#some guy tried to tailgate me with brights on in the rain at night a while ago and I was like beloved we are going 20 until you stop that. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hornyliverpudlianputz · 6 years

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Tips for moving to a different climate

Alrighty so I recently made a move between states (in the US) that have VERY DIFFERENT CLIMATES. So here are some tips that might help people doing the same thing.

Hot to cold - Dress. In Layers. You will freeze your first winter, that’s ok. But layers are the key to success. I’m talking undershirt, shirt, cardigan/sweater, knee socks, ankle socks, leggings, pants, scarf, jacket, hat, thin pair of gloves, thick pair of gloves, WHATEVER YOU NEED. Wear it all at once. Trust me. Layers. - Black ice. It’s a super shitty type of ice that is basically totally clear and as a result almost completely invisible. You will not see it unless you are really looking for it. You will slip on it just as easily. Watch out. - Buy several pairs of gloves, thick and thin. These are like your sunglasses. Put them in your coat pockets. You should never be caught without gloves in the winter. Side note, touching a Very Cold Thing with bare skin, especially if it’s metal, is a Bad Idea. Even if you’re skin is dry, there is a very real possibility you will stick to it. This is why you need gloves. If you do, for some reason, touch a Cold Thing and you stick to it, do not yank. EXHALE on the stuck thing (don’t blow, exhale, the key is warmth) until it comes unstuck. If you need to, spit or drool on the thing (DO NOT LICK, this will leave your tongue stuck too) until it comes off. This technique will work with frozen locks as well. - Learn the difference between between “cold fingers” and the beginnings of frostbite. Redness is good, even if they are feeling numb. It means you still have circulation. You should probably be trying to warm them up though. If they start turning white and waxy it is Bad and you need to get them warm ASAP. Get inside and soak them in water (LUKEWARM, NOT HOT, YOU WILL BURN YOURSELF) at the soonest possible time. The circulation returning will HURT. Do not let it get to that point. - If you have canvas or cloth shoes, DO NOT wear them outside in the winter. Not only will they get soaked in the snow (when it melts) but most places put down salt on roads/sidewalks to prevent ice. This will RUIN your shoes. This is also why most people will expect you to take your shoes off at the door, tracking dirty, salty water through people’s houses is Not Cool. Get a good pair of snow boots, you will use them. Also don’t be That Guy who wears heels in the snow. Just don’t. Change when you get where you’re going. - When you’re clearing your car off (get an ice scraper and a snow brush, trust me) the FIRST THING you should do is get in your car and turn the heat on full blast. Turn on the rear window heater and turn the windshield blower (the thing you use if it starts fogging up) on FULL. Then go out to clear the car. Not only will the car be toasty when you get in to drive, but it will heat the windows from the inside and it will make the ice scraping SO MUCH EASIER. It helps if you give yourself an extra 5-10 minutes in the morning to clear as well. (also DO NOT throw hot water on your car to get ice off, this will CRACK YOUR WINDSHIELD. GET A DAMN ICE SCRAPER.) - If you are doing a physical activity in the snow (skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding, shoveling, anything) recognize that the activity will warm you up and be prepared to shed layers. If you start sweating, cool yourself down. If your clothing becomes sweatsoaked, it will be wet and therefore become cold. Wet, cold clothing will not keep you warm. This is a Bad Thing. - It is possible for it to be too cold to snow. Bright, sunny, clear days are often THE COLDEST ONES in the winter. Cloud coverage, especially at night, acts like a blanket that keeps the heat in. If there are no clouds, there is less heat. Also, you will use your sunglasses in the winter. Snow blindness, being physically “dazzled” by bright sunlight reflecting off of fresh snow, is a thing. Do not trust sunny days. You can and will get sunburned. - Remember to cover your ears. It’s a thing most people don’t think about but your ears are one of the first things to get cold if exposed, along with your fingers and nose. If you don’t want to wear a hat because it will mess up your hair, get an earband or ear muffs. - Clear your damn sidewalk. Packed snow will basically become ice, it is not safe. At the very least put down salt but if you live in a place where it snows, get a shovel. And note, the warmer it is when snowing the wetter the snow will be and the heavier it is. Don’t throw your back out shoveling because you tried to lift a shovelful that was too heavy, be smart. (The wet snow is good packing snow though, that’s the kind for snowballs and snowmen.) Alternatively, if it is dry snow and it’s a light enough layer you can get away with just sweeping. - When driving in the snow, do not panic. A light to medium snow is like driving in a heavy rain except you can see better. DO NOT drive faster than you are comfortable going. Turn on your hazards if you need to. Trust your gut, you can FEEL when your car is losing traction. If you start to skid, steer INTO it. Take corners slower than you would normally, and start braking for intersections WAY before you normally would. Drive in the tracks of the car in front of you, get your tires as close as possible to direct contact with the pavement. DO NOT. I REPEAT, DO NOT, drive in ice. No one can drive in ice. Don’t fucking do it. Carry kitty litter in your trunk, if you get stuck, put it under your back tires for traction. If you are stuck stuck, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR. Wait for help. Keep peanut butter or pretzels or other non-perishables in your car to eat in emergencies. - It will be dry in the winter. Chapsticks and moisturizers are your friends. Watch out for nosebleeds. - Do not follow too closely behind snowplows, they are often laying down salt behind them and this will RUIN your car. (The salt will get to your car anyway, be vigilant about rust, but tailgating snowplows is a Bad Idea.)

Cold to hot - You will be hot. You will not like it. You will sweat. So much. You will probably need to shower more often to wash sweat off. Learn to accept this. - Buy several pairs of sunglasses. These are like your gloves. Put them in your purse, your car, your bag. You should never be caught without sunglasses. Same applies to hats. - If you do not have a sun shade for your car (the thing you put up on the inside of your windshield) GET ONE. USE IT. It really does keep the temperature down, it allows you to physically touch your steering wheel, and it stops your dashboard from melting. - When travelling from place to place in the summer be dressed for the heat, but also carry something light you can thrown on when you go inside. Restaurants especially keep their temperatures EXTREMELY LOW for food safety reasons and when you’re going from 95 to 75 you FREEZE. - Do not. Trust. That the pavement can be touched with bare skin. It probably can’t. And I don’t just mean black asphalt, I mean ANY PAVEMENT. If you are going to an outdoor pool, bring shoes for the deck. - If you’re changing latitudes (and if you’re changing climates you probably are) remember that the “danger times” for sunburn are different. Also remember that the sun exposure will be different. Be vigilant with that sunscreen. - It may not snow but THERE WILL BE ICE. Keep your ice scraper for your car, you will need it in the mornings. - If you’re outside when it’s hot, wear an under layer. It seems counter intuitive, but you WILL be sweating and the under layer will help save your outer clothing. Also get plenty of loose, breathable clothes. Any little bit helps. - If you wear makeup, you might need to experiment with different moisture-resistant types. - Mentally prepare yourself for a snowless winter. It is a sad thing. - Do yardwork in the morning/evening, not in the middle of the day when it is hottest. If you overheat and start feeling faint, seeing spots, or are getting tunnel vision/brownouts, STOP what you’re doing. Find shade or get inside, lay down, drink water, and if needed apply ice packs to your forehead. If you need to cool down quickly, putting ice packs near you lymph nodes is helpful. (That’s your armpits, groin, and either side of your neck under your chin.) For humid places - Mold. Watch out for mold. Fucking everywhere. At all times. - Damp chill is COLD. It will seep into you and you will be cold. Have blankets, be prepared. - Your hair will behave differently. Hairspray, bobby pins, grooming cream, you will need it. If it is long, try to keep it off your neck. If it is curly, consider cutting it short because let me tell you, you can FORGET about brushing it. - Put a few grains of dry rice in your salt shakers, it will prevent them from clogging up. For dry places - Water. Have water with you at all times. Drink it. You will need it. - Moisturizers and chapsticks are your friends. Also you will probably get nosebleeds. - Your hair will behave differently, be prepared. It will be the flattest you have ever seen in your life.

Add your own if I forgot something!

#rant #personal #long-ass post

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waypathfinder · 4 years

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Crimson Lane - Chapter 22 - Deception

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Doors slammed against the backdrop of crickets and flushed storm drains. Rey looked back at the house. There was a warm glow from the windows, smoke spiralling from one of the chimneys softening the cold snap in the air with the smell of wood smoke and storms past.

Rey got into the passenger side of the Mercedes Vito, giving a weak attempt at a smile in Poe's direction before she put the window down. He wrapped his fingers over her door, ducking his head down to speak to them.

"Don't take any risks in there. We'll get Snoke, whether we have the drive or not."

Finn nodded. "We'll be careful."

"And you—" Poe tapped her on the nose, in what she would have thought was a brotherly gesture, had she ever had one. "We're on the same team. Don't forget that."

"As long as you won't."

He chuckled, stepping back to the bottom step. "Stay safe, all of you."

Dom turned the key in the ignition, and with a heavy heart, Rey watched as the homestead faded away into blackness and the long empty road stretched out ahead. There were no street lights on this section of road, and even the reflector panels were like fading stars against a rising fog that hovered eerily before them.

Dom turned on the radio, and the silence was blasted with ABBA's greatest hits.

"Oh, God, kill me now," Finn moaned from the back.

Rey cracked a smile, catching sight of her reflection in the glass, but even as she saw it, the smile slipped from her lips, her heart was beating too fast, the hairs tingling at the back of her neck. She swallowed a lump in her throat and tried to will away the churning feeling in her stomach.

What would Ben say when he came back to find her missing? Would he understand? That this was the only thing she could offer him: more than her love, more than escape, but freedom to walk away from it all.

Finn pulled a pair of earbuds from his pocket, pushing them into his ears and leaning back with his eyes closed,

"If you guys need me, just give me a poke."

Rey recognised the muffled tunes of Wizzkid playing from the back and smiled—same old Finn.

Minutes passed in relative silence until there was a flash of lights against the rear-vision mirror. The lights bounced on her side mirror and into her eyes. She squinted, trying to make out the kind of car, but it was impossible to tell, just two white eyes, in the sullen darkness.

"Fuck off," Dom hissed. A streak of light crossed his face. He lowered the mirror, but it didn't seem to do much.

Rey looked once behind them, noting how close the car appeared on their tail.

Too close.

Dom's leg shifted, and the engine revved, and the van sped up ten kilometres an hour over the speed limit, and the lights fell back a little behind them.

"I hate tailgaters, don't you?"

"Yeah," Rey said dismissively, trying to hide the way her heart hammered in her chest.

The lights flashed in her eyes again and then the car was coming at them faster than before, with no hint of stopping. Without even noticing, Rey floored at an imaginary foot pedal.

"Shit, shit, shit," Dom hissed. "What should we do?"

"I don't know!" Rey whispered back. She glanced at Finn, he was blissfully oblivious in the back seat. She'd seen far too many movies to know how this would end. "Have you got anything, weapons, a gun?"

The car swerved out from behind them until the navy wagon was alongside them. There were two young children in the back watching movies on their tablets, and a woman and man in front, their hands gesticulating wildly like they were in some kind of fight. The family overtook them, leaving a flurry of rain mist in its wake.

"Holy shit." Dom relaxed back in his seat. "I thought—"

"I know." Rey realised she'd been clutching onto her belt until her fingers were numb. "Me too."

Rey let out a shaky breath, smoothing the folds of her jeans. "So, what's our plan once we get there?"

"If you can switch the drives, I'll meet you as you come out and get the original. And then you and Finn get as far away from there as you can."

"And what will you do, give the drive to Poe?" She held her breath as she asked the question.

She knew that was what should happen — but if there was still a chance to help Ben, she would take it.

Dom looked back at Finn. He wasn't listening, still nodding his head in the back seat to the muffled tunes they could barely hear.

"I wasn't going to give it back straight away?" He glanced at Rey, as if measuring her reaction. "I can if you want me to, but I thought we could remove some files first."

Rey held her breath. "The stuff on Kylo?"

He nodded.

"Why would you do that?"

"Kylo had already tampered with the info on the drive. He'd removed all references to me on it."

"How do you know?"

"I traced a bunch of deleted messages on Lor's phone about me, and you. He was determined to help me out of there with a clean slate, and his plan was always to get you to safety. He'd booked plane tickets, accommodation, he'd even gone as far as paying your lease out."

Rey thought back to those nights Ben hadn't come to bed, when he'd been working late on his laptop, carefully hiding the details of his screen. Is this what he'd been working on, her escape plan?

"I figured it's the least I could do, you know?" Dom added, signalling to turn onto the main street heading back into town. "I know the guy's done some bad shit for the First Order, we all have, but no one deserves what Snoke has put him through."

Rey nodded, contemplating what she'd just heard. Somehow all the fear that had been coiling inside her abated a little and she felt lighter, more confident, knowing that she was making the right decision—no matter what the outcome.

They watched the world outside transfer from empty fields and acreages to the tight streets and bright lights of Coruscant. Finn took his earphones off and leant forward.

It had all come down to this. Six years of fighting the demon in her memory, six years of hiding and scrambling for a way out of this tunnel.

With each tick of the odometer, Rey's heart stopped, until they rounded the corner of Crimson Lane and pulled up before the brothel.

She stepped out on the sidewalk, slick with rain, and peered up at number 12. It sank into the night with all its black walls and cast-iron balcony. The windows were dully lit, a hue of brown blood glowed like a bruise behind the thick velvet curtains.

Finn came up beside her and the tips of his fingers brushed over hers.

Behind them, she heard cars sloshing through dirty puddles. It brought her back to the first time she had come before the door, the bright red light of the wall bleeding down onto her face, marking her.

It would be the last time she came here, and with a steadying breath, she opened the door.

"You're late." Phasma eyed Rey up and down, her words sharp and pronounced. "And you look like shit."

She didn't bite. Not tonight.

Rey walked over to the desk, running her finger along the diary of appointments.

"Is Kylo here yet?" she purred. It was a good act because even now, her insides felt like they were sliding into the centre of the Earth.

"He's not coming back." Phasma's steel-coloured eyes flicked up to a point at the corner of the room. Rey followed her gaze to a security camera watching them both. "I'm surprised you did."

Rey shrugged, dragging her finger alongside the list of names. Armitage Hux, Seth—no last name… Snoke.

She tried not to react, even though the muscles in her legs tightened like she wanted to run, and her finger was shaking, so she snatched it away, unable to speak.

That was until she saw something else.

"You booked Rose with Dathomirian Zabrek?"

Phasma shrugged. "He is a special friend of Mr Snoke's. It was the least we could do for him after Kylo beat him black and blue."

There was a loud thump upstairs and Rey flinched.

"Don't worry." Phasma bent to gather some black-leather lingerie from beneath the desk and placed it on the table. "I'm sure he will be on his best behaviour this time."

Rey struggled to hold back. The tide of anger was rushing over her like a rampage of fire. How could this woman be part of something so evil? This wasn't going to happen to Rose. Not tonight. Not ever.

"You're a cold-hearted bitch," Rey hissed at her through clenched teeth.

Phasma laughed.

Rey wanted to slap the smile off her pale face. "Go to hell!"

Rey grabbed the underwear to turn away when Phasma yanked her across the desk, so close that her hot breath seeped into Rey's ear, making her shiver.

"We're all going to hell, desert flower! Some of us are just going there sooner than others."

She let go and Rey stumbled back in shock.

As if nothing had passed, Phasma shrugged and resumed sorting through client files. "You shouldn't have come back here."

Rey stiffened, confronted with the stark reality that perhaps she'd made a mistake in coming back. Snoke was a creep and a criminal, but had she ever really known how far he would go to destroy her? A shiver trickled down Rey's spine, as she remembered the three little words Phasma had penned to them only this morning.

Don't come back.

And yet, here she was, unarmed and unprepared—without Ben for protection.

There was a creak to her right, and Snoke's office door opened an inch, seemingly by itself. Inside the light was off. She waited. But no one came out.

Thankfully.

Phasma sighed, following the line of Rey's gaze. "It's too late now. Go get changed. I'll let Hux know you are here."

Rey took the pile of black mesh underwear again and put it under her arm. As she turned to leave, she noticed that Rose had one spot free before Dathomirian's booking, just a short one, half an hour max.

She prayed that would be enough…

"There's a drunk guy out front looking for a quick one."

Phasma raised her eyebrows from her work. "Oh, yes?"

"He seemed pretty agitated. You might want to call the cops on him. I'd hate for one of the girls to run into trouble with him. I told him to go, but he refused."

Phasma picked up the phone and began dialling an inside line.

"Tico. Kit up. You've got a booking."

There was a pause and Rey breathed a sigh of relief. At least she could trust Phasma to be a nasty bitch.

"I don't care. It won't kill you to spread your legs for an extra 30."

She hung up the phone with a spiteful glare at Rey.

"Tell him to come in."

"What are you—"

Rey cut Finn off, throwing her arms around him and buried her head in his neck. "Listen to me, I need your help and we don't have much time."

Finn's strong hands wrapped around her back, pulling her close, while his lips brushed her cheek as he spoke. "Tell me what to do."

"My friend, Rose, is in there. Phasma has just booked her with a very dangerous client. I need you to get her as far away as possible!"

Finn didn't release his grip, still clinging to her. "We can help her after—"

"No!" Rey pulled back from him, searching his eyes. "It will be too late. I've booked you in with her, I need you to get her out. She has a daughter. You do whatever you have to do to get her to safety."

"I'm not leaving you."

"Yes, you are," Rey said. "Dom and I can finish the job without you. It's not up for debate. Her name is Rose Tico, she has a child, and her sister died in the Resistance bombing as a hero. Hell, see if she'll talk to the paper if you want, but get her out!"

Finn's nostrils flared as he took a large breath out.

"This is important," Rey urged one last time. "You'll understand when you meet her."

His shoulders sagged, nodding.

"I'll do what I can."

The room was new to her and unlike any of the others she had seen, and especially different from the one she had spent her night with Kylo in. The walls were covered with floor to ceiling mirrors, and at the centre, was an oval-shaped bed draped in navy satin sheets. Rey slipped her clothes off, kicking them under the bed, for lack of anywhere else to put them.

With careful precision not to rip it, she pulled on a mesh and vinyl fishnet bodice, stomach-churning as she zipped it up at the centre. Next, the panties and stockings, connected by a black suspender belt. She'd hoped for a robe at least, somewhere she could hide the drive Dom had given her, but she fixed it behind the band of her left garter.

She waited, goosebumps prickling. The room was an endless line of reflections. She met her own eyes staring back at her. The image stunned her, the lingerie left nothing to her imagination, her nipples tightened from the cold, and she didn't dare peer down between her legs and what could be seen. The whole outfit made her appear small, insecure and weak.

She touched the wall of one of the mirrors.

How far would she have to go to do this?

The thought hadn't occurred to her until now, dressed up for someone else's pleasure. Would she let him touch her as intimately as she'd let Kylo?

And could he forgive her for going this way?

She stepped back from the mirror, dropping her hand by her side.

"For Ben," she whispered to many visions of herself surrounding her in a rainbow of black and flesh.

A Tarsier. That was the first thing Rey thought of when she saw Finn as she stepped back into the lobby. Her cheeks flushed as she tried to look at anything but his bulging eyes and gaping mouth.

"Oh, shit," the words tumbled from his mouth.

"Not that one, you idiot!" Phasma snapped at him. "That one!"

Finn turned to see where Phasma was pointing. A pair of tanned feet in five-inch red heels slowly came down the stairs. Her eyes were downcast, the side of her jet-black hair carefully positioned to hide a smudge of yellow by her right eye socket. Rey rushed up to meet her and Rose stopped her slow walk down to embrace her.

"There's something going on down the hall," Rose whispered carefully. "You need to get out of here."

Rey held her tighter, pressing her lips on her cheek. "I know."

"He hasn't paid for a threesome," Phasma snapped.

"My friend Finn is down there. You're getting out of here tonight!" Rey told her seconds before she pulled away,

As they neared the last few steps, Rey noticed at once that Finn was no longer looking at her, but his line of vision was firmly centred on Rose. His hands slipped in his pockets, out, back in again, and his eyes were pointedly not trying to look below her neck.

Rose took the last step onto the landing and lifted her eyes to him. She hesitated, surprised by what she saw there.

"Err, hi," Finn said, slipping his hands back out of his pockets and wiping them on his trousers.

Rey raised her eyebrows at him as if to say, why are you acting so weird? "I'm Finn."

"Finn." Rose nodded slowly, turning around to meet Rey's face with a questioning expression and something akin to happiness. "It's good to meet you."

Rey watched them go up the stairs with a full heart. There was something in the way Rose's fingers had curled around his, and the gentle, wistful expression in Finn's face as he'd followed behind her that made her think she was giving Rose more than an escape route.

For a moment, she entertained the stray thought that there could be something between them one day. That spark of curiosity, desire and attraction, perhaps one day turning into something so much more.

She had almost relaxed a little when she felt the sudden nerve-tingling feeling of being watched. Rey turned around to see a pale face, pointed nose, and bright ginger hair slicked back with gel, and a pair of blue eyes narrowed and taking in every curve and line of her body.

He didn't even try to hide his excitement as he spoke to her with a sneer.

"Now, it's my turn."

In the room of mirrors, Rey sat with her legs crossed upon the oval bed. The lighting was dim, making the mirrors and her reflection shaded with gold, the navy bed vast enough to be lost in. Hand on knees, she jiggled her leg distractedly. Armitage Hux had not undressed or done anything apart from staring down at her.

Rey slipped a curl behind her ear, and Hux dipped his head to the side, admiring her from another angle.

It was infuriating, sitting here, waiting for his instructions and Hux was in no rush.

Part of her had hoped that she may have found Ben here. That knowing she was about to be locked in a room with this red-headed pyromaniac would be enough for him to carry her away and they could escape together, travel the world, and not look back.

But that was not why she was here...

Rey levelled her eyes at his crotch, noting the way the material fell on both sides, uneven. The smallest hint of something in his left pocket.

"Like what you see?"

She smirked. "How couldn't I?"

It wasn't a lie.

Armitage shifted his hips forward and backwards, rolling on the balls of his feet, keeping his hands in his pockets.

"You want to taste it, don't you, Rey?"

She cringed at the sound of her name on his lips, and the intimate way it fell suggestively into the air.

"I can think of other things I'd prefer to do with it." She flashed her eyes up at him again.

Hux met her gaze with a smug look of satisfaction. He reached his fingers out to her temple, brushing them lightly, a soft smile on his lips.

"Oh, I can tell you are a naughty girl, aren't you?"

Rey bristled, swallowing a lump in her throat.

"Very naughty." It was the most demure voice she could have managed. "Sometimes." She slid her hands out to his hips, tracing circles from his thigh to his waist, slipping her fingers into his pockets.

His eyes widened, and he tried to pull back in alarm, but she yanked him forward by his pockets, as hard as she could, bringing his crouch before her face. "Sometimes…" She clutched the top of his zipper fastener with her teeth, as she dipped her fingers down, brushing the hard tip of what lay inside. She dragged the zipper down with her mouth, releasing the package beyond, sticking out at her. "I can't seem to help myself."

Armitage parted his legs, and Rey tried to look away from the pink-headed snake sticking out at her. Long and urgent fingers clasped around her own and his breathing came in heavy groans.

"Tell me I'm bigger than him."

Rey blinked.

"What?"

"Tell me I'm bigger than Ren."

She ducked her head down, hiding her smile, but he pulled her chin up to meet his gaze.

"I've heard he's a terrible lover," he said, almost consolatory. "Unsatisfying." He huffed, stifling a snigger. "Not surprising, considering."

Rey could do little else but peer up at his nasal hairs, mouth agape, until he squeezed her jaw together. "I can't hear you."

"He is no Armitage Hux," she purred. "That much—" she made a purposeful glance below his belt—"is clear."

Armitage straightened, sniffing proudly as his nose hairs shivered.

"But, words are all very well…" Rey crawled back onto the bed, parting her legs and arching her back. "Why don't you show me instead?"

Hux released a muffled gasp and the next minute he had thrown himself on top of her, attacking her with kisses, nipping her jaw, and licking along her collar bone.

Rey stared down at her reflection in the ceiling mirror, hair askew and face flushed. When his spindly finger slid inside her panties to pull them down, she slapped his hand away.

"No, me first!" She moved quickly, hands searching for the drive. In the rush of panting breaths and hurried hands, she slid her right hand behind her thigh and took the drive. Her urgent fingers replacing the one in his pocket under the guise of rubbing her hand along him. Hux groaned as she touched him, sucking on his neck with hungry, blood-thirsty bites.

If he had noticed at all, he didn't show it.

She gazed up at the girl in the mirror, ignoring the way Armitage's appendage stroked hard against her, hot and seeking.

Now, how to get the hell out of here?

She should have thought this through.

He began clawing at her underwear, his nails scraping against her skin, trying to rip the fine mesh to pieces.

"Slow down," Rey hissed at him. She wrapped her hands behind her back, trying to steady his fingers.

Seizing the opportunity, Armitage clamped her wrists behind her back and sneered. "Yes, I like this."

Rey jolted as he nipped her on the neck, sinking his teeth into her skin. There was a brief knock at the door, and he turned away, peering at the mirrored door like he'd just stepped in dog shit.

"Piss off. This room is taken."

"Snoke sent me to say your time is up."

Relief flooded through Rey as she recognised Dom's voice on the other side of the door.

"My time is up when I say it is!" Hux covered her mouth, spit showering her face as he spoke. "We need to be quick—"

There was a crunch, and Rey felt the moment her knee impacted his groin with a rumbling groan. Hux's eyelids fluttered as he rolled off her, clutching his balls like she'd stabbed them, keeling over in a fetal position. She did feel a little guilty, considering the lime-complexion that came over his face as he moved his lips in broken, breathy curses, but still —

"I'm sorry about this." She jumped on top of him, locking her legs around his waist in a vice-like grip as she smashed the base of her palm just under his nose. The move was sharp enough to pinch the nerves of his upper spinal column and Armitage's head snapped back and he blacked out.

Rey just stared at his limp body in the silence. Only now she realised how hard her heart had been thumping, how the blood was coursing through her veins, the way her pulse points beat like drums in her neck, wrist, she could even feel them bounding behind her knees.

Every part of her was on high-alert.

With rapid, frenetic movements, she pulled the drive out from her garter belt.

Had it been that easy?

There was another hurried knock at the door, jolting Rey back to her senses, and with a leap, she dashed across the room and opened the door.

"Hey!" she breathed.

Dom raised his eyebrows. "Hi… did you get it?"

"Yes!" She pulled the drive out, pushing it into his outstretched hand. "Don't forget our deal, okay? Clear everything on Kylo?"

He nodded. "I'll do it straight away. My equipment's in the van. Are you coming?"

Rey looked back at the limp body of Armitage splayed across the mattress and back out to the corridor. "I'll meet you out there, I'll just check that Rose and Finn made it out."

Dom nodded. "Sure, don't be long."

Rey didn't waste any time. Grabbing her clothes from beneath the bed, she shoved them under her arm and darted out of the room.

Raising her chin high, she strode out into the main foyer, praying to God that Phasma wasn't there to ask her what she was doing.

The main entryway of Crimson Lane was gloomy and cold, sticks of incense had burnt into discarded ashes in the waiting area, and Phasma's desk was clear of papers with the lamp switched off.

Strange...

She continued, shooting a side-glance at the door to Snoke's office.

It was open.

Her body went rigid.

A pair of blue eyes glistened at her from the darkness beyond, standing just back from the door crack, watching...

Smiling. The expression of someone who had caught his kill.

Every bone in her body turned to liquid, and the hair at the back of her neck stood on end.

What the fuck was she going to do?

Run!

A voice screamed in her mind, filling her up from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. That silent, urging voice that had carried her through life, a rock-solid instinct that had been sharpened on the streets of Jakku.

But if she could just get to Finn and Rose, then she would have help. It would be three against one.

And if they weren't there...

She bolted up the steps, her bare feet thumping on every creaking level. There were no rushed footsteps behind her, no blood-chilling jibes to accompany her on her way.

Just… silence.

She reached the top of the stairs and almost bowled straight into a tall, blonde-haired man with azure-coloured eyes and thick pink lips. He was startlingly attractive, with perfectly combed hair in a style that was too old-fashioned for someone who looked barely ten years older than her.

She tried to push past him, but his lips parted, exposing dazzling teeth, and she smelled peroxide and disinfectant filling her nostrils.

"Hi," he said.

Rey squinted, confused for a moment before his fist slammed into the side of her face. Her body flew backwards. She couldn't even scream.

The ground rushed up to meet her and there was another kick. It landed her square on the floor, peering up at the hanging light and smoke alarm flashing on standby above her.

"Hold her down!" Phasma's voice hissed and an iron-like clamp pushed down on each of her arms.

There was a shadow towering over her, tall, and nimble. She couldn't see his face properly as she was still seeing stars, shooting through her eyesight like dozens of flares.

She knew it was Snoke. It had to be.

A foot stepped onto her stomach and she would have cried out, except someone clamped a hand around her mouth and a black band over her eyes.

The last thing she heard was Snoke's voice issuing a command that sent cold-blooded chills down every vein in her body.

"Bring her."

#reylo #crimson lane #reylo fan fic #reylo fanficiton #reylo angst

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