#funnily I feel like her ponytail starts to look more and more like the shape of a spin dash LOL

[izuizzy]

HUMAN TALIAAAAA!!! the trio of sonadow kids is complete! \o/

[moira-shears]

As Time Goes By

Tifa waited outside the small house in the countryside, waiting patiently, as the afternoon approached. Now seventy-three, Tifa Strife was retired and owned a farm alongside her husband of fifty years, Cloud Strife whom she still loved as much as the night the two made their promise, a promise that first bound them on almost the same day sixty years ago. Though the two had left Edge to retire, Seventh Heaven and Strife Delivery Service were still running under Marlene and Denzel who often came to visit them.

As years passed, Tifa’s hair started to change colour, to a pretty shade of grey. It was tied in a loose braid, and other signs of age started to show. Though she’d not quite been as good, Tifa was still a martial arts expert, even after a pregnancy in her thirties, and as death started to catch up.

The house the couple lived in was built in the area where they first confessed their mutual feelings to one another, the night before the impending battle against Sephiroth in the Northern Crater more than fifty years earlier. Down the path leading up to the house was the farm filled with crops and animals which the couple treated humanely as possible, though for meat, Cloud generally preferred to go out hunting.

Over the planes, Tifa saw a man on a chocobo, carrying something with him. When she saw his face clearly, Tifa smiled as she stood up. The man who came up to her was her beloved husband, Cloud Strife, aged seventy-four and still dashingly handsome, even with his aged face as he dismounted his chocobo and made his way up to Tifa. His hair was tied in a ponytail the same way he had it when he was a child, and he started to grow a full medium-length beard which Cloud claimed made him look more like a farmer, and his eyes still glowed from his exposure to mako, and always would.

“Cloud!” Tifa said as excitedly as she always did.

“Hello, Tifa,” Cloud said, “I brought you something,”

Cloud and Tifa gave one another a hug that was as tight as the ones they always had during their marriage. When the hug ended, Cloud took Tifa’s hand in his and opened it to reveal an old locket in the shape of a heart. Within it was a picture of their wedding day as the couple held each other’s hands and gazed into one another’s eyes. On the other side, there was an inscription reading: I promise, a phrase that had many meanings for Cloud and Tifa over many years.

“Cloud, you found it!” Tifa said happily, "Where was it?"

"I found it in the shed," Cloud said, "It was in the a one of my tool boxes, funnily enough. I knew you'd be thankful when I found it,"

"Oh Cloud, thank you," Tifa said.

Tifa picked the locket up and put it around her neck, afterwards slowly giving Cloud a kiss on the lips. Cloud kissed back and held Tifa in his arms for longer this time. Even after years of marriage, the couple never got tired of these loving gestures with no words needed to express their love for one another, only the comfort of their presence.

Inside the house, Cloud found that some chunky potato soup was waiting for him in the cooking pot, made from vegetables from their own farm. With the ladle, Tifa poured a bowl for Cloud and he looked down at the contents, containing some vegetables and strips of chicken. With this, he sat down at the table with a piece of bread by his side as he waited for Tifa to sit down in front of him.

Tifa’s cooking always brought happiness to Cloud, and after his retirement, she’d started to teach him to cook himself. Though he’d struggled at first, he got better with time, with Tifa’s approval going up each time, making Cloud proud of himself. Tifa’s cooking though would always have a special place in his heart, being from the woman he loved more than life itself, the woman he would lay down his life for.

When Cloud ingested his soup, he felt at peace with its warmth and taste so much like home, with Tifa and the farm. As he dipped his bread, he thought of his and Tifa’s family, both biological and adoptive, some with children of their own. Tifa though was the woman who gave Cloud the most comfort, and they always supported one another, even if none was needed.

After lunch, Cloud and Tifa went to sit on the couch where their cat Bell slept. Bell was a beautiful white cat who loved to sleep, and meowed a lot, especially in Tifa’s presence. Tifa had been given the cat by Cloud accompanied by Barret who was, amazingly enough, still alive and healthy at eighty-eight years of age, and was now living a quiet life in Kalm. He’d told Tifa he found the cat whilst walking with Cloud in Kalm, wandering the streets without an owner, so Cloud told Barret he and Tifa could take care of her.

Tifa picked Bell up, waking her and she meowed. Soon, however, she settled, and as Tifa started stroking her, she was purring. Both her purr and meow were beautiful and reminded Tifa of Maru, her first cat who was of the same shade. Tifa had an attachment to the cat, one which Cloud understood as he too had taken a liking to her and would often feed and pat her himself.

Cloud then picked up a book that had been marked near the end and started to read to Tifa. Though he was not known to be very talkative, Cloud had a soothing reading voice, as he told of a tale of a sailor lost at sea with no way home except the northern star, but no matter how much he sailed, he never reached the shore, until one day he saw the golden coast of the beach, and the sailor was so relieved, he jumped off his boat and swam towards the shore. It was there that he had met once again with his true love, a beautiful woman, a head shorter than the sailor, and she cried and cried until her eyes were dry, and the sailor held her tight, tighter than he ever had before, and told her, he would never let her go again, and they without another word, they kissed. Tifa leaned down on Cloud's shoulder as he read, and when the protagonist reunited with the heroine, she let out a sigh of relief, as the two reminded Tifa of a man and a woman she once knew, but never as a couple, and were long dead. Even the descriptions sounded much like them.

After Cloud finished reading, a knock was heard on the door.

"I wonder who that could be," Tifa said, as she and Cloud got up.

Behind it was Denzel, now aged sixty and dressed in a leather jacket reading 'Strife Delivery Service'. He’d grown a stubble, but his hair was the same wavy hair he had as a child, without a strand of white in it but he had visible wrinkles lining his face.

“Denzel!” Tifa said, “What do you have for us today?”

“Hello, Cloud, Hello, Tifa,” Denzel said, “I’ve got you both something I think you’ll like.” He passed a small box to Cloud and Tifa and when opened, the couple found an old photo of themselves, taken during their honeymoon at Costa Del Sol, in which Cloud held Tifa in his arms, as she sat on his lap, and with her, smiled at the camera.

“Denzel, where did you find this?” Cloud asked.

“In the bar’s storage room,” Denzel said, “It was well buried – no wonder you never found it. In fact, I found it completely by accident and decided to give it to you whilst I was working. I’m afraid I won’t be able to stay, I’ll have to be going right away,”

“Thank you, Denzel,” Tifa said, “and how’s Marlene?”

“Marlene has been slowing down as of late,” Denzel said, “but she’s confident she can hand the business down to Cole once she retires.”

“I see,” Tifa said, “This is the second lost item that was found today. Thank you for visiting, Denzel.”

With this, Denzel hugged his adoptive parents before he left, the sound of the Fenrir roaring into the distance. Later, Cloud and Tifa left the house, walking down the dirt road to the farm. They were followed by their farm’s chocobo, Koko, who helped to carry crops up the way to their house as well as working as an alternative to the Fenrir now owned by Denzel, which Cloud knew would scare the animals with its loud engine, whereas a chocobo only had it's chirps and talons that made sound.

The farm contained a field of wheat as well as some vegetables and fruits some in full bloom with others approching. The two were often visited by their son, Sky who had often come to the farm for assistance. Sky was a handsome man in his forties with Cloud’s spiky hair and Tifa’s shade, and he wore a smile on his face all the time, especially when they came to greet each other, having admired each other in every way possible, and his eyes were blue like the ones that Tifa remembered Cloud having when he was young, hence the name Sky.

“Hi Mum, hi Dad,” Sky said to them as they crossed paths, “You both look to be doing well. Do you suppose I could join you for dinner tonight?”

“You’re always welcome, Sky,” Cloud said.

“Very well then, I’ll see you tonight,” Sky said, “take care!”

With this, Sky went back to working, killing weeds and harvesting plants. Crops that Cloud and Tifa included in their farm were ten different types of greens to feed their chocobos, as well as the same number of nuts when it was tiem to breed them which held the purpose of providing chocobos for the population of Gaia as well as a comfort animal for Cloud who had a natural affinity to the birds, as they become attached to him automatically, as they did for Sky as well.

In the field, Cloud took Tifa’s hand and walked with her, observing crops that weren’t quite ready for harvest, with others seemed to be getting along well. Though Cloud had once been one who never knew the names of vegetables, he’d since learned after being taught by Tifa during his days as a courier, and now in his old age, he’d known more than he could name.

“These radishes look like they could be ready for harvest soon,” Cloud said, “These gysahl greens are looking well too. The chocobos will be happy,”

As Tifa had attempted to crouch down to observe, however, she heard the cry of an animal. When she and Cloud turned around, they saw a baby chocobo with its foot stuck in the fence and being threatened by monsters.

Cloud rushed to the chocobo’s aid, which in turn, scared off the monsters with his speed which was just like that of his twenty-one-year-old self. By the time Cloud reached it, the baby chocobo seemed to have calmed down, and he observed the stuck leg.

“There now,” Cloud said, “let’s take a look at that leg.”

The chocobo did not attempt to struggle when Cloud held it and successfully freed its leg from the fence. When Cloud took a closer look, he could see only a braise and mild breeding on the leg, which was otherwise in very good condition, as it didn’t struggle to stand and curled up to Cloud with a loving sound. Further, inspection confirmed that the chocobo was a girl.

“Aw Cloud, it looks like you made a new friend,” Tifa said, as she went to pat the chocobo.

“I think I have,” Cloud said, “I think she wants me to fix her leg.”

Cloud and Tifa travelled to the shed where they found a bandage and wrapped it around the chocobo’s leg and afterwards housed her in the stable alongside the other chocobos, and one set in particular cuddled her, perhaps her parents, Cloud thought.

After dusk, Cloud and Tifa went back home and had dinner with Sky, who informed the couple that the cattle had been doing just fine with no more indigestion, as had the chickens and sheep. Knowing the couple liked their privacy though, Sky didn’t say long, and left not long after he’d finished Tifa’s soup which he expressed great pleasure in, as he always did with his mother’s cooking, and returned to his wife and seven-year-old son.

When Midnight came, Cloud and Tifa sat outside, sitting on the same rock they sat over fifty years ago. There they gazed up at the stars and reminisced about that day. Unlike in the city of Edge where there was much light pollution, there were many stars visible on the curtain of night where Cloud and Tifa now lived, as much as there were in Nibelheim.

“It’s been sixty years,” Tifa said, “Do you remember, Cloud?”

“That night on the water tower...” Cloud said, “I could never forget. You were thirteen, I was fourteen. I told you I was going to Midgar to become a SOLDIER. I said I wanted to be like Sephiroth... I promised that if you were ever in trouble, I would come to save you,”

“And you always did,” Tifa said, “even if it hadn’t been the way I’d imagined all those years ago, and although I could save myself. You were always there Cloud, thank you,”

“I always will be, Tifa,” Cloud said, “No matter how old you or I get, I will never forget our promise. I love you, Tifa,”

With this, Cloud gave Tifa a kiss, a mild yet loving kiss, as they often were, and Tifa could only kiss back. Cloud’s arms curled around his wife’s back and Tifa did the same. No matter what, Cloud would be Tifa’s hero, even if all was lost and they were the only two people left on Gaia, Cloud would protect Tifa, forever.

Tifa rested on her husband’s shoulder, and Cloud held her closer. Gently, he picked her up as though they’d just gotten married and carried her into their house and up to their bedroom on the second floor of the house where they went to sleep without changing clothes, and Bell jumped up to sleep with them as she did every night. Tifa still felt light in Cloud's arms, and due to the JENOVA cells in his veins, he was still strong even though his age started to show, and so was Tifa.

Cloud lay down next to her, holding her close as if she were going to disappear the next day, knowing their bond was without strings, and even when she or he died, Cloud would continue to love and cherish her in his heart. They hadn’t pulled over the blanket when they were sleeping, but when they woke up, they woke up happy and comfortable, and just like every morning, they gave a kiss when they woke up, and walked down into the golden field of wheat hand and hand. If there was anything Cloud knew for certain, it was that he would love her.

For eternity and beyond...

AO3:https://archiveofourown.org/works/43235650

[frauleinjustice]

Saimatsu Valentines Day Prompt!

Heeey, my good peoples! Happy Valentines Day!! ♥ Naturally, I wanted to write a cute little oneshot for it~ This time: with my saimatsu babies!! I just thought it would be cute to write something for them for once, hehe...

Summary: For Valentines Day, Kaede wanted to make homemade chocolates for her crush, Shuichi. But since she normally never cooks, she had Maki assist her in making chocolates that actually come out good. And not only will she want to give him romantic chocolates, but: finally confess how she feels, too...

So yeah, I hope you all will enjoy! And as always, thank you so much in advanced if you decide to give it a read. May you all have a nice day, and indulge in some chocolatey treats, regardless if you celebrate today or not! 🍫

"What the hell, Akamatsu." Was the immediate reaction of Maki once she saw the disaster of a kitchen before her very eyes. Splotches of ingredients stained the counter, bowls messily stacked upon each other, and the pot Kaede had used to whisk everything together... was completely burnt at the bottom. And the practice chocolates she had made... looked burnt and greatly misshapen.

"H-Hahah....haaah....." Is the only thing the pianist can utter in response, before she gives several bows. "S-Sorry! I tried to make them on my own, I-I really did! But it uh... diiidn't go exactly well..." She laughs weakly, with even her apron looking like a mess. Tomorrow was Valentine’s Day: the reason Kaede had even attempted to try making chocolates in the first place. While she normally would buy chocolates for her friends... this time, she wanted to actually make them for a very special person. That person being: Saihara Shuichi. To pretty much everyone else in their class-aside from the very boy himself, funnily enough-it was obvious as day Kaede had a big crush on the detective. Not only did she want to give him chocolates that were homemade... but ones that were supposed to be romantic. Even if the thought of giving the guy she likes chocolates was completely nerve-wrecking, not only knowing if he’d like romantic chocolates from her or if he’ll even realize they’re supposed to be romantic: she wanted to believe it would go well, shaking her head of the thoughts of it going badly.

Though... the progress of actually trying to make chocolates, as Maki could see: was not exactly going well at all. Kaede normally isn't allowed to cook, as to avoid the risk of her injuring her fingers, due to being a pianist. It was times like these where she really wished she could cook, since there was no way she was going to give Shuichi these badly made attempts. That's why Maki was here: in a near desperate plea, Kaede called her to ask her to come to her house so she could help her out. Reluctantly, the "child caregiver" gave in and came over after enough begging, since actually she felt a bit bad for Kaede. Sighing, she just shakes her head and goes to tie her hair up in a single high ponytail. "Yeah, I can see that. Fine, I'll help you: but you're still going to be doing most of the work. It's for Saihara, after all."

"Yes!!" She nods, pumping her fists. "All you have to do is watch my progress, make sure I don't screw up! Thanks once again in advance for this!" 

A small mumble in response, Maki goes to grab some of the used dishes. "Let's clean up first and then grab a clean apron."

"O-Okay..!" Once the girls take a moment to clean the counter and wash the dishes, Kaede places her stained apron in a laundry basket, before grabbing a clean one, along with giving Maki one. They start setting up the bowls, kitchen tools, and pot they'll need. Kaede also had a silicone heart mold tray she'll use, which makes Maki have to wonder how she still managed to mess up the shapes of them, anyway. As they're measuring out the ingredients, Kaede shows Maki the recipe for homemade chocolates she had been using. "And then for an extra ingredient, I wanted to add espresso powder... so they can be espresso flavored dark chocolates! Since Saihara-kun likes coffee and all...y-you think he'll like it?"

"...Probably." Is her nonchalant answer before she adds:  "I mean... I'm sure he will, I guess. Saihara is cheesy enough to like whatever you'd make him, anyway. ‘Because Akamatsu-san made it!’ or whatever he’d say..." Her imitation of Shuichi, and the crack of a smirk on her face, made it obvious she was joking.

"Heheh.... yeah, I could see him saying that, too. Then, yeah: I’m sure he’ll probably like it, then! Okay, so first things first: melting the coconut oil in the pot!" A nod from Maki to indicate her to go ahead, she watches Kaede head over to the pot to start emptying the bowl of coconut oil into the pot... after cracking the fire up way too high. 

".........." Immediately, Maki goes over to turn the fire down to a much lower level.  "Don't have the fire up so high, you'll burn the coconut oil."

"O-Oh...!" Blinking in surprise, she turns to Maki and gives a flustered nod. “Thank you, sorry!" Sighing, Maki makes sure to keep a close eye on her as she stirs the gradually melting oil. Once it is completely melted, Kaede transfers it to a mixing bowl. It would now be time to add the  cocoa powder, honey, vanilla, and sea salt to the mixture, along with the additional flavor of espresso powder. 

"Don't whisk it so hard, and not so fast, either. You're trying to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated together, not making splotches fly everywhere."

"R-Right...!" Since that was the exact mistake Kaede made with the practice chocolates. This time, she was whisking at a much better speed and pace, avoiding making a big mess and making her arm necessarily more sore. "This is already coming out a million times better than before. You really know your stuff, Harukawa-san!" She chimes, a smile widening on her face. "Did you already make some, yourself? Fooor..." Her smile turns more mischievous. "Momota-kun?"

"!?" As if hitting the nail on the head, Maki's face quickly turns red as she tries giving an intimidating glare to Kaede. "D...Do you want to die? Why would I want to give chocolates t-to that idiot... now don't say such stupid things..."

"Hahah, sorry, sorry! I was just teasing you!" Though that reaction told Kaede everything. She didn't want to risk teasing Maki too much, though, so she refrains from saying that, and instead gives her a softer smile. "Really though... thank you. I would've been so hopeless without you!"

"Hmph...." Pouting, she begins stroking her ponytail. "...Don't worry about it. Maybe next time you won't be such a disaster at it." Despite her blunt words, there wasn't actual annoyance in her voice. Maki truly didn't mind helping Kaede out. Even if she found the girl a bit much and annoying at times: she wasn't against considering her a friend. That, and she knows Shuichi feels the same way for Kaede. He was one of her closest friends, alongside Kaito, and Kaede to a lesser extent: so she wanted this to go well for them both, hence why she was secretly happy to help. 

Chortling in response, Kaede continues mixing until the chocolate mixture is fully incorporated with no lumps left. She carefully pours the mixture in the silicone mold before placing them in the freezer. "Alright, there we go! Can't wait to see how they'll look..!" In the meantime while the chocolates begin to harden, Kaede and Maki take that time to clean up the kitchen. Around half an hour later, Kaede checks on the chocolates. "Ohhh...!" By then, they had hardened. She takes the tray out of the freezer and sets it on the counter. Popping a chocolate heart out, she turns it around to give it a good look. The chocolate wasn't misshapen, lumpy, burnt... much better than how Kaede's first batch came out. "Harukawa-san, look! They came out perfectly! We did it!!" She cheers, putting it back in its slot before cupping Maki's hands. 

"Ah, hey-!" Flinching in surprise from the sudden contact, she just rolls her eyes and sighs. "Yeah, yeah... though it was mostly just you, Akamatsu. I just made sure you wouldn't make the kitchen look like a disaster, again."

"Ahaha... well, still! I wouldn't have been able to do this without your help. Thank you so much...! Now I feel even more confident giving these to Saihara-kun tomorrow." Now all she would need to do is pack them in a chocolate box and give them to Shuichi. Nervous excitement was already building up in her for tomorrow. Will it go well? Will he accept her chocolates... and her confession? Kaede was normally not on to think of a worse case scenario, but even she couldn't help the anxious feeling bubbling up in her if everything doesn't go right. "So, ah... wish me luck! H-Heheh..." She nervously rubs the back of her head. "Not to scare myself or anything, but who knows how tomorrow will go, you know...? And if it's alright with you... I'll want to tell you how it goes afterwards, too."

"Well... if that's what you want. I don't mind. Though... don't act like it could possibly go wrong, or whatever. Saihara's never outright said it, but: I bet he's hoping to get chocolates from you. So... yeah: good luck." And for a moment, a hint of a smile appears on Maki's face.

"Harukawa-san...." Smiling warmly, she could feel some of her nervousness seeping away. "That's right... I just have to believe that it will be okay. I'll make sure it does! Thank you so much...! Okay, then I'll be sure to tell you how it goes..!"

With that, Valentines Day arrives the next day. Kaede had told Shuichi to meet her in a quiet area of campus after school this morning, without telling him the exact reason why. While Shuichi was curious, he thankfully didn't persist, much to Kaede's relief. Though her being unusually more nervous around him during class probably gave an obvious hint as to what the reason may be: Shuichi still didn't want to assume anything... even if he's hoping it's for the exact reason Kaede wants to see him.

Once classes were over for the day, Kaede immediately headed to their meeting spot: an area on campus that was a bit off the path, but was quiet with no one really around. She wanted to give him chocolates in a quiet area where no one could be nosy. "Okay... looks like I made it first. Hggh..." Cupping her arm, she can feel the nervousness kicking right back up as she stares down at the ground. ("Come on, Kaede, don't get nervous already.. he hasn't even shown up yet!")

"...san.."

("Like Harukawa-san said: don't like it could possibly go wrong. A-And if even she thinks Saihara-kun may like me back...!")

"...san? Akamatsu-sa...."

She shakes her head, completely unaware of the soft voice from behind calling out to her. ("So come on, be optimistic! It will go well! Just believe in yourself!! When he arrives,  I'll... I'll give him the chocolates, and tell him how I fe-")

"Akamatsu-san!"

Pouting, she swiftly turned around and was about to yell at the person who dares interrupt her- "Geez, what is it, can't you see I'm busy he-?!" Before finally noticing who it was, gasping. "Ah! S-Saihara-kun!!" At his understandably confused reaction, she gives a few frantic bows. "S-Sorry, I didn't notice you there!"

Blinking, he gives a reassuring shake of his head and waves his hand in the air. "A-Ah, it's, um... it's alright. Hi... I'm sorry for taking a moment, I hope I didn't keep you waiting."

"No, no, you're fine! I literally just got here myself, so you're not late. But yeah, hey! Thanks for being willing to do this! I hope it wasn't too sudden a request..."

"Ah, not at all! I don't mind. It seemed like you wanted to tell me something important, so..."

"Y...Yeah..." Before she begins, Kaede takes a quick moment to look around. It was still just them around here, just as she hoped. A soft exhale, she looks back up at the boy. "...Okay, so! You've probably... already guessed why I called you out here, but... still. There's something I... wanted to give you, Saihara-kun. It's in my bag: one moment..." Trying to ignore the increasingly rapid pounding in her heart, Kaede reaches into her backpack to take the box of chocolates out.

"!" Shuichi's eyes widen when he sees it. "Oh! That's...!" He is presented with a heart-shaped chocolate box, with a white bow wrapped around it. 

She bows slightly as she holds the chocolates out to him. "F...For you, Saihara-kun: Happy Valentines Day...! I-I... made them, myself!"

"Ahh? You... made these? For me..?" A soft, surprised gasp leaves his lips as he stares down at the box of chocolates. Shuichi knew the pianist was normally not allowed to cook. So for her to not only give him chocolates, but ones that she made, herself...  "......." A blush starts to creep onto his face. So his prediction was right, after all... he was surprised, but so happy and relieved. "Akamatsu-san... thank you..." Finally, he gently takes the box of chocolates out of her hands. A shy, yet bright smile appears on his lips. "I'm flattered you would want to give me homemade chocolates..! If it's okay, I would love to try them right now."

"Of course…!" Standing back up straight, she smiles bashfully at him, a soft blush on her face. "And yeah, that's totally fine! I hope you'll love them, Saihara-kun...!"

"I'm sure I will, since Akamatsu-san made them, after all! H-Hehe..." 

"Hehe...!" She couldn't help but giggle with him, recalling how Maki said that he would say something just like that. Though it really did make her happy: to hear that Shuichi was confident he was going to like her chocolates. He beckons her to walk over to the nearby tree with them to sit down. Shuichi places the box on his lap before opening it up, an amazed hum leaves his lips when seeing how nice the heart-shaped chocolates look. 

"Ohh… These look very nicely made. Alright, let's try one..." Picking one of the pieces up, Shuichi pops it into his mouth. "Mm..." He takes a moment to savor the flavor, a delighted hum emitting from him. Kaede watches him in anticipation, eagerly yet anxiously awaiting his response. Once he's finished the piece, he looks at Kaede with a smile and an approving nod. "Akamatsu-san, these are so good...! Just as I thought, I love these.” 

"!!!" Seeing he loved it, her eyes light up and a smile widens on her face as she clasps her hands together. "Yay!! I'm so glad to hear that, Saihara-kun! They're espresso flavored dark chocolates.”  She eagerly informs. “I thought, since you like coffee, why not add that additional flavor to them? And Harukawa-san helped me with this, too, since I was a complete disaster trying to make them myself."  She chuckles sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "So it's honestly thanks to her that these turned out much better than I ever could've made them on my own..."

"Ohh? Espresso flavored, I see... so that's why there was a coffee taste to them. I'm so honored you took that into consideration, Akamatsu-san... they taste absolutely amazing."  He smiles softly, giving an intrigued hum. "Ohh, Harukawa-san did, huh? Haha, that was sweet of her to do. But still, it was mostly your hard work that made the chocolates come out as tasty as they did, yes? So I think you should give yourself some more credit... and say, rather: with her help, they came out even better than they already would have, even if you did make them on your own."

"S...Saihara-kun...." A light blush appears on her cheeks. It was always things like that: the sincere, kind things Shuichi said... that made her fall for the boy in the first place. "Th-Thank you for having so much faith in me like that... makes me very happy to hear."

“Of course..." Shuichi picks up another piece and eats it, savoring it just as much as the first piece. Kaede made these for him.... even if she normally doesn't cook, she went out of her way to make homemade chocolates or him. The more he's reminded of that, the more his cheeks heat up and his heart thumps softly in his chest. And for a moment... "......." He wondered if he should ask this, but decided to go for it, a nervous exhale leaving him before he spoke up. 

"S-Say, um..... Akamatsu-san? I hope this is not an, um... strange question to ask, but: are these....ah....friendship chocolates?"

"!" Kaede's eyes widened in surprise at his question. "Ah...!" Even though she knew it was coming, she didn't expect him to ask so directly like that. "N-No, it's not strange! I'm just surprised you just came out with it, haha. But, um..." Now it was the moment of truth. The nervousness from before was quickly kicking back into high gear. She was going to say it... she was finally going to say how she feels, once she confirms that these chocolates were completely intended to be romantic. Taking a few deep breaths to keep herself calm... she looks back at him and shakes her head. "No: they aren't friendship chocolates. I... when I made these for you, the intention was... romantic. Th-They are... romantic chocolates."

"....!" Shuichi freezes at her clarification. "A...Ah...." He let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding in. He was nervously anticipating what kind of answer she would give. That part of him hoping so badly that his assumption was wrong. "R...Romantic chocolates?" 

"Yes.... so that's why I wanted to do my best to make sure these chocolates came out great. Since I wanted to make... um.... the guy th-that I... that I like, happy." She chuckles shyly, feeling her cheeks heat up again. "I... really like you, Saihara-kun. U-Um: like, like! Since I have a r-really big crush on you and all, a-and!! Wanted to finally tell you that through these homemade chocolates...!" And then once she finally got that out, she hangs her head low, wanting to hide the only worsening blush on her cheeks. The embarrassment she was feeling over stammering her confession out quicker than she had hoped aside... a big wave of relief washed over her after finally telling the detective how she feels. And now it was time for the most nerve-wrecking part of all: awaiting his response. 

"........." Shuichi just stares at her, too shocked to form an immediate response. His eyes are widened and a deep blush crosses his face. "Ah. A-Ah..." She likes him.... Kaede, the girl he truthfully has been crushing on badly in turn, likes him: like, likes him, as she stated. He could feel his heart bouncing around like crazy in his chest, feeling so overwhelmingly happy right now. He heard exactly what he was hoping so badly to hear: just as much as he was hoping these were not platonic chocolates. "You like...me...? H-Had a crush on...me? Oh..." He stares down at the ground, one hand to his chest as he gives a few deep breaths. Kaede was brave enough to confess her feelings... so he wanted to give her a proper response back.  "....Akamatsu-san." 

She gave two nods in confirmation at his questions. And when he calls her name like that, knowing he wants her to look up at him. "......." Nervous as she is to, she brings herself to slowly lift her head back up.  "S...Saihara-kun."

"S-Sorry, I was honestly at a loss of words for a moment. A-Ahaha..." He chuckles softly, bashfully scratching his cheek.  "I never thought that... you'd feel that way about me. And in all honesty, when I asked you if these were platonic chocolates... I was really hoping you would say no. I-I hope that's not selfish of me. Especially since it…. made me so happy that wasn't the case. Because... if there was anyone I was hoping to get romantic chocolates from... it  was from you."

"!" Kaede perks up at that. "R...Really? You were... hoping they wouldn't be platonic ones? And that... you were hoping they would be from me?"

"Yes..." For a moment, he hesitates when suddenly moving his arm, wondering if he should do it… before he dares to bring his hand towards Kaede’s to rest it gently on top of hers. It makes a soft gasp leave her, Shuichi ready to move his hand away if it was being too forward. But seeing she doesn't move her hand away, nor looks uncomfortable... he keeps it there before continuing. "I wouldn't have cared to get them from anyone else but you. Since.. since I..." Even if he knows she feels the same, he still feels his face heat up. Then with a soft exhale, he tells her: "...I feel the same, Akamatsu-san. I-I... like you, too. And for a long while, I have. So... I'm so happy that you return my feelings." He goes to intertwine their fingers just a bit... before giving her the warmest smile she's ever seen on his face.

"Saihara-kun...!" She feels her face turn redder when he intertwines their fingers together. And to hear it back: that Shuichi returns her feelings as well. "I...you...!" Relief washed over Kaede... before an overwhelming amount of happiness started bubbling in her. And before she knew it, Kaede lunged forward to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug.

"W-Woah...!" Shuichi yelps out in surprise from the sudden hug, his other having quickly secured a grip on the box of chocolates so that they wouldn't fall off his lap. Once he made sure they were secure on his lap, he gave a soft chuckle and shyly wrapped his arms around her to return the hug, cheeks turning a darker shade of red. "Ahaha.... Akamatsu-san..."

"H-Hehehe... sorry, I'm just... so happy! That the guy I like... likes me back!! I was so nervous... but now I'm so relieved!" She laughs, burying her face in his shoulder for a moment to stifle her giggles. The biggest, brightest smile was on her face. He returned her feelings.... he likes her back... The more she processed this, the happier she felt. She couldn't have felt any happier that she took that risk to make these chocolates for him and confess.

Shuichi gives her a soft squeeze in the hold, closing his eyes and just sighs so happily. She felt so nice to hug... he almost didn't want to let go of her. "I'm so happy, too... probably the happiest I've ever been."

"Me too...!" And for a moment they continue hugging like that, Kaede not wanting to leave his warm embrace anytime soon either... but eventually, they break away, Kaede going to sit back down in her spot. "S-So um! I guess that means we're... dating now, huh?"

"Dating..." Even just muttering it makes him flustered. "Hehe... y-yes, I suppose that does mean that, huh? Homemade chocolates from my...g-girlfriend. Thank you so much again..." For a second, he smiles at her... before deciding to lean in and place the softest kiss to her cheek. "I-I ah: hope that was okay to do..."

"!" Kaede uttered a surprised noise at the peck, making her cheeks heat up again before she giggles and nods her head. "O-Of course! You're my...b-boyfriend, after all! H-Hehe..." Humming in content, Kaede gently leans against Shuichi. She feels a gentle breeze brush through them, closing her eyes for a moment to enjoy it. She felt so content, wanting time to just stop for a moment. The guy she likes, she loves: was now hers... and she is his. "Sh...Shuichi-kun. Can I call you that? Um, I've never really been in a relationship before, so sorry if I'm a bit awkward at this at first, but: I promise... I'll be the best girlfriend I can be for you. One that will make you happy... and always make you feel loved."

"Ah..." His heart soars when she calls him by his first name. And hearing just the amount of sincerity in her tone couldn't help but make him chuckle, finding it so cute: finding her so cute...  "You're so sweet.... though you've always been such a caring and loving person who always makes me happy whenever I spend time with you. And... I promise to do the same. R-Relationships are just as new for me, too, but... that just means we’ll be able to experience what one is like, together. I will make sure to be nothing but a great boyfriend to you, too. You deserve to feel just as happy and loved, Akamatsu-san. A-Ah, well.. if you're going to call me 'Shuichi-kun'....th-then: K...Kaede-san..." Even just uttering her first name makes his cheeks red, but felt so nice. 

"Mmhm... please call me Kaede..." She hums, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder as she goes to wrap both her arms around his arm. "...Shuichi-kun...." She opens her eyes back up halfway. Then turning her head to look up at him, she gives  him a look just spilling with warmth and love. "...I love you..." 

"Kaede-san..." A quiet sigh of awe leaves him when seeing the look she gives. A look that would be reserved just for him. He couldn't feel any luckier... and in turn, he gave her a look and smile just as warm and loving, one hand going to gently cup her cheek.  She loves him... it felt so nice to hear. "...I love you, too. I always will." 

"Hehe... me too...." She nuzzles her cheek against his hand, sighing so happily. "....Shuichi-kun: ....let's kiss...." Kaede slowly leans her head closer to his. "....If that's okay? I really want to..."

"....Of course." He begins to slowly lean in as well, his thumb gently stroking her cheek. "...I'd love that more than anything." 

"I'm glad... Then.... And as their eyes slowly come to a close, shifting slightly so that Shuichi wraps his free arm around Kaede's waist, and Kaede now wraps both her arms around his neck once more... they close the distance in a soft kiss. A soft hum emits from them, loving how nice the other's lips felt. She could taste a hint of the chocolates on his lips as well, which made her muffle a small giggle. Kaede's heart was pounding so hard in her chest, giving his lips several smacks during the kiss. It makes a delighted sigh vibrate through Shuichi, one of his hands proceeding to rub small circles in her back. Her first kiss with her new boyfriend... she wanted to indulge as long as she could before they would have to break away. 

And even once they do, their kiss slowly lingers... before Shuichi dares to take the bold initiative this time and draws her right back into a kiss. She happily welcomes it, feeling her heart bounce even more she feels him press his lips firmer against hers, with Kaede doing the same. One of her hands gets tangled in his hair, slowly combing through the smooth black locks. This kiss is longer, deeper... and full of much more love packed into it. When they break away, they softly pant as they stare lovestruck at each other, both of their faces flushed red. "Th-That... felt nice..."

"Yeah... it really did...." She continues stroking his hair, Shuichi nuzzling his head against her hand as he utters a content hum. "Today... couldn't have gone any better. Not only did you enjoy your chocolates, but now you're my boyfriend, too! Hehehe I can't wait to tell Harukawa-san the great news!"

"Hahaha.... and I guess I'll tell Momota-kun as well. I did wonder why he told me 'Good luck' before I left to come meet you here..." He chuckles. "But yes, I truly did, Kaede-san. Ah!" Picking a piece up, he offers her one. "I know you made these for me, but I would love to enjoy them together with you."

She chuckles at that, not surprised Kaito knew exactly why he had been called to come here by her. Then when he offers her one of the pieces, she blinks in surprise. "Oh! Well if you'd like to: sure, thanks!" She takes the piece, and plops half of it into her mouth. And just to tease him... with the other half sticking out of her mouth, she bops her head forward, gesturing him to come closer while muttering: "Mm, mm!"

"Wha-?!" Face blowing up in red, Shuichi starts flailing his hands. "W-W-Wait a minute, th-that's-!! I-I mean I ah, I'm not saying 'no', b-but-"

"Hehehemmph!" The chocolate stifling her laugh, she finishes it completely before she starts laughing even more. "I-I was just teasing you, Shuichi-kun, hahaha! But were you really going to be up for it? Woah... Shuichi-kun is bolder than I thought!"

"Ah... o-ohh, geez! Kaede-san!!" He huffs, blushing even more in embarrassment as he gives her arm the lightest bap... before he starts breaking into laughter, too. "V...Very funny! Hahah...!"

"Heheh...!" She gives him a playful nudge to his arm, before they continue to enjoy more chocolates together. She still couldn't believe how well today went. With Maki's help, the chocolates came out great, Shuichi loved them... and realizing he loved her too when she confessed. Now she felt silly for having doubts, and couldn't feel anymore grateful that she was just worrying over nothing in the end. She already couldn't wait to get back home and play a song that expresses the amount of happiness and love she feels for the boy next to her. And maybe, she thinks to herself: she'll play it for him one day, too.

[tmnt-veelicious]

Across the Stars - Ch.14

Hoooooolyyy fuuuuuuuuckinngg shiiiiiiIIIIIIiiiiiiTTTTtttt

I am so sorry for the long wait. This chapter actually went through a lot of changes, especially for the ending. At first it was supposed to feature April and Casey, but decided at the last second to change it for Mikasa. And it’s so much better. It also took me a while to get past one scene, unsure about how I would end it and make things follow suit. ANYWAY. NOW IT’S DONE, I can finally move on x’D Thank you for sticking up with my slow writer’s ass HAHA <3

First Chapter --> HERE Previous Chapter --> HERE Next Chapter --> HERE

Perfection. Precision. Steady breath. Strike. Vee never thought martial arts training could be so stress relieving. Sure, she had her clumsy moments, almost falling or slapping herself by accident, but she had potential – as Master Splinter would often say. At first it had been simple trainings about postures and balance, but now she was starting to use weapons... at least non-lethal ones! Her first weapon was a bo staff, which highly amused her. Splinter told her that it would help her coordination, but also provide her a certain knowledge of Donatello's weapon, if the need was ever to use it. Tonight seemed like an usual training session; Vee starting to stretch and prepare herself in the dojo, until the rat made an announcement: ''I hope you won't mind if I've asked for some help for today's training.'' Vee's brows were lightly furrowed. ''Who-?'' Her question was instantly stopped as she noticed Mikasa enter the dojo. She was already dressed for training, her hair up in a high ponytail and a soft smile on her lips as Vee would only show a surprised look – her eyes wide. ''I wanted some human input on your training, as I am mostly used to teaching mutants,'' continued Splinter. ''And since Mikasa is already a teacher herself, I couldn't have asked for a better choice.'' ''Don't worry, I won't go too hard on you,'' started Mikasa, putting down a duffel bag she had been holding. ''I first want to test what you've learned and then I'll adjust in consequences.'' She grabbed a staff, throwing it to Vee, the artist grasping it just in time with a small ''oof''. ''Show me your holding position,'' she added next. Vee snorted a small laugh, getting in place. Splinter was seated on the side, patiently watching as he was curious to see how things would unfold. As the other woman was circling around her, the artist smirked. ''Well … hi! Getting down to business pretty fast, I see,'' she commented. Mikasa stopped for a split second, a short sigh escaping her as she gently moved Vee's arm to a better position. ''Sorry, I completely forgot to say hi,'' said the teacher. ''I'm currently in my 'work' mindset and usually it's straight to the point. Please don't take it wrong.'' ''Not at all, I'm not much into small talk anyway!'' ''Good. As soon as Leo told me master Splinter wanted my input, I could only accept. I've been meaning to spend some time with you and ask you questions anyway.'' ''Oh? What questions?'' ''That's for later,'' Mikasa gently tapped the other's shoulder in an appreciative gesture. ''All good! You seem at ease with that weapon.'' ''It's like holding a broom, but fancier,'' joked Vee. She did not miss the smile on the other's face, but soon enough the teacher was back to a serious tone. Mikasa stood a little apart, though facing Vee. ''Show me your overhead front strike.'' Easy enough. A simple strike of bringing the staff over your head and rapidly bringing it forward while keeping a rather straight composure. Vee had no difficulty with those. ''Overhead rib strike, both sides.'' Ah shoot, spoke too soon. That one was a bit trickier for a beginner, Vee getting into a slight horse riding stance. She had to bring the staff horizontally overhead, then spin it to one side so it would stop at her ribs, right under her armpit. It was good for one side, but then doing the motion to bring it to the other side often was confusing, the whole 'spinning the staff' shenanigan a real coordination feat. ''Front thrust.'' Vee's feet instantly got in position, holding the staff horizontally before her and close, then stretching her whole self to one side, jabbing the staff in a final motion. ''Good, now combine the three.'' Vee blanked for two seconds, rapidly coming up with the most logical combination. She first started with the rib strikes, transitioning to the overhead strike and concluding with the front thrust. Her movements were surprisingly precise, her breathing accompanying her strikes. She smiled shyly as she regained a neutral stance, looking up to Mikasa, awaiting her comments. The teacher smiled in return, moving forward. ''You're still a beginner, but there's some good points here and there. Good positions, you seem well grounded on your feet. Hands coordination could use a little more work, but that was predictable.'' ''Glad to hear I'm not too much of a lost cause,'' ligthly laughed Vee, still regaining her breath. Mikasa grabbed a staff, coming near Vee. ''Oh believe me, there's never any lost causes. Perfection come in due time.'' She swiftly combined some strikes until stopping her weapon near Vee's neck, smirking. ''Now let's dance!'' *** ''You and that tall one, Donatello.... You guys are a couple, right?'' As the training was now over, both women were finally alone in the dojo, doing post-workout stretches. That question seemed to come out of nowhere, but the artist knew the other must have been curious for a while. ''Indeed,'' answered Vee with a smile. ''Since January, but we knew eachothers months before then.'' Mikasa seemed to hesitate with her next words: ''What brought you two together, if it's okay to ask?'' Vee shrugged, somehow amused: ''It all came naturally. I mean, I feel good by his side, so does he. We share many interests and the attraction was there. It's just like any normal relationship.'' ''But he's so different, they all are...'' Both were now seated down on the floor, facing one another. Even in this position Mikasa was standing taller than Vee, her straight, serious position funnily contrasting with her confused, yet eager eyes. ''Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,'' added in the artist. ''I don't see his shape or difference as an obstacle, but rather as a strength – a unique thing. I love Donatello the way he is, who he is. Isn't that good enough?'' Mikasa showed a small smile: ''It's more than enough. I guess I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of this. Ever since I've met Leonardo, a lot of thoughts have crossed my mind...'' ''How are things between you and him, if you don't mind me asking?'' The other sighed, somehow shy all of a sudden. ''Strange? I don't know, it's hard to explain... There's something about him, a certain aura surrounding him. It's powerful, it's magnetic...'' ''Do you think he likes you?'' Vee asked, showing a smirk. A blush suddenly showed up on Mikasa's face, her hands fumbling together. ''Maybe.... I won't deny that things got close at some moments, especially when we were training together. A part of me really wants something to happen, but the other part is just so scared.'' ''Don't overthink it,'' added Vee in a sweet tone. ''Trust me, it will just complicate things. … The best thing to do is simply to let things go and see where it leads. If something is meant to happen, it will. I've been in this exact same position.'' The artist couldn't help feeling amused about this whole situation, suddenly knowing how April must have felt when she would herself express her incertitude regarding Donatello. There was no denying that any type of relationship with those mutants would certainly lead to something out of the ordinary, but it was best not to forget that they were also living, breathing, intelligent beings with emotions and all. Vee could see all that and she knew she wouldn't be the only one... Mikasa was the first one to get up, followed by the other. She still had that slight blush on her face, her smile never fading. ''I guess time will tell,'' she started. ''So far I appreciate this friendship I have with him and I do hope I'll be able to say the same about you and I.'' Vee was surprised for a couple of seconds, though easily returning the smile. ''Of course! I'd be glad to call you a friend as well.'' Both women were now making their way out of the dojo. As soon as they got past the door, they froze as they saw Leo make his way to the room. The turtle also stopped, his gaze already stuck on Mikasa and a small smile appearing. ''Hey,'' he greeted sweetly. The teacher seemed to blush even more, which highly amused Vee. She gently nudged the other, smirking: ''I've gotta go. Now you two be nice, alright?'' Mikasa tried to hush the other, although she was giggling a little. Vee took that as her cue to quickly salute the two of them, next moving away. She prefered to give them as much time and space together, knowing something would probably bloom out of it at some point. *** As she made her way towards Donatello's workspace and lab after the training, she couldn't help her smirk. It was his attention to little details that always made things so interesting about his environment. A lighted up 'On Air' sign that was always on whenever he was working in the lab part. The radio playing some 80's rock music in the background, this time being You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC – never too loud to be overwhelming. Sometimes Vee couldn't help being amused at how sucked up in his work Donnie could be, hardly noticing her presence. She admitted being the same at times, getting surprised by others on many occasions. The turtle was hunched over his microscope, observing something through the lense. Vee took this chance to walk up behind him, seeing that he wasn't wearing all his technical gear, and simply started to tap some light rhythms on his shell. Unlike her, he never jumped or got scared. He would only redress himself, already on the lookout for who was behind. ''Did you know that turtle shells can be used as a percussive instrument?'' asked Vee, signaling her presence. Donnie was smiling, turning to face the woman. ''That would certainly imply that it'd be ripped from me and emptied, so I will kindly ask that you do not do that to me, please.'' ''Aww, man, I can't start my tribal music band!'' joked the woman. ''I'd be insanely popular with such a huge shell.'' ''Sorry to be a one package deal. That shell will stay a part of me, whether you like it or not!'' ''Oh I like it very much, alright,'' she added, next bringing out a hair tie as she proceeded to lift her hair up in a bun. She watched the mutant move around, getting to a small box and finally taking out the woman's cellphone. He handed it to her, the screen as good as new. ''It wasn't too much trouble I hope?'' asked Vee as she was finishing her task. ''Meh, I had several screen replacements in my stuff so all I had to do was to look through them and find the right size.'' Vee finally took back the phone, patiently looking at the screen. ''I've also upgraded the firewalls 'cause, you know, wouldn't want people to find about me and my bros,'' he added. ''Also it's for preventive protection.'' ''Preventive?'' asked the woman, arching an eyebrow. ''Well, with the Foot clan back in action and all the other enemies we have, I wouldn't want you to get into trouble...'' ''Ain't that thoughtful,'' smiled Vee. ''The Foot clan won't be able to read my text messages or see that I previously searched for images of kittens. How sad!'' Donnie puffed a small laugh, leaning against the nearby table, arms crossed. ''Better be prepared for anything. That simple thing may sound ridiculous to you, but you'd be surprised to witness as to what extent evildoers like them can go to.'' ''Don't worry, I trust you,'' added the other as she got nearer to the mutant, her hands and fingers tenderly trailing his arms. ''I actually feel a lot better knowing we're prepared. My trainings plus everything you do for me.... I really appreciate it.'' How could he resist her sweetness? His hands moved so they could rest at her hips, keeping her close. ''Everything for you, my dear. You're so important to me, anyway.'' A blush appeared on Vee's traits, her smile ever so soft now. ''How's your training going?'' asked the turtle next. ''I heard you've been trying some weapons now for a couple of sessions.'' ''Yes! In fact my first one is the bo staff.'' Donnie's eyes widened a bit: ''Oh really? I won't say I'm surprised, but I still am nonetheless.'' ''Your father wants me to be able to use yours in case of need, also he's making sure that I won't cut myself by using a blade. I have a bad tendency to slap my body with certain moves.'' She gestured her sides and her outer thighs. ''I have some bruises to remind me of that.'' ''Want me to kiss them better?'' asked the other with an amused grin. ''Absolutely!'' smirked the artist. ''But first, I have something for you.'' She moved out of his hold, getting to a bag she had left earlier near his computer desk. She grabbed something, her smile forever present as she got back to the mutant, hiding something in her hands until the very last moment. It was two keychains, matching ones. ''I bought this some days ago, but completely forgot to give you one,'' she explained. ''It's cheesy, but I like it!'' They were referencing Star Wars as one of the keychains had the words ''I love you'' engraved in it, while the other had ''I know''. Donnie couldn't help a small laugh, his smile ever so sweet. ''Dammit, why are you so cute?'' ''Because you are as well,'' answered Vee with a renewed smirk. ''So, which one do you want?'' ''I'm gonna be a smartass and take the 'I know' one. My bros will never know what it really means and it will assert my brain dominance over them.'' ''Oof, badass Donnie. I like that,'' joked Vee in a teasing way. But the fun stopped right in its tracks as an alarm started to sound off from one of Donnie's computers. The couple frowned, already going towards the screens. A map of the city was now showing, something blinking near the docks of Pier 57, one that was presumably empty of activity as it was mostly occupied by construction and the renovation of an old building. ''What the fuck are they up to now?'' mumbled the terrapin, already tapping on his keyboard to get better coordinates. ''Woh, language,'' commented Vee, amused. She did not miss the smile on his face as he continued tapping. Vee watched as the map was zooming in, but ultimately gave a warning message: 'CAMERAS OFFLINE'. ''What?!'' That remark of his made Vee slightly jump. ''What's happening? What's wrong?'' she inquired. ''The docks' surveillance cameras are offline. It just can't be, they never are!'' ''Well, maybe there's a power outage? Anything!'' Donatello stopped, pensive as he frowned while still looking at his screens. ''… Even then, they would still be on thanks to an emergency power system. Those cameras belong to the city, they cannot afford to lose any footage.'' The woman tried to grab his attention, leaving a hand softly against his arm, trying to get a hold of his gaze: ''You think it's the Foot clan acting up again?'' His sigh told everything, knowing too well it was them. The mutant's hand got over hers, this simple touch helping him calm down, half of a soft smile showing on his lips as he looked down to her. ''Most probably. They'd be ingenious enough to do something like that. … I guess it means my brothers and I have to pay them a little visit!'' ''Be careful, okay?'' That instantly surprised Donnie, somehow touched by her concern. ''I'm always careful!'' he answered, amused. ''I know! …  Just accept my concerns! I know I sound cheesy as hell, but I love you. … A lot.'' Gosh, why was she so perfect? For a split second he forgot about everything – his screens a distant memory. Instead he was now gently cupping her face, giving her a sweet kiss. The way she would enrapture his heart, render him oblivious to the whole world, he could only define her as a siren, a sorceress, a vanquisher of souls! Vee could only giggle softly when they broke the kiss, pointing to the screens. ''Don't forget! The docks? The Foot? Do I need to imitate your alarm to remind you?'' ''Uh..., yes, yes, of course! I need to go.'' He did steal one last kiss before adding: ''Wish I wouldn't have to, though.'' ''Just go!'' laughed the woman once more. *** Seeing that Mikasa was also leaving for the night, Vee did not miss the chance to ask if she could accompany her, the teacher's presence a refreshing sight and addition to her life. The other did not mind at all, even happy that the artist would propose such thing. Bidding farewell to master Splinter, both women then went through the sewers, Mikasa stating that they would need to exit at a certain spot in order to get to her ride. ''A ride?'' questionned Vee. ''A motorcycle, to be exact,'' pointed the teacher. ''Now that winter is out, I can finally ride back on the street. I've been waiting all season to get it out, now I won't hold back!'' Vee could only smile, knowing she wasn't that surprised by that side of Mikasa's life. The tall woman's everyday wear seem to consist of mostly black leather jackets, either skinny jeans or leggings, tank tops or t-shirts. She looked like a woman of action, never wearing extravageant clothing in order to get ready for any eventualities. A motorcycle could only complement her lifestyle. Pushing against a manhole cover with her duffel bag, Mikasa opened the way to an alley, next helping Vee get out and give her a view on the vehicule. The body was slick, built for speed and precision. The main color was of a pure black, but accentuated with gold trims here and there and right above the front wheel. Vee was instantly amused when she noticed the word 'Ninja' written near the handles. ''That's a Kawasaki Ninja 400, pearl solar yellow colored,'' started Mikasa, now next to it and patting the vehicule proudly. ''A six-speed transmission equipped with an assist-and-slipper clutch that helps to keep you in line; this baby never failed me so far.'' ''I have no knowledge of motorcycles, so what you just said sounded very impressive anyway,'' laughed Vee. ''Want a ride home?'' Vee couldn't hide her grin: ''Oh hell yes!'' A helmet got tossed into her hands, Mikasa then already taking place on the driver's seat. ''What about you? No helmet?'' said the artist as she put hers on. ''You're wearing mine,'' simply answered the other. ''And, anyway, I consider myself a good driver. It's not because I'm not wearing my helmet one time that it'll mean an instant catastrophe.'' ''Well that's reassuring,'' added Vee, somehow amused. Passengers and bags duly placed, Mikasa next turned on the motorcycle, revving up the engine just for the thrill of it. She looked over to Vee, showing a smirk. ''Scared?'' ''Ha!'' laughed the other. ''More driving and less talking.'' That answer was good enough for the black haired woman to finally get on the move, Vee instantly hooking her arms around the other out of reflex. Exiting the alleyway and rushing to the street, the vehicule's roaring motor was good enough to rise a feeling of thrill in Vee. She couldn't contain her excitement as she laughed once more and cheered. She had always craved those type of adrenaline rushes, heights and speed being some of her greatest enjoyments in life. Going through New York's streets seemed so much easier on a motorcycle than with a car! Mikasa was at complete ease when going through the traffic, moving effortlessly and in fluid lines. Both women did not notice yet the black van that had started to follow, getting nearer at each traffic lights. At some point Vee could feel a constant pressure at the back of her head, that familiar sensation when you knew someone was watching.... She dared look slightly behind when they were stopped at a red light, noticing the other vehicule and how the windows were tinted, offering no clear sign of who was inside. ''I have a bad feeling,'' started the artist loud enough for the other to hear. She could see Mikasa's hands gripping the handles a little tighter. ''Yeah, me too.... That van has been following us for some time now.'' ''Who do you think they are?'' ''I've seen it before around some of chinatown's bad spots. It must belong to the Purple Dragons.'' Vee gulped, her body suddenly tensing up. She knew this was bound to happen. Not even Leo's plan could have stopped that, she was well aware. The light was about to change color when Mikasa said: ''Hold on tight, I'll try to lose them.'' ''You sure about that?!'' ''Trust me.'' The artist had no time to reply that the light shifted to green and the other roared her motorcycle to life and in an instant race. How she would sway inbetween the cars had Vee scared in an instant, but she could only feel relief at the same time as she glanced over her shoulder and noticed that the van was way behind. Mikasa was not slowing down, knowing the farther she'd be, the better. And that's when they thought they were distanced enough, three motorcycles jumped in, already chasing down the two women. ''Shit!'' spat Mikasa as she noticed a red light ahead and heavy traffic. Vee's blood boiled with adrenaline when she felt the other speed up. She could feel her embrace tightening around the driver as Mikasa's quick reflexes had her moving towards parked cars on the sideway and making her motorcycle climb upon the vehicules in order to boost her up in a high jump. She thought it'd be good enough to discourage her trackers, but she only growled when she noticed the others being as skillful drivers as her. ''Where are the turtles?'' she said loudly so Vee could hear her. ''Pier 57!'' ''Fuck, that's too far!'' She took a sharp turn to an alley, knowing exactly where she had to head next. The tight space amplified the motor's sound, dizzing Vee even more. Everything felt like a strange dream – or rather a nightmare – her heart loudly thumping in her ears and throat. ''Where are we going?'' was able to ask the artist. ''Getting help,'' simply answered the other, expertedly maneuvering her ride across streets and alleys. Vee could still see their followers behind, her mind trying to piece how they were able to find her. She was no one! She had kept her head low and was careful not to dwelve into risky places. But then it hit her; what about Mikasa? Was the teacher involved in something more? Was she the Purple Dragons' next target? Vee's thoughts shifted once she noticed their new environement: neon lights, cluttered alleys and almost no living souls in sight. Various signs were written in kanjis and other asian scriptures, Vee wondering for a moment if they were in some secret part of chinatown. Mikasa moved her motorcycle on a ramp, making the vehicule jump over a fence, but this time she miscalculated her trajectory as a wheel bumped against a trash bin and got the two women flying off directly to the ground. Vee was glad for wearing a helmet, her biggest injury being large scrapes on her palms and wrists. Her whole self was on high alert, promptly removing the helmet for a better vision, looking around only to spot Mikasa flat on the floor. The artist could hardly get on her feet, rather fumbling pathetically towards the woman. ''Mikasa!'' she called out. The teacher groaned, slightly shaking her head as she began to lift her upper body. A large scrape could be seen on the upper right side of her forehead, blood soon starting to drip. Vee knew they had to move, the echo of the other riders coming their way. She noticed Mikasa's ride layed to its side, probably scratched, thanks to the pavement. ''Mikasa, come on, we have to go,'' pressed Vee, although she knew the other might have troubles coming back to reason. Too late. The three gang members were already near their position, Vee already up on her feet as she wanted to get ready for any eventualities, placing herself before Mikasa. She couldn't see the others' faces as they were all wearing helmets, but she could easily see by their statures that they were way stronger than her. Her eyes glanced to the sides, rapidly exploring her possibilities. That's when she spotted a metal pole nearby, instantly grabbing it and readying herself, her stance slightly shaking. She knew she had no chances against them, but it was all she could do! As one of the strangers was about to give a hit, Vee was surprised by a hand grabbing the other's wrist, suddenly twisting his arm and forcing him down to the ground. Mikasa was now up and ready, a frown never leaving her features. ''The door with a golden cat sign, go knock it,'' said the teacher, standing in a defense position, facing her enemies. ''But-'' ''Go!'' Vee jumped, prefering to move. She rushed through the alley, franctically looking at the doors as battle sounds followed her. She finally spotted a neon sign of a golden cat, one paw going up and down at intervals. Without delay she started to bang against the door, sometimes her eyes diverting back to the fight scene many feet away. The door suddenly cracked open, an asian man wearing an apron looking at the woman fiercely, a chopping knife in hand. Vee was panicking, blabblering as she pointed towards the alley: ''Mikasa! She sent me here! She-'' She couldn't continue that the man's eyes widened a bit, stepping outside as he instantly looked towards the raucus. It took no time for him to shout something in Japanese back inside, finally rushing back with two other men, all of them hurrying to Mikasa. Vee wasn't moving, her eyes glued to the scene. Everything seemed to go both in slow motion and so rapidly at the same time. Mikasa and her helpers were moving like blurs, their movements fast and precise. The Purple Dragon men were soon enough on the ground, groaning in pain from their ass being kicked. Their wrists got tied behind their backs, as well as their ankles. Mikasa was already taking her phone out as she got to Vee, inviting her inside the open door by sliding an arm around her shoulders and keeping her close. The artist spotted the numbers 9-1-1 dialed on the screen, a sort of relief washing over her. She only started to calm down once she was seated at a table near a busy kitchen, a damp cloth given to her and her foggy thoughts mindlessly tasking the woman to clean her wounds. … What the hell just happened.

*** No visual in advance meant extra caution had to be put in place. It could've been hard to think that those tall turtles could ever be silent and stealthy, but that was forgetting their training as ninjas. The shadows forever felt like a second home; a place of security and certain protection. A broken window on the highest level of the abandonned building was the group's welcoming entrance, jumping in to a room dirtied by time and dust. A single nod and hand gestures from Leo was good enough for the brothers to part ways and explore the place for any traces of a soul. Silent footsteps had them all across the building, ultimately meeting to a large opened central room, patrolling the highest grounds that gave view to a spacious opening way down below. Windows at the ceiling were letting the nightlife's and moon's glow shine into the building. Nothing. The place was empty, silent, devoid of any life forms. Did Donatello's alarms betray him? The tall mutant did not hesitate to pull down his googles over his eyes so he could scan the place and detect any heat signature, other than his and his brothers'. He frowned as his technology proved him once more that no one was around. Jumping down to the lowest level and landing in the middle of the large room, creating a cloud of dust up in the air, he stood tall, still scanning around. Using his Bo staff, he tapped the cement ground in various directions, noticing how the echo was never disturbed by any unknown presence.

He was soon joined by Raphael, the red clad mutant frowning as well. ''I don't like this,'' he mumbled. Donnie brought up a holo screen, tapping on some commands only to stumble once more on the fact that he couldn't connect to the security cameras around the pier. ''I don't understand,'' started Donnie. ''Why all this setup? Why is there no one around? Why all those efforts to sabotage the cameras when there's nothing happening?...'' The purple clad turtle's thoughts were stopped when he heard the walkie-talkie on his right shoulder strap crack to life, Mikey's voice echoing through it: ''Guys, I think I found something. … Like, several remotes or I dunno.'' ''Coming your way,'' answered Donatello, already on the move with Raphael following. As they got to Michelangelo's position, they also met with Leonardo, the leader as curious as them. They found their brother with several devices in his arms, all with antennas and little lights pulsing here and there. ''They were scattered pretty much all around the building. I don't think I got them all,'' he said. Donnie took one of the devices, only needing a couple of seconds to observe it and know what it was. ''Camera jammers,'' he groaned. ''Of course. By placing enough of them around, they were able to block and disrupt the cameras' signal.'' ''Why though?'' questionned Leo. ''There's no one around and nothing seems good enough to steal or smuggle...'' ''A diversion, maybe?'' added in the orange clad mutant. Shit. That was a logical reasoning. Donnie's mind instantly thought of Vee, a feeling telling him something must have happened to her. Retreating a bit himself from the three others, he proceeded to call the woman, putting her on speaker. Please be ok, please be ok, please be- ''Yes?'' Good gosh, her voice was an instant relief, though the turtle still kept his concerns. ''Vee, where are you?'' ''Huh, funny you're asking... Wait, what is it called again? - Hey, Mikasa, what's the name again? … Oh, ok. - The Maneki Neko. It's some Japanese restaurant in chinatown.'' ''… Wh- what are you doing there?'' Donnie noticed the leader now next to him, having heard Mikasa's name being mentionned. Vee's laughter at the end of the line was shaky, as if trying to shake some feelings away. ''Right now? I'm just trying to calm the fuck down. We both got tracked by Purple Dragons after we got out of the sewers and they tried to kick our butts-'' ''What?!'' cut Donnie. His body tensed up. He could only curse himself for not thinking ahead... ''Don't worry, we're okay! Got some bruises after the motorcycle accident but that's no big deal.'' ''No big deal? For fuck's sake, Vee, you just got chased down by Purple Dragons while we were mislead to some dead end. There's nothing here, no one! This was a set up!'' ''… I don't know what to say, Donnie. Maybe it was indeed a set up. I have no idea. … I'm still a bit confused and shaken right now.'' The mutant sighed, trying to calm down. ''I know where the Maneki Neko is,'' added in Leonardo. ''Maybe we could swing by just to make sure they're okay...'' Donnie could notice the slight concern on the other's face, knowing his thoughts might only be on Mikasa right now. ''… Stay where you are, Vee, we'll be right there,'' announced the tall mutant calmly. ''Wouldn't want to leave without you, anyway.'' *** Vee's mind was blanking ever since she ended the call, her eyes stuck on the various good luck cats scattered around the place, their little left paws swinging back and forth. The pain at her palms and wrists didn't seem to bother her much, mostly preoccupied by Mikasa's wound on her forehead. The cloth she was holding was now showing large red spots of blood, hoping to stop the bleeding at some point. As Vee's eyes were locked on the other, both women's gaze finally met up after a while, scanning their overall status. … And then they laughed quietly. All the tension and adrenaline washing away, they could finally wind down and realize that this was now all over. They were safe. ''I'm sorry,'' began Mikasa. ''For what?'' asked the artist, slightly confused, although still showing a small, friendly smile. ''All this shit that just happened. … If I hadn't bring you along, you'd be safe and sound.'' She lowered the cloth, her eyebrows slightly furrowing. ''… I know the Purple Dragons are after me.'' ''And why is that so? I thought they were also after me ever since April and I surprised them with the Foot clan one night.'' ''It's a bit complicated-'' She could not finish her sentence that the back door that led to the alleyway was knocked upon from outside. A voice rose, speaking in Japanese: ''Sore wa kamedesu. Doa o akeru.'' (It's the turtle. Open the door.) Vee recognized Leonardo's voice. Damn these guys were fast. The Japanese man that Vee first met earlier was the one to go back to the door. The artist shot a panic glare at Mikasa. ''He'll see him!'' she said through gritted teeth. The teacher was only smiling: ''Oh don't worry, the people here all know about Leo. This place is like some sort of a little hideout for him and I.'' The door opened and the blue clad leader was greeted with a respectful ''Leonardo-san''. Vee did not miss the man's surprised, if not amazed, look when the rest of the group got in. The place being already small, the artist could truly observe how giant the turtles were; especially how Donnie's head could almost reach the ceiling and how Raph's mass seemed like a litteral elephant in the room.

Once the purple clad mutant's eyes fell on Vee, he instantly got to her, kneeling down to her height in order to observe her every features. ''Please tell me they didn't touch you,'' he mumbled mostly for himself as his hands cautiously moved her head around, trying to spot any bruises. ''I'm alright, Don,'' tried to reassure Vee. He finally got to her arms, seeing the large scrapes at her palms and wrists. ''How'd you got that?!'' ''The motorcycle accident. Remember I mentionned that? … But Mikasa has it worse, in my opinion.'' Donnie's gaze snapped to the other woman, noticing her forehead. Leonardo had already noticed Mikasa's state, his frown forever present. ''What did you do this time?'' he asked Vee with a stern voice. The artist was slightly taken aback by the leader's tone: ''What do you mean? I did nothing! I kept following your plan and this happened.'' ''There must be a reason why the Purple Dragons found you!'' ''I did nothing!'' repeated Vee. Donnie was already up at that point, staring down his brother as a warning. But that did not shake away Leo's frustration. ''Then all of this is nothing?'' he spat. ''You're both hurt, Vee. The Purple Dragons knew where you were and they clearly mislead us in order to get to you. How is that nothing?!'' ''Yamero!'' All eyes were now on Mikasa, the woman up and frowning at the blue clad leader. Everything was silent and still for some seconds, the only noticeable motion being the many lucky cats statues waving their little paws. ''If you have to put the blame on someone for this, put it on me,'' added the teacher in a firm tone. ''Vee has nothing to do with this. I know you trust her and now you do this? ... I was the one the Purple Dragons were looking for. I caused this because I did not take enough precautions.'' ''Mikasa, wh-'' ''No, let me speak.'' she cut. ''I was foolish enough to think I could do this alone, but clearly it's not the case. … I was investigating on the Purple Dragons ever since we met and you told me about them. They're already an infamous gang around here, I thought my knowledge could serve you. I must have dug a little too deep and they found out about me.'' ''Then why didn't you say anything?'' asked Leonardo. ''I didn't want you to worry and I didn't want you to interfere. … You let your emotions dictate you when in panic and that is not a good thing. You would have compromised things even more.'' ''Ha! I like this girl,'' commented Raph, unable to keep it for himself. Leo tried to disregard everything, slowly breathing in, calming his thoughts. ''… Fair enough. What did you find?'' ''Vee and April were right; the Purple Dragons and the Foot clan are now working together. Ever since Karai got out of prison, she's acting as their surrogate leader, planning heists on important amounts of tech and weapons. I've also heard talks about testing you four.'' ''Testing? In what manner?'' questionned Donatello. ''I'm not sure. I couldn't get enough information on that, but so far it seems like they want to know how you guys work, what are your tactics...'' ''That's probably why they were so easy to find and to battle sometimes,'' added in Mikey. ''They were foolin' us all along and we were dumb enough to fall into this,'' grunted Raphael. The leader was silent, clearly deep in thoughts. ''Leo... you guys have to lay low for a while,'' continued Mikasa. ''There's something wrong about all of this and you have to confuse them. Going at them will only make things worse.'' ''We're ninjas, don't underestimate us,'' spat back Leo. The teacher moved closer to him, gently leaving her hands on his arms, catching his gaze in hers. ''I don't. But you need to think this through.'' The blue clad mutant sighed, his traits softening as he glanced once more at the woman's bruise. … She was right. He couldn't stop himself from gently cupping Mikasa's face, both closing their eyes as the turtle gently nuzzled the top of her head. He kept repeating soft ''I'm sorry'' to her, forever feeling stupid for what both women must have been through. He didn't want to aggravate things, prefering to call it a night and exit the place, knowing he and his brothers were just cluttering it by their sole presence. As the group was now outside in the alley, Leo did not miss the chance to bring Vee aside, a slight look of worry on his face. ''… I shouldn't have spoke to you like that,'' he began. ''Mikasa is right, I tend to let my emotions overcome me when in panic and I shouldn't unleash it like that...'' ''I know it's not easy,'' said Vee. ''But I was able to forgive you the first time. Now it's a bit harder. … You obviously don't trust me enough.'' ''I do trust you!'' his shoulders seemed to fall, feeling weak. ''… Look, I'm still trying to wrap my head around a lot of things right now. But what I do know for sure is that you are now family; and sometimes arguments do happen. That does not mean that I value you any less. … Is there anything I could do to redeem myself?'' Vee showed half of a smile: ''Listen to Mikasa more often. She might actually be a good influence on you at some point. Then that might make things better.'' He agreed to her point, offering a smile in return. He then left a hand on her shoulder, his smile now soft and sincere. ''I'm glad you're okay, both of you.'' ''Likewise. I just hope all this bullshit could stop at some point.'' ''You're reading my mind,'' lightly laughed the leader. Their line of thought was interrupted once they heard Raphael and Michelangelo's voices praising Mikasa's motorcyle – even though it was now scratched on one side, thanks to the pavement. As Leo was back at the black haired woman's side, Donnie was now next to Vee's, observing her palms once more, softly massaging her hands. ''You need to get these healed or else it'll leave some nasty marks on your skin...'' One of his hands did move to her cheek, diverting her gaze to his. ''… How are you feeling right now?'' ''I'm alright, Donnie. Even more since you're here. Don't worry,'' softly answered the artist with a smile. ''I was so scared when I realized they tricked us,'' he confessed. ''I can't imagine what would happen if-'' ''It's over, Don,'' reassured Vee. ''Don't start thinking about that. I'm here...'' A relieved sigh escaped him, bringing the other nearer so he could tenderly place a kiss on top of her head. He didn't want to release her, her sweet scent good enough to calm him. ''Can I stay with you tonight?'' he asked only for her to hear. ''Please do,'' answered Vee. ''I was about to ask the same anyway!'' She needed to feel safe, she needed to hold on to someone throughout the night. She knew she would hardly sleep tonight, the endless possibilities playing in her mind... But right now Donatello was here and she knew nothing and no one would ever harm her in any way. That she knew was the absolute truth.

[shorthaircutsmodels]

Leighton Meester's Short Hairstyles and Haircuts - 15+ - https://shorthaircutsmodels.com/leighton-meesters-short-hairstyles-and-haircuts/ - Leighton Meester's Short Hairstyles and Haircuts, The whole process took six hours. Anyone who bleaches their hair knows how harmful it can be. Meester avoids this by using the new black rice-infused Nexxus. Keraphix mask and reconfiguring the Protein treatment. My hair is incredibly bright and soft considering how it's processed. And it's a real testament to the treatments I've done to change the keratin protein. Leighton Meester's Short Hairstyles and Haircuts Leighton Meester's Short Hairstyles and Haircuts, In my hair, she said ELLE.com when we caught him after the salon date. In honor of her new look we Meester decided to walk us through her archive of hair where. We can only imagine what Serena van der Woodsen would do when she saw this photo of Blair Waldorf. like a blonde. Leighton Meester's Short Hairstyles Leighton Meester's Short Hairstyles and Haircuts, The Gossip Girl star not only styled her mid-length brunette tresses into a long bob, but also dyed we are platinum blonde again platinum. Let it sink. following his transformation, Meester admitted that change was something he had always wanted to do. Headbands hold Gossip Girl fans as Leighton Meester made a major hair change more befitting Serena van der Woodsen. Leighton Meester's Short Haircuts Leighton Meester's Short Hairstyles and Haircuts, Tuesday's instagram Instagram actress shared a photo of her transformation on Instagram revealing she shed her long burgundy-coloured locks for her wavy platinum lob. Having a blonde moment thank you to my hair rescuers and Keraphix wrote in the protein treatment selfie. Leighton Meester's Hairstyles Well, guess what. he gave his followers a hint about the change after posting a photo of a bowl of purple and yellow paint with the caption. Leighton Meester at the premiere of his country Movie, The Mighty leighton, at the Beverly Hills Theater of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on 2020 - 2021 in Los Angeles, grows and matures as the years go by. She looks so elegant and stylish when she rocks this messy updo hairdo. Leighton Meester's Haircuts Casually draped strands of hair make her look the same sweet as before. From Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester dos up the glamorous red carpet for cute braids and ponytails, as Blair Waldorf and in real life also runs a million hairstyles as her character. Here are our favourite Leighton Meester hairstyles. Wow. Leighton Meester looks stunning with his new super chic blunt cut swept straight through with volume at bob roots. Leighton Meester's Short Hair This bright red lip is also the perfect picture. Does this Leighton's hair pay homage to Princess Leia and other science fiction female characters? At 2020 Star Trek wore Leighton's head hair in a tousled braid and gorgeous natural makeup. Leighton Meester's Hair Gossip Girl's Blair Waldorf may have ditched the headbands just a few seasons ago but the actress has always tried her hair. She became quite the hair adventurer after the show ended and dabbled with different hair colors and styles. Top 27 Leighton Meester Pretty Hairstyles But no one saw this hair shock coming. She is now forever remembered as one of the most iconic brunettes in TV history. 10 years after the show first aired, it's still impossible to think of Meester without imagining him in a headband. 'I had natural hair for a long time,' she said. It's the length that should feel like the opposite of what I want to go to. Best Leighton Meester hair images I Felt by a really sharp margin that something would be exhilarating and fun. I want to try and try different things. So I just wanted to completely change my hair I thought I should go for it. From pre-Gossip Girl twists to Blair Waldorf barrel twists and so far. Leighton Meester Dyes Her Hair Dark Brown The latest news from the Gossip Girl remake and padded headband is currently trending this summer bringing nostalgia for the early 2020. Following is the buzz coming from Leighton Meester on TV in a new series of elite Upper East Coasters, it seems the Queen of the Upper East Side will not be related to Blair Waldorf's role. Leighton Meester Hair Transformation The actress dyed her hair a rich maroon brown color that resembled a Waldorf. Celebrity hair colour expert Justin Anderson shared Meester's new hair on Instagram. And the new color wasn't the only change. Celebrity hairdresser Desiree Leilani Gomez cut out the actress' bob and styled it into loose waves. View yourself with Leighton Meester hairstyles. Leighton Meester's Hair Evolution We also provide easy how to style hair by reporting tips on which facial shape can match hair texture and hair density. I like to be very sensible because I use a lot of products. One of the things people with valuable brands think is less is more, he says, and the envy of his wet body when applied to a golf ball size Wet Hair Volume Mousse in. What is Leighton Meester's natural hair color The Leighton area is then spread throughout the hair using your fingers to make sure the scalp root rub is to ensure maximum removal. He then squeezes the product, using the water as a conduit to help move it through the hair, though the hair is still quite wet. Leighton Meester natural hair color Charles diffuser Leighton says that using hair will be drier but the brush also helps to complete the hair spray with volumetric whole body envy that Charles literally creates units for his hair to create more units when his hair does not naturally contain a little thinner. Leighton Meester hair 2020 - 2021 To her credit with a bevy of brave ensembles and bold beauty meester makes her mark here are our favourites. 26. happy birthday, Leighton. At times Leighton rocked wispy bursts. They look great when they're chocolate brown. Buttoned-up alter ego Blair Waldorf is no slave to the headband, unlike Gossip Girl star leighton Meester. Leighton Meester hair extensions The well-coiffed starlet is known for her long glossy mane volume and the new face of herbal essences which has an almost supernatural level of brilliance. We sat down with the star and her stylist BFF Charles Baker. Strahan to get her tips on how she keeps her hair looking so bushy. Leighton admits he does not often do his own hair and relies on. Leighton Meester natural hair Charles to style his mane. Usually the most thing I do for myself is wash and condition my hair, which is a big deal, Leighton says. Defines the signature view as the next day view. He says he just wants her to be comfortable. Autumn 2020 - 2021 may be a season of side-swept waves and fake bobs but some stars are changing their hair length and colour as. Leighton Meester blonde hair The year ends. Some choose shorter styles, while others go from blonde to brunette and vice versa. Here are 13 new looks wearing 13 stars: which ones get your vote of approval. Leighton Meester began a big head craze as Gossip Girl at Queen B Blair Waldorf on the Upper East Side. Go all the way to find out. Leighton Meester, known for playing stylish schemer Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl, has said goodbye to his most famous role with. Leighton Meester hair colour A stiff haircut. Debuting her new short 'her new flaunting magazine cover said she did so at a party celebrating leighton JustJared.com gososs. I cut the sar hair then sign. Leighton Meester haircut My long wavy hair has picked up a lot of mileage, so it's time for a change. A lot of miles. Naturally blonde Leighton dyed his hair dark brown to play Blair whose dramatic character constantly contrasts with Blake Lively's bubbly blonde Serena. Leighton Meester curly hair The inspired subplots that included rich brunette waves by many headbangers and later comic fascinators over the course of six seasons all show a series of how to own and YouTube tutorials on Blair's hair. Leighton Meester new haircut Funnily enough Penn Badgley did the same: offered adieu a shave off his. Curly pompadour once his character Dan Humphrey filmed Season. Six where the Gossip Girl star wrapped up. and her hair looks much better now. Leighton Meester red hair To create this volume, Charles uses the body Envy collection of herbal extracts. The actress has now undergone a drastic change that shows how far she has come from her days at Constance Billard. Leighton Meester hairstyle Officially Platinum yellow for the first time. Yesterday at New York's Nexxus Salon, she dived in thanks to Aura Friedman, the in-demand colorist who made everyone from lady Gaga to Jennifer Lawrence. Leighton Meester long hair Instagram story Meester uploaded several more photos to his story on Tuesday from the previous day's process. In one his colorist Aura Friedman washes paint from Meester's now bleached locks. Leighton Meester new hair A photo shoot inspired plaid trousers and black turtleneck and intimate poses. Friedman Meester sports what another taken post–date Sky Star. I had the best time pulling @ itsmeleighton from a brunette who said Friedman to a former Hollywood platinum. Leighton Meester brown hair I got to know Leighton Meester through Gossip Girl character Blair Waldorf. I love Blair, that's why I love Leighton. She is very beautiful and lovely and one of her fans. I love everything about him. In this post I will take you to see the top 27 Leighton's beautiful hair. Let's start with the familiar ones. Gossip Girl Blair always seems to wear a cute headband. No matter your hair is straight or wavy, a proper headband will make you very cute. Leighton Meester hair color Do not disturb the front hair. You could say that a paint job changed the course of Leighton Meester's life. The natural blonde colored her hair brown in the process. Of auditioning her Gossip Girl to help the celebrity creators envision her as Blair Waldorf.

[mottlemoth]

‘Hero’

Mollovan (Sally Donovan/Molly Hooper) short story. Part I is here.

Tags: Peril and fluff.

Excuses: This GIF; @avidreader1979 and @green-violin-bow; my continuing need for restorative fluff after yesterday’s toxic angst-binge.

Part II

When Sally awoke, there was a hand holding hers.

At first, it was her only sensation; so much so that, for a while, she was that gentle touch and nothing more. She was a quiet melding of fingers. It was all she needed to be. 

After what felt like millennia, she reached an awareness that the fingers were stroking her palm - and through that quiet rhythm, she rediscovered her own breath and her pulse. She began to inhabit her body once more, moving through it slowly as each part came back to her - her breathing lungs, her beating hard - her head, propped against thick pillows - her ears, listening to the steady beep of a machine nearby. She coughed a little, rediscovering her throat. It felt raw and painful and ruined.

The fingers tightened around her own.

"Oh - ...!" gasped a voice.

Sally's heart thumped hard.

"Are you awake?"

With each blink, more of Sally's vision came back into being - fogged shapes, blurred shadows, hospital lights overhead. Slowly - painfully slowly - the fog formed itself into a person: a gentle face looking down at her, round-eyed and fearful - a mock-layer blue top and a mussy blonde ponytail.

"Can you see me?" Molly Hooper asked, tentatively.

Sally tried a smile. It hurt; everything hurt. 

"I can," she said. The sound ripped itself like velcro from the lining of her throat. She winced, groaning - which only hurt more. "Oh - God - ..."

"Don't," Molly begged. "Don't - don't try to talk. You... took a lot of smoke damage. I mean... the chemicals you inhaled, when you - ..." She squeezed Sally's hand, shaking a little. "Well, your throat will be sore - so - so don't speak. It's okay."

Sally swallowed, staring into her face. But I want to speak.

Molly's eyes shone as she looked down from Sally's bedside. She didn't seem to know whether to smile or cry.

"They said you came back to find me, after I... um, got hit by the door. It just slammed so fast and the alarm made me jump. I... don't remember much after that. Not until I woke up. And they told me what you did, and I... I wanted to be here when you came round."

She looked down at their fingers, suddenly embarrassed to find they were joined atop the sheets.

She let Sally's hand go, gently - curling her hand awkwardly back into her lap. Sally’s chest ached with the loss.

A tiny silence passed.

"You're Greg Lestrade's sergeant," Molly then said, with a faint smile.

Sally smiled, too. It was good just to listen to her - just to look at her. It had been that way for months now. She always loved coming to the labs, just to catch a glimpse of the awkward specialist registrar in her cardigans, who looked like she would sleep in your shirts. She looked like she was soft - like her hair would smell good.

"I've seen you come into the lab before," Molly went on, and Sally's heart jumped a little. "John told me your name's Sally..." Molly blushed, looking down at her knees. "So - thank you for coming back for me, Sally. The fire team don't think they would have found me in time. You saved my life. Um, I got you a card - it's... in with the others, somewhere..."

A sizeable forest of cards had already grown across the the bedside cabinet.

"And Greg's flight gets back from Tenerife in - ..." Molly checked her phone. "... three hours, so... so you'll have lots of people to fuss over you. You deserve it. You're - really brave. I can't believe you did that for me. I - can't believe anyone did that for me."

Sally opened her mouth to speak, her chest twinging; Molly stopped her with a little grin.

"It's okay," she said. "You - don't have to - ... I know it's embarrassing. Um, so - I owe you a drink - a big one - when you're feeling better."

She nervously glanced across at the clock on the wall. It was coming up to eight AM. Sally didn't even know what day it was, or how long she'd been unconscious. 

She just knew it was almost eight AM on one of the best days of her life.

"I have to get off in a minute - I've got my check-up. I had my mask on when the fire started, so I didn't get nearly as much as you, but - … well, better safe than sorry…" She hesitated, with a little laugh that Sally wished she could put in a locket and keep forever. "I guess you don't go in for that, though. Rushing into burning buildings. You're - … God, you're so brave. You carried me all that way. And you don't even know me."

Let me, Sally thought. Let me know the hell out of you.

Molly nervously picked up her bag. She stood from her chair, fiddling a little with the tiny green alien charm that dangled from the strap.

"So... you get lots of rest," she said. "And thank you - and - I'll come visit again, I promise. So I can thank you properly. Greg’s said he'll come straight to see you when his flight lands."

To kill me, Sally thought. Funnily enough, she now felt like she'd die happy.

"Bye..." Molly said to her, tentatively, as she drew away from the bed. "Thank you for... being my hero."

Sally swallowed.

"Bye," she croaked, tearing her throat open anew.

Molly grinned, paused in the door to wave, then quietly left. Her sneakers squeaked along the corridor after her. She was gone.

Sally let her head fall back into the pillows with a flump. She closed her eyes, drawing purified hospital air slowly into the tattered wreckage of her lungs. She let it clean her. She let it start to settle her racing pulse. 

I’ll come visit again, I promise. So I can thank you properly.

Of all the bad decisions she'd ever made, Sally thought... this one might just turn out to have been the best.

[dawnasiler]

Amber Heard, Before and After

Amber Heard has the world's most perfect face.

At least that's what Dr. Julian De Silva, a London-based plastic surgeon, concluded when he analyzed the 33-year-old's features using computer mapping technology.

"The Phi ratio of 1.618 has long been thought to hold the secret for beauty," he says. After measuring Amber and other celebs across 12 key markers for the nose, lips, eyes, forehead, chin and facial symmetry and shape, he found that Amber came closest to the ancient Greek principles for physical perfection.

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"[She] has the most beautiful face in the world, scoring a high 91.85 percent."

Of course, a plastic surgeon more than anyone would know that the so-called "perfect" facial proportions can be achieved by going under the knife. Funnily enough, Dr. De Silva's algorithm scored Kim Kardashian a 91.39 percent, and we all know there's nothing natural about her!

So did Amber also have a little help? Let's find out!

Amber in 2005

Amber Heard at Teen People's 2005 Artist of the Year Party.

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Our first shot is from back in 2005, when Amber was 19 years old. She's got the same dirty blonde hair colour, the same eyes and the same gorgeous skin. What's different compared to now? I think it's mainly to do with her mouth. For starters, we can see that her upper lip was naturally a lot thinner than the lower one.

Amber in 2006

Amber Heard at the 2006 Los Angeles Art Show Opening Night Gala.

In this more front-facing shot from 2006, we get a better look at her original nose. It does seem a little wider and more prominent compared to more recent photos. Also, her smile doesn't have that "Hollywood" look yet, I believe because she has a bit of an overbite. Note the thinner eyebrows, which were on trend back then.

Amber in 2007

Amber Heard at the 2007 Awards Season Diamond Show Fashion Preview.

In 2007, Amber was still au naturel (I think!). I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have recognized her in this shot. Again, the difference is all in the mouth—her overbite is causing her teeth to slightly protrude over her lower lip, and her top lip isn't nearly as full. The makeup is also washing out her complexion. I think the foundation is too matte and powdery, and could use some dimension from bronzer or blush.

Amber Heard at the 2007 premiere of 'The Beautiful Ordinary.'

Amber looks even less like herself in this shot. While her skin was super pale before, now she's got a deep tan and tons of blush. Plus, a very dated eye makeup application (nobody does smoky eyes like this now!). Then there's the hair, which is even lighter, with a '70s-inspired feathered cut. Isn't it crazy how her smile alone makes her look so different? 

Amber in 2008

Amber Heard at the 2008 Hot Hollywood Awards.

In 2008, she cycled through several hair colours. First, it was back to her natural dirty blonde—but styled in these stiff, retro curls. (There was a real old Hollywood moment around this time, do you remember? Scarlett Johansson used to wear this type of look as well!) Amber's teeth are also brighter, although there are more changes to come. As for the "bunny lines" beside her nose, sometimes those can happen from Botox. But she was only 22 at this time... hmmm!

Amber Heard at a D&G boutique opening in 2008.

Who knew that Amber once had black hair? This is totally a Megan Fox aesthetic (she was at her peak popularity at this time!). I think Amber actually pulls the colour off fairly well, even with much lighter eyebrows. It really shows off her striking green eyes. 

Amber in 2009

Amber Heard at the 2009 Sundance premiere of 'The Informers.'

By the following year, the black hair had faded into this deep brown, which Amber paired with a spray tan and spiky false lashes. From this angle, I'm noticing two things. With her mouth slightly open, she still has that slight overbite look (which she doesn't have now). Plus, her nose still has the same tiny bump on the bridge, just like in 2007. 

Amber Heard at Virgin America's 2009 Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale launch party.

By the end of the year, it was back to light hair—but this time, a radical bleached platinum instead of her natural dark blonde. Not only is it too light for her skin tone, but the colour is uneven and looks really fried. She also returned to the retro waves and bright red lipstick. I think this combination makes her look a lot older than her 23 years!

Amber in 2010

Amber Heard at Diesel's Black Gold cocktail reception in 2010.

Then came another dramatic transformation in 2010. To coincide with her first film roles as the female lead (in Drive Angry and The Rum Diary), she got an upgrade to both her hair colour and makeup. This warm blonde is a lot kinder to her skin tone, and the smoky eyes and flushed cheeks are super pretty. I don't think she changed anything further about her features at this time... but stay tuned!

Amber in 2011

Amber Heard at the 2011 Hollywood Film Awards.

The following year, Amber was a blonde again, but this time, it looks a lot more polished. Although I'm still not crazy about the colour, the sleek styling makes her look every bit the celebrity. Another observation: spray tans were a lot more obvious in this era! The same goes for the makeup, which is heavy-handed. As for her teeth, they're whiter and brighter than ever. I think she had veneers, since the sizes and shapes are different versus 2008. 

Amber in 2012

Amber Heard at the 2012 24 Hour Plays on Broadway Gala.

At age 26, Amber had yet another hair colour change, and this one's my favourite of all, a warm medium brown. I can remember loving this at the time, and I feel the same way even now! Orange lipstick was a huge trend that year, and Amber is wearing it with beautiful fresh skin. Her brows have also filled in somewhat, compared to 2006. But there might be something else contributing to this look... a little tweak to her nose. Remember, celebs often change their hair at the same time, to throw us off!

Amber in 2013

Amber Heard at the 2013 Met Gala.

Amber's brunette hair was equally gorgeous in 2013. I actually did a double take with this photo—at first glance, I thought it was Miranda Kerr! You have to admit, she looks very model-esque with the minimal makeup and side-swept, brushed-out waves.

Amber in 2014

Amber Heard at the 2014 Golden Globe Awards.

I think 2014 was the year that Amber really "made it" as star, becoming a regular on the red carpet. The first thing that jumps out in this picture is her upper lip. Does it look fuller because the edge has been overdrawn with lip liner? Or did she have a little something injected? I'm not sure! 

Amber in 2015

Amber Heard at the 2015 premiere of 'The Adderall Diaries.'

Okay, by 2015, I definitely think Amber was dabbling with hyaluronic acid lip injections. See how the bottom side of her upper lip is kinda lumpy? She also has this same expression in 2007, and her upper lip did not have this much fullness. In other news, I think she finally landed on her "Life Colour" with this blonde. She has stayed close to this shade ever since!

Amber in 2016

Amber Heard at the 2016 Glamour Women of the Year Awards.

Does Amber get prettier and prettier or what? She was 30 in this photo, and I'm loving the off-the-face updo and glowy makeup. Red lipstick has started to become her thing now (it also makes lip injections less obvious!). You'll notice that her mouth position seems more relaxed, possibly because her teeth are no longer protruding as much.

Amber in 2017

Amber Heard at the 2017 Art of Elysium Heaven Gala.

Hair and makeup always improve dramatically as people climb the celebrity ladder, and this look is no exception. The tousled beachy hair, brown smoky eyes, shaded brows, contoured cheeks and matte stained lips are all super sophisticated (and were no doubt executed by professionals). Notice how her upper lip now matches the size of her lower one.

Amber in 2018

Amber Heard at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's 2018 Grants Banquet.

With a sleek ponytail and red lipstick, this ensemble was perhaps Amber's most grown-up look to date. See what I mean about the red lipstick camouflaging the plumped-up lip(s)? The makeup is good, although she is wearing a heavier layer of foundation. Her face also seems more angular now, perhaps from age, weight loss or stress. Truthfully, I think she looks a little tired. (Stars! They're just like us!)

Amber in 2019

Amber Heard at the Planned Parenthood of New York City 2019 Spring Gala.

That brings us to Amber's most recent pic—and even with red lipstick, these lips stand out. They're definitely the plumpest she's had to date, and are what got me thinking about this Before & After in the first place! Fortunately, they're balanced by super minimal makeup, an off-the-face hairstyle and her fullest brows yet.

Amber Heard Before and After

Amber Heard in 2007 (left) and in 2019 (right).

Amber Heard in 2006 (left) and in 2015 (right).

Before I started this Before & After, I assumed Amber underwent a few cosmetic tweaks in order to score so high with Dr. De Silva's algorithm. 

Specifically, I was thinking a nose job—just like the majority of celebs we've looked at in this column. Now that I've examined her red carpet photos, I still suspect that procedure. But this is one of the harder cases to tell for sure!

With her face angled to the side, there's not a significant difference in her profile over the years, except for possibly a less projected tip. When she's facing the camera, I can see she might have had some conservative sculpting to narrow her nostrils, and to create a more button-like tip. 

One thing I'm sure about, however—Amber made big changes to her lips and teeth!

There's no denying that she's experimented with lip injections these last few years, to increase the size of her upper lip.

What made the biggest difference was addressing her protruding teeth, probably with something like Invisalign's invisible braces. Now, when she smiles, her teeth no longer overlap her bottom lip. She also has a much whiter, more even smile, likely due to a combination of teeth whitening and porcelain veneers. 

When we think about plastic surgery, we don't usually think about cosmetic dentistry, but Amber's Before & After goes to show you how transformative it can be!

How do you feel about Amber's beauty evolution? Which of these looks is your favourite? What "beauty work" do you think she's had done?

Amber Heard, Before and After syndicated from The Skincare Edit

[ecotone99]

[HM] There Goes My Nipples Again

The woman wearing very little strutted across the parking lot, and the stupid man walked into a closed door.

The door belonged to a charmingly inconvenient boutique located in a rather busy corner of a fictional town I’ve made up just now, the sort of place with people to eat, things to regret, and, I suppose, whatever else one might think to bother with in an otherwise unimportant backdrop. The man, meanwhile, belonged to - and was wanted by - nobody in particular, which, coincidentally, was the reason he was here in the first place.

“Sir?” a voice asked.

The stupid man looked up to find a strikingly acceptable young lady standing there in the doorway, looking at him in that way that seductively whispered, I wonder if he’ll spend any money here. “Women,” he concussed, attempting to remember at least one or two other words, and then forgetting to bother at all.

“Sir,” the young lady replied, “Far be it from me to question any man’s right to drink himself stupid in the middle of the day, but if you’re going to do that sort of thing, I suggest you do so somewhere more appropriate, like a public library or a city council meeting.”

“I was told,” the man eventually spat out, “that I could find a woman here.”

“I suppose you’re technically correct,” she replied. “But I’m not sure why you felt the need to bring my door into this.”

After thinking really hard about it, something dislodged itself and the man started over. “Is this ‘Bottom of the Barrel, We Get Paid, So You Get Laid?’”

“You’ve seen our ad.”

“A friend of mine referred me. He suggested I come here to help with my…” he said, trailing off in that way one does when one desperately wishes to have the other character finish the first character’s sentence.

“With your…?” she replied, bravely refusing to follow convention.

“Romance problem,” he euphemism’d.

“Well, I’m not sure what you were told, but I’m afraid my door simply isn’t interested.”

The man huffed, hurting his tender wittle headums in the process. “This is ridiculous.”

“I agree,” she said, holding the door open. “Would you like to come inside and perhaps spend some money, then?”

And after an uncomfortable, protracted self-assurance that he would not, in fact, bash his skull against the shop door, the man stepped inside.

“Tell me a bit about yourself, Mr…” the young lady started, guiding him over to her desk and trailing off in that way one does when needing to know someone’s name.

“Customer.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Customer. My name is Customer.”

“Bit odd, isn’t it?”

“It’s the best I could come up with.”

She nodded. “I’m sure it was, Mr. Customer. Now, let me know how I can do so, and I’ll be absolutely frothy to rid you of some, most, or all of your money.”

“I want a woman.”

“I think you simpleton’d something about that, yes. But what sort of woman are interested in?"

"Oh, you know the sort. Kind, loving--"

"Smart and beautiful?"

"If it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all. Quite a common request. Any particular aesthetic, make, or model?"

"No, no. I'll take whatever I can get. Just someone who loves me, is all."

"But also smart, kind--"

"And beautiful, yes."

"Of course. Anything else?"

"It’d be nice if she enjoyed the things I do, maybe understood me better."

"I think I understand."

“Well, do you have one?”

“One what?”

“A woman. I came here for a woman.”

“Mr. Customer, what we offer at ‘Bottom of the Barrel, We Get Paid, So You Get Laid’ is completely customizable companion design and printing of made-to-order, honey-glazed, hand-crafted artisanal friends, lovers, and assorted sexual playthings."

“You mean, you don’t have any just laying around.”

“Sir, again, if that’s the sort of thing you’re looking for, then I suggest you get into politics.”

“No, no. I mean, you don’t have any off-the-shelf, over-the-counter women in stock?”

“Custom orders only, I’m afraid”

“Shame.”

“Yes, but I assure you our services are second to none.”

“Well if you have no women in stock, what could you possibly offer?”

“Options, Sir. Options.” She rose with a click of her heels and a wave of her hand, and the walls flickered and came to life with images of women of all shapes, sizes, looks, and attires. “You see, we’ve long discovered that while men such as yourself claim they’re looking for a smart, beautiful, funny, beautifully smart, and funnily beautiful romantic partner, what you’re actually looking for is a fictional surrogate to fill some contrived role in an utterly warped narrative of a poorly written love story that only exists in your head. Whether it’s the strong, independent femme fatale, the diminutive and submissive doll, or perhaps even a flirtatious lesbian whom only you can somehow magically convert into a heterosexual lifemate and plaything. Whatever outlandish concept of a woman you can fathom, we can fabricate.”

“This is insane.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Customer. I didn’t mean to offend.”

“No, no. I’m not offended - that was an impressively accurate guess.”

“We aim to please.”

“This all sounds a little too good to be true. How can you possibly have such a roster of willing women simply waiting to tend to the imaginative whims of a lonely man?”

“I’m afraid I’m failing you, Mr. Customer. Perhaps a demonstration.”

“Is there a charge?” “Not at all. This is a free sample guaranteed to wash out with little more than soap and water.”

“I don’t follow.”

“Well then, please do,” she said, directing him over to a large glass and metal pod. In the pod was nothing but a comfortable chair with a towel on it. “In just a few moments, you’ll perfectly understand what I mean.”

Not sure where this was going, but eager for it to end, Mr. Customer once again did as he was instructed and sat himself down in the comfortable chair. “What’s the towel for?”

“It helps us minimize the cleanup,” she said.

“Cleanup?”

She waved her other hand in a different way and the pod door closed. Two-and-a-half minutes on high and one adorable little ding of a bell later, and the door opened again.

“Well, what do you think?” the young lady asked. "We call this one the 'Manic-Pixie Dream Girl.' It's very popular."

Mr. Customer stepped out of the pod in a cloud of gas known to the state of California to possibly cause some kind of cancer, maybe, and seized on what he saw in the mirror. Meanwhile, a frighteningly accurate play-by-play of what he was seeing played over some nearby speakers, along with a pleasant little tune.

"She was a breastuous bit of leggy sex dipped in the sticky, erotic honey of a needy man's dream," a man's voice started.

"What the hell?" the bit of leggy sex croaked.

The voice continued. "She played with her luxuriously unkempt hair, hastily tied up in a ponytail, and squeezed at the massive udders bolted to her chest, which were seemingly hoisted up by a series of cables and pulleys until they burst forth from her modest, low-cut, crease and crevice-hugging dress. All skewed slightly because of a pair of glasses now in her face."

“What the Hell have you done to me?” Mr. Customer jiggled and bounced.

“Do you know how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly?”

“What? No. Not at all.”

“Well. It’s a lot like that, but not.”

“I meant why have you made me a woman? I came here for a woman, not to be turned into one.”

“Did you, Sir?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Are you sure that’s what you came here for?”

“Concussion aside, I’m fairly certain that’s what I eventually said, yes.”

"If you were referred to us, then I'm sorry to say that your ideal woman likely doesn't exist. But that doesn't mean you can't make one who does."

The freshly baked bit of scrumptious tart screamed, but in the sense that he didn't.

The young lady sighed. "Women are more than a collection of traits to be picked and plucked and thrown together like some macabre masturbatory stew, Mr. Customer. Some might even consider them people, with internal lives of their own and everything. "

"Isn't that last bit true?" Mr. Customer groped and pawed.

"How should I know? I started this business so I didn't have to bother with all that nonsense."

"What, you don't mean--"

"That I devised a way to take myself and any other man, put them into a metal pod, convert their physical body into an amorphous blob of malleable genetic material, and then reconstitute such a blob back into an ideal female physical specimen to suit their explicit, implicit, and exhibitionist desires, and all while keeping their male brains and identity full intact? Yes, that's more or less the gist of it."

"Huh."

"I'll admit, it does seem like a long walk just to avoid having to compromise my unrealistic expectations for the sake of emotionally bonding with another living soul."

"Any complaints?"

"Not really, no. The men seem perfectly content with their new toys. And the women are happy to be rid of all the creepy little gremlins lurking about their ankles, waiting to catch a glimpse of something she never intended to show them in the first place."

"Well as much as I do love playing with these fantastic breasts, I can't help but feel this might be a little wrong."

"Of course it's wrong, Mr. Customer. There are those who spend their entire lives struggling to better themselves for the sake of finding love, or to become the woman they always knew they were on the inside. But here you and I are, men who have crafted a facade - a sexual fiction and image that exists solely to placate our uncouth, uninhibited animal urges at the expense of any tattered shred of respect for women."

"Sounds like that might upset a lot of women."

"Quite a few actually. But if any of my clients had the first clue about women, or what they thought about or felt, they wouldn't come to me, now would they?"

"Well, when you put it that way…"

"I did."

"Right. Well. I guess a test drive couldn't hurt."

"Wonderful! Would you like to wear this one out, then?"

"Actually. Do you have anything in a ‘bisexual-open-to-a-threesome?’"

*****

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