My sister is doing so well at the spa where she works as an LMT at 😭…

Best Laid Plans

Several months ago, an anon asked me to write a piece in which the group tries to play matchmaker for Ruby and Penny. This is what that turned into. 

Ruby liked Vacuo better than she'd thought she would. Sure, it was unbearably hot most days and a fair amount of the locals seemed rather disgruntled about having more refugees around, especially Atlesian ones,  but she'd take this over Atlas any day.

She was especially relived that she and her group had been allowed to enroll as students at Shade Academy rather than having their Huntsmen licenses renewed. They hadn't been at all ready for the position when General Ironwood had offered it to them, and while there was still a lot to worry about, everyone was glad to have some of the pressure taken off of them. Unfortunately, however, the lowered stress and extra free time had given them an opportunity to concern themselves with things that absolutely did not require their attention, such as Ruby's love life.

Two weeks ago, Ruby had made the horrible mistake of confiding in Yang about her crush on Penny, which had resulted in most of the rest of their friends knowing about it too. Most of them were alright about it, but Yang and Nora were absolutely hellbent on playing matchmaker, and they weren't taking no for an answer.

Every single time one of them caught Ruby alone, they'd plead with her for permission to set up a date so everyone wouldn't have to watch her 'pining' anymore, and no matter how many times she said she didn't want to burden Penny with her feelings, they persisted. Eventually she'd started trying to avoid them altogether, which was a lot easier with Nora than it was with Yang, considering they shared a room.

On their second Friday living at Shade Academy, also the second Friday since Ruby had confided in her sister, Yang found Ruby alone in the dorm and made what felt like her millionth plea of the week.

"For the last time," Ruby snapped, flopping down on her bed. "I don't want you to set up a date! It'll just make everything awkward."

She was trying to keep her cool, but honestly, this was starting to piss her off. This was none of Yang's business, or Nora's for that matter. She didn't need their input.

"Oh, come on, Ruby!" Yang groaned, her voice laced with exasperation. "You have to know she's into you!"

"Give me one good reason to believe she actually likes me back." Ruby retorted, rolling her eyes as Yang let out a dry laugh.

"I'll give you ten reasons," she said confidently. "You two are basically attached at the hip, she gets that little pouty face every time she gets told she can't pair with you for combat training, you literally share a bed-"

"Only because there weren't enough beds when we moved in!" Ruby quickly sat up, warmth rushing to her face.

"Yeah, but when Blake and I starting sharing, I asked Penny if she wanted my old bed and she just about cried." Yang replied. "Unless you want to sit here and argue that all of that is platonic, you know she likes you back. So why won't you just talk to her about it?"

"Look," Ruby sighed. "Even if you're right, I just don't want to give her anything else to worry about. She just lost her home, she's still getting used to being the Winter Maiden, and now she has all this human stuff to deal with. She needs my support right now, and I don't want to accidentally push her away."

Yang's expression softened at that, and she slowly crossed the room to sit down beside Ruby.

"I get that," she said quietly, suddenly much more sympathetic than frustrated. "And I know I'm being kind of pushy, but I don't want you to miss out. This could be your only chance for a while to actually go on dates and have fun with her."

Ruby let out another, heavier sigh and leaned back onto her hands, tilting her face toward the ceiling.

Yang was right. They might have a respite now, but Salem could show up any day. This chance to be students again wasn't going to last forever. They were getting to be kids one last time, and that would be over the moment Salem made herself known again. Then there would be no dates or time to worry about feelings, probably just regrets if she didn't do this now.

"What do I even say to her?" she asked quietly. "I've never liked someone like this before. What if I screw something up?"

"Just be honest with her." Yang put an arm around Ruby's shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Tell her how you feel, ask her if she wants to go out, and let Nora and I take care of the rest. We'll find a nice place for you to go, and I'll tell you everything I know about impressing girls."

She winked good-naturedly and released Ruby, who then took a deep breath and stood. She didn't feel even remotely prepared for this, but there was a decent chance it could be now or never.

"I'm gonna go see if I can find her." Ruby decided, steeling herself. She made her way toward the door, giving her sister a nervous grin over her shoulder as she left. "Wish me luck."

---------------------

Ruby found Penny an hour later in Shade's library, sitting at one of the tables with a pile of books. From the looks of it, she'd been here a while, possibly making her way through a series.

"Hey," Ruby said quietly as she reached Penny's table. "What are you reading?"

Penny glanced up, looking mildly startled.

"Oh, it's just a fantasy story," she replied sheepishly, lowering the book in her hands. "It's a bit silly, but I've never had time to just sit and read before. I'm finding it quite enjoyable!"

"That's good." Ruby smiled and took a seat across from Penny, clasping her hands anxiously in her lap. "Sorry if I'm interrupting you or anything, I just wanted to ask you something."

"Of course." Penny put her book down and leaned forward attentively.

"I was just wondering if, um..." Ruby squeezed her fingers, trying to steady her voice long enough to get the question out. "If you wanted to... go out with me sometime? Like, on a date? I-If not, it's totally cool, I just... y'know..."

Penny blinked at her slowly, and Ruby shrank back as much as the chair would allow her to.

"A date?" Penny inquired.

"Yeah," Ruby replied, her face burning. Dear God please let her know what a date is, she thought frantically. "I really like you, like more than just a friend. I've been wanting to tell you for a while, but I was scared of making you uncomfortable, but then I realized that with everything going on I might not get another chance for a while, and- Penny?"

Caught up in her rant, it had taken Ruby far to long to realize that Penny wasn't listening to her. Instead, she was just staring blankly, her expression completely unreadable.

"Are you okay?" Ruby leaned across the table and waved her hand in front of Penny's face. "Are you bluescreening?"

Back when she'd had a mechanical body, Penny had occasionally 'bluescreened' when struggling to process some new piece of information. She usually snapped out of it within a few minutes, so Ruby wasn't particularly concerned, but she had to admit she was surprised that Penny was still doing it even in a human body.

"Yes." Penny said suddenly, shaking herself a bit.

"I- what?"

"Yes, I will go on a date with you." Penny clarified, her face turning slightly pink. "I like you too, quite a lot."

"Really?" Ruby's shoulders sagged with relief, and she couldn't help the grin spreading across her face.

"Of course." Penny said with a little smile. "I would have said something much sooner if I had thought you might feel the same way."

"How could I not?" Ruby asked softly. "You're so sweet and beautiful and kind. It was kind of impossible not to fall in love with you."

Penny's blush intensified, and she looked away bashfully.

"You are all of those things too." she replied, her voice quiet and shy.

Ruby chuckled softly, then straightened herself and cleared her throat before either them could get any more flustered.

"So," she went on. "I was thinking maybe we could do dinner tomorrow around six? Or, well, Yang was thinking that, but I have no idea how to plan dates so I'm just listening to what she says."

"That sounds perfect." Penny said enthusiastically.

"Great," Ruby smiled and rose from her seat. "I'll let you get back to your reading. See you tomorrow."

Ruby turned to leave, barely hearing Penny's quiet "Goodnight," as she rushed out of the library. The moment the doors slammed shut behind her, she let out a loud, shaky laugh. She'd done it. She'd actually done it. She'd managed to land herself a date, and now all she had to do was survive it.

--------------------

Penny had to admit, she'd been surprised to hear that her best friend had a crush on her. Delighted, of course, but so very surprised. She'd been planning to keep her own feelings a secret forever, lest Ruby find them unusual or inappropriate, but that was no longer necessary. Ruby shared the same feelings, and apparently they were quite normal.

It was a relief to know that, but Penny couldn't say that all of her anxieties had been quelled. According to Ruby, the next step after confessing their feelings was going on a date together, a concept with which Penny was not particularly familiar. She had a basic idea of how it was supposed to work, but she wasn't sure of the correct way to behave or what she was supposed to say while they were out.

Penny had gone to Nora with these concerns, hoping for some friendly advice, and had been promptly and quite literally dragged into Team JNPR's dorm room for a pre-date pep talk.

"You really don't have all that much to worry about." Nora said as she worked on lacing up the back of Penny's dress. It was quite similar to one she'd worn to Beacon's dance; light green, knee-length, and very soft. She'd borrowed it from an upperclassman named Velvet, who she knew by association due to her team's friendship with Team RWBY.

"But what if I say something wrong?" Penny asked anxiously, running her fingers through her hair. She'd already brushed through it twice, but perhaps one more time couldn't hurt.

"What would you say wrong?" Nora inquired as she finished with the dress. "You two are already friends, so you don't have to deal with any of that 'getting to know each other' business. Just go and have fun. And make sure you laugh at all her jokes."

"All of them?" Penny echoed unenthusiastically. Her sense of humor was quite different from the majority of her friends, and she sometimes had trouble discerning whether something was a joke. How would she know what to laugh at?

"Unless they're offensive or something, but it's Ruby so I doubt that." Nora shrugged and grabbed a bit of Penny's hair, gently fluffing it out. "Think you're ready?"

"Maybe?" Penny replied. "Do I look presentable?"

"You're gorgeous, Pebbles." Nora turned Penny around so they were face to face, placing two firm, comforting hands on her friend's shoulders. "Everything's gonna be fine, okay? You've gone places with Ruby hundreds of times; just act how you normally would."

"Okay." Penny nodded. She could do that.

----------------

The restaurant Penny had been invited to was a small café hardly a stone's throw from Shade's campus. From what Penny could tell, it seemed to be primarily frequented by the school's students, as the majority of the people sitting in the outdoor area were wearing school uniforms.

Of the three that were not, one was Ruby, clad in a black top and bright red skirt that just barely reached her knees. She spotted Penny from her table near the café's front window and waved her over with a shy smile.

"Hey," she greeted softly as Penny approached. "You look really nice."

"As do you." Penny replied politely, sincerely hoping that the grin on her face didn't look too silly. She stood there awkwardly for a moment before taking a seat, leaning forward so their table's umbrella could better protect her fair skin from the sun.

For a good two minutes, they sat there in silence, Ruby seemingly avoiding eye contact and Penny quietly fidgeting while she tried to think of something to say.

"This place is pretty cool, right?" Ruby offered at last, glancing in Penny's direction.

"I think it's quite hot, actually." Penny replied. Ruby let out a soft chuckle, and she quickly realized her mistake. "Oh! You meant- yes, it's very cool."

Penny briefly averted her gaze as her face grew warm, but she was saved from any further embarrassment by the arrival of a tired-looking waitress.

"Have you two decided on anything?" she asked, placing two glasses of water down on the table. As she did so, she fixed Penny with the same vaguely suspicious look every Atlesian refugee had been receiving from the locals.

It wasn't entirely uncalled for, considering everything her nation had done to theirs, but it made her uncomfortable nonetheless.

"Um..." Penny glanced down at the menu, eager to get the waitress's eyes off of her. Impulsively, she ordered the first thing she saw. "The fried scorpion, please."

"I'll have the same." Ruby said immediately.

"Interesting choice." The waitress remarked as she took their menus. 'For a couple of outsiders' was implied.

Penny watched her walk away, mildly dreading the sight of what she would return with.

"What the hell did we just order?" Ruby mumbled, so softly that Penny couldn't be entirely certain the words were for her.

"It will likely be fine," she answered anyway. "Scorpion is a common dish here."

"Yeah, I guess." Ruby replied, once again avoiding eye contact. Penny's brow furrowed and she leaned a bit closer to her date over the table.

Ruby seemed remarkably uncomfortable, wringing her hands and glancing about as if searching for a way out of the situation. Did she not want to be here? Had Penny done something wrong?

If so, she hadn't the slightest clue what her mistake could have been, but relationships were so complicated that she wouldn't be surprised if she'd broken some unspoken rule. Perhaps she'd missed a joke she was supposed to laugh at, or-

"Penny?"

Penny was jolted out of her thoughts, only just realizing that Ruby was waving a hand in front of her face. She blinked hard, mildly startled.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked gently.

"Yes," Penny said with a quick nod. "Yes, I'm fine."

"You've got to stop bluescreening on me." Ruby gave her a small, kind smile. "What were you trying to figure out?"

Penny hesitated briefly. She almost didn't want to say it for fear that she might be right. Yet again, if she had somehow messed up the date, she wanted to know what she'd done wrong.

"It's just..." she began eventually. "You seem as if you don't want to be here. I was wondering if maybe I did something wrong? Or if you regret asking me out?"

"Of course not!" Ruby's eyes widened in mild alarm. "What made you think that?"

"You just seem so uncomfortable." For emphasis, Penny mimicked the hand-wringing motion Ruby had been doing. "I was worried you thought this was a mistake."

"God, no," Ruby reached across the table and gently took Penny's hands in her own. "You didn't do anything wrong, Penny. Asking you out was not a mistake."

She brushed her thumbs along the backs of Penny's hands; an intimate gesture, if Penny remembered correctly.

"I think letting someone else plan this for us might have been a mistake, though." Ruby admitted. "I don't think I'm really a dinner date person."

"What do you mean?" Penny inquired.

"I mean this all feels a little... stuffy, I guess." Ruby shrugged. "I don't like sitting here in formalwear trying to make awkward conversation with a bunch of other people around. This doesn't feel like us, y'know?"

"I think I understand." Penny nodded slowly. She had to admit, this wouldn't have been her first choice of venue either. "What do you think would feel like us?"

"Do you remember that night with the fireflies?" Ruby asked. Penny nodded again, a small smile spreading across her face. "That felt like us. It was just you and me having fun, enjoying nature and stuff."

"That was a very special night," Penny agreed fondly. "But I do not believe we would be able to recreate it here. As far as I know, no species of a firefly is native to Vacuo."

"It doesn't have to be exactly the same." Ruby seemed thoughtful for a moment, quietly drumming her fingers on the table. "What if we went up on the roof of Shade's dorms? We could be alone and just enjoy each other's company."

"I like the sound of that." Penny almost stood up, but suddenly remembered that they'd already ordered. Would it be considered rude to leave?

"It's alright," Ruby seemed to read Penny's mind as she rose from her seat. "I don't think it counts as dining and dashing if we haven't gotten our food yet."

Penny supposed that made sense. She hesitated a moment longer before standing up, glad that she wouldn't have to see that waitress again. Ruby extended her arm, and Penny linked it with her own as they began walking away from the restaurant. As soon as they'd cleared the tables, Ruby visibly relaxed.

"This already feels better," she remarked.

"It does." Penny agreed. They walked together in silence for a few minutes, Penny's face growing warm as an unfamiliar sensation spread throughout her body.

Suddenly overtaken with boldness, Penny leaned over and pressed her lips to Ruby's cheek, holding them there for a moment before slowly pulling away. Ruby's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't seem at all bothered.

"Was that... okay?"

"It was more than okay," Ruby replied, glancing over at Penny with a smile. "That was perfect."

"It seems our night has been salvaged." Penny smiled back at her, faltering briefly as Ruby rested her head on her shoulder.

"Yeah," she said, her warm breath tickling the skin of Penny's neck. "It has."

--

If you enjoyed this piece, please consider reblogging to share it with others and help the post gain a bit of traction! It would absolutely make my day and make the three months I spent trying to finish this feel worth it! 

THE REYLO FANFICTION ANTHOLOGY ST. VALENTINE’S DAY LOVE FEST

This year, to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day, we wanted to show the Reylo Writing Community a little bit of love by hosting a Reylo Fanfiction St. Valentine’s Day Love Fest.

We will accept recommendations for this project until the end of February.  You can find details about how to submit a recommendation to the project here.

LOVE FEST LIST #6/?

REYLO COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATIONS

Trying Something New by Vivien

Summary: “I can do this, I can do this, I can do this,” Rey thought to herself as she tugged her bag over her shoulder. She wanted to do this. She’d pored over holonet sites in preparation. The mere idea of Ben’s request made her wet. And terrified. Just a little terrified.

Recommendation by @leofgyth​: “It's a very sweet story about Rey just beginning to learn how to dom Ben. I love dom!Rey and sub!Ben and this story is a really nice, fluffy version of that dynamic.”

One by Arwen_Evenstar

Summary: The path of the Force is never clear or decided. One moment right, the next moment wrong. And both of them must ride it through, until the end.

Recommendation by @tmwillson3​: “This fic is the first in a series of 9 interconnected post-TLJ one-shots. This fic introduces the reader to the author's signature style that slowly weaves everything in that you could ever want in a fic. It's a slow-burn with a fantastic payoff as Kylo/Ben and Rey both go through realistic struggles, with Leia brought in masterfully along with some beautiful descriptions of and usage of the Force, showing how the dark and the light both reside in the couple.”

The Temporary Husband (A overboard/reylo fan fic) by Hellyjellybean

Summary: Single mom Rey is down on her luck, and just when she thinks things can't get any worse, Ben Solo proves her theory wrong, and provides her with one last humiliating blow. Licking her wounds, Rey picks herself back up but Ben finds himself in a bad way. Injured and without any knowledge of who he is, Rey may be the only person able to provide Ben with the information he so sorely needs, but perhaps there is a way Rey could use Ben's situation to teach him a lesson and get back at him once and for all.

Recommendation by @obsessivescientist​: “Her writing is funny and intelligent and both characters, Rey and Ben are snarky and cute.”

Let's Dance Slowly Forever by MissCoppelia

Summary: Ben Solo doesn't usually find himself at karaoke bars. He left the opera world behind for a music licensing gig, and he hasn't done much of anything since his parents died. But one night he gets dragged to one by Phasma and Hux, and something inside him starts to change.

Recommendation by @aionimica​: “I love the uniqueness of this fic - I love the characters and how well they fit with each other, not to mention imagining Ben Solo and Rey singing is just perfect and I need more if it in my life and i want more people to enjoy it too.”

RFFA WRITERS SELF RECOMMENDATIONS

Hiraeth by Melusine11

Summary: Hiraeth - a homesickness for a home to which you cannot return, a home which maybe never was; the nostalgia, the yearning, the grief for lost places of your past. Rey had never put any stock in anything beyond what she could see and touch, and then she had stowed away on a stolen ship […] it was there, on that ship, that she learned that anything was possible. She had seen a ship consumed by a kraken, could still hear the panicked screams of its crew as they echoed across the waves…she had traded trinkets with mermaids…she had seen the green flash on several occasions and been close enough to touch St. Elmo’s Fire while in the crows’ nest a time or two. She had never heard of someone coming back from the dead.

“It's my child and I love it is my knee-jerk reaction answer, but...it's got pirates, it's got a freakin kraken that guards an underwater city of the dead, it's got Kylo who really messed up (but lbr, when hasn't he) and he's trying to do the right thing, and Rey who isn't here for his bullshit, plus she's got a sword and she's not afraid to use it. Sword-fights, and brothels and high seas hi-jinks and angst and naked cuddling to survive and mermaids and mystical objects and Han gambles with Captain Morgan. It's historical fantasy and I've been having the best time writing it, so come check it out!”

The Repatriationists by leoba

Summary: Rey has become involved with an underground group that returns cultural objects to their peoples of origin. She pulls in Ben Solo, her on again / off again lover, to help with their latest job.

“The story is about repatriation - returning cultural objects to the people who made them - which is a hot topic in my field right now. So this story was a way for me to write about it in a really positive way. It's almost-but-not-exactly a heist story. It also has hot scenes between Rey and Ben (including a sex scene in the tree on Ahch-To, which should *really* be more of a thing) and a characterization of Finn that I adore and want everyone else to see too.”

Starpoint Woods Power Station by tmwillson3

Summary: After being talked into applying for a job by Han Solo, Rey finds herself working at a nuclear power plant. There, she meets the man of her dreams - because who isn't attracted to arrogant sticklers for rules who are good with their tools and carry around a jar of bright green lube? This is the nuclear power plant AU you never expected. A silly, slightly informative, and humorous look at working in the nuclear industry, as well as all the pop culture references possible.

“I love this story because it is a unique modern AU for Reylo since it takes place where I work, at a nuclear power plant. I based this story on my experiences working at a plant, and I spent a lot of time to make sure all characters were placed properly and given some odd quirk as befitting a feel-good romcom. I think that everyone who's looking for some fluff and lots of silliness will find that here, especially if you like pop culture references. It's also a brief introduction to nuclear power and what goes on at a plant, but without getting super technical so that the reader can learn something new while laughing.”

To Hold by aionimica

Summary: “I had a bad dream.” For god’s sake, she sounded like a child, waking up in the middle of the night, unable to soothe herself back to sleep. But Ben was there, Ben was there and he didn’t care -- hadn’t ever cared. And so he asked the question Rey both wanted and desperately hoped he wouldn’t. “Do you want to talk about it?” ----------- Rey can’t sleep. Ben never sleeps. So some nights, they just talk.

“This was one of the closest fics I’ve written to my own heart and my own mind. I love how it shows an uncommon side of intimacy and a hope for a future between these two characters. It’s close and personal and oh so dear to me.”

A Mystic Meeting

Title: A Mystic Meeting aka the Mystic Messenger ficlet no one asked for and I still wrote Fandom: Mystic Messenger Rating: Explicit Warnings: None Categories: F/M Relationships: MC x Zen Word count: 6760 Summary: In which Rika actually dies (rotten bitch), V befriends MC and makes her a new member of the RFA, no drama happens, MC has multiple months to plan the event and actually get to know the characters and yet they never meet in that time...until they do. Enjoy.

It had been many months since MC had joined the RFA – almost half a year at this point! - and yet no one but V had met the mysterious girl and new organizer of their infamous parties. Sure enough she was added to the chat room and everyone was allowed to talk to her through texts and call, yet all the boys and Jaehee were more than eager to finally be able to put a face to the tender voice on the other side of the line, to the kind words and encouragement on the screen. Hell, the girl didn't even have her own emoticons! The RFA members had nothing to go by and V was always cryptic about her, never revealing anything about how MC might look. At first everyone was rather frustrated about it, especially Yoosung. Yoosung★: Since Rika died he's even more secretive. It's not fair!!! ZEN: Calm down, Yoosung. I'm sure he has a reason. Maybe MC just doesn't want us to know what she looks like... Yoosung★: I don't believe that. Why wouldn't she want us to know? 707: Maybe she's really ugly? Yoosung★: SEVEN!!! ZEN:

I can't believe you! No Lady is ugly! Yoosung★: Yes, Zen's right!

Hold on a moment... Didn't you do a background check on her, Seven? 707: Yes, so? Yoosung★: Shouldn't you know what she looks like? 707: …

V refused to let me look into those files!

ZEN: So what you're saying is, you don't know what she looks like either? We're in the same boat for once? 707: Yes... ZEN HA!

As time passed, however, the boys and Jaehee got used to the fact that they didn't know what their newest member looked like. It didn't matter. MC was their friend, always there when they needed her, never asking any questions. She supported each and every one of them, be it with small things like looking out for Elizabeth the 3rd so Jaehee didn't have to and Saeyoung wouldn't kill her or bigger things like being a friend to V, filling a void in his heart and finally convincing him to get his eyes fixed up so his beautiful art would not be lost to him forever. After all, that's how they'd met; she'd been the one to organize his exhibition and apparently she'd charmed him to the point V found her an adequate addition to their team. Not that anyone had objections at this point.

When Jaehee was stressed out about work, not sure whether she'd manage to finish her project, MC took a load off her shoulders by taking on some tasks she could handle from Rika's old apartment. When Yoosung was scared he might not pass his semester she was the one who got him an appointment with a game addict group and called him once every hour for a week to make sure he was studying. When Zen broke his leg and called her at three in the morning, distressed he'd not be able to continue the play he was working on she calmed him down and practice his lines with him over the phone until the sun came up. She never once said a mean thought about anyone in the group and seemed to just...understand them. Despite never having seen her, MC's inner beauty formed an image of her in their minds, reflecting her character.

ZEN: If MC is half as beautiful as her soul, she might even rival me! Jumin Han: Fascinating... ZEN: What? Jumin Han:  How you manage to make even compliments to others about yourself.  ZEN:

Everyone was content with the information they had about MC. She was bold, honest and upfront. If you asked her anything, she'd give you the answer straight away, something all of the members grew to love about her. That was until V reminded them that the party was a mere week away, as it was supposed to be held on Christmas Eve. Once more the chat room blew up, everyone wildly discussing the first party to be held since Rika's death two years ago as well as the fact that this time they'd get to meet MC for sure! The members were especially excited as V had told them what a great party MC had organized and the girl herself had been practically AWOL from the chat for almost a week, fine tuning everything so the party would be perfect.

Yoosung★: We're finally holding the party!

And getting to meet MC!

Jumin Han: Stop overusing those emoticons, Yoosung. ZEN: Leave him alone, he's excited. We all are. Jaehee Kang: Zen's right. Although I am a little worried about MC Yoosung★: What? Why?! Jaehee Kang: Well, for once this is her first party. Seeing as she hasn't been online for a week just to make sure that everything is perfect for the guests, I take it that she's taking it rather seriously. Which is good, but also must mean that she is probably stressed and nervous. Now on top of meeting and satisfying over two hundred guests she is also in a situation where she has to meet and satisfy us, I believe... Jumin Han: Assistent Kang has a point. We did put MC on quite the pedestal over the past couple of months. What if she does't meet our expectations? ZEN: I can't believe you people! MC has been nothing but kind, understanding and loving to all of us. To even consider the possibility she might not be good enough... Then again, what else to expect from the trust fund kid with the superiority complex Jumin Han: I never said she wouldn't meet our standards, Zen. I just suggested that she might feel like she possibly doesn't. Assistent Kang is my best worker and yet she often doubts herself and her abilities. I assume it's a female trait. Jaehee Kang: I don't know whether to be insulted or to thank you...

Yoosung★: I think I understand what Jumin means... 707 has entered the chatroom 707: It's Christmas. Why not have a private party a day before? That way she can meet us first and then focus on the party. ZEN: That's actually a great idea! 707:

ZEN: How about we celebrate at my place the day before? We can put up a Christmas tree, sing western Christmas carols and have dinner!

Jumin Han: I suggest we celebrate at my place instead. Your apartment is tiny. ZEN:

Well I am sorry not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouth and a stick up their ass! Plus, your place is unpractical. I am allergic to your cat, Jaehee can't stand her, Seven might kill her, Yoosung's never been and your whole security crew might scare MC even more and we want her to feel comfortable. Jaehee Kang: Zen makes some good points... ZEN: Great, that's decided then.  Come to my place at three. Don't bother with gifts. Rather bring some food or something to drink. I have to call and inform MC. Bye bye 

ZEN has left the chatroom Jaehee Kang: He's gone... Yoosung★: He didn't even wait for our reply... Jumin Han: Rude as ever.

When the day of the private Christmas Party finally came, everyone gathered at Zen's apartment as talked about. The Christmas tree was already standing, waiting to be decorated, the food everyone had brought along was stacked in the kitchen or in the oven, drinks were in the fridge and the members were gathered in the living room area, waiting for V and MC to arrive. “Why aren't they here yet? It's already five past three”, Yoosung said after a while, leg nervously jumping up and down. “Probably because the train was late or something. V just recently got surgery so he's not allowed to drive and MC doesn't have a license to they have to have taken public transport”, Saeyoung replied easily as he chucked another can of Dr. Pepper earning himself a look of distaste from Jumin. “Why did no one inform me of that fact? I could have sent driver Kim to pick them up.” Saeyoung shrugged. “Confidential information, man.”

After that they didn't have to wait long. Merely two minutes later the bell finally rang and all heads snapped up in unison, even Saeyoung's who'd been playing it cool so far. This was it, the moment they'd all been waiting for the past months: They were finally meeting MC. Zen instantly shot up to basically run to the door, excitement winning over common sense. Even the other members got up from where they had been sitting on the couch, turning around and staring at the door expectedly. Zen buzzed the pair in and about a minute later there was finally a knock at the door. He opened it and was greeted with the familiar sight of V, accompanied but a beautiful young woman. She was rather short, and relatively young but obviously a grown woman. Her hair was long, about waste length, light brown, straight and shining. Her bangs were long, almost covering her eyes – they had a mesmerizing honey-brown color to them - and made her look all the more adorable and sweet. Her skin was light, soft-looking and seemingly untouched, causing the hosts thoughts to run wild. Zen had always been in control of not only his emotions, but also his urges. Despite having met many women over the course of the past five years, not one had been beautiful enough to tempt the man. However, MC seemed to have gotten under the actors skin, something even he was struggling to understand. She was beautiful, but nothing extraordinary. Having worked with actresses – some very famous, some less – Zen had met women capable of taking people's breath just by the way they entered the room and claimed it theirs with their sheer presence. MC was none of those things. She was sweet, but nothing Zen hadn't seen before. Not that it mattered. It wasn't her pretty looks that had stolen the young mans heart. More so all the times she's stood by his side when he'd felt like the world was against him. Her looks were merely a last drop that caused the barrel to overflow that had been filling for a very long time. Now that the man finally had an image to the feelings he'd been harboring for months, little self control seemed to be left and Zen's thoughts were overwhelmed with the need to mark said untouched skin and make it his. While the actor basically froze in the frame, taken aback by just how damn adorable MC actually was, the others didn't seem quite as embarrassingly smitten. V lead MC inside while Zen barely managed to control himself enough to close the door behind the two of them. All the members gradually stepped forward, returning the bright smile MC was giving all of them as they introduced themselves officially. Once the first round of greetings was over and the members finally had a face to match the name, V offered to take care of MC's coat, since she didn't know where everything went. Zen felt like a total idiot for not having thought of that himself, which caused him to seriously questioned his manners in that particular moment. MC's didn't seem to mind, as she smiled sweetly at the white-haired actor before unbuttoning the coat and shrugging it off, turning around to hand it to V. While the coat had been simple – knee length and in a soft, beige colour – the dress MC had chosen to wear was anything but! So much so that Zen found himself swallowing a lump in his throat he hadn't even known was there as he fought off the urge for his jaw to drop. The dress was in a pleasant shade of red almost reaching her knees, with long sleeves and a barely revealing neckline. The highlight, however, was clearly the low cut back dipping so deep it was obvious that this dress was chosen with a certain intent in mind and by the look MC was currently throwing the mans way, Zen had a pretty good idea of what that intention was exactly. Usually he would have nipped this right in the bud. Dating wasn't really an option with his just starting career, let alone dating the equivalent of a co-worker. Co-stars in theater came and went and yet Zen usually stayed away from those, as break-up's always meant drama and he couldn't afford that. The RFA, however, was a daily part of his life and having a break-up occur between any of the members would make a very important part of his day turn unpleasant and uncomfortable. Not just for him, but anyone in the RFA, really. This personal rule was also the reason he'd kept Jaehee at arm's length all this time, despite knowing of her interest. Zen wasn't a genius like Seven and Jumin, but he wasn't completely dense. In fact, he was just smart enough to know when to act dense. In short, Zen didn't date. It was dangerous to his career, which was the most important thing to him in that particular moment, and while sex was all nice and well, he had a very healthy hand, internet access and the possibility to buy anything he wanted to spice it up should his hand no longer be sufficient. However, as Zen looked into MC's eyes, he realized that her gaze was screaming anything but dating. Oh no, that little minx wasn't looking at him like he was a potential future boyfriend, she was looking at him like a delicious meal she was about to devour and wasn't that a pleasant thought. Well, that game certainly could be played in pairs and so Zen found himself returning her gaze with an almost predatory smile. That seemed like invitation enough for MC to step forward, coming to a halt in front of the actor. She reached out then, brushing over his cheek and earlobe with her fingertips – the feathery touch causing a pleasant shiver to run through Zen's body – before retrieving her hand and smiling at the other innocently. “You had something in your hair”, she said and Zen didn't believe it for a minute. Soon everyone gathered around the tree, musing on how to best decorate it. While Jumin and Jaehee wanted to take the most organized and borderline mathematical route, Yoosung was just eager to get glitter on the tree and Saeyoung was about to start a bauble war. Meanwhile V was sitting on the coach, smiling at the group like the sight was the most precious one he'd ever seen, MC right by his side. Instead of smiling at the group, the young woman smiled at her friend with a certain understanding that only she seemed to fully have for the man. V, despite not being much older than most members if at all, felt responsible for every single one of them. Much like a father he watched over them as the loss of his beloved fiancée had just reminded the photographer that moments were fragile and impossible to capture fully, even by a camera. Nothing was more precious than seeing it with his own two eyes, especially after having almost lost them. He turned to MC, smiling at the new addition to the group that seemed a little hesitant to join the activities. “Why don't you go and help Zen in the kitchen while I try to calm these four down?” MC smiled and nodded, excusing herself as she got up and walked towards the kitchen to help with the dinner. Zen who'd been in the middle of getting the turkey and potatoes into the oven almost suffered a heart attack when he turned around to see MC standing behind him. He gasped, clutching his chest before calming himself down. “MC, you gave a quite the shock right there”, he said, smiling a little nervously. It wasn't very manly to get scared like that, let alone by something as silly as this. MC didn't reply right away, instead allowing her eyes to rake over his body from the bottom to the top. Her innocent smile was once more replaced by something more mischievous when her eyes eventually landed on the print of the apron Zen was wearing; Kiss The Cook. “Well, that certainly can be arranged”, MC said, closing the distance between them. Zen's heart stopped for a moment, his body freezing. The damn apron had been a silly Christmas present Seven had gotten him two years ago. He'd found it ridiculous for the better part, but in that particular moment he thought he might actually have to thank the other for the gift. MC stood on her tip toes and then he felt her lips brush over his cheek before pressing a kiss to the corner of his lips. “This is just a little preview”, she whispered, her warm breath ghosting over his cheeks, before stepping away with an innocent chuckle. That girl... From there on everything seemed to go downhill, as Zen's last splitter of self-control had left his body. MC did actually help him in the kitchen, mainly with the salads, side dishes and the pie. However, neither of them missed a single opportunity to tease and torture the other. Whenever MC looked over Zen's shoulder to 'see what he was doing' her hands would come to rest on his hips while her full, soft breasts – she was not wearing a bra, Zen noticed the first time around – pressed up against his back making him think of a hundred different ways to play with them. When they prepared the pie and Zen got some dough on his cheek she not only brushed it away in the slowest and most teasing manner possible, but also sucked it off her finger like her life depended on it. Admittedly, Zen suffered a lack of oxygen in those instances. After yet another time of her hands 'accidentally' brushing over his butt, however, he'd had enough of holding back and being polite. If she wanted to play, who was he to refuse?

The first opportunity came up when MC had just finished a dish and dipped some bread into it. She held it out for Zen to taste, smiling up at him sweetly. Zen had happily accepted the food – it tasted fantastic, but that wasn't the point – before proceeding to lick over her fingers, sucking them into his mouth and letting his tongue run all over them before letting them fall from his lips with an obscene sound. Zen then licked his lips and smirked down at the blushing girl. “Delicious.” The next time he did something was while MC bent over to cut the crusts of the pie, completely engrossed with the work at hand. Well, not for long. This time it was his turn to stand behind her and Zen took it even further than she had. His leg pushed between hers, earning him a choked off gasp as he rubbed it up against her, lips brushing over her ear as he whispered: “Looks really good.” He could see the little hairs on her nape stand up and grinned to himself, pressing a light kiss to the sensitive skin behind her ear. “This was just a little preview”, Zen repeated her words to her before completely removing himself from the young woman, watching MC shake and having to support herself on the sink with a satisfaction.

Of course things got even worse after and by the time the two of them left the kitchen to carry the food to the table both were completely riled up, blushing and so painfully turned on Zen debated to just throw her over his shoulder and carry her to the bedroom to finish what they had started. Common sense won over, however, when he saw all the other members and was once more reminded that they weren't alone. Contain the beast. Contain the beast. Contain the goddamn beast! Zen shook his head and ordered everyone to take a seat and dig in. Naturally MC chose to sit right beside him, every move causing their knees to brush together or their feet to meet under the table. At one point her free hand came to rest on his knee, gradually moving upwards with every minute and Zen almost bit his lip bloody by the time she squeeze his thigh. Contain the beast. Contain the beast. Contain the goddamn beast! When the mantra method didn't seem to work out, seeing as his cock jumped with interest with every inch she moved closer to it, Zen figured he might as well return the favour by resting his hand on her bare leg, brushing it up and down the smooth skin. While that caused her teasing to stop momentarily and a sweet, quiet gasp to fall from her lips, it also made Zen want to kiss, lick and bite that perfect, pale skin he was currently touching. Goddamn it!

Eventually the dinner was finished and everyone offered to help with the dishes, thank God. Zen wouldn't have managed to resist MC for a minute longer had they been the only ones in the kitchen. Despite everyone there, it was still kind of tense, seeing as both of them constantly stole glances from the other, but had to do so secretly with five other people in the room. The sexual tension worsened after, when everyone sat down in the living room for Christmas Carol singing and MC decided it would be a good idea to sit next to one another again. The couch was small and so for more than two people to fit on it said people had to be very, very close to one another. Her soft body was warm pressed against Zen’s, her hair tickled his sensitive skin, smelling fresh and enticing. In fact, MC smelled alluring altogether, sweet and yet somewhat spicy at the same time. Of course that thought led his mind straight to the gutter yet again, making him wonder whether she tasted as lovely as she smelled. Zen tried very hard to ban those thoughts from his mind but with her so close, it was nearly impossible. Instead he jumped up from the coach so fast everyone stared at him in confusion, MC included. Real smooth, Zen. Good job. He cleared his throat. “Sorry, you know me. Can't sit still for too long. Can I sing the next song?”

Another hour passed that way; Zen constantly on his feet and avoiding the living, breathing temptation that was MC. The actor was glad that he was capable of keeping himself under control, yet his body was screaming for him to give in. It had been so long since the last time he'd been with a woman and frankly his hand wasn't cutting it as much as he liked to believe. Apparently he was radiating said thought, because it was the exact moment MC decided to get up. She walked towards him, rested her hand on his upper arm and pressed her breasts to his chest before saying: “Zen...why don't you give me a tour of your apartment? Since I've never been here before.” Her words were low and sweet like honey. A form of pure seduction Zen simply wasn't capable of resisting any longer. He looked down at her, smirking wickedly. “You know what? That is a great idea. I know exactly the room to start with.”

Zen's words caused some sort of chain reaction, as everyone decided to get up and scramble towards the door. Everyone except Yoosung, that was, who sat in his chair, confusion written all over his face. “Look at the time. Assistent Kang, we have to return to work immediately. Waste of time means waste of money”, Jumin said, expression stoic as ever. Surprisingly Jaehee didn't complain, simply nodding along as she cleared her throat and pushed her glasses back up. “Indeed, Mr. Han. There is a project I haven't taken care of yet.” V didn't say anything but began putting on his coat as well and suddenly Yoosung was ripped from his seat by Saeyoung, who attempted to drag him towards the exit. “What the hell, Seven?! Let go off me”, he hissed, pushing the other off. “We need to go, man. Get dressed”, the other simply replied, tossing the youngest of the group his jacket. “What? Why? She just wants a tour. It's not like it's going to take long. Zen has a tiny apartment and she's already seen the kitchen and living room so there isn't much more to it then the bedroom. They'd be back in like -”, he babbled before suddenly breaking off, eyes widening with shock and disgust when it finally hit him. “Ew! Let's get out of here.” He put on his jacket in record time and practically shoved everyone out the door.

“Yoosung is so naïve sometimes, don't you think”, MC chuckled, looking up at Zen who returned her gaze with a fire that clearly said that for the time being he couldn't have given less fucks about Yoosung or anyone else for that matter. His arms wrapped around her middle, pulling her flush against his lean body. Zen pushed her against the nearest wall, attacking her lips in a hungry, wet kiss. Her lips were soft and warm against his and he could still taste traces of the pie on them. Zen smiled into the kiss, licking over the girls lips, drawing a quiet sigh of appreciation out of her. Oh, she was in for a ride. However, MC wasn't just for receiving, she was mostly certainly a reciprocator. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him lower, tongue meeting his before invading his mouth, hungrily exploring it. The kiss that resulted out of her assault was filthy and hungry, causing all ideas of gentle and slow to be forgotten in favour of feverous passion. Zen's grip on her hips tightened before he lowered his hands just so, lifting her up and wrapping MC's legs around his middle, hips grinding together as he held her up against the wall. Meanwhile MC sucked at his tongue, nails beginning to dig into his back to the point Zen wondered whether skin would tear under the admission or not. Honestly, he didn't care much. Zen pushed her dress up quickly, grinding against her in desperate need for friction when suddenly she pulled away from the kiss, making him stop. “Now, Zenny, I thought of you as a gentleman”, she purred, voice low. “What happened to my tour?” Zen got the memo and grinned. He adjusted his grip and carried her to the bedroom, throwing her onto the mattress where she bounced once, giggling playfully. He climbed on the bed after her, pulling the dress off her head before flipping her around so she was on the mattress with her ass in the air, naked beside the flimsy underwear she wore. Zen didn't bother pulling it off, instead pushing it aside to reveal a bare, glistening cunt. “Fuck, MC, you're so wet for me already”, he groaned. Zen buried his face between her legs, hungrily licking at her folds to coax out every last, sweet sound from her. Meanwhile MC was gripping the sheets, face buried in the pillow as she moaned, rocking her hips to guide his tongue inside of her. While she was obviously enjoying every last touch to her aching sex, Zen soon began to notice a certain aggression to the way she rocked back onto his tongue. What exactly the reason for that was, her next words explained quite directly. “Just fuck me already, will you?” Her words got a low growl out of him. MC was so right. They'd have time for foreplay once they'd come once or twice and weren't as charged as they were now. Why postpone mutual orgasm? “Your wish is my command, Princess.” Zen didn't bother to undress. Frankly, there was a certain thrill to being completely dressed while the girl beneath you was naked, bared to you entirely. It was a power play Zen thoroughly enjoyed. He merely pushed his pants down enough to reveal his aching, flushed cock and take it in hand. Only as he began jerking himself did he notice that he didn't have a condom, at least not in reach and his stomach sank. This was probably the worst moment to announce a quick break so he could get up and go to the bathroom to find the pack of condoms he hid there. Still, it was still a better option than not having sex at all and Zen was about to get up and do just that when suddenly MC held a condom up behind herself for the man to take. “I've been hiding this between my breasts since I had to take my coat off and didn't have anywhere else to put it”, MC said smugly, head turned so she could grin at Zen. “Admittedly it got rather uncomfortable after a while, since I'd hoped we'd get it on sooner, but I'm not complaining.” She put the condom into his hand and gave him a look that clearly told him to get on with it. Zen chuckled. “I admire your confidence and optimism, Princess.” He put the wrapper between his teeth, ripped it open and easily rolling it onto his hard cock. Luckily, it dimmed the ache for an orgasm a little, as it was constricting his member ever so slightly. It had been too long after all and Zen feared he might have come too fast, had it not been for the rubber. Zen jerked himself off, spreading the lube on his thick girth before finally lining up and pushing inside of the other. Zen wasn't a religious man, but the experience could only be described as godly, really. The wet heat around his hard cock was incredible and Zen found himself moaning, burying his entire length inside of her in one go. In earned him a hiss from the woman below him and he'd been about to apologize when once more MC began to rock back and forth to fuck herself onto his cock. “Such a desperate, little Lady, aren't you”, he asked, smacking her but. It wasn't meant to be painful, just enough so he could admire the look of his handprint bright red against her pale skin. Perfect. “Very desperate”, she panted, already riled up. “Now give it to me, will you? This little Lady is desperate for a good orgasm and I'm quite sure you can make me come real good.” Zen certainly didn't back down from a challenge like that. With one hand he pushed her front back onto the mattress, the other used to pull her hips higher and forcing them back onto his cock. This time he didn't hesitate to thrust into her, setting a harsh pace from the start. Later on, he promised himself, he'd take his time with her, make her unravel beneath him. For now, he just wanted to let the beast take the lead. He'd fuck her until she was screaming his name so loud the neighbors would come to complain. The thought spurred him on more, thrusts turning punishing. He buried himself deep, never fully pulling out so he could fuck back into her hard and fast. The room was completely silent beside the sound of slapping skin, MC's muffle screams of pleasure and Zen's low groans. “Fuck, you feel so good. Harder. Shit, just like that”, MC cursed into the pillow, trying desperately to keep herself quiet. No, that wouldn't cut it! Instead of pushing her back into the mattress Zen lifted MC up until her back was pressed against his front. Apparently the new angle was to her liking, if the high pitched moan was anything to go by. “I want to hear you. Scream my name, Princess.” He punctuated his words with hard jabs, fucking up into her, hitting all the right spots.

Minutes seemed to turn into hours as ecstasy overwhelmed the pair, skin slowly turning sweaty as they fucked. Zen held onto his control as good as he could, trying very hard not to be too harsh, not to come too soon. Meanwhile MC asked for more through her moans, and screams and eventually by pulling. away, throwing Zen onto the mattress and straddling him. Zen stared up at her in surprise, shocked at just how willing she was to take charge to get exactly what she wanted. His shook was soon replaced by pleasure as she sunk down onto him, cock nuzzled in her wet heat. Her nails dug into his chest as she bounced on his cock, grinding her hips to pleasure herself. Her head was thrown back, baring her throat to him, an invitation he didn't refuse. The actor sat up, pulling her close as she bounced in his lap so he could kiss down her neck, lick at the salty skin and suck purple marks into it. That earned him filthy, guttural sounds while she clawed at his back, definitely leaving her marks there as well. “Just like that, baby. Take what you want”, he encouraged her, fucking up into her.

Zen could feel that she was close. Her walls were constantly tightening around his length, always getting him dangerously close to the edge. She was also so incredibly wet, he couldn't have put the feeling into words even if he tried. She was practically gushing, for God's sakes! In order to bring her closer to orgasm Zen kissed down her chest and grasped her breasts, bringing them to his lips to switch between her nipples, sucking them into his mouth. He licked at them, twirling his tongue around the hardening buds, causing MC to mewl above him. Zen smirked to himself, glancing up at her through his lashes. The sight was beautiful. MC's lips were kiss swollen still, cheeks bright red and skin shining. Her eyes were half lidded, pupils blows and the sounds falling from her lips pornographic. “Zen...O-oh God. Fuck, Zen”, she moaned, holding onto him for her dear life. “I'm going to come. Shit, just like that. Right there oh!” When her walls tightened around him with her orgasm Zen followed soon after. Only a handful of harsh thrusts later he emptied himself inside of her, both of them shaking with the intense orgasm. He fucked her through it, enjoying her withering in his arms before both of them were too weak to sit up any longer and fell backwards onto the mattress.

They lay together for a long time, MC on top of Zen as they both panted for air. He lazily threw his arm around her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Eventually, however, the blissful moment had to be interrupted as Zen had to get rid of the condom and preferably take a shower to get rid of the sweat that was currently covering both of them. “I have to get rid of these bad boys. I'll be right back”, he said, chuckling lightly as he carefully pushed MC onto the bed to get up and walk to the bathroom. Once off he tied a knot into the condom and threw it in the bin, leaning over the sink to wash his face and regain some composure. So...that happened. Zen just hoped it wouldn't backfire on him. He opened the little cabinet hidden behind the mirror over the sink and found the pack of condoms he would have needed about an hour ago. He glared down at the package, trying to see whether condoms had an expiration date when suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around his middle, warm lips pressing a kiss between his shoulder blades. “One thing, babe”, she began, voice practically a purr. “You don't leave a naked woman lying in your bed all by herself when you promised her a tour and there are so many more rooms to explore.” Zen decided the condoms were fine and quickly turned in her arms. He got himself naked as quickly as human possible before once more lifting her up - a delightful little chuckle MC's response – and carried her to the shower for round two.

Shower sex wasn't as easy as TV and porn liked to portray it sometimes, but they made it work; MC pressed against the tile wall with her legs around Zen's hips, his hands grabbing her firm ass to hold her up as he fucked into her, hot water making everything foggy. Once they were clean and capable of standing on their respective feet Zen kept to his promise and gave MC a proper tour. In the kitchen he put her on the kitchen isle, spread her legs and buried his tongue inside of her wet cunt. He licked her for a long time, teasing her horribly. He played with her clit, circling his tongue over the hard nub in the same time he thrust his tongue into her cunt. Zen quite enjoyed the response he got out of her, legs wrapped around his head, fingers fisting his hair as she desperately tried to bury him further inside of her, begging him oh so sweetly. Of course it didn't work. This time he was in charge. Whenever Zen could feel her walls tighten he stopped, retreating his tongue and fingers to smirk up at her. He did it many times until she was close to tears, begging him to let her come. Only then did he speed up his pace, lapping at her hungrily as he fingered her quickly, making her come for the third time that evening.

The next round MC decided to dedicate to him. He sat on the couch while she kneeled in front of him on the floor. Her pretty lips were wrapped around his hard cock, head bobbing up and down on his length. What she couldn't swallow down she jerked with her hand, skilled fingers not only moving up and down but circling his length, doubling the pleasure. Her free hand raked over his body, never failing to leave a scratch, a reminder so to say. This time didn't last long, as MC was quite skilled at what she was doing, sucking him down almost to the base and circling her tongue around his erection, brushing over the vein on his under side that made him blow his load almost immediately. Zen didn't mind. They had plenty of time and they used it. She rode him on the floor right after, milking another orgasm out of him before taking a short break as both of them were exhausted. That lasted for about five minutes before the food they'd gotten grew boring and the table was used for another great fuck, MC bent over the table, clawing at the wood as Zen pounded into her mercilessly. They continued like that until they'd had sex on every surface in the flat, going full circle once they made love on the bed one last time – slow and gentle, caressing and kissing instead of clawing and biting at one another – before passing out entirely, naked and in each other arms. Just for a brief moment, as they slept peacefully, all worry of the future was forgotten. Yoosung★: I can't believe they sextiled us... 707: Catching up on the grown up lingo, I see.

Yoosung★: I'M A GROWN UP TOO, OKAY!! Jumin Han: Were you really a grown up, this wouldn't have surprised you. Jaehee Kang: Nor would you have refused to leave. Jumin Han: Indeed. That was quite embarrassing for all of us. Yoosung★:

You're so meeeaaan! Jumin Han: I am surprised Assistant Kang isn't saying anything about this. It is obvious that Zen and MC are being intimate with one another as we speak. Yoosung★: Don't remind me. I can't get the image out of my head.

707: Yoosung you dirty boy

But I agree with Jumin...aren't you hurt, Jaehee? Jaehee Kang:

I don't see why I should be. I admit I was worried, at first. A love scandal could potentially ruin Zen's career, but I trust MC not to betray him like that. If anyone deserves to be by Zen's side, I think it is MC. 707:

Well said, Jaehee. Really well said.

I dedicate this piece of shit to my favourite bitch @zenscrotch who draws the juiciest dicks and other smutty goodies over on her blog. Without her I probably wouldn’t have managed to shit this out, so thank you babe ★ Also for anyone who cares to read this , this ficlet was inspired by the song Surprise Party - Hoodie Allen aka what I like to call Zen’s Theme. This is also painfully unbeta-ed, so I hope there aren’t too many mistakes. If you liked this I’m happy and if you wanna red more feel free to shoot me a request!

!!★!! I accept headcannon request and more !!★!!

Chapter 7 - Ganbaru, Tami!

"Ötvös Tamara reporting for duty ma'am!" I said as I saluted after entering the room.

Lili giggled and Emese said laughingly "At ease, soldier, this is not the navy".

I lowered my hand and stood there confusingly.

"Come, sit" she said.

I did so and took my hat off and put it on the desk around which we sat down. The Sun was almost down so Lili switched on the lights and I saw some documents on the table of different tanks, formations and also some boring paperwork like papers.

"First of all" started Emese "You're one of us, remember that. You're not obliged to act so formally all the time, right?" she smiled "I'll let the others thing whatever the heck they want, I believe you'll proove me right, I'm putting my trust in ya"

"I...I don't think you chose right.." I said while looking at my lap.

"Well nobody's forcing you" said Lili "But you know...you became a celebirity over just an afternoon. You did the Tas, right? Sensha-dou is not only about maps and tactics. What good Guderian would've been without knowing his tanks? You understood the soul of your tank, that's what matters to us, everyone else came here without knowing a thing about them including us so it was a long struggle for everybody yet you menaged to lead your crew to land a shot while moving. Not everybody can do that y'know"

"You girls praising me and all..."

"Anyhow I look at it we need a third commander in our forces "said Emese" and you just came barging in the door like a you-know-nothing and by the next day the girls under your command act like half pros - even though they are indeed talented - so give some credits to yourself" she winked.

"Thanks you two. But please don't raise me in such heights, we mustn't get arrogant" I said simlingly looking at them.

They nodded.

"Anyways" starte Emese "We I did not call you here solely to talk about our skills. there's that coming up again"

"That?" I asked.

"Annual national high school sensha-dou tournament" said Lili.

"Oh...I read about it"

"At any rate" continued the Captain "We're all set for it. Yeah yeah I asked for thirty tanks but we only need twenty whatevs...if you're doing something do it in the right way, right? We opening ceremony and the number drawing will be in three weeks and after that a match every sunday"

"Already?!" raised Lili her voice.

"Aye"

"Three weeks to prepare..." I said.

"We'll have to use our priviliges and take out the afternoons for training" said Lili.

"That's why the student council joined...at least one of the reasons..." said Emese in a very serious tone.

Lili and I looked at each other suspiciously.

Emese sighed "I'm gonna be frank with you guys, the sensha-dou club will be disbanded if we don't perform well"

"Outrageous!" said Lili.

"We just only joined!" I replied.

"How could they do this to us?!"

"Who dares do this to the best club?!"

"I'll go show them who to disba"

"Both of you please stay calm!" ordered us Emese.

We again looked at each other and then down on the ground.

"Nothing is lost yet" she calmed us "I said we need to perform well, that's all they care about. It could very well might be that we'll be against Kuromorimine on our first match but if we put up a good show and make them sweat they will regain their trust in us. This is the will of the MEXT [Japanese education ministry], not the school's since our club is state founded because of our great successes in the distant past. 'Hast thou became slothful' as I heard once. It would appear that we did"

A metaphorical black hood ascended on the room.

"Well girls" jumped up from her chair Emese "We've got work to do aren't we? We just have to show them once and they will believe us forever, are you with me?!"

"Yeah!!" we yelled.

  We decided that we will hold the strategy meetings with the tanks' commanders after we know our first opponent, every day after the club class. That's all we did to start to organize our situation. Said our goodbyes and called it a day finally. They went out the front door but I realized I left my phone in the tank so I headed there.

The great surprise - if I can call it that - happened then. The crew of Turul was sitting on or around her.

"So" asked Reiko as she jumped down from the hull "What up?"

"You girls waited for me..." I said as toughly as I could while trying to suprsess a tear drop.

"Of course" said Jitsuko"

"We'd follow our Commander to the edge and beyond" said Aoi.

"I'm so wreckt..." said Eimi "Let's go eat something"

I nodded

  Funny how we only had known each other for two days and we already acted like friends for decades. What they say about this sport could be true, it really does unite people through fighting against or with each other. Not only that but I've never met such people like them, even though I knew them little I felt like trusting them with my life. Could it be God who had us met this way? Was it fate which assembled the Turul crew? Even though I don't believe in magic sometimes I feel like overriding my beliefs. From time to time things seem too coincidential to be regarded like that. Maybe luck really does exist and I felt like exhausting it for the next years. That's a chance I took.

On the other hand due to my new lack of luck I could be ran over by a bus any time...

Oh well stuff happen. Stuff like how Aoi, Jitsuko and I didn't know a thing about this place. I mean I only arrived a couple of days ago and if I wasn't lazily laying in my bed I was busy with school stuff. I thought I could discover the city in the weekend but nope, sensha-dou happened - not that I'm complaining.

The others led us to some ramen restaurant. It turned out they had known each other. They attended the basketball club for a little while but with the exception of Fusako they all stopped because they didn't like it.

We get to know a lot of things about each other.

Eimi came from way up north from a little village and she has two little sisters who always caused trouble for her so she heard of this school and came alone. She lives near to my place under the same conditions. She is really into cars and she had been in the automotive club ever since she could join but stopped doing it because sensha-dou started to get her attention even more year by year and when she heard that this club was slowly disappearing she decided she would do her part in resurrecting this club. Even though she doesn't have a license the automotive club has their own racetrack at the other end of the ship so she could hone her skills there and if I do say so myself she is really talented at it. I know it because not only could she instantly figure out how the tank's handling works but I didn't even have to tell her about the shifting, she just looked at the engine specs and she knew what to do. Crazy...

Reiko comes from the north as well but not as much as Eimi. She lived in  a bigger town with her brother and family but they decided to move here because her father works in the government and they got this offer and took on the opportunity. She started a year later than Eimi in this school and she could continue her interest in shooting. When she first heard of the sensha-dou club it didn't interest her but when she witnessed the girls on the shooting range as she was wondering around the forest and she got very imperessed by the magnitude and colossality of the guns compared to her "puny little toothpick-shooter" as she put it. Sadly she couldn't stop her elective halfway in the school year but it led her to be our shooter for which I am very happy.

Fusako comes from the same prefecture as Reiko though she lived in a smaller village and unlike the girl before her family decided as a whole to move here aboard the ship. She didn't like it at first but got very impressed by the life on the sea so eventually she grow into loving this school. At home she had done riding and even though rarely but in Choshi she can still continue doing it. As I mentioned the last three girls had known each other before we all met due to the "basketball incident". Eimi and Reiko really felt embarrassed and humiliated after the first training session - though it wasn't the case and despite them because of her height Fusako really menaged in the club and achieved some great things in the national league with the team but eventually got bored of basketball and looked for sensha-dou.

About Jitsuko and Aoi it's not easy to speak separately. They come from the same town from the west and been classmates ever since they started school. They have similar interests - video games and animes - though in different genres. Their personality is similar as well though Ji is more enthusiastic and open even though she's a little bit introverted, and Aoi is more neutral and thorough with her opinions. Maybe the main things they differ is their looks but we can clearly see why they are good friends.

Ji came here with her family the same way as Fusako and Aoi's case is more similar to mine, she was sent here from her old school because you see their previous school closed due to financial problems so she had the same choice as me and of course she'd choose the place her best friend had chosen before here. Ji decided to come this school before the previous school decided to go bankrupt and convinced her family but fate decided Aoi would come here as well. Aoi spends a lot of time at Jitsuko's house and with her family because her's stayed west. She lives in a different part of town than me and Eimi.

Our evening there went by like this. It was a traditional ramen restaurant so we just sat next to each other on high chairs. We told stories, spoke of ourselves, criticised each other and laughed at or with each other. This was really needed especially early on, I think we needed to become as close to each other as possible and it was a right start to go with.

Sunday's afternoon practice was coming up so we all went home from there. I don't know about the others but I wanted to sleep some. I needed to get up early, I promised Saki I'd watch their waterpolo training before heading to sensha-dou class. I'm quite interested in waterpolo as well - sadly not as much as in sensha-dou.

I headed home in the dark but yet calming streets which was like walking on the street of Budapest while some kind of Japanese festival was happening.

Suddenly the entire place shook a bit. An earthquake? I was walking near the edge of the ship and I saw the scenery suddenly started to move. Departure, huh. I stood there watching as the ship slowly left the harbor and the townspeople were watching it from docks. Some people gathered on the deck as well. Slowly I started to smell even more saltiness in the air as the ocean was calling us.

Well I passed the point of no return. Onto home to see what tomorrow holds for me.