#gonna work my way steadily through the group chat perhaps

[oidheadh-con-culainn]

it's weird how "things i care about" and "things i blog about" are overlapping but very distinct circles. like yeah i care obsessively about the ulster cycle and also blog about it constantly but there are so many things in my life that i care about that i just..... don't post about. so many books i enjoy that i have nothing to say other than maybe sometimes reblogging a post about them when it comes my way. so many things that i'm secretly feral about but do it all inside my own head

[freesia-writes]

Bad Batch Prompt Event #1

Much love to @arctrooper69 for making this official, and I can't wait to see what anyone else has written for these prompts! I'm gonna post the SFW part one here and NSFW part two over on @spicy-clones.

Hunter x F!Reader WORD COUNT 3000 my bad! Content: some basic medical descriptions, reader gets her butt smacked at 79s, and a wee bit o kissin. GONNA USE MY SEXY DIVIDERS WITH @pinkiemme's art since it's HUNTER! :D

“Seriously?” you sighed. “This again?”

“This is completely different than last time,” came the smooth reply, earning both a snort and an eyeroll from you. 

“It’s almost exactly the same.”

“Different arm.”

“Oh my gosh.” Your almost-laugh was overshadowed by concern and frustration as you made quick work of the injury and carefully wrapped the gauze around his bicep, trying not to pay too close attention to the gentle curves of the muscles and tendons, the light dusting of hair, the scars and bruises… You cleared your throat, shaking your head minutely and looking back up to his face. That wasn’t any better. His sharp eyes gazed steadily at you, framed by his distinctive nose and the strands of hair that brushed the sides of his face.

“Well thanks as always,” he said quietly, the hint of a rare smile touching the corner of his lips, which were almost always curved in the ghost of a frown from the burdens he carried. You tried to ignore the flutter in your chest, instead nodding and picking up your datapad abruptly to see what else was on the agenda for the Kamino medical bay that day. You looked back to him, offering a small smile and an honest exhortation.

“Take care of yourself, Hunter.”

* * * 

You were surprised to see him only a week later, stepping into line behind you in the mess hall with the rest of his squad. They were normally a boisterous bunch, but there seemed to be a heaviness upon them as they moved rather listlessly. Perhaps a mission gone awry, perhaps the regular wear and tear of being mere property in a seemingly endless war. You caught Hunter’s eye as he moved to the front of his group, setting his tray on the shelf beside yours as you slid down the food line. 

“You alright?” you asked softly, startling yourself with the gentleness and vulnerability in your own voice and cringing at the fact that you didn’t even lead with a “hello”. 

“Yeah,” he said automatically, his flat affect provoking more anxiety than you’d like. You left it at that, unable to stifle the simultaneous warmth and concern emanating from you. You didn’t know what it was about his mere presence, but he exuded both competence and compassion, intelligence and wit, and you perceived the weight of responsibility that hung over his head, both a gift and a curse of his engineered fate. 

You’d come to enjoy his med bay visits more and more, although it was never the ideal circumstances to meet. The elaborate fantasies you concocted as you drifted off to sleep were far more appealing, consisting of stargazing cuddles, fancy galas, coffee shop chats, and many other situations you’d want to share with him. As corny as it seemed, more than all of it, you simply wanted to know him, to know the inner workings of his mind, his joys and worries, the things that made him laugh, the way he liked his caf… It wasn’t the first time in your life that you’d harbored a crush for someone who was as unattainable as they were oblivious of your affections, so you settled to daydream and enjoy the times you did get to share. 

It helped that your occupation allowed you some quiet moments and gentle touches here and there. Although, perhaps “helped” was the wrong word. 

* * * 

“We need you in room 6 immediately,” crackled the voice on your commlink, and you set aside the instruments you’d been cleaning and adjusting, heading that way with urgency. When the door slid open, you felt a jolt of electricity run through your body at the sight of a hulking clone on the exam table, covered in dried blood and haphazardly-wrapped bandages. You knew who it was without seeing his face, which was almost entirely obscured, and before your emotions could catch up, you snapped into work mode.

“What are we dealing with?” you asked the others, who were moving in smooth synchronization to free his head and scan him head to toe. 

“CT-9903. Explosion and shrapnel, blunt force trauma, multiple lacerations…” your assistant reported, eyes flitting across the scanner screen.

“That’s gonna leave a mark,” your other colleague said, stuffing the wads of bandages into the garbage and pulling on a fresh set of gloves. 

“Let’s get to work,” you muttered. 

A few hours later, he was cleaned up and sleeping comfortably, one eye closed serenely beneath a spiral of neatly-wrapped gauze that covered the rest of his head. You slipped into the room and tapped the screens, confirming the notes your assistant had entered, then rested a hand on his broad forearm, watching his chest rise and fall and sending out all the comforting and healing vibes you could muster. 

“He seems alright,” came a smooth, low voice from behind you, making you jump and emit the tiniest squawk. You whirled around to see Hunter in a chair in the corner, reclining with his legs crossed out in front of him. He’d phrased it as a statement but the inflection of his voice indicated a question, and you exhaled in an attempt to regain your composure.

“First of all, hi. Next time, can you greet me when I come into the room instead of scaring the crap out of me?” you said, accompanied with a little laugh that sounded forced. 

“We’ll see,” he returned evenly, keeping his face straight despite your smirk.

“That’s an order, Sergeant,” you attempted, delighting in the slight spark in his eyes as he raised his eyebrows.

“Oh really,” he said, lowering his chin just enough to bring some hair across his forehead as he regarded you with a stare that you could have sworn held a hint of smolder. But perhaps you were seeing what you wanted to see. Your fingers twitched at your sides, yearning to stroke the tufts back from his face… and other stuff…

“Yeah, anyway…” you said suddenly, clearing your throat and turning businesslike all of a sudden. “He should be fine. We’ll run some more tests when he wakes up to check on his hearing. The lacerations should heal easily, and he was lucky enough to avoid any serious contusions, somehow. I don’t know what you all were doing out there but this guy needs a thicker helmet.”

“I’ll make sure to request that from the armory.”

“I’m sure they’ll be wildly helpful and accommodating.”

“Always.”

A silence fell for a moment, then he rose to his feet, stretching to his full height and picking up his backpack.  He slung it across his shoulders, along with the concerns and duties that awaited him, and gave you a cordial nod. 

“Thanks for taking care of him,” he said with genuine sincerity, regarding you with fondness as he stepped closer. Your heart skipped a beat and you felt frozen to the spot, mind racing with a million scenarios you’d envisioned that started out just like this. 

“Just doing my job… sir,” you said feebly, swallowing hard as he moved the tiniest bit nearer. You gazed at his eyes, brown at first glance but peppered with pale green and gray upon closer inspection. You could swear you felt the sparks flying between the two of you… until he spoke, shifting slightly to your side. 

“Gotta… head out…” he muttered, and you suddenly realized he had actually been trying to get past you. Flushed with hot embarrassment, you moved aside in a flash, turning away to hide your reddening cheeks. 

“Sorry, I didn’t sleep too much last night,” you explained quickly, trying not to stutter. “The old brain isn’t working quite so well today.”

“I’m glad you performed cranial surgery on Wrecker, then,” Hunter observed, and you buried your face in a hand.

“I mean, it wasn’t really surgery, but good point,” you laughed, thoroughly mortified now.

You didn’t see the pursed lips hiding his smile as he turned and disappeared out the door. 

* * * 

You were deeply saddened at first when you were transferred from the Kamino medical bay to the general medical center on Coruscant. But, as your fellow clone-obsessed friend reminded you, you would be able to go with her to 79s on your nights off, where you could enjoy the company of the types of men you’d come to prefer. It had been a hellish week, with too many patients and too few staff members, and you had worked yourself to the bone. It was as good a time as any to blow off some steam, so it took only a little urging from your friend for you to change into some going out clothes, fix up your hair a bit, and hit the town with her. 

Typically one for softness and gentleness, you felt an edge to yourself that night. Perhaps it was the build up of all of the frustrating situations at work, but whatever the cause, you didn’t feel like putting up with any kind of BS. So when the first trooper you walked past tried to smack your butt, you turned on him with the raging fury of a thousand suns and gave him a piece of your mind. Your friend stared at you, dumbfounded, and you heard some chuckles and comments from the crowd. Turning away before you melted into an apology, you stalked off to the corner booth you had left your stuff in.

“That was brutal,” a smoky voice said, and you were floored at the sight of Hunter sliding into the booth next to you. Your friend winked at you from where she stood at the bar, still flirting with a couple of troopers. You stared at him, speechless, and he held his hands up in surrender. “I’ll clear out if you’re going to chew me out like that guy. Just wanted to say hi. Haven’t seen you in the med bay in a while.“

“No, stay!“ You said, more eagerness in your voice than you would like to admit. “They transferred me here…”

“And you just had to get your clone fix?”

You blushed, palming your face before taking a long swig of your drink. It was a stiff one, and a fitting way to end your week. 

“Just kidding,” he continued, “We both know you just miss yelling at people.” 

“Oh, I’m such a yeller,” you rolled your eyes. You had never been anything but gentle and kind with him and the other patients. And he knew it.

Before long, you both found yourselves lost in conversation, and it felt as though your dreams were coming true. Details of his life and thoughts were flowing freely, well, as freely as possible considering the covert nature of most of his experiences, and the two of you settled into a comfortable rhythm as you nursed your drinks and regarded one another. You shared about your training days, mishaps and mayhem, and your goals for the future. He was happy to listen, answering questions but also content to simply sit. You didn’t want to admit just how much you were thrilled by the entire situation. 

“Refills?” You asked, gesturing to the empty glasses on the table. He nodded, but then followed you out of the booth. As the two of you leaned against the bar, waiting to be acknowledged, you tilted your head at him, feeling slightly emboldened for a moment, but it quickly melted when his eyes met yours.

“Yes?” He asked, a smirk on his own face. 

“Nothing.”

“Doesn’t look like nothing,” he teased. “Looks like you’ve got something you want to say.”

“Maybe there’s lots I want to say,” you clapped back, putting your hand on your hip. “But I don’t think I’m going to.” You gave him a sassy smile in an attempt to hide the complete and total whirlwind of thoughts raging for consideration within you. 

He took a step closer, coming into your personal space, and his hand that rested on the bar counter was dangerously close to your waist. You could almost feel his touch, without any contact being made at all. His eyes were dark beneath his brows, his sharp profile illuminated by the colorful lights all around, and your heart skipped a beat. 

“You sure?” he purred, a smug look on his face as though he knew the effect he had on you. “Nothing at all?”

“You’re the worst,” you stammered, dropping your chin and fixing your stair on the ground beside you.

“Yeah,” he conceded with a snort. “Well, you still like me.”

Your head flew up faster than a ship jumping into hyperspace, and you stared at him in utter shock as your stomach plunged. Your mouth fell open a little bit as you frantically searched for words, coming up with none and snapping it shut again. He shifted the tiniest fraction closer, looming over you now in a way that would be intimidating if your veins weren’t coursing with adrenaline and the sheer desire to grab his shirt and show him all that you couldn’t say. 

“Thought so,” he said with a satisfied rumble of laughter that made your knees weak.

“I don’t… I mean, I couldn’t…” You fumbled hopelessly, turning away a tiny bit as you grappled for any kind of response.

“Hey lady,” a clone voice said from behind you. “ This guy bothering you?” You turned around to see a trooper with his head closely shaved except for some intricate designs along the sides. He was standing tall, an inch or two over Hunter, and had a warm intensity to his gaze that showed genuine concern more than creepiness or bravado.

You looked back to Hunter, who was still leaning on the bar, relaxed and unbothered. He lifted his eyebrows at you, uncharacteristically playful, and said, “Well?”

“I’m fine, thank you,” you said to the blue-armored clone, who gave you a polite nod before leaving with one last suspicious glare at Hunter.

“So… you were saying?” Hunter poked, tilting his head at you and fanning the flame. Was he flirting? For real? Or just trying to make you flustered, for his own fun and entertainment? 

“Now you’re just being cruel,” you whined, and he laughed, an authentic, deep sound that made you swoon. 

“I would never.”

“Hunter, we’ve got to go,” a pert voice broke through your fantasy, and you turned to see a bespectacled man with a serious face standing beside Hunter, who looked at you with an unreadable expression as your heart sank and disappointment lay heavy over the two of you.

“Well. Hope I see you again,” he admitted, a wistful tone to his voice as he brushed his fingers across the back of your hand, sending a jolt of electricity through you, and dipped his head in goodbye before disappearing out the front door. 

You went home to your “personal massager” that night. 

* * * 

You were finishing the patient notes for the day as you bent over your screen at work, tapping away with diligence as you looked forward to freedom for the evening. It had been nearly a week since you’d seen Hunter at 79s, and you’d been kicking yourself for not speaking up more, or flirting more, or making a move, or something. You doubted your paths would cross again, as your friend shared that she’d only seen Clone Force 99 at the bar once before, and she was quite the regular. Bringing your thoughts back to the present, you groaned inwardly as your comm pinged with an incoming message, and you considered not looking at it to avoid any calls to stay late. But curiosity got the better of you, and you took a look at the screen. 

//18:42//-ENCRYPTED- {Chewed out any regs lately?}

Your mouth fell open, brow furrowed, as you studied the message. It wasn’t an internal memo, nor was it from any sort of source you’d seen before. It couldn't be… Could it? You smirked, curious to try something that might seem inconspicuous if it were, in fact, an error, but might be playful if it were him.

//18:43// - {Unfamiliar source number, identification needed.}

The response seemed to take ages.

//18:47//-ENCRYPTED- {Identification can be provided in the maintenance alleyway of the med center.}

You were embarrassed how quickly you got there. 

The door swung open into a long, narrow gap between the large hospital buildings, filled with random parts and trash chutes, and your heart leapt in your chest when you saw his gray and red armor.

“What are you doing here?” you asked, positively thrilled and unable to hide it.

“I… Well… I don’t know,” Hunter admitted with a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. “I haven’t been able to get you off my mind since we had to leave… So I thought it might need some medical attention.” 

Now it was your turn to laugh, the sheer delight of it all cascading over you. “Oh, and a crusty alleyway seems like a very sterile environment.” He grinned, shaking his head, and you caught a glimpse of his own vulnerability, realizing that he, too, was fairly out of sorts when it came to smooth talk and flirtation. Somehow, that made you feel better, and all the regrets and “what ifs” of the last number of days began a relentless protest in your mind. “Well, let’s see what I can do,” you murmured, stepping closer to where he leaned against the wall. His eyebrows climbed up his head, giving away his utter surprise, and the sight gave you tingles. 

“I… ah…” he began, but you leaned into him a little, fueled by months of daydreams and a lifetime of self-loathing for all the opportunities you were too cowardly to take hold of. Plus, his sheepishness and his admission were all you’d needed to hear, and there was an undeniable affection in his eyes that melted you to the core. 

“Let’s see if we can help you out a bit?” you offered, simultaneously cringing and delighting at the complete and total ridiculousness of it all. But then he tilted his head and lifted a single, curled finger to your chin, tipping it up toward his face and sealing your fate as hopelessly enthralled. His dark eyes glittered with warmth and trepidation, and the next thing you knew, your lips were pressed against his, eyes closed, arms around his neck. 

It was so soft, so absolutely mind-blowingly perfect; your entire body was electrified as his own arms wrapped around you. You felt him exhale, his nose against your cheek, and you were overwhelmed with joy at his closeness, his vulnerability, his all-consuming presence that filled your senses. His body formed around yours, his mouth still gently nestled against your own, and you melted a little further into him, wishing that it would never end. 

When you finally did separate with a soft smack of the lips, you left your faces close, your eyes darting to his, which remained closed for an extra second before slowly opening with a relaxed warmth that had you feeling weak all over again. You couldn’t resist leaning your forehead against his own, reaching a hand up to caress his cheek for a moment before begrudgingly pulling back a bit. 

“Thank you,” you whispered lamely, and he exhaled through his nose.

“Thank you,” he echoed, sheepish and disarmed. 

“Please contact me anytime you need any sort of medical attention,” you continued, wrinkling your nose at just how terrible it all sounded, but he snickered, slowly releasing you with a nod.

“My job is quite harmful.”

Are you 18+? Interested in a smutty part two? Click here. ;)

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[petri808]

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Inukag AU

As Inuyasha and Kagome cut through a park on their way back to the Higurashi home, they chatted casually, just winding down after a hearty lunch at a nearby cafe. The couple stayed to the pathways traversing the manicured park. It would be shorter to cut through the grass, but why the rush? It was a beautiful location, with a several different kinds of trees dotting the landscape to provide shade and lots of open space for all kinds of activities. Some picnicked, flew kites or played frisbee, they’d even passed a group doing Tai Chi. There were young families to older citizens enjoying the scenery. The couples conjoined hands and twined fingers swayed lazily back and forth between them. Despite the summer heat starting to rise in Tokyo, with blue skies and a gentle breeze brought in from the Pacific Ocean, it was a perfect day for a stroll.

While this journey towards normalcy hasn’t always been an easy one, the past couple of months have been the happiest so far. Ever since leaving the hospital Kagome’s felt better and better. There were even moments she’d made peace with the idea she may not regain her memories. Was it saddening yes, because she wouldn’t remember her job, friends, and other precious moments. But at the same time, she could always make new ones. Sango’s twins were still young. She could relearn her job, and best of all she had Inuyasha who’d she’d become attached to. Their steadily growing relationship was a budding romance regardless of their past history. Think about? Kagome had a chance to re-experience everything in a new way, through a new lens. Well… that’s what she told herself to justify the idea, and so far, it was working.

But there were strange moments starting to occur. Sometimes they were dreams of scenes Kagome didn’t recognize. That in of itself weren’t unusual because how often do dreams ever make complete sense? No, it was in the emotions that came with them. On several occasions Kagome would wake up with the distinct feeling these were not merely dreams but memories trying to break through. At other times, she couldn’t remember the dream, only the emotions she’d felt during them. Sometimes they were so intense, she’d wake up in tears or completely happy for no other reason. According to her neurologist, this was normal during the healing process, but unfortunately there was no true way to tell the difference between reality and fantasy.

“Did I tell you I reached out to Ms. Tanaka the other day?” Kagome asked Inuyasha.

“Mmm, I don’t think so.”

“I called the office and spoke to her briefly about maybe getting lunch one day so she could tell me how things have been there. I may not know exactly what she’s talking about, but maybe it’ll jog my memories.”

Inuyasha lifted their conjoined hands and kissed the back of hers. “I think that’s a really good idea. You guys will have fun talking.”

“I think so too, she seemed very nic—…” Kagome’s voice trailed away as stopped dead in her tracks and her eyes shifted towards one of the parks trees. “Um, c-could we check out that tree?”

“Sure, whatever you want.” Inuyasha smiled knowingly.

It was like her feet gained a mind of their own as they carried her towards a large Sakura tree in the middle of a field. Just from looking at, there wasn’t anything special about the tree. Spring had long since passed and the blooms were no more. But Kagome felt a pull towards this one in particular as if she remembered something about it. What that was she had no idea. She let go of Inuyasha’s hand and reached out, touching the bark of the tree, and staring up at its massive girth. It looked old. Maybe there long before the park existed… maybe older than even the Edo period, who knew? It was just another green leafed tree, yet why was it stirring up a rush of emotions? Happy ones with butterflies dancing in her soul.

Slowly, she moved around the base of the tree like a surveyor mapping it out or searching for secrets only it could provide. And that’s when she saw it. Kagome’s breathing hitched as her eyes fell upon a carving in the wood, approximately five feet above the ground. There, a bit worn nonetheless was a heart encircling two names. “Kagome…” She read aloud, “& Inuyasha—

Oh, my Kami!” She gasped, both hands flying up to cover her mouth in shock. “H-How? When?”

At that moment, Inuyasha walked over, gazing at the words and running his hand over the carving while he spoke. “We carved this about two years ago.” He smiled, eyes crinkling, and growing moist as if reminiscing. “It was a late Saturday afternoon and after eating an early dinner at Genki Sukiyaki, we cut through this park to get to your house. But it started to rain, not very heavy, so we took shelter under this tree.” Inuyasha chuckled lightly. “I remember you being upset about your hair getting wet.” He finally looked to Kagome, placing a hand on her cheek. “You looked so beautiful and even though the weather was miserable, there was just something magical about it all. That’s when you asked me to carve this into the tree.”

“But how did I know to look for it?” Kagome was so confused. “I don’t remember any of that.”

“I have no idea how. But part of you must. Maybe, it’s a sign your memories are fighting to come through.”

The tears gathering in Kagome’s eyes, trickle down her cheeks as a blend of happiness and sadness. She wanted to be happy for such a beautiful memory but devastated that she couldn’t remember it. She wanted to be excited that maybe, just maybe it could be true that her memories were returning, yet she didn’t want to take the chance of a let-down. Inuyasha pulled her into a tight hug as she let go of the angsty emotions. “It’s not fair that I can’t remember! I want to remember!”

“Shhh,” Inuyasha who’s own tears begun to spill, did his best to soothe her with softened tones. “I want that too. It’s gonna get better baby. I think this really is your memories returning, we just have to believe.”

“It’s hard to do that sometimes…”

Inuyasha lifted her chin and swept his thumbs over her cheeks to dry them. “And if you don’t, we’re creating a whole new memory of this tree right now, an even more special one.”

Kagome sniffled. “You think so?”

He nodded his head and placed a gentle kiss on her whetted lips. “What do you think?” Inuyasha questioned with a soft smile. “How can we add to this memory?”

Kagome paused for a moment in thought. “We could add something beneath our names… like… mmm, forever in time?”

“Is that what you want?” She nodded yes. “Okay,” Inuyasha obliged.

He kissed her again then used his claw to slowly, meticulously carve the new words into the bark. It took a few minutes because he wanted to make sure it was easy to read and would last a long time. “I think this is definitely will better than the original memory.”

“Mmhmm, it’s a good one,” Kagome agreed. She felt a lot better now. “Thank you, Inuyasha for being so patient with me. It must be so frustrating.”

Inuyasha shook his head. “Not anymore. I’m not glad about the accident, but I’m cherishing all this time I’m spending with you. Kagome, I truly mean it when I say, this moment right here,” he took her hand. “It’s now one of the happiest moments you’ve ever given me. No matter what,” he smiled, “I’ll always love you, forever in time.”

She giggled. “Forever… I like the sound of that…”

After the incident at the park, Kagome brought it up with the neuropsychologist assigned to her case. The woman patiently sat in her chair as Kagome told her every little detail. What she felt, the emotions, her thoughts, and reactions. She also brought up the dreams she’d been having as well as small incidents that caused her to feel like it might be memories trying to come through.

“Like, just the other day,” Kagome explained. “Sango accompanied me to the hospital for my last physical check-up, but as we passed by the nursery, we decided to stop to look at the cute babies. Then out of nowhere I started to feel emotional, nothing bad, just happy as she talked about the birth of her twins. I mean, yeah it makes sense to feel happy at the time because we were having a good time, but it just felt different. I almost felt like crying. Why is that??”

The woman finished jotting down her notes before speaking. “It’s been about 5 months, correct, since you lost your memories?” Kagome nodded yes. “And according to your latest evaluations, your brain has healed quite nicely. It’s not uncommon at this point for triggers to manifest themselves.”

“I don’t understand…”

“The way long term memory retention works, our brains must process information and create new neurocircuitry, storage if you will once the information has been deemed necessary to keep in the long term. If not, our short term memories are discarded quickly. Of course, this is just a basic explanation and there’s more to it, but what studies have found is memories attached to an emotional event have a higher likelihood of being retained and will evoke a stronger response from us. Think of it like, these emotional memories are much more deeply attached to our psyches.”

“Oh— I think I understand.”

“Mmm,” the doctor hummed. “The park incident was attached to a very emotional moment in your life. So even though you couldn’t remember the event itself, the part of you that remembered the emotions surrounding it did and pushed you towards the tree. Also, the hospital, you mentioned being with your friend Sango and looking at babies. This is just a guess, but perhaps you were feeling the emotions you felt from the time she gave birth.”

As the doctors words were processed, moisture began to pool in Kagome’s eyes. Could it really be true?! Should she really allow herself to hope?! When Kagome finally responded, her voice cracked as it held back the tears. “D-Does this mean… I’m starting to get my memories back?”

“I would say, yes. Again, I cannot say one hundred percent certain, but what you are experiencing is a common one. Those that suffered from acute memory loss, don’t just wake up one day and suddenly they’ve all returned. It’s a gradual process, but once it begins it typically continues at a steady pace.”

“I-I don’t know what to say!” A few happy tears joined the smile on Kagome’s face.

“I suggest that you start writing down the times you feel something or think you’re remembering something and check them with your family and friends. If they confirm it, talk about it. That could help as well to bring more information and memories to the forefront— give your brain a little help to jog itself.”

“Thank you so much, doctor! I’ll definitely do that!”

The woman smiled, reaching over to pat Kagome’s hand before giving it a small squeeze. “You’re very welcome. I wish you all the luck in the world!”

[irwinkitten]

soft words | poly!kayshton

notes: are you surprised? no so shut up. i’ve got so many ideas and i’m soft soft soft. don’t like it, don’t read it. warnings: depression  word count: 2.3k 

donate to my ko-fi here

-

It was easier to just check your phone, ignoring the texts from various friends and family members, falling back asleep once your alarms had been turned off.

The next time you woke up, it was to pee. Your phone told you it was midday but the exhaustion was like a heavy blanket, unwilling to release you, despite leaving the cosiness of the bed to relieve your bladder. When you’d crawled back under the covers, sleep claimed you once more.

When you next woke, it was disorientating. 

Darkness had fallen and you weren’t entirely sure what woke you up. Then you felt the ache in your body and summarized that this was what had pulled you from the land of dreams.

Glancing at your phone, the numbers read nine pm and you had several missed calls from both Ashton and Kaykay and your stomach sank. Before they’d flown out for the promo, you had promised that you would keep them updated, let them know when you were struggling.

But it had been easier to ignore and brush off. You still hadn’t told them you’d been signed off work earlier that week, but you couldn’t bring yourself to say the words.

Another text came through from the little group chat you had with them both and it surprised you.

‘If you’re awake angel, Ashton’s got you a ticket to fly out. Don’t worry about work. Flight is tomorrow. Just let us know you’ve seen the message and that you’re okay angel’

You couldn’t bring yourself to type anything, and simply reacted to the message with a little heart. 

‘See you soon, little one.’ Came through from Ashton and you felt the first bloom of warmth, a feeling that had been avoiding you like the plague.

It had barely been twelve hours since that text and you were sitting on the plane. You knew that you looked worse for wear, judging by the air hostess’ facial expression when she checked your ticket which confirmed that you were indeed in first class.

When Ashton had forwarded the information, part of you wondered how he had gotten your passport details before remembering that the three of you had swapped that information long ago if there was a whim to escape from the city and just get out of the country. The only stipulation was that the others would be forewarned of the trip.

When the plane landed, you had tugged the hoodie tighter around your body. It was one of Ashton’s old ones, paired with a jean jacket that Kaykay had purchased for you a few christmases ago. Your eyes sought out the various faces before clocking the sign with your last name.

Foolishly you’d thought they’d be here, but you knew that would’ve caused a feeding frenzy with the press and Ashton was deliberately being discreet about your arrival to Europe to be with him and Kaykay.

So heading up to the person who held your name, they gave you a small smile as you greeted them and they helped you with your luggage to the awaiting car. 

You were fighting the heavy blanket of lethargy that swept over you once more, determined to remind yourself that you were about to see two of the few important people in your life. That you would be safe from judgement with them. 

Your mind had hissed at you how they were away together, to get away from you, to establish the relationship as theirs and you were merely a bit on the side. It took everything in you to not ask the driver to turn back around so you could get the next flight back home.

Because home wasn’t LA. Home was them.

Unsurprisingly, when the car pulled into a hotel’s underground parking, you thanked the driver who helped you get your luggage into the elevator before checking your phone. 

‘Room 508 angel, 5th floor.’

Hitting the circular 5, you leaned against the mirrored wall, unwilling to look at the state you were in. You’d tried, but your memory failed to recall when you had last showered, that wasn’t just a quick body scrub to ward off any body odour. The circles under your eyes had begun to look like bruises and you weren’t unaware how you looked like the living dead.

Stepping off the elevator once the small ding had alerted you that you were on the floor you needed, you glanced to see an arrow pointing to the direction you needed. Mercifully the room you needed was scarce. Only ten on the side that it was pointing, the rest going in the opposite direction. 

By the time you reached 508, you felt drained once more. Every part of you was fighting to stay awake, knowing how close you were.

Knocking the door three times, you heard scrambling and the door was pulled open fast, frightening you for a second before a set of arms wrapped around you and you could only melt against Kaykay as your arms finally moved, wrapping around her as you closed your eyes tightly, taking in a deep breath.

Nothing ever did their touch or smell justice. Your memory could never compare it to the actual thing and you were unwilling to let go or pull away, not realising how much tension had been held in your body, how much you didn’t want to allow that tension back in.

Finally opening your eyes, Ashton stood there, his face both concerned and soft as he watched you both. When your eyes met, the smile that lit up his face made the guilt bubble in your gut. How could you have ever thought that they didn’t want you? That they wouldn’t be there for you? 

“C’mon Peachy, share.” 

“No. Mine.” The muffled word was quiet, but it gripped your heart, squeezing it tightly until a tear rolled down your cheek at the possessive tone she had held. 

“Let’s get in at least, Peach.” It was another muffled protest before she finally pulled her head away, her lips finding yours instantly. You pulled away before she could push it, earning a pout. Ashton snorted.

“Peachy.” The warning in his voice was clear and she sighed dramatically before finally let you go, but before you could at least grab her hand, unwilling to lose the human contact, She’d grabbed your case and bag.

“At least I got the first kiss.” Her tone was smug, earning a slap to her backside, her laughter following after her as you stepped in, Ashton letting the door shut after you.

Being enveloped within Ashton’s arms was a different story. It felt like home. They both felt like home in different ways. Ashton was calm and collected, the person of reason in moments of panic and stress. Kaykay was a whirlwind that swept you up but held you close, unwilling to let go unless absolutely needed. She was the driving force, the one that seemed to pull out the needier side from you, the side that relied on her firm attitude that often got the two of you into trouble, but allowed you to break from the stringent rules you found yourself following.

“All ours.” Ashton’s whispered word caused the twisting sensation in your heart and you could feel yourself shake from the emotions that threatened to overwhelm you. 

He didn’t move as he held you, allowing you to break in his arms in the tiny hallway of the hotel room. You felt the second body behind you, Kaykay’s head resting on your back as she wrapped her arms around your waist, her fingers grasping the soft material of the hoodie as you cried.

You weren’t too sure why you were crying, the overwhelming depression, or the fact that they were yours and you were theirs. Perhaps it was the one thing that tipped the iceberg, but once you started crying, you couldn’t stop, you couldn’t breathe. 

That was when Ashton finally pulled back, Kaykay’s hands moving from your waist to your back, her hands rubbing soothing circles as you heaved for air, desperately trying to keep from the full blown panic attack that was slowly constricting your chest, making it difficult to keep your breathing steady.

Ashton’s hands cupped your face, thumbs carefully brushing the tears that he could reach. 

“Follow my breathing little one. Inhale. Exhale. That’s it. Inhale. Exhale.” You followed his words easily. The hands on your back helping you ground yourself so you didn’t completely tip over the edge. 

When Ashton was satisfied that you were breathing steadily, your hands trembling slightly as you pulled yourself back, he kissed your forehead before his lips found yours and you melted against him.

“We’ve got you little one, I promise.” And you knew that they did. They were those moments that held you together, giving you the reprieve you sometimes needed.

Kaykay’s hands worked the jacket off and Ashton tugged the hoodie over your head. Part of you wanted to shy away, but Ashton was having none of that as Kaykay let her hands rest on your shoulders.

“C’mon. Shower. I promise no funny business, we just want to look after you angel.” And normally you’d have shot her a skeptical look, but the tone of her voice convinced you easily, allowing you to not fight her as she pushed you towards the bathroom.

“You might think you’re good at hiding it angel, but both of us saw you were falling. It’s been a long time since it got this bad, huh?” You couldn’t answer at first, the relief filling you. There was no judgement or scolding. There was no reprimand for not talking to them. 

“I don’t even know what set me off. But I just, I couldn’t function. I felt like the world was caving in.” You admitted quietly facing the spray of water as it washed through your hair. Kaykay’s face wore a look of heartbreak as she ran her fingers through your hair, lathering the shampoo through it slowly, her fingers working into your skull and you could feel your knees go weak.

“You’re here now. Ash spoke with the execs and they aren't gonna try and send you home this time.” Her words were gentle and you could feel your heart feel heavy.

“But work-”

“Can fuck off. They haven’t helped you one bit. Did they check in with you after you handed in your sign off note?” And shame washed through you.

“No.” 

“There is no shame in needing to do what’s right for you angel. We were going to let you tell us in your own time, but since you brought up the subject of work...” She trailed off as the shampoo was rinsed and she worked the conditioner into your hair.

“I didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t want you both to think I would freeload or do it for attention.” You finally whispered.

“Oh angel.” Kaykay sighed as she tapped your shoulder to get you to turn around. You did so, keeping your hair from the direct spray as she pressed a kiss to your lips.

“I’m sorry.” You whispered against her lips, your arms holding her gently, she shook her head, another kiss on your lips stopping any further apologies.

“Never with us, angel. We all struggle and we know how it feels. You’d never get that from us.” The reassurance did little to ease the butterflies in your tummy, but you nodded anyway, to show that you understood what she meant.

“Let’s clean you up angel. I know Ash wants to snuggle tonight since we have a few days off.” At this, you allowed her to work the body wash into your skin, feeling relieved that she didn’t push you.

Then you felt slightly guilty, but she slapped your thigh gently.

“None of that. Even I know better than to push you when you clearly don’t want to.” You could feel your blush, unable to look at her.

“Sorry Peachy.” The words were whispered, but she wrapped herself around you once more, the reassurance that she wasn’t mad, helped you relax into her touch before she washed out the conditioner and shut off the water.

Two of Ashton’s shirts and some underwear lay on the toilet seat, and you glanced at Kaykay who shrugged.

“I didn’t hear him come in, but I forgot to bring them.” She admitted sheepishly and you felt yourself smile.

“He’s always good to us.” You murmured and she returned the gentle smile with one of her own as she helped you get dried and dressed. Normally you would’ve protested, but you knew that their way of reassurance was to look after you, and after the last few weeks, this was what you needed. Their touches.

When you left the bathroom, Ashton was already settled into bed. You crawled into your spot in the middle, allowing him to wrap himself around you, pulling you against him. Kaykay wasn’t far behind, pressing herself against you and the heavy weight of them both added to the relief that you were home with them, regardless of being in a hotel room.

“Ready to talk now, little one?” And as you spoke, the ease seemed to help you get everything off your chest, your words heavy but your mind becoming lighter with each burden shared.

And there was no judgement for the choices you made. They listened to you, and even though you rushed to explain yourself, they did not demand it of you. That was when you relaxed entirely and finally everything caught up once more, the heaviness returning but feeling like a welcomed blanket as Ashton kissed you softly.

“Let's get you recharged for a bit. Take the time you need too recover and get yourself back to where you need to be. We’ll be with you every step of the way.” His words had the desired effect of releasing the last bit of tension and you finally felt okay to truly fall asleep without your worries plaguing you.

“Love you both.” You finally whispered. Kaykay pressed a kiss to your shoulder as Ashton kissed your forehead once more.

“Love you more.” 

-

if you wanna be tagged in the poly!kayshton stuff, let me know! 

@sexgodashton​, @loveroflrh​, @converse-luke​

[asocier]

( private verse: your name is ) -- three.

          i hear she personally knows the duke.

          her? how did that happen? she’s not even from this district.

          i dont know, but someone saw them talking. said it looked like they were old friends having a chat.

          what did they talk about? 

         who knows? they got the hell out of there before they were caught eavesdropping. 

         haha -- probably for the best. hm, do you think..? 

         think what?

          that they’re gonna go easy on her? 

          gossip. teenagers loved their gossip, didn’t they? the ones she’s met so far during her training were certainly no different. reminiscent of how peers her age acted in school, they traveled in packs, forming tight knit cliques that were impenetrable from the outside unless you somehow proved yourself worthy of an invitation into the group. everyone seemed to be familiar with each other already, a fact alison learned was due to how long they had known each other before her abrupt arrival to the district. from what she understood, some had been training since they were young; others had only been training only for a handful of years. regardless, at this point in their careers, they had all proven themselves to be capable, and it was time for new recruits to do the same.

           new additions weren’t unusual when it came time for recruitment, though it was expected for many to be weeded out in a few months time. judging by the snickers from the others when she first stood alongside them and introduced herself, perhaps they thought she’d be packing her bags very soon. at sixteen, she was amongst the youngest in this round of new recruits, and her small statue coupled with her inexperience seemed to have branded her as an easy target for returning guards-in-training who had a better understanding of what was expected from the veteran rose guards they trained under. 

          but oh, how she was going to prove them all wrong. 

          “wow! imagine being handed something instead of working for it. hm, can’t say that i can relate, actually.” finally turning the corner of the hallway she had been waiting behind, alison makes her presence known to two peers. thinking back on the many introductions she had heard earlier in the week, she could recall that these two came from a long line of rose guards, a notable number of their family members having served various nobles over the course of their lifetimes. it was unclear to her as to whether their training had started early on in their lives, only to culminate in their eventual recruitment into the rose guard after finishing school, or if this was just the beginning of their training. regardless, she wouldn’t be surprised if their connection to their families had aided them in completing their first year of training. 

          startled and indignant by alison’s unexpected appearance, the taller of the two retorted, “didn’t anyone teach you it was rude to eavesdrop?” 

         “didn’t anyone teach you it was rude to talk shit?” an easy comeback as she joined them.

          sucking on his teeth, he turns to his companion, a girl whom alison recalled was quite open about her admiration of the duke and his charms. unsurprising, yet still disappointing, alison thought as she fought back the urge to roll her eyes at the idea of someone joining ayden’s rose guard just to get close to him and vie for his attention. it was a waste of everyone’s time, and it made alison wonder just how much the other relied on her family to get her this far. surely, she wasn’t as hopeless as alison feared if she was able to last this long, but only time would tell, she supposed.

          “how long were you standing there?” with a frown, the other woman expressed her own disapproval of alison’s decision to eavesdrop, though alison was quite certain she was just upset that she had been caught. 

           “long enough to know you’re jealous about my relationship with the duke.” a jab at what everyone was aware of already, a rather smug smile evident on alison’s countenance as she reveled in how the other woman’s brows furrowed deeper. “if it’s any consolation, we’re merely acquaintances.” a partial truth -- time had caused them to drift apart, and it was clear to alison that ayden was no longer the person he was in their childhood. it’d be foolish of her to considering them close friends at this point when so much had changed in the roughly ten years that had passed since their last meeting, though it was comforting to know that he still remembered her. despite that, alison had no intentions of relying on him when it came to securing her place on his rose guard; that was a decision she had made long before she arrived in his district.

          “but how is that possible? you said yourself you graduated from commoner school.”

          “because i did. but how i know the duke is quite frankly none of your business. i suggest you two pay attention to more pressing matters,” and she turns to the taller one, her expression neutral despite the fact she was annoyed by how he had to look down at her to make eye contact, “like how your form is sloppy and quite frankly, makes me question whether you deserve to be called my superior. falling on your ass today really must have been a hit to your ego, huh?” 

         “why i -- ! who are you to judge? like you know what it’s like to be in the rose guard.”

          “i didn’t fall on my ass today, did i?”

          “you don’t have any training under your belt. they were going easy on you because they know you’re a rookie.”

          “says who? who said i don’t have training? not me. i said i didn’t have much formal training.” 

          “what the hell does that mean?”

          with a smile, she merely states: 

          “it means i’m a rogue.” 

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 

           that was an illegal move, who the fuck does she think she is? 

           are there really any rules when it comes to this kind of stuff, though?

           who the fuck pulls out a real knife out during sword training? for god’s sake, she shouldn’t even have had that on her person!

          well, at least they stepped in before she could cut you. 

           if anyone asked, she’d give them an answer: no. no, she absolutely did not regret any moment of it. it was their own fault for thinking she was bluffing when her conversation with those two in the hallway was shared around to the various cliques. 

           a rogue? how funny! talking right out of her ass, isn’t she? 

           if they didn’t pay attention to her before, they surely were going to now. previously passed off as an easy target, “nathalie” was starting to earn quite the reputation for herself. it was already surprising to many that she had lasted as long as she did; while many were sent back home for failing to keep up with the rigorous training dictated by the veterans, alison continued to steadily hold onto her position. this alone seemed to have started the shift in attitude amongst her peers, and their opinions only continued to change the more they watched her fight. this latest match seemed to have pushed everyone over the edge. 

            “imagine being so reckless! imagine being so dishonorable! i can’t imagine a noble wanting someone like that on their guard. not only are they a danger, but it ruins the reputation of the guard as a whole.” murmurs of agreement could be heard in response to the one who sounded so exasperated, and there was no effort to hide his anger towards alison. a sore loser, she thought as she stood off to the distance, a bottle of water in hand as she attempted to catch her breath. she had received a rather nasty admonishing post-match, though, she couldn’t help but notice a bit of praise for her quick thinking that underlaid all of the scolding. perhaps that was just her ego interpreting it as such, but she certainly wasn’t going to pass up on any praise. that was something she’d keep to herself, however, for the sake of not adding fuel to the fire ( for now, at least ). 

          “if she keeps at it like this, i wouldn’t be surprised if she got sent home for her behavior in these next upcoming weeks. absolutely unacceptable -- a rogue in the rose guard? whoever heard of such a thing? brutish, impulsive, crude -- a disgrace to the image of the rose guard.”

           “are you done shouting from your soapbox? i’m sure your followers understand how much you hate me already.” her voice had interrupted his endless ranting, and her tone was indicative of how unfazed she was by the complaints directed towards her. she cared very little for the opinions of others; only a handful of opinions mattered, and those of this man were not on her list. “if you’re that upset, you could try taking it up through the ranks until you speak with the duke himself. though, i’m sure he has better things to do than to listen to a resentful trainee.”

          “tch -- don’t sound so brash. you know damn well you’re getting some kind of special treatment. you would have been out of here long ago for your blatant disrespect otherwise.”

          “having a pleasant attitude the duke can appreciate is not special treatment. i just don’t have a stick up my ass like you do. funny --  i’d think that stick would help you hold your own weight, but i guess it just makes you insufferable.” 

          “you little bitch --!” 

          “oho, and now you’ve stooped down to name-calling. very mature of you, very respectful.” with arms crossed over her chest, she looks amused rather than intimidated as her peer crosses towards her, his form stopping in front of her own. 

          “i give respect to those who deserve it. and quite frankly, nathalie, you don’t. you don’t deserve my respect, nor do you deserve your current standing in this guard. you’ve weaseled your way this far, but it’s only a matter of time before someone cuts you down to size.”

          looking up, her features remain at ease as she listened to the vitriol being spat at her. “in due time, perhaps. but that person won’t be you.” 

          “and what makes you so sure of it?”

          “because your form is still, to this day, atrocious.” 

          “as if yours is really any better.” 

          and in a beat, she found herself with her back to the earth, the wind knocked out of her upon sudden impact. with a sheathed sword in his hand, the other had managed to swipe her off her feet, knocking her backwards onto the ground. wide-eyed, alison looks up at the sky above her, and the faces of her peers slowly come into view as their laughter ring in the air. his face came into view right above her field of vision, is gaze directed downwards at her. “you’re always so full of talk, nathalie. speaking as if you know better than the rest of us. you fight like a school child, like the class bully. that won’t get you far in the rose guard.”

         somehow, him getting in the last word before they were called back to attention for the rest of their training was more irritating to her than what was actually said to her. being able to see that smug grin on his face from above struck a nerve in her, and the tittering laughter of the others only added salt to the wound.

         if i count to ten, i could calm down, and then make my way back. if i count to ten, i could turn the other cheek and be the mature one in this situation. if i count to ten ... i’ll let him win.

          fuck that. 

          with the group’s backs turned to her, they don’t realize she’s back on her feet until it’s too late, until the one who criticized her is suddenly yanked backwards and separated from the group. a yelp of pain accompanies his departure, and it’s only then do the others realize that it’s nathalie who has dragged him away by the hair, it’s nathalie who has thrown him down onto the earth, and it’s nathalie who is currently standing over him, her hand on the hilt of the sword at her hip. 

          “y-you can’t draw that! you know we’re not allowed to draw swords outside of matches. you do that, and that’s another strike against you.” his words are rushed in a panic, though it’s clear from the expression on his face that he knows he has a point. she had to acquiesce -- he did have a point. it was a rule that was drilled into each and every one one of them since the first day, and its purpose was to maintain order and safety, especially amongst new recruits. despite knowing this, she finds herself unsheathing the thin blade of her sword anyway, the tip directed at the other’s neck. 

          “i’ll take my strikes. nothing i can’t talk my way out of. after all, you brought this onto yourself.” the blade moves closer to the other’s neck then, the tip resting just above skin. her touch is light, and she truly has no intention to pierce, but considering her unpredictable nature, she knew there would be doubts to her mercy. the fear was evident in his eyes, and the way the air stood still as everyone held their breath was indulgent.

         “you say i fight like a school child, but if you haven’t noticed, that actually has gotten me quite far. your honorable fighting? limited.” a foot raises and rests on the other’s chest then, her grip on her sword never faltering, her gaze never wavering. “honor in topaxi is dying. there is no more honor; anything honorable now is a facade to uphold an image. topaxi fights to gain, to take, to thrive -- there is no fairness. there is no courtesy. so why should i be courteous to those who look down on me?” and she allows just a bit of her weight to be pushed down onto the other’s chest. at this point, she notices that they are alone, the rest of the group having left to resume training. out of the corner of her eye, she can see someone watching them, one of the veterans, no doubt. perhaps they had already yelled at her to drop her weapon. she couldn’t recall; she had turned out the rest of the world for some time. 

          “i fight to survive. i fight to win. i intend to give my all, even if it means stooping low and playing dirty. if that’s how our city fights, then that’s how i’ll fight. why should i play nice?” finally, after what seemed like ages, she withdraws her sword and returns it to its sheath. the figure she had noticed watching made their move then and motioned for her to come with them. with a mischievous smile, she called out to her peer as she walked away from him accompanied by the guard. 

          “take notes for me, yeah? it seems like i’m in for another time out for a while.” 

[nelllraiser]

a minor cat-astrophe | luce & nell

TIMING: after taki got injured via constance. LOCATION: the pet hospital.  PARTIES: @nelllraiser and @divineluce. SUMMARY: good ol’ quality sister time.  

Nell was still at the supernatural pet hospital, and though Taki was far more than a pet, she knew that this was the place he’d receive the care he so obviously needed. He’d barely moved since Constance had blasted him, the rise and fall of his shallow breathing barely shifting his soot black fur as Nell continued to cradle his limp body in her arms, trying her best to keep it together. She didn’t want Taki to see her crying over him, not when he was probably already in such immense pain. But once he’d disappeared into the back of the veterinary practice, she’d simply sat in the waiting room with her head in her hands, unable to think of anything other than her truest partner in life, a familiar that was nearly an extension of her, and she of him. Soon enough, she was up again, unable to keep still as she had too many burning questions about the well-being of her Ovinikk, not hesitating to badger the poor staff of the clinic for every single piece of information they might have. That’s where she was when Luce walked in. She’d finally texted their sister group chat about Morgan, Jaime, and Taki as soon as Taki was behind closed doors. “I want to see him! Just through the glass or something! He might be scared!” 

When Luce had seen Nell’s disturbing messages in the sister group chat, she’d immediately grabbed her jacket and jumped in her car. As the only good driver out of the bunch, she found herself speeding through town, not caring about the speed limits and taking back alleys that kept her away from the street lights. Pulling into the parking lot, she ran out of her car and into the veterinarian’s office. Luce had no trouble locating her sister when she ran inside the building. Rushing up to her sister, she put an arm around Nell. “Hey, hey, hey. They’re taking care of him. He’s going to be okay, he’s going to be fine. The people here know what they’re doing.” Luce said, her voice uncharacteristically gentle. As the staff members skirted around the two sisters, she shot them apologetic looks, though it was tinged with the barest hint of a threat. They better fucking save Taki.

At first, Nell rounded on whoever it was that had put their arm around her, quite obviously ready to turn her ire and anger towards this new oncomer with a glare that could peel paint. Thankfully, it was just Luce. For a moment, her face relaxed into something closer to relief. But her frown quickly returned as her sister spoke. “I just want to see him.” Luce seemed to have an immediate effect on her, making at least a few of her throwns retract as her shoulders slumped a bit. “He wasn’t moving. Just all limp like- like he was-” Nell didn’t want to say the words- couldn't say the words when it came to her familiar. “He shouldn’t have been there. I should have left him at home, but he always came with me everywhere when I was travelling and it was fine! He’s never- it’s always been fine.” The words seemed to flow out of her quickly now that the floodgates had been opened. “I just wanna know what they know.” 

“I know you do. I know. And you’ll see him soon, you will.” Luce said, pulling her sister into a hug, holding her tightly. As her sister described what had happened to Taki, how she’d seen him go limp, how he’d been...  Luce felt a lump catch in the back of her throat. She couldn’t imagine how that must have felt, to see him like that. “Shhhh, shhhh.” She said, rubbing Nell’s shoulder with her thumb reassuringly. “You couldn’t have known this would happen. No one predicts this sort of shit happens. It just does.” She said, though a part of her wondered just what the fuck this even was. What had happened to him? But, she pushed the thoughts away with a hint of annoyance. She didn’t need to know about this shit right now. Nell was fucking besides herself with worry. No, she was gonna stay present. At Nell’s words, Luce’s brow furrowed. “C’mon. Let’s sit down, okay? Over there, in the corner.” She said, tilting her head to a secluded area of the waiting room. She had an idea, just a thought. It could help Nell. Maybe. Or it could make things a hell of a lot worse. 

Nell instinctively melted into the hug, hiding her face against her sister as she didn’t need everyone in the clinic to see the emotions that were running rampant across her features. She hated this. The feeling of being weak in public. For a moment it stoked her anger once again, but it quickly turned back to sorrow as she hugged her sister in return. “He’s my familiar. He chose me,” she mumbled against Luce’s shoulder. When her life had been full of friends coming and going, more people unwilling to stick around than stay, and an older sister in the form of Bea who didn’t even like her, Taki was her constant. Taki was her stalwart companion. “He needs to be safe. Even if I couldn’t predict it- I should have fixed it.” For a moment, Nell dug in her heels, and one could practically see the battle that took place of whether or not to give up her fight with those at the front desk flitting across her eyes. “Just for a bit.” That was what she could promise here and now as she dragged herself over to the waiting area. Then she’d be back to ask about Taki once more.

Feeling Nell lean into the hug, Luce felt her resolve strengthen. She was going to fucking make whoever did this to her sister, to her sister’s familiar, suffer. Nell hated crying in public, she hated looking like this. From the time they were kids, she knew this about her sister. So to see her like this now? It fucking enraged her. She’d stick a fucking sword right into the motherfucker who’d done this to her. The tattoo across her sternum was a reminder-- as annoying as her sisters could be (and annoying as she was to them), no one fucked with her family. “You couldn’t have known shit would go sideways, you really couldn’t. But, we’re going to make sure that he’s okay now.” She said. Reaching into her bag, Luce pulled a small compact mirror, a small scrying rune artfully disguised in the middle of a design that she’d etched onto the case. “Magic style.” She said with a nod. She’d had a friend from the coven make this for her a long time ago and, while it wasn’t the best scrying surface, it was good enough for taking a quick glimpse if needed. Focusing her thoughts on Taki, Luce grasped at the magic energy that lingered within the mirror and forced her own into it, powering the spell. The connection was shoddy, a bit flickery, a result of her poor connection to this form of magic. But, soon, a picture began to form in the mirror.

“Even if I couldn’t have known, I shouldn’t have put him in the line of fire, anyway. Bea’s right. I shouldn’t bring people along to things like this. Or familiars.” The sentiment was perhaps badly paraphrased from the conversation her and the eldest sister had on the beach before they'd thrown their coins into the ocean. Nevertheless, Nell straightened a bit with Luce’s promise of seeing Taki, a dash of hope flitting over her features for the first time. Recognizing the scrying mirror, Nell felt a pit of nerves grow in her stomach, uncertain if she was ready to see Taki or not. But at least she’d be able to stop wondering. Steadily, the shape of her familiar began to grow in the mirror, and Nell couldn’t help herself from reaching out to grip part of the mirror herself, as if it would bring her closer to Taki, or he might sense her. Of course, there was no such reality as she took in the image. He lay in what looked to be a little recovery area, a few IVs still sticking out of him, and bandages covering assorted bits of him. Eyes closed, Nell leaned forward, brows drawn together in worry and holding her breath until she could find the rise and fall of Taki’s fur that told her he was alive. “How long do you think it’ll be?” Her voice was quiet, at a volume she didn’t often use while she looked at the mirror. “Why can’t they tell me how long it’ll be?” 

“Hey. He was doing what any one of us would have done.” Luce said with a frown. She didn’t like hearing Nell put herself down, and she hated hearing the way that she mentioned their sister. Was Bea right? Maybe. But that didn’t mean that Nell had to beat herself up over not thinking just like her. “We’re Vurals, it’s kind of in our blood to throw ourselves recklessly in danger. That’s just what we do. He would have found a way to go with you no matter how hard you tried to keep you apart. Besides. You’re his person, Nell, it’s what familiars do.” She said reassuringly. As the image in the scrying mirror took form, Luce let Nell take hold of the compact easily. He didn’t look… good. But, he was alive and he was breathing and he didn’t seem to be in any pain. “They’re probably monitoring his condition, you know? Making sure everything is okay before they let you know how much longer it will be.” She said, hoping that the shit she’d heard on Grey’s Anatomy would work here.

“I don’t want anyone to jump in front of anything for me,” Nell replied stubbornly, bottom lip still jutting out. “Just because other people wouldn’t do it doesn’t mean she wasn’t right, though. And I’ve been trying!” Nell gained some momentum on her words, a tinge of desperation to them as she tried to convince this sister that she wasn’t just a disappointment, or someone to be disliked. Of course, she couldn’t know that she’d grossly misunderstood Bea’s words on the beach that day. “I’ve been trying to bring less people into my shit. And I should have tried harder with Taki.” Nell shook her head, all too ready to disagree with Luce. “You know that’s not true. I mean- look at Bea and Mom. Not that I mind throwing myself recklessly into danger. But this is different. I just…” Her shoulders sagged, as if taking on the weight of her own words. “You know how it’s always been,” she said quietly. “Taki’s something that’s always been there.” Unlike most of the people that frequented Nell’s life. “I hope so.” Her mumble wasn’t very promising as she looked towards the staff once again, as if sizing them up.

Luce’s brow furrowed in confusion at Nell’s words. “What do you mean, she wasn’t right?” Though, she had a sinking feeling she knew who it was about. Their mother. Of course Mom would say some kinda shit that would get into Nell’s head. They’d always clashed and it seemed that her younger sister’s adventures around the world hadn’t done anything to stop that pattern from continuing. “Hey, hey… Shhhh,” She said, trying to quiet her sister a bit, very aware that they were still in a public place. But, the gesture was also meant to provide some amount of comfort too. She knew how shitty it was to hear the backhanded comments about her life. “Fine, maybe Bea and Mom don’t, but they would if they got the sticks out of their kıç.” She tried to joke, to lighten the mood. “He’s gonna be okay. He’s gonna be fine and before you know it, that big furball will be shedding all over our clothes.”

Nell looked back to her sister from the front desk workers she’d been eyeing, teetering on the edge of just how much she should tell Luce. What if she agreed with Bea? What if today was the day she found out it wasn’t just one of her sisters that didn’t like her. “It was on the beach with Bea. She still had her coin that meant she couldn’t lie and well- I asked if I could ask her some questions.” Nell shrugged, looking somewhat defeated. “I probably shouldn’t have. She answered them, though.” But as certain as the sun, Luce’s comforting tone helped once again. Nell never knew how she managed to do it, just that she did. Finally, a barely there smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Yeah, I don’t know how they manage to sit anywhere.” As for Taki…”I hope so.”

Frown deepening, Luce watched Nell’s face as she spoke. There was something in her face, something that she recognized-- it was the same expression Nell had worn as a teenager, whenever a fight with their mother had ended and the two were stuck at silent odds against each other. “What did you ask? And what did she say?” She said, though she could imagine what it was. Bea and Nell had always been at odds growing up. In little ways as children, but the small conflicts had grown with them over the years. And Luce had remained firmly in the middle. She’d grown up watching their fights and had been there to make sure that neither one of them went too far, pushed the other too hard. The small smile that appeared at her sister’s face was encouraging and she nodded. “This will all be okay.” She said, the words more of a promise than she’d intended. She just hoped that she could keep it.

“I asked her-” Nell hesitated, not one to ever really bare the more serious side of her insecurities to anyone, but after what had happened with Taki...perhaps she wanted to hear Luce’s thoughts on the questions she’d asked Bea, as well. “I just asked her if she thought I was a disappointment. Or bad. And she said-” But what if Luce shared Bea’s feelings? What if she was about to find out that her other sister couldn’t stand her? She just had to rip the band-aid. “-that she doesn’t think I’m a disappointment, but things I do disappoint her, and that I endanger my friends. That it’s really hard to like me sometimes or something,” she finished with a shrug, trying to play down how much the words had actually affected her. Nell simply tried her best to nod, no longer having the fire to fight about Taki when she was reminded of her standing with Bea.

Silently listening to her sister’s hesitation, the fear in her voice, Luce had a feeling that she knew what the words were before she heard them. And she was mentally berating Bea for them. Maybe they were the truth, maybe they were how Bea felt. But, for fucks sake. They’d all grown up together, scrutinized under their mom’s hypercritical lens. And Nell had always been at odds with their mother. “It’s really hard to like Bea sometimes,” She said, shaking her head. Did she think Nell was a disappointment? Hardly. Leaving White Crest, having the balls to go travelling the world, and then coming back? When she could have stayed gone? “Bea may have been telling the truth, but not in the way you’re thinking. Everyone disappoints everyone at some point, everyone hates everyone at some point. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you and it doesn’t mean she doesn’t think you’re a good person. Because you are a good person.” She said, squeezing her sister’s shoulder. Was it a good answer? Not really. Shutting the mirror, Luce slipped it back into her pocket. “You’re not a disappointment, Nell.” Not any more than she was, honestly. 

Nell shook her head, not really blaming Bea for the things she had said. “It’s not- I mean we fight, yeah. It’s just-” For a moment Nell was left to fight with her pride and emotions, hating to reveal this part of her, and not particularly enjoying the sensation of pulling teeth from her own self. “Even if she loves me...it’s just...shitty. If she doesn't like me, you know?” It wasn’t exactly a secret that Nell had struggled with friends growing up, her personality not always being the most conducive to making them. And to think that her own sister wouldn’t like her- it hurt more than she liked to admit. “I don’t want to fight with her all the time. And I don’t want- it’s hard to feel like someone who’s ‘good’ after the beach.“ But a wan smile came over her as Luce affirmed her. “Thanks- that’s...really nice, though.” At least she knew Luce seemed to like her well enough. Nell watched as the mirror shut, saving the last glances of Taki as she turned to Luce again, biting her lip to keep herself from getting emotional again. Maybe her mom was ashamed of her,  and maybe Bea didn’t like her, but she had Luce, and that would be enough for now. 

[rmg91]

The Woes and Antics of Living Together-19

Aaah! We're getting close to a climax guys!!! I can't tell you how excited I am! But first we have a few more things to go through first, heehee~ Anyway, this chapter starts just a few hours after the last one ended and I also did not want to write a good portion of this for Reasons! But it had to be done.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

Previous Chapter/Next Chapter; AO3/FF.Net 

@writerofberk-Things are starting to happen! Aaaahhh!!!!!

                                                ~*~*~*~*~*~

It was later that same day, the rain still falling steadily, that found Poppy stretched out on the couch with her laptop, replying to her viewers' messages. Branch had left her for work, grumbling about going out in the rain, not too long after breakfast and she'd had the apartment to herself since. She had talked to the Snack Pack individuality throughout the day, assuring them she was feeling better but was gonna hang around at home until the rain let up. Suki and Biggie had told her they had returned to the university and started cleaning up some of the decorations but others would have to wait until it was less wet to work. Which was fine with her, as much as she wanted to go clean up like she always did after a party, it was wet and cold outside. Even she liked to stay inside sometimes during rainy days. Humming a happy tune, she posted another response to an adorable fan who told her they couldn't enough of her vlogs, when a knock came to the door.

“Just a second!” She called, scooting her computer off her legs and untangling herself from her blanket. She then almost tripped but managed to catch herself in time. Giggling, she wandered over to the door, wondering who it could be. Opening it she greeted, “Yes-Oh...Creek. Hi.”

The ombre haired man flashed her an apologetic smile, “Hello, Poppy. Mind if I speak with you for a moment? If I'm not intruding?”

“Of course!” She blurted out just a little loudly, opening the door for him, “C-come on in.” She hoped he didn't notice how odd she was acting, she was actually a little shocked at it herself. Then again Poppy also wasn't expecting him to just show up after he failed to show up at his own party, especially after she had also failed to contact him that morning. She had thought maybe something had happened to his phone but in either case she was still...feeling rather hurt over what happened so she wasn't sure how to act now.

Closing the door, she scurried into the kitchen to see if they had anything to he'd like to drink, she was still going to be a generous hostess, “So...would you like anything to drink?”

Creek flashed another weak smile at her, “No thank you. Listen, Poppy...” He heaved a great sigh, “I've come to apologize.”

“O-oh?” Poppy wrapped her arms around her, trying not to let it show how much just hearing that much made her feeling ten times better.

The guru came around the counter and placed his hands on her shoulders, looking down at her, eyes flashing with guilt, “I've done a terrible thing by not showing up at your party last night..which I may have found out was meant for me.”

“Well...”

“Now, now. Don't say it's okay.” He grabbed one of her hands and held it gently, “What I did was completely inconsiderate! And I'm afraid I don't have a very good explanation.”

Poppy was trying not to let too much of her curiosity show but she just had to know, “What happened?”

Creek sighed and ran a hand through his ponytail, “Well...you see some colleagues came by after we had our morning chat and took me out to a lovely little meditation ground just outside the city. While I had managed to get Guy's text before we arrived, fully intending to show up, we had then turned off all electronics before we began. We then lost tract of time I'm afraid.” He looked at her imploringly as he continued, “We had then gotten caught off guard by that nasty storm and decided to stick it out there. And I would have called but all our phones had tragically gotten all soaked.”

“Oh no!” Poppy gasped, That was horrible! How could she still be upset with him when all that rotten luck had happened? “Could anyone save their phones? I heard that if you put it in rice it might save it!”

Creek smiled at her and patted her hands, “You are too sweet.” He cooed before sighing, “And while I've yet to hear anything about theirs, mine is currently sitting in rice at home. It's why I haven't talk to you sooner. I'll let you know if it's been saved.”

“Alright,” Poppy breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried just for a moment that maybe, for some completely ridiculous, why-did-she-ever-think-that, moment that maybe Creek hadn't wanted to call or see her.

He frowned then, “It is not alright. I still performed a great injustice by not showing up or letting you know I wouldn't be arriving at what I assume would have been a wonderful Poppy-Brand party.” He cupped her cheek, “You mustn't forgive me that easily.”

“Creek,” Poppy stressed, taking both his hands in hers, “It was an accident! You hadn't meant to miss your party! You didn't mean to get caught in the rain or for your phone to have, possibly, gotten ruined! Don't apologize for something you couldn't control.”

“You are simply the most generous person I know, Love,” He complemented, “But I still must make it up to you.”

“Creek, no,” She shook her head, “It was your birthday party you missed. You don't have to make it up to me. You apologized for missing it!” And what a great deal better than made her feel, “That's all that matters!”

“Nonsense! I still missed something I'm sure you were excited to do for me. I insist you let me do something to make up for it,” He paused for a moment, “You could even count it as my birthday gift if you want.”

“I, well...” Poppy bit her lip, she still felt it wasn't necessary that he make it up to her since he already apologize but if he was insisting... “What did you have in mind?”

“Perhaps...” He shyly looked deep into her eyes, “A date? A real one.”

Poppy's eyes winded and she felt her heartbeat pick up as her cheeks turned pink. A real date? With Creek?! Dinner, possibly a movie or maybe even dancing?! She bit her lip again to prevent the full grin that was threatening to take over her face. It was all she'd been wanting for, “I...Okay.”

Creek grinned then, raising her hand to kiss her knuckles, “Fantastic. Tomorrow night?”

“Yes!” Poppy cheered before giggling shyly, “I mean...Yes, that sounds great.”

“I'll pick you up at six then?”

Poppy nodded excitedly, barely containing her glee.

The guru chuckled at her before letting her hand go, “Now, that I have properly apologized and asked the lovely Miss Meadows out, I'm terribly sorry that I must leave now.”

“Aww,” Poppy whined, “Couldn't you stay a little while?”

“I would love to but I have a class I must get to soon.”

“Oh! Right! Your Psychology class!” She giggled before walking him to the door and opening it for him, leaning on it with a smile, “Have fun~!”

“Ta-ta for now, Sweet~ I shall see you tomorrow evening.”

Another giggle, “Okay!” She waved him goodbye with a big, excited smile, “Bye!”

After closing the door, Poppy let out the loudest squeal in her arsenal before dancing around the apartment. She had a date! With Creek! A real, honest, dress up nice, going to a restaurant date with Creek!!! She couldn't believe it! She was so excited! The pinkette paused for a moment, realizing she had to call the Snack Pack! They were going to flip! Squealing again, she dove for her phone where it was sitting on the coffee table, elatedly starting a group call. This was going to be so great!

                                             ~*~*~*~*~*~

Branch curled up in bed facing the wall the next evening, trying and failing to block out the sounds of Poppy and the Snack Pack. They were all currently helping her get ready for her date with Creek and he couldn't stand it. When he had heard about it from the pinkette herself he could only stare in disbelief, because not only had she forgiven that sleazy, condescending bastard but she also believed that, quite frankly, terrible excuse he had fed her! Branch knew he had to be lying! Stuck out in the woods during that storm? With conveniently wet and unusable cellphones? Ridiculous! But it's not like Branch had any proof Creek was a lying weasel. And now he had to listen to Poppy, oh so excited and cheerful Poppy, get ready for a date with another man. He couldn't have even gone and hid at Gristle's! He and Bridget had their own date planned and Branch wasn't going to intrude on that. So, he was stuck here pressing a pillow hard into his skull to block out the noise and hope something came along that would just swallow his heart whole so he wouldn't have to feel like this anymore.

He cursed every known thing he could think of for making him fall in love with that beautiful, bright, generous, excitable, outgoing woman in the other room and for not giving him the courage to tell her. Not to mention there was absolutely no way she would ever return those feelings. Why would she? He was nothing but a miserable, irritable, reclusive, gloomy good for nothing! He honestly deserved to go live in a bunker in the woods so maybe now would be a good day to start looking into it. There was no way he was sticking around to watch Poppy and Creek date, and then move in together and then get married and have five kids, all whom would be overwhelmingly positive and-!

Branch growled and tried to buried himself further into his mattress. Maybe if he was lucky he'd suffocate and save himself from any more heartbreak. Then again the universe hated him so that probably wouldn't happen, as much as he'd like it to.

He heard a big commotion then, delighted cries and squeals of 'He's here!' and Branch had to scowl, they were acting so ridiculous over this. It wasn't like Creek was some big time celebrity or anything, he was just a crumby jerk who had somehow charmed Poppy into liking him. Branch didn't trust the guy to not hurt Poppy in someway, if he was honest. Yes, watching Poppy wind up with the hippie would be horrible but watching Poppy get her heart broken would be equally so and something in Branch's gut told him Creek would find someway to do just that.

And he couldn't say anything about it! Poppy and the Snack Pack would just stick up for the creep and said creep would just say something that sounded 'oh so wise' in the ears of his friends that would make Branch seem even more crazy and paranoid than he already was! It made Branch sick just thinking about how Poppy was so strung up by that smooth-talking bastard that even if he did somehow get up the nerve to tell her she shouldn't trust him, or at least question him a little, it would probably just come out as a jealous ramble and that was more than Branch was willing to chance. Even if he did somehow find the courage to say something he would probably just wind up outing his own feelings and then it would all be over! Because Poppy was honestly his reason for living most days and if she rejected him well...there really wouldn't be any point.

Sighing roughly, Branch sat up and scrubbed at his hair, pulling it as he clenched his hands, Why?!? Why did he have to be in love with the most lovable woman ever?! Why couldn't he be a normal human being and be upfront about his feelings no matter what the outcome may be?! Growling, Branch curled in on himself, questioning so many things that were wrong with him and was so wrapped up in his misery that he failed to hear someone knocking on his door. It was only after the third or forth time that he focused in on someone calling his name.

Glaring at his door, he did not want to deal with any of Poppy's friends right now, he barked, “What?!”

A pause before Suki's voice floated in from the other side of the door, “Chill out, Dude. Just me.” She paused again, maybe waiting for a reply from him before continuing, “Pops just left and we're all about head out too. We were gonna catch a movie and well...You wanna come?”

Branch blinked, unbelieving they really wanted him around before frowning, there was no way he wanted to go anywhere right now, “No.” And that was that.

“Well...Alright.” Suki responded, sounding unsure, “Text if you change your mind.”

Not likely, Branch thought as he listened to them leave. Then when the door closed and silence reigned he buried his face in his knees, once again left alone with his thoughts.

                                                ~*~*~*~*~*~

Poppy giggled sweetly at the story Creek was telling her about some amusing misunderstanding at the spa he worked at as he walked her home. This night had been just as she always wanted and she couldn't be happier. When he had picked her up earlier, the guru had brought a small bouquet of red roses, which had made the Snack Pack 'aaaw' in delight. Poppy had blushed and accepted them gratefully before asking Smidge to please put them in a vase. They had then said their goodbyes before Creek had whisked her away for a romantic night.

He had opened and held open the taxi's door for her before whispering the destination to their driver, stating he wanted it to be a surprise. She had playfully pouted and tried to ask where it was but he refused, before turning the subject to some new meditation technique he had heard about. Something he thought Poppy and the Snack Pack might be willing to try. After a medium length drive, they arrived somewhere on the other end of Bergenville at possibly the fanciest restaurant Poppy had ever seen. She had felt a little overwhelmed and under-dressed at the sight of such an upscale place but Creek had assured her she looked lovely and that the twins had once again designed a perfect dress for her. As they had entered, Poppy couldn't help but marvel at the place's décor, all of it a mixture of gold, white and red, and Poppy almost took out her phone to snap a picture before Creek had stopped her, saying it probably wasn't very appropriate for such a place.

After checking with the maitre d' for their reservation and being led to a table, Poppy had still been gawking at the place when Creek had gently chided her for it. Blushing and apologizing for it, she explained she just couldn't help it, it was so much more than any place she had ever been to. Creek had smiled charmingly then and said only the best for her. They had ordered not too long afterward, some fancy French dishes Poppy'd had a little trouble pronouncing before gently clinking their glasses of champagne together. It had gotten a tiny bit 'First Date Awkward' while they ate, mostly because Poppy had been trying not to talk too loudly over the soft violin music. Creek had told her to just be herself and to relax when she mentioned it but the young woman had still felt a tiny bit like she had to tone herself down. It was after possibly the most delicious desert Poppy had ever had, and she'd have to try to recreate it one day, that they left for another cab ride to the local movie theater.

The movie had been fun, some amusing new Rom-Com that Poppy had really enjoyed before Creek had taken her for a walk throughout the nearby park. They had talked and just wandered, lit up by the parks lanterns and moonlight before Poppy had yawned. That was when Creek had insisted it was time to end their date and that he walk her home. Now they were riding the elevator up to her floor and Poppy would be lying if she said she wasn't wishing for a good night kiss goodbye.

Creek escorted her to her door and she turned to smile up at him, “I had a really good time tonight~”

“It was entirely my pleasure, Love~” He replied, reaching up and cupping her cheek gently in his hand, “I hope we can do it again soon?”

“Yes!” Poppy cheered before blushing and giggling as she twirled a lock of hair around a finger, “I mean-I'd like that a lot.”

Creek chuckled, shaking his head at her exuberance before he started to lean in. Poppy gasped softly and closed her eyes, trying to hold in her excited squeak, as she tilted her head back and waited for his lips to meet hers. And when they did it felt...well it didn't feel like Poppy had always thought. Yes, his lips were warm and soft but...she had always thought her stomach would flutter like there were butterflies in it and that maybe there would be some sort of spark. But there wasn't and it made Poppy feel...like it was...like it just wasn't right. She tried not to frown as he kissed her with all these sudden and odd emotions running through her but Poppy honestly wasn't sure why she felt like this suddenly. She had always thought when Creek finally kissed her she wouldn't want him to stop but that's all she wanted him to do now.

When he did pull away, Poppy ducked her head down, hoping to hide her emotions as she worried her lips between her teeth. She wasn't sure why she felt like this but she didn't want to hurt Creek's feelings cause it wasn't his fault, maybe she was just having an off night? No, that wouldn't make sense as to why she felt so...not right about kissing Creek, she'd been dreaming about it for years after all. And she wasn't a stranger to kissing so why did she feel so odd?

“Have I truly made the princess speechless?” Creek's voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

“Oh!” She looked up and hopefully smiled something convincing enough that he couldn't tell something was off, “It-uh...It was nice!”

He smiled at her, well smirked was a little more like it, and leaned closer again, “Perhaps, if you liked it so much, we could...continue this inside?”

“Um-Oh...” Poppy really wasn't sure how to feel about what he was insinuating with the other feelings coursing through her currently, or just why her stomach suddenly squirmed, but she did know she...didn't want that, “I uh...Branch is probably home so uh...that might be a little awkward, don't you think?”

Creek had a definite smirk on his face now as he leaned in and caged her against the door, “Aww, we'd be quiet.”

Poppy wasn't sure where this sudden change in personality was coming from or if she liked it but she also knew she didn't want to do what he did, “N-not tonight.” She hoped he would take that answer and go back to the Creek she knew and the one that didn't make her feel all funny and squirmy.

“Very well,” He sighed as he flashed her a much more relaxed and Creek-like smile, finally leaning away and stepping back, “I shall see you tomorrow then?”

“Y-yeah.” The pinkette was still reeling from whatever it was that just happened as she nodded, “S-see you tomorrow...”

Smiling, he leaned in to kiss her once more before taking his leave. Poppy watched him go, heart still hammering but not in a good way, before slipping inside the door. She slumped against it and sighed forlornly, that hadn't exactly been how she had thought their date would end. The kiss, yes, the rest and the odd feelings making her stomach churn...not so much. Poppy let her face fall into her hands as she tried to make sense of all of it and why she felt so much better now that he was gone when Branch's voice cut through her thoughts.

“So how was the date?”

She jumped with a screech and whipped around the corner to see Branch leaning against the counter with a mug of coffee, “Branch!” She cried and try to force a smile onto her face, “Wha-what are you doing up?!”

He shrugged and looked down at the liquid in his cup, “Couldn't sleep.” Which was true enough, his insomnia had kicked in, but she also didn't need to know that he may have also been waiting up for her. Purely to know she got home safely, not because he was a damned jealous bastard who couldn't help but be curious about her date. “So?” He prompted again, “Your..date?”

“Oh!” Poppy exclaimed, forcing her smile bigger in the hopes he'd ignore how fidgety she was and how much higher her voice became. She was still trying to figure out how to feel about the last bit of her date, which Branch did not need to know about, “It-It was great! Yup! Super wonderful!” She grinned, hoping it looked less crooked that it felt as she shuffled by him, “Creek was handsome, I was cute, he was a gentleman, I was charming. There was dinner and a movie and a walk in the park! Super romantic! But anyway-” She gave a fake yawn, “Boy, am I tired! Gonna go to bed now! Night, Branch!” And she all but fled to her room.

Branch blinked and watched her disappear down the hall, wondering just what the hell that was. Yes, he may be jealous, he knew that, but he also knew Poppy. He'd known her longer than anyone! So he knew that wasn't proper Poppy behavior just now and those were not genuine smiles from her and it wasn't just him looking for a reason to suggest Poppy break up with Creek. Something had made her not gush in detail about it like he had excepted, something had happened on that date to make Poppy act weird, he just...didn't know what.

                                              ~*~*~*~*~*~

This chapter had too much Creek in it for me but had to be done -_- Also poor Branch and Poppy. I promise that's sort of the last time I'm really mean to Branch, obviously there's still a little more to go but it's all gonna work out, trust me. As I said, we're getting close to the climax! Anyway for now, I hope you enjoyed and look forward to the next chapter!

[rwbyremnants]

CHAPTER WARNINGS: striptease, semi-public fingering, squirting, voyeurism, fellatio.

=Chapter 6

Nearly an hour later, Ruby had finished tugging on her boots and was walking through the gymnasium with her bag slung over her shoulder, school uniform securely in place. The shower had given her just enough time to dispel all darker thoughts about Blake, to refocus on lunch and studying, and other important matters.

Of course, all of that took a backseat when she noticed Blake hovering behind a pommel horse. "What are you still doing in here?"

Still a mess from gym, Blake looked back around to her friend. As always, Blake was waiting behind for everyone to be done in the shower – which had struck her as odd before, but she never realised the true reason. Since today everyone seemed to be taking longer, it was more noticeable she was hanging behind.

"Waiting for them to clear out," she admitted. "No big deal."

"Right, yeah," she whispered. "I just thought you normally used the dorm showers to avoid… well, y'know." Plastering a carefree grin across her space, she said, "You want me to come with you?"

"Well… they're still in there." Blake reminded her. Although when they sat by one another's side she gazed over her friend's figure. She'd only just gotten clean again, but presumably she was still wearing the same underwear. "But if you want to put on a little show for me once they’re empty, be my guest."

Ruby's expression turned slightly mischievous. "Blake, are you asking me to flash my skirt? Naughty kitty!" But before Blake could answer, she flipped it up very briefly, allowing only the tiniest glimpse of black material. Once more, Blake's eyes shot wide open, her cheeks turning crimson as she shot a look toward the material. But right away she looked around to the exits.

"You're doing this on purpose, you total meanie."

"What?! B-but you asked, you said you wanted-" Pouting, Ruby folded her arms over her chest. "Are you teasing me again?"

"You're the one teasing me!" Blake laughed, playfully patting her leg.

"Hey, you yourself stood right there and told me you wanted to see my underwear again, so what did you want me to do, take it off and throw it at you?"

"That's an option?" she chuckled, by now the hand on her leg began rubbing up and down, unknowingly doing so in a teasing manner herself. "Just didn't think you would in here, but I guess no one is here."

That made Ruby freeze in her tracks. Looked like she had really stepped in her own words. "Um… okay." Glancing back toward the door to the locker room, she slid her hands up under her skirt.

"Wait…" Suddenly Blake realised what was happening. Ruby really was taking advantage of this moment, right in the middle of the gym room! "Here? Anyone could walk in!"

"Walk in on what?" she whispered as she began to slide the thin, lacy material down her thighs. "Unless they crawl on the floor they're not gonna be able to see anything."

"Oh…" As Ruby lowered the panties all the more, it was bringing even further heat to the Faunus's cheeks. Ruby was now exposed, she could do anything to her right now if she permitted. Which reminded her… "Remember that kiss last Dustmas?"

Finally, Ruby stepped clear of the lace and tossed them gently at Blake's blushing face. "How could I forget? It was… I've never done anything like that before."

When it was thrown at her face, it landed rather close to her nose. And the smell she was greeted with was a delight. A rather sweet, and yet pungent aroma. One which set more heat down to her below again. Even more so when talked about the night again. "And… what I did to you, besides the kiss?"

Mentioning that did make Ruby's knees twitch together involuntarily. She'd thought about that more than Blake could know. The slight chill on her rear made it harder to ignore the thought of where she had been so briefly touched.

"I dunno," she whispered as she took a hesitant step closer. "What did you do?"

"I was trying to show you how it felt, what you were doing to me." And slowly, she brought her hand up the insides of her legs, getting closer and closer to her skirt and what was beneath it. "Now that it’s less of a surprise… I can try it again, if you wanted?"

"I…" Gulping, Ruby's hands fell to Blake's shoulders to steady herself, breath coming faster as she swayed on the spot. "Blake, you're… I feel tingly…"

"Do you want me to stop?" she asked, stopping her movements completely. The hand simply stayed on Ruby's inner thigh, agonisingly close to the goal. But she needed permission. She would never do anything again without Ruby's say so.

Her voice barely a whisper, Ruby leaned in and asked, "Can you g-go really slow? Sorry, I'm sorry I'm so weird about this but it's all so new…"

"You're not weird at all," Blake reassured her, kissing her cheek then resting their foreheads against one another. "Just tell me what you need or don’t need, that’s all."

And so her hand trailed upward, finding the small dusting of hair just above her goal, and then ever so slowly and gently, her hand pushed up against the soft skin between her legs. One finger pushed itself between them, revelling in how wet and warm the area truly was. Ruby had been fighting off her own arousal for quite a while.

"Hnnhh!" she breathed at the contact. "Blake! What's… ohhhhHHHH!"

The digit felt thick and hard and foreign, even though Ruby knew it wasn't. There had been many dreams about this exact thing happening, how it would play out, how she would react. Now that it had arrived and heat was blossoming up from her vulnerable flesh, she found herself standing stock still, panting and holding onto her partner for dear life.

"This okay?" Blake asked before she followed through with her next movements, rocking the hand against her wetness backward and forward, stroking through the delicate folds of skin she found there. She knew how her own part worked, but this was entirely different! All of her knowledge about this was purely academic. What should she aim for?

It wasn't until when she moved her finger back she felt her finger rub against the small hood at the top that she figured that out.

"WH-WHOA!" Her fingernails dug into Blake's shoulders. That was beyond feeling good – that was feeling way too much! Should she cry? Should she scream? Both thighs parted unconsciously as the sensitive nub was prodded, and her legs shook with the effort of keeping herself upright. How did Blake know so much about this when she didn't have that anatomy herself?

But her sudden yelling worried Blake, even more so when it was followed up by Ruby's rather scared expression. Did she go too far? Was Ruby just putting up with this for Blake's sake? The worry was too much for her to think about, and so she eased her hand away from the nub, just continuing to touch her folds instead until she commanded.

Without the continuous pressure on that intensely overwhelming part of her anatomy, Ruby was able to start breathing more steadily, to relax into the pleasure of Blake's ministrations. This still wasn't something she would have sought out, but perhaps she could get used to it. Knowing Blake was the one doing it increased the pleasure tenfold, overriding her misgivings.

However, it wasn't fair that she was the only one enjoying herself. One of her hands slid down to palm one of Blake's sizeable breasts, squeezing it as gently as she could manage in the wake of such intense pleasure.

Blake sighed softly at the touch upon her breast. A sensitive, small touch given to her by the team mate she adored. It was enough to certainly make her ready for what was to come. But this was Ruby's time.

"Do you want me to go faster?" she asked, continuing the slow, gentle pace.

"Why are you asking me?" Ruby managed to ask shakily. "Like I have any idea wh-what I'm doing!"

"Are you enjoying it so far?" Blake instead asked, beginning to speed up a little more. "Is it goo-"

But when she began to hear the door handle rattle she quickly looked up, ears pinning back. Someone was coming in!

"AH!" Ruby's already high level of anxiety paired with the sudden fright of hearing someone entering the gym had an unforeseen consequence. Suddenly, a spritz of warm liquid splashed against Blake's hand.

What the hell was that?!

"I…" Face instantly turning the same shade as her weapon, Ruby snatched her panties from the floor where they lay and hissed, "W-we gotta hide somewhere! Where do we go?!"

Startled by the sudden liquid on her hand, at first she couldn't answer. But when the door handle continued to rattle she frantically looked around. There was only one option. "Quick, the bleachers!"

"Right!"

Tearing off toward them, she dragged Blake behind her until they were parked underneath the wooden stairs, peering through them as Coco, Velvet and Nora walked through the room, laughing to themselves. They certainly weren't attempting to hurry any.

Blake spied around through the gaps in the stairs, watching as the group just chatted with one another. What could they do? They weren't going to leave, and she was still in the process of helping Ruby out! They were both horny messes! "D-damn it… Now what?"

As long as they were waiting… "Um, sorry for what I… I mean, it's not pee! I promise! I just d-don't know WHAT happened!" Even as quietly as she was whispering, the guilt and shame were laced through every word. It would serve Blake right to be peed on, but she had no idea why – because Ruby had never told her. It was just too crazy to explain.

Remembering back to what had actually happened, Blake looked back down to her hand, wet from whatever fluid Ruby had just expelled into her. And then she looked back to the girl, who seemed scared out of her wits.

"No, don't be sorry." She smiled, leaning forward to kiss her cheek again. "It was… kinda hot, actually. And it doesn’t smell like pee, so I believe you."

Rouge filled Ruby's cheeks as she tried to remember the sensation, the odd contraction in her abdomen just before she had loosed a completely foreign substance. It was indescribable. Would it happen again if she allowed Blake to continue her actions?

Their three fellow Huntresses-in-training had stopped entirely, chatting and carrying on. Nora was presently miming some sort of action that she couldn't quite fathom. Did they wait?

No. She decided they would not wait. From where they crouched, she reached back and grabbed Blake's hand, bringing it to the back of her thighs and leaving it there. If Blake took the hint and decided to do anything, it was entirely her choice.

Blake's gaze flicked between all of the important factors. The other students in the hall across the way, the hand on Ruby's thigh, and Ruby's face.

"Are you sure?" she mouthed, before slowly moving the hand upward toward the in-betweens of her legs again.

"They're not leaving," Ruby hissed back, eyes still focused on them. "And you want to, and we already started, a-and… I liked it, so…" She pulled her hood around to the front of her face and pushed it against her mouth, then nodded at Blake again to continue.

"A-alright." She nodded, returning her hand right back to the same position it was in. Slowly, she dipped her finger back into the soft wetness between Ruby's legs again, moving forward and backward at the same speed they were back at previously.

Experimentally, she leaned down to Ruby's ear, whispering, "Is this good? You like me touching you?"

A strangled cry was loosed into the hood. Indeed, Ruby found it incredible; the light and teasing touches through her clothes had been but a precursor for what Blake was doing to her now. Slowly, deliberately, she eased her thighs apart so the finger would slip deeper into her warm centre, tease her flesh further. Never before had her heart beat this fast.

Little did she know, her actions would do something more. As she spread herself wider, the finger within the folds pushed right up against her entrance. Not quite entering her, but still enough to tease her for entry. From the amount of wetness there, she could tell her friend was ready.

"What do we have here?" Blake teased again. "A nice little place for me to fill, hmm?"

Both of Ruby's silvery eyes went wide behind the folds of the hood. "To fill." Blake wanted to fill her, and that could only mean one thing. Was she ready to progress that far? Shifting her hips from side to side, she tested the feel of the finger there, but everywhere it touched against her sex merely sent a shock through her that seemed to short out her brain. Toes curled inside her boots, her back muscles seized.

Meanwhile, she noticed something else: having Coco and the other two to watch helped distract her from what was going on behind her, calmed her anxiety. It enabled her to weather the overwhelming pleasure that would normally have been far too much. For that, she was oddly grateful.

"Still okay?" Blake asked, kissing at her cheek gently once again as best she could behind the hood. She didn't want to pressure her too much, so entering her body at this time would possibly be too much. But still she continued to rub against the wet folds gently, now increasing her speed even quicker.

Hips swaying and legs trembling, Ruby nodded and kept her eyes on Nora and Velvet laughing as the roving hand of her companion explored every inch of her entrance. That she hadn't entered yet surprised her, and yet she was unbelievably grateful that it was the case. Curious though she was about feeling such a thing, it simply wasn't time.

And it wasn't really necessary. Already, she felt her heat building higher and higher from the mere repetition of the act, from Blake's presence between her shivering thigh muscles. Something was going to happen.

What could she do in order to get Ruby over the edge? To make this fun for them both? Maybe kissing her cheek yet again. This time, she pressed her lips back against that cheek, again and again, over and over as she thrust her hand back forth against the soft delight of her folds. It felt good enough to touch, how was it feeling for her to receive?

Itching her way down further, she nuzzled the material away around her neck, before kissing that eagerly, pressing small kisses all over.

A hiccup sounded deep in Ruby's throat at the feeling of lips and eyelashes on her neck. What was Blake doing? Against all odds, somehow it only served to heighten her enjoyment of the act taking place in her nether region. Now the finger inside of her was moving so quickly and so firmly that she could actually hear it – a watery squelching noise that she didn't know her body was capable of making.

Something felt as if it were missing, though. Blake was giving her pleasure and was getting none in return. It was wedged firmly in her mind that she was the one who pleasured Blake; doing things in reverse just seemed wrong. Of course she knew that wasn't logical, but she couldn't help feeling that way. Clenching the hood between her teeth, she used that hand to reach over and press it down between Blake's legs – just holding it there and no more. For now.

Blake’s eyes shot wide when feeling Ruby's soft fingers upon her length through the fabric. What exactly was she suggesting? They couldn't go all the way, Blake didn't have protection on her person for that; perhaps if Ruby wished to stroke her at the same time?

But Blake was eager to please, and so leaned up to her ear to whisper, "Maybe after yours…"

And with that, her finger slowed its movements, allowing her thumb to move upward and perform slow circles around the nub again. Yes, last time Ruby squealed at the contact there, but maybe now she was ready.

The contact was the final straw. Unable to keep silent any longer, Ruby screamed into the hood as her first orgasm rocked her entire frame, the muscles in her sex undulating in ways she had no idea were possible… and a light stream of hot, thin fluid sprayed onto Blake's hand again.

And a second one. And a third.

The scream worried her more than the fluid Ruby was producing. Immediately, she looked over to the others in the room, making sure they weren't alerted. But thankfully, they were continuing their conversation as normal. It was muffled enough by the fabric in Ruby’s mouth that the only ones to hear it were her and Ruby.

Then she looked back down toward her hand, taking it away from Ruby's soft folds to examine it further. But most importantly she had to ask, "How was that?"

Ruby's entire body swayed when Blake's hand drew away. Another moan was let into the hood as an aftershock rocked her, but following that she took a few quick breaths through her nose to be sure, then allowed the hood to fall from her mouth.

"Blake… you were… I never knew I could feel like that, y'know? How did you know?"

"Hey, anyone can feel like that. It's just how you use different parts." She smiled, but then looked back once again to her hand. It was something she hadn't heard of women doing, and yet, it was rather erotic to see. Curious, she inspected her hand closer, sniffing at it.

Noticing, Ruby made a face. "Umm… yeah, sorry. But I still swear to you it's not what you think it is! It's… can girls do what boys do when they finish? Is that a thing?"

"I don't even know… But I kinda like it." As much as she wanted to taste what was on her hand, she thought against it. That could be too much for one day. Perhaps in the future, if they did this again. "Did it feel good?"

"Of course!" Then she flushed and ducked her head slightly. "N-not that I'm turning into some kind of sex maniac or anything! I promise! But… yeah, I liked it. You're really good with your hands."

Blushing madly, she looked back down at her hands once again, and then bunched up her shoulders shyly. "T-thanks. So are you with yours."

"Yeah, I can feel that." Indeed, Blake was hard again for sure. Ruby didn't have enough long-term experience to know to what degree, but it was definitely not flaccid. Casting a casual glance over through the slats at where Nora was drifting toward the exit even though Velvet and Coco were making no move to follow her, she began to rub her hand along the length slowly and steadily.

Half closing her eyes, Blake laid back to allow the pleasure to sweep over her. Pleasure by another person's hand was something she had not felt in months. She didn't even think she missed it. But when her stroking got closer to the head once more, she craved it more than she could describe. Sure enough, the more Ruby caressed the bulge in Blake's shorts, the larger it grew, until finally it was bursting at the seams. Therefore, the next logical step was to prevent the shorts from tearing.

"Here," Ruby whispered as she sat back on her heels to free up the other hand that had been holding her aloft in order to tug the shorts down, all the while petting her arousal. Underneath were thick violet underwear with quite a lot of elasticity to the material. "Oh! Is… do these help keep it hidden?"

"Y-yeah… I usually keep it tucked back. But it’s uncomfortable. Those kind of help with that." She appeared rather embarrassed about that fact, but when the hard length was back in her hand she looked back up to Ruby through her half-closed eyes. "You especially make that difficult."

Dipping her head slightly, Ruby whispered, "I'm s-sorry… do you want me to stop? I'm not trying to annoy you, or make things harder…" Then she heard what she said and squirmed. "More difficult! I meant that I don't want to make things more difficult!"

Despite trying to keep quiet, a chuckle managed to escape her at that comment, looking over to Ruby as she clutched her arousal. "I think you did want to make this harder . Can't fool me, Ruby Rose."

"I wasn't trying t- you're teasing me again," she finished grumpily. "Well, two can play at this game." Then, she whipped the underpants down to join the shorts around Blake's knees, exposing both hardened sex and smooth backside to the open air.

"W-whoa!" The sudden confidence took Blake by surprise. Even more so when the cold surface of the gym floor touched her backside. It drew out a small yip from her. "G-GAH, that's cold!" she added, though she then gazed down at her hardened sex once again. Some how, it always seemed bigger when with Ruby.

"Awww, do I need to help warm you up?" Tugging the clothing all the way down to her ankles, Ruby crawled forward to more directly address the "problem" they now had. For the first time, she could now see everything on display; the soft spheres of flesh that hung below and where it all connected to her body. Leaning in, she left a light kiss against the skin.

Sighing contentedly at the kiss, she made another quick gaze over to the unwanted company. Why wouldn't they just leave so she could be as loud as her heart’s content? At least then she could get completely naked rather than half. Still, even half was enough to make her noticeably nervous, shown as her legs shifted back and forth.

Much to Ruby's surprise, the scent was overpowering. Clearly it had something to do with Blake not having showered quite yet, and when she had that thought she expected herself to feel disgusted… but instead, it only further spurred her desire. After all, if she had found it even slightly hot to be doused with pee by the Faunus once upon a time, Blake’s light coating of sweat over her body should only add to the allure. Pulling the hardness upward, she leaned in and trailed her tongue from one of the soft globes to halfway up the shaft, delighting in the pungent scent and salty taste.

It was already a struggle to keep quiet. When she found herself moaning quietly at the movement of her tongue, she knew there and then she needed something to silence her. And that's when she spotted Ruby's panties, still lying on the ground. Without a second thought, she immediately grabbed them, thrusting them up and over her mouth to quell any further moans. But the scent was another wonderful sensation, which only added to her pleasure.

"WHA-" But that was as far as Ruby got, stunned into silence by the sight of her own panties smashed up against Blake's face. That article of intimate apparel was literally pressing against the lips and nose of the person she cared about most.

It was then, during the stunned silence, that they heard the sound of a slap. Turning back to the slats of the bleachers, Ruby saw Velvet was rubbing her rear end and glaring at Coco, who was merely laughing bemusedly. When Velvet started shaking a finger at her and saying something stern they couldn't quite catch, Coco merely stepped in and kissed her soundly.

"Wh-whoa," Ruby breathed.

Behind her bow, the ears had also perked up at the sound of a slap, and the conversation between the two. And when seeing the two members of team CFVY kissing, she too was concerned. "Oh… I had no idea they were… like us, I suppose."

"Me either." Ruby noticed Blake was staring at them very intently. This was a chance to catch Blake off guard, while she was distracted by the other team. Smirking slightly, she began to stroke her shaft at a brisk pace, whispering, "Feels like watching them kiss is making things worse in this department, huh?"

"A-AH!" Once again, Blake found herself having to shove the panties over her mouth, quelling her further moans that came from the firm, hard contact. As she gazed over at the two once again, still kissing rather deeply, it did indeed make things worse. "Mff…"

Snickering as quietly as she could, Ruby leaned down and kissed the tip of the throbbing length as her hand worked at it harder. "I didn't know you liked that kind of thing. Watching people. Yang told me some guys are really into that, but I guess girls can be, too."

This really was torture. Not only could she not respond to Ruby thanks to having to keep quiet, but she was almost humiliating her for enjoying to watch others whilst getting pleasured herself. That was arousing on it's own, and made the blush blossom within her cheeks again. But as she worked her length harder and harder, it was becoming difficult to hang on.

As Ruby licked at the bell end, she felt extremely self-conscious about the act she was contemplating next. Still, now was as good a time as any. On the other hand, she wasn't sure she could go through with it for the same reason she previously wasn't sure she could let Blake touch her for more than a few seconds. But Coco and Velvet were still providing the perfect distraction.

"Hey, Blake?"

To respond as best she could, she opened her eyes again, looking down to Ruby. "Hmmm?"

"Keep watching them. Don't look down, okay? You promise?"

What was she in for? But in no mood to argue, Blake turned back to continue watching the two, who were kissing deeper and deeper by the minute. Sure enough, it was making her arousal worse. Taking the action as a tacit agreement to their terms, Ruby swallowed hard, took a few deep breaths… and then plunged her head downward, taking the shaft all the way to the hilt in one smooth motion.

"MFF!" Suddenly there was a tightness unlike anything she had ever felt before wrapped around her, warm and wet, with a tongue managing to glide around and all over her length. More beads of sweat were beginning to form on her forehead. As much as she wanted to look down, she continued to keep her eyes glued to the two kissing – keeping her promise.

Moaning softly around the girth filling her throat, Ruby held it inside of her for a long moment, growing accustomed to the feel, welcoming it inside her throat. It had taken her a lot of consistent practice to be able to do this, and she still had slip-ups where she had to gag; it wasn’t easy at all. Once confident that she was ready, her neck began to pull at it as she drew back up again only to dive down, repeating the motions over and over.

Not only was the seal tighter around her than Blake could describe, but it was now bobbing up and down. Her legs began to tremble as she tried to hold herself back, but it was impossible! Her orgasm was building quickly and rapidly, so much so that she had to use her spare hand to pat at her friend's back, attempting as best she could to warn her.

Alas, Ruby was too focused on her task to understand what the pat meant. Instead, she took it as a cue to move faster, and she did indeed start to fellate her teammate with all the speed she could muster, making an accidental grunting noise as she found a rhythm, the thick and heady flavour filling her entire being as she felt it throbbing against her tongue.

Which made the patting on her back pointless. Instead, Blake grasped her hood as tightly as she could to try and hold on. But it was too late.

"MRRFFF!" With legs trembling even worse, the shaft within the younger girl’s mouth expelled a fair amount of seed right into the girl's throat, groaning into the panties as white hot pleasure coursed throughout the entirety of her body, making her short of breath.

There was a muted choking sound as Ruby took it in. So soon? It had caught her off-guard, and her body scrambled to catch up, taking every last drip into her stomach. Her hand dipped down to gently fondle the balls, hoping to coax the last of the fluid from inside them and into herself, shivering at how overheated and damp they were. For whatever reason, she felt incredibly satisfied with herself to have brought Blake off so quickly and completely.

With a contented sigh, she released her friend's hood to allow her to pull off, if she so desired. Unlike Ruby, it wasn't possible for her to go again so soon, but the delicate touching of her ballsack was rather relaxing, making her lean her head back as she panted heavily. Recovering.

Of course, both of them should have been more wary of their company.

"Did you hear…?"

Those words had come from Velvet, and were only audible because both Ruby and Blake were between desperate gasps of air. Now they were both holding their breath to listen.

"Can't get away from me that easily," Coco growled, yanking the rabbit-Faunus back into her arms and prompting a half-alarmed, half-gleeful shriek from her supposed "victim".

"Geez," Ruby breathed as she finally drew Blake's flesh from her mouth. "Never would have guessed they were that friendly with each other."

"I think that's… more than friends," she panted, reaching back over to grab her underwear that was yanked off earlier, quickly pulling it back up and covering her rather soaked anatomy. As much as Ruby may like to see that, Blake herself was still rather self-conscious. If they were to be exposed, it was only for as long as needed. Never more.

"Awww," Ruby whined quietly as she watched the glistening bit vanish. "I was still playing with that!"

"S-Still?!" she panted, managing another chuckle. "Ruby, I know you like it but I don't think I could take anymore so soon!"

"I'll say. Guess all my practising paid off, huh?"

"P-Practice? You practiced this?! " Clearly Ruby had been thinking about when they would have another encounter for quite a while. But of course, the results were nothing to complain about. "Wow. Guess I'll have to catch up."

At that, Ruby had to laugh. "Why would you practise going down on a dick? I don't have one of those!"

"I-I mean on-" Of course, Ruby was teasing. "You know what I mean…"

"Phew, am I glad I picked the longest banana I could find, though," Ruby went on as she picked up her undies. They were a tad damp, partly from the last of the shower water but mostly from Blake's hot breath. "You were, um, bigger than I remembered from all those months ago."

"I was?" Her cheeks glowed red once again as she pulled her shorts back up, and then all evidence of her large length had disappeared under the fabric.

"Yep!" Then her beaming smile slipped a notch as she pulled her underwear up. "Is… is that okay for me to say? I know guys are supposed to like it when you talk about how big their packages are, or something. So I wanna make sure I’m not doing a bad thing since you’re a woman."

"Well…" She sighed once again, looking down at the union of her legs. "I don't mind having it, per say. What I do mind is people's reactions to it. The intolerance. If you like it, and can remember it doesn’t change who I am, then I don't mind you talking about it being ‘big’ or anything."

"Seriously, I love it." Shrugging her shoulders, Ruby whispered, "For some reason, you having it makes it less scary than if I were with a boy. Is that weird? I don't know what I'm saying…"

"No no, it makes sense." She smiled, budging herself over to sit closer to her friend, before wrapping her arms around her to cuddle her closely. "I think I would be the same, if it was another girl like me. At least then, there would be no misunderstanding."

"Yeah," she grunted huffily. "Stupid meanie-butt Adam and his stupid friends."

A squeal of delight caught their attention, and they looked between the risers to see Coco was nibbling on Velvet's neck. Would those two ever leave?! Even so, it wasn't much of a concern for Blake. In fact, all she wanted to do was cuddle into the girl by her side, snuggling against the top of her head as she purred affectionately. But of course, she was still rather sweaty from their class.

"My stinky Blake," Ruby said affectionately. Even though she made the comment, and even though she had just showered before they found themselves doing unseemly things beneath the seats, she still snuggled her as close as she could, face blissfully happy.

[reptilerach]

“Rejection”; Chapter Twenty-Nine

NOTES: Only one more chapter till I update all uploaded ones with links to Chapter Thirty!! Man, how time flies.

I’m finally starting to feel better, so here’s a somewhat emotional and touching chapter for y’all. 

Honestly, I can’t thank you guys enough for all the support you’ve given me through my hard times this past week. Hopefully now I’ll be able to get back on track!! Love you all!! 

And without any further ado- please, enjoy. :)

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Sunlight- er, whatever the main source of light is in the Underground- shone through the window besides you. You woke up with a bland layer of morning breath coating your throat, to which you scowled and smacked your dry lips together. A hum buzzed in your ear, quiet at first but steadily growing louder. It became so ear-deafeningly loud that you shot your eyes open and covered your ears immediately.

“Jesus Christ, what is that noise?!” You shouted, squinting from the brightly colored living room. A flash of white streaked past you, and you were forced back into your sleeping position on the sofa. You let out a “Oomph-!”, and something wet began licking your face. The feeling resembled your pooch in the real world, (Dog’s name), slobbering their tongue all over your mouth and glasses to wake you up.

You spat profusely, and clawed at the soft object rapidly moving in your hands. It in fact was a dog, one that's fur was as white as the blanket of snow outside. It had a small black nose, and a cute pink tongue that was lolling about happily. Its tail spun around at the speed of sound, and it stood up straight on your stomach.

The highly annoying sound came back, and you realized it was Papyrus screaming. “NO!! BAD DOG! GET OFF OF OUR GUEST! WHY ARE YOU EVEN IN MY HOUSE?!” Paps held a long broom and swat it at the poor puppy barking in your lap. You  snickered, and caught the end of the weapon quickly.

“Papyrus, what’s wrong? This little guy just wants some love!” You laughed, but that only angered the tall skeleton even further. “HE IS A PEST THAT STEALS MY SPECIAL BONE ATTACK AND HIDES UNDER THE SINK!!” Papyrus stomped his foot against the carpet forcefully, and the TV shook. His scarf flowed behind him, and he turned his nasal cavity up in disgust.

You pet the back of the animal carefully, and he yipped with joy. Snuggling up to your touch, he whined for attention. You chuckled, and complied. The dog gave you another kiss, and curled up on your chest. Papyrus gawked at you in awe, and dropped his broom away from your grasp. “HOW HAVE YOU TAMED THE VICIOUS BEAST SO QUICKLY?!”

You pat the lap dog’s head a few more times, and he wagged his little tail. “He’s not vicious! Look, the poor guy just wanted someone to give him a good rub.” You commented, and Papyrus crossed his arms. “I STILL DO NOT LIKE HIM STAYING IN MY HOME. HE ALWAYS DOES THIS RIGHT BEFORE I HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK!” You raised a brow, and frowned.

“Go back to work? What time is it? Have you been out already?” Papyrus groaned, and reached out his hands to swipe the pooch off of your body. You cried out in protest, but before Paps even came close the dog jumped and ran up the stairs. Then, it disappeared into Sans’ room which had its door surprisingly open.

“THE CURRENT TIME IS 12:46, HUMAN. I TAKE BACK WHAT I SAID ABOUT YOU WAKING UP MUCH EARLIER THAN MY BROTHER.” He huffed, but smiled anyways and walked over to you. Your eyes widened with shock, as you normally don’t even sleep in this late back home. “Well, I did go to bed around 2 in the morning.”

Papyrus looked around, and perked up once he remembered something. “WHAT HAPPENED WITH SANS LAST NIGHT?” He asked, frowning in confusion. Your face burned, and you stammered out a pathetic inquiry. “U-um, what?” Papyrus sat down besides you, and nudged your gut playfully. “YOU KNOW… HOW THE BOTH OF YOU WERE CUDDLING DURING THE MOVIE?” He wiggled his non-existent eyebrows, and you gasped.

“We were not! The movie was horrifying, and the first thing I grabbed was Sans. By accident!” You exclaimed, hiding your face in your hands. Papyrus chuckled, refusing to drop the subject. “YES, YOU GRABBED HIM. THEN YOU FELL ASLEEP ON HIM. IF THAT WAS THE CASE, WHY IS HE IN HIS ROOM?” You averted your gaze, and scratched your head.

“I helped him up the stairs and into his bed. I don’t think spending the evening underneath such a heavy human like myself would be very comfortable.” You grimaced, and the blush began to settle down. Papyrus’s grin faltered, and he placed his hands in his lap. “A...HEAVY HUMAN? LIKE YOU?” He questioned, and you nodded solemnly.

“Yeah. I’m the opposite of what a girl my age should weigh.” You brushed a hand through your messy hair, and mentally reminded yourself to wash it sometime soon. You became self-conscious of how you smelled, and the sudden urge to shower pulled at your mind intensely. “BUT DEAR FRIEND (Nickname), YOU LOOK FINE! WHY WOULD YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT?”

You gazed up at Papyrus, and his eyes told you everything. Since all monsters loved him, he wouldn’t know what a hurtful insult was like if it was plastered across his forehead. And if he did, he was just way too optimistic to care. You wished your brain was wired that way too. But it wasn’t; and that’s because you cared too much about what others thought of you.

“That’s just what other humans on the Surface think of me, Paps. I’m not like them; I’m much taller and bulkier. Everyone my age is shorter than Sans, and about as skinny as a twig. For that, I get teased constantly and now it’s simply what I choose to believe.” You smiled, but it was absent of any joy.

Papyrus opened his arms, and you accepted his attempt to comfort you. “(Nickname)… YOU ARE A REMARKABLE YOUNG LADY. THE GREAT PAPYRUS KNOWS THAT IF PEOPLE GAVE YOU A CHANCE, THEY WOULD FIND YOU AS WONDERFUL AS I DO. AND NOT JUST FOR YOUR LOOKS.” His cheekbones tinted orange, and you hugged him tightly.

You were so glad to have a friend like him, but your mind had to go and ruin the moment by reminding you that the tall skeleton was merely code. Yet, you were holding him and communicating with him… which still stunned you to the point of being physically petrified in awe. Papyrus rose from his spot, and you reluctantly let him go.

“WELL, I MUST BE OFF. MY BREAK IS NEARLY OVER, AND THAT LAZY BONES IS STILL SLEEPING!! I THOUGHT I WOKE HIM UP TWENTY MINUTES AGO, BUT IT SEEMS THAT HE’S PROCRASTINATING. AGAIN.” With that, Papyrus stormed up the stairs and charged into his older brother’s room.

There was a crash, a couple of shouts, and another door being slammed open. You chuckled, and head up to the second floor to clean yourself. Remembering that you needed new clothes after taking your shower, you peeked your head out the door to search for Papyrus. However, he was already gone. Groaning, you stalked down the hallway to see if Sans was still in his room either.

He was not, and you cursed under your breath. “Hey, Sans!” You called, but no answer. You ran back downstairs, but no one was around. Dammit… if I want to take a shower, I’m gonna have to borrow some of their clothes. Luckily, you recalled having the skeleton brothers’ phone numbers, so you text the two in a group chat asking for permission.

Papyrus responded immediately, and gave you a straight answer. Sans did not respond, which made you wonder if he was even with Paps in the first place. Did he already teleport to Waterfall? “ABSOLUTELY, (Nickname)! SEEING THAT MY BODY IS MORE SIMILAR TO YOURS THAN MY BROTHER’S, YOU MAY CHECK FOR ANY CLOTHES TO WEAR IN MY DRAWERS.”

You breathed a sigh of relief, and wiped a bead of sweat off your head. Trudging back up to Papyrus’s room, you made sure not to snoop around too much. The skeleton had a lot of goofy clothes, which he labelled as “Date Clothing”. You giggled, pushing past them and taking out what appeared as jeans and a black tank top.

Beaming broadly, you snatched those off the rack and rushed into the bathroom. You’d have to reuse your undergarments and bra, but that was okay. You presumed that neither of the skeletons would even owned a spare bra- perhaps you could bother Alphys for one later on, if you ran into her. Her bust and yours seemed to be in the same range.

For a fleeting moment, the idea of going into Sans’ room and taking a pair of his clean boxers passed through your mind. You flushed a deep red, so badly that it covered your ears and chest. Shaking the suggestion away, you laughed to yourself. Yeah, that wouldn’t be totally perverted and weird snooping around touching others’ underwear.

Not wanting to stall any longer, you stepped into the shower and did your business. After drying off, you put on the first layer of clothing. Then you picked up the skinny jeans, and inspected them. They were slightly worn, but not so worn that they were too big. You slipped them on, and they fit snuggly. Your legs and hips were significantly wider than Papyrus’s, but the pair of pants hugged your waist the same as your shorts. If not, more.

Happy that you wouldn’t wind up stealing some basketball shorts anyways, you tried out the tank. It was larger than the stretchy running tank tops that you used to wear back in the real world, and was pretty low cut. For once, you thanked your mom’s genes and tugged at the back of the shirt. Yes, it was still kind of deep cut, but at least your chest filled it out enough to not reveal anything.

You gave yourself a long look in the mirror, and combed your hair. The straight, wet strands stuck to your back and you shivered. Longing for your signature red hoodie, you left the bathroom and re-entered Papyrus’s room in search for a somewhat fashionable coat. Your eyes widened at the brown leather jacket in the deeper part of the closet, and snatched it up quickly.

Pulling the sleeves over your shoulders, you marveled at how stylish Papyrus was behind the scenes. Giving your hair a good flip, you felt pretty awesome at the moment. Boots would’ve made the look even better, but alas life caught up with you and you threw your black Nike sneakers on instead. You took a towel out of the cabinet by the bathroom, and ruffled your wet locks inside of it.

Sure, the act probably tangled up your hair all over again, but you didn’t care. You’ve always had wavy curls, and on special occasions you’d straighten it. The change never stayed more than 48 hours, as your head was pretty stubborn on staying the same form. You swiped your phone up from the couch, and checked for any new messages. You’d missed a call from none other than Sans- swiftly, you dialed the number back.

It rang three times, making you bite your lip anxiously. Finally a gruff voice sounded from the other side of the receiver. “hello?” You sighed a breath of relief, and greeted the skeleton. “Hey, Sans. Um, you still want me to hang with you at your station in Waterfall today?” You could see him nod approvingly in your mind, and you smiled.

“totally. i saw your text to paps a while ago; you didn’t rummage around through my underwear, did you?” You blushed crimson, and growled from embarrassment. “N-no! Jeez, you’re such a perv!” He chuckled, and you slapped your forehead. He was thinking the same thing I was before.

“heh, sure i am. anyways, sorry i couldn’t wait for you to get ready. as you probably heard, papyrus dragged my bone-tired body all the way here and now i can’t leave.” You scrunched up your nose, and put a hand on your hip. “Can’t you just teleport here real quick?” He snickered, and you could feel the shit-eating grin on him.

“aw, does (y/n)  need someone to hold her hand and guide her through the underground? i thought you already knew the place like the back of your hand-” He asked in a condescending tone. “I do!! Well, I mean, I know the way there. I don’t need your help!” You spluttered your response like a stupid idiot, and you heard Sans laugh on the other end.

“fine. if you need my help, just call. or text. doesn’t matter to me either way, since we all know you’re gonna get lost at some point. calling it right now.” You rolled your eyes, and sneered. “Oh yeah, hot-shot? What if I don’t?” He paused, thinking to himself. “if you can make it here in under twenty minutes, i will take you to the m.t.t. resort for dinner.”

Your heart skipped a beat, and a newfound determination grew in your soul. “Deal.” “hold up.” You were shushed, and tapped your foot impatiently. “if you don’t make it here in time... you have to drink a whole jug of muffet’s spider cider.” You made a barfing noise into your phone, but deep down inside you were actually worried about the punishment.

He chuckled, and did the same. “your time starts...now. tick-tock.” He hung up, and you pulled the device away from your ear. Shoving it in the leather jacket’s pocket, you swiped up a spare scarf from the coat hanger by the door. Rushing out the door, you slammed it shut and shivered from the cold.

This was going to be a long walk.

FIRST

PREVIOUS

NEXT

Chapter Ten (Where all the chapters before that are.)

Chapter Twenty (Links for Chapters 11 --> 19)

Chapter Thirty (That’s just the “Next” chapter, buddy.)

[thetourguidebarbie]

Prompt by @klarolineforevermine:

*coughs* okay but what about an AU where Caroline’s a professional ballet instructor and Elijah/Katherine need Klaus to pick up little Nadia from her class one day since they have to go somewhere, and Klaus’ jaw drops at the sight of her lithely form and then makes a mental note to yell at Katherine for not introducing him to her best friend sooner. And of course little Nadia can’t help but notice that her Uncle Nik has a huge crush on her Auntie Caroline

“We’re gonna be late.”

Klaus looked away from the painting he was working on to stare down at the seven-year-old in front of him. She was picking at a loose thread on her tights as she stared up at him. Her frown would most likely have been much more pronounced if her hair hadn’t been pulled back in a tight bun so severe that it restricted the movements of her face. Katerina had assured him that Nadia was all ready to go when she’d dropped her off, but Klaus most definitely was not.

He had just found his inspiration for the painting in front of him, and he did hate to tear himself away from a work in-progress, especially when it was going so well.

“I’m aware.”

“Caroline doesn’t let you in class when you’re more than fifteen minutes late.”

“Caroline?”

“My ballet teacher. She’s really nice.”

“Doesn’t sound like it if she locks you out if you’re late. Perhaps we just shouldn’t bother.”

He’d like nothing more than to give the girl a television and a cookie and let her quietly stay out of his way, to be honest. Unfortunately, Elijah had asked quite nicely for him to escort her to ballet, and if Klaus knew anything about his brother, it was that any favors given to him would be paid back in full, if not more. He’d once wheedled out the shared summer home in Vienna for an extra month in the summer for simply feeding their hellion of a cat for a few days while he and his perpetually irritating wife were on vacation.

It was always good to have a favor or two in the bank with his older brother.

“I’ll tell Mom,” Nadia said, jutting her chin out, and Klaus resisted the urge to groan. The child was as insufferable as her mother, and clearly his brother had done nothing to instill any sort of manners. That wasn’t to say he didn’t enjoy her (to a point). Nadia was a clever little thing and had taken to him immediately, despite Rebekah’s attempts at retail bribery and Kol’s wishes to be the ‘cool uncle’. Though she could be quite irritating when she was underfoot, she was convenient for chatting up women at a coffee shop and didn’t have a penchant for ending up in dangerous situations, therefore not requiring much minding in comparison to Finn and Sage’s hooligans.

“If you don’t tell your mother I’ll buy you two sweets at the corner store.”

“Good deal, but Caroline would totally tell her anyway.”

“Best get going then,” Klaus said grumpily, wiping his hands off and unhooking his jacket from the rack by the door.

It was a short drive, and for the most part Nadia restrained herself from making a nuisance of herself. He was still relieved when they pulled up with a minute to spare at the address Katerina had provided, and Nadia practically sprinted to the front doors of the studio, Klaus following at a much slower pace, managing to catch sight of her as she hurtled around the corner at the end of the hallway and arriving at a door that was slightly ajar, the indistinguishable words of multiple overlapping conversations floating out.

When he entered, the first thing he saw was a group of what were most likely the girls’ parents all chatting by the far wall where there were some chairs set up.

He pulled out his phone and leaned against the wall by the door, hoping that the hour-and-a-half lesson would go by more quickly than he expected. He began to look through his emails and was startled by a light throat clear beside him. When he turned to look, he saw a lithe blonde with a slight frown, her head tilted to the side.

“Are you visiting the studio?” she asked politely, and he couldn’t help but notice the quick glance-over she gave him before her gaze returned to his face.

“Just dropping off my niece. I’m Klaus, and you must be Caroline,” he said, pasting on his most charming dimpled smile and extending a hand. The hem of the loose dance slip ended just below her arse, the tights underneath clinging to her long legs, and he tried to be subtle as he took in the view from the mirror behind her.

He made a mental note to manipulate Katerina into asking him to take Nadia to lessons more often.

She seemed to have caught what he was doing from the unimpressed look she was currently giving him as she shook his hand. “I am. If you want to go sit over there with the rest of the parents, you’re welcome to. I’ll be starting in a minute.”

“Of course, love,” he said, and her eyes flashed at the endearment. She seemed to decide not to comment however, and he watched as she walked to the group of girls, directing them to warm-up positions.

He settled on a chair as far away as possible from all of the other parents, pulling out his phone and randomly switching pairs in Candy Crush as he watched Caroline start the lesson.

There was something about the way she moved that made him long for a paintbrush to put the image on canvas. Her movements were smooth and precise, but she still seemed light on her feet, almost gliding as she demonstrated some sort of turn. The girls all began to copy her and she weaved through them, speaking in low tones as she worked with them individually. He was surprised by how much he was drawn to the light in her eyes when she smiled, the warmth she exuded with every movement as she bent to gently redirect the girls’ movements. He found himself wanting to make her look at him with that warmth, that genuine affection, though perhaps in a slightly different context...

She stiffened, and he somehow knew that she’d sensed him staring, though she didn’t react, simply continuing to lead Nadia through a step-by-step process to execute the turn correctly.

Through the rest of the lesson he couldn’t help but mentally map out a painting he’d do later of her body as it moved, of the dimple in her cheek when she smiled. He wondered how he’d manage to recreate the exact shade of blue of her eyes, whether he could even get close to recreating the specific tilt of her lips when she smiled, and he found himself reaching for the tiny notepad and pencil he kept in his coat pocket for when inspiration struck, his hands moving before he could stop them to outline her face.

He glanced at her every now and then for reference as he sketched, and his heart sped a bit in his chest when he looked up once for his eyes to connect with hers.

She held his gaze steadily, an almost challenging curve to her eyebrow, and he couldn’t find it in himself to look away.

When the lesson was over he wasn’t sure whether he was excited to get home to paint or disappointed to leave her presence, and he absently nodded along when Nadia suggested they stop at the corner store for a sweet, distracted by that intoxicating sound of Caroline’s giggle as she spoke with one of the parents on the other side of the room.

He swallowed, finding himself almost nervous to approach her, a feeling he hadn’t experienced since he’d been a teenager. He told Nadia to stay where she was for a moment while he spoke to Caroline, and he walked purposefully to the other side of the room, waiting until Caroline had finished her conversation to speak.

She turned when he cleared his throat, bumping into his chest, and he caught her arm to steady her, her skin warm under his palm. “Hi,” she said quietly, and it gave him some satisfaction that she was clearly as off-kilter by their chemistry as he was.

“Hello, love. I was wondering if you might like to accompany me to dinner? Tomorrow, perhaps?”

She stared at him for a second, her brow furrowed before she shook her head slowly. “You’re related to a student. It wouldn’t be professional.”

He got the sense that she was truly regretful, that she wasn’t using it as an excuse but instead truly felt like it was a conflict of interest, and he was slightly taken aback by the determination that welled inside of him to get her to agree. He’d long ago learned that getting attached was a certain road to disaster, and if a girl wouldn’t give him the time of day it was best to move on, but something about Caroline made him want to get to know her.

“That wasn’t a no.”

She was quiet, clearly torn, before she spoke again. “I wish I could,” she said with a small, genuine smile.

“I understand,” he said, reaching to bring her knuckles to his lips, kissing them lightly. “I’ll see you soon, Caroline.”

She frowned, but he was already on the other side of the room, guiding Nadia towards the door and pulling out his phone.

He wasn’t sure what the solution would be, since he thought that moving Nadia to a different studio wouldn’t exactly endear him to her, but he fully intended to call Katerina and blackmail or bribe her into setting something up.

He wanted to learn what made her smile, what made her laugh. He wanted to see her body spread across his canvas and his sheets, to see her smile immortalized in his gallery and in his memories, and he realized that he was somehow already in very deep trouble.

“Uncle Nik?”

“Yes?”

“Did you just ask Caroline out?”

“Yes,” he said, not seeing the point in lying or evading the question.

“Okay,” she said, climbing into the back of his car and buckling her seatbelt. “Did she say yes?”

“She didn’t say no.”

“Okay,” she repeated, staying quiet until they were out of the parking lot before speaking again. “You should date because then I’ll get a better part in the Nutcracker this year.”

“Oh, is that why?” he asked dryly. “Nepotism?”

“That and Mommy said she wanted you to get a girlfriend because you’re a pain in the behind.”

“Is that so?”

“Yep! Are we still going to the store? You just passed it.”

“We are,” he confirmed, doing a completely illegal U-Turn and pulling into the parking lot. “If you help me convince your mum to help me with Caroline, I’ll get you an extra sweet next time I mind you.”

“Deal.”

[kartiavelino]

‘Overboard’ and ‘Mom’ star Anna Faris is making motherhood fun again

If Anna Faris hadn’t gone into appearing, she’d have made an excellent therapist. Right here you’re, simply making an attempt to interview her about her new film “Overboard,” a remake of the 1987 Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn rom-com, and earlier than you recognize it she’s slyly asking the questions as a substitute — about childhood, work, the firefly inhabitants in your space. (She’s method into bugs.) This is an uncommon trait in an actor; the career steadily requires a sure stage of narcissism. Nevertheless it’s a top quality that has made Faris profitable as host of the podcast “Unqualified,” through which she chats with well-known visitors but in addition dives headlong into her callers’ issues, usually getting borderline choked up as she talks them by heartbreak or dysfunctional household dynamics or the planning of marriage proposals. Gown, $5,275, and denim jacket, $1,375, each at Versace, 647 Fifth Ave.; “Aleesha” mules, $1,295 at Giuseppe Zanotti, 806 Madison Ave.; 14-k white-gold earrings with diamonds, $2,530 at EF Assortment; Lili Claspe x Ritani 14-k yellow-gold ring with diamonds, $1,310 at Ritani.Sheryl Nields “I simply needed some interactions that didn’t need to do with movie star,” says the 41-year-old Faris, clad in a T-shirt and ripped denims. Her wide-eyed face nonetheless bears traces of the make-up from our cowl shoot at a sunlit Santa Monica home, the place we’re hanging out upstairs within the artwork studio. Earlier than she began her podcast in 2015, she says, “I used to be attending to really feel like each time I talked to any individual, it was like I didn’t have any type of real connection. I discovered myself turning into actually introverted, even agoraphobic. And I didn’t wish to cease exploring — this sounds so f–kin’ lofty — the thought of human connection. And of loneliness.” This quiet, introspective lady is a marked distinction from the slapstick comedian who an hour earlier had our whole Alexa crew in stitches, and who obtained her begin within the satirical “Scary Film” sequence, parlaying her four-film run right into a profession of outsized roles: a past-her-prime Playmate in “The Home Bunny”; a neurotic hedonist in “What’s Your Quantity?”; a coked-up, sword-wielding model of herself within the Key & Peele comedy “Keanu.” “Keenen [Ivory Wayans, director of ‘Scary Movie’] advised me at some point that the rationale I used to be solid was as a result of I had no thought what made me humorous,” she says. “I cherished that. I contemplated it. I by no means thought I’d make it as an actor generally. I had by no means been a part of the comedic world.” Does she know what makes her humorous now? “I feel it’s my ridiculous faces,” she says after a pause. “Or the truth that I desperately wish to be taken significantly. Most likely a mixture there.” She’ll be utilizing these comedic chops again in her just-released movie. “It was terrifying to remake a film that I cherished a lot rising up,” she says of the unique “Overboard,” which noticed Hawn enjoying a bitchy socialite whose amnesia is exploited by Russell’s blue-collar carpenter to make her assume she’s his spouse and the mom of his 4 unruly sons. Within the up to date model, Faris takes on the Russell position: She’s a working mother who hoodwinks an obscenely rich man-child (performed by Mexican celebrity Eugenio Derbez) into taking good care of her home and daughters whereas she research to turn out to be a nurse. “At first I used to be like, ‘What do you imply, we’re switching roles? I wish to be the one with the loopy character arc!’” says Faris, who may simply emulate Hawn’s look. However in the end, she says, she embraced the swap, and factors out that the love story between the couple (arguably essentially the most uncomfortably retro factor of the unique) isn’t entrance and middle on this model. “I like that my character is simply kind of too burdened together with her life to have [romance] be any type of focus,” she says. “As an individual who’s been — in my private life and within the characters I play — making an attempt to please all people round me and win a dude or no matter, I simply appreciated that.” This is smart, given what’s been occurring in her life recently: Faris break up from her husband, actor Chris Pratt, final yr after eight years of marriage, and the media scrutiny has been intense. Including to the awkwardness of this was the arrival of Faris’ 2017 memoir, additionally known as “Unqualified,” written earlier than the break up however revealed after it. Each Pratt and Faris have stated publicly that they’re nonetheless good mates and dedicated to co-parenting their 5-year-old son, Jack. For the time being, very like her characters in “Overboard” and the CBS sitcom “Mother,” Faris is squarely targeted on her child and her profession. Positive, she’s obtained extra sources than her working-class movie counterparts, however says she nonetheless struggles in opposition to expectations to be the proper mom. “As a girl, particularly, there’s that inevitable lack of id,” she says. “I really feel like I get judged on mother e-mail chains, if I didn’t contribute to the factor, however I meant to, or no matter. There’s this fixed undercurrent of guilt.” Brandon Maxwell jacket, $1,121 at Shopbop; Brandon Maxwell high, $1,295, and denims, $475, each at Saks Fifth Avenue; SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker “Doe” slingbacks, $375 at SJP Pop-Up Store, 6 W. 52nd St.; Earrings, $995 at Ariel Gordon Jewellery.Sheryl Nields She goals for Zen and often lands somwhere close to ok. “Am I doing this proper? Do I care? Not likely,” she says, giving voice to the narrative in her head. “Is he gonna put these Legos in his mouth? Perhaps. Do I care? I’m unsure. He’s gonna vomit within the pool. Do I care? Not likely. “However,” she continues, “I feel he’s a bit of stronger as a result of I’m not a lot of a helicopter mother or father. Once I watch Jack overcome a worry or work one thing out on his personal, I’ll see him take a look at me throughout the room and I’m like, ‘You bought this, dude.’ And my coronary heart will simply fill with pleasure as he figures it out and is courageous.” An English-major graduate of the College of Washington, Faris was a self-proclaimed offended teen whose drama-club crowd was nicknamed the Bat-Cavers. She’s lengthy agitated for roles which can be extra advanced than Hollywood has typically supplied girls. Her temporary, devilish 2003 look as a ditzy actress in Sofia Coppola’s “Misplaced in Translation” is one of many movie’s underrated pleasures. In 2007, she performed a stoner named Jane within the indie “Smiley Face,” which stays certainly one of her favourite elements. “I feel that film made about 200 bucks. However I’d get up so thrilled that I’d get to say these scrumptious traces from this f – – ked-up character who wasn’t chasing a man.” It impressed her, she says, to push for modifications to her subsequent position: “I attempted to make a case in ‘The Home Bunny’ for no love curiosity,” she says. “However you win some, you lose some. I like Colin Hanks, so … that’s OK. However,” she says, brightening up, “Christy hasn’t had too many love pursuits.” Christy can be Faris’ lead position, almost 5 years operating, on “Mother,” the place she performs a single mom and recovering alcoholic regularly reconciling together with her personal unorthodox mother, Bonnie (Allison Janney). The present is notable for its largely feminine solid and an unwavering give attention to the method of dependancy restoration — not, at first look, the pure stuff of comedy. “It feels refreshing,” says Faris. “I like the moments after we all get to be broad and humorous however then additionally get the chance to be intimate, particularly in that multicamera format, and to succeed in out and transfer folks indirectly. The traces, you recognize, are not often even actually gender-specific.” On the present, whose season finale is Might 10, Faris’ character struggles with a brand new temptation (after beforehand almost relapsing on alcohol). “Christy succumbs to a weak spot, which is playing, one thing I’m actually not good at,” Faris says with fun. “I feel you possibly can in all probability learn each expression that’s crossing my face.” That transparency is channeled on her podcast, which she says has made her really feel extra in command of her personal narrative.“I really feel like I can inform my story the way in which I wish to. Not that I wish to share all the things,” she says, “however no less than understanding I may is very nice.” Off-White jacket, $1,145, and denims, $660, each at Saks Fifth Avenue, 611 Fifth Ave.; “Maidugur” pumps, $995 at Manolo Blahnik, 31 W. 54th St.; 14-k white-gold earrings with diamonds, $2,530 at EF Assortment. Sheryl Nields Alexander Wang cami high, $395 at FWRD; Alexander Wang “Stack Tie” denims, $375 at Internet-A-Porter; 14-k white-gold choker necklace with diamonds, $3,525 at EF Assortment. Sheryl Nields Ben Taverniti Unravel Mission denim jacket, $910 at Saks Fifth Avenue.; Denims, $355 at Ulla Johnson, 15 Bleecker St.; 14-k white-gold choker necklace with diamonds, $3,525 at EF Assortment. Sheryl Nields Ben Taverniti Unravel Mission denim jacket, $910 at Saks Fifth Avenue.; Denims, $355 at Ulla Johnson, 15 Bleecker St.; “Tegan” pumps, $875 at Jimmy Choo; 14-k white-gold ring with diamonds, $3,925 at Ritani. Sheryl Nields Up Subsequent Ex-firefighter union chief arrested after drunkenly crashing automotive, fleeing scene: cops The previous head of town’s firefighter’s union was arrested… 4 View Slideshow Style Editor: Serena French; Stylist: Anahita Moussavian; Hair: Richard Marin for Cloutier; Remix utilizing Leonor Greyl; Make-up: Jill Cady for Cloutier; Remix utilizing Koh Gen Do; Manicurist: Ashlie Johnson at The Wall Group utilizing Chanel Vernis Anna Faris was shot on location at 1427 Georgina Ave., Santa Monica, Calif. The luxurious four-bedroom house (full with a 45-foot-long pool and out of doors eating area) is listed for $7.25M by the Company’s Santiago Arana and Griffin Riddle. Extra info right here or name 310-890-3306. 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