#still think about stardust eat the wrapper

[lukochi]

Just some snack and drink on the Dream Express

The first one is the scene when stardust eat some starflour crisps but didn’t take the wrapper off, and the second one is just SomniSoda with my cookie oc

I was kinda lazy to do the second comic

[margarine-archives]

Can I’m have stardust cookie x male reader who is overprotective over sorbet shark cookie and ask him if he can adopt them please sorbet they have being alone in ocean for years I’m want them to be happy headcanons

Taking Care of Sorbet Shark Cookie with: Stardust Cookie ! (M!Reader)

notes: I am finished with exams ! I will try and complete requests one by one !

- stardust doesn't question where or how you found such a unique cookie, but doesn't hesitate to agree when you ask if both of you can keep them

- his heart melts at sorbet shark's happy yet sweet demeanor, which is why he was instantly attached the moment he saw them in your arms ! Having a cookie like them in his life was also a big change for stardust, being used to loneliness and violence, and he felt truly happy

- due to meeting space doughnut before sorbet shark's arrival, he's already used to the foreign language he cannot understand, but somehow you understand them quite easily. Though he's not really surprised at this because of how he's the only one to understand space doughnut (he believes its because he met them first, same goes for you !)

- though in his mind, he's hesitant, he wonders if he'll be able to present himself as a good 'father' to sorbet shark cookie. He's still adjusting to earthbread, someone such as him who is from space were never taught things like this, much so how to take care of a kid.

- he mostly relies on you, his boyfriend. He constantly asks questions about the child, what do they eat, what requirements they need to keep them happy and alive, etc. etc.

- though he is not skilled parent wise, he, too, will become a very overprotective dad to whoever he thinks may harm them. He's not up to taking that sort of risk and honestly, it's his nightmare sometimes (before sorbet came into his life, its always about your safety, despite knowing you can protect yourself). He's grown so attached to the cute cookie

- stardust doesn't blame you for your protective tendencies towards the cookie, because he, too, feels the same way ! He felt quite the same when he felt the urge to protect space doughnut from harm's way (ehem.. dr. evilgaze..) and he felt the same for you ! so the feeling, or urge, to protect isn't foreign to him anymore

- would bring them along in the space train, sorbet shark cookie will be happily introduced to space doughnut, and they happily get along really well ! (seem to understand eachother quite easily aswell, probably because they both speak their own language).

- would teach them how to eat starflour crisps correctly because he doesn't want them eating it with the wrapper on (sorbet probably follows how space doughnut eats it anyways)

- found out sorbet shark could actually talk after taking you both (following an excited space doughnut) to the space beach. Once sorbet dived into the water, the cookie he was taking care of became.. an actual shark ?

- it was certainly a surprise, but he got used to it quickly ! It's like him in some degree and he finds that amusing. He's also glad he can finally have an understandable conversation with the cookie, he imagines it could get quite tiring having to translate for him all the time.

- he's quite happy, and he never thought that there would be a time where he can feel happiness, he thought that he would simply return to space, endlessly wandering through the cosmos, he'd never think that two cookies (and a doughnut) could change his perspective of a normal life

- he's thinking of what cookies call 'marriage'. He'd say it's meaningless back then, but the thought of strengthening your relationship with the title of being his 'husband' makes him quite happier. And moreso, he's quite bad at hiding it..

[fanfictrashdump]

Universe in a Jar, 5 - Phase 4 fic

Recap: Some days ago, I reblogged this post about the magical trio. And then my brain went off on a monumental tangent and, I wrote Universe in a Jar.

Characters: Stephen Strange, Loki, Wanda Maximoff, Wong, OC

Rating: T?

Warnings: Language! Mentions of sexual encounters, sarcasm, terrible storytelling, and typos prob.

Summary: Baby-sitting beings arguably more powerful than him goes awry for Doctor Strange. He knows one person who can possibly keep them isolated and out of trouble. Well, he knew someone who could… he hasn’t seen them in decades and for stupid reasons.

Previous Chapter

XX

"You have to stop getting frustrated, pet. You know that is what's keeping you from achieving anything," Loki suggested gently, holding onto Persephone's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. The way the words rolled off his tongue gave indication of just how many times he had repeated them. His voice was still gentle, the way it always was when speaking to Persephone, a gentle urging rather than the acid tone he was known for, but the thinning of his patience was beginning to bleed through.

Persephone groaned, falling back onto the living room rug with a dramatic flail. "I know! I just–I can't visualize it!"

"We're just molding the glass. Taking your magic and giving it different shape," Wanda added, helpfully. Luckily, Seph couldn't see the grimace set on the witch's face. "Take the house, for example. How did you shape your portal to fit into your apartment so that you could stuff the farmhouse in it?"

"I didn't. I summon, it happens. Like a fluid, it just fills the shape of whatever it's in. I can't actually control it."

"You can," Loki interrupted her rant, "because I can. I already showed you that I can warp the walls. So, you can, too."

With a huff, she threw her forearm over her eyes, as if this shielded her from the rest of reality. "I don't understand how it works. I haven't needed to understand how it works. The books aren't helping and this is stupid!"

"Hey..."

Seph involuntarily flinched at Stephen's voice coming from beside her. When she peeked over her arm, she found him crouched down to her right, a calm look set on his face–very different from the borderline pitying and frustrated looks she was getting from the rest of the room.

"Here." He held out a bar of her favorite chocolate for her to take, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Where'd you get this?"

Stephen then smirked. "Portal'ed into Old Man James' shop. Can't believe he's still alive, by the way. He has to be a hundred and ten, by now." He shook the bar. "Go on. You know you need it. Studying isn't your thing."

Seph sat up quickly, fidgeting in her place as she fought with the wrapper. "I didn't tell you–I thought you were busy–I didn't intentionally not tell–"

"Hey, you're fine." He waved away her concern. "We both know I don't have the patience to teach."

"That's not true. What you lack is the desire."

He laughed. "That too." He paused just long enough to reach over and tear the wrapper in the corner. "I have some things to take care of at the Sanctum. Do you think you can manage with these two?" He offered a nod in response to hers and he rose to his feet. "Chocolate and a five minute break when she gets overwhelmed. Works miracles," he muttered to Loki as he brushed past and patted him on the back.

"Thanks, Stephen," Seph called after him as he walked through the portal he had just made by the door.

He waved it off for the second time that day, seeming so much more level-headed than she ever remembered him being, and disappeared into the Sanctum halls.

Loki and Wanda stared at each other before the witch plopped onto the sofa nearest Persephone. "Why aren't you asking Stephen to help? He seems to know how you function pretty well."

"Learning from him is a nightmare. He actually has all the patience in the world, but I get easily frustrated, and then he gets frustrated… It goes south very fast from there." She shrugged.

Wanda groaned. "You know, you two not having sex is putting a real damper on our progress."

"Wanda!"

Loki snorted somewhere beside her and Seph stuffed a chunk of chocolate into her mouth.

"She's not wrong, pet."

"Well, you're both going to have to deal with it, OK? This is not up for debate."

Persephone's brow furrowed as she concentrated once again on the veil between the worlds. So far, not even a glimmer was present in her efforts and it was getting more frustrating by the moment. Tutting quietly under his breath, Loki slipped onto the floor beside her. His hand trailed gracefully down her shoulder until he grasped her hand in his. Locking their fingers together, he gently pried her digits open with his own.

"Focus. Can you see where your magic touches reality?" With a shudder brought on by his velvety voice in her ear, she shook her head in the negative. "Can you feel it, then?" She gave a nod. "Stretch your hand to where you feel it begin." He followed her movements until their entwined fingers were nearly touching the wall. No one could deny the smile on Loki's face at the imperceptible twitch of her fingers as the static of magic prickled at the tips. "Your magic is something flowy. Like silk or satin." He hummed under his breath for a beat as he paused to think. "Maybe lighter. Like gauze or gossamer. It's curtain between realities, keeping Nebraska inside of New York. A house within an apartment. An infinite within another infinite. How much or how little one world seeps into the other depends on how much you open the curtain. You control the curtain and you need only to grasp the fabric," he closed his hand around hers, "and pull it open."

His hand moved both of theirs back and a sliver of boring beige wall peeked through the intricate wallpaper that filled the house. Persephone gasped, doubly so when Loki let his own hand drop and the gap between worlds still existed. Committing the sensation to memory, she opened her hand and reality sealed itself back again.

"Once more, love. Peel away the garments and let reality figure itself out," he murmured and another shiver ran down her spine. This time she didn't hesitate, and though her attempt was a little shaky, soon a swathe of beige was barely visible. "There's a clever girl." His fingers danced over the curve of her waist, prompting Seph to stare questioningly over her shoulder. Their eyes locked, eternities passing in quiet contemplation of each other.

"Monster, monster, monster!" Wanda called in a panic, magic swirling in her hands ready for attack.

Seph dropped the divider with a shriek at the sight of the twisted maw of what she assumed was a hell beast. The creature hissed and growled as it slipped through just shy of this reality stitching itself together. Without missing a beat, Loki flicked his hands forward and the monster dissolved into green sparks and stardust that flickered and sparkled on the hardwood floor.

"It's just a void hound. No need to panic," Loki announced matter-of-factly.

"A what, now?" Wanda asked, twisting her hands with sneer to rid the floor of whatever remained of the creature.

"Void hound. Your people call it the monster under the bed or the grim. It's just a shadow that slipped through the cracks in reality."

"You knew this could happen?" Seph had shuffled all the way back against an armchair and away from the walls.

"It's a possibility, but I was here. Besides, I just wanted to show you what was possible. You can open the walls between realities, but what you want to do is mold from the inside. Hounds can't slip in if you don't give them a place to slip into, after all."

"So," Wanda began, "if I hadn't been here and stopped you from eating each other's faces off, what would have happened?"

"Consumed by ever-looming darkness and despair in the void, most likely."

The short silence that followed nearly drained the color from their surroundings.

"Nope. No more magic. Don't need it. Bye." Seph rescued her chocolate bar from the corner it had been flung and was moving quite swiftly out of the living room.

Loki rolled his eyes, a little glad he was well out of her sight. "I was kidding, love! Nothing's going to harm you."

"Nope. I don't–" A loud screech interrupted her. In her distraction, she had not seen Stephen arrive and was not expecting the warm hand on her shoulder.

"Jesus, Peep! It's just me!" He glanced at Loki and Wanda with a disappointed look. "You get rid of it?"

"Yeah, Loki turned it into dust," Wanda retorted simply.

"Good." Stephen turned to look at Seph's tight-knit brow and wide eyes. "Why are you running away?"

Seph answered the question for one of her own that she deemed far more pressing. "There's monsters!?"

Stephen frowned. "Sorcerer, witch, alien sorcerer," he started, pointing at himself, Wanda, and Loki, in turn. "At what point did monsters become too implausible?"

"I don't want monsters!"

"Which is why I told them not to have you opening the veil, but clearly that bit of information didn't stick."

"You told–you knew I was doing this?"

Stephen couldn't help but smile at the little notch forming between her brows, even as his right thumb smoothed it away. He nodded as if there was nothing to it. "I asked them to. I knew you wouldn't ask for help to try out what you've read and I didn't want you to try on your own."

Persephone sighed, her head hanging forward between her shoulders as she tried to work out the situation in her head. She gave up shortly after starting. "Why?"

Stephen shrugged. "I want to fix my mistakes. This is what I can give you, right now. Skills, support, making sure you don't go out without proper tools in a very confusing world. It's not much, but–"

"Shut up, Steve!" There was an edge of exasperation in her tone, though her volume remained soft. "You really gotta learn when to skip self-deprecation station." She wrapped her arms loosely around his waist with a little groan that he replied with a quiet sigh and a gentle, almost hesitant kiss on her forehead.

"My Jiminy Cricket has been busy. I'm out of practice."

"I am not a cartoon cricket, Strange. Or your conscience, for that matter. You wouldn't be in this shitshow if I were," she mumbled from somewhere within the t-shirt he wore.

That pulled a heartfelt chuckle out of the Sorcerer. "You say that, but I call Loki a conceited twat–"

"Be nice!"

"–and that happens."

"To be fair," the Asgardian Prince cut in, "he's not entirely wrong. Though he mistakes conceit with confidence."

"Oh, no, I am confident you're a–" Persephone's hand slammed onto Stephen's mouth, though he continued mumbling behind the makeshift muzzle. He would later swear up and down that it was the principle of the thing that made him finish. Stephen peeled her hand off, shit-eating grin beaming at her. "Do you want some help with portals?"

"Help from the Sorcerer Supreme? Lucky girl." Wanda's tone earned her a half-hearted glare from the woman still clinging to said Sorcerer. "What? It's cute! Stephen pretending he's not still in love with you, you and Loki pretending you definitely don't want into each other's pants, all us pretending we're not delaying an inevitable, tragic end by hiding out–"

"You are way out of line, Wanda."

The witch stomped a warpath, eyes glowing red and tendrils of scarlet weeping from her person. Seph jumped back, sharing a short look with Loki, a mutual understanding to de-escalate the situation if it got too out of hand.

"And you have no idea what you're doing, Strange! We're wasting time. My family–"

"Is a manufactured fallacy! Do you know how many holes you created in the multiverse just because you wanted to play house with Vision? Wong's up to his neck in timelines to be corrected, which I can't help with because I don't want you rooting around my brain to figure out where they are!"

"Stephen…" The hand wrapped around his bicep both made him start and settled down his anger long enough to notice he had been poised to deliver a blow of equal magnitude as Wanda was planning. He snapped his fists closed, orange runes disappearing. "Peep, step back."

Ignoring the command, Seph stared at Wanda with a quirked brow. "Drop it."

"Persephone–" The witch's lip quivered.

"I know. I understand, Wanda. But you two have the potential to destroy each other. Let's not do this. Please." Everyone let out a collective breath when Wanda chose to cross her arms and avert her gaze. "Thank you." She squeezed the bicep in her hand again. "You know, the tractor has been stalling a lot. I'm pretty sure it's the injector." Stephen opened his mouth to protest. "Please. For me?"

The group watched Stephen nod curtly and turn on his heel, marching out the kitchen door towards the barn.

Loki cleared his throat, awkwardly. "I'll put the kettle on, shall I?"

"Thanks, Lo." Letting her shoulders sink, she stepped quietly towards the witch and opened her arms. "Come here." There was no hesitancy at how Wanda launched herself into Seph's embrace, promptly breaking into a sob. "I know, honey. I know."

Wanda's response was a half-choked and raspy, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. We'll all be fine." Seph led them to the sofa, gently carding her fingers through auburn tresses in an effort to soothe her friend.

"He just doesn't understand."

Persephone chuckled. "Oh, honey. That is not true. He probably understands better than anyone." She titled her head to catch Wanda's gaze. "He's been losing people his whole life. He's still convinced he's responsible for some of them."

Wanda pulled away, sinking into the back cushion with a scowl. "Then why won't he let me search for my family?"

"Every Universe is slightly different. It's an amalgamation of every alternate path to every decision. There are hundreds of millions of Universes and the one where your family is still alive, may also be the Universe where Thanos won, or Vision joined Ultron or you died. It wouldn't be your family." She shrugged. "In his own, twisted way, he's trying to protect you."

"I don't want his–"

"Protection. I know. But… can you trust that he's doing it for good reason? If you work with him instead of in spite of him, I think you'd get a lot farther."

She got a scoff in return. "I hate him."

Seph giggled. "Join the club. He has one of those faces… and attitudes… and egos."

She smiled up at Loki who had brought out a pot of tea and was precariously balancing two mugs atop it. Craning her neck, she glanced out of one of the back windows to see Stephen scuffing his way up the hill to the barn. Smirking, she slapped her thighs with a resolute nod and got herself out of the sofa.

"I need to go check on him. He'll probably come back and apologize, later. Thanks for your help, today. It was actually good to understand how the portals work." Just as she rounded the corner to exit the house, she paused, stepping backwards until she was back in the living room. "Just for the record, if you ever feel the need to comment on my or anyone's love life to get a barb in because you're frustrated, again, I will lock you in a box and you better hope to God that Stephen and Loki can get you out. Understood?" She held Wanda's gaze until the witch nodded, cheeks reddening. "Perfect. Thanks for the backup, Loki."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, smirking behind his mug and giving her a two-fingered salute before she disappeared out the kitchen.

[rwbyremnants]

WARNINGS: fluffy date feels, roleplay, spooning, reacharound, fingering, female ejaculation, cuddling. Nuts And Dolts: make out session, public sex, car sex, fingering, cunnilingus, coitus interruptus.

NOTICE: There are many references to Harry Potter in this chapter. The authors of this fic do not agree with or condone JK Rowling's controversial views on the transgender community. She might have made a universe that many of us loved but it doesn't mean she's right about everything, and sometimes our idols can really disappoint us.

=Chapter 4

After the spasms subsided to an occasional twitch, Winter turned aside and kissed Ruby’s ankle. "That looked like you enjoyed it quite a lot."

All the poor girl could do was lay against the ground with an elated grin on her face, breathing deeply but happily to recollect herself. She certainly did enjoy every moment, and such an orgasm had clearly taken its toll on the poor little Hufflepuff. She definitely wouldn’t mind if they did this again sometime.

After giving her a minute or so to collect herself, Winter asked as softly as she could manage, "Okay… out or in?"

"Whuh?" Ruby only just managed to ask, turning her head in Winter's direction to try her best to look again. She could still feel the large object inside her, and even now there was an odd fullness that she enjoyed. But alas, if she had any hope of calming down enough to make the journey back home, she'd need to end things now. "O-out."

"Okay," Winter chuckled. "On three, then. Alright? One, two… three." Then, in one smooth, quick motion, she withdrew the thick length from within Ruby's well-deflowered flower.

"Oooh!" One last shudder, and Ruby was free of it again. Empty. It was a strange feeling after taking something so big, but came with just as much relief. Smiling and panting still, she asked rather cheekily, "Don't suppose I can see it now, can I?"

"Sure," Winter sighed, pressing her face up against the arch of Ruby's foot. "Just… give me a second and I'll untie you."

But that didn't fool her. She could feel Winter there, and she wasn't going to let her get off Scot free. "What's the matter? Foot got your tongue?"

That quickly, Winter pushed herself upright and away. "Right, sorry - your wrists must be chafing by now…"

Flexing her hands and rotating them around, she chuckled slightly nervously in agreement, trying to push them toward her. "Yeah, kinda. Knees ache, too."

"Alright, let's take care of that. These knots are actually very easy to undo." Which she proceeded to demonstrate, fingers flying over them and loosening bonds here and there. Only once more did Winter pause over the wriggling soles, and it was very brief. Then, her sub was freed.

"There," she sighed, sitting back on her shoes. "You are a turkey no more."

"Gobble, gobble!" With a giggle, Ruby brought her hands back at last and rotated them quite a while to loosen them, rubbing them to aid with that, as well. She also rotated her feet in the same way to relax them, flexing her toes here and there in addition. Only then did she finally reach up and pull away the blindfold.

When she looked over, she saw Winter had used quite a strange object, indeed. It was more or less the size and dimensions of a human phallus, but more perfectly straight… and tapered. Between that, the tannish colour, texturing, and the shape of the handle…

"It's a 'love wand'," Winter informed her with a smirk. "Special ordered. Might be kind of ridiculous, but I thought it was at least wizard-themed."

A light blush formed on Ruby's cheeks again. Special ordered? Yet another thing she had bought for their one particular scene. It seemed like Winter practically had money to burn. Making short work of the rest of the ties around herself, she let them drop to the ground, stepping out of them.

"How much did you spend on me?" she asked. "’Cause I know the robes alone don't come cheap."

"Don't worry about that," Winter told her right away, no hesitation. "It was part of the scene, and I volunteered to do it. You didn't even help me set this one up, so it's all on me."

"I know but, this is a lot." She shrugged her shoulders once again nervously. "Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate it, really! But, if you're spending this much on me, how much are you dropping on everyone? Are you okay with it? Like, you’re not taking out a small business loan just for your subs, are you?"

The elder woman blinked at her for a moment before her mouth turned up in a soft smile. "You're really worried, aren't you?" Reaching forward, she cupped Ruby's cheek with the lightest touch she could manage. "I'm fine. Not 'Google futures' fine, but believe me, buying a couple of outfits and this piece of silicon that looks like wood isn't going to mean I can't eat or pay rent. But… thank you."

Smiling back contentedly, she nodded. Yet again, she found one of her hands raising to the one on her cheek, pressing it up against her face even more. Winter's soft hands… "It's no problem."

The content expression grew deeper on Winter’s face, and she allowed herself to enjoy the touch for a moment before she spoke again. "Good. Now then, to reveal the solid gold Galleons I bought for you…"

"Wha?!" For Winter's sake, and the sake of her own sanity, she hoped that was a joke.

But in their encounter for the night, something different seemed to twig for Ruby. Winter was the first person to treat her with various luxuries. Even if they were just for one night, it was more than anyone had done for her before. How could this just be friendship? And there were also the adoring looks, comments on her body… Could her sister-in-law actually have a bit of a crush on her?

Nope, we're not going down that road, either, Ruby told herself. Penny treats you great! In her own way, at least; she can't afford this stuff, sure, but you can't betray her by not telling her about any romantic stuff going on with somebody else. Don’t worry about what’s going on with Winter until it’s a real problem.

However, that thought brought about a gasp. She had forgotten something else she promised. "Wait, what time is it?!"

"Hmm? Oh, I…" Glancing around, she craned her neck over toward where the nightstand usually was - only to see nothing there. "Ah, damn. I was so concerned with making sure all technology was hidden! Hang on, I'll check the bathroom clock for you." She was already heading through the door.

"Alright, sorry!"

Shit. Not only did you forget you'd be home for Penny, you made Winter feel like crap, as well. Great job, you dumbass. Those thoughts alone were enough to make her run her hands down her face, groaning in annoyance. It was probably midnight, knowing Ruby's luck; way later than her self-designated curfew. It might seem a ridiculous promise to some, but Ruby knew how important it was to sleep beside her girlfriend.

"About ten 'til ten," Winter said as she returned, tossing something in a foil wrapper to Ruby. "Also, you'll want to have a small something, especially since you… well, lost a little blood."

"Oop!" Just managing to catch it before it hit her across the face, Ruby unwrapped it immediately to reveal: "A chocolate frog!" That would hit the spot. The poor Hufflepuff was certainly in the mood for something sweet after that intense pleasure! But before Winter went to put things away, she thought it best to speak up.

"I'm sorry, by the way. About the whole virginity thing. I honestly had no idea."

"You didn't know you were a virgin? That's a first. But honestly, I'm only sad I couldn't give you the proper treatment - like, if… oh, but it doesn't matter what I would have done now. I hope you enjoyed today, though."

"Well I'm not, exactly. Or I wasn’t, even before. I mean, me and Penny have done stuff. With fingers. I guess I just counted that as my virginity even without the… breakage." She nervously scratched the back of her head again. Although, she was still curious. "What would you have done?"

Winter shrugged, thinking for a moment. "Oh… I don't know, I haven't had to take a sub's virginity before. Probably something involving covering the bed in rose petals, maybe some soft music. And probably fairly vanilla sex; it's sort of a lot to deal with on top of being tied up and things, isn't it?"

"That's sounding very…" Don't do it. Don't go there! "…romantic."

God fucking damnit! But it honestly was. The idea of a woman setting things out and making them perfect just for her was enough to warm her heart, make her feel truly special. A feeling that she should only feel for one person.

Who, talking of which, she was supposed to be heading home to, and so Ruby began to fetch her underwear. "I'm sorry I never mentioned that I have to get home tonight, either, but Penny kind of wants me to. I mean, if I'm desperate, I don't think she'd have a problem but-"

"Oh? That's fine…" The disappointment in Winter's tone was very slight, but there all the same. She tried to dispel it as she continued, "Would you have time to go over today's session, or are you… needing to leave immediately?"

Pulling on her underwear first, she looked back toward Winter. She could sense the disappointment, even if she wasn't trying to show it. Running off so suddenly wasn't something she wanted to do at all. Nor did she truly want to leave Winter without doing her part in tidying up.

"Well…" It was getting late, however. The ride was at least half an hour back to home, and Ruby had told Penny half past ten would be her latest to get home. With there being so little time, she shrugged, following her deepest heart’s desire. "Okay, I'll let Penny know I'm tired and I’m gonna stay; if that's okay with you."

"What? No, you don't have to cancel on her! That wasn't… I didn't mean for you to change your plans if you need to be home, I'm sorry."

"No, I want to." It was the truth. Gesturing to the layout of the room, she said, "You spent forever setting this up for me! It wouldn't be fair for me to run off and leave you to clean up without any help. She's just…" Scratching her head nervously, she sighed. "She's scared of things possibly turning romantic without her knowing about it first. Like, she's okay if things do, but not behind her back."

That caught Winter by complete surprise. She had been about to bend to pick up the "Hogwarts textbook," and forgot all about it as she straightened again. "You… think you and I… she thinks we would have an affair? An actual adulterous affair?"

"No… Well, yes… Well, no- I don't know!" Ruby hadn't even bothered to put the rest of her clothes on, dropping her shirt again from when she was about to slide it over her head. Running a hand through her hair, she tried to think more into it. "I guess she's never done this kind of thing before, she doesn't know what to think. And honestly, neither have I. This is all brand new! It's not that she doesn't trust you, or doesn't trust me. I think she just worries she'll be left behind, or something."

But Winter was chuckling to herself. It seemed a bit out of place and insensitive, until she said, "Penny has nothing to fear, believe me. I don't fall for my subs. Not that you aren't an incredible young woman; she's very lucky to have you. But I've never felt a romantic attachment before." Then she shrugged as she picked up the book after all. "Or at least, the few times I have, I just ignored the feeling until it went away. Too inconvenient."

For a moment, Ruby paused again. "So, you've never been in a romantic relationship? Ever?"

"Not once." She continued tidying while speaking. "Oh, I tried meeting men in bars, things like that… and there was never a spark. Didn't lead anywhere. It was fairly frustrating until I just came to accept that if that ever does happen for me, it's not going to be because I went seeking it out."

Something about that made Ruby feel sad. More sad than she'd ever expected. Winter had so much experience, but never once had any of that been romantic - never had anyone to cuddle up to at night, or give her small kisses throughout the day. Never even something as small as silly text messages throughout the day just to let her know they were thinking of her. From the vague things she had found out through Yang, she knew Winter had a troubling past with men; but learning this, as well…

"I just gotta go get my phone to text her," she insisted, moving her clothes to the top of the bed for a moment, before going off to collect those she left in the bathroom.

"Alright," was all Winter said at first. When Ruby was in the bathroom, she called out, "Oh - if you were serious about staying, you can borrow some of my pyjamas."

It seemed to fall on deaf ears. Once she'd gone back to the bathroom, the took her phone from her pocket. Ten PM according to her phone's time, it still wasn't too late to get a taxi. Only just.

But instead, she wrote out a message: Our playing got super cray and I'm really tired so I'm gonna stay. I promise I'll make it up to you when I get back, and if you wanna talk about things more, that's fine. Love you, sleep well xoxo

Once that was sorted, she collected her clothes up into her arms. If nobody had ever given Winter a romantic night, she was going to do it herself. There was no reason why she couldn't do it as a form of play, even if it would end up with sleep. That was allowed, right?

“Winter,” Ruby whispered to herself, flicking off the bathroom light, “prepare to be… romanticized!”

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

By the time Ruby returned to Winter’s bedroom, the cauldron and most of the other odds and ends were put back where they belonged, though the rest of the room still looked very "Hogwarts". That couldn't be helped; she probably had men roll out the false floor and move the bed on top of it. Also, the steamer trunk would take at least two people to heft.

"We could have a nightcap while we discuss the session," Winter said once she noticed Ruby standing there. "Also, you can choose the bed or the couch; I'm fine with either."

Picking up the remaining parts of the potion pack, Ruby placed them near the bedside table. That seemed like a good idea, taking time out and finishing the rest tomorrow. However, rather than make a decision, she looked toward Winter.

"Actually… What if we did something else? Like a second session?"

"What?!" Winter burst out, nearly dropping the satchel she had been moving over by the closet. "You just lost your virginity! I'm… a little surprised you'd want to go again!"

"Not exactly…" Making her way toward the bed, she sat on the bedside, elegantly crossing her legs. She still wasn't dressed, and was clearly making no effort to do so. That became a lot more obvious. "Like, not necessarily a sex session."

"Ah… wait, what are you talking about, then?" Winter seemed genuinely confused. "A training session, more like the first time? Or what?"

"I'm talking… about switching roles." Patting the space on the bed beside her the smile was beginning to become a little more mischievous. Especially so as she leant back. "Remember our first session, how it was like, first date fluffiness?"

Winter's brow was still furrowed, but she said, "Of course. Except that date slowly turned into you being Lady." Her lips quirked slightly as she set back to tidying. "Even I know that's not how most first dates usually go."

"Yeah, well…" She shook her head. "Okay, forget about that then! I mean… I wanna give you an experience of your own. A different kind of session, like a…" She swallowed. Again with the word. "A romantic one."

"What?" When she finished putting down the potions ingredients case by everything else, she stood ramrod straight. Then she slowly turned to look at Ruby. "You want to give… me one?"

Ruby nodded. Rather than patting the bed again, she instead pulled up the covers by her side, inviting her into the bed itself. Even without the pyjamas, both in the same bed… "Have you ever been spooned before?"

"What?" Winter asked again. She really did seem to be having trouble processing what Ruby was offering, but she finally seemed to be moving past the initial confusion. "Oh… come on, I wasn't trying to get you to- Ruby, you don't have to do this. I'm fine with my life as it is, really. Happy, even! My relationship with Weiss is more secure than it ever was, and I have a good circle of friends, so… so you don't need to start worrying about me, alright?"

"I'm not," she insisted. Still not budging, still not moving, only continuing to hold the bedsheets open for her. "I'm seriously asking; A, have you been spooned before, and B, do you want a romantic session with me?"

Swallowing hard, Winter began to say something. Her lips parted, and she leaned forward, then stopped herself. With a shrug, she said, "No, I haven't. And… yes, I do." Hastily, she added, "If you really, truly want one with me. Otherwise, I'm not going to make you uncomfortable by accepting. I absolutely refuse to do that."

Immediately, Ruby rolled to one side to allow herself into the bed first, budging right over to one side under the covers and patting the large area between them. Leaning her head against her hand, she continued that smile back toward Winter. That enticing, genuine smile.

"You never made me uncomfortable, never guilted me into this," she reassured. "I wouldn't have offered if I felt either of those things. Seriously, I really want to do this for you."

"Oh. Well, I suppose… we could try it. For a bit." She took a step forward, then snorted and began taking off her shoes. "I'm not getting in wearing this getup, though. Firstly, because it would wrinkle, and my dry cleaner already questions my wardrobe choices often enough."

"Well duh." Ruby chuckled, waiting patiently as she got herself comfortable for a moment, laying her head against the pillow lazily. "What would your Ravenclaw character wear? Like, right after she's given Rose a wild night?"

Pursing her lips, she thought on that for a moment as she undid the dress shirt, loosened the necktie just enough to slide it over her head. "Well… probably something conservative. I sort of envisioned her as only really liking to torture 'Rose' because they have that kind of arrangement. Outside that, she's not too liberal with her body or sexuality."

"Okay…" Perhaps this was going to be more difficult than she thought. Not even Winter's 'sona' was into romance it seemed, or at least wasn't willing. But maybe that was because of how she saw Ruby's own persona in their play. The small, bumbling Hufflepuff of whom she could toy with however she wanted, a student that just liked disobeying the rules. Maybe that was what had to change.

"Then perhaps… after she's given Rose her lesson for the day," she began, still watching as Winter stripped, "she returns to her dorm, to… um, Red. A pretty ironically-named Ravenclaw she has a different kind of connection with? Or something?"

That made Winter grin from ear to ear as she finally discarded the shirt, revealing her bra. Next came the skirt, which she shucked as she answered, "I like where this is going; separate play, but equal. So how long have Winter and 'Red' been cuddle buddies? For the past two years, perhaps?"

"Oh, since they were third years. Maybe Winter's not as hard-as-nails as she acts, and got scared of a thunderstorm one year…" Ruby was having just as much fun making up their characters as their session had been. Even if it was just for the sake of play, it was a fun exercise - especially when Harry Potter was involved. "So Red just snuggled up to her one day, and it helped. So they kept doing it, and maybe they even kissed a little too, that kinda thing."

"I can see that. Very well, we might as well start the scene now, if it's going to be Winter coming back from that session with 'Rose'. If you're prepared to start, that is."

"Very well, then." She attempted herself to sound rather posh in that moment, grinning still at how easily Winter accepted things. But eventually, cleared her throat.

"Begin play."

Then her demeanour seemed to change. She still leant against the pillows in bed, only this time was rather eagerly rubbing the empty space by her side, trying to encourage her to take up the space. "You've been gone a while; I take it Rose enjoyed her session today?"

"She did," Winter sighed, a little more stiffly than before. "You know, I wasn't sure how she was going to take to ropes and tickling, but… she seemed really, really turned on by those developments. It was interesting."

"I see…" 'Red' smirked to herself, continuing to look to her partner with half closed eyes and a smirk. This was going to be a fun role to play, especially since it was going to be more dominating. An interesting switch. "Sounds intense! I bet you wore the poor girl out."

"Completely." Winter decided to let a little of reality slip into their fantasy, and she sighed. "Really wish I had known she was a virgin before tonight… I think that made for an unpleasant surprise for both of us."

"Oh?" Ruby was able to sense this. Even in the middle of 'play', she was using this as a way of venting how she felt about the whole thing. It wasn't as though things could be reversed, but at least she could also put her own thoughts across. Even as Red.

"I wouldn't say it's unpleasant," she began, finally moving her arm aside when it looked like Winter was going to come to bed. "Out of all the terrible Slytherins out there, she lost it to you; someone who will look after her and take care of her. I'd say she did well."

The blush that crept into Winter's cheeks was obviously real, but all she said was, "Th-that's a fair point, I suppose. And of course, I'm more than honoured to have been the one for her." Then she sighed as she sat down on the bed in front of Ruby, wearing only panties and socks - the latter of which she was removing. "She really seemed to like what I could do for her, though."

"Oh, I'm sure she did." The slight slip of character was of course her agreement, to show to her Dom that she had in fact enjoyed their session thoroughly. But still beginning their next one, she leant forward, looping her arms around Winter's waist as she sat up herself. "Just as I'm sure you'll enjoy what I can do for you."

"Hmm?" Looking over her shoulder, Winter blinked down at her for a moment before smiling. "Oh, I'm sure I will, Red. We've been doing this for long enough that I'm pretty certain I will."

"Good. Then get in here," she finally commanded, retracting her arms and getting herself right back to her position in the bed. It felt rather nice to be the one in control. There was a peculiar thrill about it, one she could get used to.

"Yes, ma'am," Winter breathed, easily falling into a submissive role and dipping her head slightly as she slipped into the covers, backing up against Ruby's front before she pulled them up higher.

Right away, the hands began to loop back around Winter again as she felt Ruby nestling into her back. With her smaller size, she found quite a simple spot; head leaning against her neck, legs tucking away just below hers. All the while, her hand started to very gently stroke her stomach. Just a small amount to comfort her in their time together. And Winter shivered. It was part of her character, to be sure, but also an involuntary reaction to the affectionate gestures. Her own hands fell to the backs of the arms in front of her, only touching them lightly so as not to stop them from progressing in whatever direction they may.

Nestling her head on Winter's shoulder as best she could, Ruby could be clearly felt smiling happily. One such smile that only brightened when she looked to the soft skin of her partner's neck. Deciding it would be in character, she leant in, pressing a kiss against it, before returning to her position.

"You're so soft."

"Thank you," she breathed shakily. This was getting a lot more intense a lot faster than she anticipated! "I… always think you're soft, Red."

Swallowing hard, she tried to back up a little further until she could feel shins underneath her heels. There was a rather pleasant feeling down below that Ruby approved of, even if nothing could really be done about it without another item. Ruby's crotch was pressed right in against Winter's petite behind. The soft cheeks were more than comfortable, but feeling them so close to her was enough to get her feeling in the mood again.

But not for her. Ruby was finished for the night. No… her feelings and desires were more to serve another. She had been so patient with her, giving her a fantastic orgasm. It felt fair to try and return the favour. Already, her hands were beginning to stroke slightly lower, and lower…

"Red?" Winter asked in a hushed tone, trying to look over her shoulder at the smaller girl. "What's… what are you doing?"

Returned only with a sly smirk, Red looked back up toward her as best she could. Her hands were continuing to make their journey downward, delicately stroking while they did so. "Tell me, did Rose return the favour? Pleasing you, I mean."

With a knowing smirk, she whispered, "Oh, of course not. After the paces I put her body through tonight? Nobody's that resilient that they could turn around and do it for someone else the same night."

"I dunno, I think she could have had it in her…" Ruby continued to tease, continued to pet. Right until she was toying with the waistband of Winter's underwear. "But either way… maybe I can provide that relief."

Shivering all the way down her spine, Winter curled her toes up against Ruby's shins. "O-ooh… maybe you can. Maybe I would like that."

"You would?" she asked, very slowly dipping her fingers into Winter's underwear. Just the fingertips at first… then more… "Because I'd very much like to. I do love hearing you squeal my name."

Ever the professional, Winter let out a shaky breath and whispered, "Red…"

Even if she was supposed to be the Dom in this scene, Ruby's cheeks lit up just as red as the word. She was glad that Winter was in front of her and couldn't see that shyness in her cheeks, couldn't see how it affected her. But she had a job to do. The hand went even lower into her underwear, fingers lightly scratching through the small patch of hair below. Winter always kept herself neat, and today was no exception.

"All short for me? You know how to lay out the welcome mat."

"Well," she panted shakily, "I… couldn't have you seeing me… messy." After a beat, she added, "Not unless it's a mess you made."

Purring in delight, Ruby nuzzled her face up against Winter's neck again. Giving a quick kiss to distract her, she pressed her fingers further down between the soft lips below. And for a moment, she let them linger there as she whispered softly, "Do you want me to make a mess?"

Winter's entire body seized, and she reached up to grasp Ruby's hands instinctively. It wasn't intended to stop her, but she wasn't used to being handled so gently and so confidently at the same time - especially not by a woman.

"I… I really do," she breathed.

Ruby could only smile to herself again. Winter wanted to try. It was something so unlike her normal experiences, something much softer and calmer and 'Red' certainly didn't want to disappoint. Leaning in, she allowed her lips to press repeatedly against Winter's cheek while she dipped her fingers further into the lips below. She was really touching Winter Schnee! This was crazy! Over and over they brushed up and down, collecting the moisture.

"Hhahhh," Winter breathed softly, beyond pleased with the efforts 'Red' had made thus far. "That's good… I l-like that…"

"You usually do." Ruby teased. Of course, it was all for her fake role of Red the Ravenclaw, a character or Ruby's design solely for the purpose of being with Winter. Or at least, Winter's role. She was determined to make it a deeply romantic experience for her, something unlike all of her sessions before.

To do that, she continued the movements of her hands, but pressed kisses further up, toward Winter's soft lips. And she accepted, wholeheartedly and immediately, leaning back to open her mouth very slightly as their lips began to knead against each other. How divine, how sweet! Of course, every time Ruby kissed her, she enjoyed it, but somehow their current play made it that much better, that much more thrilling and…

Romantic. Why did Ruby suddenly feel the urge to start this play in the first place? Of course, Winter was enjoying herself immensely, but the question wouldn't disappear, no matter how much she enjoyed the sensations. Was this something she had wanted to explore with Winter for a while now? Or was it something Penny was unwilling to try, just as with the other sexual fantasies? Perhaps she would ask after it was done.

Smiling to herself, Ruby continued to kiss those soft tender lips of her partner. She could feel Winter's legs beginning to part just by her fingers, and it filled her with joy knowing she'd have more space to work with. And she'd do so. Now that her fingers were coated, she could quite easily push two inside, and slowly began to thrust. In and out, in unison with each of her kisses. Whatever she could do to help Winter feel what she had missed out on in all that time, she would do it.

Being entered was so thrilling that Winter's thighs parted immediately, letting the hand do its deed. Both fingers felt so good, so full and articulate inside of her body! Of course, they weren't going precisely where they should; Ruby's inexperience shone through, despite her confidence. To that end, she pulled back from the kiss just enough to tell 'Red', "Curl in a little more" under her breath.

She heard. Even now, Winter was guiding her through their play, despite being the “sub”. Ruby certainly didn't mind, and took the lesson in stride. Curling her fingers as asked, she was starting to feel just why as her fingers pressed against Winter's inner walls with each entry, pushing in and out over again against her.

Slowly but surely, the elder woman began to moan louder, with less reserve. It was good. Very good, enough to make her climax fairly soon if she kept it up. Of course, that was partly because of their earlier play having whet her appetite, but that didn't mean Ruby wasn't adapting to her new role quite smoothly.

"Yes, good," she cooed, continuing to push her fingers in and out slowly as she whispered toward her ear. "You love it, don't you? You like when I help you unwind after a hard day?"

Allowing her thumb to move forward, she attempted to stroke at the small nub at the top of her sex. It was something she hadn't tried before, but instinct told her it would be a good move. And jerky as the motions were, Winter groaned aloud from the contact, shivering all over and arching her back.

"Y-yes! Yes, I like it so much - you're so good to me, Red! How… can you know my body this well?!" Perhaps it was embellishment, or perhaps it was a true and honest question. There was no easy way of knowing.

"Because I want to satisfy my little Winter as much as I can," she whispered, pressing another kiss against her neck. "And I want her to make a mess for me."

With those last words, she plunged her fingers in as deep as she could, curling them right against where it always felt best on herself. She only hoped it would be enough to push Winter to that edge, and give her a most satisfying end.

"Nnhh! OH! Yes, right there, that's perfect!" Winter began to writhe against the contact, feeling the twin digits curling deep into her and prompting more pleasure than she could have expected. It was good - as good as she had from any of her other partners in sexual escapades. She found herself quite stunned that Ruby could learn all this, despite never having had an ongoing bedroom partner before.

"Goooood," Ruby cooed one more time. Continuing to curl against that spot over and over, she delivered kiss after kiss against her neck and cheek, lavishing her with love while trying to bring her to her end. To give the experience she was unsure Winter had ever had before, something new just for her.

Or you genuinely do like her. The inner monologue was intruding once more; mocking and teasing. Maybe she really would have to discuss these things with Penny relatively soon, if this was going to become a common practice.

"Y-YES! Yes, harder, Rub- Red! YeahhhhHHHH!!"

And with that, Winter felt herself losing control, finishing hard and strong. Her entire body was spasming back against Ruby's, toes curling and back arching, mouth hanging open as she gasped for air between loud moans and keenings. It was one of the better orgasms she had ever experienced – and all thanks to her youngest, most inexperienced sub.

Ruby could feel it against her fingers. She felt the muscles clamping down on her, trying to milk the fingers for all they had and to keep them against that sweet spot of hers. But also felt something else, something on the outside. Alas, Ruby wasn't the only one to squirt it seemed. Small splashes came from Winter herself against her hand. Not as much as Ruby did on her occasions, but still enough to have Ruby gasping in surprise as she tried to look down, and grinned.

"You really did make a mess, huh?"

"Y-yeah," Winter panted shakily, licking her dry lips as she slowly descended from the heights of pleasure. "I… did. Wasn't that… what you wanted?"

"It was," she reassured her, delivering another kiss to her cheek now that Winter had finished. She had done it! She had brought Winter to a powerful orgasm by herself, now with fingers rather than her tongue. And judging from Winter's squirting, it was a very intense one, indeed.

But their session wasn't over yet. In fact, that wasn't even the main event. Right after Ruby withdrew her hand from below to rub against the sheets to clean it, she wrapped her arms around Winter again. Continuing to spoon her even the finish, nuzzling in close.

That brought a light chuckle from Winter, and after a moment she laid a hand over one of Ruby's and whispered weakly, "You don't have to keep going if you don't want to. I'm… very satisfied with that scene."

But 'Red' only kissed her cheek again, gently rubbing her stomach in a comforting manner. "You might well be," she whispered into her ear, nuzzling against her. "But maybe I'm not yet."

That robbed Winter of the power of speech, and she tightened her grip on the hand. Did Ruby really mean to play this out, all the romantic bits after the fact? What did couples even do in bed before falling asleep? They talked. That was about the only thing she knew of, so she figured she might as well attempt it. "S-so… um, I was a little surprised at how much Ruby seemed to enjoy being tickled."

'Red' smiled to herself. It was still a review of their previous session, which they intended to do anyway. What did it matter if they were still in their roles? "She did, huh?" she asked, giving a small squeeze. "Well, as long as you don't tickle her too much; wouldn't want her to have an accident or something."

"Oh, but Ruby's a squirter, and so am I; a little variety in squirting wouldn't bother me. But you're right, everything in moderation." Biting her lip for a moment, she then added, "You should have seen her squirming… I think you'd have liked that, Red."

"Watching her? Or being tickled?" She giggled to herself again, nuzzling against Winter even further again, pressing her cheek flat against whatever skin she could. Nothing could distract her from this moment, or dampen their spirits. Not even when she could faintly hear the vibration of her phone in her pocket…

"Perhaps you could remove a memory for me to watch in a Pensieve. That would be fun."

"Yes, perhaps I could." In an undertone, Winter whispered, "Wish I knew what that was." Then she cleared her throat and went on, "But I did mean watching her be tickled; I know you like to be in control."

"I more enjoy watching you be happy," she reassured with yet another kiss against the skin, slowly rubbing her hand even still in a calming manner. Now it was more to lull her to sleep than to arouse. That was the intent at least. "But watching you be in charge is fun, too."

The motion was having the intended effect, soothing Winter somewhat. But she was still nervous about this type of play; she had done a few scenes like it before, but not with anyone she cared about as deeply as Ruby. "She also really seemed to like those ropes. A bit chafed, but fun for her."

"You really like tying people up, don't you?" Ruby began to tease, but gave a quick nuzzle against her cheek when she didn't respond right away. "Lemme guess, you stunned her first, then did it?"

That earned her an affronted gasp, followed by, "I w-would never! Well… not unless she asked. Then, maybe, I suppose."

"You totally did, didn't you?!" she continued to tease, giving a light squeeze yet again as she laughed quietly. "I love that with everyone else, you're this fierce dominatrix, but here you're just a softie."

"I'm not a softie," Winter protested. It wasn't a very strong protestation, but she tried anyway.

Pressing herself in close for one final time, Ruby laid in silence for a moment. Mostly due to how tired she was after the earlier events that was finally catching up to her, but also because there wasn't much to say. Their scene was close to an end. "So are," she just insisted, beginning to close her eyes. "But that's why I like you."

There was a grumbled "fine," and Winter settled down. It was a few minutes later when she whispered, "Ruby?"

Barely awake anymore, Ruby didn't even open her eyes again when she whispered, "Yeah?"

"Do you…" What was she going to ask? Did she have any right to ask? Might as well, considering how they were tangled up with each other, about to fall asleep. "Do you really like me?"

There were both advantages and disadvantages of Ruby being half asleep in that moment. It meant she wouldn't be lying, for one. Anything that would come from her mouth would be the honest-to-God truth. However, she probably wouldn't be awake long enough to have a follow up response.

"I think…" Before she faded to sleep fully, she whispered, "I think I do…"

For the same reason, Winter only had a few seconds to smile to herself contentedly. She was determined not to take that as anything more than it was: just a mention from a friend and sub that she didn't dislike her, at least. Though it could easily mean more. Either way, it was more than she got from most people.

“Okay. Goodnight, Red.”

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

Another few weeks passed. In that time, there had been more visits to Winter. More sessions of different natures between one another, some that resulted in her sleeping over yet again. They were both pleased with her progress, but there was one lingering worry that Ruby had.

Penny. Her girlfriend wasn't all too pleased about Ruby sleeping over as she first said, but there wasn't anything she could do about that. Since then, they had never talked about it – or Penny had been actively avoiding the conversation. So much to the point that she went back home to her fathers’ for a few weeks. Although she had insisted it was a general visit, the darker-haired girl couldn't help but think it was all down to her actions and sessions with Winter.

Today, that was going to change. Like it or not, Ruby knew she had to tell Penny the truth about her feelings. That they had grown – she did like Winter, the feelings were more than just those of a Dom/sub relationship. No matter the consequence, Penny deserved the truth. And as she stood in the airport carpark awaiting her return, she was growing more and more nervous.

That was, until she spotted her, and held a cardboard sign she had made up high for her to see. Though Penny had mostly looked tired, when she saw the sign her face lit up and she stifled a laugh behind her hand. Speeding up very slightly, she walked up to the car, wheeling her luggage behind her.

"You're a dork, you know that?" Penny called out when she was close enough to be heard easily.

Smiling back warmly, Ruby lowered the sign once she was close enough and embraced her in a warm hug. "I missed you," she whispered into her ear, only letting her go once she'd placed a kiss on her cheek. The ginger leaned into the lips for a second, then pulled back with a placid smile.

"Missed you, too. Help me get these in?"

"Oh, yeah! Sorry, I forgot." Quickly taking the case from her hand, Ruby made quick work of sliding it into the trunk of the car. Thankfully she'd already lowered the rear seats so there was plenty of room. Once that was done, she held the door open for her partner, before getting in the other side.

But before starting the ignition, she asked, "So, how were they?"

“Dad and Father? Very well, thank you for asking.” And that was all she said. Her expression was just as pleasant as before, but she seemed to see no need to elaborate.

"Good… That's good." When realising there was nothing more she was going to say, Ruby started up the car. So things were going to be awkward right from the start, it seemed. Nothing more was said while Ruby concentrated on leaving the parking lot, or when she began the journey home.

Fifteen minutes into their drive down the highway, Ruby had only just plucked up the courage to speak again. "Sooooo… I'm thinking McDonald's for dinner, maybe? There's one on the way, I think…"

"I would prefer Wendy's," Penny remarked easily. "But if there's something you want more at McDonald's, that's fine." Glancing over, she added, "Don't you love their nuggets?"

"Nuggets are more Yang's thing. I prefer chicken sandwiches myself. So, sure, we can do Wendy's!"

Continuing to drive a little longer, she looked back and forth between the road and Penny yet again. She didn't seem upset or angry at all, and yet, she still wasn't talking. There was nothing for her to work with. Eventually, she hunched her shoulders and asked the hard question.

"Are… you mad at me?"

"For eating chicken?" she laughed softly. "I'm not that vegetarian. I just like Wendy's salads better, that's all."

"No, not… argh, I'm sorry." They'd fallen back into silence yet again. Guilt had continued to gnaw at the redhead once again as she turned her focus back to the road for that bit longer. But upon spotting a Wendy's, she quickly pulled in. Except rather than going straight into the drive through, she parked at the rear of the parking lot. It wasn't until she turned off the ignition and put on the handbrake until her intentions became clear.

"I've been a jerk…"

Penny hesitated before answering, keeping both her face and her voice carefully neutral. "How so?"

"For letting this hurt you." Running a hand through her hair, Ruby stared blankly toward the wheel. This had clearly been on her mind for a long time, playing on her thoughts. She looked so guilty. "You asked me to come home that night, and I didn't. Dumb! I should have made sure I did, put you first instead of… my stupid fun-time."

Penny remained focused on the first part of what she said. "Ruby, I told you I didn't mind, and I meant it. When you mentioned it might run late… I mean, it made perfect sense. Yes, I would rather you have come home, but it's not a big deal if you can't one night."

"But that's just it. I-I… I could have. We finished up just before ten, plenty of time for me to get an uber back home." She rubbed her eyes, stopping a few of the stray tears that were beginning to form. "But I just… I didn't. Like, it’s going to sound like a bunch of crummy excuses… but I couldn't leave just yet."

"Oh…" Looking away at last, she seemed to think upon that for a while. "Then… what happened? If you're comfortable telling me."

Ruby only continued to look downward, continued to sniff sadly. The guilt never left, in fact it was only getting worse. "I'm a bad person," she whimpered. "I love you, and that hasn't changed. It'll never change. But I… I’m starting to like her, too. In the same way. Nothing makes sense, I already have you, we’re a team; why am I feeling this way for someone else? It just feels like I'm turning bad!"

It took Penny a long time to answer. Her green eyes bored into the dashboard console in front of her. When she did speak again, she began very simply, in that same neutral tone she seemed to have mastered.

"Don't think about me for a second. Please, I want you to try to forget I exist. Then I want you to tell me how you feel about Winter; just be very honest."

"But I can't forget you exist." The words were barely audible anymore. Just a high pitched mess from where she was about to cry. With another sniff, she tried to calm herself back down, taking a few shaky breaths. "I can't. I love you more than anything… But then I'm finding myself liking her in the same way, and I feel so guilty, like I'm cheating on you. And I don't want to do that!"

"The same way," Penny breathed, latching onto the one comment that had been a response to what she asked of her partner. A few more seconds went by with Penny taking a deep breath, gripping her knees.

"I know."

It seemed to take a while for Ruby to realise what Penny had said. She sniffled, looking toward her partner. "You… know?"

"Yes. I've been able to see the way you are when you talk about her, how you get so excited and happy. It's the way you talk about me, or used to talk about Weiss before your sister became her girlfriend." The words were melancholy, but not overly sad. "It's been getting more and more obvious, I just didn't want to bring it up. You seemed like you were struggling with enough."

Blinking back a few more tears, Ruby sniffed yet again. Struggling was certainly one way of putting it, she thought to herself. She tried to look into Penny's eyes a moment, before having to look away again. She couldn't bear it.

"I still talk about you in that way…" She made sure that was clear, reaching out and taking her hand. "I still love you, that hasn’t changed and never will change. I need you to know that. I need you to believe me!"

"Oh, Ruby… I do." Penny reached up to cup her cheek. Her expression wasn't as pleasant, or as glowing as it would have been before their situation changed somewhat. But it wasn't harsh, wasn't disapproving or sad. Just contemplative. "I told you before, I don't own you, and I don't want to try. If you feel a connection to Winter… even if it's just because she can provide you with certain things I can't, then that's okay! I'll adjust."

Leaning into the hand on her cheek, Ruby nodded. There was a wave of relief over her features, and she found herself managing to force a little smile. Penny didn't hate her, that was what was important.

"I just worry that you'll think I'm ditching you," she whimpered, holding the hand on her cheek instead. "Because that's not true, no way! You're my priority. I might feel this way about Winter, too, but if you want it to stop, it will. In a heartbeat."

"Why would I want it to stop? I've noticed you seeming happier and more complete ever since you started meeting with her. It would be selfish of me to take that away from you just because…" She sighed, forcing herself to finish her thought. "Because I don't understand. And I probably never will; I'm just not wired the way you and she are. But I can see you haven't stopped loving me, and that's enough to soothe my fears."

Unable to help herself, Ruby flung herself forward and pressed her lips right up against her partner's, kissing her deeply and with more passion than she ever had before. Any way to dispel away the sadness she had been holding back for so long, to keep remind her that Penny loved her. Once finished, she rested her forehead against Penny's, shakily sighing.

"I'm so glad… you have no idea. So glad you still know that."

"Of course, my little Rubáiyát," Penny whispered, kissing her back just as strongly.

That was a private joke between them; they had been studying Middle Eastern culture, and the minute she came across 'The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám', it had stuck fast. Still giggling to herself, Ruby placed a few more kisses at her lips again. She couldn't stop! It had taken a few weeks of Penny being away for her to realise how much she truly did miss her company. That was something Winter couldn't quite make up for herself. At least not yet.

And Penny was most certainly intent on returning that attention, sliding her arms around her love's shoulders and pulling her in even closer. It seemed the distance wasn't only affecting Ruby; even if it wasn't sexual, she had an aching need to be close to her girlfriend after those weeks in New York.

All the while, Ruby continued to grin. It was rare Penny was in the mood for anything all too intimate, but whenever it appeared, she would leap at the chance whenever it was. And here was no exception, even if she thought it would only last a few minutes. Testing the waters, she allowed her mouth to hang open a little longer than usual, giving Penny the chance to take advantage, should she want to.

As it turned out, Penny did. There was a brief hesitation before the ginger seemed to come to a decision, and then she leaned in and slid her tongue in past Ruby's lips, shivering at how they felt against each other. They both knew by now that Penny had very mixed feelings about that kind of kissing, because she both enjoyed the feeling and was disgusted by the "swapping of germs," as she usually referred to the practice.

Ooooohhh, she's in the mood. This wasn't a moment Ruby Rose wanted to ruin! Turning to face her properly as best as the car seats allowed, she rested her hands on Penny's waist, smiling to herself each time their tongues brushed against each other. It truly was worth the wait to have her back in her arms. Her Penny.

Instead of tapping Ruby on the shoulder to stop, or pulling away as she might have normally done, all she did was press in more, moving her mouth and tongue faster, more hungrily. Her own hands gouged in harder against Ruby through her clothes, not wanting to let her go for even an instant.

Holy shiz, she really IS in the mood! She could barely believe what was happening. This really was a once in a blue moon instance. Not that she minded; any time spent with her girlfriend was important, whether it was sexual or not. These rare moments simply made her appreciate them all the more when they did appear.

Another thought occurred to her: But wait, what if she's only doing it because she's hurt? Of course, her own mind had to bring that up. How typical. Still… it was possibly true. No matter how much she wanted intimacy from Penny, she couldn't bring herself to enjoy it if it was only borne of jealousy. With that thought in mind, she broke away for a moment, catching her breath as she rested her forehead against her lover's.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," she reassured. "I only want this if you do. For real, not just cuz you think you have to."

"I do want it." Penny was adamant, staring deep into her eyes. "I know I don't enjoy what you try doing for me in bed, and that I'm so squeamish that it's difficult for us to find common ground as far as pleasuring you. But it's been so long, I've missed you so much…"

Suddenly, a stray hand was slipping down between Ruby's thighs. "I want to be with you right now. I want to make my Rubáiyát happy, from nose to toes."

So quick, so bold… Penny really must have missed Ruby to be this ready. It really wasn't a chance to ignore, even if they were in the middle of a parking lot. Well, technically we're at the back of the lot… The more Ruby thought about it, the more tempted she was by the idea. And if you change a few things, no one will see… Biting her lip, she looked back toward Penny with a mischievous expression.

"Well, if you're completely sure…" She instead reached for a button at the side of her seat to adjust the back, lowering it to its lowest point.

"Oh!" Penny gasped in mild surprise, then smiling down at Ruby, cheeks slightly warm. "Y-you want us to do things right now, in public? That's… most unusual."

"Well, I thought…" Quickly sitting up to check the coast was clear, Ruby then returned to the position back in the chair, looking up toward Penny with equally red cheeks. "There's no one here… and it's not like the time we both did stuff while Pyrrha and Jaune were asleep while we slept on their floor…"

Laughing at the memory, Penny began to rub the outsides of Ruby's thighs now, teasing very lightly, preparing her for more. "We were so inquisitive then. I still didn't know I don't enjoy that, and you didn't know how to please a vagina, anyway – yours or mine."

"I tried my best…" Ruby looked down to one side out of embarrassment. Or at least, it seemed that way. A more likely cause for her red cheeks was probably the woman's hands all over her legs, rubbing, teasing away at her. This would be an awkward position with only one seat lowered, but she had no doubt Penny would manage. That was unless… The seats in the back were completely down. The only possible barrier was Penny's case, but there was more than enough space. Looking back with mischievous eyes again, she asked, "Here or the back?"

"Right here is fine with me if it's fine with you." One hand drifted inward again, sliding between the soft, squishy thigh-flesh. That, she thought, was beautiful. As she had explained before, it was only such bodily fluids as saliva that she found offensive; the skin all over Ruby's body was one of her favourite things in the universe.

With a light nod, Ruby grinned to herself as she watched Penny's movements. She was always so soft with her, so soft and gentle. Ruby was fairly sure that Penny would worship her body should she allow it, from how well she was treated all over. Allowing her legs to part even further, she rested her hands on Penny's shoulders, using it to anchor herself for what was to come.

As the hand drifted closer and closer to her center, its owner whispered, "Now don't forget, you have to help guide me. This isn't my field of expertise."

"You've been pretty good the times you tried it out." She smiled back at her, parting her legs even further to give Penny the advantage she needed. How glad she was that she decided to wear a shorter skirt today! It meant all Penny needed to do was move the panties to one side and have at it in whatever manner she wanted.

"We are technically out in public," Penny whispered needlessly. "Is it okay if I move a little faster?"

Which happened immediately. Though Penny only began to trace her fingers up and down her soft folds, there was no hesitation, no teasing her through the underwear this time; straight through the side of it and to the intended goal.

"O-oh! S-slow down a little… Don't go in for the kill just yet." As eager as Ruby was to begin, she knew too well that rushing would only ruin their moment together. She needed time to be ready, for her body to catch up. But Penny rubbing up and down the length of her was doing just that… "Yeah… that's it," she encouraged, sinking further back into the seat the more Penny rubbed at her folds.

Penny swallowed hard as the musky scent of arousal began to fill the air around her. It wasn't that the scent was appealing or unappealing; it was part of Ruby, and for that reason, she was fond of it. But only that reason.

"It's so good to smell this again," she said very bluntly, dipping her head lower as she pet along her lover's sex, slowly making it damp with her attentions. "It's been too long."

One of Ruby’s hands ended up at the back of her lover's neck, encouraging the actions below so eagerly. "Penny…" she whispered, hungry for more, hungry for her partner. They had barely even begun just yet!

And it seemed that today, Penny was more insatiable than usual. She always loved kissing Ruby's body, and this was no exception; even as she continued to tease, getting her ready, her lips pressed into the soft flesh of her thigh, delighting in the smooth, cool feeling. For her, this was pleasurable… this was what made her feel the excitement that Ruby felt from sexual escapades. Closeness, intimacy.

A few kisses later, and Ruby was starting to notice just where she was heading. And that was certainly a shock for her, given how her legs began to twitch again. "Penny!" she gasped, placing a hand on the back of her head, just enough to get her attention. "Are you sure? I mean, you know what sometimes happens."

"I have some moist towelettes in my bag from the plane," Penny told her in a reasonable tone, without slowing down much to do so. "If it's more than those can handle, Wendy's has a bathroom, don't they?"

"Well, yeah…" But Penny wasn't stopping. She was determined to see this through, it seemed, no matter what happened in the end result. Ruby's only hope was that this would be one of the few times it wouldn't be required, and they could just enjoy their time. With a brief nod, she allowed her hand to sink back into Penny's hair, lightly petting her. "Okay… Go for it."

"You got it." With a serene smile, she pushed her head a little further up her skirt, kissing her labia. It was a marked improvement from their other attempts; she only shivered slightly, instead of drawing away and needing a moment to recover.

Already Ruby was beginning to shudder herself. They were really doing this, after such a long time. And in a Wendy's parking lot, as well! But she wasn't about to complain at all. If her Penny was feeling up to it, they she was willing to let it continue, even if it meant their escapades were mainly in risky areas at risky hours. Lightly stroking her scalp all the more, Ruby tried to quell the few quiet moans by biting her lip, shifting in her seat slightly to find a better angle.

"Have I told you lately," Penny whispered against her soft wetness between kisses, "how much I adore every part of you, Ruby?" The hands began to slide up and down her thighs again, now that the mouth had taken control of her pleasure. "So much…"

Shakily sighing, Ruby found her head swinging back, staring upward toward the ceiling of the car interior in some sort of hope to keep her grounded. Even if they weren’t the most sensual of words, hearing them from Penny's mouth was all she could ever dream of. Scratching at her scalp still, she nodded slightly to show she heard her.

"Okay…" Two fingers slid up to push back the hood over the sensitive nub of her partner. "This is the most sensitive part, right? Do you… want me to touch it, or not?"

"Hnn…" She could barely think. What did she want while Penny was down there? She could ask her to do what she usually did, rubbing it to get a reaction; or try something new. That option seemed exciting enough. "Your tongue… If you're up for it."

"Oh…" Penny glanced up at Ruby's panting form, then back down at the glistening sex waiting for her to explore. After a few seconds of indecision, she tentatively stuck her tongue out, pressing the tip against the little nub. The tongue began to flutter up and down over the swollen little nub, drawing in vestiges of sweet nectar in the process. Of course, it wasn't quite so sweet to Penny as it would have been to most women-loving-women, but that didn't mean she couldn't handle the taste if it was to please her favourite person in the whole world.

"Is this good?" she breathed against the moistened lips a minute later.

"Y-yeah!" Not that she could explain it, but Penny's actions had her weak at the knees. Just like always. In their rare moments together, Ruby always favoured her lover to her own hand. It didn't matter if it was Penny's skill or because it was her delivering it – Penny always managed to have her moaning, which she did so rather loudly.

Hearing that Ruby was responding well, she began to stroke up and down the folds again as her tongue took care of things up at the top. She knew from explanations and previous encounters that stimulating both was even more erotic to her partner than just one or the other. And the moans kept on coming! Now growing louder in volume, her partner couldn't help but squirm in her seat that bit more, trying to hitch herself closer to the assaulting tongue. Already she could feel herself beginning to grow warm, begin to feel a few beads of sweat falling down her cheeks as her spare hand went to hit the window, finding anything to ground herself.

The way Ruby was trembling told Penny that she was definitely getting somewhere, and relatively quickly. Deciding not to take her chances guessing at things, she drew back as her fingers continued to glide up and down and whispered to her love, softly and as sensually as she could manage. "Do you want my fingers inside?"

"Yes! Holy SHIZ, yes!" she moaned back. In all honesty, her mind was so clouded with pleasure she barely knew what was said; she only knew she needed Penny's mouth back where it was, back to performing its magic on her body.

"Okay," she breathed against her soft wetness before wrapping her lips around the throbbing clit once more, her fingers just beginning to edge past the boundaries of her body. Only the certain knowledge that Ruby wanted them there kept her from worrying about hurting her, or that they were doing something they shouldn't be.

"Oh!!! O-OH! Penny!" Fantastic! That was all she could think as she felt Penny's digits push their way into her body. Over and over again they ground against her inner walls, teasing her flesh and sending tingles of joy through her body. Yet again, she felt herself growing warmer, felt her end beginning to come in sight.

Then, just when Penny's hand was speeding up, aiming to bring her off in record time and with record levels of ecstasy… there was a knock on the window.

"H-HAAAH?!"

Both the shock of the sudden interruption and the increasing speed of Penny's fingers was enough to have Ruby jolting upright, and pleasure spurring through her body. She climaxed, able to feel her muscles clamping down onto Penny's finger for that short moment they were in there. Thankfully for her, it wasn't enough to get her usual, messy reaction; but enough to give clear evidence she was finished.

And then she looked toward the source of the noise, and her heart stopped.

"Can't do that out in public like that, kids!" said a large man in a blue uniform, complete with mirrored sunglasses. A cop. They were sitting there in their car, giving Ruby an orgasm, and being glared at by a police officer.

It was both embarrassment and the heat from her dwindling orgasm that made Ruby Rose's face go entirely red. Still panting heavily, she looked back at the cop with wide eyes for a moment, before very hurriedly patting the pack of Penny's head to get her to move, and withdraw her fingers.

"I-I'm so sorry!" She barely had the breath to speak! Let alone string an excuse together.

The policeman had been pulling out his ticket pad, clearly intending to cite them for something minor as a reminder not to do such things again – until he noticed Penny's moist face, her nervousness and shame at having been caught. His brown features seemed to lighten a shade. Blinking, he glanced between the two of them, obviously uncomfortable.

"R-right. I'll, uh, let you… girls off with a warning, this time, I guess. Just, uh… just try to find more privacy in the future." Then he nodded to himself, cleared his throat, and turned to go back to his squad car.

"I-I… Uh, w-we will… T-thank you, officer!" was all Ruby could shout as she watched him walk away – not that it would likely be heard. He was already gone by the time she called up properly. Soon after she took a moment to regain her breath again, before slowly covering her mouth. They'd just done things in public. Got caught, by a cop of all people! They'd managed to escape a ticket by a fraction, something they probably wouldn't be able to do again.

And yet all Ruby seemed to be able to do was begin to giggle to herself, until it turned into an outright laugh. "I can't believe we did that!"

"I can't believe being in a lesbian relationship actually has a benefit," Penny was breathing, eyes still on the officer as she eased back into her own seat. "Did you see his face? He looked as if he was going to faint, interrupting two women!"

"I know! Holy Toledo, that was so lucky…" Ruby quickly glanced out the window to continue to watch as he returned to his car, before looking back to Penny again. Her cheeks were still red as anything, but she didn't care; she was still laughing and giggling away to herself. "No one will ever believe this!"

"They won't!" A mischievous glint crept into Penny's eyes. "Did you want to take a selfie of us with the cop car in the background, as proof, perhaps?"

"Oh my god…" Ruby was still wearing that ridiculous grin, clearly assuming Penny was joking about such a thing. But when noticing her expression remained unchanged, she looked toward her, and then smirked. "You know what? I'm always wanting to find stuff to post to Snapchat…"

[psychicdinneranon-blog]

Five Times Shou Eats Something He Shouldn’t (And 1 Time He Doesn’t)

This is part 4 of a series based off the MiB AU! From bakanohealthy and qcatter Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5 Part 6

(Fourth Time: In Which Shou Eats TWO Microwaves)

(Note: Shou is an alien who thinks he can eat anything in this fic. However he is going to be eating some weird stuff in here, like basically garbage, if you are sensitive to this you may not want to read this particular fic.)

 Shou had done it. He had run away from home.

Now he would never ever have to go back to that stupid house where he had to endure hallways that warped and twisted and stretched on forever with dark silent rooms lining them. With the way the entire place echoed with the footsteps and low drumming of his father. And the air felt like it would choke his stardust lungs with how heavy it grew.

So now he would never have to go back there ever again.

But he couldn’t leave entirely.

Shou couldn’t run off and disappear to some far corner of the Earth. He couldn’t just up and leave with his father still in power over CLAW. He knew that. He was too smart to burn his bridges this early; so he just left his home and showed up at CLAW’s HQ whenever his father actually needed him. Sometimes it was a call to go investigate one of the lower branches, sometimes it was to demonstrate his powers as his father’s golden child in front of anyone foolish enough not to realize that his father was just preying on them and their lust for power.

And all the while he never set foot back in that home with his father.

But running away was not as easily done as just walking out the door. He had to worry about feeding himself now too.

At first Shou just raided whatever he could from CLAW. It was all too easy to get offered things that nobody wanted, especially with his reputation for eating anything.

Shou had already learned that he shouldn’t take important things. It was better if he ate things that weren’t useful, like broken machines, plastic wrappers and all the rocks he could find.

But he still had a “job” to do. And he couldn’t let his father think that he was slacking.

So really it was no wonder that on the sixth day since he had run away from home, he saw a pile of discarded wood waiting to be picked up as trash. He snuck over and gathered as much of it as he could into his hands. He planned to take the pile away to a slightly less open area to chow down on the old wood.

Until a voice called out from behind him.

“Now what do you think you’re doing with that, sonny?”

An elderly woman had her hands on her hips and a dog’s leash in her hands, dangling down to the small Chihuahua mix sniffing near her feet.

Shou pulled his hands away from the wood as fast as a lightning’s flash and stuck them into his pockets with a sheepish look. The wood he had gathered clattered to the ground behind him in same time he subdued the snap of fire that had burst from him unbidden.

“I was just cleaning it up. I’m sorry, I’ll go now.” Perhaps he could snag it while he was invisible. He had never turned anything but himself and his clothes, invisible before; but surely it wouldn’t be that hard?

As he was thinking he almost didn’t see the toothy smile aimed at his way. “Good thinking!” She said as she clapped a hand onto his shoulder. And Shou blinked owlishly in response.

But the old woman continued chattering happily. “We’ve been needing this old pile taken away for almost a week now. I can’t do it and Martha’s back has been bad as of late.” She frowned for a moment before waving it away. “But never the less, you’re a good young man for keeping the city clean. If you need any help with anything while you move it you just let me know.”

“Ah, thanks.” Shou was at a loss for words for a moment before slowly turning back to gather the wood. The woman went into what Shou presumed to be her house and he rushed away with the pile while he would not be stopped.

It was then that Shou realized that people left piles of unwanted things all over town. Just sitting outside, waiting to be taken away.

Sure everyone else thought of it as garbage, but well, Shou knew he could eat anything.

 ---

 It had been two weeks since he had run away from home and as long as he kept out of the way while he slept and ate; sleeping in the crevices of roofs on old buildings unseen by those on the ground and sneaking the garbage during the day with a bag at his side and invisibly during the night. As long as he followed the rules of not being caught, Shou was as free as a bird.

Well aside from the whole issue with his father and that organization, but he’d deal with that soon enough.

Then once his father finally saw reason and calmed down from his delusions of grandeur, then maybe his mother and father could both talk to each other again.

Maybe they could even be a family again, and not embroiled in this mess.

After all, Touichirou missed his mom as much as he missed her. If Shou could just get him to see reason… Well he had to hope for the best.

Shou wandered through the streets, absentmindedly watching the dark clouds for lightning with a half-smile flittering across his mouth. Even while he was cold and wet from the rain, the lightning would be there to light up the night with its wild laughter.

But then the thunder rumbled a bit too close to comfort, with a pounding that was deep and expansive and hauntingly familiar, so Shou phased into the nearest unoccupied object to hide.

Which turned out to be a dumpster.

This was okay though, since Shou discovered a multitude of cardboard boxes, crates and packaging materials filling the thing.

In order to make room for himself- and because there was all of this easily accessible food; Shou scarfed down the entire contents of the dumpster that he was hiding from the rain in.

Afterwards he stretched out and pressed himself to the metal sides, listening idly to the rain pitter-pattering against the metal lid.

He hardly noticed when he started to doze off.

Then all of a sudden a loud rumbling snapped him away and looking around himself blearily he saw that the entire dumpster, and him, were shaking. Shou felt himself being lifted into the air and watched as the dumpster turn upside down and felt gravity try to tug him downwards.

Not really wanting to stay in the dumpster anymore after it had been upturned, Shou allowed himself to slide down into the garbage truck. Making sure that he was invisible before entering the sight of anyone who might be watching.

Once inside the truck a sea of unwanted items greeted him. All of them ripe for the picking to go into his stomach.

Shou delicately plucked an aluminum can out from under his tail with a clawed hand and threw the thing into the air to allow it to fall into his mouth. With a snap of his jaw he crunched on it like a snake sinking its teeth into prey, and also much like a snake, he swallowed the can whole.

Shou spent the rest of the ride picking out more cans and bottles to munch on. He phased through any new items that fell through the same hole he had when the truck stopped and added to its load. And mostly he just relaxed as the truck continued to drive on.

Until he was upended again that is.

This time however he fell into an even larger pile of garbage.

Shou laid on his back for a while, looking up at the darkening sky and thought about what he wanted to do.

Then he saw the light glint off of a glass bottle. And he spent the rest of the night alternating between eating everything he could get his hands on and dozing lightly.

Even if he snapped awake at every sudden sound, he got more than enough sleep. And when the sun rose he climbed to the top of the tallest pile and watched the colors fill the sky.

Then he dusted himself off and went to meet the newest batch of cadre at headquarters. Then see if his father had anything new for him to do.

The next night he went back to the dump again.

And again the night after that and the night after that.

Instead of searching all over town for stray unwanted piles, Shou had stumbled upon the biggest unwanted pile of them all. So of course he delightedly plowed through and ate everything that he could lay his hands on.

Everything and anything, until he came to an old discarded microwave.

Something caused him to stop the mindless way his hands grabbed everything in their path. And Shou tilted his head and looked at the old appliance. There was something off about it, somehow, with old fuzzed over energy which clung to the dilapidated metal husk.

But this did not matter to Shou, so he reached out and eagerly swallowed it whole. He started to go back to the pile, floating a little in order to get to a particularly tasty looking bunch of singed fence-posts.

Then all of a sudden Shou was hit with a punch to the gut and he dropped from where he had been hovering.

Shou’s entire form recoiled and he curled in on himself. Instantly he was wracked with churning fiery pain racing through his system. He breathed out harshly through his teeth, biting at his tongue for a moment before another wave of pain washed through him.

Shou pressed himself to the ground as much as he could and clenched his teeth. He twisted in response to another wave of pain surging through him. His movement jostled the pile he was near and dislodged an old gaming console. It broke free and tumbled down and shattered into pieces a few feet away from the tip of his tail.

The sound startled something and all of Shou’s eyes snapped towards the figure fleeing in the darkness. He assumed it was a rat by the sound of the small skittering across wood and metal and plastic.

As he glanced up he noticed that a strange silhouette of a small robot puppy. Its blank eyes stared at him judgingly, wondering just how he had gotten himself into this mess.

Then he gave up trying to be quiet and the sound of a fork in the garbage disposal echoed throughout the dump.

Another shuddering wave hit him and he curled tighter into himself. It felt like his insides were dissolving into nothing, like cotton candy meeting water. And it only continued to sear through him.

It took the rest of the night, but by daybreak Shou had successfully managed to weather the pain, and in response to his stubbornness it had died down enough for him to jerkily make his way to HQ.

However all throughout the day Shou plotted.

He could do this, he could eat it. He just had to figure out a way how. He refused to let something as simple as a microwave get the better of him.

Giving up and just staying away from microwaves in the future never even occurred to Shou.

After all, if he was bested by a mere microwave then what would happen when he had to fight his father?

He refused to let this stand.

So when he went back to the dump again he came armed with a plan.

If he couldn’t (currently) eat a microwave whole then perhaps he could eat the thing in pieces. It would be worth a shot to try, he figured.

Of course first he had to find another microwave before he could test this theory. He began his search, nibbling on a few glass bottles here and there as he filtered through the piles.

It took him until midnight, he supposed his internal clock wasn’t that great after the sun went down, but he found another discarded microwave. The same type of old almost fuzzy energy clung to this one as well, like dryer lint caught in pockets.

Shou reached out and snapped off the microwave door effortlessly. He paused and after a moment of consideration split the thing in two.

After all, he did need to start small.

Then he popped half the door into his mouth and waited.

Much like last time he did not need to wait long for it to take an effect. However this time the surge of prickling pain was much much more bearable than the previous waves. After all he was still floating and not curled up on the ground, hands around his midsection like they would actually give him comfort.

So once the worst of the prickling faded, he ate the other half of the door.

It took the entire night for him to eat the whole thing. He had to wait out the surges of pain that made him feel like he was being twisted into knots, but by dawn Shou was still upright and very proud of himself.

He knew that as long as he was smart he could figure out a way around anything.

And later on, when Touichirou had placed Shou in charge of his own group, those of which Shou had personally selected, Shou figured out that there were little hideouts that dotted across the country under the use of CLAW. He had no trouble at all converting one into a base for him and his allies, after all it was still technically his father’s.

So ended the days where Shou would roam the town and the dump after his “work”. He needed to begin implementing his plan in convincing his father to see reason.

After all it was his responsibility to take his father down a few notches. Then things would get better.

Then he could go home.