#// the plaza was the first place he felt anxious and excited inside of with the tenants

[morrisondauthor]

“Hookup”

           I rarely used Grindr because it was full of fake profiles and paranoid DL men, but I was in a mood that night. I was swiping through profiles when a guy messaged me his phone number. I checked out his profile but the only pic he had up was a pixelated pic of what looked like a pair of shoes. I sent him a message back saying I wasn’t interested and when he asked why, I told him because he had no pics up. He then sent a message telling me to call him and I wouldn’t regret it. I was going to block him and move on but something told me to give it a try. So, I called him.

           “Wassup,” he said to me after answering the call on the second ring.

           “Are you gonna send me a pic?” I asked immediately.

           He laughed and said, “Why send a pic when you can come see me in public?”

           “Your profile said you’re on the low. How can we meet in public if you’re on the low?”

           “Ain’t nobody really in here right now. The store will be closin’ soon.”

           “Store? What store?”

           “Target. I’m in the snack shop part of the store. If you wanna meet up then get yo fine ass down here. Your pics look sexy as fuck, bruh.”

           Flattered, I laughed a little and asked, “You’re at the Target in Fairmount Plaza?”

           “Yep. I’m sittin’ at a table with my dick on brick thinkin’ about what yo head game must be like. Them lips look like they can do some damage. I ain’t never been sucked up by a dude before.”

           “You haven’t?”

           “Nah, but I heard y’all know what to do. I need my dick slurped on and gagged on for real. I ain’t nutted in over a week.”

           “Alright, let me throw on some clothes and I’ll come meet you. If you’re on any kind of bullshit, I swear I will put you on blast in public.”

           He laughed again and said, “Bruh, I ain’t on that bullshit. You’ll see.”

           “I’ll be there shortly.”

           “Bet.”

           I ended the call and tried not to get excited or get my hopes up. I really needed some dick that night and I admit I was a little turned on by the fact that he’d never been with another guy before. True curious men were like unicorns and it was always amazing seeing their reactions to some of the things I’d do to them. Before leaving to go meet up with my Grindr hookup, I told myself that if it didn’t work out then I could still jackoff while one of my anal toys was up in my ass.

                                                  Me (Marc)

           When I arrived at Target, I was a little anxious. I’d met guys in public before but something about this time felt different and I didn’t know why. I made my way to the snack shop in the store and saw two guys in there; one was at the counter talking to a cashier and the other was sitting at the table. He was sitting on top of the bench by himself so I knew it was him. He was a little too skinny for my taste but he was sexy. He did look a little rough though, like he could have been in a gang or something. Still, he was sexy.

           “Wassup,” I said as I approached him. “I’m Marc.”

           He gave me a look and then licked his lips before saying, “Wassup, bruh. My name’s Dre.”

                                                      Dre

           I looked at him for a little while without saying anything and then asked, “Are you really into this?”

           “Yeah, bruh. You good or nah? Because I need to tell my boys not to come pick me up from here.”

           “You didn’t drive here?”

           “I don’t have a car.”

           “Oh.” I thought about it for a second and then told him, “You’re good. Come on, man.”

           He hopped down from the bench and texted his friends while following me out of the store. We got into my car but I wasn’t going to take him back to my place without knowing a few things about him first. Noticing that I wasn’t starting the car, he looked at me and asked, “Why you ain’t start the car yet?”

           “Because I need to know some things about you first. What’s your status?”

           “My what?”

           “Your health status? You clean or do you have something? Because I need to know if I gotta stop by another store and pick up some condoms.”

           “I’m clean but if you don’t trust it then you can stop by a store and I can buy some rubbers. I need to get somethin’ to drink anyway.”

           “Can I see your dick before we leave this parking lot?”

           He smiled and shrugged his shoulders before reaching into his pants and underwear and pulling his semi-hard dick out. It was thick and long as fuck. I reached over to grab it and he quickly put it away and said, “Nah, you don’t get to touch until we’re at your place. Shit, you can touch it and slob on it and ride it all you want at your place.”

           I was satisfied enough to start my car up and drive out of the Target parking lot. I stopped at a convenience store near my apartment so that he could buy the condoms and something to drink for himself. When he got back in the car, he put his hand in his pants and played with his dick. It took a lot of self-restraint for me not to pull over on the side of the road and suck his dick right there in my car. We made it to my apartment complex and I wasted no time getting him up to my apartment.

           “I gotta warn you, I’m a freak,” I said to him while closing and locking my door. I turned around to see he had a gun aimed at my head. Fear immediately took over me as I asked, “What the fuck are you doing?”

           “My bad, bruh. This shit ain’t personal.”

           “Man, if you…”

           “I don’t want this shit to go bad, nigga. You need to chill. All I want is whatever money you got on you and any chains or rings you might have up in this apartment.”

           “All I got is forty dollars in my wallet. I got a gold Rolex in my bedroom.”

           “That’s it?”

           “Yes, that’s it?”

           “Give me your wallet. And do it slow. This is a revolver, bruh. This shit don’t jam and it will fuck you up.” Slowly, I pulled my wallet from my pocket and handed it to him. He immediately took out the forty dollars I had inside. He then looked through it and pulled out my debit card and asked, “How much money you got in your account?”

           “Not much.”

           He laughed a little and said, “Yeah, we’ll see about that.” He pointed to my sofa with the gun and said, “Have a seat.”

           I sat down and while he was looking through my wallet again, I slowly pulled my phone from my pocket and texted ‘Call 911 2 my place NOW’ to my friend Kelly. When Dre looked back up, I told him, “Here’s my phone, man. Just want you to know I’m not gonna try anything tricky.”

           “See, I knew you’d be easy to do this with. Most faggots do dumb shit or panic and I have to put my hands on them. I mean, I wanted to knock the shit outta you when you made me pull my dick out in the car but I ain’t gonna do you like that. My dick is nice though, right?”

           “Man, I gave you the money in my wallet and you got my debit card. Why are you still here?”

           “Nigga, you drove me here, remember? I’m not gonna steal your ride to get out this bitch so the cops can track me down quick. Besides, we’re gonna need you to use this card at the ATM.”

           “We’re?”

           “Me and my homeboys. I gotta call them and tell them where I’m at so they can come get me and you. Well, we gotta steal your TVs and computer and shit first.” He pulled out his phone and called his friends. “Yo, Breeze, you not gonna believe this shit, nigga. I got another one, bruh. I know, right?” He laughed and continued, “Come to the River West Bank apartments off of Stafford Road. The apartment is in section C and the number is C306. A’ight, nigga. Hurry the fuck up.” He ended the call and looked at me and smiled as he said, “Now, all we gotta do is wait.”

           “So, this is what you and your boys do?” I asked as I relaxed on my sofa. “You trick gay men on dating apps and rob them? That’s fucked up.”

           “The world is fucked up, Marc. And don’t act like you’ve never finessed anybody out of some money.”

           “I haven’t. I work for the shit I got. I work over forty hours a week at a job I fucking hate to make a living. I never had to rob anybody or do some dumb shit that could get me locked up.”

           “Well, I ain’t gonna get locked up because I’m always careful.”

           I looked away from him and said, “Yeah, I bet you are.”

           He sat down on my lounge chair across from me and kept the gun aimed at me. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Why do you use a fuckin’ app anyway?”

           “What do you mean?”

           “It ain’t like you’re a bad lookin’ dude. You fuck with bitches and niggas?”

           “I like men with dicks. Anything outside of that category is a no.”

           He laughed and shook his head before saying, “You faggot ass niggas are a trip, I swear. What makes a man want to put a dick up his ass?”

           “What makes a man do anything he wants to do, Dre?” I rolled my eyes and asked, “How long is it going to take your friends to get here?”

           “They said about an hour.”

           “Are you serious? Man, I got work in the morning. Look, how about me and you disconnect my TV in here and the one in my bedroom and put them by the door? We can also get my watch and other shit you can take.”

           He laughed and asked, “You wanna help me rob you?”

           “Like I said, I got work in the morning. I can always replace TVs and the money in my account.”

           “Okay, but remember, if you try anything then I will shoot the fuck outta you.”

           “Fine, whatever. Come on.”

           I stood up and he stood up, too. He put the gun in his jacket pocket and we went over to my TV. I disconnected it from the cable line in the wall and unplugged it before disconnecting my Blu-ray player and soundbar system. Together, we unmounted the fifty-five-inch LED screen TV from my living room wall. Carefully, we set it down by my door. When we went into my bedroom to get my other TV, I immediately noticed I’d left my ironing board up with my iron sitting on top of it.

           “Damn, the one in here is even bigger,” he said while looking at my TV.

           “Yeah, it’s a sixty-five-inch,” I said.

           His back was to me because he was so fixated on my TV. He took a step towards it and without leaving a single opportunity for error, I picked up my iron and hit him in the back of the head with it as hard as I could, knocking his snapback cap off. He dropped to the floor and when he slowly tried to get back up, I hit him again even harder. I then stomped his head hard. When I saw blood leaking onto my carpet, I knew he was either knocked out or dead. I quickly reached into his pocket and pulled the gun out. I honestly didn’t want to do him like that but I had no other options. Not a second later, I heard police sirens. I looked back at Dre to see he was flinching on the floor.

           “Fuck,” he said while coughing. “Why you do that, man?” He grabbed the back of his head and winced in pain.

           “Shut the fuck up,” I said to him as I left my bedroom. I placed the gun on my living room coffee table and opened the door just as the police were coming up the steps towards my apartment. I put my hands up and told them, “I live here. The motherfucker who tried to rob me is in my bedroom.”

           I let them inside and they placed Dre under arrest and called for paramedics because of his head wounds. I almost forgot that Dre’s friends were on the way but I told the police and they quickly put a sting operation together. Four cops hid in my kitchen while three more stood in my hallway while my front door was wide open for Dre’s friends to walk in. When the five of them entered, they were immediately arrested. I couldn’t believe everything that had happened that night in my apartment. I was mad as fuck about it all but most of my anger was with myself. I shouldn’t have brought Dre back to my place since I didn’t know him. I’d always thought meeting someone out in public was the right thing to do, but I realized it takes even more precaution when dealing with dating apps.

           Weeks later, I learned that Dre and his buddies were responsible for over fifty different situations involving them robbing gay and bi men they met on Grindr and Jack’d. I was their last victim and that was only by me taking dangerous chances to mess up their robbing process. What would have happened had I not hit Dre with that iron? Some of the men he and his friends had robbed were beaten and brutalized by them. One was shot in the chest and nearly died. I was lucky to have survived with no injuries but I did feel bad for all the others. To this day, I’m dealing with harassment from the families of Dre and his criminal friends who allege I lured them into a trap. Who would have known so much bad shit could come from one random hookup?

[Disclaimer]: Pictures used do not reflect the sexuality or personality of people in the pictures. They only serve as visual examples of the characters.

© D.A. Morrison 2019

[timehealsfanfictionbka]

Time Heals.....Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chris smiled as Robyn moved around his kitchen with his ease. He wasn’t expecting last night but he was glad it happened. Robyn definitely seemed less tense and more upbeat. Sex wasn’t a cure-all but it definitely helps. His arm snaked around her waist as she walked up beside him and set a plate of food on the table in front of him.

“All done. What you want to drink?” She said as she smiled down at him.

“I think I have some orange juice in there.”

“Orange juice coming right up.”

She stepped away from him and went to the fridge, “Chris, what are we gonna do about your couch?”

“We have to go to get a new one. That one is ruined.”

Robyn giggled, “do you have any time to go furniture shopping?”

“We can pick up the girls and go today. I need to start looking regardless.”

“Why?”

“Did you forget that my bedroom has been completely emptied? I have to get paint colors, furniture, and accessories.”

“Do you have a theme picked out?”

“Yea.”

“What is it?”

“Whatever Robyn wants.”

She scoffed as she grabbed the orange juice and set it on the table, “that’s not a theme and this is not my house.”

“Doesn’t matter. You’re my girl. I want our bedroom to reflect that.”

“What? You gonna change your bedroom for every girlfriend you get?”

“Considering you’re gonna be my last girlfriend. That won’t be necessary.”

“Last girlfriend? I know you don’t mean what I think you do.”

“I mean exactly what you think I do. I’m not dating you just to be dating you, this is going somewhere permanent.”

“According to whom?”

“Me.  You. Robyn, I know you and you aren’t dealing with me for fun. If that was the case, we would’ve fucked a long time ago.”

“Doesn’t mean I want it to be permanent. I don’t know if I ever wanna be married again.”

“I don’t know isn’t definite so the possibility is there and you’ve thought about it. You wouldn’t be putting up with me if you hadn’t.”

“We’re just getting on even footing and you wanna talk about marriage. You’ve barely been divorced.”

“I wasn’t aware there was a timeline.”

“There is for me. I have no interest in playing musical marriages.”

“I don’t either. I know our experience with my past wasn’t all that great but you gotta give me more credit than that.”

“You move on quick, Chris.”

“If I know what I want, what exactly am I waiting for?”

“You know what you want in the moment. How am I to know you won’t get tired and move on from me?”

“You could just as easily get tired and move on from me too. This goes both ways.”

“Not as much as you think.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing.”

“Robyn.”

“What? I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m not being facetious, I promise.”

Chris’s brow went up as Robyn sat down in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, “Baby?”

“Chris, there’s nothing else to talk about. So what are we doing today? Going furniture shopping?”

“If you’re up for it.”

“I don’t really care. You the one need a new couch.”

“Then we’re going furniture shopping.”

“Cool, you eat. I need to get dressed.”

Robyn got up and walked out the kitchen. Chris sat back in his chair and ran his hands down his face.

“Definitely could’ve found better timing for that,” he murmured to himself.

                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Mommy!” Erin and Erica yelled as they ran towards the car as Robyn climbed out of it. They both hugged her tightly and Robyn kissed their foreheads, “I missed you two.”

“Mommy, why do you smell like Daddy?” Erin asked.

Robyn turned as she heard Chris snicker as he tried to hold in his laugh. She mouthed “fuck you” at him as he moved to stand beside her.

“Mommy used some of Daddy’s body wash this morning. Remember I stayed over his house last night because we were coming to get you this morning.”

“Oh yea. You should get some of your stuff and bring it to Daddy’s house for when you stay over like me and Erica did.”

“Nah, it’s not like it’ll happen too often.”

“Oh.”

Robyn glossed over Erin’s disappointing tone, “did you have fun with your grandma?”

“Yes. She made us cupcakes and she let us decorate them.”

“That’s great.”

“So what we doing today?”

“Well your dad needs to go shopping and thought it’d be good to make it a family trip.”

“Ooh Daddy, can we get stuff for our rooms at your house?”

“Sure,” Chris replied, “I think we can pick up a few things.”

“Yes!” Erin and Erica said simultaneously.

Erin grabbed Robyn’s hand as Erica grabbed Chris’s, “let’s go say bye to grandma so we can go. Can we go clothes shopping too?”

Chris shrugged, “I don’t know, depends on if we have enough time. It’s a Sunday so you do have to be home in time to get ready for bed and school tomorrow.”

“Ok Daddy.”

Robyn felt anxious and she knew it was because of their conversation earlier. She had played it off like it was nothing but it was really starting to weigh on her mind. Chris clearly didn’t understand the depth of her feelings. Get tired of him and move on? There would be nothing for her to move on to. She fell in love with him the moment she met him and not much had been able to get rid of those feelings. She loved Michael but it was never in the way she loved Chris. She had no interest in trying again if whatever this was with Chris didn’t work out. She had pushed her luck and got lucky with Michael but she had no hope in that happening again. Moving on with Michael had been easy, Chris had Tiana, he had no connection to her kids, she could pretend out of sight, out of mind but now that would never be possible. He was an active parent so no matter how this worked out, he’d always be around. She couldn’t feign indifference with him anymore, they had already crossed the line from one night stand to full-blown relationship. One night stands were easy, you could dismiss the feelings and just call it sex but relationships weren’t. Relationships require investment and commitment, there’s no easy way to just move on from that. She’d never tell him that she was still nervous about him. She wasn’t insecure about her place in his life, just how long she would have a place. She’s new to him again but once he learns the older her, the adult her, what’s to say the comfort won’t set in and he loses interest?

She looked at his profile as he drove to their next destination. She took in as much of his face as she could before he caught her staring. If Chris thought he was easily forgotten, he was more clueless than she thought.

They pulled into the parking lot of shopping plaza and Chris parked in front of a La Z Boy showroom. Robyn looked out the passenger window and saw the plaza pretty much contained every type of home goods, furniture store you could think of.

“How’d you find this place?” Robyn asked.

“When I was originally furnishing my house when I first moved back, I asked around and someone told me about this place. It made stuff a lot easier than I anticipated.”

“It should’ve. Everything you would need to furnish any place is within walking distance.”

“It is. You’ve never been here?”

“No, I think it was built after I moved to Dallas.”

“Oh.”

Chris turned off the ignition and took out of the keys, “you ok?”

“I’m good. You?”

“I’m fine. You seem a little distracted.”

“Just thinking. You got a real theme yet?”

“Nah, I’ll know what I want when I see it.”

“Ok. Let’s do it.”

Chris got out and helped the girls out of the backseat before meeting Robyn outside the passenger door, “I was gonna come around and help you out.”

“No need.”

“You always fussing at me about not opening your door and now there’s no need.”

“I thought you’d appreciate it.”

“I’d appreciate you letting me help you.”

“Want me to get back in the car?”

Chris rolled his eyes, “No.”

Robyn chuckled, “you so sensitive.”

They started walking towards La Z Boy and Chris moved to walk beside her and grabbed her hand. Robyn looked over at him and he winked at her before moving to whisper in her ear, “don’t think I don’t notice that something’s wrong with you. We’ll talk when we don’t have an audience.”

“Chris, we don’t-“ he leaned over and kissed her lips, “don’t wanna hear it.”

He let her hand go as he moved to open the door of the store. Robyn and the twins walked inside with him following behind.

“Daddy, you gotta get a bed big enough for all of us,” Erica said.

“I do?”

“Yea. That way when Mommy sleeps over, we can all fit.”

“You do know y’all will not be sleeping with us all the time. You are way too big for that.”

“But occasionally, right?”

Chris grabbed Erica into a playful hug and kissed her temple, “you and your sister are too much.”

“Nuh uh, too much would be if we asked you to get Mommy a bigger bed too.”

“Don’t even think about it,” Robyn interjected, “you will definitely not be in my bed enough to justify getting a new one.”

“I could get one though, it was a little cramped last time,” Chris replied.

“I don’t need a new one. My bed is the perfect size for me and maybe one other person. That is good enough.”

“We could get a California King.”

“Who is we? We don’t live together.”

“You could,” Erin interjected.

Robyn’s brow went up at her daughter, who moved to hide behind Chris, “Sorry Mommy.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“How about you girls go look for some accessories while me and your mommy try and find a suitable bed?” Chris suggested.

Erin and Erica both left to walk to the other side of the showroom. Chris turned to Robyn, “you didn’t have to do her like that.”

“She shouldn’t have interjected into a conversation that I didn’t invite her to. She knows better.”

“Alright, you don’t have to get hostile with me.”

“I’m not being hostile. I give them little liberties by being honest and transparent with them in an appropriate manner but they’re still kids.”

“I know but you know she didn’t mean to be disrespectful, she just got excited.”

“I don’t know what for? We aren’t living together.”

“I get that but you can’t be surprised that they are thinking about it”

“I’m not but that doesn’t mean I have to indulge their thoughts. None of us should be getting that far ahead of ourselves.”

“Ahead of ourselves? Robyn, we had sex.”

“Ok and what’s your point?”

“Woooow.”

“I explained to you what last night was, no more and no less. It did not segue into us shacking up or anything like and I do not want to give our children that impression.  We are in a serious relationship. We are exclusive. We are not getting married or living together. I would like for us to be on the same page with this.”

“We are on the same page but you keep treating it like a crime to be thinking ahead.”

“It’s not a crime but it isn’t helpful for anyone to be getting their hopes up especially not knowing where this is going to go. Look, if y’all wanna discuss your plans and dreams, do that but leave me out of it. I’ve had enough of getting my hopes up just for shit to go left.”

“Baby, what-“

“Chris, I do not want to talk about this right now. We need to find you a bed.”

Robyn started to walk away when Chris grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him, “you are not getting out of this conversation that easy especially not after what you just said.”

Chris gently cupped the side of her face and smoothed his hand across her cheek, “Robyn, look at me.”

She looked up, “Chris please, not now.”

“If not now, you’ll never speak on it. What do you need from me to convince you that I’m not going anywhere?”

“I’m not worried about that. We have children. We have mutual friends. You will always be around. But that doesn’t mean that you’ll always be around in the capacity in which I want and need you to be. I have a lot of faith in you because I love you but I won’t pretend that this can’t go just like it did before. I’m working on moving past the past but the doubt still lingers. A few weeks of consistency cannot overshadow years of the opposite. The only way I can give you a serious chance is to stop hoping you are my dream man and just let everything play out and see that you are. I can deal with a lot of things when it comes to you but disappointment is not one of them,” Robyn paused to take a breath as she stepped back from Chris, “I’m gonna go find the girls and help them. I think that four poster Mahogany bed in California King Size would be good for you though.”

She walked off.

                                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The girls talked enthusiastically about all the stuff they had picked out for their room in the backseat of the car, not noticing the deafening silence in the front. Robyn had her head pressed against the passenger window, staring at the passing cars as Chris drove. Chris concentrated on the road as his mind tried to make sense of their talk in the furniture store. Apparently his playboy antics over the years had done way more damage than he realized. He also clearly had more work that he needed to do. He pulled off the exit that led back to his house and in a few minutes, they were sitting in his driveway. He turned to the girls and handed them his house keys, “you go inside, we’ll bring the bags in for you.”

“Daddy, can we have some candy? Erin asked.

“There’s some fruit snacks in the pantry. Do not eat the whole box, please.”

They grabbed his keys and climbed out of the car to go inside the house. Chris waited until the doors were closed before he turned off the ignition and turned in his seat to face Robyn.

Robyn knew he was looking at her and figured that he would have something to say after her whole speech in the furniture store but she really didn’t want to address that. She already said more than she intended to and was embarrassed about it. She tried to ignore him but it was hard feeling his stare on her face.

Chris reached over and grabbed her hand, “Robyn, I’m not gonna let you out this car until we talk so you can stop pretending that you don’t feel me staring at you.”

Robyn sighed and turned to face him, “Yes Christopher?”

“I’m really not feeling this whole silent treatment thing.”

“I’m not giving you the silent treatment, I just don’t have anything else to say.”

“For some reason, I don’t believe that but I also think you think you said too much.”

“Because I did. You didn’t need to know any of that.”

“I needed to know everything that you said because clearly I’m not working hard enough to make you feel comfortable. I never wanted to affect your ability to hope. I feel like my antics might have killed your spirit a bit.”

“My faith in you, not my spirit.”

“That’s even worse.”

“Chris, honestly, it is what it is at this point. I want to give you a fair chance and like I said that can only happen with me being realistic and living in the moment. Allowing myself to look ahead never works out well for me.”

“Not even to tomorrow.”

“The last time I kept some faith in tomorrow, I woke up by myself with a hangover. The time before that I looked up to see you kissing on some girl in the hallway, the day after I told you I was in love with you. The time before that I woke up to a butt dial voicemail of you fucking some girl in your mother’s house. Please excuse me for not having too much faith in there being a better tomorrow. My tomorrows with you in the past have always left me a bit fucked up.”

“That was your phone when I was with Jasmine? Robyn, why didn’t-“

“What was I supposed to say? I wasn’t your girlfriend. I had no reason to be upset besides the fact it was a little disrespectful but it was also an accident and I knew that.”

“That’s beside the point. I would never want you to be a part of something like that nor would I ever want to be the person to do that to you. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Chris, it’s fine.”

“No, it’s not. I know we’re still building trust but you have got to talk to me about things like this. You can say it’s in the past but if it’s affecting how you feel about me now, it’s relevant and needs to be dealt with. I can’t change the things that have happened but I can try and make amends and that’s only if you talk to me about it. I know in the past I’ve had my moments but I would never have intentionally hurt you.”

“I know and that’s the only reason why I stayed your friend.”

“You going to work tomorrow?”

“Just in the afternoon for a conference call.”

“You wanna go to see my therapist with me?”

“Chris, I don’t need-“

“That is not what I asked you. I asked you do you want to go see my therapist with me.”

“For what reason?”

“I think we need to talk and we need an objective third party to talk to. I am not asking you to check yourself into a whole mental evaluation, I just think this would be better to get everything out in the open. I know how you are and there’s a lot more that you aren’t telling me because you think it isn’t relevant until something happens that shows you that is. I don’t want you holding back to spare my feelings, apparently, I haven’t been that great at sparing yours.”

“Chris, this isn’t an eye for an eye type of thing.”

“No but it is an, I want to make this right type of thing. I took advantage of your friendship, your time and your love and as much as I would love to give it back to you, I can’t but this is the next best thing. I don’t want you being afraid of tomorrow because of what I did to you. Even if you decide this relationship isn’t working out, I don’t want to leave you with a bad taste in your mouth because of the shit I did. It’s not fair to you or anyone else you may end up with.”

“There is no one else for me to end up with. I got lucky with Michael after what happened between me and you but I’m not looking to push my luck any further. I’m giving this a chance because I don’t want to have any regrets but if it doesn’t work out, I’m done for good.”

“Robyn, you don’t deserve to be alone.”

“I deserve to be at peace and my solitude has been the one place that I could consistently get it.”

“I want you to be happy, Baby.”

“I am and I’ll do everything in my power to remain that way but that doesn’t mean I have to be in a relationship for that to be the case. I owe it to myself to see how this ends but I am not bothered about being alone if it doesn’t work out like we want.”

Chris sighed, “you are complicated.”

Robyn chuckled, “and that’s part of the reason why you love me.”

“It is. We’re gonna get there.”

“Where is there?”

“A place where I can tell you I wanna marry you and not get chewed out for it.”

“Your level of hope is inspiring but we’ll see.”

“You love being difficult.”

“Depends.”

“On what?”

“On how you plan to make me un-difficult.”

“Uh uh, you can’t do that now. Not when our kids are home.”

Robyn giggled, “I was just saying.”

“I can take them back to my mother’s house if-“ Robyn waved away his comment, “Chris, we will go into this house, put our daughters to bed then go to sleep like regular, non-sex having adults.”

“Ugh….but I don’t wanna.”

“You don’t have really have a choice, VA. We are not the silent type”

“We shouldn’t have had sex.”

“Why?”

“Because now I wanna do it again.”

“I know but we have to learn control. Especially you. You too used to getting what you want all the time. You need to learn patience.”

“I am very patient but you started this.”

“And when we hit the right time, I’ll finish it but for now, keep it in your pants.”

Chris rolled his eyes, “alright, you can get out my car now. You being mean to me.”

Robyn laughed, “so sensitive.”

“I don’t like you.”

“You’ll get over it. I’ll make sure of that.”

Chris raised his brow at her and Robyn tilted her head in challenge, “come here.”

Robyn leaned in and Chris gently gripped the back of her hair, “you like testing me.”

“I love it but not tonight. Give me my kiss so we can go inside.”

“I should make you wait.”

“That’s a dangerous game that you do not want to play with me. Trust me.”

Chris felt her hand on his thigh and looked at her with a glare, “stop it.”

“Then you stop it.”

“Make me.”

Robyn leaned back from him causing his hand to slip from her hair, “you almost got me because I was about to too.”

Chris laughed, “I am pretty persuasive.”

“You are. You know I like being aggressive too. You played that well.”

Chris smiled before he leaned over and kissed her, “I love you.”

“I know.”

“And I’m sorry.”

“I know. We’ll deal with it tomorrow.”

“Are you coming with me to the therapist?”

“No, but I am willing to have an in-depth conversation with you and really put all of it on the table.”

“I appreciate that.”

“I appreciate you trying.”

“You deserve it.”

[scratchface]

Down For Maintenance

The full one-shot is finally here! Check it out on Ao3 or under the cut!

Summary: Revolver is certain of three things about their current situation: 1. They, and hundreds of others, are trapped in VRAINS, 2. Their only option is to wait for outside rescue, 3. It’s been days, but Playmaker has not been sleeping. One of these somehow seems more important than the others.

Admittedly, things had not gone according to plan. Rarely anything did anymore, not since their prey of five years was snatched from right under their noses. Ryoken did not intend to get trapped in the network with the rest. But one miscalculation led to another, a few misjudgments of priorities, and he found himself unable to log out alongside the hundreds of other players. A mild inconvenience, at worst: by their calculations, the same program that trapped their minds here induced a dream-like state. What felt like days, even weeks, would be mere hours in reality.

Every duelist stuck in unconsciousness would be fine, but that didn’t keep the fools from panicking. There was chaos in the streets and skies, at first, until someone decided to take charge. Go Onizuka had gathered most of the victims together in the main plaza, where they wandered around and demanded answers from each other. What’s happening? Are we going to die? Who did this?

Various Charisma Duelists were gathered on the stage, struggling to catch the crowd’s attention. They wanted to take charge clearly, but what they actually planned to do with it was a mystery. There was little they could do, as the full repercussions of whatever had happened to the server were still unknown. With little other recourse, their only option was to wait for outside rescue.

Ryoken kept to himself, watching the crowds from above on a skyscraper. For the most part, the gathered duelists were too panicked to look up, and were instead entirely dedicated to the essential task of flipping out. The few that noticed him watched with terror-stricken eyes and then scrambled off into the milling horde. Some, the pathetic, simpering ones, probably even thought he was the culprit behind their current situation.

Ryoken snorted in derision. He hadn’t even come to cause an incident; his only interest was in observation. All he wanted to know was how he would handle this.

Right on cue, there was a collective gasp rippling through the crowd, duelists pointing and yelling at the sky. Ryoken followed the disturbance to its source.

There you are.

“It’s Playmaker!”

“Playmaker came!”

Playmaker hovered over the crowd on an altered board, carefully keeping his distance from the enraptured masses. Their excited voices echoed all the way up, but as he descended, they started to hush. It was odd enough for Playmaker to appear before such a large group of people that the crowd was reminded of their earlier unease. Playmaker didn’t usually bode well for anyone, even if he was solely focused on Ryoken’s Knights. As an online vigilante, he only ever appeared where trouble was brewing, and semantics aside, that was all too much like being a harbinger of doom. The results were always the same: deleted accounts, lost data, server maintenance.

Ryoken narrowed his eyes and made his own way down, gaze set unwaveringly on the lines of Playmaker’s svelte back.

“You all need to leave.” Playmaker’s voice was sharp and demanding, cutting through the nervous muttering of the crowd with ease. “This area isn’t safe.”

Following such a grim declaration, the anxious questions that erupted were inevitable. Even Ryoken was taken aback.

Even they knew little of what was going on, but there had been no signs of any imminent dangers yet. The network was unstable, all reports claimed, but not to the point that they were expecting anything dangerous.

But even if it was contrary to his own knowledge, Ryoken was inclined to believe it. Playmaker must have known something the rest of them didn’t.

Both unnerved by the command and frustrated by the shift in the crowd’s attention, the Charisma Duelists onstage began to act out. Playmaker landed among them, a serious look darkening his features. The Charisma Duelists looked back with equal levels of distaste, but mostly held back and immediately quieted, like herbivores recognizing the presence of an apex predator at the watering hole.

Blue Angel was bold enough to step forward, her lips forced up in an artificial smile, but GO Onizuka cut her off before she could even open her mouth.

“Why? What’s going on?”

Ryoken wanted the answers to those questions too. It was possible that Playmaker had a better idea of what had gone so wrong with the network and the VR technology than them, but the idea had him frowning.

He hated being one-upped.

Playmaker did not even say a word, merely lifting a hand and pointing into the distance. At first glance, there was nothing unusual, but looking closer, the problem became apparent. A data storm was brewing, the winds picking up and the baleful streams of data thickening into solid masses of whirling blues and purples.

There was no telling what would happen to someone if they were caught up in a storm now, because they couldn’t log out. In all likelihood, anyone unlucky enough to be caught by those winds would be torn to pieces, their data scattered beyond retrieval: not entirely unlike what his father theorized the Tower would be capable of in its final stages.

His point made, Playmaker promptly tried to make his exit. GO Onizuka seized him by the arm before he could leave, and the legendary duelist tensed like an aggravated animal. Watching carefully, Ryoken carefully stifled the age-old protective, entirely unnecessary instinct rising in his chest. GO didn’t seem to have realized that there was a dangerous ferocity in the slant of Playmaker’s brow. Everyone else had gone quiet and still, sensing the sudden tension. “Give us a hand,” the top Charisma Duelist said, motioning out towards the milling herd of frightened duelists. “They’ll all listen to you, and you know it.” Scoffing to himself, Ryoken watched Playmaker’s face twitch. Admittedly, GO had a point; bizarre as it may have seemed: within Vrains, Playmaker was the highest authority. The worship the sheep duelists of virtual reality lay at his feet elevated his every word (however few there actually were) and his every action.

Ryoken, of course, knew better. Playmaker was just as easily misled as the rest of them; his misguided partnership with the Dark Ignis was evidence enough of that. But for the moment, his influence may very well have been their only recourse, as the only thing that could bring the terrified masses together.

Forcefully shrugging GO Onizuka’s arm off, Playmaker snarled. “Not interested.”

And just like that, he was gone in a flurry of pixels, reappearing half a block down on his board and taking his leave. Snapping out of the stupor, the crowd rushed to follow his lead, chasing his disappearing silhouette away from the rising winds.

By the third day, Playmaker had ditched the skintight catsuit, to Ryoken’s slight dismay, for something more comfortable for daily life in a virtual reality. And to Playmaker, comfortable apparently meant a sweatshirt two sizes too big and dark jeans that were shredded at the knees.

The fans were devastated, of course, because Playmaker wearing anything that didn’t show everything was apparently a national tragedy on par with thousands of people getting trapped inside a video game.

Ryoken couldn’t say he wasn’t a little disappointed as well, but the casual look certainly had its own appeal. After all, it did technically show more skin, and there was something tempting about how the oversized sweater hung from Playmaker’s slim frame.

He possibly spent too much time debating the pros and cons of each look, but there was quite literally nothing better to do. Contemplating the theoretical existence of Playmaker’s collarbones passed the time in something other than excruciating boredom, at the very least.

(Searching futilely for the Cyberse had gotten tiresome after the first two days.)

But that wasn’t the only change in Playmaker. The normally unrelentingly focused duelist had been almost lethargic, lingering in what few unpopulated places of the city he could find with dull eyes and tight shoulders. Apparently even Playmaker lost his intensity after more than twenty-four hours of the same soundtrack on repeat.

Ryoken suspected that it was because nowhere Playmaker went stayed unpopulated for long. Crowds gravitated towards him, despite his best efforts to avoid them, begging for duels, conversation, comfort, and other things that had Ryoken’s mouth twisting in disgust. But the masses flocked to him for another, more practical reason too, one Playmaker didn’t seem to have the heart to deny them: his uncanny sense for the wandering datastorms. The wayward whirlwinds of data and destruction had only been increasing in size, power, and unpredictability the longer they remained trapped, and were starting to become a considerable threat to the safety of the unobservant duelist. Nights were particularly risky; settling down in the wrong place too long could mean death.

Playmaker had been reduced to something of an early warning system.

By the end of the first stress-filled week, the cleverer duelists quietly inducted themselves into the Knights of Hanoi and found refuge in the Headquarters, which no datastorm would ever be able to touch. With SOL to blame for their current state, and frustrated by the persisting lack of rescue, the sheep were primed for recruitment. The longer things went on, the more duelists flocked in. Even those that were too stubborn to join negotiated for safety with their best cards. All gave up their account data, trading everything for the promise of escaping this digital nightmare.

Ryoken welcomed their surrender, watching the Headquarters’ spare rooms fill with tired and strained duelists. As VRAINS continued to fill with rampaging whirlwinds, he was the only safe haven for the stranded.

On the tenth day, even Playmaker’s flock abandoned him and threw themselves at his feet. But Playmaker wasn’t among them, obviously. He was still out there.

Watching a storm carve its way through the Coliseum Area, reducing intricate code to scrambled flecks of data, Ryoken couldn’t put that knowledge out of his mind. His feet were moving of their own accord, towards the exit.

“Where are you going?” His father asked, stopping Ryoken in his tracks.

“To search.” He doesn’t specify for what, and let his father draw his own conclusions as he made his way out of the Headquarters.

“Be careful.” His father’s voice warns him as he steps onto his board. Normally, Ryoken would appreciate the sentiment, but he wasn’t exactly heading anywhere dangerous. The others could handle the matter of the Cyberse for a little while, and in the meantime, he had his own matters to attend to.

It wasn’t easy to find Playmaker, even in the empty, collapsing city, but it could only be called a trifle in comparison to five years of hopeless scouring. It was harder to track him without the trail of fans, but with so little of the city left standing and the rest well on its way to collapsing in on itself, it didn’t take many leaps of logic to determine where he couldn’t be.

Though Ryoken certainly didn’t expect to find his rival about to climb into a manhole. “Are you going to hide in the sewers?”

Playmaker turned to face him, posture oddly reluctant, and a strange feeling of worry curled unpleasantly in his stomach. It was not that Playmaker looked tired, because the avatar was the same as ever: sharp angles, perfect eyeliner, and tousled, fiery hair. But the way he stood, the unsteadiness of his gait, the way he blinked slowly, as if his eyelids were almost too heavy to lift...

It was not obvious, but it disturbed Ryoken on a level he didn’t fully understand. He supposed it seemed too familiar: those green eyes dull with exhaustion, that skin pallid, all coupled with such shaky posture.

“What’s wrong with you?” He blurted out, before his mind could catch up with his mouth, and Playmaker winced slightly, curling in on himself defensively.

“Nothing.” Playmaker muttered, and his voice was rough and strained in a way that was completely unfamiliar but had Ryoken’s stomach twisting. “Go away, Revolver.”

Behind his avatar’s mocking smile, Ryoken frowned. “What, not even going to challenge me? What happened to your revenge?” Playmaker threw him an aggravated look, but only turned away, back to his stupid manhole. Which was just wrong, because Playmaker always faced everything head-on. Strangely agitated, Ryoken circled around his side and stepped in between him and sewers. “You’re oddly subdued.”

“Shouldn’t you be off terrorizing something?” Playmaker drawled back, his voice uncharacteristically tight. His shoulders were rising up to his ears, matching the aggravated glower settling on his face.

“VRAINS seems to be doing that job for me right now.” With the network happily tearing itself to shreds, most of their plans had become practically obsolete. “So, lucky you. I’m free.”

Playmaker held his gaze for a moment, like he was deeply exasperated but also very accustomed to the feeling. Then he looked away, towards the hurricane of data filling the sky in the distance. The rising winds caught his hair and it rippled around his face like a flickering candle.

Behind the wayward sweep of yellow and pink, Playmaker’s vibrant eyes looked dull. As the wind pressed against them, roaring in their ears, Playmaker curled into himself like he was too tired to put up a fight.

“Have you been sleeping?”

The silence that followed his question, solemn and heavy, was telling enough.

Frankly, he should have recognized the problem sooner. The anxious duelists that had been plaguing Playmaker’s footsteps probably hadn’t relented at night. And considering Playmaker’s personal history, that was likely a problem in and of itself.

“Do you have nightmares?” Ryoken asked, already knowing the answer. Some part of him thought of Spectre, and how he haunted the mansion halls at night, a restlessness so deeply set in his bones that not even the passing years could cut it out of him. The rest of him struggled to not think of a little boy that had cried himself to sleep at night, only to find that not even dreams could offer him reprieve from the horrors of his reality.

Being followed around was already probably wrecking hell on Playmaker’s nerves but being responsible for the safety of so many was a different sort of stress. Even Ryoken had been hearing the whispers in his own halls, refugee duelists placing their hopes on the only hero they knew. Playmaker will get us out of this, right? For most, their only comfort in this collapsing world was the knowledge that Playmaker was there with them. What would they do, knowing their great hero was nothing more than a scared little kid inside?

And as standoffish as Playmaker was, he couldn’t put them at risk by chasing them off. Pushed to the end of his rope, Playmaker had finally been left alone, but it was too late. There was nowhere left to go.

Green eyes glared balefully into his own, and Ryoken resisted the urge to sigh. Nothing was ever easy with Playmaker—with the sixth test subject. So many years had passed them by, and yet he still couldn’t abandon those eyes.

“Come stay with me.” It was, by far, the worst idea Ryoken had ever had. “I have private rooms. No one else even needs to know.” It was snitching-on-his-father levels of stupid, and just as risky. “Not even my Knights.”

But Ryoken had wanted to shelter this person once, had wanted more than anything to be the shield and comfort in his time of need.

Ryoken wanted to be a hero—his hero. And though that had already become completely impossible, the temptation of it dangled before him once more. It could very well be their last chance to change their fate.

And something worse than any storm, something more damning than any confession, was lurking in those sewers.

“Like hell.” Playmaker snarled, coiled like a bristling wildcat, as expected. Playmaker had an infinite number of reasons to doubt him, and none at all to trust him. Ryoken knew, on some level, that with just a few words he could change that. All he need to say was three things, but none came. His tongue dried in his mouth, some pathetic part of him terrified of tainting the savior in Playmaker’s cherished memories with the ruthless, black-hearted man he had become.

His coat whipped against his ankles. Not even Playmaker would be able to ride winds like these.

“Do you really have any other choice?” He extended a hand mockingly, and then snapped his fist shut. “Better take my offer while I’m still playing nice. Waste any more of my time, and I won’t be so accommodating when you’re forced to my doorstep later.”

Playmaker’s face dipped into a murderous scowl, his pretty features contorting as the VR system struggled to process the intensity of his hatred. Shrapnel shot between them, just barely scraping past Playmaker’s shoulder.

Out of time and out of options, Playmaker stepped towards him. Not wasting a moment more, Ryoken seized him and manifested his board. Gripping Playmaker by the wrist as the fierce wind buffeted them, he dragged Playmaker up onto his D-Board. “Hold on tight.”

Playmaker glared, snatching his hand back and maintaining a careful distance between them. Ryoken intended to fix that, coaxing the board into a lurching, sharp takeoff. Playmaker shifted expertly along with the sudden tilt, but Ryoken had more tricks than that. All it took was a mental nudge to the data sweeping around them, and the storm hit them with a gust powerful enough to have them both teetering. Playmaker’s fingers scrambled for purchase at the back of his jacket, struggling to grip the sleek fabric. Another fierce gust and Playmaker’s slender arms were forced around his abdomen, clinging for dear life as the board struggled against the wind.

Satisfaction curling in his gut, Ryoken couldn’t stop a chuckle from leaving his lips.

Playmaker hissed in his ear, his cheek pressed against Ryoken’s shoulder. “Shut up.”

“You need to change your avatar for a bit.” Ryoken said as they approached the Headquarters, pressing a data-card in between Playmaker’s clenched fingers.

“Why?” Playmaker’s voice was a resentful murmur, his hot breath tickling his nape. A little helplessly, Ryoken shivered.

“Because a masked Knight following me through the base will raise a lot less questions than Playmaker will.” He could all but feel Playmaker’s suspicious gaze, but the card activated with a soft hum. Playmaker’s form vanished in a cloud of static and pixels, temporarily overwritten.

He had considered, for a wistful moment, using Playmaker’s real appearance. No one would recognize it him as Playmaker, at the very least, but that was not a card he wanted to play yet.

Instead, the standard Knight avatar took over as they landed on a balcony, the Headquarters’ defenses splitting open for him. The Knight stood stiffly, staring down at his gloved fingers with what Ryoken imagined was horror.

“Say nothing, do nothing. Just follow me, got it?”

Jaw clenched shut, the Knight gave a reluctant nod.

It was… weird. Disconcerting, on a psychological level, he supposed, to have his greatest enemy in the form of his average subordinate. Something about it made him deeply uncomfortable, which was not at all how he expected to feel.

He really hoped his father didn’t notice. Or Spectre, for that matter.

Tension filled the air of the hall as they walked, almost like electricity prickling Ryoken’s skin. But by some miracle, they make it to his quarters unhindered. Playmaker followed him in, dropping the disguise the moment the door slid shut behind them. He peers around warily, but even that seems like more strain than he can handle.

The rooms are sparse and, until they got trapped, almost entirely unused. But over the week Ryoken had killed a few hours by programming himself some decent furniture, including a comfortable couch and a large bed. Though the room was bereft of windows, he had taken the time to program some natural lighting that shifted with the hours. It had been a whimsical trifle; he did not need to wake to the gold of dawn and didn’t need Stardust Road blazing in the distance when he closed his eyes at night.

He wasn’t a child anymore. He didn’t need any stupid nightlights.

But the flight of fancy bore fruit. The hazy blue of twilight softened Playmaker’s features, his silhouette of sharp angles and fierce lines turned indistinct and round. For a moment, with his red hair tinted with the cool light, Ryoken could see a more delicate face under the avatar’s mask, gentle and innocent.

It was nothing more than a trick of the light, but it brought him to a standstill all the same. He knew better than to look for the ghost of his lost ingénue in Playmaker’s shell, to chase the same visions that led him astray before. And yet, so treacherously, his heart seemed too big for his chest, and something heavy settled deep within his gut.

Just what hell was he doing?

The first night, Playmaker took his couch. The atmosphere between them wasn’t comfortable in the least, awkward and charged, but Playmaker was too exhausted to remain awake for long. Sitting on the bed, pretending to read the displays set before his eyes, Ryoken saw the tension drain out of Playmaker’s still form, muscle by muscle.

Ryoken intended to watch over him as he slept, for old times’ sake. A sort of vigil, maybe, for the people they used to be, for the two naive children they had carved out of their hearts and abandoned somewhere along the way. He hoped, in some way, that in doing so he could maybe, just maybe, finally lay those memories to rest and move on. The ties of fate that bound them together had held Ryoken back for more than long enough.

A harsh sound cut through the air, somewhere between a gasp and a shout even as Playmaker’s teeth snapped shut around it, choking it back down. He thrashed, briefly, and then went still, the rigid lines of his body jagged against the soft give of the couch.

Ryoken was on his feet, standing over him in an instant. He stalled there, lingering uncertainty over the back of the couch, and wondered if he should wake Playmaker up. It would defeat the purpose of bringing him back to Headquarters if Ryoken interrupted his rest now. And better Playmaker had his nightmares in Ryoken’s room, where it was safe and the walls were sound-proofed, than anywhere else.

But Playmaker’s face was twisted with a familiar agony, an expression Ryoken had hoped he’d only have to witness again in his own night terrors. He couldn’t bear to look at it, the familiar taste of his own guilt rising up his throat. He choked on it.

Ten years had gone by, and yet he was still so useless. More useless, because at least back then he’d found the backbone to do something, even if it was wrong. How had he even had the courage to make the mistake he didn’t know, because the fear of ruining everything all over again froze him solid.

When morning arrived, he still had not slept. He just stared at the ceiling, unable to process the muffled cries and gasping breaths that filled the room.

He came to a decision, then.

He kept Playmaker in his rooms. Or rather, the storm that roared around the Headquarters and ravaged the rest of VRAINS did. With nowhere else to go, Playmaker was stuck in his quarters for the foreseeable future.

It wasn’t as awkward as Ryoken feared. A bit like keeping a bristly, bad-tempered stray cat. Playmaker was very quiet, and when he did speak, it was with barbs. But that was fine, almost pleasant, even.

Meanwhile, Ryoken tried to maintain his normal schedule. Even though there wasn’t much for him to do, making token appearances around the base was better than anyone coming looking for him and finding the unfriendly vigilante he was hiding.

But when evening rolled back around, Ryoken knew he couldn’t go another night without sleep. Playmaker may have been able to function for days without rest, but Ryoken was a normal human being with normal needs.

So, he had to bite the bullet. “Sleep with me, tonight.”

From where he was perched on the couch, Playmaker glared at him, wide-eyed and offended.

“What? No way in hell.” The rejection was immediate. “...Why?”

Because there was a fair chance sleeping on the couch, trapped in a windowless room on enemy territory, was too reminiscent of sleeping on the floor in the similar, but far worse circumstances. The bed, and the presence of someone else in it, could very well break some of that association; the children were completely deprived of comforts and company in their forced isolation.

Playmaker would likely never admit it, but Ryoken knew this could help.

But he couldn’t exactly admit that either, so he avoided the question. “That wasn’t a request. Or, would you prefer to sleep outside?”

With a few uncharitable taps on his interface, Ryoken deleted the couch.

Suddenly left hanging mid-air, Playmaker landed on his feet, but only barely. With a fearsome scowl, he glowered. “What’s your angle here?” The question hung between them for a moment, but Ryoken’s only answer was a smirk. Playmaker narrowed his eyes. “I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“I can delete the floor too, you know.” Ryoken motioned to the luminous interface hanging in the air by his hand. “Relax, I’m not going to try anything.” Playmaker still lingered, his hands buried in his pockets. He never looked so uncomfortable before, not in front of his enemies; Ryoken almost wanted to laugh at him. “Are you afraid?”

“Of you?” Playmaker scoffed, but there was a nervous edge to his voice. Would he be so hesitant if it wasn’t a Knight of Hanoi inviting him in, or was this the reception anyone would get: prickly and skittish?

If he knew the truth, what kind of face would he make, really?

Ryoken changed his avatar, switching to the sleepwear he chose on the first night; sweatpants and a simple tank, not unlike what he would wear at home. The mask dissolved from his face as well, and Playmaker stared. “Like what you see?” Ryoken prompted and got a familiar scowl in return.

“Have you seen your own avatar?” Rude. Ryoken didn’t dislike that.

“You should change too.” The night on the couch, Playmaker slept in jeans. But Ryoken was choosing to assume that that wasn’t normal for him. That would be far too much power in the hands of a single psychologically-damaged teenager.

When Ryoken glanced back, Playmaker was tugging at the hem of a T-shirt, felt pajama bottoms clinging to his narrow hips: blue, like his real hair. The sight did some strange things to his stomach, a warm sensation spreading through his body. It was humanizing, he supposed, to see Playmaker looking so mundane. Soft, even. Like the weird hallucination before, it knocked him off-kilter with a just a single look.

Playmaker approached the bed like a skittish cat, big eyes set on Ryoken and waiting for the first sign of a hidden threat. At the very edge, he stalled for only a moment, before getting on.

The sight of Playmaker crawling onto his bed on his hands and knees was far more powerful than all the others combined. Ryoken’s stomach lurched, anticipation making his heart beat fast. He felt like an overly excited teenager with his first girlfriend.

He was a teenager with his first—first—

Ryoken wasn’t going there. He wasn’t touching those thoughts. There was some dangerous revelation there, and he was much safer just lingering on the cusp of it. It had been a bad idea after all, to needle Playmaker into this. At least losing sleep over the sixth test subject was familiar, but he just had to force them onto uncharted ground.

As if to break the tension suddenly building in Ryoken, Playmaker flopped right onto a pillow and turned away from him. That was for the best, probably, Ryoken decided as he forced himself not to stare at the dip of Playmaker’s waist.

It was terribly quiet, as dusk passed them by. He tried to get work done, too hyper-aware of the weight settled on the other side of the bed to sleep, but only found himself listening to Playmaker’s breaths.

He was expecting tossing, turning, hyperventilating, maybe even a little screaming. He had mentally braced himself for it, shapeless anxiety twisting in his chest, but he also hoped it would be less dramatic than the night before.

But as minutes became hours, Playmaker slept peacefully, silent and still as he curled up on his side. At some point, he rolled over to face Ryoken, and he found himself staring at a peaceful face illuminated by artificial moonlight. There was not so much as a twitch in his curled fingers, just soft breaths in between parted lips.

Ryoken watched him for a long time. It made him feel young again, but differently than before. He suddenly remembered, vividly, the days he watched over the child, both terrified to his very bones and yet so desperate to guard the little moments of peace that eased the pained stress etched into the boy’s face. It brought him back all the way, to the determination that had him going behind his father again and again, because he was going to save that boy no matter what.

So many things were different since their fateful encounter ten years before but the way he slept hadn’t changed at all.

Seeing that, it wasn’t that hard for Ryoken to finally close his eyes and relax.

Yusaku was, in simple terms, completely disorientated. And not just because Revolver, international cyberterrorist, had all but dragged him to the Hanoi Headquarters. Or because Revolver bullied him into sharing the bed, for whatever reasons. It wasn’t because he was trapped in a virtual reality, either.

With an immense amount of effort, Yusaku had been taking all those things well, in his own opinion. It wasn’t easy to put aside the fury that erupted inside him every time he thought about the organization and what it had done to him in the past, nor was it easy to ignore the tightness of his throat every time it registered that he was trapped.

It was just that, in truth, Yusaku couldn’t remember the last time he got a full night’s worth of sleep. He didn’t think he had ever slept so deeply before. Nights were rough, so he caught up with naps during the day, when the presence of people eased some of his paranoia. Fatigue had become something of a staple in his life; he didn’t quite know how to feel without it.

When he woke that morning without his heart pounding in his chest, it had been too bizarre for words.

But there were more important things to think about.

Yusaku had accepted Revolver’s absurd offer for three reasons:

To obtain all of Hanoi’s information regarding their current situation.

To investigate Hanoi’s upper echelon.

To find any available information regarding his savior.

For that, the avatar skin Revolver had lent him was useful. Though, in all likelihood, it wasn’t intended to be. From its coding, it was supposed to be one-time use, but it had been simple enough to copy and alter the disguise program.

But while the first two were straight-forward enough, the third was so far a dead end. It didn’t take long to realize that Hanoi knew even less than Ai did, and the artificial intelligence was simply monitoring the situation from Kusanagi’s servers. The mysterious generals he’d heard conspicuously little about were absent. They had probably not been logged in when the data material was corrupted and the networks connecting VRAINS to thousands of individuals crashed simultaneously, and could no longer risk it.

There was someone else, some higher-up that simple grunts didn’t have clearance to meet. Someone that Revolver notably avoided mentioning or alluding to in their few, stilted conversations.

Could they be the person he was looking for?

He had little to go on, but not nothing.

The person he was looking for had to have been related to the Hanoi Project ten years ago, and old enough to speak eloquently. They had not been among the five other victims released.

But the child he met that day, the boy with the white hair, hadn’t been either.

Were they one and the same? It was possible. That boy had to have been either a child of one of the kidnappers, or an unreported victim, who had been used to lure in other children. But if he was also the one who spoke to him back then, then he could not have been kept imprisoned like Yusaku was. A subject of a different experiment, or a particularly young accomplice?

His savior hadn’t ever sounded strained, or terrified—mournful, and burdened, his voice tight with urgency and expectation—but never brittle. Yusaku wanted to believe he wasn’t being tortured, not like they were.

There was no guarantee that his savior was even still with Hanoi. But—

But Revolver.

Revolver knew about the Hanoi Project. He knew exactly what Yusaku was referring to when he brought up the incident, and even accidentally revealed SOL’s own part in it. That information had led Yusaku directly to the perpetrator, Kogami Kiyoshi. Revolver had already known who was responsible, and in hindsight, it seemed like he even knew something had happened to Kogami afterwards.

Kogami couldn’t have done it alone. He must have had assistants and accomplices, and he had the boy. Any of them could know that information.

Revolver, and his savior, could be any of them. There was no reason to think that they were one and the same.

But Yusaku had slept so easily, in his presence. More easily than when he was on his own, more dreamless than when he dozed in class or in the truck. As if he didn’t need a dream of the voice to comfort him or remind him.

As if the person he was looking for had been found.

Was it his imagination? Wishful thinking?

Did he want Revolver to be the one he’d been searching for?

Or had there been something familiar about Revolver from the start? Something he recognized behind those alien eyes, lingering under layers of disdain and condescension? The way he spoke, each word coated in the expectation of obedience, freely given or not. The way he equated thought with life, directly borne of Descartes.

The way his face fell at a list of three.

Yusaku never felt safe around anyone so quickly, so easily.

For months, he had struggled to relax in Kusanagi’s presence, always keeping on his feet with his hands warily tucked away. A year had passed before he felt secure enough to doze off there, and even then, trust was a word he’d hesitate to apply to it. It was confidence, the gradual certainty that he could handle anything that could happen, not faith that nothing would.

Revolver was honorable, for a terrorist. He preferred to settle with matches, even if those matches weren’t always fair, than with other means. Their first duel had made that evident, and after it, anything less than an honest one-on-one would just be like surrendering: admitting that he couldn’t take Yusaku on.

Revolver was too proud for that.

Knowing that, Yusaku knew why he felt secure in his decision to risk taking shelter in the Hanoi base: it was simply logical.

But logic didn’t dictate the subconscious. And Yusaku’s subconscious seemed to have some questionable ideas.

The doubts plagued him for hours, until he had to return to the rooms to beat Revolver back. Even then, his mind ran in circles as he leaned against the back wall.

The door slid open, and Revolver returned.

Yusaku forced any lingering turmoil out of his expression, settling his face into a scowl as yellow eyes turned his direction.

“The storms seemed calmer today.” Revolver reported, something like satisfaction curling his lips. Whether he was pleased by the virtual weather or Playmaker’s seeming obedience, Yusaku could only guess. “SOL seems to be getting control of things again. It’ll probably be safe outside soon.”

The sooner the mess outside cleared up, the sooner Yusaku could leave—and go back to not sleeping.

But that meant leaving the matter, the mystery that had haunted him for a decade, behind again. He’d have to leave, without knowing.

Just ask.

He’d always been a direct person after all. Revolver already knew he was looking for someone, so what could it hurt? Even exposing that kind of weakness was a moot point; Hanoi had used a hostage against him before, and he suspected they would again. He would handle it, like he always did.

“Were you there, ten years ago?”

Revolver went still, the confident smile sliding off his face.

Silence.

Someone who wasn’t there would just say so.

“Three things. Three things to live. Three things to go home. Three things to win.” Years later, that mantra was still carved into him. They were important to him, but to others they wouldn’t mean much. Not enough to make Revolver’s shoulders tense, to make his fists clench. “Are those your words?”

“What will you do if they are?” It was a question that may as well have been a confession.

“I don’t know,” He said, honestly. But the tension bled out of him. It didn’t matter that he was alone in enemy territory, or that they were trapped in a virtual reality. What mattered was that he was finally alone with the person he always wanted to meet.

Yusaku felt himself go soft. In a few steps, the careful distance he kept between them closed. Revolver wasn’t looking at him, his flat yellow eyes settled on something in the distance, but Yusaku stepped in front of him. He peered through the glass mask and tried to imagine the person underneath.

The boy with the white hair came to mind.

Slowly, he lifted his hands to Revolver’s face. Revolver made no move to stop him, his hands kept clenched at his sides, statue still. The mask came off easily, only to dissolve into pixels in his hands.

“There are many things I want to say.” He admitted, but Revolver still wasn’t looking at him, eyes stubbornly set anywhere but his face. “And many things I want to ask about.”

He took a white gloved hand in his own and steered Revolver back, towards the bed. Revolver allowed it, reluctance making each step stiff, but Yusaku did not stop until they were settled there.

“I…” Revolver’s voice was shakier than he expected, but Revolver steadied it quickly. He swallowed, and finally, his eyes met Yusaku’s. “You deserve answers.” He admitted, with the air of a man confessing his sins.

“The boy I met back then…” The boy who lured him to the van, who took him by the hand and led him to the worst moment of his life.

“Was me.”

“And the one who made the anonymous call…?”

“Me, again.” Both revelations settled within him surprisingly easily, like he always knew. But Revolver kept talking. “You were supposed to leave it all behind.” His hand, still clutched loosely in Yusaku’s own, slid out of his grip and fell on his shoulder. Revolver shook him, roughly, as the desolate, calm expression on his face cracked open. Underneath was something pained and raw. “You weren’t supposed to come back.”

“I couldn’t…” He hesitated for the first time, uncertain if the next words wouldn’t break something. But it was the truth, and he wanted to say it. “I couldn’t leave you behind. I wanted to find you again.”

The words did seem to hurt something. Revolver’s eyes slid shut, his brow furrowing. He looked like he didn’t know what to do.

Yusaku did. He closed the space between them, until they were nose to nose, and let his own hand slide up to Revolver’s throat. Underneath it, Revolver shuddered, and lurched all the closer.

Their lips met in the middle, soft and warm. He didn’t know what else to do but press closer, chasing the give of Revolver’s lips and the firm pressure of his body. A hand slipped up his back, leaving behind a trail of heat like nothing else he’d ever felt before, and curved over his neck. The gloved fingers were rough but tender on his chin, tilting his face to the side and back. It was easier like that, he discovered, more comfortable: like pieces fitting together. Revolver’s lips began to move, slowly for the first electrifying moment and then fiercely, intensity rising like the cresting tide. In its wake his thoughts seemed to be swept away, tumbling over one another, and stunned beyond his own belief, he parted his lips.

Revolver’s arms caged around him, firm but unsteady. As the wet heat of his mouth crashed into Yusaku’s own, his hand squeezed too tightly at Yusaku’s waist. The near bruising force wretched a protest from Yusaku’s throat, only for it to be devoured greedily between them. Still, Revolver’s grip seemed to flinch, and even just the few centimeters that opened between them were too much.

He could barely believe the raw edge to his own voice as he all but snarled, dragging Revolver back with fingers clawing at his back, in his hair. They met again, too hard and too fast, but the dull pain of teeth biting at his lips was nothing compared to that desperate lurch of his stomach when Revolver tried to pull away. The next time Revolver’s hands clenched punishingly around him, he gripped back just as savagely.

But despite the intensity of the sensations, the crescendo of emotion and heat and touch, he knew none of it was real. Revolver was nothing but an avatar, and Yusaku felt that difference keenly, like a word on the tip of his tongue: surely there but entirely impalpable. The person he was searching for wasn’t any closer than before. Even as they wound tighter and tighter around each other, the distance between them in reality couldn’t change at all.

It was the first time Yusaku ever resented how fake life in virtual reality was. It had never bothered him before, because VRAINS was nothing more than a mean to an end, the ideal battlefield for his last tumultuous death throes. He had barely dared to dream of such a moment like this, at the end of what could very well be a suicide mission.

But this was still nothing but a dream, even as Revolver’s lips stole his breath out of his lungs and snatched the moisture from his breath. It was just a taste of the future he’d been living solely to catch a glimpse of. And here that glimpse was, and he was finding it wasn’t enough, couldn’t possibly be enough.

He wanted so much more than this, but still Revolver’s lips left his. Suddenly bereft of the scalding heat that had scorched all the way through him, he was left teetering on the bed as Revolver withdrew.

Blank yellow eyes, no eyebrows, a sharp alien face—it was impossible to get a read on Revolver’s mood as they hovered in each other's space. The silence between them was agonizing, in a way he’d never known it to be.

But Revolver’s hair was in even further disarray than usual, tousled until it seemed more human. His lips were wet and red, even as he stared seriously into Yusaku’s eyes.

“We should talk.” His voice was gruffer than before, weathered like gravel, and Yusaku’s head spun with all the words he didn’t know how to say. But Revolver was right; this was their chance, maybe their only chance, to talk everything over before anything went too far. There was so much he didn’t understand: why would his savior enthusiastically give his strength to Hanoi, to the same despicable sadists that destroyed their lives before they even had a chance to begin?

When they were children, he knew his silver-haired kidnapper, with that guileless smile and those bright eyes, must have had no other choice. He had dedicated his whole being to rectifying that, to finding and freeing that person from what must have been an inescapable hell.

But Revolver was no victim. Yusaku had spent years following the breadcrumbs, piecing together the truth from hundreds of dead-ends. He knew the crimes of this person better than anyone.

At what point, he wondered, do we become responsible for our actions?

He didn’t know the answer. He was just sixteen, but he had taken his whole life in his own hands. No more facilities, no more caregivers, no more supervision. Every decision he made was entirely his own, and had been for a long time.

It chilled him, because he knew Revolver was the same.

The door opened.

The sound of it made them both freeze in place, but it was Yusaku that looked first. Revolver didn’t look at all.

But as the person in the doorway registered, Yusaku supposed he didn’t need to.

A white coat, a stern face, and grey hair above the coldest eyes he’d ever seen.

“Kogami.”

Yusaku was a hacker, first and foremost. In a world like VRAINS, that meant he made the impossible possible. He could directly bend the very rules of the game they existed within.

It had been a calculated decision, to make VRAINS his battlefield. He chose it because it afforded him the most advantages: a malleable world with the anonymity he needed and all the tools he could create.

For the most part, his deck was all needed. But it wasn’t all he had.

There were programs, for emergencies.

Faced with the man that had tortured him for months on end, the man that had ruined his life before he was even old enough to fight back, Yusaku felt that the moment qualified.

It was almost thoughtless, to activate the program he and Ai had worked on together. He felt numb, maybe, like his consciousness was somewhere between the virtual and reality.

Kogami’s face was almost comical. Blanked over with shock, he stared at them sprawled over the bed. A dead man, casually walking in on his accomplice and his enemy. They were all so still, too taken aback to even speak.

It wasn’t a trap, at least. But it was an opportunity.

Yusaku’s hand turned black, pixel by pixel, as his talon program initiated.

He lunged before anyone else even breathed. His reaction speed had always been good—the best, even. But it was still a whole room to cross.

Kogami stumbled back, not fast enough, but Revolver was faster. His weight caught Yusaku by the middle, and the crashed to the floor in the middle of the room. Kicking Revolver off, Yusaku was back on his feet and charging again, only to jerk to a stop.

“Wait!” A grip like steel around his wrist. Revolver held him back with all his strength, the rubber heels of his boots shrieking against the floor. Yusaku jerked on his arm with a snarl.

One swipe with the talon, and Revolver would no longer be a problem. Kogami was recovering from his shock already, his hand rising to tap out a few commands on the interface that sprung to life around him. Alarms burst to life, wailing and flashing.

It was Yusaku’s only chance, and all it would take was one swipe.

“He’s my father.” Revolver’s voice was ragged, the self-assured tone abandoned. He all but begged, struggling to drag Yusaku back.

You will plead for him. The thought was startlingly clear, even if nothing else was. Lights were flashing, red and white, and distant shouts were fast approaching. Yusaku stared in between Revolver and Kogami, and wondered, did you ever plead for us?

Had Revolver begged his father to let them go, to stop?

Of course, he hadn’t. Revolver had probably never begged for anything before in his life. But Yusaku had. He had begged his invisible captors through the cameras until his voice was hoarse, had begged the paramedics to take him home, had begged the police to tell him what happened.

Nobody had ever listened.

One swipe.

He couldn’t do it.

The program terminated.

What was he supposed to do? Knights were gathering behind Kogami, whose face finally settled back into dull assurance. Was Yusaku imagining the look of triumph in his eyes? Did the bastard even care enough to appreciate the victory he’d just wrenched from Yusaku’s hands?

He...probably wasn’t getting out of this. Took too much of a chance. It was inevitable, probably. One kid against an army.

Three things to live, to go home, to win. Just one of those would be enough.

He glanced back at Revolver, whose face seemed to have glazed over. His mask reappeared, covering his face like a layer of ice. He was steeling himself, Yusaku was sure, for what came next.

Revolver wasn’t going to save him this time.

And it wasn’t like anyone else would, either.

The world shuddered under his feet, and for a moment he thought something had hit him. A virus, a program? But when he looked down the world was shuddering, ripples of empty black data coursing through the floor, the walls. He felt the presence of something, data material but also something else.

Ai?

It wasn’t Ai, but it was similar. Like a punch, something seemed to strike the network itself, the impact vibrating through them, until they were all coming loose like dislodged puzzle pieces.

Everything went black, and suddenly, he realized his eyes were closed. Someone was shaking him, and with a jolt, he was sitting up.

“Yusaku!”

Kusanagi was in front of him, his usual easy-going demeanor almost wild with panic. Ai was staring at them anxiously from the computer consoles. He was back in the truck, logged out.

“You’re awake!” The relief in Kusanagi’s voice was palpable as he rocked back on his heels, releasing Yusaku’s shoulders. “It’s been hours! The whole VR network went haywire—are you okay?” A renewed note of terror in his voice finally broke Yusaku from his stupor.

His cheeks were wet, and his vision was blurred, hot tears filling his eyes. Wiping his face on his sleeve, he pushed away Kusanagi’s fretting hands.

“It’s nothing.” It wasn’t even a lie. The tears had already stopped.

What had he been crying for? He’d been cornered, but Yusaku wasn’t afraid of dying, and he certainly wasn’t afraid of going down fighting. He’d been upset about something, he was sure, before everything had gone dark.

What was it? He couldn’t remember.

“You sure?” Kusanagi asked, doubtful.

“I think it was a side-effect of being in VR so long.” It was an easy assumption to make; there was no telling what unknown complications could arise from such bizarre circumstances.

Kusanagi didn’t seem so sure, but he didn’t question it further. He turned his eyes back to the computers, probably to check the situation in VRAINS. As far as Yusaku could tell, something had forced the whole system to reboot, and all the trapped duelists had suddenly been forced from the network.

Checking his phone, he saw almost twelve hours had passed. No wonder he felt like shit.

Forcing his sore, cramped body out of the chair Kusanagi must have moved him to, he went to fix his rumpled appearance.

He checked the mirror, expecting the edges of his eyes to be red. They were, but something was...off.

Had his eyes always been a little yellow?

[cordonianchoicesqueen]

Rewritten: The Royal Romance: Hello Cordonia (Part Four)

A/N: We are in Cordonia! Drake and Riley have their first fight and finally Hana, the true unsung talented queen of the TRR series makes an entrance. Also, on second reading of TRR, there’s a lot of really sexist chatter by the male characters about how awful all the women are to each other/ gold digging... They make you so worried about the women in court but they are all fabulous in their own ways... Definitely will have to come back to that at some point!

Summary: Riley drops her life in NYC and boards a plane to Cordonia with Drake and Maxwell. Arriving at the palace she feels very overwhelmed but manages to make a new friend in the process.

Choices Chapter: Book One, Chapter Two, First Half

Disclaimer: Characters and main storyline from Pixelberry’s Choices.

Word Count: 2570

Warnings: none

Hello Cordonia

The next hour or so was a whirlwind. I walked into Elliot’s with my head high. My manager turned around to shout at me for coming in the wrong entrance and being a couple minutes late but when he saw my carefree expression, he paled. I told him exactly what he could do with his sexist rants and disregard for his employees and then rushed home. I had no idea what to pack but I didn’t have time to worry about it, throwing random outfits into my bag. I grabbed anything sparkly or fancy I could find… I mean I was going to a Palace! My wardrobe nor I was truly prepared for this major life change. Just before the car sent for me pulled up outside, I left my key to my apartment on the table and texted my landlord, glad that I had decided to take out periodic tenancy. With that, I felt my ties to New York fall away and I felt free… if not just a bit petrified. 

When I got to the airport, my bags were taken for me and I was escorted through the airport. I skipped line after line and before I knew it I was standing on the runway beside a magnificent private jet. As I walked up the stairs, I let my hand run across the cold railing trying to take in everything. Yesterday, all I had to look forward to was a day off from a job I hated so I could sleep and do nothing. Today, I was boarding a private jet to travel into the unknown. It was terrifying. Yet, my overly anxious self finally let the excitement take over instead of fear. The cabin was stylish and like no airplane I had ever been on before. The chairs were the size of three economy style seats and large tables so clean you could see yourself in them were dotted around. Maxwell and Drake sat across from each other, sipping glasses of champagne. “Wow,” I said, not managing to contain my inner monologue. Maxwell jumped up, handing me a glass, “say goodbye to New York and helloooo to Cordonia!” I took the glass, feeling underdressed even for an airplane journey, “I can’t believe this is happening.” “Believe it,” Drake chimed in, downing his glass, “we’ll be there before you know it, ready or not. And if you’re not ready, those ladies at court are going to eat you alive.” “Don’t scare her Drake!” Maxwell scolding, gesturing for me to sit down with them. “You okay, Riley?” “Honestly… I’m terrified,” I said exhaling. “I knew it. She’s not gonna last a week. It’s a waste of time bringing her,” Drake bristled. Drake had obviously taken a strange dislike to me from the get go. He wasn’t happy that I was out with them the night before and he definitely wasn’t happy I was there with them now. I tried to brush aside his feelings about me… but for some reason I really wanted this grumpy, asshole to like me. He was obviously close with Liam. It wasn’t just the women I would need to win over in court. “I don’t get why you’re being so grim about this…” I said neutrally. “Look, no offense,” he said, his words dripping with offense, “but I’ve seen girls like you come and go. It never ends well. Not for you, not for Liam, not for the royal family.” “Riley’s not some crown-chaser, Drake” Maxwell fired back. I’d yet to see Maxwell look upset or angry about anything. He, so far, had always seemed so bubbly. It was nice to have him in my corner. It was time to fight my own battles and it seemed the only way to fight Drake was with a fire of my own. “Drake, to be fair you’re more my usual type. Down and out bad boy who have a strange superiority complex and like making other people feel bad,” I chided him. “Hah,” Drake rolled his eyes sarcastically. “I’m serious. I don’t usually mess around with rich boys, much less royalty. So you can keep your opinions to yourself until you actually know me,” I said never breaking his stare. Maxwell let out a low whistle, “well I think that’s enough for our pre-flight entertainment. How about we get this plane in the air and play some card games to pass the time!”

A while later, the pilot announced the plane’s descent. “Look,” Maxwell said to me pointing out the window. “You can see Cordonia out the window. You won’t want to miss this, Riley.” I peered out the window and saw one of the most beautiful costal cities I had ever seen. Small buildings scattered the landscape down to docks where extravagant yachts and ships were moored. The sea was a fantastic blue, so clear I felt like I could see all the way to the depths into the sand where the fish hide. So used to cities with unapologetic concrete structures stealing as much of the landscape as they could and the New York grids, I instead could make out the winding roads of this city leading to so many unexpected parks, plazas and market stalls. A maze I couldn’t wait to be inside. The lights of the city were soft and seemed to be united into one pattern instead of different obtrusive flashes fighting one another demanding my attention On the top of a hill overlooking the whole city was a gleaming palace with a garden so splendid in colour I could almost smell the flowers from my seat on the plane. “This is Cordonia?” I smiled despite myself. “It’s like something out of a fairy tale… The sparking ocean, the swaying trees…” “If you burst into song, I’m jumping out the plane,” Drake said behind me but I felt like I could hear an almost smile in his voice. “I’m just saying it’s beautiful,” I shook my head not being able to believe my luck. “It is, isn’t it… Are you ready?” Maxwell gave me a reassuring smile. “Ready as I will ever be!” I exclaimed.

We rode in a black car with tinted windows up the long pathway through the grounds of the palace. Fountains sprayed water high into the clear blue sky and flowers of all colours burst from ground to meet us. “Welcome to your home for the next few months, Riley,” Maxwell said. The castle itself was extravagant with gold trims and ancient carvings built into the exterior. “This is where I’m staying? I didn’t realise I’d be living in the palace,” I said, suddenly feeling very overwhelmed. My apartment was probably half the size of a singular room in this spectacular building. I had done nothing to deserve this type of, literally, royal treatment. “Most of the nobility live here while the social season is underway, including all the ladies vying for Liam’s hand,” Maxwell explained. “Yeah, living under one roof just makes it easier to attend the rose ceremony later,” Drake joked, giving away a little too much about his reality TV watching habits. Maxwell rolled his eyes as the car stopped outside the grand doors, “Drake’s just kidding… at least about the roses. Anyway, I’ll show you to your room!” Maxwell hopped out the car and held the door for me. Palace staff appeared out of nowhere to take my bags and bowed to me before heading inside. “This is my cue to take off,” Drake said getting out of the car and looking at me once more. “See you around… if you’re lucky.” I watched him as he walked away. I scrunched up my nose as I tried to figure out what his game was. I was so convinced he just had a natural dislike for me but as the plane journey had gone on, it seemed that he was almost testing me, trying to see how far he could push me before I snapped. I wondered if I was only a social experiment to him, a play thing that I was sure he would get bored of quickly. Through the doors to the castle, I was immediately greeted by more splendour and a staircase with a blushing red carpet that would rival any images of castles or mansions I had seen. The baluster was a dark wood elegantly carved. The walls were covered in portraits of the royal family and landscapes of the Cordonian countryside. I followed Maxwell slowly up the stairs. “So what’s the deal with Drake,” I asked Maxwell, wanting to enjoy my incredible surroundings but not being able to get Drake’s behaviour out of my head. “Why is he so… angry?” “Oh don’t mind him. Drake’s never really… fit in,” Maxwell said carefully. “Not used to courtly life?” I asked. “Definitely not,” he said in a matter of fact tone. “He’s a commoner. He’s always been an outsider here. Even if he is Liam’s best friend…” I wanted to know more but knew better than to pry. I let the conversation drop as Maxwell led me down corridor after corridor. There was no way I was ever going to find my way around this place with it’s suit of armour lined, high ceilinged halls. “Your room is here in the west wing. In case you need anything from me or my brother, our rooms are just a couple doors away,” he said reassuring me yet again. “I didn’t know you had a brother?” “Yeah, an older brother. His official title is Duke Bertrand Beaumont. As the eldest son, he’s the heir and I’m the spare. You’ll see him tonight. He’ll be excited to meet you,” Maxwell smiled elbowing me. I couldn’t imagine another Maxwell! So bubbly and supportive even with people he barely knew. This was a case of two had to be even better than just the one! “I’m really looking forward to meet him,” I said with full honesty. Maxwell stops short in front of an ornate door, “this is it! Here’s your room!” As we entered, I realised I needed to learn to stop my jaw automatically dropping open when I saw the splendour that was presented before me. The lavish guest room had one of the largest beds I’d ever seen, with huge detailed throws and filled with fluffy pillows. There were full length paintings, gilded ceilings and mirrors that made me feel like Alice lived here and could fall into the looking glasses. “Wow.” “As a guest, you are spared no luxury,” Maxwell smiled looking at my face. I must have looked like a young child in their first candy shop, “so there’s nothing stopping me from jumping on the bed? From raiding the mini bar?” “There’s no mini bar, but the staff here,” Maxwell gestured to the man placing my very small suitcase in the room, “will get you anything you’d like.” “Sweeeet!” I yelled, letting myself go and throwing myself backwards onto the bed. I felt my body sink into the sheets. They were soft as silk and I immediately felt like I could have drifted off into the best sleep I had ever had. Maxwell laughed, “I’ll let you settle in before your big debut tonight…” I sat up abruptly, “my what?” “I’m sorry, I keep forgetting that you’re not used to this. The first event of the social season is tonight, The Masquerade,” Maxwell made jazz hands. “It’s the ball where all the suitors will be presented to the Prince, as well as to the King. Not everyone dresses in costume… but you might need to have a think about it…” Maxwell glances doubtfully at my modest suitcase. “I’m guessing it’s unlikely you’ve got a costume or a fancy ball gown in there.” I gulped, “nope not gonna have that.” “There’s a seamstress who frequents the palace before social events to aid the ladies with any last-minute fixes to dresses. She’ll be downstairs, you should find her and ask if she has any spare dresses in your size,” Maxwell said. “Thank you, Maxwell. This is all very overwhelming but you are being so helpful,” I half smiled. “Remember. Tonight is very important. It’s your chance to make a first impression on all the influential people at court and to stand apart from everyone else!” he stated. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this,” I said more confidently, standing up and straightening my posture.

It took me a while, but I finally managed to follow Maxwell’s directions down through the castle to the room that was temporarily being used as the women’s make-up and wardrobe space for the social season. As I stepped inside I heard a gasp. The gasp came from a gorgeous woman in the back corner of the room, dressed only in her bra and knickers. I immediately went beetroot as she moved the dress she was holding to cover herself. “Sorry! So sorry,” I said. Damn it, Riley! What did Maxwell just say about making a good impression?! “I didn’t realise someone was already here…” I continued rambling. The woman laughed, her laughter was the type that was infectious and I felt a cool relief wash over my embarrassment, “No problem. I should have put up a sign or something!” Still holding the dress to her near-naked body, she approached me, each step as dainty as the next, extending her hand, “I’m Hana. I suppose you’re also here to prepare for the Masquerade.” I shook her hand. “You’re just like me… searching desperately at last minute for something to wear!” I had been warned of vicious women who took no prisoners. Hana seemed competent and caring, rather than someone who would shiv me with a stiletto. “More or less,” I replied, not wanting to give away too much in case I was reading her wrong. “Just let me slip my dress on and I can show you around. The seamstress has already left for the day,” Hana said. I turned around so that she could dress. I could hear her struggling with the zipper. “Do you need a hand?” I asked, still staring at the door. “That would be amazing,” she giggled. I helped slide the zipper up her dress, that suited her petit and slim body shape perfectly. She picked up a matching mask, securing it in pace and then tossed herself a daring look in the mirror. She turned to me, grinning, “Thank you. Not many people in court are like you...” “Helpful?” I asked. “Nice,” she said, a steady smile on her face. “Ah this dress is perfect!” Hana spins, showing off her skirt in full twirl for me. “Now, what about you? Let’s find you a dress!” It only took Hana a moment to find me a stunning, long, white ball gown with cold shoulder sleeves and sexy slit up the side of my leg. It was everything I needed to look at myself and feel transformed into the princess I wanted to be. It covered all those bumps I did not like, was the perfect length and showed off all the parts of my body I loved. Hana secured a stunning silver masquerade mask to my face and I truly looked the part of pauper become princess. “You look wonderful,” she smiled admiring her handy work. “You did a wonderful job!” I responded, glad I had somehow already made a friend in this strange place.

[kaienmoved]

coming to terms

read on ao3?

this is my first ok ko fic and im really proud of it. its about dendy coming out as agender :0c i hope i got everyone in character.

KO’s feet plopped on the ground as he speed walks to his class. His mind raced and his face was full to the brim with excitement as he awaited to meet his best friend in class. He swung open the door to Miss Quantum’s classroom and immediately waved for his best friend, Dendy, who sat across the room. She looked up from a paper she was reading and waved back at KO, her v shaped smile on her lips. KO quickly went to the side of the classroom and put his bag in a cubby, taking out a binder and a small composition notebook. He sped over to Dendy’s desk and dropped his binder onto it, tossing his notebook onto the desk in front of hers.

“Hi Dendy! How are you today?” He said, grabbing the legs of his chair and turned it around to face the front of her desk..

“Oh, currently I am fine. Except for one thing.”

"What’s wrong?” KO stopped as he was trying to climb up onto his chair, one knee resting on the seat.

“Well..” She rubbed her neck as she tried to gather her words. “I do not know how to properly say this but, something does not feel right.”

“W-Whaddya mean?” KO tilted his head to the side before turning it up right, stepping back onto the ground.

“I mean that there is something wrong with me.” Dendy said, slipping off of her chair to stand in front of her friend.

“Are you sick? We HAVE to go to the nurse if you’re not feeling well!” KO grabbed Dendy’s hand and turned around. He bolted towards the door, though not making any distance as Dendy would not budge.

She sighed. “That is not what I mean.” She sat back on her chair, and KO sat on his. He folded his arms and rested his face on them as he leaned on Dendy’s table. “KO, what are you?”

KO’s eyebrows wrinkled slightly in confusion. His eyes jumped around as he thought Dendy’s question. “Well, I’m… me!" He had no idea what she was asking. KO is KO, what else could he be?

Dendy shook her head. “No no. What are you?”

“A hero…?”

She stared at him with unamused, half lidded eyes.

“A…..boy…?” His voice strained as he wasn’t sure what answer Dendy was looking for.

“Yes! Exactly. You are a boy. And what am I?”

“A girl?”

“Yes, and that is where I believe we are both wrong. What everyone deems as a boy and a girl is something I-”

The door to the classroom whipped open, slamming into the wall as their teacher stormed in.

KO squeaked, grabbing under the seat of his chair. He crouched in his chair and sprung himself up, causing the chair to jump off the ground. While it was above the floor, he managed to swing the entire chair around so it was facing his desk. The legs made a loud clunk as it resurfaced with the floor, and proceeded to make low scraping noises as KO scooted forward to meet his desk.

He stood on the seat of his chair and turned around to face Dendy, holding out his arms as his hands were motionining to his binder.

She stared for a moment looking between KO'S hands and his binder, before realizing what he was asking for. Dendy handed his binder full of Pow Cards back to him which he quickly took and shoved in his desk.

“Good morning class, did you all do your homework?” Their teacher said enigmatically.

There was a very brief silence before some students lowly said, “Yes… Miss Quantum…” Some snickered at the fact that most of the class had not done their homework again.

Miss Quantum stood at her desk, one hand on the tabletop and the other on her waist.

“Take out your homework and show me what you've done.” She said, a slightly irritated tone in her voice.

KO opened his notebook, getting more anxious as Miss Quantum went up his row, drawing closer.

Ooooh..!! Miss Quantum never starts on this side of the room! I know I did my homework but what if she's not impressed! She's never impressed, what do I do?! I wish I were as smart as Dendy..!

He was too caught up in his thoughts to even realize that his teacher was already at his table, looking at his notebook. A quick noise of fear popped out of him when he noticed her in front of him. She glanced down at KO for a second, who was holding a painfully awkward smile. Quantum’s gaze returned to his notebook. What was inside was a mess of work and bad handwriting. There were some drawings in crayon strewn around all of his work.

She dropped his notebook back onto his desk and said nothing as she moved to Dendy’s desk. Her notebook was already open and filled with slightly messy handwriting but organized notes. Miss Quantum quickly just looked at it from the desk and moved on.

After about a minute of waiting for Miss Quantum to go to the next aisle of desks over, KO turned his head to look at Dendy.

“What were you saying earlier? Are you trying to tell me that you're not a girl?” He tried to whisper, though the class was relatively silent. “If you're not then I-”

“Stop. Talking.” Miss Quantum said from across the room.

KO sulked and turned to face the board again. Their teacher returned to the front and pulled down the projector screen from the top of the whiteboard. She turned on a video and sat down at her desk.

“Take notes, no talking, yada yada yada.”

The students watched the video like zombies, it was talking about dirt or something. Worms. No one really cared. KO bent over the back of his chair to look at Dendy upside down.

“Hey, pleeeaaaase finish what you were saying!”

“KO.” Miss Quantum glared at him before going through her papers again.

He groaned and sat up properly. He flipped to a blank page and scribbled at little something on it. He tore it out of his book which made a horribly loud sound, and the sound made him shiver.

Regardless, KO did not stop. He turned around and leaned over on his chair and tried to hand the note to Dendy. She was shaking her head no and was looking back and forth between KO and to the right of him.

A gloved hand firmly grabbed his wrist. His heart jumped as he looked up at his teacher, who was visibly irritated.

“Detention.”

“WHAT?”

“DETENTION!”

KO was stood on the edge of the detention/suspension balcony bound with rope. The end was tied onto a hook in the ground. It looked like it could come loose at any moment.

“Any last words?”

“Dendy! I'm so sorry! I should've waited until class to talk to you! Or maybe even during a partner exercise!”

“KO, it's okay! We can talk after school!”

Miss Quantum pushed him over the ledge. The two yelled each other's names as their voices both faded out.

KO stopped falling abruptly as the rope caught him. His body hung upside down and slapped into another person.

The student yelped and looked at the newcomer. She was a purple bear with two poofy buns on the side of her head as well as a pink hat and glasses.

“Oh! You're Bu-.. Ba- Boo Boo!” KO said.

“Bobo.”

“Right, sorry! ….How long have you been down here?”

“About a week.”

“Do they feed you…?”

“Yeah, they have to!”

A long silence grew between the two.

“At least there's no homework.” She said.

KO was half unconscious, half asleep by the time school was over from all the blood rushing to his head. He felt something cold and metallic prodding his face.

He opened his eyes and saw Dendy upside down. Four metallic legs extruded from her backpack and held her sturdy on the side of their elementary school.

“KO, I am here to rescue you. Miss Quantum has left and I believe she forgot to untie you. Possibly purposely. I am about to cut you from this rope.”

She turned to Bobo.  “Do you want to be cut free as well?

“Nah.. I think I'm used to living like this. And I like the view!”

“Very well,” she turned back to KO. “Get ready.”

“W-wai- wait! I'll -!”

She swiftly cut the rope with one of the robotic legs, immediately sending KO plummeting towards the ground. His screams were louder than when he was put on detention.

The ropes around him became loose and flew up off of him. He flipped himself so he was no longer going to hit the ground head first, but instead everything first.

“Do not worry!”

Dendy was right next to him. She quickly grabbed him and held him in her arms as they quickly approached the ground. The mechanic legs once again sprouted out of her bag. All four landed on the ground, the only sounds they made were the impact of hitting the ground and the joints winding around. It hit no bystander exiting the school, though some students did bump into it.

She stepped on the ground and placed KO next to her. The legs went back into her bag with ease.

“I also have your backpack!” She pulled it out from behind her and handed it to him.

“WOW, DENDY WHEN DID YOU MAKE THAT?” He exclaimed, holding his bag with both arms.

“It has been a work in progress of mine for a while. I thought it would be good to experiment creating mechanisms. Oh look, your mother has arrived.”

He gasped. “ Now we can talk to mommy about what you're going through! She knows everything.”

KO ran up to the curb as his mother pulled up in front of him.

“Hey kiddos! Ya bringing Dendy to the plaza today, KO?”

“Yeah but she has some important things to talk about with you! You're smart and know a whole lot, you can help, right?”

“Well, I can try to help but it depends on with what.” She leaned back in her seat to look at Dendy. “But the main question is, do you want my help?”

She nodded. “I just have something I'm confused about.”

“Alrighty, just hop in and we can talk while we're on our way to the plaza.”

KO swung open the back car door and hopped into the left seat, putting his bag between his legs. Dendy climbed into the seat adjacent to KO. They both slipped on the seat belts, it clicking simultaneously.

“Let's go!” Carol said as she pulled out from in front of the school.

“Alright sweetie, what's on your mind?”

Dendy fiddled with her hands as she tried to figure out what to say.

“The only thing I've been thinking about is… I feel like I am not a girl.”

“Can you be a little more specific, hun? Do you feel like a boy? Something else… Something in between?”

“I feel like nothing. All I feel like is myself.”

Carol nodded, thinking. “As I say to KO, you know yourself best. So if you don't feel like a boy or girl or whatever then you shouldn't worry about it too much!”

Dendy smiled. “You're right. Thank you Ms. KO’s mother.”

“Don't worry about it! Now, do you still want to be known as a ‘she’ or something else?”

She hummed, thinking about it.

“For starters, you could start out with ‘they’. It works as a uh.. neutral territory. Heck, maybe you can get more creative. I've met some people who use ‘ze, xim, fae..’ and fancy stuff like that. I don't get it but as long as it works for them, it's fine with me.”

Dendy held up her hand in front of her. “I feel as if ‘they’ will be sufficient for me. It feels right.”

“Okay, Dendy. I'll make sure to remember to refer to you as such.” Carol said, smiling.

“WOW DENDY YOU'RE SO COOL! Coming to terms with yourself so easily, I'm so impressed!”

KO took their hand and waved it around violently out of excitement.

“Ha, KO if there's anything you're confused about, you can talk to me too.” Carol said.

“I know mommy… Hey Dendy, do you want to tell Enid and Rad about this? I think they'd be so proud of you!”

“I'm okay with that.”

Carol's car pulled into the plaza’s parking lot. She removed her keys from it and removed her seatbelt. She turned back to the kids in the back seats.

“If there's anything else like this you're curious to know, I can always tell you. I'll never judge you for anything.” She said to both children.

She pet Dendy's head, and gave KO a big kiss on the cheek.

All three excited the car and Carol waved them goodbye as she headed off to her dojo.

KO and Dendy held each other's hands as they made their way to Gar’s Bodega. The automatic doors opened and they strolled in with ease.

KO waved with his free hand to his co-workers who both sat at the front register. “Hey Enid! Hey Rad!”

“Hey KO. Hey Dendy.” They said simultaneously.

“Dendy has some big news!” He pulled them in front of him.

“What's up Dend?” Enid asked, putting down her phone to look at Dendy.

“Well.. How do I say this..?” They hummed. “I have realized and come to terms with the fact that I do not feel like a girl. I am merely just me.”

“Wow, congrats Dendy.” Rad said, smiling.

“Yeah, congratulations!” Enid said, beaming. She went over and crouched in front of Dendy. “I know how tough and confusing this all can be. It's relieving when you finally figure it out, right?”

They nodded.

“Yep. It was so good realizing that I could be a ninja and a girl.”

KO slid in next to Dendy to look at Enid.

“Wait! So you were a boy when you were born? I can't even tell!”

“Haha, yeah. To be honest that sounds like a compliment to me, KO.”

“I couldn’t tell either, it’s amazing.” Rad said smugly, resting on the top of Enid’s head.

She grabbed his arms and tossed him out the door. “Anyway, Dendy do you want to celebrate? This is a big moment after all.”

“I do.” They said.

KO cheered and jumped up and down while holding onto their shoulders.

“Since we can’t leave the bodega right now, we can raid the shelves for snacks. I don't think Mr. Gar will notice.” She got up and walked over to the snacks aisle, KO running right behind her. Radicles floated past Dendy, face puffed up from the embarrassment.

“NOT cool, E.”

“You had it coming.” She chuckled.

Dendy followed the trio to the snack aisle. They watched how happy they all were, and how proud they were. It made them so happy.

[spicy-pozole]

Thanks a lot Mr. Han - Chapter 3

I meant to put this up earlier, sorry about that! 

Link to story on - AO3

First Chapter - Previous Chapter - Next Chapter

Jumin has a good day but almost slips up near the end. V is a good friend, and I want him to be happy too, but unfortunately this story is not about him.

“How many times have you been to Paris?” she asked him as they moved through the Paris subway, about to go above ground to the city. Jumin still had his bodyguards with them but they were standing aways away, only keeping a watch on the two who luckily had not been followed by the paparazzi.

“Six... I believe.” he said, his mental calculator running constantly in his brain.

“Oh... You sound like an expert. Are you fluent as well?” she joked, sounding a little nervous still.

“No, but I can speak a little.” he spoke in French, trying to hide his smile. Her face lit up and she said,

“That’s so cool! I only know how to say everyday phrases and words in French. I guess you’ll have to be my tour guide then.”

“Well I have to tell you, I haven’t spent very much time sightseeing in Paris. I was usually stuck in meetings while I was here. But the city is so old it’s impossible to go anywhere without being somewhat of a tourist.” he admitted, a little worried that he wouldn’t be able to give her a good experience while she was here.

“Do you like it?”

“It’s... just another place to me. I can appreciate that it’s a beautiful place but... it just feels like another city to me.” Jumin said honestly, his voice growing quieter as they climbed up the metro stairs together.

“Maybe you just need a chance to make good memories with it then... We’ll have fun today, alright? So just try to enjoy it, maybe you’ll get more attached.” she said, looking at him in the eyes as she grinned. He tightened his fingers to the inside of his palms, staring back at her.

If there was anything he was starting to get attached to, he didn’t think it was the city.

They came up out of the metro together, into the gray rainy air that was the weather of Paris that day, clouds hanging in the sky but the air still warm against their skin. She was smiling so wide as she looked around, walking forward aimlessly until he walked a little faster so he could catch up and begin leading her in the correct direction, holding her arm gently.

“Oh!!! It’s so big!” she gasped when she finally noticed the Eiffel Tower that he was leading her to as they walked across the Trocadero Plaza, and he continued to lead her away from the people trying to aggressively sell knock off landmark trinkets for money.

They walked across for a while, talking as they grew closer to the tower about different places that they had been and where they still wanted to go someday. Jumin did enjoy seeing new places when he went on business trips, but those moments of enjoyment were usually spent from him looking out a hotel window at the end of the day, or taking a walk through a garden. This kind of tourism wasn’t something he was particularly used to, and he wasn’t really sure whether he would have enjoyed it if he had been alone. Seeing her so excited about everything was enough to make him enjoy himself too. Once they got closer to the tower she excitedly ran up to one of the bases of the legs, her mouth wide open as she looked at it and then up at the top of the tower in the sky.

“It’s just... so much bigger than I thought it was going to be. Have you ever gone somewhere and seen a famous landmark... and you are surprised by how much smaller it was than what you imagined?” she asked him, and all he could do was smile back at her a little, shrugging lightly. “Well... this is the first time that something I imagined was bigger in reality... It’s almost frightening.” she breathed, her neck still craned up to the sky.

“I’m sorry we had to come on a cloudy day...” Jumin said, noticing that it was hard to even see the top of the tower in the foggy rain clouds above them.

“Oh, I think it’s beautiful! It feels cool but not cold... and when things are gray the grass always looks greener, don’t you think?” she asked, and he turned around, glancing at the gardens they had walked past earlier.

“I suppose... you’re right about that.” he mumbled quietly, interested. Then she took him by surprise when she linked arms with him, pulling him towards the closest edge of the river Seine that they could reach from where they were, pointing at the boats and asking him if he wanted to go with her on one.

It wasn’t too long until they had boarded a boat and she took lots of pictures of the view, many of him too. He didn’t know what to do as she snapped photos, so he was worried his expression in all of them looked either bored or in discomfort when he was really enjoying himself in reality. She showed him the photos as the tour boat sailed slowly down the river, deleting a few but generally commenting on how his black hair looked nice against the greyish background.

They passed by many landmarks and took pictures as they went, sometimes hopping off the boat to explore new parts of the city before they reboarded when the next boat came. Notre Dame was one of Jumin’s favorite places that they went, intrigued by the detail and symmetry of the building, both in the art of the windows and the architecture itself. She got him to smile beside the building as she took photos, taking some selfies with him as well.

She nearly forgot to eat she was so excited to move onto the next landmarks, but thankfully Jumin’s internal clock made sure that they took a break, taking her to a restaurant.

As soon as they sat down she seemed to relax a little from her excited state, sighing as she picked up a menu.

“Jumin, how much of this menu can you understand.”

“It’s more that I’ve had the food before so I know what it is, rather than me actually understanding what the words mean.”

“That’s fair.” she scanned down the menu, looking very unsure. After a few more moments of her frowning at the menu and trying to decipher what things were he leaned over and pointed to some of his favorites, explaining what they were. She ended up getting the same thing he was, saying that she was willing to try anything that he thought was good.

“Today has been really fun so far... I almost forgot that we’re on a business trip.” she said, and he smiled.

“It has been fun. I would love to travel with you again MC, you make it a lot more enjoyable.” he said, and she blushed. “I didn’t realize how entertaining it is to see others experience things that you yourself have become used to. It’s like sharing, isn’t it?” he continued, and she nodded lightly.

“I’ve probably looked like an excited kid all day, or a very typical tourist.” she sighed, and he shook his head.

“I thought you looked like someone who was just thoroughly enjoying life.”

He wanted to tell her that she looked beautiful as well, and that he would do anything to experience the joy that she was feeling. But he felt a little uneasy doing that. This wasn’t a date after all, this was a free day on a business trip. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

“Thank you for coming here with me. I actually like traveling alone a lot... I feel like I can express myself more honestly, where as if I’m with others I have to hold myself back. But for some reason... I don’t feel that pressure from you. So thank you Jumin.” she said politely, and it was his turn to look away a little, feeling embarrassed. He wasn’t even sure why. In fact, this whole business trip had been near infuriating so far just because he couldn’t always count on his ability to control his emotions. And now she was the one telling him that she felt comfortable around him? When had been the last time a woman, or rather, literally anyone had told him that they felt comfortable around him? Besides his father and V, the two people in this world closest to him, he didn’t know if the had ever met someone like this. To be honest, he felt a little terrified.

Those bonds of friendship and trust had taken years to build and to prove faithful, and yet here he was with this girl after maybe three days, and he already felt as though she was becoming close to him as well. He had no real reason to trust her, no real reason to enjoy her company this much, but still he did and he had no idea how to convince himself logically of that fact. He couldn’t wrap his mind around why this was different, and he was scared of it.

“Jumin? Do you know how I’m supposed to eat this? I don’t know which fork to use...” came her voice, interrupting his anxious thoughts and he saw her looking uneasily down at the plate of foreign food set before her. Her expression was so sweet he couldn’t help but smile and feel his emotions calm, and he began explaining how to properly eat the food in front of her.

It was closer to the end of the day when they hit their last landmark, the Arc de Triomphe. The sky was growing darker and cloudier as they entered the tower and began the very long climb up the circular staircase. She had to pause after a few minutes of climbing, catching her breath as he waited patiently beside her, the bodyguards not very far behind as well.

“This is... a very long walk... I can’t even see up to the top!” she gasped, leaning over the railing to look up and down the long tube of curling staircase.

“We only have 165 steps left to take.” Jumin stated calmly, and she frowned, looking at him in confusion.

“What?”

“I’ve been counting. We have 165 steps left, there are 284 steps in the Arc de Triomphe and-”

“Why do you know that???” she asked him, still trying to catch her breath as she laughed.

“I guess someone told me once and I remembered. I’m sorry we didn’t take the elevator.”

“No- no it’s okay! I wanted to climb up all the way, I’ll feel more accomplished that way!” she said, beginning to walk again and he followed en suite. She nearly missed a step once and he came behind her immediately, hooking arms with her, and helping support her as they continued to climb. They took a break at the mid section, going into the gift shop where the crowds bustled around, looking at the souvenirs on display. She continued to keep her arm linked around his as they walked around the shop, and she declined whenever he asked if she wanted to buy something.

“You’ve been spending money on me all day long, I’m fine.” she laughed, and he raised his eyebrows at her saying,

“It really hasn’t been that much, don’t you want something to remember the city by?”

“Umm... I think I’ll remember this day well enough thanks to you.” she said, her voice timid as she looked at him. He swallowed, ducking his head in a kind of half nod before pulling her away. As they were leaving the shop she continued on saying,

“Also, look at my dress! No pockets. I can’t get anything.”

“I can hold things for you, my jacket has lots of pockets.” he said with a frown, “And why didn’t you grab a jacket before we left, it’s not a sunny day!”

“I’m fine! It’s still warm!” she laughed, pulling him towards the stairs again.

They made it up to the top of the tower and she began grinning again, holding onto the edge of the arch as Paris spread out from them like a star, the lights of the city beginning to turn on now as the night came.

“Smile!” she said, catching him by surprise as he was looking out at the view, and she caught him with a wide eyed look instead. Then she turned around, trying to get both of them in the shot, taking a few pictures, making faces in a few of them. He did begin to smile as he watched her, and then he was surprised as she called over the body guards who awkwardly walked over as well.

“Aaand here’s a group photo!” she laughed, trying to get all of them in. “Make a funny face! Jumin, that’s great, it looks like you just ate a lemon.”

Once she was done he stood beside her again asking quietly,

“Are you trying to tease me?”

“Maybe.” she said slyly, smirking as she looked through the past photos. He looked away, pursing his lips tightly as he huffed. As he looked around however, he unfortunately found that most of the other people on top of the arch were couples, standing close and talking or kissing. He looked forward again, his fingers twitching uncomfortably. He wondered if he was the only one feeling the suffocating pressure around them, or if she was feeling it as well.

“Oh this is a really good picture of you.” she said quietly, holding up her phone. He leaned down, looking at the picture to see it of him smiling and pointing at a bird that was a few inches from him, sitting unafraid on top of a fence.

“Hmm.” he smiled at the picture, now becoming aware of how close they were now. He knew that she noticed it too as she nervously chewed on her lip, continuing to hold up her phone. If she moved it away, they both knew that they’d break away again, so she held it steady, keeping them frozen in place.

“Do you... do you think I really should have gotten something to remember the city by?” she asked quietly, and he met her eyes, not knowing what to say.

Then it seemed as if his brain went into a shut down mode, completely out of his momentary control as he moved his face closer to hers, the warmth of their breath hovering in the cool air between them as the space grew smaller.

And then a raindrop hit him in the nose, making him jump. They pulled back from each other immediately, looking up into the sky as more fat raindrops fell onto them, hitting the stone of the archway with loud slapping noises as their intensity grew.

He instantly took her arm, leading her back inside as he said, his voice strained,

“It’s dangerous to be up here this high in a rainstorm, lets go.”

“A-Alright!”

They didn’t link arms again, but he did keep a firm grasp on her arm as they walked and rode the metro all the way back to the train, as if he would lose her if he let go.

They didn’t talk much, getting onto the train and sitting down, keeping their eyes away from each other. She thanked him again for the trip and he nodded silently.

Jumin was watching the scenery pass outside the window as the train sped along, and was only interrupted when he felt something fall against his arm. He turned his head to see her, eyes closed as she leaned against him, breathing slow as she slept. He was almost over his own jet lag now, but he could see now how much she’d been fighting it off during the day. Now that the adrenaline of the trip was over for her she was probably crashing.

He sighed, a little shaky, and turned his head to look out the window again, hoping that whatever happened from here on out was not as confusing as today had been. He didn’t know when his heart would stop thumping against his chest.

It had been like that all day.

---

She could barely remember getting off the train and into a car, she kept going in and out of consciousness. She could feel Jumin’s hand supporting her, helping her from place to place, and she continued to lean against him, feeling shaky on her feet. She did start to wake up a little more when they reached the hotel room, and she got ready for bed.

When Jumin came back from the bathroom, ready as well, he found her sitting at the table, mumbling over some papers and notes that she had, organizing them in her binder.

“What are you doing? You need to go to sleep.” he asked her, looking as her head drooped sleepily before she brought it up again, rubbing her eyes.

“I just... I wanted to get ready... tomorrow is the big day so... my papers... sleep.” she mumbled, and he shook his head, taking her by the hand and leading her to the bed instead. She crawled under the covers without much coaxing, taking the pillow that he handed her and hugging it to herself, mumbling a thank you or goodnight, he wasn’t completely sure.

She was already asleep by the time that he crossed the room to the light, turning it off. He wasn’t ready to sleep yet however, he too had things that he wanted to go over before bed, and he spent a few minutes with the desk lamp on, looking over papers and making sure everything was where it should be. He wasn’t sure if he could sleep unless he knew it was all going to be there waiting in the morning where he needed it to be. As he was going over papers his phone rang and he glanced at it, not planning on answering this late at night really. When he saw the name however he immediately picked up saying,

“V? What is it? Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong Jumin, why would you assume that?” came a light laugh on the other end of the phone and he sighed, relaxing back into his chair.

“Well you never call me anymore you know... You seem to only check in on the chatroom once a month or so. I’m beginning to equate you contacting me to there being an emergency with how scarce your calls are.” he said, running his fingers through his hair as he tried to calm himself.

“I know... I’m sorry. I just haven’t spoken to you in a while, I was wondering how you were doing.”

“Well... to be honest, I’m not sure how I’m doing.” Jumin answered after a moment, his voice sounding even more tired than he expected himself to sound.

“What’s wrong? Jaehee said you’re on a business trip right now, is the deal not going well?”

“No, no, it’s going fine... I just... have had an unhappy situation thrust onto me thanks to my father.”

“Oh that doesn’t sound good. The only thing you two seem to argue about is his love life, what’s going on?”

“It isn’t that this time actually, though the subject isn’t too far off.” he sighed, standing up from his chair as he paced around the room quietly, glancing over at MC who was still asleep, her soft breathing becoming almost like white noise to him at this point, it fitting into the hotel’s atmosphere so well.

Jumin explained his situation quietly to V, keeping his eyes on her the whole time as he spoke, and listening to the worried exclamations of his friend on the other end.

“The biggest problem that I have now though is that I can’t get a hold of myself when she gets too close, or when she smiles at me sometimes. I feel like I’m going crazy, and I don’t know what to do. I don’t have worries about the deal with the companies, but I do have a worry about me being able to make it through this without doing something stupid.” Jumin added after he finished his story, and he waited to hear what his friend had to say. To his surprise, V began laughing on the other end, and Jumin narrowed his eyes.

“Something stupid? What exactly do you mean by that Jumin? It sounds to me as if...”

“As if what?” Jumin asked him, unable to hide the iciness of his tone.

“Well.... at the risk of you becoming furious with me, it seems to me that you like her.”

“Weren’t you listening V? I do like her, she’s one of the best employees I’ve ever had the chance to work with.”

“Don’t be so stubborn Jumin, you know what I mean.” V sighed, and Jumin couldn’t help but blush now.

“Fine, I do understand what you mean, but can you honestly believe that yourself? I barely know her, and I have no reason to trust her to the point of anything like that.”

“Like what? Jumin, even we were strangers when we first met as kids, but we trust each other now, don’t we?” V asked, and Jumin curled his fist in frustration.

“I know, okay? I know that’s how trust is slowly built- but honestly-” he began talking faster and faster, feeling his heart thump harder now, “the few days that I’ve been spending with her still doesn’t feel like a sufficient amount of time to reach the point of wanting to kiss someone or-”

“Kiss?! Did you kiss her Jumin?” V laughed, sounding amazed, and Jumin sucked in air, lowering his voice again as he hissed,

“Of course not- it was just an example- I didn’t-”

“Jumin, calm down, this is scary.” V said, his voice still shaking with a laugh, and Jumin buried his face into his hand, his skin burning. “Look Jumin, I know you sometimes don’t handle emotions very tactfully when you get very upset in unfamiliar situations, and I know you’re even worse when it comes to others and their own emotions. So please just make sure that you don’t set off a mental time bomb while you’re on this trip, alright? I don’t want the next time we talk to be me consoling you over a bad decision. Just stay calm and be yourself. She sounds nice enough that you shouldn’t be so worried about her. She’s not going to hurt you, she sounds like a good friend already.”

Neither of them said anything for a moment, and for a moment Jumin wondered if V had lost connection, which often happened while he was on the phone. But before he could ask him if he was still there, V’s voice asked him quietly,

“Is she pretty too Jumin?”

He waited a moment before answering back,

“....Yes. She’s beautiful. When she smiles at me I..” he paused, the words difficult for him to say. “I feel like the threads inside me become a little untangled.”

“Threads?”

“I guess I never told you about that... never mind.”

“Hey, you haven’t been drinking wine by chance, have you? You seem to only talk like this when you’ve been drinking.”

“No, I only had a little at dinner, I wish I had some wine right now though...” Jumin said, his voice slipping into a moan again as he pressed his face down against his forearm.

“Tsk Tsk, don’t turn to that stuff for a solution to problems Jumin, you be careful.”

“I know, you’ll never let me forget.”

“I’m glad you know that.”

Jumin smiled, glad to be talking to his friend again, though he was still feeling the ache inside him that reminded him of how much he missed him.

“I should be getting to bed now... but thank you for calling, V.” he said quietly, and V replied happily,

“Of course. I’ll try to do it more often... again, I’m sorry for being so out of touch. Have a nice night Jumin.”

“You too.”

After they’d hung up, Jumin sighed, setting the phone down on the table as he walked back over to the bed, looking at the girl who was still sleeping peacefully, holding her pillow close to her. Then he made himself look away from her, swallowing the lump in his throat as he again felt a little funny. He gently stacked pillows between them again, not really wanting a repeat of last night, and then he fell asleep, his eyes heavy and his mind still buzzing.

[impalaanddemons]

Gravity - Part 12

Summary: Reader’s a young security officer (Lieutanent Junior Grade) who happened to be on an away mission and fall hard for a certain Chief Engineer. Both of them aren’t the most outgoing regarding their feelings and tend to just watch each other from a distance, which is going to change.

Wordcount: 2600

A/N: Soundtrack: Spooky by Dusty Springfield and Unravel Me by Sabrina Claudio.

This fiction is set in AOS

Warnings: Fluff. Like “call your dentist” fluff. You have been warned.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11

„DOCKING INITIATED“ You straightened your uniform jacket, then zipped up your travel bag. In there you had the black dress as well as the blue one and excitement filled you on the prospect of wearing either one tonight. Starfleet personnel usually kept their uniforms on until they had officially docked, after that you’d leave and find your on-shore quarters, where you’d change and meet up with Monty. That was your plan at least. You shot a glance over to the clock and sighed. A big grin kept creeping on your face whenever you didn’t keep it in check and the proverbial butterflies made your chest buzz with agitation. Things had changed so fast. You took a deep breath and felt a beaming smile creep on your face, but this time it was allowed to stay. Straightening your uniform once more, you grabbed your bag and left your quarters.

Yorktown was impressive. No way to deny it. You had never seen it before, read about it, of course, but never seen it for yourself. You could not help but stare in awe as you walked through the gangway over to set foot onto the station yourself. If you’d asked him, Scotty would probably be able to explain to you how most of it’s more fascinating machinery worked. The murmur of other crew members and the low trod of a couple of hundred people walking through a metallic tube drowned all other sound for a few seconds before you stepped out onto the hangar and from there into an open plaza. Truly breathtaking. „I wished ya’d look at me like that“, said a voice close to your left ear, amusement resonating in it. You turned your face to face the voice. Without a second to lose, your lips got caught by his. A soft pressure, just to remind you of his presence. Blood rushed to your cheeks as heads turned around to you, eyes staring and people starting to whisper. You had considered it an open secret, but realization rushed to you that no one had ever seen you kiss. And that with so many people on the Enterprise, only a couple were bound to really know. „That’s Montgomery Scott.“ „The Montgomery Scott.“ „Who’s that? She’s no Lieutenant Commander, is she?“ You blushed even more at that. „What’s the matter, lass?“ his voice disrupted your thoughts. „I just… you know you’re some sort of living legend? Transwarp Beam and all that?“ „That never bothered ya before!“ he cocked his head „I can even quote you about that ‚technical b-„ You shook your head and he grabbed your hand, his fingers intertwining with yours. The rough skin of his finger tips stroke casually over the sensitive part inside your hand. „I mean .. All crew mates are looking, and they’re … like .. talking …“ he just chuckled and tugged you into his arm. „If you’re uncomfortable we can walk separately?“ You assumed that he said this half-jokingly, but did not want to test your theory. Here, walking by his side, one arm wrapped around your shoulder and your own arm loosely wrapped around his back - it was quite comfortable and the stares and whispers seemed less intense. „Just let them talk. People have seen nothing but space for 2 years straight“, he whispered, his head close to you. You could feel his lips moving your hair as he spoke.

You walked slowly down the Plaza, away from the Enterprise. At some point everyone started meeting someone - there were quite a few couples from different departments, you noticed, and you suspected shore leave would form new bonds and break others. Sometimes there were families waiting, partners, even someone with a dog that wagged it’s tail frantically at a fast approaching woman wearing science blue. Out of the corner of your eye you saw your Captain and silently thanked McCoy, who had grabbed him by the arm and Spock, who was clearly reading things from his PADD to him. „Where are ya trying to go, lass?“ Scotty asked as you tried to swerve to the right, into another street. „My PADD said,“ you wriggled out of his arm to reach for the PADD in your bag. Not that you needed to - your other crewmates were all flogging into that direction. „Leave that PADD, lass“, he stretched out his hand „We’re not going there.“ you stared at him bewildered. „No?“ - „No.“, he grinned: „Surprise.“ He took your hand. „Let’s go.“

Luckily for you the public transportation on the station was good - you only had to walk a couple of feet until you reached a train stop. You were also lucky that the engineer seemed quite comfortable in navigating the station, but as far as you knew he’d already been here before. „Where are we going, Monty?“ you asked, train taking you through the station, navigating the three dimensional structure easily. „First we’re off to get our room“, he said casually. „It’s not far, actually. It’s our next stop.“ he wrung his hands before grabbing yours again and smiled at you, a faint blush on his cheeks. „Yeah, that’s our station“ - the train bells whistled - „Let’s get out.“ If you’re sense of direction hadn’t deserted you completely, you had to be somewhere central. White buildings climbed into what you perceived as the sky of the rotating station. Windows glistened in the artificial light, another plaza with lush green trees hid the entrances to the buildings. The Scotsman pulled you gently alongside, right to the entrance of the highest building there. „Come, let’s check in“ he could barely suppress a flashing grin now, his cheeks glowing with an excited red. You entered a simple, yet elegant entrance hall and immediately stopped breathing. This building encompassed the whole length of the station, you were pretty sure about that. Your steps made only the softest sound on the dark blue carpet beneath your feet. Tiny white stars and bigger yellow and blue suns were sprinkled across it. You didn’t know the constellations and assumed they resembled the night sky you’d see here, if one could see past the artificial light. „I got a room for two“, Scotty said as you approached the counter „Montgomery Scott, Enterprise.“ the eyes of the young man behind the counter flashed from Scotty to you and back. „Mr. Scott, we’re happy to welcome you to the Sirius Hotel.“ you were handed identification cards for your stay, asked if any luggage needed to be brought to your rooms („Nah, we’re good. Thanks!“), then walked over to the elevator. You didn’t get to push a button, the moment you stretched your hand out the doors already opened. „Welcome Mr. and Mrs. Scott“ an artificial voice said. „Uh.“ -„I … I didn’t tell them your name, they… uh ..they must’ve assumed…“ you giggled seeing a grown man stumbling over his words, obviously taken as much off guard as you were. He stared at you for a second and started laughing. „But, Monty…“ you began and looked around. Even the elevator was kept in dark blue and gold. „What is it, lass?“ - „I feel like I’m lowering the rating of the place just by using the elevator.“ He laughed at that - no small laughter, no chuckle, but a deep hearted laughter, filling the elevator to the brim. The elevator stopped, and opened into a small floor and a door. Scotty stopped laughing, took your hand again and smiled, still out of breath. „My love, ya make every place look better. Stop worrying, will ya?“ he said, raised the hand that held yours and pressed his lips against it for a second. „Let’s have a look. And if ya feel uncomfortable, we’ll find something else.“

Uncomfortable was not the word you were looking for when you entered the room. There was nothing over the top about it. It was the kind of expensive that hid in plain sight and had no need of drawing any attention to it. You assumed that it was this type of thing people talked about, when they talked about style. The general theme of stars and constellations was continued through the room - rooms, you corrected yourself. The faintest golden lines connected on white walls to form galaxies, hadn’t you been looking for them, you’d have probably overlooked them completely. You had a small kitchen, although you assumed that nobody expected you to use it, a living room with a couch and then the bedroom. The front wall of your bedroom was milky white and you probably could project anything onit. In the midst of it a bed, big enough to lose sight of everyone else sleeping in there. You put down your bags and stepped over to the milky glass. „Wait, lass“, said the voice of your engineer behind you. A second later the milky veil on the wall vanished and revealed the station behind it. You held your breath. „Ya like it?“ said that voice again and sounded anxious. Nervous. „It’ll display the night sky later. As if we’re sleeping under a real sky, ya know.“ you heard him draw his breath and you knew if you turned around you would see how he bit his lips, expectantly waiting for your answer. „I love it.“ you said and turned around, smiling at him. „So ya wanna stay here, lass?“ his features lightened up. „Of course, Mr. Scott.“ He laughed again and walked over to you, cupping your face with his hands. You kissed him and his left hand slid to the back of your neck. „Ya haven’t seen the best yet“ he whispered between two kisses, as that left hand slid even deeper to the small of your back and pushed you gently against him. The both of you turned around, kissing, pressed against each other and you did a couple of backward steps in the direction of the bed. He chuckled under his breath and his right hand followed the left, slid down your back and came to rest on your hips.Your calves touched the bed and as you stumbled, his arms held you close. „What’s the best?“, you mumbled breathlessly. His lips left yours, pressed soft kisses on your cheek, your chin, a hint of teeth nipped gently at your neck. A soft hum that vibrated on the skin of your neck was his answer, as if he was still considering what to say to that question instead of knowing the answer already. You took a deep breath and sighed. Your fingers ran from his neck to his head, brushed through the short hair of the engineer. „The best,“ he began and kissed you once more on the neck. „I’ll show ya later.“ he looked back up at you and pulled you away from the bed so that you could stand alone again. „But now let’s get dressed, my love. There’s a table waiting for us and I’m hungry.“ he grinned at your disappointed face.

This man knew and deliberately savored the fact that intimacy and sex and the anticiption were something to be cultivated like a good wine. You brushed your hair, cheeks still glowing with excitement and anticipation. You’d have settled for just saying at your rooms - well bedroom, but then you’d miss a probably splendid meal and whatever else he’d planned. Running your hands over your dress once more and picking a piece of fabric from the black neckline you checked yourself in the mirror, deemed your appearance sufficient and left the bathroom. And there was Scotty in a shirt and a black jacket, perfectly emphasizing his slender built. You’d never seen anyone look at you the way Montgomery Scott did. „Ya’re the most beautiful thing i’ve ever laid my eyes on.“ he whispered and stretched his arm out to you. „May this old fool take you out for dinner tonight?“ You took his arm with a grin that felt permanently fixated on your face.

Dinner went by in what felt like no time. You had a glass of wine and something to eat. And then you had another glass. And another one. Laughing you ordered a cocktail and by the time you left the restaurant arm in arm, you were positively tipsy. He complimented you what felt like a thousand times and you returned the favor gladly. „So, you’re ready for the best?“ you tried to suppress a giggle. „And what might that be, Mr. Scott?“ He grinned and pulled you to the elevator. „The reason I chose this hotel. With some help from Lieutenant Uhura, actually.“ he said („Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Scott“ said the computer again, you hadn’t bothered to correct the system), typing at the interface of the elevator. The doors closed with a faint swoosh and you just stood there for a moment, taking up the heat radiating from his body. Your hand lay on his chest and one finger absent mindedly slid past one of the buttons of his shirt to feel his skin. His chest slowly lifted and sank with each breath. „Where are we going?“, you asked again and began to play with the topmost button of his shirt. „Just a moment“ he said quietly. „Observatory“ - the computer voice said and you stepped out of the elevator. Again a small door, which opened as you stepped close to it. The moment you stepped over the door sill, you stopped dead in your tracks. „Wow.“ The building did reach to at least one ending of the station and had bought and integrated a part of the dome - the snowball, as Bones had coined it - into the building. The lights dimmed, you stood in near darkness, and as your eyes slowly acclimated more and more stars appeared. „That’s .. incredible.“ you stated and walked into the room. It was huge. There was a handle on the floor. You knew those things, but they were of little importance to you right now. „Still not the best.“ his voice carried through the room over to you. He stood at the console and typed something. Then he walked over to you, put one of his feet under one of the handles and grinned. „Computer, uncouple room from Station Gravity. Settings to zero grav.“ Weightlessness caught your hair and lifted it. You laughed, grabbed his face and kissed him, fiercly, only for a moment, then you had to look around again. „Unbelievable.“ Seemingly content he had a small grin on his face, constantly watching you. You pushed yourself from the ground and glided through the air, laughing. „That’s incredible.“ at a loss for words you pirouetted to turn to Scotty, who still hang to his handle and was simply watching you float and glide. As if you were in space, real space, just without a suit. There was another handle as you approached the glass ceiling, the outmost part of the station you’d be able to reach. You could stare into space there, see stars and the arms of a spiral galaxy stretch across the sky. Using the handle you pushed yourself in the vague direction of Scotty again, but closed your eyes after the first few feet. Nothing. You thought. Weightlessness, bathing in stars. A pair of arms grabbed you mid flight and the both of you tumbled and laughed. „It’s the best, Monty. Thank you so much.“ you grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss. Kissing in zero gravity was a wholly new experience. It did not change the fundamental mechanics, but there was a certain appeal to floating together. There was nothing else to hang on but the other person. He held you and you kissed him. Your hands sneaked under his shirt and you did not care if anyone else would want to come in any minute.

READ ON

TAG LIST! LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! COME BACK FOR SMUT NEXT TIME

@kirk-enterprises @youre-on-a-starship @kaitymccoy123 @webhoard @inaugural13 @flowerbunbunny @engineeringtrashcan @inaugural13 @thebloody3agle

[adventuresinfarming]

A Story A Day Series ~ Chapter 1

QUICK NOTE: I’ve been wanting to write something like this for a long time.  Something of a “day by day” take on a new Stardew Valley journey.  I’ll be playing at the character Avian on Plums Farm (Four Corners style farm).  Don’t have a lot of plans for how the story will unfold (a few little headcanons I want to add in though) so we’ll see how this goes!  ----------------------------------------- A Story a Day Series ~ Spring 1, Year 1 Word Count: 3,358 Summary: Avian is starting her new journey on Plums Farm after opening the letter from her late Grandfather.  She explores the town and introduces herself to some of the townsfolk. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (Monday) Spring 1, Year 1 Waking up Spring 1, Avian was excited to get to work building her new life.  She never thought she’d ever be in this position and the old farm would actually be handed down to her.  In fact, her Grandfather didn’t talk to the family about it very much until the end. He was quite adamant about you, specifically, to visit it during the last few years of his life though...but you had gotten this great new job at the prestigious JojaMart Headquarters and that had taken the forefront.  You never got around to visiting him there.  Aside from that, the family never really knew much about his “secret” life in the valley.   They knew he had purchased the property long ago, before meeting Grandmother and moved with her to Zuzu City to raise her father and his siblings but hadn’t built his cottage and lived on it until after she had passed on.  Your father had visited him there a handful of times but the rest of the family was always too busy.  

She was also anxious but nervous to meet the rest of her neighbors, too.  What would they think of her? How close to your Grandfather were they? Mayor Lewis had said the other villagers were just as anxious to meet her though, that made her feel a little more at ease.

Since yesterday was such an exhausting day, she didn’t even take the time to check out the interior of the farmhouse her Grandfather had lived in.  She got out of bed, opened the blinds to let in more light and really took a look around.  

It was a smaller room than she had expected with very few amenities:  the full-size bed she slept on, a small table and chair set, a couple of houseplants (that Lewis or Robin had probably brought in to help clear the stale air), a beautiful fireplace that had definitely been repaired and a small TV set – the real old kind that had dials to change the channel/volume and no remote. Not to mention the addition of a smaller room off the back corner just big enough to hold a shower stall, toilet and sink – which she was extremely grateful for.  Definitely better than an outhouse and bathing in the lake! She thought.  Curious as to what channels were even available way out in the country, she turned one of the dials. “Welcome to KOZU 5…your number one source for weather, news and entertainment.  And now, the weather forecast for tomorrow…It’s going to be clear and sunny all day.” Huh, well that was good to know. Hopefully the weatherman was accurate out here as they typically got the weather wrong in Zuzu City.  Turning the dial again… “Hoo.. I see a glimmer within my scrying orb… A shard of knowledge from the future! The spirits are in good humor today.  I think you’ll have a little extra luck.” Spirits?  Ok…not sure how much she believed in that stuff, but she was glad they were happy today she surmised.  She turned the dial once again… “Welcome to “Livin’ Off the Land”.  We’re back again with another tip for y’all.  Now listen up - This one’s for all you greenhorns out there: chop wood and search for wild forage to earn some cash while waiting on your first harvest!” That was definitely the kind of information she was looking for, even being called a “Greenhorn”.  Hopefully this show would be on more often, she needed all the tips she could get! She’d have to find a pen and notebook to keep by the TV so she could jot down this info for later. She tried turning the dial again but she only got the black and white static, oh well, at least she got some useful channels. She was about to finally head outside when she saw a little wrapped present sitting besides the flowers on the table.  Inspecting it, she found 15 Parsnip seeds, a small rucksack and a little note: “Here’s a little something to get you started.” -Mayor Lewis That was really sweet of him.  Now all she needed to find were some tools to help her clear at least a portion of the mess she saw last night – she hoped she didn’t have to find somewhere to buy them as she didn’t have a lot of money left over from the move.

She stepped out of the house and looked around the never-ending expanse that was her new home – Plums Farm.  Mayor Lewis had asked if she wanted to change it but she wanted to keep her Grandfather’s legacy and she knew he loved plums – she’d definitely have to plant some one day. She tried to imagine what it had looked like when Grandfather had lived there.  Was he prosperous with a whole field of crops and livestock?  Looking out to what had become of the farm, she felt regret at never visiting when she could have.  She sighed, gazing at all the weeds, long grass, sticks, stones and full grown trees that now littered the property.  She was determined to make it up to him by restoring it to its former glory…and it definitely wouldn’t be easy – she’d have her work cut out for her for sure.  But aside from that, the fresh breeze blowing faintly by her and the songs of the birds...it had been a very long time since she’d heard those sounds that weren’t drowned out by traffic and city life. She decided to take a quick walk around the house, just because she was curious how it looked.  She started around the left side, passing the shipping bin Mayor Lewis had mentioned and continued around towards the back.

Robin really did a great job restoring the siding as best she could along with the bits of roof and eaves – at least covering the spots that were previously exposed to the elements. Fresh lumber nailed securely to the older pieces of wood that were clearly worn – but not yet in need of replacing, stood out like a sore thumb.  It wasn’t the prettiest but she really didn’t have any room to complain. What did she expect from a cottage that had sat there for at least 10 years then fixed for free from the local carpenter?  Still, she was grateful for the work Robin and Mayor Lewis had put in making the place a bit more habitable. As she came around from the back, she saw the dilapidated outhouse and was instantly grateful again for Robin installing the bathroom.  Then she saw a wooden chest tucked beside the right side of the house that still looked pretty intact.  Opening the lid, it was all of the tools she was hoping to find!  An axe, a hoe, watering can, pickaxe, a scythe and an old binder with a few pages sat at the bottom.  She grabbed the binder to flip through it and found a handful of blueprints on how to craft items that would definitely be useful as she built up the farm.

She placed the binder on the patio to bring inside (to review later and maybe the townspeople had other blueprints she could have to make this new life easier).  Then she grabbed the well-used tools and set to work clearing a small patch of land to till and plant the little seedlings. Hours had passed by before she was satisfied with the work she’d done and was absolutely exhausted.  She put the tools she’d used and materials she’d gathered back into the wooden chest by the house before going in to clean herself up as much as she could as she knew she looked a mess.  First impressions were a big deal no matter where you lived and she wanted to make a good impression with her new neighbors and she was glad she packed some regular clothes.

Walking back towards the way Robin had lead her the other day, she passed by the bus stop and stopped for a moment to watch a startled squirrel run up a tree with an acorn in its mouth.  It was so refreshing to see wildlife again.  She noticed a few wildflowers and remembered what the guy on the TV had said – pick up wild forage for cash!  She had found a good handful of Daffodils and a couple Dandelions – which she had also remembered from a survival guide she read before that they were good for quick energy – and stuffed them in her rucksack before continuing on her way towards the town plaza – per the directional sign.

As the dirt path turned into cobblestones, she felt her nerves begin to bubble up a little…Was she ready to introducer herself to everyone?  Were they even going to like her? What would they think of her – an imposter?  A city slicker pretending to be a farmer?  She tried to swallow the nerves as she got closer to some buildings.  The town did look nice though, not as run down as she had expected.  The first one was large building but split into two businesses – a Clinic on the left and the General Grocer on the right called Pierre’s.  Between the two was a large wooden Bulletin Board that had a calendar of seasonal birthdays and events – did people give birthday gifts in this town? Along with a “Help Wanted” board but nothing was needed today – although there was a clever little advertisement that said Pierre’s had the high quality seeds so she decided to go in.

She opened the door and a bell rang out, signaling her entrance.  It was a spacious room; all sorts of different products lined the walls on shelves and in bins on the sales floor. Two women were already in there:  a purple-haired girl who looked a few years younger than her, was stocking shelves near the counter who gave her a sidelong glance before going back to her work.  A middle-aged woman with a lot of hair thrown into a braid that barely contained all of it hung around her shoulder, but she waved to her with a smile before going back to browsing the shelves. “Welcome to Pierre’s!” A middle aged man with sandy brown hair and glasses called to her from behind the counter at the back, getting her attention.  “Ah, you must be the new farmer – Avian, right?  I’m Pierre, owner of this fine establishment.  You won’t find better products anywhere else, and I’ll even buy produce from you at a good price! Its been a while since we’ve had a local agriculture to help bring new life to the economy.” he finished before turning his attention back to the purple-haired girl.  He seemed friendly enough. She smiled nervously and muttered a ‘thanks’. She grabbed a shopping basket from the stand that sat next to the entrance and started browsing the shelves for groceries and things that may be of use – although she didn’t have a lot and wanted to be sure to get more seeds to plant.  Avian rounded the corner of one of the aisles and was met with the older woman.

“Ah, Mayor Lewis told me you just arrived.  Welcome to Pelican Town, I’m Marnie!”  Her smile was warm and her voice was very neighborly.  “If you’re looking to have livestock on your farm, let me know.  I sell both livestock and animal care products at my ranch just south of your farm – swing by anytime!” “Hi Marnie, I’m Avian – once I get more settled in – and have a place to put them, I’ll definitely do that!” They both continued on their shopping.  She had kind eyes, Avian thought to herself.  She definitely looks like someone who’d care for animals.  She’d love to have some one day so she’d definitely stop by her place to learn how to get started.

Avian continued to browse the store, picking a handful of useful items to have at home before she came up to the counter and tried to introduce herself to the purple-haired girl. Her body language was not friendly and turned to her with attitude in her voice. “Oh, that’s right… I heard someone new was moving onto that old farm.  It’s kind of a shame, really.  I always enjoyed exploring those overgrown fields by myself.” She said, dismissing Avian’s greeting and rolling her eyes.

“Abigail! Be nice to our new customer.” Pierre had scolded and shook his finger at her.  Turning to you, he apologized. “Please forgive her, she’s still in the rebellious teenage phase even though she’s an adult.” He frowned at Abigail again. “Ugh, whatever.  I’ve finished putting these on the shelves, DAD.” she stated with an attitude before storming off towards the back door at the opposite side of the counter and leaving the empty boxes there on the floor.

“Again, I apologize for my daughter’s rude behavior.” he shook his head in annoyance as he watched her go through the door but all traces of that had disappeared when he returned his gaze to Avian with a smile you’d see from a used car salesman. “Anyway as a new farmer, I’m sure you’re interested in browsing our splendid Spring seed collection?” he asked as he was already bringing out a tray of quite a few different seedling packets.

He went through each one, describing what it was and how long they took to grow.  She really didn’t have much money on her but as they say: ‘Takes money to make money’.  Avian picked out a few Potato and Cauliflower packets along with a couple Bean starter seedlings and also placed the other items she picked out on the corner to be rung up.  Unfortunately, this purchase had nearly drained her of all her money.  As she headed back out the door, Pierre called after her.  “Thank you for shopping at Pierre’s where the prices are always better!  Come back again!”

Whew, well that wasn’t too bad. Everyone seemed nice so far, aside from Abigail but hopefully she would warm up to her, it’d be nice to have a friend around her age.  Avian stood outside of Pierre’s contemplating her next move – either go plant these new seedlings or wander around a bit more to meet more people.  As she stood there debating, the decision was made for her.  A spiky blonde-haired guy who also looked about her age, wearing a jean jacket with various band patches on it and carried a skateboard, walking by a few houses and a dog pen not too far away from her.  Swallowing her nerves she went to introduce herself.

“H-hi, I’m Avian.  The new farmer,” she started to say and got his attention.

“Oh hey!  Yeah I heard about you.  I’m Sam.  Good to meet you!  Love to stay and chat but I’m actually late to work though,” he said and hurried on his way.  “Catch ya later!”

She nodded and wondered where he worked where he started after Noon.  She stood there for a moment watching him walk away before realizing there was another guy watching her, tossing a gridball up into the air next to a house.  He had on a letterman jacket, and definitely looked like the typical jock.  Once he saw that she noticed him, he waved her over.

“Hey, you’re the new girl, huh?  I think we’re going to get along great.  I’m Alex.” He had this dazzling smile as he tucked the ball under his arm and offered his hand in a shake. “Yeah, I’m Avian!  Its nice to meet you.” she shook his hand as she tried not to stumble over her words, why was she nervous all of a sudden? She was never popular in school and none of the popular kids ever noticed her, so maybe that was it.  They both stood there in silence as he tossed the gridball up in the air again before catching it easily.  She figured he would have said something else since he called her over.  

“You like gridball, huh?” she asked, gesturing to the ball.   “Oh yeah, I brought my High School team to Champions a couple years ago.” He boasted, starting to toss the ball in the air again.  “Just waiting to be called up to the big leagues, now!” “That’s cool.  I used to like watching the national games sometimes.”

“Maybe we could play catch sometime then.” and gave her that dazzling smile again Her nerves caught up to her as she muttered, ”Yeah, maybe!  I-uh, I gotta go plant crops now.  See you later,” and held up her bags of seeds. “Heh, sure.  See you around!” he smiled again as she walked around the house and went north, spying a stone bridge overlooking the river.  Seemed like a good spot to sit and think for a moment so she went to go stand on it to get her brain back together.  It wasn’t often she was nervous around guys but she had also never seen a smile that took her breath away like that.  Thinking on it, the spikey-haired guy wasn’t too bad looking either.  Abigail also had a beauty to her…what kind of town did she move to?? Then she felt stupid for not trying to continue on the conversation with Alex – as Sam and Abigail were busy.  She wasn’t there very long, staring into the waters as fish swam by and leaves moseyed on with the help of the lazy current, when another older woman approached the bridge.

“Hey kid, you must be the new one.  The name’s Pam.”  She had a gruff voice but still seemed pretty nice and held out her hand to shake, although her grip was a bit rough.  “Don’t be a jerk and we’ll get along just fine.”  She smiled and continued on her way towards a building on the other side of the stream.  It was a rather large building, definitely new-er than a lot of the buildings she had seen so far, so she went to go look at it.

As she got closer, it dawned on her how familiar the color scheme was and realized –  HOLY SHIT, this was a JojaMart! H-how...WHY was a JojaMart here?  Mayor Lewis didn’t mention anything about it.  In fact, did he even know leaving that horrible place is part of the reasons she’s here?  She walked away from the building, recalling the horrible memories and decided to head back home.  It was getting later in the day and definitely didn’t want to get stuck trying to find her way back in the dark – plus she did want to get these seeds planted before she went to bed, she was already exhausted from her earlier chores and introducing herself.

As she headed back towards the dirt path leading towards her farm, she noticed another man walking around the little fenced in area and figured meeting one more person wouldn’t hurt. “H-hi, I’m Avian,” she started when the man turned around.  He looked a few years older than her wearing a forest green lab coat with glasses and a mustache.   “It’s a pleasure to meet you.  I’m Harvey, the local doctor.” She shook his hand briefly as he went on to say that he does general check-ups for all Pelican Town residents and that she should stop by sometime if she ever feels ill or sick. “It’s rewarding work, being able to give back to the community like this.  I hope you’ll find your own work equally rewarding in time but please also don’t overwork yourself,” he cautioned in a light tone.  “Don’t want you passing out or anything!”

“I’ll definitely be sure to be careful,” she agreed.  It is nice to have a doctor in town.  “It was good to meet you.  I’m going to plant these before it gets too dark,” she said as she held up the bag from Pierre’s.

They bid each other goodbye and she headed back to the farm.  Once she got there, she tilled and planted the seedlings and thought about her day before getting right to bed.  The moon was still rising but she fell asleep immediately.

[keywestlou]

Day 5

DAY 5…..Greece The First Time

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Key West Lou

I LOVE ATHENS!

What a city!

Arrived yesterday.

Lets begin with the flight from Milan to Athens.

Flew a German line. Aegean. Aegean is an affiliate/subsidiary of Lufthansa. The plane was a new airbus recently constructed by a French company. A big plane.

The trip takes only two hours. We flew south along the eastern coast of Italy. The rear side of the boot. Above the heel. Where the spur butts out. Then a left over the Aegean Sea.

The spur of Italy where we turned is the Puglia region. My mother was born in Puglia. In the town of Foggia. For whatever reason, I have felt my mother’s presence this entire trip. As the plane passed over Puglia, even more. She died more than 20 years ago.

The attendants are not referred to as such in this part of Europe. They are still stewardesses. Young. Not even thirty. No male stewards. It would appear age and sex discrimination are still alive in this part of the world.

The flight took all of two hours. Lunch was served. Yes, lunch. Not peanuts or pretzels. A terrific lunch.

Lunch consisted of two lamb sausages with vegetables. Cheese. Some terrific chocolate dessert. A very tasty cheese. Crackers.

Coffee at the end. In a real cup.

I had diet soda to drink. My glass was twice the size of one served in the United States. No ice. The soda cold. More soda for me.

And now the best, free alcohol. The woman next to me had a good sized bottle of red wine. The couple across from me cans of Heineken beer. Again, free.

My ticket cost $180 one way. I flew economy class.

Why the differences between a European flight and one in the United States?

A twenty mile cab ride to my hotel. I had selected a hotel close to the Parthenon so I could walk there each day.

The cab took me through old run down Athens. Much like a similar New York City neighborhood. Then the neighborhoods changed. All of a sudden I was on embassy row and the homes of ambassadors. Magnificent structures. All ancient Greek in style.

I wanted to engage the driver in conversation. He did not speak English. I did not speak Greek. I mentioned one word however that ignited him. He communicated effectively with me at that point. The word…..euro. He spun around to look at me. Yelled in his language what I suspect were profanities. Made it clear to me he was opposed to the euro, felt it had brought on Greece’s economic collapse. All this time he is driving looking at me. I understood he wanted a return to the old currency. The dracma.

He mentioned that Spain would be next to fall. He made it clear he did not like the Germans. They were economically sound while his country was going down the tubes. This economic problem was Germany’s fault. I suspect shades of World War II were still upon him. On the other hand, I found Italians were not happy with Germans either.

The driver appeared to be in his 60s.

Driving is crazy in Athens. Get out of the way! We were in the middle of Athens on a six lane highway going one way. The drivers were cutting each other off and cutting in front of each other. At excessive speeds.

Rather than fear the situation, I respected their abilities to drive so effectively. And without accident. At least I did not see one.

We drove past the Greek Parliament. An imposing building. Even more imposing was the plaza in front of the building. A concrete slab that appeared significantly larger than a football field. The place where demonstrations and riots took place. Such past activities could be sensed as you passed by.

We finally reached the hotel. I was excited. Supposedly a hop, skip and jump from Plaka. A place I was told was a fun area.

I checked in and headed for Plaka. Only two blocks away.

Plaka may be best described as a neighborhood. A big one. It sits at the foot of Acropolis. It is the oldest area in Athens. Sometimes  Plaka is refered to as the real Athens. Blocks and blocks of sidewalk cafes. Many inexpensive clothing and jewelry shops. Thousands of people. Yesterday, the day I was there. All ages. From all parts of the world. Enjoying themselves!

As opposed to Navaro, these people were smiling. Also they looked normal. Many overweight. Very few thin people.

I sat at one of the sidewalk cafes. Under a huge tree. Much like a Key West banyan tree.

Talking with people is easy here. I spoke with a table of Greek college students on one side. An Australian couple on the other. Everyone appears to love Americans. They were anxious to talk with me.

I found the preceding surprising. I was warned by many before the trip that Europeans in general dislike Americans. I don’t know what countries these people visited!

I walked a bit around the Plaka area. Came across some old ruins. Hadrian’s Library. Built in 132 AD by the Roman Emperor Hadrian. Books were kept there. The building had reading rooms and lecture rooms, also. Sounds much like a 21st century library to me.

I was impressed with the use of the building. That libraries existed back then. I was also impressed with the construction. That which remained. Such precision in the workmanship. Each stone similarly cut and placed in perfect position. I thought, why not. The Egyptians did it with the pyramids well before Hadrian’s Library was constructed.

Plaka again is at the foot of a huge hill. A semi-mountain. Topside sits the Parthenon and Acropolis. Rising up the sides of the mountain are many outside cafes. It was past dinner time and I decided to try one.

The hill was steep. The stairs going up and down equally steep. People dining in outside cafes on each side of the steps.

Each restaurant had one or more persons working that I would describe as hustlers. They would stand on the steps and literally pull you into their restaurant.

I wanted to sit at the very top. It was a hard trip. I had to stop a couple of times and sit on a stoop to catch my breath. I finally made it. The hustler turned out to be from Canada. He was in his 60s. He told me his life’s story. His wife had divorced him after 40 years. I said don’t feel bad. My wife did it after fifty two years. He had recovered however from the misfortune. He now considered the divorce a fortuitous happening. He had met a younger woman. A Greek. Fell in love. Now lived in Greece full time with her.

The meal was only so so. I was disappointed. I had a lamb dish. The lamb was tough.

The strenuous walk up the steps was worth it. I could see all the way down and over the rooftops of Athens. It was dark and everything was lite up.

After dinner, I searched for some Greek music and dancing. I could find none. Perhaps it was too early. I did find a piano bar. Stopped inside. Stayed briefly. The entertainer was no Larry Smith.

Today it is my intention to go to the very top of the hill. By cab, I assume. The Parthenon and Acropolis await me.

I wanted to take pictures. I will before I am done. To share with you. I bought a new cell phone. I should not have. It is screwed up. By me. I cannot get it unscrewed. Cannot use it in any fashion.

At breakfast this morning, I met another couple from Australia. They had a tablet and offered it to me to write my blog. I knew it would take too long. As it turned out, I became totally frustrated with the learning process. My age was showing.

I am doing today’s blog from a second floor internet shop. About 40 computers available for rent by the hour. Cost is 3 euros an hour. That is about $4.20 American money. The way I type, it will take forever. My drinking money for today is being used up.

The room is large. Many people. Body heat and machine heat. No air conditioning. I will require another shower when I finish.

Enjoy your day! I am mine!

This mornings Citizens’ Voice had two especially interesting comments.

The first: “At the vaccine’s current availability rate of 600 doses a week, it will take through June just to vaccinate only those Monroe County residents 65 or older. Good luck!”

The other: “A Miami Herald article touted Key West as a ‘sort of lawless island.'”

The description offends me. And I am sure every Key West resident.

I have been in Key West in one fashion or another for 30 years. “A lawless island” is far from an accurate description. The rowdiness is limited to Duval Street. The haven visitors seek. They can get drunk, chase each other, and hopefully enjoy some illicit sex.

There is more to Key West than Duval. I have many times written or otherwise described Key West as a good place to live, raise children, etc.

Few residents go downtown. Not everyone is like me. I enjoy the Chart Room and the people I meet. I cannot recall the last time I might have drunk too much. Now, I rarely have a drink.

As to the sexes chasing each other, an extreme rarity if at all among residents. Residents are like family. See each other almost every night.

I am trying to think the last time a tourist chased me for sex. Has to have been a long time ago. No woman wants a man in his 80s. Then there is the problem the mind may be willing, but not the body.

On this day in 2015, Key West had 29 cigar factories, who employed 2,100 workers, who made 62,415,000 cigars, from imported Cuban tobacco.

Anne Ray is with the University of Miami’s Shimberg Center for Housing Studies. She said a most recent study indicated “Key West workers need to earn $33 an hour to afford Key West rents.”

I buy it. Rents are out of sight!

Key West has created a shortage of workforce housing.

No one cares, except for the working population. More and more leave Key West each year because they cannot afford to pay excessive rents and no longer wish to share a 2 bedroom apartment with 3 other people.

Mayor Johnston and the City Commission are aware of the problem. Everyone who lives or has lived in Key West understands it. Mayor Johnston and the Commission are into the problem and looking for how to make rents affordable. Even to the extent of hiring a full time Director of Housing to solely deal with the problem.

More than 50 House lawmakers want the new stimulus package to provide not for a one time $2,000 payment. Rather, $2,000 a month payments till the pandemic is behind the population.

The thought a wise and unwise one at the same time.

Wise in that those who need the money the most spend it swiftly. Such helps the economy. Everyone in effect is eating off the $2,000.

Unwise in that it might also break the bank – the U.S. economy. In addition unending payments might result in people not wanting to return to work if they can take in $2,000 a month without working.

Note the 50 plus Representatives want $2,000 per adult and each child.

My solution. Go for the $2,000 per month with a limit of 3 months. Then look at the problem again. If feasible, continue. If it has too many warts, do not renew.

One thing is certain in the U.S. Insanity prevails.

Two Ohio Republican members of the House of Representatives want a declaration calling for June 14 to be “President Donald J. Trump Day.” They are looking for co-sponsors to introduce the bill.

Two Louis thoughts.

Trump is not a Washington or Lincoln. He does not deserve such recognition.

The other is I was under the impression that naming a day after a person first required the person to be dead. If such is the case, we will have to wait to another time before the issue can be entertained.

Enjoy your day!

Day 5 was originally published on Key West Lou