#I hope your pants give you camel toe in front of people

[swampstew]

Choke and die on my dick, kellyanne

[problematicfavesareproblematic]

If You Need It, Then I Need It

Johnny Martin x Reader

Summary: The death of Eugene Jackson weighs heavy on each and every soldier in Easy Company. You and Johnny find comfort in each other

Warnings: mutual infidelity, SMUT, ROUGH SMUT, BADLY WRITTEN SMUT, weak attempts at making it fluff, a terrible example of safe sex (don’t risk it, wrap your biscuit), unhealthy coping mechanisms, ANGST PROBABLY BC I HAVE A PROBLEM

And ,guess what? Another song-inspired fic! Title and feels brought to you by Need It by Half Moon Run!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You never knew a kiss could hurt so sweetly.

The way John’s mouth pressed against yours was bruising and unyielding, tasting of salt and guilt and such a deep sadness you feared you may drown in it. 

But it was everything you wanted- everything you needed.

The death of the young Eugene Jackson had been the metaphorical straw that broke the camel’s back for many people, all the years of death and destruction and cold and hunger and loss seeming to come to a head in the sleepy town by the river. You felt as if you had aged decades in the span of five years.

Hope had died for you somewhere in Holland. The painful ache of disappointed resolve could only take you so far, and for some reason Johnny Martin’s face had made it clear that it was no longer sustainable.

You were lonely, you all were so hollow and lonely that you were amazed no one had yet cracked in two.

When the two of you had found each other that night, it suddenly didn't matter that you were both spoken for. You didn’t care that you were expected to marry a cold man of your father’s choosing when you got home, and when John had locked the office door behind him you knew that his loyalty to Patricia was the furthest thing from his mind.

The song the two of you had been dancing to these past four years had finally reached its crescendo, all of the shared nights of quiet reassurances and lingering looks and too-affectionate touches finally demanded resolution.

And he’d been the one to kiss you, after all.

But any guilt you’d expected to feel failed to come, your hands clutching at him as if he were the only thing keeping you alive.

A broken sob slips out of your throat when he bites at your lips, but he doesn’t seem to hear it.

Maybe he’s worried about drowning, too.

You shove his coat off of his shoulders, the cold in your bones crying out for the warmth only his skin could provide.

“I know, Baby- I know…” he mumbles against your lips, his own hands clawing at your clothing as well. “I’m comin’, I’ve got you- Fuck—”

You claw your nails down his back, knowing you were probably being too rough but the fire in your veins sings for more, more, more.

More of what? You had no idea.

John seemed to, though. He seemed to know exactly what you needed.

Hands in your hair crank your head back until he’s looming over you with kiss-swollen lips and bright eyes.

He shakes his head in something akin to disbelief. 

“You’re gonna be the death of me, aren’t you, Kid?”

When you let a wicked smile curl your lips upward, he growls like some sort of beast.

“I can think of worse ways to go….Sir.”

The hand that latches around your throat only makes you grin wider. 

He’s gotten you down to your tank top, and you watch his eyes catch how your nipples pebble in the cold night air. His jaw is slack with desire, the hand on your throat pulling you from your seated position on the table so you are standing toe to toe.

“You want this, right?” John’s breathing is rough, his warm breath washing over your face and making you drunk. When you don’t immediately respond he tightens his hand around your throat ever so slightly and brings his other hand down to fist the material of your shirt at your breastbone.

 “Hey- look at me. Tell me you want this or I’m not doing another fucking thing—”

You cut him off with a vicious kiss before quickly slipping your hand down the front of his pants and squeezing. Swallowing his groan greedily, you nuzzle at his cheek until you get him to turn his head enough for your lips to find his ear.

“No,” you whimper, and when you feel him about to pull away you bite at his earlobe. “I fucking need this….I need you, John Martin.”

With a curse of your name, he seals his mouth back to yours, hands sliding down your torso and tugging your clothes out of his way.

No one called him just ‘John’- not his mom or his sister or his men or even Patty. It rolled off of your tongue so sweetly that before now he’s always had to fight the urge to chase it with his lips. 

No one had ever just wanted John Martin.

Yet here you were, needing him.

You could feel how much he liked knowing that.

As your pants slide down your legs you feel his bruising grip on your freshly bared flesh, desperately hoping that you’ll have marks on your skin after this is all over.

“You don’t mean that,” Johnny chastises, gasping against your neck as hips buck unexpectedly into your borderline torturous touch. “Fuck, Baby- don’t say that to me unless you mean it….”

One of your hands fists in his hair and brings his face between your newly exposed breasts for him to explore with his tongue.

“You told me to be selfish, didn’t you?” You remind him. “You said that if I wanted something, I needed to make it mine and take it, didn’t you?”

At the time, he’d been trying to reassure you that it was okay to say no to things- more specifically, John had been referencing your family’s predetermined plans for you and your happiness.

“Your life is your own, Y/N Y/L/N. And after all that you’ve seen and done- you deserve to be happy. Take what you want and make it yours, take it if you gotta. You’re too bright to be snuffed out…”

When you look down your chest and see the piercing heat in his eyes, you almost lose your nerve.

He’s sinfully beautiful, the hungry incubus your mother had tried to warn you of when you told her of your plans to join the Airborne’s medical staff. 

Debauched, single-minded, dangerous.

God, how you loved it.

His teeth bite into the soft skin of your breast, refusing to free you from his wild and wanting gaze.

“If you won't give it to me, let me go so I can find someone who will.”

Judging by the snarl that twists his face, he doesn’t like your insinuation one bit.

As he straightens up to shuck off his trousers, you turn around and shove your underwear down to your knees, pressing your forehead onto the cool wood of the table you’d been sitting on and offering your backside to him like a crude and carnal oblation.

Biting kisses are bestowed across your shoulders and down your back as his fingers spread your slickness across the petals of your sex, pinching and plucking at you until you are writhing before him. You know that you’re breathing too loud but cannot find it in yourself to keep quiet.

“Please,” you mewl, hands reaching blindly behind you in a vain attempt to get a grip on some part of him. “Please please please please—”

Rough hands grip your hips and twist you back around so you are facing him before you are shoved back almost violently.

Your head is spinning, a foggy delirium of desire making you pant stupidly up at John.

Hands press your knees upwards and outwards, opening you up for him to admire and praise.

“Don’t beg, never beg—goddamn it, Kid, you never gotta beg me for anything….Fuck, look at you. Never hide your face like that again”

His cock is in you before you can fully process his words (namely the word again), a broken cry being swallowed by his kiss before it can grow any louder.

It’s rough and sloppy and desperate- your bodies twisting and turning like flames of a wildfire. You’re sure the table beneath you will break but John is holding you so fucking tightly that you think that it almost wouldn’t matter if it did.

You babble mindlessly into his ear about how good he feels and how good he’s making you feel, and in turn John calls you beautiful and perfect and tells you how good you are which only serves to drive you crazier. 

In a move you hadn’t expected, his rough fingers reach between the two of you and pinch at your clit, jerking it up and down in a motion similar to the way you’d stroked his cock.

Good God, you’d never considered touching it like that.

“Oh shit,” you curse, back beginning to bow at the overwhelming heat coiling in your lower stomach. “You like that, huh?” his voice is smug in your ear. “God knows I like it, Sweetheart- fuckin’ do this whenever you want, Baby—”

“Shut up,” your voice is high and wavering, unfamiliar to your ears. “Don’t say that if—”

“I do fuckin’ mean it. Come.”

Lightning- that’s what it feels like. Electricity dancing wildly against your skin and throughout your body, the crackle of release curling and skating from the top of your head to the tip of your toes.

And it just doesn’t stop.

You know that John is kissing you, you know that he is shooting deep inside of you, you know that he’s apologizing while he pumps into you without hesitation.

“I know I shouldn’t I’m sorry I’m sorry I didn’t ask I didn’t mean to Please don’t stop.”

Your eyes are open and unseeing, relying on your hands to find his ass and pull him into you so he doesn’t stop.

“It’s okay It’s okay I need you so much You feel so good Please don’t leave me.”

The lips that had been at your cheek kissing tears away now give way to gritted teeth, John’s breath hot and wet against your skin as he rolls his hips once, twice more before stilling inside of you.

Still quaking beneath him, you turn your head to share his labored breath and open your mouth obligingly when he licks at the seam of your lips.

“Too much?’ he asks breathlessly, the damp strands of his overgrown hair tickling your face as he lets his head fall into your shoulder. “Was it….did I take too much?”

You shake your head no, kissing at his sweaty temple and lethargically wrapping your arms around him.

“You’re perfect, John Martin. God help me, you are nothing less than perfect.”

In this moment, you can’t think too much about what you’ve done- the implications and inevitable fallout for your transgressions that you will both will have to face once the afterglow has faded and the cold morning takes its place.

As if he knows your train of thought, John nuzzles further into your neck and kisses your sweaty skin sweetly.

“Stay here,” he commands, his voice a soft and sleepy rumble in his chest. “I’m not going anywhere, just stay here with me….”

Closing your eyes you nod and rake your hand through his hair.

“Okay,” you say. “Okay.”

Your sins can wait. 

You can both be selfish for a little bit longer.

~ ~ ~

*toes ground awkwardly* so...here we are again. me: writing smut unprompted, you: wishing I would knock it off and finish a multi-chapter fic FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE. WELL, GUESS WHAT? I totally understand and am working on it I PROMISE! Thank you for reading and I love you more than Nixon loves alcohol ok bYE!

Taglist: @mrseasycompany​​​ @itswormtrain​​​ @mrsalwayswrite​​​ @happyveday​​​ @sunsetmando​

[alitheamateur]

The Grind- Chapter 8

Warnings: Language. Fluff.

A/N: OHHHH, CHAPTER 8, HOW I LOVE YOU. This is one of my favorite chapters in the entire book, and I only hope you do enjoy it! It’s Colton and Liv, intimately behind closed doors, just how I like them. AND, DRUM ROLL.....You’ll even get a little insight into the mind of our boy Colton Ritter!!!

(GIFS FROM GOOGLE)

I hadn’t attempted to track Colton down once the weigh in concluded. He had hands to shake, and plenty of pictures to pose for. And as for me, there were a few colleagues I needed to speak with amongst the mass of people as well, before stealing away to him upstairs. Kate was on the list, a reporter for one of the local television news stations, who happened to live in the same apartment complex as I did. We weren’t tight pals by any means, but always spoke in passing every morning before work, and there was the occasional invitation to her flat for a drink to unwind. As a matter of fact, it seemed unwinding was precisely what Kate had in mind this particular evening, too. Her whining insistence on sharing a Cosmo in the lounge wouldn’t cease unless I caved. But, I was certain to make it a clear point that I only had time for ONE quick drink, and discreetly sent Colton a text to inform him I may be arriving a little behind schedule. 

As promised, Kate let me part after a single drink order and some simple small talk over some perfectly salted mixed nuts. We exchanged predictions on how we thought tomorrow night would go and where she had bought the camel colored satchel bag she was displaying in the seat next to her. Then, out of the sheer goodness of my heart, I even sat quietly listening to the horror story of her latest blind date mishap. Bless that poor girl, she really was a catch. Confident, very intelligent, lightyears ahead of other anchors in the city her age. To most men though, her every quality was one that intimidated their sensitive ego, making it a struggle to find a match who would encourage her success, rather than smother it.

I left her alone in the bar with her sorrows, honestly feeling a bit bad for abandoning her to drown them, then aimlessly wandered to find the elevator. Thankfully, I reach Colton’s floor without any company in the confines of the metal box. Creepy, awkward elevator conversation was #4 on the list of things I hated as much as cherry licorice.  I walked down the lengthy hallway lined with plum and green patterned carpet, then patted two light knocks on room 1893, and waited zealously. My toes patted in anticipation, and my lips buzzed a bit from the leftover coating of my stout Cosmopolitan.  The door opened surprisingly quick after my tapping by a handsome fellow adorning a pair of light grey boxer shorts.

“Damn, I was really hopin’ you were that pizza I ordered from downstairs.”

I kicked the door open further sending him back to hit the papered wall to the left, and he snuffled from a closed mouth grin.

“Sorry to disappoint,” I snarled. “And come on now, Ritter. You can’t be opening your door looking like that. You’ll have the maids brawling for who gets to bring up your extra towels.” I gestured a hand toward him, alluding to his quite painfully sexy, underwear model-esque appearance.

The tv was muted on ESPN, only a gold desk lamp casting light into the rather large room. A king size bed stationed closest to the wall with the double windows, covers unturned, and curtains drawn. Faint music danced over my ears, something from the classic rock genre. Journey, maybe? Our taste in music had thankfully been another similarity discovered sometime in the days of our courtship. I bent over removing one shoe at a time, to hurl them in the corner. I so loved my beautiful collection of pumps, but my feet could only take small doses. My ankles begged for my past preference of high-top tennis to return.

“So, I thought we’d just hang out in bed. Watch a movie or somethin’? I kinda just wanna relax. Unless you wanna go out? I can get dressed.” His words offered to go out, but his crooked eyebrow & pursed lips said otherwise.

“Staying in is perfect, babe. As long as you promise to share that pizza you’ve got comin’. Black olives?”

“Yep. Jalapeños only on my half.” It was miracle. I had found a man who compromised on the most important thing in my life. Food.

“You know the way to my heart, Colt.” I smoothed tiny circles with my flattened hand over the comforter of the bed, enticing him to join me. Rather than lightly crawling up next to me, he lunged wildly to flop weightlessly in the empty spot.

“I brought ya’ a t-shirt if you wanna change. It’s in my bag by the bathroom, I think. Figured you’d be wearin’ one of those sexy lil’ business suits you’re always prancin’ around in t’ torture me.” He reiterated his remark by grazing the small line of my exposed stomach. “I didn’t want cha’ to be uncomfortable all night.”

“All night? Is that an invitation? Whatever on earth would make you think I’d want to spend the night in this gorgeous hotel room with you, Colton?” I threw a hand to my chest and closed my eyes in a prudish manner.

“ ‘Cause you, Liv Caroline Elliot, just cannot resist me.”

Although he was right, I wasn’t about to give in defeatedly and just admit guilt. He always gave an effort to come off so self-confident, and poised even, like he himself was the holy grail to mankind. Somewhat similar to how Mendez carried himself. But, I was well aware it was all an exterior front for the twisted, emotional mess he was inside. He was like one of those candies with the crunchy, seemingly unbreakable shell that had smooth filling in the middle. By this point I had pretty well pulverized that outer layer, and it really wasn’t as difficult as imagined.

“You’re just so sure about that, aren’t ya’? But I think I could say the same when it comes to you, my overly confident friend.” One finger prodded his flexed peck.

“I think we both know I can’t resist ya’, two-one. And I ain’t a bit scared to say so.” I had sat up ready to climb from the bed and retrieve the t-shirt he mentioned, but was immediately yanked in a near whiplash motion down on top of him. He gave me a look that I wished I could bottle up and carry in my purse every day. It was a look of total admiration, torturous passion, and loving fulfilment. There were no smiles, or laughing from either of us. The room was simply clouded with a haze of love so thick it was nearly visible to the human eye. I grazed my nose to his, not daring to disrupt the conversation our eyes were exchanging, and kissed him with opened lids. It was returned, with his addition of a spirited squeeze to my tail. One thing I had noted about Colton, was he could draw me into the deepest depths of a moment, hold it for delayed second or two, then undoubtedly jerk away from the overwhelming rush of emotion like he had been stung by an angry bee. But I’d wait for him to open the heavy iron gate to that conversation regarding his slightly detached demeanor.

“I love you, Colt.”

“And I love you, gorgeous. Now, go’n get changed. Imma pick a movie for us.”

The path of my outfit left behind me was enough payback for the little winking stunt he pulled earlier at the weigh in.

By the time I appeared from the bathroom, the pizza had been delivered, the covers turned back, a 6-pack on the night stand, and an unbelievably attractive man awaiting me. My makeup washed off and hair knotted into a messy bun, I was pant-less wearing a baggy soft t-shirt that smelled of Colton’s bodywash, and ready to sink into bed with him. I didn’t want tomorrow to come because I was certain there was no way it could measure up to this.  

“Okay, so we got The Purge, or one of my personal favorites, the classic Harold & Kumar go to White Castle. You pick.”

“Shouldn’t we watch something like Fight Club, or, I don’t know… Rocky instead? That seems more your style.” I suggested raising one knee on the bed to boost myself up into the chill of the sheets. I loved the way his tanned, furry legs looked bold against the bleached white of the bedsheets.

“Although Rocky does top my movie list any day of the week, I can watch things that don’t involve fist to face violence, you punk. I ain’t a total adrenaline whore. I’ll have you know that I even saw The Notebook. Twice.” He informed me very matter of factly.

“I’m gonna go out on a limb here & say that date ended very well for you.” My mouth mimicked the act of vomit thinking about the lines he cooed into the ears of that poor girl causing her to all but leap into bed with him.

“Is somebody jealous? C’mon now, babe. Past is the past.”

There had only been one suitor he had been semi-serious with previously. Her name was Amber, they dated for 6 months, and he caught her in the locker room at Mac’s in a quite compromising position with his Physical Therapist. That was really all the details he shared, & it was definitely all I needed to hear. However, I knew his lack of romantic relationships was plenty compensated by his plethora of casual sex partners. The fact that he was experienced was extremely clear to me after that night in the ring at the gym. He worked fervently taking metal notes of what dips in my skin he could kiss that caused a gentle hum of pleasure, and which ones caused an almost violent writhing. 14 partners in his twenty-six years, a number I was far from comfortable with, but it wasn’t about to send me running scared either.

“Your past just seems to be a lot more.. eventful than mine.”  I admitted placing the sweating beer bottle between my greasy lips, and dropped my head in sheepish discomfort.

“First of all, you know damn well that don’t mean shit to me. You gotta think more of me than that, Livvy. ‘N second, that’s just all the more fun I get to have bein’ your little teacher, huh?” Both brows raised and fell in unison at his perverse inuendo.

“Get over yourself, PUH-LEASE.”

By this very crude point in the conversation, he’d eaten his entire hearty side of the pizza in addition to two slices of my black olive half, and I was 3 beers deep. The chatting began rolling so immensely, the tv remained off, and instead we’d left his iPod to shuffle at random through his vast array of musical tastes. We prodded question upon question about the other, shoveling for every fiber of detail we could harvest.  I was stunned in utter disbelief that he had never even been out of the country, and he seemed nearly repulsed in the discovery that I still wasn’t a Steelers fan despite living in The Burgh for coming up on three years. At some point I can’t recall, he stepped from the bed to open the drawn curtains, exposing the twinkling illuminations of the still very lively city even at the hour approaching 1 a.m.

He observed the world below him like he had created this kingdom himself. Colton was Pittsburgh through and through down to the marrow, and I wouldn’t change it for all the money in the world. The grouping of blue moonlight and changing street lights coated him in a glow almost angelic. He was laid smooth on his back, a bended arm beneath is pillow, and I laid in sideways position with my head situated across the rippling muscles of his inked abdomen, his fingers twirled lazily around an escaped hair from my updo. With passing minutes his words slowly developed a raspy, almost thorny tenor and his answering and asking of questions now more dawdled. He was like a tenacious child battling the certain feeling of sleep that enraptured him, afraid he may miss a revelation of crucial importance if he dozed off.

“Baby, I know I haven’t told you, but I want ya’ to know your article is really, really excellent. And I’m damn proud a’ ya’.“

I was confused at the compliment since he hadn’t read as much as one sentence from my piece yet. “Colt, it’s not even done yet. And how would you know since you’ve yet to see it, ya’ goof.”

“It’s your work, Liv. You’re a natural, kinda like me with fighting, ya’ know? It’s what we do best. And besides, you’re always sayin’ how proud you are of me, so I want ya’ to know someone feels that way about you, too. You got no idea how amazing you really are, do ya’ girl?”

His compliments nearly made tears spill from my welling eyes. This simple, yet so utterly perplexing man loved me to his core. I could feel it in his words right that second, and in the way his scarred knuckles brushed my cheek sending a shockwave of serenity to my soul. I had never fallen so deeply for someone in such a way, much less in just a few months’ time, and I was honestly terrified at every feeling I harbored for him. I shifted to rest my palms on his chest making eye contact with his flecked eyes.

“Why are you always so good to me, huh? Better be careful, babe.. People may think you’re going soft.” I warned, raising my brows to appear concerned.

“Oh, but you’ll be able to assure them that Colton Ritter is far, farrrrr from soft, baby…” One swift, lascivious movement now rendered me pinned at my sides by both wrists under two strong, veined hands. Although the act seemed to be hinting toward a much more lustful direction, he simply touched his lips to the corner of my slightly gaped mouth with a single extended kiss, lilting a melodious “I love you.”

                                                        Colton

She dozed off an hour or so before I had. The barely noticeable, gentle buzzing of her snoring mouth gave her away. The cotton-like thickness of my dry tongue screamed for a drink shortly after, so I had to scoot her head from crease of my arm, careful not to pull on the hair fluffed on top of her head. She had wallowed trying to get comfortable, I’m sure the damn hardness of my bicep wasn’t the best replacement for a pillow, and tangled strands of her blonde hair were brushing over her lashes. I often wished maybe I could give the gym a little break, and soften up a bit. Just so she’d be able to sleep tucked into my chest at night without feeling like she’d get a black eye if I moved the wrong way.

My high-school wresting t-shirt she slept in climbed up her belly, exposing more of the clean shade of white boy-shorts she wore underneath, and a teasing curve of the underside of her breast. I had seen my fair share of naked women in life, more beyond Liv’s level of comfort. But her? Damn it… She wasn’t Playboy, plastic lipped, and chiseled from head to toe like most empty fuckers like me would look for. Liv’s beauty was more palatable, and desirable to the real man. Beauty that maybe most people would miss out on. But me? She entranced me the minute she stabbed me with those emerald green eyes.

Her buttery soft skin, her blonde hair usually wild like the winds of Chicago. Not the kitchen sink blonde like you’d see down at the infested strip clubs downtown either. No, this was the sunshine yellow she was born with. Sandy, smooth blonde intertwined with some strands of caramel like the inside of a chewy candy bar..

Her perfect, pink, creamy buds painted rosy circles on the inside of the thin cotton of her shirt, and I thought very much that she might’ve been the sexiest thing I had ever seen. The screaming hard on pinned under my boxers said so. And despite the trickle of drool out the side of her slumbering mouth, and the smearing black of yesterday’s makeup stained under her eyes, I couldn’t look away. As if I’d even want to. And hell, if I wasn’t in love with this Indiana girl in every sense of the word.

                                                         Liv

Despite my desperate prayers for time to halt for just one night, it insisted on passing into the morning. I had slid from the bed just before dawn to close the dark curtains of the room, wanting to make sure he got undisturbed, restful sleep for what this day was going to require from him. And selfishly, it as also an attempt to keep our room as black as the unexplored ocean, foolishly thinking maybe the rising sun would just pass us by if I didn’t allow its light in. We had eventually forced ourselves to sleep the night before, after several attempts to kiss goodnight. One kiss, lead to three more, which lead to fifteen more, each holding more and more desire to carry those kisses elsewhere over the span of the other persons body. But, painfully so, I squandered it insisting he better get some shut eye.

Now, the digital clock on the nightstand closest to his side of the bed flashed 5:49 a.m., and I expected his internal clock to start stirring him very soon. From the sliver of dawn intruding through the minimal crack of the patterned drapes, I watched him sleep. Admired would be a better word. His lids smoothly sealed, no crinkles of struggle about them, and his mouth gently puckered. I made mental note of his naturally suntanned, unscathed face in the state it was now, knowing full well tonight would render it not so.  There were no bruises, no splits in his lips, no blackened eyes. He was the nearest thing to physical perfection I had ever laid eyes on. I hoped he couldn’t sense my focused staring.

Suddenly, I felt a growing itch in my nose, a building sneeze approaching. Trying at all costs to avoid waking his lifeless form, I pinched my nostrils shut in effort to trap the noise from escaping. However, the harsh flinch my body released sent a jolt over the entire mattress. Colt inhaled a loud, groggy breath and stretched his hand to grasp for my side of the bed.

“Hey, you,” he said rubbing the rest from his waking eyes.

The hearty drift of his accent from the hours of 4 to 9 a.m. could very near send me straight into orgasm.

“Sorry, babe. I tried not to wake you.”

He rolled over to face me dragging his arm around my waist to pull me into his chest, I smiled and draped a bare leg over his warm body.

“I ain’t got no problem at all gettin’ woken up by the likes a’ you, baby.” He crowded me with a drowsy kiss, his tongue curling slightly under my top lip. I could feel him rattle with laughter at the sensual pant he sucked out of me.

“You’re not so bad yourself, sir. How’d you sleep?”

“Like a baby with a full belly. You?”

I kicked back the covers, breaking the wall of warmth it had closed around us and scooted to raise on the edge of the bed.

“Great. I’m thinking of getting one of these mattresses for my place. It may take up every inch of my entire bedroom, but it’d be well worth it.”

“Hey hey hey, where you think you’re going, little lady?!” Colton was propped on both arms, scowling at me under a lined forehead. “You ain’t even gonna have breakfast with a man? I feel so cheap.”

Always so witty, this one. “I just assumed you had a lot on your agenda today, Colt. I don’t want to hover.”

I was puzzled constantly over when to stick around, and when to leave him be. Appear as committed, but not obsessed. Interested but not overbearing. I had never been with an older man before, were the rules different?  Sure, he was only 26 to my almost 23, but nonetheless older. Did the “hard to get rule” expire with men in their late-twenties?

“Livvy, stop worryin’, baby. Mornings before a fight are actually pretty laid back. I’ll spend most of the day with my headphones in my ears, prolly take a dip in the jacuzzi,” he was rolling his eyes, motioning his hands back and forth to explain the boring schedule of his day. “Then, meet the guys in Mac’s room to talk things out before we head to the venue. So, at least lemme order us some room service so I can enjoy breakfast with my girl, ight? Unless you got somethin’ else I could eat for breakfast? It’s the most important meal of the day, y’know…”

Damn this pig. This sexy, magnificently tantalizing pig.

I hurled the hotel menu on the desk speedily toward him, “Cold shower, Ritter. Cold shower.”

If he wanted breakfast in bed with me, who I was I to deny? Rolling my puffy morning eyes at him, I crept back into bed.

“Waffles, please! And bacon. Oh! Fruit on the side, too. And coffee. Don’t forget coffee.”

Like he said, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right?

The man was impressed with my appetite for food, among other things as well. “Yes, ma’am!” he obliged. “Anythin’ else for the princess?”

“Maybe some whipped cream? For the waffles, of course….”

I was even surprised at myself for the boldness he brought out in me. Sex was a very.. taboo thing back home. Matter of fact, I never even got “the talk” from my parents, and instead was left to the uneducated murmurs of my fellow sheltered classmates. But with Colton, I felt audacious when it came to the topic. Mind you, the things he said most of the time could sent me blushing under the table, but I was growing more comfortable with his dirty remarks and was even starting to throw in my own ornery overtone on occasion.

“Oh shit. You a damn tease, Liv Elliott. A dirty, dirty tease.”

Our indulgent spread of breakfast variety was carted to the door in a very prompt fashion. I obviously indulged more than he, devouring two Belgian waffles, 3 strips of the crispiest peppered bacon I’d ever had the pleasure of eating, a grapefruit, and two cups of coffee. He enlightened me that he could’ve eaten every morsel in front of him, but it wouldn’t be a good idea to cram all the carbs and fat into his stomach, in case it made him feel sluggish. So, regretfully it was egg whites, two slices of dry wheat toast, and a protein shake for him. I did entice him to take just one bite of my syrup sopped waffle though.

“Sheesh, I’m gonna need a solid nap later to recover from that overload.” I crashed backwards onto the feather pillow behind me, crossing my hands over the settling food baby in my stomach.

“Hey, do me a favor will ya’? Wear that sexy fuckin’ leather jacket o’ yours I like so much tonight? I know I won’t see ya’ before the fight, but I want you to wear it out to celebrate after. My little badass, front-page writer out on the town.” He was kissing my individual fingertips one at a time.

“Sounds like you’ve got it all planned out then.” My gut bubbled with hope that tonight would bring to pass every detail he had said. Him, the newly crowned Middleweight Champ on my arm, and me, the newest front-page writer for the Pitt Pilot. Could life be that perfect for us?

“Course. A man with a plan.”  I admired how he trampled every aspect of life with blinding confidence, and I wished he could somehow hypnotize me to do the same. “As much as I hate to leave good company, babe, I should get home. Let you get all angry and pouty and what not.” I sighed into a near pout, sincerely wishing I could spend the entire day as a part of his prep team.

“You’re probably right, baby doll. I can’t believe Mac ain’t been here beatin’ my door down yet.”

I was gathering my day-old clothes to redress, and Colt rose to begin lightly packing his gym bag. He threw in an unfolded change of shorts, his red headphones, then I saw him pick up the gloves I’d gifted him.

“C’mere, two-one..” I zipped my khakis up and lifted my hair out from under the neck of my shirt, then obliged to his request. He held one glove in each hand and squared them even to my chin. 

“Kiss ‘em for luck?”

My heart hiccupped, and I topped his hands with mine and dipped my puckered lips to the padded mitts with an audible “mwah.”

“That’s it. The magic touch! The final nail in that jackoff Mendez’s coffin. A kiss of luck from my girl. Now, got one more kiss on that pretty little mouth for these?” he begged, one finger pointing to his own sinful lips.

I closed in on him with fierce eye contact. “I think I may have just one little measly kiss left in here somewhere for you, champ.”

My mouth was so close to his that the words nearly vibrated off of his parting lips, and I gently cupped his dimpled cheek. It was a lethal concoction made of salaciousness and loving romance that was slowly poisoning my entire body with bliss. Colton’s hand swept down the side of my head, combing through the tangled hair he had gathered it into his fist at the back of my neck. I was locked to him and I never knew being captured could feel so, so good. My tongue covered almost every surface in his mouth, mapping it out. He withdrew and I could feel his lips spreading upward into a smile.

“Wow. I think I may need to drown myself in an ice bath now. A cold shower ain’t gonna wipe that one outta my mind.”

I was pleased that I had to same affect on him, and his did on me.

“Good luck tonight. You don’t need it. You’ve got this. Step into that cage ready to battle. Clear eyes, okay? I love you, Colt.”

“Clear eyes. I got it, baby. And I love you too, Elliott. More than you fuckin’ know.”

TAGS: @torialeysha @eap1935

[forkanna]

[AO3] [WATTPAD]

Sorry for the long hiatus from posting. I really didn't intend for that to happen. My grandfather passed away, and not only was I dealing with that emotionally, but there has been a lot going on as a result in my life. Aside from that, I had a vacation and a birthday in there as well. Thank you in advance for coming back if you're still reading along; I promise I'm going to try to refocus and post more frequently until this fic is completed.

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

"Alright, now you have a big bowl of meat and rice. Enough to choke a camel. Let's hear it."

"Hear what?" Rise asked airily as she picked at the bowl, as if she hadn't a care in the world. Of course this was mostly a bit of revenge; she wanted her to have to sweat for a moment. Just because she still loved Ai didn't mean she wasn't above a little light-hearted torture between friends.

"You're so smart, you know everything. Tell me why you think I was blackmailing you into outing me."

"Why should I? You've been pretty terrible to me. I mean, I know you had 'reasons', but like… I apologised for those. And you could tell me, since I mean… okay, Ebi-chan. Do you want to really get real?"

The teen queen rolled her eyes. "Go ahead. There doesn't seem to be any stopping you."

"Alright. I think this is childish and dumb. Can't we just talk about this and work through it? Wouldn't that be healthier?"

"Oh, I agree. Problem is, you didn't talk to me — you blabbed to all your friends. I don't know why I have to keep reminding you about that. Yeah, you apologised, but this is a lot bigger than 'I accidentally told the whole school you peed your pants.' This isn't just embarrassing, this isn't just a shitty rumour. Are you with me? Are you getting why this is-"

"YES!" she interrupted. When Ai looked extremely offended, she held up both hands, chopsticks in one of them. "Sorry. I just… I know you really think I don't get it. That's coming in loud and clear, but can you like, hear me when I say I do now?"

"Sorry, no. You broke my trust and now you have to fix it, girl."

"Alright." Then she sat up a little straighter and looked at her. "Wait…"

"What?" Ai's lips thinned and she went completely rigid, hand moving up to her cheek. "Do I… there's something on my face. Right?"

"No. You just admitted I can fix it. That means this whole thing… you're putting on a front, right? Just trying to make me really apologise for messing up so bad. So there's hope!"

"Hey, NO! That is not what this means, you can't-"

"Noooo, nope, no take-backs! HAH!" She even hopped up and down in her seat, pointing at Ai as the other girl grimaced. "I got you, I got you, you do still like me! You can't hide it anymore!"

"SHUT UP! Jesus Christ, I can't even be mad and you actually believe me; what is this victim-denial bullshi-" But she couldn't even finish the words, because Rise was sweeping her into a crushing hug. "Get OFF, you leech!"

"I'm so happy!" she whispered.

And the table was quiet for a minute. Both of them sort of suddenly realised words weren't adequate to address the romantic corner they had painted themselves into.

"God. You're ruining everything."

"I know, I know. But I'm too cute for you to stay mad at forever."

"Wrong. That would work on a dumb boy, but not on me."

Rise just relaxed against her for a moment, even though the relaxation component felt like it was getting smaller and smaller. Still too much tension. Then she threw her trump card away completely. "You want me to out you… because it'll prove you right. That I'm a bad friend, and a jerk, and I can't be trusted. Then you can feel better about cutting me outta your life forever; less guilty."

No response. When almost a minute passed, Rise finally drew away to pick at her food because she couldn't stand the waiting. Neither could she look at Ai. Maybe this was too big; maybe they had just hurt each other too much, even though it was just a series of accidents and retaliations over accidents. She was beginning to feel sick, and guilty that she was probably not going to be able to finish her food…

"Do you feel smart now or something?"

Her chopsticks clattered to the table. "Huh?"

"For figuring it out." Ai's voice was so low and quiet; it could have been anger, it could have been sadness. "But I don't get how you can be smart enough to know that, and too stupid to know to keep your mouth shut about my… situation."

Rise almost fired up again, since Ai was worse than a dog with a bone, but somehow managed to throttle it down. "Because I'm new to this. And I think you would see that if you weren't so… mad. I get why you are, a lot better now, but if you're gonna hate me for making a mistake forever… I can't do that. I really will walk out of your life. Is it worth it to you to hold that grudge?"

"Maybe. I do love holding grudges against people who hurt me. It's so much fun normally."

"But I didn't. I just made a mistake, and the mistake hurt you. I tried to cover it, and I made another one, and… and I'm just gonna keep making them because I'm human, Ebi-chan. So are you. I just can't keep letting you make me feel like a criminal."

"And I can't be in a relationship with someone who's so careless with my secret. That's a big part of who I am, and it's something that could get me killed if the wrong person decides I'm an easy target for their hatred, to purge their fragile little emasculated feelings." Ai sighed. "Fuck."

"What?"

"I'm going to have to forgive you. Because even as I'm saying this, I hear it — that I'm beating a dead horse." When Rise started to look hopeful, she scowled and pointed at her face. "Listen good, bitch. This isn't a free pass; you hurt me, and I can't trust you anymore. But… like you said, I'm giving you the chance to start repairing the trust. You better not squander it."

That very solid warning did keep Rise from gasping in delight and throwing her arms around her again. The gravity of the situation tempered her joy very effectively. But she still reached down and took up Ai's hands, holding them tightly as she leaned closer.

"I'll be your best friend. Okay? We… can act like we're together in front of an audience, and then just… try to chill, a-and go back to buddies when we're alone. I'm taking 'dating' off the table so you don't, um… so you don't feel like…"

"So I haven't completely let you off the hook?" Ai guessed. When Rise nodded, she snorted and looked away. "Dumb. And the best option we have, I think, since…" Rise just nudged her to continue. "Since you're right. I do miss you and I hate all the fighting, and I'm over it. I just need this probationary period to figure out if I can ever trust you again."

Rise felt like she was soaring through the clouds, even though clearly Ai looked like she was suffering a crippling defeat. It was unfortunate things ended up this way but wallowing in misery about it would change nothing. "Thank you. I'm… I know it's hard, it's hard for me to admit I screwed up as bad as I did. And I'll never know how you felt! But I'm starting to get it, and… and I'm really glad you'll let me have more time to do better. Because I'm gonna prove you didn't mess up by giving that trust to me. Bet on it."

"Good. Now eat your stupid beef so we can get out of here, I'm not hungry at all."

"Neither am I, now. Can… we take it back to your place, and just relax? Or try to?"

"Ugh."

"We're going to have more of an audience the longer we stay."

That much was definitely true. Already, there were a few students eyeing them curiously, trying to be inconspicuous and failing spectacularly. Rise definitely wondered if they had been witness to their entire fight, and what they thought about it. But they were sitting far enough away that they couldn't possibly have heard any details; that served as a small relief.

"Yeah, let's go. I'm not a fucking trained monkey."

"Never said you were," she said delicately as they started to stand from the table, flagging down Aika to box up the rest of the food. But her dimples were showing from the sheer force of her giant smile. All hope was not lost and that was enough for now.

                                    ~ o ~

The walk back was pleasant, and the frost had finally been shaken off their relationship now that they had done most of the hard work. They could catch up on some of the small things they had missed in each other's lives while they weren't talking. Furthermore, since being under the microscope of the entire Yasogami student body made it impossible to put distance between them, a little additional warmth came along for the ride — and Rise couldn't be any happier for it if she tried. This was exactly what she had been hoping for, even if it came in such a roundabout way.

"So you really impressed me with that little trick."

Ai looked over from where she was changing out her city pop CDs. Chisato Moritaka had been really upbeat and fun, but Rise had requested something a little more mellow. "Which trick is that?"

"The tucking thing. That's what you called it, right?" She laughed as she leaned back against Ai's western-style bed, having elected to sit on the floor instead of being presumptuous about sitting on the bed itself. "Not that I saw the tucking part, just the mysterious missing penis, but that's still pretty cool you can do that. Totally faked out those girls, and me — and I guess you could do that with a boy too, if they tried to do something."

"Exactly," she told her with a smug smirk. "Never underestimate the power of a motivated trans girl. You did, and you had to face the consequences, bitch."

Rolling her eyes a little, Rise moved her stocking feet from side to side, trying in vain to touch her big toes together even though her legs were spaced too far apart for it to be possible. Just an idle exercise. "I did not — I don't even know enough about that stuff to understand how to underestimate somebody who's like you."

"Uh huh." The room was quiet for a moment, other than the gentle sounds of Taeko Ohnuki now floating out of her newly-acquired stereo; apparently, Rise's comment about Ai using her Joystation had gotten to her, innocent as it was. "You want a demonstration?"

"Of your power? What, are you gonna charge up your chi and blast a hole in the moon?"

Ai giggled as she sat on the bed. At least she could laugh around her again. "No, the tucking thing."

"Huh? Oh…" Shrugging, she turned a little bit more in her direction. "Yeah, I guess. I don't know how that's gonna do more than last time though, I mean… wait, are you flashing me again?!"

"No, you dumbass! I mean, yes, but you won't see anything; that's the whole point. But hang on."

No other situation had felt more awkward. Rise found herself gawking as Ai reached under her skirt to fiddle for a moment, and she turned her head out of instinct. What was happening?! But after a second, she heard, "Okay, there it is. Do you wanna like, be flashed, or inspect for yourself?"

"I- I don't think I sh- I'm not gonna do that!" Rise hissed. "Isn't that, um, indecent?"

"Not if I'm saying 'hey, inspect me'."

"Well… I… can't argue with that." So she cleared her throat and stood on her knees, walking over to her that way so the target remained at eye level. "I'm gonna inspect really good. You're sure that's cool?'

"Yep. Do whatever you want. I mean, not too crazy; I'm sure you'll figure out where the line is, you're pretty smart."

That compliment helped soothe her nerves slightly. It was wonderful to hear Ai say something nice about her again. So Rise reached up and lifted the skirt, seeing Ai's pale pink panties in place as was normal. "Wow… I mean, yeah, there's supposed to be a dick here and there isn't right now. Are you sure you weren't just pulling a big prank on everybody?"

"Is that your way of asking me to show you?" When Rise only started to flush a deeper red, Ai smirked. "Didn't think so. You're so soft."

"Uh! I am NOT, I'm just not the slut you think I am!"

"Hey, I never said you were. Well… not since I got to know you." They exchanged a smile. "But yeah, there it is; you can see how I got away with it."

"Okay, hang on then; I'm not done." She started to peel her panties down, casting an occasional glance up at Ai's face; making sure this wasn't too far. Though she did look a little less smug and bemused, more serious, she wasn't trying to stop her and there was no fear in her features. So…

The same soft skin, the same little mole near her hip… same perfectly-trimmed landing strip. Rise treated her own pubic region similarly; she knew nobody would be visiting down there, but it just felt nicer to take care of the landscaping now that it was necessary for her to do so. She smiled and passed a finger over the hairs, and saw their owner shivered in response.

No prominent male organ was visible. Not that she could see. Upon closer inspection, there did seem to be some slight folding in the skin just where it disappeared between her thighs, but it wasn't too out of the ordinary.

"Okay, I guess now I'm done. Like…" Rise cleared her throat, her pulse was racing in her throat. Mostly because at this proximity, she could catch a very slight hint of some kind of musk and it was beginning to get to her; the scent was so vague she could almost convince herself she was imagining it, but she also knew that was a lot less likely than that she was being hit by Ai's pheromones. "Like, um…"

"Like what?" Ai asked warily, even though she was clearly trying to keep calm. She wanted to trust Rise, and was — provisionally. However, clearly they were both being affected by their positioning.

"Like, I could… put my finger in there… and probably find more, or… b-but this is all you would have to do for those girls, or for some dumb creep who's attacking you — like how you flashed me at school. So I don't need to do that."

"I wouldn't stop you."

Interesting. Rise felt like she couldn't breathe suddenly, but she tried to tell herself that this was just Ai joking around, or trying to provoke a reaction. Goading her, teasing her, like she always was. What if she just… did it? What if she poked her finger between her thighs there and found out for sure?

Or she could try something else. Something she wanted to do a lot more. She leaned forward…

"Oh," Ai breathed when she felt the lips pushing into her skin through the strip of well-trimmed hairs. So very close but not exploring further. "Rise…?"

"Sorry," she breathed as she sat back on her legs, hoping her face wasn't glowing like the sun as she smiled up at her. "I just… I wanted to do something nice for what you have down here. Whatever it is. A-and it was probably super weird, and I'm sorry, but like, I've been accidentally a bitch. You know I didn't mean to now — at least, I think you do. I hope. But I can still try to make you feel a little better."

Another little sigh fell from Ai as she looked down at Rise. "Dumb bitch." But she raised a hand to caress over her hair, tender and affectionate. Maybe they really had mostly fixed their friendship, even if everything else was awkward.

Then she noticed Ai was squirming. "Oh, um… sorry, I guess you want me to get my face out of your business."

"Well… more like, your face being in my business is making me feel things. But you're fine, it's just, uh, a side effect. I'll live."

"Feel what kind of things?" But Ai didn't answer; just squirmed. So she decided to see if the direct contact had been the culprit by kissing her again. That shiver confirmed her hypothesis. God, she had missed being able to kiss Ai; even though this wasn't on the lips, and it technically hadn't even been that long since the last time… she had missed it so damn much. Scary. "Good things, right?"

"Yeah… m-maybe." When she kissed again, the taller girl blustered, "Come on, you can't want to do that, it probably smells weird and tastes weird. Down there. N-not that I'd have any way of knowing."

"What? I just wanna be close to you, and… and you like this. Maybe?"

"I do not! Or, well, I… it's more like… you don't have to, we're all good now. I promise."

Rise stuck out her tongue briefly and said, "Never said I had to." Then she glanced down again. "Although… I know you explained it, but I'm still not really sure what you're doing. Like, where does it go?"

"Huh?"

"Your thing. Like, is it in your butt now?"

"Oh my GOD," she burst out, covering her face with her palm. "What kind of RPG do you think this is?! No, my dick doesn't magically get sucked into my ass!"

"Well, I mean, I can't see it! So if you swear you have one, then it had to go somewhere!"

"You keep saying you don't want me to show you, but then act like I have to show you," Ai snorted with a shake of her head.

"No! Well, yeah, you're right, I am doing that… I'm sorry, I'm just really curious! I'll shut up."

Which she did. However, Ai was clearly having nearly as bad a crisis of faith; or at least, it was different but equally excruciating. Her eyes were a little sad when she whispered, "Do you promise?"

"To shut up? Definitely."

"No, no, I meant… if I show you, will you still see me… as a woman?"

"Ai-"

"No, you have to. If you screw me in this department again, I swear it's really over; I can't start being misgendered everywhere I go, friends treating me like a freak, having to change schools. You know the score now, and you are at the very top of that list of what's important to me. So… if you can promise you won't start calling me a boy again, o-or-"

Rise felt her heart sinking. Even before now, even after all they had been through and all she had learned, she was hit with the sudden realisation that she had not quite understood how deeply important her female identity was to Ai. But that stark fear of losing it, readily apparent in her features? That completed the puzzle and laid it all bare.

"Ebi-chan… you're an amazing girl," she told her again, her smile as warm as it was defiant. She was more defying her own expectations, and the world around them, but she felt stronger, more sure of herself. "And you're going to be an amazing woman. And I just hope I'm there to see it happen, and I haven't messed up so bad I'm cut out of your life. But either way? You don't need me to tell you how badass you are."

That clearly meant the world to Ai. The anxiety didn't vanish, but it faded by a significant amount as she smiled down at her friend. "You always know what to say. Annoying. But… thank you again." Then she cleared her throat. "I can handle it for a second. But all you get is a second, and then I'm covering it, a-and that's it. Do you get me? Promise you get me, right now!"

"I promise!" she yelped, not even sure what she was promising. Mostly, she was just terrified of disappointing her and turning out to be a shitty friend yet again, so she couldn't waste time.

And then it was happening. Fast. Ai suddenly took a wide step to the side, and something was swinging up at her — and she slammed her eyes shut, flashing out with her hand defensively. "OHMYGOD!"

"OW! RISE!"

"What?! I- you have a DICK!"

"Yeah, I know I have one! YOU didn't know that, and I'm trying to show you so you're not- you didn't have to SMACK IT!"

"BUT I NEVER HAD A DICK SWING AT ME LIKE IT'S GONNA PUNCH ME IN THE FOREHEAD!"

The growl was so exasperated that Rise almost looked up at her just to see if she was mad. Almost. "Well, just… it's not swinging now! So look for a second, then touch it — nicely, and then I can put this stupid thing away! GOD!"

"Okay, FINE! Wow, you're so mean!"

The thing was, now that it wasn't moving at speed, Rise found she wasn't nearly as weirded out when she slit one eye open. Ai Ebihara… did indeed own what she assumed was a pretty average example of a penis. She didn't know if it was supposed to stick straight out like that, or if its size and shape was normal; this whole experience was just very strange, because she had never been in this position before. Well, that wasn't technically true, but the last time had only been an even more brief glimpse before security hauled the deranged fan away. And she wasn't on her knees that time, looking it in the eye.

Right; now she had to touch it — also unlike last time. Ai would have let her refuse if she said she wasn't comfortable, she knew that, but she also knew the whole point was to prove once and for all that this was reality, not some pack of lies. Besides, her own curiosity wouldn't let her back down. So she reached forward and pressed her fingertip into the top of the pale shaft.

Two things became immediately apparent. First, that it was warmer and softer than she had been expecting, even though she wasn't sure why she expected otherwise in the first place. Second…

"Hmmhhh."

…Ai liked having it touched. At least, that was what that little moan told her. Her finger began to slide up and down over the smooth skin-

"O-okay, that's enough!" Ai took a long step backward, hastily rearranging her skirt and underwear to cover herself. "Right. Well, I mean, I don't know if that was thrilling for you or what, but um… at least you know it's real now. So… so good."

Rise frowned as she struggled to her feet. "Hey, I believed you before. I mean, I have since the karaoke, anyway; like, I know I was kinda dumb about it there… but I knew you wouldn't be this serious about it just to mess with me."

"Oh. Well, alright, then."

"Wow, I can't believe you really are a b-uh…" Right; that was a big thing she had just promised. "You really were born a boy. Right? Is- if I say that, is it still bad? I'm trying to figure out how to say you have a dick without it sounding, um, vulgar."

Ai was flushing and still trying to cover herself. It worked, technically speaking, but the bulge was way too obvious now. "Mmhh, it's fine. You sound a little wacky, but not that bad. I appreciate you trying."

"Yeah, of course! You're my friend, I want to make you feel good if I can!"

"Right." A long pause. "You know I'm not a boy, right?"

"What?"

"Like, for real. Deep down. You aren't just saying things to make me not mad at you, are you?"

Had her there. "What do you mean? Like, of course I am! I've only ever heard of boys having dicks, like… most girls I've heard of like you, they got rid of those. Not that I know them personally. So this is different, and I'm really trying to understand…"

"Well, I probably will get rid of it, Rise," she sighed. Only a little irritated. If she had to guess, Ai was probably frustrated with the reality of her situation, not Rise's words. "When I'm out of high school. Because I really want to be a woman in mind and body, completely, but… right now this is the best I can do."

God, that hit her straight in the gut. The more she learned about who Ai was, how she felt inside, the more atrocious it sounded to have to live life the way she had up until this point. Even if she was mostly an entitled girl, very affluent and in control of her life, she had to go through such a dark time before she made it to being exactly who she wanted to be.

"And your best is… beautiful. Like, you're so pretty, and strong, and… and I really never saw you as a boy. Even after you told me, even after I found out you have one of those. I'm just… used to thinking of… I'm going around in circles."

Ai pulled Rise to the bed and sat her down with her. Wow, it was much harder to avoid glancing down again than she had expected! "I get it. And you screwed up the way I should have expected you to. I suppose I just liked you so much that I really hoped you would just understand me immediately. Stupid, isn't it?"

"Not at all." She smiled. Ai smiled back. Their faces drifted closer…

And Rise's phone went off. She had promised her grandmother she would help her clean up the shop. Maybe this was for the best, because her hand was on Ai's thigh — and she knew she would have felt tempted to move it that little bit higher.

"Well, I g-gotta go," she breathed shakily as she stood up, brushing off her skirt. "Um… I, uh…"

"You keep looking at it," Ai accused. "I'm not a freak; I hope you get that now."

"Oh, that's… not what I was thinking. Gotta go! Bye!"

Ai's brows were so very furrowed as the idol raced out of there before giving herself away. The last thing she wanted to reveal was just how impure some of her thoughts were becoming. And she knew that if she hadn't run away right when she did, it would have meant their relationship deepened a lot more depending on how those next minutes went. What an unmitigated disaster for their friendship that could be if things didn't turn out okay!

Even if the PR would be perfect. The more in love she was with her best friend, the more in love she would look with her best friend. She just hoped Ai was alright with that — if she ever found the nerve to tell her.

                                    To Be Continued…

[fairysoldier-plisetsky]

Valentine’s Event FS - Yuriy Plisetsky

Simple and Clean (Ray of Hope Remix) Theme: Love Costume: Black pants and shirt (Otabek’s still not returned Aria T-Shirt), two chokers, and a white jacket. 

00:00 – 00:16 The music starts, dreamy and wistful. He picked this song specifically for Otabek—for them, and Yuriy wonders briefly if he’ll even recognize the alternate arrangement. Yuriy starts moving immediately, gliding elegantly along the ice as his mind slowly drifts away from Detroit back to Barcelona. He closes his eyes, his feet carrying him easily through his crossovers and spiraling 3turns, and he’s on the back of Otabek’s bike. The Russian Fairy spirited away by the Hero of Kazakhstan, and he’s dreamed about that day more times than he’s ever admit. It was the beginning of everything. Yuriy leans forward into an Ina Bauer and extends one arm out. Yuriy.

00:17 – 00:32 Their progression after that was rocky, to say the least. Yuriy shifts, bringing his free leg forward and out in front of him as he spirals. Yuriy’s rapidly growing feelings for Otabek quickly spiral out of control before either of them either realize it’s happening.

When you walk away, you don’t hear me say “Please, oh baby, don’t go.”

Yuriy twists his body around at his torso and contorting his body until he feels the cold bite of his skate as he grabs the blade. It had hurt like nothing he’d ever experienced before when saw Otabek kiss Mila, and even worse when he walked away from Yuriy without even looking at him. Heartbreak wasn’t something he was used to feeling at the time, but he’s sure that’s what it was; the horrible aching pain in his chest. Simple and clean is the way that you’re making me feel tonight Those few days they went without seeing each other, only speaking to each other through a short exchange of drunk and angry texts had been torture. Everything had been perfect between before that moment. Simple, with nothing to complicate things until suddenly everything became complicated with one kiss. It’s hard to let it go

His first jump is next, a triple axel and he lands it perfectly, swinging back into a deep arc. Otabek was on his mind constantly back then, not like he still isn’t now. He hated thinking that the friendship they’d only just started building together could have been ruined in only one evening.

00:47 – 1:02 You’re giving me too many things lately Yuriy backtracks a bit, trying to draw on more positive memories. He’s supposed to be skating about love, not heartbreak—if they mostly go hand in hand. Otabek presented Yuriy with the helmet and Yuriy immediately fell in love with it. The words they’ve shared between each other as they ride along the streets are easy; something only they can understand. Even when they’re not speaking at all, the soft hum of their breath through the speaks is enough. You’re all I need Yuriy covers his face with one hand, leaning back as he twirls with one foot hovering above the ice, slightly bent. His arms always wound so tightly around Otabek’s waist. After the first time, he was never afraid of falling off—he just wants to be closer. You smiled at me and said He straightens up and drags the hand covering his face down his neck and chest, holding it over his heart as he continues to spin. He can feel it beating beneath his palms, fluttering in the same way it does whenever he’s close enough to notice the scent of Otabek’s leather jacket or brush their hands together. 1:03 – 1:17 The daily things (like this and that and what is what?) that keep us all busy are confusing me The quad toe loop comes easily to him, his body feeling lighter than usual. Right out of it, he swings his free leg around behind him, bending backwards so he can grab his skate as he switches smoothly into his spin combination. Everything with Otabek is entirely new to him and a healthy amount of confusion is completely understandable. When did they cross that line between friends and something more? Was that what they wanted? Was it even possible? That’s when you came to me and said Simple, accidental contact between them is his favourite; when they get so close to each other without trying or meaning to.  Everything feels natural to him; the same way he sinks in and out of his sit spin and contorts his limbs elegantly as he finishes out the combination. 

1:18 – 1:34 “Don’t get me wrong, I love you, but does that mean I have to meet your father?” Otabek skating for him, and just for him, was the wake up call that Yuriy needed. Seeing him pour himself into his a routine, a routine made just for Yuriy and how he felt about him. Yuriy’s heart had been racing the entire time, matching the lyrics to Otabek’s song almost perfectly: I never noticed my heart until I noticed you. I never knew love like this until I knew you. Yuriy takes three quick strides across the ice, picking up speed and launching into a split jump, tossing his head back slightly. He lands on one blade, spinning twice before his free leg joins the first. When we are older you’ll understand what I meant when I said “No, I don’t think life is quite that simple.” 1:35 – 1:49 When you walk away, you don’t hear me say “Please, oh baby, don’t go.” Unfortunately, Yuriy thinks, “love” doesn’t always feel good. He loops and turns through his step sequence, creating exaggerated motions with his arms while twisting and bending his upper body. He shifts on his skates, alternating which foot is the lead and which is his free leg as he works through his choreography. He’d felt useless when Otabek came apart in front of him after his Disney free skate. Seeing him break down and cry like that and being able to do nothing to help him, hurt. Simple and clean is the way that you’re making me feel tonight   It’s hard to let it go They both ended up crying that night, Yuriy trying to kiss away as much of the pain as he could before they fell asleep curled up and emotionally exhausted in each other’s arms. He never wants to see Otabek that torn up again. He wants to keep him in his arms and shield him from everything and everyone in his life that’s ever wrong or hurt him or treated him as if he isn’t good enough. 1:50 – 2:04  Hold me Whatever lies beyond this morning is a little later on Yuriy back tracks again, this time to New Year’s Eve and where he officially marks that everything changed, and he transitions into his next spin combination. He folds his arms over his chest as he slides down into a sit spin. He holds himself tightly and blushes faintly when he imagines it’s Otabek that’s embracing him; perhaps even the same way he did when they shared their third ‘first kiss’ beneath the bursting fireworks. A layback spiral is next, and Yuriy extends one arm out; reaching up and out. Yuriy had felt so warm and so ridiculously happy that he didn’t think he’d come down from his euphoria from his first kiss anytime soon. They had no idea where they were going then, only that they were moving forward in the same direction and they wanted to go together.   Regardless of warnings, the future doesn’t scare me at all Nothing’s like before Yuriy’s seen how badly these types of relationships can go: the fights, the misunderstandings, the break-ups and more. He’s seen all of it, and they’ve had their own fair share of problems already, but nothing that they haven’t been able to come away from; both stronger people. Together. They’re growing together, bringing out the best in each other and taking the worst in stride. 2:05 – 2:20 When you walk away, you don’t hear me say “Please, oh baby, don’t go.” Yuriy bursts into a quad salchow barely punctuated with a small pause before he follows it up with a stunning triple axel, raising both arms in the air. Nearly ‘splitting up’ when they were even together over ice cream had been the worse. It was a pattern with them that Yuriy hoped they’d soon grow out of; starting off so sweet until things turned horribly sour.   Guilt. Disgust. Yuriy had made Otabek feel that way about himself.

“…I’m sorry I made you feel that way.”

Simple and clean is the way that you’re making me feel tonight It’s hard to let it go Yuriy slips in a few crossovers out of his jumps, weaving intricate patterns across the ice as he skates; completely focused. The moments after their near not-break up were a few of the best and worst they shared together. The kissing and cuddling hand been fantastic, but the strained conversation Yuriy forced them to have afterward had been awful. “No more guessing games, Beka.” Yuriy doesn’t want to lose this, any of it, just because they’re too afraid to say what’s on their minds. “I don’t want to do this if we’re too afraid to be honest with each other.” 2:38 – 2:52 You’re giving me too many things lately Yuriy leans forward into a spread eagle with his arms out to the side; open with his hands palm up. He turns back on one foot and elongates himself, shifting into an Ina Bauer. Another ‘fun’ habit they’ve developed is Otabek constantly finding reasons to worry over Yuriy. The hickeys on his neck that Otabek was afraid hurt him, to Yuriy’s insistence to never opening up more than he needed to. Yuriy bends forward to transition into his camel spin. “Not saying things plainly just so you can save me the worry.” You’re all I need Yuriy comes out of his spin, closing his eyes and raising his arms above his head before slowly dragging them back down over his sides with a subtle roll of his hips as he drifts backwards. Yuriy’s breath hitches slightly, his heart fluttering at every soft kiss Otabek pressing into his knuckles. His hands feel cold, but each kiss leaves his skin warm and tingling and it slowly brings a smile to his face. The gesture is so sweet and soft and intimate in the strangest way that Yuriy’s not used to yet; just purely full of love and affection without anything else behind it. Love.

You smiled at me and said 2:53 – 3:08 The daily things (like this and that and what is what?) The triple toe loop is next and his manages it with little trouble, keeping one hand high in the air that he slowly brushes through his hair for a bit of finesse once he’s landed. One of the problems of being technically, not technically with Otabek is he’s too damn attractive for his own good and he doesn't even realize it. Flame of jealousy had licked at Yuriy on more than one occasion, from the horribly brazen and depraved girls from Instagram to the waitress that attempted to give Otabek her number.   that keep us so busy are confusing me Yuriy melts back into another spin combination, reaching up and out with a graceful arch in his spine. He’d claimed Otabek as his to that waitress and his cheeks darkened when he remembers that Otabek had actually heard him. that’s when you came to me, and said “So…I’m taken, huh?” Yuriy does a quick butterfly spin to switch legs into a hairsplitter layback. Otabek’s response to Yuriy declaration had been favourable to say the least and Yuriy swears he can feel his lips tingling at the memory of the kiss; pushed back against his door and loving every second of it before Minami picked the absolute worse time to return. They flew away from each other like they were scalded, Yuriy throwing himself face down into his mattress and pillows to hide his burning cheeks. 3:09 – 3:21 “Don’t get me wrong, I love you, but does that mean I have to meet your father?” When we are older you’ll understand The step sequence is next, filled mostly with crossovers, three turns and Choctaws while Yuriy paints intricate shapes and patterns with his arms. Walking in on Otabek dancing, being completely dumbfounded learning that he could move that way and had been hiding it for so long had been very interesting. Otabek moved like he was one with the music, every pop and roll of his hips making Yuriy’s heart skip a beat and his mouth go dry. He wants to get closer, and he does…it ends about how he expected it to. What I meant when I said “No, I don’t think life is quite that simple.” 3:22 – 3:37 When you walk away you don’t hear me say “Please, oh baby, don’t go.” “Everyone I try to love leaves me!” Yuriy feels his chest tighten up, remembering the words he’d screamed at Otabek when he’d been doing his best to take care of him after they left the hospital. “I’m fucking scared, Beka.” Yuriy exits his sequence in a forward lunge, his front knee bent sharply with one arm reaching out, grasping for the air. “Beka, I’m sorry. I keep fucking this up.” Simple and clean is the way that you’re making me feel tonight It’s hard to let it go A few more crossovers, a low sweeping dip towards the ice and Yuriy spins once. "I can't take away your past hurts even though every last cell of my body wants to. And I can't promise you there won't be any future ones. But I can promise you one thing: I will never leave." 3:41 – 3:56 Hold me Yuriy flies into the first jump of his combo, wrapping his arms securely around himself as he rotates through the air. Otabek unzipped his jacket so that Yuriy could lay back and tuck closer against his warm chest, wrapping the edges of the jacket around Yuriy like a little cocoon. Whatever lies beyond this morning is a little later on Yuriy feels his heart rate pick up. He’s included the lutz again, which he failed to land last night, or any of the previous attempts during his late night practice that Otabek had walked in on. Still, he has to try, ignoring the phantom ice burn pain in the palm of his hand. Yuriy had woken up kicking and screaming, eyes wide and terrified and seeing things that weren’t actually there, but like always, Otabek was able to calm him down. They talked, more liked kissed and cried, in the other room until they were both relaxed enough to sleep, curling up together on the couch. It isn’t flawless, the entry giving him trouble as usual, but he stays on his face and a beautiful smile crosses briefly across his face. Regardless of warnings, the future doesn’t scare me at all Nothing’s like before 3:57 – 4:08 When you walk away, you don’t hear me “Please, oh baby, don’t go.” Yuriy goes into his last step sequence, chasing the sweet, familiar melody of the music that he’s started to think of now as their song. He thinks of a future…one not to faraway, but long enough away that he’ll still enjoy every moment he’s given now with everything he has. Yuriy imagines himself standing in the airport, right in front of his departure gate, but unwilling to go. Otabek’s gate is further away, but…they’re stubborn. Of course they’ll stay by each other for as long as they can, before that last boarding call because neither of them has the stomach to walk away first, or to have to watch the other go. After all, Detroit is only temporary; they however, are not. It’s not like they won’t see each other again once they leave, Yuriy already knows he’ll make damn sure of that. The last note approaches and Yuriy finishes strong, adding once last simple double toe loop he hadn’t planned on before he finishes, arms outstretched with a determined look on his face. Simple and clean is the way that you’re making me feel tonight It’s hard to let it go

[dm-of-elemental-evil]

NaNoWriMo Day 4

The way Sorry talked about that night afterwards, you would think we were expert burglars robbing a great baron of an oppressive monarchy. I’d like to think we were, but I believe we bumbled our way through to success.

I went to the beach to meet with Pendleton while the others gathered our supplies. Bawbbe came with me, claiming that I needed to be protected. He certainly looked the part of bodyguard, with his imposing onyx scythe that he took from the late Wolfheim’s corpse, but I didn’t think I needed any help with the upcoming meeting.

Despite the impressive crowd, it was obvious which one was Pendleton. He was as fat, if not fatter, as the last time I saw him, and his silver suit positively bulged at the seams. Light brown hair lay plastered against his scalp, slicked back and oiled to the point that it reflected the sun like a mirror. His pant legs were rolled up and his large pink toes were buried in the sand as a half dozen men of similar proportions sat around him in wicker chairs, discussing business opportunities throughout the city in hushed whispers. I shifted my tunic, an old nervous habit, and was suddenly reassured by Bawbbe’s presence behind me.

“My, is that my dear Alethia?” Pendleton had turned to face me, his jowls parting like theater curtains to reveal an almost predatory smile. “Darling, it has truly been such a long time!” He hobbled across the sand to me, arms outstretched to embrace me. Bawbbe stepped forward, freezing Pendleton in his tracks. “I see you took my advice and hired on some muscle. Quite… a lot… of muscle…” A single bead of sweat trickled down his forehead as he looked the barbarian up and down.

“Indeed, Pendleton, it has been quite some time since we last saw each other. I found myself passing through town and thought that we were long overdue for a reunion. Fitting that we see each other on the beach once again.” I flashed him my most winning smile.

“Well, as luck would have it, there is an event at the manse later this week. I don’t suppose you’ll be in town long enough to stop by for a moment or two?”

At this point, the other men around Pendleton had grown silent, scowling up at me from their seats. “Darling, I would love to. I believe I remember the way. Should I bring anything?”

Pendleton patted his suit jacket, then reached into an inner pocket and presented a dark cocoa-colored slip of paper, inlaid with silver and bearing an inscription.

Pendleton Fortram’s Birthday Spectacular

Come show your adoration for the most popular man in Sunburst

And get Drunk

24th Drand, 852 AG, Good for a single Plus One

No Spice

I smiled back at Pendleton, said “I’ll see you there, Pendleton,” winked, then turned to leave.

The rest of the preparations went by smoothly. Sexy crafted expert replicas of the invitation that I had received and Spicy made fancy clothes for everyone who would be entering the party. Bawbbe and I visited an alchemist in the Craftsman’s Corridor where Bawbbe acquired a strange orb that didn’t seem capable of breaking. He has so eloquently dubbed it the destro-ball, after its ability to annihilate anything that it’s thrown at. It seems to be carved with hundreds of miniscule runes, but I can’t seem to translate any of them and Elron took his leave from us soon after we met Sorry.

On the subject of translations, Wolfram returned shortly before the heist with a partial one for the writing on the sphere that he found in the Brother Peaks’ cavern, and the name of a scholar in Oheila that we could consult on our way to Bawbbe’s tribe. He had been gone for several days, and said very little about what he was doing during that time. I stole a sliver of a medallion that Wolfram stowed in his pack, so perhaps it will tell me more about what happened. Wolfram took on a disguise as well. Without his armor and freshly shaven, he looked positively regal, and he took on the name Regis von Clyde. He had an invitation as well, with Bawbbe and Emuswa being our plus ones and bodyguards. Once inside, it would be my responsibility to distract Pendleton long enough to get his key to the vault beneath the kitchen. The assistance of the BBB’s spiked truffles would make it easier to pull that off. Meanwhile Bawbbe and Emuswa would make their way through the kitchens with Sly’s transportation cart. Sorry would use Pendleton’s key to open a way through the traps in the vault. Everything was planned and accounted for.

“Invitations,” declared the gruff guardsman at the front gate of the Fortram estate. Wolfram pulled two out of the pocket of his suit and handed them over.

“For myself and the Lady Alethia, and our bodyguards.”

He looked them over for a dozen heartbeats, making an obvious show of glancing over our clothing and at Bawbbe and Emuswa. “Weapons wif the man to the right when ye go in, upstairs off limits. We catch ye wif spice, yer arse meets my boot.” With that, he stepped aside and gestured for us to head inside. One last glance back to the ornate black and gold wagon that brought us here and a quick word of reassurance to Bawbbe that we would get his scythe back when we left, and then we were inside.

The gardens that dominated the front of the house were a pleasant distraction from the rest of the desert in the city. An impressive variety of flora from throughout the world surrounded a labyrinth of pebble paths. A wide avenue cut through the center to the large double doors that gave way to the main building of the estate. Thus far, most everyone looked like I remembered from almost eight years prior, when I had first visited. The garden had certainly expanded to include a more unique collection of shrubs, trees, flowers, and the like, but the estate looked nearly unchanged by the passage of time.

Just outside the door, a pair of guards stood beside a table littered with small tabs of paper and a rack bearing a dozen or so rapiers and short swords. Noble weapons. They were dwarfed by Bawbbe’s scythe, and Wolfram couldn’t help but grin as one of the guards nearly cut his friend’s arm off trying to handle the unwieldy rock.

Despite the coolness of the desert night, the air inside the house was hot and heavy with the smoke of halfling pipe weed and the smell of roasted camel, bison, cactus, and an assortment of exotic fruits arranged on dozens of tables around the main room. Several scores of people mingled across the floor, steel drums and harps and pan flutes playing from the open roofed garden in the center of the property. The stairs up to the second floor, where most of the bed chambers, supply closets, and offices that the Fortram family used to conduct the day-to-day business of their personal trade empire. Scattered throughout the crowd in servant’s attire, a few members of the BBB could be seen with silver platters of truffles, sharing what would certainly be a gift that would keep on giving. In the central garden, a single bird seemed to be different from the dozens that decorated the trees, hopping across the branches with a peculiar wooden wing.

Bawbbe and Emuswa immediately separated, making their way discretely to the recessed doors between the two main staircases that led to the kitchens while Wolfram and I navigated the crowd to reach the open hallways that reached to the dining room at the back of the mansion. Each door that we passed was guarded under lock and key, but not even halfway down I was able to hear Pendleton’s voice rising over the cacophony of music and merrymaking.

“Darling Alethia!” His arms were spread as we entered the room, his cheeks already red from drinking and dancing. “It is so good to see you! I was beginning to wonder if you would make it after all.” He hopped down from the dais and strode across the dance floor to us, extending a hand to Wolfram. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I am Pendleton Fortram, son of the great Lord Belton Fortram and heir to the estate you find yourself in. And you are…?”

My heart caught in my throat as I realized that Wolfram probably didn’t have any decent experience crafting lies, being a paladin of Cordelia. “Baron Regis von Clyde, at your service. My father in Oheila regrets that he could not come himself, but I happened to be visiting the city for a bit of a vacation so I figured I would stop by. I understand my father Devon typically does business with your father, but I’m sure you’ll be taking over the bulk of the family business here shortly and we will work closely together in the coming years. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Ah, a baron?” Pendleton cleared his throat. “How distinguished. I look forward to getting to know you better. Are you here with dear Alethia, um…”

“Romantically?” I scoffed. “Pendleton, no, Regis is a friend of mine. We met two or three years ago when I was in Oheila and we hit it off. It was but a chance encounter that we should both end up here in Sunburst and attending this lovely party of yours. Regis, I’m sure you’ve got some business contacts to catch up with on behalf of your father, yes? I’d much like to spend the night chatting with Pendleton after everything I’ve missed since I last came here.”

“Certainly. I hope you both have a wonderful night. Alethia, should you need anything, feel free to let me know.” With that Wolfram excused himself and made his way to a table.

“Trufflesh, Lord Pendleton?”

“Mmm yes, don’t mind if I do. I’ll take a few, as a matter of fact. Dearest Alethia, perhaps we should retire upstairs where we can hear each other a bit better. The noise hear will make casual conversation all but impossible. Shall we?”

I smiled and took his arm. “Of course. Lead the way.”

Along the way, I caught a glimpse of Peregrin in a tree chirping at a rather large cockatiel with her brother sitting beneath the tree and keeping an eye on the situation. Surprisingly, Bawbbe was nowhere to be seen, but Wolfram seemed to be mingling with the other guests rather successfully. And amongst them all, Sorry and her brigands delivering truffles to unsuspecting nobles.

Pendleton led me up to his room, a large four-post canopy bed dominating the center of the room with a personal privy to one side and a large closet holding countless articles of clothing to the other. An armoire, a dresser, and a desk made up the rest of the functional necessities, with the rest of the walls more or less covered in paintings of Pendleton and the rest of his family. They have properties and dealings across Sunrise, including the northern slope of the Firmament and on the outskirts of the numerous dwarven cities. A family as large as the Fortrams allows them to manage all of these responsibilities independently from each other, with it all managed and consolidated in Sunburst. On the walk up, Pendleton had eaten a handful of the truffles, unconsciously wiping the chocolate stains on the side of his pant leg.

We spent close to half a bell sitting on the side of his bed chatting about the city and how it has changed in the eight years since we last saw each other. Once I got him started talking about the entrepreneurship of his family, I knew it would take a physical force to get him to stop.

Thankfully, a physical force was well along the way.

A look of panic crossed his face, and I pretended like I hadn’t heard the churning of his stomach. “Dear, I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse me for just a moment.” Before I could reply, he stood up and quickly strode to the privy. As soon as the door closed, I jumped to his bedside tables and began to search through the drawers for his key. Once I slipped it out from under the secret panel in one of the drawers, I tiptoed out the door and got Peregrin’s attention. She flapped up to the balcony and took the key in one claw, then swooped down to the kitchens where Bawbbe, Sorry, Wolfram, and Emuswa were hopefully waiting.

I found out this morning that the heist was a success. I waited another bell in Pendleton’s room, helping myself to various curios and knick knacks that were lying around before giving him a meek excuse and making my way out of the party. Peregrin had apparently stirred the birds into a frenzy and led them in attacking the guests and the guards to cover for the rest of the party taking the Grand Egg out of the building, but the true crime of the night was held in the truffles. Nearly every single guest had sampled them, and they were terrifyingly potent. It does not bear describing, but suffice to say I had to choose my steps carefully as I left the estate.

What I didn’t expect was for the Grand Egg to be just that. Sorry had described an egg-shaped opal, but had completely neglected the fact that it was nearly as tall as her and weighed more than Bawbbe. But she swears that she will be able to provide us with an airship to return to Oheila and Bawbbe’s tribe. No more than a few weeks remain before we get to meet this mysterious daughter of his.

*** *** ***

The World Trees

According to the majority of scholars across Oheila and Sunrise, the World Trees have existed since the first Advent and the creation of the world. However, this is not entirely true. The gods themselves are not responsible for creating the world, as whatever created the world also brought the gods into being. In the beginning, though, there was Lobsileef the Creator. They are widely attributed with the origin of the world as we know it, though they are actually the progenitor of the rest of the pantheon. Lobsileef is largely uninterested in the state of the world, unlike their children.

The World Trees were devised by Juutibara, firstborn of Lobsileef, when the planet was still in a primordial state. There were very few areas where the first humans were capable of surviving at the time until the Heavenly brought the first seed of a World Tree to a lone sage. He planted it on what would become the continent of Oheila, and the first forest sprang around it. With the canopy of the forest protecting them, the first humans and elves flourished. The Sage was granted six more seeds, and began to travel the earth to sow them. Eiliftstein’s Roots tore out of the ground to surround Glaufstell’s World Tree, and the Black Iron Peaks molded around the twin molten trees that were planted there. One more World Tree was planted on Sunrise before the Sage travelled to the dangerous continent of Qur’vela north of Oheila.

The final two seeds were planted there, but despite the life-giving nature of the trees, the hostile wildlife flourished and prevented the vast majority of humanity from settling. Afterwards, the Sage returned to the Crimson Wastes, seeking a similar climate to the primordial earth that he had grown up in, and settled into his immortality.

The World Trees went largely undisturbed over the next tens of thousands of years. A routine cycle of destruction and growth ensured that humanity never overstepped their bounds, and once they received the guidance of the gods, the worship of the World Trees largely fell out of practice. Several tribes of elves remain devoted across the world, and many of the true locations of the World Trees have been written out of history and shrouded with magic. One of the trees on Qur’vela is encircled by a maze of shifting earth, while the Black Iron World Trees are under the constant watchful gaze of the dwarves in the east and the lizardfolk in the west.

Early in the year 852 After Gate, nearly a two thousand years after the fall of the Veluth Empire and almost a millennium after the realms of Meristopheles and Juutibara were sealed from the rest of the Abyss, Sandrelle, God of Chaos, began to pursue his own goals in earnest. Two decades prior, he had planted a seed of his own in the mind of a young cleric named Wolfheim, resulting in terrible mental scarring and a malleable tool for Sandrelle to mold into a champion. He felt the presence of an immensely powerful being in the background of the Abyss and the Hallowed Planes and sought to create a warrior that could protect him should that being attack.

Sandrelle paid dearly for his manipulations. The orc tribes that he had corrupted began to poison the World Tree of Glaufstell by using its own polluted and tortured seed to embed the tree with spears of venom. The poisoning began to draw the attention of a certain enterprising young wizard, and although Sandrelle fully intended to bring Wolfheim into contact with the tribes in order to hone his strength, he severely underestimated the extent to which Elron’s companions would interfere. In particular, a dedicated druid named Peregrin stood directly in Wolfheim’s path, and once she received the gifts from the World Tree, there was little Sandrelle could do to salvage his plans. The animosity culminated in a cavern under the Brother Peaks, resulting in Sandrelle severing his connection to Wolfheim, a horrific transformation brought on by one of the carnage circlets that the orc shamans owned, and Peregrin and her allies ending the cleric’s life.

*** *** ***

The wind feels nice this high up. We posed as a maintenance crew on the north tower Sky Dock and arranged for controlled explosions to cause a panic and drive the passengers off of a luxury cruise vessel as it was beginning to leave. The BBB commandeered a rescue boat that took us onto the airship and gave all of the unsuspecting passengers a way off. A few stubborn crew members got tossed over with slow-fall safety devices, but it was just a matter of minutes before we had full control of the S.C.V. Grande Shrike.

The ship itself was truly beautiful, and easily worth more gold than any of us would ever see in our lives. The majority of the hull was sculpted redwood with panels of gold flake steel forming a protective shell that replicated the look of the ocean waves at sunset. It had six decks in total, each devoted to a different leisure activity. The entirety of the bottom deck held supplies for ship maintenance, food, drink, and a massive dining hall that dominated the central portion of the ship. Above that was a small casino, complete with several craps and blackjack tables, now vacant of dealers and employees but still fully stocked with a variety of alcohol behind the bar. Next was a salon that included an enchanted massage table and several saunas and hot tubs. Finally there was a selection of shuffleboards, table sports, and a small library. The remaining two decks held a wide variety of suites and rooms that we all took our picks from.

Topside was a veritable work of art. The rigging for the main balloon was a complex weave that reminded me of a spider’s web. The balloon itself was a deep crimson leather protected by a silvery chain mesh, while the engines on either side of the rear of the ship roared with arcane energies as we soared across the ocean. The emerald waters below us twinkled in the fading sunlight as Sunburst faded over the horizon behind us. Wolfram and Emuswa don’t seem to be enjoying the flight, while Peregrin is in her element soaring through the air alongside us in her falcon form.

Sorry says we should be arriving in Oheila in just a few weeks. Until then, we can enjoy the view.

*** *** ***