 93 from here. Just keep following the road north.

Freddie: Any idea why they went that way?

Manny: No clue. I know Benny hadn’t paid up yet. Maybe that was where they were supposed to get square.

Freddie: Hm, well thanks, Manny. That’s all I needed to know.

Manny: Hope that helps. I owed you.

I make my way out of the dinosaur and into my motel room where I can finally rest up before I make my way to Boulder City. I tell ED-E to power down for today, he gently floats down onto the floor after doing so.

~~~~~

Not long after I fall dead asleep I wake to the sound of a gun going off. Is that Manny? Strange. I best go check that out. I leap from my bed and run over to the T-Rex, once inside I run up the stairs and open the door but instead of Manny I see a man in a dirty white shirt. He didn’t notice me even if when that door is kind of loud due to age. I tapped his shoulder and he quickly turns around with his sniper pulled out.

Freddie: Woah! Friendly fire!

He quickly puts it away.

Boone: Goddamn it! Don’t sneak up on me like that. What do you want?

He says very angrily with me. This guy looks like he hasn’t slept in ages but honestly who sleeps these days anyway.

Freddie: Were you expecting visitors?

Boone: Yeah. I guess maybe I am. But not like you. Huh. Maybe it should’ve been you I was expecting all along.

Why does it sound like everyone is flirting with me? Guess my head isn’t right yet.

Boone: Why are you here?

Freddie: Oh I just like meeting new people.

Boone: I think you’d better leave.

Freddie: Come on man, I’m just making friendly conversation.

Boone: I don’t have friends here.

Not getting rid of me that easily. I have to get this guy to open up just a little.

Freddie: Well, I’m not from here, buddy.

Boone: No. No you’re not, are you? Maybe you shouldn’t go. Not just yet. I need someone I can trust. You’re a stranger. That’s a start.

See what I mean?

Freddie: You only trust strangers?

Boone: I said it was a start. This town… Nobody looks me straight in the eye anymore.

Freddie: What do you need me to do?

Boone: I want you to find something else for me. I don’t know if there’s anything to find, but I need someone to try. My wife was taken from our home by Legion slavers one night while I was on watch. They knew when to come and what route to take, and they only took Carla. Someone set it up. I don’t know who.

Woah, this got dark fast.

Freddie: You’re trying to track down your wife?

He gives me an angry expression.

Boone: My wife’s dead. I want the son of a bitch who sold her.

Okay!

Freddie: How do you know she’s dead?

Boone: I know, all right? And that’s all you need to know.

He snaps at me and I raise my hands up to calm him down.

Freddie: What do I do if I find this person?

Boone: Bring him out in front of the nest here while I’m on duty. I work nights. I’ll give you my NCR beret to put on. It’ll be our signal, so I know you’re standing with him. And I’ll take care of the rest. I need to do this myself.

Freddie: Alright, Boone, I'll see what I can do.

Boone: Good. I’ll make it worth your while. And one more thing. We shouldn’t speak again. Not until it’s over. No one in town knows that I know what happened to my wife. Best they never know. Or the Legion will be after me next.

He hands me his beret and I make my way out of the dinosaur. Boone’s putting a lot of faith into me and hopes I can find whoever sold his wife to the Legion. I have to ask around and look around to find solid evidence on who did it. I’ve got your back, Boone.

~~~~~

First, I check in with Cliff Briscoe, owner of the little shop in the dinosaur. He says that he and Carla didn’t speak much. Said she was in his store once but didn’t stay long. He also said that Boone did most of the buying for them. He goes on to say that she had a look on her face like she’d smell something sour, but that the shop always smelled as fine as it always does. Secondly, I go find Ranger Andy. Said Carla was a knockout and that whenever Boone walked around her, he always had this funny grin on his face like he couldn’t believe his luck.

Ranger Andy: I knew we couldn’t. That wasn’t the only reason she stuck out. That girl never minced words. If she’s had better food or hospitality, she’d let you hear it. Trouble was, she usually had. I don’t think she meant it. She really was a sweet girl. I think she just wanted to remind herself that there are still nicer places in the world than Novac. Who could blame her for that?

Seems like Andy thought kindly of Carla, so not that person I’m looking for.

Next, I find Manny in his room. He tells me that Boone and he used to be snipers for the NCR but now their not a friendly terms.

Freddie: Why are you in bad terms with Boone?

Manny: Me and his wife, we didn’t see eye-to-eye on some things. We had some pretty big arguments. One day she turns up missing, and he hasn’t said a word to me since.

Boone must think Manny had something to do with his wife going missing. He tells me that he had a problem with Boone’s wife trying to take him away from Manny, he obviously had a big problem with some city lady taking his best friend away.

Manny: Believe me. When I heard the news my first thought was, I owe somebody, big. I figured Boone would come around after a while. But he hasn’t. And I’m starting to think that if he doesn’t find her, things will never go back to the way they were.

Freddie: Just how many people hated Carla?

Manny: Man, everybody. That girl didn’t have one friend in this whole town. She didn’t want any. She wanted to sit in her room all day and make herself miserable. And she went out of her way to be rude. She upset a lot of people. You wouldn’t have liked her, either.

I feel like Manny is taking a few liberties with this story, she couldn’t have been that awful. I thank him anyway and finally decide to check up Jeannie, the owner of Novac.

Freddie: What can you tell me about Boone’s wife?

Jeannie: How should I put it? I guess you could say she was kinda like a cactus flower. Real pretty to look at, but there was just no getting close to her. She never did take living here. She liked the big lights and fast living of New Vegas. I got the feeling she was trying to get Boone to leave with her, but I guess she got tired of waiting. I know he thinks she was kidnapped, but I’m not so sure she didn’t just run off on her own. You could tell she was thinking about it ever since they arrived.

Well, that whole story sounds like a bunch of brahmin shit! Something isn’t adding up with Jeannie’s story, so far I’ve heard that she loved Boone quite a lot and he loved her. Why the hell would she just get up and walk off? Especially with how dangerous the Mojave is. I think Jeannie is hiding something and I intend to find out. I wait around the main office until Jeannie walks out to go to her room. I’ve seen a safe just behind the desk there, maybe there’s something inside that could help me.

I get up to unlock the safe and once I’m in I see a piece of paper, after reading I found out that it’s a bill of sale… For Carla… I read that the Legion came by and offered to buy her off of Jeannie, she gave them rights of ownership and sale for one thousand bottle caps. Things get worse as I go on and read “...and those of her unborn child for the sum of five hundred bottle caps…”

Boone was right all along, Jeannie was annoyed with Carla because she was a bit of a snob and sold her as a slave along with her unborn child. This is the most horrifying thing I’ve heard so far. All because she didn’t like her?! Well, it’s time for Boone to get his revenge.

~~~~~

I go to Jeannie’s room and knock on the door, she opens the door.

Freddie: Hey, Jeannie, Come with me. There’s something you should see, in front of the dinosaur.

Jeannie: Okay. If that’s what you think.

Yeah, I do think that.

I lead her out of Novac and right in front of the nest like Boone said. She looks around at nothing while I put it on Boone’s beret and he takes the shot right then and there. I’m caught off guard.

Freddie: Fuck!

I jump out of the way as Jeannie falls to the ground, her head was completely blown off. Talk about some shot. I rush back to the dinosaur and up the stairs where Boone is waiting for me.

Boone: That’s it. How did you know?

I hand him the bill of sale.

Freddie: I found this in her safe, Jeannie did it.

Boone: I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. It’d be like them to keep paperwork.

Boone takes his beret back but gives me another 1st Recon beret he had with him.

Boone: Here. This is all I can give. I think our dealings are done here.

Freddie: What will you do after this?

Boone: I don’t know. I won’t be staying. I know that. Don’t see much point in anything right now, except hunting legionaries. Maybe I’llwonder, like you.

Freddie: Hey, why don’t you come with me? Let’s go after the Legion.

Boone: You don’t want to do that.

Freddie: We’ll kill more with two of us.

Boone: Yeah. That might be true. And that’s reason enough for me to take you up on it. I suppose. But this isn’t gonna end well.

<Boone has given you the Spotter perk, this will help you see enemies from far away or even the dark much better>

Boone: Fine. Let’s get out of here.

Freddie: Great. We heading to New Vegas. I have a score to settle. Wait, the name Benny doesn’t mean anything to you does it?

Boone: No.

I put on the beret that he gave me.

Freddie: Since you gave me this one, do you ever take yours off?

Boone: No.

What an open book this guy is.

Freddie: Alright. Let’s go then, I just need to go grab ED-E real fast. Been asleep this whole time. Poor little buddy.

[elizacornwall]

Vengeance is an Idiot's Game - Chapter 28 - Polaris

Read all the published chapters here. -------------------------------------------------- Eliza spent the rest of the afternoon doing chores. Her friends were eager to know how her riding lesson went and especially Mary-Beth seemed interested, following every word of her tale while they were helping Pearson to prepare for dinner. “Ah it’s such a shame I can ride already, he sounds t’be a good teacher”, she said after Eliza had finished. “Ain’t like he’d teach anyone else than our Eliza here, he seems mighty fond of her. Never seen him so concerned over anyone”, Karen cackled. Eliza felt the heat rising to her cheeks, yes why was he so intent of making sure she was okay? Even this afternoon he had checked in twice on her to see if she needed anything. The gnawing thought about what her fluttering stomach could mean came back and she pushed it away. Not now. “He just feels guilty, silly!” Tilly tuned in. “He ain’t forgotten how they kidnapped her, wanna bet that’s why?” Yeah, that must be the reason, Eliza thought to herself. She flicked a potato peel towards Karen, who was still cackling away. The blonde girl protested as it landed in her hair and threw a handful of greenery back, covering half the prepped vegetables between them. Pearson grunted angrily and shooed them away, the girls laughing over the mischief they’ve caused. Hosea was nearby and came up to them, greeting them lovingly in his grandfatherly manner. He turned to Eliza. “Any chance I might steal you away for a little chat before dinner?” “Of course!” She hooked her hand under his arm and they made off to the edge of the camp, to the horses.

“So I hear young Arthur has been teaching you to ride our way! How did that go?” “Very well, I think! Moonshine is a lovely horse mind you, I’m not sure if I’m any good at it myself or if she’s just incredibly well trained”, Eliza laughed. “Arthur was really helpful and patient. You seem to have brought him up well”, she added, smiling up at the old man. He returned her smile, amused. “Well it weren’t just me. But I do agree, the boy’s turned out alright, got a bright head on his shoulders and his heart in the right place. I for one am glad about that.” He sighed. “Not everyone would agree though, this is a hard life and sometimes I think he’s too good for us all. “Tell me about it”, she mumbled. “Do you know why he’s so eager to help me? I don’t see him teaching the girls anything, or even Lenny for that matter.” Hosea hesitated, looking at her as if he wasn’t sure how to answer. “That’s… Well, I have a theory. But you better ask him that yourself. It’s his business.” Her heart leapt up. She beat it down her throat again and nodded, disgruntled. “Is it because he feels guilty about what happened to me?” She couldn’t help herself, even though she knew the man felt uncomfortable talking about the subject. “I don’t know about that. I… really, you better ask him that. I wouldn’t want to be seen gossiping about the man’s past.” “I understand. My apologies.” She let her glance sweep over the horses. About a third were gone, including the massive Moonshine and mean Hera. Of course the two most efficient members were out on some errand. “What was it you wanted to talk to me about?” His face lit up. “Ah, I just wanted to make sure your lesson went well my girl! I had feared I’d have to have a word with Arthur, but according to you he’s a good teacher”, he nudged her side, grinning at her with a twinkle in his eyes. “Even if Moonshine was a bit big for you” he added. Eliza knew he was only teasing her in good faith but that didn’t mean she wasn’t taken back to Sadie laughing at her. She grumbled. He nudged her again and continued. “Don’t worry, I have a feeling that’s gonna be taken care of quite soon. Arthur might have mentioned something.” She looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean, taken care of?” Hosea just shrugged his shoulders and laughed. “Wouldn’t want to give anything away young lady! Now would you stop slapping my poor old arm if you please, I’m too frail to endure such excessive violence these days.” She gave him one last playful smack and joined in the laughter. He really had a talent for making her feel at ease, she very much enjoyed the company of this old man. No flutter in your stomach though~ She shook her head and once again pushed the thought away. They observed the horses that were grazing nearby. She knew half of them by name and who they all belonged to by now. Her favourite was undoubtedly Moonshine, the mare had intimidated her with her enormous size at first, but she was gentle as anything and always up for a good scratch. Lenny’s horse Maggie was sat on the ground not far from them, the good little Mustang stood high in Eliza’s regards too. She yearned for her own horse, but had neither the money to buy one, nor the skill to tame one. Her and Hosea were chatting about different horse breeds and their specific traits when Pearson called the camp to dinner. Rabbit stew was on the menu this evening, the game they brought in a few days ago had run out already. It was pleasant as always and soon after Javier was playing softly on his guitar. Eliza excused herself and headed to the cliff, sitting down behind a rock and marvelling at the clear sky. She welcomed the cool breeze. It had been a hot day and she would have to head out for a bath soon, the warm weather made her grimy with sweat much quicker than she would have liked. Her eyes glided across the sky and got caught by the brightness of the North Star. Arthur had pointed it out to her when the two were sat here the other night, herself drunk as anything. She was embarrassed even just remembering parts of that conversation. No

wonder he saw her as a helpless child, stubborn and pouty as she had been. Yet… He hadn’t seemed to look at her that way when they had shared that dance. The memory still made her blush and her stomach fluttered again. She sighed, finally giving up on trying to find an explanation other than what it was. There was no denying it, she liked the man in more than just a friendly way. Why she felt like that she couldn’t fathom, he had been good to her, sure, but so had Hosea and Lenny and Dutch and all the others, really? He was gruff and awkward at times, a gentleman but also a brutish outlaw. She had always liked to imagine one day she’d fall in love with someone her age, a gentle fellow of decent standing that would treat her well and would pry her from her father’s grasp. They’d get a little farm or cottage; and they’d look after house and grounds together. Arthur didn’t seem like the type to settle down though, besides, wasn’t he like ten years older than her? Most men of his profession didn’t live much longer, it was a miracle Hosea and Dutch were still alive. Falling in love with an outlaw would only end in heartbreak surely. You’re not in love though, are you. Just sweet on him. She let out an exasperated breath. The last decade she had spent trying to develop feelings for any of the men her father picked out, just to escape his grip. The most she had managed to feel though was disdain at rich men’s incredible self-importance and narcissism. And now here she was, in the lowest bracket of society, surrounded by criminals and getting too fond of a thieving, murdering outlaw. The star above her twinkled and she lowered her head into her hands. She wouldn’t let her feelings get in the way she decided. There were more important things for her right now than romance, and he had never shown any interest in that sort of relationship anyway. Secondly, she was pretty sure Mary-Beth had a deep admiration for the man too, and she wasn’t about to destroy her friendship with the lovely girl for some short lived fling. She would have to ask him why he’d taken her on like some sort of personal protection project, maybe that would push all hope out of her heart so she could move on and leave these silly feelings behind her. Eliza got to her feet and turned to head to her cot when she noticed a small commotion at the camp entrance. Sadie and Arthur were back, and she thought she could see someone else, but they were hidden behind their huge mounts. She wandered towards them as Sadie called out her name, her eyes scanning their wagon, looking for the girl. “I’m here”, she answered as she approached. “What’s going on?” The blonde woman looked at her with a wide smile, Arthur hung back, his hat pulled deep into his face. Typical, she thought, but smiled. Sadie answered. “I wanted to apologise for earlier. ‘t wasn’t right of me to laugh at ya. Here, this one is all yours.” She beckoned to Arthur, who led a gorgeous horse towards them, white with black splashes. It had been hidden behind Moonshine, Eliza hadn’t realised it was another horse. Her mouth fell open and Arthur passed her the rope with a reaffirming nod. “W-what do you mean, mine? Where did you get it from?” She stared at the gorgeous animal. It had a heavy build but was much smaller than Moonshine, with a thick mane and tail and tassels of long hair around the hooves. “Let’s just say the guy who owns the stables in Scarlett Meadows owed me a favour”, the blonde woman answered. “He only needed a bit of convincing.” Her face pulled into a mean grin as she patted the revolver at her side. Eliza furrowed her brows. “You stole it you mean?” “No, really! I helped him with some horse thieves some months back. Honest, he owed me.” “Didn’t seem to think he owed you tack though”, Arthur chuckled. Eliza just shook her head in disbelief and turned her attention back to the beautiful mare. Her fur was soft and she seemed to be well looked after and healthy. It reminded her of her old pony Curdle, that she had to leave behind in England. “Is it a Gypsy Cob? I thought you didn’t

have these here!”, she asked. “I ain’t sure, he didn’t tell me”, Sadie admitted. “She’s young and strong though, calm in her temper mostly he said. Should suit you well.” She continued to pet her new horse, overwhelmed by this gift. The mare whickered softly and nudged Eliza with her nose. She laughed and looked at the woman to her left. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you Sadie, she’s beautiful.” The blonde smiled. “Thank Arthur here, ‘t was his idea really. Weren’t no trouble.” Eliza’s eyes shot to the man who was stood a few paces away, observing them two from beneath his hat. He tugged at his sleeve and shrugged. “Thought you’d like to have your own. Sadie wanted to pay ya back, with you getting her wagon and all.” He nodded to the mare. “What are you gonna call her?” She thought for a moment, considering the horse. Her white fur glistened in the moonlight and was only broken up by flecks of black splashed here and there. The mane and tail were two toned in white and black too and as her deep brown eyes caught the twinkle of the star Eliza had been staring at not too long ago. She smiled. “Polaris.” Arthur chuckled soundlessly and Sadie congratulated her. “That’s a good name. Now let’s see how you get on with that saddle of yours.” They let her take off saddle and bridle, standing by in case she needed help but Eliza managed to do it all herself. The seat was still very heavy, but much less so than Moonshine’s that had almost buried her. Polaris was also at a good height for her to be able to get her ready without the need of a stepping stone, but she would still look like a big horse with her on it. All the while she was talking gently to the mare, acquainting herself with the animal. She had missed caring for a horse, her father never let her into the stables after that incident with the servant boy, any horseback riding she did was just that – riding. Taking care of the horses wasn’t her job and he never let her do any dirty work that wouldn’t befit her status. In Yorkshire she had spent hours with Curdle, brushing him, talking to him and just sitting near him in silent company. She was so happy to have this cob to care for now. “Can I take her out tomorrow for a ride? Alone?” Sadie looked at Arthur, he lifted his shoulders. “Sure, don’t see why not”, he answered and she beamed at him. “I’ll ask Charles if I can borrow his bow and try to get something back for dinner!” Sadie cackled. “Make sure we ain’t getting too reliant on you, girl! Come on Arthur, let’s give her some time alone with her new friend. I’m tired.” They departed; Eliza stayed with Polaris for over an hour before she went to bed herself. She was happy.

[vandalsandvagrants]

I don't cheat, okay? Let me say it again. I. Do. Not. Cheat. The same way I don't drink-drive or wear yesterday's underpants. It's a built-in rule and one that with a little forward thinking is never broken. I'm engaged now to Amanda and our relationship couldn't be stronger. It's built on honesty and it's built on trust, got me? We have a varied, healthy and satisfying sex-life and we don't screw other people. End of story.

This is most reassuring when, for example, I end up talking to the new temp across the photocopier at work. Or when I go out drinking with mates at the sort of club where randy, dissatisfied wives and girlfriends go to prove they're still attractive to other guys. The subtle explanatory reference is never far from my lips, should I fall into conversation with such ladies: 'I was on holiday there with my girlfriend.' Or the more direct 'Thanks, but I'm already with someone,' if required. And then there's that old faithful back-up: 'Yes, but I'd know, even if she didn't.'

Nothing is ever going to happen.

This is especially good to bear in mind on a day like today. One of the days when I visit Kelly. In fact, no - that's not even a cause for mild concern. Kelly's in a relationship as well, and she really likes the bloke. He's quite the romantic, it seems. Last time she told me all about her high expectations for Valentine's Day and I in turn described my plans for Amanda and myself. The two of us, client and professional, sharing the same warm glow from our respective love affairs. So the Kelly situation is nothing to worry about.

Okay, all right - so the reason we ended up talking so earnestly about our significant others was to deflect from a certain...frisson that passed between us. Now hold on, I didn't hit on her - don't think that for a second - and she didn't take it as such. I passed some vague compliment about her loose perm suiting her, or something like that, and she took maybe a little too much pleasure in it and then I held eye-contact a longer than was perhaps wise... And then it was all embarrassment and rapidly changed subject and very deliberate mention, on both our parts, of the people we were involved with.

Well massage is intimate after all, even purely therapeutic massage. Kelly is a consummate professional; she's friendly without being flirtatious, very careful to keep that businesslike edge. But after several sessions you get to know each other a bit. And if you have a natural connection and a degree of mutual attraction, however unspoken, well, anyone's guard can drop. Okay, it's true - I did carry her final smile with me for the rest of the day. And that night. When I was...having sex with Amanda. There I was, my body moving on my fiancee's, and when I closed my eyes, Kelly's smiling face was floating before me. Amanda's moans and Kelly's smile... Shit, look, I mean everyone has those thoughts! It's not as though I deliberately dwelt on them...

And - and - why the hell am I even feeling guilty? The massage sessions were Amanda's idea in the first place. She was driving the bastard car when the accident occurred! If she hadn't braked to save that frigging pigeon, we wouldn't have been back-ended, I wouldn't have whiplash, there'd be no need for bleeding massage therapy! And I haven't even done anything yet. Not that I'm going to!

Like I said, nothing is ever going to happen.

Nice to know, as I pass through the revolving doors of Blue Haven Health and Fitness Spa. As I check in at the desk. As I make my way along the bright corridor to the massage suite. The massage suite where I know Kelly, the lovely manipulator of my limbs, will be waiting... Thank fuck she has a boyfriend.

'Hello?' Deep breaths as I knock on the door. I'm building this up out of nothing; it's a fantasy I've apparently been entertaining too much. Kelly'll be her bright, brisk, professional self. But I can feel my balls tingling as I hear her welcoming response. As I enter the brightly, clinically lit room, she's busy fluffing towels over by the massage table, but looks up with a grin of recognition. More welcoming than usual? But then we're naturally getting more relaxed with each other after four sessions.

'Hi Ed,' she grins, with a degree of warmth that surprises and gratifies me. 'Come on in, I'll be right with you.' I close the door behind me, acting casual, relaxed. She's dressed in her usual white overalls and gym slippers, and I divert my mind from the supple, tanned body I suspect lies beneath. Her wheat-blonde hair is tied back revealing her sharp-featured, pretty face. The pastel-walled room, with its posters on the virtues of acupuncture and various styles of massage, Eastern and Western, is unchanged from before; so why am I more aware of its intimacy, complete with bed-table and en suite shower?

'How's the back?' she inquires. 'Have I made it better or worse?' It's the usual relaxed style of chat, but there's some indefinable difference in her tone that makes me wary. Look, stop being an asshole, Ed - this is some type of twisted wishful thinking. Don't fucking flatter yourself.

'Almost all better,' I say. 'Couple more sessions and I'll be fine.'

'And then I won't see you any more,' she says with a mock pout. I must register some of the surprise I feel, because she adds, 'Well you're easier to talk to than a lot of my clients. Take off your jacket.' I've been curiously immobile and she's noticed.

'So how was Valentine's?' I ask, slipping the jacket nonchalantly off my shoulders and draping it over a chair. Get the conversation straight on to her fella, don't focus on the fact that you'll soon be undressing in proximity to this girl.

Her face darkens. 'God, let's not go there,' she says. But after a long, angry sigh she does. 'The bastard was cheating on me.' I'm knocked back. This is not what I've been expecting. Or hoping for. I think. 'Yeah, I know,' she goes on. 'Think how stunned I was. Mr bloody Romance. Only he's gone and had it off with some girl he picked up at a night club. At the same happy hunting ground where he met me! Except one of my friends sees him. Stupid bastard.' She pauses, seeming a touch embarrassed. 'You're sorry you asked now.'

'No, I'm not - get it off your chest.' Good God, I'm quoting lines from a Seventies British sex comedy now! Confessions of a Massage Client With a Dodgy Back. Get it off your chest? For fuck's sake...

'So,' Kelly is finishing off, 'my Valentine's Day consisted of him trying to tell me it was only a one-off and he was drunk, as if that's supposed to console me, and then me finally telling him to piss off.'

'So is that it? No chance you'll get back together??' I hope I sound sympathetic rather than hopeful.

'No, that's that,' she shrugs, matter-of-factly. There's the slightest of pauses. 'So I'm single again. How did things go for you?'

'Oh - okay, okay,' I say. Don't want to set up my happy Valentine's evening against her crap one, after all. 'Went to a new Tapas place, exchanged cards, usual stuff. Sorry things didn't work out for you...'

She waves it away with a friendly smile. 'It's not your fault, Ed. Now go behind the screen and get stripped off for me.' She says this with a cheeky grin, flinging a towel my direction. 'And don't forget to wear that!'

Conversation has never been any problem with this girl, so why is every opening gambit dying in my throat right now? A great yawning silence is opening up, as I drop my shirt on the chair provided and set about unlacing my shoes. Don't be so bloody ridiculous, Ed. This is not a problem. Despite the fact she hasn't removed herself discretely from the room while I undress, like she usually does... Not a problem at all.

'No, I got too serious too soon with Nick.' Kelly's back on the subject of her break-up. I'm listening in a semi-daze, removing my trousers. 'Should have seen it for what it was. Should have seen him for what he was. No, Ed, it's given me a whole new attitude.'

'It has?' I want to hear, despite myself.

'Yeah - forget serious, forget meaningful. I just want to enjoy myself a bit.'

'Sounds fair enough.' I slip off my briefs.

'Yeah, if I meet someone I like, I'm just going to fuck him.' She applies a lusty weight to the f-word. Fuck with my head, more's the point! A powerful current channels from my brain to the root of my dick, as soon as she says it. I'm standing naked behind the screen in an aching conversational void, groping clumsily for my towel. 'So what do you think of that, Ed?'

What I think is, When did Kelly the sweet-natured masseuse become Kelly the husky-voiced little prick-tease? What I say is a stammered 'Well - I mean - yeah.' Okay Ed, don't lose your cool. Just wrap the towel around as loosely as possible - try to disguise your embarrassingly extending organ. 'You deserve to cut loose a bit after what he did to you.'

'You said it. Ready yet?'

I sidle sheepishly out from behind the screen, clutching my towel about me, vainly trying to hide the tent-pole effect at the front. Kelly's eyes flick momentarily there and back again to my face. Shit - my arousal is duly noted. 'Shame you're taken, or I might just have you here on the massage table,' she laughs. The come-on is jokey, but I must look as if I'm about to choke. 'Sorry Ed, I'm being wicked - I don't know what's come over me. Lie down on your stomach and I'll get the oil. You're safe with me.' But her smile is teasing and she brushes a soft hand across my upper arm before moving away. I have to adjust my hardened member in order to lie comfortably on the massage table.

She's small-talking in a relaxed fashion, as she pours the warm oil smoothly down my spine, but there's a sly undercurrent that's never been there before. My mind flits about for something else to cling to, but her hands are slowly, rhythmically kneading the back of my neck, and her words, whatever the hell she's saying, have a breathy, hypnotic quality to them.

'We'll have you back to the gym soon,' she's saying. 'You haven't lost any of your muscle tone in the meantime - still in really great shape.'

'Thanks,' I murmur, cheek pressed to the pillow, aware of her face hovering close above me, the scent of the oil mingling with her skin cream. She works her way insistently, skilfully down my spine.

'Your girlfriend's very lucky. She's done better than I did...Just don't tell her that you got excited before your massage.'

'Oh, sorry about that,' I say, tensing again in shock at the very mention. Sorry? She was the one introducing the subject of casual fucking!

'Relax, I'm joking!' she laughs. 'I know what you guys are like.' And she swoops down to run her hands firmly the length of my arms, so that her pony-tailed hair brushes across my neck. I can sense her mouth hovering close to the side of my face. 'Although I'm flattered you got hard before we'd even started.'

The last sentence is a soft, girlish whisper and even minutes later, when she's working her hands up my leg muscles, it has the blood pounding in my ears. Whatever blood, that is, that hasn't been pumped to my now totally swollen cock. She kneads away just below my ass for a moment. 'Tell me something Ed,' she ventures. 'I'd like the male perspective.'

'Sure,' I croak like a bewildered frog.

'I mean, here I am, day in, day out, getting on with my job. And every now and then I'll notice the guy I'm massaging has a hard-on. Mostly he'll have the decency to look embarrassed and try to hide it, and now and again I get some perv who looks really pleased with himself. So Ed, what I'm wondering is, do guys always, inevitably associate massage with sex?'

How fucking naive is this girl? I groan inwardly. Not very, it turns out.

'Tell me honestly, Ed - Do you get a regular stiff one when you're lying here?' There's playful mockery in her laughter as she says this. 'I know I've been very bad today, but - well - do you?'

Rising panic, to accompany my 'stiff one'. 'Kelly, I don't think we should be having this conversation.'

'It's just talk, that's all,' she says, reverting to surprised innocence. Her firm and steady kneading of the area marginally south of my buttocks continues. 'I mean, I'm not trying to flatter myself, but - do you reckon a lot of my male clients think of me sexually? Or do I just imagine that?' Her hands are lingering tantalisingly around my left upper thigh. She knows exactly how this male client thinks of her and is pressing it to her advantage.

'Well - I mean - it's just an involuntary reaction,' I stammer. 'You're an attractive girl whose job just happens to be...'

'...Rubbing oil all over nearly nude guys, yes I know,' she laughs silkily. 'I suppose I've just developed such a professional approach to it over time that I don't think about it in that way. Plus most of my clients don't do much to distract me. Most of my clients...' And she smoothes the oil slowly and deliberately between my legs, running her fingers lightly over my ball sac. 'Oops...'

I give a sharp, involuntary gasp. My cardiac activity is going crazy, my already inflated cock stretching against the towel beneath me. A very scary line has just been crossed by my masseuse. Oops? Don't acknowledge any line - just make light if it for fuck's sake! 'Careful where you put your hands!' I say, my breath shallow. 'I'm as good as married...' That did sound humorous, right?

'Sorry,' she says lightly and sweetly, retreating down my right leg. My state of panicked arousal remains however. She works away quietly for a little while, but it's just a lull before her next offensive on my libido, I know this. 'So Ed.' Her voice is soft, her manner offhand. 'You ever think about our massage sessions when you wank?'

That's it, I'm going to get off the table, grab my towel and get the fuck out as quickly as possible. Now. Right this second. Here goes... No. Can't do it. I haven't got further than prising myself up a bit with one hand. She'll only see my prick pointing to the ceiling if I move any more. 'Kelly, you can't ask me something like that!'

'Why not?' There's a disingenuous girlish sweetness in her voice.

'I'm engaged...'

'What, so you don't masturbate any more? You don't fantasise when you're on your own?'

'That's not what I meant! Look, I'm not like...like your...'

'My weasel of an ex-boyfriend? I know you're not like him, Ed.' She sounds genuinely affectionate. 'But you're still a guy.' She very purposefully begins to run her fingers back and forth along the sensitive strip of flesh between my asshole and my balls. Holy fuck, no...please no... I'm gasping audibly, half propped up on the table, unable to move. 'You like that, don't you? I don't think you want me to stop.'

'Kelly please...' I'm trying to fight the delightful, sinful sensations washing through my body, but she lays her other hand on my shoulder and with the words 'Just relax, darling' causes me to subside back on to the flat surface like a lost soul.

'Now you just lie there and let me massage that nice ass of yours.' I'm at her mercy, as she unfolds the towel at the back and uncovers my buttocks. There's that same quiet intensity in her voice, as she applies more oil to her hands and sets about me. 'There, darling...isn't that good? Now don't you worry about a thing. You're safe with me.' As her able fingers massage the warm oil slowly and rhythmically into my bum cheeks, I feel a vast distance from safe. I'm temporarily... yes, temporarily overpowered by an electric charge emanating from her work on my pelvic region to my entire body. It's wrong. It's guilty. It's fucking fabulous.

'What if your boss walks in?' It's a feeble effort, crawling its way from beneath the erotic cloak that's flapping about my brain.

'We're on friendly terms, she's very understanding,' Kelly reassures, and then she giggles. 'You know I'm sure she's entertained at least one boyfriend round here herself.'

I'm so far gone this only just registers. 'You mean...'

'Yes sweetheart, it's all planned.' She dribbles oil between my buttocks and delicately begins to smooth its warmth into my ass crack. The feeling is sensational. 'No one's going to disturb us. And there are no clients in the adjacent rooms. We can do as much or as little as you want.' Deftly she rims my asshole with a safely manicured finger, while her softly breathing mouth homes in on my ear, her teeth gently tugging on the lobe. 'You won't believe what I'm wearing underneath my uniform,' she tells me. 'Just for you. I haven't worn it since last summer on the beach in Ibiza.' She pauses to let that sink in, her naughty little index finger still circling. 'It might as well not be there.' And she slips her finger suddenly up my ass.

'Fuck!' That was a vocal ejaculation only, but with Kelly's intruding digit, I swear my cock has never felt bigger or more potentially explosive. 'God, Kelly...' I'm panting in agonised bliss. 'You - You bad little...'

'That feel good then?' she croons, stroking my neck with her free hand. 'Does it make you hard? Does it make you want to fuck me?'

'Kelly I can't...I'm engaged...'

'Our secret,' and she kisses the side of my face. 'Inside this room. Once you leave, it didn't happen.'

'But I'll know...I'll know...' It's close to a prayer.

She extracts her wicked finger. 'Okay,' she says gently. 'But just turn over. Turn over and look at me. See what you're turning down.'

I have to. I can't not. The imagined joys of her uncovered body have been lurking in my subconscious for weeks. But I instinctively clutch the towel over my bone-hard erection, as I flip on to my back. She retreats from the table, smiling an impish smile, and tugs at the front collar of her jacket with both hands. Metal press-studs pop apart one by one from top to bottom, each pop revealing more of her impressive upper body. Her delicate, gym-toned figure, tan topped up to a golden brown, is scarcely covered by an outrageous, day-glo orange, one-piece swimsuit. Twin strips of material plunge from her shoulders towards her crotch, clinging to the erect nipples of her perfectly suckable, pear-sized breasts. She lets the jacket slide from her slender arms and sets about loosening her uniform bottoms. Turning side on to me and jutting out her rear for full effect, she peels them from her gorgeously pert ass and pads out of them lightly; the swimsuit's string is swallowed up by her beautifully defined bum crack.

'So Ed,' she says, giving me a full-frontal blast of her near-naked, supple body, 'see anything you want to fuck?'

Oh God yes, I want to fuck her tight, waxed cunt, tucked away as it is beneath that sheer strand of swimsuit, very urgently. I want to work over that same cunt with my fingers and tongue before shoving my cock inside it and pumping for Britain. I'm getting married within the year and I want to nail this girl in the worst way.

'Just keep watching me, Ed,' she virtually croons, as she trickles massage oil down her front. She draws the strips of her scant costume away from her breasts and massages in the oil, both tits a neat, firm handful. 'I know you want to suck on these.' She tugs on her hard, dark-pink nipples for my guilty viewing pleasure, to the point that it must surely hurt her. 'And I know for sure you want inside this.' One delicate finger swoops below and slips beneath the swimsuit's crotch, wriggling its way up that secret, wet little fuck-hole. She appears to rotate her searching digit for a moment, biting her lip in pleasure, then she withdraws it with a slick little sound and with relish sucks it clean.

My whole world is now centred on how hard my cock feels, on the tightness of my balls. Her all-but-nude form moves gracefully, knowingly towards me. I don't even try to prevent her, as she takes my towel between her thumb and index finger and lightly plucks it away from my long, sturdy erection. Were it not for Amanda, my chief emotion here would be pride at how ample my member looks, lying there heavily, thick and purple-headed, a wet, silver strand linking its tip to my belly. 'Christ, Ed,' says Kelly in apparent appreciation, as she drops the towel to one side. 'I really hope that's all for me!' She brushes the underside of my cock with warm fingertips, sending a jolt through my whole nervous system, then she stoops down and with her tongue-tip deftly licks away the pre-cum from the head of my prick, eyeing me all the time.

'You little tease,' I whisper huskily, as she runs one soft palm over my chest and stomach and commences manipulating my spontaneously twitching cock with the other.

'So what are you going to do with this little tease?' she asks, in her most girlish voice, gently pinching my nipples and twanging my hard shaft so that it springs back against my stomach with a firm slap. 'You going to show her how a tease gets treated? You going to give her what a tease deserves?'

My hips are gently bucking now under her artistic touch. Thoughts of Amanda and weddings and fidelity are being forced to the margins of my thoughts by the primal urge to fuck and to fuck hard. Christ, I want to grab this girl, rip the flimsy swimsuit from her tight body and bang the living shit out of her. Some final thread of conscience is holding me back, however. Kelly's aware of this and sets about snapping it.

'Why don't I sit on your face, while you decide what you want to do to me?' Before the words have sunk in, she's raised herself on the side of the table and gymnastically swung a leg over me so she straddles my chest, then she hauls herself a foot up my body, pulls the swimsuit crotch to one side and wraps her toned thighs round my head. I have a fleeting impression of her naked, pink pussy descending on me, then the bottom half of my face is smothered by her sex, my mouth and nose overwhelmed by the taste and smell of her slithering, wet cunt-folds. Instinctively I slap my hands either side of her firmly plump ass to support her weight and help myself breath, as she begins to rock herself gleefully on my face, uttering happy little feminine moans. The tangy, natural perfume of her snatch is filling my nostrils and her nectar is pooling around my lips and chin, so what choice have I but to start licking my way into that wetly pulsating tunnel? The feeling is glorious - like thrusting my tongue into a ripe, salty peach and letting the juice flood my mouth.

I've got a firm hold of her gorgeous, tight bum-cheeks now, as she enthusiastically rides my face, already off the starting blocks and sprinting for an orgasmic finishing line. And she's a talker. 'Oh God, Ed - oh yeah, grab my ass, fuck me with your tongue, that's right. That feels so fucking good. Oooooh - lick out my cunt, sweetheart - oh yeah, you liking that? 'Cos I'm fucking loving it. Ohhhhh Christ - you want to fuck me properly after this? You want to give me your... Oh God, oh God I'm close - Oh keep doing that...' And her words dissolve into a series of crescendo-ing yelps as she hits her peak.

Her whole body begins to shudder and thrash, as she achieves her climax. My hands clamp tighter to her ass to support her and the slick, fleshy folds of her gash slither about my mouth and chin, smearing me with juice. The exotic taste of her is flowing down my tongue, thrust as it is up her hole, to the very back of my throat. Then, as her orgasm starts to subside, the soft inside of her cunt turns hyper-sensitive and she shivers and squirms, hardly able to bear the sensation.

'Oh - oh - Jesus - that's enough...' I grab her thighs and pull her closer to my face, sucking hard on her engorged clit to punish her. She squeals and laughs semi-hysterically, trying to pull away. 'Oh Christ, no baby, no - I can't stand it...' I'm fully enjoying this, I realise, enjoying having a little control at last, and yes - enjoying the thought of her gym-tightened body thrashing about on the end of my tongue. 'Oh God, stop, please! Please - let me suck your cock for you...'

God help me, I'm way past resisting. I release her tight cheeks from my grasp, enabling her to relieve her cunt of my teasing. Shaky but intent she swings her gorgeous body off the table and seconds later my prone member is taken in hand and gobbled up in her wet, sucking mouth. I can only surrender to the thrilling sensation of my cock-head being swathed in the caressing tongue of my over-friendly masseuse. Amanda's beautiful image is swimming tormentingly before my mind's eye, but my hips are undulating to the rhythm of Kelly's gentle slurping.

I look up with a need to witness what's being done, and see her staring wickedly at me, as she drools saliva down my shaft so that she can wank it more smoothly, all the time sucking the head. It's a delicious image and one that pushes me beyond some psychological boundary. I'm not just going to lie here passively accepting her seduction. I'm going to give the sexy little bitch what she obviously wants, along with whatever interest I can muster - I'm going to make her pay for what she's doing. Very shortly this cheating guy is going to empty the contents of his balls inside Kelly - the only question is which hole.

For a few moments I let her fabulous cock-sucking ministrations continue, then I sit up, grab her ponytail and yank her head up, away from my dick, eliciting a startled gasp. I clamber off the table, not letting go of her hair, then I grapple the rest of her lithe body to me and kiss her hard, locking her lips to mine, thrusting my tongue into her welcoming mouth. She kisses furiously in return, clutching my back, then sliding her hands down to my ass and pulling, so that my rearing cock is pulled flat against her stomach.

I drag her head back from mine by her ponytail and look into her reddened, panting face. 'I'm getting married later this year,' I say hoarsely. 'I shouldn't be doing what I'm about to.'

'You're allowed one last fling,' she says, her breath shallow. 'Just enjoy it and...'

'Look Kelly, just shut up the fuck up and get on to that table,' I tell her softly, giving her a gentle shove that bumps her ass into its side.

'Okay,' she mouths in quiet excitement, scrambling obediently on to the padded surface. Her eyes are locked on mine in anticipation.

I'm on her in an instant, tearing the inadequate bikini off her body in a rough and determined single move and climbing on to her, my angry, swollen cock homing in on the wet entrance opening up between her spreading thighs. Now I'm right over her, flicking a hardened nipple with my tongue and tugging it with my teeth hard enough to produce a little moan. Her taut, bare thighs are close against my waist. Then I feel the head of my dick brushing between them, nuzzling against her slippery cunt lips.

I'm frozen momentarily, primed above her for the initial thrust. Every inch of my body is tensed, holding back an immense charge of sexual energy that screams to be released. I'm about to fuck what will be my first pussy in four years other than Amanda's, for the simple reason that it's there. That it belongs to a hot, cock-stiffening wannabee-slut. Christ she's about to get fucking pounded.

'Come on sweetheart, what are you wait...' And before she can finish, I roll my hips and thrust the whole length of my cock inside her, like I'm slamming home a door bolt. She expels a great gasp of air as my body slams into hers. I grab her upper arms and set about fucking her with hard, deep thrusts, loving the way each impact jars her slender form.

'That what you want? That what you were looking for?' I start to build up a steady, pumping rhythm, propping myself up so I can see her flushed face and lovely jolting tits.

'Yes, oh fuck yes...' she moans, and she holds on to my arms, as I continue to shaft her tight, sucking tunnel. Gradually I build up the speed of my pistoning cock, till I'm properly hammering her cunt. The head of my prick is spearing deep inside her, while my balls slap, slap, slap against her ass. She begins to let out a sharp gasp with each penetrating thrust and her nails dig into the flesh of my arms. I could easily carry this on till I spurt, but there are other ways I want to enjoy her now.

Slowing down, I gradually withdraw my pole from her juiced-up pussy, my eyes still fixed on her sex-charged visage. 'Get on all fours,' I tell her, already guiding her into the required position.

'Whatever you say,' she pants, with a flicker of her teasing smile. 'Keep it coming, you big fucking stud.' I gaze at the wet, red slash of her so recently-reamed pussy, running my palms over her delicately muscled ass. Then I deliver a sharp slap to her right buttock, making her yelp and look back at me in amused shock. Having got her attention, I apply a series of stinging slaps turn-about to both ass cheeks, breaking off mid-way through to stick two fingers into her soaking slit, so that my spanking proceeds to smear cunt-juice over her ripe posterior.

'Ow - ow - OW!!! God baby, you're so bad!' she cries out playfully. 'That's right, spank me like your little slut, be bad to me!' Well okay then.

'That's - what - little - teases - get,' I grunt in time to the final few extra-hard, cheek-reddening whacks, then I grip Kelly by the thighs and drag her back towards my still rampant cock. 'Along with this,' I add. And I plunge my carefully positioned rod back into her waiting juice-box. She squeals and laughs with delight.

I no longer give a shit. This feels fucking amazing. Half and hour ago Kelly was the nice-girl masseuse, who gently worked knots out of my recuperating back. Now she's the hot piece of ass being used by my illicitly pumping cock. Yes I know she's inwardly grinning, I know she's the one who's conquered me along with all my scruples and good intentions, that this is exactly what she's planned all along. But on a point of pride I want her to feel this. I want her body to register every slamming thrust. When she gets up tomorrow morning, I want her cunt to know it's been fucked.

And she encourages me the whole way. 'Oh yes - oh yes Ed, that's right, keep going, fuck me hard...'

'God, Kelly - you...you...'

'Tell me what I am, Ed, go on, you know you want to...'

'You little bitch!' I'm gripping her shoulder now with one hand, grabbing her tits in the other and squeezing them together, my cock probing her deeply all the while. 'Come on - Come on, Kelly,' I urge her, falteringly at first. 'Take it - take it you hot fucking bitch!' I've never spoken to a woman like that before in my life, wouldn't dream of saying such a thing to Amanda, but if that's what Kelly wants... And there's something so fucking liberating about it. It doesn't matter that I've always liked or respected this girl - right now she's there just to get me off and I'm possessed with the need to let her know it. 'That's it, come on, take it, take it like a slut, take it like the hot little...cock-bitch you are!' Cock-bitch? Where the hell did that come from?

Kelly's only response is a prolonged, low groan, punctuated by each intrusion of my dick into her body. All her playfulness has been displaced by pure desire. She embarks on her own string of obscenity, as she moves inexorably towards her second orgasm. 'Oh yes, oh fuck - give it to me, keep it coming you horny bastard - screw me hard you dirty fucker - Oh shit, yes!!!' I grab her ponytail once more and drag her head up, accentuating the curve of her back and the swell of her tight rump as her pussy clenches on my driving pole. My hold on her hair and that of my other hand on her taut waist control her renewed, whole-body spasms, but nothing contains the joyous stream of filthy verbiage pouring from her hot mouth. 'Oh God - fuck my cunt, fuck my cunt, you filthy bastard - Oh shiiiit!!!'

Her body starts to go limp as the orgasmic wave subsides, but I can feel my own crisis approaching and I've got more work for her to do. I ease my prick with a slurp out of her drenched hole and drag her with me off the table into standing position, supporting her under the arms as her legs threaten to give under her.

'Okay, get on your knees,' I demand quietly.

Still reeling after her climax, it's a natural position for her to assume. She looks at me challengingly, however, as she sinks floorwards, toying with me to the last. 'You going to make me your bitch?' she asks breathlessly. 'That what you're going to do?'

'You're already my bitch,' I tell her, warming to my new-found wickedness. 'Now shut up and suck my cock.' Then as she opens her mouth and reaches forward with her tongue, I stick my fully engorged pole past her lips, jam her head down on to me and fuck her face. Slimed with cunt juice, my bulging prick is driving in and out of her surprised, wet mouth, as her tongue writhes about, trying to tame my invading organ. I'm crazed with lust now, at the sight of pretty Kelly gorging herself on my thick member, and I ram my entire length several times down her throat, causing her to choke and gurgle on me. I pull out, thick ropes of saliva dangling between the end of my shaft and her tongue. She gazes up at me and I'm gratified to see a touch of shock that she's drawn out this much nastiness from her mild-mannered client.

'Now here's what's going to happen,' I explain with lascivious enjoyment. God, what has this girl done with my head? 'You're going to suck the cum right out of my balls and then you're going to take it down your throat. Okay?' She nods, playing along with an expression of meek acceptance, and slurps my purple-headed shaft purposefully back in her mouth. I take her head once more and commence sliding my meat back and forth, as her cheeks turn concave and she sucks me like a vacuum pump, darting her tongue along the underside of my shaft. I build up a steady thrusting, fucking my way gradually deeper into her throat, orgasmic urgency now rising in my balls.

'That's good, that's good, you cock-sucking little bitch. Suck it deep, come on...' She grabs my ass with both hands and gamely inhales my entire cock, so that my bollocks are bouncing off her chin. I feel my whole body starting to tense, my scrotum tightening, and instinctively I weave my fingers through her hair and begin to repeatedly push her head down on to me, using her throat as I recently did her pussy.

I'm achieving a pitch of outrageous sexual excitement, as if every particle of my body is gearing up to propel my cum into Kelly's stomach. I pound her throat and cut loose with my own spontaneous stream of deranged filth. 'Suck my fucking cock, come on, drink my spunk you fucking horny bitch! Oh fuck - holy fucking God...'

My balls start to clench involuntarily, unleashing a huge, pent-up surge of cum up my shaft. It bursts out of the end of my cock and gushes, spurt after glorious spurt down Kelly's crammed gullet, as my throat gives vent to a strangled orgasmic howl. 'Ohhhhhhh God - fuck...' I genuinely empty my balls into lovely Kelly, taking a good half dozen blasts, my dick shoved so far past her larynx that she couldn't avoid swallowing if she tried. Then drained, the former contents of my scrotum washing around my fuck-partner's stomach, I feel my legs give way and I crumple towards the floor, my cock flopping heavily out of her mouth.

Before my knees touch down, the reality of my situation has flooded back into my lust-assuaged brain. I'm a cheat... After four years with Amanda, endless protestations of love and a two thousand pound engagement ring, I've just fucked the hell out of my physical therapist first chance I got. I've behaved like some person I don't begin to recognise. Don't remind me of anything I told you when I arrived here. Just don't remind me.

'You'll have to forgive me,' Kelly says sweetly. 'I get a bit unladylike sometimes, but only when the sex is really good... Did I imagine it, or did you use the word cock-bitch?'

'Ehhh - yes, I might have done...'

I kneel, holding on to Kelly's perspiring form, my head resting lightly against hers. Dubious sex-talk is somehow the least of my worries right now. Kelly seems to sense my renewed mental turmoil. 'You okay?' she whispers, as her breath returns. 'You okay, sweetheart?'

'I...I... Oh holy God, Kelly,' I moan. The rest I can't put words to. She holds me in a prolonged hug, but it only adds to my sense of shame. What the fuck have I done?

It's all gone hazy. Kelly is leading me to the shower cubicle. She's soaping and rinsing me, with loving attention applied to my cock. Now she's towelling me down, with an affectionate 'why worry?' ruffle of my hair. Finally I'm standing fully clothed, my masseuse-with-benefits back in her uniform - all sweat, cum and cunt juice mopped away as if nothing had happened. Then she crosses her arms behind my neck and places a soft, lingering kiss on my lips. 'You're a sweet guy, Ed. It was very bad of me to take advantage. Now don't you go worrying yourself about this.'

I manage a half-smile and gently release myself from her hold. 'Okay then, eh - thanks,' I say lamely. 'Thanks for - eh - Look, I'd - I'd better go.'

I move sheepishly towards the door, but am stalled by her question: 'See you next week? Check out we haven't just done your back another mischief?' There's an undeniable logic to her cheeky remark, but also the scary prospect of some awful vicious circle being created.

'I'm not sure that's a good idea,' I say, trying to raise a smile to cover my sense of dread. 'Maybe just leave it.'

'Pity,' she responds, biting her lip with the same coy impishness as earlier. 'I think you enjoyed being a bad boy, didn't you? I liked it too. Plus, if you came back... I might just let you fuck my ass.' Oh my holy Christ. The thought hangs in the air between us for a long, aching moment. 'But you think it over,' she says softly.

As I leave the spa and walk into the gathering dusk, I know only two things. One - the guilt from what I've just done is going to weigh on me like a millstone, burdening my every waking thought and blighting every moment I spend with Amanda, so it's all I can do to look her in the eye. And two - I'll be back next week for Kelly's hot little ass.

HE DONE A BAD THING

Paul Rushton always thought about Demi when he jerked off in the shower those days. He considered briefly and sadly that morning, as he soaked under the steaming jets and lathered up his solidifying cock, how long it had been since he pictured his wife during his early morning manual efforts. Countless years, was the sorry answer.

In the early days of his and Martha's marriage solo self-manipulation had not even been necessary, so hearty had been their sex life. The only masturbation taking place had been in each other's company, often with a friendly and helpful exchange of hands. Even the arrival of baby Sophie had only temporarily slowed things down; an adequate supply of sitters had given them space to renew their favourite hobby by the time she was only a few months old. But when Adam and Carl had made their unexpected joint appearance three years later, something had faded away that they had never managed to resuscitate. The twins were five now, both packed off along with Sophie to school, but the only thing that had renewed itself was Martha's career in advertising. Which was what had left Paul home alone this morning, enjoying a more leisurely wank than usual, before he busied himself otherwise in his study.

His masturbatory fantasies had remained general up to the start of the summer, attached to media celebrities and the occasional internet porn-site, but all that had changed when Demi arrived. The crescent moons of those butt cheeks, peeking out saucily from beneath her skin-tight, white shorts one sweltering afternoon, had kicked things off. He had sprung a boner in his shorts as soon as look at her bending over the kids' paddling pool - no traceable panty-line, just a thin layer of cotton fabric stretched taut over firm, smooth bum-flesh - and had needed to jack it off in the bathroom before he could begin to focus on anything else.

Paul had never deliberately entertained sexual thoughts of the family's eighteen-year-old nanny, but she had begun to cloud his brain as completely as the steam that clouded the shower's glass door. It was through this panel that he had glimpsed her bouncy young form one morning, when the bathroom door's locking mechanism had apparently failed, a vision straight out of a shower gel commercial. As if the jaunty swing of her curvy little body around the house had not been enough... Yes, the sexy Canadian girl, with her glossy, raven-black hair and her deep tan, had become quite the mental fixture. The pressure of her ripe young breasts against his chest, as she hugged him goodbye just the day before was on his mind right now, as he massaged his gel-slick shower-time erection.

Had Martha ever been aware of the Demi-effect on her husband's cock? Certainly she had suggested gently to the girl on one occasion that she refrain from dressing down so much on the hotter summer afternoons. But that was most likely to avoid the neighbours' raised eyebrows. Even Paul's renewed gym membership had not aroused any suspicions. You might expect your wife, he thought, to be more aware of a nubile teenager's power to distract her spouse. But Martha had been too happy about her renewed freedom in building up her work portfolio to check whether his eyes were straying Demi's direction. Besides, when was the last time she had seriously acknowledged him as a sexual being? She had obviously expected his libido to fold suddenly on his fortieth birthday. Like that was going to happen...

The current soapy frothing around Paul's dick as his hand movement quickened had all to do with imagination of course, nothing with reality. Demi had been the embodiment of innocence around the house; sprightly, amenable, a big sister to the kids. Always polite and friendly, never presumptuous, with Martha and Paul and over the few short months of summer had been accepted almost as a family member. Paul she had treated like an uncle; a hip, young-for-his-age uncle, maybe, but an uncle even so. The compliments she had passed several weeks into his fitness regime, when he had tightened his belly and regained some of his old muscle tone, could have been construed as borderline flirtation, similarly when she had remarked on the cropping of his moderately receding hair - it made him look 'younger and - kinda stronger' apparently. But he was too much of a realist to flatter himself unduly; if his wife didn't think of him sexually, why should a girl fresh out of High School?

Paul shouldn't have been saddened by the fact. He didn't want or need that sort of trouble and had done nothing, short of a little additional preening, to court it. He should have be glad that all Demi's burgeoning youthful urges had stayed separate from her work. With the arrival of the new primary-school term her summer job had ended and she had departed the Rushton household for good, leaving Paul with a mixture of relief and regret. The regret he was currently working off with the palm of his right hand.

There had, of course, been one slip-up in Demi's professionalism and the memory of it tapped into the ever-building friction on his shaft. The night he and Martha had returned early from dinner with friends to find their hired help tiptoe on the doorstep, kissing some good-looking young guy good-night. It had been her new boyfriend Ray, she explained with red-faced embarrassment once he had left, and he had only ever been round that one evening, and all they had done was watch a DVD. That wasn't the point, Martha explained in a sharp rebuke to the girl. Demi had introduced a stranger into the house without permission - a violation of trust and grounds for dismissal based on the agency contract. It had not come to that, but Martha had still withheld the forty pounds Demi had been promised for an additional Saturday night in and had remained heedless of the girl's forlorn protests that it had been an innocent mistake, one that wouldn't happen again.

The innocence of Demi's evening-in with her boyfriend Paul held in grave doubt. He had recognised the type of kiss Ray had been given and the disarray of the sofa in the living-room. It had been obvious to him that the flush of the nanny's cheeks stemmed from more than shame. Lucky Ray had roared off on his motor bike as cocky as hell, unphased by any sense of social awkwardness. Now there, Paul had thought, was a young buck who knew his way around a naïve eighteen-year-old girl. There was no doubt in his mind that Ray had fully enjoyed the young Canadian on the Rushton family sofa that night and despite a pang of jealousy, he could not blame the guy.

Deep down some perverse aspect of him actually hoped it were the case. He hoped Ray had got Demi naked on the sofa cushions that night, that he had parted her toned young legs and put his cock inside her. Yes, he hoped young Demi had taken a good, hard shafting that night. That she had been forced to stifle her moans, as her opportunist biker-boyfriend serviced her in somebody else's home. Go for it Ray old son, I'd have done it myself at your age. If I can't poke the little sweetheart, then you do it for me and good luck to you. Strip her down and drill her fucking brains out. Go on, let her know what it's all about... Let her fucking feel it...

Paul's hand stopped mid-stroke, as the sound of his mobile phone cut into his lustful reverie, leaving him just shy of his spurting relief. He clambered dripping from the shower, pissed off at his interrupted wank, his undealt-with erection waving in front of him. He knew he should answer the call; it could be Derek from work with news of whether or not the firm had landed the Phillips contract. But the phone rang off before he got to it and the number was withheld, leaving him puddling on the bathroom floor and feeling rather stupid. Disgruntled he turned back to the shower to retrieve his fantasy.

It was then that he heard the other sound, the one from next door. Even above the rush of still-running water the heavy thud was obvious. Someone was in the bedroom. Martha home from work? He couldn't begin to think why. But then who else? Still running with water he picked up his bathrobe and pulled it about himself, then he put his hand gently to the door handle. He was being robbed at ten-thirty in the morning? Some inept, juvenile burglar had walked in through the back door he had so blithely left unlocked? And were they really so bold as to enter his bedroom with someone so obviously using the en suite? A quick scan of the bathroom took in nothing more threatening than a loofah with which to confront such a possibility, but confront it he did nonetheless. His heart quickening slightly, Paul pulled open the door and walked into the bedroom.

He stopped abruptly as soon as he entered the room and looked on stunned. The very object of his aborted masturbation was standing at the bedside, staring back with a look of shock that surpassed his own. 'Demi?'

She had visibly jumped with fright at his entry and now stood in a full-body attitude of horror, Paul's wallet tumbling from her hand to the floor and two banknotes fluttering after it. The lamp on the bedside table had shifted position, as if returned there hastily after some panic-induced accident had knocked it to the floor. Paul stared back at her, his amazement and confusion rapidly morphing into anger.

'Demi - what are you doing?' The question sounded ridiculous, but it still bore asking.

The ex-nanny looked half-disposed to dash for the window and take her chances with the drop, but tried to stammer an explanation instead. 'It's - it's - it's not what it looks like...'

Paul was having difficulty finding words himself. 'It's not what...? Demi, you left yesterday! What are you doing here with my wallet?' Another redundant question. 'How is this not what it looks like?'

'I - I wasn't stealing,' Demi insisted, her tone scared and unconvincing. 'I was just taking the forty pounds, you know, the forty pounds you owed me... For Saturday last...' But her voice was tailing off even as she said it, as Paul stared at her in fresh astonishment.

'Martha withheld that money because you went behind our backs! You brought a stranger into our house while we were gone! She - We made that perfectly clear to you!'

'I know, I know I screwed up.' Demi's voice was desperate, pleading. 'But I worked really hard all summer, it was just one mistake! And... and then the other girls from the agency were going down to Brighton today and I didn't have any spare cash and I just got to thinking... well... that you owed me the money!' She winced as the words left her mouth, as though she knew she had played the wrong card.

'We owe you nothing!' Paul's righteous anger was compromised by a baser emotion, which registered against the cloth of his robe just below the belt. 'Martha was perfectly within her rights to... Look, I don't even have to justify it! I've just caught you thieving from me!' He saw Demi's bottom lip tremble, her wide, brown eyes turn dewy, as she squirmed in front of him, gorgeous in her blushing guiltiness. His pole was threatening to nudge its way into the open and he countered its spontaneous reaction with a further burst of indignation. 'I should report this to the Police. At the very least I'm going to notify the agency.'

'No, no please!' Demi raised her hands imploringly before her plump, quivering bosom. 'Don't do that, I'd have to go home! I'd never work here again!'

'You don't deserve to!' exclaimed Paul, a fizzing cocktail of anger, disbelief and lust. 'We treated you like family, we trusted you! Then you steal back into the house to thieve from me... It's such a betrayal!' he made for the bedside phone, more to stop his erection from popping out of his robe than anything else, and in her alarm Demi pounced forward, seizing an arm.

'No Paul, please, I beg of you! I don't know what came over me, pleeeeeze...' Her eyes beseeched along with her piteously wailing voice. She had scarcely ever called him 'Paul' before, had not seemed able to bring herself to, but now she was imploring, appealing to the degree of friendship that had developed between them. He could smell her mint-freshened breath and see the beads of perspiration on the soft shelf of her jutting cleavage. The family nanny was pressed against his chest - over her head in trouble and achingly fuckable. The last of his anger resolved itself into hard lust and without ever having planned to, he lifted his hand and touched the skin exposed by her skimpy top. He watched his fingers, as if they belonged to someone else, tracing a path from the curve of her throat, over the soft, damp upper slopes of her breasts. His heartbeat was thumping in his ears, his head was almost swimming, as rational thought was sidelined by desire. All Paul knew was he wanted to see those breasts stripped free of Demi's clingy little top.

'Mis - Mister Rushton... What - What are you doing?' Demi's panic turned to startled, rabbit-like surprise.

Paul looked up at her confused face and did not remove his hand from her bosom. 'You know what I'm doing, Demi,' he said, the blood thundering in his head as he uttered the words. 'This doesn't have to go any further. I'm sure you and I can find a way to put things right.' He could scarcely believe the words that were sounding from his lips, but a kind of wicked resolve was hardening within him along with his dick. Amazement was registering in Demi's pretty face as his meaning dawned on her, but he slipped a finger into the slick fissure between her breasts just to help his words sink fully in.

'But - But Mr Rushton, we can't... You mustn't...' Her cheeks flushed a deeper crimson as she said it. 'It's not right!'

'Neither's robbing your employer,' Paul responded more firmly, and his free hand lifted the phone off its cradle as he did so. 'Now you don't want me to make that call, do you?' He knew at that moment he would go wherever this took him. The tips of his fingers brushed lightly up from Demi's cleavage to stroke her jaw line. They were both panting, he realised, as if short of breath. Demi stared back at him, as if struggling her way through some terrible quandary.

'No, no don't phone,' she responded weakly. 'What do you want me to...?'

'Take your top off.' Paul felt the pulse in his already rigid cock as he said it. He was still holding the receiver. 'Go on.'

Demi appeared to weigh up her options for another moment, then she clutched the damp fabric of her top with both hands and with a swift movement pulled it over her head and free of her upper body. Her hair flounced around her shoulders and her newly exposed breasts bounced gently before him like juice-swollen oranges on the tree. The top she threw to the floor with a dazed, slightly petulant air of 'That what you wanted to see?' Paul's eyes roved freely over her, taking in her slim shoulders and taut stomach, but chiefly lingering on those high, perfect orbs. Her large, rose-brown nipples stood out within pale triangles of bikini-guarded flesh, which contrasted with the rest of her bronzed skin. Their fascinated observer set the phone back on its cradle and reached out with both hands to claim his unexpected prize.

Demi took a sharp little gasp of breath, as Paul seized the globed flesh of her tits, squeezing to sample her firmness. He caught her perplexed look as she was groped so wantonly and felt a flaring of conscience at using her like this on the back of her moment's madness. But then he recalled the seriousness of her crime, how little she deserved to be let off the hook. And here he was doing just that, for the price of a little free time with her lissom young body. Yes, here he was, his shower-time fuck fantasy having suddenly metamorphosed into flesh and blood reality, as if the sheer power of his lust had conjured her out of nothing. Didn't he owe it to every frustrated male who wanked solo in the shower to stick it to this hot little thief? To stuff his manhood right inside her on behalf of their hard, deprived dicks? Fucking right he did. He tightened his hold and kneaded the two handfuls of supple tit-flesh until their owner moaned.

'God, your breasts are beautiful,' he breathed, squeezing the ripe fruit to further accentuate Demi's big nipples. He sucked on them in turn, sucked their rubber hardness right into his mouth, so that she cried out a little each time. Then he rubbed his thumbs over the moistened nubs till they were perfectly erect. Responding to the demands of his cock, he dropped to his knees to deal with the rest of her clothing and expose that beautiful body.

Demi was uttering little confused moans above him and clenching her elbows in front of her recently molested tits, as he slid his fingers under the band of her shorts and dragged them free of her hips. Her pubic mound was tucked away between reflexively tightened thighs under a scrap of blue thong. He paused one reverential, poker-stiff moment before her teen sanctum, then he tugged the panties all the way down past her knees, letting them drop to her ankles, and gazed on the pale strand of tan-line that matched her breasts and the neat strip of trimmed, dark thatch leading down between her thighs. The faintest tang of musky female scent was in his nostrils and, grabbing her shapely ass with both hands, he buried his mouth and nose between her legs, tongue searching.

Demi gave a frightened squeal and threatened to topple over, as he writhed between her soft labia into the sweetness beyond. Finding nothing else to support her she grabbed the back of Paul's head, inadvertently pulling him tighter against her surprised cunt. His tongue burrowed further into the folds of her deliciously moistening flesh, then he searched upwards and found the fleshy little nodule of her clitoris. It felt suddenly like she was melting into his face, that her body's instinctive apprehension was dissolving into semi-acceptance. He lapped his tongue over her enlarging bud some further moments, as her little starts and cries subsided into what sounded like a long, lip-biting moan. Then encouraged by her response he rose to his feet, pulled her naked body to him and kissed her mouth, long and deep. Her lips and tongue moulded into union with his, but her hands wafted vaguely around his head and shoulders, as if she could not make that final submission to her unexpected fate.

Paul eased his lips from hers and stared at her face in its heat and confusion. 'Get down on your knees.' The instruction was gentle and he stroked her cheek lightly as he gave it, but she seemed to comprehend how desperately he wanted her mouth on his sex. She lowered herself meekly to the floor without a word of objection, as he opened his bathrobe. It fell away from his body and he stood naked and proudly erect before her. She knelt, staring at his arousal, her fingers fluttering around the head and shaft, as if she could not quite believe that her avuncular ex-employer had a cock that got hard, one that got hard for her. 'Go on, sweetheart,' he told her softly, feeling her hot breath on the taut skin of his glans. 'Show me what you know.'

Paul's breath was still, as she parted her full lips and enclosed them about the swollen bulb of his prick. For the first time in over six months he felt the warmth and wetness of a woman's mouth around his cock; he scarcely cared that it was not his wife's. Demi stared up at him, pretty mouth stretched in a wide exclamation about his thickened shaft, eyes wide pools of disbelief at what she was having to do. His fingers idly teased her black hair and he nodded to her in encouragement. She gripped his pelvis with soft hands and sucked him rhythmically, her tongue tracing the thick veins on the underside of his rod. 'Oh God, Demi...' His vision was blurring with the ecstasy of sensation. 'You do that really well.' She responded by inhaling more of him inside her mouth and sucking more insistently, having obviously decided to extricate herself from her predicament whatever it took. He let her take him further to the back of her mouth, gently increasing his fingers' pressure on the back of her head to aid her. The sweet ex-help was working gamely, he thought, eyeing him for reaction, as she wetted the greater part of his length with her softly slurping mouth, pretty cheeks hollowed, as she applied delicious suction. Blissful shudders coursed through his whole body from the surface of his cock, as his reluctant attendant pleasured him so gorgeously.

Paul watched the way Demi's hair brushed her tanned shoulders. Lower down he could see her smooth, round tits bounce gently as she slurped on him. His cock had not felt this pumped in years, not since his and Martha's sex life had foundered on the rocks of family responsibility. He was actually finding out what long-haired Ray had experienced on the sofa that night: the joy of that able little Canuck mouth. And he was going to learn more - he was going to find out the secrets of that tight, teenage pussy. Delectable though Demi's cock-sucking was, much as he'd have loved to let his balls ditch their salty cargo down her throat, he withdrew from her lips' velvet caress with a soft 'plop' and drew her mutely to her feet. She stared at him, her embarrassment at the recent phallating activity tinged with reluctant excitement.

'That was so, so wonderful,' he said with breathy gratitude, about to push her down on to the bed, so he could swiftly commence to fuck her in missionary. Then Martha's triple-mirrored dresser caught his eye, the one on which he had banged his wife times past, able to enjoy three reflected angles of her nude, bucking body. Now in the absence of those marital delights it was Demi's turn. 'Come with me.' Demi stumbled as they moved off, the discarded thong catching around her trainer-clad feet, and he supported her by her arm and her trim waist, as she kicked herself free. He watched the quake of her bubble ass as she did so, how it shook just perceptibly, as he guided her towards the dresser. His cock was an enormous ramrod of desire, sticking straight out in front of him and poking Demi accidentally in the small of her smooth back as they went.

He pushed her face-forward against the ornate piece of furniture so that her rear jutted out and on a sudden impulse he whacked those dimpled cheeks with the hard flat of his hand. 'Owww!' Demi yelped and stared back at him in dismay. 'What are you doing?'

Paul held her down with a hand in the small of her back, his cock throbbing from his new audacity and the feel of the girl's bare ass beneath his palm; he had a sudden, fierce urge to make that pretty behind sting before he banged her. 'You've been a - naughty- girl!' he informed, punctuating his words with a couple of hefty slaps to Demi's buttocks and making her squeal some more. 'And I'm going to show you what - happens to - naughty - girls!' Her cute bottom quivered each time he struck; he could see in the mirror how her suspended breasts jogged at every application of his hand. Their eyes met in the reflective surface. There was a look of sorrowful surprise in Demi's face, but he could feel how moist her pussy was beneath his palm. 'What do you think happens?' Somewhere deep down there was amazement at how fully he had embraced this new assumed persona. He held her gaze and addressed her like a teacher, eager to draw the correct answer from his star pupil. 'What do you think, Demi?'

'They get spanked?' she ventured, face suffused with a variety of emotions.

'Oh it goes without saying they get spanked.' He demonstrated with another resonant whack to her rear. 'Of course they get their hot little bottoms spanked.' This time her whole body jolted and tears welled in her eyes, so that he stayed his hand from smacking her again. 'What happens then, Demi?' he prompted lightly, holding her with his stare.

'They get... They get fucked.' It was the mournful tone of a girl submitting, however bewildered, to her sexual fate.

'Oh yes they do.' Paul stroked his hand gently over her neatly curved body, shown off as it was in triplicate by broad mirrors. Standing there he felt undiluted in his erotic instinct. He wasn't a harassed dad or a struggling businessman any more, just a sexual animal, primed to bury his seed inside his chosen female, in an act of pure gratification. Maybe he could have got to such a point again by making more effort with his wife, trying harder to communicate with her again. He could have talked her into accompanying him to marriage guidance sessions, shovelled his way alongside her through the accumulated crap of a stale marriage. Found a way back to where they could relax with each other and relearn the unrestrained joys of their physical union. But it was turning out much easier just to blackmail and fuck the nanny.

He pushed Demi up on tiptoe, shunted her legs apart and pressed the swell of his cock-head against the wet slash between her legs. She propped herself up and peered back over her shoulder, her face full of anxious wonder. 'I can't believe you're doing this, Mr Rushton!'

'Believe it,' he muttered, the first inch of his dick slipping into her slick groove. His hands adhered in preparation to her trim waist. 'Believe it, sweetheart.' And he pushed, hard. His cock impaled her in a single mighty thrust that lifted her right off her feet, as he released a huge grunt of exertion. She cried out in shock, her hands scrabbling desperately at the dresser top for support, feet dangling off the carpet, speared as she was by his weapon's driving intrusion. Paul might have eased off following his initial exuberance in response to her cry, but the sense of his swollen presence inside her clinging, wet tunnel was too delicious. He withdrew and surged in again, filling her up and making her scream once more. 'Oh God, that feels so fucking good,' he groaned, pounding her a third time on the 'fuck' syllable. She was pushed tight up against the polished wood surface by now and he set about her hard and fast, encouraged by her pussy's silky wetness that her reaction was at the very least ambiguous. Her hands had found purchase on the back of the dresser underneath the central mirror, and she clung on fiercely, releasing a sharp, breathy cry every time he plunged his cock. He could see her beautiful, suspended tits in the mirrors, shivering on each impact. Her face was scarlet with a confusion of emotions. She could clearly not take in that her kind, respectful ex-employer was doing this to her.

And Paul could see himself as well - not the flagging, middle-aged family-man he had verged on becoming used to, but an energised, virile male, taking full advantage of this pretty youngster and her compromised situation. Rutting on her like a stud still in his twenties. He bent low over her back as he ploughed her, his perspiring face inches from hers. 'You sweet, sweet girl, you pussy feels so fucking tight!' She had grown more used to his frantic pumping by now and uttered only a stupefied moan in reply. 'Oh God, darling, you don't know how much I've wanted to do this... How much I've wanted to fuck you...' He felt transformed, a different human being - one both younger and more wicked, huge and hard inside this tight eighteen-year-old. 'And we can forget all about what happened earlier, don't you see?'

'Yeah,' Demi gasped. 'Yeah... Oh God, you're fucking me so hard!' Her words did nothing to restrain him, rather they fired him up to do her even harder. He began drawing himself out almost to the head, then forging back in again with a driving pelvis, until the dresser began to creak and shake under his invigorated cock-slamming. A bottle of Martha's Chanel No. 5 slipped off the wood surface and went bouncing across the carpet, as his body impacted loudly and persistently against hers.

Paul eased off quickly, before the room could be caused any real damage. He pulled his slick, hard cock out of Demi and pulled her away from the dresser. 'Come on, let's go to the bed.' She was stumbling again, this time it seemed from sheer disorientation at having her pussy so soundly shafted. Paul, her impromptu blackmailer, steered her the right direction and bundled her peachy little form on the covers he had straightened only a little earlier. 'Hold on to the headboard.' He was not prepared to wait a moment longer than he had to. The veins were bulging on his engorged prick and he wanted back inside her very badly. Demi, totally cowed by now, acquiesced without a murmur, even stretching her knees apart to allow easier passage. Paul fitted himself, grabbed tight hold of her shoulders and roared back into her sucking cunt, his balls slamming into her cushioning ass-cheeks as he arrived. 'Ohhhhh fuck yes,' he muttered through clenched teeth as she cried out again, and he checked out the beautiful sight of his thick shaft pumping in and out of her stretched, soaking hole. 'God, Demi, you don't know how good this feels, you've no fucking idea...'

But she was sharing more than he'd suspected, for a moment later she was moaning and flinching, then one hand strayed from the headboard and travelled almost as far as the wetness between her legs. She stopped short, as if reluctant to acknowledge her own excitement. Paul caught her hand, thrilled at the revelation of her full arousal, and guided her the rest of the journey. 'Go on, Demi, it's okay. Wank yourself, get yourself off!' He could feel her fingers busying themselves under his, and he could feel how slippery she was about her inflated clitoris. His own hand returned to her shoulder as she frigged herself heatedly and he refocused on ramming the depths of her pussy.

Demi's orgasm arrived within moments, her rhythmic moans building in pitch and pace to a staccato 'oh-oh-oh-oh', her whole body clenching as her fingers strummed frantically between her thighs. Her cunt, already tight around Paul's thrusting member, clutched it fiercely as she spasmed beyond control. The sensation, along with the sight of her shuddering young body and sound of her mewling little orgasmic cries, sent him careering towards the peak of his own excitement. He let go her shoulders and clamped his hands to her thrust-out, hard-nippled breasts, pushing aside her frigging-arm in the process, and squeezed them till their fleshy firmness seemed to melt between his fingers. She was still thrashing on his cock, her body driving repeatedly back on to his as she came and came.

The pressure had built to bursting point in Paul's cum-swollen balls. He felt for all the world as if he were about to blow Demi off himself and against the wall, as in some obscene cartoon, at the end of a great sperm-geyser. Every muscle in his body seized and he clutched Demi's tits all the harder, as his lock-gates opened and he released his huge, pent-up reserve. It surged through the tubes of his rigid cock with a glorious sense of pumping release. Paul's head was thrown back and he was howling at the ceiling, as his thick, hot essence gushed out in a rampaging flood deep into Demi. 'Aaaaaaaaaagh - aaaaaaaaaaaagh - ohhhhhhhhhh FUCK... FUCK... FUCK!!!' He emptied utterly, balls clenched tight, as the final drops were squeezed free of his body, and all the while he clung in beautiful, despairing ecstasy to the yielding flesh of his young conquest. 'Ohhhh fucking hell...'

Paul's body crumpled forward on to the still quaking Demi like a deflating balloon. The madness which had seized him seemed to dissipate with his thundering climax; he became aware of the room once more - his marital bedroom - and of the nude young woman who was not his wife, into whom he had just fired an expansive supply of spunk. Whatever minor crimes she had committed, he had just used her shamelessly...in the place he was supposed to make love to his wife. He wondered vaguely how many tell-tale signs needed clearing up before Martha arrived home that evening and how he would ever square his actions with his conscience. But even his post-coital desolation could not wipe away how fucking fantastic it had been. And as he drew himself slowly out of Demi, his still semi-erect cock drew glutinous, white strands of cum in its wake from inside her slimed pussy, a testament to the fabulous act.

'You - you okay?' The nanny had slumped sweatily on to the covers and lay there panting. 'Demi?'

She finally nodded her head and answered him in an exhausted croak. 'Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.'

'Anything I can get you? A drink of water?' He knew how inadequate it sounded, but his guilt at his own behaviour demanded that he make some kind of gesture.

Demi finally rolled on to her side and looked at him hazily, as if not entirely sure who he was. Then she appeared to focus once more. 'Yeah - yeah, a drink of water, please.' She drank it still nude, as though no longer abashed in front of him. Setting the empty glass aside, she stared at him warily. 'And you won't say anything to anyone about...about me coming back here?'

'No,' he told her earnestly, 'not a word. You can trust me on that.' It was a weight off his mind she seemed to be taking it so well. He put on his bathrobe and she dressed, without a sound passing between them. It seemed, nonetheless, that some mutual understanding had been achieved. Then just when he thought she was about to leave, she stooped down and picked the two banknotes from the carpet. She scooped up his wallet, he thought to return the notes, but instead she delved inside and produced the same amount again.

'I think I'll take your money after all,' she said with a slightly impudent air. 'I mean you're right... You're really not going to call the agency now, are you? Not when I can tell Mrs Rushton what you did with me on her bed.'

Paul felt surprise and a certain wry admiration at the girl's spirit. He knew he could not begrudge her the cash as he had done half an hour before. 'No - no Demi, I won't be calling anyone. You take the money and have a good time with your friends. Off you go then.'

Demi paused at the bedroom door just a second before leaving. There was a strange look on her face, a hot-faced look that could not be put down to simple disapproval. 'Mr Rushton, I never knew you were so bad.'

Paul sat on the bed staring at the shut door after she had departed, his heart rate finally slowing to normal. 'Neither did I, Demi,' he whispered to himself in quiet awe. 'Neither did I.'

EVIL INCARNATE

For Daniella all was darkness. The sleep mask he had slipped over her eyes encased her in velvet black. Every other sense was heightened. She heard the soft whirr of the fan and the rustle of his clothing, as perhaps he crossed his legs or shifted in his seat. She smelled the honeysuckle through the open window and the sharp tang of cologne whenever he drew close. She felt the prickling of cooling sweat on her exposed skin every time the fanned air brushed her. And she felt the tautness of the knotted bonds around her wrists and ankles. Hell, she almost felt his eyes on her. They were patrolling her body for sure, calm and alert, enjoying her, consuming her.

But chiefly she felt the soft, insistent buzz between her legs, the sensation over which he had complete control. He had plucked her panty crotch aside to insert the slim vibrator lovingly inside her, and those panties, the only garment he had left her wearing, held it firmly in place as it burred and fizzed. Currents of delicious, maddening sensation emanated from her gently moving loins to all quarters of her body, pricking her nipples, electrifying her spine so she writhed, her sweat-soaked back and bottom slipping against the smooth varnish of the chair. The buzzing increased, sensation building, her pussy clutching the vibrating pencil within, drenching her panties and thighs with a steady flow of responsive juice. Her head tilted against the back of the chair, her breathing ragged, as the tension in her body curved upwards into an exponential spike.

And then it stopped. The buzzing within her ceased utterly. Her body stiffened for a moment, before she crumpled into torpor, her satisfaction cruelly denied her. How many times was that, four, five, he had brought her to the precipitous brink of screaming, flailing orgasm, only to flick the switch on his remote and cut off the throbbing supply? Her head drooped and she hung there panting, hands working fruitlessly against the tough, nylon bindings - not to effect an escape, just to liberate her fingers so she could finish off manually what the vibrator had failed to achieve. Her pussy spasmed gently, aching and unrelieved. How could he know? How could he read her that minutely, bring her that close and no more?

Please, please... The word was at her lips, but she dared not speak it. After frustration times two she had pleaded openly and he had calmly threatened to gag her and leave the room indefinitely, vibrator resolutely non-active. 'I'll leave you there till you pee yourself, darling,' he had told her gently, stroking her hair, 'and I really don't want to have to mop up after you.' Bastard. Bastard.

The only hope was to be silent and patient. To sit there sweating on the hottest damn day of the summer, cunt-juice and perspiration pooling about her thighs in the concave seat. Serving as his visual entertainment, as he sat across from her in his own chair. The fan next to him, while she stewed in the heat. 'I've got a few calls to make and some stuff to check on the laptop,' he had told her, having deftly secured her hands to the back of the chair. 'It's tedious stuff, you'll be something nice to look at.'

And calls he had made, sitting across the living-room from her, doing bloody business. Dressed to impress in the heat of an August day for God's sake, like it mattered - since he'd obviously wanted her blindfolded from the off. Occasionally he'd rise to strut about her chair, so close that the silk of his shirt brushed against her, then he'd return to his seat. Chatting to business contacts all the while and sipping audibly from a glass - his sophisticated choice of drink seemed now a galling affectation - while his other hand played her body with the pressure of one finger. Toying, sexy bastard. Right now he was making her hate how much she wanted him.

Eric set his glass of pinot grigio next to his laptop and observed his captive. She was an exquisite sight with her petite form hanging forward limply in the chair, more so when her body was a taut bow-string of sexual tension. Which it was, of course, each time he chose to move the vibrator up to its higher settings. The bangs of her dark hair hung in dampened fronds about her forehead. Her jaw was a touch slack; he liked it better when her even, white teeth gnawed at her lower lip as her arousal grew, but he could wait for that. The fresh, natural glow of her pale skin was enhanced by the moisture that had beaded at her every pore. There she sat, his pretty little puppet, whose strings he could pull by a single switch-flick, hoisting her up into a straining full-body rictus of erotic longing. How choice to play with her, to draw her closer, ever closer to her fulfilment and then each time to thwart her. Sweet baby. Sweet, hot little rich girl. Making her body yearn, forcing her to bite down her desire every time she went to plead for release. Making her need him, making her crave his touch. Pretty, helpless Daniella.

A surge of anger fuelled his quiet lust and he picked up the remote, flicked it idly, watched as she jolted back into life. A stifled moan escaped her throat, before her teeth bit into that plump lower lip. Her smooth drumlin breasts thrust outwards, large, dark-pink nipples poking provocatively into space. And her hips began to shunt in little rotations on her seat, striving to supplement the work of her teasing, battery-powered tormentor, to push her to that yearned-for conclusion. Eric's enlarging cock slid pleasingly against the silk of his boxers, as he enjoyed the show.

His Bluetooth buzzed in his ear - the expected return call, he thought - and he answered without breaking his gaze. But it wasn't who he'd been hoping for. 'Quentin - glad you called. Been wondering if you'd finished proofing the Gaunt novel. Deadline's tomorrow, you hadn't forgotten... Yes, well if you can email confirmation to me by the end of the day that would be good.'

Daniella emitted a yelp, loud enough to be heard down a phone-line, as Eric upped the setting. 'Ah, you've caught me enjoying some adult entertainment,' he explained to his business associate. 'Classy, but highly pornographic. I'm sure you'd like it.' He smiled, as Daniella's sweat-slick young ass continued to slither about the polished surface of the chair. 'Very stimulating. What? No, I'm not. I'm using my laptop and it needs both hands. Merely a background distraction. How're things going with you?' He small-talked a while, spinning the remote idly in his fingers as he chatted.

'Okay, I'll look out for that proofed copy,' he said eventually. 'What's that? Oh trust me, I'm enjoying. Later.'

The call terminated and Eric focused all his attention on bringing his toy to the verge of an ass-juddering crescendo, before cruelly pulling her back. 'Ah, Daniella,' he said softly, as she lolled defeated in her chair, 'my afternoon delight.' How I'm going to make you pay, he added internally, and as he set down the control and picked up the glass, as he rose from his seat and strolled towards her, it almost felt to him that the crime were hers. Spoilt, pampered daddy's girl, however smart, what a pleasure to render her his plaything. Trussed there, so forlorn, so helplessly aroused. He almost took pity on her.

Bastard, stop doing this to me. And don't make your - your calls like I'm not bloody here! Daniella felt exhausted, wrung out by the successive, huge waves of sensation Eric had caused to build then ebb within her. None allowed to break, as though he were a King Canute, more worthy of the flattery. She heard his casual tread on the carpet approaching her, then her head swam with his male aroma - perspiration and aftershave together with the wine on his breath. 'Patience, sweetheart,' he said in a near-whisper. 'Think how much sweeter it'll be when it actually happens.' She felt his perfectly manicured nails drawn backwards across her cheek, before he cupped his palm and cradled her jaw.

Daniella bridled under his touch. The whole hyper-sensitive landscape of her body goose-bumped and tremored. She leant her face into his hand, rubbed against him like an attention-craving cat, her nipples hardening just that little bit more. He was acting like he owned her and she could not help but respond, now, as though it were true. Such a far cry from the man she had met two years prior in the family home that day, respectful, polite, gently humorous - inquiring about her imminent departure for university. The same man she had bumped into on the high street on her summer recess some two weeks before, who had so casually suggested they go for coffee, then drawn her out over the lattes on her chosen field of study.

Now he was up close, stroking her hair, gently but with a disconcertingly propriatorial air. He moved his finger to her lips, strummed them tenderly apart and inserted not one or two but three fingers into her mouth. She sucked on the tips, eager to please him, hoping he would reciprocate by somehow getting her off. Fingers withdrew and she heard it, the slow, deliberate rasp of a descending zipper in front of her face, followed by the rustle of linen, and then it was not his fingertips at her lips.

'Go on, open up.' One strong hand rested on the back of her head, drawing her forward. Her lips parted once more and she took the bulged, velvet cock-head into her mouth. He kept pressing, guiding, compelling her down on to its thick stalk, sliding their two forms together, filling her startled throat till she was orally impaled on him, face nestling into the rich, Italian fabric of his clothes. She choked on his thickness as he held her there, the immaculately clipped nails of his other hand delicately tracing her cheekbone. 'Good girl, good girl, that's it,' he breathed, 'stay there, just a little more...' Then he drew her smoothly all the way off him, exiting her mouth with a small, succulent pop, allowing her to gulp in air. 'Very good, baby,' he commended softly. 'Take a moment, then we'll try again.'

As she sat panting, she marvelled in some part of her confused mind at the contrast between those recent dates and - this. How he had taken her out for drinks, then dinner and theatre, allowed her to collude in her own seduction, plied her with his physical attentions gradually and respectfully. She had revelled in the sly sexual interplay, the way he drew out her confidence, opened her up to him physically and psychologically. So that on the evening of their third official date, back here in his apartment, her clothes had seemed to drop from her at his touch.

He had cupped and caressed her, lavished his tongue and his lips and his sensual fingers on her body, bringing her to climax three times before he even introduced his cock into the scenario. Then he had gathered her to him and entered her, riding the ecstatic movement of her body strongly and slowly, building to a hard, urgent but still strangely tender crescendo, where they both exploded together. They had lain together spent and entwined in the sweet aftermath. Over two more dates he had taken gentle charge of her body - undressed, guided and positioned her, gripped her with iron-clad restraint and made strong, intense, slow-fucking love to her - drawing out her hot, fresh juice and her trust.

So now to this afternoon's developments - just where the fuck had they come from? Although maybe - maybe - yes, hadn't she just occasionally sensed something else lurking there in their earlier encounters? Something indefinably dark lying beneath his restraint, when his grip tightened just a little, when his glittering eyes seemed to betray more than arousal and affection. And hadn't her stomach buzzed at the thought of discovering what that something was?

He drew himself close now and fitted her fully down on to him once more, pulling her tight, his thick engorgement squelching into the recesses of her throat. 'Ye-s-s-s, that's it, that's what we want, good girl.' When he dragged her spluttering and gulping off him this time, he flipped the sleep-mask deftly from her eyes, providing an accompanying visual. From the civilised trappings of his Borrelli garments sprouted that great, thick trunk, essential and primeval and still glistening with her relish. 'See what that talented little throat just swallowed?' he said approvingly. 'Now let's do it again.' And while some feisty part of her wanted to apply her teeth just enough to make him wary, she submitted and let him slot her all the way back down on to him.

Eric tilted Daniella's head slightly, so he had a good view of his shaft, as it probed past her lips all the way to the back of her throat. She was tight around him, her convulsing vocal tract squeezing his bulging head, firing chemical messages of sheer fucking joy all round his body. 'Look at me,' he told her. 'Look at me, baby.' She turned her dark-hazel eyes on him, her stuffed face full of panic, rage and excitement. He brushed fronds of hair back behind her ear and gazed on her in a type of wonder. 'Keep it there, darling, keep it there, that's my good girl...'

It was that serendipitous meeting three weeks back, which had led to the current agreeable positioning of his cock. There she'd been, window shopping on the high street in a pale-blue halter top and tomato-red shorter-than-shorts, the latter of which looked meticulously tailored to showcase her exquisite bubble-ass. She'd clutched an ostentatious Sara Berman bag and had been almost unrecognisable under massive, insect-eye sunglasses. But he'd been sufficiently smitten by this sexy little vision to keep looking and make the connection with two summers ago. Disappointment had still burned within him, the fatal email having arrived only the previous day, and on spotting her, his decision had been instantaneous.

'Daniella?' A swing-about to face him, ponytail bouncing, swift removal of sunglasses followed by a radiant smile of recognition. 'From a couple of summers back... We met at your dad's, right?'

'I remember! You're...'

'Eric. It's okay...' - on seeing her apologetic frown - '...I'm sure you can be a good Psychology student and not remember names.'

'I'm damn good with names,' she'd protested, laughing. 'And a damn good Psychologist. I was going to say Errol...'

'Errol? Because I remind you of Errol Flynn?'

More laughter. 'Don't flatter yourself, mister! You just look like a generic Errol, is all. Not a specific one. You shouldn't go fishing for compliments from girls you hardly know. That's a bit reckless.'

'I feel crushed. And a little bit psychoanalysed. The course is going well, then?'

Segue into afternoon coffee, drinks a few nights later, followed by a night out on the town. Carry her away with chat and laughter and romance and goodnight kisses full of restrained passion and a mere hint of roguish intent. Be polite, respectful, keep just the right side of cocky. Take on Miss Psychologist at her own game. Lingering eye-contact across the restaurant table, even in the silences. Fingers weaving together while awaiting the cheque. Invite her back almost as a throwaway and once she's on your sofa, draw out her confidences while gently flirting. Play idly with her hair and share laughter up close. Kiss her, soft, slow and searching. Charm her free of clothing, then tongue her free of inhibition. Penetrate her deep till her body quakes and her eyes roll back in her head. Warm her up so the debauching-proper can begin.

None of which had been a chore. She had a sweet face and body and a sophistication that belied her youth; her wit, sass and wide-ranging knowledge meant she sparred easily with him, despite his fifteen years' seniority over her. She had challenged him, made him laugh, called him on the odd stray moment of careless male bullshit, the precocious little madam. And yet despite her chosen field of study, she had never seen through to his true motives, never realised that he was reeling her in, landing her...right here.

He pulled her face off his cock again, held her for one moment of recuperation, then briskly planted her all the gorge-stretching way back, her nose crushed into his silk shirt. Nice. She had acquiesced so easily that afternoon, as he unbuttoned her clothes and eased them from her body, bathing her face, neck and breasts in soft kisses. 'God, sweetheart, the things I want you to feel,' he had breathed into her ear. 'Things you've never felt before. Do you have any idea how sexy you are?' She had melted into him like ice-cream on that hot summer's day. 'Let me try something with you, darling.' His next gambit. Spoken as if on a sudden erotic impulse. 'Something I think you'll enjoy. I want you to trust me, okay?'

She had nodded with mute excitement, the naïve little darling, and offered herself up to his control. Whatever she had expected when he guided her into the chair, however, it had not been this - his every hard, pulsing inch jammed to the very balls past her lips. A bit different from the silver spoon you were born with, right my girl? 'That's right, sweetheart, swallow me, swallow it all.' And this time he cupped his sac and set about squeezing his inflated bollocks into her mouth as well, just for kicks.

Daniella felt herself wrenched off him once more and angrily spat herself free of viscous saliva, most of which ended up clinging to or dangling from the end of the abusing cock. Her panting mouth formed an insult, but he stopped it with a finger to her lips. 'Not a word, or you don't get yours,' he warned softly. 'Now do it again, without my help.' She stared at him askance. 'Go on. You want to get off, then deep-throat me. All by yourself.'

God, on arriving at his apartment that afternoon, she had found herself ready to go on whatever sexual adventure he suggested. Guided panty-clad into the chair he had fetched from the dining-table, she had awaited developments with a sudden, expectant shortness of breath. On seeing him return from the utility room with all that thick cord she had flinched inwardly, but he had dropped to one knee, brushed the back of his hand across her cheek and spoken so earnestly, with just a dash of that irresistibly sly humour: 'I want to tease you before I satisfy you, sweetness. But we don't have to use these, not if you don't want to. It's just I don't think patience is one of your virtues...' And he had pressed his lips like a whisper to hers.

Not a word of protest had she spoken, as he bound her nearly-nude body to the chair, applied the sleep mask, slotted the vibrator into her wet and ready channel. And he had done it all with such seeming affection - so he could start pressing his selfish attentions on her like this. Bastard. Bloody fucking bastard! But she met his deep-throat challenge nonetheless. Summoning her courage, she lunged on to his cock, gobbling up as many inches as she could, before she gagged and could push no further. She withdrew, dribbling spit, hoping she had done enough.

'That's good, now try again.'

Damn him! She attacked him this time like she was starved, leaning in hard, his head raking the hard roof of her mouth en route to the back of her throat, and she glared at him defiantly all the while. This what you're looking for? This make you fucking happy? She could hear the wet suction as she took him in and was sure he was loving sound along with sensation. 'One more time, baby,' he said as she came off him, in a voice hoarse but calm. Cursing him inwardly she went way, way down, straining against her bonds, sucking him in till she choked hard, holding it there till tears ran down her cheeks and she could bear no more. As she pulled away, her mouth spilled profusely over her neck, her breasts and him.

'Good girl,' he smiled, and along with the mockery in his eyes she saw an infuriating, patronising benevolence that made her want to scream. But not so much she would blow her chances of the orgasm he had so long denied her. He bent down, erection still thrusting lewdly out of his flies, and kissed her lips softly. 'Poor sweet Daniella, so longsuffering, so compliant.' She stared at him - those beautifully carved, slightly angular features, the sun-streaked fair hair, the subtly powerful Italian-wrapped frame - and didn't know whether she wanted to slap or fuck the shit out of him. Then he knelt, prised himself between her parted thighs, and she knew. Knew all the more as he slid his palms upwards under the thin band of her panties and curled his fingers to peel the sodden, black-lace garment away from her sweat-moistened ass and the pussy she had so painstakingly waxed bare the previous night for his appreciation. Knew and ached and bit down on her lip, as he reached into the wet little nook between her shivering thighs with thumb and middle finger, pincering out the slim device he had so tenderly placed there. Now, please please now. She dared not articulate her inward begging, lest he desist another time.

Eric clicked the vibrator into motion and skimmed it teasingly over the surface of Daniella's plumpish upper thighs, keeping it ever just shy of her parted labia. He monitored each response of her taut body and near-agonised face, loving the sweet pain of denial that racked her. He withdrew the thrumming silver pencil and raised it to the pale mounds of her breasts, circled each dark nipple till it thrust out bullet-like on her straining, heaving chest. He traced a line down her sternum, over her prettily fleshy stomach, down between her legs, so its whirring tip barely touched her hot, pumped little clitoris. She gave a desperate high-pitched moan and tried to push herself on to it, but he held it back so it skimmed her and no more. Then he drew it down and up her slick, puffed lips, circled her clit, pushing a little harder then easing off, playing her cruelly, as her body yearned for release.

Daniella loved and despised what he was doing to her body. She was beyond reading him, trying to work out what was driving the man she thought she'd been getting to know. All she could feel was the tease of that orgasm, ever-impending and just beyond her reach. He was taunting her as he toyed: 'So close, Daniella, and you want it so, so bad, don't you, sweetheart?' He unbuttoned his shirt and tore it off on a sudden impulse, the vibrator left humming busily on the chair between her thighs. Then he pressed himself close to her, his hard, lean pectoral muscles packed against her breasts, his hot breath on her face. He kissed her hard. She could taste pinot-flavoured lust on her tongue as he crushed his mouth to hers, while one hand picked up the vibrator and played its tip against her pussy once more. He broke the kiss slightly, his lips still brushing hers as he spoke. 'Tell me what you want, baby, it's okay, you can say it.'

'Make me come. Please.' She could hear her voice, fevered and way beyond pride. 'Eric please, I can't stand it...'

'How, like this?' He dropped back down to the V between her legs and gave her clit a few deft licks, sending further shockwaves across the surface of her body. 'Or this?' And he sank the vibrator an inch into her wet hole, making her seize with pent-up tension.

'Any way,' she said despairingly, 'just do me, Eric, please, please get me off!'

'Do you beg me?'

'Yes, yes I fucking beg you, is that what you want? Please!'

He held the vibrator inside her still inside her, fixing her with a gaze she couldn't begin to fathom. Then he whisked it out of her and for a moment held it in front of her tauntingly. He stood up, dropped it on to the wood-panelled floor and stamped on it repeatedly and hard. Her disbelieving ears could hear it being ground into splintering fragments. Eric just stood there as if awaiting a reaction, an infuriating grin plastered all over his handsome face, his great cock still thrusting arrogantly, ridiculously out of his trousers.

Her head lolled back against the chair, her body sizzling with frustration, her mind whirling and tilting with defeated lust, confusion and just a hint of fear. 'You - You... What are you fucking doing?' Then his smile vanished as he seemed to change his mind, or else make a swift move in whatever weird game he was playing. He swooped down to his knees, gripped her hard by the small of her back and with the other hand thrust what must have been three fingers into her soaking, pulsing cunt.

She squealed at the unexpected, rude invasion, at being suddenly stretched so wide, but she welcomed it too - Christ, did her whole body and soul embrace it, the unambiguous display of male lust, the sense of being shamefully, nastily fucked by his vigorously attacking fingers. His smooth palm mashed against her clit as he squelched inside her hot tunnel, grunting intently as he did her.

His phone buzzed in his ear. 'Hush, or I stop,' he told her gravely. 'I need to take this call.' And with one hand still briskly working her, he fucking did!

'Damien, yes, I was just talking about your book.' His tone managed to be casual, even with three fingers stuck right up her. Not content, he lifted his wine glass from where he had set it on the nearby cadenza and sipped, before continuing the conversation. She gasped in both outrage and sublimated excitement, as the bastard multi-tasked. 'It should be proofed by the end of the day,' he was amiably chatting, 'but I'll let you know. Yes, it's all going swimmingly. I'm expecting we'll have quite a hit on our hands.' Piece of shit! How dare he? Daniella was disgusted she did not dry up at being used so shabbily. But she was oozing freely and losing her senses nonetheless, and hardly heard the rest of the call. 'Good to talk, Damien. Better go, I'm in the middle of something.'

After that he was back, granting her full attention at last. 'Okay lady, you want to come, then let's hear you.' She wanted it badly, and resented the fuck out of him for it. He was right there, cupping her firmly, fingers plunging three-knuckles-deep inside her wet delta, face now set in a lustful grimace inches from hers, showing her a whole lot of horny disrespect. 'You going to come? You going to come for me, sweetheart? You going to squirt all over my fucking hand?'

Oh God, was she. That long, tortuous build-up, held writhing all those times on the brink, it took mere seconds of his hard, digital abuse and she popped like an over-pumped party balloon. The sensation exploded outwards from her loins, ravishing her whole body like a flash-fire, burning her up in a fierce ecstasy of release. She was shuddering and squealing on his deep-thrust fingers like a stuck animal, spilling her juice all over him. Soon she would realise to what degree she had exposed herself before this man, this game-playing stranger who she apparently hadn't known at all. She would know that he had drawn something out of her witnessed by no other. That would be in several seconds' time, when she had stopped coming like she were insane.

Daniella was a terrific sight, Eric thought, as she thrashed on him, as he braced her back once more and frigged that violently spasming cunt. Her smooth, exercise-toned body, with its last hints of puppy-fat, was sweat-drenched and tightly defined by muscle-clenching orgasm. Mascara had traced its way down from her eyes, besmirching that pretty, pert face. Her dark hair was sticking to her cheeks and neck, as her petite form danced out of control. And her sweet nectar had gushed extravagantly all over his hand and wrist. He let her quaking subside, before he eased his fingers from the sucking resistance of her love-hole, regardless of her yelps and moans, and smeared her face gently but liberally with the juice-soaked palm of his hand. Then he worked his recently-busy fingers into her mouth - 'Go on, lick these clean' - and made her taste her own essence. Her face, when he stroked it after, was a pleasing picture - a turmoil of bemusement, relief and resentment.

'Happy now?' She stared back at him, mouth slightly agape and panting, as though trying to fathom who this man actually was and why he was treating her so capriciously. 'Good,' he said, aware that she had not actually answered his question. 'Because now you're going to make me very happy.' As he stripped off the remainder of his clothes, got naked before her, he knew it was more than his quietly contained lust he was about to assuage. Climbing on to the chair so he could rub his stiff dick and heavy balls freely about her wet face, he felt chills running through him at what he was about to offload along with a ball-sac's worth of cum. She was a great lay, those early dates had already proven that, but today was about much more than sex. This was going to be one deeply satisfying, cathartic fuck. He set about untying her.

Daniella felt shattered by orgasm. Her pussy was a zone of heightened, near-unbearable sensitivity that pulsed every time he touched her in releasing the bonds around her feet, her hands. He worked nimbly, with such confidence - how practised was he? - as he unfastened each carefully-tied limb. His excited extension brushed various part of her, as he went intently, masterfully, about his task. Her knees nearly buckled as he drew her up from the chair, turned her about and guided her back on to it in a kneeling position. She was no one's pushover, but here she was, being put and placed by this driven, controlling man. And pissed off though she was, she couldn't find it in herself to protest. Undeniably it was too damned exciting.

She knew, as he made her grip the chair-back and lashed her wrists tightly to the slats once more, that he wasn't about to make love to her. That had been last time. Today there was a whole new agenda in place, and as he began to run his hands firmly over the damp slopes of her body, she couldn't for the life of her work out what it was. Something had changed or surfaced from where it had been lurking within this man.

Was he acting spontaneously that day from some emotion that had suddenly combusted within him? No, no, no - this was planned, she was sure. He had lured her to this point with compliments and tenderness; emotional and physical tenderness, the latter of which he was applying now, palming her suspended breasts in slow circles, then following the concave of her waist with one hand to the swell of her hip, his cock hovering almost intangibly above her rear. A shudderingly tender prelude to something very far from tender.

Was this his regular game? Were all the girls taken the seductive route to this scary, unpredictable place? She imagined not, as he lowered himself behind her, mapping the curves of her thighs and lower legs as he descended. This was personal to her, though she could not fathom why. She could fathom nothing right now, she could not even think coherently with what his tongue did to her next.

Eric parted the smooth, milky globes of Daniella's ass cheeks almost reverently, exposing the gorgeous fruit of her sex. Her swollen lips and the thickened swathes that lay beneath still glistened with her juice and he sampled her delicately with his tongue, feeling her bottom twitch beneath his firmly grasping hands. Then his mouth enjoyed her fully; he pulled her ass tight into his face, thrust his tongue deep and ate her out voraciously, her scent sharp in his nostrils. She struggled and yelped, still over-sensitive from her orgasm, so he licked her all the more vigorously, working over her fleshy folds and soft, interior tunnel while she moaned. He trailed his tongue upwards out of her pussy, till it found the tight star of her anus, and there he burrowed a little, just enough to make her cry out in surprise.

He rose, his cock lined up behind her, thick and strong, ready to punch into either, it occurred to him, of her two holes. But not before he had played a little more. Not before he had smoothed his hands over those perfect porcelain bum cheeks like a sculptor admiring his own work, not before he had whacked them in a double hand-clap, making her scream and jolt the chair.

'Poor baby, not expecting that?' And he whacked her smartly in identical fashion. 'Well you'll be on guard for it from now on.' Whack! She gave an impassioned yell, and well might she, he thought, with those scarlet-on-milky-white palm-prints. 'Sorry darling, but Jesus - an ass like that was just created to be spanked. You're a walking tease and you can't help it! One more for luck...'

'Owwwwww!' This one erased the scowl from her face and before it could return, he had bent down and kissed both cheeks like a benediction. 'No more,' he promised, rising. 'It's time.'

He paused a moment to caress her hips, to smooth his palm down the small of her back to the divide of her reddened bottom. She turned her head to look at him, her face full of anxious expectation, her slim waist creasing delectably on one side as her body shifted. And in his quietly angry lust it occurred to him that maybe she was not actually deserving of this. That there was much more to this girl than the pampered brat he had assumed her to be. After all, she was only guilty by association, wasn't she? Maybe she deserved the tenderness and respect of the first few dates...

The Bluetooth buzzed in his ear with freak timing that amazed him. He answered, still poised in fuck-mode, and indeed it was the call he had been waiting for all afternoon. 'Well now, I was wondering when you'd get back to me.' He kept a level tone as the voice sounded in his ear, of a man he had until recently considered a friend. 'Yes, you fully appraised me of your decision, I read the email several times. I just wanted to know your reasons. We had a clear verbal agreement, so I guess I'm asking what exactly changed your mind?'

He listened to the explanation, the head of his cock nestling against Daniella's pussy lips throughout, his rod still fully primed. 'No, no that's perfectly clear. What? Yes, I figured the decision was final. And that being the case, I've got a final decision of my own. Which will be with you by Monday morning. Now if you don't mind, I've got something that needs doing rather urgently. Goodbye.'

Eric was quietly seething as he ended the call. Jonathan Blanchford had employed him because he was an independent thinker, capable of making creative decisions based on his own intuition. And those, it seemed, were the very reasons the man was reneging on his promise to give him a fifty-fifty share in the business. Eric had helped build up the Blanchford name from nothing, it was largely due to his sweat that it had become one of the most successful independent publishers in the UK. Only now because he didn't keep his boss appraised quite as closely as the control freak obviously desired, because he was apparently no longer trusted to make the decisions for which he had been employed, he had been shut out.

Fair enough, Blanchford, if that's how you want it. You fuck me, then you'll never guess who I fuck. Properly this time. Consider this my resignation. His grip tightened on Daniella Blanchford's rump and he made a few exploratory ventures into the shallows of her pussy; she was positively gurgling with moisture around his probing shaft. He drew himself out to just below the head, then with a single angry thrust he hilted her, Jonathan Blanchford's precious daughter.

Daniella's head had been spinning with how much she actually knew about Eric and why he might possibly be taking business calls prior to sticking his cock inside her. Light had only begun to dawn when he slammed into her, his hard loins whacking against her buttocks as he stretched her cunt wide, the head of his dick driving all the way to her cervix. Shit! Her bound hands clamped themselves to the chair top and she yelled aloud, as he slid in reverse and rammed her full of cock once more.

Fierce, long, individual fuck-strokes ensued, Eric holding himself there at the end of each searching thrust, grinding into her as if to emphasise a point, fingers impressing themselves on her tenderised ass flesh. Out again and hard in, filling her whole, sending reverberations throughout her flesh, each impact making her feel that possession had been taken of her body. More of the same, only building, retaining the harshness of the screw while speeding up. Repeated slap slap slap of him on her, as he drove deep. Romantic fuck? That was a whole other date. This afternoon was a full-on, borderline-brutal cunt-hammering. Daniella had never been done like this.

She gazed behind her in panic and awe, to see her loving beau of recent nights transformed into a rutting savage. He glared back, gripped her by a shoulder and hauled on her as he speared her depths. 'You like it like this, baby? This do it for you? Yeah? I fucking hope so, 'cos I've got a whole fun weekend all planned out.' His hand transferred from shoulder to the locks of dark hair which draped her back and he took hold, yanking her head around and back, pulling hard on her hair and shafting her pussy all the time. God, this bastard owned her cunt and she hated that she liked it.

He was whacking her flank now - his promise be damned - like she was a fucking racehorse. Jesus, he was taking that simile even further, letting go her tresses and clamping his hands to either side of her wailing mouth, slotting in his fingers like a bit. He pulled hard and she could feel her mouth stretched tight, as he continued to ride her like a possessed jockey. God, please, let her survive to the finish line. She wondered very hazily just how much a pussy could be expected to take. Daniella felt abused, disrespected and infuriatingly turned on. She had no way of accessing her clit and bastard Eric wasn't caring to stimulate it on her behalf, but she thought she might come anyway, by sheer virtue of this asshole's brutalising cock.

Eric's revenge was fevered and beautiful. Tight, slippery wetness all over his pumping shaft, repeated fierce impact, her soft flesh slapping loudly on the gym-worked hardness of his, as he hauled on her pretty face. Fucking and controlling lithe, gorgeous Daniella, Jonathan's only daughter and heir to the Blanchford family fortune. A fortune Eric had helped amass. Well you back-tracking bastard, now I own your darling girl's sweet, round ass. I'm giving her twat the hardest pounding of her young life and when I'm done...yes, her ass will be next. I'll make her come enough times that she'll plead for me to bust my way past her tight little anal entrance. God, there's no end of kinky shit she's going to do before she leaves this house, there's no hole that's not going to be utterly abused and I'll make sure her hot cunt gushes through it all. Talking of which...

He released his grip on her face, so he could clap one hand to her hip and reach around with the other to frig her clit. Her body was already tight with a further build-up of tension and it took little from his rotating fingers to send her careering towards a second climactic explosion, one he hoped would coincide with his own. He listened to the escalating cacophony which emitted from her, herald of her ecstasy, and pounded his way intently, furiously, teeth gritted and body sweating, to his personal sexual heaven. She was already bleating her helpless joy, as he peaked and shot his wad deep inside her. His orgasm was protracted and glorious, the physical sensation of expelling his hot seed within the tightly enclosed cuntal recesses of this pretty young woman combining with the sense of having avenged himself on a bitter enemy.

Daniella's loins were ablaze again, her vagina clutching Eric's deep-thrust pole, bathing it in her secretions even as she felt its involuntary pump-action firing semen into her innermost secret place. The violent quaking of her body gradually eased and moments later Eric's frantic rear-action wound down also, though his cock remained swollen inside her, her muscles clamped around it. She rested her head on her secured hands and breathed deeply. His hands' firm grip on her hip and pubic mound eased and became tender like before. She felt his touch, soft on her back. When he began to ease his still thick length free of her, she started with the sheer sensitivity, so he paused, let her relax. Then he completed the gradual sliding retraction, detaching their sweat-glued bodies. Eric gazed at the smooth, slick form of the girl he had just fucked. Fucked recklessly. His mind felt unfogged of lust and anger by the expelation womb-deep inside her. What he had done became uncomfortably clear. He had visited her father's crimes upon her. Pampered little Daniella? Not so much, he thought. She raised her head and stared around at him, her expression discomfitingly knowing. He recalled looking at her across a restaurant table mere days before, enjoying her wit and her irreverence and the wisdom that went beyond her years. Eric found himself acknowledging the thought he had dismissed during his two-week seduction: he actually liked this girl. Which made him feel...ambiguous about the way he had just treated her.

Daniella was surprised at the rather subdued Eric who untied her, raised her gently from the chair and massaged her wrists. They stood facing each other, sweating in the naked aftermath of hard sex. 'You okay?' he asked softly, something almost hesitant in his voice. What, was he feeling guilty?

'Sore,' she replied breathlessly, but she fully met his stare with a disgruntled one of her own. 'You took me a little by surprise. But I suppose that was the point, right?'

'Can I get you something to drink?' Wow, her ravisher had turned solicitous. How bloody endearing.

'A glass of water would be nice.' She looked on sourly as he took his naked self to the kitchen, returning moments later with the requested glassful. 'Ice cubes,' she noted, before drinking. 'Well aren't you Mr Thoughtful?'

'Look, go get showered,' he said, once she'd set the glass aside and he kissed her lightly on the cheek. 'Then maybe you'd better be on your way. I've...got some more work to attend to. Don't want to bore you.'

She bristled at his words, despite the conciliatory tone with which he had attempted to deliver them. Patronizing shit. 'What, and you don't want me tied up to provide some visual entertainment while you're doing it? You're scrapping that 'fun weekend' you'd got lined up?' She hoped after she'd said it that no hint of disappointment had leaked into her irony.

There was a glimmer in his face which said the 'fun weekend' might still appeal, but some other emotion appeared to have taken over. 'Maybe another time. Go shower.'

Daniella's blood was quietly simmering. She wanted to slap Eric's calm expression off his stupid, handsome face. Infuriating, game-playing, vacillating, two-faced, sexy bastard. 'So - what, you fuck me so I can hardly stand and then you just pack me off, is that it? And then you'll 'call me', right?'

'Yes...' She was sure he looked shame-faced, as he reached out and touched her arm. 'Yes, I will call. We can go out and do something nice next week, if you'd like.'

'Sure,' she said, far from convinced. She smiled at him wryly. 'Daddy must have really pissed you off.' The surprised look on his face confirmed what she'd suspected. 'Well I know you work for him, so who else could that have been? Fucked you over, did he? But I'm sure you feel all better about it now. So you can take that bloody ridiculous thing out of your ear.' She went and picked up her various discarded garments, including the damp panties. Each time she made sure he got a good shot of the puffed lips he had recently split with his cock. Then she padded off to the bathroom, adding an extra sway to her rump, leaving her debaucher with his thoughts.

Eric stared after Daniella and her sweet, heart-shaped ass and nearly laughed. Yes, there was way more to this young woman than he had allowed himself to believe. It wasn't so easy, it turned out, to dismiss her and use her, to fuck her and dump her. He had a vaguely uncomfortable sense that it was she who was walking out on him. It suddenly mattered a little that she thought him a total shit. Which he unarguably was. He removed the Bluetooth, poured himself another glass of white and slowly sipped it down, listening to the sound of high-powered spray coming from the bathroom. He decided to shower after Daniella was gone and went to his bedroom so he could wrap himself up in his robe.

Daniella was there in the living-room when he returned, back in the simple yellow top, low-slung designer jeans and stiletto sandals in which she had arrived. She picked up her shoulder bag, flashed him a brief, inscrutable glance and headed for the door. He met her there and went to open it, struggling for the right thing, any remotely right thing to say. He suspected there wasn't one. 'Look, Daniella...'

She turned to him. 'It's okay, Eric, I get it. It doesn't take two years' of studying Psychology to work it out. Daddy screwed you and you couldn't get back at him, so you thought you'd seduce and defile his little rich bitch daughter, right? Bit of a cliché, but you did it with style, I'll give you that.' He moved to protest and she raised an sceptical eyebrow. 'Am I wrong?'

'Well, it's...I...' He gave up with a shrug. 'No.'

Daniella weighed up the rather sheepish-looking, self-styled shitheel in front of her. Pissed off as she still was, his penitence had mollified her enough for the memory of the sex to come rolling back. She considered for a moment, then confided. 'There's something I didn't tell you on our dates. You see I was totally the spoilt girl all through school and I won't deny I played up to it sometimes. And then halfway through the first year of my Degree Course, Daddy decided it was time to 'teach me the value of money'. No warning. I came home Christmas and he announced he was cutting me off - not ease off on the allowance, not help me out if things got really desperate. Nothing. Zip. Everything you've seen me wear is nearly two years old. I got on with it and worked every shitty job I could find to get by, but I still nearly had to drop out. It's a wonder I made it through my exams both years.' She paused, aware of her accelerated heart rate, shocked by her own daring. 'So I suppose what I'm trying to say is, I've been pretty pissed off with Daddy myself.'

Eric was looking at her inquiringly, obviously wondering where she was going with this. Daniella reached up, took his hand and prised his fingers off the door latch. Her heart gave a sudden booming thump and she had to control a tremor in her voice, such were the implications of what she was about to do. She had experienced the power of Eric's lust, but felt that the breadth of his imagination had not yet been brought to bear. 'So are you busy the rest of the weekend or aren't you?'

Eric looked down at his petite, shapely house guest in an advanced state of curiosity. 'I guess I'm all freed up.'

Daniella drew up close to him and took both his hands, meeting his gaze squarely. There was a tremble in her lower lip that wasn't entirely affected. 'Then finish what you started,' she said. 'Fucking defile me.'

The weekend stretched out before them, a broad vista of wild possibility. Eric Lehane and Daniella Blanchford looked deep into each other's eyes and smiled. Daniella's pulse raced. Her discomfort was real, but it was countered by a sense of wild excitement. She could have freed herself by a single sharp tug of her wrists but she did not want to. Not for an instant. Never in her life had she felt like this.

She was irked that he had left her so damn long, but then it should hardly have surprised her now she had submitted to his games. So she remained seated on his kitchen chair, naked and waiting. Her ankles had been secured with thin nylon rope to the outside of either front chair-leg, heels propped up in her stiletto sandals, so that her thighs were splayed wide. A sleek state-of-the-art vibrator had been plunged deep into her pussy, so that the protrusion at the base might have nudged her clitoris, had the device not been twisted an inconvenient one-eighty degrees inside her.

She could have adjusted it, switched it on and set it growling within and against her, rather than just fitted there tight and inert. But that would have meant ripping the crepe-paper bonds with which he had tied her wrists behind the chair-back. Her restraints he had improvised from the wrappings of a recently-purchased silk shirt; 'Tear yourself free if you want,' he had whispered in her ear having completed the delicate knotting, 'but if you do I'll truss you up properly and deprive you for the rest of the day. Either that or the deal's off.' So she was behaving herself, staying in place, shunting back and forth as much as she could to create friction between her cuntal walls and the smooth surface of the sex toy. All this while the images played out before her on screen.

He had picked a DVD from his modest but carefully put-together treasury of hardcore pornography, set aside as it was from the Scorsese, the Almodovar and the Kirosawa. Placing the chair in front of his fifty-inch flat-screen in the nexus of the surround-sound, he had maximized her audio-visual experience of the sweating, groaning, foul-mouthed fuck-action. 'Pay special attention to the third scene,' he had advised her prior to his departure. 'Because everything he does to her, I'm going to do to you.' How her toes had curled at the velvet intensity of his promise. How her nipples had hardened and her cunt turned moist.

The sometimes limited appeal of porno visuals was hugely enhanced by her current situation. She watched, enthralled, as a parade of porn slutlets drizzled themselves liberally with oily lubricant, massaging it lovingly into their curves, while the hired studs looked on in grinning anticipation, stroking those big erections. The same girls were then worked over vigorously by their hung-and-hoisted admirers, as Daniella gazed, shifting vainly to increase the sense of traction inside her own filled pussy. Not for the first time that weekend she was writhing frustratedly in an effort to bring herself to climax.

Then the other sensation began to compete. There had been an excited knowingness in Eric's eyes at odds with his calm demeanour as he had encouraged her to drink. Two litres of water flavoured with lime cordial she had downed, while tied there to the chair, her not-quite-captor encouraging her softly in between her long gulps. Now the liquid was draining south, filling her up and thwarting the desire which had been mounting, as she clenched her groin muscles to stem the flow. 'You let it out and the weekend's cancelled,' he had warned her mildly. The weekend's cancelled... She found herself unwilling to countenance that prospect, not yet at any rate, so she endured her swollen bladder, resisted the urge to relieve herself all over the bastard's living-room rug.

She sat and squirmed and endured, watched as the DVD's third scene kicked in. Physical discomfort could not squeeze out the thrill and the shame as this particular porn scenario unfolded before her. The slender nymphette with the ringletted hair oiling her body to a slippery sheen. Submitting herself to the smug fuck who got to nail her. Now there was a guy with a work ethic, Daniella thought in no little trepidation, as he set about his allotted task comprehensively and with fierce enthusiasm. Everything he does to her... Her eyes widened and her throat held in her breath. Oh my God. Oh my sweet Christ, just look at that... Then the urge to pee and the need to wrestle it overtook her concentration and she cursed Eric all over.

Just another date, that's how it had started. Twenty-four hours ago she'd been expecting a leisurely day of sipping wine with the man she'd thought she might be falling for, following a bout of hot sensual love-making. Maybe cooking something together later, nestling into one another on his plush sofa with a DVD. But then she had been persuaded to let him bind her, properly that first time, to this very chair. A campaign of mortifying tease and casual disrespect. He had fondled and spanked her like a plaything, then fucked her outrageously hard, and through every second of outrage she had been slick with sexual need. Even with the realisation that her debauching was Eric's revenge against her father, hell maybe because of that, she had come with an intensity that shook her to her bones.

I've got a whole fun weekend all planned out. He'd delivered the words midway through that furious fuck and they'd stuck in her head. She would have walked out on him afterwards, though, however much he flattered himself she wanted him, had it not been for his sudden muted contrition. No full-spate outpouring of remorse, far from it, but enough to temper her fuming anger and make her stay. Stay for more. Her blood still seethed with desire; she had wanted to know what this sexy fucker had stored up in his imagination for her. Hell, she had craved the knowledge.

The disarming Eric of their first dates had returned. The beast lurked once more beneath a charming, attentive surface, but her nipples had still tingled with wariness. 'I'll see what I've got in the fridge,' he had said lightly, and suddenly it was pork stir-fry, Pinot Grigio and snuggling on the sofa. In his bed that evening the sex had been tender. He had caressed her contours and pressed his face into her yielding mound as though trying to erase the memory of the afternoon's harsh thrusting. She had straddled him and gently ridden his impressive cock, Eric letting her establish pace, so sore was she still from his earlier reaming. No screams now, rather a long aching moan on climax. He had hardly moved within her as he reached his own peak, just clasped tight to her hips and exhaled a slow voiceless breath as he jettisoned his load. As she had drifted to sleep she had declined to let him enfold her in a full-body embrace, but her hand had lain softly in his.

Then this morning - fresh orange juice, scrambled eggs and coffee brought to her on a tray. So much for the debauchery he had promised with such brio the day before. Still, if his self-reproach provided her with some pampering, why complain? It was only when she had finished the last of her eggs that he made the suggestion.

'I've had an idea to make the rest of the weekend more - fun.'

Her pulse quickened on the final word, so strong was its resonance from the day before. She kept her tone as level as possible. 'Do share.'

'Well since you've actively requested that I continue yesterday afternoon's exploration...' She blushed, it was exactly what she had done. '...I think it would be interesting if you made a certain... commitment to the proceedings.'

'Oh do you?' She raised an eyebrow, sitting up naked in the bed with the covers around her middle. It was impossible not to be intrigued. 'And what's the nature of this commitment?'

He produced the sheet of paper from his pocket. She unfolded it and read the print with a degree of incredulity. The gall of the man. 'Not going to happen,' she told him with finality. 'It's not that I don't like a surprise...' She reddened again at how the previous afternoon's surprise had affected her mind and her pussy. 'But I promise myself to nothing unless I know what it is.' She handed back the sheet.

'I respect that,' said the man who had so recently abandoned all respect. 'And yet I'd love to make this a challenge. I know you always rise to those.' He returned minutes later with a freshly-printed and revised wording. She read and her heart raced. The erotic thrills implicitly promised in those lines... 'What do you think?' he asked softly. 'Why don't we do it this way?'

She was aware of her own hoarse breath in her throat, the thump of blood in her temples, with that dangerous, unpredictable, sexy man so close to her on the bed. 'Okay, get me a pen,' she said, holding his gaze. 'I'll sign.'

His eyes had glinted with secret wickedness as he watched her writer her name to the contract. She could see it now on the coffee table as she sat in her makeshift bonds, the single sheet of A4 plucked from the printer, bearing the legend he had typed:

I hereby submit to the sexual cravings of Eric Lehane for the duration of this weekend, 17-19 July 2009. I will obey his every whim without protest, on the understanding that refusal of any demand will result in the termination of the entire entertainment.

Just too tempting, too playful to resist. And with a get-out clause just in case.

'Care to choose a safe word?' he had inquired, taking the sheet from her hand. 'That you can use if...'

'I know what a safe word is,' she had said coolly, moving in so that her face was inches from his. 'And I choose... 'prick'.' She had leaned on the word, mock-contempt all over her face.

How he had grinned. 'Time will tell if you choose to remind me of that. Go get showered. Make it quick.' His first command? The terse undercurrent to his velvet tone had made her think so and her lower abdomen had squirmed. The daggers her eyes had shot as she padded towards the bathroom had been expelled smartly, when he smacked her naked ass to propel her on her way.

She had not donned a stitch of clothing since. Having towelled herself dry and brushed her wet hair to midway down her back, she had been taken by the hand and led silently to the prepared seat. This was all new - subservience was not a role to which she was used. The tightened thrill she had felt in her tummy was new too. He had stood her in place, makeshift bonds at the ready, and made her slip into her heeled sandals, so that her petite five foot four was pushed up higher against his tall masculine bulk. Then he had drawn her nude body to him, so that her breasts crushed into the crisp white of his starched shirt, raised her head with a light touch to the tip of her chin and claimed her mouth with his.

She yielded to him easily, before his teeth snagged her lower lip and tugged, causing her breath to catch. Then his hands clapped hard to her buttocks as he let go her lip, and she registered the look on his face - all softness, all geniality replaced by lupine hunger. The same look he had worn yesterday, as his finger-fucked her vigorously to orgasm on the chair. He dropped to his knees, palms still impressing themselves against her ass-flesh, and burrowed his tongue between her thighs to tease her budding clitoris, to slither beyond her labia and writhe lustily within her. She wobbled in her heels at the thrill of his mouth's assault, but he gripped her ass to stabilize her and she gave herself up to him, fingers clutching through dark hair to his scalp in her ecstasy at being so claimed.

And then abruptly he had stopped, his tongue fleetly withdrawing. He had sat her down, trussed, prepared and instructed her. Thus she remained, with a swollen bladder and a cunt stuffed full with a plastic phallus and a head crammed with images even more lewd than those playing out on the TV screen. Daniella had become complicit in her own defilement. Eric was going to make her wait, really wait, before the game developed. So full of surprises, and smug with it. Well he'd just better match the build-up, live up to all she expected. Because she was good for it. Come on, you bastard. Her head lolled a little and her hands clenched into fists behind her back. Show me what you've got...

********************

In his favourite independent coffee shop Eric was playing a waiting game. He ordered a second cappuchino and sipped it slowly, leafing with supreme casualness through the Arts supplement of the Saturday Independent. The purchases he needed to make were limited; most of what he would need had been bought in advance of the weekend. The main reason for his trip into town had been simply to provide his guest with some reflection time. An opportunity for her to contemplate her subservient status. For that, he admitted to himself, had briefly been in question.

His post-coital reaction to Daniella just a day earlier had surprised him. Strange how the expelling of semen from one's balls could change all perception of a situation. He had never fucked as an act of revenge prior to that. It had seemed a terribly good wheeze to seduce Jonathan Blanchford's beloved girl, maybe capture some footage on camera later that weekend for the pompous oaf to view - indeed the idea still held a certain relish. He had simply not been expecting a sense of regret once the fog of angry lust had been dispelled. The smooth transition to the next act of debauching should have been easy; how could he have known that his thoughts would have reverted to Daniella's playfully ironic smile across a dinner table, to her animated chatter on subjects no twenty-year-old should know much about? Damn it if he hadn't balked at continuing his plan any further. Christ, he had suggested a further date in his efforts to appease. He had worn his contrition on his bloody sleeve.

She had let him off the hook of his own guilt. It had been more than he deserved, that much he accepted. How amusing that she should step willingly back into the trap from which he had let her walk free, prompted by her own filial grudge. Daddy broke his promise to make you a partner in the firm and he cut me off, risked my whole university career. Let's get back at him together. What a deliciously conspiratorial moment it had been. But with their pact had come an inevitable decrease in his power. She had witnessed the reflex regret in his face, she had seen weakness in him. By choosing to stay she had made the situation her own. The clever minx had thought she was in charge now. But he'd known just how to wrest the situation back to himself.

Eric smiled, his mind straying from the review of the new Black Eyed Peas album. How hard the little sweetheart had come for him, as he subjected her to his full evil intent on that kitchen chair. He'd seen it in her eyes - Daniella had never been aroused to such a pitch before, she had not believed such a thing were possible. Her sticking around was about more than getting back at dad. She needed to feel that way again, lost to wanton bliss. And who knew to what she would submit herself in order to attain such a state? What indignities would she swallow in her need for the continuation of this adventure? The contract, that stupid sheet of paper, had been a masterstroke.

He leaned back in his chair, mind flooding suddenly with sweet recollections. Daniella's orgasm-deprived body racked with helpless pleasure as his fingers plunged inside her. The clutch of her contracting pussy on his cock as he boned her hard from the rear, her limbs bound by rope and her soul by sweet lust. Those wild, full-throated cries that filled his house, as her anger at his presumption gave way to fierce ecstasy. Then later, later on when all had changed - her firm young breasts jogging lightly above him as she rode slowly and gently, fingertips on his chest and fronds of brunette hair dropping about his face. Oh God, hot little darling, hot sexy little sweetheart - sweet, sweet Daniell...

Shit, enough with the endearments! If he kept that up he'd be letting them slip out while he was with her. He shook himself from his reverie, finished his coffee and made to depart. He had trouble moving due to his erection, however, and so sat back with his newspaper for cover. Pretty girl, he told himself calmly. Relatively smart. Perfectly adequate company. Good conversationalist, nice sense of humour. Piece - of - ass. Hold to that and it would be one very satisfactory weekend. Revenge with benefits. Everyone happy. Particularly him.

Eric chinked several pound coins against his coffee cup as a tip, folded his newspaper and left. No more floundering, no more stupid guilt. This girl needs controlling and that's what she's going to get. He checked his watch on the way out - two hours, and if he went straight home that'd be two thirty. Long enough to make her squirm - yes, that'd do nicely. He just had one call to make before returning home, a short walk down the High Street.

'Is that everything sir?' the check-out girl asked, as he handed over the item he had chosen.

'That's all.'

'Is she frisky?' The girl smiled at him sweetly as she scanned the bar-code.

'Oh she's a feisty little thing all right.'

'She'll take a bit of house-training then. You'll have to show her who's the boss.'

Eric took his purchase and the receipt and returned her smile. 'Trust me, she's about to find out.'

********************

By the time Daniella heard Eric's key rattle in the lock, she had held herself on the edge of bursting for over an hour. The DVD was still churning out its explicit content, incoherent fuck-noise pouring from the speakers, but she was long past paying it any mind. All her focus was on holding in her water. She was not even sure why she was bothering any longer, short of what humiliating remarks her host for the weekend might lavish on her if he found her seated in a puddle of her own piss.

She met his gaze squarely as he came through from the entryway, tilting her chin back defiantly whatever the torment from below, whatever thrilling fear she might feel regarding his next move. And she stayed silent, just stared him a challenge through her suffering and waited to see where his whims would take her. The expression on his finely-carved features was something between benevolence and amusement. She marvelled that he could assume his old air of presumption after that rather crestfallen look of a day ago. Or was he just a very good actor? Her pulse accelerated further as he approached her; the arrogance in his bearing was tempered by something almost respectful, as he reached out and stroked her damp hair. Her arousal she felt only dimly through the pain from her distended bladder.

Eric contemplated his put-upon houseguest a moment. 'Irresistible' was the word that occurred to him, though that he kept to himself. Raven-black hair draping her slim shoulders rather stickily right now. A sheen of moisture glossing ever inch of her pale skin on that hottest of summer weekends. He watched a trickle of sweat make its path between her breasts' pert mounds, descending over the lightly-padded trim of her stomach towards the pink, vibrator-crammed revelation of her split thighs. Her exotically-tinged features were upturned to him, alert, expectant and curiously demanding. How new she was to this role and how fiercely she was sublimating the fire of her nature to explore it. I'll let you control my body, her eyes were telling him, but you'll never have my mind. Well he'd see about that.

'You have been a patient girl. I'm impressed.' His voice was soft and only mildly taunting, she thought. He tossed aside the bag he had been carrying and his firm hand touched her face gently. She gasped as his fingers traced a sweat-slick path down her neck, her body responding to him in spite of her need to relieve herself. His hand cupped the moistened curve of her left breast and he fondled her rhythmically till she groaned. Slowly his fingers glided to a point over her sweat-moistened surface and pinched hard at her engorged nipple. Her shudder was visible, she knew. She felt she could hardly hold herself in any further. Then he was behind her, kneading again, his other hand flat on her sternum and plunging gradually, till it firmly applied pressure to her lower stomach. 'Miss me?' his voice growled softly, as she winced and clenched. 'I was distracted,' she told him, her voice shallow. 'Sensory overload. And no joke, but if you keep that up I'm going to piss all over your throw-rug and nothing to be done.'

'Woops,' he said, raising his hand from her stomach. 'My bad. Let me help you - you've been very dutiful. So far.' The final words were as ominous as they were soft-spoken. She tried to hide her trembling as he dropped to his knees and began to untie her bound ankles, head between her thighs, breath flowing all over her splayed gash as he worked. Having completed the unfastening he leaned in - she watched in fascination as his carefully groomed head of dark hair homed in on her crotch - and clamped strong teeth about the base of the vibrator. Grasping her hips for leverage he drew the silver torpedo out; her pussy's residual moisture made it a comfortable reverse slide, but she thought she was going to pee herself nonetheless.

She managed to hold on and did not even tear her sweat-sodden paper wrist-bindings as she so easily could have done. That was for him to do, she understood these rules. Considerable was her surprise, though, when he arose with the vibe in hand and stowed it her mouth nearly choking her with her own flavour. 'Hold that while I get your wrists.' There was a casual roughness to his tone that pissed her off even as it drove her wild. Then with a rip she was free of all bonds, saving the printed one to which she had signed.

He leaned in behind her, hands encircling her slippery waist, his voice in her ear tender again. 'Now, anywhere you'd like to go?'

Arousal was overriding her suffering, she could feel her nipples resolve into hard points at his touch, at his breath on her face. 'Bathroom, please. Seriously. I can't hold it in...'

Eric was beguiled once more by the natural sensuality of this young woman, the way her back arched and her breasts thrust out searchingly as he caressed her. He strolled around the chair as casually as he could muster, slithered his hands about her waist and under her thighs and scooped her petite form easily up into his arms. She linked herself around his neck for support and gazed hazily into his eyes, as he carried her sweet nude form from the living-room. 'You...are a baaaad man,' she said breathily.

He stared back into those mesmerising dark eyes and felt he was actively resisting something in their allure. 'You have no idea, little girl.' It was a promise to himself as much as to her; he needed to make good on all yesterday's innuendo. The expectant sexual wonder on her face betrayed a hint of anger and disbelief as he conveyed her past the toilet and into the adjoining room. Her expression gratified him hugely.

'Why are you...' Carried into his capacious bathroom, his tread echoing on the polished-wood floor, she realised with a jump of her heart how literally he was taking her request. She clung to his neck as he tipped her back and laid her over the end of his huge antique bath, the one with the wrought-iron legs and the chrome shower attachment. The porcelain surface was cool on her hot skin. She found herself almost inverted, ass plumped against the curving wall, legs spread and hooked over the curved end of the bath, the intimacy of her swollen sex all on display for him.

'There you are,' he said lightly, as he disentangled himself from her grip. His hands went meandering over the wet slopes of her breasts, upwards to her stomach and thighs. He was enjoying this intensely, enjoying her body and her predicament. 'You asked for the bathroom. Now piss yourself. While I watch.'

She had to hand it to him, he had shocked her. The bastard was playing hardball from the start. A sense of mortified abasement was burning in the heart of her, she knew it was registering on her face as indignation. And for all the physical urgency to release, she felt her loins spontaneously tighten against it. But then he wanted her shock, didn't he? To overwhelm her with his wickedness, humble her in her submission. Maybe perversely he wanted her to give in early, prove she hadn't the courage of her big-talk the previous day. Well if that were the case she was equal to him. And, undeniably, there was something hot about this, something amazingly fucking hot. To be laid out and opened-up, as naked as could be. With his eyes all over her as he waited to see what she would do.

'Well?' His face hovering some way above the split between her legs. 'What are you waiting for? I can let you do it alone, but I'll tie you up after and leave you alone for the longest time...'

'No need.' Her face was hot and flushed, embarrassment vying with excitement. Then sudden resolve came upon her. She raised herself head and shoulders from the tub and her right arm shot up, hand latching itself to the back of his head, fingers clutching into his hair. Her upper body was taut as she clung to him for support, but her lower part thawed and gave itself up to its natural function. He thought he saw the faintest smile on her parted lips as the urine welled up from her urethra and began to river over her stomach, pooling in her belly button and then draining over her sides. He stroked her face as she gripped him, sharing his gaze between the sweet wellspring from which her piss fountained and that intense, unreadable look in her eyes. She released her hold on him, laid herself back onto the bath surface, allowed the pale gush of her water to roll across her belly, spilling around her breasts and channelling through their valley, splashing around her neck and precociously upturned chin. She closed her eyes, gave herself up to her release, embraced and enjoyed the moment, as he stared. The erection which had swelled strong inside his trousers was only part of how it moved him.

Then when she was all done and soaked in her own piss, she just stared languorously up at him. 'Did I do well?' There was a little-girl meekness to her voice that belied a whole lot else.

'You did,' he breathed, trying not to let show the strange awe that he felt. 'You were a very good girl.'

Daniella felt tired and weirdly pleased with herself. The smile on Eric's face was a softer one. She watched as he fetched the shower head from above and ran it first in the sink, testing to gain the required temperature. The water was lukewarm and comforting as he hosed down her body, starting with her displayed crotch. Her whole body undulated in sudden excitement as he directed the strong jets into her, allowed the water to filter into and spill from her spread pussy. Then he ran the head gently over the rest of her, till all her piss was thoroughly swilled away. She luxuriated in his attentions, more so when he removed his shirt, prelude to gathering together the long tresses of her dark hair and treating them with apple-scented shampoo. His fingers massaged the viscous fluid slowly and strongly into her scalp till it lathered, then he painstakingly washed her thick mane to its very tips, his face a picture of loving application to his task. He all but climbed into the tub with her as he drew her up to rinse. Her face was drawn close to his hard worked-out chest, he balanced on the bath's curved rim and gently grasping her head as he washed away the last of the suds.

'There,' he said, 'all done.' And he laid her back down again, flipped the cap on the shampoo once more and squirted the green gel all about her lower stomach.

She gasped a little as he began to spread it all around her smoothly waxed mound. 'Don't have any hair down there,' she pointed out breathlessly, while speech was still an option.

'Just making sure you're properly clean.' His voice was soft, his attentions careful and deliberate. He soaped with one hand, the circular movement slowing till his thumb rested on her clitoris. She gasped at the delicious sensation, her whole body bridling under his exquisite touch. Peering up she could see him working her intently, his fingertips moving in minute circles on her, while the hard bulge of his cock strained in response against his jeans. He reached with his other hand between the fork of her legs and she felt him strum back and forth for a moment over her sensitized cunt lips. Her body sang in response. Then two of his fingers plunged inside her and commenced to fuck briskly in and out and she was lost to all else.

The only thing she knew was Eric playing her and the erotic swell of his music throughout her being. Her eyes closed and she gave herself up to it, moments from earlier flashing across her consciousness: the firmness of his hands as he tied her to the chair, his words in her ear - 'everything he does to her...' - the writhing, thrilling torment in which he had left her. Only now with her clitoris able to bloom freely under his touch, her pussy responding and lubricating to the traction of his diligently thrusting fingers. She recalled the way he had denied her so cruelly in the recent past and feared he would inflict that agony again, but his touch only intensified and quickened, bringing her rapidly to a symphonic crescendo. She clasped her breast and squeezed till she was plucking hard at her nipples, her pelvis bucking upwards against her lover's busy hand.

'Oh God... Oh God...Ohhhhhhhhhhhh!' Eric found himself cherishing the sight of Daniella's lovely young form squirming and humping under his attentions. He clutched her loins all the way through her orgasm, her cunt tightening urgently on his pumping fingers, her juice flowing all over his palm. His dick was squeezing against the zipper of his trousers as though trying to burst its way out. Naughty girl, naughty sexy little girl. She had played him even as she pissed herself, she had claimed that moment for herself, the cunning little bitch, and if he could recall a sexier moment in his life, well he was damned. She'd done it again, lulled him into tenderness. Well have your victory, sweetheart, and enjoy your reward, because it's all about to change. This was no longer about Eric and her father, this was all about Daniella. Proving to the sweet little darling how much she wanted him. How much she was willing to do for him. That's right, squirm for me, baby, wriggle and squirm under my touch, you little...you little... Oh shit, he really needed to fuck her...

She slumped back onto the porcelain, spasming just a little further from his hands on her. He reached across and drew her up with one hand to her upper back, the other still between her legs gently stroking the hot wet slash of her cunt. 'How did that feel?' He could hear the edge to his own voice, betrayer of his soaring lust. 'How did it make you feel? All of it?'

She stared at him as through a daze, temporarily rung out by her loins' climactic explosion. 'Open.' Her eyes fixed on him more firmly. 'And exposed. It made me feel exposed.'

'And did you like that?' he pursued with quiet relish.

'Yes. Yes I did.' Eric felt a surge as though of victory at her confession. Now he knew the route down which he wanted to take her.

'Good,' he said, and as his hand slid up and grasped her by the roots of her hair, he could see the disconcerted look return to her face. 'Well then you're going to have much more of what you like.' He rose from the bath's edge and with his cunt-smeared hand plucked at the front of his jeans, unfastening in a few swift moves. Both trousers and briefs he wrenched down, allowing his erection to spring stridently into view. 'Now get your mouth around that.'

Daniella felt the prompt of his clutching hand against her scalp, but after the sweetness of her orgasm she needed no urging to give the sexy shitheel what he wanted. Pushing all reservations aside as to his longer-term intent, she gobbled up the hard velvet of his bulging glans and sucked. She heard the snarl of pleasure in his throat and worked harder, feeling him resolve to steel in her mouth as she provided hard suction on his first few inches. Oh he liked this, the bastard liked what she could do to him, she had it in her power to...

His fingers tightened in her hair and he shoved her down onto him, his smooth thick pole surging to the back of her throat so she choked. He held her firmly in place for a moment, then retracted his cock and began to thrust repeatedly, fiercely into her gullet. She could hear the sound in her own throat as she gagged on him - gluk gluk gluk - straight out of the porn scene to which he had drawn her attention. She was the girl from the on-screen action now, the little facially-abused slut. He pulled right out, leaving her lips drooling before him.

'Remember the safe word?' His voice was a bass growl.

Daniella stared past his saliva-wet cock, straight into his eyes. 'Uh-huh.' She'd know when she'd had enough. For now, she stared and opened wide, inviting his renewed plunge. When it arrived it was at least as demanding as the first and she took it all the way down this time without flinching, swallowed him to the balls and let him fuck her face. She felt scared and exhilarated to feel his length filling up her mouth, attacking her throat, and to succeed in accommodating it all. He withdrew again and she let her mouth slobber freely, never breaking his gaze.

'You want more?' There was evil in his voice, as though he expected her to be cowed by his onslaught.

'Yeah, I like it,' she whispered, and found herself almost daring him.

He stalled for slightly, then set about ripping at his footwear, divesting himself completely of clothing in brief seconds. 'So come get.' He backed away, cock still erect and slick with saliva. 'Come on little girl, come and get it.' In a different circumstance she would have laughed at such a proposition, but she loved the game, loved every twist this ridiculous arrogant fuck was inventing. And yes, she did crave his cock back in her mouth. So dignity be damned, she climbed soaking over the side of the tub, clambered onto the floor and began to crawl after him, wondering how well he liked her lithe bare form pursuing him like this.

Well enough, it seemed, for as he paced in reverse to the bathroom door his voice was hoarse with enjoyment. 'That's it, baby, come to me, come get another taste...' She made a mad shuffling dash for him, mouth agape to take in his organ's bobbing head, but he caught her by the shoulder and held her off. 'Come on, suck me.' But as she struggled to capture him with her lips, he persisted in his restraint. 'That's it, show me how much you want it. Try and get your mouth around that cock.'

Fucker, she thought, even as she strived. You think so damn much of yourself. I'll show you if you give me a fucking chance... He did. He let her go and this time it was she who surged onto him, fitting her mouth and slotting herself forcefully to near the base in a single fluid motion. She was rather impressed by her own success.

Eric was truly taken aback to find his cock all but engulfed by Daniella's hot greedy mouth. Then her hands clapped to his upper thighs and he gasped deeper, as she hauled him tight to her, taking the last of him down herself. She held her face there, lips adhered to his trimmed pubic zone, her gaze homing in on his and holding the look. See how good I am? See how good this is? He could totally read her thoughts. And shit it was good. So deep and wet - that throat contracting so tight, that wicked little tongue, goddammit, flicking out to serve drool all over his balls. Feisty little bitch! So he did nothing till she let him go and pulled herself off him to suck in air.

He grabbed her by the hair, harder than before, so she yelped. 'Bad little girl,' he chided. 'And you were being so, so good. Keep your hands to yourself.'

'But you liked it, didn't you?' Eric recognised the mischief in her voice.

'We do this on my terms,' he said evenly, and hoped he had masked his admiration with sternness.

'Can't I improvise a little?'

She had nearly been smirking, so he crammed four fingers in her mouth to shut her up. Her eyes bulged at his assertive intrusion. 'You don't improvise at all,' he told her. 'You do what you're told. You speak when you're told. Apart from one word. And that word ends everything, okay?'

Daniella nodded, mouth still full with his fingers. Her heart was thumping from the sheer sport of it all. She had taken all he had given so far, taken it with aplomb, for all that she was a novice in these games. He thought he could shock her? Let him try.

'Now get your ass to the living-room,' he was saying as he withdrew his fingers, 'just as you are. And then you'll find out what's next.'

What's next... She had hardly absorbed the words when his hand splatted hard on her ass and she was squealing in excited terror, scrambling along the passageway to the living-room. Eric was in pursuit, swatting her bum cheeks with hearty swings of his arm. 'Ow - ow - owwwww!' That much she could scarcely refrain from saying.

Scurrying with sore knees into the apartment's open-plan reception rooms, she took his next command. 'Fetch the bag. The one I came in with.' Fetch? Did he say 'fetch'? She could feel her natural indignation rise once more as she shuffled her naked self to the sofa and made to grab the bag.

'In your teeth.' This time she actually froze, as understanding of at least certain of his intentions crystallised in her mind. Now might be a good time to use that safe-word. Thing was, her pussy was wet again, and just like at university she loved a challenge. So she brought him the bag clenched in her teeth and offered it to him like a good bitch. And when he reached in and produced a diamante-studded dog collar with accompanying leash she hardly flinched, however fast her heart was racing.

'You going to be a good little doggie?' He dangled the leash in front of her so that it brushed her nose.

'Yes,' she said, her loins tingling once more at his sheer gall. 'Master.' She resisted the urge to give a little pant, lest he spank her again on her already sore bottom. Instead she swallowed her irony, remained still and silent, as he looped the collar around her slim neck and buckled it, his cock raised like a suspension bridge just inches from her face.

Now that it happened, the experience was bizarrely comforting. The past eighteen months had been a hell of self-preservation, due to the financial strictures imposed by her father. College fees, subsistence, rent - she had paid for the lot, missing numerous lectures along the way as she worked her various jobs. She had made up her academic ground through on-line research, clawed her way to respectable grades in her end-of-year exams. It felt somehow luxurious to give up all struggle and allow this charming dangerous bastard control of her body. If only for a while.

'Master?' Eric's erection reasserted itself at the word and all its connotations. The sense of his own badness swelled him utterly hard. Christ, he wanted to stick himself inside her with a fucking vengeance, but that could wait. 'Yeah, I could get to like that.' He touched his hand briefly to her cheek. 'Wait here. Don't move. And close your eyes.' Once she had obeyed the final command he went to his bedroom, to the bottom drawer where he had stored those items he deemed appropriate prior to the weekend. He smiled on his cache. Time to bring them all into play. Show this spirited little hussy who was in charge. Mobile phone, he'd need that as well, if he were to up the exhibitionist factor. He fetched it from the bathroom.

'Eyes still closed?' he checked on returning to the living-room. 'Keep it that way.' He could smell her trepidation as he set down the various accoutrements on the floor next to the leash. She was disconcerted once more - good. The sleep mask first. 'Remember this old friend?' Her whole body tremored slightly as he slipped it in place over her eyes. 'We're going to play a little party game. Guessing game. You have to guess where things go...before I put them there. Okay?' It pleased him to hear the response dry in her throat, so she could only nod her agreement. For Daniella all was darkness. Dark too was her understanding of this man with whom she could talk politics and ethics and movies, science and spirituality come to that. With whom she had laughed on dates past - clever laughter, stupid laughter. Comfortable laughter with a man of easy charm, who was fucking sexy with it. Before his games and his agenda became apparent. Even now with their supposed understanding he was playing mind-games, undermining, trying to re-establish himself as someone she had almost come to hate a day earlier. But as he played his game, she hardly cared to think why.

She felt the cold tip first, a blunt point making contact with the nape of her neck - glass, hard plastic? - and tracing a slow path the length of her spine to her very tail bone, where its presence made her shudder. He teased it in reverse a moment, then renewed its progress towards the untried little star at her rear.

'What have we got here?' he asked gently, and even if she'd been the dunce back at school, one or two scenes from today's film show would have given her the answer.

'It's a plug,' she said, but her attempted matter-of-fact tone was spoiled by the tremble in her voice. 'It's a plug for my ass...'

'Yes it is.' She squeaked as he demonstrated, pressing the tip to her reflexively tightening entrance. 'But it needs help.' A flick of something, and liquid, silky and warm on that hot day, splashed all over her lower back, draining down between her buttocks, trickling its way into her little sinkhole. Her heart was thudding already, her breath catching, when he began smoothing it down between her cheeks. More liquid being poured, pooling a little, then that tip probing again, insinuating its way slowly past her anal defences. Stretching, delving into her secret place, a fucking suppository that just expanded and opened her up. And she let it happen, allowed shrill little cries to leak out of her throat, till something that felt fat, nearly globed, slid neatly into her rectum and nestled there, making a home in its new tight space.

'You get used to that.' His voice softer than suede. 'Go on, shake that ass a little, while I try something else.' The 'something else' she could hardly contemplate; she was still wriggling her bum from side to side, giving out stifled aching cries as she tried to adjust to the rear intrusion. As she did she could hear a creak as of some hinged container being opened, followed by a metallic clink. Then something small, cold and brittle was being drawn along her jaw line from her chin and down the curve of her neck.

'Sit up,' she was instructed, and like an obedient little doggie she did, shifting her bottom gingerly to rest on her heels, the bulbous intruder continuing to exert its pressure within her anal passage. The intricate metal device was touched to her left breast and traced in a full circumference; it then began a gradual spiral inward to her mound's hard tip, till it teased her nipple in slow circles. The sensation, combined with sudden scared understanding, was exquisite and unbearable.

'You know what this is?'

She had knowledge of such accessories, but no practical experience. 'Nipple clamp. Right?' She could hear how breathy her own voice was.

'Correct.' He continued to tickle lightly about her areola. 'Tweezer clamp this type is called. There are worse. Of course I won't even try at all if you use your word. Your choice at all times.'

The prospect was frightening, made her whole body shudder, but she never even thought of getting out. 'Do it,' she said in a whisper, and then held her breath.

Tiny curved prongs were placed either side of her fully-budded nipple. Then Eric's other hand was up close applying a sharp twisting motion and the clamp seized on her, like wicked little jaws biting her breast's sensitive blood-gorged tip. 'Aaaaaagh! Ohhhhh God...' The shock of pain channelled through her like electrical current, as though connecting her sore nipple to her groin, causing her already-wet pussy to well up with new moisture. She breathed quickly and rhythmically through her sobs, trying to absorb and control the intensity of sensation.

Eric was already drawing the linking chain between her breasts, fitting the second twin-prong to her right teat. He did not pause, just twisted and tightened, sending a second fiery shock through her via her tender nipple-flesh. 'Ohhhhhh fuck!' Cruel yet thrilling, the initial bite of the clamps subsided to a dull throb; combined with the squeeze of the plug it threatened to overwhelm her senses. Her cunt was a mess of excitement. She could feel the trickle down her thighs.

'Good girl.' Eric looked on in approval at his own work. He let her kneel there for a while, panting and sweating, acclimatising to all this new sensory experience. That her loins were soaking was obvious. She was in thrall to him now, he could feel it - trembling for relief, yet unable to say the word that would relieve her from her sweet torment. Daniella was his. It was time to make his call, but only right he give her fair warning.

'Now this may seem a little presumptuous of me, but I've a small select audience all primed to look in on the next part. If you agree.' Her head jerked up. Even in her present circumstances this was a development to be reckoned with. 'My neighbours,' he explained swiftly. 'Interesting couple - they host swingers' events in their home, so anything they might see between us won't shock them. And we can easily give them a nice view.'

Swingers' events... And he knew this how? Because he'd been invited to attend some very possibly. How much of Eric's social habits did she really know about? 'And if I don't agree?'

'You know how to terminate the contract.'

Daniella burned. Eric was determined to push this to its fucking limit. Not enough that he enslave her, he wanted to share her exquisite shame with the neighbours. Terminate the contract - if she did that, then - what, he'd be done with her? He'd milk the weekend for all he could, then find someone else more suited to his games? Well to hell with his plans. She was enjoying this for her own reasons. And maybe she liked the idea of being watched.

'Let them take a good look,' she told him. 'Give them a fucking ringside seat.'

She never failed to surprise him, this girl. He could not help but be impressed. Eric flipped open his phone and re-fitted his Bluetooth for convenience. 'Gareth, hi - you and Marisha still at home? Oh, you are? Well I'll bring her right out.' He snapped the phone shut. 'They've already taken their seats,' he informed Daniella once the call was ended. It was with a good degree of self-congratulation that he hooked the leash to her collar. 'Get back on all fours. We're going walkies.' It was hard to resist, rubbing her face a little more in her plight. He savoured the moment, as she dropped back into her crawling position, then he yanked his pet into motion.

The clamps pinched tight on Daniella's nipples, clung harder on every movement she made, sending little shooting-pains into her chest. Her breasts swung lightly as she moved into a slow crawl, the suspended chain clinking as she progressed, but even that mild pendular sway accentuated the prongs' grip on her tender extremities. She could feel the plug shifting about her rectal walls on every advance of her legs and the insistent tug of the leash on her neck. It was all she could do not to cry out from her suffering tits and filled bottom, but she held her head up even so, bit on her lip to stifle her own sobs and went to her next trial bravely. Go on, show off your hot little slave. Because that's what she wants.

As he unlocked and slid open the French windows at the back of his apartment, Eric could not help but be struck by the bearing of the young creature he had leashed beside him. Lithe and slippery once more with sweat, carrying herself with stubborn pride and biting down all expression of what she felt, she reminded him more of a reined-in jaguar than a tame little tail-wagging spaniel. And God how he loved it when she chewed like that on her plump lip... Damn! He brushed away those thoughts, urged her over the threshold and onto his veranda with one sharp tug at her collar. He propelled her shuffling with a hard slap to her bum cheek that made her cry aloud, past the garden furniture to the white railings, to where his neighbours could have a good view of his naked bitch.

'Climb up against the fence. Let them see you.' She did, clambering up in her stilettos and balancing herself evenly with her legs spread, leaning against the thin metal bars with her clamped breasts thrust precociously over the top rail. He felt a sudden surge of pride at having this delicious young thoroughbred to show off. The leash he dropped, letting it dangle in front of her, the phone he set aside, his hands moving to caress her body smoothly.

'Touch yourself. Go on, show how hot you are for this. Remember you're being watched.' God... Eric naked behind her, his touch starting to flow all over her, his engorged cock pressing into her ass-crack against the base of the plug, and eyes out there somewhere fixing themselves on her plight - her heat didn't take much showing. Her right hand dropped down between her thighs and her middle finger slithered easily inside the wet folds of her cunt to probe and search. The metal teeth on her nipples continued to shoot wicked little darts of sensation that lubricated her further, made her finger slip all the more easily into her pulsing channel. Eric's palms flexed on her thighs, fingertips pressing into her yielding, slightly buttery flesh until they trailed upwards over her loins, either side of her working hand, breaking and settling again to cup her poor sore breasts from below and gently massage them. 'That's it, explore yourself, give in to it. You want to give a good show, don't you?'

She delved deeper, lower back arching spontaneously, so that her shoulders strained back into Eric's broad torso and her breasts jutted more prominently even as they were stroked. Her body was over-stimulated and moving fast through the normally subtle gradations of arousal. Outdoors and on display to strangers, gripped from behind by this hard-bodied sexy fucker whose hard dick was ready to plough he any moment he chose, nipped at her front and plugged in her rear - it was mere seconds before her finger was buried to the third knuckle inside her, the heel of her palm mashing itself against her enflamed clit, juice issuing freely from the tight, swollen tunnel of her cunt.

'That's it, that's it, frig yourself, get yourself off. Go on, sweetheart, show what a hot little bitch you are. Go on, baby.' His fingers were pressing more urgently into her painful tit-flesh, his loins squeezing hard into her buttocks. He was loving this. Loving that he was parading her hot little body before his decadent neighbours, but crazy for her too, despite himself. She could hear the fierce, warm excitement in his voice, at odds with the cool he so often tried to adopt with her. Despite her myriad bodily sensations it was the knowledge of his desire for her that tipped her into orgasm. Her mewling cries increased to a full-throated scream, as pain and delight exploded together to consume her.

In that instant Eric reached up and whipped the sleep mask from her eyes. Light had already been exploding in her head, so she hardly registered the summer daylight till her wild excitement began to subside. As her second climax of that day shuddered its way free of her, her audience became very apparent. A huge two-storey house of grand design had been built into the slopes stretching away from Eric's apartment block. Its white stonework had a rough-cast Mediterranean look about it and on the upstairs veranda a couple were relaxing, replenishing their glasses from a large jug as their afternoon entertainment played out. She was blonde, svelte and bikinied in her late thirties, he around the same age as Daniella's father, only better-preserved, hair silvering and bare torso tanned and muscular. Thing was, she recognised him.

'Gareth Malone,' Eric muttered into her ear. 'Ring any bells?' Bastard. Fucking bastard. Gareth Malone - accountant to Daniella's father over half her life. She had met him on numerous occasions at their home growing up, most recently the previous Christmas. He appeared to be scrutinising her intently from a couple of hundred yards away. 'Of course he may not have realised it's you,' Eric whispered his hands still patrolling her gently.

'You fucker,' she breathed, almost ready to turn around and slap him with all the force she could summon. She had no doubt from the transfixed look on Malone's face and the asides he was making to his voyeur-partner, that he was fully aware at whom he was looking. 'You think you're so damned clever.'

'Even if he does recognise you, he's hardly going to say anything to your dad,' Eric pointed out. He leaned into her so that his dick was more pronounced against her ass. 'Think how surprised he'll be to see you all grown up.'

'You smartass fucking...' She felt like her blood temperature was shooting skyward.

'Prick? Say it if you mean it, Daniella.' He manipulated his erect organ downwards, slipping it between her thighs so he could slide it back and forth against her wet slit. And he continued to goad as he did it. 'Because if you don't, I'm going to fuck you right in front of them both. Go on, sweetheart, what's it to be? Call the whole thing off or my dick inside you while they watch? Your call. Tell me what...'

Daniella twisted her neck around and glared at him. 'Look, just shut up and fuck me, you idiot!'

Eric paused just a fraction. This girl never did quite what he expected. And what she did do had the regular knack of turning him on even more than he already had been. He responded in the only way appropriate. By adjusting the head of his cock to the entrance of her simmering pussy, laying claim to her waist with both hands and launching a mighty fuck-stroke that buried him inside her to the balls.

Daniella clung to the rail and cried out loud enough to rouse an entire block's worth of neighbours. Her tits shook, nipples burning, as Eric assaulted her cunt with a protracted hard-pounding barrage. He always filled her well, but this time she had the plug inside her for added company, each dick-thrust forcing it tight against her rectal walls. 'Ohhhh God...' Eric was groaning, as he made his repeated plunge. 'Ohhhhh fuck...' He was commencing to whack one of her plump bum-cheeks with great swinging flourishes of his palm, as though words had run out and that was the only way he could express himself. That, and what he did next - to grab the leash where it linked to the collar and drag it towards him, like he were reining in a recalcitrant dog; Daniella felt herself pulled up by the neck, her breasts thrusting out and her back curving, as Eric's cock continued to ream her pussy. She was all but lost to herself. Naked and subjugated, leashed and thrashed in public, boned to her centre before those prurient eyes - and loving every searing-hot second of it. And in all this she had just a hint of mischief left lurking within...

'Gimme the Bluetooth,' she gasped, the first time Eric slowed a little in his thrusting, and he let go the leash so as not to constrict her speech. 'Put it on me,' she insisted. 'You were going to phone him anyway, weren't you? Go on, do it and let him hear me.' His cock had slowed further; in a moment he had scrabbled the device from his ear and fitted it to hers. He was still pumping her though, as he retrieved the mobile and hit the repeat-call.

Across the short valley they could see Gareth Malone pick up his phone to answer, his amorous partner draped around him so she could listen in. Eric immediately rammed hard again, smacking into Daniella's ass cheeks with force and unleashing a loud, ecstatic scream from her lungs. She continued to moan her excitement down the phone connection; on the opposite veranda the blonde woman's hand was delving below the table, presumably to begin tugging on Malone's stiffening cock.

For all Eric's fierce effort, Daniella succeeded in catching her breath so she could communicate more coherently, even as his hard strokes whacked into her. 'Hey Mr Malone, you getting all this? Good view? You like watching Jonathan's little girl getting fucked?' Nothing on the other end but rapt attention and hoarse breathing. She continued between her own gasps. 'He feels so big inside me, Mr Malone, he's fucking me so hard... Would you like to do me like this? Would you? Well I'm sorry, you'll just have to wank off on the memory, because looking is all you're going to get...'

Eric would have laughed, had he not been channelling all his energy into a hard fuck. Wicked little bitch... He just couldn't throw this girl off her stride - not for long anyway, game-playing little nymph, sexy little... little... The ear-piece he tore off her, chucking it casually aside. Then he grabbed her by the shoulder in a reckless moment, pulled her face to his and kissed her hard, fervently, his fingers searching their way into her hair as their tongues slid together. They broke but remained close, lips almost brushing, both breathing hard, his motionless cock thrust deep inside her.

The sudden intimacy she had drawn from him triggered in Eric a similar reaction to before. He felt a need to up his game. 'I want to take your ass.'

There had been a deliberate hardened his voice as he said it, but she didn't miss a beat in responding. 'You can have it. But not here.'

Eric had been all set to act, before her final words stalled him. 'But not...' What, was she trying to set conditions now?

'Come on, Eric, if you want to fuck my ass, where do you really want to do it?' There was a rawness to her tone. He got her meaning instantly. 'Daddy's out all afternoon, I know it for a fact...'

'Is that so?' Eric so wanted to take this bait. 'Well maybe I'll finish off fucking you here and then do it all over again at his...'

'You won't.' She ran her tongue along his jaw line and spoke into his ear. 'You want to fuck my ass on Daddy's bed, you take me there right now, or it's never going to happen. Your call.'

Devious little... She had him, there was no denying it. 'Okay,' he said, gripping her waist as he slowly withdrew his unsated cock from the tight sheath of her cunt. 'This we do your way.'

'And one other thing...' He gave her a warning stare, but was met with a pleading frown in response. 'Would you please take off the nipple clamps? They're starting to hurt like fuck.'

That much he did for her, stroking her hair as he unscrewed each ring to loosen the clamps' grip on her. He even laved both her nipples with slow swirls of his tongue, making her moan and cry out her relief as the pain subsided. In the midst of all his commands, this act of tenderness seemed all the more special. Then he took charge again, roughly, grabbing her by the collar and hauling her to the bedroom as she stumbled and squealed in scared delight. Her whole body thrilled now to every nasty thing he did. Her impromptu move had undermined all his carefully laid-out plans and she relished his efforts to wrest control back to himself. She almost felt distracted from the fact that she was soon to get ass-fucked for the very first time. Everything he does to her... Had she ever doubted he would follow through?

The man-size tee-shirt he slung at her with a brusque 'Put it on and get your bag,' once he had struggled into jeans, shirt and trainers himself. It was the first above-ankle piece of clothing - the collar hardly counted - that she had worn all day. The garment stretched to just below her otherwise naked ass. She felt that scary sense of exposure once more, tugging at the hem as they took the lift down to the ground-level garage, the jewelled dog collar still circling her neck. The young couple who shared the descent with them tried not to stare at what was surely an obvious mid-fuck break, likewise the middle-aged man departing his car next to Eric's Lotus. Daniella knew that guy would be looking back in advanced interest as Eric bundled her unceremoniously into the back of his vehicle, her naked pussy and plugged ass on display as the tee rode up around her waist. She wondered if anyone had noticed Eric gripping the currently detached leash. In the urgency of the stalled fuck she did not care. As Eric revved the car and swung out of the garage, as he drove the few short miles through town to the suburb where Daniella spent holidays living with her father, she lay on the back seat with her legs spread, fingering herself in hot expectation. If her partner-in-lust gave a damn about her pussy leaking all over the suede upholstering of his car he did not show it. He was all grimly intent demeanour and silent willing of traffic at busy junctions, as he homed in on the destination where he would complete his defilement.

Jonathan Blanchford's car was notably absent from the gravel drive that fronted the house when they arrived. 'You sure he's not going to make an appearance?' Eric asked, as he pulled Daniella briskly from her reclining position and out of the vehicle.

'Playing cricket. He won't be back for another hour,' she said, face flushed as he propelled her towards the front door of the plush Blanchford residence. 'Why, you scared?'

'Just get us inside.' He clapped his hand hard to her bum right on the base of the plug, with no thought as to what neighbours or passers-by might see. She shrieked, then almost quivering with renewed longing delved into her Sarah Bergman bag and rummaged till she found the keys. Then Eric was bustling her into the house where she had grown up, hardly allowing her time to switch off the security alarm, shoving her tee-clad form into the...

'Kitchen?' He was dragging open the big refrigerator door, still clutching her by the arm, before she'd registered what was going on.

'Forgot the lube,' he explained tersely, as he ransacked the fridge's contents. 'Need to improvise. Butter - too damn hard. Got to be something... Here we go, shit, this is fucking perfect. And it's full, too.' She was already palpitating when he slammed shut the stainless steel door and shoved her up against it, brandishing the can of squirt cream in front of her. 'Ever played with this?'

She shook her head mutely, awaiting his next move in a kind of joyous turmoil. Then he was grabbing her tee-shirt by the hem, ripping it upwards and dragging it over her head and off her arms to expose her fully once more, this time in her dad's kitchen. He wrenched the top off the can of compressed cream and pinned her to the fridge, pointing the long nozzle in her face. 'Now where first?' She watch him flip it downwards and hit the trigger hard, felt the cold splurge of refrigerated cream all over her tits. Felt him trail the nozzle down her stomach leaving a creamy trail, till he fitted it between her pussy lips and shot a brief blast into her recently fucked channel.

He was down on his knees next second grabbing her ass, his tongue thrusting inside her, feasting on the synthetic cream as it melted into her cunt juice. She could not help but picture her dad's expression were he to walk in now and find Eric tongue-fucking all the flavour out of her right there in the old family kitchen. Or her mother for that matter, were she to make one of her rare return-appearances - jealous perhaps to see her daughter being eaten out so thoroughly? Her hands pressed flat against the steel surface as she succumbed totally to Eric's ravenous enjoyment.

Delicious, so fucking delicious. The cream was just garnish to the gourmet delight that was Daniella. Having scooped the last of the sweetness from the hot receptacle of her cunt, he followed the trail he had left back up her body, till his tongue was slavering over her stickily-coated tits. He skated in broad circles over one gorgeous mound, lapping up every last trace of cream till he was focused on the sore nipple, sucking it hard. Then he repeated the process on her other breast, lavishing his tongue on her, homing in on the tender peak. She was still bleating in pained response to his sucking attentions when he rose, put his mouth on hers and engaged her in a creamy tongue-kiss.

The union of their mouths was long and luxurious and soon he felt his cock pressing bone-hard against his jeans once more. He let her hear the zipper's rasp and saw the flash of response in her eyes. 'Knees,' was all he said, and she slithered her naked back all the way down the fridge surface, till she was kneeling dutifully on the kitchen floor before his freshly exposed cock. He had already taken the canister and he sprayed generously from base to tip, leaving a great inviting blob dancing on the glans.

Daniella's eyes widened up at the treat proffered to her in Daddy's kitchen - a hard cock frosted like a great cream-doughnut for her delectation. So fucking naughty. She licked the great glob from the head with relish, then gobbled her way down the shaft, sucking and slurping the fondant mess from Eric's smooth, bulged length. She took him in again all the way, then relinquished him, creamy drool dangling between her lips and his dick, running down her chin. Then she skated above and below, covering all of his surface to the very balls, licking him clean. She even rubbed him, saliva-soaked all over her face and he just stood motionless and staring, letting her get on with it.

They were both off-script and improvising now, and Eric was somehow fine with that. In fact, he wouldn't have had it any other way. Maybe he could never bend this girl completely to his will. But the fun was in the trying. He hoisted her from under the armpits to her feet and locked her into another long, hard kiss. Then 'Bedroom, now,' he said, having broken their lip-lock, and her eyes blazed with fearful, needy anticipation. He had made a promise and they both knew he intended to keep it.

Daniella found herself dragged once more through the hallway, then stumbling up the stairs to the second storey, compelled by a madman with a dog leash and a can of compressed dessert cream. She was just as compelled from within herself, though. At least part of his dynamic lust was down to her, she knew that now, and with every move he made her heart and loins exulted. 'Which room?' he demanded, and she indicated with her head. He hauled her inside; she watched his eyes flick around for a moment to take in the sparsely-adorned walls of Jonathan Blanchford's divorcee bedroom. Then he threw her face-down and yelping onto the navy covers of the adequately-made bed.

She was picking herself up when he grabbed her wrists and circled the leash around them, pulling it tight. He looped on end around the iron railing at the head of the bed and fastened it to the band on her wrists, tethering her securely. Swift, spontaneous and unnervingly sexy. He was stripping now, right beside her. His handsomely rigid fuck-stick bobbed as he divested himself of his jeans. No talk, not so much as a word - just the swift undertaking of a fevered sex-mission. Then he was gone from her view and she only felt him - wrenching her thighs apart, climbing onto her from behind, positioning himself and re-uniting cock and cunt in a single fluid stroke.

Fleet, hard sword-thrusts to her depths, filling and juicing her to the utmost. 'Ohh yes... Nice and wet, that'll help,' he was saying, and she recalled the girl from scene three, knew she was about to get cored in exactly the same way as that rectally besieged porn slut, only for the first time and on her own father's duvet. Her anal muscles throbbed around the ever-present plastic bulge at that thought, as Eric rammed home a few more cunt-slamming strokes.

He pulled out, cock slick and shiny with her, and grabbed for the base of the plug, making her seize up in response. 'Slow and easy,' he reassured, and set about withdrawing the tight-fitted toy, watching her anus swell to spit it out.

Daniella groaned at the lewd sensation of her rear-entrance stretching to expel the fat plastic bolus from her ass. She was just registering the sense of emptiness when the next anal indignity was perpetrated - the nozzle of the canister poked into her asshole and probed as far as it could go. The whole business was compellingly sordid. She felt dirty and used and thrilled beyond all previous imaginings.

'You ready for this?' There was exuberance in Eric's voice.

'Just do it,' she said in a fervency of lust. 'Shoot it up me.' She felt him squeeze hard and a great cold surge of cream filled up her anal cavity like iced insulating foam. 'Oh my God...' Her wrists were pressed tight against the rail, hands clenched at the inundation of fake dairy into her bowels. Eric pulled the hard tube out of her and she immediately felt the thick fluid start to ooze and fart its way in pursuit. That was until her wicked lover plugged the escape route with himself. The hard swollen sponge of Eric's cock-head thrust dramatically into her already cream-filled ass.

'God, baby, I think this is going to work. You all set? No safe-word?'

What, did he want her to plead? Get all concerned and reluctant? She knew this was going to hurt, her whole body was bracing in preparation, but she actively needed this to be underway. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of going all helpless and girlish. 'Screw the safe-word, I'll just think it. Now bring it on... Fuck my ass, right now, right here on Daddy's bed...'

Too beautiful an invitation to resist. Eric gritted his teeth and pushed hard, recklessly, sinking the first of his length into Daniella's rectum till the lubrication could do no more against her tightening sphincter. Curls of cream spurted out around his invading pole as she cried out wildly. He retreated and went in again, slower this time, more warily, trying to draw out no more than a fearful moan. The hot little thing had got him all fired up. She would insist on doing that, wouldn't she? He gripped her globed ass and slid back and forth in a smooth motion, easing his shaft gradually deeper, sinking himself incrementally into Daniella's tight rectal chasm. Ohhhh God, right to the balls, right to the balls inside this crazy little darling...

Danialla's whole body felt ablaze along with her bottom. Adrenalin was pumping through her, endorphins firing in her brain. It hurt, but it was glorious. Plug be damned, now she had a great throbbing-hard length of cock-flesh sunk inside her ass, powered by a bastard at the height of his sexual powers. So nasty, so wrong, to be strapped and anally dominated on her father's bed - so fucking perfect. He was gripping her hard, burying the last of himself, holding still with his balls nestling cosily against her bum. Now he was withdrawing a little and pushing. Repeating the same movement. Asserting himself inside her. She could almost see the blissful snarl on his face. 'You like that?' She could only speak in ragged panting gasps. 'Feel - Feel as good as you hoped?'

'Ohhhh sweetheart, yes...' His voice gutteral and constricted.

'You going to fuck me then?'

'Am I...'

'Going to fuck me? Really fuck me?' Her voice quaking yet taunting. She could hardly believe her nerve in saying it. 'What sort of a defiler are you? Are you going to... Aaaaaaaagh!!!' He had pulled halfway out and powered back in, cramming her with cock.

'That it? That what you want?'

'Fuck! Yeah... No! Not so hard...'

'Alright, alright, sorry...'

'It's okay, it's okay...' Christ, that had been way more than she could chew. His apology was a surprise. 'That's better, that's good, keep it like that... Ohhhhh...'

He was pumping slow, smooth and deep now, watching himself glide in and out of Daniella's expanded anus, cream still spewing forth as he thrust, frothing around his bollocks. Her voice achieving a consistent mid-level keening, as his cock gently, persistently opened up her ass.

'Touch me...' she managed to moan. 'Eric, I want to come... Please...' He leaned further into her, slipped his hand beneath her and found with ease the wet, pulsing cherry of her clitoris. He thrust and rubbed in unison, palm flat on her pubic mound, knowing at once the wetness of her cunt and tightness of her clutching asshole. He wanted her to come, wanted her pussy spasming and her body bucking as he fucked into her ass. Not just for the physical sensation though, not just for his own stupid ego, but because...well...he wanted her to feel good, to feel wild and filthy and special and...and wanted. He wanted her to feel wanted. So he screwed her slowly and frigged her hard and pressed his arm tight to her breasts until her semi-anguished cries melted subtly into the pre-orgasmic.

'Oh fuck,' she was saying, 'that feels so good, so good... Fuck me, fuck me, I'm going to come, you're going to make me come...'

He was going to be right there with her. Urgency was upon him... speeding up his strokes... he was squeezing himself tight to her, pressure building, building in them both, rocketing towards something incendiary... He was about to blow, about to spew forth all the things he'd sworn he wouldn't say... 'Oh God, Daniella, that feels amazing, you feel amazing, you're so fucking... so fucking...'

'...What?'

'So fucking amazing...'

They both came, extravagantly. Her ass clutched him hard, as he blew an enormous wad deep inside her. It occurred to Eric afterwards that this was probably as romantic as pumping a girl's ass full of semen ever got.

Daniella's thoughts were muddled for a while. All she could feel was Eric's sweaty embrace and the slow messy retraction of his cock from her tight-clenched bumhole. and she clung to the unexpected revelation of her amazingness. Gradually he slid off her and rolled back on the duvet, panting at the ceiling.

'You okay?' he inquired, eyes flicking to her briefly.

'Fine,' she replied through her weary haze, thick milky fluid sliming out of her. 'Any time you want to untie me. Or are we still playing?'

'Ah. Apologies.' He smiled ruefully and made to free her. Then the car was heard turning into the drive. They froze momentarily, looking at each other in considerable shock.

'Shit. Cricket over?'

'Daddy's team must have collapsed again. Their having a bad season.'

'Right. Well - I'd better get you sorted. Quick.'

'Thought you'd already done that,' Daniella said slyly, as he released her from her bonds. 'And isn't it your sweetest fantasy, him finding me trapped like this? What, are you frightened?'

'Not for myself.' Eric was briskly gathering up his clothes. He could hear the car radio blaring, the ignition shutting off. Blanchford would already be wondering why Eric's car was parked outside his house. 'I've as good as resigned, but you've got to live with him, in the short-term at any rate.'

She was kneeling nude on the bed, with a daring look on her face. 'Don't you want him to walk in on us, just a little?'

He got exasperated. 'Are you fucking crazy? Get your ass into your own room and clean up now! Take the damn plug and the whipped cream and the leash, and...and turn the duvet, it's a fucking mess! I'll sort myself out in the bathroom - I came round to see him and you let me in, that's the story. For God's sake go!'

Daniella had been more than slightly thrown by her father's return, but the chance to make Eric sweat a little had been too tempting. She flipped the soiled duvet - a temporary measure - and scurried to her room with all dubious items plus a throbbing rectum, her fuck-partner diving simultaneously for the bathroom. There followed a rather desperate clean-up at her sink, not least due to the continued leakage of cum from her newly-taken asshole. Her dad's voice sounded through the house as she carried out her frantic and somewhat acrobatic ablutions: 'Hello? Who's here?' A minute later she heard Eric's voice joining her father's in a brusque exchange.

She hurried downstairs shortly after, having slipped on panties, flip-flops and a pale blue summer dress, hoping that brushed hair and a blast of antiperspirant would mask the whole just-fucked thing. The scene she found in the hallway was something of a stand-off. Her father, still in his too neatly-fitting cricketing whites, was wielding his bat in sitcom fashion, she thought. His hair was awry and his rather puffy face was reddening.

'Anything I had to tell you, I did yesterday over the phone. And my mind hasn't changed,' he was blunting informing his current employee.

'I didn't come here to change you mind,' Eric retaliated calmly. Blanchford was a big, broad man, but Eric had a height advantage. He had managed, she noticed, to cover over his post-copulative untidiness with admirable ease.

'Well what did you come for in that case? I don't particularly care to come home and find you in my house.'

'I invited him in,' Daniella interrupted swiftly. 'And no, he didn't come here to change your mind about anything. He didn't come here to talk to you at all.' Her father looked to her for explanation. So did Eric, come to that. 'He came to ask me out. On a date.'

'He did what?'

'And I said yes. He's taking me to the Latymer Restaurant. That's the five-star Latymer Restaurant. Tonight. Aren't you, Eric?'

'Y-es,' Eric concurred, after the briefest of hesitations. 'Yes I am.'

'What? You're... You mean...'

Daniella swept past the perturbed parent, catching Eric's arm and spiriting him towards the front door, before her dad's perplexity could turn to anger. 'Reservation at seven,' she explained. 'No time to spare.' She paused at the doorway, reconsidered and dashed back. 'I love you, Daddy,' she said, kissing him smartly on the cheek, 'but sometimes you're an ass. Like breaking your word to Eric over the partnership, very short-sighted if you ask me. Bye.' She left him too stunned even to fume.

She and Eric had reached the Lotus before he reminded her about the man's tee-shirt on the kitchen floor. 'I'll think of something before I see him next,' she said offhandedly, as they slid into the front of the car.

'And the lingering smell of sex in the bedroom?'

'He might have forgotten what that is,' she shrugged. 'It's been a while for him, poor love. Anyway, I keep house too well for him to chuck me out. He secretly dreads me going back to college now that mum's left. You know, I'm feeling forgiving towards him already. Anyway - could we stop at your place before dinner? I think we both really need to shower.'

Eric stared at her primly expectant face. He was still reeling slightly from their conversation with her father. 'Excuse me,' he said lightly, 'anywhere we might go to eat is subject to my decision.' He plucked the A4 sheet from his back pocket - he had stowed it there before leaving his apartment - and held it up for her to see. 'You're still bound by this, for the rest of the weekend.'

She snatched it from him without breaking his stare, ripped it in two, then four, and handed him back the pieces. 'Prick,' she said firmly. 'Self-regarding, arrogant prick. It's a bloody wonder I still like you. Now get on the phone to the Latymer and if they're booked up, take me somewhere else up-market.'

Eric struggled a moment for words. He could not break from Daniella's gaze, from the wicked wisdom and beauty of those dark eyes. The feelings he had tried to conceal from Daniella and himself, he feared, were plastered all over his face. He made a valiant attempt to fight back nonetheless. 'And...what the hell makes you think I'm not going to kick your ass out of the car and pack you back to Daddy right now?'

'Because,' said Daniella with a confidence born of one crazy afternoon, 'you've never had ass like this before. Go on, deny it.' He said nothing. She leaned over and kissed him softly on the mouth. 'You want more nasty, take me somewhere nice.'

Eric's pulse raced. His discomfort was real, but it was countered by a sense of wild excitement. He could have freed himself by a single sharp rebuke and by damn well driving off alone, but he did not want to. Not for an instant. It just wasn't an option. Never in his life, never once, had he felt quite like this. He drew Daniella to him and returned the soft kiss to her mouth, lingering just a little. 'Let's go eat,' he said.