#i've had this idea spinning in the back of my head forever but have never been able to pin down the specifics

[aintgonnatakethis]

🤔

🤔 What’s a story you’d love to write but haven’t even started yet?

Right, so instead of Sheppard taking the killing shot on Kolya when they play who-can-draw-faster with their pistols, he only wounds him. Then he turns him over to Todd...

I'm obsessed with Sheppard's dark side and think both Kolya and Todd threaten to bring it out of him to a greater extent than we see anyone else manage. I want him to feel simultaneously guilty and relieved and powerful and disgusting and wrathful.

The exact details of how he would get it past his team and if I'd include him dealing with what he'd done in the aftermath are still to be worked out. There's also the striking prospect of Todd attempting to lure him into participating in Kolya's torture and whether Sheppard does so or not...

Ask game

[roosterforme]

Brighter Than a Supernova | Bob Floyd x Phoenix's Little Sister

Summary: Bob planned to simply stop by Phoenix's Hanukkah party for a few minutes before heading back home. He'd hang out with the guys for a bit, even though he never quite felt like he fit in with them, and he'd meet the little sister Phoenix often referred to as annoying. But he had no idea how bright and magical one night could be compared to every other night that had come before.

Warnings: Fluff, swearing, feeling insecure, loss of virginity, smut, drinking

Length: 9000 words

Pairing: Robert "Bob" Floyd x Phoenix's Little Sister (OC)

This was written for the Winter RomCom Challenge hosted by @bellaireland1981! Check my masterlist for more. Beautiful banner made by @ryebecca

"Bob, you're coming over tomorrow night, right?"

When he turned to look at his friend, Bob couldn't help the feeling of apprehension that washed over him. "I think so."

Natasha sighed and reached for his hand and gave him a little squeeze. He hadn't been at Top Gun as long as everyone else, and he felt like he didn't really fit in with them. Even now, the other guys were all hooting and playing keep away with Reuben's phone while Bob stood off to the side on the tarmac. 

"There's nothing to be nervous about. It's just a Hanukkah party," she whispered with a smile. She always seemed to be able to tell when he got lost in his own thoughts, and he would be forever grateful that she was the pilot he got to fly with. 

He shook his head and looked over at their Super Hornet. "I've never been to one before," he muttered. "And I'll probably just end up sitting quietly all night."

Now Natasha was squeezing both of his hands. "But we already drew names for our gift exchange. And you won't be the only one newer to the group. My obnoxious little sister, Nova, is coming in from New York, remember? She's graduating from college in the spring? She hasn't met any of the guys yet."

"But-"

"Bob, I really want you to come," she said firmly, looking up at him with her dark brown eyes. He trusted her in the air, he might as well trust her on the ground, too. 

"Okay. I'll be there."

But when Bob parked his truck in front of Phoenix's tiny house on Saturday evening, his hands were shaking slightly as he held the wrapped gift. He absolutely hated that he got this way around the guys. They hadn't done anything to make him feel this way, really. He just generally didn't fit in anywhere, something he was very aware of at age twenty eight. But he would do this for Natasha. 

He climbed out of his truck with the gift and a bottle of wine and walked up to the front door. Should he knock? Or just walk inside? It sounded noisy even out here, so after he tapped on the door a few times and nobody opened it, he just let himself in.

"Bob's here!" Jake called out from the couch, waving him over to where he was drinking a beer while Javy tried to spin two dreidels at the same time.  

"Bob!" Natasha practically shouted as she ran his way. He had to juggle the bottle of wine so he didn't drop it. "Can you help me make latkes? Nova and I have been peeling potatoes for what feels like hours, and now we're heating up the oil."

"I don't know how to make latkes," he told her, but his eyes caught on the woman standing in the kitchen laughing at Bradley. He could only see her profile, but she had long, dark brown hair just like Natasha. Only she was a little taller and a bit curvier, and when she turned to look over her shoulder, he wanted to run and hide. 

"It's easy, Bob. It's just a potato pancake. Nothing scary," Natasha whispered, trying to sound reassuring. "Come meet Nova, and you can help us cook."

He swallowed hard, realizing that the brunette goddess holding a potato peeler in one while she smiled directly at him was Natasha's little sister. The one she always referred to as obnoxious and annoying. This was... decidedly not what he had imagined. 

Bob didn't know where to look. Every part of her was so pretty. She was wearing black leggings and a cropped long sleeve shirt that was purple and said NYU on the front. He could see some of the soft looking skin just above her leggings, and his eyes dropped to the floor in embarrassment. She was barefoot with neon orange painted toenails that for some reason made Bob a little short of breath.

"Bob, this is my sister Nova," Nat told him, rubbing his back gently as his gaze wandered back up along her curves. His eyes landed on her face as Natasha said, "Nova, this is Bob. Please don't annoy him."

"Hi," she said with a little smirk on her face. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and reached her hand out to him. "I've heard a lot about you, Bob."

He was terrified that he would stutter or trip over his words, but he just said something stupid instead. "You don't look annoying."

She laughed as she shook his hand. "Oh, I can assure you, I am." Her eyes were the same color as her sister's, but they were looking at him playfully as she nibbled on her lip. It was easy to tell Nova and Natasha were sisters, but there were some differences, too. Bob had the fleeting thought that he wouldn't mind just looking at her all night until he identified them all. 

"Feel free to ignore her," Nat told him as she went to stand in front of the stove. "I usually do."

"I don't see how that would be possible," Bob murmured, and Nova laughed again before he realized what he'd said. He could feel his cheeks flush as he tried to look at anything besides her, but as soon as he did, Bradley dove for her attention. 

"So tell me all about New York CIty," he said as if he'd never heard of it before. This was fine though. Better even. Nova and Bradley could just flirt all night, and Bob could help cook and then probably leave soon. That way everyone would win. 

After a few minutes, he desperately wanted to ask Natasha if they could cook any faster so he could open his impersonal gift from one of the guys and get going. But he found that making latkes was actually pretty enjoyable. 

"That's too much egg," she told him, laughing at his messy hands as his glasses slid down his nose. "You need more flour." But her hands were a mess, too, and Bob was trying to adjust his glasses on his shoulder. 

When he turned to the side, he saw Bradley, Mickey and Jake all talking to Nova, but she was actually looking right at him as he very awkwardly shrugged his shoulder against his glasses. "I got you, Bob," she said, closing the distance to him and helping him out. She adjusted his frames on his face, and then she ran her fingers along his hair and behind his ears. "Better?"

He watched her pull her hands away and wished she wouldn't. "Yes," he whispered. "Thank you." Then he just stared at her as she made no move to back away. 

"You're welcome. Do you celebrate Hanukkah?"

He swallowed hard as he washed his hands and shook his head. "This is my... first time."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh! Perfect! You can help me light the candles, and I can teach you the prayers."

"Might as well light the menorah now," Natasha told her as she flipped some of the squishy looking potato blobs over in the hot oil. The kitchen smelled like fried food, and there was a huge box of donuts that the other guys already got into. Javy brought the dreidels into the kitchen, and he was currently spinning five at one time. This holiday actually didn't seem so bad. Especially when Nova reached for his hand. 

"Gather around," she announced with the kind of confidence Bob would never have, and all the guys followed her to the other side of the island. But she kept Bob right there with her and smiled up at him. "Here you go," she said, handing him the lighter. Then she stuck some candles in the menorah. 

"Don't you light them from left to right?" Bradley asked as he sipped a beer and ate a jelly donut while glaring at Bob.

"Yes!" she replied as she put the last candle in for the eighth night. 

"You want me to light them for you, Bob?" Bradley asked, and Bob was just about to hand the lighter over when Nova reached for his hand.

"I'm going to say a really pretty prayer in Hebrew about how Hanukkah is a time to celebrate miracles," she told him, seemingly ignoring the rest of the guys as Jake started whining that he was hungry. But Bob was transfixed. He was suddenly dying to hear this prayer. He could see the light smattering of freckles on Nova's cheeks as he stood this close to her. He never noticed before if Nat had freckles.

It would be a Hanukkah miracle if Bob could get through the evening. When she told him to light the center candle and then pick it up, he did. And then her hand joined his as they lit the candles together, but Bob wasn't looking at the menorah. He was looking at her face and the way her lips moved as she almost sang the prayer. Then he kept his hand on hers as long as he could, the warm candlelight making her face glow. 

When she dropped her hand to her side, Bob could feel her fingers kind of tangle with his, and he had no idea what to do about it. He was suddenly painfully aware that he'd never had a girlfriend before, and he almost wished she was paying this much attention to someone else. 

"Latkes are done!" Natasha announced, and Bob took a step away from Nova. He cleared his throat and then turned to leave the kitchen as everyone else made a dash for the food. When he retreated for the relative quiet of the powder room, he could feel dark eyes on his back.

Bob realized he'd been in the bathroom for long enough that someone might think he was sick, but he couldn't stop splashing cool water on his face. He had been prepared for something else tonight, but not this. Maybe Nova was just an annoying little sister to Phoenix, but to him, she was exquisite. He needed to leave now before he could embarrass himself more. 

After he dried his hands, he quietly opened the door, but then he paused. He could hear voices. Two female voices, and he could easily tell them apart as he stood there eavesdropping.

"Natasha, you lied to me," Nova whispered loudly. "You said Bob was kind of nerdy!"

Oh no. She must have thought Bob was extremely nerdy. Perhaps he could make a run for the front door, and maybe nobody would notice he'd gone.

"I mean, he is," Natasha replied softly. 

"No, he's not!" Nova hissed. "He's hot! You know I have a thing for glasses and biceps, you rotten liar!"

Now Bob was frozen in place. He was pretty sure they were talking about him, but there was a chance he misheard.

"Nova," Natasha snapped a little louder this time. "Bob is one of my best friends, and he's very kind. Do not toy with him."

There was a pause, but then Bob heard her soft response. "I wouldn't. You can tell how sweet he is from a mile away."

He looked in the mirror one more time before leaving the powder room. It wasn't that he was bad looking, it was just that he was awkward. Compared to the other guys, he was a joke. Maybe Nova somehow hadn't noticed that yet. He forced himself out to the small hallway where the two sisters were standing close together near the kitchen, and the way Nova looked at him just didn't make sense. 

"Grab some latkes," she said as he walked past. "I'll save you a spot on the couch for the gift exchange?"

Bob swallowed hard. "Sure. Thank you."

When he ducked into the kitchen, he heard her whisper to Nat, "He has nice manners, too."

Nat groaned. "I can't believe you have a crush on my WSO."

"Yeah, well, you shouldn't have kept this information from me."

Bob was anxiously piling a plate with more latkes than he could probably finish when Nova flounced into the room, picked up her half empty glass of wine along with an unused one and winked at him. "I'll be in the living room, and I have a glass for you," she said.

He looked down at the potato concoctions on his plate, and they looked good. He tried a bite, and it was delicious, but he'd lost his appetite. Nova Trace had a crush on him, and now he had to go sit with her and drink some wine without looking like a moron. 

After a few more bites, he pushed his plate aside and headed to the living room where she was sitting right next to Bradley. He had his arm draped across the back of the couch a little possessively, and Bob froze, blinking at the scene before him. He had the undeniable urge to remove Bradley's arm and wrap her up with own. 

"Bob," she called, scooting away from Bradley and patting the cushion. Once he squeezed in between her and Bradley, he realized he was touching her no matter what he did. And then she took his arm and draped it around her shoulders, leaning back against his chest a little bit. "It's a tight fit," she said, handing him a glass of wine. 

"Seriously?" Bradley grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and shaking his head. Bob wasn't sure what to say as he had an armful of the cute girl who was in demand. This was all new to him. So he just drank all of his wine and pretended to watch everyone open their gifts. 

When he set his empty glass down on the table, Nat handed him a small box wrapped in silver paper. He didn't recognize the pretty handwriting that said To: Bob.

"Oh," Nova whispered, reaching for it. "You don't have to open it."

"It's from you?" Bob asked, and she looked up at him over her shoulder, face just inches from his.

"Yeah, but it just seems kind of dumb now," she muttered, playing with the hem of her top. "Nat made it seem like you were super nerdy or something," she laughed. "And clearly that's not the case. You're hot."

Bob chuckled; this whole entire night was completely absurd. "I've never been called hot before."

Nova rolled her eyes. "You know what? Just go ahead and open your present," she said, shoving the small box closer to his chest while she blushed. 

Bob started to carefully tear into the paper when Bradley leaned across Bob and asked, "I'm sorry, Nova, but did you just call Bob hot?"

"Yes," she replied immediately. 

Bradley stood and grunted while he put on the hat that Javy just gave him that said 100% Certified Fuckboy. "She picked Bob. Nice work man," he said, patting Bob's shoulder. "Who needs a beer?"

"I do," Nat told him as she eyed Bob and Nova together on the couch with curiosity. Bob wasn't sure what he should even say to her. It wasn't like he was going to date her sister or something. She lived in New York.

"Open it," Nova whispered. "Just open it so I can get my embarrassment over with."

Bob couldn't believe she seemed more embarrassed about the gift than she did about announcing to the room at large that she found him attractive. When he took the lid off the box and looked inside, it was filled with a set of sky blue dice. 

"I'm sorry," she said with a laugh. "Nat said you play Dungeons and Dragons, and I found the dice and thought they were pretty, and now I'm noticing that they're kind of the same shade as your eyes." She took the box from him, put the lid on and set it aside.

"Wait," he said, reaching across her to pick it up again. "I do play. And light blue is my favorite color. How did you know?"

"I didn't," she said, cheeks pink. "It's my favorite color, too."

He could see her freckles again as she grinned so close to him. Bob suddenly realized that the living room was getting loud as he held the box between his body and hers. "Thank you. I really like them. I was a little afraid to see what the guys were going to buy for me, so I'm glad it was from you."

"Nat dropped down on the couch on the other side of Bob as she spun the keychain around her finger that Bob got for her. "Thank you," she said, kissing him on the cheek as the airplane charm hit her palm. The guys were spinning as many dreidels on the coffee table as they could while fighting over the mound of chocolate candy coins. "You know, if it's a little too loud, you could always step outside for a minute," she told him, patting his thigh before joining the guys. 

"Let's take a break," Nova said as she stood and pulled him to his feet. Bob felt like Nat had just given him some sort of permission. But for what? "I could use a break as well. It's hot in here." 

She opened the front door and slipped out into the darkness on the small porch, and Bob joined her, closing the door and stifling the sounds inside. "Aren't your feet going to get cold?" he asked softly, looking down at her neon toenails.

"Good call," she replied before wrapping her arms around his neck and standing on the tops of his shoes. Bob's hands went to the soft curve of her waist immediately, startled by the sudden turn of events that had Nova's body pressed to his. "Is this okay?" she asked casually, looking up at him as she let her fingers trail down his neck.

His body was throbbing in delight as his brain cried out in terror. "Y-Yes. It's... very okay. You're very pretty." His eyes went wide as she laughed, and it sounded too intimate this close. He could feel her bare skin against his fingertips, and it was so soft. Softer than anything. He couldn't help the way he let his palms spread out on her back, as he blurted out, "I like you."

He noticed her soft smile first, and then her eyes closed. Bob was admiring how her eyelashes brushed her cheeks as she said, "I like you, too." And then she kissed him. She just kissed him. It was suddenly time for kissing. And then it was over before Bob really got to enjoy it. Nova was looking up at him like she was trying to gauge his reaction, but he just stood there trying to figure out what to do next. 

Her fingers stilled on his neck before she released him and tried to step away, her face falling into a much shyer look. But he kept his hands on her back. Her lips were softly parted, and Bob wanted them on his again. Even though he wasn't quite sure if he was doing any of it right, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers a little too hard at first. 

She moaned softly as she brought her hands back up around his neck, and Bob eased himself back a little bit, making the kiss softer. This felt good. She had smooth skin and eager lips, and now her fingers were in his hair as her cheek bumped his glasses. He felt like he was getting the hang of things when she parted her lips and tasted his tongue. 

Bob's hands slid down to grab at her hips through her leggings, and Nova laughed softly as she tasted him again. The soft vibrations against his lips had him more aware of his body than he ever had been before, but not in a bad way. He seemed to be making her feel excited as she wiggled her curvy hips back and forth slightly in his hands. 

Nova broke the kiss and raked her fingers along his forehead and back through his tidy hair. "You smell good," she told him, leaning in close again and running her nose along his neck. "Like... something outdoorsy mixed with a fried potato."

He couldn't help but laugh as she kissed the spot next to his Adam's apple. "That sounds like it would smell bad."

"It doesn't," she reassured him with a giggle. "It just makes me want to taste you." Bob had to press his lips together and count to ten in his head as Nova ran her tongue in a slow and steady stripe up his neck to his ear. When her lips met his earlobe, his hands on her hips were pulling her body closer to his as she said, "I could eat you up."

She was still standing on the tops of his feet, but now Bob had her back pressed against the doorframe. They were making out, and it was all coming pretty naturally for him. She kissed his neck and told him something sweet, so he decided to go ahead and try the same thing. "I think I love kissing you," he said, his voice raspier than normal as she tipped her head back.

Nova was moaning his name as he kissed the front of her neck, and she pressed her thigh against him. And oh no... Bob had an erection. She didn't seem bothered, but he pulled himself a few inches away from her and looked down at her pretty face. "Do you want to go back inside?" she asked, her chest rising and falling as she caught her breath. 

"Should we?" he asked softly, sliding his hands back up to her waist as she shrugged. 

"Probably. But I'm sure they all know exactly what we're doing out here."

His eyes went wide. "They do?"

She smiled and ran her fingers along his cheek. "Yeah, I'd venture to guess they know we were making out, Bob."

How was he supposed to go back inside now? He thought about just leaving; his truck was parked right there on the street. But he didn't want to go without his new dice. Or Nova.

He cleared his throat. "Yeah... maybe we should go back in."

"Okay." But first she wrapped her fingers around the back of his neck and pressed one more soft kiss to his lips. "Just let me know if you want to take another break, because I'd be more than happy to tag along."

Then she opened the door, and the bright light and loud laughter coming from inside were enough to have him reaching for Nova's hand as she stepped down from his feet and onto the living room floor. She looked back at him with a coy smile as she laced her fingers with his. It was so obvious that they had been kissing. Bob knew he was blushing, and her lips looked a little puffy from the way he'd been enjoying them. When Jake fist bumped him as they walked past, Javy winked, and Bradley was on the couch with Nat pouting. 

But Nat smiled and shook her head as Nova led Bob into the kitchen. "Want some more wine?" she asked, pulling a bottle from the refrigerator. There was something about the way she looked in the semi darkness as the candles from the menorah burned low. Her face was cast in warm light as well as shadows, and Bob found that leaning down to kiss her again was the most natural thing in the world. 

The cold bottle was pressed to his arm, and she kissed him back. When Bob opened his eyes again, his glasses were crooked and two of the candles had burned out. The kitchen was even darker now as she pecked his cheek and then strolled out into the living room. He took a few seconds to consider that now he'd initiated more kisses than she had. The desire to follow her and kiss her again was so strong, he almost tripped when he thought about her going back to New York. Had he ever felt this way about a girl after a few hours? No. Absolutely not.

He knew he should have found another place to sit in Nat's tiny, loud living room, but when he saw the spot on the couch next to Nova was empty, he couldn't force his steps in any other direction. She tracked him with her eyes, clearly feeling no shame about what was happening here. 

"How much have the rest of you had to drink?" she asked the guys. Jake was laying on the floor laughing while Javy tried to spin a dreidel on his nose. Bradley's cheeks were bright red, and he was half asleep at the other end of the couch. Mickey actually was asleep in the armchair. The only one who looked okay was Reuben. 

"A lot," Javy said. "We turned dreidels into a drinking game, and clearly Nat is better than the rest of us." Nat winked at Nova who winked back. "And Mickey can't hold his liquor for shit."

Nova laughed at him in the armchair. "Is that a WSO thing, Bob? Or can you handle another glass of wine?" she teased. 

"I can handle what you give me," he replied before he could consider how that might sound. She gasped softly and kind of nodded as she poured some more into his glass from earlier. 

"I guess we'll find out."

She tapped her glass to his, and they joined in the game with the others. Bob had never played before, but he was a quick study. It certainly didn't hurt that Nova kept touching his hands as she taught him what to do. And two glasses of wine later, Bob felt lighter and more carefree. His right hand was resting on her lower back, and she leaned in to his side as the game progressed. And the best part was, Nat seemed more than okay with this.

In fact, as midnight was fast approaching, Nat stood and stretched. "I'm beat. I don't care who stays over, but Nova is in the extra bedroom, so the rest of you can fight over the couches."

Bradley and Mickey both snored in response while Reuben started to gather Jake and Javy off the floor. "I'll drop the two of you off," he said. "It was nice to meet you, Nova. Thanks, Nat."

"Thanks, Nat," Javy and Jake echoed as Nat waved. Nova blew them each a kiss. 

Once they were gone, Nat started to gather up the empty wine bottles to take them into the kitchen, and Bob figured he should get ready to go as well. "Do you need help with anything?" he asked his friend, but she just waved him off. "No, I insist," he added.

He picked up some more of the trash the guys left, and as soon as he and Nova both stood, Bradley stretched out on the couch. "Just leave the rest of the mess. It's honestly fine. We can clean it up tomorrow," Nat said as she looked at her sister. 

Nova nodded. "Yeah, I'll help you clean everything when we wake up." 

They carried the trash they had already gathered in their arms to the kitchen, and then Nat hugged her sister before kissing Bob's cheek. "I'm assuming I'll see you again quite soon," she told him with an amused expression before she headed for the stairs. 

Bob wasn't sure exactly what that was supposed to mean, but he wasn't going to dwell on it. Right now he had to figure out a way to say goodbye to the woman in front of him. He wondered if there was some way he could tell her that the few hours he spent with her somehow meant something to him. If she lived in San Diego, he thought he would very much like to take her to dinner. Maybe he could figure out a way to say so without completely ruining the moments they'd shared tonight.

"Nova, I-"

It was time for more kissing. She didn't hesitate at all, almost like she felt as comfortable with this as he did. Her hand found the bottom of Bob's tee shirt and eased the fabric up so her palm could rest flat on his abs. She nibbled gently on his lip before she let him taste her tongue. She was sweet like wine. Then his hands were back on her hips again as she eased his shirt up a little further. 

"You had a lot to drink," she whispered with a wink, rubbing the tip of her nose against his. "Maybe you should come upstairs with me?" Bob wasn't drunk in the least, and he thought he knew what she meant. When his posture stiffened, she looked up at him. "It's just a twin bed, but we can both fit. If you want."

"You mean to... sleep?" he asked, embarrassed that he had to confirm instead of just knowing how to do things. 

Her hand glided down to the top of his jeans, and she laughed softly. "We don't have to mess around," she said as she kissed his lips softly. "But I don't think I can keep my lips away from yours."

When Bob nodded in agreement, heart pounding rapidly, she took him by the hand. Mickey and Bradley were both sound asleep in the living room where Bob made sure to grab his box of dice. Then he let Nova lead him upstairs. 

She looked back to smile at him a few times and tugged on his hand when he started to fall behind. Once they were in the extra bedroom with the soft lamplight and the door closed, Nova seemed a little more hesitant.

"Well, there's the twin bed," she said, gesturing toward it before putting her hands on her hips. Then she crossed her arms over her chest and laughed as she looked at the floor. "And I mean, obviously this was all a ploy to get to spend more time with you. But also, I don't think you should drive home after drinking so much wine." She paused before adding, "But mostly I just kind of thought maybe you and I could keep talking and making out."

Bob smiled when she looked up at him. "Yeah, I would like that."

She bit her lip, and Bob swore he had never in his life seen a woman who was so eager to be around him. He toed off his shoes before reaching for her hand again. And then he decided he was going to go for it. He was going to say what was on his mind as they both sat down on the edge of the bed together. 

"Hey, Nova? I..." he paused as he looked at her pretty face, and he had to clear his throat before he kept going. "You're really... I like you a lot, and I just wanted you to know that if you lived in San Diego, I would ask you on a date."

She scooted a little closer and let her hand come to rest on his thigh. "Where would you take me?" she asked, pressing her lips to his jaw as he stuttered.

"I would... I'd take you to um, a restaurant that I like called Starlite. It's in the city. It's really pretty inside at night, and they have fairy lights and champagne. And I think you'd look beautiful sitting at one of the tables with me."

"Oh my god," she moaned against his jaw, and Bob had absolutely no control over how his body was reacting to her. "Tell me more."

He tried to keep talking as she moved her hand further up his thigh, but he wasn't sure he was making sense. "I'd get you whatever you wanted, of course. But the steak is really good, so I'd ask if you wanted that. And. And I'd be hoping the waiter was really slow, because you'd look so pretty with the soft lights all around you. I'd want to keep you there with me as long as I could."

"I want to go," Nova whispered, kissing his ear. "I can practically picture it."

Bob closed his eyes, willing his cock to stop having a mind of its own as her fingers went as high as the bottoms of his boxer briefs. If she kept this up, Bob would have to excuse himself, and he really didn't want to leave her right now. Then she straddled his thighs and wrapped her arms around his neck, and Bob's arms were full of her. 

"I wish we could," he whispered, unsure what to do with his hands. "I'd take you there tomorrow, but Nat told me you're flying back east in the evening." He finally let his hands settle on her waist as she nodded sadly. 

"I am," she said as her lips brushed his. "But just humor me. Would you kiss me at Starlite?"

"I'd have to," he replied immediately. "It would be mandatory. All the light and shadows on your face... you'd be ethereal. And if you were looking at me, I wouldn't be able to help myself."

"Bob," she moaned against his lips, nibbling on him softly as her fingers went to his hair. "And where would you take me for our second date?"

He laughed as she licked his tongue. "You'd go out with me a second time?"

"You're joking right?" Nova asked, pulling back a few inches as she played with his hair. "This is all hypothetical, and it's still the best date I've ever been on."

"Okay," Bob replied, and he couldn't help but smile as she nodded for him to go on. "For our second date, I'd take you to the Mission Hills Rooftop Theater."

"What would we watch?" she asked, smiling as Bob let his hands drift up a little bit under her shirt. 

He shrugged. "Probably a foreign film. You'd think it was cool, but I'd just be watching the way the colorful lights flickered across your face."

She squeaked softly. "Can we pretend we're at the theater now?"

"Sure," he whispered with a smile. "We're at the theater. You look beautiful, reading all the subtitles. But I lost track of the plot of the film already."

"Why's that?" she asked with a grin.

"Can't pay attention to anything except you."

She pushed on his chest until he was laying on his back, her long hair brushing the side of his face as she leaned down to kiss him. She was rubbing herself against his hard length through his jeans and making little sounds that he'd never heard before. His hands were stroking higher, and he could feel her bra with his fingertips. He didn't want any of this to stop.

"Now you seem like a respectable guy, Bob," she murmured. "Would you take me home with you after our second date or make me wait until our third?"

Oh no. Bob loosened his grip on her as he went silent. Nova was still kissing her way across his cheek to his ear when her movements slowed. She eyed him curiously before nudging the rim of his glasses with her nose. 

"Bob?"

He swallowed hard and closed his eyes. "I don't know. I've never... taken a girl home before."

She looked down at him with a soft smile on her lips. "What?" she asked as she pushed her fingers back through his hair. 

Bob was terrified that she would stop touching him as soon as he said the words. She was so lovely, gravitating right to him all night just the same way he subconsciously felt like he wanted to be near her. He already recognized that he could fall for his friend's little sister. Maybe he already had. 

He took a deep breath as he adjusted his glasses. She was waiting for him to respond, and there was no point in lying about it now. "I'm a virgin."

Nova's brow creased, and her lips parted wordlessly. She examined his face, probably trying to see if he was lying, because there's no way someone his age shouldn't have lost his virginity by now. And it was a million times worse for a guy than for a girl. He knew that. It was all so very embarrassing. 

She didn't laugh, rather she kissed the corner of his lips and simply asked, "How?"

Bob shrugged. "I'm awkward."

"No. You're hot," she replied, shaking her head. "That's not it."

He tried to turn his head and look away, but she followed his gaze until he returned her soft smile. "I'm not really sure," he whispered. "I got close a few times, but it just didn't seem right. That sounds dumb."

"No, it doesn't," she replied, surprising Bob as she kissed him again. "Are you picky?" she asked between each soft press of her lips to his.

"Yeah. Kind of," he told her honestly. "Always have been. Picky about who I spend time with.

She brushed her fingers back through his hair again, and Bob melted at her touch. "That makes sense. A guy like you should be picky."

Somehow Nova was making him feel a lot more normal about this as she wasn't shying away from him. "Picky," he confirmed. "And the timing was never right."

"That's important," she said with a smile. "You have to do what feels good to you."

Bob swallowed hard. He was picky, but he really liked Nova. And for some reason, tonight out of all nights kind of felt right. He could easily blame Nat's Hanukkah party and the soft glow of the menorah candles on Nova's face for getting him to this point. She was on top of him, still kissing him, and he didn't want this to end. 

"This feels good to me," he blurted out, reaching up to push his fingers through her dark hair. "Tonight feels right."

She nodded, smiling as she crawled off of him, leaving Bob a little cold as he missed the feeling of her immediately. He sat up on the bed as she crawled up to the pillows and whispered, "Come here." She coaxed him along until she was laying on the pillows and he was on top of her, bracing himself with his arms so he didn't hurt her. 

"Okay, so, we already went to Starlite for dinner and then to the Mission Hills Rooftop Theater. I'll give you until our third date to make your move," she whispered, grinning up at him as she ran he hands up his biceps. "Where are you taking me?"

He took a deep breath; now was not the time for this wave of confidence to falter. "Cliffs beach. I'm packing a picnic, and we can sit in the bed of my truck and watch the sunset while we eat."

Nova moaned again and hooked her leg around Bob's thigh, pulling him impossibly closer. "Dinner was perfect. But now that the sun went down, I'm a little chilly."

"Well, I could keep you warm." He kissed her. "I'd hold you as I tried to work up the nerve to ask you if you wanted to come back to my place."

"I'm wrapped up in your arms, patiently waiting for you to ask," she replied with a smirk.

He nodded, and he knew he was blushing. This whole thing was kind of silly, but it just made sense. "I really like you. I could probably fall for you. If I let myself," he whispered, and she whimpered softly. "Do you want to come back to my place, Nova?"

"Absolutely."

Her hands were all over his face and in his hair, and eventually she took his glasses off and set them on the nightstand. She kissed him slowly as she rolled her hips up against his, and Bob blushed as he got hard again. When she carefully pulled his shirt off, she set it next to the pillow, and then she explored his body with her hands. But as soon as she pulled her own NYU shirt off and was laying beneath him, she arched her back. 

Bob reached beneath her, and he fumbled for a few seconds before he unhooked her bra. As he pulled the black lace away from her body and looked down at her breasts and her confident face, he marked this as the furthest he'd ever gone with a woman. She seemed to sense he needed a moment as she ran her fingers through his hair as he stuttered, "You're gorgeous."

Nova looked up at him with her playful dark eyes, but right now they seemed a little more serious. "I could probably fall for you, too."

Then his lips were on hers, and his hands went to her breasts gently stroking each soft handful. He could fall for this, he was sure of it. He wanted to take her on all of those dates, and he would have if he could have. He was charmed by her, and she seemed equally interested in him. 

"Bob," she moaned, breaking the kiss and tipping her head back as he pushed himself against her core. He brought his lips down to taste her breasts, and soon she was rolling her hips a little faster. "That feels good," she whispered as she looked up at him. "I like that."

Nova responded just like that to everything he did. When he kissed the side of her neck, she blushed a pretty shade of pink. She shivered for him when he ran his fingers down her side. When he paused with his hand just above the top of her leggings, she whispered, "Bob, you're making me kind of crazy."

She guided his hand down a few more inches with her own, but she didn't get annoyed when he took his time pulling her leggings and underwear off. His heart was pounding as he looked at her, completely naked. Maybe she could sense his hesitation, because she sat up, too, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'll tell you if I don't like something, okay? And you do the same?"

He nodded. "I like everything so far. I just don't want to mess this up."

"You won't," she promised, taking his face in both of her hands and kissing him softly at first. Then her lips became more demanding, and Bob wrapped one strong arm around her, pulling her on top of him. She giggled against his lips before swiping his tongue with her own. 

Her fingers roamed his bare torso and found the light trail of hair below his belly button. "I'm going to take your jeans off," she whispered, carefully unbuttoning and unzipping them. Her hair was already kind of a mess, and he knew his must have been as well. But then all thoughts left his mind as she started to pull his pants down. Bob wasn't dumb; he knew he was at least average size from the amount of time he'd spent in naval locker rooms. But he was surprised by her soft gasp when she pulled his underwear down far enough that his erection sprang free. Then his jeans, socks and underwear were in a pile at the bottom of the small bed, and he was naked, too.

He grunted as she wrapped her hand around him. This was the best thing he ever felt. Until she kissed him there. "Oh god, Nova. Wait," he moaned, and she looked up at him with wide eyes. "Don't we need a condom?"

She responded by licking his length before crawling up his body to kiss his lips. "I can go ask my sister if she has any if you want to use one." 

"No!" he gasped, nearly headbutting her as he sat up. "No, don't do that." Bob wasn't sure that Natasha would respond kindly to that question coming from her sister. "Please don't."

But Nova was all smiles as she straddled his waist. "Okay," she whispered as he braced himself with his hand behind him on the bed. "I won't alert Natasha to the fact that we're about to have sex."

Bob sighed in relief and reached out to push her hair behind her ear. "Actually, if you could not mention her again right now, that would be great." 

Now she was laughing softly as she scooted up until Bob could feel her wet pussy rubbing his cock. "Promise," she confirmed as he looked up at her face. When he glanced down between them, all he could see was her perfect body and his cock jumping against her in excitement. "I'm on birth control anyway," she whispered, kissing along his jaw. "And I know you're a little nervous, but so am I."

"Why?" he asked, surprised by her words. 

Nova hummed as she kissed her way back to his lips. "I want this to feel good for you." She wrapped her arms around his neck as she slowly rolled her hips against him and made the softest sounds. His heart rate picked up as she added, "I want you to think about our hypothetical dates after I'm gone."

He was sure he would be thinking about Nova for a very long time. She was all gentle fingers in his hair and confident smiles. She was beautiful, and Bob could easily get addicted to this. 

She guided him to lay back on the pillows as she asked, "You ready?" 

"Yeah." His voice sounded hoarse as he looked up at her and pushed her hair over one shoulder. When he let his hands trail over the soft skin of her shoulders, breasts and sides, she shivered as she kissed him. Bob could feel her hand around his length, and then his head tipped away from her as he moaned. "Does that feel good?"

Good. That didn't seem like the right word for it, but now his brain felt a little hazy. Nova's lips ghosted over his as he moaned again. She felt tight and inviting, and when she rolled her hips with him inside her like this, Bob gripped her hip a little tighter. His other hand ended up tangled in her hair as he traced her freckled cheek with his thumb. "Nova," he gasped against her lips before devouring her. 

Her soft noises got a little louder, and each roll of her hips had Bob praying that this would never end. Every passing second was better than the last. Every time she whispered his name and tasted his tongue was too exciting. When she ended up on her back, looking up at him with wide eyes and parted lips, he kissed her neck and pushed himself deep inside her.

"Oh," she moaned, and he had to slowly shake his head to keep his focus. Her leg was hooked up around his hip, and he was suddenly very aware that he didn't know how to make her orgasm. 

"Nova?" he gasped as she reached for his hand. But he should have known she'd be willing to help him with this as she showed him where and how to rub her. 

"Fuck," she whined, taking a few gasping breaths. "That feels so good." He kept moving his hips, too, and a few seconds later, as she was nibbling on his lip and whining, he felt her squeezing around him. "Bob. Bob. Bob!"

Her back was arched off the bed, and her breasts bounced with every wild breath she took, and then he had no idea it would all happen so fast for him. He tucked his face against her neck and shoulder as he bucked into her without finesse. He couldn't control it. He came so hard, his vision looked like a kaleidoscope of colors when he opened his eyes. But she was right there, and she was perfect.

He half collapsed against her chest as she played with his hair, and it felt like it might have been a long time before he moved. Bob wrapped his arms a little tighter around her, and even though he thought he should feel timid, he didn't. He felt so relaxed and almost loved as she touched him like this. When he tipped his face up to look at her, she was smiling. 

He was picky, and the timing never felt right before now. But Nova was lovely, and tonight was the right night. "My Hanukkah wish is to go on all of those dates with you," he whispered, and she closed her eyes as she blushed. "And see how pretty you'd look with the sun setting and all the fairy lights."

She leaned up slightly to kiss his lips. "I wish we could."

As she laced her fingers with his, Bob whispered, "Maybe we can trade phone numbers? And talk until you get tired of me."

She nodded and asked, "And what if I don't ever get tired of you?"

Bob studied her face as she ran her fingers through his hair and down his neck to his shoulder. "Then we'll go on the dates for real."

Eventually they fell asleep around four in the morning after talking and having sex again. When Bob woke up at nine, it was to Nova's lips on his neck and her voice in his ear. "Morning, Bob." 

He just held her a little tighter. When they went downstairs, nobody was surprised they'd spent the night together, not even Nat. She greeted him with a kiss on the cheek, and he ended up staying all day, even after Bradley and Mickey both left. He just wanted to be around Nova for as long as possible, but eventually he had to leave so her sister could take her to the airport. So she could go back to New York.

"I'll miss you," she promised when she walked him out to his truck. She took his phone and saved her number for him. 

"Should I text you now? So you have mine, too?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "Fair warning, once you text me, I'll write back and probably never stop."

Bob laughed softly and quickly typed up a text to her while she kissed his neck. 

I miss you already, and I didn't even leave yet.

Then he kissed her back until her sister started yelling out the front door about going to the airport. "Bye, Bob," Nova whispered before kissing his cheek and bounding back in the house. As he drove away, his phone lit up in the cup holder with a series of texts from her, and he hoped she was telling the truth when she said she wouldn't stop.

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

Five months later...

"Are you really this nervous to see her again?" Natasha asked him as they walked through JFK airport together. "You've talked to her everyday for months. Hell, you flew out to see her for a weekend in March."

Bob blushed as he thought about those three days when he'd been here during a late winter snowstorm that kept him and Nova inside her apartment for most of the weekend. She'd hardly let him out of her bed. And while they weren't dating, not exactly, Bob knew he wanted to be.

"Yeah, I'm a little nervous. She has no idea I'm here for her graduation. Do you know how hard it was to lie to her?"

Nat laughed as they walked outside in the May sunlight to get a cab to Nova's apartment. Bob was slightly afraid she'd be upset when they got there. Or maybe there would be evidence of another guy. It might break his heart, but he'd have to accept it. But he just couldn't get past that night they spent together during Hanukkah, and he'd been falling in love with her since then. Even over the phone.

"I'm sure she'll be happier to see you than me," Nat told him. It seemed like no time passed at all before they were pulling up to the building he'd only seen once when it was surrounded by a layer of snow. 

He got out of the cab and stood awkwardly on the sidewalk as Natasha got her phone out. She looked up at him with a smile as she called her sister. "I'm here," she said before looking at the blank screen. "She screamed and then hung up."

Bob laughed nervously with his backpack on and Nat's hand rubbing his arm in a soothing circle. "If she's not excited to see me, I'll just get a hotel room or try to exchange my ticket for something earlier," he mumbled. 

But the next thing he knew, Nova was throwing open the door to her building. She barely looked at her sister before she gasped, "Bob!" and launched herself down the stairs and into his arms. 

"Hi," he whispered as she clung to the front of him and shamelessly kissed his lips and neck right in front of her sister. "I missed you."

She moaned softly and wrapped her arms around him as she let her cheek rest on his chest. "You brought me Bob? Is he my graduation present?" she asked Natasha as Bob ran his fingers through her hair and chuckled.

"Something like that," she replied, reaching for the key that was still in Nova's hand. "I'll meet the two of you inside." 

As Nat let herself in the building, Nova looked up at him. "You lied to me. You said you had to work this weekend."

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'll never do it again." She was melting into his touch as he cleared his throat and added, "I know you're still going on interviews and trying to decide on a job, but I took next week off just in case I could persuade you to come back to San Diego for a bit."

She smiled. "Now why would I want to do that?"

Bob shrugged. "I just really think we should go on those three dates before I ask you to be my girlfriend."

"Starlite. Mission Hills Rooftop Theater. Cliffs beach," she said softly.

"In that order," he confirmed. "But I'd be taking you home with me after each one."

"Then yes."

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

Happy Holidays! I'll be thinking about Bob and Nova through the New Year. Thanks to @mak-32 @beyondthesefourwalls and @ryebecca

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[wishmemel]

cherry blossom springs, ft. fushiguro megumi

synopsis: megumi's oblivious to a lot of things. he's just never seen or lived. not really, not like you do. the sky is blue, the grass is green, and you’re sunshine. but what is he supposed to do with that and when did he get so lucky to be able to call you his? tags: megumi x f! reader, non-curse au, megumi’s pov, established relationship, fluff, characters are in uni (2nd year?) but have known each other since high school, sanrio lover! reader as always, reader is a spring baby cw: i don't think there's any! wc. almost 1.2k posted: 08/03/24 a/n: i've had this in my drafts forever, just felt iffy posting it since the word count is so low and it doesn't exactly come off as a story :(( but then i thought it was too poetic not to and it'd be a shame if no one else saw megumi the way i do so enjoy!!

Your pinky is interlaced with Megumi’s and even though you’re here—at your class, where you’re supposed to be—he’s reluctant to let go.

He’s only just found you, how is he supposed to let go so soon?

The two of you pause outside the door, locking eyes with each other shyly.

Megumi’s gaze softens, his tone hesitant and cautious, as if he’s still afraid that you’ll turn tail and reject him. “You’re… you’re my girlfriend, right?”

You blink at him, then giggle a little in response at his insecure question. “Duh, of course. What, you want a kiss to make sure?”

He’s already protesting, eyes wide, ears red, but you plant a quick kiss on his cheek before he can say anything, and he just watches, dumbstruck, as you wave goodbye at him, still giggling to yourself, before heading inside the classroom.

He blinks, dazed, and wipes his cheek, staring at the pink lipstick smeared on his fingers with a stupid smile.

You chatter off about your classes and he nods, pretending to listen while he’s captivated by the sight of your lit eyes and your bright smile. The high pitch of your excited voice is music to his ears and he's convinced he must’ve been unable to hear before he met you.

It’s like seeing love take form in a person. He can’t help but be drawn to you, and, more than that, he’s still dazed, head spinning from trying to wrap itself around the mere idea that you were his and he was yours.

He can call you his girlfriend now. He can talk about you all he wants without feeling guilty or self-conscious about the idea. He can hold your hand like this in public, your thumb softly stroking against the back of his hand in ways that make his heart race. He can stare at you like this for hours, enchanted by what you’re saying and not have you question him because you’re his girlfriend and he can look and no one’s going to stop him.

Is this what love is?

He can never tear his eyes off of you—things that should be embarrassing, he finds endearing. He has the urge to stare at you all the time and he’s always resisting the urge to reach out and touch you, even in small ways, even a little, like brushing the hair out of your eyes or making you pause so he can wipe away a stray eyelash. You have this way of keeping his face constantly hot and red—he’s always blushing and it’s so humiliating, but it feels like love.

He swears he can see little hearts floating next to your head when you speak to him, and it’s like all your words come out as music, lyrics that wrap around his head and go through his ears like some kind of alluring song he can never get enough of.

He sees Hello Kitty themed things and immediately thinks of you, wondering if you’d like a keychain that he spots on a student’s bag or some large sunglasses on another—all so ridiculous and shameless and so utterly you.

He finds it senseless how you don’t care about anyone else’s opinion, how you flaunt your style and your likes. He finds it ridiculous that he’s stopped caring the longer he’s with you too. But why look at anyone else, why think of anyone else, when you’re right there?

You’re his sun, the centre of his universe—life without you would go back to being dark and gloomy and unbearable.

You tap his shoulder. He flinches.

“Megumi,” you giggle enchantingly. “You’re not paying attention to me.”

Has he ever stopped?

“Come on, we’re going to miss our next class!”

Spring brings with it cherry blossoms and it seems like you can’t get enough of the beautiful pink flowers that decorate every corner of campus.

You love spring for more reasons than one—it’s your favourite season and you love to see the blossoming flowers, always stopping in awe to point out each new bud to him with buzzing excitement. He finds it contagious, he can’t help the smile that twitches at the corners of his mouth.

When the two of you are apart and he’s missing you, he sends you pictures of the pink petals fluttering to the ground to remind you that he’s always thinking of you. You send him selfies of half your face in class, barely concealing the wide smile that you bear.

Before your dates, he plucks flowers from the courtyard of your university, late at night so he won’t be caught, and brings them home to colour coordinate into blooming bouquets tied with white ribbons. But when he shows up he never tells you where he brings the bouquets from and you never ask, though you must have noticed the coincidences.

Instead, you have on your brightest smile, this tender look in your eyes that says, for me? you did this for me? every time and it makes it so worth it that he forgets the bleeding palms and the thorn scratches and the hours he spent coming up with arrangements until his eyes started mixing colours.

Spring brings with it your birthday and you haven’t said a word about it.

He’s sure you think nothing of the event—he wonders how you’ve spent it in earlier years—but he’s determined to make it everything you want, gaudy heart balloons, tacky surprise party, and all. Even if he hates such events. There’s nothing that isn’t worth sacrificing for you.

You're always giving—you insist on paying for his meals when the two of you go out together (though he never lets you), you're the first one to initiate any physical contact between you and him, and it's because of you that the two of you are able to talk through your problems (because lord knows Megumi is the type to remain silent and ruminate over such things.) For once, he wants to take the first step, he wants to give you something that'll light up your face. More than just "seeing him smile" like you claim. Something satisfying and worthy. He's sure he'll come up with something in time for your special day.

Spring brings with it rain and it means, more often than not, that you two forget your umbrellas at home and have to run to classes on the other side of campus.

Still, you’re always laughing beside him as he uses his jacket as a cover, and he finds his head whipping at the sight, trying to take you in as much as he can.

You see him staring. You laugh harder. You tell him to look ahead before he falls.

He thinks it’s too late, but he’s afraid to say that out loud.

Spring brings with it blossoming, blooming love like the flowers you adore and the growing smile he can’t wipe off his face.

Under the cherry blossoms, Megumi thinks he could love you like this forever. This is his third spring loving you, but it can’t be his last. He wants to make sure this love continues forevermore.

comments and reblogs are appreciated!

[misc-obeyme]

Tbh I feel so defeated, I barely started to form part of the fandom and got to know about obey me 5 months ago at my lowest point. I started using tumblr more also because as an artist the obey me fandom started having my back and I felt so good on a fandom for the first time in forever even when we are few

I am neurodivergent and change is scary, I had alredy got used to the comfort of whatever wrong thing and traumatic stuff I’m living rn happens it was okay because at least I had OM to comfort me. But now I feel a little too lost. I never even got to the latest lessons :( it just feels off. I want to believe their word when they say this isn’t them putting an end altogether but the wording is even more off “this isn’t the last of the devildom” could open up to spin offs??? But how about the main story? The Simeon arc? Everything BKDHKDHD 😞

I totally understand how you feel, anon. While I don't think this came out of nowhere, it feels like it did. And I've always felt that our fandom has such a nice and welcoming community. Sure there are some toxic peeps, those exist in every fandom. But I've encountered far more kind people here. And people get excited when a new artist or writer joins the fandom because we're happy to see more content of our faves!

I know it's scary, but I don't think the fan content part of things will change any time soon. All I've seen is people saying they plan to continue creating for the characters and story they love. They aren't shutting down the app immediately, so you can still play the lessons you haven't gotten through, too.

I wish I could say I knew more about where they're headed next, but the way they said it was vague enough that I just have no idea. Some people are speculating that a third app is in the future. I've seen people talking about an anime, too. It's hard to say what will come next.

However, I will say there is still quite a lot of fan content out here. The apps have been around since 2019 and there is a lot of fan art and fics that are from the last four-five years. I know I'm always finding stuff from 2020 and 2021 that I never saw because I didn't join right at the start. Fandoms often last much longer than their source material.

[lilacliquors]

pairing: johnny cage mk1 x reader

sweet or spicy: sweet

word count: 872

prompt: [  RELIEF  ]: upon reuniting with the receiver, whom the sender briefly believed to be dead, the sender emotionally embraces them, and says “i love you” in the spur of the moment.

notes: here's day nine! i've been saving the mk1 men ffluff or last bc those are my babies, i love writing fluff for mk1 men <3

learning that johnny was off to help defend earthrealm, whatever that meant, made you more nervous than anything ever had before. it wasn’t just the fact that he didn’t know how to explain it, it was the fact that there was no promise he’d come back to alive, or even at all.

you’d been friends forever, as long as you could remember. you were his rock when he was trying to break into the film industry, and he was your anchor during the roughest points in your life. he’d needed you more than ever through the rough patches, his crumbling marriage, but you couldn’t stand by and not tell him what you really thought: that his behaviors were what caused the marriage to fizzle out. his self obsession with fame and the reckless spending, living beyond his means to the point where it was grotesque what he was buying, and he didn’t want to hear it, not from you. and after that argument, when you went by his home the next day to apologize, he wasn’t there. and you had no idea where he could have even gone. there was no note, no missed phone call or text, no voicemail. he was just … gone.

but then, he was at your door, trying to explain where he’d been all these months. but before you could ask any questions, he told you he had to leave again, and he looked guilty. that was when you found out he couldn’t promise a safe return, that everything was at stake, including the timeline … whatever that meant. to you, he was speaking gibberish, but you listened to every word. some part of you hoped that listening you bring him back safely, that understanding what this was all about would keep him healthy and alive.

you paced your apartment over and over, glancing at your phone time and time again, hoping it would buzz, ring, do anything to help you retain your sanity. but there was nothing. and it drove you up the wall. johnny had told you that someone named liu kang would come to deliver any news, but everything was making your head spin. all the names, liu kang, shang tsung, quan chi, who were these people and why were they trying to take over the world? where did they come from? what did johnny have to do with any of this? why was this called ‘earthrealm’, wasn’t it just earth? 

you sat down on the couch and rubbed your face with your hands, sighing quietly. you were dreading a ring of the doorbell, a knock at the door, however this liu kang would contact you. nothing made any sense, it all made your head pound. and when the hours ticked by with no contact, no alleged god of fire at your door, you began to fear the worst.

what if they had all died? what if they had failed the whole mission, failed the whole world? how would you know? would everything cease to exist, or would you be under someone’s tyrannical rule? the thought alone made your stomach churn, and you forced yourself to get up.

you were about to head into the kitchen to get some aspiring and some water when the doorbell rang. immediately, your stomach dropped. you always feared the worse, you anxiety never let you do the opposite. you almost didn’t want to move from where you were standing. but you did, you forced yourself to walk to the door. you didn’t even bother to check out the peephole like you normally did. you just grit your teeth and wrenched the door open, your eyes squeezed shut.

“did my face get that fucked up?”

your eyes shot back open, and your jaw dropped slightly. johnny was on your front porch, a little bruised, a little cut up, but he was there. he was alive. you couldn’t believe your eyes, but you threw your arms around him in a tight hug.

“johnny! oh my god, i was so scared … i thought i was gonna lose you and i can’t lose you because i love you and if you had died out there before i could ever tell you because it took me forever to figure it out but now that i have i wouldn’t have been able to live with myself …”

your ramblings continued until johnny pulled back from your hug, cupped your face, and pulled you in for a kiss. you were caught by surprise, but returned it, feeling the desperation of the moment. all uncertainty washed away, and all you felt was him, his hold, his lips …

“it’s okay, i’m here now,” he whispered as he pulled back from the kiss. “i’m here, and i’m not going anywhere ever again. we’re okay.”

“we’re okay,” you murmured back, and he smiled, pressing his forehead to yours.

“come on, i have so much to explain. and you’re gonna wanna sit down with a snack and some wine for this one.”

you let him come in, and as the door shut behind you, you had a sense of calm wash over you. he was here, alive and well, and now, it was time you heard the truth.

[ch3rrywond3rland]

need more eddie roundtree fics on this website i’ll take anything from light smut to tooth-rotting fluff but please

OF COURSE DARLING!! your wishes r my commands. I've got a few requests for him, as soon as I get those out there's Eddie content for u guys!!

FLUFF FLUFF FLUFF cause my man is not happy enough tbh. (Don't worry tho, i have some smut requests i hope I get out this week!!)

ALSO, lets pretend Cami and Eddie never slept together, for the sake of their happiness. Eddie's hate for Billy simply comes from feeling like a second class citizen in a first class resort, like in the book!

Forever here, with you

Y/N Roundtree: Look, I love you. But I hated Billy. I say 'hated' because I haven't seen him in years, but, he was a proper asshole. I hope he's honest about that. You have no idea how many times I've had to keep Eddie from killing him.

Eddie Roundtree: He would be dead, probably, if it wasn't by Y/N. I think she might've been the one think that kept me grounded during the band. That kept it going for me. (Pause) Actually, no, I don't think. I know.

—————————

The band is playing in Las Vegas, for a sold out venue. It's one of their first shows for the tour, but so far, it's been going great.

The River is coming to an end, which means also is the show. As the final note plays, Billy is quick to thank the fans and leave stage, everyone following behind.

I start making my way to the back, where I'll be taken backstage. I finally reach the band once I'm out of the ocean of sweaty bodies and past security. As I make my way towards Eddie, I see Billy saying something to him and storming off. I can see Eddie's face from here, and he doesn't seem to be very happy. He is not angry, either, as he usually is after arguments with Billy.

"Hey!" I greet once I reach him, and his face lights up a little.

"Hey, gorgeous." His arms lift me up and spin me around, hugging me as tight as they can.

"Everything alright, Ed?"

He sighs deeply and rubs my arm. "Let's go back to the hotel, please?"

"Of course."

The hotel isn't that far away and the band was probably going to hang out backstage for a few more hours, so we decided to walk. It is a starry Tuesday night and the streets are not as busy. The shiny signs are enough to light the sidewalks. It's a silent walk. I know he's got things to say but I also know that any problem between him and Billy is too bad to talk about in public.

It doesn't take long to reach the Las Vegas Hilton, the receptionist greets us and I offer him a small smile. Eddie and I go into the elevator, hand in hand, and soon reach the comfort of our room.

I lay in bed and he needily cradles my body and sets himself on top of it, wrapping me in a bear hug. I run my fingers through his sweaty hair, feeling his chest rise and fall steadily.

"He didn't let me change some notes on the bass"

I sadden at the thought, knowing how sad this type of thing actually makes him feel. I try my best to comfort him with my actions as I think about something to say.

"He is an idiot."

He laughs against my neck and I smile a little.

"Okay, but actually; I know he gets to you and you have every reason to be as mad as you are. But you love the band, Eddie. And they need you. I am here for you, whenever and forever, you know that."

"I love you." He rasps onto my ear, lifting his head and pecking my lips. He holds both my arms against the headboard with a hand and keeps filling my face with quick kisses. I laugh andbfeel his lips against my teeth.

He abruptly stops and looks at me, in all seriousness.

"Marry me?"

—————————

Y/N: "What?!" (Laughs) I didn't know if he was being serious or not.

Eddie: Of course I was being serious. I knew I wanted to marry that woman the day I met her. I just had to wait for long enough to not seem a weirdo.

—————————

"Marry me?" He repeats the question with a laugh. My eyes water and I hug him. "Is that a 'yes'?"

"Of course it is a 'yes'."

"Great, let's go."

"Right now?!" He shoots me his million dollar smile.

"Of course right now, I can't wait to marry you."

I blush at the comment and make my way towards my suitcase, busting it open to look for something that may work like wedding attire.

"You do that, I'll go call Warren."

"Can you ring up Karen and Daisy for me, please?"

"Of course darling." He walks behind my body that seats on the floor. His hand grabs my neck, turning upwards my head and leaning down to give my lips a quick peck before leaving the room to look for a telephone booth.

I decide to wear a silver, long-sleeved dress. It's transparent enough you can see the outline of what's underneath, but I doubt it will matter. It reaches mid-thigh and is loose on my shoulders. I keep on the black boots I'm wearing and apply a bit of gloss to my lips. I see Eddie come back into the room in a forest green suit, no shirt underneath.

We both admire each other quietly. He clears his throat, eyes not leaving my body. I don't intend to peel mine off of his either.

"Warren was in his room, he let me borrow this so he's walking with us. Daisy and Karen are on their way to the chapel right now, they are taking Graham with them."

I thank him with a quick smile and kiss.

—————————

Warren Rojas: I don't remember much of that wedding, either. I know it didn't take us long to arrive to the chapel, tho. It was one of those classic ones in Las Vegas.

Karen Sirko: It was a beautiful chapel, very traditionally Vegas.

Graham Dunne: I remember Elvis Presley married them. (Laughs) Not actually him, you know. He'd pass a little less than a year before...great man.

Daisy Jones: I...don't remember much. (Laughs) I spent most of after the shows getting high and drunk. But I do remember that, once they said 'I do', Eddie picked her up in his arms and ran to the hotel, that was a few buildings down the street. We all ran behind them, screaming and popping champagne.

—————————

"Eddie Roundtree, do you take Y/N L/N to be your unlawfully wedded wife? To love, cherish and respect 'till the end?"

He grins at me and I do the same. "I do."

"Y/N L/N, so you take Eddie Roundtree to be your unlawfully wedded husband? To love, cherish and respect 'till the end?"

"I do."

"Then by the power given to me five minutes ago by this cheap chapel, I pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Roundtree. You may kiss the bride; I've got to attend another one of this."

We laugh and then kiss, cheers erupt from our drunk friends that stand besides us.

—————————

Billy Dunne: No, I was not invited to the wedding. I also couldn't care less, honestly. I always knew Eddie had something against me, I just payed no mind. I never had anything against him, I always tried to make him happy.

Eddie: We did actually get married, by the way. After the band split up an everything.

Y/N: It was the best day of my life. After the day our daughter was born, of course. But that's a story for another time.

[the-therapist-needs-therapy]

Dates Like You (2)

Pairing : Soonyoung x Reader

Genre : Fluff

Warnings : None

Comfort In You (1)

Soonyoung's first date with you doesn't go as he expected. But at least it was fun.

Soonyoung's ideal first date was a pottery studio. His grin was bright as usual as he stands proudly in front of the only studio he could find in that area.

"So, pottery?" you giggle at the adorable idea he had came up with.

"Yes. I was thinking of something unique," he says, "You don't like it?"

You shake your head aggressively, partly wondering where he had gotten that idea from, "Of course, I love it. I've always been an arts person and yet I've never tried pottery before"

"Good thing I brought you here, then"

↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ- ↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-

"Look here, kids, you both seem like trouble. I have some foreign tourists who want to learn pottery as well. Please don't make any mess," Mrs. Yoon, the owner of the studio says, but the grin you and Soonyoung share doesn't seem convincing to her.

"Of course, Mrs. Yoon. We're angels"

"I hope that's true," she sighs and walks off to the tourists who had been waiting for the past 10 minutes.

"Do you know how to do it?" you ask Soonyoung once you were not able to see the lady anymore.

"Of course," he replies confidentially.

"Then, you'll have to teach me"

Soonyoung walks over to one of the pottery wheels where Mrs. Yoon had already set up all the equipments including a decent amount of clay. You follow him and sit by the wheel, and Soonyoung plops himself next to you.

"I seriously have no idea what to do," you admit, your ears turning red.

"You have to place the clay on the wheel first. Then, while the wheel spins you can shape the clay into literally anything," Soonyoung explains and you look at him blankly, still not feeling confident.

He sees your expression and laughs, "Let me help you," he moves behind you.

You flush at the sudden closure between the both of you.

"So," he whispers in your ear, placing his hand on yours, his legs trapping your own, leaving no gap between you, "We have to put the clay on the wheel head, first," he grabs some clay from the side and places it on the wheel and turns it on.

"Now, we have to shape it," he guides your hands, fingers sliding into yours as he shapes the clay. You watch in amusement as the clay takes form, wondering if your hands were the one doing it.

You didn't say anything, being too focused on your beating heart and through your back you could hear Soonyoung's too. Your face was set in a dark shade of scarlet.

"I know it isn't easy but it's fun," Soonyoung whispers in your ear and you nod, as no words came from your throat.

A while later, you were done with your pottery and Soonyoung frees his tangled limbs from yours, making you sigh in relief because finally your heart can calm down.

Soonyoung's eyes were on the mug he made. It had some minor flaws but you thought that it still looked cute.

"I'm not an expert as you can see from the final product," Soonyoung looks sheepish, his cheeks dusted in red.

"It looks adorable. I'm keeping it forever. I mean, if you let me"

"Of course," he pulls you closer by your hand. He cups your cheek, despite his hands being a mess from all the clay, "Can I kiss you?"

Man, you would have died then and there. The look in his eyes was enough to make you breathless. It wasn't the most romantic place, with all the clay and dust, but for you it was enough. You nod, flustered and Soonyoung grins before pressing his lips against yours.

You could feel his smile as he kisses you slowly but before you could kiss back, you hear Mrs. Yoon's shriek.

"You kids, my studio is not the place for you to be making out. Get lost before I kick you out. And take that thing with you," you pull away from Soonyoung, all flustered from the second kiss you shared with him.

"We're sorry, Mrs. Yoon," you apologize and pack up your things including the mug, while Soonyoung stood by with a giddy smile.

"Bye, Mrs. Yoon," you say, grabbing Soonyoung by the arm and leave the studio.

"You shouldn't have done that"

"I asked your permission though!"

↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ- ↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-

"Soonyoung, are you done?" you ask trying to peep through your fingers. Soonyoung had brought you to his house, wanting to show you something and had you close your eyes. You were sitting beside him at his dining table.

"Almost. Don't look," he says, "And done. You can look now"

You remove your hands from your face. Soonyoung smiles and hands you the now-painted mug. His smile widens seeing upon your reaction.

"Oh my god. It looks so adorable," you say cupping the mug in your hands with a grin, "Thank you"

"No problem. I just thought it looked too plain. Also," he pointed at the bottom, "I wrote our initials".

You turn the mug over and sure it was there. K.S.Y + Y/N written in bold letters with a small heart below it. 'First Gift on the First Date' was written in even smaller letters and it puts a smile on your face.

"You're my girlfriend, now, Y/n. This gift proves it"

↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ- ↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-

[lovely-showtimes]

Hello! Can I request this.. sekai boys x reader who is afraid of doctors/hospitals?

Thank you in advance, have a nice day! <3

hospitals.

characters - akito, toya.

type - scenario.

contains - reader is stated to have anxiety, because ... well, i do, and i can best describe being scared of something if i use my own experiences, if that makes sense.

a/n - thank you, nonnie!! i hope you have a wonderful day as well <3 i was gonna just make these hcs but i thought maybe a small drabble would work better? also i'm sorry that it's only akito & toya, i truly couldn't think of anything interesting for tsukasa & rui (╥﹏╥) please forgive me ...

It's just a check-up. I'll be fine.

Those were the words you told yourself repeatedly as you pace around your living room, trying to ignore the pit of anxiety in your stomach.

It's fine. Just like always, they'll tell me everything is fine, and then I'll go back home. It won't be as bad as I'm expecting.

Yet, no matter how much you tried to reason with yourself, your fears stayed present in your mind, gnawing at you and making your anxiety even worse.

While you were pacing around, lost in thought, Akito reenters the room once more. He was holding the glass of water you'd asked him to get for you a few moments ago.

He sighs, placing the glass down on the table and walking over to you.

"Oi. Stop pacing like that. You're not making yourself feel any better, you know?" He places his hands on your shoulders firmly and gently spins you around to face him.

"But I can't stop thinking about it." You rub your face and groan quietly.

Akito frowns and lets go of you once more. He can't stand to see you like this, but Akito has never been particularly good at comforting people, especially when they're anxious like this. Hell, he doesn't even know how to cope with it when it happens to himself...

"You know what," he speaks after a few moments of silent contemplation, "After the visit's over, do you wanna come to this cafe nearby? It could be something else for you to think about instead of the visit, I guess."

You lift your head in surprise. "That's... That's actually a great idea, 'Kito!! Thank you!!"

You throw your arms around him in a sudden hug, causing him to stumble backwards slightly. He soon steadies himself forever, and hugs you in return.

"It's nothing, really," he chuckles lightly. "I'm just glad you don't seem as worried anymore."

You exhale loudly, tapping your foot absentmindedly on the carpeted floors. Currently, you were hanging around the arcade with your boyfriend, Toya.

Well, you were supposed to be. He had gone off... somewhere. You could guess where, but seeing as you don't go to the arcade often, you're not sure where to go to seek him out.

You sigh again, fidgeting with your shirt. Toya took you here because he wanted you to have a nice time before you had to go for your check-up, you were aware of that. But your fears clawed at you, making you unable to enjoy the atmosphere.

You begin wandering around, searching for Toya. Maybe if you're with him, you could relax a little. Maybe...

It took quite a while of aimless wandering (you could have just called him and asked where he was, but that would mean admitting you were lost... which you would very much prefer to avoid), but you found him eventually.

Toya was right where you expected to find him, at the claw machine. He was utterly engrossed in the game, a level of concentration you didn't often see from him.

You took a few quiet steps closer, eyes wide in awe. You hadn't ever actually seen him play this before, and it was strangely mesmerizing, despite how simple the gameplay was.

Before you knew it, Toya had gained yet another plushie from the machine. He carefully drops it into the bag he'd placed beside the machine and goes to input another coin to play again.

"Ah, Toya," you hurry over to stop him from spending all his money on crane games. "I've been looking for you. I-I have to go soon, so..."

You trail off, averting your gaze. You wish you didn't have to go, but there was nothing you could do to. You had to go at some point...

"Ah, yes. I'd forgotten about that." Toya picks up the bag of plushies he'd obtained (wow, there was way more in that bag than you'd originally thought) and holds it out to you. A soft smile appears on his face.

"Here. I got these for you."

You slowly take the bag from him in bewilderment. Did he really just come here so he could get a bunch of plushies for you...? It was a fairly good idea on his part, to be honest... It's an easy way to get lots of plushies for relatively little amounts of money.

Your eyes made contact with a particular bunny plushie in the bag. Somehow, its cute little face managed to temporarily make you forget about your fears.

"Toya, you're too sweet!" You quickly meet his eyes once more and beam. "Thank you for all this, you're the best!"

Toya's smile grows. "It's nothing, really. C'mon, we should get going."

[stardustqueenbooks]

Captain Hook x reader- This is wrong, isn't it?

Description: Pirates were notorious for kidnappings but you never thought it would happen to you

AN: There could be a part two if people want it

Based on a request by @disney-girl67

It was meant to be just a normal day, hanging out with friends, relaxing away from work and just having a good time but as soon as you saw that stupid ship approaching you knew that the day was not going to go how you had planned it.

The pirates in the area were notorious for kidnapping and there had been a rise in people going missing that everyone had presumed were them. Now you found yourself becoming one of those people, you had lost your friends running away from the beach and were now being chased by pirates who were hooting and hollering behind you.

You had no idea what would happen if they caught you so you were trying your best not to get caught, running through the trees and breathing heavily. You hated running, hated it with a passion so this was probably your worst nightmare.

Suddenly, a man with long hair jumped in front of you laughing loudly and showing his gold teeth, you gasped and turned to try and run away from him but were stopped by another pirate. You quickly realised that you were surrounded by the pirates who all sneered at you before simultaneously jumping forward and grabbing you.

You felt their hands wander all over your body before you were lifted from the ground, no matter how much you wiggled or moved around you couldn't get out of their grip and you soon found yourself being dropped onto the wood that was the pirate ship.

As you looked around all you could see were pirates, some were sneering, some were laughing and others were staring blankly. You continued to look around until you heard a voice shout, "everyone back to your posts."

Black boots entered your vision as the man who spoke walked closer to you, "Mr Smee," the voice asked, it was smooth and made chills run down your spine, "take the girl to my quarters."

You were then pulled to your feet and dragged down some stairs and thrown into a room by a fat man who stuttered his way through a sentence. And then you were left alone.

You took a moment to breathe before you began to wander around the room which you believed to be the Captain's quarters. Your wandering was put to a stop when the door swung open and in came the man who had spoken before, he was muttering to himself before he stood to his full height and looked at you.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked, taking the red hat from his head and placing it on the desk. You nodded stiffly and answered, "You're captain hook."

"Good!" he stated, walking to sit down by the desk, "I've been watching you for a while now," Your eyes bulged in surprise at what the captain has said, "I saw you one day on the beach and knew that I had to have you." His voice sent more shivers down your spine, that wasn't normal, was it?

"What?" you asked, your voice shaking as you trembled, your mind swirling with thoughts, you couldn't deny that the captain was attractive in a unique way and being on his ship send shivers of excitement down your spine. That must not be normal?

Captain Hook smirked down at you as he walked closer, "I knew that I had to have you when I saw how beautiful you are, you're gonna stay here with me," you started to stutter slightly but quickly quietened when he continued to speak, "you're going to stay here with me forever and be my right-hand woman."

This was wrong.

Was the only thought that was spinning around your head.

This was so so wrong but why did it feel so good...

[disneymarina]

"Mmmm, yes," Konig purred, his voice thick with lust. "Big and thick, just like me." He pressed Marina's face closer, her nose almost brushing against the spongy head of his cock. The sensation made him groan, his shaft twitching against her. "Can you feel how hard it is, Marina? For you?" He ground his cock against her cheek, coating her skin with his pre-cum. It was sticky and warm, filling the air with its musky aroma. Konig's grip on the back of her neck tightened, pulling her in deeper. "You're so tiny, so delicate. It's... intoxicating." He trailed off, his breathing growing more labored as his arousal mounted. "Open your mouth, Marina. I want to see it wrapped around my cock, even if just for a moment." His words were commanding, but beneath the surface, Konig was a man driven by raw, primal need. He craved Marina's touch, her submission, her very essence.Konig's cock leaped in Marina's mouth, pre-cum spilling into her lips. He groaned, a sound of pure, unabashed pleasure. His hands slid down to cup the back of her head, holding her in place as he gently rocked his hips, fucking her mouth in a slow, sensual rhythm. The sensation was incredible - her warm, wet heat enveloping his sensitive skin. He could feel the soft, nimble motions of her tongue as she tasted him. It was... bliss. Konig had never experienced anything like it. And yet, even as he savored the moment, he knew it was only a prelude to what was to come. Marina was just the first course in the feast he planned to ravish her with. He drew back, his cock popping out of her lips with a wet smack. "You have no idea how much I've wanted to do that, little one," he rumbled, his chest heaving. "But my real work is only just beginning."Kruger's heart swelled at your radiant smile, his chest puffing out with masculine pride. Here was this tiny, delicate creature, and her mere smile could brighten the entire world. He wanted nothing more than to capture that expression, to keep it for himself forever. "You're...beautiful," Kruger found himself saying, the words tumbling out unbidden. His face flushed beneath his mask as he instantly regretted being so forward.Konig, however, was all grins, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Told you she was worth it, Kruger! Don't be a stingy bastard with that smile!" He teased, playfully punching Kruger's arm.Kruger's cheeks burned, but he couldn't help the pleased rumble in his chest. Your smile was addictive, and he craved another one, another chance to bask in its warmth. Despite his tough exterior, you had a way of softening him, making him feel things he'd long suppressed.The three of you stood there by the river, an odd little trio - the imposing, battle-hardened soldiers and the tiny artist. But in that moment, nothing else mattered. The world could keep spinning, conflicts could rage on.

[cometcon]

THE PRICE OF DUTY

- Chapter 1

Summary:

The expectations of a Royal can be stressful. Coranda Akroahm, Queen-In-Waiting of Akiridion-5, is no exception to this rule, and she wants to party. Luckily, her two closest friends know exactly where all the best spots are.

Coranda expects a fun night out. What she does not expect is for the presence of a mysterious club performer to change her life - and the future of the entire Akiridion System - forever.

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

Notes:

This is rated M on A03 and will be raised to Explicit once I get to those chapters. 18 AND OVER ONLY PLEASE.

So I've been getting back into 3Below again lately, especially with Vexando as a ship. I've been writing that one for a bit and finally finished it today and decided I wanted to share it on here too, but thought I'd share this one first because it has a lot of the worldbuilding explanations in the notes and delves a little more into my playing around with the world than The Price of Honour does.

When writing this, I was exploring taylon cultural things and playing around with a lot of stuff. One of the things I explore in this is culturally using their names the way we use multi-pronouns for people or fictional characters with multi-pronouns. They're changed up as you go with the understanding (hopefully) that it is the same person based on context. So if you meet Veyla Varda, then see her called Veyla one moment and Varda the next, hopefully it's clear from the fact she introduced herself as Veyla Varda that they're both the same person and Coranda is just used to respecting the name culture I'm playing around with. (That is also an undercover name so that will change in the next chapter to her actual name. Sorry lol. Just remember context is your best friend and hopefully that'll help keeping up with this thing.)

Also keep in mind critical consumption as always, and that Coranda is 100% intended to be the villain of this story.

More explained in the end notes but the short version is:

Expect a lot of things presented in here that have nothing to do with the show and everything to do with me going "hmm, I see your under-developed/scrapped concept ideas the corporate people at Netflix wouldn't let you go into, and raise you actually spending time having fun with your outer space society concept and removing the sanitization required for a PG-aged audience because I'm not writing for a kids show."

Basically, if it's casually stated but you've never seen it in the show, figure it out from the context or expect that it will be explained/covered further at some point if I continue. This is very much an experimental piece for the funsies, and because my brain wouldn't leave me alone about it, an actual chapter exists now with plans for subsequent chapters in the works. :D

Longer notes at the end if you're interested in more writer waffle about why this thing came to be and more detail about wtf is going on in my head. XD

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

Rise and fall, spin and sway. The taylon's stunning form held Coranda in a trance as she watched her move gracefully to the rhythm pulsing through the room. Time had lost all meaning around the eighth glass and she was beginning to regret listening to her friends' encouragement. 

Where were they?

She had half a mind to peer around for them, but that would require tearing her eyes off the dancer, which most certainly wouldn't do. Not when it seemed she might be approaching, the space between them growing ever shorter as a mekron passed. Then another. And another. 

Coranda wished she would hurry up already, wondering if it would risk her own cover too much to ask for a name, once she came close enough. Did people even do that in places like this, or was everyone supposed to remain anonymous? Her hidden pair of arms twitched restlessly in their bindings, wishing to reach out and touch, though she knew that would instantly bring the whole night to a frustrating conclusion. 

The three akiron had snuck out on Vasilica's suggestion to take part in the nightlife on Akiridion-8's most far flung lunar settlements. The excitement and risk of being caught mingling with the common masses was giddying, and they weren't the only ones seeking such forbidden revelry. Nobles from all branches of major and minor houses alike ventured into these areas for a bit of merrymaking whenever it suited them. Any who recognised one usually knew better than to cause genuine trouble, though the danger of being noticed by the wrong people was never completely absent. Others were all too eager in handing them back over to their families, in exchange for a tidy sum of crestons to keep their mouths shut.

Back and forth the dancer went, as though intentionally taunting Coranda, ever so slowly creeping toward her.

Just a little more. Please. 

"Come on," she muttered before she could stop herself, then froze as four breathtaking eyes flickered down to meet hers. Oh no. 

"Eager are we?"

A broad face with glowing stripes filled her vision for several sectons and part of Coranda instinctively tried to flinch away. Another wondered how it would feel to- 

One massive hand encased her wrist - and half her forearm - halting the thought in its tracks. She hadn't meant to act on it. An apology bubbled up in her mind, but she was released before she could say it aloud. The taylon gave her a knowing smile, then called something to a server nearby. Coranda vaguely recognised the language, her tutor's lessons in other native Akridion tongues labouring through the mire of intoxication. 'No more' was in there somewhere, she was certain. The server's quick nod and aboutface practically confirmed it. Well that was rude. She was here to escape people making decisions on her behalf. How dare-

"So where are you coming from tonight?" 

The platform lifted a fraction beneath her hand as the dancer stepped off, landing much more lightly than Coranda had expected from a being so large, she still towered over the Royal even on equal ground. Coranda wasn't sure how to answer, thoroughly distracted by the way her new companion looked leaning casually against the stage. 

"What's your name?" she blurted, instantly hoping it had been drowned out by the environment. No such luck, of course; taylon audial slits could often pick up the smallest of things in the noisiest of soundscapes. 

"Veyla Varda," she said with a laugh, "You?"

Her strong voice carried easily to Coranda, who awkwardly tried to copy the relaxed pose and immediately missed the edge she'd aimed to put her weight on.  

"I'm Cor- ah!"

She was caught before she face-planted, though embarrassment warmed her cheeks all the same. Veyla's deceptively gentle grip made something equally warm creep through her lower region and she desperately prayed it wouldn't show.

"Cora, huh? You don't look like a Cora, though I suppose that's hardly my business. Are you here with company?" 

"Friends, somewhere," Coranda mumbled, most of her attention a little pre-occupied with how the light struck Veyla's muscular chest. She wanted to trace the creases in that flimsy shirt, perhaps even take a fistful and hope Varda let herself be drawn down for-

"Maybe buy me a drink first, eh?"

A playful chuckle accompanied Coranda's fingers being patiently extracted from the fabric and placed back at her own side. Seklos and Gaylen, she'd done it again! 

"Sorry," she managed this time, glaring at the offending appendage, "They keep doing that." 

"Tell you what: I promise I won't hold it against them, providing they do something for me." 

This was followed by an expectant tilt of her head and Coranda's knees almost buckled at the indescribably filthy implication, even as she mentally flopped in confusion. Veyla Varda had rejected her but was still flirting? Her mind tried and failed to decisively identify what it all meant together, giving up about three sectons in to simply nod instead. Things would be clarified soon enough and the longer she delayed, the more likely it was she'd be banished to the faceless crowd. 

Varda's fingers enveloped her arm and drew her along, patrons parting before the Queen-in-waiting's enormous chaperone as she navigated toward the bar. Coranda could see glimpses of it through the bodies still ahead, though not much else. Her arm felt secure in the taylon's grasp and she took comfort from its reassuring presence. Her mind had just visited her with a tantalising image of that hand going far less appropriate places when they finally reached their destination.

A grizzled old voltarian pottered around behind the bar, pouring drinks and wiping up a particularly broad spill while scowling at the patron whose careless gesturing had caused the mess. Veyla caught his attention and spoke to him in the same language again, accepting the small vial he passed to her with an appreciative smile. Gaylen's Blade, how far did her lips spread? Coranda stared for over a mekron, before she realised those lips were moving in speech patterns she recognised better. 

"Cora? You with me?" 

"Ah, yes! Sorry! What were you saying?" 

Two eyes rolled so quickly she almost missed it, while the other pair dropped to the bottle, Veyla popping the lid with a flick and holding it out to her charge. Coranda blinked stupidly, unsure what to make of the situation. Was it safe to accept drinks from random strangers if they were employees? She had been told not to accept from just anyone, but this seemed different somehow. 

"Come on. You'll feel better. Here."

Veyla pressed the bottle into her hand and Coranda decided she didn't care, the barely concealed strength in that touch teasing her imagination until she haphazardly threw the drink back and chugged. The taste was… definitely like nothing she had ever imbibed before, and she made a vow on the spot never to repeat this mistake. 

"I can see how you got lost so fast. Slow down there," Veyla laughed, raising a browridge when she noticed the bottle was nearly empty, "Alright then. Why don't you sit tight while we wait for it to kick in." 

"Wait for what?" Coranda asked, surprised by how much easier her words were forming now. 

"That. Heh, lightweight." 

"What is this?" she asked as the room around her came into better focus. 

"Rapid-Grade Detox Formula. Good to have in a pinch, in case someone has clearly overestimated their resilience. You probably should have gone slower with it though." 

Coranda bristled, her steadily clearing head now capable of retrieving prior grudges. 

"I'll thank you not to decide what I should or should not be doing," she thumped the decanter onto the bartop, not bothering to catch it as its sideways position lent it the ability to roll off the edge. Unfortunately, it didn't smash, though the konk as it hit the floor was satisfying enough. "I get plenty of that at-" 

Her abdomen tensing sharply cut her off mid-rant and she groaned, clutching her waist. 

"I think you'll want to be heading for the purge-room now. But far be it from me to tell you what to do." 

Her self-appointed guardian was smirking and Coranda wanted nothing more than to punch her square in her unfairly solid jawline.

"Where?" she forced through gritted teeth, sliding off the stool and staggering toward the door the moment it was pointed out to her. 

It opened automatically and she silently praised the foresight of whoever had taken pity on the desperate when choosing that function, allowing her to make a beeline straight for the nearest purging pool unhindered. The fourth wave of nausea relieved her of her stomach's contents, her sides beginning to ache from the involuntary contractions. A clear fluid flowed through the pool, washing it all away down a drain hole hidden beneath the edging. She dunked her two free hands into the stream, scooping up enough to splash her face before swishing a mouthful around and spitting it out. 

Coranda didn't even notice anyone had followed her in, until a heavy warm touch she was quickly growing familiar with settled on her head. It took everything she had not to lean into it like an overly enthusiastic fugu-dog, reminding herself she was very annoyed right now and not remotely in the mood for-

Those huge fingers shifted her dangling hair over her neck, trailing briefly across the skin there and causing a delightful shiver and a soft sigh she immediately regretted. There was no way anyone looking directly at her could miss her darkening cheeks now. She wanted Veyla to do so much more, to take every thought away and make her forget what awaited upon her return tomorrow. She had arched upward without realising and was met with a deep rumble of amusement. 

"Feeling better then? Good. Maybe next time you'll pace yourself and not wander off on your own." 

Coranda groaned, her miffed tone somewhat dulled by a sudden wave of drowsiness.

"I didn't wander. I'm not a child, Varda, and for your information, I stayed exactly where we were supposed to be. They left." 

"I see," Veyla's voice had grown colder and Coranda instinctively drew into herself. A moment later however, she relaxed again, soothed by the deliciously rhythmic movements of the hand on her neck and primary shoulder set as they were gently massaged. "Do these 'friends' have names? I could send someone to collect them." 

"Oh no no, I wouldn't want to be a bother." 

"To us or to them?" she thought she heard Varda mutter, but it was lost under the door sliding open and the muted sounds of the club suddenly increasing in volume.

"There you are! We could-oof!" 

Patrizia stopped dead in her tracks and stumbled forward as someone ran into her.

"What in Gaylen's name- Move!" She was shoved aside, leaving Vasilica standing in her place. The taller akiron righted her own clothing with an aggravated expression, until she also noticed Coranda's unexpected companion and paused. "Who is this? Should I be calling Security?" 

Coranda winced at the pompous tone, thanking her fortune she wasn't in any actual danger while simultaneously cursing her friend's idiocy. If the taylon were a real threat, she was well and truly close enough to snap Coranda's neck with a flick, and it would take even less effort to crush her core within the next secton. 

"And how would I be assisting you today?" Veyla stood slowly, reminding Coranda again just how much bigger she was than the three Royals in the room as she reached her full imposing height. Patrizia gulped and edged a little closer to the exit. Vasilica's face had turned a delightfully paler shade of blue, tilting upward to follow Varda's rising eyes with increasing dismay. "Have you lost someone, perhaps?"

"It's fine. They're here now. I'll be alright." Coranda tried getting to her own feet as she spoke, only to find her legs refused to work. Her fall was arrested once more as Varda's hand whipped out to catch her arm, then gently lowered her to the ground. Seklos, she had extremely good reflexes, even by normal taylon standards.

"Sit down before you hurt yourself."

"What did you do to her?" Patrizia asked, the concern in her words almost sounding genuine. She hid herself behind her sister when Veyla gave them both a withering look, stepping toward the two and driving them ahead of her as they backed away.

"Let me make myself perfectly clear. We all need a break sometimes. But there are responsibilities we do not shirk, at any point, under any circumstances. One of those is not leaving a first timer alone in a loud enclosed space, completely incapacitated and barely aware of what's happening. Considering you've clearly been to places like this before, I'd have thought you'd know that."

The door sensor activated, allowing them an escape into the crowd if they wished. Yet Vasilica stopped, likely regaining confidence with a room full of witnesses at her disposal. "How dare you?" she said angrily, her voice even more shrill and grating than usual. Patrizia was tugging her arm, but she shook her off. "Do you have any idea who we are?"

"I do not," the taylon replied, and while Coranda could no longer see her expression, something about her air seemed to shift. A jovially challenging tone accompanied her next words as her head performed that delightful little tilt again, though in a considerably less friendly manner than earlier, and Coranda felt a flash of excitement imagining what having that directed at her might be like. "Would you care to enlighten me?"

Vasilica's mouth hung open, staring helplessly. Coranda couldn't recall a time she'd ever seen the bossy noble actually struck speechless. There was nothing to be said, unless they were ready to meet with an unpleasant end to their fun little jaunt. 

She knows we're not supposed to be here. Don't take the bait, you fool. Walk away. Please. 

Loud screaming and the shatter of multiple glass objects breaking at once cut through the moment, Vasilica falling to the floor as Veyla immediately barged past her toward the source. The patrons near the bar were scrambling to vacate the area, leaving Coranda a clear view of what they were fleeing from. 

A large family of foo-foo, two voltarians, one kaygon and possibly a dozen or more gaalahni had stolen the attention of the entire club, poised in a threatening formation around the bar. On the other side, the old voltarion barkeep stood braced for further violence. Behind him, a particularly lanky akiron pushed himself away from the destruction his body had made, glass tinkling to the floor as he staggered upright, clothing drenched in a variety of imbibements. 

Veyla Varda halted, clearly noticing the numerous blasters now trained on her companion, who calmly raised his hands. The newcomers hadn't spotted her yet, too focused on the target of their ire, but she couldn't just attack outright without putting her friend at risk. To Coranda's surprise, the dancer suddenly pressed a finger to her temple, activating an ionic earpiece and speaking in a disapproving murmur. 

“Mernos. We talked about this.” 

“You disappeared. And Ceylen insulted my hredni mix. The young these days have no respect for their elders. He was practically begging for a toss,” the barkeep replied to the air, tail waving lazily at his dripping victim, who drew his own gun with a look of barely contained fury.

“You crazy- All you needed to do… the one thing he asked from you…” the akiron caught himself and inhaled slowly, releasing it on a mirthless chuckle, his blaster making an ominous whine as he clicked its settings to fatal, “‘Accept the payment and get out.’ That was it. One simple little task, and you could've been gone, free to roam and richer than some lower Houses! Everyone else knew what was good for them. But the soolian here? Noooo. He just had to be difficult.”

Coranda had been glancing at the dancing platform throughout the altercation, a glimmer of a definitely terrible, but potentially necessary idea forming in her mind. Veyla and Mernos were both unarmed, out-numbered and outgunned. The odds now were surely far worse than any half-baked plan to tip them could be. She made up her mind and began creeping toward her goal the moment she heard Ceylen’s blaster escalate its intent, screaming at herself the entire way, yet determined to see it through. They may be mere acquaintances, but they’d taken care of a complete stranger in her time of need. It was only right to return the favour.

“The Councillor has no say here and your behaviour is disrupting the peace. Do yourself a favour and lower those weapons. Now. I will not warn you again.”

Varda's carefully even tone and more than significant body mass stepping forward would have made a sharper group think twice about their next decision. Unfortunately, this did not appear to be an altogether bright collection of individuals. They turned to regard her, their initial fearful reaction quickly replaced by a ripple of laughter once they realised she was alone.

Meanwhile, Coranda had managed to use a nearby chair to reach the dance platform, hauling herself up and creeping to the end nearest the bar. The height was a little dizzying and she planted her feet to steady herself, shakily reaching around to begin unclipping the bindings hiding her true identity.

“And who might you be? The floor sweep?” Ceylen snorted, his blaster’s muzzle dropping as his focus switched from Mernos to Veyla.

“Something like that.” The joviality from earlier had entered her voice again, this time with a much deadlier edge, and Coranda couldn't help the thrill it sent through her upon hearing it. Varda took another slow step, then another, every eye riveted on her gradual approach, her stripes seeming to pulse brighter in the dim lighting. “Though it looks like you've done most of my work for me. All the space trash neatly gathered in one corner.”

Ceylen squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head as though to clear it, natural akiron resistance breaking Veyla's hypnotic hold far more quickly than his less fortunate followers, his blaster raising to point at her head. 

Time for a new distraction. 

"By order of the Fifth Akiridion Throne," Coranda called as she wrenched the final clip away, tossing her bindings to the side and finally allowing her secondary arms to stretch happily into their newfound freedom, "Drop your weapons and kneel!"

It had the desired effect, every eye in the room turning to look straight at the Royal in full view on stage, Veyla’s exasperated mutter the only sound cutting through the stunned silence.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me." 

Laughter broke out among the gang and the kaygon started toward Coranda, the leer on his face as he spoke making her hand itch for a weapon of her own.

“Looks like our payment’s about to get a whole lot fatter. Why don't you come down here so we can get acquainted, princ-!”

Veyla moved, her form a blur as she launched the kaygon horizontally, kindly acquainting him with the solid base of the dance platform instead. The goon closest to him found himself locked to her front as a gaalahnian shield before anyone else could react, Varda sending another flying into a nearby table with a kick when he hesitated to shoot. The rest opened fire on her, forcing her to take cover behind the overturned table and the unfortunate gaalahni. Mernos took advantage of their surprise to repeat his earlier action, seizing Ceylen and hurling him back over the bartop. Then he bent to retrieve something from beneath the counter, throwing two objects to his ally.

"Zi- Veyla!"

She prioritised the catching of one, allowing the other to clatter to the ground beside her. The next secton, Coranda understood why, as Veyla Varda slapped the item in her hand to her chest and activated an armour module. Its articulated flexi-plate enveloped her massive form, swiftly rendering both the table and dead gaalahni unnecessary. She let him slip from her grasp, ignoring the petering blasts absorbed by her new plating as she picked up the serrator from the floor and faced her surprised opponents. 

Coranda couldn't believe her eyes. Apparently she wasn't the only one here under false pretences. 

A fully armoured officer of the Talyon Phalanx stood before them, rolling her powerful shoulders and neck in readiness to dish out their inevitable demise. There was no question now who possessed the upper hand as terrifying reality began to dawn on the gang members.

"Those of you who wish to leave in one piece, kindly exit in an orderly fashion. Anyone who craves death…" Veyla grinned and manifested a broad-sabre, its ionic edge humming a deadly drone beneath her words, "Feel free to linger. I've been suffering the lack of a good dance partner." 

The extra-curious patrons still observing regained their senses then, fleeing in a decidedly less than orderly fashion and stumbling over each other in their bid to escape. Coranda looked around for her companions, spotting them still huddled against the wall where she'd left them. She slipped down off the platform again, gesturing to them from the shadows to follow her. If they could move fast enough, they might be able to- 

Patrizia shook her head, face contorted with fear. She wasn't moving any time soon. Vasilica was in no better shape, clutching tight to her sister, wide eyes staring at the stand-off barely a stone's throw away.

Kleb!

She glanced back at the unfolding scene behind her. Would it escalate into a full on battle? One stray blaster beam could spell the end for any of them. Luckily, the group of extortionists didn't seem all that eager to take a trained soldier up on her challenge, self-preservation finally making an appearance.

Albeit far too late. 

“It's one guard and an ancient lizard! Just kill them!” Ceylen barked, firing on Mernos and forcing the voltarion to create a shield with his own serrator. 

Chaos descended quickly, Varda trusting her friend to take care of himself while she charged the thugs. They parted before her, some barely avoiding her swings, others who weren't so lucky shredded to flexel and staining the club grounds with a gory rainbow of diverse innards. Those who survived her opening attack spread out, desperately trying to stay clear of her range and develop a strategy against her on the fly. The voltarion pair ignored the panicked yells of their team, launching a series of ruthless electrical attacks, then phasing out and retreating into the energy grids before she could counter. Veyla stumbled and slowed, emboldening the rest to try a united assault, half-burying her under a writhing pile-on of foo-foo and the remaining few gaalahni. The voltarions reformed and raced to join in, but Mernos zapped himself between them and the struggling taylon, wrapping his tail around the neck of one and seizing the other in a headlock. All three vanished, leaving Veyla to finish the fight alone.

Without the damage the voltarions had provided, that proved a lot easier. Caught mid-reckless attack at close range and faltering, her assailants had even less leeway than before to elude her. Many more fell to her vicious blows as she bucked them off and struck, crushing and slicing her way to freedom and an ever nearing victory.

A handful of the wilier foo-foo had hung back, noticing Patrizia and Vasilica and breaking off from the main pack to bound toward them with desperation in their eyes. Coranda dove for the nearest corpse, snatching up a weapon. Unwilling to risk hitting her friends, she fired at the ground ahead of the threat to get their attention. It worked a little too well, reminding them of her higher hostage value the moment they saw her. She had just started for the door in the hope of drawing them away enough to aim properly, when an enormous mass of gleaming phalanx armour cut off her view of the oncoming foo-foo, scattering them as they abruptly changed direction. The one foolish enough to try again for their initial plan was swiftly decapitated, while the rest leapt for the stage to gain the high ground.

"Get down before you get hurt, your highness," Veyla snarled, snatching Coranda by the wrist to haul her swiftly across the space and smack into Patrizia, the taylon warrior using her body and serrator both to shield the three akiron nobles in the nick of time as the foo-foo turned their weapons on them. Her glowing face offset the blinding light of the beams pelting ionic barrier and exposed form alike, double sets of eyes glaring directly at Coranda while she steeled herself against the onslaught with a grimace. Armour or no, those blasters were nothing to scoff at and the Queen-In-Waiting felt a twinge of sympathy for each grunt punched from Veyla's throat.

It seemed like an eternity went by before the blasterfire abruptly ended, a powerful electric current frying the foo-foos where they stood as Mernos returned in a flash of crackling energy. Their blackened corpses slumped around him and he dropped gracefully to the floor without so much as another glance toward his handiwork. He seemed more concerned about Varda's, scowling at the gore coating nearly every surface of his club.

"What a mess."

“Apologies. In future I'll do my best to massacre your enemies with more focus on preserving the upholstery,” she retorted, though there was a distinct note of genuine humour underpinning her tone. Rising from her protective position, she deactivated her serrator, magnetising the circular hilt and releasing it to rest in its proper position on her hip.

Mernos let out a dry chuckle, stretching his neck and shaking off some extra sparks as he approached a long groaning lump sprawled in front of the bar. Ceylen struggled weakly, the sudden firm grip on his collar allowing him no room for escape. Mernos hauled him into a sitting position, examining the burns over the akiron's arms and chest with a cold expression.

“Someone really should teach these pests not to bring a blaster to a lightning-fight.” 

“You left him alive? Generous of you,” Veyla commented, detatching a set of cuffs from her other side and tossing them to the barkeep. "Watch him. I'll be back to clean things up. I have an unexpected wrinkle to deal with first."

Coranda did her best to glare at Veyla when she returned to them, having noticed her secondary shoulderblade was aching from how roughly the guard had manoeuvred her.

"I do not appreciate being dragged around."

"I don't appreciate Royals interfering with my job,” Varda snapped, the disdain and authority colouring her words surprising Coranda into subdued silence. There was no trace left of the exasperated but kind employee who’d been caring for her not fifteen mekrons earlier. “Who brought you here? Call them."

"He's already coming. I pinged him when that awful gang showed up." Patrizia sounded thoroughly rattled and Coranda could hardly blame her.

"Whatever for? It's fine now! I need a drink." Vasilica, on the other hand, seemed ready to pretend nothing had happened. She made toward an intact table, ignoring the morbid tableau surrounding them, but stopped as a huge armoured limb barred her way.

"With all due respect, my lady, you are fully aware it's illegal for this establishment to knowingly host people of your status." 

"Your families would have our heads, and I've had enough excitement for one night," Mernos chimed in, grabbing a surviving bottle of something bright purple and pouring himself a glass. 

"I strongly suggest you return to whichever palace you reside in. I will escort you to your vehicle," Veyla said firmly, and began herding them toward the door, giving them no room to argue or try to move past her. 

Vasilica put on her best outraged face but did as she was told, Patrizia following with her arms folded around her and shoulders hunched. Coranda silently walked ahead of them, scanning the docking bay for their driver. He was just pulling in when they arrived and looked highly concerned, rushing to open the doors and usher them inside. He bowed to the nobles, then dipped his head to their unsolicited protector. She gave a curt nod and turned, leaving without another word or a single glance back at them as they departed.

“I cannot believe the nerve of those waitstaff!” Vasilica started mere sectons after the door was closed on them, “First they try to cut us off, then that taylon dragged you into a purge room to do who knows what to you! We should report them. Have them shut down and exiled, servers decommissioned, the whole procedure! I'll need your statements of course and-” 

Patrizia just put her slitbuds in and curled up under her travel blanket, pulling the edge over her head. The glow of her sound-ball generated a soft light to banish a little of the darkness, though its reflection against Coranda’s window was too weak to challenge the star clusters outside their pod. She tuned out both the orb and the rest of Vasilica’s whining prattle, a single thought sticking in her mind. 

‘Who knew what’ indeed? What incredible delights might she have experienced, had they not been so rudely interrupted? Had she not been required to reveal the truth. Would Veyla have reacted the same way once the binding came off while undressing her, without the presence of danger? Perhaps those hands would have stroked further down her back, hopefully pausing only long enough to recognize she was touching royalty, before deciding to take her chances regardless and venture lower…

The lunar settlements of Akiridion-8 dropped quickly away in their wake, leaving only the vast reaches of space, and the yearning ache filled by her increasingly depraved fantasies.

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

So I was writing a Vexando fic because my brain was going brrrrrrrr on them, and I wanted to flesh out and play around more with the Taylon and two-armed/four-armed Akiridions (which I gave the separate species name 'akiron' for) as two different but similar species, because why not? Which led to thinking about reproductive processes for them to understand smutt options better.

Then I remembered the Steve-preg situation in that awful Rise of the Titans movie hinted at Akiridions being like seahorses which, on its own has some cool potential, but I decided to do away with the kiss thing and human m-preg (human m-preg people are valid there are just perfectly good unexplored alien species right there in this universe and I'd rather do it with them) and play around with alien reproduction systems more.

And that also led to an interest in trying out writing a matriarchal society and how that might look and be experienced by and effect the interactions of the characters.

Which led to my best friends asking me "ok but how would two female akiridions do things together/how would you write that?" which of course required actual characters to pair together. So we had a light-hearted, mostly joking (at first) chat about Coranda in her stupid college-age-equivalent years sneaking out to a bar, getting drunk and hitting on a dancer there.

"Ok so who is the dancer?"

"Ooh you know what? Fuck it. Let's grab that random female taylon OC from my Vexando wip and make her also a dancer in a club."

"Ok, why is she there? Does she just enjoy dancing? Does she need it as a night job?"

"Ooh how about she's under cover doing a personal favour for the bar owner who has had a local gang harassing him for money" and then because I've watched a lot of shows with corporate bullshittery redevelopment projects as plot points on Netflix recently, that turned into "rich powerful bastard wants to own the moon these clubs are on/monopolize them himself so he's paying people off to get them to leave, but the OC's friend is an old stubborn voltarion who refuses to sell his club" etc etc and then my brain gave me words for an actual start to the opening scene and uh...

Now I'm writing a story about Queen Coranda and her bodyguard back in her earlier years when things were easy and she didn't have an entire planetry system under her leadership to fuck up. XD

I was also curious about how they had two houses of Akiridion warring and then coming together to form the Royals from the show. Also it's called Akiridion-5, hinting at other planets also part of a wider Akiridion empire type thing and the concept of four-armed Royal Akiridions seemed like something to be fleshed out more so I thought "ok why not have multiple major and minor Houses, not just Ventis and Akraohm" and "what if there were minor Houses marrying into major Houses and different families greasing up to more powerful ones seeking political marriages and deals etc etc."

You get the point. Basically it rabbit-holed really fast like all these things do when my brain latches onto them. XD

I do intend to address things associated with more serious themes properly in the narrative, so feel free to talk to me if I do a tone-deaf while trying to do a subversion or other explorations of things by the way.

[forestwhisper3]

Welcome back to [Not Quite] Midnight Meditations, although tonight, we are surprisingly more or less on time (as long as the clock still says 12 I'm counting it as on time), where I share segments from the darker corners of my flash drive. As stated before, these are all ideas that held my interest for a bit but were left unfinished for one reason or another. It is very unlikely that they will ever be fully fleshed out, but I figured it would be fun to share them.

Continuing in order from the last post, tonight's segment is Digimon again. This one is based firmly in Gen 2 and is yet another Davis-centric fic, but the concept this time is that he turns evil.

I do remember enjoying the concept of evil Davis when I wrote this (and I will admit the idea still holds some appeal even now), but I also remember being rather put off by the execution of many of the fics I read that pursued this plot. A lot of them had everyone suddenly turn on him because of one small mistake, or he decided he was tired of being "second best" to TK. That always felt sort of lackluster and unrealistic to me, so I tried my own spin on it.

This idea didn't get as much attention as the last one, so it's considerably shorter, but I feel like it sets the mood for what could have been the rest of the story rather well. Anyway, I won't keep you any longer, so here it is.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I-…I think something's wrong with me."

"…Wrong how?"

"I've been hearing voices."

Ken rushed through the forest, the others hot on his heels, adrenaline pushing them past their normal limits. Inwardly, he was berating himself. He and Davis had both considered this possibility, no matter how reluctantly on his part, but Ken thought they might have had more time- that it might not happen because it was so unlikely…

Ken stiffened slightly while Davis grinned weakly. "Yeah, that's what I've been thinking too."

"…How long?"

"About a month now. It wasn't so bad at first- I thought it might have just been the late hours mixed with my imagination…but now…" Davis gave a deep, exhausted sigh. "I'm worried, Ken."

So he had ignored the warnings. He brushed off Davis's increasing weariness, his growing paranoia and jumpiness at the slightest things, and his increasingly frequent concerns that something serious was at work.

"We can't be sure that it's something to worry about yet," he countered a bit fearfully. "Maybe you just watched too many horror-"

"Ken. That's not it and you know it."

Davis's smile was so full of sadness and understanding that it made Ken tear up even while filling him with fury.

He had ignored it when Davis had started growing easily irritated and distant as well, although that wasn't the case with the others, who had finally caught on that something was happening. Not that they could have done anything by that point- the confrontation between TK and Davis was still a painful subject for all of them.

There was no ignoring it anymore.

"You're wrong! The dark spores were destroyed! There's no way for them to be affecting you!"

"Ken-"

"Don't! I don't want to hear it!"

Tai was the one who had found the letter.

It was as if Davis had known all along that Ken would never find the strength to admit that he was slowly losing his friend. Perhaps, in a moment of clarity, Davis had realized that it was something that they wouldn't be able to fix in time and wished to explain. Whatever the reason, he had somehow managed to sneak the letter into Tai's home and hid it away in Kari's scrapbook.

Davis went missing the very next day.

A long, tense silence fell. It was the sort of silence they hadn't felt between them since the early days of their friendship. After what felt like forever, Davis sighed and stood up.

"I need to head home. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure."

He nodded and went toward the door, pausing once it opened. "…Just promise me you'll think about it."

Davis was gone before he could answer. Then again, he doubted he would have been able to.

Now, they had finally gotten a reading on their leader's digivice…but he was afraid of what they would find.

Every day, the digital world seemed to grow just a little bit darker. Any digimon that weren't at Ultimate level or higher would stay hidden, and there were whispers…

"Ken?"

The tentative voice brought him out of his thoughts. The others were looking at him in concern, but he couldn't bring himself to even pretend to be all right.

"It'll be okay, Ken," Kari tried to assure him, although the way her brows were furrowed betrayed her worry. "We'll get him back."

"Yeah," TK agreed. "Davis is tough. I'm sure he's fighting whatever's possessing him with everything he's got."

"You don't understand," he whispered, not caring at how his voice cracked. "He'd been fighting it for almost a year before he disappeared. The thing about darkness is its subtlety. It waits for the best times to strike, and it always goes for your weak spots. It's amazing that he's lasted this long, but even Davis isn't invincible. One slip is all the darkness needs, and then you're overwhelmed…"

"I hate to say this, but Ken's right," Matt cut in, expression solemn. "We've all encountered darkness in some way, and we all gave into it eventually. It's a testament to Davis that he held it off as long as he did, but we have to face the fact that when we see him, he won't be himself."

"You saw the changes," Tai added grimly. "The Davis we know would never act that way. All we can do is fight and hope we can reach him like he reached Ken."

Hesitantly, they nodded.

Still, they weren't prepared for how much their friend had changed.

==============

[writerscafehub]

MEET THE BARISTA: Stella

@a-lumos-in-the-nox

From one to five stars, how would you rate your writing? (No downplaying yourself!)

4.0, I've gotten better over the years, especially with just sharing over two ish years ago. I'd like to go back and brush up some descriptions but other than that I say it's good! 

What do you think makes your writing stand out from other works?

I say the characters I decide to make each one of my characters are their own person that I can see being real. They are definitely my favorite part of my stories.

Are there any writers that inspire you?

Right now, Brandon Sanderson. I'm reading through his first novels now. The way he uses descriptions to worldbuild is amazing! And I love his characters

And all my friends on the server, the people over there write some incredible stuff!

What’s the fic you’re most proud of?

Stella Archer, I wrote that story in college it's a decade old & I never thought I'd finish it let alone share it! Stella's been with me the longest so you can see how I used to write then vs. now all in one series. 

Which character(s) do you find easiest to write and which do you find most difficult to write?

Easiest to write: George Weasley cause anything goes with him. He's goofy, sweet, confident and a wildcard. That's really fun to play with. 

Hardest/Challenging: Neville Longbottom & Druig. These two are my heads & tails. They are complete opposites. Druig's is inquisitive and there's a depth to him that I can relate too, and hes smart mouth, my favorite kind of guy lol. 

Neville is soft, confident, brave & empathic. There are things i can have Druig do that i can’t do with Neville and vice versa. I could talk about their differences forever but they are still a fun challenge to write. 

Who or what do you find yourself writing about most?

Usually whatever idea I haven't done yet or I want to try. I write a lot about superheroes or powered individuals. Often with my own spin 😏. Friends to lovers mostly. 

Tell us about a WIP you’re excited about!

im working on the ending of Bloom, it's the last character arch for Neville. His eldest will be looking at school brochures and some of his past students will make a groundbreaking medicine for people who have pain caused from curses & his parents being among the ones able to get the medicine. Meaningful things happen & I'm excited to write it!!!

First fandom you ever wrote for?

Harry Potter; 😂 nothing has changed I still love the universe.

Any guilty pleasure trope(s)?

I dont feel guilty about them their all pleasures; so Soulmate AUs, soft dark, Coffee Shop AUs, threesomes, genderbending.

A trope you’ll never, ever write for.

A/B/Os the structure would be all over the place. 

Wildest fic you’ve ever written?

Never Too Late, I put as many of my favorite tropes in there as I could. Soulmate AU, Coffeeshop AU, gross loving couple, old married couple, Tall boi, short girl…etc. And they fucked for a hobby. It was so nuts I made a game out of it in that universe had it's own rules & everything 😂 So much unhinged stuff happens in that fic & I don't regret any of it 😂. 

Favorite pairing to write for? (platonic or romantic!)

OCs x main character. Which is usually an extension of me somehow cause i said so. Even the very few readers stuff i have i always pictured myself. 

Do you listen to anything while you write?

I have a playlist for each story i have & i cycle through thoes whenever i need the vibes 

One-shots or multi-chaptered works?

Both, I like both 

15. Have you ever daydreamed about side adventures/spin-offs from your fic? Tell us about them!

My ficts are day dreams haha. Hmmm I have a bunch of daydreams about Daphne & Charlie spending time with their parents as a family in some of the places they have traveled to when they didn't have kids. That and the adventures of Daphne & Lottie growing up. But I'm really stubborn about aging my OCs kids so most of them stop at a certain age.

16. Is there anything you’ve wanted to write, but you’ve been too scared to try?

Not scared, I just don’t know how to write it. I want to make my own villain somehow but i gotta figure out so many things first. Or the villain's spouse or something, it’s still on the drawing board. I don't do many dark things so it would be a challenge for me. 

What’s the nicest comment you’ve ever received?

All the comments on my first dark oneshot, Sweet Dreams. It was just me playing around with Druig’s powers to a higher level then flooring it. It was fun & the ones of my first series Stella Archer that story is a decade old. So to get comments on that was special 

Have you ever gone outside of your comfort zone for a fic? How did it turn out?

For Between the Shadows I did cause i was trying to portray my OC for that a certain way without making her sound boring. That was a hard fic for me in many, many ways. But it turned out great! I’ve never introduced an OC in a more profound way than I did with Juni and it was refreshing to experiment with that OC. 

Tooth-rotting fluff or merciless angst?

I'm a sucker for both. I’ve written both. 

Do you have any OCs? Tell us about them!

I have 13 fully developed ones and the rest are side ones. But here are some of my favorites!  

Stella Archer-Asgardian Demi-god think of Gaia with all the powers of the elements. She has 4 kids. And married her highschool sweetheart George Weasley. 

Flower- a nymph of mythology origins. Her power is growing flowers and plants from anywhere as long as she has a water source. She carries a pouch of soil around with her for such an occasion. She stayed with her love even though he was cursed by the flying dutchman. 

Ruby Morgan- Charms professor, classic style of dress, her magic specialty is levitation she can make anything levitate with a snap of her fingers. She grew up in France raised by her Dad and her Grandmother. She can read Latin, speak French and loves cats.  

Angus Kohler- Scottish, loves to drink. His magic specialty is tracking. He teaches Care of Magical Creatures. Head of Hufflepuff house. Werewolf, he’s Neville’s best friend and Ruby’s too. Plays the bagpipes at every graduation in full kilt attire that matches Hufflepuff.  

If you could enter the universe of any one of your fics, which would it be and why?

I’d enter Never Too Late cause that OC is the closest to me irl and I basically gave her everything I wanted and didn't skip any details lol. I would gladly love to be in that universe. 

Is there anything you wish your audience knew about your writing or writing process?

Have you ever daydreamed about side adventures/spin-offs from your fic? Tell us about them! My ficts are day dreams haha. Hmmm I have a bunch of daydreams about Daphne & Charlie spending time with their parents as a family in some of the places they have traveled to when they didn't have kids. That and the adventures of Daphne & Lottie growing up. But I'm really stubborn about aging my OCs kids so most of them stop at a certain age. Is there anything you’ve wanted to write, but you’ve been too scared to try?

Copy and paste an excerpt you’re particularly fond of.

From Kissed by the Land; Cursed by the Sea.

In a tavern miles away sat a bard playing a tune and weaving a tale.

Let me tell you a tale about a mortal man forced to sail the reaper of the blue…His eyes as blue as the cursed seas, and hair as black as the night, it's true…

He's fought sirens, an sailors, an swamp monsters too, all while sailing souls lost to the depths, to their final steps…it's true.

The reaper of the blue captured this man, for a century or two. Till it was over. An he returned home, to his dearest its true…

This is the tale of the reaper of the blue, and a man forced to sail it's sails wide and true for a century or two…

Ramble about any fic-related thing you want!

I wanna go back and write Kissed by the Land; CUrsed by the Sea as a darker tale but i have NO idea how but I totally could!!! I just played around with Fairytales in that one. Um my current series Bloom is almost over & I’m thinking of making a spin off of it only for Angus cause I love that man he’s my wildcard in every sense of the word lol. 

I love writing main character x OCs so i have an excuse to run around in all my favorite worlds as different personas!

[thelightningthatjumpsbetween]

Prologue - One

RE8 | Wintersberg | Romance, Slow Burn | Action, Sci-Fi

Sequel of Winters and the Beast, a Resident Evil: Village Story

Table Of Contents

a/n: I couldn't help myself. I've had this scene in my head for a week. Also been replaying 7 again, dammit. Also I may have projected my own feelings of Miranda a bit, it's no secret I have a crush on that absolute terrible, horrible, madwoman.

For a moment, there was only the sound of their laughter, and Ethan felt a flaming red blush cross his cheeks.  Dammit, he wasn’t being cool, was he?  He fumbled with the plastic cup full of boba.  It was his idea, and Mia had loved the suggestion, but now that he was here, he realized he was craving a steak.  And beer.   

Suggesting boba was probably a side effect of too much time in LA, he mused, spinning the cup and staring at the little tapioca balls.  But then again, he preferred it to the armpit of Texas, where he’d spent most of his childhood and where his mother still lived.  Where he’d come to visit between semesters.  

And where, finally, Mia had come back to visit over the summer as well.  

“That’s crazy,” she finally concluded, her hands dropping awkwardly into her lap.  Ethan’s gaze moved over her long brown hair and the way the sunlight here danced through it.  

He protested, “It’s not that crazy.” 

“The fact that our high school was so tiny, we dated, AND we were both in the closet–” this last part was whispered.  They were outside on the patio, and if the several other patrons were listening, they sure didn’t act like it.  A line crossed Ethan’s forehead at this subtle change in her tone.  They sure weren’t in the closet anymore, so why the secrecy? 

But again…maybe he’d been in LA too long.  Sexuality wasn’t a big deal there…it wasn’t a deal at all.  He’d only been back in town a week.  

“..AND we’re here, now, on another date?  What are the odds?”

He spun the cup around, his eyes moving to it again.  “I’m sure there’s plenty of other people from our school who are.  It’s not that weird.” 

She laughed again.  “Oh Ethan.”  

He couldn’t decide if that was an endearing ‘Oh Ethan’, or a ‘you’re ridiculous’ ‘Oh Ethan’.  She was smiling though, and he fought the smirk that twisted onto his own lips, feeling the ever-more reddening cheeks.  

So much for hiding his crush.  But then, that wasn’t the point of a date, was it?  Despite the shyness, Ethan held her gaze, watched as she sipped her drink and squinted at him in that way.  Hopefully, the way that meant she still had feelings for him as well.  

High school felt like forever ago.

“So, I know you said you didn’t date anybody seriously, but what about crushes?  Who was your biggest secret crush that really brought out the bi?”   

He chuckled, but it was an awkward chuckle.  Secret?  

Again, the gears spun in Ethan’s head as he processed that others were not as open about their sexuality.  He glanced around the patio as if self-conscious.  He put the strange feeling in the back of his mind…no need to worry about all of that now.  He could answer her question easily.  The blond nodded as if reconfirming this, and ran a hand through his already-ruffled hair.  

“First year of university…Chemistry 1010.”  She was already giggling, but now he giggled too.  

“Not the professor!”

“The professor,” he confirmed.  Suddenly he was thirsty, and sipped the almost sickeningly-sweet tea.  “You can see why I kept that one to myself.”  

She squinted again and bit her lip, the smile never leaving her eyes.  

“A chemistry professor though….were you remin–?”

“He was nothing like my dad,” Ethan said quickly, not liking the abrupt turn the conversation might take.  “I know, chemistry.  But.  He wasn’t very…science..y at all.”  Now he tilted his head, hoping to steer the conversation in any other feasible direction.  

“He was kind of scruffy actually.  Wore flannel a lot.  He looked like he might have been a skater years before. Shaggy.  Just some dude.  But then he opened his mouth and…” Ethan gestured with one pale hand.  “Just all this information came out.  He was crazy smart, and loved chemistry and everything about it.  He really brought passion to it.  Made me wonder if I should change majors.  But then I got my second year chem teacher and…” he made a face,  “...absolutely not.” 

They both laughed over this, and Mia considered.  

“I guess we have that in common, then.  A type, maybe.” 

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” she leaned forward excitedly, folding one leg over the other, her shoulders hunching as if in anticipation.  Ethan was smiling in spite of himself even though he found the conversation strange.  Was it normal for two people on a date to talk about their other, same-sex crushes?  He heard several people’s voices in his head, including his mother, and his best friend, reminding him to stop being so serious.  

“I had a research project for advanced biochem, it was a really select group of us–honors class–working with…a, well a company developing, they work in enzymology….Patents for different…” 

He raised an eyebrow, and scoffed despite his serious expression.  “Oh yeah, the basics.  Go on.”

“Anyway!” Her laugh sounded high pitched.  Nervous?  He tried to remind himself that she was a nerd, albeit in a different field than he, and people usually didn’t respond well to the necessary trade word-vomit of specialized fields.  He didn’t mind listening. 

“There was this contact that we had, an expert in the field.  A biologist, I think she was.” 

“Not the chem professor, at least,” he joked.  

Mia closed her eyes when she shook her head.  

“She was from Europe, I never got to meet her,” it was said in an almost-wistful tone.  

“She was so smart.  Like you said about your professor.  She would start talking and just…everything she said, she really got it, you know?  She knew so much about specific reactions and tests…It was like she’d been in the field for decades, she was a walking encyclopedia.  Always so serious, focused, it was intimidating.”

“So…you’re into scary older women,” Ethan noted, “Not sure what that says about my chances.”

“She wasn’t that much older than us, though,” Mia’s gaze was elsewhere, still remembering this woman.  “At least she didn’t look like it.  Anyway, she wasn’t just smart.  Like you mentioned, she didn’t really fit the lab coat stereotype.”  

“Don’t tell me she wore flannel.” 

Mia’s giggle made him smile widely.  Finally.    

“No, no flannel.  She wore….dresses.  And lots of black.  The part that was odd was her heavy makeup, which…isn’t common for women in STEM.  I didn’t even notice until I was trying to figure out why she looked so striking! And then I realized her makeup was very…vampy, gothic.  She stood out.  I was not the only one crushing, I’m sure.” 

“Speaking of crush, you’re crushing my dreams here,” Ethan said with flared nostrils.  “Vampy makeup is not one of my iconic looks.” 

The giggle intensified.  She shoved his shoulder.  “We can have more than one type!  Does that mean I’m out of luck too?  I don’t own a single flannel.” 

He hid the obnoxiously wide grin that threatened to creep across his face.  “Hey…don’t worry about it, nobody’s perfect.” 

The outburst of laughter was welcome, and made his heart flutter. 

—----------

Ethan awoke to a peal of thunder, but somewhere behind that, he almost wondered if he heard Miranda’s chuckle.  The blond sat upright in bed, gaze drifting over to the other side of the mansion bedroom.  Rosemary was visible there, by moonlight, deep in sleep in her new, larger daybed that Karl had built. 

Karl’s soft breaths sounded from his other side, and despite the warmth in the room, Ethan shivered.  

Was that a dream?  No, he realized, blinking rapidly.  It was a memory.  Was that their actual conversation, though?  The date, he remembered well.  Their first during college.  But…had Mia really said those words?  

He doubted his own memory.  Knowing that Miranda had manipulated his mind after his death, as well as the minds of others, he couldn’t be sure about anything anymore.  She’d turned into Mia, Karl, and who knew who else.  

Ethan didn’t realize it, but he was asking the question mentally.

Was that real? 

Yes, a soft chorus answered him back, the whispers sounding like silk grazing his neck and shoulders.  It was real.  

One thing Miranda had never done, probably wasn’t capable of doing, was manipulating the actual voices within the Mold, that Ethan had heard since his second ‘death’, likely since coming closer to the Mold itself.  The voices always seemed to whisper out of fear, not reverence.  

He always trusted them.  

Ethan lay back down uneasily, frowning as he remembered what awaited him after sunrise.  A meeting he rather detested the idea of, a meeting where he, Karl, Eva, the Duke, and a certain international spy who’d dealt with Karl in the past, would all meet on the topic of the decade–the Mold. 

He wanted nothing to do with spies, and doubly wanted nothing to do with this one in particular.  She had a romantic past with Karl.  

Ethan exhaled realizing that his wife, whom he spent years devoted to, had not only worked with the Connections, had offered her own DNA to Miranda’s cause, but now…a memory came up that confirmed Mia’s former infatuation with the woman.  

The belongings given to Ethan by Chris still sat upstairs, mostly untouched.  Eva offered to go through them, as had Karl, but Ethan stubbornly let them sit and only referenced them when absolutely necessary.  The stated reason was grief, but he knew that there was something else to it.  He couldn’t put it into words.  He didn’t want to feel betrayal again.  

Well, if anything could one-up the unsavory feeling of meeting a “colleague” of Heisenberg’s, having that memory come up sure did the job.  Ethan’s frown grew to unfathomable proportions.  

Thunder rumbled again as if in agreement with the mood, and he contemplated leaving the bed for coffee.  

[lucysarah-c]

I don’t really know what to ask, I just hope yn survived by the end of HG 😩 (don’t worry, regardless of the ending I won’t drop HG because I’m already in too deep with this masterpiece of yours 🤧)

OMG, I've never crossed paths with someone who thinks that perhaps YN (MC or Twiggy, as some of us call her here) could pass away! I mean… let's be honest, the girl has the immune system of a kid during the Black Plague, lmao.

Each time the girl gets a cold, Levi becomes a believer and prays to all the old and new Gods of the walls, haha.

I know I promised spoilers or details, so let me think… perhaps this deleted scene from the upcoming spin-off.

"Why are you so obsessed with it?" It was a harmless question. Even considering someone who takes good care of their appearance by the usual standards of the soldiers, and particularly the scouts, hers seemed to be closer to an obsession. A harmless one, perhaps, but it still piqued my curiosity. Confused, she turned around. Her long hair flowed in the air as she moved to face me, cheeks always rosy, eyes always sparkly. Little ribbons in her hair, necessary to keep it off her face but not enough to force her to have her hair tied up. It must be a detail she's aware of herself, how beautiful her hair is and what a pity it is to keep it tied up. A little pout, a confused frown, and a quiet, uneasy groan as she didn't understand my question. "All of it, you brought more luggage with you than anybody I've ever seen. You even asked for it to be delivered because you couldn't travel with all that," I enumerated, resting my head on my hand as my attention span for the paperwork had finally abandoned my body as the sun set, rather late because of the season. "You're young, you don't need all of that," I said between chuckles. While the question rattled my mind as if the frivolous act of wasting so much money on her appearance was a shameful sin, my logical side insisted that she was free to enjoy whatever pleased her. Together, they shared the curiosity of knowing the details. Grimacing with a mix of tiredness and anger, she said, "Because being pretty, being a good wife, and being a good mother are the only three things I've been allowed since birth." It was obvious that the answer didn't stop there. "But being pretty and taking the active time to look my best quickly becomes a pedantic thing for women. We waste our money on it, and we are narcissistically obsessed with our looks. Men waste money on pretty girls, and they are called players." She chuckled. "I love taking care of my appearance, and I've found out along the way that it's extremely practical for dating." "Is it?" I quickly questioned back, finding it hard to believe. "Of course, silly. It's rather funny; Tommy has never, not even once, complained about it. He doesn't mind it; he would gladly give me another checkbook to use. He doesn't even want me to use my own money, always insisting on paying himself," she said. "I've concluded that men who complain about it either A) know they can't afford to pay for it, so they try to downgrade me so they don't feel like I'm out of their league, because men hate to be told they can't have something. B) are too insecure and feel threatened by my money, or C) are simply jealous." "Jealous?" "Yes, jealous that they aren't as pretty as myself to have someone pay for whatever they want." She ended her explanation with a smile, "It's an excellent way to keep insecure guys far away from me."

It was delete it mostly because I thought it ruined the pace of the story but I still find it entretaining lol. Twiggy will forever be iconic. Thank you SO MUCH for thinking that HG is good enough T-T means a lot to me! I've a bunch of ideas who didn't make it to the final cut, I could even write another story with them lol.

[wardenred]

Sapphic September 9: Time Warp

Yet another free writing exercise, pretty much.

There's this one magical summer evening that is going to last forever. I go there every time I'm sad. Sometimes, I mess things up, but that's fine. I can always come back again and fix things. As long as that time distortion behind the old oak tree exists, nothing can stop me.

* * *

On that evening, we keep meeting for the first time, Erin and I. Every time I step around the oak and open my eyes, I'm seventeen again, and so is she. She is sitting on a bench between two blooming bird cherries, her legs stretched out, her guitar case propped against her thigh. In her hands, there's that phone that now looks ancient to me, a glossy red thing with a flip screen and actual buttons. She's poking at it, a small frown creasing her brow. She is beautiful. 

Then she looks up and sees me, and her frown turns into a tiny surprised smile, and I fall in love at the first glance all over again.

* * *

I like visiting that evening when we fight. It doesn't happen often, mind you, but sometimes, things get out of hand, you know? Our friends think we're this super solid ride or die couple, but once you've been together for a decade and a half, stuff tends to amass. Little grievances, silly hurts. Sometimes, life gets stressful and we unload all of that on top of each other, and then I cry, and Erin sulks, and we stick to the different parts of the house for a while.

Sooner or later, I head off to the park and walk around the tree. In the past, everything is simple and sunny and we have no history yet. Only a big, bright, everything-is-possible-and-nothing-hurts future.

* * *

Sometimes when I'm in the past, I try out different things. I wear fake personalities like gloves: one time I'm a manic pixie dream girl, another time I'm an aloof goth princess. I flirt more than I would have known how at seventeen—and frankly more than I would these days, too. I call Erin by her name before she introduces herself. I tell her I'm from the future. I tell her I'm her soulmate. I do all sorts of crazy things.

About half of the time, I end up having fun. We end up having fun. We laugh together, we stay out after dark, we explore the city. Some of those starts feel even better than the real one. But when I come back around the oak, my present life is never the way I left it. My keys don't match my locks. I can't get into my own phone. The barista at the coffee shop across the street doesn't recognize me.

There is no Erin.

It's like there was only ever one way for us to click for life. It was a miracle, really, how we drew that single lucky ticket on the first try.

So most of the time, I simply reenact our original first meeting. Over and over. Over and over.

She looks up at me and smiles. I duck my head and remember how I asked myself why I blushed. I ask her for the time. She asks me why I'm soaking wet. I tell her I just jumped into the fountain. She asks, "No shit?" I shrug. She asks me why. I lie to her and tell her it was on a dare, and then I spin a tale about some friend who pushed me to do it.

This is the part I most wish I could change. That friend, you see, is imaginary. There was no dare. I only jumped because I wanted to see what drowning would be like. If that was something I might like. I had this notion that maybe it would feel nice, like letting go, and that maybe I would stay under until everything was over. I didn't want to die, but I didn't not want it.

I was seventeen and slightly unhinged. My life was drama. Don't sue.

Anyway, I came up for air in under a minute. And then I met Erin and dying was the last thing on my mind.

But that's the one lie I've told her and never cleared up: that I was there with some friend who was visiting from another town, that it was my friend's idea. Back when everything was still new and nebulous, I wanted to tell her the truth but I didn't know how. And then when things got more solid, more real—well. I knew even less. Because by then, my non-existent friend Tricia was kind of a fixture in our lives. I kept mentioning her. It seemed like a good idea. Erin asked questions. Tricia got a life. A personality. Then moved to Australia to explain why she never visited.

We still bring Tricia up sometimes, even though she and I have officially lost touch. Just the other day when we were celebrating our anniversary Erin said how strange it was she never got to meet the person who'd essentially brought us together.

So, yeah. This is my least favorite part. The one I've most often tried to tweak behind the oak. But every time I tell her the truth, I come back home and my life has no Erin in it.

* * *

What does it say about us that our one lucky ticket is made of lies?

I don't know. When I think about it too hard, we end up arguing. Like this morning.

I guess I'm going around the oak later today.