The coach rattled and jolted as it travelled along the turnpike road. James, having been unable to secure a seat inside, was sitting on top of the coach at the mercy of the elements, the cold December air biting at his fingers and the wind dancing about his ears. He had had to remove his hat, lest it blow clean away, and had instead wrapped his scarf over the top of his head and tied it under his chin to keep warm.
Author Archives: ssbb-admin
22
Dec
Advance to Go
I lost my virginity on the bus on the way to work, getting felt up by this kid dressed a lot like Crocadile from One Piece. Okay, so maybe his coat and my work apron helped cover things up a bit, but it wasn’t hard to figure out what his hands were doing under there if you were paying attention. Not that anyone was paying attention, because, well, it’s the bus. Strangers forced into close space tend ignore each other and keep their AT fields up. So I suppose existenial angst is good for something after all…
Anyway, after he makes me come in my pants, he asks me if I come here often (no, seriously, he did) and he hands me a card with his number on it. It’s one of those community chest cards from Monopoly – advance to go – and that’s when I remembered that I missed my stop for work.
I haven’t seen him since then, and I’ve been trying to figure out if I should call him.
22
Dec
A Holiday Romance of Sorts
The guy in 20A had red hair, dyed red hair even; nothing that colour could be natural, Bryan thought. He was tall too, as far as Bryan could tell from the cramped airline seats, and — oh — he had the most piercing green eyes ever once he looked away from the window. The rest of his features were handsome enough, even without those striking eyes, and Bryan found himself stuttering for the first time in his career as an airline host.
“Hi. C-can I get you anything to drink?”
22
Dec
10-11-01
I’m living time backwards.
I know this for certain because I was in the middle of doing something, of completing something, and suddenly I was undoing it in the way that I’d done it. And I just kept undoing.
22
Dec
A Day in the Life of an Onmyouji (榊先生の日常)
Ame no Shoubumei no Mikoto once quarreled with his sister, Enkanushi. In her fury, Enkanushi called forth a great tidal wave, intending to crush Yasukou Province, home to Shoubumei’s head shrine. Before the great wave fell, Shoubumei apologized and presented sacred sake as a peace offering. Enkanushi accepted, and spared Yasukou.
22
Dec
Fantasies & Desires
The problem with Kiran’s fantasies isn’t that they are too vivid. No, he can always tell when he’s day-dreaming (or, in some cases, night-dreaming); the problem is that his fantasies are entire fucking worlds, and he’s always much happier there than he could ever be in real life.
22
Dec
The Library
The hallway was a long corridor of empty walls and plain wooden doors, pristine and quiet. Thomas rubbed the back of his neck and slowed his pace in a futile effort to muffle his footsteps. Thick dust covered his shoes and two books were heavy weights in his pocket, pulling his jacket askew and lending further to a general look of disrepute. He should probably care about the state of his person; Thomas could almost hear his mother sighing at him and asking where she went wrong. But the chill had seeped into his bones and at this point in time, he could care less about what he looked like. He had spent yet another morning buried in boxes and stacks of hastily bundled paper hidden in the furthest depths of the basement, but he had the feeling that today his discoveries had made it all worth it.
22
Dec
Happiness Is
The temperature that year was higher than usual and no one, whether weatherman or fortune-teller, could explain why. All year round, Nagasaki was generally one of the more comfortable cities in Japan to live in temperature-wise; it got a little bit chillier in the winter and a little bit hotter in the summer, but most days of the year, the inhabitants enjoyed more temperate weather that was likely regulated by the neighboring body of water around the port of Nagasaki. Natsume, first son of the Amamiya family, almost always felt like sleeping no matter what temperature it was, but the hot air made him even more drowsy and even more unable to focus on the work at hand, mindless and easy as it generally was.
22
Dec
The Imitated Rose
“There is a certain someone already,” he said. He had given his name as Aoi, though it was not the same name that he gave to clients during the day; there was a blue rose in his jacket lapel. “I would ask that you do not inquire too deeply.”
The other man, who had introduced himself as Murasaki and kept a violet rose in his own lapel, just smiled. “That is fine with me,” he said. “There is also a certain person in my circumstances. I won’t ask if you don’t.”
22
Dec
Dragon’s Head, Snake’s Tail (竜頭蛇尾)*
The heat and steam feel good, melting away the aches left over from last night and this morning. So does just breathing, sitting here together – not together-together, clearly lovers; they can’t go to that kind of place and don’t want to anyway- but close enough to hear each others’ breathing, and take comfort in it. Or at least Shinsuke is.
He’s been starving for Yoshida, lately. They don’t go to love hotels – most don’t allow male couples anyway, and he doesn’t want to be remembered at the ones that do – so they’re limited to the odd occasion when one of their houses is empty. Often in public they don’t even touch, not even knees under the table.
22
Dec
Chasing the Fox
Trent Robinson had a problem with his focus lately. This was not usual for him. If it had been, then he wouldn’t be one of the most successful art directors at his publication. Most people, himself included, considered Trent to be a superstar. At only twenty-five he had already shot in every major fashion venue in the world and was responsible for finding or making many top models in the industry. His accomplishments were not the mark of a man who could not focus.
If he were to think back on it, Trent’s problems with focus happened when he found a photographer that had before been much unknown. Ken Polli had an impeccable sense of composition and lighting. He was also the walking definition of Trent’s type. Ken was older, possibly in his late thirties by Trent’s estimation. He was tall with white blond hair, a well sculpted chin, and artful scars over his amazing chest and abs.
22
Dec
Where You Have Yet To Go
He didn’t return from the war a wreck. He didn’t return riddled with dreams of dust, sand, and glass. He didn’t return with a bullet wound in his leg or a voice in his head. He didn’t return a hero or a ghost. However, he did return home to an empty apartment, an uncooperative landlord, and all of the right words missing.
22
Dec
But It’s Better If You Do
“And you can bring that nice young man of yours along, too.” Cusarn’s grandmother patted him on the hand.
“I… Pardon, who?”
“That lovely partner of yours, the one you brought to the benefit that time.”
“Rekala? But we’re not… I mean, he’s not my… We just work together! We’re not romantic partners!”
22
Dec
Gordian Knot
Alex calls me over on the request that he needs fashion advice—something that Ata has been trying to convince him of for years. I arrive at his house to find it pleasantly devoid of anyone besides Alex himself and his dog. The first fifteen minutes are spent blasting Arabic hip-hop and eating month-old blue popsicles. (Well, I was eating my popsicle; Alex was fellating his.) It’s only after we’ve eaten the entire box that Alex recalls that he has one of those autism fundraisers to attend this Saturday and needs help picking which suit/tie combination to go with. I agree to help him on principle, because I try to be a good boyfriend and because I would never pass up an opportunity to see Alex in a suit.
22
Dec
so werd ich dich auf meinem Blute tragen
It was a testament to his great panic and agitation that, upon having his Agency-managed alert system flare red and broadcast the words BABÁ DOWN directly into his brain, Alastair managed to wash his hands only three times before racing out the door of his apartment.
