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submissivedjberry · 4 years

Text

Edelweiss

TAGGING: DJ Berry & Jo Fabray ( @jofabray )

DATE: April 25

SUMMARY: A whole lot of sweetness, working through some insecurities

Jo was definitely the person that DJ had spoken to the most during her brief time at the institute. She had been kind and caring and had followed through on the promise that she had made to talk with Rachel, which was something that really warmed DJ’s heart and made her feel more confident in her ability to be friends with the Domme. She had found the Domme’s explanation of what she had and had not liked about Singin In The Rain to be extremely enjoyable. She had been thoughtful and genuine and DJ was looking forward to seeing what she had to say about any future musicals that they would watch together.

While she was partially going over to Jo’s that Saturday to help clean up her suite to allow for the Dominant to continue to rest and recover from the punishment that she had gone through, she was also excited for what else they might do. She had her pajamas, hygiene essentials, and The Sound of Music in her bag as she made her way over to the Dominant dorms. She knocked on Jo’s door, waiting patiently for the Domme to answer. She wasn’t sure exactly what cleaning would need to be done in the Domme’s suite, but she was ready for whatever Jo would throw at her.

Since emerging from the wide, Jo struggled mightily with the idea of being a Dominant. As if a childhood spent in the tender care of Russell Fabray hadn’t already shown her what awful things her mark could do in the wrong hands, the mark wide had shown her that there could be more cruelty and sadism than she’d ever have believed possible. But refusing to be a Dominant wouldn’t help anything either; at best she’d never graduate, and at worst she’d catch the ire of Sue and cause horrible things to happen to either herself or everyone of her mark - unacceptable either way. Hence the orders that she’d issued DJ. A domestic scene wasn’t overly difficult or taxing, but it would allow them both to see what they thought of each other’s styles in a setting more formal and more normal than they’d had the first time around.

DJ, and by extension her sister, were good people. Rachel seemed exuberant and talented, and DJ...was more than that. She was compassionate and kind, warm and caring, and had the makings of an incredible submissive if the school and the other Dominants nurtured her skills. Jo was very excited for more time with her, and to watch another musical that they could debate and enjoy.

When she heard the knock at the door she approached, stopping short as she realized DJ was standing up as she waited. “Miss Berry,” she reminded her softly. “By the Institute’s guidelines, submissives are to kneel while they wait for admittance to a higher mark’s room.” Leaning closer, she whispered in the girl’s ear. “Sorry, I’ve got to put on the show. No way to know who’s watching right now.” She pulled back and nodded. “Please try again.” Jo shut the door softly and waited.

She rocked gently on her heels as she waited for Jo to open the door, not wanting her to rush at all; willing to wait for as long as it took. When the door opened up, DJ felt a smile form on her face. She was excited to see the Domme and spend some more time with her, especially in a situation that was less tense and less emotionally overwhelming than the first time they had spent some time together. While DJ was still helping Jo and hoping to make her feel better, it didn’t have the same weight to it.

Her smile slipped off her face when Jo’s voice and face told her that she had already done something wrong just by waiting for Jo to open the door. The apology from the Domme didn’t make her feel any better, because she had already screwed up. As the door was closed, DJ took a shaky breath and rubbed at her face. She did her best to shrug off the disappointment that she felt in herself as she worked on her breathing and then dropped to her knees in front of the door. Her bottom lip trembled and so she took a few more moments to compose herself before knocking on the door once again, hands crossed behind her back, eyes now focused on the floor.

When the knock came again, Jo opened the door with a much more satisfied expression - although that really only lasted until she saw how visibly upset DJ was with herself. The only consolation that the blonde took was that other Dominants might have been much more harsh with her for making a mistake; Jo never would. “Much better, sweetheart. Stand up and come inside, please.” Jo opened the door more widely to allow her in, and when DJ was clear she closed it softly behind them.

“It’s alright. It was just a little thing, but after the punishment we all need to be very careful about following the rules to the letter. And now you know for next time.” She caught DJ’s eye, approaching her carefully. “May I give you a hug, darlin’? Or would you rather I not right now?” Jo would understand either way, and only wanted to be sure that DJ could be as comfortable as possible. This hadn’t been meant to be a hard or upsetting scene, and any confidence that she might have been building back was badly shaken by the tremble of DJ’s lip.

Jo opened the door quickly once DJ had finally knocked, something that DJ was at least grateful for...so Jo could see that she had fixed her mistake. She just hoped that next time she wouldn’t make one before things even began. She eased up onto her feet when Jo told her that she could, keeping her eyes cast downward as she made her way into the suite, now holding tightly to her bag as though it was a bit of a lifeline. She stopped just a few steps inside the door, not wanting to make any more mistakes by simply walking into the suite further.

DJ nodded in understanding when Jo said that they had to be careful because of the punishment that had just happened, mentally hitting herself again. She had been so silly for not just kneeling. “I’m very sorry.” When Jo caught her eye, DJ did her best not to show how shaken she was. It felt like an extremely silly thing to be upset about, but unfortunately it had hit her hard. This was the first time that she was doing something as a submissive for a Dominant and she had somehow messed up something as simple as waiting for the door to be opened. She should have known better. At the question of whether or not Jo could hug her, DJ let out a slow breath. At least it didn’t appear like Jo was frustrated enough to not still want her to stick around. “A hug would be nice.” She offered up, a shaky smile forming.

“Your apology’s accepted, DJ. And I can definitely do a hug.” Stepping closer, she wrapped the brunette in her arms and just held her there for a moment, wanting to give her a moment to breathe and realize that a mistake wasn’t the end of the world. It wasn’t the last one that she would make, nor was it the last one that Jo herself was going to make. Life was full of them, big and small, and DJ would need to be able to collect herself afterwards. Particularly during exams, when simply giving up following a mistake would be a disaster. Releasing the hug, Jo stepped back but kept her hand on DJ’s shoulder.

“That was partly my fault. When you were here the other day I was at my lowest, and bein’ called Miss didn’t sit right with me. But by telling you not to, I gave you conflictin’ ideas about what would be expected of y’all in my suite. So I think we need to start over and allow me to correct that mistake. When you are under orders, as you are today, you may refer to me as Miss or Miss Fabray. When you are here under more casual circumstances, such as an invitation to have dinner or watch a movie, then I’ll be more flexible when it comes to titles. And hopefully that’ll make it easier to remember to kneel and the like as well. Does that sound fair? Easy to remember? And be honest, please, because my Dom intuition’s a mite shaky right now.”

As arms wrapped around her, DJ let out a soft breath, taking the time to collect herself. She hated that she had messed up, but she knew that it wasn’t the be all and end all. In the grand scheme of things, this was a tiny mess up that she had worked to fix the moment she had been made aware of the fact that she had made a mistake. That had to count for something and considering she had only been at the institute for a week and this was the first time that she had been put under orders, she could give herself some slack. Or at least she hoped that she could. She just had to ensure that she didn’t make it a habit; especially that she didn’t make it a habit of making the same mistakes when they were so simple to avoid.

She rubbed her face slightly when Jo pulled away, before letting her eyes focus on the Domme’s features again. The hand on her shoulder let her know that Jo wasn’t quite done with this moment yet and she wanted to ensure that she heard everything that she had to say. Hearing that they needed to start over, DJ tensed slightly, unsure of what that would actually entail. However as Jo expressed what she meant by that, it didn’t seem too bad. She bit down on her bottom lip, shuffling her feet slightly. “I understand. But I might make mistakes. Miss.” It felt like it was a bit of a back and forth that she would have to get used to; especially since for the last few days she had simply avoided calling Jo anything for the sake of not wanting to mess up and be unable to do what had been asked of her.

“Mistakes are allowed. I’m not about to punish ya for forgettin’ a title unless it’s something that you do often and repeatedly. And if you find it’s easier to just use a title all the time, even when you’re here casually? I don’t have any objection to that if it helps. You’re brand new at this, and I kinda got my legs kicked out from under me this last week, so I feel like I’m startin’ from scratch as well. If y’all can be patient with me then I’ll be patient with you right back and I think we’ll do just fine. I’m not the kinda Domme who’s going to yell and scream or be upset with you unless you’re deliberately makin’ mistakes - and having met your sister, I don’t believe anyone in your family would deliberately make mistakes, least of all you. So this is what we’re going to do.”

Jo let her hand down from DJ’s shoulder. “Set your bag down for me. I want you to roll your shoulders, loosen up, and try let all the tension drain out of ya. Once you’ve done that, give me a few nice deep breaths, right from the belly. When you’re feelin’ calm and relaxed, go ahead and put your bag in my bedroom and then rejoin me in the kitchen. We’ll go over what I’d like for you to do today, and then you can get started.”

She took Jo's words to heart, letting them soothe the disappointment and embarrassment that she had felt when Jo had opened the door. In that moment it had felt like she had stripped away the possibility of Jo being excited to see her, like she had been excited to see Jo, and it had sucked. But she could push it aside. She would be fine. And she would do what she was going to be tasked with and help make Jo's weekend easier.

The bag dropped from her hand when Jo told her to put it on the floor, wincing at the sound of plastic hitting the floor. She really hoped that her DVD was doing okay in its case because the last thing she needed in that moment was for the disc to have broken. She already felt a little on edge and that would definitely set her over the top, even if it was just something simple and small that could be replaced. She rolled her shoulders and shook out her arms slightly, trying to follow what Jo had told her to do before she had made her way into the kitchen. She didn't know how long she stood there breathing, but when she picked up her bag again she felt much better. She walked to Jo's room and set down the bag, sneaking a peak at the DVD and not seeing anything to worry about before finally heading to the kitchen. She linked her hands together in front of her and waited patiently to be told what to do.

She hadn’t actually meant for the bag to be dropped rather than set down, and Jo only hoped that nothing inside had been damaged. If it had, she’d look into getting it replaced. As the submissive followed her instructions Jo took the chance to breathe as well, knowing that they both needed to be calm and relaxed if they were going to move forward. When she headed into the bedroom, Jo took a seat at the kitchen table and retrieved the list of instructions that she’d written out earlier. She wanted to do this properly.

“Good girl,” Jo praised. “Thank you. Take a seat opposite me, please, and we’ll take a look at this together.” As DJ sat down she turned the paper around, gesturing to the top of the list. “First things first, I think we’ll start with lunch. I hope y’all are hungry, because I bought a ton of sandwich fixins and pickles and some soda and there’s no way I can eat it all myself. I’ll need y’all’s help for that. So task one will be lunch, which we’ll eat together.” Her tapered finger tapped the paper. “Then some general cleanin’ - the place needs a good vacuum, and dusting. If there’s time after that I’d love if you could straighten up the spare room.”

Jo cleared her throat. “Now - I want to be clear. If ya’ll need breaks during this, take them. If you need water, get a bottle. I really appreciate ya being here and working so hard for me, so I want to be doubly sure y’all are going to take care of yourself too.”

She claimed the spot at the table, biting down on her bottom lip. Hearing that the first order of business was lunch, her stomach clenched with the knowledge that she hadn't eaten because she had wanted to be at Jo's on time. When Jo said that they would eat lunch together, a small smile formed on her face and she nodded her head. That was definitely something that she could accomplish. After the rest of the list was finished being read off, DJ glanced up at the Domme. "I'll make sure that this all gets done for you, Miss." She offered softly, wanting Jo to know that she would do her best.

She looked down sheepishly when Jo said that if she needed to take a break, she should take one, knowing that she had decided to fight through everything to finish the cleaning in a timely manner. Now, though, it felt like not taking a moment to herself if she needed one would actually be letting Jo down. And she didn't want that.

“It’s not important if it all gets done, sweetheart. That’s not my biggest concern. My concern is that you do your best. Long as you do that for me, and take care of yourself, that’s all I could ask of you. And I promise that in this suite, in my space and under my care, good girls are rewarded well. Very, very well,” she would leave it up to DJ what she considered a good reward, and they’d sort all of that out when the work was done. For the moment they’d start with the simple task of lunch, and she was looking forward to a more normal meal than they’d had the day before.

She gestured to the fridge. “I’d love a turkey sandwich, with some lettuce and tomato and a little mayo. Please make yourself whatever you’d like, and grab us each a drink - I’ll take a soda and y’all can have whatever your heart desires. I’m going to sit on the couch and shut my eyes while ya do that, so please come and kneel beside me when everythin’s ready.”

“I understand. But I would still like to get it all done more you if I can.” DJ said, believing that she would be able to make it work. “Yes, Miss. I’ll get that done for you as soon as possible.” DJ stood from the chair and made her way towards the fridge, pulling out everything that she needed for the two sandwiches. She did hers first so that if anything were to get soggy it wouldn’t be Jo’s; copying the Domme’s idea of a turkey sandwich with tomato, lettuce and mayo. She made Jo’s sandwich next and then moved to set them down on the table with napkins beside each plate. She then grabbed Jo a soda and herself a water, placing the drinks down in front of the corresponding plate and then headed back to the kitchen, cleaning up what little mess she had left before as quickly as she could. DJ moved to the living room and knelt by the Domme’s feet. She felt accomplished and it was odd that just completing lunch could bring about such a good feeling.

“I have all the faith in the world in you, sweetheart, but I just don’t want you to overtax yourself. Domestic scenes aren’t supposed to leave you collapsing when they’re over, and I don’t want that.” When DJ confirmed that she could work on lunch, Jo made her way to the couch and sat down, leaning back to rest her eyes. Not sleep, not yet - she still couldn’t do that without dreaming and that was a no go - but trying to at least get some modicum of rest. Time passed in a bit of a haze until she felt DJ’s presence close at hand.

She raised her head and smiled at the submissive, placing a gentle hand on her head. “Good girl. Thank you very much for your hard work. You can get up now, and join me at the table for lunch.” Waiting for her to follow after, Jo took a seat at the table where the soda had been placed and looked appreciatively at the sandwich. “That looks delicious, darlin’. Well done.”

The touch to her head was something that she didn’t know she needed until she had gotten it. It was like a balm to the rest of the embarrassment and frustration that she had been feeling. She stood up from the place where she had been kneeling and made her way over to the table, waiting for Jo to take a seat before she claimed her seat as well. She had seen some people, throughout her life, do things like that and so she wanted to make sure that she showed respect to the Domme in whatever way she could. She grinned when Jo said that it looked good. “I’m glad that it does. I hope very much that it tastes as good as it looks.” She said with a soft laugh, shoulders shrugging. Sandwiches weren’t too difficult, but she also knew that people could be particular about their meals. However, she felt fairly confident considering the fact that she had made a bacon sandwich for Jo without ever having cooked bacon before.

It spoke volumes about the submissive that she waited to be seated without being told. Jo found herself more and more confident that DJ was going to become an incredible submissive in her time at the Institute, so long as Sue didn’t fuck everything up with yet another inane punishment that did more to hurt than help. Gifts and talents should be nurtured, not ruined, and Sue didn’t seem the type to figure that out. “I don’t have any doubt that it will,” Jo promised. Cracking open the soda, she raised it toward DJ with a smile. “Happy Saturday,” she toasted, taking a sip and then a bite of her sandwich. It was perfect, as she’d expected, well put together and very tasty, and once she’d dabbed mayo from her lip she nodded approval. “Wonderful.”

She lifted her own drink and nodded. “Happy Saturday.” She had now been at the Institute for a week and she just hoped that moving forward she would be able to continue learning and spend more time with people. Coming right before a punishment had meant that people had been preparing and then recuperating from the punishment an she hadn’t really been able to get to know or chat with many people. She was pleased with the acceptance that came from Jo. “I’m glad you like it, Miss.” She took a bite of her own sandwich, feeling her confidence grow the slightest bit. “How have you been feeling, Miss?” DJ questioned, hoping that she wasn’t pushing or prying too much as she took another bite. DJ had been there right after the punishment and Jo hadn’t been doing well, so she just hoped that she was doing at least a little bit better after the last couple of days.

After another couple of bites, DJ asked after her and Jo swallowed, washing her sandwich down with a bit of soda. She gave the question a moment’s honest consideration, wanting to be truthful in her answer. “Not great, sweetheart, if I’m honest with ya. I keep expecting sleep is going to happen eventually, but the brain really isn’t cooperating. I haven’t even really talked to my sisters about it, because...well, I can’t. And I’m certainly not gonna tell Ry that I made the choice for her sake because she doesn’t need to be carryin’ that guilt. So given all that, I dunno how long it’s gonna take to get better. I think you’re the only person who’s heard any of the story so far, actually.”

She nodded her head slightly when Jo said that she wasn’t doing great, glad that Jo was at least being honest about the situation with her. She could see that she hadn’t been sleeping well from the bags under the Domme’s eyes and it was nice to know that she was telling her the truth. “Well, if you need to talk about anything more, I’m always happy to be an open ear for you. I may not have the right words to say or know how to make it better, but I’m happy to listen and just be here for you.” She offered, leaving the option out on the table. “And hopefully having someone here tonight...if you still want me to stay...will help even just a little bit, Miss.”

Sipping her cola, Jo nodded. “I’m hard pressed to know where to start, sweetheart. It’s like a loop that keeps playin’ in my head. Did I even tell you what I did after the drivin’ thing, or not? I don’t really remember that conversation very well, except for the part where y’all let me cry on you and then let me corrupt y’all into eatin’ bacon,” Jo chuckled. “And I’d absolutely still like you here tonight, DJ, without question.” She wanted to be clear on that, because the last thing she’d have wanted was for the little mix up at the door to seem like it was some sort of grave offense that she wouldn’t let DJ spend the night because of. “I hope it does, or at the least that I’m not wakin’ you up when I jerk awake in the middle of the night.”

“I don’t think you have told me...you just told me that you had to go back and do something else for another key.” She said, head tilting to the side. Hearing that Jo still wanted her there that night, she nodded her head in acceptance. “I will definitely stay here tonight then, Miss.” She offered up, taking another bite of her sandwich, wanting to finish it up so that she could get started on the next few tasks as soon as she had the opportunity to do so. “If you wake me up...then you wake me up. I’ve been able to sleep the past few days. I’m more worried about you getting the rest that you need. Especially since we have to go back to classes on Monday. You’ll need to be rested by then.” She expressed, knowing that it would be essential for her to get a good rest so she was ready for more learning.

“Okay. Well that story sucks slightly less than the drivin’ one, so let’s get that one out in the open. I freed...the redhead. Layla? Layla, and got her back to the dorms. They said I could do one more task or stay there and try to figure out where the subs were.” Jo snuck another bite before she went on. “I couldn’t stay. No matter how screwed up I was, I couldn’t let another person wait to get released. So I took their deal. Guard takes me to the back of the school buildin’, points at this rickety-ass ladder, says the key’s on the roof.”

She sighed. “They know damn well I don’t like heights. I mean if they knew about the car thing, they sure as shit knew that. I’m crawlin’ up this ladder - my hands are bloody, the wind is blowin’...and then the asshole shakes the ladder. I thought I was going to die. Again.” She finished her sandwich, dabbing at her mouth. “Crawled across the roof, which is where the gravel in my legs came from, had to step out on the edge of the roof for the key, crawled all the way back down. That was key number two.”

She simply nodded her head when Jo said the name of the person that she had freed. She hardly knew anybody’s name and so she didn’t even know if that was the right name. Regardless, that wasn’t the main part of the story. It still amazed her that Jo had gone back for another key, breathing out slowly. It was extremely surprising.

Her eyes widened slightly when Jo said that she had to climb a ladder to get the next key, feeling her stomach churn slightly as Jo went into more detail, shaking her head slightly. It was almost unbelievable the things that Jo had had to go through. Even crazier was that part of her was almost sure that it wasn’t the worst of what people had had to go through throughout the punishment. “I’m sorry that you had to do that, Miss. That it was...so intense.” She uttered, shaking her head slightly. “It’s really no wonder that you’re having trouble sleeping.” She finished up her sandwich and gave the Domme her full attention. “Do you think there’s anything I could do tonight to make it better?”

Jo laughed, a little bit dryly. “Sad part is I would do that a hundred times if it meant I hadn’t to do the first thing.” When her eyes closed and sleep tried to overcome her, more often than not she could see the lights of the fire truck and the eyes of the man who’d cut her out of her seat belt. She’d been able to put those memories behind her for a time, but Lima had pulled them right back out of her mental closet and shone an ugly light on them. Jo would never forgive them for making her relive that moment.

“I honestly don’t know,” she admitted, running a hand through her hair. “I’ve never really had trouble sleeping, not since I left Mobile, so this is new territory. If it wouldn’t be an imposition for y’all to hold me during the night, I don’t think that could hurt. But it’s okay if you’d rather not.”

It was awful that she had been made to do something that had so clearly affected her and had brought up a lot of bad memories. They were memories that DJ wouldn’t ask her to explain, but they clearly weren’t good ones at all. It was more than simply something she didn’t like...it was something that had affected her in a deep and meaningful way. And that sucked...a lot.

She hummed softly when Jo said that she hadn’t had trouble sleeping in a while and took a sip of water. “Miss...it won’t be a problem at all. In fact, I have to admit that I’m going to very much appreciate having someone to cuddle.” She promised, being truthful with her words. Cuddles were very enjoyable. And if she could help someone with cuddles...even better. “Would you like me to get started on the chores now, Miss? I can get that all done and then we can get to the relaxing and cuddling part?”

“In that case, then I think that’s the best thing y’all can do for me tonight, DJ. And if you’re sure that me wakin’ up isn’t going to be a problem for you, then I’ll very happily cuddle.” She didn’t thrash or get violent on coming out of the dreams, it was usually just a sudden start into alertness and a bit of struggling to catch her breath. Hopefully, though, with someone to share her bed things might ease up at least a little. Even a few hours of sleep would be a veritable godsend. Finishing off her soda, Jo set everything on her plate and nodded.

“That would be great, sweetheart. If ya need to know where anything is, or where anything goes, I’m goin’ to be right there on the couch with a book. It’s not because I’m keepin’ an eye on you, it’s just a nicer place to read than the bedroom. Remember to go easy on yourself and take breaks, and when you’re done you can come kneel for me again. That said, if you’re not done by 4 or so then come kneel for me anyway. We’ll get dinner ordered and you can worry about the rest another time.”

Not wanting to repeat herself too much, she simply nodded her head. She would be happy to cuddle with Jo, regardless of how much the woman was going to move throughout her sleep. DJ knew that she would get a good sleep before heading to classes on Monday...so if Jo getting to sleep well that evening was at the cost of her having a good sleep that night, it would be worth it.

She smiled when Jo said that she could get started on everything, smiling softly and standing from her spot at the table. “Sounds good, Miss. I hope that you enjoy the book that you’re going to read.” She grabbed their plates and brought them into the kitchen, washing them quickly before setting them aside. She bit down on her bottom lip, working out what she wanted to accomplish first. She asked Jo where she could find the duster, moving to retrieve it once she knew where it was. Getting started on the task, DJ felt herself slip into a content mindset where the only thing that she needed to worry about was the task at hand. It was a comforting feeling.

“Thank you, darlin’,” Jo smiled bashfully. She wasn’t even sure what she’d ended up ordering for books, but surely there was something in the small stack that could amuse her for a time while DJ cleaned. She’d only been partly honest in saying she wasn’t going to keep an eye on the submissive - not to gauge the job that she was doing, but just to watch her. DJ Berry had been an unexpected bright spot in a dark time, and Jo couldn’t help but be struck by her.

Once DJ was settled into routine, Jo did crack her book - a simple mystery novel that truly didn’t require much thought; perfect for the mood she was in. At one point her eyes began to slip closed and she immediately forced herself to sit up straighter and push back the fatigue that had threatened to wash over her ever since Tuesday night.

She moved through the dusting as efficiently as she could. While she wanted to get everything done that Jo had asked of her, she also wanted to make sure that she did the jobs properly. It would be silly to do all of this work, but not ensure that the suite was actually cleaned sufficiently. The quiet of the suite was actually fairly relaxing and DJ found that she wasn't missing conversation or music to fill the lull. When she had finished dusting in all of the rooms, she took a brief break to have some more water, glancing at the time and fairly pleased with her progress.

Her break wasn't very long, just enough to have a quick breather before she grabbed the vacuum and got to work. She felt a bit bad the the noise may disrupt Jo's reading; but it was something that she had wanted done. When the vacuuming had been completed, she glanced at the time before moving to the spare bedroom. She tidied up what she could before it reached four pm and then moved to kneel by the Domme.

Sneaking the occasional peek at DJ as she worked, Jo was pleased to see that she could focus on her work without any need for further input. Eventually, at some point during the dusting, Jo felt the book slip from her hands and her head fell back against the couch, mouth open just a little as she took deep breaths. The moment that she began to dream, though, she jerked awake with a gasp - fortunately, since it was nearly the time for DJ to begin the vacuuming.

Rubbing at the bags under her eyes, she found her book where it had fallen and read a few more pages as the submissive passed by with the vacuum running - at which point Jo looked up at her with a smile. Whatever got done in the spare bedroom would get done, and she wasn’t concerned with what might be left for another day. DJ followed instructions well and was kneeling by her side just after four, and Jo rested a hand on her head again.

“Very good work, sweetheart. Good girl, thank you for all of your hard work today. Now, I believe I promised rewards - the first of which is that I’d like you to pick out something to order for dinner. Anything you want.”

"Thank you, Miss. I'm glad that I could help you today." Hearing that it would be her choice of what they would eat for dinner, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. She didn't know much about the food options in Lima and she bit down on her bottom lip. "Do you know where we could find a list of options, Miss? I haven't ordered from anywhere yet so I'm not really sure what there is." She hated that she couldn't just come up with something, but it wasn't like she could have expected Jo to ask this of her. She had assumed that Jo knew what she wanted for dinner...but she was grateful to get to choose.

“I’m very glad you could, too,” Jo smiled. The reaction she got from DJ at her offer wasn’t what she’d expected, but she could have slapped her forehead when the submissive explained what was on her mind. “Good lord. Of course y’all haven’t - don’t mind me losin’ my damn mind. One second.” Grabbing her laptop from the coffee table, she pulled up the delivery service website and patted the couch with her free hand. “Come sit here, and you can look through everything they’ll deliver to us. Take your time, and pick whatever you want.”

"It's okay, Miss. You didn't know. I could have ordered in the last few days that I've been here." DJ said gently, shrugging her shoulders slightly. She moved onto the couch when she was told to, curling her legs up and scrolling through the different options to see what she might enjoy eating the most. She took her time as Jo had told her to do before coming to a decision. "I think I might like a burger and fries if that's alright with you, Miss." DJ said with a bit of a smile; before handing the laptop back so that Jo could decide what she wanted.

That was a fair point, now that she mentioned it. It still felt foolish of her not to have even asked, though she was happy enough to let the matter drop. Pushing her hair back out of her eyes, Jo waited for a choice and then accepted the laptop back. “Burger and fries is just fine by me, darlin’. Could have ordered a lobster and steak for the work you did today.” She found herself some chicken tenders and fries from the same place and placed her order, noting the expected time with a nod. “We’ve got about twenty minutes. While we wait, do you want to tell me about how it felt serving today? Was it like you expected it’d be?”

She rolled her eyes playfully at the mention of a lobster and steak. "Well I'll be sure to make that my order next time around if you're willing to be so generous with the meals." DJ giggled, shaking her head in amusement. She nodded in understanding when she said that there would be twenty minutes until their order arrived, wondering if Jo would want her to continue the cleaning. But it appeared not as she began to speak. "It was...nicer than I expected. I felt oddly relaxed and content. It was...good."

“I’d certainly hope so, y’all would be a fool to turn that down.” Jo turned a little on the couch, wanting to be able to see DJ as she spoke. It sounded like she’d been able to get into the right headspace for the scene, and that it had calmed her the way that subspace was meant to - a very good sign of her abilities as a submissive. “That’s good - I’m glad to hear it. Now when Dominants or Switches ask ya what you enjoy in a scene, you have one thing you know for sure - y’all like domestic scenes. That’s progress!”

"You just let me know when you need this place cleaned again and we'll have a nice steak and lobster dinner." DJ said with a wink. It sounded like a lovely time...and it meant more time with Jo too. She nodded slowly when Jo mentioned that she would be able to tell Dominants and Switches that she enjoyed domestic scenes. It wasn't much, but it was a start. "Thank you for today, Miss. I really appreciate it." DJ offered gently, twiddling her thumbs and shooting a small smile in Jo's direction.

“It’s a deal,” Jo smiled. She did hope to have the girl over for more than just cleaning, but she was a way off from being able to do a proper scene just yet and she wouldn’t risk DJ’s mental or physical health by attempting one and having it go wrong. She would never be that incompetent or careless. “Sweetheart, I should be the one thankin’ you. I don’t know how long it’d have taken me to get this place cleaned up in the state I’m in, or how many things I’d have tipped over and broken. Your help means a whole lot to me, and your company even moreso.”

Her nose wrinkled as her smile widened, excited for that day. Especially because Jo seemed like she wanted to spend more time with her as well. "I'm happy that I could do that for you." It was nice to know that she had made a difference. "Do you want me to finish off the spare room while we're waiting for dinner to arrive?" DJ questioned, wanting the offer to be there. Whether or not Jo took her up on it was up to the Domme. DJ was happy to simply sit there and enjoy Jo's company, but she also couldn't deny that it would feel good to accomplish all of the tasks that had been laid out for her.

It was getting easier for Jo to see just how tired she was, because the idea of getting DJ to finish the cleaning hadn’t even occurred to her. Part of her wanted to dismiss it, to suggest that they simply sit and enjoy the other’s company, but she didn’t know what the submissive’s thoughts on that would be. “If you feel like you can get done before the food gets here, sweetheart, I’d appreciate it a lot. But on the condition that if the food gets here y’all stop where you are and don’t worry about finishing up.”

She nodded her head when Jo expressed that she expected her to stop as soon as the food arrived. She had finished the majority of the cleaning in the spare room and really just needed to finish up. She had faith in her abilities and knew she would finish. She stood up from the couch, stretching slightly. "I'll be right back, Miss." DJ said before making her way into the spare room. She spent her time tidying up the rest of the room, finishing just as there was a knock on the door of the suite, DJ heading out to the living area.

It felt like the right call, because DJ seemed enthusiastic to go and take care of the last few tasks she had remaining. Jo returned to her book, at least for as long as it took her to realize she’d been reading the same page for five minutes without taking in any of it, at which point she set it down with a disgusted noise. Reaching for her phone she texted her sister to set up a night of drinking, setting it down again when there was a knock at the door. “Excellent timing, Darlin’. Would you go set the table for us, please? I’ll grab the food and meet y’all there.” She’d seen the delivery driver a few times in the Dominant dorms, and she paid him a generous tip as she accepted the food. “Have a good night,” she called after him, shutting the door and joining DJ in the kitchen.

She turned back to the kitchen with the order given, grabbing what she needed and setting the table so that it was ready. "Would you like a drink, Miss?" She waited for the response and then grabbed them both a drink, setting them in front of the proper plate. The food already made the suite smell delicious and her stomach grumbled. So apparently she was hungrier than she thought she was.

“Just a water please, sweetheart,” Jo smiled, carrying the bag of takeout over to the counter and opening it up before placing DJ’s burger and fries on one plate and her own chicken and fries on the other. She tossed the bag back to the counter and took her seat, gesturing for DJ to do the same. “Sounds like you were ready for this,” Jo grinned. “Dig in, darlin’.”

She claimed her spot at the table, not worried about waiting for Jo, since she had already claimed her seat. She felt comfortable with the Domme and was grateful that she had taken DJ’s mistake in stride. There was so much that DJ still had to learn and it was nice to be given the space to make up for her mistake and try again. “It appears so! Thank you so much for the food.” She offered gratefully and then popped a fry into her mouth with a hum.

“You’re most welcome, darlin’. You’re a pleasure to have over, I’ve gotta say, and I’m glad I managed to nab you for today.” She nibbled at a few fries, loving the way the salt tingled against her tongue. “Tell me somethin’ I don’t know about you. Doesn’t have to be profound or a secret or anything, any fact that pops into y’all’s head.” It was an icebreaker that her old manager had used when she first started at the hotel, and she’d always thought it was a nice way to learn about a person.

“I’m glad that you brought me over for today as well, Miss.” She said with a bright smile, tilting her head to the side. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly when Jo asked her to tell her something that she didn’t know about her. It was a funny question because there was so much that Jo didn’t know about her and so much that she didn’t know about Jo. “I’ve never actually seen an episode of The Simpsons at all.”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t say you’re missin’ much. There are some jokes y’all might not get without seeing it, but it’s not worth sittin’ through thirty seasons worth of the same jokes - even if is all on Disney Plus,” Jo smiled. She bit into one of her chicken strips and quickly discovered it was too hot for that. “I used to write Gossip Girl fanfic,” she confided in a low voice as if they might be overheard. “It’s still out there on the web somewhere.”

“Well, I’m glad you don’t think I’m missing much. Because I have no urge to watch it.” She couldn’t help but giggle softly at the way in which Jo’s face squinted after she had bit into the chicken strip. It was clear that it certainly wasn’t what she had been expecting. She smirked at the mention of Gossip Girl fanfiction writing, humming thoughtfully. “What ship did you write for, Miss?” She questioned, bringing the burger to her lips and taking a big bit, wiping at her face a bit sheepishly as some of the ketchup was left on her bottom lip.

She shook her head, nabbing one more fry before she spoke again. “Someday I’ll teach y’all the Mr. Plow song and that’ll be all you need to know,” Jo chuckled. She broke the chicken strip in two to let it cool off, grinning at the question. “Blair and Serena. And y’all better believe I never saved those things on the home computer. Daddy would not have approved.” That was putting it mildly. The condiments leaking from DJ’s burger were a good sign, in her books. That was the best sort of burger - well decorated, with all the flavors that came with that. “If y’all need extra napkins, I’ve got some around here someplace.”

“Well alright then. That sounds like a good enough plan for me.” She said with a soft laugh, shrugging her shoulders slightly and chewing on her bottom lip. Hearing that it was Blair and Serena, she nodded her head. “I approve. That blonde and brunette pairing hardly ever does me wrong.” She said with a giggle, eating a fry and frowning at the mention of Jo’s dad not approving. It didn’t seem like he was the nicest person in the world and that was a shame, because Jo was awesome. “Thank you, Miss. I appreciate it. I think I’m okay right now. As long as you don’t mind me licking my fingers.”

“There may or may not be dancin’ involved, so we’ll see how that goes,” Jo chuckled softly. “It does seem to be a good combination, doesn’t it? Pretty much always a formula for a good pair.” It didn’t escape her notice that there was a blonde and a brunette at her table just then, but she decided not to comment on that part - it would be a little forward for someone she’d only met so recently. “‘Course I don’t, darlin’. I grew up on barbecue, that kinda thing’s a compliment where I come from.”

“So you’re going to dance for me….that’s what I’m getting from this whole thing.” DJ said with a giggle. But nodded her head in agreement with Jo’s comment about the blonde and brunette pair. Jo not minding about the messy eating was a relief and she went back to munching on her burger, humming at the taste. There was a juiciness to the burger that was enjoyable and necessary because it meant that they hadn’t overcooked the meat. Every bite was delicious and she knew that she would be ordering this exact meal again; probably sooner rather than later. “Are you enjoying your meal, Miss?”

She had to swallow half a chicken strip first, but Jo laughed and nodded a moment later. “It’s a short song, so I wouldn’t get too excited. It’ll mostly be me shakin’ my butt.” She finished off a good half of her fries and two of her chicken strips in the comfortable silence, extremely glad to have some company in her current mood. “It’s really good. Chicken was a little hot when I tried it, but now it’s really lovely. Think next time I might get some dippin’ sauce though. Burger’s good?”

“Wiggling of the butt is a very important dance move. One of the most important ones I would say.” The conversation was light and fun and DJ was definitely enjoying it. “That’s good to hear. What’s your favorite dipping sauce? The burger is so good. I’m definitely going to get it again. Maybe next time I’ll try it with some bacon.” She said, shooting a wink in the Domme’s direction with a soft laugh as she went back for more of the burger. Bacon was definitely going to be something that she lightheartedly teased Jo about as they moved forward. She just couldn’t help it.

“Good thing, because it’s basically the only one that I’ve got,” Jo admitted. “Pretty sure Ry and Q got all the talent in the family for that sorta thing.” She considered the question for a moment, tossing between a few, before she answered. “Sweet and sour. Or plum sauce, which is pretty much the same thing.” DJ’s teasing prompted a very gentle toss of a fry across the table. “Y’all are going to say that in front of your parents and get me killed.”

“I’ll show you some others at some point.” DJ promised with a smile. “Those are good choices for chicken for sure.” DJ agreed easily. “My fathers never have to know.” She said with a giggle, shaking her head. “It’s okay. They both know that it’s a strong possibility that I’m going to be claimed by someone that isn’t Jewish and they also know I most followed the rules because I was living with them. I don’t think they would be surprised at all that I had some bacon. Though maybe they’d be surprised at how quickly it happened.”

“I’d be happy to watch y’all, but I make no promises that I could replicate anything ya show me,” Jo smiled. A few more fries disappeared, the end of her food rapidly approaching. “Thank goodness for that. Last thing in the world I need is to get chased down the street by your dads yellin’ about how I’d corrupted their daughter. I don’t think I’ve got the right shoes for runnin’ just now.”

“Well, as long as you do your best, I’ll count it as a win.” DJ vowed. She giggled and shook her head. “My dads would probably chase you, but probably just to get a hug.” Her parents were protective when they needed to be, but nothing that Jo had done so far had led DJ to think she would need to be protected. She had been kind and at the very least, DJ could see them being great friends moving forward. Anything else was much too early to even think about much less worry about.

“That much I can do,” Jo promised. “And if it’s for a hug, I think that’d be alright. I wouldn’t even make them chase me too far.” She knew that the Institute had some kind of parents’ day or something, and since she wouldn’t be seeing Russell she thought it’d be cool to meet some parents that didn’t suck. “Well, I think I’ll save this last chicken strip for a snack later. That was delicious, though.”

“They give pretty great hugs.” DJ informed her, knowing that hugs from her fathers was probably the thing she was going to miss the most from being back in Brooklyn, especially because she had no idea if she would ever live in the same town as them again. She glanced down at her cleared plate, blushing a little bit at the amount of food she had ate and pushing the last few fries away from her. “I’m glad you enjoyed the meal, Miss. The burger was amazing. Thank you again for paying for the meal. You’ll have to let me get one one of these days okay?”

“Then how could I turn one down?” Jo smiled. “Far be it from me to turn down a great hug.” A fatherly hug wasn’t exactly something she had much experience with in any case, so a great one would be a whole different animal. “I’m glad y’all did too, sweetheart. And don’t worry about that,” she waved a hand. “I invited ya, least I can do is pay for food.” The hotel hadn’t made her rich or anything, but she had a comfortable savings account that would survive a few takeout orders. “But if it’ll bug ya, then we’ll make sure you cover one of them. Got my word on that.”

She nodded her head when Jo said that eventually she would be able to pay for a meal, because she didn’t want Jo to feel like she was being used; even if that’s not how she currently felt. DJ had saved up some money and she hoped to get a job as soon as she possibly could; so paying for some meals wouldn’t hurt her either. “Would you like me to clean up after dinner, Miss? And then we can relax?” She offered, shrugging her shoulders slightly. She had finished the rest of the cleaning and it just felt like it made sense to finish off the day by cleaning up after their meal.

“That would be lovely, sweetheart, and very much appreciated.” The less dishes she had to do before class in the morning the better it would be for her; and the less likely she’d be doing them at one in the morning and cut herself on a knife or something. “I hope there’s not too much - should just be a couple of plates, I think.”

She stood up from the table and grabbed the plates with a smile, moving into the kitchen. She quickly made her way through the dishes that were there, humming thoughtfully before she returned to the Domme, pausing for a moment before kneeling before her once again. She clasped her hands in front of herself and then waited for Jo to tell her what the plan was now.

Relocating to the couch, Jo stretched and yawned as she settled against the cushions. The exhaustion she was feeling was overpowering, but she wasn’t about to give into sleep now. Instead she waited for DJ’s return and rested a hand on her head. “Such a good girl for me. I think it might be time for us to switch to pajamas and find something to watch on Netflix. How does that sound?”

At the praise, she felt herself relax and she smiled softly. “I think that sounds perfect, Miss. Except the Netflix part. I still have to force you to watch The Sound of Music with me.” She teased gently, looking up at the Domme. “Unless you’re too tired to deal with my commentary and singing...then I understand. And we can table that for another night.” DJ offered, not wanting to be selfish; even if she had been looking forward to watching that specific movie.

Jo snapped her fingers, nodding. “I believe I did promise you that tonight, didn’t I? Thank you for remindin’ me, sweetheart. I was very much lookin’ forward to your commentary and your singing, so we’re definitely going to go ahead and do that.” She knew that her brain wasn’t quite all there given how long she’d gone without a night’s sleep, and hoped that it would excuse her forgetting what their plans for the night had been. “Shall we get changed and do that, then?”

The submissive’s eyes looked over the Domme to double check that it seemed like she actually wanted to go ahead with what they had planned. DJ didn’t want to do something if it would make Jo unhappy in the moment. However, it seemed like she was really okay with their plan and so she nodded her approval. She eased up onto her feet and moved to grab her bag before heading into the bathroom to change. She eased into her pajamas, a pair of short shorts and a t-shirt before making her way out, waiting at Jo’s door, not wanting to enter if she wasn’t ready.

Slipping into her bedroom, Jo changed out of her dress and tossed it into her hamper. She was still eating, so she wasn’t looking too gaunt - but the reflection in the mirror definitely showed how pale and drawn she looked. The circles under her eyes would have been much deeper and darker without some skillful application of makeup, and she hoped that she could keep the act up. Changing into her shorts and a cami, she pushed her door open wider and gestured to DJ. “C’mon in.”

When the door was opened, DJ moved inside, setting her bag down and pulling out the disc. She waited for the go ahead and then put the movie in, trying to hide just how excited she was to watch it. She glanced over at Jo and then eased herself slowly onto the bed. She really hoped she wasn’t pushing her welcome by not waiting for Jo to tell her to get into bed. But she was sure that she’d find out swiftly if that was the case.

The little spring in DJ’s step was entirely too cute. The movie was going to be made an infinitely more fun experience hearing her commentary and her singing, and Jo was looking forward to it. She gave the submissive a nod as she began to climb into bed and followed after her, dimming the lights and snuggling up close - it wasn’t late, not yet, but she’d always thought it was better to watch movies in the dark. “Ready, sweetheart?”

As the lights were dimmed and Jo curled up close to her DJ smiled with a nod. “I’m always ready for this movie, Miss. I’m excited for you to finally watch it if I’m being honest. And I’m excited to find out what you think of it.” She uttered, feeling something warm and comfortable settle in her chest as Jo started the movie. She glanced over at the blonde for a moment before turning her attention to the screen. Hopefully Jo still didn’t mind her commentary and singing by the end of the movie.

The movie was far better than she’d expected - Jo only knew the synopsis, and it had sounded a little silly - but with DJ at her side providing all sorts of useful knowledge and breaking into song, it was infinitely better than it had any right to be. “That was really good, darlin’. And the movie was alright too,” she teased.

She blushed at Jo’s words, rubbing at her face. She was definitely feeling a bit sheepish and her belly felt all fluttery, but ignoring that was definitely what she was going to do in that situation. Jo was sweet and beautiful, but she had also been through something awful and clearly wasn’t doing well; so anything more than being a friend was far from something DJ wanted to worry about. Even if she couldn’t help but think that it might be nice to at least see how Jo kissed. She cleared her throat as the thought passed through her mind and she smiled, glancing at Jo. “I’m glad, Miss.”

DJ’s reactions were so adorable sometimes that Jo couldn’t help but be bemused. She was a sweet, lovely person to have in her suite and someday when she felt up to scening properly she looked forward to finding out whether she would be into that or not. Right now, though, a scene wouldn’t be fair or safe. And if she couldn’t be safe, she wouldn’t have a scene at all. “In all seriousness, though, I really did like it. And you can do commentary for movies anytime.” Jo rubbed her eyes with the back of one hand, yawning. “So, I know it’s early - and feel free to lay up listening to music or watching TV or whatever you’d like - but I think I might shut my eyes. I’m very comfortable right now.”

“Go ahead and sleep, Miss. It’s okay.” Of course DJ wanted to spend more time chatting and getting Jo’s opinion on the movie, but she wasn’t going to force her to stay awake when she was obviously so tired. She may be a bit disappointed because they hadn’t spent a ton of time talking that day, but she would get over it. “Hope you get some rest, Miss.” DJ offered honestly as she turned off the TV. She grabbed her phone and a pair of headphones from her bag and pulled up Youtube on her phone, choosing a random video and starting to watch.

“Thank ya, DJ.” She hated to give up on the night so early, but the truth was that being with DJ in her bed was the only time she seemed to sleep at all lately. Unfortunately this time it didn’t last long, and she snapped awake again only an hour or so into her rest. Her chest rose and fell rapidly and she blinked as she tried to separate the dream from reality. “Shit,” she sighed, running a hand through her hair. “You okay? I didn’t kick y’all or nothing, right?”

She spent the next hour watching random youtube videos on her phone, letting the youtube algorithm lead her wherever it was going to after having chosen a video relating to a Harry Potter theory. She felt a jolt to the bed and pulled out her head phones, her attention shooting to the Domme almost immediately. She shook her head when Jo questioned her, reaching out to brush a strand of hair away from Jo’s face. “Ya didn’t kick me at all.” She promised. “Are you alright?”

The affectionate little gesture went a long way to grounding Jo in the here and now. DJ was much too good at things like that. “Good,” she murmured. That would have been the last thing she needed was to feel guilty for that on top of everything else. “I don’t know,” Jo admitted. “I hate this. That was probably the most sleep I’ve gotten all week, at least uninterrupted.” DJ could do that for her, but she could hardly ask the submissive to come by every time that she couldn’t sleep. “I might get up for a bit, if you feel like comin’ along. You a fan of hot chocolate?”

She frowned when Jo said this was the most sleep that she had gotten. That wasn’t healthy. It was far from the proper amount of sleep that Jo needed. “Of course, I’ll come with. And I love hot chocolate.” She offered, setting her phone and headphones aside as she rolled out of bed and followed Jo out of the room. “I’m sorry that you haven’t been able to sleep lately. I wish that there was something I could do to make sure you had a great night’s sleep.”

“Then you’re in for a treat. I’ve got the good stuff,” she promised. “And those giant marshmallows, because I’m a sucker for those.” Jo looked back as DJ fell into step with her. “As corny as it might sound, darlin’, you do it. I haven’t found any other way I sleep half as well as I do when I have y’all over.” She gestured to the table. “Have a seat, if you want. Won’t be a minute.” Digging in the cupboard, Jo found her kettle and filled it before setting it on the stove. “What were ya watchin’?”

“That might be something that we disagree on then, Miss. I’m not the biggest fan of the giant marshmallows. But I’m definitely excited to taste the amazing hot chocolate you’ve got for me.” DJ expressed, crossing her arms over her chest as they walked through the suite. She felt both worried and pleased that she seemed to be the only thing that helped Jo sleep. She wasn’t over here all the time and so it sucked that she couldn’t help her sleep beyond whenever she was over. She wished she could do more. She took a seat at the table and shrugged. “A bunch of random videos honestly, Miss.”

Putting on her best fake shocked expression, Jo just stared for a moment before she laughed. “That’s alright, darlin’. I’ll let you stay all the same.” She dug through the cupboard as DJ replied, finally pulling out the container of hot chocolate mix that she’d brought from Bay. “I think that’s how most people use youtube. It’s how I do, anyway.” She took a seat, waiting for the kettle.

She winked playfully when Jo said that she would let her stay. “I’m very grateful to you for letting me stick around, despite our lack of similar taste in marshmallows.” She teased gently, leaning back comfortably into the chair that she was sitting on as Jo got things ready to prepare the hot chocolate. “I normally use it a bit more sparingly. Just kind of with whatever subscriptions I have. But I was feeling a bit more adventurous tonight I guess.”

“It seems like the least I can do, really.” Jo rested an elbow on the table, leaning over a little bit and trying not to look as worn as she felt. “What sort of things do y’all subscribe to? Any favorites that ya wanna recommend?” Anything that might help her take up a few hours of her time at night wouldn’t go too far amiss. “Also, I gotta confess I googled the movie since we were goin’ to watch - they do singalong screenings of it, huh?”

“I follow a couple lesbian couples. I also follow MatPat and all of his channels. Then I subscribe to some ASMR...some True Crime stuff...and also some things that relate to like production and what not. So I guess it depends on what you like.” DJ said with a shrug of her shoulders, tilting her head to the side slightly. She giggled softly when Jo said that she had googled the movie beforehand. “Oh they certainly do. It’s kind of a huge part of it really.”

Blinking a few times, Jo chuckled. “I honestly don’t know half the things you just said, but that sounds like you’ve got a wide range of interests. And I’m not sure how listening to true crime could be relaxin’, but if it works for you then it’s all good.” She nodded, getting to her feet as the kettle began to whistle. “And has the Berry clan ever been to these singalongs? I think I know the answer already, but it seemed polite to ask.”

“It doesn’t have to be relaxing! I just find it interesting. There are a lot of cases that don’t get the air time that they deserve. And I find that a tremendous shame.” DJ offered, shrugging her shoulders slightly. She blushed slightly and shrugged her shoulders when Jo spoke up about the Berry family going to a singalong. “We have definitely been to one before. But uh...you know.” She shrugged again and cleared her throat.

“Makes sense to me!” Jo agreed, pouring the boiling water into their mugs and wincing when she splashed her finger with it. “That is one thing the internet has done, brought a lot of the cold stuff back to light.” She stirred up their drinks and added some marshmallows to her own before taking her seat opposite DJ. “Did you have fun?” she asked. “I’m sure Rachel did, but was it your thing?”

She smiled and nodded her head. “I love musicals as well. And singalongs are fun. I just don’t like being on stage. But I definitely had fun. I wouldn’t go all the time. But every once in a while things like that can be enjoyable.” DJ expressed with a shrug, biting down on her bottom lip. “Thank you for the hot chocolate.” DJ said, holding onto the mug, the warmth of it causing her to sigh softly. Warm drinks just had a way of helping her mind and heart relax.

“Fair enough,” Jo nodded. “I’m glad you’ve had chances to do things like that, things you all enjoy as a family.” The Fabray unit was a little more broken, for all sorts of reasons. “I think the only singalong I ever knew about in Mobile was for Rocky Horror, and ain’t no way a Fabray was allowed to be at somethin’ like that.” She nodded, smiling. “My pleasure, sweetheart. I don’t break out the good stuff for just anybody.”

“Rocky Horror is so much fun. So like...you should definitely go whenever you get the chance. I recommend it. It’s messy and it’s a mess. But it’s fun.” She said with a smile, head tilting to the side. She blew on the mug and then brought it to her lips, taking a few sips before humming softly. “Well…are you calling me special now, Miss?” She questioned, quirking an eyebrow with a soft giggle.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Jo smiled, taking a sip of her cocoa and setting it back on the table. “I was always curious, but not enough to risk someone letting the parents know I’d been there.” DJ’s question made her wiggle her eyebrows playfully. “I think I just might have, darlin’. If that’s alright by you.”

“I can understand that. It’s not something I would have risked either probably. It’s certainly not worth getting in trouble for as far as I’m concerned.” The submissive mused. She looked down bashfully at Jo’s response but then nodded her head in approval. “I’m absolutely okay with that, Miss. Does being special get me any other privileges?” DJ questioned with a tilt of her head, biting down on her bottom lip.

“No, it definitely isn’t,” Jo shook her head. The wrath of Russell wasn’t something to be risked lightly, and if it was going to be done it always required copious planning to minimize the damage. DJ’s bashfulness was unbearably cute, and Jo smiled over the rim of her mug. “I suppose that depends what sort of privileges you have in mind, sweet girl. If they involve bein’ in my bed then I think bein’ special definitely gets you that much.”

She raised an eyebrow and took another sip of her hot chocolate. “Does that mean that not everyone gets to sleep in your bed?” She couldn’t deny that she was curious about that. Because if being in Jo’s bed meant that she was special...Of course, Jo had every right to have anyone she wanted in her bed. She cleared her throat, wondering if she should have kept that question to herself.

The question surprised her, even if it shouldn’t have in retrospect. “It does mean that,” she admitted softly. “I’ve only scened with one other person, and they slept in the guest bedroom. Y’all are the first and only one who’s stayed with me for the night - so definitely special.” The first time had been because she was emotionally and physically wrecked and had needed DJ there with her. Since then, though, the current night included...well, she enjoyed having the submissive at her side. Even at night.

She smiled softly and nodded in understanding when Jo explained that DJ, so far, was the only one who had spent the night in her bed. That felt important and it certainly caused butterflies. But it was much too early to be thinking about anything serious. For now, DJ was happy to simply be special in whatever way Jo found her to be. She was happy to spend whatever amount of time she could with the Domme and get to know her better. DJ took another few sips of her hot chocolate, humming softly. “This is so good.” She didn’t want to dwell on what Jo had said for too long.

For a girl who’d always had a good handle on her emotions, the exhaustion of not sleeping properly for so long was not a fun experience. Part of her felt like she was calm and in control, and part of her felt as if she was just slightly detached from her own existence. That detachment made it hard to enjoy the things that were happening in the here and now, and she tried to focus. DJ was special. Definitely. Whatever that meant, there was a reason Jo had invited her back when she hadn’t made that effort with many people. “It’s the best,” she agreed. “They don’t make it anymore, though, so I’m gonna be sad when I run out.”

She pouted when Jo said that they didn't make it anymore, shaking her head slightly. "You shouldn't have used your prize hot chocolate on me then, Miss. You should have kept it so that you could make the most out of what you have left." DJ expressed, feeling bad that she had unintentionally taken something away from the Domme. Her pout deepened as she looked into her mug before her attention was drawn back to Jo.

Reaching across the table, Jo gently put two fingers under DJ’s chin and lifted until they were looking each other in the eye. “I did make the most of it. You’re sitting here with me in the middle of the night because I can’t sleep - and soon you’re going to come back to bed with me until either my alarm goes off or I wake up again. You have gone out of your way to help me, and the least I can do is offer you a cup of my favorite hot chocolate. As long as you enjoyed it, that’s all that’s important to me.”

#post: para #para: jo fabray #para: jo fabray 2

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necrokittytales · 6 years

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Necrokitty Tales: Trouble in Inkwell Isle (Chapter 13)

Authors’ note: Remember, Necrida’s writing will be in italics and SPKC’s writing with be regular font.If you have no idea what this roleplaying thing is, you can start from the beginning here.

——

Cagney led Isabella away from the Root Pack. “Psy has a habit of talking anyone’s ears off. Makes you wish you were deaf instead of blind.”

Isabella chuckled “No kidding! I mean, he seems nice and all… but… wow!” She remained close to Cagney.

The carnation eyed the stand coming up. “Looks like we’re coming up on Porkrind’s stand. He’s an…interesting character. If you need it he’s probably got it. Wanna stop by?” “A guy who can get whatever I need? Yeah! I would like to meet him.” She smiled. “Great, he’s just up ahead.” The two walked until they reached the stand. Cagney approached to see Porkrind…and a shotgun on the counter. The carnation blinked. That, uh, wasn’t normal. He cleared his throat. “Hey, Porkrind, how’s things going?” “Going alright.” “Cool…cool. Can’t help but notice you have a gun “ “Always had a gun.” “True, but not on the counter.” “Got robbed a couple days ago by some cat ferret thing,” Porkrind gruffly explained, pointing to a crude drawing of a stick figure with ears. Cagney felt himself tense up. “Really? Any chance you recognized them?” “If I had recognized them, then they would already be dealt with it.” “Fair enough.” Cagney gestured toward Isabella. “Uh, this is Isabella, she recently moved here actually. Showing her around is all.” Porkrind grunted. “Pleasure to meet ya, miss. If you’re looking for something, I can probably get it for you. Within reason, of course.” Isabella listened carefully and noted to herself not to get on the bad side of this guy. “Nice meeting you, Mr… Porkrind? Was it? Em.. this cat ferret thing… did you noticed if it had wings, by any chance?” She was wondering if something in the store got Mina’s attention and her annoying feline curiosity might have made her steal it.

Porkrind gave her a cursory glance before shaking his head and saying, “No, I didn’t see any wings on it, ma'am. It ain’t a friend of yours, is it?”

“If it doesn’t have wings I have no idea who you’re talking about, darling.” She recovered her confidence. “But I’ll keep my ears alert.” She cutely wiggled her long ears. At that moment, a salamander enter the shop. “Good morning Mr.Porkr-oh!” He blushed a little when he saw Isabella. “Hello again, sweetheart!” He looked at Cagney getting a bit nervous “And hello Mr.Car- I mean, Cagney!” He remember he didn’t liked being called Mr.Carnation. “Seems you got a busy day today, Mr.Porkrind.” He got closer to the counter and notices the gun. “Uh, guess better safe than sorry?” He pointed at it. Porkrind nodded at Sulivan. “Yeah, I won’t miss next time.” Cagney glanced at the gun. “Doesn’t only have one eye mess with your depth perception or something?” Porkrind grunted. “Doesn’t mean I can’t shoot. Bet your girlfriend here holds herself just fine for being blind.” Isabella chuckled sweetly. “Well, if the target is noisy, I might have my chances.” “Say, did you had the chance to talk to Ribby and Croaks yet?” Sulivan asked Isabella while making some signs with his hands indicating to Porkrind that she was the lady he talked about the other day. “Not yet but it’s on my to-do-list! And thank you for helping me the other day; that was really sweet” She used her extra charming tone, making Sulivan turn red. “Oh gosh… it was nuthin’.” He played with his beret. then remembered the carnation was standing right there “Em.. are you two…?” He asked pointing at them, implying if they were dating. Porkrind chuckled quietly but kept to himself, not really wanting to get too involved in his customers’ lives unless it could lead to some return business. Which left Cagney quickly shaking his head, realizing what the salamander was implying. “What? No, no, no,” he ascertained, “Just showing her around is all. Trying to make sure no one is going to give her any trouble,” he added, flashing the salamander a not so nice grin. Sulivan gulped taking the message of the giant flower. “H-how nice of ya! Hehe.. well I won’t take anymore of your time. Nice seeing ya again!” He quickly walked out of the shop without buying what he needed. “What a strange fellow,” Isabella pointed out to the remaining people.

–

Unbeknownst to Sulivan, two eyes watched the salamander’s interactions with the flower and bat woman. They followed him as he finally walked away from Porkrind’s shop, empty handed. Amber’s eyes narrowed and she quietly hissed.

Sweetheart? So THAT was his game. Pretending to be this homely little salamander down on his luck while in actuality, he was a sneak! He didn’t even buy anything, just confirming her suspicion that he only visited these places to hit on beautiful women. For some reason, this made her furious and her fur stood on end. Nevermind that Amber flirted all the time. That didn’t count. She quietly plotted as she crept away, definitely planning on bringing a weapon tomorrow.

–

Isabella got close to Cagney and gently placed a hand on his arm. “Shall we continue the tour?”

Cagney heated up at the contact and swallowed. “Yeah, yeah, uh next fellow is a bit…different,” he chose his words carefully as they walked toward the direction of Goopy Le Grande’s home.

The carnation thought about the salamander’s words. “When are you looking for work exactly, if you don’t mind me asking?” “Whenever I find a babysitter for Mina.” The bat said with a sigh. “Night time is the best time to meet the owners of clubs, but I don’t want to leave my little înger alone. I was hoping this tour will help me meet someone that might have what it takes to watch over her while I go hunting for a job.” “A babysitter, huh? Why don’t you get that crazy rabbit lady to watch your kid? Her kid is your daughter’s friend I think. Or at least, wasn’t dumb enough to run away when she trespassed. That probably counts as a friend.” Cagney looked ahead and groaned. “Speaking of friends, the moron coming towards us right now insists we are friends. We are not friends. I repeat, we are not-” “Hello, my friend!” Goopy Le Grande hopped toward them, all a beam with smiles. “I was just thinking of you the other day, old spot! Especially after that storm we had. What did you and Hilda get into a spat about this time?” The slime noticed Isabella and beamed. “Why, Cagney, who’s this lovely companion here?”

Isabella thought about Cagney’s suggestion and chuckled when Goopy got close to meet them. She did listened carefully what he said about a fight with someone called Hilda. A girlfriend perhaps?

“I’m Isabella Bechstein” she spread her arm to handshake the new voice. “I just moved in” she said sweetly.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Bechstein. I am Goopy Le Grande, world renowned and loved by all creatures fair and small.” He tipped his “cap” to the woman. “Lovely name. Romanian, isn’t it? Beautiful country. Am încercat o dată un tip acolo,” he added with a wink.

Isabella chuckled wondering if he really knew what he was saying “You’re quite charming, Monsieur Le Grande. Parlez vous français?”

Goopy laughed boisterously. “Bien sûr. Mon nom est le grand après tout!”

Cagney stared at the two of them in confusion. “I have….no idea what either of you are saying.”

“Oh! Sorry, darling” She apologized to Cagney. “We should stick to English, Monsieur Le Grand. I wouldn’t want to upset my dear guide.” She used her enticing voice and softly caressed the giant flower´s arm. She was actually really grateful that he accepted to take her for a tour after the rough start they had.

Cagney thought bats were supposed to be hairy and leathery but Isabella’s paws were rather soft and it was difficult to suppress the shiver her touch sent through his stem. He caught Goopy giving him a bemused expression and scowled at the goop.

“Right, thanks. I just wanted to show her around. Maybe find her some people who are kid friendly.” “I am one the friendliest goops this side of the isle!” Goopy announced, “I’m a great role model to the little ones!” He leaned in, sneakily. “But if you really want someone who deals with kids, you should really take her to see Hilda. She is pretty good with kids. Have you heard about her?” Cagney bared his teeth at him. “Goopy,” he warned, trying to keep his tone even. “Well, you sound like a great babysitter, but not sure you could handle my little Mina… she’s quite a handful,” she said, proud of her daughter’s ability to get in crazy situations, like fighting a giant flower. “And I have heard of Hilda, but I haven’t got the chance to meet her yet.”

Goopy ignored the death glare Cagney was giving him. “Oh she’s fantastic! She runs space projects for the school kids and can hold her own pretty well against even the most barbed opponent,” Goopy continued, noticing the thorns starting to pop out of Cagney’s stem.

“She sounds really great!” The bat turned her head towards the carnation, not noticing his change of mood. “Will we see her in our tour?”

Cagney froze at the question. “No.” He smiled evilly at Goopy. “But I’m sure Mister Le Grande here would love to take you since he’s running his mouth so much about her.” Goopy winked back at the carnation. “Now, now, I know you’re much more familiar with Ms Hilda Berg than I am, ya old rascal. I’m sure she would love to show you both the exhibits and the dome and-” “The dome is broken,” Cagney snapped. Goopy’s brow furrowed. “The dome is broken? What do you mean it’s broken…?” He looked at the carnation’s pained expression and his eyes widened. “Oh.” Cagney sighed. It was gonna come out eventually. Goopy cleared his throat. “Mademoiselle Bechstein, may I have private word with Cagney for just a minute or two?”

Isabella’s gossip sensors skyrocketed but she managed to stay cool and not show her interest in other’s lives. “Sure! I’ll just go…” She wiggled her ears making a soft chirping noise to get some idea of her surroundings …“over there” she finally said, walking away from them. She stopped far enough to give them privacy, but not out of her exceptional ear range. She sat on the grass and enjoyed the sun, humming a happy tune, pretending not to pay attention to them.

Cagney watched her go and was immediately suspicious. He racked his brain for a way to convey the information and then groaned when he realized he had only one option. “Iway inkthay eshay ancay earhay usway. Eshay eardhay erhay aughterday ethay otherway ightnay idinghay.”

Goopy looked confused before grinning. “Really? We haven’t used that since we were kids.” Cagney gave him a look and Goopy repeated, “Iway aven'thay usedway isthay incesay eway ereway idskay.” “Iway okebray Ilda'shay omeday.” “YOU WHAT?” Cagney cringed at Goopy’s outburst. “Atwhay appenedhay? Owhay areway ouyay illstay aliveway?” Goopy asked, realizing the carnation looked relatively intact. “Iway asway overway andway erethay asway away urgularbay andway Iway iedtray otay ithay emthay onlyway otay eakbray ethay omeday insteadway. Andway Iway amway aliveway ecausebay…Iway oday otnay owknay. Utbay Ildahay andway Iway aidsay ingsthay otay eachway otherway atthay Iway oday otnay inkthay eshay illway everway antway otay eesay emay againway. Ornay Iway erhay.” Cagney stuck his tongue out at the words. “This is hard,” he admitted. Goopy nodded. “What are you going to do now?” “I don’t know. I’m supposed to…uh…Iway amway upposedsay otay eesay omorrowtay orfay away ateday….Iway inkthay”

“Ugh… clever hippie…” Isabella grumbled. She still managed to figure out some words but she couldn’t make up much of what they were talking about.

Goopy smiled. “You should go.” “What? Why?!” “It’s for the best! You’ll be happy in no time. C'mon, don’t you trust me?’ “Not at all.” “That’s the spirit!” Goopy looked toward Isabella. “We’re all done now! Cagney has graciously allowed me to escort you to Hilda’s later today as he has some planning to do.” Her ears perked up at the voice of Goopy calling for her. “Oh! That is great!” She stood up, cleaned some of the dirt off her clothes and got closer to them. “We will have the chance to get to know each other,” she said sweetly, secretly hoping he would blabber more about the neighbors than the carnation.

Cagney pulled at a petal. “Actually now that I think about it, she is the last one on this isle you haven’t met. If you want to go with Goopy at this point, I’ll just head back to my field and talk to you later?”

“Aww, you going to leave me?” She said with her enticing voice “Oh well…I guess you must be tired with all this walking.” She leaned towards Cagney. "Thank you very much for introducing me to everybody. Besides my expectations,“ She chuckled remembering all the horrible things she said to him the day before, "I really enjoyed your company.” She said sincerely, stretching out a hand so they could shake.

Cagney chuckled. “And you ain’t too bad yourself, when you’re not going all momma bear on people,” he admitted, shaking her hand. lsabella smiled back and turned to Goopy, “Shall we go then, Monsieur Le Grande?” Goopy Le Grande offered an elbow to Isabella. “Of course, Mademoiselle Bechstein.” He waved to Cagney. “I’m sure Isabella and I have will have plenty to talk about!” “Goopy, I will put you in your grave,” Cagney warned. Goopy giggled. “I’ll just come back. I always do.”

She felt Goopy’s elbow and held on to it. She waved goodbye to Cagney and discreetly took a last breath of the delicate fragrance of the carnation before walking away.

Goopy led the bat away from the carnation, loudly asking her, “Soooo, what brings you to the isles?”

“What brings me to the isles?” she repeated, “I wanted to find a place for my Mina to grow up happy.” And to hide, but she decided to keep that detail to herself. “The cities are too noisy and crowded… What about you?” “Me? Well I grew up here, did some traveling but back here to run the family business- gravestones. With my boxing on the side, of course.” He continued to speak loudly, glancing at the ground. She raised an eyebrow when Goopy mentioned the family business. “Well, you’re very cheerful to be working in that line of business,” she chuckled. “And you do boxing too?” She caressed his arm to try to feel the muscles. She didn’t feel much but she pretended to be impressed.

If Isabella could see, she would have spotted the ripples Goopy gave up when he laughed. “Have to be cheerful in my line of work. And don’t be shy about feeling these arms of mine. I’m quite the specimen of a goop if I do say so myself. Now what do you do for a living?”

“Interesting…” she said with a sensual tone. “Me, I’m a singer, currently looking for a job. You don’t happen to know any bands, do you?"

"A singer, eh? Hmm, I got a little owner at a speakeasy who owes me a favor or two! I think there’s a jazz band or so coming in tomorrow evening. If you’ve got time, we could head over there and see if they need a singer? Before we see Miss Berg, if you like?” “Seriously?” She said excited, “I would very much like that! Oh! Mulţumesc!” She gave the goop a loud kiss on his cheek and held on tightly to his arm.

Goopy accepted the kiss graciously. “Yes, yes of course. We’ll head over there now…And now that we’ve gotten some distance away from our mutual friend,” Goopy gestured behind them even though she was blind, “Is there anything you would like to know? I haven’t had a good gossip buddy in ages!”

—

Sulivan walked halfway home when he remembered he didn’t bought what he went there for. When he was closer to the shop he made sure Cagney wasn’t there anymore and entered. “Uf… who would thought a flower could be that scary….”

Porkrind spotted Sulivan returning. “Ya remember what you went to buy, Sulivan?” “Yes yes, eh… you see I’ve met this gal last night… and we really hit it off! We spent the night together… but not like that!” The salamander corrected seeing a smirk starting to show on Porkrind’s face and turned even more red “ we just talked, that’s all! But… we going to a date and… I wanted to get her something nice….” Porkrind smirked at the salamander. “You’re either a very lucky man or a very unlucky man indeed, Sulivan. A woman like that either really likes you or wants something that you have. And hate to say it but 9 times out 10, it’s the latter.” Porkrind began to display some of his merchandise. “What’s the little lady like? And was she there in the morning?” Sulivan looked at his friend worried. “Oh… what could she want from me? And yes! She stayed, she even fished breakfast” He took a look at the merchandise “Well, she has a beautiful and bright, chestnut fur, her eyes as big as the moon!” He leaned on the counter sighing. “Her delicate silhouette would make swans jealous! And she’s interested in what I do, and she knows how to fish!” Chestnut fur? Porkrind grit his tusks. That sounded very similar to the thief from a few days ago. “She ain’t a cat or a ferret, is she?”

The salamander looked at Porkrind in surprise. “Why, yes she is! How do you…?”

Porkrind put a hand on the salamander’s shoulder with a heavy sigh. “Kid, it pains me to tell you this, but I’m 90% sure your dame is a thief. A cat burglar to be precise.”

“What?!” Sulivan stepped back to shake off Porkrind´s hand. “Y-You haven’t even met her yet! She’s sweet, and charming! She would never steal!” He put on his beret, angry. “You know, I changed my mind! I´ll go get her some flowers or somettin´. Good day!” He stormed out of the store.

Porkrind shook his head. “Poor, lovesick bastard, he has no idea.” He pulled out his shotgun and began to clean it. “Shouldn’t have missed the first time. He’ll figure it out soon enough.”

Sulivan walked without a direction for a while, angry at the shopkeeper and mumbling to himself. “How can he say that! A delicate angel like her… ”

–

Amber repeatedly stabbed at a picture of Sulivan she sketched with her claws before ripping it up into tiny shreds with a tiny growl.

“Right, stealing. Gotta go steal something,” she reminded herself, walking away…before running back and violently stomping on the pieces of paper.

—

“My dear Amber wouldn’t do such thing!” Sulivan stopped and sat on a rock nearby. He put his elbows on his knees and rested his head on both hands.

He tried to forget about Porkrind and wondered what kind of present he could get for Amber. Maybe he could ask somebody for suggestions… Psy? Goopy? Maybe even Elder Kettle? After a few minutes he decided to visit Psycarrot first and walked to the Root Pack field.

–

Cagney unburrowed himself once he was in his field and stretched. Well, that was more walking than he had intended to do for a while. He had left Isabella in the somewhat more capable hands of Goopy (which he begrudgingly admitted, was probably one of the more trustworthy residents). Still, he had shown her around enough and if she was lucky, word got around that she knew him and that would be enough to keep too many islanders from messing with her. At least on this isle.

He looked toward his tree and stopped in his tracks. Sitting near his spot was a giant pot. With a bow on it. He was immediately on guard. “This was not here when I left.” He approached it warily and when he was sure nothing was going to pop out did he inspect it. It kinda looked like the pot Hilda had tried to give him. A bit fancier that’s for sure, but it was similar. The fact that there was a bow on it clued him in to the fact that it could be a present? Or a trap. He peeked inside. Nope. No hiding Hilda or trained assassin. He circled it once more until he saw a piece of paper stuck to the pot. He plucked it and opened it. “Eager to continue what we started two nights ago. See you tomorrow. Don’t keep me waiting?” He read outloud. He stared at it, looked around, and then read it again. This was Hilda’s writing alright. His mind immediately went into overdrive. “Continue what we started…” he repeated and he felt his hands shake. Before Hilda had left, they had been lying down on the bed and they were going to…to…He turned bright red before realizing something else. “Wait, no, we tried to kill each other!” He remembered. Cagney really racked his brain now. Did Hilda really want to fight him in the jazz bar they had planned on going to? That seemed a bit excessive, but then again, he had nearly crushed her. Maybe she would turn into the moon and crush him in kind. And this don’t keep her waiting business? Was this so she could set up a trap and make sure he would be there on time to fall for it? “I probably should show up before her just in case she…” He nearly slapped himself in the forehead. “Hold up, I just said I never wanted to see her again and here I am planning on getting there first to meet up with her for a potential bar brawl?! Am I insane?” He rested his head against the pot and scrunched his eyes shut. “Ughhh, I HAVE to go,” he realized. If he didn’t, and there was even a slight chance of reconciliation, he really would lose her forever.

–

Psycarrot let out a low whistle after the carnation and the bat left. “Did you see how impressed she was with my story? It’s the natural charm for sure!” The carrot looked to see if Moe and Weepy were listening.

He found a very angry potato staring at him. “We said we would never talk about it!” Moe said, referring to the embarrassing story he revealed to a newcomer and crossed his arms.

Weepy smiled at the carrot. It was a fun and courageous story he thought.

“Hey there, gang!” Sulivan called, getting closer to the fence. Moe turned to see the salamander getting closer. “Hey! Hi, Sulivan. Your order is not ready yet, we got some trouble with the storm.” “Oh! No, don’t worry, I’m here for something else.” He reached the fence. “ I need help…” He turned a bit red. Psycarrot knew that red face goofy look anywhere. “Sayyyyy, this wouldn’t be about a girl now would it?” Sulivan hid behind his beret giggling “Well… yes it is! A real angel!” He described her again for the vegetables, playing nervously with his beret between his hands. “And now I want to find the perfect gift. Something to show her how much she means to me… without being creepy,” he added knowing that sometimes the produce got carried away in their ideas. Like that time when Psycarrot dressed Moe Tato as a woman to seduce someone for who knows what. Psycarrot rubbed his hands together. “Well! A lady such as this does indeed sound special! How long have you been together? I can think of a couple of real nice things if this is a year anniversary!”

The salamander chuckled “Oh! I just met her last night…at the Joint. We really hit it off! She spent the night at my place… but we only talked! It was very nice….”

Psycarrot began to elbow his companions. “She SPENT the night?! Oh Sulivan, you dog you! Ha! I think you already have the cat in the bag!”

“Attaboy! Didn’t think you had it in ya!” Moe patted Sulivan’s back.

“Oh! No! Guys! C'mon! Nuthin’ happened… we… we just had a good time talking about ourselves…although…” He blushed. “I-I think she might be the one. She’s so… soo… so unique! Not like any other woman I’ve ever met… I really want her to like me. What can I do?” “Aww!” Weepy squealed happy “That is so sweet! I’ve never seen you so happy, Sullivan.” His eyes started to tear up. “I’m… I’m so glad for you!”

Psycarrot scratched his chin. “Well, you could impress her with your great intellect and romantic witty banter…or is that just me?”

They all frowned at the carrot.

“Listen, Sull. Ladies like it when you spend money on them,” Moe made a gesture with his fingers rubbing together, "But they will hate you if you buy something they don’t like. What you should do is take her shopping! That way you’ll pay for what she really wants to have! No risks of making her mad.” He concluded leaning on the fence. “What? I thought they liked romantic stuff… like romantic dinners at fancy clubs,” Weepy said, scratching his head. Sulivan looked at both of them, not sure which advice was the best. “I don’t know…” He looked at Psycarrot, hoping he will come up with something better. Psycarrot rubbed his hands together. “You say you’re taking her to carnival, right? How good are you at the games? Ladies love it when guys can win them stuff.”

Moe snapped his fingers “Oh! Yeah! Show her your skills! Shoot the ducks, test your strength, and win her stuff she wants!” “A night in the carnival does sound romantic! With all the lights… the merry-go-round…” the onion said, holding his hands together. “Hm… I am good at throwing darts.” Sulivan said, scratching his forehead .

“Darts?! Ha!” Psycarrot shook his head. “No, women like a man who demonstrates great feats of strength and intelligence - a Renaissance man, if you will! It’s evolution! Women are always attracted more to men who can take the lead! So go for the hammer prizes!”

“The hammer prizes?” The salamander repeated, “but… I’m not very strong…”.

“Psy is right!” Moe crossed his arms. “You gotta show off a little! Any idiot with an eye can throw a dart! You just have to train a bit.” Weepy looked at them, raising an eyebrow. The salamander was very slim, he might have been a great sailor once, but now he was all bones.

Psycarrot slammed the salamander on the back. "And that is why we’re going to help beef you up! I’ve got some beet juice here that’ll put some muscle on those scales! You could even start by pushing that wheelbarrow of gardening supplies for us to start flexing those muscles!” He added slyly.

“W-w-what?” Sulivan started to say when Moe interrupted him by grabbing the back of his shirt and putting him down on the other side of the fence.

“Go on now! You don’t have much time ‘till tomorrow!”. “Oh dear… ” Weepy lamented, leaving them to carry their crazy plan and took care of their plants. —

Meanwhile, over the sea ,a serious looking spider gentleman, dressed elegantly in dark green suit, was looking to the distant isles of Inkwell aboard a big ship carrying cargo for Mr King Dice.

A crab sailor approached him. “We’ll be arriving tonight, sir.” The gentleman didn’t bother to look at the crab. “Thank you Mr. Porto. I’ll inform my men.” The sailor nodded but he didn’t leave. The spider looked at him with his six eyes, well, five. There was one closed, but judging by the tiny marks around it, it seemed it has been scratched out. “Anything else?” He said very calmly but there was still something disturbing in his tone. The sailor hesitated. “W-when we reach port, I’m going to have to declare the cargo I carry, and there will be an inspection….” “And I will take care of it. No one opens the cargo but me.” “Y-yes, sir.” Mr. Porto left the gentleman knowing he was being watched by those preying eyes. When the sailor was out of view, the spider looked at one of the big cargo boxes and allowed a small smile creep into his face. “Questo sarà l'inizio di una bella e proficua amicizia.”

——–

CHAPTER 01, CHAPTER 02, CHAPTER 03, CHAPTER 04, CHAPTER 05, CHAPTER 06, CHAPTER 07, CHAPTER 08, CHAPTER 09, CHAPTER 10; CHAPTER 11; CHAPTER 12 ; CHAPTER 13 (You’re here!)

#cagney carnation #isabella betchstein #goopy le grande #the root pack #psycarrot #weepy #moe tato #Sullivan Wells #porkrind #cuphead #fan fiction #rol play #smallpersiankittencuphead #smallpersiankitten #necrida #submission

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