#they have no idea what lack of engagements is *i have a high pitched voice this does not sound cool coming out of my mouth*

[rise-my-angel]

.

[slickchickchocolatier]

HHP - Chapter 7 (18+ MDNI)

Here we go! lol. Not proofread, sorry, I had to retype this in since i couldn't copy and paste (yes because tumblr hates me.)

“Come on.”

Ethan’s voice was deep, rough, and reserved as he breathes in deeply, recovering from the tension and high he had just succumbed to by the beauty that lays in his grasp beneath him. With his hand around your neck, he grips somewhat tightly, not enough to restrict your air way, but it was tight enough to keep you from merging away from him.

With a smirk, he displays an infatuated look of amusement as he becomes obsessed, as you allow your devious side, Eden to fully take over. Her playful and sinister smile as she narrows her eyes towards his gaze, teasing him with the lack of fear and distress that you would otherwise normally display, but that’s why you weren’t there, yet it was strange, it felt like watching a movie, but from where your perspective was, Ethan was the main feature of the screen. Feeling numb but aware of everything happening, you listen as you become familiar to the sound of your voice, which was now higher pitched than usual. The urge to do unspeakable things with the man before you were tempting and provided pleasant feelings in your chest, on a normal basis, you would shutter at the thought of performing some of the ideas that your Eden side would think of.

Everything that would normally bring a smile to your face, such as thoughts of being at your favorite café with Heeseung, walking with him, talking with him, and engaging in the intense yet passionate intimate moments, have lost the potent effect on you. Instead, thoughts of dominating, challenging, and sexually tormenting Ethan was all you could think of, it was an obsessed thought that lingered in the linings of your mind as you felt joy and excitement in the act of doing such.

‘What…is happening…to me?’

You mentally question at whether you were you or if you were Eden, or even…who was Eden? Was she you? Was she her own entity? Is she like Ethan, whereas you are like Heeseung?

‘Stay put and go to sleep. Let me have him.’

The sudden bell-like voice mentally disturbs your thought process as Eden reaches you, compelling you to ‘sleep’ and to let her remain in full control. Was this the reason why you would blackout and not remember anything pass a certain point during sex with Ethan? Was it because….of Eden?

‘Who are you?’

‘I’m everything you’re not.’

‘W-what?’

‘I am his equal, and your savior.’

‘What is this? How did you get here? Were you always here?’

‘I was born when he called for me.’

‘Ethan?’

‘He craves me, yearns for me. He seeks me out, and I for him.’

‘I…I-‘

‘Don’t think about it. Learn to embrace me, as I have embraced you.’

‘I don’t understand…’

‘You don’t need to. All you need to know, is that you have felt the gentle touch of a man but have also felt the sting of his anger. Whether it was with Heeseung, Ethan, or even Samuel, you lost touch with your emotions as you put up with the pain, and anguish they have given you. They were your downfall, even the good ones.’

‘…….’

‘It’s okay, I get it. But sometimes, it’s good to bite back, don’t you think?’

‘…Y-yes?’

‘You and Heeseung, are both, God's eyes. You both see things in divine light.’

‘Then what does that make you and Ethan?’

“Tsk…Ethan and I are the two moths that were drawn to the light, we see you, we become you, yet we are different. We see the world differently, he and I, and that’s why we belong together. We belong to fly with our broken wings and walk the earth with our bare feet while you and your Heeseung soar through the heavenly skies. You are Heaven, and I am Hell.’

The mental conversation you shared with Eden felt like an eternity, yet it was merely two seconds as Eden’s smile crept wider, seducing Ethan into the abyss of lust and intrigue. Unbeknownst to you and Eden, Ethan was mentally in touch with his other side, allured by his equal.

‘Why is she smiling like that? And why does it…’

‘You’re not used to it, are you? Y/n’s timid and surrendering nature brings you joy, and Eden’s bold and daring desire for you adds the heat of passion within you. But it looks like you crossed a bridge that had never been crossed.’

‘Since when did you become a fucking philosopher?’

‘You know how observant I am.’

‘Tsk. Yeah.’

‘She’s challenging you.’

‘I know.’

‘But you’re not angry?’

‘No…I’m not.’

‘That’s surprising. I always thought you’d be offended if Y/n ever did this, let alone Eden. She really is like you.’

‘Yeah…and you’re a lot like Y/n.’

‘Why did you have to be so rough with her? I’ve told you so many times to be more gentle, with Eden, that’s one thing, she can take it. But Y/n is so delicate.’

‘If she’s so delicate then why didn't you do something when that bitch Tiff insulted her?’

‘…….’

‘You’re too reserved in your lane Heeseung, gotta stake your claim once in a while.’

‘Isn’t that why I have you?’

‘It’s exactly why you have me. You just don’t like to share.’

‘Yeah…maybe. So, what are you going to do?’

‘Everything. I’m going to do everything. But it’s going to take a lot, I need to remain here and need you to sit back.’

‘……’

‘Relax and support me on this one, will you?’

‘Fine. You can have her all to yourself, but when y/n comes back, she's mine.’

‘Can’t stand to be without her, can you? Even without Eden you start to go crazy.’

‘Same with you.’

‘Yeah…we do love our girls. Now let me tame mine.’

*Chuckles* ‘Yeah…go fuck that smile off her face, Ethan.’

Ethan leans in, the moment he bids Eden with his calm words of ‘Come on.’ Eden initiates the first move, working against the grip around her neck, she raises her face up to meet with Ethan’s lips, kissing him as she wraps her arms around his neck.

His hands viciously massage and gropes her entire body as he rips apart the delicate, button up summer dress, exposing her nude form. With an arm around her waist, and another gripping her thigh, Ethan lifts her body as Eden wraps her legs around him. With ease, he uses just a small measure of his strength to suspend her in the air, supported by his broad frame. Feeling the cool surface of the wall against her back, Eden lets out a surprised moan from the sensation of being pinned against the hard surface in a rather harsh and arousing manner. Ethan smirks as he continues to inhale her moan in the kiss, flickering his tongue repeatedly into her mouth as she regains her composure, not willing to back down…not yet.

Feeling his groin digging into her soft spot in between her thighs, Eden initiates a turn of events as she grips on to the back of Ethan’s head, with a fist full of his shaggy hair, she pulls him back, causing the man to groan through gritted teeth as she begins to harshly suck on his Adam’s Apple. Stumbling back from the stinging pleasure of his hair being pulled and his sensitive spot being attended to, Eden takes advantage as she leverages her hand against the wall behind, gaining momentum to push their weights as Ethan stumbles back on to the bed with Eden gaining the upper hand and in the position of dominance.

Sitting on the mattress in an upright position, Ethan’s back is pressed up against the headboard, Eden kisses him in a rough manner, both her hands grip his neck with her thumbs stroking the hard lump on his neck as he parts his lips open from the pleasure. Moving her hands down, without breaking the kiss, she grabs the material of his shirt, and forcibly removes it as she re-engages and assumes her oral assault on his neck, his ears, and his mouth.

Just as she began to smile at her ability to shift the leadership role, Ethan commits to a similar act she had just issued to him, with a hand full of her long silky strands, he grabs hold from the side of her head, pulling her head to a tilt to expose her neck and clavicle. A yelp emerges from her mouth as he bites down on the soft skin on the nook of her delicate neck, followed by a series of sloppy licks as he scoffs and smiles against his mark.

Pulling her head back, slightly triggered by him leaving his mark on her amidst the numerous purple shadows he caused earlier from him sucking on Y/n, Eden pulls back a bit, gives a quick glance to the snarky smirk on the boy’s face, before admitting a single and harsh slap to his left cheek.

Quickly recovering after feeling the sting of her palm, Ethan glances up to Eden with a devious smile.

‘Heh...good.’ He mentally notes.

Grabbing her by the waist, digging his fingers into the suppleness of her skin, Ethan pushes her frame back, where her backside makes full contact with the bedding as he places the density of his weight atop, shoving her legs open wide as he nibbles her ear.

All the while, you and Heeseung both watch and feel the pleasure and pain of the assaulting pair. With Ethan and Eden being in full control, the environment turned chaotic as their bodies were pushing and shoving, banging up against walls and tables, knocking over anything that was hanged up or stationed on a flat surface.

The slapping, grabbing, biting, pinching, licking, and other acts of tough love is continued as you both witness and feel the intense passion the pair displays. As Ethan grabs Eden’s thigh, your thigh, you felt the burn as he shoves his two fingers inside the cavity you share with your alter ego. With absolutely no intent to afford you or her the opportunity to stimulate and prepare for it, you hear Eden’s high pitch scream as she bears the physical act of his ferocity, while you feel the pain and pleasure of it. As she screams and moans, you do the same internally.

Feeling his fingers become coated with the glaze of the sticky moisture her body was producing, your body, Ethan’s arousal nears its peak as Heeseung feels the weakness in his knees from the overwhelming sense of desire as they both witness the beauty of you and Eden succumbing to the penetrated act. After a series of slamming into you and Eden with the base of his palm hitting the skin underneath your folds, causing it to become tender and ultra-sensitive from the harsh slaps as he thrusted his fingers repeatedly, you and your alter ego watch as the man on top finally pauses his performance. Your eyes widen as you hear Eden breath out an unsteady moan, both of you witness as Ethan brings his fingers up, with his eyes widened in malicious gaze, his pupils visible as the light highlights his iris’. His tongue lays out as he opens his mouth wide, his teeth visible in a gasping feature as he drags his coated fingers against his tongue, and smearing your body’s product all over his lips as he sucks them clean, relishing in the taste of you.

“Mmm…you taste sweet.” He remarks in a snarky manner, but his voice caught both, you and Eden, off guard as the tone he carried was that of himself, and Heeseung. They both knew that you were watching while Eden was in control, of course they would. They've mastered this concept of two minds, two entities, both sharing one body.

Unsure of how Eden took it, you assumed that she was just as triggered as you were, as the gaze of the face in front of you was a mixture of Ethan's malice and Heeseung's cockiness. Between Ethan and Eden, you were willing to accept the two displaying a course of friction, allowing them to have their own interlude, as they both had taken each other's antics personally. Yet for you to receive a hint of Heeseung's demeanor in the mix, that was just...

'How dare he?...'

Suddenly Eden chimes in 'I told you, it's good to bite back sometimes.'

With a steady breath in your chest, you bid Eden.

'Then bite...hard.'

'I intend to.'

Swinging a leg to hit his side, Eden simultaneously pulls his neck to the side as she swings over to flip and be back on top of the boy. He barely puts up any resistance, as evident by his chuckle, knowing that he still had the upper hand as he brought you and Eden to near orgasm, yet stopped and enforced you both to witness his petty act of licking his fingers.

Yet his victory didn’t last long, for once she gained the position of being on top, Eden reaches down and grabs hold of his lengthy shaft, his jeans impressively remained attached to his body by the belt, as his cock remained out through the open zipper.

Massaging the wide girth in between her fingers, Eden quickly acts by latching her mouth to the only other sensitive spot that Ethan has, his Adam’s Apple. Though this time, she didn’t just commit to harsh sucking. Instead, she flickers her tongue, moans into her kisses, causing the vibrations of her tone to electrify through his skin, causing his leg to jerk. He reaches up and slaps his hands as he grips tightly to her arms, trying to pin them against her side to restrict her movement, yet it was pointless as she had everything in her grasp already, his dick and his neck.

Repeatedly licking the hard lump on his throat, Eden grazes her teeth against it, gently nibbing it as she twists and circulates the tip of her tongue all over it. Ethan groans out, his mouth stutters open as he uncontrollably swallows hard, and squints his eyes shut. His fingers dig into her skin, as he feels her guide the tip his cock into her wet and heated skin. Rubbing it up and down in between the folds, causing the head to become moist and slippery, she continues to tease as she motions it in circular movement with an occasional slap against her inner thigh, causing Ethan to buck up from the abrupt feeling of the sting.

Finally, Eden pushes him in, having him enter inside fully as she submerges herself down on his groin to enforce the commitment of full penetration. Taking a moment to relish the feeling of being filled by him, Eden closes her eyes and tilts her head back, her mouth shakes open as she lets out a nearly silent moan.

Ethan was also feeling the effects of immense pleasure as he calms down his rough demeanor and loosens his grip for a moment. Just as he started to stroke her arms in a tender manner, succumbing to initiating passionate love-making with his Eden as the overwhelming sense of lust and love hits him, Eden slaps his hands away and glares at him.

“Fuck you, Ethan.”

Placing a hand on his neck, putting down her weight to pin him down on the bed, she begins the act of riding him. Her hips roll up and down, the sensation of the cool air hitting the skin of his shaft as she rides up, only for him to feel the immense heat when she caves down. Irked at refusing his act of offering peace, Ethan was harshly given a taste of his own medicine from when you had tried to do the same earlier as he took you forcibly from behind.

Increasing her speed, Eden begins to bounce, while remaining the grip on Ethan’s neck. Her gasping moans become louder as she continues to glare at the man beneath her. The feeling was unlike anything Ethan has ever felt before, it was intense. Too intense. For each time she bounced, Ethan let out a moan, before he knew it, they were both moaning in sync, filling the room with echoes of sexual lust.

Reaching up with her free hand, she massages her breast as she continues to ride Ethan, the sight of her fondling her mounds nearly did Ethan in. Sensing it, Eden spoke out.  

“Cum for me like a good boy. Do it because I said so.”

Her words were like a challenge to a knife fight. Accepting it, Ethan irked a brow, sensing that Eden was striving for him to cum with her following suit as evident by the quaking of her inner walls, Eden became ridden with shock as she felt the harsh grasp on the sides of her waist as he pulls her in, her chest smacking against his, causing a rift of pain to ride throughout her sensitive breasts. Locking his arms around her back, with a forearm extending upwards to the back of her head, Ethan pins her head down to the nook of his own neck. His face leans into her ear, you and Eden feel the gasping vapor of his hot breath as he lingers out long and exaggerated exhales followed by a rough yet low, a very low and slow tone.

“Ahh…you first baby. Be a good girl and cum for daddy.”

Just as he finished his wording, locking your bodies together, Ethan relentlessly thrusts in a fast and heated pace. It was too fast, too rough, and too intense. You and Eden felt the jack-rabbit tempo hitting your skin as the base of his groin hits you both hard.

You were rendered hopeless as your moans were mixed with Eden’s high-pitched screams, unable to move as he forces your bodies to be plastered to one another. A battle of surrendering, Eden tried to regain composure but was knocked out of it by the repeated thrusts. He was too damn fast, she didn’t have any time to recover as the intensity was not deterred by the amount of energy he was utilizing as she felt him bucking upwards every split second, causing the moisture that built up in her cavity to morph it a thick, foamy and creamy like substance that dripped down and coated his shaft.

With the last bit of whatever strength she could surmise from the state he had you both in, Eden slowly reaches her fingers up, feeling around only for them to meet with his lips, to which Ethan took delight in opening his mouth, subtly tilting his face to gain a mouth full as he gently bites down on her fingers, all the while he lazily glares down at her thatch of silky strands while hearing her screaming into his neck. With the feeling of his tongue playing with her fingers, the nibble of his teeth, and the feeling of the suction as he feasts on her delicate fingers, Eden, amidst her pleasing screams, barely smirks for just a second.

‘Uh-uh….G-gotcha.’ She mentally notes in between her intense moaning.

With her fingers attached to his mouth, she forcibly guides his face away, once again latching on to his Adam’s Apple, causing him to pause his insane thrusting tempo. Pull him upright into a seated position where their bodies remaining plastered, Eden began to roll her hips once more, all the while still performing her oral assault on his neck. Releasing her fingers from his mouth at the process of groaning out, Ethan stutters out.

“Goddammit…f-fuck! Could you stop w-with my fucking neck?”

Pulling her by the hair on the back of her head, Ethan pulls her away as Eden was committed to a bite, pulling some of the skin on his throat and causing minor bleeding. Ethan, with his mouth pinned shut in what looked to be irritation and slight anger, or annoyance, glared at his girl as the collection of overflowing saliva builds up behind his lips from the intense pain. No pleasure.

Glaring at Eden, with you watching, Ethan’s eyes pierced right through the both of you. Without breaking the eye contact, his directs his face downward just a tad as he spits the excess saliva in his mouth onto your breasts.

“Hmm…ouch.” He simple remarks in a low and reserved manner, although he clearly was feeling the burn of the skin puncture on his Adam’s Apple. You couldn’t deny, for that to be his sensitive spot, it had to hurt quite a bit. The image of the blood slightly dripping down from the lump looked very uncomfortable and you knew, Eden’s boldness went too far, yet the latter didn’t think so much less care.

With his arm around her waist, Ethan takes his free hand and slaps his palm as he grips one of her breasts. Giving out a slight yelp, Eden winces in pain as he squeezes, hard, while pressing the mound in as if he was trying to shove it into her chest cavity.

“Hurts?” He merely asks as he raises a cocky brow.

“W-what do you think?” in between the wince of pain, Eden manages to speak out, though her tone was shaky.

“Hmm…” Ethan hums as he lets out a closed mouth smirk, narrowing his eyes.

“How long do you plan to keep this up?” He asks, while still shoving her breast inward, as his arm around her lower back pulls her in, causing a calisthenic force to take place.  

“D-depends…uh! Are you d-done being a scumbag?”

“Me? A scumbag?”

“Yessss.”

“Oh…come on baby, you don’t mean that. We love each other, don’t we?”

“ ‘Love’ is a delicate term Ethan, I can take it just as easy as I can give it. Don’t push me.”

“Push you?” Ethan remarks as his grip around her lower back pulls her in and downward, causing his length to submerge deeper inside. Eden slightly lets out a prolonged shaky moan.

“But…it seems like you like being pushed…huh baby?” Ethan scoffs as he watches Eden slightly struggle, trying to relieve herself from him pushing himself in deeper by using her own weight against her. It was no use, with his grip around her and his hand rendering her weak with pain from his harsh grasp on her breast, she sighs out.

“…What about you…Ethan?”

Upon hearing his name, Ethan was shocked as he felt a bit of force around his waist. Using her legs, which had been the only part of her body that was left free for her to use as her upper body was trapped in his embrace, Eden uses the momentum as she crosses her legs around him, pull Ethan in as she, much to her own physical torment and pleasure, begins to roll her hips. As much as it was working against her, it was doing her the favor of getting Ethan to become weakened with the lustful pleasure as his cock began to feel the rippling effect of her hips rolling, her walls tightening, her rear gently kissing the skin of his groin as she dips in and rises out, starting off slowly as the built up tension causes their bodies to shake, enhancing her speed slowly.

Face to face, with their nose tips barely touching, their gasping moans and breathing grazing their faces, both alter egos began to succumb to the immense pleasure that they were feeling, meanwhile you began to internally call out Ethan’s name. Heeseung, calling out Eden’s.

“Ah!...F-fuck!” Ethan grits out, biting down on his lip.

At that moment, you felt your Eden side succumbing to the pleasure, as you had done long before. With the pleasure of feeling his throbbing length going in and out, she steadily increases the pace, not caring about the act of ‘winning’ any longer, Eden felt the longing for peace and her Ethan to take her, just like she always had. With her gentle and high-pitched voice, she lets out a peace offering tone.

“Uh…Ethan…”

Sensing the white flag in her voice, Ethan, for once in his life, mutually surrenders as he leans Eden back, and with a loving, raging passion any man would have to offer, he kisses his Eden in an endearing manner, while taking his hand to stroke her cheeks.

“Come on baby, let’s do it together. F-fuck I love you.” Ethan gasps out. Eden nods as they both continue their passionate kiss, embracing each other hard yet lovingly as the act of thrusting and hip rolling simultaneously continues. Over, and over, again…and again….and again…and again…and finally….

“Uh! E-Ethan…uh! I’m cu-“ Eden’s voice cut off by a scream of pleasure as Ethan yells into her neck, both cumming at the same time. The battle, despite with both entities to surrender in peace, ultimately became a tie.

Laying side by side on their backs, panting rigorously from the intense and heated performance that took place. You felt a visual rush as a flash of light blinds you for a second before you suddenly come into clear vision. It wasn’t like watching a film anymore, there was no bezzle ring of darkness that obscured your sight, and that’s when you realized, Eden went back, allowing you to come in control. Just the same, Heeseung emerges with Ethan retracting into dormancy.

You both were too weak to move, feeling the effects as you alter ego’s had control was one apparent yet not as intense, being in full control was more potent as you realized just how sore and exhausted your body felt, yet the tingling sensation of the orgasm still electrified your pelvis and chest.

Sweaty, panting, and staring at the ceiling, you and Heeseung remained stagnant, as you both were suddenly introduced to the feeling of what had transpired between Ethan and Eden. Gently grabbing your hand, while trembling from the over intense sensation he was recovering from, Heeseung raises it, not breaking his sight from the ceiling, as he interlocks his fingers with yours, signifying his peace offering since clearly, Ethan and Eden finally established their own, in a manner that suited them.

Closing your fingers around his, you both turn your heads to the side to look at each other. Gently chuckling at watching the entire scene go down, while also experiencing the feeling of their passion and love, you and Heeseung allowed the two entities to feel your own way of establishing peace.

Chapter 8

[uncloseted]

Hii! i was wondering if you’d have any advice on my problem!

I’m worried that I can be a little dumb. I know ‘intelligence’ manifests itself in different areas and I think I’m quite creative and very imaginative, I’m also good when it comes to academia, understanding what the professors want to see and writing strong essays.

But I think my main thing is that I lack common sense, and I can come accross as very ditzy, airy fairy kinda thing. I can write decently but I struggle to express myself when speaking/ I’m also very emotionally driven so I feel like I’m terrible at any kind of debate or very intellectually stimulating conversation 😭

I feel like I physically cannot think before I speak and I always say the silliest things and it’s okay because my friends love me for it but I do feel a bit insecure about it all!

I feel like I’m that person who never gets the joke, who always gets lost and has no sense of direction, and I just overall lack common sense. Stuff that comes super naturally to others around me will simply not occur to me ever 😭 I also feel very easily confused and lost!

Also I’m a blonde girl and I’m soft spoken and have a high-pitched voice, and I feel like that adds more and more to the ditzy image (that’s a sexism problem and not a me problem, but it’s still a thing)

In conclusion I am confused and seeking ur advice! 🥰I hope you’re doing wonderful btw!

So, the first thing that comes to mind is, if you haven't already, it may be worth being evaluated for neurodevelopmental conditions or learning disabilities. The reason I mention this is because a lot of people (especially girls) grow up feeling dumb when in fact they're just struggling with something going on in their brain. Girls with ADHD often present as being "spacey" or "dreamy" or "ditzy", but that's actually due to difficulty with distractability and memory. People with ADHD in general often have difficulty in conversation because they have trouble with impulsivity and can't take a beat to let another person finish their thought or to think about what they want to say. People with dyslexia often also have a poor sense of direction, and people with autism often feel like they "don't get the joke" or that they lack common sense because they struggle to pick up on social cues. There are lots of different types of disorders that cause differences in how people understand and process information. Of course, that may not be the case for you, but I just wanted to bring it up because some people struggle with these types of issues their entire lives without knowing what they are.

In terms of what you can do to try and improve your intelligence and common sense, I think it's just about practicing those skills.

For becoming (or seeming) more traditionally intelligent:

Practice active listening: When you're having a conversation with someone else, try to make a conscious effort to listen carefully to what they're saying instead of waiting for your turn to talk. Before you respond, take a beat to process their words and think before responding. This will help you avoid saying something you wish you hadn't and give you time to figure out what the appropriate response would be.

Slow down when you talk: This kind of follows from the last piece of advice, but try to talk more slowly and give yourself time to process your thoughts as you're talking. It's okay to pause in the middle of an idea to make it clear to yourself before saying it out loud.

Start doing "intellectual things": Expose yourself to a wide range of topics and perspectives. Read books, listen to podcasts, and engage in discussions with people who are really good in this area. This will help you broaden your understanding, develop stronger critical thinking skills, and be able to be more present in conversations that are intellectually complicated.

Seek self-improvement: Take opportunities to learn and grow. Attend workshops, join clubs or organizations that align with your interests, and seek feedback on how you're doing in those environments. Putting effort into self-improvement can help you build confidence and expand your skills.

In terms of improving common sense:

Increase your general knowledge: This kind of goes along with what I was talking about before, but expanding the amount of stuff you know will give you a wider range of information to pick from when you're trying to make a decision or solve a problem. Often, what we think of as "common sense" is just someone knowing something that we don't.

Pay attention to your surroundings: Another big part of common sense is being observant and noticing environmental cues that point you in the right direction (literally or figuratively). People with "common sense" are good at noticing what the people around them are doing and making a guess on what's appropriate based on that, or noticing things like signs that are explicitly telling them what to do.

Observe and learn from others: Pay attention to the people around you who have strong common sense skills. Observe how they approach different situations, make decisions, and solve problems. Once you know how they act in certain situations, you can start to do the same in your own life.

Reflect on past experiences: Take the time to reflect on your past experiences and think about the decisions you made. Were there alternative paths that could have led to better results? This reflection can help you learn from your mistakes and make more informed choices in the future.

Engage in critical thinking: Develop your ability to analyze situations objectively. Ask yourself questions like "What are the possible consequences of this action?" or "What are the underlying causes of this problem?" Critical thinking helps you evaluate information, identify patterns, and make good judgments of the situations you're in.

Practice problem-solving: Engage in activities that require problem-solving skills, such as puzzles, riddles, or logic games. These exercises can strengthen your ability to think logically and find practical solutions.

All of that said, you don't have to be what people think of as intelligent and you don't have to have what people think of as common sense. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, and it's okay to just accept that there are some things we'll never be good at and to let those things go. You're creative and imaginative and good at academic writing, and your friends and family love you just the way you are. It's good to want to improve, but it's also okay to say, "this is just how I am and I accept that about myself."

[keneestorytimelibrary]

Rockey Chapter 1

Chapter 1

‘So this is what it’s like to be cheated on?’ I thought to myself as I watched my “fiance” Danny, and my coworker, Veronica, make out. They didn’t even try to hide it; they were in the corner of the empty “break room” barely behind a coat rack. It was pathetic really…their moaning and high pitched giggling could be heard throughout the adjacent dining area. It wasn’t long before the noise gained the attention of the rest of the servers. 

My best friend Caden appeared next to me. Though I didn’t turn around to see him, I recognized his perfume. I could imagine how his face must have been: twisted and contorted into disgust, shock, and anger. And knowing how his personality was, I knew that his emotions would push him. Before the two had a chance to realize they had been caught, Caden had removed his favorite hoop earrings, pulled back his white button up sleeves and lunged at the two. Even with a fresh manicure set, Caden managed to fuck up both of their faces, and rip their uniforms. All without breaking a single nail. 

The two managers, who were on duty, had rushed over to the break room once they heard the commotion. Worried parents, and a few older guests were outraged over the entire thing, and began to complain. By the time the managers arrived, the remaining guests, and part of the back-of-house staff had joined the viewing. 

“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!” Jack yelled, running between the group, forcing them to stop. He was the youngest manager in the restaurant, and by far the most annoying. He had this habit of irritating people with his lack of common sense. He had started as a bartender two years ago, and managed to worm his way up to the top. He walked around like if he was higher up than anyone else, despite the fact that there were servers older than him. He would play favorites; only honoring those who chose to entertain his crack-pot ideas. It was just amazing to see how far ass-kissing can get you…

“Oh, I will tell you what the fuck is going on here!” Caden said, his shrieking voice carried throughout the entire restaurant. Caden attempted to swing again,but Jack held him back. Though Caden was very skinny, he had a lot of power; Jack could barely hold him back from attacking.

“You three, into the office NOW!” Ryan exclaimed as he ran inside the break room. He was a lot older than Jack; having been the manager of the Spanish restaurant since the beginning. If there was one person the staff and crew listened to, it was him. He was like the older grandpa in the group that everyone loved, and hated getting upset. 

The staff and guests had dropped their heads, as if they were in trouble, and returned back to their places. It was at that moment that Danny noticed my presence; I could only picture how I looked that very second. My hair, as always, was pulled into a messy bun that was unflattering. Working three jobs a week can do that to you. 

My average, black, watery eyes were hidden behind an old pair of aviator glasses that once belonged to my grandpa. My tan skin began to turn pale and ugly from the tears that would not stop falling. I could feel my nose begin to run, just adding onto the masterpiece that I called my face.

I could feel my breathing quicken, as I tried to desperately regain my composure. It was futile though; the more I tried to fix myself, the more tears fell down. Ten years of a relationship, and engagement flushed down the toilet within a matter of minutes. Every beautiful moment that we shared was quickly tainted by the image of Danny and Veronica, and my body desperately needed to be washed from it.

Had this been the first time? Was it something that I had done? Was there something wrong and unappealing about me? I mean, compared to me, Veronica was a stunning beauty. She was tall and thin, had long, wavy brown hair. There was not a pimple in sight, yet on my face, I could count half a dozen Mount Everests. Other than the blotchy makeup, and cat scratches on her face, she was the definition of an Instagram model.

Danny stood there, his mouth left wide open. He looked like he was trying to find an excuse. He kept opening his mouth, as if to say something, but no words came out. It was hard to stay angry with him when we normally argue, but the smeared lipstick on his face was the fuel to the increasing fire. Danny’s black hair was disheveled, and his apron was nearly torn apart. He looked like he felt guilty for getting caught. His eyes kept running between my own and the floor. That was one thing about him...that no matter how he was acting, I could tell how he felt by looking into his eyes. 

“I SAID MY OFFICE NOW!” Ryan screamed. The three of them began to make a slow walk towards the exit. Jack led the group out, not bothering to look at me. Caden followed, looking at me with pitiful eyes, secretly promising that this wasn’t over. Next was Veronica, who gave me a cocky smile, as if she would’ve done more if given the opportunity. And finally Danny...Danny didn’t even bother looking at me. His eyes were glued to the floor, as he quickly exited the break room. 

‘He couldn’t even look at me.’I thought. ‘The bastard couldn’t even look at me…’ I began to play around with the plain silver ring that he had given me last Christmas. He had saved up his tips for months to buy a simple wedding band. Though everyone criticised him for buying something so small, I loved it. I loved simple designs. I loved the thought behind every present anyone ever gave me. But as I continued to play with the ring, I couldn’t help but feel anger for the far fetched future that would never come true. I couldn’t help but feel that the simple wedding band became heavy, as if all of my insecurities, that were brought to light at this moment, focused onto that one object. 

Ryan was the last to leave. He stopped as he reached me, extending a hand to my shoulders. He looked at me with worried eyes. I tried to look at him, but my mind flew far past him. My never-ending questions began to drag me away. I tried desperately to focus on his voice, but it was so hard.

“Rockey...are you ok?” Ryan asked. I couldn’t bring myself to answer him, though I had a feeling he wasn’t expecting much of an answer. The burning sensation in my eyes intensified, and I knew it was a matter of seconds before I began to wail. I hated the sympathetic look he was giving me. 

“Rockey...I am so sorry this happened to you. I would understand if you need to take the rest of the day off.” He said in a low voice. “But please stay and talk to me for a bit. I don’t like seeing you like this.” All of a sudden, there was a large crash in the kitchen. Apparently Jack was not able to control the group, and Caden had begun swinging again. Ryan quickly ran out of the room, leaving me alone.

I was finally left alone to my thoughts, or what was left of it. It was a highway of scrambled emotions. I couldn’t get a handle on anything. What did I want to do? What would happen next? Do I stay with him? Would I trust him again? What if this happened again? I had moved into his apartment a few years ago, and the closest relatives I have are in the next state over. He has a car, and I don’t. What would I do if I left him?

I had a mixture of anger, sadness, confusion, violence, and rage ravaging through my mind. And as if by magic, everything became clear. It was as if I had snapped a pencil in half. There was only one thing that I could think of at the moment. 

Before I left the restaurant, minutes after the chaos died down, I stopped by the kitchen. A group of servers and cooks had gathered around and began gossiping. They became silent as soon as I entered. My face was still a mess, but I remained focused on the task at hand. I found Jack standing by the office, trying to listen to the conversation that was being held inside. Apparently, he was supposed to get the servers to go back to work, but became interested in the conversation going on. 

I walked up to him, ignoring the bombardment of questions from my coworkers. I ripped the ring off my finger and gave it to him. I didn’t have to tell him what to say; he knew almost instantly what needed to be done. As I turned around, I grabbed something off the counter. I managed to do so without anyone noticing. I ripped off my apron and strutted outside to the parking lot. 

I never popped anyone’s tires before. I always imagined it to be loud, and that the sudden pop would scare me. But I found out that I actually liked it. The four tires popped with such ease, that I couldn’t help but take the same knife and run it through the doors. I was determined to fuck up Danny’s 2010 black Mustang GT. Then, I would aim for Veronica’s bright red bug. I knew that it would not help me feel better, but it was one hell of a good start. 

Within minutes, I had managed to destroy his car. I used the handle of the knife to break through his windows, and create a handful of dents. I was surprised by the energy I had, despite working two jobs today alone. A small group of guests and servers had gathered by the front door, recording my handy work. 

Once I was satisfied with my work, I turned to the group and bowed. “You guys haven’t seen anything yet.” With that, I turned around and began walking back to his apartment. It would take about an hour, but I knew he wasn’t going to come back tonight. I had all the time in the world to have fun in the apartment. Thank God I was not under the lease agreement...

[joshslater]

End of Shift

Similar stories and bonus material on my Patreon.

My life is over. I've been playing a high stakes game, and somehow landed on one side of the odds all the time, but my luck was bound to run out sooner or later. I guess I should be happy that it turned out to be later, but it sucks no less. I got sloppy. I was looking through the items near the cashier, as always, trying to mostly use reflective surfaces to see what was going on, as always. I need to be within 15 feet or latency becomes an issue. Some old lady still using the old wallet was buying KokaKola and a pack of Ziffs. This would be easy, as always. I discreetly pressed my watch as she was ready to make the purchase, activating my EM-swiper. I wouldn't take much, a few credits more. She probably wouldn't notice it, or think the store stiffed her, or think she bought two packs of Ziffs and lost one. I'm not stealing to get rich, just to get by.

As the EM-swiper went off a high pitched beeping starts behind me. I barely have time to turn my head enough to see the charging police officer, before he slams me into the side of a KokaKola fridge. Shit, I hadn't done a survey pass through the store as I always do. I could barely register what he was screaming in my ear. "Drop it," I realize, and let go of the magazine. He must have thought I had the EM-swiper in my hand. He told me to put my hands against the wall and performed a pat-down. It's only him, so he must be off duty or not on a real patrol. He empties my pockets on the cashier table. Nothing of value, and certainly not something incriminating. I may not have been fortunate enough to afford academy, but I'm not stupid.

"You are detained under suspicion of committing proximity fraud. Do you understand?" he asks me in that commanding yet bored tone of a laborer having to recite corporate bullshit, only in his case it is in the pretense of justice. "Yes," I answer him. He doesn't have anything on me or he would have arrested me right away. Probably. "Put this on to acknowledge you've read the Citizen Rights Act and agree to an investigation in this matter." He hands me a pair of handcuffs to put on. I hesitate for a second. He is behind me and in the way of the store exit. I can stall for time and tell him to recite the CRA, but that immediately counts against you, as it is your duty to know it. I have no choice but to put them on. It's the latest model. I haven't seen any up close before. Light, thin, all metal, no key hole. Probably opened remotely or only inside a police cell or some shit. I put them on.

"Turn around, pick up your stuff, and exit the store." I do as told, turn around and begin to pick up my stuff and put them back where he took them. It's an older police officer. None of them young, jacked up types. Perhaps he is one of the fair ones. But then I am the criminal, so what good would that do me? There's a small, black duffle bag by his side. So he is on his way home. Perhaps he is tired. Perhaps I can shake him. Have Leo remove the shackles and then stay low for a fucking long time. Or this just doesn't amount to anything more than a slap on the wrist. I walk towards the door, him behind me.

"Nice watch," he says, pointing at my wrist as I reach or the door.

He knows. Unless I can get away now my life is over. All I can think of is the monstrosities the state churn out as punishment. Equal part labor force and sadism. I open the door as little as possible and as soon as I am through I dash down the block. I don't dare look behind me, but I don't hear him in pursuit. Halfway down the block I swerve into the alley that cuts across the building and out on the block on the other side. If I can cross that block and then down south I'm in the park and there are plenty of places to hide there.

My hands are not on fire. This surprises me as I look down on my hands, screaming in pain. There is a high pitched sound coming out of the handcuffs, like capacitors charging, but it is continuous. The pain emanating from my hands is something unlike anything I've ever experienced before. My legs buckle. I know I need to move, somehow, somewhere. It's just so difficult to think of anything but my hands that are not on fire. It would probably be a good idea to not scream my lungs out, but I don't really have a choice in that.

Just as suddenly as it started it stops. I'm still writhing in pain, but my hands are not on fire in a much more comforting way. "The payment proxy is in your watch, is it not?" the policeman asks, standing a few steps away. I'm panting, I realize when I attempt to answer him. Panting and sweaty. I can't manage to speak. I just nod my head.

"The state vs. item RK-220553 finds the defendant guilty to breach of contract with the state, executed by judicial AI 5" he reads off his handheld screen. I'm confused to what just happened. "No trial?" I manage to wheeze out. "You entered into a cooperation contract when you put on the handcuffs, as you are aware of as you claimed to know the Citizens Rights Act. Disobedience at that point allows for immediate trial by AI as long as no forensic work is needed." He sounded like the same bored cop as he was in the store, reciting memorized text for the thousandth time.

I struggle to get up on my feet. Not only am I shaky, but having my hands locked together makes it surprisingly difficult to get up. "You know, this is bad timing," the cop starts. "I was on my way home and don't have all the standard gear. It's supposed to be a swift punishment, for deterrence, but there is really only one thing I can do." Why is he so apologetic? He opens the bag and pulls out a fucking tactical human transformer. I've never even seen one in person before. He turns it on, selects something on the screen, and points the device towards me. "No, I can..."

This time I am on fire, if only so briefly. There is a blinding light, a pulse of heat, and the smell of burnt plastic. As the transient heat subsides it keeps falling colder and colder. I'm naked. All my clothes have been singed from my body. My watch is gone. My shoes are gone. Underwear gone. And, I realize, my hair is gone. The cop keeps punching in selections in the menus of the devices. I manage to get up on my feet. "Stay on the ground," he tells me. Not so much as an order, but as an advice. I sit down again and he trains the device on me.

I don't know how to describe it. It's not pain exactly. There is something about rewriting the code and cellular structure of your body while your brain is engaged that makes it give up in disbelief. "This can't be what's actually happening," it thinks and gives you completely nonsense sensory interpretations. But it also gives up on all other tasks. Time becomes irrelevant. Critical thinking put on hold. When the device stops you are utterly confused for seconds. Possibly by design, but it makes sense that you can't rewire the brain in flight without some glitches.

"I want you to stand up," the cop says in a firm voice. "Who?" I ask, still dazed, just to make sure. "You. Get up on both feet. Take this." He throws an orange bundle to me, and I feebly grasp for it but my one arm yanks the chain to the cuff of the other arm. The bundle brushes by and lands on the ground next to me. He looks disappointed, more at himself for thinking it would work than on me for not catching it.

I look down at my hand and see something orange in my grip, but it is not the orange that interests my but the grip. My arms, thin from lack of food and nimble from grabbing P2 storage modules out of vendor racks. are enormous. Big, well defined muscles with popped veins going up and around them. They look longer than before and even the hands are larger than they used to be. I can see that not only my arms are different. My chest is all lean and strong-looking as well, the legs have these weird lines showing different groups of muscles under the skin, and I can almost bet that the ground is further down than it used to be. Orange! I'm holding something orange in my hand.

"I only have an emergency kit with me, so not very many options for you I'm afraid. If you had come with me I think they would have found some better use for you, but as I said, I didn't have much to chose from beside himbot," the cop said while putting some beat-up looking boots from his bag next to me. He grabs the chain between my cuffs, and both of them pop open instantly, and he folds them up and begins to place them back into the cuff holder in his belt.

There was something he said that was important. Like, really important. I feel cobwebs like I had just been awakened from a deep sleep. "Put on the jock," he tells me, and again I am confused, but of a different kind. It's like I urgently need to know what he means, somehow. "You're holding them in your hand." I again look down at my hand and see the orange piece of cloth, which obviously is what he meant. I flip it around in my hands and finds it to be an orange jockstrap with a generous pouch. Looking down I also see the reason for that, since my dick and balls are large. Much larger than I remember them to be. I don't want to keep him waiting, so as quickly as I can manage, with my balance a bit off, I manage to place one leg in each loop and pull up the jockstrap. It neatly collects everything in front into a large orange ball.

Himbot! That's what he had said. It's like the government robots but human. What was the I and M now again? Wait, those are just mindless sacks of muscles roaming around doing whatever menial task is available.

"Himbot?" I ask him. "Yes, you are a himbot," the cop answered. "Put on the shirt."

I immediately grabbed the orange bundle from the ground I assumed to be the shirt. To my delight I was right and with just a few tries I managed to get it on me. It isn't a real shirt, but one of those without arms, whatever they are called. Quite a lot of skin showed. The shoulders were bare, as were the sides and the nipples unless you positioned the strings just right. Stringers! It's called a stringers, or something close to it. I feel so tired thinking of words.

"And the boots"

I grab one of the boots. There is something missing, but I'm not sure what it is. I has something to do with the small holes, I think. Well, the large hole is missing a foot, so I put one in it. Then I put the other foot in the other boot, and looked at the cop to see if he approved. He looks about the same. Good enough I hope.

"Face me and raise your hands" I comply immediately. He is pointing the large gun at me again. I don't like it, but I must do what he says. He presses a few buttons and then there is a sharp headache.

"Who are you?" "Himbot 220553." "What is your assignment?" "Walk along path 228-red responding to requests." "What types of requests?" "Any type of requests."

[limerental]

ficletvember - day 6 & 7

yenralt/geraskefer - prompt: youtuber jaskier and neighbors yenralt, also voyeur, also bad awkward sex

Several nights after measuring out a decisive course of action, circumstances aligned to set their plan in motion.

The evening had been progressing comfortably. Geralt had tried out a low fat carbonara that sure was pasta at least and even sheepishly lit a little thin candle on their kitchen island before he placed her plate before her. Afterward, she washed the dishes while Geralt dried, nearly dropping a plate when halfway through she gave into the impulse to curl her soapy fingers around his waist and kissed

Dinner sorted, they had settled in their own comfortable chairs in the warm living room, Yennefer cracking open a worn paperback mystery novel and Geralt rustling in his knitting basket. She had the thought while she settled in how bizarre it was to find herself in the sort of life that looked like this. She allowed herself a fond smile at the sight of her husband with his little reading glasses askew on his nose as he double-checked his pattern.

And that was when it began.

The livestream.

“Hey what is UP, my little darlings!” called a barely-muffled voice through the wall of the adjacent apartment. “Yours truly will be live for the next few hours--” A high-pitched squeal rising into a falsetto note. “Please please send song requests to my Twitter at dandy underscore lion and I will sing them just terribly. My aim is to sing them as HORRENDOUSLY as possible!”

Geralt and Yennefer tensed in their chairs, staring at one another as a brief silence fell on the other side of the wall. Yennefer sat upright in her chair, fingers curled white around the armrests and raised a single, perfect eyebrow. Geralt hesitated, swallowing hard, and nodded.

At once, their plan was set in motion, Geralt and Yennefer standing in sync and moving to the wall they shared with their obnoxious neighbor.

Said obnoxious neighbor had launched into a segment where he attempted to sing a greeting for every new viewer on the stream.

At the wall, they paused, listening a moment.

Yennefer knew based on reconnaissance that the idiot’s computer setup lurked directly on the opposite side of this wall in their living room. She also knew that he often wore a headset for lifestreaming but not the noise-cancelling sort. Geralt’s first suggestion had been simply to invest in a pair of those for their evenings at home, but Yennefer had stomped that idea to death at once. She would not be made to cow to an obnoxious little man who made frequent penis jokes in song form.

She had suggested a different plan, perhaps a juvenile one, perhaps simply stooping to the bastard’s level, but it was well past the planning stage now. There was nothing else for it.

Geralt looked wary, his hands open at his sides and twitching to reach for her, and Yennefer took pity on him and touched his hands to bring them to her breasts.

She waited on another brief lull in the racket next door.

“Oh Geralt,” she breathed, voice pitched louder than necessary. “Whatever has come over you?”

Poor Geralt stood looking at her a bit too long, forgetting the scrip they had practiced, squishing absently at her breasts, so Yennefer took pity on him and leaned to tweak his nipple through his shirt.

“Yen,” he gasped in genuine affront, rubbing at his sore tit. Then stopped, frowning, as he seemed to remember there was something he was meant to be saying. He coughed. “Yennefer... oh my. Your... breasts.”

Clearly, she had vastly overestimated Geralt’s ability to hold it together in non-emergent situations. This man dove into burning buildings for a living for crying out loud. But faced with a little challenge like engaging in faux loud sex to wreck the neighbor’s livestream, his resolve crumbled.

Nothing for it. Yennefer would have to engage in a change of strategy.

Pressing a hand to Geralt’s bicep, she nudged him around easily, shuffling, following her lead so willingly. It warmed her how pliant he was in her hands, how trusting. She pulled and pushed and positioned until he was right where she wanted him, arms up and braced against the wall, head dropping forward between them, legs spread slightly. Pinning her husband against the wall, Yennefer leaned her pelvis flush to the curve of his ass and pressed a little kiss between the flex of his shoulderblades.

“Geralt,” she said softly, feeling the tension of his body, waiting on her, and then, louder, intending to be overheard, “oh my, you’ve been such a naughty little boy this evening.”

Geralt shivered visibly, but it took her a moment to realize it was a shudder of laughter, his lips pursed against a show of mirth. He looked back over his shoulder at her, eyebrow raised in question. Yennefer pouted. Yes, that had been a horrible line, but the neighbor was a horrible--

“Don’t give me that look,” she spat. “I’m doing this for your own good.”

And smacked him sharply on the bottom.

Geralt groaned and flinched forward against the wall. Yennefer shook her stinging palm and winced.

“Keep count for Daddy,” she said loudly, and Geralt snorted. She promptly smacked him again, harder.

“One,” he said flatly.

“With a bit more enthusiasm,” she insisted, emphasizing each word with a rise in volume and a spank. Dear god before the idiot on the other side of the wall started singing christmas songs in a minor key again.

“Two,” grunted Geralt. “Three.”

“Louder,” she said. Her hand hurt. “I can’t hear you.”

“Four!”

The increased volume mostly served to reveal how close Geralt was to breaking down into hysterical laughter, his voice breaking.

“This isn’t very amusing,” said Yennefer coolly. “You can do better than that.”

He met her eye over his shoulder, face twitching mercilessly.

“Sorry, I’ll try harder, Daddy.”

Hurriedly, she reached to clamp her hand around his mouth to quiet his giggling.

“Shut up,” she said. “Or it’s ten more spankies. Shit.”

Spankies? her husband mouthed against her palm, quivering. She dropped her head against his back, mouth tensed in a thin line. This plan was going to work goddamn it. This was going to--

She paused, realizing suddenly what was lacking from the background of said miserable affair.

Beyond the wall, silence. Not a peep.

Could it be? Had they effectively encouraged the idiot to end his livestream early?

Yennefer shifted away from Geralt, letting him drop his hands to his sides, and together they leaned to press close to the wall. They looked at one another, ears against the drywall. Had their plan really worked so easily?

Quiet. Peaceful and blessed silence.

But then.

“Ah, they’ve gone quiet,” said the idiot neighbor. There was another sound, something wet and rhythmic and unmistakable. Yennefer watched a blush pink Geralt’s cheeks.

“Well, that’s a bummer.” Was he talking to himself while he-- “Guess I can continue the little impromptu show though, my darlings.”

A breathy moan. The sound of a bottle being uncapped. Rapid tapping on a keyboard.

“Oh fuck,” groaned the neighbor. “You lot are horny little devils, truly. No, no, I’m not going to knock on their door I value my life and limbs.”

What the fuck, Geralt mouthed, and Yennefer grimaced.

“That’s um-- no, no, don’t double dog dare me, that doesn’t count in this situation. No it does not-- please don’t send tips, that will not persuade me to-- You realize I will not be streaming over there if I-- ah, oh dear. Fine, fine! Goodnight for now, little darlings. Hang tight.”

A low curse on the other side of the wall, a scraping noise as a chair pushed back.

Geralt and Yennefer stared at one another, holding their breath. This evening had somehow gone tits up in more alarming ways than usual.

“Geralt,” Yennefer whispered, the wall cool against her cheek. “I don’t think he’s streaming on Youtube. I don’t think--”

“No,” said Geralt, brow creased. “He asked me to subscribe the other day on um... OnlyFans?”

“Ger-alt. Why didn’t you tell--”

At the front door of their apartment, a humble knock.

[joyfulsongbird]

i love you

this was supposed to be a part of a larger series but here. take some modern au orphydice fluff at midnight <3

***

It’s so easy to say I love you.

Eurydice realizes this slowly. Over a stretch of time that feels far too long to realize something so simple. She’s always been afraid of those words. What if, when she said it, it didn’t feel right, or it wasn’t the right moment, or she didn’t really mean it? The world is complicated and the idea of love itself felt like just another layer of fear to add to all relationships. Far easier to just never say it or to wait as long as possible, to avoid making a mistake.

But she finds that she has said “I love you” so many times without knowing it.

*

The first time is after a long day at her work, and she’d come stumbling home in the dark. The apartment is pitch black, not a single light on, and she knows Orpheus is already asleep. Pushing down her disappointment, she stumbles to the couch and flops face forwards onto the cushions. He had already been gone this morning when she’d woken up, though there was a text on her phone wishing her a good day that made her smile, but she wanted to see him, wanted to hold him when it wasn’t already nighttime and they were both exhausted. Her bones ache and her fingers are stiff from the autumn air… the pillows smell like him. She can imagine him, lying here watching one of his movies, mouthing along to Singin’ In The Rain or some other oldy. The image makes her smile and she rolls onto her back, sighing audibly as she stares up at the dark ceiling. Their neighbors upstairs must be asleep too, sometimes she can hear their footsteps in nights where she can’t sleep. They’ve met the older couple a few times, mostly in passing. The woman, Persephone, gave them a welcome card when they first moved in. It’s still hanging on the fridge.

Finally, she gathers the energy to push herself off the couch and walks quietly to the kitchen. Before looking in any of the cabinets for food she knows isn’t there, she leans against the counter, scrolling through her phone, looking at pictures and texts from throughout the day, distracting herself from the gnawing hunger in her stomach and the exhaustion behind her eyes. It’s only when she reaches the text from Orpheus that she had gotten around noon that day, reminding her to eat lunch and several heart emojis, that she cements herself to get dinner. She can just hear him, his voice tinged with worry, “Eurydice, you gotta remember to eat! It’s important!” Even just the thought of his worry and slight disappointment at her lack of self care is enough to get to open the fridge and flip on a light in the kitchen.

To her surprise, sitting on the first shelf is a plate, covered in fogged plastic wrap. With a post-it on top that when she pulls it off, reads “don’t forget, see you in the morning <3”. She can’t help but smile to herself, pulling the plate out and feeling a warm buzzing in her chest that can only come from him. She has only ever felt this way around her Orpheus; when he takes her hand while they’re walking and squeezes it twice, when he hugs her from behind and rests his head on top of her head. The intimacy of such a simple gesture makes her feeling infinitely better, pulling the plastic wrap off of the plate of roasted vegetables and chicken that Orpheus must’ve made for dinner that night. A nicer meal than they’re used to and she wonders if he had been expecting her back sooner, if he had been preparing a surprise dinner of some sort. Either way, the plate is piled high and she eats it slowly, wanting to savor every bite.

She can see the night outside the window, the stars hidden by the treeline but she can faintly see the glow of the moon. Casting a soft gray glow over their porch. It’s a peaceful night, the wind isn’t too strong especially for an autumn night, and the air around her feels peaceful, each breath feels the same. Light and fresh.

When she’s done, she washes the plate and dries it, carefully placing it back in their cupboards, careful not to make too much noise. It looks like he did the dishes too, it’s the least she can do since it seems like he did so much while she was out. She gets the idea from the intense cleanliness of their apartment that he might have been anxious. After living with him for about half a year at this point, she has become very comfortable with the different sides of anxious Orpheus. How he cleans when he worries, how he’ll write music when the world gets too overwhelming, so many little habits too that would take hours to name. It feels like she knows him both inside and out and not at all at the exact same time. She knows exactly how he looked when he was washing the dishes, but she could not for the life of her figure out what goes on in his head half the time. His thoughts are foreign to her, and when he voices them, she can’t help but melt at the dreamish nature that he exists in all the time.

“Our honeymoon should be at the ocean.” he’ll say out of the blue (even though they aren’t even engaged).

“Do you ever think about how there are billions of people we’ll never meet?” he’d ask.

And he sings. Oh, he sings all the time. Under his breath, it always seems like there is a song playing perpetually in his mind. She tries to convince herself at times that it gets a little too much, that anyone who dreams that much and sings that much cannot be connected with reality, but she knows she’s lying to herself. She’s jealous of him, most of the time. She wishes she could exist like that, able to disconnect from reality and paint a picture in her mind of some other place. Travel to a different realm outside of this chaos they live in.

When she’s climbing into bed, she doesn’t expect for him to be awake but nevertheless, he shifts softly and opens his arms, which she climbs into. He’s half asleep, she can tell, and slipping away into whatever dreams he has at night but she pauses for a moment, looking over at him. The moonlight from their window makes his skin glow and his eyelashes appear to be made of dark chocolate and gold. She’s always known he’s beautiful but sometimes it hits her all over again, this is her life. He’s a part of her life. And she never wants him to leave. In these quiet moments she wants to say so much.

“Thank you.” is what she whispers quietly into his chest.

“Mm, for what?” his words are slurred with sleep.

“For leaving me dinner. For making sure I eat. For being there for me.” she murmurs, fluttering her eyes closed. It feels as if they’ve had this conversation a dozen times over, like they’ve thanked each other for existing over and over.

“You’re welcome,” he murmurs into her hair. “Night, ‘rydice.”

Goodnight. I love you.

Her mind fills it in easily enough, but with her eyes closed and Orpheus heartbeat in her ears, she can’t seem to bring those words past her lips. He’s said it to her before, and she’s told him that she’s too scared, that she’s not real, and he hasn’t pressured her. He’s loved her from the start, and moved much faster than she was comfortable with but it’s been so long… maybe he’s wondering if she really does love him. But she does. Gods, she does. Orpheus says “I love you” every day, in the smallest ways possible. She can recognize them more and more, the way he did tonight, showing her love in a soft, domestic way she has never known. He didn’t need to say it.

She should be able to.

[bigfan-fanfic]

The Dragon’s Tutor - First Impression

My thanks to @kemvee for letting me use her character, the incomparable Amie from her story “Educating the Commander.” We were talking about a meeting between our characters, and IDEAS occurred. I have other ideas of them two to write in the future, so I’m crossing my fingers that Kemvee actually likes this...

Note: This was meant to be short but I kept on going! Another Note: ACK! Sorry it got so long!

- - - - -

“Lady Montilyet, beyond the concerns of our responsible allocation of funds, I do not believe this... woman to be a suitable instructor for our young Inquisitor.” Cullen frowned, glaring at the Ambassador, who easily understood that Cullen was unwilling to say the word he was thinking in the presence of the boy in question.

Josephine coldly raised an eyebrow. “How fortunate, Commander, that the decision does not lay entirely within your hands. Else our young Inquisitor would be kept in the dark about the dangers he will face when dealing with the Game.”

“Politics, geography, etiquette, languages - all these things are vital to the Herald’s safety in the Game.” Leliana tutted. “And what with his instruction in magic, history, tactics, and his journeys throughout Thedas, we simply cannot prevail upon Josie, Benny, Madame de Fer and Master Tethras much longer - each has their own duties - Madame de Fer and Josie also take their time to teach Henry -”

“Lord Cousland has expressed that he doesn’t mind-” Cullen started, glancing at Henry, who had stepped back from the War Table, hoping not to be involved.

“Lord Cousland cannot always be available.” Leliana snapped. “He has valuable contacts and skills that Josie and I require and like it or not, Cullen, the Inquisitor needs a dedicated tutor.”

“The Inquisitor,” Tash’s voice was soft, and yet it rang throughout the War Table room. “would prefer if you stopped talking about him like he wasn’t in the room.”

“Apologies, Tash.” Cullen said softly, suitably chastened. 

Tash nodded. “I like learning. And I know it’s necessary, and that it is a burden. I, er... I don’t exactly have the best experience with teachers.” He frowned.

 Cullen’s mind briefly flashed to the memory of watching Madame de Fer verbally eject Commander Helaine from Skyhold after learning that she was most disapproving of Tash’s status as an apostate and hedge mage, as well as his Qunari heritage, enough that she had called him a useless ox-boy. That had been the straw needed for Vivienne to take over Tash’s instruction in magic. Though it had been amusing to watch Vivienne tear the woman to shreds, Cullen quickly frowned again when Tash continued talking.

“Back in Markham, the Chantry sisters didn’t like it when I came for lessons. They would kick me out.” Tash shuddered in a way that made Cullen certain the boy was being quite literal. “On the bright side, that meant I got to learn from my Papa. The baker one, not the Tal-Vashoth. So that was fun. Still... is this person nice?”

Josie smiled softly. “Of course. Lady Amie is as gracious a woman as you could ever hope to meet. And as a Courtesan, she has much practical experience in the subjects we wish her to instruct you in. And her presence will attract support to Skyhold, acting as a beacon that the Inquisition is able to engage with the upper echelons of polite society.”

“What’s a Courtesan?” Tash asked suddenly. “Is it like a courtier? There’s ‘court’ in it. But then what would ‘san’-ing be? ‘San...’ Does that mean something in Orlesian? Or is it Antivan? It sounds like Antivan.“

Cullen had blushed bright red and shrugged as if to say See?

Josephine barely resisted the urge to scrunch up her nose at the man. “A Courtesan is a lady - or, generally a lady - who assists nobles in... ensuring they find enjoyment. Men woo her as they would someone they wish to court, and in exchange, she will assist them in their every need.”

“So... sort of like a concierge?” Tash tilted his head. From his position somewhere in the corner of the room, Henry gave a loud, high-pitched snort. His face was red and he appeared to be somewhere between laughing and crying. “But a mobile one.”

“That is... an interesting way of putting it.” Josephine smiled. Cullen scoffed.

Tash’s gaze snapped to him, his lips suddenly tight in a frown. “There’s something none of you are telling me, and I’m going to find out what it is. You know, it’s pretty annoying that you’re all perfectly happy with me walking around dangerous places until my feet feel like they’ll fall off, but you won’t tell me what some silly little word means -”

The doors opened (much to Cullen and Henry’s relief, interrupting the young Inquisitor), and in walked Madam de Fer, accompanied by a most extravagantly dressed woman. Her long traveling gown was of a rich red velvet, cinched at the waist and elegantly flowing downwards, a black fur trim at the hem brushing the floor and matching the trim of the flared sleeves, long black silk gloves covering her arms. She wore a black silken brocade vest over the gown, disguising her corset among the intricate raised silver design. A shimmering opal rested among the folds of lace crisscrossing her décolletage, but even this was all outshone by the vivid silver locks she sported, the wavy hair lustrous and thick as it cascaded across her shoulders.

“May I present the Lady Amie, our dear Inquisitor’s new instructor.” Madam de Fer said softly, before standing off to the side and allowing Amie to move forward to embrace the approaching Josephine.

“Lovely to see you, Amie.” Josephine smiled at her. “I do hope you had a safe journey.”

“Of course, Lady Montilyet,” Amie responded, with a subtle curtsy and a shake of her wavy silver locks. “The carriage you sent was more than satisfactory.”

“A carriage?” Cullen practically snarled at the mention of extravagance.

Amie’s eyes flicked about the room, taking in whom she knew and whom she had only been informed of. Madam de Fer, of course, she knew well, and Josephine. Leliana, of course, was the Divine’s Left Hand, and they had a mutual friend in the Lady Montilyet. 

The men in the room were of a decidedly more unknown bent. The famous Benezio Cousland was absent, as was the mysterious giant Avvar elf that was supposedly the Inquisitor’s bodyguard. But that left the Commander, Cullen, his face etched with disapproval, practically shaking his head at her, eyelids narrowed over amber irises. A slender young man stood in the back of the room away from the table, all messy brown hair and wide eyes as he took in her ensemble - confusing, he had no noble bearing and yet his physique and general air did not suggest common origins. And finally, the Child of Andraste himself. His Worship, the Lord Inquisitor. 

As befitting the stations of all present, Amie gave a deep straight-backed curtsy to the young Inquisitor, gazing through the silver strands of hair to take in his brown hair, pulled into a messy knot; both of his lustrous dark horns, swept high and back like a dragon’s, covered in what appeared to be a blue knit covering embroidered with little flowers; and most of all his eyes, a bright, shining gold like a sunrise, similarly examining her, meeting her eyes boldly. “Your Worship. It is an honor.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” the boy replied easily, smiling at her, although suspicion still lurked in his sunrise eyes. “I’m told you will be my new instructor?”

Amie straightened, marveling for a moment at one so young and so short having such power. Her eyes flicked to his left hand, which gently pulsed with green light before she fixed her gaze on his face. “That is correct, Your Worship.”

“Tash.” the boy corrected. “Well, technically Ataashi, but I like Tash better.”

“Now, Lady Amie’s duties will not all consist of your instruction, Inquisitor.” Leliana cleared her throat.

Amie smiled easily. “I shall be performing my customary duties as well as taking charge of your education in the Game.” Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the Commander shaking his head in annoyance.

“I haven’t been doing that badly, have I?” Tash winced - though Amie could tell he had noticed the silent outburst as well.

“By no means,” Amie smiled gently. “You have performed admirably thus far, if what I’ve heard in Orlais is to be believed. But you are entering a new tier of the Game, and extra preparation is not at all inappropriate.”

Cullen scoffed, and Amie only deigned to step back, not even raising an eyebrow. Tash, however, tilted his head. “Something wrong, Cullen?”

“Only that I still wonder if this is the best use of Inquisition resources.” Cullen frowned, clearly holding back. Amie assumed a lazy smile, showing her lack of concern in his protest. He clearly was in the minority here. “With her... fee, we could easily train another troop of soldiers!”

Tash nodded. “True... but I’m certain that with our new friend’s help, there’ll be plenty of soldiers coming in. It’s...” Tash looked around as if he could pluck a word from thin air. In any event, it seemed to work, as the boy beamed. “An investment! It’s like having a party. Sure it costs a lot, but it makes the nobles and the soldiers happy, and then they tell others and we end up getting more than we spent. Right?”

Cullen looked torn for a moment but then grumbled out a “Yes, I suppose you are correct.”

“Great! So we’re all on the same page.”

Amie smiled. “If it pleases you, Your Wor- Tash, then our lessons will begin tomorrow. I shall prepare as well as I can. I understand that you already know how to read and to write?”

Tash nodded proudly. “My Papa taught me. And how to do sums and figures. And I know a little bit of Antivan.”

“I can attest, Lady Amie, that dear Tash is a natural at the ways of the Game. Even among the children of nobles, you could not ask for a more able student.” Vivienne said softly, and Tash’s cheeks darkened as he smiled.

“I will look forward to our time together, then.” Amie smiled at him, warmly this time. And it was true. She hadn’t known what to expect, but she was pleasantly surprised to find that the Inquisitor truly was just a child. An intelligent one at that, but certainly a child. Already she felt a protective stirring over him, seeing him grinning at praise.

“Thank you. I... I’ll look forward to it as well.” Tash said, flashing her a grin.

[appples]

Oh, Cats (6/10)

pairing: Aizawa x Reader (OC)

genre/warning: 18+

words: 3,296

summary: An average girl with a cat quirk starting over in a new city, as typical as usual. Until it’s not. You drop into someone’s life unannounced and not necessarily wanted.

The fall cultural festival was fast approaching. Meetings began being held for the classes to decide how they were going to participate. For the most part, the students made up the bulk of the festival, but some teachers have also enjoyed participating in recent years. Midnight was running the teacher's festival meeting during their lunch break.

“I was put in charge of entertainment, but they turned my first idea down. Something about it being inappropriate for school or something. Anyways!” Midnight’s eyes began to sparkle, this wasn’t a good sign. “I’ve signed all the female teacher up for an idol show!” snapping your head around, you took count of all the teacher in the room. Midnight and you were the other female teachers. Everyone turned and stared at you.

“That’s not even the best part! We have a surprise theme planned for the show!” she was clapping with excitement. On the other hand, you were not. I have no idea how to dance, especially not like an idol. Do I have to sing? Oh, please, no. Please, no. Staring at the floor was the only thing you could do. Some more chatter happening, but it was all noise to you. A hand on your shoulder startled you out of your downward spiral. It was Midnight.

“Don’t look so worried, this is going to be great! I have some amazing costumes for us.” She smiled with more information than she was explaining. You feigned a smile, not even attempting to make it convincing.

“You’re going to love it, I promise. But I think right now you might want to get going, classes are about to start.”  She was right. You did have somewhere to be. Today was the demo you promise to help Aizawa do. You wanted to help the students more but were starting to question your intentions walking towards the gym. How was it that the leaves were already beginning to drop, weren’t the trees just budding?

You were desperately trying to distract yourself while Aizawa began to explain today’s lesson and demo.

“Nurikabe-sensei has expressed interest in being more hands-on during classes. Our demo will feature her and center around the idea of finite precision control: knowing when and how to hold back when engaged with a lower villain or vigilante.

You hated how you felt when Aizawa stared you down, the way your body reacts. The heat between your legs growing, breasts aching. Now was not the time for any of this, especially with the students watching so intently.

Aizawa made the first move, sending his capture weapon towards you. The garment was traveling in a straight line. You jumped up before it made its way around you, landing on the weapon before running the length of it to Aizawa. He turned, retracting then redeploying in search to bind you. Again, you jump, leaping forward towards your opponent's face. Claws bared, you slash at him, grazing his cheek and drawing blood. The captured weapon came back around from two sides, trapping you in its tightening grasp.

Unaware, the students were cheering you on as you continued to hold back their teacher. After your last trip off-campus, you buckled down and took a more serious attitude towards strengthening your quirk. Never again did you want to be the one who needed to be saved or someone who was more of a liability when they were there.

A hiss slipped out; fangs bared. It felt satisfying to sync with your quick, allowing it to assume control.  Aizawa smirked, pulling you in. You let your quick take over for the first time, unsure of what comes next. Your pupils begin to mutate, morphing into a cat’s eye. Hissing with more ferocity, you pull your body into itself and slink out from the capture weapon. No one saw that coming. With lightning speed, you darted from left to right, making your way closer to Aizawa. His cloth narrowly missing you each time, your speed increasing. Claws grew and sharpened, fangs bared. You leaped towards his face, stretching your body to the limits as you reach out. Ultimately you weren’t fast enough. The weapon was able to make up the difference as you jumped, ensnaring your leg. Before going down, you make one last swipe at Aizawa’s face. There he looked into your eyes and saw who you really were. Hitting the ground with a thud, you snarled and growled, slashing at the binding coming for your hand. Quickly both hands were bound together as Aizawa stood before you, smirking with that sassy smile again. The pounding of your heart pushed your quirk back down, giving you control again.

“Better than I was expecting,” he said and released you. Launching into his lesson from there, he explained the finer points of what has just happened and why.

“I think the biggest take away from this is to never underestimate an opponent you think you have figured out.” You tried not to look embarrassed. Next demonstration-Next demonstration? What does he mean by the next demonstration? We were only ever doing one. He turned to look at you,

“Did you get any of that?” You shook your head no, he sighed. “Stand up first of all. The only thing they saw was using a weapon. Not everyone has a weapon or long-range attack. We need to go over close-range combat.” Being close to him isn’t as simple as it should be. The closer you were to him physically, the more difficult it was because he became farther away emotionally. Was he trying to push you away? He won’t tell you anything about what’s happening to him or what he’s thinking, but then he shows up in the middle of the night? I don’t understand what he’s trying to say. Maybe, he doesn’t either.

“Are you ready?” standing up, you were in position.

“Ready.” Aizawa ran directly towards you, pulling out his knife as he closed in.

“Excuse me, Aizawa sensei, but I thought this was about restraint.” A student shouted from the sidelines. You dove forward meeting Aizawa, hoping to take the upper hand on impact. Ears pressed back, tail twitching, growling at your opponent, you eased into a high-pitched yowl. As you slash at Aizawa’s face, he brings up his blade to defend, deflecting your blow. Hitting the ground, you bounce back up, snarling again.  Things start to look blurry as your control starts to fade, quirk pushing you out. Again, demoted to the copilot, you watched your body turn into something else.

Aizawa came at you again, holding his weapon defensively. Your body jumped over twenty feet high. As you made the decent to your opponent, claws extend again, now coming in at twelve inches long and deadly sharp. Crossing your arms in front of your face, you slashed in an ex pattern with your growing power and the weight of gravity bearing down. The knife was knocked out of his hands as he was knocked back. Again, you slash your now weaponless opponent, tearing into his forearm, which he rose in defense. His goggles were on now. He was getting serious. Yowling he pushes you off and back.  Immediately you jump towards him, something he was counting on. He had found a flaw while you were fighting. Even with your increased speed, strength, and stamina, you were inexperienced and lacked knowledge in tactics and execution. Before you jump, he discovered you briefly pause before taking off. It wasn’t a fluid movement, leaving you vulnerable to attack. Predictably you took your pause allowing Aizawa to make his way towards you. Unable to notice as you were concentrated on leaping towards him. The jump closed the distance. Without time to react, and Aizawa delt you a finishing blow to your abdomen, forcing the air from your lungs. From there he was able to get behind you and bind your wrists.

“Don’t be afraid to take superficial damage if you can see an immediate advantage.” Aizawa faced a silent class. He was still bleeding. Looking down he saw you weren’t changing back. He had never seen you use your quirk to this extent.

“Nurikabe-sensei and I are going to see Recovery Girl. We’ll be back shortly. Class rep, you’re in charge until we get back. Put everyone into groups and review what the demos covered until we are back.”

“Yes, sensei!” The class rep proudly stood forward and got straight to work. Aizawa escorted you out of the gym.

“What's going on with you?” He continued to walk behind you while he spoke.

“It’s my quirk, something is happening to it.  I’ve been training a lot since my incident off-campus, but nothing like this has happened before. I don’t know what’s happening.” Your voice was starting to sound frantic.

“I think it should be fine.” His voice always felt so calming. “What might be happening is you can’t control your increased abilities, and they’re beginning overwhelming you.” You thought about it.

“That would make sense, but why am I not changing back?”

“I don’t have an answer for that, but Recovery Girl might be able to help there. Are you hurt at all?”

“No, I’m fine. I’m sorry about your arm and your face.”

“Don’t be sorry. I think the students took a lot from that today. I don’t remember the last time they were that quiet.” You could feel the hum in his chest from talking, your tail finding its way around his leg, gently caressing. For a brief moment, you swore, you caught a smile sneak out.

Recovery Girl was perplexed about your quirk as well but was able to reverse the lingering effects. Obviously, you still had a long way to go before you had a proper handle on your quirk. Nonetheless, you were happy to see progress.

[degrassi-fanatic]

Happy Birthday

From all the way over in the living room, Sakura can hear the bickering voices of Lee, Tenten, and Gai, as well as the perpetual clinking and clanking of cooking equipment. With the exception of Team Gai, who were stationed out in the kitchen to prepare the food for this evening and Hinata, Kiba, and Akamaru, who were out to pick up the cake, the rest of Konoha 11 (and then some) were situated outside in the living room as they worked hard on readying everything for the party. 

Choji and Shikamaru have taken it upon themselves to rearrange the living room; pushing, pulling, and rotating furniture until they have what they deem an adequate amount of space for everything and everyone. 

 Their wives, Karui and Temari inflate balloon after balloon until they have accumulated a massive pile of pink, silver, and white on the floor in front of them. Meanwhile, Shino and Kurenai hang up coordinating reflective pink and silver streamers from the ceiling, stopping every so often to pull away both Kurumi and Aiko-chan from trying to yank at the frail pieces of cellophane. 

 In a corner, Sai and Sasuke struggle to figure out how to play the music through the speaker system. To their right, Naruto is stuck on babysitting duty and attempts to keep watch on all four kids (plus one ninken puppy and one pre-teen) with a one-year old baby hoisted on his hip uncomfortably. He seems to be struggling quite a bit as he tries to keep all the kids from tugging on Kurumi’s tail.

 “Kakashi-sensei,” Sakura says as she finishes taping off her end of the ‘Happy Birthday’ banner, “Go help Naruto with the kids.”

 “Maa, I’m not good with—”

 “Oh, cut the crap, sensei.” she interrupts, not wanting to tiptoe around today, “Don’t act like I haven’t seen you doting on Akari.”

 “Fine.” Kakashi huffs out.

 In under a minute or so, Kakashi teaches Naruto how to hold a baby properly and has all of the kids engaged in some entertaining yet blissfully quiet game (that doesn’t require them to pull on Kurumi’s tail.)

 God, Sakura needs to learn how to do that. 

 From behind her, she hears Sasuke groan in frustration over the lack of progress on the speaker system. 

 “I don’t know why we have to go all out for Akari’s birthday.” he complains as he shoves whatever he was working on into Sai’s hands, “She’s only turning one. It’s not like she’s going to remember it.”

 “Oi, idiot,” Shikamaru says, wiping sweat off his brow as he sets the coffee table down somewhere new for the umpteenth time, “It’s Ino’s birthday too.”

 “Oh, right, Ino-buta’s turning….” he trails off as he tries to calculate the years only to inevitably give up, “How many years old?”

 Balling her hand up into a tight fist, Sakura punches Sasuke in the back. At the touch, the man doubles over, letting out a loud hiss before attempting to straighten up again. 

 “Don’t call my wife Ino-buta!” Sakura exclaims, “Only I can say that!”

 “She calls me worse!”

 His retort is readily ignored (even though his claim is true). Sakura simply rolls her eyes and glances down at her watch.

 Which was definitely a bad idea because soon she’s hyperventilating. 

 A wave of panic washes over her as she realizes what time it is. Tsunade-sama is supposed to bring Ino back to the house in no less than ten minutes, and they haven’t finished up yet; Lee and the others were still in the kitchen, Shikamaru and Choji have only just settled on the placement of everything in the living room, the only thing Sai’s figured out about the speaker system is how to turn it on and off, and Hinata and Kiba aren’t even back with the cake yet—

 “Hey,” she hears Sasuke murmur, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

For any other birthday, Sakura wouldn’t have cared this much about getting everything perfect but this wasn’t just any other birthday; today was Akari’s first ever birthday, and it was the first time Ino would be sharing her birthday with her daughter. 

 “Ino will like whatever you do for her.” he reminds her, “And Akari literally won’t remember this.”

 A laugh escapes through Sakura’s mouth. 

 She takes a moment to close her eyes and breathe; in and out, in and out. Then, she opens her eyes up and turns to look at Sasuke, giving him a nervous smile. 

 He was right, though she loathes to admit it.

 Ino wouldn’t care if the speaker system was being janky. Or if the cake was a little late. Or if the arrangement of the furniture in their living room was impractical. 

 All she would care about is the fact that her wife was trying to give her a good first-shared-birthday-with-their-daughter party. 

 Before Sakura can utter her thanks to Sasuke, Tenten strolls into the living room, carrying trays of food, while Lee wheels Gai into the living room behind her.

 “Finally done!” Tenten exclaims as she drops the food onto a nearby table, “And with no help from those two!”

 Her ears tune out of the conversation/argument/whatever going on at hand. Instead, she mentally ticks off food from her list of things to finish up.

 Then, her ears tune back in to hear the soft beginnings of hers and Ino’s favourite song playing through the air. She whips around to find Sai giving her a thumbs up and a non-practiced smile before quickly flicking the machine off. 

 With the music finally being taken care of, that only leaves the—

 Her train of thought is interrupted by the front door bursting open to reveal Hinata rushing into the house, holding onto the cake, with Kiba and Akamaru following behind closely. 

 “We’re here!” she exclaims, a little out of breath, “And I am happy to report that neither Akamaru nor Kiba have licked the cake!”

 “Alright,” Sakura murmurs to herself, “Decorations are up. Food’s here. Drinks are in the fridge. Akari is in clean clothes. All our guests are here….”

 Then, why does it feel like she’s missing something?

 Setting her hands on her hips, Sakura takes a glance around the room. Is it the presents? No, they’ve got a pile of those. Do they need more decorations? Probably not, considering that every available surface/wall is covered in something pink or white. Maybe, it’s the—

 “Sakura!” she hears Naruto exclaim, “You’re not dressed yet!”

 She looks down to realize that he’s right; her hair and makeup may be done but she’s still in a baby-food-stained sweater and sweatpants. 

 “Thanks, Naruto!” she says over her shoulder as she races down to the bedroom to change. 

 Once she’s in front of the bedroom door, she yanks the door open and swiftly kicks it shut in a quick succession of movements. She finds her party clothes right where she left them out on the bedspread. 

 Years of shrugging on clothes in the dead of night to fight enemies, and the recent months of having to figure out how to change quick enough without Akari realizing she’s left the room, has left Sakura with a knowledge of the best techniques for a wardrobe change. In only under a minute, she finds herself dashing back into the living room wearing a loose, red floral dress.

 Just in time too because the moment she steps into the living room, Kakashi is flicking off the lights and everyone is crouching behind something. 

 For a few moments, the only sounds are of the ninkens’ loud breathing and the hushed, excited giggling of the children. 

 Then, Sakura hears an exchange of soft murmurs between Ino and Tsunade-sama, as their footsteps begin to get louder and louder the  closer and closer they get to the front door. 

 Peaking over the chair she’s hiding behind, Sakura can just barely notice the way the doorknob twists as the door opens up. 

 As soon as the lights are turned on, everyone in attendance jumps up and out to scream ‘surprise’. 

 The birthday girl yelps as she places a hand to her chest. It takes her a moment to register everything that's going on but when she does, she lets out a loud laugh as she thanks everyone. Her eyes immediately go searching until she finds Sakura’s own. 

 She walks past all of their guests and beelines to Sakura. With a hand on the back of her neck, Ino tugs her in for a soft kiss that Sakura sighs into. She can practically feel all of the party planning tension leaving her body. 

 Eventually, after all of the cake cutting and all of the dancing and all of the gift-opening, the night begins to wind down. At least it has for the adults, the kids on the other hand have no qualms about dragging their Uncle Shino into some game they’ve made themselves. 

 For what feels like the first time all day, Sakura finally gets to hold her daughter in her arms. She sits next to Naruto, away from all of their other friends who are conversing over food. More to herself than to her daughter, Sakura quietly hums along to the song that's playing as she rocks Akari to the rhythm.

 Although, it seems like Akari's attention is elsewhere. She keeps trying to crawl into Naruto's lap and after the fifth attempt, Sakura decides to let her have what she wants; which just so happens to be the necklace hanging from Naruto's neck. 

 As Naruto realizes what's going on, his eyes immediately light up. He scoops the baby into his arms so her short little arms can reach his dangling necklace. 

 “This is the First Hokage’s Necklace, Akari,” he explains in a high-pitched-baby-talk voice, “Do you want to be Hokage? Do you, Akari-chan?”

 All Akari does in response is smile and lightly thwack Naruto across the face with her fist. He doesn’t seem to mind though because he only laughs at her antics.

 “So you and Kakashi thinking about—”

 “What!” Naruto exclaims, garnering the attention of their friends for a moment.

 “C’mon,” Sakura says as she jostles her shoulder with his, “You guys are the only couple without kids.”

 The tips of Naruto’s burn bright red, as does the bridge of his nose. 

 “If I ever have a mini-me, the village is definitely going to burn down to the ground,” Naruto mumbles, ducking his head down to hide the flush on his face, “Or at least, be overrun by sexy no jutsus constantly.”

 Sakura tries to get that disturbing image out of her head. 

 “But, if you have a mini-Kakashi,” she says, “Then, the village is definitely going to prosper.”

 Out of seemingly nowhere, Kakashi pops up next to the couch with two plates full of food. He sets one of them down by the side table. 

 “I heard my name.” 

 Kakashi's sudden appearance and all of the baby talk must have done something to Naruto's brain because the next words to come out of his mouth are—

 “Do you want to have kids!”

 Sakura smacks herself in the forehead. Then, again, what else should she expect from Naruto, of all people? Subtly was not his most refined skill. 

 “That’s my cue to leave.” she says while pushing herself off the couch. 

 The mumbling of Naruto and Kakashi’s conversation fades away as Sakura makes her way over to her wife, who is leaning against the wall and eating what must be her third slice of cake that night. 

 All of that baby talk with Naruto must have done something to Sakura's head too because now she can only picture Ino holding another baby in her arms as Akari totters around her legs. 

 Shaking her head, she tries to dissolve the image from her mind. The two of them do not need another baby; they’ve already got their hands full with one and they’re both working adults with full time jobs and two kids would require much more time at home or at least paying for a daycare would run them dry and that—

 “Ino?”

 “Hmm?” she murmurs around the fork in her mouth. 

 Oh God, Sakura wants another baby. 

 “I want another baby.”

 She pulls the fork out of her mouth with a pop. Soon, she’s setting aside the plate, in favour of tugging Sakura down to lean on the wall with her. 

 “Yeah?” she asks softly, barely audible over the sounds of the party.

 “Yeah.”

 “Okay, then.” she says smiling widely, with pink frosting stained teeth. 

 Reaching down, Sakura clasps her hand around Ino’s before pulling it into her lap; she fiddles with Ino’s wedding band absentmindedly as she looks out to the rest of the living room. Her eyes wander around from scene to scene until they settle on the sight of Kakashi and Naruto huddled around Akari. 

 “By the way," Sakura adds, "Naruto and Kakashi are probably going to have a kid soon too.” 

 “I don’t want to think of the implication of our baby and theirs being in the same class at school.”

[aion-rsa]

Ranking Cinderella Adaptations

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

A dream is a wish your heart makes, and if your wish is to see countless takes on the beloved fairy tale of Cinderella, then consider your dreams having come true many times over—including this year, with a new Cinderella by way of Amazon Studios. This latest adaptation seems to have combined qualities of many of its predecessors: it’s playfully anachronistic and eschews the traditional Disney or Rodgers & Hammerstein songs in favor of a tracklist of modern pop covers; it also engages with Cinderella’s career aspirations beyond fitting her foot into a glass slipper.

But this Cinderella owes everything to the other soot-stained girls, animated and otherwise, who wished with all their hearts for decades before her. How does the new adaptation compare to the modern fairy tales, animated classics, and another fairy tale riff with an outstanding Stephen Sondheim tune? Check out our ranking of Cinderella adaptations, from worst to best.

10. A Cinderella Story (2004)

This cult classic is a clever retelling, with peak early-aughts casting of Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray as the star-crossed, Cyrano de Bergerac-inspired lovers: Sam toils away at her late father’s Southern California diner, under the heel of a delightful Jennifer Coolidge as her vain stepmother, while Austin is the closest thing to high school royalty as the quarterback with a sensitive side. Regina King as the longtime diner employee-turned-metaphorical fairy godmother who gets Sam to the homecoming masquerade dance is the other key bit of casting, but you’d have to really be a fan of the “fairy tales in high school” subgenre to get on board. Plus, the stable of derivative direct-to-video sequels makes the sparkle wear off with each new, formulaic installment released.

9. Cinderella (2021)

Kay Cannon’s (Pitch Perfect) progressive plot urging entrepreneurial dressmaker Ella (Camilla Cabello), her bitterly materialistic stepmother (Idina Menzel), and other original female characters to choose themselves over the supposed security of marriage is not quite enough to balance the cringey modern soundtrack and anachronistic witticisms. It’s too bad, because this Cinderella puts forth ambitious ideas, and any production with Billy Porter as the fairy godmother should be nothing but fabulous. Compared to most of her predecessors, this Cinderella is a distinctively fresh role model for the next generation of kids, but adults won’t find much magic in her story.

8. Ella Enchanted (2004)

This is a tough one, because the source material—that is, Gail Carson Levine’s 1997 middle grade novel—is unquestionably one of the very best Cinderella adaptations: Ella’s curse of obedience is an apt commentary on manipulating young girls into giving up their agency under the guise of people-pleasing. But the film—despite its adorable, baby-faced stars Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy—overcomplicates an already daring plot with a throne-stealing subplot (that Cary Elwes, as the unnecessary evil uncle, can’t save) and an unforgivably cheesy cover of Queen’s “Somebody to Love.” Hathaway’s voice is sweeter than Nicholas Galitzine’s rendition in the new Cinderella, but the giants dressed in early-aughts miniskirts strain even the most loose definitions of fantasy. Despite all that, it (mostly) sells Ella struggling against abuses of her obedience in a way that’s still more revelatory than many straight adaptations. Still, you’ve got plenty of better movie choices; forget this adaptation and just read the book.

7. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (1965)

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II originally wrote their classic musical for television broadcast instead of the stage, though it has found its way to the latter. CBS’ second TV production (following the original 1957 version starring Julie Andrews) introduced a bright-eyed Lesley Ann Warren (a.k.a. Miss Scarlet from Clue) as Cinderella, and unlike its predecessor was able to be recorded in color. Between the vivid hues, Warren’s expressive acting, and the array of sets, it all contributed to the feeling of watching a taped performance—an incredibly charming one, at that. But the effect does come off as overwrought at times, making it the lowest of the three specifically Rodgers & Hammerstein adaptations on the list.

6. Cinderella (2015)

While visually Kenneth Branagh’s live-action adaptation of the animated Disney classic hews so closely to its source material that it feels like a lost opportunity to be more original, there are some sly plot tweaks. Lily James’ Ella is not hopelessly naïve about her abusive home situation, yet manages to keep up the mantra of “have courage and be kind” through even the worst mistreatment. Streamlining the classic songs to score strengthens the plot, with Ella’s rare occasion of singing being what ultimately saves her. Fans of the blue dress and romantic vibe will have much to swoon over, even if they’re not surprised.

5. Into the Woods (2014)

Or, then, what if I am? / What a Prince would envision? / But then how can you know / Who you are til you know / What you want? Which I don’t… Anna Kendrick brings us a relatably existential Cinderella in this movie adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s musical about various fairy tale characters who wind up with questionably happy ever afters—including Cinderella, who decides “not to decide,” then ends up with a philandering Prince. It’s not a complete Cinderella story, but it’s a more memorable performance in a handful of scenes than entire movies have attempted.

4. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (1957)

Despite only surviving in black-and-white form, CBS’ original TV broadcast shines thanks to its star: Julie Andrews, then performing My Fair Lady on Broadway, who makes this Cinderella both an amalgamation of her then-current and future roles and a performance all its own. You can see glimmers of her comic talents as Maria in The Sound of Music—this Cinderella also has more wit than other versions—but it’s her voice that elevates Rodgers & Hammerstein’s adaptation of Charles Perrault’s fairy tale into something timeless.

3. Cinderella (1950)

Few Cinderella adaptations have achieved the same sweeping sense of sheer romance in the Disney animated classic: the painted backgrounds, the dreamy sequences reflected in soap bubbles and sparkling through the palace gardens, the surprisingly high emotional stakes that make the resolution all the sweeter. And while it’s become a common Disney trope, the requisite scene in which the stepsisters cruelly rip apart Cinderella’s dress adds a layer of wickedness not present in the Rodgers & Hammerstein adaptations, nor successfully recreated in any of the live-action versions. The same goes for the goofy mice singing “Cinderelly, Cinderelly”—every subsequent CGI mouse lacks the warmth that goes into a believable animal companion. That said, the animated movie’s legacy is somewhat marred by its direct-to-video sequels of diminishing returns, though you also have to give them props for pulling an Avengers: Endgame 12 years earlier with Cinderella 3: A Twist in Time.

2. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (1997)

For many of us, Disney’s animated Cinderella was a childhood classic, but The Wonderful World of Disney’s ‘90s production was the first time the story truly felt magical. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s songs were updated with contemporary beats, bridging the forty years between the first broadcast and this version: “Impossible” is one of the best songs from the show, but it hasn’t been truly sung until Whitney Houston is belting it out to a starry-eyed Brandy. The production’s effortlessly diverse casting—Whoopi Goldberg as the queen, Paolo Montalban as the prince, Bernadette Peters as the stepmother—only amplifies the universal nature of the story. Almost twenty-five years later, this adaptation still feels like the television event it was when it premiered.

1. Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998)

A truly successful adaptation is one that doesn’t have to feel beholden to its source material. By opening with the Brothers Grimm explaining the inspiration behind their own interpretation of Cinderella, Ever After rewrites all of the familiar themes into a historical fiction—specifically, Renaissance-era France—context. Danielle’s (Drew Barrymore) misfortune as an orphan servant girl is so believable thanks to the cruelty of her stepmother’s (Anjelica Huston, a legend) abuse, but so is her determination and ingenuity to rise above her station. While Disney’s animated Cinderella is romantic, Ever After is a romance: Danielle disguises herself as a comtesse in order to spend time with Prince Henry (Dougray Scott), and they develop an actual relationship, complete with rejection once her subterfuge is revealed. Plus, Leonardo da Vinci is there for comic relief and an unintentional fairy godmother assist! If you want your Cinderella story with a compelling feminist arc but you’re also burnt out on the songs, this is your happily ever after.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Cinderella will begin streaming on Amazon Video on September 3rd.

The post Ranking Cinderella Adaptations appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3n39lZU

[talldarkandroguesome]

14th of Last Seed, Loredas

I... I feel myself again. I suppose that is the best way to put it.

Nabine led the way to where the thief who had hired the assassin drank. It was a small corner tavern with very little space to sit and a short, liquor soaked bar.

Nabine had painted my face and arranged my wig in such a way as to best appeal to the sort of person that frequented that establishment.

When we arrived, Nabine took the letter I had forged to make it appear as though the assassin was demanding more money and a meet up to discuss terms. I ordered a cheap drink and hovered by the corner, keeping my eye on the situation, focusing as best I could over the din of the drunken conversations as best as I could, so that I might keep abreast of the situation as it unfolded.

The thief and his two companions began to complain loudly. It seemed that only one of them might possibly know what was going on, but the third went along with things to try and intimidate the supposed messenger. Nabine held her ground, I could see that she was fighting the urge to attack them.

They gave her some instructions that were too low for me to here over the mer next to me demanding another pint. A mer who, once her turned to me, began to openly fondle me while asking me how much my services cost. 

Not wanting to risk making the situation worse, I played along, gave some prices to the mer and told him that I was off right now while I had a drink, but that perhaps I had a bite to eat and finished my sujamma, I could meet him at a place of his choosing if he would like.

He agreed and gave me directions to his room at a seedy inn off a notoriously dangerous alleyway.

Then I turned to find that Nabine and the three thieves were no longer there.

I cursed myself. How did I get so sloppy and so unobservant?! When did I forget all the skills that were honed over a century and half?

To my relief, I made my way across the small room and saw the three of them just outside the window, talking and I made my way out into the night.

Upon seeing me, Nabine called me over, asking where her tart had run off to. I made small gesture of apology and staggered my way, seemingly inebriated, to her side and kissed her.

The thieves asked what the deal with me was. I put my hands ‘round her waist and kissed her neck as she claimed to be my mistress and I her little harlot. The thieves gave me a once over before relaxing.

Nabine offered my services to them, saying that I had been spending more time drinking than earning my keep as of late anyhow and that I was good with my mouth in particular.

The third of the thieves turned up his nose, but the main thief’s second companion seemed rather taken with the idea and asked about if I did only solo work.

I opened my mouth and Nabine pulled my hair and told him that I could be arranged to any sort of engagement that he wished. He gestured to the main thief who seemed to be willing to maybe consider it when business was concluded, but not before.

Nabine told him she would be happy to discuss the matter at length after she was finished with setting up the meeting for her employer. The main thief agreed that this was best and proposed to meet up in a week. Nabine said that the assassin had agreed to meet the next day or there would be lives on the line.

That made the main thief rather nervous and so he said that he needed at least a couple of days in order to gather the money but assured Nabine that it would be forthcoming if he was just given a couple of days.

She said she would check to see if that was acceptable and be returning with an answer soon, then turned to leave.

The thief’s companion stopped her and asked about my services and they spoke as we walked. The man seemed to get more and more excited. He even asked Nabine how much for her to join in.

It was clear that she was still not up to her usual resilience and fighting not to attack the man.

Then, I do not know what came over me. I was suddenly filled with a rage. I wanted to harm this man very, very badly. But it was more than that. There was a voice in my head telling me to get him alone, to get his lust to a fever pitch and then slay him.

I was startled, almost worried about the Dremora whose soul had been captured. Had another Dremora come to take her place?

Then I realized, it sounded familiar. It was soothing. Almost seductive. And I wanted very much to do so. I felt compelled to.

So I said to Nabine in Bosmeris to let me go to him.

She seemed uncertain, but I said I was in need of a hunt of my own. She agreed and then told the man it was his lucky day and that I was wanton enough to be unable to resist his offer and she set a more than reasonable rate for my company and asked when he would like me.

The man seemed surprised, but pleased and said he had friends he was going to entertain on Sundas, but that he would not mind getting to sample me and asked if I could not return to his home with him. Nabine was reticent to leave me, but she agreed and told me to be very, very careful. I agreed and went with the man. He asked me what I was interested in and willing to do and I told him I liked to play little games and he was very much interested and we discussed a scenario, all the while that voice caressed me with suggestions of what do to to this man. How best to seduce him. How best to dispatch of him.

And I followed the instructions. The voice felt like it entered my body and was coaxing me into action. I let it take hold. I let it guide me. And as it did, I felt a great pleasure take hold.

But from that pleasure grew something else. Something darker. A desire to take lives. And even as I felt him struggle below me, too caught up in the ecstasy I brought him to stop, even as the breath was denied him.

And I felt myself take an extra certain type of glee from the process that I have hardly before felt. It was not the usual sort of power high that so many often describe. Rather, this was a sensation that is far harder to explain.

The feeling one gets upon taking a restorative potion and you feel yourself growing in strength. That is not quite correction either, but it is the closest to what I can describe. It felt like I was growing. Not in size, but in something deeper. Something internal.

As soon as it dawned on me what I was feeling, I was horrified.

Yet, simultaneously, I was still feeling so good. Yet not satiated. I wanted more. More sex. More blood. More death.

It was frightening to recognize that within myself. I was disgusted.

I fled, not even bothering to clean up after myself.

Of course, this meant that I would have the issue of the body and suspicion to fall upon Nabine and I even further. But I knew that I could deal with that as well.

Then, I ran into the drunkard that had propositioned me earlier and that voice came back to me.

I let it go, let it guide me. The mer was so drunk I could lead him to the home where I had strangled the thief without him realizing anything was amiss. I had him undress and I began to get him close. Then I had him come and sit into a special chair, which was the thief’s lap. Then I continued to play with him, reveling in his lack of awareness and in the anticipation of what was to come. I took off a handkerchief and wrapped it ‘round his eyes. Then I positioned the corpse between us and asked him to choke me a little. He complied, his hands gripping the throat of the dead man. And as he did, I slid a dagger into the corpse’s hand and held it from below so as not to disrupt too much of the blood that was to come.

That silk-smooth voice told me to make sure that he was at his most vulnerable moment when I made my strike. So I waited until just before he climaxed, then I stabbed him in the chest. He cried out and gripped harder at the corpse, screaming that he would kill me. I made the sounds of struggling, knocking a few things over. Then I slashed out wildly as I could, making sure to make as many cuts as possible. Then I slashed across the throat. The mer grabbed at his throat. I waited until he was barely still breathing, then put his hands up around the corpse again.

He tried to say something, but I took my leave. I left, even as that feeling of growth persisted.

Maybe growth is not correct.

That is it! It is the feeling of completion. It is that same feeling of when I touch the aetherial shards. Like I am whole again. I wonder what that might be....

I rushed back to Nabine, who took me with open arms and said not to do that again. She was clearly more worried than I expected of her. I told her of the experience I ha and it only served to make her look more worried. I poured us some wine, which we polished off quickly. Then she held me and stroked my hair until I had relaxed and we made love until she fell asleep.

I only hope that tomorrow I will be more myself.

[finelinesolo]

Rules are Rules - a Ben Solo One Shot (AU)

Rating: EXPLICIT (smut)

Summary: You work at the busiest bar in the city, and one night Ben Solo comes in. Small talk, small talk — you two end up in the bathroom.

Notes: thank you for 600 on twitter!! xo’s - Lizzie

Maybe it was the freezing New York City air or maybe the lack of caffeine in your system was finally getting to you, but goosebumps danced across your arms frantically – sending a chilling shiver down your spine. There was nothing you hated more than working the closing shift, especially on Fridays. Being a bartender was fun at times and the money was pretty good, but having to be the one to kick the drunks out after last call and listen to them bitch and groan about their wives hating them or their lives falling apart was a chore no one wanted to do.

As hard as you begged, no one seemed to want to cover your shift. You were halfway tempted to just call in sick, electing not to out of fear of your boss raising hell to fire you.

A groan slipped from your lips when you heard the banging speakers and screaming people pour out of the door, their legs barely keeping them afloat as they stumbled down the street. Did you bring your Advil today? Better yet, would the Advil be enough to get you through this? You knew the answer was no, but ignorance is bliss – and that would be the only thing to save you now.

Popping the medicine into your mouth, you step through the door – already counting the seconds until you could clock off.

You knew wiping down counters repeatedly was only fun for so long, but anything was better than making strawberry martinis and cosmos for the bridal party that came in tonight. The minute they entered, you tossed the main bar to your co-worker, electing to take over bottle service and the occasional table wipe down. The tasks irritated you to no end, but every time one of the girls released a shriek pitched high enough to break glass, you hugged the rag in your hand a little tighter.

Before you could start on another table, you felt the seat next to you pull out - and man with a mop of black hair and an electric smile plopping down. His eyes lingered on yours - the hazel color swallowing you whole. He was cute, you hated to admit. It was easier for you to pretend that everyone who came into this place was a slob, however you had never wanted to be wrong more in your life.

“Bottle girl tonight, I see.” He said, raising a hand at the waitress to put an order in. His eyes drifted down to your legs, sitting there for a second before flashing back to meet your gaze. “Nice legs, by the way. You’re always behind the bar, I’ve never seen them before.” He cocked a lazy smile at your co-worker, lazily ordering a whiskey neat. She glanced up at you before scurrying off, swaying her hips in the process. To impress this guy, you guessed. A small giggle fell from your lips, causing his eyes to fall back on you. You tried to suppress your laughter, but it came anyways.

“Something funny?” He asked, crossing his arms across his chest. The position drew attention to the muscles laced through his arms, your throat closing momentarily at the sight. “No, not at all. You enjoyed the show, I assume?” You ask, lifting your head to gesture at your co-worker. He rolled his eyes, leaning forward onto the table. “Every time I’m in here she does the same thing - maybe I should keep track, throw her a party when she hits 100.” Oh, so he had jokes. You rack your brain to remember who he was, drawing a blank after a few moments. “You’re a regular, I assume?” You ask, dropping your rag on his table to at least try to make it look like you are working so your boss didn't chew you out. He nodded; eyes steady on the bar to track his drink. “You don’t remember me? Ouch, that stings. I’ll remember that the next time I tip.” You knew he was kidding, his tone of voice said that much. He squinted his eyes at you, studying your expression. There wasn’t much to see, clearly - his gaze returning to the line of drinks forming on the counter.

“I’m Ben, Ben Solo. And you?” His voice was loud, the sound carrying through the booming music that busted your ear drums on the daily. “I’m Y/N - it’s nice to meet you, Ben.” It was a cute name, for a cute guy. You wondered if there was something deeper here - like maybe he was a serial killer and came here looking for girls to murder. You’d seen some creepy guys come through here, but he didn’t seem like one. Creepy guys don’t dress this well – his torso was framed tightly by a black dress top, his bottom half matched with plain jeans. Black boots sealed the look, and you couldn’t help but wonder what was hiding underneath all those buttons.

“So, Ben, what do you do?” You ask, throwing the rag over your shoulder so you could lean closer. He noticed, resting his chin on his palm to meet your distance. “I’m a pilot, but I live here. I have the next couple days off.” A pilot. This man was a rich, successful, pilot – so what was he doing in this part of town, getting drinks from the busiest dive bar in the city? “And what about you, bottle girl? Are you a full-time bartender or do you live a double life?” He smiled softly at you, the curve of his lips forcing you to return the grin. “I’m that predictable, huh? Yeah, Speech Pathology student by day, slave to the drink by night.”  He raised his eyebrow, the emotion behind it was unreadable. “Speech Pathology, huh? So, you’re an expert with mouth movement, huh?” His tone shifted towards the end, the weight of it growing stronger - like it was sitting on your chest. Yes, your major included those techniques - something your friends loved to tease you about. No one you’d slept with really cared, yet here was this man already using it to his favor. “Somewhat, yes. Why? Are you looking for a lesson?” A bold statement, you knew. Normally you’d never engage a customer, but in your eyes – this man didn’t count. His face shifted to glance back at the bar, his drink still not there. You hoped they forgot to make it - that maybe you’d be able to steal him before he got it. Before you could ask again, you felt his hand land on your thigh - his fingers drawing soft circles as they traveled up towards your hip. “How much time do you have?” He asked, the heat radiating from him warming your skin.

“As much as you're willing to give me.” The distance between you two grew smaller and smaller until you were practically sitting in his lap, your leg draped softly over his bottom half. Your face loomed over his, standing up having given you the high ground. The bar grew more crowded, the hoard of dancers covering you two from the judging glances of your co-workers – something you’d remember to thank God for later. He raised his jaw, gesturing towards the one family bathroom the building had. There wasn’t a line for it, something that rarely happens. Nodding in agreement, he snatches your hand to drag you forward. His legs carried him faster than you could keep up with, and it wasn’t until now that you realized how tall he was. No wonder he could make a b-line so quick, the man was easily 6’3.

Once inside the room, Ben wrapped his arms around your waist – turning you to press your back against the door as it shut. His lips softly brushed against yours’s, the hum of your chests reverberating against each other. He had big hands, another thing you didn’t notice until now. One sprawled against your hip, the other grasped the back of your neck tightly. The air was thick with the smell of spilt liquor and sweat from the dance floor - a trait you normally detested, but with Ben this close, you could faintly smell his cologne - a mix of sandalwood and mint fluttered in your nose. You wanted nothing more than for him to kiss you, but he wasn’t playing that game this evening. He wasn’t vanilla, clearly – your heart pounded at the thought of what he was capable of.

“Sweetheart,” his voice was sweet like candy, but was still coated with that same dark tone you enjoyed so much before. His breath was hot on your skin, the bottom of his lip tucked between his top teeth for just a second as he contemplated his next sentence. “How much are you willing to do?” The question was dumb, but you appreciated it, nonetheless. “In what way, Ben?” You asked, your lashes fluttering softly to not squirm away from his touch. It was driving you crazy, and he knew it too – his hands digging a little deeper into your skin. “I want all of you, every inch. But are you going to be good and let me take my time with you or can you not handle it?” His words dripped with intensity, and you fought the urge to audibly gasp. You were on the clock, but the idea of going back to work right now sounded like an unusual form of torture. You nod, slowly – watching that same grin you saw earlier form on his mouth. He loved this, clearly. And you did too, shockingly enough.  Normally you’d never hook up with someone in a bathroom, but it was just your luck that it had been deep cleaned before rush tonight.

“Any rules?” You asked, your arms wrapping around his neck. The gesture was so normal to you, yet he managed to reject it so fast – his hands grabbing yours to pin them above your head.

“Yes, a few.”

Whether it was shock or excitement that was heating your face, you didn’t care. The force behind his actions was electrifying, every move he made left you wondering what would come next. His eyes caught yours, silently asking to continue. You nod, maintaining eye contact as you twitched beneath him.

“You don’t do anything without asking. You even try to cum before I let you and I’ll pull away.” His voice got quiet as he nudged your head to get at your neck, placing soft kisses along your jaw. The pace was agonizing, his tongue dragging a small line across your skin. You groaned under your breath, the feeling causing your knees to wobble.

“You’re not allowed to touch me.” The rule was mind-boggling, and you weren’t sure how you’d be able to follow it. He was built like a marble statue, and the idea of not being able to drag your fingers across his figure seemed impossible.

“And what if I break it?” You ask, your voice faltering as he sucked on the skin below your earlobe. The soft laugh that escaped his lips sounded borderline threatening, his grip on your wrists only tightening. “Do you want me to leave you here to finish yourself?” No. No you did not.

“Rules are rules, sweetheart.” His voice carried through your ears like a melody.

Nodding, you mentally sign off on his rules. It’s not like what he was asking for was totally insane, you had seen much worse watching the people who came into this bar. His grip on your wrists changed, transferring both into one hand while he brought the other to grasp your hip. Your mouth released a soft moan at his touch, everything he did elicited a reaction from deep within you. It wasn’t long before you felt his lips on yours, the soft pillow-like texture clouding your thoughts. His kiss was unlike anything you’d felt before – like they were custom fit for yours’s, or that they had molded so quickly to fit your every movement. He turned his head to the side to angle deeper, swiping his tongue softly against your bottom lip to earn entry – and who were you to deny him that?

You wanted nothing more than to grab a fistful of his hair and pull it for strength, but that was clearly not an option now. He had open reign of your body, his free hand roaming up under your shirt to unclasp your bra.

With one hand? A talent.

Before you could realize it, your top half was exposed – he analyzed your every inch as if he was afraid, he’d miss a part. No one had ever taken in all of you like this, the nerves of being open to him causing you to shiver. He felt it, you assumed – releasing your wrists.

“Don’t move them - are we clear?” You nod, keeping your arms pressed against the door. His big hands slid up your side while he kissed down your collarbone and over the top of your chest. Hot air pounded against your forehead from the lack of AC that ever pumped into this room. You’d never had a fond memory here, but you were sure this would quickly top the list.

His lips clasped around your nipple fervently, as if he were in a rush – and maybe he was, you were at work and the risk of someone drunkenly stumbling through the door to puke was high. Your mind was racing, not able to place thoughts to actions as he dragged his tongue along your skin. The lights flickered softly, growing dimmer every passing second. It was like the further he got along your body, the darker it got. Ben didn’t seem to notice, focused on the task at hand. He stepped back momentarily, unbuttoning his shirt as fast as he could.  

“You just want me to stand here like this, huh?” You asked, your wrists resting against the cold metal of the door. A kink was a kink, you guessed – but this was the first you’d met someone who didn’t want you to touch them. You’d read about it time to time, and seen it in that 50 shades movie - but this was a real person with real rules, and you couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if you broke them.

A dash of courage races through your head, your hands working for you. Ben was so lost in unbuttoning his shirt, he didn’t notice you lurch forward to place your hands on his chest. His eyes flew open, shock splashed across his face. He didn’t stop you, his eyes intently staring at your every movement. As predicted, his body was stunning. The build of his torso was like something out of a dream, soft skin draped over toned muscle. His breath was shallow as your hand fell lower – a reaction that only encouraged you to go further. Oddly enough, he still wasn’t stopping you - he let you continue your exploration, watching your fingers fumble with the button of his pants. It popped open quietly, causing the hemline to drop slightly past his hip, exposing more skin. You raise your eyes to meet his gaze, hoping he’d let you continue.

The rules. You were doing a shit job at following them, and he was either playing a trick on you to see if you’d get back in line, or he didn’t care – and Ben didn’t seem like the kind of guy to forgive so easily.

Steadily, you raise your hands in defeat – stepping back against the door as he asked to stay before. Pride washed across his face, his frame towering over you as he pressed up against you again.

“Good girl.”

He returned his mouth to yours, an exhale of relief leaving lips in the process. Your stomach did 180 flips every time he touched you, and you couldn’t help but want to run your fingers through his hair and pull. This was the point, clearly – he knew that you not being able to touch him would drive you crazy, and he was right.

Ben slapped your legs softly, gesturing for you to jump into his arms. Wrapping your legs around his hips, you had assumed that meant the no touch rule was over – clearly not, because before you could finally touch his hair, he used one hand to catch them as he strode across the room to place you on the sink. You groan in frustration – desperate to feel his hot skin against your palm. He laughed softly under his breath, hiking your skirt up to let it pool at your hips. Ben stood in between your legs, his size keeping them spread far apart. The cold porcelain pressed into your thighs, goosebumps appearing in its place. The warmth from the man in front of you was enough to suppress them, his arms returning to their place around your hips. He softly kissed down your face, stopping at your lips.

“Do you want my mouth?”

Blunt, yes. You’ve noticed that he was straight to the point, a trait you’d normally detest. But it was hot on him. Everything was.

“Yes, yes please.”

Ben smirked, getting down on his knees to place a hand on your stomach – pressing you against the mirror. The glass chilled you to your spine, a small gasp escaping your lips from the contact. He either didn’t notice or didn’t care, placing soft kisses along your inner thigh to tease you.

“Ben, please.” You begged, swallowing your pride out of desperation to feel him. Nerves wracked your chest and you weren’t sure why. You’d hooked up with people before, even in public once or twice - but this was the first time you’d felt immobile in front of a man, as if your body only acted because he told it too. He noticed your trance, hooking a finger on your underwear to move it to the side. He let out a puff of cold air, the contact causing your legs to fly up. He didn’t care, leaning back a bit to prop your knees on his shoulders for a better angle.

It was a quick second before you felt his mouth on you, the pressure that was building up in your stomach immediately releasing at the feeling. Your hands found purchase on the side of the sink, the sudden thought of his rules reminding you to not grab at his hair. He licked in zig-zag formation, his tongue pressing in harder after landing on your clit. The air was sucked from your lungs, a moan forcing its way out. Ben wrapped his arms around your hips in return, holding you in place. His head rotated in small circles, mouthing at your center at a quicker pace. Every couple seconds he’d groan against you, the sound vibrating your clit in ways that made your head spin.

“You like that, huh?” He asked, pulling away shortly to press your buttons. All you could do was nod - his tongue pushing through your folds again taking away your ability to speak. He seemed to want words, his frame teetering backwards to blow cold air on your entrance. The feeling was electric, and you never wanted it to end. Shrieking, your knuckles went white from gripping the sink.

“Yes, god yes. Please don’t stop.” The words came out as more of a stutter.

“Please what? Tell me what you want, sweetheart.”

He knew. He wasn’t dumb. Why did he need vocals?

“Please, I need you to make me cum. Ben-” Your breath was hot as is exhaled, the words stumbling out in an incoherent mess. “I want your fingers, and your mouth – please.”

He raised an eyebrow, pleased with his effect on you. “Fingers too, huh? Greedy little thing.” Not that he cared, of course. Ben didn’t waste a second, raising his middle finger to your entrance and pushing in. The feeling was euphoric, his pace quickening to match the rise and fall of your chest. He murmured against your center, sucking your clit while his fingers curled deep inside of you. It was almost too much, and you knew you’d only last so long.

“Oh, god yes - daddy.”

Your eyes flew open, one of your hands coming up to slam over your mouth. Why? Why now?

“What did you just call me?” He asked, his grip on your hip tightening slightly.

“Nothing. I called you nothing.” You felt like an idiot, and you were an idiot. You’d always wanted to try calling someone that, but no one ever made you feel like they’d be okay with it. That, or they were boring to the point that you couldn’t get yourself to say it.  And here you were, naked on top of a sink – waiting for the one man you found that deserved the title, to decide if it was okay.

“Say it. What did you call me?” He said again, this time darker in tone.

“Daddy.” It came out weak, sheepish even. You swallowed your spit hoping it would make your speech clear up.

He smirked, the expression causing a wave of relief to wash over you. Returning to his place in between your legs, his lips kissed down your pussy – lapping softly at the skin just above your entrance. Fingers and all, this man knew what he was doing. Hunger for him raged on in your chest, and you weren’t sure how much longer you’d last like this.

“Oh, sweetheart – you taste so good. You like it when daddy does this, huh?” He said, his words pulsating against you. “Yes, yes.” You sigh, your legs starting to shake. The closer you got to finishing, the harder it was to focus. Your vision was blurring with every passing second.

“Ben -” you start, the pressure building in your stomach becoming unbearable. “Can I please cum? Please?” It came out as a plea, like your life depended on it. He looked up at you from his spot, the eye contact threatening to send you over the edge.

“Hm, not yet. Count to 10 and I’ll let you.” He says, staying close to you. You nod – confused with how 10 seconds would affect anything.

“1…”

He swirled his tongue around your clit, pushing his fingers in completely.

“2 … 3 …. 4 …”

Ben moaned against you, shaking his head from left to right to create friction.

“5 … 6 … 7 ... “

“I don’t know if I can do this Ben-” You gasp, sweat dripping from your brow as you try to hold your orgasm in. He dug his nails into your skin, signaling to continue.

“8… 9 … 10 …”

He sucked harshly, releasing your clit but continuing to push in and out of you at full force. “Cum, sweetheart. Cum for daddy.”

You felt your body wrack with shakes as you released, the power behind it causing your back to fly off the mirror – sitting straight up once again. You wanted to catch your breath, but Ben had better ideas. He stood to his feet, pulling you against his chest.

“I’m on the pill -” you whisper, his head resting on your shoulder. He nodded, leaning down to shuffle out of his pants. Pulling his boxers down, his cock was released from its hold. Your eyes flew open wide – the size of it taking away your ability to speak. This could hurt, and you almost wanted it to hurt.

He hooked one of his arms under your leg, lifting it slightly. You impulsively reached forward, grabbing his shoulders for support. This was breaking the rules, you knew that. Ben’s eyes traced your frame, nodding in approval at your position.

“You’ve been good, sweetheart – you can keep your hands there.”

You couldn’t help but feel relief, tightening your grip around his neck – your fingers finally trailing into his hair. It was just as soft as you hoped, the locks tangling around your grip. Ben groaned at the close contact, letting out a harsh breath before thrusting himself all the way inside you, filling you up. Your grip faltered, his arms catching you before you fell back against the mirror again. Pulling him closer after, your neck gave out – finding a resting spot on his shoulder. He closed his eyes, adjusting to the feeling of you around him.

“You’re so tight - damn, sweetheart.” You were, but mainly because of him - the man was stretching you as far as you could take. “You like how I fill you up, huh? Tell me how much you like it.”

Words were not coming out, an example of his effect on you. All you could manage were a few murmured words, flying out of your mouth in a haste.

“Yes - Yes, I love it, ugh.” That’s as good as it was going to get for you, his mouth curving into a smirk watching you come undone at his will. The sound of desperation in your voice only encouraged him further, picking up his pace. He holds you against him as he plunges his cock as deep as it would go, grunting and moaning obscenities along the way. Every move he made went straight to your core, the impact relentless. You wanted to scream or bang your arms against the wall – everything he did felt so damn good, and you didn’t know how else to express it. Your eyes begin to water, one hand coming in between you to rub vicious circles on your clit while the other finds purchase gently wrapped around your throat. You were fairly sure he was out to kill you, and the idea of going back to work after this was near impossible. He groans, elbowing your left leg, silently asking you to lift it just as he had it before. You oblige, the angle only sending him deeper. You make a mental note to thank your DJ for blasting the music so loud it was virtually impossible to hear anything, imagining a way to explain this to your coworkers if they caught you. His brain was on a different wavelength clearly, pounding into you relentlessly and enjoying every second.

“Don’t forget to tell me when you’re close.” He grunts, his fingers still rotating your clit deliciously. And you were, but you didn’t want this to end. How much longer could you drag this out for?

Your orgasm had other things in mind, creeping up on you quickly. You shriek, slapping his shoulder and shaking your head. “Ben, I’m so close, please-” He shook his head, slamming into you again but halting his movement, the length pressed against you causing your breath to catch in your throat.

“Cum now sweetheart, now.”

You scream into his shoulder, softly biting the skin to relieve the tension. His breath hitched quickly after yours, finishing inside of you while you continued shaking underneath his body. He slowly thrusts in and out of you to help you ride out your climax before slowing to a stop, his head leaning against yours. Your ragged breaths mixed with his, the air between you thin. The outline of the skin made your legs sore, a soft whimper of pain pushing past your lips. Ben assumed so, wrapping your legs around his hips tighter so he could lift you up, carrying you over to the small counter placed in the counter. The surface was less harsh, the surge of pain you felt before dissipating. He kissed your forehead, reaching to his left to grab some paper towels.

“Close your eyes, sweetheart.” Following his instructions, you feel him softly dab at your hairline - cleaning up the sweat forming. He did the same further down your body, wiping along your collarbone and your jaw. It was a sweet gesture compared to the way he was wrecking you earlier.

He finished, throwing the paper away and returning with your clothes. You dressed in silence, stealing a glance at him through the corner of your eye every couple seconds. Once everything was fastened, you stood on opposite sides of the bathroom, eyes glued to each other. His feet carried him in stride, his hands on either side of your face while he kissed you softly. You melted into his touch, wrapping your arms around his waist.

“What time do you get off tonight?” He asked, staring at your lips – waiting for an answer.

“I close, so around 2.” He flipped his wrist, glancing at his watch for time. It must have been around midnight at this point.

“I’ll wait for you, then you’re coming home with me.” He said with that same smirk crossing his face in the way you liked so much. That could be arranged, but you weren’t going to let him off that easily.

“Oh, really? And why is that?” You whisper against his jaw, placing soft kisses up until you reached just under his ear lobe, swirling your tongue there softly. He shuddered against you, pulling you away with his eyes squinted.

“Because I said so, and rules are rules.”

[andy-loves-corgis]

All of The Lights - Ch 8 (TRR AU)

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Well… It’s Riley and her pain in this one.

Rating: M (I can’t make them not curse I guess…). 

Word count: ~ 6,800 (longest chapter I ever wrote)

Notes: There will be one big note at the end. But just thank you for still being here!

WARNING: Read the Prologue! Every chapter has TWO timelines, Before (about a year before the Prologue) and After (two years after the prologue), if you don’t pay attention to that you might get confused!

Hardest to Love

And what we had is dead inside, yeah You're actin' like it's still alive And you still wanna make it right, yeah I know But I've been the hardest to love

BEFORE

How long had she been taking that shower?

The sound of the water hitting the porcelain tiles could be considered deafening to some, but right now there was so much noise inside Riley's head that the droplets served only as white noise.

Steam was clouding her senses, although not as much as the overwhelming feeling of awareness. She could still feel the heat emanating from his body and the thought itself made her short of breath, could she indulge in the sensation growing at the pit of her stomach?

No!

Riley had only slept for 4 hours straight, then she was brought back to consciousness by her racing heart, her head couldn’t rest for what have happened mere hours ago, and flashes would take her mind. She knew it would be useless to overthink what happened, the simple fact that by reliving the night before she was inundated with nervousness told her enough.

It was like a fire, she knew that, it would only grow if she wanted it to, if she fed it the right thoughts, the right feelings… and right now her heart was enjoying it all too much.

A ragged breath left her throat while she sat on the rim of her tub, massaging the stiffness out of her left foot, pushing it a little too hard, bringing her back to reality, a reality where these feelings were better to remain an illusion.

Ouch

In about an hour she should head with Madeleine to the boutique, where the Fydelia heiress would pick her dress for tonight, it gave her time for a moment of coffee and contemplation in her favorite study room; throwing on some comfortable tracksuit she followed the smell of freshly baked eclairs.

The study on the second floor was one of her favorite places, mainly because no one ever went there, she could sit alone for hours, stretching, reading, eating without someone counting on her calorie intake… Although, it wasn’t empty this time, she wouldn’t be that lucky, she wasn’t a tiny bit lucky.

Drake was there.

Absentmindedly running his fingers on the guitar chords, with an intoxicating melody; using only three chords, his humming melting into the sounds. Riley’s throat suddenly went dry and she didn’t know what to do.

For God’s sake, he’s my best friend.

“Hey!” she smiled passing the couch he was lazily sitting; the music stopped instantly, and she could almost notice a blush on his cheeks, his eyes averting from hers and landing on her plate.

“Oh hey… food!” he reached for one of the éclairs and she pulled the plate close to her chest.

“That’s mine, I can see you already ate yours” she pointed her head at the center table, where two plates laid with only crumbles on top.

He huffed rolling his eyes while Riley sat across from him, making a point of picking a chocolate glazed éclair slowly and shoving in her mouth; when he laughed it hit her again, right at the pit of her stomach, goosebumps erupting from her skin.

The silence turned into awkward at the same time as the air seemed to freeze.

“Should we talk about it?” Riley was glad her voice didn’t waver, though her heart seemed to be beating in her throat.

“About…?” Drake took his eyes from his phone, which kept beeping with new messages, and glanced at her.

“About… about last night.” She put on a strand of hair behind her ear, looking for the right words. It was like she was a snake waiting to shed her skin, because it wasn’t possible the room was that stuffy.

It took a few seconds for Drake to piece it out together, seconds that fueled Riley’s imagination with images of the uncharted territory they were drifting to, would he be embarrassed? Or maybe he was also feeling the anxiety ft. exhilaration of their last encounter and didn’t know what to do about it.

But all he did was chuckle and get back to his phone.

“No, of course not.”

Excuse me?

Her lack of response triggered Drake to look at her again.

“We were both pretty drunk, you had just seen your ex, or whatever, make out with your worst enemy… and frankly, I’m a man and you look like… that.” He waved his hands at her velour-covered self and frilly socks a tad bit of redness on his cheeks. “Not that I would mean any disrespect. You’re my best friend and will always be, we were just regrettably drunk.”

Through all the morning Riley though she would be relieved by any dismissal of what happened from his part, so she wasn’t prepared at all for the feeling of her stomach churning, the idea of stacking other eclairs clearly not appealing as before.

“Oh… great” she managed to say with a fake smile.

“Don’t worry, little one” he winked, and she decided it was her leave.

“I wasn’t” she brushed it off with another smile. “Well, I have to meet Madeleine, make sure that your one suit is prepared.”

Drake just chuckled again, tossing his phone on the table and getting back to the hypnotic melody of his guitar.

“Alright, boss!”

Once out of the study, Riley wanted to throw up, or scream, or kick something. She felt stupid and didn’t even know why, it hurt, and she didn’t know why.

“Where were you?” Madeleine annoyed tone filled the room once Riley stumbled inside her fitting space. “Why are you wearing this monstrosity? Haven’t I told you how tacky is this look? You’re not some Real Housewife.”

“Madeleine, it was a gift, I never wore it in public, besides it’s pretty comfy and it’s Gucci, it’s not like Juicy Couture.”

Riley couldn’t tell who wore the most horrified look, Madeleine or the two seamstresses.

“It makes you look fat anyway. So, this is dress number 1” Madeleine said twirling on a lavender circular skirt gown, she looked so plain in it that for a moment Riley entertained the thought of saying she loved it.

“Didn’t like it” Riley answered feeling her phone vibrating on her front pocket. It was her father; he must have arrived at the palace, since he sent her a picture of her bed with several dress bags upon it.

Riley moved her attention back to Madeleine after her not-so-subtly cleaning her throat.

“Dress number two” it was a long emerald green charmeuse dress with strapless, sweetheart, appliqued bodice… like a prom dress from a teen rom-com.

“I liked the color…” Riley bit her lip, because she knew Madeleine would lash out at her sooner or later.

“What are you wearing tonight?” she asked as the seamstresses brought her dress #3.

“I don’t know, dad just brought a handful of dresses from home…”

“You’re not wearing something old, are you?” Madeleine turned to her.

“Of course not, Maddie!” Riley rolled her eyes. “I know Zuhair and Elie sent some things to Valtoria, the bags from Dona are probably not for tonight tough. Anyway, he brought it all, God knows I need more club dresses.”

“Dona? As in Donatella Versace?” Madeleine’s voice got high pitched. “Why are these people sending you things? You’re not even on the social season. Where did they even find you out?”

Riley was a little taken aback from her friend’s reaction, but judged it was only because she felt nervous for the night.

“Uhh, last year’s Paris Fashion Week…”

“I was there with you!”

“I know Mads, it was at the Versace show, you hate Versace, remember? I met this… girl.” She thought it was safer than saying it was Lady Gaga. “We chatted about the show, she found out I loved Versace and invited me to meet Donatella. Well, turns out it was this small after-party at Dona’s Presidential Suite. They were all there… Zuhair, Elie, Zac… we just smoked and drank some champagne.”

By the shade of red tinting Madeleine chest, she thought it was better to end her story there.

“You love doing that, don’t you?” the contempt in her voice was palpable as the words fell from her pursed lips, the seamstresses were lacing up a plum dress that fitted her perfectly. “You simply cannot be happy when people other than you are being the center of attention, but I won’t bite the bait.”

“Madeleine, you’re the one who aske..”

“You always do this! But now is my time… to lead the ballet, to lead this family by Leo’s side, interviews… tonight is my night. You’ll need more than some designer dress to upstage me.”

The words hit Riley like a whip.

“I’m not engaging in this nonsense, Madeleine, for real, this is your night, so it’s better if I just leave you to prepare yourself for your big moment.” She got up from the armchair she was curled up. “Anyway, this dress looks great.”

Madeleine didn’t even answer Riley, who left without looking back. A migraine starting to spread in her skull, all she wanted was a peaceful minute, maybe just focus on her breathing on her way back to her room would help.

“Dad!”

She found peace on those glinting blue eyes that just her and Alexander York shared; her father smiled through his thick mustache and spread his arms to her, completely embracing her small figure.

“There’s my girl.” the Duke held her tightly close to his chest before erupting in coughs.

“You ok?” Riley quickly stepped back looking as her father eased his breath.

“Sure, kid. Saliva went down the wrong way, just that!” he patted her back moving to sit on the only space on her bed that wasn’t occupied by dress bags, he pushed the dresses back and motioned for her to sit by his side. “How’s everything?”

“It’s fine, I guess. I got to take the boot out yesterday, that was nice.” She smiled at him hiding her turmoil, her now free foot dangling from the side of her bed.

“You know you can always head back to Valtoria if you want to clear your head, right?” he caught her by surprise with his statement. Another fit of coughs taking over him. “Court life has its perks, but it’s also a tad bit overwhelming sometimes.”

“I know, Dad. I was actually thinking about spending some time there, you know. Before… the semester starts…” a knot started to swell in her throat.

“Yes… yes! I keep forgetting about that. I need to put those reminder things on my phone, you can help me with that later” he laughed again “Although, there’s something I need to give you first, the other reason why I came to visit my girl.”

Alexander reached behind him for a deep blue velvet case with a golden phoenix crest at the center, it meant that whatever was inside was taken right from the vault of Valtorian jewels back home.

“Mimi left if to you” he said patting the box, Riley’s hands reached instantly to the golden bracelet Drake gave her, her eyes would still get moist thinking about her grandmother. “She wanted to give it to you on your Name Day, but I thought that it could outshine any other gifts you got. So, I thought that today would be perfect for it.”

Riley practically braced herself once her father started opening the case, but out of all her grandmother’s jewels, she could never imagine what was inside; the first thing she noticed was the glint on the center diamond, a dark shade of pink. Her mind took her to several years back, when she was just a child watching Mimi getting ready for her 40th Jubilee as ruler of Valtoria, the same case was open on her bed; Riley was obsessed by that tiara.

Back in the 80’s her family was one of the firsts to invest in an Australian diamond mine, now the largest supplier of naturally colored diamonds in the world, including the rare pink diamonds, which were Riley’s favorite. The tiara featured countless of them disposed on the V-shaped motifs, that looked more like hearts to Riley, she called the tiara the Ace of Hearts, and the name ended up sticking out.

Blinking again in her room at the palace, the 4-carat pink diamond stared at her surrounded by gold and platinum and its brothers and sisters of clearer shades.

“You’re giving it to me?” her voice was strangled.

“No, your grandmother gave it to you, she knew how you loved it. You’re a girl of age now, part of Cordonian society, it was about time you have your own tiara.” Alexander moved to kiss her forehead. “I can’t wait to see you wearing it.”

All she could do was nod, somehow her head was trapped on countless nights playing with that tiara, reciting the types of diamonds in it so Mimi would be proud of her, waiting for the day where she could go to all those balls as a grown woman in beautiful dresses, with her own tiara.

She was startled by Manolo arriving on her suite with his crew to do her makeup and hair.

“Oh, for all sacred apples! Is that the Ace of Hearts?” he exclaimed looking at Riley’s hands.

“Yes, my father just gave it to me.” Riley smiled, nostalgia taking over her.

“You’re going to look beautiful, what are you going to wear?” Riley looked back at her bed, settling the tiara back on the cushioned inside of the case, moving to open the bags.

Zuhair Murad sent a silver off-shoulder dress, that just wouldn’t go with the tiara, the three bags from Versace weren’t fit for the occasion, there were two Elie Saab bags and Riley started to pray.

The first was a black jewel-neck satin dress, with hand-painted flowers on the bottom of the skirt, it looked beautiful, but looked so modern compared to the classic tiara; crossing her fingers, she opened the last bag, it was breathtaking; a deep square-neck in dusty pink organza, embroidered from bodice to the bottom of the skirt in rhinestones.

“Yes! This one!” Manolo said clapping his hands enthusiastically.

After a couple of hours indulging Manolo on the light gossip she could afford to tell, Riley saw her dolled up version staring back to herself.

“You look amazing!” Manolo held her shoulders behind her, the rhinestones on the organza glinting under the lights of her room, although nothing could outshine the pink diamonds on her head. Somehow, her reflection looked like a glitter-coated version of herself. “Now, hurry up, your prince is waiting for you.” And winked at her.

Throwing kisses in the air at her, Manolo left her room, were she chose some nude flats to go with the dress, it wasn’t time to test her recently healed ankle. As Riley made her way to the ballroom, she thought about what Manolo had said, her heart almost beating out of her chest as she spotted the figure leaning carelessly on the statue of Maximus V.

The blazer of his gray suit was open, a lock of dark brown hair was falling lazily on his eyes, going back to place as he turned his head up to look at her. Riley felt she was going to faint, was that some joke? Something he couldn’t tell her in the morning?

“Wow” she could notice his mouth moving. “You are… wow, is that Mimi’s crown?”

“It’s a tiara, Drake. We’re not allowed to wear crowns” she laughed delighted.

“Geez you definitely gave ‘you should see me in a crown’ another meaning” Savannah appeared in a beautiful silver dress; Riley bet she had sewn herself.

“Not a crown!” Riley laughed again, but then stopped, as Drake offered his arm to his sister.

“Good evening M’Lady” the voice behind her interrupted them. “Has anyone said how breathtaking you look tonight?”

Liam spun her to face him, his blue eyes the most kind she had seen in weeks, her head was fogged, looking behind her, she saw Drake and Savannah reaching the side door, not looking back.

“Would you give me the honor to accompany you in this ball?” Liam took her hands and she looked down, realizing she hadn’t said a word to him.

“Of course, it would be my pleasure” she forced her cheeks up as he guided her to the main door.

What did she expect? It was crystal clear that whatever had happened the day before meant nothing to Drake, so why did she believe for a second in her own delusion? That’s what this was, a utopia.

“Prince Liam Rhys and Lady Riley York of Valtoria” it was announced as they made their way to the ballroom, as the court went down in whispers, about her outfit choice, her relationship with Liam, her grandmother’s tiara…

“Oh my God, this is the Ace of Hearts, isn’t it?” Kiara approached her with Penelope.

“Yes, my father just gave it to me!” Riley politely smiled at them.

“The luckiest girl!” Madeleine joined them, although she caught a twitch on her left eye when her eyes met the tiara.

“All the luck tonight goes to you, Maddie.”

“It’s not ‘luck’, it’s fate” Madeleine pretended to smile humbly.

I need a drink

Riley chuckled adorably and excused herself.

“Where are you going?” she was surprised by Liam.

“I was going to grab a drink”

“You don’t need to go to the bar, I already brought you what you’re going to drink.” He smiled at her, offering a glass of apple cider, her least favorite drink. “Come here, I want to introduce you to our Chinese Commissary, Chaoxiang Lee, his brother is married to a Cordonian noble.”

“Ahh, here comes your beautiful woman!” Chaoxiang exclaimed, there were so many things wrong with just that sentence that she had a big gulp of her cider to help her smile back at him.

“It’s a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Lee.”

“Oh, you remind me of my niece, she’s exceedingly polite just like all of you court women. We are lucky to have you keep us on our toes!” he sipped his champagne laughing with Liam. “I’ve heard a rumor you’re going to some American college…?

Riley opened her mouth to answer, but Liam was faster.

“It’s just a rumor, she’s not going.” His smile almost deceived her.

“Ahh, good choice young Prince, you can just leave these damsels alone in a place like America.”

She knew better than to disagree with Liam in front of people during court functions, so she just nodded, feeling the pain on her ankle intensify.

“Well, I have promised a drink to Duke Godfrey, I better hurry, it was lovely to meet you” Chaoxiang excused himself.

Riley waited until Mr. Lee was far to turn to Liam.

“What the hell was that, Liam?” she said between her teeth.

“Not now, doll” he pulled her to him a bit abruptly. “People are looking”

“Okay, I’m going outside for a smoke break, then” she gave him a jeering smiled and marched outside.

It took less than five seconds for him to follow her.

“I think you’re right, we need to talk.” Liam’s voice was nowhere near the contained tone he used minutes before. “I’m done with my feelings for you being met with contempt, it’s about time I finally let myself be heard in this relationship, Riley.”

“What are you talking about?” Riley was perplexed.

“You know how difficult it is to love you? I’ve offered you nothing more that my love, my heart, to you, for four years I’ve been trying and trying, and you answer me with applying for a college in the U.S. behind my back?”

“It wasn’t behind your back; I’ve always talked about that” Riley lit a cigarette only to see his eyes go dark.

“It’s time for me to clear out my opinions too” he inhaled deeply. “You need to stop fantasizing about a reality that doesn’t belong to you. New York is a make-believe story in your head, your reality is here. This is real. You need to stop being immature and selfish and start looking around to the people that you’re hurting. Because after everything you’ve made me go through, I still want you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, the choosing ceremony will begin, I need to meet my brother.”

“Liam…”

“I’ll see you later.”

Riley watched him leaving, then turned her back to the entrance, facing the garden below; she was shaking from head to toe, biting her lips with such force that she thought it would break skin.

Through her foggy eyes she noticed a strange movement in the gardens, she could identify Leo, but not the girl with him, she wasn’t dressed for the ball certainly, wearing jeans and a jacket; she seemed to shudder, even though the weather wasn’t that cold, Leo was stroking her cheeks lovingly; she finally notice the girl was crying.

She wasn’t naïve not to know what was happening even before they kissed, Riley felt strangely drawn to the girl, her tears flowing with such… freedom, her feelings free for only her and Leo to see, but nevertheless, free. They were gone when Riley remembered to blink, the orange bottle open in her hands, the sound of trumpets calling her back to the reality.

Back in the ballroom, everyone was expectant for the announcement, but Riley kept her eyes trained on Leo, he had always been worse than Liam at keeping a façade, he looked like a man ready to face his fate… if his fate was guillotine.

“I, Leonard Rhys, future King of Cordonia, come today to tell the news to all my court that I found my bride during this social season” to some his voice would sound nervous, as a man about to propose, but Riley knew better. “As for the woman who… stole my heart and will fiercely lead Cordonia with me, I present you… Countess Madeleine Arden, from Fydelia”

The crowd erupted in applause and shouting, but Riley felt dizzy, she should have eaten something before all that cider, it was a blur of Leo giving her the ancestral ring of the Rhys House; she remembered being pulled into a hug with Penelope and Kiara; she tried to escape as soon as the waltz for the engaged couple started.

“Riley… I mean, Lady Riley, are you ok?” Riley turned to see a Walker, but not the one she wanted to see. “There are still a couple of hours for this to end.”

“Yes, Savannah. I’m good” she put on her smile, ready to lie. “My ankle is killing me, and I think it’s better if I just lie down a little.”

“Oh, ok! I hope you’re better soon.” She waved at Riley going back to where Maxwell and Bertrand Beaumont were talking.

Breathing was only possible when Riley reached the corridor to her room, but she felt she was being closely followed.

“Riley” it was almost physically painful to hear Liam’s voice.

“I’m just tired, Liam.” She held her tongue, her hand on the doorknob.

“I know you’re not happy.” He said in an empty voice, and for a flick of a second that sentence filled her with a last gleam of hope, that he would understand her, that he would see her. “But you will learn how to be.”

It was as if her forces were drained from her body, she nodded at his words and he kissed her forehead; inside her room it wasn’t less suffocating, she pulled the tiara from her head, the pins plucking several hair strands from her scalps, even this pain was numbed by his words.

This is real.

Completely naked in front of the mirror, she traced her fingertips on the marks the embroidered bodice of the dress left on her skin.

Immature and selfish.

Her reflection mocked her, it could go and live the life on the other side of it as she was forced to stay there, forever. She didn’t revel on the feeling of her flannel pants on her legs, or the coarse material of the carpets on her bare feet, a sleepwalker wide awake.

The final destiny was the same place she began her morning, the cozy study was now dark, if not only by the fireplace; she sat in front of it as she watched it burn, the white envelope with the printed purple letters; the letterhead saying We are delighted to inform…

You’ll learn how to be happy.

AFTER

“I can’t wear that!” Hana seemed mortified as Maxwell held the mini skirt before her.

“You gotta show those legs” Max huffed and tossed the skirt on the bed, landing beside Riley.

It was a sunny day on the capital, although the air was chilly outside, Riley could smell the flowers from the nearby garden from her open window; Maxwell fussed on her closet some more, muttering some things.

“Here, try this dress!” he offered Hana a Dolce & Gabbana black corset dress and her eyes grew wide. “Shush! You can only complain when you try it!”

After a few minutes Hana emerged in the dress, she looked gorgeous, but her awkwardness was almost palpable.

“Why should I wear this?” her voice was low.

“This will channel a woman who isn’t afraid of her desires, a femme fatale, a Big Bad Bitch.” Maxwell answered with a flourish.

Riley burst out laughing.

“Should I be flattered you’re looking for that in my closet?” she asked still chuckling as Max made his way to her mini fridge and grabbing some tonic, as he pulled a flask from his pocket and three cups. “Max, it’s 4pm!”

“It’s 8pm somewhere! Besides, Hana here, needs some liquid courage.” He pushed a cup on Hana’s hand who also started laughing.

“Is it crazy that I’m doing it?”

“You mean going on a blind date with a girl that you met on the internet? That’s basically every parent’s nightmare!” Riley took a sip from her gin. “I’m kidding, Han. If you feel it’s right, just go for it, life’s too short…”

Riley got up and marched to her closet she knew the perfect dress for Hana, a ruffled lily-print bardot dress, also D&G.

“Oh my god! This is gorgeous!” Hana exclaimed feeling the fabric. “What about you two, plans for tonight?”

“Well, I actually have to go back to Ramsford to take care of some business for Bertrand” Max answered sipping his gin.

“The Turkish guy didn’t call you back?” Riley turned to him.

“In fact, I ghosted him”

“Max, you were never the same after the Mystery Woman.” Hana sighed going back inside the closet to try on the dress.

“Mystery Woman?” Riley asked puzzled and the younger Beaumont groaned uncomfortably.

“He had this affair with an older woman around the time of Liam’s Social Season” Hana shouted from the closet.

“How old?”

“47” Max practically coughed the number.

“That’s not all, she was married.” Hana said opening the door

She looked stunning.

“Well, that’s what I call coming out of the closet in style!” Maxwell whistled and Riley tossed one of her pillows on him.

“I guess that’s settled, thank you, R!” Hana hugged her and she reveled on the feeling.

A beep on Maxwell’s phone startled them, but it wasn’t until his brows joined at the center of his forehead that Riley started to feel uneasiness.

“I think you should see this.” He said with a pitied look directed to her.

He offered her his phone where a number of articles were pinned under his alerts on her name.

‘It was for the best’ Prince Liam on his former girlfriend Riley York

Riley stared quizzically at Maxwell who kept the downcast look.

“Keep reading.”

There was a bunch of things on how he fell in love with Madeleine, his social season, and then what she wanted to see.

Interviewer: So, I know I shouldn’t dwell on the love life of our future ruler, but you had an on-and-off-again relationship with an infamous figure of the court, Lady Riley York, we know she got into some trouble a couple of years ago, was it when things broke-off for good?

Prince Liam: Well we’re not here to talk about my past, especially about a person who’s very dear to me. What Riley and I had is in the past, she’s a wonderful person, we just happened to follow different paths. It was for the best.

“It was actually really sweet of him to say that” Hana muttered.

“Yeah, he could have said I was a lying bitch who was in a relationship with his best friend behind his back!” Riley tried to mock the situation but grimaced at the end.

“You know he’s still crazy about you, right?” Maxwell asked with another pitiful look.

“I really don’t know how to feel about that.” Riley sighed and got out of bed. “Come on, you have your stuff to do, I’m also visiting some old friend.”

“Are you sure? I can cancel…” Hana started but Riley cut her out.

“You’re going, Han. God knows my live needs newer gossip.” She rolled her eyes and pushed them out of her door.

Phew!

Riley marched to her bathroom for a long hot bath. This interview was something her therapist would love to hear about, it has been over a year of her trying to explain her relationships to Dr Strausser.

“How do you feel about him, Riley?”

As if she could answer this question, any feeling she had for either Liam or Drake was buried inside a box on the depths of herself, and she made a point of locking it and throwing the key away. Probably her cowardice towards getting in touch with those feelings were the main reason she had stopped seeing her therapist for weeks now.

When the water ran cold, she decided to stay true to her word and see an old friend, she should make peace with her past, right?

The Wood Wheel looked exactly like she remembered, even the sounds her boots made on the floor; she took it all in, waves and waves of feelings crashing over her: the smell of the crispy bittersweet bacon, chatter and chuckles, dim lights on the booths at the back, perfect for the couples. It felt like her grandmother’s lake house where she would go when she was little, welcoming and distant once her grandmother wasn’t there anymore.

She walked near the bar, scanning the polaroids on the Hall of Fame, there she was, full smile holding two empty shot cups, a gauze covering one of her hands; the first time she had ever entered there.

“Well, it’s been some time” the grave voice of Al took her by surprise, she smiled genuinely. “Are you looking for someone?”

“No” she wouldn’t mention Drake, not in a million years. “I just missed this place.”

“The usual?” he brought up the bottle of Maraschino and she shook her head laughing.

“Give me your best house red”

He filled a glass as she sat on one of the stools, she just enjoyed the final verses of a Torn cover, a blonde girl thanking as the sparse audience applauded.

“So, where have you been?” Al asked, washing some glasses.

“Don’t you follow the news?” she raised an eyebrow at him.

“I don’t believe the news.”

She took another sip from her wine.

“You shouldn’t!”

“So, where were you…?”

“Oh, I was at this luxurious resort… it also happened to be a rehab facility” she laughed, and he followed her.

“I’m glad you’re back. Have you talked to…?”

“Yeah, everything’s good!” she cut him, forcing on a smile; offering her glass for a refill. “Do you mind if I take this outside for a smoke?”

He shrugged and gestured her to go for it.

The clicking of her heels on the floor followed her; it was easier to breath outside, the chilly air smelled like freshly mowed grass, she pulled out her pack of cigarettes and leaned on the wood wall behind her. After a few minutes of silence, someone else came through the back door.

“Hey, do you have a lighter?” it was the blonde girl who was singing, Riley smiled and held her lighter to her; watching her medium effortlessly messy bob swirls on the wind. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, nice jacket!” Riley pointed out to her red denim jacket.

“Oh thanks, loved your boots! You look familiar…” the girl squinted. “But I don’t know many rich girls who enjoy cheap wines.”

“What makes you think I’m rich?”

“You’re wearing $1,000 boots.” The blonde shot a brow up.

Riley laughed.

“I’m Riley.”

“I’m Cassidy… I saw you on TV, but you look less…” Cassidy started.

“Suicidal?” Riley asked point blank as a joke but watched as Cassidy was taken aback. “I’m sorry, that was a joke… that’s why I don’t have many friends.”

“I was about to say ‘prissy’” Cassidy laughed took a long drag of her cigarette.

“No, I’m cool… Just used to hang out with the wrong people.” Riley shrugged. “So, you play here?”

“Yeah, sometimes alone, sometimes with my boyfriend. In fact, that bastard is late to pick me up.” Cassidy smiled. “You should come next week when he’s with me! You’ve seen the crowd here, bring some friends…Oh, there he is!”

A pickup truck parked on the darkened corner ahead of them.

“Really, promise you’ll come, you seem nice and your friends must tip well” Cassidy laughed. “You can even meet some commoner to dance with.”

Riley laughed again, throwing her cigarette but on the ashtray.

“I’ll give you my noble word.”

“Next Saturday, 8pm.” Cassidy waved and moved to the truck as Riley moved to the door.

When she turned to answer one last time her whole body froze.

Because her eyes adjusted to the poorly lit back and she recognized the truck, although, even if she hadn’t, Cassidy turned on the interior lights and she could see Drakes face as clear as day, getting closer and closer to the friendly blonde.

She gave her back to them as quick as possible, getting back inside with short breaths coming out of her mouth; Riley moved back to her seat out of pure instincts, her head foggy, almost numb.

“On second thought, I’ll accept the Maraschino.”

Al gave her a knowing look.

The car ride back home was silent, her driver certainly could read the room and as if knowing she wasn’t to be bothered, just put on her favorite playlist, Post Malone’s voice soothing her nerves.

I had a thousand bad times, so what’s another time to me?

“Thanks, Hans!” she muttered getting out of the car.

Sleep was a thought too far from her head, therefore, she let her feet guide her anywhere they saw fit; on a reflex she ended up on a study she hadn’t entered in ages. She roamed the room, sitting on the windowsill, her favorite spot there; even though she didn’t want to think about what happened the scene kept playing again and again in her head until not-so-hushed voices outside the study caught her attention.

“You were supposed to say that you were always in love with me, that your relationship with Riley was a way to get closer to me!” Madeleine seemed enraged.

“For four years, Madeleine? While you got engaged to my brother?” Liam tried to keep it low.

“Press is having a field day because you couldn’t do us all a favor and forget your freaking crush on that bitch.”

“This conversation is over, Madeleine.” Liam seemed closer to the door, and Riley pulled her legs to her chest

“No, it isn’t.”

Clicking heels echoed on the corridors getting far from her, she thanked God… a little too early, as Liam made his way inside, not noticing her in the first moment, loosening his tie and going straight to the shelves stashing the liquor.

“It’s not polite to eavesdrop, Lady Riley.” His voice startled her.

“Actually, I was here first.” Riley watched as he took a sip from his vodka and moved towards her. “Madeleine seemed pretty upset. Although, I’m surprised you said what you said.”

“Well… I’ve rehearsed enough times to say things like that” Liam said taking another sip from his glass, “It’s for the best, it’s over now… It wasn’t anyone’s fault it just didn’t work out… She was a good girl, just wasn’t the one… We just grew apart. I couldn’t say you wrecked me, could I?

He moved closer to her, sharing the moonlight bathing her sitting on the windowsill; she felt embarrassed. His hand moved to her cheek and the coldness from his fingers startled her.

“I won’t drag your name through the mud. We both know I could” His gentle hand now gripped her chin as his breath was felt on her lips, she gulped under his touch pulling her face from his grip. “… maybe I should.”

“It’s getting late.” She muttered and got up as way to excuse herself.

Liam smiled sadly, touching her elbow as she passed by him.

“Drake left you” his words slapped her. “I’m the one who has been here, waiting for you. I’ll always be.”

She gulped again.

“Good night, Liam.”

Riley practically ran to her room, locking her door behind her as to keep her demons away. She concentrated on her breathing until the knot on her chest diminished, her hands were still trembling when she opened her first drawer, picking a pajama. Her fingers danced at the bottom of the drawer pulling it up, it opened as a lid. The inside was untouched, like a time capsule sending her to two years prior.

 There laid her grandmother’s tiara, the Ace of Hearts; a burnt piece of paper with an almost unrecognizable NYU logo; and the item that instantly caught her attention: a white iPhone 4, the secret phone she used to talk to Drake back when her mother confiscated her phone.

She roamed through the drawer finding a charging cable, she sat on the bed forgetting about her pajamas, waiting for it to turn on. It felt so small on her hands, so many feelings encased on that tiny piece of metal.

There were four voice messages, all of them from that fateful day; the notifications burning bright on her eyes, she knew she shouldn’t do that, not with everything that happened.

She pressed the icon to listen.

You’ve reached Drake Walker’s girlfriend. If you’re Drake, leave a message (laughing)

.

There was a loud gasp, as if someone just broke out crying and hang up.

You’ve reached Drake Walker’s girlfriend. If you’re Drake, leave a message (laughing)

.

I guess I just wanted to hear your voice.

She promised not to do this, bottled it up, but effortlessly a tear rolled from her eye. His voice was so broken, he was so broken.

You’ve reached Drake Walker’s girlfriend. If you’re Drake, leave a message (laughing)

.

I know I shouldn’t do this, but I can’t stop thinking if I had arrived five minutes later, I would never forgive myself. If I hadn’t come… God, I can’t… I can’t lose you.

The tear turned into a sob; she gritted her teeth to stop it, but it started reverberating through her whole body.

You’ve reached Drake Walker’s girlfriend. If you’re Drake, leave a message (laughing)

.

They let me see you… I… I can’t think about what you did… I’ve tried to ask Bertrand to bring that stupid stuffed dinosaur you kept in your car, but he said your car isn’t in the parking lot… why am I blabbering? I just… I lov… (cut)

Her head hit the pillow, eyes close shut.

What had she done to her life?

_____________________________________________________________

Riley(Before) Dress

The Ace of Hearts 

Notes: Well, we did it! Thanks to the few of you there are still here I came back from this long hiatus. Life got another level of hard this year, so many things happened on the past 12 months, more responsibilities at work, planning my wedding, then… [insert Cardi B shouting Corona Virus], I was working for 12h a day at home in order to keep my job and everything I’ve worked so hard to build.

But I also gave up other things that gave me joy, like writing this fic. This chapter was incredibly hard to write, though I’ve never felt so accomplished. You don’t know how full my heart is right now, thank you again! I love you <3

Tagging the amazing: @saivilo; @kimmiedoo5; @pug-bitch; @bee1arw; @laurmillen; @axwalker​; @world-of-dreams-and-muse​; @rtinaz​; @iplaydrake​; @notoriouscs​; @mind-reader1​; @annekebbphotography​; @walkerismychoice​;  @tmarie82​​​; @blackwidow2721​​​; @thequeenchoices​​​; @missameliep​​​; @jovialyouthmusic​​​; @perksof-everything​​​; @choicesmacmakes​​​; @carabeth @drakenazario​​​; @drakesensworld​​​; @moneyfordiamonds​​​; @ao719​​​; @lynne1993​​​; @ilovedrakewalker23​​​; @msjpuddleduck​​​; @drakewalkerisreal​​​; @violinist3121; @wannabemc2​​​; @gibbles82​​​; @furiousherringoperatortoad​​​; @jens-diamondchoices​​​; @rainbowsinthestorm​​​; @fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore​​; @emceesynonymroll​​; @addictedtodrakefanfic​​; @texaskitten30​​​; @dcbbw​​; @i-bloody-love-drake-walker​​; @mom2000aggie​; 

[itsuki-minamy]

FOUR SEASONS OF K: “INVITATION”

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

When the boy picked up the fragment, a lingering end resonated at the closing contact point. It was an idea that was transmitted to several kings of the "I".

Unintentionally, "I" was reaching for that sincere feeling. It must have been a persistent act that has responded to various strong desires.

I will give you back something that you have been in contact with each other.

While trying to fall asleep, "I" thought that.

Just like the human feelings with which we have come into contact.

++++++++++

The boy from the green clan felt sorry.

He regrets the fact that it was over and he regret those who were gone.

The moment he picked it up, he was talking to him.

"Can you tell me why you feel sad and what do you miss?"

"Noisy. Who are you, where do you come from?"

There is no answer at all.

Still, feelings spread from the edges of the response.

There was a great ambition to change everything around us. Among them, he was proud to stand up and live a life that would not embarrass anyone. There were people who wanted to run together and share a little rest.

"You understand."

"What is it?"

"I will respond to your pity."

Hope is a night covered in darkness.

It is the green ray that extinguishes the darkness and shines the glow.

Leading the "Green King", restraining the "Gray King", and the "Jungle" Clansmans fighting together.

The enemy is strong to fight, they look forward.

After sunrise, at the "secret base," they speak foolishly and lecture.

"Yes, the body of the flow is perfect."

"Iwa-san is strong if he gets serious."

"Train with Yukari every day, and you'll be even taller."

"Hirasaka could become a J-Rank."

"Kotosaka will be more together with Nagare and Iwa-san."

Without realizing it, the feelings overflow incessantly, their world is connected.

His world expands, involving those who are close to him.

"I'm fine."

He lightly said that,

"Damn."

She was also attracted.

Finally, she was invited to a dark night because of her connection to the boy.

And the child is completely submerged.

On the battlefield challenging great ambitions.

With his comrades.

++++++++++

The young man from the red clan had a loss in his heart.

Among the many repetitions, a particularly large loss still hurts your chest.

So I talk to him.

"Can you tell me what you did?"

"Uh?! What the hell are you saying all of a sudden?”

He listened to me while he was ready in a hurry.

From he, it will be transmitted transparently.

There was a longing for a man like a volcano with a great deal of heat hidden behind them, which were small. He had the joy of chasing man. There were friends walking in front of him, chasing him, walking beside him.

"You understand."

"What?"

"We will make up for your loss."

Hope is a place to spend with friends.

In front of him is the heavy back of a longing man.

Too cool "Red King" and a young man with a soft atmosphere that touches the "King" casually.

Friends who follow, join and laugh.

With them, he felt it was his place, be it the battlefield or the bar.

"Mikoto is always on that sofa."

"Totsuka-san slaps his elbow on the counter."

"Kusanagi-san gave them a worried smile."

"Anna snuggled silently close to everyone like that."

"And then we slap each other crashing into each other."

Nostalgia and pity begin to fall, and their world is connected. His world begins to ignite as he engages others with him.

"What are you doing, Mikoto, Totsuka?"

The one who intervened without realizing it,

"I have met you."

She also intervened while noticing it,

He dives into the hot days that have been revived.

And the young man runs with joy.

Chasing his longing for return.

Even without weapons, go ahead.

++++++++++

The Blue Clan woman was upset by anxiety.

She was nervous about the disappearance of the symbol of order that she look at and the negative effects it had.

Then I spoke to her.

"Where is your anxiety rooted?"

"Mysterious... who are you?"

Nobody's high-pitched voice allows for lively softness.

That is why I can see its missing part in a proper way.

There was a shock to the existence of another law and system that ordinary people cannot know. I witnessed the birth of a person who embodies order, who suppresses super humans who could easily fall aimlessly. With his birth, he worked hard to maintain order.

"You understand."

"What?"

"Let's eliminate your anxiety."

Hope is a great blue sword floating in the sky.

Smoke like snow is a fragment of blue power.

A Blue King, an embodiment of order, who is truly dry and tall on earth and worthwhile as a person.

Companions who are lined up in order and move undisturbed.

Without fear or confusion, they adequately address the disturbances of people with powers that occur at any time.

The captain refrains from jokes and becomes the king.

"Fushimi is..."

"As always, the special force is prepared to move under one command."

"If they told him it was missing, if he was in training..."

"Above us, there is a Damocles sword that is not missing."

She is drawn to a clear image and her world is connected. In the right way it should be, your world is calmly ruled.

"Well I still have this power."

He who looks with interest,

"It is horrible, there is no profit..."

He, who had a sigh of anxiety,

He knows the seriousness of the companions freely.

And she returns to the correct form.

Dangerously, it firmly shows the reason for the order,

Form a line under the great blue sword.

++++++++++

The "King" of the Silver Clan was bitten by the unprecedented weight.

He had been dragging everything he had done so far.

So I spoke to him.

"Can you tell us about your lack of skill?"

"Are you sure...?!"

He took his outstretched hand without consent.

He revealed everything that was stacked.

Once he had a dream in his home country with his sister and his friends. While fulfilling that dream with the death of his sister, he committed suicide in silence and fled to heaven. Instead, he was shot down by a malicious person while on the sidelines of his friend who fulfilled the dream. And at the end of a new meeting.

"You understand."

"Really…?"

"We are going to end your misery."

Hope is a dining table that no one is lacking.

A young lieutenant who spent days with her brother, who laughed nonchalantly as he used to.

Pleasant voice and delicious rice roaming the table.

A young man scolding while serving white rice, and a girl who behaves happily and jumps on a side dish.

"I have an older sister."

"There is also a lieutenant."

"There is also Kuro."

"There is also Neko."

"Everyone gathers in my room for a fun school life."

Failed gravity scrapes the fragments with tremendous force, and your world is connected. It is an impossible scene, but it doesn't matter, it shapes your world.

"What do you mean, Shiro...?"

Confused, he was mainly concerned about his friends.

"Hmm, I hope Shiro is fine!"

She hugged himself unconditionally, innocently.

See a distorted world woven by gravity.

And he falls asleep.

Deep to heal the depth of the wound.

Deeply as a way of looking away.

++++++++++

So "I" connects your thoughts to the ring.

It's just a lingering sound, but so much can be done.

Let's keep giving you what you want.

To shape this "me"...

In his words, it must have been a "thank you".

Now, let's go to the network that houses everything.

True endless power creates the world.

Everyone has that power.

A heart that can be found anywhere without any change.

A little prayer for something you don't want to lose.

[alittlebitgoofy]

Glass wings - chapter five (lemonjuice)

i'm back back back again with more gay fairies and this time we have a gay elf and another gay pixie, very fun!! i'm excited to finally get jan and rock into the mix >:)

thanks to my dearest @dollalpaca for betaing and putting up with my lack of commas. it's a lot to deal with

ao3 link

Time felt like it was floating; maybe it was the hazy morning air, or the warmth that was enveloping her, but Lemon had never felt so comfortable. She was somewhat aware of the body intertwined with her’s. Cracking her eyes open, she saw Juice still pressed into her side. Soft breaths tickled her collarbone, Juice’s head having not left her shoulder the entire time they’d been sleeping. 

Lemon couldn’t bring herself to move and risk disturbing her friend, she had a feeling Juice wasn’t the best at letting herself sleep, always opting to do things than give herself time to rest. It was an issue she couldn’t press for fear of making things awkward, only try to subtly influence. She looked calm, peaceful for once; the blonde showed no signs of waking up any time soon. Even when she was relaxed, Juice had a natural frown, her face never seeming fully happy apart from the rare, softer moments that happened. The night before was one of those, something where the air around them was different, things came out easier and it felt as if nothing in the world mattered, only their company. 

It surprised Lemon how easily she fell into the grasp of another person—she’d spent so long pent up, alone by her own choice but regretting it more day by day, powerless to stop the torment she put herself through. 

Then Juice came around, giving her someone to really connect with. Finally, a friend. 

Juice woke up some time while Lemon was busy in her own thoughts. She stayed still at first, melted into Lemon, not wanting to move from the comfort she offered. Her half-asleep brain could only process that the warm thing next to her was good and needed to be kept around. 

After pulling Lemon slightly closer than before, Juice didn’t budge. She set her claim, curled up in bed with Lemon, and refused to leave or even slightly mess up the current situation. Lemon was brought back to reality by Juice shuffling as much closer as she could physically manage, her affection not going anywhere any time soon.

“Morning, Juicy,” Lemon spoke softly, not yet ready for the day, still fighting off the sleep. The response she got was a soft hum, not having processed the greeting, however wanting to appear as if she had. 

“G’morning, Lem.” Juice’s tone was rough with tiredness, her words muffled by her head still burrowed into the pixie’s shoulder. Her speech was less annunciated, just about not slurring together in fatigue. 

It didn’t take too long for them both to fully wake up. Lemon, having already been fairly alert choosing to stay in the blissful state of Juice’s affection. (but enjoying Juice’s endless affection) The latter needed a few more minutes to wake up, before engaging in a conversation. Within a few more minutes, Juice moved her arms from Lemon, startling the pixie. She sat up, eyes still heavy with tiredness, though a lot more alert than before. 

Eventually, Lemon followed suit, the pair quietly preparing for the day ahead of them, a morning routine made easier with the company of another person. Juice stared at Lemon quizzically as she only ran a hand through her hair and shrugged.

“Do you not brush your hair a lot? Are you one of those people who don’t need to? Or is it just something you dislike.” Lemon paused, how did she explain that she despised brushing it until she had to, for no real reason? It just made her uncharacteristically angry.

“I don’t like it, I have too much hair and it’s a pain to brush it all out, so I don’t if I can get away with it, which I could have before you pointed it out.” She childishly stuck her tongue out for emphasis, while Juice struggled to hold back the laughter at her usual dramatics. 

Lemon wanted nothing more than to run when she saw Juice pick up her comb, glancing between it and her hair curiously. The fairy made her way to her side, nudging Lemon to see if she was allowed to do so. Lemon wanted to say no, but something about Juice’s soft expression melted her into accepting with no fuss.

It didn’t take long before Lemon grunted at the pulling of her hair with the comb to detangle it. It was a horrible feeling, all the more reason she despised that thing. Juice tried to be as gentle as she could, but she had to be more forceful to get out any knots. Lemon became more docile as they went along, her hair becoming a lot less messy, though still as fluffy as ever. Lemon found herself enjoying the soft contact of Juice, steadying her head with a hand leant against her neck, or running her hands through the hair to check she hadn’t missed anything. It made her body warm in an unfamiliar way, but something she would crave again all the same. 

Juice smiled proudly at the finished product and Lemon hummed in satisfaction. Running a hand through her hair, the pixie flashed a grin, happy with the result. The blonde took the opportunity to fluff up her hair like how it usually was, running her hands through it to check the neatness all over. 

That was the only reason, not that she enjoyed being in such close proximity with Lemon or anything. 

---

Although it had gotten easier, flying with Lemon was never a good idea—she would zoom off at a speed that Juice could hardly keep up with. Thankfully, the pixie had decided to rest on her shoulder, making herself comfortable as the fairy flew them further on.

“There’s something over there!” Lemon jolted, gesturing to the right, sounding uncharacteristically serious. Juice shot her a confused look, not sure what caused the sudden outburst or why her eyes were so trained on the direction she had pointed to.

“I can feel something, I don’t know what it is, but I need to go check it out,” Lemon said quickly, flying off of Juice’s shoulder and deeper into the surrounding forest. 

“Lemon! You aren’t going alone, slow down,” Juice sighed, following Lemon as fast as she could and hoping the pixie didn’t fly into anything in her sudden burst of energy. The pixie paused, fluttering her way back to the shoulder and directing Juice from there. 

They flew decently far out, to the outskirts of the village where a few people lived, who didn’t like living in the main town area for whatever reason. Upon spotting a house in the distance, Lemon’s eyes lit up. That was it! That was the thing she could feel. There was something inside that house that was drawing her to it, and she needed to find out. 

---

Jan sprung back to consciousness at an alarming rate. No grogginess, only a sudden burst of energy that startled the person leaning over her. 

Before her brain could catch up as to why there was a concerned elf in a cloak staring at her, something pulled at her. The sensation was willing her to leave the little cottage and venture into the surrounding woods, though that seemed like a bad idea. 

“Hey! Don’t just leave! You’re not really in the state to—!” The elf threw herself to grab the pixie as she jumped off of the bed, before stumbling to the floor atop the other girl, her voice failing as they collided with the ground.

“Are you alright? I know you fell quite hard, but you just jolted up all of a sudden and it was terrifying,” the other girl spoke slower, a lot quieter that time. She struggled to hold eye contact, seemingly scared of Jan. It was a lot to realise someone may be intimidated by her, but the pixie tried to keep herself as small and harmless as possible in response. 

“I’m okay, everything hurts, though. I’m not quite sure what happened.” 

“Well, you see. I accidentally shot you down from the sky with my bow, because I saw you and got scared, I thought you were a predator and defended myself before properly looking,” meekly, the elf mumbled out an explanation. 

Jan felt herself stifling a giggle at how adorable the person in front of her was. She looked too nervous for Jan to want to poke fun at her, but the way she blushed, the tips of her pointy ears turning pink, was too cute. Although the situation wasn’t good, the pixie couldn’t help but stare, taking in every aspect of the pretty girl.

Oh no. She couldn’t be—

Jan blinked a few times, shaking the thought from her head before it could finish. The idea of emotionally bonding with some random person who accidentally injured her was ridiculous. She was cute, it didn’t go any deeper than that. She also was the reason Jan couldn’t keep her balance right now, yet that seemed the furthest worry from her mind. 

“It’s fine, I’m not that hurt.” A skeptical look made Jan laugh, although being hit by an arrow was painful, she hadn’t had too many bad injuries. Minus the pain all over her body, but that wasn’t a problem when her attention was focused on something; or rather, someone else. 

Before their conversation could continue, a loud bang startled the pair. Jan felt the pulling sensation even stronger now. 

Something was demanding her attention. 

She had to follow it; her body decided that for her. She walked out of the house with the panicked elf quickly pacing after her. Jan idly wondered if she was always so panicky, or if this was something far too out of her comfort zone, leaving her almost unable to function. 

“Wait, it’s here! Her!” A high pitched squeak of a voice spoke far too loudly for someone of her size. In a flash of yellow, Lemon fluttered in front of Jan. 

Their expressions mirrored each other, shock and confusion soon morphing into excitement, upon realising their shared species. It was one of the first times Lemon had truly been left speechless. 

“So you’re the one who gave me that feeling? You’re a strong little thing.” Jan inspected the small creature in front of her. Lemon only shrugged in response, not too aware of exactly what was happening, intrigued nonetheless. There was something about the soft lilac eyes and hair of the girl in front of her, that made her feel comfortable. 

Lemon shifted into her human form, staring Jan down much in the same way she had just done. She couldn’t figure it out, but the woman had a comforting energy. It reminded her of something she hadn’t felt in a long time, but she couldn’t let herself linger on that thought. 

----

“So, you’ve never met another pixie?” Jan stared at Lemon in shock, the raw energy emanating from her being completely untrained was almost inconceivable. Lemon shrugged, not seeing it as a huge deal, despite her excitement to meet another pixie.

“Yeah, I mean, I grew up around fairies, so it’s kind of similar, but I don’t know much about pixies.”

“Well, we need to make up for lost time! I bet you barely know how to use your powers. You can teleport and levitate things, but can you feel emotions, or sense energy? You’re close enough with Juice to connect with her if you tried. I’m not sure how it would work between a pixie and a fairy, rather than two pixies, but it’s definitely possible.”

“Connect? How so?”

“It’s just a thing pixies do; we get close enough to someone and a link develops. It can be trained to sense general energies, but you’re tied to the energy of another person. So, you could be able to feel Juice’s feelings, and reach a deeper understanding of each other.”

“That sounds so cool! How do I do it? What else can I do? Can you teach me?” Lemon’s eyes sparkled with so much excitement, that Jan felt herself soften; Lemon was so earnestly energetic and eager to learn that saying no wasn’t an option. 

Juice watched on with a smile—Lemon finding another pixie was something she’d mentioned wanting to do in a passing conversation, since she knew so little about herself. There was something about seeing her so happy that made her heart squeeze, Lemon deserved so much more than what she got. 

Lemon was incredible, although Juice couldn’t find the words to communicate it. She wouldn’t admit how much she adored the little troublemaker, but she would never stop being thankful she met that idiot. 

Rock nervously approached Juice, feeling they had similar energies. The fairy jolted in shock at a soft greeting, but they soon got into a conversation about the pixies. Juice was happy to share what it was like to be close to one, as Rock realised that Jan was likely to stick around. She would find it hard to leave for the time being due to her injuries; the elf quietly hoped to herself that she would stay. 

Juice quickly found a kinship with the elf based on their shared awkwardness when it came to social interactions; her anxieties settled as she realised the elf had the same issues. Their discussions flowed surprisingly easily, as they waited for the two pixies to calm down their enthusiasm. 

“So, is the intense energy just a pixie thing?” Rock cocked her head, curiously glancing between the pair and Juice. 

“It must be, Lemon doesn’t know how to sit still—he’s always got to be doing something, or she’ll complain about being bored. It’s kind of fun, though; she keeps things exciting.” Juice’s eyes fell back onto an excited Lemon, her face growing into an involuntary soft smile. 

Rock noticed something in the way the smaller girl looked at her, but decided not to mention it. It wasn’t her place to comment.

“Juice! Jan’s gonna teach me how to use my powers, isn’t that cool?” Lemon giddily bounced back to her friend, eyes gleaming with such excitement, Juice felt her heart warm with how happy she seemed. 

Lemon deserved so much more than she got, and Juice was going to do everything she could to make sure that happened.