jaded_grin | Episode 27

Well, Monday again! And once more I bring you the fabulous drawings by

belatrix_labe who inspires me over and again with her awesome work! Keep it up, kiddo! It's gorgeous!!!!

This week's episode is a bit short, but I'm trying to set the pace for the next one, so I think I cut it ok. I hope you all enjoy it!

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Elena heard her phone start to ring and dug into her beaded bag for it, brows drawn.

“I swear, Ronald, if this is you…” she muttered, forced to look away from the runway where some models were showing off the new boutique’s looks.

The screen flashed ‘Daddy’ and she paled, standing quickly and saying to the manager, “Excuse me one moment, I will be back. Please, just hold on a moment.”

She hurried into one of the plush dressing rooms and flipped the phone open, trembling.

Every girl and boy employed by Reno—from his high-priced whores down to his dishwashers—had a number programmed into the phones that Reno insisted they carry at all times. It was always the same screen name, and only one man ever used it.

“Hello?”

“Laney,” Reno’s lazy, low voice said. “How you been, girl?”

“Reno,” she breathed, shaking a little. She sat down on the bench, a little faint at the thought of why he was calling.

She’d called it quits.

He wasn’t getting his money.

“Funny thing, baby girl, got a message from the old fart says you’s done with me,” Reno said, and she heard his heavy exhale, could practically see him blowing out smoke from his nostrils with a devilish grin on his gorgeous face. “Zat right, honey? You callin’ it retirement?”

“…Yeah,” she managed, her stomach sinking. She’d been angry, unhappy. She hadn’t thought of what it would mean to no longer be one of Reno’s beauties. No more of his calls, no more of his protection, no more chances to go back to her room in his big, warm house and visit with all of the others.

Reno laughed a little and asked, “Then why I see you gettin’ big deposits from our boy, then, huh?”

“Christ,” Elena whimpered, suddenly scared. She’d forgotten her comment to Ronald to just put it in her account. Now she was in the unfortunate position of stealing from Reno.

And nobody ever fucked him over.

“Reno, look, I—”

“Retirement’s one thing, Laney,” he drawled. “But workin’ off my books is something else. You think I don’t keep tracka you, honey? You think I just been playin’ around and not checkin’ up on my babies? I mean, you are one of my babies, right, Laney? You are my girl, aren’t ya?”

Elena shivered with fear because Reno’s voice had dropped into that slurring, under-plate drawl that meant he was pissed off bad enough to kill somebody, and she didn’t want to die for her temper.

“Yeah, Reno,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I’m still your girl.”

“You wanna call it quits, Laney, that’s fine with me,” he assured her. “Happens all the time, and I’d wish you the best of it.”

She paled and stared at her own horrified reflection in the mirror across from her when he lowly said, “But there ain’t no room for freelancers in my business, Elena. Old man owes me back-pay for you, sweetheart, and if I don’t get it, then you’re coming home.”

A day before she would’ve been beside herself with glee to hear such a thing, but that was before she’d bucked his power over her and tried to take a piece of the pie for herself. This was Reno’s table, Reno’s show, and for a second she’d been too secure in her own place with Ronald to remember that even the President deferred to the dangerous redheaded man.

Because coming home with Reno now would mean going straight to the basement where Reno would kill her without a second thought.

“I’ll fix it,” she whispered, her prior bravado at his restaurant forgotten. Everything boiled down to living, and Elena desperately wanted to live. It was easy to forget how badly he scared her, easy to pretend that he was nothing more than a rich playboy who’d left his business to his bitch and spent his time at idle play, much like the other “gentlemen” she knew. “I’ll fix it, I swear.”

“There’s my girl,” Reno said, but his voice was cold and hard. “Don’t you ever fucking forget who you’re dealing with. I made you, Elena. Girls like you come a dime a dozen, we clear?”

“We’re clear,” she said, and the anger started up again, the fury that she was not allowed to be the woman she pretended to be for the world at large.

“Good,” he told her, and hung up the phone.

“You move so very quietly for a man who constantly bangs a hammer.”

Zack smiled a little as Mei Li emerged from behind the half-wall which ran the length of the foyer. He’d known she was there, even though she’d been remarkably still. It made him wonder about her, too.

“Were you trying to surprise me just now?” he asked, tossing his tools down and frowning at the railing that had been torn off last night. The damned drunks that flooded Reno’s house in the early morning hours always managed to break something.

She smiled at him, her red lips stark in her white-powdered face, using her fan to cool herself. She sat down on the bench next to him and carefully arranged her flowing gown, saying, “No, I do not believe you are a man much given to surprise…”

“Not really,” Zack admitted, righting the railing, irritated to see that it was cracked. In a house this age, finding suitable matches would require special-ordered wood or else the integrity of the place would be compromised. He doubted that Kadaj would okay such a pricey order, so he settled on patching and wondered why a whorehouse had to occupy a historic landmark home.

“Does he love you, do you think?”

Zack paused, staring at Mei Li with narrowed eyes.

“Who?” he asked, not willing to be led into anything.

Mei Li smiled and purred, “I imagine it is very dangerous, taking Reno’s lover for yourself.”

Zack laughed a little and said, “I think it’s more dangerous to take Reno from his lover. I’m glad you’re still alive, by the way.”

She inclined her head gracefully, smirking at him.

“I like you,” she said, sounding as if she’d reached a decision. “You are honest and selfless and that is unusual.”

“That’s a pretty sad social commentary,” Zack breathed, returning to the task at hand. “If it helps, I like you, too, Mei Li. Breaking into Reno’s room and risking Kadaj’s temper makes you the bravest woman I’ve ever met, I’m pretty sure.”

She laughed lightly and Zack blushed, remembering that she was not, in fact, a woman, but when he grinned at her she smiled back, flattered.

“Zack,” she said, and his name sounded so odd with her accent, so short and clipped. “Please, take advice from a friend—leave the boy be. There are other interested parties who would love nothing more than to eliminate all competition.”

Zack paled and paused in his work, equal parts angry and shocked. So, Reno thought he could get one of his lovers to scare him off of Kadaj, did he? He had a lot of nerve to insist on such a thing when he screwed around on the boy so much…

He gave her a tight smile and said, “It isn’t an issue, Mei Li. You can tell Reno as much.”

She nodded again, pleased, and purred, “Then I shall. Please, excuse me for disturbing your work.”

Zack watched her sashay off and frowned, wondering if he’d missed something. But it seemed that where Kadaj was concerned he was always missing something. With a deep, unhappy sigh, he turned his attention to his work, sadly thinking to what mundane tasks his skills were now set, but it was all due to his own error, after all.

Zack had no one to blame for his life but himself, and he knew it.

Scarlet met Ronald at the airfield when his small private jet landed, a smile on her face to see him emerge, waving at the waiting cameras. He seemed so much more worn than he had in her memory, tired and slowed by age and responsibility. It touched her to see his plump hand take the railing as he made his cautious way down the steps, to see that hand tremble just a bit. It worried her, and she realized with a start that they were no longer young, either one of them.

“How are you feeling?” she murmured, kissing his cheek when he neared and took her hand. His own hand shook slightly, and she gripped it tight, walking him back to the limousine, the guards forming a protective circle around them.

He waited until they were in the privacy of the car and headed home before he gave her a fond smile and whispered, “The specialist will have my results in a few days time.”

“Ronald?” she quietly questioned, seeing how pale he was, seeing the red rimming his eyes.

His smile tightened, unhappy and sad, a forced smile that was tremulous and fragile.

“He…he tells me it won’t be long now,” he admitted, and ducked his head in shame when a frightened tear spilled down his cheek.

“Oh, Ronald,” Scarlet whispered, and slipped her arms around him in sympathy, crooning to him while he trembled with silent tears.

“I don’t want to die,” he whispered, and laughed a little, sadly. “There’s so much I still need to do…so much that I have done wrong…”

He looked at her, his sad blue eyes round with horror, and whispered, “I’m afraid.”

Scarlet felt her own tears rise with his admission. Gently, she started to rock him, offering the shelter of her arms to ward away his fears, keeping the horror at bay as best she could by holding him as he cried.

Mei Li spent the day wandering around and talking to the people who lived in Reno’s big house. Never in her life had she seen a brothel this size go unmolested by the authorities, but no one seemed to worry. The House that she herself came from was more discreet by far, and more modest about its occupation. Still, she had to admit that they all seemed happy, content, and well cared for.

It was more than she could say for some in Dai Jiao.

She was catnapping when Reno came back in towards the evening, and awoke to him tossing down some sort of package onto a lacquered table.

“A gift?” she purred, rousing herself to stand.

“Not for you,” he said, and grinned at her. He dug out a box and Mei Li recognized it as some sort of camera, though not like any she had ever seen before.

“I have missed you,” she said, ignoring the oddity—it didn’t concern her and he offered no more information about it, so it wasn’t something that required her attention.

“Where’s Kadaj?” Reno asked, not looking at her. His brows were drawn close and his shoulders were tight. He was concentrating on the camera and Mei Li didn’t care for that. Tseng-shifu had said to distract him, and she would.

“Do not worry over him,” she sighed, and moved to fit herself to his long, lean back. The height difference put her forehead just beneath his shoulder-blades, but she didn’t miss the shiver that coursed down his spine or the way his skin tightened when she ran her hands around to stroke his belly. “I have spoken to Zack—”

“Who the fuck is that?” Reno asked, interrupting her.

“Your handyman,” she said, and got a soft grunt of acknowledgement. “He has said that there is no reason for you to worry, my Reno. He says that there is nothing between him and little Kadaj.”

“Better fucking not be,” Reno said, irritated and angry. “Didn’t I fire that fucking guy?”

“Apparently not,” Mei Li said, and giggled her little-girl giggle, the one that never failed to make Reno’s thoughts turn to much more pleasant pursuits. “He had been quite busy all day long mending things for you.”

That won another grunt, less angry this time.

“At least he’s good for something,” he grudgingly admitted.

“Do not worry over him,” Mei Li said, and snuggled against his back, her little hands sliding beneath his shirt to touch the smooth skin of his hard belly. “Mei Li has enough for you to worry over…”

Reno groaned a little but slid sideways, pulling away.

Mei Li’s expression slowly darkened to thunderous anger, but he didn’t seem to care.

“Not now,” he said, and rubbed at his belly where she had touched. “You already tore me up, Mei Li. I got a date tonight, I don’t need to show up for her torn to shit.”

Mei Li’s eyes flashed with fury and she hissed, “You speak to me so?”

Reno’s own blue eyes narrowed and he lowly reminded, “I’ll speak to you how ever the fuck I feel like it. When it comes down to it, baby, I’m the fucking top-dog here, and don’t you forget it.”

“I swear, Reno, that the next time I have you sleeping next to me,” she whispered, and moved to touch his cheek, her voice as dangerous as the anger in her eyes. “I will make you sorry.”

“You can try,” Reno breathed, smirking. He reached out and roughly cupped one heavy breast, snarling when she hissed and lashed out with those sharp nails. He grabbed her delicate wrists and jerked her close, biting her earlobe hard and harshly breathing, “One of these days, it’s gonna happen.”

Mei Li smirked and bit his lower lip, pulling back before she broke the skin. She sucked on it briefly and jerked away from him with a smile. In all of the years that she had known Reno, never once had she allowed him to have her the way that she had him. It was one of his greatest frustrations and what kept his interest piqued.

She was no fool. She knew how to keep him hooked.

“Keep dreaming,” she said, purring. She turned her back on him and sauntered away to the bed, stretching out with a soft sigh and telling him, “When she sends you home hard and hot, Reno, I’ll be waiting…and I will top.”

Reno smirked at her and left her there to go dress

“Well, you simply must prepare something, Reeve! I will not allow you to appear ridiculous in public!” Genesis informed him, and Reeve eyes his odd clothing—the long, flowing, and deeply colored coat, the net shirt, the black corset, the leather pants bloused into high-heeled boots. Speaking of ridiculous in public…

“Uhm—”

“Reeve Tuesti, if we are going to be a couple, you must make an effort!” Genesis declared, rolling his eyes heavenward and lifting his hands, for all of the world at the end of his wits.

“We aren’t a couple!” he reminded, and wondered how on earth they’d wound up at a restaurant sans the rest of the party. It had happened too quickly for him to protest, but here he was alone with Genesis and the rest of them had gone on about their business. “We aren’t even friends!”

“Darling,” Genesis scolded, and gracefully seated himself at their table with Reeve automatically following suit. “Dearest, don’t say such things, you’ll break my heart.”

Reeve’s mouth dropped open and he was about to give Genesis a thorough piece of his mind but the wait-staff were, apparently, on Rhapsodos’s side and conspired to keep him quiet.

“Wine, please, your best bottle,” Genesis said, sending the waiter on his way before he could even ask. The man leaned onto the table, his chin in his hand, and smirked at Reeve, saying, “Reeve, darling, this is serious business, you know. One false move and they will eat you alive. My only, you simply must prepare a speech of some sort, it is expected!”

Determined not to be unwittingly drawn into a relationship, Reeve ignored all of the endearments and focused on the facts, saying, “Genesis, I appreciate your concern, but I am an artist, not a performer—speeches in front of strangers are out of the question.”

Those light, glowing blue eyes narrowed slightly, becomingly lined in a rich, dark brown, and Genesis said, “Reeve, my love, I have dealt with jackals of this sort for many long, many lonely, many dreary years before you came along, so trust me on this. You’re the star of the night, you’re the talented artist—Midgar wants the package deal: talent, looks, and charm. If you fail them in any one of these areas, you will never become vogue. Can we talk about your facial hair?”

“What?! No! No, none of this matters!” Reeve fumed, and touched his goatee. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Darling, it’s like a vibrant, hairy Easter egg,” Genesis lamented, pouting a little. “You’ve paint all in it! Do you never comb it, Reeve?”

Reeve blushed but lifted his chin and said, “Of course I do! And I will not be bullied by a man wearing mascara!”

“Oh, silly!” Genesis laughed, smiling at him. “It’s a bit late for that, isn’t it? Now, about your speech…”

Yazoo dropped Yuffie off at a friends, went back to pick up his dress from his seamstress, and headed home in a moil of nervous anticipation.

Rude, it seemed, was aware of his anxiety, and the big man had offered several times to accompany Yazoo on his outing this evening, but Reno had called earlier and informed him that it wasn’t necessary. When he was with Reno, he was safe.

As he passed Rufus’s suite he noticed it was oddly silent, and thinking of his husband made him wonder if something had happened. After all, the man had said that he would be gone for awhile on business, yet he’d been home lounging in his bathrobe when Scarlet came to pay her call. It made Yazoo wonder if Rufus had ever left at all, or if he even had a job to speak of now that he’d skipped so much work.

The excitement of the evening, however, quickly pushed thoughts of his husband out of his mind. He didn’t want to think of Rufus tonight, didn’t want to think that he was consciously going to make an effort to cheat on his husband. For the first time in his life he was going after something he wanted, and the rush of it left him giddy with joy.

He spent extra time getting ready, making sure every inch of his body was perfect. He chose his corset and stockings with care, settling on a soft transparent color that enhanced the milky whiteness of his skin. His hormone treatments had allowed him to develop a rather womanly shape, which included a slight fullness of his chest. Strenuous workouts had added muscle beneath, giving him the illusion of much fuller “breasts” that were held to advantage by bras specially designed to enhance. With the tight, seamless panties on beneath the hip-length corset and its attached garter clasps, he looked nothing less than fully a woman sitting at his vanity in just his under-things, rolling up one silky stocking before the other.

He put on everything before he put on the dress—his diamond-drop earrings, his wide diamond choker, even his stilettos. He carefully did his hair and his make-up, paying close attention to his eyes and his full mouth. Finally, finally, he lifted the silky, heavy material up over his head and let it slither down his body, falling into place perfectly.

Holding his breath, Yazoo turned to look into the mirror and gasped a little.

He felt oddly unfettered and almost naked in the clinging dress. It was cut lower than anything he had ever worn before, showing the swell of cleavage while still managing to remain tasteful. It hugged his every curve but didn’t show even a trace of his smooth, seamless corset, just outlined the round curves of his hips and cupped the high, firm globes of his round derriere. The short side was on his left, and seemed cut much higher than he’d first thought, falling in a bias cut to his right ankle, and when he walked he flashed an alarming amount of long, lean thigh. It didn’t manage to expose any sign of his stocking, however, so he would blush his way through showing some leg. After all, it was still more modest by far than the dresses most women wore out in the evenings.

He turned and looked at himself from the back, heart hammering, his eyes wide and excited because he’d made his decision and this dress proved it.

He wanted Reno as his lover.

A knock came at his suite door and he jumped a little, hand lifting to his choker. Trembling with sudden nerves, he snagged his tiny handbag and hurried to open the door, hoping that he hadn’t overdone it, starting to believe that he looked ridiculous in the dress instead of breathtaking.

He threw open the door and Reno came inside, pausing abruptly in his tracks, his smile fading to stunned astonishment as his eyes raked Yazoo from head to toe.

“I just bought it today,” Yazoo quietly offered, blushing because Reno seemed more astonished than appreciative. “I’m sorry, it really isn’t appropriate, is it? I’ll just change—”

“No!” Reno protested, and a wide, wolfish grin plastered itself to his lean face, a different kind of light filling his bright blue eyes and filling Yazoo with delicious warmth. “No, Cateyes, you look fantastic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so good.”

“Thank you,” Yazoo murmured, giving him a relieved smile, aware of those blue eyes still traveling over him. He was shy, suddenly, his confidence of moments ago forgotten in the face of Reno in the flesh. He worried that Reno wouldn’t want him. He worried that he was too different for the man to be interested, not sultry enough, not world-wise or sexy. He was up against a whole world full of experienced, man-eating women and he had none of their assurance, none of their knowledge. He only had this aching, keen desire to please and his loneliness to drive him.

Reno reached out and took his hand, lifting it to his lips to place a long, lingering kiss on Yazoo’s wedding set, those sultry blue eyes on his. He left off with a soft, hungry grin and asked, “You ready to go?”

Yazoo nodded, speechless with his sudden, overwhelming desire, and let Reno lead him down to the car.

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And here are the beautiful drawings done by none other than the fantastic

belatrix_labe (click for full view)

Kadaj and Tseng

What If?

Will Reno Fall In Love?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

neurotoxia.livejournal.com

The scene between Reno and Elena was great, Reno's malicious side was perfectly presented. A clear contrast to what is shown when he's with Yazoo.

Zack remains a big miracle and I wonder if that will ever change lol

I feel sorry for the Old Man. Good thing he has Scarlet now, I doubt Elena or Rufus would feel too bothered by him being fatally ill. Maybe Elena would mind the money source run dry.

Reeve is hilarious, I laughed so hard at the "I will not be bullied by a man wearing mascara!”. And Genesis is one persistant son of a bitch lol.

Can't wait to read if Yazoo can overcome his shyness on this date with Reno..

In short: Another wonderful chapter :D

From:

Otherwise known as the journal of Jaded Grin

Episode 27

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