stingslikeabee

[stingslikeabee]

i wasn't completely honest. ( from a certain dragon )

'Sweetlust' prompts . accepting

It was, simply put, an odd event.

King Adolphus had never been one of Melissa's favorite neighbors - for the very first few years of her reign and while Solaris still suffered with the constant fear and disrupted trade routes caused by Daigo (not that the beast had been entirely tamed, but the royal marriage had vastly improved living conditions), the country had desperately needed help. Many letters were sent - all of them ignored, not just by Adolphus.

However, his reactions had been not just passive - rather than not responding, there had been sightings and reports of his army moving towards the border. Almost as if the foreign ruler had been waiting for Solaris' ultimate failure and disappearance, hoping to annex the lands and claim whatever treasures were outside Daigo's reach.

Now, almost a decade later, geopolitics had taken a turn - Melissa was praised as a brave strategist, the younger princesses had been matched to promising and kind royals of other countries and her family flourished. The dragon had agreed not to destroy the people's crops and to hunt in a way that offered him some thrill... But did not create vast damage or harm to the locals. Over the last couple of months, the brunette had received more proposals and treaty offerings than their nation had ever seen.

Adolphus was among the guests they welcomed for such conversations - but while Melissa graciously awarded him the same courtesy granted to other invitees, the foreign king could not disguise his disdain for her choice in spouse. Daigo didn't even spend most of the time in the palace rooms, holding meetings - he found them horribly tedious - but apparently, gossip had a way of finding the dragon. Or maybe he just knew his wife well and could tell she was upset (on his behalf - which was immensely funny because a dragon older than earth itself required no protectors).

Daigo couldn't care less for insults coming from creatures he deemed to be less important than ants - but he cared for his treasure; and if someone upset Melissa, then he wasn't about to ignore that fact.

So when the news from Adolphus' resignation reached the Solarian throne, the queen was surprised to hear of it. Her counterpart had been ambitious and greedy - the sheer terms of the last deal he had proposed between their nations were almost insane, assuming that Melissa was willing to deploy Daigo as a watcher or guardian of his borders in exchange for some agricultural goods they now had in abundance. Besides, the idea of asking anything of the dragon insulted Melissa - he was not a weapon, even if many saw him as such.

He was the king of Solaris and she did not appreciate the way Adolphus simultaneously appeared to condemn their union while asking for protection.

Late that night, the queen found Daigo in their bed chambers - he looked strangely behaved, almost as if waiting for her. While Melissa disrobed and untied her hair, they made casual conversation - which the gem dragon usually didn't care for either. When she climbed their shared nest, the queen hovered over Daigo, remaining on all fours for a bit - a curious reversal of the position many imagined them to often take.

"What did you do to Adolphus?"

"Nothing," he said, and blinked strangely; at that point, Melissa was sure that Daigo meant the opposite, and yet for some reason... He was resulting to some horrible lying.

"Daigo, what are you not telling me?"

"Fine," he snarled, and then looked like himself for a bit - some sort of displeasure colored his features, and his shape changed a bit; the horns grew larger, the scales covered more of his face, "I wasn't completely honest. I might have paid him a visit and threatened to pick my teeth with his bones and those of his children if he ever treated you badly again."

Ah. Now it all made sense. Releasing the air from her lungs, Melissa then lowered herself over the dragon, enjoying the added warmth of his presence - her chambers were never cold post their union, really (which was a blessing considering how readily clothes were shredded, accidentally or not). Her right hand touched one of the horns, and then she went in for a kiss atop his nose before meeting his lips sweetly.

"And why did you not wish to tell me you had done so? I thought you didn't care for politics."

"I do not - I only care he upset you and I do not allow for it," Daigo grumbled, claws reaching for his wife's body and pressing her down to him - akin to a hug and, Melissa realized, in an attempt to reproduce her own comforting gestures, even if they were a bit alien to him. This, the queen figured, was the gem demon trying to look after her on her own terms - a fantastic display of tolerance, but only because it pertained to her (his treasure).

"You have been upset before when I mauled foreign visitors who spoke out of turn - you never said you would be against threatening them," he explained, and Melissa found herself laughing - giggling, really, lowering herself for more kisses that were fast and light, falling all over his draconic features with a sweet sigh at the end.

"You are quite right - and not at all in trouble," the brunette added, what was a hilarious statement to make - as if a single human held the power to burden the mighty one that roamed the world eons before Melissa's ancestors came to Solarian land, "I loathed the man anyway - I only wish I could have seen his face when you scared him to death, that is all."

#dojimakaichou #v: Yakuza ; dragon king AU #Sweetlust prompts #replied #I don't know why #but I assume Daigo is a horrible liar #simply because he doesn't need to lie #he can (and will) do anything as he pleases 8D #so have a misbehaving pet lizard for once

[stingslikeabee]

' some wounds do not close; i have many such. ' hi you get gabranth today.

'The Favourite' starters . accepting

An imperial judge was already someone difficult to physically harm given their metal plating; a magistrate such as Gabranth should be nearly impossible to hit, unless the very man wished for such. And yet, once his deadly armor was removed during one of their clandestine encounters, the Bhujerban gasped audibly at the angry, red gash that was visible on Gabranth's back. It was fresh and it should be stinging enough to make a lesser individual flinch, but not him.

Not Gabranth.

"You didn't tell me you were injured," Melissa exclaimed, and the noises coming from the adjourning room were the cues that the Landissian needed to determine his companion had started a search for some potion or lotion for the marred flesh. The dancer's voice was mixed - concern and reproach mingled in an unique way, the Bhujerban's disposition growing agitated as she settled behind him with the necessary instruments.

"The Empire has no shortage of enemies," the man merely shrugged, an action that got both of Melissa's hands over his shoulders almost immediately, forcing him to be still. Although the woman had said nothing, Gabranth used to joke that she spoke through the mere jingle of her jewelry. It was as if her bracelets and other trinkets reacted to his carelessness instead, beads and chains clinking loudly while she worked on his back and puffed hot air over his flesh.

"This was no enemy - that armor of yours is a monstrosity to get off even with your aid. I cannot think of anyone skilled enough to cut you like this unless you allowed them the privilege," the Bhujerban countered, even if both of them were aware that, right then, Melissa could have done it - the dancer had her digits coated in a soothing lotion, but they could very well carry a blade. The judge bared his unguarded frame to her - and in doing so, offered more than just tangible skin and bodily warmth.

"This was friendly fire, was it not? During a training session?" the Bhujerban ventured a guess - after all, only another magistrate could best a colleague, and they often trained with and without their weapons. The fact that it was on his back suggested a bit of foul play - the act of a coward, perhaps when Gabranth was already retreating. It fueled Melissa with a strange type of fury: quiet and cold, even if her hands had been working diligently on the area.

"You worry too much about me - you should know some wounds do not close; I have many such," Gabranth said in that unique conversation where neither looked the other in the eyes given their angle, but Melissa knew what he meant. Shaking her head and finally done with everything, the dancer finally left the bed if only to carry the curatives elsewhere and clean her hands of whatever lingered of the lotion. Some of the Bhujerban's own jewelry was discarded then - and she made considerably less noise when returning to bed, climbing onto the furniture from the other side and kneeling in front of the judge at long last.

"I know. I cherish them," she said, raising honeyed eyes to look into his usually tormented blue irises; "Gabranth has no such wounds, only Noah. As long as they exist, so does he. And I'm here to make sure he never disappears," the Bhujerban explained, voice as light as a feather but with words carrying the weight of all Ivalice on them. It was a promise; a futile one, the judge argued, but they were equally stubborn and fond of lost battles.

Melissa dragged herself forward them, picking both of Gabranth's hands and placing them over her waist - there was not much left to remove off her body if the Archadian opinion was anything to go by, but that was a task for the man hiding under the heavy plating discarded a moment earlier. The digits over her hips pressured the smaller body in response, earning the man a smile - instinct or not, that was precisely the reaction the dancer was seeking.

"Now, careful with your back, Noah. Let me soften the fall for you," the girl murmured, pulling him for a kiss and wordlessly begging for him to cover the Bhujerban instead, "Lay your burdens on me for now."

#5judgements #v: FFXII #the Favourite starters #replied #contrary to most Gabranth prompts #I wanted to make this cute instead of angsty #(I feel I only partially succeeded XD) #anyway HI HELLO I MISSED THIS BLOG IN MY INBOX

[stingslikeabee]

Sorry for disappearing (again), guys - I had a hectic week at work that threw off my entire schedule and exhausted me. Luckily the labor day holiday will offer me a break but you wanna know how all over the place I am? I was rushing to finish my taxes because I thought they were due tomorrow. They're due on the last working day of May - and I forgot. And I am a tax advisor for a living and I just...... Forgot.

#ooc! #tbd #granted I'm a corporate tax advisor #BUT STILL

[stingslikeabee]

₍ 🎞 ₎ the favourite (2018) rp starters ! featuring toxic relationships, graphic language & mature themes . some lines have been slightly adjusted for rp purposes .

you wish me to lie to you? 

some wounds do not close; i have many such.

sometimes, you look like a badger. and you can rely on me to tell you.

because i will not lie! that is love!

did you just look at me? did you? look at me! 

as it turns out, i'm capable of much unpleasantness.

i have a surge of desire to see your nose broken.

you are too mean and uncaring, some days.

they were all staring, weren't they? i can tell even if i can't see.

if you want to fix yourself we can discuss this later.

there is always a price to pay. i am prepared to pay it.

some days i'm quite lovely though.

love has limits.

obviously you still have some anger to expiate. 

you are in favour. but favour is a breeze that shifts direction all the time.

if you do not go, i will start kicking you and i will not stop.

it is important to make new friends, is it not?

a monster for the children to play with, perhaps?

i'm on my side. always.

it could be said i have fallen far.

if you offer me tea, you will forgive me if i don't accept.

i need a friend, one with cute ears and wide eyes.

you always unbalance me.

do not come near me whining today or i will crush your tiny heart to liver.

perhaps because of my past, perhaps some malformation of my heart.

oh, my god. you actually think you have won.

we were playing very different games.

you do not need me as an enemy. 

a new day. a door to a new future. as metaphors abound.

i do not like this, you will lodge this unknowable thing in my brain.

i have been wanting to give you something for quite some time now.

i love a comedy.

you shall speak when asked to.

let's shoot something!

i am not food! you cannot just eat and eat.

it made me feel at their mercy, that i was nothing.

you want something. to fuck me?

i must take control of my circumstance.

i will need to act in a way that meets the edges of my morality.

if they ask why, tell them 'because i am a disloyal little bitch'.

#the Favourite starters #meme #this movie ahhhhhhh

[stingslikeabee]

— Agora ( 4 / ∞ )

#mel aesthetics #words #I am soft for this dynamic #and one of my runner-up FCs haha

[stingslikeabee]

@dojimakaichou

#mel aesthetics #words #tell me this isn't perfect #the lovely gesture followed by another one #kneeling to help Mel is such a big Daigo move #'[Daigo] we met by chance but we were reunited by fate (and i’m never letting you go again)' #v: Yakuza #v: Yakuza ; detective AU #v: Yakuza ; Addams Family AU #v: Yakuza ; medieval AU #v: Yakuza ; space federation AU #v: Yakuza ; first lady of the Tojo AU #v: Yakuza ; wild west AU #v: Yakuza ; American dream AU

[stingslikeabee]

It's rare that Broden makes his way to Midgar. His disdain for the place stems from many memories, not the least of which is what happened to him while in Soldier. However, his relationship with Melissa has made the slightly more frequent visits to at least Sector 6 more enjoyable. The debauchery that happens during that sector's nightlife is also nothing to scoff at, and something Broden has taken part in before when his health had been better.

"Melissa," he says with a smile and a bow of his head as she approaches him. "Excellent to see you again." Carefully, he holds her elbows and leans in to kiss her cheek in greeting; as ever, she smells lovely and looks exquisite. He would tell her that even on her worst days, though. "I brought your order with me. It's being brought into the kitchens as we speak."

unscripted asks . always accepting

Moving from a regular sex worker to a proper businesswoman had been no small challenge - even if Melissa had prepared herself for that over the years, the woman had not anticipated the reach of Corneo's tentacles and how he would try to negatively influence others where the new Honey Bee Inn was concerned.

But it was no matter - there was little in Wall Market that the madame needed; her goals were much more ambitious. The place, in her mind, was not going to be just another brothel - it should be a pleasure house, with the best girls but also the finest drinks and delicacies available. Hiring a foreign chef, finding experienced kitchen aid and then new suppliers was all part of the plan - but Broden becoming one of her partners had been a most fortunate thing indeed.

Not everyone that owned an inn or a restaurant outside Midgar had necessarily replied to her original letter seeking to establish such dealings - but the Kalm innkeeper did. And more than helping with the referrals and tips when he learned of who she was and the plans for Wall Market, they had become friends - even if from a distance, given how difficult it was for a slum-dweller to escape the infamous Shinra's checkpoints.

But he could come to her - and when Broden did, either to oversee a delivery from his own trusted suppliers from the Grasslands or an errand to acquire something from the local shops (although Melissa couldn't imagine what was manufactured in Midgar that would ever prevail over a Kalm original), it made her day better. His face was remarked as serious and stern by her own staff, but the madame did not feel that way.

(Or maybe it was the fact that Broden usually had a smile and the most respectful stance whenever she was concerned - it was impossible not to feel like the queen Melissa called herself when one acted so knight-like before her.)

"It is always a good day when you are here. I cannot thank you enough for the generosity you have showed me for the past couple of years," the woman chuckled, approaching him and allowing herself to enjoy the gentlemanly kiss over her skin. Melissa had been used to much more scandalous acts than fleeting signs of affection, but it was impossible to subdue the warmth that his presence evoked.

"I suppose your darling boys will need a moment to unload everything, then. Perhaps enough for a refreshment, as our thanks? I know it's early and the crew is yet to come in, but I can make them some iced tea," the woman offered, even if it was to have Broden stay for a little longer - they both had their businesses to run, but weren't owners entitled to small breaks as well?

She then reached out to him - bringing their hands together and holding his for a moment. Over the last couple visits, Melissa had been both drawn to Broden (more than usual) and also aware of the slight tremors when he gestured. Surely a visual reminder of his decaying health - even if they didn't speak about it, the rumors were plentiful. But sometimes, a steady hold and the presence of another body could comfort a soul, enough to translate to some temporary physical improvement.

The inn proprietress would know - it was their greatest asset, after all: companionship.

"Play a match of Queen's Blood with me? It's always better when we do it face to face. And you can also tell me all about life out there - is your friend still working on the old Republic mills? They sounded majestic when you described them," the woman offered, covering his hands with both of her palms - a gesture meant to share her own bodily warmth with Broden and to reinforce her plea.

There was so little she knew about Gaia - and Broden, on the other hand, had seen so much, even if it was tainted by his prior employment with Shinra. They could only hope that her childlike fascination would be enough to remove some of these stains over his precious memories.

"One day we will go see them together, Broden. It's a promise."

#cybrvce #v: FFVII #replied #I reached ch. 13 and let me tell you #I am not okay haha #I am emotional about this / about them / about this man ç_ç

[stingslikeabee]

Damsel (2024) dir. by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

#mel aesthetics #imagery #v: Yakuza ; dragon king AU

[stingslikeabee]

What's Melissa's happiest memory from her childhood?

unscripted asks . always accepting

Although one wouldn't immediately guess by looking at the person Melissa turned out to be, her childhood was not an easy one: a mother that sacrificed her daughters for a better life and a drunk father who sold his own blood for a profit were not a good combination. Although she is aware that many born and bred in the slums had similar fates, it did make for rare happy moments.

Most of the good memories, however, revolve around the family she loved, nurtured and cared for - her sisters were her everything, the reason she stepped up to a role she should not have mastered when so young and the key aspect that explains why she is so desperately looking for replacements for the rest of her life. One of her most prized possessions and an object at the center of these joyful moments was a doll.

Her sisters crafted it for her - an odd thing that was a far cry from the luxury toy shops from aboveplate and which the twins cobbled together with bits and pieces of things they could find around the slums or which were donated by generous neighbors willing to share the little they had. It was named 'Jasmine', following the tradition of the Drysdells of naming girls after flowers, and it was a toy she cherished and played with immensely.

During the small moments where Jasmine was brought out for tea or they made up plays and grandiose stories for her - Melissa was happy; it was a breather from the oppressing reality and the laughter was genuine. Being close to the people she loved the most and pretending life was just about that - it was just pure bliss for the young Lilian back then.

#bitterarcs #v: FFVII #replied #headcanon #I wrote about this once so long ago #I went through my archives to check #but yes! a doll! playing house with her sisters! simple things! #she would probably be able to describe that toy in insane detail no matter how long it has been

[stingslikeabee]

#mel aesthetics #imagery #nsfw-ish

[stingslikeabee]

Melissa did not realize that the cave was shifting and changing around her - as a human, and as a direct consequence of Daigo's presence, she was already more attuned to magic than the average person, but it by no means signified that she understood a fraction of the gem demon's powers. Her husband's touch - as gentle as he could allow it - was a far greater distraction than the rare flowers growing close to the pair.

The Solarian queen had no idea that the petals blooming at his will were noted only in legends (if any tomes had survived this long); Melissa was also wholly ignorant to their additional properties or even the rituals they had been a part of. The only moment these flowers merited her attention was when Daigo moved to grab one, crushing the delicate thing with his monster-like claws and turning them to smaller, crumpled bits.

The beast's explanation was not a detailed one - it wasn't as if they needed more children, but the brunette had long stopped correcting the king in relation to lovemaking and how it did not need to produce an offspring every time. Even then - Melissa's brain was too foggy and still riding the afterglow of her first orgasm, which had her murmuring agreeably and parting lips in the most obedient fashion.

The first thing she noticed was the taste - they were deceivingly bitter; as if the queen had expected that type of vegetable to be sweet such as the honey they helped produce. Nevertheless, the issued order was observed - Melissa chewed on it, finding the texture and the flavor not entirely remarkable (just strange, if anything). Daigo lowered his head over her chest and, almost by instinct, her hands found the creature's horns, resuming their leisure caresses of earlier.

As the woman swallowed, however, there was a distinct pause and a different humming sound produced by her vocal chords. Slowly - but surely - Melissa felt hot; it was similar to the dragon's own body heat, but instead of warming her from the outside, it seemed to produce the reversed effect. That tingling feeling was not the only immediate reaction - it extended further below and heightened other senses. Inhaling sharply, the queen found that she could smell something... Distinctive now. As scaled and sturdy Daigo could be, he was still organic.

Was that his own desire?

Blinking, the woman realized that her hands had stopped moving up and down the twin protuberances - instead, she had gripped at them, mimicking her earlier actions when the verge of her apex. Melissa suddenly needed more air, but the sound that came out of her lips was very much a moan - and before long, she writhed over the blankets, as if the royal either needed the friction or sought a way to cool her flesh.

"Daigo," Melissa's voice was breathy, urging him to move by pulling at the horns; with pupils growing larger than usual and her legs folding to give her just enough leverage to press herself against him, it was clear that the queen needed something - urgently, even. Unknown to Melissa, the aphrodisiac proprieties of the flower were hitting her bloodstream as the dragon supposed it would, but in far larger quantity than he should have administered.

After all, mankind was built differently from dwarves - from Melissa's perspective, there was just a mind-blowing need to have him; to feel his own seed inside, as if that was the only thing that could return sanity to the mortal trapped underneath the mighty creature.

★. ―

Daigo's lips pulled up into a smirk at her last remark. Of course he was not done — as she had said, the best was yet to come. The dragon hissed out a breath at the feeling of her fingers on his horn. His rough digits moved up to her cheek ; the tips of his claws brushed against her soft skin leisurely. Daigo mirrored her pace for a few minutes.

Unbeknownst to the mortal beneath him, his lair was at work. A dark green vine crawled beneath Daigo's ( worthless ) material riches. On it were strings of vibrant orange flowers, each of which had a curiously dark center. The petals came to a point but tended to curl out, giving every blossom the look of an open maw.

Fanghur was what it was once called by the original dwarves. That name referenced a subspecies of worm - like members of the chromatic dragon family that no longer existed ; much like the flower, they had been hunted to extinction by the bearded mountain folk. Fanghur was bitter, chewy, and hard to smoke, but its effects on the body were often worth it. The dwarves used it in copious amounts every winter as part of their festivities to celebrate the new year — and by the start of the next, the children born from its influence were watching their mothers take swallow it again.

Like many lost things, however, fanghur had a home in Daigo's lair, accidentally brought in on a wing as stray seeds. Now, the dragon called for it.

Fanghur made the blood boil ( or so they said ). It was first used by dwarvenkind to stay warm but then exploited for its mystifying ability to make fleshy creatures . . . breed. Daigo understood that concept better these days. For a dragon, fields of fanghur did naught. Their mating was too mechanical and too cold in their natural shapes ; for a human, though, the amethyst knew it would do well. A few petals could easily return the fire to his wife's belly and make her wet again, which is what he was after.

The dragon's eyes narrowed. He pulled his head away from Melissa unceremoniously and leaned to the side. Daigo extended a hand, and a long vine of fanghur rose up to meet him. Snarling, he tore away a bloom. It disintegrated in his fingers when he closed them, leaving only a clump of brightly - colored petals.

Satisfied, the beast turned back to his wife. Daigo blew a stream of warm air onto her out of affection and pressed the crumpled ball of plant material to her lips. "Eat," he said with a low grumble. "This will help. For a new egg." He did not give her more explanation than that. Frankly, Daigo had nothing else to offer ; the dragon didn't know why fanghur worked. Only that it did.

The amethyst continued to vocalize as he brought his face to her chest. This position allowed him to admire one of his favorite views and monitor the beat of Melissa's heart.

#dojimakaichou #v: Yakuza ; dragon king AU #t: a dragon's treasure #nsfw #witchy wife & dragon husband are the best #just casually going for it with their partners 8D #they're so luck this has no casualties haha

[stingslikeabee]

Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022)

#mel aesthetics #words

[stingslikeabee]

Got to the end of chapter 12 (the musclehead battle tbh) and jfc Corneo showing up and all this thing about girls claiming their crown/being queen has Melissa livid, she wants to scratch the Don's eyes with her bare hands, this man is DISGUSTING

#ooc! #tbd #ngl remake/rebirth have such fun additions #for an OC writer like me I just feel validated #and like Mel has a real place in her OG verse #dunno feels great ;_;

[stingslikeabee]

sweetlust.

dialogue prompts from sweetlust: stories by asja bakić.

i tend to expect the worst of people.

shit. i'm even competitive about intimate feelings.

i haven't even started and i've already lost.

i don't care what i look like. i just want to survive.

do you want to eat me?

you sound like a precocious child.

you're different. better.

sex can't rehabilitate anyone.

fear is essential to survival. the body fears with reason.

i don't like crying in public.

this place brings out the worst in all of us.

a destructive idea can be more dangerous than bacteria.

am i the beauty or the beast?

what do you look like when you have no audience?

sadness can't be turned off like a computer.

i have complete confidence in you.

you never come home empty handed, even when you should.

out of sight, out of mind.

is there somewhere i could rest?

i can't explain why, but please listen.

some dreams have the quality of memory.

i called you, but you didn't pick up.

motherhood, more than anything else, personifies death.

if this is motherhood, i never want to be a mother.

what are you thinking about right now?

even in winter, life has to go on.

i've been lying my entire life.

i don't know what i'm feeling.

there's always been space for you.

'for the greater good' is such a tired phrase.

abstract ideas have concrete consequences.

you've gone silent again.

you blame your mother for everything but global warming.

i look like a villain. i know that.

i don't even know where you're from.

i could have helped you, but i didn't want to.

no one wants to get out of here more than i do.

i don't trust people who don't lie.

you have scruples. that's your biggest weakness.

i can't remember ever laughing so hard.

what's your name? can i at least know that?

i wasn't completely honest.

it's not appropriate to swear.

stay. the bed's big enough for the both of us.

no one who sees the future clearly can believe in god.

you're not stupid. you just act like it.

i want you to fully know me.

i don't want to play house.

everyone suffers. you're not the only one.

i won't tell you how to feel.

you know how much i hate that word.

there's no reason to lie anymore.

#Sweetlust prompts #meme

[stingslikeabee]

Yes, I'm young for a teacher, I'll teach you what you don't know (I could teach you the things that you wanna know) But I can't give it up all at once, you would overdose Don't you bring any bull in the room tonight

#honey bee inn #audio #v: FFVII

[stingslikeabee]

@ivory-paragon

#mel aesthetics #imagery #haven't bothered you with aesthetics in a while #so here it goes ;) #he's not wearing white I KNOW pls pretend #'[Rufus] who would have thought this tin man had a beating heart' #v: FFVII

[stingslikeabee]

A normal girl wouldn't have approached that bar or the single guy with the eyepatch; a more danger-addicted one might have pouted at the evident failure at scoring the sought-after attention from the selected target. Melissa chose a third way to react - just pure, stunned silence and a few seconds of not moving.

This guy got stranger by the minute - his behavior did not add up at all with the report from her employee and the barmaid was, simply put, confused. But then again - it had to be him. There was just no way Melissa was jumping the wrong guy with that combo of physical description and location; there was no such thing as too many coincidences.

(Or maybe there were.)

The brunette only really recovered when the individual she had been chasing elected to go towards the alleyway himself - almost as if inviting the woman to continue with the crazy plan of hers and to teach him a lesson. Melissa inhaled sharply, steadying the weight of her body over two feet (even without a single droplet of alcohol in her body)... And marched after him.

Third time was the charm, maybe? The guy clearly believed her to be some misguided fool and that often played in the girl's favor; the one time it paid off to be dismissed and overlooked. While trailing after the dark-haired stranger, Melissa unsheathed the blades - just two, one for each hand and the limits for the self-defense skills. She was no secret agent, but the time in her job had served to improve reflexes and learn a few moves that were usually enough to win over inebriated and inappropriate patrons.

With adrenaline flooding the veins and making her own heartbeat impossibly loud, the woman just charged - Melissa did not even pause to consider if they were being watched or to further assess the situation, driven by sheer determination and a lot of stupidity. Later on, it wouldn't be hard to realize it could have ended badly for the barmaid - as justified as her goal was, the plan had been half-assed at best.

But, in the Melissa's defense... She genuinely had no idea of the identity of the man who was suddenly under a clumsy attack, even if the seemingly crazy lady going for the stranger in the alleyway had a strong motive to act in that way.

The announcement of her following did not go unheeded, but indeed largely ignored. Slade was no stranger to those that simply would not listen. If anything, he felt that such happened far more often than not. What he doesn’t expect is for her to get so up close and personal; a reaction strikes him like a detailed train, that anyone being this close was not meaning for any goodwill upon his person. Perhaps the only thing that had saved Melissa from an unfortunate series of events were her words just prior. Slade had only half listened to them, filtering out the perceived nonsense in through one ear and out the other. 

He stops his stride and looks over his shoulder, down to Melissa, there not even a hint of thanks in his mind that she is not on his blind side. People had done less and earned his frightful ire. Tonight, though, felt like the entire world was trying to drag him down into the dirty pavement by his shoulders. Slade waits in silence until it starts to feel unbearingly awkward that he has nothing to say in response to her questions, before taking at least some care in unlinking their arms from one another. He wished no harm at the moment but damn, was there a simmering sense of irritation just below the facade of indifference. 

“Look, lady. You’re fair enough on the eyes but I’m not looking for company. There’s a dozen men in that cesspit that would jump at the chance to enjoy your attention. Go harass one of them.” 

Slade makes a small gesture back towards the bar, wholly unaware what had transpired already between her and another patron inside after he had left. Truth be told he was not a liar, in any sense of what he had spoken already, but it was a different monster altogether to think that he would allow someone to hound a lone woman. Perhaps it had been better for them both that the asshole hadn’t been in his sight. 

Eyes pierce through the back of his head, even now, though he hasn’t an inkling or care as to where they hide themselves. That was the deal, after all. He gets to live out his days in the city with the visage of a free man; if he causes problems unprovoked it wouldn’t be beyond ARGUS to send him right back into a hole for the rest of his life. Perhaps Oliver would fight the charge on his behalf but what difference would it make? The days had begun to blur, pointlessly. 

Waiting a beat longer for his statement to sink in, and free of her hold, Slade continues on his path down the alleyway with his back towards Melissa again. 

#desiccation #v: Killer Queen #t: what were the odds #I had fun roasting her decisions #but also imagine if someone did see this #and thought she just took offense to being rejected 8D