He'd been told—called—a lot of things—in bed or otherwise. He'd never felt so caught before. He didn't know how to respond, but his face did it for him: a smile that also communicated how she'd made him, who thought he'd lost the ability, actually blush.
"So are you," he whispered back, meaning it so much it hurt.
Jyn hadn't even though it through - the words had just left her lips in a moment of the most freedom she had let herself feel in years. But his reaction, his surprised smile, the faint color in his cheeks stole what little breath she had recovered fully away.
She wanted to argue the point, wanted to argue that she was anything but lovely - she was hard and sharp and dangerous, but with difficulty, she swallowed the hards and tentatively leaned in, searching out the solace and comfort and understanding she had found in the kisses they had already shared.
He could make the same arguments. Both ways. Where would that leave them…?
Right now, couldn't care less.
He met her exactly: renewing the kiss, and this time letting it intensify in fervor; lips parting, hand cupping the back of her head, body pressing—still gently, nothing she couldn't stop the second she wanted to—inward, tilting her back, curving them together.
They could - but then their mouths would be engaged in an activity that was not nearly as satisfying as kissing.
And Jyn was finding that she really liked kissing Rilio, being kissed by him in return.
He met her halfway, and Jyn sighed into the kiss, the sounds muffled as this time, there was little tentativeness to be found as they enjoyed each other, moving against each other until they were shifted and settled into a more thorough comfort. One arm slung low around his middle, the other she let map out its own path, up the length of his arm, only lingering momentarily at the back of his neck before allowing her fingers to card through his dark hair, newly washed and oh-so-soft.
For as much as Jyn knew that it wasn't possible, she found herself wanting to live in this moment indefinitely.
As soon as she thought that, she felt him moving away, and she couldn't help a softly disappointed little noise from following in the wake of the kiss coming to an end.
Truthfully ... she wasn't the least bit offended by - or disgusted by the slowly dawning realization of what was happening. It was perfectly natural, wasn't it?
Still, she didn't want to make him uncomfortable by mentioning that, making him feel like he was obligated to do something that he didn't want to do with her.
"It's okay", she replied, her voice just as soft. "Really."
"Thanks." He knew better than to go on about it. He just focused on his breathing and counting backwards from one hundred by sevens. He needed to stay removed a moment if he was going to get control of himself—but he left one hand gently resting and drawing nonsense glyphs on her arm.
Jyn took the opportunity to try to catch her breath, as well, to regain some of the composure lost in the aftermath of the kisses they've shared - kisses that have left her reeling, left her wanting in a way that she was wholly unaccustomed to. Maybe she needed a moment, too. Still, she was grateful for the way he maintained contact, the soft touches he granted her, hint enough that he was still, for the most part, mostly comfortable with their activities.
She should've probably kept quiet, but before she was able to think the action through, Jyn quietly asked - "How are you feeling?"
Jyn laughed. She couldn't remember the last time that a laugh - a real, true one - left her lips quite so easily. She hadn't just meant his physical reaction, but it was a little difficult to ignore.
Her laugh soon faded into a quiet little sigh, her fingers gentle as she echoed the touch he was still sharing with her, tracing a series of random patterns against his shoulder. "Good. I'm glad."
But moreso, hearing that he felt even an iota of what she was feeling, safe and comfortable and content enough, somehow meant everything to her. "Yeah. Me too."
His smaller, shyer smile transformed his face. His eyes drifted from hers to her shoulder, as his fingertips traced their way up her arm and found the line of her clavicle and neck. He sketched it all in his hand like he'd never touched another being before.
He didn't know why he thought it. Still less why he chose to actually say it. But he did; murmured, "You know I didn't give you a real name, right?"
Nor would he now; but it felt important, at the least, that they have just that little more honesty. They could still use fake names, under the mutual agreement that that's what they were.
So it did. And Jyn found herself silently wishing that she never forgot the sight of it, nor how his every touch made her feel - comfortable and content and cared about in a way that was so brand-new it should have scared her.
She wasn't very surprised to hear that he'd given her an alias. And it would make a hypocrite out of her to feel any offense, as she had done exactly the same thing. Any halfway smart person in their situation would have done the same. (Although it did make her heart drop just a touch at the thought that they might never know each other's true identities.
Maybe that was for the best.)
Jyn shrugged gently, her lips twisting into a small but wry smile. "Didn't give you mine, either. Better safe than sorry."
Jyn felt much the same, her heart sinking slowly just to see the way his smile did not quite meet his eyes. Making a genuine connection seemed so out of the ordinary, almost rare, and now that it was here and within her reach ... she had to push him away?
It was an unfairness of the highest order.
"I know",she murmured, reaching up to brush the pad of her thumb along his cheekbone. "Me, too."
She attempted a smile, as well, unsure of how successful the attempt would turn out to be.
"Right now." The repetition was agreement, maybe a promise.
He mirrored her movement, moving his hand likewise to her face, gently tracing its shape, brushing back some wisps of hair. His eyes on her were admiring, drinking her in… but maybe now a touch wistful, too.
He didn't know if this was the sort of thing you could just say. It was harder, in a way, not having an agenda; no ulterior motive. He didn't know the right (or at least, necessary) path to take. He definitely didn't intend to work toward anything. But at the same time… what if they missed a chance, to make 'right now' the most it could…?
…Well. They'd just tried some uniquely specific honesty. Try a little more.
"I'm supposed to be good at reading… people. Situations. …It's a lot harder when I…" A self-deprecating breathed laugh. "Have strong opinions. Feelings." Wants. "Makes me question my interpretations."
Jyn had wondered for a time whether or not she even retained the capability to not only be tender but to feel human, but in the moment, warm and content, being caressed so gently and looked at with such fondness (as though she was something worthy of such treatment, as if she was delicate and fragile and required being handled so gingerly), her heart started to beat back into life, one painful thump at a time.
She observed Rilio - a pseudonym, she now knew - in much the same way, with much the same regret coloring her thoughts, her own exploration of the lines and planes of his face an attempt to memorize him, memorize how she felt right now. Fingertips traced along the slope of his nose, a whisper of a touch as she mapped the line of his lips.
Jyn still had the capability - but would it be worth the hurt she knew she would face upon their inevitable parting? Right now was a little difficult to concentrate on when she couldn't quite persuade what was yet to occur from causing her worry.
An eyebrow slowly made an arch upward, and her fingers stilled, the only sound in the room their breathing as she considered just what it was that she could offer. Strong opinions. Feelings. What did that mean? About her? Them? Not that there could even be a them, not when it was dangerous to even consider ...
"So ... why don't you tell me your interpretations and I'll tell you if you're right?"
"That… it might actually be both of us, not just me… to… ask if… …we want to do more in this night.
"And it's okay if not. This is already so much. This is very much enough. It's more than… Not sure if suggesting more is actually wanted or an unnecessary risk to this.
"And I'm not sure which would be harder… going even further before going separate, or not, then wondering if…
"You know."
Ugh. One thing to be said for a cover story: When he was in character, he was better at talking.
Jyn was silent as she listened - and observed Rilio for any signs of discomfort. She didn't find any more than she did uncertainty, but that was a feeling that she too shared.
She had said as much out loud - she didn't do this, didn't allow people to get close, didn't allow herself to need anyone for anything. And here she was, battered heart aching for more.
"I know - ", she finally replied, and she thought she did understand. Jyn didn't want to sound petulant or disrespectful, or worst of all, like she expected anything from him.
This was enough. It was more than enough! But would going further avoid the very particular pain of what ifs or would it only exacerbate it?
"I want ... to do as much as you want to. Maybe it's selfish and stupid of me, but I want you to remember. And maybe someday, you'll ask or hear about Liana Hallik and you'll find me again."
(Did they really have to lose each other, first…?)
That, possibly—objectively—might be an even more drastic, dangerous, impassible line to cross. Recruitment can't be based on sentiment. It's about giving someone more tools, more choices. Not trying to… keep them.
Liana… would not have been a promising prospect for recruitment. She was self-sufficient—impressively so—and self-contained. And he didn't have a sense she was looking for a way out of her present circumstance (not provided by anyone else, at least), nor looking for a 'cause' to serve.
He could be wrong. His profiling abilities were good, but everyone could always be wrong…?
He couldn't begin to say that. He knew, in his bones, it wasn't the right way for her. For them. For now. No matter how much he… wanted.
Maybe he'd change his mind by morning. Maybe he'd change his mind in an hour. But for this moment… he had to set that fantasy aside.
So he wove his fingers gently into her hair, cupped the back of her head, and closed his eyes to crane forward and press his lips lightly to her temple.
"I'm going to remember you. You don't have to do anything else for me to remember you.
If only it was as easy as asking for him to stay. Stay where? It wasn't as though Jelucan was here home - for all intents and purposes, Jyn Erso was a homeless wanderer. It wouldn't be fair to ask Rilio to leave everything he knew for a life as hard as the one she lived.
And to say I want to go with you ...
That was really rather presumptuous, wasn't it? They had barely known each other for a small handful of hours. They didn't even know each other's real names. So why - and how - had she gotten so attached so quickly and so easily?
And why did the thought of parting leave her feeling empty and cold? Jyn didn't want to think about it, didn't want to deal with the wreckage of her heart all over again, although she knew that it was probably inevitable.
Jyn sighed softly, let herself relax a little, curled her fingers into his shirt as if to anchor the both of them to the moment, to keep them from drifting into worries and fears of what was to come.
"You're going to be hard to forget. But then - I don't want to forget. I want to remember every single moment of this."
A breath. A heartbeat. Hard to tell whose… they'd fallen in sync…
Kiss me.
Not frantic, not racing, but at once—without hesitation:
He splayed his fingers beneath her hair, cupping her head and her neck; his thumb drifting inward to trace her jaw. His eyes drank of the stardust in hers, up until the moment their faces were too close to see. Then his eyes closed and he pressed gently in and found her lips with his.
Mother of skies… she felt, tasted, was, wonderful.
Jyn's sigh was soft as he took his time in not only supporting and steadying her but gathering her a little closer. She was gentle but not tentative as she mirrored the motion of the touch to her jaw, just as studious as she took in the warmth radiating from his dark eyes, and then -
Then, they were kissing again, and whatever noise she made was muffled as she settled into it, welcomed him into her personal space until there was nothing left.
'Whatever noise she made' was beautiful and felt like a touch. He wondered if he could draw out more.
Kissing again felt just as stunningly new yet ageless—eternal—as before. As electrifying as a first meeting yet as sealed together as if they'd been intimate their whole lives. More than one life.
And, again, it felt like dancing. Impossible to tell who was leading—maybe they kept switching—maybe neither of them was, they were seamlessly in accord. But it was all-consuming and stirring and ambrosial. And finally one or both of them had to breathe, parting just enough to do so… and then he dared something newer, still. He moved his lips, still careful and gentle and soft, to the tendon of her neck, just below her ear. And gently worked his way down it, to the hollow of her neck and shoulder, and around her throat, and back up; all his senses, through his whole body, fixed on her; attentive, seeking any reactions at all; whether she liked it or not, and where, and how much.
It was such a pleased little noise, and Jyn would feel some pride in knowing that however minute, it had had a positive effect - or at least motivated Rilio in coaxing out more.
It truly did feel as though they'd done this innumerable times before and while some part of Jyn wanted to explore that phenomenon, she knew, deep down, that they didn't have the time.
So Jyn tucked it away and turned all of her attention to him, to returning each and every kiss he gifted her with the same vigor, the same passion, and she couldn't describe how overwhelming it felt to know that he felt the same desire that she did, that this - all of it, was completely reciprocal.
The need to breathe became impossible to ignore, and when they pulled away, the noise she made was soft and breathless and disappointed. But it disappeared as quickly as it had came to be as he shifted course and pressed that first soft kiss against her neck. There was no hesitation as Jyn shivered in response and then turned her head just enough against the pillow to allow for unimpeded travel. Her heart thumped harder in her chest, her breathing a little labored, her fingers a little impatient as she tugged his shirt away from his shoulder.
She wanted a chance to explore him as well. And she could only be so patient.
He didn't resist—immediately matched and followed and obeyed her every move, every signal, every guidance. But even as he helped her shrug loose his shirt (while still kissing her neck and the side of her face), some dim, distant part of his mind (that still remembered anything in the universe beyond her) made him tense, just slightly. Because that was the shoulder covered in shrapnel scars.
And down the rest of him—
Shrapnel: shoulder, upper back Blasterburn: mid-back Blades: forearm, ribs, clavicle Surgical: stomach, chest And the worst scar he had: broad, raised and mottled from deep tissue damage, extremely jagged, running down the side of his torso down along his hip. And stretched. Because it had happened before he was finished growing.
Will you be safe?
He had a feeling she'd understand. But still was… worried? …that it might… change things. Take them out of this haven they'd raised for themselves, for tonight.
no subject
Date: 2019-10-07 05:15 am (UTC)"So are you," he whispered back, meaning it so much it hurt.
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Date: 2019-10-07 05:36 am (UTC)She wanted to argue the point, wanted to argue that she was anything but lovely - she was hard and sharp and dangerous, but with difficulty, she swallowed the hards and tentatively leaned in, searching out the solace and comfort and understanding she had found in the kisses they had already shared.
no subject
Date: 2019-10-07 05:59 am (UTC)Right now, couldn't care less.
He met her exactly: renewing the kiss, and this time letting it intensify in fervor; lips parting, hand cupping the back of her head, body pressing—still gently, nothing she couldn't stop the second she wanted to—inward, tilting her back, curving them together.
no subject
Date: 2019-10-07 06:15 am (UTC)And Jyn was finding that she really liked kissing Rilio, being kissed by him in return.
He met her halfway, and Jyn sighed into the kiss, the sounds muffled as this time, there was little tentativeness to be found as they enjoyed each other, moving against each other until they were shifted and settled into a more thorough comfort. One arm slung low around his middle, the other she let map out its own path, up the length of his arm, only lingering momentarily at the back of his neck before allowing her fingers to card through his dark hair, newly washed and oh-so-soft.
no subject
Date: 2019-10-12 06:18 am (UTC)He was appalled when his own body broke the moment. He wanted to blame the drugs for compromising his control, but wasn't entirely sure he could.
He shifted his lower half away from her and pulled back from the kiss.
"Sorry," he murmured, flushing again.
(Reduced to a teenager when he'd never gotten to be one…)
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Date: 2019-10-12 06:45 am (UTC)As soon as she thought that, she felt him moving away, and she couldn't help a softly disappointed little noise from following in the wake of the kiss coming to an end.
Truthfully ... she wasn't the least bit offended by - or disgusted by the slowly dawning realization of what was happening. It was perfectly natural, wasn't it?
Still, she didn't want to make him uncomfortable by mentioning that, making him feel like he was obligated to do something that he didn't want to do with her.
"It's okay", she replied, her voice just as soft. "Really."
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Date: 2019-10-14 05:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-10-14 05:38 am (UTC)She should've probably kept quiet, but before she was able to think the action through, Jyn quietly asked - "How are you feeling?"
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Date: 2019-10-14 05:44 am (UTC)But levity aside, he knew what she meant. "More or less detoxed, I think."
…And most honestly: "And… good. Very good. With you. Better than… I've felt in a long time."
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Date: 2019-10-15 02:57 am (UTC)Her laugh soon faded into a quiet little sigh, her fingers gentle as she echoed the touch he was still sharing with her, tracing a series of random patterns against his shoulder. "Good. I'm glad."
But moreso, hearing that he felt even an iota of what she was feeling, safe and comfortable and content enough, somehow meant everything to her. "Yeah. Me too."
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Date: 2019-10-18 06:28 am (UTC)He didn't know why he thought it. Still less why he chose to actually say it. But he did; murmured, "You know I didn't give you a real name, right?"
Nor would he now; but it felt important, at the least, that they have just that little more honesty. They could still use fake names, under the mutual agreement that that's what they were.
no subject
Date: 2019-10-18 06:37 am (UTC)She wasn't very surprised to hear that he'd given her an alias. And it would make a hypocrite out of her to feel any offense, as she had done exactly the same thing. Any halfway smart person in their situation would have done the same. (Although it did make her heart drop just a touch at the thought that they might never know each other's true identities.
Maybe that was for the best.)
Jyn shrugged gently, her lips twisting into a small but wry smile. "Didn't give you mine, either. Better safe than sorry."
A ZILLION YEARS LATER…
Date: 2019-11-01 10:37 am (UTC)right here waiting.mp3
Date: 2019-11-02 02:20 am (UTC)It was an unfairness of the highest order.
"I know",she murmured, reaching up to brush the pad of her thumb along his cheekbone. "Me, too."
She attempted a smile, as well, unsure of how successful the attempt would turn out to be.
"But we have right now."
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Date: 2019-11-10 12:17 am (UTC)He mirrored her movement, moving his hand likewise to her face, gently tracing its shape, brushing back some wisps of hair. His eyes on her were admiring, drinking her in… but maybe now a touch wistful, too.
He didn't know if this was the sort of thing you could just say. It was harder, in a way, not having an agenda; no ulterior motive. He didn't know the right (or at least, necessary) path to take. He definitely didn't intend to work toward anything. But at the same time… what if they missed a chance, to make 'right now' the most it could…?
…Well. They'd just tried some uniquely specific honesty. Try a little more.
"I'm supposed to be good at reading… people. Situations. …It's a lot harder when I…" A self-deprecating breathed laugh. "Have strong opinions. Feelings." Wants. "Makes me question my interpretations."
no subject
Date: 2019-11-10 12:48 am (UTC)She observed Rilio - a pseudonym, she now knew - in much the same way, with much the same regret coloring her thoughts, her own exploration of the lines and planes of his face an attempt to memorize him, memorize how she felt right now. Fingertips traced along the slope of his nose, a whisper of a touch as she mapped the line of his lips.
Jyn still had the capability - but would it be worth the hurt she knew she would face upon their inevitable parting? Right now was a little difficult to concentrate on when she couldn't quite persuade what was yet to occur from causing her worry.
An eyebrow slowly made an arch upward, and her fingers stilled, the only sound in the room their breathing as she considered just what it was that she could offer. Strong opinions. Feelings. What did that mean? About her? Them? Not that there could even be a them, not when it was dangerous to even consider ...
"So ... why don't you tell me your interpretations and I'll tell you if you're right?"
no subject
Date: 2019-11-22 05:20 am (UTC)"And it's okay if not. This is already so much. This is very much enough. It's more than… Not sure if suggesting more is actually wanted or an unnecessary risk to this.
"And I'm not sure which would be harder… going even further before going separate, or not, then wondering if…
"You know."
Ugh. One thing to be said for a cover story: When he was in character, he was better at talking.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-24 06:50 am (UTC)She had said as much out loud - she didn't do this, didn't allow people to get close, didn't allow herself to need anyone for anything. And here she was, battered heart aching for more.
"I know - ", she finally replied, and she thought she did understand. Jyn didn't want to sound petulant or disrespectful, or worst of all, like she expected anything from him.
This was enough. It was more than enough! But would going further avoid the very particular pain of what ifs or would it only exacerbate it?
"I want ... to do as much as you want to. Maybe it's selfish and stupid of me, but I want you to remember. And maybe someday, you'll ask or hear about Liana Hallik and you'll find me again."
Maybe.
Maybe not.
But whatever happened, at least they'd have this.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-24 07:01 am (UTC)(Did they really have to lose each other, first…?)
That, possibly—objectively—might be an even more drastic, dangerous, impassible line to cross. Recruitment can't be based on sentiment. It's about giving someone more tools, more choices. Not trying to… keep them.
Liana… would not have been a promising prospect for recruitment. She was self-sufficient—impressively so—and self-contained. And he didn't have a sense she was looking for a way out of her present circumstance (not provided by anyone else, at least), nor looking for a 'cause' to serve.
He could be wrong. His profiling abilities were good, but everyone could always be wrong…?
He couldn't begin to say that. He knew, in his bones, it wasn't the right way for her. For them. For now. No matter how much he… wanted.
Maybe he'd change his mind by morning. Maybe he'd change his mind in an hour. But for this moment… he had to set that fantasy aside.
So he wove his fingers gently into her hair, cupped the back of her head, and closed his eyes to crane forward and press his lips lightly to her temple.
"I'm going to remember you. You don't have to do anything else for me to remember you.
"But… if you want, too… then… yes, please."
no subject
Date: 2019-11-24 07:58 am (UTC)And to say I want to go with you ...
That was really rather presumptuous, wasn't it? They had barely known each other for a small handful of hours. They didn't even know each other's real names. So why - and how - had she gotten so attached so quickly and so easily?
And why did the thought of parting leave her feeling empty and cold? Jyn didn't want to think about it, didn't want to deal with the wreckage of her heart all over again, although she knew that it was probably inevitable.
Jyn sighed softly, let herself relax a little, curled her fingers into his shirt as if to anchor the both of them to the moment, to keep them from drifting into worries and fears of what was to come.
"You're going to be hard to forget. But then - I don't want to forget. I want to remember every single moment of this."
A breath. A heartbeat, another -
"Kiss me."
no subject
Date: 2019-11-24 08:18 am (UTC)Kiss me.
Not frantic, not racing, but at once—without hesitation:
He splayed his fingers beneath her hair, cupping her head and her neck; his thumb drifting inward to trace her jaw. His eyes drank of the stardust in hers, up until the moment their faces were too close to see. Then his eyes closed and he pressed gently in and found her lips with his.
Mother of skies… she felt, tasted, was, wonderful.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-25 12:06 am (UTC)Jyn's sigh was soft as he took his time in not only supporting and steadying her but gathering her a little closer. She was gentle but not tentative as she mirrored the motion of the touch to her jaw, just as studious as she took in the warmth radiating from his dark eyes, and then -
Then, they were kissing again, and whatever noise she made was muffled as she settled into it, welcomed him into her personal space until there was nothing left.
Remember me.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-25 05:43 am (UTC)'Whatever noise she made' was beautiful and felt like a touch. He wondered if he could draw out more.
Kissing again felt just as stunningly new yet ageless—eternal—as before. As electrifying as a first meeting yet as sealed together as if they'd been intimate their whole lives. More than one life.
And, again, it felt like dancing. Impossible to tell who was leading—maybe they kept switching—maybe neither of them was, they were seamlessly in accord. But it was all-consuming and stirring and ambrosial. And finally one or both of them had to breathe, parting just enough to do so… and then he dared something newer, still. He moved his lips, still careful and gentle and soft, to the tendon of her neck, just below her ear. And gently worked his way down it, to the hollow of her neck and shoulder, and around her throat, and back up; all his senses, through his whole body, fixed on her; attentive, seeking any reactions at all; whether she liked it or not, and where, and how much.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-25 06:21 am (UTC)It truly did feel as though they'd done this innumerable times before and while some part of Jyn wanted to explore that phenomenon, she knew, deep down, that they didn't have the time.
So Jyn tucked it away and turned all of her attention to him, to returning each and every kiss he gifted her with the same vigor, the same passion, and she couldn't describe how overwhelming it felt to know that he felt the same desire that she did, that this - all of it, was completely reciprocal.
The need to breathe became impossible to ignore, and when they pulled away, the noise she made was soft and breathless and disappointed. But it disappeared as quickly as it had came to be as he shifted course and pressed that first soft kiss against her neck. There was no hesitation as Jyn shivered in response and then turned her head just enough against the pillow to allow for unimpeded travel. Her heart thumped harder in her chest, her breathing a little labored, her fingers a little impatient as she tugged his shirt away from his shoulder.
She wanted a chance to explore him as well. And she could only be so patient.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-26 05:09 am (UTC)And down the rest of him—
Shrapnel: shoulder, upper back
Blasterburn: mid-back
Blades: forearm, ribs, clavicle
Surgical: stomach, chest
And the worst scar he had: broad, raised and mottled from deep tissue damage, extremely jagged, running down the side of his torso down along his hip. And stretched. Because it had happened before he was finished growing.
Will you be safe?
He had a feeling she'd understand. But still was… worried? …that it might… change things. Take them out of this haven they'd raised for themselves, for tonight.
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From:How did I lose this?? Ack! Sorry!! But I did just massively enjoy rereading all of it ^_^ ^_^ <3
From: