#dating richie gecko

[downwiththeficness]

The Usurper-Chapter Twenty One

Summary: Lilah McNamara stole things for a living. It was tedious work and often dangerous, which made it just exciting enough to keep her interested. After botching a routine job, Lilah finds herself standing amid monsters. Wholly unprepared for the horror of living under Amaru’s reign, Lilah decides to use her well honed skills to thwart the queen’s plans and prevent the end of the world.

Word Count: ~3,600

Disclaimer: I do not consent to this work being copied or posted to other sites of blogs.

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Lilah sat at a small, round table across from the brothers Gecko, wondering if she made the right choice. Ten minutes of arguing about how to get into Mr. Lyle’s private collection had dissolved into what seemed like age-old bickering about a job gone wrong. She listened to them in turn, learning little bits and pieces about who they were as people.

Seth was quick to anger and wore his emotions proudly on his sleeve. Likely a career criminal, Lilah wouldn’t be surprised if he hadn’t done some serious time. Richie, on the other hand, was razor sharp and impulsive enough to refuse to plan more than a few core details. This only seemed to exasperate his brother. Lilah wondered if Richie secretly relished how Seth would throw his hands up in frustration. Even with their back and forth, it was nice to be working with a team again. It was nice to have another thief to bounce her ideas off of, even if it sometimes resulted in a fight.

Lilah hadn’t realized how long she’d been listening to the sound of her own thoughts. With both brothers still arguing back and forth, she tapped the screen of the cell phone sitting to her right. The date was wildly further into the year than she anticipated. Months had passed by while Lilah was in the caves with just two people to talk to—two people and a petulant blood queen. Now, she had a different pair of people to talk to. Lilah was undecided if this was an improvement.

“You think some old book collector is going to have a vault. That’s what you’re telling me?” Seth asked with clear irritation.

“It makes sense,” Richie explained. “Look at the specs on his office.”

Seth rolled his eyes, “Tell me how he’s going to get a vault up fifteen floors.”

“In pieces. Obviously.”

“He’s a thousand years old. He can’t lift a cup of coffee, let alone the parts it would take to assemble a vault this size.”

Undeterred, Richie said, “He wouldn’t have to do it. He could hire someone, or have his son do it.”

The argument continued. Lilah set her elbow on the table and rested her head in her palm. It was amazing how long they could keep this up. Truly. The stamina they had was inexhaustible. Lilah turned her attention to the laptop she’d bought with money Javier had definitely given her. She noticed an alert in her notifications and tapped it.

“Ah, shit,” spilled from her mouth in a long, slow pair of syllables.

The brothers stopped arguing mid-sentence. “What?” Seth asked.

“The mark is dead.”

“What?” he repeated with more emphasis.

Lilah turned the laptop around, “He’s dead. The maid found him this morning.”

Richie peered at the screen, “Somebody got to him before us?”

She shrugged, “I doubt it. He was, like, a hundred. Probably natural causes.”

“Its good for us,” Seth asserted. “Funerals mean confusion. People will be in and out for days. We can probably walk through the front door, grab the book, and out the back without anyone noticing.”

He was right. Except, “We don’t know where the book is. I think someone will notice a stranger snooping around his private library. Especially since most of the it will be put going up for auction.”

“They’re auctioning it?”

“That’s what the article says.”

Richie tapped his hand on the table, “Even better. An auction means they have to catalogue everything. A list will have to be posted before they take bids.”

Seth rubbed his chin, “So, we sit on our hands for a few days and wait for someone to do the work for us.”

“Exactly.”

Leaning back in her chair, Lilah made an effort to keep from sulking. For three days, she had been trying to get on the same page as her new partners, all the while ignoring the massive elephant in the room. Lilah knew that Brasa would take a little while to recuperate, but she had no idea what he would do once he regained his strength. She hoped that she could be done with this job beforehand, hoped that scoring the book and figuring out how to stop Amaru would be enough to soothe the betrayal of leaving him while he was incapacitated.

Javier sent her a text now and then, letting her know that Brasa was stable and healing. He even emailed her the translation program so that she could begin reading the book once she got her hands on it. Other than that, there was no new information and Lilah was beginning to feel anxious and worried. She kept picturing what Brasa looked like the last time she saw him. Broken. Bruised. Bleeding. She’d take on all his anger if it meant that he didn’t look that way when she saw him next.

“Well,” Seth cut into her thoughts, “if there’s no more work to do, I’m going to get a drink. You want?”

Lilah nodded, “Yeah, I’ll take a drink.”

Richie stood with them, saying, “I gotta feed. I’ll catch you later.”

Lilah didn’t miss the way Seth flinched when Richie said the word, ‘feed’. She guessed that he still hadn’t quite gotten used to the fact that his brother needed blood to survive. Lilah wondered what he would say if he knew that she also drank blood from time to time and that she was slowly becoming less and less human because of it.

She followed Seth out into the bar, listening as the ambient sound of glasses clinking and conversation grew steadily louder. For such a dive, the place was fairly busy. Their clientele was standard for the area—truckers who needed a good meal, locals who liked cheap beer and live music, the occasional sex worker looking to get paid. As such, Lilah didn’t turn any heads when she walked across the floor. The feeling of anonymity was refreshing after weeks and weeks of people staring at her from a distance.

Seth sauntered casually behind the bar and plucked a bottle from the mass of them sitting on the shelves. The bright, sunny yellow label signaled caution. Lilah arched a brow at Seth while he turned and grabbed two glasses. In the few days since they met, Seth poured a truly impressive amount of liquor down his throat. Although she couldn’t fault him for needing to numb the insanity going on, Lilah also needed clear heads when they actually started the real work.

Several people at the bar were eyeing him along with a table full of women who couldn’t be more than twenty five. Lilah couldn’t tell if it was because he clearly owned the place or because he was handsome in a rough and tumble kind of way.

He sat on the bar stool next to her and poured each of them a serving, “You ever do something like this before?”

“Drink?”

“Steal.”

Lilah scoffed, “I told you I was a thief.”

“Yeah, but that can mean a lot of things. Me and Richie, we like banks. Other people like to knock over a gas station. They’re not the same.”

She hummed ambiguously and sipped at her drink. For someone who drank a lot more than she did, Seth had terrible taste in liquor. What she wouldn’t give to the little bar cart she was used to. Lilah might even take some of Brasa’s ‘wine’ over what she was now struggling to swallow down. “What’s your point?”

He lifted a shoulder, “My point is everyone has a job they’re most comfortable with. What’s yours?”

“I thought that was obvious.”

“Clearly, its not.”

Lilah shifted on the stool, “Relics, mostly. Art, carvings, sometimes pottery.”

“Books?’

“Sometimes.”

“Ever steal anything famous?”

“I think that probably depends on what you would call famous,” Lilah said. “I got a lot of heat for snagging a sapphire off an ambassador’s wife at a party. It took like six months to find a buyer and I quit doing jewelry after that. Wasn’t worth it to me.”

Seth set his glass down and stared at her, “The Austrian Ambassador?”

“Uh, yeah, I think so. To be honest I can’t tell the difference between German and Austrian.”

“Did you sell to a man in Colorado?”

She thought about it, “We did the meet up in Montana, but I think he had a ranch in Colorado.”

He kept staring at her with eyes that were narrowed and almost confused, “You’re McNamara.”

Lilah smiled, “That’s me.”

Seth made a kind of hissing sound and poured more liquor into her glass, “I cannot believe it. I worked a job with a guy in Dallas who swore up and down that you were a man.”

“That’s happens,” she says. “I usually do most of my work remotely. Its safer, you know?”

He spent another minute or two saying that he couldn’t believe it, then, “Did you actually steal that painting from right under that old guy’s nose?” When she nodded, he said, “You have got some balls, you know that?”

It was so rare that Lilah actually got credit for the work she did, at least in person. She felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment, but couldn’t help the pride in her voice, “I do have balls. I also have this rule where I have to get in and out clean. Its what has kept me out of jail for so long. This thing with the book can go a lot of ways and I don’t like that we don’t even know where it is.”

“We’ll get it,” Seth assured her, “Like Richie said, the list’ll come out and then we’ll know for sure.”

A barely suppressed round of giggles reached Lilah’s ears. She peered around Seth to the women at the table. They were still staring at Seth. Lilah was also getting envious glances. She smiled and said, “Looks like you have a fan club.”

“Nah,” he replied, not even bothering to follow her gaze. “I’m just fresh meat. Gets me laid, though.”

Lilah had no doubt and said as much. Guys like Seth were a dime a dozen in her line of work. Brash, mysterious, and most importantly, temporary. One or two nights of adrenaline soaked fucking and he would be gone. Nothing but a crazy story they tell their friends when they’ve had too much to drink.

Seth spun his glass between his thumb and middle finger, “It gets old, sometimes. The song and dance, giving just enough compliments and lying about who I am and where I’ve been.”

She sympathized with him, “Don’t I know it. I tried to date early on, but it never worked out. Too many lies and it always comes down to,” her voice took on a mocking tone, “you never open up. I feel like I don’t know you.”

“That’s because they never know you. They always get hurt if they know you.”

Something about his voice was far away, as if he was reliving a memory. Again, Lilah sympathized with him. Having any kind of close connection was untenable in their line of work. He was lucky that he had his brother. Until Brasa, Lilah didn’t really have anyone. Sure, there were colleagues and a few trusted associates that she teamed up with when a job called for it, but there was no one who she shared anything personal with. Certainly, no one who knew of the place she called home.

“Maybe I should look in another direction,” Seth said, perking up. “You interested?”

“No,” Lilah answered immediately. Then, realizing that she might have been rude, she added, “Sorry. You’re cute, and all, but you’re a walking, talking alarm bell and I don’t go for that.”

As the words tumbled out of her mouth, Lilah realized she was all kinds of hypocritical. Less than a week ago, she was rolling around in bed with the epitome of danger. She was touching him and kissing him and...Lilah gave herself a hard shake.

“Ouch,” he winced. “Fair assessment, but ouch.”

She apologized again, “Besides, even if I were interested, Brasa would cut your balls off and make you eat them if you laid a hand on me.”

Seth rolled his eyes, “I’m not afraid of him.”

“You should be. He’s a lot more powerful than you think and the only thing holding him back is Amaru.”

At the mention of the queen’s name, he sucked his teeth, “We’ll deal with her soon.”

“Yes, we will. Or, we’ll all die horribly.”

Seth laughed and picked up his glass to toast her, “To dying horribly.”

Lilah tapped her glass against his, “To dying horribly.” She took a drink and struggled to swallow it down. He had really, really bad taste in liquor. “Listen, I’m gonna get out of that lady’s way. Its, like, three in the morning and I need some sleep.”

“Sure, sure. See you.”

She waved at him and slipped from the bar stool, poured a healthy serving of alcohol into the glass, and took it with her. After making a stop in the office to grab her laptop, Lilah sidestepped a dancing couple and walked down a hallway marked ‘staff only’. With the keys Seth gave her, she opened the lock to her new room. It was small, furnished with only a bed and a nightstand, but it had an en suite bathroom. Lilah wouldn’t have to worry about a customer walking in on her while she showered.

Alone for the first time in hours, Lilah dropped the laptop on the bed and sat heavily on the mattress. She pulled Brasa’s phone from her pocket and tapped the screen. No messages. The clock told her that she’d gone almost twenty four hours with no word from Javier and Lilah debated checking in. She decided against it. Javier had enough on his plate without constantly reassuring her.

Lilah still needed reassurance. She needed comfort, and there was only one other person she could talk to. Without thinking about it, she pulled up the keypad, tapped out a number, and hit call. The line rang several times before someone picked up and croaked, “Hello?”

“Mom?”

“Lilah? Is that you? What time is it?”

She winced, mentally calculating the time difference, “Yes, sorry. I just got off a flight and I’m a little disoriented.”

“No, no. Its fine.” There was movement on the other side of the line, “We haven’t heard from you in months, Lilah. Where have you been?”

“I got sent out to this middle of nowhere place in Europe. No service. I just got back.”

“What kind of design needs to be done in the middle of nowhere?”

“You’d be surprised,” Lilah drawled. “How’s dad?”

“Oh, you know, he’s working on another paper. Something about a samurai tablet they found in the Middle East.”

Frowning, Lilah said, “You mean Sumerian?”

“I guess. You know I’m not good with those things.”

‘Those things’ were anything to do with ancient history. Lilah’s father was one of the foremost researchers into ancient civilizations in the East. He lectured across North America to supplement his university income and sometimes he took Lilah with him. She remembered being six years old and sitting in a half empty auditorium. Her father would promise her ice cream if she was quiet for the hour or hour and a half it took for him to get through his presentation and answer questions. Lilah never told him, but she would have done it for free.

“So, what’s been going on since I talked to you last?”

“Well, your cousin got married. The wedding was beautiful. Reba did the whole thing in white lilies. Thousands of them, can you imagine?”

“Thousands of white lilies? Did her parents take out another mortgage on their house?”

“Oh, god! I forgot to tell you. She got that promotion she was talking about all those months ago. Said that they nearly doubled her pay.”

Lilah made a sound of approval, “Good. She deserved the promotion two years ago. They ever figure out that Doug was a double dealing dipshit?”

“Did they ever,” her mother replied, laughter in her voice. “Reba told me they walked him out in handcuffs. It was like something out of a movie.”

Grinning, Lilah laid back on the bed and passed a hand over her face. She could picture Reba with her wild mane of curls and bright fuchsia lipstick telling this story over a glass of white wine. She never drank red, said it stained her teeth. Up until Lilah began working as a thief, she and Reba had been close. When they were kids, they spent almost every summer together at the cabin. Then, when Reba got her license, they puttered at the mall in their free time. Lilah knew that the distance between them now hurt Reba more than she would say. It hurt Lilah, too. But, there wasn’t anything Lilah could do about it. Like Seth said, the people who truly knew her would only get hurt.

“How about you? What kind of place doesn’t have service?”

Sighing, Lilah answered, “The cave kind. I’ve been working in a literal cave for a few months.”

Her mother laughed, “I don’t believe it.”

“Its true. There’s this mega rich asshole who wanted me to help with creating an underground house.”

“You’re not an architect, Lilah.”

“I know, I know. My job was more or less to design the ambiance.”

“I hope they paid you well.”

She rolled her eyes, “About average.”

A scoff, “Leave it to the rich to underpay their staff.”

Lilah found herself wanting to defend the situation, “It was alright. I got free room and board. Had a nice selection of alcohol that I didn’t have to pay for. They even gave me a stipend for clothes.”

“Well, I suppose that’s something.”

It was a shame that Lilah couldn’t bring all those nice clothes with her. Not that she had anywhere to wear them. Aside from the bar, the only place Lilah ever went was to the local food mart to pick up the occasional supplies to fill the shelf Seth assigned to her in the kitchen fridge. She sure as hell wasn’t going to wear them when they finally nailed down a plan to get the book. The silk and chiffon would draw too much attention.

“You know,” her mother said casually, “your father’s birthday is next month.”

Lilah pressed a hand to her forehead. Her mother was a lot of things, but subtle wasn’t one of them. “Yeah,” she mumbled. “I know.”

“Will you be stopping by to celebrate?”

Guilt rested heavy on her shoulders, “Not this year. But, soon. I have a few things I need to take care of and then I plan on taking an extended vacation. A couple months, at least.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful! Let us know when you’ll be here and I’ll make up the guest room.”

“I was, uh, hoping I could use the cabin.”

“Of course. That won’t be a problem. I’ll make a stop before you get here and dust a little. Maybe get you those awful oatmeal cookies you like so much.”

“Hey,” Lilah barked, offended, “They’re good for dipping in coffee.”

“Yes, I know, dear. But, they’re hard as a rock.”

“That’s why you dip them in coffee.”

Her mother hummed in a way that said she didn’t agree, but wasn’t willing to argue. Lilah could hear the fatigue just beneath. “Listen, I’m going to let you go. I’ll call you in a few days. Say hi to dad for me.”

“I will.” Her mother’s voice softened, “I love you, Lilah.”

“Love you, too.”

She ended the call and put the phone on the nightstand beside the bed. Lilah didn’t bother to fight the homesick feeling in her gut. It was so easy to forget that she had a family and a history when everything in front of her was crisis and horror. A part of her wanted to book a flight and haul ass up North, just to get away from it all. It was fool’s dream. Her problems in Mexico would just follow her to Canada and all she would accomplish would be putting the people she loved in danger. Better to handle Amaru here and relax later. Damn it.

Lilah drifted into a light sleep for a while. She woke a short time later soaked in sweat. Her whole body burned from the inside out. She held up a hand and was surprised that there wasn’t steam gently wafting from her skin. Vaguely panicked, Lilah scrambled to the bathroom and ran cold water into the tub while she tore off every piece of clothing she was wearing.

Dropping down into the tub was a shock to her body. The water felt somehow colder than ice, sending jagged pain all along her limbs. Lilah made herself stay right where she was, listening to the sound of her teeth chattering. The cold didn’t last long, heating up surprisingly fast with the fire burning brightly inside her. She emptied the tub and filled it again. And again. After that, the fever broke and she laid in the tepid water while her world slowly came back into focus.

When she could stand, Lilah emptied the tub a third time and turned on the shower. She soaped off the sweat and grime while her brain tried to come up with some kind of explanation. All Lilah could come up with was that the experience was fucking weird and she hoped it didn’t happen again.

Exhausted and still faintly shivering, she pulled on some sleep clothes and padded to the bed. It didn’t matter that the mattress wasn’t as nice as she was used to. Lilah dropped into sleep so fast that she barely registered the moment the deep dark of unconsciousness claimed her.

[strawbrryrush]

I'm mobile, but here is my hidden valentines event starter and plotting call!! Imma limit it 3 request per mun pls, and a limit of 4 per muse so I don't cry. Anyways i hope this isn't too bad- but I'm FAR behind oops ♡♡

Elena Gilbert - going with elijah mikaleson- will be trying to get into this man's suit.. and will be drinking her aunt has no humanity on and is spooking her let her live. 0/4

Eric Northman- going with faye chamberlain- going to judge this event- clearly his club could do it better.- will be woofing and acting a fool for his wife- or fiance ?? Whatever he's committed. 0/4

Homura Akemi- going with madoka kaname! Homura; after the maze deserves a break.. and to have fun and dance with her ?? Girlfriend, she doesn't know what they are but knows madoka looks stunning - and she has butterflies. Bonus points if u get her tipsy it'd be funny. 0/4

jinx - going with stu macher! Not a shock- will probably be wreaking havoc and enjoying what the place has to offer.. im always down for jinx angst if anyone's offering :)) 0/4

nami - going with sanji!! Will be scoping the place out for some thievery - maybe don't tell sanji but come on it'll be a great investment !! Also low-key probably gonna be keeping an eye on the rest of the straw hats- they're idiots but she cares for them. 0/4

richard gecko - going with aerith! She's gorgeous he wants to eat his girlfriend up- will be enjoying his time with her. But also richie can use every and any plot please PLEASEE PLEASEEE lmk what u wanna do let's!! 0/4

Tifa lockhart- blind date with cassie ! Will be trying to have a good time- looking gorgeous while doing so. Why not get tifa tipsy it'd be fun! 0/4

lip gallagher,- going with rikki.. let's be real these kind of parties aren't really his thing- he's trying to live a life of sobriety so no drinks for him or I'll throw hands >:[ jk jk but he's trying to have a good time - even if he feels out of place. Let's make some friends!! 0/4

mabel pines,- in need of a date if any one wants to plot that! She's a sweetheart who will start a drinking game and lose and be plastered - come on it'll be fun.. imagine drunken kisses and waking up like what happened ?? 0/4

martha hatter - sunshine baby- in need of a date again if you wanna try anything lmk!! A true hopeless romantic will dance with your muse and make sure they're safe ! 0/4

nezuko kamado,- going with evie ! Her first masquerade party I can feel she's gonna be nervous, but will have fun or try to!! 0/4

harriet hufflepuff, - going with lily ! Eyes only on her girlfriend and she doesn't really do parties so they'll be ?? Awkward but lily does bring the best out of them who knows. 0/4

amber freeman , - going with Tara! A party girl at heart is gonna love this! Will try to be on her best behavior she doesn't wanna lose her gf buuut it's such a great opportunity for some stabby stab.. but alas she'll be good or try. 0/4

misa amane ,- in need of a date is a gothic baddie - will probably feel like she's making aly jealous but lbr KSLSLS she isn't but give this girl a time to let loose !! 0/4

marceline - in need of a date. A vampire Rockstar, a baddie, Will make this the funnest date ever 0/4

elaine st john, - going with henri.. going to be reserved - unless she gets hungry.. plenty of options u know - what's a little blood break. 0/4

harley quinn, -unsure of her date status! Pure chaos as usual- will be getting wasted and messing around. 0/4

edward elric,- went with ling as pals no homo! He's gonna stick out like a sore thumb - the coat stays on >:[ ur lucky he put on a suit.. it 100 percent ill fitted and is too baggy on his legs, but sh; he will be a grump. He doesn't want to be here.. but alas he's here and no short jokes unless u wanna lose ur knee caps.. or ur ankles 0/4

knives chau, - in need of a date.. legit give her a fun and pure time. 0/4

princess peach- in need of a date.. will be having fun! 0/4

Yor forger - going with shanks! Dressed like a goddess- kind of nervous but once she drinks.. it's signing up for disaster - will probably break some things on accident because she doesn't know her own strength. 0/4

Himi , - in need of a date.. a legit fiery sunshine - give her a nice date night ! 0/4

tabitha haworthe ,- in need of a date ! Will be fun! Ur muse will learn horror movie facts! 0/4

azula, -in need of a date is horribly jealous that Cindy has a date that isn't her.. but wont admit it might accidentally light a curtain aflame.. idk it'll be fun 0/4

isabelle, - needs a date- my baby girl is so cute needed a break from work.. maybe get her tipsy 0/4

draculaura , - needs a date... a vegan vampire who's the sweetest I swear she'll make a great date!! Tho she might catch feelings a little fast- shes a hopeless romantic like that. 0/4

Samantha giddings,- blind date with Zola!! Going to feel ridiculous she even did a blind date but will make the most of it!! 0/4

beth greene - blind date with Melissa! Pure pure angel- I don't think she's ever been to a dance before- deserves a wonderful time 0/4

Calcifer- going with drizella! U can't miss them he's in a red suit- will have a lit time.. punns idk 0/4

Carmy'- going with Sydney! Thankfully so he doesn't do fancy parties - he's stressed- count how many smoke breaks he's take.. u already lost count - will be confused on why he thinks sydney looks gorgeous but like all his emotions that shall be bottled up. 0/4

[astarkey]

Writer WIP Poll Game

Rules: make a 24-hour poll with the names of your wip's, let it run, then write one sentence for every vote the winner got.

I was tagged by @chronic-ghost! Thank you so much for tagging me in this, this looks really fun!!! 😁💖

I have a lot more WIPs, but these are the ones that I currently have in my mind that I'm thinking of writing. These are all dusk related, so feel free to ask me about any of these!

Tagging (no pressure!): @lilmissuncreative, @bonnielass23, @alwaysupatnight, @musicrunsthroughmysoul, @virgosandpoison, @justjstuff, @belorage, @fortysevenswrites, @ladyculebras, @barbienheimer, @blondiest, and anyone else that want to make this! ❤️

Summaries under the cut:

Dark Night - A Daybreakers/Queen of the Damned inspired AU where paranormal researcher Kate enters an underground world of vampires and accidentally meets and falls for vampire!Seth. Meanwhile his ambitious brother, Richie (also undead and chasing for something bigger and better) accidentally unleashes the first vampire, Amaru. As the two become romantically linked, Amaru has her own ambitions of taking control of the world of the living and the world of the dead; showing everyone who the real queen is.

Must Be the Season of the Witch - Seth moves to a small town in Massachusetts and falls in love with a local shopkeeper named Kate, who is rumored to being a witch. What he doesn’t know is that she is an actual witch. Strange events start to unfold throughout the town, and it’s up to Kate and her band of witches to stop the evil force before she ends up losing Seth forever.

Love In an Elevator - Seth and Kate work at a law firm and one day get stuck in an elevator. Worst of all, they're the only two who are trapped and can't stand each after a first date gone terribly wrong. It's all up to patience for them to put aside their differences so they can make it out alive in one piece.

Got a Thing About You (And It Won't Go Away) - The sequel to I'm Out of My Head, Kate returns and hooks up with Seth. Several weeks into their fling, she spends the weekend with Seth and is invited by his brother, Richie, and their uncle, Eddie, to have dinner at the latter's place, much to Seth's dismay. As Uncle Eddie and Richie see their little hookup as more than just a hookup (as well as Kate who's starting to see this as more than a fling) Seth is still in his own feelings about whether things should stay where they are or if he's ready to turn their relationship into something more.

Came Back Haunted - An alternate look at what happened after "Santa Sangre," with Kate’s journey to finding herself and searching for things to believe in while Amaru is slowly twisting her thoughts, trying to take over Kate completely. Meanwhile, as Richie, Seth, and Scott are wrapped up in their own grief after Kate’s “death,” they begin to find clues that she’s still alive, but she may not be the same person they once knew.

The Roommate Dilemma - After two people take up an ad for an available apartment space, they meet for the first time during move-in and are troubled that they're of the opposite sex. Unable to break their 1-year lease, they have to learn to compromise and live with each other until their year is up.

[bonnielass23]

Writer WIP Poll Game

Rules: make a 24-hour poll with the names of your wip's, let it run, then write one sentence for every vote the winner got.

I was tagged by the lovely @astarkey and @alwaysupatnight. Thank you for allowing to open the floodgates of just how many WIPS I have.

Since I was tagged by a fellow Dusk fan I'm gonna list my fdtd wips all of which are sethkate. Some serious. Some complete crack. Most of these do not have titles yet

Outside of my fdtd friends who have already posted, I'm gonna tag everyone else across multiple fandoms : @lilmissuncreative @saltyunderscored @kelkat9 @fortysevenswrites @psilocybinlemon @elialys @milkshakemicrowave @kelkat9 and anyone else I missed or wants to do it!

Some of these have an official summary, some is just me throwing out the info. It should be obvious which is which lol

If anyone has any questions about these feel free to hit me up!

Raccoon Amaru - Canon divergent post season 2. With Kate surviving the blood well and Seth bringing her back to Jeds from the hospital to recover, Amaru finds herself in a different vessel.

La Jefe - Canon divergent post season 2 episode 9. At the blood well Kate stays up on the hill with Richie. It’s only after he’s gone down to try to take the blood for himself, in a move that is peak dumbass, that Kate has to intervene. With Richie wounded by a Xiblaban weapon and lying useless in the backseat of the car it’s up to Kate to deliver the blood and unwittingly become the new La Jefe, the head of Malvado’s empire. Seth lives his best life as a sugar baby and Richie is crying in a corner because he's supposed to be the boss.

Wild West AU - Wild West likely with supernatural elements. Kate frees Seth from the jail in Bethel the night before he's set to hang in exchange for him helping her track down her brother who disappeared with Carlos six months earlier. (Also the memorial piece for my mare, Bandit, who passed away almost a year ago and will be written in as Seth's horse.)

SethKate Wedding Date AU - Modern Day. No culebras. Kate is invited to her cousin's wedding and decides to ask Seth to be her date

“He’s not just my date, Scott.” A maniacal grin spreads over Kate’s face. “He’s my weapon. You really think I’m gonna walk in there with all their passive aggressive, pretending to be concerned comments? No, Scott. I’m going to fight fire with fire.” “That’s not fighting fire with fire Kate. That’s fighting fire with a nuclear warhead!”

Shangri-La - Canon divergent post season 2. With Eddie in critical condition and his chances of survival slim, the Geckos chose to go through with the plan to rob Malvado, even managing to save Kate’s life in the process. After coming back from their meeting with the lords, their relief at the news of Eddie’s survival is soon eclipsed by the sheer panic of realizing they now have to explain to him that not only did they pull his Shangri-La, swan song job without him, but they also lost the money.

Hero Twins AU - Canon divergent post season 2 episode 2. Kate reveals to Seth that she's pregnant during their fight in the car. After Sonja gets Seth clean, and with Eddie's help they hide away from the culebra world. 7 years later Richie and Kisa come crashing in with the news that their daughters are the next set of Hero Twins, destined to shake up the culebra and Xibalban hierarchy.

This leans very heavily into Mayan mythology, including a bibliography of academic sources, that will be included. It could be considered an exploration of the hero twin archetype told through Seth and Kate's fictional twins.

Witch AU - Modern day with supernatural elements. No culebras. Kate comes from a line of witches cursed to die when they begin to manifest their magical abilities. When she starts to have visions of her own death she goes to a professor of the occult Richard Gecko to try to figure out why her family keeps dying young. A witch himself, he tries to help her figure out the curse along with Seth who has turned his back on his supernatural abilities. It's a race against the clock to see if they can save Kate before her visions of her death come true.

Selkie AU - Coming home from college to attend her mother's funeral, Kate finds a package Jenny had left her. Kate's seal skin and an explanation of what she is. After going out to learn more about who she is her skin is stolen and she has to rely on the owner of a nearby bar, Seth Gecko, and his friends to steal back her skin.

[torturedpoetskywalker]

Multiamory March already ended and I’m a little late for this but I decided to post today a masterlist of all the polyamorous fanfics I’ve posted through march. I hope you guys appreciate my work!

IAMMYOWNSAVIOUR MASTERLIST

STAR WARS

a life worth living | Poe Dameron/Finn/Rey | 100 wc

Finn and Poe go with Rey to Tatooine.

what a tragedy our love is, but it's such a beautiful tragedy | Padmé Amidala/Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker | 370 wc

He didn't know how or why, but somehow Obi-Wan always ended up finding them. It was like a Force connecting his life to the lives of Anakin and Padmé.

the two of you are all I need | Poe Dameron/Finn/Rey | 100 wc

Prompt: Poe's grown up used to four-person marriages. Rey and Finn know nothing about moiety and don't really get why being a triad makes Poe twitchy sometimes. Fanfic’s Tumblr Post

A Handmaiden’s Touch to Heaven | Padmé Amidala/Cordé/Dormé/Sabé | 100 wc 

Padmé favorite nights are the ones she spends with her handmaidens all together in the same bed. Fanfic’s Tumblr Post

Becoming a Handmaiden | Padmé Amidala/Sabé/Fem!Anakin Skywalker | 100 wc

The royal makeup is designed only for the Queen and Handmaidens of Naboo, but Padmé considered Anakin just as much a handmaiden as her others. Fanfic’s Tumblr Post

HARRY POTTER

just take the medicine, ron! | Hermione Granger/Harry Potter/Ron Weasley | 100 wc 

Harry and Hermione take care of a sick Ron.

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON (2022)

the most irresponsible dog owners | Aemond “One-Eye” Targaryen/Rhaena Targaryen (Daughter of Daemon)/Lucerys Velaryon (Son of Rhaenyra) | 169 wc

Since she was a little girl, Rhaena always wanted a dog. That's why she was so supportive when Aemond and Luke decided to adopt Vhagar and Arrax, she just didn't expect they'd be the most irresponsible dog owners.

WEDNESDAY (2022)

our very own addams | Xavier Thorpe/Wednesday Addams/Bianca Barclay | 153 wc

"You don't know Wednesday's family, B. They take these games way too seriously." She laughs at Xavier like he's overreacting. "I'm not joking, they're crazy. If someone doesn't die today then it's not really an Addams sunday of games."

EMILY IN PARIS (2020)

mon coeur | Camille/Emily Cooper/Gabriel | 155 wc

"I think there's no easy way to tell you, but you literally just said my horn."

CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA (2018)

the only heaven I'll be sent to is when I'm alone with you | Caliban/Sabrina Spellman/Prudence Night | 143 wc

There's some advantages on dating the Rulers of Hell. Prudence could go there anytime she wanted, and if Sabrina Morningstar asked she would never leave.

ATYPICAL (2017)

the goods and bads of sharing the same girlfriend | Evan Chapin/Casey Gardner/Izzie Taylor, Evan Chapin & Izzie Taylor | 294 wc

Evan and Izzie have a talk in the middle of the night about their relationship with Casey.

FROM DUSK TILL DAWN: THE SERIES 

being a gecko is not that bad | Kate Fuller/Richard Gecko/Seth Gecko | 200 wc

Kate never imagined one day she would end up doing bad things with bad boys. But she did once thought she'd pretty much like doing really bad things with Richie and Seth Gecko.

[sergeantpixie]

"Gravestones Are Fragile"?? 👀

Oooh! That is Chapter 3 of The Road is Long (and Home is Gone) which is my From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series x The Vampire Diaries crossover! It has a very similar premise to Addendum in that they both have the lead female character, Elena Gilbert, verse hopping into another show's first season but The Road is Long is much less structured and much shorter (because the show is shorter!) which makes it easier to write and therefore more fun to me.

And while Addendum was born out of the way I watched Supernatural with my grandpa (explaining how an episode would go if Elena was there because he wanted to know why I shipped Elena with Dean Winchester) The Road is Long was born purely out of my desire to save a side character who dies in like the second/third episode, Monica, the bank teller! Elena is there when the Gecko brothers rob the bank and volunteers to be their hostage so no one else gets hurt because she fucking would lmao.

All of the chapters of this story are from poems I love, "Gravestones Are Fragile" comes from a poem by Russian poet, Anna Akhmatova, the title of which escapes right now...it might be one of her untitled poems. Edit: OH it's "Poem Without a Hero".

Seth gestures between the two of them uncomfortably. “Looks like a whole lot of bonding went down in here.” Richie nods vaguely. “Elena’s cool.” But Seth's not so sure how much he trusts his brother right now so he looks at her for confirmation. She raises one shoulder gracefully. “I’ve had worse kidnappers.” She offers up her past misfortune like it’s a high compliment. Richie points a fry at her. “But you’ve had better too, am I right?” She laughs, but nods. “Well, I mean, there were shots and burgers and pool, that’s a hard one to surpass.” She smiles somewhat fondly. “That was a good night.” Seth stares at her in amazement. “You think so fondly of all of your kidnappers?” She shakes her head seriously. “Not at all, that one just ended up being a pretty good time. Plus, you know, I kinda dated his brother.” “Huh.” He grabs his drink. “You are a fascinating girl, Elena Gilbert.” She grins. “Trust me, the less you know, the better.”

@randomestfandoms

[blog-of-reaction]

From Dusk Till Dawn season 2 episode 1

Richie and what’s her name are on a valiant mission and I hope they succeed. The beginning of the episode has me worried though.

When Richie gave her the bracelet and put it on her wrist it obviously was like, almost lowkey triggering. I hope he realizes that maybe a fancy bracelet will hit a bit to close to home given her particular trauma.

Seth is now addicted to drugs? And not soemthing soft like weed, no it seems like hard drugs. My guy is not dealing well at all. Also he’s about to kill some guy because he has ptsd from the shit that went down in season one. I’m both worried about him and shaking me head. Seth, baby, no.

Kate is awesome so far this season. Damn. She is also like, taking care of Seth and I think the after effects of her trauma are a bit less noticeable.

Lol. People keep being like, so I hear the Gecko’s are broken up. You are one of the Gecko’s I see, let me subtly ask why and if Richie is crazy. And to date, both Seth and Richie are always surprised Pikachu face.

In the first season at the beginning Richie was struggling with some stuff™️. I guess it’s Seth’s turn now?

Richie talking about how he has direction and Seth doesn’t. It’s such a clear switch form the first season. Also, I really wish they would just hug and make up already. Most likely how this is going to go is Seth and Kate will stumble upon the recently captured Richie and what’s her name along with a bunch of powerful culbera’s and end up rescuing them and getting pulled into their crusade wether they like it or not. I’m pretty sure Kate will be kinda on board. Not so sure about Seth though.

This Heffe dude or whatever is obviously the new big bad and I’m sorry, is that George Clooney?!

Edit: no it is not George Clooney I am just an idiot.

[obscure-imagines]

-he’s king of the long stares

-its actually what drew you to him

-its unlikely he would make the first move. he’d just stare at you until you approached

-he doesnt talk much

-but he tells you he loves you a lot

-tearing off that suit

-he’d sleep on his back and you’d curl next to him

-his hands have a roaming problem

-long dives where you talk about everything

-he’d probably have sleeping issues so lots of late night talks

-stealing his glasses

-and shirt

-and wearing just his glasses and shirt

-he wouldent let anything hurt you ever

-hes the guy that grabs the back of your head when he kisses you

************

requested by (x)

honestly i havent seen this in over a year so hopefully my memory isnt the worst

[andfangs]

starting strong with Richie gecko or vigilante?

wow I want this to be harder than it is, but I’m gonna go with Vigilante/Adrian.

I love Richie to death, I do, but he’s not exactly stable lmfao. I think I could manage it, but something tells me at some point we’d have kinky sex and I’d get used like a blood caprisun and then he’d go get weird and co-dependent with his brother and I’d die in the motel room or have some weird Gerald’s Game experience.

Adrian would be a great boyfriend as long as I listen to him wax poetic about Peacemaker or whatever other special interest he felt like and as a fellow autistic person, I could definitely handle info-dumping.

give me two fictional characters and i’ll tell you which i’d rather date!

[fortysevenswrites]

the gecko bros for the date meme

Seth Gecko

Well first things first, his head is sooooooo far up Kate Fuller's ass that there's NO way in hell I'm getting in between that. And also, I don't do hard drug users. Murder I can mayyyyybe excuse. Heroin? Not so much.

Richard Gecko

Richie is too uptight and a goddamn know it all. I'd punch him in the face before the appetizers arrived. Also, he needs to not wear his collared shirts buttoned all the way up without a tie. That drove me NUTS in season 1.

Send me a character and I'll tell them why I would NOT date them

[deans-haunted-baby]

Curious. What do you mean by Dust till Dawn going against it's Characters? I know I have my own feelings, or confusion, with how they left Kate's story.

From Dusk Till Dawn effectively character assassinated every single character in the very last episode including Kate Fuller. No one is acting like themselves in that series finale it's like some deranged fanfic writer came aboard and hijacked the show while no one was looking. If you thought 15x18 & 15x19 of Supernatural were bad and believe me they really are; those episodes are minorly salvageable against the slaughterhouse that Dusk 3x10 was. It utterly contradicts and ignores everything the show put forward in all 3 seasons. I will never watch that episode again.

I'll first explain what that piece of shit did to the show's lead protagonists, the Gecko brothers. Regardless of how you or anyone else feels about Supernatural's series finale; that show was a saint to Sam and Dean's storyline beginning to end compared to how From Dusk Till Dawn definitively butchered Richie and Seth. I'm sad saying this because Zane Holtz and DJ Controna are outstanding as these characters. I freaking love their chemistry man, it's a great rival to J2! They're the badass dark clones of the Winchesters.  Their arc starts out fascinatingly complex because they went from cold-blooded criminals/bad guys and meanwhile during their escape over the Mexican border with this hostage family the audience is told pretty quick by Professor Aiden Tanner that the Geckos are destined to become these foresworn warriors The Mayan Hero Twins in an ancient prophecy (based on real Mesoamerican lore) who battle the Underworld. So right away the show is telling us ahead where Seth and Richie are suppose to end up in their journey and when you introduce a storyline this big I expect a satisfying payoff.

At the end of season 1, Richie Gecko is *SPOILER ALERT* transformed into a culebra (snake-vampire) while Seth Gecko remains human symbolizing their night and day Hero Twin counterparts from the legend. And they're separated in the first half of season 2 where both try to navigate this new supernatural world they've stumbled on individually. What they find, no different than the Winchesters, is that neither can function properly without the other making their destiny all the more valid. That season is practically constructed like their swan song to the criminal lifestyle since the brothers are meant to become more than crooks; and since Richie's a vampire they can't ever go back to basics. Their adopted father aka uncle Eddie actually says the line "this is my swan song" in 2x07 to Seth and Richie in reference to their final heist together which is not a coincidence. That's the writers telling us that the Gecko Brothers' role in the show is going to shift from anti-heroes to heroes very soon. Eddie and Kate Fuller's fates in S2 act as the primary catalysts for this transition taking shape in the finale.

Going into season 3 it's business as usual for the boys until the prophecy of the twins officially rips a hole in the damn universe via demon queen Amaru. Who's now possessing Kate. Throughout that season Seth and Richie embark on a journey of heroism; find themselves battling monsters, actually saving civilians and dealing with their own personal demons (guilt and remorse over past sins). That year is presented as their redemption arc and final phase into their new role. No one ever tells them about their destiny (despite most of the other characters knowing) but we as the audience are already aware as we watch the brothers in action. The best episode is without a doubt 3x06 the crown jewel of From Dusk Till Dawn because it's about overcoming the darkness inside. And who best represents that than Richie; the show's most important central character whom began the series as a deadly clairvoyant criminal into the tortured vampire hero struggling with his own humanity. Now I won't spoil the whole episode for anyone who hasn't seen it or the show in general but it's an incredible moment of character development for both the Gecko brothers. Not only does it cement their powerful bond it's the episode that defines who these two are once and for all. The ones who lead the battle between good and evil; keep the balance of light and darkness. One day I plan to do an entire analysis of that episode because it's so fucking brilliant and shot so incredibly eerie at the same time 😁

You want to know what 3x10 does to these characters? It shits all over their entire storyline and pisses away THREE FUCKING SEASONS of character development. Just flushes it all down the toilet rendering everything they've ever done up to that point completely pointless! Their destiny which is the WHOLE POINT OF THE SHOW is suddenly dropped last minute and the Geckos hit reset on their former criminal escapades; dragging Kate along with them. I hate that finale with the fire of a thousand suns for what it does to Richie and Seth 😡

Moving on to Carlos Madrigal. He is the best villain character in the history of show villains hands down. I can actually say that without blinking. Wilmer Valderama is phenomenal, he steals the show as Carlos. He's is so freaking awesome, evil and badass! I just want to keep seeing this man tear things apart while being the sexy asshole he is 😈For all intents and purposes I don't want to spoil his whole storyline on the show for those following me in case they're interested. But what I will say is 3x10 destroys this character; so don't watch it if you want to keep the memory of who he was alive. I'm actually depressed over what was done to him as much as I feel sorry for Wilmer having to perform that shitty script. It's laughable in a very bad way. Gotta hand it to the writers and showrunners of FDTD they certainly knew how to humiliate their best characters in this series. Carlos basically goes from charismatic yet lethal Hannibal Lecter to a very captain obvious Gandolf caricature. Yah you heard that right, it's really fucking sad.

Next we have Freddie Gonzalez; the audience's avatar into the series. This character is connected to everyone on the show for a reason because of the crucial part he plays in this universe. The "Peacekeeper" destined to police the line between the supernatural world from the human world. In the beginning he's a Texas deputy on a quest to avenge the murder of his father figure/partner Earl McGraw via the Gecko Brothers. But once he steps in that territory of monsters there's no going back. And FDTD repeatedly tells him and the audience this in the first 2 seasons. But then 3x10 pulls the ultimate fuckery by giving him the most cliched, nonsensical hallmark ending effectively cancelling out his entire purpose in the series. He instantly forgets that he ever cared about Kate, watching her bleed out on the ground, then leaves the Geckos high and dry rushing his family (who isn't injured) to the hospital. And he stays there while the battle continues 😣

Kate and Scott Fuller OMG words cannot describe my anger over what was done to them so I'll make it fast. I'll begin with Kate the bright light and heart of the series. Her arc in the first two seasons is excellent. It's emotionally driven because she begins as an ordinary girl in broken yet seemingly-happy family to a young woman finding her way around the supernatural world maintaining her faith and moral compos while trying to help her brother after he's *SPOILER ALERT* been turned into a vampire; paralleling the Geckos's situation. Scott being only a 16 year old kid, like Richie, struggles immensely after his transformation; searching for meaning as a cursed individual and coping with his duality. He was already different to begin with so being a vampire adds some interesting layers to his character.

Btw Kate plays a vital role in Richie and Seth's lives, though in my opinion is more strongly connected to Richie. The show even goes as far as developing the early glimpses of a romantic arc between Kate and Richie (seeing as they kiss twice) with angst at the end of season 2 that is never resolved. You want to know why it wasn't? Not only does season 3 mute Kate's voice and agency but 3x10 ruins her character and demolishes her whole arc with Richie (who spent all of season 3 trying to save her) at the last second due to fan pressure of those who shipped her with Seth. They don't exchange one word nor barely look at one another it's like seasons 1&2 never happened. This is the biggest fuck you to fans of these characters I've ever witnessed in a series and they did my boys Adam and Michael so dirty in Supernatural. Poor Scott whom the show enjoyed kicking around all season barely gets a thing to do in that series finale either than listening to his sister and Seth gab about prom lol. Yah you heard me I'm not making this shit up I swear. Then he gets abandoned by Kate while she goes off to be a bank robber with the character assassinated versions of Seth and Richie. How extraordinary 😖

Santanico Pandemonium is really the only character in the series who manages to get out unscathed. HOWEVER her arc is handled very poorly beginning to end. They set up an arc between her and Seth that also goes absolutely nowhere. Give her zero closure with Richie whom she sired, dated and used in S2. And randomly throw her in a scene with Kate that makes no fucking sense after these two had nothing to do with one another all series. On top of that Santanico is barely in season 3 so by the time the show wraps her arc feels incomplete.

Other characters go missing that no one notices, the new bad guy whom they've set up at the end is just left hanging. And Richie Gecko, you know the show’s other lead, is horribly sidelined after 3x06 to make way for the Seth Gecko solo show. When I say FDTD series finale is bad I mean it's really fucking terrible and blasphemous.

[downwiththeficness]

In the Bond-Chapter 19

Summary: Lilah often wished she’d never said yes to working with the Gecko brothers—usually while dodging gunfire. At no time was she regretting that decision more than when she’s hanging upside down from the ceiling, staring down a group of hungry culebras and one (1) extremely powerful sun god.

Word Count: ~6,300

Warnings: Smut

A/N: This is an AU of my Story In the Blood, which can be read here. Basically, this fic explores what would have happened if Lilah had met up with Geckos before she met Brasa.

Taglist: @symbiont13

Start from the beginning   Previous Chapter   Next Chapter  

Read on AO3   Masterlist

She’d made the call not really knowing how it was going to go. Lilah had an address, a plane, a packed weekender bag, and not much else. Sitting at the airport bar was the extent of her plan. She tipped back the last of her beer, eyeing the mirror that reflected the entrance.

Kate was early. Lilah checked the digital clock next to the wall of liquor. She’d asked her to be there at one. It was barely twelve thirty. There was something to be said for punctuality, a quality she had found strangely lacking in most criminals—go figure. Lilah signaled for another round, two fingers in the air, her free hand gesturing at the approaching woman.

Dressed in a long sleeved shirt and jeans, her hair tumbling in soft waves around her face, Kate looked barely old enough to even be in the bar. Lilah supposed that was true, though she’d never bothered to ask Kate’s age. She fixed the bartender with a soft, sweet smile and didn’t even get carded.

Sliding onto the stool next to her, Kate rested both arms on the bar top, “He doesn’t know I’m here, by the way.”

There was no need to expound on who Kate meant. Lilah doubted that Seth could have stopped Kate, even if he wanted to. And yet, a small part of her appreciated the discretion. An angry, possibly vengeful, Seth was one variable she didn’t have the energy to contend with on this particular trip. And still, it chafed that he hadn’t reached out. Lilah hadn’t received a single text message or call. It hurt her more than she cared to admit.

Not bothering to spare Kate a glance, Lilah shrugged, “Wouldn’t matter if he did.”

“It might.”

“Doubtful.”

Lilah knew she sounded petulant, but she couldn’t quite make herself care. She sipped at the too expensive beer and leaned lazily back in her seat. Kate fiddled with the bottle, thumb rubbing at the label.

“So, Iceland?”

Smiling, Lilah nodded, “Reykjavik, actually. There’s a huge church there, and the knife is in, like, a reliquary.”

She’d had to look up the definition of reliquary when Brasa told her about it, tablet in hand, finger swiping from one picture to the next. When Lilah had commented that they were lucky it was in a church and not in another private collection, he’d sighed and said he’d rather deal with the private collector. The capital “C”, Church, could be a harrowing enemy.

Lilah disagreed. A church of this size and age was unlikely to have up to date security systems. And, to be fair, a lot of churches were underfunded, which left little to know staff to wander the halls in search of delinquent women looking to pocket ancient relics.

“Uh huh,” Kate drawled, taking a swig, “How do you expect us to get in?”

Lilah shrugged, “I hadn’t gotten quite that far.”

“Uh huh,” then, “How far have you gotten?”

Hands giving a sweep around her, Lilah pronounced, “This is about it.”

“Uh huh.”

With an expression that was nearly a glare, Lilah groaned, “Stop saying that.”

Kate shrugged, “Its just that you usually have a plan. Way before we get to the airport.”

She was right, Lilah usually had a solid plan before they even left for the job, before they even bought the plane tickets or booked the motel. She didn’t like being rushed, but the reality was that they needed to get the job done and get back as fast as humanly possible. For this job, Lilah was willing to wing it just a little.

“I know,” Lilah sighed, taking a deep pull, “This was sort of last minute. There was...an attack.”

She didn’t think it would be wise to hide what had happened from Kate. Context and background information usually sat well with her. Like Lilah, Kate liked to know what, exactly, she was dealing with. And, there was part of her that just needed to tell someone.

Beside her, Kate stiffened, “What kind of attack?”

“Benny tried to open the portal,” Lilah explained, waving away the bartender’s offer of another round.  While they waited for the check, she continued, “A lot of the people he was with died. Some of them were injured—horrifically. The knife is all we need to close the portal for good.”

That, and a shit ton of Brasa’s blood. He’d told her over and over again that he’d put in safety measures, that there was nothing to worry about. Lilah was dubious, at best.

Nodding, Kate slipped off the stool and looked at Lilah expectantly, “When’s the flight?”

Lilah glanced again at the clock, “About an hour from now.”

Kate frowned, “We’re not going to get through security in that time. Why didn’t you tell me to be here sooner?”

Smiling coyly, Lilah lifted a shoulder, “Probably because we’re flying private. We’ve got plenty of time.”

Head cocking to the side, Kate regarded her closely, her mouth parted in something near enough to a smile, “I guess you’d better show me your plane.”

Leaning down, Lilah grabbed her weekender and slung it over her shoulder, “Boarding is that way.”

The plane was exactly as she remembered it, right down to the stewardess offering them a glass of champagne for the flight. Lilah settled into the plush seat and sent off a text to Brasa to let him know they were on the tarmac.

When she looked up from her phone, she noticed Kate tossing hers back into her bag, likely doing the same thing.

“So, you do any research on this church?”

Lilah’s head ticked to the side, “A little. Its huge. Big ol’ pipe organ that’s pretty famous.”

Kate sipped her champagne, “You read that off Wikipedia?”

That was exactly what she’d done, right after Brasa spelled out the name for her.

Laughing, Lilah confirmed, “Pretty much.”

“You got a way in?”

“There’s services a couple days a week,” Lilah said, resting her head in her palm, “I figure, we go in with the church crowd, sneak away, hit up the reliquary, walk out with the church crowd.”

Kate blinked, “You said its a big church. Do you know your way around?”

“Javier got me some maps,” then, “I told Brasa we’d have a seventy two hour turnaround.”

Brows coming together, Kate shook her head, “It might not be that simple.”

“You and the boys do it all the time.”

Lilah and the boys had done it many times over.

“Yeah,” Kate shot back, “In banks, in museums, jacking cars. We’re stealing from a church.”

Lilah rolled her eyes, “What’s the difference?”

Her expression closed tightly, and Kate took a beat too long to respond, “Its the church. Its...God.”

Ah. Touchy subject.

Taking a deep breath, Lilah chose her words carefully, “Technically, they stole it first. The knife is Xibalban, it belongs to Brasa’s people. We’re not stealing it. We’re just..playing a bit of Robin Hood.”

Kate glared at her, “You can’t be Robin Hood when you’re sitting on a private jet, Lilah.”

That was fair.

“Point. Then, we’re reverse Indiana Jones-ing it.”

Laughing, Kate shook her head again, “I don’t think that fits, either.”

“Well, we can’t all be Richie with the pop culture references, can we?” Lilah retorted, half amused, half annoyed.

“No,” Kate murmured, “He really does have a connection for everything.”

“Oh, my god, he does,” Lilah agreed, one hand covering her eyes, “The first day I met him, he called me Scully. And then he proceeded to show me that there are, in fact, things that go bump in the night.”

He’d actually flashed his fangs at her, his eyes glowing behind his glasses. Lilah had scrambled back from him, too scared to even scream. It had been Seth that had calmed her down, had told her what they were doing, what their mission was. It had been Seth that set her on the path she was on now.

“That sounds like Richie,” Kate said with a small smile, “He likes to go ahead and rip the band aid off.”

“That’s one way of putting it.”

It had taken about two days before Lilah could bring herself to sit within ten feet of Richie, and even longer before they had a conversation over three sentences long. Once she’d gotten over the initial shock, Lilah had grown to really like Richie. Despite the constant one upping and the long tangential digressions on canon, he could be sweet. He could also rip a person in half. Pros and cons being what they were, Lilah had eventually put him on the (extremely) short list of her friends.

They stopped for fuel in New York, and then they were taking the last leg of the trip. Landing went smoothly, and a car was waiting to take them to the hotel Brasa had booked. It hadn’t occurred to Lilah to ask him to book something low key and under the radar. When they pulled up to a swanky awning with gilt embellishments, she cringed internally.

Lilah appreciated a good hotel like most any other person. When she was on a job, though, it was always better to stay at a highway motel. Less surveillance, and if the police showed up, there were usually more concerned about the drugs in the room three doors down than a single woman drawing as little attention as possible. This was...ostentacious.

“I bet the beds in there are phenomenal,” Kate said as she walked ahead.

As she took in the extravagant lobby, Lilah couldn’t help but agree, but they would pale in comparison to the bed she shared with Brasa. Nothing could or would match those mattresses—which she still hadn’t asked Javier about. She resisted the urge to check her phone for the thousandth time, looking for a message from Brasa. He’d been busy dealing with the wounded, dealing with increasing calls for violence, dealing with all the things that came with governing a growing mass of people. She didn’t want to add to that.

As Kate predicted, the beds were pretty fucking good. Soft as clouds. Silky sheets. Very nice, but empty. Lilah would have slept on a futon to have Brasa here with her. She missed his presence, missed his touch. Since she’d left Jackknife Jed’s, Lilah hadn’t spent more than a few hours without him.

Spoiled. Lilah was fucking spoiled, now.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Lilah focused on unpacking her pajamas for the night. First thing in the morning, they would scout the church, find their entrance and their exit. Maybe come up with a few back up plans. She was pretty sure that the base plan she’d spouted off on the plane was their best option. But, she liked to have some alternatives.

As she crawled into bed, Lilah reached out and touched the bond. He was tired, she could tell. Gently, she suggested that he sleep. Lilah was met with a wall of stubborn willpower that had her physically rolling her eyes. Turning to her side, she reached up and turned off the bedside light. If he wasn’t going to get some rest, she definitely would.

Lilah slept hard. It was the kind of sleep that could make someone wake up and not know what year it was, the kind of sleep that stole the freshness of the morning. On her back, hands near her face, she blinked up at the ceiling as she tried to get her bearings in the unfamiliar room.

The shower was on, water sloshing.

Kate.

Her bed was warm—hot, even. There was a weight on her legs and hips, hidden by the comforter. She shifted, surprised when the weight moved with her. It continued to move even when she’d settled, enveloping her from belly to knees.

Hands. There were hands trailing up her sides, sliding underneath her pajama top. She sucked in a breath, releasing it forcefully when they cupped her breasts, thumbs circling her nipples. The comforter shifted, rolling in a singular wave upwards until the fabric parted to reveal dark hair and brown skin.

Brasa.

He smiled at her as he climbed her body, his eyes reflecting darkly in the low ambient light of the room. She smiled back, hands resting on his shoulders as he settled over her.

“Hi,” she said lowly.

He echoed her, leaning down to kiss her sternum. His mouth was warm, his hands massaging along her waist and down over her hips. He nuzzled her skin, rubbing his cheek against her neck and collarbone.

Lilah relaxed into the pillows, let him do as he liked. Her fuzzy mind reveled in the feel of him, his tongue tracing patterns ahead of his fingers. He pushed her shirt up and over her breasts, palms cupping them together. When he drew a nipple into his mouth, her body arched up, knees clutching at his sides.

Her thighs rubbed sensuously against bare skin. She bit her lip as she realized that he was very clearly naked, and very clearly aroused.

The shower cut off, drawing her attention. She tensed beneath him, turning her head to look towards the closed bathroom door.

Undeterred, Brasa pulled at her top, trying to get her arms through it. Lilah pushed at his shoulders, jerking her head towards the bathroom.

“Kate is literally going to walk out any second.”

His jaw clenched unhappily, but he let go of her top. Lilah pulled it down over her chest with one hand, the other reaching up to touch his cheek.

“I’ll be home soon.”

Lips pouting, he nodded. In between one blink and the next he was gone, though Lilah was left with the distinct feeling of his mouth pressed firmly to hers.

She was right, though. The door to the bathroom opened and Kate wandered through it, towel drying her hair. Lilah sat up and flicked on the bedside light, rubbing at her eyes.

“I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Lilah waved her off, “I needed to get up, anyways. You take all the hot water?”

Kate smirked, “For the price of these rooms, it should take at least three days to run out of hot water.”

“You can thank your resident sun god for that,” Lilah drawled as she rose from the bed, picking up her clothes for the day from where she’d set them the night before.

“You think he takes tithes?”

There was a strange kind of sarcasm in those words. No bite. Just barely touched with the dark amusement that came with doing the things that they’d had to do in the last year and a half. It peeked out periodically from behind all their lips, cut through tension, acknowledging the oddity that was their lives.

Lilah shrugged, “I can ask him next time we’re in the temple.”

Kate paused from where she was combing through her dark locks, “He has a temple?”

“Yeah,” Lilah answered from the bathroom door, “I mean that literally.”

“Weird.”

“You have no idea.”

After showering and getting ready for the day, they headed out into the city. Lilah managed to Google Translate her way through ordering the pair of them a coffee that they drank while they walked. The church was pretty big. Scoping out the entrances and exits took most of the morning. By the time the noon services started up, Lilah’s legs were demanding a break.

The pews were filled with churchgoers as they took a spot near the back of the sanctuary. Lilah spent about ten minutes distracted by the artwork and the architecture before she realized that Kate was softly crying.

“What’s wrong?”

Sniffing, Kate shook her head, “I haven’t, you know, been in a church in a long time.”

“Oh.”

Lilah was not good with soothing crying people. She looked awkwardly around, grateful that most people were focused on the sermon ahead of them and not the weird American girls behind.

“You know my dad was a preacher, right?”

“I,” Lilah whispered, “Did not know that.”

To be fair, not a one of their crew delved too deeply into each other’s backgrounds. That was the trade off: they worked together as a team to hunt down rogue culebras, might even share a few stories of their more notorious exploits—no digging into old wounds.

“He was.”

“Oh.”

“After my mom died, he kind of...lost God. He drank a lot, and I had to take care of my brother and me.”

“That must have been hard.”

“Yeah,” Kate said, her voice cracking, “And then all of this shit with Richie and Seth started happening. And then Amaru. I thought I’d never feel right in church again.”

“Oh.”

Kate cut her a look, “Stop saying that.”

“Sorry,” Lilah said on reflex. “I don’t know what else to say.”

Shaking her head, Kate lifted a shoulder weakly, “Nothing to say, really.” Then, “I miss it. Miss the ritual of it—praise and worship, sermon, invitation, closing. You know exactly what to expect.”

Ah. Lilah lifted her toes in her winter boots, knowing what Kate meant, and not knowing how best to respond. She sat next to the woman throughout the sermon, not a word of it in English. Then, when the nonverbal cue for prayer sank into the crowd, she tapped Kate’s arm and jerked her head to the side.

“Now?” Kate asked.

Lilah smirked, “Why not?”

While the congregation’s heads were bowed, giving them an opening. while all eyes were closed and no one was looking about, Lilah and Kate disappeared into a back hallway and towards a series of meeting rooms. Lots of unlocked doors. They moved through the halls, ducking into a bathroom when steps sounded a little too close.

Eventually, they found the pastor’s chambers. Lilah was pretty fucking shocked when Kate pulled out Seth’s lock pick set and went to work. Impressed, she leaned against the wall opposite the door, keeping watch while the other woman worked.

It took several tries and one foul oath, but Kate got the door open. They slipped inside, and Lilah tapped her phone to pull up the picture Brasa had sent her. She showed it to Kate, her eyes scanning the shelves.

And there it was. Sitting unceremoniously on a low shelf, holding up a set of biblical commentaries. Lilah paused, thinking that this was deceptively easy. Gilt in gold, the reliquary was formed in Gothic angles and sharp spires. Serving as a stand for the knife, one could be forgiven for almost missing its significance.

With care, Lilah checked it for a pressure switch, then pulled the knife from the stand. As she stood, she held it out for Kate’s inspection.

She looked at it, looked at Lilah, and shrugged, “I guess that’s it.”

“I guess,” Lilah muttered, slipping it into her bag.

They tip toed back into the sanctuary, right as the invitation started. People were walking forward, taking the hands of church elders, making commitments to God. Lilah sat in the pew with her pilfered relic, feeling as if the room had tilted ever so slightly to the left. As soon as was socially acceptable, she rose and headed out towards the street.

On the walk back to the hotel, the sun beginning its descent towards the horizon, Lilah shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat, “You know, when I think of all the jobs we’ve pulled, this one was surprisingly anticlimactic.”

Kate nodded, pushing her hair out of her face, “After the year I’ve had, I could use a little anti-climactic.”

Lilah had to agree. After one too many high intensity situations, the ease of this theft was so very welcome. And strange.

When they reached the hotel, they took advantage of the little restaurant at the back of the building. Lilah ordered a nice wine and a pasta with a heavy cream sauce. Though it smelled amazing, she found that she could only pick at it, full after just a few bites. She wasn’t surprised. The adrenaline of having taken something that didn’t belong to her often suppressed her appetite.

Despite only eating a small portion from her plate, Lilah tipped the wait staff well. The meal was delicious, even if she wasn’t in the mood to eat. No need to take it out on anyone else.

When they returned to their room, Kate flung herself haphazardly on the bed, her boots hanging off the end. She flicked on the TV, saying, “You want to tell me about this knife ritual thing?”

Lilah opened her mouth to speak, and found that she didn’t have words. Brasa had been remarkably reticent to give her details about what they needed to do to close the portal.

“I honestly don’t know,” she answered, finally, “We use the staff, the cup, the knife, and some of Brasa’s blood—that’s as far as I’ve gotten.”

Lifting a brow, Kate regarded her steadily, “No magic incantation?”

Huffing, Lilah rolled her eyes, “I mean, probably. There’s always some sort of magic rhyme to shout into the abyss, right?”

“For sure.”

With Kate momentarily distracted by the television, Lilah pulled her phone out and tapped out a text.

L: Got it.

She set the phone down, intending to get comfortable on the bed. No sooner had she sat down to remove her boots did it vibrate twice, indicating a text. Lilah picked it up, tapping on the screen.

B: Excellent. ETA?

Smirking, Lilah pulled up the keyboard.

L: Tomorrow, late. Midnight, maybe?

His response was almost immediate.

B: You plan to leave in the afternoon?

L: Depends on when Kate wakes up.

There was no immediate answer, and Lilah set the phone aside. She tugged off her boots and socks, leaning back into the pillows.

“Have you noticed,” Kate started, her voice cutting through the noise of the television, “Changes?”

Lilah cast her a look of confusion, her brows coming together.

“Since you and Brasa got together. Like, physically?”

Thinking about it, Lilah pursed her lips, “I don’t think so?”

The sentence came out more like a question because she honestly didn’t really know. With everything that had been going on outside of her, it hadn’t occurred to Lilah to look inwardly.

“I mean,” Kate continued, one hand rotating, her palm pointed towards the ceiling, “Obviously, you know about the immortality.”

Lilah nodded, though the concept had been purposely set aside so that she could deal with the more pressing matters of the bond and her growing relationship. She figured that she had plenty of time to deal with it later.

With a ‘tsk’, Kate reached over and grabbed the remote. She shut off the TV and threw the control down. Then, she scooted over to the edge of the bed and pulled her legs up and underneath her.

“I knew it would be different...after. I knew things would change—more than they already had.”

Lilah nodded. Different was all that Lilah had known for so long that it had made the complete circle all the way around to perfectly normal. Looking into Kate’s face, though, Lilah could tell that their unique circumstances, the odd path of their lives, wasn’t all that the other woman meant.

Kate tucked her hair behind her ear, “I haven’t slept in two weeks.”

Spluttering, Lilah’s brows rose in surprise, one hand covering her mouth.

“I mean,” Kate continued, leaning forward in concern, “not really. Not like I used to.”

Hands up in question, Lilah asked, “What the fuck does that mean?”

Kate sat back, her shoulders dropping, “I,” she stopped and shook her head, “I sleep maybe a few hours a night, wake up, stay awake for a few hours, and then sleep another hour. That’s it.”

Looking around the room, Lilah found herself once again trying to find words of comfort. She was not good at this.

“That must suck.”

Kate, thankfully, laughed, “It does. I tried everything. Sleeping pills, weed, hot baths, I ordered a special tea from the internet. Do not recommend, by the way.”

Mouth in half a smile, Lilah rolled her neck, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“And that’s not all of it,” Kate went on, “I don’t get hungry, not really. I eat. I can eat. But, if I don’t think about it, I won’t.” She fixed Lilah with a hopeful look, “Is it like that with you?”

It took Lilah a moment to think of her answer, “No.”

All the air went out of Kate. She picked at the bedspread, “Oh.”

“Its still new,” Lilah said quickly, unable to take Kate’s down expression. “I’m just now learning how to use the bond.” Her eyes turned to the ceiling, “For the first, like, six months I didn’t even acknowledge that it existed, let alone participate.”

Kate huffed, “Oh, Richie wasn’t about to let that happen. He said he’d spent enough time knowing and not acting.”

Lilah frowned, “What does that mean?”

Expression indulgent, Kate said, “They know it immediately. They know it.”

Brasa had known, had said as much in the first minute of conversation. Lilah had been too intent on getting away to ask questions. Now, she wished she had. The book on bonds had been helpful for troubleshooting and basic knowledge. The way in which bonds worked, how they changed the bonded, was vague, at best.

“Does…” Kate trailed off, her eyes looking away, pink tinting her cheeks, “Does he, you know, feed you?”

She blinked, “I mean, yeah. Usually after he takes it from me.”

Nodding, Kate’s gaze seemed to lose focus, “For the first two months, Richie would insist on it, every day.  He said that it would make me stronger.”

“Brasa said that same thing.”

Another nod, “I do feel stronger. There are mornings where I wake up and I feel like I could run a hundred miles.”

Lilah barked out a laugh, “Maybe I need to insist a bit. Get me some of that energy. With everything that has been going on, I’m constantly tired.”

The treaty, the bond, Seth, Benny, learning a her new role, the injured, all of it was building up into one  big ball of awful. Lilah had to constantly remind herself that, as stressed as she was, her bondmate was likely infinitely more frustrated and exhausted. The thought made her reach out for him. He felt stable, but his side of the bond was pulled somewhat shut. Open enough that she could tell he was physically well, but closed to any detail as to his feelings. Lilah pulled back as gently as she could, not wanting to disturb his privacy.

They watched a few more episodes of really bad reality television while Lilah double checked their flight itinerary. She’d gotten a confirmation email to her inbox for a car service after lunch. Everything just sort of fell right into place. They’d gotten what they’d come there for, their exit was prepped, all they had to do was pack up and get in the car.

Lilah stared at the ceiling, half listening to the reunion episode of the show. Over the din of yelling voices and accusations, she began to feel...a little bit useless. The planning, the coordinating, the logistics of every job she’d ever done had been something she’d taken care of personally. In this case, all she’d had to manage was getting a partner that, in the end of it all, the job hadn’t required. And then, everything had gone so god damned smooth that is made Lilah suspicious.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Kate pushing from the bed and tugging on her boots, “I’m going to go to the evening service. You want to come?”

Eyes narrow, Lilah asked, “To the church we just robbed?”

“Yeah.”

“No thanks.”

Kate shrugged and grabbed her coat, slipping the hotel key into her back pocket, “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“Have fun,” Lilah deadpanned, shaking her head.

She watched as Kate gave her a little wave and headed out, the door closing softly behind her. The room settled into relative silence, only the drone of the TV to keep her company. Rubbing at her eyes, Lilah rolled from the bed and grabbed her pajamas.

The shower was perfunctory, going through the motions to get the grime of the day off her skin. She toweled off and pulled on her clothes. Dirty laundry in hand, Lilah stepped out of the steam filled bathroom. She tossed her used clothes into her bag and stood near her bed, staring at nothing.

Annoyed with the newest episode of the show, Lilah grabbed the remote from Kate’s bed and shut it off, leaving the room completely silent. She continued to stand there, looking at nothing. Lilah stood there long enough for the heat to kick on, startling her. She glared at it and rolled her eyes, catching her reflection in the mirror.

There were smudges from the last of the day’s makeup underneath her eyes, but the shadows weren’t there. She leaned in, noting that the usual breakout along her chin had cleared up, the skin smooth. The whites of her eyes were stark and clear against her irises. Maybe there had been changes. Maybe Lilah had been too distracted to notice.

Her hair was still a bit thin along her temples, the permanent line between her brows still there from near constant frowning at a computer screen. The scar from when she’d fallen and cracked her chin open in that bathtub at age five remained, a thin line just beneath her bottom lip.

Maybe not too many changes.

The air in the room rippled. Gasping, Lilah braced herself with her hands out. Stillness. Feeling the air stutter in and out of her lungs, she glanced around, looking for danger. When nothing but the sound of the heater kicking off met her expectant gaze, she dropped her hands.

Another ripple, this time with the accompanying scent of coffee and caramel.

“Brasa?” she called out to the empty room.

Ripple.

“I am here, querida.”

Lilah spun in place, an aborted shout stuck to the back of her throat. She clocked the broad shoulders, the warm brown eyes, and sighed.

“I think I’ve asked you not to scare me like that.”

Ticking his head to the side, he offered her an unrepentant smile, “But then I wouldn’t get to hear your heart beat so beautifully in excitement.”

“There are other ways to achieve that, you know,” she said ruefully, one hand coming to rest where her heart was, indeed, beating a pounding rhythm.

Brows quirking, Brasa gathered her to his body, arms folding around her waist, “You have a point.”

“Of course I do,” she retorted, rising on her toes to kiss him briefly, “What brings you here?”

He pressed his forehead into the skin of her neck, breathing deep, “I missed you.”

Arms draped over his shoulders, Lilah laughed softly, “Its only been a day. We’ve been apart for much longer.”

Letting out a long breath, Brasa said, “I disliked it then as much then as I do now.”

Lilah tightened her grip on him, swaying a bit, “I’ll be home tomorrow.”

“Too long,” he groused with a shake of his head.

She pulled back, cupping his jaw with both hands, “Its faster than I anticipated. I could be gone another whole day.”

The hands on the small of her back clenched, and Lilah heard the fabric of her t shirt tear. Gasping in shock, she twisted her body and found that he ripped the shirt up to about the middle of her back.

Saying his name in censure, Lilah stepped back, holding the shirt away from her body and assessing the damage in the mirror. There was no saving that shirt, not without a sewing machine that she not only didn’t have, but definitely didn’t know how to use.

Firm hands turned her so that he could look at it, and Lilah caught the banked pride in his expression as he tugged, “Oops.”

“Oops?” Her voice was high and incredulous, “That’s all you have to say? ‘Oops’?”

He shrugged, his palms following the line of her spine until the fabric bunched around his wrists, “Perhaps it is an improvement.” When she fixed him with a doubtful look, he went on, “Perhaps I can make it up to you.”

Her brows lifted in interest, but she said nothing. He took that as a ‘yes’, his hands slowly rounding her waist to rest below her breasts. Watching in the mirror as his hands encircled them, gently rolling her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers.

Humming against her skin, Brasa played with her lazily, the distinct lack of urgency lulling her into a low simmering arousal. Lilah leaned into him, her hands resting on the dresser to keep her balance. In the mirror, her reflection undulated. The long line of her throat exposed as she tipped her head back against his shoulder.

“Beautiful,” he groaned, teeth catching her ear.

Lilah focused on his face in the mirror, watched as his eyes devoured her image. His hand rucked up her shirt, squeezing her breasts together, their touch no longer teasing.

Mouth laying sloppy kisses wherever he could reach, Brasa leaned his weight into her. He pinned her to the dresser, shifting her to the side when one of the pulls dug into her belly. Lilah arched back, catching his mouth, the angle too acute for her to get anything more than the barest of kisses.

She whined, tugging on his arms so that he would let her turn around. He held her still, and she could feel the shape his mouth against her skin, spreading into a wide smile.

“Did you need something?”

Lilah grit her teeth against the honey of his words, the way they melted over her, the cajoling tone peeking out from underneath. After so long where he’d given in to her easily, after he’d offered no quarter in the building of her pleasure, the teasing chafed.

She writhed, shimmying her hips against the erection behind her, trying to get him to break. He took it, took every bit of her want, absorbing it so that she only got the tiniest ricochet in return. It left her wanting with such force that she could keep the needy moans inside.

It might have been his name she was chanting, might also have any one of the nonsense syllables that he had been known to pull out of her. All Lilah knew was that her core was clenching down on nothing when it could be fluttering around his hands, or better yet his cock.

Brasa repeated his question, his voice dropping down into his chest so that it came out in a harsh rasp. Lilah nodded, biting her lip. Through the bond, she felt his pleasure, felt how satisfied he was to watch her fall apart in his hands.

Teasing fingertips traced the waistband of her shorts, dipping just below, “Is this it?”

Again, she nodded, her eyes squeezing shut as he pushed down past the elastic to rest all four fingers against her mound. She widened her stance and rocked forward into them, getting a little bit of needed friction.

“Fucking wet,” he groaned, one arm wrapping around her middle and pulling her up and into his body, “You’re ready for me?”

For the third time, she nodded, relieved when he pulled down her shorts just below the crease of her ass, his other hand pressing her forward so that she was leaned over the top of the dresser. She heard the sound of shifting fabric, and then he was pressed against her opening.

With the taut band of her shorts cutting into the meat of her thighs, Lilah could only drop her forehead to the dresser as he pushed steadily forward. He was careful with the initial thrust, hands massaging.

“Good?” she heard from over the pounding of her ears.

Rising, Lilah rotated her hips, seating him deeper and relishing his sharp inhale, “Very good.”

One hand grabbed her chin, turning her head so that he could kiss her, his tongue dipping inside. He kissed her like that as he pumped slowly inside, taking up once more his unhurried pace. Lilah swallowed around a dry throat, her hands closing into little fists.

“More,” she cried out, hoping to coax him into a faster, harder pace.

He chuckled. And though his pace remained the same, the intensity kicked up a notch. He buried his cock inside her all the way each time, the intermittent sound of skin slapping against skin overtaking the silence of the room. Slow. Deep. Unhurried. Brasa fucked her as if he had all the time in the world, as if he wasn’t at all concerned about coming.

It built inside her in intervals that were so small Lilah barely noticed them until it was too late, until her pussy was contracting around him in dizzy pleasure. Brasa snarled, his hips grinding against her ass, one hand holding her steady as he arched over her body.

Lilah relaxed her upper body against the dresser, blinking slowly as Brasa grabbed her hips and pulled them back hard. The air was punched from her as he did it again. And again. He got another five or six good thrusts in before he hissed and she felt him pulse.

When it was over, Brasa pulled out and adjusted her short before doing the same with his down pants. He wrapped his arms around her and walked her back to the bed. Lilah went, reaching back to ruffled his curls.

She hummed as he helped her to lay down, his big body molding to her side, “That was nice.”

He pet her hair, “I’ll do it again when you get back.”

“Promise?”

[strawbrryrush]

post event starter/plotting call !! 

okay ill be honest imma drop like all my threads.. because they’re still a mix of winter- and all the things.. and id rather start fresh given my long hiatus alssl but there are some threads imma keep!! but for the most part gonna drop all.. so pls reply if youd like a closed starter from any of my muses!

Lettie Hatter - 2/4 ( sophie !!, josh !!) nothing really happened to her during the event?? given she didn’t participate.. but pls give my baking angel more friends- maybe even a love interest idk u didnt hear that from me!

Malcolm Bright-1/4, (seth !! )he got bonked over the head by his partner- like.. literal romantic partner, going through it.. already has a bestie, that’s faye but give him more friends pls hes awkward and antisocial!!

 Eric Northman -0/4, in a broody phase rn, his girlfriend wanted to unalive him and now is avoiding him.. maybe cheer him up??

Elena Gilbert -1/4, ( peter !! ) almost got killed by elijah- someone shes currently falling for- a little shook up.. give her a friend, anythingg!

Homura Akemi -0/4, was on the verge of unaliving her crush, but got kissed.. now is really realizing shes rly gay and likes madoka.. but pls give this broody girl some friends, maybe even a best friend?? someone she can brag about madoka to idk

Nami- 2/4, (mq !, Xie lian )do not talk to her, shes going through it.. she hurt people- and is just overall in her angsty phase of life.. but pls anyways give her friends, maybe a gf- idk..

Diana Meade-1/4, (cordelia !!) not a lot went down for this witch- but she saw what went down and is like ?? buttt pls give her a friend, love interest anythingg

 Faye Valentine- 0/4, again not too much happened, she witnessed and was like ?? damn ok. and was mainly focused on her perseverance.. she could use all the friends pls

Amy Santiago- 0/4, BIGGEST SAD FACE !! jake hurt her, and now shes big sad.. she loves jake with all her heart- and loves their family but is now heartbroken.. -so with that give her friends and all the hugs thank u and all the binders too.

 Charles Griffiths- 0/4, he got out unhurt, just saw what happened- and was shocked.. but other then that?? fine give him all the friends !

Tifa Lockhart- 0/4, when she finds out someone hurt aerith shes gonna be BIIIG mad.. -but pls give her besties !

Richie Gecko- 1/4, ( elliot !! )he did some things..went on a date- but?? give this man some besties..  and finally 

Jinx, 2/4, (silco !!, benjamin !!) ... did some bad things again, unalived someone, met stu- idk how shes gonna break the news to silco or vi that shes crushing on a guy she met in a midst of a murder.. but anyways give jinx some friends pls!!

[astarkey]

I was tagged by @finalgirllaurie to post the titles of all my wips! Thank you so much for tagging me!!! 

Okay, I didn’t realize it was gonna be this long 😂 so the list is under “Keep reading.” If anyone wants to know more about either one of these fics, feel free to ask me!!! I’d love to discuss them!!!

You’re So Vain (new sethkate fic I just started inspired by [this])

Bermuda Locket (sethkate fic that is the sequel for Do I Know You?)

Your Beauty’s Rich In a Loveless World (sethkate fic that is the threequel for Do I Know You?) 

I’m Your Passenger (sethkate fic that’s like a Lyft or Uber, Before Sunrise AU [moodboard here])

Wishing I Was There (sethkate neighbors AU smut fic)

Dark Night (a fdtd Queen of the Damned inspired AU fic where paranormal researcher Kate enters an underground world of vampires, and accidentally meets and falls for vampire!Seth. Meanwhile, his brother Richie, is trying to climb his way to the top in the underworld and becomes involved with Amaru, who has her own ambitions of taking over the earth and showing everyone who the real queen is.)

Off the Grid (original fic inspired from a dream I had that was a combination of the video games Control, Far Cry 5 [which I never played actually lol], and D.J.’s screenplay Fight or Flight [synopsis here])

Kate/Amaru fic (a fdtd fic that takes place right after the events from s2, with Kate’s journey to finding herself and searching for things to believe in while Amaru is slowly trying to take over her body and twist her thoughts. Meanwhile as Seth, Richie, and Scott are wrapped up in their own grief after Kate’s “death,” they begin to find clues that she’s still alive, but she may not be the same person they once knew.)

Got a Thing About You (and It Won’t Go Away) [sethkate fic that’s the sequel to I’m Out of My Head]

All I Want for Christmas Is You (sethkate fake-dating AU fic [synopsis here]

Must Be the Season of the Witch (a sethkate Practical Magic inspired AU fic [synopsis here])

When I Wake Up, Who’s Going to Be My Savior? (a sethkate AU where the Gecko brothers are in town visiting a local bar that is having a ladies’ night where they’re auctioning off men for charity. Seth gets so drunk that he enters the auction and strips, and in the end, Kate, who is also in town with her friends, wins him. They both have a wild night where they end up wasted, but when they wake up in the morning, they don’t remember all that’s happened, and how Kate ended up in Seth’s bed [moodboard here])

One Fine Week (a sethkate single-parents AU fic inspired by the movie One Fine Day [synopsis here])

It Takes Two to Tango (a sethkate dance AU fic inspired from the movie Dance With Me, where Kate takes dance lessons from dance instructor, Seth Gecko [moodboard here])

I’ve Made My Bed, I’ll Die In It (a sethkate fic that is the sequel for How to Make a Bed)

If These Walls Could Talk (sethkate fic that’s the threequel for How to Make a Bed [I don’t remember if this was the actual title for the third part 😩 I forgot to write it down when I was coming up with titles for the later fics])

Dirt (a sethkate fic that’s more of a look into their 3 months in Mexico, and where Seth doesn’t want her to leave after their argument in the car, and makes it his mission to bring her back home to Bethel with no bumps or scrapes)

Mama Said (There’ll Be Days Like This) [a sethkate fic inspired from episode 2 from the tv show Sharp Objects. After Jennifer’s funeral, an angry, grief-stricken Kate meets Seth at a convenience store and gets a ride from him after her car suddenly breaks down. She offers him free food as a way to pay him back once they return to the Fuller house, and he offers her his company and a lending ear as she’s finding it hard to cope with the loss of her mother.]

10 Things AU (a sethkate AU fic inspired from the movie 10 Things I Hate About You)

Clear (original fic inspired from another dream I had years ago that takes place in the late 90′s. It involves a college freshman named Natalie and her roommate, Clare, and how suddenly a student’s disappearance changes everything on campus. It’s more like a sci-fi, mystery, drama fic that I don’t even know if I’m ever gonna go back to writing it lmao.)

Addicted to Love (a sethkate AU fic inspired from the movie 28 Days. Kate is admitted into rehab and meets a frequent patient named Seth, and soon they develop an addiction to each other that they don’t want to admit.)

The Woods (a silverchair AU fic that’s been abandoned for years that, honestly, I might just turn it into an original fic with taking out the band and coming up with other original characters lol. A band takes a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains, where they make camp. During their stay, they encounter something else lurking in the woods that they accidentally bring back with them once they try to leave.)

Okay, I think that’s it with this list 🤣

Tagging (no pressure!!!): @chronic-ghost, @alwaysupatnight, @lilmissuncreative, @musicrunsthroughmysoul, @blondiest, @fortysevenswrites, @belorage, @bensonstablers, @windermerepoets13, @justjstuff, @all-star-avocado, @thisislavieboheme, and anyone else who wants to do this!!! 💕

[bumblesimagines]

Imagine:

Kisa having an interest in you, another culebra who fights at her ring

Request: Yes or No

This isn't the idea I mentioned before btw

~

Kisa's gaze followed (Y/N) as he fist bumped the air, satisfied with his win. Manola glanced at Kisa, a grin appearing on her face.

"Kisa, you're staring again." Manola cooed. Kisa blinked, looking at the woman beside her. Manola cocked a brow, tilting her head. Kisa scoffed, looking away.

"Don't say it, Manola." Kisa muttered. Manola laughed softly, shaking her head.

"You should talk to him, Kisa." Manola said, arms crossing. (Y/N) grinned, wounds from the fight healing as he grabbed him bomber jacket and slid it on. He stepped out of the ring, glancing up at Kisa. Kisa held eye contact with him until he broke it when he turned away.

"You're quite intimidating, Kisa." Manola said, running a hand through her silky black hair.

"Cállate." Kisa muttered, arms crossing as she leaned back against her throne. Manola giggled, looking back at the ring.

"You're flustered." She pointed out, grinning widely. Kisa huffed, standing and looking at her.

"I'll talk to him."

"Go ahead." Manola raised her hands, a giggle slipping out. Kisa rolled her eyes, heading down the steps. Her eyes scanned the crowd until she spotted (Y/N)'s bomber jacket. She approached one of her guards.

"Get (Y/N) and bring him to my room." She ordered. The guard nodded, stalking away. Kisa headed to her room, approaching the mirror. She fixed her green top and undid the braid Manola had done earlier that day. Kisa swallowed, huffing. She didn't get why she was nervous. Maybe cause her last relationship with Richie Gecko didn't work out.

"You asked for me, Diosa?" (Y/N) entered the room, arms crossing. Kisa faced him, nodding. (Y/N) hummed, eyes scanning the room.

"These past few days, you've been one of my best fighters. You've caught my interest." Kisa told him, smiling coyly. (Y/N) chuckled, giving a slow nod.

"I won't get into trouble with Manola, will I? She knows how to punch." (Y/N) grinned, head tilting. Kisa chuckled, shaking her head as she got closer to him. (Y/N) watched the powerful culebra. Kisa licked her lips, meeting his gaze. Her dark brown eyes stared into his (E/C) ones.

"How about a date?" Kisa asked, butterflies fluttering around her stomach. (Y/N) cocked a brow, head rising a bit.

"A date with you? Many men and women would kill to hear those words." (Y/N) looked her over, thinking about it. Kisa expected him to say yes. After all, she was the Kisa.

"Depends on my schedule." Kisa blinked, staring at him. Her brows furrowed as she stared at (Y/N)'s smug grin. (Y/N) almost chuckled at her expression.

"Qué?" Kisa asked in disbelief.

"Depends on my schedule, princesa." (Y/N) repeated, licking his lips and turning. He headed towards the door, opening it.

"See you around, Diosa." (Y/N) called as he closed the door, throwing her a wink. Kisa stared at the closed door, surprised scoff leaving her. A grin slowly stretched across her face, a soft laugh leaving her.

"That's how you wanna play?" Kisa's eyes narrowed, the grin still on her face.

"Bring it on."

Gifs aren't mine

[ofsundropsx]

                             introducing juliet cymbeline…

full name: juliet cassandra cymbeline

age: 19

birth date: february 3

hometown: corona, germany

siblings: n/a

powers: decay and destruction

face claim: olivia holt

* tangled the series spoilers down below !! *

like her namesake Juliet Capulet, Juliet Cymbeline is a spirited young woman. she’s a hopeless romantic who is naive at times but is also intelligent, brave witty, and independent. there’s an inner strength within her that keeps her going.

 she’s an absolute ball of sunshine like her mother but a bit of a rascal at times. she’s kind and bubbly but can be a bit stubborn sometimes. in the eyes of the people of Corona, she’s an absolute blessing. She’s well-loved in their kingdom. Juliet does her best to do right by all from the thugs that inhabit the snuggly duckling, to those who live in old corona. Juliet truly cares for her people, little Juliet herself is often found in the town meeting with everyone in the town and talking their ears off about anything and everything. 

although the sundrop and moonstone were destroyed, the two magical entities still gave their gifts to Reagan’s child.  when she was born she absorbed her mother’s powers. unfortunately, the princess didn’t receive the sundrops powers instead Juliet inherited that of the moonstone. The only thing given to her by the sundrop was her beautiful golden locks. because of that Juliet rarely uses her powers. if anything they scare her. she knows of the power the stone holds from her aunt Cassandra. Because of that, Reagan never taught her daughter the hurt incantation for her daughter’s safety and the safety of others. her hair does glow though when she sings the healing incantation it just doesn’t heal anything. 

now that Juliet is becoming of age she’s struggled with the idea of becoming a ruler. She doesn’t think she’s cut out to be a ruler of anything. sure, being a princess is fine. she enjoys it but being queen? it’s not exactly something she thinks about often. even her duties as a princess have been daunting lately. Juliet just doesn’t think she’s good enough. she wants to live her great big adventure the same way her mother did. if she is going to be queen she at least wants to live her life first. maybe there’s something more waiting for her outside the walls of corona. maybe she’s not meant to be a princess but something more. Juliet doesn’t know what exactly but she’s hoping to find out what her great purpose actually is.

she enjoys riding horses and has a pet gecko named venus.

she paints, bakes, and is very handy with a frying pan and sword.

she does ballet and gymnastics

connections: apollo jäger, best friend. rosalie charmont, best friend. yara leu, friend.

  hmu if want connections with her !!

HERE is her pinterest board

songs inspired by her: RAINBOW; KACEY MUSGRAVES. EVERYWHERE; FLEETWOOD MAC, YOU ARE; LINONEL RICHIE. SOMETHING THAT I WANT; GRACE POTTER