#she bailed last minute in a callous way

[justtogetthrough]

I wish I felt better after the meeting I had tonight but I don’t. I was relying on it to reignite my motivation but I feel as shitty as ever.

I wish I’d been able to hire a PSW a few months ago as planned because I need the help so bad right now. But I can’t add a single extra stressful thing to my plate right now so it unfortunately needs to wait, ironically, til things are calmer and I’m functioning slightly better again. Which sucks. And defeats the purpose. I needed one most this winter.

[kessielrg]

[DA+KH] Let Down Your Guard for Me (Just This Once)

Summary: An unofficial part of @chibi-mushroom‘s Dragon Age AU for the Kingdom Hearts series, in which Ventus invites Sabrina somewhere special for one-on-one sparring practice. Inspired by something that happened in chapter 36 of Dragon Age: Wayfinder.

Rating: K+ (because DesireDemon!Vanitas is a very angry critic)

Word count: 3,862 words

If you liked this story, please reblog!

---

The conspicuous sounds of Ventus grunting is what initially caught Sabrina’s attention. How she was able to hear it when he ended up being on the other end of Redcliffe Castle was beyond her. She was quite disappointed to find that he was in the training room. Training sword in hand, he was giving some potshots at a straw filled dummy. The bard, curious to see how long it would take for him to notice her, simply laid against the entryway in amusement.

He didn't take as long to notice her as she first assumed, however. His reaction at her being there was just as great in the meantime. Ven had caught her out of the corner of his eye. At first, he just as easily dismissed the intruder, since they were just staying at the door. It was when he noticed the light purple cotton blouse that he ceased his movements. He had turned completely around before finding himself shocked at Sabrina's presence.

“Sabri-” Ven exclaimed, his voice reaching a pitch so high that his voice cracked. He quickly covered it with a cough before trying again. “Sabrina. What are you doing here?”

“In the castle or in the room?” she replied with a wicked grin. “Because that first one shouldn't be a surprise. I sleep with you.”

The young man let out a nervous chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck. Beads of sweat reminded him of just how hard he had made himself work. Did he look like he had given himself an intense workout? Oh Maker, how much did he stink? Would Sabrina even notice? She didn't seem to act like it was noticeable at the moment. Instead, the bard casually strode into the room and almost to his side. His face started to heat up the closer she was. Whether it was from embarrassment or being flustered was a little beyond him at the moment.

“Let me see your sword.” she requested, holding her hand out to him. Admittedly, Ven had to do a double take. His confusion immediately made her groan in disgust. She amended her previous statement with an annoyed, “The sword in your hand, you moron. The training sword.”

“Oh!” Ven realized -just as easily feeling dumb for his initial thought- before giving the sword to her.

Sabrina gave one last judgmental raise of her eyebrow being looking over the training sword more carefully. She held the wooden sword with both hands, occasionally taking a few test swings out of amusement. Ven simply watched as she let out a small hum of interest. In a thoughtful tone, she mused, “You've always held your swords in reverse.”

Confused, Ven asked, “What makes you say that?”

Sabrina moved closer to him again, holding the sword up so they could better examine its craftsmanship.

“Your practice sword has a special guard.” she informed him. She even bothered to run a finger along said guard to help him see it. “It's better designed to block incoming blows.”

After saying this, she picked up Ven's hand so he could take the sword back. Although the sword was back into Ven's possession, the two did not step away from each other. The air had become a bit heavier as they lingered there. Ven, for one, wanted to say something but didn't know what. Why was carrying on a conversation so hard? He never had this problem when he and Terra would seek trouble together. All they had to do was mention sparring each other, and they'd grab the training swords to head out to...

“I want to take you somewhere.” the young man blurted.

Sabrina looked at him. Her fingers instinctively going for her rabbit shaped mask- even present when she wasn't wearing it on her face, it clipped to a string that she tied around her waist. Ven immediately stopped her by placing his hand on hers. The bard flinched slightly at the unexpected touch, but didn't move him. Instead, she looked up at him with a certain darkness in her eyes.

Ven unintentionally gulped before quickly telling her, “You won't need your mask where we're going. Promise.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, but in seeing his honesty, she relented.

“Fine.” she agreed. “But at least let me put it in my room.”

Ven quickly gave her an eager nod. “Meet me at the back gates.”

“The back gates?” she repeated. “I… Whatever. Fine. I’ll meet you at the back gates in 10 minutes.”

“You won't regret it, I promise!” Ven eagerly told her, almost taking her hand. He was impressed by his own refrain, actually.

Sabrina still looked him over- as if she still needed some reason to bail out of the situation. They both knew she couldn't find a good excuse for this, though. When she finally turned to go put her mask away, Ven's heart was already pounding in his chest. Even if they were just going to get sweaty all over again, ten minutes was enough time to take a quick bath. Right?

. . .

It was always suspicious when Vanitas was silent for long periods of time. Even more so when Ventus's heart fluttered at the thought of Sabrina's presence. Today the desire demon was quiet- not that Ven was going to ruin that quiet. He needed all of his thoughts to belong to himself. Taking Sabrina to this spot was as important as remembering which spoon to use during a formal dinner. Maybe the demon knew this was important, so he was minding his own business for once? Didn't seem right, but Ven wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Where are we even going?” Sabrina asked. She had arrived at exactly the ten minute mark. Of course she would.

“Do you trust me?” Ven just as easily questioned, offering his hand out to her. He was answered with a skeptic raise of her eyebrow.

“For now.” she replied as she took his hand. The young man held her hand tight as he started to lead them away from the castle.

Ven held a brisk pace as he lead them around the town and to a wooded area. The sounds of the town disappeared the further they went, and eventually the sounds of gentle waves hitting the shore became more prominent. Ven let go of Sabrina's hand when the woods finally dispersed to a small beach facing Lake Calenhad. A small chill coming off the lake sent goosebumps up Ven's skin. He turned back to Sabrina to take careful notice of her expression. She didn't look very impressed- her eyes drifting to the sand, taking note that it was clear of driftwood.

“Terra and I used to come here when we were younger.” Ventus then explained. He moved closer to where the sand met the lake water just to subtly guide Sabrina out of the woods some more. “He found it one day after getting mad at Dad. After awhile, it became a place where we would spar each other for fun. I was… I was wondering if we could spar too...”

“Did you bring another practice sword, then?”

It was the bluntness of her question that caught Ven off guard. “H-huh?” he fumbled, looking back at her with an almost fearful expression.

“Figures.” she grumbled with a roll of her eyes. Placing a hand on her hip, Sabrina looked over the area before tilting her head at something. Ven wasn't quite paying attention. He was absently rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Really didn't think that through, huh?” he mused to himself. “We should head back.”

“No,” Sabrina then all but snapped at him. “Just give me a minute.”

At this, Ven looked up. Sabrina had already ventured by the trees bordering the area, apparently looking for something. The mage gave her a curious look as she went over some fallen limbs and branches.

“Here,” she noted before bending down to pick up a branch almost as long as her body and half the width of her arm. “This will do for now.”

“You mean you do want to spar with me?”

“We're already out here, aren't we?” came the callous reply. “Might as well make it productive.”

Ven watched as she knocked some excess dirt off, and even stripped the bark in certain places. For a moment, he wondered if he had ever seen her wield different weapons before. Let alone something like a sword, or fighting staff as she was going to treat this branch.

“I thought you used knives?” he wondered.

Sabrina just let out a little hum as she tested the staff in her hands. “A bard is trained in many things.” she claimed. “Like various weapons, seduction, potions, and-”

Sabrina got cut off when Ven attempted to attack her with his wooden sword. Her reaction time was just skilled enough that she blocked it with the staff. Just barely.

“And how not to gloat when the enemy is also armed?” Ven teased, pressing up against her a bit more just to playfully grin at her.

Sabrina's momentary look of bewilderment became a boastful smirk. “Something like that.” she agreed as she pushed him off. Ven let out a small laugh as he moved away from her a bit. They needed a better area for their practice-  the main beach would have the space.

They were both incredibly confident as they got ready. Ven casually spun his sword with a single hand, his heart almost pounding in his ears as the grin on his face got wider. His cheeks were going to hurt later, and he didn't care one ounce. Sabrina stood tall as she adjusted herself for the fight. (And yes, he did notice that her foot was pointed when she brought one leg around to adjust her stance- assuming that little movement wasn't just to distract him.) She held her makeshift staff with enough certainty, you almost would have assumed that it was her weapon of choice. Sabrina was not a mage, though, and she certainly didn't plan on using it to channel magic.

“Whose count do we start on?” Ven asked. He couldn't even hide the excitement in his voice at the question. Something Sabrina countered with a firm smirk of her own.

“Mine.” she decided before lunging at him. Ven suspected as much, and was easily able to get out of the way. A laugh erupted from his lips as they continued to fight. Nothing else mattered at the moment- just him, her, and the sound of their wooden weapons knocking against each other.

. . .

Aqua needed an excuse to leave the castle for a moment. She had no sense of envy for the arl and arlessa- politics had never been the Hero of Ferelden's strong point. At least she was able to leave if the hustle and bustle served to be too much. Or, even use the distraction of finding Ven, who was no longer in the training room and apparently not even in the castle anymore either. He had a meeting to go to soon, and his random disappearance would probably be a cause for concern.

She wasn't going to lie about it, but Aqua had been worried at first. It wasn't until she realized that someone else hadn't been seen in the castle for awhile that she gained a certain hunch. A small trip to the training room helped support the theory. Now it was only a matter of where they went. It came to Aqua with a sudden realization- one that she was just as easily embarrassed about. Thinking on it more, it seemed only natural that he would take her there. After all, Terra had done the same with Aqua not too long ago.

“Have you seen Ven?” Aqua heard Terra ask her just as she was about to leave the castle. The Hero of Ferelden stopped just to look at her boyfriend.

“I was just about to go get him.” she affirmed. “Would you like to join me? I'm not quite familiar with the path yet.”

Terra raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask where she thought Ven was. Considering she made it seem like he would know where they were going anyway, he instead gave her a solemn nod of his head. Aqua beamed in satisfaction and gestured for them to walk together.

The woods had become more dense since the Fifth Blight. The canopy of the trees almost blocking out the sunlight as they moved away from the village. Sticks and small branches that had fallen out of the trees had also covered the ground- not quite big enough to be kindling, but too small to be used for much else than potential bird's nest supplies. It didn't take long for the duo to hear the sounds of some fight up ahead. From the sound of it, it seemed like wooden weapon against wooden weapon as the two duelists made snappy remarks at the other. Terra and Aqua recognized both voices at the same time.

“Not a bad parry.”

“I can do better. Watch this!”

“Oh, so close. So very, very close- yet so very far, far away.”

“Hmph. Maybe we should call a draw. You're not even trying.”

“Giving up already? It's not my fault you're easy to read, sweetie.”

Hearing them made Terra walk faster. He stopped when he and Aqua were close enough to see the other duo, but far enough away that they could still hide behind several trees. Aqua put a hand on him to guide him over a bit. She already knew he wasn't going to like this, so at the very least she could try to keep him out of sight for a bit longer.

“What is he doing here with her?” Terra questioned. His expression was darkening as his gaze locked onto Ventus and Sabrina. Most of it was targeted at the latter.

“For the same reason you brought me here, I'd guess.” Aqua calmly replied, even putting her hands behind her back. “He's getting her to open up. We can't interrupt them now, or they may never have this opportunity again.”

Terra looked at Aqua like she had gained another head.

“This is ridiculous.” he asserted. “Ven has other things he needs to-”

Terra was cut off when Aqua grabbed him by the collar, forcing the two of them to stand fairly close to each other. A mocking grin was etched on her lips as she told him, “Nobody interrupted us.”

Terra's face immediately lit up in a deep scarlet. He took several steps away from Aqua while refusing to look at her.

“I'll find Tidus and tell him that Ven is busy.” he grumbled under his breath. Aqua only smiled.

“Yes you will.” she agreed. Terra gave her a stiff nod before leaving. She laughed at him before turning her attention back to Ventus and Sabrina.

It was apparent that Ven was not used to fighting with a sword after so long. Sure, you could tell that he had fought with one in the past, but it was not at a level able to defend him in an actual battle. However, as Aqua observed with a tilt of her head, Sabrina was not showing the best of confidences with her two handed staff either. Of course, she had always been a more offense fighter than defense. There were small moments where Sabrina tried to be direct, only for her to leave an opening for Ven to exploit. It was equal to the times when Ven tried to prepare a spell, but remembered that he wouldn't use them- a small moment of hesitation that lead to a great advantage.

But it was their smiles that had Aqua's full attention. She couldn't see them well from here, however she could almost hear it in their voices as they bantered back and forth. Hearing Ven enjoy himself wasn't much different than usual. Hearing Sabrina with genuine amusement in her voice had been the more shocking discovery. It was in thinking that Ven was lucky enough to see this side of Sabrina, Aqua decided to quietly make her leave. She did make note of the sun's position, wondering how long it would take for the two to come back to the castle. The smile on her face wouldn't leave, no matter how hard she tried. It was great seeing the odd couple be so happy.

. . .

They never knew that they had gained onlookers for a few minutes. Even after Terra and Aqua left, Sabrina and Ven kept going at each other. Their faces were flushed from exertion, and their breaths came out heavy and shallow. But they kept going. Neither one wanting to give up the high they had in this form of intimacy. They weren't even keeping track of what they were saying to each other either. Words spilled out of their mouths that could have been flirting, or insults, or appreciation, and they would have forgotten their meanings almost instantly.

Their draw came without warning. It only took one last block that made the two pause. Ven's focus had immediately gone to Sabrina's eyes. Almost half lidded from her own exhaustion, they were trained to where his sword met her staff. If she was looking at anything else (anything lower), then the future arl had no way of knowing. He took a very careful step forward, bringing them almost chest to chest, and leading Sabrina to look up at him.

He almost kissed her, right then and there. As if he truly needed a reminder of how much he loved her.

“We work well together.” he managed to husk out. Sabrina simply looked at him. A certain sense of vulnerability and mutual attraction coming through that he'd only seen on her in the dark. It was even more beautiful in the day. Amazing, even.

“We do.” she agreed, not quite aware of her saying it.

But after this declaration, the tone started to become more somber. The weight of what they really meant coming down on them like a heavy fog. The gaze they soon gave each other measured an equal heartbreak. Ven moved forward just a bit more, closing the distance between their lips. Sabrina reacted by tilted her head up a bit, but didn't move much further than what they were.

“Please stay with us.” Ven then whispered.

“I… I don't know if I can.” she said. Her voice even more timid than his. “I only stayed as long as I did the first time because...” She trailed off, looking away from him as she took a few steps back. The corners of her mouth turned into a distressed frown. Ven only watched her- too afraid that any wrong movement would make her turn away. Her conflict on the situation was obvious. She couldn't easily find a way out of the situation- she felt trapped.

“This was a mistake.” Sabrina decided with a shake of her head. She immediately dropped the staff, turning away to leave. Ven was caught shaking his own head as well.

“N-no, wait!” he called out, not expecting it to work.

To his surprise, it did. Not knowing how much longer he had before she left for good, Ventus quickly tried to give her a speech from the heart.

“Sabrina, I love you. I love you so much that I don't even know how to express it. I don't know… I don't know how to say it so you know it too. So that you're sure that I'm telling the truth. And you know I can't just go reverse psychology on you because you'd still take it at face value. What do I need to do, Sabrina? What do I need to do to make sure you know that I love you?”

That was when Sabrina turned her body back toward him. She still refused to look him in the eye. She wanted to say something, but all words seemed to fail her. Instead, she just looked up at him with an expression so vulnerable that no other person would be able to see later. That was when he understood. Maybe not everything, but enough.

Ven used his hand to cup the side of her face, his thumb gently outlining her cheek. Sabrina cautiously leaned in to the embrace, placing one of her hands at his wrist. She didn't attempt to remove his hand- she didn't want to.

“I love you,” Ven once more said, almost afraid to say it, as he pulled them in for a small kiss.

The kiss had been bittersweet. At the same time, it bore a lot more affection than when they were actually heated. Pulling away had been the hardest thing to do.

“I'd rather you become an arl than Grey Warden.” Sabrina softly admitted. “But if you take on a political spouse, they have to fit my criteria before you ever dream of putting a ring on their finger. Got it?”

“I wouldn't have it any other way.” Ven smiled. Sabrina only offered a stiff nod. Her usual attitude was slowly returning- he could tell by the way she held herself. Her chest was lifting, her back a bit straighter, and any vulnerability was taken away to a hard callousness.

“I plan on staying in Ferelden until I receive word from Orlais. But I don't want to stay sitting at the castle. I need something to do.”

“You were still looking for things of your mother's, right?” Ven offered. A hand reaching behind his neck to absently rub it. “Maybe I can scout around for you. If there's a lead, we could go together to find it?”

In one last show of true emotion, Sabrina's eyes widened before her signature scowl came into play.

“I wouldn't mind that.” she agreed. The corner of her mouth twitched before adding, “Thank you.”

Ven offered her a small smile. She took it as a sign to leave. Her head was once more cast down as she went back through the trees.

'3 stars.'

Hearing the demon's voice in his head after so long nearly gave Ven a jolt.

'What?' the young man mentally replied, starting the trek back to the castle as well.

'I give this episode 3 stars. Good tension, but not a lot of build up between points. What even was that resolution? Did the writers not know how to end the story?'

'You do know that I have no idea what you're talking about, don’t you?'

'You're not the one that needs to.' Vanitas huffed. 'Could you guys do that thing were you take a bath and end up in bed after? I like that. I need it after this mess. You two really need to learn to start fucking it out when the tension's high, not bait switching it with pity. Sure, it gives Wabi-Sabi some development, but it train wrecks the whole mood. How hard is it just to get your shit together?'

Ventus couldn't help but roll his eyes. Nice to know that someone had faith in their relationship.

[neonbluewaves]

The next gen babies, because I needed to have some guidelines on their personalities, even tho I’m still kinda figuring them out (And because Neon wasn’t going to be the only one in the family with kids)

Lorena and Thibault are Laura and Bastien’s kids. After they got married Bastien took Laura’s surname because his didn’t really feel like his. Being an orphan, he was given the last name “Juin” because he was left at the orhpanage’s door as a baby on the month June. Landon felt better to him, felt like his name.

(more below cut because it’s gonna be long, so long)

Rocio (Ro):

·She’s very cool and composed, and will barely express anything through her face. Honestly, she’ll raise an eyebrow and that’s as far as it’ll go. Many people will even descrive her as a robot. She’s not the best at sharing her emotions, barely even tries too. But she’s actually lovely, and so much fun, her friends absolutely adore to hang with her because she brightens their day.

·She’s extremelly competitive, she’s cold, cut-throat and hardcore, which goes very well with her being a seeker for the quidditch team.

·Her brother is the only one at Hogwarts that can interpret her. Which he finds hilarious.

·She’s like the “mystery girl” , doesn’t talk with many people, doesn’t have many friends because she basically ignores anyone around her unless they actively try to interact with her, and even then it takes a lot to get her to even be friendly, let alone be actually a friend. but she’s a very talented witch and quidditch player, not to mention her fashion sense is always on point

·She takes a lot from her mom Neon, she’s bold and quite the jerk. Can even be pretty cruel, and she knows it. She won’t even apologize. But she’s not a bad person, and will actually help others if there’s need.

·She and her cousins Lorena and Thibault are very protective of Tiago, even if he’s just two/three years younger.

Santiago (Tiago):

·He’s charismatic and nice, and a lot of fun to be around, but he’s also pretty shy and reserved, with a slight innocence to him. People often wonder how can he be related to Ro, but if you ask him who’s the funniest, he’ll say Ro without skipping a beat. She is absolutely fun to be around, specially with their cousins. They’re just not as open to others as Tiago is

·He’s very sensible about others. He’s caring and supportive, and will stand up for everything he believes is right.  But he’s just open to listening and comforting friends, other people he just doesn’t want to be mixed with. He knows they’ll take advantage of him, it happened before.

·Just like his mom, he’s a huge prankster, and a sneaky one, barely gets caught, in part because he’s very good at planning, in part because his sister will bail him out with her ‘prefect’ powers.

·Whenever he can, he’ll sneak flowers from the greenhouse and put them on Ro’s hair as an ornament. She won’t take it out for the rest of the day. He also does this to Lorena and Thibault, much to Lorena’s displeasure.

·He’s definetly very creative, it doesn’t stop at pranking and getting away with it. Witty and sharp, he’s curious about many things, but astronomy is one of his favourites. 

Lorena (Lore):

·The older twin by fourteen minutes. She’s rash, with a bad attitude and a rebelious even violent demeanour. She’s what you’d call callous. Except deep down she really cares, and she can be very kind. She has a soft spot for underdogs and misunderstood kids, since she’s been one too.

·Her fangs and her brother’s are longer than usual. No, they’re not vampires. And she’ll get pissed if people ask her. She’s been compared to many beings and even some beasts. She’s very explosive, so be careful. Even so, she’ll proudly smile and smirk, since they give her a kind of dangerous vibe.

·She truly believes she doesn’t belong in Hufflepuff, and thinks it’s a house full of hypocrites, there’s no way people are that nice and warm and so “little house of the prairie”. But she’s kind, hard-working, loyal to the bone and has a lot of patience that shines when helping others

·She’s more like Ro both in humor sense and in boldness. Just as cruel as she, they get along very well. From the outside it’ll look like they’re being unnsecesarilly cruel and mean to each other, but that’s their way of teasing each other, specially before and after Quidditch. 

·Her strong personality doesn’t help much with her flirting, at least at Hogwarts. It makes her look like she’s a player, but she’s just trying to find someone she really likes. She’s actually quite romantic and thoughtful 

Thibault

·The opposite to his twin sister. Calm, nice, kind an absolute lovely ray of sunshine. He takes a lot after his father. But just like his sister both he and the others wonder if he really is in the house he should. 

·But of course he is in the right house. He’s cunning and ambitious, and when he sets his mind to something he won’t stop ‘till achieving it, he will go very far to do so, no matter the price. he also has a strong sense of self-preservation and  tends to hesitate before acting, so as to weigh all possible outcomes before deciding exactly what should be done. 

·His response to the mean comments about his fangs are to usually ignore it and act aloof, but he’s definetly cried before. His sister and cousin didn’t take lightly to this and got into a massive fight. After that he decided to stand up to himself. And will find ways to make bullies pay. He won’t be upfront about it, but will make sure they know it was him.

·He tries very hard to get his Lore and Ro to make more friends. They just make it very hard, in part to mock him, they have a lot of fun. But he just loves them so much he doesn’t care. He teases them back.

·Many people underestimate him because he seems a Golden retriever, cute and excited to make friends and be out there. But he’s firecely protective of his family, and he can pretty scary too, he just chooses to be open and non-thratening. It makes him very sad that not many people want to get to know him and his family

Also, they all play Quidditch, so there’s always to of them taunting the other. They hang a lot, specially with Sköll and Betel. 

Lore, Ro and Thibault are the same age, so they’ve been together always, which makes Tiago a bit jealous, and a bit mad at times that they see him as the little brother to protect. 

They really get the other because their first year was kind of a nightmare and they had to stick together through it. They had each others’ backs and they always will.

Hogwarts wasn’t what they expected, but they’ll be fine.

[juicehoee]

All Along the Watchtower {Chapter One: Nevada} (Juice Ortiz)

One/Two/Three/Four/Five

New Juice story that I’m very excited about! I’m testing it out on Tumblr before I post it anywhere else so feedback is greatly appreciated! Not quite sure the direction it will take, but this is unedited and raw! Hope you Juice hoes enjoy it :)

-Solaris

Chapter One: Nevada

Juice was lost.

The stretch of road ahead of him seemed impossible to navigate. Everything was so dark and cold and endless. Nothing could save him. Nothing could help him. He was lost. So needlessly, helplessly, undoubtedly lost.

His GPS had died about halfway on his way home from Nevada.  The run had gone as planned, but he hung back for the night while his brothers headed back to Charming together. He stood in line for three hours to see the new Star Wars on its opening night and crashed at a shitty motel before heading back in the morning. It was a stupid idea, considering how he had no sense of direction. Hell, he could get lost at the goddamned grocery store. He had to admit it was worth seeing the return of Han Solo: his favorite character of all time. He liked to think that if the kids back home in Queens could see him now, they’d compare him to Han Solo, with the leather kutte and general badassness (he just wouldn’t want them to see the way the club made fun of him for liking that nerd shit).

The pinks and purples of the morning sunrise had faded into a bright blue that hung in the sky above him as he tore up the road with his rubber tires. Juice pulled over to the side of the road, praying that his phone could get a signal out here. He had always trusted his GPS, but now the fucker had died on him and he had to turn to Google Maps- he didn’t trust the government to not be tracking that shit.

Two percent. His phone was on two percent.

An article that he read last week flashed before him in his head. Millennials nowadays would spend more time looking for a charger than they would asking a person for directions. Could he really consider himself a millennial?

He killed the engine and started walking with his thumb out, praying someone normal would stop.

{***}

After about twenty minutes walking backward, a pickup truck finally slowed to a stop next to Juice. The weight of the handgun in his waistband was heavy, reminding him of his defense in case this person tried to slit his wrists or skin him alive for their supper.

“Need a ride there, skippy?” An older man, late 50s to early 60s, looked at him through the open window of his rusty red pickup truck. “Where are you headed?”

“Nearest gas station.” Juice sighed, deciding the guy seemed sane enough for a ride down the street. “There any fast food places around here?”

“There’s a McDonald’s near the gas station, if that’s what you’re looking for.” the guy answered, unlocking the door for him to get in. “Man, I miss the days when I could shovel down two Big Macs in ten minutes. Now, the wife tells me it’s bad for my cholesterol.”

“I guess I’ll enjoy it while it lasts then.” Juice chuckled, swinging open the door with much resistance.

“Oh, stop it, Uncle Lenny! Let the young be young!”

Juice jumped a mile in the air from the front as a tinkling voice of a young girl came from the backseat. She had to be around his age, maybe a little bit younger. A chuckle escaped her as Juice settled back down, his heart racing.

“I’ll stop if you promise not to give the poor boy a heart attack!” Uncle Lenny bargained.

“I didn’t see you back there.” Juice smiled sheepishly and extended his hand to the backseat. He was still slightly embarrassed at his reaction. “The name’s Juice.”

“Priscilla.” the young girl replied, taking his hand in hers. “Pleasure to meet you, Juice.”

She had a firm handshake and smooth hands that made him want to hide his own callous ones (being a mechanic could put your hands through the fucking ringer most days. No wonder Clay had arthritis).

“Juice? Now, what kind of name is that?” Uncle Lenny’s booming friendly voice asked. “Some kind of nickname, isn’t it?”

Uncle Lenny was an intimidating guy. He was big and burly. He could fit right in with the Sons of Anarchy by the looks of him though he was a little more likable than the rest of the assholes in the club. Juice loved the guys, but he couldn’t deny that they could all be a little sour when tensions ran high, especially with the gun-running business. Uncle Lenny’s familial friendliness was a welcome change from the playful insults he faced back at the clubhouse (there were some days he still felt like a prospect).

“It’s a nickname.” Juice replied, smiling bigger than he had all morning. He’d even momentarily forgot about his bike on the side of the road or the Star Wars escapade of the night before. “I’m from New York and I’d call myself a Biggie man.”

“Biggie?” Uncle Lenny furrowed his brows in confusion.

“He’s a rapper, Uncle Len.” Priscilla piped up from the back.

“Exactly.” Juice nodded at her. She smiled back at him. “He’s got this song called Juicy and my real name is Juan Carlos. My friends called me JC and eventually, the two mixed together and everyone just ended up calling me Juice.”

“Juan Carlos, huh?” Priscilla smirked at him. “Nice tattoos.”

He brushed his hands absentmindedly over the tribal-style lightning bolts on his skull. A slight blush burned his cheeks.“Thanks. Got ‘em when I moved to California.”

“I like them.” Priscilla commented, imitating his movements on her own head. “Never seen anything like them.”

“Neither have I.” Uncle Lenny laughed. There was no judgment in his tone. “You don’t see a lot of ink around here; it’s all very backwoods and traditional and such.”

“And you’ve always lived here?” Juice asked, curious about this little country family in the backwoods of Nevada. Most people weren’t so welcoming considering his appearance.

“Nah, we used to live in a big city.” Uncle Lenny answered. “Been me, Cilla, and my wife ever since…”

“Boston. That’s where we were.” Priscilla cut him off. “Ever heard of it?”

He noticed the mischievous flick in the question. “ ‘Course I have.” Juice grinned at her, craning his head to look her in the eye. “Worst baseball in the country.”

“Oh, shut it.” Priscilla bit back at him. “I only know about hockey.”

“Even worse!” Juice moaned, putting a hand to his forehead with an air of drama. “I would know, I played a little bit in high school.”

“So did I.” she retorted.

He fucking loved this girl.

“As much as I hate Boston, I gotta admire that signature Boston attitude.” he relented with their joking rivalry. Juice tried to ignore the glint he saw in Uncle Lenny’s eyes.

“Well, here’s the gas station, lad.” Uncle Lenny pulled into the parking lot. “McDonald’s should be a five minute walk down that way.”

Juice turned his head to see the blessed golden arches just down the road and his stomach growled. “I can’t thank you enough man. It was so nice to meet you guys.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Juicy!” Priscilla put a hand on his shoulder. “I told Uncle Lenny it was a gamble picking up some riff raff with head tattoos and an MC vest.”

“It’s a kutte, actually.” Juice laughed. “And I’m harmless.”

“Even if you have terrible taste in sports teams.” Priscilla quipped back.

“Are you sure there’s nothing else we can do for you?” Uncle Lenny asked.

“You’ve already done more than enough, thank you so much.” Juice said, shaking Uncle Lenny’s hand in gratitude. “I wish there was something I could do to thank you.”

“Come to dinner?” Priscilla suggested. “I want to know more about that kutte.”

Uncle Lenny’s eyes widened in shock. “You’re only saying that ‘cause you think he’s cute.”

“So?” Priscilla winked at Juice with the widest smile he’d ever seen. “Humor me.”

To Juice, it sounded like a challenge and Uncle Lenny must have picked up on that. He shook his head, knowing it was a bad idea to invite this dangerous looking stranger into his home, but he couldn’t say no to his darling niece. That was for sure.

“Don’t pressure the poor guy. He must think we’re crazy enough as it is.” Uncle Lenny sighed.

“My number’s already in your pocket.” Priscilla said.

Juice shoved his hand into his pocket and, to his surprise, there was a note with ten numbers all written in the cutest curly handwriting. “You must think you’re really slick, don’t you?I’m holding you to that dinner.”

“That’s my cell. Only old people use the landline anymore.”

Juice shook his head and climbed out of the old, red pickup truck just as Uncle Lenny defended that he “wasn’t even that old, for your information, Cilla.” He waved them off on his way into the gas station convenience store to pick up a phone charger and head into the McDonald’s for the savory mess of diabetes he was about to shove into his mouth (on the rare occasion, he did like to treat himself).

His cheeks hurt from the goofy grin he couldn’t seem to wipe off his face.

{***}

“Now, was it really necessary to make me drive a truck here to pick up you and your dumbass bike because you have no fuckin’ clue where you’re goin’?” Jax shoved Juice in the shoulder, making him hit hard against the inside of the truck.

Juice was just glad to be on his way home with his bike in the back. Three hours of eating Big Macs and Mcnuggets waiting for Jax to pick him up made him feel swelled up like a big balloon. His stomach definitely didn’t feel right.

“Got a pretty girl’s number. That worth it?” Juice hit Jax back.

“Not for me!” Jax shook his head. “I already got a pretty girl so I don’t really gain anything from bailing your ass out in the middle of nowhere, Nevada.”

“Come on, man!” Juice groaned. “You got Tara! You hit the fuckin’ jackpot with her and I live alone with two cats.”

Jax raised an eyebrow. “You got cats?”

“Oh, shut up.”

“Maybe you gettin’ a little action outside the croweaters will be good for all of us.” Jax admitted with huge, shit-eating grin on his face. “First, you gotta learn to get to Nevada and back.”

Shit. He didn’t think of that Priscilla lived all the way out here in middle-of-nowhere, Nevada. It was a six hour drive both ways. A lot of miles in between them.

He had a habit of getting his hopes up for a pretty girl and then getting his heart crushed.

Jax must have noticed the look on Juice’s face because he put a comforting hand on his shoulder.  “Don’t worry, man. If she’s worth the drive, then you’ll make it.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“You think I expected to end up with Tara?” Jax asked, laughing quietly to himself. “I thought I’d never see her after Chicago and now she’s the mother of my kids.”

“She really lowered her standards to end up with you, man.” Juice joked, suddenly feeling lighter. “You’re a lucky guy.”

“Whatever, man.” Jax laughed with him. “Just do me a favor, alright?” “Yeah, dude. What do you need?” Juice asked, eager to please as he usually was.

“Charge your fuckin’ GPS next time.”

{***}

Juice was greeted by two distinct sets of meows as soon as he opened the front door. Shiloh and Dolly immediately pawed at his knees, making it hard for him to even make it the four feet from the door to the couch. He just wanted to sit for five minutes.

“Come on, guys, you can’t even be mad!” Juice bargained with them. “I left you plenty of food and water and you’re outdoor cats anyway!”

They just stared at him.

“Fine. Just let me sit for a little bit.”

Shiloh and Dolly (yes, she was named after Dolly Parton) were twins he happened upon at a shelter one day. They were older cats, way beyond the youthful years of the kitten age, but they were too of the most adorable cats he’d ever come across. That day, he wasn’t planning on taking the two of them home, but he couldn’t resist those beautiful brown eyes. The three of them had grown very close.

Dolly was very territorial of him while Shiloh just didn’t give a shit.

Juice shoved his bag onto the couch and plopped down, sinking into the beat up cushions and feeling that deep sense of comfort that only home can give you. He loved his house; buying it was the first time in his life he felt more independent than lonely. Like an actual functioning human being. Becoming part of the club solved a lot of his loneliness, but that part came after buying the house. It didn’t solve all of his loneliness. But some.

He felt the familiar sensation of fur crawling slowly over him. Dolly took her rightful place on his shoulder while Shiloh decided to curl up into a tight ball in his lap. Juice scratched behind Shiloh’s ears, realizing that they weren’t mad and hungry; they just missed him.

“Awww, I missed you guys, too.”

[some-cookie-crumbz]

A Study in Relevancy

Title: A Study in Relevancy - Kidge Week Day 6 Prompt Fill Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Pairing: Keidge Summary: AU-ish.Everyone is born with a mark on their arms of the words their soulmate will say to them when they realize that are in love with them. Pidge and Keith end up with some interesting phrases. Standard Disclaimer: If you read and enjoy this, please give it a like/ reblog so I know if I should write more. AN: Another prompt in which I totally cheated to fill it! Regardless, I think it turned out okay. Also, only did a quick pre-post read-through so it might still be a little rough.

It was her fifth birthday when her soul mark appeared, mere seconds after she’d blown out the candles on her cake. She felt the soft, tingling pressure of the words etching along her inner left arm, the sensation known from all the stories she’d been told from relatives and older children at school. It started at the bend of her elbow and shot straight down to her wrist, six words that shimmered a brilliant red that would be the definition to one of her more intimate relationships.

We could get arrested for this.

As far as marks went, she had certainly heard of worse, but that did nothing to quill her mild disappointment. She had been secretly hoping for something sweeping and romantic like her older brother, Matt – I have searched countless galaxies to find you – or even something more simple and practical but intimate like her father – Don’t forget your scarf this morning, Samuel – but instead she got something that only made her pout. Matt had found it hilarious, muffling his snorts behind his hand, while a look of concern flashed in her father’s eyes.

Only Colleen, matriarch of the Holt household, seemed at peace with it. She knelt beside her young daughter, pulling a small fabric arm guard from her pocket to cover up the mark as was custom, to protect against people using the phrase incorrectly. She tugged the arm guard over her daughter’s soul mark with one hand while the other tucked a loose strand of copper locks behind an ear, smiling fondly at her. “You know, darling, tone can make a world of difference,” She said simply. The young girl stared at her mother, turning the words over in her mind, before beaming back at her, optimism cranked back up to full volume.

“I wonder what will prompt it though! What kind of person do you think they’ll be, Mama? Do you think they’ll be a really fun adventurous person, or a stick in the mud grumpy pants?” She asked excitedly.

Colleen giggled. “Well, whichever it is, they’ll be someone who completes you; the yin to your yang, as it were,” She mused back. Her daughter flashed another cheeky grin before she shoved her arm out to show her new coverings up, reveling in the excited squeals and awe she received.

The interest and concern for the words on her arm would wane and dissipate for Katie Holt. The words would be wholly ignored to become Pidge Gunderson and enthralled in bigger concerns than soul mates and movie dates.

……………………………………………………………………..

He was a little over six years old when his soul mark appeared on a rainy night. He had been up in his room, playing with some toys, while his babysitter was making dinner for him downstairs. His parents had gone out for dinner and a movie that night. It was an odd, tingling sensation that made his right arm itch that caused him to perk up, blinking and tilting his head curiously at the dark green letters appearing on his skin, creeping down from his wrist towards his elbow. His brow knitted together and he made his way downstairs to the kitchen, keeping his eyes glued to the phrase on his arm.

If we both stick to the story, they can’t prove anything.

Angie, the friendly teenage girl from next door that had been charged with watching him that night, had tilted her head curiously as he walked out, saying nothing but simply holding his arm out at her. “What’s wrong, buddy? Did you get hurt?” She asked worriedly, moving to grab the first aid kit they kept in the cabinet by the sink.

“No, look,” He insisted quietly, scowling at her overreaction. She walked back over and blinked in surprise at the sight of the words.

“Huh, that’s certainly an interesting mark,” She said with a small laugh.

“Seems like trouble,” He said with a small scowl, the idea unappealing to him; he was, after all, a very good boy with good grades and good manners.

“Well, maybe they mean it like a joke or something,” Angie said, ruffling his hair and standing. She opted not to tell him what puberty and high school would most likely have in store for him – simply for the sake of his pride and innocence – and went back to stirring the macaroni. “I’m sure your parents will be thrilled when they see it. Now go wash up; dinner’s almost done. Then we’ll get that mark covered up until your parents get home.” He smiled a bit and nodded, heading off to do as he was told. His parents would certainly have an idea of what to expect, and would be thrilled he had finally gotten his mark.

That night, however, his parents never made it home. From that day forward, Keith Kogane kept his soul mark hidden under extra layers and gloves, not wanting to see the reminder of a message he never got to share with his parents.

……………………………………………………………………..

It started out as nothing more than casual interest on her part, really.

She found herself drawn in by the walking enigma that was Keith Kogane, Red Paladin and second in command of the team. She had watched him for a while before her curiosity caused her to start seeking him out and engaging with him. Their friendship was a bit of an odd one but she was grateful for it all the same because it was so drastically different than the ones she shared with the other Paladins. She appreciated the times she and Shiro spent one-on-one, but she couldn’t help but see him as a stand-in for Matt; whether due to her own hang-ups or intentional actions on Shiro’s part, she wasn’t sure. Hunk was someone she could talk shop with who could keep up with her, and Lance was someone she could banter and bicker at without any concern of genuine conflict arising. She had learned over the time they’d spent together that she and Keith had quite a bit in common, but the smaller nuances that made them different helped them from driving one another completely insane.

They were both stubborn and driven and passionate and extremely skilled. Where she was of a genius intellect and could reverse engineer whatever she needed or wanted from alien tech she didn’t know, he could find a way to make a weapon of nearly any item he came across as well as alter his fighting style to cover himself against an opponent. She had watched him once throw a giant boulder-beast three times his size that was created by the Galra over his shoulder by simply crouching low, taking advantage of the creature’s momentum, and implementing a particular grip on the creatures arms to send it. She had helped to teach him to do some basic repair and troubleshooting tactics in case Red got damaged and they were separated from the group, while he had helped her to fine-tune and develop her fighting style. Even further, she had learned that Keith tended to also get the nighttime need to lurk through the castle – typically aimlessly, though sometimes she had a destination in mind – and they would chatter about conspiracy theories or swap stories about their lives on Earth.

Getting to know Keith had left her feeling a sense of ease in his company, but the analyst in her was still hopelessly intrigued by him.

He was abrasive and a bit callous with the others – including her on a handful of circumstances - but he was always so eager to reassure his teammates of their value and worth. He bickered with each of them at different points, but he never let those feelings soil his ability to help them during combat or training. Everything about the guy just screamed lone wolf, but he was one of the most team-oriented people she’d ever met.

Which was probably why he was humoring her, Lance, and Hunk.

It had been Lance’s idea that the four of them sneak out of the castle base and visit an alien speak-easy on a planet about twenty minutes away. It was apparently in Galra-free air space from what the maps and readings told them. “And if you’re really worried about getting caught,” Lance said with a huge grin, “we can just all pile into Green and use the cloaking upgrade.”

“All of this to go to some club?” Keith asked, raising a brow and shifting his weight to one hip.

Lance looked at him incredulously before letting out a small laugh. “Do you hear this guy? Some club he says!” He laughed. Hunk looked a bit uneasy about the whole thing, as if he himself wasn’t fond of the idea of going, but the poor boy simply couldn’t deny Lance anything. “Look, it’s been forever since the last time we went out and just had some fun! Don’t be a buzz kill, Kogane!”

“Well why don’t the three of you just go without me, then?” Keith retorted evenly.

It was at this point that Pidge chimed in, waving one hand to get his attention. “Are you really going to trust these two to stay in a group? Remember what happened last time the three of us bailed out?” She asked calmly.

The mortified look on Keith’s face was all the answer he had to offer before pointing toward the hanger, pincheing the bridge of his nose lightly.

It was Lance that was able to get them into the club, using his power of persuasion on the burly, warthog-esque creature serving as the bouncer at the door. Inside, the place was dimly lit by a bunch of odd, glowing growths all along the ceiling and walls that reminded her some of mushrooms. The whole place seemed to be made of bamboo, though, so the idea of fungus of some sort growing on it didn’t seem too far out of the realm of plausibility. The DJ – what seemed to be an upright capybara with an hour-glass shape in a sequined gold dress - was playing loud, thrumming music that was similar to the techno beats Pidge used to listen to back on Earth, only with a weird effect on them that sounded identical to the ones old sci-fi movies used during big dramatic movements. It would be hard to dance to – well, unless you were Lance, since he could dance to literally anything – so she made her way over to the bar along the back wall. Keith was a few paces behind her, keeping a gaze over his shoulder at Hunk and Lance as they joined the odd collection of dancers out on the floor.

“I’ll never understand why you insist on tagging along for these sorts of things,” He commented as they got settled in two bar chairs.

“Because it’s kinda nice. You know, getting out and enjoying the culture,” She said, waving around them with one hand. He flashed her a deadpan look and she merely shrugged, spinning around to the bar tender, flagging him over. “What I always find more interesting, though, is how easy it is to convince you to join us.”

He leaned his back and elbows against the bar, watching the crowd. As to whether or not he could actually still see Hunk and Lance, she wasn’t sure, but watching the reckless grinding and movements was at least something. “Is that what you think?”

She grinned and held off on answering as the bartender walked over. He was another warthog creature – much like the bouncer – but he seemed slightly more approachable than the other one. Probably because his tusks were slightly smaller than the one at the door, honestly. “What do you have on tap that’s good?” She asked happily.

He grunted, looking her up and down, before scowling slightly. “Ya got some kinda identification on ya, sweetheart?” He asked, leaning one of his hoofed hands against the bar top while indicating a sign posted above the shelf full of alien liquor with the other. Pidge couldn’t understand a word of it – written in some foreign language – and leaned a bit closer, tip-toing her fingers up along one of his tusks.

“Aw, you can let it slide this once, can’t you? With my line of work, having an ID isn’t really necessary,” She said, trying her best to make her voice sound like a playful coo.

Keith was watching her with a look that seemed to be a mix of disbelief and disgust.

The bartender grunted again. “Look, girlie, no ID, no drinks. Simply as that. If a lil’ thing like ya wants somethin’ ta drink, there’s a juice joint about three asteroid belts back,” He said evenly, starting to move back.

Big mistake.

Pidge wrapped her hand tight around his tusk and tugged hard, hauling his whole upper body on top of the bar. He looked at her in shock but she kept the pleasant smile on her face. “Look, Buster Brown,” She said, keeping her tone sickeningly sweet, jerking her thumb to herself and then Keith, “me and my pal here spend most of our time kicking ass and taking names in colorful mechanical lions. And, sadly, they don’t exactly offer badges or key cards for the Paladins of Voltron. Now how about you play nice and just hook us up with some drinks? I mean, unless you want Voltron to ignore this sorry shack when Zarkon and his goonies come knocking.”

The mention of Voltron seemed enough to jolt the guy into full attention, his hoof halting in reaching for the security buzzer under the bar. His eyes flickered from her to Keith, clearly seeking some kind of reassurance that she was bluffing. Keith, having gained a better understanding of when he should stand down, held up his hands. “Look, pal, Voltron kinda relies on all the Paladins and Lions being on the same page. And if she doesn’t want to Green Lion, we can’t make her Green Lion,” He said calmly before turning his attention back to the dancers. Pidge grinned proudly at Keith.

Good man.

The bartender let out a small sigh, realizing this was a fight he wasn’t going to win, and moved to stand upright. Pidge let him, but kept her grip on his tusk, just in case. “What galaxy are you drinking from?” He asked flatly, dusting off his shirt with his other hoof.

“Milky way, if you could. Jameson on the rocks for me, and a gin and tonic for my friend,” She said happily, releasing his tusk. She settled back in before reaching up and switching the dial on the choker communicators she’d made for them. Their Paladin helmets came with automatic translators and, using some spare parts around the castle ship, she had developed some choker necklaces with small ear buds for when they weren’t in their Paladin gear. It was rare that they used them, but they were certainly helpful.

Keith imitated her actions, switching the translator off as well, and looked at her with an amused smirk. “The way you flirt is shameful,” He said playfully.

She laughed as the bartender set their drinks down, nodding her head at him in appreciation and taking a small sip of her drink. The tender grumbled something, but it all came out as muffled pig sounds. It was strong – meaning the tender could mix a good drink – and she hummed in approval. “It gets results, doesn’t it?”

“You aren’t even the legal drinking age on Earth,” He retorted, taking a sip of his own drink.

“I’m out here risking my tail day in and day out trying to find my family and protect the universe; I think getting drunk a year before I’m legally allowed to is the least the universe can offer me,” She said with a smug grin. She then held up her drink towards him.

“You are one strange young lady, Pidge Gunderson,” He said with a laugh, lightly clinking their glasses together. She dipped her head politely, opting to take his words as a compliment, and sipped her drink again.

They fell into casual chatter for a while after that, the alcohol leaving her mind a little fuzzy and her body tingling with false warmth. They made up wild, insane backstories for the other patrons of the club and bar as the night progressed, each story getting more ridiculous than the last. She leaned into his space and grinned, pointing at an alien with a fly for a head but the body of a man. “See that guy right there? He’s involved in some seriously shady shit,” She whispered conspiratorially.

“Oh, I am well aware. He’s into smuggling rare, exotic goods,” He whispered back, his own tone just as eager and giddy as hers.

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

He shifted so that they were facing each other, his expression grim, before he uttered gravely, “Peanuts.”

“He’s a monster,” She managed to force out in a calm tone before she completely lost it, throwing her face into her arms on the bar top and cackling like a madman. It was so stupid, really, and made no sense for her to laugh so hard, but for some reason it got to her. Maybe it was just a side effect of the alcohol but she liked it.

He opened his mouth to say something else, snorting a bit himself, before a commotion out on the dance floor caught his attention. She wiped at one eye with the heel of her hand and followed his gaze, eyes widening as they watched what appeared to be Hunk – sweet, gentle, Mr. Sunshine Hunk Garrett – getting into a huge brawl with two other patrons.

She hopped off the barstool, bayard in hand, without needing any further assessment.

She lassoed one of Hunk’s attackers with her bayard and heaved, sending him spinning in the direction of the bar. He crashed into it, leaving a sizable divot in the counter, and the bar tender glared at her. She flashed a sheepish grin and waved before she saw Keith charging after her, his own bayard drawn. “Pidge, duck and roll!” He snapped strictly.

Without looking back, she followed the order, rolling to his side as the blade made contact with the arm of the second assailant. These aliens were strange in that it seemed they could form weapons with their bodies; what had certainly been a limb mere seconds ago was now curved and twisted into something resembling a battle axe. Keith twisted himself, ducking under the blade-arm, and slammed the curved handle of his bayard right into the other’s gut, causing him to wheeze and stumble back unsteadily. He then turned himself around the guy’s back, shoving him in Pidge’s direction. With a small smirk, she readied her bayard again and wrapped it tight around their opponent, skirting around him to rejoin with Keith. He placed one hand on a portion of the whip, the other set on her back to help steady her – his own bayard returned to its holster on his hip - and added his own strength to help send the second assailant slamming into his buddy – whom had been scrambling back to his feet with an enraged snarl - over by the bar.

The added force sent both of them back through the same hole Pidge had created before and right into an entire rack of various alien booze.

She stared for a moment before smirking up at Keith, breathing in softly. His eyes were bright and shining in a mix of smug satisfaction and weary anticipation for retaliation. He was just a bit sweaty from the brief skirmish, but she was certain she probably wasn’t much better so pointing it out seemed hypocritical. She was hyper-aware of his hand on her back – warm and reassuring and steady – and his other hand slowly released the chord of her bayard so she could retract it. Once his hand was removed, she sent an electric shock down the line, just to add insult to their opponent’s injury. She beamed up at the raised brow she received. “Figured I’d just drive home the point that they just got annihilated,” She mused proudly.

He laughed and shook his head, his smile sparking a warmth in her chest that she couldn’t quite explain. It had happened a few times in the past few months, but she hadn’t put much thought to it. “We could get arrested for this,” He commented conversationally, leaving her winded for a second.

Suddenly her sense of peace when around him – how conversing and falling into rhythm with him came so damn naturally after their initial meeting – made a lot more sense.

Lance suddenly started barking at them, indicating the club bouncers on their way to most likely detain the four of them until authorities could be brought in to arrest them. It wouldn’t have been the first time the four of them had been thrown in space jail – which, in itself, was strange considering she expected their positions as Paladins of Voltron to place them beyond reproach by any non-Galran space legal system, but, as their previous six arrests proved, they weren’t – and would likely be stuck there for some time, given Shiro had made it clear last time that he would not be bailing them out if they pulled stupid, arrest-worthy shenanigans again. She pushed Keith’s words to the back of her mind and looked around, spotting a glowing neon sign on the other end of the club. She couldn’t understand it, but there were some universal truths that crossed into the cultures of other species in the many galaxies; one of those universal truths being that most establishments had some sort of emergency exit.

“Gentlemen, I believe that’s our sign to jump ship!” She snapped, pointing in the direction of the sign. Lance led Hunk by one arm while the other hand pressed a handkerchief against his bloody nose – which, she realized, she’d need to ask about later, because Hunk was the last person she expected to go picking fights at an intergalactic club – and Keith followed after her, running with his head tilted slightly to keep an eye on the bouncer’s, his bayard returning to his hand. She clutched tighter at her own, just in case they ended up needing to fight.

Luckily enough, Green was already waiting for them right outside the exit, having picked up on Pidge’s distress. She grinned up at the mechanical cat as she dropped her head and opened her mouth to the Paladins. Pidge paused and gently patted one of the large, metal fangs in her mouth. “Good girl, Green,” She beamed warmly before following the rest of her group into the cockpit to take her place at the controls. They were taking off just as the bouncers came rushing out after them, their expressions a mix of awe and horror at the sight of a Lion of Voltron. Pidge smirked in satisfaction before glancing back at the others.

Hunk was silent while Lance started prattling on and lecturing him – the irony of the situation so potent that Pidge could practically taste it – while Keith pulled out the first aid kit. They’d started keeping first aid kits in their Lions after an incident where Lance broke his arm after being separated from the others, and had been unable to properly reset the bone and treat the wound. They’d found him before the damage was irreversible but the team agreed it’d be good to have supplies on hand for such a situation. Keith was silent as he settled in across from Hunk, indicating with a calm wave of his hand that he drop the handkerchief and let him examine the damage. She glanced briefly at her arm where she knew those same words he’d said earlier were still etched along her skin.

Her heart thrummed at the thought of the words, but she swallowed to push the feeling down. She had other concerns that took priority over taking the plunge of acknowledging her soul mate. She’d wait a bit longer – try and gauge if Keith had the same epiphany as she had already – and then she’d confront him with the words on her arm. She’d already waited this long to find her soul mate, a little longer certainly wasn’t going to hurt anything.

……………………………………………………………………..

He wasn’t sure when he came to trust Pidge more than the other Paladins, but he could at least rationalize it.

She could be just as stubborn and impulsive as he was – the other Paladin most likely to enable his bad behavior - but she was also a bit more methodical and tactical with her acts of blatant mutiny. He could come to her with a half-assed idea of something to do that would most certainly get them in trouble with Shiro, Allura and Coran later, and she would help him weave it into a beautiful symphony of civil disobedience. Her plans were a contradiction of themselves that he couldn’t help but admire; always well-crafted and tight-knit, but somehow also risky and dangerous enough to keep him piloting Red by the seat of his pants.

This particular scheme was probably his favorite of hers to date.

He had needed time away from the castle ship to clear his head after their most recent run-in with the Galra on the planet they were stationed. They had spent three straight days battling them off from their vice-grip on the world, brought there after the Galra hacked into their communication line and broadcasted their heinous attack on the innocent people they had enslaved. The crimes committed against the denizens of the planet had left him sick with a fury he hadn’t felt in a while and he felt like chasing the Galra off wasn’t nearly enough. He wanted to land a bigger blow on the Galra; something to warn them that they would suffer if they ever took a tactic like that again.

He had stumbled across a Galra medical base on an asteroid not far off from the planet in question and the thought of tracking down the leader of the troops – Harthor or something along those lines – and making him pay sounded like a brilliant idea. Red urged him to rush in and annihilate everything he could, the mechanical beast always eager and ready for a fight, but he hesitated. If he wanted to be successful, he needed to go about this the right way.

He returned to the castle ship and made a beeline for the opposite side of the hanger from Red’s spot, knowing that Pidge would be there. She hadn’t even bothered to change out of her Paladin gear before starting up on the honey-do list of repairs and reprogrammings she’d have to be getting on for the Lions after such a long battle. She perked up when he rushed in, an easy grin turning up on her lips, seeming to read his purpose without needing more information than his expression. “Find something interesting out there, I take it?” She mused, leaning one elbow on her table and cupping her chin with that hand.

He grabbed one of the many spare chairs they kept around – in case of situations such as this, where Pidge or Hunk had company while they worked – and dragged it over. He turned the chair so the back was facing her and sat down, leaning his chest against the back support and resting his crossed arms on the top of the back. “Found a Galra medical bay,”

That seemed to catch her interest even more. She sat upright and turned her chair to fully face him. “How far off?”

“Less than ten miles off, but more than five; probably between seven and six, if I were to wager a guess,”

“You see Commander Harthor’s ship docking in?”

“It was already docked in, but he’s totally there,”

“Have you told any of the others?”

“And have to listen to a lecture from Shiro about not whacking the hornets’ nest? No, thank you,” He scoffed lightly. She snickered a bit. “I came to you immediately. I knew you wouldn’t tell me this wasn’t a good idea.”

Her grin turned wicked as she pushed her chair back away and she headed toward a large bin filled with various tech bits. Pidge would scavenge about the battlefield after a victory, scrounging up anything she could salvage or repurpose to fit her fancy. Lance claimed that she was like a mutant hybrid between a crow and a vulture – constantly pilfering the remains of this or that, while also hoarding what she found, regardless of its usefulness – and, while Keith did occasionally take issue with her pick-up habit, he couldn’t help but find it incredibly practical, too.

Especially when it was being implemented to help him with a less-than-Paladin-worthy endeavor.

He assisted her with the next hour of work that was put into developing a small bomb; a sticky-bomb, as she called it. They had collected other things from their various travels through the multiple galaxies and worlds; some for the benefit of the team, and others because the indigenous people insisted gifts be given to their saviors. One of the things that had been particularly useful was the sap from the trees on a planet inhabited by insect people. It was thick and stuck as well as gorilla glue, making it quite helpful in repairs – also, as Hunk had learned, boiling it down and mixing it with this pseudo-sugar cane they had could make a lovely glaze for his rendition of cinnamon rolls – but it had a few other interesting qualities. When mixed with a pinecone-esque item from a nearby planet and given a wick it could become quite the impressive little bomb.

He couldn’t help but feel somehow relaxed in her taking on the task without questioning him on why he wanted to take further action. She seemed to understand better than the others what it was like when you felt like something still needed to be set right – most likely due to her own long-held grudge against their enemies and the Garrison back on Earth – and didn’t judge him for being spiteful. Shiro insisted that he could never continue being successful like that. Lance called it petty and, while Hunk never said anything out loud, he was certain that Hunk was intimidated by how vicious Keith could get. But Pidge? Pidge knew how that felt and knew that nothing would alleviate the feeling but doing something about it. She could take his desire and passion to help sate that fury inside of him by partnering it with her intellect and ingenuity and creating something that would make their enemies quake in fear of crossing them.

Pidge wrapped the pinecone up in the honey, making sure to attach the wick before closing it all up, with the help of some special gloves that she and Hunk had designed specifically for handling the material in a more hands-on way. She had then hooked it up in a small, hovering capsule with a make-shift lighter attached to the top. She grabbed a few more things – which she shoved unceremoniously into a bag – and then led him out. “How much recon did you do when you got out there?” She asked while adjusting the strap on her shoulder.

“Not much; I found the place, ignored Red telling me to charge ahead, and came back to get you,” He said as he kept up with her. She had grown quite a bit from when they first met, but she was still a good amount shorter than him and keeping pace with her was a relatively easy feat; when she wasn’t actively trying to get away, that was.

“Well, we’re gonna need to find a good hiding spot. One that is preferably more than 800 feet away, but no more than 850,” She said simply, skidding to a stop in front of Red. She grinned up at the giant metal feline. “To think she still wants to go roaring into battle before I have the chance to get her back in tip-top shape is almost impressive.”

Keith smirked himself, Red’s irritation at the comment nudging the back of his consciousness. “What would you call it instead of impressive, then?”

“I’d call it completely immature and stupid. Then again, it is you two I’m talking about, so it really can’t be helped,” She mused back with a smirk.

Regardless of the slight, Red dropped her head and opened her maw to them. “And what does that make you, oh wise one?” He laughed lightly as he followed her in. The name calling between he and Pidge was different than he and Lance; they knew where to draw the line with each other, never skirting over from playful to malicious.

She turned on her heels to grin at him, placing one hand to her chest gently. “That makes me the mature, responsible adult coming along to make sure you don’t get your sorry ass locked up in Galra-jail,” She laughed before finishing the twirl and continuing into the cockpit. He laughed outright at that comment, seeing through it as the flimsy excuse that it was. He settled in at the controls as she resumed the finishing touches on her little project, explaining her full plan to him as they went.

The bomb was inside a capsule that would be able to hover and travel on to the ship without detonating, and that could be controlled remotely. She had tossed one of the many control pads that they had around the ship and would simply repurpose it to control the drone as opposed to whatever it was originally meant to. The small lighter-esque fixture she had attached to the top of the capsule wouldn’t light until the capsule itself was split in half, given that this little bomb was quick to light and just as quick to go off. “There’ll be a small camera on it that you’ll be able to have on the screen so you can see where you’re going. Once you get the little fella settled with our good buddy Harthor, just click the detonation button and poof!” She said, making the sound effect and flailing her hands in the air to help illustrate her point.

He knew he shouldn’t be as thrilled as he was about the prospect of seriously maiming or killing someone, but after what he’d seen over the last few days, he figured he could be allowed this one instance of malicious joy. “And what do we tell the others when we get back after this whole thing?”

“We tell them that we simply went out to do a perimeter check or something,” She shrugged.

“We need something a little more concrete than that,” He pointed out. He knew Shiro would grill them when he found out what they’d done – and he had no doubt that Shiro would find out, somehow, some way –and he’d look for any differences to give him more concrete proof of their guilt.

“Okay, then we tell them that we were still a little unnerved after the battle,” She sighed heavily, flopping over to lay on her back on the bottom of the cockpit. He snickered at her but she ignored him. “I was getting frustrated over how much work I was going to have to do fixing all the Lions and you figured that going out to fly around space might help me mellow out some. Green was still too beaten up from the fight, though, and I didn’t want her overdoing it, so we went in Red. We were minding out own business when we heard the bomb go off, spotted that it was a Garla medical bay, and then high-tailed it back to the base. We can ditch all of this stuff that I brought with us out in space and then have Red blow it into itty-bitty space dust so there’s no physical evidence, either. That sound better?”

“Do you really think that’ll work?” He asked, pulling up to a small asteroid within the parameters Pidge had given him to work with.

She looked up at him with a smug grin, eyes sparking with mischief and excitement at the thought of a challenge. “If we both stick to the story, they can’t prove anything,” She said lightly before sitting back up and pulling out the pad again.

Keith’s stomach flipped at the words, suddenly sending him back to the kitchen of his childhood home again. His right arm twitched, the words seeming to spark back to life at being said out loud, and he felt a small smirk turn up on his lips. He certainly hadn’t expected this, but he wasn’t necessarily complaining; it certainly explained the strange thoughts he’d been plagued with about her on some nights. It was comforting to have a feeling to tether it to. He turned his attention back to the matter at hand, deciding he’d talk to her about the words once they got back to the castle.

Or, more correctly, they’d talk after the punishment training Allura subjected them to after learning of what they’d done.

[mystorymylifemywords]

Gaslight

He was trying to figure out what he was doing wrong. He didn't understand why he was questioning his memory, why he couldn't fully trust his instincts, or why he felt so tied to a woman he knew didn't care for him. He didn't see the verbal abuse despite living it, day to day. He didn't feel the manipulation despite obviously having his strings pulled. He knew he had to walk away, but he couldn't because the gaslight was still on and he didn't know how to turn it off....

When the relationship began, it was on the rocks. He was accustomed to having to fight for relationships. Actually, he wouldn't know how it felt to be in a relationship without having to fight for it. Basically, as soon as he saw her, the verbal abuse began. He doesn't know why he didn't walk away in that moment. Comments about his clothing, his accent, his sense of humor, and other things became the new normal. He was so mentally weak and fragile, he didn't leave because he needed to feel wanted. He thought he could get through to her. His ignorance tried to fix her. His ego didn't want to leave once he believed the jar was loosened.

He knew he was a broken man when he began talking to her. Years prior, he allowed a woman to make him believe he couldn’t do better than her. He kept reaching out and she kept spitting in his face after bringing him within range to do so. She played bait and switch with her love and intimacy while he always played the patsy. Her mean-spirited games drove him to the point of a near fatal nervous breakdown. One night, while sitting in his car, he pulled his gun from the glove box, opened his mouth, and placed the barrel on his tongue. The only thing that stopped him from pulling the trigger was the sound of police sirens in the background. It made him think about his father and what he would encounter when the police brought him to identify the body.

Months of counseling brought him back to a sunnier place. However, the dark cloud of his past was always near. He learned it wasn't just the girl who almost made him break. It was also his mother. He hated her. As a ‘tween, she callously laughed at his tears after his father told him about their impending divorce. He didn’t understand how someone could be so cruel to a child who did nothing to deserve such actions. He lost trust and respect for all women at that moment.

He met his current mate through a mutual friend, but they didn't start regularly communicating until they saw each other at a party. The chemistry was instantaneous. They laughed at each other's jokes and bonded over pop culture. They seemed like kindred spirits. At that party, it was the first time a woman's gaze turned him on. She looked past his eyes, into his soul, and massaged his ailing heart. His hopeless romanticism was vulnerable and she caught him like a fish in a barrel. Since the feeling was new, he thought he was on the road to relationship success.

After the party was over, she asked him to follow her to her suburban apartment. In his head, a million thoughts were racing at breakneck speed. When they arrived, his carnal instinct took over as soon as she closed the door. He aggressively kissed her on the mouth and she obliged. His aggression pushed her against the wall just past the doorway. As his lips and tongue explored her mouth, his hands unbuttoned her shirt. As he worked his way down the black silk blouse, he could feel her erect nipples through her non-padded bra. Her small stomach was moving in and out with erotic emotion. His lips moved down to her neck and he lightly bit her while pulling her hair to expose more skin. She moaned, exuberantly. His hands made their way to her to her  

bottom which was covered by a light grey skirt. He slowly unzipped the skirt and, as it fell to the floor, the warmth and moisture from her concealed vagina escaped into his chest. He squeezed her bottom, which elicited the same moan he heard moments earlier. Slowly, he pulled down her black lace panties. The moisture, excretion from her vagina made the cotton patch temporary stick to her lips. The sight of turning her on so quickly aroused him more than he would lead on.  

He licked her clit. Her hands clamped down on his shoulders as her back arched and a rush of fluid escaped her body. The sweet, salty lubrication enticed his already raging libido. He needed to make her cum. He needed to have the feeling of being in control for the first time in a very long time. As his tongue and lips caressed and massaged her exposed genitalia, his hands reached up and gently rubbed her nipples in a circular motion. When he noticed her weakening knees, he picked up her small frame and carried her into the bedroom.  

While in his arms, he furiously kissed and bit her neck. Simultaneously, her hands attempted unzip his trousers and loosen his belt, but he was too tall and her arms too short. She bailed on her advances and allowed him to continue to do as he pleased with her body. He delicately dropped her on the bed. She looked at him lasciviously through the darkness of the room. Her eyes glowed and burned with passion. She wanted to feel him inside of her.  

She could hear him loosening his belt and the crinkle of the condom wrapper being opened. She felt his aura approach the bed and lean over. His tongue licked her clit, once again, to make sure she was still aroused. When she gasped and gently shook, he knew it was okay to enter. Gently, yet confidently, he slid his prophylactic-covered penis inside her. Once again, her back arched and she moaned, euphorically. The warmth of her vagina was overwhelming. As soon as he was fully inside her, he felt the rush of semen attempt to escape his loins. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and then began his stroke. 

Slowly, he stopped worrying about his orgasm and concentrated solely on hers. He changed his rhythm to match her heartbeat and zoned in on different parts of her anatomy to simulate. He needed to find her spot. He needed her to know this was the last first time she would feel a new being. He found her spot on the right side of her neck, near her collarbone. When he hit it, she came hard, which made him cum, simultaneously. When he pulled out, the condom and the base of his penis was covered in sticky, white vaginal fluid. While staring at a sight he's only seen once, he could feel her going through the aftershocks of her orgasm as the bed randomly rumbled. He got up and went to the bathroom to wash off. When he returned, he found his clothes in front of the bathroom door. She told him he should leave. She enjoyed having him over, but she did not feel comfortable with him staying at her place, overnight. However, she wanted him to call her, in the morning. The power he thought he had was usurped in 5 minutes and all he could do was nod his head.

Sex on the first night together was the biggest mistake he ever made. His sensitivity and vulnerability got the best of him. He opened himself up and allow her to control him. His love of lust took control of his heart and willfully gave her his veins. They were playing two different games. He was playing checkers while she was playing chess. She was always two steps ahead  

and knew how to put him in check. Her vagina was the pawn that protected her heart, the queen. He was just trying to get to end of the board without being caught and earn being called her king.

The second time they saw each other, they argued. It was a petty argument that had nothing to do with him. He didn't know it at the time, but she constantly deflected her issues upon him and convinced him the issue was his own. At this time, she was having a personal issue with a lifelong friend. Her friend was in dire straits and the stress of seeing someone she loved in pain pushed her to lash out on the easiest target. He was always that target. To make up with him, she rode him until he came inside her. However, to further show her power, no post-coitus cuddling would take place. She always stood from the bed, reached into her nightstand, and grabbed a baby wipe. She wiped her cum from her vagina and proceeded to go to the bathroom to relieve and wash herself. When she returned, he would always attempt to kiss her and she would always reject him. It took her months to allow him to stay the night after they had sex.

She always used sex to appease him.  She thought she was being a good girlfriend by giving him her body, but only on her terms.  She made him buy lubrication because her vagina would dry up during intercourse.  It was at those moments when he knew she’d checked out.  It was a disheartening feeling.  She was emotionless and callous on most occasions, but it was magnified in the bedroom.  She called him selfish for wanting to touch and kiss her, but her refusal to allow the one she claimed to love to touch her show a devious, vindictive selfishness he had yet to encounter and could not completely place.

She was consistently mean and disrespectful to him for one reason or another. None of them were ever valid. He was polite and courteous to a fault.  He made sure to show his chivalrous side when they were in public, but she made it difficult.  He would gently pull her shoulder to get her to walk on the inside of the sidewalk and she would forcefully tell him to get off her.  She would intentionally walk ahead of him so it would not appear they were together.  The one time when he didn’t open a door for her because he was making small talk with an older woman who thanked him for allowing her to cut in line to meet her family; she made sure he knew her displeasure when they were seated at the restaurant.  Her selfishness was all that mattered. She verbally berated, emasculated him in a condescending whisper to the point of him balling up his first and wanting to throw a punch. His better judgment took over and cooler heads prevailed.  

This was a microcosm of their relationship. She wanted and needed control. She was too stubborn, selfish to give it up. She never took responsibility for her actions. It was always someone else's fault. She took her past out on him. Things that he did would be connected to her past while he stood ignorant to stories and actions he had yet to learn. She was a narcissist in its purest form, a god in her own eyes. She was perfection in her world of one.

Arguments were a battle of futility. He was never right when it came to his memory. He started to question his own thoughts. He prided himself of remembering events, in detail. Now, he didn't know if what he was saying was correct. His brain, his thinking became fuzzy. His mind was his most powerful gift. Past events began to blur as if a time paradox took place and history was changed. His memories were being erased. He was lost and confused. He was living inside a  

Flashpoint. He would cry himself to sleep because he didn't know what was happening to him. All he knew was her. He wanted her. He needed her. However, it hurt to be with her.

He wasn’t without fault, of course.  He knew he was overly touchy feely.  His lust for the female form drove him to do things which he found to be out of his nature, but she found to be part of personality.  From time to time, he would solicit women from his past for nude photos and late-night rendezvous.  He wasn’t getting what he wanted from his girlfriend and the thrill of being caught enticed him.  He felt what he was doing was okay because she didn’t really love him, but it was a winnerless mental tug of war between his morals and his penis.  He figured, if she did, he wouldn’t put himself in those positions.  There were many nights when he sat in his apartment, alone, with the lights out, and sulked over what he’d done.  He disrespected his lady by enjoying the pleasures of another woman.  At the same time, if he told her what he’d done, maybe she would feel something.  Then he remembered the put-downs he tolerated which caused the back and forth in his head to continue.

She told him he was unattractive and a turn off on a regular basis. She told him she had to lie to herself to be intimate because his body was disgusting.  He was aghast at learning how she felt. He would stand in front of the mirror, completely nude, and dissect his being.  He took a razor and shaved all his hair from the neck down.  He committed himself to the gym, where he worked on his body so she would find him more pleasing.  He undertook a massive diet, to lean his body and expose more muscle.  He did Kegel exercise to strengthen and extend a penis that said was significantly smaller than previous partners.  While going through this process, he tried to understand why she would choose to be with someone whom she viewed in that manner. Why wouldn’t she breakup with him?  Why would she flaunt her want for the "perfect man" in front of him and call him sensitive or a "bitch" when he complained?  Why did she never show any tact within their relationship?  She never listened. She always did what she wanted. His feelings were never considered.

Today, he’s still with the same woman.  He fears things will not be any better with anyone else because any other relationship will involve him.  He blames himself for all his relationship ills.  She is just being herself.  He must adapt and change to be the man she wants.  He needs to understand people are different and will not do what he wants them to do.  He views his relationship versus a new relationship as the devil you know versus the devil you don’t know.  He’s invested too much time and too much energy into the relationship to throw it away.  He wants it work.  He needs it to work.  He needs her.  He feels unsettled when she doesn’t speak to him or is in one of her moods.    He’s also afraid to start over.  He loves her, but knows he’s in the throes of Stockholm syndrome.  All the work done in therapy has been undone by this woman over the past 5 years.  He says he’s going to marry her, but she says she won’t say yes unless the ring is the right price and her finances are well taken care.  He’s her whore until she fully tires of him.  Every day, he lives by the seat of pants wondering if that will be day she leaves and fearing it will be the day his heart will be set ablaze because the gaslight flickered from the sparks she left in her wake….

[russellthornton]

How to Make Girls Chase You: 15 Secrets to Be Mr. Irresistible

Want to know how to make girls chase you like you’re the only man on earth? These 15 tips will help you become a chick-magnet overnight.

Women are complex creatures at times. Sometimes it is difficult to figure out how to make girls chase you. Once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s a piece of cake. It’s just getting to that stage that’s the hard bit.

Ultimately, when you want girls interested in you, it all comes down to desire. Desire is the difference between her telling you she’s always “busy” whenever you want to hang out, and her constantly asking you when you’re next free.

Annoyingly, desire can be a hard thing to harness until you show her you’re worth the chase. If you show her you’re different from the other guys who showed up before you, then you have the beginnings of impressing her and capturing her interest.

15 tips that teach you how to make girls chase you

Sometimes it feels like you fight a losing battle. You think you do everything right, and you try really hard to impress her, but there’s something blocking your efforts. You managed to get womens’ attention before, but it never lasts. Then, they move on to other dudes.

Is there one little thing that stands between you and a sea of women vying for your attention? It’s time to crack the code on how to make girls chase you.

#1 Play a little hard to get. When you act a little bit more difficult to figure out than most guys, the chances are she’ll want you more. It’s just human nature to go after what we can’t have. So, if you always offer yourself up to her there will be no desire to win you over. Be careful not to completely ignore her, or else she’ll get bored and move on to someone else. [Read: How to play hard to get with a girl just right]

#2 Be devilishly charming. Charm is one of the most effective tools in your arsenal, so use it wisely. It’s one of the best, quickest ways to get into, and stay in, a girl’s mind. If you come across suave and interesting you stand out from the crowd, and she won’t be able to get enough.

Remember, there’s a difference between charm and overly sleazy, so make sure not to get the two confused. [Read: 14 steps every Prince Charming must follow]

#3 Make yourself physically irresistible. Looks aren’t the most important thing when dating, but women won’t chase after men that look like they don’t put effort in. If you want to be desirable, look the part. Keep your body hygiene in check, get a regular haircut, do a bit of exercise every week, and wear clean clothes when you go on a date.

#4 Don’t be constantly available at all times. Make sure to make an effort to spend time with her, but don’t be at her beck and call 24/7. If she senses you always cancel your plans, or blow your friends off just to spend time with her every day she’ll start to think that you’re desperate. Desperation is the sign of someone that no one else is interested in.

#5 Become friends with her friends. If you’re considerate and charming around her friends, they’ll absolutely love you. And it’s a known fact that if a girl’s friends thinks you’re great and can’t stop talking about you, then she thinks you’re great too. Her friends know her incredibly well. Once you’re in with her friends, you’re in for good.

#6 Make sure you know what you’re doing in bed. There’s nothing worse than chasing a guy for ages, getting to know him, and having sexual chemistry—only for him to then turn out to be awful in bed. Practice, do your research, listen to what her body language tells you, and don’t be a selfish lover. A great way to make a girl stay interested is if you impress her between the sheets. [Read: 20 sex god moves to attract and seduce women in style]

#7 Don’t let everything get to you. A guy who gets irritated or frustrated easily is a type women generally avoid. The more you seem affected by things, the less desirable you are to her.

Instead of letting circumstances, attitudes, or rejection annoy you, let them roll off your back. If she sees you’re a chilled out guy, she’s more inclined to spend time with you.

#8 Inspire her mind. One of the sexiest things is intellectual stimulation. Don’t be afraid to show your smart side. If you engage her in a debate, interesting issue, or deep conversation, she’ll beg for more. Especially if you engage in a conversation about something she’s interested in.

#9 Don’t hassle her. If you haven’t heard from her in a while, don’t send a flurry of text messages asking where she is or why haven’t you heard from her. Just leave it, and wait for her to come to you. When you come across as pushy or needy, she bails almost immediately. No one wants to date someone who can’t be left alone for five minutes.

#10 Be emotionally available. Try to balance having your own life but available when she needs help. When she needs someone to talk to, somebody to give advice, or a shoulder to cry on, be there for her. Don’t respond by telling her that it’s not that important, or you have better things to do. If she sees you as the kind of man who genuinely cares, she’ll never forget it. [Read: 11 simple changes to make all girls like you and win them over]

#11 Be loyal and trustworthy. Show her that you’ll be open with her and can be trusted with her feelings. Even if you’re not ready to settle down into a relationship with one person, if you start acting like a player around her she’ll take the hint and ditch you first. If you’re someone she relies on to be honest, you’ll become someone she can’t easily replace.

#12 Don’t come across desperate. Do not be that needy dude that never gets the hint, tries too hard, and keeps texting even when she doesn’t respond. If she doesn’t respond to your calls then move on and find someone else. Don’t cling.

There is no bigger turnoff than a man filled with desperation, because it reeks of insecurity. When you seem like you could walk away from her at any moment, it only makes her want you more. [Read: How to make a girl jealous and leave her begging for attention]

#13 Be confident! This is an obvious one when it comes to knowing how to make girls chase you, but it still needs to be said. If you show confidence in everything you do, in who you are, how you react to others, and what you stand for, you’ll attract so many women you won’t know what to do with yourself.

Girls are helplessly attracted to guys who know exactly who they are and where their interests lie. She respects you more for your conviction, than if you just bow down to anyone and anything.

#14 Treat her with respect. In this mad dating world we live in, it can be difficult to find a man who truly respects you, so make sure you separate yourself from the rest by showering her in consideration. Give her space when she needs it, don’t cross boundaries that she’s specified, never demean her, and don’t be aggressive if she’s not doing exactly what you want. [Read: How to make a good first impression on a girl and leave her in awe]

#15 Be kind, always. One of the best ways to attract women is to be as kind and caring as possible. Girls are incredibly attracted to men who are compassionate toward others, keep a positive outlook, and stay good-natured. If you’re not mean or callous toward her, she soon sees the softer side of you. No woman can resist a man that’s warm-hearted.

[Read: How to impress a girl on a first date & guarantee a second one]

Once you learn how to stoke the fires of desire in women, it becomes super easy to take it to the next step and get her to find you irresistible. Just brush up on how to make girls chase you and wait for the calls!

The post How to Make Girls Chase You: 15 Secrets to Be Mr. Irresistible is the original content of LovePanky - Your Guide to Better Love and Relationships.

[myladytano]

Let’s just take a minute to talk about Xyak’s relationship with Ahsoka and clear up ho’s timelomw a bit.

They trained together as younglings, were familiar and close friends by the time the clone wars started and they were assigned masters.

They kept in touch, and even had their first mission together on Jedha, their masters hunting the same criminal. They keep up a string of letters until Xyak’s supposed death. Hearing of his death broke Ahsoka’s heart but she couldn’t dwell on it; there was still a war going on.

Of course, he didn’t die, he just came very close to it with breast full body paralysis. He follows directing under his new master and stays hidden from the rest of the Jedi, fighting in the war from behind the lines.

He doesn’t come across Ahsoka again until after she leaves the Jedi order. For a year they live happily together, travelling and helping people in need, staying out of the Jedi’s sight.

The breaking point is Ahsoka’s mission during order 66, facing maul with rex. She told Xy she’d have to do this mission alone, seeing as the rest of the Jedi think he’s dead and it should stay that way.

Order 66 is implemented and Ahsoka is forced to take her and rex’s deaths. Xyak doesn’t know that her grave is a fake and he goes to her grave to say goodbye one last time, where he breaks down crying.

After his goodbye, he moves on and makes himself a little more known. He seeks out Bail Organa and encourages him to start organizing a bigger rebellion quickly. Bail doesn’t know exactly who Xyak is, but He sees the lightsaber at his side and understands. Over time He grows to trust Xyak as he becomes the first Fulcrum Agent.

He knows over time other Fulcrum Agents take up the name and join the fight, and he is greatful for it. He is about to leave to try and recuperate his mind from losing Ahsoka when Ahsoka is revealed to be one of HIS Fulcrum Agents.

He seeks her out after her and Rex’s reunion, but he can’t make himself go to her. He’s relieved to see she’s okay, and that’s enough for him. He keeps tabs on her AND the team she was with; the crew of the Ghost. He sees one of the agent that work for the Empire; Agent Callous has doubts about the Empire after he and Zeb survive an ice planet together, and he goes personally to recruit him as a Fulcrum.

After this, he follows the ghost to the Sith Temple, and watches Ahsoka battle Vader. He sees Vader limping away from the rubble of the fight, and Xyak seals by and rushes inot the Temple, looking for any sign of Ahsoka. He finds her collapsed behind the second entrance he looks through, her saber at the ready to impale him, but he jumps out of the way.

She’s wounded, badly, and he holds her, frantically trying to help her, to patch her up. But he can’t. She’s so happy to see him though, so he carries her back to his ship and heals what he can, but it’s still not enough. He lays with her until she passes, and it’s not until she’s gone cold does he let go of her for good. (This bit could change given that Rebels isn’t over yet and the rest of Ahsoka’s life is currently up in the air)

He buries her on the same planet they held their first mission on: Jedha.

It’s here that he senses something rippling through the Force. A disturbance in the Temple, one that no one else seems to notice. There’s something living there. Something powerful enough with the Force to hide itself in plain sight, without disrupting the life around it, or even the Empire pillaging it.

He stays to investigate, and he is forced to move faster with it when the Empire decides to destroy the city. He discovers a small twi'lek child in the ruins. She’d scared as hell, and the He scoops her up and takes her with him on his ship. She warms up to him slowly. Eventually she agrees to train as his padawan. She sees him as a lovable big brother, and trusts him implicitly. She tells him the only name she remembers: Kaori.

[subtly-epic]

Just Somebody That I Used To Know

Some days I feel like I might hate her. Especially when anyone who is actively in my life (unlike her) positively acknowledges her existence. How are you going be one of my best friends for like 5 or 6 years and then act like I no longer exist? Other days I try to forget it. I truly don't know what happened. One of my friends said her boyfriend doesn't like me. So maybe she just picked him over our friendship. She didn’t respond to texts or call back. When she did there was some excuse or lie that I knew to be a lie because she clearly thought I wasn't smart enough and didn't see all the activities she was posting on social media. I stayed at her, at her parents house rather when I was breaking up with my ex. Her parents let me borrow a car when mine wasn't working. I answered every call no matter where I was when she was having trouble with guys she was dating, including her current one. We had gotten together to celebrate each other's birthdays every year. However, last year it was impossible to get a hold of her and not just for me, but other friends we'd become close with the past years. She invited us to her birthday bonfire and I took work off for it. The day came and without telling anyone she canceled it. I had to call her a few times before I got an answer to find out she'd canceled it. Regardless, I invited her for my birthday. She said that she would have to see if she could move around the plans she already made. So even though we made plans every single year, she had made plans this year on my birthday. Fine. Whatever. I was pissed, but tried not to make a big deal out something that might not be anything. I hear nothing from her. So I texted her and ask if she was able to make it and she asked where it'd be at. I told her the city and she responded, "I don't really want to be in that city right now." The only explanation I have for this was possibly because her ex lived in that city, but if that was the case, he wouldn't have been at my birthday gathering. I haven't talked to her since. Last minute she bailed on a halloween party a friend we have in common was throwing with another bullshit excuse. The year before all this they surprised me with a few people at a restaurant/bar that I like for my 30th birthday, where my now fiance proposed. This absent friend was supposed to be my maid of honor. I'd asked her and she had accepted. I didn't want to choose between my three sisters or my two childhood best friends, so I thought this was a good way to go. Apparently it was not. After a while I had to reluctantly pick someone new because I couldn't get a hold of her for anything, let alone wedding related things. She never asked about how it was going with the wedding and never said she didn't end up having time to be the maid of honor or anything. It was if I'd never asked her at all. Now I'm getting married in September and I haven't heard from her since September. The last time we'd talked about anything wedding related was probably January or February of the year before. I feel like I've been cast away like garbage. It's especially ridiculous, because in the time we'd been friends, together we experienced this exact same feeling because of another friend discarding the both of us like it was nothing. I wonder if she'd given me some sort of explanation if I'd feel differently. I mean maybe if she'd just told me she decided to choose her boyfriend over her friendship or that she decided I'd become old and boring or something... I don't know, I guess maybe it doesn't matter, because either way I'd probably think she's a callous coward.