i am going to talk abt sports in the tags

An Affair to Remember

After Valentine’s Day ends, Daisy and Amelia have a little bit of downtime...

[Dear God, this took so long]

@captain-ameliasmollet

DAISY:

As the clock struck midnight, little Reginald sprouted a pair of wings that neither Daisy nor Amelia knew that he had and he bounced out of the little bed Daisy had made up for him by the window and gave one shrill little cry before flying out.

“Reggie!” cried Daisy, rushing over to the window.

But Reggie was off into the moonlit night, his silhouette merely a blip on the horizon.

Amelia and Daisy had been reading him stories by the fireplace in one of the guest rooms. He liked listening to the sound of their voices. Before that, they’d fed him with a lovely dinner, and before that, they’d taken him to the lake and had a lovely (albeit frosty) row.

The whole time, Daisy had been staring at Amelia, who as always was confident and proud, the sharp lines of her cheekbones arching as she smiled, her golden hair falling out of her immaculate bun as she leaned forward to coo at Reginald.

Daisy felt like her heart was fluttering all through the day. She knew that feeling--knew it all too well this past year or so--had known it with Tito, and with Lou, and now with Amelia and there was no reason in the world why Amelia would be different than Lou or Tito or any of them--

As Reginald flew off into the night, Daisy stared after him and she felt her heart flutter again. It was still fluttering and she turned, back to the wall, to face Amelia.

“He’s gone,” she said, and she felt like she was going to cry, almost. “Oh--what---” She blinked, scrunching up her face. “What even was he?”

She looked back at Amelia now, feeling her heart catch again, as if the millions and millions of little butterflies it had been suddenly flew right into a net. It was not a bad feeling--it was--she didn’t know--she was hesitant, did not know how Amelia was looking at her right now.

Then she burst out laughing.

“Oh mon dieu--what was that creature? There were more of them, we saw, oui?”

AMELIA:

The entire day had been like something from a movie. These things just didn’t happen. They didn’t welcome tiny creatures into their lives and become doting parents towards them and spend an entire evening spontaneously going on an outing.

But it did happen. And with every glance Amelia stole towards the two creatures in her life, she couldn’t help the feeling that bloomed in her chest. Every beat of her heart caused by the blonde in front of her seemed to erode away her carefully crafted wall she had up. Lapping at it bit, by bit like the tide was rising higher and higher with Daisy, her moon, to pull it continuously against the sterling and composed exterior she chose to show.

And then it was as if the dream ended. As if the dream had taken that one turn towards a nightmare and one of the objects of her affection and adoration flew off. Rage boiled inside her, rising up to stand by her seat, rigidly stiff as her brows furrowed, already calculating her plans for a search and rescue.

That immediately stopped when Daisy’s eyes met hers and with a blink, Amelia’s frown turned to a small, amused little smile. “I haven’t the slightest idea. But anything that could make me say darling more times than I have in my entire life is one powerful force.”  She let out a small chuckle, eyes soft, which turned into more of a laugh as Daisy’s own laughter melted into hers.

“So very strange.” She walked forward to stand next to Daisy at the window, looking out as little winged beasts few across the moonlight. “Seems we’ve been invaded.” She looked back at the woman who was now very close to her, she realized.

It was strange. It was as if the feelings from before still seemed to linger. Like a door had been pried open, contents seen and now the hinges weren’t quite lining up anymore to close again. “If it’s any consolation… I think you’ll be a wonderful mother someday, Miss Canard.”

DAISY:

Her instinct was to lean towards Amelia so that their shoulders would brush, but she hesitated, her breath catching. She could feel the warmth of Amelia’s body, they were so close, yet she hesitated, for she did not want to act on her gut, on the rammering of her heart.

She needed to be logical about this.

How often, in the past year, had she said yes to the wild hammering of her heart, to the mad thoughts that pounded in her head, only to be lead to certain destruction?

She could not do it again, would not do it again, even though--

“I do hope so,” she said, softly, flicking her eyes towards Amelia. “I do think I’d make a much warmer mother than my own, but then again, I could be just as...particular about certain things, I do believe.” She let out a laugh and despite herself, she did lean towards Amelia, their shoulders brushing.

“Oh, we raised that boy right,” she said, gaze drifting out onto the empty night. “I think,” she tilted her head back to look Amelia right in eye, “we make a rather good team.”

AMELIA:

The captain chuckled softly, looking into the night as Daisy commented on herself and her own mother’s qualities. “Oh yes, Lillian can be quite particular I’ve heard.” They ran in the same circles of course, and her mother was kind of a terrible gossip about these things. A small tingle ran through her at the mere brush of a shoulder. Amelia’s mind wandered towards how it would feel if it were more than a touch that glanced right off of her, if the arm and the fingers belonging to that arm were to--Well, it was hardly the time for such thoughts, not after being magically shoved together on arguably by commercial standards the most romantic day of the year.

Her heart betrayed her once again, as it had been doing for quite some time actually. Her mind was set on goals that didn’t warrant companionship and yet her heart seemed to decide at that moment reach through her chest at those eyes staring up at her and those lips uttering no truer words spoken in that moment. “We do.” She offered simply, a corner of her mouth turning ever so slightly up as she gazed at the woman who’d met her challenge in every universe, but had yet to in this one. Why was it that they both were so hesitant in this one? Surely backstories in those universes had lent themselves to some misfortune for both of them and yet, here they were both stagnant in moving towards the other in the water, yet somehow circling each other all the same.

Amelia had never thought of herself as a mother, truly, by any means. She’d never truly planned farther than her Admiralship and when the hopes of that came crumbling to a disastrous halt well, her future plans had ultimately shut off, because she couldn’t navigate the uncharted waters she was in now to near any sort of destination let alone span her life into a family and bringing more people into her misfortune.

“We’re quite a contrasting pair. Even just by superficial standards, you know. Fashion journalism and Naval prowess. English and French. Sort of resembles how lights and darks can be polar choices and yet put them together and the contrast of the two just… makes things seem heightened, sharpened even. As if things you hadn’t known to appreciate before gained new meaning entirely.” There she went again. Finding herself becoming more verbose in the presence of this charming, effervescent woman. If there was one person who could get Amelia to talk and prattle on, it would be Daisy. “Oh, look at me blathering on…” She gave a slightly embarrassed chuckle before looking down and then looking back out to the stars.

DAISY

She did not mind listening to Amelia talk. Amelia had such a lovely way with words. Amelia’s voice was crisp, like the ironed collar of her shirt. Daisy felt herself lulled by Amelia’s words, her gaze drifting off as she imagined all those worlds where their paths had crossed.

She thought of those false memories of sunlight temples and marbled floors, of the first time she’d kissed Amelia--they’d been themselves, sort of, themselves, but not themselves, themselves but weighed down with selves that were not them.

She thought of the stars, of galaxies, of an epic romance that had been painted out for them, how they found themselves drawn back to each other like two stars caught in each other’s orbit.

And she thought of when they had met here, in the real world, how her heart had been freshly wounded by her own hand and how Amelia’s smile had made her feel like she could breathe again. She hadn’t realised it at the time, but that night had been one of the first where she smiled, where she let her shoulders relax, where she laughed and it did not sound rehearsed.

They had not met in the town, you know, but it was the town that kept bringing them back together.

And here they were, now. Brought together again by the town.

Daisy turned her gaze back to Amelia, the stars still in her blue eyes.

“Oh, you do not need to stop,” she murmured. “Your words are beautiful. They sound like poetry, really--I suppose that is slightly vain, since they are about me, but…” She sighed, and her breath turned into a little giggle and she kept her gaze on Amelia, biting down on her lip slightly. “I do like to indulge, once in a while.”

AMELIA

The captain’s smile merely widened as she looked back to the woman who she’d become so taken with over the better part of a year. “I will happily indulge your vanity, Daisy.” She nudged her gently with her shoulder before slipping her arm around her waist smoothly as they came back to stand in the same position they where they were before. “I hardly think you get enough praise for all that you do… and all that you are, really. Because what you do truly is who you are to the people we surround ourselves with.” She sighed slightly, leaning against the other woman a bit more, “As formy words, well, perhaps that’s the one thing my mother did right in raising me, perhaps we would’ve made Reggie read poetry books at a young age and look up all the impossibly long words he didn’t know until they were ingrained into muscle memory.”

Her tone turned teasing as she lowered her voice, ducking her head down close to the blonde’s as if she were dropping some large secret or act. “To be quite honest, I’m glad you appreciate it so much. I’ve been written off as incredibly pretentious so many times I haven’t bothered to count.” She gave an amused smile, eyes twinkling as she looked into the other woman’s. For a brief moment, rather than weigh all of her options as she usually did, her impulses got the best of her as her hand came up to move strands of hair from Daisy’s face. She ran her fingertips down the side of her check before they came to rest beneath her chin, grasping it gently as she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

Every kiss with Daisy, in this universe or another, was new. Exciting even. Entirely new territory to explore and sail both her fingers and her mind across to wrap around every curve Daisy could throw. She wasn’t something to conquer, Amelia wasn’t expanding territory by any means. She was something to admire, to just sit and gaze out across and wonder how it was that something so awe inspiring was created by some strange miracle of life.

She pulled back from the kiss to whisper softly, smirk curling into her lips where the quick remark was already waiting, “Of course, there are plenty of other indulgences I’d gladly aid you with aside from telling you all the laudable traits you possess.”

DAISY

She had been hoping Amelia would kiss her. It was in the back of her mind, all throughout this conversation, a breath she had been holding without realising. And then, softly, Amelia pressed her lips to Daisy’s and she felt all that flutter, all that pitter-patter, felt it all wash over her--

She let out a breath, only to have it snatched away from her.

Amelia was gentle--her touch, her lips--but the little quip she whispered was sharper, and Daisy’s toes curled, thinking of those nights they had shared in memories that were not theirs (but also, in a way, were more theirs than anything else).

She almost forgot to answer.

“I would like that very much, that is, to be indulged,” she said, tilting her head and this time, she was the one who kissed Amelia.

It was soft, at first, just as chaste a kiss as Amelia had bestowed upon her moments ago. But her hand found Amelia’s hip and Daisy pulled her closer, till their bodies were flush against each other. She could feel the tight muscles of Amelia’s body through the fabric of her suit. Her other hand curled around Amelia’s collar as she pulled the captain closer.

Daisy broke away for a second, training her eyes on Amelia, a little smirk tugging on her lips.

“I do require your aid most intensely,” she said, voice breathless and her cheeks flushed pink. She ran her fingers slowly along Amelia’s side. “If you should be so kind as to indulge me further.”

AMELIA:

It was so familiar yet different to fall into this rapport. She’d had Daisy as a, well, quite literally a virgin for all intents and purposes. She was cautious and a little timid, of course. And then the last memories she’d had of them tossing among space silken bed sheets were of a Daisy far more experienced and bold, quite dominating actually which was an entirely new plane of existence and experience for the captain. So to have a woman who reminded her of both of those memories or other life times--whatever they were, it was almost all too perfect a fit.

And the blonde had done just that with how well she’d turned the kiss back onto her and pushed the ball into her court. She felt the fingertips dig into her hips and just as those fingers hooked her physically and tugged at her collar, all else was hooked right along with it.

The captain breathed out, a small smile, truly amused by it all while one hundred percent genuine in her reply, “Well, who am I to turn down someone so in need of my aid?” She gave a small peck of a kiss, a tease, really one arm kept her as close as Daisy had pulled them, flush against each other. Her other hand that had never left Daisy’s cheek in the kiss, moved to tease her supple lips with a thumb as her voice lowered. The pad of her thumb grazing her bottom lip as she leaned in, “Truly it would be a detriment to my character and I’ve worked far too long to have that happen.”

She closed the distance, the kiss much more firm than the last. A kiss that most certainly would lead to more. Her hand kept itself at her jawline as the other roamed her back, re familiarizing itself with places it hadn’t been for quite some time. It dipped lower, digging in slightly as it kept to the small of her back. All the while she deepened the kiss, making sure to take her time with this because she wouldn’t want to pass by yet another first (especially one that truly counted in this universe). Daisy was tempting, truly, she could be devoured in a moment, but Amelia would rather savor her and keep her solely to herself for as long as she would let her, not wanting this to be another spell they’d wake up from and have to reset their time all over again.

DAISY

Daisy wanted more.

She could feel the desire pooling in her, right to her core. She wanted fast and frenzied--wanted to run her hands through Amelia’s hair and grind herself against her. Wanted to explore the curves of her body in this world, in this time.

But Amelia was kissing her softly, teasing her almost, touching her slowly so that their bodies ever so slightly pressed closer together, the heat between them growing. Daisy’s breath was short. As much as she wanted this to be fast and passionate, there was something oh-so sensual about this slow build up, this teasing and touching.

Daisy’s hand grasped at Amelia’s side, and she caressed down Amelia’s back, her fingers running down to her thighs, then back up to the curve of her waist, then darted between them, toying with the buttons of Amelia’s jacket.

She pulled away, coy smile on her lips, then slipped her hand from the buttons to the lapel, then back down.

“What a pretty jacket,” she nearly cooed. “It’s getting in the way.”

AMELIA:

God, it had been a bloody while since someone had challenged her in the ways that Daisy had. Bodies pressed close, that flame of want burning brightly again after it seemed like it had been merely an ember of past flings and trysts.

The blonde’s hands had roamed the former captain’s body, doing just as she had previously, learning the landscape that had once, in a former life or time, been laid out before them, memorized as if they were the cartographers themselves charting their way through dips, valleys, mountains and narrow passes. She leaned into the touch, the warmth of the woman’s hands welcomed as the breeze through the open window their former child creature had flown out of sent a chill down her spine despite the fireplace being in full blaze behind them. Or perhaps it was Daisy herself sending those signals through the nerves all intertwined and connected down her back.

Amelia raised a eyebrow in amusement as the ever so coy looking Daisy Canard spoke. Truly, they were wearing far too much at this point. “This old thing? Well, there’s thousands of it and one of you so I’d say my priorities should lie with the rarer find, don’t you?”

Her hand moved from Daisy’s jawline, fingers trailing down her neck to her collarbone and then down to fiddle with the fabric just below it, fingers running smoothly just beneath it, caressing skin as it went, her lips quirking in a small little smile as her eyes twinkled with mischief, gazing into the girl’s in front of her. “I think we’re both horridly overdressed and in this case--this truly being the only case because can you truly be overdressed?--that’s quite unfortunate.” She sighed, feigning disappointment. “Should be remedied immediately, posthaste.”

And with that Amelia pulled away entirely, warmth radiating from the journalist’s body now gone as she swiftly shrugged off the jacket and discarded it neatly on nearby surface. She toyed with the buttons on her blouse, all the while never letting her eyes leave the woman in front of her. Some would say Amelia was being a little less dominant than usual, but she’d surely reply that this was a game of chess and there were one hundred and one different strategies to take the queen.

DAISY

She felt very warm, her cheeks flushed and pink, her breathes quivering slightly. But she was not one to cave, no, no, no -- Daisy Canard held her head high, looking straight at Amelia, as she tugged off her jacket and toyed with the buttons on her blouse.

Daisy felt a lick of heat within her and wanted to press her legs closer together.

She wanted Amelia to slip her hand between Daisy’s thighs and knot her fingers in Daisy’s hair.

Daisy bit down slightly on her lip, then turned around slowly, so that her back was facing Amelia. She reached behind her neck, sweeping the blonde waves across her shoulder, tipping her head coyly in Amelia’s direction, before she slipped her hand to the zipper of her dress, tugging it down slowly and swaying her hips as she did so.

This was new for Daisy -- in this world. She had memories of all of this and she had to rely on a past that she was not sure existed, feelings that she was not sure were real, flashes of passion and moments of tenderness that belonged to a pocket of reality that was neither real nor false.

But right now, right now she wanted it to be real, in this world.

“Je ai besoin d'aide,” she said, batting her eyelashes. Her lip caught between her teeth and with her free hand, she curled her fingers in her hair.

AMELIA

Just as the captain had begun to tease the woman in front of her, she turned the tables and gave it right back. Amelia couldn’t help the smirk that crossed her features, watching Daisy sway her hips and toy with the zipper to her dress.

Her eyes never left the blonde as she unbuttoned the buttons and tugged the shirt from her trousers, letting it hang loosely on her form. Truly, she’d have been more than content to just watch but that invitation was all the motivation she needed. She walked up behind her, first sliding her hands along the sides of the dress, along her hips as she leaned over her shoulder, murmuring softly, as she began to place slow soft kisses along her shoulder and neck, “Je vais le fournir, ma chérie.”

The englishwoman’s hands moved to the zipper, picking up where Daisy had left off, slowly drawing down the zipper until it reached its end point as her lips made paths down along her neck. Her hands slipped beneath the two sides of fabric, gliding over the warm, bare skin of her hips and sides as her body pressed close against her back.

Those universes had essentially been practice exams. She’d been able to read the book ahead of time, study her. And though the questions would be different variations on this final exam, she was confident with those past trysts through different worlds, times, places, scenarios, that she’d get high marks.

DAISY

A soft moan escaped her lips as Amelia kissed her on the neck. Daisy felt her toes curl and her hands grasped at her sides. She’d always had a sensitive neck, and Amelia knew just the right way to kiss her that made her hunger for more.

She could feel the heat of Amelia’s body, as the zipper of the dress tugged down and Daisy wriggled her shoulders out of it. The fabric fell to the floor, leaving Daisy clad only in her lacy pink bra and panties. She felt a shiver through her, not just from her bare skin and the cold night air from the open window, but from the thrill of anticipation and the touch of Amelia’s hands on her skin.

Slowly, she turned around to face Amelia, feeling a flush across her cheeks and a fire deep within her. Daisy draped her arms over Amelia’s shoulders and leaned in, so that their lips were almost touching -- almost but not quite. Daisy could taste Amelia’s lips and she wanted to be kissed so madly that she forgot her own name.

Instead, she turned her head, turned all around, one hand tracing down Amelia’s hand till she linked their fingers together, pulling Amelia along, towards the sofa in the room. She felt her heart pounding, in anticipation, in excitement, and she dropped Amelia’s hand before setting herself on the couch, lounging across it, her hair spilling onto the red cushions.

She said nothing, but looked at Amelia, a mischievous smile on her face.

AMELIA

Hearing Daisy let out that moan brought a rush of memories that were both hers and not, flashes of tumbling through silken sheets, whispers, lingering glances across rooms, and most of all the sighs and moans that reverberated against temple and captains quarter walls. She’d have it again. She knew that much.

The older woman kept hold of the blonde, her hands stroking up and down along sensitive sides and hips as her eyes flickered to meet the one’s looking right back at her. The air between them was hot and thick, she could feel the heat coming from Daisy’s body as she held her close and waited in anticipation for a brush of lips that never came. No. Certainly did not. Miss Canard was playing with her ever so slightly and Amelia couldn’t be helped but to toy with her right back. This was the game they were set in, they’d figure out who’d break first.

Their fingers intertwined and Amelia gave the softest of smiles at the gesture before she turned back to smirks and a quirk of the brow as Daisy lounged before her, that all too precious little smile on her face like she could one up Amelia Smollet so easily in this game.

Amelia let the shirt loosely hanging on her frame drop to the floor before unbuckling her trousers and letting those drop as well before tugging her hair from the previously immaculate but now partly ruined from caring for an infant bun she’d had it in, flipping it to the slide over her shoulder as she stalked forward, clad in only her dark blue bra and panties.  

She leaned down over Daisy’s form, each leg easily coming over to straddle her as she took the hands that she’d been holding momentarily before and brought them up til they were eventually over the French woman's head. Her nose brushing up against the blonde’s as that mischievous glimmer never faltered in her eyes. Her hands lightly grazed down wrists, undersides of forearms, upper arms before ghosting back up all the while her lower body arching ever so slightly into the one beneath her.

DAISY

Daisy’s arms were pinned over her head. Normally she was the one doing the pinning, the one climbing atop and running her eyes over the nearly naked body. With a man -- certainly, she’d never allow herself to be pinned, never allow herself to let someone else control her. But with a woman --

She felt a thrill through her, heat building through her center as Amelia arched her body closer and they brushed against each other ever so slightly, the friction of Amelia’s body sending a near shiver through Daisy. Her breaths grew a little heavier and she instinctively tilted herself towards Amelia.

She wished she could grasp Amelia’s hips and press her closer, grind against her and kiss her with fervor.

But Daisy was pinned. She was not in charge.

And for the first time -- well, she rather liked it.

She might not be able to do much with her hands, but she tilted her hips up to Amelia’s, pushing against her, all while fixing her gaze to Amelia.

“Enseigne moi,” she breathed into Amelia’s ear, pressing herself closer, only the thin fabric of her panties between them. “How to make you feel good.”

AMELIA

It was all the more satisfying to Amelia to have Daisy underneath her, tilting her body to get some sort of contact that would quell her urges. Knowing Daisy, she wasn’t exactly one to take things lying down. She could sense a rather dominant top when she met one, and this one would most likely take whatever chance she could to turn the tables on her. So she’d distract and charm the girl, asserting her own dominance with a bit of finesse and a lot more tact than she’d assume most men had towards her.

“I find…” Her own voice, lower, deeper as she spoke into the blonde’s ear in reply, letting the words fall from her mouth in no hurry whatsoever. “That to experience is the best way to learn… don’t you?” Her fingers glided along her forearms as her leg slipped between Daisy’s, pressing firmly to the thin piece of fabric remaining between them. “Rester...” Who knew if she’d actually obey but she needed the use of her hands again. Her mouth moved lower, to kiss at her neck, running her tongue along the flesh that pulsed under it before paying attention to her collarbones.

Her hands had a separate mission, letting them move down to slip down underneath the cups of her bra, fingers grazing and teasing hot, supple flesh but not applying nearly enough pressure to satisfy the woman beneath her, before they ran underneath the strap and down the back to unclasp it.

DAISY

Amelia’s lips trailed across her neck and Daisy’s breath hitched. She bit down on her lip, her back arching slightly, her body yearning to get closer to Amelia in any way possible. When Amelia teased at her breasts, the strained breaths became soft moans. Oh, she wanted so badly for Amelia to rip off her bra, for Amelia’s lips to wander down her chest, her teeth the scrape the soft skin.

But Amelia taunted her, achingly so. Daisy felt the heat grow with in her and she pressed herself closer to Amelia, hoping to relieve some of the growing need within her.

As Amelia’s fingers flitted across the fabric of her bra, Daisy’s own fingers tangled in Amelia’s hair, then traced down the older woman’s neck, her strong shoulders, and danced across her back. She stopped, every so often, when the throws of pleasure hit her in a particular sort of way, and her nails scraped at Amelia’s skin and a breathy moan escaped her lips.

“Oh, touch me,” she breathed into Amelia’s ear, as she arched her back and then nibbled at bit at Amelia’s earlobe. “Touch me, please.”

AMELIA

Daisy’s hands wandered down her back and shoulders, making her arch into the touch. She knew exactly what she was doing to the girl beneath her, and there was only just a little room left before she’d be pushed to--and there it was. The begging and breathiness of Daisy’s voice caused her to give into Daisy’s request. Hopefully, they’d have loads more times for her to endlessly torture her with soft touches, but right now, Amelia would give Daisy what her body craved.

As the bra came away, Amelia dipped her head lower, almost purring at the hands tangling in her hair as she wrapped her lips around a nipple. Her tongue and lips working it over as her hands roamed from Daisy’s other breast, squeezing and kneading, raking lightly down her stomach to grasp at her hips.

Once she was satisfied with the work she’d done, she repeated with the other, listening to the breaths and moans that fell from Daisy’s lips. It was like what she’d heard before, and yet, it was somehow clearer. As if those other worlds hadn’t quite been as in high definition as this one was now. It was real. There was no denying it.

Her fingers slipped underneath the pink underwear still separating the two of their bodies, running along the edge before dipping lower to trace along still concealed lips. She pulled her head up to look up towards the girl laying beneath her, smirk on her face and brow quirking ever so slightly as she gave one final little wordless tease, fingers dancing along beneath thin fabric.

DAISY

She did her best not to moan, but soft whimpers left her lips instead. Amelia’s fingers burned through her, sending waves of desire through her core.

When Amelia touched her -- really touched her -- she couldn’t help it. She gasped sharply, one hand grasping the couch, her nails digging into the fabric and nearly snagging on it. The other hand, in Amelia’s hair, tightened as well, knotting through the golden waves. Her hips bucked towards Amelia’s hands, and she wanted to feel more -- more pressure, more friction, more of this delightful, commanding woman.

She tilted her head up, meeting Amelia’s lips ever so slightly, teasing her lips before kissing them. Her teeth caught on Amelia’s bottom lip and she tugged on it, hard.  

Part of her wanted to take control again. After all, that was what she was used to. She liked to be on top, liked to control what the other person was feeling. She squirmed a little, but ultimately just gave into the pleasure.

AMELIA

That gasp did nothing but fuel her want for every sound she could elicit from the blonde. Her fingers beginning to explore Daisy much more freely beneath the thin fabric still on her body, dragging up through that dampness pooling between her legs to press up against her clit, massaging the bundle of nerves as she gazed down at Daisy who’d taken hold of her lower lip, a small bit of that fire coming out to lick at her to remind her just who she was dealing with.

She wanted to see Daisy come entirely undone again beneath her fingers and she’d get that satisfaction soon enough. They were both very similar in that way. Both wanting to control all facets of their lives, so to have one of them on their back completely surrendering control (or surrendering enough to be taken over) was an event to collect, store away, and appreciate both in the moment and looking back. All questions of how different it would be this time would be answered and put to bed.

Her fingers slowly stroked down and dipped into her entrance, slowly sliding in one at a time as her thumb took up the task of teasing her clit. She pressed two fingers deep, as far as the angle that her arm rested, would allow as her head dipped down and kissed up along her throat slowly. The feeling of being inside Daisy once more was much less foggy, as if a blurry photo had finally come into focus revealing something entirely different, yet familiar and beautiful that you hadn’t appreciated to its fullest extent until now.

DAISY

She felt so flushed, so warm. Her breathing was already short, just from Amelia’s touch through the thin fabric of her panties. Daisy could feel herself getting wetter, knew that Amelia could as well and the thought of that just made the heat grow and grow.

Look what you do to me, she wanted to purr, but before she could say anything, a breathy moan left her lips and she felt her back arch slightly.

Daisy whimpered, clinging to Amelia as her fingers slipped through the edge of Daisy’s panties, stroking along her entrance. She bucked her hips towards Amelia’s waiting hand, longing for more, wanting more, craving Amelia’s touch inside of her. Amelia’s lips were at her throat, her fingers slipped deep inside and Daisy was already so close --

It was almost embarassing how disarmed she was.

She grinded herself against Amelia’s hand, the pressure against her clit, the fingers deep inside her, and knotted her fingers in Amelia’s hair again.

“Oh mon dieu,” she breathed out. “Oh -- make me come, please. Please. I want to come for you.”

AMELIA

The movement of Daisy’s hips against her fingers only served to aid her in giving Daisy exactly what she wanted (and what Amelia wanted, of course). Amelia was no stranger to pleasuring women, but she was a distance acquaintance to pleasuring Daisy, a girl who’d captured her attention the moment she’d walked up to her in that art gallery in France. The captain couldn’t help herself and Swynlake was very keen on helping the two of them in some strange and mysterious way.

What would the world think if they saw Daisy Canard right now? Crying out for an orgasm at the mercy of her fingers exploring the depths into where essentially none of her kind had traveled. Amelia had to reason out why she shouldn’t attempt to draw out more words that would feed the power she felt having this woman undone beneath her and practically begging for her. She gave into her reasoning though, figuring there’d be time for further exploration later and granting her request by picking up the pace to meet her all too greedy hips, thumb flicking and pressing up against her clit intermittently. She leaned her head against Daisy’s forehead, almost purring at the fingers tugging at her hair, she breathed out, “You’re never not one to do what you set out to accomplish.” She smirked, curling her fingers inside the blonde beneath her, “Come for me then.”

DAISY

She had not realised just how much she had been holding back until this moment, as her orgasm swept through every inch of her body. Her hips rose towards Amelia, her toes curled, and her fingers twisted in the fabric of the couch.

Daisy almost cried out. She did, in fact, but she did her best to stifle the noise, biting down on her lip so hard that she almost drew blood.

The hand that was in Amelia’s hair must’ve twisted something terrible, but the thought it hurting Amelia was so far removed from Daisy’s mind. Was it selfish? Perhaps. Perhaps it was terribly so and perhaps Amelia would want nothing to do with her come morning, come magic spell washed away, come another reality dawning on them.

But right now --

Now another wave of pleasure washed over her and she rode it till the end, tightening around Amelia’s fingers, whimpers leaving her lips till the last of it faded away and she was left with the warm lingering feeling.

Breathlessly, she leaned forward, pulling Amelia closer to her and kissing her passionately.

AMELIA

The former captain hadn’t realized just how much seeing Daisy fall apart beneath her once more would affect her. She felt her own desire pooling beneath the fabric of her underwear as she watched Daisy cry out as best she could through a furrowed brow and slightly gritted teeth due to the fist in her hair (not that she was complaining, the hair pulling sort of added an entirely different element she’d explore later).

Her fingers kept small movements to draw out the orgasms washing over the blonde wrapped around them. Walls clenching down around her fingers and providing resistance for their movement, Amelia finally stopped her movements all together, which if she hadn’t done then, she would’ve in a moment because Daisy had a way of distracting her from a task like no one else could possibly fathom.

She kissed the younger woman back just as passionately, knowing she’d done a rather bang up job (not that she ever didn’t). She allowed herself to be pulled, knowing full well that Daisy would have her revenge in turning the tables on who dominated whom so she’d give her this small bit of control again. She pulled away, a bit breathless from the exertion of it all and the feverish kissing, a large grin on her face like the cat who ate the canary (well, she hadn’t exactly eaten the canary yet, but the night was still young).  “All that you remembered, darling?” She couldn’t help herself, the term of endearment just stuck with her. She pressed another small kiss to her lips, pressing their foreheads together. Whatever the morning brought, they’d have tonight just as they’d had all the other nights they shared.

Raheem Sterling has become the star that critics said he’d never be

Raheem Sterling’s ascension has made soccer a better place.

The best goal from Raheem Sterling’s 11-minute hat trick against Atalanta was the second. It showcased all of his recent improvements that have turned him into one of the best players in the world.

The sequence begins with Benjamin Mendy clipping a ball to the inside of the left wing. Sterling chests the pass down with his back to goal and a defender immediately behind him. He uses his small, strong frame to create a bubble around the ball, nullifying the length advantage that a larger defender would have. Then he lays the ball off for Phil Foden.

The goal comes as a result of a decision the defenders make the instant that Foden touches the ball. The defender that had been on Sterling decides to pursue the ball, which means that the fullback who had been with Foden has to pick up Sterling, who spins away and makes a run to the outside.

Sterling is already beyond the fullback, yet still onside, as İlkay Gündoğan receives a pass from Foden on the inside. As Gündoğan is about make his pass, Sergio Aguero, who is naturally the highest player forward, checks down as if he is going to receive the ball, forcing his own defender to step forward. The fullback who is going with Sterling also pinches in to double Aguero.

But Gündoğan doesn’t go to Aguero. He bypasses the Argentine and finds Sterling all alone on the run. Sterling drives inside the box, and with the fullback trying to recover and slowing down to engage, he cuts inside and forces the defender off-balance. Then he blasts the ball into the back of the net.

It’s sometimes stunning to watch Sterling and realize how good he is now. The hat trick against Atalanta gives him 12 goals in 13 appearances for Manchester City this season. But more impressive than the numbers is the way he plays, which is a consequence of refinement in his style.

Sterling was a great talent to begin with. At the age of 20 he was an important player for a title-challenging Liverpool team. But there was a time — in 2015, after he was sold to City — when people who are supposed to be smart declared that he was not worth the price that City paid Liverpool. Some of the opposition to Sterling’s potential were manufactured attacks against him for wanting to leave Liverpool, but some people believed, for example, that Jordon Ibe would be better than Sterling in the long run.

The problem with grand declarations about young players — about what they will be and the limits of their talent, especially when one’s views are tinged with personal disdain — is that they assume a static future. So many conditions beyond talent go into success that predicting what a player will or won’t become is only a great way to set yourself up for embarrassment.

Back then, Sterling’s raw qualities were evident. He was fast, he could dribble, and he knew how to get himself into good positions, among other things. His flaws were clear too, like his weird inability to strike a ball well and frustrating lack of composure.

At Liverpool, he was on the road to becoming a great player, and there’s no reason to think that he wouldn’t have developed well there. But at City, with Pep Guardiola, he has become a stunning player. Not only has he retained all of his strengths, but he reads the game and works so well off-the-ball that he’s a danger at all times.

His second goal may have been his best, but all of them displayed Sterling’s intelligence and awareness. In the build-up to the first goal, he sprints half the field to get into position as Kevin de Bruyne gets into the box. As the pass is about to go to Foden in the center of the box, Sterling stops completely, and backpedals to get into a better position as all of the defenders in the box focus on the ball. Had Sterling not taken a hard step back before Foden received the ball, he would have been too square to strike the ball properly. Many players often make that mistake, leaving them to take an off-balance swipe at the ball. But Sterling is savvy, and gives Foden space to put the ball in front of him to run on to.

The third also came from Sterling working off the ball and abusing a defender who loses sight of him. As the ball is going out to Riyad Mahrez on the right wing, Sterling shuffles to the left, just outside the vision of the fullback who was watching him. With the defender now looking to Mahrez, Sterling makes a run to the inside, and by the time that defender sees Sterling in front of him, it’s too late. He can’t keep up with Sterling, much less stop him without conceding a penalty. The pass comes in from Mahrez and Sterling finishes with a delicate touch, the type of finish that seemed beyond him just a few years ago when he was missing sitters.

Sterling is a fascinating player because for so long, he was burdened by stories that had little to do with his on-field play. Or rather, his on-field play was interpreted through those stories. He was the public enemy of Liverpool fans, and then the UK tabloids, and throughout the ordeal, it seemed like the player on the field was frozen in time because of the ideas being spread about him.

But he wasn’t stagnant. Throughout that era of nonsense, he improved greatly. He went from a special talent to a genuinely world-class player in a short amount of time. He didn’t rot on the City bench as some had predicted he would, but became indispensable. He went from a player who often needed to be on the ball to do his damage, to one who can beat defenders in such a myriad of ways that it’s often a matter of when he will score now, not if.

The easy and wonderfully petty thing would be to put those original doubters on blast now that Sterling has become what they declared he would never become, but it’s much more fun to delight in how incredible he is. As should be the norm with young players.

Now, away from those overwhelming narratives, Sterling is legitimately one of the best players in the world. And football is so much better for it.

CANTLON: HUSKIES PULL AWAY FROM MAINE IN 5-2 WIN

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The UCONN Huskies (3-2-0 overall, 1-1-0 HE) opened their Hockey East home schedule against the Maine Black Bears (2-3-0, 0-1-0 HE) in fine fashion beating the visiting team 5-2 before the smallest home-opening crowd for the team at the XL Center, 3,991. “It was certainly nice to get a win in our home opener and give props to the crowd, they were fantastic. I'm very happy with the win. We didn’t get off to the start we wanted to, but we finished off the first well. The second period was stagnant with all the penalties, so it was hard to get in a good flow of the game. Going into the third, getting a couple of special team goals made the difference,” remarked UCONN head coach Mike Cavanaugh. The Huskies got their two-goal advantage they were seeking shorthanded early in the third period. Karl El-Mir was able to get to a loose puck before Maine defenseman Brady Keeper and from twenty feet out, snapped a shot past the seemingly impenetrable Jeremy Swayman at 3:53 of the third period. It was El Mir’s second of the game and fourth of the season. “That was a great goal; a very good shot and gave us a big boost there. The line was solid, not only in scoring but getting pucks out of the zone, offensive zone winning faceoff battles. He (El-Mir) played one of the better games I’ve ever seen him play." Maine responded quickly. At 5:36, Emil Westerlund, a sophomore from Sweden, got a gift goal off a turnover from fellow Swede, Philip Nyberg. From twenty feet out, Westerlund snapped one upstairs over Adam Huska's right shoulder on the short-side to bring the Black Bears back to within one goal at 3-2. The Huskies used the grit and hustle that was missing against Quinnipiac to get the fourth goal. Like El Mir’s second goal, Carter Turnbull out-raced the Maine rearguard and fired a wrist shot from 35 feet that eluded Swayman's glove hand at 10:40 re-establishing a two-goal edge. It was Turnbull’s second goal of the year. The Huskies used the power play and finally connected on their seventh chance of the night. Wyatt Newpower had his head up and moved in off the right point and fired a perfect pass that was redirected beautifully by Ben Freeman into the net for his second of the young season at 15:32. The goal made the score 5-2. For Newpower it was his third assist of the night as the defensive corps was a force on both ends of the ice. “It wasn’t just him tonight it was Philip Nyberg and Roman Canal. They moved the puck up quickly. Adam Karaschik played his best game of the year. Corson (Green) made a nice play on that first goal to get us going. Overall on the backend, we were pretty solid.” Brian Rigali had no points but was a force on every shift. He took the body and made life generally miserable for the opposition and helped his team gain control of the game. “Yes, he did play another strong game," Cavanaugh said. "He’s been doing that all year. He’s a tenacious player and that’s how we want to play the game." Another important element was the return of team captain Miles Gendron from a sprained knee. He was self-deprecating. “I thought I forgot what it was like to skate out there,” Grendon said with a smile and a laugh. “I got a little better as the game went on. Stayed out short shifts early till I felt good.” The coach was more than happy to see him. “It was nice to pencil him into the lineup and certainly got better as the game went along.” In the second period, UCONN had four powerplay chances and weren’t able to cash in, but certainly, it wasn’t a case that they didn’t try, but Swayman was sensational in net. UCONN freshmen Jachym Kondelik was visibly upset as Swayman denied him three times in the period. At 2:57 on a shorthanded bid, then at 6:48 from the right wing circle after he set up Kyle Howarth seconds earlier. A highlight glove save while in the butterfly was made by the Alaskan netminder on Kondelik, who was alone in the right wing circle after receiving a perfect cross-ice pass. Newpower and Sasha Payusov did their best to turn the red light on, but Swayman denied them too. “He’s an excellent goaltender, “ remarked Cavanaugh of the opposing goalie. “(He's) a World Junior caliber goaltender. If you don’t get bodies in front of him, he’s gonna stop it.” Huska faced just five shots for the period that were all quality chances with Jacob Schmidt-Jevstrup's being the best. The shot came with 2:24 left in the period as Eduards Tralmakas, a sophomore from Latvia, came down the right wing got around a diving Brian Freeman. Schmidt-Jevstrup tried a backhander that Huska stopped with his left skate and stayed with him. He got a second whack at the puck and Huska stopped that one too. Nyberg had two chances as did Turnbull as Swayman handled all 16 shots tossed his way. The Huskies early season penchant for allowing odd-man rushes cost them early as the Black Bears executed a flawless three-on-two break-in. Maine junior Mitchell Fossier was on the left wing side and snapped a cross-ice pass to Adam Dawe. He fed Tim Doherty going down the middle with an open blade redirect for his third goal at 1:14 and the 1-0 lead. The Huskies answered back in short order highlighting the importance of winning faceoffs. Kondelik, a Nashville Predator draft pick, won the draw and kept control of the biscuit. He found Green at the left point and the fellow freshmen zipped a shot toward the net. Payusov had inside position on a Maine defenseman and redirected, his conference-best, fifth of the season at 4:44 to even the score at one. Kondelik was involved in giving the Huskies their first lead of the night. Along the right wing wall, Kondelik intercepted a clearing pass and turned quickly spotted El-Mir behind the Maine defense. The Montreal native swooped in and fired a low wrist shot along the ice to the stick-side at 18:18 for a 2-1 lead. The extra effort was in evidence for most of the game despite being noticeably absent against Quinnipiac. “Doesn’t matter whether you play Quinnipiac, Maine, or Boston College. You have to win battles if your gonna win hockey games. That was shown in winning the battle along the wall,” remarked Cavanaugh. El-Mir and his linemates were in sync from that shift on. “My linemates me, Kondelik, and Sasha have discussed communicating better and it has helped us the last three games. We talked to each other and we found those holes out there and he has seven assists. He finds us out there. I can’t be happier than that,” said El-Mir. Huska’s strong goaltending kept UCONN in the game. He stopped twelve shots, including one with the buzzer about to sound on the power play. The attempt was a right-handed shot that came from the left wing circle from Maine's Danish freshmen, Schmidt-Svesjstrup. Rob Michel had three of the twelve shots that Huska turned aside. NOTES: The Black Bears took a lead in the series 5-4-3. In Hockey East competition the Huskies lead 5-2-2. The first two meetings in 1977 and 1978 in Division 2 in the ECAC. North Maine won both games by the score of 10-2 and 10-4. The first Hockey East meeting was a 2-1 OT win for UCONN. Over the last two years, the Huskies have finished with a .500 record at home after going below the .500 line their first season in Hockey East. The Huskies snapped a two-game losing streak after beating RPI 3-1 in a non-conference meeting. This followed a loss in Providence in their Hockey East 7-2 loss in their opener after a 4-2 loss to Quinnipiac in Hamden. The Huskies and UMASS-Lowell each have 12 freshmen in their lineup. Niagara University (AHC) and Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) lead the nation in that category. Maine opened their season dropping two games to the defending national champion, University Minnesota-Duluth (#2 USA Today/#3 USHCO) 8-2 and 4-2. Early season college hockey polls are like college football polls. A lot of it is based on reputation. The ECACHL who start on the later side, (three weeks behind everybody else) still have Cornell ranked #8 (USA Today/USHCO) and Princeton (#13 USCO/#14 USA Today). Neither has played a game. One of the linesmen in the game was ex-Danbury Trasher and Bridgeport Sound Tiger, Dmitri Antipin. Springfield native Kennedy O’Connor, who attends Loomis Chaffe, has given a commitment to UMass-Amherst for 2021-22. Read the full article

Time for a Change: What Needs to Happen Now After Islanders 5, Flyers 4

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Someone has to say it.

It’s gotten to the point of ridiculousness to be honest, and now someone needs to just come out in public and put the words on the table and flip the sand timer over.

The Flyers need a change.

And I’m not just talking about a nominal change like calling up the speedy Danick Martel to add a little juice to the offense, I mean something big. Something impactful. Something that would grab headlines.

It could be a big trade, but with the roster already one of the youngest in the NHL, that wouldn’t make much sense.

So, maybe the organization needs to look elsewhere. Maybe it needs to look at the coach.

And I know I’m not the only one who thinks this way.

Even the players are starting to subtly suggest that they are in a stagnant pattern of systemic hell that is stunting growth of such a young team rather than fostering it.

Brian Elliott has been around the sport for a long time, so when he, as one of the team’s elder statesmen says something that can be interpreted as a warning shot across the coach’s bow, then maybe someone higher up needs to take notice.

So here, Ron Hextall, I will serve up his comment for you on a platter to do with it as you will:

“It’s the definition of insanity when you keep doing the same thing over and over again. We’ve got to change some things and we’ve got to talk about it, because these are big points and they can come back and hurt us.”

Now, he said that in response to a question about poor play in overtime – which bit the Flyers in the back side again yesterday for their seventh straight loss, but Elliott’s feelings – which are shared by others in the room by the way – aren’t just specific to overtime.

You don’t lose seven straight games because of one repeated problem in overtime. The problem runs far deeper than that.

Although there is the coach trying to put a happy spin on the same recurring problems after every loss.

“I think it’s seven out of our last 10 that we’ve gotten at least a point,” Dave Hakstol said. “Five of those are OT or shootout losses. So again today it was a close hockey game all the way through.”

Did this guy seriously just try to spin a seven game losing streak into the positive of garnering points in seven of the last 10 games?

I jokingly said this BEFORE THE FLYERS EVEN LOST YESTERDAY:

So, if the Flyers lose this one, and make it seven straight, I wonder if Hakstol will remind us they have earned points in four-of-five?

— AntSanPhilly (@AntSanPhilly) November 24, 2017

And then he did. I couldn’t believe it.

I can’t believe he did it… but he did. Hakstol said they have points in 7 of 10. He’s Nero. He really is.

— AntSanPhilly (@AntSanPhilly) November 25, 2017

And why, even though it’s factually correct, can you not go to this well coach? I’ll give you a list after the jump:

OK coach. Here’s why that “points in 7 of 10” doesn’t fly with anyone:

Your team is in last place in the Metropolitan Division.

You have played 23 games and have only won consecutive games once.

You have blown a two-goal lead four times this season.

You’ve been shutout five times this season.

You’ve only won eight games. Only two teams have less – Buffalo and Arizona. and the Coyotes beat you head-to-head, for what it’s worth.

The Power Play is mediocre – ranking in the bottom half of the league at 18.9% (17th)

The Penalty Kill is dreadful – it’s still 28th in the league, but the percentage went down again yesterday to 74.7%.

Your top line excluded, the other skaters on your team have combined to only score 35 goals in 23 games.

Maybe Hakstol recognizes it himself and is trying to go into spin control mode as an effort to save his own hide – which is why he says ridiculous things like they have seven points in the last 10 games.

But even if that’s the case, it’s only window dressing because he hasn’t been able to solve the real problem.

So what’s the real problem?

The problem is this team is not well-coached for the NHL game. There are far too many odd-man rushes – Wayne Simmonds lamented that following the loss to Vancouver on Tuesday. And he wasn’t just talking about 2-on-1s… he went so far as to say there are too many 4-on-3s.

That means that it’s the system that is allowing forwards to get caught deep. It’s a system where defensemen don’t know the right time to pinch. It’s a system where forwards don’t have the time necessary to get back and help.

It’s a system that is broken.

All the flash and speed the Flyers showed with a hot start is now missing. Hakstol was a one-trick pony this season. He had a great idea to start the season, it worked for awhile, but then the league caught on to what the Flyers were doing and adjusted… and the Flyers haven’t adjusted back.

Yeah, they’re still getting their shots, so their advanced stats don’t look terrible, but the problem is, the Flyers are too small and trying to play a possession-oriented game.

This is a two-fold issue. This one falls on the coach for not instituting a system that befits his roster but it also falls on the General Manager for putting together a team that is too small (they are the third-smallest team in the NHL).

This isn’t asking for a return to the old days when they were big, plodding, bruising players – that doesn’t work in today’s NHL at all.

But, another of Simmonds’ laments has been that guys aren’t getting in front of the net. They aren’t going into the greasy areas to get loose pucks and score goals. Heck, most goals are scored in and around the net. Aside from Simmonds and Sean Couturier, who’s going there? Nobody.

Some of that might be on the players for an unwillingness to go there, but the rest of it is on the coach. He has to motivate and instruct his players to get there.

And if he is, and they aren’t listening, then it might be time for a different voice.

Ask yourself, have young players progressed at all under Hakstol’s guidance?

Shayne Gostisbehere has taken a step backward. Travis Konecny can’t seem to break through. Nolan Patrick looks a little lost (although his sample size is small). Travis Sanheim shows flashes, but also looks uncertain at times. Jordan Weal has been a disappointment. I can go on and on.

It’s likely that whatever message he’s touting is not getting through.

Look, the Flyers are competitive. They may have lost 15 of 23 games this season, but with the exception of a couple, they could have just as easily won about a dozen of their losses.

So, they aren’t the worst team in the NHL.

But they are a team that looks the same year-after-year under Hakstol. And while GMs are usually given a longer window than three years to shape a team, coaches are not.

NHL coaches have been fired for a lot less than the product we are seeing on the ice from the Flyers right now, who haven’t lost this many games in a row since 2007-08.

And yes, there is an argument to be made that these Flyers are rebuilding and patience should be had much like it was for the 76ers.

But there was no talk of rebuild here. Hextall has said that he has thought he had a playoff team before each of the past three seasons.

If he had come out and said, “Hey, we’re rebuilding and this is going to take time,” we’d be having a different conversation right now.

But his expectation was for better. And it’s just not happening.

A change is needed. Soon.

  Time for a Change: What Needs to Happen Now After Islanders 5, Flyers 4 published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv