#named Magnolia !! she’s a really chill cat who when it comes to other cats if the cat likes her she likes the cat but she’s also the younges

[kainablue]

LECTURE ME - Moonstruck (part 1)

[Chain Reaction]  [Distracted]  [A Quick Smoke]  [Into the Wild]  [Heavy Rain (part 1)]  [Heavy Rain (part 2)]

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Here is the first part of a wlw lemon story with our two thirsty students Filipa and Danielle. Proceed with caution - very slippery 😉 Enjoy 🍷

Filipa

My room is at the end of a long hallway. There are only two small, round windows and four lights illuminating six bedroom doors. One window is installed at the top of the stairs. Even when you climb all the way up, you still have to lift your chin high towards the ceiling to see through it. That submissive action reminds me of church and how pious people (or tourists) stare at stained glass behind an altar. Aside from overseeing your ascension (physical, not spiritual), this round window reveals you the sky. That is, it would, if it hadn't been filthy from years of neglect and bird excrement.

As I pass next to five doors, my every step tortures the old floorboards and they squeal under my heel. The previous tenants of Saint Hildegard’s wing found a pathway of newer wooden slats that are strong enough to withstand the rule-breaking  students sneaking around. There is even a secret map drawn under every sink in all six bathrooms.

Magnolia is the name of the first room, the delicate name carved in a wooden plaque, barely visible. Celandine is the name of the second one. The third wooden plaque is gone, replaced with a metal one - Marigold is the name engraved so we call the three girls living there the Golden Maris. Fourth door’s name is Begonia, the fifth Hyacinth and the sixth door leading to my room is Iris.

I look through the second round window at the end of the hall. A crack splits its lower half, slicing the campus like an earthquake rupture. This high up I can see beyond the campus grounds and observe the woods and mountains surrounding the Academy. Not at this time of the night, though. The world I’m seeing right now is black and white horror scenery below abysmal sky powdered with stars.

As long as I attend the Academy, I’ll live in this attic intended for the poorest female students whose parents couldn’t afford to book a room in a newer wing. But I love it. I love this smell of dust, wood and feathered mattresses. I love the ethereal touch of dead Studentinnen still sentimentally roaming this hallway. Their hands and cheeks are always dirtied with ink.

Even the locks are old and paired with heavy skeleton keys with drafty keyholes. I’ve spent a significant amount of time peeking inside other rooms feeling a lot like Alice catching a glimpse of Wonderland. Let’s just say that Golden Maris aren’t so golden after the sun sets.

I unlock the door and enter. It is fairly dark, which is not unusual, but never this much. There are only three candles lit around Dani’s bed and my roommate is sitting surrounded by her tarot cards. I do not share her interest, but I respect it.

“Sorry for interrupting. Should I come back later?”

Her head snaps up. “No, no. It’s not important.”

Her long wavy hair is pulled into a ponytail. I’m amazed how lovely she looks in a plain short sleeve t-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts. She looks good in anything, really. Even though our stuffy attic room is warm, her shins are covered with pink leg warmers. Dani does that purely for the aesthetics. She stretches her back, lifting her arms high up, and revealing her soft tummy like a cute kitty cat.

“You are late again,” she says, “It’s almost midnight.”

I let my heavy bag fall to the floor with a low thump. My shoulder is killing me. “You know I have to.”

“I know,” she sighs. Dani stands up and gets close to me. “Would you like a shower?"

"Oh? I smell that bad?"

"No," she giggles. She places herself behind me and hugs me tightly around my chest, placing a kiss on my cheek. "I meant to say: would you like a shower with me?"

She doesn't wait for an answer; her hands are already unbuttoning my blouse. As soon as there is an opening, her fingers slide underneath my clothes, aiming straight for my breast. My skin is getting warmer as her lips press moist marks onto it. The gentle touch of her hand is making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, sending a delightful chill down my spine.

Dani’s fingertips find my nipple and they brush against it, as if playing harp strings made of nerves. An electric jolt passes from my nipple to my pussy. I have to press her hand against my chest and stop her movements, because that kind of fondle is too much to bear at this point. With her other hand, she moves my hair away so that she could bite my neck with more ease. She’s not really gentle - her love will leave marks - but I allow her to savor my skin.

“Filipa,” she whispers, “Let’s take a shower together.”

“Did Aoife move already?”

“Yes. We are alone.” She steps in front of me and removes my blouse completely. She bites her rosy lower lip. “Let me undress you.”

I am tired but… how could I refuse? How could I say no to those hungry eyes, to that sweet face, to that warm, soft body? How could I say no to fucking her until she screams my name and melts into a shivering, mindless doll? Just imagining Dani exhausted and spent makes me overwhelmingly horny.

I nod and a grin, charming and ominous at the same time, lights her face. She gets to her knees and takes off my skirt and socks first, planting pecks of adoration along my thighs and shins. She helps me take off my camisole top and, finally, careful as if she’s performing surgery, removes my panties. Dani crawls closer to me, places her hands on my hips and kisses the center of my lust.

My temperature soars as the pleasure spreads throughout my entire body, pulse by pulse. Every time her lips touch my tissue, I open up more and more, and soon my arousal juices are dripping down my thighs. Dani sticks her tongue out and glides it along my slit - very slowly. Tip of Dani’s tongue touches my clit and she takes it into her mouth. She purrs. Red flashes before my eyes.

“Ah!” It feels so good! I grab her hair and press her firmly against my heat. Dani happily hums as she laps every drop she finds.

“So thirsty,” I coo as I stroke her hair. “We both are.” If possible, I prefer to finish last. And I always like to spice things up.

“Come here,” I say as I take her hand and pull her to her feet.

She looks at me, her eyes lit from excitement, a wide grin splitting her face.

I take her to the bed that used to belong to our third roommate. And to all those third roommates that used to live here before running away.

“Here?” Dani seems surprised. “Why here?”

“Why not? Look at the moon. We will see each other in pure natural light.”

The bed is located next to a wall opposite from a roof window. Anyone who ever slept there, hated it. “It is uncomfortable and I can’t fall asleep for a very long time,” was the most common complaint. During the day, the sun rays never even brush the mattress. But for some reason the full moon illuminates the entire bed all night long. After just one night, every girl would demand a transfer to another room. Yesterday was the first day of full moon, and Aoife already moved out.

“They say it’s cursed”, Dani doesn’t sound worried. In fact, she seems even more aroused. My darling roomie likes to play with the occult and doesn’t falter when presented with a challenge.

She sits on the cursed bed, eyeing my naked figure eagerly.

I lean toward her and whisper: “If we commit sin on a cursed bed, during a full moon, exactly at midnight, just imagine how impressed the Devil will be when we finally meet him.”

Do you enjoy my content? Then help me fuel my creativity with a cup of delicious coffee! ☕

[two-are-the-trees]

Jazz and The Gothic

I haven’t seen much discussion about the place of jazz music in the gothic genre but as I mentioned briefly in my post about creepy cartoons, jazz songs of the early to mid 20th century often featured dark subject matter and imagery in their lyrics, extremely reminiscent of other gothic media. Additionally, a lot of this music heavily influenced later gothic media, like the cartoons they were featured in, as well as many more current works like compositions by Danny Elfman and the miniseries, Over the Garden Wall. It also performed a similar function of classic gothic literature, examining various social or moral issues in complex ways and focusing on uneasiness and uncanniness to explore structures within society. 

Of course the first name that comes to mind when discussing gothic jazz is Cab Calloway, one of the most prominent jazz artists of the 20th century. His distinct wailing voice and his unpredictable movements in his dancing not only exemplified the improvisational and creative qualities of jazz music, but also created eerie moods in his darker songs. The lyrics of these songs also tell tragic stories and imply horrific images. Arguably his most popular song, “Minnie the Moocher” which was accompanied by surreal, disturbing animation in the Betty Boop cartoon of the same name, alludes to prevalent drug problems during the Great Depression of the 1930s. It tells the story of Minnie, who gets into the world of cocaine and opium thanks to her boyfriend (who is most likely a bootlegger or drug-related criminal). Despite the mention of fabulous riches, the song ends with the words, “Poor Min,” implying that she met a tragic fate. This becomes clear at the realization that a real Indianapolis woman named Minnie Gayton, who fell into homelessness and perpetual begging, served as the inspiration for the song. 

“Minnie the Moocher” also has an equally dark sequel song called “The Ghost of Smokey Joe.” The gothic motifs in this song are more obvious as it’s sung from the point of view of the ghost of Minnie’s old boyfriend after he died (presumably of a drug overdose). Smokey Joe comes to haunt the drug dens he used to hang around in. He demands to know where Minnie is and explains that he has a chariot to take her to his “estate in Hades,” implying that his illegal activities landed him a spot in eternal damnation, and he plans to drag his girlfriend down with him. This song not only warns against the personal consequences of using dangerous drugs, but also the moral responsibility of drug lords for “dragging others down” with drug addiction and abuse. 

Cab Calloway also sang “San Francisco Fan,” a warning about the dangers of gambling. The song itself focuses on the girlfriend of an abusive gambler. She is forced to live in poverty so that her boyfriend can use her wages for more bets until she eventually takes a bullet for him after he is accused of cheating. The song serves as a funeral dirge for the woman, with a melancholy dragging beat and mournful lyrics. 

Calloway’s darkest song, however, evokes death throughout. “St. James’s Infirmary,” another song accompanied by creepy animation in “Betty Boop in Snow White,” laments the death of yet another unfortunate woman caught up in the criminal underworld of bootlegging and drugs. She is described as “stretched out on a long white table, so sweet, cool and so fair.” This gentle imagery of the corpse evokes the tragic beauties of Edgar Allen Poe’s work, cut down before their time. Her boyfriend then goes on to talk about his own death. He details how he wants his funeral and body prepared and says “The gang’ll know I died standing pat,” meaning that he’ll die sticking to his beliefs and lifestyle. This implies that he knows his current life in the criminal underworld will eventually lead to his death, just as it led to his girlfriend’s.

These cautionary tales of poverty and death did not exist in a void. The constant threat of destitution due to the economic crash of the Great Depression led many to desperate means to make a living. The criminal industries of bootlegging and drug dealing flourished, often leading to the violence and death depicted in Calloway’s music. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, in which seven gangsters were gunned down horrifically, is just one famous example. With popular drug trends also, of course, came addiction and overdose. Even more sinister is the fact that during Prohibition, officials were encouraged to poison barrels of alcohol to discourage illegal drinking, leading to even more deaths. 

Cab Calloway was not the only famous jazz musician to sing about death and tragedy. Billie Holiday also released several songs that live on today as haunting examples of gothic jazz. One of these songs is “Gloomy Sunday,” notable for the controversy surrounding it. Originally composed by Hungarian musician, Rezsó Seress, and translated by Sam M. Lewis, it was released in the U.S. with a performance by Billie Holiday. The song has a mournful tone and lyrics that focus on death and immeasurable sorrow after losing a loved one. Perhaps more unnerving about the song are the many mentions of suicide, as the narrator sings, “Soon there'll be candles, and prayers that are said I know; let them not weep; let them know that I'm glad to go.” After it’s release, many real life suicides were blamed on the song, as rumors circulated that people killed themselves while listening to the tune. These rumors were mostly unfounded, but the urban legend does indicate that in the public eye, “Gloomy Sunday” was unique in its dark tone, and it still holds that reputation to this day.

Another well-known Billie Holiday song is “Strange Fruit,” with an even more disturbing subject. The song was originally a poem written by Abel Meeropol and remains one of the most influential pieces of African American poetry to this day. The poem and song evoke the monstrous practice of lynching black people, which most often occurred in the Southern U.S. The song describes the bodies hanging from trees in horrific detail. It tells of “Blood on the trees and blood and the root” and “The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth, scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh, then the sudden smell of burning flesh.” The jarring contrast between imagery of fresh flowers and fruit trees and imagery of rotting, mutilated bodies conveys not only the trauma lurking behind the facade of the peaceful Southern countryside, but also the frequency at which violence against black people occurred, as the bodies became part of the landscape. It’s a song that clearly uses horror and fear to convey the emotions felt by black people across the nation, evoking the tactics of the gothic genre to expose this dark reality. 

The last song I’ll discuss is “Driva Man,” written by Max Roach. This is a song released during the later era of jazz in the 1960’s during the Civil Rights movement and explores more experimental tempos and tones after the big band craze of the 1950s. The song’s lyrics are delivered with only an occasional drum beat before the fuller musical interlude, creating a very ominous tone. The lyrics themselves tell of the violence faced by black slaves at the hands of merciless slave drivers (or even black workers in the 1960’s facing unfair workplace practices at the hands of their “slave driving” bosses). Some lyrics include, “When his cat 'o nine tail fly, you’d be happy just to die” and “Runaway and you'll be found, by his big old red bone hound.” Both lyrics evoke slave owner practices of using whips and dogs to control, and often even kill, their slaves. The casual delivery of the chilling lyrics is even more devastating as it reveals how commonplace these practices really were. The timing of the song’s release is significant, as it expresses the horrors faced by an entire group, even long after slavery was abolished. 

Of course there are many other jazz songs with dark tones and subject matter, and many more that inspired the gothic genre in different forms of media. The jazz genre was created by black artists and often infused with the struggles and atrocities faced by black communities. Therefore, much of jazz uses tactics of the gothic in order to express the fear felt by these communities, and by extension society as a whole when faced with nation-wide issues. These are just a few well known examples of jazz’s place in the larger gothic timeline.

[bluerosesburnblue]

Liz Liveblogs Bravely Second: Chapter 5, Part 2/2

And now for the actual story of Chapter 5: This is Our Coup de Gravy!

There were... so many Coup de Gravies in this chapter. Too many. It seems like everyone had one

You know, thinking about the Sidequest Roundup last time, I don’t think I’ve ever said how much I love the way Bravely handles obtaining jobs. It would be so easy to just hand you a magic job crystal at different story beats, but no. You have to fight someone using the job you wish to obtain. You have to figure out how it works and overcome its abilities at their most powerful before you can use them against others. It serves as both a neat tutorial for how the job works, since you’re on the receiving end of most of its attacks, and proof that you deserve to have the job since you overcame its user. It feels earned every time you get a new job. It’s kinda like how I feel about the Island Trials in Pokémon Sun and Moon, where you have to fight a difficult boss of a specific elemental type, and once you do you gain the ability to use the strongest move of that type. I dunno, I just really like this trend in games of proving your worth for the skills you gain by besting them in combat

Anyway, let’s head on to the Harena Sea Caves to stop Geist from performing his heist

You could absolutely stab a man with that compass

Oh, come on, Edea. When did you get possessed by Rev? Just now? When we walked in? How long have you secretly been a ghost child?

Heyyy Templar Braev to the rescue! TBH, I’d stop running if Edea’s dad was staring me down

Wait... Geist didn’t recognize him until he said his name? Dude, like, even NPC #67 knows Braev, get with the program!

I wonder if the exploit I used to insta-kill Rev the first time will work again. I also wonder if Geist might be able to undo that

Oh, it’s backstory time. Geist left his ill son because he got called to do an exorcism in a foreign country. I guess he was probably a priest, fitting with the Bestiary tidbit of his name, Grace, being given to those respected by the Orthodoxy. But the girl wasn’t possessed, she was sick. Patient Zero for the Great Plague. And she was taken onto his boat because she wanted to go home one last time. But she was used to spread the disease around. He still blames himself for what happened and wants to make up for both spreading the Plague and his botched attempt to revive his son

Geist may be the bigger problem with his Undo abilities, so I’m gonna focus on him

Rev actively refused to move on because he loved his daddy and didn’t want to go without him. Ohhhhh my god, kiddo, that’s so sweet in a morbid way

Stop being dramatic, Geist. Best timeline rules dictate that we’re keeping you alive. You’re not dead. Relax

Undo HP after Rev possessed someone does work, it just took him until he was about halfway down to start possessing people

This poor kid’s in a tough spot. I don’t expect him to understand the full implications of “rewrite time to fix things.” He just thinks they’re gonna make everything better. He doesn’t understand the Butterfly Effect, and how it’ll erase the future. He just thinks what he’s doing will make his dad happy, so he’s gonna do it

At least we got through to Geist. Changing the past could wipe his son from existence. A second “death,” if you would. And harming Rev is the one thing he could never do

Now that is a cute hug. even if it’s between a man drenched in blood and the ghost of his son possessing armor that’s a full head taller than him

And Geist does know Braev... but on a personal level. Braev was a young priest back when he worked with the Orthodoxy

And there it is. Geist sent a warning back, which allowed them to gather a team of physicians to find a cure. The Plague would have been much worse without that warning, but all Geist can see are the people who died in the first place

And he finally gets some closure. His son doesn’t care that he’s a ghost in a suit of armor, he’s just happy that he can stay with his dad. And his actions did save plenty of people. It’s just that the guilt has been crippling him for years. Now that he’s free, he’s allowing himself to be arrested for crimes of the present, and no longer for assumed crimes of the past

I really appreciate Edea’s speech to Rev here. She talks about how she used to blindly believe everything her dad told her until the events of the last game. It broke her heart to fight him, but ultimately, in doing so, she started to actually understand him instead of just parroting what he said. And when they met again? It was as equals, and their bond was stronger than it had ever been. So she encourages Rev to come up with his own ideas, try to understand his father’s, and then come together as equals. Truly understanding each other, instead of blind faith, because that’s the best way to support your loved ones. And she says this all in front of Braev, too, and the pride he feels towards her is so evident. It’s moments like this that make this game a great sequel. Edea’s come so far from the person she was at the start of the last game, but she’s still not flat in this one. Sure, the focus is more on Yew and Magnolia’s development, while Tiz and Edea had the brunt of it in the last game, but our returning party members are still growing, too, and it’s nice to see them in a mentor role

Phase 2 of Magnolia’s plan: use the compass to lure out the Kaiser. Unfortunately, it seems something’s come up on Kamiizumi’s end of this plan, so now we’re off to Florem Gardens to help

Also, I love how Kamiizumi is so useless with the pendant call. He can’t work the thing at all

On to Florem Gardens. Good to see my old grinding grounds are doing well. I’ll be back for more next chapter!

Aww, they called Edea’s dad with the pendant. It’s really nice to see them getting along in this game

Yew’s call to Norzen didn’t go half as well, though. Turns out Norzen, Braev, and Kamiizumi have a shrubbery group chat

Altair is now telling them about how he and Vega would call each other using cell phones and video phones. The more things change, the more couples keep talking forever on the phone playing “No you hang up”

Chill, Kamiizumi, I’m like, one screen away. We’ll be there in two minutes

Oh dear lord Angelo set up shop in the forest. And Aimee’s here, too. Time to beat her down using her own job I guess

So they think the last timeline was a dream, but Angelo’s memories of Aimee’s dying words spurred them on to being an actual couple. Also, they’re still gonna fight us, because definitely fight people who made you mad in (what you assume are) dreams?

Also, Aimee is literally from Florem Gardens. They met there. That’s why the shop’s there

Some neat tactics going on with them, with Angelo inflicting the party with fire weakness and then having Aimee use Firehead to give all her attacks fire damage. Not much else of note though

And Yew just totally hired them to open up shop in Gathelatio. Not... sure they deserve it, but I guess they were the least attached to the Kaiser’s plan in the first place

...thanks for all the help, Kamiizumi

Oh good lord there’s so many cats here. I see where this is going. We’re gonna have to take on Minette, aren’t we

Kamiizumi’s cat’s here. Forgot that was a plot thread

Hide the compass in Sagitta? With how easily Geist got in? I don’t know if that’s the best plan

Ah, I see. We’re feeding the cats false information to report to Minette, who will lead the Kaiser right into our SP Cannon’s blast. Not a bad plan

Of course Tiz is “all catted out.” He’s been my dedicated Catmancer for a long freaking time

Alright, Elder Sirius. Time to shoot that Skyhold out of the sky

I appreciate Yew’s conviction in stopping Denys. He may be his brother, but he’s also gone (or about to go) too far. And I’m sure Yew feels responsible for it, since this all started after Denys lost his hand due to Yew’s mistake

Making Yew be the one to fire the cannon seems a BIT cruel to me, though

I can’t believe that plan actually worked

Minette’s gonna buy time for Denys, Janne, and Nikolai to escape, and they’re all treating it like she’s gonna die, but guys. We haven’t killed a single person this timeline. We have fought six of your people and the worst they got is prison! You really think we’re gonna kill the kid and only the kid?

You can see Denys actively fighting with his Big Brother Instinct to protect the kid. But he renounced that to be the Kaiser. Best he can do now is send the lion with her, just in case

Please. Child. Just stop the cat puns. You keep making it so tempting to actually kill you

Okay, I know this kid was experimented on and crossed with cat DNA or something equally ridiculous, but her backstory and mannerisms REALLY say “I’m a cat who was turned into a human”

She became a cat to... please her mom? What? Why would her mom be upset her daughter WASN’T a cat? Did the experiment fail? Or did she just have a kid and go “you know, I should’ve just adopted a cat instead”

Holy shit, I was gonna say “not a hard fight” but then Minette got off a lucky full-party Catnap+RIP combo and totally wiped the team

Definitely sticking a Clothespin on Yew this time

I probably went about that in the dumbest way possible, but we beat her

Child! I will take you in if you just! Stop! The cat puns! That’s it! That’s all I ask of you! Maybe people are abandoning you because every time you open your mouth you make yourself as insufferable as possible!

Oh no Kamiizumi just adopted her. Dude... dude please break her of the cat pun habit

Hey! She’s not a cat! She’s a human who thinks she’s a cat! Stop telling her she can sleep in front of the fire all day every day! How about you freaking rehabilitate the kid and then send her to school like Gho

You are adopting a daughter, not a pet

Minette is one of the worst characters in this whole series. I can’t even muster any sympathy for her because all she is is a GIMMICK with a cute face. She isn’t even a character! She’s just the human embodiment of cat puns! And I hate it!

So Norzen, Rifa, and Pudgius just enchanted a crystal to trap the Skyhold. Guess we’re storming it again already, huh? I’ve gotta say, after the Empire being constantly one step ahead last timeline, it’s nice to be the ones in control for a change

And Norzen knew Minette’s mom. He was working to make a cure for the Plague. It killed so many that it mostly died down, but they saw that it was going to make a comeback, even worse than before. Minette’s mom noticed that no cat got infected, so she used them as the base for her vaccine, and tested it on herself. And died. But not before giving the vaccine to Minette, who the scientists took in and studied, and in doing so found the cure they needed to stop the Plague for good. Nope. Still feel nothing for Minette. This is a half-assed justification for making a Walking Gimmick. Minette could be deleted from existence and I would not care and it is entirely to do with the fact that her entire character is Cats™ and Abandonment Issues™ with no further substance

Back to the Skyhold. The big diamond in the center is looking quite a bit worse for wear now that the SP cannon landed a direct hit on it

I hate this stupid dungeon and its useless map that does a really awful job of showing how platforms overlap

On the way back to where we fought Anne. Everyone’s treating this as a point of no return, but I’ve gotta wonder about that considering there’s three jobs, one summon, and several more Catmancy skills left in locations that I can’t access yet

“Regrets... are like rutabagas - far better overcooked than left untouched in the pantry.” Altair I have never eaten a rutabaga in my life, your metaphor is lost on me

Oh, we’re finally going to hear about Vega. Good, I was looking for a reason to be invested in Altair and his story

Wait... Altair’s from the Celestial Realm? Does that make him a Celestial? Does he know the Celestial/Player from the first game (and probably also this one, since I’m assuming it’s the same Celestial guiding the party both times)? ...is he aware that I’ve been making fun of his metaphors and the way he pronounces his name for a while now?

Vega was his wife. A great Calamity befell the Celestial Realm, so they planned to take a ship and flee to Luxendarc... but Vega never made it to the ship. Altair didn’t realize she wasn’t onboard until after the ship had left on its one-way trip to another dimension. He doesn’t say it outright, but he probably doesn’t even know why she never made it or if she’s even alive anymore. He never said goodbye to his wife. He wasn’t expecting to need to. The last time he saw her was never supposed to be the last

Since a female voice narrates the ends of chapters, and what seems to be Altair’s theme plays there, I can only assume that that’s Vega. I don’t think she’s THE Celestial that guides the party, but I do wonder if the two know each other and The Celestial/Player is showing her what they’re seeing. Or maybe just intercepting messages from her

Yeah, I’m sure this is a “final” battle and your backstory is entirely irrelevant, Altair. The Kaiser is definitely the Big Bad, just like Braev was last game. Definitely

So I have Magnolia as a Black Mage and the brim of her hat is just barely covering her eyes. It almost looks like she’s trying to hide tears behind it, which is especially noticeable since she had the biggest reaction to Altair’s story

“With the right dressing, a simple piece of lettuce can become a salad.” Have you ever even eaten a salad before because it takes more than one piece of lettuce to make those. Otherwise it’s just lettuce with some sauce on it

Altair, we both ship Yew/Magnolia, but maybe lay off the kid a little? I know your romance went poorly, but I have no intention of letting these kids die. That only ever happens accidentally

“Give Tiz the pendant. ...I believe he has something to tell someone.” Agnès probably already knows... but I think they both need to hear it spoken. Two years can be a painfully long time to wait just to hear someone say “I love you, too.”

And all I can think of during this is poor Edea. I think she loves Alternis... but as a brother. The Alternis that she’s in love with, the one who grew and changed, the one she shared an adventure with, who she came to care for beyond their shared history but as an equal... well as far as she knows he isn’t in this dimension anymore. She’s already had her Altair/Vega situation, a goodbye that never was. Of course, if my theory’s right and one of the Alternises running around is Ringabel, then she may have another chance. But as for now... she just has to sit here listening to her new family get resolutions that have been lost to her

So I did end up grinding out the Bestiary entries for Skyhold just on the off-chance it was a one-time location and let me just say: Ranger Edea is terrifyingly strong and I love her

Dammit, Denys, just stay still so I can fight you, rip your sword out of your robot hand, and then steal your job!

Oh fuck OFF, Janne!

“In the end, you understood me. You’re a true friend, Yew.” Yeah, he’s a much better friend to you than you are to him. It’s a two-way street! So kindly take that newfound modicum of introspection and use it for something, you brat

So it’s a Janne/Nikolai dual boss as they cover Denys’s escape. My team’s level 65 and pretty damn tough at the moment, though. Nikolai’s gonna have a hell of a time trying to out-heal Tiz’s Exorcism HP Undos and Janne’s barely gonna make a dent with Yew’s Spellcraft-boosted Healing

“Now isn’t the time to wallow in sentiment!” Sure, Janne. “Stop thinking about the past!” Yep. Sure. You fucking hypocrite

Whaaaaaaat the fuck was that rumbling. What did you three idiots doooooo!?

Don’t know why Nikolai thought using Sacrifice was a good idea. Janne’s really useless on his own

Guys. We haven’t killed anyone this timeline. Stop being dramatic! We aren’t going to kill you. ...but you are going to prison for Mook #4′s death, Janne. You brought that one on yourself

“Only death can stop us” or some really good chains, you know

Atta boy, Yew. Don’t compromise your own morals for these idiots

“You can still change the world without destroying the past!” And that’s the crux of this whole game, isn’t it? What’s done is done. We’d all like to go back and change things. It seems like it would be so easy to erase the mistakes of our lives... but things aren’t that simple. How much good can come of the bad? If the Plague hadn’t happened, a cure never would have been developed, and the technologies and medicine that arose from it can be used to great benefit in the future, and so on. This is a game about accepting the bad and moving on. Working not to undo your mistakes, but fix them and be better the next time similar situations arise. And as someone who struggles a lot with self-blame, that’s really powerful to me

“But... what about my revenge!?” Oh. MY GOD!!! I get that you’re 16 and moral complexity seems to fly right over your head, Janne, but have you listened to nothing this entire game!? I actually hate you more than Minette, and she makes insufferable cats puns every. Fucking. Sentence. I swear you two are the worst goddamn characters in this game. Give. It. A. REST

Oh, so Janne’s motives are entirely selfish, too. Because according to him, he’s not looking to see his family again. He’s not looking to bring back his parents because he loves them and thinks they deserved better. No, he just wants to undo the years of emotional suffering and living on the streets he had to go through in the aftermath, and he’s taking it out on everybody else

God, fuck, why do people like this character!? Is it because he falls into the “tortured-but-physically-attractive character with a tragic backstory, so even if they do awful things they’re sympathetic so I can change them (or have the other participant in a ship with them do so)” archetype? Because fuck that archetype, it’s been romanticized to hell and back and I have literally always hated it. I’m not shy about my distaste for Kylo Ren in the new Star Wars films, a certain villain from Pokémon Sun and Moon, Merula Snyde in Hogwarts Mystery, and I’m certainly not shy about my distaste for Janne Balestra, the most self-centered brat in existence still trying to pretend that just having a tragic backstory somehow justifies all of the shitty things he’s done in this game, with no effort to make amends on his part. People don’t deserve to get off with no consequences like that!

“What am I supposed to do!?” How about you grow the fuck up, listen to what we’ve been telling you this whole game, and stop taking your frustrations out on everybody! Get a therapist! Open up an orphanage or something so other kids don’t end up on the street like you! You’re the one who decided that rewriting time and killing anyone with even the slightest connection to the Balestra deaths was the way to handle this. Honestly, your lack of direction is not our problem to fix now that that’s out the window. The only thing Yew’s obligated to make right is his relationship with Denys

Oh, nice! Yew’s gonna hand control of the Crystalguard from House Geneolgia to the Orthodoxy. That won’t stop corruption entirely, but I’m sure Agnès will make good use of being able to control the knights sworn to protect her and her faith

And the other Houses in control of the guard are in agreement. Enough of using the Crystalguard as a tool against each other, now we’re letting Agnès decide. One, unified voice in the organization, instead of the warring factions it’s been made of

And Braev, Goodman, Norzen, and Lotus will help out, as counterbablances to Agnès, representing the needs of the four Continents (with Crystals on them. Sucks to be Caldisla, I guess)

Yew’s finally figured out who he is and what he wants out of life. He’s not just the kid following Crystalguard orders or filling in for Denys out of a sense of duty. He’s seen the corruption and he’s going to work to change it. To make the organization he was told was his to inherit into something worth inheriting. Something to be proud of. And now, he’s not doing it alone. He sounds just like a certain blonde in our party...

And Nikolai and Janne agree to help us... without even the slightest hint of an apology from Janne. Fuck you, just leave the story already

And Denys’s in the Geneolgia mausoleums beneath Gathelatio. Time to kick some sense into big bro’s ass while surrounded by the corpses of our ancestors?

I can’t help but notice the game’s letting me walk around but still hasn’t addressed the shaking during the fight. I get the feeling there’s another boss coming and it isn’t Denys

I got off Skyhold and literally nothing happened, but I don’t think that’s the end of the rumble shenanigans

Ah, making use of that tiny door next to Yew’s house. Down into the Crypts we go!

I love how Alfred’s first thought upon seeing Nikolai and Janne is “Hey, it’s you jerks who betrayed Yew! Get lost!”

And we didn’t even need Alfred, because Denys left the door open instead of locking it behind him, as would be smart. Though in his defense, the only people he’d want to stop could just use Alfred’s key, and Denys doesn’t seem like he wants Alfred to know who he is just yet so it’s safer to leave his old butler alone than sneak in and grab the key

Denys has the other key because he told Alfred he wanted to lay flowers on his mother’s grave before he was exiled. So even if her son wasn’t the favored heir of House Geneolgia, they still had the decency to bury her with the rest of the family

I love how Alfred really loves the Geneolgia kids, more than even their father. He doesn’t want to believe that Denys is the Kaiser, it seems so out of character for the boy he knew, but when it’s Yew saying it... how could he not believe?

No, Yew, let Nikolai and Janne turn themselves in to the police. I know you still hold some affection for them (despite how much Janne doesn’t deserve it) but they totally committed some atrocious crimes and need to atone in some way

“A crime is a crime. How can we hope to reform others if we cannot admit our own trespasses?” And that, right there, is why I have sympathy for Nikolai and not Janne. He’s willing to admit he did wrong, and willing to attempt to make it right. Janne may be going along with him, but he still hasn’t apologized and is throwing a minor fit about explaining himself. His behavior is beyond unsympathetic, no matter what his backstory is, and his “reformation” comes across more like he’s just doing it to please Nikolai. Like when a child begrudgingly apologizes because their parents told them to, but you can hear it in their voice that they don’t mean it

The Geneolgia Crypts. The location of the final summon, one of two remaining places with Catmancy skills... and the last story-mandated asterisk. Time to find Denys

I know it plays in a lot of locations, but I love the music in the Crypts, “Dungeon of the Nature.” It’s somber, but grand. Soft, not bombastic, but still powerful. It’s great, I’d recommend people look it up if they haven’t heard it yet

Why are there instant-kill rabbits in here

Also can’t help noticing that the other enemy types are female mummies and ghost knights. Doesn’t seem like the Geneolgia family is really at rest, does it?

So it’s a maze, where I have to light each crystal to unlock the door, huh? Not too complicated

Susano-o Obtained! He’s been changed from non-elemental to Dark, but it’s otherwise our same old friend from Default

I find it bizarre that Amaterasu is listed after Susano-o, despite unlocking earlier. I suppose most people would run into Susano-o first, since there’s literally nothing out by Amaterasu’s anchorite and no reason to go there

I also appreciate that the two “strongest” summons are named after sibling gods from Shinto mythology, though I do wish there was a Tsukuyomi to go with them, considering the abundant moon symbolism in this game

Ah, is Yew’s fear of ghosts from being down here as a kid? He says he came down to bury his father and pay his respects, but he doesn’t remember it well because he tried to forget. He didn’t want to remember how lonely his childhood was because of the emotional divide between Denys and his mother, Yew and his mother, and their father. Going off to school was his first taste of freedom

“It’s... perfect.” God, can we give Michael Sinterniklaas an award for just the delivery of that line?

Hey, Denys. Fancy seeing you in what is clearly a boss room. No hard feelings for what comes next, yeah?

OH MY GOD I put my 3DS down and the screen went black for two seconds. Scared the hell out of me I thought I was gonna have to play part of that over again

I can just leave the room. The stairs are right there. The game is letting me walk right past him and go... but that won’t solve anything, will it?

We stand at the grave of Foundar Geneolgia. Captain of the Crystalguard, first leader of the Three Cavaliers... and completely corrupt beyond belief, using his position to take out personal enemies by accusing them of being enemies of the Orthodoxy, all to keep his own power. Sometimes to gain more

This was the standard of House Geneolgia. Those who deviated, who tried to be better... what remains are unmarked gravestones. Still here, within the family, but shunned and forgotten. Even in death. Denied the opportunity to be remembered by the lives they touched and shackled by the legacy of a bloodline they were unable to escape. Lost to an underground cavern for eternity.

And that’s his goal. Denys, disgusted by his ancestors and bearing the weight of a bloodline he never asked for, planned to travel back in time and kill Foundar, erasing the entire Geneolgia line and their sins with it

He’s so caught up in his plan that he’s failed to see something that I think Yew’s already figured out: these brothers are the only members of the Geneolgia family left. They aren’t beholden to the laws of the family anymore, because who will enforce them? Each other? There’s no guarantee someone worse won’t spring up in the place of Foundar, but Yew and Denys together can take what their bloodline has been given and turn it into something worthwhile. Erasing the past is a gamble on a brighter present. Working together is a guarantee of a brighter future

*squints* There’s a single dead pixel on my screen right in the middle of Denys’s face right now and it’s driving me nuts

“So you, too, would slumber in an unmarked grave. We are more alike than I thought...” And you always have been. If you’d spoken openly to your brother, you would have noticed who he is deep in his heart. Someone who doesn’t care for money or power, who takes in and cares for others as if they were family, an idealist who wants nothing more than a better world for those they care for, even at the cost of their own life... You two make quite a pair.

This whole conflict probably could have been avoided if these two had the chance to be closer as kids. If Denys had a single family member to confide in... If Yew had someone to guide him away from the indoctrination of their father... The tragedy is that the only times they’ve been able to speak freely to each other... have been at the end of this game

It’s just a shame Denys wants to fight. He wants to be proven wrong, not just have his baby brother spout nice platitudes at him

Still, I warned this chinstrap-beard-sporting jackass. I’m going to RIP. THAT. SWORD. OUT. OF. HIS. DUMB. METAL. HAND!

(By which I mean I’m stealing the Chaos Blade, the only missable item as far as I’m aware, from him. I was just being dramatic about it so I wouldn’t forget)

No pretense of fighting “The Kaiser,” an untouchable force of nature. Now he’s just Denys. A brother lost to his own guilt. Flawed, human, and in need of a guiding hand to bring him towards a redemption I think he’s willing to start

Aaaaaand of course he has reraise

I mean... that’s a decent argument. If Denys goes back to change the past, he actually ruins the future because he’s given Anne access to the Holy Pillar

And now the party gets the Kaiser job. Almost like a spiritual relinquishing of the role from Denys

I assumed we’d be taking Denys home to rest. Can’t help but notice we took his coat, though. Really shows off the fact that Yew cut off his entire right arm, not just his hand 

Denys was always going to try and make a martyr of himself. It didn’t matter what he did, how bad his actions were, his final act, erasing himself from existence, was supposed to be his atonement. Now what does he do, living with the things he’s done and no easy end to absolve him of it?

It’s like the game thought I wouldn’t recognize Agnès‘s voice immediately

Agnès is willing to give him the chance to atone. Not forgive him outright, but a chance to earn that forgiveness. And why wouldn’t she? Agnès was once the puppet of a fairy herself, nearly driving the world to ruin with the goal of its salvation. Killing countless Duchy soldiers (and I know the game’s gonna act like the random encounter soldiers didn’t exist, but they did) in the name of her cause. Denys really is in the same position as Tiz, Agnès, Edea, and Ringabel were just two years ago

Denys really thinks all of his companions are dead, huh? “The only mercy I need is a quick death, so I may apologize face-to-face.” “Then come with me to the Sanctum.” We’re just gonna arrange a prison meet-and-greet with the other Glanz Empire higher-ups that we didn’t kill, just stuck in prison, and Denys’s gonna have a change of heart and join us, I can already see it coming

According to the Bestiary, Denys met Anne when the Great Chasm “disappeared” (where... did it go?), captured the Ba’al Diamante and seized the asterisks left behind in the crater, and then created the Skyhold using Diamante. So the Ba’al that the Sagitta thought they were firing on, and the one sealed within... is Diamante, which I thought was just the official name for the Skyhold when it appeared on the location intro card. I... I think I know what those rumbles from before may have been

Yew makes sure to note that everything he wrote was told to him by Denys, presumably off-screen. And there’s a little note that makes a similar point to what I did during the fight: his Bestiary entry is listed as Denys Geneolgia, not Kaiser Oblivion, because should anything happen, Yew wants him to be remembered not as the leader of the Glanz Empire, but as his beloved brother

“To meet those who sacrificed themselves for your cause... This is what you truly wish? Then let it be done!” I see you trying to be dramatic, Agnès, but let’s cut the man a break, yeah? Faking him out like this is just a bit mean. The look on his face is gonna be great, though

Yup! And Minette even got adopted with no jail time. Isn’t that great?

“I-I do not deserve...” Maybe not forgiveness, but no one has given you a second chance to atone yet. It’s about time we do

Okay, I know Braev was cutting his restraints, but it still looked like he slashed Denys across the back. Could you imagine if he had! “Grand Marshall! I meant cut his restraints!” “Oh. OH. Oh no. My apologies. I thought this was going somewhere else! Oh dear... someone call a healer! Nikolai!”

Family dinner! FAMILY DINNER! FAMILY DINNEEEEEER! Aw man, get in here, Agnès! It’s the whole dang team! Magnolia, Tiz, Edea, Yew, and Agnès all sharing some down time together is what I live for!

Aaaaaaand Agnès made it sad by asking if Magnolia’s gonna go home to the Moon when her work is done. Now Yew’s sad. And Magnolia’s sad

Denys, get in here! If the team’s willing to forgive and forget, well, I’ve been willing to with you for a while! Family dinner! Estranged older brothers and adoptive extradimensional aunts and all!

I am desperately in need of a reconciliation hug between Denys and Yew right now

“What do you say we go for a bath, Brother?” Or... you can make it weird, Yew. I feel like that’s a few steps past a hug

Just two bros chillin’ in a hot spring, five feet apart ‘cause they’re estranged siblings awkwardly attempting to reconnect

This is good for both of them, really. Just finally getting to chat it out, maybe air some grievances...

Denys never blamed Yew for what happened with his arm. It actually gave him the perfect opportunity to walk out on their father and never look back. One of his big regrets was that he never got to tell Yew that before he was forced to leave. He’s just glad they even have the opportunity to talk again. That he had the opportunity to finally tell his brother that he doesn’t have to bear that weight anymore

And now he’s giving relationship advice to his little bro... awww, that’s sweet, but I gotta wonder what Denys actually knows about romance. Like... at all

Denys’s just sitting here like “Oh this dense kid. It’s so obvious they belong together. Come on, Yew, confess. That’s gonna be my new sister-in-law, I can tell.”

Nothing like a GIANT FUCKING DEATH LASER IN THE SKY to ruin your nice chat with your brother, huh!?

Dammit, I knew Anne was suspiciously absent and yet I still overlooked her. I bet she used Sylvie to overload the Crystals and form the Holy Pillar

MMMMMMmmmmm Skyhold again. I’ve got... a bad feeling about what’s going to happen to Denys. Please don’t go Redemption Equals Death, please don’t go Redemption Equals Death he has so much potential...

Yew’s apologizing to Magnolia because she helped him repair his relationship with Denys, but he still hasn’t returned the favor in helping her defeat the Ba’al and save the Moon. God, I love this kid’s sense of honor

Oh, hey, confirmation that the Moon and Appleberry are still okay. At least until Anne does something again

I knew it. The Matriarch and Sylvie are here

Anne you fairy fuck get over here! I know you’re aware of my existence, you’re the one who asked me to play the original game!

“You’re here already? Not bad! You beat my estimate by fourteen minutes.” Not bad considering I took a day’s break before getting here. That estimate must have been pretty generous

She pulled an Airy on Sylvie and the Matriarch and convinced them to help her. Where the Fairy Flies, am I right?

“Denied!” Denys you ham this is supposed to be serious

Oh... I forgot that Anne sent Denys to the future instead of the past and he still remembers that

You didn’t realize she sent you to the wrong time!? How do you not notice the technology and architecture being way off?

She had no intention of sending him to the past. Of course not. Why would Airy’s sister have you invalidate all the work she had the player/Celestial do last game?

...Master?

Here we go. The freed Diamante, Ba’al that destroyed the Moon civilizations. And Magnolia’s freaking out, but her new family won’t have it! We avenge her people together!

Diamante looks freaking awesome. A diamond unicorn with a skeleton rider, with butterflies in her long, teal hair and shredded wings for arms.

And don’t think I haven’t noticed the background. A woman with a ponytail kneeling behind a chain-link fence, reaching her left hand out towards what appears to be a rocket ship flying off into the distance. The ring on her finger glinting every once in a while

A married woman left behind, longing to reach a ship... Vega...

Diamante, the diamond ring

Health doesn’t look too bad, but I’m worried about the 100% Mirror. Seems it even reflects physical attacks

It’s gone down to 60% after a round of attacks. Maybe I’ve just got to wear its shield down

It did... something to Tiz that prevents him from doing anything besides Default and Summon and brings its Mirror up for one more hit every turn, but this seems manageable. Turns out attack items count as hits to bring it down, so if I toss one out per turn it can’t do anything

I love the effect of the diamonds on the unicorn breaking away to reveal an electric interior

Reraise was to be expected at this point

They only make you fight it twice and it still revives at the end, but I think it’s poetic that I beat it while I had Magnolia’s theme playing thanks to her special being the second-to-last hit on it

Do what you did to the Moon? “Let the cleansing fires cover the world, and burn for three days and three nights!” Why so specific, Anne? It sounds like you’re quoting a Bible verse at me

You sound ridiculous, Anne. Tone the formality down a peg

“Yes, it is time I atone for my sins.” Denys don’t you fucking dare

Yew, do not give him the compass.

You are not taking this Ba’al to the end of time, young man! No! You aren’t allowed to pull a Redemption Equals Death on me

“I trust you. My sacrifice will not be in vain.” You don’t have to do this! I can keep this boss fight going forever! We weren’t even struggling! I’ve got the resources to keep trying!

Denys, please. You could be Party Member #5. You could have a well-written, non-copout redemption arc. Let’s think about this

God...

...dammit.

[doublerumnukacola]

It comes in threes

It was a quiet night at the Third Rail. It was the small hours after midnight, where only the most dedicated drunks were hanging around. Magnolia was resting her voice at the bar, sipping a foggy glass of water. The usual rabble of drifters were too high or too drunk to do more than mutter. In the V.I.P. lounge sat Sole, drinking her troubles away for the fourth night in a row. White Chapel Charlie was happy enough to let her pickle her insides with swill, as long as she had the caps. But there was someone in Goodneighbor who couldn't stand to watch her rot away from drink and sorrow.

In the quiet of the bar, the sound of boots descending the stairs was like a rhythm growing louder, every step like a beat.

Magnolia took her cue and returned to the stage, clearing her throat as the music began. It was a new song, or rather, a new - old song she’d found in a collection of holotapes. When better to debut it then for the mayor?

“You had plenty money, 1922,

You let other women make a fool of you…

Why don’t you do right,

Like some other men do?

Get out of here, and get me some money too.” 

 Hancock reached the final step, landing with his usual swagger and panache. The whole bar livened up in the presence of their fearless Mayor and lovable junkie. Or maybe they were happy to see him because when Hancock showed up there was usually a free round of drinks and daytripper. He was smiling as he strode to the bar, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes, which darted to the V.I.P. lounge.

“You’re sitting here wondering

What it’s all about,

You ain't got no money,

They will put you out.

Why don't you do right,

Like some other men do?

Get outta here,

And get me some money too.”

Charlie already had his usual ready; Double rum and nuka cola, garnished with a small pharmacy of chems. On the house. But Hancock didn’t touch it.

“She still…?” Hancock asked, his voice lowered. Charlie hovered a little closer, nearly resting a metal arm on the counter.

“Been there all day and all night, fourth time in a row. Only leaves when nature calls.” The Mr. Handy replied, narrowing his ocular lenses at the ghoul. “I’d say something, but she’s the only one that pays their tab.”

“What’s the word on the, uh, ‘sniper’.” Hancock started to ask, tripping over the last words. He gave a cautious look to the lounge. In the neon light he could just make out her silhouette.

“If you had prepared 20 years ago,

You wouldn't be a-wanderin’ out from door to door.

Why don't you do right,

Like some other men do.

Get out of here,

And get me some money too…”

“Nothing new, last person to see him was Daisy two weeks back. Since then he’s probably been laying low in the Capitol Wastes.” Charlie answered, Hovering back up, and grabbing a foggy glass and bar rag. He started polishing it needlessly, a habit he’d had since he was built. “Can't blame Daisy though, she thought he’d have told you-know-who he was leaving. Poor girl.”

“Well the pity party's over.” Hancock muttered, turning towards the V.I.P. lounge. “Time someone snapped her out of her funk.” Charlie gave a skeptical look, somehow, and continued polishing glasses.

He strode towards the lounge,  slowing his pace as he approached. He hesitated at the doorway. Maybe he should leave her alone, everyone dealt with a broken heart differently, maybe killing her liver was her way. Yeah, he was down with that. He did it all the time. He would just leave her-

“God, you’re like a cat. Come in or stay out. Or bring a drink.” A voice called from the lounge. He’d been caught. He knocked on the frame, and swaggered in as if nothing happened. She barely looked up from from her drink.

“Sister, you are a mean drunk.” He chided, plopping down on the opposite couch, kicking feet up onto the table with a clunk. He snapped open a tin of mentats and popped a couple into his mouth. “If you’re not careful, I’ll tell Charlie to cut you off.”

“Thought Goodneighbor was all ‘bout freedom.” She noted bitterly. Hancock chuckled, despite himself. She focused on every syllable, careful not to slur. Which meant she was completely slashed. Even as a drunken mess she could call his bluff. She looked up at him now, putting her drink down. “So what do ya need, Mayor?”

“I fell for your jivin' and I took you in

Now all you got to offer me's a drink of gin

Why don't you do right, like some other men do?

Get out of here and get me some money too...

Why don't you do right, like some other men do….”

What did he need? He crossed his arms, feeling the mints working their way through his system. Things felt clearer, thoughts were faster, reactions quicker.

“Gotta job for you, need you sober. Well, sober-ish.” Hancock replied, grinning wide. “Super Mutants are getting a little too comfortable around Good Neighbor for everyone's liking. I’d appreciate it if you gave ‘em a good old fashioned eviction.” She was silent for a moment, picking her drink up once more, staring down at it solemnly. It looked like rot-gut, something that made even Hancock’s stomach turn.

“You know I hate it when you do that.” Sole muttered, swigging back her drink, slamming the glass on the table with a sharp clunk. “Taking that shit before you say something clever. It's not even you talking, it's those shitty mints.”

“And I’ll just pretend that’s the rot-gut talking.” Hancock snapped. “Besides, these came from straight from Fred Allen! Guy puts a lot of love into his work.” He took a breath and regained his composure. “Anyway, the job. You in?”

“Did the mints tell you to change the subject?” She asked, leaning back and resting her eyes. “Or are you just that eager to get me outta here?”

“Can't it be both?” Hancock joked. She didn't smile. He sighed. “Look, Sole… You know you got friends here. Right?”

“Name three, and Kent doesn't count,  because he's everyone's friend.” Sole demanded, holding up three fingers. Hancock rested his hand on the back of his neck, looking up at the smoke stained ceiling.

“Do I really-” He tried, but a look from Sole said everything. He sighed.

“Daisy-” He started but she cut him off quickly.

“Strike one, she’s the reason I’m in this mess.” She countered sharply.

“Don't hang this on Daisy.” He growled, “She didn't know he was leaving you high and dry, well. Clearly not dry.” She gave a rueful laugh at that, a hollow chuckle that made his skin crawl. “OK I’ll try again. How about…” He had to really think, he could already feel the mentats wearing off and she’d throw a fit if he popped a few more. “Uh… Kent?”

“Strike two.” She mumbled, “Kents a sweetheart…”

“That ain't fair.” Hancock pointed out. “Being too nice ain't his fault.”

“Fine, whatever. That’s one.” She gave in. “Good luck with two and three.”

Hancock thought hard, he knew every face in town, lots of decent folks, this shouldn't be this hard. Sole had made waves since she blew into town, and made a lot of enemies to boot. Come to think of it, so had he. A lot of people took exception to him killing Finn, not that they'd say it to his face. Not to mention having Sole do his dirty work taking out Sinjin. Bobbi no-nose brought it on herself, or so he tried to think.

“Kleo?” He tried again.

“Strike two for real now,” She replied tiredly. “In her terminal she has at least three accounts of how she would kill me. Plus, she’s the most reliable vendor for oil in the commonwealth, and she knows it. Jacks up the price as soon as I walk in.”

“You’re paranoid, and why are you snooping on her terminal anyway?” Hancock asked, arching what would have been an eyebrow, suspiciously.

“Because everyone's out to get me…” She answered, opening her eyes just a crack to look at Hancock with bloodshot eyes. He held his breath, unsure of what to say, until a weak smile graced her lips and she gave a small chuckle. “Just kidding.” He laughed in relief, letting out the breath. She closed her eyes again. “So, who’s next?”

“Ain't it obvious, sister?” Hancock asked with a sly smile. She couldn’t see it, but the smile somehow shone in his voice.

“Not to me.” She sighed. He found himself hesitating. What the hell was he afraid of?

“Well… It's Charlie, obviously.” He finished, lamely. She nodded quietly. He’d gotten another one at least. But now he had to say the last one. Then he’d win whatever game they were playing and she could get her act together. He’d even saved the best for last…. But he was silent. She looked up at him.

“So, Mr. Mayor, who’s lucky contestant number three?” She asked, a faint smile returning.

“Irma… From the memory den…” He answered softly. The words didn't even feel like his own. The faint smile melted away. She sighed, pulling herself off the couch, swaying dangerously as she stood.

“Strike Three.” She muttered, putting a hand on the peeling wall paper to support herself.

“Oh c’mon I was just kidding…” Hancock tried, but even he wasn't convinced. She started towards the lounge doorway, each step heavier than the last. “Hey, let me give you a hand.”

“Don't need… Your help…” She managed between footfalls. She made it to the doorway, pausing there. “Not looking forward… To those steps…” Hancock watched her teeter towards the exit. He exchanged concerned looks with Charlie before going after her. He stayed a few steps behind her, trying to look casual, just helping a drunk get some fresh air… Not worried about her at all.

They emerged from the Third Rail, the air was chill and fresh, The faintest trails of sunrise tainted the night sky. It’d be morning soon, much to Hancock’s disgust. Sole leant into an alley and heaved up a volley of Rot-gut and whatever else she’d been swilling for the last few hours. Hancock lit up as he waited for her to finish. Best way to sober up really. He took a drag on his stale cigarette, what he wouldn't give to see what one of these was like fresh out of the packet. Finally the heaving subsided and the last bit was spat out like an afterthought. Hancock reached into a coat pocket and grabbed a can of purified water he kept for occasions like this. He cracked it open and bent down beside Sole, who was on their knees shaking.

“Here, just what the Doctor ordered.” He said, handing it over to Soles trembling fingers. She took a mouthful, washed out her mouth with a swish, and spat it out with relief, before taking a sip. She sighed, the tremors subsiding.

“Thanks…” She said gratefully, taking another sip. Hancock shook his head, breathing out stream of smoke.

“You can thank me by clearing out the mutant nests.” He answered, looking out at the few stars not snuffed out by sunrise. “And by pulling yourself together. The broken mess trademark belongs to me.” She laughed, the first real laugh he’d heard all night.

“I don't mind paying the royalties on it.” She countered playfully, wiping her mouth and smiling up at him weakly.

“No chance, I charge more caps than there are in the wastes.” Hancock replied, smiling himself. “Get your own style.”

“How about, ‘Lovable Loser’?” She asked.

“That’s Fred’s, and Maybe Kent’s too. They got joint custody on it.” Hancock replied, taking another drag, burning the cigarette right down to the filter.

“Mysterious Seductress?” She asked, trying to wink, but it looked more like she was having a stroke. She laughed at her own attempt. “Maybe not right now, though.”

“Sorry, that’s Magnolia’s schtick.” He chuckled. “And mine back in my touring days…”

“You were a seductress?” Sole asked, catching him off guard. She didn't think ghouls could blush, but the faint flush of purple on Hancock cheeks proved her wrong.

“Sister, I could’ve been anyone to the right someone.” He recovered, a sly grin covering for the flush in his face. “But this ghouls tours of the town are suspended until further notice” Hancock ground out his cigarette beside him.

“That's a damn shame.” Sole sighed, only half - jokingly. She looked up at the lilac clouds starting to drift into the dark sky from the sunrise. “What made you hang up that snazzy hat?” There was a silence. Hancock hands were itching to go for the tin of mentats again. He sighed.

“Just not my scene anymore.” He lied. She wasn't expecting a lie. Neither was he to be honest. He took a breath. “You better get back to the Rex, get a bit of shut eye. Otherwise you’re spending 10 caps a night for nothing.” He stood up, brushing the ash and dirt off his coat. Sole pulled herself up and nodded.

“Can't have that now.” She muttered under her breath. “10 caps is almost four shells. That's at least three dead raiders on a good day.” She was just mumbling to herself at that point.

“There, got you here in one piece.” Hancock grunted, struggling under Soles weight as she leant on him for support. She slid her arm off him and went to her room key, fumbling with the lock. Hancock rolled his eyes and gently guided her hand to the lock. She unlocked it and stumbled through the door, the momentum carrying her until she tumbled onto the bed.

Hancock watched her in concern for a moment. She was already out cold on the bed, snoring softly. She was on her side, so she was safe if her drink snuck up on her again in her sleep.

The sun was starting to peek through the dilapidated curtains. Beams of light drifted onto her sleeping figure, causing her brow to furrow, and her body shift uncomfortably in her sleep. He went to the window and covered it up with a dust sheet on the armchair beside it. The cool darkness settled on the room, and so Sole settled as well.

For the third time, Hancock hesitated. He wanted to stay, make sure she wasn't going to drown in her own vomit, or strangled in her own bedsheets… And a part of him just wanted to stay and watch how peaceful she was. He shook his head, it wasn't his place to stay.

He took one last look around. He could see why she didn't want to spend her nights here sober. The room was dotted in the snipers odd and ends. On the dresser sat a couple old comics, worn and faded from overuse. On the table were souvenirs of their adventures; the Silver Shroud’s scarf and calling cards, A bloodied knife from Pickman's gallery, and… A microscope? Hancock scratched his head. Daisy said something about a cure for Macready’s kid… Was it from that? He shook his head. Only she knew.

He was turning to leave when something on the side table caught his eye. His stomach turned at the sight of the wooden soldier. Had he really given her… He had to go. He went to the door, pulling it closed and hearing it lock behind him.

What was that sniper's game?

[muffindragon227]

I’ll Keep Your Secrets Safe - Ch. 25

AN: The much anticipated chapter is finally here. I know it’s taken a while, but I finally got around to editing this. Good news though, 26 is written and 27 is half way there. So I’m well under way to finishing IKYSS off. Hope you enjoy the chapter. You can find links to the other chapters HERE

                                            Chapter 25: Date Night

Nerves fluttered in Lyon’s stomach, as he tugged at his bangs to the left. One look in the entryway mirror and he tugged them back right and tried to rearrange them to look better. He wished his stupid hair would cooperate.

“You’re gonna go bald if you keep doing that,” Gray said as he leaned against the door.

Lyon glared at him through the mirror. “Fuck you.”

“No thanks.”

Lyon blanched, and his stomach churned. He felt like might throw up. Of course, he’d been feeling like that since he woke up this morning, so it probably had nothing to do with Gray.

His phone buzzed against his hip and he pulled it out of his pocket.

Mered: Almost free from my hell shift! Ultear’s already on her way to get me. Can’t wait to see you.

Another wave of nausea washed over Lyon. He should never have agreed to this. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, head down to Magnolia for karaoke, invite all their friends and come out to everyone all at once- get it over with. Of course, now that Mered wasn’t pressing heated kisses to his lips, he was thinking a lot clearer. It was a terrible plan.

He reached for his hair again.

“Would you stop?” Gray huffed. “It’s fine.”

“He’s just nervous, and you’re not helping,” Juvia called down to them, she stepped out of the upstairs bathroom, and eyed Gray for a moment before turning her attention to Lyon. “It’s gonna be fine.”

“Easy for you to say,” Lyon muttered.

“No one’s going to care,” Gray said.

“How do you know?”

Juvia shook her head and bounded down the stairs, two at a time. She almost collided into Lyon as she launched herself off the last step, and threw her arms around him. “Stop worrying. You’ve gone out with Mered the last two days and no one’s bothered you guys. Tonight’s not gonna be any different.”

Lyon’s shoulders tightened and his stomach flip flopped. “It’s totally different.”

“How?” Gray scowled.

“Those were strangers.” Lyon’s hands flailed dramatically, and Juvia had to take a step back. “Tonight it’s every friend I have here, seeing me out with my boyfriend for the first time, when six days ago they were told I was dating Juvia. That’s definitely different!”

Juvia sighed and took his hand. “It is, but that doesn’t mean it’s gonna go badly. They’re your friends, and you already know Lucy and Levy are okay with gay people. And Gajeel already knows.”

“If it helps, Erza knows too,” Gray said.

Lyon’s heart stopped. He gaped at Gray and wailed, ‘How does Erza know?”

Gray winced and averted his gaze. “Well…” He shot Lyon a nervous glance, before looking away again and muttering, “I mighta let it slip last Thursday.”

“Let it slip? How the hell do you just let that slip? You’ve kept it secret for two years!”

“Fine. I told her! Happy?” Gray wrapped his arms around himself and glared at Lyon. Lyon glared back at him and mirrored Gray’s stance. He felt betrayed.

Gray sighed and carded a hand through his hair. “I didn’t do it on purpose, I was freaking out. I thought you were leading Juvia on, and I kissed her. The whole thing was a mess; I needed advice.” He slumped back against the door, looking miserable and guilt ridden. “I knew she wouldn’t care. I wouldn’t of told her if I thought she would.”

“That’s still not okay,” Juvia said, a scowl plastered on her face.

Gray swallowed hard and nodded. His face was taught and he looked about as sick as Lyon felt. He couldn’t believe Gray had outed him, especially after keeping it a secret from their parents all this time. It made his heart ache, and his mind screamed for him to lash out and close Gray off again. It was clear from the hurt and guarded way Gray was looking at him that that’s what Gray expected him to do.

Lyon forced himself to meet Gray’s gaze. “She’s the only one who knows?”

Gray frowned, but nodded slowly.

“And she really doesn’t care?”

Gray shrugged. “You saw her Saturday. She didn’t say anything or treat you differently right?”

Lyon didn’t have to think hard about it. He’d never have guessed she knew he was gay. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Gray and Juvia echoed in unison.

“Okay.” Lyon sighed and forced the tension from his shoulder and shrugged. “I believe you. I don’t like it, but I don’t think you did it out of malice, and I guess there’s no real harm done.”

“Really?” Gray stared at Lyon wide-eyed. “So we’re good?”

“Good enough.”

Gray grinned at him. “Thanks. It won’t happen again. Promise. And you’re over thinking tonight; no one cared when Cana came out, it’s not gonna be any different with you.”

“When Cana what?” Lyon squawked. He felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped down his back.

Juvia giggled and patted Lyon on the back. “I’m not sure how you missed it, but I’m pretty sure Cana’s bi.”

“Pansexual actually,” Gray said.

Lyon blinked owlishly, and he swore he could feel the world spinning. He wrapped an arm around Juvia and leaned against her for support. “Do you even know what that means?”

Gray shrugged. “She’ll fuck anyone so long as she likes ‘em”

It was close enough.

A car horn honked twice.

“That’ll be the cab,” Gray said, and hauled open the front door. Sure enough a green and orange taxi was parked out just past the front lawn.

Lyon’s feet felt like they were made of cement, and his head buzzed.

Juvia’s hand found his and she twined their fingers together. “You can do this. It’s gonna be okay.”

Gray took a step closer and clapped Lyon on the shoulder. “Come on, it’ll be fun. ‘Sides, we’ve got your back.”

Lyon glanced back and forth between them, then nodded. He took a deep breath and planted one foot in front of the other. He didn’t stop, and he didn’t look back. Instead he focused on his brother and his best friend.

Tonight was gonna be a good night.

Juvia bounded off the stage, high on the performance and applause still ringing in her ears. Lyon was right behind her, his hand resting on the small of her back as they wove through the crowd back to their group of tables.

“Oh my god!” Lucy screeched, grinning at the two of them. Her hands slammed down onto the tabletop in excitement. “That was incredible! I’ve got chills!”

Juvia blushed and smiled at Lucy, but her eyes scanned the surrounding tables, and replied dismissively. “It’s mostly Lyon.”

“It’s true, I can make anyone sound good.” Lyon slipped into the booth next to Mered, and nudged his shoulder. “We should go up next.”

“Not a chance in hell. I ain’t following that up.” Mered glowered at Lyon.

Lyon pouted. “But it’ll be fun, and you promised me you’d sing a duet with me.”

“That was before I heard you two sing together.”

Juvia bit her lip. Lyon's anxiety had been getting the better of her when she'd dragged him on stage. She’d wanted to calm his nerves, and her own with them, and it worked.

Only now it was backfiring.

“What’s that got to do with it?” Lyon's brow dipped in confusion.

“Uh, you two sound like you belong in a Broadway musical. I sound like a dying cat.”

“First off, of course I belong in a Broadway musical. Secondly, no one cares what you sound like." Lyon crinkled his nose in distaste. "They even cheered for Gajeel,”

Juvia swatted his arm. “He’s not that bad.” The whole table looked at her like she’d grown a second head. She huffed and let her gaze drift through the crowd, her eyes catching on over a dozen dark haired men. She couldn't get a good look at most of them in the dim lighting.

"Finally, I've got years of vocal training. I can just sing over you and drown you out so no one will hear how bad you are."

Mered scowled at Lyon, and shoved his side. "Go fuck yourself." He caught Juvia's eye as she continued to scour the crowd and pointed towards the bar. "He's over there."

Juvia whipped her head around. Sure enough, she spotted Gray. Cana was there with him and they seemed to be talking to a guy with orange hair. She vaguely remembered him from the party, but was drawing a blank on his name.

Juvia glanced back to Lyon, guilt tightening in her stomach. She had said she’d be there for him in case anything went down.

Lyon rolled his eyes back and her and shooed her with his hand. “Just go, we’re fine.”

Juvia took another darting glance in Gray’s direction, and pulled herself straighter. It was time to finally stop all this dancing around. She’d been patient, had given him time to adjust to things, had waited for his mom to cool down, and now it was time to go after what she wanted. What she hoped they both wanted.

She approached the group, taking long deliberate strides and adding a small swing to her hips. She tried to think sexy, and embody it.

Cana was the first to spot Juvia and waved her over enthusiastically. Gray turned in Juvia’s direction his brow furrowed, only to break out into a wide grin at the sight of her.

“Hey gorgeous, come to drink away your woes?” Cana tease as she slung an arm around Juvia pulling her into a tight half hug.

Juvia quirked an eyebrow at her. “My woes?”

“Looks like your singing partner traded you in for a younger model.” Cana gestured towards Lyon, who was trying to coax Mered up to the stage.

“Right.” Juvia let out a laugh. “Yes definitely here to drown my sorrows.”

“What’s your poison?” Gray asked, leaning in close to be heard over the singing. His hand settled on her lower back. Heat scorched through her body and and her knees felt weak.

“Vodka Cran.”

He nodded and waved down the bartender, who was in the middle of mixing drinks.

“Good choice,” the orange haired guy said. He leaned around Gray’s shoulder and offered her his hand. “I don't think we’ve been properly introduced-”

“For good reason.” Gray swatted the man’s hand away, but a smirk played on his lips.

The man’s eyes darted to Gray and he smiled wickedly before turning back to Juvia. His eyes danced with mirth. “You must be Juvia, I'm Loke. I'm afraid Gray's a bit of a caveman when it comes to these things.”

Juvia blinked in surprise. Did Gray mention her to Loke too?

“You sound like Lyon,” Gray sneered.

Cana burst into laughter. “He does, doesn't he?”

“Is that why you're trying to hide her from me?” Loke asked with a devilish grin.

“Nah, just trying to spare her from your crappy pick up lines.”

“Why?” Amusement danced in Cana's eyes. “I'm sure she'd tear him to pieces. It’d be great.”

Juvia caught sight of the bartender waiting for them and was about to order when Gray cut her off. “She’ll have a vodka cranberry, and I'll take another beer.”

“Keiths?” The bartender asked, glancing down at Gray’s glass. Gray nodded.

“And four tequila shots,” Loke added.

Juvia groaned as she fished through her purse for her wallet. “No. I'm not doing tequila shots tonight. No way.”

“Vodka then.”

“Fine,” Juvia huffed and hauled out her wallet.

Gray caught her hand before she could fish out any money. “I've got it.”

Juvia blinked up at him. She swore there was a light blush coating his cheeks. “But-” Her protest died on her lips as he stared down at her. A part of her wanted to insist she could pay for herself, but the way he was touching her and the look he was giving her made her wonder if maybe, this was his way of making this a date. She took a deep breath and smiled at him. “Thank you.”

“Just put her drinks on my tab,” Gray told the bartender. “The tequila shots are on him though.” He jerked a thumb at Loke.

“Well look at you, pulling out the moves,” Cana said, elbowing Gray in the side.

He tensed, then jerked his hand away from the small of Juvia’s back as though he’d been burned. His voice was strained when he replied, “I’m not!’

Juvia bit back her disappointment. She liked him touching her, and she felt a little put out by the denial. Then again, Gray seemed like a private person so she'd need to get used to that. She shifted a little closer to Gray, and tried to think of a subtle way to say she didn’t mind if he was. She’d been waiting on him for days.

“Why not?” Loke asked in total disbelief. “You need to get laid, it’s been like… years.”

“Shut up," Gray said through gritted teeth. He carded a hand through his hair and shot Juvia a nervous look. “Any chance you could ignore him for the rest of the night?”

Juvia giggled and placed her hand on his bicep, hoping to re-engage contact between them, and also hoping that he’d pick up on the flirtation. “I was planning to anyways.”

Gray flashed her a grin.

“Ow, that’s savage." Despite the complaint, Loke was smiling as he said it.

“Alright, enough blabbering from you, we gonna do these shots or what?” Cana asked.

“Yes!” Loke said, reaching between Gray and Juvia to pluck one of the shots off the bar. Cana grabbed her own, but Gray grabbed the remaining two and handed Juvia hers. They raised their glasses and down the shots in one go. Juvia followed suit, letting the vodka shot burn down her throat. The others chased their shots with limes, but Juvia grabbed her drink and took a sip.

Cana gave her a light pat on the back. “You better keep this one Gray, she’s a woman after my own heart.”

Gray shifted uncomfortably, giving Cana a non-committal shrug. He grabbed his beer and downed a good portion of it. “So, you hosting New Year’s again this year?”

Juvia’s heart tugged. She wondered why he got so touchy when people suggested there was something romantic between them. He had no trouble flirting with her, and he’d been getting better about the distance he’d been keeping prior to Christmas, but she still felt like there was a part of him holding back, and she couldn’t figure out why. She kinda figured it would have been a done deal by now.

“Hell yeah! The old man is out for the night, so I’m going all out.” She nudged Juvia. “You better be there. Lyon and Mered too! I want a full house.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Juvia said. She hadn’t been planning on a wild night out but she liked Gray’s friends. They were a bit overwhelming, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit left out when they’d talk about growing up together, but she enjoyed their company.

Besides, if everything went well, she and Gray would finally be dating, so why not party it up on New Years.

“I can’t believe we’re leaving!” Lyon whined. He clung to Mered’s back as they stumbled down the street away from the bar’s door. “It’s not even ten, you should all be ashamed.”

Juvia shook her head and trudged out after them, tugging her coat tighter around her as the cold air hit her for the first time in hours.

“Yeah, well, some of us have work in the morning,” Ultear grumbled from Juvia’s side. Ultear had her arms wrapped tight around herself, and was darting glances up and down the street hunting for a large cab.

“Not me,” Mered chirped, and smirked over his shoulder.

Ultear glared at him. “Yeah, yeah. Rub it in.”

“You’re just getting old,” Lyon said, a smirk played on his lips. “Back in the day you’d be out all hours of the night, job or not.”

“That’s because I never cared about the jobs I had, it’s a little different now. If I don’t go to work, I don’t make money,” Ultear said.

“Excuses, excuses. Admit it, you’re old, and you’re out past your bedtime,” Mered teased.

“You little shit.” Ultear’s eyes narrowed as she lunged towards Mered.

Mered's eyes went wide with panic and he ducked behind Lyon. Ultear darted after him, and he spun around, keeping Lyon between them as Ultear tried to catch him.

Lyon stumbled between them and tried to protest being used as a shield, but it fell on deaf ears.

Juvia shivered, and burrowed deeper into her jacket, feeling colder now that Ultear wasn’t there to block the wind. She caught sight of a lit up taxi sign and started to flag it down, only to realize it was a car and wouldn't fit them all. Her nose wrinkled in frustration. They should have called one from the bar, at this rate they were going to freeze to death in the street.

“You cold?” Gray asked, as he sauntered up to them. He’d been helping Cana and Lucy get Natsu into their cab.

Juvia bit her lip. She didn’t want him to give her his jacket, since it was way too cold for him to be without one, but it wasn’t like she could hide it either. She nodded.

Gray studied her for a moment before stepping right up beside her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against his chest, holding her there and turning her away from the wind so he’d shield her from most of it.

Juvia’s heart raced and she could feel her cheeks going red.

“Hey look, Gray’s being a gentleman!” Mered shouted, pointing at the two of them. Lyon and Ultear came to a halt, the three of them a tangle of limbs from their game of cat and mouse. Identical smirks formed, as they gawked at the pair of them.

Gray’s whole body tensed against her back and his arms stiffened. He let out a loud frustrated growl before replying. “Just making sure she doesn’t freeze to death since you three are more interested in play tag, instead of getting us a cab.”

Juvia’s heart dropped a bit, and she sunk back against him.

“Nice, very romantic,” Lyon deadpanned.

Gray shifted behind her and huffed feathering the hair against Juvia's neck. “Whatever.” He readjusted his grip, but he didn’t let go of her, and Juvia decided that was a good sign.

“We should just call a cab” Mered suggested. “It’ll take forever to find a van at this time of night.”

“Good idea.” Ultear fished out her phone and started punching in numbers.

Lyon pouted and draped himself over Mered’s shoulder. “Not a good idea. The sooner we find a cab, the sooner the night's over and I have to say goodbye to you.”

Mered rolled his eyes. “You’ll see me again tomorrow, now get off. Stop using me to lean on.”

“But, I want to see you more now!”

“Why don’t you come home with us?” Juvia asked, “You don’t have to work in the morning, you could spend the night. Lyon’s bed is free, and we can watch movies together.”

Mered’s eyes went wide, and Lyon’s lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Yes! Brilliant idea!” Lyon wrapped his arms tighter around Mered’s shoulder, and hung off him. “Please come home with me. Please, please, please.”

Mered struggled under Lyon’s hold and glared up at him in frustration. “I’m not going anywhere with you until you get offa me.”

Lyon shot off Mered, freeing him from Lyon's death grip. “I'm off!” He held his hands high in the air as proof, but he still hovered ridiculously close to Mered. He pouted and batted his eyes at Mered. “Now will you grace me with your presence for the night?”

Mered shifted again and bit his lower lip.

Juvia frowned, unsure why he seemed so hesitant, and Lyon's smile fell a bit.

Mered was about to say something when Ultear turned back to the group. “Cab’s on its way, and you should totally come. It’ll be your first double date.” She elbowed him and smirked at Gray and Juvia.

“We’re not dating.” Gray was stiff as a board and when Juvia glanced up at him he was scowling at Ultear.

Juvia felt a pang of rejection shoot through her heart. She knew they weren't dating yet, but she’d hoped that would change. She caught the sympathetic glances Mered and Ultear were shooting her.

All at once Gray's arms felt constricting. “Right.” Juvia pushed his arms off of her and pulled away from him

“Juvia?” Gray frowned “I thought you were cold.”

“I'm fine.” She’d meant to sound relaxed, but anyone could hear the strain in her voice.

Gray stepped towards her and reached his hand out to touch her. “Hey, what's up?”

“Nothing,” she snapped and flinched away from him. “Nothing is up, you made that perfectly clear.”

“What? Seriously? All I said was we aren't dating; which is true. Why are you getting so pissed off?” Gray threw his hands up in frustration as he glared back at her.

Juvia gaped at him, as a torrent of emotions flooded her mind. She had no idea how to answer that. Did he really not get it? “You're kidding right?”

“Say yes, it might still save your ass,” Mered said.

“No.” Gray scowled at Juvia.

“Wrong answer.” Mered muttered and eyed Gray like he was a dead man.

“So you don't have feelings for me? That kiss meant nothing to you?” Juvia was bordering on hysterical, and several people were staring at them.

“I didn't say that.” Gray ran a hand through his hair and glanced about nervously. “Can you calm down? We’ll talk about this later.”

“When later? It's been five days! I've been waiting, I'm tired of it.”

Gray clenched his jaw and his hands balled into fists at his sides. He gaze darted up and down the street and the various people stopping to look at them. He grit his teeth. “When we aren't in public.”

“No that's-”

“Juvia enough,” Lyon said, catching her by the elbow and pulled her towards him. “You're overreacting and blowing this way out of proportion.”

Juvia’s eyes narrowed and betrayal lanced through her heart. She wrenched herself free from Lyon's grip and spun on him. Lyon locked eyes with her and took a step back, bumping into Mered.

“Dumb thing to say dude,” Mered said, glancing nervously between the two of them.

“Foot in mouth syndrome, both of them,” Ultear muttered. She stepped forward as their cab pulled up to the curb and wrapped an arm around Juvia. “Just breathe. Remember, they're dumb boys.”

Juvia nodded, even though she didn't agree with the sentiment. Gray and Lyon weren't dumb, bad with words sure but not dumb. And the fact that Lyon was actually siding with Gray over her was a slight that cut her deeper than she had words for.

She climbed into the cab and settled in the front set of seats. Ultear sat beside her and Gray and Lyon were forced to sit in the back with Mered.

As the cab pulled away from the curb Juvia turned and stared out the window and wished she had somewhere else to go tonight.

The tension in the cab was impossible to ignore, no matter how hard Lyon tried. Juvia hadn't said a word to anyone, and was busy sulking in the seat in front of him. Occasionally Lyon caught her glaring at him through the window.

Gray wasn't much better, but at least he was willing to talk to the rest of them. Though, he kept shooting looks Juvia’s way, and he face was frozen in permanent scowl.

Lyon did his best to engage with Mered and Ultear, and stay upbeat, but it was hard to ignore the glares Juvia kept shooting at him through the window. Lyon pretended like he didn’t notice, but anyone could tell that was an act. Twenty minutes into the ride and Mered slid his hand over top of Lyon’s. It helped a bit.

By the time they arrived at the house, everyone was relieved to be allowed out of the cab.

Mered made a beeline for the house, and ended up having to wait for Lyon to make it up the walkway to unlock the door for him. Gray wasn’t far behind, but Juvia lingered by the cab, waiting while Ultear paid the fair.

Lyon watched them from the door, apprehension pooling in his gut. There was no telling what Juvia was gonna do at this point. He waited until the two of them were walking up the driveway before finally starting to take off his coat. For a moment he’d been afraid Juvia might not come in.

Gray seemed to have the same idea. He wasn’t as obvious about watching them, but he’d yet to take anything off, and Lyon caught the way he’d steal glances out of the door every few seconds.

Ultear trudged through the door, peeling off her coat as she entered and ripping off her mittens, scarf and headband along with it. She begrudgingly stuffed them into to the closet in a semi organized manner, before turning to the rest of the group with a sigh. “Okay, I gotta be up in five hours, so I’m off to bed. Have fun, keep the noise down, and try to get some sleep at some point.” She eyed Lyon and Mered as she said it.

“No promises,” Lyon teased.

Mered coughed and went bright red beside him. He averted his gaze when Lyon turned to stare at him. “Night Ul.”

Gray side eyed the two of them and shook his head. He stepped forward and gave Ultear a half hug. “Night Tear.”

Juvia was last and she stepped into the house. She meet Ultear in a warm hug.

“Don’t let these things get to your head. We all love you okay?” Ultear ran a hand over Juvia’s hair and gave her a small pat. “Okay kids, night.”

“Night,” they all echoed in unison as Ultear climbed the stairs.

Mered smiled as he turned to Lyon. “So… popcorn?”

“Hell yes.” Lyon turned to Juvia and smiled at her, hoping they might be able to drop the argument for the night. “Wanna help?”

“I’ll pass,” Juvia said, with a shake of her head.

“Well at least come in and take your coat off. I’m turning into a popsicle,” Mered laughed and flashed her a grin.

Juvia shifted uncomfortably, and glanced back outside. “Actually, I was thinking... I'm gonna skip the movie, get some fresh air instead.”

“What? Why? It’s freezing out there.” Mered protested.

Juvia shrugged, but her eyes darted towards Gray.

“Come on,” Lyon said, and reached out to her. He’d been worried about this, and he didn’t want her going back out on her own. Sure the neighbourhood was safe, and Juvia could handle herself anyways, but it was cold, and she’d end up stewing in her own thoughts and this whole thing would get worse. “Look, I know you’re upset, but just come in, and we’ll talk it out.”

“No,” Juvia snapped. She closed her eyes and her whole body sagged. “Look, it’s fine.” She turned to Lyon. “There’s nothing to talk about, I’m just going for a walk.”

Gray let out an exasperated sigh, and started doing his jacket back up. “You know what, why don’t I go instead.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, I’m going for a walk. Why do you need to leave?” Juvia demanded.

“Because you’re upset with me, and I don’t like the idea of you wandering around alone, in a strange place.” Gray grabbed the door and took a step to leave, only to have Juvia block him.

“It’s not a strange place, it’s your neighbourhood.”

“It’s strange to you.” Gray sighed, and looked like he wanted to strangle Juvia the way he was glaring at her.

Lyon stepped between them. “Okay, both of you take a breath.” He turned to Juvia. “I get that you want space, but I’m with Gray. I don’t like the idea of you being out there on your own.”

“Why? Because I’m a girl?” Juvia fumed. “I can handle myself.”

“Walked right into that one,” Mered muttered, looking completely unamused. Lyon scowled at him, trying to communicate that, he wasn’t being helpful

“Oh fuck off. Can you not twist this around for once? It’s late, it’s cold, it’s dark, and you have nowhere to go. If I leave can go to Erza’s. I’ll sit on her couch or pass out there, where it’s safe and warm, because I’m not fifty shades of crazy.”

Silence exploded in the foyer. Everyone gaped at Gray. Juvia stood frozen in front of him, and Lyon could see the shimmer in her eyes. Before he could do anything, she turned on her heel and stormed out the door and down the walkway.

“Shit!”

“Juvia!” Lyon called, surging forward to catch up with her. This was bad. So bad. She wasn’t gonna let this shit go, and she’d be livid for days. He stalled to glance back at Mered, a heavy twinge of guilt and disappointment weighing on his chest. He’d been looking forward to spending more time with Mered.

Gray caught his arm, holding Lyon in place. “Don’t bother, I’ve got this.”

Lyon arched an eyebrow skeptically. “Yeah, I can see that.”

“Seriously, I’ll handle it. This has nothing to do with you.”

“This has everything to do with me, she’s my best friend.”

“And Mered’s your boyfriend, who’s here to spend time with you.” Gray sighed and carded his fingers through his hair. “Juvia’s pissed at me, and she’s upset because of me. It should be me dealing with this, not you.”

Lyon shook his head. “And if you piss her off more?”

“Then I’ll call you, and I’ll sleep at Erza’s for the rest of the week, and you can go back to hating my guts,” Gray pleaded. He shot a nervous glance down the street and bounced on the tips of his feet.

Lyon turned to Mered, unsure of what to do.

“Let him go,” Mered said, as he pressed a comforting hand to Lyon’s arm. “You saw what happened when we let everyone else get involved in our spats.”

Lyon grimaced. “Fine. Just don’t fuck this up." Lyon forced himself to take a breath. "Please.”

“Thanks. I’ll text you when I find her.” Gray called back to them in a rush. He was already booking it down the walkway at top speed.

Lyon lingered in the door for a moment longer, before taking a deep breath and shutting it. It was hard to ignore the anxiety bubbling in his chest, but he was now completely alone with Mered for at least a half an hour. His heart picked up speed for an entirely different reason.

Lyon smirked, and looped his arm around Mered’s waist, drawing Mered close so he could lean down and whisper in Mered’s ear. “Come on, let’s go make that popcorn.” He let his arm slip away and sauntered towards the kitchen, and added sway to his hips. He glanced over his shoulder and waggled his eyebrows when he caught Mered staring at his ass.

Mered huffed and shoved past him into the kitchen, only to stop dead in the center of it. “Uh, where do you guys keep the popcorn?”

“That would be over here.” Lyon planted a hand on Mered’s hip and guided him towards the pantry at the end of the counter and pulled out the jar of kernels.

“Dude, no way. You guys make your popcorn from scratch?”

Lyon cackled. “Of course, have you met my mom? There’s no other way to have popcorn.” He bent down and pulled out the popcorn maker from one of the lower cupboards and patted it lovingly. “This thing’s been around long than I have.”

Mered wrinkled his nose. “That’s not necessarily a good thing.”

“It works fine. Stop being a snob and go get some butter.” Lyon plugged the machine in and flicked it on. It came to life with a whirring sound and he poured the kernels into the dumping cup.

“Ooo butter. You’re going all out tonight.”

Lyon scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous, it’s for you and Juvia. Popcorn is one of the few healthy snacks out there, why would I ruin that by covering it in melted fat.”

“Cause it tastes ah-maze-ing. Life without buttered popcorn is sad and not worth living.” Mered slapped an entire stick of butter down beside Lyon, with a smirk.

Lyon pursed his lips and glared down his nose at Mered. He was such a brat, and Lyon wanted nothing more than to wipe that stupid smirk off his cute face. Lyon cupped Mered’s chin with his hand and pressed his lips to Mered’s, he pulled back slightly and repeated the action, moving his lips slowly, but firmly. He flicked his tongue against Mered’s chapped lips, and reveled in Mered gasp, before he pulled away. “Definitely still worth living.”

“Dork,” Mered mumbled. His cheeks were scarlet and he couldn’t meet Lyon’s gaze.

Lyon smirked, and leaned forward. His lips brushed against the shell of Mered’s ear and he whispered, “Your dork.”

Mered squirmed and hummed an agreement as Lyon’s lips traced down his neck, feathering kisses as he went. His hands found purchase on Mered’s hips and Lyon pushed him back towards the counter.

Mered’s whole body went ridged.

Lyon’s lips halted right above Mered’s collarbone, and his hands loosened. He pulled back and tried to catch Mered’s gaze. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Mered eyed the counter, and bit his lower lip. His fingers curled tight around the edge of the counter, until his knuckles were white.

“Clearly.” Lyon took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. He wanted to shake Mered, but that wasn’t going to help the situation. Instead, his thumb traced circles against Mered’s jeans, and he focused on the feel of the rough fabric. He dipped his head towards Mered. “Talk to me.”

“It’s stupid.”

“More stupid than me freaking out about coming out to my parents?”

Lyon was met with silence. His eyes popped open, and locked with Mered’s.

Mered shrugged. “Kinda.”

“Tell me anyways.” Lyon brushed his nose against Mered’s and touched their foreheads together.

“I’m not ready to… you know....” Mered trailed off and his whole face burned red.

Lyon blinked. His eyes crinkled and he had to bite his inner cheek to keep from laughing. It wasn’t a laughing matter, not really, but he couldn’t help it. Mered was too cute. Lyon took another deep breath and dipped his head so he could nuzzle Mered’s cheek, and he wrapped his arms around Mered’s waist. “You know, I like you flustered and a bit nervous, but I’d never actually pressure you for anything.”

“I know, but- I mean- You want to. That’s why you invited me to spend the night, right?”

“I invited you to spend the night because I wanted to spend more time with you,” Lyon said and bopped Mered on the nose.

Mered wrinkled his nose and frowned at Lyon. “Please. You can’t tell me sex didn’t cross your mind.”

Lyon sighed and kissed Mered’s forehead. “Sure it has, but I’m not dying for it.” He pressed another kiss to Mered’s nose. “I’m actually having fun with this.” Another kiss landed on Mered’s cheek. “You’re cute when you get all shy and squirmy.” He kissed Mered’s other cheek then locked eyes with Mered and smirked. “And I love getting to tease you.”

Mered shoved lightly against Lyon’s chest, but he barely got Lyon to budge. “Fuck you, asshole.”

“I love it when you talk dirty.”

Mered gaped at him. “Ugh. You-“ He pressed his lips together and glowered at Lyon. “I hate you.”

“You know I’m just playing with you,” Lyon said, and cupped Mered’s cheek. “I promise, it’s fine.”

“Sure, right now it is. But you be back at college soon and surrounded by experienced guys, who know what they’re doing and-"

Lyon press his finger to Mered’s lips. “And they aren’t my boyfriend; you are. And it’s okay if you feel insecure, I’ll hear you out, but I want to make it clear that I take this whole boyfriend thing pretty seriously. If I didn’t I would have dated one of the guys I was hooking up with.”

“I know, but I can’t help but feel like you’ll get tired of waiting. I won’t see you for months.” Mered slumped against Lyon and rested his head on Lyon’s shoulder.

“Uh, you’ll see me every day. If you think I’m not going to Facetime the shit out of you, you’re crazy. And it’s not like you’re opposed to phone sex, so it’s not like I’ve gotta go without.”

“Oh my god!” Mered buried his face in Lyon’s shoulder to muffle his wail. “Can you be serious?”

“I am being serious.” Lyon placed his hands on Mered’s shoulders and pushed Mered back so he could look him in the eyes. “We’ll make it work. I’m not going to cheat on you, and you don’t need to sleep with me to make sure of that. I’m with you because I like you.”

Mered stared up at Lyon for a long moment before he reached up and tangled his fingers into Lyon’s hair and pulled him down into a bruising kiss. Lyon’s head swam, and it took him a moment to orient himself. His hands found Mered’s waist again. He pressed their bodies flush together, and kissed Mered back will all he had.

When they pulled away Lyon was panting.

Mered smirked up at him. “I like you too.”

Juvia watched as the snow covered ground swayed beneath her, as she swung back and forth on the swing. Her foot occasionally caught the ground and pushed off to keep her momentum but for the most part she just sat there listlessly. Her heart hurt, and the rest of her felt numb with the cold.

She didn’t want to admit it, but Gray might have been right, being out in the cold was just dumb.

Snow crunched under heavy footsteps, approaching from her left. Juvia sighed and closed her eyes, trying to find a measure of calm. She knew he’d come find her eventually, though she was surprised it had taken him so long. Juvia looked up and nearly fell off the swing as she caught sight of Gray standing by the swingset pole closest to her. She clung to the chains, and tried to think of something to say to him. Nothing came to mind so she glared at him instead.

He met her glare, and stuffed his hands into his pockets, he scuffed the toe of his shoe against the ground, and waited. Silence stretched between them, but Juvia was determined not to be the one to break it. He’d come looking for her, so he could say what he wanted or he could leave.

“Lyon was gonna come after you,” Gray said at last.

Juvia’s brow dipped in confusion, before her scowl returned. If Lyon was going to come after her why didn’t he? Did he send Gray instead?

Gray sighed and carded a hand through his hair, and shifted against the bar. “I told him it should be me. That this was between us, and that I’d talk to you.”

“I don’t see what we have to talk about,” Juvia bit back.

Gray’s jaw clenched. “We’ve got a lot to talk about, but if you’re just gonna throw everything I say in my face, then I’m wasting my time trying.”

Juvia shrunk under the hard look he was giving her, and her eyes dropped to her lap. She felt like a scolded child. She took a sharp breath and forced her voice to soften. “What do you want?”

Gray stepped towards her, and Juvia’s head rose to watch him as he approached. He stopped in front of her and pulled his hands from his pockets and gripped the chains of her swing just above her own. He towered over her and despite herself, Juvia felt a bit intimidated. “Why’d you freak out when I told Ultear we weren’t dating?”

“I didn’t freak out.”

“Bullshit. You wouldn’t even let me touch you.”

Juvia glowered up at him, frustrated, but she wasn’t even sure if it was because he was ignorant to her feelings or because he wasn’t nearly as apologetic as she’d expected him to be. She’d figured he’d come here to apologize. “Don’t tell me how I felt.”

“Then stop deflecting. You wanna be pissed, fine, be pissed, but at least have the decency to tell me what the hell you’re mad about. I’m not playing these mind games with you.”

“I’m not the one playing mind games.” Juvia leaned forward pressing into Gray’s personal space. “You’re the one who called me crazy and then came out here, and now you’re being mean and accusing me of things as if I’m the one who did something wrong.”

Gray growled and shook the chains. “You are. You’re expecting me to read your mind and know what’s wrong, and when I can’t and I ask what’s wrong, you blow me off. Get even more mad at me, like that’s some sort of crime. And okay, yes, I shouldn’t have said that, and I’ll deal with it, but not until we deal with the actual issue. Now stop fucking around.”

Juvia stared at him wide eyed. Her heart raced and she tried to shrink back from him. She didn’t know what to say, she wanted to scream at him and deny everything he was throwing at her, but the more she thought about it and actually let his words sink in the more she could understand it from his point of view. She wasn’t trying to manipulate him, but she could see how he’d feel that way. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes and her throat tightened.

“Shit!” Gray let go of the chains and sprang back from her, as though he’d been burned. “Fuck. Okay maybe that was too harsh. I didn’t mean-“

Juvia shook her head. She brushed her tears away before they could fall. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel like you were being manipulated, I just thought it was obvious that I liked you. And I thought you liked me too.”

Gray’s expression softened and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I do like you.”

“Then why don’t you want to date me?”

Gray winced and let out a long sigh. He carded his hand through his hair looking distressed all over again.

“Why do you freeze up every time we’re alone together and things might actually go somewhere? Or when I mention seeing you?”

“It’s not every time.”

“It’s most times. Anytime I think we might kiss,” Juvia huffed. “It’s like you’re repulsed by me.”

Gray rolled his eyes. “I’m definitely not repulsed by you, and I only get that way because I know that if I kiss you we’re not going to stop there.”

“So? It’s not like I’m a virgin. I know I’m not exactly comfortable talking about it, but that doesn’t mean I’m not, you know….” Juvia felt heat creeping up her neck and across her cheeks.

“That’s the problem. I know you’re good to go, but I just think that maybe this isn’t something we should rush into.”

Juvia frowned, feeling the harsh twang of rejection all over again. Gray wasn’t the kind of guy who hesitated, which meant that her thought something was wrong with her. “Why not? I want you, you want me. What’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with me that you don’t want me?”

Gray groaned and tore at his hair. “You’ve got to be…. Juvia, there is nothing wrong with you. Nothing. I just don’t want to rush into bed with you because I actually give a fuck about you. I respect you, and I don’t want to hurt you.”

“What does that even mean? How can you say you don’t want to hurt me, but think that means avoiding me?”

“I don’t!” Gray’s chest heaved, as he took long deep breaths. His fists clenched and unclenched as he stood in front of her, clearly wrestling with his emotions. Juvia waited, letting his shoulders fall, and letting him sink onto his haunches in front of her. “I’m not trying to avoid you, I like spending time with you. I’m just trying not to sleep with you, and it’s not easy. I care about you, and I don’t want to fuck this up. I’ve only had one relationship in my entire life, and it was messed. And Lyon told me about Bora, he said you’re fragile.”

“I’m not.”

“You are. You’re insecure too, and quick to anger. You’re emotions are all over the goddamn place, and I’m still picking up the pieces from my last relationship. You’ll be half a country away, and I’ve got hockey and school, and I’m shit at comforting people.”

“I don’t care. I don’t need comfort, I can take care of myself.”

Gray shook his head. “You should care. You should want those things, because you deserve them, any semi decent human being deserves them. The fact that you think you don’t just proves my point.”

Juvia glared at him as her chest tightened. “So what, you don’t even want to try?”

“I didn’t say that.” Gray scrubbed his hand over his face and sent her a pleading look, that rooted Juvia in her seat. “I’m just saying this shit is going to be hard, and I’m freaking out because Daphne fucked with my head, and she did it on purpose. She’d throw fits and threaten to kill herself anytime something didn’t go her way, and I’m not saying you’re that bad, but you do get really pissed off at people when they don’t see things your way.”

Guilt stirred in Juvia’s chest as she thought of all the times she’d snapped at Gray in the last week. She’d never really thought about how he’d feel about it, or that there might be a reason he reacted the way he did.

“I’m not saying you mean to do it, and sometimes you’ve got good reason to get defensive, but other times… like tonight, you just don’t consider anyone but yourself.”

“I’m sorry.” The words fell from her lips and sounded woefully inadequate. But what else could she say? Could she even blame him for not wanting to be with her at this point?

Gray stood, and brushed off the back of his coat. “You don’t need to be sorry, just be aware of it and work on it.” He held out his hand to her. “C’mon, it’s freezing out here.”

Juvia stared at it for a long moment before accepting it. Gray pulled her from the swing, and turned to leave, but Juvia held tight to his hand and refused to budge. He glanced back at her, confused. “What’s up?”

“I still don’t know where that leaves us.” She got that he had issues, and that he wanted to take things slow, but he also said he liked her, and that he was just trying to avoid sleeping with her. It was all really confusing. She knew what she wanted, but Gray was a complete mystery and she needed answers, even if they could crush her.

“As friends, I hope.”

Friends. The word cut like a knife and crushed her chest like a lead weight all at once. She took a sharp breath and tried to breathe through the very blatant rejection. She felt devastated, like a hurricane had torn its way through her heart. She wanted to cry, and to fight him, but if she did she’d just play into everything he’d accused her of. “Okay.” She felt numb saying it.

Gray let out a sigh of relief and smiled at her. “Yeah?”

She nodded, not trusting her voice. Gray stepped towards her and wrapped her in a hug before she could react. His arms wound around her waist and held her tight. It felt like a vice grip, and she struggled to keep her breaths even as she forced herself to hug him back. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of leather from his jacket and tried to console herself. It wouldn’t be that bad, at least they’d still be friends, she’d still get to see him. She clung a bit tighter when he first started to pull away, but let go a moment later.

Gray locked eyes with her and searched her eyes for something. After a moment he brushed his thumb over her cheek. “Thank you for understanding.”

She nodded again and swallowed hard. “Of course.”

It wasn’t like she had any other options.

As the credits rolled and the ending soundtrack started Mered let out a delighted laugh. “Oh my god. That was awesome.”

“I know, right?” Lyon chimed in, with a childish grin plastered on his face. “Chicago is one of my all time favs.”

“I'm actually looking forward to going to see it now,” Gray said, his eyes still glued to the screen.

“Same! Who knew classic musicals could be so violent?” Mered said.

Lyon scoffed. “A lot classic musicals have at least one death.”

“Yeah, I guess but they're all super depressing. This was fun.”

“Well I'm glad you approve.” Lyon glanced over at Juvia and frowned. “You're awfully quiet considering you just watched our favourite musical of all time.”

Juvia shook her head to clear it and forced a smile. “Sorry, had my head in the clouds for a second.” Truthfully she'd barely watched a second of the movie, not that she hadn't seen it enough times to be able to recite it by heart. Still she'd had a lot to think about, and she'd finally come to a decision on a few things.

“Right.” Lyon's tone suggested he didn't buy it. “It's been a long day, we should all get some sleep.”

“Definitely.” Mered seconded.

The two of them got up and started gathering the bowels of popcorn.

“Oh no, hand those over,” Juvia said and waved for the bowls. “Gray and I are taking care of the dishes.”

“Are we now?” Gray crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at her.

Juvia locked eyes with him, daring him to contradict her. “Yeah we are.”

Gray studied her for a long moment before he shrugged and grabbed Mered's bowl with an exaggerated sigh. “I know better than to argue with you about clean up.”

“That's our cue.” Mered tugged on Lyon’s arm and pulled him back towards the stairs. “Night guys.”

“Night,” Juvia have them both a quick hug and flashed them a smile before heading to the kitchen.

Gray and Lyon called out quick good nights behind her, before two sets of feet climbed the stairs and Gray's thumped towards the kitchen. Juvia had already rinsed her bowl by the time Gray arrived. She handed it to him and took his, while he loaded the other bowl into the dishwasher and grabbed the detergent.

They tidied the rest of the kitchen in silence, each of them sneaking glances at each other. When Gray shut the door and pressed start he turned and leaned against the counter to face Juvia. “You doing okay with everything?”

Juvia nodded and leaned back against the island counter opposite him. She took a deep breath and decided she might as well say what she had to. “I accept that you're not ready to start a relationship at this point, and that there are going to be some things I need to work on before you feel comfortable being with me.”

“Good. I'm glad we're finally on the same page.”

Juvia held up her hand. “I said I accepted it. I never said I agreed with everything.”

Gray’s face fell and he eyed her warily. His body tensed and he folded his arms across his chest. “Okay. What exactly do you disagree with?”

“I don't agree to just being your friend. It’s stupid.”

“You think it’s stupid?” Gray’s jaw twitched. “Well too fucking bad, I said I’m not ready.”

Juvia threw her hands up. “It’s been almost two years, if you’re not ready now, you’re never going to be.” She dropped her hands down to her thighs with a slap. “You said you liked me, and I like you. It’s juvenile to pretend like those feelings don’t exist just because you’re scared of what they might mean.”

Gray drew himself up and glared down at her, and Juvia was sure he was about to storm out of the room. “It’s also juvenile to rush headlong into a relationship you’re not ready for.”

“That's true." Juvia drew in a deep breath. "I'm willing to wait until you’re ready, but I don't want to be just another friend.” Juvia pushed herself off the counter and leaned into Gray’s personal space. “I want you. I want to be with you, and I don’t like having to second guess myself every time we talk, for fear that I’m going to cross some line. I want to negotiate boundaries.”

Gray was caught off guard, and stared down at her blinking. She could see his mind working to process what she’d said.

“Fine.” He held up his hand and raised a finger. “One, we aren’t dating.” He raised another finger. “Two, no sex.” He raised a third finger. “Three, no more mind games or jumping through hoops to figure out what I did to upset you.”

“Okay.” Juvia took a deep breath and leaned back, feeling a bit lighter. “We aren’t dating, but we do like each other, and I’m allowed to act like I like you. I get to say flirtatious things, and I don’t have to hide my feelings.”

“Mildly flirtatious things.” Gray amended. “I don’t want you throwing yourself at me, and I don’t want every conversation to be riddled with innuendos.”

Juvia pouted playfully. “Fine, but if sex is off the table, and I can’t be suggestive, then you need to keep your clothes on.” She poked his uncovered abs to drive home her point.

Gray went beat red from the base of his neck all the way to the tips of his ears. He let his eyes trail over her figure, before locking their gazed. “Kay, as soon as we’re done I’ll go get my shirt, but that rule goes both ways.”

Juvia quirked an eyebrow at him. She was pretty sure she’d kept her clothes on the whole time they’d known each other.

“Incase you get any ideas." Gray paused. "And no more wearing that little black dress of yours either.”

“Really?” Juvia couldn't hide her disappointment about that one, she’d planned on wearing it again to Cana’s.

“Really. I practically jumped you on in here the last time you were wearing it, and that’s when I thought you were dating Lyon. So yeah, no more black dress.”

Juvia glowered at him and crossed her arms in a huff. "Fine."

“Also no more kissing.” Gray added.

Juvia froze at that, and looked up at him in alarm. “No more? Not even one?” New Year’s Eve flashed in her mind and Juvia scrambled to reign in her disappointment. The dress was silly and annoying, but this one hurt. She didn't want admit that though, it might make him feel guilty, and the last thing she wanted was a pity kiss.

Judging by the way Gray's expression softened, and the conflicted look on his face, she wasn’t doing a good job of hiding her feelings.

“It’s not that I don’t want to, but we both know that’s a slippery slope.” He stepped closer to her, and his fingers wrapped around hers as his thumb brushed over her knuckles. “I’m not thrilled about it either, trust me.”

Juvia closed her eyes and leaned into him, letting her cheek rest against his chest. The heat of his skin surprised her and she nuzzled against him. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, or that she didn’t think he wanted her, but she’d been hoping to replace the memory of her last new years kiss with a better one this year. That and she could use some luck.

Gray wrapped an arm around her waist and placed a soft kiss on the crown of her head and murmured into her hair. “I know this isn’t what you want, but thank you. Thank you for being patient with me.”

Juvia swallowed hard and nodded. In her mind she chanted for patience and courage, and told herself it was going to be worth it. Gray was worth it. She sighed and stepped closer, snuggling against him and relishing in the feel of his touch. It was going to be a long semester.