“Yes, you can.” Astrid said firmly, pulling me into her lap. Astrid had become the stoic, hard woman she’d been Hardcore when I first met her. She was all codes and duty now; I missed the reckless slut already. “You killed your mother, your god is dead, and your honor was abandoned weeks ago.” I muttered, “You can do it for me, Astrid. Stop pretending to babe be who you were.” “I am who I am.” Astrid replied, “I can’t pretend, Tera, you know that. I am a traitor to myself, my people, and my family, but that doesn’t mean I should continue to be one. There is always room for growth, even if it is too late.” “This is my fault, Astrid.” I whispered, “We were digging where we shouldn’t have. None of this would’ve happened if it weren’t for me.” “What are you talking about?” Astrid asked softly. I told her everything. The truth spilled from my mouth like a bile, and I spiced it with vitriol, trying to compel this woman to break asian my neck. When it was over, I sat silently and expectantly in her lap, angling my head just right. “You are an honorable woman, Tera Autumnsong.” Astrid said with a shuddering breath, “You acted when I could not, and you risked so much to do so.” “Oh, fuck you, Astrid!” I seethed, “If it weren’t for me, your mistress would still be alive! I killed her!” “You tried to save her.” Astrid said, encompassing me in her embrace, “Long after I’d given up, you still held on to japanese hope.” Astrid nuzzled her face in my neck, and kissed me there, “You say you are without friends, but I consider you my dearest friend, Tera Autumnsong.” “Then do your friend a favor.” I hissed. “No, Tera.” Astrid whispered, “If you can’t do it, then there is still hope in you, and we can’t stop fighting if there’s… still… hope…” Astrid bolted upright, leaving me sprawling on the grass. She marched to the side of the cliff, and without a look back, she jumped. Her wings caught the wind and sun in a resplendent display of white, and she narrowed to a white dash in the sky, then was gone. I stared stupidly after her, then at the knife in my hand. “Goddamn it!” I growled, and scabbarded the weapon. I walked to the cliff’s edge, and peered over. Then I jumped off it, hooked my remaining hand on the ledge, and began my descent to the valley below. Fucking hope. ANGELA “…holy shit, Angela.” Brandon finally said after I’d told him everything. Arby was in a rocking chair, smoking a pipe of sapphire flame, looking fetish out the window at the black mushroom cloud. “Hatred, Greed and Sorrow.” Arby mused, “Corruption, Guilt and Chaos. I am Purity, Silvia was Passion, and you were Serenity; now you are just Angela.” “‘Just Angela’ is all I want to be, thank you.” I frowned. “If you’re right about the astral plane, then someone else will fill the role of Serenity.” Arby shrugged, “I hope you don’t regret your choice; when the end is coming for you, you might.” “The end is coming for you too, Arby.” I scowled, “You can’t live forever.” “And the older you get, the more scared of it you become.” Aby sighed, “The lucky ones die young.” Hose was a choice between a few shades of colors; to be safe, I wore nude ultra-sheer. Supposedly, New England was about to be hit with a frigid clusterfuck not seen since the North American Ice Storm of 1998. He rubbed it, massaged it. "Just asian let it go. Love, “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH YES, that feels so FUCKING GOOD! Byrne was always horny and always fucking, and it was always men or boys that babe he fucked, never saw him even kiss his wife or even hold her hand. I trust Vanessa was a kind host to you yesterday, showing you around? “If you keep this up I won’t fetish be able to make it to Hardcore later.” He sighed before he stood up and smashed his big stiff horse dick against my ass making me moan and start squirming against him. “I... The two enforcers gripped their whip handles tightly, walked to their appointed sides, and waited. What’s more, after being photographed, none of the girls asked for their bikini bottoms back and the beach ended up with 4 naked young women on it. A Machop that took fighting too seriously. I picked up my bag and placed the blanket inside. She could see “One Eye” peering at her. Deformity pressed down upon the woman as she winced in agony at her japanese wounded leg, the man's bulbous form overtaking her she could feel the sticky edges of chain links bind around her throat and begin to tighten. It looked almost unreal.