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#but in general I found that most of the time their fragrances are too? fresh? to me? unless layered I guess but tbh
museenkuss · 2 years
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Jo Malone Soaps. Lime Basil & Mandarin // Red Roses // Pomegranate Noir // English Pear & Freesia
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curlycarrion · 2 months
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Popsicles
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Reader: gn reader
Warnings: nsfw but nothing too bad. More suggestive than anything actually happening
MDNI
Context: When walking through town the both of you decide to get something sweet
Wc: 2.1k
A/n: Howdy y'all! I'm relatively new to writin and decided I wanted to give it a shot. This is my first fic so I hope y'all like it
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It was a rather nice spring day on the island that you had found yourselves docked at. A cool breeze blowing by occasionally with the faint scent of flowers carried along with it while it kissed your skin with each pass, fresh grass having sprung up from it's winters sleep and swaying calmly in the wind, and the sun shining overhead with a spare cloud occasionally passing in front of it. It really was a nice day for exploring what the island had to offer.
Most of the crew had broken off into their own groups to do what they liked in this nice little break from the sea. Luffy running of to decimate the local food population, Nami and Robin meandering through the streets of the town looking for anything that may catch their eye, and you tagging along with Sanji as he decides to walk through the local markets for any new ingredients or spices to collect or try. Making idle chat between shops to occasionally fill in the silence, not that you really needed to. The rare silence actually being a welcome change of pace from the typical noise and banter the crew seems to create wherever they go. The silence wasn't the only benefit of this little trip of course. The trip gave you an opportunity to watch Sanji while he's not in a state of falling over himself whenever any pretty little thing walked by or working to fill the stomachs of the crew. No this was a moment where you could watch him calmly go about his day. The tall man seeming almost like a normal person while he appraises the wares of each market on the street you stop at. No sign of annoyance in a furrowed brow from the captain's yelling and antics or the swordsman's bickering and fights, no shows of the superior strength or abilities you've seen him demonstrate with ease countless times, and no cupped hands quickly brought to his nose in an attempt to keep blood from running down his chin to his throat.
Instead it was just Sanji, sweet kind-hearted Sanji. The man who puts his friends and loved ones first even if it means he gets hurt in the process. The man who could easily snap someone like a twig without breaking a sweat that handles his cooking and the women in his life with a gentle care that'd lead you to believe he was handling the most fragile glass. The man who was, most of the time, always dressed so nicely you'd think he was prepared for a fancy dinner or date at anytime.
"Y/n? Are you ready to go?" The sound of his voice quickly breaks you from your thoughts. Realizing you had zoned out while he was talking to the merchant and hadn't noticed him trying to grab your attention for a few moments.
"Oh right yeah, yeah sorry my thoughts were elsewhere." You apologize with a smile as you begin to follow along when he begins down the street. Noticing how he seems to have shortened his steps a little to slow down his pace so you don't have to walk quickly to keep up. The smoke from his cigarette trailing lazily behind him with each step. Managing to move your lingering eyes from the tall man beside you to observe your surroundings. The stalls of the markets filling the air with various scents and sounds that cover the smell of spring in their vicinity. Most of the fragrances coming from a little further down where there's various people selling street foods, baked goods, and snacks in general that leave you with a thought of grabbing something for yourself.
"Would you like to get something mon cheri? You deserve a treat for choosing to accompany me when you could've spent time with Nami and Robin instead." He offers with a sweet smile, almost as if sensing a rise in your interest in the idea of food. Looking around your surroundings you spot a little stand in the distance selling frozen goods, feeling a sweet tooth pop up at the prospect of something cold and sweet on the spring day.
"You say that like I need a reward for spending time with you, getting something sweet is just a bonus." You tease lightly as you take his hand and happily lead him over to the stand, not noticing the smile that comes across his face at your touch and the words that had left you. Letting you lead him along to the stand before paying for your choice of popsicle while ignoring your protest.
"Now what kind of a man would I be if I let you pay for your own dessert?" He asked rhetorically as he gave your hand a gentle squeeze as it was still wrapped in his. Taking the opportunity he finds a spot a bit away from the busy streets of the market to rest and enjoy the frozen treats you had gotten in peace. Sitting under the shade of a tree on the soft grass as you both settle and lean against the trunk.
"Sanji yours is going to melt before you end up finishing it." He blinks a couple times as he registers your words before quickly turning to his own dessert that had sat in his hands forgotten. Right he had something of his own.
"It's a lovely day today," He comments idly with a calm smile gracing his features as he continues with a sweet tone "perfect for enjoying with equally lovely company." He steals a glance over to you after speaking while taking a bite of his sweet before nearly choking on it. Seeing you beside him licking a stripe up the side of your popsicle before sucking on the tip of it with a pleased hum at the flavor.
"You're too sweet Sanji, if anyone's the lovely company here it's you." The words fall on deaf ears as he finds his focus set more on the movement of your tongue and lips as you take the treat into your waiting mouth once more. Watching the brightly colored dessert disappear between your lips and swallowing in tandem with you when he sees the movement of your throat when you swallow the fluid that had melted in your mouth. Unable to help but imagine other situations in which your mouth would move in a similar manner. Feeling heat begin to rise to his ears and the familiar twitch down below at the thoughts beginning to form in his head. Unsure of how long he had been lost in thought for until you turned your eyes up to him beside you. Seeming unknowingly innocent of what you're doing to him as you slowly pull the popsicle from your mouth and lick your lips. Clearly able to see the color staining your tongue from the bright flavoring when you point to his hand.
He feels a small wave of guilt wash over him for a moment at being lost in lewd thoughts of you, though a small part of him can't help but want to see more. Caught in an internal battle between the two as he chastises himself while simultaneously replaying the image in his head. Resuming in eating his dessert as an attempt of a distraction from the tantalizing sight beside him. This is his friend after all. He shouldn't be having these thoughts while you sit right next to him, naively pushing the popsicle deeper into your mouth after you'd finished speaking. Blissfully unaware of how much the sight of your lips wrapped around the sweet treat made his composure crack and the blood threaten to sting his nose. How he manages to keep the blood in he doesn't know. Wanting nothing more than to pull you close and taste the flavor to see what made you so glad to invite it so deeply into your mouth without a second thought. To see if you'd react the same way if it was replaced with something of his own. If you'd just as happily sink your pretty lips down around him if given the opportunity, maybe even happier to do so. Maybe you'd be shy about it. Careful in your movement as you look up at him with doe eyes for approval.
God he needs to stop thinking about this. Each thought gets him closer and closer to cracking and possibly doing something he'd regret. He'd never hurt you of course, god no he wouldn't even dream of it. If he had the opportunity to even touch you in a more than friendly manner he'd treat you like royalty having come down from the heavens themselves, something greater than himself that he'd gladly get on his knees and worship to. You deserved nothing less as someone who sends his heart souring with just a smile sent his way. No he needed to stop his thoughts so he didn't accidentally push you away.
You were his own angel. A dear friend. Someone who brings both joy and calm to his life with each breath you take. He can't ruin this with his own lustful desires that simmer just beneath his skin and threaten to boil over with each sinful swipe of your tongue. Watching what isn't currently buried into the warmth of your mouth begin to melt and drip down in-between your fingers and palm as it reaches the inside of your wrist. Feeling his control hanging by a thread, a single rapidly fraying thread that snaps at your next movement. Noticing the dripping you remove the half gone popsicle from your mouth and bring your wrist up. Eyebrows furrowing disapprovingly at the sticky sensation between your fingers as you tongue moves to clean the juice moving down your wrist.
"You taste divine mon cœur, surely you'd make anything sweeter with just your touch. I hope you don't mind me tasting more." He compliments with a smile that looks both flirty and genuine. His eyes locking onto yours as his tongue wraps around your fingers before dipping between them in a lewd gesture that sends your heart hammering against your ribs. While he had flirted with you before, frequently in all honesty, this was a whole new level that the both of you had yet to reach until now.
Sanji moves without thinking, the possible consequences that might arise the furthest thing from his mind as he grabs your hand. Leaning close to you as his lips meet the inside of your wrist in a short and soft kiss, watching your eyes grow wide at the sudden movement as his tongue tastes the flavor sticking to his lips. Realizing what he did he goes to let go with a rapid apology for his behavior before stopping when he looks at you. Not seeing any disgust or anything negative in your expression or eyes, no. No you were surprised, your attention was on him, and most importantly.. you didn't pull away.
Feeling a small surge of confidence he decides to test the waters. His tongue coming out once more to follow the sweet colored line left behind from your wrist to your palm. Happy to find your surprise growing along with a flustered expression joining your features.
"S-Sanji?" You manage to squeak out in a slightly stammered voice. Clearly unexpecting of the action as heat quickly crawls to your cheeks and ears. Pleased by your reaction he decides to continue in his ministrations both to see how far he could go with this and for his own desires. A quiet groan rumbling from his chest at the taste of the popsicle combined with your skin.
The feel of his facial hair against the skin of your hand. Those grey-blue eyes staring dead straight into your own almost daring you to look away as he drinks in your every expression. And his lips parted to make room for the wetness of his tongue to travel across your skin in a manner that sends your thoughts to a similar trajectory of his own. It was a sight that seared into your mind, making you suck in a sharp breath and and ache to pool in your lower stomach. While you hadn't known how you had affected him and what had caused him to suddenly become so bold he was well aware of what he had done to you. Knowing exactly what affect his purposeful movement had done from the look on your face.
One thing became crystal clear at the end of the day, and that is that you'd both be the death of each other.
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bjfinn · 1 month
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since you reblogged — something I want to know about you: What is your fondest memory?
My fondest memory? That's a tough one ...
How do I choose from sixty years' worth of memories the one that deserves the honour of being my fondest? Should it be one about time spent with my parents, or a friend, or a memory of something that happened when I was alone? Should it be a memory of a kindness from a stranger?
I really can't choose just one to be my favourite memory ... so I'll give you a list just off the top of my head.
- The smell of my father's pipe tobacco (the brand was Amphora Red) -- I was about eight when he quit, but all these years later I can still recall that fragrance. I don't smoke, but if I did I'd smoke a pipe with that brand of tobacco.
- The taste of my mother's cooking.
- Watching the Irish Rovers on TV. They had a half-hour musical comedy variety show on CBC TV that aired Sunday evenings (1971-1976), and I was in love with them -- especially Jimmy Ferguson. When he died in 1997 I cried like a baby. RIP, Big Jim.
- Taking my dog to the park.
- Listening to music with my da.
- Taking part in school plays and variety shows.
- Opening presents on Christmas morning.
- Sam the Record Man -- I went there at least once a week (a couple of weeks ago I found out that the last one left, located in Ontario, is closing for good -- the end of an era).
- My friend Nolan -- we lost touch years ago, and I have no way of getting back in touch with him. He was my best friend and the love of my life. I never told him how I really felt -- back then I was too scared of losing his friendship if he didn't feel the same way -- it was the '80s, and homophobia was at a fever pitch because of AIDS. It's something I'll always regret.
- PJ's Pet Centre. The one in the Alexis Nihon Plaza, which closed decades ago, had a front part with pet supplies as well as puppies, kittens, hamsters, guinea pigs, etc (this was before the general public found out about puppy mills and the like), but in back the only light was from the aquariums -- there were both fresh- and saltwater installations, and the most amazing variety of aquatic life in all the colours of the rainbow and beyond.
- Visiting the restaurants and shops in Chinatown with my ma.
- The sound of crickets on warm summer evenings.
- Fireflies twinkling in the bushes after dark.
- Walking along the river and coming upon a Great Blue Heron -- it was just standing on the bank, looking out over the water and looking for all the world like something from the Jurassic. I'd only ever seen pictures of them before, and I was awestruck.
- Seeing the aurora borealis in Saskatchewan -- if God exists, that's what He/She/It/They look like imo.
I could go on for hours, but I'll stop here -- you get the idea.
Thank you for the trip down memory lane.
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callmearcturus · 4 months
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I'M LITERALLY WEARING ANGEL'S SHARE RIGHT NOW, ARC. :( Good god I'm fucked. Anyway.
I seem to like anything of theirs that is NOT citrussy and am definitely partial to the woody ones. Black phantom (I like this one the most out of all I think) & straight to heaven are insane to me, I love them. Intoxicated is probably my least favorite woody one. As for the narcotics, Love Don't Be Shy and Good Girl Gone Bad are my favorites. I like Apple Brandy On The Rocks as well when it comes to liquor-ey ones, but am not huge on the others beside Angel's Share. I do not care for the fresh citrus ones and I haven't gotten to try the smoke ones because they're all sold out even in the discovery vials :(
Okay I can tell you for Black Phantom you want one or two dupes.
Montagne's Phantom Noir (which is currently sold out) or Alexandria's Dark Knight. My plan was to get Phantom Noir for my mother, bc her fave scent is Black Phantom, but I waited too long and it went out of stock, so I got Dark Knight instead. From reading about 20 posts about these scents and comparing fragantica reviews, generally it seems like Montagne's formula is better, but a lot of people like Alexandria for the longevity of the juice.
For Love Don't Be Shy i am seeing a lot of arguments over the best one. I would maybe look at Dossier's version of it. And if that doesn't work, look into Oil Perfumery, which is a place that makes oil versions of EDPs and is very popular if you don't need the spray.
Good Girl Gone Bad was one of my faves and I haven't found a consensus on a good dupe of it so if I do, I'll post about it later.
NOW FOR ANGEL'S SHARE. If you spend any time reading reviews on dupes, the thing that's obvious is no one can agree on what's a good dupe. A lot of people seems to swear by Alexandria's Brooklyn Fragrance Lover, but others say it's bad. Other others say that you need to let it macerate a bit.
A note on dupes is that for lower cost clones of huge fragrances is that the big fragrance houses will let stuff macerate in-house before selling it to you, so from first spray it's perfect and ready to go.
For cheaper houses, they bottle that shit and mail it same day. You are getting what you pay for. So if you get a bottle and it feels bad in a way that feels wrong, let the bottle sit for a week or two, then try it again. That's maceration.
Hope this helps! Alexandria is actually super fun to go thru. When their black friday sale was happening and I knew I was getting Madre Dark Knight, I also grabbed a sample box by just reading EVERY perfume and jotting down the names of ones that sounded interesting.
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morgankussy · 1 year
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History and Recreation on the Mountain Loop Highway:
Assignment one rewrite
Snohomish County, February 6, 2023 – Located in the foothills of the North Cascades the Mountain Loop Scenic byway is a 52-mile Washington state highway in Snohomish County. 
It’s a popular weekend getaway for people from across the state. Spread out next to the Sauk or Stillaguamish Rivers and breath in fresh fragrances of pine sap and maple tree bark.
Checking in with visitor information receptionist Erika Morris at the Darrington information center, the Mountain Loop Highway is a great highway/byway to begin venturing outdoors. Its history rests in lumber harvesting, old mining camps and railroads.
“The Mountain Loop Highway is just that; a Highway” she said. Most outdoor hiking, biking, camping trails are owned and maintained by the National Forestry Service. We maintain the nature area and public trails for recreation, hiking and camping. The actual name comes from the state-owned highway.
The Mountain Loop starts in Granite Falls, connects to Arlington and Darrington and wraps around back to Granite Falls. Stationed at the Verlot ranger station just outside Granite Falls is ranger Jonathan Sutherland. He looks after trails and campgrounds from Verlot to about Bedal Campground halfway between Granite Falls and Darrington.
He talked about his prior work in the peace core. “After Covid started it was hard for Peace Corps to do work. So, I came home to Snohomish and was out of work”. He applied to the National forestry service and became a park ranger in the south most part of the Mountain Loop Highway. Part of the mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. “It’s work with peace of mind”. 
When gold was discovered in the Cascade mountains, it came with the lofty dream of mineral wealth. The elusive rich vein of gold was never discovered. A silver deposit was found just below Boston Glacier near the headquarters of Thunder Creek in 1892. But the cost of getting the ore out was too expensive. By 1913 most mining companies had folded. “Mining didn’t resume until WWII increased the demand for metal and then again during the 1940s and 50s for the last time. Short working seasons, unpredictable weather conditions, difficult transportation and lack of working capital hampered large scale development” (National Park Service, 2020). The mining didn’t last long but the rails were in place to carry out the real treasure of the PNW – timber. Roads were built to replace rails and trucks replace the trains.
Granite Falls is known as the gateway to the Mountain Loop. Growth is strong as more people flock to rural areas in search of homes. A big part of Snohomish County history is founded in the search for natural resources and timber harvesting. Many trails along the Mountain Loop are linked to the development of nearby towns like Arlington and Darrington. A day off the Mountain Loop provides insight to the development of the area. It has a host of outdoor activities in environment education and a beautiful landscape. 
References
Purdue Online Writing Lab. (n.d.). General Writing FAQs. Purdue Online Writing Lab.https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/general_writing_faqs.html
National Park Service. (2020, January 10). Miners. https://www.nps.gov/noca/learn/historyculture/miners.htm
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trunk-travel-blog · 2 years
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Thai Food at Home
Thai food is loved the world over, and for very good reason. It’s, in our non-biased opinion (honestly!) the tasty food you can find anywhere, and cooked with fresh ingredients, it’s healthy too. I’m a huge lover of Thai food. I’m even a regular visitor to Thai restaurants when i’m travelling out of Thailand. There are a few “classics” that you must try either in Thailand, or where you live, such as Pad Thai (the tourists favourite!), the original Som Tam salad, incredible seafood options, and contrary to what many people believe, it’s not all “spice & rice”!
So today, I want to encourage you to create your own classic, the Thai Green Curry. It’s a favourite of locals and travelers in Thailand that can be purchased very cheaply and almost everywhere in the country. Seriously, you can get hold of this tummy-pleaser for around £1 ($1.25) with rice, and it’ll keep you going for hours! With or without meat, this is a real taste explosion and a genuine Thai treat. So don’t hesitate, it’s easy to make at home and you can get almost all, if not absolutely all, of the required ingredients in your local supermarkets. Add spice to please and remember to taste, taste, taste!
I’ve made this one myself, so it’s absolutely idiot-proof! Anybody can make this tasty. Give it a go and you’ll be yearning even harder to be eating this in a beach restaurant washing it down with a cool glass of wine or an ice cold beer.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: Serves 2 to 3
ALL INGREDIENTS:
GREEN CURRY PASTE:
4 small green Thai chilies (add more if you like your curries spicy
1/4 cup shallot OR purple onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb-size piece grated ginger
1 stalk fresh minced lemongrass
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 to 1 tsp shrimp paste
1 (loose) cup fresh coriander/cilantro leaves and stems, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper (can be purchased at some supermarkets, OR at Asian food stores)
3 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. lime juice
CURRY INGREDIENTS:
1 to 1.5 lbs. (about 0.7 kg) boneless chicken thigh or breast, cut into chunks
1 can coconut milk
4 kaffir lime leaves (can be purchased frozen at most Asian food stores), OR substitute 1 tsp. grated lime zest
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise several times, then cut into chunks
Generous handful fresh basil
2 Tbsp coconut oil or other vegetable oil
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Preparation:
Place all the “green curry paste” ingredients together in a food processor, and process to a paste. If necessary, add a few Tbsp. of the coconut milk to help blend ingredients. Set aside.
Prepare the lime leaves by tearing the leaf away from either side of the stem. Discard the central stem. Then, using scissors, cut leaves into thin strips. Set aside.
Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl around, then add the green curry paste.
Stir-fry briefly to release the fragrance (30 seconds to 1 minute), then add 3/4 of the coconut milk, reserving 2-3 Tbsp. per serving portion for later.
Add the chicken, stirring to incorporate. When the curry sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium or medium-low, until you get a nice simmer.
Cover and allow to simmer 3-5 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Stir occasionally.
Add the red bell pepper and zucchini, plus the strips of lime leaf (or lime zest), stirring well to incorporate. Simmer another 2-3 minutes, or until vegetables are softened but still firm and colorful.
Do a taste-test for salt, adding 1-2 Tbsp. fish sauce if not salty enough. If you’d prefer a sweeter curry, add a little more sugar. If too salty, add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice. If too spicy, add more coconut milk. Note that this curry should be a balance of salty, spicy, sweet and sour, plus bitter (the bitter is found in the fresh basil garnish).
Serve with steaming hot boiled rice and chow down!
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lopez75blake · 2 years
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gracegrace45 · 2 years
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oscarseyebrow · 2 years
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Aphelion: Chapter 2
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gif by the wonderful @beydameron 💖
Pairing: General Poe Dameron x Female reader Rating: mature Word count: 5.5k Warnings: mentions of food, alcohol, drunken shenanigans, mutual pining, yearning, mentions of past relationships, mentions of sex, language, clowns trying not to be in love with each other, poe dameron kisses.
Chapter One
The night air isn’t cold or unwelcome as it caresses your exposed skin from where you stand on the balcony: it brings a freshness and the most delightful fragrance of exotic flowers that scatter across the stretch of land before you. It’s beautiful here—not just the scenery, no. It’s more than that: the people, the atmosphere. You have only been on the planet for hours, but the people greeted you as though you had spent a lifetime here.
By now, the celebrations are underway. Dinner was a remarkable display of the finest foods, sourced from many different planets to showcase how the decadent flavours work so well with the food grown in the gardens of the palace. You sat between Finn and Poe, talking away comfortably as though you were accustomed to being a guest at such an elegant affair, but as dinner began to wind down and they got pulled into more serious conversations, you were suddenly reminded that you are completely out of your element.
Despite your vast knowledge and understanding of politics, you don’t hold a high ranking title, so you’re an outsider to this kind of life. You have always gone above and beyond to prove yourself, to earn yourself respect and promotions in hopes of rising through the ranks, but it never happened.
Maybe if the war with the First Order hadn’t overshadowed everything, things would be different. But after Leia had gone, Poe never chose to promote you; there was always someone else who fit the post better, who was slightly more qualified. He always chalked it up to timing or specialty or seniority. He’d say that you were so perfectly suited for a mission that he couldn’t possibly move you yet. There was always a reason.
Through it all, some small part of you wondered if he didn’t want to promote you so he could retain control over the missions you went on and in turn, limit your time away from each other.
No, he wouldn’t do that. Poe always wanted the best for you. He wouldn’t hold you back.
The loud music pours outside when the doors open and draws your attention away from the scenery.
“There you are!” You see Finn before you hear his words, and there’s already a smile curling onto your lips while you watch the man step through the open doors.
“Here I am,” you confirm and raise your half-empty glass to him. “You found me.”
For a moment, Finn doesn’t say anything as he stands beside you and looks out at the view while you inspect the side of his face. There’s a light sheen on his skin from the overly warm temperature inside, but he still looks dashing in his suit tonight.
“A little too much for you in there?” he asks and turns to face you.
You smile softly at him as you place your glass down on the stone railing and reach over to fix his bow tie. “Just a little,” you confirm, smoothing his jacket out before giving him your nod of approval.
“But now it’s your favourite part of the evening… the drinking and the dancing.” Finn rightly points out.
“And I’ve already started the drinking part.”
“Think you started that half way through dinner,” he jokes under his breath, intentionally loud enough so that you can hear him. It earns an easy laugh from you as you pick up your glass and take a sip.
Being back in Finn’s presence again is more than enough to settle your anxious energy, but the loud thoughts in your head continue; you can’t help yourself from trying to interpret situations you simply don’t have full knowledge of to pass judgement on.
The momentary laugh fades with your smile until you’re left with a soft frown on your features. This isn’t the time or place for a conversation about your position within the Resistance, so you bite your tongue and turn your attention to the view again.
But thanks to the wine, your thoughts continue to rankle until you hear yourself speaking before you’ve even thought about what you want to say.
“Sometimes… I feel a little out of place at events like this,” you admit, almost a little too freely.
“We all do, Stitch,” Finn replies with complete honesty. His attention remains on you instead of looking back out at the view as you had. “An ex-stormtrooper and an over-confident pilot… the three of us aren’t exactly traditional leaders.”
“I’m no leader.”
But Finn is quick to correct you: “Yes, you are.” This time, he tilts his head a little to bring himself into your eye line. “Not all great leaders need a title, Stitch. You deserve to be in there as much as any of those people. You probably know more than most of them combined, myself included. Don’t sell yourself short.”
“I know it’s wrong, but I feel like…”
Before you can say anything more, the sound of footsteps against the rough stone of the balcony pulls your attention in the direction of the doors again, and your heart momentarily flutters as those drunken doubts begin to melt away.
He’s here.
Stars, you aren’t some young teenager with a stupid crush, but with the way your face lights up at the sight of Poe, you could most likely pass for one right now.
“General,” you greet him with a smile.
He returns it easily, along with the smooth execution of, “Lieutenant.”
“I‘ll be inside if you need me.” Finn straightens from where he has been leaning, and as much as you want to tell him that he doesn’t have to leave, you get the feeling that he wants to give you this time with Poe.
You place one of your hands on Finn’s arm and squeeze gently as you smile at him. The conversation is far from over between the two of you. You know that he’ll pick it up again tomorrow, when you both have much clearer heads to discuss it, and you’re more than appreciative of that. “Thank you.”
“I’ve been keeping the seat warm at the table for you.” Poe grins as Finn begins to make his leave.
“I’m not sitting at that table,” Finn retorts.
Poe’s reply is instant. “No? Who else is going to keep Lady Thalcorr entertained?”
“Heard that job was reserved for you.” And with that, Finn pats Poe’s shoulder and makes his leave again. But not before Poe’s next words hold him up once more.
“Finn… buddy. Come on…”
“No.” It’s a very firm answer, but you can already see his resolve slipping the longer Poe stares at him. He has a way of appealing to people with those eyes, and it’s wonderful to watch it work on others because you know how hard it is to say no to them. “Poe, no. She sits too close to me! Why… Why are you laughing?”
It’s true. At Finn’s words, Poe begins to laugh because he also understands. You’re sure Lady Thalcorr enjoyed sitting by Poe, but you had also seen the way she had been undressing Finn with her eyes across the table at dinner, so you’re sure she won’t be too disappointed with the replacement.
“Tell her I’ll be back soon. I have other business to attend to.”
With a deep intake of air and a curse up to the sky, Finn finally gives in. “Fine,” he grits. “But the moment she touches my knee, I’m bailing.” And with that, he turns on his heel and leaves before Poe can ask for anything else.
“Lady Thalcorr, eh?” you tease.
Poe finally turns to look at you again and moves to stand on your left. It’s the side he always chooses to stand on, even when Finn isn’t on your right.
“She enjoys stories about the Resistance.” Poe shrugs.
You laugh and finish your drink while holding his eye contact over the rim of your glass. “It’s not the stories she’s interested in, Poe.”
“You think?”
“I know,” you confirm, confident in your assumption that she is far more interested in Poe than the stories he has to tell. Who could blame her? He is looking dapper tonight in his formal attire, which conveniently matches the colours you’re wearing.
At the beginning of the evening, his hair was well-maintained and styled back, but as the night has progressed and the heat has increased, those curls have started to take their natural form around his ears and the back of his neck.
Maker, you want so badly to reach up and fix them back into place for him. It takes every ounce of self control not to…
“Drink?” Poe’s offer snaps you back to reality, and you consider it for a moment. No matter how much you do want a refill, it would require him to go back inside to get one for you, and you would much rather steal some time alone with him out here, drinkless.
“No, it’s okay, I…” But then you trail off as you watch him lift up a large bottle from behind his back. He had clearly taken it from one of the tables before coming out to find you. How very Poe of him. “Where… You know what? I’m not even going to ask.” You laugh, and he joins you with his own chuckle.
“It’s best not to.”
There is a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he takes the first swig from the oversized bottle and then hands it over to you with a beaming smile.
Maker, he’s a whole constellation of stars, shining with such luminosity that nobody will ever be able to dim the way he lights you up.
“Here, hold this.” Poe barely waits for you to have a firm grasp on it before he lets go and turns to push himself up onto the stone guard rail. In a moment of panic, your hand shoots out to grasp hold of him, fearing for his life while he clearly doesn’t.
“Poe!” you squeak and earn yourself another laugh.
“Hey, it’s okay. Look. It’s fine. C’mon, give me your hand… And the bottle. Don’t want you dropping that.” Poe takes the bottle first so that he can safely set it down on the other side of himself before turning to face you again, hand extended. Without a moment of hesitation, you grasp it, and with some help—along with a little dress manoeuvring—you finally find yourself up on the wall beside him.
“Don’t fall,” you warn him, and just as Poe opens his mouth to reassure you, you continue: “Can’t have you leaving poor Finn with Lady Thalcorr all night.”
Whatever he was getting ready to say now comes out as nothing more than a laugh.
It’s far too easy to lose track of time while you sit there with Poe, drinking your way through the bottle of some sparkling alcoholic beverage together and laughing about different events of the night so far. There are a lot of ‘do you remember when…’ questions, which mostly end with both of you erupting into drunken laughter again at old memories the night had sparked.
But somehow, it still feels like you reach the bottom of the bottle too soon. You don’t want this moment with Poe to end: it’s everything that once was and something that you continue to yearn for. Maker, you would give anything to have this all the time—not the drunken conversation, but the company, being together , present in a shared moment.
There’s a lingering smile on your lips as you lift the bottle and empty the last of the liquid into your mouth. The bubbles fizz against your tongue before you swallow and glance back over at Poe to see that he’s still watching you. No, that would be putting it too lightly for the way he's staring at you so… Adoringly? Lovingly? Fuck, it’s hard to pinpoint with a woozy head, and you feel a heat creeping slowly up the back of your neck.
“What?” you ask with an intoxicated giggle.
“What?” Poe questions in return and then nudges your shoulder lightly with his. “Can’t I look at you for a second?”
“No,” you blurt, lifting a hand in an attempt to cover his eyes. “No looking allowed, sorry.” And he lets you do it as you bite your lower lip, trying to hold back another laugh at how silly the whole thing is.
You’re still biting it when Poe takes hold of your raised hand and lowers it, keeping it enclosed inside his own. Your heart doesn’t simply flutter this time. No, it damn near explodes with the sudden realisation that crosses your mind: Poe has allowed himself to get close to you for no reason other than wanting to be here, with you, holding your hand.
“You look beautiful tonight,” he says with an honesty that catches you completely off-guard. All the joking has now gone, and in its place is something much more sincere.
“Poe…”
“No, I mean it,” he insists, clearly wanting to pay you the compliment without you shooting it down or telling him not to. “I’m not saying you don’t always look beautiful, but tonight you just… You know? You look really beautiful.”
There’s no fighting it as a smile breaks free across your face, and you momentarily lower your eyes, desperately trying to remind yourself to ignore the way the words stir dormant emotions within you. They sound like the most delicate melodies that you could listen to forever, but the song is no longer yours to cherish. Poe is wasted. You both are. His words are simply slurred confessions that his sober mind would never allow him to speak.
You accept the compliment regardless. “Thank you.” And as you lift your eyes again to meet his, you’re greeted with the sudden urge to lean in and kiss him.
Poe feels it, too. You know he does. His energy momentarily changes: his breathing shifts tempo, and for the first time since your mind became clouded by the alcohol, everything suddenly seems so clear.
He is the incandescent glow, the warmth and the light that draws you in like a moth, and stars, you’re hopeless in your fight against something that feels so instinctual.
He swallows heavily and slowly licks his lips. To say that you ache to feel them against your own would be an understatement—you long for their touch, seeking a brief reminder of what you once shared.
Poe inches closer, until you feel his gentle breath caressing your skin. The one thing you truly want is right there, waiting for you to take it. His gravitational pull draws you in and invites you to shelter within his orbit once more. Giving in would be a relief.
But you hold your breath and hesitate.
You can’t. This is not a path you can walk again, and Poe knows it.
The temporary solace you’d find in each other is not enough to eclipse the stark reality: being together only promises heartache and resentment.
“We should go and find Finn,” he whispers. His words are an offering, an escape route if you wish to take it. Maker, you don’t want to. You want to stay here and make bad choices: you want to choose him and this moment after desperately craving it for so long.
“Yeah…” You laugh breathily and draw back to a safe distance. “You’re… you were supposed to be getting back to Lady Thalcorr, remember?”
Poe’s only response is a small ‘mhm’ from somewhere within his throat while he contemplates the best way to slide down and find his footing. You’re glad he’s distracted with that: you finally have enough space to breathe again. Although, the breath that passes between your lips is somewhat shaky, and you’re almost certain that he hears it.
“Okay,” Poe mutters to himself, “we’ve got this. Just need to… Ah, fuck.” There’s a small scrape of his feet against the stone when he misjudges the angle but still somehow lands upright with a laugh. “All part of the plan,” he assures you with a wink. You can’t help but laugh and roll your eyes.
This time when Poe extends his hand to you, you hesitate.
Letting go of what you had once shared with Poe had been hard-–no, it had been torture. To have loved him so dearly while knowing that you could no longer be with him was something that had taken you a long time to get your head around, and your heart even longer. There would always be remnants of what you shared, but those no longer hurt as intensely. You learned to stop reaching out for him because you knew where that road ended.
Nevertheless, he would always be there, within your grasp as you both toed a blurred line.
You couldn’t go back there again. Not with a stupid, drunken kiss. You had to move forward, let your past with Poe stay there: in the past.
“Stitch?” Poe is standing there, waiting patiently with his hand held out to you. Maybe, on some level, it’s hope that he holds in his upturned hand. His expression softens when you finally decide to take hold of it again.
With his help, you’re back on your feet, although somewhat unsteady for a moment as your balance takes a hot second to kick in. Maker, you are going to suffer the consequences of this hangover in the morning. That is for sure.
“You okay?” Poe asks, sounding genuinely concerned. It’s with a soft smile that you meet his eyes again and nod.
And then you finally do it, you throw caution into the wind and reach up to fix his hair as best as you can before resting your hand tenderly against his jaw. You linger there for a moment, and Poe closes his eyes for a little longer than a blink and leans subtly into your touch.
It could be down to the way he sways. It has to be down to the way he sways…
“I think… we should head back inside,” you murmur, while your brain continues the sentence: …before we end up doing something we'll regret in the morning.
You couldn’t be trusted with him. Not like this.
It’s a quiet walk once you fall into step with Poe. You don’t even make it halfway to the table before someone has Poe’s attention.
“General Dameron!” An old man comes into sight, but you don’t recognise him. He knows Poe, though. The two men embrace, both delivering very firm pats to each other’s backs before they part and engage in conversation. He introduces himself as a friend of Poe’s father, and you have to admit, that momentarily captures your interest.
Conversations flow between those around you, and at some point, you naturally drift away from Poe as you move to join in with a topic that has caught your interest. Every now and again, you meet his eyes across the crowd and smile at each other until eventually, you lose sight of him and go your separate ways.
Poe is still present, somewhere. When the time is right, you’ll find each other again.
It comes in the form of a soft hand against your back some time later: Poe’s way of making his presence known to you—but something is different. His touch slides higher over the exposed skin, intentionally exploring a forbidden territory with a drunken confidence.
The warmth of his palm smooths between your shoulder blades as he turns to look at you with those dark, captivating eyes. Maker, his effect is instant: excitement swells throughout your whole body while you stand there amongst acquaintances, desperately trying to keep all tell-tale signs from presenting themselves.
It’s the alcohol. It must be the alcohol. But then his thumb strokes gently and maybe this isn’t just the alcohol… Maybe this is—
“Come on.” Poe is already stepping away from you, holding out a hand for you to take. “You like this song, right? Let’s dance.”
“Dance?” You laugh at the idea, yet you allow him to lead you towards the dance floor anyway. It has been so long since you had danced with Poe, but as he spins you around to the upbeat tempo, it’s as though no time has passed at all.
In this moment, he is just Poe. The Poe you’ve always known and loved: the man with the cheeky smiles, the easy laughter and care-free nature. You dance and sing together, knowing you’re loud and out of tune but it makes Poe laugh more than you’ve seen in a long time. And when you don’t know the words, you simply make them up. He loves that even more.
Poe twirls you around again at the end of the song, much to your delight and drunken giggles of amusement. Stars, you barely have time to comprehend where you’re putting your feet as the song shifts into something slower and you find yourself being tugged closer to Poe’s body.
“Don’t step on my toes.” The soft smile is evident in your words as you slot yourself easily against his body, one arm over his shoulders while your other hand holds onto his.
That’s when he rests his head against yours. You tell yourself it’s so that you can still hear him above the music: it is loud, after all. And he clearly doesn’t want to have to shout.
“I won’t,” Poe says close to your ear. “I was taught by the best.”
Leia.
The memories bring a gentle smile to your lips as you close your eyes and hold him a little bit closer.
Once again, you find yourself drowning in the familiarity of him: his fresh scent, the way pieces of your hair catch in his stubble, and how his broad chest radiates a warmth against your own.
The moment captures you completely, and unlike the last time when you had fought the temptation to rest your forehead against his jaw, this time, you surrender. You give yourself over to it, knowing that one small indulgence won’t be enough to topple the whole house of cards: but it might weaken the foundation.
You turn your head until the tip of your nose brushes against his jaw, so close to his ear, and with a satisfied smile, you finally allow your forehead to rest against him.
It’s a feeling of coming home. A sense of belonging and safety, amidst hundreds of unfamiliar people. You’re no longer orbiting him, passing by each other on a never ending cycle. You’re finally aligned.
The song finally begins to wind down, and you feel him turn his head a little more to breathe you in.
As much as you don’t want to, you have to admit defeat. Your head is thick and heavy from the alcohol, your movements impeded. “I think… I need to go to bed.”
“I think that would be a smart choice.” Poe smiles against the side of your head. “Should I get someone to walk you back to your room?”
“No,” you’re almost too quick to answer when you draw your head back to look at him. It takes a moment for his face to come into full focus, but when it does, a hint of a smile lingers at the corner of your lips. There’s a look of confusion on his face before you sigh and move your forehead to rest against his gently. “I want you to,” you murmur.
For the first time tonight, you feel Poe hesitate. The battle he fights against his drunken desires and what he knows he should do is evident in his heavy sigh. He wants to walk you back to your room. He wants this just as much as you do: you feel it in the way that his hold on you tightens a little more when he closes his eyes. But he shouldn’t.
You both know the potential outcome, yet neither of you are willing to admit what a bad idea it is.
“Okay,” he finally agrees.
“Okay?” You need to make sure you heard that right. Did he agree to walk you back to your room?
“Yes. Start walking.”
It’s not the most successful of walks. Both you and Poe are very drunk so climbing the stairs requires some teamwork: you, holding your dress up with one hand and clinging to Poe with the other, while he attempts to pull you both up the stairs using the hand railing. There’s a lot of laughter, and when you can’t climb another step, you sit down instead.
“It’s the shoes!” you insist as you look up at Poe, who is leaning against the railing to keep himself steady.
“Is it because they’re laced up correctly?” Oh, so now he’s teasing you? The smirk on his lips tells you he’s just as amused by his joke as you are.
“Are you teasing me, General?” Your amusement is evident in your words as you smile drunkenly at him, watching the way he supports himself to try and stop swaying. It’s different, seeing Poe like this.
Tonight, he has been having fun. Actual fun. You haven’t seen him this relaxed in a long time.
“Would I do that?” Poe’s question brings you back to the moment you’re sharing with him, and you can’t help but laugh. It comes out as more of a drunken, high-pitched giggle, though. The sound shocks you just as much as it shocks Poe, and you slap a hand over your mouth as it turns into louder laughter.
“C’mon,” he gets out between his own waves of laughter and holds a hand out for you again, “you need to get up. It’s not much further.”
It feels far. It feels really fucking far. The walk would be a lot easier without your shoes, and with that thought, you look down at them, considering removing them.
Poe knows exactly what you’re thinking, and he’s quick to cut into your thoughts: “Don’t… Don’t you dare take them off yet. You can’t be walking through a place like this without your shoes on…”
He’s right. This palace has a certain kind of class that you’re most definitely lacking right now as you cling to the railing while taking a rest part-way up the stairs.
With a heavy sigh, you reach up for his hand again and allow him to help you back up to your feet.
Somehow, you both make it to the top without injury: entwined hands swinging between you gently while you walk down the hallway towards the guest rooms that had been provided for Poe and his company. Yours was right next door to his, of course.
Glancing at him, you wait for him to meet your eyes before you shoot him a smile.
“You know what my favourite part about tonight was?” you ask, but you barely give him a second to answer before you’re continuing. “Dancing with you. It’s been so long since I saw you dance… How does it go again?”
You lift your hands so you can twirl yourself under his arm, laughing and coming to a stop outside of your room.
There’s an attempted ‘shhh’ sound from Poe, but it’s broken by his own laughter as he tries to quiet you down a little. “People are sleeping.”
“I should sleep,” you suddenly realise, “we have to be up in…” You lift your arm to squint at the communication device on your wrist, but the numbers seem to blur together. “In…” With one eye now closed, you try again.
“Having trouble?”
“No,” you lie with a small laugh. “I think… these numbers… got smaller.”
Poe finally drops his hand from yours and takes a couple of steps closer so that he can tilt his head around and squint at the numbers, too. He’s close. The soft curls on the side of his head brush your cheek while he attempts to read the time, and you suddenly notice that you’re holding your breath.
Breathe.
In and out.
In and… The air tumbles out on a heavier breath that you’re sure he hears, and as you inhale, your senses are suddenly flooded with the delicious tones of the General. It’s the same, familiar scent you drank in while dancing with him: expensive and deliciously masculine. Maker, it takes everything in you not to turn your face into the crook of his neck again and drown yourself in his scent.
“Five hours,” Poe confirms. “We have to be up in five hours.” His voice is softer, quieter. And you want to confirm the information he has given you. Really, you do, but your mouth has become as dry as the desolate, sandy plains of Jakku.
He straightens back up but stays exactly where he is, hand pressed to the wall beside your head while his eyes move over your face. They drop to your lips to linger there, and no matter how much you try to resist, you’re already licking them, tempting him to make the move that you’re preparing for.
You shouldn’t be doing this. This is the worst possible idea that either of you have ever had, and truly, Poe has had some remarkably bad ideas in his time. But, all logical sense left your brain around six drinks ago, and the tension that has been steadily building all night finally snaps.
Poe’s hand wraps around the back of your neck at the same time as your own fists into the front of his jacket to drag him against you. His body crowds you into the doorframe, mouths finally crashing together.
The bliss is instant: the kiss is drunken and messy and everything that you’ve been craving. Poe’s head dips while his tongue expertly licks into your mouth. It’s such a bold move that you’re more than happy to welcome, along with the taste of his last drink that still lingers as your tongues collide.
Any sort of thought process is long gone. The only thing left is the warmth of Poe’s mouth, the way he seems so desperate to devour you again after so long. He has been aching for this just as much as you have. This hasn’t been a one-sided desire. It’s been constant for both of you, lingering beneath the surface and looking for the perfect opportunity to claw its way out.
Before you can stop them, your hands are already working open the buttons on his jacket, eager to feel more of his familiar body.
Poe’s teeth find your lower lip as his fingers curl into the material covering your thigh, causing the fabric to hitch up over your skin while he considers his next move.
Fuck, you want this.
Lustful heat creeps through every inch of your body while you drop your head back against the doorframe with a small thud and watch the way his eyes smoulder with desire. There’s a hunger in them that you both know you’re more than able to satisfy…
Who needs five hours of sleep when you can put that time to much better use?
Smirking to yourself at that thought, you lean up to catch Poe’s lips for another kiss, but you don’t connect. He takes a step back from you, jacket dishevelled and hanging open.
“You should sleep.” If Poe wants those words to sound convincing, his execution of them is poor as he quickly straightens his jacket.
“I—What?”
No. How could he kiss you like that and then tell you to sleep? Your cruel brain had already thrown you images of dragging him into your room, stripping him down on the way to the bed… And now he was leaving? What?
“Poe…” You step forward, ready to protest, but you’re met with a small shake of his head as he takes a step back.
“We’re both… You’re drunk. I’m drunk. Get some sleep.” He steps back again, clearly trying to convince himself he’s making the right decision here. “I’ll see you in… Five hours.” And before you can protest any further, he turns and lets himself into his own room. What?
Stars, you are far too drunk for this.
Too drunk and too turned on.
“Probably wants to make sure he can still get it if he wants it,” you grumble to yourself and enter your room. “Well, here’s some news, General. That was your chance. If you think…” You stumble while trying to kick off your shoe. “If you… If you think…” You attempt it again but it becomes very clear that standing on one leg isn’t an option right now. So you sit down on the bed with a sigh of relief.
“If you think kissing me like that is going to be on the table again…” You don’t make it as far as taking your shoes off before you flop back and close your eyes. “You’re absolutely right. You asshole. You attractive, nice smelling…” But your next words are cut short by a yawn. “With your stupid hair… And your eyes… And that, that ridiculous thing… You do with your eyebrow…”
Within minutes, you’re sound asleep, still fully dressed on top of the comforter.
And five hours later, Poe is long gone.
------
Chapter three
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slasherholic · 3 years
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synopsis: you work at smith’s grove, and by god, you are determined to snuggle michael myers even if it kills you.
contains: gender neutral reader, drugging, nonconsensual cuddles, lots of hair petting, somnophilia(?) intimate touching but no nsfw
Michael Myers x Reader | Stolen Affection
“You really don’t have to fight it.” You say, tenderly. It is the first you’ve spoken to him since the needle went in.
“If you let it take you, I promise it will be very pleasant.”
Michael’s eyes are cold, like a bitter autumn wind sweeping down a desolate street. He glares up at you past long, dark lashes, and you refuse to look him in the face. It’s no small wonder the man doesn’t speak—those violent eyes declare greater threats than spoken word ever could.
But the violence has begun to soften. 
As you caress his hair, twisting and weaving through his dark curls, his eyelids, teeming with heaviness, linger shut between deliberate, calculated blinks. You have not turned a blind eye to the way his body has begun to loosen all over, how his clenched fists have slackened into open palms, how his head has sunken deeper into his pillow, how the rigid tension in his jaw has all but dissipated. Michael is still fighting, still refusing to let you have your way with his body—but slowly, surely, your drug is dragging him under.
And the further under Michael goes, the more accepting he seems to become of your touch.
Your fingers begin through his hair again. His long lashes flicker, struggling to stay open; his eyes close, only for a beat. When they open again the pale blue irises peering up at you are just a bit duller. The sedative has begun to take its toll. 
You cannot place exactly when your fascination with Illinois’ worst murderer began—you can only say that it was sometime long before you had ever been working at the sanitarium, a year before his recapture, when you were still reading about the brutal killings in the local newspaper, perhaps even longer—but you do know why it began. The thought of being intimate with something so dangerous made sparks fly in your belly.
The fact that Michael is drop-dead gorgeous by anyone’s standards certainly didn’t help to alleviate your obsession.
Michael’s subtle, stubborn frustration at his predicament has loitered on his handsome features since you first slipped the needle into his arm. A much longer time than you figure should be possible, considering the generous dosage. The drug has begun to take him, yes, but his opinion of you remains starkly written in the slight furrow of his brow—if you were to unfasten the thick leather straps across his wrists and chest now, his hands would find their way around your neck before you could let loose a single bloody scream.
But you don’t let up. You don’t let up because you can see his icy resolve slipping every time your fingers dance along his scalp.
At the apex of another gentle repetition through his curls, Michael’s eyes blink tiredly. His lashes flutter and flutter, struggling, struggling…
Finally, they close. His head lolls into your hands. He doesn’t move again.
You continue to pet him, biding your time, just to be safe. You are well aware of Michael’s tricks—he could very well be faking it, could very well be misleading you into lowering your guard, and if you grow too comfortable, if you play into his hands now, it will be the end of this risky little game, and most probably the end of your life.
You wait and wait. Your fingers do not leave his hair. The moon shifts higher in the sky and seeps into his cell past barred windows, casting a gentle silver light across his face. His previous contempt for you is gone from his features; what has taken its place is slack, vacant, restful.
When the better part of half an hour passes without so much as a twitch of his eyes beneath their lids, you know that Michael’s fight is over. Sleep has taken him, and no time soon will it give him up.
Your fingers fly to the steel buckles of his restraints. You undo them one by one. Your heart patters faster in your chest when the last strap comes loose; just like that, Michael is free. You are alone with him in a locked cell, and the next guard check won’t be until midnight, and those dangerous hands of his which have ripped away so many lives are free.
Your mind flashes in a slideshow past article after article; victims found strangled, choked, so starved of oxygen that all the blood vessels in their eyes and face had burst and caused a terrible hemorrhaging, a bruising of the face that had left the corpse’s irises stained blood-red and the skin a deep suffocated purple for hours after the moment of death.
Despite all your worst fears, Michael’s motionless form does not lunge up from his pillow and seize you by the throat. The outline of his chest continues to rise and fall with steady, unconscious breath.
You clamber onto his bed.
It’s cramped—his body takes up too much space. You’re forced to huddle up against his chest to keep from falling off.
Immediately, you are stricken with the thought that Smith’s Grove is cold, and Michael is very, very warm.
You had already felt his warmth in passing whenever your fingers brushed against his skin; but to cradle the heat of his core so closely is a different thing altogether. Michael radiates warmth in a way that sends goosebumps cascading up your arms and makes the chill of his unheated cement cell seem small, small, small.
You shuffle closer and rest your cheek on his pectoral. His ribs expand beneath you, then contract. You reach a hand up to play with his hair some more. Burying your face in his hot neck, you inhale deeply. Michael’s smell is subtle but pleasant—fresh clothes and fragrance-free shampoo. The staff must have hauled him into the showers this morning. You would have liked to have seen that very much.
Soon, you are touching Michael in ways few before you have gotten away with. Your hands gently explore the curve of his muscles, groping his biceps, dipping beneath his shirt to trace the multitude of scars that litter his torso. The forbiddenness of your stolen affection only makes your efforts bolder—your fingers wander up to brush lightly along his smooth jaw, a touch that sends melty shivers all down your back.
Cupping his face in your hand, you plant a delicate kiss on Michael’s cheek. You tug at his shirt collar, pulling back the fabric to expose his sharp clavicle. Your lips meet his hot skin there, too.
Michael’s mouth seems too prohibited a place to explore, and when you catch your eyes flitting to his softly parted lips, you immediately cast your gaze downwards again. No, that simply wouldn’t feel right. Surely not. Such an act would be too intimate, too disrespectful, far too removed from the reality of what Michael is.
The very next second you are stealing the kiss anyway.
You suck on his rosy lips and they are remarkably soft, remarkably warm. Excitement explodes in your stomach and you gasp between the kiss, growing bolder in the heat of it, rising to sit atop his chest while you throw your entire weight into the stolen act, and when it is over, you take his face in your hands and smush your forehead against his as you pant and pant and pant.
Heaviness pulls at your eyelids. You collapse in exhaustion against Michael, burying your face into the nook of his shoulder. Your arm comes to dangle across his broad chest. You are fully aware of what a dangerous game you are playing in letting sleep take you, and you cannot find it within yourself to care.
Cheek to cheek with a man who would gladly snap your neck, if only he were awake and aware enough to do so, you grip Michael’s body desperately closer, and fall against his shoulder in a gentle sleep.
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pairofmelaninkweens · 3 years
Text
Nostalgia
Characters: Kuroo Tetsurou x Natsumi Myaski (oc)
By: @sweet-darling91
Summary: (Post time skip )Kurro has been looking for a chance to possibly reconcile with an Ex, but soon comes to learn that nostalgia can realy lead you down a path of thorns instead of a bed of roses.
CW/TW: Angst, vanilla sex,  and cunnilingus.
Wc: 4783
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art by: twi.night on Instagram! one of the pictures Kuroo kept on the wall of his condo of Him and Natsumi.
The subtle warm scent with fresh citrus notes alerted his senses. It was mixed with that perfectly unique smell and feeling that only one person in existence could provoke, Natsumi. It sprung memories of late-night lovemaking in his dorm, as the rays of moonlight illuminated your cocoa brown skin, highlighting its cinnamon undertones.
 The buns you swept your hair up in were removed when he pulled the hair ties free, sending your dark curly tresses tumbling down past your shoulders. Wrapping the curls around his fingers as he tugged them, groaning when you bowed your back as he took you from behind. Remembering the way your ass pressed against his pelvis, the way you would keen when he spread your buttery smooth thighs further, watching your essence coat his cock as he plunged it deep into your quivering cunt.
 He remembered the way your silken walls would quiver around him as you moaned his name, the way your small frame would tremble as he sunk balls deep into you, your cum would drip down his balls. Fuck, you were so perfect. He would get lost in you night after night. Even now, years after you left his life. He would still fantasize about you, craving the way your warm body clung to him. It broke his heart when you lost contact with him, because like it or not you were a pillar in his life.
 You were the one that brought him to accept parts of himself he neglected. The origin of most of his kinks and preferences. Especially the first girl he endearingly called Chibi-chan. Of course, he ignored the fact that it was indeed the same name he teased his Orange haired buddy with over his height-or lack thereof.  It was different for you though; it was meant to be endearing. The most important detail is after all this time and secret pining, he found you, mere feet away far enough not to be in direct contact thanks to the layout of the patio, with the decorative shrubbery around, and the angle his table was stationed at. He had the vantage point in observing you, and it made his cock twitch remembering the way you made his blood heat. The memory of the connection you once shared painfully squeezes his chest.
 Natsumi Miyazaki, a name that was burned into his memory forever. Now sits with perfectly crossed legs poised in your seat. Hair cut into a bob, parted on the side, with bangs framing your slender face. Hazel eyes sparkled when you beamed at the man cracking jokes over coffee. He couldn’t be that funny to be making you flash your smile like that he thought as he turned up his nose, letting his lips sink into a frown and eyes narrow at the sight of you with him.
 The cashmere top with the sweetheart cut highlighted your delicate clavicle and the swell of your breasts. Your form-fitting skirt accentuated your small waist, hugging your hips and thick thighs. Kuroo began biting his tongue wishing he could get a better view of your ass. The white and cream outfit was cute, clean, and professional. It read that you meant business, that, and the subtle tells in your body language confirmed it. The way your eyes analyzed the orange-haired man, and the all too polite way you sipped at your latte, made him laugh darkly.
 Whatever Shoyo was saying must have given you the answer you were looking for, and your response was subtle pettiness. He recognized that polite smile was a mask, the exaggerated nods and the batting of your eyelashes was used to do to supress rolling your eyes. This happened when you asked him questions you already knew the answers to. A cleaver warning and it seems that went over Shoyo’s head. What were you up to? Why were you out here all dolled up with a new outfit and hair styled completely different than when it was back in college? Why change your appearance to shortcake? Then it dawned on him, information. You were working, he knew you were, but was distracted staring at you. The longer you took probing Shoyo, the more impatient he became, fidgeting in his seat and glowering.
 Leaving a tip for the waitress he made his way to your table; he was only 5 feet away when the rhythmic tap of 4 manicured digits followed by a double-tap of your index finger against the glass table halted his stride. It was your sign to him; acknowledging his presence and warning not to interrupt. This shouldn’t surprise him. You were always the most astute in class, rivalling him for the top academic grade and overall performance. Along the way to those achievements, you spent so much time together you were well versed in each other’s non-verbal cues.
 That’s what got him so interested in you, seeing how your mind worked. The way you would speak volumes with so few words and see everything with a glance. Now pointedly walking past the table, he answered your rasp with two taps of his umbrella against the cobblestone patio floor. “Looks like rain” he remarked as he opened it out, and started walking up the street.
 Five minutes later he heard the quick taps of heels and the gentle, beautiful fragrance returned when you wrapped your arms around his waist from behind. “Is this a good time?” he asked, eyes still trained forward, steps returning to their previous pace.
 You release a contented hum, and then raise your head to ask, “Which one is yours?”  releasing your hold on him and motioning towards the parked cars.
 “The black Audi,” he responds, as you smile to yourself eying the 2017 R8 model. “Of course, the flashiest car for the former prince of Nekoma high.” You say as you playfully shove his shoulder. He looks down at you and curls his lips shrugging at the tease. “ I mean, were they wrong?”
 Rolling your eyes you open the passenger side door, settling in the seat and sliding off the bob-cut wig and cap that encased your curly tresses. Kuroo watched the curls spill down your shoulder as you rub your scalp and sigh in relief, only stopping to spot the time on the dash. “Ok, let’s go, my schedule’s free after that meeting.”
 His eyebrows raise in surprise, “Always so forward."
 “There’s no time to beat around the bush, if you have something to ask me, go ahead,” you quip, with a sharp side glance at him, before pulling the visor down to adjust your lipstick in the mirror.
 “I just missed you,” he admitted.
 “Missed me or missed what I could do for you?” Closing the visor, you turn and look him in the eye, your gaze piercing through him. His shoulders slump slightly, and a bitter chuckle escapes his lips. “Is it always going to be business with you? Even after everything?”
 “It’s always going to be business with you because of everything. You're the one that said ‘lets just be friends. Realistically that's the best option because I’m too dangerous to be a stranger to you with all that I know." You finish, chest burning with your bitter pettiness and disgust in sympathy for his masked pain.  "You were one of the greatest loves of my life. But not THE love of my life.” you continue, thinning your lips and turning away and closing your eyes to soothe the burning in them.
“I still love you too. But it’s not gonna happen, our time is over.” You finally say.
“I figured that you became an information broker to get Kiyoomi’s attention recently.” He interjected with jealousy clear in his tone.
Snapping your gaze back at him. “I chose my career to be independent, so no would hurt me like you did.  I don’t want to take orders from someone because I’m no goon. I stand by my policy. It would do you well to stand by it too.” Ignoring his pained reaction, you continued. “Taking me to your place, right?  Then let’s get on with that instead because I don’t owe you any of my personal details.” The thought crossed you mind, and the words slipped past your lips before you could stop them. “That information is a premium charge if you’re that curious.” you stated holding out your hand.
“it’s in the glove box” he sighed. “I know you didn’t seek me to purchase information for your ‘work.’ you wanted my time, didn’t you?”  looking up to see him nodding in reply with a dejected smile. You weren’t finished though, thinking to yourself as you exited the car, followed him through the underground garage, past security and into his penthouse. You had a point to prove with your hidden agenda, and you weren’t leaving here until you got what you came for.
  Stepping through the threshold was like sinking into the warm comforting depths of the deep sunlit seawater. Warm, familiar, and comforting. Immediately you could tell that nothing had changed, relief washed over you with the realization that dramatically increased your advantage and success rate for your target. Just like the deep-sea waters though you knew there were dangers the deeper you sank into this familiarity. Shoving that thought to the side you slid off your shoes and began walking through the hall, hands grazing the walls observing pictures of him and his family. Passing one of you in a group shot together cleverly placed in the collage on the wall, slipping into the living room, passing the pictures of the old gang and snapshots of you studying with Sienna, and Kenma. Then seeing yourself standing in the rain in the background of a team group shot mocking Bokuto who was trying to duck out of the shot but failed to. Blushing wildly covering your best friend from the rain with his jacket and hiding his face that was covered in tinted lip balm. “Always the gentleman Bo.” You grinned at the shot, roaming over other pictures of his MSBY friends, the rival teams, some shots included new coaches, vice-captains, fellow higher-ups and the team medics. Then you saw the generous helping of pictures of your time together though, the two of you studying with Sienna and Bokuto, who was flustered looking at Sienna instead of the textbook. Shots of you riding on Kuroo’s shoulders, a cute one that you vividly remember Sienna taking of you covered in your own lipstick when Kuroo put it on and smothered you with kisses all over your face and arm, a flustered expression clearly focused on the camera. You remember the way he was focused on you, only looking to the camera to smirk before he continued his assault of kisses on you. Finally, the last picture was of you landing that ‘Oikawa serve’ in one of the final games before leaving college. Once again you closed your eyes, trying to soothe yourself from the melancholy trip down memory lane with his display.
Slipping open your lids you accepted the fact that the burning in your throat and prickling in your eyes would not cease, letting the cool tears flow freely.  “you cruel bastard. You kept all of it. Why?”
“Because You’re always on my mind, you never left.”
 “is that all?” you say turning to face him, hating the conflicting feelings swarming through you all at once, the nostalgia was warm, sweet, and welcoming. But the result was bitter, cold and lonely. Logically you should stick to the job, but your emotions were forcing you to focus your mind elsewhere.
“Nope, your here too.” He points to his heart. “Every time I close my eyes it’s you, I see. Wishing that it’s your voice calling out my name, your hair that fanned out on the pillow next to mine. Your arms wrapping around me. If I take them down. If I remove all the stuff. It would be leaving a void in the middle of my life. I can’t have that, I’d crumble.” He admits with his eyes locked in your gaze.
You answer him by bounding into his arms like old times and breathlessly kissed him. He deepened it, holding you tightly, cradling the back of your head gently letting his free hands travel down your back and firmly grabbing your ass pulling you close to his body and rolling his hips into you. Groaning as he feels your warm body. Relishing in the smooth suppleness of your skin under his hands.
 "Your skin was always so smooth, so soft." He murmured into your neck. Trailing open mouth kisses down it. Leaning your head to the right, granting him more access to your throat. Fluttering your lashes enjoying the feeling of his lips on your skin again. Your brought back down onto your feet, as he sinks to his knees, unzipping your skirt and letting it pool around your ankles. You grabbed his tie and pulled him flush against your pelvis, slipping one leg over his shoulder and angling your puffy lips to align with his mouth.
"Kiss me, show me how much you missed me." Winking and smiling at him sweetly. His face heats at your sudden boldness, a contrast to the usual blushing submissive side. Leaning forward he obliged and kissed you through the thin crotch of the lacy fabric separating his lips from yours. Flattening his tongue, he laved it down your wet slit. Biting your bottom lip to stifle moans threatening to echo through the apartment, you began rocking your hips back and forth, craving more friction. Sensing your eagerness Kuroo pulls at the material with his teeth and lets the elastic snap against you. Humming in pleasure when he hears the responding gasp melting into a soft muted moan. He missed the sounds you made, and he wanted to hear more of them. Slipping his index finger past the ruined panties he sinks his index finger knuckle deep, groaning at how eagerly your gummy walls wrapped around his digit. "God, your so tight Chibi-chan, did u miss me?"
 Whining in response you wrapped your fingers around the strands of raven hair pulling harshly. "Mmmm more" you demanded, he smiled noting the lack of answer and obediently slipped the second digit in, pumping the fingers in and out, taking pleasure in the feeling of you clenching around him, the sweet taste of your slick and skin. But what really got him going was the sounds spilling from your lips when he swallowed your clit into his mouth hollowing out his cheeks and grinding his fingers against that spongey spot that had you bucking her hips and crying out. His breathing started to get obstructed when you yanked at his tie, tightening it around his throat. His vision getting blurry and the sound of his blood rushing through his veins filled his ears. Then on instinct you released the tie, fresh air flooded into his lungs, the rush of oxygen and the dopamine surging through his system delivered an indescribable high.
 He freed his cock from his pants giving himself slow soothing pumps to his throbbing length. Its head swollen, pink and dripping pre that he used as a lube before grabbing your hips and easing you to sit on his face. He bucked into the empty air craning his neck and slipped his tongue into your quivering pussy. Your legs gave out as your orgasm surged through you like a flash fire, igniting every blood cell in our body with hot pleasure that clouded your mind and mad your eyes roll to the back of your head as you released a litany of curses and Kuroo’s name. He gripped your hips with a bruising force, drinking in your cum as it spilled into his mouth, embracing your trembling form.
 As you caught your breath Kuroo brushed the stray strands of hair free from your face and immediately searched your face for signs of discomfort. His lips stretched into a smile when you started smoothing your hands through his hair. “I’m not a dog, you don’t need to pet me he nipped at your hand. Standing, and stripping off his shirt and shooting you a wink. “Well at least dogs are loyal.”  Returning his wink as you get to your feet and watch him as he flings his shirt and tie over his shoulder, grasping his chest and looking down at you through his lashes. “Ouch, you aren’t here to play nice, are you?” he croons as he slips his hands on your waist and back steps toward his room.
 “Not at all.” you answer while pointing over to his bed, “have a seat,” waiting for him to do so, your request before you slipped out of the top, revealing the strapless bralette and flinging it his way, grinning when he caught it in his mouth, shooting you a wink and growling. Releasing a playful “woof” before dropping it onto the floor to watch you close the space between you two. You slid your palms up his thigh bracing the other hand on his chest, coaxing him to lean back  allowing you to slink up his long body letting your glistening pussy lips slide up his hardened shaft and muffled his groan when you pressed your plump lips over his pulling back to whisper, “shhh, don’t get too excited too soon” you tease trailing kisses down his neck, leaving blossoming bruises in your wake, kissing down his chest and finally sitting back up halting your hip to search his face. You could feel the way his heart was hammering in his chest against your palm. “Don’t be shy now Natsumi.” He bucks his hips and you sink your teeth into your lip to stifle the moan rising from you.
 His hands fastened to your hips in a death grip, his fingers and knuckles white, his pupils blown, his chest heaving with anticipation. He nodded and bucked his hips, slipping his shaft through your delicate petals and being rewarded with a sweet soft moan. “Lean forward Chibi-chan, I got you,” he assured. Reluctant to trust him for much, you relented with a sigh and obeyed.
Feeling his swollen velvety tip breach your entrance, you couldn’t hold back from slamming your hips down, enveloping him in your warm, hungry pussy with a moan that made him growl low in his throat. “D-don’t move, ok?” you struggled through whimpers at how the stretch sent pleasure flooding your senses. Your body flushed with heat, goosebumps flashing across the surface, nipples pebbling before his eyes, and that plush bottom lip being tortured between your pearly teeth as you bit down on it to suppress moans threatening to spring free but still reaching Kuroo’s ears. Your hips bucked forward, working your waist in slow delicious circles that edged both of you just right. The friction your swollen clit got from grazing his hilt urged you to close your eyes and twerk your ass cheeks, the sudden movements caused his dick to grind against the walls of your tight core, which clenched him snuggly inside you. He gasped each time you jerked and rolled your waist, bouncing up and down his cock, building a punishing speed that drove him wild and bow his back up off the bed. “Chibi-chan that’s it, fuck yourself on my cock baby.” he moaned thrusting his hip up in time to crash into yours when you thrusted your hips down, making him moan out in bliss, lolling his tongue out as your hips jackhammered down onto him. “Kurooooo, I’m gonna cum.”
 He eased the pressure on your hips, his breath stuttering and sweat collecting on his brow as he watched the way you raised your body up the length of his dick and dropped onto it. Your swollen lips swallowing him deeply, convulsing around him. “Mm cum on this cock Chibi-Chan!” he growled demanding your attention and compliance. “I’ve been dreaming about this for so long when you would finally come back and ride me and let me fuck you into this mattress. Ffffff fuck Natsumi.” You throw your head back as your pussy convulses and your orgasm ripples through your body. Radiating waves of intensity surging through your body sending your eyes rolling to the back of your head. He sits up to let you rest your forehead against his, both of you panting for breath. He laid slow soft kisses across your flushed cheeks, smoothing his hands up your back and down your sides slowly but gaining in pressure. You also feel his cock harden inside you as he starts brings his lips against your, kissing your deeply and letting your taste yourself on his tongue.
Rocking your hips in slow motions you let him take advantage and toss you into the mattress, sinking his incisors into your neck and his cock balls deep “you feel so good baby~ I wanna cum deep inside you, look at me Sumi. I want to see your face when I fill you.” He ruts into you setting the delicious pace of pulling out and pounding into your dripping cunt, the chorus of hips crashing into each other, the squelching of your wet pussy milking him, and wanton moans filled his ears. He forced his eyes closed trying to burn it all into memory. The beautiful pitch your voice took when he hit that perfect spot deep inside you, lacing his fingers with yours, he crowded your frame with his broad upper body. Balancing on his elbows he used every muscle in his thighs to push into you, bringing tears to your eyes as flashes of black and white cloud your vision, all the breath left your body as Kuroo sent you tumbling into a prolonged orgasm. A wild blissful ride rendering your body weightless, gravity no longer existed, lost in the incredible sensations coursing through your body and spasmed when Kuroo thrust almost painfully deep into you pumping you past your limit with hot ropes of cum pulsing into you. You felt warm everywhere, there was tingling under the surface of your skin, movements reduced to the speed of warm molasses. “I’ve got you Natsumi.” his voice sounded so far away but the sound was followed with gentle soothing strokes up your sides, slowly grounding you. Soon after the feeling of him caressing your cheek and feeling him planting a soft kiss on your lips brought your mind back to the present, just like he would back then. Bringing you back down to earth after fucking your soul out of your body filled him with pride knowing he still could do this to you. The bitter pangs of his heart told him that one day the person doing this wouldn’t be him. The gentle sound of your voice thanking him grasped his attention and gave him the chance to appreciate your raw beauty. The lipstick had long been kissed away revealing plump two-toned nude lips, the even tone of her golden chestnut skin and deep chocolate eyes made his sting with tears. “It’s been a long time, nostalgia’s hurting, isn’t it?” you teased reaching your arms out for him to pull himself into an embrace, sighed at the feeling of you nuzzling into him and kissing his jaw. “Seeing you like this hit hard. It’s like seeing my dreams and memories merge together and play out in front of me, yet the actual thing, still pales every single image, every thought, every memory in comparison.” Pulling back to see his face you arched an eyebrow. “oh?”
 “Every time I have someone next to me, I wished it were your body warming that side of my bed instead, your curls fanned out across my pillow, your voice filling the room when you call my name, and your lips I taste when I kiss. I shouldn’t have hurt you the way I did Sumi, I’m sorry.” He breathed. You closed her eyes and hummed. This was supposed to hurt more. But it was just a dull ache of sympathy, the bond that you had with him had long frayed and snaped, well at least you hoped. You truly moved on. It was a relief and a pity. A relief that you felt nothing, a pity for him, that he was feeling everything.
 “That connection had long since ended Roo, the love I feel for you now isn’t the same. That level of devotion was gone the moment you left me. Understand? I only give that out to those deserving. This was sweet, to an extent. But by no means is it a sign of any kind of romantic reconcile, ok?” his eyes swirled with remorse, and he numbly nodded. Finishing the water he gave you, you placed it on the side table as headed to the bathroom to clean yourself up in the hot shower, rinsing the feeling of him off your skin. Breathing the hot steam deep into your lungs to refocus your mind. Inwardly thanking him for not following you in there. After the shower you grab a town and dry of, return to the room finding him sitting on the bed.  Looking up at you a smile flashed across his face along with a faint blush on his cheeks. “Your hair, it brings me back to when I would help you with drying it out, detangling and oiling your scalp.” You shook your head. And cast him a side glance. “And?”
“Well, it was my favourite, you know I always thought your hair was cute in those buns" he muses, she glared at him. "How childish. People grow Kuroo, I have long grown out of that. You know it was cute walking down memory lane with you, but it revealed one thing. You haven’t changed, your out here fucking girls that remind you of me, holding onto the past while I, and the rest of the world move forward. Grow up, you should try it sometime." You spat, spinning on your toes to invade his closet, boldly slamming the door and reef through the clothes for something to wear only to come up to another nostalgic discovery, with out uttering a word you grabbed the old uniform and put it on, gathering up his travel bag and rummaging through his drawers, eyes scanning every free surface. Noticing that he was not making a sound made you suspicious. “You alive?” tensing waiting for his reply.
 “Yeah, just giving you space-” he was cut off when he saw the college uniform hug your curvy figure. He truly felt like if he blinked, you’d vanish, but when you realized what was going on you yanked the bundles of hair free, shaking the damp curls and sweeping them up into a messy bun letting stray strands frame your face. “I may be a vision from your memories, so take a good look. This is the last time you’ll see me like this. Once I leave this room you won’t have this chance again. So, I do hope that your ‘hoe phase’ was an enjoyable one.” you finished slipping on a pair of runners. “I really can’t believe you kept everything here, that isn’t healthy, and if you have other women wearing my things, that’s- disturbing.”
“What should I do with the clothes you came here with.”
“Burn it. Toss it, it’s of little consequence to me, my job is done.” You shrug on the travel bag on your shoulders.
“But I didn’t tell you anything, you never asked any questions. Did you even get what you needed?” Cupping his cheek to look into his eyes. “Thank you for being one of my greatest loves Kuroo, you really should stop putting yourself in danger trying to steal glances at me. Turning up in places where you think I will be or following my potential targets. You’ll end up putting a target on your back if you keep that up, I’m grown. I can handle myself.” you warned, “bye Sumi.” he closed his eyes and felt you kiss him, when he opened them again his heart sank to see the room empty, but then it sank into his belly realizing what exactly she did. Running into the walk-in closet he yanked open his draws in search of his files and the dossier. No surprise, they were all missing, the dossier, all the files including the first classified drive he had in there.  Damn, He really paid her to rob him. He smiled bitterly to himself admiring the finesse. He attempted to buy time to plead his case, only to be out of luck with love, and now possibly his job.
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cheri-translates · 4 years
Text
[CN] Kiss Date Summaries (Eng translation)
🍒 SPOILERS 🍒
Translated summaries provided on Weibo regarding the dates coming on 16 July 2020 🥰
Update: Detailed translations are out!
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Lucien - Mirror Painting Date
[After I accepted the invitation to the “Amateur Painting Exhibition” by the manager of the Oil Painting Museum, I find myself unable to find inspiration. It is only until a ray of light shines on Lucien that I think of something that suits the theme of “Dream”.]
The uniqueness of this exhibition lies in how it does not require professionalism. The main point is to exhibit differing definitions of dreams held by different people. Since there’s no requirement to be a professional, I agreed to participate without hesitation. However, even after a few days, I don’t have a single idea...
“Silly, we still have time, so take your time to think.”
“Do you have any ideas then?”
While I speak, the light silently trickles into the living room, illuminating the room in an instant. One faint ray of light shines around Lucien’s eyes, and he involuntarily averts his eyes. Seeing that it was the makeup mirror which reflected the light, I hurriedly turn the mirror face-down on the table. In a moment, bits of ideas bubble from within my heart. 
“Lucien, I think I have some inspiration, but I’m not sure if it’d work...”
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Gavin - Late Autumn Date
[On the day of Loveland High’s founding day celebration, Gavin and I return to the music room and talk about things that happened in school. When I somewhat unreasonably tell him that he owes me a lot of memories, he suddenly kisses me.]
“I’ve thought about a few things since a very long time ago.”
“For example... cheering you on at the basketball court after school, and proudly telling the entire class that the name of the tallest and most accurate shooter is ‘Gavin’!” 
“Back then, there was a small stall outside the school gate selling red bean pastries. $3 for one, $5 for two. It was crispy on the outside and sweet on the inside, with a generous amount of filling. You’ve definitely not eaten it before...”
“Now, the Cityscape Management doesn’t allow the setting up of stalls outside the school gate, so I don’t have the chance to bring you there to eat.”
“We used to have late night self-study sessions and were only dismissed after 9pm. The girls in the same class would find company to walk with. If you were there back then, you’d have been able to cycle me home.”
“Piano lessons were way too dull. Once I sit here, it would be for several hours, playing the same song over and over again. Sometimes, I’d think of going out to have fun - to go shopping, sing karaoke, eat all kinds of good food, or do my homework while having a drink in a small shop.”
“Also, the 800-metres physical test was literally my nightmare! If you were there to accompany me in practicing running, I wouldn’t have passed only after my third test.”
The moments I spent in Loveland High replay in front of me, but the things that are brimming in my memory, apart from the purity of youth, blazing passion and ignorance, seems to be missing something.
“If I could be with you back then...”
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Kiro - Variety Show Date
[I finally clinched the opportunity to collaborate with LoveLand TV’s ace program, “Travelling with You”. However, the thing I’m looking forward to even more is everything that happened at the seaside with Kiro.]
“When the host asked who you most wanted to go to the seaside with, why didn’t you respond?”
Kiro turns his head and looks at me with a surprised expression. Then, he laughs.
“You really don’t know the answer?”
His shadow falls into my eyes, like a cloud blocking the sky behind it.
“I...”
“I’ll bring you to a place first!”
“Where-”
Kiro pulls me into a run, towards the direction of the sunset, as though we’re chasing the vanishing light on the beach. Very soon, the big rocks on the shore enter my vision.
“Hurry and look, this is the place.”
Kiro pulls me along as we walk closer, pointing at a shadowy area. There are two unremarkable, mutually independent rocks. But the shadows they cast on the golden sand look like a couple snuggled up with each other. 
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Victor - Sleepless at Night
[I originally planned to give Victor a surprise at the award ceremony after receiving an invitation from the Film and Television Association. However, it’s actually Victor who gives me an even bigger surprise...]
“Are you helping me put my clothes on, or taking them off?”
Hearing this, my face involuntarily turns red. Unwilling to back down, I retort.
“It depends on whether you want to take them off or put them on.”
I thought Victor would say that I’m being childish, but he pauses for a moment and his lips hook up into a smile. 
“... dummy.”
Feeling the heat on my face, I turn my head to the side and happen to see the flower display. Only then do I discover that the fresh flowers are actually blue roses. The flowers silently release an aromatic fragrance. I lean closer to take a whiff. Victor also leans over, pulling at his cuffs.
“Victor, do you know what blue roses represent in flower language?
“What is it?”
“In the language of flowers, blue roses represent ‘miracles and things that are impossible.’”
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babykatsu · 4 years
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chapstick.
-
pairing: denki kaminari x fem!reader
words count: 1.5k
rating: sfw ☁️
genre: fuff
warnings: kissing!
masterlist!
synopsis: during each one of your breaks between class, you coated your lips in a new flavour of chapsticks. This small habit and odd obsession of yours was soon noticed by Denki, who began seeking you out every lunch just to see what new flavour you’d have this time. Was it wrong of him to want a taste of those fruity flavours as well?
[a/n]: i don’t know what’s with me and benches but this talks about a bench again😭 i promise i can write other scenarios... ):
The wind had an odd warm feel to it as it flowed in and out of your hair, your lips feeling slightly dry and chapped as the air brushed against them. This could only call for one thing and one thing only, chapstick.
During your breaks between class, you always applied something to your lips like lip balms, obsessed with the moisture it always brought. This little habit slowly manifested into your avid collection of differently flavoured chapsticks, your favourites being the fruity ones especially. Every day, you brought a new flavour to school, delighted to try it out. Of course, you put all the balms to good use, insuring to finish every single one them, no matter how many you had accumulated.
You peacefully sat on a bench alone, enjoying your own company as you revealed the chapstick you had been keeping in your blazer pocket, eager to try its unique flavour. Gently, you took off the lid with a ‘pop’, it’s strong fruitful smell drowning your nose in its delicious scent. The fragrance depicted was that of an artificial mango with a dash of passionfruit, the smell freshly intoxicating and unavoidable.
As you twisted the base of the chapstick, revealing that soft orange coloured balm, a familiar someone peeked their head around the corner. The signature clown of the class, Denki Kaminari. His blonde locks swayed with the gentle gushes of the wind, his hair being pushed out of place revealing his electric yellow eyes. The eyes that had their entire attention on the small cylinder in your hands, the chapstick. After catching you 3 days in a row applying chapstick in the same place, same position, same routine but different chapstick, he became curious.
Arguably, he was probably more interested than you in the different flavours you had brought with you. He adored watching your growing collection and your obvious addiction to the balms. All the different smells, interesting names and the weird combinations of flavours was mesmerising to him. Though there was something he enjoyed more than just that. Indeed his mouth watered at the artificial flavours, he craved to try one of those balms himself one day but damn he enjoyed watching you apply the chapstick even more.
The way your soft yet chapped lips parted
as you coated them in moisture. Slowly circling the fragrant vaseline, it’s wax melting on your warm tender skin. He loved the ways your lips would get rosy and plump as they became damp. Secretly, that was his guilty pleasure.
Soon, he caught onto your routine. He found you almost immediately every break, using the same excuse: “just came to see which flavour you have this time” as he rubbed that back of his neck with a goofy grin sprawled out on his face. That wasn’t a full-on lie, the various smells brought him so much joy but he just wanted to drown in the beauty that was you. The beauty he saw when you oh so carefully applied those chapsticks.
And here was again, that stupid look on his face as he was getting ready to use the same old excuse. You paused the application of your chapstick, knowing he would want to see the flavour and question it before you applied it.
“just came to see-“ he started, yet didn’t get very far when you abruptly interrupted his sentence.
“I know” you spoke softly, a welcoming smile on your face as you motioned towards the vacant spot on the bench next to you. Without a second thought, he sat down eager eyes darting to the chapstick you were holding.
“What flavour is it this time?” a giggle escaped his mouth, his eyes crinkling as the smile he already had her wider.
“guess”
Slowly you lift the balm to his nose, giving him a good whiffed of the intense fruity scent. Instantly he felt himself become overwhelmed in the scent, getting ready to pick apart every clue he got to guess the flavour. The smell was fresh and fruity, typical of you as he’s become accustomed to your preference in taste. Was it pineapple? or perhaps it was melon. The smell was too strong for him to work out exactly what it was.
“Hmmm, smells like...” he furrowed his eyebrows, face scrunching as he put on his ‘thinking face’.
You couldn’t help but let out a light giggle, pulling away your chapstick from his nose to finally give your dry lips the moisture they had been craving. His eyes instantly diverted to your lips, watching the careful application process. Mesmerised and very much pleased with the image before him. As dramatic as it sounded, such simple actions like that coming from you made him swoon.
“give up?” you teased him, noticing the way he had zoned out.
As your words flooded his ears, he snapped back into reality, quickly fixing the point his eyes had been staring at your lips. His beaming yellow eyes explored your features as a proud smirk curled on his lips.
“it’s mango baby!” He was right as usual.
Unusually though, he called you something other than your name. A blush began to spread across your cheeks. You didn’t quite know in what way he meant it, but you sure as hell knew it was causing you to internally combust. Your face flushed and your heart began to beat just a tad bit faster.
“does it taste like mango thought?”
He started his usual questioning, always hoping you’d finally offer some balm to him but that would be quiet weird. I’m pretty sure that’s what you’d call a second-hand kiss, but Denki wasn’t fully focused on that aspect of it. Maybe just a bit. It was never successful though, he’s never received such a generous offer from you, not because you didn’t want to give him it. The thought just never even crossed your mind. Today Denki was determined to finally get a taste.
“It might, I don’t really lick the lip balm off my lips to know”
you laughed at your own bizarre comment. Most of these chapsticks claimed to have a nice taste, but you weren’t the type to straight up eat your lip balms so it was not really something you were familiar with.
Denkis laugh accompanied yours as his body hitched slightly closer, now closer to you.
“can i have the first taste, m’ lady?”
The comment took you back slightly. He wanted to taste the lip balm? You carefully watched him reach his hand out to the lip balm. His gentle slender fingers hovered over yours, brushing paste your warm skin as they locked around the balm. Shifting your gaze, you looked back up to his face, a large grin greeting your wondering eyes. The warmth that you felt on your hand should have left by now, he should have been applying the lip balm, yet his hand instead was now resting atop your own. His chilled hand contrasted your warmer one as he grazed it carefully. You felt a shudder strike through your body at his touch, his eyes not daring to look away from yours.
And before you could analysis the situation any longer, a pair of tender lips were interlaced with your own, your eyes resting shut as you gave in almost immediately. His lips felt soft, really soft and the way they fit so perfectly with your own felt unreal. As he began to move his lips, you felt yourself melt at his touch. So gentle and innocent. Another hand stroked the side of your neck while simultaneously bringing it closer. There was light tug here and there at your lips as he switched between giving attention to your top and bottom lip. You never imagined him to be so merciful and caring during a kiss, but here you were experiencing it all first hand.
A warm wet tongue brushed against your lower lip taking in the fruity wax that coated them. The chapstick that had drowned your lips tasted exactly like mango, but better. The taste was sweet, with an artificial aftertaste but Denki loved every second of his exploration none the less. Not just because he finally got to taste one of the flavours, but because he got to drown in this blissful moment. Your plump lips pressed against his as they danced together in innocence. He bit your lower lip softly, sucking it carefully before releasing your lips from his.
All you could do was just sit there, dumbfounded with a rosy tint covering your face and lips. Your previously dry lips were definitely moisturised now, glazed in Denkis sweet touch.
“It tastes just like mango, kitten!”
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thepeachgreentea · 4 years
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this got Real Long Real Quick...
I wanna know more about Luka's soul song gift - like how much do emotions or personality play into it? ((I’m going with a lot)) Does it only work in person?? Or can he get like snippets from videos or vibes from pictures? Like it would make sense if it was only in person...... But where's the fun I'm that? Realistically it wouldn't be as strong as in person but I could see him getting some stuff. Pictures it probably wouldn't be a lot, or even much of anything, unless the soul song really didn't match the picture...
Which means Luka is one of the first people to realize something is Up with Adrien (and the Agrestes in general)
The ads around the city never felt right, never matched up with the snippets/vibes he was able to get - unless Adrien was supposed to be sad or melancholy. Which is... yikes...
Then the Adrien The Fragrance commercial happens. And that's an additional big Fucking Yikes
Like I can only imagine that Adrien isn't particularly big on modelling in general from what we've seen (with the Marinette-exception) so the filming of that could have only been Worse than normal. How many times did it take to get the emotions at the ‘right’ level? How long did it take to get the angles and all the action done?
Anyway: after the first time Luka literally cannot stomach watching it or even listening to it because it is so Wrong. The soul song snippets from the video are longer and more intense and it is just so discordant that Luka can't deal
Adrien is most certainly NOT feeling carefree. Or radiant. Or remotely dreamy. He's goddamn exhausted, frustrated, resigned, depressed, sweaty, anxious, awkward, stressed. It is a whole stew of (teen) angst offset with that upbeat music and the bright blue sky & all that w h i t e and the jumping for joy
It is such a strong dichotomy Luka has a visceral reaction every time and has to either leave the room or mute it and look away,
All of that means that after he meets Adrien in person, and gets to hear his soul song in a couple different situations and can see his emotions matching internally and externally he basically tells him they will always have space for him on the Liberty. (Also the first time he saw the LB + CN movie and heard Adrien's voice acting he only picked up some nerves - easily attributed to a new situation rather than a secret identity - but he was clearly enjoying himself even if it was a terrible script)
Therefore, Luka doesn't have particularly good feelings towards Gabriel, even before seeing any videos of him.
Style Queen was a Time. He was happy for Adrien but the bits he was getting from Gabriel were so rigid and tight... And rather selfish to boot. Which was weird given the situation
He has to try very very hard to not sneer or snarl at the tablet he first "meets" him on - probably at a Kitty Section practice or concert or at some class + family event.
I can also v easily picture him meeting him in person and being super uncomfortable at the sheer amount of manipulation and self-aggrandizing, selfishness, etc that rolls off of Gabriel, basically choking out his soul song. Either Lula barely refrains from punching Gabriel and manages to shake his hand but then desperately needs to clean his hands. Orrrr he does punch him and then basically coats his hands in sanitizer (either way he is Nino’s absolute favorite person for this alone)
Also, this would not be the first time Luka has figured out an abusive situation. It has happened with both his own and Juleka's friends & classmates. He is v much a protective older brother at heart
And because I damn well can have some Lila salt, some of which has been touched on before, unlike with Gabriel:
He had heard about her from Juleka and Kitty Section and was a bit confused about it but it wasn't until Rose was over and the girls were telling him about some of Lila's stories that he saw a picture of her.
And that was The Strongest he had ever reacted to a picture before: instant chills up his spine and an actual hiss escaped him
All 3 of them are shocked. Luka then has to explain that reaction as best as he can. Which is hard when you aren't great at words and while the soul song fragments are rather clear he would never make his guitar suffer trying to recreate them.
He manages tho and Julerose are at least wary of her afterwards. They start observing her more and a lot of her behavior and the way she talks can be very off-putting. They start noticing some of the digs that she makes at others, that she contradicts herself 5 different ways, and how she is constantly bringing the attention back to herself.
During all this they start noticing how both Marinette and Adrien react to her and it is Not Good. Mari gets defensive and will often try to bring up those contradictions that they started noticing. But jealousy is only a minor factor, at most. In certain situations it is possible that it could be involved... except those only happen when Adrien is looking very uncomfortable and Marinette notices or they make eye contact and then Marinette creates an opportunity for him to escape
Which is something that no one else is noticing which is really terrible and unhealthy...
Around this time is when Ivan has started to figure out something is up. and then he definitely knows when Julerose show Luka a video at a private band practice.
Because video and in person interactions make the BadBadBAD feelings worse and Ivan, while he often struggles with understanding & expressing emotions, has definitely noticed Lila - even though she is not actually there - causes a lot of stress and anxiety to Luka and he has gotten really good at methods of lessening those.
So, Luka sees the video with/of Lila and has an even stronger reaction than the picture before. His eyes get huge, and his face pales (gets slightly sickly?), and he hisses even stronger than the first time
He refuses to try to play her soul song because something like that is nearly impossible to recreate but also doesn’t need to be put out into the world but does his best to try and describe it
Possible: her soul song feels like it is drowning in toxic sludge - there is just so much negativeness that it is barely intelligible. It is being smothered by self-satisfaction and importance, narcissism, aggressive manipulation, pettiness, vile maliciousness, etc
In person interactions are awful. Luka avoids physical interaction as much as possible. Even more than he would with Gabriel, and he wants as little to do with that man as possible, ideally none. But Lila is worse...
There have been multiple times that he has had to step out/away to be able to get some fresh air and breathe again. At least once where he has been or almost has been sick - usually following a hug that he did not consent to or something similar
Ivan is definitely in the fold now, and Julerose share what they have noticed from taking their step back. He realizes he has noticed a lot of those same things but he wasn’t analyzing them and didn’t have the same context for them at the time that Luka, Juleka, and Rose did. But afterwards he picks up on them more clearly, and some other things they hadn’t - benefits of being one of the quiet kids (and a lesser target of Lila’s focus). He is part of the driving force in bringing Marinette and Adrien in first before going to others.
Marinette breaks down because more people believe her?? and support her and Adrien? it is a huge relief of tension. And she didn’t even have to convince them herself!! what a concept... but it is definitely a safe space for her and she can share her own experiences and that certainly is nice
they had all suspected Something was Up but weren’t expecting that so there are lots of hugs and tears and support and mutters of payback 
Adrien eventually cries because Kitty Section + Marinette give him a TedTalk about consent and personal autonomy. And now he has so many people (!!!) telling him he can say no and make his own choices, mistakes, and decisions. (Marinette’s part is largely “I told you so / do you believe us now?” because the Dupain-Chengs have probably already given this same talk as a family but that is just A family’s opinion, others probably think differently) And this is the first time he really truly believes it and... oooof there are a lot of emotions and interactions to unpack and reconsider
but now he knows he really needs to and that he can and should which is new, but so is having an actual support system...
Thus, Luka is ready to fight a bitch the first time he sees Lila and Adrien interacting. There is so much clinging and touching, and Adrien is panicking and no one is doing anything or is being waved off. And (unfortunately) this is one of the things that causes some people to start questioning things about Lila. Because most of them know of Luka as a really chill, laid-back guy who is open and accepting of people. and besides he has no reason to be jealous (((👀👀👀👀 too much to think about and unpack t h e r e))) so why would he be upset about Lila leaning on Adrien and holding his arm??
So, the questioning of Lila and what she says spreads out from Kitty Section and Adrinette to the rest of the class. They take a different approach. They slowly, carefully approach their classmates and take them aside when possible to talk about the situation
This allows them to be able to get their undivided attention and lay out what they have found out in a logical and cohesive manner, rather than attempting something rash or in the heat of the moment. Marinette grumbled about this method initially but when there were actual results and the burden was shared it was a huge relief for her.
In fact, others start coming to them about Lila.
because of the work of Kitty Section and Adrinette Lila’s audience has been steadily decreasing and it is getting easier to notice things. With a smaller audience the focus doesn’t get split as much and there are less questions for her to build off of or go on tangents from and the contradictions start standing out more, or she’s making more to try and keep them around her by holding their interest with different details
Plus, the comments about those outside Her Circle are getting meaner and more frequent. Usually they are still sneaky or underhanded but nowhere near as subtle as they were originally (were they ever, really?) and it is raising suspicions and hackles.
Eventually, Lila is left without an audience because the class has all been brought out of the cloud of manipulation and are working on trust and listening to each other more/better. and on how to not disregard other’s feelings (which is esp important with the high butterfly population in Paris, but is a v good life lesson in general). they are young and will make mistakes and will have to learn from them. but trials, growth, and change are all part of life so it is good for them.
But it essentially all stems from Luka and his ability to hear soul songs and reacting to those songs, or the lack thereof when they are being choked by evil intentions/emotions/actions/what have you
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quazartranslates · 3 years
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Welcome to the Nightmare Game - CH121
**This is an edited machine translation. For more information, please [click here]**
[<<< Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter >>>]
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Chapter 121: The Dream of the Holy Nun (XI)
{cw: brief transmisogyny}
On this night, Qi Leren still dreamed, but it was a rare dream that wasn’t a nightmare. No, in a sense, it was a nightmare. The dream was like a movie that was played automatically. It began where he and Dr. Lu had entered the Novice Village, and then Su He appeared. They finished their mission and came to the Village of Dusk, then there was the Witchcraft Sacrifice, and then it jumped to the Castle. In his dream, he experienced the battle where he had defeated the crazy lady in the basement. When he tried to open the drawer with the laptop computer again, his dream came to an abrupt end.
Qi Leren, who had woken up in the middle of the night, was still in a daze. He turned over and went back to sleep. Then he dreamed of Ning Zhou in the Witchcraft Sacrifice. At that time, he still had a woman's appearance. They had intimate contact in the deserted underground cave and explored each other's bodies unscrupulously until…
In his dream, he felt something that shouldn't appear on a woman.
Qi Leren rolled up and sat on the bed in cold sweat. It was already bright out, and his biological clock rarely went on strike. Just as he groped for the watch on the pillow, he saw Ning Zhou sitting on the sofa by the window polishing his double knives.
Qi Leren got a kick and immediately woke up: "Morning... Morning."
Ning Zhou's line of sight paused for a second on his open T-shirt collar, then paused for a second on his sleepy face, nodded lightly, and moved away.
Qi Leren had encountered a little trouble. A normal male would encounter morning trouble beginning in puberty. Now he had two choices: just sit on the bed and wait until it goes away, or go to the bathroom to solve it by himself.
Considering that less than five meters away, there was his (incorrectly gendered) sex dream object, and the other party was wiping the blade with a cold face while his talking eagle stood on the back of the sofa watching him, his brain felt like it was overheating. Qi Leren felt that no matter which one he chose, he was a little ashamed. Now he could only pray that he hadn't made any wrong sounds when he’d been dreaming just now.
Because he was too nervous, he even thought about it. How would Ning Zhou solve this kind of trouble? He vaguely remembered that some religious doctrines not only prohibited premarital sex but even prohibited self-comfort, which was inhumane in multiple ways.
Just as his thoughts were spinning out of control, Ning Zhou suddenly put away his double knives and inserted them back into the sheaths on the outside of his thighs: "I'll get breakfast."
"Oh, good, good." Qi Leren breathed a sigh of relief and watched Ning Zhou leave the room with his black bird.
The trouble was solved. After breakfast, the four people got together again, studied the map of the Holy City Qi Leren had bought from Chen Baiqi, and discussed their actions for the next few days. Finally, they decided to take a general walk around the city now, and then go to investigate the old site of the Holy See.
The Holy City was still the Holy City. It still looked lively after being closed for more than 20 years. However, in some corners signs of the city’s decline could already be seen. Many houses had been abandoned except for those along main roads. It was said that after the demon invasion and the disaster of the new moon, the existing population of the Holy City was less than 10,000.
The streets were full of middle-aged men and women and some white-haired old people, but young men and women were rarely seen, especially children. The four people wandered around to inquire about the Holy City, and then set off to the former site of the Vatican.
"What did the Lord say yesterday? The vicinity of the Vatican was closed by a mysterious force and cannot be entered?" Dr. Lu asked, recalling the information he’d found in the castle yesterday.
Qi Leren responded, "That's what the passer-by said just now. They wanted to seek asylum from the Holy See, but they couldn't get in at all. The Lord's wife is a very devout believer and often prays near the Vatican, but she can't walk into it."
"Let’s go there and see," Su He said.
The former site of Holy City's Vatican was located on a hill on the north side of the city. The white stone buildings built around the mountain were still holy, but felt as if they were in a pool of stagnant water.
"This is a bit like a saint’s sanctuary," Dr. Lu sighed when he stood at the foot of the mountain and looked up.
By what he said, Qi Leren also felt a little similar.
Looking up, the verdant mountain forest was covered with a long ladder composed of white stone steps, extending upwards along the winding mountain road. There were many religious buildings along the way. Green and white constituted the most basic colours of this sanctuary, which shone under the blue sky and white clouds. The church at the top of the mountain seemed to have experienced a war. Half of the buildings had collapsed, but even if only the broken wall remained, it still looked holy and magnificent and fascinating.
In the past, was this the holy land in the eyes of believers?
"Sure enough, it’s closed." Su He stood on the steps and held out his hand, and his palm seemed to touch some strange barrier, ripples spreading from the position of his palm, filled with ominous black.
"The power of the Devil," Ning Zhou said with certainty as he also stepped forward.
"It is the power of the Devil. It seems that they closed the Vatican..." Su He thought for a moment and continued, "The Devil who led the demons to invade the human world for the first time in historical legends should be sealed here."
Dr. Lu's expression was distorted and he asked painfully, "We won't let it out by accident, will we?"
Su He smiled: "It shouldn’t be, because it’s said that the Devils’ inheritance is different from that of human beings. If the old Devil does not die, the new Devil will not be crowned and recognized by the Devils. By now the new Devil has been born. I’m afraid that the old Devil is really dead."
"You mean the three Devils of Power, Slaughter, and Fraud?" Qi Leren remembered that Su He once gave them a basic rundown. "But can three Devil Kings be produced at the same time?"
"This... I don't know." Su He smiled helplessly.
Unable to enter the Vatican, the four people searched near the foot of the mountain and found a cemetery surrounded by flowers and green trees beside a stone stairway.
"The Garden of the Holy Tomb," Qi Leren stood at the entrance of the cemetery and read the inscription.
It was said to be a cemetery, but the Garden of the Holy Tomb was full of flowers, and these beautiful flowers bloomed luxuriantly even now when no one cared for them. If it wasn’t for the few scattered tombstones interspersed among the flowers, people who come here would hardly feel that it was a cemetery.
"I'm starving. Let’s take a rest and investigate the clues in the afternoon." Dr. Lu's stomach had been growling.
"Yes, I'm hungry, too." Qi Leren hadn’t eaten much for breakfast and now he was hungry after running around all morning. Although this was a cemetery, the scenery was good, and four people decided to have a rest here.
Lunch had been prepared by the maid in the Lord's castle. The maid in her forties carefully packed bread and wine in a big basket with jam and bacon, which tasted much better than their own dry food. Spreading out the tablecloth like a basket, the four people sat on the lawn and enjoyed lunch in the sunshine.
After coming to the Nightmare World, Qi Leren hadn't been so relaxed in a long time. He’d left the depressing mechanical city of the Village of Dusk with its sun that never fell. The sunshine and air here and now made him relaxed and happy. Ning Zhou's eagle also liked this environment very much. It got out of its pet bag, grabbed a large piece of bacon, and flew off on its wings. Even its shadow had left.
After being satiated with food and drink, Qi Leren circled the Garden of the Holy Tomb. In the corner of the garden there was a huge tree stump, which should be the remains of a huge tree that had been struck down in a thunderstorm after its interior had decayed. The trunk laying more than a meter away on the ground had fallen down and become a piece of lifeless deadwood on the grass. Even so, the broken trunk with a diameter of two meters was higher than Qi Leren standing in front of it.
The stump left by it had been hollowed out, but it was interesting that green grass had grown out of the hollowed-out wooden stump, making the space in the stump look like a natural open bed.
In this season, the flowers were in full bloom and the surrounding treetops were full of flowers, mostly blue and white. When a gust of wind blew the petals fell down in a swirl, and fell into the hollow stump, covering the grass inside the stump, which looked soft and comfortable.
Qi Leren, who was a little sleepy after eating and drinking, simply stepped on the roots above the ground and climbed into the stump. He was covered with fresh grass and fallen flowers that distributed their fragrance, and sighed contentedly.
The stump of this huge wooden tree that had been broken off became a small bed for his nap, with just enough room for a person to sleep. Lying in it, Qi Leren closed his eyes and let the sun fall on him, making him blush, and his whole body was filled with sunshine and warmth.
In the quiet Garden of the Holy Tomb, Qi Leren could still vaguely hear the voices of Dr. Lu and Su He, but their voices were pushed farther and farther by sleepiness, and he fell asleep.
"Why are there roses carved on this tombstone?" Dr. Lu asked, pointing to a tombstone.
After carefully studying the tombstone, Su He said: "The key should not be roses, but the number. There are just seven roses, which means 'I love you' here. This should be a tombstone for someone’s lover."
Dr. Lu hit his right hand with his left hand: "Yes, I remember you told me and Leren in the Castle task."
The conversation between the two attracted Ning Zhou's attention. He also saw the tombstone with the name and life of a Holy See believer. Her name was Susan, a devout believer who had disappeared on the night of the new moon. Her husband held a funeral for her, praying that her soul could be saved by God. The lifelike rose relief on the tombstone was painted white. 
"White roses are pure love," Ning Zhou said. Maria had loved white roses, so he remembered.
He still remembered that Maria told him about the Garden of the Holy Tomb outside the Holy City’s Vatican. When she was a girl, she had planted many roses here which were colorful, but she loved white best. There was a towering tree in the corner of the Garden of the Holy Tomb where she had hung a swing and played alone in the evening wind. It was an innocent and carefree time.
More than 20 years had passed and the roses planted by Maria had survived tenaciously, growing in the corners of the Garden of the Holy Tomb, and the tree that she had hung from the swing on…
"Hey, where’s Qi Leren?" Dr. Lu asked curiously.
"He seems to have wandered over there." Su He pointed to the corner of the garden.
Ning Zhou strode past and he found Qi Leren in the corner of the garden. He was lying in the hollow stump, sleeping amongst grass and petals, and taking a nap in the warm afternoon sun. A naughty petal rolled down his hair along the wind and ran to his face, getting stuck in his eyelashes. He seemed to feel itchy, and his wrinkled nose scrunched. The breeze saved the petal from his eyelashes. It bounced and landed between his lips. The blue and white petal looked more bright outlined by his red lips. Ning Zhou stared at it for a long time…
"Qi Leren - where did you go?"
Dr. Lu's cry came from a distance and Qi Leren, who was sleeping soundly, woke up with a start, suddenly opened his eyes, and it seemed that something was blocking the sunshine... He lied in the petals and looked up and his eyes fell on a piece of blue, which was bluer than the sky. It was clear and pure, hitting his heart. For a moment he didn't realize it wasn’t the sky, but Ning Zhou standing by the tree. He looked at him quietly, still so cold, as if the gentle blue he saw just now was the illusion that he had not yet woken up from.
"I fell asleep?" Qi Leren opened his mouth, and the petal falling between his lips was eaten by him. He quickly sat up and looked in all directions to find the source of the sound just now.
Dr. Lu trotted to him and exclaimed in amazement: "This bed looks so comfortable, it’s still all natural and pure, you really know where to find a place."
Qi Leren jumped out of the stump and patted the petals and grass clippings on his clothes. "Do you want to lie down for a while?"
Dr. Lu looked at the stump for a while and gave up: "Forget it, let's eat small cakes. I brought them from the Village of Dusk. They’re delicious."
Qi Leren took a reluctant look at the comfortable tree bed and finally followed Dr. Lu to the picnic place. Su He sat on the grass casually,  smiled, and raised the goblet filled with wine to greet them. As they walked along, Qi Leren looked back. Ning Zhou stood by the stump and looked at him silently.
He hadn’t thought he'd look back. A little surprise appeared in his blue eyes, and there was some hidden emotion that was too late to be restrained. He restrained it implicitly, almost to self-abuse, quiet and always too easy to miss. There were too many details in a single moment, so people who couldn’t understand ignore them completely. In the warm sunshine in the afternoon, Qi Leren smiled,raised his hand, and waved to Ning Zhou: "Come with us!"
So he hesitated for just a moment, then walked straight and firmly towards him.
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