#OH RUBY I LOVE THIS <3 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

konako · 2 years

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Inspired by the question about Lacey's style and how ironic it would be if she preferred sneakers. And, of course, also the gorgeous art accompanying those questions. Sneakers come into play in the second part.

Superheroes, Sneakers & Seductions. Part 1/2.

Lacey never thought herself to be complicated. Everything about her was simple. Simple in terms that she did what she wanted and never let anyone think otherwise. She did what she wanted, she went where she wanted, she did whomever she wanted and she sure dressed however she liked. Nothin' complicated 'bout that.

Maybe the other people sometimes thought so about her, but it wasn't true. Some needed a hard lesson, a proper Lacey 101 to learn that truth. Gold learned that the hardest. Kept woman or not, no one ordered Lacey around. Gold really should be counting his blessings that it was his car and cane that took the brunt of Lacey's displeasure. It could have been worse. Much.

Another reason that some of these people thought of Lacey as a different person was because… she was, apparently. Lacey had no memory of being anyone but herself, however she did hear the story. About magic, Dark Curses, fake personalities and travellers from other dimensions. It was all rather crazy and laughable, still enough had believed in that superstition to make it a reality of living in Storybrooke. Part of the customs. When in Rome and all that.

Though, Lacey did find some things that made her less convinced it was only superstition. There were letters and notes written not in her familiar handwriting. Lacey was left-handed, which made her script sharp and orderly, leaning to the left, but the notes she found were in beautiful, flowing cursive. There were receipts written out to Belle French with the same account number as her on her own credit card, which had Annalace Collard written on it now, as had nameplate next to the doopbel to her apartment. Everything seemed to be as if Lacey had always been there and yet there were traces of this 'Belle' person hidden throughout any and everything Lacey owned.

The most egregious example being her wardrobe. Filled to the brim with dresses, blouses, skirts and a wonderful collection of high heels, it nonetheless felt a bit out of sync with who Lacey knew herself to be. She would never wear yellow. And yet there were dresses and shirts and an assortment of garments in all shades of yellow in that wardrobe or little hats with flowers in them. She would never wear pastels or cardigans. There were a number of items not up to muster. Too bright, too innocent, too dolled-up, too retired old grandma. For some reason that was beyond her, Lacey hadn't just thrown out all the clothes she would never wear and instead just shoved them into the furthest corner, into that big wooden chest, and out of the way. Now, her closet was far less full and in need of diversifying.

And that is how she found herself on the mission to scour every single shop there was to find in town. Not that the array of choices was incredible, but she would manage.

It was another hunt for new clothes that brought her face to face with someone curious. And that someone, in turn, made her think… was she more complicated than she thought?

Ruby Lucas, also going by 'Red'. Waitress and seemingly a part-time superhero.

Easily dismissed out of hand at first, Ruby had warranted a second look. Lacey first spotted her in the Diner and the sight was quite worth further and closer inspection. But she was with Gold at the time. The man was useful and jealous, there was no need to rock the boat. Their explosive parting of the ways was still to come. But even then this tall, lanky brunette had caught Lacey's eye. Another curious thing was that she sure did notice how Ruby would look at her. The glances, the sadness and the longing weren’t disguised well – or at all, really. Intriguing. The girl probably knew this Belle, whoever that was, was it that Ruby now saw in Lacey? Was she sad that Belle was gone or was there more to it? Lacey had seen a gleamer beyond the sadness, the tiny little ember of something not even remotely innocent. A glimpse of something more primal, sealed and caged by the societal norms, but more in-tune with Lacey and her own inner beast. It's just that Lacey let it roam free and not be hidden.

Then one day, Lacey saw Ruby help locate and rescue a spooked cat for an old lady. The little rascal had jumped out of her arms at the sound of a honking car, zipped away and wormed his way in-between the wall of a shop and a bench. Well, some would have called it a bench, but Lacey called it a ridiculous monstrosity. Cast whole out of dark metal and polished to an almost glossy sheen – the bench was a mix of gothic architecture and modern metal sculpture. One of the few testaments to the old eccentricities of the Mayor still remaining in the town. The thing about the bench was that it was, in a word, massive. It wasn't even bolted to the pavement or the wall, what would be the point? Lacey felt her heart give a bit of a painful squeeze as she heard the pathetic little meow of the kitten wedged now up against the wall, somewhere underneath all that metal. He was probably stuck or too scared to try and get out on his own. And then Lacey proceeded to witness something incredible. Ruby Lucas jogged up to the old lady, obviously dressed for running – sneakers, leggings, sports-singlet, hair pulled up in a long ponytail, and a music player strapped to her bicep. They exchanged a few words and then… then Ruby had rolled her shoulders, squared up and picked up the freaking metal monstrosity! She moved one of its corners away from the wall, retrieved the kitten, and put it back again. Lacey gawked. It felt like she was the only one who had truly seen what had happened as every other bystander just kept on moving. The old lady kept thanking Ruby as she emptied her water bottle in a few long gulps. And Lacey also kept staring up until Ruby bid the old lady goodbye and went back to her run. Yeah, that indeed was an amateur superhero, for damned sure.

The face-to-face encounter (besides the occasional visit to the diner) happened a bit later in the one and only Storybrooke boutique. The shop was tucked into an alcove along the furthest end of the Main Street. It had no need for any fancy advertising or to stand out as the competition for this establishment was pretty much nonexistent. And the top people of the town would be shopping here anyway. Lacey rubbed shoulders with the Mayor, the new DA and Head Nurse in here. Not that it was completely exclusive. Catering only to the elite would put the shop out of business, owing to the tiny number of said elites living in the town. Thus the owner made a smart decision to be more inclusive, both in price brackets and the selection of the merchandise. Lacey had met the owner on many occasions by now. Thin and tall platinum blonde in her thirties, Margot had the looks of a model right off the catwalk, but also the eyes and attitude of a bird of prey. Naturally, she and Lacey got on like a well-matched pair. Lacey learned that Margot was the stepsister of that plain Ella girl, a recent mother getting ready to marry her own provincial 'prince'. That relation was the least interesting thing about Margot, really. But what was beneficial about being friends with the proprietor of The Midnight boutique was that Lacey got tips on when the new inventory got in.

So on such an occasion she had run into none other than Ruby Lucas. Their chance encounter had been surprising and intriguing and promising. Though, a lot of it was laced with a dose of awkwardness. Before and after. Which, again to Lacey's surprise, only increased her interest. Pulling different reactions out of Ruby was as easy as it was to see it all on her face. Still, that first look was quite something. The one Ruby had when Lacey threw open the curtain of the changing cabin and they found themselves nose to nose. That look was priceless. Ruby had not yelped or yelled or waved her arms or even tried to attack the intruder. Her eyes became huge and she opened her mouth – but no sound came out. Ruby had all the appearance of a fish out of water, completely at a loss as to what to do with the situation. Which gave Lacey a few seconds to react first. She honestly had not done it on purpose, it was just that this cabin was on the left, behind the row of clothing racks and with another full-length mirror right next to it. Lacey always took this cabin. And she probably would have apologised for the intrusion immediately, but.. well, the view halted her train of thought right off. Lacey knew Ruby was attractive, that was clear from one cursory look, yet there was so much only a few side-glances could possibly reveal. And revealed she was, my oh my! Ruby was trying to pick out a new outfit, judging by the assortment of shirts and pants and shorts and other items waiting on the hooks inside the cabin. Very worthwhile goal, as far as Lacey was concerned. The unfortunate consequence of poor timing was that in the moment the curtain drew open, Ruby was in-between outfits. Well, unfortunate from Ruby's point of view, that is. From where Lacey was standing it was quite the lucky draw. Ruby was barefoot, standing on the carpet and clad only in two-piece lingerie. Deep-red with lace and nice detailing, it was obvious Ruby was matching it to the new items she was thinking of buying. And… damn. Lacey racked her eyes up and down Ruby’s body as if an invisible force was in charge of her eyes and head. Long, long lean legs, slender hips, the absolute flat plane of the stomach with abdominal muscles flexed in response to the shock; the lines and curves of the chest, the tense muscles of those shoulders and neck and then – finally, all the way back up to that sharply cut jaw and nose and cheekbones and those wide, wide eyes. Damn. Damn! If there was this inkling of an idea running silently at the back of Lacey's brain before, then in this moment it had materialised into an inevitable, unavoidable certainty – Lacey was going to seduce that girl. Catching herself, she closed the curtain and apologised. Instead of leaving though, Lacey kept talking through the curtain: complimenting the fashion choices Ruby was making and ranting about her own indecision with the newest additions to the boutiques selection. Whatever small spark of genius in Lacey's head prompted that course of action, it had been right on the money. Ruby came out of the cabin, dressed, embarrassed, but not completely alienated. Lacey apologised again, she was not above relinquishing a piece of her pride if that was going to get her in this girl's good graces. Amongst other things. And, after all, she was the one who barged in, if on accident.

As an apology Lacey invited Ruby for a cup of coffee, her treat, and wouldn't take no for an answer. They went to the Diner, picked a spot out of the way and sat down. Lacey had to put a moratorium on all things waitressing. She really had to since Ruby kept glancing at the girls serving food or at the entrance to the kitchen. Their conversation was awkward at first, and not just because of the mishap earlier. But Lacey was anything if not inventive and determined when it came to going after someone she laid her eyes on. It took a bit of effort, but Lacey managed to break the ice enough that Ruby felt at ease. She still caught herself staring or making a comment about something that was not about Lacey and then having to backtrack. Lacey didn't mind. Whatever that 'Belle' was to Ruby, she was important. Well, Lacey was not one to back down from a challenge. After a while in the Diner, Lacey paid the bill and they left, however before they parted ways Lacey brought up restocking at The Midnight she got a tip from Margot about. And another one was to happen in a day or two. Lacey once again complimented Ruby's taste and style, which got her an embarrassed, but genuinely proud smile. So Lacey moved on to the next part of her cunning plan. She suggested that they should go together. Help each other out. A few tips and a different view would not hurt, right? Would Ruby leave Lacey in trouble or could she help a girl out? Of course, the amateur superhero that she was, Ruby agreed.

Lacey planned her seduction to take a date. Two at most. But she underestimated Ruby Lacas. Lacey heard something about how the people in Storybrooke changed "after the curse", whatever that meant, and how Ruby was the wild one back then. But this Ruby was a tough nut to crack. Helpful, enthusiastic, unsure of herself and a little bit oblivious. At least, to what Lacey was doing.

The first time they met up, Lacey used the excuse of having missed breakfast to get Ruby to sit down for brunch with her before they would go to The Midnight. She knew Ruby would be concerned, and on top of that Lacey had seen this girl eat. It was a small wonder how Ruby could keep her impressive physique with the voracious appetite she displayed. They talked a little bit more and Lacey could feel that awkwardness dissipating. Yes, there were these contemplative looks from Ruby from time to time, like she was not quite entirely sure Lacey was who she was. Like there just might be someone else hiding behind an excellent sense of humor and self-assured additude. Lacey knew, of course, what it was about. But there was nothing to find by digging deeper or whatever. Lacey was not complicated. And that was all there was to it. She wouldn't hold it against Ruby. However, at some point dwelling in the past should be replaced by looking to the future. Which Lacey had grand plans for.

After brunch they went to The Midnight and browsed the racks together. Ruby was the first to try on the new items. And Lacey made sure to show her appreciation. Even more leather pants and a sleeveless blouse or two were right on the money, very much in tune with Ruby's current style. Though, one shift dress Lacey had to veto. It could have worked with its above the knee length and being fitted just enough to tease the lines of Ruby's figure while remaining free flowing. What caused Lacey to shut it down was the colour and pattern – pale white, almost pastel and with an assortment of small birds depicted here and there without much order to it. Yes, this sort of a walking crime-scene had no place to be worn by Ruby. Lacey thought she heard Ruby murmur something about "Snow would have liked it," after she sent her to change, but Lacey dismissed it. It was about to be her turn, and she had been preparing.

The thing was, Lacey specifically had chosen badly. She had sabotaged her own outfit selection on purpose. To both prove that she was in need of Ruby's help and soften any blows Lacey could have caused with her critique. So this time she tried on a few dresses that looked rather out-of-place on her. One black and white piece was gorgeous, but tailored to someone much taller than Lacey. So the hem ended up around her mid-calves when it should have been just below the knee and the waistline was all wrong. Lacey saw the twitch at the corner of Ruby's lips and the momentary sparkle in her eyes, but in her defence she managed to suppress the laughter and was much more sympathetic after. Another dress was just the opposite. It was black, the fit and cut was perfect, it hugged Lacey's figure in all the right places, and ended high enough above the knee to be enticing, but not too high to be inappropriate for a social function. The problem was with the designer. What possessed them to put a red heart on the abdomen area with the words "Peace, Love, Heart" written in it? What, indeed. Lacey turned this way and that way in front of the mirror, loving the reflection over her shoulder, but hating whenever the tacky sign would appear. She almost forgot her mission in her outrage at the pompous idiot from Paris or wherever the designer was from. Thankfully, Ruby agreed with her assessment wholeheartedly. There are good places for signs like that and there are bad ones. Saying that, Ruby pointed at herself and Lacey had to agree. Ruby had showed up to this date in a tattered t-shirt with a snarling leopard underneath her leather jacket. And yeah, she was pulling it off. At the end of the day, Lacey went home empty-handed, but Ruby had a new The Midnight-branded paper bag on her arm. That caused the superhero to become sad and apologetic, which was sweet, but Lacey put a stop to it right fast. There always was next Friday, right? Or was Ruby thinking of giving up on helping Lacey out? No? It's brunch on Friday then.

Lacey had made a point of dropping by before Friday had arrived. She got take-out. Lacey used that as an excuse to rant with Ruby again about that clueless designer. She even got Ruby to make a few jabs of her own accord. And then a few days later she coincidentally was walking right past the corner just happened to be on Ruby's weekend evening's jogging route, the little things. It was a good way to start a conversation. Though, that was all Lacey did. She sure did not want to be mistaken for a stalker. Her game was of strictly consensual variety and for mutual benefit.

Friday arrived and as promised (or threatened) Lacey showed up for early brunch. They found themselves so invested in the conversations, from small talk to the rather deep dive into appreciation for vintage cars, that over an hour had flown by after brunch and they were still sitting in the booth. Finally, they left and made their way to The Midnight. Again, Lacey insisted Ruby should go first. And damn, the girl really did have great taste! Picking a winner on the first try! Ruby tried on a pair of high-waisted pants, deep dark-blue and tight-fitted. There were zippers stitched into the sides at an angle, decorative obviously – no way anyone could use pockets with how skin-hugging they were. She paired it up with ankle booties, a white crop top with a red logo and a sheer black shirt unbuttoned and off one shoulder on top. To say that Lacey could not hide her appreciation (that was way beyond friendly), would be an understatement. She looked Ruby a few times over, smirking to herself as Ruby shivered when Lacey reached up and untucked a lock of her hair from where it got trapped under the shirt. Ruby coughed in the charged silence, catching herself, then hurried into the changing room mumbling about getting the pants and top. Lacey was smiling like the proverbial cat that was about to get just as proverbial canary. It was her turn next.

Lacey used a different strategy this time. She started out with a loser again. Though, it was only in half. The dress was cut to her figure, just about, the hem ended exactly at her knee. It was sleeveless and with a high neckline, plus the zipper ran along her side, not the back. The problem with it was that it was bisected into two parts at the waist. The top of the dress was black and soft like velvet, it was also a hair shy of being translucent. It showed some shadowy curves through the black material and left enough to the imagination, too. Now, the skirt of the dress was… a generic grey skirt. Plain and flat. The contrast between the parts of the dress was unsettling. It was as if there was a mix up at the factory and two separate designs were stitched together. Even the black stockings Lacey wore underneath were of no help. Top for the wild night at the club, the excitement of music, dancing, drinks and teasing promise of more, and the bottom for spending another nine to five at the office in a tiny cubicle. Needless to say, Lacey hated it. She loved the top, but the way the bottom part ruined it made Lacey hate the top too. Ruby sensed her displeasure and branded the dress as the devil right away. Which made Lacey more grateful than she cared to admit. This clothing try-on ploy was envisioned as nothing more than that – an excuse to get Ruby to engage and let Lacey work her seduction magic, but the more they did this – the more fun it became, the more of a genuine companionship it became. Lacey had a feeling they would be compatible as individuals, beyond just the physical attraction, but the way they clicked, fast and better than anyone else had before… that was a touch frightening. In the same way your stomach drops on a roller-coaster. Someone else might have slowed down or even recoiled completely, but for Lacey that spike of adrenaline, the threat turned to excitement. Life would not be worth living without a few regrets and rolling a hard six once in a while.

Lacey let herself be consoled and cheered up with a contest of who could come up with a more creative insult for the designer. And five minutes later they were laughing so hard, their make-up had required some touch-up. Lacey made sure hers was impeccable again before she tried her second outfit. She glanced at Ruby checking her reflection next to her in the same mirror. Ruby was so focused on the line of her mascara, she made her lips make a perfect little circle. Lacey chuckled at the rather cute expression, gave confused Ruby a wink and disappeared behind the curtain.

When she reappeared it was to the startled intake of breath and then the softest of "oh".

This was her trump card for today. For this outfit she went all out. Lacey had taken off the stockings, got her legs gloriously bare – moisturised to the point that they shone with a healthy glow. Then she threw on the items that were her weapons, checked her reflection, fluffed up her thick curls – and walked out as if on a catwalk.

Seeing Ruby's eyes become wide and her mouth hang open was excellent. Lacey would have high-fived herself if that wouldn't have ruined her entrance. Lacey knew how she looked from where Ruby was standing and she was looking good. She had a pair of black heels with a strap around the ankle on and a tan trench coat. But not just any trench coat. It was short. Extremely short, ending at her mid-thigh. And while most of it was light tan material like most trench coats, the long sleeves, the front lapels and underside of the collar were leather, black smooth leather. In combination with dark buttons, it gave the coat some amazing contrast. Lacey had tied the belt in a loop tightly around her waist. She made a few more steps, black glossy stilettos – a challenge for her balancing skills and even a little bit comfortable, but so worth it. Lacey stopped at the arch beyond the open curtain of the changing room, leaned on it for a moment. She moved her legs, gliding one calf against the side of the other, all not taking her eyes off Ruby. Who was still stunned. Lacey chuckled and advanced on her. One step, another, heels forming a single line and hips swaying. She placed her hands on the coat and gripped the lapels, pulling it that little bit open and revealing more of her cleavage. Ruby closed her mouth with a loud clunk of her teeth and gulped.

"Hey, Ruby, remember how I barged in on you in this very changing room? I was sorry about it, but I also couldn't help noticing your taste in lingerie is simply sublime. Think you can give me a few tips?"

Ruby's eyes snapped from darting all over her figure to Lacey's face. Now, in addition to the gobsmacked expression, her cheeks began to rosy with a blush. Lacey bit her lip and reached for the belt. Ruby took a step back. She began to babbe something about this being unnecessary and throwing her heads up, but Lacey was faster. Her nimble fingers got the coat open and she threw it off in a flash. Ruby stumbled backwards with her hands covering her face and, tripping over the little pouf, fell over onto her back. Lacey couldn't help herself. Her laughter sounded open and unrestricted. When Ruby, with her legs still stuck on top of the pouf but with her back on the carpet, chanced a glance through her fingers – she groaned and let her head fall back onto the plush carpet. Lacey laughed harder.

There was no lingerie under that coat. It was another minidress, short enough to hide under the coat. It was black and patterned with bright red rose buds all over. The cut was deceptively simple: the dress had a plunging decolletage with the smallest over-shoulder sleeves so that most of Lacey's neck, shoulders and upper chest were open, the top of the dress flowed into a tightly fitted piece at the waist and then into a double skirt, one on top of the other. It was sexy as hell and kind of cute at the same time. Lacey liked it, even more so knowing Ruby's favourite color and the implication roses always held. Of passion.

Lacey walked over and held out a hand for Ruby to take. Together they got Ruby off the floor. Lacey ran her hands up and down Ruby’s arms. She said how she wasn't expecting a reaction quite like that, but she wasn't sorry. She told her how it was too easy to tease Ruby and if she didn't want to be teased, she should say so now. Ruby blinked like a confused puppy, then chuckled to herself and said that she didn't mind, much.

Lacey grinned at her, gave her a slug in the arm and said, "That's the spirit! Now how about you give me a hand? I want to try these other heels on and I'm afraid I could repeat your on-the-floor performance stepping out of these stilettos."

Ruby obediently walked with Lacey to the mirror and another pair of heels waiting there – black and with a bright red strip going from the inner side all the way along the outer sides, from the nose to the heel. These shoes were somewhat lower in profile, though not many could compete with the stilettos Lacey had on. Holding onto Ruby's hands Lacey had stepped out of her shoes and stood barefoot on the carpet. She glanced up to offer Ruby a grateful and teasing smile, but it was in that moment that Lacey noticed something eye-opening. It was the sudden intake of breath, the slight squeeze of the hands held, the instinctual leaning just a bit closer, and finally the gleamer in Ruby's eyes, the widening of her pupils. Right then and there Lacey knew – she had found something precious, an Achilles' heel, another little thread to pull on in her mission of seduction. Lacey wiggled her toes, enjoying the feeling of the soft carpet and being released from the beauty-prison of those monster heels. She glanced up again to her utter satisfaction. Ruby wasn't looking down at her anymore. She was much more interested in studying something on the ceiling, but it was plain to see how much her neck had tinted with a rosy blush. Lacey chuckled to herself and slipped into the new heels, gaining some of the lost inches. It wasn't the time now, but she sure filed it away for the next date. So instead Lacey let Ruby collapse onto the pouf and catch her breath as she made a show of walking around and even doing a few twirls in the new dress-shoes combo. After leaving The Midnight, they laughed about the day's events, Ruby walked Lacey home and that was the end of it.

Until it was time for the Friday the week after.

PART TWO

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