#yes this makes 3/4 main characters having brown eyes i know my priorities

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giving lex hazel eyes spread the word

[muthaz-rapapa]

Sekai Seifuku Sakusen Wishlist

Hello people~

Say, does anyone still remember that figure line by Megahouse *retches* ?

Well, it was a short-lived series focused on, as the name (“World Uniform Operation”) suggests, showcasing female characters in their school uniforms.

To my knowledge, all of them were released as 1/10 scaled (eww). And the Precure seasons that had the privilege of getting figures...

Were Futari Wa, Fresh and Heartcatch.

Sailor Moon got theirs as well (the Inner Senshi + Naru) but they were very meh, imo. You were better off getting a more dynamic-looking prize figure at a significantly lesser cost.

Anyways, back to Precure. Not surprised about these three given their seasons’ popularity up to that point. But a shame because as of 2016, there hasn’t been announcement of any new figures. Which basically means, this line didn’t do well. Didn’t do well = the project is more or less cancelled.

On one hand, I’m sorta glad cuz the prices on these figures were ludicrous, especially when made at that scale and with Megahouse’s poor quality track record (I don’t even want to go into all that limited exclusivity bullshit). I bought Tsubomi and Itsuki and they seemed pretty alright. Still too much for a scale with such a simple design, though.

Then on the other, I can’t help but whine to myself a little cuz this is such a great concept. We rarely get merchandise of the Cures in their civilian forms and if they have there Cure alter-egos to go with them, it would be an awesome display on a collector’s shelf.

*SIGH* ...oh well.

That said...if there was a continuation for this series, then here’s my wishlist of the seasons + uniforms I want the most to least:

1) MahoPre - Nobody should be surprised that this is my first pick. MahoPre will always have a very deep, very special place in my heart and as far as uniforms go, the Magic Academy one is indeed my top favorite in all of Precure.

Because duh, it’s for magic school, not regular school, so the design had to match with that idea in mind. And it turned out so charming, didn’t it? I love the magenta/pink color scheme, the plaid bow, the mini sewn-on cape.

Definitely would want the witch hats and wands with them as well. Maybe even the brooms if someone’s feeling generous, enough? hehe :)

Dude, I should just open up my own figure company and make these myself.

2) Go!Pri - I wasn’t a fan of overalls growing up but my opinion of them has shifted to a more positive one recently thanks to seeing the latest fashion trends and Precure’s influence on me.

Really, the character designers draw the girls so cute in overall dresses that I can’t help but think it as well!

Anyways, it seems I have a penchant for academy uniforms or something. There’s a combination of cuteness and sophistication there that I find difficult to resist. Also, the purple undershirt is very fitting since they attend Royal Academy. Wish my school uniform was that nice-looking but alas, I didn’t go to an academy in the Precure world. :P

Anyways, I wouldn’t get all the girls from Go!Pri. Just Kirara and Towa who are my forever favorites. <3

I’ve also seen someone’s fanart of them as a pair (and Haruka + Minami as another pair) based on the Sekai Seifuku Sakusen concept so you can imagine the huge disappointment I felt when I knew Megahouse would never get to this season. *sobbing* 

3) KiraPre - As I said in another post, I’m not collecting KiraPre merchandise but the KiraPati uniform is to die for.

I know this breaks the trend of the line needing to be in “school uniforms” but KiraPre’s school uniforms aren’t anything to write home about. These, however, are much more adorable and therefore, more marketable. ;)

4) StarPre - SERAFUKU BISHOUJO SENSHI

For sure, since they both have space themes, it was only appropriate for StarPre to pay homage to Sailor Moon with having the Star girls wear serafuku.

I like the simplicity of it as well. Hehe~ ^^

And whether I would want everyone or not...it really depends on what kind of poses they’re in and if they can complement each other well.

Also, I suppose since Yuni never went to school, she’d just have a figure in her normal Blue Cat outfit which is fine, too.

5) SuitePre - Mm, yes, this one I’ve been waiting the longest for, despite the seasons listed before it on this list.

I wouldn’t say Suite’s uniform is the most unique but I do love the contrast of the overall cyan color with the magenta contours and bow. It’s a shade I don’t think I’ll ever see on another school uniform and even so, it’ll probably be hard to pull off nicely.

Suite managed to do it and I’m sure we can find tons of references to give the girls the perfect pose. So yea, I’d definitely consider the whole set as well if everyone can get a great sculpt and paint job.

As for Ako, she doesn’t have a school uniform so we can just put her in the same group as Aguri and Emiru and call it the Pipsqueak Elementary Squad.

6) HealPre - I love this uniform immensely for how neat and snug it looks. Not to mention, the dark green just makes it look very comfortable to wear overall. I know, maybe it’s just me being weird but it gives off a very calming effect.

And as Precure allows for more variations in clothing and accessories among the main cast, it would make for more interesting figures as well. Then you wouldn’t feel like you’re getting the same figure with only different heads and poses.

...and socks.

Would definitely love to have Nodoka. 

7) Hugtto - Pretty much the same reasoning as HealPre’s above.

In all honesty, there’s nothing that special about this uniform so the fact that the Hugtto girls could wear something of their own choice over it really brings out their characters more that way.

8) SmilePre - Also like Heal and Hugtto above but to a lesser extent, I guess.

Still, Smile is quite favored among Precure seasons so I’d think they sell well regardless.

This uniform isn’t half bad either. I’m not sure why because there’s not that huge of a resemblance but looking at their shoulders kinda reminds me of a military officer’s uniform, especially from the back. Just a little bit.

My pick would definitely be Reika in this pose specifically.

9) Splash Star - Let’s say for the record that I like all the Precure school uniforms (or just uniforms in general). So Splash Star should actually rank higher (around where Suite is) given its more unique design.

Hardly anyone else employs brown or plaid so this combination along with the sailor collar over the blazer (?)... I just think it makes Saki and Mai look very endearing. Hmm, yes, I approve! :D

However, this is a season I’m not familiar with so my demand for it is less than the others. But I do think they deserve to get their figures first. What with being the second Precure installment and all. shouldn’t that count for something?

10) Yes! 5 - Oh, I do love the Yes!5 girls.

But...they suffer from lack of variation the most out of all the other teams. Seriously, even in one set of of their casual clothes, they all own the same shirt albeit in their different, respective theme colors.

It’s...weird. But less so on a school uniform, I guess.

Anyways, pose and sculpt would be the trick here. Even though Yes! 5 does have its fair share of fans, with how old and poorly received both their seasons are, you’d be hardpressed to find a lot of collectors willing to shell out for figures of them. So there would have to be more effort in making them look exceptional to draw a crowd.

11) DokiPre - It’s hard to find everyone wearing their uniforms in the same shot and frankly, I think I can count all the times I’ve seen Alice wearing her own uniform (it’s this) on one hand??

I mean, does Alice even go to school with all the private tutelage she probably receives or is it just a formality? ...I dunno.

Whatever. I think this uniform looks nice and the girls look nice but it’s not as eye-catching than if they were to wear their casual clothes.

12) HaCha - Feel bad for putting this last because it certainly isn’t the worst of ‘em (none of them are) and I do quite like it (because there’s red and I like red).

It’s just...hmm, I dunno. I guess it’s because the top’s buttons sorta makes me think of a chef suit. It doesn’t bother me or anything but... it’s just the first thing I think of when I see it. ( ^ ^ ;)

*sigh* With how HaCha’s being treated in S.H. Figuarts department and its polarizing reception in the fandom in general, I doubt this would be a priority on many people’s wishlists. Still, it would be wonderful to see HaCha get even some love, y’know?

~~~~~

Yea.

My dreams aren’t that big but they’re long alright. :3

[stachmousworld]

True love (lesbian story) P.3

Pairing: Mara x Carole

The main character’s POV is unreliable

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7

As they walked out of the house, a small breeze hit her and cooled her down. It was not that cold outside but inside the house was hell.

“Are you okay?” Bella asked.

She nodded.

“Are you sure? Because you look out of it,” Lynda said, frowning.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Carole replied, exasperated.

“No need to bite.”

Carole rolled her eyes.

“What is wrong with all of you tonight? I’ve never seen you bugging me that much for a stupid party,” she grumbled.

“You never go out anymore. We never see you. Is it that bad to want to spend time with you?”

Carole wasn’t that drunk to not hear the real meaning of what she was saying. They accused her of spending too much time with Mara and acting different.

“Beware of what you imply, Tony, because I’d sworn you were jealous of my girlfriend.”

Tony snickered. Carole frowned and look each of them. They all had the same forlorn expression. She had enough, she needed to find Mara. Her girl was probably innocently flirting with a bunch of randy people in there. Carole didn’t know how Mara had been so “pure” when they met because the girl could flirt all day long without even noticing.

“I don’t have time for that. I need to find…”

“Mara,” Lynda finished.

“Mara,” spat Bella with too much force.

Ok. Carole stopped in her tracks and squared up. What the fuck was that! She closed and briefly apologized to Mara for breaking her promise and arguing with her friends about her.

“What is it about her that you don’t like? You don’t even know her.”

“It is not weird to you that a simple librarian “fell in love” with you, the heir of a multimillion fortune. I know you said she wasn’t poor, but she doesn’t come from our circle and your mom…

“My mom? What has she told you?” Carole questioned. She discarded all the nonsense accusation about Mara because there was a more urgent matter. They glanced at each other as to ask the permission to talk.

“She was worried. (Carole rolled her eyes. Her mom was a drama queen.) She said you had let yourself go, that you didn’t consider going to the festivities of Christmas and that you wanted to move out,” said Bella.

“True, although I’m not sure what she wanted to say by “letting myself go”. I can assure you that my hygiene is my priority every day. But what is the problem of any of…”

“We are your best friends. You’ve known us for years and you never talked to us about moving out of the city or changing work,” Lynda said.

“Not before Mara”, continued Tony.

“Did you rehearse before talking to me? Because it was funny.”

They all sighed.

“I understand what you are saying and your fears. But she is my girlfriend. I never, and I say never, chose any of this because of her. She never had influenced me or dictated my life at no point in the two years we’ve been together, and I found that pretty shallow of you to come now. After all these months,” Carole said angrily.

“We…We never thought it’d last. Your relationship, I mean.”

“Woah,” said Carole, shocked.

“You don’t go out anymore, don’t talk to us, don’t want to do activities without telling Mara to come with you…”

“She is my girlfriend, Carole drawled. What did you expect? Who wouldn’t want the person they love…”

They gasped and Carole put her hand on her mouth. She closed her mouth, tears trickling in her eyes. God, she had said it out loud. Suddenly she felt exhausted. She was supposed to tell it first to Mara. She had even prepared a speech and planned for the special night.

“You can’t possibly love her so soon.”

“So soon?”

“You had been with Eli’ for more than a decade and you want us to believe that you love this, Mara,” Bella spat the name like it was some dirt on her tongue.

“You know exactly why I didn’t stay with El’. You know all about the reasons and you agreed with me. Why can’t I be happy in another relationship?”

“It is not that, honeydew,” Tony said, softly. “We do want you to be happy. But how could you say that you love Mara, if you are still wearing the ring Eli’ gave you.”

The tension seemed to pour out of their bodies. Carole reached for the ring in the necklace and pulled it out of her shirt. She toyed with it a couple of times and expected to feel something other than nostalgia.

She still had it because…she didn’t really know. At first it held a sentimental value and it is right that the first months she had been with Mara she had hoped that El’ would come back and she still felt guilty because Mara was…she was a ray of sunshine and she never pushed her. As if she knew, implicitly, what she was going through. Carole hadn’t given her 100% which she felt remorse for. She thanked God everyday for having such a stubborn girlfriend and she spent every day trying to make up for those first months. As for the ring, Carole had taken the habit of playing with the ring when she was fidgety.

“You see. You can’t possibly love her. It must be infatuation. You jumped from a relationship to another one. To someone who was a safe replacement to what you had. (Carole hissed at this statement. She couldn’t think of Mara as a safe replacement.) But now, you won’t have to settle.”

“What? What do you mean I won’t have to settle?”

They glanced again at each other and before Carole told them to stop, Bella talked:

“Elisabeth is back.”

Carole backed away. What? That wasn’t true. She couldn’t be. Carole pushed pass them and started looking for Mara. They had to get out. They have to…The last conversation with El’ came back and with it the feelings she thought was gone.

“Mara!” She suddenly screamed, fear gripping her heart. She went past a few cars and called her again. Then she saw her, behind a car. Carole ran toward her, hugged her and kissed her nose. She would have wanted to do more, but Mara avoided her kiss and looked down. Carole frowned and her smile left her face when she saw El’. On the floor.

“Ce’?”

“El’?”

She couldn’t believe it. El’ was right there. Her ex and her lover had met and talked to each other. Carole experienced a lot of myriad of emotions, guilt being the most present. But the most powerful was joy. She couldn’t know if she was because her longest friend was back, that she was still alive after all these years going overseas and living in warzones. She felt relief, too. And if there was a hint of undying love, she wouldn’t acknowledge it. No not now.

She could see the flecks of brown in her green eyes. God, it has been two years. It fets like decades.

Carole felt the need to grasp Mara’s hand. To let Mara hold her and tell her that everything will be ok.

Instead she stayed focus on El’ and tried to reason, she couldn’t have talked to Mara that long. Carole could salvage any kind of damage El’ made. Carole had to be strong. She knew that if she touched or looked at Mara and saw her even an inch sad, she’d be weak and probably do something stupid, like punch El’, who knew?

“You still wear it?” El’ said softly.

Carole put a hand on her chest, where the necklace was. She forced herself to smile. In another universe, in another time if Mara hadn’t been there…a ping of pain took her breath. God, she could not even think of a world where Mara didn’t exist by her side. She smiled as a warm feeling of love rushed through her veins. Carole really did love her.

She snapped out of her thoughts when the silence stretched. Her palms were itching and wanted to reach her lovers one. A little bit more time and we’ll go.

“Why are you here, El’?”

“I…m back, love. I’m out. The tour ended and I’m back for good. I have bought a house; the one we wanted. I’m back for good.”

Carole still gripped in the love she felt for Mara could have not come back to Earth quickly. Love? She could help but feel sad and irritated by this mark of endearment. It didn’t sound right when her lover was next to her. And El’ knew it. She repressed a sigh and decided to be nice.

“I’m…No…I’m with someone else, El’,” Carole said with empathy as El’s face become somber and sad.

“Oh, I…I didn’t think…I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry.”

Carole heard Mara breathing hard. She turned towards her and frowned worrying that something was actually wrong with Mara. She was avoiding looking at her, seeming smaller with her arms around her small frame. As Carole reached for her, she spoke up.

“It is ok.” Carole shivered at the strange tone in Mara’s voice. “I’d understand if you want to be with her.” Carole tried to interject and took a step toward her but was denied the touch. “She was there for a few minutes and you…you looked happier than the whole two years we’ve been together. Fuck, I’m exhausted.” Carole tried to reach for her, but Mara backed away, still avoiding looking at either. Carole was becoming more agitated and was at her breaking point, if Mara backed away again, she’d bounce on her. “I don’t want to be the one to hold you back. I just want you to be…happy,” Mara said choking on the last word. “You don’t have to settle for the safer one, now,” she finished with a brittle smile.

Silence. It was almost too silent.

Carole couldn’t breathe, nor talk or move. Mara finally raised her eyes. Carole took in the resignation, sadness and darker feelings which swirled on her face. Her eyes shone more than a million stars, but Carole didn’t like what they reflected. Before she could properly react and reassure her, Mara gave them a heartbreaking smile before running away.

          Carole gasped for air. The more she stood here frozen, listening to Mara’s footstep on the floor, running away from her, the less her heart seemed to cooperate. When she decided to move and follow Mara’s suite, it was too late. She could only see the flash of her clothes and the night encompassed her in its eerily atmosphere.

“I love you,” she whispered, hoarsely.

The night swallowed her words and kept it greedily.

Carole was walking towards her car. Mara…Carole repressed her tears and the building scream that settled in her lungs. She took a deep breath and reasoned. She was not gone forever; they’ll still see each other at their...my…their house. She couldn’t panic now, or she’ll drown. And crash.

She took her phone and dialed Mara’s number. Voicemail. All of 50 calls. She had long lost the force to say anything. She didn’t even know what to say. Tonight was supposed to be fun; they’d dance, drink a bit and snog like teenagers. But it turned out sour. God, what happened? What had made Mara think that…

          She shook her head. The cold necklace on her chest constricted her. Did Mara really think all she said? That she was the safer one, that Carole only wanted her as a sort of replacement, that she didn’t love her because…because she was wearing this stupid necklace! She gripped it hard before taking it off.

          She let the ring dangle. El’s heavy breathing while trying to match her pace almost pushed her to run.

“Carole, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that is was her.”

“You’re lying. You knew who she was, and you decided to be petty. Thinking that I’d come back to you,” Carole countered, laughing sarcastically.

“I…it is true that I knew who she was. But I…”

“Fuck you, she said, turning around to face Elisabeth. Her friends were next to her. Carole handed the ring and look at the stricken face of her ex.

“What? No, it was a gift.”

“If you don’t take it, I’ll throw it away,” Carole threatened.

“Care’,” her friends warned her.

“You are going to regret it,” Elisabeth replied.

“I don’t love you, Elisabeth. Probably never really had.”

The others gasped both at her words and her actions. She threw the ring on the grass and walked away.

She heard footsteps behind but stayed focus on her goal. Going home and talk to Mara. Telling her that she was in love with her. Apologizing for being a stupid donkey head the first months of their relationship; for making her think that she would come second if Elisabeth came back… “God, please, give me another chance,” Carole muttered. If Mara didn’t want to listen to her, she’d go on her knees and plead. She’d do anything for her. To have her stay by her side.

She felt something tugging her arm and she was pressed against Elisabeth. What the hell? Before she could talk, she was being roughly kissed. Carole pushed her violently. She wiped her lips and repressed her urge to puke. She spat instead.

“What the hell! Are you insane? I don’t love you. Stay away from me, asshole!”

Her friends helped Elisabeth getting back to her feet and tried to calm her.

“You (Carole pointed at her friends) Go fuck yourselves! If you thought I was avoiding you before, there another thing coming your way,” she growled.

“See! What we talked to you about. You are not the same. You are ready to throw our relationship like that,” Bella exclaimed, as if this whole situation proved some sick point.

“Fuck you. If you were my friends, you’d stay with me and not her! God, you are really stupid. I don’t what I saw in you but we’re through. And if you cared for me, you’d not let my ex (she spat the name) alone with my lover. But guess what, you are not really it.”

“You are being unreasonable.”

Carole refrained herself from punching all of them.

“Let her go”, said Elisabeth, dejected. “I’m sorry Ce’ for that and talking to your girlfriend. I didn’t say anything other than the truth. I didn’t try to threaten her. She made up her own conclusion.”

“I fucking hate you. You can put your stupid excuses far up your rectum, for all I care.”

They stood in front of her, gobsmacked. God, that felt good. Now she had a girlfriend to find but first, she had to call someone.

Carole parked her car in front of her house. She literally sprinted to the front door. She could smell the perfume of Mara. Relief wash over her. Carole could do it; have this long talk with her girlfriend and make up. But before, she wanted to talk to her father. She dialed his number, as she entered the house. Everything was still and dark.

“Hello, dad!”

“Bear care? Is everything all right?” He asked, surprised.

“No, mom’ got into my relationship. Did you know that Elisabeth was back?”

Silence. Then, a sigh.

“I knew yes.”

“Were you in it with mom?”

Say no, say no, she repeated as a mantra.

“No. Your mom was secretive and seemed to talk a lot more about Elisabeth, but that’s it. What did she do?”

Carole sighed, relieved to hear that her dad wasn’t in this stupid affair.

“She talked to my…ex-friends and told them that I was living like a hobo and it was due to my girlfriend, Mara. She then proceeded to create a plan where I’d meet Elisabeth in a party and…I don’t know, break up with my girlfriend.

Silence. Another sigh.

“Your “ex” friend?”

“Yeah, they were harassing me and insulting Mara, I can’t be with people like that around me.”

“Do you think it was wise to break this friendship? You have had ups and downs before.”

“I know. But it was for the best. They said Mara was using me. Using me! Because she is a documentalist.”

Carole shook her head. She headed to the kitchen to take a glass of water before heading to their room, where Mara had to be. The dad chuckled. Carole knew that her dad had reserves. She knew he didn’t really know Mara so couldn’t form his own idea of her. But at least he didn’t try to come between them.

“I know Bear Care, your mom can be sometimes…too much. I’d try to talk to her later. But tell me all about…”

Silence.

“Bear Care? Carole! Are you still on?”

She breathed heavily, her hand clutched against chest. The closet…the closet. Empty.

“Baby, are you ok?”

She whined. The phone fell of her grasp as she roamed in the room looking for a trace of Mara. Her perfume, underwear, clothes, shoes, brushes…there was nothing. Nothing but…the bracelet Carole gifted her and a velvet box. Carole took it with shaking hands.

It is not what it is. It is not what it is, she repeated to herself.

She opened it and what she saw made her fall on her knees.

A ring. With multiple empty emplacements. For each year spent together, they’d have added another diamond. Mara remembered. It was one of the many meaningless conversations they had at first. When Carole was still stupidly in love with her ex. But Mara remembered. All the details. Carole took the ring and saw the inscriptions inside. Let’s go on an adventure and the sign of eternity.

She choked and let an ugly screamed as she laid on the floor, sobbing.

Mara was gone for good. And with her, Carole’s heart.

Part 4

[mellicose]

That Woman Over There - Chapter 7

A You Me and Him Fix-it Fic

Rating: teen, for some strong language

Word count: 5830

Warnings: none

Summary: ~ Set after the birth of Monty, Olivia’s baby ~ A dear friend of Olivia comes to visit for a week, and she disturbs the fragile peace between her, Alex, and John.

Note: due to the length of this chapter, I won’t be posting the next one until next Wednesday. Enjoy!

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

Chapter 7

He came back with drinks and sat hard beside her.

“Ow!” she yelled. “Your skinny ass is gonna leave a bruise!”

“Nonsense. I heard from very good sources that it’s quite nice,” he said. He drank deep from a longneck.

“What happened to those ladies you were working on? They looked pretty into it.”

“I gave them my business card,” he said dismissively.

“How analog of you,” she said. “Seriously, though. You just blew them off?”

He shrugged. “Yes and no. There will always be bored, horny women. Any night of the week, at any pub. That shit never changes.” There was something in his tone that stopped her from becoming offended for all womankind.

“What happened?” she said.

“What? With the women?”

“With your wife,” she said.

Again, he lay back and looked at the stars peeking through the clouds.

“You can’t see the stars in the heart of the city,” he said. “It’s not something you think about when you move. It’s usually whether to buy a car or not, or whether there’s a nice supermarket nearby, but never whether you’ll see the stars at night,” he said. “It’s so weird how easily priorities get … skewed.”

She sighed.

“She wasn’t happy. She dieted and exercised and experimented with different looks, but she wasn’t getting signed. And as time passed, it got worse and worse. Anxiety ate her alive. She began to get surgeries. And I, the ever obliging husband, paid for them. But nothing worked. Nothing was good enough. Not the flat, the city, and most glaringly … me.”

Her stomach bubbled.

“She had a thing she did,” he continued. “A rare talent, if you want to call it that. I’m a grown man. No glasses. No brace. But she had a way, ever so subtly, to make me feel like that bent boy again. And as time passed and things didn’t go like she wanted, it happened more and more. Until I was the boy - just a weak, whinging thing at her feet, begging for the least scrap of affection or sympathy.”

It’s like he took a slice of life from her childhood. How many times had she peeked around corners as her mom berated her father for no other reason than ennui? He would withstand her onslaught, softly clucking out an occasional “perdoname, mi amor”. 

She spit poison, but he knelt, brown eyes liquid with adoration, and apologized to her. Every time. Every day. For years. He wore his misery and shame so openly that she found herself averting her eyes. And although he was a good man - loyal and kind - she began to resent him.

“To add insult to injury, I suggested that we start a family. I figured that maybe if she had a wee baby to watch over, she wouldn’t be so worried about other things. I really fucked up then,” he said, eyes wide. “I was sexist. A selfish misogynist asshole, and I wanted her barefoot and bloated in the kitchen. That was a laugh. She didn’t cook.”

“Then how did you eat?” she said.

“I did the cooking. And most of the cleaning. She preferred to have a lie in and then go out for late lunches with friends.”

It wasn’t an odd confession. Her own mother never lifted a finger - they had a cleaning service come in every day to keep things tidy. Because her mother was so contrary, she was never able to form any connection to the staff, since they never lasted long.

“Why didn’t you get someone to come in to do the cleaning?”

His brow wrinkled with indignation. “I come from honest Scottish stock. It’s a shame not to be able to clean up your own muck. It was just us two, hardly an excuse to have some poor woman scrubbing and dusting after us.”

“They get paid to do it,” she said. She played with the buckle on her boot.

“You have a cleaner?” he said, giving her a disapproving look.

“No. My apartment’s small, and dust never really bothered me,” she winked at him. “It add character.”

“It gives me asthma,” he said.

“Then I guess you can’t come over,” she said.

“Am I invited? I could use a cheeky NYC holiday,” he said. “I’m curious about seeing American women in their natural habitat.”

“All animals, are we?”

He shook his head briskly. “Oh no, I didn’t mean it like that-”

“I get it. I was joking,” she said. “It’s a pity she didn’t want children.”

He stretched his legs out in front of him. “Last I heard, she’s a new mum to a healthy baby girl,” he said morosely. “She didn’t want to have my children.” He kicked at the firepit.

“Did she actually say that, though?” she said.

“Not quite. For the first half of the marriage, she insisted she couldn’t have children because it would ruin her figure. That made some sense to me, so I waited. We were young. But as things began to fall apart and it was obvious that there would be no modeling career, the truth finally came to light.”

“And what truth was that?”

He couldn’t look at her. No one knew the truth. Not Alex and Olivia. Not even his own mother. And he didn’t know why he was going to tell her. She noticed his hesitation, and squeezed his hand. Old pain began to rise from where he had subsumed it under a mountain of self-loathing and anger. He was suddenly dizzy with it.

“She didn’t want to procreate with me. She would be horrified if she had a ‘gimp kid.’” His voice was hoarse with pain. He put his head in his hands, and his body trembled as he tried to fight the urge to sob. Hearing it out loud, it took him back to the moment his life fell apart. Mara’s face had been so lax, so cold. She didn’t understand why he crumpled in his chair, and went pale as a sheet - to her, it made perfect sense.

“And when we lost Josie, I started to wonder…” he said, his face twisted with horror, “I started to wonder whether…” he took a whooping breath, “ whether it was my fault.” He finally broke down.

She wrapped her arms around him and let his choked sobs shake her. His pain humbled her - there was no anger whatsoever left in her. He tried to wave her away, but she insisted on holding him.  She shushed into his neck and held him tight, taking in the scent of leather and salt. His body curled into her, and he finally hugged her back so hard it made her ribs ache.

He disentangled himself and started to yank at the jewelry on his wrist. “Look-” He lost patience and bit off the fashionable thin leather thong bracelet. He held his right wrist up for her to see.

She rubbed her thumb along the cursive letters.

“Josie,” she read out loud. Without another thought, she kissed his wrist. A tear dripped on his palm. They sat there, just breathing. She pulled up the hem of her shorts. He squinted, then dared to brush the skin of her hip.

“It’s a poppy,” he said, mystified. “Quite nice.” Although tears still dried in his beard, he wasn’t just talking about the tattoo. She linked her fingers through his long ones. He warmed at her easy, mindless gesture. It felt so very nice. Almost better than sex.

“That was her name. Poppy,” she said, smiling at him. “She wasn’t mine through blood or marriage, but I love her with all my heart.”

Was it another girlfriend? His heart dropped. “Wait - who are you talking about?” he said softly. He didn’t remember Olivia mentioning a Poppy.

“She was Ella’s little girl,” she said.

He couldn’t hide his relief. “Her daughter. I see. What happened with Ella?”

She squeezed his hand. “The most common but painful of conjugal sins - infidelity. Our relationship no longer held any adventure or excitement for her. This is a quote.”

“How many years were you together?” he said, rubbing her back.

“Four years, 7 months, and 20 days,” she said. “Nothing like you and Mara.”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“At least Mara married you. Ella didn’t believe in the institute of matrimony. She said it was heteronormative garbage and she refused to tow the line for the sake of a false sense of propriety.”

He sucked his teeth. “She sounds a delight,” he said. “So you wanted to do the whole white frock and flowers thing, eh?”

“I love weddings, straight and gay. I’m an unapologetic weeper,” she said. “I guess I wanted that for me. To share our love with people - make a public and binding commitment in front of God and man.”

“Ooh,” he said. “Binding. That just gave me chills.”

“You were married,” she said.

“If it isn’t already apparent, it was harrowing.”

“You loved her, though,” she said. “Didn’t you?”

“Yes,” he said simply. “At best, she loved the idea of me. The stability and ease of a life with me. But she never loved me. And it happens far too often.”

“You know, not all women see their partners as walking ATM machines,” she said petulantly. She was the main breadwinner as well. But up until the end, she chose to believe it was love, and not being a stable dupe to raise her kid, that kept Ella around.

“I could tell you some stories,” he said, his eyebrows high. “Sad, sad stories.”

“Like what?”

“The divorce process isn’t kind to many men - even those who did things very right. It’s the woman’s word above all, even when there is proof of infidelity.” He cleared his throat.

“Imagine how awkward it is when it’s two women,” she said. He looked confused. “I’ll give you a clue: complete and utter shitstorm.”

“Did Ella take you for all you had, then?” he said, too jovially.

“Thing is, she didn’t have to. Even after the breakup,  I wanted to help her find a proper place for Poppy to grow up, and give her money for her schooling. But she didn’t care. She never really worried about … prosaic things like that, and that’s what worries me. She was the stereotypical  hipster artist, and because I loved her, for four years, I paid for the lifestyle. It didn’t bother me, John. It made me happy to see them thrive, to do and give beautiful things. I never kept a running tally, to my lawyer’s chagrin,” she said, giving him a half smile. “I understand how women can be. We’re not perfect. But as a bi woman, I’m a bit closer.” She winked.

“How so?” he said. She still held his hand loosely on her lap. Her thighs were like velvet.

“I was just joking. What I mean is, I’m straddling a fence and able to look at both sides, both physically and emotionally. Men complain that women are too emotional. Women complain that men don’t listen. And both are right, to a degree. But even if the complaints from both sides are similar, it’s still an individual problem.”

“Life with Mara was constantly walking on eggshells,” he said. “Anything I said, no matter how well-meaning, could end up upsetting her in some way. Still happens, honestly,” he said, giving her a sidelong glance.

She chose to ignore it. “I acknowledge what you said, but what if I told you that it was Mara’s insecurity, and not you, that caused all that misery? It wasn’t your fault.”

“How could such a beautiful woman be insecure? Either way, I tried to make it better the best way I could. With compliments, and kindness, and attention, and trips - I took her to bloody Bali. Paradise. And all she did was sulk in bikini for a week. She looked fucking beautiful, though.” He shook his head.

Connie smiled and bit her lip. She knew the feeling. Her and Ella’s last trip to Thailand had been much of the same - her trying to stay positive and pretend things weren’t falling apart, and Ella finding any excuse to go off by herself.

“Hey …” he squeezed her hand. “You’re gonna chew your lip off,” he said, and pressed his finger on her chin, dislodging it from her teeth. It was bruised and red.

“Did I say something stupid?” he said.

“No. Of course not,” she said. She sucked on her lip pensively. “Sometimes, that kindness and attention is what makes it worse.”

It was getting colder, and the fire was getting lower. He leaned into her and put his arm around her shoulder.

“Wait-” she said, stiffening.

“I’m sorry- it’s just, you’re shivering,” he said, but let her go. He took off his jacket and held it up. “Here. Put it on. Still warm.”

She opened her mouth to protest - something about preferring to freeze than wear his obnoxiously hip leather jacket - but instead, she accepted his gesture gracefully. She slid into it and sat down with a sigh. His scent surrounded her and made her smile. He smelled of … herbaceous green and the ghost of fresh cut wood. Despite the warmth, she got goosebumps.

“Thanks,” she said. His nipples poked through his thin cotton henley shirt. “Now you’re cold, though.”

He smiled and rubbed his chest. Pink rose to his cheeks above the beard. “It’s the price I pay for being a gentleman.”

“You did it on purpose,” she said, nudging him. “You wanted to show the world your goods.”

“The world’s not here,” he said. “Just you.”

His intense gaze made her heart race, but she laughed it off. Oh no. He’s not gonna do some MRA mind tricks on her.

“Okay, what is this? A three-step system to get any woman to bed?” she said. “Because it’s not gonna work on me, slick.”

His eyes narrowed. “What are you going on about?” He sounded genuinely puzzled.

“You know - number one: engage her, and make her feel in control. Number 2: be vulnerable, and allow her to be vulnerable. Number three …” she stood up and started to walk around the patio, searching for the words,”...give her your jacket and make her feel safe. Yeah. Safe. I see you,” she said, nodding and smirking. “You’re not clever, hipster boy.”

He looked down at his hands and shook his head. “I’m very clever, but this is no ruse. I’m genuinely freezing my lads off right now.”

She took off the jacket. “Then here.” She held it up impatiently.

“I clearly said I would buy you a drink and leave you alone. You are the one who asked me to stay.”

“No I didn’t,” she said. Her arm was starting to burn. The jacket was heavy, but he didn’t take it back. She threw it on the bench and crossed her arms.

“Yes, you did. You asked me what I did for a living. I replied that to answer your question, I would have to remain. You said that this was a public space, and that you couldn’t put me out, implying consent to continuing the conversation.”

She sat down, still pouting. He resisted the urge to smile.

“You think I would say those private things just to get a woman into bed?” he said. “It’s not much of a show of strength, is it?”

She shivered. “Whatever. It’s just not gonna work on me.”

“I wasn’t trying to work you,” he said, and stood up. It stung that she thought the things he told her were just a means to an end. “You women are impossible. If we talk a big game, then we’re egotistical jerks. If we dare to be vulnerable, then we’re weak and revolting. This is why I gave up trying to please you lot. It’s so much easier to please myself - at least I know what I’m about.”

“Shocking revelation,” she said under her breath.

He groaned with frustration. “And things were going so well.”

“See! You were working me!” she said, pointing at him.

He rolled his eyes. “I was trying to get to know you - see what Liv sees. There is a massive fucking difference,” he said.

She faltered, but she refused to give up.  “Why do you care what Liv sees, or feels anyway? You were an utter twat to her. She told me what you did at the park. You … barked a fake orgasm in public to humiliate her even more about what happened between you and Alex.”

“I didn’t really know her then, and I thought the whole thing was a weird lesbian sham. Sandwiches at the park? How civil,” he said. “Bollocks!”

“That’s how she is, though. Civil and kind and lovely,” she said. She didn’t know why her voice was up an octave.

“Well, I didn’t know that then,” he said, matching her volume. “I just thought she was the evil gatekeeper keeping me from who could be the actual love of my life.”

Her jaw dropped. “You loved Alex?” Livvie didn’t tell her that.

He rubbed his face. “I thought I did. I mean, I do, but then, I wanted her as well, for myself. Our drunk thing and what happened afterward felt like it was destined. And that little stunt at the park? I was jealous. Seething.”

“Fuck,” she said softly. “I am so confused.”

“So was I,” he said. “Trust me. Alex and I were drunk that night, but we weren’t …” he tried to find the right words, “... she wasn’t so gone that she didn’t know …” he sighed. She waited for him to finish.

“She was the one who pulled me up the stairs to bed,” he said. “She ripped my clothes-”

She held up her hand. “I don’t need to hear more. Suffice it to say, there was consent.”

“Because I knew that, I thought it meant that maybe there was a chance. That she might choose me. Especially after the baby.”

She sat down hard. Olivia had not told her that, and she knew why. It was weird. And painful. And awkward.

“But you had to know that Alex is a lesbian,” she said finally.

“Should I know? Because she sure didn’t fu-”

She held up her hand for silence again. 

“I’m sorry. It felt weird sometimes, like she wanted me but was too afraid to say so for fear of being judged or something.”

“She did care for you, but more importantly, she needed you. She was pregnant, and frightened, and on the horns of a fearful dilemma - literally.”

“That’s exactly what I said.”

“No, you think I’m saying she wanted you … sexually. But she didn’t.”

“But she did.”

“She was drunk, and furious, and scared.”

“And really horny,” he said. She rolled her eyes.

“I’m sorry to break it to you, but friction is friction if you’re drunk enough,” she said. “You were there, and willing. She made do.”

He sat down beside her again. “And it hurt.”

“Slamming your dick up against a brick wall will do that,” she said.

“It made me feel used.”

“Welcome to the fucking club, kid,” she said. “She told you she’s gay. She introduces you to her girlfriend. You never see male overnight guests. Again … Wall. Cock.” She wished she had another drink to warm her. “You still have those feelings for her?”

“No,” he said. “I was so ecstatic about Josie that what was a just a pash blew up to something more. I wanted to love her. I absolutely did. She checked all the boxes - creative, beautiful, passionate - but I realized after losing the baby that we were more meant to be friends.”

“How convenient,” she said.

“Really. We’re very alike, in a lot of ways. Too much, honestly,” he said, chuckling. “That ever happen to you?”

“Yeah,” she said. “With Olivia,” she said.

“Exactly,” he said. “Although the circumstances were weird, I feel so lucky that Olivia, Alex, and I found each other. They changed my life,” he said.

“In myriad ways,” she said, smiling. She couldn’t imagine a life without Olivia.

He laughed softly beside her.

“What?” she said.

“Just thinking. Slamming my cock up against a brick wall. That’s choice.”

“It’s what you did, though. Al’s gay as fuck. Her words, not mine.”

“Are you?” he asked.

“I’m bi, remember?”

“But … you wanted to marry Ella.”

“And?”

“That’s pretty lesbian of you.”

“I loved her,” she said. “Ella could’ve easily been … Elton.”

“Fair warning though - he’s gay as fuck,” he said.

She chuckled. “You know what I mean.”

“Men and women are so different. I don’t understand how you could want both equally.”

“That’s what’s most amazing. The differences. It keeps things interesting.”

“But what if you’re with a woman, and you want to be with a man? What do you do?”

“Is it a committed monogamous relationship?”

"Let’s say yeah.”

“What any good person in a committed relationship does. Practice self-control. Bisexuality is not carte blanche to be a callous, greedy bastard.”

“Fair enough,” he said. “You ever cheated?”

“This conversation is getting deeply personal again,” she said.

“Afraid to answer the question?” he said, raising his eyebrow.

“No! And no.”

“Never?” he said. “Not even a little kiss?”

“No,” she said, irritated. “I think it’s cowardly.”

“How?”

“You ever done it?” she asked, eyeing him.

“I asked the question first. Answer it, then I’ll answer you.”

“It’s cowardly because it’s the easy way out for a person who can’t muster up the bravery to tell their partner the difficult truth that they’re not happy. If they cheat, then it circumvents it completely. It’s like ‘Oops! I went outside the relationship. That’s gross, right? You hate me now, huh? Don’t worry, I’ll let myself out…’”

Her voice trembled.

“Spot on,” he said. “Mara didn’t even give me a chance to get angry, though. She didn’t care enough. It was like ‘I’ve been fucking someone else for a year, he makes me feel like a woman, I’ll send someone for my shit, goodbye’.”

The noise from the pub was quieting down. The fire was down to embers.

“I got the line ‘she makes me feel like my most authentic self’. What does that even mean?”

“It’s hipster speak for ‘makes me feel like a woman’,” he said, then let out a snort. She looked at him, thinking he might start crying again. But his face glowed with a smile.

“We’re quite a pair, you and I,” he said. “What a fucking pity party.”

“And worst of all, my glass is empty,” she said. “What time is it?”

He looked at his cell and laughed. “Fuck, it’s after 1 AM!”

“Really?” she said. “You’re telling me we’ve been here for nearly five hours? Impossible.”

He showed her the phone.

“Damn,” she said. “No wonder it’s so quiet in the pub.” She rubbed her nose pensively, something he noticed she did a lot.

“Has anyone told you how utterly charming you are when you’re angry?” he said. He tucked a tendril of her hair behind her ear, brushing his knuckle gently along her cheek bone.

“No one who doesn’t want a bruise,” she said, but she smiled. She liked his touch. It was gentle and unassuming.

“Then I will say that you are very intimidating. You made me quake in my boots a couple times.”

She lifted her chin high and raised an eyebrow. “Good.”

“You’re so fucking adorable,” he said, shaking his head and smiling.

“Puppies are adorable,” she said. She meant to nudge him, but ended up leaning against him. He felt good.

“You’re right, I suppose,” he said, daring to wrap his arm around her waist. His touch was feather-light, but warm.”You are beautiful.” The way he said it made her look up at him and search his eyes. The swagger she saw earlier was gone. His gaze questioned, and she responded, tilting her head and giving him the slightest smile. He put his hand on her face. Her nipples hardened, although his touch was warm.

He kissed the side of her mouth first. The prickle of his beard made her giggle, but she put her hand on the back of his neck to guide him.

“I didn’t want to offend with the porn beard,” he whispered into her mouth. His lips were so maddeningly soft. The cold flew from her limbs, and it was replaced with desire.

“A little hair doesn’t bother me,” she said, and just as he pressed his lips to hers, someone came out and threw a bucket of dirty dish water on the embers of the fire.

The woman gave them a cursory glance. “We’re closing in 20 minutes,” she said, and left.

He stood up and held out his hand. “I guess that means it’s time to bugger off,” he said. “I’ll walk you home.”

“Didn't you drive here, though?” she said. She licked her bruised lip for a hint of a taste of him. Sadly, there was none.

“Yeah. But I’m just in the mood for a moonlit stroll,” he said. When she stood, he put his jacket over her shoulders again. “I can pick up my car tomorrow.”

He held his arm out gallantly, and she linked hers through it. It was a small town, so just beyond the high street, there was only silence and the yellow glow of the street lamps. When was the last time she had ever done this, with anyone?

Too long. And she forgot how good it was.

He bounced beside her, slowing his long-gaited walk to accommodate her.

“What are you so excited about?” she asked.

“I can’t wait for the party tomorrow! I hope Olivia likes her gift. It’s a trifle late, but then again, it took a while longer than I imagined to make.”

“Ooh, sounds interesting. Is it in your magic shop?” she said. They turned the corner, and his house was visible not too far off.

He walked in front of her and took her hands. “Would you like to see?” he said. His boyish energy was infectious. Although at first she thought it irritating, it was growing on her. It was nice being around someone like that, after years of Ella’s borderline soporific coolness.

“Sure,” she said. They were nearly running now. Just as soon as they turned into his front yard, a car engine roared to a stop nearby. In the street, a taxi unloaded two very familiar, very drunk women.

“Oh shit-” he ran toward the taxi, but he drove off, glad to be rid of them.

“Heya there, playboy,” the red head slurred, tripping over her feet and falling to the grass. As he tried to help her up, the blonde came up behind him and grabbed his crotch, hard. He dropped the redhead and held the blonde’s wrists firmly.

“Careful with the jewels, darling,” he said. He was pale with pain.

The redhead managed to get on her knees. She touched him too, but with gentler hands.

“Whoa!” he said, and pulled the woman to standing. She leered up at him, licking her lips.

“You gonna make good on your promise?” she said. “We’re here and ready to go-” she tried to hump his leg, but he held her at arm’s length. The lights from the neighbors across the street came on. He cursed underneath his breath.

He ran up to his door and opened it. “Just … get inside and keep quiet.”

“Don’t wanna give your fancy detached neighbors a show, eh?” the blonde said as she climbed the steps, lifting her skirt high. Her hot pink thong had little rhinestones on it. Just as soon as they went inside, he went to her. She stood in Olivia’s garden, arms crossed. She didn’t look mad, which made him even more nervous.

“I am so sorry,” he said.

“What are you doing here? It seems they’re primed and ready to have some fun,” she said. His kitchen window opened and the redhead stuck her head out.

“Oi! Get your ass over here, playboy,” she said. “And you can join us too, if you’re not shy,” she said, giving her a lascivious look.

“You got anything to drink in this place?” the blonde yelled from inside the kitchen.

“It really looks like you have your hands full. I’m gonna turn in,” Connie said, walking to the back door.

“Please, don’t leave me alone. I don’t want them in-” something crashed in the kitchen, “-I don’t want them in my house.”

“Then why did you invite them?” she said.

“I didn’t. Not really. We were flirting a bit, then you came into the bar … shit!” he slapped his forehead. “The business cards. They had my address.”

“Why?” she said.

“I work from home, remember?” he said. “I’m such an idiot.” An ominous thud came from the open window. When she looked, the two women were drunkenly making out. It was not a pretty sight. He gave them a despairing look and turned back to her.

“Help me get them out of my house,” he said, his face twisted in embarrassment.

“But it looks like they’ve already started without you,” she said. The redhead had pulled the blonde’s dress down and was licking her breasts. He groaned. “Please. I don’t want to … touch them.”

“You did earlier,” she said. She couldn’t believe she was going to make out with him just 20 minutes before.

“A lot has happened since then,” he said, giving her a meaningful look. “I know it doesn’t look good, but I swear this has never happened before.” The blond sat on the counter, and the redhead disappeared below the sill. “It’s just my luck it would happen tonight, of all the nights in my bloody life.”

“You should post the experience on your little site. The mouthbreathers will be really impressed.”

“I deserved that. You know what? I’ll take that, and more, if you help me this once. Please.” He looked miserable. “Use your angry powers for good.”

She rolled her eyes. He fell to his knees and grabbed her legs.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she said, and stalked across his yard. The ladies jumped when she yanked the kitchen door open.

She clapped her hands. “Alright, ladies. As they say in America, you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.”

The redhead came up from between the blonde’s legs and wiped her chin. “What are you like, his mum?” she said. “Where’s playboy?”

“Off somewhere calling you another taxi,” she said, loudly enough for him to hear from the garden. “Playboy. Do you even know his name?”

“Names don’t matter, do they?” the redhead said, but she pulled his business card from between her breasts. She squinted at it. “Fuck. Don’t have my contacts in-”

Connie took the card from her and crumpled it. “It doesn’t matter, right?” She pointed at the blonde. “Get yourself together and fuck off to the living room. You can wait for the taxi there, where I can’t see you,” she said, and walked back outside.

“Someone should be by in less than five minutes,” he said.

She made a face. “A taxi in less than five minutes?” That was a statistical impossibility where she came from.

“I know. But I promised to pay whoever got here first three times the going rate, plus tip,” he said.

That made a lot more sense.

“They’re not destroying things, are they?” he said.

“Oh my-” She ran back into his house. They were stuffing anything small they could get their hands on in their cheap purses - curios, CDs, and a little comic book figurine that looked expensive.

She darted into his foyer, where he had a proper English willow cricket bat and walked into the living room, bat held high.

“Empty your bags right now or I swear I will call the police and report a home invasion,” she said, her voice low with anger. “But that’s after I call an ambulance.” The women sized her up, and decided she wasn’t worth the risk - the crazy bitch might not be bluffing.

The redhead dropped the George Harrison CD in her hand. “Sure. Whatever. This stuff’s shit anyway,” she said, and started taking stuff out of her purse.

“No, boo. Empty your fucking purse on the carpet,” she said, pointing at her with the bat. “Both of you.”

They rolled their eyes and obeyed. The women had even stolen a wooden pepper grinder from the kitchen. Connie rolled her eyes as they put their meager belongings back into their bags and clutched them to their chests.

They looked at her with open resentment. “You ‘is bird er summat? The blonde said, going full Northern.

“I’m none of your goddamned business,” she said. The bat was still gripped tight in her hand. The taxi honked outside.”Alright, time to go,” she said, herding them through his front door. They stumbled to the vehicle, where John spoke with the driver.

He handed the man a couple of large notes. “Take them wherever they want to go,” he said. “There’s a bit extra there for clean up, just in case.” The man nodded.

“This wasn’t the ride you promised,” the redhead said petulantly.

“Sorry, love,” he said and walked to the sidewalk. The blonde opened the window and stuck two fingers out at Connie. The rude sound she made faded as the taxi drove away.

“Wow. It’s been quite an evening,” she said. “A rollercoaster of emotions.”

He kicked at the curb sheepishly. “Thanks for your help. I just didn’t want them to say that I’d touched them funny or yelled at them or something.” He looked at her and chuckled. “The bat looks good on you.”

“Oh,” she said. It was still slung over her shoulder. She handed it back to him. “I should get to sleep. Big day tomorrow.”

He sighed. “Yeah.”

She rooted for the house keys in her pocket. Her heart was heavy. She wanted to be furious at him, but she wasn’t. She was just sad. He ran to the stoop.

“This was not how imagined tonight ending,” he said, hand over his heart. “I apologize if that upset you.”

“Is that what you want? To be a sex object to horny, faceless women? Is that the definition of being an alpha male?”

His genuine panic when the blonde grabbed at him made her curious.

“After years and years of being insulted and rejected, it’s not the worst thing in the world. Granted, that was a bit scary. Sometimes I don’t know my own magnetic charm,” he said, trying to get a laugh out of her. But she just patted his shoulder wearily.

“I need sleep,” she said.

His smile faltered. “I’ll see you tomorrow, er, later today.”

“Uhuh,” she said. He took her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back, and closed the door.

Next Chapter

[tres-spades-hotel]

A Wife’s Duty - Eisuke Ichinomiya - Part 4: Touch (Smut)

Plot: Eisuke mysteriously becomes involved in a serious car accident. While he remains unconscious, Vivian tries to track down the person responsible for hurting her husband. As the bidders try to solve the main problem, many new problems arise and Vivian experiences what it is really like to be a billionaire’s wife. During hard times, Vivian finds that the best place to feel safe is the presence of her love. But if her enemies can’t make her crumble, who can?

Characters: Vivian Ichinomiya (MC); Eisuke Ichinomiya; Soryu Oh; Mitsunari Baba; Ota Kisaki; Mamoru Kishi; Luke Foster; Shuichi Hishikura; Hikaru Aihara

Episodes: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

It’s been a few weeks since Eisuke was shot. His wound has pretty much healed but I and Luke have still restricted him from doing too much. I and Eisuke have been doing mostly paperwork and meetings through the internet the last few weeks to keep mainly Eisuke safe. I just couldn’t bear to leave his side so Soryu and the others have taken it upon themselves to increase the security and finding more information.

I dressed in a white button-up blouse, similar to Eisuke’s shirt, and a black pencil skirt with black pumps.

When I walked into the bedroom, I saw Eisuke, struggling to put on his shirt. I giggled quietly and walked behind him. I took the other half of the shirt and pulled it, pushing his arm lightly through the hole. He stood in front of me and I suddenly wrap my arms around his torso, under his shirt, pressing my cheek to his chest.

I began buttoning his shirt, while he gazed at me.

“If you need help, even if it’s for the littlest things like putting on your shirt, you should ask,” I say, but Eisuke started unbuttoning the top buttons of my shirt instead.

I continued buttoning him up while he unbuttons mine. He exposed my chest and rested his hand on where my heart is. His hand travelled up to my cheek, which I nuzzled into. Once I finished, I wrapped my arms around his back, careful to not put pressure on his still healing wound.

Eisuke kissed the top of my head before he sat on the bed and pulled me towards him.

He pulls my body to stand in between his legs as he sits on the bed. His lips attached to my neck while his hands wander around near my skirt.

"Eisuke... we have... a meeting..." I try to say. He takes out his phone and hands it to me.

"Cancel it." He growls and continues to kiss my neck, travelling down to my chest. I try to keep in my moans as I dial the number. It rings and Eisuke stops briefly.

I cough and say "Hello. Yes, it's Mrs Ichinomiya. Yes, I'm sorry. We won't be able to make it. Something... extremely urgent came up. Yes please reschedule it for us. Thank you. Do not worry, the contract will be signed soon. Thank you. Goodbye."

As soon as I hang up the phone, Eisuke snatches the phone away and throws it onto the couch.

Eisuke finally finds the zip to my skirt and pulls it down teasingly. My hands travel from his shoulders, up his long neck, and into his silky brown hair. Soon Eisuke has completely unzipped my skirt and removed it from my body, letting it fall to the floor.

I moaned as Eisuke kisses my neck. His lips move to the other side of my neck. Eisuke's long fingers unbutton the rest of my shirt and roam my body. When his fingers touch my skin, I moan louder and start panting. The truth is, we haven't been able to connect as a man and woman should do, due to his injuries the past few weeks. I've tried to keep his health my top priority, but sometimes I've wanted to let my desire for Eisuke take over.

Now we both don't hesitate to hold back and soon Eisuke has me completely under his control. His fingers take off my strapless bra, releasing my breasts. I feel his lips move down to my chest and he softly kisses both of my exposed breasts, one at a time. I gasp at the contact and clutch his hair. He takes off my panties quickly, no longer able to wait for anything else.

His long fingers travel down to my thighs and grip them tightly. Eisuke pulls both my thighs over his so that I am sitting on his lap. His eyes wander down to my entrance and he chuckles.

"Look at you, how wet and aroused you are, my naughty wife.”

My lips find his as I get to work stripping him of the thin materials that keep him apart from me. Impatient, I take off his vest and start to unbutton his shirt. As I do this, Eisuke's hands wander up my back, underneath my shirt.

When I open up his shirt, my eyes wander to look at chest and abdomen. His fit body mesmerises me and I hear Eisuke chuckle above me. I try to be careful of the bandage that seals his wound as I take off his shirt. My fingers grip his shoulders as Eisuke kisses me again. I hear him unbuckle his belt and unbutton his trousers. My eyes open and I see him throw the belt onto the couch behind me.

Eisuke's fingers grip my thighs again and, without warning, pulls my hips towards him. I gasp as I feel his member roughly slip into me. His lips kiss me more and I start moving my hips slowly. He pulls me closer and our bodies touch. My lips move from his lips down to his neck as I move my body up and down his. I hear a groan above me and I know that Eisuke loves what I'm doing to him.

"Damn it..." I hear him whisper; he grips my thighs and pulls me towards him even more. Suddenly, he lifts me up slightly before pulling me back down, his length plunging deeper into me.

"Ah! Eisuke!" I shout, screaming my head off and I realise how much I have missed this feeling of ecstasy.

The fingers on my right hand grip his hair again while my left-hand rests on the back of his neck, my lips nipping at his neck. I suddenly bite down, hard, onto is skin and I hear a loud gasp above me. I lick the skin I have bitten and suck on it. Then my lips move to his shoulders.

Eisuke seems to snap out of a trance as he suddenly grips my hair and pulls my head back. His lips attach to my neck this time and he bites down, hard.

"Eisuke!" I call out his name once again. He leaves a mark on my neck, where it is extremely noticeable, and licks the sore area. He sucks on my skin and I moan. He relentlessly bites any part of my body that his lips can get to. He pays extra attention to my breasts; biting, sucking and licking them relentlessly, before taking one completely into his mouth.

I whimper and moan as he does the same to my other breast. Then he lightly digs his teeth into my shoulder.

"Eisuke... I-I'm..." he knows what I am trying to say. "Hold it." He growls and I moan. We continue to move in sync and I'm no longer able to hold anything in anymore.

"Eisuke! Please..." I whimper and he nibbles on my ear.

"Come on then," he growls into my ear and I scream. My muscles contract and I start to see white as I feel my body release onto Eisuke's member. He groans and continues to thrust into me, chasing his own release. I finally feel him release into me, our love mixing inside me.

I feel both our juices start to seep out of me as I pant and gasp for air. Eisuke pulls himself out of me and I whimper. My hands roam his body before I rest my head against his chest; I feel him rub my back.

"Eisuke..." I whine and he chuckles.

"Had enough?" He whispers into my ear seductively.

I moan and say "No. I'm not satisfied yet. I need more."

He quickly takes my shirt off and picks me up. I wrap my legs around his waist and he lays me onto the bed. Eisuke takes off the remaining pieces of clothing from his body and sits between my legs, all the while looking at me. I can see my reflection in his eyes, his love for me evident. His fingers slowly travel up my leg. I watch him as he moves above me slowly, like a tiger who has captured his prey. I bit my bottom lip alluringly and Eisuke smirks.

"Not satisfied huh? Good. Because I'm not either." He says before kissing me deeply. He thrusts his tongue into my mouth and I moan with pleasure. I'm quickly panting and his fingers travel down my body to the intersection between my legs. The tip of his finger traces the shape of my sex, feeling my wetness. I moan again and Eisuke growls.

"You're so wet for me aren't you? You're such a naughty girl." He says against my lips. He hurriedly attached his lips to my neck and started sucking on the place that he had bitten before. I cry out loud and clutch the silk sheets beneath me. His fingers continue to tease my entrance, plunging in and out of me unrelentingly and my left-hand grips his hair. But Eisuke takes my right-hand wrist and pins it to the bed. 

"Beg for me. Tell me what you want."

"Ah... Eisuke..." I pant but I try to find my voice.

"I-I... want... no, I... need you... so badly... in me...oh god... I can't... can't wait... ah... anymore..." I can barely put together a coherent sentence but Eisuke gets the message. He chuckles but instead of plunging deep into me, he completely pulls away. He takes his fingers out of me, and let's go of my wrist. I whimper and whine in response, confusion taking over my mind.

Instead, I feel his body move down towards my entrance. He spreads my legs open and kisses my inner thighs. I moan as I realise what he's going to do to me. He bites the soft skin of my thighs and brings his face near my entrance. I feel his tongue lick my entrance, tasting me.

"Ah!" I gasp and clutch the sheets. He then slowly pushes his tongue in halfway before bringing it out again.

"Eisuke..." I whine and he chuckles once more against my hot skin. I moan in response and this time his tongue completely moves into me. He sucks my skin and eats as much of me as he can. His fingers grip my thighs tightly, leaving red marks on my skin, and keeps my legs open for him. My toes curl and my fingers grip his hair, hoping to push his tongue into me further.

Suddenly, I feel his teeth take a hold of my clit and pull roughly. I arch my back and my muscles contract. With anticipation, I moan and wait for Eisuke to give me the bliss I want. He continues to suck, bite, and lick me. Eisuke growls into me and the vibrations that course through my body make me release again. I scream and Eisuke sucks and eats all of my juice and wetness, practically sucking me dry. I try to compose myself but that flew out the window a long time ago. Eisuke does so many things to me that make me go crazy. Finally, Eisuke leaves my entrance and kisses it before pulling away completely. I've become a mess under his lips and fingers but I don't care. I've come to understand that nothing else matters when Eisuke forces me to give him all my attention.

I watch Eisuke lick his lips with a mischievous smile. He quickly kisses me deeply, making me taste myself before pulling away and sitting in between my legs.

I breathe deeply to try to take back the oxygen that left me. Despite all this, my body seems to want even more. And Eisuke can see that very clearly. As he sits in between my legs, I eye his body. Just the sight of his naked body is enough to make me hot and bothered all over again. I bite my bottom lip again, the soft flesh in between my teeth, prettily.

Eisuke quickly moves above me again and pins my wrists above my head.

"I don't want to be able to walk tomorrow," I say and Eisuke smirks.

"Do you even know what you're asking?" He says against my lips.

"Yes, Eisuke," I say and I nip at his bottom lip seductively. He lines himself up with me and thrusts his length through my entrance. I throw my head back into the pillows and Eisuke moves his hips against me. He plunges deep into me, relentlessly pushing into me. I moan loudly and Eisuke bites my neck, again. He sucks on my skin and my toes curl again. Eisuke moves in and out of me, hard.

His hands leave my wrists but he growls into my ear, saying "Do not move your arms.".

I moaned 'yes Eisuke' and his hands roam my body. They caress my breasts and rub my nipples between his fingers, hardening them. Then they continued downwards, gripping my thighs again and pulling me closer. He pulls my legs upwards and he goes deeper into me, hitting my most sensitive spot.

"Ah! Eisuke!" I feel my release coming another time and I know that it definitely won't be the last.

I gasp and moan and pant and beg for Eisuke to give me more attention all night long. And I realise how much Eisuke has me under control but I don't mind. As long as he is the only one to have me, I don't care what he does to my body. I just want to keep his heart. His touch makes me go crazy; Eisuke continues to love me all day and I forget about everything that has happened, for once, in a few weeks.

[yikesforever]

tag games you didn’t ask for

i had three tag games to do thanks to kate, cam and cameron so here they are, ill tag these people, but yall rlly don’t have to do any of them, i was jus bored

@bicevans @capswilson @dobrevninas @daisyridlay @napoleonsolos @soldatsass @beefybucky

fav hoe @daddybucks​ tagged me in this one

1. coke or pepsi: neither?? (coke i guess) 2. disney or dreamworks: disney !!! 3. coffee or tea: my main bitch coffee 4. books or movies: movies binch 5. windows or mac: windows 6. dc or marvel: marvel 7. x-box or playstation: i always liked playstation better but i dont have a reason?? 8. dragon age or mass effect: are these games that i dont get 9. night owl or early riser: night owl 10. cards or chess: cards 11. chocolate or vanilla: vanilla 12. vans or converse: vans (i have neither but i guess yeah) 13. Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash, or Adaar: ??? 14. fluff or angst: i can write angst but i’d rather read fluff 15. beach or forest: forest 16. dogs or cats: dogs 17. clear skies or rain: clear skies during the day, rain at night 18. cooking or eating out: cooking 19. spicy food or mild food: spicy 20. halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas: …. thanksgiving 21. would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot: too cold 22. if you could have a superpower, what would it be: superserum i think, or speed like barry 23. animation or live action: live action (i dont trust new animated movies) 24. paragon or renegade: ???? 25. baths or showers: showers 26. team cap or team ironman: team cap !!! 27. fantasy or sci-fi: im leaning towards sci fi but i feel like fantasy and sci fi are so fucking similar that sci fi could be a subcategory of fantasy 28. do you have three or four favourite quotes, if so what are they: okay well prolly anything about cevans has ever said is prolly my fav but um:  “When people say life is short its not its not, its not. We make it short because we are very preoccupied, with ya know, we spend a lot of time worrying about the past and we spend a lot of time analyzing the future. Before you know it time goes by.” - cevans  ”Had a fourth iced coffee today, I didn’t want to but I did” - sebstan ”With out art the earth is just eh” & “do not go gentle into that good night”  i also love anything disney tbh  29. youtube or netflix: netflix 30. harry potter or percy jackson: harry potter (cause ive never seen percy jackson besides in 10th grade english) 31. when you feel accomplished: lmao when a gifset gets 1k+ 32. star wars or star trek: star wars !!!!!!! 33. paperback books or hardback books: paperback 34. horror or rom-com: rom-com 35. tv shows or movies: tv shows (even if all my favs are movie actors) 36. favorite animal: dogs or polar bears 37. favorite genre of music: bahaha i guess indie  38. least favorite book: the red badge of courage... i have extreme hate for that fucking book 39. favourite season: spring 40. sparkly or shiny: shiny 41. favorite character in a tv series: MY SAD GAY SON TJ HAMMOND 42. do you have/want any tattoos and if you do, what are they?: i dont have one but i want like 4... i want the tree of life from animal kingdom with the quote we are one underneath it, an aries constellation, a mountain range, and my dads signature from his drawings 43. If you could only eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?: if id never get sick of it... prolly mexican or thai food.  44. If you had to wake up one day, magically knowing how to do something you didn’t know how to the day before, what would it be? how to adult tbh, its too stressful

both of my loves @daddysteven​ & @daddybucks​ tagged me for this one (i cant believe how many of my friends have daddy urls but okay)

APPEARANCE:

I am 5′7″ or taller (??? i might be 5′6″)

I wear glasses

I have at least one tattoo

I have at least one piercing

I have blonde hair

I have brown eyes

I have short hair

My abs are at least somewhat defined

I have or have had braces

There is something I would change about the way I look

PERSONALITY:

My Hogwarts house is: Gryffindor Hufflepuff Ravenclaw Slytherin

I am an introvert

I like meeting new people

People tell me that I’m funny

Helping others with their problems is a big priority for me

I enjoy physical challenges

I enjoy mental challenges

I’m playfully rude with people I know well

I started saying something ironically and now I can’t stop saying it

There is something I would change about my personality

ABILITY:

I can sing well

I can play an instrument

I can do over 30 pushups without stopping

I’m a fast runner

I can draw well

I have a good memory

I’m good at doing math in my head

I can hold my breath underwater for over a minute

I have beaten at least 2 people in arm wrestling

I know how to cook at least 3 meals from scratch

I know how to throw a proper punch

HOBBIES:

I enjoy playing sports

I’m on a sports team at my school or somewhere else

I’m in an orchestra or choir at my school or somewhere else

I have learned a new song in the past week

I work out at least once a week

I’ve gone for runs at least once a week in the warmer months

I have drawn something in the past month

I enjoy writing

Fandoms are my #1 passion

I do or have done martial arts

EXPERIENCES:

I have had my first kiss

I have had alcohol

I have scored the winning goal in a sports game

I have watched an entire season of a TV show in one sitting

I have been at an overnight event

I have been in a taxi

I have been in the hospital or ER in the past year

I have beaten a video game in one day

I have visited another country

I have been to one of my favourite band’s concerts

RELATIONSHIP:

I’m in a relationship

I have a celebrity crush

I have a crush on someone I know

I have been in at least 3 relationships

I have never been in a relationship

I have asked someone out or admitted my feelings to them

I get crushes easily

I have had a crush on someone for over a year

I have been in a relationship for at least a year

I have had feelings for a friend

MY LIFE:

I have at least one person I consider a “best friend”

I live close to my school

My parents are still together

I have at least one sibling

I live in the United States

There is snow right now where I live

I have hung out with a friend outside of school in the past month

I have a smartphone

I have at least 15 CDs

I share my room with someone

RANDOM SHIT:

I have breakdanced

I know a person named Jamie

I have had a teacher with a last name that’s hard to pronounce

I have dyed my hair

I’m listening to one song on repeat right now

I have punched someone in the past week

I know someone who has gone to jail

I have broken a bone

I have eaten a waffle today (fuck i wish i did)

I know what I want to do with my life

I speak at least 2 languages fluently

I have made a new friend in the past year (ya im talking bout yall)

i was tagged by @officialhermionegranger​

Name — natalie Nicknames — nat  Zodiac Sign — aries Height — 5′6″ or 5′7″ not entirely sure Hogwarts House — slytherin Ethnicity — caucassian Favorite Fruit — blueberries Favorite Season — spring Favorite Book(s) — perks of being a wallflower & yes please Favorite Flower — does lavender count? Favorite Scent — waterfall or forest smells  Favorite Color — green (but like an earthy/army green) Favorite Animal — dogs or polar bears Favorite Bands/Singers — probs hozier, ed sheeran, and ill always love 1d Average Sleep Hours — somewhere between 4 and 8.... so i guess 6 Favorite Fictional Character(s) — steve rogers, barry allen, lorelai gilmore, rey, nala Dream Trip — alaska to see the northern lights and go dog sleeding Blog Created — this one.... fuck march 2016 (guys ive had this blog for almost a year now wtf) Number of Followers — 2366 (i havent been making shit lately) What Made You Decide To Make a Tumblr — like in the beginning??? i have no fucking idea why 2010 nat made her first tumblr, but this one because i was spamming my aesthetic blog with star wars and x files so i made this blog and now a year later im chris evans trash .. 

[savemidoriproject]

Chapter 20:  [Dimension M  |  Worldline 1]  –  Midori Divergence

Midori and I got inside a black car.  The night sky was filled completely with expansive blackness, but something about this blackness felt artificial.  The night breeze also felt much colder, sharper, and cynical than before.  It was as if the universe was trying to signal us that autumn was now over…

The worldline was becoming unstable.

Soon after the car started moving, we entered a pitch-black highway.  Illuminated only by regularly spaced pale road lights, Midori’s melancholy expression remained unchanged, almost like a cold, solitary flower.

“Ryan,”

As I turned my head, Midori slowly grabbed my hand and turned her gaze toward me.  The fragility of her fingers sent chills along my arm, and her dark brown, lucid, bottomless eyes had a familiar superposition of lucidity and cloudiness.  At the core of this dialectically opposed superposition lied a particular hue of melancholy that couldn’t have represented anyone other than Midori herself.  By now, I had an acute understanding of the mechanics underlying this melancholia – it was the defining feature of the inner emptiness that have haunted her ever since the first moment she heard Singular Lyricism’s performance, and the vast, expansive sonic landscape of her shoegaze music was meant to hold together her precarious self-conceptions, fragmented by endless layers of abstractions that allowed her to hide from her own trauma stemming from childhood abduction and emotional neglect.

This melancholia, of course, was also the very substance of her aching beauty – the sharp outline of her face, her brown bobbed hair, long eyelashes, slender arms…

“Ryan… Mayu-san is not someone to be taken lightly.”

Before I had a chance to properly verbalize my question of what she exactly meant by that, my mind couldn’t help but be absorbed by the reflections of the road lights from her eyes as Midori stared into the meaningless darkness lying beyond the car window.

“I know she told us about her plan to subsume YM Corp under JS Corp… but I know for sure that this merge is only a small part of her alternative plans.  She’s been involved heavily with YMMR ever since the onset of the JS-YM transactions, and it’s safe to assume that she has been aware of the development of Ene’s worldline theory all this time.”

I was reminded of Mayu-san’s dark purple eyes, and her exotic, ominous beauty suggestive of subliminal danger…

“That being said, one thing that I can say for sure is that Mayu-san’s top priority has always been, and will always be, absolute consolidation of power through expansion of JS’s corpocratic control.  The fact that YM Corp will now be under her control – and I can guarantee you that it will be – indicates that military is a necessary component for her next plan or counter-measurement…”

As Midori’s voice faded away in uncertainty, I could see that we were now entering another urban setting densely packed with countless tall buildings.  The regularly placed buildings created a grid-like road system, with isolated businessmen walking busily on the side.  It might have been due to the fact that our car windows were completely sealed black, or that the whole city was palely lit by white fluorescent light coming from the street lamps and the building windows… Every single one of those businessmen were identically dressed, and everything about them felt too uniform, almost to the extent where it seemed as though they didn’t have any distinguishable faces…

As we continued deeper into the center of the city, we arrived at a circularly open area, at the center of which was a giant convention center – another building with a hypermodern glass design, much like the Imperial Library we visited last time. The building had a simple sign above the main entrance: YM Corporation.

“A ton of reporters will bombard us with flashlights and questions.  Just ignore them all and follow me into the building.”

Upon Midori’s curt instruction, the car entered into the rotary and pulled in front of the singular pathway leading straight toward the main entrance.  The guards sitting in the front seats stepped out of the car and swiftly opened the door for us.

“SDo, activate automatic threat screening.  Mark, please take care of all neutralization.”

“Right away.”

“Leave it to me.”

As we stepped out, I immediately understood what Midori had meant.  There was a swarm of reporters from several broadcasting stations waiting outside, and I was instantly blinded by overwhelming flashes of camera light.  As the reporters attempted to approach us with their cameras and microphones, the two guards prevented them from getting too close as Midori and I started walking along the pathway.  The reporters started bombarding us with an incessant barrage of questions.

"Midori-san, is it true that the JS-YM relations have taken a negative turn in the recent days?”

“There are rumors that you have been at the center of this turn.  Is that true?”

“To what extent has JS been involved in YM’s growing control of the Ministry of Defense and the military?”

“What is your official stance on the privatization of the national security by YMMR?”

“What was the underlying motivation behind your decision to do away with private security on the university campus?”

“Are you in a personal relationship with the new guard accompanying you today?”

“As the major JS shareholder, can you confirm your future involvement in JS as the company moves forward?”

My augmented reality glasses indicated no signs of direct threat from these reporters.  Midori continued walking by my side with a composed expression, unaffected by either the flashlights or the questions.  It seemed she was completely used to these types of situations…

The main entrance was guarded by several military personnel, and several reporters were reporting on the situation while facing their respective cameras.  Midori and I entered the building, leaving the swarm of reporters behind…

As soon as the entrance door closed, we were wrapped in silence, the only sound being small echoes of classical music coming off of invisible speakers.  The main lobby was much like the JS Corp lobby, vast and mostly empty, with minimalistic sofas, tables, and lamps located here and there.

“We must first attend the reception.”

As Midori crossed her arms and let out a sigh, a male secretary approached us and bowed courteously.  His thin silver glasses along with his neatly brushed hair gave him a slightly shrewd look…

“Welcome, Midori-san and Ryan-san.  YM Corporation thanks you for visiting us today at our main branch for the biannual conference.  Please allow me to lead you to the reception hall.”

Our two guards followed behind us.  The secretary led us further into the lobby and took a left turn into a long hallway. There were countless conference rooms on both sides, the doors marked with alphanumeric codes and short descriptions of the respective meeting agenda:

Military vehicular application of photonic crystals(*1)

Sustainable batch synthesis of stimpack(*2) pharmaceuticals

Prototype modeling of exoskeleton(*3) electronics

Computational financial optimization for fiscal year IV

Construction proposal for Gen V molten salt nuclear reactors(*4)

…

“Midori, these meeting agenda seem quite heavily oriented around military research collaborations between JS and YM…  Are there other external research organizations involved?”

“Yes…  In addition to JS and YM’s own R&D sectors, we invest significantly in research groups across major academia and industries.  All of them are invited here today – you can think of this conference as being academic, industrial, and political in character at the same time…”

As Midori responded my question nonchalantly, several people stopped and bowed to us as we passed by.  After a minute or so, one of the conference room doors opened ahead of us, and a few people in suits came out…

… but a particular girl caught my eyes.  She was dressed in a white button-down shirt with collars decorated by black linings, a red necktie, and a simple black skirt… and on top of her long blonde hair was a round black hat with a white ribbon.  After exiting the conference room, she remained standing where she was, as several people bowed to her and walked away…  She was stretching her arms toward the ceiling and yawning with her mouth covered, not making any attempt to hide her bored expression.  My glasses indicated her name was Reina Kirishina – she was the daughter of the head of JS Construction.  At that point, I remembered Kirishina-san from the JS board meetings – he was the middle-aged businessman who voiced his concern regarding the YM-JS transactions.  It now made sense why he was particularly concerned about them…

Midori raised her hand abruptly and gestured the secretary to stop.

“Reina?  Is that you?!”

With one of her arms still pointing toward the ceiling, Reina turned her gaze toward us, her bored expression changing rapidly to that of delight, and ran toward Midori.

“Midori!  Oh my gosh!”

Midori also ran toward Reina and embraced her.  They jumped lightly with their hands interlocked, almost like a pair of frolicking children.

“How many years have it been?  If I remember correctly, last time you visited me was during the summer three years ago, right?”

“Yeah… I’m sorry I haven’t been able to visit more often.  But no worries, I just graduated and I’m back for good!”

“You graduated? Congratulations!  When did you arrive from USNA?”

USNA…  I’m guessing that stands for United States of North America…?(*5)

“Hear me out Midori…  I just arrived this afternoon, and my dad made them drag me here straight!  And I had to sit through these boring meetings… Can you believe that?”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.  Well, you already know that I am the last person who ever wants to attend this conference.”

“Haha, that’s for sure—”

At that point, Reina’s energetic eyes met mine.  Midori smiled and introduced me to Reina.

“I forgot to introduce Ryan, he’s my new guard and boyfriend.  Ryan, this is Reina, my childhood friend that I told you about.”

“Hmm…”

A pair of crystal clear, green eyes was staring at mine with a curiosity.

“If you do anything bad to Midori, I’m gonna kill you, okay?”

As Reina said the last part with a witty smile, Midori and I laughed.

“Nice to meet you too, Reina.”

“Reina, why don’t we all go together for a tea at Saijo-san’s place after this?”

“I’ve been dying to have tea with you, Midori… just like the old days.”

After finishing her sentence with a certain whimsicality, Reina sighed and said,

“Well, I don’t want to keep you late to the reception.  I still need to greet a few people from JS Construction, so I will see you after the conference.  Please take care of Midori for me, Ryan.”

With that, she waved her hand with an enchanting smile, and started walking in the opposite direction along the hallway.  The secretary bowed, and we continued following his lead.  We soon encountered several pairs of wide doors, all of which led to the reception hall.  The secretary opened the central door, and we entered.

The hall had a very high ceiling, decorated with several layers of colored glasses of blue-greenish hue.  The entire floor was made of shiny white granite, and several small round standing tables were located throughout the hall.  The colored glasses flooded the air with gentle turquoise light, making the space look like some sort of a modern art museum.  Upon our entrance, everyone turned their gaze toward us and resumed talking in subdued tones after a few seconds of silence.  I immediately recognized Mizuki and Mayu-san at the front of the hall – they gave us a nod and a mysterious smile, respectively, and continued talking with other people.

A particular middle-aged man in a uniform approached us – Minister of Defense, Hazama Tarou…

“Midori-san, welcome.  It is my sincere pleasure to see you in person again this year.”

“Tarou-san...  How unusual it is for you to be saying hello to me.  Could it be that the Ministry of Defense has suddenly gained an interest in strengthening its alliance with the JS group?”

Midori said this as matter-of-factly while grabbing a cup of tea from a floating waiter.  Tarou-san gave out a small laughter to ease the apparent tension.

“Oh, the Ministry of Defense has always remained in solidarity with both conglomerates, Midori-san.  Without the support of the JS group, our government would never have been able to thrive as it is doing currently.”

“Hmm… is that so.”

Midori took a sip of her tea and responded nonchalantly.

“Tarou-san, I would like to think that you and I both know when a certain measure starts to go a little too far.  I am sure Mayu-san has also talked to you about this, am I right?”

Tarou-san looked slightly thrown off by Midori’s straightforward invocation of Mayu-san’s name…  He quickly collected his expression to an agreeable smile.

“Yes, of course.  National economic interest is entirely synonymous to JS Corporation’s interest, after all.”

Midori continued sipping her tea while holding her tea cup with both of her hands.

“Good.  I’m glad we’re on the same page.  If you may, I’d like to say hello to a few other people now.”

Tarou-san bowed to us as we walked away.  Hazama Tarou… his name will be marked from now on.  Midori went to a small table with refreshments and started refilling her cup of tea.

“Midori, how are you feeling?”

She looked at me with a slightly surprised look, and gave a small smile.

“I’m okay… quite used to these kinds of conversations now.  I would have to say, though, that they’re not in the least bit interesting at all, don’t you think?  Everyone is so trapped in this corpocratic stage play.”

“I expected you to be much more detached from these matters.”

Midori’s dark brown, lucid, bottomless eyes stared at mine with a mixture of urgency and melancholy.

“I used to be… but not anymore.  Whatever is a threat to JS Corp… is also a threat to you and me.”

As Midori poured a spoon of sugar and started stirring her cup, my glasses suddenly directed my gaze to a tall man approaching us from the front of the hall.

It was Nagisa-san. He was about the same age as Mizuki-san, a few years younger I would say, perhaps due to his semi-formal navy blue blazer attire.  He was also wearing a black thick-rim glasses that accentuated his sharp expression, giving him a very much calculating look…  Quite different from Inaba’s more gentle expression, I should say.

“Ah, if it isn’t the major shareholder of JS Corporation.”

Midori abruptly stopped stirring her tea, put the spoon down on the table, slowly picked up her tea cup, and responded to Nagisa-san’s manifestly unpleasant greeting.  I could sense that a few people were watching us a far from their respective standing tables…

“Nagisa-san.  It seems that you’re doing as well as you ever have been.”

He laughed out loud and started pouring a cup of coffee on the table.

“Nevermind me, how have you been doing lately, Midori?”

Midori closed her eyes while sipping on her tea, as if trying to find out the most optimal way to respond to a question that could be taken in many different ways…

“I have been doing very well, thanks to the unceasing attention from the YM group as of late.”

Nagisa-san sipped on his coffee as well and responded casually.

“Oh really?  I am sorry that I wasn’t able to heed any personal visits myself – I was very busy with a lot of things, you see, all of which we are going to present today here.”

Nagisa-san pointed his hand to the front of the hall, turned his gaze toward me, and gave an all-knowing smile…

“So…  It has come to my attention that Mayu-san has been talking to a few people in the Ministry of Defense lately.  It seems like the JS group has recently gained quite some interest in the military.  Interesting, don’t you think?”

Midori managed to cross her arms again while supporting her tea cup on her left arm.

“Well, I am not sure if I would call it interesting, Nagisa-san.  I would say that it is only natural for the head of the Japanese Conglomerate Federation to engage with the military, given the increasing dilapidation of balance in the bilateral JS-YM relations within the federal government.”

“Hahaha, oh well.  Your stance is most definitely intelligent and understandable.  I cannot agree with you more that now is the time that we need JS-YM cooperation the most.  It is in my best personal interest for both conglomerates to thrive together, after all.”

What he said the last did not fail to bother both me and Midori…  How far is he aware of Mayu-san’s plan to merge JS and YM?

“Well, enough with the not-so-interesting talk, I suppose.  Are you still studying philosophy in the university?”

Midori responded while putting her empty cup down on the table.

“Yes, I am…  My new partner Ryan has joined me in my classes as well.”

Nagisa-san looked at me and raised his glasses with his index finger.  He started thinking out loud while staring at the colored glasses on the ceiling.

“Philosophy, huh?...”

He looked at Midori and finished his musing:

“If an unexamined life is not worth living… then is an unlived life worth examining?”

Midori’s eyes grew slightly bigger.  Nagisa-san gave his all-knowing smile again, turned around, raised his hand to bid farewell, and started walking toward the front of the hall again.

The surprise in Midori’s eyes gradually faded away, leaving behind her familiar cloudiness along her long eyelashes directed downward…  Before I had a chance to say something to her, however, Mayu-san stood up on the front podium and started talking.

“Everyone, welcome to the biannual YM-JS conference.  We are pleased to have members of both conglomerates here today, as well as the Japanese Conglomerate Federation and various research organizations from academia and industries all across the nation.

JS-YM cooperation has been paramount to the well-being of the nation, especially in light of the steadily rising threat by the terrorist group HADES.  These conferences are critical in maintaining this synergy, but also in providing checks-and-balances to our alliance in relation to the federal government, so that none of our individual subsidiaries receive either too much or too little power.”

It was interesting and absurd to see how all of the dialogues seemed to be focused on trying to make certain references without being overtly blatant…  A few people started murmuring to each other inaudibly, and Mayu-san continued after a brief pause.

“Unfortunately, it is true that there has been some tension between the JS and YM groups recently, especially regarding our involvement within the Ministry of Defense.  I would like to emphasize, on behalf of all of us here, that, although the importance of the state-of-the-art military technology can never be overstated, what is even more important is the way in which we utilize it.  Military, just like any other instruments, can be used in many different ways, and it is our firm belief that it should be used primarily as a defensive and preemptive, rather than an offensive, mechanism, such that our infrastructure and economy can be protected and continue to thrive steadily.”

I could see that several people were nodding their heads, while other people continued to murmur amongst each other, perhaps in subdued discontent…

“Without further ado, I would like to now hand over to members of each of our subsidiaries, who are going to present us today on the main progress of our R&D sectors.”

As Mayu-san stepped away from the podium, it was at that precise moment that I heard SDo’s voice on my earpiece.

“Ryan, it is now our scheduled time for the infiltration. Please meet Mark outside at the back entrance of the convention center, as indicated on the map.”

I grabbed Midori’s hand and quietly exited the hall.  I could see Mayu-san’s cryptic smile from my peripheral gaze…

“Midori, I need to go now.”

Midori’s dark brown, lucid, bottomless eyes took on a distinct hue of melancholy.

“I see…”

After staring on the ground for a few seconds, she looked up and forced a smile.

“I’ll see you at Saijo-san’s place after it’s over, okay?”

I smiled reassuringly.

“Yeah…  Don’t worry, I’ll come back right away if anything happens to you.”

Midori looked like she was at a loss for words…  I decided to break the tension by letting go of her hand.

“See you on the other side, Midori.”

Right when I was about to pass her, she grabbed my hand again, while still facing the other side.

“You have to bring those donuts, got it?”

My fingers slowly interlocked with hers.

“Of course.  That’s the most important part, after all.”

And gradually... her hand was slipping through my fingers, and I was entering the original hallway.

The image of Midori standing by herself refused to leave my mind…  

Before I knew it, I found myself running, perhaps to divert my attention away from her.  I took out my gun from my pocket, shot a portal on the wall at the end of the hallway, and ran through it.

It was completely dark outside, and it took me a minute or so for my eyes to adjust to the darkness.  Mark greeted me with his trademark smile.  I could see that he was already dressed in his black stealth suit, holding his helmet in his left arm.

“Welcome back, Ryan.  Are you ready?”

I answered with a heavy sigh.

“Ready or not, Mark.  Let’s just get over with this.”

He laughed lightly and handed me my stealth suit and protective gears, as well as a new gun.  Ene’s voice invaded our earpieces.

“Ryan, I have a new gun for you.  It’s called DASER.”

“A new gun?  And is that an acronym?”

I could already visualize her mischievous smile from her voice as I started changing into my stealth suit.

“Yes, it is an acronym!  It stands for Data Amplification by Structural Eidos Resonance.(*6)  Rather than creating or annihilating matter-data, DASER allows you to convert matter-data into disorganized forms.  In other words, you can now disturb any spatial structural data yourself.  It works exactly the same way as the annihilation gun.”

“That’s convenient. That means that we now don’t have to go through you directly for any structural data manipulation.”

As I commented matter-of-factly, Mark nodded and grabbed his portal gun.

“Bob and his SWAT team are waiting for us at the rendezvous point outside of the YMMR facility.”

I put on my helmet, grabbed my DASER with both of my hands, and nodded.

“I’m ready.”

Mark shot a portal in the open air, and we stepped into the middle of a mountain, surrounded by countless, bleak trees with no leaves whatsoever.

Lying ahead of us was a barren landscape, with several modular buildings surrounded by wired fences, and countless military vehicles and personnel patrolling the perimeters.

(*1) Reference to photonic band gap materials (*2) Reference to stimpack from Starcraft (*3) Reference to powered exoskeleton (*4) Reference to Gen V reactors and molten salt reactors (*5) Reference to the homonymous fictional country in The Irregular at Magic High School (Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei) (*6) Reference to MASER (Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation)

Ch. 20 Illustration

Ch. 20 Soundtrack 1  |  Soundtrack 2

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