#the sacred romance

[somewhere-in-the-trees]

The Cannibal’s Canción by Gloria Anzaldúa, from Borderlands, 1987.

[calchexxis]

Sacred Is Now On Amazon!

My latest sapphic book, Sacred, featuring an ex-exorcist nun and a demon with terminal sugar baby energy is available on Amazon in digital format, and on B&N in both digital and physical formats!

[enchantedgardenoflove]

𝖨 𝗅𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗂𝗍’𝗌 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗆𝖾, 𝖾𝗑𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗇 𝖺 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽 𝖼𝖺𝗋𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝖻𝗒 𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾, 𝗎𝗇𝗍𝗈𝗎𝖼𝗁𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝗈𝗂𝗌𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗈𝗎𝗍𝗌𝗂𝖽𝖾. 𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗌𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖻𝖾𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝗍𝗈 𝗎𝗌—𝗌𝖺𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗉𝗎𝗋𝖾, 𝗁𝗂𝖽𝖽𝖾𝗇 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗒𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽.

[skeletondeerart]

Sacred Waters, Sacred Hearts Chapter 1

A Male OC! Metkayina x Fem Human! Reader | Word Count: 1722

Masterlist & join the taglist

A/N : Both Rukan and reader are in their mid 20's

" " = direct speech | ' ' = Metkayina sign language | Bold = English

Another night approaches as multiple moons emerge from the waves. I adjust my mask, ensuring it's sealed to my cheeks, as I shuffle off my light shawl, leaving just my wetsuit and waterproof tablet. The morning winds nip at my exposed skin, and I make haste into the reef, gracefully submerging myself and diving down to the reef bed to escape the chill of the evening.

I was one of the last marine biologists left on Pandora after the fall of the Omatikaya's Hometree, yet by the grace of Eywa I was taken into her embrace and was allowed to live amongst the flora and fauna. I now reside on the coastline a couple hours from the Metkayina settlements; respecting the ocean-dwelling Navi immensely, I made sure to leave them alone and stay in my small corner of the ocean; content with just researching and documenting the underwater flora and fauna. Though I may seem isolated here on my lonesome I do make frequent calls to Norm and Max to update their data files, ordering human supplies or just for a chat yet sometimes I yearn for someone else to share my experiences with...

Weaving through bioluminescent kelp, flippers boost me through the currents I glide to a halt and unsheathe my switchblade to harvest some vegetation and check on the coral's health. Happy with the healthy flora and the harvest I document photos for my log and bask in the temperate waters. I smile at the stillness from the ocean bed, turning onto my back and gazing up through the water's surface, mesmerised by the reflection of light shimmering across the lapping waves from below.

Eventually, my lungs begin to burn yearning for oxygen, and I move to breach the surface, breaking the water tension my mask immediately intakes the Pandoran air and swiftly converts it to plain oxygen. As I catch my breath, I watch Ilu ride the waves and birds dive into the ocean to nab up small fish for their dinner. My stomach rumbles at the through and my mind drifts back to the edible vegetation in my pouch, I paddle back to shore and squeeze the water from my hair before I begin stoking a fire to roast my own dinner.

Time gets away from me as I continue to do tasks onshore like chopping wood and transferring files into the databank. My thoughts are disturbed by a shrill ring, Norm's contact blaring from my tablet. I quickly accept it as Norm appears on the screen; giving a curt wave before he started speaking.

"Hey (Y/n), how are you? Hope I didn't catch you at a bad time, but I have a favour to ask." He rambles, arms gesturing awkwardly.

"Uh, nah I'm not doing much; how can I help ya Norm?" I say absent-mindedly as I continue weaving a new blanket, preparing for the cooler weather.

"Mo'at needs some specific medicinal herbs, but they can only be found in the deeper parts of the reef bed. Considering you're now quite an adept diver I thought to ask you first before connecting with the Metkayina traders."

"Oh yeah no problem, I'll duck out in a moment and get that heading your way no problem" I smile as I stand to pull my wetsuit back on from its drying rack.

Norm rubs his nape and bows his head in gratitude "I can't thank you enough (Y/n) just text me when you're done so I can send someone out there to collect the goods"

"Easy, I'll get back to you soon, but if you don't hear back by tomorrow afternoon assume I drowned" I laugh in jest.

I watch as Norm scrunches his face in horror "Don't make me come over there for a welfare check buddy, because I will! I swear it." Norm sighs exasperated by my words wagging his finger to the camera.

"Oh, I'm just kidding Normie; have some faith in me will ya." I giggle as I slip the thick fabric up my torso, Navi stripes adorn the fabric, mimicking the Metkayina's camouflage.

"How many times have I asked you to quit it with the 'Normie'…" Norm scolds but it holds no venom at all. "Look, you better update me straight away ok! I got to go; Max needs some help in the lab, see ya (Y/n)." He waves and disconnects as I wave goodbye myself.

I release a sigh as I take a final note of all the things I need and make sure my mask is free from damage as I set out. I walk out of the airlock to the edge of the mangroves and leap into the deeper portion, my vision is hindered by a myriad of bubbles for a moment before settling down, I begin the descent into the sandbank, I had no need for a flashlight due to the high concentration of bioluminescence, I glide through the waters and corals with ease and gradually letting some oxygen in through my air tank, I only used it for longer expeditions as I like to train my lung capacity.

I swim further from my base, lowering my altitude as I dive into a stunning deep cave. I spotted the herbs; it looked like sea moss; excellent in curing skin ailments when ground into a salve. I push faster through the currents and into the jagged coral formation that the moss grew on, not seeing the signature Metkayina markers for a protected area... I peeled it from its roots and placed it into a leather pouch, deeming it enough I turned to make my way back out, but I was stunned into silence as a massive shadow passed by the gaps in the coral.

It was an Akula…a massive shark-like beast who not even the Navi deem as a friend. My lungs constricted as I limited agitating the water around me. I waited with bated breath as the Akula swam circles around the exit, I peered timidly out as I no longer detect its presence. So, I make the decision to slowly rise to the entrance of the cave. I make the dash, but the Akula notices the disruption and flings itself in my direction, a terrified gargle escapes my throat as I weave hastily through the outcrops narrowly avoiding its snapping jaws.

In my adrenaline-fueled state, I didn't notice another join the fray. Until a muffled roar is heard from the Akula as it flees back deeper into the cave system. I burrow myself into the coral hiding from my painful death as I go to release more oxygen into my mask, my hands fumble with a pierced tube and my eyes widen in realisation.

My oxygen supply is drained and I'm so far from the surface.

My panic only spikes further as piercing blue eyes peer down at me cuddled up in the coral like a child.

It was a Metkayina patroller, he was mounted on an Ilu as he scowled in my direction, his rapid signing not going unnoticed.

I gingerly raise my hand and sign 'I mean no harm. I'm with the Omaticaya, gathering medicinal herbs for our injured, but can you help me to the surface I need to breathe…'

He shook his head frustrated but for a moment I could see the disbelief in his eyes at my fluency. 'You do not belong here tawtute, let alone in a protected area, go back to the forest.' But his eyes soften when he sees me start to go blue, my eyes pleading as I point to the surface. He sighs exasperated as he snatches my arm and hauls me into his chest atop his Ilu, jetting to the surface. My vision gets splotchy as we break the water, my mask luckily taking in the air again with no issue.

As I fill my strained lungs again, I'm abruptly shoved off the Ilu and dunk under momentarily pouting as I surface and gazing up at the Navi with a smug look on his face. He points his finger at me.

"Do not touch tawtute, it is a protected site and you're too close to the village" he states, shaking his head. "Go" He states his finned arm pointing back to shore.

"Sorry I didn't see the marker, I'll stay away, promise." I put up my pinky finger momentarily before realising he wouldn't know what it meant. He leans back, a hairless brow raising in suspicion.

"Silly tawtute…" He mutters under his breath before urging again "I'll accompany you home just to make sure that Akula leaves you be. I don't want your pitiful death on my conscience." He states "But you're swimming yourself…"

I laugh "Fine by me" I say before setting back on course. I paddle on the water's surface beside the Metkayina on his Ilu, swimming in silence for most of the way. I'm broken out of my thoughts as his words pierce the silence.

"What are those on your feet…" He questioned, with an ounce of curiosity evident in his tone. I gaze back for a moment checking for any foreign matter.

"Flippers. Helps me swim faster and easier, kind of how your feet and tail help you through the water." I say casually, lifting one from the water to flaunt it with a smile, his face scrunching up as water flicks him in the face.

"I see…" His words were cut short as my home was spotted over the water. Nestled into the mangroves and covered in my hand-woven cloths and netting.

"Well, here's my stop" I sigh as I pull myself up into the mangroves and onto the net platforming.

A curious hum leaves his throat as he gazes at my abode. "Looks somewhat like our villages… yet so tawtute." He mumbles scratching at his nape.

Honestly, over the past hour, I have grown fondness for this Navi. I can't help but blurt out "(Y/n)." His eyes shoot to me confused. "My name… it's uh (Y/n)" I state my cheeks flushing.

"(Y/n)…" He takes a moment letting my name digest "Rukan…" he replies before abruptly diving on his Ilu and swimming off in the direction of the village.

"Rukan…. What a nice name" I smile before heading inside to preserve the moss and notifying Norm of a successful expedition.

Enjoy the next chapter in my Masterlist! & join the taglist

[antoanetaab]

𝒮𝒶𝒸𝓇𝑒𝒹 ❦︎

[foreignswaggersession]

I agree that Louis is hopelessly in love with Lestat but Armand??? Louis doesn't love the gremlin, probably never did. He was usually distracted by Lestat's hallucination during their time together, he didn't like listening to him and Jacob Anderson outright called Armand a rebound for Louis

Louis never loved Armand. And of course he didn't, their relationship was built on nothing nice.

strongly disagree anon! i think there are multiple moments in paris and dubai (and even sf) where louis expresses his love for armand, in words, looks, and actions. i'm not gonna make this too long, so if there's one moment that proved to me that louis was in LOVE with armand (and certainly isn't just with him as some "sacrifice" on claudia's behalf) it's the sacre coeur scene:

why would louis say this if he didn't care about armand? not only does he want to make a vampire baby with him, he wants armand to experience the event so he can overcome his own maker trauma. and this ask has nothing to do with claudia. louis wants this to be for them, cause he's committed to armand. when i heard this i had to pause cause i realized louis really loved that man DOWN, and he didn't realize just how dangerous armand still was. then after he makes madeleine and she leaves with claudia, he doesn't leave paris. he stays with armand! cause he loves that man! madeleine didn't say all that about louis's love for armand for no reason. it's really not that hard to see. claudia was right - he was lestat's, and now he's armand's. tragedy ensues.

also fyi - i don't care what any of the cast/crew have to say - most people watch tv without commentary and understand it just fine. and as much as i love jacob anderson, he also says game of thrones s8 wasn't that bad so no i don't have to take his word for anything.

[elemwire]

Longing

What is this longing?

Always searching for something,

Yet not really finding,

Sometimes it's clear,

Often it feels near,

Yet there's always a fear.

Can it ever be achieved?

Is it possible to feel relieved,

Or is it an ideal conceived?

There is something that knows,

A deep intuition that shows,

A new direction as it grows.

Maybe it's time to surrender,

A chance to rise and serve under,

This fine sense of wonder.

A person can choose to obey,

This command of the soul or pray,

For a revelation to keep doubts at bay.

-Sebastian Devassy Cherian

@elemwire

[quotelr]

Love melts my heart in the sacredness of its pureness.

Lailah Gifty Akita, Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind

[free-grandmaa]

"I play our songs to remember you.. To touch. To dance.. I wonder, if I'll ever let you go."

[lastbluetardis]

Sacred New Beginnings (19/?)

Summary: James Noble thought he traded away his chance at love and a happy-ever-after when he signed a contract with a record label that turned him into an international celebrity. But a chance meeting in a dive bar may prove him wrong. Ten x Rose AU This Chapter: Explicit, ~5000 words AO3 || Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Ch5 | Ch6 | Ch7 | Ch8 | Ch9 | Ch10 | Ch11 | Ch12 | Ch13 | Ch14 | Ch15 | Ch16 | Ch17 | Ch18 |

James can hardly hear past the roar of his pulse in his ears as he is the sole focus of Jackie Tyler’s—(Jackie Peters��s? He’ll have to ask Rose what last name her mum has)—ire. Gone is the cheerful grin he’d seen in the photos Rose had sent of herself and her mother on holiday in Barcelona; now that joy is replaced with the sort of rage only a mother is capable of. 

He throws a desperate glance at the other adult in the room, but Tyler Peters is stunned into silence, his eyes locked on James as though he’d never seen a human being before.

Absurdly, this is what unfreezes James, and he throws out a stupid little, “Hello. I’m James Noble. Pleasure.”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve showin’ up here,” Jackie spits, stalking ever-closer. James regrets that he didn’t use the last two seconds to free himself from his position of being backed against the countertop. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

“Mummy! Daddy!”

Jackie whirls around to face the corridor at the sound of a tiny voice and pitter-patter of feet. She automatically crouches, and Tony gallops headlong into his mother’s waiting arms. She scoops him up and peppers kisses across his fair skin.

“Did you have a good night with sissy?” Jacke coos, stroking his hair away from his face. “She didn’t feed you any ice cream, did she?”

“Yeah! An’ made hotdogs and cheesy ‘tatoes, then we played Jus’ Dance, an’ James was there!”

“Oh?” Jackie asks, flashing James a withering glare. “When did he get here?”

“Yeah, he’s so fun!” Tony squeals, pivoting in his mother’s arms to beam at James. “He’s my fav’rite.”

Rose finally emerges from down the hall, her cheeks stained scarlet as she squeaks, “Hi, Mum. I expected you to text when you got here.”

“Oh, so you could hide this one somewhere?” Jackie scowls, gesturing to James.

“I… I wanted… I was gonna tell you…”

“What, that you let ‘im come weaslin’ back into your life? Did he come up with a sob story? Made it real convincin’, did he?”

“Jacks,” Tyler says quietly, inclining his head slightly towards Tony, who is still ensconced in his mother’s arms and watching the exchange curiously. “Let’s save it, eh?

Jackie purses her lips, then presses them to her son’s temple before handing the child to his father. “Take him outside, yeah? Meet you downstairs.”

“Five minutes,” Tyler warns. “This one needs to get to bed.” To his son, he chirps, “Say bye to sissy!”

“Bye-bye sissy! Gimme hugs and kisses!”

Rose tiptoes around her mother, not sparing her a glance as she scoops her little brother into her arms and gives him a couple of big twirls around the room.

“Spinny hug, spinny hug!” Tony screeches, clinging to Rose for dear life.

The sight makes something hollow ache in the pit of James’s gut. The siblings clearly adore each other, and Rose is so good with him.

“Bye-bye James!” Small hands tap his legs, and he realizes Tony is gesturing for a hug. He hesitates for only a fraction, but he can’t say no to those big brown eyes.

“G’night Tony,” he whispers, kneeling for a brief embrace. “Thanks for playing with me tonight.”

“All right, little man, wanna see who can race down the stairs fastest?” Tyler asks his son, ruffling Tony’s fair blond hair.

“Yeah! Onetwothreego!”

Tony bolts out of the flat, giggling madly, leaving his father to leisurely stroll behind him. Before Tyler closes the door behind him, he spins and says, “Good night, Rosie.”

“Night,” she mumbles, looking increasingly uncomfortable at the prospect of being left alone with her mother.

James nearly fumbles out an excuse to leave, but realizes that would be the most cowardly thing he’d ever done, and Rose deserves better than that. So he pulls on his big boy pants and turns to face the music.

Before he can speak, Jackie turns on Rose and throws her arms up into the air. “What are you thinking?! Have you gone mental?!”

“Mum, please just…”

“Whatever happened to “I deserve better than bein’ the latest in a long line”? I thought you were over bein’ a good time for someone who would drop you in a heartbeat for someone younger and smarter and prettier?”

Rose flinches from her mother, and James takes an automatic step towards her, reaching across the space between them.

“It’s not… it’s not like that,” Rose says weakly. “I got it wrong.”

“Oh, did you? ‘Cos from where I’m sittin’, it’s bloody obvious what’s going on here. Mister Handsome Rich Rockstar has swindled you again, tellin’ you whatever it is you want to hear so he can keep you ‘til he’s done with you.”

“Er, I’m not technically a rockstar,” James blurts, and he can hardly believe what has just come out of his mouth. But he can’t stop. It’s like his brain has ceased all higher function and his mouth has taken over. “More folk-pop. Indy, maybe? Soft pop?”

“Oh, shut up,” Jackie snaps, turning to him with fire in her eyes.

He clacks his teeth together and nods, stuffing his hands into his pockets in an attempt to make himself seem as small as possible, which is quite the impossible feat, considering his height.

“You! You need to get the hell away from my daughter if you know what’s good for you. You men, you’re all the same, taking what you want, thinkin’ you’re entitled to get your way, lyin’ through your bleedin’ teeth to get what you want. Well I won’t stand for it! My Rose deserves better. She isn’t a girl you can shag and drop the moment someone else comes along.”

“I… I know,” James stammers, his mouth impossibly dry and his stomach roiling in discomfort.

“Oh, do you?” Jackie remarks, false surprise lifting her face. “You had no problem tellin’ the entire bloody world you were just havin’ a bit of fun. ‘Cos that’s all you really want, isn’t it? Fun and a place to wet your cock…”

“Mum! Enough!” Rose shouts, red-faced and near-tears. “I was wrong. We’d both misunderstood each other. But we’re together now. Properly.”

“That’s what he told you, didn’t he? Bet he sounded real sorry too. Bet he said all the right words, didn’t he?”

James’s heart falls when he sees Rose flinch and drop her gaze to her feet.

“That’s enough,” he says quietly. “Say whatever you want about me, but Rose is smart enough to make her own decisions about her life, no matter what you believe. Yes, when Rose and I first started seeing each other, we each thought it was something casual. And I was an idiot for what I told the reporters. But things are different now. I want what’s best for her.”

Jackie grunts dismissively. “You say that now, but the moment she gives you a bit of bad press, you’re going to spin whatever little tale you need to tell to get the public on your side, and my Rose is gonna be the one who gets smeared through the muck.”

“I wouldn’t…”

“Mum, please,” Rose whispers. “I know I have an awful track record with boyfriends, but those are my mistakes to make. Maybe James will be a mistake, maybe he won’t be, but you have to let me live my life the way I choose to. And right now, I choose him.”

Jackie softens a fraction as she turns to her daughter. It’s as though with him out of sight, the gentle mother returns. She reaches to Rose and cradles her jaw, stroking her cheeks as she says, “My Rose. I will always want the best for you. It killed me to see you in such a state on holiday. I don’t want to see you be taken advantage of. Is it money? Sweetheart, you know me and your dad will help you out, you don’t need to stay with him for that.”

James is slightly offended that Jackie thinks he’s paying Rose to hang out with him or paying her for sex, but before he can think of a response, Rose covers her mother’s hands and leans into the touch.

“It’s not money,” she assures. “He’s not paying for anything of mine.”

“He bloody well should—he’s rich! You better not be payin’ for your dates!”

Rose lets out a sniffly giggle and throws her arms around her mother, who holds her tightly and rocks her from side to side. James wonders if he should sneak out while they’re distracted, but he finds he’s rooted to the spot, trying to wrap his head around the last few minutes.

“Please be safe, sweetheart,” Jackie whispers. “Please.”

“I am safe, Mum. And I wish you’d believe me when I say I’m happy. Really happy.”

“I believe that you believe it,” Jackie says, pulling back just far enough to kiss Rose’s forehead. “Remember that I’m here for you the moment you need me. Don’t you ever think you can’t come home to your old mum.”

Rose nods wordlessly.

The fight seems to have left Jackie, but she turns to him and says, “Don’t you dare hurt her, or mess her over.”

“I–  I won’t,” he vows.

Jackie narrows her eyes, scanning him up and down, but doesn’t say anything else. She turns away from him and back to Rose. “I gotta go. It’s way past Tony’s bedtime. Thanks for watchin’ him.”

“Of course. I love spending time with him,” Rose says, guiding her mother to the door.

“I love you. More than anything.”

“Love you too. Drive safe.”

Jackie kisses both of Rose’s cheeks and doesn’t even look James’s way as she sweeps out of the flat.

oOoOo

Downstairs in the foyer, Tyler Peters is desperately trying to occupy his definitely-tired-but-pretending-he’s-not-tired four-year-old, and it’s going about as well as one could hope. Tony is racing laps around the room, skillfully dodging the amused (and mercifully tolerant) tenants of the building who are simply trying to enter or exit the building.

“Watch it, mate,” he calls when Tony nearly barrels into the little old lady who has lived in this building for decades. She is one of the few residents who already leased a flat here before Tyler became the owner of the building. “So sorry Mrs. Donovan.”

“Oh, my grandsons have just as much energy,” the old woman says cheerfully, smiling down at Tony. “These bones may be old, but they’re sturdier than they look.”

“Hi!” Tony chirps, flashing a toothy smile. “Bye!”

And so the laps continue.

And continue…

And continue…

Tyler sighs and checks his watch. He should’ve known Jackie couldn’t keep it to five minutes. It’s nearing on fifteen, and he’s about to corral his son so they can go fetch her when the lift dings and Jackie steps out, her eyes sparking and her jaw locked.

“Mummy!” Tony sprints over and takes her hand. “Time to go!”

Tyler joins his family and takes his wife’s free hand, rubbing his thumb along the back of hers.

“Chat go all right?” he asks quietly.

“I don’t know what the hell she’s thinking,” Jackie grumbles. “I mean… James bloody Noble?! It was bad enough to hear my daughter was havin’ a lark with that… that… scoundrel in the first place. But now she’s taken him back? Stupid. Irresponsible.”

Tyler bites back a smirk and knocks his elbow into her ribs. “Put yourself in her shoes, eh? When you were her age, you can’t tell me that you wouldn’t have bedded Bono if he’d shown the slightest bit of interest in you?”

“It’s not the same!” she complains. “Bono never would’ve…”

“And Rose likely thought James Noble never would’ve,” he says simply. “You know I love her dearly and that I want the best for her, but Rose seems happy right now. Will it last? Probably not. But let her have this, eh? How many people can say they dated a famous singer in their youth? It’ll be a story for the grandkids and great-grandkids.”

His wife huffs out another impatient breath, but doesn’t argue further. “Yeah. Maybe. But still. James bloody Noble. I just hope Rose knows what she’s doing, datin’ that man…”

Tyler wraps his arm around her waist and gives her a squeeze, but doesn’t say more. Together, they walk out of the foyer of the building, all while being watched by two young women leaning on the wall beside the lifts.

The women exchange stunned, disbelieving looks.

“James Noble? The James Noble?” one of them asks.

“With Rose Tyler?” the other asks. “The girl up in flat 10-2?”

No fucking way…

oOoOo

James stares at the front door for several long seconds after Jackie’s marvelous exit. Rose shifts away from his side to step forward, twisting the lock and fastening the deadbolt chain before she clunks her forehead into the door. She doesn’t move from her position, so he goes to her.

Carefully, he slips his arms around her waist and presses a whisper-soft kiss to the side of her neck. Though she feels limp, she manages to spin in his grasp to instead plonk her head into his chest rather than her front door. She simply stands there, unmoving, as he rubs her back.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, voice muffled. “I didn’t think… I thought she’d… I’m so sorry.”

He doesn’t know what to say, so he stays quiet, nestling his stubbly cheek into her hair and breathing her in. Never before has a parental introduction gone so poorly. Usually his partners are as famous as him, so the parents are accepting and gracious or simply indifferent. Occasionally they’ll fawn over him.

But the outright hostility and venom that Jackie just spat at him…

“I didn’t realize you’d told your mum about me,” he finally says, matching the volume of his voice with hers.

She groans and says, “During our holiday. I’d been out of sorts, thinkin’ you didn’t care about us at all. Mum caught on to my mood. I didn’t mean to tell her, but I was quite upset, and it all just sorta… came out. And when I saw your red-carpet interview that confirmed I was just a bit of fun for you… I lost it, and she saw my reaction, and it wasn’t good.”

James wishes he could go back in time and wallop his past self across the head for his thoughtless comments. He wishes he’d had the courage to tell the interviewer how he felt about Rose, to tell the world that he was riding the high of falling in love, and that he wanted to keep it private. But he hadn’t. He’d been a prick and a twat, and he’d broken Rose’s heart from five and a half thousand miles away.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’ve forgiven you for it all. But I just… I guess I’d forgotten how much I’d told Mum about you. And I’d forgotten how upset she was on my behalf. I was stupid for thinking that telling her on the spot that you and I were properly together would be enough for her to accept you. I shouldn’t have done it this way… I should have talked to her first, then introduced you. I’m so stupid.”

His stomach churns as he squeezes her tightly, as though that could rid them both of the shock they’re in.

“Should I… should I go?” he asks, mentally pleading with her to say no. The thought of spending his night in his empty house makes him ache with loneliness. 

To his relief, she shakes his head. “I don’t want you to, but I don’t feel like I deserve to have you with me tonight. My mum just… verbally eviscerated you. You must be so angry.”

“Not at all,” he insists. “Well… I’m a bit chastened. And a bit embarrassed that I made such a poor first impression, and that you’d been so upset about my behavior that you told your mum how awful I am. But I still want to be here. With you. If that’s all right.”

In response, Rose finally lifts her face from where it had been pressed into his shirt. Her eyes are a little red but completely dry, though he barely registers that fact before she threads her fingers through his hair, presses up onto her toes, and brushes her mouth to his. His eyes flutter shut at the glorious pressure of her kiss. He melts into her, splaying his palm across her back to hold her close.

“Stay,” she murmurs when she breaks away, though she catches his lips in another kiss a moment later. “Please stay with me.”

“For as long as you wish,” he says, because there is nothing on this planet that could make him leave.

Apart from her kiss of greeting at the door, this is the first that James has had Rose’s hands and lips on him in over a week. He tries to keep it chaste and slow, still unsure whether it’s appropriate for him to stay, while hoping to convey comfort and support through his body. He really shouldn’t let them get carried away; Rose is obviously upset, but he just can’t help it. He’s drawing as much strength from her as she hopefully is from him.

He has the presence of mind to keep his hands in safe places, primarily across the expanse of her back. He grabs onto the fabric to anchor himself as he basks in the heady intoxication of her mouth.

They each know exactly where this kiss is headed but pretend not to, and instead they explore each other’s mouths in lazy, indolent strokes of lips and tongue. James quickly becomes far too hot, his skin flushed and tingling with anticipation of things to come. He tentatively dips his fingers beneath her jumper, shuddering to touch her bare skin. She sighs into his mouth and presses her front flush with his.

He’s steadily getting hard in his jeans, each beat of his heart sending his blood rushing down, down, down, helped along by the rocking of Rose’s hips. He drops a hand to her arse, caressing and squeezing and pulling her more tightly into him. With his other hand, he tangles his fingers into her hair and guides her head back a bit to get better access to her neck. She grips his hips with near-bruising force as he plants row after row of searing kisses to the sensitive patch of skin beneath her ear. That familiar whining moan rushes out of her as she shudders in his arms, holding him close to urge him on. Not that he needs the encouragement.

Without breaking the kiss or the press of their bodies, James slowly guides them down the hall and to Rose’s bedroom. It takes ages, as he keeps getting distracted with the taste of her skin and the sound of her quiet gasps. They move even more slowly when Rose remembers that she has hands, then proceeds to use them to cup him and stroke him through his jeans.

“Christ,” he chokes out as a spark of pleasure zips up his spine.

“Rose,” she counters, giving him a playful squeeze that sends a full-body shudder through him.

“Smart-arse. Fuck, do that again.”

A laugh hums up her throat, vibrating against his now-still lips as she grips him tightly and rubs. He’s going to fucking lose it, right here in the doorway of her bedroom, but Christ this feels so good and he never, ever wants her to stop.

The intensity recedes a moment later, and he regains his senses enough to tug her hand away from him to instead guide her all the way into her room. There’s a pile of laundry on her bed that Rose haphazardly shoves to the floor.

“Clothes off,” she orders as she fumbles with the hem of her jumper, tugging until she pulls it over her head.

He doesn’t need telling twice.

Neither of them bothers with trying to sexily disrobe the other. Rather, they go for speed and efficiency, and soon enough, they’re both wonderfully naked. She’s as beautiful as he remembers, even more so, and he drags her down to the mattress with him. They move together until Rose is on her back, her legs open for him, and he’s atop her, his hips cradled in hers. She reaches between them for his cock, and strokes him a few times as she guides him inside of her.

He presses in, slowly, inch by inch, shivering at the sensations rushing through him. He groans through clenched teeth as he’s fully seated, forcing himself to wait, to give Rose a moment to adjust. She’s panting beneath him, chest rising and falling as her nails bite into the fleshy part of his back.

“Okay,” she whispers, arching her hips up and pulling him close for a rough, sloppy kiss that conveys everything she wants and needs from him.

His skin sings, tingling at the sensation of so much of her body pressed to his. His blood turns molten, burning him from within as he begins to move.

“Feels so good,” he chokes out, pulling back and plunging forward in a steady, measured manner. The slick glide of her all around him is as addictive as ever, and he trembles with the pleasure slowly mounting in him.

“Uh huh.” Her agreement dies on a moan as he thrusts in with a little more force this time. “James.”

He catches her bottom lip between his before releasing it to kiss her again. He teases his tongue into her mouth, flicking at the roof of her mouth just behind her front teeth, then going back to simpler kisses. Rose clings to him, kissing him back in equal measure as her nails rake down his spine to cup his arse, guiding his quickening rhythm. The sting of her nails coils a raging, aching heat low in his spine, building higher and higher until he knows it won’t be much longer until he’s lost.

“I missed you,” he grunts as her muscles begin to tighten around him. Thank fuck; she’s as close as he is. He redoubles his effort, wanting to push her over the edge first. “So much.”

“Me too,” she gasps. “Fuck. Please…”

He speeds up his rhythm, giving up on kissing her lips and instead tucking his face into the side of her neck. He breathes her in then plants his mouth to that patch of skin beneath her ear that is always her undoing. He grins to himself as she shudders and curses and moans, and when he dips a hand between them to rub her, she breaks.

She cries out and writhes into the mattress, arching her hips up and up and up, closer to him, closer to the sensations he is wringing out of her. She’s perfect, and fucking hell, he’s right on her heels. The perfect pressure within him pulls tighter, making him lose all sense as he chases his high. He thrusts with abandon, clenching his teeth as the flames fan hotter, drowning him, consuming him…

He lets out a wrenching moan and thrusts deeply into her, releasing helplessly, shaking and cursing and burying his face into her. Sensation sparks through him, channeling relief and pleasure through his entire body, curling his toes and stealing his breath. She’s everywhere, all around him and holding him through this maelstrom that has never felt so fucking good.

Rose… he thinks he gasps her name, but the rushing in his ears deafens him to anything except his erratic heartbeat.

He returns to awareness by Rose lazily stroking his back and kissing the top of his shoulder. His body is too heavy to move, but he manages to pull out and flop indelicately beside her, keeping an arm and leg slung over her. She laughs quietly at his antics, and he grins into the pillow. He cracks open an eye to look at her, and the sight of her smile and sex-mussed hair and flushed cheeks ignites a joy and love so deep that he begins to giggle. His body is thrumming with hormones that make him feel boneless and content, and through it all, he laughs and folds himself closer to Rose.

She’s laughing with him and turns to face him fully. He mirrors her position so they’re both on their sides, their legs tangled lazily together. He reaches out and brushes a few rogue strands of hair away from her face, then leans in to kiss her softly.

“That was great,” he whispers into the sacred silence of her bedroom.

“Mhm. Very great.”

“The most great,” he says, beaming as she rolls her eyes.

“Did you have a nice trip?” she asks.

He hums in wordless assent, and briefly tells her all about the week he’d spent in east Asia, meeting fans and doing photoshoots while promoting Catalysis.

“How was your week? Are you feeling better?” While her voice is still raspy from the illness she’d contracted, she looks and sounds much better than she had during their video chat on his last night in Japan.

“Much better. Teaching classes while feeling like death is always frustrating, but it’s easier than arranging for a substitute,” she says with a shrug.

He frowns, but they already had this discussion about how shittily schools treat their teachers, so he lets it go.

“I’ve got an upcoming holiday concert at the O2, weekend after next,” he murmurs, remembering the monthly schedule Donna had sent him that morning. “I’d… I’d really like you to come. If you want. It’s not just me. I think Ed Sheeran is on the list too. And Astrid Peth. She’s a good mate of mine. You can bring a few friends with you. There’s a private suite for my guests, so you could stay hidden, mostly, as long as cameras aren’t wandering around. And my mum’ll be there too. I think. Well. I should invite her, shouldn’t I…?”

Rose interrupts his nervous rambling with a soft kiss. He melts into her, but she breaks it far too soon for his liking.

“I’d love to,” she says, cupping his cheek before scraping her nails through his hair.

His eyes flutter shut at the echoes of pleasure that ripple through him, and he grins at her acceptance of his invitation. He’s giddy at the thought of being on stage and looking into his private suite to see Rose. His favorite pieces of his life will be in the same place, melding together perfectly.

He leans forward to kiss her again, and she willingly reciprocates.

oOoOo

They sleep, eventually. Between (and during) bouts of sex, they talk about everything and nothing. It’s like nothing bad can happen to them here, not when they’re twined so intimately, not when they’re making each other laugh so freely.

Wrung out in that perfect post-marathon-sex way, James buries himself beneath Rose’s blankets and lets blissful unconsciousness claim him. His dreams are vague and foggy, and he doesn’t remember them when he awakes later that morning to sunlight peeking through Rose’s curtains.

His eyes are gritty and heavy as he leans over to check the time. It’s barely 8am, but he feels refreshed, even though the drowsiness of lingering sleep tugs at him again. His shuffling has disturbed Rose, who curls close to him and mutters something unintelligible. He kisses her forehead and closes his eyes once more.

He drifts in and out for many long minutes before the gurgling of his stomach is too distracting. Even Rose hears it, and she pokes his belly, mumbling, “Shush.”

“Can’t exactly help it. Mind if I order a breakfast and coffee delivery?”

“Go for it,” Rose says through a yawn.

“Then can I borrow your shower?” he asks, sitting up and letting the sheets pool around his naked waist.

“Go for it,” she repeats, tucking an arm beneath her pillow to glance up at him. Her gaze falls to the morning erection that is somehow poking at the blankets despite their multiple rounds of very satisfying sex the night before. “Well, hello.”

She gently prods it, giggling when it bobs a bit. “Bouncy.”

James stifles a snort. “You’re adorable when you’re sleepy.”

“Pfft.”

He lets her mindlessly poke his cock as he scrolls to a food delivery app and orders a selection of bagels and croissants for them, as well as his favorite coffee and her favorite tea. His chest balloons with warmth when he adds Rose’s address to his list of favorites, then places their breakfast order.

“Should be here in half an hour,” he says, resting his phone on the nightstand, ignoring the handful of missed notifications. It’s the bloody weekend, for God’s sake. It can wait. For good measure, he completely silences everything, not wanting his morning with Rose to be disturbed.

“Hmmm, how can we pass the time?” Rose muses, blinking up at him through her lashes and grinning wickedly.

She shows him just how entertaining thirty minutes can be.

He doesn’t have time for a shower before there’s a knock at the door that has them scrambling for clothes. He tugs on his pants and t-shirt while Rose simply dons a robe overtop her knickers, cinching it tight at the waist to keep her modesty. They emerge from the bedroom, with James going to the kitchen for plates while Rose heads to the door.

There’s an odd commotion in the hallway, but James doesn’t really think much of it, not as he absently wonders what he and Rose could do today. Maybe they can sneak out somewhere and visit a museum or something. Maybe he could take her to the studio—it should be fairly empty on a Saturday morning. Maybe they can take an impromptu road trip to somewhere Rose has never been. Pack their bags and drive to the first place they can think of. Book a hotel and order in a bunch of fancy food and rent some films to watch and get drunk on expensive wine and kiss until their lips are bruised. God, that sounds like a perfect weekend, and he hopes Rose will be agreeable.

But all of those plans, those hopes, are dashed the moment Rose opens her front door to reveal a stunned delivery person and over a dozen paparazzi photographers, armed and ready with flashing cameras.

[shinneth]

My souring sentiments on Sailor Moon's manga

It'll be a surprise to no one who knows me even remotely that Sailor Moon was my everything back in my childhood. From the age of 9, I was utterly obsessed with it.

That was just a couple of years shy of 30 years ago.

Since then, I've often revisited the series. I watched the entirety of the Viz dub of the classic anime; all 200 episodes.

And I loved it all the same, if not more so than before. Because now I have context for why exactly the anime was the way it was, including its gradual diversion from the manga source material. And I respect the hell out of the staff who poured their life into this work, while concurrently running with the manga and doing whatever it could to not completely outpace it in the narrative.

Are there a lot of fillers in the OG anime? Yes. Too many? Well, not so from a functional standpoint (this show had to run weekly for 5 years), but there are definitely some fillers you could skip and miss nothing in doing so.

But a story like Sailor Moon honestly needed some breathing room in order to properly flesh out the cast.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, the live-action reimagining of the show, was phenomenal back then (despite looking low-budget even by 2003 standards), and having re-watched the whole series recently, I can safely say PGSM more than holds up and deserves way more love and respect than it gets. It's THE perfect example of reimagining the story of Sailor Moon while still respecting its roots and maintaining the soul of the franchise.

Which is exactly why I couldn't stand Sailor Moon Crystal. We knew from the off that it was supposed to be completely faithful to the manga, but one look through @crystalvsmanga will show you Crystal took shitloads of "creative liberties", and the amount of changes I could dare to call "good"? I could count them on one hand.

The animation is low-hanging fruit, because everyone and their dog knows how godawful it was for the first two story arcs. But more than that, I actually loathed the general art design. Yukie Sakou's style DID NOT closely resemble Naoko Takeuchi's. People kept saying it, but I couldn't really see it. The eyes especially are a far cry from Takeuchi's style. And Sakou's style did NOT facilitate the OTT cartoony expressions that were definitely present in Takeuchi's manga; everyone looked so goddamn soulless, like overly-expensive porcelain dolls.

My biggest gripe with Crystal was the story, of course. While a great deal came from just being from the manga (which I'll get to in a bit), the changes they made went a long way to actively make the manga's story worse. My main takeaway from Crystal S1-2 is that it took itself waaaaay too seriously.

That being said, I did like Crystal's third season a lot better BECAUSE Chiaki Kon had way more competence and held a lot more respect for Sailor Moon. Like, my god, for once it felt like there was a soul in this show! It can actually take the piss every now and then!

Some silly things kinda broke my immersion (such as the Senshi just being able to fuckin' fly and Chibi-Moon in particular was literally sky-stepping), but most of that can be blamed on the source material it was adapting. While I was fine with Crystal3, I definitely didn't feel it was anywhere near as good as Sailor Moon S. Outside of Hotaru/Sailor Saturn having more of a presence, there wasn't really much in Crystal's take on Infinity that I liked better than S.

But most of that comes down to the fact that I liked S more than manga's Infinity arc to begin with.

Which is a good segue to talk about the manga proper.

I have not yet watched Eternal or Cosmos. the movies that adapted the last two manga arcs, but it'd be redundant since I know ahead of time what they're going to be about, and so far I haven't heard about any of them deviating from the source material, so it'd be moot to talk about them even if I had watched.

When I first got my hands on the manga, which was when I was around 12-13 and thus got the crappy MiXxZine translations, I was fine enough with it. Thought it was too fast-paced and didn't care for 99% of the villains being one-and-done jobbers, but I was also reading it with my impressions of the 90's anime characters still intact. I was reading the manga like an extension of the anime, rather than the other way around.

It wasn't until many years later when I grew older, when the manga was properly translated, when I acquired the wisdom my teenaged-ass self lacked, and learned to look at the manga as a completely separate entity that I started to see the cracks in the manga's narrative.

Further rereads have left me in something of a mindfuck, as I experienced the manga the proper way. And I realized:

The more I read the manga, the more I disliked it.

The manga is lauded for having an infinitely better depiction of Mamoru, as well as his ~Miracle Romance~ with Usagi.

Objectively, the manga definitely spends lots more time giving UsaMamo attention as a couple than any other aspect of the story...

I'd say they're also more developed as individuals in the manga too, but usually the beats, uh...

... let's say they usually ring hollow, when these two (and sometimes their daughter) are the only ones who consistently get shit done across the series. Hell, on the rare occasion that the Inner Senshi weren't rendered into street pizza, Neo Queen Serenity basically told them to fuck off and let her daughter, past self, and past hubby take on motherfucking DEATH PHANTOM/NEMESIS BY THEMSELVES.

It's likely because my first exposure to Sailor Moon was via the 90s anime, which had more of a focus on friendship and comradery between Usagi and her friends than it did her romance with Mamoru. I mean, romance was DEFINITELY a prominent thing even in that iteration of the story, but that wasn't where my interest lied. I was, am currently, and always will be more interested in Usagi's galpals than I'll ever be interested in her love life.

And, well, I'm sure this qualifies as a hot take, but...

This one moment with Usagi and Mamoru in the elevator (hell, their interaction across this entire episode was great) resonated with me far more than any ultra-romantic declarations of eternal devotion that Usagi and Mamoru kept regurgitating at each other in the manga.

Granted, the manga had a FEW moments early on where their dynamic was more playful, but they were pretty much confined to the early chapters and this element of their chemistry pretty much died not long after this.

Some say 90s anime Mamoru was far too mean-spirited in his teasing of Usagi. And I mean, sure, he was kind of a douche at times, but he usually got some karmic blowback from it (I remember one time he made Usagi cry without even really meaning to, and she cried so loud in public that randos nearby were giving Mamoru the evil-eye or a scolding). But honestly, after R, Mamoru kinda became a bland, generic love interest, just as he almost always was in the manga. The only difference was that anime Mamoru was never granted powers that were literally equal to Usagi's. The manga gave him a GOLDEN FUCKING CRYSTAL.

There was that infamous break-up arc in R that, yes, was shitty in concept and execution. But if I had anything positive to say about it, it at least shook up the status quo. It didn't make him immediately fall into the bland, generic love interest he would soon become. And it gave us some of the most emotionally-charged Usagi moments in the entire anime.

Conversely, in the manga, we had THIS shit for our UsaMamo "drama":

(the former incident with Usagi literally accusing her boyfriend of falling in love with a kid, by the way, happened while MOST OF HER FRIENDS WERE KIDNAPPED BY THE ENEMY AND COULD'VE BEEN DEAD FOR ALL SHE KNEW AND YET SHE FUCKING HAD TIME FOR THIS STUPID SHIT)

Everything seemed to revolve around Usagi and Mamoru (sometimes Chibiusa too). It lowkey came off that way at times even in the 90s anime, but in the manga or Crystal? You'd be hard-pressed to find the girls engaging in their stated hobbies at most points in time, because they're usually all together and talking about their prince and princess.

Hell, even Haruka - Sailor Uranus herself - seemed much more interested in Usagi than she ever did in Michiru, her actual girlfriend.

So... am I just missing something? I've seen people say that as they grow older, they prefer the manga/Crystal to the 90s anime. But I've never seen anyone other than myself express the opposite sentiment.

But it's true - unless I completely leave my brain at the door, I have a hard time enjoying the manga for what it is. The characters I'm most interested in or attached to quickly get swept aside for the characters I have the least interest in. No more does that ring true than the Stars arc of the manga, where Naoko Takeuchi basically speedruns killing off literally the entire cast until Sailor Moon's the only one left standing. Most characters don't even get to go out in a blaze of glory or anything - it's got nothing on the finale of the 90s anime's first season in that regard. If you're lucky, you'll get a single panel where your entire existence is ripped to shreds - but sometimes you'll be killed literally off-screen!!

There's a number of questionable manga-exclusive aspects that rubbed me the wrong way as well, such as poor Sailor Pluto being assigned as a child to guard the Door of Time in complete and total solitude. While I appreciate more Silver Millennium lore that the manga provided (the anime hardly mentioned it past the first arc), it was more than a little uncomfortable knowing the OG Queen Serenity conscripted the Inner Senshi as small children to become Princess Serenity's guardians. Really casts Queen Serenity and her Moon Kingdom in a much darker light - like maybe Queen Beryl and Queen Nehelenia had a point in trying to take them down (though the manga I believe retcons all past villains as incarnations of Chaos, so that arguably removes all prior villains' agency?). Lots of little things that I didn't think twice about, but now that I look at them again, I'm wondering WTF Naoko Takeuchi was thinking.

Though I don't want to be too hard on her. Poor girl was working under stress far longer than she'd planned to (she'd intended on ending the story either by the Dark Kingdom or Black Moon arc), so it's no surprise there's a lot of clunk and clutter in the narrative.

I often wondered if Naoko Takeuchi really wanted to make Sailor Moon with a Super Sentai-esque setup in the first place. After all, her first big hit was Sailor V, which was exclusively Minako and Artemis fighting evil with Minako having her own masked love interest she ended up being at odds with and he eventually died. With a scant few secondary characters here and there.

It led to me thinking about what Sailor Moon would be like if Naoko kept the cast to a more Sailor V-like size. That, perhaps, the Sailor Moon she really wanted to make would be quite a different beast from how we know it to be today.

So this lengthy diatribe about my personal conflicts with my waning fondness for the manga versus my strengthened love for the OG anime and live-action show was actually a preamble to a bizarre AU I wrote an outline for over a year ago but never posted in public. I had considered posting it to Sailor Moon's Reddit back then, but I (probably wisely) held off, as my musing went way off the rails.

But I figured now's a good time as any to share it here, at least. Though it'll need to be its own post since I wrote so goddamn much in this post alone, wow.

On that note, I'll end with this: The only iteration of UsaMamo that I unironically enjoyed and rooted for is...

[calchexxis]

New Book Release!

I've finally released my latest book! Art by @lovewritteninthestrands

If anyone here is interested in some December-May lesbian romance between an ex-exorcist nun and her sugar-baby demon girl, give Sacred a try!

Synopsis:

Once a powerful and influential exorcist of the Church of Celestial Hosts, Rena Cervantes has been given an honorable early retirement as Mother Superior of a convent. Listless without a foe, Rena's obnoxiously peaceful life takes a turn for the strange when the latest batch of novitiates arrive containing a demon set on corrupting her soul, with one caveat. She's quite bad at it.

Ebooks are available at Rakuten Kobo and Barnes & Noble, and will also soon be available on Amazon! Links below!

Kobo - Ebook

B&N - Ebook

[beatriceselwynhpfic]

The Sacred Twenty-Eight

The Sacred Twenty-Eight are a group of elite pureblood families. They are the epitome of high society and act accordingly. Balls, gatherings, lavish clothing, expensive jewelry, castles, and manors. You name it, they have it. They're the textbook definition of pureblood Slytherins, exactly how J K Rowling imagined them. They're diehard Slytherins through and through and, most, are loyal to the Dark Lord (many of them bearing the Dark Mark to prove it).

They're definitely more of a dark academia, old-money aesthetic, so they have the newest and sharpest clothing. They all wear fancy jewelry and have perfect makeup. All of the children learn networking at an early age where they're forced to attend balls and meetings by their parents who expect the best behavior out of all of them.

Most of the children from these families are extremely loyal to their family as it's something that's instilled in them from a very young age. And, at Hogwarts, they act exactly as their parents do, expecting royalty treatment from everyone and attempting to keep everyone into submission. The Slytherin's bad reputation derives from them.

[maybeinanotherworld]

sure sex is great but have you ever listened to the light behind your eyes by my chemical romance at 2:00 in the morning when you were fourteen and felt like you were completely alone because you were letting down everyone that has ever cared about you to any degree and desperately needed someone to tell you that it was all gonna be okay-

[scarlettgauthor]

Scarlett's BIG HOLIDAY SALE

What's up, Tumblr, it's CYBER MONDAY and you know what that means! CYBERSEX ON MAIN -

Wait. What's that? I'm being told that it's actually a made-up holiday intended to sell things digitally. That seems much less fun, but I guess I can do that instead.

What's up, Tumblr, it's CYBER MONDAY and that means you can buy yourself some cozy kinky romance at an incredible discount! Use code GAY&FESTIVE24 on my website for 20% off my books in all forms! They're perfect for binging under the table while ignoring your shitty aunt at holiday gatherings this season.

The code is good through January 1st. Happy reading!

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1237: Dress Up Delinquents (SSBU X River City Girls)

5:06 p.m. at Smash Mall Direct: The Party Costume Store.......

Dark Pit: (Sighs as He Walks in the Store Along with his Girlfriends) Do we really have to participate in the Costume Contest this year? I doubt I'll look good in any of the ones they have in here to be honest.

Misako: (Happily Wraps her Arm Around Pitto's Shoulders) Ah give 'em a chance, babe. There's bound to be at least a couple of outfits that could suit your fancy.

Kyoko: (Happily Nodded in Agreement) Yep-Yep. Annnd if we managed to get 1st place, we could get access to any flavor of ice cream and frozen yogurt for a whole year, at Sherbert Laaaaand!~

Misako: Wait, that place sales frozen yogurts now? Since when?

Kyoko: Since a week or two ago. Mommy and I had free samples the other day. (Grabs her Chin While Thinking) I think we had the strawberry-raspberry conjunction? (Starts Smiling Very Fondly) It was super yummyyy~ (Got Up on her Girlfriend and Boyfriend's Faces in a Now Very Determined Manner) I NEED have to full, free experience on a daily!!

Dark Pit: (Gently Grabs onto Kyoko's Shoulder) Easy there, Firecracker. You already had me at free yogurt. I'm in.

Kyoko: (Happily Squeals Before Giving Pitto and Then Misako Their Respective Kiss on the Lips) That's the spirit!~ (Points Forward to the Three Dressing Rooms Ahead) Now, let's go and get this costume party start!~ (Happily Sprints Forward)

Dark Pit: (Watches Kyoko Check Out Every Costume Present in the Store Along with Misako) That girl's way too into this....

Misako: (Simply Shrugs) She did say she wanted to do cosplay one of these days, so she might as well start off somewhere at least. (Turns to Pitto) Also, Firecracker?

Dark Pit: I've been been thinking about what kind of nicknames I wanna give to you girls and that's the one that came to mind.

Misako: Hmm not bad. (Smirks Teasingly at her Dark Angel) It's not nearly as cute as "Pitto-Kins" though.

Dark Pit: Probably. (Smirks Back at Misako) Hell, I say "Miski" a far more cuter than both of them combined.

Misako: (Snickers Before Playfully Smacking Pitto's Arm) Yeah right!~ Let's go.

Misako continues her walk as Dark Pit chuckles and follows behind her.

Costume Tryouts #1

Dark Pit: (Steps Out of his Dressing Room, Nodding to Himself Dressed as Sol Badguy) Alright. Might have to dye my hair brown, but other than that, I cam dig this look for the night. But...wait. (Crosses his Arms While Thinking) Was Sol always a bad guy or.....

Misako: Nah.

DP turns to see Misako walking out of her dressing room dressed as the rocking sensational, I-NO.

Misako: The name just makes him sound more cooler than he already is.

Dark Pit: (Forms an Impressed Smirk on his Face) Well don't you look even more prettier in red~ Are you a witch of rock n' roll or something.

Misako: Yeah, something like that. (Looking Down at a Fake Guitar Prop She's Holding) Doubt I'll be any good with a guitar as she is though.

Dark Pit: Ever thought about taking some lessons?

Misako: Yeah, but knowing me, I'd probably get bored of it and dropout within a week or so.

Dark Pit: You should give a try someday. It'll might benefit you in the long run.

Misako: (Casually Shrugs) Mm. I'll think about it. (Forms a Bit of a Flirty Smirk) If you give me a kiss~

Dark Pit: ('Sigh') I swear, you two always wanting kisses these days.

Misako: Oh hush up. You know you like 'em as much as we do.

Dark Pit: (Shrugs) Guilty as charged. Now come here.

Both Pitto and Misako lean over for a kiss, until-

????: Look alive, my lovelies!!~

The duo turns to see their girlfriend, Kyoko, walking out of her dressing room dressed as Sol's lover Jack-O.

Kyoko: (Happily Presents Herself) Cause the Spooktacular Jack-O Valentine I here!!~

Misako: ('Whistles') Looking good already, babe!~

Dark Pit: (Nodded in Agreement) You look more prettier in that suit than Jack-O herself.

Kyoko: (Giggles Softly While Blushing) D'awwww~ You guys are sweet~ It's always been my dream to dress up as my main and since we're on the topic of Jack-O herself, look what I can do~

Kyoko does a wide stance before slowly lowering herself on the ground while keeping the lower half of her body standing up on her feet.

Dark Pit: (Eyes Widened in Genuine Surprise) Holy.....

Misako: (Chuckles as She Forms a Huge Grin on her Face) Shi-hehe-it!~ You can do the Jack-O Pose now?

Kyoko: (Proudly Nodded) Yes ma'am~ I've always take the time to do my daily stretches before starting the day off. (Starts Giddying Up with Even More Joy) I'm so happy it's finally paying off-

'RIIIIIP'

The bright smile on Kyoko's slowly falters into timid, dreadful looking as the sound of a fabric ripping has started to ring straight into her eardrums.

Kyoko: W-Was that a piece of a paper torn off just now?

Dark Pit: (Quickly Covers his Eyes From the....Slight Exposure Staring Front of Him and Misako's View Point) Kyoko, we don't have any paper in our hands to tear apart.

Misako: (Points at the Now Ripped Pants in Front of Her and Pitto) Pretty sure that sound came from the pants you just ripped-

Kyoko: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (Quickly Lowers her Other Half of her Body Down Before Getting Herself Back Up on her Feet as Her Eyes Begins Sparkle in Guilt and Sadness as She Sees the Ripped Part of the Pants) These pants plays a crucial part to Jack-O's stylish design and I just....RIPPED THEM!!

Misako: Oh will you relax? Those pants might not even cost that much to begin wi- (Eyes Suddenly Begins to Widened at the Price Tag of the Pants) NINTY FOUR DOLLARS!? For some fucking pants!? Seriously!?

Kyoko: (Bawls her Eyes Out as She Kneels Herself Down on the Ground) I RUINED EVERYTHIIING!

Dark Pit: (Sighs as He Turns Back to Kyoko) Will you calm down already, Kyoko? You didn't ruin shit.

Kyoko: But....('Sniff') T-T-The pants-

Dark Pit: I'll pay for them and have Momma Peach sew them up good as new, once we had back to the mansion, alright?

Kyoko: (Wipes her Tears Away as Her Eyes Starts Sparkling Again) You would really do that....('Sniff') For me?

Dark Pit: ('Scoffs') Obviously. I'm not gonna let you take the fall for this alone and I don't wanna see you blame yourself all day, for something that wasn't in your control either! (Turns Away While Frowns a Bit) Hate seeing you girls sad and shi- OOF! (Suddenly Felt Kyoko Hug Tackle Him)

Kyoko: I promise I'll make it up to you one of these days, 100%!~ (Gives Pitto a Watery, Loving Smile) I love you so so much, Pitto-Kins!~

Dark Pit: (Sighs While Rolling his Eyes a Bit) Yeah, yeah, love you too. (Gives Kyoko a Kiss on the Forehead Before Turning Away Again) But uh....('Clears Throat') You might wanna cover yourself up from behind.

Kyoko: From behi- (Eyes Starts to Widened Again as She Quickly Uses his Hands Covers Up her Now, Slightly Exposed Rear) Eeeeek! This is so embarrassing........

Misako: Kyoko, here! (Takes Off her Coattail and Gives It to Kyoko) This should cover it up perfectly.

Kyoko: (Quickly Wraps the Coattail Around Her Waist) You are such a lifesaver, Miski, thank you!~

Misako: Yeah, don't mention it. Now go on and change already.

Kyoko: (Simply Nodded to Misako's Command) Right. BRBBBBBB!~ (Quickly Makes Her Way Back to her Dressing Room)

Dark Pit: ('Sighs Heavily') You weren't kidding when you said that girl gonna be the death of us one of these day.....

Misako: Well, duh, I'm always right. Still, that girl's way too cute and lovable to for me to get annoyed with forever, you know?

Dark Pit: You and me both.

Costume Tryouts #2

Kyoko: Oooh!~ (Walks Out of her Dressing Room, Wearing a Long Sleeved, Black and White Dress) I'm loving how this feels dress already~ (Pushes the Back of her Hair a Little Before Striking a Pose) Make me feel like a runway model.

Misako: Eh. (Walks Out of her Dressing Room, Wearing a Long Sleeved, Black and Red Dress) Never been a fan of these long dresses. Like a wearing a heavy blanket around me all day.

Kyoko: At least it looks you as gorgeous as I do. (Grabs her Chin While Thinking) Though, I wonder, do you think I would look decent in blonde hair or nah?

Misako: Please, you'd look better in blonde than I would in red. Hell, I think DP would be a better redhead than I ever will. Speaking of which..... (Calls Out for Her and Kyoko's Boyfriend) Babe! You almost finished in there?

Dark Pit: Yeah! Just....(Struggling to Walk Out of his Dressing Room Normally While Wearing a Black and White, Long Sleeved Dressed Shirt and Red Pants) Need to.....Come...Out here.....and- woah! (Suddenly Trips and Fell Down on the Ground)

'Thud'

Misako/Kyoko: Pitto! (Quickly Rushes Over to Their Dark Angel's Side to Help Him Get Back Up)

Kyoko: Are you okay, honey?

Dark Pit: ('Sighs in a Bit of Annoyance') Yeah. It's just this dumb belt thing keeping me from walking normally. How the hell was that Iori What's His Face able to fight and move around with that attached to both of his pants legs without falling?

Misako: (Shrugs) I dunno, years of practice? He is a bad boy at heart after all.

Kyoko: Mixed with a hint of angst, purple flames, and a cruel, sadistic side on and off the battlefield.

Misako: Ironic considering he hates violence for some reason.

Dark Pit: (Rolls his Eyes a Bit) Sounds like another asshole to me. His fashion sense ain't shit anyways, I'm changing.

Elsewhere.......

The Three Sacred Treasures Trio were watching a movie together in Chizuru's apartment. They fell asleep at her sofa together as the movie itself was still going on until Iori suddenly shot up from his seat, awake and somewhat pissed.

Chizuru: (Yawns While Slightly Waking up Herself Along with Kyo) Iori.....what's wrong? What got you awake?

Iori: ('Sigh') Nothing. Could've sworn I've felt a disturbance of some kind.

Kyo: (Raises an Eyebrow) Disturbance?

Chizuru: (Starts Getting Worried) Of Orochi?

Iori: No. Of someone insulting my way of life and my fashion sense.

Chizuru: ('Sighs in a Bit of Relief')

Kyo: (Starts Snickering) Seriously? Since when did the Ever-So Menacing Yagami ever cared so much about his image?~

Iori: (Rolls his Eyes in Annoyance) Don't even start with me tonight, Kyo. I'd worry more about going back to high school if I were you.

Kyo: ('Tch') Please. Why would I need any academic education, when I have all I need right here. (Points at the Side of his Forehead with a Cocky Smirk on his Face)

Iori: Your idiotic brain?

Kyo: (Comically Glares at his Rival/Boyfriend) My Street Smarts, Smart-ass! I still have some intelligence in me.

Iori: (Casually Shrugs) Could've fooled me. The most I've seen you do make an even bigger fool of yourself than you already are, on a daily.

Kyo: Careful, Yagami. (Ignites his Flames on the Palm of His Hand) You're a few inches close to my burning range.

Iori: ('Heh') You can try if you might. (Ignites his Purple Flames On the Palm of his Hand) It result to your brain getting fried to tiny ashes.

Kyo: Try it, bitch-

Chizuru: Enough, both of you! It has been a long enough day already. Can we PLEASE go back to our nap?

Iori: (Sighs Balls his Hand up into a Fist, Causing his Flames to Get Extinguished Insantly) Very well.

Kyo: Yeah, you better put those flames away you, assho-

Chizuru: (Gives her Hot-headed Boyfriend Dark, Motherly Glare) Kyo.

Kyo: ('Sighs in Defeat') Fiiiine. (Balls His Hand Up into a Fist as his Flames Extinguished as Well) I'll quit I'm ahead. Happy?

Chizuru: (Simply Nodded) Very. Thank you. (Turns to Iori with a Reassuring Smile on her Face) Don't let any those insecurities get into your head, Iori. You'll always be amazing in our eyes.

Iori: (Raises an Eyebrow) Our?

Chizuru: (Sighs While Rolling her Eyes a Bit) Yes "our". Kyo thinks very highly of you, even when he's too stubborn to admit it.

Iori: (Turns to See Kyo Already Fast Asleep on his Side of the Sofa, Before Sighing) I see. (Sits Back Down on the Middle Side of the Sofa) Thanks, I guess.

Chizuru: (Gives Iori a Kiss on the Cheek) You're welcome, my love~

Back to the Smash Universe

Costume Tryouts #3

Kyoko: Say yours prayers, evil doers! For is it, I- (Jumps Out of her Dressing Room, Now Dressed as a Light Blue Colored Sailor Moon Uniform) Sailor Kyoko, here to save the day once more!~

Misako: (Jumps Out of her Dressing Room, Wearing a Red Color Sailor Moon Uniform and Pose Alongside her Girlfriend) Sailor Misako's here to kick all of your sorry asses along with her annnnnd.......

Misako and Kyoko turns over to Pitto's dressing room, awaiting for his arrival.

Misako/Kyoko: .............Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd........

Dark Pit: (In his Dressing Room) I'm not coming out.

Kyoko: (Eyes Widened in Genuine Shock) What?

Misako: ('Ugh') Come on, dude, there's no reason for you to be shy.

Dark Pit: (Sticks his Head Out of the Door) There's plenty of reasons! Why can't I be the Tuxedo Mask guy instead?

Misako: Cause we couldn't find his any sets of his whole attire anywhere.

Dark Pit: Not even suit and cape?

Misako: (Shakes her Head) Not even.

Kyoko: There's no need to be embarrassed at all, Pitto-Kins. No when we're around.

Misako: Yeah, we've always had your back ever since we first met. You know that, right?

Dark Pit: ('Sigh') Yeah.......

Misako: Then trust us to look out for you and come out already.

Kyoko: (Puts on the Sad Puppy Dog Look) Pleeeeeeeeeeeease?~

Misako: (Shows Pitto Kyoko's Puppy Dog Look) How you gonna say "no" to this face right here, DP? (Forms a Puppy Dog Look on her Own) Or mines?~

Dark Pit: (Stares at his Girlfriends' Eyes For a Brief Second Before Groaning in Defeat) Alright, fine. Just give me a few seconds.

Misako: We'll give you five.....four.....

Kyoko: Three.....Two.......

Before either girls could say the number one, Pitto jumps out of his dressing room, in a majestic, graceful like fashion, all while wearing a dark purple colored sailor moon outfit.

Dark Pit: It is I, Sailor Pitto, here to love and support my girlfriends' needs and kicking ass while doing it!! (Does a the Iconic Sailor Moon Pose)

Kyoko: ('GASSSSPS') (Clasps her Hands Together With Happiness and Sparkle in her Eyes) Oh my gosh, Pitto, that was so breathtaking!~

Misako: (Smirks Proudly at her Boyfriend) I didn't know you know a thing or two about Sailor Moon pose~

Dark Pit: (Rolls his Eyes a Bit) You can think Zelda and the rest of the girls back home, for that. They wouldn't stop pestering me to watch Sailor Moon Marathon with them one night and I just so happen to memorized a few of these poses no problem.

????: Haha Ha!

Pitto turns to see three jocks laughing at him in the distance..

Jock #1: Nice pose there, angel boi!

Jock #2: Yeah, where did you learn 'em from? Your moms!? (Continues Laughing Along with his Friends)

Both Misako and Kyoko instantly growls heavily at the jocks with pure anger and fire in both of their eyes. Their glares were so vicious that it was more than enough to shut the trio up completely and send them running out the store in fear.

Dark Pit: (Turns to Both his Girlfriends) Thanks for that.

Misako: (Smiles Softly) No prob. Told ya we got your back.

Kyoko: (Smiles Brightly) Always~

Both girls then procceds to give Pitto a kiss on both of his cheeks.

'Buzzzzzzz'

Misako: Hm? (Takes her Backpack Off her Back, Opens it Up, and Looks for her Phone From the Inside)

Kyoko: Someone texted you?

Misako: Yeah. (Looks Through the Message Sent to her One her Phone) It's from Sonic- ('Gasps') No way!

Dark Pit: What is it?

Misako: Guys, you might wanna see this.

Misako shows her girlfriend and boyfriend a couple of pictures Sonic sent her, of him and his friends dressed as the Justice League Heroes. Sonic's the Flash, Knuckles' Superman, Amy's Wonder Woman, Tails' Cyborg, Hat Kid's Robin, Rouge's Catwoman, and Shadow is Batman.

Kyoko: (Struck in Genuine Awe) Wooooooah......

Dark Pit: ('Sigh') Yeeup. We're definitely losing the contest this year.

Misako: (Gives Pitto a Determined Look on her Face) The hell we are! If they can make up a group costume, so cam we. (Grabs her Chin While Thinking) We just need to find a few more members to our crew......

Dark Pit: I have no doubt that Zelda would want in on this, Mewtwo would tag along with her- (Forms an Evil Smirk on his Face) And I can definitely blackmail Yoshi into joining us too.

Kyoko: How about you let Miski and I convince him with our Puppy Dog Eyes~ (Puts on Her Signature Puppy Dog Eyes Again)

Dark Pit: ('Heh') With a face cute as yours, I doubt he'll say no-

'ROAR

Dark Pit: (Taken Aback by the Roaring Sound of a Grizzly Bear) The fuck?

Misako: (Turns to the Source of the Noise) Was that a bear just- nooooooooooow? (Eyes Slowly Starts To Widened Along with the Others, at Who They're Watching Walking By with an Actual Bear Next to Him)

?????????: Oh will you quit your worrying already, Kuma? I'll have you know that my hairstyle has helped picled up many beautiful women in my times.

Kuma: (Growls While Rolling his Eyes)

????????: Oh, you don't believe me? Wait till we get home. I'll be more than happy to show you every single women I've been with, besides my lovely wife, of course.

Dark Pit: .................................Was that fucking HEIHACHI!?

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