#oh you need something you can hang on an important work USB that’s a certain size? i gotchu

[dracolunae]

My parents are always upset at the amount of random stuff I have but every time someone needs a little nicknack or something I’m always the one who has it

[i-am-a-bad-influence-writes]

False alarm

Steve Masterlist - Full Masterlist

Summary: You ran away from the Avengers years ago, not knowing how to deal with feelings for a certain someone. But when you find out about a threat to humanity, you have to deliver it to the tower. You planned on dying there but your old friends refused to let you go.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Word count: 2848

Broken and bruised, you sit down on a couch in the common room. You know Stark’s systems are mere seconds from rebooting and detecting you as an intruder but you couldn’t care less. Right now, you need a place to bleed out in peace, and what better place than your former employer’s couch. And there it goes. You know Friday is too advanced to just turn on lights and sirens but you hear a scuffling and the opening and closing of doors as well as guns getting readied. And still, you couldn’t care less. Because, if it really comes down to it, there are two scenarios that could happen. Best case: They realize it’s you, listen to what you have to say, and patch you up. Worst case: They shoot you on accident or on purpose and put you out of your misery. Either is fine with you. Though with the pain you are experiencing, you’d rather die than have to go through recovery. ‘Y/n?‘ You pull your head up with the last bits of strength you still possess and look at a few familiar faces. Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Natasha Romanoff. ‘Hi,‘ you say weakly, ‘I’m sorry to intrude but I just wanted to bleed out peacefully.‘ Tony rushes towards you and sits down beside you. ‘Why’d have to you pick the couch?‘ His words were supposed to come out as joking and sarcastic but there’s hurt in them. And it could be delusion from losing a lot of blood, but you would’ve sworn you saw a tear fall onto his cheek. ‘The floor was uncomfortable,‘ you explain to him with a grin that looks crooked. You had intended to sound cocky, like the grin you always wore when you had sass wars with Stark. Instead, your words came out desperate. ‘I have a black rug right there,‘ his voice sounds shaky. Steve and Natasha walk over and the lights turn on. They kneel down next to you. ‘What happened to you, y/n,‘ Steve asks you, worried as always. He had always been a great guy. You’re not quite sure why you decided you didn’t like him anymore. ‘I- shit,‘ you cuss at the pain as you try to move yourself to sit up a bit more. Both Steve and Tony jump towards you to support you, but you brush their hands away. The only reason they’re not rushing you to a doctor right now is because they know how stubborn you can be. You take a deep breath. ‘I found something,’ you tell them and point at the bag you dropped a few steps into the common room, ‘it’s in my bag. They came after me.’ Your breathing becomes heavier and suddenly you realize you might actually die today. ‘What’s going on?‘ Bruce comes strolling into the room looking tired more than anything until he notices you on the couch. That man doesn’t ever run, but he damn near sprints towards you. ‘Oh shit. We need to get her medical help.‘ ‘No, you need to get my bag,‘ you tell them sternly, ‘it’s more important than my life.‘ Natasha is the only one who does as you say, although she does it with tears in her eyes. ‘Everything is on the USB,‘ you tell her. She nods and runs off to the lab. It is only then that you take a relaxed breath. ‘Ok, now you can help me.‘ None of the men waste any time getting you to the med bay. While they get things ready, you tell them a self-evaluation as well as your blood type to get them ready faster. It is only then that they realize where most of the bleeding is coming from. ‘Jesus Christ woman,‘ Tony looks at you in awe, ‘you lost half an arm and you still managed to come here?‘ ‘Just patch me up,‘ you snap at him. He nods. ‘On it.‘ He takes off the rag that you clumsily wrapped around it in an attempt to lessen the bleeding. ‘God, that’s nasty,‘ Tony gags but continues on while Steve works on some smaller cuts and Bruce gets some blood ready. ‘Hey Tony,‘ you try to speak but your voice sounds shaky and weak. You feel your consciousness fade away more and more with every breath you take. ‘Yes, dear?‘ ‘If I make it, will you get me a cool metal arm like Bucky’s?‘ ‘Of course. You want the metal metal or the black metal?‘ ‘Metal metal,‘ you smile, ‘that one was way cooler.‘ And suddenly you’re slipping. It’s like one of those dreams where you feel like you’re falling, only you’re not landing. You keep falling and falling and falling and falling and...

. ‘How is she doing?‘ Tony walks into the med bay with three cups of coffee. One for him, one for Bruce who came to do a checkup, and one for Steve who has been here for the last few days without moving. ‘Stable,‘ Bruce says shortly, ‘but Steve told me her heartbeat increased a few times during the night as well as her brain activity.‘ ‘That’s good, right?‘ ‘Better than we could’ve expected.‘ Tony smiles meekly. ‘I guess I better get working on that arm for her.‘ The door slams open and Natasha rushes in. She looks just as exhausted as Steve and both Bruce and Tony doubt she has had any sleep the past days. ‘It’s a weaponized gas,‘ she tells the three, ‘she found out that Hydra is working on a damn weaponized gas. A biological weapon.‘ She takes over one of the screens in the med bay that wasn’t used and projects her findings. ‘I think we all know how zombies work,‘ she starts her explanation, ‘well, Hydra is planning on making the whole world zombies. Not to bend them to their will, but to make them compliant so they can analyze everyone and make the useless kill themselves. The gas dies down after only a week and will be untraceable after.‘ ‘Let’s get to work.‘ . Bruised, tired, and broken Steve sits down at the side of your bed again. The man hasn’t even taken the time to take off his suit or take a shower. Right when the jet landed, he rushed back to you with Bucky following shortly behind to check on him. He smiles at the sight of you while Bucky leans against the doorpost. He’s worried for his friend, as anyone would be. He had known you for a little bit before you left. No one really knows why you left or how you left without a trace. All they knew is what you left on a note and the note really didn’t say much. Just that it was all too much for you. And yet here you are. You just helped save the world from great misery and you don’t even know it. How did all this happen? Steve lets his head hang. ‘Y/n, I don’t know if you can hear me but I need you to know that we did it,’ he tells your unconscious body, ‘we stopped them and no one died except for some Hydra scum. And Stark promised to start working on your arm tomorrow, so you better wake up so his work doesn’t go to waste.’ He looks up at Bucky for a second who seems to have teary eyes as well. Slowly, more Avengers come walking in. Bruce takes a seat at a desk, Tony sits down on top of the desk, Natasha sits down next to Steve, even Sam decided to come to support you even though he doesn’t really know you so he just leans against the doorframe with Bucky, Peter doesn’t know you either but stands behind Bucky and Sam to silently support everyone in the room. ‘I think I speak for all of us when I say we missed you,‘ Steve continues, ‘work has been different without you around. And though we all wanted you back, I don’t think any of us would’ve wanted to see you like this. We miss you.‘ ‘Speak for yourself,‘ Tony comments through tears, ‘she bled on my couch.‘ . Your USB had more information on it than just the gas. Peter and Bruce have been trying to decipher it for a week or two when Peter takes another look at you through the glass walls of the lab. ‘Doctor Bruce, I know it’s a bit strange to ask this late, but who is she?‘ Bruce peeks up from his work and walks over to the kid. He looks through the glass and sees her steady heartbeat and active brain. Your brain had been active for some time now and yet you still weren’t waking up. ‘Y/n Y/l/n,‘ he smiles, ‘think Natasha, but more motherly. In fact, there was this running joke that she would be a great mother but she’d always say she already has too many kids to take care of here. She was a great agent, but one day she just up and left. None of us knew where she went or how she disappeared without a trace but she did. We hadn’t seen her in years when she turned up.‘ Peter nods at his explanation but continues to stare. Lost in thoughts, he starts twiddling with his fingers while Bruce turns back to work. Peter sees Steve come into the med bay like he had done many times this week. Most times he’d stay for an hour or so to talk to her about anything and everything. Some others tried to talk to her too but most got too emotional. Not Steve. If they’d let him, he’d sit there the whole damn day. He’d sleep by her side if the bed was big enough. He was there whenever there was a change in her activities. ‘Why is Steve so fond of her?‘ ‘They were friends. She’s known him from the start and she’s always trusted him,‘ Bruce tells the kid, ‘she trusted him when he found out Hydra was infiltrating Shield, she trusted him when he told her Bucky had saved him, and she trusted him when he said they could trust Bucky. She’s been there for him every step of the way. I think there was something more there but I’m not sure.‘ Peter nods and gets back to work. Steve deserves some privacy with her. So he and Bruce continue to decode Hydra files. . ‘Steve Rogers, the alarm has been set off. There is activity in the kitchen. The activity seems harmless.‘ Steve groans at the sound of Friday’s voice. ‘Why are you waking me?‘ ‘Tony has already been alerted. He asked to wake the others as this might have to do with the USB agent Y/n brought in.‘ That’s all it takes to get Steve on his feet. He quickly puts on the first clothes he finds which are joggers and a T-shirt. He sneaks into the hallway, meeting with Natasha who is already wielding a gun. The two stalk slowly towards the kitchen where it seems someone has put on the lights. They go into high alert. Either this is a very cocky Hydra agent or someone who doesn’t have clearance to be here at night. As they go around the corner they find- ‘Oh, hi,‘ you say casually. They look at you with their jaws on the ground. To be fair, it must be a funny scene. You’re not used to eating with one hand and your bowl keeps slipping away from you every time you dig your spoon a little too deep into the ice cream you found. So you’re sitting hunched over, holding back the bowl with your stump and your elbow on your other arm while instantaneously trying to eat the ice cream. It’s a mess. Or it could be the fact that you’re awake. Who knows? You surely don’t. You honestly feel like you’ve just had a very good night’s rest. ‘What are- Why- How-‘ Steve stutters his words, not really sure how to react to you. ‘It’s ice cream,‘ you tell him, ‘I was hungry, and I’m not quite sure how I’m managing this but it’s going.‘ He looks at you like you’ve just told him you’re a flat earther. He doesn’t understand a thing coming out of your mouth while you’re just answering his questions. Natasha finally lowers her gun. ‘What he means to say is: why the hell are you out of bed and how are you acting so casual when you’ve been in a coma for weeks?’ ‘Weeks? I thought I just slept through the day. I had a really nice dream,‘ you smile, ‘Steve and I were sitting on the rooftop and we were just talking about everything that has been going on these past years. Though I’m sure I imagined most of it.‘ A small smile appears on Steve’s face. You heard him in your sleep. He pulls you into a tight hug and doesn’t let go until Bruce and Tony come running into the kitchen. ‘Y/n is go- oh,‘ Tony looks surprised to see you sitting at the table with a bowl of ice cream. Just as confuses as Steve had looked, if not more. ‘We though you- oh well, that’s fine I guess.‘ ‘Say, Tony, am I still getting that arm because this is terrible,‘ you joke as you attempt to eat the ice cream again. ‘I-‘ he stops himself for a second to reevaluate what he was going to say, ‘no, why the hell are you ok? You’ve been in a coma for weeks.‘ ‘I know. Steve told me,‘ you sigh, ‘honestly, thank you for telling me that. I thought I had lost my strength overnight. I had such a hard time walking.‘ ‘You should rest,‘ Natasha states. ‘Why? You just told me I’ve been in a coma for weeks. I’ve had enough rest,‘ you stubbornly try to cross your arms only to realize you only have 1.5 arms. They watch the smile on your face falter for a second before a yawn leaves your lips. ‘Ok, sure, that’s on me. Where do I sleep? Because I’m not taking the couch if that thing still has dried blood on it.‘ ‘It’s your blood,‘ Tony snaps at you. ‘I know, that doesn’t make it less disgusting.‘ Tony rubs his forehead. Ah, that’s where all his headaches went. You took them with you when you left. ‘You can stay with me,’ Steve offers. You smile. ‘I’d like that.’ . ‘There you go. Try to move your fingers.‘ You marvel at the shiny vibranium arm that is now attached to the remainder of your arm. You don’t try to move quite yet, scared that it might not work and you’ll be excited about nothing. It’s already a strange feeling though. You can see your metal limb, but your body is not understanding that it’s a part of your body. You look at Steve, who is sat next to you, for a second, hoping to get some encouragement from him. He grabs your normal hand and squeezes it gently as he smiles at you. ‘You can do it,’ he tells you but it sounds like a promise. Carefully, you focus on moving a finger. Tony watches hopefully when your index finger starts to move a little bit. You try to move your thumb and watch it move. It still doesn’t register in your head that that is your limb, but it is doing it. Then you try to turn your hand and it works too. And then comes the big thing. Actually lifting your arm. You focus on trying to lift it as hard as you can. It comes off the table just a little bit and suddenly it clicks. ‘Holy shit,‘ you cuss excitedly, ‘Steve, are you seeing this?‘ Steve has tears in his eyes as he watches the excitement double in your face. ‘I am.‘ ‘This is insane. Wow,‘ you awe, moving around more and more, ‘Tony, this is amazing. You are the best.‘ ‘Don’t praise me yet. Try picking something up.‘ Steve puts his cup of coffee down in front of you and you move the metal arm to pick it up. The whole thing looks a bit clumsy, like a baby giraffe walking for the first time, but you’re doing it. You’re actually picking up the cup. ‘Stark, you did it,‘ Steve praises with a huge grin on his face. ‘This is so fucking cool,‘ you look amazed at your arm. ‘Language.‘ ‘Yes cap,‘ you turn to Tony, ‘so what’s next?’ ‘I don’t know, you tell me,’ he says. You look at Steve and frown for a second. He nods. ‘I think I’ve left some loose ends here,’ you tell Tony while continuing to look at Steve, ‘I’d like to get a chance to tie them up.’ ‘Sure, but if Morgan can’t be the flower girl, you’re out.’ Your lips pull into a loving smile, your eyes still glued to Steve. He looks hopeful and that’s all you need. ‘Deal.’

[thisislakewoodnews]

One evening, over at Raphael Stone’s home.

Characters: @raphael-stone, @mavstone, @naomixstone, @hckerstvne.

Below the cut is plot information to be led prior to the upcoming event.

Raphael Stone: Raphael had been sitting in the kitchen, laptop open and USB turning over and over between his index finger and thumb. “To get it to work, you put it in the computer.” Was the snark from his sister in the corner of the Kitchen, as he rolled his eyes. “Not yet, Noami.” She knew—she knew his intention, knew where his mind was at. Perhaps they’d always understood one another, Raphael and Naomi. As the sudden sound of the front door opening, the chime of the alarm, he stood up straight, eyes locking with his brother. “We’re just waitin’ on Lil to get her ass over here.” He commented.

Maverick Stone: There's a moment of hesitancy as Maverick stands on the other side of the door, contemplating his fate and future. Stepping through the threshold would change everything and he knew once he left, it wouldn't be the same ever again. With a breath, his hand went to door knob and the alarm announces his entrance before he can. His older brother is given a simple nod, the years of resentment seeming to vanish because there were more important matters to attend to. Naomi, on the other hand is greeted more warmly before Mav takes a seat. "How much time we got? This could take awhile." He teasingly responded.

Lily Stone: She was ready. She was ready to learn what was on the USB that almost costed Lily her life. The urge to sneak into Raphael's office and take it is finally going away as she began to feel anxious. Popping a pain killer into her mouth Lily powered through the pain she felt and made her way down the stairs. Arriving into the kitchen to see all three of her siblings is when the youngest Stone realized this is the first time they've all been together since Colleen Stone's funeral. "Sorry I'm late," she clears her throat. "I uh had to take my medicine." The hacker knew if she didn't a certain Doctor would be on her ass abut it. Ignoring the presence of Maverick for Lily was still furious at him, she takes a seat beside Raphael. Her eyes glued to the USB in her President's hand.

Raphael Stone: Did he just come right out and say it? His siblings in the room, as he drummed up a small smile—rare in its form for his brother through all their previous tension—and to Lily, who now sat at his side. “We’re looking at this—“ He murmured, holding up the USB. “It’s got incriminating footage, so we assume,” He gestured to Naomi behind him, as she drank his liquor cabinet dry. “But—It’s uh…” Raphael shrugged his shoulders. “Seran’s dead. Body found—I confirmed it was him a few hours ago.” Was there a time to mourn, yes. Completely. But not now. “I—we’re out a Vice President, and we cannot be.” He’d been looking around the room to his siblings, as hues settled on his brother. “We need a Vice President, Maverick.” Was Raphael making his point clear?

Maverick Stone: Blue eyes shifted to the USB that would be the answer to all their questions and the source of all their problems. Such a small subject possessed enough power to bring all four Stone siblings together for the first time in years, excluding their mother's death. It was enough to make Maverick less of a pessimistic shit. His eyes moved from the drive to Raphael as he began to speak, explaining the entire situation that led to this moment. Seran was a huge loss but, with everything as they are now, the family wasn't in a position to look vulnerable. "And I accepted." He added to Raphael's point, eyes gauging his sister's expression to gauge their reactions...because he knows there will be one. "It was time. There's too much shit going on and we can't afford to look weak and divided."

Lily Stone: Hearing the death of Seran was no loss to Lily personally, not really, but to the cartel? Big loss. Before Lily could tell Raphael she is sorry for the loss of his vice president and to ask how he met his demise she found herself biting her bottom lip. How eager Lily felt to see what was on the USB quickly became replaced with one emotion; rage. No longer able to keep her mouth shut, the youngest Stone looks to her President. "You want him as your Vice President?" Lily felt as if she should've seen it coming, but she didn't. Without realizing it Lily stood up out of her chair to tower him. "He fucking left Lakewood and the cartel all behind because he got his feelings hurt by that bakery princess." Oh there was so much more Lily wanted to say about all of this. "Give it to Lucien or--" the young Stone found herself choking on her words. "--or someone else who didn't abandon us or the cartel!" That is when she finally looked to Maverick with a burning rage in her eyes. "When I left, I left to gather Intel--not be a glutton for punishment in Vegas like you did." If anyone where to ask Lily, she saw it as if she should get the promotion not Maverick. Did she want to be the VP? Hell no. She wanted to be what she always wanted; a soldier and work her way up to Lieutenant and Bodyguard.

Raphael Stone: Didn’t he expect just that? Someone would have something to say, as he raised a hand, sunken silence. Lily was laying it on—Naomi’s personal opinion would come, but now wasn’t the time. “Get over it—“ Raphael snapped, looking at his little sister. “You’re not the only one he left. He left me. Mom, dad, Naomi—“ He spoke, gesturing to his other sister. “Maverick fucked up—and I know where he’s coming from. If it had been me…” Silence fell for a moment, as he sighed. “I would’ve done the same thing. It was suffocating. I stayed, but I didn’t like it any less. I knew what was being held over my head. He had more freedom.” Raphael stood, USB still gripped tight. “But the only way we’re all looking at this, is if we all agree to accept what I’m saying—“ A lull. “Or don’t, I don’t care. I’m the President of this Cartel, I’m making him the Vice President.” Maverick was right. It was time. “We’re family.” He looked to Lily. “That understood?”

Maverick Stone: Maverick saw that reaction coming from a million miles away. Lily wasn't exactly known for being subtle or for her lack of dramatics. His eye simply arched at the younger Stone as she climbed onto the chair, throwing a fit -- which, in a way, was warranted. Attention shifting from Lily to Raphael, the tone in his older brother's voice said it all. It wasn't really a question, despite him giving the siblings an option, it was a command. "I already apologized for what I did." Maverick stated, even though he'd do it all again in a heartbeat. "That was then and this now. You wanted me here, Lil, I'm fucking here and stepping up to the plate." Better late than never, he figured. "If Raphael and I can put our shit to the side to make this work, then so can you." He noted. "It's time to let it go. That was the past and there's a lot more important shit happening right now that we need to focus on."

Lily Stone: When Raphael stood and towered over Lily she stood her ground against him. She never has been one to back down so easily, so why start now? Lily knew they were right and found it difficult in herself to put this bullshit aside. "Fine. I'll play along with him being the Vice President." then something came to her mind. "Since you are clearly giving out promotions--then promote me to being a soldier." The youngest Stone knew she shouldn't even have to say why. Taking a deep breath she looks back over to Maverick with anger still residing in her eyes. Though she lost her breath when she felt a sudden sharp pain in her abdomen; the stab wound. Acting as if she weren't in pain Lily held her gaze on Maverick. "I'll be a good little warrior and keep my mouth shut for now on about you becoming VP, but for what you did to me as my brother? You got a long way to fucking go for that." She declares. With that Lily sits down and crosses her arms over her chest before looking to Raphael. "Now can we see what is on that damn USB? I about died from being gutted over that fucking thing."

Raphael Stone: Raphael didn’t even hesitate to her quip. “No.” His voice was sound and strong. Don’t question him, don’t barter him. This wasn’t some clubhouse, no form of government or diplomacy. It was a god damn crime to do as they did—what he says, goes. “You’ll stay where you are, Naomi is staying where she is, I’m bringing someone in, not shifting the fucking pyramid.” Didn’t he expect an argument from Lily? Sure. But he wasn’t about to lift her up to justify some vendetta she was hanging over Maverick’s head. “Lily, I swear to fucking god, pull your foot out of your mouth and listen to me,” Raphael rubbed his temples momentarily. “I run this show—so when you’re speaking to Maverick from here on out, you better do it with some fuckin’ respect.” There was another lull. “He’s not just your brother—he outranks you now.” Was it a silent warning to Naomi as well, should the equally vibrant-with-words have an opinion? Possibly. Maybe with her sullen silence she knew not to push Raphael. “Now,” He murmured. “We watch this once, and Maverick and I will decide what to do.” He eyed his little sister as a warning—no smart remarks. Plugging the USB in, as the CCTV footage came to light. Raphael’s mind was trying to remember the familiarity of the scene. Set outside of Tito’s, a familiar spot for the Stone family—“Oh my god,” Naomi’s long hair almost shielding the wide screen as she leaned in, even the awe striking her tone. “Look at the date—“ She pointed to the corner of the screen with a finely manicured hand. “This was the date Mom died…” Did he hone in, finally pay attention to the scene that had been—gunshots went off, silence on the film, but the bright light moved in. “Move,” Maverick murmured, as he reached for the laptop. Raphael cast a ‘keep quiet’ glare to Lily. “We can zoom in on—“ His words stopped, , as the screen was moved back, shifted for Raphael to see as clearly as they could make out on the black and grey screen: Dominic Moretti. Gun in one hand, gunning the gas of his motorcycle in the other. “Oh my god,” Naomi broke the silence first, as he felt her place a hand on his shoulders. “You know what this means, Raph…” He stayed silent for another moment. “I know,” He looked to Maverick. “The Castro cartel didn’t kill mom—the Rinaldi’s did.” [END]

[deeisace]

so.

i said the other day i wouldn’t get into how magic works in my version of the HP universe - not, it’s likely, in JK’s, on account of i’m not sure she’s put the most amount of thought into it and lots of the things she has put thought into are sheer absolute nonsense, so let’s ignore her.

Anyway.

I said I wouldn’t, but guess who’s had Thoughts, so I will do.

I will eventually re-write that essay/academic-paper style thing I was gonna do for it, probably, because I’m an absolute nerd, but this below will be ehh, rambly? a bit more informal, in any case, because i’m pretty well tired at the mo - i have Thoughts but little brain left, haha

and, under a read-more on account of it’ll get long, and i think in any case this might not be everyone’s idea of interesting, no?

So. Shall we say. Magic has several components. These being - within yourself, intent (inc. concentration) and power; and without yourself, your wand, the spells already around you, and where you are.

The mechanisms by which magic works are also important - the words and movement through which you signal intent, as needed, and pathways by which it,,, moves? is created? somesuch. Those within your body, akin to veins if that comparison may be drawn, and those without, such as leylines throughout the world.

.

Maybe I should start at the beginning.

It’s lost to the ether, how magic began. Much like the beginnings of life itself, at least to wizarding minds - i have little knowledge myself as to the intricacies of the actual science detailing the beginning of life, which i feel is only to the better when dealing with making up how wizards might think about this sort of thing, no? - there is nothing known about the beginnings of magic.

What we do know is something about how it works and how it has adapted, and been adapted, over time.

Before the Roman invasion, tho it is certain wands were used, the emphasis in what little survives from that time or soon after is on potions, arithmancy (maths magic), runes (used, generally, to extend the use of a spell or to tie it to that particular thing/place), rituals and suchlike. The languages used for spells seems to be very similar to the everyday language of the person/people casting - it was the language of the people and of the land, ensuring that the movement of magic had a clear pathway between the land and the people.

It may be said, here, that a wand is something of a,,, conversion device? i forget the correct term, but you know how with electric, the national grid, the power lines have this big amount of energy going through, and it needs to be changed down so it’ll work in your plug sockets and not blow your phone charger up or smth? A wand’s a bit like one of those things that changes the electric down. Or, it’s a bit like a tv aerial, where is you leave it in one place, the signal’s dead dodgy, but if you take it and idk put it on the roof or somesuch, the signal’s a lot clearer - with the wand in this case being the roof, i think? it’s both of those, the conversion thing and putting the aerial on the roof, at once, really.

So, with the people and the land,,, speaking the same language, if you will, there was some need for the conversion device bit, but less so for the tv aerial bit. After the roman invasion and all that went with it, and also the vikings, and the french, the english offences against wales, ireland, and scotland (and so on and so forth) - the languages have been lost (not entirely, no, in some cases, but to enough of an extent that it has certainly had an effect), the ways of the old magic, the knowledge of it, have been lost, and these in turn have affected the magic that can be cast and the manner in which to do so.

The old rituals, the arithmancy, the building and/or use of such places as stonehenge, giant’s causeway, the ring of brodgar (and other such places i’ve forgotten about myself), these have been abandoned and/or forgotten to various levels. Spells are cast in mangled latin - not the language of this land, nor even the kind of latin in use still by some (tho be that only in church and suchlike, perhaps). Pronunciation is so important as intent, these days (to quote Hermione, “it’s Win-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the ‘gar’ nice and long.��) because we are no longer speaking in a language our land (and so our magic) can quite understand. We need the tv-aerial effects of wands, and to pronouce the incantation as correctly as we can, even tho it’s in the wrong language, to help in a way the magic to understand what our intent is, cut off as it has been with the lack of the old ways.

so cut off we are, from magic in the old sense, that wandless/wordless magic is seen as something only those with a particular grasp of magic (powerful wizards, such as Dumbledore) can perform. Disregarded in the public eye is the wandless and often wordless “accidental magic” of children, who, untrained as yet in the “correct forms” of magic as our current times define it, are sometimes able to forgo such limits, through the brute force, if you will, of their emotional intent - the strong signal of intent (subconscious or not) their emotions broadcast, if i may continue the metaphor, has no need of an aerial-on-the-roof.

---

So, that covers, i think, the language component of the use of magic, the purpose of a wand, and something of the geo-mechanics of magic?

Leylines are like veins, or like the national grid, but for magic, and we can use magic through the focussing of it using our intent (like, i want to charge my phone), our power (like, my phone charger works off this many volts) using our wand (the device that changes the voltage to one we can use and takes it into the household wiring) and the language we use (?? to continue this?? my phone charger,,, has a mini-usb connection? i’m giving up this bit, it’s stopped making sense).

The modern styling of magic is,,, a dodgy voltage-converter thing, causing very dodgy household wiring and combined with the sort of old charger where you have to wiggle the cable to get it to work. If i’ve got my own metaphor-ing correct. I’m not at all sure that I have.

So anyway. Biomechanics!

Just like the land has leylines, and our bodies have our circulatory and nervous systems, there’s something similar to that but for our personal use of magic.

hang on, fuck. firstly this above is over 1000 words (i checked, cs i’m an idiot), and i’ve not written that much for well over a year. and also i just twisted the end off my eyebrow piercing again (i was fiddling with it, cs, as mentioned, i’m an idiot). standby (tho not for long for you) whilst i swear.

right, okay. leylines, veins and,,, whatever fuckin nonsense word wizards decided to call how magic goes.

i’ll use veins an stuff to help explain. hopeful this’ll go better than the electricity metaphor.

So. Your heart, veins, arteries and capillaries.

I’m quite sure none of this is mentioned in canon, really, but at least the magical core is generally a thing in fic that deals in this sort of stuff. This is something like your heart, in a very basic way. (Please forgive the gratituous mangling of science to come.)

oh no, my brain has stopped. i could draw a diagram, tbh. okay uh.

arteries --> heart --> veins --> capillaries

surrounding magic --> magical core --> asks to do a spell --> focussing of magic (--> outcome of spell)

that helps? helps my brain, anyway.

so the magical core draws magic from the person’s surroundings - this is why hogwarts (and many wizarding settlements) was built where it was - it’s on a ley-line, or near one or smth, which makes it easier for children’s developing magical cores to draw magic as needed. tho magic is basically everywhere, and britain is small enough, or smth, that there is little appreciable difference in casting spells in muggle areas versus magical ones, and considering the modern spell-casting methods, the placement of hogwarts is good for those with developing cores.

the magical core is something of a storage unit, or somesuch, and the size of your magical core defines the level of magic you are capable of. not the type, exactly, you understand, but the amount of magic you have to use. tho that said, you can’t make a large jumper if you only have 400g of wool - you might make a small jumper, or a scarf, which will also keep you warm, but not a large jumper - equally so, you might have the magic reserves for, say, a wingardium leviosa but not a levicorpus, or a lumos but not a lumos maxima - or so on and so forth, blah blah blah

when we cast a spell, or attempt to, we’re kinda, asking the magic in our reserves, hey can you come do this thing? (and then, because physics is still a thing, if terribly warped, it’ll like, return to the leylines or whatever i guess, after the spell is dome, idk) and the magic is like, yeah cool, what d’you want me to do? whereupon your like, magical capillaries get involved, which focus the magic down the correct pathways that it turns up in the right shape to do the thing you asked - and then your wand amplifies the signal so there is an appreciable effect, because your modern magical style fucked your shit up.

it’s like, you asked your magic to do a thing, and it only just heard you cs you’re speaking through like, soundproof glass or smth idk, so it turns up with the correct thing but not sure about it, and your wand goes, yep it was that! and then the magic is sure about it, and the spell happens. y’know?

so that’s like, how the average wizard’s spell would go

in the case of squibs, there might be an issue with any one of those things, or more besides, that inhibits the conventional use of magic.

emotional or physical trauma may affect use of magic - like Ariana Dumbledore’s PTSD, or, say your hands were burnt to such a degree as to stop you holding your wand or to block your ‘magical capillaries’ (since our hands is where we focus our magic, where we are taught to, just like we have a lot of, wow GCSE biology was a long time ago, nerve endings? in our hands, for tactile sensation, that’s also where a bunch of our magical capillaries are, too).

or, say we use Neville as an example. His magic has been affected in many ways. Emotional trauma, like what happened to his parents (it’s unknown if he was there, like Harry was, and it’s likely that Harry’s memory of the event is from,,, other factors, so it’s unknown if the particular event caused anything), and the abuse by his family members, and that by Snape. Physical trauma is unknown - beyond his intinctive intent, and therefore accidental magic, to save himself from harm by his relatives, which in fact caused magic to happen rather than inhibited it - whether or not Bellatrix was so deranged at the time as to cast such spells also on him, which would i’m sure have caused something at that age, is also unknown. What is known - Neville, at least for some time, used his father’s wand. Whilst this may be grand for Augusta’s sentimental reasons, it is true what Ollivander says - ‘the wand chooses the wizard’. Using the wrong ‘tv aerial’ will not get you a clear picture, and using the wrong wand will not result in strong or correct spells. He is also disastrous with potions, and a genius with herbology. This may be partially due to,,, the teaching styles of the respective professors - the manner of Snape being such to leech his concentration and the intention from the potion - or yet due to an issue with his “magical capillaries” - that is to say, the herbology ones are well-developed, and communication goes well along those lines, and the potions ones are not so, and so it does not.

Also he’s way autistic and plants are his SpIn, fight me.

---

alright so i’m sure i have more thought, but it’s near 11pm and this is a terrible time to be awake when i have work early tomorrow and things to do besides, so i’ll leave it there for now.

[idealisticrealism]

Blindspot recap 2x16

(Aka the one where Cade is the source and Patterson’s tooth is the mole)

Happy Blindspot day! Here’s a rather late recap, as is kinda typical for me at the moment (nightshifts take up a lot of energy haha). But anyway, have a look below the cut for a lot of rambling about how much I love Jeller and how much I want to hug Patterson haha

Oh yeah, Nas is being strangled. Forgot about that. But oooh I love the car-seat trick and then like flipping herself over into the backseat??That was kinda badass. I'm always approving of seeing ladies beat the crap out of bad guys. But anyway he's dead now (nice work Nas, I’m sure Weller didn’t want to interrogate him or anything) and anyway she's got the info-- which if there's really info about Sandstorm on that USB, then clearly he wasn't the one that put it there (bc he would have just used a decoy) meaning that if it’s legit then her source and this killer are not connected. Which lbr we already know they aren’t.

But nvm about all that bc this scene is far more important. The team are all hanging at Weller's and laughing and toasting and drinking and ughhhh remember early last season when Zapata and Reade had never even been in his apartment?? And now they're all hanging out?? Being besties?? And omg Patterson is such a cutie, insisting they toast every time (maybe I’m going to make a variation on that rule and always toast to Patterson herself before I do a shot haha) and they all indulge her and ughhhh my babies. And then Jane is there, walking straight in without knocking bc lbr this apartment is always open to her. Do I dare even consider the fact that she has a key, ‘in case of emergencies’??? But anyhow clearly Weller had invited her (because of course he did, he probably suggested the group drinks in the first place just to have an excuse to invite her over), and she probably had wanted to come so much but had already agreed to plans with Oliver and felt she couldn't cancel on him... especially not when she would be doing so to go spend time with the guy she’s actually in love with. That would probably be a kinda unfair thing to do to your date. But lbr when he bailed n their dinner she probably wasn't even that upset bc she was now free to go be with her family instead ughh. Also it's weird to think that this is all taking place immediately after last ep? Like only hours after the team all split into pairs to hunt down the smuggler. I mean Zapata's looking good for someone who got shot in the back of her vest, and Weller seems to have recovered well from being tased haha. But anyway they're all like ‘yaayy Jane's here’ which is so cute lol, and Zapata's like 'wait what about that thing you had on' (ugh look at this supportive lady-friend being all discreet haha) and Weller looks up with that 'I-really-wanna-hear-this-but-also-really-don't' expression bc I'm sure that even if Jane hadn't told him she had a date when he invited her to the drinks, he would have known it anyway bc she would have been all flustered and awkward and also clearly bummed about missing out on being with the team and ugh I bet Weller is fighting off a grin rn to know that she's here with him-- er, I mean with them-- and not with some guy and aww Patterson immediately involves her in the toasting thing and ugh look at my babies all being so happyyyyyy. And then Zapata immediately finds a excuse to whisk both of them off into the kitchen so they can have a ~girl talk~ (omg her "boys. so sensitive." comment lol. I feel you there girl.) and ugh I am SO HERE for this bonding and supportiveness and lol considering Weller got up and headed somewhere right the same time that they did, I'm totally picturing him hiding around the corner sneakily trying to listen in haha. Whereas meanwhile Reade and Patterson are left awkwardly at the table and she reaches out so earnestly, telling him she's worried about him, and he just walks off. Excuse me, I will not tolerate this rudeness towards my baby. Go back and apologise. And then omg Jane has snuck into the nursery (love the mobile with Aussie animals on it, like it’s a nod to my country for producing Sully haha) but anyway ugh I love the way that Jane looks around the room; it's not a wistful "I wish this was mine to share with him", though I'm sure that there's definitely a bit of that buried down deep. Mostly though she just looks at it all with such tenderness and pride, because she can see what a good and loving father Weller is going to be and it makes her love him all the more. And then oops Weller busts her (lbr he'd been fully aware of exactly where she was every moment since she stepped into the apartment, and was just waiting for his chance to spend some time alone with her) and she's adorably embarrassed and guilty about snooping but he doesn't mind at all bc lbr Jane has 100% free access to anything in his life bc he loooooves herrr, and then ugh Allie gets mentioned and Jane tries to suss out what the situation will be after the baby is born bc lbr she's secretly picturing her and Weller’s future life together, whether she realises it or not. And then she apologises for overstepping and takes the question back, just like he did when he asked her about Oliver, and ugh I love that these two are doing this little dance and wanting to be closer and know all these things about each other but they're afraid that the other doesn't want to share that connection so they apologise and try to step back again, but the other one always reassures them it's alright and then opens up a little more and ughhhhh these two are so clearly inchinggggg their way back toward each other again and ugh this is such a honest and vulnerable moment that could have easily led to something even deeper but of course by the very nature of the Jeller moment, it means that they have to be interrupted-- and so right on time there's a text from Nas (since she couldn't barge in in person, she had to make do) and ugh we’re all sitting here like 'okay you nearly died? cool well you would still have been not-dead in five minutes, how about next time you be more considerate and give everyone some time to themselves before demanding all the damn attention’. Sigh. 

And so now the team is all back at the FBI and I'm curious as to how they got there, bc I'm certain that all of them except Jane would have been too intoxicated to drive. Like seriously tho did they all pile together into her car?? Who got to ride shotgun?? Weller, since he's the bigest and also the boss? And also so he and Jane could throw loaded looks at each other while she drove? Or what if Weller was feeling gentlemanly and let Patterson sit up front so she wouldn't be squished, and instead Zapata was the one sandwiched between Weller and Reade, poking her elbow into Reade's side lol? I really hope they did all drive together, I mean it’s just a far more entertaining thought than FBI people picking them up. Though it'd be kinda funny if they took cabs or ubers instead, like 'hey we're a bunch of FBI agents take us to our headquarrters stat'. But anyhow, I'm getting distracted. The team arrives in the lab, Weller checks in on Nas just long enough to get the USB with the info. The team tosses ideas back and forth about who the source is and if he had anything to do with the attack, then Weller sets Patterson to cracking the USB which will take all night. Ugh, my poor baby works so hard. Though lbr it's not like Weller is gonna go home and to bed either; he’ll probably spend all night working in his office so he’s readily available if she needs him. And then lol now Patterson's busy with her computer and Reade & Zapata have apparently decided they have some place else to be, so when Weller walks away, Jane can go after him alone, touching his arm (yaaaasssss Unnecessary and Lingery Touuuuchhhhh) and asking him if he's okay and ugh he's so upset and Jane just steadies him like no one else can and promises that they'll get Shepherd and then she touches his arm again (oh lord help me) before going to help Patterson and ughhhhh I love Supportive Wifey Jane and ugh I know I've said it before but I'm just so glad these two are partners again ughhh

Naw Reade and Zapata have just had another one of their joint gym sessions which I think is adorable. And lol he's talking about a woman he thinks is kinda cute (lbr tho man you're not exactly being picky these days) and she grimaces at him, which is basically a pretty good reflection of how I feel about Reade and his proclivities atm lol. And then oh hello random drug screen lady! That was a funny moment with "it's your lucky day"/"we finally have hot water in the showers?"/"we have soft serve in the commissary??" lol you sassy buggers. But more importantly than all that is the horror on Reade's face when she tells them they're going to be screened today-- yep, this is called karma, bro. You were mean to my baby Patterson and now the universe is punishing you. Also I love Zapata's “Couldn't you have given us a heads-up on this” and the lady's snarky reply. I like her already. And I like that she didn't take any of Reade's crappy excuses about not feeling well. It’s time to face the music, sucker.

Awwww Jane sitting on the floor with Roman and trying to get him to eat and worrying about him sleeping on the hard floor and ugh he asks her about her night and about Oliver and then ughhhh "I don't have much, but what little I do have I owe to you". That is such a true statement, and it kinda encompasses the good and bad? Like yeah he's in a cell and has no memories and that's because of her but he's also alive and being cared for and free of Sandstorm and that's all because of her too. Ugh their situation is such a complicated and interesting one but I really wish she would be honest with him about the zipping. He's been a little more settled lately, no huge outbursts in a couple of days, so maybe it's approaching the right time to start telling him the truth?? Please???

Back in the lab, Nas has emerged from the med bay, and so Patterson shows her and Weller the photos that she got off the USB-- pictures of Shepherd and Sandstorm peeps from the day before. And then the source calls and tells them where to bring him money before he gives them any more info on Shepherd's location. And yes this is all very important but rn I'm actually much more interested in Weller's loose necktie situation bc damn I'm digging it. Also I wanna know what happened last night? Like did he go home? Did the others go home? Was there any point in them sticking around anyway if only Patterson could run the decrypting program? If he did go home, did he sleep at all? I need to know these things. But anyhow Jane catches up to him in the corridor, and she opposes his plan to stake out the meet site beforehand, worried that they'll spook the source and lose their chance at a lead. And lbr she's kinda like his inner voice, here? He's having to do things a certain way bc he's the boss and he's supposed to do things by the book and prevent risk to his agents, but all the arguments she's making are exactly what he feels himself, yet he has to ignore them. Ugh I love the fact that even when they appear to be at odds, they’re still in tune?? #soulmaaaates

Oooooh Zapata's questioning Reade about his weird behaviour and lol she teases him about handling his hard liquor like a preteen (tho I would hope that preteens aren't drinking hard liquor lol) and then jokingly prods him about if he’s really worried he's going to fail, and then he's all 'well, yeah' and she's like wait what. Then he gets called up and walks out like a guy going to his execution and seriously son you would never be in this situation if you hadn't made such terrible life choices lately

Meanwhile the rest of the team is actually working, trying to hover around inconspicuously as Nas goes to the drop point. Which is kinda ridiculous tbh bc literally the source would recognise both Jane and Weller instantly so I feel that this is not a terrific plan. Then he calls and tells Nas to go to a nearby hospital and gives her directions on dropping the bag into a laundry cart before leaving. Then some guy collects the cart and puts the bag in the laundry chute-- so Weller accosts him and shoves him into a wall. Ah, my cranky son. (Tho lbr I quite enjoy watching Weller manhandle people. I would not mind watching him shove Jane into a wall in a much gentler and more romantic fashion haha). Anyway turns out the guy was just paid to do it, and they realise that the source is down in the laundry room at the base of the chute, and Weller is all like 'quick, to the stairs!' and Jane's like 'nah son I got this' and legit jumps down the chute, slowing her fall on the walls and doing a kickass roll when she gets to the bottom. Dude. Life. Goals. And then she immediately pursues the source, only for him to circle behind her and put his gun to her head-- and the moment he speaks she realises it's Cade. Okay so Cade has been the source all along? Or maybe both he and Markos? Or maybe he, Markos AND Remi? But then anyway in another incredibly badass move, she dodges to the side of the gun and disarms him and throws him over her shoulder and ugh I am so down with this fight bc while Jane is definitely going to be the more skilled, she is probably the person who taught him to fight well in the first place?? Student vs master. And them bam she has the gun on him and tells him that they're on the same side and that she killed Oscar and ooooooohhhhhh I bet he didn't see that coming. And then suddenly Weller is there, impressively not out of breath considering the fact that he probably just sprinted down like five flights of stairs to get here and protect his wifey. And Nas is there too, and says 'Cade! in surprise and recognition(??), and I guess she knows what he looks like from a sketch of Jane's or something? Still, it's weird how quick she was. And then he reveals he's the source and everyone is like whaaaaaaa lol

Oooh Reade's in trouuuuble. With Zapata, that is. And he insists he was just blowing off some steam and she shuts him down, making it clear that what he's doing is waaaay more serious than that, and insisting that he tell Weller. And awww she says that they're all family, but Reade blows her off. So he really doesn't believe that the team is family to him? That's sad. And wrong. And then he even questions Patterson about tipping off the drug test people and I'm literally offended on her behalf. She's being cool about it ("agents can't call for random drug tests. They're random.") but I bet his suspicion hurt. And then Jane joins them and I feel like she picks up on the vibe, but they all focus instead on Weller, Nas and Zapata as they go in to interrogate Cade. Why three of them? Why is Zapata there? I mean she’s great and I'm always happy to see her being badass, but I'm just a little confused. And anyway Cade is being a smartass about 'where it all started' (aka the big bang) and the ladies are basically like shut up and get to the point lol. So we hear his backstory about why he joined Sandstorm (dad died in a mining accident and lawyers robbed the family of compensation etc. Because apparently the only response to tragedy and injustice is terrorism) and then he tells them that he left Sandstorm when he realised that Shepherd was only fighting for herself, not his cause. While listening, Jane has a flashback to Roman talking to Cade about all the people that are going to die in phase 2, and Remi shuts down the conversation. It definitely seems like the memories we see these days often have Remi seeming like much more of a jerk then she used to (not that she was ever a ray of sunshine before tho tbh). Idk it might just be a product of what's triggering the memories. Anyway Cade explains that he stayed with Sandstorm so he could do more damage from the inside, and Weller gets pissed at him about trying to kill them (or really, trying to kill Jane, which is the part that actually upsets him). And Cade says he did it both to try to stop the plan-- bc back then Jane was much more central to it, right?-- and also as revenge for Oscar killing someone he loved. I'm so intrigued by the way he talks about Markos-- "Markos made me whole" sounds like much more of an intimate connection than family/brothers-in-arms. Whether they were involved that way or not, I'm definitely headcanoning that Cade was in love with Markos. 

Aaaand so Weller is not happy with Cade’s demands for money and immunity. He storms into his office (does he really ever enter his office any other way?) and I love that Jane is confident in her right to be there but still hangs back a little, giving Nas a chance to make her case first, pretty much bc she knows it won’t work haha. Only Jane can get through to him when he’s like this. And ugh one of Weller's main arguments against Cade going free is that he tried to kill Jane. Lbr that’s totally an unforgivable crime in Weller's opinion. And ugh again I’m so glad about this whole moment-- like if this was happening in the early eps of this season, even if Weller would have admitted his anger over Cade trying to kill Jane at all, Jane certainly wouldn’t have been there to hear it and know that he felt that way. But now she is, and even if she tells herself that he's really just making excuses not to work with one of Sandstorm’s members, a little part of her would cling to his protectiveness of her and revel in it. But anyhow I love that she puts a hand on Nas' shoulder and is all like 'good try, but dw, I got this.' And she follows him and locks eyes with him and tells him that they have to put their baggage with Cade aside, like Weller did with her, and he's all "that was different" and ugh she reminds him about telling Zapata he didn’t even want to be in the same room as her and ugh it hurts me that that memory comes to her so easily. How much it must have hurt her to hear that, and how much Weller must regret it now and want to take it all back and tell her he never really meant it and he actually loved her all along and ughhhhhhh.  And ugh he drops his gaze from hers and you already know that he'll let Cade go. He'll do anything for her. Lbr a lot of the time Jane is the most powerful person on this team bc of the sway she has over Weller, but it’s a power she would never abuse. Plus, she would do literally anything for Weller in return, and close to anything for every single member of the team. Ugh, my loyal baby. 

Anyway so Cade gets his deal and tells the whole team about Shepherd meeting with a smuggler person, possibly to be smuggled somewhere herself. So they send out a team to lie in wait for ehr, but just as they're ready tog et into position, they see smoke coming from the building, and race in only to find that the guy Shepherd was meeting is already dead and a bunch of his files are burned. So they think Cade sold them out and pre-warned Shepherd, leading to an angry confrontation and he's all 'uhhhhh I've been here the whole time? literally how could I have gotten any kind of message out" lol and then he tells them that maybe they have a mole, which pisses Weller off. Uh, Cade, you might want to be careful. People are a little sensitive about the ‘M’ word around here.... 

Ughhh Jane suggests that they use Cade to try to jog Roman's memories and Weller allows it bc she's his beloved wifey and he wants to make her happy ugh. And it's such an interesting dynamic with Cade and Roman. "I don't know whether to choke you or feed you soup. Or maybe both" lol. And then Jane is all sweet with Roman when he can't remember anything, and it must be strange for Cade to see how not-Remi she is?? Though he still throws a jab at her about wanting her brother in a cage, which sets off another memory for her about keeping Roman from talking to Cade. As a sidenote, I love Remi's flat, dead voice and how different it is from Jane's. But anyhow clearly the doses that these two were zipped with were very different, or Jane’s has been wearing off or something, bc she is definitely much more susceptible to triggers than he is. But ugh my fave part of this scene was probably when Cade says that mean comment to Jane and Weller just grabs him roughly by the arm and drags him outta there. No one’s mean to his wifey and gets away with it...

Zapata and Reade get their results back, which were thankfully negative (though part of me wishes his had been positive just so he had to face it and get help). Also I love that they have these very private conversations in the locker room-- like cmon guys someone could be literally right around the corner. But anyhow ugh Zapata is so serious and worried rn and she insists again that he tell Weller and get help (work-dad will fix it!), but Reade is refusing to seek help bc he’s kinda a butthead these days. And so Zapata-- while making it clear that she's doing it out of love-- tells him that she will tell Weller if he doesn't, and his reaction to that reminds me of a little kid: "but... but you're my best friend" *lip wobbles*. Uh yeah, dude, she is! That's why she will do whatever it takes to protect you, even if you hate her for it! Ugh. Poor Zapata, she should go talk it out with her BFF Jane. Meanwhile Weller locks Cade back up, and then being the sweet marshmallow he is, actually pauses and tells Cade that he's sorry about his father. Ugh, my big softy. He mentions that his uncle was a miner too, and Cade's all ‘yeah I know, Shepherd talked about you a lot’. Which is creepy but unsurprising, I guess? 

Over in the lab, my baby Patterson is looking at files on Borden, which is upsetting. She gets another headache, then is looking at pictures of Shepherd when she suddenly puts it all together, realising what's been going on with her and why Sandstorm always seems to be ahead of them. Also lol at the lab tech who comes up to ask her something and she's all "not now" and they back away respectfully from their queen haha. But oh my poor baby, this must be a horrible feeling, to realise her own role in all of this. Weller would never blame you though honey! 

And speaking of Weller, he's back in his office when Jane comes in all shy, and she's like 'um, weird question, but... are you my supervisor?' with literally THE CUTEST expression on her face, and tbh it's kinda funny to consider her as part of boring old workplace ladders bc she's just ~part of the family~ (or rather jst like an extension of Weller, lbr) and Weller is like 'uuuhhhhhhhh yeah I guess I am' which shows he never really thought about it either lol. And lbr, she kind of went from victim-->asset-->Weller's partner-->traitor-->prisoner-->asset-->Weller's partner, so she never really fit neatly into the whole boss/employee thing. But anyhow she shows him the requisition form that she needs him to sign, all the stuff she wants for Roman, admitting she can't stand to see him so unsettled. And Weller literally doesn't even hesitate before signing it, despite the fact that someone like Roman could very easily use those things to craft a weapon or escape tool or something. He just signs it bc not only does he trust Roman not to do that, and also cares about her and hates seeing her sad, but also he remembers feeling the same way when Jane was first brought to them. Which squeezes my heart bc he acted so aloof at the start but you just knew-- KNEW-- that underneath he really felt for her and wanted to help and comfort her. Which he soon did, though as professionally as he could (until the feelings won out over professionalism haha). But ughhh I bet it hits her hard when he says that about having the same feeling-- bc she LOVES Roman. That's why it hurts her to see him like that. So if Weller felt the same way about her, even back then.... 

But anyhow, of course this tender Jeller moment is just begging for an interruption, so in steps Patterson, showing them warnings on her ipad as she talks about having a bug in her servers that she needs to fix, and ugh every word she's saying is so clearly about herself and fixing the 'bug' in her before it corrupts the whole FBI 'server' and ugh she's holding herself together so well and Jane looks confused and then concerned and Weller just looks aggrieved and ughhhhhh I NEED there to have been a moment after she leaves (after writing on the ipad to tell them to gather the others and meet her in that metal cage thing that radio signals can't penetrate) where Jane just reaches out to Weller and comforts him bc lbr they're like the parents in this family and Patterson is daddy's little girl and ughhhhh how sad and angry and frustrated and horrified they must be all at once and ughhhh. I just feel like Weller needed a hug and Jane wanted to hug him but couldn't-- not it his glass-walled office, not with unresolved stuff still between them-- but she would have at the very least stepped close and had her hand on his arm and murmured comforting words and ughhh. But anyway the whole team is in the cage now, and Patterson tells them all about the bug she found in her tooth, which is seriously crazy small. It couldn’t possibly exist in the real world. But anyhow Jane, the protective mama, is like 'Let's go get it out right now' but Patterson, my brave baby, looks at Weller and suggests they use it to lure Sandstorm. Which is a very good idea, lbr. Which then leads to them all hanging out in Weller's office reading from scripts, and it's kinda hilarious to see actors playing people who are bad actors? Like their reading is so stilted but I guess it still sounds believable enough to Sandstorm, so that’s all that matters haha

So now Sandstorm is coming to the safehouse where Cade is being kept, to kill him before he can ‘trigger any more' of Roman's memories. Borden's the one making the calls since apparently Shepherd is out on a barge in the middle of the ocean for whatever reason (lbr who knows why Shepherd does literally anything except for ~Insanity~). I'm sure that will become clear eventually. So the trap is set; Reade and Patterson are in the safehouse with Cade, presumably settling him in, when he overpowers Patterson, steals her gun, and fake-shoots them both before making a run for it, forcing the Sandstorm guys to race after him. I appreciate seeing Borden getting tricked by the very people he tricked, and it all almost works too, except apparently he has superhuman eyesight and notices a floodlight up in a tree. All the others are surrounded, but he escapes off another way-- only to be caught by Patterson, who wounds him with a shot then chases him into a barn. Meanwhile the ringleader of all the others manages to shoot all three of the others before shooting himself, and come on, really? What if he'd fired at the FBI? Someone would have taken him down immediately. So why couldn't they have killed him after he fired the first shot, or even shot at one of the other guys in the leg to drop him and then kill the main guy before he could re-aim and kill them too? I guess we're gonna have to suspend our disbelief here and just roll with it, bc lbr how could our crackshot team (especially Jane) not be able to stop this from happening? 

But anyhow. On to more important things, which is my baby chasing Borden into a barn all alone, despite Weller shouting orders not to. And ugh as she walks in you can see that like literally everything in this barn (propane tanks, paint thinner, etc) is flammable, and well this is surely a very bad sign. And then she demands that 'Nigel' turn himself in, and ugh he shoots towards her and nearly hits the tanks and the she corners him and yet again they're facing down from either side of a gun, and ughhh she's telling him that he's going to spend the rest of his life in a cell and he actually reassures her, telling her that it's okay that she wants to kill him and omg okay maybe he's just saying that bc he assumes that she does, but then again maybe he KNOWS? If Sandstorm has been able to hear everything she's said in the past couple of weeks, then they have heard all her sessions with Dr Sun, the ones that (as she admitted to Reade) usually end with her sobbing. How many times did Borden come into the control room and volunteer to take over a shift listening to their bug; how many times did he sit there and listen to her cry and rail about how he'd betrayed her and destroyed her?? Ughhh and while I don't feel sorry for him (okay, maybe the teeeensiest bit), I do believe that he DID care about her. It just wasn't enough. And then ughhhh she's yelling at him now for what he did to her and there's tears in her eyes and he tries to apologise and I appreciate that he's made no move to shoot at her (I don't believe he would anyway) bc I'd hate for her to have to kill him bc that would mean even more emotional trauma-- like Jane with Oscar. And then he holds up the grenade instead, ensuring he'll die but also giving her enough time to make a run for it, to survive. And ugh if I’d known from the start how this would go I definitely would not have started shipping them all those eps ago lol

Ugh, back in the bullpen poor bruised Patterson is staring at the photos of Borden and the other Sandstorm operatives and ugh my sweet Jane comes up to check on her and it's super clever how there's originally no sound other than the music, like Patterson is kind of separate from everything. She's holding a little radio scrambler like it’s a talisman and ugh I just feel so sad for her. It's going to be so long before she is comfortable again in her own skin, until she no longer feels betrayed and violated and ruined. And Jane says much the same, telling her how killing Oscar made her feel more betrayed and unsafe. Ugh she's so sweet and supportive and doesn't push when Patterson says she can't feel anything, just makes sure she knows that she's always there for her. Ugh. Jane would die for any member of this team in a heartbeat and it kills me. As does her sorrowful face as poor Patterson walks away. And then ugh my baby goes to the med bay to get the tooth out, which is very symbolic and (hopefully) cathartic, and ugh she's so angry and so far from her usual bubbly self and she refuses any anaesthetic for the pain and ughhhh this is just awful  

I'm impressed that Nas actually lets Cade go with the money. Are we sure she didn't poison it somehow, or put a tracker in it, or...? But regardless, Cade refuses to stay and help, and Nas is sounding pretty doom and gloom about their chances of stopping Phase 2. But naw Weller believes in the team, and he's confident that they've weakened Shepherd-- after all, her right-hand man is now dead, and her two former proteges are now on Team FBI (aww, he considers Roman to be on their team). Also speaking of Roman, he's now lying on his bed with his soft sheets and a book and ughhhh I'm so happy to see him smile ugh my baby puppyyyy. I hope that he remembers these little signs of love when the truth about the zipping comes out...

Ooooh Reade deliberately left without talking to Weller, calling Zapata on her 'bluff'-- but ugh given the stunned and upset look on her face, it was no bluff. She knows she's going to have to go to Weller now, even if it costs her her best friend. And ugh she shows up at Weller's door, rather than just walking right into his office when she had the chance-- like she had to go home and mentally prepre herself/talk herself into it. And of course Weller lets her straight in and ugh he looks so concerned both for her and for Reade and ughhhhh he's such the Dad of this family ughhhh

Sigh Oliver texted Jane and she went right to him. I suppose it's sweet that he cooked this whole fancy meal as an apology... and then ugh she kisses him, probably to shut him up so she doesn't have to hear that accent anymore-- and tbh I'm actually glad when the guys show up to kidnap them before any items of clothing have come off. Now THIS is one scene that I don't mind seeing interrupted...!                                  

[vandalsandvagrants]

The break-up happened that summer, and it had not been pretty: he had been cheating for three months, Brandi caught him, confronted him, defensiveness on his part, shouting, door-slamming — classic just-what-you-see-in-the-movies stuff.

Jaylon had been an asshole.

How had she even been with him!

Oh. Yeah. The thing.

The thing he liked that she liked, too.

Pegging.

Who had brought that up? Brandi actually couldn't remember.

But, oh my god! Those few times they did it when things were good between them.

Seeing his face when she hit the spot.

Hearing his moans!

Which was the most arousing? It was absolutely impossible to say, Brandi remembered thinking when she was still with him. One night when they were still together, she was masturbating while thinking about the time she pegged Jaylon the night before he went out of town on a football weekend with a group of buddies.

"Oh, shit! Oh, shit!" he had moaned, grasping the sheets and squirming beneath her while she bent over him, his ankles over her shoulders, as she slid her strapon cock slowly in and out of his asshole.

When he started panting, Brandi knew he was close, and she pushed all the way inside and sealed her crotch up against his taint, gently lifting his balls up and out of the way in the process.

Then she began fisting his cock as she gyrated slowly with her hips, knowing what the other end of her double-ender was doing inside his ass and up against his prostate.

And what it was doing to her! The bulb end of the dildo nudging against her G-spot as she fucked him — oh, damn, but that felt good! The way she was able to squirm into him rubbed the harness over her clit deliciously. Mmmmmm.

The absolute best time, though it only happened once, was when they both came at the same time.

It had been absolutely mind-blowing, and the idea that what she was doing to him as the way to make himcome at the same time she was giving herself such huge pleasure . . . well, the memory of that — even given the fact she now had to divorce Jaylon from her thinking when she thought about the act — guaranteed a pussy-tingling reaction every time that frequently led to masturbatory sessions. Though the climax wasn't as satisfying as having a guy to do it with for real, it could still be pretty intense.

So, yeah. Jaylon was good riddance now, but Brandi really missed having a special man in her life, someone to cuddle with, to kiss, to hug and get hugged back . . . and to play together with the strapon that now sat unused in her dresser drawer.

So here it was, months later. The first of those months after the break-up had been completely man-free as she dealt with the anger of what Jaylon had done. Then, by mid-September, at least she dipped her toe back into the water with a date here, a date there, nothing special or serious but enough to get that needed reminder that, yes, she was still desirable and could be attractive to men who probably weren't assholes like Jaylon.

Making sure she was attractive was for herself, though, not for the guys who might notice. After Jaylon, it was important that Brandi work on herself, build up her sense of her rightness, emphasize that she deserved to bring out the best in herself. While always attractive as a pretty redhead with a nice figure, Brandi decided to get to the gym on a regular basis, both for the endorphins that would kick in during a focused workout and for the results the workouts produced.

Now, though, the second week of October had crept up on her, and a certain guy at the gym where she worked out had caught her eye, had smiled at her a time or two as they crossed paths between the track and the weights, and who, by all the clues she could ascertain as she secretly eyed his bottom as hidden by his workout shorts, had an absolutely divine, toned and firm butt.

It was a Wednesday night, and she bumped into divine-butt guy at the counter inside the gym's entrance. He was leaving, she was coming in for a workout.

He smiled at her. A good sign.

Tilting his head toward a poster that had been tacked up on the bulletin board hanging underneath the counter, he said, "Might be fun. You going?" he asked.

Oh, what beautiful lashes, Mr. Divine-Butt, thought Brandi.

"Going?" she asked, smiling.

"The Halloween party. The gym is putting one on as a thank-you to the membership," he replied.

Brandi glanced at the poster. "Oh, I haven't seen that before." She turned her gaze back to the guy — And those gorgeous brown eyes! she thought — "maybe I will."

"It's a costume party," he said a little clumsily, looking down at his gym bag. "I'll bet you'd look good in a costume."

Brandi thought it was a sweet comment, and he actually did seem a little nervous about telling her this.

It was endearing.

"I mean, uh, well, umm, well, don't think I'm being creepy or anything when I say you'd look good in a costume," he stammered. "Whatever costume you'd wear would look great, I'm sure."

He was stumbling all over himself. How cute!

"No, no — I know you meant it as a compliment," Brandi said. "And, thanks."

"So maybe I'll see you there," he said, a sigh of relief something he couldn't quite conceal. "Have a good workout."

Mr. Divine-Butt hurried out, and Brandi laughed at the interchange. He was interested, yet he was shy, and he was going to be at the party.

Hmmmmm.

***

The internet has all kinds of interesting uses, and the one Brandi put it to when she got home after her workout was to search for "sexy female Halloween costumes" in her favorite search engine.

Ahhh, the possibilities!

But Brandi was looking for something specific. She wanted a costume that would work well with a certain piece of jewelry she'd recently purchased after learning about it from a blog run by a lady who provides down-to-earth advice and guidance about pegging. Brandi began following the site after stumbling across it one night as she took the plunge into the world of internet sites arrayed on the screen when you type "pegging" into a search engine.

The necklace was classy, and it stood out due to its design. Hanging from a beautiful chain was a narrow cylinder of a few inches in length and capped by a disc to which the chain attached.

As pretty and unique as it looked in terms of jewelry, this fascinating accouterment had another use — it was a clever and well-made mini-vibrator that was surprisingly powerful after a quick USB charge.

Brandi found it most satisfactory, both as a pretty necklace and as a toy that did the job quite nicely when she fancied a clit-buzzing fantasy while pictures of some guy's gorgeous ass, arched up to meet each of her thrusts, played across the mental screen of her personal fantasy theater.

Yes, the jewelry-vibrator worked beautifully with all her fantasies: a guy so turned on by her that he grabbed her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom for a passionate, frenzied fuck; a cute guy going down on her who was very, very talented at cunnilingus; picking out a guy from among several at the beach simply because he had the absolute hottest body, taking him home, and falling into bed for multiple, intense orgasms; a tryst with a favorite, dreamy movie star.

But the clever dual-purpose accessory-toy somehow seemed absolutely perfect for fantasies of man-fucking. Brandi especially loved the fantasy of a handsome stud naked, lying on his stomach on her bed, herself behind him on her knees between his spread legs as she leaned forward to plant both hands on the cheeks of his gorgeous butt.

"Mmmmm, very nice, ______!" (Here, the current fantasy name would be imagined.) She'd knead his firm glutes, teasing with her words: "I like your naked ass, and I'm gonna love fucking it."

His response would be a moan, a shift of position opening his legs up a little wider, arching his back to raise his butt a little higher, making it more accessible.

"Nice," she would respond. "Let's get you comfortable for what I'm gonna do to you."

Shuffling on the bed. Pillows thrust beneath naked fantasy-man to position his ass for her pleasure. Lube found and opened. Soothing, soft massage of lube onto fantasy-man's asshole, then insertion of lubed finger. Lots of time finger-fucking him as his moans become more frequent.

Then, a second finger.

"Oh!" — a gasp of surprise as he is filled more completely. Brandi gets even wetter around the end of the fake cock that's inside her pussy. (Thank god for the harness to keep it securely in place!)

"That's it, ______. Open up for me."

He does it. She feels him loosen slightly around her fingers, and she slides in a little deeper, searching with fingertips for that nub of pleasure that is his prostate.

His groan tells her she has found it, and she strokes gently, toying with the inside of him.

He is shameless at this point, raising his butt to encourage her, to release his stiff cock trapped up against his belly and point it back between his legs so she can grab it.

"Ahhh," he exhales as her fist closes around his stiff and throbbing shaft.

She continues to toy with him, knowing he cannot take much of this exquisite stimulation for long.

"Oooh, this is so sexy for me, ______. Seeing you like this, ready for what I'm dying to do to you."

She slides her fingers out slowly. So slo-o-o-w-ly. His sexy, crinkled opening closes reluctantly upon her exit. It's shiny with lube and so inviting.

Brandi's fingers always quicken in her masturbation at this point in the fantasy: the guy before her, positioned perfectly, lubed and ready, eager to be fucked and desperate for her to be the one to do it.

She talks to him as she smears the slippery lubricant up and down the shaft of her strapon.

"I'll be gentle, I promise, but I'm still gonna fuck your gorgeous ass just the way I like to do it," she whispers, emphasizing her control of the situation as she caps the bottle of lube and lays it aside. "And I'm gonna ride you good, fuck you deep, and not stop until I come."

His reaction: a moan of encouragement, an eager thrust upward of his hips to present his ass to her as much as possible, and the indescribably sexy words of, "Yes, Brandi. Yes-s-s-s-s. Please."

She maneuvers into place behind his upraised ass, positions the tip of her strapon cock at the entrance to the sexual pleasure she is about to give both of them, and begins to slide inside.

Gently.

But with no doubt that she will drive the entire length of her fake cock deep inside him.

Soon, she is on top with the shaft of her strapon buried in his butt, her hands gripping his shoulders for leverage with her mouth close to his ear, and really stroking into him powerfully, knowing she is massaging his prostate continuously as she fucks him.

"You like it, don't you?" she whispers in his ear. "You like opening up to me, surrendering yourself to the fucking I'm giving you, don't you?" His moans confirm it. The way he grips the sheets on either side of the pillow verifies it even more. "I love it, too," she pants, the exertion of fucking the guy in the ass starting to exact its price.

(Oh, god, how delicious was the exhaustion brought on by exercising her man-fucking muscles! They just didn't get a workout any other way.)

Another moan from the guy, and occasionally that sexy, incongruous man-squeal of surprise that a guy can't prevent when her fucking motion triggers some unexpected sensation, some feeling deep inside that makes a primal, surprising connection between what she's doing to him and the pleasure — no, the ecstasy — of a sexual coupling.

(Jesus, I love that sound! thought Brandi.)

Finally, she would tell the guy in her fantasy, "Then say it. Say how much you love it when I fuck you in the ass!"

This was always the part in the fantasy when Brandi was getting close. She imagined the feel of her hardened nipples pressing tightly against his back, the firm grip she had on his shoulders and how it sent a message of control that she found absolutely empowering. And the feel of the taut roundness of his asscheeks pressing into her abdomen as he bucked backward to drive the shaft of her strapon cock more deeply into his asshole . . . Shit! That was insanely sexy and exciting!

Then she heard him say it, his voice ragged with expectation and with shameless desire.

"God, yes, Brandi! Dammit! I love it when you fuck me in the ass!"

That did it every time. Her orgasm was triggered at hearing fantasy-Ben or fantasy-Ryan or fantasy-Nick surrender all pretensions about being the only one in the relationship (or the one-night stand, depending on the fantasy) who penetrates the other during sex. Hearing his desperation for her to fuck him — well, it was just so intense, so phenomenally sexy and taboo and erotically charged that it pushed her over the edge every time.

Why the little vibrator — so classy and understated as a piece of jewelry — was so good on her clit for this particular fantasy was something Brandi never figured out.

No matter how much she masturbated with it to this delicious fantasy.

The little toy was just so perfect somehow for fantasies that allowed her to experience the naughty, exciting idea of fucking a guy — really fucking a guy in a way that allowed her to be the one plunging inside — and reveling in the erotic nature of both the pure, raw sexual lust the act generated as well as the powerful elixir of role reversal and everything it brought with it about being the one in control, being the one in charge of the sexual act.

So now, in preparation for the Halloween party that Mr. Gorgeous Eyes had asked about — well, in his own endearingly cute way had actually asked her to without really asking — Brandi knew she needed the perfect outfit to frame her favorite necklace as the cleverly designed vibrator hung fetchingly above the cleavage the costume would tastefully expose.

The unique necklace might produce a comment, an observation, a compliment from Mr. Gorgeous Eyes-Divine Butt that could be the perfect opportunity for a veiled response to pique his curiosity about her . . . about how she uses the jewelry.

Good grief! thought Brandi. Here I am thinking about talking to this guy, saying I like to masturbate to naughty, sexy thoughts of man-fucking, and I don't even know his name!

Not that a meet-up at the Halloween party would even be likely to spark that kind of conversation anyway, Brandi knew. She just didn't ask a guy — any guy — she hadn't spent a lot of time with whether he liked to feel a strapon cock sliding inside him because she loved doing it.

As eager as she was, as much as she missed the insane sexiness of fucking a guy in the ass and getting her own mind-blowing orgasm in the process, she knew it was necessary to be way beyond first-date status for that conversation.

And everything before that stage was delicious in itself: dating, cuddling, laughing together, the first coupling, then follow-up couplings as they both learned each other's skills as lovers . . . Brandi was ready for all of it after her manless stretch following Jaylon.

Yet, given how horny the months since having sex with a guy (except in her masturbatory fantasies) had made her, Brandi was at a place that prompted sexy thoughts of meeting a guy, feeling an instant chemistry, taking him back to her apartment and announcing she was into man-fucking and was going to do it to him right then.

And since it was a fantasy, the guy would be curious and willing (but maybe just a little reluctant, at least initially). Ultimately and inevitably, though, he quickly became a true convert due to Brandi's skillful initiation as the woman taking his virginity in a way that surprised him as much as it drove him crazy with lust when he experienced the intensity of his own orgasm as she experienced hers.

Such a thing would never happen, of course, but it wasa clit-tingling erotic fantasy. Brandi played it out in endless variations as she held the shaft of the pretty necklace against her clit, thrilling to the vibrations and to the mental movies playing across the theater of her mind.

Knowing her favorite fantasy wasn't really what she was planning for, the right Halloween outfit was still an absolute necessity. It had to perfectly frame her clever jewelry as well as highlighting the assets that had been improving precisely because she had been diligent and focused during her trips to the gym where Mr. Gorgeous Eyes-Divine Butt was also working out.

Item #439-C in the online Halloween costume catalog was just the ticket: a sexy Little Red Riding Hood outfit with a blouse obviously meant to encourage a nice display of cleavage. The short skirt would emphasize her long, toned legs, and the fake patent leather Mary Janes would add just the touch of innocent vulnerability that Brandi suspected would attract lots of male attention. Overnight shipping would ensure plenty of time to tailor it, if necessary, to best effect.

And the connection between her own mane of pretty red hair and the "Red" of Little Red Riding Hood was certainly obvious.

Some alterations on the outfit were necessary, but Brandi enjoyed having them done as part of the anticipation of being at the party with hunky Mr. Gorgeous Eyes-Divine Butt.. The final result was worth it: a Halloween costume emphasizing all her assets now that months of hard work in the gym were paying off nicely.

Before the night of the party finally arrived, Brandi had made it a point in the days leading to the event to "accidentally" cross paths in the gym with Mr. Gorgeous Eyes-Divine Butt. His name was Tyler Camden. He was working part-time and going to college to get an advanced degree that was going to help a lot in credentialing him for a full-time job working for an energy company headquartered in the city.

They had gone for coffee three days before the party — it had been possible within Tyler's schedule only after a big test he had to find a lot of time to study for between his mix of work, classes, and trips to the gym.

"So, Tyler, with all you have going on in your life, how are you able to keep up your commitment to working out in the gym?" Brandi asked as they lounged in one area of the coffee shop where they had agreed to meet to chat and get to know each other better.

"Just want to stay healthy for the long haul," he answered, toying with his mug on the table. "I want to look halfway decent, too," he said, looking down into the swirl he was producing in his coffee with a swizzle stick. "Some people would say that's vanity, huh?"

He looked up at her.

Oh, those lovely eyes, thought Brandi. They are the focal point of your handsome face beneath your wavy brown hair.

"What's vain — being healthy, or looking good?" she teased.

He laughed. She liked the sound.

"Either, I guess."

"Well, as far as I'm concerned," Brandi said, "I don't think it's vain to want to be healthy or to look good."

He smiled. "So what about you? This has been a one-sided quiz so far."

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make this feel like an interrogation," Brandi said, obviously faking her alarm.

"Now you're teasing me," he said just before taking another sip.

"Okay, okay. I'll stop," Brandi said, setting down her mug and smiling back at him. "I work out to look good and to feel good. They go hand in hand for me."

"Well, I can't speak for how it makes you feel," Tyler said as he leaned forward a little bit, "but I can say that it definitely has you looking good."

He glanced down after the compliment.

You are just too cute, Brandi thought, smiling. She caught his gaze the instant he looked back up. "Thanks, Tyler. I guess that means you've been looking, right?" The comment caught him off guard, and he stumbled through a response: "Oh, no! Nothing like that. I mean . . . well, I mean, yeah, I've been looking, but not like, you know, like I've been leering at you or anything. It's just that, umm, just kind of appreciating your body, and . . ."

He was really exasperated.

"And that certainly didn't come out the way I meant, either," he said, shrugging and falling back against the padded leather in the booth.

"What?" Brandi asked innocently.

"That part about appreciating your body. It sounded kind of pervy, you know? But that's not what I meant at all."

Just keep digging yourself into a hole, Tyler, thought Brandi as she watched a little pink scarf of embarrassment start to color his neck right under his chin. You are so hot when you do that!

"So you don't appreciate my body?"

I should stop tormenting this man, she thought, watching Tyler squirm. But, damn! It's fun and he's so hot, and I like talking to him.

"Oh, come on, Brandi," Tyler said, his smile belying his words. "You know what I mean, and I'm happy to say it: I like looking at your body. You're really a good-looking woman."

Now it was Brandi's turn to blush.

"There. I've said it. It's not my usual way of complimenting a woman, but you kind of forced the issue, you know?"

"What is your usual way?" she asked.

Now it was Tyler's turn to grab control of the conversation. "Classy compliments. Well-timed compliments. Honest and sincere compliments that don't come across as having a hidden agenda or creepy or anything like that." He looked at her, then raised his mug to take a long sip.

"Mmmmm," she responded, holding his gaze. "That sounds nice." She smiled. "So now that I know yourmodus operandi, let's start again. Compliment my body in your usual way."

Brandi was grinning widely at him, trying to suppress a giggle. It was fun talking like this with a guy.

Tyler rose to the challenge: "Ms. Morgan, I've noticed you at the gym for a while and have been impressed with your commitment to your workouts. They certainly have been effective. The result is a lovely, firm and toned body."

His gaze sent a hint of, "Take that!" as he eased back against the padded leather.

"Nicely done, Mr. Camden," Brandi said, raising her mug in acknowledgement.

"So . . . now it's your turn," he responded, again leaning forward slightly, his elbows on the table, hands wrapped around his mug of coffee.

Something in Brandi prompted a statement out of her mouth that surprised her: "I notice, Mr. Camden," she said, leaning forward slightly herself, "that you've been a regular customer at the gym, too. That's impressive. And your workouts, I notice, usually include some time on the stair climber. That must be one of the exercises responsible for giving you such a nice, firm, great-looking butt."

Shit! Brandi thought, looking down immediately into her coffee. What did I just say?

Her fantasies of man-fucking must have prompted something in her subconscious that found its way out in a surprisingly embarrassing way.

Tyler didn't know what to say. When Brandi dared glance up, he had a blank look on his face, and that scarf of pink embarrassment had returned to his neck.

"Well," she said with a little cough, "I guess that came out to make us even in the embarrassing compliment category."

Nice recovery, she thought, relaxing a little.

Tyler's expression broke into a little grin.

"Touché," he answered, now raising his own mug in acknowledgment. "What say we're even, and we move on to other things?"

Whew! Brandi thought. He's obviously convinced I was teasing him and not saying something that might be taken the wrong the way.

But I did mean it, she thought to herself as she smiled at Tyler and listened to him talk about why he was eager to finish his studies at college.

You have a gorgeous ass that I am dying to get my hands on.

***

Brandi had been at the party for a few minutes before Tyler spotted her. She had spoken to one of the trainers, chatted for a minute with a woman who often was at the gym while Brandi was there, and she had managed to get a margarita before she noticed him waving to her from the other side of the large room in the venue the gym had secured for the party.

She noticed that he looked her in the eye when he spoke to her, something she gave him credit for as he got closer.

Brandi knew she looked really sexy in the outfit, and she knew her attractively displayed cleavage, emphasized by the push-up bra and the way the blouse framed her decolletage, was a natural point of interest that would draw the gaze of any man (or woman) with even a modicum of sexual interest. But Tyler, gentleman that he was, looked into her eyes as he approached.

"Hello, Brandi," he said, smiling. "You are one beautiful Little Red Riding Hood!"

"Thank you, Captain Bligh," she answered, referring to his pirate's costume, complete with a fake pistol stuffed into the sash at his waist and a 3-cornered pirate captain hat cocked to one side on his head.

He looked dashing and handsome.

"Surely you're fending off wenches in every port, no?" she asked, grinning at him.

He laughed. "You assume things about me, fair maiden."

The evening was off to a great start.

They danced some, talked some more, listened to the music and commented to each other about the costumes worn by various of the attendees: "Nice prisoner outfit over there," he said, pointing. "And the fairy princess looks charming," she said, nodding in the direction of the pretty black trainer from the gym who'd done a great job with her Cinderella outfit.

It was the opening Tyler had been waiting for.

"And your outfit is . . . well, you look so good in that Little Red Riding Hood costume that it should be against the law."

This time he looked straight into Brandi's green eyes while delivering the compliment.

"Did I do okay with that compliment?" he asked, leaning in to make himself heard as the DJ cranked up the music.

"Yes, you did. I'd rate it an eight on a scale of ten," she teased.

"Only eight?"

Here's the time to spring the trap, Brandi thought nervously.

"Yes, Captain. An eight. You complimented me and my outfit in a general way, but the compliment was a little ordinary, lacking specifics."

He looked at her skeptically.

"Lacked specifics?"

"Yes," she responded. "A good compliment always includes specifics."

She smiled at him, knowing what he'd say next.

"Such as?"

"You could have received a higher rating by saying something like, 'You look amazing in that outfit, Little Red Riding Hood. In addition to being lovely in every way, I find what you've done with your costume as a way to emphasize your lovely décolletage and your pretty necklace to be absolutely stunning.'"

Oh, Tyler, please let that comment create the reaction I want!

He exhaled slowly then licked his lips, chewing his bottom lip slightly, obviously searching for his next words.

Thankfully, the DJ had toned the volume down now, and Tyler was able to respond without having to shout over the music.

He leaned close to Brandi's ear and said, "I find that what you've done to emphasize your gorgeous body in every way to be sexy yet classy, and what you've done to draw my attention along with every guy's attention at this party to your costume and your pretty necklace to be absolutely stunning."

She laughed, looking into his pretty eyes.

"Now that's a ten," she said, knowing she had the opportunity to see if Tyler might like to know more about her openness to sexy conversation and maybe more.

He grinned back at her, taking off his captain's hat and placing it on the little table where they sat as they watched the festivities around them.

"Glad to have scored a ten," he said, laughing with her as he moved his chair a little nearer.

"It is a pretty necklace, don't you think?" Brandi said, reaching to the double-duty piece of jewelry to bring it forward a little, inviting his inspection. "I liked it the first time I saw it."

Tyler took the bait. He reached forward to hold it between thumb and forefinger, examining it in response to the way she held it out, proffered for his comment.

"It's certainly unusual. Simple, pretty, and I have to say-"

At that point, Brandi closed her fingers around his hand, and with her other hand reached to the little disc at the top of the jewelry-toy to twist it to turn it on.

She made sure to keep her grip around Tyler's hand, ensuring that he felt the vibrations.

"What?!" he exclaimed, looking into her eyes.

"Thank you, Captain, for the compliment about my necklace."

She held his gaze, feeling the vibrations of her toy as they transmitted themselves to her through his hand.

"It's a pretty necklace I found in the port of Carthage on a far journey of my own," Brandi said, falling into a patter that seemed to come out of nowhere but which she went with as a way to make this potentially awkward moment morph itself into something more special than she had originally conceived. "A jewelry-maker in a small shop there said this pendant held magical powers, bestowed on it by the local priestess."

She leaned in closer to Tyler's ear.

"According to the jewelry-maker, the priestess said this pendant would forever hold the power to create special feelings in any female who wore it."

Tyler began to grin, glancing at Brandi's hand clasped around his own as the little vibrator continued pumping out its powerful effect. He looked back into her eyes.

"So I went to find this priestess, who lived deep in the forest," Brandi continued, spinning her tale and enjoying the sexual charge that was obviously building between them. "She lived in a hut the woodsmen had built her while under her spell."

Brandi moved Tyler's hand closer to her chest, holding it tantalizingly near her cleavage.

"She confirmed what the jewelry-maker had told me, and she said I would experience ecstatic feelings every time I used the pendant in a certain way."

A light sheen of perspiration was noticeable on Tyler's forehead at this point. Brandi enjoyed the effect she was creating with her story.

The moistness between her legs told her it was having the same effect on her.

"She also said this pendant had great power over any man who heard about its special properties."

The gaze that Tyler had fastened to her eyes told her he was under the pendant's special power at that moment.

She leaned very close to his ear to ensure no one could possibly hear the next part of her story.

"A man who hears how a woman uses this pendant will instantly succumb to her wishes."

Brandi leaned back from Tyler's ear and tightened her grip around his hand as the little toy continued vibrating.

What are you going to do next, Tyler? What are you waiting for? Please, don't keep me in suspense!

She looked into his eyes. Searching.

He blinked twice and swallowed. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. He swallowed again.

"So, Little Red Riding Hood," he said finally, quietly. "How do you use this magic pendant?"

God help me! God help me! Brandi thought. I'm going to say this and see what happens!

"My dear Captain Bligh," she said, again leaning close to him but now pressing his hand against her cleavage brazenly, hoping no one was taking notice. "The priestess was right. I use this magic pendant to masturbate, and lately I've thinking about you when I do it."

His stunned expression worried Brandi, causing her stomach to knot, desperately concerned that she'd blown it. If so, pressing ahead wouldn't matter. If she hadn't lost him at this point, however, then what she knew she would say next would draw him closer and faster to what she was lusting for.

"I press this magic pendant to my clitoris, close my eyes, and see you naked. Captain, you look so sexy and handsome, and I see a hot body and a pretty cock, and I see the most erotic thing possible when you turn around and show me your tight, firm butt."

Tyler was squirming. His gaze was fixed so tightly on Brandi's that she thought she must surely have hypnotized him.

So she continued.

"And if the priestess is a truth-teller, Captain Bligh — that you must succumb to my wishes when you hear about the special powers this magic pendant possesses — then you must do in real life what I have imagined when the pendant is pressed against my clit."

"Shit, Brandi! Shit!" Tyler whispered to her, running one hand through his hair and glancing nervously around as she continued clutching his hand around the inventive piece of jewelry. "Christ! What the hell are you saying? You have to know you're driving me absolutely crazy right now."

She smiled, releasing his hand. He let go of the little toy like it was scalding him.

"That's the power of the pendant Captain," she continued in her own whisper.

Much better to continue the role play, Brandi realized.

"But, damn, Brandi, uh, Little Red Riding Hood, or — hell, I don't even know what's going on right now other than you must be the sexiest woman I've ever met."

Perfect! thought Brandi.

"The priestess' words, Captain. They seem to be truthful. Are you under the spell of the pendant?"

Tyler exhaled and wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his pirate's costume.

"If I say yes, who am I saying yes to?" he asked under his breath as he squirmed in his seat, one hand unobtrusively dropping below the table.

Is he adjusting his cock? Brandi wondered. Is he getting an erection? I hope so!

"Is it Little Red Riding Hood or Brandi Morgan who's got me under the spell of that crazy piece of jewelry that you've just told me you, uh, you . . . you use to masturbate," he finally said, so softly that only reading his lips confirmed the last few words.

God, this is hot! Brandi thought as she searched his eyes.

Those beautiful eyes.

"Does it matter, Captain?" she asked, holding his gaze. "The priestess was surely right, wasn't she? Everything she said has come true. Isn't that right?"

Tyler could only nod, again squirming in his seat as the music continued pumping a crazy counterpoint to the tale of Captain Bligh and Little Red Riding Hood.

"Now that we both know the magic pendant holds you in its power, that it guarantees the thoughts to which I masturbate will come true, what's your reaction, Captain?"

He blinked. Swallowed. Coughed. Squirmed.

"Go ahead, Captain, my Captain. This is a magical evening, is it not? This the evening when fantasy and reality mix. Have you not seen some version of Little Red Riding Hood that sparked a most un-fairy-tale-like reaction?"

Brandi leaned closer. Drawing Tyler in deeper.

"You've thought about reaching under Little Red Riding Hood's skirt, haven't you?"

His guilty look told her all she needed to know, and it gave Brandi the green light to press on.

"If you did, you'd meet wetness there, in the crotch of her panties."

More sweat on Tyler's brow.

He was hypnotized.

She scooted her chair next to his and dropped one hand underneath the table to rest on his thigh.

"Captain, you're under the spell the priestess cast. You can't deny it. You want to do what I have done many times in my imagination as I use the powerful pendant. It's all right. You can't fight the power. Surrender to it and enjoy what is meant for your extreme pleasure as I take mine."

A look of desperation crossed Tyler's face as Brandi moved her hand closer to his crotch underneath the table.

Surely others could see what was going on.

She didn't care. It would be only another minute or two.

"Captain, I am desperate to see you naked, to see every inch of you. I've imagined it while using the pendant, knowing the powerful spell ensures every detail of my fantasy."

She placed her hand on his crotch, feeling for the stiffness, the length of his hardened cock. She closed her fingers around it through the material of his costume.

"You're bewitched, and it's okay, my Captain. Surrender to your pleasure. I guarantee only extreme pleasure. I speak from experience — the pleasure I receive while masturbating with the pendant and thinking of your naked body beneath me, your glorious ass and cock as my playthings, your moans of pleasure when we fuck — that pleasure takes my breath away, my Captain. Let me do the same for you."

His cock twitched in her grasp.

"Brandi, goddamn, Brandi!" he panted, worriedly looking around him then into her eyes. "Get us out of here. You, the priestess, Little Red Riding Hood — I don't care who it is — has made me crazy. If I don't leave right now, if you don't stop this crazy, sexy, insanely hot story right now, I'm going to come in this costume, and it's a rental!"

His comment made them both catch their breath, readjust to their surroundings. Look at each other in stunned silence.

Brandi moved her hand away.

They broke out laughing together.

"But I am not kidding," Tyler said.

"Captain, let's go," said Brandi, reaching for his hand and switching off the little vibrator with the other.

***

Will my fantasy come true? Brandi wondered as she drove them to her apartment, fending off Captain's playful, yet tortuously sexy comments.

Will he succumb to the power of the pendant when I reveal my fantasy?

They rushed inside quickly, and after Brandi tossed her keys onto the kitchen counter, Tyler spun her around, grabbing each arm in his powerful grasp, and drew her quickly to him, kissing her deeply.

Finally releasing her, he looked into her eyes and said, "I've been waiting all night to do that."

"And I've been waiting for it, Captain," she said sexily, indicating the game of the magic pendant would continue.

He grinned.

Then he bowed grandiosely, a clear message that he remained in his role.

"As Miss Hood wishes," Tyler said, straightening.

Thank you! Thank you! Brandi thought exultantly.

The next moment, though, sent the bottom of her stomach through the floor with worry. It was worry about what might happen, and it was worry about what might not happen.

"Then strip, Captain. As the priestess said, you are now under the spell of my fantasy."

Would he play along? Would he do it?

To help ensure a continuance of the game, Brandi fondled the pendant, bringing it to her lips to nuzzle, to slip inside her mouth an inch or so.

When he saw that, Tyler scrambled out of the costume, which was no easy task.

His body was glorious!

She rushed to embrace him, kissing him deeply, feeling him against her. Trailing her hands down his back, she brazenly gripped his asscheeks.

His breath caught. She held on tightly.

"Surrender, Captain. Surrender," Brandi whispered, kissing him deeply again.

He hugged her tightly.

Breaking the kiss, he said, "I will. You know I will." And he drew her mouth back to his, desperation and lust imprinted onto her lips as she felt him harden against her.

"Strip me, but leave the necklace on," she breathed into his ear.

Wordlessly, he bent to the task, slipping off her Mary Janes, pulling off her socks, twirling her around to search for the button and zipper at the back of her skirt. When her skirt dropped to the floor, he spun her around again, frantically unbuttoning her blouse and pulling it off her. Then he reached behind her to unfasten her bra.

He was good at it.

I love it! thought Brandi. She was the woman being undressed in a crazy sexual fantasy. Finally, her panties. They were, indeed, wet, and she liked that he noticed.

"Little Red Riding Hood is a naughty girl," he said, grinning as he rose from his knees, having dropped to that position to slide down her white cotton panties.

What other kind of panties would Little Red Riding Hood wear?

"Now it's time, Captain, to strip me of the final thing I'm wearing."

Brandi turned, lifted her hair to expose the back of her neck, and felt him press close to her, his hard cock trapping itself between the two of them, then poking her in the small of the back as he adjusted position to unfasten the chain of the necklace. It dropped into her hand.

She turned to see the erotic sight of a naked Tyler, his cock erect and pulsing. Grabbing it, she led him to her bedroom, to the chair in the corner, where she dropped into position, splaying her legs over the arms of the chair to be salaciously spread before him, her glistening pussy on display.

"Remember your surrender, my Captain," Brandi said urgently. "On your knees and feast on me as you do in my magic-pendant fantasies."

In a flash Tyler was in position, and Brandi exhaled in delirium at the touch of his mouth on her pussy. He sealed his lips around her sex and began a delicious, languid, absolutely expert bout of cunnilingus that she squirmed beneath until she came, grasping his head and pressing his face against her pussy and clit as the waves of orgasm shuddered through her.

Leaning forward after she had gathered enough wits from the first man-induced orgasm she had experienced in months, Brandi pulled Tyler's face to hers, tasting herself on his lips as she kissed him deeply.

"Surely the Captain gets a similar reward in your fantasies, Miss Hood," Tyler said upon breaking the kiss. "Surely my surrender has its own reward?"

Laughing, Brandi replied. "The power of the pendant is not to be denied," she responded. "You do, indeed, come in the fantasy to which you've surrendered, my Captain."

He grinned.

"Stand," she said.

Tyler rose from his position, still on his knees in front of the chair where had moments earlier leaned in between her legs and expertly brought her to orgasm with his mouth.

"I'm going to suck your cock."

He stepped toward her. His delicious cock was at the perfect height, and Brandi slipped it between her lips.

Though it had been months, the skills of a talented fellatrix do not vanish. Brandi adored taking a lover's cock into her mouth, and the months of denial ramped up her desire to administer a thoroughly glorious blowjob.

But not to the point of bringing him to orgasm. She teased, sensed the impending moment, backed off, began again, backed off at the last instant, tasted the copious amounts of pre-cum Tyler was producing, teased some more.

It was excruciating for Tyler.

"Please," he panted. "You're driving me crazy."

Those were magical words in Brandi's fantasy. She stopped, leaned back, her hand still fondling his balls as she watched his cock pulse in front of her.

"The magic pendant lies on the counter in the other room," she said, leaning back against the padding in the chair. "Fetch it, Captain, and you shall know the truth of the priestess' words."

While Tyler went into the other room to retrieve her little vibrator, Brandi hurriedly rose from her chair, rushed to the side table next to her bed, and drew out the bottle of lube, her harness, and her strapon. Carrying them back to the chair, she dropped them on the carpet and settled back into place just as Tyler appeared in the door of her bedroom.

As he walked toward her, his progress slowed as her toys caught his attention.

He looked at the strapon then looked at Brandi. His cock deflated a bit.

"The magic pendant," Brandi said, holding out her hand.

"I, um, well I've read about that," he said, casting his glance toward the fake cock, "and I've seen it in some videos, but-"

"As it should be, Captain," she interrupted, again motioning for the vibrator. "Did not the priestess say there is great power in the pendant, that the fantasies of the woman using it would be brought to life?"

She dropped a hand to one breast, and pinched her hardened nipple, knowing the effect on Tyler as he saw her do it would be powerful.

"Would not the power of the pendant ensure the man of my fantasies has been curious, maybe even fascinated, by what I imagine as I press it against my clit while I masturbate?"

Tyler moved a step closer.

"But, I . . . um, I haven't done this-"

"But Captain, you have watched videos, no?"

Tyler just looked at her.

"You have. I see it in your eyes."

It was apparent in every expression of body language Tyler was broadcasting.

"Perhaps, Captain, if you would but bring me the pendant, my use of it will inspire you." She beckoned again for the vibrator, holding out her hand.

Haltingly, Tyler stepped close enough to hand it to her, and Brandi leaned back into the chair, hooked one leg over an arm of the comfortable seating where she often masturbated, turned on the vibrator and immediately pressed it lightly against the side of her clit.

Still sensitive from the orgasm Tyler had given her, Brandi had to gingerly position things to be tolerable, but the sheer eroticism of the situation meant she was quickly into full-blown masturbation mode.

Only this time, a naked man was in front of her, watching as she did it.

"Surrender, my Captain. Surrender as you watch the magic pendant in action. Feel its power."

I'll not be able to keep this role play up, Brandi thought worriedly. That thought vanished, though, as she saw Tyler reach his hand to his now hardening cock and begin stroking it as he watched her masturbating.

"You are so sexy," he whispered, now stroking his cock in front of her. "Damn! I can't believe how sexy you are," he said more loudly as he continued stroking his cock.

"And you're the sexiest Captain, the sexiest man ever to masturbate for me," she answered, grinning at him as she pressed the vibrating pendant against the side of her clit, causing an immediate gasp from between her lips as she threw her head back, her chest heaving with the effort of restraining the orgasm that was now building again.

I want to fuck you through my next orgasm, thought Brandi, working to both cause an orgasm and hold back from it at the same time God, I want to fuck you, Tyler!

He stepped to stand in front of her, dripping pre-cum and straining to control himself. He leaned down to kiss her as she continued pressing the vibrator against her clit.

That did it, and Brandi broke the kiss to squeal through an orgasm, finally clamping one hand over her mouth to muffle her cries.

"Whatever you want, Brandi," Tyler said earnestly, looking into her eyes as she came down from her orgasm. "Whether it's this crazy 'magic pendant' thing or whatever it is, I'm ready to do it. I'm about to explode! Can't you tell!"

Brandi brought her mouth to that glorious cock and sucked the pre-cum from it, immediately releasing him so as not to risk his orgasm.

"Hand me the lube," she said, her aching nipples rock-hard in anticipation.

He did it.

God bless him, he did it!

"Go lean over the mattress, Captain."

The result brought Brandi dangerously close to another orgasm: a gorgeous man — Tyler — bent over her bed, his beautiful, naked ass on display.

She approached, reached under him to close her fist around his cock, and said, "You've seen videos. That must mean you've watched them, maybe masturbating while you do it?" She began stroking him. Lightly.

He groaned. Standing behind him, Brandi adjusted her position, drawing his cock backward slightly between his legs, giving her better maneuvering room, allowing her to see what she was doing to Tyler and to enjoy the view.

So erotic. So very, very arousing.

He had such a sexy ass!

She tossed the bottle of lube on the bed in front of him as she continued teasing him.

This is it! This is my fantasy!

"Open the lube, Tyler."

Enough with the role playing — this is for real!

"Squirt some on my fingers," she said, leaning forward to hold her hand out to him as she continued her light strokes along the length of his penis.

He did it.

The large dollop of lube glistened in the light as she moved her hand to his ass, pressing her fingers into the crevice between his firm glutes, finding his asshole, and smearing lube across it, up and down it, all over it as she reveled in the feel of his surrender.

His cock still in her hand, teasing him but not risking an ejaculation, Brandi breathed quietly, not wanting to break the spell: This gorgeous, fit, sexy man naked for her, eager to be taken by her, surrendered to her manipulation of his cock, his balls, his upturned and lubricated ass.

It was excruciatingly arousing. Her nipples were distended, hard, aching for attention, but the sight before her demanded her full attention, and Brandi did not want — ever! — to have this moment end. She drew it out, memorizing every detail of his body in this position, searing the image into her mind.

She would come back to the mental image frequently, she knew. And she would masturbate to this memory repeatedly, Brandi knew.

The sound of him, the feel of him, the sight of him — this would be a full sensory memory.

There! That sexy moan as she stroked and teased his asshole!

God, Tyler, you sexy man! Make that noise for me again.

She petted his asshole, tapping lightly for a moment then flattening two fingers against his crinkled opening to slide them up and down and back and forth . . . slowly . . . familiarizing herself by touch with every millimeter of his private entrance.

Brandi shivered with anticipation, her breasts jiggling with the motion, nipples taut with excitement.

"More lube," she said, extending her hand again.

"Thank you," he whispered as he again squirted lube on her fingers.

Back to his beautiful ass, she smeared another coating of lube over him and this time into him.

He groaned.

"It's okay, Tyler. You've wanted this, wondered what it would feel like, and I'm going to show you," she whispered, now releasing his cock, knowing he was desperately close to coming.

But she continued toying with his asshole, pressing one finger in deeper.

Tyler dropped his face to the mattress and groaned as Brandi slid every inch of her finger inside him.

"Damn!" he panted.

She held her finger motionless as she talked to him.

"I masturbate and think about doing this. It's incredibly exciting, and I've come lots of time just thinking about it, Tyler. Doing it to you, though — nothing I could ever imagine can come close to actually feeling my finger slide into your sexy ass. I love finger fucking you."

And she began a slight movement out followed by a movement back in. He arched his butt up a bit, encouraging the action.

Could my fantasy ever have come true any better?Brandi marveled as she leaned back slightly to enjoy the view better. A sexy, handsome, desperate and naked man on my bed, surrendering himself to a finger fucking!

Tyler's groans were becoming more urgent.

"That's it, baby. Total surrender. The power of the pendant, remember? In my fantasies when I use the vibrator I slip a second finger in-"

Tyler's breath caught in his throat. He ceased his squirming.

"It's okay, it's okay," she soothed as she positioned a second finger at his slippery opening. "Two fingers ensure that you're ready, that you're open, that you want to take my strapon cock as a way to produce an orgasm that will be ten times better than any you've ever had."

Brandi made cooing sounds, speaking quiet reassurances as her second finger lined up with his opening and her fingertip made its first tentative probe.

"Oh, oh, oh," he breathed, little intakes of air communicating his worry, his eagerness, his desperation, his fear.

She entered to the first knuckle of her second finger. His asshole clenched.

"Surrender," she whispered. "Sweet surrender, my sexy man. Let me in. Let me inside."

She pushed a little and was rewarded when his anus relaxed a little.

"Oh, that's it, you pretty, sexy lover. That's how to take it. Open for me."

Brandi was driving herself crazy. She hoped she'd be able to last through her entire fantasy. The masturbatory sessions while imaging this had always created powerful, draining orgasms.

Actually doing this was almost unbearingly erotic.

Tyler's guttural moan as her second finger joined the first, completely buried inside him, was so sexy that Brandi squeezed her thighs together to prevent an orgasm.

God, what a sexy moan!

Now, with two fingers inside him, Brand knew she would take him with her strapon. She settled into a rhythm and concentrated on making this the most erotic experience of Tyler's life.

"You're so tight and warm and sexy, Tyler. I love feeling inside of you," she cooed. "Has anyone ever done this to you before?"

She knew the answer.

"Shit, no, Brandi! You're the first!" he said, gritting out the words as he squirmed beneath her ministrations.

"But you have experimented, maybe just a little, haven't you?" she asked, slowly working her fingers to their deepest penetration then backing them out almost to a complete exit before sliding them back in with strokes that communicated the message, "I'm fucking you in the ass, and I love doing it to you."

She found his prostate and began the motion against it that she hadn't been bale to make inside a man for months.

"Brandi, Brandi!" Tyler panted. "I don't know what you're doing to me, and I don't know what I'm supposed to say, but you're driving me crazy."

She smiled and leaned down to kiss him on one of his beautiful cheeks. "You're not supposed to say anything in particular." His flesh was warm, but the cool touch of her lips raised goose pimples on his sexy ass.

"You're only supposed to do and say what feels good, Tyler. Let me make me you feel good. Surrender however you want."

I'm going to come. I'm going to come, thought Brandi as she continued finger-fucking him.

"Then, yes, dammit," Tyler moaned. "Yes, I've used a butt plug to see how it might feel."

His statement did cause a mini-orgasm, and Brandi trembled, tamping down a full-blown orgasm.

She wanted to save that for the strapon fucking she now knew was going to happen.

"And it felt good, didn't it?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," he replied, even more quietly.

"Then you know how to open for me, don't you?"

She stopped moving her fingers, waiting.

It was tentative at first, almost unnoticeable. But then it happened. His tight hole relaxed its grip.

Tyler moaned into the mattress and finally, totally surrendered.

She leaned into his back as she slowly withdrew her fingers. Moving her mouth close to his ear, she whispered, "You've masturbated thinking about having a woman fuck you in the ass with her strapon, Tyler. Everything that's happened tonight tells me that's the truth."

"Please, don't think I'm a-"

She smacked him smartly on the ass, causing him to yelp in surprise.

"The only thing I'm thinking right now is that you're the sexiest man I've ever known and that I can't wait to make you come."

He rolled over and grabbed her, kissing her passionately.

"But I know you're a virgin, too — isn't that right?" Brandi asked after enjoying the intensity of his kiss, enjoying the message it sent.

Surprised, he said, "No. I've been with women. Surely you don't think-"

Again she shushed him.

"No. You know the kind of virgin I'm talking about."

He looked at her, blinking twice. He answered.

"Yes."

"Then I'll be gentle, but I am going to make both of us come. Sit up and watch me strap in."

This was completely new territory for Brandi. What she was doing was only hinted at in her most intense fantasies.

To be in control like this. To be the one to take a man's anal virginity in an insanely erotic scenario such as was playing itself out in her bedroom tonight — this was new in every way and real in every way.

Maybe the crazy jewelry-toy did have magical powers!

"Don't touch your cock while you watch, though," she cautioned him. "I don't want you spurting until I've buried my cock in your ass."

"Jesus," he whispered, adjusting himself on her bed.

Brandi intentionally drew things out. One reason was to make the scene as erotic as possible for Tyler, but another reason was because she was on a hair trigger for her own orgasm. Doing this with a man was erotic and sexy and hot and naughty and crazy and just the most mind-blowing experience imaginable.

What woman wouldn't be dangerously close to orgasm?

Tyler was entranced. When Brandi slid the bulb end of her double-ender into her pussy, he groaned, grabbed his cock instinctively, then drew his hand away immediately, trying to settle down as his steel-hard shaft twitched repeatedly, with two large dollops of pre-cum oozing out the tip of his shaft.

Brandi played it for effect. "Oooh, that feels so good," she said breathily, seating the back end of the dildo inside her pussy and adjusting it to the perfect position. Then she stepped into the harness, drawing it up and fastening everything into place after slipping the shaft of the dildo through the hole in the crotch of the harness.

"Is this something you've imagined, Tyler?" she asked, posing for him.

He could only nod.

Then she pressed him further: "Do you masturbate when you imagine it?"

His voice was scratchy, but he managed to answer, "Yes."

"Come coat my cock with lube."

His cock bobbed in front of him as he stood up, and Brandi again marveled at her good fortune, at the intensely erotic aspect of everything that was happening. Tyler had one gorgeous, sexy body to go along with his beautiful, erect cock.

Thank god I went ahead and said those things at the party tonight!

It all could have turned out so differently. Another man might have thought her a tramp or worse and tried to force himself on her, misinterpreting her overture. Other men may have backed out at a hundred different points along the way before reaching the stage where things were at this moment:

This gorgeous, hunky man who was intelligent and sexy, was playing with her — the both of them naked after she finger-fucked him in the ass — and was now drizzling lube onto the shaft of her strapon cock in preparation for taking her cock up his ass as a way to bring both of them to mind-blowing orgasms.

Tyler did a very, very good job with the lube.

He was obviously nervous about his deflowering and working hard to keep copious amounts of lube on her strapon cock.

"I'm sure that's enough, Tyler," Brandi said reassuringly. "Remember, I've been coating your asshole for several minutes as I finger-fucked you."

Sheepishly, he stopped slathering lube on her cock, closed the lid of the bottle, and dropped it to the carpet.

"On your back, scoot to the edge of the mattress, and lift your legs up," Brandi said simply.

Instead, he grabbed her again, kissing her deeply. "Nobody else could have made this happen like this," he said, looking in her eyes after breaking the kiss.

Her heart melted.

I want you! I want you in my life! I want you cuddling me, taking care of me, kissing me, protecting me!Brandi thought, surprised at the intensity of that desire.

But right now the burning, insatiable desire to fuck him would not unlock its grip on her desire.

"Mmmm," she responded, holding in check the surprising thoughts that had just slammed into that ancient part of her brain with an intensity that demanded she mate with him emotionally as well as physically. "I love that you love it." He kissed her again quickly then moved to the bed. Silently, he got into position.

She approached him, gripping each thigh in one hand and draping his ankles over her shoulders. Looking down, she positioned the tip of her strapon at the entrance of his shiny hole, then looked back into his eyes.

"I love that I'm your first," she said, pressing into Tyler's slippery opening. "I love watching your face as I push in," Brandi continued, leaning into him as the head of her cock slipped inside him. "I love that I'm the one taking your virgin ass, Tyler. Let me inside. Surrender to me."

He groaned. His hands grasped the cover on either side, finding purchase and holding on as Brandi continued opening him up.

"I love knowing that no other woman has done this to you," she whispered, feeling his resistance slipping away as she continued pressing into him.

Tyler had released his grip with one hand, moved it to his cock, and began stroking.

"That's it, baby," Brandi cooed. "Masturbate for me as I fuck you."

That just about did it for them both. Brandi pressed all the way forward, burying the entire six inches of her strapon inside him, and Tyler's high-pitched groan of surprise turned her on incredibly.

She began stroking into him, and he began stroking his cock. The rhythm was awkward at first, but all it took was a reminder from Brandi — "Go with me, baby. Long, slow strokes, just like I'm fucking you" — for Tyler to coordinate into a thoroughly satisfying interaction for them both.

"I'm going to come."

Brandi said it first. She was fucking this gorgeous man in the ass and feeling the bulb end of her dildo nudge against her G-spot in the process.

She increased her tempo, and Tyler groaned.

"I'm going to come," he gritted out as his hand increased its tempo stroking his cock.

Brandi leaned over him, continuing to fuck him and squirm against him.

"Then do it," she panted. "Come for me when I come. Come for me while I'm fucking you, Tyler!"

It wasn't a simultaneous orgasm.

It was better.

Brandi watched Tyler squirm through an orgasm, groaning in ecstasy as he shot long streams of come up onto his chest and belly.

And that did it for her. Her pussy clamped around the back end of the dildo, and she slammed the shaft deep inside him in order to grind her hips against him and trigger a massive orgasm.

She fell forward onto his chest, the dildo sliding from his bottom in the process. He dropped his legs, hanging them over the side of the mattress and gripping her in a powerful hug in the process.

They lay exhausted, both panting from their exertions.

When their breathing had returned to normal and they were lying in each other's arms, having shifted position to make a place for Brandi to snuggle while still strapped in, Tyler moved his head back to focus on Brandi's eyes. He had an enigmatic smile as he considered her.

"What?" she asked, her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat.

"Next time," he whispered, "the power of the pendant will be mine."