#please look up trigger warnings for each individual work before you read them if you're worried.

[eyedelater]

junji ito post

this is a diary post of my thoughts while reading various works by junji ito.

i found the beautiful hardcover edition of GYO at my local library, so i borrowed that on a whim. i read that. then i thought i would watch the movie version because i wanted to see how they would tackle, you know… all aspects of the work. the movie was so lousy i quit watching less than halfway through. maybe i'll pick it up again sometime. but i'm a stickler for honoring the source material, and they inserted so much weird and dumb fanservice, it was intolerable. then i wondered what other anime adaptations existed of junji ito works. so i watched the 2022 netflix series JUNJI ITO MANIAC. i thought it was, on the whole, somewhat weak, but i did watch every episode. then i got more junji ito books from my local library, including TOMIE, UZUMAKI, DESERTER, LOVESICKNESS, REMINA, and VENUS IN THE BLIND SPOT. i also watched the series JUNJI ITO COLLECTION and read more stories online. i wanted this post to encompass all of ito-sensei's works, but after reading most of them, i decided to read the rest some other time. you can scroll to near the end of this post for an incomplete list of ito-sensei's works that i find to be worth reading. this post contains some spoilers, but i think spoilers don't matter too much for horror manga, as it's the visuals that really count.

i should preface everything by saying that i have known of junji ito for many years. when i was in high school… well, a short summary would be that in 9th grade, i saw a traumatizing gory video that messed me up and made me afraid of the dark despite being 14 years old, and i was especially afraid of dark spaces like the cracks between things. i slept on a mattress pressed into the corner of a room, and i was still afraid of the gap between the mattress and the wall. i wouldn't face my back to it all night. the cabinet door under the bathroom sink didn't shut all the way, and i would watch that dark gap through the clear shower curtain for 100% of my time in the shower to make sure nothing came out. (i made my dad get a clear shower curtain for that reason.) i was mentally ill, you see. did you know that sometimes, knowing a fear is irrational does nothing to make you not afraid? (i'm better now.) so there's the baseline, and then, due to the whims of my internet friend group, i felt compelled to read junji ito's THE ENIGMA OF AMIGARA FAULT. it struck the worst possible chord with me: now i knew that what could be lurking in the dark cracks between things is a stretched and disfigured human body being blissfully, eternally compelled through its own personal tunnel. THAT is what's in between my mattress and the wall. THAT is what could slip through the crack in the bathroom cabinet door. can i put into words how awful it was to think about? but of course, being rational at the same time, i acknowledged even then that the manga itself was kinda good. to come up with such an unpleasant idea is worthy of praise in itself. so i came to respect junji ito. but i haven't read that story again, and i won't. (they had the nerve to stick it in as a bonus story at the end of the GYO hardcover. i didn't even flip through. i will not read that story again.) several years later, i read UZUMAKI and thought it was good. and i think i read one or two TOMIE stories and then lost interest. (oh and i read the cat diary with yon and mu with no hesitation because i knew it wouldn't actually be scary. it was fun.)

so i had the impression that junji ito was very powerful and worthy of my respect. that's why i picked up GYO at my local library. i was pretty sure it was going to be good, and there was also a distant element of facing my fears.

GYO was pretty good. the way humans became disfigured after infection reminded me of Mermaid Swamp, an RPGmaker game i played a while ago and lost sleep over. i can't say i recommend it, but i do like RPGmaker horror games… anyway, GYO was well-composed and certainly Extensive in Scope. you know, it just keeps piling on and on. but it all came together… kind of. but when we got the circus part, i had to be like, "seriously?"

then i watched JUNJI ITO MANIAC. i find that netflix-produced animes have a certain flavor, a tinge that says, "netflix execs really really really really want to make money from this!!!" so to the extent that there is production value, it feels like it has been expended for the sake of making it Look like the anime is good, and not for actually making the anime good, if that makes sense. i feel that there is some heart missing… some loving devotion to the source material. at least some of the time. after watching the whole series, i came across many of the source stories in the short story collections i read. the anime adaptations were generally faithful to the short stories, and i appreciate that. but there is a difference between "turning a manga into an anime" and "turning a manga into a good anime." it is the difference between "this manga scene is now happening in motion" and "the tension and emotion of the original scene has been successfully translated into motion." and actually, it kind of felt like… for some of these… we didn't need to animate them? the thing about horror manga is that your own feelings of horror set the pace. maybe you are pulled quickly forward by suspense, but your eye lingers on the most hideous pages against your will. if the scariest part flashes up too briefly when translated into anime, it won't have as much of an effect. so it felt as though the timing for the scariest parts was weirdly rushed in some of the anime episodes. even watching without knowing the source material, i got the distinct impression that the manga had to be much better than this. [note added in later: sometimes, they actually weren't much better.] they got some of the faces wrong, too. you know how junji ito has his distinctive style where sunken eyes are expertly depicted with many small lines? it's a striking look. it looks great. classic. the way they showed those sunken eyes in the anime was unbelievably lame. it was an airbrushed look. i know they couldn't have animated it with many small lines, but shading it with a harder edge would have looked a thousand times better. or cel shading. come up with a creative solution to capture the effect. also, some of the voices were really annoying. i mean, i guess souichi's voice being annoying is appropriate. (what is souichi's deal? isn't he just really annoying? i haven't read any of his short stories yet.) anyway probably the best story in this series was the hanging balloons. i haven't read that story yet either. i have a feeling the manga is much scarier. but the anime has the advantage of showing the movement of the balloons. the way it will loop around your neck and fling you away in a second was well done.

(revelation) i see… so basically… the JUNJI ITO MANIAC series was the second junji ito series netflix made. so these are all the second-tier stories that they didn't care to animate in the first series? is that right? that makes sense. i'll have to watch the other series soon. [note added in later: wrong. JUNJI ITO COLLECTION was about the same.]

some of ito-sensei's stories are bizarrely anticlimactic. because it is horror manga, i set aside my usual expectation of a happy ending; i am expecting an ending that is either disastrous or faintly hopeful despite everything. but i was expecting an ending, and some of these short stories don't have much of one. like "the bully" (ijimekko). i thought it wasn't very good. i thought it was a miss. i think maybe that one didn't need to be animated, for that reason. but after reading several, i have come to accept that an anticlimactic ending is standard for his short stories. i got used to it. i guess his intention is to end a scary story without much denouement, before the terror fades away, so as to leave a stronger impact. [note added in later: it turns out that in an interview, he said pretty much exactly that.] but i think it wasn't executed successfully every time.

i read the LOVESICKNESS collection of short stories. the story of the beautiful boy at the crossroads was pretty good. i find it kind of strange how romantic love is a strong and frequently recurring theme in ito-sensei's work, and not just in this particular collection. well, the whole way he depicts women has a certain flavor, doesn't it.

i read REMINA. i don't have very strong feelings about this one except that remina the girl sure doesn't have very much agency as a character. all she does is get pursued and picked up and pulled around by everyone on earth. i thought that as a climax, there might actually be some fun and exciting link between her and remina the planet, since at first that it seemed to attack the most when she was being crucified or whatever, but there was no such thing. remina the planet just made a beeline for earth and then started taking its time on the devouring part for no reason.

i spent my whole saturday reading TOMIE from cover to cover. it was pretty good. i think it's really funny how tomie herself evolves (in terms of character development) to be such a needy brat. and i think it's funny how all the tomies want to kill each other. i like how a tomie regenerating under certain circumstances takes on some characteristics of her surroundings, like the ashes tomies and the sake tomies and the carpet tomie. i also think it's really funny how tomie really doesn't want to split into more than one but she's sooo prone to it and she haaates it. overall, i was more amused than really scared by TOMIE. important note: there's probably quite a lot to be said if you read these stories through an explicitly feminist lens, but i don't care to do that right now.

i'm looking at wikipedia now and realizing there is a nearly endless supply of junji ito short stories. my local library does not have all of these. they have six or seven volumes, which is a ton given the extent of their manga collection, and i kinda thought that was all, but it's not. i'll have to read some of these online. however, there is a dilemma. given my history of getting afraid of the dark and its debilitating effects on my life, i want to avoid giving myself that feeling again (and i know it is possible), so i never read or watch anything scary at night. but i don't read manga online unless it is on my laptop or ipad. and i don't have my laptop or ipad with me in the daytime, only in the evenings… maybe i'll bring my ipad to work…? [note added in later: i made it work by reading in the early evening. this is the kind of thing i really worry about.]

i guess i've had a complicated relationship with horror media in that i like it, and most of the time it doesn't Hit in a bad way, but i need to make sure to take precautions when i consume it or else i could seriously lose a lot of sleep. even just typing out that paragraph about my ordeal in high school left me with a terribly nervous feeling because i wrote it at night and relived unpleasant memories. but i can still turn a lightswitch off and then walk out of a dark room without pressing my back against a wall. so i'm miles ahead of where i was back then. that's a relief.

i will note that this whole time, i kiiinda thought junji ito's "ito" miiight just be ito 糸 (thread). i mean, i knew his name (romanized) long before i ever learned that "ito" means "thread." it's only natural that in my ignorance, i might form some association between them. but it's totally not thread. who would be named that? (there's probably somebody.) it's actually itou 伊藤. junji itou. itou junji. but no one romanizes it like that. it's the same itou as the itou in delicious ITO EN jasmine tea, which goes really well with unfrosted blueberry pop tarts. if you're planning to try it with frosted pop tarts, don't even bother. oi ocha is good too.

while watching MANIAC, i was like, what is souichi's deal…? now i'm watching the first episode of JUNJI ITO COLLECTION and i've realized that souichi could be an enjoyably ridiculous character but they gave him a completely insufferable voice actor and thus made him insufferable. i wonder if they had the perfectly reasonable thought, "we can't make his voice nice or else he could become sexy to teen girls, and that idea is apprehensible," and then they overcorrected. perhaps they could've made it less awful and safely unsexy by giving him a realistic teenage boy voice. they could even make it appropriately obnoxious without going too far. i have to read the souichi series and then i'll be able to love him. i can't love him with this shitty voice <3 [note added in later: it turns out souichi is in 6th grade and 11 years old. he's not even a teen. that means my sexy voice hypothesis, by all rights, ought to be moot. i still think they made the wrong voice actor choice. i mean, not that the actor didn't give it his all. but he sounds like an annoying man or teen, not an annoying kid. souichi needed a kid voice.]

JUNJI ITO COLLECTION failed to successfully adapt the story of the beautiful boy at the crossroads. as a multi-chapter story with a relatively strong narrative, it should have been given at least a whole episode or an OVA-length animation to tell the whole story at once, but instead, they abbreviated it and never followed up with the rest. that being said, the main problem was that they didn't make the narrative as clear as in the manga. well, whatever. i'm going to watch through COLLECTION even though it's lousy.

i read the compilation book entitled VENUS IN THE BLIND SPOT. apart from noticing that they had the audacity to include the enigma of amigara fault again, none of the stories especially stuck with me except the cute love letter manga to kazuo umezz. i'll have to read some of his stuff next. speaking of other horror manga, i bought and read the english translation of "inuki kanako no daikyoufu" (Be Very Afraid of Kanako Inuki!) by inuki kanako because i wanted to support my local comic book shop. i kinda picked it at random based on the cover and paid full cover price. i kinda didn't like it. i don't have much to say about it except that her perfectly neckless art style is fun. maybe i'll read her tatari series sometime.

i'm remembering that when i read UZUMAKI for the first time, despite having watched many horror movies, i failed to consider the narrative expectations for works in the horror genre; that is, i had not resigned myself to a bad ending, which i now understand is very much to be expected. so i was really rooting for kirie and shuichi the whole time, and at the end, when they fail to escape the spiral, i was like "ok fuck me then i guess." i was pissed. but what i'm saying is that i was wrong to be pissed because my expectations were unreasonable. in retrospect, it was an appropriate ending.

there's that one tumblr post making fun of kirie and her fucked up boyfriend. it has a couple of panels where shuichi's looking deadened and she puts her head on his shoulder. i think that post is mean. i'm on shuichi's side! be nice to him! you saw what happened to his dad! have a heart!

JUNJI ITO COLLECTION episode 7 was probably the best so far, just because they did a pretty good job with the used record one. if the singer hadn't done a good job, it would have flopped. the song adds so much that is impossible to portray in the form of manga. it spooked me enough that i'm not going to watch any more episodes tonight, which did not happen with any other episodes of COLLECTION or MANIAC.

i was right. manga souichi is much more lovable than anime souichi, because though their faces are equally obnoxious, manga souichi has no obnoxious voice. the souichi stories are kind of refreshing because we get to see junji ito's strange sense of humor without anything too scary happening. my first souichi exposure was the 4 walled room episode in MANIAC, meaning i missed his introduction that appears in COLLECTION, so i was like "who the fuck is this? our protagonist, kouichi, is going to die in the gap between these walls. what? nothing in particular happened at the end. (souichi appears in another episode) this guy's in more than one??" but in the end, i kind of like how he's in 6th grade and his main powers are supercharged annoying personality and also being able to administer real curses. and despite the horrible voice, most of the souichi segments seem to have been adapted with incredible accuracy. souichi's recurring associated sound effect in the manga is "gachu gachu," the slightly clankety sound of him sucking on nails. one scanlator translated it as "munch munch;' another as "nom nom." i've never seen "gachu gachu" before.

ito-sensei's art peculiarities: he is the master of the "lovely face looking concerned." great skill with sunken eyes looking upset and exhausted. in the profile view, everyone has that distinctive frown. poses are sometimes a little awkward as if drawn from a clumsily posed posable model. chins sometimes don't make sense if the perspective isn't straight on or in profile. occasionally, his unique sense of humor shines through in the facial expressions. he's very good at drawing cutely styled hair and plain, elegant clothes. he also draws scary things.

the short story "fashion model" features fuchi, the fashion model. she debuted in the souichi story "rumors." i love fuchi. i'm on her side. when she's riding in the car with everyone much shorter than her and politely excited to go to the deep woods, that's cute. i like when she hitches up her long dress to run quickly in the woods. in "fashion model: cursed frame," fuchi appears in a magazine shot with two other models smiling happily, and that's cute. i want more fuchi content. (also, fuchi is pronounced the same as huci, the ainu word for grandmother. irrelevant.)

junji ito short stories are really hit-or-miss, i've decided. UZUMAKI, GYO, and TOMIE are essentially hit, and that's why he's popular, but a lot of these one-shots, they do not hit.

many of the strange evils in ito-sensei's works seem to be town-restricted. it seems that in most cases, if you get out of town, everything's fine. town where bodies turn into tombstones. town where everyone needs maps to navigate. town where it's foggy and everyone does fortune-telling. town contaminated by spirals. let's all exit towns.

i think ito-sensei can tell when an idea is good and when an idea is bad. generally, the better ideas are longer stories, and the worse ideas are shorter stories. i guess an exception would be hell doll funeral. that one was short but good. another exception is the bully. that one was bad but long.

i think ito-sensei's stories would be better if he applied his skill at drawing unique face shapes to drawing main characters instead of using unique face shapes only for the sake of showing "ugliness" in comparison to the uniformly beautiful main characters. as if ugliness is horror.

most of the characters in his stories are very shallow, but that's okay; they are only here in service of the narrative, to react to whatever hideous sights are laid before them... or to take part in them.

he is really a master of rictus...

it's funny, i just read a ton of ito-sensei's works from the 90s and very early 2000s, and then i accidentally jumped to one from the past few years because the entries on his wikipedia page aren't in chronological order (someone fix that), and now youtubers are appearing and twitter is a plot point. also, the quality of the work is quite visually different, as he switched to digital. it feels very, very polished now. i wonder why they don't have these at my local library.

here are the junji ito works that are worth reading, in my view (not in any order) :

the hanging balloons - this vision is truly inspired. you can also read "return of the hanging balloons," but it's hardly anything.

souichi's series, including: fun summer vacation, fun winter vacation, souichi's diary of delights, souichi's home tutor, mannequin teacher [probably the best], souichi's birthday, souichi's selfish curse, the room with four walls, coffin, rumors, souichi's beloved pet, secret of the haunted house, and the souichi front [also known as secret of the haunted house: souichi's version]. - not every single one of these is fantastic, but some of them are quite good. if you only want a little taste, read "souichi's home tutor" and then "mannequin teacher," as they distinctly go together. you can also read "souichi possessed," but it's hardly anything.

splatter film [also called smashed] - another truly inspired vision. if you don't get it, the joke is mosquitoes.

used record [also called secondhand record] - read it and then watch episode 7 of junji ito collection.

fashion model - get to know my girl fuchi. you can also read "fashion model: cursed frame," but it's not much.

village of the siren - this one has a unique feeling, i think.

gyo, tomie, and uzumaki are all about as worthwhile as each other.

lovesickness is slightly less good than the three listed in the previous bullet point, but still pretty good

the chill [also known as coldness] - if you want to experience trypophobia hell. don't take that warning lightly.

groaning drain pipes - just because the perfectly anticlimactic ending cracks me up

blood bubble bushes - uhh something also similar to trypophobia in this one, but it's striking

oshikiri's series, including hallucinations, bog of the living dead, pen pal, intruder, further tales of oshikiri, and further tales of oshikiri: walls - some of these are pretty good.

house of puppets - it's a house of puppets.

the town without streets - goes in an unexpectedly atmospheric direction. interestingly a mishmash of many different ideas, unlike his usual one-note short stories.

gravetown - another inspired idea.

the story of the mysterious tunnel - can't decide how much to like this one.

frankenstein (adaptation) - very well done. there's a scene where victor and the monster make eye contact and then the monster immediately turns around and scales a sheer cliff face. you made his body really strong, victor. he can scale a sheer cliff face. i should note i only read around the first half of frankenstein the novel. i know, it's a failing on my part. so i can't judge the accuracy. i don't know if the monster scales a sheer cliff face in the novel. anyway someone should cosplay as reanimated justine. you just need to really build up your limbs onto some stilts and stuff.

hell doll funeral - it's a hell doll funeral

fixed face - ending cracked me up

weeping woman way - i like this one. it's so wet.

madonna [also called the witch] - i enjoy a story that offends the church.

spirit flow of aokigahara - this one is really good. i love their bodily transformation.

sensor - the first chapter makes you envision getting hairs in your mouth so you go "pfuh! pfuh!" and the rest is like, oh, so god really does exist. i really appreciate how much he wrung out of the creepy natural phenomenon of volcanic hair, which i didn't know about before this.

i wanted this to be a comprehensive list, but i'm sick of reading these for now. maybe i'll read the rest of his works some other time.

in conclusion, despite the inexplicably strong urge i felt to read as much of junji ito's body of work as possible, i'm not in love with his stuff. i certainly don't care enough to compare any translations. however, i do really respect his art skills and horrific ideas, and i enjoy his inscrutable sense of humor.

(i am really looking forward to the black and white uzumaki anime if it ever comes out.)

[painsandconfusion]

Whumping the Whumpers Masterpost

The story of how a chronic whumpee(Ethan) teams up with his past whumper(Nate) to get revenge on the whumpers who have whumped him before. Lots of angst. Lots of whump. My babies, honestly.

(SO sorry the Hyperlinks inside the first four posts won’t work since I moved blogs. I tried to fix them and tumblr glitched tf out. You’ll have to navigate with the masterpost. I’m so sorry, please message me if you need help finding something tumblr ate.)

Click here for most recent update of the list (in case you’re looking at an rb or something).

Please read individual trigger warnings for each post.

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Whumper: Nate Walker (he/him) Whumpe(e)/(r ): Ethan Scott (he/him)

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Main Storyline:

Part One: Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, but... Whumptober post (sorry it’s nameless). Nate re-captures Ethan, and is less than thrilled by Ethan’s newfound pain tolerance and ‘bitch make me’ attitude. . Part Two: Blood Redd Nate thinks Ethan might like to see Redd again. . Part Three: Whisked Away Nate is butt-hurt Ethan didn’t call him. They got problems that need attending to. . Part Four: You Know You Want To... Rescue mission. Nate is creepy (cuz when is he not), and Ethan struggles with himself and his desires. . Part Five: My True North Ethan does a really really good job almost maybe making good choices. . Part Six: Such a Good Girl... Nate isn’t great at not getting what he wants. . Part Seven: The Bartlett Café Boys eat food, boys talk murder. Nate’s creepy but in a cute way. Mostly fluff. . Part Eight: So Flinchy! Alec gets Anna settled in to her new hell home. . Part Nine: Get in, Bitch, We’re Going Shopping Wait...you don’t buy matching outfits with your bestie to wear when you kidnap someone? You’re missing out. . Part Ten: Pretty Little Noises Nate and Anna have their first session. She’s really cute. Nate almost can’t handle it, she’s so adorable. . Part Eleven: Save a Horse, Swipe a Cowboy Aww look! Their first kidnapping together. Honey, get the camera! . Part Twelve: In the Zone The boys get Elias settled at Nate's dungeon place. Ethan is too shy to whump in front of anyone else yet. Poor baby. . Part Thirteen: No One Owns Me Ethan really needs to keep his emotions in check if he wants to be a good whumper. Elias really needs to not push buttons if he wants to not die. . Part Fourteen: Blowing Off Steam Nate is stuck with damage control after being denied ~fun~ but is doing a great job. . Part Fifteen: Chaos Anna is in too much pain to not have any marks to show for it. Rude, honestly. . Part Sixteen: Right and Wrong Ethan broods like a depressed, half drunk poet (like he always does) to tell us about Our Merry Little Murderers' origin story. . Part Seventeen: Own Destiny Ethan broods again because that's who he is as a person. He's tired of not knowing what to do with himself or his life....so Nate and he come to an arrangement. . Part Eighteen: Fluffy Pancakes Listen. Guys. I know you want to get to the whump, but....Well, Nate was craving blueberry pancakes. And I don't have the heart to tell him no. So you get fluff before the brutal torture. Sorrynotsorry . Part Nineteen: Gruel 101 Nate likes oatmeal. Ethan hates Elias. Nuff said. . Part Twenty: You're Going To Need Your Strength Elias hates the oatmeal. Everyone hates everyone. Fun fluffy angst. . Part Twenty-One: Bigger Fish Frikkin finally we get to actually hurt Elias - Nate bleeds because @cryptidhongo drew me a feral shroom in exchange. Fight them, not me. . Part Twenty-Two: Master A little bit of karma is good for the soul. . Part Twenty-Three: Hiding From Everyone has secrets. Who's closet is this skeleton going in? . Part Twenty-Four: Run, Anna Runn Well. I mean, at least you can try. Good luck tho. Her last name is Gunn; I did not misspell, it is a punn >:p . Part Twenty-Five: Ship in a Bottle ...Ethan didn't have a great childhood. This is just one exhibit of that fact. . Part Twenty-Six: Scream for Me I scream, you scream, we all scream for therapy. . Part Twenty-Seven: Valentines Special Just fluff. Nate likes Ethan, Ethan likes laser tag, it all works out in the end. . Part Twenty-Eight: The Carrot and the Stick Throwback episode to four years ago. Meet Johnny. Ethan's first love and unfortunate whipping boy. . Part Twenty-Nine: Lacuna Time to get Crawford in the basement already. Also - seems like Ethan has history with him? Whatever, I'm sure the plot will unravel it eventually.

Part Thirty: Not the Knife Crawford's pretty sure he's just already getting a bit of a break for his first night in Nate's workshop. This can't be that bad .....right?

Part Thirty-One: Concrete Crawford isn't doing so hot with that, actually. He'd rather get carved up. Ethan think's that's a great idea.

Part Thirty-two: Strikeout Failed escapes. Amiright?

Part Thirty-three: Nightmares and Daydreams The boys can't sleep. Toss in some gore and fluff and you got yourself a chapter update. Bam.

Part Thirty-four: Die Here Anna is starting to come to terms with her fate. Nate thinks that's cute. Short and sweet. Anna learns Ethan used to be in her shoes. Maybe he still is...

Part Thirty-five: Bath Good boys who take pain well get restful relaxation (probably?)

Part Thirty-six: Something's Not Right Not all wounds are visible.

Part Thirty-seven: Silent Stranger Keep quiet.

Part Thirty-eight: Off Guard Sometimes whumpees get out of their handcuffs. Sometimes, in a room full of weapons, they grab one while they wait for the doors to unlock.

Part Thirty-nine: Kristen Throwback to 'Anna is a bitch'.

Part Forty: Yours to Lose Nate gets pissy when other kids break his toys and Ethan is a drama queen. What else is new?

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Ghost of Ethan Past

(flashback scenes from Ethan's days as a whumpee)

Stay Down: Elias hasn't had Ethan long, and Ethan is doing a very very very bad job at the 'get on your fucking knees when I enter a room' rule.

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Random Stuff:

You know how people have spirit animals? Well this is Nate and Ethan’s spirit tiktok....Thought you might wanna see...

Nates house visual reference.

Whumpee Ethan noncon mody modification collar alternative

Nates Custom Chuck Taylors

(tags: @prisonerwhump, @whumpawink, @mabledonut, @heathenwhump, @paleassprince, @happy-little-sadist, @wormwriting, @distinctlywhumpthing, @whump-cafe @jo-doe-seeking-inspo @azayta @tropes-for-my-md-daydreams @batfacedliar-yetagain @there-will-always-be-blood @siren-of-agony @whumpworld @bandages-andobsessions @deltaxxk @whumpasaurus101 @pickywhumpreader @whumpberry-cookie @morning-star-whump @shelfsdesires @throwawaywhumper @the-mourning-stars @d-cs @pigeonwhumps @hold-back-on-the-comfort @suspicious-whumping-egg @snakebites-and-ink @whumpedydump @orphans-parent @rainbowsandwhumperflies)

As always, lmk if you want to be added to the tag list!

[misku-nimfa]

So if a character stops a bunch of bullies from victimizing a girl by bullying them back so hard that everyone around him sees him as a problem child, realizes that he's a bad person bc the social ostracization implies he should've seen them as ppl instead of npc enemies he had fun beating up, and then spends the rest of his life wearing a mask of socially-approved normalcy to be a good person, is that a Lion, Badger, Snake, or Bird thing?

Okay, new rule.

From now on, anything that implies Social Ostracization is anything other than absolutely terrible needs a "is this something you're comfortable answering" ask that I need to answer before sending in the main one.

Cause this hit me in just about all of my issues.

Hard.

I'm going to go through this line by line to try to make a coherent answer out of my mess of emotional flailing here, but this probably isn't going to quite match my previous answers in tone or style.

Warnings for mentions of ostracizing, general bullying, depression, suicide, triggers, children in cages at the US border, and police brutality below the cut.

Okay, so I'm going to try to get through this line by line.

So if a character stops a bunch of bullies from victimizing a girl

Good. Any of the Primaries can be motivated to do this depending on context and stopping bullying is a good move on its own right.

by bullying them back

Not so good. Also not usually possible with bullying. It's almost always the people with more power/influence exerting that over the people around them in my experience. Said experience being almost two decades of experience just about every flavor of bullying. But I suppose if you take the power dynamic out of it and focus on actions typically ascribed to bullying like getting in their way, making their tasks more difficult, and sabotaging what they've already worked on, that gives us a look into some of how Character A is doing things. I'd want to look further before deciding anything though.

so hard that everyone around him sees him as a problem child,

Not being able to realize that you've made a bad call untill everything is in ruins is definitely a Lion problem.

realizes that he's a bad person bc the social ostracization implies he should've seen them as ppl instead of npc enemies

1) TRAUMATIZING PEOPLE DOESN'T HELP THEM DO BETTER!!! IT CREATES BAD COPING SKILLS, TRIGGERS, AND IS SHIT AT TEACHING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ACTUALLY WENT WRONG!!!!! IF SOMEONE IS BEING A PROBLEM GET SOMEONE WHO IS SUPPOSED TO MANAGE INTERPERSONAL ISSUES TO EXPLAIN TO THEM WHERE THE FUCK UP IS AND/OR CUT CONTACT AS AN INDIVIDUAL PLEASE! SYSTEMATICALLY SEPARATING SOMEONE FROM ALL PEOPLE AND RESOURCES IS A FAST WAY TO PUT THEM ON SUICIDE WATCH! PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!

THIS ISN'T AN ABSTRACT THAT'S PROBABLY HOW IT WILL GO DOWN THING FOR ME! EVERY TIME I'VE BEEN OSTRACIZED (NO PEER IN THE COMMUNITY TALKING WITH ME, NO ADULT IN THE COMMUNITY EXPLAINING THINGS TO ME, & NO COMMUNITY RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO ME) I'VE NEVER BEEN BETTER FOR IT! I'VE NEVER HAD A CLUE WHAT THE FUCK I WAS BEING PUNISHED FOR! I'VE NEVER HAD ANY DIRECTION ON WHAT THE HELL THE COMMUNITY WANTED FROM ME! ALL I GOT WAS PEOPLE TELLING ME I WAS A MONSTER, BEING FORCED TO INTERNALIZE THAT MESSAGE, SEVERAL VARIETIES OF TRAUMA, SHITTY DEFENSE MECHANISMS THAT MAKES READING NEW SOCIAL SITUATIONS FUCKING DIFFICULT, AND A CHRONIC CASE OF MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER WITH SEVERAL SIDES OF SUICIDAL IDEATION! WITH EACH ADDITIONAL OSTRACIZING JUST MAKING THINGS WORSE! I'VE BEEN OSTRACIZED 4 SEPARATE TIMES, IN COMPLETELY DISPARATE COMMUNITIES THAT NEVER SO MUCH AS HAD A SNOWBALLS CHANCE IN HELL OF EXCHANGING A WORD, AND IT NEVER FUCKING HELPED ANYONE! EACH OF THOSE COMMUNITIES STILL HAD THOSE PROBLEMS AND I GOT SADDLED WITH MORE AND MORE ISSUES.

OSTRACIZATION IS BAD!

2) Definitely a Badger Primary. Seeing others outside their community as not-people is a Badger Primary flaw.

he had fun beating up,

Lion Secondary.

and then spends the rest of his life wearing a mask of socially-approved normalcy to be a good person,

Badger Primary.

Also, fuck that shit. Anyone who tells you compliance is the same as goodness is a God damn fucking liar or blindly repeating the ethos of one. Compliance is how we get children being left to die in cages, unarmed civilians being gunned down by police, protestors being slammed with tear gas all being left unchecked. All because at best these atrocities are collectively seen as "necessary evils" and at worst "normal."

Accepting that as the end is compliance.

Demanding better is goodness.

is that a Lion, Badger, Snake, or Bird thing?

Badger Primary Lion Secondary.

[umccall71]

Chapter 16

Characters: Prince Liam and MC Lady Sexy

Rating:Mature content includes profanity, sexual content,talks about depression.

Word Count:5789

Disclaimer:All characters are property of Pixelberry except my OC Lady Saige. The use of these characters are for entertainment only and i am only borrowing them.

Summary:After a summer of a lifetime,Prince Liam thought he could have it all.He was carefree, free, and sharing time with the woman of his dreams.When life was easy, a balancing act between love and duty, he realizes his truths are lies, wrong is right, and decisions do have consequences. Lady Saige never imagined she would be one of his consequences.When an utter act horror throws her world into a tailspin.

Warning: This series contains subject matter of depression and hopelessness.The story may trigger certain individuals. Please be advised. If you are reading this series you are acknowledging you are 18+.

A/N:Sorry for the long delay.Things have been hectic in my life for a bit.I had to take some time to focus on my health. Thanks for your understanding and support.

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@eadanga @ao719 @lodberg @silviasutton1989

@rainbowsinthestorm @silverofdreams @ownworldresident @the-soot-sprite @jared2612 @sashatrr @jovialyouthmusic @smalltalk88 @custaroonie @kuladekiwi @whenyourheartskipsabeat @marietrinmimi @furiousherringoperatortoad @gibbles82 @choices97 @fantasy-of-fiction @romanticatheart-posts @drakesensworld @simsvetements @blackcoffee85 @3pawandme @indiacater @hopefulmoonobject @elles-choices @carabethpow

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It was finally here … Coronation day for the newly crowned king. Liam effortlessly moved about the palace signing off on every detail that had been planned for weeks. As much as he knew this would be a huge responsibility for him, the crown, he was more anxious what the transition would mean to his queen. Saige was already apprehensive about her new role and the pregnancy, but she was also spending more nights tossing and turning in her sleep. She hardly slept nights with this underlying fear for her boogeyman… his father and visiting the bathroom several times a night from becoming sick. He would feel her trying not to disturb him as she slowly slid out of bed making her way for her nightly ritual. Some nights Liam would lie in bed with his eyes silently listening to Saige talking to their unborn child. He did not want to encroach upon those private moments hearing the promises and hopes she had for the baby.

“Hello my little wish.. I hope that I am the mommy that you need. You are so lucky to have Liam as your daddy.”, she softly smiled while rubbing her barely there belly. “I never imagined being anyone’s mommy until I met your daddy. He makes any girl wish and dream a little bigger. He loves us so much and we can’t wait to meet you. I can imagine you being placed in his arms for the first time… the pride will be undeniable. He cannot wait to introduce you to the world.”she sighed , “I just want to keep you nestled in our arms only for us , as long as I can love.”

Liam couldn't help but feel the weight of her fears as he listened to her sniffle before drifting off to sleep.

Liam bought his thoughts back to the present day, preparing for the coronation and the grand announcement of his marriage and the next heir. He mulled around pointing and correcting the tiniest detail… everything had to be flawless… going off without a hitch. He wanted Saige’s official welcome to be seamless, the perfect welcome home. She would be spending this night … her first of many hopefully in the royal quarters. He looked forward to carrying her over the threshold to their home within the palace. He made certain that Constantine and Regina were no longer residing under the same roof. Bastien had worked around the clock with the guards and staff to get them setup in a distant property belonging to the royals, but also insuring him some distance from the former king and queen. He needed no reminders to Saige of what his father had done to her peace of mind , and stealing more of her dream state.

Liam had made arrangements for The royal Phantom Rolls Royce in White to be sent ahead to carry his queen to be and Duchess Olivia to the palace from Lythikos. Inside waiting were two dozen sterling roses wrapped in royal blue and gold , and tied with an ornate gold ribbon. He also made certain there was small spread of royal blue roses representing the royal family inside.

“Liam really went all out for you Saige. He wanted nothing but the best for his wife… his soon to be queen.”,Olivia grinned like a proud mama. “You certainly have our soon to be king head over heels in love and .. loving every minute of it. Once Cordonia learns that you are queen … it won't be long before the press and the people are hounding you both about how long until the royal heir.”,she giggled.

Saige sat silently tracing the rose closest to her.She did not respond… that caused Olivia to pause. “Wait a minute.. Your rather reserved for such a big expectation.I would think you would chewing your right arm to get away from such a pressure.” Saige looked out of the window as the Rolls Royce made its way closer to the palace.

“I wonder what time Liam wants me to start getting dressed? This is a big night for him… for us.”Her voice grew quiet thinking about the big announcement. “I just hope his father stays as far away from me as possible. Would it be too much to expect to avoid him all together?”, she spoke her private thoughts aloud, deflecting on the conversation OLivia had started about expectations of an heir. She and Liam had not shared with anyone that they were expecting a child , not even her best friend. The number of people that knew , she could count on one hand.

Olivia arched her brow staring daggers at Saige, “No comment about what i've said?”, she questioned.

“So Liv , will Drake be joining you tonight? As your date? This is a big night for Liam and myself as his … wife. When are you planning to tell Liam that your involved? He has a lot of questions and even mentioned introducing you to some eligible nobles.”

Olivia snapped her head , “he wouldn’t dare… I do not need the next king to set me up like some old spinster. I can find my own dates, thank you very much!”,she emphasized the H at the end of her statement.

“You know all of this could be squashed if he only knew that you were already spoken for.. by Drake. He’d be happy as a clam to learn two of our best friends are in love.”

“Who said anything about love Saige? We enjoy relieving stress and being a warm body every now and then.” She seemed to protest louder as the conversation steered away from an heir to her love life. “Let us not get caught up in labels, he’s a fun ride, much like this gorgeous car. As those words were spoken the car came to a stop in front of the palace doors. The ladies were greeted by several members of the royal guard. The door to the Rolls Royce opened and Saige was formally greeted, Lady Saige, your grace… I am here to escort you to the boutique per his highness order. I am instructed to not leave until he meets you .” Saige was taken aback by all the attention.. Especially now. “That won't be necessary… we can find our way.”, she spoke softly. “Maam , I do understand, but I have my orders. The king would have my head if I left you alone… I'm sorry.”, the guard lowered his eyes as the two women slid from the back seat and made their way to the front doors in similar maxi dresses until they got dolled up together for the evening.

Moments after arriving in the boutique, Saige felt her purse vibrating from her incoming call...she instantly smiled. “Hello.”, her cheeks were hurting so much from smiling.

Liam cleared his throat, “ I have it on good authority that the next queen of Cordonia has arrived.”he smirked.

Saige twirled a loose tendril of her dark hair as she listened to the deep sultry tone of her husband on the other end of the phone. “I too have it on good authority that the next king is in the building … and he is gorgeous,'' she chuckled. “Love..In about two hours the transition of power will be complete...then you and I will take reign as the future rulers of Cordonia. For now.. I will leave you to get ready with Liv. I hope you enjoy my surprise. I will meet you in an hour to personally escort my bride to the ball.”

Saige ended her call and the boutique staff approached her with garment bags, stylish shoes, and hair and make up stylist were ready. They were ready to coif the beautiful auburn hair and porcelain skin of the next queen. The transformation was underway. She felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman , without the chosen profession of the lead character.

“My God Liv… is this really happening … all these people attending to me like a ….”, she trailed off.

“You mean like a queen? That is your title within the next few hours… Liam’s queen. Get used to it, having people anticipate your every need or want. Women would fall over themselves for your life, your man… your king.”, she lowered her voice for the tail end of the statement. “Get used to the fact that he loves you and he wants you with him, by his side in every facet of his life.

“Liv I know he loves me… that’s not my issue, it’s what the other nobles will think.”

“To hell with what they think… the only people that matter are you and Liam. As long as your both making each other happy, that’s all that counts. I don’t give a damn Saige what those uptight sons of bitches think about my best friend and the man she loves and he loves the hell out of her.Saige, your no consolation prize for our soon to be king Liam… you're his prize. That man chose you because you are what makes him happy… makes him smile… makes him see a future, your his future.”

Saige fell quiet, unnoticeably touching her belly. She stood in front of the antique mirror as the staff scurried around her preparing her hair and makeup. Olivia’s words washing over her like a thunderstorm filling the night sky and bursting out of unsuspecting clouds. No corner of her mind went unoccupied as she replayed her best friends words. Saige sat in the chair as the hair stylist composed her auburn locks into a meticulously braided updo.The elegant style was finished off with majestic flowers and greenery. She sat still as her porcelain skin was accentuated with light touches of blush , eye shadow, mascara,and lip stain.

When the finishing touches were placed upon her eyes , the ocean blue popped from her eyes. “Oh Saige … you look beautiful… There will not be a closed mouth as you enter the ballroom on the arm of your king.”, such pride laced every word as Olivia beamed at her friend.

“Thanks Liv… I appreciate your kindness.”

“It’s not kindness if it’s true. Everyone will see exactly who Liam sees. He didn’t fall in love with you, he leaped in love with you.”,she smiled.

“The phrase falling in love implies that you slipped and you didn’t know where you were gonna land. It was no accident that Liam wanted to court you and eventually marry you.He saw what a phenomenal woman you are Saige.” Olivia gently grasped her friend’s hand. Moments later the royal tailor appeared with a cobalt blue gown, satin flowy, off the shoulder gown meant for a queen. There was a slender tie detailing her midsection. The seamstress helped Saige into her gown and covered her mouth in awe of the beauty before her. Saige slid on a set of rhinestone stilettos that adorn intricate details on the heel.

“Madame… his majesty will be in awe of the sight of you.”, she grinned at the reflection of the full picture of Saige standing in the mirror.

“I couldn’t agree more Celeste. My love, you look stunning. I expected nothing less from you. You always take my breath away.” Liam slid up behind her and leaned down kissing her cheek as their eyes locked upon her image standing before him. Liam was dressed in his formal Royal uniform. He wore black with a red sash and royal blue and satin metals draping the sash.

“You look so handsome Liam… then you always look so handsome.I am a lucky girl to be escorted by you for such a night.”, her smile filled her face from ear to ear. Her dimples on display as she bursted with love in her eyes.

“Are you ready my love… this is our night and no one will stand in our way. I will formally introduce you as my wife and my queen.”Liam tipped Saige’s face up to look deeply into his eyes as he whispered, “we will be celebrating the upcoming birth of our child next. I am looking forward to making love with you in our royal quarters tonight.”,he stared at her with lust blown eyes filled with desire.

“I know the way to the ballroom and… I know when I’m a third wheel”, Olivia laughed, “i'll see you two soon .” She sashayed out of the boutique and down the flight of the grand staircase.

“Our guest awaits love… come.”Liam extended his arm and Saige wove her arm through his resting her hand in the crook. They both smiled softly as they made their way down the grand staircase flanked by the royal guards. As they approached the ballroom the sound of the orchestra playing bellowed down the hall from the acoustics. The doors opened and the trumpets sounded announcing Prince Liam and his date, Lady Saige.All eyes were on them as they were surveyed from head to toe. Saige swallowed hard trying to contain her nerves. She felt Liam reassuringly squeeze her hand. “You will be fine love… this is our night. Everything was planned down to the second.”, she nodded in acceptance.

Liam ushered Saige by the hand as he made introductions and his rounds before the formal announcement was to commence. She smiled as she met everyone officially and was reintroduced to Penelope and Kiara. “It’s lovely to see you both again, they curtsied knowing that Saige and Liam were already married and she was by right royalty.

Liam led Saige out into the center of the elegantly decorated ballroom where he led her in the Cordoniam waltz. Everyone disappeared as the couple danced effortlessly around what felt like every inch of the ballroom. “ I can’t believe you get to live like this all the time.”, she leaned her head down as she giggled softly.

“This is our life and we have a lifetime of happiness to experience.”, he kissed her cheek. The music slowed and then came to a stop as the staff started circulating with flutes of champagne to every noble in the room.

Olivia stood by the bar where she inconspicuously grazed Drake’s manhood as he sported a dress suit that was a surprise. “ I never thought I’d see you in a suit.”, she shot a sly grin.

“Don’t get used to it… it was only at the request of our king to be.”, he knocked backed a glass of whiskey.

The trumpets sounded again announcing the arrival of king father Constantine and queen mother Regina.

Saige cringed at the sight of her attacker, standing in front her bold eyes and entitled. She slid slightly behind Liam as they neared the dais.Liam gripped her hand as if to send her a message… that she’s safe with him.Olivia and Drake moved closer to the front in case Liam lost it and assaulted his father again. The two of them knew what very few knew… the events of the last night she spent in this ballroom.

Saige chewed the inside of her cheek as her nerves turned into battling butterflies in her tummy. Olivia moved to her best friends side knowing her internal struggle to keep it together. “We’ve got you Saige”, she grinned in the direction of Constantine, “besides I’m wearing my knives.. we can certainly cut him down to size.”, she sneered.

“ I’m okay.. tonight is about Liam and him being crowned king. Nothing will get in the way of his big night.”, she began dusting invisible lint from her gown.

Constantine cleared his throat, “ ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for joining us on this auspicious night. We come together for the next dynasty to lead Cordonia into prosperity. I have enjoyed spending the last three decades as your monarch, and now… I look forward to passing the baton to my son… Liam. He may not have been the first crowned prince, but he is destined to lead Cordonia forward. He is the next monarch Cordonia deserves. I am proud to pass the Royal signet to my son… our next ruler. I present … King Liam .”

The room burst into thunderous applause and the clinking of champagne glasses. Liam made his way to the dais where his father and step mother hugged him and raised glasses in celebration.

He raised his hand to silence the room before he began his speech. He smiled down at Saige as she stood beside Olivia, Liam’s blue eyes veered to his side watching his father and Regina.

“Thank you all for helping to usher in the next chapter in Cordonia’s future. I only want happiness and prosperity for all our people and myself. I only want the best and brightest future as your king. I will work tirelessly to be the best leader I can be to all of Cordonia. I want a Cordonia that will be legacy to all of our children, and grandchildren. This country, this kingdom is a home I aspire to build where families can come together and help shape a brilliant path for Cordonia. I owe lady Cordonia my life, and I will be forever indebted to her for bringing me such joy and pride. I know it is tradition that when a king ascends to the throne he must be engaged or married.”, Liam smiled brightly out into the crowd watching the women adjusting their dresses and primping in hopes of being honored to participate in the next social season. “ I will honor the tradition, but I also announce that there will not be a social season . You see … There is no need for a social season… I am proud to announce that I have already found my queen. I met my queen and fell in love with her upon sight. She has shown me that I can be a better man, a better king, a better husband and, soon I will add the title as a better father.”, his blue eyes sparkled as the light of the chandelier hit the flecks in his eyes. “I would like to formally introduce my wife, my new queen and the mother to the next heir to the throne… all hail her majesty , Queen Saige.”

The room was filled with gasps and shock as their newly appointed king had revealed he had his queen and a child on the way. He managed to silence everyone, including his father. Suddenly Olivia led the round of applause and a toast to the new king and queen. Penelope, Kiara, and Drake made their way forward as Liam walked down the stairs of the dais to greet his queen. He led her back up to the dais to show off his wife to all in attendance. Saige smiled gently, trying to hide her nerves as all eyes again landed on her and Liam. She felt as though she were under a microscope as the news was sinking in that she was married to the now king and carrying his child.. the next heir to the throne.

“Liam what did you just do? She continued to smile as the crowd cheered and applauded the royals. “Love… you and our baby are nobody’s secret. I am proud to have you by side… and now you will be celebrated for the queen you are in my life.”

Liam came down on one knee, “a king only kneels to his queen.”, he bowed his head, kissing her hand. He rose to his queen and led her out onto the floor heading out to the balcony doors when they were headed off by none other than king father Constantine. Saige’s face grew white as a sheet upon laying her eyes on her perpetrator.

“Liam… I wanted to pay my respects to the new queen … I would never have thought that such a simple woman would plant herself in the path of history as a concubine to the king.”

Liam locked eyes with his father, “I would choose my next words wisely old man. Go ahead... try what little patience I have dwindling when it comes to you. You will respect my wife, my queen… your reign of terror is over Constantine . Saige is my wife and the mother of my child. You should be bowing in her presence as the mother of the next Rhys that will ascend the throne. I strongly suggest you call upon your training to show your other nobles that you are happy for us… or I shall make sure everyone in this room learn of your past transgressions.”, Liam was seething but his reaction was hidden from an untrained eye.

Regina walked up and scowled momentarily as she smiled at Saige, “ I suppose you should be congratulated on your chess moves my dear , marrying the now king and then passing off some..”, she was cut off by Liam, “we bid you both good night .”

Liam took Saige by her hand and led her out onto the balcony closing the doors behind them.

He pulled her over into the alcove and held her in his arms and chest as she released her breath and her tears that she was fighting to conceal until she was away from prying eyes. As much as she wanted to break down in front of Constantine, she couldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“It’s okay love, I’m here, I’m not going anywhere.”, he whispered into her hair as she clung tightly to him as she collapsed in his arms holding onto him for strength and to hold her up, at least until she could fall apart in his arms, in their bed.

Saige looked up at Liam through wet lashes and saddened eyes, “I’m sorry Liam.. I didn’t want to ruin this night for you.”, she fought back sobs.

“Saige, you have zero to be sorry about love. This night is for us and no.one will take our joy.”Liam met her lips with fiery passion and he found his soulmate in that moment as the night sky burst into fireworks and he wrapped her in his arms as vibrant burst of gold and blue blaze a path across the sky.

Liam took a handkerchief out and dabbed the corners of her eyes as they glided back into the ballroom and nodding as they made their way toward the door. Liam thanked his guest as the evening wound down. The new king and queen slowly walked the darkened halls of the palace toward the royal quarters. After climbing the stairs and turned a maze of hallways they reached the ornate set of golden gilded doors.He turned and landed his blue eyes upon her matching set of blue eyes. “Welcome to our new home my queen.”He lifted her in his arms and carried her across the threshold kicking the door closed behind them . His lips melded to her as he carried her down the hall and to their suite.Liam gently laid her back on the tapestry of this duvet cover and the mountain of decorative touches and pillows. He slowly eyed her beauty as he was consumed with lust and love. “God you are beautiful.” His hands ghosted over her face, her chiseled jaw, her slender neck, her ample breasts and slid around to undo her zipper. His gaze never left her eyes as his fingertips traced gently down the soft skin of her back.

Liam undid the satin wrap around Saige’s waist and slid her cobalt blue gown down her frame. His lips were soft and warm as they gently sucked and nibbled her neck , her pink buds that stood erect under his touch, and relished the sensation as he moved effortlessly down her chest and paid homage to her tiny belly that was nestling their baby away safely.

He looked up as her manicured nails teased at the nape of neck playing with his fine hairs.

“ I crave you my love… let me serve you tonight.”Liam slowly parted her thighs so warm, as he seeked solace in her center.He felt her satin thong, “your so wet for me already love.” He laid a soft kiss to her perfection over her underwear feeling how damp she was for him. “What would you like my queen?”, he whispered as he stared between her eyes and her sex.

She panted in anticipation, “ I want you, only you Liam, my king.” With those words rolling off of her tongue like a soliloquy.His teeth locked on the waistband of her underwear and guided them slowly down her thighs.

“Oh Liam”, her fingers locked into his hair as he removed her underwear that were soaked from her desire.He eased up her thighs nipping at each exposed area as he found her now bare skin lying before him.

Liam smiled at her before he worshipped her, “the things I want to do with you love… I can’t wait to pay my respects to my beautiful queen.” He rubbed soft circles on her clit and slid his fingers between her slick folds. Saige’s body relaxed under his touch, growing slightly impatient wanting to feel his lips on her . A deep breath escaped her as she finally felt his lips latch around her pearl working his magic instantly.Liam curled two fingers inside her as he increased the pressure he applied to her clit.

His eyes slowly closed as he had his way , his tongue tracing slow figure eights as it danced around her sensitive clit. Her stomach rose and fell as she felt her lips fluttering around his tongue as she neared her release. “ Liam.. oh god… I ..,”, she trailed off riding this pleasurable wave as she tipped over the edge as he continued to ride her with his tongue and lips as she came undone under him. He smiled as he watched her lift her hips off the bed .

“Good girl… I love you my queen. Just know”, he licked his lips enjoying tasting her essence on his mouth. “ I’m just getting started my love”,he smirked as he moved like a cat with his prey up here body. He nipped and sensually ran the tip of his tongue up her sides. He played with her slick folds with his impressive girth and length. Liam was no small man, but she loved the way he made her feel, not just physically, but with the love he exuded as they came together time and time again.

Liam came to hover just above her as her nipples rose to come in close contact with his chest and chiseled abs . Saige was writhing beneath Liam counting the moments he would make her his ... again... only this time in the royal boudoir.

“Are you ready for me?”, he ran the tip of his massive member along the seam of her entrance. Liam ran his thumb over the tip coming in contact with his precum. He lifted his hand to her lips, “do you want taste what you do to me love?”, he smirked as her mouth fell slightly open allowing her lips to capture his thumb as she gently sucked and licked his fresh nectar. “Tonight is about you my queen.” He nibbled her chin as he plunged deep inside pausing for a moment allowing her to adjust to the way he filled her eager sex. Liam felt her stretching and gripping around him. “Are you okay love… I’m not hurting you am I ?”, he kissed her sensitive area beneath her ear. Saige shook her head no. She lifted her hips to meet his , pleading silently for him to move. She realized how desperately she needed him, she needed to be with him. Liam obliged by slowly working his manhood deeper inside of her quivering walls. Liam watched as her head fell back each time he hit her spot perfectly as he drove himself deeper. He lifted her leg around his hip allowing himself to move his hips driving her closer to the edge again.

Liam knelt on his knees lifting her hips , legs dangling over his toned thighs as he lifted her hips repeatedly as he met her thrust gently pushing her further as the fire built in her belly each time she felt her body getting closer… wanting to scream as he grinded his hips into hers . “Liam.. I’m about to …”, her words were swallowed by his kiss. “ come for me Saige… I need to watch you cum with me love “, his eyes flashed from deep sky blue to a darkened gray as he became consumed with his body molding to hers in perfect sync. He felt his abs tightening and his breathing becoming ragged as he picked up the pace . “Fuck Saige … you feel amazing. His mouth locked on her buds as she began shaking , thighs were weak as she coated his manhood as she came undone for a second time. Liam felt his member pulsing as she fluttered and clinched as she rode her release, he picked up speed and drove deeply into her pounding her spot over and over as she screamed his name losing herself. Something about hearing his name on her lips in that sensual growl sent him over the edge and he too met his own release.

Liam held her close to him , lowering her hips, allowing her legs to go limp beneath him. He gently kissed her belly before laying his head on her stomach. His fingertips slowly played with her belly as they both slowly felt their bodies and breathing returning to normal. They both laid covered in a light slick film of sweat as evidence of their passionate love making.

He kissed her belly, “I love you… I love you both with all my heart. I can’t imagine being as happy as I am tonight… lying beside you, here in the dark , feeling your heartbeating with mine… softly hearing your shallow breathing … I know that I’m home in your arms. I promise to work faithfully to make you happier each day we spend together. I may be king… but I will first and always be your husband.”

Liam maneuvered up and behind Saige’s body, wrapping her in his arms , inhaling her scent of jasmine as he nuzzled her neck with his nose .

“Are you happy my love? I want nothing more than for you to be happy… I hope your happy with me.” Saige listened to her self assured husband flashing a morsel of doubt. He seemed to fear that she would not feel that he was going to continue to make her happy.

Saige laid there quietly before she rolled over facing her king, “Liam… you never have to doubt that your my happiness… my best friend… my soulmate. I can never imagine a life without you.. without us.” , she exhaled. “ I’m just glad that your … father is gone from here… I don’t know what I would do if he were still ...still under this roof. I want him to stay away from me… from our baby. I can’t imagine spending the next thirty three weeks fearing that he will take our child.” Liam cupped her head in his large hand as he held her close to his chest. “ shh… don’t worry… we are going to be fine. He would not dare to come back here.”

Liam would not release Saige , he laid in the dark listening to her breathing slowly calming down before falling to sleep. He thought to himself, “I hate him for this hell he cursed upon you. Baby … I’m never going to let him hurt you again.” Liam leaned back holding her tight as he stared up at the ceiling with silent tears running down his face, as he cried for the pain of his bride. “This too shall pass... I have to restore her peace of mind... at all cost.”

[anyawritesthings]

Forensic Writing: Crime Scene Investigation

Intro

I'm finally bringing back the archived posts of my forensic writing series! Today the topic is crime scene investigation, or CSI (evidence collection will be next). The goal of a crime scene investigation is to recognize, document, and collect evidence at the scene of the crime. So, let’s get started! (Also note: This topic includes a trigger warning, since I'll be talking about death, crime, and murder. Please don't read if you're not comfortable with these topics!)

CSI Team

The team involved in crime scene investigation is made up of legal and scientific professionals who work together to solve the crime. These include:

Police officers. They are usually the first to arrive at a crime scene. A district attorney may also be there to determine whether a search warrant is necessary for the crime scene investigators.

Crime scene investigators. They document the crime scene in detail and collect physical evidence. They include recorders to record data, sketch artists to sketch the scene, photographers to take photos of said crime scene, and evidence collectors.

Medical examiners (also called coroners) are sometimes there to determine the cause of a death when a homicide has occurred.

Detectives. They look for leads by interviewing witnesses and talking to crime scene investigators about the evidence.

Specialists, such as entomologists (insect biologists), forensic scientists, and forensic psychologists may be consulted if the evidence requires their specific expertise.

Securing the Scene

Securing the scene is the responsibility of the first responding police officer (first responder). Their priority is the safety of all individuals in the area. Preservation of evidence is their second priority, meaning the officer has to protect the area in which the crime has occurred and restrict unauthorized people from entering so that the evidence isn’t transferred, lost, or contaminated. This officer must also keep a security log of everyone who visits the crime scene.

Separating the Witnesses

Separating the witnesses is the next priority. Witnesses aren’t allowed to talk to each other. Their accounts of the events will be compared, and the purpose of separating them is to avoid witnesses working together to create a story, or false story. There are six basic questions that officers must ask witnesses:

When did the crime occur?

Who called in the crime?

Who is the victim?

Can the perpetrator be identified?

What did you see happen?

Where were you when you observed the crime/crime scene?

Scanning the Scene

Forensic examiners need to scan the scene to determine where photos should be taken. This includes the primary crime scene and the secondary crime scene (ex. A primary crime scene would be a store that was robbed, and a secondary crime scene might be a suspect’s house. Or, a murder may have taken place at one location, the primary scene, and corpse found in another, the secondary scene). Examiners or officers must also sketch the crime scene. This sketch includes position of the body, if there is one, and any other evidence. All objects should be measured from two immovable landmarks. North should be labeled, a scale should be provided, and any other objects in the vicinity (doors, windows, furniture, etc) must be included. If a crime scene is outdoors, positions of trees, vehicles, hedges, and other structures should be included. Later, a more accurate and final copy of the sketch should be made to possibly be used in court.

Crime Scene Reconstruction

Crime scene reconstruction involves forming a hypothesis of the sequence of events from before the crime was committed. Evidence is examined and compared with witnesses’ statements to check the reliability of their statements. The investigator looks at the evidence and tries to determine how it fits into the overall crime scenario. An important thing to note is that evidence does not lie, but it can be staged.

Staged Crime Scenes

Staged crime scenes are also a unique problem, since the evidence doesn’t match the testimony of the witnesses. Some commonly staged crime scenes include:

Arson. The perpetrator stages a fire to cover some other crime such as a burglary or murder.

Suicide/murder. A victim is murdered, and the perpetrator stages the scene to look like a suicide. The death might be caused by alcohol or drug overdose, and the motive could include insurance money, release from an unhappy marriage, or just theft.

Burglary. A burglary is staged to collect insurance money.

If a crime scene is determined to be staged, things to consider are:

Initially treat all death investigations as homicides.

Do the type/types of wounds found on the victim match the weapon?

Could the wounds be easily self inflicted?

Establish a profile of the victim through interviews with friends and family.

Evaluate the behavior (mood and actions) of any suspects before the event

Corroborate statements with evidential facts.

Reconstruct the event.

Conduct all forensic examinations to determine the facts of the cause.

Random Fact

Crime scene investigation teams don’t actually clean up the scene. That job usually falls to the victim's family, although professional crime scene cleaners exist and can be hired to do the job instead.

Conclusion

That's all I have for y'all today. I hope you found this topic as interesting as I did. Whether you're writing a murder mystery, a thriller, or just a book that involves death in general, accuracy is always good, and I hope this information helped! Next topic is evidence collection.

Source: Forensic Science, Fundamentals & Investigations by Anthony J. Bertino

[umccall71]

Characters:Prince Liam x (mc) Lady Saige

Rating:Mature Content includes profanity, sexual content,talks about depression and attempted rape.

Word Count:3121

Disclaimer: All characters used are sole property of Pixelberry. I am simply borrowing them for entertainment.

Summary:After a summer of a Lifetime Prince Liam thought he could have it all. He was carefree, free, and sharing time with the woman of his dreams. When life as easy a balancing act between love and duty, he realizes his truths are lies, wrong is right, and decisions do have consequences.Lady Saige never imagined she would be one of his consequences. When an act of utter horror throws her world into a tailspin.

Warning: This series contains subject matter of depression and hopelessness .The story may trigger certain individuals. Please be advised. If your reading this series you are acknowledging you are at least 18 +.

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

Liam had his bright future in front of him. He enjoyed life as a royal, even the perks of his privilege. There was nothing that could bring down his passion for life. Being the spare, he had the enjoyment without the full responsibility. He faced each day with vigor and energy. He was rather subdued compared to his older brother Leo. He had his pick of many noble women in Cordonia, but this was a decision he did not take lightly. He spent so much time presenting an image to his family and nobles, but deep down he really craved normalcy.The summer was off to a great start, days at the beach, nights around his friends, this was his life. A young man of 25 he knew he could have his hearts desire if he wanted it, but he never anticipated what comes next.

Lady Saige was visiting her close friend, Duchess Olivia for the summer. They had met during freshman year at university. Olivia was studying abroad in Texas , when she met her best friend with a zest and fearlessness she envied. Saige was wide eyed to the world of nobility. She was looking to spending time with Liv attending balls, crisscrossing the countryside, and taking in the beauty that is Cordonia.

“Liv, this estate is beautiful… you live here all alone… with servants?”, her eyes collected the ambiance of the elegant foyer. “I have never seen anything like this outside of magazines.”, she smiles in awe.Saige feels her head moving around in 360 degree swivel. Her eyes could not process the overwhelming image of Lythikos.

Olivia stood with her arms crossed, green eyes lighting up from the grandness of hearing the accolades all in honor of of her home. “I’m just glad you're here Saige, I have been so anxious to have you here in my home country for the entire summer.”, they both giggle. Liv leads Saige up the stairs to her bedroom that will be her home for the next two months.Olivia watches as Saige slaps her hand over her mouth as she gasps from surveying the lavender suite dawning crystal chandeliers, spacious bolstered bed, and surrounding delicate antiquities. “ I can have the staff unpack your things while we meet up with some of my friends from my childhood if you’d like?”, Olivia smiles.

“Your friends huh?..what are they like? I have no idea how to act around nobility. What will they think of me?”,self doubt creeping up in her mind.

“They will think of you what I do… that your an amazing woman with a wit and sense of humor. You and I hit it off as friends almost immediately in Texas. I felt like a fish out of water.”, Liv laughs and shakes her head.

“ You mean … how I feel right now. Anyway that doesn’t matter, I’m just happy to reconnect with my friend.”, Saige grins and tosses her arm around Liv’s shoulder. “ So what plans do you have for us?”, she sighs.

“Nothing too much, just having a seafood boil at the beach… followed by a bonfire. Trust me … you will enjoy it. The guys are great.. there’s Drake, Kiara, Penelope, ...and Liam.”, she hesitates with the last name. Olivia releases a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding.

Saige pauses, watching Olivia quizzically, “ why do I feel like there is a story there? Saige lifts her chin in the direction of Olivia… “ spill.”

“Saige … there’s nothing to spill, I lived with Liam’s family for awhile after my parents died. They were kind to me… he was kind to me. We grew to be best friends, I wouldn’t trade him for the world.” Olivia plops down on the edge of the bed, as if contemplating how much to share. She decides to let Saige in on the truth, “ there was a brief time that I thought I could possibly have feelings for him, but I realized it was more gratitude for him being there for me over the years. I have actually been seeing someone...but no one knows about us. Liam doesn’t even know about us.”

“Why would it matter if Liam knew about you dating someone?”,she grills her friend.

“Maybe because.. it’s… it’s his best friend. We all grew up together… I detested him growing up, so smug and condescending. You will meet him this afternoon, but you cannot tell anyone.”, Liv demands.

“How could I tell your secret to a group of strangers? I have no horse in this race.”, she giggles. “How long before we leave and what should I wear?”, she inquires.

“ Dress in something casual and comfortable, maybe even bring a bikini In case we go in the water.” Olivia strolls over to one of Saige’s bags and searches through prospects, “ this one… here, go.change.”, she instructs smirking. “ You will definitely make quite the impression in this dress.”,she turns to leave, “meet me downstairs in 30 minutes so we can leave.”, she shouts over her shoulder as she’s leaving.

Saige stands there with the outfit in hand, jaw on the floor from Olivia’s choice. She knew when Liv got that look in her eyes, there was no arguing with her. Saige’s sparkling blue eyes darted across the ensemble before she dashes off to the bathroom to freshen up and change into her bikini and the dress that was selected for her introduction to Cordonia.

Thirty minutes later, Saige bounces down the stairs wearing a Spaghetti-neck Backless Bohemian Maxi Dress.The outfit was flowing, yet sexy… it hugged her curves in all the right places. Saige has her hair pulled up into a messy bun with minimal makeup… not that she needed it. “Okay… I’m ready, let’s go meet these wonderful friends”, she snarked sarcastically. The ladies linked arms and headed out the door to the waiting car.

Liam and Drake had already arrived at the private beach.. making final preparations for the staff to handle food and refreshments. “ Liam, please make sure that you have that damn red wine the Olivia drinks”, he states exasperated. “Hey, when have I ever flubbed a gathering that I personally hosted?... don’t answer that”, they laugh aloud. Moments later Kiara and Penelope, arms snaking around each other’s waists, walk up to greet their old friends.Everyone had suspected for years that the two were more than mere friends, but finally they felt comfortable enough to share such an intimate relationship. The gang had was totally supportive of them , just as long as they were happy, that’s all that mattered. Both ladies feared that their conservative families may be bothered, but there was little pushback. Kiara’s mom had embraced Penelope as a second daughter, and Martin, Penelope’s dad was loving in every way.

“Hello all.. wow, everything looks amazing”, Penelope chimes in as the finishing touches were made to the elaborate tent and decorations.Drake and Liam exchange pleasantries with the ladies for awhile before they notice the sassy redhead arrive on the beach. “ I’m here… we can begin now”, Olivia smirks making her entrance.

“Only you would think a party would wait to start until you arrive”, Drake teases. “ It took you long enough to make it … anyways, glad you're here”, he whispers barely touching her fingers. “ Lucky for you all , I cleared my calendar today to slum with you”, she giggles. “Oh , where are my manners? I would love for you all to meet my best friend from my time in the states… Saige, Saige Prescott. We studied together at Texas A & M.”

Saige stood back taking in the sight of the dramatic green cliffs that plunge down towards a dazzling white pebble beach and the azure water of the Mediterranean Sea.She was enticed by the crystal clear waters lapping up on to the shoreline. Saige waves, quietly watching each member of the crew, her eyes went from brooding dark hair Drake, to the slender dark hair beauty Penelope, to the bronze sophistication of Kiara, and finally her breath hitches in her throat when her sparkling blue eyes meet the dazzling blue eyes of Liam. She exhales taking in the image of the athletically built blonde man.

She felt as if she were watching a scene in slow motion as Liam walks over to her and extends his hand.Olivia quietly nudges her, “fix your mouth… incoming”, she whispers snapping Saige out of her daze. “Lady Saige… what a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”, he gently grips her hand bending to kiss her knuckle. Saige jumps, surprised by the sudden gesture. In Texas, the guys can be polite, but she was not used to such gentlemanly actions. “Aah… the pleasure is all mine.” She speaks softly. He feels instantly drawn to the auburn goddess, Liam finds for the next several hours he can’t seem to avert his eyes from Saige as they ate and drank, enjoying the day. He flashes not too subtle glances, he smiles throughout the day to ease her nerves... working up his own nerve to strike up a conversation.

The sun began to set and no one had noticed Olivia and Drake slip away. Kiki and Penelope had settled into a comfortable lull of conversation and gentle touches. Saige couldn’t help but notice the whispers they shared and loving glances. She smiles in witnessing the apparent feelings between the two. She was so captivated by the lovely ladies, she didn’t hear Liam walk up and join her by the bonfire that had started. “Are you enjoying your time in my country so far?”, he grins adoringly. Saige nods gently in acknowledgment, “ it’s beautiful here. It’s like something out of a fairytale… the only thing missing is a prince riding up on a beautiful white steed.”, she chuckles. Liam tries to contain his laughter, knowing her spot on description in this moment.

She catches his reaction, “did I say something funny?”, she was caught by surprise with his reaction. Liam leans back on one of his elbows watching the crackling fire anticipating her thought when she learns his true role. “ I’m sorry.. I didn’t mean to laugh… clearly Olivia didn’t tell you much about Cordonia. You see , this country is one of a very few remaining monarchies.”

“Wait… what … monarchies as in …having a king?”, she ask trying to follow his train of thought. “Yes… Cordonia is ruled by a king, but there’s also a royal council .The country has several noble houses that collectively help to strengthen the kingdom.”,he changes the subject,” why don’t you tell me about your time in Texas, is that where you are originally from Saige?”He stares intently into her eyes as she reflects on the mystique of her small Texas town.”I was born and raised in a small fishing town ,which recently became a thriving tourist destination. Kemah, it’s southeast of Houston. Its charm is in the old world boardwalks and amusements. I used to love spending Sundays with my dad on the boardwalk. We would have a seafood lunch, followed by salt water taffy as the sun would set. It was his only day off per week, but he would spend it with me, no matter how tired he was from a long week working in a oil refinery almost an hour away from home. It was just he and I , after my mom died when i was 9.”, her voice cracks sharing such a personal experience.

Liam notices that her voice was softened,”I ...I didn’t mean to pry. It sounds like an amazing place to live. How is your dad handling you being gone for the summer?”, he smiles encouragingly. He notices that she got quiet again, she looks off into the darkened waters hidden beneath the moonlight. “He’s ...he is no longer with me. My dad died my Sophomore year of college. That… leaves just me.”, her ocean blue eyes glistened holding back a stray tear from escaping.

Liam grabs the bridge of his nose, silently kicking himself for dredging up such emotional topics upon meeting Saige. “God i’m an idiot”,he blames himself.Liam extends his hand to help Saige to her feet.”Come... take a walk with me?”,he ask pleadingly. “This is the best time to enjoy the water.Something as large the ocean has a way of bringing things into perspective.” LIam laces his fingers with Saige’s fingers,she happily accepted. “You can never be as big as the ocean.. No matter how big you are, a celebrity, a politician, a spiritual leader, even a king. The ocean has a way of bringing a man or woman back down to size.”, she breathes in deep, her nasal passages overtaken with the fresh scent of saltwater ,and seaweed.Before they knew it, they had ventured a great distance from the bonfire site. Liam turns to face Saige and he thoughtfully studies her soft features, her porcelain skin, her ocean blue eyes, her auburn and chestnut colored hair, her curvaceous frame.It was as if he had lost his will to move from that spot. He found himself rubbing her knuckles with his thumbs. “Where are my manners?... i shouldn’t be presumptuous to take liberties with touching you. I couldn’t help myself...you are stunning”,he confesses smiling softly into her eyes. “If I had a problem with it… it’s not like I could not speak up. Really… I didn’t mind”, she blushes trying to shake off the awkward moment. “Perhaps we should be getting back to your friends. I am sure Olivia should be back by now”, she chuckles.

After strolling side by side back down the soft white sand, they came face to face with leering eyes and smirks. “LI… where have you been man?”, Drake hides a grin. “I could ask you the same...couldn’t I ?, Liam responds.

Olivia pulls Saige to the side , “where were you?’, she whispers. “I suppose i was a distraction for you and ….Drake suddenly disappearing from the beach?”,Saige shakes her head while arching her brow in the direction of Olivia. The two friends turn to glance at the two guy friends amused. “How long have been screwing Drake?”, she blurts out quiet enough for Liv to hear. “Who says i’m screwing Drake?”, she stoically stares trying to not give away her fear of being discovered. “I would say , maybe the hickey that your wearing right now… that you did not arrive with to this beach.”, Saige chuckles shaking her head. Olivia ghosts her hands around her neck trying to locate said hickey. “Are you ready to go Saige?Aren’t you getting tired or perhaps you want to take another stroll with Liam ?”, she quirks. “Haha...very funny. Maybe we should go, i could definitely get into trouble if I remained on this beach.”, she smiles making eye contact with Liam. He smiles back at her innocent doe like eyes as he approaches the girls. “ I hope you enjoyed the get together Saige… i look forward to doing it again… hopefully soon?” Liam locks eyes with Saige, completely oblivious to Olivia’s presence. “Ahem”, Olivia clears her throat, “Well Liam, thanks for inviting us , it was an enjoyable afternoon.”

He lifts Saige’s hand again to graze her delicate skin with his lips. “ Thank you for not objecting to me crashing your party.”. She smiles memorizing his handsome face silently as if she would never see him again. “Good night Liam”, she leans in and softly kisses his cheek in gratitude.He slowly closes his eyes for a moment, committing the feel of her soft lips on his skin to memory. He opens his alluring blue eyes staring at her, “Good night Lady Saige”, he turns to her cheek and places a gentle kiss.

Olivia started back up the path toward her waiting car, giving the two a chance to have a moment. “I’d … I better get going. Thanks again.”, she slowly turns walking away , glancing back seeing his eyes never leaving her as she made her way up the same path. She couldn’t wipe the grin from her face as she slid into the car beside Olivia. “ I must say… you move quickly Saige”, she chuckles as the tires slowly treads against the gravel heading back home.

“I have no idea what your talking about Liv”, she turns to face the window as the beach becomes a smaller vision.

“Earth to Liam.. man, that was unreal”,Drake laughs at the sight of his best friend obviously stuck in place. “Huh… you were saying something?”, he mumbles. “Man Liam, you even missed Kiki and Penelope leaving without you saying bye.” Liam runs his hands through his blonde hair, processing the events of the afternoon. Drake was not used to seeing his friend in such a visibly emotionally moved state. Liam was always the image of propriety,poise, and grace under pressure. Within a single afternoon with the girl from Texas, he was truly at a loss. “Drake… wow, i have no idea how i could have blown it so quickly. She’s… she is breathtaking”,Liam sounds spellbound from his very own interaction.

“Well … I have good news and bad news… good news is you have all summer prince charming to get to know her better… bad news is how are you going to handle saying goodbye when she has to go home?”, Drake slaps his buddy on the shoulder, finding comedy in his situation. “I suppose we could take things slow.. Get to know one another on a closer level.”,Liam thinks back to his time with Saige. “So how do you think she will handle finding out you are a member of the royal family?”, Drake gestures toward the exit. “ Come on loverboy… lets get you home before you turn into a frog.”, he laughs. “Drake I just want to take things one day at a time. We shall see where this summer takes me… Saige”, he mutters to himself as he follows Drake to the waiting SUV.

Olivia and Saige arrive back at Lythikos an hour later. Saige lost count of the number of times her mind drifted to Liam on the drive.His face and tall build flashed through her mind, the feel of his lips on her cheek, on her hand, his smile, all of it haunted her thoughts. “Saige, look i’m glad you had a good time, but just take the time to enjoy your summer.”, she warns with such care in her tone .

“Liv.. i spent a glorious afternoon with a handsome guy, that’s all. Liam was nothing but charming and respectful of me. We kept each other company, while our FRIENDS, slipped off . Nothing more… nothing less. Now…. night Liv. I am sure you will be busy with your secret par amour.”, she giggles as she leads LIv to the door. Saige closes the door behind Olivia and sashays over to the bed , falling back thinking of the next encounter with... “Liam”, she lets her mind wander to the debonair guy from the beach. Thinking...“This is gonna be quite the summer.”

[umccall71]

Chapter 3

Characters:Prince Liam x (mc) Lady Saige

Rating:Mature Content includes profanity, sexual content,talks about depression.

Word Count:2896

Disclaimer: All characters used are sole property of Pixelberry. I am simply borrowing them for entertainment.

Summary:After a summer of a Lifetime Prince Liam thought he could have it all. He was carefree, free, and sharing time with the woman of his dreams. When life as easy a balancing act between love and duty, he realizes his truths are lies, wrong is right, and decisions do have consequences.Lady Saige never imagined she would be one of his consequences. When an act of utter horror throws her world into a tailspin.

Warning: This series contains subject matter of depression and hopelessness .The story may trigger certain individuals. Please be advised. If your reading this series you are acknowledging you are at least 18 +.

~~~~~~~~

Tags

@hopefulmoonobject @elles-choices

~~~~~~~

A few days later Liam drove himself over to Olivia’s estate to pick up Saige for their dinner plans.He drove a Rhodium Silver F type Jaguar convertible. He wanted to appear normal, yet impress Saige. He was greeted at the door by one of his closest friends, Olivia. “Liam.. I’m not sure what you have in mind, but you hurt her and I will commit treason again a member of the royal family.”, she narrowed her eyes glaring at Liam.

“Olivia, I have no ulterior motives where Saige is concerned. I find her … refreshing and would simply like to spend time with her getting to know better.”, he smiles apologetically. Before Liam could say another word, Saige descended the grand staircase. She was positively glowing as she sauntered down the stairs smiling in his direction.

He took in her beauty, noticing the lady in red backless midi dress with a spin at the bottom. The dress was flattering to her curves and complexion. She wore her auburn hair is a sexy loosely fishtail braid cascading to the side. She paired the dress with a pair of red peep toe strappy suede sandals.Olivia silently laughed watching Liam’s reaction to laying eyes on Saige in this dress.Liv whispered, “she knocks your socks off huh?”

Liam leans down and kisses the back of her hand, you … you look stunning lady Saige”, he was breathless. Liam could not tear his gaze away from her eyes… which were sparkling like the ocean beneath the early morning sunrise. “ Good evening Liam”, she softly spoke his name. He bowed his head to her in acknowledgment, “ Good evening Lady Saige. Are you ready for our evening?”, his baritone tone was like velvet when he whispered near her ear. Saige felt a slight thrill in the close proximity to Liam. She cast a playful smirk as she glanced at him over her shoulder. “ I’m ready when you are.” With that being said… they set off on a quiet evening out.

Liam opened her car door, allowing her to slide into the sleek, sexy roaring luxury sports car. He glanced over to gauge her reaction as the car hugged the curves of the road along the coastline heading into the capital. She couldn’t stop smiling as she took in the picturesque beauty of the drive. A few times , he noticed her eyes close just soaking it in with each passing moment. A short time later, they pull up to a quaint little bistro nestled between the library and a few small collectible shops. He helped her out of the car and tapped the side entrance door to the restaurant to gain access. Saige side eyes Liam wondering why they didn’t enter from the front door she noticed on the way in. Upon entering, Saige noticed how empty the restaurant was for the time of evening and the day of the week. She figured there would be patrons enjoying a quiet meal discussing the work week.The waiter guided them to a hidden nook off near an uninhabited corner of the restaurant.

“This is a lovely restaurant… are they usually this empty this time of evening?”, she inquired quietly. “ I would think with it being a Thursday… there would be more traffic here.”, she smiled at the rich mahogany woods and vibrant sea blues and turquoise decor. The lighting soft and muted, the flicker of candles on the tables lending a glow to the patrons.

“ How did you find this place Liam? It’s not very large, but that’s a good thing. You want to take away from the ambiance of the restaurant. I like a place where the food is the star of the show..”, she grins as the manager came over to personally greet Liam and Saige.The older, balding gentleman greeted Liam with a hug… familiarity evident from the exchange. “How have you been this beautiful evening?”, he smiled widely while eying the young lady sitting across from Liam. “Who is this πανέμορφος (panémorfos) beauty?”, he asked with a rich Greek accent . Liam smiled and Saige blushed where her cheeks were tinged red, she became flush. “ Yiorgos… this is my new friend, Saige. She’s visiting our fair country from America. So … I really need to impress her with your delicious cuisine.”, he chuckled . Yiorgos’s eyes darted back and forth between the two . “ I will surprise you with the best of the house. I will send over my finest Ouzo.”, he boasted. He disappeared into the kitchens.

Liam could not take his eyes off of Saige. He felt a warmth in his chest as he locked eyes with her. He could not look away. She looked around wondering what he was staring at around her. “Do I...have something on my face?, she questioned.

“Why would you think you have something on you? I just happen to think your beautiful and it’s a little difficult to get you out of my head”,he shrugged and shot her a crooked grin.Saige’s eyes veered down to the cloth napkin, staring processing what he had just said. Saige was momentarily speechless before a waiter bought the Ouzo over to the table, pouring the drinks and removing himself from the interaction quickly.

“How did you manage to make dinner plans in a restaurant this nice … to have only the two of us dining here?”, she quirked her brow waiting for his response. Liam tried to contain his smirk and evade her questions. He didn’t want to be evasive, but he also wondered what she would think of the real Liam.

“Did you ask for a private party or something?”, she chuckled.

“ My family has been coming here for years. My mother and father would make plan to come here to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. I remember my mother would bring me here when we would spend time together at the library. She made a point of it being just she and I for lunches. She would ask me … about my day and plans for my next birthday. Over the years… after she died, my brother would come here with his dates , or my father , when he reminisced of their time together.”Saige recognized a kindred spirit of sadness in his voice and eyes. She reached across the table , she gripped his hand comfortingly. “That was nice that you all continued to return. The owner must really like your family,”, she laughed trying to lighten the mood.

“Well… there’s that and security requirements.”, he spoke nonchalantly.

“Wait.. what? What does that mean? Why would your family have security concerns?”, she glanced quizzically.

My family is in the public eye quite a bit and to have a few places that we can just unwind … is needed.”, he said.

“Really? Did you bring your girlfriends here as well? You mentioned that your brother made use of the private restaurant.”, she rests her chin against her balled fist.

“ That… that’s not really something I saw a desire to do. I spent most of my time hanging out with close friends or time alone. The girls my brother brought here were seeking of the spotlight.. to be seen with … with my brother was welcomed.”, he smiled softly.

Moments later the food started to arrive to the table. The plethora of Gyros,Dolmades,Souvlaki,Moussaka, the final touch a decadent dessert of baklava .They fell into a comforting silence enjoying the evening and the food. They traded mmms and aahs over the timeless lingering flavors that saturated their taste palettes.After awhile, the table was being cleared and Saige picked up her line of questioning.

“You never told me what you family does to garner that type of attention.”, she cupped the side of her face as she stared attentively awaiting an answer.

“Saige… my family ,my father happens to be the ruler of Cordonia”, he whispered in passing.

“Ruler???... as in King of Cordonia?, her blue eyes widened in realization. “ So that makes you … a prince?, she gasped in shock. Saige’s hand flies up to cover her mouth and her eyes widened, “Liam… you're the prince?”

Liam released a deep breath he never realized he was holding, “Well yes and no… my brother is the crowned prince, he’s next in line for the throne.”, he slowly shook his head while trying to make his point. “ I hope this doesn’t change your thoughts about spending time with me.”, he swallowed the knot in his throat.

Saige paused for a few seconds, she whispered, “ why would you not lead off by telling me your a member of the royal family?” She sighed, “ how often do you take women out like this? This is a little bit of a shock…”, she trailed off.Liam reached across the table.. reaching for her hand desperately needing to convince her of a compelling reason to keep his secret.

“ Saige”, he gasped , “ this is not me… this is not my normal.My brother is used to all the attention and bouncing from woman to woman in the public eye. I’ve never had a need for all the attention. I have never felt moved to want to impress anyone or subject them to headlines.”

“Wait Liam… how can you move about without being hounded by the press? I would think you would have security with you.”, she inquired with her brows raised in surprise.

Liam flashed a guilty grin, he paused,” I do.. I do have security with us here tonight. It was a battle to convince my security to allow me to drive myself. He followed behind at a comfortable distance… to not make you feel uncomfortable.”, he paused thoughtfully, “I hope this doesn’t affect your decision to be out with me tonight.”

“I enjoyed spending time with Liam last night and tonight. It was you, not your title that convince me to want to spend time with you. It was the gentle, caring, exciting man that made me want to spend an evening with you. This doesn’t sway me one way or the other. I’m a big girl… We can just enjoy this evening.”, she smiled.

“What would a perfect first date consist of for you Saige?”, he asked leaning forward, listening intently, never breaking his eye contact.

“ Well, this is pretty nice, a quiet dinner… I guess following up with a slow walk close by the restaurant… or even a stroll on the beach. We’d spend time just hanging out. I enjoy dinner, a movie, bowling, the beach, music… any of those things would suit me just fine”, she giggled. Liam stood up, extended his hand to her to stand, wave at the manager acknowledging they were leaving. Dinner had already been arranged and paid for prior to their date. Liam guided Saige out of the restaurant, gently placing his hand at the small of her back. She felt a spark in that moment, his finger tips touching her bare skin. She softly bow out a cool breath unnoticed. Liam opened the restaurant door, escorted Saige back to the sports car and they continued the evening taking a drive back down to the private beach.

“ Why me?... I’m sure you could have your pick of any woman to spend time with, but me?”, Saige was questioning his decision. Liam took her hand in his and slowly entwined his fingers with her fingers. He strided down the beach with her after allowing her a moment to remove her heels. “Saige… why not you? You had me at hello, I had never met anyone like you… so down to earth, so sweet and funny. There was no pretense when we talked yesterday. You were open to getting to know me. Other women in this country know the image of a prince, whispers of the royal family, but none of that mattered to you. Even when I briefly mentioned the monarchy, you let the subject drift away in the night.”, he paused in their stroll. Liam turned to face her, blue eyes meeting under the moonlight, deep in thought contemplating her reaction.

“You seem like you have something on your mind Liam? You know you can talk to me about anything.”, she smiled gently , focused on his eyes. She felt his thumb moving across the back of her hand, grazing her knuckles. “ I was thinking… how very much I would like to kiss you. Nothing too forward, but watching you beautiful lips… I wondered how they’d feel against mine.” Saige felt a slight breeze against her face and her back. She smirked, “ well .. go for it.” Liam slowly cupped the side of her face, lowering his lips to meet hers, feeling a warm sensation of her mouth, so soft. He felt an electricity in that moment. This was not too presumptuous, it lasted several seconds. Liam rested his his lips on her a few moments following, savoring this first. He hesitated to pull away, opening his eyes and leaning his forehead gently against her forehead.They smiled softly while she was biting her bottom lip. “That was nice Liam.”, she reached up touching his face gently. “ This has been a wonderful night, but perhaps we should go… I’m sure Olivia is wondering where we are.”, she chuckled.Liam smiled, “ I suppose you right… I must say… I’m going to hate seeing this night come to an end.”Saige could see he was genuinely happy with her, but were she being honest, she didn’t want the night to end either . They can’t stop smiling and glancing at each other. Saige brushed her feet off before putting her heels back on and the drive back to Lythikos .

Liam found himself reaching out for her hand and gently kissing the back of her hand. He had never felt such a pull with any woman before… he felt a need to touch her in one way or another. He glanced into the rear view mirror the closer they got to Olivia’s house. Saige noticed the black SUV behind them that had been inconspicuously absent all evening. She supposed she hadn’t noticed until he mentioned it at the restaurant. She grinned at Liam as he pulled up to the front of the estate. “I had a nice time tonight Liam.”, she whispered turning to see his eyes. In that moment, Saige felt a heat wave building, anticipating if he would kiss her again. She was excited, yet nervous and she smirked. Saige turned her head , eyes darted from his eyes to his lips, signally she was open to see what happens. He unbuckled her seatbelt followed by his, his hand slid up embracing her face, sliding gently behind her head, he leaned in and gently kissed her lips, he wanted to go for it, but didn’t want her to be turned off by his forwardness. Liam felt an overwhelming feeling of wanting in that moment. Their lips slowly moving in sync , her lips parted ever so slightly better allowing him access to her mouth. “May I ?”, he whispered softly between kisses. Saige slowly nodded, and in that moment, Liam thought , what the hell… I may never have this opportunity again… his lips moved slowly against hers in a fervent desire. They met gently brushing lips, lips parted ever so sweetly when his tongue moved past her lips to meet hers in tender Union. They massaged tongues , careful not to be too aggressive. It was just right balance of sweet and sensual. Saige’s hand slid up to the nape of his neck , playing with the fine hairs as she leaned into the kiss .After several moments, they parted breathless.

Saige giggled, not believing that she had done that, but no regrets. “ I should really go inside now.”Liam nodded smiling, he opened his door heading around to open her door to walk her to the front door. “I guess this is good night Liam.”, she stared into his eyes, punch drunk from their kiss. “Good night Saige… sleep well.” He leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek before turning back toward the car to head back to the palace.He stopped when he heard Saige call out to him, “Liam… I do love flowers, but you don’t have to fill the house with every flower in Cordonia “, she laughed knowing he would know precisely what she meant. “Duly noted”, he gestured with his hand before opening his drivers side door and disappeared down the drive followed by security.

Saige went inside where she was taken aback by the sudden emergence of Olivia wearing a silk bathrobe, “ I take it you had a good time with Liam?”, she quipped. “You left out a pretty important piece about him… being a prince?!” Olivia shrugged, “ it wasn’t my secret to tell.. I figured he would tell you in the right time.”Saige smiles, “ in reference to your question… I had a wonderful time… about a good of a date as you had tonight”, she grinned as they ascended the stairs toward their rooms. Olivia’s green eyes flashed dark, “who says my date is over?”, she smirked walking back to her room , “Good night Saige”, she waved over her shoulder not looking back to see her jaw drop in shock. Saige shook her head laughing as she made her way into her room and turning in for the night.