saccharineflesh

"What–" was all Chase managed to say when there was a blooming pain in the back of his skull, enough to make him keel over at the waist and raise his hand to the wound. But he was too off guard, and soon blows were raining over his head and he didn't have the wherewithal to stay standing. He hit the floor, as spots danced in his vision, the blurred image of a person with dark hair over him as he lost consciousness.

He sat up quick when he was brought back to life, so much so that his head immediately swam and he curled back down, clutching the back of his head. That voice... it was the same one as before. "Are you insane?" Chase groaned, taking his time sitting up. He'd had a concussion before, and he wasn't sure if it was that, or if they hit the right spot on his head to make him go. Was that actually a thing, or was that just something people did in movies? "What was that for?" Chase could admit he could be a glutton for punishment under the right circumstances, but this was a bit extreme.

“   There’s about thirty to forty minutes of daylight left, in case you still think there’s time for chatter.  ” Juno said, though they continued clearing up the last few items on their desk. They had no plans of leaving anytime soon, but their work day was done. Now they would focus on their pottery and wedging the next batch of clay.

END

Rosalind. The name was familiar, most likely pulled from an informant out of the newcomer logbook Baby so often kept in the sheriff's station but it did not cause much care or interest to surface for Nika. Though it was unusual for her not to keep abreast of things, these days she found herself easily distracted by settlement matters. Things were shifting, sometimes to quickly to see where they were meant to fit. Branches of the tree reached out where Nika could not follow. Even now, during this conversation, she felt the pull of something beyond her reach. It had never made much sense, but these days the cruelty of this place was hard to ignore when nothing good was given in exchange.

"I have not," she stated with a tight smile. "Though I trust your judgement in company. I shall endeavour to meet her post-haste. May the tree provide for you both." It was as good of a farewell as she ever offered and Nika gave Juno a gentle squeeze of her shoulder before turning and walking inside and up the stairs to her office. There she could think. She could plan. And she could refrain from the nagging thought that she should be running through the halls decreeing "abandon all hope ye who enter here, die swiftly for it will be more merciful than this place".

For Charlie, she could pretend, for a moment, that this was someone she had desired for years. If she closed her eyes, she could see Zoa; the curves of her smile, her body, her fingers. Of course the person she found herself on the floor with was different. Colder where Zoa had been warm. Softer where Zoa's muscles had been more defined. There was something earthly from the sweat of her skin. Charlie found she could not bring herself to care. Juno. Zoa. They were the same, weren't they? She had tried to hate them, but hate was hard where hurt laid like an old lover, easier to embrace than to turn away from.

She surrendered herself to their entanglement, let Juno pull at her clothes, sloppily kiss down her skin, straddle her, cement herself in Charlie the way people that made love to her often did: held back and then all at once. There was something oddly comforting in knowing she would feel her for the next few days, that in the dead of night, when it was worse and she was more alone, she could trace the marks left and think of something other than the impeding doom of this place. "Yes," she moaned out, back of her hand to her closed eyes as she tried not to sound too desperate. She ascended, let herself go, clenched and unclenched, and gave way to the fire.

They were not tender people. In the aftermath there would be no holding, no cuddling, no affirmation of performance or sweet nothings spoken in the dead of night. They would retreat to separate corners of the room, clothes quietly, try to sleep wherever they could, and pretend they never meant anything to each other. For now, storm outside long forgotten in favour of heated exchanges, Charlie could pretend that this was where she had always meant to be.

phantom. fluffed in concern only to sniff out the thrown twig. he clamped it between sharp canines before trotting back to margot. leaving delicate paw prints in the snow—small indentations she’d find comfort in come sunrise. a mark of familiarity in the mundane. life in the cabins was quieter than the common house. whispering was left to them. drifting outside her window at night. most of the time she remained unbothered. other nights she snarked back—a pastime for sleepless hours when her eyes refused the weight of exhaustion.

the woods could be dangerous. were dangerous. the very woods that had lured her brother in. swallowed him whole. erased him from tangible life. his soul now carried in arcadian winds. margot left behind. had always been independent—self-sufficient—but she was starved for distraction. she didn’t like to sit with her thoughts. let them settle like sediment in still water. she wanted disruption. chaos. margot was a rock hurled into the calm. "is that right ?" cheeks swelled with air before dramatically deflating. a small white cloud of breath dissipating into the cold. “well—thanks for that advice.”

Cocking their head to the side, Juno wondered what she could have possibly been doing out in those woods. Margo wasn’t someone they lacked knowledge of but also not someone who interested them in the slightest. When they had first arrived the women lived within the walls of communal house, though left soon after the death of her sibling. Juno found no interest in watching over saddened subjects, and while there was a lot about her that piqued their interest - her skills and resilience despite the years - Juno felt it could have been placed elsewhere. That she, like the rest of the people in town, was nothing but a waste of breath. 

“Though, I’d say no.” they continued, stopping only once they were almost within reach, “Not today, at least.” Juno reached into their bag, needing that bit of heat to warm their throbbing fingers. There were holes where pockets used to be on their jacket and they hadn’t bothered to grab gloves on their way out of the door. They didn’t plan on being outside too long, though, only having gone out to keep from staring at all of Zoa’s belongings in the corner of their cabin. “Does it hunt for you?” they motioned with their head towards the beast.

She was here now, in the settlement, in a snowstorm, kissing Juno because she had been looking for Zoa, or any clues as to her whereabouts. Missing, presumed dead. No body and so Charlie would not —could not, accept it. It weaved itself between the two of them, this ache at the lack of answer, the lack of certainty in fate. Had it been fate for this storm to bring them together? Volatile and yet something tender bloomed now between them, heat in the forsaking cold.

She let herself be guided (could do nothing but) down to her knees. It was easy to ignore how they dug into the brick-laden floor of the greenhouse when she was face to face with Juno's pelvis. It shocked her how much her intentions had changed since coming face to face with the settler. Where pain had been the motivation behind her actions, Charlie now endeavoured to make Juno feel good, to give them more, desired to be desired. She looked up at Juno, a slave to worship, and pulled their pants and underwear down, harshly but more out of need than out of violence.

Juno had never given much thought to how they would die. There were far too many options, and each worse than the other which only ever served to excite them more - but now knowing the extent of their pleasure? The unruly way in which their body could torment and burn through their being. They were sure this was the way to go. In a force of pure euphoric bliss and heart shattering gulps of breaths. It was no wonder Charlie’s words fell on deaf ears. Juno didn’t bother to respond, their breath was a requirement they could no longer take for granted, but the pull of her lips was greater.

Hungrily, they lapped at Charlie’s tongue - teasing before letting their lips cement once more. They fought against her for dominance, unable to shake the need to control the moment despite their lapse in experience. Juno didn’t need to know too much to feel and reciprocate. Their own hand reached between them to catch a feel of their warmth. Exploring as they’d have done to themself in solitude then inserted theirself within. Before long they had found comfort in the stability of the ground beneath them. Thrashing all the way down as neither seemed to want to pull from the other. Juno certainly wasn’t ready to put an end to their carnivorous intent. 

With every passing breath, their lips devoured the surface of Charlie’s body, inching themselves lower until there was nothing between them and their target. Consumption came easier after that. All table manners out of the way, Juno splurged until their face hurt, though understanding their quest was far from over - they raised themself back to Charlie’s lips and gave their hand another go. Angling their fingers as they remembered seeing once before. Feeling her clench around them, Juno sucked in a sharp breath, “Like that?” they asked, though their voice was beyond recognition, “Does that feel good?”

Suffice it to say, Dayn learned his lesson already.

“Realm?” he asked, for clarification. “You mean, like–” He gestured to the buildings behind them, the settlement’s area and mini town that it consisted of. “I just want to know everything that I’m up against. I don’t care about rumors or whatever.” Dayn hadn’t even heard too many of them. For the most part. But if he was going to be missing again, it was better that he had a whole town to roam around in, instead of a stupid half-finished basement that had a unique mixture of mildew and dust. The snow under his feet crunched as he took a few steps, a light and unassuming pacing to keep him moving from the cold - besides, he wasn’t one that liked to stay still. “Safe to say you get a lot of people that buy into everything they hear?”

They made a mental note to ask their leader for her thoughts during their next briefing. Juno had attempted to stay on top of it in the beginning - overly curious and thrilled by the abnormality in it all - but overtime, upon moving to the settlement, and as often as they died, they grew bored of it all.

 “Not particularly.” they contradicted, in spite of themself, “In a place like this - being so excluded from everything else - people like to think they hold the answer to everything. Or that they know the way out as opposed to there not being one.” With the tip of their boot, Juno kicked some slush in their way, “We like to explore the possibility that we’re here for more. Not that this is where it ends.” Juno glanced at him for a fraction of a second, to see if he understood where their words guided and reached for their journal. “Who are you?”

Mentally, Nika had one foot here and the other in another world entirely. Still she made efforts to listen to Juno as she was updated on the conditions of the warehouse. She squeezed Juno's shoulder in much a similar way that a mother would for their young and then dropped her hand to her side. A pause and then, "I'll get a pulse on what their resources are over there. In the meantime, I think we have some ginseng in the root cellar as an alternative."

"No that's all." She searched Juno's face, seeking to see if the frustration was aimed at their conversation or if there was something else there. There was still so much for either of them to learn about how the other operated. "If you're... worried about Zoa, don't be. The tree provides, after all. "

The greenhouse had been where they kept all of their belongings over the years, but as they shifted to Zoa’s cabin, the desire to have their personal work near grew expeditiously. It wasn’t safe to venture out during the night, and though the creatures did not hinder their efforts, the fondness they felt towards their roommate kept them from putting themself at risk. 

Juno pressed their lips together for a moment, debating whether commenting would be too inviting to the conversation they didn’t want to have or if they should ignore it all together. Zoa’s absence was felt greatly, especially in the confines of their home, but Juno would put her survival instincts over all. If Zoa never was heard from again, Juno would come to terms with it. This was the natural order of Arcadia. “That reminds me, I have moved Rosalind into the cabin. She will remain at my side at all cost.” Juno said, ensuring their eyes were locked so their intent was understood. They were not asking permission. “Have you met?”

“I didn’t see any signs,” he spoke, almost dejected. “I’m sure they’re there, I just didn’t notice, I guess.” Chase had no reason not to believe them, considering how this is how they’re meeting. He was exhausted and wouldn’t put it past himself to just mentally skip over something like that, or even for these visions to wipe it from his sight, treat him like he was seeing things. “I wouldn’t like it, but you also probably wouldn’t like what you saw.” There wasn’t much left. He had packed a weekend bag for shows when he got lost, and there were impractical outfits for Arcadia in there, befitting for stage only with intensely ripped jeans and cut-off t-shirts, and the candy and weed that had once been packed were consumed within the first two weeks here, despite internal promises to savor them.

“You can check my pockets or whatever you wanna do,” Chase said. “I didn’t take anything and I don’t want to. I was just trying to find someone who could help me sleep.”

The blows sounded much louder than they expected, but just as they intended Chase’s body flopped to the ground. Shifting around him, Juno rested the shears against the greenhouse’s wall, confident that he wouldn’t wake anytime soon and proceeded to inspect their space. Walking through each row, counting and checking off their resources to ensure it lined with their previous count. Juno had a system that made it easier, and it certainly helped that they were the only one who harvested from the greenhouse. 

Juno hadn't been out long enough for him to have made multiple trips, and when all things proved to be in order, they picked up one of their many attempts at natural ammonia in a bottle. It took everything in them to not leave him passed out and go about their day, but Juno enjoyed solitude too much. Chase’s presence - no matter how limited - would bother them immensely, making it impossible to fully focus on their work. They held their breath as they opened the bottle and pressed it up to Chase’s nose. “Rise and shine. Figured you'd like to be out of here before the creatures came.”

Jude. Almost a year now since they had let her light in. It would have been so generous a blessing if they had both walked through the world unseen. They recognized the implausibility of it now, this half-attempt at invisibility. Especially when it had been Shaw who insisted not quite on the confines of sunlit-streaked sheets and a warm bed—though those mornings had fast grown in abundance—but against doors left ajar, the half-light of door frames, stairs and bare windows. Reminders, almost, that their moments could only ever be stolen. Ephemeral. 

It was strange to think of it now, that those moments should bear a witness. The town would always bear witness. That twilight hour, it had come in Juno’s form, unsettling in how easily it had lurched in their chest. “Juno, it was very presumptuous,” they said, taking another swig of the drink and settled it back on the table. “She makes furniture for the clinic. That’s all.”

It didn’t take much for Juno to switch their focus in conversation - not truly finding more they’d care to ask. Juno didn’t know the rancher despite the years they’ve been around. Had never cared to approach most anybody in the town unless they truly had to - which they never did. Instead, they watched Shaw move about their space, thinking they would have claimed the same had someone accused them of something similar. Had they been the one put in question, though Juno did like to think they’d be honest with Shaw. 

They paused to think for a moment, running through the list of available resources they could spare. Juno assured they keep a good supply of medicinal plants and spices on top of whatever else the settlement hunters brought back for their inspection. They weren’t nearly as good as their mother, but in the two years they’ve been there, Juno had been able to formulate salves, lotions, and other potions for ailments. Anything that would aid in travel as well as keep the settlement folks from the clinic unless the need was dire. “I’ll gather up anything I can spare and bring them over tomorrow. I have none of those here, ‘cept for some honey.” 

Coming to their feet, Juno moved towards the small kitchen area, returning with a partially full jar of honey. “Though, if you need more, you’re shit out of luck. The hive won’t be harvestable again for the next few months. I do have some maple though.”

THE END

now playing . . . . Tomorrow Never Knows || Electric Moon

sleeping a few feet away, the soft gentle snores of a canine at rest helped to establish the slow, drowsy passage of time. the leaves overhead, thin && dried && clinging to branches like spindly fingers, were awash in vibrancy. no longer held to the shades of orange && brown with a spurt of green, they painted the scene of rose, lilac, and periwinkle in dancing, jumping waves.

he didn't like them. juno, one of the weirder ones to stumble past the tree, taking to the greener groves like a moth does to a flicker of flame. he didn't like the way they stared, how they encroached on his territory of dressing like a shadow.

but after awhile, this became just yet another lie to tell himself. ryker said - ' i don't like that juno freak. '

what he meant to say, if he knew what honesty felt like anymore, was that he didn't like facing his demons reflected in kaleidoscope eyes. there was ghosts in the cobwebs of both their minds. of course his first instinct was to run away. to lash out with teeth && claws bared, threats ripe on chapped lips && firestruck tongue.

because, in a way, they reminded ry of an owl. && he'd never liked the sensation of being seen. not when he couldn't control the narrative, not when he felt like darkness suffocated everything he once thought he could be. juno saw him, saw his gloom, and didn't have the curtesy to look away. they followed, watched, gazed, they wrote. ryker only gave in to their persistence after realizing what a green thumb juno could boast of, as well.

and now, in the little grove offset by the settlement (a place he never thought he'd be, a place he'd avoided for years, a place that was a source of such absent speculation, adjacent horror, rampant misunderstanding-) ry allowed himself to let loose the floodgates of security, and relax into the sweep of pleasure that washed the tension from his aching bones. " do you believe in karma? "

silence had reigned for so long, as the drugs in ry's body caused him to marvel at the shape of his hands; the sway of the trees, the painting spattered across the clouds, the leaves- the silence had been so comfortable, so familiar, that now his voice felt it came from a different body. like it bounced from just sideways of him, not pressed from his own tired lungs, now hanging between their unlikely, black shrouded pair. pale hues blinked slowly at the odd shape of his fingers, before pulling slowly to juno, watching as geometric patterns shifted && twirled over the shape of their facial bones.

" like - " ryker continued in the sam southern drawl as the day he first arrived, still feeling like he were a ghost hanging suspended between the trees, merely listening. victim to his own body, soldier to his own prison, a mind that could only roam free when the drugs crunched between his teeth. " are we limited to this lifetime, or does what we do now... here... d'ya think it effects any 'a the rest? "

However, with how much snow had fallen, and the lack of proper insulation in their boots, Juno barely made it a couple of hours out there. They had gathered bark and some fungi, but the plants had been smothered beneath the layers of snow or had been trampled on by things in the woods. Their return had been extremely disappointing, but Juno didn’t allow themselves to think on it. Before their journey they had set up a couple of bowls to set in their kiln, and knew the greenhouse - at least - would be awaiting in warmth. 

The rest of their day held no importance and with Zoa now missing - and Rosa doing god knows what with the people of the town - Juno didn’t feel a need to go home. So they hung around the greenhouse, pressed up against the ground beside Ryker, feeling themselves melt into the hard floor. “Karma’s, and inadvertently life, is like a book. Once it’s done, it’s up to you to decide whether it gets a sequel.” In whatever life came after, though Juno truly hopes that none would follow. That once their body had completely laid to rest, they wouldn’t be sucked into another useless cycle. 

“While I do believe in the possibility of reincarnation, I’m not quite sure if it’ll still be you living through that life. Remembering your current life, even.” Though, they chose to never focus on a world beyond their own. Or a realm beyond, which is how they cemented their being to Arcadia. “Have you got lots to atone for?” Juno asked, turning to watch him once more. Scoping each dent and wrinkle upon his face as if it were the first time. "I am no priest, nor will I pretend to care, but you may speak if so desired."

They’d always known Rosa far too well, despite the slow start of their friendship. Two people who were adverse to other people - it was a recipe for disaster, but Rosa had originally been grateful that she wouldn’t have to deal with a roommate from hell. Someone who insisted on impeding into her space, forcing friendship down her throat in the most insistent way possible. Rosa wasn’t immune to making friends, and she was a girls girl after all - she enjoyed gossip, she enjoyed wine nights. Her time spent on her friendships always felt important, but she was delicate, easy to scare. And if that could be said about her, Juno magnified it. But for Rosa, it was true - for Juno, they were merely… a solitary person. They weren’t delicate, and they weren’t easy to scare. It was refreshing, to be able to approach someone on Rosa’s own terms, who seemed to similarly value space and time apart.

And then there’d been too much time apart. Rosa had stupidly, childishly, grown attached. It wasn’t a bad thing, when it came to friendships - she was always proud of herself, when she could put her past traumas to the side and let someone in. It was rare, which made it all the worse when she did so with Juno, because it didn’t feel like a friendship. Rosa had considered Juno her family when they upped and left her seemingly without another thought - more, maybe. Still.

You’ve got me in your grasp now, Rosa, so tell me, whatever will you do? It was such a Juno thing to say - genuinely curious, with a tone that suggested taunting, though Rosa knew that wasn’t what it was. They were calculating, always had been, and Rosa knew they wanted to know her next step, wanted to know how they were going to move themself. They were both in check, waiting for the other to call mate. “What is this?” Rosa repeated, no longer pushing against Juno, but keeping her arm against their throat. Allowing them to breathe and talk with ease, though she couldn’t bring herself to give them space. She was mad, infuriated, truly, but she was also touching Juno again. How many times could someone experience the head to toe numb-electric feeling of pure shock before they finally just shut down? With a hitched inhale, Rosa hadn’t realised she’d been holding her breath until she finally pushed herself off Juno and broke their intense eye contact, scrambling away until her back hit the opposite wall. She probably looked far from tough now, cowering and attempting to hide the tremble in her bottom lip, but the tear that slid down her face gave her up. She didn’t even bother to swipe it away.

“You… left me.” She whispered - a test, really. Rosa didn’t fully trust this to be real, still. At best, this was a nightmare. At worst, she was about to be gutted by the one thing she’d been warned to avoid since arriving to Arcadia. But her hands were slapping against solid concrete - she could feel the cold exterior, ridges too realistic to be a dream. So she was awake, and she was inside, safe. Which led to the most mind-boggling option, one she was still toying with. If this was real, Rosa didn’t know if she was meant to be distressed or relieved. The latter felt mean, considering the realisation that seeped into the forefront of Rosa’s mind - it wasn’t like anyone came here by choice. It made her face twist now, unable to hide that she was openly crying. She couldn’t help but wonder if Juno was uncomfortable with such an open display of emotions like they used to be before they got used to her, when Rosa first became close to them and they first realised just how emotional she was. 

“Or… you’ve… been here. The whole time. You didn’t leave, not on purpose. Did you? I don’t - I don’t know anything, anymore. I spent so long - I thought - You were here? The last two years?”

The question amused them for no particular reason, though it wasn’t a question that many had an answer for or could even attempt to rationalize. They knew they were stuck, knew they couldn’t go out at night - or at the very least it was warned against for their livelihoods - but as for the origin of it all, and how the town came to be? Well, that was unknown to any particular person. It was all there before, dating back to lord knows how long, though some journals and texts found in the town made it appear as though the town was at least bursting with life in the 70’s and 80’s. The buildings themselves looked well outdated in comparison to the new world. 

Juno focused their attention on Rosa’s face instead. The lines that forced between her brows when she was angered or confused - both in this occasion - and the twist of her lips as she fought her own emotions. They never thought they’d miss it enough to want her here, and while they knew the other’s presence would only serve to cause them trouble, there was a sense of an unknown weight lifting off them. Juno chose to attribute it to Rosa’s untouched physic and lack of visible injuries. She mustn’t have had any encounter with Them just yet, which alleviated them, but did not surprise. What did surprise them was how the hell Rosa had gotten into town and if there was a bus full of idiots that they’d need to avoid for the next couple months until they slowly dwindled as they often did. 

“Is that your acute accusation?” they said softly, though Rosa had known Juno far too long to not have heard so. Juno wondered what the best way of responding would be, but figured in doing so they’d only be fueling Rosalind that much more. She had given up on restraining Juno by this point, so they brushed off the unseen dirt and straightened up once more. It was so easy to gaze upon Rosa and become unable to engorge with unsettling thoughts of pain and torment, though they felt none despite her tears. An allure of connection. A blurred line. Perhaps, a moment of wonder. But all stemming from the tears she shed and the illusion of disbelief. “I have been here ever since that very first day as there is no other place to go.” they went on to tell the truth, though not entirely responding to the question asked. 

Not bothering to waste another moment, Juno started to head for the door once more. “Where do you gather your belongings? We should start there and I’ll show you where we’ll sleep.” Zoa hadn’t been seen or heard from in days by this point, expecting a return all the while knowing what was out in the woods felt too close to delusion, and so Juno had made peace with it all. Gathered all of Zoa’s things and accommodate them to a corner of the cabin for future settlement distributions. They did keep a couple of things for themselves. Items the two had fond memories of or had made together, but all the essentials were to be sent off. “If you have none I have extra's you may keep. Hurry, I have work that needs doing.”

Charlie. There was that god forsaken name again. A nod, pensive in the possibilities of how she could reply to Juno. There was, after all, pride in Juno's ability to discover sexual feelings that Nika had yet to see them explore or express in the young person's time here. She questioned whether this meant that Juno would soon take part in pleasurable evenings in the main hall. Nika had had Zoa. She couldn't lie and say she hadn't thought about Juno too. There was something of importance in the borderline incestuous sexual connection Nika felt compelled to have with every member of the settlement.

Nika offered Juno a tight-lipped smile, patted them gently on the arm. "Perhaps it would be best if you refrained from entangling yourself with the town's people," she stated. "The security of the green house is of upmost importance to the welfare of this settlement. There are other places you can go if you're looking to explore your feelings."

Even if they had lost a good amount of composure during Charlie’s visit, Juno would never have allowed anything to happen that was out of their control. Even as their soul escaped their body, leaving them at a loss for breath let alone words. Chase, on the other hand, could have easily been used for fertilizer had Juno been found in an ill tempered mood. But none of that was spoken since they were well aware that Nika didn’t care for useless banter. 

Juno glanced at the hand on their shoulder for a moment before switching the topic to their most common report, “We are due for new clippings on the black cohosh, which we’ve exhausted the resources for in the last few months. I have other plants for repellent, but nothing with the same anti-inflammatory properties. It’s been too cold either way, so the bug bites shouldn’t be too big a problem. The recent spike in cold and flu sickness, however, is a bit more challenging. Which brings us yet another problem, we don’t have enough echinacea on hand for remedies. Although, with the new doctor's arrival, I assume supplies have tripled over in the clinic.” Juno allowed themselves a moment's pause before meeting Nika’s gaze, “Did you happen to need anything else?”

Pain shot through her lip as Juno bit down and it caused a hiss to escape her mouth. And then Juno did what they always did in Charlie's presence to irritate her: they opened their mouth to speak. Her fingers gripped Juno's hips and a frustrated grunt slipped out as she pivoted them around and slammed Juno back against the wall.

"Would you shut the fuck up for once in your life?" she stated before leaning forward and kissing Juno again. Hatred. Desire. Crazy how similar those two things felt, like heat blooming in the pit of her stomach. She deepened the kiss, one hand slipping underneath the waistband and down the front of Juno's pants. Her fingers met heat and Charlie wasted no time in moving them in a way often reserved for lonely nights in the radio station.

She returned the favour from earlier and bit down on Juno's bottom lip before using her nose to nuzzle Juno's head to the side and leaving little bites down their neck. She paused at the base where their neck met their shoulder and whispered, "it's better when you're quiet."

A fly on her wall - it’s where Juno thrived. Lingering along the halls and beneath stairs, corners and dark places reserved only for the shadows and where lint gathered. Always listening. Always watching. People behaved so differently when they thought no one gazed upon them. Their faces tell a more compelling story than the wasted breath with which they spoke. That was where Charlie’s excitement lingered. That’s what called to Juno. But while they would have done so well with leaving things there, their connection to another bonded them in life. Plagued them with a sense of something they couldn’t quite explain. 

Thrashing only slightly at first, before giving into the mighty kiss, Juno explored and trailed Charlie’s body with their hands - up their back, in her mane, and back again. Testing. Experimenting. As a soft breathless gasp crushed through their barrier at the feel of her hand, Juno couldn’t deny the excitement bursting through their body. Or the need to feel more, to get more out of the moment and so they let Charlie guided them through uncharted waters. “I can-” Their lips parted, breathlessly gasping, “-I can do that.” Juno replied, surprised by the sheer depravity in their tone, “I want more.” 

But waiting was a state they didn’t fully understand, and just as easily as their hands had groped and probed Charlie’s temple, Juno used the wall behind them for support and pressed her head lower down their body. Accepting the kisses along the way but with intent to get more. They had their own fingers they could use, but a mouth? Her tongue? “I want more.”