Misty the Opinionated Fangirl 🔞

Time to repeat what I said in my last post about the book in a different way:

Me in 2024, after finishing Moonborn: Wow, what a cool story! It's got its flaws, but I still loved playing it! I hope there will be a spin-off that explores more of this world & builds up the lore even more!

The Monkey's Paw:

Y'know, when we who liked the first book wanted a continuation, something post-apocalyptic was not what we had in mind. In fact, that's never on anyone's mind except when it comes to zombies. But this company will do anything but bring zombies to their story catalog - just add the apocalypse to whatever universe we're familiar with, that'll satisfy us in that front, right? 😃

I don't think there's any justifiable reason to make this a post-apocalyptic spin-off/sequel. I bet it's because the suits in RC thought because HS3 & AN3 are popular that everything must be post-apocalyptic for us to enjoy. Except no, we'd like a little more diversity and we'd like for stories that aren't apocalyptic to BECOME SUCH, HOLY SHIT.

I asked then & I ask again: what was the point of winning the big battle in the finale if the world's just gonna turn to shit like this? What was the point? Unless I missed something there, I feel slapped in the face for this drastic change in setting.

And that's not to mention that this doesn't even feel like Moonborn.

It started out as a Twilight clone before becoming its own thing. There was plenty of mystery, intrigue, & spookiness, especially in the vibes & atmosphere. I was mostly intrigued by the lore in the first book and the rivalry between vampires & werewolves, being the active middle-woman between them. It wasn't perfect, but I thought it was cool.

This just feels like AN3 & HSR in terms of setting, monsters, and vibes. It doesn't feel the least bit connected to the first book (yet). I get that it's because of the setting, but setting aside my gripes with that, I still don't feel the mystery, intrigue, & spookiness of the first book. It's all just your average post-apocalyptic go around with vampires & werewolves with very little reference to MB.

It's like if after the first 2 Twilight movies, Eclipse & Breaking Dawn is suddenly 28 Days Later. Like, it's not even a cohesive transition from one genre to another while keeping its identity - it's just whiplash.

I don't mind the slow pacing though (I am a Jester fan, after all). I get that N.O.V.A. wants to build up this new world before the plot finally kicks in.

And hey, at least we get to see a couple of familiar faces:

It's great to see Sofia again! I remembered really liking her when I first played MB. She seems more morose in this book though, so I wonder what's happened between then and now when it comes to her. And Benny's just a cameo, but I'm just glad that Sofia's not the only returning character. Besides, he might actually be better in this book than in MB, especially when he pulled my girl up on stage & sung to her.

Oh, and speaking of...

This is my girl, Rhiannon! She's...alright. I'm playing her on Duty + Blood Moon, but I'm not feeling much about her right now. But I'm sure she'll be more defined as the updates continue. She's got the potential to be a great MC, she just needs more time to shine!

Since I'm talking about the characters now, I guess I'll start with this beauty:

...so Eli's...um...

Add in the fact that his route's also Childhood Friends to Lovers and now I'm like, "Yep, it's him. No one else - just him." And I like that despite him being an Alpha, he's not toxic! Strict, but also kind when need be. I think he's perfect already! I even liked his diamond scene with my girl, he was so sweet! Hopefully, his route can grow into something special!

Thea's cool, I like her. She seems to be your average green-flag F!LI so far. She honestly reminds me of Frances with her looks & demeanor...maybe they're related somehow? I know she's a werewolf & Frances is a vampire, but you never know...

Anyways, I hope she'll have stronger character development later in the story.

And then there's Adrian...

Meh.

That's all there is about my feelings on him. He's another red-flag LI with nothing too special about him so far. I don't like him, but I don't hate him either, so... 🤷‍♀️

All-in-all, I'm sad this became a monkey's paw for me. The setting really leaves a sour taste in my mouth. The plot's building up and I hope it'll come into fruition in the next update. Really, I'll continue playing for Eli 'cause he's so~...

I love the build-up of this story: from a simple missing child case into a full exposé on the corruption within the Copenhagen police force. I thought the transition was smooth, with Season 2 being the tipping point & cause for action for Season 3. It was so interesting to see how one thing led to another here.

My most favorite part of the story has to be all of Season 2, in all honesty. Going to Greenland, meeting the locals, learning about the natives & their culture & history - it was all so wonderful! I mean, we were there to solve a missing persons case and there was quite a bit of serious drama, but I thought it was a cool thing to do for this story! And that's not to mention:

That's actually so thoughtful & awesome of Faye to do, hiring a sensitivity reader to make sure everything about the country & its culture were not insensitive or incorrect. No wonder the setting & characters felt authentic to me!

I also like how every case has a different vibe to it: Sonder Æsne having strong religious & misogyny themes, Greenland having themes of family & purpose & horror, and Copenhagen with themes of corruption & how far one's willing to go to get what they want. And yet they all still don't feel drastically different from each other, like you're reading different stories. They still feel like they're in the same line of events.

And that reveal about my girl's mother...

I figured Hoyer had something to do with Lina, but holy shit. Not only did she die, but he was a witness to it after spooking her. In my opinion, even though Odin definitely embellished some details & made it sound horrific, I don't think he deliberately killed her. Maybe he thought about it, but his appearance alone was enough for her to accidentally die. I am absolutely sure this was the catalyst for his semi-change-of-heart.

And I say semi 'cause he was still corrupt, but he wasn't not exactly doing it with a smile on his face. He reaped the sorrow he sowed & tried to make up for it in his own way, even if it turned out to be the wrong/insufficient way.

Now, let me talk about the main characters, whom I love...

Except for Alba.

I'll get her out of the way first: I think she's the weakest character of the bunch. IMO, she was really sidelined, just being there until Season 3. I wish she was more involved with my girl's life outside of her romance, like being integrated into her friend group & having more friendship moments. It would make her role in Season 3 hit harder. I don't hate her or anything, but I think she could've been a lot more involved with my girl in a platonic context.

Okay, so lemme glaze everyone else:

I didn't think much about Mads at first, but he turned out to be a lot more interesting than just your average older, more-experienced co-worker. He's got flaws, he's got feelings, and he's got opinions, professional & unprofessional! I thought he was a pretty great character!

And Safaa's gotta be one of the best besties I've ever had in RC! She's such a good person and it's always awesome to see excellent Muslimah rep! And even though she's very supportive of my girl, she'd also point out her flaws & ask her tough questions. I really like that, that's the best way to write a bestie, IMO! I wish she was real. 😭

And my sweetest, my precious, my darling, my sunshine, Yasin...

(also, pardon my girl's culturally-inaccurate name - I didn't restart to change her name to something Ghanan for some reason & got too far to do it)

Words alone cannot describe how much I love this man. He's so loving & caring & protective & poetic & handsome & hot & PERFECT. He's just PERFECT that it hurts that he's not REAL! 😭😭😭 Seriously, I love him as much as I love Liam & Raphael. That's how strong my feelings for him are. End of story.

There's also Kuno, who was a delight! If Yasin didn't exist, I would've went for him & brought him back to Denmark. He's such a teddy bear! It makes sense for him to not come to Denmark when you're not romancing him though. It makes more sense for him to be a season-exclusive character in that regard.

And then there's Odin, the overarching big bad. I think he's a great villain: evil as hell, unforgivable, unrelenting, super creepy, & most of all, obsessive in an unsexy way (if you're not romancing him). He was so fun to hate for me. I wasn't even surprised that he turned out to be Hoyer's son, I had a suspicion. It makes sense why he turned out the way he did.

Speaking of Hoyer, what a character: a fatherly mentor figure for Thandiwe that turned out to be a corrupt cop wrapped up in a huge conspiracy. He always seemed to be more than what he was introduced to be and I'm glad to see every aspect of him exposed. I love how complicated he is & the tumultuous feelings Thandiwe had as the investigation went further. Shit can get complicated when you find out a parental figure in your life was a piece of shit the entire time, despite how well they've treated you. That hit a bit close to home, honestly...

...anyways, speaking of my girl:

I think she's one of the best MCs in all of RC! I also think she's one of the few most human of the bunch too! I've played her with Perception & Seniority on the Root of Integrity, and I really liked her like that!

She's a talented detective, but she's also flawed and doesn't always ace her job. She isn't always smart 24/7 and that's okay. Her reason for joining the police force & becoming involved with missing persons cases was understandable. She's got feelings & opinions on her cases and people, professional & unprofessional. She's just as susceptible to schemes as anyone else, regardless of what her training entailed. She can be biased, she can be badass, she can be impulsive, & she can be empathetic. I think she's a great character to play as!

I had her forgive her father & tell him what might've happened to her mother, which was a great emotional scene. He was an asshole for treating Thandiwe weird 'cause of suspicion of schizophrenia, but he understood that and always wanted to reconcile with her. She gave him that opportunity because really, he's all that she has left, especially after everything that went down.

It was even sad to see that Lina, her mother, truly cared about her until the very end. But she was put in a sympathetic light, never truly portrayed as a villain by the narrative. Even with Thandiwe's turbulent feelings about her, my girl still cared about her enough to shed tears for her. I think deep down, she always loved her, but abandonment issues are a bitch.

She can be a little too stupid for plot convenience sometimes, but that's my only gripe with her & Faye's writing.

All-in-all, this has formally became one of my favorite RC books! I loved a lot of things about it and I think this is Faye's best work yet! As much as I'd like The One Volume 3, it's fine if she doesn't wanna dive back into the series right now. I'll be looking forward to whatever story she writes next!

An impromptu pizza party was the best idea Everleigh Pierce could come up with after tonight.

The social gathering concerning another engaged couple like Amelia and Oliver had gone against her in ways she wished she anticipated. Everything became too much for her to handle, even with her friends at her side, so she had to leave early. She had to, before things could get worse.

But she wasn't going to leave alone: much to her secret delight, both Fabian and Declan offered to come with her. Through their tension was terminal, they argued, but thankfully, she managed to break it up and tell them that they can both come…she needed them both to be near her tonight. Their rivalry had to take the backseat and they made it so.

There was no destination for where she wanted to go or where she wanted to go. She just needed to be away from there, no matter what. There was some brainstorming of what to do next between the three. Declan was insistent on her resting somewhere, but she was too restless to do so. When Fabian suggested Lorraine's, she declined since she would feel more overwhelmed there.

A pizza party at the Hollow Inn came out all of a sudden, which made the guys perplexed at such a suggestion. But Everleigh was adamant to have that instead of everything else. The two eventually relented, but that meant pizza, wings, and drinks were to be bought. That also meant a change of clothes for everyone too, something Declan decided to handle. It was something Fabian teased him for a bit, but it was done.

After buying what was needed, getting there, and checking into a double room at her request, here she was, sitting on the right bed while the two men sat on the left across from her.

Her long curly hair was fully down, cascading over her shoulders. The thin long-sleeve paired with cheap sports shorts was a fresh change of pace from her usual nightgown. They were especially better to wear than that tight, gaudy dress for that gathering.

Fabian had to be convinced to wear a top by not just Declan, but also Everleigh. The night couldn't be fully enjoyed when his body was the ultimate distraction. She wished the tank top he picked out wasn't so tight that it became a second skin that emphasized his piercings. He didn't make it fair. She also had to insist on Declan wearing something more baggy for a similar reason, and he heeded her command. And yet, the fact that she knew what his body looked like underneath them…it was like those clothes didn't matter.

But this was what she wanted, right?

The radio played a variety of pop music by Everleigh's request, rejuvenating the atmosphere. Pizza and wings were eaten while soda was sipped and enjoyed. Only Declan had a plain bottle of water and refused to gorge on the junk food bought, even though this was the night to indulge. Everleigh didn't push, but Fabian kept trying and failed.

Still, it was time to talk and eat. For a couple moments, she didn't know where to start.

Both were looking at her expectantly, making her feel more nervous. Fabian's expression made it seem like he knew she was struggling to start the conversation. He turned his head towards Declan with a cheeky grin and asked, "Soooo, Harvard, huh?" The blonde looked over at him with narrowed eyes and a perplexed look. It made her grin. "How's that been?"

Declan glanced at Everleigh, who gave him an encouraging smile. He sighed and faced Fabian, answering with rolled eyes, "Yale is just fine."

The dark-haired man grinned with a shrug. "Okay. Yale is just fine?"

Declan looked annoyed, so Everleigh chimed in, "What is it like there? Not everyone gets the opportunity to attend a fancy Ivy League school."

He turned to her, having that wistful look in his eyes. She knew what he was thinking. "High pressure, difficult, old-fashioned but not trapped in time." He paused, looking down at his unopened water bottle. "I'm not sure if you'd survive."

She thought about it for a moment, chewing on a slice of pizza. Swallowing, she replied, "I would have found a way." His smile for her was both soft and proud.

She saw Fabian glance between the two and clear his throat to remind them of his presence. "Any roommates?" he asked.

Declan shook his head. "Not anymore. I live in a single now."

"Single bed?" Everleigh asked. He nodded, then she giggled. "Typical Declan. Of course you hated having roommates."

He smirked. "I could have been in worse company." The glance towards Fabian told them everything.

It made his rival laugh. "Ditto." He rolled his eyes again, but kept his smirk and opened his water bottle to drink.

A small warmth swelled in Everleigh's heart, seeing them banter a little like this. There was no animosity nor any malice, it was just in good fun.

It gave her the strength she needed to finally lead the conversation, asking the mechanic, "Would you like to have roommates, Fabian?"

He raised his brows and swallowed his bite of a wing. "Me?" She raised her brows too and took a bite of her slice. He chuckled and shrugged. "Maybe."

"'Maybe?'"

"I'm not exactly looking for roommates, buuuut if there were a couple of sexy people looking for a new bunkmate, I wouldn't say no."

She giggled again while Declan rolled his eyes. "To nobody's surprise…" he muttered under his breath.

It looked like Fabian caught that since he looked at his rival and asked, "What? Your roommates weren't sexy?"

He furrowed his brows. "Why the hell would I ever look at them like that?"

The mechanic's dark eyes scanned the student's overall appearance, which made Everleigh curious. "You're a good-looking guy from a good-looking family." Declan blushed, which made the young woman more curious. "A very judgemental family too, so…"

Declan groaned and turned away from him. "That doesn't mean I care about looks."

Everleigh tilted her head. "You didn't meet anyone interesting aside from Amelia?"

"No." That blunt answer made Fabian and Everleigh laugh.

"Nobody to match you?"

"I wasn't looking and I didn't care to look. I still won't when I get back. I'm not there to make friends."

Fabian clicked his tongue. "Typical Romano, ever so the lone wolf." Again, the blonde rolled his eyes and sipped his water.

On one hand, Everleigh concurred with the mechanic. But on the other…she felt relieved. This meant there wasn't anyone Declan had his eyes on anymore…right?

"And what about you, Leigh?" Fabian asked her.

She blinked and turned to him. "Me?"

"Yeah, would you like to have roommates?"

To be honest with herself, she'd rather not after spending the holiday with Lily 5 years ago. Who knows what could have happened if she had more of her?

But then she thought about Luna and Emma. They were still her friends, and they've treated her well after everything that's happened. Living with them wouldn't be too bad - it'd even be fun with Luna around!

And then she glanced between Fabian and Declan. Two handsome men - men she had strong feelings for, who always went out of their way to protect and comfort her - living under the same roof as her? She would be living the dream…the safe, lovely dream…

She heard fingers snapping, which pulled her out of her thoughts. Fabian and Declan looked at her with concern and a little worry. "Are you alright, Everleigh?" the latter asked.

She nodded with a nervous smile and answered, "Yeah, yeah." After another glance between them, her smile softened into something more mysterious. "Maybe."

Fabian mirrored it. "'Maybe?'"

Declan narrowed his eyes after sipping his water. "I wouldn't recommend it." He said it in that tone with that gaze, yet it didn't deter her.

Everleigh shrugged. "I'm still not opposed to the idea."

"With strangers? You should."

She kept his possessive gaze. "With friends? I won't."

"Friends?" Fabain asked. Looking at him, there was also that look in his eye.

She shrugged again. "Luna and Emma would be good roommates."

His smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Right, like Luna wouldn't be a menace to you two."

She smirked and raised a brow. "Unlike you?"

Now it reached his eyes while Declan matched her smirk. "I'd be a sweetheart, what're you talking about?"

"Strange, you don't look like King's twin." Everleigh grinned at that dry joke with Fabian. He tossed an empty soda can to his head and his rival barely reacted to it. It made her laugh.

Both turned their heads to her when she did, then their expressions softened.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She just remembered that she was eating a slice of pizza and polished it off to get her mind off those feelings. She couldn't tell them yet, this wasn't the time.

But she managed to start another conversation, talking to the guys about another topic unrelated to tonight. Then another, then another. Against all odds, they all had good conversation in spite of the men's rivalry and everything that went down earlier.

It felt great.

Eventually, the pizza party went down to the last can of soda, which was in Everleigh's possession. Declan had already finished his water and Fabian drank up the second-to-last one after finishing his wings.

After seeing how cordial her rival crushes were with each other during this, she had to ask, "So, when did you two start getting along?"

They were confused at first, exchanging glances before facing her. "What do you mean?" Declan asked. "I'm not exactly fond of Reyes."

"And I'm not exactly begging Romano to like me," Fabian added, holding his empty can with his fingertips.

She gave them a soft smile. "But you two are not arguing like you usually do, just playfully ribbing each other."

Fabian chuckled while Declan's mouth formed a small smirk. "Well, I mean…" They exchanged glances again. "I'm not stupid enough to argue with him like we did a month ago."

"Oh?" Declan's smirk grew wider as he grabbed his empty bottle and tapped it on Fabian's head. "So you do have brain cells you can rub together."

His rival grinned and lightly swatted the bottle away. "Shut up, man."

Everleigh laughed again, getting their attention once again. Those looks in their eyes…they were the same as when she kissed each, at different times.

She took two drinks of her soda to push down those feelings, but the food and drinks were already winding down. After drinking, she sighed. Their gazes were still glued to her, a little more intense than before. She suddenly realized that the tension in the air was growing heavy.

Though, it wasn't bad tension.

She grinned and said, "At least I don't have to break you two up like I'm your mother for the umpteenth time." They both shared her grin, but kept their gazes.

"I just don't wanna kill the vibe we set up here." Fabian's voice was low and soft.

"Me too. You deserve better than that." Declan's matched his.

She was suddenly a deer in the headlights.

She had to get a grip. She wanted these two men to keep her company for the rest of the night for a reason. She wanted to confess to her feelings to them, but how would they feel about it? Would one be mad at her because she cares for the other? Because she's shared intimate moments with the both of them?

She wouldn't know unless she told them the truth.

She finished her soda, the fizzy caramel refreshing her for the last time. "We're out of soda," she stated. They gave her curious looks before she set the can on the drawer and stood up. She adjusted her shorts, making sure they didn't reveal more than they should. As she did, she spotted them watching her every movement…even trailing their eyes down her legs. She swallowed and went over to the radio. The song playing wasn't the most appropriate for what she wanted to do.

As she did, she heard some shifting from where the men sat, then some whispering she couldn't decipher. She peered over and see them whisper to each other. Fabian's hand was on Declan's shoulder and the two were rather close…

When she saw they looked over at her, she turned away and turned off the radio. She swallowed again, her heart beating against her ribs faster than before. It wasn't just the nerves from needing to confess, but also…what was really going on between the two.

After taking a deep breath, she turned around, seeing that they were halfway turned towards her. The tension grew thicker as she slowly walked her way back to her bed. Their gazes never left her when she walked past them. As a matter of fact, she was sure she felt them across her entire backside before she sat back down. She could've sworn she saw Declan bite his lip for a half a second before she looked at him.

Just the thought of that gave Everleigh pause once again. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath. After a moment, she felt hands holding both of hers. She opened them, seeing Declan holding her right hand and Fabian holding her left. Her cheeks flushed while her heart fluttered with warmth.

"Take your time, Leigh," Fabian told her in the same soft tone as before.

"Whatever you need to say, don't rush it," Declan added as reassurance.

She smiled so wide and bright, it could light up the entire room. She closed her eyes, squeezed their hands, and said, "I love you."

After hearing two hitched breaths immediately after, she realized she said that out loud.

She opened her eyes and saw the wide eyes of Fabian Reyes and Declan Romano.

Everleigh Pierce confessed her feelings, yet she didn't mean to at that moment.

She pulled her hands away from theirs, looking down at them. She needed to, because she couldn't believe she said that without fully preparing herself and didn't want to meet their gazes.

For a few moments, silence roamed around the entire room. She needed to say something to dispel it, or maybe they could say something instead?

As if reading her mind, Declan asked, "Which one?"

She looked up at them, anticipation written all over their faces. She gulped, knowing she had to keep going, no matter how she started it. She held their hands and squeezed them again before answering, "Both of you."

Their beautiful eyes were wide again, their faces now expressing complete surprise.

Words couldn't come to her mind at the moment. Why couldn't they? Now they knew that they both held her heart…was there more that needed to be said? She could explain herself, but she couldn't. She didn't know where she should start, how to go about this. This party was just spur of the moment and she thought she would improvise this without trouble.

But even with this dilemma…there was something she could do.

She tugged at their hands, making them glance down at them. Then she told them in a soft command, "Come here."

One moment, they were sat on the other bed. Then when she blinked, Fabian sat to her left and Declan sat to her right. Their loving gazes were trained on her and her specifically, like before. She needed a moment to process this, letting her heart race with renewed warmth.

Her two crushes…loves? They were right beside her now, following her command without hesitation. That meant they were truly willing to do whatever she wanted, right?

Everleigh glanced between the two men once again. Both looked wanting, needing of her. The intensity of their gazes was emphasized by the colors of their eyes. They were breathing as slowly as she was, waiting. She didn't know where to start now, who she should kiss first.

Declan…Fabian…Declan…she leaned towards the blonde, having him close his eyes and lean towards her in anticipation.

She changed her mind at the last second, leaning back and turning to Fabian instead. She leaned in with closed eyes and he met her halfway, diving into a soft yet passionate kiss. He sighed into it, like he had been waiting his entire life to feel her lips on his again. After a couple more kisses, she felt his rough yet gentle hands slip under her curls and cup her face. She welcomed his touch and returned the gesture, his stubble brushing against her palms. When his tongue touched her lower lip, she opened her mouth and allowed him to deepen the kiss.

She could taste the soda he drank as they exchanged more passionate kisses: tangy and peppery, yet just as sweet. That was his taste…that was him. She wanted more, and it was clear he felt the same about her. Her right hand trailed from his cheek to the nape of his neck while her left went to his chest, feeling his racing heart. She felt one hand come off her cheek, then an arm wrapping around her waist to pull her closer. She let him, then his hand grabbed her hip, getting a small moan from her. Already, she was feeling fervent with arousal.

Suddenly, Everleigh felt another hand clamp onto her thigh. Its hold was firm, neither soft nor hard. She knew it was neither of Fabian's, since he still held a handful of her hip and ran his other set of fingers through her soft curls. It made her break her kiss with him, drinking in a couple of his breaths. She opened her eyes and saw that it was Declan's hand on her thigh. When a finger stroked her inner thigh, she swallowed and shivered.

When she turned to him, she met with his fiery possessive gaze. Her heart leaped, crashing into her ribs. She knew he was jealous, and he specifically wanted her for himself. While it concerned her, she decided to finally kiss him too.

Everleigh turned her body towards him, leaning in. Fabian's fingers left her hair and hip as Declan's went into her back curls and his arm wrapped around her waist. She closed her eyes and met him in a deep kiss. He wasted no time tasting her, his tongue lapping over hers. He tasted her two more times, then she moaned into his mouth and shivered. With that, he sighed into his next kiss and pulled her even closer, chest-to-chest. She was getting hotter, more aroused.

She cupped his face with her hands and returned his passionate kisses. He gasped and relented to her for a moment. His fingers locked into her curls tighter while his other hand trailed over to her ass, then her thigh again. When his fingers trailed down her inner thigh again and his teeth nipped her lower lip, she sighed in bliss and broke the kiss.

That look in his eyes, the one that insinuated that she was the only girl in the world, always left her breathless when she needed to catch it. But she could feel his chest rising and falling with hers, keeping his pale eyes on her for a few heartbeats. Then they flit away and focus on the other man here. His passionate gaze turned into a sharp glare in another beat as he asked with seething annoyance, "What are you staring at, Reyes?"

After finally catching her breath, Everleigh turned to Fabian, who was glancing between the two of them with a grin and bit thumbnail. Her heart skipped a beat. "Didn't think you had it in you, Declan," he answered, sounding both impressed and…seductive?

Declan clicked his tongue and stroked the young woman's thigh, making her swallow. "What? Do you think this is the first time we've done this?"

Fabian looked genuinely surprised, facing Everleigh. She drew her lips to a thin line, nervously nodding as confirmation. His expression then softened into something intrigued. He placed a hand on her other thigh, which made Declan bare his gritted teeth. He was undeterred. "It's certainly not the first time we've done this either," he teased. Everleigh grinned, but Declan's glare became sharper.

She straightened up, gesturing the student to let go of her for a moment. He reluctantly complied. She then used both hands to flip her thick curls away from her neck and shoulders, exposing her sensitive skin there. She looked between the two, silently asking if they wanted to indulge her like this.

She saw the two exchange glances…knowing glances. Then they both pushed her hair back more to make room and kissed each side of her neck. The sensual bliss from their warm lips caressing and sucking her skin coursed through her body, pooling down from her stomach to somewhere more intimate. She closed her eyes and let these feelings take over her mind. The fact that both of the men she loved were doing this to her at the same time, so soft and sensual…

She was truly living the dream.

Declan's lips then pecked the end of her jaw, then nibbled on her earlobe. Fabian's teeth left an intimate bite on the side of her neck, making her mewl, then his lips trailed up to her cheek. Everleigh's hands lifted up to hold their heads by the jaw and get them closer to her lips. She couldn't tell which pair of lips she kissed first, even though sensations became greater in her sexual high. But it didn't matter. In a second, she felt both their lips pressing against hers, trying to taste her. She tried to taste them too, her tongue pressing against soft skin.

After a moment, she couldn't breathe, so she pulled away. She opened her eyes, seeing Declan and Fabian's enamored gazes while they catch their breaths with her. She couldn't help but smile, even laugh with joy. Fabian joined in with a happy laugh of his own, moving her hand to cup his cheek. Declan didn't laugh, but he did smile. It wasn't a smirk either, just a genuine smile. He also moved her hand to his cheek and nuzzled into it. Fabian did the latter as well. Everleigh caressed their cheekbones with the same amount of love they were giving her.

After a couple more minutes of comfort, Everleigh sighed and moved her hands to under their chins. Their smiles dropped, but their gazes returned. She gently pulled them towards her, opening her mouth and closing her eyes. The guys did the same before they resumed their three-way kiss.

It was sloppy, messy, imperfect. But she loved it: every press of their lips against each side of hers, whenever their tongues poked and prodded each lip, and the two times they all tasted each other. Her fingers dove into their soft hairs, holding them and making them moan. Their hands were traveling around her body, feeling every inch and curve. Every touch sent a subtle sensual pulse through her veins, heightening her lust for them.

Everleigh felt one pair of lips leave hers to kiss alongside her cheek and jaw - Fabian's. This left her mouth at Declan's mercy, his tongue entering like he was parched. Fabian bit the side of her neck while one of his hands dove underneath her top and felt her soft belly. She gasped and welcomed this touch after Declan moved on from her lips and went back to her neck, sucking that one spot he knew she liked. All the while, his hand rode up her shorts, getting underneath and touching her underwear. The other held the small of her back. Fabian's lips pressed on her temple and cheek before he gave her a couple more deep kisses. The hand underneath her shirt rose higher, revealing more of her skin and cupping a breast. She squeaked at the touch before feeling his other hand grip the back of her head to further deepen their kiss.

Declan joined up with them a moment later, the three engaging in another three-way kiss. Two different hands were now planted on her thighs, keeping her in place. Everleigh's hands never left their heads and never softened their grip. But as much as she wanted to continue this, she needed a break.

She pulled her lips away from theirs and her fingers from their hair. However…they kept going, with each other. Her breath hitched at her throat as she leaned back and watched them go. Their lips passionately exchanged kisses in the same manner as they did hers, even involving their tongues.

It made her bite her lower lip and realize how wet she became.

She glanced down at their hands, seeing that they were still holding her thighs. Declan's other hand was still holding the small of her back while Fabian's lowered to the nape of her neck. Did they still think she was still a part of this?

As hot as this sight was, Everleigh needed to put a stop to it, so she cleared her throat as loud as she could. They stopped, then opened their eyes. Declan was quick to pull away, his pale face flushing bright red. Fabian also looked flushed, only a little surprised at this predicament before straightening up. Both turned to the curly-haired woman at the same time before she gave them a nervous smile.

"If you two need some room…" she murmured with slight amusement and arousal.

Fabian shook his head, but Declan shoved him away before he said anything. "No," he replied emphatically.

"Hey!" his rival exclaimed.

She giggled before Declan pulled her to him. Fabian embraced her from his side too. Now they were practically squeezing her in their hold.

She kinda liked it.

"Guys…" she said as she managed to get her arms around their shoulders. "I'm not some toy to fight over."

"Of course not," Fabian whispered, pressing his lips against her temple. "You're so lovely."

Declan did the same to her ear and added in his own whisper, "You're an obsession, Everleigh." Her heart fluttered at their words.

She leaned back onto the bed, taking them with her. They just laid there on the mattress, catching their breaths and letting the heat between them simmer down.

Silence made its appearance again in the room, and it was strangely comforting. Everleigh could actually hear her thoughts, which were nothing but the two men laying beside her. What they had done together…

"That was fun," Fabian said, as if reading her thoughts. She giggled while Declan scoffed.

"That was fun," Everleigh repeated with a little emphasis. She looked over at the blonde. "Declan?"

"What?" he asked in a flat tone, trying to be modest. He wasn't successful.

She raised her brows and frowned. "You didn't have fun?"

He furrowed his and glared at the dark-haired man. "I wouldn't call 'making out with the worst man you know' fun."

Fabian laughed. "Out of all the men we know in this town, I'm still the worst?"

That familiar storm brewed in his gaze. "Considering the fact that you decided to shove your tongue in my mouth when I tried to get into Everleigh's, I'd say you're in the top 3."

The mechanic's gaze narrowed with suspicion at the student. "Is that how you see it? Or was it actually you that introduced tongue first?"

Declan looked like a dog snarling, but his face turned redder. "In your dreams, Reyes."

She grinned, but felt a little left out here, so she removed her hands from their heads and moved herself up. "I'll give you guys some room then-" They pulled her back down gently, scooting themselves up to her. Both gave her that same look as before.

"Don't let that fool you, Leigh," Fabian whispered to her rather softly, making her turn her head to him. His palm moved from her thigh and laid on her exposed belly, fingers tracing small shapes on her skin. "I love you too. I always have."

She heard Declan scoff. "You always had?" Everleigh swallowed, feeling a different tension rise again.

The dark-haired man glared at the blonde and answered, "Yes. Even with her…" The young woman appreciated him not dropping that girl's name right now. He gazed down on the young woman once again, getting lost in his beautiful brown eyes. "…my feelings for you never went away, Leigh. Like Declan said…you're an obsession. You're the best person to come into my life, and the best muse I ever had."

She gave him a warm, loving smile before Declan's fingers grabbed her chin and turned her to him. She couldn't help but get lost in his beautiful gray eyes as well. "And I love you as well, Everleigh. Every woman I've been with are nothing compared to you. No matter how much I try to deny it or hold it back…" His thumb brushed over her plump lower lip. "…you are my Annabel Lee."

Everleigh gave him the same smile as to Fabian. Despite the poem being morose, she knew what he really meant. She was honestly flattered, especially with this summer being as tumultuous as it was.

Speaking of Fabian, his arm wrapped around her waist as he rested his head on her shoulder. "More like Annabel Leigh," he said with a grin. She giggled while Declan rolled his eyes playfully once again.

"Thanks, I needed a pun for my sincere love confession."

"You're welcome." The student flicked the mechanic's brow, which made him fake-cry out in pain. It made Everleigh laugh. When had Declan decided to be silly, especially with Fabian?

She loved this.

"Are you sure you're in love with Reyes, Everleigh?" he asked, half-teasing and half-possessive. He held her upper arm, as if to shield her from his rival. "I'd rather have you all to myself." That made the mechanic look concerned.

The young woman rolled her eyes at him. "Yes I am, Declan, just as much as I'm in love with you." She stroked her fingers underneath his chin, making him swallow and close his eyes. "You need to learn to share, even if you still hate his guts."

She spotted Fabian resting his head near her shoulder. His stubble grazed her skin while his breathing warmed it. "'Share', huh?" She glanced at him. "You wanna do poly with me and him?" He slightly tilted his head towards the blonde.

"You say that like I'm going to be the worst thing about the relationship," Declan stated, keeping the same tone as before.

"That'll depend on whether or not Leigh feels safe with you." Fingertips caressed her waist while he said this.

"I do, Fabian," Everleigh spoke up, giving him a reassuring look and smirk. "I know how to keep him in line. Don't worry." He looked surprised to hear that, yet not entirely convinced. Heart-warmed by his protectiveness, she used her other hand to caress his cheek. He sighed, closed his eyes, and leaned into the touch.

Declan scoffed. "'Keep me in line?' That's a blunt way to put it." Even though his tone was sharp, he gently rubbed his thumb on the tip of her shoulder.

"Hush." She moved her hand to his soft blonde waves, combing through them. He sighed blissfully and pressed his lips to her temple. Fabian did the same. Again, she loved it.

"You two need to behave around each other, okay?" she asked in a gentle demand. Their lips moved to her cheekbone and tip of jaw respectively. She swallowed. "Try to stand each other's presence for me…" They held her a little tighter as their lips were getting closer to hers. "…please?" The three shared one last three-way kiss, her hands captured by each of theirs.

The two men lifted their heads, sat themselves up, and gave her their most headiest gazes. Her heart thumped. Fabian grinned and answered, "I can manage that, just for you." He and his rival exchanged glances. "As for you, Declan…"

The blonde clicked his tongue. "Standing you for the love of my life will be the greatest challenge of my life, more than any of my courses." His signature smirk crossed his lips, which made her grin. "And I'll gladly undertake it, Reyes."

The dark-haired man scoffed. "You can't keep calling me by my last name after shoving your tongue down my throat for the second time." Declan narrowed his eyes at him, but what he said at the end caught Everleigh's attention.

"'Second time?'" she asked, sitting up with them. They turned to her, as if the mechanic accidentally let a secret slip. In fact, she was sure that was what happened, especially with the student blushing hard again. She glanced between them, being sure that Fabian wasn't referring to their make-out session before. "Guys?"

Fabian looked to Declan, who glared daggers at him for the umpteenth time. "Don't," he demanded in a harsh tone.

He gestured to her. "She's very curious now, Declan. We might as well tell her-"

"No." He shook his head, refusing to meet his rival's eye or even Everleigh's. He crossed his arms, getting in a huff. "It doesn't count."

Fabian drew his lips to a line and looked over at Everleigh. She was getting more curious by the minute. He opened his mouth, but Declan said in a firmer tone, "I said don't, Reyes."

The young woman sighed and placed a hand on his upper arm. "Declan-"

"It also involves her, unfortunately," he added, his tone solemn.

The uneasy tension came back between the three for a moment. Lily was involved? Even though she established that they shouldn't talk about her this evening…well, her curiosity was both a blessing and a curse. She was willing to risk it.

"I still want to know, even if it did involve Lily," she told them firmly, holding their hands once again. "Please."

Declan looked back at her for a second and sighed, slumped over as he hung his head down and shielded it with his free hand. Fabian looked at him for a confirmation, it seemed, and he muttered, "Go ahead, Reyes."

Fabian also sighed and faced Everleigh. "It was at one of Lily's parties, we were playing Spin the Bottle." He pointed at her. "You were there too, actually."

She was surprised. "Really?" She tried to remember which party he was talking about. There were plenty of times they all played Spin the Bottle, so she wasn't having any luck. "I would've remember you two kissing if I really was there."

"Well…" He tilted his head to the left for a moment. "You technically weren't. After what went down between you and Xavier, you rushed to the bathroom."

Now she remembered - she had to kiss Xavier while Emma had to watch. After how the game went down, that was the straw that broke the camel's back, so she stood up and rushed to the bathroom without kissing him. They followed her there to try and comfort her, but that wasn't important right now.

"Lily said that we'll just have to continue the game without you guys, so we did," Fabian continued, looking down at their intertwined fingers. "I wished I could've followed you there-" He shrugged, his expression filled with regret as he laced his fingers with hers. "-but I didn't."

"I felt the same…" Declan chimed in, mimicking Fabian's action. "I shouldn't have let Tiffany stop me."

"But right after all of that, she spun the bottle. It pointed at me, and then…" He pointed at the blonde, who refused to move from his position.

She raised her brows with wide eyes. "Oh."

He chuckled, grinning at his rival. "I was open to it, despite the fact that it's him, but Declan tried to fight tooth and nail to prevent it." The blonde groaned, covering more of his face with his free hand. "But Lily was very insistent."

"And unfortunately, Tiffany was too, even threatening to tell our parents that we were there too," the blonde added, his voice laced with irritation. "She even pulled out her damn phone." Everleigh sighed and shook her head, knowing that all too well. "Surprisingly, Reyes didn't join in."

The dark-haired man held his hand up. "I didn't wanna force anything. But you still went with it anyway."

"Then Tiffany started recording for blackmail, just to put more pressure on me." The young woman bared her teeth, cringing for him. She squeezed his hand for support.

Fabian laughed again. "And I remember how red you were getting, just like earlier-"

"Shut up."

"-and you were shaking like a leaf too, like you were scared as hell."

"…I was."

"Awwww~," Everleigh said with sympathy, rubbing her thumb between his index finger and thumb. "It's okay."

"Please save your pity, Everleigh…" he pleaded, his whisper uncharacteristically soft.

"Anyway, I got closer to him, Tiffany had to push him towards me…" Fabian continued. "Lily was cheering us on, goading us to finally kiss. And then suddenly-" He made a fast pull gesture. "-he pulled my face towards his and kissed me hard." Everleigh gasped.

"Stop exaggerating," Declan demanded in a wavering tone.

Fabian shook his head with a grin. "I'm not. That's what you did. It was anything but soft."

The blonde huffed and turned to the young woman. "Listen, Everleigh, before I had to kiss him, I…" He sighed and squeezed her hand. "…I had to imagine I was…kissing you instead." Her face flushed.

"Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah…"

Fabian's grin grew wider. "Is that why you got into it with another kiss?" He wiggled his eyebrows and leaned closer to him. "Even with your tongue-"

"Shut up, Reyes, shut the hell up." He said that so quickly and sounded mad, but there was something insincere about his tone. His face turned an even brighter red. "I got carried away, okay? I-I even forgot that…" He sighed once again. "…I was kissing him and not you…with an audience." His voice grew smaller as he went along, slumping forward even more, as if he wanted to curl into a ball and disappear.

Everleigh became more sympathetic towards him. If he didn't keep his grip on her hand, she'd smooth it over his back. But in a rare of kindness towards him, Fabian patted his shoulder. "Hey, if it's reassurance to you…" He paused to glance at the young woman. "I also thought of Leigh when kissing you." She smiled with yet another flutter of her heart. He looked back at Declan. "Made it a little more bearable, especially with her absence."

"So…you two thought of me when kissing each other?" she asked.

"Seems like it," they answered with perfect sync, surprising each other. Fabian chuckled again while Declan huffed.

The dark-haired man cleared his throat and faced Everleigh again. "I think it was only a minute, but Lily had to tell us to stop. Then that's when I realized that I kissed him the way I wanted to kiss you."

"That realization hit me harder than it did you, Reyes," Declan stated, sounding embarrassed…which was cute.

Fabian laughed again. "Yeah, I could tell: you looked ready to explode the way you shook and got even redder."

"I swear to God, I'm going to hit you if you keep talking." The coldness of that empty threat was lost in the embarrassment his voice held.

Everleigh managed to suppress a laugh with a pursed grin before saying, "So that's why you looked like that when Xavier, Emma, and I got back from the bathroom."

"And why I had to leave with Tiffany in tow before you could get a word in," Declan added.

"Yeah, you saw how shocked everyone was." Fabian shrugged. "Now you know why."

Everleigh glanced between her men yet again, her grin softening to a smile. Declan still looked very embarrassed and refused to even lift his head up. Fabian was a lot more relaxed. She had to ask the latter, "Was that how you realized you were bisexual?"

He nodded. "Yup. Right after that realization, I didn't feel disgusted at the fact that I kissed Declan. I mean, I always thought he was good-looking, despite the fact that he's Declan Romano, but that kiss?" He whistled and grinned at the blonde. "That was the moment I thought, 'Yup, I'm bi.'"

His rival scoffed. "Should I be flattered about that?"

"If you wanna."

"I'd rather die, thank you very much." Fabian laughed.

This made Everleigh curious about another thing. Since Declan refused to let go of her hand, she settled with resting her head on his shoulder. "And what about you?"

He swallowed. "What about me, Everleigh?"

"Did Fabian make you realize you're bi?"

He sputtered, "I-I'm not-" He stopped when he looked at her expectant gaze. She knew that he knew he couldn't fool her by denying that. He also looked to the dark-haired man, who also seemed like he wasn't going to be fooled. "Oh my God…" he muttered under his breath, rubbing his entire face down and taking a deep breath.

Fabian got even closer to him with raised brows. "Is it true? Am I your bisexual awakening-"

Declan was quick to plant his hand on his rival's face and shove him away. "Don't flatter yourself, Reyes. You only made me question my sexuality for a few moments."

Everleigh's expression mimicked Fabian's in her skepticism. "Only a few moments?"

It looked like he was struggling against the scrutiny of skeptical stares, like he was ready to burst at any moment. Then he closed his eyes and took a couple deep breaths to calm himself down. "Every now and then since. But I want to make it very clear-" He nuzzled against the young woman's flushed cheek. "I'll always my Everleigh more than I'll ever love you, Reyes."

Instead of looking offended, his rival grinned once more and let go of Everleigh's hand to caress the small of her back. "Fine by me. Leigh's always been more my type than you ever were."

Declan aimed his signature smirk at Fabian. "She's also a better kisser."

"Hey, I think so too." Everleigh giggled at their flattery towards her.

"And a better person."

Fabian raised his free hand up. "No arguments there, especially when it comes to you."

The blonde gave him a skeptical glare, moving his cheek away from Everleigh's. "You're dangerous," he stated, dropping his voice a little low.

"So are you, from everything that's happened," the dark-haired man replied, his tone matching his. Intrigued by this sudden shift in their conversation, Everleigh leaned back and let go of the two. Neither seemed to mind now.

Declan's possessive tone matched his gaze when he asked, "How many times has my Everleigh been put in life-threatening situations because of you?"

Fabian tilted his head, keeping his rival's intense gaze. "I could ask the same about you, Declan." Their faces were inching closer. "And it's our Everleigh, in case you forgot."

"Don't deflect, Reyes. I'm not the one willing to spill blood over petty trifles."

"And I'm not the one picking fights I know I can't win so that a hot girl can come to my rescue." Everleigh barely suppressed her impending laughter.

Declan looked angrier, though it wasn't all malice. "Don't test me." They were so close that the young woman saw them drink each other's breaths.

Fabian chuckled, mischievously placing a hand on Declan's thigh and another thumb on his bottom lip. His rival's throat bobbed at the touch. "Why? You scared to fail this one? I guess since Yale doesn't test their students in seduction-"

Declan bit his thumb, making him gasp, then planted his hand on the nape of his neck. "Shut up, Reyes." He pulled him towards him and gave him a hard kiss. Everleigh gasped at the audacity - even Fabian's dark eyes widened at this. But after a moment, her mechanic closed his eyes and returned her student's kiss in the same manner.

Everleigh couldn't help but bite her lower lip and sit criss-crossed as she watched them make out. Instead of feeling left out, she felt turned on. Although she always wanted them both, there were fleeting thoughts about the two of them being an item before. They hated each other, but even she could sense something more between them. It came out with their accidental make-out before, and it only amplified with their current one. If they weren't a polycule, she would still support them together, if it meant they were happy.

But since they were now, this was hot and necessary for their tolerance of one another.

When their tongues weren't involved, their teeth pulled at their lips. Declan gave more to Fabian, pulling at his dark hair and gripping his shoulder. But Fabian always returned the favor, one hand snaking underneath his rival's shirt to feel the muscled skin underneath while the other's fingers dove into blonde locks. They were murmuring things Everleigh couldn't quite hear while doing so. Her heart raced, her cheeks flushed, and a new warmth rose in every inch of her body, pulsing somewhere below.

But before she could do something about it, Declan broke their kiss, pulling Fabian away from him with a heady gaze. They breathed slowly for a couple moments, catching their breaths. "I don't want to have this conversation again," he threatened in a sultry manner. "Especially not in front of Everleigh."

Once again, Fabian grinned and pulled his hands away from his rival's body. "Alright," he answered simply. "It's her night, after all." With that, they both let go of each other and turned to her, awaiting her next words and actions like knights with their princess.

The attention was truly intoxicating.

She didn't want this night to end yet, and she didn't want to stop their unique intimacy entirely.

Everleigh Pierce wanted both Fabian Reyes and Declan Romano tonight.

...so that's what happened. That was what Leigh was capable of before. Holy shit. As if the tension in the scene wasn't mad uncomfortable...

I'm starting to think that my poor girl might actually be schizophrenic, actually. The possibility of the supernatural fucking around with her keeps going down as the update goes.

You're damn right he is, OML-

Oh c'mon, this sprite is NOT FUCKING FAIR-

*ahem* So it was Fabian that sent the message. Could you be less cryptic with your messages, my darling? But anyways, it looks like there's no more tension between them anymore, now that he sees that Leigh's a little down bad for him. Hey, he's down bad for her too. 🤭 Still, I feel like that wrapped up a little too quickly. Oh well.

Girl, I don't think you're lying.

The ashes of that urn being white is weird. I don't think you can dye ashes that white, so something's up there.

...okay, so why does getting the truth from Oliver need to have a flirty undertone? 😭 I just wanted information. Still, he's becoming a more interesting character than just some British dude.

It was a hard decision to choose which guy my girl wrote a poem for. I eventually decided Fabian for preference's sake, but I'll have to check out Declan's in a different slot.

Awwww, they're actually so cute in this whole scene (save for the judgy girls)! And that poem's cute too. My girly-pop's in love~. Though I have to ask, is this before or during his relationship with Lily...?

Again with suspicion about Declan being the one behind this. I'm still suspicious of him, but there ain't anything concrete to pin him yet.

Of course the diamond necklace is a Fairchild one. Someone with access to the jewelry room snagged it, so it narrows down some possible culprits...

Dressing in black like all those years ago to go to that same place...that's a solemn choice.

Declan in the guesthouse destroying the papers, and that's where the update ends? C'mon!

So we got some answers in this update, that's cool! I'm still curious about Tiffany & Amelia's little alliance though. I wonder what's up with that. I also have to wonder what's up with the Fairchilds right now. I have a feeling they may be at the brink of collapse...

I appreciate that even though Declan's in every episode, the others still have diamond scenes available in each one! There's also the different outfits Leigh & Lily wear in the past, which are pretty & cute! And I also really appreciate having friendly options with the guys! I mean, I only took Xavier's in my main slot, but still, I don't gotta play this like I'm playing an Ursa or Anastasia book! Heteroplatonic friendships FTW!

Sooooo, I got a couple of theories brewing in my brain:

I think Declan might actually be involved with L, which would explain some of his suspicious behavior, BUT I believe he's telling the truth when he says he's trying to help Leigh. He's just trying not to tread too harshly against L before they find up what he's been up to.

Sheriff Hawthorne must also be involved with L too. Him suddenly being at that beach when Leigh threw the dress into the ocean already set off an alarm bell for me. There's also him letting her, Luna, Fabian, & Declan go after that dangerous party. So...nothing much or concrete enough to justify this, but I just get an off vibe from him. Now, I dunno if he's also working against L as carefully as he could or if he's been aiding them the whole time...or if he's actually them.

But what do I know? I'm just going off vibes & scant evidence. 🤷‍♀️

Anyways, I'll be anticipating the next update!

Of course Mr. & Mrs. Fairchild are in a loveless marriage. It looks like that's why Vivienne's so attached to Leigh - she's someone there, somebody to care for.

Sooooo, I didn't expect Mr. Fairchild to show sympathy to Leigh's plight & explain why his wife is acting the way she is. I mean, the explanation makes sense, but coming from him? Something's up.

Aaaaaaaand then he dropped that bluff about her blood.

Yeah, with what went down there, he knows Leigh's onto him. That weird phone number already made him untrustworthy, but this was something else.

I'm inclined to believe that he's the part of the mysterious shenanigans of L.

And there's Declan again, being as Declan as usual. Trying to help her after seeing her with Mr. Fairchild, huh? Is that all?

And this is so petty, OML-

Xavier's so kind & sweet, just like his girl. It's honestly so wholesome for him to find Leigh & try to cheer her up. I took the friendship option with him & it's a little goofy, I enjoyed it.

This face is INCREDIBLY uncanny though. I almost dropped my phone when I saw it, like what the hell is that-

"You're the spitting image of your mother." - Xavier

"That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me, thank you." - Tiffany

Bruh.

OH MY GOD-

OH LORD-

ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?

CLOCK IT, XAVIER!

CLOCK HER TEA, MY GIRL!

OML, this entire scene has to be the best of this update so far! The banter is SO GOOD & it's so nice of Xavier to chime in like a good friend & getting Tiffany caught lacking. I was laughing my ass off the entire time!

Luna rizzing up that waitress put a grin on my face, NGL. But anyways, that scene with Leigh telling her how much she means to her is just so heart-warming. I love their friendship - I need a Luna in my life. 😭😭😭

God, Leigh truly is just an object to these people. I mean, Lily's portrait of her is pretty, but my point still stands.

Throwing paint onto Tiffany & Amelia's group was cold though. Girl's never been alright & it shows.

Interesting little conversation the two had. It makes me more suspicious of them, especially Tiffany. She keeps acting weirder and weirder with each update...

Emma's also eavesdropped & trying her best to be useful. Bless her heart.

Ugh, the vibes are awful here. The green lighting really adds to that, so props to the CG scene designers!

So now we know what's up with my girl's family. She never knew her parents before they died, her late grandmother raised her, and it looks like the Fairchilds had a hand in that too, becoming a second family to her. That makes sense.

...she's out of line, but she's right for half of this scene. It's still fucking weird to obsess over someone else's kid & make her much like your late daughter. Implying Leigh killed Lily was fucking foul though. "I was merely making an observation-" Shut the hell up, you know what you did & everyone else knows what you did. I am so glad for the option to have her defend herself, and she did it well! That's my girl!

Declan being with Cecilia, as if I didn't spend a hefty amount of diamonds pretending to be his girlfriend...man. Are they secretly dating the whole time? Maybe that would explain how flustered he was...?

(Are you sure about that, Leigh?)

OML, the tension~. I can even feel the mutual obsession in this scene. It's like Cecilia doesn't exist. 🤭 Still, I wonder what the hell's going on there. Best-case scenario, he's just going with what she wants...

That funeral scene was rough. Burning everything connected to Lily & that boat, the tension rising between everyone, the lies they have to say to put water under the bridge...woof. It's no wonder tension's high right now.

At least there's a cute moment Decleigh here:

Unfortunately, getting back to the present, my poor Fabian's bike ate shit and that fucking note quoted Declan's words back at him. That either means Lily's ghost was there & no one caught on, or someone was there & no one caught on. No, I don't think it's Declan...entirely...I mean, there was that time he left that dinner to the yard. It's already kinda suspicious to me. Yeah, he's joined the mystery crew after Emma let the cat out of the bag, but who knows...?

I just hope that if he is involved in all this, then I have the right preference for Fabian.

So, Slater did this. Of course he did, 'cause my darling Fabian can't help but make enemies outta people. And of course that nasty piece of shit really wants Leigh after she stood up for Declan.

At least my girl didn't have to kiss him, thank god. I'm glad that one's a fucking lie.

So from my understanding, someone real, someone he can see, paid him to burn Fabian's bike with a diamond necklace...interesting. And that note from his home wasn't written in Lily's writing, so that only raises questions on who's the true culprit.

Now Fabian & Luna know what's going on. Everyone knows now & are willing to help Leigh, yay! And I get to be roomies with Luna, yay!

This whole scene was so sweet. They really do seem to be two peas in a pod with their experiences. God, Luna's such a great friend! I wish she was real. 😭

And learning about Leigh's past confirmed some suspicions: she was checked into a psychiatric ward after a sharp mental health decline. I figured that was what happened & why she was gone for so long. She even said that she stayed there for longer 'cause she didn't trust her own mind.

Oh, my girl...

Also, there's the mention of her grandmother again. I'm hoping we learn more about her, if she's alive & what her relationship is with Leigh.

At least Luna's kind enough to tag along!

And just when I thought I couldn't stoop any lower, I suddenly wanna fight a white girl for a white guy. And so does Leigh, 'cause girl's so jealous, OML.

HA! SO PRETENDING TO BE DECLAN'S GIRLFRIEND WAS THE TRUTH! That whole scene was so funny & their fucking banter afterwards was the cherry on top, especially this part:

OML, he was so flustered - I have to fluster him again!

Corvina "Cori" Amani

24 years old

5'9"

Half-Black, Half-White

Trans Woman (she/her)

Heteromantic, Heterosexual

Cori is both a witch & a Witch. In her universe, Witch is a race of beings descended from de-powered Fae, separated into three (for lack of a better term) categories. Her parents are Full Witches, meaning that they look more like humans than Fae and they have to make their magic instead of conjuring it from their bodies. So she's a magical witch and also not as human as she thought she was.

She & Devon are from the same universe/story and are very best friends, acting no different from siblings!

Some non-spoilery facts about my girl:

Cori started transitioning at 14 years old, so she's identified as trans for a whole decade!

Her transition only consists of changed pronouns, presenting feminine, & HRT (mostly magical DIY). She's not cis-passing, but she doesn't really care. She loves how she looks and if folks got a problem with that, that's on them.

She has gender dysphoria, but it's so lukewarm that it's more of a gender incongruence. The only time it flares up is when she's faced with horrific transphobia.

Her style & sense is of the alt & gothic kind! It ranges from her sense of fashion & decor to her taste in music and political views. She's also always wearing skirts & dresses!

She has powerful innate magic, yielding the powers of her paternal realm's Sun & maternal realm's Moon. But due to being a Full Witch, she has to draw their respective magic circles to use them.

She's a bitch, and I don't mean it in a good way. She's an extremely unpleasant person to be around if you're not a member of her metal band, her love interest, her roommate, or the "club" she's in. She even proudly calls herself such when the opportunity arises.

She's only ever graduated high school. She has no desire to pursue college, only a desire to be in a famous metal band and a powerful witch!

Despite being very supportive of the queer community...she's not really active in it. And not that she feels ashamed about her transgender identity and how she presents it, but it's not something she feels compelled to advertise. That's also not to mention how she's a het and feels less attached to the community because of it.

Despite this feeling, Cori's not that picky when it comes to men. It doesn't matter if he's cis or trans, if he goes by other pronouns, if he's slender, athletic, or chubby - as long as he identifies as male, she'll be attracted. It's just difficult as hell to find one that was attracted to her & who she is...

She used to get along with her parents well, especially since they were very supportive when she came out to them. However, they're on less-than-pleasant terms currently 'cause of a falling out unrelated to her gender identity.

Sierre Barros

23 (human) years old

5'6"

Latino(-coded) (Half-Asian-coded, Part-Native-Mexican-coded, Part-White-coded) (i say -coded 'cause in his universe, Asia & Latin America doesn't exist)

Trans Man (he/him)

Biromantic, Bisexual

Sierre is an elf "dustkicker", or nomadic desert biker/criminal. He lives on a planet conquered & colonized by a matriarchal alien race (whose matriarchy is functionally no different from human patriarchy). He got caught in a horrific situation, but was saved by a Fae assassin paid to do so by his "Mii'ma". Now, he not only has to live with said assassin, but also recover from the trauma as best as he can & get back to his criminal ways with a new partner (perhaps falling in love with her along the way~).

Non-spoilery facts about my guy:

Sierre was born & raised in a nomadic clan of dustkickers. Think of the Aldecaldos from Cyberpunk 2077. Suffice to say, it was no wonder he grew to be what he is. He had a trans mother & father and two older sisters. But when everyone died in a turf war, he ran away and sought shelter from an alien woman, his "Mii'ma", running a series of desert brothels.

He's identified as a boy since he was 6. Of course, his family and clan were accepting of this and treated him as one all throughout his life. It's no different with his Mii'ma too, especially since her brothels are queer- & trans-friendly.

Transitioning was hard for him though. Being part of a nomadic clan, it was hard to get a steady supply of testosterone & binders and even harder to get reliable surgeons to perform cosmetic procedures on him when he came of age. However, his family & clan put in a great effort to help him medically transition as best as he possibly can. When taken into custody by his Mii'ma, access was much easier & safer.

Sierre's taken testosterone, presented masculine, grown much body & facial hair, and has had top surgery and facial masculinization surgery. He never had bottom surgery and doesn't desire to go through it - he's fine with what he has downstairs.

His gender dysphoria wasn't something that reared its ugly head when he was a child. When he hit puberty, it did. He was taught how to manage it by his parents & one sister when faced with transphobia of all kinds during his tenure as a dustkicker. But after that traumatic incident, it grew tenfold. He needs a lot of help bringing it down to a crawl...fortunately, his love interest and her employees were there for him.

He's rarely struggled with his bisexuality though. He's always grown up around queer people in his clan & in his Mii'ma's brothels. He's hooked up with men, women, and nonbinary people, but wasn't ready for a relationship. The only big problem was with how his partners & others hitting on him would treat him after learning/seeing what he has downstairs. It made him stop hooking up for a while since he wasn't seen as a person during these encounters, but something "exotic" & "unique" as well as "subby". It doesn't help that his ethnicity and vitiligo were looked at as anything more than what they were.

Speaking of his vitiligo, that's what those marks are! That made living in the desert even harder for him since they can easily get burned. He has more patches on his chest, stomach, back, legs, and feet.

He's also got plenty of tattoos around his body. The most notable one is his chest piece, which says "BADLANDS", the desert he calls home.

Sierre has a devil-may-care attitude when it came to anything or anyone. Unfortunately, after surviving that situation he got caught in, he became moodier and overly cautious of anything & anyone. He even developed monophobia, despite being fine alone before. Fortunately, as long as he lived with the assassin, he would eventually get back to what he was before.

He absolutely loves riding motorcycles, especially on the desert sands! To him, it's so freeing & so much fun!

Devon Lecomi

21 (human) years old

6'1

Multiracial (they're of a Fae ethnicity that doesn't have direct racial correlations to us)

Trans Nonbinary & Intersex (they/them)

Panromantic, Pansexual

Devon is a Fae that's unfortunately in bad company. Without spoiling much right away, they're continuously looking to escape their terrible circumstances. The reason why they're associated with this group is because they were born in it, they have rare healing magic, & is the last descendant of its wielding Fae.

They & Cori are from the same universe/story and are very best friends, acting no different from siblings!

Also, before I begin, the Fae in their universe come from realms different from ours & are matriarchal. This is going to matter when I talk about them.

Non-spoilery facts about this sweetheart (⚠️TW: religious trauma, mention of self-harm & attempted suicide):

They were born in a traveling cult, one that's a paradox of religion & heresy. It operates as both a terrorist cell & religious sect. The cult comprises of Dae (Fae corrupted by dark magic) and fanatical Fae not wielding dark magic. Unfortunately, Devon's parents were the latter. They were murdered by Fae authorities before they turned 4, leaving them to be raised by the leader. They were treated like royalty in the cult because of their healing magic, but that didn't mean they were treated well.

They have Klinefelter syndrome, having XXY chromosomes. They were assigned male at birth and was treated as a boy until they hit puberty. The cult had simultaneously treated them as the best garson (male version of maiden in this universe) ready to be the perfect husband and breed fine children, as well the best woman to one day led the cult to greatness & good health. After all, the sect holds both transphobic & trans-positive beliefs, misandristic & misogynistic.

Yeah, being treated that way made their dysphoria a literal headache & then some. It had gotten so bad that they've harmed themself a few times and attempted suicide. The leader wouldn't let them and kept assuring them they were both man & woman for a higher purpose, a greater meaning. They had to start believing that, no matter what their mind said otherwise.

Despite all of that, Devon's still the most kindest, sweetest, and wholesome person you'd ever meet. Because of their status in the cult, they have a little more freedom to express themselves when away from the cult's eye.

As of right now, they're more gender-questioning with the way they've been treated & their lack of knowledge about gender identities beyond male & female. They do go by "they/them" outside of the cult after getting to know Cori and learning about different genders. They really like the set of pronouns and they'll eventually identify as trans, nonbinary, & intersex once they escape the cult!

Devon's body is kinda built like mine: not fat per se, but there's a gut. Unlike me, they're not aiming to work it off. They've come to love their plush belly!

Their fashion sense is...eclectic. They're attracted to bright colors, comfy clothes, cute animals, whimsycore, & even fairycore!

They've discovered their pansexuality during their time in the cult, but kept their attraction hidden because the cult does not believe in it. But they'll be able to finally explore what it means to be pansexual soon!

They are more than willing to use their healing magic on anyone, no matter who or what they are...that includes people that'd treat them like garbage. Their kindness has no bounds and that can be to their detriment at times.