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mmmleckerlecker · 3 years

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Heart Pangs - Highly Recommended (Part 48/70)

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Summary: Lux once more seeks out unorthodox methods of sating his hunger.

Contents: Lux is hungry; power imbalances; questionable business practices

Wordcount: 3,378

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It's been two days since that night in the hotel, and Lux and Benji have hardly spoken. The only words they share are formal and minimal. Just enough to communicate what needs to be said. Not only that, but Lux and Benji have hardly seen each other. The only time they spend in each other's company is during their car trips to another town, another place to hide.

The distance between them weighs on Lux. He glances at Benji from the corner of his eye. Benji focuses on the road ahead. The radio plays, drowning out the awkwardness of the silence between them. Lux thinks he should say something, but what? He'd already confessed all that he could two nights ago. The only thing left to talk about is the fact that they need to make a new plan. They need to hide somewhere that isn't within a two hour's drive of the Facility. Or they at least need to go their separate ways. Sticking together has grown incredibly unsafe.

But despite this, Lux keeps his mouth shut and returns his gaze to the passenger side window. His fingers are curled tight in his lap. He's afraid of making the wrong move, he's afraid of hurting Benji. So instead he stays as still and quiet as possible.

That night, Lux sits alone in his hotel room. It has been this way ever since that night. He and Benji had been staying in separate rooms. It had been helpful for keeping Benji safe from Lux's hunger. It had been less so on their rapidly dwindling money supply.

Lux leans back in his chair and surveys the room. Besides the perfectly made bed, there's a nice TV and comfy looking couches. Before him is a table that could be used for eating or perhaps a makeshift desk. The price for this hotel in particular had also required a sizable chunk of money. Benji had complained, but Lux had assured him that he knew what he was doing. He had his reasons.

Lux lets out a long breath, trying to slow his racing heart. He indeed had his reasons, but it isn't a reason he would dare share with Benji. With a final rush of resolve, Lux pushes himself to his feet. He had been staring at his hotel room door long enough. Benji's not coming over. He hadn't come over the past two nights. Nothing would change tonight, Lux assures himself. Besides, he can't put it off much longer. It's already getting late.

Lux crosses the room and opens the door. The hall beyond is clean and luxurious. Lux frowns as he heads down the hall and towards the back exit. He'd spent far too much money on this hotel, and he's about to spend even more of it tonight.

He is nearing the exit when one of the hotel room doors opens. He freezes. A young, beautiful prey woman slinks out into the hall and begins walking his direction. Her clothes look expensive and they reveal a tantalizing amount of skin. Lux attempts to avert his gaze as he begins walking again, trying to look as natural as possible.

As the prey woman draws near, he can feel her eyes on him, taking in every detail of his body. Almost against his will, Lux's gaze slides back to her. She gives him the most brilliant of smiles as she passes. She raises a hand to push her hair off her shoulder. The movement is deliberate, practiced. Lux's eyes catch on the wristband she's made sure to show off. It's just like Benji's aside from one detail. Instead of a brilliant orange color, this one is blue.

Blue wristbands are difficult to acquire. Exclusive. They require the petition of a variety of preds vouching for the necessity of such a thing. Unlike the orange ones, which force a regurgitation on anyone who isn't the prey's contract holder, the blue ones will force a regurgitation on any and ALL preds who try to fatally consume them. Usually only important prey like politicians and celebrities can gain enough support to earn a blue wristband, but there are other prey with certain jobs that appease preds who can earn one. Of note there are collectors and, of course, latchers.

Lux politely returns the latcher's smile. Because he now knows that's what she is— a latcher looking for clients, and judging by the hotel she's inhabiting and the clothes she's wearing, she's not one Lux can afford right now.

Not that he would if he could. She wouldn't be smiling at all if she knew what he was, what he really wanted. A few hours on neutralizers with her wouldn't be enough to satiate him. Yet knowing that doesn't stop him from glancing over his shoulder as she walks past. It doesn't stop the way his skin grows warm as she glances over her own shoulder and meets his eyes.

Lux swallows and his stomach twists into knots.

He grits his teeth and forces himself to turn away. He keeps his gaze pointedly forward as he power walks the rest of the way to the back exit. He doesn't stop until he's outside and the cool night air hits him, clearing his head.

The feeling doesn't last long, however, as a sharp pain shudders through his core. He flinches involuntarily. It's almost as if his stomach knows he's just passed by a perfectly filling meal. He digs his fist into his abdomen to smother the twinge. Soon, he assures himself. He'll find relief from all this soon.

But the promise of relief isn't enough to stop the guilt of what he's about to do from weighing on him with each step he takes.

He's doing this for a good reason, he tells himself. He's doing it to end the pain. He's doing it to stop the dreams where he wakes up in a cold sweat, thinking he's finally done the unforgivable. He's doing this to protect Benji.

Lux has to laugh at that. It wouldn't be the first time he's used "protecting Benji" as an excuse to do something terrible. But, he argues, this time is different. This isn't desperate and unplanned. He knows what he's doing now. Everything will be okay.

Lux walks in silence for about ten minutes before his destination comes into sight. The lights on the sign for the storage facility flicker eerily ahead. There's a closed gate and a security booth blocking the road leading to the facility. Before he can lose his nerve, Lux approaches the booth's window .

The guard inside is a prey man. He raises his eyes from the magazine he's browsing and settles them on Lux with a look of annoyance.

"Can I help you?" he asks, seemingly not at all intimidated by the approach of a strange pred.

Lux nods. "Yes, I'm here to— to see your collection."

The guard's eyes widen almost imperceptibly. "On whose recommendation?"

"Drass Drexel," Lux repeats without hesitation.

The guard's eyes narrow. "And you are?"

"Lux Feuerbach."

The guard scans Lux's face intently. "One moment, please." Then, without waiting for a response, he slides the window shut and turns away.

Lux watches anxiously through the glass as the guard pulls out a phone and begins speaking to someone.

Lux had taken a risk by giving his real name. Not that he believes anyone here has any connections to the Facility. Places like this are no where near legal, but they're none of the Facility's responsibility. The Facility only gets involved if the illegality is directly harming other preds, which this place is far from doing.

No, Lux's connection here has nothing to do with the Facility and everything to do with the consuming dens he frequents. Drass Drexel is another pred man who enjoys the dens nearly as much as Lux does. Lux wouldn't consider him a friend, but preds who consume together, stick together. Drass had mentioned this place to Lux on occasion.

"It's good to have an awareness in case the dens stop being an option fo you," Drass had told Lux once. "You can tell them you have my recommendation if you ever need it."

At the time, Lux had nodded in agreement, though internally he hadn't ever thought he'd need it. Drass didn't know Lux had been a Facility worker. Nobody at the consuming dens did. They didn't know he always had a steady supply of prey. And Lux had never expected that to change.

But it had.

And now he needs this more than ever.

Lux shifts uncomfortably on his feet. He had always suspected Drass Drexel to be an alias. Now, as the guard speaks on the phone, stealing occasional glances back at Lux, he fears he'd been right. He fears he's just given the wrong name and he'll be turned away, and he has no idea what he'll do if he's turned away.

Finally the guard hangs up. He turns back to the window and slides it open.

Lux leans forward in anticipation.

"He'll meet you at building 17," the guard announces without preamble.

Lux blinks.

The gate next to him suddenly buzzes and begins opening.

"Go on now," the guard tells him with a dismissive wave.

It takes a moment for Lux to realize this is it. His recommendation had been accepted.

"Thank you," he manages, breathless with relief.

The guard only rolls his eyes and returns his attention back to his magazine.

Lux doesn't need further prompting. He practically skips past the now open gate. He almost can't believe it worked. He only hopes now that he'd been right and this place really does have no connections to the Facility, otherwise he's just trapped himself.

As if to emphasize this thought, the gate closes and locks behind him with an air of finality.

Lux's heart races as he walks soundlessly down the roads of the storage facility. The place had clearly been constructed to be navigated by car and the journey down to building 17 feels endless. By the time Lux passes the buildings numbered 14, 15, and 16, he feels like his heart is about to beat right out of his chest. He gets to building 17 and stops.

His stomach flutters to life, furiously demanding satisfaction.

Lux steps forward against his will.

And then he takes another step. And another.

He's almost surprised when, the next thing he knows, he's reaching out for the door. It's ripped open before he even has the chance to touch it.

Lux stumbles back awkwardly. There's a prey man standing in the doorway, looking up at him.

"Mr. Feuerbach?" the prey asks. The man has a sort of greasy, weaselly quality about him that, even in Lux's half-starved state, makes him distasteful to look at.

"Yes?" Lux answers warily.

The prey man's mouth curls into a thin smile. "You come highly recommended."

Lux waits a moment for the man to expand on that statement, but when he doesn't Lux says, "That's good to hear."

The prey looks at Lux with an odd glint in his eye. The silence drags on uncomfortably long.

Lux is searching for something else to say when the prey raises his hand in a gesture to follow and turns back inside the building.

For the second time that night, Lux notices a flash of blue. He grimaces when he sees it. Like the latcher in the hotel, it's clear this prey wanted him to see the wristband, but unlike the latcher, showing off the band was less of an invitation for a good time and more of a warning. It's a reminder that, though Lux is here for a certain kind of business, he can't simply take what he wants from this prey man.

Because this prey is a far cry from the latcher at the hotel. This man is a collector.

This man is the very thing that prey fear most. Lux isn't even a prey and yet he knows. He knows that prey parents tell their children not to venture off alone or they might be snatched up by a collector. He knows, that for a prey to be collected, it is a fatal condemnation.

Collectors are willing to betray their own kind for money. They put aside their morality in order to take and imprison helpless prey. They ignore their conscious to sell prey to any willing preds, and there are always willing preds. Because, although the safety and legality of contracts is preferable, it is not always attainable. If a pred wishes to consume but does not have the funds to do so within the law, they turn to collectors to buy easy and untraceable meals.

It is a dark business, but in the most desperate of times, a necessary one.

Lux ducks in through the entranceway and enters storage building 17. The door closes behind him of its own accord.

"What are you looking for tonight?" the collector asks as he begins leading Lux down the concrete hall.

Lux squints about as he follows the slim prey man. The fluorescent lights that illuminate the long hall are a stark contrast to the dark night outside.

"I was thinking a woman," he mutters absentmindedly as he eyes each roll-up door they pass. Is there a prey imprisoned in each one of those units? "I don't care how old. Preferably a runaway."

The collector slows and glances back over his shoulder. "I see you are a man of taste," he comments, a hint of amusement in his voice. "A runaway will cost you extra."

"I don't care," Lux responds without hesitation.

The collector tilts his head back. "Hmm," he hums idly in thought.

Lux can already feel his patience growing thin. He hadn't taken any neutralizers since the day before. He had wanted to be prepared for tonight, but he's paying the price. Not only has his stomach been growing increasingly impatient, but his imagination has been growing steadily out of hand. Even now, despite the fact that he knows the collector wears a blue wristband and despite the fact that Lux finds the man's entire demeanor physically repulsive, he can't help imagining how good it would feel to simply shove the collector down his throat right here and now. He can practically feel the relief of having a live and filling meal stuffed into his gut.

Lux's pulse quickens at the thought. He thinks he can even taste the collector on his tongue now, but no... No, that's not right. The collector could never taste so exquisite, so perfect. The taste Lux imagines now is familiar. He'd sampled it only two nights ago...

"Wait," Lux says before he even realizes he's made a decision.

The collector pauses and gives him an inquisitive look.

"Make that a man," Lux goes on. "My age. Preferably still a runaway."

For one moment, the collector seems surprised at the change, but then his mouth rises into a horrible, crooked grin. "I have just the prey."

Before Lux can respond, the collector sets off down the hall, taking long, confident strides that even Lux has to hurry to keep up with. He nearly trips over the collector when the man stops suddenly in front of one roll-up door in particular. The collector hardly seems to notice. He pulls out a key ring and flips through it until he finds the one he's looking for. He crouches at the base of the door and shoves the key into a lock. A moment later, the door rolls up and the light inside is flicked on.

Lux steps forward to peer into what can only be described as a prison cell. It's stuffy and hard and barren except for a sorry looking mattress in the back corner. It's not a far cry from one of the cells at the Facility.

Sitting on the mattress is a young prey man, blinking in the sudden light. His eyes fall on Lux, and Lux freezes, breath caught in his throat. The prey's hair is a little too dark and his eyes are a little too green, but this is it. This is just the prey Lux had been searching for, a perfect second best for the prey he truly desires.

"Is he to your liking?" the collector asks, carefully watching each detail of Lux's expression.

Lux approaches the young prey and crouches down. The man shrinks away, pressing himself flat against the concrete wall behind him. Fear scent radiates off him, nearly sending Lux into a frenzy.

"He's perfect," Lux manages to answer.

His gaze flicks to the prey's ears. They're cropped cleanly and professionally.

Runaway contracted prey are more sought after by preds who buy from collectors, hence the higher price. Unlike most other prey that collectors snatch from the street, consuming them is legal, so they're a safer option to purchase. But collectors are also known to steal uncontracted prey and crop their ears simply to get a better price. So either this collector is very good at cropping ears, or this prey is truly a runaway. Lux also notes with interest that the prey's ears are completely healed and scarred over.

"A younger one will also cost you extra," the collector warns.

Lux doesn't take his eyes off the prey. "I don't care."

The collector makes a satisfied huff. "Then we have a deal."

What little color the prey has drains from his cheeks.

Lux eases off and returns to the collector. They stand in the entrance to the storage unit for several minutes, negotiating the price before Lux shoves a wad of cash into the collector's hands. The prey doesn't move the entire time, although Lux watches from his peripherals as the man's eyes dart to the hallway beyond his cell several times.

"You can't consume him here," the collectors states as he tucks the cash away. "You'll have to take him off the premises."

"What if he tries to run?"

The collector shrugs. "It's not my responsibility to provide secure transport for your prey. Our business is concluded the moment I hand him over to you."

Lux turns to the unmoving prey. "Very well," he mutters. He beckons for the prey to approach. "Come," he commands.

For the first time, the fear dissipates from the prey's expression and twists into a look of distaste.

"I'm not a dog," he mutters so quietly Lux nearly misses it.

The collector lets out a cold chuckle.

"No," Lux agrees, "but you do have to come with me now."

A spark of defiance ignites in the prey's eyes. "I don't have to do anything," he challenges.

Lux breathes a slow sigh of frustration. He doesn't have time for this. He doesn't have the patience for this. His hunger gnaws at him, makes it difficult to think. It begs him to pounce on the prey right now, while it's still trapped and vulnerable. But he can't.

"You can't stay here," Lux tells the prey man. "You can make this as difficult as you want, but in the end, you will come with me. I don't mind consuming prey with a few broken bones. It wouldn't be the first time."

A flicker of doubt clouds the man's determination, but he keeps silent.

"Very well," Lux mutters. He draws himself to his full height and advances on the prey. The man stiffens and his eyes grow impossibly wide as Lux looms threateningly over him.

"W-wait," he stammers.

Lux pauses and lifts a brow.

The prey pushes himself to stand on shaky legs. He leans heavily on the wall for support. "I'll come."

Lux eases off. He knows the rest of the journey won't be easy, but he's won this first round.

He turns to the collector. "Thank you," he says, tone even.

The collector tips his head. "Pleasure doing business with you."

"Let's go," Lux tells the prey before heading out of the unit and into the hall. For one tense second, the prey doesn't move and Lux fears he'll have to make good on his threat. Then, thankfully, the prey follows.

Lux lets out a silent sigh of relief. He can only hope the rest of this ordeal can go as smoothly.

Next part

#didn’t think there would be more worldbuilding this late in the game huh?#anydays this is the thing that was ‘foreshadowed’ earlier #v.ore #soft vore #vore writing #heart pangs

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vegalume · 2 years

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Happy Halloween! Here is this years Gundam Wing Halloween story.

Title: Thank You

Author: Vegalume

Fandom: Gundam Wing

A/U

Written October 26th and 27th 2021

-Players-

Duo

Heero

Trowa

Wufei

Quatre

Marienaia

Treize & Une (implied)

Thank You

By Vel

Thursday, October 31st 1974

“Duo, do you want to watch TV with us?” Quatre asked as he settled into the beat up old mustard colored sofa they had found on a curb a few months back.

“What are the choices?” He asked absently, hunched over a work bench across the garage from them, seated beside his boyfriend.

They had been hiding out from the candy seeking children, and Duo’s folks, who were throwing a cocktail party in the house.

Too old to Trick-or-Treat, too young for the party. Being a teen sucked sometimes.

At least the folks had let them use the TV.

“The Waltons or the Odd Couple,” Quatre replied.

“Pass,” Duo replied as he turned back to his dad’s old Ham Radio. He had put it back together right, or at least he thought he had, but it wouldn't switch on.

“We should have gone to the movies,” Wufei commented. He was laying across an armchair tossing a tennis ball into the air and catching it again.

Trowa nodded, “We could've seen the Texas Chainsaw Massacre again.”

“Buy tickets for Benji, and then nearly get caught sneaking into a rated R film, again?” Quatre asked. “No thank you.”

“Besides, we’re all broke,” Heero added and the group groaned in agreement.

“Why won’t this work?” Duo snapped, slapping a hand on the workbench.

“Did you put batteries in it?” Heero asked and Duo froze, an embarrassed flush creeping up his neck. Heero chuckled and dug through the toolbox and pulled out what Duo needed and passed them over.

Duo put them into place and the radio lit up.

“Yes!” He punched a fist in the air then leaned over and gave Heero a quick peck on the lips before turning back to the radio and started fiddling with the dials. An eerie voice came through.

“Mary had a little lamb…”

“That’s creepy,” Wufei commented from the chair.

“It sounds like a little kid,” Quatre turned and hung over the back of the sofa. “She’s probably just messing around.”

“Hey kid,” Duo called, “You bored?”

“Hello?” a sweet, soft voice called back over the waves. “Can you hear me?”

“Yeah, I can hear you,” Duo replied and the voice on the other end immediately perked up.

“I’ve been calling for ages and no one has answered me.”

“My name is Duo. Are you just looking for someone to talk to?” he asked. “I can talk to you for a bit if you are.”

“I’m Mariemaia,” the sweet voice replied. “I’m eight.”

“Didn’t your dad tell you not to talk over this thing if you got it working. You don’t have a licence,” Heero interrupted.

Duo rolled his eyes at him and listened as the radio crackled.

The voice didn’t come through but they could tell she was trying to talk to them again.

“Sorry I didn’t hear you. Can you repeat that?”

“My Daddy’s truck crashed. We’re upside down and him and Mama won’t wake up.”

Heero and Duo locked eyes as Trowa appeared at Duo’s shoulder.

“This can’t be real,” Trowa said. “If the truck has a radio in it, it would be a CB, and CB and Ham radios don’t work on the same frequency.”

Duo ignored him, “Where were you when you crashed?”

“On Rior Canyon road. Someone drove past us really fast and Daddy turned away and then we were upside down.”

“That’s less than fifteen minutes away. I want to go check it out,” Duo said.

“Let’s just call the police and let them check it out,” Wufei reasoned, now standing beside the bench as well.

“But what if it’s a prank?” Quatre asked, still hanging over the sofa. “We could get in trouble for reporting false information.”

“That’s why I want to look first.”

“But what if that’s what they want, then they murder you and leave you in a ditch somewhere?” Trowa asked.

“And what if there’s a little girl trapped upside down in a truck with her unconscious or possibly dead parents in a dark canyon.”

Heero let out a gusty sigh and stood up, “I’m driving.”

Quatre frowned. “If the radio has to stay here, how would you know where to go?”

Duo frowned. There really was no way to take the heavy, fragile Ham radio with them.

“Your dad’s recon radios?” Heero suggested. “We can take one with us and leave the other with one of them.” He jerked a thumb towards their friends.

“That will work,” Duo said, “I doubt he’ll even notice me borrowing them.”

Quatre gave a disapproving tut as Duo slipped into the house through the door that led into the kitchen. He returned a few minutes later with the radios and a flashlight.

He passed one of the recons to Wufei who turned it on. “Channel 4?” He asked and Duo nodded.

Duo then went back to the Ham radio, “Honey, I’m gonna come look for you. My friend Quatre will stay on the radio and talk to you and let me know how you’re doing. Ok?”

“Ok, Duo.” She was quiet for a moment, “see you soon.”

Heero pulled the garage door up a few feet and they slipped under it and out onto the driveway. Duo handed him the keys to his dad’s truck, then turned in unison when someone decided to join them.

“If they are murderers, three are better than two,” Trowa said as he ducked under the door and followed them to the truck.

“If you say so,” Duo replied as he handed Heero the keys to his dad’s truck, then slid across the bench seat so he was between Heero and Trowa. He switched on the recon radio. “Can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear,” Wufei’s voice replied.

No one in the house seemed to notice as Heero started up the truck and pulled out of the driveway.

They had been in and around the canyon a hundred times so they were all fairly certain they could take a look around and tell if a car had crashed in the area.

“Do you see anything yet?” Wufei asked about ten minutes later.

“Not yet,” Duo replied, “We’re just reaching the turnoff from the main road.” As he said it they hit gravel, and the truck rattled along the stony bottom of the canyon.

They could only go so far before the canyon became too narrow for them to continue forward, or turn around. But if the truck had been run off of Rior road, and was upside down, it had to be inside the canyon.

If it was there, there were only so many places it could be.

The problem was it was nearing 9 o’clock and it had been dark for a few hours already.

“I don’t see anything at all,” Trowa said. He had been nearly hanging out of the passenger window, looking up towards the narrow road above trying to see if there was anywhere that looked like a vehicle had gone over the edge.

“Is there anything she can tell us that might help us zero in on them?” Heero asked.

“I’ll check,” Duo replied and asked Wufei to relay the message.

“Not really,” came his crackled reply. “She says it’s just dark and cold.”

“Up there maybe?” Trowa pointed towards a cluster of trees growing at the base of the incline several yards ahead. It didn’t look like a likely spot as there was no smoke and none of the trees were damaged, but it was pretty dark. And it was near the end of the gorge where it was dangerous to be because it was so tight and often encountered rock slides.

“We can’t go any farther in the truck. I might not get us turned around if we try.”

“Damn,” Duo sat back. “I just really have a feeling there’s something out here.”

Heero looked over at his boyfriend, then out to the darkness beyond the reach of the headlights.

“Trowa, stay with the truck,” Heero said as he popped open his door. “Duo, grab the radio and the flashlight. Let’s go take a look.”

“Really?” he asked in surprise.

“Just stay where you can see the truck,” Trowa said as his friends slipped outside.

“We won’t go too far,” Heero assured him.

“Damn it’s cold,” Duo gasped. None of them had thought to grab a jacket. He moved to close the door but Heero stopped him.

“Just in case we need to get back in quickly.”

“Yeah, Ok.” Duo agreed and they walked together towards the narrow area, the beam from the flashlight pointed towards the trees.

The radio crackled and Duo jumped, then laughed nervously.

“Wufei?” Heero asked and the radio crackled again.

“She says she can hear you,” Wufei said, sounding a little excited.

“Mariemaia?” Duo called and Wufei’s voice came over the radio again.

“Quatre and I heard you on the Ham.”

“We have to be close,” Heero said softly.

Duo panned the flashlight over the trees and brush, and just as the light hit something that reflected it back to them, Mariemaia’s voice called out.

“I see you.”

Duo and Heero hurried towards the brush and pushed some of the greenery aside.

The truck looked to be fifteen or twenty years old, and was completely rusted and covered in dust. Branches and weeds collected in the upturned wheel wells, which held tires that were all blown out and flat. The windshield and all but one of the windows were intact and so covered in dust that they couldn't see through them.

“Hello?” Duo called, and heard his own voice back on the recon.

“Let me check,” Heero said, taking the flashlight from Duo. He crouched to peer through the broken passenger window and with a scream he fell backwards to the ground.

The flashlight flew, his hands crashing down into the gravel as he caught himself. He scooted backwards in the dirt. eyes wide.

“What is it?” Duo asked in concern, but all Heero could do was shake his head.

Duo picked up the flashlight and cautiously walked over to the window and leaned down.

“Oh god,” He breathed. “They’re dead.”

There was a loud squeal of feedback on the recon in his hand.

In the truck hanging strapped by their seatbelts across the bench were three skeletons. The father, the mother, and in between them was Mariemaia. A clump of stringy red hair clinging to her small skull. The handset of the radio still clutched in her mummified hand.

The radio crackled inside the truck, and the sweet voice spoke out.

“Thank you.”

Owari

#gundam wing #heero yuy #duo maxwell #chang wufei #quatre raberba winner #trowa barton #Halloween

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tabloidtoc · 3 years

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Life & Style, January 4

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Brad Pitt destroys Angelina Jolie after her affair with Johnny Depp is exposed

Page 1: Photo Flash -- it’s been just under four months since Simon Cowell underwent six hours of surgery after breaking his back in an electric bike accident forcing him to cancel all his work duties for the rest of the year but you wouldn’t know it to look at him -- on his annual tropical vacation with his family to Barbados Simon appeared to have made a full recovery as he took to the water on a jet ski

Page 2: Contents

Page 4: The top 10 red looks -- Dove Cameron, Meghan Markle, Scarlett Johansson, Maya Rudolph, Danai Gurira

Page 5: Emma Mackey, Ciara, Kathryn Hahn, Daisy Ridley, Kat Graham

Page 6: Britney Spears’ father Jamie Spears is speaking out amid his ongoing legal battle with Britney, saying he loves his daughter very much and noting that he hasn’t spoken to Britney since August when she requested to have him officially removed from her conservatorship -- he added when a family member needs special care and protection families need to step up as he has done for the last 12-plus years to safeguard and protect and continue to love Britney unconditionally -- while Jamie’s attorney insists that he and Britney have a normal father-daughter relationship insofar as there has always been mutual love and respect for each other Britney’s legal team claims that Britney is afraid of her father and will not perform as long as he is in charge of her career

Page 7: Nicole Kidman is earning rave reviews for her role in the hit drama The Undoing and Reese Witherspoon can’t stand it -- the last episode of The Undoing drew in the network’s biggest audience since Big Little Lies’ season 2 finale and there’s already talk of Nicole sweeping awards season -- tensions between the two leading ladies threatened to boil over in 2018 when Nic won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for BLL beating out her co-star Reese both times and to make matters worse Nicole recently signed on to star in a new show based on BLL author Liane Moriarty’s book Nine Perfect Strangers without Reese -- Nicole and Reese used to be the best of friends but now they barely talk and it’s only a matter of time until they stop speaking altogether

* Throwback -- Jordin Sparks

* Biggest Spenders of the Week -- Ellen DeGeneres, Tom Brady, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

Page 8: Ben Affleck is no stranger to getting inked -- he has five tattoos including a phoenix rising from the ashes on his back and a dolphin on his hip but when he asked girlfriend Ana de Armas to go under the needle she told him no way -- Ben wanted Ana to get a small tattoo but she refused and she would do almost anything for him except get a tattoo because her family would kill her

* Armie Hammer and Rumer Willis have called it quits over his refusal to commit -- the two were first linked in September shortly after he split from his wife of 10 years Elizabeth Chambers but Rumer wanted something more serious but Armie wasn’t ready to settle down

Page 10: The Week in Photos -- Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton treated Prince George and Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to a special pantomime performance at London’s historic Palladium theater

Page 11: Kelly Clarkson congratulated The Voice contestant Desz on making it to the Top 5, Brooke Burke filmed a challenge for her app in Malibu

Page 12: Cameron Mathison was joined by his daughter Leila while hosting Hallmark’s Home & Family

Page 13: Rebel Wilson at the Rockefeller Center ice rink, Bethenny Frankel and her pups Biggy and Smallz by the Christmas tree

Page 14: Hailee Steinfeld and Jeremy Renner on the set of their upcoming series Hawkeye

Page 16: Stars Behaving Badly -- Selling Sunset’s Christine Quinn left little to the imagination stripping down for a Playboy shoot at the famous Chateau Rose in Bel Air, Blake Shelton used a safety cone as a megaphone on the set of The Voice, Malin Akerman couldn’t resist jumping on the bed at a Hotel Style collection event in NYC

Page 18: Say What?! Garcelle Beauvais on filming The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Rumer Willis on father Bruce Willis’ baby boy dreams after welcoming five daughters, Dolly Parton who turns 75 in January, Meghan Trainor on refusing to get intimate with husband Daryl Sabara during her pregnancy, Jason Momoa on his go-to form of exercise

Page 20: Dakota Johnson was seen sporting a massive emerald stone while out shopping in L.A. sparking speculation that she is engaged to Chris Martin -- there’s no big announcement yet but Chris has quietly proposed and he and Dakota already act like a married couple and they’re excited about finally making it official -- Chris’ children with Gwyneth Paltrow Apple and Moses really like Dakota and will obviously be an important part of their special day and there’s a good chance that Gwyneth who couldn’t be happier about the engagement will be invited to the wedding too

Page 21: Cardi B is giving her marriage to Offset another shot -- she filed for divorce in September after growing tired of not seeing things eye to eye but withdrew the petition without prejudice a few weeks later and now that they’ve rekindled their love she’s asked her husband to renew their wedding vows -- Cardi wants Offset to recommit to their marriage and she wants him to do it for them and for their daughter Kulture so that her little girl can see just how much her parents truly love each other

Page 22: Cover Story -- Brad Pitt gets revenge after Angelina Jolie’s alleged affair with Johnny Depp is exposed -- as his custody battle with Angie drags on Brad might have Johnny to thank for giving him a path to victory -- Brad always suspected something may have gone on between Johnny and Angie when they were making 2010′s The Tourist at a time when they were two of the sexiest and most successful movie stars in Hollywood

Page 26: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West separate lives -- after six years of marriage Kim and Kanye are barely interacting -- Kim is focused on her own projects and on raising the children and Kanye’s interests don’t align with hers anymore -- Kanye is thoughtful and does nice things for Kim but there is no real chemistry or romance left in their marriage; the spark is no longer there -- while Kanye obsessed over Kim for years before they became an item his love and attention as well as hers is now trained on their four kids

Page 28: Cameron Diaz: This is the happiest time in my life -- with her acting days behind her Cameron feels fulfilled at last -- a lot of people do it the other way around ...they get married and have a family in their youth Cameron notes but she’s doing it in the second half of her life -- Cam says she cooked every single meal for Benji Madden and Raddix during the first four months of quarantine and loved it; they’re her everything

Page 30: Royal TV War -- Duchess Kate Middleton and Prince William seem poised to steal Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s spotlight -- Will and Kate want to branch out and expanding their media reach with The Earthshot Prize is just a springboard for them and there are a host of projects they’d like to get off the ground including giving people a more down-to-earth picture of what their life is like behind closed doors -- The Earthshot Prize which will award five monetary prizes each year for the next 10 years launched with Cate Blanchett and Sir Richard Attenborough and Shakira already signed on as judges and Will and Kate aren’t done recruiting stars though and they like the idea of teaming up more formally with personalities they respect and admire and exploring the world of documentaries and streaming platforms and radio broadcasts and other aspects of the internet is the perfect way to do that -- royal family members were said to have raised eyebrows over Meghan and Harry’s deal with Netflix so the couple now finds it surprising and suspicious that Will and Kate are following their lead and there’s a potential for fireworks if they step on each other’s toes

Page 32: Who Lives Here? Leslie Jones

Page 36: Fashion -- 2020 Style Recap -- all about loungewear and masks -- with no red carpets to attend Hollywood hit pause on glam and embraced comfort in sweats and athleisurewear -- Vanessa Hudgens, Hilary Duff, Hailey Baldwin, Alessandra Ambrosio, Addison Rae

Page 37: Brie Larson, Jennifer Lopez, Olivia Munn, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Page 38: Beauty Beat -- new year, new zen -- Kendall Jenner, Elizabeth Banks, Camila Cabello, Madelaine Petsch

Page 40: Diva or Down-to-Earth? Sara Bareilles had a helper hold her umbrella -- Diva, Katie Holmes browses for books -- Down-to-earth

Page 41: Julia Garner requires a primp posse -- Diva, Jax Taylor mows the lawn -- Down-to-earth

Page 42: Social Stars Posts of the Week -- Andy Cohen and son Benjamin, Tim McGraw, Kourtney Kardashian and Kendall Jenner, Jonathan Scott and girlfriend Zooey Deschanel

Page 44: Horoscope -- Capricorn Sienna Miller turned 39 on December 28

* They’re Not Together But They Should Be -- Leo Kate Beckinsale and Sagittarius Jake Gyllenhaal

Page 48: What I’m Into -- Kristin Cavallari

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benjiradiotendenciadigital · 2 years

Text

Aqui el reporte de la Triplemania XXX. Psycho Clown salva su Máscara tras derrotar al Villano IV en la ruleta de la muerte. Saludos de su amigo "El Azulejo" pronto nos vemos en mi programa "Entre las Cuerdas" por Benji Radio TV.

#Lucha Libre #Benji Radio TV #El Azulejo

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sirrriusblack · 4 years

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The situation in magical Britain seems to be getting more dire by the second and amidst all the chaos Marlene and Dorcas decide to spend at least one evening pretanding that the war doesn't exist together. However, their plan gets ruined by some unpleasant news on the Wizarding Wireless. Buzzcut Season by Lorde :)

Thanks for the prompt @a-grim-ate-my-starry-cupcakes!! I’m so sorry it took so long, I hope I did it justice :)

* * *

I remember when your head caught flame

It kissed your scalp and caressed your brain

Well you laughed, baby it's okay

It's buzzcut season anyway

(Well you laughed, baby it's okay)

Everything was burning. Turning to ashes. Bodies were falling like drops of rain and I recognized most of their faces. Marlene was burning too. Coming back from her shifts covered in blood and bruises and ash. Even her tears were too hot to dull the fire burning through her veins. I didn’t know how to cool her down. She loved the fight, the feeling of really doing something for the cause. The thrill of saving lives. But she was aflame and soon enough she would burn out. She used to sleep spread out, taking up all the room in the world but now she slept with her toes curled into her body, her knees inside her chest, her spine curved. Like she wanted to take up as little space as possible.

“It’s okay,” she would say, her blonde hair falling in thin strands around her face. “Soon enough we’re going to beat them,” I never knew what to say to that.

Explosions on TV, and all the girls with heads inside a dream

So now we live beside the pool, where everything is good

“What if there was no war?” I asked her, cleaning her wounds and healing her gently. She looked up at me and I didn’t even need to touch her to feel her heat. “Where would we be right now?” Marlene huffed a bitter laugh.

“Probably drinking by the poolside somewhere in Greece,” she smiled, tracing her burning fingers over my face. I hissed at the heat of her touch but pulled her forward anyway, wrapping my arms around her waist.

“I can’t promise by the poolside in Greece, but there’s a beach just down the path from the back door,” I told her, and we listened in silence for a moment to hear the waves crashing against the sand. I could picture it, the cold night air cooling the fire in Marlene’s blood, the waves like a blanket on our feet as we inched into the water step by step, squealing from the cold and laughing. Marlene frowned.

“We can’t, Dorcas you know that,” she said, lips red but not from lipstick. I sighed and raised the cloth in my hand to her mouth, wiping away some of her blood. “We could be called in at any minute.” I shook my head, the cloth turning to dust as I let my fingers find Marlene’s.

We ride the bus with the knees pulled in

People should see how we're living

(We ride the bus with the knees pulled in)

“No. No, this war has already taken too much from us. Emmeline. Benjy. Mary—“

“You don’t have to remind me, Dorcas,” Marlene snapped, her eyes quickly growing distant. I lifted my hand to her cheek. She looked up at me with those green eyes, watery and—and scared. I leaned forward and rested my forehead against hers.

“Exactly, Marlene. We’ve lost so much. Let’s take something back. Let’s take one fucking night back, Marlene.” She bit her lip. “We won’t swim. We’ll just sit by the water and eat some junk. And we can take the bloody radio,” I promised, desperate for something that was ours. Something we could remember. My voice was cracked and thin when I spoke next. “We’ll take the radio.” Marlene let go of her lip and smiled a little. I knew she was worried. I knew she was ready to fight Voldemort herself if it came down to it. But she nodded.

Shut my eyes to the song that plays

Sometimes this has a hot, sweet taste

(Shut my eyes to the song that plays)

The men up on the news, they try to tell us all that we will lose

But it's so easy in this blue, where everything is good

I fell next to Marlene on the sand and the cool night air drifted through us, through Marlene, through the fire burning between us. I looked into her eyes and then I closed mine, engraving that image in my memory so I could stare into them forever. I knew this was a dream, I knew this wouldn’t last, I knew that we’d probably lose the war. But I couldn’t waste it.

And I'll never go home again (place the call, feel it start)

Favorite friend (and nothing's wrong when nothing's true)

I couldn’t waste whatever time we had together not touching Marlene, or looking at Marlene or being with Marlene. I wanted to know every shadowed corner of her, I wanted to be able to trace her from memory, so that if she died, I wouldn’t forget her. So that if I died, I wouldn’t be alone. I grabbed ahold of Marlene’s hand and I revelled in her heat and touch and presence. I savoured the waves crashing and falling just short of our feet. I opened my mouth to taste the air. I listened and heard nothing but the waves and the song playing on the radio and Marlene’s calm breath next to me.

I live in a hologram with you

The radio broke to static for a moment before it kept playing the song but Marlene didn’t notice and so neither did I.

Where all the things that we do for fun (and I'll breathe, and it goes)

Play along (make-believe it's hyperreal)

Within a few moments, the near-silence turned to giggling and Marlene was above me, her hair falling around her like a golden curtain and her eyes glowing. She leaned down, just close enough to brush her lips against mine and pulled away smirking.

But I live in a hologram with you

I knocked over the radio, the muffled static playing into the sand.

Cola with the burnt-out taste

I'm the one you tell your fears to

There'll never be enough of us

I dug my hand into the wet sand and dumped it all over Marlene, earning a shriek. She jumped off of me and shook her head like a wet dog, spraying me with sand and laughter.

The radio static cut to silence and a voice broke through. Marlene’s head snapped up and she crawled toward the radio.

Explosions on TV, and all the girls with heads inside a dream

They were reading off a list of the dead. I couldn’t hear it over the waves crashing behind me, or maybe that was only getting louder in my head and maybe I couldn’t hear anything because I didn’t want to hear what Marlene said next. I did, though. I heard it loud and clear.

“Fabian and Gideon are dead,” Marlene said, her voice breaking on the word. I shook my head.

“No. No, no, no. No!” I shouted the last one and Marlene ran back over to me. She stood me up and started running, ready to apparate. When she looked back and I wasn’t following, she yelled something but I couldn’t hear again. The radio was playing static again and it was all the way in Marlene’s hand but I could hear it screeching at me, I could hear it just as loud as I could hear Fabian and Gideon screaming, just as loud as I could hear Marlene screaming when I watched her die. Because that’s what would happen, wouldn’t it?

So now we live beside the pool, where everything is good

Marlene’s hand closed around my wrist as she pulled me up and dragged me, stumbling, off the beach. The rocks on the path flew up and hit my ankles and out of nowhere, my whole body was being twisted and wrung dry and Marlene’s grip on my arm was painfully tight and we stumbled onto wet grass.

Wet with blood.

I looked up and my whole body threw itself to the ground because there were death eaters everywhere and there were curses flying everywhere and Fabian and Gideon lay side by side and they looked like they were sleeping and Merlin, please just let them be sleeping.

Marlene’s hands were on me, pulling me back up from where I’d fallen across their bodies. She was yelling something to me and the static in my head dulled at her burning touch. The battle noises grew clearer and I pulled Marlene down with me to duck from a curse.

And I'll never go home again (place the call, feel it start)

Favorite friend (and nothing's wrong when nothing's true)

I live in a hologram with you

Where all the things that we do for fun (and I'll breathe, and it goes)

Play along (make-believe it's hyperreal)

Marlene and I stood back to back. She was radiating heat, she was burning with power, with fear, with everything she had. I decided then, that if Marlene was going to burn this whole place down, I was going to burn with her.

She was behind me but I could see those green eyes, clear as day, looking into my own from the beach, next to me. Together, we stepped right into the flames of the battle.

But I live in a hologram with you.

#thanks for the prompt!#this hurt to writeeeeeee #im sorryyyyy #dorlene #dorcas meadowes #marlene mckinnon #marauders era #the first wizarding war #marauders era fanfiction #dorlene fanfiction #my writing #yeahhh #:)#buzzcut season #lorde

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brownskinsugarplum76 · 5 years

Text

Eye of the Storm, Ch 4

I've had much of this written for a while, but I got caught up on whether I should write in a less important part. I decided against it. So, what we have is pseudo-smut (it'll make sense shortly) and more heartfelt road trip conversation and flirting. The real-life smut should go down with the next chapter! ❤️❤️❤️

To catch up, the Eye of the Storm master post is here.

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

Robert lowered himself on top of Maggie and continued his gentle thrusting. They had shared a frenzied, steamy moment earlier, and now, with that out of the way, he was expressing his feelings with every cell of his body. He was as close to her as two people could possibly be. He littered her with kisses and the tickling sensation of his long curls in constant motion, and he lulled her on the slow road to oblivion with the heat of his body and his metronome-regular strokes. Maggie telegraphed how she cared for Robert in much the same way, grasping him and meeting his movements, wishing their coupling could last forever. He growled softly in her ear and--

“--Earth to Maggie! Where'd you run off to in your head, love?” Robert gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

She jolted out of the fantasy that had occupied her mind for the last few miles on the road.

“I, uh…”

“Were you thinking about bananas and lemons, and the squeezing of lemons? Mine, to be specific?” He smiled his most mischievous smile, knowing he was right.

“Yes, Robert. You caught me thinking about tonight. You could say I'm a little impatient to be alone with you.”

“Your smile is what tipped me off. I must've been doing an exceptionally bang-up job… Rest assured, I'll meet every last one of your expectations tonight.”

He nipped at her earlobe and traced small circles on her thigh for good measure. “Quite frankly, if I was 100 percent healed, I would have asked you to pull off the road for a proper reunion a while ago, but the yoga I'd have to bend into in your darling automobile on a bum ankle…”

“Well, excuse me for not having a limo for you, Your Highness.” She gave Robert's leg a playful shove while she kept her eyes on the road, but a tiny smile was visible on her face.

“You know, you can drive us around in my Land-Rover. She's not had much of a workout in quite some time. Benji's been using his Cadillac when we go out.”

“Sure, I can do that,” she said, nodding her head.

“And then you can get your fix of me anywhere. And I of you.” His smile warmed her heart and her core at the same time. Robert was the only man who could make her feel loving and lustful at the same time. And she would never get enough of it.

“So, what have you been doing with your time off of your feet? Writing new songs? Re-reading your Tolkien books? Practicing new sexy faces for your concerts?” Maggie quickly glanced at Robert before turning her eyes back to the road.

“A little bit of this, and a little bit of that, but not much of anything productive, I'm afraid.”

He turned to Maggie, studying her familiar profile and smiling. “Well, I did write some songs, of course. One can't help but be inspired when they're living in paradise, yeah? But scenery notwithstanding, many of the songs that you'll hear on the new album do have a bit of… Angst, shall we say.”

“Pobrecito… Poor, dear Robert,” she said, glancing at him briefly. “Did it help any to get your feelings out on paper? Out of your head?”

“It did at the time, but now I hope I didn't get too moody. The fans are expecting us to serve as their aphrodisiac, as it were, not make them weep into their bloody cans of Miller.”

“I noticed that you were silent when we drove past the billboard for the album earlier. Is that why? Pre-release jitters? I'm sure it will be fine. Everyone is hungry for some new music from you all.”

“That's what G keeps saying…”

“And you don't believe it? The band with unbelievable concert attendance numbers and mountains of records sold, all without really breaking a sweat?”

“I do believe it, but… Things are different… I'm different. I won't be wild, Black Country Robert, prancing about on the stage.”

Maggie turned down the music to focus on Robert.

“Don't get me wrong, I'm going to give ‘em everything I've got, same as always, but I don't seem to have a prance left in me right now. It's going to be baby steps as I continue to heal, you know? I'll dream up a different way wiggle my ass and look good. Bonzo's right, no one will ever take that away from me, at least.”

“I, for one, am counting on some ass shaking and strong singing,” Maggie said reassuringly. “I know you'll be back to your old self once you get in front of an audience.”

“But beyond how I feel physically, I think I'm losing my zeal for tour life,” he continued. “It's not enough to just be the happy, horny kid who sang every day and partied every night, you know? I'm excited, but I'm also restless. I need to know my future has something more than singing the same songs every night, even if we do throw something a little different in here and there.”

“What do you want to do instead?” Maggie asked.

“That I don't know, Mags… For a brief moment I considered a solo album, or just saying fuck it and becoming a teacher or something, but…”

He raked a hand through his hair. “Ahhhhh… Bugger that! Enough self-pity blathering and castles in the sand…” He gestured with his hand as though the movement could cast his mood away. “I'm sure you don't want to hear all of my ‘woe is me, poor little rock star’ bullshit. I haven't even asked you about your feelings. I'm sorry, love, you're the one leaping blindly into the abyss of touring a first album. What's on your mind?”

“I am beyond excited. Everything is moving so fast, everything I'd always hoped would happen. I feel really blessed. We all do.”

“It sounds like you're going to add a ‘but’?”

“But the waiting is hard! I wish we could start tomorrow and get that first concert out of the way. I want to know if they're going to love us or not.”

“How have the album sales been?”

“There has been some interest. San Diego especially. People who know us from the dive bars down there have continued to support us.”

“What about singles? Radio play?”

“We have one single, but it seems that no one knows what to do with it. Rock radio is skittish, I think because there's a woman fronting the band. It's either that or our Latin influences that make us “unique,” as everyone likes to phrase it. But we're not getting much Latin radio play, and we're too rock for black radio… It's like we don't have a natural home or built-in audience.”

“I think there's a place for you lot. Good music always finds a way, no matter how different it is.” Robert stroked her hair reassuringly.

“From your mouth to God's ears, Robert.”

“I think you're all amazing. Your brother, his rhythm! And he hits hard, almost as hard as Bonzo. You all play so tight. You make absolute bedlam in the audience. Trust me. I was there. If your record captured any of that, and I'm sure it did, you're good as gold.”

Maggie smiled at the memory of Robert coming to one of their concerts a few years ago. The spectacle of rock royalty in the audience--he insisted on watching from the front row--did die down quickly once the concert was underway. The crowd couldn't get enough of her band, and the noise before the encore was deafening. Robert was right, it was a night that made them all believe they were on the way.

“You'll have people across the country dancing in no time. And when you strut onstage in the outfits I have in mind, if you'll have them… There might be some news reports of this Prince of Peace getting into fights over the horny hordes of fans getting too close to his woman…”

Maggie didn't know whether to laugh or thank him, or pull over to show him a different form of gratitude. “I love this fantasy you're painting, Robert.” She also liked that he called her his woman.

“Mark my words, Mags, it will be a reality.”

Her smile was uncontrollable. “Now, back to you. You know what your problem is, Robert?”

“Tell me.”

“I think you'd believe that things will go fine if someone prettier than G was trying to cheer you up.”

He stared innocently at Maggie, and she caught his puppy dog gaze in her periphery. “You? What do you have in mind for a mopey bloke like me?”

“Everything you like, Robert. I have lots of ways to make you forget all your worries.” Maggie flashed a wicked smile at Robert before turning her attention back to the road.

“Don't tease me, woman…”

She smiled smugly as she kept driving.

Robert yawned and looked out the window. They were almost at Maggie's place with her brother. She was lost in thought again, with her musings ping-ponging from sex with Robert to his fragile mood, to her own anxieties. She asked herself whether her band should be practicing more, fretted about the order of their set list, wondered if anyone would show up when they weren't in San Diego.

Her fitful rumination was interrupted by Robert's soft snore. He had fallen asleep with his head leaning against the car window.

She glanced at him briefly and smiled at how comfortable he was with her. He felt safe enough to unpack his deepest struggles, and she was delighted that he felt that way.

She was also glad that their relationship was growing stronger. They were no longer in a new acquaintance phase, for which the most mundane conversation was volleyed back and forth to prevent awkward silences. Robert could share what was on his mind, or he could sit quietly while listening to the radio or looking out the window, while he found some reassuring way to touch her.

She thought of their ease with each other in the car as the equivalent of the couples on TV who would comfortably sit side by side in bed, one person reading a book, the other doing a crossword puzzle. It was the kind of relationship she wanted with Robert. She craved a partnership of two people who felt secure enough to be vulnerable with each other or tend to their private goals and interests as needed, without straying too far from each other. He seemed as willing to live that way as much as she was.

She smiled to herself. It was exactly what she needed while everything else in her life was so uncertain.

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

The rest of my stories are here, or search for the hashtag #brownskinsugarplumlibrary

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aprilskyforever · 5 years

Text

some melfest reflections

hi! sorry i didn’t blog anything about this yesterday. i spent the day first being a part of my friend’s live marathon radio broadcast, on which they had a melfest special where we could be all kinds of nerdy about this contest that we love so much. then later i also watched the show with said friend and some other friends as well. and one only has so much attention guys, one can’t focus on a tv, discord, twitter AND tumblr at the same time. something had to go. but i think you got along without me right?

anyway. this is gonna be long so buckle up.

the result

jon henrik was my fave but i was ready for him to not win. what i wasn’t ready for was how the jury did him so dirty. did he have a bad performance at the jury rehersal or do the juries simply don’t like a mood-lifting jojk? i really don’t know. and anna bergendahl! wiktoria! my queens, especially anna who had her best performance of season yesterday, i can’t believe the jury let you down like that either. it’s definitely not what you deserve.

that being said, i’m not mad that john lundvik won. not at all, actually. his song (and he himself) makes me just as happy as jon henrik and the fact that we’re sending a male singer for the 5th year in a row now doesn’t matter when the song is as good as it is. we have a winner that was just 11 points short of a perfect 100% from juries and televote combined and that is... incredible. i really wonder how many percent of the televote he would have gotten if we had the system we had in 2011-2015. would he have beaten måns and his 35%? in any case, this is the second year in a row that i actually root for my own country in esc and that hasn’t happened like... ever. maybe 2011 and 2012. but i wasn’t as fully behind eric in 2011 as i was with benji in 2018 and will be with john lundvik this year.

lastly, what an amazing quality we had on the songs this year!! ok there were two songs i’d rather not have seen in the final (bishara and mohombi) and one i would have liked instead (margaret) but oh my, we really know how to do this. so many songs have become hits on the charts, and that’s important. melfest isn’t just a selection for esc, it’s an important deep rooted hit factory for the swedish people.

the show & hosts

you have no idea how relieved i was when i heard sunil munshi had been fired and edward af sillén was coming back as like a guide for the hosts. sarah, kodjo, marika and eric all did an amazing job. the interval acts were not as good as in 2013 and 2016 but, miles better than the last two years. it felt like coming home.

the voting system

idk if you guys was informed about this but while we still had app voting this year, the qualifiers and the result in the final was not based on raw numbers and percentages. instead, this year an age group system was implemented, where the ranking in each age group was converted to a fixed score (like a jury group) and then the qualifiers became those songs with the highest score combined. i’m a bit upset the televote wasn’t revealed in the same way the jury groups were in the final, i would have loved to see the statistics and i think it migh have built a bot more suspense? idk. maybe not. but it went too fast yesterday, that’s what i’m saying. i’ve seen some people complain about the international jury. and i’ve seen some people complain that sweden always does well at eurovision, but like.. that’s thanks to that very international jury (and they don’t even use the same people every year!). like any country, we want to do well in the contest, so we use all means necessary. sure the jury can be questionable (like putting nano that hign and jon henrik and anna so low) but when they all agree we should send john lundvik to eurovision... i think we can trust their word. but yeah, don’t say “i can’t believe sweden did jon so dirty” when the televote had him 4th. know your stats and facts guys. (i’m not sure where i’m going with this tbh. sorry)

anyway!!!! national final season is now over and we move into revamp, studio ranking and pre-party season instead!!! artists will start to meet and hang out!! we’ll see how the internal choices sound live!! oh i’m excited <3

#melodifestivalen #national final season #aprilskyforever

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bechloeislegit · 5 years

Text

A to Z BeChloe

H is for HYPNOTIC LOVE

Jesse and Beca have been dating for 2 years. Chloe is still pining over Beca and Beca has no clue. Same old, same old. Right? Maybe. Maybe not.

Chloe slowly sipped at whatever concoction Amy had put together for their Bellas pre-Thanksgiving party. She continuously scanned the ever-growing crowd but her eyes always found their way back to Beca. Well, Beca and Jesse.

Jesse was always putting his arm around her waist and pulling her to him. Chloe knew it was wishful thinking but she could swear that Beca cringed every time he did. And she never put her arms around him.

Chloe sighed and looked to her right when she felt someone standing there.

"Still pining for your broody little Captain, I see," Aubrey said.

"I can't help it, Brey," Chloe said. "I just don't see how those two are even together. I'd be so much better for her than he is."

"Maybe it's time to move on," Aubrey said. "They don't appear to be heading for a breakup any time soon. You may be missing out on someone who can make you happy."

"She could make me happy," Chloe said softly. "I love her, Brey. I can't just turn that off and be with someone else. Believe me, I've tried."

"Look, I started seeing this guy," Aubrey said. "His name is Greg and his best friend is visiting for a few days. Why don't you come out with us? I think you two would make a good match."

"I don't know, Brey," Chloe said. "I don't want to start something with someone knowing how I feel about Beca. It wouldn't be fair to them."

"Greg's friend, Chicago, is on leave from the Army," Aubrey said. "He's only here for a few days. Just have lunch with him. The worst that could happen is you have lunch with a decent guy. Best case, you two hit it off and you give him something to remember when he returns to Spain."

"Army guy, huh?," Chloe said sounding interested now. "You might be right. I mean, he won't be around long so we could have some fun and no one gets hurt."

"Good," Aubrey said. "We're meeting at TGIFriday's at Noon tomorrow."

Chloe took another look at Jesse and Beca. They were on the dance floor dancing to a slow song. Beca had her head on Jesse's chest and her arms around his waist.

"I'll be there," Chloe said and downed the rest of her drink in one gulp.

~hHh~ ~hHh~ ~hHh~

The next day, Chloe made it to TGIFriday's just a little past Noon. She went in and saw Aubrey sitting with two guys, both of whom were quite attractive. Aubrey waved her over and she went to the table.

As she got to the table, both guys stood.

"Hi, sorry I'm late," Chloe said and sat down.

"That's okay," Aubrey said. "We just sat down. Chloe, this is Greg, and the guy next to you is Chicago."

"Nice to meet you both," Chloe said taking a good look at Chicago.

He was really cute. He smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you, too."

"Aubrey's told me a lot about you," Greg said. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise," Chloe said.

Chloe couldn't take her eyes off Chicago. Even better, at least in her mind, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Maybe Aubrey was right," Chloe thought to herself. "Chicago could just be the distraction I need."

Lunch was going great and Chloe was finding herself more and more attracted to Chicago. They were just finishing when Chloe's phone rang.

"I'm sorry," Chloe said getting up. "I need to take this."

Chloe walks away and answers the call.

"Hey, Becs. What's up?"

"Where are you?," Beca asked. "I've searched the whole house for you."

"Lunch date," Chloe said. "What did you want?"

"Oh, sorry for interrupting your date," Beca said. "The Trebles want to know if we, meaning the Bellas, want to go with them to some show that Benji heard about. It's a hypnotist or something. Anyway, we have to let them know so they can get tickets. It's for the day after tomorrow."

"Sounds like fun," Chloe said. "I'll need four tickets."

"Four?"

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I'm going to invite Aubrey and her new boyfriend. Then there's me and Chicago. He's really nice so I'm going to ask him to go."

"Oh, um, okay," Beca said. "You'll have to tell me about this new guy of yours when you get back."

"Okay," Chloe said. "I gotta go. Chicago's waiting."

"Oh, right, yeah," Beca said. "I'll see you later."

Chloe ended the call and went back to the table.

"How would you three feel about going with a group of us to see a hypnotist the day after tomorrow?"

"Why, Miss Beale," Chicago said. "Is this your way of asking me out? If so, I am totally on board."

"Good," Chloe said and smiled. She looked across the table at Aubrey and Greg. "What about you two?"

"A hypnotist? Sounds like fun," Greg said.

"We're in," Aubrey said with a big smile. She knew Chloe and Chicago would hit it off and she was glad to see her best friend putting in the effort.

"This is so exciting," Chloe said. "I've never seen a hypnotist before. Well, except on TV."

"I hear that under hypnosis you do things that are honest," Aubrey said. "Like they can't make you do things against your will. You still have some personal control."

"I can't wait," Chloe said.

Aubrey and Greg started talking and Chicago turned to Chloe. "So, do I have to wait two days to see you again?"

"Depends on what you have in mind," Chloe said.

"How would you feel about dinner and a movie tomorrow night?"

"I'd like that," Chloe said with a smile. "Give me your phone."

Chicago hands over his phone and Chloe puts her number in. "Call or text me to let me know what time," Chloe said. "Or call me just because."

"Just because?"

"Yeah," Chloe said her smile bigger. "Just because you want to."

"I'll call you later then," Chicago said with a grin.

The two sat smiling at each other when Chloe noticed the time. "I have to go. I have Bellas practice and I still need to change."

"I'm glad I met you," Chicago said. "And I will definitely call you later. Just because."

"I look forward to it," Chloe said and smiled.

"I'll talk to you later, Chloe," Aubrey said. "Be careful."

"I will," Chloe said. "It was nice meeting you, Greg."

"I'll walk you out," Chicago said and stood when Chloe did.

Chloe just smiled and led Chicago out of the restaurant. Chicago walked Chloe to her car and opened the door for her. Before she could get in he took her arm to stop her and kissed her on the cheek. Chloe looked at him and then put her hand behind his neck and pulled him to her. She kissed him on the lips and he kissed her back. He pulled back and smiled at her.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Chloe said as she got in her car.

Chicago walked back into the restaurant with a smile on his lips.

~hHh~ ~hHh~ ~hHh~

Chloe rushed into the Bellas House and up to her room to change for rehearsals. She hurried out and rushed in just a few minutes late.

"Sorry, I'm late," Chloe said.

"Your lunch date must have been good," Stacie said with a wink and a smirk.

"It was," Chloe said with a big smile. "We're going out again tomorrow night."

"Tell us about him," Fat Amy said.

"Save it for later," Beca interrupted. "We need to practice. Places everyone."

Rehearsal goes on and Beca is satisfied with how well everything was sounding. She finally called an end to it and the girls all gathered their belongings and headed back to the house.

Beca started cleaning up the rehearsal area and Chloe stayed to help.

"So, you liked the guy Aubrey set you up with?," Beca asked.

"Yeah," Chloe said with a big smile. "He's really cute and sweet. Has a nice body, too."

"That's, uh, nice," Beca said.

The two continued to work quietly. Once they were done Beca asked Chloe if she wanted to grab a coffee together before they went back to the house.

"Sorry, Becs," Chloe said. "I'm just going to head back to the house. I've got a lot of homework to do. Plus, Chicago said he'd call."

"Oh, um, okay," Beca said. "I guess I'll, um, see you at home."

Chloe left and Beca was standing in the middle of the auditorium alone. Alone and thinking.

"Chloe and I always get coffee together after practice," Beca mumbled. "And since when did she sit around waiting for some guy to call? She must really like him."

Beca continued to stand there, wondering why she felt so weird about Chloe liking this guy she just met. Maybe it was just her best friend instincts kicking in. She shook it off and went to get her coffee before heading back to the house.

~hHh~ ~hHh~ ~hHh~

The next night, Beca was coming home from a late night at the radio station. She was almost home when she saw a couple standing on the front porch at the front door. It only took a second for her to realize it was Chloe and who she assumed was Chicago, the guy Chloe had been talking about all day.

Beca stopped and watched the couple for a minute. She knew they were talking although she couldn't hear what they were saying. Something in the intimate way they were standing together caused a pain in Beca's chest. She saw Chloe lean up and into him before she turned away. She didn't want it to seem like she was spying on them. And she especially didn't want to see Chloe kissing him.

Beca heard the front door close and she turned to see Chicago coming down the walk. She watched as he got into a car and drove away. It wasn't until the car's tail lights were out of sight that she made her way into the house.

Beca closed the door behind her and heard laughter coming from the kitchen.

"Come on, Chloe," Beca heard Stacie say. "True confessions time. Did you get lucky?"

Not wanting to hear the answer, Beca hurried up the stairs to her room. She changed into her pajamas and laid on her bed. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door and someone was coming up the steps.

"Hey," Chloe said as reached the top. "I thought I heard you come in."

"Late night at the station," Beca said. "So, um, how was the date?"

"It was fine," Chloe said. "He's a really great guy. You'll get to meet him tomorrow night."

"Right," Beca said. "The hypnotist show."

"Want to share my dessert?"

"Dessert?" Beca sat up, her interest piqued. "What is it?"

"Tiramisu," Chloe said holding up a bag and two forks. "I made Chicago by me one to go so I could share it with you."

"You had your date buy you a dessert to share with someone else? Ballsy, Beale."

"I know how much you like it," Chloe said as she sat on Beca's bed.

The two shared the Tiramisu and spent an hour talking about nothing and everything.

~hHh~ ~hHh~ ~hHh~

The next evening, the girls were getting ready to leave for the show. They were ready and everyone was waiting for Beca.

"Isn't Jesse picking her up?," Chloe asked.

"She told him she was riding with us and he should go with the Trebles," Fat Amy said.

"What about you?," Jessica asked Chloe. "Isn't your new guy picking you up?"

"It's like I told you last night," Chloe said. "He's a sweet guy and all but we decided we'd just be friends. He's riding with Aubrey and Greg."

The girls all turn when they hear CR let out a whistle. Beca blushed and did a little swagger as she continued down the stairs.

"Looking hot there, Captain," CR said.

"Thank you," Beca said.

"Wow, Beca," Chloe said. "You look great."

"So, do you," Beca said staring at Chloe for a moment longer than was probably warranted. "Um, you all do," Beca added looking around at the group. "Shall we go?"

Beca is the last one out and makes sure the door is locked. Chloe waits and when Beca is done, links their arms together as they walk towards the Bellas bus.

The Trebles are waiting when the Bellas arrive. Jesse rushes over to Beca and pulls her into a quick kiss. Chloe turns and walks away to join the others. Aubrey, Greg, and Chicago join them shortly after.

Once inside, they are ushered to a long table near the front and close to the stage. Beca motions Chloe to the seat next to her, and Chloe has no choice but to comply. Chicago holds the chair out for Chloe and they both sit. Chloe introduces Chicago to Beca and Jesse.

Two waitresses come to the table and take their drink orders. Once they walk away, Beca turns to say something to Chloe but she has her back turned to Beca and she is talking softly with Chicago. Beca frowns a bit but turns back to speak with Jesse.

"So that's Beca," Chicago leaned in close to whisper to Chloe.

"Yeah, that's her," Chloe softly responded.

"She's hot," Chicago whispered. "I can see why you're into her."

"Too bad, she's got a boyfriend," Chloe said.

"Maybe you should make her jealous," Chicago said. "Let her know what she's missing."

Chloe couldn't help but smile. "You just want me to kiss you again."

"Well, I wouldn't be against it," Chicago said with a small laugh.

"Sorry, but it's like I told you last night," Chloe said. "A kiss on the cheek is all I can promise you."

Just then the lights dimmed and the waitresses were serving their drinks. Everyone turned to face the stage as the announcer introduced the hypnotist.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Tonight we have a special performance. He's a magician. He's a hypnotist. Please give it up for Steven!"

A spotlight shines on stage and the audience applauds. They grow quiet as they watch the stage and nothing happens. The spotlight goes wider and a woman walks to the middle of the lighted circle. She smiles and suddenly puts her hands in the air and dramatically brings them down and the entire stage lights up. There is a collective gasp from the audience when the woman is gone and in her place is a man.

"Good evening, folks. I'm Steven." The place erupts in applause.

"Thank you, thank you," Steven said. "I'd like to introduce you to my lovely assistant, Katarina."

The same woman walks onto the stage from the side and there is more applause.

"The first part of the show is all about magic," Steven said as he walks back and forth across the stage. He waves his hand and is now holding a 'magic' wand. He looks at his assistant and waves the wand.

Beca smiles as she looks over at Benji and sees him practically sitting on the edge of his seat, his eyes wide, and a smile plastered on his face.

"Benji seems to be enjoying the show," Chloe whispered in Beca's ear.

Beca turned a little to see Chloe. "I have a feeling we'll be hearing about these tricks for weeks to come."

Chloe chuckled and they both turned to enjoy the show.

After about an hour of magic, Steven makes an announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, that ends the magic portion of this evening. Next up will be some hypnotism."

The audience applauds.

"We're going to have a 15-minute break while the crew clears the stage," Steven said. "During the break, I will be asking several members of the audience to assist me with the next segment."

The house lights came up and everyone started murmuring and some went to the restrooms. Steven came to the Trebles/Bellas table.

"Are you all here as one group?," Steven asked.

"We are," Jesse said. "Most of us attend Barden University and are part of The Treblemakers and The Bellas. Barden's award-winning acapella groups."

"I need six volunteers for the next part of the show," Steven said. "How would some of you like to help me out?"

Beca scoffed and scrunched her nose.

"I see our first volunteer," Steve said eying Beca. "How about it?"

"No," Beca said.

"Come on, Beca," Jesse said. "It will be fun. Go ahead."

Beca shook her head and looked around the table. All she saw were smirks and raised eyebrows.

"Okay. Fine," Beca said. "I'll do it."

"Great," Steven said. "Now I just need five more. You, you, um, you." Chicago, Aubrey, and CR all nodded in agreement. "You and you." The last two selected were Donald and Bumper.

The six friends went on stage with Steven and he had them sit in chairs that were already lined up. Soon, the show started up again.

"Welcome back," Steven said. "We have our six volunteers. Let's find out their names. Starting with you." He pointed to Bumper who was in the first chair.

"I'm Bumper."

"CR."

"Chicago."

"Aubrey."

"Donald."

"Beca."

There was a polite round of applause after the introductions.

"Okay, I'm going to put you all under," Steven said looking at the six volunteers. Chloe could see Beca rolling her eyes and laughed. Steven continued. "I will then take one or two of you and offer some suggestions on things for you to do." He looks out to the audience. "Are we ready?"

Yeahs and yeses were thrown out.

"I want the six of you on the stage to listen to the sound of my voice. Ignore all other sounds. My voice is the only voice you will obey. Now I want you all to breathe deeply in and out. In and out. Just like that. Okay, now you will start to feel tired and your body will start relaxing starting at your feet. Moving up to your legs. Feel how relaxed you are. Now moving up your body, your hips, chest, and arms are relaxed." People oooh when they see the six volunteers' arms drop down to their sides. "Now your shoulders and your neck. I'm going to count to three and you will all close your eyes and sleep. Three."

All six volunteers closed their eyes and their heads fell forward so their chins were on their chest.

"Let's see if they are really under," Steven said to the audience. He turns to his volunteers. "I want those of you on the stage to stand and salute the audience."

The group as one stood and held a salute. "At ease," Steven said. "You may all sit down."

The group sat. "Now, Bumper and CR, please stand and face each other." Bumper and CR do as they are told. "You are at Cinderella's Ball and a waltz comes on. Bumper, ask CR to dance with you and then dance the waltz."

"May I have the pleasure of this dance?," Bumper asked and bowed in front of CR.

"I'd be delighted," CR answered and curtsied.

Bumper took CR's right hand in his left. He then placed his right hand on her hip. CR placed her left hand on Bumper's shoulder. Bumper moved them around the stage as the audience clapped.

"And, the music has stopped," Steven said. "You may now go back to your seats."

Bumper and CR sat down. "Next we have Chicago. Chicago, please stand and walk over to me like a chicken."

Chicago stands and then puts his hand under his armpits and starts to strut like a chicken. He jerks his head back and forth and the audience laughs.

"Are you laying an egg?," Steven asked. The audience howled with laughter when Chicago gets a funny look on his face and squats down slightly. He started clucking loudly and turned to look behind him. He then settled on the "egg" as if he were in a nest.

"Okay, okay," Steven said with a laugh. "You are no longer a chicken. You are Chicago and you may return to your seat." Chicago stood up and walked back to his seat and sat down.

Steven looks down at Jesse sitting at the Trebles/Bellas table. "Are either of these three in a long-term relationship and their significant other is here?"

"Beca is my girlfriend," Jesse said before anyone else had a chance. "We've been together for two years."

"Perfect. Thank you," Steven said and returned his attention to Aubrey and Donald. He asked them both to stand and face each other. "Aubrey, you and Donald are talking to each other. Show us what you got. Oh, and one more thing, you have to sing your conversation to each other using parts of actual songs and they have to be the first thing you think of."

The audience laughs as Donald starts things off.

"Your mama don't dance and your daddy don't rock and roll."

Aubrey starts doing a sexy little dance as she sings.

Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me? Don't cha?

Donald jumps in.

When will you get the picture? You're the past, I'm the future. Get away, it's my time to shine.

Aubrey counters with the Spice Girls.

Who do you think you are? I said, who — some kind of superstar?

Donald throws in some Justin Timberlake.

The bridge has been burned, now it's your turn to cry.

Aubrey gets the last word.

You're a spineless, pale, pathetic lot, and you haven't got a clue. I'll make a man out of you

"And, stop," Steven said. The audience cheers and laughs. "You may both go sit now. That was quite an interesting conversation."

After Aubrey and Donald sit, Steven looks at the audience. "That was pretty impressive, wasn't it? They can both really sing."

The audience claps and cheers, the most noise coming from the Trebles and the Bellas. Chloe looked over and was thankful that Amy and Stacie both had their phones out taking video of everything happening on stage. She looked back to see what this guy had in store for Beca.

The audience quieted down and Steven said, "Beca would come over here please?"

Beca gets up and walks over to Steven. "Hello, Beca. Do you know where you are and what is going on?"

"Yes," Beca responded. "We are at a hypnotist show and you have six of us on stage to try and hypnotize us."

"Try to hypnotize?," Steve asked. "You don't think you can be hypnotized?"

"No, I don't," Beca replied causing some light laughter from the audience. Beca looked out at them with her most intense glare. Jesse and Chloe both couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Fair enough," Steven said. "So, I know you're here with a group. Who are they?"

"The Barden Bellas," Beca said with pride. "And the Barden Treblemakers. We're acapella groups at Barden University."

"Is there someone special that you are here with?"

"Yes," Beca said with a soft smile on her face. "Very special."

"Would you say you love this special someone?"

"Yes, yes I would."

"Are you perhaps in love with this special someone?"

"Very much so."

Jesse is grinning from ear to ear. He's been wondering if Beca loved him and now she has admitted publicly, albeit under hypnosis, that she is in love with him.

"Why don't you go down and kiss that special someone you are in love with?"

"Okay."

Beca started walking toward the stairs to get off the stage. Once down, she walks around the end of the table. Jesse stands up with a big smile on his face. Beca walks toward him and continues past him. Jesse's smile drops as he watches Beca walk by him.

"Beca?"

Beca stops in front of Chloe's chair and pulls her up.

"Beca, what are you doing?," Chloe asked in shock.

"I'm kissing the special someone I'm in love with," Beca said.

Beca took Chloe's face in her hands. Chloe looked over Beca's shoulder and sees the hurt look on Jesse's face.

"Beca, maybe you should-" Beca cuts off whatever Chloe was going to say by crashing her lips into Chloe's. Chloe can't help herself and starts to kiss Beca back.

Beca moans into the kiss. Chloe puts her hands on Beca's hips and pulls her in closer. The Bellas started cheering. Jesse stormed off.

"This is awkward," Steven said causing the audience to cheer. "I'm going to have to end this now." Some in the audience booed. "Bumper, CR, Chicago, Aubrey, Donald, and Beca. Listen to my voice and my voice only. I will count backward from three. When I reach one you will awaken and remember everything you did and heard. Ready. Three. Two. One."

The group on stage wake up and look at each other somewhat embarrassed.

"Did I really act like a chicken?," Chicago asked Aubrey who nodded.

"You dance a pretty damn fine waltz, CR," Bumper said.

"You weren't so bad yourself," CR said.

"Beca?," Chloe said quietly as Beca pulled back from the kiss.

Beca has a smile on her face until she remembers Jesse. She slowly turns to look over her shoulder but doesn't see him.

"Um, Jesse stormed out when you kissed me," Chloe told her.

"Shit," Beca said. "I'm sorry, Chlo."

"I understand," Chloe said as a tear fell down her cheek.

"No, you don't," Beca said. "I meant every word and I meant the kiss, too. I said I'm sorry because I have to leave you to rush after Jesse and try to explain. I do love you, Chloe. I think I've loved you for a while but was too scared to tell you. I'm sorry it took getting hypnotized to be able to tell you and show you how I feel."

"Go after Jesse," Chloe said. "Come find me when you've talked to him."

"Thank you," Beca said and kissed her once more.

Beca turned to go after Jesse and Chloe stopped her. "I love you, too."

Beca gave Chloe a big smile and raced out to try and find Jesse. She didn't have to go far as he was sitting on the steps outside the theater with his head in his hands.

"Hey," Beca said.

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long have you been in love with Chloe?"

"I honestly don't know. A while I guess."

"Did you ever have feelings for me?"

"Jesse," Beca said and sat next to him. "I swear I loved you when we first started out. But, somewhere along the way, we became more like best friends than boyfriend and girlfriend."

Jesse scoffs and looks away from her.

"Come on, Jesse," Beca said pulling on his arm to get him to turn back to her. He does and she continues. "Be honest. Have you loved me this whole time?"

Jesse sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I thought I did." He sighed again and looked at Beca. "But, you're right. We haven't really been a couple for a while."

"I am sorry, Jesse," Beca said. "I didn't mean to hurt you or embarrass you tonight. I do love you, just not in that way anymore."

"I know," Jesse said and put his arms around Beca. He pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Does Chloe at least love you back?"

"Yeah," Beca said. "She just said it back to me."

"Okay, then," Jesse said. "I guess Jeca is out and BeChloe is now canon."

"Oh, my God," Beca said and pulled back to look at him. "Have you been talking to Amy?"

"Yep," Jesse said. "Except she calls you two Bhloe. That doesn't sound right to me so I'm on the BeChloe bandwagon."

Beca laughed. "You're a great guy, Jesse. I'm sorry I'm not the girl for you."

Jesse wiped a tear from Beca's cheek. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Is everything okay here?," Aubrey asked.

Beca and Jesse looked back to find their entire group standing behind them.

"Yeah," Jesse said. "It's all good. Where's Chloe?"

"Um, right here," Chloe stepped out from behind Aubrey and Greg.

Jesse stood and walked back to Chloe.

"I'm sorry, Jesse," Chloe said with tears in her eyes.

"Don't be," Jesse said. "Treat her right and she'll be the best thing that ever happened to you."

Chloe let out a small sob and Jesse pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, Jesse."

Jesse released Chloe and wiped at his eyes. "Okay, Trebles, let's go home."

The guys bid the girls a good night and followed Jesse to their bus. He looked back once and smiled at Beca who was now standing next to Chloe. She gave Jesse a teary-eyed smile before he turned and got on the Trebles bus.

"Are you okay?," Chloe asked.

"Yeah," Beca said. "I'm okay." Beca wiped her face and cleared her throat. "Alright you losers, let's go home."

Chloe turned and hugged Aubrey. "Call me tomorrow," Aubrey whispered to Chloe.

"I will," Chloe told her.

The rest of the girls hugged Aubrey and Beca looked over to see Chloe hugging Chicago. She felt a pang of jealousy which is quickly replaced by one of warmth when Chloe rushed over to her and pulled her into a hug. Chloe kissed Beca. She pulled back with a smile on her face. She takes Beca's hand and they start walking to the Bellas bus.

"We'll talk later," Chloe said as they walked. "But for now, I am going to relish this moment. This will be something we will tell our grandkids."

"Grandkids?"

Songs used by Donald and Aubrey:

Your Mama Don't Dance by Loggins and Messina Don't Cha by The Pussycat Dolls The Boy is Mine by Brandy and Monica Who Do You Think You Are by The Spice Girls Cry Me A River by Justin Timberlake I'll Make a Man Out of You from Disney's Mulan

#bechloe fanfiction #bechloe #beca mitchell #chloe beale

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benjikarofsky · 5 years

Text

Once Upon a Dream || Para

WHO: Benji Karofsky (@benjikarofsky) and Topher Pierce (@topherxpierce). Mentions Franco Del Rio ( @southsidefranco )

WHERE: “Benji’s Apartment”

WHEN: 15th May 2019

NOTES: Still hiding at Sebastian’s, Benji finds himself thinking about Topher in a fairly unusual way.

TRIGGERS: N/a

BOLD: Benji

ITALIC: Topher

WORD COUNT: 2173

Benji closed his eyes, still trying to get used to the feeling of sleeping in a bedroom other than his own. He had gotten so used to his apartment--the feeling of Franco in his arms, the sounds of Cortana sleeping in the hallway, the presence of knowing Topher was asleep just one room over... he had grown to love it. And the longer he was away from it, desperately trying to think, the longer he realized he missed it.

He faded off quickly and within seconds was transported back into his apartment, waking up on the couch. "...Guys?" he called lightly, slowly walking from the couch to the hallway between his room and Topher's, "...Cort? Toph? Franc? ...Anyone here?"

Topher felt as though he was experiencing every emotion at the same time with the most prominent of them being fear. There was no relief that came with laying on his bed, no waves of happiness at Cortana's presence, just shockwaves of worry that struck constantly in the form of shivering. Mercy seemed to be quite the foreign concept, so the former Serpent set off towards the living room in the hopes that a game or show might provide some sort of distraction.

He settled in his favorite chair after he'd loaded up Gears of War 2 and couldn't help a small smile when he noticed that Cortana had followed him then decided to rest by his feet. Topher hoped that he could push past all the memories of various gaming marathons with Benji, that he could just focus on the task at hand. He'd restarted the campaign the night before then paused right before he got to the so called 'impossible' level, only because his neverending concern made him sleepy.

Benji saw Topher pass him and turned, "Toph!" he called, following him and Cortana back to the living room. "Toph, I'm home," he stated, sitting on the sofa next to Topher and his chair.

"Hey, Cort. Toph gave you your insulin while I was gone, right? You look good." He put his hand out for Cortana to lick, but paused when she didn't seem to notice, choosing to cuddle closer to Topher's feet instead. "Uh... okay. 3 days was a long time. I get it. Kinda cold though, Cort..."

He pulled his hand back awkwardly, then turned to the TV, not realizing his best friend wasn't acknowledging him in any way. "Wait, you're replaying 2 without me? No way, Dude. I want in. Change it to split screen." He looked around for the second controller, confused that he didn't see it anywhere. "Dude, where's the controllers? I want in," he said, finally turning to look at Topher.

Topher just tried to maintain his concentration on the game, but it didn't take long for him to screw up. "Son of a -," he trailed off as he watched Marcus get annihilated by Locust all because his mind wandered for just a moment. Cort glanced up at him as if she wanted an explanation for the outburst. "It's nothing, go back to sleep honey," the former Serpent cooed, even though it couldn't have been further from the truth.

He remembered the repeated playthroughs of each game as if they happened yesterday. Topher knew that he could handle himself playing any game from Gears to Mario Kart, but there was still something about teaming up with Benji that made every puzzle piece fall into place. They were an army of two, an unstoppable duo. And yet the radio silence continues, he thought to himself as he removed his phone from a sweatshirt pocket.

"I know you can't answer me, but let's pretend you can. Cort, what's wrong with me?" Topher paused the game in order to look down at her. She just let out a sigh that was interpreted as an 'I don't know' of sorts. "Were any of those anons on to something and Benji's not coming back? Or am I just letting paranoia get the best of me?"

"What? Toph, I'm right here." He waved his hands in front of Topher's face, "I know you're pissed I left, but the silent treatment's pretty harsh as-is. It's another thing to somehow get Cort in on it."

He bit his lip, processing the rest of what Topher said. "...I didn't mean to freak you out. I just needed to think, and I... I didn't want you to tempt me. I know he already cheated on me, but I couldn't cheat on Franc. I love him too much."

He swallowed. "I... I don't wanna be married to Franco. Not right now, anyway. Not while he doesn't acknowledge the sacrifices I've made for him. But I do love him. And I don't mind the long engagement as much as I thought I did. B... But I love you just as much." He sighed. "And I... looked at that 'poly' stuff. Like you said. And it's still a lot to get used to... and Franco'll probably try to kill us for suggesting it, but I think it's the right solution," he rattled off--obviously the time alone had helped him think more than he first realized.

"...Because I love you. And I want to be with you." When Topher didn't respond, he sighed louder, throwing his hands up in defeat. "...Toph, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you why I left. I didn't want Franc to find out and try to fight you or something! Just... please forgive me. It's been 4 days and 5 hours since you told me you loved me back. I wanna get this fixed so I can think about kissing you without feeling guilty. Please."

Topher continued to play Gears and as a result, failed spectacularly plenty more times in the span of a few minutes. He eventually placed the controller on an armrest as he picked up his phone again then looked down at Cortana once again. "It's nearing midnight and here I am waiting when normal people would be asleep by now. Hell, Ben's probably asleep."

It was one thing to lack the company of your best friend. It was another thing to lack the company of someone you loved. Perhaps that was what pushed his anxieties back to the forefront of his mind and oh, how Topher hated it. He couldn't dwell on any of these negative emotions for too long or else he risked opening the door again for the storm cloud that occupied his mind after that car crash.

"But that's what you do for loved ones, isn't it?" The former Serpent asked himself as he tapped his phone screen back to life. A picture of himself with Benji greeted him once again, one of many reminders of brighter days and the potential for many more in the future. "You worry about them like there's no tomorrow and then when they come back, you make them promise to never make you worry like that again. But I still love him, don't think there's anyway I could stop."

With a quick glance over at the door, his gaze flicked back to the paused game and then to his phone. Guess it wouldn't hurt to try texting him. So, Topher opened up his messages in order to get to typing. "I know it's late and that I should be in bed, but I wanted you to know that I still have your back and will always have it. Regardless of whatever option you take, I will follow your lead and you to the ends of the Earth," he read aloud then pressed the arrow to send it. With that, the former Serpent picked up his controller once again and hoped for the best.

"I love you too," he whispered back. He moved his hand to take Topher's, then blinked when he picked up the controller and start to play again, their two hands intertwined from Benji point-of-view, but Topher not seeming to notice.

"You... you can't see me, can you? Or... or feel me? Or hear me?" he realized, his voice quiet. He blinked hard and realized he couldn't remember leaving Sebastian's house to come home; he didn't remember falling asleep on the couch. At the very least, this was a dream--at the most, it was a premonition.

He swallowed hard. "...Is this what you're doing right now? Just... worrying yourself sick and trying to distract yourself? Toph, I told you to think about yourself first for a change. I didn't think you'd just..." he trailed off, letting his head drop in disappointment. He'd gotten so angry at Franco for doing it, but here he was doing the same thing with Topher. He knew how loyal his best friend was--had he thought for even a second, he would've realized that he wasn't going to just take time for himself and await his return. He was gonna worry. And knowing Topher, worry endlessly.

"...I've been gone 3, almost 4 days... When's the last time you slept?" He knew he couldn't hear him, but he turned to Topher anyway, hoping he could trigger the question to come to him somehow. "Topher, when's the last time you slept?" he begged.

The sixth time turned out to truly be the charm and Topher finally got past the level. He gave a quiet cheer that was soon interrupted by a yawn. "Lord, what time is it?" A quick glance told him that it was past midnight, 12:34 to be exact. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so tired and that counted every single all nighter that he pulled during his high school days.

He needed to get some rest, caffeine and rapidly multiplying concerns just weren't cutting it as an energy source anymore. But there was the chance that Benji might come home and want to talk, plus Topher generally wanted to be awake in case something else demanded his attention. Cortana's needs were taken care of though, the same went for the grand majority of his own with sleep the glaring exception. He didn't know of any other drama that was currently taking place in 'fair' Riverdale.

With those thoughts at the forefront of his mind now, the 18 year old pushed himself up in order to retrieve one of the many blankets in his room as well as a pillow. When he returned, the blanket was draped over him while the pillow went behind his back. "If I fall asleep while playing Gears, so be it," Topher remarked to himself as he resumed the game. Sleepiness already had a decent grip on him, so there was quite the grand chance he would end up asleep in this chair. His worries just needed to shut themselves up for the night and there was no better way than playing a hint more.

Benji shook his head. "I need to come home..." he whispered to himself. Knowing that Topher was doing this--staying up in the hopes that he'd be coming home--he couldn't handle it. How could he really continue putting someone he loved through this much torture? It wasn't fair.

He bit his lip and stood up, walking over so he was between Topher and the TV. He knew he couldn't see him or feel him, but that didn't change what he wanted to do. "...I'm coming home, okay? And I'm sorry that I've put you through this hell. I'll never do it again." he whispered, giving a sad smile.

"I... I can't do this until we work things out with Franco, but... this is a dream. And I'm impatient," he explained, giving a chuckle dripping with emotional exhaustion. He leaned down and cupped Topher's face, then pulled him into a soft kiss, shutting his eyes until he eventually pulled back. "...I love you, Toph. I'll be home soon."

One by one, each worry faded to the back of his mind as he navigated Marcus through treacherous territory. The desire to sleep continued to wrap itself around Topher as the moments stretched into seconds then minutes. He'd gotten bits and pieces these past few days, but that wasn't enough, even with the aid of caffeine alongside concerned energy.

All the scenarios that had turned his brain into a movie theater slowly shut themselves off for the night, yet they left a few thousand reassurances on the tip of his tongue for no particular reason. Perhaps for later use or maybe it was just the desire to start speaking out loud again. Regardless, Topher pulled the pillow up to where it was behind his head and allowed the warmth of his blanket to pull him just a bit closer to dreamland.

"Sweet dreams Cort and Ben, wherever you are," he muttered. "I love you both with all of my heart, in ways that even I can't express properly with words. Or maybe it's just because I'm tired as hell." Topher managed to make Marcus take a few more steps, but then the game was sleepily paused and the controller fell into his lap as sleep finally won out.

#para16 #para #topher

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