Trash Panda

Men vs. Women Race to 1000

911 ...Someone call the police. We're losing badly XD

Another Natasha(Summer and Heartless)

When he left the American girl’s room, Jun quickly discovered that his friends had already gone back to the campus— well, either that or they were still asleep in the other rooms. They had had much more to drink than Jun, so he wouldn’t put it past them to sleep through the morning. He decided not to wait up for them. The owner would probably kick them out soon enough if they really were still here. As he headed down the hallway to leave the building, Jun saw another man walking towards him. He stepped aside to let him pass. The man nodded at him curtly and went into the American’s room. Jun stared after him for a moment. She had another customer so soon after him? She must be very popular. He wasn’t sure why he was surprised. She was a beautiful girl with her exotic blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. Of course she would draw in many customers. He wondered if she compared the men who paid for her services, and if so, what she thought about him. Jun shook his head. It didn’t matter. He meant nothing to that girl who slept with dozens of men for a living. He was just one of the many faces she saw throughout her work, and their night together was just part of her income. He knew he shouldn’t think of it as anything more than that, but somehow it didn’t feel right to turn something so intimate into an unimportant event. Your innocence is showing, Jun. He could almost hear Koji’s mocking voice in his head. His friend came to places like this all the time and never thought anything of it. Did his numbness grow overtime? Would Jun turn out the same way? He wasn’t sure how he felt about turning into a person like Koji. Sure, his friend had some great qualities, but sleeping around in brothels was not one of the things Jun admired in him. He was still reeling from the fact that Koji had managed to trick him into doing this in the first place. Jun left the run-down building and headed back to the college campus —now that he was sober, he was able to figure out where was and find his way back— nursing his hangover the whole way. He didn’t have another class until later in the day, so he went to his dorm room to take a nap. He hoped the pounding ache in his head would fade. It would be difficult to focus on the lecture if it persisted like this. He lay down on his bed and closed his eyes, drawing his blanket over his head to block out the daylight that filtered through the window curtains. Eventually, he drifted into a light sleep. -- Fortunately, Jun’s headache had faded to a dull throb by the time he went to class. He showed up early and found an empty seat near the back of the room and watched the other students enter through the door. He found his eyes wandering back to the girls, and his thoughts circled back to the American. She had been about the same age as his peers. He wondered how she ended up working as a prostitute in Japan, while she could be studying to make a more honorable living in her home country. “Hey, Jun,” Koji’s voice drew him from his musings. His friend smirked at him mischievously. “Did you sleep well last night?” Jun rolled his eyes at the blatant double entendre in Koji’s words. “I can’t believe I let you convince me to go to that place,” Jun said. “Hey,” Koji held up his hands innocently. “No harm done, right? You didn’t lose a single yen. So…” He leaned in close and dropped his voice to a whisper. “Did you sleep with her, or did you chicken out?” “I didn’t want to waste your money,” Jun replied with a shrug, trying to sound as carefree as his friend was about the whole matter. “Really?” Koji’s eyes lit up with a mixture of surprise and amusement. “You mean you actually went all the way with her? I have to say, I’m impressed, Jun. I thought you’d run out the instant you realized what was going on. I guess I can’t call you innocent anymore, huh?” “I guess not,” the lightness in Jun’s voice wavered. “I just… never expected to lose that innocence to a girl like her, you know? I always thought I’d be with someone I actually cared about.” “You sound like my old man,” Koji shook his head. “Jun, come on. Sex doesn’t mean to people what it used to. Everyone’s having it, and you just happened to have it with someone who costs money. What’s the difference? If you really want to sleep with someone you ‘care about,’ just take your pick.” He gestured at a group of girls towards the front of the classroom. “I mean, look at you. You could have anyone here if you asked. It’s your own fault for never putting any effort into building a love life.” “I need to focus on my studies, Koji,” Jun said. “I don’t have time to get into a relationship.” “Which is why I paid for your stay at the brothel,” Koji replied. “You got your night with a girl, no relationship necessary. See? I do have your best interests at heart.” “If that were true, why did you have to be so sneaky about the whole thing?” Jun muttered under his breath. “So,” Koji went on, unable to hear Jun’s softly spoken comment. “What did you think of the ‘Innocent Beauty’?” “She’s a beautiful girl,” Jun replied vaguely. “She seemed kind of… detached though.” “I’m not surprised,” Koji shrugged. “She’s only been in the business for about three months, according to her pimp.” “Three months?” “Yeah, he struck a good deal for her with an American man.” “So she was a prostitute in America before she came here?” “I don’t think so. Her pimp said she was new when he bought her.” “Then… how did he buy her?” “I don’t know. Does it matter?” Jun opened his mouth to reply, but the professor stepped into the room and Koji had to return to his seat as class began. Jun had a hard time focusing on the lecture, so he turned on a recorder and let his mind wander back to his conversation with Koji. He felt a growing sense of unease in the pit his stomach. It sounded like there was more to the business of prostitution than he originally thought. Just where did the American girl come from? Where did any of the girls come from? He had never really considered their backgrounds before. He had always assumed they went to the brothels of their own accord in order to make money. Was there something else going on that Koji hadn’t told him about? -- Jun went straight back to his dorm room when class was over. He pulled out his laptop and opened up a web search page. He wanted to find out for himself what his friend had kept from him. It took some time to sort out the informational sites from the obscene ones, but eventually he managed to find one article about something called ‘human trafficking.’ By the time he finished reading the article, Jun felt sick. The girls weren’t choosing this lifestyle of their own free will; they were tricked, abused, and threatened into it. Once trapped by their pimps, they hardly ever received any compensation for their constant mistreatment. He finally understood why the American girl had been so robotic and unemotional the night before. She had been turned into an inhuman slave to be used by uncaring men who only wanted to have their way with her. Uncaring men like me, Jun fought the bile that rose in the back of his throat. He was disgusted with himself. He had completely taken advantage of the girl and made her life all the more miserable. Before he realized what he was doing, Jun picked up his cellphone and called Koji. “Hello?” his friend answered. “How do you make an appointment at the brothel?” Jun said in monotone. He could hear Koji whistle on the other end of the line, “That girl must have been good if you want to go back so soon. Her pimp has a private number. Do you have a pen?” Jun acknowledged that he did indeed have a pen, and Koji gave recited the number for him to write down. “He changes phones every few weeks, but the number should still be the same this time. I used it to talk to him only a few days ago.” “Okay, thanks,” Jun said. “That’s all I need.” “Okay,” Koji said. “Glad to see you’ve come around to my way of thinking. See you, Jun.” Jun hung up and dialed the number his friend gave him. “Hello?” a deep voice answered. The man sounded frustrated. “Err, hello,” Jun said uncertainly. “I want to set up an appointment. I was at your motel yesterday.” “Who is this?” the man replied warily. “I was part of the group that came with one of your regulars, Koji Nakahara,” Jun dodged giving the man his own name. “Ah,” the man said. He sounded less suspicious, but his voice was still terse. “Which of my girls do you want to see, and when?” “Umm, is there an opening with Innocent Beauty tomorrow?” “Tomorrow,” there was a pause and an indistinct noise from the man’s side of the line that sounded like rustling papers. “Yes. She only has one other appointment at 9:30PM.” “Could I see her at seven?” Jun’s stomach twisted when he heard about the other appointment. After everything he’d learned about human trafficking, the thought of the girl being forced to sleep with yet another man made him feel sick. “How long will you have her?” the man went on in a businesslike fashion. “Two hours.” “Fine. What do you want her to wear?” “I’m sorry?” “You choose what you want to see her in, and I will have her wear it.” “Do you have anything casual? Modest, even?” “A good-girl fetish, eh?” the man chuckled. “Err, something like that.” “I can fulfill that request,” the man said. He paused again and Jun heard another noise on his end of the line. “Two hours with her will be twenty thousand yen. You will pay up front.” “Okay,” Jun said. He heard the man hang up, and that was it. What am I doing? Jun lay down on his bed and stared at the wall. He wanted to make things right with the girl; atone for what he did to her somehow. He just wasn’t sure what he would do or if it was even possible. The most he could do was confront her and try. Jun closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep.

Google Picture War

Stand Alone(Summers and AHeartlessNobody)

Serix returned Cassie’s smile when she agreed to his proposal. He hadn’t been sure how she would react, since he had suggested it so suddenly. The fact that she was willing to become his mate overjoyed him. It didn’t matter that they had only known each other for just over five days. If he had been mated to a Lunairan female back on the ship, he only would have known her for twice that. He wondered if humans were the same way. Maybe their courting rituals were even shorter, and that was why Cassie was so quick to accept him? Either way, she had said yes. That was all that mattered. He leaned forward on the bed to wrap her in a one-armed embrace and leaned his forehead against her own, closing his eyes serenely, “I’m glad you think so, too. Now we just have to figure out how we’re going to make this happen.” He pulled away again and opened his eyes, meeting her gaze. “I was thinking we could combine our traditions, that way we could incorporate pieces of our pasts to form something new for our future. “Let’s see,” Serix paused to think. “In my people’s society, mating rituals are extremely important because there are so few of us left. More mated couples mean more children, which in turn mean a growing population, so it’s always a big event. Traditionally, the ceremony begins with a dance that is open to any other mated couples who want to join in. Single males and females aren’t supposed to be friendly with each other in that way, so they have to wait on the side. “During the dance, the pair to be mated have their wrists tied together with a thin, white rope. The male’s left hand is tied to the female’s right. The bond is supposed to symbolize their unity through being mated. It’s also helpful because it marks the couple apart from everyone else. It’s not hard to lose track of them in a crowd of dancing Lunairans, so the rope helps identify them if needed. “After the dance, the already mated couples join the single males and females around the sides of the room, leaving the celebratory pair alone in the center. They are met by a Lunairan appointed by my people’s leaders to officiate the rest of the ceremony. He delivers a speech —I don’t remember all the words— and unknots the rope that ties the couple together so their hands are free. Next, he has them recite pledges to each other and to the society as a whole. For example, the male promises to take care of his mate and children, the female promises to continue the family line, and they both promise to do everything they can for the benefit of all Lunairans. Those are just a few of the pledges they make, among other things. “Once the pledges are done, the officiator gives them a cup filled with diluted nectar from a flower on my home planet —there’s a small, synthetic garden on the ship— and they drink it. This is supposed to bring good fortune to the couple, and the nectar is apparently good for fertility rates or something. I can’t remember exactly what it does or how it works. “When the cup is drained, the male and female are officially mates. All of the spectating Lunairans leave, and the officiator sends the new couple to an adjoining, curtained-off room where… well… where they can have some privacy,” Serix shrugged. “So that’s how my people are mated.” He met Cassie’s gaze. “What kinds of traditions do humans have?”

Google Picture War

And squish~

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Men vs. Women Race to 1000

673 I take a break for a couple days, and this happens... How did we get so far behind, girls? XD

Stand Alone(Summers and AHeartlessNobody)

“Well, this is very romantic of you,” Cassie said while Serix carried her back to the bedroom. “I’m pleasantly surprised.” “Surprised?” Serix said with a mock frown. “Don’t have such little faith in me, Cassie. I can be romantic when I want to. Besides,” He paused in his walk and leaned in close to give her a blatantly flirtatious smirk. “If I was like this all the time, you’d grow numb to my natural charm.” He planted a quick peck on her cheek and continued carrying her to the room. Cassie leaned her head on his shoulder and went on to describe how their position reminded her of human mates. Apparently newly mated —or newlywed. He still had to get used to human terms— human males would carry their mates like he was doing with Cassie. He had never heard of it before, but the practice was an interesting tradition. He smiled to himself. It seemed like he and Cassie were acting like mates according to human culture as well as Lunairan. This inevitably led him to another question. It was obvious now that they both wanted that kind of relationship, but they had left their cultures behind. Most of the Lunairan traditions were impossible to carry out without a third party, which they didn’t have, and while Serix still didn’t know much about human methods, he could guess that they were similar enough. He didn’t want to be trapped in the unofficial nature of their relationship, but he wasn’t sure how to get out of it. They had no traditions to fall back on. Serix then thought of something else. What if they invented their own mating rituals? Humans apparently made things all the time when they still populated the Earth. Creativity was the one area in which they always seemed to outclass the Lunairans. Maybe he could try to adopt their ways of thinking. It wouldn’t be a bad thing for him to be a bit more flexible. They entered the still-dark room and Serix set Cassie down on her bed. She looked up at him, “I don’t think I need to sleep this time. Just rest for a few minutes.” “Don’t overexert yourself,” Serix said, shaking his head. “Just lie down for a bit. I’m going to go turn these lights back on. I’ll be back soon.” He put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her down until she was lying with her head on the pillow, and then pulled the blanket over her and headed back out into the hallway. He went to the generator room Cassie had shown him before, where he found the breaker that controlled the lights in all of the rooms. He flipped the switch for the bedroom and closed the box again, exiting the room and making his way back to Cassie. The whole trip took him no longer than three minutes. “That’s much better,” Serix nodded when he entered the lit room. He crossed over to Cassie’s bed and sat down on the edge, hesitated for a moment, and then turned to her. “So… I was thinking. From what you’ve told me, and from what I know myself, it seems like we’re acting like a mated couple by both human and Lunairan standards. Why not just seal the deal?” He flushed slightly and scuffed his foot at the floor. “I mean, I know we only just confessed yesterday, but it’s not like either of us are going anywhere. We’ve just got each other, and there’s no point in waiting… so why not make it official?”

Stay with Me (Summer and Heartless)

“Mirabella?” Destrian echoed. “That is a fitting name.” He led her through the woods, passing the time by watching her cat scamper through the underbrush that surrounded them. It couldn’t seem to decide where it wanted to walk beside them. Sometimes it would romp along beside Mirabella, and sometimes it would cross over to his side. Occasionally, it even went ahead of them, as if it was the one guiding the humans to their destination. Its fickleness was entertaining. “Destrian?” Mirabella spoke up. “Why even consider someone like me to perform at such an important event? After all, I am of the low class. And I always assumed... well... that royalty couldn’t stand to be in the presence of people like me.” “There will always be narrow-minded people no matter where you go,” Destrian replied with a shrug. “Why let them dictate what you can and cannot do? So long as you can provide everyone with an exceptional performance, your status does not matter.” He wavered. “Although… you might want to avoid the topic of your origins altogether, if possible. It would be unfortunate if any of the guests caused a scene over you.” He winked at her. “I hope you don’t mind keeping this our little secret. Ah, here we are.” He waved a hand towards the small party of knights in the clearing, who all stood up when their prince came into view. They seemed visibly uncomfortable when they saw Mirabella accompanying him. Destrian wondered if the other knights had spread word about his encounter with her yesterday. It would explain the suspicious stares of the current knights in his hunting party. Destrian spoke up before they had a chance to question the peasant girl’s presence, “Men, this is Mirabella. She will be accompanying us back to the kingdom. She has business with the King.” He met their eyes, as if daring them to challenge his claim. Fortunately, no one did. “Shall we leave immediately, Sire?” one of the knights asked. “Of course,” Destrian said. “My horse is ready, I expect? I will have the girl ride him back to the palace.” “But, Prince,” the knight protested. “There is no need. Any one of us would be glad to give up our mount in your stead. You don’t need to walk.” “Don’t trouble yourselves,” Destrian insisted. “I could do with the exercise. I’ve gotten a bit lax in my regular routines lately. Besides, the kingdom isn’t far from here.” “As you wish, Sire,” the knight wisely gave up trying to convince him. “Follow me, miss.” He gestured for Mirabella to join him at the horse’s flank, where he would help her mount the animal so they could be on their way.